Female A Walk In The Woods, belated July Secret Santa for Sneezingnonstop (F, 2/2)

[Blah!?]

Hey @Sneezingnonstop! Sorry this took so long! And sorry it's not done yet. I'm still working on the second half of it, but I figured you've waited long enough, so I wanted to get at least part of it out there for you. I really hope this is something to your liking!

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Helping adventurers log their quests always made Charissa happy. When they were successful, it was nice to be the final person they’d talk to as they submitted their paperwork and collected their earnings. And even when something went wrong, Charissa was always glad to remind them that they could simply try again next time. In spite of all that, nothing made her quite as happy as when she got to see Sarai.

Sarai was strong, kind and beautiful, and Charissa always wished they could spend more time together. Unfortunately, it seemed as if it wasn’t meant to be. Sarai was an accomplished swordswoman, and she was sought after for any and every type of task. As for Charissa, the sharpest thing she had ever held was a sewing needle, and the closest thing she had ever worn to armor were her rather enormous glasses. The petite woman lowered her head and began to fidget: even just thinking about Sarai made her nervous.

“Charissa?” came a confident, slightly sultry voice. The bookkeeper gave a yelp and snapped to attention, and she nearly fainted when she realized who had roused her from her daydreaming.

“S-Sarai! Hello!” greeted Charissa, not realizing she was nearly shouting. “W-what can I help you with t-today!”

“Oh, the usual,” replied the adventurer, producing a piece of parchment from her bag. “Just turning this in.”

Sarai slid the paper across the counter as Charissa managed to summon a more professional attitude. She quickly read over the document: naturally Sarai had completed yet another assignment.

“Great work!” yipped Charissa, removing her quill from its inkwell. She signed her name at the bottom of the form and then stamped it with the guild’s seal of approval.

“You should be all set!” she continued, placing the parchment into a box labelled ‘Complete.’ “Your share of the reward money will be transferred to your account by tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Charissa,” replied Sarai, placing the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “You’re always such a big help.”

Charissa blushed and put on an awkward smile. Pushing the tips of her index fingers together, she bowed her head slightly and gazed at Sarai over the rims of her thick glasses.

“Aw, it’s nothing,” she mumbled, quickly realizing how strange she was acting. Sarai gave an amused chuckle and then stepped back from the counter.

“Alright, I’m sure I’ll be back with another one tomorrow,” said the adventurer, beginning to excuse herself. Charissa raised a hand to wave as Sarai departed, but she suddenly realized the two of them were alone in the guild hall lobby. Well, now or never, she supposed…

“Sarai, wait!” called Charissa, her voice nearly squeaking in a mixture of excitement and nervousness. The adventurer stopped and turned to look back over her shoulder.

“What is it, Charissa?” she asked, raising an eyebrow with a slightly concerned expression.

“I, um…” Charissa stammered, pressing her fingertips together again. Taking a deep breath, she mustered all her courage and forced herself to look the adventurer in the eye.

“I have some time off tomorrow, and I was wondering if I could accompany you on a quest!” she pleaded, nearly shouting again. Sarai smiled, placing a hand on her hip.

“You want to take time off of your work so you can come with me while I do my work?” the adventurer asked in an amused tone. Charissa nearly screamed. She hadn’t thought of that way, and now she felt ridiculous.

“Well, I… But I… We’ve been working together for so long that I thought it might be nice to… To… To get to know each other some more. Plus, I’ve never been on a quest! I’ve barely even been out of town! I’d love to go see the world with you! I mean! I’d love to see the world, and also go with you! I… I…”

“Alright, you can come,” laughed Sarai, amused by Charissa’s excitement. The bookkeeper froze, unable to form words.

“But I get started early. Meet me by the Tangled Grove at dawn, and pack for travel!”

Charissa nodded rigidly, fearing any more involved motion would topple her. Sarai giggled again, and then she casually blew a kiss as she jogged toward the door.

