sm_monthly May 1 theme
Aug. 15th, 2007 07:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
purplekitteContinuing directly from Amnesia.
Title: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
purplekitte
Theme: Crack--Bells
Genre: Drama
Version: Anime
Rating: PG-13
Princess Mars. Princess. This is some kind of case of mistaken identity. Or not. I don’t know and that’s pretty much the basic problem here, Hokuto thought.
“Princess, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said distantly, shaking her head.
“Your back is covered in blood! Your hair too!”
It is? The fog in her brain seemed to block all feeling from the back of her skull until her fingers touched it. That was where the ache at the edges of her temples had been coming from. And I thought it was the amnesia. Actually, this could be the cause of the amnesia.
The woman in the elaborate European gown was already calling over for medical aid.
Hokuto considered insisting that no, really, she was fine, but that wasn’t how she guessed a princess would behave and she wasn’t actually entirely sure she was correct.
* * *
“Do you need to cut my hair?” Now that she was aware of it, it was absurdly long. Hokuto would have liked it short. She had no idea what the real her would have thought of that.
“No, Your Highness,” reassured the medic. “Head wounds bleed heavily, but it’s not serious. Your hair should be salvageable with sufficient washing, Highness.”
“Joy,” she muttered.
"Her Highness’ wound is already closed. Margary, escort Her Highness to her chamber. Call a maid to bring a fresh gown and a bowl of rose water for her hair.”
Hokuto allowed herself to be dragged along, remembering belatedly to behave as if this were only her due. Rose water, honestly. She nodded haughtily to the doctor, sending sharp waves of pain through her temples.
Hokuto blushed when she realized the maid in the room she had been led to actually meant to undress her. Her torn, bloodied school uniform disappeared, to be replaced with a gown that she doubted she could have put on herself if she wasn’t tired with a pounding head. It probably was physically impossible for one person to lace themselves into it. Altogether, though, she felt much better now that she was no longer sticky and the scent of roses and the massage of her scalp to get the dried blood out of her hair had made her more clearheaded than she had felt in a while.
Right. Finding out who exactly they think I am. And who they are and where I am. And where the real princess is. Then I would like to get back to the question of who I am. She slipped the makeup compact, loose change, and strange star-tipped wand she had palmed into her new clothes.
“Your Highness, Lord Zoisite would be honored if you would join him in his study.”
“Is he the commander of the castle?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The other Shitennou and His Highness are still wrapping up the bandits who fired on your ship.”
“Very good. I’ll see him.”
The man who stood when she entered the room, she personally thought, would look better in the dress than she did. “Your Highness,” he bowed, “you have Earth’s sincerest apologizes and we will do anything to keep this incident from jeopardizing the relationship with your honored planet.”
Earth. Princess Mars. Hokuto had no basis of comparison of just how bizarre this all was, or she’d have made an analogy.
“Please be assured I bear you no ill will.”
“Your Highness is gracious.”
“You don’t have to keep calling me ‘Your Highness’. You could… use my name.” Please don’t make me ask my name.
Zoisite seemed horrified and aghast. “I would never presume.”
“Oh come on! You’re a prince’s trusted advisor and I’m a princess not so difference in rank from him giving you permission.”
“But you’re a Senshi! Even on Earth we know a Senshi’s name is never to be used. I… don’t actually believe I’ve ever heard your name spoken.”
Oh dear gods, he doesn’t even know it. She said resignedly. “Perhaps you would call me by a name that is not my real one, but had been serving me comfortably for a while: Morino Hokuto.”
“Hokuto-sama? You are too kind.”
And evidentially making one faux pas after another.
“Whatever you may have heard about me, I am not one to stand on ceremony.” Since I gather we’ve never met before.
“I apologize. I had only hoped not to offend our honored allies.”
“It has been a long day. Perhaps you could tell me all that you know of… the current incident.”
“We believe that a nobleman, a disgruntled isolationist, learned the exact time of Your Hi--your arrival and used forbidden weapons to open fire on your ship.”
Hokuto nodded gravely. “How are things in the capitol?”
“His Majesty and His Majesty of Mars are in conference. We sent word to them as soon as you were located. We have no Lunarian embassy on Earth, but I’m sure they are being alerted.”
“That’s… good.” How could she ask any of the questions she wanted to? That’s my father, right? What am I supposed to be doing here? How long am I going to keep having to keep this up, because in that case I’m going to have to become a political genius without asking a single question about people, history, law, or protocol? And, oh yeah, who am I, really? The little wand felt comfortably warm under the hand in her pocket.
“I’m--” No apologizing. Eh, whatever. “I’m sorry. I really am tired--”
“Oh! My most sincere apologizes, Your--Hokuto-sama. Of course you would wish to retire. On the morrow my fellow Shitennou should be here to greet you properly.” He knelt this time and kissed her hand. “Welcome to Earth.”
* * *
After two maids and a dress that made the one from yesterday look like an informal slip, Hokuto descended for breakfast in time for the ninth bell, only tripping over herself… well, a lot.
