Scene #5001: Harmony Star

Owner	Pose
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd was well-rested today, or at least as well rested as he could be. He didn't have dark circles under his eyes, and he wasn't hunched over at any rate. Dressed in a black t-shirt and his signature black pants and red boots, he stands outside his large forge and seems to be waiting for someone. Because he was. He had sent an invitation to Sarracenia to come and visit him at his home. He had been to the Sundew Kingdom before, and wished to offer the same courtesy to the Kingdom's princess. And so he had cleaned himself up, dressed in clean clothes, though he noted in the letter that it would be a casual affair, and has a rather large box next to him as he waits. The box is massive and wrapped in a festive paper, but on top of it is a significantly smalled box, seeming a little less overwhelming. He watches both the sky and the forest in front of him, unsure of how Sarracenia was planning on arriving.
Sarracenia	Casual! The princess loves casual affairs, but the princess doesn't know how to dress casual. However, she does dress in something she wouldn't usually wear out. Just a bit of self-indulgence. she is wearing a beautiful blue dress that looks like it came from some anime. If Lloyd is familiar with such things, he may recognize the design as modelled after the clothes of the Dark Magician Girl from the Yu-Gi-Oh card game. The princess arrives in her personal wooden helicopter, the Dyna. Landing a short distance from Lloyd's home, she emerges with the practiced elegance of a proper princess, the slowing blades of her helicopter causing her long hair and the dress's ruffles to flutter about. She smiles happily upon seeing Lloyd and makes her way toward him quickly. "Mr. Irving! It is wonderful to see you again!" she says once she is close enough and the noise of the helicopter has settled down. She gives her hair a flick with her hand as she stops in front of Lloyd, then holds her hands behind her back politely. "How are you?"
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd blinks as he hears something up above. He visors his eyes as he looks up, spotting the familiar design of one of Sarracenia's nation's ships. As the Dyna lands in the clearing, Lloyd smiles softly, waiting for the ship to shut down before making a move. However, before he can, Sarracenia jumps down from the ship in her... Well, that was different than her normal style. Lloyd smiles a bit more widely, trying to keep a flush out of his cheeks. "Please, Princess, it's just Lloyd. Especially now that I don't have a military title anymore, ya know?" He scratches the back of his head nervously, chuckling. "Yeah, it's been way too long. I've been trying to get everything back on track after the Multiverse... well, reorganized itself like it did. I've been meaning to check and see if you were okay after that, but it seems you're just fine. I'm relieved to see you safe, and glad you accepted my invitation!" He gestures to the boxes at his side, taking the smalled one and setting it aside. "I thought about sending these to you via dragon, but I thought I'd rather give them to you myself. Besides... I wanted to see you again. How is your kingdom?"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia blushes a bit herself as she notices Lloyd's smile and the color in his cheeks. "Alright. Lloyd." she says, then blinks. "Oh, you haven't joined one of the new organizations? From what I have heard, your strength of character would be most welcome in the Paladins." she says, giving a little smirk and a light wink. The mention of the Multiversal shuffle draws a slight frown from the princess. "Yes...it was rather confusing at first. But luckily much of the warp gate system is still operational. It was not difficult to update our maps thanks to our navy. Although we did lose a few ships to the usual mishaps of exploration. But..." She smiles brightly here. "With the Confederacy and Union gone, the Sundew Kingdom is free to conduct our arms sales without having to worry much about accidentally drawing the ire of some super organization." The boxes draw Sarracenia's curiousity when they are pointed out. "I think you made the right choice. Receiving gifts in person is always preferable to mailed gifts." she says, then giggles excitedly. "When do I get to open them? Oh, and I have to ask..." She twirls in place, the skirt of this dress much shorter than what she usually wears, reaching only to just above her knees rather than the long skirts she usually wears. It flares up nicely when she twirls, showing a bit more leg than she ever does.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd lowers his smile a bit, then nods. "I did join the Paladins, but just as a member. I'm not a high-ranking official like I'd grown accustomed to, is all. It's... kind of nice not having that heaviness on my shoulders, you know?" He listens, nodding a bit. He had to re-explore certain regions as well, but he didn't think to mention that. "Shame you lost ships, but I'm glad things didn't turn out worse. I was in Njorun when it was ripped apart, so I was... worried, ya know?" He smiles a bit more broadly, nodding vigorously. "That's good! It's been kind of liberating not being in a war anymore, and now we don't have to be on opposite sides! Have you wound up with one of the new groups coming around?" He hadn't heard, but he was certainly curious. "They're yours, so whenever you want!" he says, "But you have to open the big one first. That's the only stipulation." He blinks as Sarracenia twirls, cheeks flushing brighter this time as he can't help it. "You look... beautiful," he says, offering a warm look and smile. "As always."