Brittany (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
breezeshadow) wrote2012-12-29 06:01 pm
breezeshadow) wrote2012-12-29 06:01 pm
The Sun Gods
Title: The Sun Gods (Pending)
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: Bertram/Bakari and Alden
Status: Complete, roughly looked over
Rating: PG
Summary: Every wedding should be a happy day, even unusual weddings
Prompt:![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
cottoncandy_bingo Party
Author's Notes: Bingo.
It was a beautiful autumn day in the foothills of Janus, the hills covered in trees in hues of red, orange, and yellow. In the early morning dawn it looked like the whole hill was ablaze, adding an almost ominous touch to the day. Of course, that could be because it was wedding day, and Bakari had spent all night worrying.
They had compromised on autumn. Alden wanted winter, because being born in Pooselridge was somehow enough to make you need snow every second of your life. But Bakari was from the Msakajunia, and their reaction to snow generally involved a lot of cursing and hiding inside. Autumn had seemed like the best middle ground.
The sunlight brightened Bakari's dark skin, and made his red-blonde hair almost as bright as the trees. Perhaps, he thought with a smirk, they should have picked later in the fall so he wouldn't match the foliage. It'd be awkward if Alden kissed a tree by accident. That or the perfect wedding; they had always been weird.
"You look like some sort of sun god." Alden walked over to his fiancé, smiling.
"Oh that's because I am. Took forever to get my hair to stop bursting into flames, but by then it was stuck this colour. Used to be brown like Batuuli's." Bakari gave his best cheeky grin.
Alden laughed. "Right, so what's with the earth magic?"
"What do you think I used to smolder the flames? Buried myself in rock, came out able to cause earthquakes. You know. Typical day." Bakari shrugged.
"I see. And who told you this story last night while I was sleeping?" Alden reached up and massaged Bakari's shoulders. "Things will be fine. What can go wrong?"
"Well I was just thinking you'd leave me for a tree."
His fiancée laughed again, much louder. "Right, you look so much like one. Your skin is so rough and your body is full of rings."
"Hey, that was supposed to be my secret!" Bakari pouted, then took Alden's hand and kissed it. "Aren't couples not supposed to see each other before the ceremony?"
"I think both of us being male trounces most of those rules." Alden pecked Bertram's cheek. "Relax. It'll be fine. My family isn't here and neither is Batuuli, so we're all set. Let's get breakfast and get ready."
Bakari could feel how tense Alden was -- he put on a good show of being unfazed by the big day, but they both knew how little they had slept, and the last minute, late night details they had gone through. And so much could still go wrong. Same-sex marriage was new to Janus, and while the officiator had seemed eager and willing, he could change his mind last-minute.
Even if that didn't happen, protesters, who couldn't sleep at night due to the horror of someone living their life in a way they didn't agree with, may show up. Crumbling the ground beneath their feet would be fun and well-deserved, but arrests would damper the mood, especially if it was one of the grooms being detained. And even if they magically avoided the prejudice, there was no guarantee the guests would not bring booze like Alden asked, or that a sudden fall downpour would not show up, or...
He ate in a haze, showered in a fog, and by the time he got out it was time to go. His best man sat sipping coffee and gave him a calming smile.
"Alden just headed out with Julie. I still say both of you having best men would have been hilarious." Gerald had the rough accent of the mountain men, though his immaculate clothing and swept back black hair made him look aristocratic.
"Julie's his best friend here, and one of the first friends he's had besides me. Also gives me another Mage to talk with among all you normal people." Bertram grinned as Gerald rolled his eyes, standing up and putting his empty cup in the sink; Bertram had yet to figure out how he inhale coffee so fast. "How's Snowstorm?"
"Crabby. She wants to fly around and catch birds." Gerald scooped up his bag and as he opened the front door, let out a sharp eagle-like cry.
The hypogriff in the front yard looked up at the sound; somehow despite being tied to a tree, she had caught a mouse. Her snout was sharp and pointed, much like a hawk's, but she had thick white fur and a body like a stocky horse. The fur on her wings was stiff and long, easily mistaken for feathers. Her legs ended in cloven hooves, with the ends extremely sharp and somewhat long, like rudimentary claws. her tail fanned out like a bird's and stood high as she clambered to her feet, swallowing the rodent whole and chirping. She was easier taller than a mustang, and definitely heavier, and Bakari was not sure he'd ever get used to the sight.
