#ellorgast
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A prompt if it tickles your fancy: #67 kiss prompt for Dorothea/Bernadetta?
It tickles me indeed! :D Thanks for being the first prompt for the Black Eagles Run!
[prompt rules]
[more Beagles stories]
67: When One Stops The Kiss To Whisper “I’m Sorry, Are You Sure You-” And They Answer By Kissing Them More
--
The show went off without a hitch as far as Bernadetta could tell. Dorothea had warned her to expect hiccups or missed cues, this being the first night the Mittelfrank Company was showing this particular opera, but Bernadetta hadn't noticed even a slight wrinkle on the costumes. She stood and clapped with the rest of the audience as the actors came out for a final bow, beaming when Dorothea's gaze lingered on her.
The crowd began to file out shortly after. Bernadetta hesitantly made her way towards the backstage door Dorothea had told her to use. She had permission from the star of the show, of course, but what if someone stopped Bernadetta before she could explain that? What if they didn't believe someone like her could be the Dorothea Arnault's girlfriend?
As Bernadetta came upon Dorothea's dressing room door, however, she found the guards otherwise occupied. Several men holding flowers and small gifts were arguing with Dorothea's Imperial guard detail. Bernadetta exhaled, immediately grateful that Edelgard and Ferdinand had insisted Dorothea have her own palace guards when the opera house reopened last year. One guard made eye contact with Bernadetta, knocked on the dressing room door, and gestured for Bernadetta to approach. Ignoring the outraged men, Bernadetta hurried inside.
Straight into Dorothea's waiting arms.
"There you are!" Dorothea squeezed Bernadetta tight. "Is it still bad outside? I was hoping you could get here before them."
"S-Sorry," Bernadetta managed.
"No, no, don't be. They're just that desperate, I suppose." Dorothea stepped back and cupped Bernadetta's face. "So? What did you think?"
Bernadetta shook off her nerves and smiled for Dorothea, who was still wearing her makeup from the final scene. "You were amazing! So was everyone else, b-but you were incredible!"
Dorothea laughed. "What part did you like best? Which song?"
"Oh, um." Put on the spot, Bernadetta was suddenly having trouble recalling any one part of the opera. She knew Dorothea had performed flawlessly and that the story had been absorbing. But in that moment, with her girlfriend glowing in her arms, Bernadetta's mind had gone blank.
After a few seconds-- during which Bernadetta silently screamed at herself to say something-- Dorothea's smile gentled. "Never mind. Here, help me out of this." She took Bernadetta's hand and led her over to the vanity table. Turning, she indicated the zipper on the back of her dress, still smiling at Bernadetta in the mirror.
Bernadetta unclasped the top of the dress and began undoing the zipper. It was hard to keep eye contact with Dorothea, so she watched the zipper unwind instead. "Sorry," she said quietly. "I really did like it. I'm messing things up again. I should've brought you flowers or something like those guys so you knew how much..."
The dress pooled at Dorothea's feet. Her slip was a silky brown that almost matched her skin. Dorothea kicked the dress away and sat at the vanity bench facing Bernadetta, clasping her hands.
"Oh Bern..." Her tone alone was a balm to Bernadetta's nerves. "Anyone can give me flowers. You're the only one who can give me what I really want after a performance."
Bernadetta stared. Her mind, previously filled with a light buzzing as her anxiety cooled down, was suddenly flooded with images, any of which could fit into what she believed Dorothea was implying.
Sliding her hands from Dorothea's, Bernadetta cupped Dorothea by the chin, and kissed her. At first she easily slipped into her girlfriend's mouth-- but pulled back when she felt Dorothea tense. "I-I-I'm sorry!" she squeaked as Dorothea's wide eyes met hers. "I just thought-- Didn't you mean--"
She was cut off by Dorothea pulling her back in for another heated kiss. Bernadetta stumbled forward until she was practically in Dorothea's lap. "That is exactly what I meant," Dorothea said against her lips. "You just took the hint faster than I thought."
"O-Oh."
"Do you want to keep going?"
Bernadetta wanted to say that she would do whatever Dorothea wanted. That she was happy to have an edge over those men outside. That Dorothea deserved only best after carrying the show the way she had.
Instead, she drew Dorothea in with a kiss to the cheek, chin, and finally lips. Dorothea hummed in triumph, and Bernadetta decided that this was her favorite part of the opera.
