there, their, and they’re
kirablik:
Kiran’s room is organized. Never messy, never perfectly clean, simply organized. Everything has its place, except when they’re in the middle of a study session or research. If they get distracted during moments where they’re super focused, they’ll forget what they were even doing in the first place. Luckily, there isn’t as much pressure to always have a battle plan ready to go at this happy-go-lucky-but-kinda-weird-academy.
And luckily, Niles is the last person in this entire world who could annoy them. Sure, his innuendos could, you know, not exist, but they’ve heard worse. Way worse. Besides, he’s freak, but at least he’s a loyal, weirdly compassionate freak.
Kiran bites into another jerky as she watches him. All the people with eye-patches act like they got big terrible secrets. She moves her cup of jerky to the desk and sits back, just as Niles reaches out to take a piece for himself. She watches, unbothered. Yeah, he could have just said yes earlier, but she might as well just let him be him. He ain’t in her house; she doesn’t have to worry about him.
“Bold…?” They repeat the word quietly as they chew slowly. Was it that bold to let someone into your room? They’ve napped on him; they’re practically almost-friends.
“Okayyy,” they say, after swallowing their jerky. “A favor? I don’t really need your expertise in anything, and I’m already a few weeks ahead in classwork, so whatever… Sure, why not?”
They laugh, taking another piece of jerky from their cup. “I know you’re used to shady deals or whatever, but we’re both students here, so if you want something just say it.”
Jerky placed down on the desk, they clap their hands together in the form of a prayer when they (mockingly) say, “We are at a monastery, dear Niles.” They flutter their eyelashes, voice becomes more high-pitch and smile turns sweet and innocent. “Behave yourself~”
Then they relax and take a bite from their jerky.
Niles scoffs. “Are we? Everyone had me fooled, then, when I saw how often and how willingly they got down on their knees. How disappointing.”
No one can say that Garreg Mach is in sore need of devout followers of their Goddess, at least.
“In any case, it’s not a shady deal. I’d just prefer to get the terms ironed out now so it doesn’t come to bite me in the ass later—and not in the way I normally wouldn’t mind,” he says, finishing off the jerky and folding his arms over his chest. “Everyone has something they want; you included. Here’s what I want.”
...Gods. This is going to be embarrassing, isn’t it?
“...I need you to teach me to read and write,” Niles says, voice clipped. “I never had the need nor the opportunity to learn, but it’s growing into a thorn in my side now that I have to take written exams. There’s someone I need to stay here for, and I can’t do that if I fail every test.”
And that’s not even to mention the humiliation that would undoubtedly come. Niles doesn’t care of any that he might suffer, but it would reflect very, very poorly on Leo’s reputation. And while his lord is impeccable on his own, Niles acts as both one of his greatest assets and his worst weaknesses—an effective tool and a source of endless headache.





















