I think of you;

shigure, a storyteller. resident of the town of garreg mach.

[pastbelow]

ooc note: feel free to continue anything as a mini!! i'm tired of putting that in the tags so here -> blanket permission :)

talk of the ball is impossible to avoid around town, even more so for a bard employed at one of its busiest taverns. shigure's pretty sure he's seen it all, in these last few weeks: tentative dates with neither partner willing to break the ice, impromptu proposals with grand flourishes of flowers, and even that one fateful night a heartbroken young lady had bodily thrown her unfaithful boyfriend to the floor.

none of it concerns him, not really. not even the rumors of talent scouts for the dance competition; it's been a long time since shigure's cared about that kind of validation. but still, his pencil taps-taps-taps against the counter, and he can't help but think----

it wouldn't hurt to go and see, would it?

oh, very well. it was going to be a slow night, anyway. with his sketchbook in his pocket, he steps out the door.

bloom tracker | regular pinned

roses: siegbert

orchids: azura

lilies: mitama, l'arachel

hyacinths: jakob, kiran, tina

tulips: azama, ryoma

pose traced from his own performing arts design! pants inspired by (laughing) hsr's anaxa impression series.

[pastbelow]

May 2026 activity check... passed.

Threads: my turn | your turn

Skill points gained: (total 9)

any +1 (monthly activity point): authority +1 (D+)

Claims:

classes accessed: dancer items: fairy dust (pending)

[pastbelow]

[ SLIP-UP ] - As it turns out, a lot of people at the monastery make for great body doubles in the dark. What do you do when you slap a friend on the back only for you to find out when they turn around that it’s not your friend at all?

Ryoma sees her ghost everywhere. He's never sure if he should approach her, or leave her alone. He wants her back in his life; he wants her out of his life.

Yet still, on instinct, he reaches out for-

"Oh. I apologise. You look-" No. He pulls a tulip from his bouquet. "I remember you. Yes, that festival - we've met before. Well met again, young man. Please, take this." He offers the flower to the boy.

That festival. Is that all…? Hmm. It certainly seems so. Haltingly, Shigure cradles the proffered bloom in careful hands, with the distinct sensation that the man is looking directly through him. 

What does he see, in the water’s distorted reflection? …Who is it that he remembers?

Still, far be it for Shigure to guess at secrets, when he harbors so many of his own. “It’s quite alright, Lord Ryoma,” he replies. “I should also apologize, for getting carried away with our mock spar back then.” An easy smile and a shallow bow, as he ventures— 

“I’m Shigure, a bard. Is there… anyone in particular, that you’re searching for?”

[pastbelow]

[ SQUIRM ] - Some may recognize the blanket that's been laid out in a momentarily-unoccupied corner of one of the dance halls. On it are rows of circles separated by color. Off to the side is a wooden board with an arrow pinned in the center and divided into four quadrants with colors and labels: right hand, right foot, left hand, left foot. Spin the arrow and put the respective appendage on the corresponding color. Just be careful not to step on any of your fellow players in the dark! / /

shiro is no medic, but even he knows the limits of the human body.

“OW!OWOWOWOWOW!” boy, he’s sure huffing and puffing. alas, the hubris of inflexibility. “shigure, moveyourrighthand!” it comes out as a low hiss at first, only to grow more urgent by the second. "that hand! yeah! move it up! no! NO! UP!!! SHIGUREI’MABOUTTOFALL!” 

and fall he does. right on top of the very man he’s called out to. 

…but is shiro faster than me? 

a question almost as old as they are. the former falcon knight ponders it thoroughly, waiting with narrowed eyes for the announcer’s call. if he remembers correctly (and he’s quite sure that he does), at the height of their powers, shiro might have gotten pretty close. a good tonic, a hearty meal, or the lighter heft of a katana should have been enough to win it in his favor.

but that was then, and this is now. tonight, when shiro’s full of sweet buns and shaved ice and endless good cheer? 

( the call rings out through the room, and shigure mercilessly slams his right hand on the closest yellow dot, )

——absolutely not!

“your reaction time is really bad,” shigure hears himself laugh, not budging an inch. “are you sure that’s the right up? or do you mean up right? I’m not sure I heard—”

unfortunately, that’s as far as shigure gets in his trash talk, before two-and-a-half shigures worth of muscle drops on him. as it turns out, not even a falcon knight is fast enough to dodge that.

