How she would have been exploring the mines, a little bit lost but still having fun. She hears her dad and Sheriff Isaac up ahead, and she wants to go say hi! They're probably here to check on her because she's been gone a while. She goes to round the corner and she hears her dad yell. Not a joyous yell, one of fear. She has to watch as Isaac pushes her father off the ledge, dooming him. He yells out her name as he falls. The last thing she'd ever hear her dad say was her nickname. Junebug. And then she sees a cup on the ground, a beautiful ornate chalice that seems to call to her. So she picks it up. She's immediately taken over, trapping herself in a bubble and the entire town. And even though she's taken by the chalice she's still aware enough to know what's going on. She can't stop the bubble, though, and one day in her torment she realizes that the town is about to be destroyed by a purple worm. So she loops it. It's the only thing she can think of, the only way in her mind she can keep the town safe. She loops time again, and again, and again, hoping one day someone will come save her.
Back on my TAZ character playlist bullshit and I’m having trouble with like, all the 11th Hour NPCs because I’m historically not a fan of country music, but it feels inauthentic not to have any for these heavily old-west-coded characters. Happily accepting any song recommendations for Roswell, Cassidy, Renn, Paloma, June, and Sheriff Isaac. Please and thank you!!
[ID: a 5-panel comic of Magnus and the Red Robe from the Adventure Zone, based on the full version of the Gunshow “Where did that other dog come from / who is he” meme. Panel 1: Magnus looks upset, and the Red Robe watches in concern from the background. The caption says “Being a fighter comes with its own problems. Like, right now I got a lot of questions that need answers.” The word ‘lot’ is underlined. Panel 2: Magnus looks confusedly at an “IPRE” patch, while the Red Robe looks sheepish in the background. The caption says “Like: What... How do I use this”. Panel 3: Magnus and the Red Robe look at June, who is glowing blue and floating while she holds the Temporal Chalice. The caption reads “Why am I in a timeloop”. Panel 4: Magnus points out Refuge’s red-robed statue to the lich Red Robe. The caption reads, “And where did that other red robe come from”. Panel 5: Magnus looks at the statue, frustrated, while the Red Robe hovers in the background. The caption reads, “Who is he”. All text is in all caps. End ID]
"I don't understand what's- what's up with the four of you," the Chalice said through June's mouth. Barry's memories, which has previously been flicking by at a quick pace, had cut into a long period of static. "First your friends, and now you. I just don't get it."
"Don't look at me," Barry said. "I understand this about as well as you do."
The memories abruptly cut back to normal, aside from the faint static buzz around some scenes. Barry saw his college graduation, his mother's funeral, and the space class he took in high school. They ran by birthdays, holidays, and Barry's unfortunate emo phase in seventh grade. They went so far back that they hit the earliest memory Barry could recall at all: Coming downstairs for a glass of water and catching his mother crying.
"Okay," June said. "Alright, let's see."
The memories shot forward in time again and Barry saw flickers of the only school dance he went through and his first girlfriend and the time he spent all of winter break in the library instead of with family. They hit the period of static again and June began to slow the memories down. Going at this much more mellow speed, a few moments of static revealed simple memories.
Barry, sitting at a round table with staticky figures around him, enjoying a meal.
Barry, holding his wand up defensively.
Barry, crying with a staticky someone rubbing his back.
Barry, playing the piano, laughing at a joke, writing in a notebook, holding someone's hand.
The memories slowed to a complete stop. The one that formed around them flared and flickered, the static covering almost the entire scene. He could make out a bed, and something that was maybe a desk shoved into the corner. Memory-Barry was sitting up in bed, reaching for his glasses. In the midst of static, someone was standing halfway between the bed and the door.
"This, uh, this is your worst memory," June said. "Well, no, actually, not exactly. You have a lot of bad memories, Barry, this is just the one you regret the most."
"I have no idea what's going on here," Barry said, honestly. When he tried to remember it, he couldn't. He had gotten up in the middle of the night for loads of reasons before, but none of them would qualify as worst memories. "Is it like, a memory loss thing? Because I know I'm- I'm getting up there but I'm not that old yet."
"It's not an age thing," June said. "Like I said, everyone else was like that too. You've just got-" she gestured vaguely to the scene as if that would help Barry understand it. Then she shook her head. "Ya know what? Nevermind. It doesn't really matter. Look, we've run through your memories and this is the one you feel worst about. Are you tellin' me you don't remember it?"
"I mean," Barry said, trying to recall anything. Maybe it was all the static in the room, but there was a headache growing behind his eyes. He shut them, thinking hard.
When he opened them again, the scene was still staticky, but individual parts of the room stood out more. There definitely was a desk in the corner, and a tall dresser nearby. There were crumbled-up papers over the floor and Barry could recognize his portable radio, which came into crystal clear view as he remembered it.
And the person between the bed and the door- the woman, who was still shroud in static, but had come more into focus like he had slightly adjusted a camera lens- she...
"She's leaving," Barry said. "And she doesn't come back."
"Oh," June said. She tilted her head at the scene and the headache worsened as he tried to hold onto it. "I'll give ya this, Barry, you're friends certainly couldn't clear up their minds like this. It makes my job a hell of a lot easier."
"Kinda gives me a headache," Barry said, blinking away the static that started to crop up at the edge of his vision.
"This'll be quick," June said, cracking her knuckles. "I'm getting the vibes now. I'm gonna offer you a deal, Barry, and I just want you to hear me out. This person- this woman here-" June walked towards the woman, circling around her. "I don't think you know her very well right now, but she was... important to you, Barry. Much more than you or I can understand right now.
"This is your worst memory," June said. "And you've seen a lot of bad things. But her leaving and never coming back has to be the worse. So what I wanna offer you, right now, Barry, is this: You take the chalice and you'll come back. Right back here to this moment, as she..." June paused and Barry feels a bit like the chalice is rooting around in his mind for something. "As she tells you to go back to bed. You'll wake up and you can make her stay."