"Keeping herself busy as always I see." Bakari held his hand out to the beast, getting a curious nip on one finger before she decided he was okay.
"I swear she siren calls the prey to her. Because I don't feed her enough." Gerald shook his head as he picked up the saddle beside the hypogriff and buckled it over her. "She can't fly with both of us on her back of course, but she can walk just fine."
"At least she will walk. Gryphons in Welen always would get so fucking cranky if you made them walk." Bakari got on the saddle while Gerald untied the reins from the tree and hopped up in front.
"Home, Snowstorm." Gerald chirruped.
With a happy cry, the hypogriff trotted forward.
~~~
They had kept the suit and accessories at Gerald's house, since he actually had the room. Alden and Bakari's house was tight, barely fitting their current belongings, let alone extra for the wedding. Alden's stuff was at Julie's, along with whatever vegetarian madness they had cooked. Julie abstained as a follower of Hagaas, though Bakari knew others who practiced who ate more meat than he.
Snowstorm let out a loud shriek upon seeing the house, getting one in response from the brown and black-tipped male in the large roofed fence taking up most of Gerald's property. They dismounted, Gerald removing the saddle and tying the reins loosely around Snowstorm's neck before letting her in the enclosure. The two hippogriffs danced around each other, nipping at each other's long ears and waving their tails.
They got to play at least; Bakari got to try on his suit and hope it still fit properly, figure out how to style his hair so it did not look stupid, and decide whether he still liked the accessories he had picked. He at least did not have to worry about his tattoo; unlike his sister, he had chosen his ankle for the family emblem, instead of his damn face.
He wished that he could have one family member at the wedding, or even his parents. But had they still lived, they certainly would not approve of moving to the Arebian continent and marrying a man. Batuuli was not really someone he wanted around him, ever. And while he had always gotten along with Keto, his brother was in the awkward situation of having betrayed their sister to the Welen Empire, and being detained accordingly. Batuuli was a pain in the ass, but her dead was not the right solution.
It was all somehow a step up from Alden's situation; he had no idea who was dead or alive, as they had disowned him and left him abandoned and unloved nearly fifteen years ago. But Bakari supposed that bemoaning their familial trauma was not the best preparation for marriage.
The sun was above the tops of the mountains when everything finally seemed satisfactory. Gerald got the two hippogriffs saddled, giving them fresh fruit from Gerald's kitchen for their patience with the process. Bakari took Snowstorm's reins, leaving the male to Gerald; Freckles had never taken a liking to him.
They wheeled the hippogriffs around to face the clearing behind Gerald's house. Bakari checked last-minute that he had the rings, and then they sent the mounts running and launching into the air.
~~~
As an earth mage, Bakari was not a particular fan of flying. At least gryphons could land on rough territory, though; one had only duck down for dear life while their mount's flexible feet and sharp claws got a grip on whatever unfortunate tree or rock was nearby. Attempting to land among the trees on a hippogriff, however, would only end in a broken leg and tears. And so deciding to have a wedding among the trees was suddenly seeming like a horrible idea.
Thankfully, it seemed that the venue they had picked was a popular one. As they flew over the trees, a rough clearing opened up, though it was covered in leaves and branches. Gerald had the hippogriffs slow, then, until they nearly hovered over the clearing, before having them touch down. Freckles screamed and snapped at a branch that scratched at his leg, while Snowstorm just chirped worriedly at him, tail waving.
The venue had a pen, but it was not covered, and so Bakari helped Gerald tie down the wings of the hippogriffs with rope before releasing them into the pen. Another hippogriff who had been nipping at the leaves of a low-hanging branch came over curiously, while the two mules in the enclosure eyed the new beasts warily, ears back. As far as Bakari knew, domesticated hippogriffs knew not to attack them, but that would not stop instinctive fear.
He had to admit that the area was beautiful; the leaves were bright in the sunlight, some of them almost translucent, and it made the canopy look afire. Fallen foliage mixed with the still-green grass and crunched under their feet as they made their way over to the large wooden cabin that was the venue's sole building. Smoke drifted up from the chimney, but curtains over all of the windows prevented Bakari from knowing who was inside.
