Post by Zuyuri on Apr 25, 2018 4:24:13 GMT
The weather couldn’t have been a more perfect over the bayou. Magnolias were beginning to open and perfuming the air. The green was starting to come back in controlled spurts. The boardwalk walkways were lit up with bright red candles. The candles provided a path the small islet set up for a small ceremony. The chairs were a tannish wicker. Yellow roses tipped with red – voodoo roses – were bunched together with orange lilies and white double-tulips. This color pattern of red, yellow and champagne continued on the DIY lanterns hanging alongside various voodoo charms. The guests sitting in were a small crowd, but it was all that they needed.
“I like the simplicity of it,” Anna chirped. She was skipping through the venue. “Plus, it’s outdoors. What better way to celebrate spring time than an outdoor wedding!” She sniffed one of the roses. “Wow, they didn’t settle for the cheap stuff. These actually smell like roses as opposed to looking like them!”
Axel, who had come just to be the bartender for the reception while jokingly denying he was dating Anna, shook his head with a laugh. “Well it is a Lafayette affair, sweetheart.” He was impressed at how many charms were up. Not to mention how many were working. He was itching slightly, a typical reaction a demon had to wards, but that was the most he could do. Once the party was big, he could relax.
“Oh! Anna! Over here!”
Sitting closest to the makeshift altar was Yang. Adrien Agaste was by her side. Originally, Yang would have been Sunshine’s maid of honor, but when Sunshine changed her mind and kindly explained why she was changing, the half-Phoenix was willing to admit defeat. Besides, she got more of a chance to enjoy love with her own love.
But couples weren’t the only people invited. Most of the force had been asked to come. Jim and Dimitri leaned in the chairs, studying the names of all who were in the event. Apparently, they were pulling out a few voodoo stops. They knew Sunshine and Riku would be having a voodoo arrangement, but there were a lot of customs. Some of them Dimitri didn’t even want to pronounce.
The altar was bare, practically. Two silver goblets were set out next to bright green bottles of liquor. A few little dolls made from beads and cloth were strewn on either side. The flowers of the arrangement were plucked and scuttled around the wooden arbor, which was draped with an African cloth in the same red and yellows of the venue. Where were those soon to be married? They were getting finishing touches set up at a small picnic area that was closed off.
________
Riku sighed as he pinned the rabbit’s foot to his lapel. That was Sunshine’s idea. It was symbolic of how they fell in love, when he was stuck was a giant rabbit. Around his wrist were the kente cloth wraps traditionally used in voodoo rituals. His cousin Ichabod would be presiding, and had drove all the way to Baton Rouge to associate. Aside from Weiss, he was the only Lafayette invited. It was really happening. He had accepted this the day he slid the ring on Sunshine’s hand. Months of stress and worry were coming to a head. He was getting married.
“We’re on in a few.”
Shadow Griffiths stepped next to Riku. He was no longer in Sapien, back to his spiked hedgehog form. But he did make an effort to look fancy with polished inhibitor rings and even had tied a cumberbund that matched Riku’s deep purple vest around his waist. The hedgehog and the voodoo king looked at each other.
“Are you all right?” Shadow asked.
Riku let out one more sigh. “It’s all going so fast, Shadow. My parents would never have approved of any of this.”
His parents. Thanks to Elsa Crispin, they were in jail for years of undocumented child abuse. The family attorney could try and pick at the web Elsa bound them in, but it would be a long time. Ciri would have been more accepting of Sunshine than Jacques. Thinking of them being there was adding to the weight of it all. He had been fighting the darkness for years. Sunshine was the light he needed. He had almost fallen astray when he had to rescue Weiss. Sunshine was certain he would never fall.
“What they care about shouldn’t matter,” Shadow folded his arms. His red eyes fell into a stern stare. “Riku, you love Sunshine. That’s the only thing that you should be thinking about. You’re starting a new life, a healthier life.”
