"Ouch! Sharena, is it really necessary to yank at my hair like that?"
"It's not my fault that you are so tender headed. Just sit still and it'll be finished in a minute."
"Fine. Do what you wish." I grumbled.
"Oh! Oh! Kiran you should grow your hair out more! It would look cuter!" Cynthia exclaimed.
"But my hair is already down to my collarbone… that's already pretty long to me"
"You should grow it to be waist length! Think about all of the cute hairstyles you could pull off if you had longer hair!"
"Perhaps I will when Askr sees a lot less fighting. I do a lot of things on an extremely tight schedule, so I just don't do anything elaborate."
"Perhaps if we tell her that Alfonse has a weakness for girls with long hair, she'd grow it out in a heartbeat" Anna snickered.
"I'm right here, you know. Wait... does he really think that?"
"I dunno. We all just assumed that he wasn't interested in being in a relationship, up until you showed up. He never really told us anything about what he finds attractive, so we all thought that he would enter into an arranged marriage and that would be it." Anna shrugged.
"Oh. I will still at least consider growing it out, then."
"Yeah, that's the spirit! Do it for true love!" Cynthia pumped her fists into the air.
"Ok Kiran, I'm finished. Take a look!" Sharena ushered me to the full length mirror that Sharena had in her private quarters. It would seem that some forts such as Fort Gungnir would have modest furnishings for visiting dignitaries, so it was apparently quite normal. She handed me a hand mirror so I could use both mirrors to see the back of my hair with.
Speaking of my hair, Sharena somehow managed to put my hair up in french fishtail pigtail braids. The braids started at the top and were tied off with leather cords where the base of my neck would be. It was surprising because I was under the impression that fishtail braids were not in fashion in Askr.
"I actually quite like that, Sharena."
"I'm glad that you do! You look like a real princess with those braids but it still keeps everything out of your face, just how you like it."
"A princess huh? That sounds a bit intimidating to a person like me, but I think…"
"Well I'm not going to lie, being a royal is a political field of calthrops, but I think you will do fine with a bit of extra etiquette training. Nobles tend to be very picky with how others should carry themselves. It's annoying when something needs to get done quickly and they hyper focus on manners."
"Al tried to get me to read 'Treatise on Selecting the Right Tea' once. It had something to do with the proper etiquette for selecting the right tea leaves and tea set, among other things. I think he was planning on formally introducing me to the noble court as his official tactician, and he was trying to help me learn etiquette. Anyway long story short, it was simultaneously the most sleep inducing piece of 'literature' and the most infuriating. Askran nobles seem to turn the basic act of making tea into a whole freaking production that takes half a day. Just pick the tea and choose a pretty tea set and be done with it!"
Sharena looked at me and then patted me on the shoulder as if to say, "Oh Kiran, my sweet summer child."
"Tea parties are huge pastime events for Askrans, especially in the royal court. You'll learn eventually."
"Sharena, you are starting to sound like Alfonse. Are you ok? Blink once for yes, blink twice for no."
"Nope. As much as my brother can be a real stick in the mud sometimes, he had the right idea."
"Oh dear gods… I've gotten myself in over my head with this, haven't I?"
"You don't need to worry too much. The nobles are particular with certain things, but they are mostly a fair and reasonable bunch otherwise. It also doesn't hurt that you are the Great Hero. People know what you've done for my family and your efforts have saved Askr more times than I can count. You have a lot more on your side than you realize. Most importantly, I'm still your number one fan~"
"I guess that I'll just have to believe you, then."
"You can leave it to me!"
"Ok Sharena, It's my turn. Kiran said I can do her makeup using some of the makeup from her homeworld and I'm just itching to try it out on her." Mercedes said gleefully.
"Oooohh now that, I want to see. Purple might be a good color for her eyeshadow."
"I think neutral brown tones would look better, Princess."
"I-I think I agree with Mercedes. Purple would look good, but brown would be even better." Said Eir.
"I'm a little surprised that you are taking interest in this, Eir. Would you like for me to do yours when we are done with mine? I promise I won't do anything too heavy. Though... I do think that you would fit the dark makeup I used to wear."
"I-I'm not sure… I've never done anything like this before. I spent most of my life growing up dying so the opportunity to try on cosmetics never came up"
"Well… it's just an offer. One I'll take up at pretty much anytime if you ask me to."
"I will think about it then."
"Of course. It's all just for the fun of it anyway. You are gorgeous already without makeup. Where I'm from, sleek high ponytails are in fashion and so is dying your hair silver. Not everyone does it but it's popular in some circles last I checked."
"Alfonse better be afraid lest Eir steals Kiran from her." Silque quipped.
"Hey, I'll have you know that I have eyes. I know a beautiful woman when I see one. I may be dating Al, but it doesn't mean that I stopped finding women attractive. It also doesn't mean that I will leave him at the drop of hat for a woman. The last thing I want, is to make him feel like he can't trust me."
