songerein | fourteenth shot ⊗ wedding day

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fourteenth shot ⊗ wedding day

Who: Eustace, Tifa, and anyone who wishes to join the wedding reception! RECEPTION IS OPEN INVITE so anyone can join in the log even if the characters don't know them!
Which: Open log
Where: Along a long stretch of the riverbank
What: It's Eustace's and Tifa's wedding and while their ceremony was private, they've invited anyone who wants some free food, drinks, and dancing to join in and have fun! For a visual reference of how things, we have an image board you can use.
Warnings: The gumdrops are lurking—

On a sunny, early afternoon of the 3rd, the ceremony takes place in a private setting at the Corgi Tree where Trahearne awaits to officiate. But by the time late afternoon hits and everyone from the ceremony and other guests arrive at the reception located at the Riverside, the area will have been completely transformed.

While there are no leaves left on the trees, they are decorated with hundreds of little glowing blue and red starflowers, and from the branches hang lanterns that flicker with firelight that give off enough warmth that it can melt away the cold beneath them. Those familiar with Tifa may recognize it as her own dreamotion magic fueling them, as well as the smaller lanterns at the center of each table. Seating is abundant at the long tables decorated in silk, and blankets are provided for people to take to keep warm if the fiery logs scattered about are not enough. Large flowery tree decorations stand tall on every table as the centerpiece, as well as plenty of flowers, courtesy of Oriphi and Isabela's Madrigal Blooms.

However, in spite of the comfortable heat that lingers, snowflakes fall from the sky and the treetops, and while they may be cool to the touch, they will melt away before they can touch the ground. Should one look up, not only will they see the snowflakes sparkling in the light, but there is a ceiling of stars that twinkle alongside them, speckled through the air and spreading outwards in all directions from wherever Tifa is.

To kick off the dancing will be the couple first, with a performance by Phantom. Everyone in attendance will be given a sparkler, and as the song reaches its climax, not only will the sparklers burst with light, but the snowflakes will shimmer a little brighter, and the hundreds of stars will erupt into thousands that spread through the Riverside and across the dance floor. Arcs of lightning and wisps of flame ripple through the crowds, some of them forming shapes in the air to paint pictures of a small rabbit and a wolf leaping between the glittering specks of light.

The rest of the night is dedicated to a good time, with the band playing a variety of different kinds of music to dance to. Alongside them will be more performances, including a song on the violin from Dohalim.

While the ceremony will be small and reserved for friends, the reception will be free to whomever would like to join or is just passing through. Seating is abundant, as is the food, so join in the festivities! Drink, dance, and celebrate! Be sure to grab the small bags of rose candy treats from the Flower Dogs.

Leave well wishes or words of advice for the couple on the GUESTBOOK (and if you have a gift, be sure to leave it there, too) before you leave! (Compiled version can be viewed here)

I. FOOD

The menu for the evening includes:

🌟 A variety of soups and stews, both meats and vegetables alike.
🌟 Freshly baked breads for dipping or to enjoy with jams, jellies, or butter.
🌟 An assortment of various meat dishes provided by Eustace and helped prepared by 76: chicken, duck, pheasant, beef, pork, deer.
🌟 Featuring a large wild boar hunted and prepared by Eustace in three different ways: braised, spicy chili barbecued, and roasted.
🌟 Stuffed potatoes, cooked greens, roasted fish.
🌟 Winter-themed desserts such as mini cakes, cookies, mousse, pies.
🌟 Special drinks courtesy of Diluc and Oriphi: S'mores coffee liqueur cocktail, Starry Night cocktail, mulled wine

Besides the delicious food that has been provided courtesy of Soldier:76, the game hunted by Eustace, a three-tiered cake baked by Sanji, as well as cocktails from At Day's End, there will of course be other treats and drinks for people to enjoy throughout the night.

S'mores stations will be set up, and people are free to use the fire pits that have been set up all around for warmth for toasting marshmallows that will change color depending on one's emotions. There is also a coffee, hot chocolate, and eggnog station set up next to it for all. Be careful, some of it might leave people feeling a little giddy after a cup or two. But don't worry, they're alcohol free, unless you'd like them not to be.

