Shanzira and Chrom: A Support.
Written from Chrom's point of view.
"What is that, a... canvas panel?" She is fond of painting, that I remember.
She nods eagerly, a wide, toothy grin on her face. "Ahuh!" She flips it around– whoa. "I finished that artwork of you I said I'd do. It's a painting, I haven't worked with these paints in a while."
Really? I couldn't tell. "It's... stunning." Frederick might tell me to close my mouth if he was nearby. "H-how long did you say you've honed your skills again?"
She briefly turns her eyes skyward, as though counting. "Sixteen years. This took me a week to finish, even with hours of effort put into it every day. But when ya gotta march, ya gotta march! But it's hard to paint when your hands won't stop shaking."
She is shaking, but I don't see a single bit of paint out of place. "I can't tell," I say after examining it for a minute. "This is fantastically done. Your attention to detail is outstanding. But..." There is a part I'm remembering. This is what she did with that sketch she drew of me back in Ylisstol? "How did you get all those details done? Let me explain," that was because her head went sideways after I said that, "when you sketched me, you were only drawing for a few minutes."
She closes her eyes, looking quite satisfied with herself. "I have the details down in my head, it's your face I wanted a reference of. The exact curve of your chin, the shape of your eyes," u-umm, "that stuff is hard for me to remember. But I have it down now."
Sh-sh-she has... what? "You have the exact appearance of my clothes memorized? How?" If that portrait was accurate, I would be red. Very red.
A shrug is her answer. "Sketched it whenever I could. The only thing I needed to sit you down to get was your face. Anyways," she looks back at me and holds out the panel, "may I ask you to keep the painting?"
Huh? "But," I think aloud, "didn't you just say you spent hours each day working on it?" And she's just giving it to me? This is an accomplishment! She should keep it and be proud of it.
"Mhm," and she's still smiling, "that's why I want to give it to you. You'd take care of it. I can't keep it; it'd be a bit creepy to keep such an awesome painting of my boss in my tent. I don't normally lavish my skills on something like this."
She's probably smiling so much because she's proud of herself and happy to see someone completely... speechless at her work, but I can't help but think... Does she...? No. Focus on now. "I'm... honored, then. I'll be glad to take care of it," and in agreeing I take the painting. "I'll be happy to provide you with a reference if you need it in the future."
She chuckles– I've grown really fond of that sound. "Oh, I'm fine. I have it memorized, like I said. The only details I don't know are the details I don't want to know."
... Details she doesn't want to know? Like... personal things? What sort of– oh.
Oohhhh.
That's... awkward.
She's giggling, and while I love that sound, I don't appreciate that it's my face she's laughing at. I... I'm not the sort of person to hide my face, so I guess I'll just... grin and bear it... "Er, thank you, Shanz. But, uh..." No, that's just way too bold, I'm going to say something else. "... If you still need help, I'm happy to give it..."
She waves me off. "Nah, I'm fine. I have it all down pat. I have a number of helpful resources for this."
What? That makes me blink. "Resources? Like... You research this? How?"
"Eheh..." Something about that nervous chuckle makes me worry– she's raising her shoulders and hunching her back, as though trying to become as small as possible. "I just... I have ways..."
"Shanzira, are you hiding something?" Right after I say this, I realize what's wrong with saying it. "Not that– I mean..." Gods, how am I supposed to say this?
"Yeah. I am. I can't really say much... It's... It's a mess." She raises her cowl.
I'm the one who said something wrong, it's up to me to amend it. "It doesn't matter to me, anyways. I'm sorry to pry. For whatever reason you're keeping it to yourself, I trust you."
Her expression immediately changes– from shrinking in apprehension to relief. "You... really trust me? I could be hiding a hell of a secret, and..."
"I trust you," I repeat. "I know you'd never keep anything from me unless it was very important to." Her eyes widen into surprise.
Then, she sighs, slumps, and smiles. "You did it again, Chrom. You showed off why you're such a good leader."
Hm? What was... "How so?" She has me confused here.
She rises back up to explain. "You hand out trust like cookies at a party." Cookies at a party? That's... a new one. "Like me and love, you know? I don't understand how you're so capable of trusting everyone, but I admire you for it. It's more than I can do. I must admit," she sighs, "I distrust half the people in this camp."
Trouble trusting people? "Why?" I think I already know why, though... and it hurts to think on it.
I can see her expression change again, and it's plain to see she's not happy to tell this tale– every other word of it grieves me. "I'm not good with it. I've always been afraid of my friends leaving me; it's happened five times in the past." Five? Five different people did this? "It wasn't of their own will, but shortly afterward I went to a place where I was mocked and vilified for simply existing. After that, my trust became something a person had to strive to earn."
Give me a moment.
It isn't as though I've never heard of this before, but it still... I still want to punch something. I don't think even an orphanage would do that. To imagine people doing that for no good reason, it... I'm so angry. This is Shanzira, a wonderful person and excellent fighter, and people did such things to her?! If I was there, I..
... Perhaps it's best not to dwell on it. "I see. So, then... Do I have your trust?" I think I do, but I can never assume.
"Oh, indubitably! You'd never hurt me. Besides, it would be a little sad if I couldn't trust the leader of this whole shenanigan."
I almost laughed at that. 'Shenanigan.' Well, this... This war certainly is a... it's an unpredictable tragedy, so I see where she's coming from. "Thank you, then. Earning your trust must have been no small feat."
It's another sigh she gives, but it's with a smile. "You did it effortlessly, Chrom. You did it by being you. And this is why I'd follow you like the knights I'm descended from, even into my own grave."
Eehh... "Hopefully you won't die, though." Please don't let her die. I'm not sure what I would do if that happened.
Her response is a shrug. "Yeah, hopefully." I... I find myself somewhat worried about her carefree attitude. "Anyways, take care of that painting!"
On light dance steps, she's gone. The room feels empty without her.
"So that's why she respects my authority more than anyone else's. She sees me as a precious ally in a world of wolves..." He shuddered upon imagining the sort of people she'd met. "This is why I want to change the world for the better."
This support appeared in Chapter Thirty: Final Preparations.
Author's note: Gah. I made a bloody promise to update every day and I derped on day two. Seriously, what the hell, me? I'm going to slap up THREE UPDATES– that I haven't already written– today, whether they're for Daydreams and Nightmares, the support log, or Awaken to Nightmares. I'm shooting for two supports and a chapter, but we'll see. I'm really sorry for the idiocy, guys!