It was easy to tell the nobles’ table from the servants’ and there were two new men sitting at either side of Lord Zoisite.
“…Prince Arienes himself, blowing off a whole load of steam. Well, Jadeite can take him in a fight and has before and that’s the only thing he respects,” she overheard as she approached.
The white-haired man caught his red-haired companion’s eye and he fell silent.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
The birds are blooming, the flowers are singing, who am I? “Good morning…”
“I am Kunzite and this is Nephrite, also of the Shitennou.”
I’m very pleased to meet you? What are Shitennou?
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“The honor is all ours, Your Highness.”
Hokuto pulled up a chair, spooned a ladleful of poached eggs onto a porcelain plate, yawned, and dug in. There was a flurry of whispers beside her, of which she picked up “like a man” and “Martian”. Not again. It was too early to figure out how she should have arranged her skirts as she sat. She came to the conclusion she had been a coffee drinker, though she saw no sign of the drink. She fumbled for a kettle of green tea, when a servant reached over to pour for her. Oh, she had made a mistake with that too.
Princesses don’t yawn, or at least not loudly. They don’t belch. They don’t put their elbows on the table or catch their sleeves in the food.
The whispers beside her had finally resolved into Zoisite facing her again. “We apologize again, Your Highness. We should have remembered earlier that you are a Martian princess. Thank you for not calling out over it. When you have broken your fast, we will have proper accommodations ready.” Zoisite politely excused himself from the table.
“Thank you. I was willing to excuse your… foreign ignorance, but I would appreciate it.”
“The staff was not aware that a Martian princess is different, but I’m sure Your Highness is used to that in the Lunar court.”
“Yes, it’s very different from home,” she said blindly.
* * *
A servant led her back to her rooms to show her the “change of accommodations”. A new set of clothes were laid out, loose pants and a soft leather tunic. The pants were the same as the Shitennou had been wearing, though none of them had had the trimming in red. There were high boots instead of slippers and numerous leather belts and harnesses. A wide selection of weapons were laid out on her bed.
Mars. God of war. I must be some kind of Xena the Warrior Princess.
She let the maid help her out of the dress, but she dressed herself. She doubted she could harness on most of the weapons without hurting herself, let alone use them. She ended up crossing a pair of swords across her back and quickly practiced sitting with them on. It didn’t feel like anything she’d ever done before, but it felt easy, natural. She clipped a dagger and the red want to her belt and tied back her absurdly long hair. It would probably be an international--interplanetary--incident if she cut it.
With a more confident swagger, and trousers, Hokuto set out to find a ride to the capitol.
Title: A Case of Mistaken Identity
Author:
purplekitteTheme: Crack--Bells
Genre: Drama
Version: Anime
Rating: PG-13
Princess Mars. Princess. This is some kind of case of mistaken identity. Or not. I don’t know and that’s pretty much the basic problem here, Hokuto thought.
“Princess, are you alright?”
“I’m fine,” she said distantly, shaking her head.
“Your back is covered in blood! Your hair too!”
It is? The fog in her brain seemed to block all feeling from the back of her skull until her fingers touched it. That was where the ache at the edges of her temples had been coming from. And I thought it was the amnesia. Actually, this could be the cause of the amnesia.
The woman in the elaborate European gown was already calling over for medical aid.
Hokuto considered insisting that no, really, she was fine, but that wasn’t how she guessed a princess would behave and she wasn’t actually entirely sure she was correct.
* * *
“Do you need to cut my hair?” Now that she was aware of it, it was absurdly long. Hokuto would have liked it short. She had no idea what the real her would have thought of that.
“No, Your Highness,” reassured the medic. “Head wounds bleed heavily, but it’s not serious. Your hair should be salvageable with sufficient washing, Highness.”
“Joy,” she muttered.
"Her Highness’ wound is already closed. Margary, escort Her Highness to her chamber. Call a maid to bring a fresh gown and a bowl of rose water for her hair.”
Hokuto allowed herself to be dragged along, remembering belatedly to behave as if this were only her due. Rose water, honestly. She nodded haughtily to the doctor, sending sharp waves of pain through her temples.
Hokuto blushed when she realized the maid in the room she had been led to actually meant to undress her. Her torn, bloodied school uniform disappeared, to be replaced with a gown that she doubted she could have put on herself if she wasn’t tired with a pounding head. It probably was physically impossible for one person to lace themselves into it. Altogether, though, she felt much better now that she was no longer sticky and the scent of roses and the massage of her scalp to get the dried blood out of her hair had made her more clearheaded than she had felt in a while.
Right. Finding out who exactly they think I am. And who they are and where I am. And where the real princess is. Then I would like to get back to the question of who I am. She slipped the makeup compact, loose change, and strange star-tipped wand she had palmed into her new clothes.
“Your Highness, Lord Zoisite would be honored if you would join him in his study.”
“Is he the commander of the castle?”
“Yes, Your Highness. The other Shitennou and His Highness are still wrapping up the bandits who fired on your ship.”
“Very good. I’ll see him.”
