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

[nothingsodivine]

I'm still waiting for the punchline. [He stops pacing.] He says that plan Jade gave us will take a life to replace Vi's. He's offering Vi a chance to go to... [he waves a hand] his god, instead- like it's the only sure way to save her. And the pudding next to the pie is he told Buffy and Elena that Vi is killing herself, because she's scared she can't save all of us and it's ripping her apart.

[Yeah...] And since I'm hung up on the fact that a person we can trust gave us that first plan and that person happened to be someone I was in love with, I'm too emotional to be making rational decisions... which maybe I am. But it's... [He paces again.] It's complicated. And trusting a guy who previously tried to murder all of us seems like a good way to get murdered or kidnapped or... probably both, in my case.

[witchwoman]

Did he say just which life would be forfeit? [It's easy to be afraid, easy to play out all the scenarios where it would be one of them that would be sacrificed for Vi's safety. But a life is vaguer than that. And Myri assumes that it was left intentionally so.]

There's already a life in mind to be lost once we go through with this plan. Several in fact. [Dimitris. Blade. Any of their cohorts that stand in their way. Myri was done reserving any of her compassion for those who stood against them.] Blade still holds Nadia captive, taught her to fear for her life, should she ever disagree with him or those who give him orders. He doesn't know how to deal in anything but fear and lies. He cannot be trusted.

[nothingsodivine]

He didn't even tell me that it would be a life. He said there'd be blood, which could mean a lot of things. Now I don't know if he elaborated on that for the girls or if they jumped to a conclusion and I won't know until we lay it all out tomorrow. [He huffs and then waits for her to finish, flailing excitedly when she does.]

That's what I'm saying, Myri. [He waves a hand.] No one knows this better than us- and Spike. We've seen Nadia when she's alone. But all he had to do was drop that he legitimately cared for Jade and wants to help Vi and they're eating out of his hand. Something doesn't smell right.

[He sighs.] And it's Vi's choice- I know. But Vi going to that god is bullshit and we can't even be sure that the risks involved with Jade's plan are even real. And I'm convincing no one. [Because... emotionally compromised.]

[witchwoman]

You said Buffy and Elena had these dreams? And they're siding with Blade now? [Her mind seems to be moving, recalling a time that seems a lifetime ago.] Back at NOVA, Elena and I encountered Blade in the studio. It was just the two of us. He sang for us and I-- There was something about him. If not for Elena. I was drawn to him, despite everything that I knew that should repulse me. If it weren't for Finnick and Rafael coming to find us...

[She shakes her head and pushes the memory away.] They must be under some sort of influence. Maybe it's easier for him to do it while he's already slipped into someone's dreams. Most people have their guard down there. [But not Des, because his dreams aren't anything pleasant, from what he's told her.]

I don't think Vi will go through with it. But... if she thinks that someone she loves might suffer in order to save her? [There is just no winning here right now.] We can't let her do nothing. Doing nothing will only end in her death. And I can't do that Des. I can't bury my sister.

[nothingsodivine]

Doppelgangers are immune to that crap, but Elena's already been distant since Kyp. He wouldn't have to do much. [REMEMBER WHEN HE GOT THAT NAT 20 ON DOPPELGANGERS LIKE A YEAR AGO. He never did anything with it. I'm cashing that in. He also rolled a 17 wis to remember that Elena's been acting shirty and quiet since the ceremony.] And he tried to make me and Buffy a side deal to get us to comply, so clearly he ain't playing hardball.

[He grimaces.] That's what I'm afraid of. Blade basically- and conveniently added a risk to Jade's plan that Vi would never try and chance, whether he was lying or not. And she can't die. If she had any idea- [He cuts himself off.] If it looks like she'll do nothing, I'll talk to her. I have some... experience with this kind of thing.

[witchwoman]

Des... be careful. I know that you've lived a lot longer than any of us. But Vi's stubborn. And the harder you push to tell her that you know better than she does, the more she's going to dig in.

[nothingsodivine]

She can't dig in when I tell her what I have to say- if she still wants to lay down and die after that? There's no saving her.

[He sighs.] I know what it's like to want to die that badly. And I know what happens when you get your wish. It ain't pretty. And Vi probably thinks she's going home to her mother or something equally crap. She-

[He hisses.] She doesn't know.

[witchwoman]

She doesn't want to die, Des. It's... it's not the same. She's just tired of being alive because the way she's living now hurts so terribly. If she wanted to die, she wouldn't be here today. She wouldn't be getting married and trying to enjoy every moment that she can. She's been surrounded by weapons, had access to impossibly high balconies. There are things in her garden that would make it look like she simply passed in her sleep. If she wanted to die, she would be dead. [It's a combination of Vi trying to reassure her after Rafael's suicide attempt had come out in the open and Myri's own empathic connection from before she left the group.]

