9271/One Crown visits another

One Crown visits another
Date of Scene:	28 March 2025
Location:	The Sundew Kingdom
Synopsis:	In an attempt to give one of the newest Concord members a (relatively) normal day, Sarracenia invites Audrey on a tour of the Sundew Kingdom.
Cast of Characters:	Sarracenia, 7662, 7518, 7573

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Sarracenia has posed:
     The Sundew Kingdom is quite the sight! Though depending on how you enter it that sight might be quite different. The local warpgate lets one out at a large crossroad that leads between the Mushroom, Sarasaland, Sundew, and the Koopa kingdoms. The road leading to the Sundew Kingdom immediately leads into a massive jungle. Trees are dozens of stories tall, with the tallest being close to 60 stories tall.

     The road is about as wide as only one of those trees, which is plenty wide for a standard three lane road. It is paved with white stone bricks and patrolled constantly by piranha plant soldiers in steel breastplates and man-o-war helmets carrying axes.

     They have to fend off wild creatures every so often, and when they are not doing that they are chopping vines and trees and other plants that are trying to grow over the road. Mantises bigger than humans watch them from the jungle trees, their eyes regarding the piranha plants and other travelers with intelligence behind their eyes. They are even decorated in a tribal sort of way, with primative and minimal raw plant clothing and similar level weapons such as spears, bows, and arrow.

     From the air, it is a solid canopy of leaves as far as the eye can see except for a large lake that the castle town was built into and the odd mantis flying above. The water seems to be the only barrier that was capable of stopping the jungle. In contrast to the jungle, the walls of the city are about 5 stories tall, and the tallest castle tower is only about 10 stories. This means the jungle towers over the town and castle.

     Close to the front gate is the airship dock. As tall as the castle itself, the dock is a spiraling staircase of platforms that vary in size between those made to hold a personal aircraft to those made to hold freighters that would rival Earth's commercial shipping vessels in size. A second spiral on the opposite side of the road from the civilian dock is the military dock, where a total of 13 wooden airships styled like Spanish galleons are docked. The Sundew Sovereign, the kingdom's flagship, is docked at the top of the spire, its polished wood and shimmering gold trim (including a figurehead of Sarra herself) gleaming in the evening sun.

     Sarra has asked Audrey to meet her at the town gate, where a draw bridge is able to reach the shore of the lake. The walls are made of the same white stone as the road. The princess is trying to give the best impression she can, and as such she has on her fanciest black royal gown that is still suitable for walking around in. It is black velvet from neck to hem, with similar gloves covering her hands and arms. Silver embroidery shimmers in the sunlight, forming a flowing plant-inspired pattering that rolls from her left shoulder down the front to the right side of the skirt.

     She has a squad of six piranha plants as her honor guard, their armor polished to a mirror shine. Gregory, her piranha plant butler, is also at her side holding welcome gifts for Audrey. A fox suit power-up in a collectable style box! "Welcome, Audrey!" Sarra says with a cheerful smile once the Nova Heliosanctus student has arrived. Of course...Sarra is only expecting Audrey.

Audrey Basque (7662) has posed:
    EARLIER, AUDREY'S ROOM

If you're hoping you cultivate a reputation for ladylike refinement, you're not.

    A dozen party dresses are strewn about her bed, haphazardly as if thrown there without care. They pile up, abandoned, as Audrey takes the thirteenth, walks with it to the large mirror she rolled out of her closet... and then abandons it immediately, on account of being unlucky number thirteen.

If you're hoping you cultivate a reputation for ladylike refinement, you're not.

    Fourteen. No. Fifteen. Still no.

If you're hoping you cultivate a reputation for ladylike refinement, you're not.

    Audrey turns to the mirror, angry. It distorts, stretches more in one direction than the other, and then snaps back into its normal shape and size with a loud crack, which shatters the mirror. She creeps back into her closet, determined to find something to wear.

    NOW

    Audrey is not wearing a dress, but at least she isn't wearing her school or Library uniform, either. It's a nice, formal white blouse, and a long beige skirt, something you could wear to a shareholders' meeting with zero regrets but probably wouldn't wear to a high society gathering.

    She had insisted to Petra she could find the way and they could just meet up there, and true enough the Second Star of Nova Heliosanctus has found her way to the Warpgate safe and sound. What she didn't expect was that they'd have to walk some distance to reach the their destination afterwards. Still, she waited for Petra to arrive, eyeing the road wearily.

    If she showed up with a BRIGHT SMILE and her gold-and-blue starry eyes lit up, by the time she's reached the town gate, she looks a bit spooked by the fact she's seen more odd creatures in the last ten minutes than in the weeks prior. At least none of them tried to eat her, courtesy of the ones guarding the road.

    Just before they reach it, she turns to Petra and drops her smile a tad, asking bluntly: "Am I really that brutish?"

    But Sarracenia is waiting for them, and she doesn't give Petra enough time for a drawn out answer if there is one, making for the drawbridge.

    "Hello, princess!" she still manages, giving a polite half-bow and accepting the giftbox (without opening it) gladly. Her smile is fully restored, mercifully! "This is... quite the assortment of peoples, you have here. Are the roads truly so unsafe that so many guards must patrol them?"

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
    Petra feels responsible for this somehow, even though it was Audrey who was specifically invited. Even worse-- that means not only is Petra voluntarily going to the Sundew Kingdom, but she's bringing Angela with her, and all for what? Just to accompany Audrey, right? Maybe as a small factor, she's making an effort to extend a hand to Sarracenia to hopefully drag her off of the path of bashing herself against Lilian until she ends up being killed by any number of people including herself for it, as a gift she's attempting to give to, ugh, a senior Partner. But mostly, she's tagging along with Audrey for the sake of tagging along with Audrey, both for Audrey's sake-- who knows what Sarracenia might do or say alone-- and just to hang out.

    Really, Petra has not had particularly busy days ever since the war. Not consistently. She's vaguely ambled from task to task, sometimes dedicating entire waking days to something or another, but compared to how busy she was before she war, she feels completely useless and adrift. There's plenty she *could* do. She has a hundred projects she could get started on, relationships with Concord personnel to build, efforts to reconnect with Lilian, work in the Library or in the City, but... she just hasn't felt able to commit to anything at all lately. The plurality of her time is spent somewhere alone in a random world's wilderness outside some camp or another, absorbing the air in a mindstate midway between meditation and dissociation.

    And so, Audrey. And Angela. And also, Sarracenia. Petra is wearing her baggy harem pants and a hoodie with the Eggpack on over it, but rapidly becomes ill at the jungle heat and humidity in that situation. She pulls off to the side of the road and deposits the Eggpack to start shucking her clothes off. More worried about the Sundew guards seeing than Audrey or Angela seeing, she wiggles out of her hoodie to briefly expose her sports bra (really, it's the kind of thing that would be perfectly fine to wear as a top in its own right in a gym. she's not a whore!!) and general scar-tattered body, before tossing on a loose t-shirt to better adapt to the weather.

    "... I guess I knew theoretically that she was from, like, a jungle, but it's kind of hard to believe it with the kind of person she is." Petra says afterwards, tottering along the road. "Like. Something went wrong there, right? There's something fundamentally wrong with this situation."

