This had a lot going into it. Like two weeks of constant editing and making sure everything is in its right place, establishing a theme in the story, and inserting a lot that I could do a friggin' director commentator on while erasing words that were wrong or confusing. I'm a writer so it'll never feel like enough ahaha, but it's well deserved. Not only is this my most intricate work on my favorite pairing ever, but this is for someone intensely special- my old friend Tune4Toons.
I could say a lot about her, but I don't want to make it all about me. All I can really say is that Tune, you've been there for me in the lowest time in my life, even when I wasn't there back like I wish I had been. Needless to say, it really inspired me and helped me see you less as a kid (who was what a year younger than me wtf) and more as a very successful and amazing young woman who hadn't lost a step in her talents or a bit of her engaging personality. Because you give so much to me and are so much to me, I knew I had to give you nothing but my best work- that's why I worked on this for so long. Thank you, friend, and I love you dearly.
To everyone else, I hope the labor of love translates.
She blinks.
Blinks again.
At some point she expected it, but she still isn't sure that her eyes aren't playing tricks on her.
Lucina looks ahead of her with her hand as a visor (the sun sets harshly upon a nearby hill), paper bag on her arm. When she can't deny that it's her, she still can't believe it. Even if she knew this day would come, even though she waited for it when the time of her return came on hand- hell, maybe since the say Severa left- she can't believe it's here.
She doesn't move as Severa soars through the town's main street, feet running across the cobblestones near a vendor's cart to grab and hug her with more ferocity than she has ever taken Severa to have.
"Severa," she hums into the back of her neck. "Welcome home."
Severa comes just up to the space between her shoulder and neck, on her tiptoes as always. She hasn't changed a day since they last saw each other, even wearing the same clothes and the same black knapsack as that day, a vision from Lucina's memories that is somehow real. Severa's crying freely, set to squeeze the life out of Lucina, but she doesn't mind all too much.
"Thank you, Lucy," she sobs inelegantly, with so much sorrow and joy alike that goes beyond the surface of their reunion. Lucina can only smile tearfully because she's lucky enough to simply be happy to see her.
"Can you two lovers move out of the damn way?" an unfamiliar voice by a vendor's cart barks.
"Piss off, arse-hole!" Severa snaps back, spit dripping from her teeth like venom. "I fucking missed her!" Lucina can't help but giggle at- and be grateful for- Severa's iconic guard-dog outbursts at intruding or annoying strangers. Still, to avoid conflict, Lucina quietly maneuvers out of the vendor's immediate vicinity, but can't help scowling in their direction.
"The nerve of that prick!" Severa seethes. "Seriously!"
Lucina chuckles. "They're not likely to get my business after this."
Severa sniffles and tries to regain her composure. "If you're wondering if two years has matured me, well, there's your answer."
Lucina giggles. "I'm just happy to have you back in any form."
Severa smiles shyly as she looks at her bag, blushing. She loses a little color in her face as she does, but Lucina doesn't note it as anything serious. "So what brings you here?" Severa asks.
Lucina gestures to her bag as they start walking through town. "I've been trying my hand at reading more," she explains. "I may be taking after my mother."
Severa chuckles. "I leave you for two years and you're suddenly stocked up with the Ribald Tales of the Faith War. Do you have a copy of How To Make Him Fall For You In A Fortnight in there?"
"Nothing that risque!" she insists. "I'd just hoped that serials would pass the time."
"Sure, you little wench." Severa still hasn't let go of Lucina's arm, which has her heart pleasantly drumming against her chest. "Just reminds me of sneaking into your mom's little library when we were kids."
Lucina rankles her nose. "That was a one-time thing. I'd hoped you had forgotten."
Severa smirks. "You kidding? Never."
To this day, Lucina has never been much for misbehaving or being improper, but that was the first time Severa drew her out of her shell. Sumia unwittingly helped them by being so poor at hiding her naughtiest literature, though perhaps Severa was just too good at misbehaving. Even when Lucina had no knowledge of what everything they snuck a peek at meant (and Severa a little too much) the thrill of doing something inappropriate- as much as she hates to admit it- was the most fun she had in ages, especially in such a dire time.
The edge of town is visible. Severa must know as well as Lucina does that they're heading to her home, but it goes unspoken. "Aside from book shopping, what have you been up to?"
Lucina shrugs. "Adjusting to a quieter life. Honestly, it's a little more trying than I expected." Trying is one word for it. Difficult is a little closer to the truth. The loneliness is as easy to her as it is unfulfilling. Still, she finds it hard and frankly selfish to go to her friends as though she's the only one who suffers from missing those who left. They all do. She isn't special just for feeling it more.
To change the conversation, she says "but you're the one who ventured into another realm! Surely you have tales to tell me!"
