I was tagged by @inwersya to do this! Thank you for the tag and the compliments to my babes<3<3 I’m going to do this for my two mains, Fenin’lin and Oswin
I commissioned my beautiful friend, @cocotingo, to draw my naked child Demarion and the gorgeous @courtneysupertramp ‘s Oswin Lavellan. Thanks so much, beauty!!! We love them!! <3 <3 <3
So, for day 5 of OC Kiss Week, here’s a little kiss between the awesome @courtneysupertramp‘s Oswin Lavellan and my Traesa. This was super fun to write, and I do hope you enjoy it! n_n!
Traesa sat cross-legged by a dying fire, oiling her bow and trying to pretend she wasn’t aware of just how sad Oswin Lavellan looked, sitting by his own quickly-guttering fire. He seemed too lost in his own thoughts to pay attention to his surroundings. Privately, Traesa acknowledged that the sight of Oswin, who was usually nearly irritating in his vivacity, with his shoulders hunched in and his head bowed, was probably one of the saddest things she’d ever seen – which, considering that she had seen Aelin and Cenric’s attempts at holding a conversation with each other pre-banging, was very sad. Just when Traesa was sure that the sight of Oswin sitting alone could not get anymore depressing, Oswin gave another great sigh and strummed his lute unenthusiastically. Traesa’s patience snapped; she decided she could no longer tolerate the sight, leaping up and slinging her bow on her back in one fluid movement before she strode over to where Oswin sat on the other side of camp.
Oz startled a little when Traesa dropped unceremoniously into a seat on the log his right, but Traesa settled herself in like she had every right to be there, immediately propping an elbow on her knee and gazing at Oswin intently. “Alright, what’s the matter with you, Oz?” She asked simply, never one for beating around the bush. When the brunette hesitated, straightening his shoulders as if gearing up to deny his sad state, Traesa snapped, “I’m getting all teary-eyed just looking at you. Come on, no halla-shit.”
Oswin deflated immediately, his shoulders slumping. He stared for a moment at Traesa, then at the dying fire, his green eyes luminescent with genuine, suppressed anguish. “Fenin’lin doesn’t love me, and I’m starting to doubt she’s ever going to.”
Traesa resisted the urge to put her head in her hands, because for all that Traesa didn’t understand the strength of Oswin’s emotions, he was still sort of her friend. Revas usually handled Oswin’s ‘woe is me, for my love is not returned’ phases, but the tall blonde was nowhere to be found, so she supposed that left comforting Oswin to her. Traesa worked up a shred of compassion, reaching out to grip his shoulder. “Hey, don’t say shit like that. Who knows? You’re breathing, she’s breathing. As long as that’s true, you’ve still got a chance.”
Oswin snorted, shaking his head as he shrugged off her hand. “You don’t get it, Traesa – she kissed a demon! A demon!! I’ve been here for her for years without even getting close to a kiss, and some demon walks up and suddenly it’s all ‘pucker up’!” Oswin rubbed a hand over his eyes, using the other to gesture at the indignity of the situation.
Traesa winced, not bothering to disguise how badly that boded for Oswin. “I’ll be honest, Ozzy – that’s rough. What kind of demon was it?”
Oswin’s brow furrowed as he looked up, giving Traesa a quizzical look, clearly wondering how that was relevant. “Desire, I think.”
“Oh, well shit – ” Traesa leaned back, scratching at the side of her head, then said, “I mean, can you really blame her? You went around all day nipples out, sporting a six-pack, she’d probably think about kissing you a lot more.”
“Are you trying to make me feel better?” Oswin asked, his frown deepening as he folded his arms and looked over at Traesa. “Because if you are, it’s not really working.”
Traesa’s mouth twitched, but she only shrugged. “I’m just saying, it’s not like you lost out to a terror demon or something. Those things are fugly as shit.” That at least got an upturn of the lips from Oswin, which Traesa counted as a win. “So chin up, huh? So Wolfie kissed one admittedly hot demon. Big shit. Wolfie’s probably gonna kiss a lot of things in her time, and that’s her right. You love her as much as you do for as long as you do, eventually she’s gonna open up her eyes and see you – a good hunter with a couple redeeming qualities, not the least of which is your…long-lasting love for her. Right? She’ll come around.”
Oswin seemed briefly uplifted by her words, holding her grey gaze with something like hope in his eyes, then his expression fell abruptly and he turned his attention to the fire again. “Traesa…you know as well as I do that Fen’s not stupid, or blind. I’m pretty sure she knows I’ve liked her for a while now, so it just…makes me wonder, you know, what the point of anything is? I mean, why even try if there’s no hope she’ll even feel the same way?”
Traesa’s eyes narrowed severely. The only thing she hated more than losing, herself, was watching other people let themselves become losers, especially when they had all the potential to be winners. Oswin was not unattractive; with his tanned, muscled physique honed by years spent as a hunter, green eyes that seemed to glow nearly as brightly as the lyrium embedded in his skin, and skill with the lute that only served to direct attention to his long, dexterous fingers, Oswin had half the Clan drooling over him, and would probably have more admirers if he hadn’t made it abundantly clear that he only had eyes for Fenin’lin. His tunnel vision when it came to Fen was adorable, at times, but now it only irritated Traesa. Sharp words burned at her lips, but she swallowed them, instead hopping to her feet, eyes flashing. “Follow me, you dumbass.” She ordered, turning on her heel and striding towards where the edge of the camp met the shadows of the forest the Clan had chosen to settle in for the time being. She was satisfied that Oswin stood to follow her, raising a hand to forestall his inevitable protest. “And keep quiet.” She slipped into the shadows, content to evade detection by the camp’s sentries, and nodded lightly when Oswin followed her lead. Together, they crossed into the forests, passing undetected over grass and root.
