The Midnight Prince

[Rokag]

Shit...that's probably not good. Okay...so that needed to happen if she wasn't going to just run...and for THAT to happen... Rokag blushing actually made them more of an olive green than the light tone she was. "I-I mean, I think so. The doctor seems to think so. I only...really knew the one parent. Apparently the stuff I can do now is Undine magic, tho."

[Shisou]

He nods. "I-i-i-if y-you w-w-want, w-w-we ca-can a-a-ask the d-d-d-doctor t-t-to... i-i-if th-there's s-s-some r-r-ritual th-that m-m-m-might i-in-invoke the a-a-a-ance-stors b-blessing s-s-s-so... s-s--so y-you h-h-have a-an u-undine..."

[Rokag]

Rokag frowned a little. "But then he'd also mention it to Sir Indou and I...really don't think I want him knowing there could be any trouble." She was starting to feel like that would be a bad idea as it was. "And..." She sighs. "Alright, so I don't actually know what my family name is. I've had to basically pray to 'Those that my mother prayed to' and hope for the best. If the doctor finds out that it's something else...well, I'd rather not have to come  up with some plan to run to a different island, especially now."

[Shisou]

Shisou nods slowly. "I c-c-c-could v-v-v-visit the f-f--family l-l-l-ib-b-b-b-rary. I'm a-a--a-allowed in-s-s-s-side, bb-b--b-but.. I almost n-n-n-n-ever g-g-g-o."

[Rokag]

"That might work. If we can figure it out ourselves, then at least we'll know if this isn't going to work at all." Rokag gave something of a smile. "So...since this is kinda the first time we're meeting....I'm Rokag." She offered him a hand.

[Shisou]

"Sh-sh-sh-shisou," he stammers, taking Rokag's hand and shaking it. "p-p-p-p-pleased to m-m-m-eet you."

[GamesMaster]

In the library, they can easily find a handful of rituals that try to increase fertility -- including one that seems to ensure that she's fertile, though it's very involved. The simplest is basically an invocation that works its way up to Bastion, asking for blessings from the ancestors to open Rokag's womb -- especially nice since it's a water deity.

There are rituals to ensure a race. But they're not documented in the library. The're only spoken of as an aside -- as a warning. They're dark rituals, not meant for those who worship Bright gods. The family cleric might be able to teach them how to invoke Zanon through Shisou's ancestors to ensure it, if they're willing to ask -- and to pay the price.


Shisou suggests Rokag have a bath; the baths are communal, but segregated by gender. She can wash in a shower stall and soak in the women's tub, sunken into the floor of the bath-house, and relax. As she heads for the place, she spies Indou coming out of a side room wearing only trousers. 

As he turns to shut the door, she can see his back is covered in brilliant pigments.

Tattoos are decorations common to many cultures in the Free Outlands, but here, in Toukami, they are usually associated with one thing: the criminal element, the mafia that cheat, swindle, and assassinate their way into noble families where they can. 

[Rokag]

Fuuuck! Rokag was pretty sure that she hadn't seen that. In fact, she spent the whole time in the bath being absolutely sure that she hadn't seen that. The churning bathwater had nothing to do with anything that she may or may not have seen. She is even sure, as she's getting out of the bath and trying to dry off and tie the fucking robes and head off to Shisou's room and was definitely NOT going to talk about what she didn't see.

[Shisou]

When she enters, Shisou is curled up in an armchair, reading one of the books he took from the library. He looks up, startled, as she enters. 

"S-s-s-something w-w-wrong?"

[Rokag]

"Why is your stepfather working with the Fucking Eel's Den?" Which was probably some name for a group of particularly nasty criminals. "Because he doesn't seem dumb enough to fake it and I didn't think any of them were on the islands or in an actual family?" She sounded...stressed. She was either on the verge of panicing or yelling or possibly both, which was amazing since she didn't sound that way when a demon was choking the life out of her.

[Shisou]

Shisou blinks. "I-i-i-- i-is th-th-that b-b-b-b-ad? I-i-i m-m-mean, f-f-f-for y-y-you sp-specifically... h-he's... a-a-always b-b--been l-l-l-like th-th-that."

[Rokag]

Rokag blinked twice before taking a LONG breath. Shisou might notice that her hair, that had been somewhat damp when she came in, was now dry and there was a faint, chilly breeze in the room. "How is that NOT a problem? How is having someone in one of the most dangerous crime gangs in Toukami INTERESTED in me not a bad thing? And why the hell would anyone on the island WANT him here?" They can't just...not care, right? They obviously don't want people running slaves and shit through the fucking LAKE, right?

[Shisou]

Shisou looks away. "N-n-no-b-b-body d-d-d-does. N-n--nnot even m-m-m-mother. B-b-but..."

[Rokag]

"And, of course NOW that shit makes sense. He was SURE I was going to accept his offer because he's USED to that." Rokag was pacing, which was also not a good sign. "HOW did he...okay, so HE wants all this to happen so he's closer to the Emperor. Fuck, that means..." Rokag locked eyes with Shisou. "How long has he been here? How much fucking deep shit am I Actually in?"

[Shisou]

"S-s-s-s-s-s-since," begins Shisou, and his eyes go distant, the sound of his mother's screams in his ears. 

"S-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-ss-since," he stammers again, trying to shake it off, trying to focus through it. 

"Since his father died," finishes Carbonne, rising up to xir hind legs. "Gotta be."