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Another disappointing year gone by, another disappointing year in the horizon. Brisco grimaced at the very thought of it. The new year meant a lot of things to a lot of different people, but to him, it was hard to find any joy in it. It was really hard to find hope in new beginnings when everything always ended up the same. If it were up to him, he'd just go back to his little hovel and sleep through the whole thing like any other night, because that's exactly what it was.

That's what he would be doing. Instead, he was settled out on the grass waiting for the moon to reach it's peak, a little mouse curled up in the fur on his back.

Okay, fine. Maybe not everything was the same.

Brisco could hear Cardamom's soft little snores with cute, intermittent squeaks. He had no idea why he'd ended up bonded to a tiny little mouse for a familiar. Not that he was complaining -- beggars can't be choosers, after all. But just because he had no idea why this happened doesn't mean he wasn't grateful -- or happy. Cardamom was cute, and sweet, and it ticked off every protective bone in Brisco's body whenever he so much as looked at him. He knew these thoughts were more akin to things you'd think of a pet than a friend, but Cardamom was just so small... only a little bigger than the charm on his neck.

How was Cardamom not terrified of him? Every day Brisco worried that Cardamom would wake up and come to his senses, realize he was friends with a shifter and make a run for it -- and every day, Cardamom stayed. New beginnings, Brisco thought. Maybe it was still safe to have hope if a mouse, of all creatures, was willing to be friends with him.

And a unicorn. And a kelpi...

Okay, maybe sometimes it was so easy to fall into his broody habits that he completely forgot that a lot of things have changed. He had friends now -- more than one, even! A new record. He thought of Melody and her nice singing voice, the way she had accepted him so quickly after being introduced to him by her friend. He thought of Casimir, that really pretty stallion who took a lot longer to warm up to him, but Brisco had been patient. They'd both gone through and survived a traumatic experience together and that, it seemed, had been enough for Casimir to stick around and get to know him for him.

Wait. Didn't some new years traditions involve kissing when the moon was at it's highest? "Oh, I am so stupid," he muttered with a groan. What was he doing here instead of with Casimir, trying to get a kiss from a pretty stallion? His mumbling must have disturbed Cardamom; the snoring had stopped and switched to little sniffles, moving about in his fur.

Cardamom yawned and stretched, arcing up his whole body before he started to climb off Brisco. "Issit time yet?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then licking his paws to clean off his whiskers.

"Ah, no. Almost. Woke up just in time, I think." He looked up at the sky to check, squinting. Moon wasn't quite there, but Brisco could guess it'd only be a few more minutes. He was eager to get to bed. As nice as it was to take in the new year with a friend, he did need his beauty sleep, after all.

Cardamom nodded, looking up at the sky with him, more awake now. "What was that you were saying when I was waking up?" he asked, curious. He'd heard Brisco speak, but he'd been still too sleepy to make out all the words.

"Oh, you heard me?" Brisco laughed, shaking his head. "It was nothing. I was just realizing we could've met up with my other friends tonight and spent it with them. You know, try and make a move on Casimir finally. Midnight's a perfect set up for some romance. The moonlight, the made up importance of a new year, you could've distracted Melody so I could talk to Casimir alone... it would've been perfect," he sighed wearily. "I can't believe I didn't think about it sooner!"

Cardamom perked up. He hadn't met Brisco's other friends yet, but he was eager to do so. He'd heard him talk a lot about Casimir before, though. He patted a little paw on Brisco's knee in sympathy. "Maybe it's not too late? If you run, there's a chance we could make it! Anyway, we can't really measure when it's exactly the middle of the night... so there's some wiggle room, right?"

Brisco hadn't really expected Cardamom to encourage him to go now. There really wasn't time, anyway -- they were too far from the beach. The support was nice, though. "Eh," he shrugged his shoulders, shooting Cardamom a grin. "Maybe next year. Not enough time... and anyway, I'm just glad you're here to spend it with me. Besides, I'm charming enough that I don't need the perfect setup, right?"

