(mostly open) oh this love would kill me

[entreats]

Who: Ange, Ruby, and you!
What: Ruby and Ange's wedding, and all their CR is invited!
When: Late October
Where: The rebuilt Clockhouse

Content Warnings: Semi-irresponsible weapon usage.




Sometime around the beginning of October invitations would have started to be sent out to the various people in Trench Ange and Ruby know - announcing the two girls' wedding at the end of the month.

When the day itself comes, people will find the location - the newly rebuilt Clockhouse, which some of the invitees may have helped rebuild in the first place - tastefully decorated. Some of the house's stranger features have been covered up by decorations in red and gold, mostly taking on the shapes of roses and butterflies all over the place.

Comments

[chessboardturn]

Huh?

[ He does, because what else would he do? She's his sister. Of course he's going to come closer. ]

[entreats]

[ Give her a moment here. The entire reason Ange was sitting down, after all, was because it's really hard to stand up and walk in this dress. It's pretty, sure, but it's also entirely impractical - especially since it's not like she's really used to wearing anything like this either.

But once she's managed to get back up on her feet without trampling all over the bottom of her dress, it's very easy thanks to Battler's close proximity to just reach out and wrap her arms around him, clinging to him in a hug. ]

Thank you.

[ She says, after hugging him for a moment - but she still doesn't let go. It's fine, she can smooth out her dress again in a moment. ]

For being here. And for saying all this nice stuff. [ Even though she knows that much comes naturally to Battler. His heart is just too big. ] And just.. for everything.

[chessboardturn]

[ He doesn't want to ruin her dress before the big ceremony! But he understands as she stands and then wraps him into a hug. He swallows - hard - and he squeezes her tightly in reply, the tears finally starting to come. He can't vocalize it, not really. There's too much that goes unsaid - Rokkenjima. His life or lack thereof. How she had to grow up without any family for so, so long. It's a history that they can never really untangle.

Ever. ]

I just - I'm just glad I can be. And I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for missing all the rest.

[entreats]

.. it's okay, onii-chan.

[ Her voice is so soft as she says it.

Because she can feel heavy with emotions too. And not just because he's so emotional. It's just.. Ange knows that she spent so much time wishing for the same thing. That Battler didn't have to miss all the rest. That if she couldn't get her entire family back from Rokkenjima, that he could at least have come back, that they could have stuck together to keep each other from being too hurt or lonely after losing so much.

.. and she also remembers being mad at him. Because when she read those games with Featherine, it seriously felt like he just abandoned her. Like he just ran off with that witch, forgetting all about her.

But right now, in this moment.. she can't bring herself to be mad over it anymore. That had just been the course of Battler's life.

And this is the course of her own.

So.. ]

You have nothing to apologize for. It's just.. how everything ended up. [ Regardless of what any of them might have wanted. ] If I had to go through all that painful stuff to end up here, then.. maybe it was worth it.

[ To be here, like this. On her wedding day, actually being able to hug her brother.

It feels like a dream. Just having a wedding by itself already would, but - having at least one member of her family present for it makes it feel even more dreamlike. ]

[chessboardturn]

[ He doesn't quite know how Ange's story ends. He does know that she's been lonely and lost for a long time. That it was partly his fault for not returning from Rokkenjima, for being subject to the curse that destroyed most of his family. It's a complicated history, one that he doesn't know how to deal with just yet. There's no way out but through - and he follows that philosophy here. There's pain. But there's also healing.

It's the course of their lives.

One that has led them here. ]

I just wish I could've made it a little less painful.

[ He sniffles and backs off to wipe at his eyes. ]

But if you're happy now - if you'll be happy from now on - then it was all worth it.

[entreats]

[ That's at least something she can say with certainty. ]

I will be.

[ Happy, that is. Sure, Ange still has an abandonment complex that's a mile long, but she's slowly learning how to hope with it - or try to, anyway. And marrying Ruby doesn't feel nearly as scary when they've been together for so long now. When neither the last place they were in, nor this one, seems capable of separating them.

It's nice to have something that solid to hold on to, even when other people leave. ]

So-- well, I'd say 'don't worry about me', but I know you will. [ She smiles a little as she says it, having learned as much from all her talks with Battler ever since he showed up in this place. ] But you at least don't ever have to worry again about me forever being miserable. I managed to escape that.