There's an ache in Barry's chest, one that often doesn't show up unless he's having a panic attack. It's a burning kind of feeling that envelops his entire heart, leaving it raw. He didn't know why it was happening now, but he can't deny that the offer to go back is incredibly appealing in this moment.
"But," June said. "I can't lie to you. If you do this, you won't join the Bureau. You won't work with Magnus or Merle or Taako, you might not even meet them. You won't go out on missions or stop some other things from happening, and you definitely won't be coming here to Refuge. I understand that's a lot to ask of you, but..." she looked towards the woman again and Barry did too, unable to help himself. "She won't be gone. And I think, if your heart, Barry, you know which one you want more."
June sat on the bed and the static spread from under her, trying to consume the scene completely again. He pushed it back in his mind, squeezing his eyes shut for a second.
June didn't comment on it. And she didn't comment on the fact that when he opened his eyes, his gaze went right back to the woman. She came into view a bit better this time. She had on a robe of some kind and there was something hanging from her belt, most likely a weapon even if Barry couldn't conjure up the correct shape. And he tried, he tried focusing on her more, bringing her to the forefront of his mind, but all he gained was a headache and a feeling of dread in his gut. He couldn't remember her face. He didn't know who she was.
But he wanted to.
"Well," June said, after a few minutes of Barry trying and failing to visualize her. "I don't mean to rush ya, Barry, but this episode's only supposed to be an hour long and you're just standing here."
"Sorry," Barry said, shaking his head. The room slipped back into total static. The bed June was sitting on could no longer be distinguished between that and the floor. The woman blended back in, barely noticeable. June stood up, stretching, and said,
This is a sort of sequel, sort of continuation of this piece here!
You can also read it on ao3!
~
Delivering on a Decades Old Promise
Lup wakes up to the incessant chime of her Stone of Farspeech, and immediately she knows something is wrong. For one thing, she's much colder than she should be, and where Barry's arms should be wrapped around her, she feels nothing but a soft, thin blanket. For another thing, as she opens her eyes and scans the room she's in, she realizes she's not in her bedroom, which is weird, because she definitely fell asleep there last night, tucked in with Barry. Weirder still, she's not even in a room that she recognizes.
A cold chill runs down her spine, and her Stone chimes again. She quickly jumps out of bed, grabbing the Stone from on top of the nightstand, and she runs to the window and pulls back the curtains as she answers the Stone.
“Took you long enough, Goofus.”
“Taako?” Lup takes a sharp intake of breath.
“Yeah.”
She rubs at her eyes and blinks a couple of times. “Taako, I have a very important question– two actually.”
Taako snorts. “I figured you might.”
Lup rolls her eyes. At least that confirms that this was his doing, and it's not malicious. “Yeah, one, where's Barry? And two, before you answer that, I went to bed last night in my bedroom in my house on the outskirts of Neverwinter.”
“Uh huh?” Taako says, obviously trying not to laugh.
Lup takes a deep breath and scans the busy street below her and the surrounding red clay environment, trying to take it all in. “Then why, pray tell, did I wake up in Refuge?”
“You know that thing Barry and I wouldn't tell you about?” Taako asks.
Lup rolls her eyes again. “Yeah, the thing you both swore up and down wasn't going on between the two of you even though I can read the both of you like an open book?”
Taako laughs. “Yeah, that thing. Go look in the closet.”
“Why would looking in the closet give me any idea as to what's going on?” Lup asks, annoyed. She makes her way over there though as instructed.
“Well you'd know once you open the closet,” Taako says cheekily.
Lup sighs and opens the closet door, and then she gasps. The only garment hanging up in there is a long dress. A very familiar dress, though she had only seen it in her dreams. The body of it is made to fit snugly on the person wearing it, and its skirt fans out and is made to trail behind the wearer. It has off the shoulder sleeves, and the entire thing is colored in bright reds, oranges, and yellows. There's sequins of small beads and swirly designs on the body of it that are glowing slightly with arcane energy, and there's the same type of beads scattered all over the skirt of it too. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that they'll glow when the wearer spins around in it or when the sun hits it just right to make it look like flames.
It's the most beautiful dress she has ever seen, and it's become a reality.
She's lost for words as she reaches out to touch it, and it's soft. Really soft. This is real. This is her dress, and it's real.
“Lup?” Taako asks with concern. “Are you still with me?”
“Y–yeah,” Lup says breathlessly. “Taako... It's the dress.”
“Yeah, I know,” he says softly with a smile in his voice. “I had it custom made for you.”
“I–” Lup doesn't know what to say. She just stares at it in awe for a few more seconds before she tries again. “Taako, it's my wedding dress. My dream wedding dress.”
Taako chuckles. “Yeah.”
Lup frowns a little and crinkles her eyebrows. “Am I... getting married today?”
“Bingo! At the Temple of Istus at three. You should–”
“At the Temple of Istus?” Lup asks in disbelief. “Like how we'd do it at home?”
“Hell yeah! You think you and Barry weren't going to get married the old way when there's a perfectly good Temple of Istus here in this plane?” Taako asks incredulously, and Lup laughs tearily. “Merle's officiating of course, both because it's Merle and he's also an emissary of Istus now and because Luca and Redmond don't know the rites our home plane does. Anyway, don't get changed yet. You still need to eat breakfast and get ready before you put it on, so it doesn't get messed up. I need to go, so I can finish the wedding cake and other food, but Ren should have breakfast ready for you downstairs.”
Lup wipes the tears from her eyes, and she laughs a little again. “Thank you, Taako! Where's Barry by the way? You never answered that question.”
“You know it's bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony, Lulu!”
Lup rolls her eyes with a big smile. “You know we've never ever ever held that tradition before.”
Taako laughs. “You'll see him later, I promise.” A timer goes off somewhere on his end, and he swears under his breath. “Paloma! Can you– never mind. Okay, I seriously have to go or the cake is going to turn out dry.”
Lup chuckles. “Okay, I love you!”
“I love you too. Go eat breakfast.” Taako hangs up, and Lup laughs.
She looks over the dress again and rubs one of the sleeves between her fingers. She's getting married to Barry at the Temple of Istus today. In her dream wedding dress. Istus is going to bless their union like how the Istus at their home plane does it.
