#I THINK THE HITTING THE WALL DID MORE WONDER THAN THE JUMPSCARE IM LOSIN IT

[futuresking]

jump scare / it's pretty hard to scare lucina, but she's pretty sure she can do it if she tries really hard. her hands secured around her tether, cynthia situates herself on the wooden rafters before she spies the princess entering. it's then that she dives, the coil unraveling as quickly as she falls. "BOO!" she shouts, only for the momentum of the exercise sending her flying into the nearest wall.

✴ —— perhaps it’s just the inherent protective nature in her to shield anyone from fear, but here she is, bag of candies and sweet treats gracing the counter top of entry. she offers a sweet taffy to a child who looks like he really doesn’t want to be there but in the face of his friend, wants to look brave. she wants to tell him, there are plenty of times i have not been brave, but scared. you’ll be alright. but that would only be a blow to his pride. so instead she’s there, smiling a bit amusedly as they glance at her unique eyes and bite their tongues from  commentary. at this point it’s a mark of pride and duty, but one she still carries utmost with love. 

‘it’ll be fine.’ she says simply to them both, ‘here, take these. i’m told they’re imbued with some magic to face what’s in there. oh, but, try to stay together.’ wry, lips twitching, she offers her gentlest smile before the boys wave and she finds her fingers uncurling into one herself. this is how she liked to see things, children without fear, adults living in a contented measure of bliss as those they shepherded were without the ever present dread that had primarily haunted the halidom she had inherited, the moments like these were few and far between, but they were precious. no less than any world she’d seen since then.

‘well, i suppose i’ll...’ she murmurs; her candy reserves need to restock before heading back to the entrance, bag in hand. but something gives her pause. a honed instinct as sharp as the sacred blade every king inherited, every ruler wielded hopefully for the sake of light and hope. something kept away like a hidden star in her dorm, much to her discomfort. pausing, her hand strays a bit to the hilt of the iron sword buried beneath her blue cape; something she felt too comfortable to discard despite the welcome change in some comfortable wear fit for a student.

squinting, she looks at the rafters, but sees nothing, well, until it’s too late. thankfully lucina doesn’t draw her sword; or someone would be in ribbons. a tragic instinctual habit, one she hopes she can lessen in time. she did what she came to do after all, back then. now there is only wired nerves, body jolting and her bag falling by her feet as she dodges on reflex the incoming and...rather familiar voice? 

‘by naga’s na---’ she hisses as onlookers gaze at her looking alarmed as her narrowed eyes look blank briefly before noting the pigtails, the wry smile, and...oh gods is that cynthia? 

it would be cynthia, she thinks frantically; and a bit deadpan as her incorrigible friend goes flying into the wall. ‘

‘cynthia?! cynthia?! gods! what were you thinking?!’ her friend grits out, both to settle her trembling nerves, ( she really did fairly well, her heart really did skip a beat there ) and the princess half-frazzled, not fully, but more than anyone could say of her indomitable nerves being tested, utters a rare curse. 

so much for finding her and giving her some taffy and strawberry cake..!

jogging over without much thought, she’s half tempted to tug on a tail like a mother would scold a child, or a big sister, but cynthia’s health comes first for her rather...successful spook. steadying her shoulders she hisses where only she can here. 

‘are you happy.’ she says finally, in the most deadpan voice possible. then it’s a small flurry of careful actions and gentle hands.

‘look at you. you’re going to bruise! could you have picked something i don’t know, less hazardous than trying to get yourself killed or is my fear so enticing to you lot?! ‘ her words ring briefly stern before she takes a hitched breath; wiping dust from her cheek with a hand that is far more gentle than her words, briefly harsh as they’d been.

“...i think you falling into a wall is a lot more frightening than the first part. if this was a contest you’d win my entire basket.’ a frail smile touches her face, she has to admit she’s more shaken by the imagery of chances in the past cynthia has almost fallen, and hardly in a way so cavalier as this. no, in war, in fighting to save time and space, and she swallows. she’s fineshe’sfine --- 

‘if you come with me to the infirmary i’ll give you the whole basket, cynthia. i’m sure you’ll pass fine, but...will you do it for me? also..’ with a deadpan frown she tugs finally on one of her pigtails;  her body and nerves, and the well buried scars hidden everywhere in her brain settling into its usual resting places. space to give way to her truer emotions: care and concern.

 ‘you can’t tell me you don’t deserve this after that! honestly cynthia, you’re going to kill me one day! ‘ but it’s weak. ‘ do you like tasting wall now? apparently. the things i miss...come on. just a check-up. we don’t have brady or aunt lissa or lady maribelle ---- ‘ a beat, her own face unwittingly covered in dust from rushing into the impact.

‘ the next time you prank me, can you pick something a bit less .. i don’t know, life threatening ? that i think stopped my heart most.  my whole body was set with nerves. ‘ muttered a bit anxiously, a show of trust to someone who also could get on said nerves, as dearly as lucina loved her friend, then again you had to love them to be able to even be cross with them for being so cavalier, no? 

‘........great. your taffy is soaked in dust. cynthia, i dare say the gods or some other being has dictated the taffy i got you and the caramel apples knew you would spite them.’ she has no idea she herself is covered in woodchips; and maybe that makes the severity of her anxiety and confessed worry and care for her close friend all the more comical. 

‘now can you walk? i really want to make sure you’re alright. knowing you .. well, yes, precisely knowing you i don’t trust you to say, ‘yes lucina i’m fine!’ ‘ other things of course, this, absolutely not.’

as she puts her arm around her shoulders, gathering the bag she still, as ever will give her gifts in candy regardless of mischief, it was just how both of them always had been, mischief and mindfulness somehow colliding, lucina says with a rare, amused, indiscernible little smile her way; however dry it remained.

‘well, at least you’re having fun.’ for the sarcasm, there is a note of relief and obvious warmth in it. maybe because she didn’t break her skull with the wood of the wall; or maybe because cynthia is being the usual cynthia, but with a lot more..zest than they ever had time for before. 

she can’t really be too annoyed about that part.