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Sarracenia      When Linehart arrived in the Sundew Kingdom the first time, the most immediate landscape feature would be...trees. Trees as tall as skyscrapers and just as thick. So tall and thick and covered in foliage that sunlight only barely filters through to the jungle floor. The one road through the jungle leads to the castle town, and the first people he would likely meet might not be people to his eyes at all. Piranha plants. Creatures with a single giant leaf for each arm and roots for legs/feet, and a bulb-like head full of shark-like teeth. Many are dressed in a conquistador helm and a breastplate, and carry a large spear. But, despite their appearance and armaments they are pretty amicable for the most part. Once he is fully in the town there are more humans, and every now and then a giant bug person that is somewhere between a mantis and an ant.

     He would have been allowed into the castle per the princess's orders, and more piranha plants would serve him within. These plants at least wear the suits or dresses of castle staff. For some reason there are not many human workers in the castle.

     Finally, once evening was approaching once again, the princess actually appears. Dressed in her usual red gown, she smiles cheerfully upon seeing Linehart...and perhaps blushes just a bit if he isn't wearing his helmet. "Sir Linehart! It is good to see you! How are you this evening?" she asks. She had asked him to meet her in the castle's main dining hall, and plant servants are setting out a veritable feast for the princess and him to enjoy.
Linehart      The world is strangely familiar.

     It's that sense of a certain kind of logic that Linehart found comforting on his way through. Monsters exist in forests; that's where monsters live. Monsters serve him; that's what they did. It's an odd comfort, feeling that connection to his past life, but it's something to hold onto, something to give him...perspective. It's probably refreshing, too, that the plants don't receive any strange treatment from him, that they're simply treated as what they are on the surface. He doesn't recoil from them, nor act as if they're strange, nor even appear frightened by them.

     Then again, there may not be much he *is* frightened of. He's sort of, well, big. Imposing. The black armor probably adds more than a little bulk, but he's still a tall man, and the spear over his shoulder is so massive that even if the armor *is* adding bulk he's still enormously strong to be able to hold it. There's a cape that swirls about him, like any proper Penultimate Boss, a dark cape that, like his black armor, simply devours the light around him, as if he was clad in very literal shadow.

     The other thing that makes him sort of imposing is the low, quiet music that just plays around him. It has an ominous tone to it, an unpleasant sort of tone that suggests, well, a /penultimate boss fight/, that sort of combination of deep tones and slow tones that transitions into a fast-paced, frenetic battle energy. It's subdued, and neutral, and slow enough to not *feel* like battle music, but it's still there.

     He spends much of the day exploring, so when Sarracenia sends for him, he simply passes through a nearby mirror, probably scaring the hell out of one of the piranha plants, and emerges into the dining hall.

     She arrives. He kneels, placing his massive spear downwards, and bowing his head. He does not, in fact, have his helmet on, though it is tucked under his arm like a proper knight ought.

     Thank you, my lady. I am as well as a man can be, or so I understand. Your castle is as beautiful as you yourself, and your subjects well-mannered and kind.

     Yeah, the text-window literally pops up in front of her. The boss music changes to a subtle, good-natured tone, going up a few octaves.

     It is a new sensation for me, to walk a city without fear or terror in my wake, to see the people going about their day without...

     He cuts the thought off and looks away, staring at the wall. The music gets really somber for a moment. Then, he rises. He's...yeah, he's tall.

     The spear goes back over his shoulder. Still. Their graciousness reflects well upon you. You are a kind ruler, I have no doubt, and they follow in your footsteps and example.

     He even *talks* like an old-school game character, that mix of an old-timey knight and samurai put into a modern-day writer's lexicon. It's...jarring, probably, to say the least, seeing that just floating in the air in front of her.
Sarracenia      Indeed, when Linehart suddenly emerges from a large full-length mirror in the dining room he nearly gives a nearby piranha plant maid a heart attack. She falls over, and a few nearby plants let out grunts of annoyance before carrying her off.

     The princess seems surprised for some reason at Linehart's knightly behavior. And even more surprised at the -actual- text boxes popping up around him. That causes her to stare a few moments in disbelief before she blinks as she realized what he said. He called her beautiful! And goodness is he tall! She is left kind of flustered and giggles like a schoolgirl for a moment until that last part.