[ And then, a touch lighter, since she's sure he's cried enough already - and without even seeing the ceremony itself yet! - she adds: ]

And that's all thanks to Ruby, so you better make sure to properly thank her. Give her a deep bow and all that. With your face against the floor.

[chessboardturn]

Oh, don't worry - I'm going to thank her profusely for making you happy. That's the important part!

[ He smiles; the idea of bowing so low that he touches the ground is a bit ridiculous, but it's not an unfair ask. He gives her another little squeeze and then takes a step back to give her a bit of space and to avoid getting what's left of his tears on her. He definitely doesn't want to mess her up before they get strated! ]

She's my new sister, after all. Which means I'm going to have to look out for her, just like I look after you.

[ As long as he can, anyway. As long as he's here. He doesn't know how long that will be - but he'll stick to it. ]

[entreats]

That's a pretty big commitment you're making there. You haven't experienced enough of Ruby yet to know. [ Or so Ange figures, anyway.

Because surely he would be fully aware just how much effort he'll have to put into living up to that promise if he knew. ]

That girl is always getting herself into trouble. She just can't help it. It's that natural heroic side to her.

[ The part of Ruby that can't help but jump in whenever anyone needs help, no matter how dangerous it is. ]

You better get ready to fight some monsters, onii-chan.

[chessboardturn]

Yeah, and? I can do that!

[ He flexes an arm. ]

You think I can't handle some monsters? I am a Game Master now. A Golden Sorcerer in my own right! C'mon, I can handle that kinda thing!

[entreats]

[ At least Ange seems a little less sceptical of it this time.

Maybe it's just because it's her wedding day - she's a little more emotional, so she's willing to cut other people a little bit more slack too. Enough so that there's nothing judgy in her tone when she speaks up again, instead sounding a little bit curious as she asks: ]

So what exactly would you do if you had to fight a monster?

[ Look.

It's not really like she's seen him in action, okay. And reading stuff with Featherine didn't count.

(Also, even if it did count, you'd have to classify Erika as a monster.. which is kind of true, but it's not the kind of monster Ange is talking about here.) ]

[chessboardturn]

Golden magic and my golden sword, obviously.

[ DUH. He's not a chump! ]

I have the Red and Blue Truths; I even have the Gold Truth. If I can't beat a monster with those, I'm doing something wrong!

[ Confident, isn't he? Although he sadly does not have most of Beato's furniture here. ]

[entreats]

Wow, so confident.

[ Yes, she can't help but point it out. And while that 'wow' is a little more flat than a genuine 'wow' would be, Ange is still smiling a little bit as she says it. Part of it is today's mood - but she does want to think that Battler would at least stand some chance.

So it's not entirely dishonest. ]

Does that mean I can get a front row seat once it happens? I want to see my cool older brother swordfight with a monster. [ What? She does! Although she also wants to be there to help him out if it does end up being too much for him, okay. ]

[chessboardturn]

Hey, if you want to see me kick some butt, feel free!

[ He pauses. There's a memory there. Maybe of the last time she was watching him "kick butt". ]

...it'll be better than last time, I promise.

[entreats]

[ Aww, Battler. The way he adds that last part makes her duck her head for a moment - mostly because she's trying (a little bit) to hide the fact she's practically laughing over here. She doesn't want him to feel too bad! She has faith in him!

.. s-some faith, at least!! ]

Maybe I shouldn't just be there to be your cheerleader, but also to make sure that I can step in when it goes really wrong, huh?

[ Just in case. ]

[chessboardturn]

You know, it might even be fun to be backing one another up like that! Brother and sister going at it!

[ He strikes a bit of a pose and then scrubs at his eyes with a laugh. ]

Consider it a date.

[entreats]

Got it.

[ It's easy to agree with that. She at least does trust Battler to have her back - and that's not the kind of trust Ange extends to just anyone out there, especially not when it comes to actual danger.

But if she couldn't trust her big brother of all people, then.. well, who could she trust, really. ]

But let's try to keep the monster fighting to a minimum until this place forces it upon us. [ Which will doubtlessly happen sooner or later, Ange thinks. This place doesn't spare anyone, not even her kind and cheer big brother.

But for now they're fine. For now - there's peace. ]