A/N: …
Pairing: None
POV: Lu Xun
I sigh as I roll my shoulders, them making small, popping sounds and relaxing significantly. Being in the same position for hours on end were sure to make you more than a little bit stiff. And even though I had been told by many people to take breaks and walk around to avoid such discomfort, it was just so easy for me to get lost in my work. All of these strategies that I needed to come up with. All of these battles that were coming up, all of the things that needed to be prepared. I even needed to analyze our enemies moves, what they have done recently or talk that has been going around, to try and figure out what they may mean. It was a lot on me, but it was well worth it.
It had been a long road to get to this point I am in now, a lot of people who had my role for this kingdom that had passed on. Zhou Yu. Lu Su. Lu Meng….I only got to know Lu Meng personally and his death, as it had been right in front of me, surely hit me the most. The man who had guided me along since I came into Wu was now gone and I was left to take his place. To act as Wu's strategist and become the best that I could possibly be. To try and live up to Master Lu Meng's name and, maybe even someday, Master Zhou Yu's. I thought about that every single day and it took quite a bit out of me, out of my sanity, to have that weight on my shoulders. Just knowing that one wrong move on my part could kill so many...It was scary.
Blinking my tired eyes, I looked down at the strategy that I had been working on, seeing that it was coming along good, but it needed some work. At the moment, however, I was just too tired, I had been working for hours and hours already and some rest was probably a good idea. Just a quick nap maybe and then I would be back to it, doing the same that I always did, sitting in my room at my desk, reading countless scrolls and book, scribbling information down and working on my plans. Not many people saw me around anymore, since I was always in here. I had always wondered why Lu Meng never showed his face too much outside of his room. Now I understood why. He had been doing this. Standing from my seat, I stretch my arms over my head and yawn, my back giving my a few couple cracks and pops as well. Achieving good posture in these older chairs was nearly impossible, but I did not want to go out and get something nicer, since I felt I still did not deserve it. The nicest things that I have been given was the clothing that I wore to battle and I justified accepting that gift because it would make me seem like I was worthy to belong next to these wonderful people of Wu. Not because I wanted to look fancy, because I wanted to seem to fit in. But the rest of my room, I had refused my Lord Sun Quan's multiple offers to redo it with nicer things. I just didn't feel that was needed. It was too much kindness for me to accept.
I make my way slowly over to my bed, staring at it with heavy lidded eyes. The mattress was a decent one, since I justified me accepting that gift as me needing to get a decent sleep so I could properly junction at my work. Maybe that wasn't a good enough excuse, but either way, it was much better than what I had first been given and I got much better sleep on it. The pillow and single blanket that I had on the bed weren't exactly the best, but I enjoyed them. The blanket had been the one thing that I had with me when I first came to Wu. The only thing that I brought along with my besides the clothes on my back and my weapons. And like my weapons, that I had never replaced in all these years, it meant much to me. It was made from cotton and the red and black design on it was very simple. There were a few small holes in it from years of wear and tear, but somehow, the material was as soft as ever and provided much warmth for some of the colder days. That was how it was designed after all, to offer me just the right amount of warmth, but not to make it so I was too hot. The person that made it for me knew that I often got chilly, one of the reasons why I wore so many layers with my clothing now. The person who made the blanket for me knew me better than anyone else ever would, even myself for a very long time. I reached over to the blanket and touched it, a warm, sad smile appearing on my lips. The person who made this for me took care of me when no one else would and was very well known throughout the land. Yet, somehow, the relationship between me and this person had never been revealed to the world, though I was rather odd to see him without me being at his side...