„He won’t wake up anytime soon, huh…“ She let out a sigh and turned away from the man’s unconscious body to meet Bokuden’s gaze. “I shouldn’t have knocked him out like this. It was completely… irrational.”
Another sigh, then she decided not to waste her time standing in that room and watching a man sleep. “Okay, I’m going to take a shower now… if that’s alright with you,” she muttered and waited for a moment whether Bokuden would say anything against it. He didn’t and so she left the room with a last nod to her friend.

~~

The shower was a pleasure; exactly what she needed. Warm water caressing her skin, making her forget about all her problems for a few heartbeats.
When she got out of the shower and dried herself off with a towel, she felt like a new person. Well, almost. It had been so long since she had showered with hot water. She got the feeling that she’d finally wiped off all the dirt and bloodstains on her.

Misoka then put on her clothes, tousled her wet hair with the towel and went out into the kitchen.
“Bokuden?” She asked hesitantly, looking around. He wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Perhaps he went off to the training grounds? Come to think of it, she could use a few training sessions as well.. although her mind was far away from jutsus and fighting right now.

Her father’s face once again flickered before her mind’s eye and sent a cold shiver down her spine. If that Karisuma messenger was telling the truth, she had to save her dad. She had to think of a plan, a bluff maybe to outsmart them.
But all that should only be done after she could be completely sure about what was going on.

“He won’t wake up anytime soon, huh…” Misoka said disappointedly before letting out a sigh, “I shouldn’t have knocked him out like this. It was completely… irrational.” A moment passed before she spoke again, “Okay, I’m going to take a shower now… if that’s alright with you.”

“Of course Misoka. Please, take your time,” Bokuden answered before continuing with a playful grin, “He isn’t going anywhere after all.”

As Misoka left the room to go and shower Bokuden was immediately interrupted by a knock at the door. “Who the hell is knocking on my door this early in the morning?” Bokuden thought to himself as he pushed himself off of the wall on which he was leaning. Turning towards Satomi before he made his way to the door, Bokuden left her very specific instructions, “Watch him. If he wakes up call for me. If he gives you a problem you may hurt him as much as you like, but we need him conscious.” Satomi gave no verbal response, but instead signaled with a reaffirming nod. Bokuden briskly made his way to the front door, sliding it open to see a small older woman standing before him, seemingly dressed in her best kimono. “Errr… may I help you?” Bokuden inquired, wondering what this woman was doing at his house.

“Bokuden-san I was sent here by your family to make sure that your date for tonight is prepared properly for the banquet,” She spoke in a soft and very polite voice, bowing her head slightly when she addressed him.

“My date? A banquet?” Bokuden replied as he raised an eyebrow, confused by the woman’s words. His eyes immediately widened as he realized exactly what she was talking about. Not wanting to let on that he had forgotten about the banquet that was part of his clan’s tournament. “Ah yes, how foolish of me,” Bokuden said as he rubbed the back of his head, “Thank you very much, I’ll keep that in mind. Goodbye!”

As he closed the door the elderly woman closed her fan and stuck it between the door to keep it open. “I was given an order to specifically deal with this by your father,” She explained, “He doesn’t want a repeat of what happened last year.”

As the woman slid a sheet of paper through the door Bokuden grabbed it and pushed her fan back out, closing the door the moment he got the opportunity. He unfolded the paper she had passed him, reading an address of sorts. He figured this was where he was supposed to take his “date”. That was a minor issue at the moment however, as with all that had been going on the banquet had completely slipped his mind. It wasn’t like he could just not go either, appearances and such. He had already had a few potential date candidates lined up, all of which he was sure had dates by now. Not that it mattered, they would likely have gone with Bokuden instead of their date if he asked just to be seen at the table of the head family. Bokuden tilted his head slightly, thinking intently about who he could bring with him on such short notice, as he waited a while to walk back into the room where the man was being held. A short while had passed before he re-entered the room and met the vision of Misoka who had apparently just exited the shower. As he locked eyes with her, her half dried hair wavy and messy yet still falling seemingly perfectly into place, all of the sudden he felt as if his choice on who to take with him was not as difficult as he previously anticipated it would be. He folded the paper up once again and placed it in his pocket before speaking, “Misoka… I… There’s something I’d like to ask you.”

„Oh, there you are.“ Misoka said, but her smile faded as she took in his nervous look. “What is it? Just ask, I’ll be glad to help.”

She eyed him questioningly, letting her gaze drop to the hand in his pocket. There was a short silence between them, which surprised Misoka - Bokuden wasn’t the kind to hesitate saying what he had to say. Perhaps, though, his pride made him feel ashamed to ask for help. This would be something she could understand perfectly.
“I can make breakfast for us. Wash the dishes. Or I can be your sparring partner if it’s that what you want,” she suggested with an encouraging smile, “You gave me a place to stay at for some time so of course I’ll give you something in return.”

A slight chuckle escaped Bokuden's lips as Misoka began to run off things she could do for him "in return" for him allowing her to stay in his home. "No Misoka, I want nothing from you," Bokuden replied with a smile, "Your company is more than enough for me. This is... different." Bokuden glanced down to the pocket where he had placed the message for a moment before locking eyes with Misoka. "You know about the kenjutsu tournament that is going on in Kumogakure right now, courtesy of my clan, right? And the festival that comes along with it as well? Well, do to my position within the clan I am a bit more than just a participant. There are several events that are also sponsored by my clan that I am required to attend. One such event is this banquet that I attend every year as the "representative of the clan". It's kind of a big thing, so I'm unable to get out of it unfortunately. It really is the same thing every year, which is why I dread going to it a bit. It is an easy job though, I mean who doesn't enjoy a party?"

