deercountry | [open] Wuko Wedding

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[open] Wuko Wedding

Who: Mako, Wu, and you!
What: GETTING MARRIED
When: February 20th
Where: The beach, through the city, at the Raccoon Room in Cellar Door.

Content Warnings: An inordinate amount of fluff, potentially event happenings.

The Wedding

It's not a normal wedding. There's no officiant, they're not standing up in front of a bunch of people to declare their love: this is a Trench wedding, based on Mako and Wu's shared traditions, inventing some new ones.

The ceremony itself is a procession, from the beach to the Raccoon Room. It starts with just the two of them, at a flower arch on the beach, their hands clasped together, each in a gold suit with red and green accents on the collar and as piping down the front. They walk together along a flower strewn path, talking quietly with one another, sharing small, nervous smiles.

If you are close to the couple, you recieved a red envelope, delivered either by raccoon or small dragon, a few days before the wedding, inviting you to the ceremony. The small crowd gathers outside the Raccoon Room, where the threshold is decked out in red roses. The couple stands in the doorway, saying their vows, and pressing a blood-and-ash covered hand to the other's cheek.

While the ceremony is private, the reception isn't. Invites have gone out to basically the entire city, via Wu's post, so it's a pretty public event. Maybe you're coming because you saw that post. Maybe you're coming because you're involved somehow, maybe you just see a flower-and-light-filled party and decide to drop in. Everyone is welcome. After all, this is Trench, and everyone could be dead tomorrow, so why not celebrate something good while you have the chance? Come in, dance to music from different worlds, eat cake and noodles and dumplings, celebrate a little moment of happiness while you can. The party's going all night, and the couple making their solemn, slightly-bloody vows to each other are only the excuse for it.

The Party

Naturally, since this is Mako and Wu's wedding, it's at the Raccoon Room, decked out even more grandly than it was for its opening. Roses adorn every surface and drop from the ceiling in strings, perfuming the air. Scattered between them are red-and-gold lanterns, casting a dim, inviting light onto velvet hangings. Lining the walls are tables full of food and drinks. Everyone can't fit into this little venue, so Wu has also set up a draping tent outside, full of burning braziers of coal to keep the chill away. The doors are wide open to let the music from inside out: it's just the party, continued! Renfri can be found behind the bar, dishing up custom drinks.

The Music

Chicken Choice Judy, or Ryan Akagi and Min-Gi Park, make their Trench debut on the stage of the Raccoon Room, playing an eclectic mix of original music, 80s hits, current pop, and classical piano music. They begin with a slowed-down version of Lil Nas X's Montero, ease into an upbeat version of That's What I Want, and things take off from there. Maybe give them requests? They might play some of your favorite dance songs! This is a party for everyone, after all. A big space in front of the stage has been cleared for dancing, and the music will be going all night.

The Couple

After the more private ceremony (with only close friends and loved ones, for Mako's peace of mind) Mako and Wu are as available as any couple at their wedding, which is to say, not terribly. With new dark handprints from the ceremony on their faces—really, more on their necks, because Wu wouldn't stand for a giant handprint ruining his look—they can be found chatting with friends, huddled together whispering, or dancing together. They'll try to mingle as much as they can, but they're in pretty high demand tonight!

((ooc: Make top-levels to your hearts' content, mingle, have a good time! This is a Trench party and it's open to everyone! Wuko image credit)) © tessisamess

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[ Mako doesn't bother to hide his laughter, doesn't bite it back: it spills out of him like the lantern-light, bright and warm. ]

You remember that it's permanent, right?

Well-- the goop isn't!

[ Wu laughs with him, pasting himself against Mako's side even as he swats at Mako's chest ]

No, but the mark is. Never took you for the face tattoo type. You really sure you want to do this?

[ It's teasing, but really, Wu could still back out. It's not exactly a test, but it's a final out: if he wanted to just get married without also being in Mako's head all the time, for better or worse—he could. ]

It isn't a tattoo.

