𝒹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑜 𝒹𝑒 𝓁𝒶 𝓇𝓊𝑒 (they/them) (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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apocalypsehowcomm2023-04-09 06:07 pm
ruevealing) wrote in apocalypsehowcomm2023-04-09 06:07 pm
Entry tags:
[open log - it's a wedding!]
Who: Rue, Hob, and everyone else! Even if you don’t know the couple personally, Rue will not be throwing anyone out.
When: Evening of April 9th
Where: On ADI grounds
Summary: A fey wedding! Come take a break from all of the usual drama to dance, drink, and be merry!
Warnings: n/a
[After months of extensive planning, the day is finally here. To all those personally invited or who just so happen to stumble upon the lovely outdoor tent on ADI property, they’ll all be welcomed as anticipated guests to join in the celebration.
For how lavishly Rue had lived prior to this realm, the wedding is elegant in its pure simplicity, all creams and ivories splashed with the bright color of wildflowers, golden lights twinkling in every corner of the spacious tent. The decor is all fresh flowers and gentle lights, nothing over-the-top or excessive, just a pretty, aromatic backdrop for the ceremony taking place.]
[Mingling]
[Is it any surprise that fey weddings are a touch more eclectic in their traditions than most humans might expect?
Upon arrival, all guests are invited to pick up a smooth stone, small enough to fit easily into even the smallest of palms. The game then becomes being sneaky enough to slip that stone into someone else’s pocket without being caught. Fey tradition dictates that if you manage it without suspicion, that person shall be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year. But get caught and it backfires only on the gifter themself, who is then cursed with bad luck for the next ten years.
(It’s only a silly fey game, of course, take the gift of good and bad luck with a grain of salt. ..Though you never quite know for certain in a place like this, do you?)
After the ceremony, in an imitation of one of the more bloody and violent goblin customs, bird-shaped confetti is rained down on the guests, tiny, edible doves to either politely brush out of your hair or to catch and eat. Collect more than anyone else and you just may be named Destroyer of Doves for the rest of the evening, a title that comes with a small crown and sash. (Goblin traditions are something else.)]
[Reception]
[The ceremony itself is brief, fey promises are already binding, no other long-winded declaration of vows or exchange of gifts are needed, the words Rue and Hob speak are weighty enough.
But the true celebration follows immediately after, an after party that lasts long through the night, with music, drinks, and nonstop dancing. Feel free to drag a friend onto the dance floor or stand awkwardly on the sidelines, waiting to be bullied into dancing the macarena. You can try to use the tender environment to strike up a conversation with your crush or maybe just challenge your rival to see who can Cha Cha Slide best.
Or, if you’re truly opposed to dancing, you could grab one of the delicately painted eggs in a basket by the entrance. They weigh next to nothing, and the instructions are simple: throw it at someone. Ideally a someone that you’re fond of, but it doesn’t have to be. Regardless of whether the egg is chucked out of affection or malice, it will break with a puff of perfume and a spray of colorful confetti.
When you leave, don’t forget to grab your gift bag! Rue’s prepared small bags for anyone who attends, invited or otherwise, filled with all of your wedding gift bag essentials! Included is a mini bottle of champagne, a decorative baggie of jordan almonds, and a small paperweight with a spray of the same wildflowers preserved within it.]
When: Evening of April 9th
Where: On ADI grounds
Summary: A fey wedding! Come take a break from all of the usual drama to dance, drink, and be merry!
Warnings: n/a
[After months of extensive planning, the day is finally here. To all those personally invited or who just so happen to stumble upon the lovely outdoor tent on ADI property, they’ll all be welcomed as anticipated guests to join in the celebration.
For how lavishly Rue had lived prior to this realm, the wedding is elegant in its pure simplicity, all creams and ivories splashed with the bright color of wildflowers, golden lights twinkling in every corner of the spacious tent. The decor is all fresh flowers and gentle lights, nothing over-the-top or excessive, just a pretty, aromatic backdrop for the ceremony taking place.]
[Mingling]
[Is it any surprise that fey weddings are a touch more eclectic in their traditions than most humans might expect?
Upon arrival, all guests are invited to pick up a smooth stone, small enough to fit easily into even the smallest of palms. The game then becomes being sneaky enough to slip that stone into someone else’s pocket without being caught. Fey tradition dictates that if you manage it without suspicion, that person shall be blessed with good luck for the rest of the year. But get caught and it backfires only on the gifter themself, who is then cursed with bad luck for the next ten years.