Bokuden paused for a moment and exhaled before continuing, "The only problem is... that I have this invitation for myself plus one. Traditionally we are supposed to be accompanied by a date, but as of this moment I find myself... plus one-less." Bokuden stepped forward into the room a bit more until he was standing right in front of Misoka, his sapphire eyes enthralled by her turquoise jewels, "So...I was hoping that maybe you'd like to join me. I understand if you don't want to though. I mean there is a lot going on for you right now, I was just thinking that maybe I could get your mind off of it for a night." Bokuden stepped back and looked away slightly before continuing, "I'm sorry, I must sound ridiculous right now. Even implying that I could help you forget about everything, even for a moment, is..."

Misoka knew what he meant to ask before he had even formulated the question. A banquet. His clan. A date.
First, her face grew pale, then hot and then she didn't know how to feel anymore. In the meantime, Bokuden was already talking away, his voice sounded flustered as he apologized, came up for reasons why his invitation was inappropriate at the moment and so on - all while Misoka could hear that he would really like to take her with him. She wondered who else would accompany him if she said no. There were probably dozens of other girls lining up to attend this banquet with him, with the representant of the famous Ryuzoji clan. Then again, Misoka could imagine that his father had already picked a date for him; after all, they surely didn't want to damage their reputation in any way. But if that was the case, why did he ask her?

"I..." She allowed herself a soft chuckle. "Wow, this was unexpected." Her heart picked up. "You have to know: I've never been to a banquet before. I mean, my mother once taught me how to dance, but that's years ago. I don't have a kimono and... people might.." She paused and then shook her head with a dry smile. "It's not like my clan doesn't know I'm in Kumogakure. So who cares if someone recognizes me." Her gaze went to her feet while she was searching for the right words. "I can't forget about my father. It hurts so much to wonder what might have happened to him. But until the messenger wakes up, there's nothing I can do."

She looked up into Bokuden's crystal blue eyes and although she hadn't really decided yet, she found herself adding, "What I'm trying to say is... yes. Um... I'll go with you. I'm sure it'll be an exciting evening. I'm curious and.. and honored to join you." A soft pink crept up her cheeks again and she hated herself for her childish behaviour. Bokuden and she were friends, there was absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Clearing her throat, she looked down at her simple clothes. "We... just have to find solutions for the problems I mentioned. Um...I don't know where I should get a kimono for the evening and I'm not too sure about my.. dancing skills."
Suddenly, all the doubts returned. "Are you sure it's alright to .. choose me as a partner for such an important event? Your father.. I don't think he'll like me. The Karisuma fugitive, unwilling to go by her clan's plans." She tried a smile, but couldn't hide the seriousness of her words. Or the unspoken question why he asked her of all people... someone like him certainly had a girlfriend already or at least plenty of girls who would love to be just that.

Bokuden couldn't help but smile as he listened to Misoka as she accepted his invitation to the banquet. She voiced concerns about various other things; her attire, her lack of experience in such formal situations, what Bokuden's father would think. Bokuden shook his head, still unable to remove the smile from his face, as he tried to put her worries to rest, "I've told you before that you worry too much. We can have arrangements made for clothing and the like, in fact we already do."

Bokuden removed the folded slip of paper from his pocket, holding it up between his index and middle fingers, "They'll take very good care of you, I promise. As far as dancing goes, I'm not going to force you to dance with me if you don't want to, but if you do all that you need to do is follow my lead. I can guide you through it, but to be honest since you are a shinobi you'll likely pick it up almost immediately. You're a taijutsu user aren't you? Fighting and dancing are not so different, at least in principle. Think about all of the katas you had to perform when you were young, dances without music. Also, don't worry about what other people will think. They don't know you and if they don't like it that is their problem. All that matters to me is that I want you to be there with me. As long as you want to be there too then I'm happy. Besides, my father won't be there. He'll be hosting a different event at a different part of the city. All he has to know was that I was there with the most beautiful woman at the event and that is all I'll tell him."

Bokuden then placed the slip of paper down onto the counter next to them and continued, "The banquet isn't until tonight and there is still time before we have to worry about getting you to the shop to get ready. What would you like to do? We could go for a walk around the village, we could practice dancing, we could get something to eat, or whatever." The smile that Bokuden had previously found impossible to remove had lessened into a confident smirk, but he still couldn't bring himself to not smile.

It was almost frightening how well Bokuden managed to resolve all her doubts. How she couldn't help but return his smile and feel flattered by his words.
Her attire? He would go and buy a kimono with her. His father? Wouldn't be there. And dancing? He was right; she was a taijutsu user. One of her jutsus even involved dancing, well, she had to spin around so her ignited flames would burn the enemy. How much different could it be to dance with a man?

Her face lightened up as she felt waves of joy and excitement rushing through her. Somehow she was really looking forward to that special event of the kenjutsu tournament. What would it look like? Would they go along with the swords theme of the festival? What kind of people would they meet there?

It felt weird to have such a wide smile on her lips. Bokuden's happiness must be contagious.
"What would you like to do? We could go for a walk around the village, we could practice dancing, we could get something to eat, or whatever."
Misoka thought about his suggestions for a moment before she replied cheerfully,"You're right! I could use some fresh air! Let's take a walk, I love how the town is decorated for the festival."
She ran a hand through her half-wet hair and muttered to herself, "And my hair can dry in the sun. It's definitely too long."
With a laugh, she took Bokuden's hand. "Let's go!"
Her heart felt lighter than it had in a long time.

Tonight she would be just an ordinary girl, looking forward to spending time with a nice boy. She had no worries, no one she needed to save. She didn't care about clan politics and hierarchies, she was a young girl, a teenager.
An illusion, but something that might tear her mind away from the problems she faced.

