A/N: hello peeps!
so this is new in so many ways, well sorta, i originally posted this over on AO3 and while glancing around there for something similar to read, found nothing, came over here, also nothing, so figured i'd fill in the Morag/Nia void as i have on AO3... its my OTP for this game, which i LOVE, but i have some clear issues with likely caused by Yuri!Shipping!Goggles... but who cares, that's what fanfic is for~
this, which started in a self-imposed challenge called '100 Days' (aka: write something narrative every day for 100 days) and has been my latest shipping obsession and taking up most of my writing time... its nice to just get things out like this... sorry to any fans of my other works up here~
so, what's this? basically SPOILERS AHEAD! since Morag came into my life in this game i have loved her as a character, Nia being my primary cause i love her too, so i usually play with both of them on my team and Tora, cause he's all the adorbs, and i was Broshipping the hell out of the two cause their interactions are cute...
THHHHHEEEEEEENNNNN... the end of Chap 5 rolls around and yep this just got upgraded from 'friendshipping' to full on romance, aided by the fact the game had already convinced me Morag was gayer than a double rainbow over san fransico like Ruby from RWBY...
so sanity out the window, here you guys go!
SPOILERS AHEAD! JUST SAYING AGAIN FOR THOSE NOT DONE WITH THE GAME! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
Enjoy!
Tempered Fragment
Nia was sitting on her bed, back facing the door as she looked up at the stars through the small window in her cabin. Technically it was the girls' cabin, but usually she only shared it with Pyra, and whenever the temperamental Mythra was in control she left soon as she thought the Gormotti woman was asleep.
–Proly off sneakin' into Rex's bed again, eh?- she couldn't help but smirk at that, in a clandestine kind of way. She had thought, after what happened in Gormott, after Rex saved her and they managed to escape together, that she would fall for him like she had Jin.
It was just a crush, she knew that, an admiration she couldn't help but form towards the two men who'd helped her out of a jam when all seemed lost.
But that was before she truly understood how deeply he felt for Pyra, and in a way Mythra. They were sort of like two sides of the same person, and he loved both immensely, but Nia knew there was a bit more affection towards the gentle fire type Blade, even if both of them were foolish enough to refuse it.
She had decided in Gormott, with the help of her own Blades, that she wasn't going to be that for Rex. It was cute watching as his more clingy Blades got jealous of his relationship with Pyra, and instead of being hurt or pinning like them, she just felt sympathy for the girls. Nia helped where she could, being a wall at times and distracting his rowdier Blades, babysitting her own and tagging them along, cause she knew those two were just blind dopes, not knowing what they were doing dancing around each other like that.
-Jeez, can't even get the two of them their own room without heads rollin' 'bout…- After what happened with Vandham and Mythra coming about, adding a really weird third wheel to the whole ordeal, Nia had fully given up. Mythra was pushier than Pyra, only holding back when apparently the 'quiet' one of the two said too. Nia honestly laughed her tail off when Rex got thrown out of his own room the first time thanks to Mythra 'sleep walking'… right into his bed. Pyra had been so embarrassed and Mythra just left her hanging with the baggage.
After Mor Ardain, Nia couldn't help but rile the two up as much as possible. Stupid kids weren't ever going to get anywhere at this rate… and it was mighty fun to tease them. She'd been surprised how much Morag, the same woman that had threatened to torture her and they'd dropped a water tower on as the first 'real enemy' back in Gormott, was such a sucker for a good tease at Rex and Pyra's expense.
It seemed the special Imperial Inquisitor had a deadly sense of humor, something Nia was proud to say she could pull out of the normally so tight lipped and uptight woman.
Oh, they hated each other… at first. Nia felt she should be angry about the woman, who she was, what she'd done to them, their past fighting and her arresting them and all that other malarkey back in Gormott cause of her!
