Warm Birthdays and Aristocratic Blessings
Loosely based off her 2022 Birthday Mail
A trail of footsteps imprinted themselves onto the cold, white blankets of snow that covered the ground of Dragonspine. They led onto a mostly inconspicuous cliffside, where a silhouette stood firm and strong against the biting chill of the blizzard.
"...You're late."
Aether shivered, rubbing his shoulders as he made his final step. Despite having traversed through possibly every nook and cranny of Dragonspine, he still found the frigid environment too cold for his taste. "S-Sorry. Commissions took a lot longer than usual."
The silhouette turned around. Her cape twirled around gently, as her icy blue locks shook beautifully, parting to make way for her immaculate features. Aether couldn't help but note how elegant Eula Lawrence looked, even in simple motions such as merely turning around. She crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. As usual, she didn't seem bothered by the piercing cold weather whatsoever.
Her lips curved upwards slightly, as she shook her head. "It's fine. I know how busy you can be." She faced the cliff once again, as she beckoned to Aether with a motion of her hand. "Come, I want to take you somewhere." As soon as she finished that sentence, she jumped off the cliff without a moment's notice. A pair of dazzling white wings unfurled from Eula's back - her pristine glider as magnificent as always.
How sudden. Aether chuckled, perhaps his impulsive nature is rubbing off on her somewhat. Nonetheless, Aether followed suit, jumping off and opening his glider as soon as his feet left the ground.
Shortly after and they land right in front of a frozen lake. At this time of year the biting winds of Dragonspine felt even colder than ever, to the point that even the lakes were frozen completely over. Eula took a few steps towards the lake, "You recall what I wrote to you in my letter, yes?"
"A… dance of sorts, you said. For the purpose of receiving our ancestors' blessings."
She chuckled, but Aether sensed no humor in her voice. "A bit foolish if you ask me. Especially considering the nature of my ancestors." She shook her head, "However, I suppose it may be a bit unfair for me to disregard such a dance just because of its association to my clan. So instead…" Her heels made contact with the ice below, before pressing forwards with her line of thought. "Rather than dance for the purpose of my clan's blessings, I want to offer you my own instead. For you, for Paimon…" She smiled ever so slightly, "and for your sister, Lumine. Will you allow me the honor of doing so?"
Aether couldn't be any more happier. "Of course. I'd be glad to watch your dance. But before that…" Aether began rummaging through his pockets, an act that perplexed the Spindrift Knight. Before long and he pulled out a small, compact box. Its outer layer was lined in a soft, dark blue velvet, giving it this elegant texture and look.
Aether opened the box, revealing its contents to Eula. Inside was an inner layer of white fabric, and at its centerpiece was a hair clip of immaculate white color. A flower, plucked and preserved with its beauty intact, almost as though time has stopped for it.
Aether grinned, "Happy birthday, Eula." Eula took the object in her hands, stunned at the sudden gift. She took to inspecting the flower, admiring it from all sides.
Aether scratched the back of his head. His grin turned shy, as a blanket of pink covered his cheeks. "I hope you like it. I saw it while doing commissions one day, and I figured it would look great on you. I had to ask someone to help with the preservation and all, and—heh, wait, you don't need to hear all that." He chuckled as he cut himself off. He hoped his nervousness wasn't evident in his voice.
"This is…" She glanced at Aether, who glanced back with eager eyes and a small smile. "Wonderful." She clipped the flower to the right of her bangs, and with a bashful gaze asked Aether, "...How do I look?"
"Beautiful." Stunning. Gorgeous. Pretty. Graceful. Elegant. Cute. Adorable. Aether could go on and on, but if he did he may not be able to stop for hours. The hair clip accentuated the features of her face well, as it brought out a more innocent, cute, youthful look to the typically mature and dignified woman.
Eula clasped her hands together as she awkwardly fumbled with her words of gratitude. "T-Thank you." She felt oddly warm at Aether's one simple compliment. Frankly, she's been feeling this way a lot whenever he's with her.
As though realizing the embarrassing nature of her actions, Eula straightened her posture as she placed her hands to her side. "Thank you, Aether. I… truly appreciate this gift. It's lovely." Try as she might, she couldn't help the burst of subtle joy from showing on her face. Her lips formed a shy smile, as a light dusting of red coated her cheeks full. Aether grinned, happy at the thought that she loved his present.
"Ahem." Eula cleared her throat, feigning a cough as the pink coating on her face soon dissipated. "I shall proceed, then."