     She once again blinks in surprise and gives a skeptical look. "Oh...do you truly think so? I was always under the impression that the majority of the populace did not care for me." she says, even as she offers a hand for proper courtly protocol. Her dainty hand, soft and pampered though it is, bears signs of someone who uses a very large and heavy weapon on a regular basis.

     Whether a kiss is applied to the hand or not, she motions to the long banquet table before moving to take a seat at the head of it. The selections may not be familiar to him, but there are decadent foods ranging from roast boar to high-class hors d'oeuvres to cornecopias of fruit and vegetables to be enjoyed fresh if so desired, and of course plenty of wine and champagne to choose from. "You may find it typical of those areas of the Multiverse that have common contact with worlds other than their own. The lack of terror, I mean. Of course, whether that remains so depends entirely upon your actions. I have confidence from your words and manner that such will continue to be the case." she says, apparently not put off at all by his overly proper word choices. "Please! Merely mention what you wish to have and the servants will gather it for you."

     The princess herself has only a small plate and a flute of champagne. She takes a sip, then hmms. "It is not the mood music which I might have chosen, but your personal audio system is quite enjoyable. Do you have any tracks that are a bit...warmer? Or perhaps more upbeat?"
Linehart      Linehart does, in fact, apply the kiss to the hand, because he is, in fact, doing this to the hilt. There's something unusual about his mannerisms, but it's hard to put a finger on. Maybe it's just because he's someone who wasn't always his own man. He stands once she gives him permission, and places his hand against his chest, bowing forward. Then he straightens again.

     In truth I do not know how to judge that. The people I have interacted with until now were...one-dimensional. Empty things. I thought that the kingdom seemed peaceful, and thus, you must be a fine ruler.

     He sits across from her, staring at the food with puzzlement. And this is where that unusual mannerism becomes obvious - he is most certainly not a nobleman, nor a trained knight, in the slightest, because he has no idea what-so-fucking-ever how to hold any of these forks or spoons or which one is for what or anything even remotely like that. Indeed he sort of tries to feel out what he's doing by watching her, slowly adapting to the way he's supposed to be eating by just...staring at her. It's probably a little uncomfortable (or maybe not; she is a Princess and she *does* like being the center of attention). Eventually, though, he adapts - and he's a fast adapter, evidently. Not so fast that he's instantly figured out the difference between a soup spoon, a dessert spoon, a salad fork, and a meat fork, but enough that he's figured out all the basics.

     He shakes his head at her offer of anything he could ask for. There isn't anything I require at the moment. Thank you nonetheless.

     Then she brings up his sound system, and he gives her a puzzled look. His music gets...puzzled? That sort of whimsical up-beat 'what?' kind of music that shows up in comedic scenes in a game.

     I don't understand. Do you mean the theme song? No, I can't turn it off. I don't know how. It isn't...a sound system, I don't think. It just...follows me.

     He frowns. It's often somewhat irritating.

     He cuts into a piece of meat and stares at it for a long moment. Then he looks up at her. You mentioned that you were going to show me how this modern technology works. Would you move closer? It will be difficult for me to see if you aren't sitting next to me.

     He bows his head slightly. Though I admit that is a somewhat selfish request when it is your castle, my lady, it would be impudent of me to stand and move my chair to sit at the head. We are not equals here, after all; you are the lady of the castle, and I am but your guest.
Sarracenia      Sarracenia smiles softly at Linehart's admission about his judgements of the kingdom and her. "Well, in truth I am not the ruler of this kingdom as of yet. My parents still live, and have yet to abdicate to me. I am still just the Crown Princess, destined to rule on an undefined 'someday'." she says. She watches in mild amusement as he tries to puzzle out the proper utensils to use for different foods, and while she does enjoy the attention at first even she gets uncomfortable after a while. After all, the tall dark knight who thinks she is pretty is staring at her! She is soon starting to fidgit and look about self-consciously. She blinks in surprise as the music changes with his mood and apparently without any imput from him. "...you have...your own personal theme music?" She laughs a bit and smiles. "I can see how that might be irritating in some situations, but it is quite novel for someone such as myself who has never heard such a thing before."

     At the request she smirks lightly. "There are plenty of chairs, and no others will be joining us this evening. Merely move your plate to one of these chairs close to mine and that should suffice." she says, then reaches into her purse and pulls out two smartphones. One is obviously hers, with a red cover and a flower motiff. The other is a typical sleek black phone, already set up and ready to be used. "To be honest, I am not sure how useful this will be to you in this age of thought radios and mind-linked electronics. But, it should be helpful until such time as you gain such devices."