[pastbelow]

[ PHOTO IN MOTION ] - And in addition, this year boasts a similar device bolstered by new advancements that allow it to capture more than just a moment; now, even motion and sound can be immortalized forever. Take a video with a friend—or catch something juicy you'll want to keep up your sleeve for later.

"Hey! I'll give you one of my flowers if you do this dance for this thing with me!" She'd give him one anyway because phew phew hottie boombalottie! But it's worth a try as a bribe, right?

"So like first you kind of bend a little and then you like bounce one two on your heels, right? And then move your arms kinda like this..." Tina demonstrates what she's poorly trying to explain. "It's called the Griddy bet if enough people watch this of us doing it we'll totally get paid real money for it!" How, why, or from whom doesn't matter but she knows for sure that she's onto something here.

The what? "The Griddy…?"

He's never heard of that one before. Blinking in confusion, Shigure smiles faintly, a little bit at a loss. "Well, alright. Since you're so kind to offer, I promise to give it my best effort."

It doesn't seem too difficult, he thinks, watching the girl closely. Though he could never hope to match her natural exuberance, the shuffle of the heels certainly feels natural enough. if there's any criticism to be had for the exercise, it's that the arm motions lock the upper torso far too stiffly in place---and so he loosens them instead, letting the rest of his body shimmy along to the rhythm.

After a few trial runs with gradually increasing confidence, he looks up, pleased with himself. "Do I have it right? …Hey, why are you pointing that camera at me!?"

[aquaatics]

every time you remember me

shigure & azura | toaball2026; continued from here

[aquaatics]

although she returns his laughter — at the end of it all, worry holds onto her heart with unrelenting persistence and poisons what should be solely joy at finding her son. she does not need to worry, he is correct; but still, it cannot leave her.

friends from the war — the other nohrian children, then. but do the consequences of her path haunt him, too? with her gone, is it all for him to bear alone, and meet faces of aunts and uncles that find remnants of her failure in him? it is easy to hide pain in the melodic sway of word, to let the song of laughter muddle truth—

so azura, despite the bile in her throat, opens her eyes. the world is blinding when she does, but a spin shifts her away from the direct glare of firelight, instead putting shigure where she stood.

beyond how he has grown since she last saw him ( and had she ever seen him in formalwear like this? no, oh; ), there's something amiss about the smile plastered onto his face. and it's then when she tries to shut her eyes again, but they are forced open by her own worry as it reminds her why she needs it always.

"i'm glad. i'm sure i'll find them later on." she swallows as her steps falter, falling just behind the beat for a few moments before she catches herself.

a breath. how much has he seen?

"i'm sorry, shigure. i promise that i'll... be here for you, for good." returning back to time, she pauses, words caught in the back of her throat before they escape: "i don't want you to go any longer with mere stories of me." i know it hurts for memory to fade.

[pastbelow]

...

...

azura is watching.

the realization sinks into him as soon as she steps out of line. for though they both know how to veil their emotions with laughter and song, this dance, of all the ones on offer tonight, calls for complete honesty. in the same breath as his realization, however, he forgives her, lets it go---because the mother he remembers had also never been afraid to look, to stare into the depths and wait for them to gaze back.

hadn't it been shigure, instead, who was afraid? watching mother stand by the precipice, knowing she must eventually fall? now, he spins azura away from him, searching for a sliver of crumbling resolve.

what's important now is that he mustn't let it show, not to this woman, who had already suffered so much cruelty. she cannot know that those same depths had eventually claimed him, too. her words settle it in stone, renders the fact as clear as shattering glass----that she is not the mother he had loved, but she is still a woman who loves him.

so though he doesn't believe her words, can't imagine any version of himself that truly would, he lets his smile fall as he knows it ought to. "I... thank you, mother. I can't say it's been easy, but I've missed you a great deal."

clasping her hands as the music draws to a close, he asks, eyes still closed, "would you like to join me for one more dance?"

