The Midnight Prince

[GamesMaster]

The City of Toukami is an unusual place. Spread across a giant lake, the islands dance a complicated dance: who is in favor, who is not, who lives in whose household, who commands what ships. The Dance is eternal, beautiful, and complex, and absolutely none of that matters to Rokag.

Rokag of No Clan lives on the shore of the lake, in the permanent settlement, where he can watch the islands and boats move, comprehending The Dance only in the lights out on the water, the colors of flags in the daytime. For him, life is capricious and cruel; he refuses to lay down and die, but the city does its best to make him regardless of his intent. He's faced hunger, beatings, cold, theft, and the ever-present threat of being caught by slavers. No slaver would dare row out to the Islands, but here in the Shores, well, who will stop them? The handful of disgraced Samurai that patrol the streets? They're more concerned with keeping those like Rokag in his place than anything else. 

No, if he wants safety, he'll have to find a way to get to an Island. But with no clan, no family name, not even a family patron to pray to, he's alone in the world. If he wants a chance, he'll have to make one himself...

[Rokag]

Rokag checked over her supplies again, wishing she'd had a better time with spear fishing. There was some barely edible rice from two days ago, earning only a couple of bruises. There was a worn waterskin from one of the hovels she'd cleaned out this past spring since the occupant (may their ancestors welcome them) hadn't made it through the winter. The food inside looked iffy and after almost dying a couple months ago from bad food and a snowfall, it seemed too much of a risk. A battered and worn knife that was better for skinning and scaling fish than fighting, but it was an option if the first one failed. The wooden fishing spear would be better, but the plan was to not need either after tonight. Finally, there was the salted and cured deer leg, wrapped in some oiled paper. THAT had earned her a busted lip, a healing black eye, and enough food for at least a couple of days.

Satisfied that she wasn't missing something, Rokag bundled it all back up in the dirty clothes that had been serving as a blanket and stood.

<Orc>"Don't help the worms with their work"<Orc>

Now, to make sure she wouldn't have to meet them any time soon. <Cont>

[Rokag]

The plan was simple. Rokag had gotten a huge turtle shell and attached a pouch of fish skins to the inside. She would put most of her clothing and her belongings into the turtle shell and row it out to the islands. She was pretty sure that one of the islands was on a course that would take it close to the Shore. All she would need to do is make it there while it was dark, find someplace to hide while she dried off, and then find and steal some servants clothes. The islands were always moving close to one another, so with enough hops between islands, she could get enough gold to buy her own fishing boat.

You could leave, you know. Make enough to get passage somewhere you could get by better, clan or no clan. Rokag knew it was an option. It was probably better than THIS plan, but...she couldn't. Some small part of her wouldn't leave Toukami. Wouldn't leave the last place...it didn't matter. It was already dark and she had traded the last couple of books away for the materials for the pouch. There wasn't anything else TO do but the plan. So, she secured her belongings and started paddling out through the water, determined to make her own way to her own 'island'.

[GamesMaster]

It's harder to row a giant turtle-shell than she anticipates, but Rokag is strong, capable of more than she realizes. The shell rocks and twists, and she has to stay low, to avoid overbalancing it. Damp, sore, miserable, she crawls ashore, finding herself on Higurashi Island.

She knew better than to aim for a large island, one of the upper generals. Lord Cicada is an elderly Tiefling, past the age of retirement, but stubbornly holding onto his seat thanks to his unfortunately being the last outblood in the family line. He has four sons, all of which have taken wives, and ten grandchildren, all of whom have or are starting families of their own; most of them are Kitsune-blooded, like Lord Cicada himself. One of his sons, however, was human, and was bit by a werewolf adventuring; they called him Inu Taisho, the Dog Lord, after that, and in retaliation he took a bride from the Dog clan, owning the slur and turning it into an honorific. Rokag will want to steer clear of that branch of the family, as the potent mix of skinwalker blood and kitsune blood means there's a lot of scent ability that could discover her sleeping place.

Of course, that's only the main branch of the family. There are secondary branches, descendants from Lord Cicada's brother and sister, none of whom can become the new Lord but all of whom are entitled to live on the island. Then there's dozens of servants, soldiers, and hangers-on all living here, making things move smoothly for the nobility that owns the island. Lord Cicada is fond of animals, and so there's a private menagerie, which means a lot more staff to handle them and cultivate the gardens the menagerie is surrounded by. This is where Rokag can likely find a place: away from the owners, among the common folk.