Hell, she was still tense around her in Mor Ardain, more so then the rest as she didn't trust her or the empire one bit. She'd had every right to yell at the woman when they first got to Leftheria…
She'd been somewhat surprised, and put off, that all the special Imperial Inquisitor did was give this deferring nod, maybe even a small smirk, and just agreed with her. They had every right to not trust her and she didn't expect them to forget the past so easily, but hoped they could work together now that their paths aligned… and hopefully not drop another water tower on her.
Nia couldn't help but crack a smile at that… agreeing to dislike her but that they could 'get along' at least.
Morag seemed genuinely pleased by that.
When they'd gone back to Mor Ardain for some matter, Nia had wandered up to the ramparts of the palace, just having a good look at the place. Morag had followed her up there for some reason and the Gormotti woman couldn't help but yell at her… about the stupidity of the empire, its stupid pride, the damn war… she'd been surprised to see Morag give her that sincere smirk again, agreeing with her, even apologizing to some extent for her people.
What the hell was Nia supposed to say to that… she hadn't expected it from the Inquisitor…
It was probably at that point she decided she liked the woman enough that they could be friends.
After that it was snide remarks and comments bluntly stated, about each other, about their company, even a few laughs and jokes just between them. It was strange having a true friend in someone she'd once thought of as only an enemy.
And Morag could be merciless with her teasing. Nia thought she was good, especially at Pyra, Mythra, and Rex's expense, but no, oh no, the great Imperial Inquisitor and her legendary Blade Brighid could snipe the rug right out from under someone. She was good, all that training and tactics she used to get information out of someone she could just as easily turn on a friend and pull out a witty retort that made you feel literally god-smacked.
Brighid and Dromarch together could be even worse, Nia did not like when those two got together.
Still, despite their growing closeness and fondness for each other as friends, Nia was always reminded how separate Morag made herself from them. She knew why, she'd gathered it from how tightly Morag acted, especially in public where people could recognize her. Nia figured it was a habit she couldn't break, that absolute control. It was intimidating, but Morag was representing Mor Ardain, the fact she could get a joke out of her or have her crack that knowing smirk now and then must have been something serious.
Typically Morag got her own accommodations separate from them, this was even more pronounced when they were in Indol. Morag and Brighid shared a room on the end, and Nia was with Pyra or Mythra, depending who was in control, on the other side next to the boys' room. Thankfully that shellhead had his own room and she didn't have to worry about him one bit.
So it just… became the norm. Anywhere they stayed, Morag and her Blade were separated from them, while Rex and his party had their separate rooms. It didn't bother Nia, at first, but over time… it felt distant.
Indol made everything feel different, and she was reminded flat out how separate their worlds were, when she and Rex were banned from the conference after what happened in Temperantia.
Here the day before they were fighting side by side, Morag leading the charge trying to stop her country from doing something reckless and stupid, and Nia was trying to keep the woman from getting herself killed in the process. They worked well in battle, Morag tanking the enemies, soaking up the damage, while Nia kept her in one piece as the boys charged ahead to attack. It showed a lot, how selfless she was taking the hits like that or dodging magnificently, but it really pissed Nia off how much of a beating she'd take for them, usually standing near her since monsters and Drivers liked to go after her for healing the rest… it was tactical but damn did it still piss her off.
But the next day? The cold Inquisitor was back and with barely a nod, her, that shellhead and Mythra were talking to the rulers of nations all day.
Nia didn't want to say she was 'upset' that the next day Zeke wanted them to leave straight for Tantel, without Morag… but she was worried about the woman. Really worried…
To the point she about yelled at her for not coming with them when she showed up, just as they were about to leave, and approached them with an 'unofficial' mission from the Empire. She hated the way Morag could so easily pretend like this was nothing but convenience, giving her a look that spoke volumes about how the Ardanian ought to just suck it up and admit she wanted help from her friends and therefore trusted them over anyone else.
Then she gave them that sincere small smile of hers and Nia couldn't be all that angry with her anymore.
