he's grinning from ear to ear as he approaches the younger, a slight spring in his step as he reaches him. "cyril! shamir informed me that it was your birthday." this is a half truth. ashe had asked several months prior of cyril's birthday & has been preparing for it since. "it's not much but i got you something to celebrate." in his hands is a large piece of cake & a bouquet of yellow daisies. there's a hand woven bracelet wrapped at the stem of the flowers. a matching one lay on ashe's wrist.

( happy birthday, cyril! | @halfknighted​ )

     HE’D FORGOTTEN ABOUT his birthday, if he’d been perfectly honest. his intention had been to get up and complete his chores for the day like normal. but, then he had been greeted just a bit sweeter by lady rhea wishing him the happiest of days as he got his assignment, and it wasn’t until shamir gave him an awkward pat on the head before wishing him a somewhat stoic happy birthday that he realized what the day was. he’d simply shrugged off the day and continued–––– it had never been any DIFFERENT than any other day before, so he had no reason to expect anything special. he’d been grateful enough just for the kind greetings.

     which explained the shocked look on his face at ashe’s sudden appearance. he took the items more out of CURIOSITY than excitement ( though he could admit to himself that his stomach was really looking forward to such a large, delicious looking slice of cake ).

     ❝ ashe, ya didn’t have to do anythin’–––– it’s just my birthday. ❞

     and yet, despite his words, the fact that ashe had not only remembered, but also got him a gift made him really happy. he caught sight of the BRACELET tied around the flowers before he noticed a similar one resting on ashe’s wrist, and he knew his cheeks were turning a bit red.

      ❝ so, we’re gonna match, huh? ❞

     that put an undeniable smile on his face. it meant more to him than the cake–––– and even the flowers. it was undeniable proof of their FRIENDSHIP, proof that ashe wanted to be his friend and wash’t ashamed of that fact. that gift alone made the day feel special instead of just another working day.

     ❝ thanks, ashe! you really turned this day around. ❞

happy brith to a g o o d b o y

happy brith to a g o o d b o y

timecall‌:

His unease is obvious before he even speaks, and even though Byleth was the one to deliver the news of upcoming certification exams ( and that she’d like for him to take one, this month ), she already feels the tiniest bout of … concern almost immediately. Her neutral expression remains the same despite it, staring intently at the boy in front of her as she blinks once before her head tilts to the side, a little in curiosity and a little in scrutiny. For him to be so worried—asking for other methods? Sounding almost a little desperate?—it either means he believes he isn’t ready for the exam, or …                   She shakes her head once, movement so small that it just barely counts as a no, and she wonders briefly it that still seems too cold with how she can feel her face remain the way it is. There’s a second, and then another, of continuing to gaze at him before her mouth actually opens.                                                    “I need a reason why, or it isn’t allowed.                                                                                     For fairness,” so she’s heard.

                Normally, Byleth wouldn’t try to prod, but … Well. She supposes it is her job ( or something ) right now, right? And it’s for his own benefit …                                   “I’ll help you any way I can, if you’d tell me.” What he seems to be keeping secret, that is ( though, she does have a hunch … ).

     HIS STOMACH DROPPED at the shake of her head, a nervousness that he was overall unused to washing over him. he was already turning over his options, trying to keep his head on straight–––– perhaps he could learn a few words before the exam, ones that would UNDOUBTEDLY appear there. he could talk to some others who had taken one, find out more about them and prepare. but, that would require a teacher and more time than he had in the day. the other option was easier, but he wasn’t sure just how well he could face his fellow classmates as well as his professor if he failed the exam because he didn’t write anything. they would think he didn’t care ( or worse, know that he wasn’t capable ) and he was sure byleth would regret accepting him into her classroom.

     the third option was revealed, and cyril was fairly certain it was more humiliating than the second. tell her–––– admit his SHORTCOMINGS out loud for the first time in what felt like an eternity. a moment of discomfort that would, quite possibly, save him from the rest of the monastery from knowing his most closely guarded secret.

     ❝ i–––– i can’t read... ❞

     his head bowed, gaze turned. his SHAME prevented him from meeting her eyes, as if he was sure her opinion of him had been forever changed with that one, brief sentence.