    She squints at the mantises in the trees as they pass by, and warily eyes the guards along the roads. "Something's definitely fucked up here. I don't know what, but it's fucked up."

    "Also, Ange, you really... feel free to disconnect if she gets unbearable. Don't feel guilty about leaving me with her while you can escape. I'll be alright."

    In addition to her outfit, Petra has bandages wrapped around her neck and wrists where she pulled out all those feathers. They've mostly healed over, but the skin is still raw and sore, and because everyone around her is *so* insistent on her taking care of herself, she decided to bandage up. Her boots are also terribly muddy even before getting to the Sundew Kingdom, and she has a silly little baseball hat on because it's sunny.

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"Am I really that brutish?"

    "Huh?" Petra blinks at Audrey with wide eyes. "I... don't think so. It's not like Lilian's really, uh, seen you around much, besides... some... maybe bad moments."

    Upon spotting the princess, but before they're within range to be called out to, Petra hastily says under her breath to Audrey, "If she says anything about kidnapping-- you have to say no. You can't let her get on talking about that."

"Welcome, Audrey!"

    Petra closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "... Hey princess. We figured it might be better to make this a group thing."

Angela (7573) has posed:
Am I really that brutish?

"Noooo....!" Hod says. "You're not brutish at all...! I mean I didn't see you fight but..." Hod is no longer a boxbot. Instead, Hod looks like a young woman with brown hair and blue eyes, an hair antenna still sticking out of her head which must be where the robotic antenna go its vibe from. She IS in her Librarian uniform but otherwise.... it's your buddy Hod! Her uniform has a ribbon instead of a tie and she is wearing brown buckle sandles and white leggings. Her uniform is kind of beige-ish brown colored.

"Hello Sarracenia. Um. We came along. I wanted to keep Audrey company. I hope that's alright." Well she's already here so it's kind of too late.

Even less invited is Angela. She is NOT physically present. But she is on a screen and with the Eggpack as usual.

"I wonder if she can swing around on vines." Angela asides to Petra. "The hammer she swings around looks quite heavy." She is judging this from one of Tennant's movie nights--the movie in question? George of the Jungle. Angela really didn't understand that movie but did recognize that using vines to swing results in possible arboreal collisions.

Feel free to disconnect if she gets unbearable. Don't feel guilty about leaving me with her while you can escape.

"Understood. But I am feeling magnaminous today." Maybe she feels like she should try to be more prosocial today now that people are saying she has a battledome.

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarracenia returns Audrey's half-bow with a proper courtly curtsey including a slight lifting of the sides of her dress's skirt. Then, Petra speaks. And has Angela with her. Sarra's one visible eye (she still has an eyepatch on, though today's is a more elegant broad strip of material) turns to her as the princess's expression goes to a very slight frown. "...ah. Hello Petra. Angela." she says, then hmms. "A group thing. Well...I suppose things are often better done in groups." She doesn't really imply that this group will make this thing better, but at least she isn't starting out with 'why are you even here' or something.

     Sarra notices Petra's bandages, but doesn't comment on them. Instead...she focuses on Hod! It takes a moment, but between the hair antenna, the uniform, and the voice, Sarra makes the connection. "Oh my goodness! Hod?!" Hod was probably unaware, but the princess is fond of Hod. So, the cute young woman ends up getting a hug from the princess. A pretty firm one. "I am glad to see you are alright and able to take a proper form!" Sarra says after releasing the poor girl.

     Sarra looks at the group, then hmms. "Well, as official guests of the crown, I will have to provide you gifts as well. They will have to wait for now, though."

     Sarra coughs into a fist, then smiles once more. "Welcome to the Sundew Kingdom! I hope the journey was not to taxing! I know it can be quite harsh out there, so our first stop on the official Sundew tour is...my favorite ice cream shop!"

     Sarra leads the way, somehow seeming fine in such a heavy velvet dress even in this weather. She finally addresses Audrey's question as they walk. "We try to be diverse! As far as we are concerned, being a person has nothing to do with being a human. In this town humans live alongside piranha plants, toads, and even some koopas and mantids that have grown tired of what would be normal life for them. There are plenty of other types of non-humans creatures you may see here, but those are the most plentiful peoples."

     Sarra's hair flows behind her as she walks, giving her an elegant look that may not often be appreciated even if it is still silver instead of copper. "As for the danger on the road...it is quite necessary. We have found that if the patrols miss even one day of pruning duty the vines will cover much of the road. Not to mention the many dangerous creatures that call the jungle home. Wild piranha plants are probably the most dangerous, and can strike from most any sufficiently large hole or pipe. The mantids are not enemies per se, but one would be wise to be cautious around them. They have never really accepted our presence here."

     The ice cream parlor is colored like it is made of cotton candy, and perhaps most importantly inside it is cooled by proper air conditioning! It is unclear if it is technical or magical, but it is comfortable either way.

     "And now...for your first test." Sarra says in a teasing tone. "Which ice cream flavor would you like?" There are a couple dozen to choose from, covering most every typical flavor one might find in an ice cream shop...plus one you will not. Rainbow Bob-omb. A vanilla ice cream swirled with tangy fruit flavors in multiple colors with pop rocks candy swirled in with it.

     Sarra hastily orders that last flavor. It is quite obviously her favorite. She gets it in an edible, chocolate-coated waffle bowl, then awaits eagerly to see the orders of the others.

     "Oh, Angela. I suppose you cannot have any now. Would you like me to send a few gallons of some to your Library? Select a few flavors you would like." Sarra adds.

Audrey Basque (7662) has posed:
    It should really go without saying but Audrey pointedly looked away when Petra changed. It was obvious and deliberate. But Hod's presence was definitely a high point of the adventure. It's nice to see the Sephirah get out, at least.

    The idea of Sarracenia swinging on vines might almost be amusing if it wasn't hitting certain notes. Some days, the voices win, and it's one of those days. Likely, Audrey intends to sink back into her pile of star charts once she can, and forget this day ever happened - which is unlikely to have anything to do with Sarracenia's tour.

    The proposal of ice cream does go quite a way towards improving the day though. Quite a way! If Petra had to change out of her baggy clothes, Audrey didn't have the luxury of layers she can peel off, and she is definitely, definitely not used to jungle travel. Or long walks in the humid heat of a foreign world, for that matter.

    She does question Sarracenia's ability to wear the thick princess robes in the heat, but that's awkward to just bring up like that.

    "I see. So this world is unusually hostile? Or is it just this particular kingdom's surroundings that are like this?" She had noticed the vastly different aesthetics at the crossroads, so it begged the question if it mattered.

    Flavor...?

    She looks at Petra, cracking a slightly wider smile. "Well, I doubt you have "sludge" as a flavor. So I should like to try that colorful one as well," she indicates the Rainbow Bob-omb flavor that Sarracenia just picked.

    The idea of sending some to the Library makes Audrey perk up a bit. "I bet Roland is a chocolate man. I wonder what the other Sephirah would like, though." She knew none of them, so she trusted Angela, Hod and Petra to know.

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"I wonder if she can swing around on vines."}

    "Hm. Maybe. But honestly, now that you say it--" Petra looks around at the stark difference between the Sundew construction and the jungle surrounding it. "I feel like she'd probably barely even been in the jungle. I feel like she wouldn't touch a vine without gloves on. Like, you know? She's *so* not in tune with the vibes here."

