#𝑹𝑨𝑰𝑵𝑫𝑹𝑶𝑷𝑺 𝑫𝑹𝑰𝑷𝑷𝑰𝑵𝑮 𝑶𝑵 𝑺𝑯𝑨𝑻𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑬𝑫 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑵𝑬𝑺 | 𝑺𝑼𝑷𝑷𝑶𝑹𝑻: 𝑺𝑯𝑰𝑮𝑼𝑹𝑬

[anankelotus]

[ Fairy Wings ] - shimmer and dazzle in your new boutique threads! And what’s this… it seems they’ve some interesting accessories to choose from as well, the likes of which may be more functional than you initially thought. Soar!

"Ojichan! Look what the sparrows gave me!" Shigure twirls, bright smile on his face and skirt swirling as he flutters into the air, the wings on his back glimmering in the ball's sea of lights. It's a dream come true, to fly on his own without the use of a mount. Even if he does love dear old faithful Kaito, this is something he's yearned for ever since he was but a small boy watching the butterflies with rapt attention. With a giggle, he paints around himself with sparkling water, showing off for Anankos. "You must try these, they're so much fun!"

Anankos stares at Shigure, so light-hearted and at ease with the strangeness of this all. Well... at least his dear nephew is having fun...

He briefly considers if he should truly join in Shigure's fun, but quickly decides against it. He does not even know if he could be granted such ephmeral flutters of wings. It has been so long since his feet had even left the ground, so long since he could simply let go of human concepts like staying rooted on your own two feet.

Perhaps it is the folly of youth that allows kids like Shigure and Lilith to easily let their burdens slip past them, and he hopes that someday, it will not catch up to them. He would protect them from that future if he had to. He would do anything to make sure that they did not lose a joy for life, what happiness they could find in this world.

"It's quite impressive... Shigure... though, I don't know if I would wish to fly like that myself..." Once, before he was a mere abandoned soul, he had been able to cloak himself in the wings of a dragon, but those days were long past. And even if he still had them, he did not doubt that they would be marred and tattered, a shadow of their former self.

"I am glad that you are... having fun though... you kids should be able to enjoy events like this without a burdened heart weighing you down..."

[anankelotus]

When Snow Falls on the Ruins Once More || & Shigure💧

starter for @stalarmonios

His footsteps echoed against the stones of the academy as loudly as his thoughts rang around in his head. He hurried, for he did not want anyone to have to look upon his ragged visage. Tugging his hood closer around his face, he felt as though he should not have even come up to the surface in the first place. It was a constant fear... that he was being watched, being judged. For actions that he had never even had a way to control. 

However, before his mind could spiral much further, a shade of blue all so familiar flitted out of the corner of his eyes. A shade of blue only slightly different from his own that he donned. He nearly tripped with how fast he spun on his heel, darting after what could only seem to be fleeting hope.

Cadros... no, it certainly couldn’t be. He had- Cadros wasn’t here anymore. But he had witnessed so many things that seemed entirely out of the realm of the possible happen here at the academy. Who knew, perhaps one day he would be reunited with his beloved Cadros. Perhaps that was today.

Words slipped from his throat before he could stop them, words that sounded to his pointed ears as, almost desperate. “Cadros...! I...” He choked on something he could only call a sob, tugging his hood further down to hide any tears that might be falling.

“...I’m sorry... for... for everything...” He had always wished to get the chance to apologize, for wrongs that he had never wanted to happen. For destroying the thing that they’d had, for destroying the once peaceful kingdom of Valla. He could never forgive himself, and he certainly didn’t expect anyone else to either.

“...Valla was... different after you... I miss that version of our kingdom...”

[anankelotus]

🎂 “Ana-ojichan!” Shigure beams as he approaches the older bluenette. “Here. It’s a bit small, and I apologize for it being a little rushed, but…” the teen hands him a thin, elegantly wrapped package containing a small portrait of Anankos, “happy birthday to you. I’m so glad I get to be here to help you celebrate your birthday!”

Anankos smiles at Shigure, delighted by his kindness. Sure, other people had wished him a happy birthday (thought it was a date he didn't care much about), but it meant something entirely different coming from a member of your own family. He resists the urge to pat the boy's head, thinking it may seem a little condescending for someone of Shigure's age.

"Oh thank you, dear boy...! But you needn't worry about the size your gift, the fact that it came from your heart is more than enough for me. That you are here to celebrate with me... thank you so much Shigure..."

[anankelotus]

♫ [ DANCE ] While Midsommar traditions began in the Empire and spread gradually across Fódlan, each country has its own Midsommar song and dance around the fire. Follow your house’s traditions, or bring in a little something from home.

One might think that, reclusive and sensitive as he is, Shigure would not enjoy festivals. And true, he has never felt comfortable in crowds, or appreciated overwhelming scents and sounds, or liked areas with lots of high, frenetic energy. However, in a festival, or any other celebration for that matter, all of these factors meld together into one joyous, pleasant symphony that the bluenette can not only tolerate but also participate in. The concept of Midsommar delights him, and it is decked out in a flower crown that he comes upon his great-uncle in the midst of the square.

"Ana-ojichan! Hello!" he calls out with a smile. Music from a nearby group of bards wends its way around the place, and Shigure can't help himself, grinning as he grabs the older bluenette's hands and pulls him further into the square. "Come dance with me! Please?"

Anankos usually hates crowds, but he cannot help but lured in the sounds of music and before he can help himself, he has slipped his hood down and left his cloak hanging off of his shoulders, simply to free himself as he starts to dance quietly to himself at the edge of the crowd.

He perks up as Shigure approaches him, a smile brightening his face. He lets himself get tugged into the square by the younger boy. Perhaps he would not relent so easily if it were anyone else, but Shigure is family. He had always deeply valued his family - though he did not have many that he could call family - willing to do anything for them, especially silly little trivial tasks like dancing in a crowd during a festival.

"Why of course...! I would be honored Shigure." He giggles, almost wishing that he could use his powers to weave water through the air. He had always enjoyed dancing surrounded by water, humming a tune as he did so.

He wonders what kind of dances his nephew learned as a child, what had managed to be passed down from his grandmother to his mother, and then to him. If any of Valla's traditions had managed to survive from so many generations ago.

"I would be more than proud to call myself your uncle if you let me see you dance, I am sure that you are quite talented..."