A Girl Out of Time - a series focusing on Hikari, a university student from modern-day Sinnoh who is sent to the past by Arceus on a mission to “seek all Pokémon”. This leads to her forming unforgettable bonds with the people of Hisui—particularly, the young, somewhat brash leader of the Diamond Clan.
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I figured my series needed a kind of masterpost here on tumblr, so here it is! Click the purple above for the series overview on Ao3! :D All artwork is mine!
More screens of Niamh who finally got to climb Mt. Halsin and I was totally gonna record the scene but I am way too much of a pansy to save that to my computer LOL
Anywho she's gone through different camp clothes with each act and she rocks every single one :3c
More screens of Niamh who finally got to climb Mt. Halsin and I was totally gonna record the scene but I am way too much of a pansy to save that to my computer LOL
Anywho she's gone through different camp clothes with each act and she rocks every single one :3c
I’m still working on this I swear!! I’ve just been busy with work/class and then Tomodachi Life came out so I’ve been kinda sidetracked x’D (I even made Varka and Kael in it and they legit got together within a day and got married like two days after that lmfao)
As always, thank you so much for all the love this has gotten!!
Read on Ao3
Her eyes roamed over the envelope that had arrived that morning, studying every crease, every smudge, every familiar letter inked onto its surface - but Kael did not open it.
Flipping it over, her fingers slid back and forth over the wax seal holding it closed. Once or twice she thought she might slide her nail under its edge, or perhaps it would catch by accident, but instead it remained intact.
Before she could stand and stash it in the designated cabinet with the others, someone, presumably Annalise, knocked at the door, and Kael quickly jammed the envelope behind one of the cushions of her sofa, to deal with later. Smoothing down both her hair and her skirts, she collected herself and went to greet her guest.
”Good morning, Annalise,” she greeted her apprentice with a smile, one that managed to hide just how frantic her heart was pounding against her ribs.
”’Morning, Miss Kael! I brought some pastries from Good Hunter, hopefully you haven’t eaten yet,” the girl reciprocated as she practically skipped inside, a basket looped through her arm. Kael watched as she set it down on the kitchen table, only to immediately open it and stuff a danish in her mouth. “Sawvy, I wush stawfing,” she spoke through a mouthful of dough when she noticed Kael watching.
“Knowing just how delicious Good Hunter’s sweets are, I don’t blame you one bit,” the older woman laughed, and picked out a strudel for herself. “I’ll make us some tea to wash all of this down, and then we can continue where we left off with the guild’s commission.”
”I can’t believe how far we’ve gotten with it already!” Annalise chirped, and took a seat at the kitchen table while Kael went over to the stove and started prepping the tea. “The guild is going to be so pleased with the results. Was it this upcoming week that Mr. Li was going to come by to check in on things?”
”That’s right. I’ll likely have him take a couple completed pieces back to Liyue just to make sure the designs and colors have the seal of approval all around.” Once the kettle had begun to boil and Kael had poured its contents into two mugs, she brought them over to the table and handed one to Annalise. “Varka’s the only one outside of us two who’s seen the progress so far.”
”And what did he think?”
Kael smiled, recalling just how excited her beau had been on her behalf when he witnessed how far they’d come in the project. It was like she’d obtained her own personal cheerleader who just so happened to be a walking fortress in appearance.
“He was impressed. But, he’s also probably biased.”
”I know you don’t like it when people get all goo-goo eyed over you two, but, you really are the cutest,” Annalise giggled.
“Yes, well…” Kael trailed off, hiding a smaller smile behind her mug. Looking over at the basket of treats that was still quite full, and a certain Grand Master at the forefront of her mind, she was suddenly struck by a rather… unorthodox idea. “Annalise, how do you feel about making a slight adjustment in the schedule for today?”
The girl perked up, blinking once. “You want to work on something else besides the commission?”
Kael shook her head. “We’ll still work on the commission - what I meant was, it’s still quite early in the day. With just how quickly we’ve been tackling it, I don’t see anything wrong with starting a bit later.”
Annalise’s eyes narrowed knowingly, and a devilish smile lifted on her cheeks. “The Grand Master is rubbing off on you, Miss Kael,” she snickered. “Alright. Was there something you wanted to do instead?”
”Actually, yes. We have all of these treats that I hardly think we’ll finish by ourselves. I was thinking perhaps we could take the remainder to the Knights of Favonius headquarters and see if anyone else would like to partake?”
Annalise’s mouth formed an “o” shape, and she let out a full-body guffaw. “Miss Kael, you don’t need an excuse to see your boyfriend,” she teased with a wink, not buying into the explanation for a second. “But sure! We’ll take these to the knights, I’m sure they’ll enjoy munching on them just as much as us!”
The moment both women arrived at the stone fortification that served as the Knights of Favonius headquarters, Annalise ran off towards the barracks with her basket, having given Kael a couple sweets to take to Varka.
