#the plot THICKENNNNS

[justlookatthosesausages]

Healing The Blooming Crocus 🌱 chap 12

Under the surface

Chestnut eyes stared at the opening at the top of the goahti’s ceiling, not actually watching the starry sky. 

Honeymaren sighed. She had tried and tried, but it was impossible for her to find sleep. If Elsa wasn’t exhausted and deep into slumber next to her, she would have sensed it, and asked her what was wrong, and helped her. But of course, the Northuldra cared about her lover’s health and didn’t want to wake her to talk about it. Also, her concern for Elsa was the reason for her insomnia, so it would make it a vicious circle. 

She dropped her hand on her forehead with a muffled groan. She needed fresh air. 

As discreetly as she could, she lifted the pelts and stepped out of the bed. She was halfway to the door when the covers ruffled.  

“Where are you going?” Asked Elsa’s voice in the shadows. 

Her voice was tired, and she sounded like she was about to fall back to sleep right then, yet she had picked up the very small noise Honeymaren made. The brunette internally smiled at her acute care. 

“I’m going to fill the water jug. I’m thirsty and there’s no more.” 

“Okay.” Mumbled Elsa. 

Indeed, she then fell right back to sleep. 

Honeymaren grabbed the - in fact - half-full jug and carefully opened and closed the door. 

Walking to the river to maintain her lie just in case someone would ask, she groaned as thoughts kept turning in her mind. 

She passed some water on her face, then felt that someone was staring at her, and jolted her head to her right. It was in fact the Northuldra woman who was in charge of surveillance for this part of the night. It wasn’t a precaution only taken due to Elsa’s state; it was a habit for the tribe to always be careful. A curious bear cub roaming through the camp followed by its scolding mother always was a possibility. 

“Are you okay?” Asked the Northuldra, leaning against a tree. 

“Sorry, I didn’t want to disturb your shift.” 

“You didn’t disturb anything.” Assured the woman, who came to sit next to her. “Except maybe your sleep schedule.” 

They chuckled in the moonlight. 

“How are you feeling?” Asked the woman after a moment of silence. 

“Good. She’s getting better every day. She can move around now, and she uses her muscles more often. She can grab things…” 

Honeymaren’s voice vanished as she stopped, detaching her eyes from the stream to look at her. “You didn’t say Elsa, right?” She sighed. 

“I didn’t, indeed. I asked about you.” Smiled the Northuldra. 

The brunette let out a groan, and slumped her shoulders. They had a nervous chuckle. 

“Sorry.” 

“There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s a beautiful proof that you care about her first and foremost.” 

Honeymaren smiled. 

“And…” Continued the woman. “In addition to how cute it is as a couple, it also shows how dedicated you are in your protection of the Fifth Spirit.” 

The brunette blushed slightly. It was true, and her tribe always admired and respected people who got the favors of the Spirits and returned their care. Fidgeting to hide her reaction to the compliment, Honeymaren passed her hand on the water. 

Suddenly, a pair of glowing blue eyes appeared at the surface, quite spooking them in the dark of the night. 

They got startled as Nokk popped his head out of water, but then smiled at his presence and bowed. They however remained seated next to him; they were used to cohabiting. 

“You heard everything, didn’t you?” Asked the Northuldra woman. 

The Water Spirit had an affirmative move of the head.  

Honeymaren winced. “Don’t tell Elsa about any of this, okay?” 

She then realized that for a moment, she forgot that the magical bond didn’t exist for her lover anymore. She instantly felt sad, her heart sinking in her chest. Nokk seemed to feel her emotion, because he nudged his head forward and made the tears that started to fall on her face disappear in the air. 

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[pseudofaux]

Real (5)

Moving to Omori = plot thickennnns!

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

 Autumn, Omori

Tsumekusa thought that was the perfect time to ask about his family and possible reasons for their visit, but Matsuko stopped beside a door. The voices she’d recognized were coming from behind it. Kojuro sighed dramatically just as Matsuko set her tray down to kneel and announce them. Tsumekusa heard a laugh that set a million butterflies into flight in her stomach and under her skin.

When Matsuko slid the door open, Lord Shigezane was chuckling just on the other side, clearly ready to help bring things into the room.

The laughter stopped abruptly when he faced them. Tsumekusa dared to look up and meet his eyes. They looked stunned, and not exactly happy.

“Ah,” he said, and he had never seemed so unenthusiastic before. But then, brightening almost as quickly as shadows had fallen over his expression, he added, “It’s, umm, you! Tsumamekusa!” And then he laughed, sounding thrown off guard. Her heart thumped, and she felt very unsettled, but she would think about it later.

“Tsumekusa, would you please bring in the tray?” Matsuko asked from inside.

She bowed to him quickly and did as she had been asked. Matsuko gestured to a good spot for the tray and told her to go ahead and serve.

When she was finished, Matsuko was gone. She was alone with the Lord of Oshu and his closest retainers.

