we're not who we were

It had been an absolutely awful idea to go to a supermarket, Katherine now realised. It was as if chaos had been unleashed in the form of a tornado as soon as the princess had entered the establishment. Every single one of her senses was overstimulated as she had looked at the tableau unfolding in front of her. There were people rushing around everywhere, and on top of that, they were pushing these dangerous vehicles called 'shopping carts'. She had merely escaped death by avoiding a collision with one of the metal contraptions. Why did people do this on a regular basis?

To make matters worse, she had not only lost her guards but Huàling too about five minutes into their dangerous trip. She had gotten distracted by a siren call made by some supermarket worker promoting their latest cheese, only to find her companions gone when she had decided not to eat the cheese cube. Now the Crown Princess of Andorin was aimlessly wandering about the seemingly endless aisles of crisps and soft drinks. Why were there so many options anyway?

Tragedy struck again once she had entered the section of the store that seemed to be 'on clearance'. There were twice the people, and each of them was pulling products off the shelves in a disorderly manner. Had none of these people heard about queuing? With a horrid look on her face, she tried to wane her way through the endless sea. But she could not see anything beyond the bright signs of percentages off a prodcut.

Two of the murder machines clashed together and made her jump aside in pure fright. Right in front of... "Vince?" She asked. Her face displayed utter fright at her current situation. Katherine was sure she would not set foot out of this labyrinth of death and discounts alive.

Finally, she was saved! Even though she did not know the man in front of her at all, she figured she could still ask him for help. She had only spoken to Vincze once, at a charity event that felt like eons ago by this point, but she remembered him well enough. Katherine tended to remember anything about a person quite well, after all, that was what being lock- No time to dwell on her past. She had to get out of here.

When the man told her that Vincze wasn't, in fact, here, she felt like her world would crumble. "But," she stammered, something that did not tend to happen often. She briefly looked around, possibly to spot a twin or something as coincidental as that. "But, good sir, are you not Vincze?" She asked him in utter confusion. "You told me so yourself." She explained without really saying anything, like Andorians tended to do. But she was certain he was Vincze, he had told her so herself, and she never forgot a name.

Who was this strange man who looked eerily similar to her brother, if he was not Philip and also not Vincze? He could not be a stranger who happened to look like either one of them, because Katherine remembered the peculiar conversation she'd had with him once. Still, he seemed rather unsure of his own name. "Yes, you." She confirmed, as if to help him remember who he told her he was.

In the back of her head, she was hearing alarm bells go off. It did not seem likely that one would forget their own name. Then again, while this man was clearly trying to get out of here, she needed his help. Otherwise, she feared that she would never see the light of day again and perish in the aisle of this horrid place. "Actually," she said, loud enough for him to hear even if he pretended he could not. "I need your help." She spoke. "I do not know how to get out of this maze, and I seem to constantly end up in the sauce aisle. I do not even like ketchup." An look of utter horror and confusion was displayed on her face. Why on earth did people need as large of a sauce selection anyway? "Please help me to the exit." She pleaded with a look on her face that many men would find hard to refuse. Of course, Katherine did not know that this would by no means work on him.

Where was honour? Where was sacrifice? Had chivalry truly died? Oh it was absolutely awful. Katherine had not thought her time here to be quite so confrontational, at least not when it came to basic civil matters like manners.

The princess wished to say that she did not care for other helpers, as she had chosen to ask him, but no words left her mouth. She just nodded at his sentiments and bit her tongue, like any good Andorian would in this situation. It was simply polite not to push the issue any further. "Perfectly understandable." She muttered. "Until we meet again Vincze!" She told him as she gave him one of her perfect waves. As he walked away she wondered how on earth she would get out of here. But in an admirable effort she straightened her back and took a deep breath. She just had to keep calm and carry on, preferably without getting hit by one of those extremely dangerous shopping carts.