The Midnight Prince

[Rokag]

Rokag looks at the parcel and then back to Shisou. "Rokag...and thank you for your help" There was even a small bow! It's...a little surprising that some run-away woman in ratty clothes would know that. That done, she picks up a rather large turtle she'll from behind her. "Hope whoever your waiting for shows up soon." And with that, she was off to find another place to look over the things she'd been given.

Later, Rokag was unbelievable annoyed that, no matter how many times she read over the letter, it was still the same. It was still a fucking blank check for work. Sure, he hated the merchants at the Shore because they always fucking asked who his family was. What his clan was, like that mattered for anything like running fucking letters. Then there was the fucking silver and food?? Who in the fuck WAS that kid? Rokag sighed and went about getting dressed. She could worry about paying that back later. Right now, she needed to figure out where to take this fucking letter before it turned into leaves or something.

[GamesMaster]

Rokag uses the letter to get a job at the menagerie, taking care of various exotic animals: birds, lizards, small creatures like that. She settles in, keeping to herself but trying not to be overly suspicious, and begins hoarding money, worried about losing the job any day now.

As she's given a bunk in the women's quarters attached to the menagerie, she begins to hear rumors of a mysterious stranger going about the island, helping women who are in a bad spot. One Vanaya admits to having been caught out after curfew and accosted by a human man; the mysterious stranger saved her, letting her flee back to the quarters without getting caught. Another admits to having been homeless between jobs for a bit, hiding from the guards while she desperately tried to arrange this job (thanks to her cousin), and the stranger helped her hide, distracting the guards when they almost caught her. The women have begun calling her The Midnight Princess (soushi-hime), because she only appears at night and she is as beautiful as she is kind.

[Shisou]

Rokag can't sleep; when she's restless like this, knowing bad dreams await, lying in the barracks listening to the other women snore is a particular kind of torture. So she goes to check on one of the large lizards that has been broody, hoping she's laid her eggs and thus calmed somewhat. 

She hasn't; she's restless, just like Rokag, and her moving about is alarming the peacocks in the next enclosure to boot. As she sits on the safe side of the bars, talking gently to the lizard, she hears something unexpected -- a large something moving around on her side of the bars, stumbling about on the paths.

Then, as the moon comes out from behind a cloud, she sees Her: the Midnight Princess, dressed in a knee-length pleated skirt and a tight blouse with a bow, scandalous Nyran clothes and boots up to the knee. She clutches at her side, stumbling along the path, head-down, heading for the medic pavillion where bandages and medicines are kept or the animals.

[Rokag]

Rokag HATED that dream, so dealing with a fussy lizard that's scaring the birds was welcome over the cold, hunger, and feeling of loss that the dream brought up. Besides, it was helpful to have something else to concentrate on other than snoring or gossip about who's going to marry who and how to get the right man. Not like she'd ever had the time to figure THAT out and now wasn't much better. The money was steady, but only so long as no one actually cared that she didn't have a clan. And while the animals weren't THAT bad, she was sure that the reason the fussy lizard was hers was because she would be able to stand getting bit if it happened.

<Orc>"Not that you'd bite someone that wasn't a threat. Right gi-"<orc>

And then she turned in the direction of the rustling, hand going to the back of her clothing where she'd made SURE the knife was before wandering out after curfew....and paused. She was struck by the fact that she WAS actually pretty. Not so much in the usual way, but that she seemed...graceful? That was probably the word for it. The boots were pretty silly, tho...and she wasn't moving very well. Well, she can probably take care of herself. Besides, you probably shouldn't- and she's already heading over to her. "Hey, are you...um...alright?"

[Shisou]

The taste of blood, hot and coppery, fills the Midnight Princess' mouth; the last time she coughed it felt like she'd jarred something loose in her chest, something vital, and sharp pain blossomed in her abdomen. "No," she says, bitterly, seeing Death stalking her like a wolf across the tundra. "No, I'm not."

It takes a moment for her to realize that wasn't Carbonne, who is still out cold stuffed into her blouse. No, that's someone else, some stranger -- some woman, some orc. If this is another enemy I'm done for. I can barely walk in this shape, let alone fight. She will fight, if she has to. Somehow, she'll gather the strength. But she dearly hopes this is friend, not foe.

"I can walk," she manages, voice weak, before giving another of those great, hacking coughs that turns into a sharp cry as the piercing, stabbing pain hits her again.

