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Lilian Rook	No one gathered here today will recognize a single thing about where they are. That fact is just one of the many details that went into deciding where the ceremony would ultimately be held, but it was always a compelling one.     It means that, between the two to be wed, everything they can see out to the horizon is part of a memory shared by them alone. Though beautiful, though traditional, though agreeable to both customs, what makes it so special as to be worthy of the occasion is that this is the place where Tamamo had first met Lilian; the exact site where their fates had first been connected by a miracle, returned to only so that they can tie them together more tightly.     That it should be something 'theirs', into which they can invite all the others they love and care for, was something they both agreed felt right.     The venue is outdoors. The weather is perfect. There isn't a proper building in sight. Guests arrive through a warpgate that was set up just for the occasion; ostensibly with Commonwealth funds, no less. The point of arrival is out in the coastal countryside, where thick forest gives way to open skies and spring wildflowers just before the gentle curve of a lake. The subtle curvature of the ground and the silver glimmer of the ocean in the distance suggests the elevation of a grand hilltop since gentled by ages of wind and rain. The forest is so thick, the water is so pristine, and the air is so clear, that one would wonder if human hands had ever touched it at all.     They must have, at least, a very long time ago. The lake is strung through with a half-circle of megalithic columns, still breaching well above the water's surface despite their depth. Their cousins on land, matching the staggeringly intricate patterns etched on their surface, disappear almost immediately into the forest, but the closing of the circle demarcates its center at the highest point, where natural rock is exposed to the elements as a perfectly round and weather-smoothed plateau, surrounded by its own ring of standing marker stones and stained deeply with countless centuries of magic.     And yet the first thing you have to pass through after arriving is another gate; a torii style as old as the Heian period, fashioned from genuine sakaki, yet clearly new. Though the old-growth woods at the warpgate's back aren't exactly amenable to going anywhere else, the meaning of that particular piece of architecture is clear: it delineates 'those who have arrived to the wedding' from everything else.     Beyond it, the open-air reception grounds are filled in seemingly 'wherever the wildflowers aren't'. Tables and chairs are clustered in cozy groups beneath the half-shade of scattered old trees, and spread out conversationally where direct sunlight is the warmest. Ancient stones are draped with red and gold just as much as braided rope plays host to garlands of lavender and rosemary. Decorative lanterns hang prominent amongst silver bells, as the shuangxi and triquetra share obverse and inverse with corner to corner. Within a doubly-defined sacred space, half land and half water, half open sun and half shaded woods, the theme couldn't possibly be clearer, nor could you find so much colour in any ceremonial hall.     The invitation list was obviously 'by fond personal association' only, but it seems that list is surprisingly large. Even though you're allowed to wander even as far as the pebbly white shore (so long as you don't cross the innermost circle), it's hard to feel like any spot in particular is empty. Between the seating, the footpaths, and the places that were too beautiful already to touch, there are only just enough metaphorical corners for the dinner prep, the musicians, the check-in, the guest entry table (storage under, gifts over), the Commonwealth photography and video crews, the expertly ambiguous shrine-altar, and the Paladins-approved charity drive display which Lilian first resisted then became so enamoured with that she juggled the spots around to get it closer to the middle.
Lilian Rook	Though it's barely even a formality to check your invites, the two women waiting at the entrance do so eagerly; Arina and Satsuki, Lilian's juniors and former subordinates in the Immunes corps (and a certain supervillain simulation), now her fully-fledged peers, took up the job with the justification of being 'tough', but the reality is that they just want the chance to chatter at everyone first. Another pair of familiar faces are gathered at the charity board with phone cameras in hand, giddily aimed at everything but themselves; Eleanor and Hafren, graduates of the same year as Lilian and her oldest friends (and two-time class traitors, a few might know).     The only relatives of either bride that could possibly attend are Lilian's elder brother Bryce and elder sister Katrina, the former standing with an unfamiliar woman and having a private conversation near the inner circle, while the latter hassles the attentive photography crew with a list of last-minute things to absorb. Currently making use of the multifunctional altar is a woman making no special effort to hide a grand total of eight fox tails, being impossible to confuse for one of the brides given her white hair and red eyes; a woman who will introduce herself as Saeko if asked, and of Yakumo if prompted, saving 'no-Juubi'. With her should be Fuyume; the body double with which she typically masquerades as twins under the pseudonym 'Akari', but on the day of Tamamo's wedding, Sakura (listed with the filler surname 'Yamada' on her invite) is wearing the same clothes, which means she was smuggled out via illusion as a special exception.     Though select parts of the ceremony are going to be broadcast anyways, due to the outrageous celebrity nature of the marriage, there are several points at which people can 'remote in', out of the way of foot traffic. One is dedicated entirely to a cluster of apple red screens on a single connected OS, but at least one is host to Oreshnika and Ash, somewhere outdoors on their end, to match the venue, and as 'dressed up' as either of them is going to get (which appears to have been enthusiastically Nika's idea). The older woman who assigned checking on them to Petra (though there was really no need to ask), and has since gone to check on dinner preparations, then converged at the same shrine as the kitsune, and then moved to the red remote stand, is none other than Cecilia; whom one might notice, if they pay very close attention, has taken on every duty traditionally relegated to the bride's mother, and couldn't look happier about it, even if a little nervous.     With the weather as pleasant as it is, and with the necessities raised by such a heavily natural venue, the dress code has to be a half-step below black tie; tuxedos and evening gowns would only be at terrible risk, and incidentally, the array of colours resulting from those instructions actually fits the occasion much better. In the middle of the day, there isn't that much time scheduled between arrivals and the ceremony, and according to the program, there's a lot of time scheduled after; well into the night, for those who can stand it.     In the short time remaining, while the venue fills, seating is shown, and the musicians build up the the buzzing atmosphere, it is ensured that each and every one of you receive a palm-sized stone, uniformly old and water-worn, and are instructed in a bright but serious manner, to think of a hope or a prayer while holding it; for later.
Kale Hearthward	Kale shows up, wearing tan and brown that match his feathers, clutching his wedding gift under one arm. What do you get the girl who has everything, including at this point (through his Trideag employment) *you*? Hopefully he's found something. He pauses on first entry, looking around. "Oh, this is..." he says, and then forgets to finish that thought as he looks around. The gate especially interests him, he peels off from the procession of guests for a moment to examine it and verify that it is actually new and not a relic that Lilian has unearthed. Inward, dropping gift off at the table, and then... then just wandering, talking to people, marveling at the space, and finally receiving his palm sized stone as he's shown to his seat. Kale doesn't take more than a single moment before he decides on his hope, clutching it tightly as he sits down.
Kukuru	When Kukuru arrives, it's through the warpgate specifically rather than one of her usual portals. The day after receiving the invitation and with enough time to settle that initial rush of excitement, she had set an alarm to wake up bright and early just to prepare for today. That meant washing up well, straightening out her hair, making sure to apply just enough makeup carefully and tastefully, and giving herself enough time the night before to make sure her clothes are all right where they need to be. Today, she's dressed in a sleeveless gown that only exposes a bit of ankle above narrow heels, a matching capelet that nearly reaches her biceps, a bracelet around her left wrist, and teardrop-shaped earrings hanging off of her horns. Marveling at the beautiful locale just past the gate, Kukuru feels some of her initial tension over whether she'd be underdressed or overdressed for Lilian's and Tamamo's special day melting away just from the sight of it all. She's still visibly excited to be here, of course, although she might just look like a pleasantly giddy guest when she spots Arina and Satsuki at the entrance. "Hello, hello." She greets, speaking in a practiced tone to try sounding at least 40% less airheaded as she usually does, although that's still probably noticeably chipper regardless. "My name is Kukuru." The usual pause while she presents her invitation. "That's Ku-ku-ru. I'm here to... For..." There's a high-pitched noise stuck in the back of her throat as she strains to keep the excitement down, already struggling to do that much as she's reminded again of why she's here after looking at the invitation again with a giddily stupid smile on her face. "The weddingmmmmMM! It's finally happening~" She briefly breaks into her usual tone at full force, swaying in place briefly before remembering that she's trying NOT to embarrass Lilian and Tamamo in front of their friends. Clearing her throat lightly, Kukuru goes right to pretending like she didn't make that noise as she looks around for a place to set her mystery gift down. The two at the front can probably still see that slightly-teary shine on her eyes behind the glasses, although she's totally acting like that didn't just happen. "You two... Look a little familiar. Have I seen you around before? On... The TV?" After she's set her gift box down and shown her seat, meanwhile, Kukuru actually needs to burn off some energy for once before she can will herself to sit down. With stone in hand, she inhales deeply as she holds the stone close to her chest, nodding once at the instruction before closing her eyes. There's plenty of things she's hoping for, but what does she want right at this moment for this very day? One comes to mind quickly, much sooner than she probably even expected herself, and Kukuru finally exhales.
White	White... Has never been to a wedding. After consulting the Demon Lord, it turns out neither has she. Yet, both of them apparently are about to change that today. For one of them it's a little bit terrifying, but it's not the right time for a polite refusal either. Do your best, shut-in spider! At least you won't be there alone!      White is fortunately the type of person to shamelessly search the internet for information when she feels out of her element, and won't be wearing white to a wedding after all; it's a close call, but we take those! Instead, she's worked out a full-length backless sky-blue dress with her favorite type of pink-and-purple watercolor 'clouds' on the skirt beneath her waist. Her hair is braided in the usual way, hanging just as low as the dress, but she's left less of it loose beside her face than normal.      Ariel... Hasn't changed up her usual fashion very much on the clothing level. However, her usual spike-ended strip-cape is left at home in favor of a less threatening black cloak with small gold rings worked in along the bottom edge, upon which various jeweled rings, small golden trinkets and other expensive-looking accessories are attached as if solely for the appealing jingle-jangle when she moves. Her usual boots and long leather gloves are swapped for short heels and silk gloves instead, her bangs are tucked back mindfully, and she has a new silver hairpin that looks like a tiny crown perched atop the white stripe in her hair.      Arriving through the especially placed warpgate side-by-side, White keeps seeming to drift a step back to follow behind Ariel out of habit, only to get nudged forward again by Ariel; after a couple of times Ariel smacks White on her bare back with her palm, though White takes the somewhat excessive hit with just a small stagger-step and a brow-furrowed look aside. "Come on! You know I'm the plus one Shiro-chan!" Ariel tries to encourage, but she doesn't push that harder until they've gone through check-in. White recollects herself from the little stagger and politely bows her head to Arina and Satsuki, holding the invite out like a business card, while Ariel flicks hers out between two fingertips like she's showing off. Ariel all but chirps, "There ya go," before shooting a fangy smirk and a peace sign at Eleanor and Hafren, and anyone else that might be pointing cameras their way.      White seems to be trying her best to pretend the cameras don't exist at all, by contrast. She checks her hair briefly after straightening back up, looks around to take in the venue and surreptitiously snag a few unfamiliar people's names with the Evil Eye to get an idea of who-all is here, and... Wow, that just makes it all the more clear just how many people are here. But, White reminds herself, she is just another guest. She doesn't need to take on a bunch of attention, just... Be here, applaud when it's appropriate, give away her gift at some point, and... Is that it? That doesn't feel right, there's definitely more you're supposed to do at a wedding, isn't there? Guh... Hopefully she'll figure it out before too long.
White	Katrina seems busy, but White mindfully walks through her line of sight without interrupting the conversation to at least wave a little, before moving on to let her wrap up what she's doing. Katrina was nice, so White hopes she's been doing well. Maybe she'll charge her bravery meter to try and ask when she gets freed up later? Saeko and Sakura stand out a little, and it's Ariel who ends up musing out loud that "Ohhh, so Tamamo had some family to invite? Come to think, all the gods we know are pretty bad with their relationships, huh Shiro-chan?" White remains tersely silent at that, and Ariel giggles.      After obtaining Cecilia's name through her own means, White decides on the first course of action before things move along and everyone gets seated; one quick question to throw at the most professional person relevant to Lilian that she can think of, who would obviously know what Lilian would prefer! White manages her walking pace to catch up to Cecelia quickly, without running into anyone abruptly or standing out too much... Though moving at a semi-powerwalk in that long dress and heels is still a little noticeable. "Miss... Cecilia..?" White asks, as if she had only been guessing her identity and wanted to be sure. "What should I..." Breathe, White. It's an innocent question! "... Do... With my gift..? Is someone... Collecting... Them?"      White's gift is fairly small, so she could carry it around or even give it to Lilian and Tamamo directly, but she simply isn't sure what proper decorum looks like here. Should be resolved fairly easily! Ariel doesn't stick right at her heels for this, letting White handle her own business while Ariel fools around by teasing the photographers a little and admiring the scenery. After the matter of the gift is settled the two of them regroup to head for the seating without issue, greeting the people they recognize along the way.      While neither of them is familiar with the tradition surrounding the small river-stones they are now holding, they're fine to play along. White carefully holds hers in her fingertips, as if with great care. It takes her some time to settle on a hope, after both indecision and the urge to bargain herself down have had their way. For Ariel, turning her stone over in her palm with her thumb over and over, the decision was made almost immediately. No take-backsies.
Strawberry Princess	A tall skinny young woman with a several-times-scarred face arrives early. Her ponytailed hair is jet black; her slacks are only a little less; and her turtleneck sweater only a little less than that.      Only Lilian, Tamamo, Arthur, and Bond are likely to recognize her. Even the latter two might have a hard time; it's been years.      "Onyx," she says to Arina and Satsuki. "Witch."      A taller skinnier slightly-less-young woman, face scarred once but deeply, with her blonde hair loose over a green-patterened sundress that's clearly an uneasy-bold step for her, follows a couple minutes later. There's a video-conference tablet in her hand with a blue crystal-person lounging on a bed, on the other side.      "Strawberry," she says. "Princess. And Blueberry. Um, no relation?"      "... You knew that, though. Haha. It's, good to see you two again..."      Strawberry Princess seats herself in the back, intuitively, so as not to block anyone's view. She draws in on herself as a tangle of anxious limbs, rubbing her own bare arm. Onyx smells blood, and slides in beside her. "You've got me turned so I can't see anything, Strawberry," Blueberry complains via tablet while playing a PlayBrick game on her bed. "I'm, I promise I will. Sorry. It's just nothing's happening at the altar yet..." "Okayyyyy..." "Hey Strawberry," Onyx prods with a settling-in elbow-poke. "Oh, um, hey...?" "Strawberry who's that." "I don't... know." "Sure you do. You'll hurt my feelings if you forgot." "Hey leave her alone." "Or what, little TV?" "Who are you calling a--" "--Onyx?? Wait, you were changing your name to..." "Didn't change it." "Oh." "Yeah."      Understanding passes between the three of them, and it hangs for a few seconds. "... I didn't get a rock, Strawberry." "We'll share. Can you... think of a hope, please, anyway?" "Well, I've got mine." "I know."
Angela	Of course, Roland wouldn't miss this wedding for the world. And he isn't allowed to, even, because Angela needed someone to take her and she doesn't want to pester Petra about it. Roland has helpfully strapped an Angelapad to a selfie stick--but not for selfies but rather so that the camera on the Angelapad can see more of the scenery without having to be wholly stuck to Roland's hand level. As they make their way to the venue, they converse with one another. Roland is dressed in a nicer more put together suit, Angela is wearing a long green dress that she obtained entirely for this event. "You seem to be enjoying yourself." Roland says, despite Angela's expression being as neutral as ever. "Mm. I would have preferred if I could have been here on my own two feet, but at least this way I can record everything part and partial." "I thought you didn't forget--" "For now." Angela murmurs. "But honestly I am just happy to be invited. I have never been to a wedding before. This is special. Doubly so because it is hers." Roland looks down at the pad for a long moment. 'Even though she ultimately stood against you?' is on his face, but his gut doesn't let him say it. "I'm glad I got an invitation too. I've never been to a wedding either. Even with my partner, we didn't have any festivity like this." It was too dangerous for both of them to have some sort of big public affair like that. And even if it wasn't, it was expensive. Money that he was hoping to buy a one way ticket to the Nest and have a better life. When that promise was broken, when the chance he was offered was taken away forever, it hurt more than anything. Or at least, as he thought at the time. "Perhaps," Angela offers. "Once our work is done, I can ensure you a safe place to have a belated ceremony. And if you'd like--yours could be the second wedding I got to visit." Roland feels weirdly charmed and he manages a ghost of a smile. "Sure." but only briefly. He doesn't let his heart sink. Today is a day for happy memories. Maybe he gets to at least see what he missed. And not from some chumps he loathes at the bottom of the house, he gets to see people he truly cares about get to tie the knot and plot a happy course for the future together. Maybe today is a special day for him too.
Angela	There's...another gate! "Getting a good walk in." Roland quips. "How's my tie?" "Acceptable. Do you mind wandering around a bit? I'd like to get a good view of the venue." Roland doesn't mind. Roland is carrying two wrapped gifts under his free arm which he sets down on the table. One is wrapped in bright green wrapping paper, and Roland's has little fox patterning all over it. He sets them down together, both have cards taped to the packages. Roland pays a visit toKatrina first at Angela's request. Bryce seems busy with something personal, business is a little different. "Hello Katrina. I do not wish to keep you since you appear busy, but I wished to say hello. Good to see you." Roland notices the screens once he notices Ash and Nika on one of the screens. "Looks like they want you to move over there." "Of course. See you later." Angela blips off the Angelapad and, after a few moments, moves over to the official screen. ''The stones.'' Roland hesitates and puts a stone on Angela's screen and grips one tightly himself. "Looks like we're making a wish later." Roland says. He knows what he wants. "What're you going to wish for?" He asks. "Openly sharing a wish is against the rules. I'm settled. Feel free to mingle as you'd like." But Roland makes his way over to White, though. "Hey," He tells her. "I noticed there's a gift table getting filled up." He points towards where Kale and then he placed gifts. "Don't know if it's officially where they go but sometimes gift piles just happen naturally." "Hello White. Hello Ariel." Angela says. "You look good."
