˚ ∘ ✧ but at night i dream of a love that is so heavy it makes my spine throb— i dream up about a lover who makes love like he’s separating salt from water.
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@orchdaries
˚ ∘ ✧ but at night i dream of a love that is so heavy it makes my spine throb— i dream up about a lover who makes love like he’s separating salt from water.

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aera is her better half, the lovelier part of her life that soothes instead of scars, and comforts her even on the most imagined slights keran bears. she nods, automatically agreeing with what the older girl has to say. "i guess so..." but the sergeant still frowns, "i still think they shouldn'tve!" it's one thing to lose, and another to lose so terribly. for shame!
but there is no judgement from aera, always. even when keran's finally confessing the second (or first) embarrassing loss she'd taken, before the red sun tournament had begun. and her best friend's love for all things related to love is no secret to her, so keran has no qualms about telling her everything. there's no one better, who's been by her side longer, and would know everything she's about to say too.
"it's been three years," she grumbles, "even i understood that he didn't want to talk to me." which is the same as ending things, isn't it? it puts a pit in her stomach, like she's swallowed a sinking stone. or the rising sun, when she thinks about that moment again. it must burn as hot as her cheeks now, half hidden in the bountiful skirts of her best friend. keran can't wrap her head around the complexities of it, but she knows aera can.
she looks up at her friend. "we didn't talk after that... i didn't know what to say. i was going to just lose, and then that'd be it. an apology!" the sergeant holds out her hands, the apology that should've been in them all but snatched away by chanyul. "and he kissed me." keran quickly raises an open hand up, palm outstretched to aera as if to claim her innocence and space for a quick addition. "but then he left, too!"
the girl glances at her friend, already knowing what aera's going to ask—she knows her too well not to answer the questions the romance-loving healer would have. "it wasn't... how it felt like when we were kids." because that had gone over terribly, the world's least inspired kiss between children who hadn't understood a thing about it. this one is different. she'd lost a match over it. keran groans and turns over, burying her face in aera's knee. "i think i've been a fool, aegi. what do i do now?"
❝ precisely . it's been three years , ranran . ❞ aera reminds her friend sweetly even though she also wished that she could give keran more reassuring about how exactly chanyul felt back then, however that happened when her own relationship with the prince wasn't the same as it was when they were younger or even the same that it is now. ❝ feelings can be quite fleeting things . he might've not wanted to talk to you then , however it doesn't mean that he's angry now . ❞ it might've been enough time for chanyul and keran mature in their own ways and maybe chanyul understands where the youngest zhao was coming from when she decided to run away back then and that in the end she didn't mean to end the engagement between them.
this feels way too much like one of her novels where the main characters are full of misunderstandings between each other because they're always assuming things instead of talking things out, asking and clarifying things with each other. even though it's something that, in books, keeps aera on her toes and has the very satisfying pay off when the two main characters finally get together, in real life with her two real friends, it makes aera want to sit both of them in a room together and make them talk even more urgently because she knows that she could just do so.
the healer sighs, ready to ask her friend if chanyul was at least informed that it was an apology or if he just knew somehow that it was an apology instead of making it too vague to the point that the prince might even see this as another way for keran to run away from him again, however any word or reaction that she could've had dies and is replaced by wide eyes and a hand covering her mouth, most likely to stop herself from screaming, when keran admits that she and chanyul— ❝ kissed— you— you two what ? no , wait— does this mean that chanyul was the one who kissed you first ? ❞ and suddenly she's a little proud of her former playdate, never really having much faith that he'd be the one to have iniciative for something like that.
❝ no , wait ! first how did it feel then ? ❞ aera asks more than curious about it since she remembers how anticlimatic was keran's first retell of her kiss with chanyul; how a little disappoint aera felt back then, taking keran's outstreched hand in her own a new sparkle of excitement filling her eyes. ❝ did you feel you discovered a whole new world , being overwhelmed with such an exhilarating feeling that you completely lost track of the environment around you ? or ! or ! was it something a little sweeter and familiar ? like finally finding a piece that you didn't even know that you were missing ? a kiss that tastes like home and all of your favorite things ? ❞
❝ of course you have to talk to him ! ❞ she answers right away. ❝ or do you want me to go and pull his ear so he can approach you first ? ❞ she offers as well, deciding that this might be a good exception of her no meddling rule. ❝ i'm his healer now so he has to listen to me . ❞
@orchdaries
yura walks in with the same difficulty she faced on her way to aera's room, movements slowed by the soreness that clings to her muscles. despite her attempts to hold in any sounds of discomfort, her facial expressions give away her struggle; nose scrunching up and brows furrowing with every step.
“i might have overdone it yesterdayㅡ” she admits with a hint of amusement, hoping to ease the worry evident in her sister’s voice. there’s no doubt that yesterday was the most fun she’s had in a while. each fight had demanded her full attention, leaving her with barely any recollections of her battles; bruises and burns now adorning her body stand as the only testament to the intensity of each.
but no battle is truly fought if it doesn’t leave a mark; she often tells herself. the young lavabender wears these marks with pride, each bruise and scrape like a badge of honor. though, she feels a twinge of guilt for causing her sister worry. “i'm sorry for always troubling you.” as a healer, aera has undoubtedly seen worse but tending to family brings a different weight. yura knows it's not easy for aera to witness her in this state.
the redhead sits on the bed, and almost instantly, she feels enveloped by a sense of security and comfort that she only experiences around her sister. “i'll try to be more careful.” she quickly adds before aera realises her injuries are only minor and begins to scold her.
aera knits her eyebrows in concern while watching her sister walk into her room, going to the bed as instructed. even though it isn't the first time that she has treated yura after some matches or training sessions, it never fails to worry her how the girl seemed to have some difficulty to walk; sentiment that is most likely only aggravated by the fact that perhaps aera has been too used to only treating small cuts and bruises, a problem of sleep here and there, for most of her friends for these last couple of days so now seeing yura, even if it might be simply her mostly sore from a long day of matches, like that does make aera's something is wrong senses to tingle.