[Rokag]

Rokag was honestly thankful she'd even timed this right. Had the Dance decided to pull a different island, holding one of the families that held nightly parties and balls, this would be more difficult. Can't rest yet. Gotta get clear of the edge and into someplace they won't check first thing. Quickly carrying the shell over her head, Rokag makes in the direction of the plainer-looking buildings.

By the time she found what she was pretty sure was a safe place to sleep, a shed behind one of the plainer-looking building, Rokag could feel the burn in her arms and legs. Struggling, she worked the door open and quickly got inside. This was a Lord's Island. Why would they feel the need to lock their doors in the first place? Once there, she allowed herself to collapse against one of the boxes of whatever they stored inside. She'd made it! Well...made the first part. She was on the island, the guards were NOT instantly aware of her presence (something she had worried about since the families ALL had magic of some form), and she hadn't got caught by a guardboat on the way in. A small smiled graced her tired face. Maybe if her mother WAS dead, something she couldn't keep from thinking now and again, she had looked out for her. If she wasn't....then maybe there WAS some stock in her "praying to the ones my mother prayed to before me" thing. She'd never been so brazen as to not offer SOME sort of prayer, but the idea that someone was supposed to be looking out for her was...difficult to not be angry about.

Despite the protest from her limbs she moved to where she wouldn't be immediately seen if the door opened. She then gave a short, small prayer of thanks for seeing her through this far and attempted to get some sleep. In the morning, there would be prayers. The families would probably do that first thing and that would give her time to stash her shell and belongings properly and see about getting some clothing. The ones she brought with her would do for, at most, a day while she tried to find something nicer to grab. Then it was just a matter of blending in long enough to get better supplies. The islands were supposed to be FULL of food and drink and even a bit of that wouldn't be missed. As long as she was quick, quiet, and didn't get into a fight till she was ready to move to another island, she would be fine. But for now, she needed to rest if she was going to be up before the servants and the people finished praying and started their day's work.

[Shisou]

He knew he was going to get another beating if he were caught. But -- he couldn't just-- he couldn't just stop. He couldn't just vanish, and leave Jotaro wondering where his friend went. He had to see him, one last time, in that place they made special. He had to give him a last goodbye, explain why they couldn't see each other anymore. Do the honorable thing.

Ancestors, but he ached. Doubly so: the pain of his thrashing, and the ache in his soul.

Higurashi Shisou, oldest child (by minutes) of Higurashi Kuronue, daughter of Higurashi Yasha, son of Higurashi "Inu taisho" the Dog Lord, son of Daimyo Higurashi, blessed by Ancestor Vojopotencokuŝasenvenĝoprenitapostmalfelicxo, who intercedes with Dark VojoPotenco to intercede with Dark Zanon, slips out of his palace and becomes merely Shisou, lost and lonely and hurting.

The boy is nothing much to look at. Merely fifteen, he is shy, introverted, awkward, with a stammer that even the best speech tutors have yet to train him out of. His dark hair is cut short, to ear-length or a little longer; his violet eyes are a throwback to his great-great grandfather's outsider heritage, but there's nothing left of the outblood in him, just human. Just plain. Even if he wasn't the eldest, his humanity makes him more malleable, a more desirable heir -- but only because he can impregnate an out-blooded woman of any race, rescuing his family from demotion. But he has plenty of cousins who have just as much of a shot, maybe more, because they're not shy and awkward. And they don't dress in drab greys like a servant to sneak out and exchange shy, awkward kisses with boys named Jotaro. 

Glancing around, seeing no-one, he pushes open the door to the little shed where the hay is kept, apart from the tack and reins and whips in case it catches fire. Nobody goes here, not in the middle of the night, except Shisou and Jotaro, for this. He's early; Jotaro won't be here for the better part of an hour, making it easy for him to calm himself and maybe apply some balm to his wounds. 

And-- and there's a half-orc in the hay shed.

Shisou stops dead in his tracks, heart pounding in his throat, observing her. Green skin, small tusks, no, that's definitely a half-orc. That's a woman. In his shed. Sleeping. Should he wake her? Has he already, letting in the light by standing in the doorway, gaping at her? Shit, what do I do, what do I do?!

