Shanzira and (Male) Robin: A Support.

Written from Robin's point of view.

Hmm... So if I move our troops here, then they'll come around and catch us in a pincer movement. Then, I want to move to the side, take out one pincer first, then deal with the other before they can flank us. Hit hard and fast, so it'd be our best troops. We could distract the other force with some aerial fighters, or perhaps our weaker units. They also might underestimate us if we send only the weaker units...

Then, after that's all done with, we press onward and–

Knock knock.

Oh. I forgot. I'm not some sort of game-master here, I have to mind people disturbing me. I had completely forgotten the existence of the outside world and set myself to conquering this made-up one.

It happens quite often, really.

"Come in!" I stand to greet whoever it is. A small figure, perhaps Lis– no, no, whoever this is very thin and delicate, more so than Lissa, and she's shorter. Definitely not Sully. Ricken normally wears thicker clothes. Too tall to be Nowi. Too short to be Olivia. A thin, bony hand pushes the tent flap aside– Shanzira.

Good gods. I now see why she always wears her coat, she seems indecent without it. Her pants are too tight and her shirt's collar dips, erm, a little low. She almost as bad as Nowi... She covers up more but has a great deal to leave to the imagination.

She must have shed the cloak for the heat... I will admit it is rather hot, but it hasn't really disturbed me. I almost feel at home, really... Whatever home is. Wherever it was, it was probably warm.

Despite her obvious light weight, every step Shanzira makes has a thump on the ground, a deep sound announcing her presence. "Hey. Can I come in and yak at you?"

Yak? I assume she means talk. "Of course. Have a seat, if you like." She takes small steps and settles herself into a small cushion, taking up very little space– is that intentional? Well. Uh. I adjust my chair to face her and have a seat. "Is something the matter? You seem nervous."

Silence from her. Let me count... five seconds... twenty... forty... She's shaking. This isn't good, is she all right? She's retreated into the smallest possible shape her body could make, and she continuously fumbles at her feet, as though there should be something there for her fingers to play with. "Are you–"

"Can you come up with a plan for the next battle that doesn't involve me? I'm not up to doing much of anything I just feel feel like crap and I can't do anything right and I just feel all kinds of sick..."

Er. Well. I can't sit by while she's like this. I take a seat by her and wrap an arm around her– she shrank down even more, how is that possible? "What's wrong?"

She is playing a rather major role in the next battle, being one of our only two fliers with magic at her disposal. I can understand her being nervous at that, but this seems extreme.

Again, it takes the better part of a minute for her to answer. "... Anxiety. I sometimes just freeze up and can't move and I'm just trapped in my own mind and it's hell and I'm a liability. A big one. Don't use me until I can think again. Please." Hm? She's... nudged herself towards me. I believe she's nuzzling me. So perhaps the hug was a wise move. At the very least, it's slowing her shaking.

I pat her back. "I can do that. But perhaps it would be better for you if you still did. At any rate, it's your choice. Just be sure to tell me before we fight, all right?"

How does one comfort a terrified... Shanzira? There's no other way to describe her. I can't say soldier or girl, nor can I combine them. Yet they're the most accurate things in my mind. She's... confusing. I don't think I'll ever get tired of talking to her. Wait, what the hell did I just think? Well, she is a damn good friend...

Aaaannnnnnd that's my chest she's inspecting with her nose. "Thank you." Gods, why is she nuzzling me? Why?! Does she not know men are not accustomed to women being so close to them? My, she's affectionate... I find myself envying her future husband, if ever she marries.

"You're welcome. Er, pardon, but would you mind leaving? I prefer to be alone when I work contingency plans..."

She nods, which I register as a vertical nuzzle. She extricates herself from my arms and vanishes from the tent, negating the powerful steps of her boots somehow. I shift back to my seat.

The next morn, before the battle, she tells me, with a smile, she would like to take part. I nod, pat her back, and murmur a word of encouragement. It's good to see she's better.

Author's notes: Go to veryswellsword. tumblr. com and drop a line of encouragement in the ask, please. The mun's been depressed lately.

Now for an S support... I finally get to coin Shanz's confession line. I still don't know what I'll come up with.