Lafrenia

Already standing in the "Azure Sails" and listening to Ayrlis's answers, Coriel wondered if she had made a mistake by signing up to participate. The reaction of the "Longing" saleswoman gave the lily no peace, and although Nao was sure that she had done nothing reprehensible anywhere, and her sources, which she cited, were quite reasonable, and her thoughts were decent, what if those around her perceived it all incorrectly? Especially concerning the last questions, one cannot rule out that if the reader is not thoughtful, there might be misunderstanding and... With all this, Coriel, who had entered the shop so confidently and calmly, now stood with her leaves, having turned quite red. When her turn came, she simply quickly shoved her notes at Evgeny, which in volume and content resembled more of a whole scientific treatise. If the contest implied that the questions should be answered aloud, then in the elf's case this was already unrealistic (she had hoped in any case to limit herself to handing over the notes, but now she couldn't have uttered a single word anyway).
The writing of the manuscript had previously occurred as follows:

manuscript

1. Who among the deities of the Pantheon of Seven is the most beautiful and why?

Although I am a follower of a different religion, the question itself is clear to me. Without a doubt, the images of the goddesses of the Pantheon of Seven were largely shaped by the aesthetic and cultural preferences of the people (the word used denotes races in general, not specifically humans) who inhabited our continent at various times. It is quite understandable that they are all idealized to some extent: for example, Superbia clearly expresses gracefulness and lightness, an airiness that her followers should associate with sublimity and talent for singing. Gula evokes associations with warmth and home comfort: I think she is a favorite among many adherents of traditional values, and simply open people, and even among the least tolerant followers of historically more ancient religions, Gula is unlikely to cause strong rejection.
Personally, I am most drawn to Tristitia: her calm beauty is very conducive to philosophical reflections. In my father's house, who revered this particular deity, there was always silence, which allowed me to devote all my attention to self-contemplation and books. Tristitia's beauty is not provocative, but rather unobtrusive and modest. Even her violet palette is on the border of what can be perceived by the eye. While not believing in her, I still acknowledge that her image, absorbed from childhood, allowed me to become who I am.

2. What are the strongest aspects of the images of Mana, Abelia, and Risha?

I am very glad for this question, because truly, if we are not limited to the Pantheon of Seven, then certainly and unconditionally, Mana is the most beautiful of all other female images. Her beauty is the beauty of a mother; after all, it is she who has always symbolized for us a lost paradise: her azure hair, symbolizing the endless ocean, and her calm smile... I would not be surprised if in many ways the underwater queen became the prototype for the goddesses of the Pantheon of Seven, or rather, their best traits: the silence of Tristitia, the hospitality of Gula, the elegance of Superbia, the wisdom of Invidia... Or could it be that many maidens from the Pantheon of Seven themselves loved Mana during their lifetimes, and it is not without reason that parallels can be drawn between them, and only later did their images become independent due to the disruption of the world's harmony? Indeed, this is a task for deeper analysis than I can conduct here and now, but I find it possible.
Abelia's appearance is one of the most feminine of all, telling us that death is not such a terrible phenomenon, and it is as much a part of human existence as life. The mistress of the underworld could rightly have presented herself as a terrible skeleton in a canopy, but she did not do so, so that sinners entering the afterlife would not be more frightened than necessary. Abelia's gaze is still sad and somewhat detached, for the mission she undertook for the good of all the living in the world cannot but evoke sadness, and she has also seen too much evil. Her image also conveys strength; many are reminded by Abelia of a skeletal dragon in human form, and who knows what she would appear as if angered.
The image of Risha seems to me one of the most contradictory, and I poorly understand it. The goddess of chaos and the creator of all non-humans (consequently, to some extent, myself) appears to be a rather beautiful person (a "general" word was used), simultaneously strong and gentle, but on the other hand, her scythe-aberration clearly tells us of her dark side, which many of the living would prefer not to know or see. What does her blindfold on her left eye hide? What does her sly smile conceal? What good deeds and what evil does she plan? Perhaps, if not for the context, her image would be quite pleasing to the eye, but in reality, understanding all I have said, Risha is rather frightening. And, of course, she arouses interest, because the cause of fear is always the unknown (although this interest should be pursued with virtuous caution).

