The Midnight Prince

[Shisou]

The Midnight Princess jumps, blushing a bit -- not that it's too easy to see in the flickering lantern-light. "If you want to run, I'll help you get off the island entirely. That might help. But otherwise, no, it's too dangerous."

[Rokag]

"I'd have to get completely out of Toukami, and even THAT might not be doable. For all I know, I'm now stuck in some long-term plan." Rokag shook his head. "And I came here to get away from running like that. Sure as shit not going to just...end up where I started that easily."

[Shisou]

"The only other option I see is doing it. Having the kid. Taking control that way -- you see women sometimes who control access, saying you can only see the kid if you do what I say, don't you want our future Lord Cicada to have a good impression of you?" She shrugs. "It can work."

[Rokag]

Rokag wasn't keen on that part. The fact that relied in Indou not doing something to take control almost immediately. That HAD to be the plan, right? Maybe he thought he could bully Shisou into doing whatever he wanted, but it's not like...

"It's risky." Of course it's fucking risky. You have to have a kid, the right KIND of kid, AND make sure you're not playing into the hands of one of the biggest crime gangs in Toukami. They had a lot of territory on the Shore. Enough so even the bandits that came through gave them space. It was also pretty well known that they had people on the islands and that's why they were so powerful. That and they killed most that crossed them. "But I'm not sure what else to do, either. I'm not...I never really thought about kids before now. I figured I'd either die long before I could or that-" Mom would... "-I wouldn't be here when I WAS safe enough. I still think stalling for a little bit of time is good...and I don't actually mind getting to know you a little bit better."

[Shisou]

"Shisou, you mean," she says quickly. "I'm not really-- I'm really different, with the suit on."

Carbonne sighs, lifting xir head from the Midnight Princess' left shoulder, tail curled around the right side of her neck. 

[Rokag]

Rokag looked around a little and then back to her. "I...mean I guess, but other than not studdering it's still you." She took a step closer to get a better look at the Midnight Princess. "I mean, that HAS to be magic, because I would have probably been able to tell if it was just a disguise and padding."

[Shisou]

She takes a half step back, hesitant. "It is. It didn't used to be, um, complete -- it was an illusion until earlier this year, when I got powerful enough. Carbonne says I'm almost powerful enough for xem to change form."

[Rokag]

"Okay...but that doesn't...I get wanting to keep it secret." Rokag would guess it was probably a little embarass...actually. "Does it feel weird? Changing like that, I mean...also, change form to what?" Her eyes move to Carbonne.

[Shisou]

"Nobody knows," says Carbonne, and the air of mystery and drama in xir is strange coming from the croaky, brassy voice. "My form is part my powers, part hers. His. Whatever."

[Rokag]

"Okay...weird, but that doesn't mean that you're not still you." Rokag returned her attention to Shisou. "The only thing that seems really different is that you're not stuttering."

[Shisou]

"Trust me," she says, "I'm a lot different. Higurashi Shisou could never do the things I do, magic or no magic."

"But you're wrong. I picked Shisou for a reason, kid."

"Ancestors only know what you saw in him."

[Rokag]

"Okay, but Soushi-Hime isn't the one that decided to give me clothes, food, and a letter. So that's better than most people I've run into." Rokag sighed. "Look, this is a bit fucking confusing, but I didn't tell you the truth beca- Okay, JUST because I figured things out about you. I already owed you. And you actually looked like you could fight, if you weren't already beat up."

[Shisou]

"It doesn't really matter," she says. "I'm here now, that's the important part. So how can we fix this?"

[Rokag]

Pretty...pretty sure it does matter, but that's ALSO not a now problem. "Well, best I got is to stall. They're not going to expect us to...do that right away, so I got some time to think. If we can...well...figure out that stuff before someone brings up any of those rituals from earlier, that'll also give it some time."

"Also...your sisters. They don't know about this but are they...alright? Should I be careful around them?"

[Shisou]

"The girls are fine. Good sorts. It's just a hard life, living in the Cicada clan. They're expecting matches to be made any day now with the Tiger clan boys -- and one of them has a reputation for being, ah... cruel."