C H A M P I O N

"It’s funny to me." She speaks quietly, words just for him. "I dislike the scent of humans, but yours now does not bother me."

                    One hand came to rest upon the back of her head, petting through her dark hair and circling around to toy with one of her fuzzy ears coiled in her locks. A slight smile rose to his face, and he chuckled.

                              Lucina said, with a nod. After the two were finished setting up, she went into stance and she brought out her practice blade. Taking a deep breath, she gripped onto it firmly and comfortably. "I’m ready when you are." she said, looking at Lon’qu as he held his blade as well. Could she be able to defeat him again?

                    Standing up straight, his arms dropping to his side, he inquired, "Do you still have your mask?"

                    "You... you have nothing... to apologize for. I understand." Then he took a step forward once more. He was going to get used to these strange Taguel customs, no matter how hard it might be! So daringly, his own tongue came out to swipe over the tip of her nose.

                    "I didn't know you did that," he mumbles behind his hand, looking away in embarrassment.

by 子マメ

"You may try again, but I can hear your heartbeat. You’re giving it quite a workout. There is no need to rush." His hand is sweaty. She squeezes it anyway. "Long and fruitful lives."

                    "Panne," he mumbles, pressing ever closer, feeling much braver than before. Though his heart still pounds against his ribcage, he nestles his face against the soft fur of her neck. Whatever he had been going to say, he doesn't say it.

He’s come a long way in one meeting, from having to throw her the bag to kissing her hand. She wonders how long it will take to think seriously about repopulation.

                    Lon'qu shrinks away in embarrassment. The hand that held Panne's is growing sweaty, and she can probably feel it. "M-my apologies."

"Lon’qu… I am still the only surviving taguel. Repopulation is…a concern, to say the least. If we are to be together, it will become your concern as well."

                    "I suppose so," he mumbles quietly, reaching out to brush the backs of his fingers over her side. His eyes move along the curve of her hip, then tear away out of embarrassment to look her in the eye.

"Yes, warm and fuzzy describes what I’m feeling now." She rises to her full height, barely taller than Lon’qu. Gently, she squeezes his hand and draws it back to leave her own kiss on the back of his hand. As far as she knows, human women do not return kisses to the hand, but she is no human woman.

                    "Promise me one thing," he murmured against her, "To take care of yourself so we may grow old together. All right?"

She extends a hand to him, palm up. Her eyes focus on his face, only briefly flicking her eyes down. She can’t accept being loved by someone who’s afraid to touch her.

                    But he finds it in him finally to take her hand, curling his fingers around it and bringing it to his lips to kiss her knuckle. From where his head is, he glances up at her through his lashes, awaiting a reaction of some sort.

"Well well! I assumed it would be empty bragging, but there may be something to this ‘no better tea’ claim after all."

                    Clearing his throat, he speaks up, "You know, it's funny--whenever I'm around you or think about you I get this warm fuzzy feeling. I always thought it may be the potion, but I am beginning to doubt it."

Dedicated to Robodumpling because……Because…

"You may."

                    Clearing his throat, he says, "Elderberry and tea leaves from Ferox. There's no better tea in all the lands. And, there's no medicine in it."

"Taguel are varied, like you humans. The difference is that we Taguel do not waste time with polite but useless qualifiers."

                    "I... see," he mumbles in response, though it's obvious he doesn't seem to get it very much. That doesn't matter. What matters is he's been subtly moving closer to her as time passes, and the shortened distance between them has grown shorter. "May I make you some of my own tea?"

                    He's still recovering from te tea. Its taste lingers in his mouth. "Only the Shepherds," he grunts quietly, "Are Taguel so used to helping others, they do it even when they are not obligated? Or is that just you?"

"If you want your nightmares back, you needn’t drink it." With that, she backs away to let him do as he will.

                    "Th-thank y--you," Lon'qu half speaks, half gags.

"You wait here." It’s all the warning he gets as she goes to brew the herbs into tea.

                    With a sigh, he folds his arms over his chest and waits.