With everything that happened on the imperial ship… Nia was surprised to see Morag return to them, to continue their journey together to Tantel. She knew… knew it couldn't have been easy for Morag, but she couldn't say she wasn't happy to see her again, especially after what she'd suffered…
That was the closest Nia had ever seen Morag to tears, to full on rage, to such a point she wasn't the Inquisitor anymore but an older sister out for bloody revenge on those that killed… no, hurt, her little brother.
Nia made sure he was only hurt, and nothing else… she never wanted to see that look on Morag's face again. It hurt, too much.
She had been prepared to never see the Ardanian woman again, expected she would stick by her brother and protect the Emperor, better than before.
Instead, Morag met them just before their boat set sail, talking some nonsense about being an official envoy or whatever now from the Empire, like everything was back to how it was before.
Only this time, she openly smiled. Not grand, Nia couldn't imagine a large expressive smile like Zeke, Tora or Rex did on Morag, but something softer, gentler, kinder than it was before… almost like a burden had been lifted from her shoulders and she was really joining them for real.
That had made Nia happy, or at least she thought it made her happy. More like nervous, for some reason.
She had been fully prepared to let her friend go, let her live her own life outside the weird snare she and Dromarch and even that shellhead and Pandoria had gotten themselves all mixed up in. it was crazy, all of it, no way a sensible woman like Morag, and Brighid by extension, would want to stick around this dangerous bunch of crazy.
But she did, she was here, on this boat…
Just a room or two down, Nia supposed…
-Why the hell'sat make me all nervous!- it made Nia shake on her bed, staring up at the stars. All this reminiscing and she wasn't a bit closer to falling asleep.
One of her catlike Gormotti ears flicked towards the door, registering as someone entered the room without turning around. Nia gave an undignified snort, "Ey? You get caught again? I tell ya you gotta-!" as Nia turned around to mercilessly tease either Pyra or Mythra for slinking back into their room, she stopped, gold eyes staring at the door.
Morag was standing against the door.
Gold eyes blinked, again for good measure, as Nia sat up proper, turning more towards the Ardanian woman, "M-Morag?! Wassis about?" she shook her head, not wanting to sound offended or anything, "No, sorry, that's, that's not what I meant! Just…" holding her eyes closed a moment, the Gormotti woman shook her head before opening them again, "What… what you doin' here?"
Morag took precise steps forward, fluttering her long uniform making Nia wonder if she ever took that damn thing off, before her light brown eyes stared intensely at the Gormotti driver through the metal visor of her cap.
Nia's golden eyes widened, catlike ears dropping low, terrified and unsure what was going on, "Eh… uh, M-Morag…?"
The Ardanian officer stopped at the foot of Nia's bed, only really on the other side of it, and still giving that look that held far too much emotion, something Nia was simply not used to from her normally so callous and aloof friend. Pale lips opened to speak on the taller woman but no words came out, causing Nia to look slightly more terrified, and strangely Morag to take a deep breath and seem… almost embarrassed, "I… I wanted… to say… to give my…" with each stuttered start Morag seemed to get increasingly upset with herself, quickly shaking her head before trying again.
Seeing such a strange sight from the normally so eloquent Morag, Nia just blinked, got worried and jumped off the side of the bed to walk up next to her friend. It was funny, in a way, being reminded each time she walked up to Morag just how much taller the woman was, Nia only really came up to her chest and that was with her ears, so normally this made the Imperial Inquisitor so much more daunting and intimidating, an effect she normally employed very well to attract the attention of their enemies on the battlefield.
But instead, for some reason, as Nia looked up at her now, she looked small, "Ey? What you goin' on about?" Nia rubbed the side of her face like a cat, a bit of an unconscious habit she did when trying to act tougher than she felt, which normally wasn't that bad around Morag, least nowadays. But this was weird… just plain weird.
Morag turned to her, that intense look in her eyes and the tightness of her face making Nia almost think she was angry at her, "I just…" she stared, stopping again with a slight grimace.