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Attend ceremony     Arthur? In a tux, one that fits? Astounding thought, but it could have happened if not for some careful maneuvering. Instead, the jet-black one-step-below-tux suit-and-tie look with a white-silver tie-pin in his classic space whorl symbol are his own attending colors -- or lack thereof, besides some rare white or red inner lining on certain spots. > Arthur: Meet and greet with the ones you know     That's, first and foremost, Sakura and Oreshnika! Ash, as well, albeit somewhat less positively. Also Bryce and Katrina right? Cecilia, just a little! Eleanor and Hafren are even less familiar. But Arthur's wandering all over, in high spirits. No matter how difficult things have been lately, all of this... It's absolutely a day with celebrating, and with lots of enthusiasm.     It took a while to convince him that a wedding in this tradition doesn't actually have a "best man", so he was a little bit sour *until* someone explained to him that weddings that aren't basically culturally christian, and in particular weddings between girls, might not precisely follow the exact same routines that he knows from television. And anyway, it doesn't literally mean "the man who is the best", which, why would you even think that, dude? Come on. > Arthur: Did you bring a gift?     What do you get for the woman who has everything? Some Afterus wine in an unthinkably high-class vintage wouldn't go amiss, kept by Arthur from long before its unification. He's also gifted the geometry necessary for a wholly unique cord-knot for any hand-fasting stage of the wedding, a precision-tuned creation of Space that he swears is a binding designed to guard against any tragedy, indefinitely.     Maybe most importantly and appropriately: A gleaming pocketwatch, ticking softly, that never needs winding and holds enough time-antagonistic Space-aspect that it always stops, even in Lilian's pocket, when she freezes time, keeping seconds precisely. > Arthur: Form a hope or prayer     Is it tacky for a god to pray? No, actually, it's considered basic politeness. His hope is simple, and he holds it intensely in his heart. Then, he holds it intensely in the stone as well. One day, a thousand years from now, this artifact might be known far and wide as a divine object full of blessings. Perhaps it will shape history. Perhaps it will hold down a piece of paper and do not much of anything at all.     A little prompt appears above it. Eventually, one hopes, the newlyweds will get to interact with it. Or *something* will happen with it, anyway. > Arthur: Meet and greet the other guests who you know who are arriving too ...
Petra Soroka	This is a day that Petra's been preparing for for a long time too! The relationship between Petra and Lilian is one that's hard to strictly pin down, between the unspoken but obvious romantic aspect, the power imbalance in arguably either's favor, the fact that Petra sometimes sleeps at Lilian's house and does her chores, and when she doesn't, she's sleeping in a doggy bed Lilian bought for her-- but the reason that Petra is excited for today is simple.     That's her bestie!!! And she's getting married!!!!     She's chipped in where she's been welcome to, despite not being overtly included in the organizing. That meant setting up the charity drive weeks ago, and earlier today that meant fussing over and reassuring Lilian, and somewhat less-earlier, that meant carrying in dozens of unwieldy wicker folding chairs and tables on her own to set them up at the venue. So, as the time draws close, Petra hurries home, gets changed, and when she returns, it's not her first time seeing the location but she's no less excited for it.     Somehow, despite this, she's the only person that Satsuki actually acts like a bouncer towards. After some protestations, she's through, and immediately, she's off galivanting through the wildflowers (really, just energetically buzzing around every which way to hit every social interaction available to her).     Neither of the brides are the type to wear a suit to a wedding, but Petra is, sort of. A typical suit, in her mind, has been completely categorized as workwear because of the City, and most of her other outfits are either far too casual, or far too esoteric, for the event. So what she's wearing is similar to an off-white suit from the waist up, but flares into a blend between a short skirt and a half-cape past the hips. Underneath that are puffy white dress-*shorts*, made sophisticated by the overall amount of ruffles and embroidery in the outfit, and knee-high black boots.     And so, after taking a stone and clasping it in both her hands with an extremely serious expression, Petra ping-pongs rapidly through her social links before settling down in her seat. Eleanor and Hafren     "Hi Sabrina! Hi Eleanor!!" Petra's barely ever met them in person outside of the Supervillain Simulation, but even though their first impression of her was the fiasco on Nova Heliosanctis's campus, Petra can't help but feel extremely positively towards them. "Wait, wait, are you gonna be taking pictures the whole time? Could you share the album somewhere after?" Sakura     "Oh!!! You're here in *person*!" Petra seems to be completely indefagitable in how she bounces up and down in the grass through every interaction, balancing on top of roots where they break above the ground like her auto lock-on is trying to force her to climb a tree. It's very good that Sakura is here, and also a little sad that Sakura is here, and so Petra will mentally keep track of her location at all times today.     With her is a figure that Petra recognizes despite having never seen personally, so she blurts out, "Saeko...?" The moment it leaves her mouth, she intuits how overfamiliar it sounds when she knows there *should* be something like Tamamo's 'no-mae' at the end, but she has no idea what that title is for Saeko, so sweat beads up nervously on her brow until this situation is resolved by anyone but her.
Petra Soroka	Nika and Ash     Ash is still a sore subject to Petra, but it's not like she could just *ignore* the pair of them. Besides, she's made herself feel debilitatingly sympathetic to Ash again for nearly punching her off the planet, so even though her body language is careful and tense, she's drawn over to the screen anyways. It's also *so* critically important to hype up Nika's outfit.     "Hey!! I, uh, set up the Eggpack over there, so--" The screens have a good enough view of the ceremony itself, but the bulky robotic backpack is placed on top of one of the folding chairs at a table, where otherwise it'd be impossible to really include the remote viewers into a casual conversation. "Um, I fiddled with the grippers a bit, so it should be able to hold a glass pretty well now. And, if there's anyone you need me to introduce you to, just, let me know!"     Cecilia is given good luck wishes with both fists clenched when she passes by Petra-- of course, they've both been in and out of the venue all day, but Petra has to psychically beam enough positivity into Cecilia that it radiates out of her and into Lilian for the ceremony.     Then, it's to her seat, but there's other Elites she has to talk to too!
White	Roland and Angela are familiar faces! Hooray! Though, it's a little embarrassing for White to immediately be told by someone else that the answer to her question was observable and obvious. Maybe she's more frazzled right now than she thought? Mannnn...      White looks between Roland and Cecilia, thinks for a moment how to recover from the fumble, and makes a soft hum of new comprehension. "... Okay. I haven't... Done this before." When in doubt, the newbie excuse is usually a good one! She has no sleeves on, so she clasps her hands together to conjure a small box from a violet ripple of magic. It's only the size of a box for a pen, or maybe a small knife? It seems very light though, and doesn't rattle when she moves it in her hand. "I will... Go put it down... Soon, then." Soon, because it'd be weird of her to just turn and run away after her mistake, and also because Angela is here! "Thank you... Miss Angela. You do... Too. Is that dress... New?"
Petra Soroka	'Tamamo-no-Mae' and 'Lilian Rook' aren't exactly household names like 'Queen Elizibeth' or 'Oprah' are-- but the world is still in a state where the fictional vampire Carmilla still ranks in the top ten most famous lesbians, so this is a comparatively very high profile event. Two well-known, photogenic, heroic Paladins Chevalier, marrying to each other, will inevitably draw considerable media and civilian attention as likely the most famous sapphic ceremony in years, and, uncontained, that attention could easily spiral out of hand.     Which is why (also inspired by Lilian's panic when Tamamo polled for men's headpat preferences), Petra set up a charity drive for the wedding, for positive press, diverting the internet's fervor, and, also, because it is good to give money to a charity. By donating ten credits to a particular queer youth support organization, anyone in the Sector could get a short message to put up on a wall at the wedding venue to show their support, thanks, or congratulations.     Accordingly, there's thousands of them, if not more. The vast majority are well-wishes, just saying congratulations or hoping for good things in their futures; some are effusive praise from fans, others are thanks from civilians who were incidentally and facelessly saved by one or both of the pair's heroics.     There's one person, however, who saw fit to donate dozens of times all on her own, stringing together so many 100 character messages that she effectively plastered an essay on the wall at Lilian and Tamamo's wedding. Because she's a saint, and also because she thinks that the writing style is familiarly flowery, Petra places this essay right in the middle of the wall at eye-height, arranging the shorter messages around like it's a centerpiece.     It reads, inexhaustively, ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ To the Dame Commander, Doctor, and Chevalier Mrs. Lilian Rook,     It's difficult to know just where to start with this letter to you. Just like the journey you've taken in your life, the influence yours has had on mine is one that resists summarization at every turn. If I wrote first of the ways you inspire me, then the ways you've challenged me would trail behind as if second thoughts; if one were to only list your triumphs, then the adversity you've faced would seem inconsequential. And yet, to put to text the entirety of what lies inside my heart remains an ever-frustrating impossibility, and so one must resign oneself to choosing only one place to begin . . . .     It goes on and on like that, organized into *paragraphs*. The writer talks about a PR campaign Lilian did half a decade ago that she barely remembers, and how it hit the writer at a low point in her life-- the words 'noble' and 'heroic' come up more than once, but 'unapologetically feminine' is in there too, as well as praising Lilian's willingness to assert boundaries in media appearances. The meat of the anecdote shared by the writer is that the good that Lilian's done for the world directly inspires her to do the same, pivoting into volunteer work, soup kitchen types and fundraisers, and she attributes the positive turn her life has taken to Lilian.     The message, or formal letter, signs off with a completely unfamiliar name, 'Nancy McLaughlin'.
Xion	Xion received an invitation to a very special event that she had wondered about, and dreamed expectantly of, and dreaded, and come to terms with and returned to anticipating. It was something she had gripped the invitation for and noticed the emotions in herself first from the shake in her hands. Like 'good tears', the awkward and inexplicable slam of her Heart cast no light onto which specifically thing she was supposed to understand from the way her hands fumbled on opening the letter, but she opened it and read it all the same and... Didn't know what she expected, calm as she was when she was done. It was just places and things and a situation to be in. She still wanted the same things, and it was to be a day to celebrate Lilian and Tamamo so there was no need to freak out! Sore, still, from the heartpound treason of anticipation, Xion went to prepare for the day. She arrives in the sacred-certainly place among the flowers in a dress of black with silk-black sash and backribbon. Across the front from upper right shoulder in a crescent to lower left hip is a glitterwhite dusting like a scattering of stars across the black. She finishes with black gloves and black boots, slightly more formal than usual, and a pair of hyacinth flowers that sit over each ear. Stuck to her accessory slots, they seem pretty attached there. Stepping onto the grounds and wowed immediately, she lingers by reception for a few moments, trying and failing to think up a good opening line and then realizing she doesn't need one by the time she gets there. Happier, then, she greets Arina and Satsuki with a cheerful grin and a "Hello!" before taking a breath and getting her bearings and forgetting for a beat to introduce herself because she felt known. "Oh, um, Xion." She hands out her invite and fidgits slowly. Could there be fraudulent invites? It seemed so distant and unthinkable, ... to Xion, who had only expected to need to avoid the wedding due to Angela's war and the fallout after. Wait. Would she be stopped at the gate? A shock of anxiety rattles the bars of her heart's cage and Xion's smile wavers. Thankfully, because Petra is ALSO there (how could she not be?), Xion quickly quells her fluttery nerves when Petra bounces off, still impressed at Petra in a suit (fancy, not work) but a little adrift in the party. Handed off a stone, considering the object, Xion asks a question: "Does it have to be just one wish?" === An invitation to a very special event had gone out to several places. Some had to be delivered to strange places! One was delivered to New York City, and went on a little journey. At the Avengers complex in upstate New York, Steve Rogers sat at one of the team workstations, resenting his extra ergonomic chair while hunt-and-peck typing out an email response to the Director of SHIELD. Natasha Romanoff, now short of hair but still the same length of attitude, entered holding an IMPORTANT LETTER. "Tony still at that. . . thing?" Natasha asked, beginning as soon as she acquired Steve from a lean-in around the doorframe of the work area and continuing as she snaked around the doorway and through the desks. Steve, without looking up, sighed. "Nat, he went to space. The Shi'ar? Carol? You're not asking this, you were at the same briefing." The exasperated Captain begins, knowing he's been volunteered for something. Romanoff smirks and makes a single squelch-chew of a piece of gum between molars. "Right. Who's taking his mail?" Still without looking up from his deliberate 'tak tak tak' of typing, Steve frowns. "I'm not opening his mail, Nat." A pause, and then just to be clear that it wasn't just moral grounds, Steve adds: "That's a felony. Also, Tony said Friday was taking his mail." Considering their recently battles with Ultron, Romanoff tilts her head and blows a small bubble to snap between molars again. She speaks after. "Right. So you want her to open a physical letter with. . . what hands again?"
Xion	Steven Grant Rogers drops his chin and exhales. Then his hand comes up over the monitor, but his eyes don't. "Just give it to me." He asks, and Natasha oblidges. Drawing a knife, he very carefully peels the adhesive to maintain as much of the letter as possible, working at any seals and finally prizes letter from sleeve, only to read it... and gasp out something like a shocked squeak. So startled, Natasha leans in to commit a felony boldly and read the mail for herself. "You did not say 'oh crackers'." She cuts, sotto voice. "Get off my back, Nat, it was worth worse." He shoots back, working at getting his phone out. --- With the last minute heroic efforts of Steve Rogers being coerced into felony mail tampering by a Russian asset, Tony Stark receives notice of the party while working with the Nova Corps and Carol Danvers offplanet and has a small racecar red and satellite panel gold drone delivered to the event. The box-with-wings and blue lights and gunmetal runners seems much more complex than some disposable messenger, and has something resembling the dome of an Arc reactor in the center-top of the red body. When it floats into the remoting-in area, at first it projects the pink-outlined holography of Friday, dressed as a formally-attending office lady (jacket, pencil skirt) who greets and is able to make light small talk on automatic. Now and then, the blue holo-glow of Tony in very definitely simulated-crisp suitjacket and pants appears apologetically instead, multitasking to appear in the narrow way he can. Thanks to the power of machine intelligence (actual) he could simulate away helmet-head and stubble and (very beneath Friday). When he drops an amused "Hey, do I get a rock?", Friday appears also just to cross her arms and drop a "Really, boss?" on him.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...I still don't really feel like I should..." "You were invited, weren't you? I keep telling you," comes the expected gentle chiding. "Tamamo is probably the one who bothered to--" "Even if that /was/ true, Lilian would've had to agree. And do you really think I'd go without you? Honestly, Hibiki..."     "Oh, and lean forward a tiny bit?"     Despite Hibiki being all purse-lipped while bemoaning her checkered past with Lilian Rook, she's /still/ in front of a mirror staring at her own mixed expression while a certain someone helps fix her outfit. At least a part of said expression's cause is likely because she's traded out her usual boyish casual for something more fitting the formal occasion; a sleeveless orange spring dress whose white-frilled skirt cuts off just above the ankles, kept in place with a red sash tightened by virtue of being tied off into a large ribbon at the back - which Miku is responsible for, in the exact way she ties the bow in her own hair, albeit upsized. "Thanks, Miku..." "Mmmn. Don't mention it. Do mine, too?" "...I don't think I'll do as good as yours, but alright." "There you go. You should be smiling a little more like that on a wedding day, you know!"     Well, she /does/ have a small one on her face, though all her concerns aren't entirely dispersed yet. Even though the black-haired girl of the pair has her eyes closed while Hibiki returns the favor for her own dress - which is almost wholly in the same style, only in complementary deeper and lighter purples - she can still practically read her mind far too easily. "If you care about them, and want them to be happy, it doesn't have to be any more complicated than that." "...You're right, like usual."     ...     That aside, there's a /considerable/ amount of ooh-ing and aah-ing from the both of them once they cross the warpgate and take in the mixture of the beautifully natural locale combined with the expansive preparations and wealth of other attendees. There's a moment of quiet contemplation as they cross the torii gate and join proper, then Hibiki despairing that she doesn't even recognizes a fair number of guests besides most of the Elites, which is followed by Miku taking her by the arm and bringing her along to leave no room to waffle about it. "Hi, Kale-- Kukuru-- Roland and Angela--"     And so on and so forth in passing, accompanied by smiling bows and greetings from Miku as well. While time for small talk is short before the ceremony begins in properly, the pair /do/ surprisingly(?) have gifts to drop off at the same table as the others, it seems. And also, a pair of stones to take and mull over. "A hope or a prayer..." "Don't overthink it," Hibiki is reminded with a giggle. "Simple suits you best." "...Okay. I think I know, then." "Good! So do I."     Time to find their seats.
Strawberry Princess	The gift that Strawberry Princess left on the check-in table is-- well, it's concealed in a tiny box for now-- but it's a pair of tiny wands carved from a sample from the London Terminarch, shaped like a magical girl's, but pinky-sized to go on a bracelet or necklace (maybe a set of dangle earrings if you're brave).      Onyx Witch got them a very nice set of kitchen knives. She does her best.
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Greet Strawberry Princess     "What up, STRAWBERRY PRINCESS." He actually remembered to not fuck with her name too much! Arthur's complicated handshake bothers her again. "Haven't had any ENDLINGS making it TOO TOUGH for you lately, right? Better CALL ME IN if they get UPPITY. You still AMPING THAT REIGNITING and all, right? Get me back in touch with the BOSS if you're running into any STALLS and WALLS on the POWER stuff."     There's Blueberry. "Hey BLUES, BUDDY!" He cracks a shitty grin. "Any chance I can put you on the PICTOCHAT with some FRIENDS I MADE RECENT? There's this ASH person, you'd go GREAT." A big laugh. "Remember, we're *buddies*, we gotta *hang out*. It's rules." That one means something. He glances to Onyx as well, smirk wide. His words are... startling heartfelt. "Heya Onyx. You closer now?" To what? Well, if you go all the way back to those many years ago, you might remember: To what she wanted to be when she was an adult like this.     He doesn't bother any of them too long. Gotta get to his seat too, remember! And there's others to harass.
Kale Hearthward	"Hibiki, Xion... oh, Strawberry Princess! It's been ages..." > "Don't overthink it," "That first impulse. The thing that first occurs to you, and that you just know is right. Go with that," agrees Kale.
James Bond	Bond arrives on foot, in an ivory wool piped shawl dinner jacket with white trim and a matching bow tie, over a black dress shirt with charcoal dress slacks and patent leather dress shoes. Golden cufflinks bearing slate initials 'JB' gleam with the mid-stride motions of his arms as he approaches the torri gate.      Some of the guests it's his first time meeting, but, as there's so much time, he indulges each one. Arina and Satsuki receive his invitation for review with that smile of his, dimples and eyes lending a warmth to his hard features which completely recontextualizes them--a warmth which, in recent years, has become less and less scarce.     "It's wonderful to finally meet you," he offers to Arina and Satsuki, and each of them get a two-handed handshake by way of greeting. "And it's wonderful to be here, as well. I wouldn't have missed it for the world. I understand you were involved with that simulation business--excellent work, that. If things ever dry up with the Immunes, or if you're ever looking for a change of pace, everything I've heard about you tells me you'd both make excellent Paladins."     Bryce and Katrina are among those Bond is more familiar with--though given they're both more or less indisposed, he settles, for now, on a smile and a wave for each.     Given the palm-sized stone, he holds it in his hand and looks out over the crowd. What would his hope be? There was a time that the idea seemed farcical. Then after that, a time when it seemed selfish. Some small vestigial trace of that time still remains, lurking at the edges of his vision and hissing from the shadows of his heart. There isn't so much pull from those days that he won't still dare to. Now, with his life in his own hands, it isn't whether he'd dare to, but the intimidating breadth of everything that he could hope for.     Hopes and prayers are for those things that aren't entirely in your control. Staring at the stone, Bond's first thought is a promise he'd made--to make the effort to catch up, rather than to stifle the people he loves by insisting they slow to match his pace. But that's something that he controls, and, looking over at the remote monitors, he is reminded of his sluggish pace in that regard, with an embarrassed downward twinge at the thought of his insulting behavior towards Ash.     But there is something, upon reflection, which he would like very much, which is within the realm of hopes and prayers. Thinking of it, he squeezes the stone softly and closes his eyes.