3. Favorite eye color?

(A little embarrassed by the question, trying to picture beautiful eyes, but for some reason male images come to mind. Though it's clear why this is happening)
Eyes are the mirror of the soul. They can reflect the light of the world and everything good in it, and they can also shine with the bright light of knowledge and enlightenment. They can be dull, lacking life and its inherent curiosity. I believe that above all, it is this light in the eyes, the emotions expressed in them—be it joyful relaxation or tense frowning concentration, the stern gaze of a mother at her child, or the sadness and tears when a person loses someone important to them, and through that fears losing themselves—that matters most.
In this regard, eye color is rather secondary. Although there are shades that evoke a certain curiosity and awe: rare shades like red or plum, or the color green, which is good because it represents the most vivid contrast to the natural color of the human face.

4. Favorite hair color?

Perhaps this will sound immodest, but since I intend to be honest, and since this question considers the subject in general rather than its particular manifestations, I would say that my white hair color has always pleased me. Hair without pronounced pigment looks very clean and neat; it can be compared to sea foam on waves or clouds on a cold, sunny day. Hair white as snow is also a symbol of enlightenment, and righteous people often appeared exactly like this in supernatural visions.
Although this color is relatively rare and arouses interest, it does not attract too much attention, preserving the necessary degree of modesty. White hair looks beautiful and harmonious with any type of clothing, complementing an image of crystalline purity or creating contrast with bright or dark shades. Furthermore, if the owner of such hair wishes to dye it, this will cause no difficulties. Just as ink easily lays on paper and oil on canvas, any dye can be easily applied to white hair. That is, this is how I think about it, based on the properties of colors and objects, although, I admit, I have not tried to investigate this matter before.
I will not, however, indulge in excessive narcissism and will say that overall, all shades of hair color are good in their own way and are an adornment for those who wear them. In ancient times, it was believed that the strength of people was contained in their hair: thus, the Scriptures mention an ancient warrior who did not cut his hair, as it gave him the strength of a hundred men. Alas, the warrior blabbed about the property of his head to a cunning and wicked woman, and she cut it off at night, and the warrior was captured by enemies and tormentors. I have heard that there is still an order of the Church of Dante, whose members, men and women, never cut their hair, except after a defeat in battle.
If we return to women's hair, perhaps even more hidden power is contained in it than was in the magnificent mane of the warrior I mentioned: it is not without reason that in conservative communities, it is women who are required to cover their hair with headdresses and scarves, and also braid it into braids; for there is nothing shameful about hair and cannot be, therefore such traditions must be connected to mystical reasons.

5. What do you prefer - pantyhose, stockings, or knee-highs?

To be honest, I would prefer to be barefoot, for example, in open sandals, so as not to constrain my feet... But it rarely works out that way, alas; most often, for practicality, I have to wear stockings and closed high boots. Perhaps, if I ever become a truly strong mage, then levitation or teleportation will solve the problem of inconvenient terrain for me?
I suppose, however, that the asked question is rather not about that, but more about aesthetic preferences in general. If I have to choose from the listed options, I like stockings, although knee-highs are also good in their own way. The material of the former is usually light and pleasant, that is their advantage, while the material of pantyhose, on the contrary, is too thin and transparent. Even setting aside questions of practicality (because pantyhose constantly get ruined from the slightest scratch), pantyhose often look not very neat in themselves. In other words, stockings are the golden mean in this matter.

6. And what length - mid-thigh, above the knee, or below the knee?

In Eolia it is usually warm enough to allow for stockings below the knee. Sometimes, for greater elegance or to be warmer, you can wear longer stockings or knee-highs, above the knee, but I don't think they should be hiked up too much, otherwise they will start to resemble very tight trousers. In my opinion, every item of clothing should harmoniously reflect its very essence, and not try to be too grotesque.