    She also asides to Hod, since it's not the first time she's interacted with human form Hod but she still hasn't had that many chances, "By the way. What's with the hairstyle change? Malkuth had longer hair, so I know it can't be a limitation with the Light. Did you decide to chop it off?"

"Well...I suppose things are often better done in groups."

    "Yeah. I mean, if you're showing off your kingdom to new Partners, then...." Petra rolls her shoulders, a little snidely, but she doesn't needle Sarracenia any more at the moment. Thumbs hooked into the straps of the backpack, she quickly slides a half step away when Sarracenia rushes in to hug Hod like she's worried that she's about to have to defend against something, but then eases off when she's not attacked. She side-eyes Angela's screen leerily, but ultimately, if Hod doesn't object, then Petra doesn't either.

"I am glad to see you are alright and able to take a proper form!"

    "... By 'able to take', you mean that Angela worked hard on building her one." She does have to correct that part, though.

"Well, as official guests of the crown, I will have to provide you gifts as well."

    "I, uh--" Accepting gifts from Sarracenia is just a tiny bit too far, is what Petra's gut feeling insists. She squeezes the straps of the Eggpack, thinking about how bad it would look for her if she was, metaphorically and literally, stripped down to owning and being nothing again, and then one of the first objects she owned when rebuilding herself was a gift from Sarracenia Sundew. Being homeless and broke isn't an excuse to accept anything from anyone to get yourself back on your feet-- it just means that each item added into her pile needs to be that much more heavily considered.

    "You-- you really don't need to give me a gift. I'm just here to pr--" She was about to blurt out protect, with her mind still on one particular dynamic, but she corrects herself. "Come along with Audrey."

"I hope the journey was not to taxing!"

    "It's not that bad. I'm surprised you don't even have, like, a weird bug carriage to pick people up, at least." And, thinking the same thing as Audrey but not having the dignity to hold it back, "How do you survive here wearing clothes that heavy?"

"We try to be diverse!"

    Surely she can't possibly mean it the way she said it. Petra winces and opens her mouth to blurt something out, and then barely restrains herself until she can gasp out a slightly more measured question. "T-try...? Is... I mean, you're... it's not really your choice whether there's nonhumans here, right? It's kind of out of your hands, isn't it?"

"The mantids are not enemies per se, but one would be wise to be cautious around them. They have never really accepted our presence here."

    Petra's squint gradually narrows further and further. "... And they were here, first, right?"

    Then, in the ice cream parlor, Petra sighs and relaxes slightly. She might be relatively better adapted to the heat, but it was still a long, humid walk, and after positioning the Eggpack on a chair, she fluffs out her hair with her fingers to air out the sweat. "Whoof. It's fucking oppressive out there."

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
    Ice cream, though... for a visit to a foreign kingdom, it's... just a tiny bit pathetic. Petra can remember the Spiral Empire meeting being began with ice cream, but it's significantly different-feeling when the political leaders are the ones *serving* ice cream to a crowd of refugees, and incidentally also the Elites. That's a political statement. This is one too, but it's a political statement of... this magical jungle kingdom and its princess being essentially indistinguishable from a terminally lonely thirty year old suburban woman dragging people along to her lame hobbies.

    Just, extremely wealthy. And with the military authority to force her subjects to die at her command, which is usually turned towards those goals primarily driven by that thirty year old woman's loneliness.

    Petra is harrowed by this realization for a minute, and then after the others have ordered, she blinks back to awareness and says, "Ah, uh... I'll just have vanilla. I don't really do crazy flavors."

"Well, I doubt you have "sludge" as a flavor."

    Holding her ice cream cup up with one hand, she sticks her tongue out at Audrey. "Gimme thirty minutes and they will."

    She sits down at the table beside the Eggpack, and mouths something at Audrey that makes her snicker. She'll absolutely dig into the ice cream, though. She's not too proud for that, even though each spoonful is habitually tiny.

    "Well, speaking of the Library." Petra feels a crushing need to actually talk about literally anything in the entire universe rather than the numbingly pedestrian ice cream flavor talk on a trip as a foreign visitor and Concord partner. "We're trying to stock it with the literature of, like, as many worlds as possible. What's that like here? Do you..."

    Petra comes to a terrible realization. "... Have, books? Is there writing here? Bookstores?"

Angela (7573) has posed:
Hod is hugged! She doesn't return it because she wasn't expecting it. She holds her arms out to the side going, "AHh? Wha?? Ahh??" with a vaguely panicked expression on her face. "What did I do what happen" She doesn't quite manage to put a punctuation mark at the end of that. Neither she or Angela seem to particularly care about Sarracenia's hair color.

My favorite ice cream shop!

Angela raises an eyebrow. She raises her other eyebrow once Sarracenia offers to send her gallons of ice cream back with her. She lets out a long exhale and rubs at her forehead with her thumb and index finger. "Sarracenia." Angela says. "...What are you plotting in order to offer me gallons of ice cream..?" She quirks her head to the left. "...Ah, I understand. By sending some ridiculous airship to the Library, you intend to draw even more attention to me, resulting in a Hana raid. ... I am sorry, but I will have to--" Angela's eyes slant towards Audrey who seems to be PERKED UP by ice cream. "--de...cline..." She frowns. "Audrey, were you looking forward to an ice cream delivery?"

ansi)202,")I like orange ice cream." Hod supplies, still looking dizzied, flustered, and a bit uncomfortable and anxious.

"...I will allow you, Miss Audrey, to bring back ice cream to the Libary but I'll ask that you be discreet. I do not need The City to know that we are receieving supplies from an Outsider Kingdom."

I feel like she'd probably barely even been in the jungle. I feel like she wouldn't touch a vine without gloves on.

"...It is strange that I do not really see Sarracenia as a plant person despite ruling a plant kingdom. That does feel strange... I am sure she has something of a green thumb, at least, but I expected her to be more in tune with nature."

Angela worked hard on building her one.

"Aha---yeah... Angela apparently had some trouble getting my hair right?... But I have a, uh, proper form now. A bug carriage would be super cute..."

Angela doesn't realize she should be suspicious about the mantids until she sees Petra squint whereupon Angela mimics the squint herself AND crosses her arms disapprovingly. She'll figure out what Petra's getting at later. It's not really important for her to actually know the situation ehre.
5r"I will use the opportunity to hold a 'cone' with the Egpack though." She offers as compromise. "...That is a good question. Do you have books? Or do you write your history on mushrooms and giant flowers?" Angela is suddenly intrigued. "Or perhaps on giant blocks like ancient hieroglyphs?"

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"...I will allow you, Miss Audrey, to bring back ice cream to the Libary but I'll ask that you be discreet."

    There are a lot of aspects to being trapped inside one location for your entire life that most people wouldn't think of at first. It's not as simple as being restless and frustrated and missing the world outside, but fundamentally, the perspective Angela has on the world is different than anyone else's. Or rather-- Petra does understand, because Petra specifically knows her exact perspective.

    And that is, that Angela has never had to walk the distance from here to the warp gate, nor from the warp gate in District 12 to the Library. She hasn't felt the heat of the jungle, or the exhaustion of carrying several gallons of ice cream over a multiple mile walk. She also hasn't tasted ice cream that's been fully melted by hours of travel time.