“See you tomorrow!”

Charissa could only stare in silence as Sarai departed. Once the door closed behind the adventurer, Charissa finally allowed herself to keel over. She laid on the floor in giddy excitement, losing track of time until another adventurer arrived, sending her rocketing back to her feet to do her job. Charissa’s signatures and stamps were rather messy for the rest of the day.

Charissa didn’t have a sword. Instead she brought a walking stick. She also didn’t have armor. Her most rugged clothing consisted simply of an old shirt and long pants. She didn’t even have boots. Most of the shoes she wore at the guild office had heels far too precarious for adventuring. Charissa managed to find a pair with passable arch and ankle support, but boots they were not. The only thing she did have was a backpack.

“Ihh… Heh-Hehhh! Heghh! HEECHhhh!”

And hay fever.

Wrinkling her nose, Charissa rubbed her middle and index fingers back and forth under her nostrils. She could stand being outdoors almost anywhere in town, but going near the Tangled Grove had always made her nose tickle. Charissa liked most flowers and plants, but there was just something in that grove that wormed its way up her nostrils and took hold of her. She was practically guaranteed to sneeze at least once whenever she came to this part of town.

Taking a nervous look around, Charissa furiously rubbed her nose for a few more seconds and then forced herself to stop. She was already paranoid that Sarai would tell her the quest was too dangerous and send her home. If the adventurer found out she had allergies, there was no way she’d still be allowed to come. Maybe she’d tell Sarai after they came back, but for now, she had to keep it to herself.

“Morning, Charissa!”

Hearing Sarai call her name, Charissa nearly leapt into the air. She whirled around to find herself face to face with the adventurer.

“G-good morning, Sarai,” Charissa responded, bowing her head. “I hope it’s okay that I don’t have a sword.. I just…”

“Don’t worry about it!” laughed Sarai, patting the shorter woman on the head. “This should be a pretty simple quest. I’ll protect you.”

Sarai simply gave another laugh and continued on, heading for the entrance to the grove. Charissa, meanwhile, was sure that smoke must have been coming out of her ears. She was hunched over with a dumb smile on her face, and maybe her tongue was even hanging out of her mouth, she wasn’t really sure. Feeling rather steamy, Charissa eventually managed to swing herself around and lumber after Sarai.

“You’ll… Protect me… Okay…”

As they progressed into the trees, Charissa eventually forced herself to return to a normal gait and catch up with Sarai. She tried her best to walk alongside the adventurer, but once the town was no longer visible through the trees behind them, Charissa began to jump and yelp at every sound. Meanwhile, Sarai hadn’t even placed a hand on her sword yet. Taking a deep breath, Charissa tried to draw from her companion’s confidence. Unfortunately, she only succeeded in filling her nostrils with the grove’s enchanted pollen.

“Heh!” she wheezed, slowing to a halt. Charissa waved a hand up and down in front of her face as her eyelids fluttered behind her glasses. Sarai took a few more steps, but she quickly realized that her guildmate had fallen behind. Looking back over her shoulder, she could only watch as Charissa began to wriggle.

“Hhhh-! Hihh… Eh-Hehh! HEE-CHHhh! Heh… Eh-CHH! Haa… HAEEShhh!!!”

Charissa bent at the waist with a trio of loud sneezes. She gave a quiet snuffle as she straightened up, and she immediately began rubbing her fingers back and forth under her nose.

“Whoa, bless you!” said Sarai with a slight giggle. “You okay?”

“Fine!” Charissa squeaked, forcing her hand back down to her side. “I’m fine! Totally fine. I just… Got something up my nose!”

Sarai gave a quick snort of laughter, placing a hand over her mouth.

“Alright, if you say so…”

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And that's all for part 1! I really hope you like it so far, and please let me know if there's anything that you want me to do differently going forward.

[Sneezingnonstop]

Lovely start to this!!!!!! I cant wait to see what happens next! Charissa is so cute!!!! And dont feel pressured to doing this fast, I'm very appreciative that youre doing it considering the circumstances, so thank you again!