Riku opened his mouth to object but couldn’t. Shadow was right. Sunshine was the most important thing right now. As was the new life they were going to start together. A life of cruelty was going into the shadows where it belonged and a life of dawns and new opportunities awaited.
He nodded curtly, looking over at his best man. Shadow had accepted the offer with no objection. At first, Riku had been hesitant. This was Sunshine’s partner, her best friend. But the two of them had been connecting at the shooting range, and Riku learned the truth. Shadow had been in love with Sunshine, but they agreed romance was not their front. Instead, Shadow had sacrificed his happiness to ensure that Sunshine was happy with Riku. And the voodoo priest was pleased to know this led to no hard feelings. The two of them actually got along well.
“You’re right,” Riku murmured. “No more looking to the shadows.” He placed a hand on the hedgehog’s shoulder. The gloved hand of his best man fell over it. They both looked at each other, almost agreeing in silence to help each other out should the other fail. But first, it was time for a wedding.
_
“Okay, suga, you can open your eyes.”
Red had finished patting her makeup on Sunshine’s face. The bride opened her eyes, and nearly blinked tears of joy. She was getting married, and looking like a princess while doing so. The simplicity that Red promised was there, yet the boldness was subtle. Elsa was standing overhead, throwing her ice magic onto Sunshine’s dress to add an ‘extra flair’.
Wendy came around to the picnic area. Her blue eyes watered, and Sunshine had to shake her head. If Wendy would start blubbering, she would, too.
“Mom, don’t cry, I just got my makeup done!”
Sobbing, Wendy ran to hug her daughter. “You look so beautiful,” she said in tears. “I don’t want you to grow up!” She released the hug, looking long and hard at Sunshine. A hand came up to tuck a hair from her green eyes. A small kiss on the forehead was given to the bride, who smiled sheepishly. Wendy had done this since she was six years old and nervous. It had happened before every big event. The first day of school, her first prom, and now her wedding. “You’re still my little Sunshine,” She was smiling, albeit sadly. “And I’m so proud of you.” She pressed something into Sunshine’s hand. It was a small purple banner. Embossed in golden thread was the Seddon crest, where it glittered in the light. “Wave this if anything strange should happen,” she said imploringly.
Sunshine looked at the banner. Her mother was looking out for her, in the final moments of being just hers. She nodded, tucking the banner in between the orange blossoms of her bouquet. The voodoo roses smelled heavenly, highlighted by the orange lilies. She was carrying the sun itself in her hands. She smiled at her congregation, asking,
“So…should we go get married?”
_
Ichabod entered first, standing at the altar and nodding. The voodoo band that had followed along began pounding on drums in different beats. Others started ringing bells. Shadow and Riku stood next to him, looking out at the small cluster of people sitting out. Friends, family, and even acquaintances had all come. Police weddings were said to be big deals. In Bellerouge, this was different for how unique everyone in the cluster was.
Weiss was the first to come to the altar from the runway as the maid of honor. In keeping with the colors, she had picked out a champagne colored A-line dress. The top was an illusion sheer scoop neck. She was beaming practically. Hard to believe she had been under the influence of darkness.
Rhona, the flower girl, came next. The makeup artists had styled her blonde hair into a braided tiara. She scattered magnolia and voodoo rose petals across the wood, her eyes never leaving the water until she was back on the grass.
“Rise for the bride,” Ichabod called.
The group rose.
“Dad…” Sunshine whispered to her father as they emerged. “Be careful.”
Like the first rays of morning, Sunshine and John appeared on the walkway. Sunshine was glowing. Her golden hair had been twisted into a messy braid with tiny flowers interwoven. The lace appliques on her ivory/champagne gown were bursting like the sun. The sequined Chantilly lace throughout the dress had been enhanced…and cooled…with a few extra touches of ice magic. Her neckline was a beaded V-neck in sparkling net. Her bare feet poked through the hem of the gown as she walked. Instead of a veil, Sunshine had sufficed for a flower crown.
