psl || how did this slowburn happen

[coastal]

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[coastal]

Fairly often... There's nothing to do in the castle if the king is busy.

[soo-won is her friend even though she won't say that out loud]

But my normal informant isn't here, so I have to improvise... What we got is good enough - I don't think I'll be able to find anything else within the kingdom. Those guys are annoying, but they know everything that happens within the gates unless they really have been slacking off.

[she's just gotten so casual with them that they don't bother trying to intimidate her anymore

she probably left out all the parts where she could've been in danger out of their tweets]

[unfriendliest]

Except not all of them recognize you. But as long as you know what you’re doing…

[ he sighs. what else was he expecting. ]

How far is this village we need to go to?

[coastal]

Hm... about a day's travel - maybe not even that much, if I can get us horses.

[now she's going to try to get them horses. but off back to the less sketchy parts of the capitol they go!!]

You'll be alright with accompanying me?

[is this romance]

[unfriendliest]

Of course.

[ he came to see her, after all. he's not going to leave her to her own mission when he just got here?

though that does leave one question... ]

Where are your attendants?

[coastal]

Reporting to Father - since the King is occupied, Ogi is gone, and Yona isn't here, they thought I wouldn't have anything to do.

[haha! they thought they could leave lili alone for a day, but now kara is here! so it's even better than expected.

though as they start to enter the more common streets, she'll automatically reach for his hand too]

[unfriendliest]

[ haha wow, do these people really even know lili?

he'll let her take his hand without any protest beyond a shake of his head ]

And of course you did.

[ why does he sound so fond ]

[coastal]

[they probably thought that she could sit still for like a day, but post-subdiv lili is way too effective, why did people teach her things]

It was luck.

[don't call it luck]

[unfriendliest]

It's not luck if you go looking for it.

[ he knows how she is!! ]

[coastal]

It was good timing?

[look,,

she's just going to shake her head]

I was bored out of my mind just sitting around...

[unfriendliest]

I know. I would be, too.

[ "just be careful," is what he doesn't say, but that's fine. he's told her before, and he doesn't see a need to repeat himself ]

We can go first thing in the morning. I just want to talk to you first.

[coastal]

Mm, of course... I arranged for a room in an inn for a little while, so you don't need to worry about a place to stay.

[she'll probably need to go back to the castle at least briefly to grab some items, maybe some extra treasures that she can sell off.... but also the idea of staying with him in an inn room is an embarrassing

she'll cross that bridge when she gets there!]

Are you alright? Your comrades?

[it's not something bad, is it!!]

[unfriendliest]

[ he nods - it's not quite a thank you, but it's more acknowledgement than he usually gives ]

We're fine. It's... good.

[ he thinks?? kara is still kind of at a loss for it, if he's honest... but he'll figure that out soon, probably ]

[coastal]

... okay. Then I'm glad.

[and she'll give his hand a squeeze before they actually make it to the inn, and she inquires about the room. they're directed to it and - it's nice, for the record. kara might not ask for a lot, but lili does. it's the most spacious room that the inn has to offer, well-furnished and nicely decorated]

Here we go.

[unfriendliest]

[ ...it seems like a little much, just for him. kara is used to a much smaller space, shared with the other date swords. but of course that wouldn’t be doable for someone of noble birth, so he won’t complain

and since he doesn’t see any point in wasting more time now that they’re alone, he’ll come right out with it as he removes his shoes at the door ]

Our war with the Revisionists is over.

[ he’s probably told her more about it by now, so he doesn’t explain further just yet ]

[coastal]

[ . . . .

she's pausing as she removes her own shoes and then goes to sit down]

... what?

[it's

it's just over?]

[unfriendliest]

We won.

[ simple as that. and once his shoes are off, he straightens to busy himself with removing his sword so he can sit too ]

The saniwa told us we can choose where we want to go for ourselves now. None of us need a master anymore.

[ the implication being that… he chose to come here. and that he’ll stay, as long as lili wants him to. ]

[coastal]

[ . . . . oh.

she blinks in confusion at that and manages first - ]

Congratulations.

[ . . . ]

How long are you staying...?

[the implication is there but - it's up to him, isn't it? she's said that there's always a place for him with her, but she doesn't want to assume that he'll be there forever if he ever wants to go somewhere else... she has no intentions of keeping him captive.]

[unfriendliest]

[ finally he’ll meet her eyes again. the answer here isn’t one he wants to hide from, even if it turns out to be one he doesn’t like ]

For as long as you want me to.

[coastal]

[hey, holy shit?

she pauses at that again, surprised into silence for a moment - even though in the next she reaches for his hand, covering it with her own so that he has something of an answer even as she tries to find the words that she wants for this situation.]

... you can leave whenever you want.

[because it's up to him - because people can lose affection for one another, or he might not agree with something she decides, and there's no obligation that'll tie him to her but.]

Otherwise you might just be stuck with me forever, you know.

[but she can't imagine wanting him to leave her?]

[unfriendliest]

I know. I do plan to go see the others sometime - or they’ll find me, if I don’t.

[ he turns his hand under lili’s so that he can give it a light squeeze, the corners of his mouth tugging into a small smile. he didn’t really think she would turn him away, but it’s… a big deal, for him to know he won’t be left alone again, for as long as lili is here.

maybe she’ll recognize the way his eyes soften as relief, because of that. it’s just too hard to leave behind the expectation that he’ll be alone, after so many centuries that he can’t help it ]

...I don’t think I’d mind being stuck with you forever.

[ she's too human for that to really be possible... but that's okay. he still wants to be here, with lili, for as long as he can. it's a choice he's made for himself, one of the first he's ever really been allowed to make ]

[coastal]

[she nods to the first - because that's good. if his comrades didn't come to visit him, then lili would find a way to track them all down herself to make sure that they all got time together. don't leave her sword behind.

but she's thinking about complications to the idea of forever too, in her own way - she won't be able to keep this a secret from her father forever, even if she was planning on putting it off for as long as possible. issues such as succession, arranged marriages, all types of problems that are probably incoming....

except it all pretty much pales in comparison to the fact that the person that she wants to be with also wants to be with her - forever.

so she blushes a bit even though she's the one who proposed it, and nods her head]

... then as long as you don't mind -

You'll have me.

[unfriendliest]

[ kara smiles then, and it’s the first time in years that he thinks he’s been truly happy - at least, since sada joined them at the citadel. even if it can’t really be forever, he’s glad for the time they have together going forward from here ]

Will me staying here make problems for you?

[ she’s mentioned the arranged marriage before, but he’ll also have to find somewhere more permanent to stay, maybe even work?? kara will have to figure out what it means to live his own life, without a master directing him where to go or even how to live in their citadel. he was planning to ask lili about all of that, but that can come after her newest mission. ]

[coastal]

[well... if she's going to be honest, she can't say that the answer is no. because there are a few things that she'll have to consider now, even as she holds onto his hand and lets her chin rest in her other one thoughtfully.

but what she can say honestly is:]

Well, I would be making my own problems even if you didn't.

[so it really doesn't make much of a difference to her.]

It doesn't really matter - I'd rather you be here and we can deal with whatever comes with that.

[unfriendliest]

[ he’ll give a snort at that ]

You always do. Now I can be here to help you with them.

[ ...well. he frowns. ]

...Most of them. I’m not good with politics.

[coastal]

[luckily she did not expect much in that field]

If I get dragged to a fancy, boring political party, will you help me escape?