[Blah!?]

@Sneezingnonstop, at long last, it is done. I apologize again for this taking so unbelievably long, so I really hope you enjoy it after all these delays. I've already taken up enough of your time, so without further ado...

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Charissa followed along as Sarai continued to lead the way. She lagged a few steps behind, allowing her to keep her head down and rub her nose without being noticed. Her nasal passages were getting awfully tickly. The air was becoming more and more saturated with magic pollen the deeper they progressed into the grove. Clenching her eyes shut, Charissa held her breath and squeezed her nostrils between her fingers, desperate to stave off another sneezing fit. When she opened her eyes again, she realized that Sarai had stopped, causing her to nearly collide with the adventurer.

“I really like coming here, you know?” said Sarai, placing her hands on her hips. She took a deep breath and gazed out over the clearing before her. The adventurer turned back to her companion to see if she had any feelings about the grove, but Charissa was too busy trying not to sneeze.

“Hhheh! Ihh… Hee… HAA-SHHhhh!!!”

Holding her forearm in front of her nose, Charissa doubled over with another loud sneeze. Afterward she placed the back of her wrist under her nostrils and lightly shook her head back and forth, smushing the remaining tickle out of her nose.

“Whoa, big sneeze! Bless you!” chuckled Sarai. Charissa silently nodded in thanks, continuing to rub her nostrils.

“I bet all that enchanted pollen’s tickling your nose, huh?” Sarai speculated, raising an eyebrow at her companion. Charissa suddenly snapped straight up, her eyes wide behind her glasses.

“N-no, I’m okay!” she stammered, struggling not to scrunch up her face. “I just got something up my nose… Again…”

Sarai smiled and tilted her head to the side. Charissa nervously adjusted her glasses, hoping the adventurer hadn’t figured out her weakness.

“O-other nostril this time,” Charissa mumbled, as if that would explain it. Sarai gave a snort, but before she could begin laughing in earnest, Charissa tried to change the subject.

“S-so, um… What’s your quest today?”

Sarai seemed to instantly forget about Charissa’s sneezing. Her face lit up as she reveled in the opportunity to talk about her work.

“Well, you see, it’s pretty simple, actually. There have been reports of a roving band of goblins that’s been attacking travelers, so my assignment is just to make sure the Tangled Grove is safe.”

“So you might not even have to do any fighting?” Charissa asked as she rubbed her nose, sounding hopeful. Sarai shrugged.

“Maybe, but I feel like that only happens pretty rarely. Usually something happens sooner or later.”

Sarai resumed her trek through the grove with Charissa in tow. The demure bookkeeper wished she could be more talkative, but at this point she didn’t know what to say. Sarai seemed so focused on her work, and the last thing Charissa wanted to do was interfere with that. Absently kicking a rock down the path as she walked, Charissa hung her head. Not much of anything had even happened yet, and already she was feeling useless. She didn’t have long to mope, however, before Sarai’s strong hands suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and thrust her into a large bush.

“Sarai!” yelped Charissa, her voice squeaking in terror. The adventurer placed a finger vertically over her lips to silence her companion. Charissa simply gave Sarai a worried stare over her slipped glasses.

“I can hear the goblins up ahead,” whispered Sarai, making Charissa’s heart jump up into her throat. “Stay right here, and shout if they find you.”

“Are you going to be okay?” asked Charissa, pushing her glasses back up. Sarai smiled, and then she suddenly flicked the tip of her companion’s nose up with her index finger. Charissa scrunched up her face and began to rub under her nostrils, the gesture tickling her slightly.

“Don’t worry about me. I do this all the time.”

Charissa stared back at the adventurer. She was finally beginning to realize how treacherous Sarai’s everyday job was. Nervously grabbing the left strap of her backpack, Charissa started to tremble.

“Just be safe, okay?”