#fire emblem three houses#dorothea arnault#bernadetta von varley#fe3h#kiss prompts#beagles run#dorodetta#bernthea#im not gonna know so many ship names oops#ellorgast#resisting the urge to put this under a readmore bc i think it's decently short??
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👢for Raine?
The classic Ishgardian Thighboots! Not too impractical, and they go with nearly everything.
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Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 33 - Friends
Friendships are some of the most important things in any person's live. In some cases, friends become more important than our actual families to us. In these stories, we get to see these connections shine.
As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).
Sillage - @floraone
In this port Stars (anime) one shot, Mamoru who is thrown off by everything he seemingly missed while being gone, goes to see Rei to actively not ask what had happened when he wasn’t there. Rei though, being a great friend, fills in the silences and points a few important things out.
Would You Like To Date My Friend, Chiba Mamoru? - @floraone
Although Usagi found one Mamoru Chiba absolutely gorgeous, she managed to convince herself that Ami would be a much better fit for him, going out of her way to set up their date. In her end of chapter notes, @floraone mentioned that there was another part to this story - and I would absolutely love an epilogue of sorts, even if it is 3.5 years later.
Save the Hero - @my-crazy-awesome-socks
Usagi is struggling with some of the decisions she was about to make during her battle with Galaxia and cannot seem to shake the feelings of regret and fear. That is until she opens up to Motoki about what has been weighing on her the most.
Miraculous Musings: Vignettes of a Miracle Romance: Chapter 27: charm - @goddessalthena
Usagi's way of coping with the post-Galaxia world is making life challenging for Mamoru and her friends. Eventually Mamoru brings himself to ask why, convincing her that nothing needs to change when it comes to him at least.
Commencement - @goddessalthena
This was the first story I had thought of when coming up with this list. I absolutely love the thoughtfulness and the friendship between these two, which rarely gets the spotlight. To commemorate Makoto's graduation, Mamoru makes sure that she doesn't feel like he did during his.
Dreamweave -@ellorgast
In this one-shot, Mamoru tries to help his newly awakened Shittenou deal with their nightmares, at least one night, potentially misusing his Golden Crystal.
"Oh, Is He Your Brother?" - @riverlethe9
Usagi inadvertently gets pulled into a confession from another girl to Mamoru. Confessor then proceeds to treat Usagi like dirt, earning ire from both Motoki and Mamoru.
These Games We Play: Chapter 5: Treasure of the Moon - @allyunabridged
In this one shot, Usagi drags Rei out to a secluded beach on a hunch, searching for hidden treasure.
---
That's it for this week. Here is the schedule for upcoming May posts with input from a few awesome people in the fandom (potentially a little Mamoru heavy but I am sure @caelenath won't mind 😜)
May 1 - Body Swap
May 8 - Medical Assistance
May 15 - Sex Pollen
May 22 - Psychometry
May 29 - What If
Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:
Week 1 - Groundhog Day
Week 2 - Established Relationships
Week 3 - Sex Positivity
Week 4 - Unfinished Stories
Week 5 - Darker Stories
Week 6 - Potions 🧪
Week 7 - Reveals
Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃
Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions
Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU
Week 11 - In-Progress Fics
Week 12 - Mutual Pining
Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers
Week 14 - Slow Burn
Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!
Week 16 - Christmas Part 2
Week 17 - New Years
Week 18 - High School AU
Week 19 - Slice of Life
Week 20 - Coffee shop AU
Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth
Week 22 - Friends to Lovers
Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️
Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)
Week 25 - Soulmate AU
Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)
Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀
Week 28 - Fix it Fics
Week 29 - Prompt: Mug
Week 30 - Flowers
Week 31 - Traditions
Week 32 - Dreams
#sailor moon#usagi x mamoru#fic rec#fic list#motoki furuhata#makoto kino#rei hino#minako aino#ami mizuno#shittenou#friends#friendship
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When you see this, post 5 songs you actually listen to and tag 10 of your favourite followers/mutuals!
Thank you @hikamaus for tagging me!
Okay... five songs I listen to... how about five songs I not only listen to but actually StUdIeD because of PGSM Reinako feels? 🤪 I listen to songs more for muses and inspiration for fan video and fanfic writing, instead of following a certain genre or singer/band.
