Kit: This Is Ridiculous.kit: Jade Doesnt Have A Crush On Me.elora:elora: Yes.she.does.boorman: Yes She

kit: this is ridiculous. kit: jade doesn’t have a crush on me. elora: elora: yes.she.does. boorman: yes she does. graydon: yes she does. willow: yes she does. airk: yes she does. jade: yes i do.

@tanthalos

"I'm sorry. I didn't think they'd put me on duty for the tournament. Guess more of the men signed up than they thought," Jade lies, following Kit through palace corridors. She's very rarely lied to Kit before. And if she has, they've all been small details in a larger true story (like the three porcupine quills versus the actual thirty). But she knows the princess well and knows that she's disappointed. I'll make it up to her, Jade thinks. She's not sure how, but she'll figure it out. "I'll still be at the opening banquet with you tonight."

We talk a lot about Kit being touch starved, but have we ever stopped to consider how touch starved Jade must be? She grew up as an orphan for god knows how long before Ballantine took her on as his protege/ward, and while there's clearly a lot of love and affection between them, he doesn't strike me as the most physically affectionate guy.

So the only person who has probably touched Jade with any regularity is...

...Kit.

No wonder Jade fell desperately in love with her.

[Top image from @hgstuff]

It took everything in her not to laugh or smile, but to keep a stern demeanor. It reminded her so much of being a teenager and sneaking around the palace after dark with Kit or even Airk. Hands clasp behind her back, Jade approached the boy, stepping out of the shadows. “I’m on duty tonight. And I think your lack of sleep has less to do with capability and more to do with a lack of desire… Why are you out of bed, Owain?” Even if he wasn’t tired, Jade knew how large the chambers of royalty are. There was no need to leave them. “And where might you be going at this time of night? Answer truthfully and perhaps we can avoid involving your parents.”

@dutyxbound

"Aunt Jade", his voice was a mere whisper as he turned towards her. This was not supposed to happen. Owain had memorized the guard's schedules, scouted out the quickest and least busy ways in and out of the castle, bribed a stable boy into giving him his clothes, and now it was his aunt - of all people - who caught him sneaking out of Tir Asleen at night? Owain cleared his throat and adjusted his stance to seem as if he felt he had the right to be here, in the middle of the night. Nothing suspicious to see. "What a coincidence to meet you out here, couldn't sleep either?" Please don't tell my parents.

WILLOW (2022 - ) costume design by Sarah Young