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia giggles happily as Lloyd gives her the compliment she was fishing for, then smiles and nods. "Alright. Out here, or inside?" she asks, giving the big box a little poke to see if she can get some kind of indication what it is. "You were there when Njorun was torn asunder? I hardly ever went to the Citadel, so I have no real idea how it went, but...I have heard stories that it was rather horrific. It is amazing that both things were destroyed in the same event. It makes me wonder if some secret higher power was tired of all the fighting." She then smiles again and heads toward the house. "I think inside is better. Would you be a dear and bring the gifts?" she says as she heads for the door.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd blinks, then chuckles himself. "We can go inside if you want," he says, "Either way is fine with me!" He frowns again, nodding slowly. "Yeah, it was terrible. It was ripped apart by some sort of strange time-space anomoly, and the spirit guarding Njorun saved us at the cost of its own existence. It was... hard, but good has come from it. I can not forget Njorun or the Union, even if some of us might end up enemies in the future, but it freed a lot of people from a war that had lost meaning." He shrugs. He hadn't thought about what or why the factions had been destroyed, instead trying to focus on the good that could come from it. "I don't know, maybe something beyond us did want the fighting to end. It's as good a theory as any." Lloyd smirks, then nods and goes to pick up the packages. "Sure thing, Princess," he says teasingly, following her quickly. The package seemed heavy, if Sarracenia were to look back at him but not overly so. "You'll have to get the door, though!"
Sarracenia	Sarracenia scoffs. "Me? Open the door for someone?" she says sarcastically, then giggles before opening it and holding it open for Lloyd. "So, are you cooking, or shall we order in?" she asks as Lloyd carries the boxes in. "As for me, I have not joined any of the organizations so far. I made a mistake in joining the Confederacy. I do not want to rush into another such relationship. For now, the freedom of having no obligations except those of my kingdom is best." she says. Once inside, Sarracenia looks around for a good place to seat herself. "Besides, what organization would want a crazy princess like myself? No hero has so far, why would a group?"
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd frowns, then smirks and walks into the house. The single room on the bottom floor served as both kitchen and living room, with a couch and chairs set all about for guests. He moves over to the table in front of the couch and sets the gifts down there, then smiles and shrugs. "I could cook you something. What would you like? Something local, or did you have something specific you'd prefer?" He bustles over to the cabinets, pulling ingredients down in an almost random fashion. "I suppose that makes sense," he says, "It's an important decision. It was easy enough for me to make, but still vital. I can understand your position." He starts heating up a rather crude-looking oven, pulling out cookware as well. At her last two comments, he shakes his head slowly. "You're not a crazy princess. And... well..." He blushes slightly. "I don't think your last statement is correct."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia blushes a bit herself at the counter to her statement and smiles warmly to Lloyd. "I would love one of your local meals." she says, smiling brightly. She takes a seat on the couch, then reaches for the large box. She picks it up fairly easily, even if it is a bit heavy, then gives it a light shake and giggles. "I can hardly wait!" she says, then quickly unwraps it. Impatient as always, and with child-like fervor, the gift is soon devoid of wrapping and beneath the princess's excited gaze.
Lloyd Irving	Inside the large box is something that Lloyd clearly has put a lot of work into. A hammer, smaller in scale than her DK Hammer, but nonetheless still rather large. The double head of the mallet is red and seems to pulse with fiery energy, while the extended hilt of the weapon is cast in White Silver. Etched into both flats of the head is his insignia, a stylized angel wing embossed in gold. The grip of the weapon is wrapped in leather that seems rather cool to the touch, but not unpleasantly so. The quality is on par with Lloyd's Material Blades, clearly a masterwork weapon. "Ifrit's Guard," he says softly, smiling as she opens the gift. "I kind of have a one-track mind when it comes to gifts, but I want my friends to be protected, you know? The other gift... it's smaller, but it might be more fitting. I hope you like them both, regardless!" He starts combining items, a dull flush in his cheeks and neck.