Lup tries to fight back more tears as she takes a deep breath. Then she rubs at her eyes and walks for the door.
Downstairs, she finds herself in the tavern portion of the Davy Lamp. There's patrons sitting around some tables talking and laughing, and a pianist is sitting at the piano playing a lively tune. June is standing at the bar polishing some glasses, and she looks up as Lup approaches her and smiles.
“Hi, Lup! Ren had me set aside a plate of french toast for you.” June ducks under the bar and comes back up with a plate full of french toast and eggs and a small bottle of syrup. She slides it across the bar towards her, and Lup takes it and sits down.
“Thanks, June!” She pours some syrup over her french toast and takes a bite, and she immediately melts a little. It's really close to Tía's recipe, but there's still some things off about it. It's not as buttery or fluffy, but it's still really good. Taako must have taught Ren how to make it, but, as is their want, he modified it slightly, so it wouldn't be exactly right. Gotta keep their true recipes secret, so people come back wanting more.
“Sorry Taako and Barry kidnapped you and brought you here,” June says as she puts away the glasses. “They were insistent that they kept everything secret until you woke up today.”
Lup laughs. “It's alright. I'd rather them kidnap me than someone actually kidnapping me, and this isn't a bad place to end up. It's really nice here.”
June smiles. “Thank you. It is a really nice place to live.”
Ren comes out from the back kitchen carrying two plates of food. “Hey, Lup! I'll be with you in just a second.”
She passes by them and puts the plates down at a table where an elf and a goliath are chatting. Lup thinks she recognizes them, but she isn't sure. The elf might be Ash, but she never got the goliath's name when Taako was here and she was still trapped in the umbrastaff, and she hasn't talked to them since either.
That thought dampens her mood a bit, so she turns to focus on eating her eggs.
Ren walks back behind the bar, and June walks into the kitchen, the doors swinging a little behind her. Ren grabs a glass and starts filling it with an amber liquid from a tap to the right of the bar. “I don't know if Taako's told you yet or not, but the reception is going to be on the hill outside of the temple. Magnus is there now helping to set up the chairs and tables. He might need help with that if you want to go there after you're done eating. I have to get back to Taako's place here soon, so I can help finish up the food.”
“Do you need help getting there?” Lup asks.
Ren smiles and slides the glass over to her. “Nah. Kravitz is going to pick me up. Also, that's a virgin apple cider.” she says, pointing to the glass. “I didn't think you'd want to get buzzed before the ceremony.”
Lup smiles at her. “Thanks.” She pauses to take a drink. Then she says, “Do you know where Barry is?”
Ren smirks. “It's bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony.”
Lup sighs and rolls her eyes, and Ren laughs. “Don't worry, he's just getting ready too.” She looks around before leaning in conspiratorially and whispers, “Barry and Davenport are trying to find another band or bard to play music because the one they hired had to back out last minute. Also, I think something happened to Barry's suit? I didn't quite catch all that was happening when I was listening to him frantically tell Taako what he was doing earlier this morning.”
Lup chuckles. “Why did that have to be a secret?”
Ren shrugs. “Probably the same reason they decided to keep the wedding a secret. Maybe they wanted to make it look like they have everything under control, which is a tall order, I think, because big events like this always has something go wrong.”
Lup laughs, and Ren checks her pocket watch. “Kravitz is going to be here soon. Oh! I forgot to tell you, Lucretia is going to be here in about two and a half hours to help you get ready and do your hair, so you'll want to be back in time for that.”
“Okay!” Lup stands up from the bar and stretches, and Ren takes her empty plate. “Thank you for the food by the way, it was really good.”
Ren smiles. “Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it.” She walks towards the kitchen, and as she opens the door, she looks behind her and says, “Take care! I'll see you at the wedding!”
Lup waves at her, and she disappears behind the door.
-
-
As Lup walks up the hill toward the temple, she passes by a lot of people rushing around with chairs, tables, balloons, and other decorations. She waves at Carey and Killian who are tying balloons to posts people stuck into the ground around the area and at Hurley, Sloane, and Angus who are erecting an archway made of flowers. Then she sees Magnus holding a large table on its side as he directs Cassidy, who's also holding a table, over to a spot a little ways away from him. Lup runs over as Cassidy walks away, and Magnus looks up and smiles when he sees her.
“Lup! You're up!” He sets his table down and swoops her up in a bear hug.
Lup laughs and squeezes him tight. “It's been a while since I've seen you, how have you been?”
Magnus sets her down and bounces up and down on the balls of his feet. “Pretty great! Recently, I've mostly been planning today with everyone else.” He laughs a little. “Actually, I'm surprised Barry was able to get this one past you.”
Lup laughs again. “He almost didn't. I almost got him to admit that he was hiding something yesterday, but he caught himself before he said anything.”
Magnus rolls his eyes fondly. “Typical Barry.” He picks up his table again and says, “Since you're here, do you mind helping a little bit? There's a bunch more of these back there that need to get set up.” He points back toward the temple where there's people walking in and out of it with furniture and decorations.
“Yeah, you got it! Are they going anywhere in particular?”
“Sort of? Mostly it's just wherever there will be enough space to walk between them and also not over there.” He points to a spot past the flower archway. “That's where the dance floor is going to be.”
“Cool. Cool. Okay, I'll go help bring them out!” Lup says.
Magnus smiles at her. “Great! Thanks!”
Lup makes her way over to the temple and gets to work. She stops every so often to chat animatedly with some of her friends, but soon most of the work is done. She's making her way to one of the tables with a vase of flowers when her Stone chimes again.
She wraps one arm around the vase and holds it to her side as she fishes her Stone out of her pocket. Then she answers the Stone as she carefully puts the vase down on a table. “You've got Lup.”
“Hey, Lup!” Lucretia's voice comes through the speaker. “I'm about to head over to the Davy Lamp, and I thought I should let you know in case you were doing something.”
“Already?” Lup pulls out a pocket watch and looks at the time with a start. It's already been two hours.
Lucretia laughs. “Yeah, I'll see soon.”
