justicespeared

[justicespeared]

Cynthia watches him panic, and she's seen that panic before. She can't place how, but it's familiar to her. She's smart enough not to comment on it. When he asks if she's got a needle and thread, she presses her lips together. No, she's sure she doesn't. She pats down her pockets, and there's a little box.

Confused, she pulls it out. It's a little box containing a couple of needles, and some threads in different colours. She's fairly certain it isn't hers; she tends to keep this kind of thing in her room. Still, she's found stranger things in her pockets than a needle and thread.

“Yeah!” But it's not mine. She's pretty sure she was helping someone else, and just accidentally took it. When she remembers whose it is, she'll return it. Right now, Scowly Man needs it more. “I can fix it. I'm pretty handy with all kinds of stuff.” Which is true; when you’re as clumsy as Cynthia, and grew up as she did, you tend to pick up a thing or two about mending clothes.

“You wouldn’t believe how much of my uniform I’ve had to sew.” She tugs at the skirt. “You wouldn’t believe there was a rip here, right?” She quickly realises that she’s losing her point. She shakes her head. “Anyway, yeah, unless you wanna fix it yourself? I’m gonna need the box back, though.” Whose is it? That question is bothering her.

“The scarf isn’t too badly ripped; it’s easily fixable, don’t worry.” She doesn’t ask ‘why can’t you just buy a new one’, or anything like that. Clearly, it’s important, for whatever reason.

sew handy

[justicespeared]

“You’re not gonna hurt it?” Maybe Cynthia was being silly for being so protective of the thing. This guy seemed pretty reasonable, right? Kind, gentle, the sort of kindness that people couldn’t fake. She had met a lot of phonies in her life, but this man seemed genuine.

But she didn’t drop her lance.

“What are you gonna do when you find it?” It wasn’t that she didn’t trust that this man was hired by the academy or whatever, but what did they plan to do? She wasn’t in the business of selling people out, though that creature wasn’t entirely a person. She shook her head.

“I want to trust you, okay?” She'd never been one for mistrust. “But if you don't tell me what your plan is, I can't let you go and find it.” She didn't like that he had his hand on her lance, either. Something about him set her on edge, but she was certain it was only because of the situation. She was sure he was a nice man, but she couldn’t shake the tension.

spear no enemy

( TOA anniversary board - lance +1 )

[justicespeared]

The knock to her chest winded her. It didn’t hurt, but it was enough to knock her off balance. Yet Cynthia, as always, did not stay off balance for long. This man didn’t know her, so he didn’t know how tenacious she could be. He didn’t know that once Cynthia had an idea, she wasn’t getting it out of her head, no matter what.

Sadly for Mister Loner, he was about to discover that no only meant try harder.

“You don't know me,” she said. “You say all these things like you know anything about me on a mission, and you don't.” Her indignation hid that she knew he was right about one thing: she was terrible at stealth missions.

“And you're right, I do need an escort. You. You're my escort now.” Could she pay him? No, at least not in anything more tangible than well wishes. Her shoulders were squared, ready to take on this man.

“I might not have a lead on the killer, but you're my lead to get to them.” She'd never suggest that her beloved pegasus could be bait, but she also knew that could also be leverage. She didn't even want to suggest it. “I don't care if you'll let me or not, I'm coming with you. I'll prove that I'm strong, quiet, and an asset. You need me. You can't go alone.”

She glared up at him, hands on her hips. If he thought shoving her would work, then he'd never met anyone like Cynthia before. Too bad for him, regardless of what he wanted, she was going. “You know, it’s easier to just say yes. Then I can follow quietly, instead of loudly chasing you.”

a pegapony princess and her helper

( TOA anniversary mission board - flying +1 )

[justicespeared]

“Harken to huh?!”

Cynthia had been enjoying her nice, uphill walk through mud. Sure, it was difficult, but she was managing just fine. Plus, what was the point in being at a fancy school if she didn’t do these tasks? The sooner she did it, the sooner the harder part would be done with.

But then this guy was talking to her like a knight out of her moms’ romance novels. Who even said harken these days? Even the stuffiest nobles here didn’t speak like that! But, hey, Cynthia loved weird people. She just hoped she never talked like that, should she ever become a knight.

She turned around. He looked pretty tired, beaten by the rain. Aw, poor guy. She did understand though; this wasn’t an easy challenge.

“It’s just a hill, silly,” she said. “Unless there’s secretly a fight at the top of the hill. Even then, I’m pretty sure it’s safe.” Never let anyone argue that she wasn’t confident in her own abilities. “But you look like you need a hand, right?” Oh, she realised a moment too late. This was clearly a weird chivalrous knight thing; he needed help, and instead projected his need for help onto someone else. Well, too bad, she wasn’t playing along.