     ❝ no one ever taught me. ❞ it hadn’t been important then.

tomorrow is cyril’s birthday

halfknighted‌:

      THERE  IS  NO  AMOUNT  OF  WORDS  that  can  properly  voice  the  amount  of  utter  jubilation  &  pride  that  swells  within  ashe  as  he  watches  cyril  finally  comprehend  the  word  written  on  the  page .  the  word  being  cyril’s  name  written  in  ashe’s  slightly  sloppy  handwriting .  he  thought  after  all  the  work  they’ve  put  in  learning  other  words  more  closely  related  to  cyril’s  work  around  the  monastery ,  he’d  put  in  a  little  surprise  for  the  younger  at  the  end .

      ❛    INDEED  IT  IS !  VERY  GOOD ,  CYRIL !    ❜  he  can  hardly  contain  the  enthusiasm  in  his  voice ,  a  wide  smile  appearing  on  his  face .  ❛    that  didn’t  take  you  very  long  at  all  to  get  this  time !  you’re  improving  really  quickly .  when  i  was  first  learning  with  lonato  it  took  me  much  longer  to  get  to  your  pace .    ❜  for  a  moment  he  thinks  back  to  himself  six  years  prior ,  learning  with  his  new  father .  he  wonders  if  lonato  felt  the  same  surge  of  pride  ashe  does  now  as  he  teaches  cyril .  he  wonders  if  he’d  be  proud  of  him  now  —  probably  not .

      HE  PUTS  A  SUPPORTIVE  HAND  ON  THE  OTHER’S  SHOULDER ,  absolutely  beaming  from  ear .  ❛    you  wanna  finish  up  for  today  or  keep  going ?  i  baked  some  sweets  to  have  whenever  we  finished .   ❜ 

     THERE WAS SOMETHING in ashe’s tone that he couldn’t name, a kind of happiness that reminded him of the look on lady rhea’s face the day he finally began to open up–––– the place he had been before stumbling into ADMIRATION hadn’t exactly been the most cooperative, but the look on her face when he’d finally began to tell her about what he’d been through was ingrained into his memory. he’d never quite put a name to it, but it had sent a flutter of happiness spreading through him, and this time was no exception.

     even so, to be praised  doing something he was fairly certain everyone else in the monastery could do felt kind of odd, but that oddity wasn’t enough to wash away the happy WARMTH he felt. he struggled not to let it show on his face, keeping his head down as if he was continuing to study the letters of his name before muttering out a slightly embarrassed, ❝ uh…thanks. ❞

     something inside him wanted to continue, strained to push himself until he knew every letter and every word without fail. but, his mind was exhausted, his body worn down as if he’d spent the day TRAINING ( and, he supposed he had, it just wasn’t with the bow that he was used to wielding ). his eyes started blankly at the words on the page before he finally shook his head, a sigh leaving his lips–––– relief? exhaustion? he couldn’t quite say. ❝ nah, i think i’m done. ❞ ( he wouldn’t lie, the promise of sweets assisted a bit in his decision to end the session a little early ) ❝ i feel so tired. is reading always this hard? ❞

i’m shocked at how good they are at doing each other’s characters

the fact that cyril is able to go through the woods and find ashe alone in their last support, and when ashe shows concern for him coming alone and being away from his post cyril asks ‘am i being a nuisance?’ makes me so sad.

like how many times has he thought he was helping and someone told him he was bother them?

we know that some of the other church staff find him annoying so just how many times has he been talked about like he wasn’t there or told to bug off? 

he just wants to help

inktober day 2!! cyril, my lovely baby boy….. I like to think after lys helps him out she and him get a little book club going and ashe of course wants in on that

also don’t forget cyril’s birthday is on the 25th

i’m too tired to actually write but you bet your booty it’s cyril loving hours

whaddup im cyril im 19 and i never heckin learned how to read

what if i...wrote something...?

haha jk

unless...?

this is your friendly reminder that cyril is good and i love him

i got home a little later than usual but i still wanted to post these! i put together a pirate sora cosplay for the renaissance faire  (and bought wheel of fate there because apparently they sold keyblades! who knew?). we took pictures with a night vision camera and they came out pretty okay! so, here they are!

someone please tell me if you can put cyril in these outfits and if you can show me what he looks like

slip up