Nia's ears twitched as she raised a light brow, leaning over with her hands on her hips just staring at the woman, "Yea? You said that part already, gonna get the rest of it out?"
A small, almost relieved looking smirk made its way on Morag's face as she raised her hand to cover up her face, "You, really are… hard to talk to at times…"
Rubbing her nose again, Nia snorted, "Hmp, dunno what yer goin' on about, I'm the easiest person around to talk to," a small smirk rose on her face, showing a fang to the normally so imposing woman.
Morag's hand lowered and her light brown eyes just narrowed on her, but it seemed she was at least a bit amused now, "I was trying to say…" she lowered her hand, putting both of them behind her back as she made to resemble her normal stoic stance, "Thank you, Nia… for saving my… His Majesty…" she couldn't help the deep emotional swallow halfway through.
Nia just rolled her eyes, looking away, "Was nothing, like I said, j-just some… needed some first aid and a proper look over…" she didn't want to look Morag in the eye, didn't want her to get a hint of what she'd actually done. –Cause that boy just got hurt, nothing more… I didn't… didn't do anything else…-
"Do you take me for a fool?" when Nia looked back up, Morag had a frown on her face, her dark brows low and that intense look was back, "He was dead."
Nia obviously flinched at that, not wanting to say it out loud.
Morag just continued on, "I held him, in my arms, and with his wounds…" pain raced across her face and behind her back her hands clinched into tight fists, "But more importantly, Agenion… he… he returned to his core crystal…" sharp light brown eyes bore into the Gormotti woman below her, "I've seen enough in this world to know a corpse when I see one, he was dead."
Hiking up her shoulders, Nia withdrew, not having the strength to back away but her ears set down and she couldn't bring herself to look at her friend. She was right, and had caught her in her lie, "Morag, please, I didn't want to tell you cause…"
A gloved hand made its way to the side of Nia's face, forcing her to look forward, towards her friend, her shame…
And before she knew what was happening, the taller woman was leaning down and kissing her on the lips.
Those Gormotti ears of hers went straight up, eyes wide and just stock still.
Then perhaps just as startling, Morag knelt in front of her and hugged her tightly around the neck, putting her head into her shoulder and just held her tightly.
"You brought him back…"
There were tears in those words and a softness to them she could not understand.
Without thinking, Nia's arms rose, clutching around her shoulders and pulled her closer, rubbing her face against Morag's cheek, feeling everything that was going on.
"I brought him back… for you…"
Pulling back, Morag looked at her, just looked at her with a set of emotions in her eyes along with drying tears and flushed cheeks. She whispered, clutching Nia's shoulders, "Thank you."
Nia's cream colored grey ears just dropped as she looked away from that intense stare, "I'm sorry…"
Immediately Morag's hands rose, as if touching something hot, and she too looked away, withdrawing her hands, "I… too… am sorry… that was… inappropriate of me, just… forget it ever happened…"
"No, I-!" without thinking Nia turned back on the woman, surprised by her retreat, that wasn't what she meant, "I just… I shouldn't have…" she shook her head, when Morag gave her a funny look, "I… I mean, I'm not… I shouldn't 'ave done that, but I couldn't…" she held her fists at her sides shaking as her gold eyes trailed the floor, "I should 'ave just let it go, or-or actually done it cause it was the right thing ta do, for everyone around, the whole world an' all… but I…" skittishly she brought her eyes up, pouting a little, "In that instant… I couldn't… I couldn't let you get hurt like that…"
Despite her visor, Nia could see those black brows rise, crumpled in the middle of her forehead as emotions seemed to just well up in the Inquisitor. She pursed her lips, tentatively reaching out to cup the side of Nia's face again, running a gloved thumb over one of the white marks on Nia's face.
Without thinking, Nia just nuzzled into the hand, accepting it and wishing the glove was gone. Raising one of her own hands she held Morag's hand to her cheek, "So… what now?"