~~~~~
I'm Here - Aino Minako (Komatsu Ayaka): Hey, this is a PGSM blog, so how can I not mention my favourite character song from the live-action series? Despite I'm Here was never aired in the actual show and only appeared in the special album, once I understood the lyrics, this song immediately had my emotions in a choke-hold. While Sayonara ~Sweet Days was about Minako's thinking about her friends, I'm Here is basically an inner monologue of Minako's true inner feelings that we don't get to explicitly say but implied in canon-PGSM. Listening to it helps me write what I believe to be an accurate depiction of PGSM Minako a lot. Seriously, this is one of my most-listened-to songs and I often play it on loop when writing fanfiction. Here's my proof from iTunes:
What If I Told You - Jason Walker: absolutely gave me Reinko feels when I listen to this song. It's on my to-do list to make a PGSM fan video using this song, but I just never got to it. lol
Sprinters - Kalafina: I don't think I've ever shared this before. This is the song that started me on the path of writing Echoes of Time. The original muse, you can say. Understanding the lyrics on top of loving the moving melody just sends my brain into overdrive building a whole story about Rei and Minako's love story. One day I also want to make a PGSM fanvideo using this song. lol
Slow Dancing in a Burning Room - John Mayer: This song give me a past-life Mars Venus tragic love story vibe.
Destination Nowhere - Erika: This is actually the intro song to Mop Girl, a slightly supernatural mystery JDrama Keiko was the lead actress of in in her early career. While Sprinters was what led to the story of Echoes of Time to form in my head, this song was what started me on the path of imagination, an imagination of what a more mature Rei's adventure would be with her spiritual power. While Keiko's character Momo was extremely goofy and un-Rei like, but the portrayal of her character in the intro sequence, the supernatural vibe and Momo's self-sacrificing heroics in the last episode strongly reminded me of Rei.
~~~~~
I don't know about "favourites", but I definitely feel like I haven't really recognized some folks who I've been seeing in my activity recurringly.
No pressure for anyone to do this (and I don't know if I'm tagging people's side blogs or main blogs, sorry!), but I'd like to try to reach out to some folks through this, so I'm tagging:
@suzuran-s-rooftop @junpr @ellorgast @ladyloveandjustice @afandomfarfaraway @rainbowxfmuses @smcempathy @fandomfuckery @izazizan @pgsm-gal
Special shout out to @pgsm-gal for being the only live-action focus blog I know that is out there on Tumblr. Funnily enough because I generally only hyper-fixate on the live-action, and most Sailor Moon blogs are anime/manga or mixed focus, I don't follow much Sailor Moon related blogs, and instead my dashboard is filled with other random fandom that I reblog on my main. So I only recently found out and actually took a look at @pgsm-gal, and it's awesome! If somehow folks following me haven't checked out their blog yet, give it a look! We can never get enough live-action PGSM blogs here. It's such a niche in the overall Sailor Moon fandom community. :')
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Vancouver Sangria: A drink recipe
For @adriannasharp @nelwynp @ellorgast and @galaxylily
1 bottle white Portuguese wine
1 20 oz bottle of mango soda, from 7-11
1/3 cup mint leaves, coarsely shredded
3 ripe peaches, pitted and sliced
A dozen lychees, pitted
2 ripe kiwi's, peeled and sliced
***
In a pitcher, combine wine and fruits, muddle slightly with a spoon to crush the fruit slightly. Add mint, muddle some more. Pour in mango soda and stir. Serve chilled.