"You're right! I could use some fresh air! Let's take a walk, I love how the town is decorated for the festival," Misoka exclaimed, her face lighting up as Bokuden's words apparently brought her some relief. She ran a hand through her hair as she muttered about her hair before grabbing his hand and saying, "Let's go!" The act surprised Bokuden quite a bit as from everything he knew about Misoka she was generally quite reserved, especially in her dealings with men. It was just three days ago that she turned away from his hand on the way to the restaurant and now here she was taking the initiative herself. She even laughed and it wasn't a chuckle nor did it still bare the heaviness of her situation along with it. She was happy. At least, as happy as he had seen her up to this point. For a moment he allowed himself to be enchanted by Misoka's new disposition, unable to look away from her no matter how he tried, not that he really wanted to. However, he soon recomposed himself and spoke to her in turn.

"Yeah," Bokuden answered with a laugh in return, "Let's go." He gently gripped her hand in return, interlocking his fingers with hers and began leading her in his direction, "I know just the place to start. Come on!" A wide smile sat across Bokuden's lips as he gently tugged on Misoka's arm to let her no to come along and he led her out into town.

Just a short walk from Bokuden's home led to the two entering into a large street area. The villagers and vendors were scurrying by as they made preparations for that night. The wealthy who attended the Ryozoji Clan's private banquets were not the only ones who celebrated that night, after all. To be honest Bokuden would have much preferred attending the street festival that night, but that wasn't really an option. Still, it was fun just to watch them make preparations. Banners and decorative lights were being hung up along the awnings of all the shops and the sides of all the buildings which would later light up the streets in a display of vibrant colors. Some street vendors had gotten to work early and were already selling their food and wares, yelling out their little jingles and advertisements which rung through the streets. There were even some dancers practicing their performances for that night out in the square beside the fountain.

"So, what do you think?" Bokuden asked as he turned to Misoka, "It gets even better at night, I'll have to show you."

The town was just as she’d expected and so much more: full of people preparing for the festival that night, bright colors flashing from the lights and banners of the various shops. Misoka inhaled deeply as though she could soak up the excitement and joy and keep them inside her heart for all time. The smile planted on her lips widened as she spotted some dancers practicing.

She wasn’t holding Bokuden’s hand anymore since they had walked out of the house. Misoka was still a little surprised that she had even reached out for him herself. She was good at fighting men, hurting them, but she usually avoided touching them in any other way. There was this old fear lingering inside her, memories of a day she had always wished to forget.
But now was no time to think about the past. She had come with Bokuden to free her mind and just be… happy.

“Hang on, I’ll take a better look at them.”
With a short nod to Bokuden, she went a bit ahead and watched the dancers for a while. It was amazing how gracefully they spun around and moved to the music.
"So, what do you think?" Bokuden asked when he walked to her side. "It gets even better at night, I'll have to show you."
“Yeah…” She mouthed, almost to herself, before tearing her gaze away from the brightly decorated street and beaming at him. “I’d love to! I just love festivals, I guess. Such a friendly and vibrant atmosphere. How can you not be happy at a festival?”
She laughed quietly while a simple, but strangely sad thought crossed her mind. Bokuden, you asked me out of pity, didn’t you? To distract me from all that mess?  But I don’t mind why you did it, just.. thank you. I think I can enjoy myself this time.

“So where do we go next?” They were walking along the street and for the first time in Kumo, Misoka didn’t feel scared that someone might recognize her as a Karisuma. This might be the only good thing about the whole situation: She didn’t have to hide anymore. She had been found already. “Is there another sword fight today?”

“I’d love to! I just love festivals, I guess. Such a friendly and vibrant atmosphere. How can you not be happy at a festival?" Misoka answered in exclamation to Bokuden's suggestion. She followed her statements with a laugh, but the laugh in particular drew Bokuden's attention. It was... different than the laugh he heard back at the house. Hesitant, a bit sad even. A bit of a frown appeared on Bokuden's face as there was a brief pause before she continued “So where do we go next? Is there another sword fight today?”

Bokuden immediately snapped himself out of it when Misoka continued to speak, turning his gaze back up to meet hers. "Well," Bokuden began to respond, thinking of their options, "We can go wherever you want really. I'll take you anywhere. Today is actually the last day of the qualifying rounds of the tournament, if you want to go see one. That's why my clan is hosting these events tonight. The real matches start tomorrow." After a brief moment's pause Bokuden reached his hand over to Misoka's, crossing his wrist over hers before grasping her hand, interlocking his fingers with hers as he had done back at his home. "Hey," he said, aiming to get her to look at him after he had begun to hold her hand, "I'm glad you're here."

Watching a sword fight sounded good to her. It was never a bad idea to learn more about kenjutsu, many Karisumas chose it as their second specialty next to taijutsu.
Misoka nodded and opened her mouth, but then she suddenly felt Bokuden take her hand.

She hadn't been prepared for this, not at all, so she inched away in surprise. A bit embarrassed about her jumpiness, she used the hand to scratch her head. "Just itching a bit here," she muttered with an innocent smile before dropping her hand again as though nothing had happened.
She didn't quite know how to reply to Bokuden's statement - "I'm glad you're here." - she hadn't heard something like that in a long time. For usual, she only put people into trouble. Well, not that it was surprising when hanging out with a fugitive.
"I'm glad I'm here too. I mean, thank you for asking me," she answered then, a bit shyly, and quickly went to change the topic.
"The sword fight." She tilted her head at Bokuden. "Why don't we go see it? I think I might learn a lot from it." A thin smirk formed on her lips. "Like, how I could defeat you in a fight."