Cardamom giggled. "Whatever you say," he teased, but he was beaming. He'd been worried that maybe Brisco was miserable just spending new years eve with only him -- but Brisco looked happy. He looked up at the sky and realized Brisco was right -- there hadn't been enough time, after all. The moon had reached the highest point in the sky. He turned to Brisco and hugged his leg as best as he could, face buried in fur. "Happy new year, Brisco!"

For a second, Brisco was startled by the hug -- and then he relaxed. He couldn't hug Cardamom back, so he just smiled down at him instead. "Happy new year." It might've been the best one yet.

Droughts, famine, fire, blizzards, floods -- the Sycamore Herd was familiar with disasters and struggle, but more than anything else, they were a herd of survivors. At the first signs of the incoming blizzard, Blackthorn and his mate sprung into action to get their herd prepared. Shelters were reinforced and insulated, they replenished their stores of firewood and food, and made sure everyone was accounted for and brought back home. Only a scattering of white, fluffy flakes were beginning to fall when Blackthorn nuzzled his mate before heading off to make a final sweep of the far outskirts of their territory. They wouldn't be the only ones hiding away in their shelters during the storm; he had to make sure predators weren't trying to creep into their territory looking for shelter, too. Soon enough, it would be too hazardous for anyone to risk the travel, and Blackthorn would turn around and go home.

He realized too late that the blizzard was going to hit earlier than expected... and it was going to be a lot worse.

Blackthorn wasn't going to be able to make it back in time; he was going to have to seek shelter elsewhere. Gritting his teeth through a few mumbled curses, Blackthorn trudged onward to try and find a safe place to settle down. With any luck, there might be a break in the storm long enough for him to make a break for it -- but he couldn't get his hopes up. This was looking like it was going to be a bad one. He struggled through the wind, squinting as it blew snow into his face and eyes. It was coming down fast now, so think he could barely make out anything a few feet in front of him. His teeth was chattering between every shaky exhale, his breath a visible cloud.

When he was young, he'd seen fellow herd members lose tails, ears, or parts of their legs due to severe frostbite. He remembered the adults whispering about a foal who'd gotten lost during a winter storm and wasn't found until much later when the snow began to melt and their dead body was uncovered.

They've come a long way since then. Nature could be ruthless -- but so could he.

He pushed himself forward, blinking away the snowflakes that clung to his eyelashes. His thoughts drifted towards his home as he walked, imagining the warmth of their den, what it would feel like when he finally returned. The color of his mate's eyes, and the way her mouth curved when she smiled. The foals of the other families playing in the snow once the blizzard passed. These thoughts kept his heart warm, if not his body, but it was enough to keep him moving.

An unusual fluttering movement off a tree branch caught his attention. Blackthorn's ears flicked forward, alert, and he paused to raise his nose to the air. The temperature stung his nostrils as he sniffed, but there was nothing alarming in the wind, so he trudged closer. Caught on the branch was a brown scarf, whipping around from the wind. Whoever it belonged to seemed to be long gone by now; he couldn't smell anything when he scented the fabric. Grabbing onto the end with his teeth, he pulled it off the branch and whipped it around his neck and over his shoulders. Most of his body was still exposed, but a little coverage was better than nothing.

He could barely make out the sun in the sky to tell how long he'd been walking. The thick snow disoriented him; he couldn't tell if he was walking in circles or making any kind of progress. He couldn't be sure he was still walking in the direction of his herd, let alone how much further it was. Blackthorn was almost certain that he was lost.

He kept going. There wasn't any other choice. The snow was up above his ankles now, and fatigue slowed down his legs.

And then he saw it -- a cave, its entrance partially obscured by the snow. Emboldened, he quickly ran towards it, eager to finally have some shelter. He had to lower his head to fit through the opening, carefully squeezing by the piles of snow, trying not to disturb them too much. They would help block the wind and keep the cave a little more hidden from the sights of predators.