❝ might have ? ❞ usually aera would use a teasing tone for those words, pointing out what yura tries to express as if uncertainty that it's in fact an undeniable truth, backed up with evidence backed up by the way she's walking now; but now the healer can only frown a little harder before letting out a huff. however, even then, aera can't really hold too much heat against yura since she knows this is what makes her sister happy. in the same way that she found herself in the art of healing, yura found herself in the art of fighting and that's something that she needs to accept— does accept even if that doesn't stop her from worrying all the same. ❝ when exactly do you not overdo it , sister ? ❞
aera moves in the meantime that yura gets comfortable on her bed, already taking out ointments for burns and a couple of oils that might help with blood circulation if applied with the right massage, consequently helping with any bruises; she also takes some painkillers as well. the healer does take another quick look at her sister to check if there are evidence of any cuts as well but she doesn't find any; but in the end she does decide to get a first aid kit just in case before approaching the bed. she watched yura's matches but considering how the youngest choi has always been more of a daredevil than anything, it wouldn't be surprising if she ended up with more injuries than aera could guess at first glance.
it used to be worse, aera remembers, when the passing of their parents was fresher. aera remembers how any and all injuries in her family used to trigger her into a panicked state, her mind considering that this might be it, that this little cut or this or that would bruise would be the what would take her siblings away from her the same way that unknown illness took father and mother while aera could to nothing but watch helplessly everything happening, bearing a desperate and useless hope that she might find not only what was causing it but a cure while not even the wisest of the healers and doctors couldn't. the thing is that the voice is still there, telling her that she might lose yura or geonwoo or nara or her other older sibling (or all of them) at the smallest of the incidents, but it's easier to control it now; to tone it down.
❝ if you're really sorry than you should stop making me worry so much . ❞ aera scolds yura, her tone gentle even if her words aren't quite. ❝ here's something to alleviate the pain . ❞ and then she's murmuring softly to her sister in the next moment, offering her some medicine in a cup. ❝ it might not have the best taste but it's still important to drink it all . if you do , i'll give you a little treat afterwards . ❞ usually aera would simply threaten to cry, finding out that her tears are quite a strong convincing point to most people but since she has little sweets available and yura did look for her first instead of aera having to hunt her sister down to get treated, the youngest choi does deserve a reward instead of a punishment; for now anyway.
❝ i'll check your legs first , ok ? ❞ aera gives her sister a small heads up, deciding that she'll give yura her lecture as soon as she knows the extend of the damage she's dealing with. ❝ unless you'd like me to check something else first ? ❞
𝚑𝚢𝚎𝚓𝚞:
{ ... } Almost as if on queue with the sentiment her brother appears before her. "You aren't disturbing me at all. I was just thinking about you actually," Hyeju is eased by his presence, releasing a breathy chuckle as she leans back in her chair. She did not need to present proper posture around him. "If you are feeling up to the task, I could use some help auditing these bills," Her attention takes turns between the sight of Taesung lounged and beginning to relax in her office and also the paperwork that she was currently analyzing, "But I must admit you do not look like you are up to much of anything at the moment, when is the last time you slept?"
if asked taesung would forever deny that he has a favorite sibling. after all he has experienced first hand how poisonous that could be, however it couldn't be denied that hyeju, as a fellow non-bender under house seok, did end up crawling into a special place in his heart. rationally he knows that neither sarang nor yerim have fault nor choices of their bending status as much as taesung doesn't either. it isn't their fault that they were favored for their firebending abilities and that their parents held it, especially yerim's, over his head like a threat, a warning that he should not make mistakes or else everything he fought so hard for would be taken away from him. it's easier to breath around hyeju; to look at her and doesn't see the resentment that he has brewed inside his chest over things that he couldn't change for a good portion of his life.
it was just easier to offer hyeju a friendlier hand when his feeling of wanting to kind to her wasn't overly twisted with other ones. he still remembers his father telling him that the world wouldn't be kind to taesung so to prepare his son for it then he needed to raise him with a cruel hand as well so is with that mentality that he's raised to be seok taesung, but not quite how he becomes seok hyeju's older brother.
yet it's funny if not tragic how that kind of logic was applied for taesung and taesung along since hyeju was as much of a favorite daughter to their father as yerim so when he's sleep deprived enough, he does question if maybe this is all because he's a man and not because he's a non-bender.
❝ let me see it . ❞ taesung says as soon as hyeju offers him something to do, easily dismissing her words of how he looks since he was also more than willing to forget his exhaustion and the fact that he did come to her office so he could take a break from documents and numbers and his employees that decided to test his patience that day. technically those aren't his numbers so it should still take as a break, shouldn't it? well, now it does. he shifts on his seat, suddenly fully awake while he extends one of his hands to take those documents away from her.