[ Wu sniffs at the insinuation, but he looks up at Mako, to gauge that Mako really wants to do this ]

I'm sure. I, honestly... are you? It's, it's a really big change.

[ Letting Wu into his head, permanently. They've talked about it, a lot, but he wants to check, too ]

Yeah.

[ Mako sends a careful little burst of fire into a lantern as they walk, making gold light spill over the path at their feet. ]

I thought I wouldn't be. I thought it'd be.... weird, but. I like you. I like being in your head. Long as you can put up with me, we're doing this.

Aw, you like me? [ Wu nudges him with a laugh, settling closer against his side. He's still amazed at Mako's power, his control, the fact that he's choosing Wu. ] No, baby. I want to be there. I want to know what you're thinking, I want... I want to be that close to you.

Yeah, I... want that, too.

[ The fact that he keeps choosing this—that Mako has given him out after out and he's still settling in against Mako's side, walking in lockstep with him on the same path they traced to the Raccoon Room in the first place—is a little mind-blowing. It's more than Mako would have ever expected. Half the time he still feels like he'll wake up and Wu will be gone, onto something better, someone brighter and more fun, someone who can keep up with him.

But maybe that isn't what he wants, really. Maybe he wants solid, steady Mako to keep his feet on the ground while the rest of him gets everything he wants. Mako wants to be that anchor, wants to be like his dad, a bedrock for Wu to build upon. He doesn't think as much about his Earth Kingdom heritage, about that half of himself, but it's there: steady and immovable, a pillar in a sea.

If Wu needs that, Mako can be that for him.

He lights the lanterns as they walk, filling the air with gold that shimmers on both of their suits. ]

It's weird to think we've only been here for six months.

I know... it feels like forever.

[ Both Trench, and them being together. It's been a year and some change, really. A year, a long year, a hard year, but a year full so much love, more love than Wu's ever felt in his whole life. His love for Mako, for his friends, for Fritter, it's all new. It's new and he wants to revel in it for the rest of his life. He never wants to be without love again, and that's part of this, part of committing to Mako, because the kind of love that Mako gives him is the love he wants. He wants Mako, he wants Mako's love, he wants to love Mako in return with everything he has. He wants to show Mako that he's worth loving, that Wu wants to love him, more than he wants just about anything else in his life.

The city fades around them, the sun setting, passing the buildings, dark and imposing, as the move closer and closer to Cellar Door. ]

[ It doesn't feel like the dark is creeping in with all the lanterns. Mako was worried, vaguely, that there wouldn't be enough, but they're lining the path in just the right amount to light Wu up and turn him gold at the edges. Mako should be looking where they're going, but he's watching Wu instead. ]

You happy with where you ended up?

[ Wu meets his eyes, just as struck by Mako, all gilded in gold, looking at him with those soft gold eyes, and he nods ]

Couldn't be happier.

[ Normally, Mako would tease him, but they're rounding the corner that leads into Cellar Door proper, along the road toward the Raccoon Room decked out in flowers and more lanterns, and suddenly that's all Mako can think about.

That they're close. That everything should be ready, that he hopes Bolin didn't do anything weird with the little dish of goop that's so central to this ceremony. That they walked this exact path half a year ago and Mako was so unsure and so worried, full of storms.

What a difference it makes to have someone next to you. Mako pulls Wu a little closer as they walk, crushing petals under their feet. Gathered outside the doorway are a small group of people, the ones Mako invited to the ceremony itself: they're lit up gold-and-red by lanterns, too, an anchor here in this terrible city. ]

[ Wu can feel Mako's nerves through their touch, but he doesn't take it as a bad thing. He's nervous too. Nervous, and excited, and this is all so beautiful and Mako did it for him, and Mako agreed to marry him, and Mako is walking beside him and Wu isn't sure if he could be happier than he is right now in this moment. He's so happy, so ecstatic, so thrilled that Mako chose him, that Mako loves him. That fact still takes him aback, every day.

