Chapter Text
“Hmm...Sapphire, sapphire...” Lapis sat cross-legged by the Somniel’s campfire, tapping a stick of charcoal against her cheek. So wrapped up in what she was doing, she failed to realize the smudge she was leaving on her face. “Uhhh...laughter, maybe? Yeah, let’s go with that.” She hunched over to scrawl on the parchment in her lap.
Another line finished, she leaned back and went back to tapping her cheek. “But what rhymes with-”
“Excuse me?”
Lapis yelped in surprise and almost flopped backward off the log she sat on. Marking her face wasn’t the only thing she had failed to notice. She looked up, whipping her head around in time to watch Citrinne sit down on the log perpendicular to hers.
“Citrinne!” Lapis quickly recovered from the shock and righted herself. “How long have you been there?”
“I’ve only just arrived. I did try calling your name a couple of times, but you didn’t seem to notice me.” She furrowed her brow and gave a simpering smile. “Even so, I’m terribly sorry for startling you.”
“It-it’s fine, really. A warrior of Brodia shouldn’t ever be caught unaware like that.” Lapis waved her off.
The blonde woman elegantly crossed her legs and rested her cheek in her palm. “With you muttering and lost in thought like that, I can’t help but wonder what you’re writing.” After a moment, she clicked her tongue, uncrossed her legs, and fixed her eyes on her feet. “Forgive me for prying.”
She wants to know what I’m writing?! That was the one question Lapis was hoping she wouldn’t ask. “Just, um, a l-letter to my folks! You know, writin’ my ma and pa, as usual.”
Citrinne didn’t raise her head, but she did pull her eyes up from her feet. “Oh? Does writing to them really give you such trouble? I could help you workshop it, if you’d like. Why don’t you read me what you have so far?”
Lapis’s first instinct at the thought of Citrinne reading this was to crumple it up and throw it into fire. Even though it was a letter for her. A love letter. Because noble girls like that kind of thing, right? The idea of someone helping write a love letter to themselves. It made her want to scream.
“Lapis? You’re shaking so much. Are you cold?” Citrinne scooted down the opposite log, as close as she could be without sitting right next to her. “I’d offer to put more wood on the fire, but you’re more suited to that than me.”
If the pink-haired girl gripped her parchment any tighter, it would start to rip. “Maybe you could make it brighter with your magic?” She suggested, glad to be off the topic of her letter. The second the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them.
“Ah, well, I was on my way for my late night training when I noticed you sitting here by yourself...” She sighed, her expression falling. “I really should be getting back to that.” Citrinne rose to her feet and started her way down the hill.
“Citrinne, wait! It was careless of me to say that. I’m sorry!” Lapis moved to stand but froze halfway up.
“Good night, Lapis...” She paused to look back, again with a furrowed brow and simpering smile. But only for a moment, before she turned back around to leave.
Lapis collapsed onto the ground in front of the log and watched her go. When she was out of sight, she crumpled the letter up into a ball and tossed weakly into the fire. She drew her legs up and watched the wad of parchment burn over top of her knees. Stupid, stupid, stupid...