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Tagged by the lovely @managodess to play the url song game
Rules: write a song for every letter of your username
R - Rootless Tree, by Damien Rice
A - Are You Alright by Lucinda Williams
V - Ventura Highway by America
E - Emmylou by First Aid Kit
N - No You Girls by Franz Ferdinand
S - Sinnerman by Nina Simone
K - Kokomo by the Beach Boys
N - Nine Lives by Aerosmith
O - One Fine Day by Carole King
W - Walking Far from Home by Iron & Wine
L - Love Like Ghosts by Lord Huron
E - Electric Pow Wow Drum bu The Halluci Nation
D - Dirrty (feat. Redman) by Christina Aguilera
G - Gay Bar by Electric Six
E - Edamame (feat. Rich Brian) by bbno$
This was harder than I thought it would be, I spent so much time going through my Spotify 😅
Tagging: @midyearflowers @danieljacksonphd @overgrown-ruins and @ellorgast
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i commissioned @bowldeepfannish to draw the guys from @ellorgast 's Monster Socks! and then i had a fun coloring book day with it 😂 i'm like. SUFFER THE ROOM
this if it's too busy:
#monstersox#elianthos art#smokingbomber colors#mamoru chiba#shitennou#tuxedo mask#endymion & shitennou#monster socks!#popcorn#haha
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Tagging by @diesel-park
Last song: I wasn't 100% sure what this is asking, so here are two answers... that I listened to? Walk on the Ocean by Toad the Wet Sprocket; that I want to hear as I'm breathing out my last breath? Ode to Joy by Beethoven or Bolero by Ravel or maybe Bugs Bunny & Elmer Fudd's version of Flight of the Valkyries
Currently watching: Million Pound Menu on Netflix - I love weird little reality shows so much
Currently reading: A Desolation Called Peace (sequel to A Memory Called Empire); it's slow going but I love it so
Current obsession: a plot bunny that I tried to take a few notes about so I couldn't forget but then it completely kidnapped my brain
Zero pressure tagging! If you feel up to it, great. If not, also great. @burritosandpeppermint, @reelaroundthedavekan, @disastrid, & @ellorgast (and anyone else who's interested)
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ellorgast gifted me 24 hours of Tumblr Dashboard Crabs! 🦀.
FRIEND ❤️
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for @ellorgast! thanks for donating!
i’m still doing art for BLM donations! message me a screencap (preferably with a timestamp+my blog or something) and what you’d like drawn! here’s a good resource https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/#donate
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Could I request “holding hands while jumping down from somewhere together” from the handholding prompts with Edelclaude?
Oh wow, I've actually never seen that prompt before. Here goes!
(Currently accepting rare ships! Click here for the info post!)
--
Two beasts Edelgard could have handled on her own. With Claude at her side, their success would have been all but guaranteed.
But then two demonic beasts had broken through the trees to join the other beasts, running towards them with sharp teeth and sharper claws. Edelgard didn’t need Claude pulling her back by the arm to convince her to run.
“So much for our date!” Claude called as they ran.
“I told you, it is not a date!” Edelgard jumped over a berry bush. “I simply asked you to look around the sealed forest with me!”
“Yeah, by ourselves! On a lovely spring day!” Claude ducked under a tree branch and flashed her a grin. “How else is a guy supposed to take that?”
Edelgard didn’t dignify that with a reply. Chancing a glance behind them, Edelgard saw one of the beasts open its mouth wide, throat already glowing. She grabbed Claude and pulled them down a different path to the right. He followed without resistance-- and not a moment too soon.
A blast of energy crackled behind them. The hoard of beasts struggled to change direction, buying them some time. “Thanks,” Claude said, his tone more sober than before.
Edelgard merely went on running, followed closely by Claude. She couldn’t explain why Claude had been her first choice for this adventure but she was grateful to have someone at her back who could keep up. Their shared curiosity could be trusted, even if Edelgard didn’t trust much else about him.
Soon they reached the edge of the sealed forest, which stopped abruptly at a cliff above a river. It looked deep to Edelgard. Perhaps too deep for comfort.
The sound of the beasts behind them grew louder. “Looks like only one way out to me,” Claude said, looking over the edge. “Ready, your highness?”
“I...” Edelgard was momentarily torn between jumping into the water and facing all four beasts. But that was childish. No matter her ridiculous fears, there was only one course of action.
Claude grasped her hand, making her tense. “Together,” he declared. He grinned again, but this one was less playful than before. It embolden Edelgard rather than annoyed her. She squeezed his hand with a nod.
Then her feet let the earth. They both screamed as they fell, drowning out the snarls of the beasts that had just burst from the forest. Claude’s nail dug into Edelgard’s hand but she couldn’t find it in her to care as the river rushed up to meet them.
Cold water enveloped her, shocking the air from Edelgard’s lungs. Claude���s hand threatened to slip from hers but she clung to him. She kicked her feet and waved wildly with her free arm until they broke the surface, both gasping.