Severa's eyes look at the ground, and a storm overtakes her aura. "It wasn't that exciting," she insists. "There was a war and everything, but war sucks. You can…"
She stops cold, and mumbles "Oh… yeah."
Lucina tilts her head and stops. She can tell this conversation will require full attention from them both. After too long, she asks "What's the matter?"
Severa closes her eyes. "Laslow and Odin…" After a pause, she shakes her head vigorously. "I mean Inigo and Owain…"
"Oh no," Lucina mumbles. She fears the worst but can't help it. She was apprehensive enough about Severa going, but harder still was seeing her cousin off, even if they had grown apart in the time after their own war. Even Inigo, while not without his (deeply annoying and flirtatious) quirks, was a friend of hers that she had hoped she wouldn't lose. Gods, she thought she was done with losing those she cared about, but even thinking about it brings her to tears.
Severa gasps. "No, no, Lucina, it's not like that! Not at all." Lucina looks up, swallowing her spit, tears on her eyes. "They're fine, but… they're not coming back."
"They're not?"
Severa reads her downcast look well. "Yeah, I mean, it would be cruel to. They have families in Nohr and kids and everything. That's really their new home. They just wanted me to tell you."
Lucina clears her throat and smiles, but it doesn't quite reach. "I'm glad to hear that they're getting what they want out of life. They deserve it." That's not a lie; they do, but it still stings her a little to know that she won't see them again, that there were more important things to them than her. Even if she knows such sorrow is irrational, she still feels personal failure over it.
She may never see her cousin again- and as much as his corny metaphors and overdramatic celebration of the mundane may have grated on her attempts to take things seriously, she will still miss him. The jealous part of her wonders when he decided life was worth never seeing her again, and she feels the same feeling of loss she tends to get when she feels like she's irreparably drifted away from someone. Too often, those she loves are leaves in the wind fallen from their tree and blowing out of sight.
Severa reads her inconclusive reaction and insists "It's okay. I'm mad too."
Lucina nods. "I understand. I'm just happy for them as well." Or, at the very least, she is choosing to be happy for them. Any anger or sorrow she feels about the situation is unbecoming of her. Clearing her throat, she says "I know you're back here, but I hope you found something in Nohr for yourself as well."
Severa scoffs. "You could say that." She doesn't say anything more, and Lucina can tell that she has more to say that she doesn't want to. That's fair; Lucina's the same way.
Finally, she asks, though she knows she need not. "I don't suppose you would like to stay at my home for the night?"
Severa blinks, then blinks again. "I'd love to, definitely," she says. The two women reach the edge of town, where the spare few buildings start to thin into trees and the cobblestones turn into one dirt path that Lucina has seen paved during her time here in Regna Ferox, one that she knows leads home.
She looks at Severa as they walk and knows that she's not comfortable completely back in this world, this world that is not the one they were born in. To be honest, Lucina isn't either.
She blinks.
Blinks again.
Not that there's much else to do other than keep her eyes clear in the middle of nowhere.
She sits next to the princess on two chairs placed on its porch. She's alarmed at how quiet the world is where Lucina has decided to live. Sure, sometimes it's relaxing if she doesn't think about it, but she's terrible at shutting her mind off. It gets to her, always looking over her shoulder for something that isn't there and then thinking herself an idiot for doing so.
"Is the tea to your liking?"
She turns to Lucina, who smiles warmly at her, but her smile is repressed from being fully genuine. She always wears that smile whenever there is one thing on her heart that can't go away, no matter how she tries to compartmentalize or deny it. Severa knows what that thing is, but doesn't address it, instead content to take a sip of the tea and nod. She beams, honored. Like you need my honor.
Lucina pushes a few strands of hair behind her ear, but it's already so hopelessly messy, full of jagged edges and corners that somehow find a curve along the sides of her head and down her back, her tiara doing its best to hold it in place. She's wearing a plain cream sweater with straight lines in the stitching and a pair of slacks too baggy for her and too formal for this place. Anything to keep her from wearing her battle uniform and keep Falchion in the house, Severa supposes.
Lucina looks out off of the porch into the empty field ahead of then both, flowers lining the sides where mountains start to break off. Severa's envious beyond measure that Lucina found such a good location for her cabin, as well as of her graciousness, poise, and ability to overpay the people who built it. Looking at Lucina, she sees that her princess has made the right decision. She's never been happier than now, in all the quiet, and while Severa isn't sure why, she's happy for her.
A few minutes pass. Severa occupies her time by drinking what's left of her tea and trying to cut back on all the times she looks over her shoulder like something's bothering her. Apparently she hasn't cut back enough, since Lucina taps her on the shoulder and asks "is something the matter?"