❝ time is nothing but a social construct . ❞ the minister argues with a scrunched nose even if the dark circles under his eyes might disagree with him. and then because this is hyeju, he does stop to think about when exactly was the last time that he slept and for how long. ❝ but if you must know , ❞ he sniffs, suddenly feeling a little sheepish because he also knows that a lecture is probably coming and hyeju won't surely let him work as soon as she finds out about his sleeping hours. taesung feels tempted to lie to her a moment, but then lying to hyeju never left a good aftertaste on his mouth. ❝ it was last night , ❞ technically. ❝ i took a nap before having a meeting with one of the other ministers . and before you argue— yes , that does count as sleeping ; i closed my eyes and even laid down a bit . ❞
and of course hyeju didn't need to know that he pulled an allnighter right before that for organizing all the documents and arguments for said meeting.
𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊:
{ ... } "good evening, lord seok." she smiles at him, genuine and warm. she can always count on taesung to keep her company during these events. "it has barely started and i already wish it to end." nara takes a sip of her wine, looking around. she knows that many people will want to come and talk to lord seok, and that taesung was searching for her as much as she was for him. "let me guess, what was the talk this time?" she asks him, amused. "a marriage?" it's always the same, marriages and alliances, everyone is always plotting something. "you can't run forever, you know?" she knows a thing or two about it, and she has certainly tried to run away. "but for tonight i don't mind taking your head off such bothersome topics. as long as you offer me the same courtesy, of course." nara raises her glass at him on a toast, smiling.
taesung hums while trying to hold back a chuckle, finding nara's honest comment a breeze of fresh air among all the obvious staged conversations that he had so far. it isn't that he personally minds the word games that the nobles like to play during events like this, being an avid participant himself — even though he isn't the biggest fan of the ones who like to bore him with talk that is too idle —, however it's refreshing to hear some sincerity once in a blue moon, even more so when it comes from the new head of house choi whose demeanor is always so composed and polished, always concerned about her posture as the head of the house and even if taesung himself isn't there just yet, he can definitely relate to that.
❝ at least house bae has good wine . ❞ he points out. ❝ a small saving grace in this otherwise— ❞ taesung makes a point to pause for a second, not hiding that what he'd like to say something more but won't out of courtesy. ❝ event. ❞ he settles down with that, his tone flat, because at the end of the day, it is just an event; nothing that taesung would personally find extraordinary yet he's sure that he has been to worse parties, unironically ones that were hosted by the palace or the royal family since those were the ones that people grew much bolder to come and talk to him about topics that he didn't want to discuss like his marriage.
even though taesung scrunches his nose as soon as nara says the word marriage as if that simple act was enough to evoke his distaste along all the bad memories of people trying to push their children towards him or even his parents wanted him to be introduced to this or that noble, he still accepts her toast with a gentle bump of his cup against hers. ❝ if i didn't know any better , my lady , i'd think that you're trying to propose to me as well . ❞ he teases her in good nature, knowing full well that, as much as house choi wouldn't be a bad house to marry, they aren't each other's first (or perhaps even last) option for that type of union. he's sure that his mother would be delighted for him to marry a lavabender but he supposes that will be yet another pride that he won't give to her.
❝ with that kind of threat , ❞ he sighs as if providing nara with not only a distraction from this event but also being the excuse for others to not approach her was a selfless act of sacrifice, as if she wasn't doing the exact same to him. ❝ am i really in a position to decline ? ❞ he jests once again and then takes another sip of his wine. ❝ what kind of entertainment would you like to have today , lady choi ? ❞

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𝚜𝚞𝚑𝚘:
[ ... ] suho walked beside her, a quiet force of wind blowing through the dim halls of the palace as he passed bowed heads, swaying torches, and opened doors. "i won't have you home by dinner," he told her, only truth in it, and some apology, "my hand is in a sorry state, as i wrote you." walkway turned to stairwell, day to night. "what would you like for dinner?" he asked as he walked beneath the darkness of the only unlit torch in the hall—that sorry attempt at brightness.
aera always feels a little stiff whenever she needs to interact with suho in public. not because of the presence of the crown prince or any traits of his personality, but it's the feeling of being constantly watched— as if someone was waiting for her to make a wrong move to criticize her and her family, to have an excuse to keep her family in an even tighter leash. even if it could be argued that aera was the one of the choi siblings that was most comfortable during social events, usually that didn't apply when the royal family was involved with an exception here and there; and that's why it feels like the way to suho's chambers feel like an endless hallway.
❝ no need to apologize for such a thing, your grace . ❞ the healer is quick to dismiss suho's apology. ❝ what kind of healer would i be if i left my patient half treated for a dinner i have many other days to eat ? ❞ and she's genuinely worried about suho's wrist besides her usual excitement about being able to sit down with the crown prince and share thoughts that she doesn't have other people that would hear them, or at least not without evoking any feelings or thoughts that aera didn't want to evoke on her loved ones. she's sure that they'd come from the greatest of the places considering how much they care for her, but it isn't what she needs then.
besides how could she ever complain if she gets to the eat the palaces's— ❝ komodo chicken ! and dumplings ! ❞ aera answers without missing a beat with an excitement of a child that is asked that they could have anything they wanted for dinner, especially now that there weren't as much eyes on them (or at least eyes that aera can see or sense), but then she also feels nara's gently pulling her ears for her manners in front of the crown prince and to remember to act like every question was asked out of courtesy instead of sincerity. ❝ however , ❞ that's why she's also quick to add, suddenly back to her more lady-like demeanor . ❝ i'm not a picky eater , my prince , anything that is served for dinner will suit my taste . ❞
❝ perhaps , ❞ she sends a quick look at his covered wrist. ❝ something a little easier to eat ? ❞ after all the last thing that aera wanted was to give suho an even harder time because she forced him to overexert his hurt wrist.