Only then did Edelgard let him go, confident they wouldn’t be separated now. She looked around, trying hard not to think about how much deeper the water under her feet went. The cliff on the opposite side of the river looked fairly easy to climb up. And it lacked any malicious beasts. “This way,” she said, beginning to make her way over.
Claude seemed much more at ease in the water than Edelgard, and he passed her almost immediately. Once he reached water shallow enough to stand in, he reached out to take her hand again, pulling her the last few feet until she could stand as well. This time, he kept a tight hold even as they sat heavily on the shore to catch their breath.
“I apologize for my hesitation,” Edelgard said after a few moments.
Claude shook his head. Water fell from his braid. “It’s fine. It’s probably smart to stop for a second before doing something that reckless anyway.”
Her hesitation this time could have killed them-- but Claude was trying to be kind, so Edelgard did not protest. “I promise our next date will not end so dramatically,” she said instead.
“So you admit it? This was a date?”
“There seems to be no talking you out of that assumption so, yes.” She squeezed his hand again with a smile. “If it pleases you, this can be a date.”
He smiled back. “No offense, your highness, but I think I’ll be planning the next one. Just in case.”
“No offense taken.”
#fire emblem three houses#edelgard von hresvelg#claude von riegan#edelclaude#fe3h#rare pair run#ellorgast#this one is defo gonna end up on ao3 eventually#it was fun#it's ALWAYS fun to write these two how dare I forget
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Five Things You Never Get Tired of Writing
tagged by @storyknitter
Rules: list five things you never get tired of writing. It can be tropes, themes, characters, phrases, whatever brings you joy. then tag five people!
My list:
✨pining✨
between-the-scenes fics expanding on character interactions and feelings and/or flagrantly adding shippy content, Action Movie Quiet Drama Scene style
"we were lovers in a past life but now we're enemies and these feelings are confusing, halp"
weird blurry dreamscape sequences full of symbolism
hurt/comfort
Tagging @violettduchess, @senshilegionnaire, @greyias, @aquagirl1978, @ellorgast
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If you're still taking prompts, perhaps Byleth teaching Edelgard how to wield the Sword of the Creator?
thank you for giving me an excuse to write this dfjksla!! i ended up writing like. the leadup to byleth teaching edelgard how to wield the sword of the creator but i might continue it sometime, it’s a prompt and a concept i really like! i think it’d be neat both aesthetically and as a character beat for both of the girls-
Byleth doesn’t have her crest anymore, that much is clear. After the battle, once she’d regained consciousness, she’d reached for the Sword of the Creator only to have it burn her. She’d drawn her hand back quickly, and Edelgard had carried the sword home instead.
Days later, the Sword of the Creator sits safely in her new room in the Enbarr palace, completely unusable. Byleth stares at it, glowing slightly and providing a dim light. She can hear her heart beating. It’s so loud. How does everyone else think with it constantly beating? It makes sense that she can no longer use it: she’s lost whatever essence of Sothis was in her, and without her she no longer has a crest.
The feeling of loss she feels from Sothis’ absence is difficult to formulate in words. Byleth stills has a hard time untangling her emotions, often ending up unable to parse her feelings as anything other than a vague sense of numbness. But when she thinks about how Sothis and the Sword of the Creator, once so comfortable and familiar, are gone from her forever, she feels the sharp pain of sorrow strong enough that she knows it for what it is.
Enough is enough.
It’s late, but Byleth knows that Edelgard is likely to still be awake. Running a new empire is call for many late nights, and Edelgard does not sleep well even in the best of times. Byleth walks through the halls unbothered, and Edelgard’s personal guard lets her pass without incident. She’ll have to remember to tell Hubert about that - even she shouldn’t be able to get past the Empress’ guards without being questioned. They have to keep El safe, above all else.
She knocks on the door to Edelgard’s quarters, and after a brief pause, the Empress opens the doors. Edelgard’s hair is down, and she looks almost like the girl Byleth once knew back at the academy, although time has hardened them both.
“Byleth?” Edelgard says, standing perfectly straight, even at this hour. Empress is a mantle Edelgard can never put down, even when she is resting. “Is everything alright?”
“You have the Crest of Flames,” Byleth says.
“I- yes.”
“You could wield the Sword of the Creator,” Byleth replies. She feels a tiny coil of what she thinks must be envy, but she turns away from it. Envy is useless. Envy cannot bring back what she’s lost.
