"I... have grown fond of you, you know. I do not know anyone who knows me quite like you do, Nathaniel. And by that, I mean that I am in love with you; entirely and unquestionably. Do what you will with my heart, but it shall always remain yours."
Nathaniel had not, truthfully, thought Fenris’ seriousness thatevening had been forewarning a confession, least of all one so poignant. It wasnot the first time someone had confessed their interest in him, but it was thefirst time someone had done it so directly, unflinchingly meeting his gaze andsomehow demanding his utmost attention. Then again, Fenris was hardly somemaiden blushing and stammering over a confession of teenage infatuation. Hiswords carried far more weight.
He dragged his tongue over his lips, not quite stalling butletting the elf’s words sink in while he determined the best way to respond.Alike though they seemed on the surface, it was times like these that acutely remindedNathaniel just how different they really were. He could have never bared hissoul in such a manner; a part of him squirmed at the very thought, demanding hequiet Fenris before the elf could continue to speak things no man should eversay out loud. But Fenris was his own man, and it was not his place to tell theelf how he was to express his feelings. His only obligation was to respond ashonestly as he was able.
The easiest answer was to reach across and take Fenris’hands in his, uncurling fingers from their tight fists and smoothing his thumbsover the thrumming pulse at the elf’s wrists. His heart was Nathaniel’s, wasit? He would have quirked an eyebrow at such sentiments from anyone else, buthe had found himself growing rather fond of the rawness of Fenris’ emotions andhis frank manner of expressing them.
“If it is mine forever then I suppose I ought to takeexcellent care of it.” He grasped the elf’s wrists more tightly so as to drawhim forward, reaching up with one hand to catch him by the back of the neckinstead. “Seeing as I am also rather fond of the one it beats for.”
A/N: Since this scenario isn’t dependent on either verse where my Fates Insert is paired with Leo (either the Revelation: Main Verse or Birthright:Subversion verse which is my Leo/Joanna/Ryoma poly verse), I’m marking it with my ambiguous verse tag.
...
There was an instant as he stirred where Leo couldn’t feel feel her at his side. A small gasp escaped him as the realization she wasn’t in bed prompted him to sit up. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around.
“Joanna?” he asked her name allowed. It wasn’t like her to be up before him. A shame really. He liked being able to wake her up with a gentle kiss in the morning. It concerned him more though that he was still unable to find her. Was she not in the room at all?
“Just a moment, my love.” At last, he heard her voice from behind one of the larger dressers. He couldn’t help but laugh at himself for as soon as he looked in that direction, she was easy to spot. She was fiddling with something, although he couldn’t quite discern what.
A moment later, she returned to their bed, still dressed in her nightgown, carrying what looked like a small box in her hands.
It took him a second, and then he recalled what day it was.
“Oh, is that for me?”
“It is,” she admittedly, smiling sheepishly. “I know you don’t value material gifts as much, but I still wanted to get you something. Happy Birthday, Leo.”
He found himself smiling back, reaching out a hand. She leaned into his touch, allowing him to pull her close as she placed the box in his other hand.
“You really shouldn’t have. What could be a better gift than waking up with the most wonderful woman in the world?” His face hovered a moment close to hers. “May I?”
She nodded, and he placed an affectionate kiss on her cheek. Then with his free hand, he attempted to carefully pull the little golden latch that kept the little box shut. There was a brief but faint glow from within, causing a bit of surprise to betray itself in Leo’s features.
“Something magical?” he asked. He shook his head, though at himself, not her. He really shouldn’t be surprised.
“Maybe I really shouldn’t have...” Joanna’s voice indicated her heart dropping a little, worried that he wouldn’t like the gift.
“No it’s not you. I just wasn’t expecting it. Though I should have. You’re quite creative when it comes to this sort of thing.”
Inside was a small clear glass bead, glimmering again with a faint light.
“I made it myself actually. Well... I asked Odin to help a little at points,” she confessed. “I tried my hand at enchanting. If you take this bead with you in your pocket, it will help you find something you’re looking for.”
Leo blinked. “You made a small Guiding Crystal?”
“I did. I was thinking about when we first met, you were looking for something then too.” Her expression was still sheepish. But Leo would dispel any worry that she had about what he thought of her gift.
“I see,” he chuckled, “I think it’s wonderful you made something for me using your talents. Maybe I don’t care for material gifts as much as others, but it means something that you put care and effort into it. I think that matters most over the gift itself. But that said, I love it.”
“Oh, good! I’m glad to hear it.”
“I just wish we could stay here a while longer,” he lamented. “We always find our way back to each other during the day though, don’t we?”
“Your highness? It’s only me. I have your medicine for you.”
There was a soft groan before he pushed the blankets away and sat up. He hadn’t thought he’d fall asleep as quickly as he did. Sleep was always a problem for the prince, and more often than not that also included falling asleep as well as the nightmares he had. Takumi had guessed he would stay awake long enough for Joanna to come with the tonic she’d been giving him since an incident in the Bottomless Canyon.
