View source for 3404/How I Met Your Princess

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/09/10
|Location=Pikarigaoka - Residential District
|Synopsis=Miho Kagami finds Nakusu Miki searching worried for a book she lost. She learns she is most likely the missing princess that a dragon and a not so nice Saint are looking for.
|Cast of Characters=231,220
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki was frantically looking all over the ground in a spot of this district where a fight was yesterday. She's looking around some trees, all over the ground. In bushes, and seems worried and slightly upset. "Where is it..." she says as she suddenly drops down to he knees and starts putting her hand under a mailbox she'd been hiding behind yesterday. She feels something and pulls it out!... oh. It's an old lost manga comic. It's more than a little dirty. She sighs and gently hefts from a corner into the nearest trash can. She then stares at the trash can and looks left, and right before lifitng the top off the trash can then looking inside. It's half full. It looks recent. If it's in there. It's down the bottom. Oh dear. Ohhhh dear. She can't just go digging around in trash can she?

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Even while she was resting, Miho has had a tendency to go out on patrol in the rooftops in the general vicinity of her home. She doesn't live that close to last night's incident -- she's gone out as far as Clover Tower more than once -- but it's still in Pikarigaoka, and she feels a certain duty towards the region. Y'know, just like all the other magical girls who live in this particular area.<br /><br />A mint-green streak of light flies through the sky almost directly above Nakusu's head before going into a nearby alley, as Life Mahou Joy comes in for a landing. And then lets out a yelp as she misjudges her timing bumps into a wall. She grimaces, holding her arm, still floating ten feet above the ground with her back to the alleyway's entrance.

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu is about to take the dive and shove her hand down into the trash can when there's a sudden streak of green light above her head. Ah!? What was that now, she wonders. Was that a stray firework? She didn't hear the telltale sounds of one being launched. She forgets the trash can for now as she makes for the alleyway the green streak landed and blinks.<br /><br />"H-hey are you alright!?" she says to the figure. Not. 'What are you?' or 'What the hell is going on'. It's hey are you alright? Though it suddenly settles in that was a person. "Oh! We're you flying? Did you jump too high? That was very high!" she says. "That must had hurt. There isn't a lot of space in there to land isn't there?" she asks.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Well, that's ''one'' way to find out that someone's aware that magic exists.<br /><br />Joy blinks and turns around. "Oh, uh, I'm fine," she says in a clear bright voice, dropping down to the ground -- a bit slower than freefall. "I'm just, uh ..." She laughs. "Well, I've only been a magical girl for a couple of months, and I'm still getting the hang of super-speed, so, uh, yeah. I'm getting better at not overshooting things ''as fast,'' though!" She grins. "Anyway, I'm Life Mahou Joy." She hesitates, not entirely sure whether to give her civilian name to a complete stranger ...