    "Ah... well..." Petra sighs. If it comes down to it, Petra will figure out how to bring the ice cream over. Maybe a vacuum seal created by the Silver, or something.

"That does feel strange... I am sure she has something of a green thumb, at least, but I expected her to be more in tune with nature."

    Petra looks over at the Eggpack with disbelief. In her shock, she tries to telepathically communicate at Angela's speed, but this just results in an incomprehensible blip of psychic impulse going through everyone else's minds, and being unable to reach Angela through the Eggpack. In all the long, long time of Angela and Petra being able to psychically communicate, the Eggpack has almost never been an obstacle.

    Instead, she says, looking vaguely stressed at the implication Angela is making, "... You're sure about that? Why?"

"Aha---yeah... Angela apparently had some trouble getting my hair right?"

    "... Oh. She just fucked it up. But...?" Petra looks gradually more and more disappointed, and drops the conversational thread with Hod. "If it bothers you, ask Lilian for a hand regrowing it back to your own length. She'd be happy to."

    Petra stares down at her ice cream, having lost some of her appetite for it. Is it her fault, somehow? Was she supposed to expect this? That being inducted into the inner circles of the Concord, placed around some of her closest friends, in the end, only put her in situations where they could act more like Sarracenia on their own terms? Maybe Sarracenia actually *did* belong in the Concord, if this is how it's apparently perfectly fine for a kingdom tour for a Partner to go. Maybe it's Petra who had something wrong in mind, when she thought the organization could push her to greater heights and force her to develop a sturdier relationship with herself and the world, and instead it's more about small talk on Sarracenia's level from Audrey and Angela.

    This was what Petra was worried about when coming to visit. That 'belonging' would naturally center around Sarracenia, rather than anything Petra actually values, and her friends would be confused that she isn't cheerfully pattern matching along with them. She lowers her eyes, dull and unhappy looking, poking at her gradually melting vanilla ice cream with her spoon. All of a sudden, the environment feels numbing in a way that threatens to suffocate Petra, and the idea that she might be the only one feeling it makes her ill.

Sarracenia has posed:
     'I see. So this world is unusually hostile? Or is it just this particular kingdom's surroundings that are like this?'

     "As far as I am aware, our kingdom is one of the most naturally hostile areas, but I think it is somewhat dangerous outside any of the major cities or towns. There are plenty of deadly creatures that wander about. Even if one discounts typical wildlife that can be found on many worlds, our world has many dangerous creatures that one could encounter at any time. Wild Piranha plants are probably the most numerous threat, even outside of our kingdom. But, there are also things like giant caterpillars, giant birds...and then there are the remnants of Bowser's defeated armies. Random Bullet Bill cannons, roaming koopas and lakitus, goombas, cheep cheeps..."

     Sarra ponders a moment. "I suppose if you are curious we could arrange a safari of sorts to see all the dangers out there. It certainly ensures the few heroes we have in this world are never lacking in things to defeat.

     'How do you survive here wearing clothes that heavy?'

     Sarra hmphs, smirking somewhat smugly. "It is a task, to be sure. But, conditioning, fitness, and a breathable underlayer do much to alleviate the problem."

     'Well, I doubt you have "sludge" as a flavor. So I should like to try that colorful one as well,'
     'Gimme thirty minutes and they will.'

     Sarra can't help a slight smirk at the teasing aimed at Petra, though Petra's rather normal girl response draws a bit of a smile from Sarra. "I could have such a flavor custom made for you. I am picturing some sort of rather tangy sorbet in a vibrant, toxic green. Perhaps lime or sour apple infused with caramel to make it properly sticky and sludge-like."

     'Ah, uh... I'll just have vanilla. I don't really do crazy flavors.'

     Almost instantly, as if on instinct, Sarra says, "I am not cra-!" but catches herself before she finishes and coughs into a fist again, blushing a bit. "Ah...that is fine. There is nothing wrong with a classic like vanilla." she says, trying to cover up her outburst quickly.

     'Do you... have, books?'

     Sarra blinks. "Well, of course we do. I am told we have some of the best bookstores in our kingdom, and the castle's library is quite extensive." Her lack of education is completely willful, not because there is no knowledge to be found. "Perhaps the histories of the kingdoms would be to your liking? Or would you prefer our world's fables and classic fiction?"

     'T-try...?'
     '... And they were here, first, right?'

     Petra is given the side-eye with Sarra's one good eye. She has obviously encountered this accusation before and does not appreciate it. "Do you think plants that are known to eat people are easily accepted in other kingdoms? Or mantises the size of humans or even horses? Of course you can choose whether there are non-humans in an area. Especially in a kingdom. But, that would be wrong. And even more than that you can encourage your populace to treat them all as equals, no less a person than anyone else." Sarra sighs softly. "And yes, they were here first. We negotiated with them as best we could, built in the lake for both our protection and theirs, and interact with them only when they ask us to. They trade with us freely when they have a mind to, and as I mentioned they are welcome within the city. So long as they follow the laws like everyone else."

Sarracenia has posed:
     'What did I do what happen'

     "You did nothing except be adorable and survive~" Sarra says cheerfully. Until Petra's correction of her phrasing makes Sarra's expression go flat. "...yes. That." is all the concession she makes.

     'Sarracenia...What are you plotting in order to offer me gallons of ice cream..?'

     Sarra's cheeks puff as she listens to Angela, much like a child hearing something they do not like. "Why would I do that? We are currently allies who do -not- want to destroy each other! I told you why I sided with you in the war! My 'terrible plot'" which is said with dripping sarcasm, "...is to try and be a good hostess and show proper consideration to an ally in a bad situation who cannot easily enjoy something as simple as ice cream!" Sarra's cheeks are red with anger by the time she finishes her small rant.

     'I am sure she has something of a green thumb, at least, but I expected her to be more in tune with nature.'

     Sarra hmphs, still a bit upset. "Nature and I do not get along well. At least, not the nature around here. As far as I am aware my ancestors chose this spot because there is a wealth of materials and power-ups to be found. But, nature and I have an agreement. I have a large courtyard maintained with manageable nature within, and the unmanageable nature stays happily outside our walls."

     'I will use the opportunity to hold a 'cone' with the Egpack though.'

     Sarra looks to Gregory. After being insulted about her very generous gift she is not about to hand Angela a cone herself. Gregory collects a waffle cone with a scoop of vanilla on top and takes it to Angela to hold.

Sarracenia has posed:

     Once ice cream and cooling has been had, it might be easier to appreciate the city. It is well made, but decidedly low tech. The roads in the town are paved much the same way as the road outside, and well built houses and shops line them with little to no space between buildings. In a walled city you have to make the best use of space you can. Most are only two or three stories, but some apartment buildings have reached the height of the town walls.

     All the buildings are made of thick wood and stone in an old-world style. They range from things like Spanish villas to small towers modeled like the castle to...straight up giant trees or mushrooms that have been hollowed out to make a home or business. Though still not as giant as those outside the town.

     There are few powered vehicles to be found in the city, and those that do exist are obviously multiversal imports. Even those are not large since other than the main road leading from the gate to the castle the city's roads could not really support that sort of traffic. There are wooden carts being pulled and pushed about instead.

