Scene #9241: Friend in Need...

Owner	Pose
Sarracenia	Sarra hasn't extended an invitation to Alexis, but...Gregory has. He is worried about his princess and thinks a visit from a friend might do her some good. He has promised to leave the balcony door open, and has suggested that Alexis knock but enter quickly.. He also included a summary of what happened in the invite. Sarra fought in a secret war, died and was resurrected dozens of times, and is now suffering the mental and physical consequences. Supposedly she has grey hair thanks to a time curse, has been wearing an eyepatch over her right eye, and has taken to wearing black dresses (which to be fair could be due to her employment by the Trideag Association). When Alexis arrives, the lights are already out in the princess's room. But, the unmistakable blue-white glow of a mobile device can be seen through the curtains.
Alexis	Let's just say that, after the whole incident with the Tribbles, it was decided someone besides Sarracenia herself should be able to get ahold of Alexis. Maybe avoid any future miscommunications that can happen over the more public frequencies. Just in case. Just in case... just came up sooner than anyone expected. Mirage set down lightly on the balcony, being both one of the faster fliers and the least disruptive as her name would apply. Alexis slid off her back and recalled the Flygon, then walked over to the door. Took a breath. Wonders how she's the one that keeps ending up being the supposed voice of reason for most of her friends. But that's part of what being a good friend is, isn't it? She knocked on the balcony door, but took Gregory's advice and just opened it immeadiately afterwards. "Yo, Sarra, sorry for dropping by so late but.." And kinda trails off there at the darkness save for the one glow of the mobile device. And can't help a bit of those rougher edges showing. "Com'n, I know it's been rough lately, but skulking in the darkness really ain't your style."
Sarracenia	The knock on the door draws a soft yelp from inside, and when Alexis opens the door...Sarra is sitting in the dark, wearing a fuzzy blanket almost like a cloak, and has obviously been reclining on her bed staring at her phone. "A-alexis?!" she exclaims in surprise, then quickly covers her face. "W-what are you doing here?! I do not want my friends seeing me right now!" she exclaims. Even with the quick cover, Alexis likely saw the eyepatch. It is quite fashionable for an eyepatch, but it is still an eyepatch. Sarra curls up beneath the blanket, looking like a fuzzy loaf of bread in her bed in the dark. "I was not skulking...." she says in a pouty voice, still beneath the blanket. "...I have been having trouble sleeping, and so I have been trying to go to bed early. Sleep has yet to come, though."
Alexis	"So I've heard.... and normally sleep masks cover both eyes." But that's as far as Alexis is going to mention the eyepatch, at least for the moment. She shuts the door behind her and ambles over towards the bed. "I may of made sure a certain servant of yours had a way to get ahold of me. You know. In case something happened and you couldn't." Or didn't want to, but that's neither here or there. "Look, dealing with things in the multiverse does weird shit to people." Alexis still isn't so good at not going bluntly towards the point, even as she moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "And from what I understand you're having one of those times. Sometimes when you don't 'want' a friend around is when you need one the most."
Sarracenia	The sleep mask joke draws an annoyed 'mmph' from Sarra. "So, Gregory is to blame for your visit. He shall face the consequences later." she says. Of course, Gregory is her favorite and most faithful servant. The 'consequences' are as likely to be some kind of reward as anything else. The princess sits silently as Alexis speaks, and at the end is quiet for a few more moments before saying anything. "...perhaps." she says, then slowly peeks out from underneath the blanket. Just her face still. She looks...tired. Very tired. Like she probably hasn't slept properly in a week. And...does she look a bit older? "...have you...been through something like this before?"
Alexis	Alexis uncurls a few fingers as if counting... then after a moment shakes her head. "Look specific details don't matter. Probably not exactly the same, but between all the weird situations I imagine most people don't remember, there's been close enough." She doesn't even bring up the one that actually gets under her skin, or why it's part of why she's stayed out of a lot of 'big deal' things, because this isn't about her. This is about a friend needing some support. "Close enough that I do understand how it feels, how it gets into your head, and in here," she pats a hand to her chest, over the heart, "and makes things a big ol' mess of crap you don't understand or know how to feel about."
Sarracenia	Sarra sits up again as she listens, but it isn't until Alexis gets to that last point that Sarra's eyes grow damp. She sniffles, then lowers the blanket. "...she tried to make me into an old hag. She aged me rapidly. My hair..." Sarra pulls some of it around. "...it is grey now instead of my beautiful copper color. My whole body feels weaker. I cannot even guess at how many more wrinkles I have now." she says, then lets her hair fall. "...how do you...become 'okay' again? Xion said it was possible, but right now...it does not really feel possible. When I try to sleep I remember never being sure if I would wake up again." The door opens, and the light comes on. Gregory, ever attentive, bows lightly before stepping back outside. Sarra winces a bit at the brightness after sitting in the dark so long. "...I am glad he called you." Sarra says, looking toward the door.