She’d been frank about the situation. Joanna had detected powerful magic on him and feared some mage had laid some spell on him. Unfortunately it was more powerful than she’d first anticipated. But, she managed to find a strong remedy to keep any ill effects at bay until a more permanent solution could be found.
At this point, she more than had his trust in such matters. So he had no problem when she insisted on personally mixing and handing off the tonic to him to make sure everything went off without a hitch. Luckily she’d endeared herself enough to Hinata and Oboro that they had no objections to speak of at this point either.
Takumi pawed around for clothing to make himself decent. He hands grasped something that seemed suitable, and he attempted to dress as quickly as he could. “I’m coming! Just hold on a minute.” Takumi reached for a sash and secured his clothes. He then at last made his way to the door, rubbing his eyes and trying to stifle a yawn.
“Sorry to make you wait, Joanna. I’m sure… you’ll need to be getting some shut eye soon. You really shouldn’t lose sleep on account of even me.” He rambled apologetically as he slid open the door. He blinked slowly, looking down at the woman as she held out a cup filled with a shimmering blue liquid. Although once his gaze settled, it wasn’t the tonic his focus was on.
“Are you alright, Prince Takumi?” she questioned him, an eyebrow raised.
“Your hair…” The words dropped off his tongue before he could keep himself in check. “You don’t usually let your hair down.”
Golden brown strands hung from her shoulders, running down to her waist. Normally they were tied back and kept orderly. He tied back his own hair too, but perhaps it was the fact that normally he didn’t see her in so casual a state.
“Well, I figured I was just going to be a moment, so it wouldn’t be a problem,” she explained. “If I’m being rude by arriving in such a state, I’m sorry, I only thought-”
“No!” he interjected. “No, no. You’re fine.” He tried rather clumsily to reassure her. He attempted to swiftly take the cup from her, but had to steady his hands over hers to avoid spilling or dropping the cup. Takumi attempted to take a deep breath, a yawn being what came out instead. He really wasn’t fully awake at this point, was he? “I’m just tired is all.”
“It’s alright,” she attempted to assure him softly, saying nothing of the fact his hands rested over hers.
“It’s… nice actually,” he remarked. A moment later her registered the warmth of the back of her hands against his palms. For a moment color lightly tinged his cheeks from the realization, and he shook his head as he took his hands away, being sure to take the cup with it.
“What’s nice?” she asked, confused for a moment. “O-oh, do you mean my hair?”
“Yes,” he replied, trying not to think too much about his embarrassment as he puts lips to the edge and drank. It wasn’t the most pleasant tasting of concoctions. But often these sorts of things weren’t meant to taste pleasant, were they? What was more important was that it worked for its intended purpose.
“Thank you. I’m glad you think it… looks nice.” Her surprise made her response a bit staggered. “It’s so hard to take care of when I wear it loose though, it tangles far too easily.”
He found himself laughing at the remark. “Yeah, I can imagine. It is easier to take care of when you tie it back. And it doesn’t get in the way as much.” Down like this, her hair seemed even longer and thicker than when it was tied back, too. It maybe even looked softer, too. …Softer? “A-anyway, thank you again for going out of your way to help me with this. Have you made any progress on how to fix this… curse of sorts?”
“It’s no trouble, your highness. I’m a Scholar, it’s my job to collect, preserve, and share knowledge with all. Plus, I wouldn’t let something terrible happen to you,” Joanna answered thoughtfully. “As to a permanent cure, it seems like Azura might have an idea of what to do. It seems we might be trying something on the morrow.”
“Good! …Good.” Takumi gingerly placed the empty cup back into her hands. “You know, it’s hard to believe I wasn’t so sure about you when you first got here.”
For a moment her face turned more serious. “Yes, you made me well aware of that fact in the beginning. But… I think I can understand it, given what your family has been through.”
“…Yeah.” A soft sigh escaped him. “But, it’s really hard to imagine feeling that way now. I don’t know what it is, but you have a real knack for getting people to trust you.” Scholar Joanna was kind and patient with people, perhaps at times to a disarming degree. Perhaps that was her secret. But perhaps at time she extended herself thin as a result. Still…
She laughed and shook her head. “You’re cute when you’re half asleep like this…,” she teased him. “You don’t need to heap on the flattery, your highness. I just wanted to earn your trust as I did the others. I hoped at the very least to be able to work with the others as comrades at arms.”
“But I meant what I said!” He blurted out without thinking, finding himself desperation to correct himself in the wake of it. The prince, coughed, straightening his posture. “I-I appreciate the sentiment. I think you’ve mostly accomplished that. I mean, I can’t speak for others, but at least with me I think you’ve gotten that far, at least.”
“…That’s good.” She nodded firmly. “Let me know if you need anything else, alright?”
“Yes, of course,” he told her, “…Right then. Good night, Scholar.”
“Good night, Prince Takumi.”
