fuckit

[prodigalstar]

[A Certain Kingdom, in a certain country. For the last couple weeks, the castle staff has been in kind of an uproar, since the eldest prince vanished in the night. Well, 'vanished'--turns out, a swishy redheaded demihuman over six feet tall isn't really inconspicuous, but the king's orders are to leave him be. Such is the right of the Mibu family.

Trouble is, Haruka was the eldest son. He was not, in fact, the eldest child. Which means, out in the training yards, half the Royal Guard has been defeated and the rest are terrified and cowering, because someone has decided to take out her mounting frustrations and suddenly doubled duty load out in the sparring courts.

You'd think a mage would be easier to defeat in hand-to-hand combat. You'd be wrong.]

Comments

[afoolishfox]

Hotaru...

[There is a very short list of people that would just call her by her first name, but a shorter list yet not related to her. This smug bastard, large and pale as he is, still manages to cling to shadows with surprising skill, until he makes his presence known.]

Beg your pardon, but what is the point in beating down men and women sworn to protect you?

[prodigalstar]

Because unlike my brother, I can't go haring off into the wilderness to kill monsters.

[She won't mention that she's not sure Haruka's actually killed anything before--it's not like Seijirou doesn't know.]

Besides, they need to be aware of just what I'm capable of, and not trying to hold back to humor the princess. I feel perfectly justified in correcting that sort of error.

[afoolishfox]

Well, now that you have elucidated them on this matter, I would point out it does not change precisely that they are to lie down their lives in protection of you, as are we all -- holding back is precisely our jobs, in this matter.

[He'll lean his hands on the blades on his hips and just kind of stare.]

It is alright to be worried about Master Haruka, you know.

[prodigalstar]

[It is amazing how a quetzal, being both bird and snake, still can puff up like a cat when embarrassed.]

Worried? I'm going to wring his neck, the little shit, you can't just run off and send your bodyguards to elope, without having your work taken care of! He's not sixteen anymore he has responsibilities--

[She's very worried.]

[afoolishfox]

As I said, Lady Hotaru. It is entirely acceptable to be concerned, especially as the older sibling. Rank needn't be part of it.

[He might be doing this so the guards have time to dismiss themselves and get back to work or to the infirmary.]

[prodigalstar]

[HUFF HUFF. She's completely aware, but she's not going to stop them because she knows that'd be too jerky even for a Mibu.]

...Don't call me that.

[Oh, there it is. That pout means he's right and she doesn't have a way to argue it.]

[afoolishfox]

We are in public, and I thought that it was the title you disliked the least, your highness.

[Now he's being a bit of a jerk, but, well. She might have earned it. And he might enjoy teasing her some.]

[prodigalstar]

Seijirou...

[POUTING INTENSIFIES.]

[afoolishfox]

It is only my sworn duty to remind your highness, that while her workload may have increased exponentially with the departure of Prince Haruka, inclement weather has delayed the ambassadors from the central and southern regions by several days, and as such her highness' morning schedule has been freed up, and perhaps she should take advantage of such a moment of respite?

[He bows, deeply.]

I would be further remiss if I did not ask her highness' permission to depart from her side for a few moments, but there is a duty I must undertake in the common quarters that I would prefer not to divulge until my return.

[prodigalstar]

[...Squinting at him. She knows very well when he gets ridiculously formal like this, he's plotting something, so she's really just considering whether it's worth it to try and figure it out before he manages it or not. Honestly, her success rate at untangling convoluted foxplans isn't particularly encouraging, so, after a long, long unblinking stare, she just...sighs.]

...Take your leave. I assume you will be returning with as much haste as this errand allows? Since I seem to have, ah, disabled the rest of my guard, I suppose I shall take my tea in my chambers.

[Which is to say, in her room, in private, just her and her large...book collection.]

[afoolishfox]

As always, I endeavor to spend my every moment by your side, your highness. Pray do not hold my absence too harshly.

[And to be fair, he isn't gone long, even if the unseasonably long winter is starting to kick up little flurries of snow and sludge -- it is probably magic he how can move on geta through that madness and muck. But as always, she'll known his return by a familiar presence, and by this time the smell of something sweet and warm with him.]

[prodigalstar]

[She is reading, as she said she would...predictably, her tea's gotten cold, since she really never remembers to drink it unless he made it. But, she feels him coming before she sees him, and smiles a little in spite of herself, at the smell.]

Oh...aiming to spoil me, even after my bad temper? You must be worried, too.

[afoolishfox]

I recall someone liking peasant food, Hotaru, so I thought I would go pick up one of those sesame buns for you that Saitou and my sister wouldn't share with you, the last time that you caught us all during lunch.

[He strolls in, then, setting the little paper box down right on top of her book.]

[prodigalstar]

You're so sweet.

[Fien, she'll stop reading so she can eat bun. *u* Delicious bun.]

And not answering me, I notice.

[afoolishfox]

I would ask in return: when do I not aim to spoil you, Princess Hotaru?

[prodigalstar]

When you think it's funnier to tease me.

[Right. Stuffing bun in her mouth, so her hands are free to pull him down by his shirt so he's in reach for earscritches. NOW WHO IS BEING SPOILED, SEIJIROU? >:D]

But that wasn't what I meant...you're worried about him too, aren't you?

[afoolishfox]

[He just closes his eyes and goes a bit limp when she does that, since well. He's decades past pretending he doesn't enjoy earscritches and especially doesn't enjoy them from her.]

Mm.... not really. He's not a child, and he's not foolish enough to overplay his hand if this is too much for him.

[prodigalstar]

...I know he can handle himself, but I don't think the answers he's looking for are going to be found out there. He's too gentle-hearted for mercenary work.

[Scritchy scritchy scritchy. She's find having a serious conversation while petting the everliving shit out of her fox.]

It can't really be helped. I'm not allowed to interfere, and he'd never forgive me if I did. I'd just hate to see him try and discard that soft heart of his.

[afoolishfox]

Well... mercenary work is a cold world, that is absolutely for certain. He's going to have to learn what that means, buuut... it'll make him a more effective commander, if he does.

[She gets a bit of a soft whine out of him by the end of it, and he will nuzzle some against her neck on reflex.]

[prodigalstar]

[Aw, fox. What if she finishes the bun and then presses a kiss to the base of one of his ears? What then.]

We'll have to see. [...Sighing.] He could have picked a less dramatic place to huff off too. Huerfano Valley, really? What kind of statement are we making here?

[afoolishfox]

It's three days from home by train, when one runs through the area, and one of the settlements still in need of a permanent mercenary team. It's a calculated risk, I imagine. The name is... only a bonus.

[Then she is going to get licked along the scales on her neck.]

[prodigalstar]

Mm...I'll pull intel on the rest of the team he gets assigned. I know he'll tell Saitou and Seimei the names. [And that gets a beep out of her because she still somehow never sees that coming.]

...I bet father's laughing his ass off. Well, whatever.

[afoolishfox]

[Well, without the serious scritches he's leaning up some and just stroking her hair out of her face with a thumb, then running a hand along her cheek.]

Give it time. You cannot protect your little brother forever, you know.

[prodigalstar]

[She leans into his hand, a little...as much as she always seems to hate being touched by other people, she always does melt right into him, doesn't she?]

I know that, but as his sister, don't I have to try?

[afoolishfox]

You can protect him best by preparing to become the queen this nation will need. You know that your father speaks of his retirement fondly...

[Well, he's not bad at it, either, having figured out that if he's gentle and slow it seems to bug her less, and despite his normal deftness he can be surpriisngly sweet.]