I knew I wanted to update this story again for Shigure's birthday this year, as I don't think I've done anything to mark the occasion in years past. One could argue five years is a bit too late to suddenly start caring about arbitrary celebrations (and of fictional characters no less), but better late than never. If there's one thing I excel at, it's being the last guy across the finish line.

Word count: 1,787 words.

.15 - Shigure and Kana and Forrest

'My blueberry knight,' the first line read.

'Thank you for watching over me,' read the second.

'Sing for me next time,' read the third, and off his foolish heart went. He couldn't stop it from soaring nor did he want to. Overwhelmed with a rare gush of pep and spirit, he brought the note to his chest with a contented smile and allowed his eyes to flutter shut so that his mind could wander for a time.

"Ah, love can be a fickle mistress, can't she?"

Forrest giggled at how quickly his friend snapped from his stupor. The note was folded a dozen times over and hastily pocketed with all the professional prowess of someone who definitely didn't rehearse the routine in the likely event that someone stepped into their personal bubble, but it was a useless endeavor through and through. The utter cheek inscribed on Forrest's porcelain face said it all—the Nohrian prince had seen everything.

"That's quite the speed for someone normally so cool and composed," Forrest returned to his craft with a smile, having briefly stopped sewing to look over and see why the fellow prince had stopped humoring him. "You should really consider getting into embroidery. I'd be delighted to teach you!"

"At ease, Lady Wald," Shigure pivoted in the hopes of preventing the fashionista from seeing that his face had become redder than the fabric he was working with. "I was merely admiring an old drawing from my younger days. Nothing more."

"Is that why your eyes sparkled with joy with each verse you recited? Well, I say recite, but it was much closer to a recital if you ask me. Goodness, whoever sent that to you must surely have a way with words!"

"W-what?!" the sky knight flinched, his eyes wide and flushed flesh paling in horror. "Y-you heard that? All of that? H-how much specifically if I may ask? I-I could have sworn I only read it mentally!"

"You did, have no worry," Forrest smirked and continued his needling with a devious little wink. "You haven't lost your marbles just yet, though I do appreciate the soft confirmation. It's astonishing just how susceptible the mind can be when the heart is buried under ten tons of bottled up passion."

"Ah...! Subterfuge," the artist deduced with an awkward, defeated hand at the back of his neck. "Fair enough. I suppose I did walk into that one..."

"I may not have inherited the brunt of my father's devilish wit, but they certainly don't use the phrase 'he's still his father's son' for nothing," the cleric hummed triumphantly. "I take it that little schoolyard memo was your final correspondence with her before you were swept up by that awful fiery kingdom?"

"Regrettably," Shigure answered tersely. The cat was so far out of the bag that to play dumb any further would be futile. "And we were just starting to truly confide in each other. I can only hope she joins us in due time. I've left so many things unsaid."

"I can see that," the trendsetting prince echoed. "I don't think I've ever seen you this moody before, Shigure. Moody? Yes, I doubt that I can think of anything more part and parcel with the Shigure brand. Moody in all italics, emboldened, and underscored? It's practically unheard of! Are you sure you don't want a scarf to cope with, friend? I'm sure our customers won't mind waiting just a little bit longer whilst I mend your broken heart. They'll understand."

"No, we won't!" a distant, impatient Phina huffed.

"It's fine," said the artist with a shake of his head. "You've kept them waiting long enough. It would be irresponsible of me to skip to the front of the line, and to be frank—I'm not as distraught as I might appear to be."

"Really now?" Forrest blinked, his golden hair bobbing as he tilted his head to the side. "I should hope you're not saying that just to save face with me, Shigure. It feels like it's been a lifetime and a half since we last had the chance to really sit down and unwind. If you're beside yourself with anything at all, don't be afraid to confide in me! Your mental beauty is just as important as your physical beauty, after all."

"I appreciate the concern," Shigure chuckled, a glimmer in his eyes. "But I'll be fine, really. It's just as you said regarding you and I. Even if it feels like ages have passed since our last encounter, as long as I cherish those memories and keep my head held high, I've no doubt our paths will cross again. 'It's good to meet you,' I hope to say to her when that time comes, just as she expresses the same to me."

"Wow," Forrest mouthed. "You're in quite deep, aren't you? Maybe you should consider becoming a writer yourself at this point, what with how contagious she is."

"I was thinking more the illustrator to a compendium of her collected works, if we're bandying about suggestions."