“Alright, see you Creesh!” Lup hangs up the Stone and slides it back into her pocket. Then she goes to find Magnus.
She finds him back at the temple rifling through a box of streamers, and as she approaches, he stands up and turns to look at her. “Oh, hey! Can you grab that step ladder and bring it over there?” He asks, pointing first to the ladder and then to a spot near the far wall.
“Sure, but I need to head back to the Davy Lamp after,” Lup says as she picks up the ladder.
“Is Lucretia here?”
“Almost.” She sets it down by the wall and turns to face him. “I was wondering if you could walk back there with me?”
“Of course!” Magnus looks around and spots Jess walking back through the door. “Hey, Jess! I'm going to leave for a few minutes. Can you put these streamers up on the walls?”
“Yeah, you got it!” Jess walks over and takes the box from Magnus.
“Thanks.”
Lup and Magnus walk out of the temple and down the hill in comfortable silence. After a few minutes of walking, Lup says, “I really missed you, you know.”
Magnus smiles sadly at her. “I really missed you too.”
Lup bumps her shoulder into him gently. “I still feel like we don't hang out enough.”
“You know you're always welcome at my house and at my school.”
Lup laughs. “Yeah, but between the both of us working, our schedules don't match up a lot of the time.”
“Lup, I promise, you can always come hang out with me while I'm at work. I'm sure the dogs would love you! They're really sweet, and it might do them some good to learn how to work with people other than me. Or if you just want to come visit me at home whenever you're free, that's an option too! I wouldn't even care if you came over to my house at three in the morning!” He stops walking for a second and tilts his head. “Okay, I'd care a little if you came over to my house at three in the morning.” Lup laughs, and Magnus shakes his head a little with a small smile. “The point is, I'll always make time for you because I love you, and I have the opportunity of not doing much nowadays to be able to do that for you.”
Lup smiles fondly. “I'd say the same, but I think Kravitz would metaphorically have a stroke if you came on another one of our jobs again after last time.”
Magnus throws his head back and laughs. “I still say that the resurrection of the Skeleton King was not my fault!”
They both laugh as they walk in through the doors of the Davy Lamp. They stop walking, and Lup turns to hug Magnus who hugs her back. “Thank you for helping us do this and for being our family,” Lup says.
“Thank you for being my family too.”
They pull apart, and Magnus waves at her before walking back outside. Then she turns around to head back upstairs to take a shower before Lucretia gets here.
-
-
There's a knock at Lup's door as she's putting on her underwear, and when all of her essential oils are covered, she calls out, “Come in!”
Lucretia slips into the room and quickly shuts the door behind her. “Hey, Lup. How have you been?”
“Really great actually! I just wish I would've run into Barry by now.” Lup crosses the room to hug her, and she laughs and hugs her back.
“You know it's–”
“–bad luck to see the groom before the ceremony. Yeah, people have been telling me that a lot today.” Lup groans, and Lucretia laughs again.
They pull apart and Lucretia walks over to the closet to grab the dress. “You'll see him soon, I promise.” She holds the dress up by the hanger and asks, “Ready to put this on?”
Lup stares at it for a couple of seconds, transfixed. Then she says softly, “I am.”
She walks over to Lucretia, and Lucretia helps her put it on, buttoning the back for her and making sure everything fits properly. Then she leads Lup over to a chair, and Lup sits down as Lucretia pulls out a brush from her bag. “How do you want your hair?
Lup thinks for a second. “I want most of my hair up in a high bun with the sides of my hair still loose, so it's down my shoulders.”
Lucretia hums affirmatively and begins brushing out her hair.
They're quiet for a while. Lup closes her eyes to focus on the feeling of the gentle tugging on her hair.
Lucretia's the first to break the silence. “I really miss doing your hair. I don't get to do that very often anymore.”
Lup smiles a little. “I miss doing your hair too. I know you like it short now, but I still loved playing with it.”
Lucretia hesitates. “I was thinking about letting it grow out again actually. I really liked it long, and I feel like I'm in a place where I can have it be long again.”
Lup's heart warms at that. “I'm really glad to hear that.”
They're silent again as Lucretia gathers up her hair and ties it with a red ribbon. When she's finished, she offers Lup her hand, and she takes it and stands up. They walk over to the closet again and close the door, so they can look in the full length mirror.
Lup gasps when she sees her reflection. She looks gorgeous. The dress fits her really well, and the sunlight pouring in from the window hits the beads and sequins just right to make her glow. Her hair is perfect, and she loves the ribbon Lucretia put in her hair and the way the sides of her hair cascade down her shoulders.
“So, what do you think?” Lucretia asks softly,
Lup turns to her with tears in her eyes and a big smile. “I've never felt more beautiful in my entire life.” She hugs her again and buries her face in her neck. “Thank you.”
“Of course.”
They stay like that for a long time before Lup pulls away and wipes at her eyes. “What time is it?”
Lucretia pulls out a pocket watch. “It's 2:15. I should go help get everyone over there and seated.” She looks back up at her, smiling softly. “I think Merle wanted to come talk to you before the ceremony, and Taako said he'd walk you to the temple.”
“Okay.” Lup gives her one more quick hug before letting her walk toward the door, but as Lucretia grabs the handle, Lup says, “Lucy?”
Lucretia looks over at her. “Yeah?”
Lup pauses for a second. “Thank you. I really mean it, just... thank you.”
Lucretia looks down for a second before looking back up at her a little teary eyed. “And thank you, Lup.”
Then she walks out the door and closes it softly behind her.
-
-
Lup doesn't have to wait long after Lucretia leaves for her to hear another knock at her door and Merle's voice asking, “Is it cool for me to come in?”
“Yeah, I'm all covered up!” Lup calls back.
Merle opens the door and shuts it behind him again as he steps into the room. He looks her over for a second before he smiles. “Ya look really fancy, kiddo.”
Lup smiles and rolls her eyes at the work kiddo. “Thank you. You do too.” And he does. He's wearing some brown formal vestments with embroidered green vines and pink flowers and a green stole with golden panpipes embroidered on it. He also has on his amulet of Istus, and the brass glints in the sunlight coming in through the window.