Sarracenia has posed:
     Despite her annoyance at Angela's and Petra's accusations, Sarra does her best to continue the tour in proper spirits. "Well, next let us head to the castle. As what amounts to foreign dignitaries, a reception has been prepared."

     Sarra takes them down the main street. It becomes clear somewhat quickly that this is a young kingdom. There is not a lot of historical significance yet to any of the buildings, and the kingdom has not been in any wars or anything like that which would require monuments.

     The main thing of note as they go is a large fountain in an even larger plaza half way between the gate and the castle. It is a white marble fountain a few tiers tall, large enough to be a swimming pool at the base, and with what at first glance might be mistaken for a Sarracenia statue at its top. But, it isn't quite her. The features aren't quite right, and the hair is more curly compared to Sarra's fairly straight hair. Like Sarra though, she is tall, quite toned-looking, and has a smirk on her face instead of a neutral expression as one might expect from a statue.

     Sarra actually seems somewhat proud of it, though. She stops there, and motions to a plaque at the base of the fountain. "This is our kingdom's founder. Queen Dionaea Sundew. She braved this land over 100 years ago, overcoming the dangers and tribulations of this land to create the magnificent Sundew Kingdom. She is the one that earned us a place here by fighting the most powerful warriors the mantids had to offer in honorable duels. Thus, she earned their begrudging respect and a place within their jungle."

     Sarra obviously thinks there is some resemblance between them in more than just looks, because she non-challantly strikes a similar pose to the statue. "Unforunately, over just a few generations our family lost the pride in our royal women's battle prowess thanks to the influence of other kingdoms and certain...other princess's popularity." Apparently this is a sore spot for Sarra.

Audrey Basque (7662) has posed:
    Audrey promises to make sludge, and Audrey giggles, before saying: "We have sludge at home. Let's not waste this one."

    There's some on and off whispering between the two.
    Surely nothing to worry about.

    When Angela brings up the matter of the Association, Audrey raises a finger to make a point. "I will purchase a bag and enlarge it on the inside to hide the ice cream. It will be as if we are coming back empty-handed. So... vanilla for Petra, chocolate for Roland, orange for Hod, I will take some of this rainbow one... what do you suppose Malkuth would like?" Angela, she recalls, doesn't eat. Which sounds kind of sad, to not be able to even taste sweets.

    She looks at Petra-- whose whispers have stopped, and who has stopped eating her ice cream. Is she... uncomfortable? Zoned out? Tired?

    She reaches for her hand, to give it a light tug and poke. "Petra? Are you alright?" For the briefest moment, she recalls how the eversion felt-- the second time, not the first. The first was terrifying, and confusing, and-- but the second...

    Sarracenia then snaps Audrey out of it by saying the word toxic in the same sentence as talking about food. "H-Huh? Toxic-- huh?!"

    Right. They're here.

    "O-Oh. N-No, it's quite alright! The sludge was not... particularly appetizing. But thank you." Cut it close there. She sighs and relaxes, giving Petra a side-glance from the corner of her vision.

    "G... giant caterpillars?" Audrey seems extremely concerned. "Why do you not... establish your kingdom somewhere safer? I am sure the Concord's resources would allow your citizens a more peaceful life?"

    With ice cream consumed, temperatures cooled, and as they discuss various topics while walking. Audrey looks to the sights-- the smaller buildings, the hollowed out trees, the way this place does in fact look "recent", but her frame of reference for FANTASY LAND is Aquleia, which hardly seems like a fair comparison. Though this place has a castle, so it's still pretty dreamy... if you can ignore the monsters.

    Since Sarracenia mentions "other princesses", Audrey perks a brow up. "You seem rather fiery, so it is difficult to believe you lost your pride due to other princesses. Are they that impressive? Are there... is it common that the princesses need to fight?"

Angela (7573) has posed:
Angela doesn't even feel heat inside the facility though, at the very least, she didn't expect Audrey to bring back GALLONS of ice cream dear god, she just figured she'd bring back a small pint or something. She doesn't seem terribly invested in the ice cream at least, more interested in appeasing Audrey than anything.

...You're sure about that? Why?

"She accepted the cactus at the birthday party. She wouldn't have done that if she couldn't take care of a cactus." Then a thought occurs to her and she frowns. "/Right/?" She asks Sarracenia, quite concerned for the fate of that cactus.

She just fucked it up.

"O-oh um. I mean I cut it... Malkuth's ended up long after all and..." Her cheeks turn bright red.

"I can do hair properly..." Angela complains. "I've had lessons--"

Angela notices Petra is feeling off and at first she is confused. What could posisbly be the problem? All they're doing is engaging in dull banter that is essentially meaningless and---ahh.

Her first thought is to just bash Sarracenia on the head to provide some excitement but it seems to be an extreme solution that would put the Eggpack in danger. No, she will have to figure out something besides violence here.

On the other hand, it is perfectly reasonable to ask Sarracenia to take them to meet the mantises where maybe she'll get eaten by mantises and maybe they'll actually spark something.

My terrible plot is to try and be a good hostess

"I see. You should introduce us to the mantises. We can get ice cream literally anywhere. Perhaps introduce us to these mantises who sometimes trade with you. I would be interested in seeing what they have to trade. We can get ice cream literally anywhere, I'm learning very little about your kingdom."

Nature and I do not get along well

Angela frowns. "...Should I ask for my cactus back? I have known that cactus for over a million years."

She crushes the cone with the Eggpack...!!

Of course they seem to be heading to the castle next regardless and Angela clucks her tongue. Has she been foiled?? "I am sure we can visit the mantises first we have time--"

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"But, there are also things like giant caterpillars, giant birds...and then there are the remnants of Bowser's defeated armies."

    Hmmm. That does actually sound pretty cool. Petra isn't unfamiliar with the general... emotional tenor of Bowser's armies-- she's heard plenty about them over Villain Grillin' nights, or just from checking in on how the Koopa Kingdom's latest conquest is doing, or otherwise-- but that doesn't make them feel 'silly' to her, really. Or rather, the silliness is a little endearing, when it's seeded throughout the jungle as ambient hazard relics. It's an environment that Petra could imagine being entertained by pretty easily, when Sarracenia describes it like that.

    Definitely not as a safari, though. Petra makes a face at that.

"I could have such a flavor custom made for you."

    Before being afflicted with her momentary existential horror, Petra's response to Sarracenia is relatively casual and lighthearted. "Nah. It's a joke. I like vanilla."

"Perhaps the histories of the kingdoms would be to your liking?"

    Petra swirls her spoon around in a circle, propping up her cheek with a knuckle and her elbow leaned on the table. "History's Malkuth's domain, fiction is Hod's. History is where I'd start personally, but also, like-- besides the bookstores, are there printing offices? Newspapers? I'm kind of a fan of getting the vibe of a place by just grabbing a pile of the daily newspapers, and that's actually the floor I'm in charge of."

"Do you think plants that are known to eat people are easily accepted in other kingdoms?"

    Petra's eyes slide to the side, chewing on the side of her lip. She studies Gregory a bit, thoughtfully, since she's never had much of a chance to interact with the butler up close. "... Do the citizen piranha plants eat people still? I mean, no judgement, I'm just wondering how you'd manage something like that, or if not, what the actual difference between--..."