     She activates both phones, then scoots her chair closer to the corner of the table so that it is easier for him to take a seat beside her without actually being at the head of the table, then pats said seat with a smile.
Linehart      Ah. Then I suppose that your parents are the ones to credit. Still, I'm certain you will measure up to their example.

     She asks about his theme music. He laughs. It's silent. It's *weird*. Probably weirder than the textboxes

     It's something that reveals even if I wish to conceal. It's troublesome.

     She invites him over. He stands, and places a hand over his chest, and bows. Then I'll take you up on that. He was probably waiting to be invited as is courteous. He picks up his plate and walks over, sitting down next to her.

     The music is a little bit quiet and warm as she shows him the phone. It switches to puzzlement as he picks up the black case, looking at it carefully. This is a communication device? Then I'll add it to my key items.

     The phone just disappears. He gets a bit closer to her to look over her shoulder at her own phone. These are common? They look like something that's meant to be hidden in a dungeon. And they let you talk to people far away, you said, I believe? How does it work? Is there a tutorial?
Sarracenia      Sarracenia looks much less certain about that first statement of Linehart's, but her smile returns after a few moments. And turns to a momentary look of bewilderment as he silently laughs before she laughs as well. "Yes, I would imagine!" she says of its troublesome nature. The disappearance of the black phone isn't too surprising, but it still causes her to blink a moment. She at least has to reach into her purse to produce and disappear such things. "There are guides available, but not on the device itself. It would be quite counterproductive, as you would need to know how to use the device in order to access the guide. For now, I can show you how to navigate it and how to place calls. Of course, your multiversal communications device, whatever it is, will handle most of that, but if you need to speak to those that are not on multiversal channels, or simply wish to place a personal and private call, then this will help with that. And yes, these devices are very common. One might say they are verging on obsolete with all the advancements available on other worlds. I still like them though because of their versatility. Perhaps your theme music would quiet down if you were using one of these as a music player?"

     She then goes about showing Linehart how to use a smartphone. Apps, phone calls, even the internet. Hopefully he really does learn fast though, because despite how pleasant she has been so far the princess does have a bit of a short temper and low amounts of patience, which might come through if she has to explain anything more than a couple of times.

     Once he seems like he has the hang of it, she takes her phone back. "Now, I shall place a call to your phone. We shall see if you can sense the incoming call while it is in your inventory. There should be an audible tone and a vibration." she says, then dials his number, which she of course has programmed into her phone already.
Linehart      I see.

     He listens intently to her. It's, again, sort of...maybe a little bit uncomfortable! For the same reason! He's very intent in his attention. He's watching mannerisms, actions. He's watching her open apps, watching her dial things in. He's watching her carefully, only occasionally looking at her face. There's nothing robotic about him, either - and that's probably also somewhat strange, that juxtaposition of what is very clearly a *person* trying to learn how to be a *person*, but still perfectly fluid, still perfectly human. And he is, indeed, clearly a human being - not a monster, not an alien, not some kind of weird supernatural THING. His cloak may seem to trail off into the shadows, and his armor might be black enough to consume the flickering candle-light, but he, himself, is clearly just a man. A strong man for sure, but a man. He blinks. His breath is warm. His eye is sharp. He has all the mannerisms a man should.

     And he is, indeed, a quick learner, in large part because he pays rapt attention to her. This is Genuinely Interesting to him. He's not just going through the motions. He's not just here for the novelty of it. He's here to learn.

     It takes him very little time to get the hang of it, not because it's not complex, but because he's, well, just giving her his full attention. He's not eating, because that might distract him, nor is he drinking, nor staring at anything but her hands, her face, her, her, her.

     And then she says she's going to call him. He nods.

     I've equipped it. The phone's just in his hand again.

     She dials. When he responds, the text box sort of just pops up out of her phone. And he's clearly *talking*, because his mouth is moving, so...that's...weird, too.

     Interesting. So now I can speak with you wherever you are, no matter how far apart we may be.
Sarracenia      The princess once again starts to feel self-conscious. Not really uncomfortable in and uncomfortable way, just in a 'goodness he is looking at me so much' way. He might not be distracted, but she is obviously distracted every now and then when he happens to glance up at her face and she is watching him in return, only for her to quickly look back at her phone and try to pretend she wasn't.