Misoka quickly pulled her hand away from Bokuden after he had gone to hold it, causing a look of surprise and a trace of sadness to appear on his face. It was a deflating experience to say the least. It was as if even after everything that had happened the last couple of days nothing had changed. She acted as though he was still the stranger that offered her his hand on the way to the restaurant, like she was still afraid to let him get close to her... like she was afraid of him. He pulled his hand back slowly after she had backed away from him, slowly closing his fingers  with just the faintest amount of strength he could muster as the wind was taken from his sails. Thoughts raced through his mind of what he could possibly say to her at that point. What was there to be said? She had made it clear; too much, too soon. Bokuden glanced off to the side, avoiding eye contact with Misoka for a moment as he readjusted after the slight feeling of rejection.

"The sword fight," Misoka said, wasting no time in changing the subject and pretending that nothing just happened, "Why don't we go see it? I think I might learn a lot from it. Like, how I could defeat you in a fight." A playful smirk grew across her lips as she apparently attempted to lighten the mood that had just become a bit more solemn.

The remark amused Bokuden who forced himself to return a smile, covering up the disappointment he had felt. “Yeah,” Bokuden answered with his forced grin, “Maybe.” It was clearly a comment made in jest and Bokuden knew it, but the wound was still raw from before.  He could not stop himself from thinking about her last comment. Did she really believe that she would need to fight him? There was no reason to… he wouldn’t… Bokuden bit down a bit on the inside of his cheek to force his mind off of the subject before deciding to lead Misoka to one of the fight locations. He glanced down at his hand for a moment as he turned his body in the direction that they would be walking in. “So hand holding is out of the question,” he thought to himself before sliding both hands deep into his pockets. “It’s this way,” Bokuden said as he motioned with his head for her to follow him, “There’s one not far from here.”

[Argh I'm so sorry for the late reply!! ;_; I wanted to post yesterday, but my mom invited our grand-parents over and we all watched the wedding videos]

Misoka saw a hint of disappointment flashing across Bokuden's face when she withdrew her hand. Even his voice didn't sound as enthusiastic as before; he merely nodded and gave her a quiet "maybe".
She had an idea of what was going through his head right now, but she didn't find words to cheer him up. Instead, she averted her gaze and answered him in a calm voice,"Okay, let's go there."
Although they were walking right next to each other, she felt as if they were miles apart. But why? She liked Bokuden - someone who wanted to help her in every possible way must be a good person. She had claimed that they were friends now and still, it was her who kept her distance. Had she always been so careful, so suspicious, so lonely? Sometimes, she wasn't even sure anymore how life in Suna had felt like.

Misoka stayed silent as she followed Bokuden, but tried to keep a weak smile on her face. The next day, she would return to her 'bad times' anyway, so why spoil this one? With a sideways-glance at Bokuden, she licked her lips, opened her mouth, but no words would come out. She wanted to say something about the tournament, ask some lame question just to dissolve the tension between them.

"And.." She cleared her throat. "What about your own sword...where did you get it?"

There was a certain heaviness that hung over the two as Bokuden led Misoka to their destination in silence. The air had certainly changed between them at least and Bokuden wasn’t entirely sure how he could get things back to how they were this morning… back to when she was happy to be with him. What could he possibly say to her? He had already told her not to worry so many times, how greatly had the gravity of those words diminished already? Stuck for ideas, Bokuden simply walked along, fiddling with his hands in his pockets as he struggled to think of a way to ease the tension that was lingering between them.

"And… what about your own sword...where did you get it?" Bokuden heard as Misoka’s voice cut through the silence that had surrounded them up to that point. Bokuden was almost startled by the sound of her voice, but was soon overcome with a feeling of relief as there was finally an avenue for them to move past the awkward situation that had just taken place.

“Oh, this old thing?” Bokuden said casually as he turned his head towards Misoka, offering her a faint smile, “I’ve had it for years now. It was given to me when I first graduated the Academy and I’ve been using it ever since.” As he turned back forward Bokuden noticed the large crowd that had formed just p ahead, blocking all visibility of the platform where the combatants were fighting. “We’re here,” Bokuden noted, “Although it doesn’t look like we will be getting through that crowd to see the fight. No matter, I know a better place we can watch from. Come on I-“ Bokuden stopped himself as he found himself reaching for her hand to lead her, pulling his hand back before turning away from Misoka and continuing, “Follow me.”

Walking over to a gated alleyway with a sign that read “Do Not Enter” Bokuden ignored the sign, leading Misoka through the gate and over to a nearby fire escape. Prompting her to go up the fire escape first Bokuden followed Misoka up to the roof of the building, leading her over to the edge overlooking the open area on the ground below where the combatants were fighting. Placing his arms on the barrier on the ledge of the building Bokuden leaned his weight forward, sticking his head out to oversee the entire area below. The raised platform that the participants were fighting on could be seen perfectly clear from the rooftops as well as the crowd which surrounded them. “So,” Bokuden said as he swiveled his head to face Misoka and flashing a smile, “What do you think?”

“I’ve had it for years now. It was given to me when I first graduated the Academy and I’ve been using it ever since.”
She nodded and thought about saying something in return, but chose to let it go then. Her question hadn’t meant to stir up a highly interesting conversation so his answer was more than enough to her.

They reached a large crowd that must have formed long before the sword fight even started. Misoka stood up on her tiptoes, trying to see something that way, but… no use.
“We’re here,” Bokuden mentioned. She looked at him with a low chuckle when he doubted that they would be getting through the crowd, at least without violence.
“Come on-“ Anyone would have noticed how Bokuden cut off his words and pulled his hand back in a haste.
Misoka smiled awkwardly, pretending to overhear the last part, while the feeling of embarrassment painted her cheeks red. She wasn’t made of porcelain, but she did a good job acting like that. For a moment there, she almost felt sorry for Bokuden who must be a tiny bit confused by now – One minute she herself took his hand, the next she jerked away. How could she still not be over her childish fears? Bokuden was nothing like the bandit back then, he was a man of honor. But she would probably need time to internalize that.