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Hassle Xion     "Man. You think you'd live to see THIS, way back at the START?" Arthur rambles to Xion when he bothers her with another fresh handshake. His fond look over the crowd towards the altar is broken up by a sudden realization and subsequent clarification: "Not, like, it'd never happen, I mean like DYING AHEAD OF IT cause of the SPACEWARP MONSTERS and the ROMANCE CURSES and stuff. I knew *DAY ONE* she was gonna get SUPER FUCKIN' MARRIED someday, obvs." And then he wags a finger. "But I KNOW NOW that she WON'T also get HELLA DIVORCED."     He stops and thinks. Then restarts: "I was thinking about LILIAN but now I'm realizing it was SUPER BOTH at the SAME TIME. Man, TAMAMO been doing that MARRIAGEABLE SHIT in the OLD SCHOOL right? That's MYTH or somethin'? Is there a MYTH about TAMAMO-NO-MAE getting MARRIED?"     *Dude.* You gotta go finish high-school or something.
Hibiki Tachibana	"Eh...? ...Wait, it /is/ Strawberry...! Hey!"     Between the dress and how long it's been, she almost missed her - but now that she /hasn't/, Hibiki's wave is about as spirited as it's been since she stepped foot here.     Which gets an approving smile out of Miku, which is also given towards Kale. "That's advice I wish she'd follow more. I like your outfit, by the way! You really chose excellent colors."
Angela	''Is that dress.... New?'' Angela is in a good enough mood she is barely even thinking about how the Eggpack is being offered to Ash and Nika. She is a bit envious, surely, that the precious Eggpack is being offered to others but she allows herself to be magnaminous. She is already being spoiled by being invited to a wedding, let the Eggpack serve all today. "I can take it over if you want." Roland offers with the familiar overeagerness of a lieutenant minion. "Looks like we're all wedding newbies." Angela smiles like a normal person. "It IS new, yes!" She says though even her exclamation points end up understated with her tone. "It is a special occasion and I thought wearing EGO would be inappropriate and everything else is either work clothes or perhaps a bit too ominous for this sort of event." Angela's gift is a book. Not a writing book but a scrapbook. It comes with a black feather quill pen and it looks handmade. Angela's bookbinding practice has paid off. There is plenty of place to include some memories though there's an artistic element to the book inherently as it is pre-prettied up a bit with a flowery design along with the occasional sneaky fox or crow lingering about. Her letter states: 'Thank you, Lilian, for everything. I hope you experience one thousand times the happiness you convinced me is possible. Or at least a hundred times. To Tamamo, thank you for guiding me on the matter of love. I hope you both use this to ensure your precious future is never forgotten. - Angela.' Roland's gift is a cute little tin full of snacks and a pair of tree patterned plates. The tin is full of snacks and also is equipped with a Singularity to keep future snacks eternally fresh. His letter states: 'I've only known you for a little while but you make a great team. I wish you the best with your future challenges and joys. We both do.' Both are signed by their respective guest.
Strawberry Princess	"What up, STRAWBERRY PRINCESS."      "Hibiki, Xion... oh, Strawberry Princess! It's been ages..."      "Eh...? ...Wait, it /is/ Strawberry...! Hey!"      "Ah, um, hey! It's great to... sorry I haven't been... I mean... thank you. For still, having me in your hearts.You know."      She returns Hibiki's wave, shyly, from the elbow- lifting her arm feels odd in such a breezy outfit- and then tries to give Arthur his handshake, still half-remembered.      Her hands are raw and a little peeling, because she's been working, but not more raw. That's good.      "I almost didn't recognize you. With the dress. It's really nice," she says to Hibiki, hypocritically. A silent glance at Miku asks: 'did she make you wear it?' But it's pretty either way.      And for Arthur: "I've... been keeping busy. You know? In the- in good ways. Mostly. It's, um, really nice to see you too." Her smile's a little wobbly, but deeply- as always- sincere.      "Pictochat. Do they make that for the Playbrick, 'buddy'?" Blueberry asks a little skeptically. "I think it's a 'DS' thing? Um, I'll get you one, Blueberry." "Oh. Sure! If I'm getting free stuff. Strawberry's aaaaalways saying I've got to make new friends, so--" "I'm not always saying it..." "Always! Always-always!"      "Heya Onyx. You closer now?"      "Yep," she says, unhesitatingly. The smirk is hers, now, though it covers up a slightly-dewy look she's eager to gloss over. Like cool kids do. "... Thanks. How about you, Peter Pan?"
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Convey Sarra's gift while you're here     Arthur also brought along a second gift that's apparently on behalf of someone else he's been visiting lately! Sarracenia, specifically. It's a thin, wide box, wrapped in star-pattern paper with the kind of big red bow that almost looks cartoonish in its gifty appeal.     When Lilian eventually gets to open it, it's a big, gorgeous window-wide circular suncatcher for the newlywed household, with some bespoke handmade glass that Sarra's likely commissioned! It depicts a stylized Lilian holding an artistically-rendered black hole, and a similarly-stylized Tamamo with an artistically-rendered sun, arranged in a pair of shapes reminiscient of a vividly colorful yin-yang-styled design that uses whites and pinks for Tamamo's sunny and bright display, and deep purples and black-and-gold for Lilian's warm gravitational embrace, while their held symbols form the yin-yang's "seeds" for each.
James Bond	Bond's gift rests on the check-in table. Oreshnika and Sakura were difficult to shop for, when he'd visited the Dragon's Garden. Lilian and Tamamo were difficult on the order of decisions that felt agonizing to make. It couldn't be something like an appliance, it couldn't be something designed to sit unused in a closet somewhere and it couldn't be something well-meaning but generic. In many ways he owes his life to Lilian, and while Tamamo's uncommonly tranquil yet piercingly attentive demeanor intimidated him at first, in the way that new things frighten old dogs, he not only grew used to it but came to appreciate her as a friend who could be trusted to share disarmingly apt insight without judgment.     He'd gone to all of the usuals--spent over half a day in the same store he'd visited for Nika and Sakura, called up old tailors he'd visited in Italy, perused confectioners in Vienna and consulted vintners in France. It was the poster for the exhibition in Amsterdam which caught his attention--not as something towards the end of finding a gift, but something to hopefully inflame whatever spirit within him helped him choose for those two. On display in the Rijksmuseum was a painting of a jovial family evening, a table full and lively whith a large family, a dog and a neighbor peering gaily in through the window. That would be what he'd get them--not the painting, or even a reproduction, but that emotion of closeness and joy, somehow, some way. The oil painting he'd commissioned is a richly colorful depiction of Lilian and Tamamo walking through a summertime field of rowan trees, hand in hand, spring-in-step and in rapt conversation.     "Strawberry Princess?" Bond asks, looking up from his stone. "Wait a moment--*Onyx Witch?*" His tone is one of stark disbelief, his brow lifted in naked surprise.     "I nearly didn't recognize you. If you hadn't been with Strawberry and... is that Blueberry...? I don't know that I would have." Remembrance halts his words--memory of a much worse time for the both of them. But that doesn't need to be dredged up--she's here, and so is he, and neither of them could be, if they weren't better; if things weren't better for them. "I'm very glad to see you."
White	White thinks for a moment at Roland's offer, looks down at the box she's holding, and then gingerly reaches out to offer it to him atop her palm. "Thank you." Somehow she's both nervous to still be carrying it, and nervous to be letting it go... But it's more of a relief than not. Ariel only now notices that White isn't headed right back to her and invites herself along into the group, belatedly flashing a grin at Angela for the compliment. "Yeah, Shiro-chan's usual would've been bad too. We sat up last night figuring out what to wear, and she still only had time to make her own dress! Well, I guess most people wouldn't make their own." White very slightly purses her lips as if she's a tenth of the way to a pout, and it's mostly noticeable in her cheeks.      Roland can probably tell there's two very small somethings inside the box. Later, whenever it would be opened, the contents turn out to be... A small pair of miniature chibi-plushies of Lilian and Tamamo! Small, with big bright eyes, pleasant smiles and the ideal size for a keychain or lanyard, it seems like what White and Ariel came up with was 'something for each bride to think of the other by when they're apart'.
Strawberry Princess	Bond's arrival swivels the magical girl trio's attention to him sharply, and they all start talking nearly all at once. "Oh, shit. It's, uh--" "His name's..." "No, don't help me--" "Bond!" "Fuck-- James Bond! That was it." "Haha. You got it?" "You're living too, huh. Wow." "Onyx..." "Sorry. I mean. Glad to see you too."      Onyx glances back at the tablet, showing Blueberry with barely any attention on her PlayBrick anymore. "Hold on. How do you know him." "Oh. Uh, I fought him when I was having a tantrum about something." "... Crazy." "What about you?" "Not telling." "Hey!!"      "They're, um, both doing great now. I think," Strawberry says, straightening herself to smile over Onyx's head. She gathers from the amount of spirit Onyx has back in her, anyway. "How about you, Mr. Bond?"
Lilian Rook	Kale     "Yeah? Yeah~? Gonna finish that thought?"     "It's incredible, isn't it? These days-- a-ah, I mean, even here these days, people spend all their energy on the part where they negotiate everything out, and it's always so . . ."     "Perfunctory going through the motions."     "Haha, yeah I guess you'd know. It's really cool that you came here! And you too, Hearthward Sir!"     "For real for real. Not often all your comrades in the line of duty even get to make it. And I'd never forget your face!"     Kukuru:     "The fearsome Demon General Satsui!"     "And shadowy yet beautiful and brilliant Spymaster Aria~"     "Oh my god. Nerd alert!"     "Says the nerd who changed her name 'cause she liked it so much!"     "For your information, Hafren is the original root of--"     "Changing your name is cool."     "She's got you there, Oda-san."     "Hehehe~"     "Kukuru! You sweetheart! Come and have a seat!"     White:     "Oh goodness, I was worried I might have a hard time finding you, but you really are exactly like Lilian said. Ah, which is to say you needn't worry at all, young lady White! If it's something delicate, I'd be happy to look after it. If you're only worried for politeness sake, you can always put it with any of your things at the front; I'll make sure each and every one is opened!"     "Mm? Sakura-hime?"     "Ah, I beg your pardon. I hadn't meant to distract you."     "Darling, please, it's fine~ I can feel her looking just as well as you, and my read is that she's a charmer~"     Onyx Witch:     "Oh shit!"     "Satsuki!"     "For real?!"     "Blueberry Princess did keep up her end of the deal, right?"     "Huge fan!"     Strawberry Princess:     "!!"     "Yes! Yes! The whole gang is back together!"     "Oh gosh my eyes are watering, h-haha. Can we hug?"     Angela:     "Hi~! Angela, right? Not that I'd forget that face of yours after that, hmmhmm~ It's good to see you too! I mean--nnnnn! Lil' Lil is getting married!!"
Strawberry Princess	Earlier, at check-in:      "Huh? Fan? Aren't you two my seniors." Onyx's eyes dart between Arina and Satsuki, and her cheeks slightly pinken even though her voice keeps its plodding. "I mean thanks. But-- wow. Look. They're getting my ass about overwork already. But if you two can sneak me in on any kind of op- you know..." She says it like she's proposing getting coffee together.      ----      And a different check-in:      "Yeah. I'm doing my best to look after her. You know how it is."      "Oh, I'm... sorry, Arina. Oh, of course! Here, just let me- set this down, and-" Strawberry wraps her arms around both Arina and Satsuki, maybe slightly misunderstanding 'we', and lifts them both up a half-foot off the ground with a biiig squeeze. Yay!      "... Thanks. For taking good care of Lilian."      Blueberry buzzes something else, but the tablet's mic is currently scrunched against Satsuki's back, so it's lost to time.
Lilian Rook	Arthur Lowell:     "Arthur! Hi Arthur! I saved our game from last time so we can keep playing it because you were getting ahead so it would be ¶worthy of seppuku¶ if I cut it off right then so don't worry! Do you like my dress? I like your tie!"     "Hey. Lowell. Nice to see you and all."     ". . ."     "Thanks. And I guess you were right. Back then."     "Now you be on your best behaviour young man!"     "I'm sure he knows, Kat. Right Arthur? There's a different air about you today."     "Yeah! And so do I! I mean business!"     "She says nice to see you too."     "My my, you've barely changed at all since I've last seen you. Should I feel a tad bit guilty for feeling relieved? Haha~ You're in for a treat, though! There's no need to keep quiet for all but a few minutes today!"     Xion:     "Hey! Did you know that the sword missions were all for, like, the most insane proposal?! We--"     "Can ask Lilian to tell you after! But thank you so much!"     "You can make more than one, but only one for yourself. Stones anchor prayers to the earth."     "Psh. As if Xion of all people is gonna get selfish now!"     Tony Stark:     "Oh my god. Hafren! Hafren look!"     "--Really?! Oh my-- I never thought it'd--"     "I'm gonna cry!"     "Not if I beat you to it first--! Hh . . ."     "Everyone came home . . ."     "It's Lilian. Of course they did."     "Just because it's Lilian's day I won't ask you to buy your own rock sir."     "Wishes are free."     Hibiki Tachibana and Miku Kohinata:     "You can have both, you know. A hope and a prayer~"     "She's learned. I'm sure."     "Of course she has! Oh it's such a pleasure to finally get to see you, Miss Kohinata! Believe it or not, but Lilian still brings you up from time to time."     "So don't act like you're not wanted, Hibiki."     "It'd be against the high concept of the wedding, wouldn't it?"
Petra Soroka	"I thought you didn't forget--"     "No, dude, it's so important. Even if Ange remembers everything-- and, you know, with more Light that won't always true-- photos are still *prompts* for you to remember."     Obviously there's no way Petra wouldn't be passing by Roland and Angela during her milling around, and this particular topic is why she asked for the picture collection that Lilian's friends are taking, and not just the professional photos. "It's so important to see a picture and have a reason to go 'hey, remember this thing that happened?', even if you know the answer is one hundred percent yes."     She gives Roland a forearm bump before moving on. "And I mean, yeah. Once all this stuff with the Library's resolved... you know, I don't really know what they do for weddings in the City. Everything's so bleak, so... I'd be looking forwards to that too." She also shoots a 'And you look super pretty today, Ange" towards the tablet before Angela blips over to the screens. "Does it have to be just one wish?"     Allies in war, allies in friendship, and allies in feeling Just A Little Complicated, Petra rebounds over to Xion once she spots her. Especially since Xion isn't great with parties, Petra glues onto her for a little bit to try and provide her some momentum. She may have taken what Tamamo said about her being incapable of showing hospitality personally, and there's no better test than this.     "Xion!!! It's sooo exciting, right???" Having no pockets besides one small one in her shorts, and the infinite depths of her mirror, Petra's just been holding her own rock in her hand this whole time, spinning it round and round until it might end up even more eroded than before.     It's warm by skin and friction now, and she runs her finger down the surface length of it while considering Xion's question. "... I think you can be as greedy as you want. Making just one wish is kind of bargaining with the impossible anyways, right?-- Oh my god is that Hibiki?"     Distracted mid-sentence, Petra veers over to yet another pair of girls married by common law, and decides that she has to psychically torment Hibiki immediately. "Hi, Miku, too! I didn't think I'd see you two here! Hey, hey, Miku-- did you tell Hibiki to take notes?"
Lilian Rook	Petra Soroka:     "Hey girl!"     "It's Hafren now by the way!"     "Well it is, but, you know. She'll get it next time. Don't make it weird."     "Well duh there's going to be an album. Whether I share it with you depends on . . ."     "You saying 'please' very very sweetly and niceys."     "Heh."     "Hello! Petra! Ah, yes, but, perhaps there isn't so much of a need to be so loud?"     "It is a wedding, Sakura-hime. If it's a headache that troubles you, then . . ."     "Oh goodness no. No please don't--"     "Tada~ Did you think I'd never heard of i-bu-pro-fen~?"     ". . ."     "Oh my . . . That might be the most endearing face you've ever made."     ". . . of Yakumo. But seeing as you and I are friends, Petra, and more importantly, because of what we share, I don't mind you knowing 'Saeko-no-Juubi'."     "Ah? Oh my, but what if I mind her knowing how old I am . . . ?"     ". . ."     "Twice~?!"     "Ash."     "--Yeah I know! Don't tell me to do what I'm already gonna--!"     "I'm not ¶telling/preempting/taking credit¶ I'm ¶opening the door¶."     ". . . Okay. Sorry Petra. I got ahead of myself and didn't think it through. I'm not mad at you at all."     "Thanks Ash! Love you Petra! I wanna toast!"     James Bond:     "Oh no he's h--"     "Hello sir. Heard a lot about you. England doesn't deserve you."     "God only knows. The man can drive better up a mountainside than half the people here can take a godforsaken roundabout."     "You are hot, by the way. Hope that helps~"     "Guh--!"
Kukuru	"... Satsui!" "... Aria~" "Hehe... You two really were fearsome and brilliant, mhm! I didn't know you changed your name after that... Thaaat... Oh! The big series, right? Your performances were ewonderful, mhm, mhm. Acting can be super fun, and doing it when you've done so much practice to get into the role must be so satisfying. If you two ever get into another one and need an extra hand, let me know! Mhm, mhm, I'll be right on over. See yooou~" With so many guests coming to the big day, though, Kukuru finds herself getting just a little restless when she starts recognizing plenty of those faces. Kale gets a pleased little wave and chuckle when she sees him, and it almost looks like she's relieved when she does. "It's been a while since I saw you. Oh, have you been taking care of yourself? You haven't been getting into too much trouble, riiight?" It's hard to keep that calm when she sees White and Ariel, visible even from her waving and bouncing a little in her seat excitedly at seeing them in their formalwear. "I'm so glad to see you both heeere...! And those little rings are so sparkly... Oh, should we all be posing for the cameras, too?" She asks, mimicking Ariel's earlier peace sign and shark-toothy smile the next time she sees a camera pointed her way. Angela's arrival with Roland via the selfie stick hard for Kukuru to hold all her smiles and waves in, too, having to get up a bit to see that new dress on the screen. "Wow... I've never seen you dress like this before. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you in that, dear." Xion, too, gets a bright-eyed smile and wave along with a light giggle that's quickly suppressed a second later, fighting as she is to not let her excitement get the better of her. It is totally getting the better of her. How could it not? Everyone's dressed so nicely, and it'd be a shame for her not to sear every moment into her memory! Perhaps sensing/seeing that wavering smile, though, she approaches Xion with a serene little smile again once she's able to get the excitement down enough not to make noises. "It's lovely, isn't it? I knew I'd see the day, but it's still so over... Over... Surreal seeing it for real, right?" She asks, nodding quickly in agreement with Arthur before giggling a moment after. "It always felt so far, mhm, even though I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later." Petra's suit-skirt-ruffles combo gets more of that audibly suppressed noise out of Kukuru, too, and Hibiki and Miku arriving with that distinctly un-Hibiki-like dress has Kukuru forcing herself to sit down and turn away just so she doesn't squeal from joy. Whoever's seated next to her can totally see that she's shaking a bit, and she's still a little shaky in her seat as she turns to greet them with another light wave. "He-lloooo...!" Bond gets a fond smile once Kukuru spots him as well, along with her approaching him from the side once he's found his seat. Seeing him holding that stone, she waits a bit until it sort of maybe looks like he's finished thinking, standing nearby just a bit after he's closed his eyes. She'll wait a bit to see if he reopens them before speaking, of course, although she might be briefly stealing a seat nearby by the time he does. "He-llooo, sleepyhead. I haven't seen you in a while, either... Ah. Have you been doing alright? With the Paladins, and with..." She asks, pausing briefly to clutch something over her chest that's just under her capelet before humming softly and patting his arm gently. "... Fitting in? Nobody's given you trouble since then, have they?"