Aether nodded, enthusiastic at watching the noblewoman dance once more. "Sure. Go ahead!"
Eula's demeanor subtly changed, as she strutted further into the frozen lake with a more passionate air to her step. She spun around, with one hand behind her back and the other laying flat on her stomach. She placed a gaze on Aether, looking straight into his eyes, as though she were seeking confirmation from him to continue. He met her gaze with the same vigor he had just a moment ago, smiling as he gave her a slight nod.
That was all she needed before she shut her eyes and let the free wind guide her every move. She moved in a slow, graceful manner at first. One foot forward, one back. Her tie spun around her as her careful and deliberate steps turned exhilarating - her form picturesque. Each and every move of hers looked befitting of a portrait, one that Aether could waste hours away with by admiring its beauty. She arched her arms high, as she jumped and landed on the cold ice below with not even a single crack on the frozen surface.
To perform such a dance, one that she'd usually shy away from due to its association with rigid aristocracy. However, putting her own spin on it, in her own, noble way as she spun and moved for the sake of the person in front of her - well, she can't deny the fact that it felt ironic.
Ironic that such a dance stemming from strict, authoritative etiquette felt so freeing.
Eula finally opened her eyes. Aether was watching her with full intent, completely enamored by the sight before him. This only encouraged her even further, as a small smile played on the knight's lips. She struck her final pose as she skidded to a halt right in front of the traveler - with her right leg raised high behind her and her left hand outstretched towards him, almost inviting him to join. Her smile turned confident as Aether clapped loudly with a big, goofy grin.
Eula was right. It indeed was a blessing, perhaps… in more ways than one.
"That was amazing, Eula! You looked stunning as always. Especially when you soared through the air and landed on your feet, without even a scratch or mark on the ice. How'd you even do that?"
Eula felt elated by Aether's praise, but didn't dare to show it lest she be teased to death by him. "H-Hmph. It's only natural, I suppose. Perhaps one day you'll learn to do the same."
Aether laughed awkwardly, "Ahaha, I don't know about that, exactly…"
She raised a curious brow, "Hmm?" She tilted her head inquisitively, before her eyes lit up at a new idea. "You know, speaking of that… how about we continue with your practice? This feels like the perfect place for it, no?"
Aether shook his head as a nervous smile appeared on his face. "On that frozen lake? No thanks. You may be skillful enough to perform on top of it, but I feel like if I even try to take two steps forwards in a dance the ice'll break beneath me." 'Especially not in this frigid weather,' though Aether would rather not say that to her unless he wants to incur her wrath.
Unfortunately, it seems he'll be incurring her wrath regardless.
She placed her hands on her hips, a clear indication of what was to come next. Her soft gaze turned stern - her heterochromatic orbs almost freezing him alive with how cold she looked. "Are you telling me you won't even indulge in a simple wish of mine? On my birthday, no less? Hmph…" She sounded harsh, but in truth she merely wanted to tease the boy, simply feeling giddy, especially recently with how rare the opportunity to do so can be.
"Come on, are you really pulling that card on me, Eula?" Aether chuckled, but he had a feeling in his stomach that she wasn't going to back down so easily from that.
Eula maintained her unimpressed gaze on him. Aether tried to do the same, forcing the two to be stuck in this staring contest. However…
Aether truly couldn't help but submit to such a deadly look. A few more seconds passed by before he ultimately sighed, scratched his head and spoke, "Argh, alright, I yield, I yield! You got me. I'll dance." He threw his hands up in the air, mumbling something along the lines of 'no fair.'
"Very well." Eula smirked, relishing in her victory as she held her head high. Aether snickered, finding a smug Eula cute as well, in contrast to her typical disposition. Eula blinked, initially confused by his laughter. However, his cheery behavior soon infected even the Spindrift Knight herself, as she joined with her own set of giggles.
'Ah, it's been a while since I've let loose like this. How… fun.' Eula thought to herself.
As their laughter died down, Eula set out plans for something that Aether could perform. "Alright. I'll teach you the perfect dance for this occasion." She gestured towards the frozen lake, to which Aether complied as he stepped onto the slippery ice.
Already regretting this decision, Aether gulped. "Y-You sure you really want to be spending time teaching someone on your birthday?"
A small smile made its way onto Eula's lips, one which felt oddly smug to Aether. "Positive. I wouldn't trade this for anything else. Now, follow my every move, okay?"
