#iwawa!!

with your dear night watch being a borderline misanthrope, it’s safe to say that the two of you reside far from society and the people within it. you both live peacefully in the same little cabin he grew up in, tucked away in between a labyrinth of trees

unless he’s bedridden or dead, ithaqua will always leave a few hours after sundown to survey the woods surrounding your home. it’s to make sure any unwanted visitors know they’re not welcome—at least that’s what he says

truthfully, the nightly ritual is cathartic for him. he can’t let himself rest unless he’s sure that the only living, breathing people within the forest are the two of you and the two of you alone

he tends to bring you things from his treks out in the snow. it’s not something he consciously does, barely thinking whenever he plucks a perfectly frozen blossom from an outstretched branch. all he knows is that he saw the flicker of your smile in the way the moonlight caught against the frost, so he took it with him

in addition to all the little gifts he brings home, he likes making things for you as well. woodworking is one of the few things that he enjoys, and he’s quite good at it too

he whittles you birds from leftover firewood. small and cute, they’re perfect for the shelf above the fireplace. whenever the two of you nurse a stew above the flames, he can’t help the fuzzy swell of pride in his chest whenever his gaze falls toward the mantle

he’ll tease you about it though, despite the fact that he was the one that gave you (or made, in this case) all of those gifts in the first place. “so fond of little wooden birds… it doesn’t take much to make you happy, hm?”

the way he says it is a little mean, maybe, but itha’s always had a habit of teasing you. and besides! it’s ridiculously endearing to him to see you get all huffy

though, his grin never fails to stretch a little wider whenever you decide to bite back. he’ll always end up getting the upper hand eventually—he’s good at things like this—but the back and forth is fun

oh, and speaking of! he most definitely has a penchant for biting. no, i will not elaborate

,,i lied i will definitely elaborate. perhaps this is a bit out there, but the conclusion of ithaqua’s eighth deduction quest mentions an abandoned wooden hut with several books that had been chewed and torn. it’s never said explicitly, but i firmly believe that he gnawed on those books

like his little gift-gathering habit, it’s not something he actively thinks about. he’ll just start gnawing on his spoon as you talk about your day during dinner, or maybe chew on the cracked corners of his lips underneath his mask while he’s out hunting

there are even times where he lowers his nose into the crook of your neck and absentmindedly (but gently) presses his teeth into your shoulder. he’s just weird like that

he also very much enjoys the way it flusters you whenever he does so, but shh

be mindful if you’re scolding him with a finger held out in his direction. he has half the mind to lean down and bite it in the middle of your rant. he doesn’t, of course, but he’s tempted

while he doesn’t stop you from going into town every once in a blue moon, he will always attempt to talk you out of it. there’s no need for you to go outside of the forest, he can provide you with whatever you wish. all you need to do is ask

if you’re stubborn about it, he will eventually relent. despite his excessive protectiveness, the freedom for you to decide for yourself is important to him. he’ll always respect that, even if it’s something he disagrees with

that being said, he will follow you without your knowledge. he was too late to save his mother—he refuses to be late for you. call him paranoid, but he won’t take that risk

while he trusts you, he refuses to put any faith in others. what if they hurt you? suddenly decide to lock you away? he’d sooner bathe the cobblestone streets in blood than allow a single hair on your head to be harmed

ithaqua isn’t one for pet names, but if you ask him (or if he hears enough couples in town while trailing after you from afar), you’ll eventually notice him begin to call you things like ‘little bird’ or ‘hare’. perhaps not the most conventional, but he finds them fitting

if he’s feeling particularly protective or in softer moments during the evening, he’ll even throw in a little ‘my’ before each name. he just likes how it sounds

despite the two of you having been together for quite a bit, he places no stock in things like marriage or legal bindings. he loves you and you love him in return, yes? then why bother with silly things like that?

you don’t need some priest to tie the two of you together. you’re already bound to him, as he is to you. no matter what—regardless of how harsh the wind blows or how long the night is—he’ll always return to your side

buut if that sort of thing is particularly important to you, he’ll figure out a way to fulfill your wishes. maybe it’s a piece of matching jewelry the two of you can wear, all silvered and pretty under the glow of the moon. yeah… perhaps he’ll take a trip of his own to the town

why? ah, no reason. “it’s nothing to worry your pretty little head about,” he reassures one night, long fingers ruffling your hair before he disappears into the cold. he’ll be late, but he promises to be back before you wake up