Lilian Rook	It's undeniable that, for such a richly traditional wedding, more modern romanticism has crept in here and there anyways; but nowhere is there an attempt to deny it. There are no revered guidebooks written for any of this; not between these two cultures, not between two women, and not between someone who is a little more divine than a bunrei and someone who is a little more human than humans are. Even though the cameras love it, because every single shot is so radiantly vibrant and sincere, the disparate traditions work so well together only because neither Tamamo nor Lilian discussed how to have the most authentic ceremony, but instead, the ceremony that has every little thing they remember privately, secretly dreaming of.     Before the Multiverse, one wouldn't have been given a ceremony of any kind, if she were even allowed to choose. Before the Multiverse, one wouldn't have been able to celebrate, if she were ever allowed to marry at all. In the realest sense, both of them were grateful for the template, because it is something into which young hopes and wistful dreams can be poured until 'Is there anything else I can give you?' could finally be answered 'Not at all.'     The greeting period may as well be a mixer. The space isn't big enough and the surroundings are too enriching to be anything more grandiose. That people are talking and interacting and wishing in high spirits is the signal that anything should begin. The prelude is that, with their business finished, Saeko and Cecilia both participate in moving the topmost part of the guest shrine all the way to the center of the innermost of the three circles, where sakaki over granite makes for an exceptionally modest standing altar, with room for little more than an unlit ritual candle and holder, an inkbrush, and a zigzag-folded white ribbon.     It's the signal for the music to change over, but the bombastic omnipresent classic is absent; the direction from ambiently energetic to something soft and bright is perfectly in keeping with a tight-knit group of professionals who feel warmly about playing dulcimer and flutes rather than brass orchestra, and it shows.     Arina and Satsuki hurry to their seats, unexpectedly exchanging chatter with Hafren and Eleanor face to face. Bryce takes up a standing spot at a midpoint remove, and the woman who'd been hanging around him looking bashfully overwhelmed-- a half-foot shorter brunette with glasses, a constant fiddly blush, a Paladins patch on the back of a schedulebook, and a tag on it that says Nina-- joins him at a respectful distance. With Saeko and Cecilia remaining at the front, flanking the ring of decorated markers that encrcles the altar at opposite sides, Sakura gravitates automatically to Petra, practically grabbing her sleeve while half co-opting the Eggpack so she can excitedly chat with Oreshnika and Ash, the latter of whom is so into it that they don't realize they're kind of blushing at hearing themselves. Katrina is the one sent to signal a few lucky girls chosen for the day; with overflowing enthusiasm.
Star Twinkle	Coming in ahead of both brides from either side of the beach are two littler brides, dolled up in their most adorable dresses to perform flower girl duty. Hikaru in a pink dress sewn with alien flowers, with an overlayer of faintly glowing pink vinyl, leads from Tamamo's side, and Lala, in a sea-green skirt with translucent jellyfish trails and gemlike 'petals' affixed to the ends of her antennae, comes in from Lilian's. Traditionally, they're somewhat old for flower girls, being young teenagers, but putting tradition aside-- neither of them have ever *been* to a wedding before, so this is one of the high points of their *lives*.     After they were asked to perform the role, there was a lot of talk about Samaanian wedding traditions-- of which there aren't many-- and modern Japanese wedding traditions, with Hikaru diligently making note of which aspects seemed to spark Lala's excitement the most, but mostly out of the overflowing youthful joy about *romance*. The wedding they're attending is hardly anything like any other they're aware of, and for that reason among others, it's the most special one ever-- so far, at least.     Now here, in the moment, neither Precure is petrified by the attention or the ceremony, even with the media presence. Matching the atmosphere of the music, graceful rather than haphazard, the pair of flower-led paths converge towards the central altar to make way for the brides. Hikaru can't keep herself from beaming at the familiar faces in the crowd, and Lala's steps bounce her entire body, causing the weightless jellyfish trails to flutter.     When they meet in the center, there's a few seconds before the brides follow behind. Lala's eyes catch Hikaru's once they're close, and she irresistably breaks out into a wide smile, antennae curling up into hearts. "We did it, lun!"     Hikaru responds by, in what must be a premeditated act by how red her face is even before doing it, darting her hand towards one of Lala's antennae, cupping the bulb between her fingers, and planting a quick little kiss right in the center of the decorative petals. There's a jolt of electricity that somehow seems to shock *Lala* as she lets out a stammering "O-oyo?!", before Hikaru grabs her wrist and pulls her out of the inner circle to make way for the brides.
Tamamo	From the direction of the beach, trailing behind Hikaru, Tamamo-no-mae enters as a bride in white, if not in what many would first think of at the word 'gown.' Her new kimono is without an obi, unfastened in the style of an uchikake, a triply-layered show of swirling lines, faint prints of flowers, and cranes in flight. A pure white is said to showcase the wearer's purity, while red is a color of both holiness and good fortune. Red are the borders of each layer, the long sleeves and crossing layers, the trailing hem, the decorative knotwork at her side, and also in run through as a ribbon in the front edge of her gossamer veil.     Her tall ears , through slits, keep it upright, and her face uncovered, to which one might say that this is only not other than a veil because she wished a veil to be so. Beneath it are golden eyes, held to a kind of vibrant energy beneath an imperfect mask of serenity and hair that has been let loose. Great care has been taken in many things, that something may be loose without a strand out of place.     In one of Tamamo's hands is a paper umbrella, this a solid red, held open and against her shoulder, warding against misfortune, rather than rain. If there is one point in which she may seem underdressed, it's only that she is usually seen with a great deal more gold. For today, there are only two such items -- a golden choker, etched with designs of magnolia, lavender, and stargazer lily, and her engagement ring, white-gold beneath a diamond that just catches the eye, there on the same hand raised to steady her umbrella. And there, in her other hand, is a lit candle, carried with care.     Though there are many eyes to catch hers, and faces to turn toward with a smile, but Tamamo's a woman on a mission, now -- a bride on a mission. 'Bride' is such a nice word. She looks over the assemblage once, before focusing on Hikaru's trail. From there, to the altar waiting ahead, and looking past it...     Calm is brought by restrained, steady steps, carrying her all the way to reach where Saeko stands.     "I have arrived." It sounds a little like 'I've returned,' and even a little like 'I'm home.' As one might, with that latter sort of line, Tamamo folds up her umbrella, and presents it. "Will you give me your blessing, this time?"
Angela	Angela is greeted by Hibiki. "Hello Hibiki. Hello Miku." Right now the Watch feels like some of her closest allies in The City but she is doing her best to not dwell on it. She smiles at Petra busying herself with helping the proceedings move smoothly. It's good to see! "I hope you enjoy yourselves." ''Hi~! Angela, right?'' "That is correct." Angela notices people she doesn't know but she focuses on those she does. "...After that?" She quirks her head. "I am glad you remember me." She manages another smile. "Lil' Lil... That's a cute nickname." ''No, dude, it's so important.'' "Eonni is correct." Angela says. "But even if I had perfect memory forever--the process of actively going through your memories with visual cues is ... a key component of living, it is a bit like looping back to that time--in a positive way--where you feel that you are still there." ''I'd be looking forward to that too.'' Roland feels like a monster, but he says, "Alright, give me some time after and I'll convince her." Roland says. ''And you look super pretty today Ange.'' The smile Angela gives at that is more human than ever. "I love your suit skirt combo." Angela is part of a small number of people who wear skirts. "Thank you, Petra. I hope you have a wonderful day. It's wonderful seeing you so excited." It feels absolutely true to her. The last time she was this happy was when Petra was pushing her for relationship gossip and well that also had a great deal of nervousness and awkwardness associated with it. Roland collects White's gift and gives her a small salute while bringing it to the gift table. ''Shiro-chan's usual would have been bad too.'' "Taking time to think about it seriously is a sign of good character." Angela thinks carelessly throwing whatever on or--even worse--going too ostentatious that you start to distract from the main event--is maybe a crime worthy of a torment nexus. "Have you been to many weddings, Ariel? You sound experienced--" An idea occurs to her. "--Have you officiated weddings before?" Her eyes widen faintly with what passes for excitement on Angela's face. ''I'm sure she'll be glad to see you in that.'' "If the day ends with her thinking it couldn't be better, than I will be happy too." Angela tells Kukuru. Angela considers moments like these to be way more important than the adventures so to her this is maybe the most important day of the multiverse she's ever experienced--and may ever. It looks like it's time to go to their seats. Angela transfers back to the stick so she can be seated properly. "May we sit together?" Angela asks White--and really Shiro too. ''Flower girls!'' "Oh gosh..." Roland says, his heart melting. "Yeah, Malkuth's gonna want to see this..." And they both hush down as Tamamo arrives.
Strawberry Princess	UNRELATED TO ANY MAGICAL GIRLS:      A slightly stiff-and-dazed-looking middle-aged woman, with blonde hair and tanned skin, holds herself a little apart from the ceremonies with the sense that she's probably overstimulated. Anyone who frequents Elibe could recognize Igrene, the archer, and adoptive mother of...      That odd girl lurking somewhere behind Hikaru and Lala, and waiting behind Katrina for her own turn. She looks short of ten years old, wearing a pretty dandelion-yellow dress and keeping her duckling-fluffy wings folded politely behind her back. Oh, there's Petra! Wave-wave!!      "Pretty..." she murmurs as Tamamo walks up, and then the brides are obscured from her view by the rows of people (who, sitting down, are still taller than her). "Fae can't see!" she complains, politely hushed, in Katrina and Roland's vicinity. "Is it Fae's turn yet...?"
James Bond	Other gifts at the table include a first for a small clock shop in Japan--an original item rather than a repair job, won over with much begging from the owner's nephew and much encouragement from the nephew's royal vizier. Only a few things could be that size and shape--the mahogany frame of the grandfather clock was chosen for its longevity and timelessness, paid for with a Concord Black card and painstakingly veneered. The circular face is black, with gold leaf forming the continents of the planet Earth. Roman numerals in stamped silver mark out each hour. Two lillies adorn either end of the swan's neck crown at the top, and a fox spirit stands vigil between them as the center finial.     'All the time in the world is yours,' right? Reads one of two attached note in a messy but enthusiastic scrawl. A good king would want a knight like you. I'm closer than I've ever been to being one, and you're one of the people I owe the most for that. Thanks for helping me with my homework, Lilian!     The second reads: Lady Tamamo, you and I once spoke on the nature of love, and what must be done to keep it alive; on the difference between ashes and fire, as it were. I asked for your counsel on that day to help those who I am Kamen Rider to. However, as is so often the case, your words were well-given not only to the man who clung preciously to ashes, but to myself, one who has only just learned how precious that flame truly is. In this, and in dignity, you are an example to us all. May this humble offering stand for generations as a testament to your glorious union.     Another gift is two sets of red bamboo chopsticks from Chuyao, along with a red envelope. The envelope is stuffed with credit chits totaling the approximate estimated cost of his food for the outing, yet conspicuously ending in '99' for good luck. Also in the envelope is a poem; in the classical Chinese couplet form, carefully penned in Chuyao's delicate hand with his favored brush.     "One way leads to the summit of the future; two hearts beat at the foot of the present."
James Bond	Hello sir. Heard a lot about you. England doesn't deserve you.     "Or maybe it does, in a karmic sense," Bond effortlessly fires back. You are hot, by the way. Hope that helps~     Bond chortles, and the spark of mirth in his blue eyes likely does little to dissuade that sentiment. "I'll take it under advisement. Thank-you." He-llooo, sleepyhead.      Bond smiles, pockets his stone, then takes Kukuru's hand in both of his and squeezes gently. "No," he says. "In fact, it's been just the opposite. A lot's happened since the last time we spoke. I don't think I ever properly thanked you for that," he admits with a frown. "For that night in Vienna. I'd forgotten how wonderful other people can be, when you let them. So... thank you, and let's talk again soon." You're living too, huh. Wow.     The unexpected bluntness of it, and the sheer truth of it, draw a prolonged-windup bark of a laugh from Bond, his face lighting up in the same instant his upper body rocks from the blow. Nodding, "I wasn't exactly subtle, was I?" He sighs, but not unhappily. "Yes." How about you, Mr. Bond?     "I'm much better," he says, with another nod. Although, sparing a glance towards the remote monitors, he adds, "I have some improvement ahead of me, still. But, I'm much better and happier these days. I'll always appreciate what you've done for me, Strawberry. Not only in the literal sense, but in the example you set. Let's catch up later, alright? There's someone I owe an apology."     The march over to Ash's screen feels as effortful as his footfalls ever have, but, much like the vow he made to catch up, it's something which he has control over, and which he must therefore do.     "Ash," says Bond. Their name feels difficult and heavy to say, but he forces it out past the inertia of shame. "...I'd like to apologize for the thoughtless, ugly thing I said to you. You deserve much better than what I gave you. For what it's worth, I'm glad... that stupid remark, and the things that happened afterwards, didn't keep you from being here."      The change in music doesn't give him much time to contemplate or linger; he quickly finds his seat, fishing out the small stone he'd been given and running his thumb across its surface.
Kale Hearthward	> "It's incredible, isn't it? These days-- a-ah, I mean, even here these days, people spend all their energy on the part where they negotiate everything out, and it's always so . . ."
Hibiki Tachibana	"I almost didn't recognize you. With the dress. It's really nice,"     A-Ah... thanks. It's not the sorta thing I normally wear, I know... um. I like yours, too, Hibiki replies to Strawberry with a rub at the back of her neck but /not/ a disappearing smile, if a bit of a more embarrassed one. She momentarily forgot about it honestly, so having it pointed out is a critical strike. Though maybe it helps they're in a similar boat.     And at the silent question, she slowly shakes her head and seems to only grow slightly more flustered - there's /no/ way this girl decided to wear something with frills entirely of her own volition, but apparently here we are. Miku almost definitely had a helping hand in it, though.     Oh it's such a pleasure to finally get to see you, Miss Kohinata! Believe it or not, but Lilian still brings you up from time to time.     "Oh...! I didn't think I left that much of an impression..." Miku is one part surprised, two parts warmly ruminating over that, before giving a chuckle and offering Cecilia a small bow. "The pleasure is all mine. You've done amazing work here. I know Miss Rook must be happier than she can put into words for all you've done for her."     Maybe it's unsurprising she's the exact sort of person to pay the 'very close attention' necessary to see everything from the effort to the nervousness to the happiness.     So don't act like you're not wanted, Hibiki.     It'd be against the high concept of the wedding, wouldn't it?     Though she still looks awkward about it for a second, Hibiki eventually takes a small breath in and out, letting her shoulders slump a little after - before giving them both a bit more of a genuine smile. "...Yeah, I guess it would be. Sorry. Instead of getting caught up on the rough patches in the past... I should be focused on how happy today is, huh? I'm here and all, after all."     That... actually seems to have helped, hearing it from Miku /and/ these two.     Oh my god is that Hibiki? Hey, hey, Miku-- did you tell Hibiki to take notes?     "--Oh, hey, Petra...! Er, yeah. I wasn't sure we'd be here, either. I see you're as energetic as I thought you-- huh?"     "Oh my..." Miku briefly covers her mouth with both hands, as if this very conversation itself has suddenly become scandalous.     "...Huh? Did I miss something? Take notes on...?"     "Weddings, of course, Hibiki," Miku casually chimes in, switching expressions on a dime - palm on her cheek, eyes closed, as if pondering something fondly.     "...Eh? Huh? Why would I... ... a-ah-- w-wait..."     While Hibiki is reduced to a stammering, red-faced mess turning away and holding her mouth, Miku gives Petra a meaningful giggle. "I think... she'll be taking plenty now. Don't worry! It's really good to see you, Petra."
Kale Hearthward	> "It's incredible, isn't it? These days-- a-ah, I mean, even here these days, people spend all their energy on the part where they negotiate everything out, and it's always so . . ." > "Perfunctory going through the motions." There's a tiny little tug at the corner of Kale's beak. His last relationship crashed and burned not long after getting to the 'engagement' phase (most prominently including his fiancee not doing his part of the venue research), which isn't exactly what's being talked about but still comes to his mind when discussing pre-ceremony troubles. "I don't think Rook's ever just 'gone through the motions'," he says. "Even when it's something she hates she'll still put the effort into it, even if she has to put her own spin on it." >"It's been a while since I saw you. Oh, have you been taking care of yourself? You haven't been getting into too much trouble, riiight?" "Not one bit of trouble except for the good kind," Kale promises, crossing his lungs. "I need to stay squeaky clean if I want to be A Mentor to all the newbies." That's apparently his new paradigm, or at least the one he's trying out. And then, the ceremony. Kale holds in a breath as Tamamo arrives and asks for the blessing. It's happening, for real. He'd be ready to draw swords to make *sure* it happened, but he also didn't think it wouldn't not happen, obviously it'd happen with all this effort and planning that's been put into it, but it's still something different to reach the moment and see that it is in fact happening and that it won't not happen and- -His thoughts are a bit of a mess. He blinks back a bit of moisture from his eyes.