"Of course, my apologies. I only said it in jest but clearly I really shouldn't have."
"It's fine. I just wanted to clarify a few things. Given my romantic history, among other things, it was bound to come up eventually anyway. I see no point in hiding who I really am. As far as I'm aware there doesn't seem to be anyone in Askr that would resent me or think of me as deserving death because of my bisexuality. It's laughable how Askr seems to be a lot more progressive than my own homeworld"
"Wait… people think that you deserve death because of who you are attracted to? How is that even-" Sharena was left speechless.
"Well lots of the extremely religious folk think it's sinful. The country I was born in has only just recently started giving people like me rights. I don't have to worry as much about being killed in my home but if I stepped into the wrong country, I would be as good as dead there, if they found out."
"That's awful. There's no such issues in Fódlan and the people generally don't trust outsiders. It's only a problem when the only heir to a noble house is unable to produce an heir of their own because of it. Even then, I don't agree with that sentiment at all. It runs counter to the teachings of Saint Seiros and the Goddess." Mercedes said as she began to apply foundation on my face.
"Even with all the technology my homeworld has, it's lacking something important."
"And what might that be, Kiran?"
"Kindness. There are kind people out there, don't get me wrong, but if more people started caring about the world and the people in it, the world wouldn't be slowly dying right now. Years of neglect are taking a toll. You might not see it immediately, but it's possible that in a few decades time, the world will not be the same as it was when I left it. Not if people don't fight for the future. There aren't enough people making the effort to save it. It's as if people have resigned themselves to our own doom. They'd rather do that than get up and do something to help."
"That's… very sad."
"It is. That's one reason why I now feel compelled to help Askr. I have the power to protect it. I can help save it. I once told His Majesty King Gustav that I was only loyal to the Order. Lately, I've been wondering if that is really the right thing to say. I wasn't lying then but now… It just doesn't feel right to leave the kingdom to suffer like this. Not when I'm in a position of power and not when I have access to Askr's most powerful relic."
"I like the sound of that! It sounds like something a real Hero would say. I would know because I'm a member of the Justice Cabal!"
"I dunno what a Justice Cabal is, but I agree with Cynthia! It's true that I've only known you for a few hours, but I like you already!" Phina said with a flourish.
"O-oh… thanks."
"Oh geez… there's no need to be embarrassed, you know? It's just us."
"I'm just surprised that you already trust me, Phina. I bring you here, to a world surrounded by death and-"
"Well I'll admit that seeing you bleeding when we first met wasn't the greatest thing, but I feel this weird urge to help you and I cannot ignore it. I heard your voice loud and clear when you called out to me and now I'm here. You have what most dancers in Archanea would kill for. Im super jealous."
"Well it's certainly not my chest size. What do I have that you don't?"
"Well you do have a prince that's obviously head over heels in love with you, but what I'm talking about, is the natural charm that you seem to have. Now that I think about it, it's no wonder the poor guy can't stop looking at you the way he does!"
"I really don't think I'm all that charming. I work hard and I mostly fulfill a supportive role in the Order. I plan out battle tactics, assist Heroes in adjusting to life in Askr, and help to resolve disputes among Heroes whenever possible… I spend a lot of time studying and honing my skills. I'm a pretty boring person nowadays."
"Liar. You have charmed every Hero including me into fighting for you and your cause. A dancer could only dream of being able to do that. People are everything in both of our respective careers and you have the edge. Do not deny this."
"Phina is right. You spent one whole week with the royal knights and by the end of it, all of them started calling you Lady Kiran. You know most of their names and their birthdays already! That's not something just anyone can do." Anna pointed out.
"I take time to get to know all of the people I send into battle whenever I can. The knights are no different. If I don't, I'll be prone to sending them out into scenarios that are much riskier than necessary. It helps to make me remember that these are real people putting their lives at risk, and they are trusting me with their lives. Those knights have spouses and children that are trusting me to return them home safely. It was… a lot for me to handle."
"This is what I meant, when I said that you'll do just fine at Alfonse's side. You already have what it takes." Sharena chirped.
"Oh my… Kiran how do you have all of these lipstick colors? More importantly why are half of them in wacky colors? You have four of them in black!" Mercedes said as she investigated Kiran's bag of lipsticks.
"I was very experimental with my makeup. But my aesthetic before coming here used to be lots of black and spooky vibes."
"Is that why you have three different bottles of foundation that are three shades paler than your actual skin tone?" Sharena teased.
"Geez why are you all attacking me like this? Yes I used to make my skin look paler to make the black lipstick and eyeshadow pop out more. Is that really such a crime?"
"I'm just having a hard time imagining you like that. It's kinda funny!"