(It’s only a silly fey game, of course, take the gift of good and bad luck with a grain of salt. ..Though you never quite know for certain in a place like this, do you?)
After the ceremony, in an imitation of one of the more bloody and violent goblin customs, bird-shaped confetti is rained down on the guests, tiny, edible doves to either politely brush out of your hair or to catch and eat. Collect more than anyone else and you just may be named Destroyer of Doves for the rest of the evening, a title that comes with a small crown and sash. (Goblin traditions are something else.)]
[Reception]
[The ceremony itself is brief, fey promises are already binding, no other long-winded declaration of vows or exchange of gifts are needed, the words Rue and Hob speak are weighty enough.
But the true celebration follows immediately after, an after party that lasts long through the night, with music, drinks, and nonstop dancing. Feel free to drag a friend onto the dance floor or stand awkwardly on the sidelines, waiting to be bullied into dancing the macarena. You can try to use the tender environment to strike up a conversation with your crush or maybe just challenge your rival to see who can Cha Cha Slide best.
Or, if you’re truly opposed to dancing, you could grab one of the delicately painted eggs in a basket by the entrance. They weigh next to nothing, and the instructions are simple: throw it at someone. Ideally a someone that you’re fond of, but it doesn’t have to be. Regardless of whether the egg is chucked out of affection or malice, it will break with a puff of perfume and a spray of colorful confetti.
When you leave, don’t forget to grab your gift bag! Rue’s prepared small bags for anyone who attends, invited or otherwise, filled with all of your wedding gift bag essentials! Included is a mini bottle of champagne, a decorative baggie of jordan almonds, and a small paperweight with a spray of the same wildflowers preserved within it.]
cw brief weight mention
Tim's lost weight since Then. He uses what he has left to bully the owlbear to a quieter place. He feels like a bossy chihuahua dog trying to command attention this way, and some silly spirit in him celebrates the victory to come.]
I'm no good at this. [A preamble, not an apology. Tim maneuvers to dig into the interior pocket of his suit jacket. Then he digs through the other side's pocket, because he's a bit of a dunce. The real Tim Drake, is a bit of a dunce.] So I thought back to what my mom would have liked.
[And the memory search had yielded Fuck All, so thank god for sponsored ads, Etsy, and expedited shipping.
Rue had gone to such lengths to mark themself as one his parental
like, they've even said the word 'Parental' on, like, multiple occasions.
Tim finally fishes out a flat, simple cardboard box. He holds it out for Rue to take. There's no fancy bow on top, no card. Maybe he should have written a card.
He hopes... he hopes they're not offended. Disappointed. Not ever. By the... by the gift left freely inside.] It looks like scribbles. [But he explains, excitement and apprehension swirling among rehearsed words.] It could be a necklace or one of those dangly bracelets I think. It's a- a star map. So, the sky. As it is right now, or, well, as it is this night. The stars' calculated positions. I checked. Mostly. Well, I don't know the sky of your world, but the wedding is in this one. The stars might be different. But it's like a permanent little- etching, of this time and place. And I'm repeating myself and, uh.
[Cheeks hurting, Tim is pretty sure he hears himself mutter] It's kinda nerdy.
[And he looks up at Rue, and he stops the excuses forming on the tip of his tongue and he says, instead,] I hope you like it. And I haven't said it yet, but. Congratulations, Rue. I'm really happy for you.
no subject
Rue waits patiently for Tim to find his words - and the gift itself - their big eyes squinting happily as the young man has to search in his second pocket, but there's no hiding the gentle surprise in their gaze as Tim mentions his late mother.
As much time as they've spent together in that tiny apartment, there is still so much about Tim and his background that Rue doesn't fully know. He is such a private boy, and if anyone can respect a need to for privacy, it is most certainly Delloso de la Rue, but it does leave them wondering more and more about his life before all of this. And it's true, unintentional as it may have started, Rue certainly has felt an almost parental tug at their heart for this young man, to see him safe and healthy and happy, but Tim already had such dear family in this place, there were moments when Rue felt their attention was more of a nuisance than anything.
So to even be mentioned in the same breath as Tim's mother, to try and compare what his mother would have liked to what Rue might now, means more than they could possibly ever put into words.