Though he had expected the cabin to only have one room, it instead opened into a large anteroom, with a narrow hallway leading to other doors, all of them closed. Alden was no where to be seen, but there were signs of him around the room -- his coat on the rack, baked goods and an icebox on the large wooden table across from them. The fire burned low in the fireplace, and there was no one else around to tend to it. Bakari decided that was for the best, that way it would not burn the whole place down.
They found an empty room down the hall, that though small still contained a mirror and two chairs. Thankfully, his suit still fit, and loosely enough that Bakari thought it would not tear; one less thing to worry about. His next challenge was his hair, but it didn't do anything but make him look like he'd just walked through a tornado, and after what felt like aeons of struggling, he decided to leave it be.
Even after all of the fuss, though, they had a few hours before the ceremony. It would be held at noon, when the sun was bright and shining straight down over the forest. The officiator claimed that this allowed the sun to bless their marriage with good health and luck, but Bakari had never heard about any of that from other People of Hagaas. Someday, he would actually read the damn book, to see how much Hagaas had said, and how much his followers had decided he said.
There were voices in the anteroom, though, and so Bakari left with Gerald, fussing at his suit. Most of the faces he half-recognized, some names half-remembered. There the blacksmith, there the leader of the lumbermen, there the innkeeper and his wife. In small towns, it seemed, a wedding was a whole-village affair. The idea of gathering the whole of Aurimji for one little wedding was enough to make him snicker to himself as he moved among the guests.
Not everyone was there, of course. Some people were horrified at the idea of two men being married, stealing that precious ceremony from strong men and women. Some said it marked the end of morals; others said it would lead to their demise, as all men wed only each other, and no children were born; and still others were just disgusted with it and didn't have any excuse. Bakari didn't mind those last people, though; at least they were honest. The others were cheerfully ignoring bastard children, affairs, and broken marriages to support their own prejudice.
In fact, not even everyone there supported the marriage, he knew. The innkeeper found it to be odd and was clearly uncomfortable, but had shown up nonetheless, and was polite when Bakari came over to greet him. He knew that the herbalist thought he and Alden had some sort of horrible disease, yet there he was, all smiles, the pity barely visible. Even one man who Bakari knew was gossping about how disgusting they were was there, and chatted with Bakari as if this were just another wedding.
Those were the people he did not mind. They feared, they hated, they cringed -- but they still got over it, were polite, and attended. They would continue their gossiping and lecturing another time, of course; but for that day, they were there to eat and get drunk, and if that was all they wanted, Bakari did not care about their presence.
Then the officiator arrived, dressed in some of the most ridiculous and splendid robes Bakari had ever seen. He also looked like he had not slept last night, with dark circles still visible despite the make up plain on his face. Bakari tried to hide his worry, wondering if the man would announce a change of heart, that he could not do it, that Hagaas forbade it -- but instead he announced they could all come outside and find their places.
Alden was already there, he discovered, standing quietly underneath one of the great old trees that graced the center of the venue's clearing. Leaves had fallen onto his shoulders, but he had not disturbed them, and Bakari wondered how nervous he was to be so like a statue. He tried smiling with encouragement as he took his spot at the other tree, but he had too many of his own worries for it to be genuine, and he knew his fiance knew it.
They all assembled as if they had done this a thousand times before, and Bakari thought that perhaps they did -- though not with two men standing by the trees. The officiator fussed with his robes as he walked over, with no book or even a piece of paper to read from. THere did not seem to be any sort of nervousness in his stature as he stood beside them, but his face was so solemn. Bakari could not tell if he was like this at every wedding, or just this one.
"We meet here until the sun, our father and guardian, so that he may bless this union with his light. Shall he disapprove at any time, then shall his light pass and give way to rain, and then shall the union be dissolved."
Bakari suddenly found himself quite relieved it had rained the day before.
"So too do we ask for the guidance and wisdom of our great father Hagaas, to guide these two young men through their lives together. Give them a life together with meaning, with love, with sacrifice. Let them remember your counsel during strife -- 'Speak softly and listen well, or your squabble may become a storm.'"