𝙲𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙰𝙲𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙳𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙿𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝙼𝙴𝙼𝙴
𝙲𝚁𝙴𝙰𝚃𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄𝚁 𝙼𝙰𝚂𝙺 your character will wear to the banquet. choose the material, then answer the corresponding question. you must choose for all categories.
𝙱𝙰𝚂𝙴 : 𝚆𝙾𝙾𝙳・in a social setting, is your character more stoic or reserved or are they boisterous and expressive? why?
aera has always been good with her words and communicating, being more of a talker than a listener. even if she easily matches the energy of whoever she's talking to, aera also has the tendency to be more expressive with a large arrange of expressions and tones. she simply thinks that she feels too much to be able to tone it all down which is good because it means that she comes off as a very honest/genuine person, but it's also bad because it means she isn't as good with lying or deception.
𝙴𝚈𝙴𝚂 𝙷𝙾𝙻𝙴𝚂 : 𝙰𝙻𝙼𝙾𝙽𝙳-𝚂𝙷𝙰𝙿𝙴𝙳・if your character were to successfully manipulate someone to their will, would they harbor any guilt or remorse for their actions?
she would've definitely felt guilty since she'd rather not have to appeal for such methods while getting what she wants. aera doesn't want to force people's hands or stepping on top of anyone to achieve her goals, truly believing that there are always other less harmful ways to do so. she's still human, however, and would feel some satisfaction by being able to deceive someone to get what she wanted, however that would be very short lived and most likely another reason that would make her feel bad about the whole thing.
𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚞𝚕:
[ ... ] "do you want me to talk to him for you ?" he asks. "i could put in a good word for you." he tries to sound reassuring, without going too in-depth with detail in case someone else overhears. if only to help aera save face. the questions about his own conversation with jiyu causes conflicting emotions to swell inside of him. he feels a pang of sympathy at her obvious delight to hear about jiyu even if it's through someone else. it makes him want to be honest with her, though it does take a second for him to — recall the finer details of their conversation. after all, it was one of many he had that morning. "i think i did make him laugh," he says. "i told him that i was getting bullied by a child, and he seemed to think that was funny."
aera is someone who firmly believes in destiny— that people are linked together through the red line of fate so if someone is meant to be with someone else they'll find their way to each other without much if any intervene from anyone else; that's why she never offers to play matchmaker with anyone unless she's requested to no matter how much she's rooting for this or that couple and that's why she's also torn in between accepting chanyul's help now. if she and jiyu are meant to be then they'll find each other even if it might not be now or even soon; besides it isn't like she's truly pursuing jiyu anyway, the older zhao being more of a fleeting dream than anything else.
it's a sweet gesture still, she thinks, especially when considering that chanyul also holds a special kind of affection towards the commander. it makes her look at the prince with somewhat pride in her eyes and also endearment because this feels so much more different from the kid that would argue with her over servings of dessert, one that wouldn't so easily give up something that he considered his. " ah , chanyul-ah , " and aera can't even help how her tone turns a little less formal and a lot more like the one that truly belongs to a childhood friend talking to another childhood friend but fortunately neither nara nor anyone else who could scold her for it is there to pull her ear for being overly familiar with the prince, a hand coming up to cover her mouth. " you've really grown up , haven't you ? " she speaks like a mother proud and touched that their child has grown up well.
" but it's ok ! " aera tries to reassure her friend. " i like how things are now , but i could put a good word with him for you as well ! " even though she doesn't overly enjoys meddling with people's love affairs, much preferring to be a simple bystander, aera thinks that it's only fair that she returns the favor somehow. she doesn't exactly what she could say that jiyu doesn't know about chanyul already (or, at least, something good because she's sure that chanyul doesn't want to share their childhood stories of them bickering and throwing tantrums at each other) but she could surely make the effort to try to find anything anyway.
aera can't help how a giggle threatens to escape with chanyul's little tale, even though she knows that she probably shouldn't because being bullied is never a good thing but something in it still makes her want to laugh. " oh no . " and that's why she at least tries to appear sympathetic over the prince's case even if she has always been a horrible liar. " at least your suffering wasn't in vain . " as always, even more so when tipsy, aera tries to see the silver lining in everything.
" i wish commander zhao would laugh more . " aera comments a little more serious, suddenly her smile turning into a pout. " of course that he's very handsome when he's all serious and commander-like , " and she does tries her best to make a serious and stiff man impersonation, knitting her eyebrows into a frown and standing a little straighter, even her voice turns a little deeper for a hot second before it completely dissolves back to her usual demeanor and composure, aera being unable to keep it for long. " but he's also very handsome when he laughs , perhaps even more so . " and maybe that's one of her favorite jiyu's, the one that lets his more easygoing and teasing nature show than the intimidating commander of the fire nation navy.