“I could,” Edelgard agrees. She’s uncomfortable with this conversation, Byleth thinks, but she needs to do something to alleviate this feeling.
“You should,” Byleth says. “I will teach you in the morning.”
The suggestion of a smile crosses Edelgard’s face, “Very well, my teacher.”
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Hey I just finished the Silver Snow route and I came here to say Edelgard Was Right. I thought siding with the church would dampen my love for her, but now I just love her more.
The same thing happened to me when I beat Silver Snow!
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ellorgast replied to your post “Ignatz wants to give me a painting and he’s going to put his heart...”
You recruited Caspar! He's a precious bean. Who else did you recruit?
I got all the adults. Caspar, Dorothea, Slyvain, Flayn, Felix, and I’m made because I got Linhardt, but for some reason it didn’t carry over? I picked him up right before the final battle so I think it glitched :(
I was close for a couple more but sadly I didn’t manage it :(
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Commission #1
For @ellorgast
Prompt: A Very Spirited Wedding
Ships: Usagi/Mamoru, Senshi/Shitennou
Rating: PG
Get your own commissions from me here or check out other people offering commissions here!
**
Something Old…
Her dress is spotless white satin glimmering with seed pearls and a flowing overlay of chiffon embroidered with rosebuds. Angela has just finished dressing, and makeup, and had kicked out the well-meaning army of her mother and future mother-in-law and bridesmaids and photographer after the requisite pictures and champagne, just to take a moment for herself. The woman in the mirror glows with excitement and the flush of love, but there’s always a hint of nerves, of the finality of tying oneself to another person for the rest of one’s life. She knows, more than most, anything can happen. Countless tragedies spring from a single blink-of-the-eye catastrophe, or one bad decision.
A knock, a harmonious, familiar voice at the other side of the door. “It’s Jay. Are you decent?”
He looks exceedingly handsome and somehow a bit stately, dressed in pale grey linen with a sprig of sage and ivy— silvery and lush green— pinned to his lapel. It’s not a typical choice for a suit or boutonniere, but it suits more than black-tie would, and he’s holding something in his hands— gleaming silver.
It’s a delicate tiara, wrought branches of metal so intricately worked as to look like the slender stems of living flowers and vines twisted together. Drops of clear crystal like dew glitter against the silver, along with fantastical flowers carved out of jewels— blue irises, pink rosebuds, yellow daisies and red poppies— an effect which should’ve been crass, but when he places it on her head, over the filmy lace veil, she looks like a fairy princess. The metal feels slightly warm and almost alive against her hair, and she smiles up at this surrogate brother, this forever friend. “How did you know I’d looked in every single boutique in this city and couldn’t find anything?”
He grins, and the stately, somewhat remote look vanishes. “Well. For one thing, this is super old. But I am firmly of the belief that it will bring you good luck, you little ball of sunshine. I brought it out of storage.”
She thinks art nouveau, circa 1920’s, perhaps out of a safety deposit box somewhere in a bank. He knows, but doesn’t say, that it had been wrought by the masterful hands of his clan’s greatest artisans, in moonlit smithies high up in mist-shrouded mountains back before the first ships had ever even crossed the ocean, blessed by starshine and magic and centuries’ worth of romantic hopes and dreams. She just knows that it fits perfectly, and her eyes shine a bit brighter in the reflection, and she reaches up, impulsively, to give him a hug. “Something old, right? Thank you.”
“I wish you all the best and brightest of this world’s blessings, my friend.” He presses a brief, grave kiss to her forehead, right under where the metal meets skin, and it feels like the strangest of benedictions, almost solemn and formal. But then he steps back, and he’s Jay again, and he makes a cheeky comment about how beautiful she looks and how Adam is going to swallow his tongue when he sees her, and he leaves as quickly as he’d come on quick and silent feet.
**
Something New…
The blind date with Jareth’s friend had gone surprisingly well. Zhen, with his indolent green eyes and roguish smile, is well-spoken and courteous, with an almost-dangerous way of looking and listening to a woman as though he’d been waiting all his life for what she had to say at any given moment. Raina considers herself immune to such foolishness for the most part, but that Jareth considers him a friend is a point in his favour. It’s unspoken, but not unknown, that she and Jareth are both a bit out of the realm of the ordinary mortals who surround them.
