rowofstars:

galactic-pirates:

Eeeeeek BraveWarrior 🙂 I love you!

20. “It’s 8:30, I have a hangover and you’re
annoying me.”

Mulan ghosted
around the dorm room, a flicker of irritation crossed her face as a floorboard
creaked loudly. She saw Ruby, her roommate, clench her eyes tightly together
and then heard her groan. For the most part they got on well as roommates, Ruby
was out a lot of the time and generally so easy-going it was impossible to
dislike her. Mulan knew that she was quiet and reserved, focusing on her
studies and her fitness clubs. That was the one real incompatibility between
the two of them; Mulan was very much a morning person and Ruby was very much a
night owl.

Ruby cracked
one eye open and grimaced. “It’s 8.30, I have a hangover and you’re annoying
me,” she groaned. “Sorry I know that’s kinda unfair.”

“It’s fine,”
Mulan said, a tiny smile playing on her lips. “I’m just going out anyway.”

She slipped her
jacket on, grabbed her bag and zipped her key inside. She didn’t need to take
much with her, just a water bottle, a breakfast bar and her cellphone. Mulan
headed for the door, the corridor was silent and empty, it was Sunday morning
and most self-respecting students were still asleep. She sighed in satisfaction
the moment she stepped outside, and the crisp morning air hit her lungs.

There was a
small park just down the street from the dorm. A small stream ran through it
and there was a circular winding pathway, which made for a pleasant jog. There
were a few open sun-dappled green spaces, in between the trees, which were good
for stretching and running through her katas. Mulan trotted down the sidewalk,
the train station wasn’t far and on any other morning the street would have
been bustling. She relished the peace, quite often she was the only one in the
park, especially on a Sunday. It was her quiet time.

Mulan slipped
through the park gate and headed for her favorite spot, to warm up and stretch,
the first part of her morning routine. Her pace slowed, and her brow creased
minutely, somebody was in her spot. That had never happened before. It was another
woman, about her age. She was dressed in loose blue exercise clothing, her wild
red curls tied in a sloppy ponytail.

“Ah and here I
was thinking I was the only crazy person up this morning,” the woman opened,
nodding in greeting. “I’m Merida.”

“Mulan,” Mulan
said neutrally, taking up position a few feet away. “You’ve not been here
before.”

“First morning,
just transferred in,” Merida
confirmed. Her eyes lit up with interest as Mulan fluidly slid into her katas.
“So you’ll be the one to ask about a good martial arts class?”

“There’s one at
the social center two blocks over,” Mulan told her, hesitating briefly.
“There’s also a fencing class at the old dance studio on the other side of
town.”

Merida grinned. “That’s cool. You know, if you
can keep up I could do with a jogging partner.”

“If I can keep
up?” Mulan repeated, regarding Merida
with more interest. Merida
gave her a challenging look and Mulan felt her lips twitch, a genuine smile
forming. “Give me a couple of minutes to stretch and you’re on.”

“Oh so it’s
going to be like that,” Merida
teased.

Mulan said
nothing, and just continued with her routine. This had been her quiet time but
she didn’t think she’d mind if that changed. Time would tell.

They are so CUTE. This is so like Sam and Steve too that I’m dying. If Mulan yells on your left I might lose it completely. And now I want a Brave Warrior super hero AU and I don’t even LIKE super hero AUs. WTF, SAM????

Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂 Urk that hadn’t even occurred to me but, but, but just picture it – Mulan, legendary samurai, a warrior out of time. Keeps to herself, she works out, she cleans and sharpens her blade, and she goes on missions. Then one morning she meets Merida, who is totally different from her, so vibrant and outspoken and yet has the same core of steel and sense of duty.

Merida makes Mulan laugh for the first time since she came out of the ice, and they form a friendship that builds a life for both of them outside of their respective largely self-imposed duties. Then a little bit of mutually pining dorks as they both start to fall for their best friend, but naturally *roll eyes* think that the other couldn’t possibly feel the same. Then I can’t decide whether something should happen and it’s a dramatic declaration, or if maybe one day they are just working out and one of them says screw it and goes for a kiss. I do like understated.

My plot bunnies are multiplying…