“She’s beautiful…” Aqua breathed. It was like she was a faery herself, not just a human gifted with the power of the sun.
Sunshine gave everyone flashes of a smile as she walked towards the altar. John looked at the groom, then at his stepdaughter. She was still so young in his eyes. She had been kneading bread in the back room. Then, she was studying monsters and bullet types for her police exam. Now, she was a bride to a former heir to a rich family who loved her more than he could. He kissed Sunshine’s hand before joining Wendy at the bride’s family side.
The bells ceased ringing and drums stopped beating. Ichabod lit an incense stick. The smoke smelled of fresh cut springtime flowers. He had picked the incense appropriately for his cousin’s bride; ‘Sunshine’. As it curled, he knelt, smiling at the small group.
“Brothers and sisters. We’ve come to join our brother Riku Lafayette and our sister Rachel Seddon in matrimony. We call upon the guarding of the crossroads, the gatekeeper to open the way for good things to come. We ask for all their spirits, all their patrons, all their saints to be with us here, present…”
“You’d think they would have gotten more chairs,” Omar whispered dryly to Aqua, who snickered as Ichabod continued to call upon guidances that would be present at the wedding.
A candle was lit and held to the couple, invoking the spirit of fire. Ichabod handed it to Sunshine, declaring it was the gift of passion. The candle flickered in her hand, the red wax reflecting her and her soon-to-be-husband in its wane. He asked she hand it to Riku, who accepted it. They then joined hands on the candle, so “you can share your passion together.” The candle was placed in a bin to the opposite side of the altar near Weiss.
The incense was at a halfway point, so Ichabod lit a new wand. This was, in his speech, representing communication and how beautiful music was made between them. The smell wafted through the crowd to the smiling couple. With a nod, Ichabod allowed Riku to undo the long cord. It stretched to about the end of the altar, where Riku stood at one end by Shadow and Sunshine walked to grab the other end next to Weiss.
“So, is this where ‘tie the knot’ comes from?” Ralph quipped next to his date; Elsa.
Well, he was partially right. Sunshine and Riku walked towards each other winding the rope as the went over their wrists. They met in the center, above the candle and incense, which Ichabod had set in the middle.
“Eyes are the window to the soul. Remember all your times in the past, that soul will stay.”
Ichabod tightened the knot around the conjoined hands, looking his cousin in the eye.
“Will you burden her?”
“I’ll try not to,” Riku said.
“Will you burden him?” Ichabod asked Sunshine.
“I’ll try not to,” Sunshine echoed.
“Good. By saying this, you agree that you will work through these burdens. This bond,” he gestured to the knot, “has been made by those in the flesh and those not with us.”
Sunshine and Riku each felt the pang and presence of the unseen forces. His parents, who were probably in jail mulling his marriage over. Her biological father, who was gone for more than ten years. The spirits they each thought of when calling magic was dancing around.
Ichabod handed the tiny little stick dolls imitating a bride and groom to Weiss and Shadow. The maid of honor and best man approached with the artifacts, handing them to the respected member. “These dolls represent the young love embedded in you and the kiss you are going to share.”
With hands still tied, Sunshine and Riku kissed on cue. The small group cheered. Howls of approval came both from Jenna and Namine’s dog Lance. Usually, when a wedding in the normal world got to this point it ended. But it wasn’t done yet.
Weiss and Shadow were summoned to bring forth the goblets. They were also tasked with pouring two different spirits into the flask. A scroll, which Sunshine and Riku had written all their woes on, had been thrown into each. They were tasked with drinking their glasses and the pouring the scroll into a small bowl. Ichabod lit it aflame, saying that they had tasted each other's sorrows but now they were burning the past, and the smoke was a sign of joy.
The rings were exchanged, and, with hands untied, the couple kissed once more. Bells and drums were beaten and the crowd cheered. Ichabod raised the clay bowl over his head, smashing it down with the final cry.