When she’d mentioned the wedding, he’d cheerfully agreed to go as her date. “I love weddings. Such an optimistic sort of atmosphere, no? Whatever storms the happy couple may face in the future, for today they are deeply in love, heads and hearts full of rose-coloured dreams and hopes. And then they almost always have fabulous food and delicious cake. That cannot be overstated.”
She’s not as optimistic, perhaps, about the concept of marriage. But she rather likes Adam King, out of her colleagues at the hospital. He’s intelligent and capable, as is expected for his profession and academic record, but furthermore, there’s a soul-deep, untarnished light of compassion and empathy in the blue of his eyes. He had not become a healer because it was his birthright, like her, but because he genuinely, in his quiet, mortal way, felt and wanted to heal the pain of his fellow humans. It stirs a long-dormant feeling of fond protectiveness in her, and when she and her date go to wish the happy couple well at the start of the reception, she means it genuinely.
Zhen looks keenly interested in the proceedings, and though she’s quite sure that neither the bride nor groom had ever met him before, he greets them both with the cordiality of a socially-adroit man intent on befriending them both. He had not brought a gift-- (she had picked a popular programmable coffee and espresso machine out of the online registry, knowing Adam’s fondness for mochas)-- but he’d brought a card, and tucked in a scratch-off lottery ticket. He hands it to Adam, in person, rather than adding it to a pile left somewhere, and the groom opens it, reads the message aloud.
“Best of luck with your love and your lives together. Blessings upon you both.” It’s a nice enough message, and written in exuberant flourishes of looping script. Good-humouredly, Adam claps Zhen on the shoulder, and scratches off the silver wax on the lottery ticket, then his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline as he scans the ticket again.
“Did you win something?” Zhen inquires pleasantly, his lazy smile playing across his lips.
“Three matched sevens across, and then these two numbers mean…” Adam furrows his brow, and glances around before lowering his voice. “I’m not much for playing the lottery. But if I’m reading this correctly, did I just win $5000?!”
“Well, well.” Zhen’s voice is low and pleased as an animal’s purr. “How lucky for you, my friend. I do think that is a fantastic beginning to your new life together, wouldn’t you say?”
Raina hears pleasure and something close to triumph in her companion’s voice, but not even a little bit of surprise. This man, with his scintillating gaze and effortless charm, is much more than he seemed. She’d have to keep an eye on him.
**
Something Borrowed…
Linden Thorne does not often work in the role of caterer, but on impulse, she had accepted to provide both the cake and food for this wedding, and she had found herself pleasantly surprised at how much she’d enjoyed it.
The bride and groom were perhaps two of the most pure-hearted, genuinely good mortals that she had ever come across. A doctor and a social worker, both working tirelessly to help and heal the physical and emotional damage of any of their fellows that crossed their paths-- and humans are a fragile lot, indeed. They had been pleasant, easygoing, not at all demanding, and so deeply in love that both of them all but glowed with it. The bride especially, with her boundless energy and equally irrepressible sweet tooth, took particularly well to any and every thing that Linden had her sample.
So, she’s not entirely surprised when Angela-- who had been Angela King for all of perhaps an hour-- peeks into the kitchen area where the wedding reception is taking place. Linden has a half-dozen sous chefs and assistants putting together delicate canapés with the efficiency of a battalion following the directives of their commanding officer: a lanky young man is on top of a step-stool putting the finishing touches on the top tier of the wedding cake-- translucently thin slivers of gold leaf, velvety rosebuds in shell pink and scarlet, a woman with a severely pinned bun is garnishing exquisite smoked salmon toast rounds with glossy black caviar and eyelash-thin fronds of fresh dill. The bride, still in her gown though sans veil, grins at her with a good-humoured yet half-embarrassed look that Linden interprets in an instant.
“You’re starving, aren’t you?”
“A bit, yeah. I had a salad last night for dinner. Then it was my fault this morning because I was too excited to eat. But now I’m shamelessly begging in here like I have no sense. You can totally tell me to buzz off.”
Linden finds herself laughing, unoffended. “It’s your wedding, so it would not make much sense for me to tell you to buzz off, wouldn’t you agree?”