[nothingsodivine]

It doesn't matter. It won't matter. [He can't even look at her.] She's not gonna die like this.

[witchwoman]

Des. [Her voice gets a bit firmer, reaching up to tilt his face so that he has to look at her.] We haven't lost her yet. But we will if we go into this like it's a battle. These are our friends. We're not fighting against them. We need to work together to find a solution.

[nothingsodivine]

[He makes a face.] I know. You just can't always be sure of that where Blade's involved.

[He pulls away from her gently, so he can dig in his pocket to produce a small stone-like object with a spider on it. ARDEN LINKED ME A PICTURE, BUT I DON'T HAVE IT. Leave me alone.] I found this under my pillow. I don't know if Buffy and Elena have them too- I only noticed because I keep my gun there.

[witchwoman]

[She's going to reach out and take it. Which is clearly the best thing to do with new spider objects that you find in this plot.]

What do you think it is?

[nothingsodivine]

I dunno. I was gonna give it to Gar or Francesca after the wedding was over to let them take a look. [He shrugs.] Given the way Blade was acting, it might have been a calling card. In case I changed my mind and took him up on his boss's personal offer.

[witchwoman]

Offer? [She looks a little alarmed.] What did he offer you?

[nothingsodivine]

Only one thing I want. [He holds out his hand to take the spider thingy back.] An end to my curse.

[witchwoman]

[Shock makes her freeze. She should have expected that but somehow didn't.]

Des, I... [Her mouth works open and closed, searching for words.] You turned him down? [Not that Myri ever thought that Des might work with Blade, but the fact that he'd give up on a chance to break his curse is big. Huge.]

[nothingsodivine]

[He rolls his eyes.] His god can't break this curse and he's an idiot if he thinks I'll buy that for a second.

[It's easy to just brush it off, like it's not a big deal when it really is. A few years ago, he would have done just about anything.] And even if he could, the consequences would be worse than the bitch of... [he gestures to himself] this.

[witchwoman]

[No, it's a very big deal. Des chose them, chose to help them and keep them safe, even when he had the chance for an out. He could have easily sold them off to the highest bidder for a shot at ending it and he didn't. Tears spring to her eyes, a mixture of good and bad emotions all at once.]

We'll find a way. [To save Vi. To beat them. To break his curse. For the first time, Myri's able to accept that helping Des find a way to die is part of the mission. As much as she doesn't want him to go, she's coming to accept that she can't be selfish about that anymore.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des opens his mouth to say something and then closes it again and swallows. He tries again.] I-

[He shuts his mouth again and rubs the back of his neck.] Yeah. We will.

[He shoves his hands into his pockets and nods towards the party.] Shouldn't you be dancing with Finnick?

[witchwoman]

I did. And I probably will later. [She smiles, blinking back those tears that have formed, taking a deep breath to lose the shakiness in her voice.]

I think he was talking with Francesca before I came out here. Maybe you could fill in as a dance partner until he's done? [Oh she knows that's a long shot. But she has to try. She loves the big lug. Also she's doing her best to be very convincing (diplomacy 29).]

[nothingsodivine]

[I don't even have to roll a will save. WHO THE HELL WOULD SAY NO TO THAT? What kind of monster...

He offers her his arm.] Shoot. Why the hell not?

[witchwoman]

[He's rewarded with the widest smile she's shown all night. Mostly because she didn't actually think he would agree. She just assumed he would politely turn her down and make some joke to brush her off and send her back to the party.

Slipping her hand to hold onto the offered arm, she heads back in towards the party.]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des rolled a significantly better dance roll than he did with his boyfriend. I guess that's what happens when Zarad's a jerk who insists on leading. (dance 38) He's got a pretty good foxtrot going on here.]

You enjoying yourself?

[witchwoman]

[Apparently Myri was nervous about dancing with Finnick at a wedding because she could barely tell her left from right before. But now? Well, she's definitely keeping up (dance 21).]

I am. [Which isn't a lie. She has enjoyed the wedding, but it's hard to explain just how she seems to ebb and flow with how she feels.] It's good to have moments like these- moments to show us that it's not just one bad thing after another.

[nothingsodivine]

Aside from the nightmares last night? [BECAUSE THAT SURE SUCKED. Not that he's worried about it right now. They'll deal with that problem tomorrow.] I think things'll start looking up after this. The bad guys are getting desperate.