petal on the wind

      what is enbarr like? a question that rouses memories she traps within. enbarr is both bitter and sweet. bitter, like the vitriol that lingers on her tongue – and sweet, like the childhood nostalgia that she clings onto for dear life. yet, in the face of simple inquiries as such, there is a tendency to overcomplicate. but edelgard is not an ostentatious figure, instead, she greets annette with a soft smile.  ❛ of course. well, the most beautiful beaches i have ever seen call enbarr their home. it is always temperate in its temperature – perfect for the flowers to bloom all year round. ❜

            “  oh, wow ! the flowers bloom all year round -- ?  “

 it’s a simple, rather minute detail that annette cannot seem to wrap her head around whatsoever, & it’s rather obvious given just how thickly disbelief colours her tone. as someone who has spent almost her entire life in the northern regions of faerghus, a kingdom of harsh winters & a frost that could kill if underestimated, the sound of warm weather year round seems... almost magical.

touch-starved starters!! / accepting@incoronare​

                 “  don’t worry, i’m not going anywhere !  ”

 & there’s nothing but truth in this reassurance as annette squeezes peach’s hand in hers & glances her way with a warm smile, doing her best to soothe any anxieties she may have. annette’s known, ever since the day they met, that peach can sometimes harbor hesitation toward large social settings despite a desire to join in on the fun. annette knows she’s scared right now & may not know what to do, but she wants her to know that, no matter what, she’s here.

  her hand leaves peach’s & instead rests at the other girl’s forearm, gently pulling her close enough for their shoulders to bump & the tulle of their dresses to mesh. annette knows that, most of the time simply being fun & playful with peach is enough to push those worrisome thoughts away, & so her warm smile widens as she gently tugs on her friend’s arm.

                        “  it’ll be fun, i promise !  ”

  they stand at the entrance to the monastery’s grand ballroom, donned in their finest evening wear & can just barely catch a glimpse or two of big, poofy gowns twirling about to the orchestration; while it looks like something straight out of a fairy tale, annette understands why peach may be a bit… reluctant. there are so many people, so much talking & honestly, it can be quite a bit of work, but she knows that there isn’t any doubting the exhilaration of it all. the dancing, the sway of the music, the delicious food; it all comes together to create an almost magical evening; or so, she’s heard. regardless of whether or not the ball is all it claims to be, annette knows that it’s a night they shouldn’t miss out on. she wouldn’t want peach to lose out on something so monumental !

touch-starved starters!! // accepting @varentine

       “  of course not !  ”

  she can’t really blame hilda for wanting a bit of affection. it’s been a long, arduous day full of training, studying & miscellaneous chores; even annette finds herself yearning for some comfort after days as taxing as this one. besides, annette rather enjoys spending time with hilda like this. she’s taught her the value of taking breaks & staying present in the ‘now,’ rather than always focusing on the future. it’s helped her re-frame her attitude & thoughts, & showed her that, sometimes, doing nothing is really important. she’s a good friend, & it’s nice not to have to carry the burden of expectation when they’re together.

  & so, here they are, spread out across annette’s bed, hilda’s head settled in the lap of the younger girl as she gently combs her fingers through soft, pink locks. here, in this moment, there isn’t much else that begs for annette’s attention & it’s… rather refreshing. she finds herself yearning to remain here forever & just drink up the serenity. a smile creeps upon her face as fondness fills her chest with warmth.

  annette pulls a blanket up & over hilda’s body as her voice lowers to a whisper.

          ‘  indeed,  i  am  quite  well.  apologies  for  worrying  you.  there’s  just  …  quite  a  bit  of  noise  at  the  moment,  wouldn’t  you  agree  ??  ’

❛ We couldn’t do this back then, my hair was so much shorter then. ❜

Her eyes were misty; she felt such joy to be returned to Annette’s presence even in these war infested times. She was so different yet very much the same of who she had been back in their Academy days and Peach was thankful for that. She had always been fond of Annette. Now the girls were reunited and having such a peaceful and fun moment, Peach wondered if it was okay. There were people suffering out there because of war and here they were giggling over how their hair was done. Was this okay or was she being selfish ? If so, curse her. She didn’t want to stop enjoying the now.

❛ I like the long side braid. ❜

           “  Right ? It’s cute short, but I have so much fun playing with it now that it’s longer,  ”  Annette doesn’t bother trying to suppress the giggles that press at her lips & so she lets them fall from a soft smile, her dutiful fingers combing through golden hair all the while. Mentions of the past -- their oh-so easy days spent at the Academy when the heaviest hardship they bore was a class exam -- tend to bring an odd joy along with them. A nostalgia... mixed with melancholic yearning for a similar youthfulness to return to their lives. She knows it’s gone, dead & cold in ground at their feet, but... she can still wish. 

                         “  Long side braid it is!                                Maybe I’ll put some flowers in it too ~  ”