[pastbelow]

[ FLOWER ARRANGEMENT ] - No matter how many flowers you gather, your bouquet won’t look its best unless you have the skill to make it so. A couple of students have taken upon itself to imbue their peers with the knowledge of flower language and the art of flower arrangement, and as a result the garden has become something of a workshop.

"Oh." Shigure blinks at the loose bundle of flowers being presented to him, mildly confused. "Wait, you want me to…?"

...On second thought, perhaps he should have seen it coming. After all, it's not so outlandish for others to assume that the guy in the garden with a sketchbook is in the business of designing bouquets.

( Though one look at the sketches on the page should reveal the truth---that he had come to observe people in motion, as much as the blooms around them. )

He smiles, and sets his pencils aside. A little distraction can't hurt. "I only know a little flower language, but I can certainly try my best." Glancing at the girl's outfit, he selects a few roses and carnations... adds some chamomile and baby's breath for filler... and threads in one of his own pale blue tulips, to bring out the dark gold of the set.

"Do you happen to like yellow?" he asks, hazarding a guess at the answer. "If not, we can try a different color palette. I don't mind."

[pastbelow]

[ OSTIA ] - An Ostian court dance where the leading partner wields a ceremonial sword as a part of the routine. This dance, meant to resemble a knight with his lady, is getting some attention from the students of Fódlan.

The sword is entirely ceremonial, but it feels right to have it in his hands. Righter, still, to find Shigure for it—a means to get even, considering the man had teased him first.

This dance, from what he's seen, isn't offered with a hand or a bow. Instead, it starts as a knight pledging himself to his lady—and so Siegbert bends low, offering the thin sword to his chosen partner with a smile. "What say you, Shigure? To ensure that I'll continue to keep my cool."

"I…"

… by the first dragons, he can't help it; a laugh punches out of him, simple and pure. "of course you're more confident with a sword in your hand," he manages, shoulders shaking with mirth. "don't you think that's cheating a little, though?"

taking the blade by the hilt, shigure taps his friend gently on both epaulets with the flat edge, before returning it to the proffered hand. "but it's good that you're confident. dance partners like that." he smiles back, fond. "I'm sure you'll master it someday."

he's not one to turn someone down their time of need, anyway. pressing his arm along the blade, he settles into a curtsy, closes his eyes---and listens for the start of the music.

( if the tips of his ears are a little red, well, who's to say? )

[ahnenstolz]

"You say 'dance partners' as if you aren't one of them now," Siegbert responds with a laugh, sword returned to its proper place before he's free to take Shigure's hand. "So if you like it, I'll take it to mean I seem confident enough to be a decent companion."

The music swells to a start, a stately thing with strings and lutes. After some of the more foreign dances that required much livelier motions than he's accustomed to, he's all too glad to return to something a little more familiar. He leads in precise steps as they circle around the hall, Shigure the sun, Siegbert caught in his orbit, a miniature cosmos all on their own.

It is, in the end, as much a show of skill as it is of honor; of grace, as is it is devotion. Perhaps it's fitting, for what they've been through—for someone who sought to be a lone star burning and bursting into nothing, turning to find entire constellations forming at his side. They come together briefly for slow spins; again, for gentle twirls. And through it all, Siegbert doesn't miss a single step, ever the loyal satellite as Ostia demands.

When the dance concludes with their synchronized bows, he looks unmistakably pleased. Confident, even, for that is what dance partners apparently like.

"Would you still consider this cheating?"

[pastbelow]

Well, that’ll teach Shigure to just keep his big mouth shut next time! How fortunate, that the steps are steady and slow. How convenient, that the pattern spins them apart for brief moments of reprieve. For as good of an actor as Shigure is, he’s… he's really not quite sure what expression rests on his face at the moment.

What happened to the awkward, stuttering mess that never knew where to put his hands? Or, even, to the high-strung noble who had to blink three times before he could keep his cool in mere tango hold? But Siegbert, now, leads the dance like he would an army; like he knows exactly where he wants Shigure to be.

In the end, the answer is right before Shigure's eyes, as most answers are. It's the slope of his friend's shoulders, unerringly pointed in his direction; it's his steps keeping pace, never spacing them further than arm's length apart. For when Shigure sings, he sings for just one person. And when Siegbert dances—really dances, without reservations—his world narrows to just him and his partner alone.

