wedding ♔ so let in the morning light and let the darkness fade away

[luthir]

♬ from this moment on- shania twain ft. bryan white

WHO || Vi, Luthir, Wynn, Jack, Myri, Finnick, Francesca, Val'drin, Spike, Dumage, Felicity, Gus, Astrid, Fred Jr., Kat, Gar, Buffy, Rafael, Elena, Alaric, Rose, Dimitri, Aedan, Dovan, Lan, Zero, Koraith, Mark, Dawn, Archer, Des, Zarad, Alex, Faith, Faye, Sean, Anastacia [closed]
WHAT || Vi and Luthir's wedding
WHERE || Chelsea Physic Garden, London
WHEN || June 6th, evening
HOW || Actionspam

Now officially Knighted, Vi exchanges her ceremonial armor for a wedding gown, and the guests head into London to gather at the Chelsea Physic Garden.  The evening is warm and clear, and the flowers in full bloom, chairs set up on the main lawn with name tags on them for people to find their seat.  Gentle Elvish music plays everyone in, and at the front of stands an arbor covered in wisteria.  It's a remarkably peaceful setting, enough to dispel further some of the grimness of the past few days and create an atmosphere of smiles and warmth.    It seems to reinforce what Luthir has been telling Vi all along: that maybe now more than ever, this is the sort of thing they need, in order to remember what they're all fighting for.

Comments

[witchwoman]

[Myri ducks her gaze, blushing lightly at his very vague compliment.]

Well, you're certainly not lacking in charm. I'm Myri, if you didn't know. [Maybe Des has told him shit. She doesn't know, okay.]

[fornicator]

I know. [ he fixes his flawlessly bright blue eyes on her intently. ] Des has said a lot about you.

All good things. [ he offers her a hand. ] Take my word on it.

[witchwoman]

He's said very little about you. [There's a bit of a joke there. Secret boyfriend, what is your deal???] But the things he's said are the ones that matter. [She looks up at him, smiling in a small, private sort of way, like she's known him, even if they've never spoken. Des trusts him. That's enough for her.] I'm glad you could make it.

[fornicator]

Des can be very... protective of the things he loves. We both can. [ he leans back against the wall with a casual air ] Especially after what happened with Jade - he'd rather keep me at a distance for his own peace of mind.

It's nothing against any of you. But I think he figured once you all knew about us, it'd be more difficult for him to compartmentalize.

[ he looks around with a smirk ] But since he's invited me here tonight, I guess some of those bets are off.

[witchwoman]

Yes, our group can be... eager. And I'm sorry if any of that has made you feel at all uncomfortable. [That's why she waited to slip off to find him elsewhere, to hopefully avoid the others seeing it as an opportunity to gang up on him.] I can't promise that it won't keep happening as time goes on.

[fornicator]

It doesn't bother me. But I'm not sure how much of me you'll be seeing around.

[witchwoman]

Hmm. [She hums in agreement, thinking for a moment before she just decides that this is totally acceptable behavior for when you first meet someone.] Do you love him?

[fornicator]

[ ♬ a thousand years - christina perri

a warm light seems to suffuse his eyes, as if the stars catch and reflect there, and his smirk tempers into a much gentler smile as he looks at her for a weighted moment. ]

The word barely seems to cover it. [ he tilts his head slightly, thoughtful ] But yes. With every fiber of my being.

He's well aware of it.

[witchwoman]

He's important to us, you know. [Theres no thinly veiled threat in her tone. She's just explaining.] I don't think he ever wanted to be. He wanted this to just be a job, but it's not. [She glances back towards the party.] He's family.

[Stepping around to face him, Myri looks up (way up) at Zarad before glancing down to take one of his hands in both of hers.]

Thank you. For taking care of him, for making him happy. It means more than I can say.