She wholly expected Jean, who had chastised her about “distracting” Varka when visiting, to materialize out of thin air when she went to knock on the door to the Grand Master’s office, but was surprised to find that it was slightly ajar and that not even Mika was present within. Even so, Varka was sitting diligently at his desk, a quill in hand and looking like he was slowly losing sanity from whatever missive it was he was reading.
”Excuse me, Sir Grand Master,” Kael managed her best impersonation of a feeble-sounding individual as she quietly shut the door behind her, “I do believe I’m personally in need of assistance.”
Varka’s eyes flickered upward and his lips parted slightly, likely ready to send her in the direction of one of his subordinates, but very quickly did her presence actually register in his mind. His eyes all at once became soft, and his lips instead quirked into a boyish smirk.
”Oh, ah—“ he cleared his throat, and set his quill down, placing his elbows on his desk and leaning on clasped fingers. “Sounds like an urgent matter. Very urgent indeed. Why don’t you come a little closer so we may discuss it in perfect detail?”
Kael bit down the laugh that threatened to spill out as she observed the way he played along, and abided by his request. She came to stand in front of his desk, looking coy, but the man shook his head, and gestured with one hand to come around to where he sat. As soon as she was within reach, he snatched her up by the waist and hoisted her into his lap, which had her face flaring scarlet in an instant.
“Varka!”
”Yes?” the man had the gall to ask, innocently fluttering his eyelashes her way.
Her mouth, which had disconnected from her brain, worked to form some kind of coherent response. Eventually she settled on, “This is your office!”
”I fail to see the argument,” Varka hummed, and instead leaned forward, brushing his lips along Kael’s neck and eliciting a shaky whimper from her. Apparently pleased by the noise from the way a smile pressed against her skin, he nosed at her pulse before suckling a kiss there, and all at once Kael melted against him like a pile of goo.
”V-Varka…”
”Such pretty noises,” he rumbled next to her ear, then gently took her chin between his fingers and guided her lips to his own. The kiss was all heat and slightly desperate, so unlike the ones they had previously shared. When they parted to draw breath, remaining just centimeters from one another, Kael noted the way her lover’s eyes were blown wide and near-predatory as they studied her face.
She realized then that his little stunt wasn’t simply on-the-fly.
”Were you thinking about me just before?” she breathed, her voice hoarse.
“Maybe,” Varka answered with the slightest quirk of his lips, and let his head come to rest in the crook of her neck with a deep sigh. “My mind tends to wander while I’m cooped up in here. Sorry if I came off a little too strong.”
But Kael just hummed in contentment, and ran her fingers through the longer strands of hair that sat past the man’s neck.
“You needn’t be—I’m not some fragile maiden after all. Actually… I was thinking about you, too,” she spoke through a smile. Perhaps it had been the surprise letter that had her suddenly seeking his comfort; perhaps it had been Annalise’s subtle teasing. Whatever the case, she instantly felt better having shirked her duties to be with him for as long as was allowed.
He truly was rubbing off on her. But she couldn’t be mad at the idea.
To hear such things had Varka peering up at her in slight surprise. She wouldn’t be surprised if he were making a mental note for later with the way his eyes were carefully studying her.
Later, because a knock on the door had the both of them jolting apart and smoothing down their clothing in an attempt to look presentable. Kael expected Jean to be the one who entered thereafter, but instead was met with the sight of a tall woman, one with pointed ears and long, pale hair that curled almost mischievously.
“Varka, dear, I’ve brought the correspondence between the Hexenzirkel regarding future endeavors with Mondstadt. We should—“ but then the woman went quiet upon noticing Kael’s presence. A split second later, she let out a squeal like she’d seen the cutest thing to ever exist and excitedly bounded over.
At least, Kael hoped such was the case - for all she knew she had spooked the individual donned in witch-like garb and was about to be turned into a toad for it.
”Varka, is this her!?” she asked instead, looking Kael up and down with a grin that got wider with every second. “Oh, she’s absolutely precious! I definitely approve!”
”Alice…” Varka groaned, scrubbing a hand through his hair. Casting a glance Kael’s way, he explained, “Er, this is Alice, she’s Klee’s mother and a sort of pseudo-aunt to me.”
Well, that explained why she was familiar in appearance. It wasn’t often that the ceramicist encountered the infamous “Spark Knight” on account of her constantly being locked away in solitary confinement, but she knew the girl had a habit for crumbling Varka’s resolve.
“A pleasure,” Kael said, nodding at the unexpected guest. She sent a knowing smile her lover’s way when she asked, “I can only assume Varka’s told you about me?”
”Not at all, actually,” the woman answered, and got a deviant look in her eyes. “I’d noticed he’d been a bit… forlorn since returning home and decided to nudge a friend of mine for some deeper insight. Turns out, our resident Grand Master was simply experiencing a rather powerful infatuation! Of course, I had to confront him, as is my given right, but he simply refused to budge on the matter!”
”I already had half of Mondstadt teasing me, I didn’t need a coven of mages following suit,” Varka grumbled, his cheeks as pink as a freshly-picked Valberry.