She bowed her head politely and left. Once she was gone, Takumi let out a sigh, reflecting on his awkward behavior during the interaction. He certainly could have handled himself better, at least in his mind.
The gentle sound of his quill scratching the parchment was enough to stir her when she’d barely begun to doze off. A soft groan left her lips as Joanna tuned over on her side, the motion tugging down one of the straps of her nightgown. Her hand haphazardly reached for one of the pillows as she pulled it towards her, trying to bury her face and avoid the light of the candle that illuminated the desk near by.She shifted her head slightly as to not muffle her words into the pillow.“Are you still awake..?” she asked wearily. Another tap or two of the quill hit the paper before he stopped. “Sorry. I need to get this done,” Leo replied softly, the subtle sound of his quill returning for a moment. Joanna gave him a halfhearted ‘ah’ in reply before tugging at the blankets, pulling them up over her head. When there was noise and she was tired, she liked to withdraw under the sheets and become a lump under the layers of cloth. Moments passed, and then a few moments more. At last the quill stopped and she very faintly heard his sharp exhale to blow out the candle. Footsteps furtively approached the bed, and she felt the subtle sensation of Leo placing a hand on the pillow she help on to.“Are you still awake?” he whispered. She softly hummed in response, pulling the blankets back a little so she could see his outline in the darkness of the room. She released her grip on the pillow and he took it from her. “I wish I could have been done sooner. You have my apologies.”“It’s okay... I’m just... sssso tired.” At this point she was so much so that it was hard to put coherently thoughts together. Or at least give voice to them. “So... I take it... you intend... to replace my pillow then?”After a moment or two he slid into bed, pulling her to him and wrapping an arm around her waist. “That was the idea, yes,” he replied, softly but playfully as she rested her head on his chest. His other hand briefly reached over, fixing the strap on her nightgown that had fallen. “Comfortable?”“Mhm.”“Good,” he answered, briefly kissing the crown of her head. “Sleep well, my love.”Tagging: @blackquills-wife and @curiousobsession101
Since my motivation to do aesthetic posts or dollmaker stuff is kind of shot right now and also trying my hand at a sketch, I’m going to be doing more detailed written descriptions for some of my Self-Inserts. Gonna flex those writing muscles and have fun with it.
First off, my Fire Emblem Fates Insert, Joanna of Nestra. Her appearance is generally consistent throughout her various verses (in terms of her typical outfits), but she does have a variation on her casual outfit for her Conquest: Ritual Verse.
Joanna of Canticus (or Joanna of Nestra, as she referred to more commonly in the Nohrian or Hoshidan armies). She is of petite height, with a soft and curvy frame. She has a florid complexion, and has been known to blush easily. Joanna generally keeps her long, wavy golden brown hair tied back with a ribbon. Her eyes are big and almond shaped, with a hazel coloring to them. Notably she also has small scars on her right cheek and her lower back from a childhood accident.
Most would describe her as having a very gentle appearance overall.
Main Ensemble: Most nestran clothing, even that of Scholars tends to be rather showy or even guady looking. As Nestra has taken entertainment into their culture on an everyday level, this is quite a common sight. Joanna’s mage robes do bear some resemblance to scholarly robes in Nestra in their general design, but lack the flashy colors and excessive ornamentation that are more common. Hers are a more simpler in design, with two layers and several strings laced in front and down the sides. They are a softer white with lavender accents, with the hooded cloak that sometimes accompanies them lavender with a white trim.
She usually wears a pair of sturdy but comfortable shoes with these.
Casual Ensemble: Her casual outfit consists of a white tunic with 3/4 length sleeves and a long skirt. The outfit is often accented with a lavender sash around the waist, but is also sometimes accompanied by a white and lavender shawl. Her shoes are similar to those with her main ensemble.
Cottage Witch Ensemble (Conquest: Ritual Verse): This outfit much resembles her casual ensemble, with two majors exceptions. One, that it is accompanied by a heavy hooded cloak at all times. Secondly, that the color scheme is a dark grey rather than white, with white accents rather than lavender.
@aktinxvoliia replied to your post “I’ve sometimes wondered about things with my Grandfather, King Garon....”
"I am not certain we'll ever know, your highness. But I do know you will do well by your word."
“I suppose not. My grandfather isn’t really in the sort of thing where he would be willing to share. No, he is one who simply does as he pleases and demands obedience without question. My father is someone who I strive to be like, but grandfather... I should dread becoming someone like him.”
He took a deep breath and sighed.
“Thank you, my lady. I appreciate that I have your trust and confidence. It means a lot to me. I know I will the support of kind people such as yourself in the days to come.”
“....Forgive me, Veronica. I don’t mean to startle you.” He explained hesitantly as he tried to keep to the smallest corner of the room possible. That was easier said than done though consider how big he was in this form. Gods, he felt like a bear in a barrel.
“...I’m afraid the explanation as to what is happening is a lengthy one. I am more than happy to explain but... if you wish for the short version... I’m stuck like this for a while. I...I-I apologize.”