In the meantime, Bokuden led her away from the crowd and toward a sign which read “Do Not Enter”. By the look of it, they did just that, disregarding the warning and walking to a nearby fire escape. Misoka blinked in surprise, but was quick to follow Bokuden’s words and climb up the ladder until they reached the rooftops.
“So, what do you think?” Bokuden asked with a grin which she returned gladly.
“That’s what I call a nice view,” she then noted impressed and let her gaze wander across the platform where the combatants were fighting. Her navy eyes glistened with excitement. “Oh, look, Bokuden, they started!”

Just like he had, she bent over the barrier, pointing at the sword fighters and watching their every move. For the first few seconds, she felt as if she’d been taken back to her childhood when she had always looked forward to the practice fights in the academy. Mostly because her parents would give her that proud smile and praise her eagerness. At least they used to do that before her mother was killed.
Misoka shook her head ever so slightly. She didn’t allow herself to deal with any dark thoughts at the moment; she was here to enjoy the fight together with Bokuden.
The sword fighters charged at each other fiercely, their swords clashing and causing the audience to cheer. With an excited smile on her lips, Misoka tilted her head at Bokuden and asked,”Do you know the fighters? Who do you think will win this match?”

"I do in fact," Bokuden replied, his gaze never leaving the fight below, "Well, one of them at least. The small one, he's from this village. It's too bad that the other competitor had the misfortune of facing that kid in the final preliminary round. He has no chance of winning. He's just being toyed with at this point. This match was over before it even started."

Bokuden's words had come true just moments later when the match was ended by a lightning swift strike to the back of the foreign competitors head. The unconscious man was immediately carried off of the platform before the referee announced the official end of that location's events. "Well, it looks like today's program was a pretty light show," Bokuden said as he  raised himself from the barrier he was supporting his weight with, "I'm sorry Misoka. I know you were probably looking forward to more than that. Don't worry though, with the preliminary rounds over the weak have been weeded out of the competition. I'll take you to watch the elimination matches that will be going on the rest of the week, I promise. That is where the real competition starts anyway."

Now being overly cautious about not touching Misoka Bokuden stepped back a bit before speaking, leaving a few feet of space between them. "Now, come on!" Bokuden exclaimed, unable to hide the smile from his face, "Let's get you ready for tonight."

Bokuden hadn't even finished talking when the younger combatant knocked out the other with a single lightning strike. Misoka's eyes widened as she was watching the security people carry the unconscious man away. The crowd was cheering endlessly; it seemed no-one had betted on the wrong person.
Bokuden apologized for the short fight, but Misoka only shook her head with a smile. "That was very impressive! I'd love to see more of him." She threw one last glance at the winner, who put both his hands up in the air and seemingly enjoyed being the center of attention, before she turned back to Bokuden.
"Come on! Let's get you ready for tonight," he called out cheerfully and she couldn't help but laugh about his enthusiasm. Nonetheless, she noticed how he stayed careful around her, always keeping enough space not to accidently brush her hand or something. Sure, this might be exaggerated, but Misoka only felt grateful for his sensitivity.
"Yes," she agreed with a nod and stood upright herself. "Let's get going! Um.." A short pause. "I should feel very ashamed now asking that - well, as a girl, I mean - but... do you know any good.. 'shopping mall' where we could find an appropriate kimono?"

"I should feel very ashamed now asking that - well, as a girl, I mean - but... do you know any good.. 'shopping mall' where we could find an appropriate kimono?"

Bokuden raised an eyebrow at Misoka’s hesitation before smiling back at her and removing the old woman from this morning’s message from his pocket. “Well actually, you have more than one option here,” he said with a slight chuckle, “There is an actual seamstress that works directly for my clan. She makes most of the dress garments we wear to these events. I can take you there and she and her staff would definitely get you prepared. Pick out clothes for you, do your hair, whatever. I… wasn’t entirely sure if you would feel comfortable having me tag along while you tried on kimonos. I know a place we can go. If that is what you prefer, I’d gladly accompany you.” Bokuden slid the folded paper back into his pocket as he awaited Misoka’s decision. He really wasn’t sure what he expected her to say and it wasn’t like he had a particular preference on which decision she made. Well… that’s a lie, Bokuden would have preferred to spend more time with Misoka, unsure of how many opportunities he would get to do so, but above all else he wanted her to be happy, at least for today… even if it was without him. The seamstress would have everything Misoka needed to prepare for the banquet. She and Bokuden would probably just spend the day running from store to store checking off whatever Misoka needed. An idea that Bokuden wouldn’t have minded, but might have been an inconvenience to her.

Misoka thought about the choices she had, weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of the two different options. The seamstress would definitely know how to prepare her properly for the event and above all, she would be fast. On the other hand, Misoka feared she or some of her staff might know exactly what kind of girl they were 'working' on by taking a look at her flawless porcelain skin and her smooth facial features. Often a clear sign of being a Karisuma. Would they shower her with questions or turn up their noses at her parentage? The Karisumas didn't have the best reputation after all.
And going with Bokuden? Misoka regarded him closely. She wasn't sure whether he preferred one way or another... his face seemed indifferent. For a moment, she imagined them strolling from store to store, trying to find a kimono. Bokuden must be bored to death at the end of the day.
Her lips finally parted.
"Okay then, I'll go to the seamstress and let her help me. How about we see each other at the banquet in the evening?" She gave him a sweet smile. "I'll be in front of the entrance so we can go in together. I think that's what's expected of you?"

