i was doing some short prompt requests on tumblr, and this one is based on the prompt: "You look exhausted."

Raffina can't stop now, but Feli sees when she's had enough. Requested by a tumblr anon!

Taking a Breather

Compared to her classmates, Raffina wasn't a natural magician. Amitie could summon flames with a snap of her fingers. Comets would rain down upon Klug's command. Even Lidelle, who meandered in the background and claimed to be weak, controlled the weather as her Puyos popped.

Raffina's magical power hid within her pouch. If she wasn't wearing it, then she couldn't bring out a snowflake from the center of her palm. No spark of lightning would jolt between her fingers if she threw a punch. Not even the tiniest hint of a rainbow would guide her kick, leaving her powerless before the watching eyes of her classmates and the shaking head of Ms. Accord.

Training every day without natural talent initially left a bad taste in her mouth. She lifted weights and ran miles under the early morning sun to keep her physique proper and powerful. She wasn't going to slack off when it meant allowing what little magical power she could possibly control and send to her pouch to shrivel and die.

Today, however, was different. Humidity contaminated Primp Town as she jogged. The sky at dawn was a pleasant pink and yellow, but it quickly became murky every time Raffina blinked sweat out of her eyes. The sun beat down and cursed her, but she forced herself to take every step. Sharp pants hit her throat. Her chest heaved, feeling as if she would stumble and fall at any second. Hot air sliced at her cheeks and caused the beaded sweat on her brow to roll down, sticking to the nape of her neck and in the curls of her hair.

But she was Raffina, and she refused to be weak. Any kind of adversity were unfamiliar challengers. She braved the heat as others stayed in their cool, cozy huts or loitered in the library or at school. She still had one more lap around Primp to go. Quitting before she reached her goal would make her mind whisper criticism, a lashing she certainly didn't want to endure even as the wind whipped dust into her eyes.

Grimacing, Raffina gnashed down her molars. She paced herself, one foot in front of the other.

And yet, her harsh breathing hurt her teeth and made blood rush between her ears. Her clothing clung to her skin, feeling much heavier than usual, and her sleeves flopped up and down as she pumped her arms. With such an unsightly appearance, she found herself gnawing on her lower lip as she feverishly rubbed her red eyes only for a gasp to split past her chapped lips.

How cliched! she thought as gravity maimed her. She barely had time to glance back at the upturned stone her sneaker collided with when something warm pressed into her chest.

Raffina blinked. She expected to feel pain. She should have hit the ground by now, so she dipped her chin to her chest.

Soft purple hair brushed against her cheek. She was curtly away of the sudden clamminess around her body as arms wrapped around her back. She felt herself being straightened, her legs clumsily maneuvering as she took in the sight of Feli unwinding herself from Raffina.

"You look exhausted," Feli noted, her tone grave. On the unmarked path in the woods, she appeared like a mirage, but Raffina knew she was very much real. Her sharp, acute gaze and natural scowl couldn't be misplaced or mistaken as anyone else.

"Oh, Miss Feli," Raffina mumbled, smoothing down her wrinkled skirt. She grimaced as sweat rolled down her hands. "My apologies for knocking into you. I, er, seem to be-"

"I divined this would happen," she interjected, holding up one of her trusted dowsing rods, "so I arrived in time to catch you." She tucked it back into the pocket of her black dress. "Had you fallen, you would have chipped your front teeth."

Her hand clapped over her mouth and muffled her cry. "G-goodness! I can't believe-!" She cleared her throat and rapped her knuckles to her chest. A sigh heaved out of her, forlorn and lost as Feli gazed up at her, the cicadas crying somewhere in the forest. She laced her fingers by her waist, her brows furrowing as she said, "Thank you, Feli. I really-well, you know, I-

"You're welcome," she simply replied as the words became tied in Raffina's throat. She nodded once and flicked her chin towards a clearing in the woods. "My home is up that way as you know. Do you want to rest? Like I said, you look exhausted."

Her own pride scorched her. Denial was on the tip of her tongue. She had one more lap to finish, and then, she could relax among soft linens and breathe in fresh perfume, protected in the sanctity of her bedroom from those curious eyes.

Feli answered for her. She snatched Raffina's sweaty hand and dragged her up the path. A strangled yelp bounced in Raffina's closed mouth as she stumbled behind her, but even as the little voice in her head sneered that she was falling behind, her heart told her otherwise.

"You're-you're right. I...I do need a break," Raffina announced, and Feli glanced at her, Baldanders' barking echoing up ahead. As they approached the mansion, she could have sworn she saw a small smile on Feli's face.