He grins at their friends, their family, gathered there, waiting for them. He gives them all a little wave, but the pair of them continue up to the door of the Raccoon Room, and Wu lets go of Mako to open it. The threshold is adorned in roses, and he stands there, looking up at Mako with a giddy smile on his face. ]

Are you ready?

Yeah.

[ Mako says, unhesitating. He thought maybe he'd feel exposed, standing like this with everyone he loves around him, watching, but—the sun sinks, and Mako bends to pick up the little silver cup he'd prepared last night, and he can't really see anyone but Wu, radiating love like a coal. Zuko trills and promptly slides down Mako's arm to climb up Wu instead, pushing her little nose into his chin.

Which is fine, because Mako has to use the little bone-spoon he found to stir this weird paste, pale blue and ashy, releasing the scent of roses into the air. ]

[ Fritter does the same, leaping the short distance from WU's shoulder to Mako's, nosing against the side of his face. Wu laughs, watching her and feeling Zuko climb up his arm. This is already their life, isn't it? They're already intertwined, sharing their lives, their love, their hopes for the future. There's no one he would rather do this with than Mako. There's no one else he could even dream of doing this with.

He smiles up at Mako, his breath catching in his throat. It's time. This is it. He reaches down into the cup, trying not to think about the fact that this is made out of their blood, that he had to use one of the syringes from Richie's clinic to get it. It was awful and he hated it, but it's worth it. It's worth it, and he's decided that he's going to go first, to save Mako from having to bare his soul first ]

Mako, I've loved you for longer than I think even I know! I've loved you since it was just you and me, holed up in the Four Elements, going to restaurants and concerts while the world shook around us. I loved you then, but it's nothing like how I love you now. You're my favorite person in the world, the worlds, every one we've been to. I've met so many wonderful, amazing people [ he glances out at their friends with a little smile and a wave ] and I love so many of them, but even with all these people, you're still head and shoulders above the rest. When I wake up in the morning, I want to be with you. When I go to sleep every night, I want to be with you.

You make me the happiest guy in Trench, and I want to share my life with you, the good times, the bad ones, the just downright weird ones. [ He laughs a little at that, his smile growing painfully wide, and tears prick at his eyes because he is just so incredibly happy ] I want to share everything with you, even my thoughts. I trust you with everything, my heart, my body, my mind. I trust you, and I'm honored that you trust me, too. I will do everything I can to make you as happy as you make me. I might not be able to protect you in the same way, but I want to give you a home to come back to, I want you to always know that there are people here who love you, that you'll never have to be alone, not ever. You'll always have me, no matter what, no matter if you get corrupt, or if this place takes one of us away from here, you'll still have me.

[ He did prepare for this, he really did, but he's going off book here, because he's looking up into Mako's eyes, and he gets a little lost in them. Mako's probably embarrassed by all of this, but Wu can't help it. He can't, he wants to spill his whole soul. He takes a shuddering breath, and decides it's time to get back on track: ]

I vow that I'll love you, make you laugh, give you things to do when you get in your head, take care of you, and buy your clothes as long as we live.

[ Mako had thought it would be weird to do this in front of so many people. He'd hated being with Korra in front of everyone, hated the eyes on him, the judgment radiating from everyone in the room about his every action. Half the time Mako had felt two feet to the left of himself, thinking about every press of fingers and every smile, wondering if this was right, if this was how it was supposed to feel—

No, it turns out.

It's supposed to feel like this.

Love isn't easy, but it's not impossible. Love is standing here at sunset with weird goop made of blood smeared on his fingers, listening to Wu tell him a litany of things that a year ago Mako would have had no place for. It's hard to hear even now, hard to put somewhere, but Mako will find the room inside himself to hold these things, he'll take the words and keep them close and take them back out when he needs them. Wu loves him. Wu wants to make him happy, Wu wants to stick with him no matter what, figure this place out together, figure out their lives.