“Thank you.” Merle scratches his beard thoughtfully. “Ya know, I think you and Barry may be the couple to have gotten married to each other the most times out of everyone in all of existence, but marrying the two of you never gets old.”
Lup laughs. “You say that now, but wait until we start having weddings every year.”
Merle laughs. “That's basically what you two did for the last twenty some odd years of our mission. This wouldn't be too different.”
“I suppose you're right.”
Merle walks over and hops on the bed. “It's been a really long time since I've married people using the traditional method back home, so I apologize if the ceremony is a little rough around the edges.”
“Merle, none of us have been to one of our world's weddings in at least over a century, and we didn't have a practice run. I doubt anyone knows exactly what they're doing.” Lup says with a soft smile.
Merle laughs. “I'm sure especially you because this was just sprung up on you today. Do you have an idea of what you're going to say for your vows?”
Oh shit, she didn't think about that. Lup shakes her head. “I'm sure I'll figure it out though on the fly. I've been married to him for almost forty years, and we've done wedding ceremonies almost annually during half that time. It shouldn't be too hard.”
“No, I suppose it wouldn't be for you.” Merle leans back on his hands with a smile. “Just to let you know, Mookie is the flower boy, Mavis is the ring bearer, and–” Merle sighs heavily, “–Angus... is the candle bearer.”
Lup smiles wide. “I'm really happy they're going to be a part of the ceremony.”
Merle chuckles. “Yeah, Barry thought you would be. The kids are excited too, especially Mookie. He hasn't stopped talking about it for the past week.”
“Is that why you had to go so suddenly when I called you a few nights ago after Mookie entered the room?” Lup laughs.
Merle snorts. “Yeah, that was it. That and because he was covered in mud from the garden. Apparently he thought he had to pick the flowers right then and there for the ceremony because I guess I forgot to tell him that we would be providing him with the flowers and the basket.”
Lup sucks in a breath between her teeth. “How much of the garden did he destroy before he came in?”
“Thankfully it was just the daffodils. I'll get them back no problem though.”
There's a knock on the door again, and Lup turns to look at the door. “Come in!”
Taako enters the room wearing a cinnamon colored suit with swirling black sequins and a black wizard's hat with swirling cinnamon colored sequins. Merle waves at him and hops off the bed. “Guess that's my cue to get ready.” He takes Lup's hand for a moment, and Lup looks down at him with a watery smile. “You'll do great, kid. I'm really proud of you.”
“Thank you, Merle.”
Merle lets go of her hand and nods at Taako as he leaves the room and closes the door behind him.
Taako walks further into the room, and Lup stands up, smoothing out her dress as she does so. The twins look at each other for a few seconds before Lup asks, “How do I look?” She gathers up the skirt a little and twirls around in it, and it fans out around her with dancing lights like flames.
She smiles and looks back up at him, and Taako is smiling at her with tears in his eyes. “You look beautiful.” He clears his throat and looks down for a second, blinking rapidly. “Is the dress close enough to what you were imagining? I've never seen it before myself, but I tried to describe to the seamstress everything you described to me.”
Lup swallows the lump building in her throat. “It's nearly exact, Koko. You did really well. I... thank you.”
Taako wipes his eyes and looks up at her with a soft smile, and Lup moves in to hug him. She rests her chin on his shoulder, and he rests his chin on hers. “What can I say? I'm an elf of many talents.” She laughs, and he laughs a little too. “I was only going to get the best for you, Lulu.”
Lup nuzzles her face into his neck. “Thank you.”
They stay like that for a few moments longer before Taako pulls away, and they both wipe at their eyes and sniffle a little bit. “Are you ready to get married to that nerd for the hundredth time running?”
Lup laughs, and Taako smirks at her until her giggles subside. Then she wipes at her eyes again and says softly, “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”
-
-
Taako and Lup wait outside the doors of the temple with Mavis, Mookie, and Angus. Mavis is holding a closed black box, Angus is holding two unlit candles on a silver tray, and Mookie is holding a basket of blue flowers. It takes Lup a second to identify them, and when she does, she starts feeling a build up of tears begin again behind her eyes.
They're forget-me-nots.
Taako looks over at her and does something between a laugh and a sigh. “We haven't even entered the building yet, Lulu!”
Lup laughs and wipes at her eyes. “I know, I'm trying to keep it together.”
“Are you upset, Aunt Lup?” Mookie asks with concern.
Lup laughs again. “No, I'm just really happy and emotional right now.”
“I have a package of tissues in my pocket if you want, Mrs. Lup!” Angus says. He sets down the tray and pulls out a small travel pack of tissues and hands it to her.
“Thanks, Ango.” She takes one and hands the rest back to him as she dabs at her eyes.
Taako's left ear flicks toward the door. “They're quieting down. It's about to get started.”
Lup links her arm around his, and they take a step back from the door as Angus, Mavis, and Mookie line up in front of them. Then the noise behind the door completely fades away, and the song Bright by Fantasy Echosmith begins to play over a record player. He remembered the song she wanted to walk down the aisle too the next time they did this! Excitement fills her chest as the doors get pulled open, and the five of them begin to walk down the hallway. Mookie throws fistfuls of flowers into the air, and they come raining down around them more than they get spread along the aisle which is still really endearing. Lup giggles a little; then she looks around at the audience standing by their seats.
There's so many faces of people she's gotten to know in the past two years smiling and waving at her. Pretty much everyone in Refuge is here; she sees Ren and Cassidy holding hands with Roswell sitting on Cassidy's shoulder. Paloma and June are right next to them, and June is already crying. Redmond and Luca are on the opposite side of the aisle with a few other people she recognizes from Redmond's farm and around town. Antonia and Rowan are further down the aisle and so are Jess, Graham, and Klaarg. The remaining members of the Bureau of Benevolence are here too including Avi, Brad, Killian, and Carey, and Carey's brother, Scales, his wife, Hathaway, and their baby, Noelle, are here with them too. There's some of Barry's old adventuring friends in the crowd too from when he was trying to look for her, and when she gets closer to the front rows of the aisle, she sees her family. Magnus and Lucretia are on one side of the aisle with Lucas on Lucretia's other side, and on the other side of the aisle is Davenport and Kravitz. Magnus waves at her enthusiastically, and Lucretia brings her hand to her heart with tears in her eyes. Davenport smiles at her with warmth, and Kravitz waves awkwardly with an equally warm smile. Then Lup finally looks up at the altar, and she nearly stumbles over her feet.