“Brothers and sisters. I now give you the conclusion in the union of Riku and Rachel Lafayette!”
_
The ceremony space was cleared for mingling and cheering. Axel was now at the bar, mixing drinks for relatives and friends alike. Sunshine and Riku had shared their first dance as husband and wife, beaming and kissing as Omar serenaded them. Some were watching while some couples were looking at each other, hand in hand.
Only one person was not up close. Shadow was at the bar, watching the couple with a rueful smile.
“Hey. That your partner?”
Jane LaRue was sitting next to him. She had a glass in one hand. “She’s cute.”
“Cuter now that she’s happy,” he said half-heartedly.
Jane nodded and swigged a bit from her glass. “You know, I didn’t expect you to be here. Weddings didn’t seem like your thing. I’m only here because of Namine and my dad.”
“Sunshine’s my best friend,” he huffed, “and Riku and I are getting close. Not in the creepy homo way.”
Jane looked at him teasingly before laughing. “So, why the long face? Is it because you’re all prickly again?”
Shadow looked at Jane. He wanted to tell her the truth. How he was here to make sure the last bit of joy in Bellerouge could be celebrated. How he wanted at least one good deed and memory before he was gone. She didn’t take bullshit from anyone, and lying to her face wasn't an option. He sipped his black Russian and answered honestly,
“A wedding’s not the best place to explain. Right now, I just want to soak in Sunshine’s light with some good friends…and a pretty girl in a yellow top."
Jane’s face burned. Did a cop just flirt with her? Openly? She punched him in the arm before turning back to the crowd. Yet Shadow was smirking and chuckling. He had gotten to her. And he wasn’t done yet. He set his glass down and tipped Axel, extending a hand,
“So when the bride and groom are done, how about a dance?”
“Um, aren’t there a few people ahead of me?” Jane smiled and pointed to Yang and Adrien, who were pulling him out onto the dance floor to mingle. Shadow gave her a look that said ‘help; social interaction’ before disappearing and getting lost in the same happiness and enthusiasm he was telling her about. He had shared laughs with friends. He even managed a dance with Sunshine. Then, after being swallowed up by it, he was able to take up Jane on his promise and danced with her.
“I like the simplicity of it,” Anna chirped. She was skipping through the venue. “Plus, it’s outdoors. What better way to celebrate spring time than an outdoor wedding!” She sniffed one of the roses. “Wow, they didn’t settle for the cheap stuff. These actually smell like roses as opposed to looking like them!”
Axel, who had come just to be the bartender for the reception while jokingly denying he was dating Anna, shook his head with a laugh. “Well it is a Lafayette affair, sweetheart.” He was impressed at how many charms were up. Not to mention how many were working. He was itching slightly, a typical reaction a demon had to wards, but that was the most he could do. Once the party was big, he could relax.
“Oh! Anna! Over here!”
Sitting closest to the makeshift altar was Yang. Adrien Agaste was by her side. Originally, Yang would have been Sunshine’s maid of honor, but when Sunshine changed her mind and kindly explained why she was changing, the half-Phoenix was willing to admit defeat. Besides, she got more of a chance to enjoy love with her own love.
But couples weren’t the only people invited. Most of the force had been asked to come. Jim and Dimitri leaned in the chairs, studying the names of all who were in the event. Apparently, they were pulling out a few voodoo stops. They knew Sunshine and Riku would be having a voodoo arrangement, but there were a lot of customs. Some of them Dimitri didn’t even want to pronounce.
The altar was bare, practically. Two silver goblets were set out next to bright green bottles of liquor. A few little dolls made from beads and cloth were strewn on either side. The flowers of the arrangement were plucked and scuttled around the wooden arbor, which was draped with an African cloth in the same red and yellows of the venue. Where were those soon to be married? They were getting finishing touches set up at a small picnic area that was closed off.
