Sam

"Stubborn" is not a word one would often use to describe Lillia.

No, in fact, if you asked, many would agree that she could maybe be best known for her ability to improvise, both in combat and elsewhere. Lilli was taught to think on her feet, and that applies in many different ways. At the very least, she always does her best to be open-minded about different solutions for any problem. She'll work with you to do whatever you think is best, within reason.

...Which was why Cassiopeia found it strange that Lilli insist she carry her.

Okay, yes, fair enough, she hurt her leg, but she was perfectly capable of walking with it. It was just that...well, when Lilli noticed her wincing with every step, she just...wouldn't let up.

"It's not a big deal! I'm fine walking the rest of the way, besides, don't they tell you to walk it off?"

"But you're injured."

"Y-yes, but-"

"You are injured. Let me help."

They'd gone back and forth several times in a similar manner, each time around leaving Cassie increasingly exasperated as Lilli explained her reasoning of "You are injured," and "Allow me to help," and "It's no trouble," with remarkable patience, bordering on what felt like condescension, which Cassie knew she didn't intend.

She really made it sound like the most plain thing in the world, but she was so insistent on it that it rubbed Cassie the wrong way.

...But Cassie also couldn't deny that it sounded nice, and if she was going to more or less demand that she hop up into her big, strong arms; to relax and not worry about carrying her own weight for the rest of the trip...well, it would certainly be simpler, maybe faster...

"...Fine." was all she got out before Lilli bent at the knees, swept her feet out from under her, and yanked her up into a bridal carry with as much effort as one might take lifting a full backpack from the floor.

Cassie managed to avoid audibly reacting to the ease with which her companion manipulated her body, but couldn't help the way her cheeks heated up at the-the weightless feeling, the heat from sheer proximity to her, the smell of...

...Oh, gods.

She doesn't know what to do with her hands. She doesn't know where she should rest her eyes. Should she talk? It feels more awkward not to talk now.

Lilli says nothing and she can't read anything from the helmet she's staring up at. Her pace is the exact same as it was when they were walking beside each other...maybe faster? Maybe?

Oh gods, did Lilli suggest it just because she was lagging behind? Did-oh, gods, was she holding her back, again?

"It-um, it really was...I could walk, and, um, like...I could go faster if-" Cassie broke off as Lilli tilted her head down, and the silence had somehow gotten more awkward. Her throat tightened.

"...You are injured. I do not wish you to further hurt yourself for my sake. Please."

...

...Was she requesting it, now?

Maybe Cassie's just an idiot, again.

"Have you...erm, have you done this before, with...other party members?"

"Yes." Her head's returned to the distance, grip shifting subtly as she comes to a slight hill. "I have done it for many people."

It's never been particularly difficult is something she manages to avoid saying, remembering the strongman offended that his weight provided little challenge to such a "small, weak little girl", to which a great argument broke out.

"...What's the biggest guy you've ever lifted?"

"I don't know." was her first, honest answer, but after brief consideration, "Wait, do you mean human or monster?"

...You've lifted monsters? is the question on Cassie's lips before she realizes that's-that's actually not at all unusual for her, never mind.

"Both?"

"Okay, well, the heaviest monster I've ever lifted was definitely that stone golem."

"Oh, yeah...that makes sense, actually."

...8 tons. The lightest stone golems weighed at least 8 tons. They didn't have time to measure the one Lilli had chucked into the pit, but if she had to guess...

...15? Ballpark estimate?

"As for humans...eh, well. I'm not sure. Dwarves feel more difficult to carry than giants, because they're denser. It's less overall weight, but less spread out, typically, which makes it more awkward. It's more like carrying a stone than a person. Also, beards are not good handles."

...Cassie can't help but giggle as she says this.

"It's true. They really aren't, and they yell at you if you try to use them as one."

"I'm, I'm sure they do!" she manages to get out as it turns into a full belly laugh.

Lilli smiles inside her helmet as she spies a caravan passing. The crest is royal, she thinks, but it's not one she recognizes. She's not particularly worried about it.

"I've seen many people exacerbate an injury by making a long journey by foot, and go on to lose said foot, or something similar." Now that she thinks about it, Cassie truly seemed to be unfamiliar with the concept, so explaining the reasoning was a good idea.

"Yours didn't seem to be getting better. This is the most logical course of action." Her arms were occupied, now, but that was fine. Being able to protect her injured comrade in the face of danger was more of her concern than defending herself.

...Is this really how adventurers operate in the wild? (It's not.) Cassie can't believe how selfless they are... (Lilli's just weird.)

These are the thoughts occupying their minds as they pass by the carriage, greeting one another with a simple "Hail!" Cassie finally notices and identifies the crest of the Royal Perfumers, which Cassie still can't believe is a real thing. Either way, she responds as anyone with a nose as sensitive as hers would--she pinches her nose closed as they approached. Thankfully, the two were upwind, so they had nothing to worry about until they actually got that close.

As they pass, Cassie still ends up with a mouthful of whatever menagerie of scents they had gathered in their cart, which was unpleasant and made her cough, but at the least, she wasn't sneezing. After the last time Lilli had picked her up, Cassie didn't think she could handle helplessly sneezing in her arms again...

...Ugh, her cheeks are burning just thinking about that. As is her throat, still. She coughs again, thick, now passing downwind of it, the cart somewhere in the distance now, amazed at how little Lilli is-

"--!" Lilli's footsteps falter, her helmet dipping only slightly. Cassie hears her lips move, but no sound from her-

"--! --! Hihh-!"

"Oh. Uh."

"-nnk! -kk! Uh-hNgkk!"

She's stopped now, fully overwhelmed by her nose.

