For #febuqueery prompt 2) Gender Non-Conforming, the favourite transmasculine butch from Awakening - Sully. I finally got around drawing her. Used this opportunity to do some nude study as well - see my NSFW Twitter for the result.
Miriel is testing out a new experimental compass, and drags Sully through the woods to act as her assistant.
“Do ya have enough data collected yet? We’ve been out here for hours.” Sully asks, idly kicking at a clump of dirt in her path as she walks behind Miriel through the forest, the two of them meandering in a seemingly random pattern. The mage had insisted she needed Sully’s assistance for some kind of dire research, yet all they’d done so far was walk and chat.
“I will be sure to alert you once I am satisfied.” Miriel says, and it’s hardly reassuring.
“Why don’t you at least let me see what you’re working on. You said it was some kinda compass, right? I know my way around a compass.” A decent portion of her knight training had involved navigating, and Sully was never one to slack-off when it came to knightly duties. She speeds up, trying to get to Miriel’s side so she snatch the rotten thing from her hands, but the trees make it difficult. And so does Miriel briskly increasing her own pace.
“That is unnecessary. This is quite delicate equipment. I do not want to risk you breaking it. Replacing it would be expensive and time-consuming.”
“What, you don’t trust me not to drop it? I’m not the one in this army with butterfingers.”
“I would trust you with my life. That has nothing to do with this-” She cuts herself off as Sully lunges forward, swiping for the metal device hidden in her palm. “You ruffian!” Sully pauses her assault, hands on her hips, and rolls her eyes.
“Alright, out with it. You never beat around the bush when you want me to help, but I haven’t even done anything yet today.” Miriel adjusts her glasses, a sure sign that Sully’s onto her.
“I assure you, this is a perfectly normal experiment. You’re far too paranoid.”
Sully, exasperated, reaches out again, and this time Miriel has nowhere to go. With a flourish, Miriel lifts her arms, sleeves smacking Sully’s face, holding the compass above her head, out of Sully's reach. Sully scowls. Miriel has at least six inches on her, height-wise.
“What are you, twelve?”
“You’re merely angry because it is a sound strategy. A twelve-year old employing it would merely be demonstrating their own aptitude for tactics.”
A smile plays on Sully’s lips. Miriel seems to have a talent for saying the most ridiculous things with the straightest face. But still, she's not one to admit defeat.
“Well, here’s another sound strategy for ya.” Miriel may be taller than her, but Sully’s far, far stronger. So, she takes that strength and throws herself at Miriel, grabbing her and picking up like she’s nothing more than a sack of potatoes.
Miriel makes a rather undignified noise in response. “Th-there’s no need for such barbaric actions!” Sully ignores her, wrestling the compass from her and then slinging her over her shoulder, securing the mage with one arm and cracking open the compass with her other.
“...Miriel. This is just a normal compass. Actually,” Sully frowns and shakes the contraption, watching the needle bounce around. “It’s a broken compass.”
Miriel falls silent. Sully sighs and lowers her back to the ground. Miriel steps away, brushing at her wrinkled robes and adjusting her hat, which had somehow managed to escape the ordeal with only minor damage. She keeps her gaze averted from Sully’s, and Sully swears she sees a dusting of light pink on her cheeks.
“I suppose it would behoove me to admit that I may have greatly exaggerated the need for your assistance, as my experiment is not yet in such an advanced stage that field trials are a necessity. I had, ah, ulterior motives, one could say.”
Sully quirks an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue
“I, well, it has been some time since we were able to be in each other’s presence without any undue interruptions. I took it upon myself to construct a situation in which such distractions could not occur.”
Sully takes a moment to translate that in her head, and then she bursts out laughing.
“Miriel, you don’t have to invent experiments to ask me on a date. We’re already a thing, you just have to ask. Y’know, with some of those big old words you’re so fond of.”
Miriel cross her arms. “I used them indirectly. We are out here on a date now, are we not?”
Sully smiles fondly, and tucks the compass away so she can grab one of Miriel’s hands.
“Now it’s really a date. Let’s head back to camp now, alright? We can take our time, but Chrom’ll flip his lid if we aren’t back before sunset.” Miriel looks away again, eyes darting around their surroundings instead of resting on Sully’s face. At first she thinks she’s just being bashful again, but then Miriel coughs lightly.
“As it turns out, I may also have exaggerated the scope of my navigational skills. To put it bluntly, I haven’t the faintest idea where we are.”
Sully laughs again, the sound resonating from deep in her stomach.
“I’ll take the lead this time, then. And worse comes to worst, you can send up a flare so Robin can send someone to fetch us before chewing us out for being irresponsible.”
Miriel huffs, but she’s smiling too, so Sully counts it as a win. Miriel may be hard to read sometimes, but Sully knows she’s just a softie at heart, even if she’s the only one who ever gets to see it. Even if she could’ve spend the last few hours training, she’d be hard-pressed to call them a waste of time.