Sarai gave a quick salute, and then she spun away from the bush and drew her sword. Charissa silently stared through the leaves as her companion ran deeper into the grove, and then the goblins’ gravelly shouts began to fill the air. At first she winced as she listened to the telltale sounds of battle, but before long, the pollen surrounding her begged to be acknowledged.

“Hhhh-! Heh…” Charissa breathed, trying her hardest to keep quiet. She had no way of knowing if any other goblins were about, and either way she knew it was in her best interest to remain hidden. Keeping the rustling to a minimum, Charissa slowly reached a hand up to her face and began to gently rub her fingers back and forth under her nostrils.

“Oh-hokay,” she stuttered, not realizing she was speaking out loud. “Don’t s-sneeze… D-don’t… Heh! AkkCHH! Whew! Oh… Ohh… Well, that was just a little one. N-no more… No m-more snee… Heee… HEE-SHhhh!!! Oh no…”

As she stood in the bush, Charissa felt like she was breathing nothing but pollen. On top of that, it seemed to crackle with a subtle magic energy, which didn’t help matters at all. It wasn’t long before Charissa forgot she was supposed to be hiding, and she began furiously rubbing her hand back and forth under her nose, causing the bush to shake noticeably.

“Hihhh… Heh-Hehh-Hehhh!” Charissa wheezed, teetering on the edge of another sneezing fit. She held her nose with the left hand and frantically waved her right up and down in front of her face, rustling the leaves around her even more. A tear formed at the corner of Charissa’s eye and began to slowly creep down her cheek as she struggled to hold everything in, and then…

“Charissa?”

She barely heard it, but the sound of a familiar voice made the young woman’s ears perk up. Her concentration slipped, allowing her urge to sneeze to take another step forward.

“Charissa, I’m really sorry! I forgot which bush I hid you in! Sorry!”

Recognizing Sarai’s voice, Charissa unconsciously let her guard down. She vaguely noticed the sound of footsteps getting closer as she abandoned the struggle against her sneeze, and with Sarai standing just in front of her hiding place, she let it all out.

“HAA-CHHHEEW!!!”

Charissa doubled over with an enormous sneeze, causing her head and shoulders to thrust forward out of the bush. Sarai giggled, placing her hands on her hips as she waited for her demure companion to finish.

“Ah-CHHH! He’SHH! Ah-Ahh-Ahhh! AHH-CHHHHH!!!”

After Charissa’s final sneeze, Sarai gently grabbed her and pulled her back out of the bush. She giggled again as she watched Charissa furiously rub her finger back and forth under her nose, her glasses just barely clinging to the tip. Charissa gave another “Eh-CHH!” and Sarai’s giggling became full-fledged laughter.

“Jeez, bless you!” Sarai chuckled, patting her friend on the back. “Get something up your nose again?”

Charissa briefly scrambled for a new excuse, but she quickly gave up. Feeling utterly defeated, she drooped over and resumed rubbing her nose.

“No, you caught me,” sighed Charissa, glancing guiltily up at Sarai over her glasses. “I’m allergic to magic pollen.”

“Aww! Why didn’t you tell me?” responded Sarai, gently ruffling Charissa’s hair. Under other circumstances this might have sent the petite woman into a frenzy, but now it only compounded her unhappiness.

“Because I didn’t want you to find out how useless I am,” Charissa confessed, lightly pulling away from Sarai. “But I guess now you know.”

The adventurer put on a sympathetic smile, sensing how upset Charissa was.

“You’re not useless at all!” Sarai encouraged. “Honestly, I bet you could become an adventurer if you applied as a rogue.”

Charissa made a face, torn between flattered and further embarrassed. She scrunched up her face and tensed her shoulders, feeling like she might explode.

“I could never be an adventurer!” she belted, doubling over as she finally expressed her feelings. “I’m nearsighted and I sneeze!”

Despite how serious Charissa was taking the moment, Sarai couldn’t help but giggle again.