… It's a foolish, heart-on-your-sleeve kind of allure. But it'll do just fine, won't it?

So when Siegbert throws his taunt back at him, Shigure can do nothing but shake his head, charmed. "For a test I didn’t even realize I was giving, you’ve passed with flying colors. The ballroom is yours to conquer, my friend.”

And then he adds, smiling, in a tone of utterly sincere advice, “All you must do is pretend, that they like you as much as I do.”

[pastbelow]

[ OSTIA ] - An Ostian court dance where the leading partner wields a ceremonial sword as a part of the routine. This dance, meant to resemble a knight with his lady, is getting some attention from the students of Fódlan.

The sword is entirely ceremonial, but it feels right to have it in his hands. Righter, still, to find Shigure for it—a means to get even, considering the man had teased him first.

This dance, from what he's seen, isn't offered with a hand or a bow. Instead, it starts as a knight pledging himself to his lady—and so Siegbert bends low, offering the thin sword to his chosen partner with a smile. "What say you, Shigure? To ensure that I'll continue to keep my cool."

"I…"

… by the first dragons, he can't help it; a laugh punches out of him, simple and pure. "of course you're more confident with a sword in your hand," he manages, shoulders shaking with mirth. "don't you think that's cheating a little, though?"

taking the blade by the hilt, shigure taps his friend gently on both epaulets with the flat edge, before returning it to the proffered hand. "but it's good that you're confident. dance partners like that." he smiles back, fond. "I'm sure you'll master it someday."

he's not one to turn someone down their time of need, anyway. pressing his arm along the blade, he settles into a curtsy, closes his eyes---and listens for the start of the music.

( if the tips of his ears are a little red, well, who's to say? )

[aquaatics]

every time you remember me

shigure & azura | toaball2026; continued from here

[aquaatics]

@pastbelow // the voice is familiar, the laugh less so. but when he hears it, shigure doesn't need to open his eyes for her image to appear before him, clear as glass. oh, but he wishes he could look, search for all the ways that this azura, surely, differs from the memory he keeps alive: what is she wearing? how did she style her hair? is the smile in her voice filled with joy, or sorrow? but he feels that telltale sensation crawling up his throat, a tightness about his eyes---and so maybe it's for the best that she can't see him, either. "…well, you found me," he replies, nothing but a smile in his voice when he's able to speak once more. he squeezes her hand gently, and lifts it just high enough to spin her beneath it. "won't you let me take the lead this time, mother?"

and just as he makes the realization, so too does she. the timbre is undeniable, even if it is lower than she remembers. the softness to his voice, the gentility is still there — but she thinks it is more worn than what he sounded like before she died. when she spins under shigure's arm, her throat tightens. her eyes squeeze themselves shut until colors bloom beneath her lids.

he sounds healthy, well, happy. and really, when did he grow so tall? her trembling hand finds his shoulder, gentle in its touch. "of course, shigure." words stable and light, despite the sudden weight that found itself rooted in her heart. "i would love nothing more."

she isn't sure what is worse: to keep her eyes shut or to open them despite the arbitrary rules of the dance. it is best, she thinks, to keep them shut until she has the opportunity to collect herself. a few steps back, a few steps to the side — all in perfect sync. "have you been faring well? have you found friends at the academy?"

[pastbelow]

though they are both singers by birthright and only dancers by association, the steps come easier than they ought to. he had expected an awkward nudge or two, hindered by the dark as they are---but when he reaches out to pull her close again, her hand is exactly where he expected it to be.

is this what the leader had meant by test of faith? if so, then he is performing admirably, isn't he? shigure lets the smile set on his face, an invisible veneer. may this lie last for a moment longer.

"i'm doing as well as ever, mother. you don't need to worry about me," he teases, laughing quietly. "actually, i've reunited with a few of my old friends from the war, who are enrolled in studies here. i wager they're making waves around the hall as we speak..."

[pastbelow]

[ LIGHT ]

the chipper voice of the ensemble's leader cuts through the grand hall as the music decrescendos — "you've learned the dance once," they shout, "so it's time for you to do it right: with closed eyes! shut your eyes and grab your next partner now, why don't ya?"

with the announcement, azura's steps slow; the hold on her partner's hand comes loose. there's a small smile atop her lips at the whimsy of it all — what an endearing twist. a quiet thanks to her partner, and she shuts her eyes, spinning around with flailing arms until they come in contact with another body.