[let's have one more post with you leading me to the seamstress and then skip to the evening? ^^ ]

"Okay then, I'll go to the seamstress and let her help me. How about we see each other at the banquet in the evening?  I'll be in front of the entrance so we can go in together. I think that's what's expected of you?"

“Yeah,” Bokuden replied, offering Misoka a slight not of approval, “Something like that. I’ll take you there.”  With that Bokuden threw a smile back at Misoka and lead her off of the rooftop. Remaining a small, but noticeable distance from Misoka they strolled through the village streets side by side. Bokuden’s mood was a bit more jovial now as he looked forward to the night ahead. It was strange, he couldn’t remember ever looking forward to one of these events before. They always seemed like such a bother before, but not tonight. As they walked side by side Bokuden decided it would probably be a good idea to give Misoka some more information about who he was taking her to go see, “She should have an entire wardrobe for you to select from and then they will help you make any preparations that you want, but I should probably warn you about something beforehand. She’s obsessive about her work, so if you are going to be wearing one of her pieces she can get a bit domineering in the process. She means well, but she’ll probably try to tell you what to wear and how you should look. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you don’t like one of her ideas. I’ve known her my entire life. She can be a bit intimidating at first, but she’s kind and will respect you more if you stand up to her.”

Just moments after he finished speaking the duo arrived at their destination, seeing the women who worked there busily scurrying around, getting garments ready for the evening. "There you are!" a voice yelled from an opening screen door, revealing the small old woman from before, "It's about time you showed up!" She scanned Misoka up and down before continuing, "Hmmm, yes. I think I can work with you. Now let's go! There are things to be done!" The old woman hastily tugged on Misoka, pulling her along with her towards the building with her surprising physical strength.

"I'll see you tonight, Misoka," Bokuden laughed with a wave goodbye from a distance, "Remember what I told you!"

(OOC: Yeah, in your next post I guess just answer, have me drop you off, talk about what you are wearing or something, and then have them take you to the place)

Misoka nodded, once, then twice, keeping his pieces of advice in mind. She should speak up if she wasn’t okay with something because the seamstress was obsessive about her work. An entire wardrobe to pick from.
A loud voice reached her ears when a small old woman came up to them. This must be the seamstress, without a doubt. Misoka didn’t even get the chance to greet the woman properly as she was already dragged inside. What strength! That woman was obviously still in good shape.
“I’ll see you tonight, Misoka! Remember what I told you!” Bokuden called after her with a laugh and she could only reply a “Yes, I will!” before the seamstress sat her down on a small chair.

“Good, let’s not waste any time. You can call me Akane,” the woman introduced herself casually while she was already scanning the wardrobe. “Your name, dear?”
“It’s Misoka.”
The old woman turned around and eyed Misoka closely. “You look different, somehow exotic. You’re not from here, are you?”
“Um, no,” Misoka replied truthfully and tried to erase the woman’s scrutinizing look with a smile. “I come from Suna and I… arrived in Kumo a few days ago.”
“Oh so you’re new then!” The seamstress, Akane, broke out in laughter which Misoka joined hesitantly. What exactly had been so funny now? She must have missed the punch line. “And already asked out by our little womanizer. Well, I shouldn’t be surprised, he’s a pushover for a pretty face.”

Oh, that was it. Misoka felt her stomach drop, but kept the faint smile on her lips. Dozens of thoughts crossed her mind, none of them exactly pleasant. Was there an ulterior motive for his actions? Another reason why he offered her his help so freely? Did he pursue the plan to gain her trust and then… take advantage of her? She had considered him to be… yeah, what? She’d met him only a couple of days ago! How could she possibly know him well?  
Her rising confusion was interrupted by Akane’s words, no, orders. “Okay, get her in the shower first!”

~

The murmurs and whistles made her feel somewhat uncomfortable. It seemed every man’s eyes were glued on her as she followed Akane and her two employees down the street.
Misoka was dressed in a silk dark-blue kimono which stood in direct contrast with her bright hair and complimented her turquoise eyes. A silver-colored obi was wrapped around the outer layer of the kimono. She wore her hair loose with only two simple side braids which Akane had insisted on. They had spent a whole hour experimenting with different hair styles, finally coming to the conclusion that it was most beautiful to have the hair cascading over her shoulders. Well, Misoka didn’t really argue about it, she was quite sure that Akane knew what she was doing. And the outcome definitely proved her skills.

“Ah, there we are. Come on, dear, you stay here.” Once again, the old woman grabbed Misoka’s arm with an almost impossible force for her age. They had arrived at the building where the banquet would take place. A lot of people had gathered in front of the entrance already, waiting for the event to begin. Akane patted Misoka’s arm with a smile. “I wish you an enjoyable evening, my dear. Don’t let Bokuden tease you too much.” She laughed out, so loud that she turned some people’s attention on them - much to Misoka’s regret. And what did she mean by ‘tease’? “Good night.”
Wait – Misoka opened her mouth to argue, but the old woman and her staff had already left her behind. Great.