________
Riku sighed as he pinned the rabbit’s foot to his lapel. That was Sunshine’s idea. It was symbolic of how they fell in love, when he was stuck was a giant rabbit. Around his wrist were the kente cloth wraps traditionally used in voodoo rituals. His cousin Ichabod would be presiding, and had drove all the way to Baton Rouge to associate. Aside from Weiss, he was the only Lafayette invited. It was really happening. He had accepted this the day he slid the ring on Sunshine’s hand. Months of stress and worry were coming to a head. He was getting married.
“We’re on in a few.”
Shadow Griffiths stepped next to Riku. He was no longer in Sapien, back to his spiked hedgehog form. But he did make an effort to look fancy with polished inhibitor rings and even had tied a cumberbund that matched Riku’s deep purple vest around his waist. The hedgehog and the voodoo king looked at each other.
“Are you all right?” Shadow asked.
Riku let out one more sigh. “It’s all going so fast, Shadow. My parents would never have approved of any of this.”
His parents. Thanks to Elsa Crispin, they were in jail for years of undocumented child abuse. The family attorney could try and pick at the web Elsa bound them in, but it would be a long time. Ciri would have been more accepting of Sunshine than Jacques. Thinking of them being there was adding to the weight of it all. He had been fighting the darkness for years. Sunshine was the light he needed. He had almost fallen astray when he had to rescue Weiss. Sunshine was certain he would never fall.
“What they care about shouldn’t matter,” Shadow folded his arms. His red eyes fell into a stern stare. “Riku, you love Sunshine. That’s the only thing that you should be thinking about. You’re starting a new life, a healthier life.”
Riku opened his mouth to object but couldn’t. Shadow was right. Sunshine was the most important thing right now. As was the new life they were going to start together. A life of cruelty was going into the shadows where it belonged and a life of dawns and new opportunities awaited.
He nodded curtly, looking over at his best man. Shadow had accepted the offer with no objection. At first, Riku had been hesitant. This was Sunshine’s partner, her best friend. But the two of them had been connecting at the shooting range, and Riku learned the truth. Shadow had been in love with Sunshine, but they agreed romance was not their front. Instead, Shadow had sacrificed his happiness to ensure that Sunshine was happy with Riku. And the voodoo priest was pleased to know this led to no hard feelings. The two of them actually got along well.
“You’re right,” Riku murmured. “No more looking to the shadows.” He placed a hand on the hedgehog’s shoulder. The gloved hand of his best man fell over it. They both looked at each other, almost agreeing in silence to help each other out should the other fail. But first, it was time for a wedding.
_
“Okay, suga, you can open your eyes.”
Red had finished patting her makeup on Sunshine’s face. The bride opened her eyes, and nearly blinked tears of joy. She was getting married, and looking like a princess while doing so. The simplicity that Red promised was there, yet the boldness was subtle. Elsa was standing overhead, throwing her ice magic onto Sunshine’s dress to add an ‘extra flair’.
Wendy came around to the picnic area. Her blue eyes watered, and Sunshine had to shake her head. If Wendy would start blubbering, she would, too.
“Mom, don’t cry, I just got my makeup done!”
Sobbing, Wendy ran to hug her daughter. “You look so beautiful,” she said in tears. “I don’t want you to grow up!” She released the hug, looking long and hard at Sunshine. A hand came up to tuck a hair from her green eyes. A small kiss on the forehead was given to the bride, who smiled sheepishly. Wendy had done this since she was six years old and nervous. It had happened before every big event. The first day of school, her first prom, and now her wedding. “You’re still my little Sunshine,” She was smiling, albeit sadly. “And I’m so proud of you.” She pressed something into Sunshine’s hand. It was a small purple banner. Embossed in golden thread was the Seddon crest, where it glittered in the light. “Wave this if anything strange should happen,” she said imploringly.