No one said anything. She caught Lord Kojuro looking from Shigezane to the tray more than once.

Lord Masamune sighed quietly, sounding very tired.

“Thank you, Tsumekki. Would you leave us, please?”

“Of course,” she said, grateful for the instruction. She got the feeling the interruption had not been welcome. “Thank you, milords.”

When she came up from her quick bow, Lord Masamune had something else to say. This day was making her dizzy.

“Do you know how to get back to the kitchens?” he asked with overly apparent curiosity. He had never spoken to her like that before. The question was pointed, and something about the way he asked made it sound to her like there was something else she was supposed to understand.

At the tone and the question, she froze. She certainly did not know how to get back to the kitchens. She hadn’t paid attention to the way Matsuko had gotten them there at all.

Lord Kojuro cleared his throat, and just as she was starting to really panic, Lord Shigezane said, “I can take you back,” and there he was, holding out a hand before she had even begun to stand up.

  “I…” can find my way back, she wanted to say, but she wasn’t really sure she could. “… would appreciate that,” she said with a self-deprecating grin. “I should have paid better attention earlier.” She hoped he wasn’t upset with her. Something about her being there seemed to have ruined the easy peace of the room. She knew that was a self-centered thought but it was hard to shake the idea.

The lord of the castle blinked at her, breathed out a little sigh through his nose. But his smile, his real smile, did not leave his face. “You’re not in trouble, doll. You’re in a new place. I can see you back to the kitchens.”

Tsumekusa felt her cheeks warm. She had thought to just duck out and wander until she found something she recognized. Was he trying to take care of her in a friendly way or being patronizing?

Friendly. Of course he was being friendly. He was always friendly. He was only taking her back to the kitchens. Friendly, but a Samurai. And she was a cook. And she had been asked to leave, so she really needed to go.

She did not trust her voice when her thoughts were in such a spiral, so she gave a little nod and put her hand in his to stand more quickly than she could on her own.

Oh, oh, they hadn’t ever touched each other’s skin, had they? His hand was smooth and warm, and a little bit… sweaty? She wished she could look at it up close. Instead she looked at Lord Shigezane’s face, and tried not to shiver at the thrill of touching him, of being so near to him, of being focused on so intently. His eyes were a magnificent golden brown, the color of a deer; they looked deep and kind and his smile made them crinkle in the corners. She could not seem to look away from him. Those biwa seed eyes coaxed her to blink slowly and stay right where she was...

 Lord Kojuro cleared his throat again.

 Tsumekusa yanked her hand to her side, bobbed a rapid nod at Lord Shigezane, and fled to the safety of the hallway. She could hear Lord Masamune’s sputter of concern but she was already in motion, and she heard Lord Shigezane responding so she just waited outside, trying to slow down her heartbeat and generally be less of a fool. Leaning against the outside wall trying to slow her breathing, her instinct was to run… but she didn’t know which way to go. She wished with some misery that hiding was an option.

 Lord Shigezane slid the door shut behind him.

 “Alright there, Tsumekusa?” His voice was warm—everything about him was warm, he made her feel so warm—and soothing, and he sounded like himself again. She did not trust herself to talk, so she just nodded, trying to give him a sheepish smile. His answering grin ruined all her work at calming her heartbeat. But it also made her feel less isolated, so she pushed herself off the wall.

He gave her a little nod and gestured ahead. “Omori’s not tricky, but to get your bearings takes a while,” he said kindly.

“I certainly need to learn how to get to and from the kitchen,” Tsumekusa admitted. “Any shortcuts I should know about?”

The sudden joy on his face was boyish and bright, and it made her heart contract painfully. Be practical, her mind whispered, but her heart shouted      Here, here he is! And there he was. Lord Shigezane, who was friendly, and warm. He slowed and leaned over to her conspiratorially.

 “As a matter of fact…” he began, pointing off to one side.

 And he showed her several shortcuts, including the one he told her was the very best, and made her promise not to tell anyone. None of her half-hearted reminders that he should go back to his meeting seemed to have any effect on his determination to show her how to get around the castle. Curiously, no one found them, either, to drag him back.

 So they were together most of the afternoon.

 When Lord Shigezane finally deposited her back at the kitchens, the cook’s eyebrows were nearly to the ceiling, and his knowing smile almost as high on his face. Tsumekusa grinned back. She couldn’t help it. The smile did not leave her face as they worked together on the evening’s feast.

Poor Masamune. XD Poor EVERYBODY. Next chapter is some of that goooooood gooooood romance stuff. How is this reading to y'all? I'm letting myself be really trope-y as I edit and rework this, and allowing myself to not be overly practical (even while Tsumekusa is like "practical, practical, practical, a right angle is ninety degrees, etc. etc.") about interruptions and just GIVE them magic time together is freeing. The tension in the room early in this chapter will be addressed before the story ends!

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