At that point the officiator's words started to blend into general nonsense, and Bakari found that all he could focus on was Alden. The man was focused on the officiator, with a look of curiosity and hope. He knew that Alden was tentatively looking into the teachings of Hagaas, to the delight of his best friend and much of the community. Welen's religion had disheartened him, and he and Bakari both found little faith among the Msakajunia teachings. But something about Hagaas caught his attention.
He still didn't seem to believe the officiator's babble, though, and shifted uneasily, lifting one eyebrow at a part, then trying to smooth his face to seriousness. That was when he glanced over at Bakari, and caught him staring.
And he smiled. So Bakari smiled back. The sun was making his head look like it was on fire, no doubt, but Alden had always said he liked waking up to it. Now he got to marry it, too, and the thought almost made him snicker.
Alden did not have that fire hair, no -- but his hair did shine in the sunlight, revealing the creme colour among the dark brown. His eyes lit up too, the dark blue becoming brighter, accentuating the flecks of hazel and brown throughout. His skin did not shine like Bakari's did in the light, but he felt like it took on a warmer hue.
He would get to see it for the rest of his life, and his heart swelled at the thought, and his mind felt free, and as he vaguely heard the officiator declare them husband and... Well, husband, he rushed forward and crushed Alden in a bear hug, and then finally remembered to kiss him, and then he heard the claps and the cheers.
When he looked, most of them were smiling. Even the man who found them gross was doing his best to look happy. The officiator looked tired but pleased, as if he had just lifted a huge burden from his shoulders. Bakari looked at him like he stood in front of a god.
"Thank you." The words flew from his mouth, echoed by Alden's, by the officiator just shook his head.
"Love is love. And now the next time, it will be easier."
He led them all back into the building, Alden and Bakari holding hands. His heart fluttered in his chest, and all he could think was "husband, husband, husband", which made him want to dance through the woods until a bear ate him. The real party would be inside, however, not among the trees, and so he went, hand-in-hand with his husband.
And as they entered the building, and mingled, and watched everyone else get drunk on alcohol they weren't supposed to bring and create memories they wouldn't remember, he thought that his life was on the right path. He would change nothing about this moment, this ceremony, this husband.
Nothing.
Genre: Fantasy
The Troops: Bertram/Bakari and Alden
Status: Complete, roughly looked over
Rating: PG
Summary: Every wedding should be a happy day, even unusual weddings
Prompt:
cottoncandy_bingo PartyAuthor's Notes: Bingo.
It was a beautiful autumn day in the foothills of Janus, the hills covered in trees in hues of red, orange, and yellow. In the early morning dawn it looked like the whole hill was ablaze, adding an almost ominous touch to the day. Of course, that could be because it was wedding day, and Bakari had spent all night worrying.
They had compromised on autumn. Alden wanted winter, because being born in Pooselridge was somehow enough to make you need snow every second of your life. But Bakari was from the Msakajunia, and their reaction to snow generally involved a lot of cursing and hiding inside. Autumn had seemed like the best middle ground.
The sunlight brightened Bakari's dark skin, and made his red-blonde hair almost as bright as the trees. Perhaps, he thought with a smirk, they should have picked later in the fall so he wouldn't match the foliage. It'd be awkward if Alden kissed a tree by accident. That or the perfect wedding; they had always been weird.
"You look like some sort of sun god." Alden walked over to his fiancé, smiling.
"Oh that's because I am. Took forever to get my hair to stop bursting into flames, but by then it was stuck this colour. Used to be brown like Batuuli's." Bakari gave his best cheeky grin.
Alden laughed. "Right, so what's with the earth magic?"
"What do you think I used to smolder the flames? Buried myself in rock, came out able to cause earthquakes. You know. Typical day." Bakari shrugged.
"I see. And who told you this story last night while I was sleeping?" Alden reached up and massaged Bakari's shoulders. "Things will be fine. What can go wrong?"
"Well I was just thinking you'd leave me for a tree."
His fiancée laughed again, much louder. "Right, you look so much like one. Your skin is so rough and your body is full of rings."
"Hey, that was supposed to be my secret!" Bakari pouted, then took Alden's hand and kissed it. "Aren't couples not supposed to see each other before the ceremony?"