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki blinks. "Magical girls? Is that what you guys call yourselves? I've only seen a few fights over the past few months. I mean. Like conflicts?" she says. "What do the boys call themselves then? Like I met some knights and a princess the other day?" she says. It seems while she can comprehend what's before her, she doesn't know anything specific.<br /><br />"Life Mahou Joy?" she asks. "Oh, um! Right I need to. Find my book." she says, as she turns around and runs back to the trash can. Mahou Joy can see this.<br /><br />She still talks to Joy. "There was a big robot horse yesterday. And some girl with cards and a staff. Someone in weird clothes, two knights and a princess..." she gently brushes a hand through her hair again. That tiara is still her on her mind. But not literarly.<br /><br />"Alright... one... two...." then she closes her eyes and shoves her arm into the trash can. "Oh! Right... um. My name is Nakusu Miki." she says with her eyes closed.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Joy blinks. "Magical boys," she says, frowning. "It's the generic term, basically. We are magical, we transform ... there's a ''bunch'' of different ways to be one. 'Life Mahou' seems to be my particular type, with 'Joy' referring to me specifically." She shrugs. "I actually know several princesses, actually. And a couple of knights, although I'm pretty sure in one case it's just the term for the source of his powers."<br /><br />She frowns. "You said you're looking for a book?" she says. "Hm ... yeah, I don't have any convenient way of searching for things, or I'd offer to help. Sorry." She pauses. "... ''although'' ... I don't have to worry as much about getting dirty, because stains on my clothes just disappear when I revert my henshin, ''and'' I have gloves."<br /><br />She peers into the trash bin. "... What I find interesting is that you ''remembered'' seeing those fights," she says. "Most people just ... forget magic. Or don't properly register that it's there at all."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I'm weird. I know it." she says. "I dunno how or why. I just am." she says as she winces and drags her arm back up. "It isn't there...." she says as she puts the cover back. "Yeah. A copy of... 'Saint George and the Dragon'." she says. "It's important to me..." she says quietly.<br /><br />"For the past few months. I've felt really strange. Been having odd dreams. That story is my favorite. I can recite it by heart almost. Tell you the names they use in different editions." she says. "But recently. It feels like it's wrong... or thoughts come to my head." she says. "I've been keeping a kind of diary in the margins in that book and I guess I don't want anyone to think I'm crazy." she says with a nervous chuckle.<br /><br />"I mean it's just a story. But it feels weird. Like... like." she sighs through her teeth. "Nevermind." she says quietly. She looks into another set of bushes.<br /><br />"...Oh, duh of course they'd be called 'magical boys'." she says smacking her forehead in a delayed reaction. "Sorry. Dumb and worried." she says with another nervous chuckle.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Life Mahou Joy pauses a moment, keeping her face perfectly neutral, as if her mother was asking her where she's been.<br /><br />Logically, the reference to St. George is probably a coincidence. But her common sense, which has had to adapt to life in Tokyo ever since a shadowy familiar swooped down on her and Mamoru, doesn't believe in coincidences. Especially when Nakusu mentions the dreams.<br /><br />"We're all weird in our own ways," she says dryly. "My understanding is, that ''specific'' weirdness tends to happen for a reason."<br /><br />She pulls up the lid, wrinkles her nose, and starts digging through the trash. "I mean, it ''could'' just mean you have an open mind," she says, quoting Mamoru's introduction to her as she searches for anything book-like. "Or it could mean you're youma-bait, in which case you'll ''really'' want to stay in touch with people who can protect you."<br /><br />Hmm ... nope, nothing that looks like a book on St. George. Her super-speed isn't actually useful for rummaging around, anyway. She gingerly puts the lid back on, then turns to Nakusu. ''"Or,"'' she concludes, "it could mean you were born with something supernatural hidden inside you, like me."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki shakes her head. "I don't know any one. Not really." she says. "I think you're the first one I met that wasn't in a fight or there wasn't mortal danger around like some black... thing or a robot horse." she says. "So it is nice to meet you!" she says softly.<br /><br />"Huh? No. No I'm not magic. I don't think..." she says silently. She actually lingers on this for a moment longer than is comfotable as she slips her upper half out of the bush and brushes her hair out.<br /><br />"I don't know why that would be happening." she says quietly. "My dreams are weird, feel like they're out of order and sometimes more like a flashy slide show of things." she says. "But the ability to have odd dreams or act like you're trying to remember wrong things about a story seems like the most lamest of lame magic powers." she says with a nervous chuckle.<br /><br />"Besides. I don't like fighting." she says quietly. "Even if I was magical, I'd be pretty useless, right?" she says. She sighs a bit. "I don't think it's here. Maybe one of those people picked it up." she winces.<br /><br />She chooses to sit down on the bench by the trash can. "I mean. It's not. Irreplaceable. It's more the writings I'm worried about." she says. She sighs and digs a small notebook out of her pocket and writes in it with a pencil stuck in the wire spiral holding the small notebook together.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Joy blinks. "Oh, whoops, I was referring more to the remembering-magic stuff, not the dreams," she says. "As far as I know, dreams can come from ''anywhere."'' She shrugs, and sniffs at her gloves, then grimaces. "Um, one second ..." She glances around, then walks a little ways back into the alleyway. There's a burst of minty-green light as she reverts ...<br /><br />... and then Miho steps out with the tail end of a grimace. "My real name is Miho Kagami, by the way," she says, and her voice is now a bit scratchy and fairly androgynous. She's dressed in a plain blue shirt, a black skirt with shorts underneath the skirt, and pink sneakers.<br /><br />"Anyway!" She goes to sit on the bench next to Nakusu. "I ''also'' thought I wasn't magical and that I'd be useless regardless if I was," she says. "But, uh ... then it turned out that my great grandmother was hit by a Death Curse, so a magical girl gave her a Life Blessing to counteract it, and they were passed down from mother to daughter, and now I use the Blessing to be a magical girl." She smiles. "Kind of unique circumstances, I know." She shrugs. "But, honestly, if you ''really'' don't want to fight? That's fine."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki takes a deep breath. "Curse...." something there riles her brain. She shoves it back down and shakes her head. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's nice to meet you Miho. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone. I don't think there's anyone I can really tell it to. I tried to tell my two school friends about this stuff and one put their head against my forehead and asked if I had a fever." she says. She shakes her head. "No. No I mean. I know you mean about the magic things. And understanding them. I told my dad and he heard there was a gas leak there and I must had picked up some of that then we went to the hospital and I was fine." she says.<br /><br />"-and I feel like maybe there was magic once? But not anymore. It's strange. My dreams and feelings are strange. All I know for sure are a feeling of betrayal and that I'm really sorry for something I can't remember. While I'm not sure about the other things, I'm sure about those two things." she says.<br /><br />"I can place where the betrayal comes from. It's always at a certain passage of the story where I feel it the strongest when I think about it. The Sorriness. I don't know. It's near the end of the story..." she says quietly.<br /><br />She smiles, but there's a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry." she says. "It's just. I know teenagers are supposed to be confused sometimes? But sometimes it feels like something ripped me apart and I'm trying to piece it back together." she says quuetly.<br /><br />She looks up though and looks over to Miho. "I guess I'll just say it. It feels really weird but I feel like I remember things from that story. But what's written there is wrong. Like they're descrbing the Queen and King as 'kindly' in the opening and I'm like 'No that's wrong. They both did something.' and I don't remember what is and they describe the dragon as fierce and evil and I feel that's realllllly wrong and when they describe Saint George as noble and brave and kind I feel like that's also reallllly wrong." she says drawing out her reallys.<br /><br />"I also haven't read any edition that got the names right. Except for George's. His is always right. But the others are wrong. Sometimes it gets close, but never right." she says.<br /><br />"-and it's really strange I feel like there's a right name to begin with you know?" she says.<br /><br />"..and.. and- it feels like I have thoughts about random things in the story-- oh god I'm just unloading on you I'm ''sorry''." she says.<br /><br />"It's just everytime I try to have this discussion with anyone they just ask if I'm sick or well and I think you're maybe the first person who's tried to explain in ways that make sense and didn't immediatly question my well being." she says rather meek.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The entire time, Miho just sits there and listens, nodding along. "Yeah," she says softly. "I mean, I'm not gonna lie, Miki-san, I sometimes feel as confused in general as you do, and I actually ''know'' about this stuff!"<br /><br />She hmms thoughtfully. The dreams? The fact that it started a few months ago, which she's pretty sure is about the same time as Ryo? Yeah, there are definitely enough parallels that she's, let's say, maybe 70% sure at this point that Nakusu is the reincarnation of the princess. And unlike Ryo, who approached the question of his dreams by raging around, Nakusu immediately started poking at the problem, ''trying to figure it out''.<br /><br />Still, though. Miho needs more information. What can she ask about that would actually ''help'' with the problem?<br /><br />... Aha.<br /><br />"Two questions, Miki-san," she says. "First: Was the ''real'' St. George an arrogant, murderous, self-absorbed jerk who couldn't comprehend the idea that he might be wrong about anything ever?" She looks Nakusu in the eye. "And second: Was the dragon's name Lamya?"