Because of the huge amount of food, there are takeout boxes available for anyone to use to take home! Please, take it. Take it.

II. ACTIVITIES

Besides dancing and general mingling, there are plenty of other things for those in attendance to enjoy at the riverside.

Thanks to the surge in dreamotion, bubbles will occasionally float from the river. If one is lucky enough to catch a glimpse into them, they will see a reflection of a happy memory, or even a hope or a wish for the future.

On the other side of the dance floor is a small photo station with a photographer who will happily take people's photos with his dreamotion camera. Preserve some memories with friends and loved ones!

Eustace has frozen over part of the river, so slip on some skates (provided) and enjoy a night of ice skating under the stars! There is plenty of snow to go around as well, so might as well make the most of it. Sculpt snowmen, snow animals, whatever your heart desires. And who knows, with enough dreamotion, that small snow rabbit or dog might come to life and prance around. Of course, it will cause no havoc, but they sure are cute. The corgis will also be around to pull around dog sleds for anyone who would like to go for a ride along the river. A perfect opportunity to practice for those sledding races.

For those looking for a quieter getaway from the festivities, there are some flowery and candlelit paths that lead down along the river should anyone need a break, as well as into the trees for someplace secretive and quiet. Anyone for a moonlight tryst, perhaps? But watch out for the singing fish. At least the white and pink gumdrops will have had a feast so they will be mostly behaving (but should they catch anyone they think might be particularly delicious, they won't hesitate–yes, this is a threat and they will not hesitate to join in on the festivities), but there are still sprigs of mistletoe for those who may want a little less "excitement"...

III. TRADITIONS

A. Flower Wreaths & Crowns. On every table beneath the flower decoration stand there is a basket of various winter flowers with a small note of instructions included inside (click the text).

"From the remote, distant snow covered islands of North Vast.

Due to the harsh climate, flowers are a rarity and the ones that manage to bloom and survive are treasured. Thus for my people, flowers are not seen as delicate but strong and persevering, providing color in an otherwise white world. They've become a symbol for the women who have had to help build and support their families.

For the wedding, the bride will gather flowers to give to all the women of the village so that they can create their own crowns and veils and join in celebration. Men can also create a token to give to their loved one, romantic or familial.

Throughout the festivities, women will take a flower and weave it into a special veil that the bride will wear once the festivities are over as a symbol of their support for her new journey ahead.

Feel free to participate or take them home for your own purposes.
Eustace."

Over by the table where Eustace and Tifa will be sitting will be a small table with the initial veil standing on display. Anyone with a flower is free to weave one in. Otherwise, as the note mentions, anyone is free to make their own flower crowns or other flower creations. There are plenty of flowers to go around (and can be readily restocked).

B. Catch a Shooting Star. Set aside is a small table with a series of glass jars of varying sizes. In front is a small card with Tifa's neat handwriting explaining what they are for (click the text):

"From Nibelheim.

At sunset, the children would be sent out to the grassy fields just outside of town to collect fireflies to bring back to the happy couple. It was never a contest, but we would always turn it into one to see who could catch the most in their jar. Emilio was quick so he usually won, but I came close once! My village was small, so there weren't a lot of chances for it anyway. Once the sun was gone, we would turn off all the town's lights and the couple would make a wish beneath the stars and set the fireflies free.

The wishes could be for good fortune or prosperity, or it could be a prayer to wish their loved ones well. We believed that, because they looked like the stars over Nibelheim, they were good luck, and could carry their wishes back to the Planet on their backs.

Unfortunately, it's a little too cold for fireflies to come out for that now, but I've taken my own twist on it. If you look up to the stars above your heads, they look a lot like fireflies, don't they? If you can spot a shooting star, catch it in one of these jars.

And, instead of giving them to me and Eustace, we'd love for you to hold onto the ones you do catch. Make a wish on them and if you want to release it with the hope that the wish will come true, then you can. Or you can keep them and hold onto that wish until the right time. The star will stay alive for as long as that wish you imbue into it does...

So whatever you do with it, hold that wish close to your heart.