With a nervous smile, Aether resigned to his fate and nodded.
Eula took Aether's hands into hers and guided him throughout the dance. He managed well enough, attentively imitating and learning Eula's each and every step. Those lessons with her were mighty useful, considering how well he was following her instructions now. However, the slippery surface of the lake proved to be too daunting for the Honorary Knight, as he would occasionally slip, fall or even step on Eula's feet due to the frictionless nature of the ice.
Eula laughed, her bouts of giggles a pleasant harmony to Aether's ears. "You're doing good, don't worry." She cooed into his ear. It sent shivers down his spine.
Despite her encouraging words, Aether couldn't help but feel defeated at slipping and falling in front of the woman he admired.
Fortunately, the Traveler was known to be a fast learner.
His missteps corrected, slips managed and falls completely avoided. Sooner rather than later, Aether was able to lead Eula in the dance. Two steps back, two steps forward. A twirl, a low dip and a soar into the air, ingrained into his head as he practiced more and more. It surprised the knight how quick he was to follow, as he started making less and less mistakes. Aether was having fun, grinning and smiling as he moved to and fro with Eula by his side. He had completely forgotten that just a moment ago, he was hesitant to even dance in the chilly winds of Dragonspine. Eula shared his sentiments, as her smile turned the slightest bit larger as they continued.
Feeling a fair bit confident, Aether's steps took them out of the usual practiced moves, bemusing Eula. This confusion was taken even further, as suddenly…
Aether twirled her around, making an unexpected addition as Eula uncharacteristically yelped in surprise - he placed a hand on her back as he dipped her low with his other hand, raising her leg right to his hip. The sudden action spurs Eula to grab onto Aether's shoulders firmly - consequently making their faces mere inches within each other.
"A-Ah…" Eula mumbles for a moment, before her face turns uncharacteristically flushed with scarlet. Her ears looked like they were on fire.
Aether blushed as well, not meaning to close their distance so intimately like this. He gulped, thinking to himself: 'Gods above, she's gorgeous…' Realizing their situation, Aether releases her hand on her as he helped her regain her footing - even when flushed beyond belief he still had the decency to be a gentleman.
He awkwardly stared at a winter tree beside him, deliberately avoiding Eula's most certain pointed glare. His curiosity got the better of him though, as he threw a glance at her from the corner of his eyes. He found her sharp gaze stabbing daggers deep into his soul, all the while sporting the most illuminated crimson glow on her features known to mankind. "You… you…!"
"I'll enact vengeance on you some day for this, I swear to you…" If it were any other time, perhaps she'd look menacing - terrifying, even. However…
With that bright red face, those balled up fists and a sulking pout, well… who could blame Aether if he instead found it all… rather cute?
"I didn't mean to, sorry!" Aether bowed, something he felt necessary if he wanted to placate the raging snow-woman in front of him. He learned this from his journeys in Inazuma, and he sure hoped to hell that it'd help right now.
Aether raises his head slightly to look for her reaction. Eula had her arms on her hips once again, with her head held high in disapproval. "I…" Eula started, but the words died in her throat as soon as she did.
Aether relented in his pose, as he slowly went back to simply standing. Eula continued, "I forgive you. Hmph. But on one condition."
"Y-Yeah?"
"Let's have a meal, together. At Good Hunter. And then… maybe I'll think about forgetting your transgressions towards me."
His lilting laughter caused the sky blue-haired knight to regain the burning blush she just lost. "Only think about it?" His playful tone betrayed the faux-sad expression he was donning.
"No promises." Eula replied with a smile.
"Ah!" Aether's countenance visibly lit up. "Actually, that lines up with our plans pretty well. Paimon's at Good Hunter now, and we saved a cake just for you - well, at least hoping there's still some of it. I did tell her not to eat it all, though… Amber will be there as well. She even volunteered to help Sara with making the cake."
"Amber did? How nice of her." Eula hummed, liking the sound of this makeshift party more and more. "All that sounds wonderful, but…" She continued, however, in a much softer tone of voice, almost mumbling instead. "I thought it would be just the two of us for a bit longer…"
Aether didn't quite catch what she said. "What was that?"
She shook her head, "Nothing." It would be the death of her if he heard that.
If anything, it made her pleasantly surprised to know she was going to spend her birthday with her closest confidants. Definitely a step up from those from when she was younger, joined by stuck up adults and children who wanted to befriend her merely for the prospect of being acquaintances with a Lawrence.
