Swing Me On Your Trapeze

[pinprick]

WHO: Friends of Nathaniel Howe and Anders.
WHAT: An informal Wintersend wedding
WHEN: Wintersend Day
WHERE: Camp Shady
NOTES: Open invitation to all Wardens and anyone who considers themselves a close enough friend of one of the grooms. We're not policing the invite list.

There's scarcely an announcement, though the men have had their minds made up for a while. It's assuredly not formal, invitation spread only by word of mouth. It is, due to the people involved, tactfully swept into Wintersend where it will be camouflaged by a number of other Wintersend celebrations.

No it's not a surprise. No it doesn't really make sense. But Anders and Nathaniel are getting married anyway.

Decorations are simple, mainly winter flowers and evergreen, whatever is colorful at this altitude. Those same winter flowers are made into crowns for the grooms, which is a tradition from the Anderfels. Nathaniel wears his dress uniform, a tradition everywhere. Anders wears a striking set of blue robes to match, though mages have no marriage traditions. Miraculously, a priest has agreed to perform the ceremony. She is content not to make this more or less than what it is: a celebration of the love of two people.

Vows are spoken, the ceremony kept short, and soon enough the grooms take hands and jump over a broom together--a tradition from Amaranthine which puzzles people to this day. And so they are now married, and the party can begin.

The party has simple but abundant fare--mostly meat and bread and plenty to drink, none of it nonalcoholic. There are fires and torches and lanterns casting their warm glow. A couple of Wardens provide the music for dancing on drum and fiddle. Anyone who pleases (Kaisa) is welcome to stand (if they still can) (Kaisa) and propose a toast to the husbands, to the Maker, to the Grey Wardens, to their right buttcheek that's gone numb from sitting (Kaisa), anything they wish. The drunker people get, the funnier everything is. No fighting is allowed, however (Kaisa).

Tonight, the moon is high and the stars are bright and the music is merry. It's easy to forget, for a short time, that the world is in such peril. It's easy to believe all will be well when you're celebrating a wedding.

Comments

Velanna open

[failedfirst]

Velanna is in attendance, of course. Anders and Nathaniel are likely as close as she gets to family, these days. She doesn't entirely see the point, but then, even as a child she'd thought the concept of bonding seemed a little peculiar. Tethering yourself to another being for the rest of your lives in some ritual like that would dictate your happiness. She had known happy married couples, her parents being one such couple so in sync they'd managed to expire together, but it wasn't typical.

All of this she keeps to herself today. She shows up and dresses in one of her nicer green dresses, her hair is braided back at her temples but otherwise down, and she smiles when appropriate. This is a happy day for her friends, and she can be happy for them.

Still, she is mostly an observer, watching a lot of the revelry, rather than getting directly involved.

[justice_is_blond]

She's smiling. She's smiling, he hasn't hit his head, and for a few moments Anders just looks at her before coming over and smiling back

"You look well today. Drink?" It's a time for celebration. It should involve drinks.

[failedfirst]

"Not as well as you, I should think," Velanna replies, her smile a little more genuine. She is glad he's happy. At his preposition she wrinkles her nose, arching her eyebrows at him.

"It's all alcoholic, isn't it." It isn't really a question, because she knows the answer. "I suppose one won't hurt."

[justice_is_blond]

Anders straightens his rather pretty robes, eyes sparkling. He does look good today, and well, and he even feels well. It's a good day.

"We've water as well, but one shouldn't leave you too far gone." After a tilt of his head he leads the way to the drinks, grabbing two glasses. One goes to her, and he keeps the other before raising his. "Nate looks well too. Everyone here does. It's nice." There's so much chaos that keeps happening. Having this little break, and this chance to seize a small bit of happiness, is priceless.

[failedfirst]

She takes the drink offered to her without further complaint, although if Anders is watching her when she takes a sip she does make a bit of a face. She's been able to power through drinking alcoholic beverages many times in the past. She rarely enjoys them.

"For such a scruffy bunch, we do all clean up well," she replies, with a slight smile. In her opinion just about everyone was scruffy around here, but the Wardens did seem to take the lead on that.

[justice_is_blond]

He gives her a sympathetic look, though he can't remember when he acquired the taste for alcohol. It seemed like he'd been used to it from a young age.

"We do. It may take effort to get the Wardens out of the Deep Roads, but it's worth it? Or perhaps it's getting the Deep Roads out of the Wardens, though that's a little more... ingrained." While he wants to see if he can change that, he's fully aware of how slim his chances are. "I don't suppose the Dalish have any special way of dealing with the Taint? I've been starting to look into that area in the last few months."

Not the most cheerful topic, for sure, but maybe it can add to their joy in the end.

[failedfirst]

The shift of topics makes Velanna look at him with a slightly tilted head, like she isn't quite sure who brought it up. Usually she's the unseasonably morbid one.

"There are herbs that can be burned and spells that can be cast to somewhat delay the spread of the Blight when it afflicts someone, but it's a salve. It is essentially used to allow anyone who has become Blighted enough time to say their goodbyes and find a dignified way to die, rather than becoming a ghoul."

[justice_is_blond]

"Mm." For once, it's not really morbid thoughts on his mind. They're hopeful, as if he could think of a future that's more. He's just gotten married. Maybe there is hope, maybe there are possibilities. He just needs to look.

"Later, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear which ones. I may... I may be done being resigned to things. I'm not thinking too much tonight, this is a celebration. Tomorrow or another day."

[failedfirst]

Velanna doesn't often contemplate her own impending mortality. If she dies, she dies. It's simple, for her. She's heard other Wardens griping about the limited life span, however. She knows it's on people's minds, so she slowly nods her head.

"Of course. I think I can share most of it with you, it's not expressly Dalish." And she's close enough now to Anders that she'll allow some wiggle room. He's her friend, and if she can help him with her knowledge of Dalish magic, she will.

[justice_is_blond]

His smile warms more at the 'expressly Dalish' mention. Defensiveness is entirely understandable when it comes to protecting what they have left, but it feels nice when friends relax it for him. It feels like they're saying he's trustworthy.

"Thank you. I feel as if there are more resources and people and means here than anywhere else has had; we may actually have a chance." Having a reason to live means he suddenly wants so much more time to enjoy it, and tonight he's not thinking about how he doesn't deserve it. After a moment, his smile widens all the more.

"We've water, if you wanted to have that instead. There's no requirement to drink other things if you're not enjoying this."