As he looked around his new temporary shelter, he noticed little signs that it was once lived in; broken pottery, some threadbare blankets strewn about, crude drawings on the cave walls, old jewelry... but when he scented the air, he could tell this place hasn't been a home to someone in a long time, save for the visitation from small critters every once in a while. It was perfect. Mentally thanking the spirits for guiding him here, he set to work making himself a nest, dragging the blankets further into the cave to protect himself from the wind still howling outside.

As Blackthorn grabbed the last blanket with his teeth, he uncovered a set of arm bands and bracelets with beautiful glowing white beads. Normally he wouldn't be distracted by such frivolous things when he was trying to survive, but... he couldn't seem to tear his eyes away. He felt compelled to inspect them, nudge them with his nose. Well, whoever used to live here was long gone by now... so surely they wouldn't miss them, right? He carefully picked up each one with his mouth, slipping them onto his front legs.

He took a brief moment to admire them before shaking himself out of it, blinking to refocus himself on the task at hand. He grabbed the blanket again and went back to the nest he'd fashioned out of the materials he could find. Blackthorn groaned as he settled down, pulling the last blanket over top himself to start warming up. As ratty as the blankets were, they would work well enough. He tucked his nose into the blankets and closed his eyes to rest.

Tyrian's first foray into gardening had been less than successful. His flock's homeland had been arid, and the earth dry and cracked -- poor conditions for anything to grow in. The Kawani lands were filled with more lush greenery than he'd ever seen in his life, even when their homeland had been at it's peak and their claimed territory with just enough wild food growing nearby to sustain them. Now that they were settled into their new territory, Tyrian was happy to try again; to have a hobby to busy himself with other than helping to raise and protect the little ones, especially since this would help keep everyone fed. Scavenging had always been what the flock was used to, and it would certainly still be useful, but this would make life and survival significantly easier for everyone.

His ears twitched at the sound of hooves approaching, perking up when he caught sight of his new friends. He smiled brightly, fluttering his wings in greeting. "Ukiyo-e, Tara! It's good to see you both again." It was strange to have soquili friends for the first time. He was so used to being around the condors of his flock, and for a very long time, that was all he knew, despite his adoptive mother encouraging him to branch out and meet others of his own species.

Tarashikomi smiled as she approached with her mother, both of them laden down with supplies to help Tyrian with his garden. "Looks like you're making good progress," she said, looking over the work Tyrian had completed so far. She inspected the soil around the location he'd chosen, pleased by the progress despite the rough winter they'd endured this season. "This will be a great start for your garden! We brought a variety of seeds to get you started, a nice mix of fruits and vegetables." She and Ukiyo-e both set down their satchels, unpacking the carefully labeled pouches of seeds.

Ukiyo-e examined what he'd planted so far, pleased with how well his garden was coming along. "It looks like your carrots are ready for harvest! We can help you with that while we're here," she offered, bumping her shoulder into Tyrian's in a show of gentle encouragement, grinning when Tyrian beamed at her with shy, hesitant pride.

"Oh, thank you! That's be great. I'll definitely need to plant more next time, there's not really enough here for the flock..." Tyrian trailed off with a small frown, wrinkling his nose as he looked over his carrots. He knew he hadn't planted very many, but he'd expected a little more outcome than he'd ended up with. It had been a test run, to see if he still remembered what he'd learned before in the old territory, and to make sure he'd found a good spot to start his new garden. He lowered his head to examine the new seeds Tarashikomi brought for him, excited at the prospect of expanding his horizons. "Ohh, so many new things! I can't wait to grow these too. I don't think we've ever had such a big variety of food like this before."

"I'm sure your flock will love it!" Tarashikomi beamed, feeding off Tyrian's excitement. "It'll get a bit more complicated than just growing one crop. They'll all have different needs, and you'll have to rotate your crops every season to make sure the soil stays good and fertile. But I'll stick around to help you learn! My mate will come by to help too. We don't know everything about all these different crops, but between the three of us, I'm sure we can figure it out together."