     At first it doesn't strike her as odd that he is just a person. She's been around a while and met many different kinds of people. But, it eventually occurs to her that he is supposed to be from an actual video game, and that gets her thinking. Shouldn't he be more robotic? More rigid and unmoving? Then again, more advanced games have more advanced characters. Perhaps he is from a VR game? But, even then, it is obvious he is much more than some kind of NPC.

     And...she almost falls out of her chair when that text box pops out of her phone. "Uwah!!" She fumbles the phone and clammers for it, knocking it around in the air a few times before it finally bounces off the table and into Linehart's lap. She unthinkingly chases after it...and then lets out a squeak much too cute for a tall, somewhat amazonian princess as she realizes where her hands have ended up. She quickly retrieves the phone and tries to focus on it while hoping the red in her cheeks will go away. "Y-yes!" she exclaims a bit too loudly at his question, then mmphs and tries to compose herself. "These phones usually have service wherever you go, but if you go particularly far from one of the gates or are just in a very deep underground or shielded area they may not function. A limitation of the technology, I am afraid." she says, continuing to focus completely on her own phone for now. "Oh! And, just a friendly warning, unless it is an emergency it is generally considered rude to place calls during the night or during typical meal times." She sets her phone down and takes a sip of her champagne. A long sip.

     Okay she really just downed the glass, and now motions for a refill from the nearby servant plant.
Linehart      The Mirror Knight blinks every so often when she looks away from him.

     She almost falls out of her chair. Almost instinctively he moves to stabilize her by the shoulder with his arm. The phone falls into his lap, she reaches down, and he just sort of stares at her.

     That ominous boss music takes on a vaguely embarrassed tone.

     Then it goes back to upbeat, and he laughs, that silent laugh. Are you alright, my lady? Forgive me for touching you without permission, but I would have much misliked to be responsible for an injury.

     He has absolutely no comment about her hands. But that music at least sort of implies that he knows something? And he acts so much like a knight, maybe he has some idea of courtly romance, and that sort of impropriety.

     He releases her shoulder and sets her chair right. That reminds me. You were looking at me earlier. Is there something especially unusual about my face? I admit that it's somewhat new to me, but if there's something strange about it, I should like to know.

     He's not being funny, either. His...well, his music is just kind of neutral, but he's not smiling, or laughing, or joking, or giving her a flirty smirk. He genuinely wants to know if something is wrong with the face he discovered he had about a day ago.

     He just nods at her statement about when is appropriate to call. He also doesn't say anything about her drinking. Instead, he just picks up his own glass and sips from it.

     Unsurprisingly the guy who used to be the Main Villain can drink with exactly the level of sophistication one would expect from such a character, even though he's only just learned how to eat like a civilized person. He probably didn't have any scenes where he drank, but the concept of *how* a villain should drink...it's probably just *embedded* in him.
Sarracenia      And now the irritating points of the ambient music come through. The princess only blushes more as she hears it and an annoyed 'mmmph' escapes her. "I am fine!" she declares with a bit of anger born from embarrassment. "I appreciate your concern." she adds after a few moments, her tone more controlled once more. She and her chair are set right once more, and she takes a deep breath to steady herself. "I think what is unusual about it is that it is not unusual. When one hears that someone is or was formerly a monstrous instrument of destruction, one expects a certain...grotesque quality. But, you are quite passable as a normal human, and..." She giggles a bit. "...a rather handsome human. If you were a hero, then..." She trails off, but possibilities are obviously swimming about in her head.

     Someone deeper and more analytical than Sarracenia might notice the way he seems to have proper manners and sophistication despite having never experienced a meal before, but the princess is much too distracted to wonder about such things. It may occur to her later, but for now she is enjoying a meal with a handsome, possible future hero. And he seems like he doesn't mind her company! Like finding someone with amnesia and convincing them you are their friend, she intends to take advantage of the situation. "So! Sir Linehart, may I ask what brought you to the ranks of the Watch?"
Linehart      Again, that silent laugh, though not at her. In fact, the look on his face suggests that it's a laugh of embarrassment, not mockery, like he's slightly embarrassed that he even got into the situation and he's trying to play it off. The music has a similar suggestion, that sort of whimsical up-beat 'ha ha isn't this funny please let this scene be funny' that always feels a little bit desperate to move on to the next part of it. It's a relief when it does, and Linehart settles back into his proper stance.

     A grotesqueness, is it...

