#galarcrown

“ Apologise ? What for ? ”

Their confusion intertwines their speech into one set of words said in unison, and Shielbert’s arms fold over his chest with his chin resting against his hand.

“ Did something happen ? ”

Avery’s breath caught in their throat. They didn’t know really how to proceed from here. Had Diarmuid not told the twins about them yet? Was that... a bad sign?

“Um...” Avery rubbed the back of their neck, flushing a bright pink color. “Um, w-well... Nothing bad, no...” They crossed their arms nervously, tapping one index finger against their bicep. 

@galarcrown​

Diarmuid looked up from the paperwork he was going through, a bit surprised by Shielbert’s entry into his office. However, seeing him was not unwelcome -- never unwelcome -- and he gestured towards the seat across from him. 

Those are some hairdos. Is all he thinks, despite that he’s attentive to every detail, to how rich they look. To how they act. perhaps the upper class that faded into irrelevancy? 

 No region ever needed a monarchy now. 

“Come to think of it, how long has it been since I’ve faced an opponent with a Galarian swordfighting style? Raphael has his style, and Maria is trained in classic Kalosian, so...a while, at least.”

Shielbert’s first instinct is to naturally flinch.

His face is a protected feature; it’s kept and tidy and taken care of like it was a delicate jasmine flower. He needs to keep it nice; he needs to keep it looking right.

It’s a tiny scar; no longer than the average fingernail, but it’s prominent enough without concealer or any kind of fabrication over the top of it. And with Avery trying to trace a finger over it, he leans back as if Avery had swung at him.

He smiles, or at least tries to. But it’s hard when only one side of the face can give a full muscular effort to do so these days.

“ Oh … you know how my brother can be when he gets set off ! ~ ” His voice is almost jovial, as if recalling a funny and whimsical tale, but the words don’t match like a poorly dubbed TV show.

“ Well, with his tantrums left and right, … he had a punch that could break through any door. Actually, I think that was before you ever knew us. He didn’t mean to hurt me though; I was just standing too close. ”

An accident.

Avery covered their mouth with horror, blinking back a few tears as they heard their new son recount the tale.

Just... an accident.

“I... I’m sorry...” they choked out softly, wiping at their eyes before anything could start running. “I... I didn’t know... I thought maybe it was a birthmark I hadn’t noticed before... Forgive me.”

Maybe Sordward really was their child after all. That untethered rage was frightfully familiar... For some reason, it made them feel almost too guilty to even look Shielbert in the eye.

@galarcrown​

It is a fine morning, just enjoying some family time with his sons when they’re handing him gifts! He had a good little laugh at the shower gel set, knowing he’d use it anyways out of cheerful spite and fatherly happiness to use whatever his children gave him.

And then there was the beautiful, beautiful little music box. His eyes softened at the sight of it and wondered if the twins had made it or had someone else craft this gift under their strict supervision (the two of them could be quite finicky when it came to details, Shielbert especially). He wound it up, of course, content to quietly listen to a few bars of what was his favourite song twinkling away sweetly in the box.

Placing it on the side table to let it play, he grasped both and hugged them tightly, turning to kiss them once each (Sordward a fast peck on the forehead, a warm kiss on Shielbert’s cheek) before letting them go to fetch their presents. He hadn’t given them to them yet.

Like Sordward, there was the cheeky little presentation of a matching pair of knitted jumpers. One blue, one red. It’s never quite right unless the kids have received at least one jumper for the holidays, right? And like Shielbert, the real gift came last. Two rings, one for each brother to keep. White gold, with the family crest and inlaid with a cut and formed dragon scale as was the popular trend in Galar to use them instead of stones.

“I had to change one of them, but these rings were made by me long ago for the day when I would wed the one and we had worn them...your mother and I.” Hence why one of them had to be changed, though the materials were still the same, still handily crafted by Diarmuid as the original had been. “I meant to give them for the day I would see one of you wed, but honestly...I just wanted you to be able to have them period. An heirloom and a gift, that you may keep and have some sentimental value of. A keepsake from your father, that may one day be keepsakes to someone else in the future. At any rate...”

i remember foolish–mortal used to have a theme like that! their theme blog is malefisensational but I think they only have themes you pay for.