Sarracenia	When Sarracenia sees what is in the box, her eyes widen. "Oh Lloyd...it is lovely!" she says, picking up the hammer in both hands and stands up, giving it a few test swings. "It seems warm. Is it enchanted? Does it engulf things in flames if I hit them?" She raises the hammer, about to bring it down on the couch... And then she remembers there is another gift! She quickly sets the hammer back in its box before picking up the other box and sitting down again. She unwraps it quickly and with the same excitement as the first. "Heeheehee! Love getting gifts!" she squeals as she unwraps.
Lloyd Irving	"It does in fact possess a portion of Ifrit's fire. It is quite a potent flame, so I would advise caution," Lloyd says, turning away and not seeing Sarracenia swing toward the couch. He hums quietly to himself, busying himself with cooking. The smell of spices and cooking meat begins to fill the air as Sarracenia unwraps his other gift to her. What sits in the smalled box is a large locket on a golden chain. Set into the front face is a meticulously cut gem, formed into an eight-pointed star. Each arm of the star is formed from a different gem, one for each Summon Spirit in Lloyd's world, and they seem to glitter and change color depending on where the light hits it. If she were to open the locket, she would see that it held two places to hold pictures, though both of the slots were empty. "I call that one the Harmony Star," he says, "It took me ages to fuse the gems together in such a way, but... I thought it would look really pretty around your neck, so I worked until I got it right. And I figured that, once you found the one who makes you feel complete, you could put your pictures inside it."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia goes still as she sees what is in the second box, and her eyes tear up as she pulls it out and looks at it. "...Lloyd, I..." She looks at the locket, and then at the gem set into it. "...and..you made this as well?" she asks. She swallows some tears, then giggles a bit before standing up. "You...you have to put it on me." she says, then makes her way into the kitchen and holds the locket out to Lloyd. "Please." she says, a small, vulnerable, warm smile on her face beneath her slightly watery eyes.
Lloyd Irving	The swordsman sets his cooking aside, pulling it off the stove so it didn't burn as he turns back toward Sarracenia. At the look in her eyes, he seems a bit distraught, then smiles softly as she does the same. "Oh, good," he says, "For a second there I thought I did something wrong." He nods, offering out a hand for the Harmony Star as she approaches him. "Of course," he says, "It would be my honor, Princess." He takes the locket into his hands, deft fingers undoing the clasp on the chain. After separating the chain, he reaches his hands around her shoulders, placing the thin golden chain around her neck and fastening it into place. His face is red still, possibly more so due to the close proximity. As he pulls his hands back, he smiles again. "As I thought. It really does look beautiful on you."
Sarracenia	As Lloyd pulls back and tells her how it looks, Sarracenia's smile remains. It is almost a shy smile now, something very rarely seen in the headstrong, proud, stubborn princess. "I shall never take it off." she says, reaching to clasp the Harmony Star in her hand and then hug it against her chest. "I've...never received gifts as thoughtful as these before. I do not know what to say. Other than..." She smiles a bit more, then leans forward and gives Lloyd a kiss on the cheek. "...thank you." She is still clasping the Harmony Star, and doesn't let it go even as she steps back so Lloyd can resume cooking. "I guess it is a good thing that you and Lute never dueled for me. He tries, but he..." She sighs, clasping the locket a bit tighter. "...well...he and I would just never work." she says.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd smiles again, nodding. "I'm glad you like them. Like I said, I have sort of a predictable nature, but--" She kisses him on the cheek, and that seems to stun him for a moment, more than anything else. He touches his cheek softly, then seems to phase back into reality, listening to Sarracenia speak again even as he turns to finish cooking. His face is a beet red color now, and he's hoping she can't see too much of it. He stirs and moves with renewed vigor, stopping briefly as she mentions the duel. Oh wow, he had forgotten about that. As she mentions it, though, the radio conversation comes back to his mind. He... he had said something, and he was sure he meant it. When she mentions that Lute and her wouldn't work, he takes a breath, then turns back to her, face only slightly tinged pink. "What... about you and I, then?" he asks, trying to keep his eyes on hers.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia's smile just slowly increases until she is beaming by the time he says that last thing. And then, she is crying for real. Tears roll down her cheeks gently and she sniffles a bit. "I...I don't know. My parents would surely never approve of me dating a blacksmith, even one who was a former high ranking military commander." she says, still holding that locket in her hands. She giggles after that, then leaps forward and hugs Lloyd tightly, trying to stifle the sobs that come from being alone for so long and finally finding someone who might actually love her. As she clings to Lloyd the sobs just increase. "A-are you s-sure...you can h-handle a...c-crazy princess like...like me?" she murmurs out between breathy sobs, her face buried against Lloyd's shoulder.