(I have to keep going, keep pushing.) I had frantically grabbed the earpiece in my pocket when I left this morning. It was way later than usuals. (I’m pretty sure he already took care of what was needed this morning…)
I was in front of his tent about to barge inside, when he pops out from his tent instead.
Lon’qu: “Overslept?” He looks at me from head to toe, I could see it in his eyes.
Laura: “Uhhh no?” (OK YES MAYBE.) I force an innocent smile.
Lon’qu: “You should get rest if you need it.”
Laura: “I got enough rest… I don’t need it…”
We stare at each other. He has his arms crossed now and I have my arms crossed too.
Lon’qu: “…Hmph.”
Laura: “A-Anyways… I came by for your next escapade.” I had meant to say it teasingly, but it comes out a bit flat.
Lon’qu: “These aren’t ‘escapades’. He sighs arms still crossed.
Laura: “These outings then.”
Lon’qu: “They’re nothing.”
(Says you!!!) (Why am I worked up already?!)
Laura: “It’s not ‘nothing.’”
Lon’qu: “We can just give up that list of yours already…”
(I refuse...!!!) “I will not be defeated by this list.” I stand firm my arms still crossed.
An exhausted sigh escapes his mouth.
Lon’qu: “…Who’s next then?” I can hear the regret in his voice for even asking.
Laura: “It would be… Sully.”
Another sigh.
(I need to be his cheerleader… his encouragement.)
Laura: “I-I’ll always support you! You know that right…?” I’m not sure if he’s heard me or not. But my words are true. (I would always support him… no matter what…)
He blinks.
Silence.
Then, he points to his ear.
(His ear…? No… the earpiece….) I quickly take it out and show it to him that I have it.
Lon’qu: “Then, come…” And he walks off.
(Come where…??) I know his back very well now… (Always walking ahead…) (Leading…)
(I’m caught in it all…)
And I follow… as I put it on.
We are at the training grounds, Lon’qu near his favorite spot and I decided to just sit on a bench watching him.
I see Sully just as she talks to him.
Sully: “Those were some impressive moves on the battlefield today, Lon'qu.”
Lon'qu: “Ngh...”
He takes a step back.
Laura: (It really is.. even she has noticed…)
Sully: “You don't know one thing about me! Not until we've crossed blades.”
Lon'qu: “You are a woman.”
I wince. (Women really bother him huh...)
Sully: “...Oh, that does it. Draw! Draw and defend your life!”
Laura: (Against Sully… he did kind of ask for that…)
Lon'qu: “Stop!”
(Him and his stops.) I smile despite that.
Sully: “Make me!”
I can’t help but laugh inside, seeing all of this. Him evading her all swings.
He stops one of her attacks.
Lon'qu: “...That would have hit me.”
Sully: “Then it's a good thing you parried. Let's see if you're as quick next time.”
They continue to spar. (Sully is using a lance which has an advantage over swords, but he’s deflecting her just fine…)
I can’t help, but be amazed while I watch.
Sully: “Pfft. That? I've seen you fight, and that wasn't half what you're capable of. It doesn't count if you win when the other guy wasn't even trying.”
Lon'qu: “Half is all I can offer someone like you.”
(And what’s that supposed to mean??)
Lon'qu: “I mean no insult. The fault is mine alone. I have an...aversion to women. A crippling, involuntary reflex. You're a true warrior, and skilled. But I cannot fight you.
Sully: “Is this some childhood-trauma thing? Did a girl take your lunch money?”
(…Huh? Childhood trauma…?)
Lon'qu: “Something like that.”
Laura: (Something like that??? Like what?!)
Sully: “Well, I won't pry. Everybody's got their secrets. ...Wait. Does this happen to you on the battlefield, too.”
Lon'qu: “I manage to suppress it in instinctual, life-and-death situations.”
(That… would make sense.)
Sully: “So if your neck were on the line, you'd be able to fight. That makes sense... HAAAAAA!”
Lon'qu: “Are you mad, woman?!”
(Does he think all women are mad??)
Sully: “Going for the kill would be the easy fix, but that isn't really an option here. But I figured if I turned up the intensity, I might be able to trigger a survival reflex. Now pretend I'm about to kill you!”
Lon'qu: “You ARE mad!”
(Seeing them duke it out… Sully really is a good fighter…) (She’s really not holding anything back.) (And he’s stopped dodging her, and actually sparring with her back.)
Sully: “Finally stopped seeing me as a woman, eh? It usually doesn't take guys this long.”
Lon'qu: “No. Nothing has changed in that regard. Over the course of sparring, I've just...gotten used to you.”
(He says as a matter of fact.)
(Comrades over fighting…)
(I know for a fact that Sully is a better fighter than I am. That’s for sure…)
I sigh… (I need to get stronger, faster… quicker…)
Lon’qu: “…Did you learn anything…?”
His voice… in my ears. His body turned towards where I am sitting.