𝚐𝚎𝚘𝚗𝚠𝚘𝚘:
[ ... ] She is stubborn, so much like him in her own way. When she is stern with him ( in that gentle voice ), he can see every bit of their mother within her. Her features have settled in as she ages. The large sparkling eyes only Aera possesses. Geonwoo is every bit of his father — from his piercing gaze and strong jaw to his unwavering discipline. Perhaps it is a destiny for them both to be this way; a lingering memory left of the two that can be carried with them. And with his thoughts lingering to their parents, he can only compel himself to follow Aera. "I already went to see a doctor. They informed me that the cut is not deep and should heal within the week..." He purses his lips and lowers his gaze. "There is no need to fuss over it. I'd rather no attention... be brought..."
" and that's why your kind sister is taking you away from the banquet for a moment . " aera guides them to a private corner of the banquet, turning to face her brother as soon as she deems that there are not much if any prying eyes on them. even though a part of the healr, if she were any less considerate towards her brother's feelings or their house's reputation, wouldn't be above making a small scene in the middle of dinner because, at the end of the day, geonwoo's health and wellbeing always comes as a priority above anything else.
" there's no need to— " aera starts her words with a little annoyance with a pinch of incredibility and finishes them with a huff. she narrows her eyes at where she assumes the injury is— aera doesn't do much, after all the whole point wasn't to injure her brother all over again, but she does nudge the wound just a little bit; just enough that if geonwoo would definitely feel it if he wasn't medicated enough. " are you sure i don't need to fuss over it ? "
it isn't like aera doubts that her brother went to see a doctor after getting injured even if just for the fact that it was an official tournament and she doubts that anyone was allowed to leave after each match without being at least looked at by one. it's just that she knows that geonwoo is a prideful little thing, too focused not only on his duty as royal guard and son of house choi but also on keeping an image of unyielding strength and that is where aera has a lot of issues with; even more so when that certain trait of her brother is the one that usually gets him into trouble or to walk around without following the doctor's orders properly or anything of that sort. she doesn't doubt that geonwoo went to see a doctor for his injuries or that he wasn't treated properly.
it's what happened and happens after the doctor's appointment that worries her if anything.
" have they offered anything for the pain ? " aera knows her brother well enough that she doesn't think that it'd be above him to deny any painkillers as yet another consequence of his pride, most likely telling himself that this shouldn't be something that he can't handle and therefore doesn't need any help with it. " and have you accepted it ? " and that's the important question in the end, though once again she doubts it considering her brother's reaction to her little test just moments ago and just in case aera raises her again as if threatening to poke geonwoo quite literally where it hurts, daring him to lie to her.

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𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚊:
[ ... ] she hears aera's recounting of her meeting with hyeseong in silence, humming as her sister speaks. nara won't tell her about her own meeting with lord woo, or how nasty they were to each other, it would distress her sister. though it pleases her that aera seems to be over him – it's something she casually thought about, what would she do if her sister still loved him. would nara have the strength to deny a marriage between them? "that is good, sister, i'm glad you weren't hurt," nara says truthfully. "i hope lord woo was courteous towards you and didn't say anything to try and hurt you." she wouldn't put it past hyeseong to do such a thing. "you can now consider that a closed chapter in your life and hopefully look for a new love." she smiles at aera. "i worry any romantic entanglements for house choi will have to fall on your shoulders, with the rest of us so dedicated to our duties." she chuckles, though there's truth in what she says and aera knows that as well.
aera takes another sip of her soup quietly, a light frowning carving itself in her features while she watches her sister retell her side of the story with prince suho while also trying to remember what the other told her about nara in their little private moments with each other; which in the end turns out to be nothing. suho talked to aera about a lot of things that she'll keep to her grave because they aren't her secrets to tell but she wanted to have at least something to reassure her older sister, besides the— " i don't think prince suho is the type to toy with someone's feelings . " aera puts her bowl down. " not with the way that he looks at you . " or maybe it's just a hunch or even aera's own endless optimism over people's characters. " he could have his reasons . " after all being a prince didn't exactly sound like an easy thing, not with what she has seen with suho nor what she has read in her novels.
" but , " aera also adds because she feels it's important to point out as well, reaching out her hand to hold her older sister's. " sister's happiness is important too . " she feels like she needs to remember the older choi. aera, to some extend, understands that the simple way that she views the world might not be the case for everyone around her, but there are certain things that she strongly believes are important regardless of how people view the world around them; even more so when aera isn't blinded by grief anymore and understands, even if a little, how much nara has sacrificed to keep this house together while they were in shambles, how much she still puts her siblings on top of her own needs and wants.
" epic love stories , the kind that don't have endless obstacles for the main characters to overcome and misunderstand after misunderstand to resolve before and after they're together, are always very exciting . " she starts, being guilty of having some of her favorite romances being an endless question of whether the main couple will survive all the trials that are being put to prove their love for each other and afterwards how strong their relationship is. " but i still wish that sister has an easy love . " she confesses, squeezing nara's hand. then it takes a moment for aera to find her words. " the kind that won't have to fight for it nor that comes with a lot of struggles . " like father and mother, aera almost says but the words get stuck on her chest. " you've fought for so long and for so many things , sister nara , it's only fair that at least something comes easily to you. " because nara was the the single pillar holding the family together even if she lost her parents as much as any other child of house choi.
aera moves her hand back to her lap then, turning her gaze away from her older sister to her soup while a sheepish smile. " i know i'm not a very reliable sister . " the healer is very well aware of her own shortcomings, knowing that even if she alleviates some of nara's social duties, she does less than the bare minimum, that those events don't really have much of a weight to the house's reputation. she's sure that geonwoo or yura or even their other older sibling are more capable than she is. " but i'm still rooting for your happy ending ! whatever and with whomever that might be , even if they're not a prince ! " she finishes with determination.
