That Sacred Arrangement....

[all7seas]

Who: wise_maiden and lists_to_port; We are leaving this log WIDE OPEN. So if you are family or friends, you are invited and may mingle or gossip or be all dressed up or get drunk or do the electric slide or WHAT HAVE YOU. Are there any Wedding Crashers in Luceti? Ha!
What: Wedding
When: Monday afternoon
Where: That spot with the lilacs by the river in that meadow west of the village. You know that spot---we know you know that spot.
Summary: Jack and Raine get married, and everyone ships it hard forever.
Rating: G I expect? It's so hard to tell sometimes.



On the morning of his wedding, Jack sat bolt upright in bed and then vomited onto the floor. Several minutes after that were spent dry-heaving and gasping for breath, and then another several minutes crawling to the bathroom to put his head under the shower. Cold water---it brought back reality and rationality, and erased dreams of being a pirate and dying in some war and having a best mate and a lover who had always been forbidden him---ever since Jack Horner's lesson and the two weeks following it.

Sparrow figured it was a case of wedding nerves. Strange dreams were a new thing for him, after all--normally he slept dreamlessly and woke up alert.

Later, as he stood in the quiet meadow he and Raine had chosen for their ceremony among the fragrant lilac trees, that morning dream was forgotten. Sparrow was calm. Happy. Clean-shaven and dressed in the attire Buffy had picked out for him and eagerly waiting for his beautiful bride.

Comments

[all7seas]

"For you? Anything." He bowed over her hand and kissed her knuckles before heading to the kitchen. Luckily he had stocked the place before the wedding, so there were plenty of waffle-making ingredients. Soon enough a very delicious waffle-y smell is floating through the house.

[wise_maiden]

"I'm looking forward to it."

While he makes the waffles, she finally gets out of bed properly. Her eye falls on one of those paintings, but she shakes her head from it, moving toward the bathroom to shower, anyway, finding soft towels, fresh clothing and a bathrobe from one of her yet-unpacked crates along the way. She still felt a little off, but she was sure it would pass as the day continued. Nothing to worry about.

[all7seas]

Once the food was set out on the table, Jack went wandering in search of his wife. He found himself instead with one of her paintings in his hands. He realized he had never really taken the time to examine her work, but this was filling him with a very strange feeling indeed: instead of giving him insight into the woman he married, it was only making him feel more distant from her.

How well do I really know her after all? was the ultimate reaction.

[wise_maiden]

Operation: take a shower, had taken Raine a little longer than she had intended, for varying reasons. She was distracted, for certain, by tiny nagging thoughts, but she instead chose to focus on the shower itself, shoving those thoughts in the back of her mind. Things felt... good, but also a little sore. Different. She wasn't sure what to make of that feeling, but it was another she shoved aside--not today.

Eventually she emerges, all clean and fresh and dressed in slippered feet as she goes in search of him, finding him looking over those paintings.

"... Jack?"

[all7seas]

"Love." He put the painting down abruptly and went to her. "Breakfast's ready."

[wise_maiden]

"I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long. It smells delicious."

[all7seas]

"Not in the slightest; we've all the time in the world, now."

Another offhand comment that suddenly felt not right, but Jack ignored it this time. He offered his wife his arm, then changed his mind and swept her into his arms to carry her. Something about that felt right, somehow--as though it was a privilege he was rarely granted and he had to take advantage of it when he could.

If she wanted him to, of course, he would set her down.

[wise_maiden]

Had it been another time and another place, she would have minded. But she was in a state of mind where she didn't mind--she just wanted to enjoy the time being close to him. After all, it was only a matter of time before she had to work again and so would he, and then they might not really have as much time to spend like this.

"It certainly feels like it, now."

[all7seas]

"Mmhmm." He leaned in to kiss her, which maybe wasn't a good idea as he was also walking toward the kitchen, but he managed not to walk them into any walls or doors. Somehow.