"I'm afraid I have some other business to attend to elsewhere, so I won't be there to help -- but I know I'm leaving you in very capable hooves with Tara and Parthenos!" Ukiyo-e assured with a flick of her tail, trying to resist the urge for motherly gloating, not wanting to brag too much about how proud she was of her daughter and her mate. She knew they would be a great help to Tyrian and his flock, helping them secure their future with plentiful food. "Come now, we have work to do. Let's start picking the carrots first, then we can choose which crops you'd like to plant next."

The three of them worked in tandem, pulling up the carrots and gathering them in a basket to Tyrian could take them back to his flock. While the quantity was low, the carrots themselves were healthy and looked delicious. Before they started sorting through the seeds, Tyrian insisted they taste test at least one of the carrots. He had to make sure they were tasty enough to bring back to his family, of course!

"Does anyone in your flock cook?" Tarashikomi asked curiously, looking over the variety of herbs and spices she'd brought along. "Even with our envoys, cooking isn't very easy for us, so we usually just eat food raw. But a lot of the members of your flock have hands, right? It should be much easier for them to handle fires and preparing food! We have a lot of spices here you could cook with to make everything more flavorful."

Tyrian laughed, shaking his head. "No, the concept of a garden is new enough for them. We eat everything raw, too. But maybe I could plant a couple spices anyway, see if I can't convince any of them to take up a new hobby! Everyone in Kawani seems so much more advanced than where I came from, but so much of our time was focused on survival... raw food kept us going for so long, and it was tasty enough! There wasn't much of an incentive to improve anything when it worked so well for us for so long."

"That makes sense," Ukiyo-e nodded in understanding, humming thoughtfully. When you were so focused on just surviving day by day, in such a harsh environment, making food taste better wasn't a priority. All that mattered was nourishment. "But now that your flock is starting to thrive instead of just survive, you all have more time for leisure, yes? It's the perfect time to introduce more new things to your family, find something new to make life a little more enjoyable! Gardening is just the beginning. After you grow the food, you can start to explore new exciting things to do with it!"

"I don't know the first thing about cooking," Tyrian admitted with a shrug. "I wouldn't know where to start, and I don't really have other friends yet that have experience with it... I think I just want to focus on getting my garden up and running first. I could use some help picking out which things to plant next, though. I have no idea what at least half of these are, but I'm excited to try them!"

Ukiyo-e and Tarashikomi shared a glance with each other, giggling at Tyrian's enthusiasm. "We can definitely help with that!" She stepped closer to the pouches of seeds, and together the three of them made plans on the future of Tyrian's garden.

With winter on the horizon and the end of the year in sight, Leonhart couldn't help but think of everything that's happened to bring him here to this moment in time. He was a proud father of four children, the lucky mate of a beautiful, strong wind mare, and a member of a prosperous herd of fellow winged soquili. While the herd itself has struggled through many trials, they seemed to always come out the other side stronger than before -- and so has Leonhart and his family. Smiling to himself, he dropped a delicate silver chain into a small pouch filled with other miscellaneous jewelry supplies, cinching it closed with the drawstring. Scooping it up between his teeth, he spread his wings and took to the skies in search of his Gabrielle with his gift.

She wasn't hard to find in the herd lands. It was a rare sunny day, and while it was still chilly, Gabrielle had found herself a nice spot to relax while soaking up the warm rays of the sun. With a happy sigh, she closed her eyes and lifted her head, the crisp winter air filling her nostrils and blowing through her pastel mane. The flapping of wings in the distance drew her attention, her ears flicking toward the sound before turning to look to see who was approaching. Gabrielle smiled at the sight of her mate drawing near, fluttering her wings before pushing herself up to stand. As Leonhart landed, she nuzzled her face into his neck, soaking up the warmth of his body heat as she greeted him affectionately. "What's that you have there?" she asked, nodding toward the bag in his mouth.