“We should stick together. Oh, I’m Cynthia, by the way!”

when the heavens cry

[justicespeared]

Cynthia nodded. As if she could forget Wyvern Valley. She’d never tell him how often that memory plagued her - she never wanted him to feel bad about it. While she may have never mentioned it, she also made sure he was never alone. She made sure he was safe, and that if she wasn’t there, he would be fine without her. She couldn’t help but worry about him. She wondered how much of that he knew.

She held the doll close as she listened to him. She should’ve known that darkness was still inside of him, but she hoped it was better. At least it wasn’t an active danger, but it was still part of him. It was still there.

“I promised, right? I’m here no matter what.” Cynthia did not make promises she couldn’t keep. She’d waited years for him, she could wait as long as he needed to proceed further with him. She loved him, and that meant loving the parts of him that weren’t as pretty, and it meant understanding that sometimes, things would not go well. If she wasn’t prepared for bad times, then she wasn’t prepared for a relationship.

“And you’re already the man I deserve. You’re Gerome.” She said his name with such reverence, such adoration, like it was obvious to all. To Cynthia, he had always been the boy she wanted, now the man she loved with every little piece of her.

“I’ll wait for you. And besides, I’m not ready for that step yet, either.” She was sure she wanted to take it, but not for a good while, at least. “I swear, I’m not rushing you into anything you don’t wanna do.”

Maybe she’d been too pushy, after all.

parenting for the parentless

[anniversary 2024] faith +1

[justicespeared]

Okay, phew. Mikoto did not realise Cynthia was being weird. Mission accomplished.

Cynthia looked her up and down. She looked so cute in that dress. The ruffles puffed out just right, and the skirt was short enough to leave people looking, but long enough to leave plenty to the imagination. Cynthia’s imagination did not need more fodder. Her eyes snapped back up to Mikoto’s eyes.

“Yep, you look perfect to me! I knew it, you suit that dress so well!” Hey, Cynthia knew her stuff about style - kind of. “Are you ready to go out there? I’m sure you don’t need pointers on how to charm people; you’re plenty charming as you are.” She looked away quickly. Stop staring!

“Oh! We have a whole bunch of fliers to hand out, come to think of it!” Mikoto would definitely win a whole bunch of new clients.

maid to serve

( TOA anniversary board - any skill +1 )

[justicespeared]

“Gerome…”

She didn’t know what to say. She usually had something to say, and it bothered her that she didn’t now. She wanted to fix this somehow. She wanted to say or do whatever it took to make this stop. That wasn’t how life worked; even Cynthia wasn’t foolish enough to think she could act like a heroine in a novel. Not this time.

“I don’t think of you as a burden,” she said, because she knew the darkness really meant him. The darkness was a part of him; it had been for a long time. It never bothered her. A part of her was glad he was forced to share some of his burdens with her, even if that was selfish. “And you can’t carry this alone anymore. It’s killing you.”

It was killing him, and she didn’t want him to die. She couldn’t lose him, too. She would do what she needed to keep him safe. It didn’t matter that he didn’t want her to see him like this; now she saw how terribly he had been suffering this whole time.

She shouldn’t have left him. She should have insisted they stick together. That no longer mattered.

“I know you didn’t want me to see you like this, but I don’t think Minerva liked seeing you like this, either.” Otherwise, she wouldn’t have sought out Cynthia. It was luck that she’d found him in the first place. “So, I’ve decided. Even if you don’t want me to, I’m sticking with you. No matter how bad things get, I’m here.”

If he thought her light had diminished now, then he could not imagine how her light would be extinguished if she lost him.

before it all began

[justicespeared]

Cynthia blinks as everything catches up to her, all at once, like a dam breaking in her mind. “Oh wait, this is your stuff?” she asks, like Lucina didn’t just say that. “Shoot, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I was just so excited to see you, I didn’t think.” She can’t say she remembers Lucina holding the bath stuff, but she also can’t say she was looking too closely.

“We could go together!” Not that she’s even remotely prepared for a bath. “We’ll just need to swing by my room so I can grab some stuff.” She won’t let Lucina in said room, because it’s a mess. No one’s allowed in there if she can help it. She at least tries to tidy up if she knows people are coming over, but she didn’t.

“It’s only a quick detour, then we can go together! Or we can hang out, lay in the grass or something, then bath?” No, Lucina is not a pet. “Or, whatever! I just wanna talk to you some more. It’s been forever!”