Sunshine looked at the banner. Her mother was looking out for her, in the final moments of being just hers. She nodded, tucking the banner in between the orange blossoms of her bouquet. The voodoo roses smelled heavenly, highlighted by the orange lilies. She was carrying the sun itself in her hands. She smiled at her congregation, asking,
“So…should we go get married?”
_
Ichabod entered first, standing at the altar and nodding. The voodoo band that had followed along began pounding on drums in different beats. Others started ringing bells. Shadow and Riku stood next to him, looking out at the small cluster of people sitting out. Friends, family, and even acquaintances had all come. Police weddings were said to be big deals. In Bellerouge, this was different for how unique everyone in the cluster was.
Weiss was the first to come to the altar from the runway as the maid of honor. In keeping with the colors, she had picked out a champagne colored A-line dress. The top was an illusion sheer scoop neck. She was beaming practically. Hard to believe she had been under the influence of darkness.
Rhona, the flower girl, came next. The makeup artists had styled her blonde hair into a braided tiara. She scattered magnolia and voodoo rose petals across the wood, her eyes never leaving the water until she was back on the grass.
“Rise for the bride,” Ichabod called.
The group rose.
“Dad…” Sunshine whispered to her father as they emerged. “Be careful.”
Like the first rays of morning, Sunshine and John appeared on the walkway. Sunshine was glowing. Her golden hair had been twisted into a messy braid with tiny flowers interwoven. The lace appliques on her ivory/champagne gown were bursting like the sun. The sequined Chantilly lace throughout the dress had been enhanced…and cooled…with a few extra touches of ice magic. Her neckline was a beaded V-neck in sparkling net. Her bare feet poked through the hem of the gown as she walked. Instead of a veil, Sunshine had sufficed for a flower crown.
“She’s beautiful…” Aqua breathed. It was like she was a faery herself, not just a human gifted with the power of the sun.
Sunshine gave everyone flashes of a smile as she walked towards the altar. John looked at the groom, then at his stepdaughter. She was still so young in his eyes. She had been kneading bread in the back room. Then, she was studying monsters and bullet types for her police exam. Now, she was a bride to a former heir to a rich family who loved her more than he could. He kissed Sunshine’s hand before joining Wendy at the bride’s family side.
The bells ceased ringing and drums stopped beating. Ichabod lit an incense stick. The smoke smelled of fresh cut springtime flowers. He had picked the incense appropriately for his cousin’s bride; ‘Sunshine’. As it curled, he knelt, smiling at the small group.
“Brothers and sisters. We’ve come to join our brother Riku Lafayette and our sister Rachel Seddon in matrimony. We call upon the guarding of the crossroads, the gatekeeper to open the way for good things to come. We ask for all their spirits, all their patrons, all their saints to be with us here, present…”
“You’d think they would have gotten more chairs,” Omar whispered dryly to Aqua, who snickered as Ichabod continued to call upon guidances that would be present at the wedding.
A candle was lit and held to the couple, invoking the spirit of fire. Ichabod handed it to Sunshine, declaring it was the gift of passion. The candle flickered in her hand, the red wax reflecting her and her soon-to-be-husband in its wane. He asked she hand it to Riku, who accepted it. They then joined hands on the candle, so “you can share your passion together.” The candle was placed in a bin to the opposite side of the altar near Weiss.
The incense was at a halfway point, so Ichabod lit a new wand. This was, in his speech, representing communication and how beautiful music was made between them. The smell wafted through the crowd to the smiling couple. With a nod, Ichabod allowed Riku to undo the long cord. It stretched to about the end of the altar, where Riku stood at one end by Shadow and Sunshine walked to grab the other end next to Weiss.
“So, is this where ‘tie the knot’ comes from?” Ralph quipped next to his date; Elsa.
Well, he was partially right. Sunshine and Riku walked towards each other winding the rope as the went over their wrists. They met in the center, above the candle and incense, which Ichabod had set in the middle.
