Scene #4441: The Princess after the Party

Owner	Pose
Sarracenia	After the incident aboard the battleship, Princess Sarracenia raced home as fast as the wooden rocket-powered ship Dyna would carry her. And immediately went to her bathroom. Lloyd may not have received a direct invitation, but Sarracenia would have said if he wanted to come over he could. And he would have been directed right to her quarters. Her dress, usually so beautiful and spotless, is covered in...what looks like blood and brains. And usually it would be hanging up or laid carefully on the bed, but now it is just thrown down on the floor. And he would be able to hear the water running even from the door when he arrived. Whatever happened, it obviously has the princess very frazzled.
Lloyd Irving	The somewhat impromptu invitation following what seemed to be a horrible operation is received and taken immediately, the swordsmith quenching his forge and setting off for the Sundew Kingdom as fast as his wings would carry him. A warpgate and a dash to the castle later, Lloyd is directed to Sarracenia's quarters, eyes spotting the dress and closing in reflex. He didn't have any specifics on what had happened, but whatever it was it seemed brutal and clearly distressing. "Sarracenia?" he says, voice carrying over the sound of water or so he hoped, "What in the world happened tonight?"
Sarracenia	There is a surprised little meep as Lloyd speaks up, then a sudden slosh as presumably Sarracenia slides down into her bath. She is quiet for a minute after that, then finally the water shuts off and her voice comes softly from the bathroom. "...I answered that distress call. Did you hear it?" she says through the door, then sighs heavily. "You may enter if you wish. I do not enjoy speaking to someone through the door."
Lloyd Irving	The swordsman blinks a bit, apparently putting the pieces together in his head and flushing a bit. As the Princess gives a surprised squeak and invites him in, he inclines his head and... rests his hand on the door. He keeps it there for a moment as her words process through his head, then takes a breath and pushes the door open. "I heard some radio chatter in response to it, but I missed the call itself. I was working in my forge," he replies. "Clearly," he adds, staring at the floor, "It didn't go well. It sounds horrible even vicariously, and if the state of your dress is telling at all, it must have been even worse than I can imagine." He shakes his head. "I should really pay more attention..."
Sarracenia	When Lloyd enters the bathroom, he finds that Sarracenia's bath is obscured by an old-fashioned cloth folding shade. He can see the outline of her head as she rests in the water. Still with her little crown upon her head. "It...I don't know if it went well or badly. I did not know what to expect. I just wanted to try to help, to try to be the hero that I want others to be. But..." She sniffles softly, and he can see the silhouette of her knees rising as she rests her head forward against them. "...I was nothing like a hero. I was hardly like a princess. And...I...I think I killed someone. I have never killed, even in self-defense. I always managed not to somehow. But...a man..he was corrupted by some sort of nanomachines. He attacked us, and...I used my hammer on him when he was down. His head...exploded. I didn't think it would. I thought...he was a robot. All that should have come out was sparks, but...blood, and black stuff, and..and..." It sounds like she gags a bit, but catches herself. "...it..it got on my dress...in my hair. And then, when the ship started to break up, I ran. I just...ran. I left everyone else behind and ran. And did not look back..."
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd sends a glance in the direction of the tub, immediately set at a bit of ease. Silhouettes he could deal with. He takes up a spot on the floor, near enough to be close but not close enough to be weird. Or so he hoped. He listens quietly, nodding his head slightly then grimacing as she mentions what seems to be bothering her the most. That was something that he could, unfortunately, relate to. He gathers his thoughts a bit, staring at the floor for a long moment as she finishes. A long moment after that, he exhales. "The fact that you reacted this way means you are very human. Empathetic, I think the word is. Taking a life, even a potentially corrupt or grotesquely artificial one as this seems to be, is no light matter. It's hard, and it hurts, but sometimes it's necessary. It's the grim reality of things. But you did it, and you probably saved a life in doing so. If you did, then it was heroic. That's one of the truths of heroes: their history is often written in the blood of those they had to stop, or felt they had to stop." He pauses for a moment, then adds, "You made it back alive. And it seems some good was taken from this. You can take solace in that fact, even though it will never erase what you're feeling."