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki chuckles a little. "I don't even know but I feel like it makes sense but also doesn't at the same time but there's nothing wrong with that?" she says quietly. Nakusu isn't shy by nature but the conversation is odd and it's making her act a little odd as a result but it's something she casts off. "I would had stayed around to talk to that princess and her knights but there was still lingering bad feelings from that thing and I didn't really feel safe there so I ran. I know I dropped the book now, I thought I shoved it into my backpack but I must had missed the opening in my haste..." she says.<br /><br />"Okay go ahead and ask." she says softly. She head tilts, she crosses her arms. "I.... feel like. That's true somehow? Like I know what I think when they call him noble, brave, heroric and so on in the story-- I think that's what I'm actually thinking. That he's the opposite of that?" she asks. "So I think that's right. Rather. I feel it's right and correct to say those things about him." When Miho asks her if the dragon's name was 'Lamya', She mouths the name- gets a really shocked expression and suddenly fumbles for her notebook and writes down the name 'Lamya' or some spelling of it wherein it could be said as 'Lamya'. "Yes! Yes that's that's the name of the dragon! I knew it was a 'Laaaa' sound but I could never ever get past that part!" she says with wide eyes. A pause. "Wait. That's... that's not a name in ANY of the editions I've found and I got some old, old editions I've hunted down." she says.<br /><br />"...How did you find that out?..." she asks, narrowing her eyes. Less filled with suspicion more intense curisoity. More trying to see if she can't place Miho anywhere in her minds eye, in her heart. She can't.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho nods. "Probably wise, if you don't have any way of defending yourself," she says. As for the answers ... okay, that bumps it all the way up to 95%. Miho can't resist leaning away slightly from Nakusu as she scrutinizes Miho; she's actually feeling a slight echo of the intimidation she used to feel whenever she met anyone new, before a succession of monsters and villains basically changed her standards.<br /><br />Finally, she says, "Okay, so, here's what I think your situation is." She looks at Nakusu. "You ... are ... the reincarnation of the princess from the story. The legend that everyone knows is the way it is because 'history was written by the winner' and all that. I'm not a hundred percent sure how it works, but I ''think'' you have these memories and bits of knowledge because, in a sense, they actually happened to the 'you' that you were in another life, two thousand years ago. As for ''how'' I know ..."<br /><br />She takes a deep breath. "First, because I've met Lamya. She's still alive, and she lives in Tokyo. She's told me her side of the story, that St. George was a jerk and that the Princess actually sacrificed her life to save Lamya from St. George. The girdle from the story has made her ... sort of partly human? I guess? And also it's a powerful magical artifact that we don't know ''how'' the princess got her hands on."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu is listening intently. This is a lot to take in all of a sudden. For a few moments she's sitting there taking it all in, trying to parse that in her head. She's a.. reincarnation of the princess from the story? Her eyes trace from the ground to the sky, then back down before resettling on Miho. "That might explain why... why I feel like I'm trying to remember things. Because I might actually be trying to remember then?" she asks. "The dreams are. Things like..." she takes a deep breath. "I imagine sometimes writing my name on a piece of wood. I can't really read the name on the wood. Then I put it into a bucket. I always feel like I'm trying to show someone the error of what they're doing by this..." she says. "I dream of a dragon. We talk a lot." she says softly. "I don't know about what. It's always murmurs. Even though we're talking face to face it feels like trying to hear someone muttering from three rooms away. You know they're words just not what what's being said."<br /><br />"There's a man I know is St. George, but only because of how he's dressed matches with the stories. White shining armor. Red cross. We're talking but it's the mumbling thing again? But he always angrily points to the dragon, then me, then back to the dragon and I feel like some sort of deal or concession is being made I can't remember." she adds.<br /><br />She then lets Miho continue to the second part, and blinks. "She's... alive?...." there's something in her that swells up there for a strong moment. It's warm. Happy. Relief, followed by a feeling of regret and sadness that sets in with it though does not overpower it. She gets a bittersweet look on her face.<br /><br />Though Miho has more information for her. A girdle. A sacrafice. There's something that shoots through her heart like a spike. "A-ha.." she says as she physically reacts, grabbing at her chest and lurching forward a moment in the bench sort of keeling over but not fully.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho nods, listening. She doesn't have any experience with that kind of thing to any reasonable degree, she'd never heard any kind of direct description from Ryo, but it sounds like more-or-less the kind of thing she'd expect from reincarnation-memories.<br /><br />But then Nakusu has that ''reaction'', and Miho tries to grab her shoulder to steady her. "Whoa! Are you okay?" she says. Her voice has taken a slightly downward shift in pitch, and sounds a bit more scratchy and androgynous. And because even that sort of thing doesn't stop her from trying to analyze it, she adds, "Did you remember, um, something?"