He'd thought about weddings in the abstract prior to this. They were decadent things, parties for other people, something you did when you got old enough and wise enough and wanted to settle. For romantics like Bolin, for steady solid people like Korra and Asami, for rich weirdos like Varrick. Where was the room for a street-rat-turned-criminal-turned-detective in that? Where in the softness of weddings was there a space for Mako's hard edges, all the burning anger and distrust he carries around with him? It seemed like something he would burn to the ground if he didn't burn himself out first, and Mako could never clearly see himself walking along some wedding path with a girl on his arm. He'd wondered what was wrong with him for a few quiet moments in the darkness and then pushed it from his mind.

With Wu, it's easy.

With Wu, Mako laid out the path himself, put down lanterns to light the way and petals because they'd make Wu happy, mixed their blood and ash and two hairs, and now he dips his fingers into the odd glimmering mixture and lifts his hand, hovering by Wu's ear. ]

You do it.

[ A quiet instruction, full of love. ]

I don't want to mess up your face.

I—I don't want to mess anything up for you, Wu, I want... I want you to stay here, where you can be happy. You deserve to be happy. I don't know if anyone's ever told you how much you deserve that. Even if you hadn't been through everything you had, you'd deserve that, but I am so glad that I get to help you build something that you love, here. You deserve to get to just be you. I want to help you build a life, and I want to be in that life.

[ This should be hard, too, but the words flow easy as anything, and the people around them fall away. That happens too, with Wu. The world stops mattering. Mako stops thinking, and just does. ]

I promise that I'll give you the life you deserve and the life you didn't think you deserved, and more than that. I love you. I hope I get the chance to keep loving you as long as you let me stick around.

[ If Wu was tearing up before, he's crying now. He's crying happy tears, his grin so wide that it hurts his cheeks, and he laughs when Mako says the thing about his face, and when he finishes because ]

Of course I want you around. I want you around, around forever. You can't mess this up, Mako. You're it for me.

[ He repeats the words they said to each other a month ago, the words that Bolin said to him about Mako before that. Words that mean so much. Not that they're the end of the story, that the book is closing, but that they're in the story together, a unit, a couple, the pair who work together to change the world. This is it. This is them.

He looks down at his hand, coated in the stuff, then back up at Mako. This is it. This is them, committing. This is them, getting married, in the way of this strange, strange place.

He raises his hand and only hesitates for a moment, one last check in with Mako, before he gently rests his hand on Mako's face, the curve of his jaw, his neck. They settles on this as a compromise to not have handprints across their whole faces, but to still do it. And it feels good, it feels good to hold Mako like this, in a way that's so gentle, so intimate, something that Mako wants to share with him and only him. ]

I want to share all of that with you. I want to share everything with you.

[ The words are quiet, just for him, and Wu holds his gaze, waiting for the bond to take ]

Even this.

[ Mako confirms, as the bond settles. It feels a little like stepping into the lamps, like something tugs at Mako's entire being, like his vision turns to static at the edges, his head briefly too large for his skull, like it won't fit—

And then, like a band snapping back into place, it takes in a rush of warmth and feeling. Where there should be a rush of thoughts is just emptiness, a warm kind of content. What is there to think about in this moment except I hope it works and his hand is cold and this feels weird? Little insect-thoughts, easily swatted away. Mako's smile widens. ]

[ The bond takes and it isn't overwhelming. It's like something settling, like a warm blanket tucked in around his mind, and Wu doesn't wait, surging up to kiss Mako because-- that's it, isn't it? As far as Trench is concerned, they're married. They're married, and he wants to kiss his husband, his husband who's sharing his thoughts, who loves Wu enough to tie himself to him like this, and that trust means everything to Wu. It means everything to him and he wants to do everything in his power to be worthy of it ]

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[open] Wuko Wedding

The Wedding

The Party

The Music

The Couple

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