She started fiddling with her sleeves, trying to scan the area for Bokuden as inconspicuously as possible.
“Good evening!”
Misoka took a few seconds to realize someone was talking to her.
She turned to look at the tall man who gave her a sly smile. A remarkable sign was sewed on his kimono: it looked like a snake eating its own tail. Somehow it seemed familiar… as if she’d already seen it somewhere before… right! Wasn’t that the symbol of the Ryuzoji clan?
“Good evening,” she replied politely, but was careful to keep her distance.
The young man’s smile didn’t leave his face. “You’re alone, aren’t you? Come on, I’ll be your partner for tonight.”
How predictable. Misoka narrowed her eyes slightly and looked away. “Not interested, thank you.”
This wasn’t exactly the polite set phrase she’d had in mind, but anyway. What else would make the guy leave her alone if not being straight-forward?
Out of the corner of her eyes, though, she could still see him gawking at her, seemingly unimpressed by her words. He must be so full of himself that he didn’t take ‘No’ as an answer. Possibly a womanizer who changed his girlfriends like underwear.
An unpleasant thought crossed her mind: Was Bokuden like that, too? Only after the hottest girl in town? Was that the hobby of the Ryuzoji men?
Don’t jump to conclusions yet again, she scolded herself silently and tried to calm her suspicious thinking that way.

Fast forward to that evening~


Bokuden shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably as he fussed with his attire for that night’s event. He had never been a fan of traditional Japanese clothing… at all. He much preferred his Western style clothing that he had grown accustomed to, but the formality of the event and his clan’s insistence upon tradition necessitated his wearing them.  His outfit consisted of a thick, black silk kimono with white trimming, the fabric of which bore a distinct sheen that emphasized the quality of the silk it was made from. Above his robes he wore a white, thigh length haori with black and gold trimming and embroidery, including the raijin symbol on both shoulders and the symbol of his clan on his back, much larger than the breast piece embroidery of the symbol that most Ryuzoji men had sewn into their Kimonos. The outfit was completed by a blue sash, beaded stone bracelet, and beaded stone necklace with a medallion bearing the Ryuzoji clan’s symbol and his name on the back, each the same sapphire blue as his eyes. And of course he would be amiss to go anywhere without his sword.

As he approached the venue, prepared to await Misoka’s arrival, he took note of a great deal of muttering amongst the crowd and followed the gaze of the men to the figure of a woman standing in front of the banquet hall. As he arrived from the opposite direction he could not see the woman’s face, but recognized her flowing golden hair and knew that it was Misoka. Unfortunately before he could make his way over to her it seemed as though another member of his clan had already begun harassing her. It was obvious that Misoka turned him down initially, but he wasn’t taking no for an answer as he stuck around, staring at her. Bokuden noticed the man beginning to draw closer to Misoka even after her initial rejection, obviously walking in to grab her in an attempt to force another attempt on her. Bokuden’s blood began to boil at the sight as he darted forward to intercept the attempt. “Sorry I’m late,” Bokuden said, placing his left hand across her back and onto her left shoulder. Bokuden then threw a harsh glare over in his clansmen’s direction. The message was clear, with or without words, and the man backed away slowly before turning to leave them.

Bokuden shifted his eyes across the number of still gawking men within his field of vision, his glare as frigid as his eyes were sapphire, causing them to avert their eyes as he swept passed them as if to avoid making eye contact and getting locked into his gaze. “I’m sorry for making you wait Misoka-san,” Bokuden said offering as reassuring a smile as he could muster and taking care to address her with a formal honorific, something he had not done up to that point, “It was my intention to have been here awaiting your arrival, but it seems as though I arrived too late.”  His smile faded just a bit as his eyes shifted over to the banquet hall where he had just sent the man on his way. “Are you alright?” Bokuden asked, clearly referring to Misoka’s obvious uneasiness regarding the man who had just attempted to make a move on her and the attention she was drawing, “I apologize for that… and for all of them. I find that quite often it is those who emphasize the appearance of sophistication who behave the most abhorrently. One of the reasons I don’t enjoy these events.” Bokuden immediately smiled once more in an attempt to lighten up the mood and see a smile return to Misoka’s face. “But I’m afraid I can’t entirely blame them either,” Bokuden joked playfully, “I already knew how gorgeous you were and seeing you just now was enough to leave me stunned.”

“But…” Bokuden said as he began removing his beaded necklace, “It might be better if you are seen wearing this. My clan’s symbol will be instantly recognizable to everyone here as will my name inscribed on the back of the medallion. If at any point I get pulled away and someone gives you trouble again, just flash my necklace and they’ll get the hint. Or you could always just drop my name into the conversation. It would likely have the same effect.” With a playful smile still perched upon his lips Bokuden extended his arms bearing the necklace towards Misoka, gesturing for her to let him put them on her.

Misoka tensed up as she saw the man reach out for her even after she had rejected him. She clenched her right hand into a fist, ready to deliver her message more clearly when someone beat her to it.
"Sorry I'm late."
Bokuden. He had placed a hand on her back, making her flinch ever so slightly, and put an end to all the gawking with nothing more than a glare. Needless to say, the man who had tried to molest her before submitted to Bokuden's anger as well, quickly making his way through the crowd. It shouldn't have surprised her that Bokuden had such an influence on the people around him: After all, he was the Ryuzoji heir, the next clan leader. A mixed feeling of admiration and wariness rose up inside her. She couldn't help but wonder how Bokuden would be as a clan leader. It was hard to handle power.


"I'm sorry for making you wait, Misoka-san," Bokuden then apologized, shifting his gaze to her with a smile.
Her mouth opened and closed again; she wasn't sure how to answer. There were two things that left her wondering: First, why did he apologize so much about something minor like being late? And moreover, she could clearly hear the polite tone in his voice which was quite unusual for him, at least when he was talking to her.
Then again, who was she to decide what was usual or not?
She had to remind herself of the fact that they had only recently met each other.
Funny how she'd considered him a friend so quickly. Didn't you have to know your friends well? 

