deercountry | [open] Wuko Wedding

Entry tags:

[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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He looks down at her, scanning her expression. She has avoided his gaze a lot of the night, and she still is. Guess that's to be expected.]

He certainly takes after me, that's for sure...

[He's all too well aware of what he is, even if that's been toned down due to their circumstances here in the Waking World. He's just never had to put up with something exactly like himself before.]

He just wants to have fun, but he can't help but cause some chaos here and there. I can't say I don't enjoy that myself.

[ she snorts at that remark, shaking her head. that's the understatement of the year, considering how much fuss it's caused with her omen who's still a little miffed about being chased around racoon room. lumine's only barely able to soothe her ruffled feathers before paimon disappeared into a puff of smoke. ]

How does it feel like, having to deal with someone exactly like you?

[ in terms of temperament, of mischief. lumine doesn't think childe expected it when he had summoned his omen, especially when teucer isn't as chaotic as this one. ]

I'm sure you found it very entertaining ...

Guilty as charged, [he replies with amusement.] Though it certainly isn't my intention to ruin anyone's night, I can't say I wasn't entertained by the scene of Sergei running right though that line of shots on that table earlier.

[The look on their faces, those are ones he won't forget.]

But I still have to keep him in line, and it's exhausting at times, if that's what you wanted to hear.

[He tilts his head to the side to try to catch her eye.]

[ he needs to try better than that, lumine shifting her gaze the moment she notices him tilting his head. at this rate, she won't be surprised if he's already noticed, her attention seemingly flitting elsewhere and everywhere but the wedding. ]

That's definitely what I want to hear, [ she remarks with a chuckle, shrugging her shoulders. ] What was that your friend said about me, something about keeping you in check?

[ at least, she (and ekaterina and possibly the rest of the fatui in liyue) is not alone in their exhaustion in keeping him in line. childe, too, now knows how it feels like to have to consistently tug on someone's leash. ]

Hahaha, [he laughs, knowing exactly what she's getting at. Yeah, he can be a little much sometimes, he knows...]

He knows my passion for battle will forever remain unsatiated. Wu isn't fond of conflict, and prefers to fight his battles peacefully if at all possible. [He sighs. This worldview conflicts with his own, as Lumine already knows, but he has more to say on it nowadays.]

And it wasn't before I left Teyvat that I found the value in that. I know it must be hard to believe that I'm saying this, but there have been many times that I haven't been able to take care of matters with my blade, and not because I was ordered to.

[ it sure is something, hearing those things from childe himself. then again, her opinion of him has always been coloured by their encounters in teyvat rather than here in the city despite the months they've spent together. it can't be helped when the time they've lingered in this world differs, she supposes.

lumine wonders, though, if that's a good thing—or a bad one. ]

And did you find such methods satisfying?

[ to someone like him who's always reveled in bloodshed and chaos, to resolve a matter without the need to inflict pain or draw blood. she's curious to know, if only to gauge how much of him has shifted away from the harbinger she met in liyue. ]

Satisfying isn't the word I'd use. Sufficient is more like it.

[He'd railed against Signora for weighing the consequences of her actions, but he's found himself doing the same. Perhaps for completely different reasons, but he's not unaware of the fact that he's had to do it as well. He hates himself a little for it, but has found plenty of reasons to justify his actions.]

When the shadows of our loneliness attached to the Sleepers of Trench, it had taken hold of both Morax and Her Excellency The Raiden Shogun...knowing that, as much as I wanted to fight them with all their power against my own, I realized that doing so would eliminate the entirety of the city and everything around it. This is my home too...and if I destroy it, there's a good chance I throw away much needed opportunities to reach my own goals. So I faced them with my words instead of my blade. And as you can see, the city is still standing to this day.

[There's another reason for it, but he's not saying it. He wonders if she can see right through him on that too- it won't be the first time. He leans his head down toward hers, but he doesn't press his forehead against hers, still respecting that space. They're already close enough, slow dancing together, and he doesn't need to push it any more than he already is.]

...Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to push all my worries on you like this.

[ so it's a necessity rather than whimsy, a need to address the issue some other way than an exploration of other means to excite himself. that makes sense, she supposes, given his explanation. he's never one to justify his actions and he didn't have to, but she can tell why he felt the need to do so when she's asked him that question. ]

No, you weren't.

[ ... she needs to clarify that response, and lumine does, though not without a tilt of her head and a shift of her gaze once more. she needs to remind herself that he's been here longer than she has, that it's even something she's told aether about. ]

Pushing your worries onto me, I meant, [ she corrects herself. ] I asked an inappropriate question, after all, and you only provided context to that.

No, it's fine. I'm well aware that it must be strange, given my actions in Liyue as compared to here. I'm all too aware of it myself.

[He lifts his head back, smiling at her- but she still won't really look at him, and he wishes that she would.]

It's been a long road, after all. Speaking of which...is everything okay, comrade? You've barely looked at me all night.

[ call her out, why don't you? ]

Mm?

[ lumine presses her lips together for one long moment before she looks up at him, feigning a mild expression of surprise, and offers him a smile. it's probably not too convincing despite being good at hiding her feelings; then again, she realises she's far too obvious tonight. ]

... Everything's fine. I'm just a little tired, I guess.

[He gives her a look that yells that he's completely unconvinced by that response. She'd already hesitated for a moment too long before she looked up at him, and his brow creases for a second before he lets it go. She's not fine, but pushing it here? Terrible idea. Pushing it at all right now isn't a good idea either.]

If you're tired, we can go. Perhaps getting a little more sleep isn't such a bad thing.

[He hopes she's picked up on that subtle nod- that he gets that she might need some more time to think about things. He'd been thinking a lot too, though his headspace is in a much better place.]

Either way, thanks for coming with me tonight.

[A part of him hadn't expected her to, not after their dinner a week ago.]

[ her brows furrow at that, the corner of her lips dipping just a scant. ]

I've had enough sleep last night ...

[ lumine pauses once more, chewing on the inside of her cheek as her gaze flicker away, almost in thought. a moment later, she looks back at him, lower lip between her teeth as she worries through her words. ]

You should stay, Childe. [ she offers him another smile, gently squeezing the hand currently holding hers. ] This is your friend's wedding, you should celebrate with Wu.

It's been a nice night so far. Part of that reason was because I got to come here with you. So it wouldn't feel right to send you off by yourself. We've already been here for a while as it is.

[Childe studies her, not missing how she considers her words.]

Unless you're trying to get rid of me, [he teases, shooting a grin at her, to tell her that that plan isn't going to work. Something lighthearted to try to put her mind at ease, though he's not sure if there's anything he could say that would help that.]

[ ... to be fair, that's not her intent at all. even if it was supposed to be a joke on his part, lumine feels a pang of guilt over the fact that he'd even thought of that. perhaps she's gone a little too far with her avoidance and deflection, but she also can't help it. ]

As if there's getting rid of a persistent guy like you ...

[ no offence, and even if she wanted to, she considers him enough of a friend to not do it like ... this. it's not fair for him, after all.

she pauses again, tilting her head just a bit to glance past his shoulder. ]

... Do you want to tell Wu that we're leaving?

[He lets out a sly chuckle at that. Yes, he is persistent, and he's well aware of it. Though, at her question, he looks back behind himself too to see if he can see the newlywed, but it seems he's incredibly busy. He's been swarmed all night by guests, so Childe shakes his head.]

I think he'll be alright. I don't think he's had a single moment to himself since the celebrations started. It's not as if we won't see each other again soon.

[He looks towards the coat rack and the front door, leading her in that direction.]

Let's just go. I'll send him a message later.