For a moment, it seemed the Ardanian woman bit her lip, looking more unsure then Nia had ever seen her. In a way it was very refreshing, seeing this vulnerable side of the woman.
"I-I don't know…" was the response Morag finally gave.
A mean smirk rose on Nia's face, as she nuzzled into the Inquisitor's captive hand, even going so far as to nibble her thumb with her eyes closed, "That's a shame, I'd have thought the Imperial Inquisitor wouldn'ta been so afraid…" when one of those golden eyes cracked open she could see red rising on Morag's pale face, "You started so strong…"
The red rising on Morag's face got to such a point she couldn't help but look away, embarrassed and maybe a bit ashamed of her conduct, "I-I hadn't meant to do that…"
Nia just looked the other way, holding her hand, speaking softly, "So why did you?"
There was a funny sound, like fabric being removed, that caught Nia's attention, making her ear closest to Morag flick up, as she opened her eyes and turned towards her.
Morag had a glove in her mouth and was taking it off with her teeth. It was such an out of place action Nia couldn't help but blink surprised, unconsciously letting go of the hand she had been holding, which Morag didn't immediately withdraw until she realized it was okay and took off both her gloves and her hat, setting it down and placing her uniform gloves in it then sat back against the bed and loosed the top few buttons of her uniform jacket.
For a second Nia just blinked and stared at the Ardanian woman in front of her. It was only three pieces of clothing removed and her top few buttons undone, but the effect it had was almost as if Morag had suddenly stripped in front of her.
Nervously, Morag pulled at her lone central bang, glancing to the side, "I am… not used to this…" quickly she glanced up at Nia then back down to the ground, "I am… supposed to… always show a certain side of myself, be the face of the Empire, so I've never… truly… considered engaging in anything, with someone else… for my own… personal…"
When her voice just trailed off Nia couldn't help but raise a brow. –So this is what's underneath the Imperial Inquisitor's shell?- it was the same woman, the same woman she had seen take hits from creatures five times her size and never lose her cool… now a nervous ball of insecure feelings she didn't know how to express, sitting uncomfortably at the foot of her bed. –The closest she can get to being 'unbound' is just undoing the top few buttons of her uniform, heh…- against herself, Nia couldn't help but rub her nose and smirk.
"I think you look rather cute like that, Morag…"
At first the Ardanian woman could only stiffen. No one had ever called her 'cute'. She was always this intimidating presence that got awe inspired respect and terror in equal measure from foes and subordinates alike. Hell, half the time people mistook her for a man, despite how much effort she took to take care of herself in arguably more feminine ways. Even Brighid lightly teased her about it. But that was the image she had cultivated over the years, the face the Empire could be proud of her to use to represent it…
She never thought of herself as 'cute'.
During her momentary lapse, Nia had knelt down beside her, worming her way under the taller woman's arm and comfortably wrapped herself with it, like a blanket, and nuzzled up to Morag's chest, closing her eyes, "This is nice, you're really warm…"
After a moment, Morag tentatively lowered her hand, forcing herself to relax a bit, even if her hands felt uncomfortably sweaty, "Mor Ardain is a hot and harsh climate, remember," she lowered her leg, tugging the Gormotti woman a bit closer, "The same could be said of her people…"
Nia nuzzled more into her chest, rolling around to face Morag more and wound up more halfway in her lap, "I could get used to this…"
Morag seemed to stiffen a moment again, unsure of herself, but Nia just nestled in close, giving her time to react. Once the moment passed, she seemed to settle in her own position more comfortably, reaching down and hesitantly touching Nia's cream colored grey Gormotti ears.
They twitched for a moment, back, almost defensively and those gold eyes of Nia's opened, watching her suspiciously.
This was personal, just as personal as it was for Morag to take off her gloves and hat, to unbutton her jacket and shed some of her outer shell. The look in Nia's eyes, when her hand reached for her ears, was the same kind of look a wounded animal makes when defending itself, daring whoever it was to try something. It's what made them very dangerous, and Nia, thanks to whatever happened in her past that Morag still didn't know that brought her to work for an organization like Torna… she was weighing Morag right now, judging what she'd do… if she'd live up to her original threats as an Ardanian Inquisitor, or as the person she had become since they'd gotten to know each other…
It was an instinct, a habit, not something Nia probably knew she was doing.
