Great Lakes & Expectations 41 short draft

My brain is leaking like a sieve still but heyyyy here's something because I, Maehem, love you. Happy Belated Turkey. 

She got into her kimono slowly and carefully, and then went to find her knight in matte chestplate.

Kakashi was standing in the hall when she left her room in his nice Jounin uniform. His body language was somehow both grumpy and pleased with himself, which put her slightly on edge.

‘At least everything fits him properly for once.’ She evaluated him slowly, up and down. ‘He has pretty nice shoulders too, actually. Not as good as Boar’s, but I won’t complain. Boar is irresistibly stacked.’

His toes visibly flexed in his sandals.

“Hands?” She asked, holding out hers.

He lifted one limply- and startled away when she grimaced a little bit.

“Clean under your nails and lotion your hands, Kakashi-san, please.” She directed. “We’re all pretending like you don’t do labor and are a delicate gentleman of fortune.”

“This is like being a spy.” He said, sounding like he was less apprehensive.

‘Maybe that would make more sense to him. Really, it’s just a diplomatic gesture meant to say that you’re not here as an aggressor.’

“It’s similar. I’m sure you know how that part goes. I did say every inch of you had to be perfect. I do hope you washed behind your ears.”

Regina went to the mirror to ensure that her hair was still perfect- or as perfect as she could do it, anyway. It was so heavy on her head when it was all rolled up and stuck with kanzashi.

‘At least I probably look like a princess.’ she nervously straightened her kimono layers yet again. ‘Maybe I can pull this off. Or at least get out of here relatively unscathed and alive. I’d take alive.’

She resolutely tried not to glare in Kakashi’s direction. It wasn’t his fault that Sand hated him.

Probably.

‘Though I do seem to recall him saying that he was totally unlikeable.’

He looked about as classy as any of the Jounin she worked with in the Hokage Tower, at the moment.

“Let’s go.” She said out loud, still checking her hair. It wasn’t wobbling, but her anxiety made her worry it was. “We shouldn’t be late.”

They walked across the sand and stone courtyard in silence, under the stars. Outside her door, a statue had suddenly appeared. It was a tree- and it was glimmering. As they walked along the path, the sculptures changed from Fire Country fauna and flora into desert creatures.

They were shockingly large, but also delicate. Regina resisted the urge to touch them.

The Wind Daimyo’s image reared out of man-made dunes and waves. It seemed to look down at her.

‘It seems that the Land of Wind takes sand sculpting and gardening very seriously. This is on another level from gravel or sand raking.’

Kakashi seemed to be tense. He was obviously evaluating everything for threats.

“Try to relax.” She said, under her breath. “It looks aggressive otherwise.”

‘Even though he’s right. I feel like you can’t do all that within six hours without some major ninjutsu.’

She swallowed, and plastered a pleasant but vacant smile on her face as she approached the doors of the palace proper. The guards bowed, and she bowed her head lightly in accordance with her station.

The doors opened with loud sound of stone grating on itself. The earth shuddered a little, beneath her feet.

Regina tried to stay on balance in her high geta- ‘I can’t help but think that this was intentional. They know what princesses have to wear.’

A sudden, light pressure on the back of her arm held her steady.

They passed the gates without any further incident, and met the new welcoming retinue in the gardens.

There was a lot of the bowing that Regina was rapidly growing accustomed to.

‘If I ever leave here, I’m going to be stuck bowing like a weirdo back home.’ She felt her lips start to purse out of reflex, but pulled them back. She smiled again.

They were led in relative silence to a waiting room.

It looked like they were alone, but Regina would bet anything they weren’t. She stayed quiet, and tried to look as elegant and poised as possible.