[OOM] Eiattu - Royal Chambers

[fighting_mad]

It's the middle of summer on Eiattu, but it has been one of the rainiest months in the planet's history. The cavernous royal chambers are damp and drafty, and there is a decidedly grumpy princess sitting at a desk in the inner living area (the smaller, less formal one). She is surrounded by beautiful things; rich tapestries, a few paintings, sleek furniture with smooth lines, everything in warm shades of gold and cream and yellow. The glowlamps are turned down low, besides the one burning brightly on the desk, and she is adrift in a studious sea of datapads and flimsi scraps, bare feet planted firmly on the floor.

Of course, it would be a much more elegant scene if the aforementioned princess wasn't wrapped up in a huge comforter, her head in her hand. And if she weren't sneezing, blowing her nose, swearing, and occasionally flinging styluses in abject misery.

Comments

[fighting_mad]

She hit him. She hit him and he's laughing.

THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO GO.

Plourr thrashes, massive comforter and all, and smacks him again. "Put me down!" she demands.

[eiattu_pride]

"No."

That one hurt a bit, mostly because she got the bridge of his nose.

[fighting_mad]

She would laugh if she knew that. Alas, she does not. She simply struggles weakly another minute, then gives up due to exhaustion, arms crossed sullenly over her chest and cheeks flushed in an otherwise white face. She's been dead on her feet with this the past three days; she doesn't have the energy left to fight.

[eiattu_pride]

He knows.

They get to the bedchamber, and he drops her on the large, somewhat antique bed with a sigh.

"Anything you need? Food, water, company...?"

[fighting_mad]

"My datapad," she says doggedly.

[eiattu_pride]

Sigh.

"No. I refuse. Anything else?"

[fighting_mad]

She sits back against the dark wooden headboard, arranging the thick comforter around her shoulders and across her lap, and she brings her knees up to her chest under it. She sniffles loudly. It's-- pretty disgusting.



She sighs and mutters, "Tissues."

[eiattu_pride]

"Sure."

Tissues are fetched, and handed over.

"Anything else?"

[fighting_mad]

She wedges the box in between her hip and the bed, and she pulls out a tissue and blows her nose. "No." She balls it up and lets it drop on the floor.

She stares at him with unblinking, overly bright eyes, clearly waiting for him to leave. So she can go back to her desk if she has to kriffing well crawl.

[eiattu_pride]

Hah, well, he ain't leaving. Tough luck.

He finds a seat and makes himself comfortable, watching her.

[fighting_mad]

She eyes him tiredly.

"You can go now."

Plourr isn't much good at subtle.

[eiattu_pride]

"I know."

He doesn't move.

[fighting_mad]

She blows her nose again, shivering and hunkering down lower.




"You're not doing it," she points out flatly.

[eiattu_pride]

"No, I'm not."

Crosses to room to perch on the bed, one arm around her shoulders.

"I'm staying. Deal."

[fighting_mad]

She scowls at him, sinking down lower into the blankets, out from under his arm. "I'll breathe on you," she snarls. "Get out."

[eiattu_pride]

"So breathe on me."

He laughs softly, then picks her up again, still wrapped in blankets. Holding her gently.

[fighting_mad]

"Hey!"

A yell of outrage, and then she hits him from within the blankets, wriggles out of the comforter (and out of his arms), and whacks him again.



And then, energy completely expended, she goes thunk-- the side of her face against his shoulder. "Leave me 'lone."

[eiattu_pride]

"Shhh, shh."

He holds her carefully with one arm, grappling for the comforter with the other. Wraps it around her carefully.

"I'm not going to, Princess. Someone needs to make sure you sleep."

[fighting_mad]

"Can't sleep," she says against his shoulder, aiming a kick at him that probably misses. She sneezes, has the presence of mind to at least cover her mouth. "You know there's too much that needs doing." She is speaking the truth, addled and slightly feverish as it is.

"I suck at this, Rial. I have no vapin' idea what I'm doing."

[eiattu_pride]

"Well, how about I take a look at it?"

He can sort it out. Most likely.

"Get caught up a bit, hmm?"

[fighting_mad]

She shakes her head vehemently. "No, no. At the whole goddamn thing. The 'hello, how are you; my, isn't your dress pretty?' and the back-stabbing and the saying the right thing and the decision-making and the doing the right thing and the 'every little decision you make'll affect millions of people' thing and the being a princess' thing."

No vaping idea."

[eiattu_pride]

"Oh."







He pats her back.

[fighting_mad]

It's entirely possible that she has forgotten that he's there. "This was never supposed to be me. It was Kassen, and then it was Dullourr. I went thak-riding while they sat with tutors and studied politics, history, precendents, interplanetary law, everything else. If I kriff this up, I take a planet down with me."

Long moment of silence.

"Fuck."

[eiattu_pride]

"It'll be okay."

He carefully inches back until he can lean on the headboard, then tugs her into his lap.

"Everything'll be better in the morning, I promise."

[fighting_mad]

"You're not helping," she mumbles into his shoulder, shifting the little bit necessary so that her ass and feet are on the bed on opposite sides of him. He's not very comfortable to sit on.

That thought (and this entire conversation) will make very little sense once her temperature has gone down.