[ she's not going to argue on that. even she's noticed how preoccupied wu and his partner are during their own wedding celebration. though she can't really blame the well-wishers either, all of them happy for the couple to have found some semblance of normalcy in this abnormal world. a moment of peace, she supposes, amidst the chaos.

lumine allows herself to be ushered towards the door, accepting her coat from the person at the door and pulling it over her shoulders. ]

I still think you should stay a little longer.

[ it isn't as if she can't find her way back to crenshaw, anyway. not with the lamps around and the fact that she's not the directionally-challenged type. ]

Really, it's fine. It would be rather uncouth of me to invite you here and not see you home.

[He puts his own bulky coat on, walking with her outside into the chilly weather. He breathes the cold in, enjoying how the wind bites at his face as they walk. It's not until they've managed to gain some distance from the Raccoon Room that he turns to say something again.]

Listen, I think... [He sighs, not finishing the sentence because he's not sure if that's how he wanted to start this anyway.] Do you have some time tomorrow? We need to talk about what happened.

[His voice is confident, but his body language betrays him. He'd had a lot to think about too, and if the aversion of her gaze told him anything, it's that they can't let this go any longer.]

[ to be fair, she wouldn't hold it against him if he decided to stay and let her go home by herself. it's his friend's wedding, after all, and she hasn't been the most obliging of guests or plus-ones, either. lumine simply gives him a faint smile before they start towards crenshaw, silence cushioning the sound of their footsteps.

and she would've given a quiet walk back home, truth be told, but she supposes there are things that need to be addressed. just like there were things they needed to sort out after december.

when he starts, she glances at him from the corner of her eyes. a part of her expects him to simply open up the issue right there and then, but perhaps this isn't the best time or place for that. ]

Mm, that's fine. [ a beat: ] ... Do you want me to come over again?

Hmmm...

[That's kind of where it began, didn't it? At his apartment. It feels a little awkward asking her to.]

Only if you feel comfortable with it. We could always take a little stroll too, if that would be better. There are some beautiful trails around here, and the snow glistens magnificently under the sun. Quite a sight indeed.

[It's the least he can offer, after all. No need to make it any worse than it was.]

[ right. of course. what was she thinking?

lumine falls silent for a moment, going through options. possible places, locations where a conversation would be appropriate, where they wouldn't be disturbed save for, well, an occasional beast or two. not really very uncommon in this city. ]

I'll leave it to you where we can talk, then. [ she smiles at him again. ] Just make sure it's somewhere people can find me if they stop hearing from me.

[ if he is hatching a plot to get her lost in the woods without anyone knowing, then this is the best time to execute it. but she's kidding, of course. ]

Hahaha, comrade, you should know better than to let your guard down around the Fatui. I'd be disappointed in you if you made it that easy.

[He laughs, grinning at her, eyes bright in the darkness as they walk towards her house.]

There's some trails just south of Cassandra, not too far from my home. We should be able to talk without interruption there, though we still may have to look out for the occasional monster or two.

[That's just life now though, right? Not that much different than Teyvat.]

Meet me at the end of the road there, on The Dark Corner, just after lunch.

[ if she's ever disappointed him, lumine wonders if that's it: the end of this little dance they're having.

childe isn't one to learn to live with weakness and inadequacy, especially when it would not satisfy his neverending lust for battle and power. she's seen the sneer he wore back in the golden house. hasn't really forgotten about it. she folds her hands over each other behind her back, turning her gaze back on the street. ]

The Dark Corner it is, then.

[ after lunch, so she'll still be able to spend a bit more time with aether if her twin wants to go out. ]

Alright. I'll be waiting for you.

[It's not long before they reach her home, and he drops her off, saying his goodbye before heading home himself. He hopes that the conversation they'll be having will clear some things up for the both of them.

He's not sure if he can really take the avoidance of her gaze like this much longer.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[open] Wuko Wedding

The Wedding

The Party

The Music

The Couple

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject