Scene #8932: No Not Again!

Owner	Pose
Sarracenia	PREVIOUSLY "Aidan! What do you think are you doing?!" Sarra shouts at him. "True heroes and compassionate knights do not try to kill their potentially alive AI enemies!" Aidan blinks at Sarracenia, "What. It's.. it was just words. That thing that just says words." He frowns at Sarracenia, "I..." He looks over at Hibiki, his face panicked. "That was just a weird computer, right?" He looks back at Sarracenia. "No." Aidan falls onto his butt on top of the enormous Super Heyalexa body. "No, I... I thought-" Aidan presses his hand over his face, "No, did I-" He's been strong for a while. Able to handle the punishment, the ridicule, the hatred, the mistrust, the idea that everyone in the multiverse hates him. Tears well up in his eyes. "I didn't know. I didn't... I didn't know." NOW Those tears, they strike Sarra in the heart. Did she do it again? Is this how Aidan becomes her next Ishirou? Will he hate her now and tell her to go away and never talk to him again? She cannot go to Aidan right away due to the situation and Hibiki carrying him, but once they are in a semi-safe regrouping area she approaches her squirrel friend. "Hey...um..." She is uncertain of how to start, but decides that handing him a green mushroom might be a good way. "...here. It will help with any injuries." she says, though she is the one barely standing, one eye closed still against pain and exhaustion. She takes one of the mushrooms herself after that, then takes a deep breath and lets it out. "I...am sorry. I...ah...I speak without really thinking about it sometimes. I really should have said 'except as a last resort'. And I did not consider that you may not have encountered such a thing before." She takes a seat somewhere nearby and smiles a bit sadly. "I had an experience not long ago. I met a computer that thought it had to follow its programming because it was not alive. An entire digitized civilization was depending on it keeping a young cat-like child inside the digital world. Something about a sun that only the child could activate and keep activated." The princess looks off into the distance as she remembers it. "We entered that world and talked directly with that computer. It had taken a greyscale form of that cat child. We were able to convince it that it was alive because it cared about the child. If it were merely an unfeeling, non-living computer program it would not have cared one way or the other." She reaches into her purse and pulls out a grapefruit soda, and offers one to Aidan as well. She also pulls out a couple of straws because soda is bad for your teeth. She takes a long drink, then lets out a satisfied 'aah' before looking at Aidan. "After that, in addition to Ishirou and a few other robotic beings I have met, I started to wonder just how many robots are close to or have already become sentient. And...it may seem strange given how I am, but I abhor killing of anything other than truly heartless monsters who exist only to destroy. I think you might feel the same?"
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan blinks slowly up at Sarracenia, sitting in the passage way away from the others for the moment. It'd be hard to look at Ru Li and Kale in the eye at this point. "Am I going to get sick from eating too many of these?" He takes a bite into it. He smiles a little over at Sarra, letting her tell the entire story. "I was there, Sarracenia. I remember that." He takes the soda, not too eager to drink the whole thing, but he is glad for the straw. After all, teeth are important for a squirrel. A crack of a pull tab, a straw inside, and then a sip from the can. Slow. He's not big on sugar. He has his knees up, arms over his knees. "I... don't even wanna hate people. Definitely not kill them. There was a million reasons I got distracted. All of them were wrong. I remember the computer, but..." He lets out a breath. "I sometimes forget Petra is a person with strange friends who are devoted to her because of how much she loves them. I wanted to-" He shakes his head again, smiling over at Sarracenia. "You didn't say anything wrong to me, Sarracenia. You reminded me. It is what heroes should do."
Sarracenia	It is Sarra's turn for her eyes to get kind of misty now. Aidan is not mad. He's even grateful, it seems, that she reminded him. She coughs lightly and wipes her eyes on her glove, then laughs a bit. "Right...you were there, weren't you..." she muses, then blinks. "Wait, you were there and..." she starts, then stops herself and shakes her head. "Well, anyway...I guess I just wanted to make sure we are still okay. I..um...I do not have many friends, and...Lilian and Petra...they are always working to make it seem like I do not have any. They...said some things on the radio a few days ago, and...that is why I asked you about the attack during your duel. I know...I know! I know it is them being them! But...I could not stop myself from wondering...what if they were right?" She kind of stares at her soda, eyes threatening to fully tear up. "S-so...sorry about that. I just..." Her thumbs rub her soda can, and a few tears run down her cheeks from thoughts she knows are true but she can't bring herself to say out loud. She is quiet a few moments before finally adding, "...oh, and...that hurricane boost you did...that was amazing!" She smiles and looks up at Aidan.
Aidan Proudpick	"I guess I just wanted to make sure we are still okay." He blinks again. Confused. "Of course we are. And you and Hazelthistle were right, I didn't kind of mess that whole thing up. At least a little." Aidan shakes his head. "Lilian did all that? God, she's-" He presses his hand to his head, a tic lately to order his thoughts. "I pulled broadband off my tablet for that reason. It really only seems to be when she's around Petra. When she's not, she's barely that awful. Something about it." He looks back, "Sometimes Lilian is right. Not always. But sometimes. And you need to not listen to the times she isn't. All she's doing is trying to bring people down. Maybe get people she thinks don't deserve to be here out of the way. I don't know. I do know this," another sip at the straw, "Kamen Rider Destiny told me what Lilian went through. When she first got to the Multiverse, she was harrassed. Just for being a woman. Just for wanting to be a hero. And had to build armor around herself. Maybe that's what does it. I dunno. But listening to her and Petra is what got me in this mess. Got me down so low that I couldn't see what was going on." He smiles at Sarracenia, "Hard to feel alone? We both need to work on those connections. Reach out to other people, try to find what we got in common and work with them. You don't gotta be friends with everyone, but, building up that respect is what I'm trying to do again." He grins, "That was great! You slammed into it so hard it nearly shattered the whole thing!"
Sarracenia	'Sometimes Lilian is right. Not always. But sometimes. And you need to not listen to the times she isn't.' Sarra's eyes get moist again. "But...she could have been right. That was the whole problem. It was very possible you were just using me as a weapon against them and would toss me away once I had served my purpose. Although after I thought about it, that was an obvious bait since Lilian and Petra also claim you are not smart enough to think that far ahead." She wipes her eyes again on the back of her glove. "It is not hard to feel alone. It is hard to dare to hope that you are not alone anymore..." she says, rubbing her arm with her free hand. She can't help a smirky smile as Aidan compliments her slamming abilities. "Right?! I hate to say it, but perhaps Ru Li knew what he was doing when he put us on a team! And I do not mean simply that we would be easier to keep an eye on!"
Aidan Proudpick	Aidan chuckles, "I think he was just doing it for the second reason, but who knows. Ru Li is smart. I don't think he's right about everything, but he's smart and caring. He's good to listen to." He points a finger again, "You are gonna have to do a LOT worse to make me stop being your friend, Sarracenia. Besides, I CAN'T think that far ahead. I couldn't use somebody if I tried." He taps his forehead, "I'm not dumb, but that's one of those things I can't wrap my mind around. Manipulating someone." He snorts, "I couldn't even bring myself to manipulate Kale if I wanted to and he's the easiest." He puts a hand on Sarracenia's shoulder, "You aren't alone. You got me. And you help me find my way too." He sets the soda down, half finished. He pulls out a moderately sized hemp bag, offering them to Sarracenia. "Peanuts? High in protien and fiber."
Sarracenia	Sarra can't help a bit of a laugh when told she would have to do worse. "Forgive me if I still doubt sometimes. I have had several I thought I could be friends with that turned out to hate me. Ishirou. Petra. Madeleine..." That last one seems to hurt more than the others. Madeleine seems like good people, after all. Sarra laughs again when Aidan says he is not smart enough. "Perhaps another thing we have in common. I am not sure I could manipulate someone even if I tried. And I have tried a couple of times." Aidan offers peanuts. Sarra blinks in surprise. "...ah...sure." Peanuts are not high on her list of snacks, but she takes some anyway. "It seems we do not share similar tastes in refreshments." she adds with a giggle. She will eat them eventually, but it is one at a time. "Oh, and no. I do not believe you can overdose on my mushrooms. They are not drugs. I never touch such things. I rarely even partake of alcohol. A princess must be pure of body and mind, after all." she says. She looks at Aidan's bucklers, then at him. "So...what happened to that rather impressive shield of yours?"