Oswin stepped out of the shadows and into the wide grove Traesa had led them to. Ancient trees towered overhead, their giant roots wide enough to sit three comfortably across. Patches of star-flecked sky were just visible through the ceiling of leaves, but otherwise, the forest was dark and quiet, but for the rustlings caused by gentle brushes of wind. “Well? What did you bring me here for?” Oswin asked just as Traesa stepped from the darkness and crossed her arms.
“Wait for it, Ozzy.” Traesa told him, her stare focused upwards. Oswin stared at her quizzically for a moment, then followed her gaze. After a moment, he saw it.
At first, it seemed as if tiny balls of light were raining from the sky. Most were golden or orange, but some were lyrium-blue, yet others royal purple, and some verdant green. As the lights drifted lazily closer, it became clear that the lights were living insects that floated silently around the clearing, the lights on their tails flickering on and off. “What…” Traesa was unable to help an upturn of her lips at the unabashed wonder in Oswin’s tone. “Traesa, what are these?” He reached out a hand to touch one of the blue ones, his lyrium tattoos glowing faintly in the darkness, but it floated away before his fingers could so much as brush it.
“Glow-bugs.” Traesa said simply, her eyes fixed on the glowing creatures. “I’ve heard them called lightning-bugs, or fireflies, but that’s fucking stupid, since their asses don’t shoot lightning or fire. They just glow. So. Glow-bugs.”
Oswin gave her a look, grinning. “Your way with words never ceases to amaze, Traesa.”
“I know. Should’ve been a poet.” She announced dryly, smiling lightly as she took a seat on one of the moss-covered branches. “You ready for my next sonnet?” She said, tilting her head just slightly to the side. A glow-bug alighted on the edge of her knuckle, bathing her hand in golden light. She raised her hand to get a closer look at the curious insect, speaking as much to the glow-bug as she was to Oswin. “This is a one-time show, so listen up. The world seems like it’s pretty dark sometimes, and when it does, everything starts looking real shitty. But that’s not the world – that’s your own fucked perspective. There’s light enough if you know where to look for it, but things are always gonna seem dark as long as you keep your eyes shut. Has Wolfie announced her intention to marry this fucking desire demon?”
Oswin snorted, but he’d begun to show teeth in his smile. “No, I guess not.”
“Is she courting anybody in the Clan?” Traesa pressed. “In fact, has she ever shown the slightest bit of serious romantic interest in, well, anyone?”
Oswin spent a little bit staring at her, in a pause Traesa took to be consideration, then finally shook his head. “Well, ah – not really.”
“You starting to get how stupid you are yet?” Traesa grinned, grey eyes gleaming even in the darkness. “You want my advice? Look on the brighter side of things.” Traesa drummed her hands against the tree’s solid root, and the glow-bug flew off to join the rest of its kind. She stood, striding past Oswin in the direction of the camp. “That sad face doesn’t really suit you. It’s better when you don’t look like the world’s ending.”
Oswin exhaled a short, almost disbelieving, laugh. “That almost sounded like a compliment.” He noted, his tone teasing.
“Maybe you’re hearing things.” Traesa countered, but before she could put too much distance between herself and Oswin, the hunter’s hand flicked out and grasped her hand, tugging her gently closer. She half-turned, confused and surprised, already tensing, although in preparation for what, she couldn’t say.
Of all the things she expected from the moment, Traesa could safely say that the soft press of Oswin’s lips against the knuckles of her hand was the last. He seemed almost gallant, bending over her hand like an Emerald Knight out of the elders’ tales. Oswin glanced up, a grin on his lips and light in his eyes; whatever shadows had lain on his countenance had lifted. She could have kissed him then, lit up as he was by the glowing insects that yet floated lazily through the air, but instead she pressed her lips together and stared, trying to ignore the blood that had rushed to her face and ears, hoping it was dark enough that he wouldn’t notice. “You know, Traesa, you’re a lot kinder than you want people to think you are.”
Traesa forced a snort, pulling her hand out of his grip and stepping away. “Yeah, well, maybe.” She muttered, tongue heavy in her mouth, thoughts still tangled. Then she gathered herself and grinned, recovering in an instant. “But you know what? No one will ever believe you.” She stuck her tongue out at him, like when they were ten and she hit all of her targets, but stayed behind to help him collect wayward arrows even though they were all his. Her grey eyes gleamed brightly in the starlight, before she turned again. She stepped a few paces away, then lifted a beckoning hand. “Come on, let’s get back to camp. It’s late, and Mythal knows you need your beauty sleep.”
Oswin snorted, but stepped up to keep pace with her. The rogues vanished into the trees quietly, but their passing through the woods was marked by soft words and chuckles as the stars continued to shine silently overhead.