    Belatedly, the topic of civilians with an obligate need for cannibalism brings Rita to mind, and now Petra's thinking about Rita. How, if Rita saw the path Petra's taken since the war, she'd probably feel even more justified in killing Petra, now that she's sitting here in an ice cream parlor with Sarracenia Fucking Sundew as a peer in the fucking Concord, talking about nothing and doing nothing and voluntarily subjecting herself to all of this instead of doing anything important for the City or Lilian or anyone. Petra makes a low groan in the back of her throat, and slowly lowers her head until she's squashed her cheek on the table, drained.

"Petra? Are you alright?"

    "'M alright," Petra mumbles. She isn't, really, but getting fussed over makes her push herself back up to 'slouched' rather than 'collapsed', dragging her eyes up to meet Audrey's. She stares for a second, and then comes to some conclusion, pushing her hand over her forehead and through her hair to clear her vision. "I'm fine. Just had a moment."

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
    Petra can't dispel the creeping sense of horror and alienation that staggered her a minute ago that easily. Rather, it's not like it's ever 'gone', not even with Lilian, though Lilian does usually suppress it down to nearly nothing, and so does Ash. Rather, it's held at bay by the insubstantial arcology of glass of Petra's mind, the bubble of psyche within the void, managed through rituals and avoidance as often as genuine purging. And thinking about it like that... Petra is still with two of the people who best add substance to that void. And it just is really nice spending time with Audrey, so the hand touch helps, as does brushing her hand against the Eggpack's.

"Nature and I do not get along well. At least, not the nature around here."

    Petra can't help but consider that 'nature' here includes the mantis tribe people who were displaced by the settling of the Sundew Kingdom. It's weird, right? Isn't it weird?

    Getting up from the ice cream parlor helps too, because now the environment is actually distinct from a suburban strip mall. Somewhat, at least-- the architecture isn't particularly inspiring, but it's *something*, and frankly, living inside a big mushroom is pretty adorable. When Petra gets outside, she sucks in air and does a biiiiig stretch, swinging her arms way up and behind her head, then exhales and droops, slightly reenergized. She hooks her fingers through the Eggpack straps and adjusts her baseball cap, ready to go.

"I see. You should introduce us to the mantises."

    "That could be fun. I think that'd be fun." Petra nods along with Angela, encouraging. "And that's probably an important perspective for the history of the kingdom too, if we can get talking with them."

"She is the one that earned us a place here by fighting the most powerful warriors the mantids had to offer in honorable duels."

    Something about that still sounds off to Petra, but in the end, she can't form a coherent sociopolitical theory of imperialism on the spot, because she's generally very bad at doing such things. That seems like a pretty ethical way to establish a kingdom! Yay!

    "That's because it's not useful anymore, princess," She eventually decides on theories of feminism instead, which she is very (informally) acquainted with. "They only wanted women working in the past on the world I was born on because they shipped all the men off to war. And then when the war was over, women were supposed to go back to being property of men. As a princess, you're the property of your family, and no one wants you to be anything but a little doll they can ship you off to other men."

Sarracenia has posed:
     'Why do you not... establish your kingdom somewhere safer?'

     "The area within this lake town is quite safe." Sarra replies. "The citizens are in little danger within these walls, and our military is second only to Bowser's. The main road is safe as well, and citizens are welcome to come and go as they please." Despite saying all of that, Sarra's demeanor seems to suggest she also thinks this is not the best place to live. "They stay because of that safety, and because there is plenty of prosperity to be had here thanks to our building materials and weapons sales."

     'You seem rather fiery, so it is difficult to believe you lost your pride due to other princesses. Are they that impressive? Are there... is it common that the princesses need to fight?'
     'That's because it's not useful anymore, princess,'

     Sarra huffs softly. "Petra is r-..." The word dies on Sarra's lips the first time, but eventually she forces it out. "...right. It was and is considered unladylike to fight in such ways, and after the land was settled there was no desire among the royals or the populace for strong queens and princesses. And with princesses like Peach reaching such high popularity, other princesses are compared strongly to her. Since she is quite demure and...elegant...she captures the hearts of people easily. Not to mention her tendency to get kidnapped by Bowser. That raises her name back to the public consciousness and garners sympathy and attention. And she does no fighting of her own. She has a pair of super-powered plumbers that fight on her behalf. I did not lose my pride." A 'do not say anything' look is directed toward Petra for a moment. "My family decided we did not need proud women warrior princesses or queens."

     '/Right/?'
     '"...Should I ask for my cactus back? I have known that cactus for over a million years." She crushes the cone with the Eggpack...!!'

     Sarra's mouth hangs open in shocked amazement for a few moments! Her hands clench into fists and she trembles a bit.

     'I see. You should introduce us to the mantises. We can get ice cream literally anywhere....'

     And then Angela goes on to badger Sarra to meet the mantises. And flat out -ignores- that Sarra -did- just give information about the kingdom. Sarra has to stand there a few moments, eyes closed, taking a few breaths.

     'That could be fun. I think that'd be fun.'

     Sarra's teeth clench and steam practically comes out of her ears. "...I told you...they live outside the city and we have an agreement with them that we do not go seeking them out." she says, fighting hard to keep her temper from exploding as she watches the vanilla ice cream melt around the cone pieces on the ground. "Those that live in the city live where they please, though I imagine those are not the mantises you mean. I can try to arrange a meeting with the ones from outside the city, but there is not an ambassador or something that lives in our city."

     She opens her eye again, looking at Angela with arms crossed and head slightly raised to add a bit of gravity to the look. "Should I be worried that you are going to try and incite them against us the same way that you are worried I would sabotage you with ice cream? Even though we are not enemies and as far as I am aware have not become enemies anew?"

Sarracenia has posed:

     Sarra turns, heading toward the castle once more. "...there are plenty of news stands and periodicals that you can peruse, Petra." she says eventually, and just as they are passing a stall run by...a mantis! How coincidental! He is smaller than some of the mantises they have seen, likely due to his being a male. And he is wearing fairly modern clothes - a white tunic - instead of tribal wear. Perhaps he could be asked about mantis culture. Or his stall could be purchased from to get some...well, there is not much exciting news around this place. It is mostly gossip pieces and some world news involving Peach and Daisy. Perhaps there is just nothing too interesting happening right now in the Sundew Kingdom.

     Oh, and there is small...very small...section about Sarracenia and her exploits. Which looks like it has sold maybe one copy.

     Sarra continues on toward the castle. Surely Audrey wants to see the castle, right? She answers Petra's question as she walks. "...whether a piranha plant eats people depends on the type. But, no. Our citizenry does not eat people. However, it is quite common knowledge that a wide variety of piranha plants -do- eat people."

Audrey Basque (7662) has posed:
    Angela mentions hair lessons.
    Audrey nods with a loud mhm.
    "That's right! I showed Angela how to do curls!"

    It's very important.

    The matter of a mysterious cactus escapes Audrey's notice, because she's momentarily noticed by the multiple suggestions to go see the MANTIS PEOPLE, who seem extremely dangerous.

    "P-Perhaps we could... find books on them?"
    That seems safer.
    Sarracenia must surely have books about them.

    Petra seems... moderately better, at least, in that she's talking again. Even if it's to question the social and political aspects of Sarracenia's kingdom. It's keeping her focused though, that's better than slumping.

    Audrey still looks concerned for her.