They started their trek from Dragonspine to Mondstadt City. To any normal citizen this may be a feat requiring hours upon hours of time to journey through, but the two experienced outdoorspeople were certainly not neophytes to the wilderness. Aether's mind wandered to the dance he had just performed, curious as to its origins.
He asked, "Ah, Eula. You know, I was kinda meaning to ask… what dance did we just perform a while ago?"
"What spurred this question?" Aether wasn't one to dig deep on the dances they performed, so long as he did it sufficiently - and in some cases even surpassing her expectations - Eula was satisfied.
Aether shrugged, "Just curious this time. Had a unique style to it I've never seen before, so I was wondering about where it came from. Or, well, just its name would be enough, I suppose."
Eula stared at the man before her. Aether blinked. He could've swore he just saw the Spindrift Knight snicker right now, her dainty hands covering her mouth as she did so. She whipped her head back forward, her gaze focused solely on their short walk towards Mondstadt. Unbeknownst to Aether, a smug smirk appeared on the knight's lips.
A slight flush formed on her cheeks. Aether doesn't see it from where he's standing, fortunately. She whispered, barely heard by the Honorary Knight. "...It's a secret. I'll tell you someday."
"Huh? Come on, what dance did I just do? It isn't something weird, right? Something funny? Come on, Eula! Tell me!"
Aether relented after a while, merely settling for walking beside the oddly jovial knight instead. They settled into a comfortable silence, basking in each other's presence as they took their stroll. Normally they would be at Mondstadt by now, but for some reason they were taking their sweet time walking.
For this brief moment of time, Eula simply forgets all the worries she carried. Her status as a noblewoman of the Lawrence Clan, her position as Captain of the Reconnaissance Company, and even as a Knight of Favonius. She was fully aware of the brevity of the situation. It wouldn't last long.
But for this moment, it's all worth it.
He makes her feel like all her worries can be forgotten for just a moment.
He makes her feel at ease. And she wouldn't trade that for anything else on Teyvat.
Tucked away deep in the corner of Eula's house was a book that cataloged each and every dance the Lawrence Clan performs. It has gathered inches upon inches of dust by now, as Eula never bothers to read through anything related to her clan nowadays. However, with a newfound understanding of her biases, she doesn't despise any more such dances associated with the Lawrence Clan's rigid etiquette.
One such dance was performed by Aether mere moments ago.
Simple, yet elegant. Two steps back, two steps forward. A twirl, a low dip and a soar into the air. A few more steps outlined, all with a single purpose.
The dance was a symbol of prosperity, good health, and new beginnings. Two dancers, united together by hand, within the dance and forevermore until the end of time.
Inside the book, it was simply entitled:
"The Lovers' Waltz"
Perhaps one day she'll tell him. Perhaps one day their friendship will grow into something more. But for now…
Eula turned back, planting a warm gaze on the boy next to him. He was distracted by the sunny weather, as they finally left the cold breeze of Dragonspine. A butterfly flew past him, catching his attention almost immediately.
For now, she's content with these happy days.
Aether's eyes slowly gravitated back towards Eula's shimmering orbs as he loses sight of the environment before him - the Spindrift Knight being the only thing he could see. Eula, seeing that she was caught red-handed staring at him, immediately averted her gaze as her face mantled ever so slightly with pink.
A shy smile formed on the Traveler's lips.
He was glad she was enjoying herself. He was glad her plans intertwined with his.
…But most importantly, he was glad that she was here, with him. And soon, with her closest friends.
"...Happy birthday, Eula." Aether reiterated his greetings from a while ago.
"Hmm? What's this all about?"
"Heh, nothing. Just wanted to say it again."
Eula arched an eyebrow. Her lips formed a small smile, endeared by the man's cute sentimentality. "Hmm. You can be quite sappy at times, huh?"
"H-Hey! I… I-I'm not!"
Eula could only giggle even harder at that.
Sorry I'm late!
I got a bit preoccupied with some real life stuff (in addition to writing for other fics) but I finally managed to push this out, albeit 4 hours after her birthday ;_; Well, what matters is that I got it out, at least! This is my first fic dedicated to a character's birthday, so I hope you enjoy it!
I'm not exactly a dancer, so I hope my attempts at writing dancing were at least decent. I have some experience from another fanfic I guess, but hey, still!
As always, thanks for reading! Appreciate it!
I also forgot to mention: I love Eula. That's it. Thanks.