- Tifa"

The stars she speaks of continue to twinkle well into the night, and while the shooting stars are fleeting, they are bountiful. They are quick, however, and sometimes, they may wind up stuck in treetops and will need help getting out, or they may land in someone's drink. As Tifa explained, should anyone catch one or several (however many they would like), they may free the stars so that the Planet may grant their wish, or hold onto that wish and bring the jar of stars home. If nothing else, they would make beautiful lights or decorations!

C. Paopu Fruit. On another table is a large bowl filled with star shaped fruits and a large pile of napkins (once you have a taste, you will see why there are so many.) There is a card for one to read in writing that is neither Tifa's nor Eustace's with a short explanation of what this is:

"Paopu fruits:

If two people share one fruit at the same time, their destinies become intertwined. They'll remain a part of each other's lives no matter what."

Inside the bowl are pieces of the Paopu fruit. While there weren't enough to offer whole ones for every guest, there are more than enough smaller pieces for anyone who would like to try this with their loved ones or even their friends. Destinies are not limited to significant others, after all, and should one wish to remember one another when this dream ends, that is all the reason they should need, yes?

According to Sora, the fruit should be bitten into at the same time, and they are very sweet and sour, "like a pineapple and a pear if they were fused together and made a baby." Hopefully there are enough napkins provided, as it might get a little messy!

IV. FLOATING LANTERNS

Towards the end of the night, a call is made out for everyone to gather by the banks of the river. There, tables lined with blank star and moon shaped paper lanterns can be found and everyone is instructed to feel free to decorate them with the provided flowers. There are also blank sheets of paper where everyone is encouraged to write down a wish, a hope, or dream and then insert into the small envelope already attached to the lantern. Once enough time for everyone to finish has passed, there is a final call for everyone to use their dreamotion to light them up and toss them up into the air so that they can fly high into the night sky, Eustace and Tifa releasing theirs first followed by the wedding party to lead the way. Don't worry, if anyone is unable to use their dreamotion, someone can assist.

But there's just one last "show" to cap everything off. After releasing their lanterns, Eustace will step back and raise his gun, Flamek, high into the air, small snowflakes and warm ripples of blueish white electric energy gathering around him. His voice, though quiet and low, is crystal clear as he recites the incantation.

"Flamek Thunder. Your hour is nigh. Take my heart and paint the skies. Heaven's Starfall!"
With each passing word, the wind around him billows, the distant boom of thunder rippling overhead along with flashes of light. It feels as if a storm is gathering, and yet rather than ominous it feels warmer, almost freeing. The blueish white electricity spins around Eustace as Flamek's barrel splits and opens, taking on a slightly different form as it gathers the energy around it. Pale red flames now join the electricity, and on the final word, Flamek releases it all, a blue and red beam of light blasting straight upward into the skies.

At first nothing seems to happen, but then the skies seem to ripple and shift before the once black sky is filled with wavy curtains of color, blues, whites, and reds shimmering like the northern lights found in colder climates. As the lanterns fly up higher, carried by a sudden gust of wind, they pass through the curtain, their lights flickering like stars against the colorful canvas.And slowly, gently, white starflower petals rain down like snow.

[ooc: THEY'RE MARRIED YAAAAY!! Feel free to make any toplevels and treat this like any other party mingle log. For anyone who'd like to make toasts or speeches, please include them in your toplevels!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

And yet—

[Her thought is cut off by the sound of something coming from the ripples in the water, and already knowing what it is, Tifa braces herself for the very sudden singing that shatters that peaceful silence. Even still, all Tifa can do is give an exasperated roll of her eyes, but there's still a subtle hint of delight. For once, they actually aren't wrong, nor are they that annoying as they start to hum a medley together of that song...

Their song... which they must have picked up from earlier, although they seem to have changed the lyrics.

"How did they rewrite the stars?
He said you were made to miiiine~
Nothing can keep them apart~
'Cause she was the one he was meant to fiiind~"

It's quiet enough that it isn't too overbearing, fortunately. It's... honestly a little amusing how they've quite literally come full circle in this world.