" don't say that , sister . " the second youngest choi pouts, a hint of a whine lacing her words. " i want everyone to have the best wedding ! and to be the best aunt ! "
"of course it is," she grants, because even the tavern with all its people and stories wouldn't have kept her warm without aera's letters to read over cold nights. keran still has her pressed flowers in her satchel, tucked into the letters as some of the only things she brought home with her. she knows she would've been missed, just as much she she'd missed aera too. "don't worry," she assures her friend, tapping her heart. theirs beat in time, the same warmth flowing through them. "i'm really strong, remember?"
she hugs the older girl, tight as she always does; keran's hugs are proportionate to the length of time she hasn't seen aera, and the fondness built up in between. "see!" she squeezes her friend's shoulders, showing off the strength she's known for. aera's fussing is welcome, though, just another reminder of how much she cares. keran would never begrudge her friend anything, and she reassures her easily, "everything's okay!"
and it really is, now that she's home with aera by her side. the healer has been sorely missed, the full force of it coming back to keran now, being herself again. aera makes everything simpler, like a pinky promise between children that's been kept as easily as the charm that hangs above every room she's lived in, everything falling into place between the two of them, puzzle pieces whose sides fit just right.
"what about you?" she's aware of the softness of aera's cheek in her calloused hands, pinching them gently in her fingers. she worries about the shadows under aera's eyes; she isn't a girl meant for hardships. not if keran has something to say about it, and plenty of fire in her to fight them all off. "have you been taking care of yourself?" she reaches a thumb out to soothe the frown lines between aera's eyebrows, not noticing that she's mirrored her best friend's expression. "say the word and i'll deal with it!"
" but strong people can be hurt too . " aera argues with a pout, fighting back a smile from tugging at the corner of her lips. she knows that keran is strong; as a matter of fact keran is one of the strongest people that she knows and that was one of the things that she admired in her friend, one of her personality traits that had younger aera wanting to impress her so much — the young lady of house choi even remembers how she cried because she thought she ruined everything after tripping on her own little dress while meeting the young lady of house zhao for the first time, after all she remembers learning that strength was what matters for that house.
" keran— " aera squeaks like a kitten's toy when her friend hugs her so tightly before the sound dissolves in more giggles and her own arms come to wrap around the other to try to return the tight hug as much as the healer's own strength allows; at this point she has enough experience to avoid having her ribs completely crushed because keran always hugs with the same intensity and strength that she loves and at this point aera is more than used to it, actually welcomes it more than anything else because, yes, it means that her best friend hasn't changed one bit. " fine , " she concedes. " but let me do a little check up on you afterwards . " as she always does when keran is back from her military duties just so aera can ease her own worries and maybe it's a little of a dirty move, knowing how much keran is weak to her requests and willing to do most of them without blinking an eye.
the healer whines in a faux complain when her cheeks are pinched even if keran's touch is too gentle for it to cause any pain or harm, it's simply the principle of the act, putting her own hands on top of her friend'a. " yes , yes . " she answers like a petulant child would to their overbearing mother sans the any heat to her words — and maybe some truth to it as well; maybe she did neglect her sleep for these last couple of days, either through work or because she found out a new favorite novel that she couldn't let go of, a favorite novel that turned out to be a trilogy with a couple of other volumes of side stories— as if worrying about keran on top of everything wasn't enough.
but keran is there now, warm and alive, so aera is sure that it'd be easier to fall asleep at night (or maybe not, but only if they decide to have a sleepover which they most likely will) with her simple way of thinking that she could simply punch all of difficulties of her and aera's lives away. it's refreshing from the twisted and overcomplicated webs of the court even if it's also as unrealistic as most of aera's dreams. " the only difficult that i've been through is being away from my other half . " but exactly because keran is there, warm and alive, that aera allows herself to act a little spoiled, to pout over the necessary absence of her best friend. she has no idea what keran as a person with a rank of hers in the military but she's sure it's important!
" come on ! " the healer tangles her fingers with keran's, moving their hands away from her face just so she could drag keran inside to a room that she's sure the help in the zhao residence already prepared for them, too used to the ritual of keran coming back home and aera welcoming her at this point. " you have a lot of stories to tell me , don't you ? can't wait to hear them in person ! "
to @divinetrcgedy with ♡
aera should know that becoming a healer would mean that she'd need to quite possibly babysit all the people around her, even more so those that she cares about; or maybe she became a healer because of that personality trait of her (and she tries to not think how ironic it is, the only person she's officially assigned to is also the only one who didn't request her services after the tournament) combined with the fact that she couldn't use her firebending to hurt the smallest of the flies, no matter how she didn't find them pleasant. it starts with geonwoo, who refuses to let her treat him because she supposes that's what brothers are like, then there's kean and yura and now there's yerim.
even though, to be fair, she doesn't come to the seok resident only because she's worried about her friend's chi paths and the balance of her yin and yang, but also because yerim is the one person that aera knows for sure that she can get overly excited about the different kind of (herbal) teas and she'll not only be heard but her excitement will be appreciated and shared. besides it was always thrilling to see what kind of tea that yerim can get her hands on due to her status and money. it's a little like a book club of the two of them but instead of discussing literature pieces over tea, they discuss tea over tea.
it's fun, aera thinks, and it does give her another purpose to showing up at the seok house just to affectionately nag yerim and check up on her.