"I think both of us being male trounces most of those rules." Alden pecked Bertram's cheek. "Relax. It'll be fine. My family isn't here and neither is Batuuli, so we're all set. Let's get breakfast and get ready."
Bakari could feel how tense Alden was -- he put on a good show of being unfazed by the big day, but they both knew how little they had slept, and the last minute, late night details they had gone through. And so much could still go wrong. Same-sex marriage was new to Janus, and while the officiator had seemed eager and willing, he could change his mind last-minute.
Even if that didn't happen, protesters, who couldn't sleep at night due to the horror of someone living their life in a way they didn't agree with, may show up. Crumbling the ground beneath their feet would be fun and well-deserved, but arrests would damper the mood, especially if it was one of the grooms being detained. And even if they magically avoided the prejudice, there was no guarantee the guests would not bring booze like Alden asked, or that a sudden fall downpour would not show up, or...
He ate in a haze, showered in a fog, and by the time he got out it was time to go. His best man sat sipping coffee and gave him a calming smile.
"Alden just headed out with Julie. I still say both of you having best men would have been hilarious." Gerald had the rough accent of the mountain men, though his immaculate clothing and swept back black hair made him look aristocratic.
"Julie's his best friend here, and one of the first friends he's had besides me. Also gives me another Mage to talk with among all you normal people." Bertram grinned as Gerald rolled his eyes, standing up and putting his empty cup in the sink; Bertram had yet to figure out how he inhale coffee so fast. "How's Snowstorm?"
"Crabby. She wants to fly around and catch birds." Gerald scooped up his bag and as he opened the front door, let out a sharp eagle-like cry.
The hypogriff in the front yard looked up at the sound; somehow despite being tied to a tree, she had caught a mouse. Her snout was sharp and pointed, much like a hawk's, but she had thick white fur and a body like a stocky horse. The fur on her wings was stiff and long, easily mistaken for feathers. Her legs ended in cloven hooves, with the ends extremely sharp and somewhat long, like rudimentary claws. her tail fanned out like a bird's and stood high as she clambered to her feet, swallowing the rodent whole and chirping. She was easier taller than a mustang, and definitely heavier, and Bakari was not sure he'd ever get used to the sight.
"Keeping herself busy as always I see." Bakari held his hand out to the beast, getting a curious nip on one finger before she decided he was okay.
"I swear she siren calls the prey to her. Because I don't feed her enough." Gerald shook his head as he picked up the saddle beside the hypogriff and buckled it over her. "She can't fly with both of us on her back of course, but she can walk just fine."
"At least she will walk. Gryphons in Welen always would get so fucking cranky if you made them walk." Bakari got on the saddle while Gerald untied the reins from the tree and hopped up in front.
"Home, Snowstorm." Gerald chirruped.
With a happy cry, the hypogriff trotted forward.
~~~
They had kept the suit and accessories at Gerald's house, since he actually had the room. Alden and Bakari's house was tight, barely fitting their current belongings, let alone extra for the wedding. Alden's stuff was at Julie's, along with whatever vegetarian madness they had cooked. Julie abstained as a follower of Hagaas, though Bakari knew others who practiced who ate more meat than he.
Snowstorm let out a loud shriek upon seeing the house, getting one in response from the brown and black-tipped male in the large roofed fence taking up most of Gerald's property. They dismounted, Gerald removing the saddle and tying the reins loosely around Snowstorm's neck before letting her in the enclosure. The two hippogriffs danced around each other, nipping at each other's long ears and waving their tails.
They got to play at least; Bakari got to try on his suit and hope it still fit properly, figure out how to style his hair so it did not look stupid, and decide whether he still liked the accessories he had picked. He at least did not have to worry about his tattoo; unlike his sister, he had chosen his ankle for the family emblem, instead of his damn face.
He wished that he could have one family member at the wedding, or even his parents. But had they still lived, they certainly would not approve of moving to the Arebian continent and marrying a man. Batuuli was not really someone he wanted around him, ever. And while he had always gotten along with Keto, his brother was in the awkward situation of having betrayed their sister to the Welen Empire, and being detained accordingly. Batuuli was a pain in the ass, but her dead was not the right solution.
