sunflower sunshine

her students had since taught byleth the beauty in mindlessness . even impractical things could have a reason to exist , even if they had no obvious use ; sentimental value could be value enough . byleth raised a hand to her cheek . maybe anna was trying to explain something like that , but these swords really would get a person grievously injured at best , EVEN IF HER HAND WAS SKILLED .

"i still feel that in this case , the purchase of a functional weapon would be more wise . . ." she began . over the bumps of her curled fingers , byleth peeked at her companion — unable to quite help the silent flurry in her breast ; the acute understanding that her scope for anna's worldly things was terribly small . unpleasantly so . this was one of those mindless conversations , wasn't it ? the window shopping kind anna had taught her about . thus , perhaps she had misunderstood frivolity for utter senselessness .

" they're . . . really cute ?? i don't know . "

to want something simply to have , to admire , seemed justifiable . but needing to explain it out loud felt a bit silly . almost as if she . . . had to defend herself . a little bit . and so , nerves rattled her voice , elaborating :

" but i know when i saw these swords , they kind of reminded me of a book i read last year . the cover was super pretty too , swirly sort of like the design on the handle ( i guess it'd be called a handle because . . . that's where your hand goes ?? ) and maybe it reminded me of my favorite character in said book . like . . . Y E S !! of course she'd have a super cute sword . i always imagined that she was super cute , so i want a super cute sword too just like her -- "

pull it together anna . nobody cares about your romantasy fantasies .

" l-look : i . . . know i'm not wise . i don't know how to use an actual sword . that would be . . . crazy . or something . i mean , i'm not all that functional with or without a sword -- "

anna swung her arm haphazardly , hacking away at the air between them . evidently she was not fibbing : the princess had no practical knowledge of the form nor effort required to properly wield a blade .

He pauses and gives her a side glance,

" . . . nope . "

of course she was !! it just seemed weird . anna couldn't think of a single person that simply . . . wasn't a ' sweets person ' . granted , anna couldn't think of very many people she knew well enough to say one way or another , but of the people she knew : it seemed odd enough to her .

but even she could tell that her lie was anything but convincing , so as she deflated ( and defended herself ) , anna physically shrunk an inch .

" oh , I like to think so ! " Lilith answered, though she paused ever so slightly as some past individuals came to mind. " though , some of us echoes take a little more time to become warmed up to . but once you get to know them , they bloom just like flowers do . " She did not wish to speak poorly of anyone.

After all, everyone had far different lives before they came here. They carried those experiences with them every day; she could not bring herself to offer anything less than patience and her own kindness for them.

some people were a little cold . that was fine . anna had plenty of experience -- and the tenacity -- to bear their winters and see their springs . that was . . . just how it was , wasn't it ?? as much as she might not necessarily understand it , some people must be just like that .

but lilith was like her ; she was warm and inviting and like . . . summer skies . anna considered herself lucky to have met summer in winter's stead .

heel , toe ; heel , toe --

" i'm from arendelle , " anna stared down , watching herself tread a line in the pavement , one foot right in front of the other , balancing , " i don't have a clue whether or not that means anything to you , but like you and your church . . . i haven't really experienced much of my home except for , well , my home . "

anna knew it was odd . she'd read enough novels to know so . and while maybe her situation was different , anna had the nagging intuition that told her that it wasn't as normal as everyone tried to make it seem all the time . it wasn't like it made much of a difference where she went or what she did . instead , it left anna feeling unfortunately ignorant and all too eager to escape .

"I began learning when I was still very young," Sunday replied, taking a brief pause in his rehearsal. Fortunately, the music and instruments here were still familiar-- at least, familiar enough to pick up in a matter of moments. He didn't seek to make a name for himself here, but nonetheless, after the Luminescence Concerts, he found himself receiving quite a few accompanist requests.

"My mother was the first to teach me," he went on with a soft, sad smile. "Though... that was merely the basics. Later on, I studied more earnestly. As for how long it took..."

A sigh, and golden eyes drifted back down toward the black and white keys.

" call me the fool then , because i think you are close enough to perfect , " anna held firm her compliment , not at all bashful to make such a claim . while she had no ear for music , she enjoyed it plenty enough to sit in the highest of windows and listen out .

could it be that an enjoyer's opinion held weight ?? anna certainly hoped so .

"Nah, I'm not much of a sweets person, quite frankly." His mother had an IMMENSE sweet tooth, but it was never something he picked up from her. Shame, really.

Anyway...HOW did he even end up in this situation?