Sarracenia	The princess perks up slightly as she listens to Lloyd. "I do not know if he was really alive anymore or not. He seemed like a zombie." she says, then mmphs. "But...just seeing what happened...it was so disgusting. So...terrible." she says, then ducks below the water and there is some light splashing as she presumably tries to get her hair clean. She surfaces again a short time later. "But, what I disliked the most. When we were running, I didn't try to save anyone else. I pulled some survivor toward the emergency dock, but...I didn't even take her in my ship. I don't know if she got out. I don't know if any of them got out." She sniffles again, then sobs softly into her knees. "What sort of hero does that? What sort of princess does that? Perhaps there is a reason that Bowser and the other villains of my world never tried to kidnap me...because I am not worthy of being kidnapped."
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd shakes his head slightly. He doesn't interrupt, but he can already feel words forming into a response. His eyes close, recalling events of his past, of things he's seen and done, and frowns a bit. It was certainly heavy material, but then again this was a heavy situation. "You did what any person in a panicked state of mind would do. You did what anyone overwhelmed by a situation would do. You ran. People run when they can't fully grip what's going on. It's natural. And no one, NO ONE, could expect someone who has never been faced with that sort of horror to react any other way." He smiles, hoping the warmth transmits to her even through the veil. He gives another shake of his head, then moves on. "Some people aren't meant to do the things that heroes do. It's not a sign of weakness to flee from what you find overwhelming. It's not something to be shunned if you don't act perfectly in a situation. No one ever does. You are no less a princess than you were before, you merely have a new experience to process." He scoots slightly closer. "And, well, they probably don't try and kidnap you because then they'd have to deal with me. Or Lute. No one wants that sort of fury on them.'
Sarracenia	The initial argument just draws an irritated 'mmph' from Sarracenia. "Yes, anyone would be panicked if a giant beam saber suddenly cut its way up from the floor and tried to slice its way through you! But, I am supposed to be strong and focused in any situation! How can I be a good princess if I run from such things like a panicked little girl? I should have made sure everyone was safe before I left! Especially the survivor! She had been through so much already, and I just left her!" She is obviously angry at herself, for not being brave, for panicking in the face of danger, for being human. She is a princess! She is held to a higher standard! She lets out a heavy sigh and tries to relax in the water again. "If I am not a hero...and I am not a princess anyone wants around other than a crazy criminal...what do I have? A kingdom that doesn't want me? Parents who don't approve of me? A world that sees me as inferior?" She can't help but giggle just a bit at Lloyd's pointing out that if she were kidnapped Lute or Lloyd would be after them. Or perhaps both. "You would come after me, Lloyd?" she asks, a slight smile audible in her words.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd shakes his head a bit, leaning back onto his palms. "Self-preservation is a programmed response. Yes, you can train yourself to face things, but in a new situation you can hardly expect to be the paragon of calm." He rolls his shoulders a bit, then goes on with, "When I was in Annu, I was a total wreck the majority of the time. I died four times in there. I drank and was scared to death. No one judged me for it. No one, even the survivor, should judge you for this. And you shouldn't either. When faced with it again, you can make a choice you find to be better, but what you did is normal." Lloyd smirks a bit sadly as Sarracenia goes on, shaking his head again. "You always put so much importance on your station. Princesses are people too. They're allowed to have their own lives, same as anyone. Just because you're royalty doesn't mean you have to be standard royalty." He shrugs again, shifting his weight back and forth a bit. "Not everyone sees you as inferior. You see yourself through a different lens than I do, I guess." At the last bit, he laughs slightly. "Like yoy wouldn't even believe," he says, "They wouldn't know what hit them."
Sarracenia	As Lloyd keeps talking, the princess slowly but visibly relaxes in her bath. "So...no one will think ill of me?" she asks, then sighs. "Being a princess is all I know. I don't know who or what I would be if I lost that." she says, then stretches one of her legs up before lowering it back into the water. "I know I am not inferior, of course. But, sometimes it is hard to believe that others do not see me that way. I can sense it when I talk to people, when I see them looking at me." she says. She giggles softly but happily as Lloyd assures her that he would come after her. "Thank you. It is good to know that at least one person who is not a womanizing egotist would come to save me." she says, then sighs again, more relaxed this time. "Would you be a dear and get my robe for me? You can hang it on the side of the shade." she adds after a moment. A glance around would show that there is a plush, very warm and absorbant looking robe hanging near the door. Red of course.