Leonhart placed the bag down between them, then nudged his nose against hers gently. "Just a small gift. Nothing very exciting this time, I managed to trade for some nice pieces of plain jewelry that need your creative touch." He grinned with Gabrielle's eyes lit up, watching as she bent her head down to pull the bag open and nose around at the contents. "Oh, this are perfect! Lovely on their own, but there's lots of things I can add to spruce them up even more," she cooed happily, stepping over the bag carefully so she could cuddle up to her mate. "You always bring me such fine pieces to work with. Are you sure you don't have a little artisan in you, too? You have the eye for it, at least..."

Leonhart flared out a wing to blanket over Gabrielle's back, tucking her close to his side. "Well, I do think I have a good eye for beauty... after all, I found you, didn't I?"

Gabrielle laughed and rolled her eyes, shoving him gently with her shoulder. "I'm glad you didn't try to use pick up lines on me when we first met. I might not have ever gone home with you!" she teased, nipping playfully at his jaw. It wasn't entirely true; he was a handsome stallion, and she'd been drawn to him from the start -- and while looks may have played a small role, it was really his kindness that made her fall in love with him in the end.

"I would've won you over eventually!" he whined with a faux pout, flicking his tail to brush up against her long braid. "But... I'm grateful you did," he continued, the silly expression melting away as his tone grew more serious. "I can't imagine how my life would've gone if I'd never met you. I'd be a lot lonelier, that's for sure, but I really think you bring out the best in me, too."

Gabrielle's cheeks warmed beneath her fur in a blush, but she leaned further against his side, rubbing her cheek against his neck. "I'm thankful too. You introduced me to a great herd who took me under their wings, I have four amazing children... and I guess a pretty good mate, too," she added with a teasing smile, brushing his shoulder with the curve of her wing. "We really have a great life, you know? And we built it together. Ugh, I know it sounds cheesy, but... I feel like I have everything I've ever wanted. I can't think of a single thing I could possibly ask for."

"Well, I don't know about that," Leonhart chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mirth as he looked down at her. "Maybe a couple of grandchildren, at least! But... you're right. I can't help but feel anything but grateful for everything we've accomplished together and the family we've raised. Thank you for always being by my side," he murmured, closing his eyes as he pressed his forehead against hers. The pair of them stood there together for several long moments, basking in each other's company as they reminisced about the life they've shared.

Thorn growled irritably as he examined another berry bush whose fruit ripened too early, leaving behind smaller berries that fell from their branches much earlier than expected. A bead of sweat trickled down his brow, and he shook his head to keep it from dripping into his eye, leaning down to sniff at the fallen berries. Not good. A false autumn meant food was going to be more scarce, which means it would be difficult to fill the food reserves for the winter. This also meant the animals would likely migrate sooner to find food elsewhere, which meant fewer hunting opportunities, too. With five other mouths to feed -- his mate, his familiar, and now his three children -- Thorn was at a loss. He knew he wouldn't be preparing for winter on his own -- he had a family to help him, now -- but the added responsibilities still weighed heavily on his shoulders. It was more dangerous, and harder to break down and preserve, but he might just have to resort to hunting down bigger game this season.

Rosalie hopped over to his side, picking up one of the berries to take a nibble out of. She scrunched her nose up at the taste. "Bitter. It'll be hard to convince your little ones to eat these."

Thorn grunted, turning away from the bush, following the trail towards the lake where he first met Fell. "They'll eat it if they get hungry enough." It was a harsh truth, but already Thorn was making plans to scout outside of his usual foraging grounds to look for something sweeter. It wasn't practical, but ever since meeting his mate and starting a family of their own, he found himself being a lot less practical in favor of things that brought smiles to his family's faces instead -- even if he'd never admit it aloud. He didn't want any of them to wait until their stomachs cramped with hunger to finally choke down bitter tasting food, especially not during the winter when it was so important to keep on the fat.

