#I think that's the finish of it

[comfort-questing]

fealty (ch3)

first, second

it was an hour or less before dawn when the apprentice had a chance to see to the guard again, on the other side of the night from when she'd gently but firmly escorted out his visitor into the gathering dark. she'd been busy fetching and carrying and helping clean, the usual activities for when she was sharing nighttime duty with a handful of the other healers, and snatched a brief nap herself in the linen closet with her head on her arm, before waking to a summons. but in the cold gray of dreadfully early morning, iron-dull outside the windows, she huddled herself up at the foot of the guard's bed and held the water basin as one of the healers changed out the blood-clotted bandages wrapping his chest.

at least to her half-practiced glance all was well with him so far, the stitches holding and the skin around the wounds not too deeply reddened. the sound of his breaths was a little easier now, and he had given in to the sleeping draught and to exhaustion both, the skin sallow and papery around his closed eyes in the candlelight.

Valin. a name, a word, an identity. she had always been terrible at remembering names. you heard so many, and used them so seldom.

she stayed by his side afterwards, gathering up the dirty gauze and old bandages, tucking the blankets closer around him in the chill of the dark before dawn. it was only a few moments later that she saw his eyes were open, although no more than a fraction, and watching her as she moved here and there.

"can I... water, please."

he was better at measuring his breath now, because the few words did not set him coughing again; when she returned with the half-full cup of water and a spoon, he had gotten himself sitting up a little further, pale and shaky but with a set face.

"you don't need to try to move. I was going to help you. just tell me if you're going to try to get out of bed or something silly like that, wouldn't you?"

the guard blinked, and then the twist of a smile found the side of his mouth again.

"I won't...try yet, I think."

"you'd better not. you've been hurt badly and if you want to recover and go back to guarding, you'll need to rest and let yourself get better."

you had to take a hard stand with some of these fighting folk, the apprentice knew from experience. she knew it was less convincing coming from her than from the other healers, who had had more practice and typically more age and dignity, but it was worth a try.

"I... suppose so." he drank slowly from the cup she held to his lips, putting one hand up to steady it; he reached first with his right hand but winced and bit back a yelp, and then with his left more successfully. "where's ... Sorindel?"

"your lord? I hope he's asleep, it's quite late in the night. but I told him he could be back tomorrow." she glanced back over her shoulder, past the draft-brushed curtains, trying to gauge what was lamplight and what was the arrival of day outside the windows. "which should be soon, I think."

"good. shouldn't... have been shocked... if he'd stayed." the guard licked an escaped drop of water off his cracked lips, his eyes still sleep-hollowed, and chuckled softly. "he's... that sort."

"the healers wouldn't have let him. they don't like people sitting around getting in their way, not unless someone's dying and needs company."

"and we didn't... come to that, anyway." he coughed a little, but quickly stifled it, hiding the following wince with gritted teeth. "close, but... not quite."

something about the almost conspiratorial feeling of the moment, of the guard's lopsided half-smile next to her, gave the apprentice courage to ask, "was it his fault, what happened?"

the guard took another measured breath, wincing again.

"I... suppose it was. but - that doesn't matter, really. he's... my responsibility. like a cat... or a finicky rosebush... you know." once again the smile, and a shrug of one shoulder. "and... a nice fellow. so we'll forgive him."

the apprentice sat back on the wooden chair, tucking one leg up, chin to knee; her hands and apron were redolent of the strong soap from the basin, and she wrinkled up her nose.

"might as well," she said.

the smile had faded off the guard's face now, dull blue eyes suddenly serious. "if anything... happens, you'll... tell him that, won't you? not about... cats and rosebushes. about... forgiving him."

she reached over, then, and tugged the blanket up over the guard's shoulders, forestalling his clumsy one-handed attempts to manage it. the sheen of sweat on his forehead was visible in the candlelight, shivery strength giving out from his effort of the previous moments.

"of course," she said. "you'll tell him, if you wish; and I'll tell him, if we need to."

she watched his eyes slip shut again, and his labored breathing lengthen out, as beyond the walls the first birds started singing, sure of daylight before its appearance; and then when she was sure he was asleep, and the footsteps of the morning shift of healers approaching in the hallway, she stifled her own yawn and let the curtain fall closed on his rest.

___

[puppyeared]

filipina miku!! my mom helped me with her outfit ^_^

[beastwhimsy]

"I should draw Māori Miku!" I said to myself. "Just a fun sketch, it shouldn't take me long" I said to myself. Six hours later I come to with this in front of me and a wrist begging for mercy but holy fuck worth it. I love this trend this was so much fun

PLEASE DON'T REPOST ON OTHER SITES!!! ASK ME FIRST!!!!!

DISCLAIMERS AND NOTES ETC.... I'm Pākehā, meaning I am not of Māori descent. I hold so much respect for Māori people, for their values and traditions, and for the fierce pride with which kapa haka is performed. I thought if I was going to design a Māori Miku, it makes sense to dress her in a kapa haka kākahu, as her whole thing is singing and dancing!!! The moko kauae is not based off any real person's. I referenced the temporary moko kauae a lot of kapa haka performers wear!! Was tricky finding out whether or not depicting her with a moko kauae was a good idea, so I went the safe route- showing an aspect of Māori culture without stepping over any boundaries!! Brown eyed Miku is everything to me shout out brown eyed Miku.... I referenced like seven different outfits to put hers together!! I really hope this looks accurate or at least passable. Thanks to adorkastock for the pose ref!!

[mangozic]

my dead goth son and his friendly neighborhood personified concept of insanity

[canisalbus]

✦ Fashionably late ✦

[diornies]

letter to theo by vincent van gogh

[noodles-and-tea]

Continuation of this

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Hey now, Let her cook!

[fadeintoyou1993]

cannot stop thinking about this skit from the new i think you should leave season

[fifthrideroftheapocalypse]

oh my God, The Old Guard 2 news in 2024???? I've dreamed of days like these

[hottubsandwiches]

guys is this something

[pineapple-frenzy]

Book 2 au with Zuko and Katara Lee and Huamei

Katara is separated from her friends, and so she's left to travel the earth kingdom on her own. She stumbles across Zuko, who is similarly travelling on his own. They decide that pairing up and travelling together would be best

[ferncloud]

falin

[sylvrndoodles]

finally finished the whole set :D!!

[liimonadas]

so i've been playing a game

[jiiyawns]

that life was taken from me long ago