NO I'M HOLDING COFFEE

[justicespeared]

“Huh? Why are you teasing boys?” Cynthia assumed that she didn't mean the fun kind of teasing, where friends lovingly bullied each other. But then, Clair didn't seem the mean type. Cynthia couldn't think of any boy she'd tease.

Okay, maybe one, but that was a whole other story. Ah, Cynthia, focus!

“Ooh, shopping!” That was a topic she could latch onto. “Back where I’m from, we couldn’t go shopping much, so it was kind of a fun novelty when we could go shopping again.” Well, it was less of a where she came from, and more of a when. Cynthia didn’t think Clair needed a whole diagram of the apocalypse over tea. Even Cynthia could tell that was a little too much.

She laughed at her companion, but not unkindly. “You’re not boring, trust me. I get it, new person, you’re not gonna be the most talkative or whatever.” Cynthia was used to shy people. She was also used to tougher nuts to crack open. Honestly, she didn’t mind if Clair wasn’t as boisterous as Cynthia - there would be trouble if they were both hyperactive!

“I mean, I don’t have a lot of money,” Cynthia said, “but I’m happy to come with you anyway. It’ll be fun!” At least if she was walking, she wouldn’t be kicking poor Clair’s legs.

“Fun.” Clair rolled the word around in her mouth as she withdrew her boots under her chair to prevent any Cynthia-induced scuffs. “You know, I’ve been so busy getting used to the Academy and trying to keep up with my studies that it’s not crossed my mind much — unless teasing good-for-nothing boys counts.”

She felt almost guilty. Cynthia was such a font of exuberance — all frilly skirts and silly asides and untempered eagerness; she made Clair look positively stoic by comparison. The rigours of nobility and the Deliverance alike had forged her into something remarkably hard-edged. To her, something as innocuous as drinking tea was a calculated ritual — Cynthia clearly felt completely unrestrained about the matter. The toothpaste jibe still rattled around inside Clair’s skull, feeling vaguely uncouth.

“I suppose I’ve found shopping rather enjoyable lately,” she muttered, taken aback by the lack of confidence in her own voice. “There are so many delightful styles here in Fodlan — even the height of Valentian fashion feels positively dour by comparison.”

Something started to hum in her brain as she took Cynthia in from across the table, and she stifled a light chuckle as she forced herself past the ridiculousness of the thought.

“I tell you what — if I haven’t completely faltered in your eyes with how devastatingly not fun I am, perhaps we could go and check out the new stock at the cobbler’s in town sometime? I’m dying for a new pair of boots — that’s the kind of flavour I need in my life.”

[justicespeared]

This time a year ago, Gerome was alone, but he'd been alone for far longer than that. So long he'd shut himself off to others, and even when he'd tried it never felt enough. He didn't think he was there yet, he wasn't sure if he would ever be there yet, but he wouldn't even be here to try without Cynthia. As the waited for midnight to pass, Gerome reveled in the feeling of being close to her, and at the last moment he kissed her. This was how he wanted to begin this new year.

Cynthia was supposed to come up with a resolution, as she was supposed to every year. This year, as ever, she had forgotten until five minutes before the clock struck midnight.

What did she want? What did she strive to be? What could she possibly want to work on?

She had Gerome at her side, waiting for the new year. Undoubtedly, this would be a better year - for both of them. But still, she needed to think of something. The time was ticking. Come on, Cynthia, there had to be something!

The clock was about to strike twelve. She didn't have a clue.

But Gerome did.

He kissed her, and all of her thoughts seemed to fade away. All she could focus on was him. Him, and his warmth, and the fact he was here. She held him close as they kissed. The clock struck midnight. She could hear the fireworks, but she didn't care, not when she had something so much better pressed against her.

Maybe this should be her resolution: to focus more on the here and now, rather than some grand plan she thought she could have.

When she pulled away, she sat a hand on Gerome's face, stroking her thumb against his cheekbone. Cynthia would never, ever get tired of looking at him - especially without his mask. She touched another kiss to his nose. She couldn't help herself.

"Happy new year, Gerome." She hoped they'd have many, many more new years together.

[justicespeared]

Cynthia is handing out fliers for the maid café! If you want a cute maid Cynthia in your inbox, please like this post 😊!

[justicespeared]

Cyan,

A very happy holidays from Limit! A pair of lovers (and their wyvern) upon ye 🫴

[justicespeared]

Cynthia is handing out fliers for the maid café! If you want a cute maid Cynthia in your inbox, please like this post 😊!

[justicespeared]

🎄

Laslow sneezes once, then twice. He sniffs after, scrunching up his nose in an attempt to quell the sudden itching. Naga, is he coming down with a cold?