“But you’re busy, and this is probably rude of me, so…”
“I will forgive it this time.” Linden steps away from the buzz of activity, digs through the pantry and fridge. The bride is a silly, bright-eyed slip of a girl, sweet and pure as vanilla buttercream, and if the world has yet to break her spirit, who was Linden to take that onerous task into her hands. She cuts two slices of rye bread, then adds Dijon mustard, peppery arugula leaves, generous slices of red tomatoes and sharp cheddar and cold chicken breast. A sandwich is probably the least glamorous meal that she could have put together in that moment, but the girl’s eyes light up like stars nonetheless.
Linden, with an indulgent smile, slips her own chef’s apron off of her neck, and carefully ties it over the bride’s flowing white gown. “Okay. Eat up.”
“Oh, God, this is the best thing I’ve ever had, and I know I’ll be saying that again like twenty times tonight after everything else you’ve made, too,” Angela says in between bites, looking like a mischievous fairy princess who’d snuck down to the palace kitchens in that borrowed apron. She finishes the sandwich with rather unladylike haste, but then gets up, with her usual endless energy, and reaches up to give Linden a hug. It’s such a human gesture-- warm and impulsive and sweet and unexpected, and Linden pauses awkwardly before returning it.
“Feel better now?”
“Oh yes. Thanks for the apron. And the sandwich. And everything.” Angela slips the apron off, mussing her hair just the faintest bit, then beams up at Linden again. “I really hope that you’re as happy as I am today. Forever. Does that sound silly?”
Forever is a long time, far beyond the scope of what this silly mortal bride could fathom, but Linden knows that the bright-eyed, perhaps foolish girl means it with every beat of her kind and affectionate heart. And so she lets the genuine goodwill of the wish warm her spirit, like a borrowed candle shining valiantly on a dark night, far after the party is over and the bride is well on her way to her honeymoon.
**
Something Blue…
The late September breeze filters through the tall, slim boles of a tall aspen decked in autumnal gold outside on the grounds of a Manhattan church, the sound soft and gentle as whispered prayers. Inside, a wedding ceremony is taking place, a young man and woman exchanging their vows to their God and each other to live the rest of their lives together in love and unity and devotion.
Contrary to popular belief, Kafziel does not spend the majority of his time on the premises of churches in the city. But this morning finds him on the rooftop of this particular building, a stalwart sentinel visible only in the fleeting, ever-changing reflections of the panes of the intricate rose window in the facade of the building. Of course, there is no one around to see him-- all the visitors to the church are well enough inside to watch the happy couple getting married.
Kafziel knows, of course, the history of the bride and groom, as he knows the history of every other man, woman and child currently living in that great city, and even by his exacting standards, both of them live decent, upstanding lives above reproach. Neither of them were born here; indeed, the young man in particular had been the product of a most unpromising beginning. And yet, they had found their way here, and to each other, and flourished in love and light and goodness despite everything which might conspire to tarnish the kindness of two such spotless souls.
The pane of leaded glass reflects, at that moment, a face of stark, stern beauty and foreboding. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” The words are familiar and easy, but Kafziel knows, more than any, of the way great darkness follows great light with dogged, demoniacal tenacity. There is a chill in the air; winter is coming, and with the frost portents sharp strife, perhaps even great trouble. Those who would engender all which he abhors would feed, frenzied, upon the darkest, basest impulses and sins and actions. The happy couple who are even now enjoying their first kiss as man and wife have no idea that their union portends any number of potential catastrophes of a dark and sinful world rebelling against their very radiance. Kafziel’s reflection squares its shoulders, firms its grip on the mighty, fire-tipped sword that throws jewel-like beams of light through the stained glass into the building.
But even as he braces himself for what must inevitably come-- perhaps a day, or a month, or a decade from now-- he feels the presence of others crowding in, like a ragtag bunch of plucky soldiers summoned to a war they might have no call to fight and yet taken on with every bit of courage as such a troop might muster. The chaotic whimsy of a shifter. The primeval fire-and-wildwoods magic of a nature goddess. The calm, steadfast wisdom of a healer and the tireless, graceful agility of a brace of wandering Ælf-kine. Others, too, all gathered here, converging by luck or fate. Kafziel pauses, and allows himself a faint, almost-hopeful smile, and overhead, the sunlight breaks through the clouds as the sky turns a brilliant blue.
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