#oooor maybe he's just nostalgic over how things used to be with nil nel and the winds. idk :)

[rafent]

there would always be guilt swelling within the mage dragon's heart at every sight of lady nel and lord n——rafal. lord rafal. the same dragon it once sought to eradicate with hatred fueling the flames of its outstretched hands. yet now, its hands were raised for good, pressed gently to the porcelain of a teapot's belly as the fire beneath the wood dwindled to simmering crackles.

today was lord rafal's name - day, and zelestia had no clue what to give the fell dragon. they had not been as acquainted as she'd like, despite her unwavering duty to uphold him and his older sister's ideals——would he enjoy the same delights as lady nel did? should she prepare a plentiful of gifts in the light of him disregarding the first? or the second? no, the fell dragon would not bring himself to deny at least one present, right?

thus, most of the day went as proclaimed; zelestia pondered, stumbled, and tripped over itself in the endeavor of pleasing lord rafal. it hardly left his side, tending to every need of his ( though there was an evident lack of tasks, as rafal was as independent as his countenance let on ) from brief worries to more grueling acts. doors opened in advance, food offered by eager hands, and attempts at ushering the fell dragon to rest whenever he stood idle for a moment too long.

all of it was fussing, at its finest, and yet, she could not understand why her heart still ached afterward. thus an introspection led to now; hands cupping a teapot, two embroidered cups set across a table spread, and a mage dragon as confused as the set - up was simple. all this time, she came to realize, and she hadn't even expressed a 'happy birthday' yet?! oh, how stupid that was of her! a fault that, quickly, needed to be dealt with; hence, her placing the pot down to find the fell dragon before the night ended.

"lord rafal! a moment of your time, please," zelestia exclaimed——pleaded, really. breathless, she stepped before him. an unspoken apology was strewn across her face when she bowed her head, clasping her hands together against her chest as she continued, "i'm sorry! i forgot to wish you a happy birthday earlier, despite my attempts to ease any hardships you'd face today. so, um... happy birthday? i mean, happy birthday!"

when the mage dragon rose, she smiled sweetly, hands no longer clasped as she eagerly gestured to an area quite a distance away, where the earlier teatime set - up was. "i prepared tea for the both of us, if you would like to sit down and try some. unless you are more inclined to rest, then by no means shall i stop you. actually, i encourage it!"

( —— fell xenologue au ; zelestia )

As Rafal knew well, as Nil had known first, the Four Winds though humble were not to be underestimated. Each knight defined by strength and fealty that far exceeded the scant numbers to their ranks. To his surprise, they further outsized expectation in that loyalty to Nil failed to disintegrate entirely, some carried over to the man who displaced him and the very Elyos they were born to. Zelestia among them, Zelestia who despite her draconic roots was more alike a tireless hummingbird, flitting to and from Rafal throughout the day in a never-ending desire to please.

Often while speaking together, his partial expectation was that she would expend all the energy she had on her own worries. Or that his mind would simply implode from the speed of its thoughts processed. Whichever came first. "What nonsense, Zelestia. Every moment of this day has decidedly been claimed as yours. What purpose is there in asking after it now?" Arms crossed, the glowering mien above it colored by torchlight in an expression that was hostile but not unusual or - to another extent - true to the surface portrayed.

Had Rafal truly been displeased with her efforts, he would not have permitted himself to partake in one inch of them. He realized that despite his unforgivable sins, his most undeserving of natures, she conferred on him a day of comparative normalcy. Something he had not experienced for a thousand years. In a figment of reality he would not name, he had even enjoyed it; the fussing on his birthday, the bustling energy of Zelestia, and the sense of preoccupation only recently condemned.

All of it achingly familiar - a return to fond and simpler times though he knew those times existed no more. His cold gaze slackened, a flickering warmth behind it. "Heed the words I shall only say once; for all this time, you have not allowed yourself to rest in your attentions toward me. . .so I will accept your well-wishes on one condition. You will sit alongside me without worrying mindlessly of this or that."

A heartbeat toward retrospect, the next addendum hastily immediate:

"—and you will know the value of silence."

After all, he enjoyed such pleasantries in fixed moderation, including the social aspect inherent within them. He did not even speak to Nel so brazenly or as often during their teatime. But no doubt there would be time to learn of his habits for those who knew Nil better than they knew Rafal. This, the expectant Fell Dragon invited - starting his approach toward the prepared area without awaiting response.