Lilian Rook	A very, very long time ago, Lilian used to imagine a day like this every so often. She would read about it in books, talk about it with Cecilia, or Katrina, or even Aoibheil if she could, and then when she penned her own silly little stories, though they had only the barest resemblance, she would always imagine herself right here, in this place. Then there had been a long time where she didn't dare imagine it anymore; so long that she thought she would eventually forget it entirely, and that would be for the best.     The day that she realized she wanted to marry Tamamo was a long time after she first felt it. The moment she said it out loud to herself brought everything back so fast and so intensely that the day she finally decided to propose made everything before it snap into place as the inexorable arc of destiny; or at least it felt that way ever since.     . . . . . . . .     You'd never know how fast her heart was beating down on the shore from seeing her now. From the opposite side as Tamamo, trailing behind Lala, Lilian takes one deep breath and suddenly finds it the easiest thing in the world to walk that path of petals to their destination. It's a little easier than it might otherwise be to see the trace flush still colouring her cheeks, for matching white with white, but from the second she locks eyes on Tamamo across the way, it all settles into place.     Everything from the tradition to the time period is different, but a white gown is not to be compromised on. Cut only just high enough to traverse the spring wildflowers, stitched last for luck with fitted sleeves and billowy ends, silver is what stands in for protection and generosity in the intricate wedding-knot designs, and gold is reserved exclusively for her body; the white-gold lily hairpin that started all of this years ago, holding up the most gorgeous celtic knot that Lilian has ever tied in her hair, and the design on her back, visible just slightly from an off-the-shoulder cut; because even if so very few people know, nothing could possibly be any more literal in its meaning as a promise to 'stay, with you, forever'. The only other jewellery she wears besides the pin and the black iron chain of her pendant is worn just to complete the series-- old, new, borrowed, blue; lapis lazuli earrings she'd never gotten to wear until now.     Timing was always the easiest thing in the world, so Lilian passes her boquet to Cecilia just a Tamamo gives her umbrella over to Saeko. Neither wear microphones, but it's easy to imagine from Saeko's smile and Cecilia's clasped hands what sort of blessing and what prayer are uttered, though perhaps not quite how very personal they are.     Holding an identical candle to her bride's in the other hand, she draws carefully close to the altar in the same slowing lockstep as Tamamo, and looks for the moment with her eyes alone for them to both touch theirs to the same wick and merge the two flames, where by dint of tradition too old to call even alchemy, the burning oil snuffs both the smaller flames in the process of igniting the larger in sunset pink-gold. Setting her smoking candle back down, it's the brush she picks up instead-- clearly intended for calligraphy-- just to add a single stroke to the talisman on the alter, all but complete in each corner.     As Lilian passes the brush by its other end to Tamamo, fighting not to turn red again, Katrina gets to call upon one more very enthusiastic helper, just as the music fades towards silence.
Strawberry Princess	"Huh? Oh! Oh, it's Fae's turn. Oh--!!" Way at the back (and fortunately near-inaudible at the front), the odd child startles to attention, and then does a stubby wingflap-stabilized scamper to reveal herself triumphantly at the end of the aisle, only slightly out of breath.      There's a little silk pillow in both her hands, and on the pillow is a small box- just big enough, of course, for two rings.      She doesn't quiiiite have the patience developed, yet, to walk slowly to the front as one is supposed to. Instead she follows the music in an enthusiastic strut- that's the closest thing to a properly ceremonial pace that still gets the wiggles out- and eventually arrives at the foot of the altar.      A ringbearer is not supposed to say anything, Fae knows, and so she is very accomplished in not saying 'here you go!!' as she extends the pillow up to Tamamo and Lilian. But her eyes sparkle with the enthusiasm of the unspoken words anyway, until she has to scrunch them happily shut.
White	"Thank you... Miss Cecelia... Hang in there." Maybe it's not the perfect sentiment for a wedding, but Cecelia's going around all over the place helping keep things organized and all, and that has to be a lot of work right? White was almost expecting a different sort of recognition than she got, but she has to admit that impression might've come from some bad past experiences with maids. Well, one specific maid. Then again, maybe it's sort of the same thing that had her so confused to have been invited at all? If all Lilian told Cecilia was about her awkwardness, or maybe the fact she's quiet, and not... White is going to have to think harder about this later, when she's not being ambiently microwaved by all the voices and moving bodies around her. Saeko and Sakura taking notice of their gazes is dangerous, for one reason only; Ariel's senses are overbearingly keen, and hearing even just 'charmer' cross their lips is enough to make her wink at them from across the venue shamelessly. Today is a party, and a party is for fooling around and having fun!      Angela's praise of character is met with more of a placid nod from White, as she still feels like it was too close of a call not to immediately realize it and have an outfit planned much sooner. Ariel turns back to Angela when she hears her name aloud, shifting from her flirty smile to a thoughtful little frown with a double-blink. "Uuuumm... Nope! Not that I remember. I mean, I know I haven't *been a guest* to any, but I had to think a sec about whether I'd said words for one and then bailed. I don't think so though! And this is so much nicer than the ones Demons do these days. Honestly, I wish I'd gotten to see one a long time ago, before things were so messed up." Both of them seem happy to sit with Angela though, and Ariel wraps an arm around Roland's back to nudge him along; though the only time they've spent together was while deboning and preparing that dragon meat, she seems to think it's enough to treat him familiarly. While she's giving him a little grief saying, "Lookit you, flanked by beautiful girls, don't get too distracted now! Pick a spot n' settle in!", White is keeping pace from the other side and looking at Angela through the screen. She's smiling, a little bit. It's always 'just a little bit' with her, but it's there.      After Kukuru spots the two of them approaching, Ariel pounces on the opportunity to fool around a little more by trotting up behind the taller woman in her seat, boldly reaching around like she's going to hug her from behind only to and up squishing Kukuru's face in her hands and gently playing with her cheeks like putty while White sits down nearby. "Hehehe, I dug up all this gold myself, y'know? I dunno about you, but I've gotta show off a little~." At least Ariel seems to be trying not to mess up Kukuru's makeup, since she's being mindful with where on Kukuru's face she touches even as she roughhouses for a little while. White at least says softly, "I hope you... Have been well..."
Tamamo	Tamamo's eyes catch Lilian's, first from a distance, and then closer, and then closer still-- distracted by Hikaru and Lala at the altar, and then--     It must take such terrible restraint, to do no more than smile, to keep her footing and her breath, and now to hold the candleflames together. The motion is only as imprecise as is needed to instead be graceful. She can do this.     Their fingers touch as she takes the brush.     The talisman has been almost complete where it was, and Lilian had made the penultimate stroke, half-revealing the design. The phoenix drawn there may be difficult to make out from afar, but less so when Tamamo completes the final, shallowly curving line of its upper wing, places the brush down again, and lifts the completed charm to give to Lilian. Just one more action will trigger this blessing, to join all the others that have been gathered today.     And then, of course...
White	White gently urges Ariel back from messing with Kukuru with a light hand on a shoulder, settling into a seat and watching the preparations for the ceremony in mostly-quiet comfort. Spying Hikaru and Lala, White leans in to Ariel's ear and whispers something, which Ariel immediately regurgitates in giddy disbelief. "Magical girls..?! There're so many out here! Wooow, what a good choice for flower girls..! Lucky, lucky brides... Those dresses tooooo..!" She does keep to a near-whisper, but it's much more audible than half the noises White ever makes. That goes double for the moment Hikaru's premeditated act of sweetness plays out, and Ariel firmly covers her own mouth to muffle her overwhelmed squeaking, trying her *very best* to keep it down while kicking her feet slightly. White covered her own mouth for a moment in surprise too, actually.      As everyone hushes for Tamamo, Ariel does manage to stifle the ongoing urge to make giddy noises and quiet down. White is absorbed in trying to interpret the aesthetic choices in Tamamo's clothing, the way she carries herself, and what she says. This goes for Lilian as well when she begins her own walkup, making White's gaze perhaps a little intense, but on the off chance of direct eye contact White simply nods, trying to be encouraging without making noise. White can't help but wonder what the two of them are feeling in this moment. She can imagine some possibilities, at least, but she isn't inside their heads, she can't be *sure*. It could be scary, it could be exciting. Either of them could be completely giddy, or comfortably appreciative. All there is to do is watch, and wish well for them. White isn't a god of marriage, or much of anything, but maybe one god's prayer to another might be recieved with heavier meaning... It would be nice if she could help, like that.      Ariel is slightly distracted though, glancing backward at the sound of a fussy Fae. Quietly, she murmurs to herself "She kinda looks like that Feirune girl- wait, Fae, Fei..?" She's distracted just long enough by that coincidence that before she can consider quietly sneaking back to offer the poor goober a boost for a better view, the real reason she'd been waiting for 'her turn' comes to light! A cute little dragon ringbearer. Wow, she's so clumsy, it's kind of incredible. It leaves an easy smile on Ariel's face, without the braggadocious smugness she's accustomed to. So Lilian and Tamamo have all kinds of friends, huh? That's really great. There's a little yearning in her own chest, but she knows better than to indulge it; her job right now is to protect her own smile at all costs. She has that kind of sentiment in common with Roland.
Kukuru	"If the day ends with ..." "I'm sure she will. All of her friends and family are here for this special day, and that includes you." Kukuru affirms with a warm smile to Angela, pausing for a moment before her smile grows a bit more. "Us." She adds with a little lip quibble and giggle. "A lot's happened since the last time we spoke." "You, too, huh?" Kukuru replies while returning the squeeze and letting out a soft chuckle that only Bond and maybe one other person present/watching the wedding remotely might have ever heard before. "Hmm... You haven't? I thought you thanked me plenty, James, buuut I won't say no to more when you're free.  It really was a wonderful night, so..." She squeezes that heart-shaped necklace under her capelet again, then leans in tap her chin against Bond's shoulder softly. She doesn't want to mess up his clothes, after all. "Definitely. I'll be waiting." "I need to stay squeaky clean if ..." "You've found a new role, then? Wonderful, wonderful... There's only so long we can do this kind of work, so passing on what we can to the next generation of..." Kukuru pauses, then nods lightly at Kale. "Elites, officers, assistants? Anyone we can'll make things better for later, I'm sure of it. Keep up the great work, dear." "Hehehe, I dug up all this gold myself, y'know?" After returning to her seat, Kukuru's once again on her best behavior! At least until Ariel comes by to squish her face, giggling freely the whole time while reaching out to match her energy with seated hugs and pats here and there. Like Ariel, she's actually being really careful not to mess her outfit up, half-hugging and half-micro-adjusting here and there to make sure everything's perfect. "That's real gold, then? Ooh, that's a lovely find! Mhm, mhm, it's important to show off stuff you've achieved and found on your own. That's a demon lord's job, so everyone can be confident that they're being led by the right person~" Once she's settled a bit more, Kukuru turns to White with a slightly more teary-eyed smile. "I haaaave, mhm. Made them a nice gift, made sure to prepare eeeverything I needed for today before heading to bed, and... And now we're here. You've been getting enough rest and food, too, I hooope?" --- Kukuru's gift, once it's opened, is revealed to be... A blanket! It's a handmade one, too, carefully crocheted with a combination of silk and wool that feels luxurious to the touch yet not quite like anything that might be easily found even in the pricier sections of a clothing supply store. It's airy enough that they could easily throw it over their faces and still breathe easily, yet big enough in sheer size to bundle up under and get super toasty underneath. There's little heart patterns and tiny stylized Lilians and Tamamos in various outfits scattered all over it, too, with none of them looking exactly the same as another! Despite being put together with several different colors, the blanket doesn't feel like it has any seams that might create a distracting texture. Either Kukuru made this all with one carefully calculated roll of material (unlikely), or she was extra careful with minimizing and hiding them within something else (probably). Naturally, it's the perfect size for both Lilian and Tamamo to huddle under and then some. It might even be too long, but there's certainly no question about whether it'd be enough to replace a comforter and duvet at the same time on its own. It's definitely too long for a standard washer.
Kukuru	Trusting the cameras on-site to take all the pictures she'll ever want to see later, she focuses next on just letting the energy of the whole wedding seep right back in. The dream-like setting, the blending of cultures and traditions, all that nature surrounding her, and that music providing all the ambience makes it tempting to slip into a brief sleep. She can't sleep, though, because she's still too excited to do more than give it a passing thought. She's excited to see the brides, after all, and Kukuru perks up when she hears smaller footsteps coming from the beach. Once again, the delighted high-pitched noise has to be pushed down, and she actually manages to hold it in completely by the time Lala and Hikaru reach the center. The kiss and the 'oyo' are too much to resist, though, and there's a giggly squeal coming from Kukuru seconds later. "How adorable...! Oh my, even those two are here to help with this~" Spotting Fae waiting in the wings, meanwhile, gets a curious look from Kukuru as she... Doesn't actually recognize her nor Igrene! "Oh my... Those two really do know the most adorable kids, don't they?" She comments to nobody in particular, although she's smiling brightly while looking right at Fae. "It'll be your turn soon, dear... I can't wait." She's calmed down a little by the time Tamamo appears, although the giggliness is still visible in the little shakes around her shoulders. "Oh my, she's beautiful..." Kukuru murmurs, sniffing once and then dabbing at her eyes with the edge of her capelet, already feeling something in her chest softening at that. Seeing her coming down Hikaru's path has Kukuru straightening up in her seat, biting her lip briefly to hold in another noise. "It's really happening, it's really happening...!" Lilian coming down from Lala's trail of petals makes it even realer, and seeing both of the brides coming forth makes it all the more surprising to Kukuru that she hasn't broken out into raucous cheers already. Her heart's pounding with glee for the two, and seeing both of their faces, the way they hold those candles, and the exchange of the flames does prove to be too much for her to sit completely still. She settles for covering her mouth with a hand, smiling tearfully and vibrating in place while holding that silent breath the whole time just to make sure she doesn't miss a single moment of anything either of them have to say.
Hibiki Tachibana	The advent of the flower girls, however, really puts things into perspective - maybe moreso for Hibiki than Miku, who's been politely at attention the entire time they've been here. The wedding truly and wholly is starting, and nothing quite makes that click like the pair of Precures getting the honor of leading the way for Tamamo. Mind you, the conversation that happened but ten seconds ago means Hibiki almost uncharacteristically sits straight up at the same moment Lala also jolts.     And only immediately after, far less from shock and more from breathlessness, Tamamo walking down the way gets her both upright and slack-jawed. There's in fact a tangible difference between the Tamamo she's always known and valued, always seen by Lilian's side, and took the two's relationship as if it were something like a fact of the natural world - and the bride-to-be marching her way forward now, parasol on her shoulder. Something akin to a feeling of this entire event being 'real' sinks in.     It could be that she /will/ end up taking notes.     And it's true. She wouldn't know how hard Lilian's heart was beating in preparation. Or maybe she'd at least have some sense, given how hard her own is right now. For all her efforts to try and make herself unwind and just enjoy the opportunity to be here for this, it's the sight of her in white gown and only the meaningful finery that momentarily sends all her concerns scattering - for that brief stint of time, there's no memories of angry screams brushing off a cool exterior, or spikes of pain in her arm, or pathetic and unnecessary fights on a coastline, or countless days of awkward avoidance and silence.     The prominent recollection goes back to a certain impromptu idol-style dance in the middle of a Mesopotamian-style /mall/ of all places, even if it happened to be a very highbrow one. Maybe that'd be an odd and even a bit of a ridiculous one for most to think back to, now of all times. But for Hibiki, that was the first moment she saw - at a time months and months before anything she's been worrying herself over today even happened - where Tamamo's sunlight and Lilian's shadow perfectly highlighted one another.     Despite everything that's gone on since, she can't help but get the exact same feeling now as then.     She starts breaking into quiet sniffling, despite herself... which leads Miku beside her to silently loop an arm around hers and lace their fingers together, even while her eyes and smile are still set on the little ringbearer making her way up.
Petra Soroka	"It's Hafren now by the way!"     "Oh my god, for real?" Petra flashes back distinctly to a time where Lilian complained about being bullied by a friend named Hafren, and then insisted that Petra didn't know her. So she was just embarrassed. "Because of the stage names??? That's so *cute* actually!"     Petra is, for once, too buoyed up by the energy of the day to really be pathetic. She clasps her hands together on request and draws out the syllable, "Pretty pleaaaaassseee? I can text you my email!" "Ah, yes, but, perhaps there isn't so much of a need to be so loud?"     "Oh-- sorry, I'm just, you know, excited." ". . . I don't mind you knowing 'Saeko-no-Juubi'."     There's very little that can increase Petra's mood even further on this particular day, but the phrase 'seeing as you and I are friends' definitely is one of them. The hand that first covered her mouth to manually hush herself at Sakura's request shifts to being there to hide a giggle at Sakura's petulance towards Saeko. "Then, um! It's good to finally meet you, Saeko-no-Juubi!" "Ash."")]     Petra has doggedly glued herself to lingering nearby the screens, both at Cecilia's request, and because the worst thing in the world would be to avoid her most important people on the most important day. Petra cannot stand, by any means, communicating the message that her loyalty is flighty enough that she can be scared off by one little fight, especially having meditated on the social perspective Ash must have as the newcomer. And so, awkward and jumpy but resolute, Petra's thoughts are completely occupied with whether she should bring it up herself, what Lilian might have said to them earlier, whether she should wait or-- ". . . Okay. Sorry Petra. I got ahead of myself and didn't think it through. I'm not mad at you at all."     "Oh." Petra is stunned for a moment, and then her eyes start to sting before she can say anything. This was always going to be a day where she was prone to getting teary, but the payload that apology communicates to her is still enough to immediately choke her up. The impermanence of an argument, the not-having-ruined-it, the positive feelings from before that are still worth something now, the collective efforts of all four of them on *her*, all are brought up into her mind, preventing her from speaking.     And when she can, it's only with the most direct, bare heart response she can. "I-- thanks. I, um, forgive you, completely. And I'm sorry I got worked up and focused on me even when it was your whole, like, thing. And I'm still--" Petra's breath catches, and she tectonically slips between tones. "--going to kick your ass in Smash. You know I've been training with Nika forever, right?" "Love you Petra! I wanna toast!"     Eh??? Huh????? That's new???? Did she not even think about that?!     Petra, having manually lowered her shields, is sent straight into stagger by Nika. The world swims, as if she's physically teetering, and prompted for a response, she can only produce the truthful but unconsidered, "L-love you too. Um! Yeah! Let me go get the Eggpack!"
Petra Soroka	The music shifts, and Petra's still standing up! She flickers repeatedly to navigate through the tangle of legs and bodies, twisting every which way to carefully step around without bumping into anyone, until she's joined up with Sakura. The ceremony is the most important thing ever, and so Petra cannot by any means be disruptive during it, and so she *has* to settle down and watch soooo politely. That means relocating the Eggpack to the seat besides Sakura opposite her, so that she can still have an unobstructed view, and diverting all of her energy that would be used for scampering around into babbling with the three Blooms excitedly.     The Precures are really really cute, of course. It's typical for a wedding to involve a menagerie of children, from extended family and friends, but put in the context of *Elites*, it's incredibly shocking. Not because it's surprising for Lilian specifically, but because the default assumptions of community and family are so strikingly *absent* with Elites usually, that having them here feels like a breath of fresh air she didn't notice she was lacking. *Lilian and Tamamo* will probably end up having kids someday!     Petra, eternally a crybaby, starts sniffling before the brides are even visible on the shore. As the ceremony progresses, Petra tries to muffle herself, covering her mouth with a tissue while watching raptly. Through the blessings, and the kiss-- maybe presumptively, Petra's hand finds Sakura's below the seats, out of view, and squeezes.