[fornicator]

[ zarad accepts her hand in his with a firm, kind squeeze, and there's a warmth in the gesture that carries an enormous amount of unspoken comfort, which feels personal enough that it's apparent that he shares her sentiment about not being strangers despite never having met. amusement colors his still very genuine smile. ] That's the last thing you need to thank me for. Since our very first meeting, I've recognized him as a soul in need, and I've always felt compelled to do everything in my power to help him. [ his smile turns a bit wry. ] ... Whether that was what he was looking for or not. Like you said, he can be... resistant, to that kind of thing. [ his gaze shifts in the direction of the dance floor, even though it's out of sight. ] But he longs for those connections the same as anyone does. More, maybe. Des just also recognizes that most of them will carry an inevitable pain he never really becomes immune to. It's become instinctual, on his part, to protect himself from experiencing that, anymore than he feels he has to, even if he knows the pain will ebb in time. [ his eyes move back to hers, thoughtful ] It says a lot, about the strength of his love, that it still affects him so strongly to lose those he lets in. But it's just as how he still feels the pain of every injury, every death, even if the effects never linger. The more he's suffered, the more inclined he's become to avoid situations that will lead him to suffer more. It's hard to fault him for that.

[witchwoman]

I used to push, used to want to make him talk to me. I though it would help somehow. But what I wanted from him wasn't what he needed from me. I understand that more now. [And it only took a couple dozen rounds of torture for it to stick!]

He's special. And not just because of the curse. The way his body carries on long after it should is... I can't imagine. But that hardly defines him- not that I have to tell you that, I'm sure. I just... I'm glad to see him smile.

[fornicator]

The things he wants from you are things we all want from our loved ones. Forgiveness, mercy, acceptance for who we are. But you're right. His curse doesn't define who he is. And he is special. [ he grins ] It's a good day when I can help him see that, even for a moment.

[witchwoman]

How did you two meet? If you don't mind me asking.

[fornicator]

We actually ran into each other on occasion over the years before we ever really finally had a decent conversation. We knew some of the same people, and he and I both aged well so to speak, in a time before that kind of thing was considered closer to normal. Made it sort of difficult not to be on each other's radars.

He told you we were old poker buddies, didn't he? Maybe he just neglected to say how old. He and I were both in New Orleans back in the days when the game was first invented.

[witchwoman]

He actually didn't tell me much at all. I heard about you from Spike while I was...away. [Glossing right over that.] But that makes sense. You being older, like him. Was he different then?

[fornicator]

He's always been the same stubborn bastard at the core.

[witchwoman]

Good. I think I'd be disappointed to hear otherwise. [She smiles and shakes her head, letting his hand drop from hers.]

[fornicator]

I at least finally got him to break where I was concerned. [ he smirks again, folding his arms across his chest. ] That wasn't easy either, but lucky for him, I'm a patient man.

... When I need to be.

[witchwoman]

When it's worth it? [She adds with a smile. She likes you, Zarad.] Unfortunately, some of us don't have quite as much time to put in- not for lack of patience.

But we make due.

[fornicator]

For what it's worth, I think you've definitely got under his skin. In a good way.

[witchwoman]

You'd know better than I would if it's a good thing. [She's quiet for a moment.] He blames himself for something that happened to me. I wish he wouldn't. I don't want him carrying that around for Stargods only know how long.

[fornicator]

[ his brow creases in a bit of a frown, and he looks back out at the stars. ]

That kind of thing isn't always rational. But I'd say that the way he feels about you is definitely a good thing, regardless of any of that.

Guilt can take awhile to dissolve, whether it's justified or not.

[nothingsodivine]

You two keep talking like that and I'm gonna get an ulcer. [HOW LONG HAS DES BEEN STANDING OVER THERE. We just don't know, but the second Zarad finishes talking, he steps out from behind a tree, looking like he's had one hell of a night.]

[witchwoman]

Des. [She's surprised but not really startled. One look at him has her smile falling slightly.] What's wrong?

[nothingsodivine]

I, uh... [He rubs his face for a second, and then turns to Zarad with a sheepish look and a nod towards Myri. It's apparently silent boyfriend code.]