    And then Sarracenia looks down, of all things.
    There's information, important lore!!, about kingdoms, and princesses, and-- people are getting mad, and Audrey fidgets uncomfortably in the middle of what seems like an escalating conflict.

    Really, she just... wanted to see the cool fantasy kingdom. It wasn't deeper than that, and even if the ice cream stop was mundane, it's hot out, and she appreciated cooling down. Her interest in the monstrous mantis people that live in the forest and may or may not start a war or eat them is really small compared to seeing a castle.

    "I'm... really, quite certain we can find books on the cultures of the local tribes, without causing an incident, and perhaps those books will reveal how to approach them without causing an incident, for later?"

    She is rapidly deflating, but trying her best to get this sort of back on track, or at least towards a less explosive conclusion.

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"Petra is r-..."

    It's hardly even worth noticing, much less getting smug over. Petra being correct on matters of women and their societal treatment is, approximately, the single most consistent thing that Petra has had mostly good opinions about throughout her adult life. Her *application* of it has been bad sometimes, but 'women get treated poorly' is one that she's thoroughly learned.

    "Yeah. I mean, that's how it is everywhere, you're not special for it. There's a higher percentage of women that are elites compared to women being soldiers, because elites always select for freaks in the first place, and only freak women end up fighting. Like I always say, you still have it way easier than practically anyone, because you're being fed the resources you need to follow through on it."

    "Basically, your pride is still dependent on the trust fund of your parents. If you lose that, then you're not a warrior anymore. Did the previous Queen have that? Didn't she do duels? Did she have the entire military at her back to solve her problems with airships and bombs and stuff?"

    Petra waves her hand, ending her own investment in the conversational topic. "It's whatever, though. I just don't really ascribe to the idea that you can have pride if you're still dependent on your family when you know they're not good for you." She doesn't go entirely unaware of the fact that this could catch Audrey in the crossfire, even though Audrey's avoided talking about them, but really, that'll be good for Audrey too, in the end. It's not like Petra would hesitate on this stance towards her either; she means it kindly.

"...I told you...they live outside the city and we have an agreement with them that we do not go seeking them out."

    "I'm not your 'we'," Petra points out. "I'm, honestly, pretty neutral in this whole situation. There's tons of people who've made contact with uncontacted tribes on Earth; I could totally do it. And I want to know, so, I'm not going to let the focus of historical record be, like, skewed specifically in your favor."

    "I can defend myself, I can come back later, and I think it's important. Though, I still wanna pick up books from the city before leaving."

"Should I be worried that you are going to try and incite them against us the same way that you are worried I would sabotage you with ice cream?"

    Petra bristles a bit, even though it was directed to Angela. "I'm helping with a *Library*. I want to *record* stuff."

"...there are plenty of news stands and periodicals that you can peruse, Petra."

    News stands aren't exactly what Petra was looking for, but they're useful for something. Asking some random guy off the street about his racial lore is insane even to Petra, but she does beeline over to the news stand and lean her hand on it, immediately taking the stance of Talking Shop.

    "Hey, dude. Where's your printing office? Or your boss, or whatever? I'm interested in getting a stack of old issues of the paper-- like, purchasing them. And I can give you a tip too. Wait--" Petra twists around to Sarracenia. "Your world accepts credits, right?"

"P-Perhaps we could... find books on them?"

    Not noticing Audrey's mood yet, Petra tilts her head. "That's a good idea too. I mean, cultural communication is sort of a two way street, so it's important to get stuff on how the Sundew Kingdom writes about the mantis people too. It's not complete, but it's good."

"I'm... really, quite certain we can find books on the cultures of the local tribes, without causing an incident, and perhaps those books will reveal how to approach them without causing an incident, for later?"

    And *now* she notices, and winces. "Well... I'll come back later for that information. We'll just hang out for today, I guess."

Angela (7573) has posed:
Angela would never IGNORE lore but she didn't have a comment on it because she is more concerned about Petra having a good time. She nods to Petra asking for bookstores and newspaper clippings. She isn't one who is ever satisfiedf with a bit of knowledge either.

Angela is not trying to antagonize Sarracenia with her worries about the cactus. She is, seriously, concerned for the welfare of the cactus. It doesn't entirely make sense to her, because frankly she has complicated memories about the cactus because it kept resetting with the loop and she has destroyed that cactus herself a few loops but now she's worried that Sarracenia killed it because she has admitted she does NOT get along with plants.

That we do not go seeking them out...

"...I don't understand why you travel freely amongst the multiverse but barely travel your own home. ... Well I do not care to start an 'international incident', I suppose."

She sighs. "I just thought it would be something besides the ... Is the cactus fine? Lie if you have to that the cactus is fine." She looks to Audrey. "Okay," She says dully on accepting books back. She can't get upset about that. It's how she expects to learn about the world. It was silly to think that she could go somewhere out.

It's fine.

...She can't do anything for them anyway. She never could.

Escape if she has to, Angela remembers, she rests her hand on the disconnect button but---

--then her eyes catch the mantis. She stares at the mantis.

"Oh hello there..." Hod bows her head to the mantis at the stall. "We are travelers and are curious about this world--I don't suppose you could share a bit about your culture with us?" Hod asks. "We're... Librarians! So we can purchase texts if you have them...!" She's doing her best.

Sarracenia has posed:
     'Audrey deflates.'

     Sarra grows more annoyed.

     'Well... I'll come back later for that information. We'll just hang out for today, I guess.'

     Sarra grows less annoyed. "Yes. This tour is for Audrey, after all."

     'I just thought it would be something besides the ... Is the cactus fine?'

     Sarra sighs back, some of the tension leaving the air. "...Spiny is fine. Cacti are quite easy to care for, and I have an entire staff to help even if I could not care for it. It is sitting on a window in my room in the tallest tower. It gets plenty of sunlight and fresh air up there and gets to feel as tall as a tree."

     Hod may be left behind if she stays to talk to the mantis, but the mantis seems willing enough to talk. And, just as Sarra had previously said, somehow being a bug with bug mouth parts doesn't stop him from speaking in her world's language. "Librarians, huh? Don't see many of those around here. They keep to themselves up in the castle. Honestly, I'm probably not the best one to ask about my culture. I kinda left it, you know? But, it is mostly about living in tune with nature. You probably wouldn't even be able to see our villages even if you were right on top of them. We shape the trees over time to form houses without harming the tree. Takes a long time. Too long if you ask me. We are predators though, so we do a lot of hunting. Us males aren't the leaders, though. That's up to the females. But, at least they stopped eating our heads after mating. That used to be a thing, I'm told."

     'Petra asks about old articles and papers.'

     "Sorry, we don't really keep those around. But, I do keep the original copy of each run. Might be able to work something out on getting copies or if you want to take pictures of them or something. My printing house is just over there." He points a sickle-like forelimb toward a simple looking mushroom house. "I wouldn't mind letting you look around, but obviously I can't right now. Gotta sell these things."

     Finally, they reach the castle. It is a five-sided design, with a tower at each corner. The tallest tower is at the back closest to the outer wall, with each tower getting a few stories shorter. The middle-height tower is the entrance to the castle, with a grand gate and a short drawbridge connecting it to the main road. Above the gate is a very large stained glass window depicting what looks to be a Sarracenia portrait in an artful way, though it is a pose she would probably never take of holding her hands in front of her in a sort of praying posture. The castle seems to be made almost entirely of white marble, with green tiles forming the conic roof of each tower. Where the rest of the town was almost completely free of greenery in favor of roads and buildings, the castle has a large front lawn in the area between the drawbridge and the main gate.