It was all somehow a step up from Alden's situation; he had no idea who was dead or alive, as they had disowned him and left him abandoned and unloved nearly fifteen years ago. But Bakari supposed that bemoaning their familial trauma was not the best preparation for marriage.
The sun was above the tops of the mountains when everything finally seemed satisfactory. Gerald got the two hippogriffs saddled, giving them fresh fruit from Gerald's kitchen for their patience with the process. Bakari took Snowstorm's reins, leaving the male to Gerald; Freckles had never taken a liking to him.
They wheeled the hippogriffs around to face the clearing behind Gerald's house. Bakari checked last-minute that he had the rings, and then they sent the mounts running and launching into the air.
~~~
As an earth mage, Bakari was not a particular fan of flying. At least gryphons could land on rough territory, though; one had only duck down for dear life while their mount's flexible feet and sharp claws got a grip on whatever unfortunate tree or rock was nearby. Attempting to land among the trees on a hippogriff, however, would only end in a broken leg and tears. And so deciding to have a wedding among the trees was suddenly seeming like a horrible idea.
Thankfully, it seemed that the venue they had picked was a popular one. As they flew over the trees, a rough clearing opened up, though it was covered in leaves and branches. Gerald had the hippogriffs slow, then, until they nearly hovered over the clearing, before having them touch down. Freckles screamed and snapped at a branch that scratched at his leg, while Snowstorm just chirped worriedly at him, tail waving.
The venue had a pen, but it was not covered, and so Bakari helped Gerald tie down the wings of the hippogriffs with rope before releasing them into the pen. Another hippogriff who had been nipping at the leaves of a low-hanging branch came over curiously, while the two mules in the enclosure eyed the new beasts warily, ears back. As far as Bakari knew, domesticated hippogriffs knew not to attack them, but that would not stop instinctive fear.
He had to admit that the area was beautiful; the leaves were bright in the sunlight, some of them almost translucent, and it made the canopy look afire. Fallen foliage mixed with the still-green grass and crunched under their feet as they made their way over to the large wooden cabin that was the venue's sole building. Smoke drifted up from the chimney, but curtains over all of the windows prevented Bakari from knowing who was inside.
Though he had expected the cabin to only have one room, it instead opened into a large anteroom, with a narrow hallway leading to other doors, all of them closed. Alden was no where to be seen, but there were signs of him around the room -- his coat on the rack, baked goods and an icebox on the large wooden table across from them. The fire burned low in the fireplace, and there was no one else around to tend to it. Bakari decided that was for the best, that way it would not burn the whole place down.
They found an empty room down the hall, that though small still contained a mirror and two chairs. Thankfully, his suit still fit, and loosely enough that Bakari thought it would not tear; one less thing to worry about. His next challenge was his hair, but it didn't do anything but make him look like he'd just walked through a tornado, and after what felt like aeons of struggling, he decided to leave it be.
Even after all of the fuss, though, they had a few hours before the ceremony. It would be held at noon, when the sun was bright and shining straight down over the forest. The officiator claimed that this allowed the sun to bless their marriage with good health and luck, but Bakari had never heard about any of that from other People of Hagaas. Someday, he would actually read the damn book, to see how much Hagaas had said, and how much his followers had decided he said.
There were voices in the anteroom, though, and so Bakari left with Gerald, fussing at his suit. Most of the faces he half-recognized, some names half-remembered. There the blacksmith, there the leader of the lumbermen, there the innkeeper and his wife. In small towns, it seemed, a wedding was a whole-village affair. The idea of gathering the whole of Aurimji for one little wedding was enough to make him snicker to himself as he moved among the guests.
Not everyone was there, of course. Some people were horrified at the idea of two men being married, stealing that precious ceremony from strong men and women. Some said it marked the end of morals; others said it would lead to their demise, as all men wed only each other, and no children were born; and still others were just disgusted with it and didn't have any excuse. Bakari didn't mind those last people, though; at least they were honest. The others were cheerfully ignoring bastard children, affairs, and broken marriages to support their own prejudice.