" what do you mean ' i'm not much of a sweets person ' ?? " anna gawked , perhaps a bit stronger than the truth demanded . then again , strong reactions were demanded with blasphemy reared a head .

she'd heard about these weirdos ; the ones who claimed that there should be limits on how much sugar could constitute a meal . surely a sordid group of party-poopers who were more deniers than truthers . . . who didn't like chocolate ?? or cake ?? or custards ?? or --

seven seas .

lips swirled and twisted around how to respond to such a swift shutdown . no sense of whimsy with this one !! and , well , maybe that was to be expected . byleth was not the first to insinuate that anna was not of wise judgement . but then again , anna made no such claims to the actual use of the blades .

she just thought they were pretty to look at .

if you are sending to a multi-muse, remember to specify the muse that the questions are being sent for . feel free to edit these as you see fit .

🌟 What’s something small they did as a child that hinted at who they’d become?

❤️ Who is the one person they’d drop everything for, no questions asked?

💔 What’s the one wound (physical / emotional) they’ll never fully recover from?

🗡️ What’s their “I’ve killed for less” trigger?

☀️ What’s their happiest childhood memory?

🌧️ What kind of weather matches their soul?

🍽️ What meal do they cook when they need to feel like themselves again?

🎶 What song instantly makes them emotional & why?

🌙 Do they sleep peacefully / fight nightmares every night?

🔒 What’s a secret they’ll take to their grave?

🪞 What do they secretly hate about their own appearance?

💪 What random skill are they weirdly proud of?

👶 Baby picture of them - what’s the most embarrassing thing about it?

🏠 Describe their home when no one’s watching—messy, spotless, chaotic cozy?

😭 What always makes them cry, even if they hate admitting it?

😂 What’s the dumbest thing they’ve ever laughed at for way too long?

🧸 Do they still have a childhood comfort object? Where is it now?

✏️ What nickname do they secretly love being called?

⚔️ How do they act when they’re furious but have to stay polite?

🩸 What’s the worst injury they’ve ever had & the story behind it?

🕊️ What would instantly calm them down in a panic attack?

🔥 What’s something they’d burn the world down to protect?

🌹 What scent reminds them of the person they loved/love most?

🪥 What’s their most oddly specific daily routine?

💔 What’s the one apology they’re still waiting for that’ll never come?

🃏 Are they the type to forgive / hold a grudge until the end of the universe?

🌌 What’s their biggest “what if” that keeps them up at night?

🦋 What was their “I’m not a kid anymore” moment?

🎭 Do they wear a mask in public? What’s the real them like underneath?

🧳 If they had to leave home forever with only one bag, what do they pack?

🌑 What’s the darkest thought they’ve ever had about themselves?

☕ What’s their comfort drink?

🖤 What’s a “villain” trait they actually possess?

🤝 Who is the one person they never want to disappoint?

🎁 What gift would utterly destroy them (in a good / bad way)?

🩹 How do they react when someone they love is hurt?

🌅 Are they a sunrise / sunset person - what do they think about while looking at their favorite?

🧣 What texture/clothing item makes them feel safe?

🦉 What piece of advice do they give everyone but never follow themselves?

🔪 What’s the most violent thing they’ve ever done for love / survival?

🦋 What seemingly insignificant memory do they cherish the most?

🌹 What is their love language & how badly do they need it right now?

🪨 What’s the hardest choice they’ve ever made?

🧋 What food/drink do they hate that everyone else loves?

🕰️ If they could relive one day of their life, which would it be?

👑 In their own story, are they the hero / villain / someone else entirely?

🌡️ What temperature do they keep their home at & why?

🧸 What would their younger self think of them now?

💌 What’s the letter / text they’ll never send?

a city boy , huh ?? well , she was a . . . castle girl . so that meant that they were about as equally fish out of waters when it came to fishing as the other . anna huffed , relenting to the certainty of someone who held firm to his conviction . that is , until it dawns on her that something just seems overly complicated about all this :

" oh , i don't want to tackle the fish . i want to catch it . however , worms are a good idea , but let's just dig them up ourselves . "

" Oh, most certainly! " Lilith giggled softly, clasping her hands together across her chest. " I can assure you that things do begin to make more sense here with time. "

Her head tilted slightly. Liltih scanned over the new arrival more properly this time. The verdant colors of her gown glowed in its earthly tones, capturing Lilith's heart. She could not help but wonder if this woman was a royal of some sort?

" oh !! you don't need to curtsy or anything like that . " anna's digits sprawled , beckoning a halt to such formalities , " besides , you're right : i'm a total stranger . the only way to remedy that is to say . . . well , i'm anna , and the pleasure is entirely mine . thank you for offering to help . "

people here were friendly . moreso than anna could have imagined . while she was never the sort to assume the worst of people , she was absolutely one to take up a friendly offer . from someone so darn sweet , no less !! anna's pride knew nothing when beside someone so saccharine .

As he walks, he spots an unfamiliar face, fishing? with a....

" fishing wire . " anna reiterated , as if slowly committing it to memory . wire was typically . . . sturdy , which lent itself well to catching something , sure . but the thread on the fishermen's poles had always seemed so . . . malleable . flexible . just like a string .

and close enough so , to the extent that anna continued to try and thread the string still .