A light smile traced on Morag's lips as she trailed her finger, gently, along the edge of Nia's catlike ear.
That gold eye closed and she seemed to nuzzle further into Morag's lap, allowing this contact.
Morag released a breath she didn't realize she was holding, smiling in relief as rubbing Nia's ear brought about a calmness to both of them.
After about a minute of this tender treatment, Nia nuzzled further into Morag's stomach, grabbing her around the waist, "It's gonna be really awkward if Mythra walks in on us like this," further nuzzling, "Pyra might not be so bad, but Mythra surely won't shut up about it…"
A smirk rose on the Inquisitor's face, having started to lightly doze off, "Brighid will keep her away, I'm sure…"
"Oh?" that gold, suspicious, cat like eye questioned the Ardanian woman.
Morag just smirk, seemingly knowing something Nia didn't, "Call it a high priority mission, watching her Driver's back…"
Nia just gave her a look, before turning back into her lap, "Don't be cheeky," she reached up and grabbed at the Inquisitor's chest, making the woman go stiff, "Though I'm sure between her and Dromarch, no one would be able to get in this room…" for a second Nia trailed off, then seemed to pop up, hands supporting her on both sides of Morag's legs as she had a funny smirk on her face.
With such an intense look directed her way, Morag could only blush at whatever implications the team healer was trying to suggest.
Nia's ears twitched back and forth, the fur on them a bit more bristled than a moment ago as she leaned in with that smug look on her face, slowly capturing the Ardanian woman's soft lips.
As the kiss ended, Morag's eyes slowly opened, recognizing the rising heat on her body, "Nia…"
A clawed finger was placed on the woman's lips, as Nia looked directly in her eyes. The way she said her name made her heart skip a beat but she had to come clean, "I… I don't wanna hear some grand confession right now, cause I'm not sure I'd believe it, but…" she didn't see anything waver in those light brown eyes, no change from a moment ago, they were still intense, and they still made her shiver. "But this… can we have this… for now?"
Pale, ungloved, hands rose and cupped around Nia's ears, pressing harder than she did before but not aggressively, not meanly, instead in a way that still sent a shiver down Nia's spine as the woman's warm hands kept moving, through her hair, along her neck and cupped her face, bringing it close to her own, so Nia could feel the heat there, the Ardanian warmth radiating off of the woman. She looked into her eyes, those intense light brown eyes directly into Nia's gold ones, and she understood. Morag hadn't expected this to happen, for these feelings to ever come out, already it was more than she could ask for, hope for, as a soldier, as an Imperial Representative, as someone that tried so hard to never lose a moment of control.
But that was exactly what she was allowing, for this one moment… because it was already said, already out there, and while she had already said to ignore it… she was willing to allow Nia to do with it what she desired.
Holding Nia close, Morag spoke directly to her lips, "Anything you want…" and kissed her with the same kind of passion as that first unexpected kiss, mixed with this new heat.
Nia melted, and did not care about who found them in the morning. By the end of this she was going to certainly have sweet dreams and sleep well tonight.
Outside the door, Brighid, the beautiful azure flame Blade, royal treasure of the Empire, sat on the ground scratching Dromarch on the chest as the old seeming big white tiger of a Blade rolled on his back, grinning.
Neither of them had said a word to one another, but shared a smirk as they seemed to 'understand' what was probably going on between their Drivers.
Mythra wouldn't try to sneak back into the girls' room until dawn so they had plenty of time to simply relax…
And plot how best to tease their Drivers to no end about this new development.
But for now, relaxation and scratches.
A/N: Let your imagination run wild and free kids~ i won't stop you~
Till next -salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!
-Ikasury