" lady yerim , " she greets her friend still remembering her manners even though it isn't overly necessary when there's no audience around them. " hope that the festival of the blood moon treated you well . " and well if it didn't then aera was there to help her deal with the consequences of it. " and ! " she adds, finally showing more of her genuine excitement and less of her practiced formality. " i brought a special tea today ! i have yet to try it since i wanted us to have it together , but it's supposed to help with any sorts of inflammations and to help one to have a better night of sleep . "
to @theoceansjewel with ♡
taesung thinks that if he stays another second in his office he's going to be arrested for murder. it isn't that he minds working with numbers and sitting on a desk for a good if not most portion of his day. taesung doesn't mind the seemingly endless pile of worksheets and documents that he needs to go through, transactions that he needs to overlook and approve because they're too important and deal with a ridiculous amount of money to be left with any chance of being done carelessly. he doesn't even care that sometimes the fire lord or someone from the royal family pulls him out of his office to seek his opinion about this or that financial matter. he doesn't mind working, loves it even.
what seok taesung despises with any all his heart and soul is incompetency and today feels like everyone (to be fair, not everything but still a considerable amount of his employees) he trusted to do a good job decided that this would be the day that they'd all unite to test the limit of his patience— or maybe it's because he still feels overly sensitive over the last meeting he had with one of the other ministers, one that almost ended bitterly with an agni kai that taesung would lose before it even started if not for his years and years of experience with words and bargains, having to yield more than he was planning to but fortunately not more than he was willing to. he thought that he was over the resentment for the consequences of his bending status, however the familiar helplessness that filled his chest back then was a reminder of the shackles around his wrists and ankles that he thought didn't exist anymore.
" if you need me , " he informs his secretary on his way out. " and i do not say that lightly , " which means that unless the fire nation was under attack and losing, he was not to be bothered. " i'll be at embassor seok's office . " is what he says even if he was very tempted to simply tell them to not need him in the first place.
and that's why he seeking some sort of safe haven his sister's office with documents he need to correct. technically he's there for a quick break, perhaps even a power nap to test if the headache that threatens to split his head in two will subdue and let him focus on work properly, however taesung knows himself and the way that he was raised, is sure that he'd regret at least not trying to get something done in the peaceful presence of his sister even though he's also sure that he'll get little if anything at all done anyway.
it's weird, he still feels, leaning on someone like he does with hyeju but he isn't neither selfless nor strong enough to not lean on his sister even if for a moment or two. " you can kick me out if i'm disturbing you . " he reminds her even though he doesn't see her ever doing such a thing, not with him. " or if you need help with anything . " because that's the least that taesung could do, isn't it? he's monopolizing a corner of her office so he might as well help her with her work since he obviously isn't about to do his. " my eyes are closed but i'm listening . "
to @wvthering with ♡
taesung has a very strong love and hate relationship with social events. even when he much preferred being in a great hall and interacting with people while being served expensive wine and even more expensive food over being on the battlefield, his years in the military not being the fondest memories in his repertoire of recollections of his moments in life, there were still a couple of aspects of such social events that he still wasn't overly fond of and surprisingly it isn't the sometimes dreadful small talk that he'd engage with certain nobles.
considering the kind of life that he has had so far and how much he had to fight with tooth and nail to get any sort of recognition, it feels rather rewarding that now, with the position that he holds, the nobles who once scrunched their noses at him and doubted his ability were now subtly fighting over to get his favor. it's satisfying to watch them trying to rub elbows with him as if they weren't whispering about his inescapable doom and how he'd drag house seok with him if his parents weren't careful enough. taesung would never consider himself much of a petty person — even if some of his close friends would argue that he in fact is —, however he doesn't see the harm in having his ego fed like this and even though the topic of conversations were rather dull, it was still somewhat bearable.
even more so when taesung never gave them anything unless they had something to offer that indeed worth of his time yet he was never discourteous enough that they were able to call him out on his behavior, watching them brew in their concealed frustration being yet another source of endless amusement to him.
the only thing that could make taesung run away from a conversation was when the topic of marriage (and more specific his marriage) was brought up, the minister receiving so many unsolicited subtle proposals that he doesn't bother to remember names nor to keep track of them. but hopefully he isn't the only one that dreads certain topics of small talk and he can already see the one person he always seeks whenever he's running away from certain interactions making her way to him. " good evening , lady choi . " he greets her friendly enough, trying to hold back his amused smile by taking a sip of his wine. " isn't it a little too early to be running away ? the evening has barely started . "

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* BITTER WORK , SWEET RELIEF ;
he had sent a missive to her estate the day before, carried by a royal messenger and a member of the royal guard. the small, official-looking scroll bore the crown prince's royal seal, from which the messenger read aloud:
"to his favored healer, lady choi aera, the crown prince sends the following message: i find myself in need of your attendance. a recent bout in the tournament has left my wrist in a sorry state. i trust you have some way to hasten my recovery. your skilled hands and comforting presence would be most welcome tomorrow. a palanquin will arrive for you in the afternoon."
he turned the scroll over to show the crown prince's seal affixed to the bottom of the hand-written letter, in suho's inconsistent calligraphy.
suho made haste with his duties for the day, eager to see her sooner. the palanquin stops. outside, the sky is nearly golden. quietly, he drums his pointer finger against the top of the small, purpled lump under his sleeve. the more impatient he grew with his injury, the slower it seemed to heal. in the week following the tournament, the swelling hadn't gone down as much as he thought it would, as much as he willed it to. the skin lay bruised, and he tired of hiding it.