7. What about skirts, what length is better - mini, above the knee, below the knee?

Each option is good in its own way for different occasions. For holidays and ceremonial occasions, girls wear a long skirt or a long dress to emphasize the importance of the moment for them and how much effort they have put into their outfit, and that they are willing to bear the slight inconvenience of the dress's length so that their beauty will be especially appreciated. Such dresses are also worn in the cold; made from warm materials like cashmere, this is a good option to look like a doll sewn for a festival.
For everyday wear, skirts above the knee are quite suitable; they are easy and comfortable, you can even do crafts while maintaining aesthetics. Unfortunately, I don't quite understand what "mini" means... How can a skirt be "tiny" while successfully performing its task of covering the features of the female figure? Perhaps it refers to a subtype of skirts above the knee of a certain length, but not knowing exactly which, I cannot comment on that...
I would like to add that, in my opinion, skirt-dresses look best, that is, skirts not worn on the waist where the shirt or bodice is put on separately. It is much better when the skirt fits into the aesthetic of the overall dress, continuing the costume from top to bottom.
A separate wonderful type of dress is that of the underwater queen Mana, as she is depicted in the most common tradition. Combining the solemnity of dresses that cover the legs and an unevenness of length, it gives the wearer the most advantages. Mana appears to us as a wife, eternally celebrating in her underwater halls, but also not ceasing to work for the sake of her children.

8. What is better - a skirt, shorts, or trousers?

Tight trousers certainly provide the wearer with an additional opportunity to increase the contrast of the image, but they are still very demanding on many details of clothing and appearance, and therefore are usually not the best option. On slender girls ("and on guys," — noted to herself, with a slight blush on her cheeks) and in combination with a jacket or frock coat, trousers look, of course, wonderful.
Shorts are a good and convenient option for home, for hikes, for hot summers... Their drawback is that, in my opinion, aesthetically they lose out to skirts, so I usually combine them with a short dress or a shortened cloak. This way, I try to remain feminine, but at the same time practical. Such an image, in my opinion, also looks quite youthful and light. In books, beautiful girls are often called a chamois, or a young doe, so it is useful to strive to make these comparisons as true as possible.
("Also, with this wardrobe option, no one will see what should not be seen," — the lily thought to herself, but did not write it down)

9. What about height - short, average, or tall?

(Thinks about this question for a long time, gets distracted by thoughts about boys, but quickly realizes she will go off track. Finally, finds an approach to her answer)
I believe that no height can be called ugly or beautiful in itself; what is more important here is the ratio and harmony of proportions. Girls who are too tall often have heads that are too small, because the head grows more slowly than most body parts since childhood. Furthermore, head size in general depends little on a person's height. Being at the same time the most important part of the body, containing the brain and most of the sense organs, and being depicted primarily in most portraits, the head should not get lost on its own shoulders.
Of course, on the contrary, being too short is a sign of lack of health, possibly even illness, and therefore cannot be harmonious and attractive. Also, short stature is often a consequence of poverty and malnutrition in childhood. Of course, this does not concern racial differences, as it is obvious that lilies, for example, are shorter than human women or some representatives of the niyeks. In this regard, the beauty of each race is pleasant in its own way.
In summary, it is better to have an average height or slightly below average, as I find my reasoning about proportions most important. Of course, on the other hand, I have always been slightly envious of tall giants who can easily reach a book from the top shelf without using a ladder...
("For myself — I'll try to solve this problem someday with levitation. Knowledge is always capable of compensating for the shortcomings and weaknesses of the body, that is its essence!")

10. And breasts - small, average, or large?

This question is perhaps more delicate than the others, but I propose to look at it from this angle. Breasts, more than anything else about a woman, are traditionally associated by others with family life and motherhood. From this point of view, their pleasantness to an outside eye is not such an important property; I will not write unnecessarily about family life here ("It's much, much, much too early for me to think about that, actually!"), leaving this mystery unknown even to myself sealed with seven seals, for the time being.
What remains is the question of feeding. Undoubtedly, this is one of the forms of female self-sacrifice, often sung in scriptures, tales, and simply legends; the underwater queen Mana is also compared to a mother who has nursed her children; and in general, when wanting to emphasize someone's good upbringing and happy, carefree childhood, they say "imbibed with mother's milk."
If we transfer this poetic image to real life, it turns out that in principle, for a woman, size does not matter fundamentally, as even thin, by our lily standards, human women raise strong and healthy children, who from a very early age are in no way inferior to elven toddlers, and in general, apparently, there is no difference at all.
From a purely aesthetic point of view (which is dictated by considerations of harmony of proportions, similar to the previous question about height), I probably prefer an average size, but from a convenience standpoint, a small one certainly has many advantages, as it is not at all burdensome.

In conclusion, I wanted to say thank you for the questions; they allowed me to think about many things to which I previously attached little importance, relying on intuition or not encountering them at all. And I hope my answers will not seem trivial or unreasonable to you, and will also provide food for thought.