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"a-ha! It was her fault!...my fault!" she suddenly says out. The tone is crazy, but it's one of self blame and sadness. "He said he only wanted to show the city...! Show them that the dragon didn't mean any harm like I told him! So.. so I let him...."<br /><br />She takes a sudden deep breath in through her teeth. "I let him kill her! I gave him the means! I didn't want that! That wasn't supposed to happen..."<br /><br />"....it isn't an artifact. It's just a girdle..." she says suddenly. Her tone sounds less chipper. Even earlier she didn't sound miserable. More curious. Not like this. "It's magic because she had to imbue it to make it so the dr---" she says. "So Lamya would be a 'good' dragon. She-- I was afraid she might spook or something."<br /><br />"I don't know the specifics of that." she says. "I know she did something. I don't even remember the princesses' name." she says. "But I know she ripped her soul apart trying to save her. Trying to replace the pieces that we're leaving. I'm positive that's why she died. She...I?...ah--a sorry this is so confusing now." she says.<br /><br />"A---yes. I do remember some things now. Or rather puzzle pieces I had are fitting together more smoothly." she says, still leaning forward.<br /><br />"I really don't feel well now. I have a headache." she says. A pause. "That isn't really your fault. I actually thank you a lot."<br /><br />".....alive... I.. can I meet her, please?" she asks. "Do you know her? Do you know where I could find her?..." she asks.<br /><br />Then she suddenly shoots upright and looks immediatly back to Miho. She remains quiet. ".....There's something..." she shifts. "... It's not just me is it...?" she asks.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Close to the end of that outburst, Miho just tries to give Nakusu a big hug. "It's okay," she says softly. "I ... still don't know that well how it works, but ..." She pulls back slightly and puts a hand on Nakusu's shoulder. "The thing you have to remember, is, is ..." She clears her throat, and brings her voice back to its usual pitch. "... that ''you'' are Nakusu Miki. You aren't ''literally'' the old princess. You just ... have her soul, or whatever. It's up to ''you'' to decide what that means." She smiles. "And sure you can see Lamya! I don't know where she's staying at the moment, but I can get in touch with people."<br /><br />And then the other question happens, and her expression becomes ... shifty, and awkward. "... ah. Um. Nnnnnope. It's not just you." She shakes her head. "The ''other'' reason I know this is because ..." Might as well come out and say it, Nakusu is clearly highly perceptive. "St. George has ''also'' reincarnated. He's my best friend's older brother. And he has been basically transforming into a sort of evil magical boy." She frowns. "... I had to use my healing powers to save Lamya's life when he attacked her once, and I needed help from another healer to do it."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu frowns. "'transforming' implies someone like that, was good to begin with." she says quietly. She doesn't have a high opinion of George. In any form. Not since she's started feeling weird about the story. She takes a deep breath through her teeth and rips out a piece of paper from the small notebook after writing on it. It has a phone number and an address on it. "That's my cellphone and where I live." she says.<br /><br />She sighs a little. "...so you know who he is. What's his name? I have a strong feeling I should avoid this individual. For obvious reasons." she says. "Since he was pretty creepy set on marrying me by force in the past life, and if he is a reincarnation- something tells me that if he still feels that way it's probably gonna be a weird fixation on it." she says lightly.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho shrugs. "Well, I meant in the sense of the costume-change transformation, kind of thing," she says, accepting the contact info. "Can I write my own info?" If permitted, she'll write down two phone numbers on another corner of the page -- one of the numbers looks somewhat odd, with the note 'for magic business.'<br /><br />She nods. "You'd be right about that, I'm told he's been creepily possessive about finding 'his' princess," she says. "But his name is Ryo Okana." There's a chance Nakusu might have heard of a missing schoolgirl named Norie Okana. "And ... given what Lamya's told us, you'll probably 'recognize' him if you ever meet him regardless. I think she said 'you don't forget the face of the one who killed you', even though Ryo is Japanese."