Alice laughed into her hand, obviously enjoying the reaction she was getting from the man who was twice her size. “Oh, but teasing you is simply too good to pass up! It’s all in good fun, my dear Varka. I’m sure Kael here understands.”
”How did you—“ the woman in question attempted to ask, for she hadn’t disclosed her name and from the sound of it neither had Varka. Such a revelation had a chill running down her spine, for it made her wonder what other kinds of things this witch could possibly know about her.
She wouldn’t… tell Varka before Kael could, would she?
”Anywho! I’ll leave you sweethearts to it,” Alice sang with a wink, and turned to leave. “I just wanted to make sure those letters were dropped off. Now, I’m going to visit my dear Klee and spend the remainder of the day doing whatever her little heart desires. Ta-ta!”
“Uh… you alright?” Varka asked once it was just the two of them again, as he’d likely picked up on her unease. “I know Alice can be a bit much but, she’s pretty harmless, overall.”
”Oh… no, she seems like a very spirited individual,” Kael agreed, but continued staring at the spot the mage had occupied just minutes prior. “Just… it doesn’t bother you that she used… ulterior means of prying for personal information?”
The man twisted his lip, but ultimately just shrugged. “Honestly, it’s not the weirdest thing I’ve heard from that bunch. They seem to know me in and out regardless of what I do. Besides, they would never use such things against me, or you, for that matter. They have far more pressing concerns in places we can’t even begin to fathom.”
”I… see.” Kael responded, not quite convinced but deciding to take his word for it.
”Loathe as I am to admit it, I should probably get back to work,” Varka sighed, looking back at his desk like it was some kind of threat. “But… would it be alright if I came to see you this evening? Maybe we can figure out a recipe for dinner… or we can always eat out, I guess.”
”Of course it’s alright,” Kael answered, and stood on her toes so she could press a kiss to his cheek. “I should really get back to work as well. I sort of… took the morning off to come see you.”
”Did you now?” he asked, not at all trying to hide his shit-eating grin.
“Oh, hush.” All at once remembering her excuse for coming here to begin with, she cried out, “Oh! I also meant to give you something before we got sidetracked.”
“Thanks, honey. They look delicious,” the Grand Master commented happily once she’d revealed the couple of pastries she had saved for him. She thought that might be the end of their little rendezvous as she turned to head out, but instead she let out a muffled “mmph!” when Varka reached for hips and yanked her towards him, leaving one last feverish kiss to her lips.
”See you this evening, my dear,” he purred into the air between them, sending a bout of butterflies straight into her stomach.
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Kael tried not to appear too dopey as she wandered about the Knights’ barracks in search of Annalise, but such was an expected side effect after any kind of prolonged exchange with Varka.
She could truly fall in love with him, she suddenly thought in that moment. The idea should’ve struck her like lightning to a tree, but instead, she felt a gentle warmth as it swept over her.
It was… a pleasant shift in perspective.
When she finally came across her apprentice, she found that the girl was visiting with a younger-looking knight. So engrossed in their conversation, they didn’t notice her approaching right away, but both were quick to stand at attention once they became aware of her being there.
”Oh! Hello, there! You must be Annalise’s mentor!” the stranger greeted, and followed it up with a respectful bow. “You can call me Noelle, I do believe this is the first time we’ve met. I’ve heard so much about you from both Annalise and the Grand Master!”
”For some reason that doesn’t surprise me,” Kael replied. “I seem to be quite notable around these parts.”
”For good reason! We’ve heard nothing but amazing things about you!” Noelle expressed, then seemed to reel herself in slightly as she cleared her throat.
”Noelle here is still working to become a full-fledged knight, so we spent a lot of time training together,” Annalise told her mentor. “Of course, now that I’ve shifted course in terms of goals, we hardly get to see each other anymore!”
”You seem much happier now, though,” Noelle supplied with a bashful smile. “I think it’s safe to say you’ve found your true calling.”
”While on that note, we best be getting back to the studio to work on the commission for the day,” Kael said, and offered a little wave to Noelle. “It was nice to meet you, Noelle.”
”Just as it was nice to meet you! Don’t be a stranger now, either of you! Oh, and thank you for the sweets, Annalise!”
“She seems nice,” Kael commented as the both of them made their way out of the barracks and back into the main hall of the Knights of Favonius headquarters.
”She is! A bit uncoordinated when it comes to combat, but, she’s always down to provide moral support for the rest of the knights,” Annalise said. “That’s why she’s designated as a maid rather than knight, as it stands.”
Now the outfit the girl wore made sense. “What makes you say she’s uncoordinated?” the woman had it in mind to ask.
”Have you ever noticed the sword in the ceiling of the Grand Master’s office?” Annalise pointed out, and Kael stopped in her tracks to recall if she had. “That was Noelle’s doing during a routine training session.”
She’d have to take a gander at the spectacle the next time she was in Varka’s office. For now, she simply answered with a slightly dumbfounded, “Oh.”
