What's your's is mine (Revna)

[LunarCataphract]

“Ugh…….where are my retainers…?!” Even when imprisoned inside her gilded cage, Ichika had found comfort in it. Samurai retainers at her beck and call, essentially giving her the freedom to enjoy whatever snacks and vices she wanted. Oh she had been fully aware it was done entirely to placate her, to keep her calm and stop her from doing the very thing her “retainers” had been afraid of (whatever that had been) but that had not mattered to Ichika. She had lived a life of luxury in that gilded cage, using fear and making threats of unleashing some monstrous evil not even she knew of but now…? She was here, in this palace, leashed to her cousin.

At the very least there was one benefit to be found in this current arrangement: Her cousin. Yozei may have been a symbol of the very ideals that Ichika despised so very much but he had something she didn’t: Allies, social standing, political influence. The inner manipulator within Ichika desired to use these things for herself and so, she had ever so subtly arranged for Yozei’s bodyguard to be as much her as she was his. Well perhaps not subtly, given how she had simply straight up asked for such but enough of such thoughts.

Boredom gnawed at Ichika, a sensation so intense it was enough to drive her out of her quarters, through the hallways of the palace and towards the servant’s quarters. She could not but feel a gnawing and itching sense of disgust towards these clearly lesser people but she would restrain such a feeling. She needed to. The would be princess asked the first person she encountered one very simple question:

“Where is the one known as Revna?” The servant, a mere cook it seemed, was able to provide swift directions, eventually leading Ichika to the one she was seeking.

“Are you Revna? Bodyguard to my…distant cousin Yozei?” This Revna, based on that muscular build and developed body of her’s, struck Ichika as a complete and total muscle head. Great….perhaps there was something of worth that could be salvaged here.

[Willoria]

Revna had just finished with an early morning training regimen, having bathed and changed into her usual daily garb before she got to her serving duties. Her paints had been washed away, she wore her simple shoes and brown pants, as well as a white collared shirt. Her ruddy brown hair was mostly dry now with a couple of braids in it though it mostly flowed free. She was trying not to think about her most recent orders from Yozei however. Serving the Prince Transplant from Konoha made her skin crawl some days given the unspoken duties she had of spying on him, and her dislike and distrust of shinobi. In some ways her discomfort had only grown as she slowly got to know him and found herself even warming up to him a bit, after all, spying on him only worked if she completely disliked and distrusted him. She found herself trying to bury a great deal when she was around him.

When he told her he was lending her to a newly arrived member of the family from time to time she had thought it would help her separate things appropriately, instead she found herself increasingly annoyed and even angered when she heard more about this Ichika. If she thought Yozei was spoiled, when compared to Ichika he was incredibly tame. She heard by rumor that this woman was incredibly demanding, spoiled, and even annoying. Considering she'd already lost her temper and struck Yozei once, she was almost scared to know how bad it would become when the day came that she'd end up on loan to Ichika.

As she finished preparing for her day this morning however, she realized she wouldn't have to wait long. Hefting her large axe and putting it in place at her back she heard an unfamiliar voice and turned to see the woman. She seemed to fit every description in both beauty and poise, as well as a demanding edge in her tone. Revna forced herself to adhere to courtesy and placed one hand at her own back, another across her front as she bowed. "I am Revna." she confirmed cooly. "What can I do for you, my Lady?"

[LunarCataphract]

Ichika took in the details of the woman she had sought out. Muscular, a few braids in her hair and the simple clothing of a servant. This woman definitely matched the description Ichika had been given but she also defied a few of the expectations the spoiled girl had, namely that this Revna didn’t look like a brute whose brain was all muscle. She was still definitely a peasant though. That much was clear. Ichika’s eyes moved from appraising Revna’s body to that axe she sported. The weapon was large, dangerous and sharp looking, a hunk of raw iron shaped into an elegant tool of killing. She was unsurprised that a brute like this Revna carried such a thing around.

“I grow bored of the palace’s confectionery and wish to acquire sweets. You will escort me in this.” Yes. That was what Ichika had been hankering for. Something to satisfy her sweet tooth. The cooks here were…fine, she supposed, but they weren't willing to create the sweets she wanted when she wanted them. Disrespectful curs the lot of them…at least the region surrounding the dragon palace had a certain level of development that did not preclude the possibility of there being some high end sweet shops. Hopefully they were better than the very disappointing ones Ichika had been forced to shop from during her brief visits to Konohagakure. God that place was a backwater.

“I’m sure even a muscle head like yourself can lead me to a confectioner.” There was a tone of arrogance and snark to Ichika’s voice, a sense of condescension and judgement kept not at all hidden. It may have been entirely possible that Revna was too stupid, her mind too covered in muscle and her wits too dulled by servitude for her to be capable of such a basic task but that was part of why Ichika sought her out this day. To see if she was half-way decent, to see if there was something usable and to see why her foolish cousin had been so…’generous’ in offering this brute’s services. Tch. If Ichika wanted a bodyguard she’d have just demanded the samurai provide such a service!

[Willoria]

Revna raised an eyebrow as Ichika made clear what she wanted. She simply wanted sweets. For a moment she simply stared at her and blinked, but it wasn't because she had trouble understanding her or because she was a 'muscle head'. It simply baffled her that she wanted an escort for such a task. She had almost expected to be told to go retrieve the sweets, but it seemed the spoiled princess before her also had a control streak and wanted to have a direct hand in picking out her sweets. Or perhaps she had a taste for adventure and wanted some time out of the palace? Revna wasn't sure what the reasons were, but whatever they were, she was thrown for a loop for a moment as she simply blinked in shock at the woman as she processed the information.