Tifa leans forward until she's against him, her whole body relaxing on his.]

Here we are, somehow.

[Her voice grows quiet, content as she presses a hand to his chest and she catches sight of her rings again.]

You still asked me to marry you how many times after all that?

[As much as he really, really disliked those fish...... They had helped them a few times and they were at least being respectful now. Who knows how many others they've bothered just like this. So he can only sigh with a rueful grin, the arm around Tifa's waist tightening.

With a light laugh he glances down at her.]

Two formal and countless in-between and after.

[A small light shines in his eyes, perhaps a reflection of the candlelight or perhaps a light of his own as he leans down closer to her.]

...Should I ask you again right here?

[Really bring it full circle.]

You sure about that?

[She playfully and coyly bats her lashes up at him, hoping to draw his attention from the way her cheeks are rosy all over again.]

What if I say no this time?

[There's no hiding that, he can see that flush clearly. And it only provokes him further, his other hand now over the one on his chest, fingertip gently stroking her rings as he leans in closer, voice lowering.]

...I think I could convince you.

... Yeah?

[Her voice grows soft, as if the two of them are sharing their deepest, biggest secret. Her fingers curl under his, digging a little into the fabric of his coat, and she takes a moment to peek around them to make sure that they are truly alone for the first time all day before she meets his gaze again, the fires in the lanterns flickering in the reflections of her eyes, igniting that longing for him that she had been reining in since she woke up this morning.]

Well then...? Convince me.

[She reaches for the paopu fruit to take from him, and turns it over in her hands before offering it up. He needs something to propose with, doesn't he?]

[He had something completely different in mind, but seeing the paopu fruit, he grins after a moment. Taking it from her hand, he pulls back just enough to have adequate space between them, turning the fruit in his hand as if to inspect it before he looks back at her.]

They say that if two people eat this fruit, their destinies will become intertwined and remain a part of each other's lives no matter what.

[His voice grows a little quieter towards the end, the once playful glimmer in his eyes darkening just a fraction as he stares at her. This might have started as a kind of pretend play, and it still is for the most part, but...]

We may come from different worlds...and our futures are uncertain. But there's no one else I'd want to share my fate with, no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with.

[It's like he's saying his vows all over again. Saying all those many proposals all over again. The hand still over hers tightens as he stares deeply into her eyes, his gaze holding every ounce of sincerity he has.]

Marry me, Tifa.

[Not a request or a demand. A small quiet plea, for her to always choose him at least in this life, in this iteration of their lives.]

Edited 2022-12-11 05:11 (UTC)

[She sees that shift so clearly, but she understands the meaning behind it. She understands the true weight behind his words and their meaning, and although this might just be a playful little thing with this fruit and his umpteenth proposal, and she had been prepared to quip back that yes, he had convinced her, there's nothing playful about what he says.

It's so earnest and true that she feels it pull at her heart instead, makes her wish that she could do more to ease some of that uncertainty in his, but at least she knows one thing for absolute sure...]

Yes.

[That will forever be her answer, for as long as she can remember this special connection, this love that they share.

And even if she couldn't, destiny, fate, luck, whatever they want to call it would always know. The stars will always know.

Tifa's eyes move from the fruit in his hand to meet his, and she feels her breath catch lightly in her chest, the thumping and fluttering of her heart so violent at the sight of that sincerity and love that she almost forgets how to breathe.]

I always will.

[Her hand moves up to rest on his cheek, and she mirrors that adoration—the kind that's only ever reserved for him. For moments like this when they are alone... and now they finally are. The other wraps around his fingers holding the paopu fruit as she brings her voice close to a whisper.]

My husband... My mate...

[He's heard it so many times, but hearing it now seizes his heart in ways that momentarily makes it difficult for him to breathe, to think. Just those simple yet meaningful words is enough to move him so emotionally. She'll be able to see how much it does with the way his eyes tremble, how his free hand moves to her own check to press his palm against it in a sweet, loving caress.]

...My wife. [He can't hold back any longer as he moves in for a fervent kiss, lips taking hers rough yet sweet as he whispers—] My mate. [—before continuing with ardent fervor.]

