#seelah and lann have a mostly-a-joke running debate which of them is his BEST friend hence her asking that

[queen-scribbles]

OC Kiss ~ Charm

(Etain/Vikkari; Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous) Borrowed another of @haledamage’s kids, for a romantic kiss this time 👀 This would be pretty late game, definitely post-Abyss, probably also post-Vikkari’s companion quest.

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One thing about being an archer, it tended to give you a clear view of the battlefield. And Etain had been doing this long enough to notice all her friends’ little details in the chaos; the flourish Woljif sometimes gave with his daggers, Nenio’s fascinated and curious head tilt when they encountered something new. How many hits Seelah and Vikkari shook off. She didn’t catch everything, but she saw a lot.

Most wouldn’t consider this muddy gulch a battlefield in the typical sense, but with the slightly-against-them odds that’s what it felt like. Etain released an arrow toward a cultist, satisfied by the way his shoulder jerked back with the impact.

A distressed roar filled her ears and she immediately swiveled to look for Pippin. She found him just as the attacking smilodon sank its fangs into his shoulder. Pippin let out another roar and bit it in return. Etain nocked and fired two arrows in quick succession toward it before an aura of dark blue-white magic flared around the smilodon and it let go with an agonized yowl.

“Etain, watch out!”  

Vikkari’s warning gave her enough time to dodge the skeleton’s clumsy attacks. Even as she nocked another arrow, a blinding flash of light slammed down on the skeleton--and the two behind it. They were obliterated and Etain slightly dazed by the proximity, blinking spots out of her vision.

She looked to call thanks, found herself hollering a return warning instead.  “Watch out!”

The sorcerer he’d been closing in on before he got distracted rescuing her bear raised a hand, magic glowing soft on her fingertips as the spell poured from her lips.

Vikkari’s posture slackened, the blade of his falchion dipping until it lightly jabbed the tacky mud.

Etain’s shot hit the sorcerer a split second too late. She gave a pained scream as the arrow pierced her wrist, but the spell was already completed. Vikkari wasn’t moving, seeming heedless of the fight as he stood in a daze.

Seelah dodged around him with a yell and slashed at the wounded sorcerer. She cut a deep, vicious gash from hip to shoulder and the elven woman crumpled in a bloody heap.

There was too much going on for Etain to focus on him and she knew it. She still snuck glances in between shots at the remaining cultists, worried about whatever spell or charm the sorcerer had cast. It was persisting even with her dead, there wasn’t much that did that.

A cultist barbarian charged for what he must’ve seen as easy meat. Etain’s arrow sank into his neck half a breath before Pippin slammed him to the ground with a roar.

She tried not to be too vindictively glad when he practically bit the man’s head off. She was vaguely aware of Woljif finishing off another summoned skeleton, made herself focus to find the cultist who had summoned them, and put two arrows in his chest. The remaining few crumpled without their puppetmaster.

There was a faint ripple in the shadows cast by nearby boulders and a rogue, one of the last cultists standing, emerged to lunge at Seelah. She missed the paladin, but turned it into a slash at Vikkari. Target of opportunity, standing so close and not doing anything. Her strike was hasty and only just grazed his cheek, making him shy away with a cry of pain.

But that was all he did. No retaliation, just avoidance. He stumbled away from the rogue until Seelah finished her off.

They made short work of the couple left--no more heavy fighters, thank Sarenrae--and Etain beelined for Vikkari.

He was still standing in the same posture, falchion resting in the ground, small trickle of blood rolling down his cheek.

“Vikkari-” Etain cupped his face in both hands, studying him for any sign of what was wrong.

He was smiling. A vague, slightly dazed, almost euphoric expression tilting his lips upward. Without irises or pupils the only thing she could glean from his eyes was they remained the same softly glowing gold. No sign of what the sorcerer had done. He didn’t resist when she gave his head a gentle nudge to either side, checking for other hints and smearing away the blood on his cheek.

“Are you alright?” she asked, maybe with more intensity than she meant to.

“Mmhm,” Vikkari hummed, not appearing to notice when Pippin ambled up and nosed his arm. Instead he was staring at her as intently as she was at him.  “...Pretty eyes...”

Etain was glad for the mask that hid her flushing cheeks. “Can.. can you tell what kind of spell this is?” she asked Seelah, who had joined them as well.

Seelah shrugged. “Nothin’ bad? He just seemed whammied or charmed, not cursed.” Her eyes lit up and she nudged him with her elbow. “Hey, Vikk, who’s your best friend?”

Vikkari seemed about to answer, then shook his head and blinked. “Wh- ...I assume we won?”

Seelah huffed disappointment at the lost opportunity and shuffled away, but Etain’s wilting posture was in relief. Thank you, Sarenrae.

“Are you alright?” she asked again, hands resting on his shoulders.

He blinked a few more times, rubbed the side of his head. “...I think so? Just feel a little... off-bal-ow.” His fingers grazed the cut and he paused, feeling it more deliberately before leaving it unhealed. Not worth the magic for something so small. “Are you alright, Etain?”

She nodded, tugging down her mask. “In no small part thanks to you.” She leaned in and kissed his forehead. “Thank you, Vikkari.”

He shrugged, but she didn’t miss the pink shading up his neck and the tips of his ears. “What are knights in shining armor for?” he murmured, lingering close.

Etain chuckled and playfully kissed the tip of his nose. “Your dutiful service is appreciated, sir knight. And I’m sure Pippin would agree.”

As if he’d understood her, Pippin bumped his nose to Vikkari’s elbow.

Vikkari smiled and patted the bear’s head, golden light trailing to heal Pippin’s injuries. Pippin gave a ‘rrunf’ and licked up his arm as thanks.

“You’re welcome,” Vikkari laughed, giving him a quick, final scritch between the ears before turning back to Etain. “As are you, and I’m sorry if I worried you.”

She smiled and brushed her fingers through the wisps that had escaped his topknot. “You’re alright and that’s the important part,” she murmured, then kissed him in relief and gratitude anyway, sparing only a brief thought to hope none of their friends were paying attention.

He chuckled into the kiss, his hand cupped her neck as he shifted on his toes to make them more level. “If it helps,” he whispered, “I think that only took because I was distracted. I’m normally better at resisting.” There was a flash of teasing in his eyes. ”The only person I want charming me is you.”

Etain had to laugh at that, her forehead resting on his. “You are just...” Too many options came to mind, so she kissed him again instead.

He was laughing as he kissed her back.