[Rokag]

I'm not sure WHAT my ancestor's did, but I'm really tired of having to pay for whatever shit it was.

Rokag didn't need to look the woman over to tell that cough wasn't good. One particularly bad beating from a bandit had left her in a similar state and that had been the second worst pain she remembered. Rokag quickly moved to help support. "Stop talking. You'll end up killing yourself." Which was ALL she would need. No matter HOW good she was, being found with dead bodies would be the end of her. Right now, the best idea was to get her to the medical pavilion. It was late enough that she could probably get away with it, too.

Besides, if this WAS the moonlight princess and not some weirdo dressing up in boots and getting stabbed, then it'd be kinda shit to just leave her to die, right? I mean, someone had taken a huge chance on her, and there's no way she was gonna see Shisou again, so maybe this'll do and she won't have to feel like it's hanging over her head anymore.

[Shisou]

Friend or foe, it's out of my hands now. Ancestors guide me, she prays silently, leaning on Rokag as they head for the pavilion. Carbonne, please wake up soon--!

It's clear to Rokag just by the way she moves that she's got a broken rib; the best thing would be to see a healer, but obviously, anyone running around with a mask isn't likely to go to a healer. When they get to the pavillion she sits, reaching into her blouse in one heart-stopping moment before removing a small Horned Lizard, much like the ones in the menagerie -- save for the swirls of bright red coloring, the flare of red on the creature's head. Fey-touched, or something like, then: just a little fiercer, a little more magical, than a regular lizard. 

And out cold, clearly having been hit fairly hard.

"Is xe okay?" asks the girl, risking -- and obtaining -- another coughing fit.

[Rokag]

"Better than you'll be if you keep talking."

The fuck am I getting myself into? Now there were magic beasts. At least thins one didn't look like it was from the pens, meaning that stealing wasn't something she was going to get picked up for. She takes the lizard carefully and starts looking it over. "You stick to keeping still and not losing any more blood band I'll make sure he's fine."

[Shisou]

"Xe," the Midnight Princess croaks out. A longer explanation will have to wait, she knows -- but at least, if Rokag is going to handle the lizard, she can pay proper respect to pronouns. 

The lizard is bruised and battered, but thankfully, nothing seems broken; the poor creature will be in pain for a while, but will live, when it wakes. 

[Rokag]

Rokag gave a frown at the Moonlight Princess as she lays the lizard down next to her. She seems at least tough enough to.make it this far. Rokag could respect that, even if she looked a bit weird. The skirt made better sense then those damned yukatas. They were all bright and fucking hard as hell to walk in and it wasn't like she even wanted to have some- She took a deep breath. Your tired, worried that you'll lose your job over this kinda crap, and this is DEFINITELY not the time to be thinking about soft things.

"Xe will be fine. None of the bones seem broken, unlike yours." Rokag moved to a cabinet where she knew the first aid was. She was made VERY aware of it the first time she got too one to Kisama's eggs. Thankfully she was so much of an invalid that she needed help for a lizard bite. "Now, lie down slowly and I'll see what I can do for you." She comes back with a few rolls of bandages and some salve

[Shisou]

The Midnight Princess nods, laying on the table gingerly, trying not to settle on the worst of it. Lifting her shirt, Rokag can see the deep bruising from the broken rib, as well as several other solid torso hits. Was she hit by a baseball bat? It almost seems like it.

[Rokag]

"Well that's fucking broken." And it looked like someone tried to do more than that to her. Can't lie, looks like it hurt like hell.

"This is gonna hurt like it's being burned, but it'll be better than you not being able to breath." She sets about putting the salve on first. Wanting that down before bandaging things. "Tho you're either tough or lucky it didn't break more than that. Must have been....something harder than a practice sword. Club?"

[Shisou]

She nods, wincing, swallowing a whimper. Two guys with clubs and dogs -- I think the were secret guards, looking for drugs. Or maybe homeless. Or stolen food. I have got to find a way to get into my stepfather's study! 

[Rokag]

Rokag nods as she keeps putting on the salve. "They got you pretty good." Rokag was trying VERy hard to not be distracted by how soft she felt. She had to have been in some kinda fight. "If it had been any lower, it might have killed you." There was a pause as she finished up. "Tho I guess if you really are the Moonlight Princess, this is probably just a regular night, right?"

[Shisou]

She gives a wry smile. "Alas, our intrepi--"

That's as far as she gets before another deep cough interrupts. She gives a rueful smile, shaking her head.