The man who stood when she entered the room, she personally thought, would look better in the dress than she did. “Your Highness,” he bowed, “you have Earth’s sincerest apologizes and we will do anything to keep this incident from jeopardizing the relationship with your honored planet.”
Earth. Princess Mars. Hokuto had no basis of comparison of just how bizarre this all was, or she’d have made an analogy.
“Please be assured I bear you no ill will.”
“Your Highness is gracious.”
“You don’t have to keep calling me ‘Your Highness’. You could… use my name.” Please don’t make me ask my name.
Zoisite seemed horrified and aghast. “I would never presume.”
“Oh come on! You’re a prince’s trusted advisor and I’m a princess not so difference in rank from him giving you permission.”
“But you’re a Senshi! Even on Earth we know a Senshi’s name is never to be used. I… don’t actually believe I’ve ever heard your name spoken.”
Oh dear gods, he doesn’t even know it. She said resignedly. “Perhaps you would call me by a name that is not my real one, but had been serving me comfortably for a while: Morino Hokuto.”
“Hokuto-sama? You are too kind.”
And evidentially making one faux pas after another.
“Whatever you may have heard about me, I am not one to stand on ceremony.” Since I gather we’ve never met before.
“I apologize. I had only hoped not to offend our honored allies.”
“It has been a long day. Perhaps you could tell me all that you know of… the current incident.”
“We believe that a nobleman, a disgruntled isolationist, learned the exact time of Your Hi--your arrival and used forbidden weapons to open fire on your ship.”
Hokuto nodded gravely. “How are things in the capitol?”
“His Majesty and His Majesty of Mars are in conference. We sent word to them as soon as you were located. We have no Lunarian embassy on Earth, but I’m sure they are being alerted.”
“That’s… good.” How could she ask any of the questions she wanted to? That’s my father, right? What am I supposed to be doing here? How long am I going to keep having to keep this up, because in that case I’m going to have to become a political genius without asking a single question about people, history, law, or protocol? And, oh yeah, who am I, really? The little wand felt comfortably warm under the hand in her pocket.
“I’m--” No apologizing. Eh, whatever. “I’m sorry. I really am tired--”
“Oh! My most sincere apologizes, Your--Hokuto-sama. Of course you would wish to retire. On the morrow my fellow Shitennou should be here to greet you properly.” He knelt this time and kissed her hand. “Welcome to Earth.”
* * *
After two maids and a dress that made the one from yesterday look like an informal slip, Hokuto descended for breakfast in time for the ninth bell, only tripping over herself… well, a lot.
It was easy to tell the nobles’ table from the servants’ and there were two new men sitting at either side of Lord Zoisite.
“…Prince Arienes himself, blowing off a whole load of steam. Well, Jadeite can take him in a fight and has before and that’s the only thing he respects,” she overheard as she approached.
The white-haired man caught his red-haired companion’s eye and he fell silent.
“Good morning, Your Highness.”
The birds are blooming, the flowers are singing, who am I? “Good morning…”
“I am Kunzite and this is Nephrite, also of the Shitennou.”
I’m very pleased to meet you? What are Shitennou?
“I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“The honor is all ours, Your Highness.”
Hokuto pulled up a chair, spooned a ladleful of poached eggs onto a porcelain plate, yawned, and dug in. There was a flurry of whispers beside her, of which she picked up “like a man” and “Martian”. Not again. It was too early to figure out how she should have arranged her skirts as she sat. She came to the conclusion she had been a coffee drinker, though she saw no sign of the drink. She fumbled for a kettle of green tea, when a servant reached over to pour for her. Oh, she had made a mistake with that too.
Princesses don’t yawn, or at least not loudly. They don’t belch. They don’t put their elbows on the table or catch their sleeves in the food.
The whispers beside her had finally resolved into Zoisite facing her again. “We apologize again, Your Highness. We should have remembered earlier that you are a Martian princess. Thank you for not calling out over it. When you have broken your fast, we will have proper accommodations ready.” Zoisite politely excused himself from the table.
“Thank you. I was willing to excuse your… foreign ignorance, but I would appreciate it.”
“The staff was not aware that a Martian princess is different, but I’m sure Your Highness is used to that in the Lunar court.”
“Yes, it’s very different from home,” she said blindly.
* * *
A servant led her back to her rooms to show her the “change of accommodations”. A new set of clothes were laid out, loose pants and a soft leather tunic. The pants were the same as the Shitennou had been wearing, though none of them had had the trimming in red. There were high boots instead of slippers and numerous leather belts and harnesses. A wide selection of weapons were laid out on her bed.
Mars. God of war. I must be some kind of Xena the Warrior Princess.
She let the maid help her out of the dress, but she dressed herself. She doubted she could harness on most of the weapons without hurting herself, let alone use them. She ended up crossing a pair of swords across her back and quickly practiced sitting with them on. It didn’t feel like anything she’d ever done before, but it felt easy, natural. She clipped a dagger and the red want to her belt and tied back her absurdly long hair. It would probably be an international--interplanetary--incident if she cut it.
With a more confident swagger, and trousers, Hokuto set out to find a ride to the capitol.