[Rokag]

The half orc woman looked scrawny as well, but it was the kind brought on by hunger rather than growth. Her hair was tied back out of her face and reached just below her shoulders. She was clad in the barest of underthings and her eyes were a dark green, bordering on black and we're starting at him in a similar moment of shock. She apparently had woken up somewhere between Shisou's puzzlement and panic.

FUCK! Why is someone here?! Why didn't I hear any of the- It was still early. This boy must be some servant and was doing chores early. Maybe he didn't have an ancestor to pray to and got the shit jobs. None of that matters because if he rose ANY sort of alarm, she'd be in a prison cell in no time and THAT was a place she wanted to see even less than the Shore.

So that's what lead to Rokag, barely clothed, scrambling quickly to his feet and lunging to get a hold of Shisou and cover his mouth before said alarm could be raised.

[Shisou]

Shisou lets out a frightened squeak as the orc rushes right towards him, oh god, is this an assassin, is he going to die?! 

He jumps back, putting up his arms, trying to fend off a blow he knows is coming. "Wh-what are you doing?!" he hisses, in a whisper, too frightened to stammer much. 

Thankfully for the boy, he's been trained in the basics of combat; he's meant to be a samurai someday, like his mother's new husband, like his grandfather. There's no honor if he can't fight for the glory of his family, can't die for his family like he's meant to -- after producing an heir that will keep them noble, of course. He has to live long enough to reproduce, after all. So his movements, on instinct, are sure, solid; his feet slide into the right position after his hop of alarm, his arms coming up in a crossed block to cover his face, hands balled into strong fists. Not an easy opponent, despite his youth, his shyness. Not a target, but an enemy to overcome. That's all he can hope to be.

[Rokag]

That gave Rokag pause as the grab attempt failed. She had seen that kind of stance, even tried using it a couple of times. Sure, she couldn't use it except in the idea of 'if you stand like this, people will think twice about fighting you' sort of way. She again cursed the fact of leaving her knife with her things. Why is he being quiet? He saw me and HAS to know I don't belong here.

"I needed you to not fucking yell!" She hissed back. She'd figured it was just some kid servant, but...maybe all the people on the islands knew how to fight? Either way, if she could avoid fighting this guy, she could save some energy. "What are you doing here?!"

[Shisou]

"I-- I'm just-- I'm just meeting someone!"

As he keeps his hands up, guarding his face, Rokag can see the telltale purple of a deep bruise peeking up above his sleeves. The kid must be poor, to be wearing hand-me-downs that don't reach his wrists and thus reveal the bruising; judging by the half-wince half-cringe, he's frightened of Rokag and also in pain. 

[Rokag]

Rokag stayed wary of him but tried to relax. He definitely got hit before...but he's STILL from the island. He lives here and he looks like he could fight. But then, why not raise an alarm. They had to give them something for doing the Just thing and telling the guards that there was an intruder...right?

"How many bells is it? Have chores started?" Maybe he could bluff for right now. If he's also trying to not get seen, then she might be able to salvage some of this.

[Shisou]

"I-- n-n-no," he stammers, speaking at a more normal volume as he realizes how far they are from the main house they are -- exactly why he and Jotaro chose this spot to hold their secret rendez-vous. "O-only th-th-third b-bell," he adds. Three in the morning?! Even the baker and maids won't be up for another two hours, preparing the household for the awakening of the family a few hours after that. 

[Rokag]

Third...third BELL?! That's way too early for....Rokag tried not to smile. He's not supposed to be here EITHER. No one is who wouldn't have to be up this early would be. She relaxed a hair, standing up straighter. "And who are you meeting at third bell in a shed, hmm?" One of us needs to leave, soon. If I can get him not to immediatly bolt for a guard, I can grab my stuff and let him do whatever secret shit he's trying to pull.

[Shisou]

Shisou's eyes widen as the barb hits home. "N-n-n-n-no-b-b-b-ody," he stammers, taking entirely too long to speak such a simple word. "J-j-just-- wh-who a-are y-you?" he stammers, a bit more urgently. Whoops.

[Rokag]

Damnit, too far but he definitely is up to something. Rokag looked away. "A fisher. Just...figured I could get a nap first. Look, how about I just...let you meet whoever and I'll get out of your way." And I need to find some better clothes.