Lilian Rook	There's no way Lilian could be anything but smiling when she gets to the altar, but when Tamamo catches her gaze, it's as if smiles could have head-on collisions. The surge of emotion up from her chest and into her throat is so sudden, so unexpectedly overwhelming, that it would make her eyes sting if the mood of the moment weren't so much more intimate than she expected as well; and so her smile subtly 'jolts', her eyes flick away and back, her cheeks turn pink first, and despite her most valiant efforts, the expression of her lips turns decidedly more 'privately giddy-ecstatic' than 'lovingly serene'; for just a second or two.     Lilian takes the completed charm just as she'd practiced over and over again, until her nervous doubts about something so simple felt appropriately silly and she'd come to appreciate its elegance instead. She takes just a half-second off-script, struck by the urge to admire Tamamo's calligraphy one more time, before she consigns it to the unity flame; two mergings within two customs merged again into one. As appropriate to the traditional phoenix, the material doesn't burn, but seals in the fresh ink instead, and those with any sense for magic at all couldn't possibly miss the moment Tamamo's chosen blessing is completed.     Cecilia has the terribly difficult job of not patting Fae on the head when she takes the rings from her. Anyone can tell just from looking how badly she wants to. That glow could sustain anyone for ages. Saeko, meanwhile, trades duties, in receiving the talisman and affixing it to the white ribbon as she spools out its full length.     As Cecilia places the rings, Lilian extends her right hand across the altar, where Saeko is able to tie it, awaiting only Tamamo to do the same, until a triple-layered knot not quite of the old western design physically binds their hands together.     Then the crowd is motioned for silence, and Lilian's heart skips a beat. There isn't a priest. There isn't a procedure. Every word she has to say after picking up that ring, and taking the deep breath that she does, is something she had to put together herself. Awaiting Tamamo's hand to place the band on her finger, all she has to do is say them.     "With this ring, I vow that the road shall forever rise to meet you, the wind shall be always at your back, and always that the sun shine warmly upon you and the rains fall softly, for I shall take your hand and guide you along the path that is bright with the light of our joy and graced with the laughter of our children."     The second half waits for her to remove the engagement ring before placing the wedding band. In the process of doing so, Lilian recalls the day she'd given it to her, and marvels at just how long it'd really been. Up until now it had truly felt like no time at all. The moment she slides that second ring onto Tamamo's finger, she feels her smile come back all on its own.     "By this binding of our fates do I swear that my blood is yours and that I shall take yours as mine, so that I may love you and honour you, be your shelter and your home, with not only your hand in mine, but with all my heart, body, and soul. I offer you my everything so that you may know all the happiness in the world."     Lilian finishes replacing the engagement ring at the very end by pure happenstance. At some point, she lost track of the seconds in her head.
Angela	''All of her friends and family are here for this special day, and that includes you.'' "You're a bit sneaky aren't you, Kukuru?" Angela asks. "I appreciate the kind words, but they aren't needed today. As you say, I am here, and that is enough." ''Honestly, I wish I'd gotten to see one a long time ago.'' Angela is surprised that Ariel hadn't been to any weddings. Maybe demons don't do weddings, really? She's not sure. She supposes that as a cultural artifact it might not be so universal as it seems to be to her. Maybe Ariel had just been too busy? She could see that. It must have been hard before White and Sophia and everyone else signed on. "I suppose we're also in the same boat. I admit I'm surprised that it seems to be a first for so many." Roland is easy to guide, like he is riding the waves of sociability. He chuckles good-naturedly at the quip at his expense. "Don't worry, don't worry, I'm here for two." In Roland's estimation, cooking with someone is basically an indicator of comradery. For a spell, it's hard to think of his stupid self destructive revenge plots, and he lets it fade from his mind to focus on the beauty of hte ceremony and it's heartfeltness. He's had occassion to see Lilian's guard down before, and it's nice to see it for something positive and good rather than tragic. They look great, Angelica, he thinks. Angela's eyes are pretty firmly on the ceremony but not all the time. Periodically she looks over to White, and periodically she looks over to Petra. Her functioning tearduct gets a little weepy once she sees Petra sniffling and she surreptitiously wipes at her eye. Roland attempts to sneak a little wave over to Fae. Oh she's gotta be so excited, he thinks. For a moment, his eyes spot Ariel's smile. Of course, he doesn't have the ability to read hearts, but he can tell it's of a different character than the last one. Maybe even the artifice of 'Elite' fades away in a momentl ike this. rThe rings are exchanged. Angela takes special care to focus on the spoken vows, the exchange of rings.
Xion	Xion tries to respond to everyone at the reception but she quickly gets overwhelmed into a sort of sensory blur, seeing people as trails of emotions like stormheads of color leaving painted trails and smearing together in crowds. She understands Ariana and Satsuki, the warble of wards from the crowd in periphery, and figures like Arthur approaching her. . . With extremely dangerous handshakes. Xion manages to counterattack, dapping and clapping and fingertapping in the expected patterns with jazz flair to make sure she doesn't fail the complex space boy password sequence three times and have to go to handshake recovery. Asked if she expected to live this long, she tilts her head and decides the neutral answer is most correct: "I didn't know what to expect out of living at all. I just decided to do it. As for Lilian, I think it was more of a journey. When I first saw her, I didn't really know anything about anything, and she was a perfect soldier. And then when she met Tamamo, it was in that way people just connected with spirits and I knew it worked that way but I didn't connect anything else to it." Lopsided before Arthur, Xion's confusion wins out over her smile. "Was it that obvious? Should I have known?" She asks, quiet, and then rights and shakes her head. "Sorry, I get what you *mean*. I think Tamamo was one who struck me as one who'd bind and attach, but, she already was! So..." She was surprised, and then she was torn about the war, and then she was just committed to it. "It's something that we're not celebrating a long arc of, but a start, too. Something wonderful to commemorate especially. The long arc is... well, see?" Xion's face feels wet so she wipes at her cheeks with the back of her glove. "I don't really know how to explain it. I probably will after. Sorry about the space guy attrition rate, though, it sounds really bad." She 'that's rough, buddy'-s Arthur with a hand on his shoulder and a little supportive smile. "I guess I know that too. I don't," Xion's smile suspends for a beat. "... know how. Huh. Well, it's all very abstract, but this is beyond beautiful so I'm just trying to take it in." Is there a myth? "Uh, let me check my phone." Xion suggests, and gets out her smart device to prove that perhaps the blind CAN lead the blind. Also, to prove that she's still from the cartoon candy dimension. Satsuki and Ariana get a more animated look as they bring Xion out of her huddle with Arthur and free him to flutter about more while they buzz about the swords project. "Oh, the Muramasas project? That's great! Hey, fill me in, I did like the sword projects - high quality adventures, not just mercenary work with glitter." She suggests, and then holds her hand out for a second stone. "If it's one for me, one for others, I can do two easy. I won't be selfish though - you'd run out of stones if I just started taking as many as I could carry!" She laughs, and accepts what she can get. Petra jumps in from the crowd as Xion gets a little bit into the party-smear, smiling thankfully at someone she recognizes and seems to have momentum of her own appears. "Oh, I'm definitely *excited*, Petra." She confirms, then, faintly chuff-laughs. "Ohh, hearts are like wild animals, though. How do you even stand it, Petra?" She asks, the only person she can ask that too, and then -- oh! Hibiki.
Xion	Xion smiles, with Petra having hard swerved away, and waits for two beats before turning to move towards the seats before things get started. Kukuru is melting out of the crowd next, but Xion speaks she moves, knowing where her seat is generally but having to search. By the time she gets there it's started, and the appearance of Tamamo -- and then Lilian -- is a different sort of breathtaking entirely from all the previous times and she sits in awe of it, face wet again. Towards Kukuru, the watery-eyed noirette framed in blue-purple flowers seems to not notice what's happening with herself as she talks. "What are you talking about?" Xion speaks, whisper-quiet, to Kukuru. If there was two clear visions in the sea of confusing colors it was of course the two radiant figures this entire place was appointed for. Perhaps, Xion realized, there was something to ceremony. The clarity of image, at least, was transcendent.
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Keep quiet for a few minutes today     He's chatted with all kinds here. Old and new friends. Now's a time to remain silent. Sometimes, forcing yourself into this mindset means being a shitty punk. Sometimes, it means making sure to keep yourself in a subtle state of awe at the smaller beauties of life.     How about you, Peter Pan? What does it mean to you to see more growing up? It's been seven years now. Seven long years, seeing her go from school, to work, to becoming truly independent, to embracing what it means to be a Bloom, and now, after all that, to this. Lilian has done so much, and surely even more past where Arthur could see it.     And Tamamo. Staying by her side all that time. Protecting her, helping her. After six years of that, it's no wonder Lilian will stay with her. For all that Lilian changed, Tamamo stayed the same, the same old protector and nurturer and partner, whether there were monsters from another world, armies warring, cursed swords, sinister conspiracies, or the fate of the world.     Like Xion had said. Journey and destination both at once. Consistency and change. "Arc" and "beginning". Connection that is always starting, and always already there, and never, ever ending.     Love.     Arthur squeezes his stone and wishes, a little harder.
Tamamo	And then, of course... the tying-together! The rings!     Not truly 'of course,' perhaps. There has surely never been a ceremony just like this, by design, but the coming-together of not merely individuals is the most ancient purpose of marriage. Tamamo knows that much well.     Intellectually, she knows many things, but facing Lilian here and now makes it harder to remember that she is here and now, and that this is definitely happening. She'll merely have to be so strong and brave and disciplined and restrict her energy to a dangerous light in her eyes. That sensation of flickering flame where there isn't any, felt by those nearby, is... surely nothing.     Her right hand is tied fast, a ring is taken up loosely, and her left hand is offered. The engagement ring is slid off, providing that space closer to her heart for the wedding band to take its place, and then both are placed together. She couldn't have realized until that moment the feeling of grounding solidity it would provide. A dizzied moment passes.     On every word, she'd focused. Her first mirror them. "With this ring..." And there, she has to pause, and reset her breathing. That time before, in the cottage, where the first ring had appeared, she'd had no idea what to say. How strange that deciding aforehand should not remove all weight.     Tamamo continues. "I vow to love you, to cherish and care for you, for all of your days, that the breeze that carries you be gentle by night, and honey-sweet by morning, that the sun shines upon your path, and shades you where you rest. To you, while we walk hand-in-hand, as I have yours, you shall have my everything -- my heart, body, and soul -- and all the happiness I may give you. To you, and to all that we should grow together... for the joys of our home and our family... I give my devotion, to the very end of history, and the final thread of Fate, that no binding of heaven, nor of earth, shall be stronger than this promise."     On Lilian's hand, Tamamo places the band, just as her own. She is ever so careful, as if there were some way to make a mistake even now.
James Bond	At some point, James decided that he wanted to live--not to hold on, until he could die on his own terms, or to take others with him, but to live. There was no miraculous overnight change, but a gradual, glacial realization that there is warmth and kindness in the world, and more of it than in the vanishingly small pockets where he thought to hide it away for fear that it would be stolen. Holding the small stone now in both hands, he sits somewhere that he never thought he would, years ago, surrounded by his own neglect after what was supposed to have been his blaze of glory.     He lived. After besting 'the one that got away' for a dragon who threatened to destroy the only thing he thought he had left, James Bond lived. In a way, he became 'the one that got away,' and stayed as much. An assassination attempt later, he realized he had to decide what he'd do with his life.     There is joy in the world. He's been luckier than he might ever have imagined--not to scowl at it from the outside looking in, as he used to, or to steal it away either, but to have it in moments like these. In the back of his mind, he always knew this day would happen. If there's such a thing as 'soul mates,' then these two have rolled the world's most onerous dice and--a memory bubbles up to the forefront of his mind. <J-IC-Scene> James Bond says, "No, Lowell, luck is like a woman. It has to be loved, and not feared. You don't pander to it or pursue it. And you accept that one day it'll bring you to your knees." <J-IC-Scene> James Bond says, "I've been made to suffer by cards and women both. But I've never seen Lowell look at either in the way that someone with a pulse does. Unless you count his sylladex." <J-IC-Scene> Lilian Rook says, "Luck is definitely like a woman. You blame her when things don't go your way and get offended when someone pays her credit for your success."     Bond chuckles, shaking his head. Too true. You both worked so hard for this, didn't you? To say that it was only luck wouldn't give either of you the credit you're due. You made time and found patience in the face of an impatient, demanding world. You kept your composures when everyone and everything tried to make you crack. He squeezes the stone again. The work I can manage. The luck... I may need some help with.
Lilian Rook	Incidentally to the vows, a little closer than the audience, much further than the two places reserved for the mother of the bride, Bryce Rook presses his hand to his mouth as if he means to cough, and holds it there for quite a while. His other hand is still holding the page open to the exact document he has to sign. As Lilian's only living family-- no matter how extended-- with the right to officiate a marriage directly, without a petition to the administrative ward, grandfathered in by nothing more than his age, he had considered his presence here as a witness to be the least he could do and the minimum that he owed her.     Katrina Rook, who flew back from the other side of the world to be here, joins him while wiping tears with still-fresh cuts all over her fingers. Not even the almighty excuse of 'the importance of her work' could overpower the homesickness she had felt back then, and so when she sees her brother trying very hard not to cry, she elbows him in the ribs to throw him off.     Nina Clementine isn't related to either of them. She had only met Bryce six months ago, and this is her fourth time in total; the third regarding the wedding. The only time she had ever spoken to Lilian before yesterday was one time while on-shift at Aegis Astray. Her job is to to recognize the marriage in the eyes of the Commonwealth; something she finished doing ten minutes ago. Despite her incongruous presence here, completely irrelevant in every single way, she breaks the sibling quiet with her own sniffling, and says "You two are really amazing. I can't even imagine . . . A-all I did was screw up some paperwork, haha . . ."     Without any further context, they pull the woman shorter than the both of them into a hug. "You know what you did." Katrina chokes out, then laughs blearily. "Come on. If you're humble as well, how am I ever supposed to catch up?" Bryce says, in their little world off to the side.     . . . . . . . .
Lilian Rook	Putting that ring on Tamamo, from the day she decided to all throughout every step up until her fingertips had physically left the metal, had consumed so much of Lilian's attention, tied up so much of her heart and mind, into an endless spiral knot, that the release makes her feel almost dizzy. Buoyant. Deafened by the sweet anodyne of silence.     It isn't until Tamamo begins her vows that she realzes her most deadly mistake: Now she has to receive a wedding ring of her own, with her dress and her flowers and the only mother that really mattered all right there in the frame, and not, somehow, lose her mind all at once.     There was no priest. There was no guidebook. So there is blessedly nothing at all to say she can't lose it just a second after the last word is said. The impulse to squeeze the hand ritually bound to hers and kiss Tamamo until she can think straight narrowly beats the impulse to burst into tears over the finish line, and so Cecilia has to untie the handfast telekinetically so both she and Saeko can applaud as hard as they mean it.     The photographers have plenty of time to go insane at the shot.     . . . . . . . .
Strawberry Princess	It's not the sorta thing I normally wear, I know... um. I like yours, too."      "Thanks. It's, um, not the kind of thing I wear, either." Strawberry's shaky smile alone would make that plenty clear. "You should wear it more," Blueberry chirps from her tablet. "Nnn-- shush." ... Strawberry does seem to have worn this of her own volition, though. Even if having her shins and upper arms exposed makes her feel halfway naked.      "It makes me happy that... you're still in it. Being a hero, and all. Thank you, Hibiki," she manages to say a moment later, with that unsteady smile of hers. "It's not easy, to... keep your heart soft. I know."      "I wasn't exactly subtle, was I?"      "Dead man walking," Onyx says to Bond with a slight smile, before the hush of the vows. "You got out?" 'Out' of what, she doesn't know. But out.      "I'll always appreciate what you've done for me, Strawberry."      "Let's catch up later, alright? There's someone I owe an apology."      "I'm-- really glad to know, I've done something for somebody. Thank you, Mr. Bond." Strawberry's hands twist around each other, searching for a familiar implement she couldn't bring. "I'm, sort of... I wasn't there for Blueberry, or Onyx, when they had their worst. You know? So... it's..."      Just before her eyes can get sentimentally misty again, they widen. "An apology? I mean-- sure. Who? You've... been great. Always."      Ah, but then it's the quiet.      Blueberry shares Strawberry's rock, and Onyx has her own, and they don't know it, but the three of them are almost in unison. ... I hope it stays like this forever. I hope it stays like this. Forever. I hope we stay like this forever.
Tamamo	The release of tension isn't complete, but one step leads to another. Tamamo-no-mae achieved what could have, at some point, have been said to be her dearest wish, and yet, it remains only a leg of the journey, and an arc in the story.     Likewise, she holds herself back just enough to be appropriate to the occasion. The photographers will still get everything they could have asked for.     . . .
Strawberry Princess	Fae stays at the front for a little too long after handing the box off to Cecilia, just beaming perkily, before she realizes she's overstayed her welcome. Oop!!      With a little startle, she pivots on her heel, tucks the pillow under her stubby arm, and skips back down the aisle with the total assurance of a job very well done (plus or minus a couple of the photographs catching the trailing edge of a wing). On her way, she waves back at Kukuru; somehow has a fine enough Adoration Sensor to beam at Ariel; and then returns to Roland and Igrene. "Fae did i--!" "Shh." "Mmp..." "... okay. Now they're done for certain." "Fae did it!!" "Yes, you did. Good job, Fae..." "Ro-land. You have to tell Fae she did a good job too!!" "Oh, dear."      Silently, Igrene hands Fae back the worn rock. "You thought of a wish, didn't you?" "Mhm! Fae's good at wishing. Did you?" "... I think so. If it counts."
White	And there it is. White and Ariel both applaud when others begin to, though the former is so gentle about it that it's immediately drowned in the latter's reclining enthusiasm, each of their wish-stones left in their laps. The ever-wicked Demon Lord opens her mouth to bellow some kind of encouragement, but White senses danger and roughly knocks against her with her shoulder, making Ariel tip partway out of her seat and have to catch herself. She's laughing though, muttering "Alright, alriiight!" as whatever she had to say is set aside. "Good for them." "... Yeah." "Taking notes? Think you're ever gonna get hitched?" "... You first." "Aww c'mon..."      That's too much for White to think about right now. At least Ariel gets a big ole smile from Fae, and she sends one right back with an enthusiastic double thumbs-up. Maybe she and dragons don't typically get along, but that has nothing to do with other worlds; a kid is a kid, and this is how it should be. How it... Used to be.