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd smirks a bit. "If they do, let me know. Because even in a war there are some things people can't be ready for. If they don't understand that, they can take it up with me." He stretches, then climbs to his feet and rolls his shoulders, arms showing a bit of shine from burn scars. "Hey, but more importantly? Forget what people think. You know you better than they do, so don't let them bring you down. Right?" He lets out a genuine laugh at that, though he tries poorly to stifle it. "Well, at least I have that to work with. I have a friend similar to Lute in that regard, so I take it as a point of pride not to be branded the same." He shakes his head slightly, then says, "Let's try to keep any rescue hypothetical, though. I'd rather you stay safe so I can just come visit, you know?" At her request, Lloyd finds and grabs the mentioned robe, feeling the material in his hands as he does. "Now THAT feels comfortable," he says before he hangs it over and moves back toward the door. "I'll wait out here for you," he adds, opening the door, exiting, and audibly closing it behind him with a click.
Sarracenia	"If you like it, I could have one sent to your home." Princess Sarracenia says as Lloyd comments on the robe. And he can see her nod at his request. "Very well. I will try to avoid being kidnapped, despite how romantic it is for a hero to come and save me." she says. The princess emerges from the bathroom a short time later, the robe tied tightly and covering just about every inch of her. "I do not have the luxury of ignoring what everyone thinks of me. Public image is very important for a princess, especially one who is going to take over her kingdom someday. And even more especially if she wishes to be as adored as Princess Peach." she says as she closes the bathroom door. She looks Lloyd over after that, looking at those scars. "So, you have encountered many situations like the one I described?" she asks as she goes to take a seat at her vanity and starts drying her with a towel. "Do you get used to such things, or...do you simply learn how to handle it?"
Lloyd Irving	"I'd hate to impose, but if you wouldn't mind," Lloyd says, "I'm sure my Pichu and Eevee would love it. They like to sit on my shoulders when they can." He mills around for a bit as Sarracenia exits the bath, then stops and smiles at her as she emerges. "Looks good, too. Red's my favorite color." The swordsman shrugs again, shaking his head a bit. "Sounds like a pain to me, but I wasn't born royalty," he says, "I guess I had certain upkeep to maintain when I was General, but I still felt mostly like me. I don't know. I think you should be able to pursue whatever it is that makes you happy as well as fulfilling your duties, I guess." He glances at his arms, then shrugs. "I've seen a lot in my time here, as well as before I unified. I've had to kill for my own survival, I've had to eradicate a universe, and I've had to face things that should not be. You... never really get used to it. It's a shock every time, but when you know that people are counting on you, and you on them, you learn to adapt. You learn to face the horrors, deal with the threats, and parse it all once it's done." He smiles a bit sadly. "It comes with time, if that's the path you choose. But it never gets easier, and my blades never get any lighter or cleaner." He turns his smile into a more genuine one. "It's not all bad, though. You meet a lot of great people along the way that keep you going."
Sarracenia	The princess finishes drying her hair, then picks up a nearby brush and starts brushing as she stands and heads toward her bed. "I see..." she says as she listens to Lloyd about the facts of heroism and the horrors it can bring. She smiles a bit when he mentions great people. "I suppose that is true. I do not know if I have met a lot of great people, but I have met a few." she says, then stops brushing before moving to Lloyd. She smiles warmly, then wraps her arms around him in a firm hug. "Thank you for coming and talking with me. I feel much better than I did." she says, then releases him and smirks lightly. "You should be going. If you stay too long my parents and servants might get ideas about the nature of our relationship. As a princess, I cannot have unladylike rumors floating around." she says, then smiles just a bit. "Take care, Mr. Irving. I will ensure that you receive one of these robes. With more masculine stylings, of course."
Lloyd Irving	Lloyd watches Sarracenia with interest, though his eyes flit around the room to not seem rude. As she replies, he smiles and nods, flushing slightly as she hugs him. He returns the gesture, releasing as she does and stepping far enough back to offer a slight bow. His wings flare back out behind him. "Like with all things, it comes with time. There are so many people yet out there to get to know, and some of them are bound to be great." He offers a chuckle, then turns to the exit. "We certainly wouldn't want that. I might not be able to use the front door if that happened!" he says with a laugh, "If you ever need me for anything, you have my personal radio frequency. Sleep well, Princess. Until next time." He offers a small wave, then opens the door and heads for the castle gates.