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu has seen those news reports. But she does not immediatly connect the name to that. There are after all, lots of 'Okanas' in Tokyo no doubt- but she'll probably search the name online and learn later. Then wonder how Miho is friends with a girl that is missing. That'll be for later though.<br /><br />For now she'll take the name, paper and nods. "Yeah... that's. Yeah." she says. Like it lines up with what she would expect. "When someone is denied something the first time. They want it more the second." she says quietly. "So it's possible it's more a problem." she says. "Then it was back then." she wilts.<br /><br />"I should go. I mean. It's been really nice talking with you!" she seems really concerned with hurting Miho's feelings with her sad words. "But this is a lot to process." she says. "Anyone you can put me in touch with would be helpful later." she says softly and quietly.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho nods, giving Nakusu a gentle pat on her shoulder. "Don't worry, it took me a couple weeks just to process that magic exists," she says. "Let alone my ''own'' magic. Take all the time you want." She smiles, and gets to her feet, putting the. "And ... don't worry about Lamya-san. She has a ''lot'' of friends, myself included. I'm confident that one way or the other, we'll be able to resolve this."<br /><br />She puts the paper with the contact-info into her purse, and heads over to the alleyway. "You take care of yourself, all right, Miki-san?"

:'''{{#var:231|Nakusu Miki| (231)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Nakusu Miki nods politely. "Thanks." she says. "Take care too. If you have questions. You can call or text me." she says. "Don't come over in a fluster if you can help it. Not yet. I dunno how I'd explain to my parents about anything." she admits. "I already have problems with that."<br /><br />"OH..." she says as she looks around. "If you hear anything about my book can you tell me?" she asks. "I.. completely forgot I was looking for it." she says a little sadly as she sighs. "I'll look later. See if anyone brought it to the library by accident." she says as she begins to walk away.

:'''{{#var:220|Miho Kagami| (220)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Miho smiles and nods. "Yeah, don't worry about it!" she says. "I'm kind of socially awkward enough that I'd ''really'' want to communicate first." She nods. "And I'll definitely keep an eye out for info on the book! Later!"<br /><br />And then she steps a ways into the alleyway, poses with her right hand raised more or less in the Saturday Night Fever pose, and intones, "Life Blessing, Wake Up!" A column of minty-green light later, and Life Mahou Joy is flying back out of the alleyway once again.
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