Barry looks absolutely amazing. He's wearing a dark blue denim suit with a dark red tie, and he's giving her the softest, sappiest smile she's ever seen. He already has tears streaming down his face which he tries to wipe away subtly, but she can't blame him because she's crying just as much as he is.
They make it to the end of the aisle as the song ends, and Angus moves to stand to the side of Barry while Mavis and Mookie stand to Lup's side of the altar. When she makes it next to Barry, Taako unlinks his arm and gives her a quick hug before nodding at Barry and taking his seat next to Kravitz.
Barry takes her hands as everyone in the audience sits down, and he whispers, “You look so beautiful.”
Lup laughs quietly. “So do you.”
“Thank you, everyone, for coming here today to witness the union of this lovely couple: Lup and Barry Bluejeans,” Merle begins, and the audience claps and cheers. “They've only officially been together for 66 years and gotten married about 20 times already–” The audience laughs, and so do Lup and Barry. “–but I think we can all agree it's best to make sure it's official one more time, just to be sure.” Merle tilts his head to the side. “Actually, I don't think you've gotten married in this plane before, so I guess this would make you both legally married for the first time here in this reality.”
“I doubt anyone would object to us being legally married before now, but go on,” Lup says with a laugh, and that gets a good chuckle out of everyone else too.
Merle smiles. “Sure, but it's good to have it documented. So! Before the start of this ceremony, and really before over a hundred years ago, these two wonderful people's lives had followed their own paths of fate, and by Istus' design, their paths converged and brought them to the moment we are here to witness today. The moment where they vow to make it official: to promise that their paths will remain intertwined, and that they will share the responsibility of their fate, moving forward, with love, toward better and blessed days ahead.”
Barry squeezes Lup's hands gently, and she squeezes back. His eyes are so soft and so full of love, and her heart feels like it's going to burst with the amount of happiness and love she feels for him.
“Would the family of the groom– well, groom and bride–” Merle chuckles a bit. “–would they please stand and come up here to give this union their blessings.”
Lucretia stands up first as Merle walks out from behind the pulpit and to the side of the altar, giving her room to stand at the pulpit. Barry stiffens slightly, and Lup rubs her thumbs over his hands comfortingly. It must have taken a lot for him to ask Lucretia to come because he's still really angry and hurt, but it would have hurt the three of them a lot more if she wasn't here for this.
Lucretia takes a deep breath. “Lup, Barry, when I first met the two of you, you immediately struck me as kind and caring people. While you were both a bit hesitant to bring down your walls, once you did, you only proved to be just as caring, if not more so than I had assumed before. I know how hard it must have been for you to face your fears, Barry, and for you to open up about your past and trust that you'll find compassion and love, Lup, and the fact that you were both able to do it and find a deeper connection between the two of you is beautiful. You both deserve all of the love and happiness this existence has to offer, and I'm so happy for the both of you that you've found that in each other. You've proven time and time again how dedicated you are to each other and how inseparable you are, and I...” She trails off nervously, and Lup and Barry look up at her. She swallows hard and gives them a forced smile that's riddled with guilt. “I can't imagine anything capable of taking you away from each other ever again,” she says quietly.
The energy in the room grows a little uncomfortable, but Lup offers her a brave smile while Barry sighs tiredly. Lucretia clears her throat and says, “Barry, Lup... I give your union my blessing. May your days grow better and brighter and be filled with love and joy.”
“Thank you, Lucy,” Barry says quietly and offers her a small smile.
“Thanks, Luce,” Lup says, and when Lucretia passes her on her way back to her seat, Lup lets go of Barry's hands for a second to grab Lucretia's hand and squeeze it gently in reassurance. Lucretia takes a shaky breath and smiles at her before Lup lets go again to let her take her seat.
Lup takes Barry's hands again as Magnus walks up to the pulpit next. “I would like to preface my blessing with the fact that I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't want to bless your union. You're literally the cliché enamored mad scientist duo, and as everyone knows, nerds attract nerds, so it was inevitable that after working together and being together for so long, you two would fall in love and want to get hitched.”
Lup and Barry laugh, and so does the audience. Magnus smiles wide. “Seriously though, from the moment you both met and started working together, it was obvious how well you worked together and got along. Listening to the two of you talk about your studies over dinner was always fun because even though I didn't know what you were talking about over half the time, the way you built off one another's ideas and how excited you both got talking with each other was really endearing. You had obviously became best friends first before you became lovers which is a foundation that is really important to have in a relationship, and that makes me certain that you will continue to have a loving and healthy relationship moving forward that will fill you both with fulfillment and contentment.”
He pauses for a second. “On our journey together, I worked really hard to protect the both of you, because I love you, and I know how much you love each other. And I know that you will protect each other just as well too, but if you ever need any extra help, you know I'll be there for you.” Magnus' eyes begin to water, and he looks down with a small smile before looking back up at them. “I give you my ax, and I give you my blessing.”
Lup starts sniffling again as she chokes out a, “Thank you, Magnus.”
Barry takes a second to wipe at his eyes and also says, “Thanks, bud.”
Magnus just nods and walks back to his seat, wiping at his eyes.