Lilian Rook	Hosting outdoors, and only somewhat subtly, within three circles of demarcation, means that the ceremony can transition to the reception with almost incredible abruptness. That's the entire point. Music hits perfectly on cue, journalist time opens up its preliminary stage, confetti is passed around with lightning swiftness, and over a dozen cheer so quickly that it's impossible to even tell who started first between them. Though the reception is by far the more heavily rehearsed part, the way it unfolds all at once, with so much energy, makes it feel as if it had arisen ex-nihilo of its own volition.     The tables are set by beautiful shoals of animated dinnerware that swims through the air with a veteran maid's attention to detail and a freshly empowered 'Elite's romantic vision. Lanterns flare to life in artful geometric sequence, propelled by an exquisite grasp of feng shui and just a tiny bit of ancien magic. Guests jump up from their seats all at once. Lilian herself makes the call for the stones, only just managing to ecstatically shout over the crowd to form up by the lakeside and try to skip them as far as they possibly can. "You know I'll count them~!" is a promise as much as a humorous threat. She isn't going anywhere unless it's while glued to Tamamo though; it's as if she's forgotten her hand was untied.     Though it's still only the early afternoon, the Commonwealth coverage staff jump the gun and start helping the family with assembling a proper bonfire to be lit as soon as sunset begins to approach; so much the better to get shots of them together. The Immunes run from table to table to lay out the traditional games and sharing rituals designated by Tamamo, whilst Lilian's school friends ravenously photograph everyone and everything they can. Cecilia gets her first wave of hugs out on the two elder Rook children instead, and Nina goes running over to Saeko to start bowing and babbling over and over again. Sakura tries to heft the Eggpack on her own, while Nika and Ash struggle to make the robot arms clap with one half a controller each.     By the time everyone has thrown their stones, they find abundant seating around a far wider spread of cuisine than just the expected two varieties, some of it ostensibly chosen with specific people in mind. With a saintly lack of planned arrangement, and ample place to stand and walk or sit somewhere other than a chair, traffic can warmly collapse in on itself into communal motion. Petra has to help pour drinks with Cecilia, who works with her like clockwork; because they've both done it before. Lilian calls Lala and Hikaru over, and insists on hugging the both of them, followed by Fae (or possibly all at the same time), before she even considers the speech.
Kukuru	"You're a bit sneaky aren't you, Kukuru?" "Oh. Thank you?" Kukuru replies with just a bit of puffing up at Angela, simultaneously taking that as a compliment with a sheepish smile while doing that specific type of slow blinking she does whenever she gets confused. "Hehe...  I can be if I want to be. But I don't think I was today...? Hmm hmhmhm. Unless the blan-er. Gift might be too surprising?" She definitely didn't catch on there. "What are you talking about?" "Hmmm? Oh, this wedding. All this really happening." Kukuru whispers back to Xion in between trying not to cry from joy, biting her lip again and pushing her mouth lightly with her palm to keep herself in check. "Like... My eyes and my chest feel super gushy, but in a good way instead of a sad way. It's such a wonderful feeling, you knooow?" She admits, still quiet, still teary, and letting just a bit of another giggle out before slipping a tissue out from under her capelet to quietly blow her nose. That wave from Fae gets a dainty wave from Kukuru with her tissue, too, that potentially-familiar noise coming out of her again. She can't not react to Fae playing her part so well, with a excited 'aww' and bouncing in her seat again being the main pressure release from those other noises she's been making throughout all this. She doesn't dare make another noise once Tamamo and Lilian start to exchange their vows, of course, and even the vibrating excitement in her body stops as she musters up all the focus she can. She needs to stay perfectly still, perfectly observing, absorbing the entire moment of the exchange of bands, watching the replacement of the rings. She's known both of them for what feels like an eternity by now, and she knows full well how much trouble she's caused over the years. She knows she'll probably cause more down the line at some point by virtue of their jobs, but at least for now? Right now, she needs to make sure nothing breaks their concentration, so everything can be just perfect. It's getting harder to see clearly between the teary eyes and her sinuses going haywire, but she's drawn in enough of a breath earlier to ignore that. There's vows to listen to, and the kiss at the end. One hand clutches her necklace, and the other clutches the little stone. It's not until sounds erupt from the audience and the photographers that Kukuru finally allows herself to move again as well, breaking into tearful cheers and sniffly giggles, clapping all the while. By the time she settles down, she can hear White and Ariel joking around, and she gives that stone in her pocket another squeeze.
Angela	''Ro-land. You have to tell Fae she did a good job too!!'' Roland smiles. "As if there was any doubt. You were perfect, Fae. I know what I'm going to wish for." His wish, of course, is long dead, but some part of him can still hope for a miracle. He almost does something stupid by living too much into the story he crafted for himself, but manages to stop himself just in time. He looks over to Igrene and adds, "Hey uh. I'm glad you both could come." He grips his stone.             One more time, let me see her one more time. So she can know how sorry I am. He closes his eyes as he thinks that, then opens them. "I worry a lot, it's always been in my nature I think, but I actually think good days are on the way. For you two, for them. I always thought it wasn't real, but it is--and isn't that kind of incredible, just on its own?" Angela gives Roland a quizzical look and he quickly shakes his head to 'reassure' her. ''... You first.'' "Do you have someone?" Angela asks of Ariel. It's entirely plausible at some point with all her interactions with Petra and time spent with her--she has also gained the Trait: Wants To Gossip About Romance. Or maybe it's just the nature of the day. "What is your type, Ariel?" She might also just be trying to tease back on White's behalf. As a deceptive AI, it can be hard to tell. Roland throws his stone first. Angela isn't sure what to wish for, at first, herself, so she takes a little longer. Oh, sure, she could wish for her dream but she's done that too many times, it wouldn't feel real even if the magic worked. So instead she closes her eyes and...             I want our friendship to last through thick and thin. And she kindly asks Roland to throw hers in as well. That feels like a smaller more reasonable wish but also the biggest she could imagine. ''But I don't think I was today...?'' "What I mean is, you're always rewady to be unbelievably sweet a momen'ts notice." When Cecilia gets near enough, Angela turns to aside to her. "Cecilia. You must be feeling quite proud." Angela says, as if she's keeping up the pretense of her being Lilian's parent she mistakenly named her as before. "Thank you for your part for the memories."
Tamamo	Tamamo being separated from Lilian for even a moment would be absurd. Naturally, such a thing won't happen. Stopping to hug children doesn't count as being separated, obviously.     Are Hikaru and Lala technically children? Being teenagers probably makes them adults somewhere, but not here, since they're flower girls. That surely supercedes, and anyway, Tamamo's feeling like she has an uncommonly high number of hugs to give right now, and there are so many potentially huggable friends in sight.     She will, maybe, continue to show restraint. For most.     For Arina and Satsuki, they'd already spoken while setting things up. For Eleanor and Hafren -- it's been a little longer, but there isn't quite time to catch up now. For Bryce and Katrina, it feels like they'll have all the time in the world, so long as their work isn't too pressing. Tamamo makes sure to mention that, to Katrina in particular, intentionally unsubtly glancing at her hands. For Saeko and Sakura -- she might see them right after the reception, but with the honeymoon looming, it's difficult to make such a plan, and oh goodness is the pull for that vacation strong.     For Cecilia (and Petra nearby, serving) Tamamo expresses gratitude for the food. Asking Cecilia to handle so much of it herself is a decision she'll never regret, and the fact that Cecilia has vastly more cooking experience than the allegedly potentially immortal Tamamo-no-mae... doesn't need going into. For Nika and Ash, as she will for many others, Tamamo thanks them for coming, and doesn't (actively) tease or provoke Ash at all.     "Thank you for taking the time, Mr. Hearthward." She would never be so rude as to ask him about romantic matters given what happened with his engagement... so soon, that is. But she'll think about it. Such things cannot be buried forever, no matter how dreadful an experience is had.     "Ms. Kukuru, how good to... ah, would you like a tissue?" She probably has one on her. She definitely has one. And even if there was a little thing called a 'war' that happened recently... that doesn't matter, today. Mostly because she knows that Lilian didn't want her to hold a grudge over it.     "Ms. Angela. Mr. Roland. Thank you both for making it here." No mention made of the manner of arrival and the level of presence. "I hope it was helpful, not in the sense of teaching an answer about matters of love, but in showing how an answer might be given by someone. There are those who need to see an example of such things, after all." Like those two magical girls, maybe. Or those other two magical girls, maybe... Or even, possibly, those three magical girls... Hm.
White	Being instructed to skip their stones is a strange but welcomed opportunity to get up from simply basking in the emotions of the moment in place. While the atmosphere of the reception shifts dramatically, White can be seen glancing and turning in rapid little movements almost like a cat that keeps losing track of a laser pointer, her eyes picking up on sudden movements and sparks of initiated magic in all directions, and taking in the sights like she's going to miss something. It's all so elaborate that it's hard for White to even imagine coming up with it all, but surely Lilian and Tamamo had a great deal of advice, recommendations and ideas from family and confidants. That's how White imagines it must have gone, at least.      "Alriiiiight! As far as we can huh?!" Ariel cheers, high-stepping her jingle-jangly ass toward the lake while White glances back, particularly at Roland's 'extra' stone. For a moment, she thinks about offering to throw it for Angela, but Roland is volunteered and White has no complaints, with a small nod like she's leaving something very important to him. Ariel folds her hands behind her head and laughs while she walks though, stealing a bit of Japanese from the part of White that's embedded in her soul and trying to be cute about it. "Nai wa! I mean, it wasn't even 'til recently I started fooling around again at all, y'know?" She seems unsure how to answer about her type, though, putting more thought into that than it should really take. "I guess... It'd have to be the kinda person where when you're all worn out and things are terrible, you can point to and go 'I'm leaving it to you, now!', right? But then again, the serious types aren't usually very much fun..." She even puts on a bit of a haggard voice for the example-quote, but trails back off into a sort of hopeless sigh and shrug.      Ariel strides at the front now despite trying to encourage White ahead of herself earlier. Maybe it's a bit childish, but getting there first matters to her; in the spirit of the 'hopes and prayers', if White's wish conflicted with her own and White got to make hers first... Well, it wouldn't be the first time admittedly. And this one really matters! More than food, more than partying, more than almost anything.      When Ariel reaches the lakeside, her air changes a little. Her nice, jeweled up cape is tossed to the ground behind her, and she shifts the stone in her hand until it settles into a nice position with plenty of grip. Her left hip turns toward the water, her right foot feels for stable ground on the gentle slope. She sidles another step closer to the water, until her left heel is slightly wet. Her hips turn, her waist bends back, and she casts the most overswung, overpowered underhand throw of her life from as close to the water's surface as possible. There's a snap like a muffled gunshot, and the first splash isn't visible for a couple hundred meters, the second one likely completely out of most attendees' effective eyesight.      Ariel holds that pose with her arm in the air for a moment as tension drains out of her along with a held breath, and she plays it off like the most pleasant stretch of her life while she bends down to pick her cloak back up and sling it back around her shoulders. By the time she's turned around, only one thing has changed. The tips of her fingers on the right hand are red and raw beneath that glove, the silk torn off during her throw without her notice. "Ooh, I smell dinner. Hell yes!"      White then has to take her turn, and can be seen letting the stone drop from her hand only for it to halt its fall a few feet from the ground; the light catches a few glistening silk threads connecting her fingers to the rock. It seems like Ariel's competitive drive over these skipping stones has forced White to take this seriously too..? She wraps the silk around the stone slowly, patiently. Her hand rears back, and swings forward in a twist, and-!
White	She didn't go for distance. She put as much spin on the stone as possible to make it keep skipping and splashing, even using the wound silk to extend her contact with it for more spin. Obviously, it's pointless to compete with Ariel for distance or power, so... She just tried to make it look cool instead. It even makes a funny little buzzing sound between the first couple of splashes before it loses too much energy. Leave it to her to change the terms of victory; even Ariel's got a cheek puffed out and started pouting a little.
Petra Soroka	"Ohh, hearts are like wild animals, though. How do you even stand it, Petra?"     Earlier...     There's only moments, where the tide of the party brings Petra and Xion together before she's inevitably surfing around elsewhere, but one of those moments is spent giving the weighty question its due consideration.     "By being too quick for animal control." Maybe she needed more moments. Later...     Petra is always oscillating on the edge of being the type of person to shout 'fuck tradition', though her feelings are too complicated to ever land fully on one side or another. Too dependent on community to be rampantly individualistic, too scornful of society to worship the actions of past generations, her thoughts tend to be awkwardly along the line of 'I dunno, man, it depends'.     But this, the flowers, the blessings, the vows, the *rings*, it makes her understand in a way she hasn't before. It's made sacred-- and Petra is familiar with the sacredness of love, of course, and the sacredness of relationships, of other people, of actions and feelings for them, but this is different, because it makes the *world* sacred. The divinity of love is turned outwards, extending through the parents that granted their blessings to root them in intangible culture, and the words of the rituals evoke a thousand other words each, binding their wrists together in a semantic web as the audience watches. A wedding is a kind of game, the magic circle drawn around the pair, and it moves with them forever, for the rest of their lives, as long as the rituals are observed. The ring is a symbol that the game is still on.     Petra claps loudly, the moment she's allowed, standing up from her chair to applaud. When the reception unspools, though, her first stop is to scoop Fae up in a biiiiiiiiiiig hug, spinning her around gleefully. "Hi Fae!! You did suuuuch a good job!!!!"     Lilian can't escape for long though. Coming in from the side, so she doesn't have to let go of Tamamo, Petra collides with her in the first and last instance of glomping that she will ever do. Wrapping her arms around Lilian and squeezing, for all the world seeming the self-appointed maid of honor, Petra's teary-joyful babbling of "Congratulatioooooooons-!!" for once has no ulterior motive at all.     When it comes to wishes, Petra is in an awkward spot. The position that she finds herself in is already a wish manifested, through willpower, audacity, and luck, and that combination has served to achieve her nearly everything she's wanted. Her failings, as many as they are, aren't anything she can sincerely put her heart into wishing to have gone differently, no matter how bitter they are in her heart.     So, she makes the most selfish wish she can imagine. 'I wish to stick around, just like this, as long as I want.'     Also, she fucking owns at skipping rocks. "Woah-! Nika??? Nika, did you see that! Holy shit! That was like, *ten*, or something!"
Angela	''Thank you for both making it here.'' "Wouldn't miss it for the world." Roland quips despite being entirely serious. Angela gives another weird quirk of her head at Roland but it's pretty normal in her mind to drop everything and go to a Lilian Tamamo wedding, she's just surprised he's learned so quickly to like Tamamo so much. Clearly, he has some good taste. "I've learned a great deal." Angela tells Tamamo. "But do not worry, I understand that there is no blueprint to follow--it is a ceremony built to express and celebrate the experiences of the ladies of the hour. It wouldn't be appropriate to ''copy''." She dips her head respectfully, like one might to a high priestess. "They seem to have enjoyed themselves. It'll be a memory they cherish, I'm sure." "It must've taken forever to get all the particulars of this ceremony down. I hope I get to know you a little better, I feel Angela's got me a bit beat in that department." Angela does think maybe she should've asked White to help with the stone--but she was so accustomed to relying on Roland today to help with participation she sort of moved automatically on that front! Roland was honestly being a little casual with the stone until he saw White's look which convinced him to take it real seriously. He's a pretty good skipper all told. All in the wrist. Angela listens to Ariel speak of her type. So does Roland, though he's quieter about it. To Angela, it feels like 'someone I can rely on'. To Roland it feels like 'someone who will provide respite'. It's similar ideas on what Ariel means, but not strictly the same. Maybe she should have wished for Love for Ariel, Angela thinks, wondering if she can take it back despite it already being thrown? She doesn't really know the rules. She supposes she can just throw a rock later on her own and make it work back home. She thinks of someone who is generally serious but also can be ''fun'' and her gaze focuses on Roland for a moment who, at the demise of comic timing, totally misses it. "I don't feel there's any shame in being particular." Angela says. ''The Demon Lord skips a stone.'' "Well I don't know what you wished for," A bemused Roland says. "But if the wish correlates to how impressive the throw, it'll be granted thrice over." "White's throw is impressive too." Angela insists. "It had ... ''style''." She's unaware of how similar her wish is to Petra's. "Yes ma'am." Roland says. ''Congratulatioooooooons-!!'' "Congratulations!" Roland joins in, offering Lilian a hand.
Strawberry Princess	"Mmmm! Ro-land's smart. Fae's the best~" She leaaans towards Roland a little, like she's hoping for a pat on the head...      He'll have to hurry before Petra scoops her up, though!!! "Uaahhh, haha!! Thanks, Petra! Again, again!" "Mhmhm. Thanks. You don't have to do it again." "She does! Fae deserves it!"      - - - -      "Ohhhh," Fae breathes about Ariel's Big Toss, and then claps with her chubby little hands when White maybe one-ups it almost giddily. "Good job! Good job!! White la-dy's so cool!" Unknowingly, she got so close... "Fae. Did you forget your rock?" "!!" Fae scampers off back to her seat where she left it, leaving Igrene to rest a hand on her hip, linger a glance after her, and sigh tired-fondly.      "Sorry if she's been too much," Igrene says, mostly to White and Ariel. "She... hasn't gotten out much, until lately. So it's a lot."      Fae eventually scurries back with stone in hand, wiiiinds back, and throws for-- one skip. "Ah...!" "You did it, Fae." "No. Fae's bad at it..." "It's your first time skipping stones, isn't it? Lots of kids don't even get one skip first try." "Mmmm... thanks, Igrene," she says, still a little soggily. Igrene winds back with her impressive archery muscles, shuts one eye, twists from the hip, and-- Sploosh. Zero skips. "Mmmm! Thanks, Igrene! Fae feels better now." "Y-yeah. You're welcome."      . . . I hope I'll get to see them again. Fae wishes... I wish everyone would come back.