     He looks away from her. His music gets...deep. Melancholic. What would be the ominous low beats get very quiet, and what would be frenetic and fast-paced battle beats slow down and drop an octave. I should think that there is a grotesqueness to me regardless, though it is not in my face, nor my form, but my soul.

     He shakes his head again. The music doesn't change. Never mind. I don't wish to speak of that at the dinner table. A fair Princess shouldn't need to hear such things anyhow, let alone of a man she just met.

     She turns the conversation to the Watch. His music doesn't change. He's probably still thinking about that grotesquerie thing. I was just wandering. I didn't know where I was going. I stopped in...I suppose it was an inn. Most of the patrons avoided me. Unsurprising. But one of them stepped up to me and struck up a conversation. After she determined that I was not as I seemed, she told me to seek out a group of people who might be what I was looking for. A party, as it were. She told me how to contact the Watch, and from there, I did, as you heard last night.

     The rest is as it is.
Sarracenia      A handsome man with a trouble soul. The romantic in Sarracenia (or is that the desperate?) finds this intriguing. She notices the changes in music, and nods lightly at Linehart's story. "I see." Luckily she doesn't have theme music to give away her thoughts. "Well, one thing I have learned about the Watch. They are generally trustworthy. A bit over-zealous, but generally trustworthy and...well, cautious. I am counted among their number, but please note that my involvemtn in Watch matters must be kept secret. The kingdom could suffer if it became well known. So, I offer support where I can and without too much publicity. But, for someone like you, unsure of just what it is you stand for now, the Watch will likely help you better define what it is you want to accomplish now that you are free to lead your own life."

     She sips her champagne, then smiles. "And as long as that life does not impede the life or freedoms of others, you will find nothing but friends among the Watch."
Linehart      The music gets very quiet. Then, it picks up a bit, as he tilts his head slightly in her direction. That's odd. You don't involve yourself in the Watch? Do you hold your kingdom in higher regard than your party?

     He takes another sip of the champagne, staring at her curiously. I would think that your Kingdom would declare itself proudly behind them. Give them aid. Or, at least, that they would be proud of your involvement and how you stand with them.

     He shakes his head. Still, thank you. I'm glad to know that I wandered in the right direction. I would say it was destiny's hand, but...

     His music gets sort of bitter. I am not the one destiny favors. I do not expect that to change just because my role has been spent.
Sarracenia      "I do not -openly- involve myself with the watch. I am sure that most in the Kingdom would declare themselves behind it, but to do so might bring ruin upon the kingdom from the other two major factions or other enemies of the watch. That is not to say that the other two factions are enemies by default, but the Watch's goals and theirs do not always match. And as a princess my first duty is to my kingdom and its people. I may not be the ideal princess to them, but I will not forsake them." she says.

     She notices the music change and takes note of Linehart's words, then hmphs softly. "Yes. Destiny. I do not believe in predestination of that sort. Anyone can forge their own path through life, regardless of their circumstances. To accept destiny is to give up on one's dreams, to accept shackles, to become a prisoner in one's own mind and body." she says, then pauses before quietly adding, "...or castle..."

     She sips of her champagne again, then smiles just a bit. "But, if my fellow Watchmen need my help with a worthy cause, I will still risk exposure to help them. Being in the Watch would mean nothing if I never took action."
Linehart      Linehart says nothing. His music's turned thoughtful, so he's probabliy mulling her answer over in his head, thinking about it. The look on his face isn't a thoughtful one, but, well, he's already said he basically can't pretend.

     When she moves on to destiny he shakes his head. I have no choice but to believe in it. Remember that I had a purpose I was made for. I had a script that I was given, written by a far-off god I have never met. Someone designed me. Someone...wrote me. Made me what I am. That is, I think, destiny in its truest sense. My life was defined before I even came into existence.

     And that same script is what allowed the Hero and their party to defeat me. Mark me - I am not bitter. No, it was for the best; better that than that I had remained what I was. Better that they freed me from Discordia than that I had been let to rampage and end the world.

     Forgive me, my lady. I think I shall retire to the room you so graciously prepared. I am...dwelling too much on this subject. Some more rest will do me good. Let us speak tomorrow. If I leave tomorrow, I shall call you instead.

     He stands up and just kind of walks over to the window, and...vanishes through it. His cape is the last thing through, the roiling shadow passing through the mirror and vanishing into the ether.