He sure hopes not; there's a play coming up with some renowned dancer he wants to see, and he's got a date planned next week. (One free of lamb sauce, hopefully.)

Still, he changes course from the training grounds to the dining hall--a good, fortifying cup of peppermint tea will strengthen him right up! He hums softly to himself on the way.

"My, my, is that you, Cynthia?" Laslow says, spotting her in the hallway. "Feel like I haven't talked to you in ages! Have you grown more beautiful since then?" It's teasing, more than actually flirtatious.

As has become his habit, his eyes flick upwards. Indeed, someone has placed a garland of mistletoe from the rafters, inflicting some much needed holiday cheer upon the dark stone ceiling.

"Ah, seems we can't escape this stuff, eh?" Eyes twinkling, he leans in, placing a gentle peck to the corner of her lips.

( 'tis the season ; accepting )

It’s decided: the gods don’t like Cynthia.

First, while waiting for Gerome, she encounters Mikoto instead. Not that she doesn’t like Mikoto of course, but she’d floundered her way through that interaction. She remembers saying she would kiss any of her friends, except maybe Laslow.

Here is Laslow, as if planted there by the gods. Come on, this isn’t funny! They’re trying to prove a point she doesn’t understand yet. “Oh, hey! Weirdly enough, I was just thinking about you.” In a mildly disparaging way. He doesn’t need to know that. It's not that she doesn't like Laslow; she just knows what he's like with women. Give that man a reason to kiss her, and he'll take it. But maybe she's wrong. Maybe he won't.

But he does.

It’s a platonic kiss, at least. Still, somehow, she’s caught off guard. “Jeez, you’re gonna have to try harder than that if you’re actually trying to woo me, let alone any other girl.” It seems even in their time apart, he’s still about as charming and try-hard as ever. It’s charming to her, like watching a sibling try to get a girl, rather than finding it romantically charming.

“I’m surprised you didn’t go for the whole, grab my chin and tilt my head up thing,” she says. “You’re trying way too hard still. I could teach you, if you wanna.” Because, unlike Laslow, Cynthia could get the girl if she wanted to.

Though, obviously, right now she does not.

[justicespeared]

Cynthia looked at the still image reflected back at them. Without context, they did look cute together. It was so clear that she was far too into him however, with how deeply she had nestled into him. He was just being polite, quietly indulging her. Sometimes, she wished he wouldn’t. It would make it easier to get over him if he didn’t indulge her. Mostly, she wished he never stopped.

“Oh! Yes, we should. I wanna take silly ones, too.” She didn’t just want silly ones, but the ideas she did have were more reserved for couples. She’d never push him. She’d never ask it of him. Even just these little tangible snapshots of memory would be more than Cynthia could’ve ever asked of him.

She couldn’t help the grin on her face as she reached one hand behind his head, with two fingers sticking out from behind his head. He looked so silly with his little bunny ears, and Cynthia couldn’t stop giggling. She reached over and pressed the button. Just like last time, another still image appeared. It was a rather unflattering image of Cynthia, laughing at her own terrible joke while Gerome was just sitting there.

If there was a picture to describe their friendship, this was it.

“That’s terrible,” she said. “Jeez, do I really look like that?” No wonder he didn’t like her back. Yet he still looked handsome. That did not seem fair to Cynthia.

phun with photos

( non mission task — showcase )

[justicespeared]

Cynthia never runs out of errands.

There's her pegasus to look after, there's school work, there's stuff to do around the academy. Somehow between her neverending errands, Cynthia also finds the time for people: knights, students, even the occasional professor. It's safe to say that her life is never dull.

Today, she's on her way to volunteer for sky watch; her afternoon is free and she figures, why not. One, it's good practice. Two, it gets her name out there.

She almost doesn't notice the knight she walks past; there are so many knights here, she kind of loses track of them. She hopes that, when the time comes for her to be a knight, she won't be one of the many faceless knights around. She hopes by then, she'll have made a name for herself.

Said knight can only be described as scowly. It's a trait that doesn't bother Cynthia, not when there are people she loves that are scowly. She tries a smile, but she doesn't think it does anything.

That's when she notices it. In the trail that dangles in front of him, there's a hole torn right in the middle of it. She suspects it's from a thorn or something; the amount of times she's ripped clothes on sharp things, she'd know.

"Hey!" She takes a step closer to Scowly Man. "Your scarf-thingie, it's got a hole in it." It's not super becoming of a knight to have imperfections like holey clothes, as far as she's aware, even if it is a holy knighthood. Heh, that's a good one. "I just don't want you to get in trouble."

@fletching-scar

sew handy

[justicespeared]

sew handy