Virion looked down at the delicate cup held in his fingertips, a frown tugging his lower lip forward. It had survived so long, that its glistening ceramic body would chip so terribly now felt nearly like the loss of a dear friend. No more would the two of them savor the same brews, nor delight in the aromas brought forth from the perfect meeting of spices and honey. It could hardly hold half its previous amount, and were he to try and continue using it his own lip would surely be cut on the jagged edge. And yet he was still tempted.

He let out a mournful sigh and set the piece down on his cot. One more thing he could not save from the perils of war, but perhaps he could at least grant it a noble burial for its beloved service to him.

"I got…I g—AUGH DAMMIT."

Virion took a few steps and opened the flap of his tent only to to dart sideways by necessity to make way for a very over-burdened Sully to stumble through. He winced as she crashed to a pile on his floor. The pots and tools she had previously been precariously cradling lay scattered across the ground and his cot flared out from where she had landed. Unfortunately, his cup too lay in similar shards, a small iron kettle innocently sitting where seconds before the cup had instead.

He knelt by Sully's grumbling form and reached a hand down. "Milady, tis a glorious vision that mine eyes spy this day! It is not so often I have the pleasure of greeting you this side of camp. Please, allow me to assist. We shall have this cleaned in n—"

"I got it, Ruffles. I don't need any damn help." She swatted his hand.

"It is no trouble at all, Sully! I-"

"I said I've got it."

" Ahh…"

" What part of I've got it don't you understand? Why even are you here, anyway?" She brushed dirt off her arms as she sat on her heels.

"Why? Milady, because it is my tent."

Sully paused and looked up from her pile of utensils and cookware. She looked to Virion who rocked on his heels, and then to his things, though few, which were stacked with care.

"….aww hell. I—"

Virion held up a hand, "No no, milady. I must stop that thought right there. Whatever your quest, I know it was not your intention to make such an inelegant entrance." He glanced to the side, biting the inside of his cheek as he rolled is fingers into his palm. "Regardless of damages incurred."

"Damages? Ahhh," Sully's eyes pinched shut as she shook her head and ran both hands across her face and through her tufts of hair. "Go on. Tell me. Get it over with and I'll try to fix 'em or replace 'em or," she sighed, "you know."

"Nothing quite so extreme, I assure you, milady. Merely," he took a couple steps to stand near her by the cot and look forlornly at the shattered porcelain amidst the wreckage, "I think I shall never give it a noble burial now."

Sully stood up, first brushing her knees off and then turning to the subject of his interest. She squinted first at the cot and then gave the same to Virion. "A teacup? That it?"

"Mmm," Virion nodded, wrapping one arm around his front and tucking his other hand under his chin, "Though admittedly it was already beyond hope." He shifted in place under her piercing glare.

"What's the real story, Ruffles?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

He jerked backwards as she pointed a her finger directly where his nose had been, "There's more to it. You're fussy about a lot of things, but a damn sight more careful than to let a single broken teacup bother you. So what gives?"

Virion laughed, the corners of his smile twitching, "Aha, how very astute of you. I suppose….there is more to be said." He cleared his throat into his fist and added, "it was… from Rosanne.

"It was from your…home?"

"Indeed it was. And now it is no longer. Such an ignoble end to a faithf—"

"That reminds me, you don't talk about your home much." She elbowed him in the ribs, "Hell, you didn't even introduce yourself as such! You were just a 'wandering noble.' What's up with that, Ruffles?"

Virion shifted on his heels, the leather creaking in the silence.

A second passed, and then another. Her gaze was intense.

"I could not consider myself 'lord' of Rosanne so soon after having to….depart, and in no position to plead for aid." He reached up and tucked some wayward hairs behind an ear. "How callous to expect help of someone already embroiled in their own troubles, yes? And Lord Chrom had no reason to extend a hand of help to one with whom he'd had no prior contact." He chuckled lightly, but the smile was painful and forced.

He coughed and cleared his throat, clapping his hands together and looking down, "But we have a job yet to do, have we not? Where might these things need delivering, hm?" He knelt and picked up several stirring implements and placed them inside a large pot.

Sully waited, watching him work on hands and knees, her thoughts kicked up like a small storm. Shaking her head, she grabbed at the things the fell to his cot, and finished with more from the ground. Hoisting the pile into her arms, she gestured Virion to follow with a swing of her head. "All right, you, this way. These are going to the mess tent."

"After you, of course!" His voice had returned to its usual, cheery register and he bounced after her they both ducked under the flap of his tent.

When they had successfully completed their errand, Virion bowed to Sully with a flourish, compliments on her grace and fortitude spilling effortlessly from his lips. He inclined some message of departure, but as he turned away, she snatched his wrist and gave it a firm yank. Thrown off balance, he took many hurried steps to keep from falling over or careening into her.

"Ahh….?"

"And where do you think you're off to?"

Virion looked down at her from under knitted brows, "Milady? I-is there something I—"

"You just lost a teacup, didn't you? " She gave his wrist another tug and let go, walking away while he stumbled behind. "I normally wouldn't ask this, but you did just help me out a bit here, so—just this once, mind—why don't you join me for some tea? You can go get it heated up and I'll get the cups out so you actually have something to drink out of for today."

"O-oh! Ah, yes! Yes of course! I'll prepare it straight away and meet you back at your tent!" Virion sprinted past her before she could think to stop him.

"Wait…my…? Hey! I never said—hell, he's gone already." She sighed and kicked the ground, but could not help but give a hearty laugh anyway.

—fin—

Thank you for reading.