The Midnight Prince

[Rokag]

"What did I say about talking?" Rokag frowned a little. "At least let me get your ribs wrapped before you try sounding like a bard's story." There was something of a smile on her face as she got the bandages out. "Sit up, I gotta make sure that your ribs move as little as possible."

[Shisou]

The Midnight Princess struggles to a sitting position, submitting to being wrapped. It doesn't occur to her to worry about being seen topless, not yet; this isn't her real body, and her real body could be shirtless if she so chose. Instead, she marvels at how she's never broken a rib before. For all her heroing, it's mostly been nonviolent solutions, or the occasional game of dodge-the-longsword. Which I shouldn't have won if I wasn't trained in the sword myself, she notes, ruefully, and not for the first time. Still, I wasn't sure what to do with so many of them. Should have run, I guess, but I needed Carbonne back. 

[Rokag]

I wonder why she smells like flowers like that... Rokag tries to concentrate on wrapping and NOT the flush of heat to her face. Come on, that isn't...look, she's a princess...or at least dresses like one. "Still, not sure what you're doing around here. Nothing was around but some fussy animals and scared birds this time of night. T-that was probably the point, tho."

[Shisou]

She nods. I sneak in here distressingly often to steal first aid supplies. Well, giving half my pocket money in the tip jar every week probably makes up for that. And it's not as though Indou cares much about the expense overruns. They hide it away in special peacock feed anyway -- I've seen what's in those bags, it's just chicken food with a fancy label. 

[Rokag]

Rokag would have agreed about the feed. The stuff sure didn't SMELL like it was special and since she could carry some of the bags, they gave her the 'honor' of helping with the deliveries. But it paid, and well, and she even got housing as long as...As long as I don't mind staying here forever. And that was the problem. This was comfortable. It was better, but it wasn't HERS. It wasn't.....it didn't quite fit. Something was wrong. And while that bugged her to no end, she wasn't stupid about just up and leaving, either. Need a plan. A better one than before.

She finished tying off the bandages and pulled the shirt back down, finding it much easier to not be...distracted. "You should be able to speak a little bit, but you should probably take it easy. Wouldn't want someone to try and break the other side, right?"

[Shisou]

"Never fear," she says, in a much more normal tone -- a bit strained, but only a bit. "I plan to head right home after this. You're certain my Carbonne is alright? I plan to give xem extra crickets tomorrow..."

[Rokag]

Huh...weird name for a pet.

"Yeah, they...um...Xe should be alright. Not sure why you're carrying around a fancy lizard while you do....whatever it is that you do. Seems pretty tough tho, so they probably will wake up alright." Rokag paused for a few moments. "Um...can you move alright? I'm not used to doing this on...well, other people."

[Shisou]

"Ah, I seem to be. Carbonne is my familiar -- xe's very important to me."

[Rokag]

"Well...." Rokag scratched the back of her head. "Guess this was a change from looking after lizards and birds. And...guess I'm glad to help, if you're really the one running around saving people after dark and such."

[Shisou]

"S-saving is a strong word," she says, softly, and for a moment her voice is almost familiar. Someone he knows from the barracks, perhaps?

Then it's gone, her confidence restored as she holds her head high. "Thank you, citizen. You have done me a great service, and one I shall not soon forget."

[Rokag]

Rokag was....only slightly sure about if she worked here. It would explain why she knew where the bandages were. I figured she'd have to be from Rabbit Island, with the apparent jumping around she's supposed to do.

"Well it was either that or let you collapse on the ground in the middle of the night. Pretty sure if you'd die I'd have fussy mother lizards AND ghosts to worry about."

[Shisou]

Shisou smiles. Certainly I'm not bringing any descendants honor anytime soon. "Then I am doubly glad you saved me. The lizards ill deserve to be haunted."

[Rokag]

Rokag shrugged. "The main house would probably think it's interesting. They could say that their menagerie is haunted by the spirit of a beautiful foreign girl that died there. Possibly killed by a jealous worker or something equally poetic." She rolled her eyes.

And then blushed. "A-anyway, you should probably go and I should sneak back into the barracks"

[Shisou]

The main house would certainly have something to say about my being found dead in the menagerie!

The Midnight Princess nods. "Alright. Thank you again for your help, miss. I owe you."

With that, she is gone, sneaking forth into the night with her lizard and her bandages. 

[GamesMaster]

There is some kind of event going on at the Menagerie today, and that means Rokag has to dress up -- meaning, in this case, a yukata with a proper obi, full face makeup (which Suzuki was nice enough to help apply), sandals, and a sunny smile. Her hair was done up with sticks (thanks to Hanako) and everything. All of the attendants have to stand in a line, smiling, for the Family to walk past on their way to the new exhibit: a pair of giant cats sent by the Tiger clan. A breeding pair, and surly as all get-out -- Rokag doesn't envy Suzuki having to feed them.

(The men don't have to dress up and smile, she notes. Only the 'pretty ladies'.)

The Family isn't even the higher-ups: a leaf family, just mother, father, and three children. Indou, Kuronue, and their children; not a front-runner politically, Hanako mentions, not likely to preserve the family honor. Everyone here worries about the family honor; if the family loses their island, many of them are likely to be let go, and then where will they go?