The Midnight Prince

[Shisou]

"Don't get me wrong, they're very attractive boys. Men, really. Just... that can't be all there is to marriage, can it? Duty to the Family and an attractive asshole?"

[Rokag]

Rokag gave a long sigh. "Well, yeah. I don't know how all that stuff goes for the Family. And I don't want to have to find another place to live right now." Rokag sighed. "Honestly, I'd settle for not having to wear another fucking yukata again. I mean, I don't get how that's supposed to be comfortable."

[Shisou]

"They're not that bad," she says, shrugging. "You've seen what this amulet puts on me, right? How are you supposed to keep modest in a skirt this short?"

[Rokag]

"...wait, so you AREN'T just wearing those because no one would think anyone around here would dress like that?"

[Shisou]

"No, it comes with the inheritance. I'm um, not the first Midnight Princess."

[Rokag]

Rokag looked her over. "Um...and you can't, just...change that? I mean, it's...at least it doesn't look like it keeps you from moving well." And I'm pretty sure if I ever wore that, I would probably rather feed the tigers.

[Shisou]

"No," she admits. "No disguise, no powers."

[Rokag]

And the power isn't wearing those boots and them being clean. "So...wait, you just...got powers and weird clothes that HAVE to protect you better than they look?"

[Shisou]

"And magic. It's all bound up in this magical item I found one day." The Midnight Princess nods. "It belonged to an ancestor of mine," she adds.

[Rokag]

Must be nice to wake up and suddenly have magic. Rokag tried not to feel too bitter, but that it was magic, and was from an ancestor, at least gave her something...tangible. Even if their ancestor was kinda weird. "So...if...you have magic and you hate how shit's going here, then why are you doing it in the first place? You could probably live on some other island or baiscally do whatever you want."

[Shisou]

"My  Family's here," she says, quietly. 

"Your so-called Family--"

"Shush, Carbonne. And anyway, I'm doing good work. Helping people. Smuggling them food and supplies, saving them from criminals. Making the island better."

[Rokag]

"Alright, but if you're helping people and getting broken ribs over it, why are you still looking like you feel like crap about it? I guess the criminal thing is okay. I'm just not sure I'd be running around helping people I didn't like just cuz I could." Rokag took a bit of a deep breath. "I just figured you probably had to pay something back and that's why you go around doing all that crap."

[Shisou]

"No," she says, hesitantly. "The truth is... Carbonne..."

"Is the ancient and mystical guardian of the Midnight Princess," says the lizard quickly. "It's my duty to ensure every generation has one."

"That's right," says Soushi-hime, with a fond smile. "I can't quit or I'd lose your enlivening company and riveting commentary."

"You bet you would."

[Rokag]

"So its...xis?" Rokag frowns a little, but shrugs. "Xis job to make sure you run around in boots and a skirt and help people with bandits and shit?" Rokag still wasn't sure she had that pronoun right, but she might as well continue. "And so....what do you do when you're not floating in boats with people you pull out of the water?"

[Shisou]

"Xir," corrects Carbonne. "xir job."

"I, you know. Help people. Like I said. Sometimes that's helping them find food and shelter, sometimes that's fighting demons -- you'd be surprised how many angry spirits need calming, or minor demons get loose, in an island this size."