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd blinks, his words clear of him before he seems to register that he had finally said them. He's not sure what to expect from Sarracenia, but it wasn't tears. The smile she wears tells him they're happy tears, but it still takes him off his guard for a long moment. As she mentions that her parents wouldn't approve, he shakes his head lightly. Of course, she was a royal. That was to be expected, and he knew it. However, in the next moment she's hugging him, and he wraps his arms around her as well, pulling her close. He rests his chin on her shoulder even as she sobs into his, smiling softly as he makes out her words. "I'm going to have to convince you that you're not crazy, aren't I?" he asks playfully, before he nods. "If you'll accept me, I'll do my best by you. That much I can promise."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia giggles through sobs as Lloyd says that, then hugs more tightly a few moments before just hugging gently against Lloyd again. "W-well...when I look back on some of the things I've done, and after so many people have told me so..." She giggles again, again broken by a sob or two. "...A-and...I will do my best by you." she promises as well, then just hangs on to Lloyd for a few more moments. Finally, she blinks, then quickly pulls back. "Ah! I..am keeping you from cooking! Um...is there anything I can do to help?" she says, though she still has one hand around that locket. As if afraid that if she lets it go, this dream will end and she will be back in her normal life.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd holds Sarracenia as long as she continues to hug him, keeping his arms tightly around her. "You've lived a confusing life," he says, "And people don't understand that. You're an amazing person, Sarracenia, but you have to start seeing it in yourself. Like I have." As she pulls away from him, he lets her go, moving his hands up to rub the tears away from her eyes and cheeks. He smiles at her softly, feeling like a weight was lifting from his heart as he does. "We'll figure things out together, okay? But until then..." He chuckles a bit, turning away and brushing his own eye with the back of his hand. "You can help me enjoy this tenderloin," he says, working over the food he had been cooking. He deals up two plates, two tenderloins on a bed of white rice, then moves to set them on the table. As he looks back over at her, he moves back and kisses her on the cheek as she had to him before. "The Harmony Star isn't going anywhere, Sarracenia. And neither am I. I promise."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia nods at Lloyd's reassurance and blushes lightly as he wipes her tears, then nods more as he says they will work it out. She smiles brightly at the plate that is served for her and follows him back to the couch table. When she is kissed on the cheek she smiles warmly again and blushes softly before blinking as Lloyd mentions her grip on the locket. She looks down, then giggles a bit and wipes at her eyes herself. "I...I cannot risk it. I..I never actually thought that this would happen. I still don't know if it is, or how long it will last." she says. She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, then slowly loosens her grip on the Harmony Star. She lets it go finally, and then slowly opens one eye. She looks around before opening the other. She giggles a bit and smiles. "You...really didn't disappear." she says.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd smiles softly, shaking his head. "I promise you, I won't vanish, and neither will it. You're really here, with me right now." As Sarracenia relaxes her grip and closes her eyes, he waits, watching her curiously. Then her eyes open again, and he offers her a warm smile and a reassuring arm around her shoulders. "See?" he says, rubbing her shoulder softly. "I know things have probably not been easy for you, even if I don't know everything about your past. But I want to make the effort to be what you've been looking for. It's not just honeyed words, either. I mean it, in my heart." He offers another smile, then gestures to the plate in front of her. "It's not super fancy, but it's pretty good!" he adds, smiling warmly at her. "I'm glad you decided to come out here today. I was hoping to get a chance to tell you this face to face."
Sarracenia	Sarracenia is all smiles by this point, and giggles a bit after Lloyd says all of that. "I...had no idea all of this might happen today. I dared not even hope for it. After so many disappointments...a lifetime alone..." She leans toward Lloyd and gives him another kiss on the cheek. "...thank you, Lloyd Irving." she says, then turns to go about enjoying the homemade meal. Though, after just about every bite she looks at Lloyd again and smiles happily. She is already imagining the rest of their life together. Hopefully, Lloyd really is up to wrangling the crazy princess!