Noriaki let out an impressed whistle as she watched Yuki scale the building with a single vertical jump, not so much as weighed down by the size of her blade or even the extra amounts of supplies she carried. She rubbed the back of her neck, looking up, and then looking around for things to help her scale to the top of the building. But then, Noriaki spied something far more important. Noriaki just so happened to peak into the brewery that Yuki had just left, and she almost did a double take. Stepping out from the back room, carrying a crate of what probably contained sake, was a young woman, hair dark as the night sky and pulled back with a braid. Her eyes were a lovely chocolate color and she was attired in commoner cloths, a workman's outfit no doubt. Noriaki could see the woman's arms struggling to carry the crate, and with a final glance towards the roof - Yuki could handle things, right? - she entered the brewery and approached the woman. 

"My working class queen, your hands should not be burdened with such a dirty task as carrying a crate, and no sweat should dare stain your otherwise flawless skin. Pray, let me assist you, so that you may continue your duty as the most beautiful thing in this very establishment." 

The woman laughed. That was good. She then allowed Noriaki to take the crate. That was even better. And then she asked for Noriaki's name. And that's when Noriaki knew she was in. 

"My name is Noriaki Okamoto, remember it well, my lovely, for soon it shall be on the edge of your memory and on the tip of your tongue, and said tip will be having a wonderful encounter with the tip of my own tongue. And as our lips and tongues part, the first words from your lips will be the name on the edge of your memory, the one you, until heretofore, never knew you wanted to remember oh-so fondly as the dashing, charmin, beautiful poet that stole your heart and your body." 

The way this woman blushed set Noriaki's mind ablaze with its beauty. She may have just been some simple working-class citizen, but beauty could be found even in the ordinary. While not as voluptuous as some of her more recent associates, this woman had a charm that you just didn't, couldn't, get from women used to danger and excitement. Noriaki followed the woman, who was blushing and giggling and had trouble looking away from the flirtatious armored woman, to a small horse-drawn cart. 

She, the woman that is, was from a nearby village and was here to pick up an order for her father, who would have made the trip himself but had come down with a terrible cough. Being the dutiful - and beautiful - daughter that she was, she made the trip in his stead. And now Noriaki, who was simply ignoring the sounds of [i]something[/i] happening elsewhere in the city, found herself seated next to the woman as she took up the reigns and began their trek to the village. 

"Please, do me the great honor of allowing me to accompany you on this delivery, for I do not wish to remove you from my sight, or my mind for a great long while; my lady, you have me smitten." 

A simple sentence was all it took. 

Noriaki had no idea how long the journey took, but the village was not terribly far - or at least the passage of time didn't phase either woman, and it seemed to be a decent enough place. Noriaki was quite sure she heard a loud boom, an explosion or something, but it was probably nothing, just her ears playing tricks on her, and the woman at the reigns clearly had her thoughts on anything other than the place they had just left. The sun clearly moved along in the sky as they continued on their little journey, passing the time with idle conversation. Arriving at the woman's home, Noriaki completed the delivery and, in lieu of a monetary payment, took her reward by locking lips with the woman. And then shutting the door for a most undeserved reward. 

"Will you see me again?" the woman asked as Noriaki was fastening her blades to her hip for the second time that day. 

"In my sweetest dreams, my lovely." With a non-committal smile and a blown kiss, Noriaki left the woman's room and took a jar of sake from the crate for herself. 

Stepping out into the village proper, Noriaki was idly sipping from the jar, paying no mind for proper preparation or service, just wanting to enjoy the beverage. Noriaki approached the entrance to the village, now realizing that she was supposed to be guarding a Princess. Whoops. It was probably fine. They'd probably stop near here, for supplies or something. And if not, well, there were plenty of fair maidens in this village. Sure, they may not have the red hair and the va-va-voom figure of a certain someone, but at least village folk didn't smell of blood. And so willing to cater to Noriaki's whims. 

She as completely oblivious to what had transpired, but as far as Noriaki was concerned, her day was going [i]excellently.[/i]