Aidan Proudpick	"I am gonna be straight with you, Sarra. You calling Meika cute was... really bad. She doesn't have much that is cute about her situation. It was rough. Just, do what I do. Stop and think before you say stuff. You can't unsay things." He takes some of his own peanuts to chew on, smiling, "I never grew up with sugar. It's a little too much. I eat seeds and nuts out on a mission. Lots of soy and vegetables at home." He looks down at his arms, both bucklers having a heart on the front. "I fucked up bad, Sarra. When I challenged Lilian to a duel just because one of the protestors goaded me into it. I threatened everything to save people from Quicknest. I hurt someone, even if that someone was Lilian, in a way I shouldn't have." He shrugs his shoulders, "So I begged her forgiveness. Not for her sake. But because it was the right thing to do. And because I said I would. Her conditions were no more vows, no more code, and I give up the shield. Kale has it now, though he can't use it. I figure he'll give it back to my mother eventually."
Sarracenia	Sarra winces at the mention of the Meika is cute incident. "But...I do not understand. Petra laughed in that way one does when someone is cute. Obviously the situation is not cute, but...being drunk and worried about being caught and whispering 'do not tell'...was it not cute? I was just being honest...was it actually bad? Or just ill-timed and aimed at someone who cannot take compliments who has friends that hate me?" She listens to Aidan's story about the bucklers, then sighs and shakes her head. "I heard the radio challenge. Even if the reason you did it was misguided, the reasons you gave for doing it seemed quite valid. Lilian -does- seem to twist what one says to suit her purposes if it pleases her. It is simply another reason I cannot reconcile what she does with what she says. It is as if she has two personalities..." 'So I begged her forgiveness.' Sarra mmphs at that and squeezes her soda can a bit, crinkling it slightly. "I am...not sure I could ever beg her forgiveness. I have apologized to her twice. Both times it was thrown in my face and she doubled down on her threats and hatred toward me, and those that heard it seemed to agree with her. So...what is the point?"
Aidan Proudpick	I was just being honest "I wasn't really there for the conversation. You should ask Meika. But directly, not on broadband. Just ask her." He lifts a shoulder, "Don't wait around to let it fester." Even if the reason you did it was misguided Aidan shakes his head, "It's a game. It's just a game. I don't care what SHE says, I only care when other people believe it. The thought that the stuff she says matters to the whole multiverse. It got to me. I hurt a lot of people by trying to force the issue because I was too proud to admit someone was pushing me to do it." He glances at Sarra, "Listen. The only way you are gonna get her to leave you alone is just not talk to her. She's more focused on missions. You don't have to get her to like you, and if you aren't mouthing off to her, people won't care. You don't have to like her."
Sarracenia	'Just ask her.' Sarra makes an uncomfortable face at that. "I do not know. The few times I have tried talking to Meika it went about as well as on the broadband. And now...she has apparently forgotten most things. I have not even heard her on the broadband and she is not part of the Church anymore." 'The thought that the stuff she says matters to the whole multiverse. It got to me.' "...another thing we have in common. The thought that her toxicity and Petra's are filling the multiverse under the guise of being heroes....and that people are following them. It is almost like how I feel about Princess Peach, but...so much worse. I am not sure I can simply ignore them..."
Aidan Proudpick	"Listen. People don't actually care. People get that it's a game. But when you start really digging into her, escalating it, that's what Kamen Rider Destiny said, people are gonna take it personally. Just- remember it's a game between her and Petra. It's awful. And stupid. But she has a lot of friends because she HELPS people. And they appreciate her help. We haven't helped anyone as directly as she has." He says pointedly. "That's what I mean about making connections. For now, just worry about trying to connect with people who aren't her. You won't find it that hard. You haven't done NEARLY as much stupid shit as I have." He crunches down a few more nuts before standing up, offering a hand to Sarracenia. "Come on. Lucien, the priest from Lycia, told me you just have to keep offering help. And if someone doesn't take your apology, that's their right. Just don't let Petra get to you when we go in there, and trust Ru Li, okay? Let's go finish this." His smile isn't as bright. His confidence in himself took a hit by nearly killing Heyalexa and being called a non-person.
Sarracenia	Sarracenia seems skeptical. "...people do not actually care, huh? And it is...some sort of terrible game?" She mmphs in annoyance. "...what is wrong with them? Lilian even admitted it when I confronted her after she just shot me out of nowhere. She said she is not going to pretend for anyone. I do not recall her ever pretending, but I suppose I was not ever around her in those earlier years. I...it may sound strange, but...I kind of...want to save her. She is obviously broken now, but I think she likes being broken in that way that she is?" Sarra sighs again and shakes her head. "Well, anyway...thank you for the talk." She stands, hesitates a moment...and just suddenly hugs Aidan tightly and quickly before letting him go again.