"ah, you're quite tall!" she laughs, patting their arms until they trace to mystery hands. "although, i never thought i'd find anyone in the dark." the music swells again, a continuation of the same lively waltz, and azura takes her first steps to darkness and song.

the voice is familiar, the laugh less so. but when he hears it, shigure doesn't need to open his eyes for her image to appear before him, clear as glass. oh, but he wishes he could look, search for all the ways that this azura, surely, differs from the memory he keeps alive: what is she wearing? how did she style her hair? is the smile in her voice filled with joy, or sorrow?

but he feels that telltale sensation crawling up his throat, a tightness about his eyes---and so maybe it's for the best that she can't see him, either.

"…well, you found me," he replies, nothing but a smile in his voice when he's able to speak once more. he squeezes her hand gently, and lifts it just high enough to spin her beneath it. "won't you let me take the lead this time, mother?"

[pastbelow]

[ MORFISIAN ] ; see, it seemed ill-advised from the start, but who was she to deny tradition? maybe it's that she's gotten one too many drinks or maybe it is only that she is buoyed by the enthusiasm of others and lacks the humility enough to think ' maybe i shouldn't! because i am a danger to others! ' or maybe, just maybe—it is that she places enough worrying faith in shigure that she can ignore her own apprehensions.

she grins, fingertips alight and the flames ghoulish on her person. she at least had the sense to abandon her tailcoat. ( not much else, though! ) "ready?"

by the first dragons, out of all the dances, why did soleil have to choose this one?

"wait a second," is all shigure says, though, as he gathers both of their bouquets and gently sets the flowers on a side table. better to risk less collateral damage --- soleil would be devastated if all her hard work from tonight simply went up in smoke.

( in the moment, it doesn't occur to him to tell her no. it will never occur to him, not even in the distant future, that he could, or should have. )

"okay," he nods, setting himself back in position, amber eyes focused upon the unsteady flame in her hand. if he recalls correctly, it's meant to be passed from partner to partner---and so as long as he stays on his toes, surely it'll turn out just fine.

he smiles at her, doing his best to match her excitement. "on the count of three, soleil---" and then they're off, in a dizzying display of light.

[pastbelow]

i'm sorry soleil

shigure + mitama, toaball2026, from here

[verseandrhyme]

"Maybe she does not want to. Maybe the rejection is part of the game." Who can say? Certainly not Mitama. But she would also never wear her heart so loosely. Fragile as it already is, to so willingly and frequently expose it to bruising like that?

...now she has to wonder if Soleil is just enacting a plea for help. That is a far less amusing thought.

Mitama sighs dramatically. Her weight is allowed to shift sideways until it is stopped by her head resting against Shigure's arm. She has already claimed one of his flowers, but it still makes for something to fidget with as she watches the others who mingle around the ball. "You are plenty, first of all, and you should be proud to be such. Anyone who claims that you should be other is an idiot."

Second of all...she hums thoughtfully as she surveys the crowds. A smile breaks her face, and she finally stands up properly. "Will you teach me to dance? I am afraid I have never had much practice at it, and what I know is quite minimal."

[pastbelow]

he raises an eyebrow at her, unable to help himself. "and how many Ethereal Balls have you attended already, to still have so little confidence in your skills?" he teases, before a laugh escapes him. it's swiftly covered with a sleeve, as he's still unwilling to have too much fun at her expense.

"...but of course, i'd love to," he promises, making to follow. to find a corner of the dance floor, where there's not too many supplicants vying for attention or recruiters on the hunt for talent. "any of the dances should be easy enough to start with, except maybe the one involving fire. or the one with the flips. or the one with the ceremonial swords, now that i think about it...."

by the dawn dragon... he smiles, shaking his head. perhaps they're going to be out there for the long haul, after all.

[pastbelow]

[ MINT CANDY ] - For when your breath isn’t as fresh as newly-fallen snow.