In fact, not even everyone there supported the marriage, he knew. The innkeeper found it to be odd and was clearly uncomfortable, but had shown up nonetheless, and was polite when Bakari came over to greet him. He knew that the herbalist thought he and Alden had some sort of horrible disease, yet there he was, all smiles, the pity barely visible. Even one man who Bakari knew was gossping about how disgusting they were was there, and chatted with Bakari as if this were just another wedding.
Those were the people he did not mind. They feared, they hated, they cringed -- but they still got over it, were polite, and attended. They would continue their gossiping and lecturing another time, of course; but for that day, they were there to eat and get drunk, and if that was all they wanted, Bakari did not care about their presence.
Then the officiator arrived, dressed in some of the most ridiculous and splendid robes Bakari had ever seen. He also looked like he had not slept last night, with dark circles still visible despite the make up plain on his face. Bakari tried to hide his worry, wondering if the man would announce a change of heart, that he could not do it, that Hagaas forbade it -- but instead he announced they could all come outside and find their places.
Alden was already there, he discovered, standing quietly underneath one of the great old trees that graced the center of the venue's clearing. Leaves had fallen onto his shoulders, but he had not disturbed them, and Bakari wondered how nervous he was to be so like a statue. He tried smiling with encouragement as he took his spot at the other tree, but he had too many of his own worries for it to be genuine, and he knew his fiance knew it.
They all assembled as if they had done this a thousand times before, and Bakari thought that perhaps they did -- though not with two men standing by the trees. The officiator fussed with his robes as he walked over, with no book or even a piece of paper to read from. THere did not seem to be any sort of nervousness in his stature as he stood beside them, but his face was so solemn. Bakari could not tell if he was like this at every wedding, or just this one.
"We meet here until the sun, our father and guardian, so that he may bless this union with his light. Shall he disapprove at any time, then shall his light pass and give way to rain, and then shall the union be dissolved."
Bakari suddenly found himself quite relieved it had rained the day before.
"So too do we ask for the guidance and wisdom of our great father Hagaas, to guide these two young men through their lives together. Give them a life together with meaning, with love, with sacrifice. Let them remember your counsel during strife -- 'Speak softly and listen well, or your squabble may become a storm.'"
At that point the officiator's words started to blend into general nonsense, and Bakari found that all he could focus on was Alden. The man was focused on the officiator, with a look of curiosity and hope. He knew that Alden was tentatively looking into the teachings of Hagaas, to the delight of his best friend and much of the community. Welen's religion had disheartened him, and he and Bakari both found little faith among the Msakajunia teachings. But something about Hagaas caught his attention.
He still didn't seem to believe the officiator's babble, though, and shifted uneasily, lifting one eyebrow at a part, then trying to smooth his face to seriousness. That was when he glanced over at Bakari, and caught him staring.
And he smiled. So Bakari smiled back. The sun was making his head look like it was on fire, no doubt, but Alden had always said he liked waking up to it. Now he got to marry it, too, and the thought almost made him snicker.
Alden did not have that fire hair, no -- but his hair did shine in the sunlight, revealing the creme colour among the dark brown. His eyes lit up too, the dark blue becoming brighter, accentuating the flecks of hazel and brown throughout. His skin did not shine like Bakari's did in the light, but he felt like it took on a warmer hue.
He would get to see it for the rest of his life, and his heart swelled at the thought, and his mind felt free, and as he vaguely heard the officiator declare them husband and... Well, husband, he rushed forward and crushed Alden in a bear hug, and then finally remembered to kiss him, and then he heard the claps and the cheers.
When he looked, most of them were smiling. Even the man who found them gross was doing his best to look happy. The officiator looked tired but pleased, as if he had just lifted a huge burden from his shoulders. Bakari looked at him like he stood in front of a god.
"Thank you." The words flew from his mouth, echoed by Alden's, by the officiator just shook his head.
"Love is love. And now the next time, it will be easier."
He led them all back into the building, Alden and Bakari holding hands. His heart fluttered in his chest, and all he could think was "husband, husband, husband", which made him want to dance through the woods until a bear ate him. The real party would be inside, however, not among the trees, and so he went, hand-in-hand with his husband.
And as they entered the building, and mingled, and watched everyone else get drunk on alcohol they weren't supposed to bring and create memories they wouldn't remember, he thought that his life was on the right path. He would change nothing about this moment, this ceremony, this husband.
Nothing.