#hitlifeback

[trina62884]

Appreciate what you have. If you don’t like the scenery, step up and change your surroundings. #itsabeautifulmorning☀️ #hitlifeback #learnhowtocutthecordonthingsnotworthyourtime #globalthinker

[bigboobshaunt]

Solitarykins.

Attacking when the enemy has their guards lowered and is thoroughly unsuspecting - A staple of strategy. Some may call it sneaky, but others would name it prudent. 

Truth was, it was a bit of both; scurrying in the bushes, I parted away the thick foliage to observe him there. Standing outside the wyrmspen, dutifully cleaning his seemingly only friend's scales.

A quiet creature by nature, Cherche's kid, at least from the very little that I could asess since we found him. This trait of his was all well and good... until it had begun to interfere with our pair-up dynamic.

Therefore, I had made it a point to try and interact with him, one way or another. and try to sell our combat plans to him, so, as sneaky as I could be, I began to circle the pen, while keeping my eye on the rider and his mount, steadily approaching them without making a single...

"Greetings, Robin," he uttered, not even facing me, and still seeming absorbed in his task at hand.

"Ah... Gerome, beautiful day isn't it?" I greeted, hoping to weasel my way out of having been found.

"Do not bother me with meaningless chitchat. Why have you come to see me?" he questioned, having none of my more unsavory tactics.

"...Fine. I came to talk with you about pairing up for combat and-"

"I need no aid in battle," he stated laconically, huffing a little. "My instincts are honed to their maximum, a partner would only interfere.

"You have told me before, and you make a... convincing argument, what with noticing me there, but-"

"A child could have seen you coming. We are done here," he declared, promptly mounting his wyvern and taking off.

It was clear that my utmost persistence would be required in this endeavor.

[bigboobshaunt]

Of Noble Status.

Hesitating, I looked at her again, while taking the fork in my hands.

"Wrong utensil, back to the beginning!" the noblewoman ordered, flawless in tone and with an unbreakable strength to her voice.

After a deep sigh, I took out the napkin and began to fold it as she had instructed, before placing it over my lap and spacing myself correctly in relation to the table.

"You forgot a fold. It looks like a sheet," Maribelle stated, shaking her head at me, with a look of disapproval. "Again," she uttered.

"Argh! Is this all going to be absolutely necessary?!" I questioned, out of frustration, resting my forehead in my hands, over the table, feeling my headache get even worse.

"Maybe not, but you do have to be prepared in the event that it is," she explained plainly, before adding, matter-of-factly. "...And no elbows on the table, either!"

"Gah! Why go through all this effort in order to be civil with Plegia? Have you forgotten all that they-"

"No, I have not. If you do recall, I was blamed for the start of it! Now quit behaving like a child and focus on learning, so you won't end up embarrassing Chrom and Lissa!" she ordered, resolute in tone and gripping tight on her prim parasol.

She was right - I was being immature. And if I wanted to remain as the shepherd's tactician, I would need to learn proper behavior in front of royalty... even those I disliked... no, we disliked. Maribelle surely had many reason to do so, and yet she was not the one behaving like a child about it.

"I'm sorry, Maribelle, I-" was how my long-winded apology would have begun, if the trobadour hadn't put her hand forward to silence me.

"Enough. That is not important . What IS important is that you master the proper etiquette. Now, please go back to beginning," she calmly instructed, almost as if her previous loss of temper hadn't even been there.

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!" I exclaimed, being met with a smile for finally being compliant. 

[bigboobshaunt]

Burden of a Beastman.

The world was truly a mysterious place. Of that I was certain, and one among its many mysteries, were the creatures that lived in it.

That was one of the many fauxlosophical thoughts that crossed my mind as I watched him there, at the training field.

"What on earth is he doing?" I asked myself, head perched on my hand as I continued to observe the odd young man try to hide behind all things imaginable - behind trees, bushes and rocks and even under benches.

"Should I... speak to your mother about this, Yarne?" I asked, getting outside to do some training of my own.

"GAH! Don't sneak up on people, Robin!" he squeaked, getting in a defensive stance as he spotted me. "N-No... I was just..." he mumbled, dancing on his feet as he tried to explain, obviously embarassed about having been seen.

"Haha, don't worry, I was just teasing... but anyways, what WERE you doing?" I questioned, placing a hand on my hip.

"I was... practicing... hiding, haha," he admitted, an uncoumfortable smile on his lips.

"Would you... like some help with that?" I then asked him, trying to approach this in a productive way.

"Wait... you are okay with this?" he inquired, his eyes widening.

"Well, if you're going to hide anyways, you better learn how to do it well... you can even set up surprise attacks from your hiding spot! That could come in handy," I postulated, trying my best to make him comfortable in that situation.

"Thank you... but I will be alright. I will stop hiding!" he promised. "As soon as I... can become a little more couragerous... thanks again for the suggestion, though," he smiled, before starting to walk away.

"Hey, Yarne, why don't we train a bit? No need to get too rough," I offered.

"S-Sure!" he agreed, getting his beaststone ready.

It had to be tough, being the last of his race, but he needs to know he's not alone in this, not when he's one of the shepherds. 

[bigboobshaunt]

"Sibling" Rivalry.

"No, I insist, the fliers should be positioned in the front!" I declared, staring her right in the eyes.

"Hush. I am telling you they would be twice as effective coming from the sides!" she hissed, jabbing her index finger on the table.

"Argh, we have been over this! Why must you change our plans a night before the battle?" I questioned, scratching the back of my neck.