Davenport walks up to the pulpit next, and he clears his throat. “Lup, Barry, when I picked you both to become a part of the Starblaster mission, I chose you because I believed that, among your skill sets and being at the top of your professions, your personalities and who you are as people would mesh well with each other and with the rest of the team. You're both good people, kindhearted and smart as all hell, and there has never been a moment where I regretted my decision to bring you aboard. Watching you both from the beginning, how you slowly brought each other out of your shells and how your relationship grew together, was a once in a multiple lifetimes opportunity that I'm so grateful I got to witness, and seeing the two of you be happy together often times reminded me of what we had been doing it all for. You've done great things in the past and have overcome so much, and I know only greater and better things are ahead for the two of you. I believe whatever challenges life and undeath throw at you, you will be able to tackle them and overcome them together just as you have done before. You deserve the happiness and love that you've found with each other, and there's nothing I'd love to see more than to see you get married one more time, right here, right now.” Davenport takes a deep breath and smiles warmly at them. “Barry, Lup, I give you and your union my blessing.”
Lup is super glad she didn't put on any makeup for this. She also regrets giving Angus his package of tissues back and for lacking the foresight to bring any of her own.
As Davenport walks down from the pulpit, Barry lets go of her hands to pull him into a hug, and Lup steps closer to hug him too. Davenport laughs quietly and hugs them back for a few seconds before he pulls away to return to his seat.
When Lup and Barry return back to their positions in front of the altar, holding hands again, Merle is back behind the pulpit. “Now, would the family of the bride... and groom, please come up here and give this couple's union his blessing.”
He steps back again as Taako stands up and walks forward. When he gets to the pulpit, he takes a deep breath and looks at Lup, then at Barry, then back to Lup, and then landing back on Barry again. “Well it's going to sound weird now that I'm mostly going to be addressing you, Barold, after these knuckleheads came up and addressed the both of you because none of them grew up with either of you, eh? They're sitting there giving you both to each other, and I'm the only one who gets to approve that one of you is good enough for the other.” Barry laughs, and so does the audience. Lup just giggles a little and looks back up at Taako.
Taako smiles and does an over dramatic sigh. “Gosh, where to start. Barry, I'm going to be completely honest, because all good weddings are a very honest place: when I first met you, I wasn't too impressed by you.” Lup snorts, and Barry rolls his eyes fondly. “You always wore jeans, you were an insufferable nerd, and you were so anxious and polite that pulling pranks on you just got really sad really quickly.”
That garners a chuckle out of the audience, and Barry just shakes his head, still smiling.
“But when the cycles started happening and I got to know you more as you started to relax around everyone, you began to grow on me. You definitely grew on Lup, as evidenced by the fact that we're all standing here today.” Taako pauses for another round of giggling. “But you proved to be a caring and kind individual who was dedicated both toward our goal of stopping the Hunger and, more importantly, to Lup, me, and everyone else. I appreciated that you were able to work well with me and Lup, but the most selling factor for why I liked you was the fact that Lup liked you. A lot. And you made her really happy. You complimented her caring nature and her passion well, and you helped to make her feel wanted and special.” He pauses for a second then wrinkles his nose a little. “You also helped to bring out her thinly veiled nerdiness and encouraged her to become an insufferable nerd too, but at least she taught you how to have fun, so I guess that's a pretty good trade off.”
Lup and Barry laugh, and Barry lets go of her hands for a moment to wipe the tears forming in his eyes.
Taako hesitates, and his face morphs back to one of sincerity and vulnerability. “For a long time, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was waiting for you to suddenly decide you hated us... hated her... and for me to have to kick your ass for hurting her so badly, because she came to trust you much quicker than I did. But that day never came. You always treated her right. I don't think it's even possible for you to not treat anyone with respect and kindness and compassion, but even if you were capable of that, I knew, and still know today, that you would never do her wrong. And for that, I relaxed around you too, and I was able to understand why she liked you so much. Because you did start to feel like home.”
He takes a deep breath that he tries to cover up as being a long, belabored sigh. “And then you nerds had to go and fall in love.” There's a little giggling at that, but Taako talks over it. “And not only did you have to fall in love, but then you had to complain to me about it for–”
Lup rolls her eyes and sniffles a little. “We said we were sor–!”
“–almost thirty gods damned years because neither one of you know how to hold an adult conversation!”
The room erupts into laughter, and Lup and Barry let their hands go again so they can try to catch their breath from laughing and crying so hard.
Once everyone's calmed down again, Taako shakes his head with a smile. “Barry, you make Lup so happy every day, and I know she makes you just as happy. And... I trust you, Barry. And that's not an easy thing for me to do or to say. But I've seen you fight for her and die for her and do everything in your power to keep her safe, make her feel loved, and... well... to find her again.” He says the last part quietly, and Lup's heart aches. “I trust you, Barry, and I know and trust Lup would do all of the same things for you. I've seen her do all of the same things for you. The most important thing I want for the two of you going forward is for you both to be happy and loved, and for that reason...” He takes a deep breath. “I give you both and your union my blessing.”
Taako starts to walk back from the pulpit, but Barry grabs his hand on his way back. He looks up at him, tears in his eyes too, and Barry gives his hand a squeeze. “Thank you, Taako.”
Taako smiles and squeezes back before Barry lets go of him, and he sits back down next to Kravitz and Davenport.
Merle walks up to the pulpit again. “Thank you, everyone. Now, it is my duty to ensure that you understand the commitment you are going to be making to each other and all that marriage entails. In making this commitment to be married to each other, that comes with a few responsibilities. You will be making the commitment to stay with each other, through this life and the next, and through all trials and tribulations. You are vowing to support each other to the best of your abilities, and to uplift each other in times of doubt and despair. To make this agreement work, you will need to be open and honest in your communication, and you'll promise to keep your hearts open to each other and hear each other out without judgment. And finally, you will share equal responsibility for your shared fate. You understand that your actions affect one another, and you will go forth from this day bearing this in mind for every important decision you must make. These responsibilities and the vows you are about to make to each other are the most sacred promises you will ever make and uphold. Knowing this, do you still wish to continue with the ceremony?”
Lup and Barry look at each other, and Barry's eyes are still a little red. Lup's sure hers are just as red to match. But he's looking at her the same way he looked at her when she asked him if he was going to be able to keep it together when they turned into liches: with so much love and assurance. Lup feels so warm, and she squeezes his hands slightly to try to express to him how much she's feeling.
“I do.”
“I do.”
They look up at Merle who nods with a smile. “If anyone objects to this union, please say so now or forever hold your peace.”