Alexis	Well that explains the 'time curse'. "Well, she's right.... but it's not something you can just up and do. It takes time... and yeah, sometimes feels like you're not getting anywhere. Pushing ahead in spite of that is often the hardest part." Alexis scooting a bit closer on the bed, so she could reach over and put her hand on Sarra's arm. "To keep trying isn't easy. But... if nothing else, remember that quitting is just going to give her what she wants, and that's something I doubt you want." She pauses, then makes a face. "Oh for Mew's sake, that sounded way lamer than it did in my head. Look, the point is, this probably feels like the worst right now. But I know you can get through it. Because it don't matter how bad she makes it on the outside, she can't fuck with what's inside where it really counts." Alexis pauses, maybe to glance over at the door for the moment when she notices Gregory taking a peek in. "That said, maaaaaybe there's something we can do to try and help with the sleep matter."
Sarracenia	Sarra doesn't look at Alexis as the pokemon trainer speaks. Sarra has thought about that before of course. To spite Lilian is often the reason Sarra doesn't give up. Hearing Alexis say it then call it lame makes Sarra smile just a bit. The part about what's inside though...that makes the smile fade. "...what is inside me though? I have tried very hard, but I feel like I have never made a difference. Everything somehow ends up...not really mattering." Sarra doesn't stop Alexis from moving closer of course, though the touch still makes her flinch ever so slightly. And it makes it clear that Sarra is actually wearing pjs. Very fluffy and luxurious and expensive red pjs. But, still pjs. "...what can we do about the sleep matter?"
Alexis	Normally this would be where Alexis makes some dry wit remark about why Sarracenia keeps putting herself in situations dealing with Lilian in the first place. But this was not the time, nor was Sarra in the right mindset to realize it's just sarcasm as a coping measure. "Yeah, there's things to talk about that, but later. Not when your brain's a muddled mess... well frankly, you look like warmed Tauros crud with the lack of sleep." She's specifically making a point that it's the very apparent lack of rest she's talking about. "And that saying has a whole new meaning after recently finding out there's a Fire type variant of Tauros in Paldea." Alexis withdrew her hand, to grab one of the pokeballs from her belt and flick it up. The pokemon released from it floats over the bed, resembling something vagely pig-like but with the chubby porportions more like a large plushie, and a short trunk-like snout. A faint trail of incense-like pink mist waifs from a spot on its forehead. ( https://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Musharna_(Pok%C3%A9mon)#/media/File:Black_Musha.png ) "This is a Musharna. When I was having trouble with sleep after a certain psychic cat-mutant-kangaroo-thing tried shoving around in my head, one of the Professors gave her to me... yeah, kinda ironic she's also a Psychic type but I think that was the point." Alexis can only really shrug at that, it was only after the fact that she figured out the whole 'to show psychics and psychic abilities could be helpful' point of the matter. "What matters is her Dream Mist can help one relax, and she can absorb energy from dreams." Mushama settles to rest just above the head of the bed. "Can't promise it'll get rid of the nightmares, sure as hell didn't entirely when I first got her either, but she can try to make them less intense. Give a comforting spot to focus on instead of whatever's been churning in that head of yours."
Sarracenia	Despite the clarity that it is aimed at the sleep deprivation, Sarra still makes a face at the comparison to bull crap. She watches the revelation of this pokemon, and looks intrigued when it turns out to be...somewhat cute! Sarra blinks a few times, then reaches out toward Musharna. She runs a hand along it before looking at Alexis again. "And...she can stay here for a while?" she asks, though pretty much assumes the answer is yes. "...just let Gregory know how to properly care for her while she is here." Sarra wants sleep so badly and trusts Alexis enough that she does not even question it. Sarra looks at Musharna, then at Alexis. "Will...you also stay a while? That...might also help."
Alexis	And now we get to make the age old joke about how Trainers are able to somehow pack a rediculous amount of stuff in sometimes larger but otherwise entirely normal appearing backpacks. As Alexis has dug out a bedroll by the time Sarra even finishes asking if she's going to stay. "I suspect Gregory has already planned for breakfast having a few extra mouths to feed." Alexis scoots off the bed, and unfurls the bedroll to drop it down next to the bed. Normally when she crashed at the castle it was in a guest room, but that's not what her friend needed right now. "I'm sure Musharna will be able to handle things, but I will be right here if you need me. Just try to get some sleep, and then we can worry about other matters."
Sarracenia	Sarra turns back to Alexis...only to see a bedroll already being set up. The princess blinks, then giggles a bit. "I suspect he has." she says, then scoots over on her bed. "I refuse to have a friend of mine sleeping on the floor." she says, apparently meaning for Alexis to share the oversized luxury bed. "...but...feel free to take advantage of my bath first." Sarra says, trying not to sound insulting but knowing that her friend is a rancher and a tomboy. And even in this state, Sarra doesn't want dirt in her bed. "Oh! And you can use one of my spare robes as well!"
Alexis	"... I -did- rush over as soon as I got word." Which is just a nice way for Alexis to acknowledge that Sarra's concern might not be entirely misplaced. Not when her friend's well-being was of concern. "Ok, sure." She sets Musharna's pokeball on the nightstand before heading for the bath room. "I'll leave you two here to get comfortable while I wash up. I'll try to not be a disruption when I'm done."