"Rest assured that whatever form it takes, I'll be sure to be the first in line for it! Goodness! Speaking of lines," Forrest reached for his handbell. Unbeknownst to even himself, he had already unconsciously finished the order sitting before him in the midst of their cathartic heart-to-heart, which meant the only thing holding the line up was his own inattentiveness. "To think I invited you as my plus one to have someone to kill time with! I didn't expect us to get so carried away that time would be murdered! Oh, why must these soft hands mend hearts as well as they do clothes? Why must I match make souls as beautifully as I match make outfits!"

"Er, Forrest," Shigure reached out to calm the cleric, but he had already began ringing the bell like a man possessed (and grossly behind schedule). "Order sixty four! Order sixty four! Please step forward!"

The miscellaneous mob of heroes assembled before them promptly checked their numbers with hopeful gazes, each one dying out like a snuffed candlewick until only one bright-eyed soul was left.

"Ha! I knew you liked her, big brother!" Kana huffed victoriously as she hopped to the front of the crowd, winning number in hand.

"K-Kana?" Shigure blinked, and up his ill-guarded defenses went. "How much of that did you hear? Less than nothing, I should hope."

"Not even! More like just enough," the little dragon answered while turning her ticket in. "Thank you so so so much, Forrest! Now I'm all set for the play next week! Red scarf, meet blue scarf! Heehee!"

"You're very welcome, Kana," Forrest nodded just the same as he would with any other customer, not particularly catching on to the apparent conflict of interest. "I just know you'll look adorable in it!"

"Excuse me," Shigure interjected, a hand lightly waving between the two. "I'm afraid I wasn't made aware that this scarf was intended for my little sister."

"Beg pardon?" the cleric frowned. "I don't recall you asking. There isn't a problem with me making accessories for her, is there? I would hate to deprive someone so cute and precious of cute and precious things."

"Distraction!" cried Kana, her new scarf waving in the air as she swung it in a way that was almost impossible to ignore. "Don't fall for it, Forrest! Big brother's just trying to change the subject! Look at the guilt and mal... um... mal... muh-sleeze... malaise in his peepers as he wards the worst kept secret in the history of worst kept secrets, which is that he really, really, really likes Mita—!"

"Play! P-play!" Shigure sputtered in quick, desperate succession, exhaling almost like a rogue dragon as the words left his lips. "Y-you said there was a play of some sort being held next week, i-i-is that right? Care to elaborate? What is it about? What role are you playing?"

Kana was clever, very clever. Some might even warily argue too clever, but she was not infallible, let alone invincible. She was still a child underneath all of that youthful cheek and draconian hubris, and no greater sign of that could be found than in the way her eyes lit up as she was reminded of the stage, her expression effectively switching on the spot.

"Oh!" she beamed with a clean slate, her bun bouncing at the idea of her older brother taking an interest in her escapades. "That's right! A couple of us thought it would be really fun to put on a play for the rest of the order! A-yup! Ophelia's going to direct the whole thing, and I'm going to play the part of the super cute and innocent little red riding princess! Heehee! That's why I need a red scarf! It's them... themack... tick... thematic!"

"A play?" Forrest hummed curiously. "Why wasn't I informed? I would have loved to sit at the helm of the costuming department. Perhaps there might still be time..."

"You still have orders to fulfill," the prince beside him reminded. The line wasn't getting any shorter.

"Don't I ever," the healer sighed. "If I only had an extra pair of hands to help me with the embroidery. My offer still stands, you know! I might even consider sewing together a little something for you in return. A gift to surprise her with upon her arrival, perhaps?"

"A tempting offer," said Shigure, his arms crossed with a knowing grin. "I suppose there isn't any room for me to refuse when you introduce prospects like that, is there? I accept, but please—allow me to be the one to knit this proposed gift, your guidance willing of course."

"Ah, I knew that would stoke the romantic within you!" said Forrest with a clasp of his hands. "The eternal truth of gifts being lovelier when they come from the heart pulls through once again! We'll start on the basics right away. I'm confident our next client won't mind if we use their order as a muse."

"We absolutely will mind!" Phina cried.

"Splendid," Shigure echoed. "I'll be sure to direct you to the nearest easel in exchange. I believe I still owe you some lessons of my own, actually."

The princes sat to work with an amicable nod, much to the relief of the crowd, and much to the dismay of the dragon beside them.

"Hey!" Kana puffed her cheeks. "Big brother, are you listening?! I'm about to get to the part with the big bad wolf! You'll never ever guess who's playing that part!"

"Velouria?" he turned his head to her, and off her hands went to slap her cheeks in shock.

"How did you know?!"

Prior chapters, along with Forrest's Forging Bonds and supports with Shigure, contributed to the setup here. I thought we needed something lighthearted after the Lilith drama, and what's all this about a play? Surely nothing'll go wrong there.