"So... right here?"
Beruka nodded. "Yes. This should be as good a place as any." She gently placed the bandaged corpse of the burglar that she had been dragging along with them down on the ground. "Now remember, the grave has to be deep, but not too deep. It shouldn't be shallow enough for anyone to come across, but it shouldn't be too deep that we can't get out of it ourselves."
Ananias nodded as he picked up a shovel. "Right." He handed Beruka the other shovel and the two began to dig. "And hey, thanks again for speaking in my defense about this whole thing. I doubt I would've gotten out of it on my own."
Beruka shook her head. "Your thanks isn't necessary. This was just as much my mess as it was yours. This corpse was my responsibility, but instead I left it for you to handle, despite the fact that I should've known that you were ill-equipped to handle it. I will not make that mistake again."
Ananias winced. "Um... yeah, thanks." The two continued to dig before Ananias muttered, "Man, if you had told me years ago that I was going to end up digging graves, I wouldn't have believed you."
"And yet here you are," Beruka disinterestedly replied.
Ananias sighed. "Yeah. Life's strange like that, huh?"
"Honestly," Beruka said as her eyes remained focused on her digging, "I just think that it's because you're a bit strange yourself."
Ananias glanced at her in surprise. "Really?"
Beruka briefly glanced up at him. "Do you deny it?"
"Um, no, I just... I didn't think you took much interest in me."
"Ridiculous," Beruka muttered. "It's my job to know of such things."
"R-Really?"
Beruka nodded. "Yes. For example, whenever you have nothing to do, you tend to act very nervous and standoffish. Your body fidgets and moves around restlessly and your eyes are either always darting around or staring off into space. You either have something to do, get anxious whenever there isn't, or you completely shut yourself off from everyone. There doesn't seem to be much of a middle ground with you."
Ananias blushed and coughed in embarrassment. "Ah..."
"You're usually so careful," Beruka continued, "but when something takes you by surprise, your mind seems to instantly race at a thousand thoughts a minute. All of a sudden, you seem to completely lose all of your meticulousness and you become reckless and thoughtless as a result."
"R-Really?"
Beruka nodded. "Yes. It is one of the reasons why you are so average in battle. You are either too careful or too reckless. Again, there doesn't seem to be a middle ground with you."
"I... I didn't realize I was such an extremist."
"Well, not in the traditional sense of the word," Beruka admitted, "but for lack of a better term, yes, I suppose that describes you quite well. You seem to lack any real mental balance. I suggest you work on that if you plan on continuing to fight for us."
"R-Right."
"You also -"
"Hey!" Ananias softly cried. "Just how much do you know about me?"
"Like I said, it's my business to know of such things," Beruka calmly replied. "Especially when it concerns possible assassins such as yourself."
Ananias' eyes widened in surprise. "Assassin?!"
Beruka merely shrugged. "You were new. You could have been anyone. It was my job as lady Camilla's retainer to find out."
"O-Oh. For a movement there, I thought that I just sort of gave off that kind of vibe."
"Well, to be fair, whenever you are particularly distant, you certainly display aspects of one."
Ananias gaped at her incredulously. "Wait, what?!"
Beruka innocently nodded. "Yes, you have quite the poker face. Lady Camilla says that it is even very similar to mine. It gave us even more reason to suspect you."
"I... I feel like I'm learning a bit too much about myself talking with you," Ananias muttered. "Like, more than anyone reasonably should."
"Though it seems that your poker face comes more from a lack of personality and interest than a lack of actual practice and use."
Ananias gave her a funny look. "Like... you?"
Beruka nodded. "Yes. I was raised to be an assassin, and nothing more. There was no room for such trivial things like emotions and personal interests for me."
"So that's why you look so disinterested all of the time? Because you don't really know how you're supposed to feel about things?"
Beruka nodded. "Yes." She then lowered her head and sadly murmured, "It appears that when it comes to being human, you have a bit of an edge over me."
Ananias let out a small and surprised gasp. "Beruka..."
"Forgive me," Beruka quickly said. "Let us dig this corpse its grave, bury it, and be done with it."
"Y-Yeah, but Beruka... no offense but, you were just sad right now, weren't you?"
Beruka stopped digging to blink at him and tilt her head in confusion. "... Sad?"
Ananias shrugged. "Well, either that or disappointed. One or the other."
Beruka look down and pondered over this. "Sad? Disappointed?"
"Yeah," Ananias gently said. "Or, in other words, emotional."
"Emotional...," Beruka repeated.
Ananias gave her a small and reassuring smile. "Seems like you're closer to being 'human' than you realize."
Beruka looked at him questionably. "I... am?"
"If you want, I could help you with all of that," Ananias suggested.
Beruka eyed him suspiciously. "You... would?"
Ananias simply shrugged. "Sure, why not? After all, I've been getting a lot of free time lately haven't I? And it seems to be more freedom than I know what to do with, so why don't I spend some of that time helping you... sort your feelings out? How about it? It'll even be our little secret."
Beruka stared long and hard at him for a moment before letting out an amused chuckle and saying, "You really don't know what to do with yourself, do you?" She smiled at him. "Very well then. As this offer benefits us both, I suppose I have no reason to turn it down. We have a deal."
Ananias smiled. "Great! Now let's go back to...," he frowned, "burying this guy."
"Yes, it is quite somber work, isn't it?"
"I don't need you to tell me that."
"Of course."
Author's Note #1: The next supports after Beruka, will be Xander, followed by Azura, Flora, Odin, Laslow, Rinkah, Arthur, Silas, Leo, Keaton, and Subaki. Kanna's supports will be like Ophelia's and Soleil's, with Kanna being Odin, Laslow, or Selena's kid and Ananias being an honorary uncle to them. The supports will also be written as if Kanna is a boy, but will be generic enough to fit both genders. Got someone else you want to support with Ananias that isn't on this list yet? Request it. Remember, all Nohr first generation characters, Soliel, Ophelia, Anna, Kanna, Rinkah, Subaki, and Setsuna are allowed to support with him as well and it is a first come, first serve system.
Author's Note #2: The Fire Emblem Warriors poll is now officially up on my profile! Vote for which five characters you want for Ananias to support with from that game the most and, in the end, ten characters will be selected for Ananias to support with, so make your voices heard. Happy voting!