Eustace...?

[She whispers it like a question, a quiet declaration to him as he kisses her again, the eagerness of it both surprising and invigorating, as if he means to breathe new life into her with it. She returns it in kind, a small noise escaping her as she invites him further, craving every bit of his touch that she can take in this moment.

A touch she's missed so dearly in the weeks leading up to the wedding... They had been so busy, so tired, that she can't pinpoint the last time they kissed quite like this before.

So, when she parts with him for a breath, her lips are red and swollen, her eyes glazed over with the weight of the love she feels for him surging in her, crashing into her like a violent riptide that tries to pull her in further.

It had been this way before, but there's something different about it now... It's not a feeling she can put her finger on or really decipher, but hearing him call her that and have it mean something... It's enough to melt her heart and burn every nerve in her... And she knows that this is only the beginning. They have the whole night ahead of them, and things will forever be changed for them.

For the better.]

Eustace, I...

[She discovers that her hand shakes a little as she holds his, and she tightens her hold on him as she exhales a sigh, as if she's been keeping that one in for a long, long time.]

I've missed this...

[Holding him like this. Being with him like this. Is it a bit silly? Maybe, but it's nice to finally be able to breathe together.]

Me, too.

[A breathless murmur against her lips before he's taking them again, pulling her in closer, the fruit practically forgotten as the only taste he wants right now is hers.

He's had to endure for quite a while, and while they had been both been preoccupied and tired enough, there had been times when she would fall asleep first and he would be left restless as he watches her sleep, feeling both content at seeing her so peaceful at his side, yet a little frustrated because of not being able to do much more.

And now, even though he knows they still have to stay here for a while longer yet, he just wants nothing more than to pull her away somewhere else. Somewhere they can just be alone, to indulge in their love.

It's only the sounds of some nearby twigs cracking that briefly pulls Eustace out of it, some unsuspecting guests accidentally stumbling onto them. Although the individuals tried to make a hasty retreat, it does force Eustace to remember where they are.]

[She lets herself be pulled in, to indulge a little in that selfish need to be closer, to be the only two people alone in the world. For a moment, she forgets about the wedding, about the preparation that went into it and the exhaustion that they've had to put up with. She forgets about the guests and the food, the music, where they are, so that her head can be filled with only him. Finally.

But Tifa hears the sound of the twigs snapping too, and she's much more startled by it, gasping as she pulls back to glance over her shoulder in alarm. The couple that happened upon them apologize several times before trying to trudge through the snow to take a shortcut around them and get out of their way and find their own spot somewhere else along the river, and Tifa waves off their apology before she's hiding her face in Eustace's chest.]

... Right.

[There's a small, embarrassed laugh from there when she, too, remembers where they are.]

The wedding. [She gives him a little nudge with her whole body, but his sturdiness only makes her wobble.] How could you almost make me forget...!

[Yes, it's all his fault!!!

But she's not ready to go back just yet.]

We should find someplace to sit.

[He's a bit disappointed, but they'll have more chances...and the entire night and more to make up for it. So he just ruefully smiles before chuckling a little at her accusation.]

I plan to make you forget a lot of things soon...

[A devilish smirk as he leans in close to whisper those words before lightly nipping her ear and pulling away. He doesn't give her a chance to recover before he's pulling her towards the bank to walk along. Because not too far from here is another notable location: the small docks where they first met, and where he had found the Flowers. It's a bitter memory given how things happened that day... But it's no less significant and hopefully they can change the meaning today.]

Eustace—!

[She could have used that second to recover because even when they are the only two souls around, he finds ways to pull at one of her threads, but all she can manage is a little smack on his arm before she's being pulled along further down the river. The sound of the singing fish begin to fade as they make their way back to the wedding—likely to bother those who are ice skating—leaving Eustace and Tifa truly alone as she recognizes where he's taking her.

That memory is indeed less than ideal, and maybe that's why the two of them haven't returned to it until now, but for Tifa, it no longer leaves a bitter taste in her mouth at remembering it. Instead, it makes her heart feel full knowing now that even though things had gotten off to a rocky start in this very spot, it all still led them back to each other in the end.