"Er, bless you-"

"Uhn-kgKNnsshew!" Despite her best efforts, she can't stifle much longer. She thought she was fine dealing with an attack from the front, but she never foresaw a sneeze attack.

"Uh. Ah." Cassiopeia wants to tell her to put her down, but if she was that stubborn about it earlier, she somewhat doubts that "you need your hands to handle your nose" will convince her, and she'd rather not make her try to argue while she's sneezing.

Well, then, what? What does she-

"-nnGgkk! -hnngKkt! HNggkktssch-!" Ah! Wait! She knows!

"I'm-hang on, lemme-!" Hands working faster than her mouth (or her brain), Cassie fumbles with the strap holding Lillia's helmet on her head.

"I-I c-hnngkKtschh-! Can't-! C-can't stop-! HiIIHh-"

"Hang on! I've got you!" Finally, after a second, the strap comes loose, and she eases the helmet off her head as quickly as she can manage. Lilli would've preferred to have it wrenched off all at once.

"There!"

"Unn-pPpsscheww! Tsschhew! Uh-tTSschew...!"

It was a good call to get it off, in one sense. Sucked through her visor, she was well and truly trapped in the scent, and likely would've been for minutes.

It did, however, provide much less buffer between Lilli's face and Cassie, meaning she accidentally sneezed onto her as soon as the helmet was off. Realizing after a moment, she turned her head as far as she could, straining her neck.

"Uh-ugh, gods bless you..."

Poor girl... was all Cassie could think, producing a handkerchief to wipe the residual spittle from her face.

Lilli's face, meanwhile, continued sneezing, now exposed to open air, hair slick with sweat and roughly swept out of her eyes, tears and snot dripping freely. Her entire face itches, and with each sneeze, she struggles to avoid bending too far, squeezing Cassiopeia to her chest slightly, shaking with every exertion.

After a blink, Cassie gazed down at what was in her hands and slapped herself.

"L-Lilli! I have a handkerchief right here!"

"Hhih-ttChhew! Ungh-!" She turned back around, sticking her face forward, seeking out wherever the handkerchief is without her hands.

Ah. Right.

"Wh-?!" Cassie shuts her eye, irritated at herself for teeing that up.

Obviously. No hands. Carry Cassie to ease the load on her leg, no hands. Sneezing. Can't stop sneezing. No hands. Angle face away. Can't stop sneezing. Cassie offers a handkerchief, full well understanding--can't stop sneezing, no hands, she already pulled her helmet off so now she's offering a handkerchief to hold over Lilli's nose herself.

"HiIHh-!" Well, now she doesn't have time to think about it! Reluctantly, Cassie gripped Lilli's chin with one hand and shielded the bottom half of her face with the other.

"HieEh-tTSsschHEW! -iipPSschew! -tTtsschH-uh!" Thankfully, she refrains from any attempt to clear her nose besides sneezing, and despite everything, Lilli's sneezes aren't terribly wet, they're just very itchy, and very persistent. She decides to take a step, then decides against continuing, which Cassie is grateful for.

Cassie is doing her best to ignore the way Lilli jerks forward in her hand with each sneeze, delicate face scrunching and wrinkling, pressing tighter and rubbing around on Cassie's dutifully waiting hand, trying to scratch the itch persisting all around her nose.

"Hah-ahHtSchhew! AHptTsChhuhh-tschhoo! UnSCHHh! Uh-"

Cassie sighs, despite herself, doing her best to wipe her lover's nose, wiping up her tears, her sweat, whatever...It may be a little disgusting, but, well...She can't deny that having Lilli so thoroughly helpless is a little...

Her entire face is red. Steaming. Nope. Nuh uh. Nora, you are alone. You are not backdooring us into a new kink, nope, nuh uh, SHUT UP.

...Lilli is taking the handkerchief after. Nope. Cassie is not keeping this. No.

"Hhah-ah-! ...uH-PptTsSchew!"

Okay, that's enough.

"...You wanna...?" Cassie pats Lilli's arm, reminding her there is another option. It really didn't seem to be slowing down, like this. She needed to blow her nose, and it seemed like...

Lilli realizes after about 4 more sneezes what she means, and after another 2 manages to gently maneuver her to her feet, taking the handkerchief and-after bending double with one more, sending red hair flying behind her-blows her nose loudly, wrestling back and forth for control.

Finally, finally, she manages a few deep breaths--still sneezing now and then, but less. Enough to be in control.

Enough to speak.

"I-I apologize, I...I'm not sure what came over me, but that cart smelled so-"

"Uh, yeah, it-those were the Royal Perfumers. They go around gathering exotic and strong smells, for use in, um...well, perfume."

"It certainly smelled-hH-aHh-! -tTssCHew! Ugh, strong." Lilli had never encountered something like that, much less sneezed herself silly from it. She was uncertain how to feel about it. After all, she'd reacted so much, and Cassie, for once, hadn't...she didn't like feeling singled out, but she was glad Cassie was safe.

"...Lilli?"

"Hm?" She looked up, and Cassie just avoided biting her lip seeing how pink her nose was.

She cleared her throat.

"Oh, hold-" Lilli moved to grab her and Cassie put a hand on her chest to prevent it.

"No, I'm fine to walk now I think. But-er, well...my handkerchief?"

"I'll-oh. Oh. Um, I'll-" Fumbling around with it, trying to find a dry side, trying to-

"I'll, um, wash it."

Cassie smiled, shaking her head.

"Thanks, but..."

...

...gods damn it all, Nora.

"I'll-uh, don't worry about it. I'll wash it myself. Call it, erm...well, you gave me a hand, I gave you one. Don't mention it."

Seriously. Don't. Please.