“Everyone sneezes, Charissa. Even me.”

Charissa straightened up and stared at her companion.

“You do?”

The sincerity in Charissa’s voice made Sarai snort with laughter, but she managed to contain herself as her friend continued.

“But you’re so perfect.”

Feeling rather touched, Sarai put her arms around Charissa and pulled her into a gentle hug. Charissa jumped, the excitement of being embraced by Sarai nearly managing to overpower her self-doubt.

“Well, you don’t have to be an adventurer,” Sarai added, stroking some of Charissa’s hair. “The guild really needs people like you.”

“Anyone can do what I do,” mumbled Charissa, slightly muffled by Sarai’s shirt.

“Not just anyone,” continued Sarai. “You’re… Really important. To me.”

Immediately following Sarai’s words, Charissa gasped. She backed away from her companion and stared up at her incredulously. To her surprise, the tough and experienced Sarai was looking rather shy.

“I… I am?” asked Charissa, nearly too shocked to blush. Sarai nodded, biting her lip and turning her head to the side.

“Well, yeah. Sometimes contracts can be really tough, but you… When I’m finally done, you’re always there to greet me with a smile. No one can cheer me up like you can, Charissa.”

Finding herself in another hug, Charissa smiled and put her arms around Sarai. Today had certainly taken a turn for the unexpected. Letting out a content sigh, Charissa closed her eyes and softly snuggled against Sarai’s chest. Unfortunately, her next breath served only to fill her already ticklish nostrils with more enchanted pollen.

“Ehh… Hihh!”

Noticing Charissa’s squirming, Sarai giggled and patted her on the back.

“Gonna sneeze?”

Charissa stubbornly shook her head, but only a moment later she gasped for breath and let out a firm “He’CHH!” into Sarai’s sleeve. The adventurer laughed and rubbed her companion’s back.

“Bless you.”

“Sorry,” mumbled Charissa, squeezing one hand between her body and Sarai’s so she could rub her nose. Sarai took a step back, smiling again as she looked down at Charissa’s scrunched-up face. Once the bookkeeper finished rubbing, Sarai tenderly reached out a finger and pushed Charissa’s slipped glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

“Hey, next time, let’s go somewhere less hectic. I know a nice coffee shop on the other side of town. How about that?”

Charissa blushed and fidgeted, but after taking a second to calm her nerves, she turned back to Sarai and beamed.

“That sounds greahh… Heh… Ah-CHHH!”

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And that's the end! Again, sorry for the wait!

[sauce]

This is absolutely, positively adorable. For some reason, while reading it, I couldn't help but imagine the whole thing as an anime. That's how cute it was.  Really great characterization! They're both sweethearts!

[Blah!?]

@Pirka Thanks, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And it's funny you say that, I actually kind of did have an anime in mind when I was writing this. I never intended this to be a fanfic or anything like that, but I was definitely picturing the overall aesthetic of "Is it Wrong to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?", and Charissa's job (and her appearance to an extent) were a bit inspired by Eina Tulle from the same series.

[Pearlised]

concept: you write more of this because they're too cute and I can't handle it

[Sneezingnonstop]

Sorry it took me so long to comment on this but thank you very much for finishing this story! It was written really well and I loved reading every minute of it. These two charcaters were so cuuuuute!!!!! Thank you so much again for writing it!!

[Snapdragon]

This is the cutest thing, I can't even. Charissa is ADORABLE (and so are her sneezes, omg) and I love the budding relationship between her and Sarai. I'd love to see more of these characters if you ever feel inclined to write anything more with them!

[I love Alan Rickman]

This is adorable!! I love Sarai's little explanation, "Everyone sneezes, Charissa. Even me." And gah, Charissa's response of "You do? But you're so perfect" is just the cutest thing. I'd love to see more of these characters as well, and maybe some Sarai sneezes and Charissa being surprised that Sarai does indeed sneeze like she said.  Well done