baby shiragiku
after the massacre and the events of death of winter... in the new update,
I really think this conversation w shiragiku defined the difference between herself (stable, non romantically obsessive even as a young girl) and suzu/xianming (very volatile And romantically obsessive) and the ways they are similar but also different?
it sets up their positions on the board in terms of shiragiku just wanting a playmate and having absolute iron resolve
cats are very fluid by nature.
shiragiku is a kitten, but only bc she's being raised by a cat??
she has her plan for the next six years, and she's only twelve!
I also really like how suzu positions himself specifically not as like a parent, and ends up in kind of this? vaguely unreliable big brother type sibling relationship
he's barely 10 years older than she is
like he is responsible for raising her. but also makes it clear he has no idea how to raise anyone.
but also?? she is mostly Raising Herself Just Fine
and? the weird thing is? she really is fine
but he cares and tries to protect her and make her know she is cared (giving acorns with hidden talismans, magpie trinkets)
she is Also suzu's best friend like it sounds weird for him as an adult to only have an unrelated 12 year old girl be his best friend but she is like his little sister and it is less unusual to hold your sibling close to you
suzu doesn't really have any confidants, that's why he raises her after smashing youko's lantern
but she all her life... as an abandoned prince to the menagerie being saved by a massacre...
only has him.
her personality combines uraume's deliberate and demonstrative calm with Ambition
but bc she has ambition she has no?? romantic love in her heart
she just isn't prone to such entanglements