...what does jakob mean by this? one look at the man's face, and shigure decides he doesn't really want to find out.

he smiles, as warmly as he can manage. "thank you, sir. please accept one of my tulips in exchange---I heard that many of the attendees are collecting them."

with a respectful incline of his head, shigure presses the stem of the flower into the butler's hand. "I hope you have a lovely rest of the night---"

and then he turns, walking back into the crowd.

[pastbelow]

i'm sorry soleil

shigure + mitama, toaball2026, from here

[verseandrhyme]

"She made me go outside, Shigure." How lamentable. How unforgivable. "On a bridge. Just for her usual shenanigans."

Shigure could afford to be sympathetic, of course. He had never been on the receiving end of Soleil's attentions, not in the same way that Mitama and other women had been. It was all well and good that Soleil found them beautiful or charming or whatever other compliment suited her creativity best that day. That did not mean that receiving that compliment, knowing already that it could be shared with a hundred other hearts, made it very sweet to listen to.

"You?" She turns to inspect her friend. Well...perhaps he could play the heel. He is pretty, but not in the way she suspects would drive girls to the jealousy that Soleil longs for.

As she listens to him speak, the corners of her lips twitch. No, if Shigure is to properly play the role that Soleil wanted of him, it would have been with that heart of his instead.

"Well, I am sure that Soleil will be quite grateful for your consideration of her, even if I am sure she would wish you were her princess charming instead."

[pastbelow]

"...yes, me. I know." he tries to hide his flush from view with a dip of the head, though he knows he should be grateful that it hadn't already reached mitama's ears through some other hearsay. "i can't believe she's not getting any better at this. she should know that making you go outside is a crime," or at least, that mitama's mood is generally inversely proportional to her current distance from her bed.

is anyone giving soleil dating advice? somebody should, probably. but it might only encourage her to repeat her failed overtures, and that's not going to end well for anyone.

as for his own plans tonight... "I don't mind," shigure repeats easily, meaning it. "i can't always be what people want me to be. but soleil's one of my friends, right? and I should try to make my friends happy."

he smiles, still looking away. "that goes for you too, mitama. let me know if you want to dance, or if you need anything, okay?"

[pastbelow]

i'm sorry soleil

shigure + mitama, toaball2026, from here

[pastbelow]

"I think it would be faster to ask who Soleil has not attempted to attend the ball with." There is no actual scorn or judgement in the words. No, she delivers them perfectly factually, because that is what she means. Who has not been asked to attend with Soleil? Surely the numbers linger in the single digits. She is grateful that Shigure does not need to be asked. One of her own lilies is slipped free and passed to him silently. "She even asked me which, naturally, I turned down. I am not interested in being one of a thousand, no matter how cutely Soleil tries to plead her case." Ah well. Mitama shakes her head. "I am sure her efforts are not over yet. There is plenty of time for her to humiliate herself still. After all, there are still single women at this ball." Maybe some unfortunate soul might get swept up in the moment cave. What a shame.

"...oh. so she did ask you," he echoes, wincing. it's soleil's own fault, of course, but even so, he doesn't envy being on the receiving end of mitama's rather blunt remarks. whether it be with poetry or prose, the shrine maiden has a way with words that cut deeper than most blades do.

"still..." he hedges, twirling his pencil in thought, "you know soleil means it, though, when she asks people out. did I tell you, she... she roped me into playing the heel, for one of her grand romantic gestures?" he lets out an an embarrassed cough, unwilling to really elaborate any further. "i mean, i also think it's crazy, but she really does consider every woman she meets beautiful. it's kind of hard to watch her fail when she's trying so hard."

he sighs, running a hand over the paper. "maybe i'll try to find her later---i wouldn't mind sharing a dance or two when it's not so crowded out there."

@verseandrhyme

[pastbelow]

[ GOSSIP ] - For those who don't want to be the center of attention, sitting on the sidelines and observing those who do is a time-honored tradition. Exchanging thoughts with another while doing so is a rite of passage for a student—it is a slightly worse look for the staff to take part.

"hey, mitama," shigure asks to the fellow wallflower beside him, briefly pausing in his sketch. "have you seen soleil? ...do you know if she came with anyone?"

as payment for asking such an embarrassing question, he frees a hand to slide one of his tulip her way. "i mean. she seemed so... intent on it, last time i saw her in town. i suppose i'm a little worried."