"Now I'm curious as to what else is in that makeup bag of yours. It's pretty big and heavy looking" Phina said before picking up the bag in question.
"That's because it is." I said bluntly.
"Why do you have 'Elmer's Glue Stick' in your bag?" Phina raised her eyebrow at me.
"Sometimes I use it to help cover up my eyebrows and draw on new ones to better fit the makeup look I am going for. It's a technique that's mostly used by drag queens and cosplayers, but it's also used in full glam makeup." I replied
"Well that's just… weird."
"Not really that weird compared to the stuff I used to pull off."
"Hmmm… I think this light nude-y pink lipstick would go nice with the eyeshadow I put on." Mercedes muttered before applying it to my lips.
"At this point, I am just surprised that Kiran actually has natural makeup shades at all. Look at this… this... what is this anyway?" Anna asked.
"It's blush."
"How is that blush??? It's dark brown! Almost grey! Most blushes are pinkish in tone."
"It's a luxury makeup brand. I paid good money for that one." I grumbled. I did not expect to be roasted this badly for my makeup collection. To be fair, I probably overpaid for the makeup that I did buy.
"Just for blush?" Anna asked incredulously.
"I used to think that buying Chanel would make it more pigmented or something. I stopped buying when I realized that I could buy a similar quality blush in a similar shade at half the price somewhere else."
"Where did you even get the money for that?"
"While I did work part-time at a café at the time… but in truth, I borrowed a lot of money from Dad. My dad wasn't home as often as he wished he could because he was usually deployed to fight some far off desert. So he sometimes would buy me nice things for me as a present. When the army forced him to retire, he made a huge investment with a business chain owned by a woman in Japan. For reference, Japan is kinda like Hoshido but more advanced. Anyway, I don't really know what he really does anymore. Apparently, he gets to sit in on board meetings for the company."
"Wait… so your father invested in a merchant trader?" Anna asked.
"Well that is one way to put it. The actual answer is quite boring and complicated, but it brings in a lot of money for my family"
"Now that, I can definitely respect. Anyone who can kick butt and make a decent profit on the side is a winner in my book!"
"Yeah… my dad's a fighter through and through. When he's not fighting, he's working on some project or other. He tends to hyperfocus on whatever he's working on to the point where nothing else seems to matter."
"That… are you sure that you aren't just describing yourself?" Anna asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"No I am nowhere near as good as my dad. At fighting and at anything really. He was never around all that much, especially as I got older, but in a way he and mom are both brilliant in their own ways. I have a long way to go before I can catch up to them." I sighed.
"Kiran… is everything all right?" Mercedes asked with a look of concern on her face.
"It's nothing. My relationship with my parents is… complicated. I know that they loved me and still do, but they are extreme workaholics to the point where there were times where my older brother was the one who had to look after me by himself for long periods of time. You'd think that would've have made me react in a way that it would make me the opposite of them, but I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree in my case,"
"Your brother sounds like he really cared about you. He's a good big brother." Mercedes hummed.
"He is. It's just… he's only about three years older than me. He'd be twenty three right now if time passes by in the same way it does in Askr. So in a way, I feel like I stole his teenage years away from him. Time meant for him to spend with his friends was spent on making sure I wasn't causing trouble for people. Though with all of the moving around that we did, we didn't have a lot of friends anyway."
"Even if you really did 'steal' your brother's time, it sounds like you both always had each other to lean on. That's more than I can say about myself and my younger brother. My mother and I had to leave in order to escape from my stepfather, but we were forced to leave my half-brother behind. I still regret not being able to save him from that place. I guess what I am trying to say is that from what little I do about him, I don't think that he secretly hates you."
"Huh? But how did you?"
"I like to call it a big sister's intuition. By the way I'm almost done… I just need to put on the final touches."
"You look wonderful Kiran." Silque said.
"Agreed! You look beautiful Kiran!" Cynthia said cheerfully.
"Kiran, do you think that you can do my makeup next?" Sharena asked.
"Sure. It'll be a challenge for to not go too heavy on the makeup like I'm used to doing, but I think I can tone it down just enough to suit the natural beauty of your face while having a little extra drama and flair in it"
"I'm really excited to see what you'll do to me!"
"Sharena, phrasing."
"Whoops! Sorry. You're like a sister to me, so it would be weird if we… well you know…"
"Maybe a little bit." I hummed
"It wouldn't be the worst thing. I trust you enough to know that you would be good to me in the hypothetical situation where we had to do that sort of thing."
"That's good to know. I'm not sure Alfonse would be too keen on sharing me with someone else. I think he gets a little jealous sometimes. I remember that he got all antsy about me and Ike a while ago before we finally confessed and all."
"He might be more forgiving if it's me." Sharena supplied.