     Inside, the castle is decorated with lavish tapestries that reach from the top of the 20 foot ceiling to the floor. Each one is obviously crafted with care, and seem to depict stories or scenes of some kind, but without a curator it would be hard to deciver them. Red carpet runs down the middle of each hallway, but the largest red carpet leads right into the throne room from the main entrance. "Mom and dad are...I mean the king and queen are on a trip right now. They apparently thought I needed some space. For -some- reason." Sarra says.

Sarracenia has posed:

     The thrones are made of highly polished hardwood with jade inlaid into them. Apparently the king and queen prefer green to red. Guards can be seen periodically, some standing guard at specific spots and some patrolling. All regard the visitors with only minor attention before returning to their duties, though all salute Sarracenia and she salutes them in return.

     Sarra gives some time to enjoy the castle interior, then leads the group around behind the thrones and through a massive dining hall to a back entrance. "And...while you all may find it hard to believe, this is my favorite place in the castle."

     Sarra opens the door revealing it to be the five-sided courtyard. An area the size of a football field that is full of flowers of many types and every color of the rainbow, arranged in the colors of the rainbow. A simple path leads through to a small pond with a fountain where large and colorful fish can be seen. Along each wall is a different kind of fruit tree. Apples, oranges, cherries, pineapples, and star fruit!

     Sarra does much what Petra did earlier when they reach this spot. She closes her eyes, takes a long and deep breath while raising her arms over her head, and lets it out slowly while stretching backward a bit. It is the well manicured and managed nature that Sarra said she liked earlier. Butterflies and hummingbirds flutter about, seeming unafraid. A few bunnies can be seen moving about, keeping a healthy distance but not running away. "So, what do you think?"

Audrey Basque (7662) has posed:
    "R-Right, the books might contain crucial information on their culture, their traditions, mannerisms, laws... it might help approach this so that you can get a look at them, but also not..."

    Mess over Sarracenia?
    Or her kingdom?

    Audrey is more concerned about the infighting.

    Hod, thankfully, is the purest bean here.
    And is already on it!

    Audrey regains a bit of energy at the sight, especially when tempers cool. And the cactus is safe! ... she doesn't know why the cactus matters, but apparently it's something Angela treasures? It must be a special cactus.

    She happily wait for Hod and Petra to be done with their business, before agreeing to continue the tour and finally see the castle. It's a traditional castle! Of course it's worth the trip. It's got towers, and a courtyard-- no, see, sure, there are some back home too, but this is... different. Don't question it.

    Everything looks like it should. Well, okay, the guards are... monsters... but other than that, it looks like what you'd expect. She almost caves in and asks if she can sit on one of the thrones, but behaves herself and resists.

    She's curious when they're taking back around the thrones though-- the dining hall is also nothing to scoff at, but it's not their destination? Audrey follows, mood restored, excited to see where they're being led-- and it's the courtyard.

    And it's beautiful.

    "Oh, I can see why you prefer this place," she agrees.
    She also makes a pointed effort to grab Petra by the hand and try to drag her towards the center of the courtyard, where they can sit down and rest by the fountain.

    "Come on Petra, Hod! We've been walking for so long, let's sit down by the fountain." She's dropped the formality pretty much entirely.

Petra Soroka (7518) has posed:
"But, I do keep the original copy of each run."

"Awesome." Petra nods, appreciative, and then hesitates. "Ack-- well, I don't have a scanner with me... but you're busy anyways, so maybe I'll stop by on a later visit to hit you up on that. We're trying to collect and preserve as much knowledge as possible across the multiverse, so...."

    This is the first time literally ever that Petra's habit of using shitty older phones has caused problems for her. A new phone would have a scanner built in! But Petra's phone gets attacked and destroyed or lost or thrown into a portal so often that she doesn't bother, and she instead finds it a little charming how chunky a retro phone is. It's not like it matters that much for usability-- all she does is text on it and take pictures, and she can bypass the annoying keyboard issue if she wants by using the Silver.

    As the castle comes into view, Petra starts idly chatting with Audrey beside her, and Angela on her back. She's seen the castle before, in fact, so it's not some revelation to her, and she's somewhat reaching the end of her rope on expressing earnest kindness towards Sarracenia.

    "I should take you to visit my castle sometime, Audrey. It's not really a fantasy style one, given the robots and everything, but I think it's kind of cute. And you too Ange-- we can probably get you to visit it in person someday soon, and from up there you can see tons of worlds going by below the island-- and you could hang out with Love! Love's up there! That'd be a fun trip, I think."

    Petra avoids Hydrochoeria a bit lately, but that's mostly because of how empty it feels, now that the agents and clerks aren't using it for their leisure spot outside the facility. It's a little heartbreaking, even; laid fallow by Petra's war like every other home she had, and even with some figures still hanging around, Petra prefers the solitude of sleeping in the woods to spending time there. But, that'd change with friends!

    Then, the courtyard. Petra hangs back a bit during the rest of the castle tour, but the courtyard *is* more important, and thus more deserving of attention. She closes her eyes and breathes in the sweeter garden air, hearing the chirping of wildlife, and can forget for a moment how unnaturally colonialist the entire structure feels. Then without warning, while she's lingering by the entrance, Audrey grabs Petra's hand and hauls her further.

    "Wah--?!" She makes an undignified noise of shock, and the lurching of the Eggpack from her sudden movement almost sends her tumbling off balance. Thankfully, Petra keeps her balance very well, albeit with a goofy little sideways skid-hop of her boot while stumbling to try and follow Audrey, and then acquiesces by sitting down at the fountain with her.

    Petra kicks her feet, and then sighs out some of her tension. "... It is pretty nice."

Sarracenia has posed:
     Sarra didn't respond to Petra at the time because Audrey and Petra both seemed on board with getting the 'tour' back on track. But, she isn't about to just let that stuff go. Unfortunately for Sarra...she does not entirely disagree with what Petra said about pride. And also Audrey's enthusiasm takes the wind out of whatever Sarra was going to say. She just lets them enjoy the courtyard. It is nice to see someone other than her enjoy this place for once, even if they immediately rushed off without her.

     Sarra makes her way over to the star fruit tree and gathers a few, then goes to join them and offers each a fresh star fruit. "I did have a bit more I wanted to show you, but it has taken us longer than I expected to reach the courtyard. I suppose the airship ride will have to wait."

     The sky is fairly dark by this point, and so Sarra takes a seat and pulls out a flare gun. She fires it up into the sky, then just resumes sitting.

     A few moments later, a series of sounds like things launching can be heard. A few more moments later and...fireworks! Dazzling explosions of light fill the evening sky. There are plenty of typical sparkling bursts and colorful rainbow blasts, but there are also shaped fireworks forming into power-ups like starmen, fire flowers, mushrooms, and of course Bob-ombs and Bullet Bills.

     And while they are going off overhead, Sarra stretches out in the flowers on her back, arms resting on her belly. "...you are welcome to spend the night here in the castle if you wish. I can have the best guest rooms arranged for you both."