The plain, unwrapped cardboard appears and Rue can't help a soft, wet chuckle at the sight of it. A gentle tease, nothing at all mean behind it, they just clearly haven't engrained into Tim well enough how much presentation matters. Not that it matters in this moment, because even just a tiny, plain box still has the owlbear tearing up already.]
Tim...
[But he continues, explaining the beautiful necklace that they are gazing down upon, the familiar scribbles of star patterns along the pendant, the deep and touching meaning behind all of it.
He mutters that the gift is nerdy. That he's happy for Rue, and there's just nothing else that could ever matter as much as those perfect words.
It's less gentle than Rue has ever touched anyone, the way they immediately wrap their wings around Tim and lift him up into a hug, crushed against them, their broad, feathery shoulders already beginning to tremble from their gentle crying. Speaking is what Rue is best at, but even they feel the emotion going tight in their throat, suddenly struggling to find the words they need to say.]
no subject
He remembers flying with Kon.
Another bubbling giggle, though Tim's voice is determinedly clear.]
I do love you, Rue. I'm sorry I don't say it enough.
[As in, his stupid head can't recall himself having said that L-word at all. There's a lot he doesn't do that he maybe should.
A lot he's sorry for, that he does anyway.
Big emotions aren't his thing. Tim has proof upon proof of that. He's built his walls. He likes his distance, has worked for it, has had it beat into his thick skull rather ruthlessly. They're messy at best, inconvenient a whopping whole lot of the time, and put frankly: a distraction. But he's human, still. Rue deserves to be loved and know it.
Tim buries his head in strong bear's shoulders. He thinks, he wouldn't mind being a birdbear cub thing.
Rue is everyone's sweetheart, it seems. Claws like daggers, a beak that can tear through flesh like paper. A wisdom that evades so many people.
And the bigger they are, the harder they fall.
His next words are tiny, wavering, pathetic things. But his throat feels rough and raw. Something twists in him and hurts.
Hey, he's only human.]
I hope that means you like it.
no subject
A warm, happy, tearful laugh nearly bursts out of them as they melt into the embrace, their giant wings encasing the young man completely in a protective circle of feathery warmth.]
Oh Tim, I do, I love it completely. And I love you.
[One more strong, warm squeeze before Rue is carefully setting him back to the ground, their paws still clinging to him until they are absolutely certain he is steady again, though even after, one remains affectionately resting on his shoulder.
They bend at the knee, only to close some of the distance in their great height, so that when their voice drops softly, only Tim will hear the delicate tremble clinging to their every word.]
I - I did not know my family. They were wild and I was taken from them as a cub. And the fey who raised me - well, they saw me only as a pet. And even after I grew and became awakened, so much of my life since has been spent alone, isolated from the very court who took me. So to come to this land and find you and Neal and all of my darling friends who have so enriched my life, I can not even begin to put into words how blessed I feel.
[The paw at Tim's shoulder moves, much more gently this time, to press their giant, soft paw to the boy's cheek.]
Even though we are not bound by blood, I feel that you are my family, Tim. And I know that you already have a treasured home in this land, but please, know that mine is always open to you, should you ever need it. I promise, for as long as I breathe, you shall always be welcomed home with open arms.
no subject
Just when he thought he was all cried out, Gloucester proves him wrong.
So much for cold and decisive measures.
Tim swallows, knowing for sure his throat is sour and vile.]
You didn't deserve that, Rue.
[He tries not to think of the gifted tracker as a collar.
Cold and decisive. Fearful and mournful.
A serious young man, perpetually preoccupied.]
But it'll all be better now. For you. You built a family. You've made it happen. Family means we only try the best for you. We'll keep you strong because we can't promise to keep you safe. I'm sorry.
[Eat your heart out, Batman.]
no subject
To Rue, it feels like a breakthrough. They have no idea the very agency and freedom they fought so hard for has shifted.]
You have nothing to be sorry for, my dearest. You have brought only joy into my life and I hope with all my of heart that the same can be said of me for you. We are family. Please know that anything you need, you shall have it.
[With the difference in height, it is a great deal of leaning, but Rue stretches their neck just enough to press a peck of a kiss to Tim's forehead before finally pulling their paw away.]
Oh, I never knew I could be so happy. This beautiful day with our lovely friends and now this most thoughtful, generous gift. Thank you, Tim. Having you here today has meant so much to me.