"Ananias!" Elise called out as she excitedly ran up to her usually stone faced retainer. "Did it come yet? Did it come?"
Ananias wearily sighed. "Lady Elise," he monotonously droned, "you've been constantly asking that every day since your letter was sent, and as much as I hate to constantly tell you this, a letter gets there when it gets there, and that's even if the letter manages to get there at all. Likewise, you're only going to receive a reply if the ones who are sent the letter wish to send a reply, so one shouldn't get their hopes up, even if they are a princess from a faraway land."
Elise pouted stubbornly. "I know that!" she said. "But after everything you told me about them, it would definitely be rude of them not to." She then smiled. "And besides, just because it's never going to happen doesn't mean that I should stop getting my hopes up, right?"
Ananias sighed. "Well, that's certainly debatable, but considering that it DID come in the mail today," he held up a large envelope that he had been under his arm, "we'll argue about that some other time."
Elise let out a surprised and excited gasp before quickly swiping the envelope out of Ananias's hand. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" She began to rip open the envelope like a child tearing into their very first Christmas present for the day. "It came! It came! It actually came!" She then began to unfold the letter and hastily read its contents.
Ananias crossed his arms as he waited patiently for Elise to finish reading it, before finally asking, "So, what does it say?"
Elise smiled up at him and let out a content giggle. "They loved it!"
Ananias smiled a bit at this. "Did they, now?"
Elise nodded. "Uh-huh! They said that it's always really nice to hear that someone else cares about them, even if they're from a completely different kingdom. They also said that even though they appreciate the offer of help, they also said that they want to bring the taguels back their own way, that they didn't want to rely on others too much to bring their species back to what it used to be." She frowned. "I guess despite their situation, they still have their pride as their own kind, huh?"
Ananias nodded. "Yeah. It's an annoying thing to deal with sometimes, but that's just a fact of life it seems."
Elise nodded her head with a sad and relenting smile on her face. "Yeah, I guess we all sort of have our own pride, don't we? Like me for example." She grinned. "As much as I might hate to admit it sometimes, I've got the pride of a Nohrian princess in me, just like the rest of my siblings do! I mean, sure, it might be tough every now and then, but I wouldn't exactly give it up either. I just feel like I can do so much good with it."
Ananias let out an amused and proud chuckle. "Yeah. And that's another thing you're proud of, right? Being someone who helps people out no matter what?"
Elise laughed. "Yep! But I think it can drive my father and my siblings up the wall sometimes though. Xander and Leo always say that I'm being too naively stubborn, but," she pouted at the memory, "it just doesn't feel right to me otherwise, you know?"
Ananias smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I can somewhat relate to that."
"Somewhat?" Elise playfully scoffed. "No way! How about definitely?"
Ananias cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Hmm?"
"Don't think I haven't figured it out, buster! You may be all cool and nonchalant about everything, and you may be able to fool most of the people most of the time, but we've been together long enough for me to know that you've got your own set of reputations you'd like to keep up." She winked knowingly. "Am I right?"
Ananias let out a tiny gasp of surprise before letting out an amused chuckle. "Now that you mention it, I guess I DO have my pride set on more things than I would like to admit. Maybe I should consider checking up on it more."
"What? No! Don't do that!"
Ananias frowned. "Why not?"
"Because," Elise said stubbornly, "didn't we just realize that it's our pride that makes us who we are?"
Ananias thought about it for a moment. "Well, yeah, I guess."
"Then it's settled then!" Elise said firmly. "I don't want you to check your pride!"
Ananias' eyes widened in surprise. "But... isn't too much pride in something dangerous? Can't being too stubborn be a bad thing?"
"Well, yeah," Elise admitted, "but... I really like the person you are right now! In a lot of ways, you're kind of the hardest person to talk to, but at the same time, you're also kind of the easiest, you know? Like, I feel that I can tell you anything and it'll always be okay! I don't want to lose that about you. Or the weird way you sometimes talk to people, or how you look after me, not as a retainer, but as a friend, exactly like I asked you to, or how clueless you can be sometimes!"
Ananias winced. "Some of those aren't exactly compliments," he pointed out.
"Well, they're positives in my book! And I'd be really upset it you threw all of that away! So don't." She then realized how selfish and bratty she was acting and looked down shamefully, before meekly adding, "Please?"
Ananias stared at her stone faced for a moment before giving her a small smile and saying, "If that's what you want, then I'll try my best."
Elise let out a relieved and excited gasp as her eyes positively glowed. "You really mean it?"
Ananias nodded. "Yeah. I mean, I AM your retainer and all, right?" He gave her a small and dutiful bow. "Your wish is my command."
Elise giggled. "I'll hold you to that."
"That's what I expect." He then gave her an amused smile. "Though you really are a stubborn one, aren't you?"
Elise laughed. "What can I say? That's one of my best qualities! And I intend to keep it that way!" She then gave him a mischievous look. "And speaking of qualities that I'd like to keep, that letter was a great idea! Are there any other species that are close to extinction that we can write to? Huh? Huh?"
Ananias frowned as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "W-Well, I guess the manaketes count too, but -"
"Then it's settled!" Elise declared, locking arms with Ananias as she led him towards her room. "We're going to write to manaketes next!"
Ananias sighed. "Here we go again," he muttered under his breath. He then chuckled, before thinking, "Well, I guess there are definitely worse things to do with my time."
Author's Note: The order so far seems to be that (after Elise) it will be Soliel, Peri, Felicia, Jakob, Lana, Kaze, Nyx, Charlotte, Niles, Effie, Female Corrin, Benny, Anna, Ophelia, Camilla, Gunther, Setsuna, Kanna, and Selena. Got someone you want to support with Ananias? 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. See you guys for the S-Support!