“Eyes are the window to the soul. Remember all your times in the past, that soul will stay.”
Ichabod tightened the knot around the conjoined hands, looking his cousin in the eye.
“Will you burden her?”
“I’ll try not to,” Riku said.
“Will you burden him?” Ichabod asked Sunshine.
“I’ll try not to,” Sunshine echoed.
“Good. By saying this, you agree that you will work through these burdens. This bond,” he gestured to the knot, “has been made by those in the flesh and those not with us.”
Sunshine and Riku each felt the pang and presence of the unseen forces. His parents, who were probably in jail mulling his marriage over. Her biological father, who was gone for more than ten years. The spirits they each thought of when calling magic was dancing around.
Ichabod handed the tiny little stick dolls imitating a bride and groom to Weiss and Shadow. The maid of honor and best man approached with the artifacts, handing them to the respected member. “These dolls represent the young love embedded in you and the kiss you are going to share.”
With hands still tied, Sunshine and Riku kissed on cue. The small group cheered. Howls of approval came both from Jenna and Namine’s dog Lance. Usually, when a wedding in the normal world got to this point it ended. But it wasn’t done yet.
Weiss and Shadow were summoned to bring forth the goblets. They were also tasked with pouring two different spirits into the flask. A scroll, which Sunshine and Riku had written all their woes on, had been thrown into each. They were tasked with drinking their glasses and the pouring the scroll into a small bowl. Ichabod lit it aflame, saying that they had tasted each other's sorrows but now they were burning the past, and the smoke was a sign of joy.
The rings were exchanged, and, with hands untied, the couple kissed once more. Bells and drums were beaten and the crowd cheered. Ichabod raised the clay bowl over his head, smashing it down with the final cry.
“Brothers and sisters. I now give you the conclusion in the union of Riku and Rachel Lafayette!”
_
The ceremony space was cleared for mingling and cheering. Axel was now at the bar, mixing drinks for relatives and friends alike. Sunshine and Riku had shared their first dance as husband and wife, beaming and kissing as Omar serenaded them. Some were watching while some couples were looking at each other, hand in hand.
Only one person was not up close. Shadow was at the bar, watching the couple with a rueful smile.
“Hey. That your partner?”
Jane LaRue was sitting next to him. She had a glass in one hand. “She’s cute.”
“Cuter now that she’s happy,” he said half-heartedly.
Jane nodded and swigged a bit from her glass. “You know, I didn’t expect you to be here. Weddings didn’t seem like your thing. I’m only here because of Namine and my dad.”
“Sunshine’s my best friend,” he huffed, “and Riku and I are getting close. Not in the creepy homo way.”
Jane looked at him teasingly before laughing. “So, why the long face? Is it because you’re all prickly again?”
Shadow looked at Jane. He wanted to tell her the truth. How he was here to make sure the last bit of joy in Bellerouge could be celebrated. How he wanted at least one good deed and memory before he was gone. She didn’t take bullshit from anyone, and lying to her face wasn't an option. He sipped his black Russian and answered honestly,
“A wedding’s not the best place to explain. Right now, I just want to soak in Sunshine’s light with some good friends…and a pretty girl in a yellow top."
Jane’s face burned. Did a cop just flirt with her? Openly? She punched him in the arm before turning back to the crowd. Yet Shadow was smirking and chuckling. He had gotten to her. And he wasn’t done yet. He set his glass down and tipped Axel, extending a hand,
“So when the bride and groom are done, how about a dance?”
“Um, aren’t there a few people ahead of me?” Jane smiled and pointed to Yang and Adrien, who were pulling him out onto the dance floor to mingle. Shadow gave her a look that said ‘help; social interaction’ before disappearing and getting lost in the same happiness and enthusiasm he was telling her about. He had shared laughs with friends. He even managed a dance with Sunshine. Then, after being swallowed up by it, he was able to take up Jane on his promise and danced with her.