Severa shakes her head so quickly that she knows she's lying, but what the truth is, she can't say. Lucina's smile falters and she taps her fingers on her chin, but says nothing. Severa turns to face ahead, trying the best she can to keep her anger in. It's nice out here; Severa's just being a drama queen. Like I always am, she bemoans. Come on, Severa, try not to ruin one nice moment for Lucina.
Memories will be all Severa can leave her with for a while. She should leave her with some good ones.
Lucina's smile returns after a conscious pause. It's the same as before, one that's entirely peaceful except for one thing. Severa can only watch her almost-peacefulness for so long while knowing she's the one thing that holds it back from the sincere smile that she so rarely sees.
Severa tries to distract. "This is a nice enough place."
Lucina smiles. "I do love it so." She closes her eyes in reverence of just being here. It's everything that makes Severa jumpy and anxious- quiet, lonely, unknown- but it's everything that makes Lucina grateful. Meanwhile, Severa can only imagine disruption waiting to ambush them around the corner and ruin everything, knowing not all disruption is in a physical form.
Lucina looks again at her. "Are you all right?"
Severa sighs, but she's learned not to lie around Lucina. As thick as she can be sometimes, her princess reads her frighteningly well, a specialty that both comforts and unsettles her. "Severa, if something's the matter, you can tell me, right?"
Her question didn't end in "all right". It ended in "right". Not a reminder, a request. Severa knows this because she hangs on and reads far too deeply into every word said, especially by her.
"Of course I can," she argues. "I'm not scared of you." Hardly; she's not the one between the two of them that Severa is afraid of.
Lucina nods. "I understand. You just seemed worried, is all."
Severa nods in kind. A few seconds later, she sighs. "Okay, okay, I was just making sure that no one was creeping on us, all right?" Not a request, but a reminder (of who Severa is).
Lucina has long since stopped taking her provocations as challenges. "We are alone," she reassures Severa. "Long away from other people. Honestly, I'm not sure that anyone knows of this location. I think we can trust that there's no one watching." With that, she smiles with such serenity that Severa feels guilty for breaking it.
"Sorry," she says. "I'm just my usual jumpy self. I'm ruining this, I'm sorry."
Lucina shakes her head. "Don't worry." What goes unsaid is what she used to say: we both have a lot to carry with us. The truth of the matter goes unspoken, but the two women seem to take it in different ways: Lucina understands her scars, and Severa thinks hers make her ugly.
(If Severa were to write the maxim, it would say A lot to compartmentalize, not enough space.)
"I mean, lucky you that you can enjoy it," Severa remarks listlessly. "I don't know, I could never do it. This whole quiet thing is driving me nuts."
Lucina closes her eyes. "I can respect that," she says. "To me, it's like a dream, to be perfectly honest. I've waited so long for things to stop for a moment." She frowns. "It's been so long."
"You deserve that," Severa mutters before she can help it. Lucina blushes and looks down into the boards of the porch, while Severa stares heat into her tea. When she's truly honest, she swears the whole world stops to stare at her. Her unfiltered, unintended honesty is about Lucina every time, without fail, and Severa isn't sure how she feels about that. "Just think about it, Lucina… is this really all you want for yourself?"
"At the moment, it is," is the answer. "Right now, I feel like I could stay here forever."
"Right now," Severa responds. "I mean, it seems all well and dandy right now. But you're not gonna wanna be alone forever. It'll drive you nuts. Always looking over your shoulder, with nothing to comfort you but your own thoughts." She throws her hands up. "I mean, maybe they're more comforting than mine, but, like… do you really wanna be your only company?"
"I won't be alone," Lucina argues. "Not at all. My friends know where to find me, so I'll have them, and I'll have you."
Severa notes that, as she has before, Lucina has put her in a category different than her friends. At this point, neither one questions it. What they are is unknown. Not friends, not lovers, not even a princess and her retainer. It's… something more, but never too much more.
It gives Severa unpleasant thoughts as she asks "Will you be fine without me?"
Finally, the smile Lucina has propped up falls. She starts to say a few things but instead looks at Severa, who looks uncharacteristically worried. Oddly, Severa has been more concerned for Lucina after the wars than she ever was during them. She knew how to help Lucina the princess and commander, but she's shit at handling Lucina the person. Severa chalks it up to being a shit person herself.
"You'll be gone for how long again?" Lucina asks like she doesn't know.
"About two years."
"And when will they summon you?"
"They don't have much time. Probably soon."
Lucina clears her throat to stop her sigh short. "Have you knowledge of the translation of time between their realm and ours?"
Severa thinks for a moment. "A little… summoner said that it'll be a little faster. So my two years will be, like, a month or so shorter for you. I doubt it will matter, though."
Lucina hmms. "I understand." The look on her face, however, seems to indicate that Lucina doesn't understand anything at all. To be honest, Severa doesn't either.