"I'm sure we can mix in something sweet to mask the taste," Rosalie assured, patting one of his large paws when they stopped by the lakeside. She knew Thorn well enough by now to know he wouldn't let it come to that; his hard exterior held a soft heart on the inside.

After the pair of them drank their fill, Thorn dipped his paws into the water, wading out until it was up to his shoulders. As the cool water soothed his overheated body, he finally began to relax a little. Things would be fine. This wasn't the first false autumn he'd lived through. Nature was resilient, and so was he -- so was his family. Thorn watched as Rosalie padded out into the shallow end, long ears causing ripples through the lake as she found a spot to settle down for a nice soak. One of the upsides to false falls were the fish -- the unusual temperature fluctuation meant that the fish would be confused and begin their winter feeding early, leaving them fattened up and easy prey.

Maybe he could bring the kids out tomorrow and start teaching them how to fish. It was an important skill to have regardless, and with how slow the fish will be during the feeding frenzy, it'll be easy way for them to try their own paws at it -- and have some fun splashing around in the water to cool off, too.

He'd still need to find fruits and vegetables to supplement their diets -- and so Rosalie had something to eat, too -- but now that he had a plan coming together, Thorn felt a lot more at ease. Today may have been a bust, but there was still time before true fall settled in to make the proper preparations. In the mean time, he would enjoy spending time with his growing family... which, of course, brought another concern to the forefront of his mind. If his children were to grow anywhere near the size of his mate, they were probably going to need to find someplace new to live -- with a lot more space.

He pushed the thought aside almost as quickly as it popped into his head. That was a problem that could wait until after winter. He didn't usually put much faith in the spirits, but after blessing him and Fell with three strong, healthy children, he could only assume they were looking out for him at least in some way. If they could grant him children when he and his mate couldn't have any naturally, then surely they could lead him to a new place to call home once winter has come and gone.

The Flock didn't participate in the Spring Festival, but they did have a celebration of their own to welcome spring. The Dance Festival was a day Ainulindalë looked forward to every year. While he didn't partake in the dancing itself -- he was a stallion, after all, and the Dance Festival was a competition for the sisters of the flock -- he did get to play his music for the mares. While he was no stranger to dancing himself on his own or during Harvest Victory weekends, Ainulindalë much preferred to sit back and watch while playing on his harp. His music and melodious voice made a perfect backdrop for those who preferred slow, elegant dancing full of graceful movements and flowing silks. With caps secured over the tips of his claws to keep from snapping the strings, he starts up a new song as another dancer takes the stage, watching in quiet awe as she begins to dance.

And then he starts to sing. It's a slow, sweeping melody that matches the mare's graceful leaps across the stage, her silks designed to mimic the flow of water as they trail behind her. It had taken a long time for Ainulindalë to build up the confidence to sing the way he does now. He'd always been shy, letting his harp fill the silence when entertaining the mares. When he did try to sing, his voice was a quiet little thing, barely audible above the notes of his chosen instrument. But now? He was able to craft a perfect harmony, both voice and harp playing in sync. This was the second time he'd been invited to provide music during the Dance Festival, and he was quietly pleased that he'd grown so much since he joined the Musician's Guild.

Across the dance floor stood his sister by blood, Vanfinwë. As a mare, she was encouraged to join the festivities and participate in the dancing contests, but she was far more focused on making sure the food and drink met her high standards, and didn't run out too soon. She had always taken her role as a chef for the Flock a little too seriously. She knew how to dance well enough -- she'd been taught how to just like all the other mares, and it was an important part of the Flock's culture -- the attention made her feel awkward. It was far more important to her to make sure everyone was well fed with nutritious meals, and to make sure the Flock many celebrations had plenty of decadent treats to go around.