I nod, but I don’t know if he can actually see it.
Lon’qu: “Come, show me then...”
(Is he joking?! Like I’m supposed to fight like a ‘madwoman’?!)
I get up, grabbing one of the training axes on the rack. (I’m at a disadvantage always anyways… since it’s his sword against my axe.) (He’s faster and his accuracy… no one can even compare.) (But, he’s been sparring for hours while I sat like a potato…) (Even then, he’s still a better fighter than me no less.)
Laura: “I’m here…” (Not sure what you want me to do…)
Lon’qu: “Show me what you can do.”
(Easy for you to say…!!) Before I could even lift my axe into a striking position…
He pokes me on my side of my torso with the hilt of his sword.
Laura: “W-Wha?!” It was so unexpected, my face flushed… with embarrassment!!
Lon’qu: “Too slow.”
Laura: “W-well excuse me!” I stand there dumbfounded.
He pivots his blade and pokes my other side.
Laura: “H-hey!!” I can feel my face getting hotter. (Why is he teasing me like this?!) I-I stare him down.
Laura: “W-what g-gives..?!”
He has a small smirk on his face. The corner of his lips slightly up. His eyes… amused.
Laura: “…!” My heartbeat quickens. (S-so cute….!!! That’s not fair at all!!)
All I can do is stare at him, when he shifts the hilt of his sword yet again, where it touches me right where my heart is.
(Huh…?!!??!!) All my blood is definitely rushing to my face now if it wasn’t before.
Laura: “E-eep!” I squeaked out.
Lon’qu: “!” His face flushes quickly probably as red as me even though I have been blushing for moments way longer..!!! He draws his sword back.
Lon’qu: “S-sorry. I got…carried away.” He looks towards the distance, his sword put away like he’s never had it out this whole time.
Laura: “I-it’s fine!!” My heart still thumping around my chest. I’m still holding onto my axe. (I… I can poke him back can’t… I…?) I slowly lift. (Carefully…)
Robin (female): “There you are!!!”
I drop the training axe like I got caught.
Laura: “Y-yes?!”
I turned towards toward the voice. (A-ah… Robin….) I think back to yesterday… the butterflies I was just feeling… vanished.
Robin (female): “A villager informed us that there were sightings of Risens. Could you two take care of it for us?” She looks at me then at Lon’qu and gives a wink.
Laura: “S-sure…”
She thanks us and gives us directions. We head out.
(Winking?! Winking at Lon’qu really?!) (I thought the tactician is supposed to be on my side??? She’s an enemy… no doubt. I sigh heavily. More than I intended to sigh.
Lon’qu walks ahead of me, but not by much. If I walked a little bit faster, we would be walking side by side. He looks back a few times, our eyes meet, but he just look like he didn’t even look back at all.
(And what’s up with that…?!)
We walk in silence.
We make it to the outskirts, but it’s eerily quiet.
I give in… I talk first.
Laura: “It’s so weird out here huh…?”
Lon’qu: “Shh.” Short and clipped.
(Again… shushing me…) I bite my lip.
I walk a little scanning the area. (Seriously… I don’t see—)
Lon’qu: “Watch out!” He pushes me out of the way and parries an attack.
Caught off guard, I trip on my left feet, and fall to the ground like a loser.
Laura: “Ack!”
Thud!
Lon’qu: “Tch…!” He cuts down one risen, but there are like 4 more coming.
He heard me fall… and he whips back around. “…Laura!” His hand reaching out to probably help me up…?
(Huh? My name???)
Laura: “No wait! Behind you…!” I say as I push myself up off the ground.
But… instead of taking out the risen… his hand wraps around my upper arm and pulls me up….
The risen is behind him now, if he dodges, it’ll hit me instead…
My axe on the ground… from when I fell.
His eyes does a quick look, one at the risen one at me. (I’m pretty sure we came to the same conclusion…)
Lon’qu: “Nnngh…!” He blocks most of the attack with his sword, but a risen clips him on his arm.
Laura: “Lon’qu!!” Instinctively, I pull out my healing wand and healed him.
Lon’qu: “Thanks…”
I run over to pick up my axe, but by the time I’m ready to help out…
He cuts down risen after risen. “How well will you die?”
He must have taken out the commander because they’re all gone now…
Laura: “Sorry… for being useless…”
Lon’qu: “You healed me… that’s not useless.”
Laura: “But I didn’t…”
Lon’qu: “I apologize… for not guarding you properly…”
I blush at my incompetence.
Laura: “N-no..! I tripped… Besides I’m fine! Thank you… for protecting me.” I said earnestly. I look up at his face…
Laura: “I… I’ll try to get stronger. Strong enough to protect myself…”
Lon’qu: “You…” A pause. “Just stay safe...” His eyes meeting mines for a moment, until he whips around and starts walking back.
My heart does a funny dance… as I follow him home…
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