"Now that, I believe. Honestly Ike isn't even my type. I might have a weakness for guys who are a bit more… princely? They don't actually have to be a prince, it's just… I dunno. Well, as a little girl I'd tell anyone who would talk to me that one day I'd marry a prince who is sweet and kind. As I got older, I've always sort of thought that it would be more of a metaphorical thing. Like, 'I met the love of my life. He is like my prince and I am his princess.' Sort of thing. I never thought that my one true love would actually be a prince."
"Oh my gods that's adorable. So then would you say Marth would be your type?"
"I guess technically? He already had Ceada though so when I met him, my mind already blacklisted him from the 'list of potential boyfriends'. I used to have a small crush on Ephraim at some point."
Sharena winced almost knowingly "He only saw you as a little sister, didn't he?"
"Yeah, he was cute and sweet but he only saw me as his little sister and that's how he treated me. I was also beginning to form a crush on Al at the same time. It was confusing for me because when we first met, we argued all the time. I started almost all of those arguments though. Anyway as I actually stopped and got to know him, I realized that he was actually kinda cute. I dunno how it happened exactly, though."
"My money is on that it happened after the kidnapping." Anna snickered.
"It's possible, I guess."
I started to finally get to work on doing Sharena's makeup. I put on some face primer on her and I attempted to match her skin tone with one the foundations that I had in my collection. Luckily, one of them was just close enough that I could make it look like it's her real skin color. It had a slightly different undertone, but still. I blended everything out with a makeup sponge and picked up some eyeshadow and a make-up brush. I decided that I was going to do mostly light neutral colors but smoke it out into a light shimmery purple color. It would've been boring if I went full on neutral colors, and I figured that Sharena would like a bit of glitter.
Next, was the blush. I chose a light pink shade to go with the highlighter I was going to use. I wanted to make her sparkle, gods damn it!
"Wow, Kiran you really weren't kidding when you said that you were good at this." Said Sharena.
"What do you think about the extra shimmer that I added in? I thought that you'd like it"
"I love it! So pretty and shiny!"
"Well this is definitely giving me ideas for next time. I think that a makeup look that screams 'mermaid princess' would look great on you. Of course it wouldn't be something you would normally wear everyday, but I think that it would be fun to do. Maybe it could be a summer festival thing?"
"Definitely! That's a good idea, Kiran!"
There was a loud series of knocks on Sharena's door. I knew that something serious was going on because the knocks had a certain sense of urgency to them.
"Summoner! Let me in! There's been an attack!"
I opened the door to find a panicking Gordin.
"Summoner Kiran! I-"
"Hey you're doing a good job. What is going on? You're saying we're being attacked, right?"
"I was with Prince Alfonse, Prince Chrom and Ranulf when the enemy ambushed us. He targeted Prince Alfonse first. The others sent me here to come find you so i don't know if they're still fighting. We've got to hurry."
"Understood. Silque you're coming with me. Phina, I need you to dance for Gordin. Mercedes, I'll need you to standby in the healer's wards. Sharena and Eir, I want you to go with Mercedes. Anna, you're coming with me. Cynthia as well."
I started to panic. Logically, I knew that Alfonse was in relatively good hands. Chrom and Ranulf were excellent fighters in their own right. It didn't matter because my heart was beating loudly and I would not be able to forgive myself if I didn't come to his aid on time.
In the end, that was all I could hope to do. Make my way back to Al, and pray that I arrive on time.
A/N:So long story, short I now work 12 hour grave yard shifts at a factory for 3 days straight plus a six hour shift on Wednesdays, so writing new stuff is going to be even slower. Like I know it's annoying when a fanfic writer makes up excuses as to why they aren't uploading very often, but trust me it sucks trying to figure out how to be a responsible working adult.So yeah now that Kiran's past crush on Ephraim has been mentioned... so um... when I originally started out writing this fic it was going to be a SummonerxEphraim fic. That is not a joke. I started writing the first chapter when the sibling bonds banner came out. Alfonse just ended up being a better fit for my Kiran oc so that's what I went with.Also the thought of Kiran getting roasted for her extremely extra makeup collection is hilarious to me. Idk Kiran would be the kind of person to wear coral blue number semi gloss lipstick just because. And she would somehow make it work with a goth makeup look.Also The Treatise on Selecting the Right Tea is sort of an easter egg in of itself. It's made a few appearances in my rough drafts but each time I ended up cutting it out for one reason or another. It usually happens when I'm writing dialog and it goes from whatever I have planned for the chapter to Kiran attempting explaining the concept of the Gremlins to Alfonse for some reason. Yes that was a real thing that happened but it got cut out because it derails the rest of the chapter in an unconstructive way.Though Kiran explaining weird movie plots to the Askr crew would be a fun side thing to do in the Modern Shorts later though. I have a whole ass document filled with cut content in case I ever decide that I want to recycle and retool some of it for later.