Xochiyotl was determined to change that and try to bring the other mare out of her shell. She was the complete opposite of Vanfinwë -- fun-loving and carefree, Xochiyotl was a kind, affectionate mare who found herself with a growing crush on the stoic tri-winged harpy. She admired her passion for her profession, the way she went above and beyond to make sure no one went hungry, even when the Flock struggled through harsh seasons that forced them to cut back. She thought it was especially cute the way Vanfinwë struggled to accept compliments. She made sure to do it often.

Having already taken her turn in the competition, now Xochiyotl wanted to dance a little for fun. And she didn't plan on doing it alone. Making her way over to the array of foods spread out over the tables, her eyes lit up when she spotted one of her favorites -- little individual cherry pies. She snatched one up off the table and bit into the pastry, humming happily when the flavors exploded across her tongue. The filling was the perfect mix of tart and sweet, and the crust was light and flaky. "Mmmm!" she wiggled a little in delight, her soft purple head feathers fanning out. "Are these cherries from Leia's orchard? They're so good... I think these might be your best cherry pies yet, Fin!"

Vanfinwë braced herself when she noticed Xochiyotl approach. Not out of dread, but because she knew the cute mare was going to chip away at her professional composure just by existing near her. As soon as the harpy mare complimented her pies, she was a goner, her cheeks warm from a deep blush that was, much to Vanfinwë's relief, hidden behind her dark fur. "Um... th-thank you," she murmured, her usual confident tone vanishing in the face of Xochiyotl's sweetness. She tried to play off her stutter by clearing her throat, trying to look anywhere but Xochiyotl's eyes. "I... I think you say that every year, you know." The comment was meant to be a light tease, but her tone just made it sound like she was simply stating an observation instead.

But Xochiyotl didn't seem to mind. She simply giggled, finishing off the last bite of her pie. "Well, yeah. That's because it's true!" She glanced around at the tables, noting the other mares and stallions working the buffet, keeping the food and drinks stocked and refreshed when needed. But there wasn't much activity at the moment. Most soquili were too busy watching the competition right now, which meant it was the perfect time to try and pull Vanfinwë away from her work. "You know, since there's some down time right now... do you want to dance? Celebrate spring properly?"

The question threw Vanfinwë off, glancing anxiously between the buffet and Xochiyotl's wide, hopeful eyes. "But... the food..."

"You have lots of help with the buffet! It won't hurt to step away for a bit. I mean, if you really don't wanna dance, that's fine... but you deserve to enjoy the festival too!" Xochiyotl bumped her hip playfully against the tri-winged mare's, then nodded towards the other soquili working the buffet. "You made sure all of them got time away from the tables to dance. I'm sure they won't mind if you take a break, too."

Vanfinwë worried her lip between her teeth. Xochiyotl had a point, but she had never been really good at making sure to take breaks of her own. There was always more work to be done. "I'm not very good at dancing," she confessed, but she'd already made up her mind, stepping away from the tables to join Xochiyotl out in the clearing where a few other mares were dancing casually to Ainulindalë's music, having already finished their parts of the competition.

Xochiyotl's face lit up with joy when Vanfinwë joined her, prancing eagerly into the middle of the clearing. "That's okay! I'm not really that great either. Just... go with the flow of the music. Listen to your body." She swayed her hips a little to the music, dancing in a slow circle around Vanfinwë, smiling sweetly when the tri-winged mare spun around in place to watch her. "The important part is just to have fun. I'm just happy that you wanted to dance with me."

The graceful confidence in Xochiyotl's movements drew in Vanfinwë rapt attention. She didn't think she'd be able to stop watching even if she wanted to. Before she realized what she was doing, she began moving along side Xochiyotl, the pair of them spinning around each other in slow circles across the clearing. The tension she kept in her shoulders began to melt away, her lips twisting up into a ghost of a smile. She didn't know what it was about her that drew in Xochiyotl's attention, but she hoped she would be able to keep it, even for just a little while longer.

And maybe she could find it in herself to take breaks a little more often.