Of course as the princess went on to actually refer to her as a 'muscle head', Revna's expression went from blinking shock to an even stare that gave away her thoughts of 'are you serious right now' as she cleared her throat to try and force herself to keep from saying or doing something monumentally stupid. "Of course, My Lady. I know just the place." she replied, taking a deep breath to try and keep herself from sighing outwardly.

She checked over her equipment and grabbed the last of it quickly, applying only a quick amount of blue paint under her right eye with two fingers before turning to lead the way out of her room and the building. Normally when working more as a bodyguard than a servant she preferred to go in her full outfit and paints, but she had a feeling Ichika would hardly wait around for her to change again and so would have to go minimalist in this regard. "What are some of your favorites?" she asked as they walked, knowing that what the woman was seeking might change their destination. Some places had specialties after all.

[LunarCataphract]

“And do wipe that expression off your face. I will brook neuter slight no insult from you.” One more reprimand, one more lashing out, one more correction of perceived failures in behaviour on Revna’s part. Hopefully it would end up being the last time that Ichika needed to correct her bodyguard and escort. The princess, with a parasol over her shoulder to protect her from the sunlight, followed after Revna, wondering why on earth the muscle headed barbarian had bothered applying that paint. No…that was not the question on the spoiled princess’s mind. The question on her mind was how dare Revna waste time satisfying her own vanity. This excursion was NOT for Revna’s benefit after all.

“You do not know something such as that? I wonder why my cousin recommended you…” Ichika was very disappointed to hear that the one who was, apparently, supposed to be as much her escort and bodyguard as her cousins had not researched such a topic ahead of time. Foolishness. Was Revna really that inept at her job? Tch. The young, and rather spoiled, princess knew she had her work cut out for her if she was to try and salvage something usable from this “brain rotted by muscle” barbaric brute of a woman. Tch. The samurai back at her prior compound had never made these mistakes.

“Fine. Keep note of this. I will not be repeating myself. I like Mochi ice cream, regular Mochi, Yokan and Daifuku. For Daifuku, the kinds I like are Ichigo, Yuzu, Matcha, Aisu and Mame. For Mochi, Green Tea, Red Bean, Plum Wine, Strawberry, Mango, Chocolate and Azuki. I trust the destination you have in mind can meet my expectations and satisfy my refined palette.” Ichika’s voice was, by this point in proceedings, a mixture of definitely frustrated and arrogant egotism. She was not expecting this muscle head brute of a woman to understand or know what any of those flavours were or even tasted like. Revna did not seem like the kind to explore the culinary world after all.

[Willoria]

As Ichika reprimanded her for her expression, it took everything she had for her to force her face into a neutral expression rather than react to the other woman's words. It used to be so easy for her, but lately it had become much harder. 'Too much time around Yozei... I used to be so much better at staying silent and staying in my line.' she thought to herself. Resisting the urge to shake her head the woman slowly fell back into old habits that came from before she met Yozei. Taking on the simple role of the silent guard, and apparently guide today, she remained in her position at Ichika's side to lead her from the building on on the path towards the city adjacent to the palace that would surely hold shops and restaurants that would be to the princess' tastes.

She ignored too the woman's complaint about why Yozei would recommend Revna, that one she knew the answer to. He probably had recommended her only to get under Revna's skin and it was already working though she couldn't let it show in the moment. She remained silent still as the woman listed off her favorites and already a plan was forming in Revna's mind. There was a specialty shop in the market that had Mochi ice cream. She had heard the locals speak of it at length, always complimentary not just about the quality of the treats but also the quantity of the selection. Revna herself of course had not had it, Mochi was not on her list of favorites. She liked simple ice creams, but mochi to her had a slimy texture that to her she equated to licking a frisky frog on a rainy day (not that she'd ever actually done such a thing, it was just the mental picture it'd always given her). If she weren't in proper company, she'd equate it to swallowing a particularly thick substance during a particularly lewd act.

"I know just the place, My Lady." she said simply as she led the way.

[LunarCataphract]

Whether Revna took the reprimands to heart or not seemed not to matter, for she simply walked out of the quarters and the palace to the surrounding city. Ichika simply followed along, clutching her parasol, actively avoiding exposing her skin to the rays of the sunlight. It was a warm and sunny day, filled with birds chirping and a rather pleasant cool breeze which meant the princess hated it. The sun? An annoying thing that often resulted in minor sun burns. The birds? Irritating chirping pests that always picked the stupidest times of day to break out into their bird song. Ugh! It was all so very annoying….

“I do not understand how you all tolerate the outdoors. All this sunlight, all this noise….ugh. It’s all so very irritating.” The princess, even if she was one in name only, was very much not a happy chappy right now. The sunlight, the noise, the people looking at her….it was all just a little too much for her. Shw half-considered ordering Revna to just go ahead on her own and do all of the shopping but, frustratingly, given how the barbarian had utterly failed to do any research, Ichika doubted she had the capability to succeed in the given task.

“Is this it?” Ichika had to say she felt…mixed with what was before her. It was definitely a confectionies, that much was sure. The sheer number of sweets and related goods in the front window revealed that much but it also looked like the house of some kindly old grandmother. This place looked like a dump, barely equal to the high standards Ichika held but you know what they say, the proof is in the pudding.

“Clear the queue. I will not be waiting for these peasants.” Ichika commanded and demanded, refusing to accept or even consider the very idea of being expected to wait in line. She offhandedly gestured towards the queue, glaring in frustration at them all. Did they not KNOW who she was?!