@orchdaries
when aera first started her healing training, she never really had any big ambitions like becoming a royal healer. the young choi simply wanted an alternative to the more combative side of her bending; she has always been against using her firebending to hurt other people even if it was more a performance to show their skills off than a real fight and there are way too many things that she's ready to yield simply because she'd prefer that than to go through an agni kai. besides she did think it suited her, using her bending skills to attend to people instead of hurting them. by no official means she's a royal healer, she was never assigned such title and she genuinely doesn't think that she will when she's so young and with way too many things to learn however—
however she's still assigned to prince chanyul; not because of her skills, she's sure, since aera is very much aware that she's average at best but because they were playdates when younger and consequently it was easy to assume that they developed a bond that could never be strained even after so many years without much if any contact with each other. however crown prince suho still summons her with his fancy palanquins and even fancier messages, ones that could easily be misunderstood to have a different kind of affection lacing the others from the one that is actually in there.
aera knows better than to read those kind of signs as romance coded because she knows the person who holds his heart and that's why she almost drags nara with her when the palanquin shows up at the choi resident in the afternoon just as it was promised, holds back the comment that maybe what would help the prince's wrist was a little kiss, some tenderness to shoo the injury away but even aera knows how many limits she can cross with nara and this might not be one of them and that's why she doesn't make the invitation towards her sister and simply prepares a couple tea recipes that she's sure the palace with ingredients that it'll be provided at her request.
the palanquin does arrive in the afternoon and aera is already waiting for it outside, remembering her parents' teachings that it was always better to be early than late, even more so when it was about the palace and its residents. " good evening , your grace . " aera greets the prince with a politeness that is reserved for when they're in public. even with the more easygoing nature of their relationship and her personal feelings towards house yi — though surprisingly those feelings never really directed to suho as a person —, aera is still very much apprehensive over the possibility of her being accused of any misconducts (and downright crimes against the crown), however her smile does hold a little more of affection than it usually would if it were another member of royalty besides chanyul. " i hope you haven't waited long . "
the redhead is no stranger to body aches, often considering them a well-earned reward after a day of rigorous training. however, these particular aches are unlike anything she's experienced in the past year. the pain is what jolts her awake, lying on her back with every muscle throbbing and burning. glancing at the clock, she realises it's far too early for her to be awake, but late enough for her sister, aera, to be up. she knows how much of an early bird she is and today, more than ever, she's grateful for it
slowly pushing herself into a sitting position, she winces, her body protesting every movement she does. careful fingers lift the hem of her robes to examine her legs, bruises in places she can’t even recall being hit. she can already hear her sister's nagging and the thousands questions she's going to throw at her.
with a deep breath, she stands, a bit unsteady at first and makes her way out of the room. the hallway greets her with silence, and for a moment she wonders if she read the time wrong, could her sister still be asleep? while their house isn’t usually bustling with noise - especially now, considering the main source has just woken up - the absence of her siblings’ chatter downstairs creates an unusual feeling.
she gets an answer rather quickly upon reaching aera's door. it was slightly open, allowing a stream of light to spill into the hallway, a clear indication that her curtains are drawn wide open. she collects herself as best as she can, not wanting to appear miserable in front of her dear sister and lightly knocks before entering. “aera?”
@orchdaries
it's a slow morning, that kind that has aera taking her time in waking up and going through her morning routine. most of her day is filled with free time and there's no emergency matters that she needs to attend to that would need her to be already dressed and halfway through her breakfast so aera takes her time. she asks for tea to be served on her room and decides that she'll catch up on the novel that she's reading, something light enough that it forces her brain just enough so it'll wake up as slowly as her day feels like it is but still engaging enough that she's invested to see how the commander will overcome the obstacles in his way to the heart of the prince he pledged his endless loyalty to.
she's in the middle of their reunion after spending two years apart, the commander being lost in the middle of some war — later she'll ask keran about the specifics of it that she couldn't grasp by herself, she idly thinks — when yura knocks on her door, entering just in time for aera to lower her book and smile at her younger sister. " yura-ya , good morning . " the healer greets yura warmly before tilting her head to the side a little intrigued. " it's a little early for you , isn't it ? " and of course that she doesn't mean in a bad way, it was rare for yura to be awake at that hour— as a matter of fact it was rare for anyone but their oldest sister nara to be awake at that hour.
" did something happened ? " then aera's curiosity turns into concern and her book is completely forgotten along with her tea, eyes scanning her sister like she could see under her clothes. that would explain why yura was looking for her first thing in the morning if the pajamas the fighter was still wearing was anything to go by. " sit on the bed and let me take a look . " the healer demands, now determined to check up on his sister even if the other wasn't hurt and just decided to start her day by harmlessly picking on aera for her entertainment.