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Brighid had considered a number of things she might find her Driver doing, but this was surely not one of them. Only an hour or so ago, Tora had asked to meet Rex, Zeke, and Mὸrag at Jakolo's Inn hot springs, so Brighid had decided to pass the time browsing the shops in Alba Cavanich for the afternoon. If their meeting was already done, the Blade had assumed Mὸrag would be in her room reading one of the many books she seemed to always have at her bedside. Instead…
...her Driver was in her room, having what appeared to be an intense staring contest with a tube of bright red lipstick.
The fire Blade bit back a laugh as she softly shut the door behind her. Mὸrag was too transfixed to even notice she was no longer alone. Being careful to keep her heels quiet against the floor, she walked up behind the troubled woman and smoothed her burning hands over her tense shoulders. She smiled when the Ardainian jumped.
“Has it blinked yet?”
Mὸrag peered over her shoulder. “B-Brighid?”
“The lipstick, Lady Mὸrag. Have you won the staring contest?”
Her Driver merely stared at her in utter confusion. It was, quite frankly, adorable.
Brighid leaned forward and brushed a kiss against the skin behind the woman’s right ear. “If you’re honestly thinking of wearing that, I would recommend a shade a tad more subtle. This would clash terribly with your skin tone.”
Mὸrag turned her attention back to the lipstick and her frown deepened. “I suppose I would know very little of that sort of thing, wouldn’t I?”
“Is everything alright, Lady Mὸrag?”
“Tora wanted to strengthen our bond of fellowship.”
“What?”
“H-he thought bathing together in the hot springs might help…”
Brighid’s hands dug into her shoulders. “He wanted you to bathe with them? Why not invite Nia along if that was the plan?”
Mὸrag sighed. “Because he had hoped for the men of our party to bond.”
The Blade’s brow rose high in realization.
“He… he’s believed me to be a man this entire time.”
Brighid couldn’t contain her laughter. It spilled from her lips even as she tried to muffle the sound with her hands. Mὸrag spun around with a look of utter indignation on her face and that only made things worse.
“Brighid!”
“I-I’m sorry… truly!” She cleared her throat as she tried to sequester her chuckles. “I must have called you Lady Mὸrag in front of him several times by now and he still mistook you for a man?”
The Ardainian ran a hand over her face. “I suppose that wasn’t enough.”
The look on her Driver’s face was troubling and quickly silenced the humor. “His mistake bothered you?”
“Of course!” Mὸrag’s grip on the lipstick tightened. “If a Nopon who has spent so much time at my side could mistake me for a man, who is to say that others have not? You know I’ve never cared much about femininity. My place in the military hasn’t truly allowed for anything other than standard maintenance of my appearance. I’m well aware I do not have nearly as healthy a vigor about me as you or Pyra, but…”
Pyra? Brighid frowned at the thought of her Driver casting a lingering gaze at the rival fire Blade.
“I suppose I always assumed I had an appealing enough figure.” The Inquisitor shrugged. “At least, that gaggle of girls in the marketplace seems to think so.”
Brighid smirked. “Oh, so you’ve noticed them?”
“I’m not blind. I just choose not to acknowledge their affection.” A slight flush rose to color Mὸrag’s cheeks. “It seemed cruel to lead them on.”
The Blade stepped forward and gently pried the lipstick from her Driver’s gloved hand. Without a word, she coated her own lips with the bright red shade and set the closed tube on the top of her vanity. She could feel Mὸrag’s confused eyes trace her every move, which made it all the more delightful when she abruptly gripped the woman’s high collar and pulled her forward. Their lips met in a heated kiss that lasted just long enough for the tension in the Inquisitor’s shoulder to fade.
When Brighid pulled back, she smiled at the subtle shade of crimson that was smear over her Driver’s lips. “That, Lady Mὸrag, is the only make-up you ever need to worry about wearing.”
Mὸrag brought a gloved finger to her lips and smiled softly when the white cloth came back smudged with red.
“Feminine or not, I love you as you are.” A burning hand pressed against the chest of her uniform. “It’s your heart that matter most.”