Lilian Rook	Lilian's clambering down, joined to Tamamo at the hip, means ploughing into a succession of teary one-armed hugs with her sister, brother, and as far as the ceremony is concerned, mother. It means being orbited by her former classmates, hopping on the spot with excitement for the brief time they can stay, and dealing with her subordinates' stupid pre-rehearsed bit with the double salute.     And it means telling Hikaru and Lala "You both look amazing! You were perfect! You two just do everything perfect together!" and Igrene "Thank you so much for letting Fae come." before "Oh gosh and Fae thank you so much! I haven't forgotten that promise for your birthday, okay? Everyone here likes you a lot, so you definitely made them all super happy!"     She has to limit her jogging tackle hug at Strawberry to when Tamamo passes right by Bond, so that they don't stray more than a couple of feet, and then grabbing both of Onyx Witch's hands at the same time so she can bounce in excitement. "Look at you! Look at you both! Never in a million years did I think it would turn out this way, but--" She even waves at Blueberry! "But I'm so glad it did. I'm so glad you could be here. 'Reignition' is really what it feels like, right?"     Then when she pivots to switch places with Tamamo, she squeezes Kukuru a little too tight, says "Oh god I was so worried it'd feel awkward, but I'm so very happy instead that I could have you here to show you that I noticed all those times you tried your best." and then limits herself to squeezing Bond's hand instead, saying with utterly accidental prescience, "Not that long ago, I thought that finally reaching the starting line might kill me. It's unbelievable, isn't it? Looking back on it now, I think I was so fixated on how far I had to go that I never wondered how fast I'd take off once I got there."     With Roland, she hesitates a little before doing the same thing, then grabs him twice as hard to make up for the little cloud of doubt. "See? The other shoe never dropped. It's the height of hypocrisy for me of all people to be saying it, but sometimes patterns just break. Things end. The rain, one day, stops. And if it's not because of my good luck, then it's because I can do anything I set my mind to, so I'll bring it to the City next." When she breaks away, she whispers, strangely conspiratorial, for Angela's ears, but incidentally audible to Roland, "You know how many layers of 'wishing' this place is steeped in, don't you? Be careful~" It's probably coincidental she sees White and Ariel next.     Huh. Lilian is so effusively relaxed that she doesn't even jump at the sound of a gunshot. Her fingers don't buge a milimeter towards her sword. "Oh~? Trying to show off are we, 'Demon Lord'~? The point of skipping stones is to skip them, you know~" she teases. "At this rate, it'll be an ocean god that answers yours!" God only knows why she winks at White. "But if you need another goddess, I take commissions."     From there, she can trot over to Xion and Arthur, who are both close friends of Tamamo's, and thus extend some invisible tether, and throw an arm around both of them such that they're trapped in her Domain Expansion: Get Appreciated, Nerd! "I'm gonna show you myself Xion! You have to be there for Arthur's Kepler thing after! And then we can crack it wide open! Just like we did before! Except it turned out all of those mysterious blanks are our friends!"
Lilian Rook	With Petra attacking from the flank, Lilian has to settle for waving with her whole arm at Miku and Hibiki, yelling "There's a dance! You two have to dance!" before putting that arm around Petra instead, allowing herself a second to rest her cheek on the top of her head while Petra gets her wiggles out, and then saying "Keep being around like this. Okay? The Petra in front of me right now is beautiful because the Petra last year decided to give this-- all of this-- a shot."     It's her own turn last, with Tamamo; the inverse of the first speech and toast that will then be followed by an incredible dinner, hours of socializing, and eventually, dancing, drinking, and magic-oriented activities outrageously long into the night. Before she throws, Lilian calls Nina over, and over the crowd, cannot be heard introducing the blushing, stammering office lady to Tamamo. Afterwards . . .     §I said it myself. I'm a one-wish girl. Whoever it was, however it happened, even if it's only me myself and I, thank you so much for everything you did to get me this far. With what I have now, I . . . think . . . I can take it from here? So all I want is for those other wishes to come true. Everyone I meant this much to deserves that.§     Watching her stone just long enough to be vaguely impressed by her own luck at skipping this time, Lilian shamelessly holds Tamamo from behind for her turn, and eventually drags her towards the tables.
Arthur Lowell	> Arthur: Cheer!     The CHEERING! A heroboy's voice sounds at tremendous volume, and his claps boom with the volume. Slamming those palms together, he almost forgets his stone. And he makes a break for the shore as well, footsteps trailing little fireworks that blast up and above in shimmering green, white, pink, and gold. > Arthur: Scream and run     He could float faster. He could teleport just as easily. But he has to move. He has to get that energy and that noise out of him. His lungs blast a sound like hasn't been heard in ages. Since the times he lifted clocktowers and worlds out of space and time. Since the times he commanded great beams from heaven. Since the time he traded blows with a dark king. > Arthur: Scream and run because it hides tears     There is something terrible coming soon. The face of the world is turning. Fate is bringing about an awful outcome. Every Bloom will be consumed by it. Arthur has known this pattern for millions of years. Four destined figures and the end of the world. It will get worse before it gets better. A thousand times worse. Death beyond understanding and pain beyond sensation. Every Bloom has a season and every season ends, and one day soon Lilian's world that she has fought to make better will fight back to try to die rather than be kind. > Arthur: Throw your stone     His feet skid as he reaches the shore. Teeth clench hard and catch something stray in his mouth. Eyes clench tight and his wretched little heart seizes in his chest with the joy of the moment and the agony that it will surely go downhill from here. And he will have to depend on the strength of a little three-layer knot to hold the entire world together for someone he has known and cared for, for seven years.     A pitcher's throw launches the stone. It skips and every time it skips, another face flashes to mind. A young girl with a pocketwatch. A gray-carapaced alien with a spear. A red-haired girl hidden by shadow. A robotic woman resting amid dense machinery. A tall walking machine with a rifle and the mechanical woman on his shoulders. A collection of seven hands. Things he's known. Connections he's held, white-knuckled and desperate until long after they're gone and his nails dig into his palm, just like now.     Won't this end too? Won't this *stop*? What if it stops the way he's seen and dreaded before? What if this, *all* of *this*, comes apart, and no knot in the world can bind it together? What happens to Lilian, once the season of blooming ends? > Arthur: Celebrate it while it lasts     He pumps his fist in the air as his stone stops its skipping, and sinks to the bottom of the lake. Drifting amidst others like it, it carries the wretched, pitiable wish he holds in his wretched, pitiable heart. It slowly descends into dark, away from the sundown at the horizon and into a place none will find it for another thousand years, not until this lake is gone and replaced with some barren plains of desert.     When it comes to rest at the lakebed, the little interaction-prompt that had formed on it remains. It will be held by no hand that knows the name "Lilian Rook", and surely no hand that knows the name "Arthur Lowell"; if we're lucky, they'll still be able to read about Tamamo-no-mae in a library. But the gamified prompt offering for one to [L MOUSE] INTERACT rests there, holding that wish, forever. > Arthur: Get it out of your system     It's out of his system by the time Lilian reaches him. The memories and the stresses and the vast multitudes of the ultimate self. She gets her arms around him and it's like he's pulled out of a pit. He hugs her -- startlingly, surprisingly hard. He grins. "HELL YEAH, we've got more QUESTING to do! I've gotta get ASH that HOUSEBOAT CRUISE going, and you gotta COME ALONG." He says, voice as excited and brash as always.     "Let's go see everything this whole damn world got for you."
White	White isn't above taking praise from a child. When was the last time anyone called her cool? Actually, has anyone ever called her cool?? She doesn't know! Bending over to give Fae a little high-five with a completely blank look on her face, she somehow gives off a smug aura in that moment. Ariel makes a slight show of pouting and grumping, but it's brief. Igrene's apology wipes the pout into a puzzled frown, then a dismissive smirk. "Oh come on, it's no big deal. She's some kinda dragon-kid, right? That's a lotta energy that has to go somewhere, and she seems like a total peach." Ariel then squats down face-to-face with Fae and sticks her tongue out at the smaller girl. "I betcha you'll catch up to me someday kiddo~. Eat lots and grow up big and strong, 'kay? It took me *four hundred years* to get this good, and y'know what I did? I ate, and I slept, and I played really hard." Granted, play is maybe a glorification of all the fistfights she got into, but the first two are definitely accurate, if reductive. Ruler of Gluttony and all.      Lilian's playful chiding has Ariel wobble her head to either side to play up her eye-rolling. "Oh come onnnn, you said as far as we could, right? How else am I gonna let loose?" Now it's Lilian she's sticking her tongue out at, if only for a moment, before smirking at White when she gets teased. White seems puzzled by the suggestion, thinking quietly like she's convinced she missed something before admitting, "Usually... Other gods... Don't like me, though. And all... Of the water dragons... too." It takes her another couple seconds to add, "But... A friendly god... Might be a nice change. Sounds... Expensive though..." Maybe she missed the implications, or maybe she just isn't taking them very seriously, but it doesn't seem like the dating pool- or lake, as the case may be- interests her much anyway. "Demon Lord... Maybe you should... Practice skipping instead." Comes like a surprise jab to the nose for Ariel, and she actually coughs a little. "Huh?! You can't pawn me off on some divine seafood, Shiro-chan!!"      Completely disrespectfully to her indignant Demon Lord, White finally delivers the basic sentiment, "Congratulations." to Lilian and Tamamo, her voice failing just as much as usual to convey the intended depth.
Hibiki Tachibana	There might have been ugly sobbing and back-patting in the section of the seating where Hibiki and Miku were (most of it may have been Hibiki's fault), but the uproar that follows the exchange at the front thankfully manages to drown out most of it - and before the noise has even begun dying down, two more sets of clapping join the masses of others. One, especially loud.     ...     Thank you, Hibiki. It's not easy, to... keep your heart soft. I know.     "I'm really not one..." She replied at the time in the usual way with a scratch at her cheek, and a glance up at the sky. "...But... I'm trying to do that. Keep my heart soft... I mean. Even if there are cracks here and there, I have to stick with it. You know?"     Her still-slightly-cracked Symphogear doesn't seem to be on her for once, on that note. Did she not bring it? "And I'm... really glad you're still around and at it, too. I think about the advice you've given before a lot."     ...     The festivities that come after feel like something of a blur - though one notable change is that Hibiki doesn't need to be led around by Miku to join in on the rock-skipping. If anything, she takes the initative herself on lining up when the call goes out for it, with Miku right behind her. If nothing else, when her turn comes up, she's certainly expected to be half-decent at a test of throwing something really hard and far. The two stand at the shore together...     ...and toss theirs in step. Hibiki's makes some distance, but only skips a handful of times. Miku's only makes it part of that way at first, but apparently she's hiding some mean skipping potential. Both of them end up finally sinking at vaguely the same point. 'No matter how many setbacks happen in the future, or how bad things might get, I hope everyone can keep having lots of moments like this. Coming together, laughing, and celebrating together...' '...I'm going to be just a little bit selfish, and pray for Hibiki's happiness. It'd be nice if that means everyone else being happy too - ehe, I actually think my own is included in that, so maybe it's more than just a 'little' selfish. So keep coming home safely.'     ...     There's a dance! You two have to dance!     "Eh!?" Back to business as usual only a short time later, with Hibiki looking somewhat aghast at the thought. "Wait, I don't know if I can in these shoes--"     "You aren't going to say no to one of the brides, are you?" Oh no. She sounds /expectant/. She's also already taking her by the hand with a smile, using the other to wave happily back at Lilian.     This seems to cause Hibiki to take a moment to think... and then exhale, before rising up a little straighter. "...Alright. Then if it's with Miku... I won't lose out even to those two."     At least, she has to make sure they have some of the radiance that they had. Back then, and now.
Strawberry Princess	Lilian gets a split second before impact to glimpse Blueberry, on the tablet, waving back with the air of a relaxed cat.      Strawberry looks startled to be hugged, but only for half a second; then she's hesitantly opening an arm to see if Tamamo wants to come in, too. It's fine if not. A couple of tears land on top of Lilian's head, either way, as Onyx squeezes her hand too.      "Yeah. Well. You know. You and me and her. We did our best. What else was gonna happen," Onyx says flatly, though she mysteriously can't make eye contact as her expression wobbles a little. "You never told me Lilian's a little corny." "Haah... Blueberry be nice." "Oh-okay. Um. Congratulations, then."      . . .      Strawberry has a rock for two, by the shore, and Onyx has a rock for one. They weigh it in their palms with a mutual determination. "... They are pretty cute together." "I guess they're pretty cute." "Hard to imagine someone like us getting married 'til it happens." "Uh, someone like...?" "You know what I mean." "I-- I don't, actually. That could be four-- three different things." "Any of them," Blueberry cuts in. "All of them." "Yeah." "... Okay. Yeah."      Strawberry and Onyx nod at each other, and throw. One is artful with perfect form. One is rough like an olympian's stone-toss. They cross each other mid-flight. Hard to tell whose was whose. ". . . Nice." "Nice." "I could've helped." "Maybe, uh, next time, Blueberry." "Hey wait what does 'next time' mean?"
Kukuru	With the vows exchanged and the marriage sealed with that kiss and embrace, Kukuru finally gets to breathe somewhat clearly again while Lilian provides new instructions. This time, it's to skip the stones across the lake! Kukuru lets out a hearty laugh while she looks back down at the stone in her hand, then back up towards the newlyweds. "Oh that does sound like a fun little game... Okaaay!" She calls out, eager to relinquish that as directed. As she follows the crowd to the water, however, she soon realizes something: Kukuru has never actually managed to skip a stone. She's certainly tried it before, and she's followed all sorts of instructions and even had people try to tutor her, but she's never managed to get a proper bounce. with so many people to observe this time around, however, she might be able to pick up on something or another! "ah, would you like a tissue?" Before she does, though, Tamamo greets catches up with her first, and Kukuru gigglesdamply before nodding a moment. "You two really are such a wonderful match for each other... Mm! Please, take good care of each other. I know I probably don't need to tell you that, but I can't not worry anyway. Oh, congratulations, Tamamo...!" She looks like she's going to start tearing up again, only just stopping herself by wiping at her face with her already-damp tissue. As awkward some of her own feelings towards her might have been in the past, Kukuru's all but forgotten them in light of this joyous occasion. She even holds her arms out to offer Tamamo a hug, although she's learned well enough that she shouldn't just go for it like she used to. If Tamamo takes it, though, Kukuru's absolutely going to wriggle around and hold her tight for a few seconds before releasing. That's soon followed by a tag out to Lilian, and Lilian being the one to initiate the hug for once gets a mirthful squeal out of her. "Uwah... L-Lilian? Oh, oh my." Stunned and elated at the same time, Kukuru vibrates lightly while squeezing Lilian back not quite as hard, but still burying her face into her shoulder and wiggling semi-bonelessly with more of those giggly noises coming out of her. "Oh, I've been hoping for this... Mm! It wasn't awkward at all, dear." Beat. "Was it?" Kukuru asks, then laughs lightly at her own joke before her usual- No, a different smile crosses her face. It's still got the fond shine to it, but it's somehow warmer than usual, a little narrower around the lips, and her eyes a little more closed. Her eyes are also extremely red from all the tearing up, and she has to dab at them again after what Lilian says. "Oh, Lilian... Mmn! That means more than you could imagine, dear. You know I wouldn't miss this for the world. You have this way of bringing out the best in so many people before they know it's happening, soooo... It's only natural so many of us would wanna be here today, right?" She starts laughing again, too, as she sees the stones starting to fly forth, and she pays close attention to who's launching what. Roland's technique looks quite solid, Ariel's technique and power combined is quite impressive to see (and possible thanks to the SPECIAL EYES), and White's impressively spinny showing gives Kukuru enough of an idea for her own throw. With the lessons imparted to her by everyone here, Kukuru gives that stone one more squeeze. One day, I'd like to be up there, just like these two. With her hope firmly in mind and stone firmly in hand, Kukuru tries to activate all the techniques she's witnessed today. She windmills her arm from front to top to back and around, looking ready to to truly skip her stone like a pro, twisting her wrist at just the last second at a shallow angle and...!
Kukuru	The stone blasts forward and slams into the surface of the lake, sending up a massive burst of water that might as well be a geyser with how high it goes. It doesn't really skip at all, though, immediately sinking right after that impact. She'll get it one day.
Angela	Roland, a bit haltingly, reaches out to pat Fae's head with his hand like he's not sure he's allowed, or if he might get in trouble. He's too slow! Petra scoops up Fae and Roland quickly brings his hand behind his back, smiling. It's okay. It isn't the worst time he was a bit too slow. ... But then he pats her on the head post rock skip. "Gotcha." He grins like he was going for a STEALTH STRIKE CRIT MODIFIER. He is nothing else if not able to adapt on the fly like this. ''I was so worried it'd feel awkward, but I'm so very happy instead that I could have you here to show you--'' Angela isn't sure when that happened. She remembers, most of all, the time Lilian had said Kukuru had cared for too many in order to be one of hers. But maybe sometimes people just heal in time, maybe Kukuru grew as well, maybe this shift happened just out of her perception. She's ... actually pretty happy for Kukuru. This probably means a lot to her, judging from how she knows her 'official sponsor'. But it's right. Kukuru does try her best, doesn't she? She always had. Maybe she should ... try and do something nice for Kukuru. It's just been work lately. "Ooffh. Strong handshake." Roland smiles. "Well I wouldn't want you to worry about me learning something on ''your'' special day. But ... I'm alright." He promises her. It's even true in the moment. "I couldn't think of anybody better to break free of Samsara than you. I'll always appreciate what you do for us--" He can't quite bring himself to add 'for The City' but he's doing his best here. "But there's no greater miracle than this." He gestures broadly to the ceremony, and Tamamo. In this, perhaps, he and Angela are actually quite alike. But as Angela has come to this conclusion from its absence, Roland has come to this conclusion through experience. "The best is yet to come, you know? You've tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. You might even forget that starting line because of how far away it is." ''You know how many layers of 'wishing' this placed is steeped in, don't you?'' Angela's eyes widen. "I--had not considered that, Dame Commander--" Then she pauses. "Lilian. I didn't wish for much but I hope it comes true. ... Responsibly." She adds that 'Responsibly' as if adding a caveat for the wish power. Roland's face goes a little pale as he takes a moment tow rap his head around the idea that wishes might be real and not just a fancy name for some weird Singularity. ''Usually... Other gods... Don't like me, though.'' Angela tells herself she can never let White know that she--okay, she doesn't FORGET really, but the idea that White was a goddess has been so far out of her mind that it was something she definitely hasn't thought about. "Hm..." Angela has heard of 'Gods of the City' before but she doesn't really know anything about them and she can't imagine any deity from her world would be worthy of White. Still, she says, "There are those with a better sense of taste."
Tamamo	"Onyx Witch, Blueberry... Strawberry-Princess -- I am glad that all of you made it." Both 'to here' and 'until now.' "'Reignition,' is... ah, you know, apart from cranes, and evergreens, the phoenix is a common symbol, for times like these. An evergreen, like the sakaki, is something that endures, but the phoenix is one that begins anew. Both feelings are important, I think."     Strawberry opens the hug, and Tamamo accepts.     And again, soon after, with Kukuru -- though her hugging technique is notably different. It's fine! Tamamo can accept many things today, as long as Lilian's here. Still, it's good that Kukuru's strength isn't applied equally to all things.     . . .     She'd held a wish, from the very start. It hadn't changed its form so much as revealed a form that hadn't been obvious, before. She'd always known what she needed, but the journey to reach it had been clouded. As soon as she knew the words to speak, her wish had been this, held before her present incarnation, and sitting in the core of her being. A single, simple wish.     I wish to live happily with my beloved in a blessed world with a blessed future.