And she hopes that the memory they create here today can push all of that bitterness aside so that they can make room for a happier one...

With the town growing, there's a bench here now to look out over the river and the small dock, and Tifa motions to it, giving him a tug in its direction.]

It's so much nicer here than I remember it being...

[Cleaner. More well-maintained.

But it could also just be that it's the atmosphere in general, as that little trail of stars that had followed Tifa here slowly begins to spread around them, and the starflowers that bloom as they walk help to colour it in blues and reds, their light making the snow shimmer just like the stars that blink above it.]

[He walks with her towards the bench, glancing around but not seeming too surprised at the changes. As he helps her sit, holding his hand for her as support he looks down at her for a moment.]

...The day I was going to propose to you with the ring... It was originally going to be here.

[Which may give some explanation to why it's so clean, aside from the town's general growth and development in the area.]

[She does take his offered hand, but as her eyes light up, she gives it a little pull to get him to sit with her. It's a little colder out here away from the reception, and she would like to curl up at his side...!]

Really?

[It's both a surprise and not one at all. Of course this would be a contender for the spot, it was significant to both of them after all...]

What made you change your mind?

[As he sits, he lets out a rueful sigh.]

Dragons.

[Dragonnapped aside, their whole arrive pretty much forced him to change his plans.]

Ah, right...

[She drops her head to his shoulder and stares down at the paopu fruit in his hand, a subtle smile curling the corners of her lips. It really did put a damper on their day, the dragons, but... at least something good came out of what they did in the end. Even if she was there...

There's a crackle as the nearest flame bursts with brightness and heat before it dies down just as quickly.]

The flower field was still beautiful... That place was pretty significant too, remember?

[He notices that crackle, and he can't help but be a little amused. His poor wife... Well, it's not a bad feeling to see her be so ~~possessive~~ protective of him. So he just lightly drops a kiss on her head.]

It was, and that's why I chose it then.

Mm...

[She closes her eyes and slips a hand over his.]

That was... when we decided we were going to live together, wasn't it? Right after the flower festival?

[Where they sat on the roof of that barn and watched those fireworks...]

Yes.

[His gaze softens and warms as all those beautiful, blissful memories come to mind.]

...We've made a lot of memories in many places here, haven't we.

We have.

[Far too many to name, and they outweigh everything else that's happened in this place.]

I'm... looking forward to making more with you. In all these new places we've never been... all these places we have no idea about yet. It's going to all be different now.

[A small shooting star passes near them, the sound of it tearing through the air a small chime-like noise, and it lands in the snowbank right next to their bench where it shimmers brightly.]

[Seeing the shooting star, he remembers the tradition from her hometown and the activity available during the party. Although they don't have a jar, he reaches over to pick it up, the star warm in his gloved hands as it continues shimmer in the dim light. It even seems to glow brighter now that it's in his palm.]

Hm... One of your creations or is it part of the game?

[He can't help but tease her a little. The timing was a little suspect, after all, so he wouldn't be too surprised if it was a product of her dreamotion.]

[Well, it certainly looks like those stars that everyone else is after, doesn't it? But even Tifa is a little surprised by its appearance, and she lifts her head to glance up at him before leaning over to look at the star a little more closely.]

Well, aren't you far away from the party...

[If this is a stray one, is someone chasing it? Tifa glances over her shoulder and around them, but there's no sign of anyone here, or even anyone coming after it, which could only mean one thing...

And it makes her wiggle a little on the bench, suddenly feeling a little called out by it.]

I guess it could be mine, but...

[Her hand moves to rest over his, capturing the star.]

Should we make a wish anyway?

[He chuckles at little at her reaction, the star again glowing brightly in his grasp as he holds it up between them.]

Sure. And then we let it go, right?

Mm-hm. Or... we can keep it. Tie a wish to it and hold onto it.

[For what? She doesn't know, but as she looks at him in the starlight and how, even with their hands holding it together, it seems to light up his face in the most beautiful way, and it draws a dreamy little sigh out of her.]

... Not much else I could really wish for anyway.

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