#((don't mind me using this as an opportunity to headcanon a bit asdf)) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

freedomarrow · 1 year

Note

The simple celebrations of birth Garreg Mach put so much emphasis on was just one of the many blessings the monastery had provided Micaiah. When it comes time to celebrate Leonardo’s namesday, Micaiah is only all too delighted to drop off his gift, in person no less! It may not be a tradition she can continue as Queen, at least not in public, but in her heart she very much wants it to be.

(She realizes, coming from a wealthy family, Leonardo may indeed have had such celebrations before. Perhaps one day they can talk of it. She would very much like that, if it was not too painful for him of course.)

Most of the things Micaiah thinks to get for Leonardo he already has – a bag for his quivers, a blade for sharpening the teeth of his arrows, even a pouch for rations; they were equally practical the two of them, and it made thinking of a gift quite difficult.

At least until she decided to splurge. It’s from her own money doing side jobs with the florist and baker in town so he has no reason to object, surely.

The spyglass she hands him is not as large as she would like it to be but it is clearly made from well-formed brass, and able to fit into one of his larger pouches when folded. Added to the top is an ornamental blue gem that Micaiah thought resembled the shade of his eyes.

“Happy birthday, Leonardo! I thought you might find something like this useful? Not just for academy related activities, either… I was thinking maybe we could go bird watching some time, if you’re at all interested. I just saw a small bird that looked so much like Yune the other day!”

Placing the gift wrapped box in his hands, Micaiah lingers a moment to feel the warmth there. “Thank you for everything, Leonardo. I hope to celebrate like this for many years to come.”

It is something new, Leonardo thinks, for him to get used to. Well, not entirely new, perhaps; he does, after all, still have the vibrant memories of his birthday celebrations in the form of lavish parties thrown by his father, with guests, feasts and presents galore. With the boy deprived of his mother since his early days, father did his best to fill in for both parents however he could. Back then, Leonardo loved it.

It was not until father and big brother had to answer the call to Ashnard's army, that he understood just how much he took it all for granted, and how alone he really was. For his thirteenth birthday, there truly was no one by his side; as it turned out, his friends did not remember about his birthday if there was no feast for them to attend in return. All there was was a satchel of gold, sent to him by father from the war front, "for my dear son to spend as he pleases in a celebration of his own."

In a stroke of prudence largely born of anxiety over everything that was happening, he saved most of it, only spending some on a new bow and quiver - which would later become the only things that survived the faithful night along with him.

Then, of course, came the days of the Dawn Brigade, where birthday celebrations were far from grand things - occasions to rejoice that one made it through another year more than anything. Whatever gifts they got for one another, if any at all, were usually small and practical: a new weapon, a piece of clothing, the works. Something to help them continue getting by. But Leonardo grew to appreciate it, just as much if not more than those parties of childhood.

All that is to say, celebrating his birthday in a time of peace, and yet not in a form he would nowadays consider unnecessarily overblown, is something of a novelty for the archer, but he finds himself looking forward to it

Although, the first face to approach him is a familiar one. "Oh, Micaiah!" Leonardo's face lights up at the sight of the well-known features, a sign of safety and hope for him and their family. Their hands meet as she hands him the gift, and he cannot help but wonder which part of this interaction he enjoys more.

"Oh, that is lovely. Thank you. Birdwatching sounds nice," he nods with a bright smile, something of a rarity from him even in times of peace - though a little more frequent in presence of someone like Micaiah. "I hope you'll let me invite you and others to do it together someday, then? It would be more enjoyable with friends, I think."

He finds that perhaps, the best present he can receive is the knowledge and reassurance that he is no longer alone.

#【 i have my orders ⁎ ic 】#【 i grow fond of the faces around me ⁎ ask 】#birthday #【 a new dawn of daein; a beacon of hope that did not lead us astray ⁎ support: micaiah 】#((softsmile))#((thank you!))#((don't mind me using this as an opportunity to headcanon a bit asdf))

6 notes · View notes