"Are you alright?" Bokuden's smile changed into a concerned expression when he asked her about her well-being.
"Yeah," Misoka mouthed and then more confident, "Of course I am." There was the tiniest hint of defiance in her words, almost swallowed up by her true uneasiness. It wasn't so much the people's gawking or the Ryuzoji boy who had tried to make a move on her - What really made her nervous was the combination of it all.
Being a Karisuma had soon taught her she shouldn't worry about people staring at her. After a while, they would turn away and find something or someone else more interesting. That's what her mother used to tell her.
But this time... being all dressed up... She wasn't used to wearing such an expensive kimono or going to such a big event. She wasn't used to any of this.

Bokuden even apologized for his relative and the other people. He took the entire blame on him, it seemed, which was not fair.
Misoka swallowed down her anxiety or let's say she tried, and returned his faint smile. Only now she had the time to regard him more closely. He looked... really handsome. It was quite a change to his usual western style, but both suited him well. The kimono was just perfect for that banquet they were about to attend. And its beautiful black silk and patterns made Bokuden stand out among the other men.
Definitely intended, Misoka thought to herself, He's kinda the main attraction. The Ryuzoji heir.


"Thank you," she then replied to his compliment, fighting away the blush that was slowly trying to peek through her cheeks. "You look very handsome, too, Bokuden-san."
She chose the polite suffix just like he had since she didn't want to embarrass him in any way. Perhaps, they were supposed to behave like that, at least while other people could hear them.
And as mean as it may sound: It wasn't hard for her to switch back to the day before they got friends. Okay, before she had said to herself that he wasn't an enemy to her.
There was still only that thin line between acquaintance and friend. In her head. Her wary mind told her that three days weren't enough to establish a friendship. It reminded her of the old woman's comments, the way she had described Bokuden. Just a joke? She didn't think so. He could still turn against her, everything could happen in the near future.
But in her heart, she felt that they were more alike than she thought they were.

Bokuden took off his necklace, asking her to put it on. No one would dare molest her then or she could also just drop his name in a conversation. All her sprouting suspicions aside, this was funny. Or sweet. Or nice. A little bit of everything.
Misoka allowed herself a soft chuckle before nodding. "That's a great idea. Probably works better than any weapon."
She turned around and lifted her long hair so he could put the necklace on.
In a slightly louder and much more formal voice, she then said,"This is a wonderful present, Bokuden-san. I feel honored to be your partner for tonight."
Granted, she couldn't quite wipe that grin off her face when she saw people take a look at the necklace and quickly turn away. Nobody wanted to mess with Bokuden. Looked like she would really have an enjoyable evening.

Much to Bokuden’s delight Misoka agreed to wear his necklace, even turning herself around and exposing her neck for him to put it on himself. After the way she had seemed to pull away from him that morning it was a welcome site to see her accepting him again, even if it was such a small gesture. Bokuden took a step forward in order to place the necklace on her, stopping for just a moment to admire her once more. He had never really gotten a chance to stop and see her in this way before, mostly because her hair was always draping down her back, but her neck seemed almost as flawless as the rest of her. He traced its smooth and slender contours with his eyes, before bringing his arms over her head and laying the long beaded chain down over her. He pulled it back up slightly as he fastened the back, purposefully causing a row of beads to brush against her neck. She of course would never know he did it on purpose as it just seemed a normal part of fastening the necklace, but really he wanted to see her reaction as the cold stone beads brushed against her warm neck. A little teasing never hurt, after all. As reserved as Misoka was, sometimes the only way to help someone out of their shell was to take them out of their comfort zone a bit. “The one who should be feeling honored is me, Misoka-san. I just hope that my bothersome family and its traditions won’t be too boring for you. As far as I’m concerned, this night is about you. You have my undivided attention.”

After he had finished putting the necklace on Misoka Bokuden placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to her right to face the large glass window on the banquet hall beside them. The darkened glass acted just like a mirror, reflecting the image of the two of them next to each other. He reached over and lifted the medallion bearing his clan symbol on it, raising it ever so slightly up to the glass, so that it and the blue stone beads attached were visible in the reflection. “It goes well with your kimono,” Bokuden said, making eye contact with her through the reflection in the glass and smiling, “So what do you think?”

Only after hearing her response would Bokuden offer his arm out to her in such a gesture to prompt her to hook her own within his as he escorts her inside. "Shall we go then?"

She kept perfectly still, even as some of the cold stone beads brushed against her neck, cooling her skin ever so slightly. What Bokuden couldn't notice, though, was the way her heartbeat picked up its pace now that he was so close to her. Thank God she had her back turned to him. Her face would probably give her away. Her eyes widened in the slightest; cheeks feeling hotter than usual.
Could she really pull this through? She'd thought she'd long been over the past, but... being close to the opposite gender still made her uneasy.
Then again... As she listened to Bokuden's cheerful voice and could almost hear his smile, his presence somehow felt different, it felt... pleasant.
Even his hands on her shoulders weren't as frightening as they should be.
Why? Was it all in her head? Did she just have to stop thinking and live the moment? That night after she had found out about her father, she'd actually calmed down in Bokuden's arms. It had been comforting.

“So what do you think?”
Misoka gazed up at him, a smile forming on her lips. "It's beautiful. Thank you again."
"Shall we go then?" Bokuden announced proudly and offered her his arm which she took without hesitation this time.
Yes. I can do this. I can't run away forever.

She tightened her grip around Bokuden's arm, just to see what it would feel like.
They were the first to walk inside, followed by all the other guests, a still excitedly murmuring crowd.
Misoka's anxiety faded and she found herself wondering why she had been so worried before.
Bokuden's arm was strong, the muscles flexing with every movement, and yet he was leading her as gently as possible.
For the first time coming here, she felt safe.

I think you want to describe what the banquet hall looks like and stuff; i don't wanna anticipate the outcome xD therefore the short post ^^