Mὸrag placed a hand over her Blade’s and held it firmly against her sternum. “Thank you, Brighid.”
“You shouldn’t take what Tora says so seriously.” Another kiss sealed her point. “None of our other companions have mistaken you for a man. And Tora happens to be from a race that lacks much sexual distinction other than clothing. Your uniform may have been fitted to accent your figure, but you know as well as I do that it was originally designed for a man to wear. So it’s…”
Brighid trailed off when she noticed the nearly pained look that coated her Driver’s eyes.
“Lady Mὸrag?”
The Ardainian did not respond – she merely avoided eye contact. With a frown, Brighid reached both her hands forward and gently cupped the woman’s face, forcing their eyes to meet.
“Why is this bothering you so much?”
Mὸrag sighed and took a step closer. Her hands found purchase against Brighid’s hips as her fingers idly played with the intricate workings of her belt, gloved digits carefully tracing the multitude of patterns. It was a calming gesture, one that the Blade immediately recognized as a method for her Driver to try organizing her thoughts. She patiently waited in silence, slowly drawing circles against the soft skin of the woman’s face.
“Most of my life, I’ve been told my duties are better suited for a man.” Amber eyes steeled with aged distain. “I was only a child when I was orphaned. I was given the promise of a crown no woman before me had ever worn… and there were members of the Senate and the nobility who never ceased to remind me of that fact. After His Majesty was born, I was scoffed at for joining the military. No one stopped me because of my royal blood, but I was a rare woman in a man’s domain.”
“That didn’t stop you from rising up the ranks.”
“No.” A smile tugged at Mὸrag’s lips. “It didn’t stop me from becoming your Driver, either. You remember all those times the other soldiers would interrupt our training?”
“I do. Foolish men who thought you too weak to handle me because you are a woman.” Brighid touched their foreheads together. “I would say you ‘handle’ me quite well, wouldn’t you?”
Mὸrag’s face flushed brilliantly as she quickly cleared her throat and stepped back. “When I became the Special Inquisitor, I heard the doubt again. As you said, the uniform I’m wearing is meant for a man. No other woman has filled this role.”
“That’s never bothered you before.”
“It doesn’t. That’s my point.” Gloved fingers tightened their grip against the metal belt. “I am unique among the Ardainian military… I’m a female solider, the only female commanding officer, the first female Special Inquisitor. At one point, I was poised to become the first Empress of Mor Ardian. These are all titles I am proud to bear. Our country is long overdue for change when it comes to equality and I’ve been happy to break down those barriers wherever I can. At least, that’s what I thought I was doing. I… I don’t want those accomplishments to be minimized by people thinking I’m actually a man.”
Brighid couldn’t help but press another kiss to the worried lips before her. “No one thinks that, Lady Mὸrag. Your people… they know who you are. The women of Mor Ardain know who you are. The anti-imperialist faction has grown over the last two decades because you are a woman. There are members of the Senate who try to undermine you because you are a woman. The strongest Driver in the Empire is a woman and every jealous man in Alrest knows it well.”
Mὸrag pulled her Blade toward her and wrapped her arms tightly around her exposed back. “I’m overthinking this, aren’t I?”
“Yes, but it’s one of your more endearing attributes.” Burning hands traced patterns against her uniform. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be known for who you truly are. Now come, there’s no use hiding in here. Let’s go meet the others for dinner.”
Before Brighid could fully untangle them, Mὸrag pulled her in for a chaste kiss. “So long as I am enough for you, I am content to be as I am.”
The Blade sighed softly. “You are enough for me because of who you are, Lady Mὸrag. Never change that.”
---
They found most of the others relaxing in the lounge of Jakolo's Inn with their Blades, though Tora, Poppi, and Pyra were suspiciously absent. Brighid subtly pushed her Driver forward toward their companions as she sneaked down a hallway. The Nopon was easy to spot with the tips of his feathered wings flapping into view. The fire Blade smirked and made her way around the corner. Her fingers snapped and, just as she passed Tora, blue flames erupted under the Nopon’s rear.
“Meh-meh-meeeeeeeh!”
The sound of Myrtha’s laughter and Poppi’s cries of sympathy were music to her ears.