"Because this will be a better strategy? At least for our fliers it will. I have experience in that area." she explained, moving the pieces we used to symbolize our pegasus riders.

"How would you know that?" I asked... without thinking, which I regretted almost instantly.

"I AM one our fliers!" she stated the obvious, which had somehow escaped me.

"...Yes, but I still think attacking with them from the front will be best, considering they aren't known for bringing archers," I continued, trying my best to brush aside my earlier mistake.

"Ugh, fine! Do you want to know why I'm even discussing this with you?" she sneered a question.

"...Yes," I replied, worry starting to build up within me.

"We... miscalculated the number of mages with wind magic that they have," she admitted, between grit teeth.

"Oh, I see... wait. How DO you know their numbers?" I then questioned, tilting my head to the side.

After a small pause, she came clean, even if hesitation was almost palpable in her voice. "I may have spied on them from above... recently."

"Aversa! Who told you to act on your own? What if they saw you?" I questioned, furious.

"Gah! I assure you they haven't, or they would have shot me down on the spot... besides, what does it matter?"

"It matters because if you had died out there... who would be helping me with revising our strategies and correcting any stupid mistakes I make?" I admitted.

She didn't respond, seeming both perplexed and amused.

"Look... I'll be the first to admit that you are a bit difficult to work with, but our tactics have had a marked improvement ever since we took you in. It's just good for caution that we have a contrary opinion to mine, OK?" I told her, letting it all out.

"My my... I never expected to be trusted this much... specially by my dear sibling!" she chuckled, but before I could comment, she focused her gaze back to the table. "So... about those fliers..." she continued.

With a sigh, I let what was said slip aside, and returned to planning.

[bigboobshaunt]

Small People, Big Problems.

It was always difficult for me to focus when someone else was clearly upset nearby, it just doesn't seem right... but should I really intrude in a matter that seemed so personal?

Risking a glance away from my books, I could confirm that he was still in the same position as hours ago - sitting opposite of me, clutching this month's letter, with a doubtful expression, brow furrowed.

I had tried to help him with his family-related troubles before, and even teased him about it, but... recent matters made everything a thousand times more complicated than before. Maybe if I hadn't gotten involved to begin with, I wouldn't be this worried right about now... but just worrying won't resolve anything, so I suppose I will have to see for myself.

"Hey there, Ricken!" I greeted the mage, as if we hadn't been in the same room for hours.

"Oh... hi Robin! Sorry for just barging in and not even saying anything!" he responded with a short smile.

"Don't worry about it. I should have greeted you as well, but I was too involved in my studies... at the time."

" 'At the time'? is there anything wrong now?" he questioned, straightening the oversized hat on his head.

Not being able to hold it off for a moment longer, I had to spill the beans. "Listen, Ricken... are you really not going to pay a visit to your family? This latest incursion of ours -"

"Places us right in their lands, yeah..." he sighed. "Never thought the conflict would get that close to home."

"And now that it is, you won't check up on them?" I asked, feeling my gut wrench.

"I kind of want to, but I promised-" he began.

"I know of your promise to only return when you restore your family name, but... what about the family that holds it?" I then questioned, almost feeling like I was projecting my own wishes for a family.

"You're right..." he noted, to my surprise. "I'm still not sure I'll actively pay a visit, but I might just... see how they are doing, from afar."

"That is good enough... sorry for intruding," I told him, he smiled at me, as a way to tell me not to worry, and went back to his letter, this time seeming relieved, instead of worried. 

[bigboobshaunt]

Sunshine.

Biting my lower lip, I winced as the healer touched the sensitive bright-red skin on my forearm. "I should have been more careful," I stated, looking it over, despite what the girl having told me not to.

"Don't look... it's quite bad..." she reiterated, and I nodded in response, feeling it retch inside and sting outside. "You really should have. I know it was my brother, but still... you only worry us, pulling these stunts," she sighed.

"I can't help it," I jerked a response, trying my best to avoid looking as she applied some powdered herbs that would supposedly help with the feeling. "I had nothing before you two found me."

Huffing in disappointment, the princess looked me in the eyes, placed a hand on her hips, just as I'd seen her son do, and then spoke. "Doesn't mean we like to see you sacrifcing yourself for us."

I was about to counter her statement, when she spoke again. "We've had enough of that, you know?"

I was glad to have swallowed my words then, no matter how hard it was to keep them within me... when I felt like I owed Chrom and Lissa so much.

[bigboobshaunt]

A Silent Smile.

"Hello... Robin..." her voice called out.

Surprised, I looked up from the pages of my books and saw her there, at the entrance, walking slowly towards me.

"A-Ah... Emmeryn. You look well today," I greeted her, trying to use my words carefully. 

It had been almost two months since we found her again. How she survived her fall is something I don't believe we will ever know, but the consequences of it were far too ingrained in every one of us, specially Chrom and Lissa...

"P-Please sit down. I will fetch the tea you like and we can have it while we speak," I told her with a smile, which she returned.

Her smile had always been kind and warm... and it remained every bit as beautiful now, as well.

It was too much for me; nodding to her, I took my leave, prepared to make our afternoon tea, but I then leaned against the outer wall and started to cry, memories of the day I met Ylisse's Exalt... and the day of her sacrifice, flashing clearly to me.

"...Robin...?" she uttered, in a worried tone, having undoubtedly heard my sobbing.

"I-I'll be right back!" I announced, with the clearest voice I could manage, despite my tears, hoping that her worry would be gone by the time I got back...