Lup holds her breath though she's not entirely sure why. They've done this about twenty times, and no one has ever said anything against them. Why would now be any different?
Sure enough, no one speaks up.
“Alright! Lup, Barry, as your officiant and as your family, I give you and your union my blessing. Barry, if you would like to recite your vows, please do so now.” Merle says.
Barry lets go of Lup's hands as Angus offers him the tray with the unlit candles on it, and he grabs one and holds it to his chest with both of his hands. “Lup, about 27 or 28 years ago, back in cycle 85, I made a promise to you that the next time we came to a world with a following of Istus, we would get married in one of their temples the way we would have gotten married if we had the ceremony back home, because I know how badly you wanted that opportunity and how badly you missed home, and I'm so happy that I'm able to fulfill that promise to you here, in our new home, right now. You've made me the happiest man in all of existence, and you deserve everything I'm able to provide to you and more. There's not a day that goes by that I don't thank Istus and every other deity that exists in every reality for having you in my life. We've lost so much and have gone through so much together, but we've also found a lot too: love, adventure, friends, family, a home. I love you with all of my heart, Lup, and I promise to continue to love you and cherish you for all of eternity. I vow to do my best to protect you, support you, and uplift you as we continue on with our lives together and in undeath. I will stay by your side no matter what the future may bring, and I'll help cover up any future crimes you commit.”
Lup laughs and wipes at her eyes. Gods, he's such a sap.
Barry smiles at her gently, and he holds the candle up in front of him. “As Istus as my witness, I make these promises to you, and I hope you accept.”
Lup takes the candle from him as she says, “As Istus as my witness, I accept.” She brings the candle to her lips and kisses it before setting it down on her side of the altar.
“And Lup, if you would like to recite your vows, please do so now,” Merle says with a nod to her.
“Well, there's not much reciting to be had, because I didn't have time to prepare any,” Lup says with a laugh, and Barry chuckles too as Angus moves forward to offer her her candle. She takes it and holds it up to her chest with both of her hands. “Um... Barry...” She looks away and laughs a little under her breath before she looks back up at him again. “Barry, I– I honestly never thought I would ever meet someone like you. I never thought someone could be so kind and genuine, and that they'd show that kindness and genuity to me. I never thought I'd meet someone who would love me like you do, with wholehearted sincerity, and I feel so very lucky that I get to wake up everyday in your arms– well... most of everyday, today seems to be an exception ironically.”
Barry laughs, and Lup laughs too. “Thank you for everything you've done for me. You've also made me the happiest elf to ever live in both life and undeath, and I fall in love with you a little more every day that I exist. And I promise that I will do my utmost to bring you as much happiness and love as you have brought me and more. I vow to do my best to protect you, support you, and uplift you in everything that you do and experience throughout your life and undeath. I will stay by your side through thick and thin, and...” She looks away for a second, and a lump starts to build in her throat. She takes a deep breath and looks back up at him. “I promise that I'll be more open in communication, and that I'm not going anywhere ever again.” she says quietly. “Never again.”
Barry's eyes well up even more, and Lup's hands shake as she holds her candle out in front of her. “As Istus as my witness, I make these promises to you, and I hope you accept.”
Barry wipes at his eyes with a shaking hand before he reaches out to take the candle from her. “As Istus as my witness, I accept.” He brings the candle to his lips and kisses it before setting it down on his side of the altar as well.
“Okay! Mavis, will you please present the rings?” Merle says, looking down at his daughter kindly.
Mavis opens the box and holds it out to Lup. Inside, there's two light purple rings, the same color purple as the sky in their home world when it got to be around sunset, and they both have little golden suns set onto them. Lup smiles softly as she takes one of them out.
“Barry, do you take Lup to be your lawfully wedded wife?”
Lup looks up at Barry who nods at her with a warm smile. “I do.” He holds out his hand, and she slides the ring on his finger, on top of his worn golden band that served as his wedding ring for years before now.
Mavis walks over to Barry, and Barry takes the other ring.
“Lup, do you take Barry Bluejeans to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
“I do.” Lup gives him her hand, and he slides the ring on her finger too.
“And Lady Istus, Goddess of Fate, do you bless this union to be part of your design?” Merle asks.
Everyone turns to look at the candles on the altar, and Lup holds her breath.
Then the candles light themselves.
The audience cheers, and Lup laughs tearily as she looks back at Barry who's looking at her with as much happiness and excitement that she's feeling. “I now pronounce you husband and wife! Barry, you may kiss the–”
Before Merle finishes his sentence, Lup swoops Barry up into a hug, and they crash their lips together, and it's the most electrifying and loving kiss Lup has ever shared.
After a few moments, they break apart and lean their foreheads against each other, breathing heavily with their arms still wrapped around each other. Distantly, Lup recognizes that Merle has gone on to lead everyone in a prayer to Istus, but she can't concentrate on that anymore. Barry's here and in her arms, and they're married again, this time with Istus' blessing, and Lup is riding a high she hasn't felt in a long time.
Barry brings his hands up to cup her face as he says, “I love you so much, Lup.”
Lup laughs and cups his face too. “And I love you, Care Bar.”
Suddenly, the record player starts again, and this time it's playing I Lived by Fantasy OneRepublic. Lup and Barry laugh and take a step back away from each other as everyone rises to their feet. Then together, they run back down the aisle, out into the afternoon sun, hand in hand.
-
-
After the ceremony, everyone got seated at the tables outside and had their fill of the delicious foods and pastries Taako, Ren, and Paloma spent so long making, and Lup and Barry laughed as they cut the wedding cake together before setting the knife aside again and kissing. Everyone got a slice of the cake, and it was the best wedding cake anyone had ever had. Then Hathaway brought out bottles of Redcheek Cider, and Lup and Barry popped the cork on one in celebration before everyone got their fill. Scales started gearing up to play some music out by the dance floor, but Barry had put a hand on his shoulder and told him to wait until after the first song which he's going to play on the record player which he brought outside.
And that's where Lup finds herself now, outside and on the dance floor, standing next to Barry by the record player. Barry waves Taako over to start the music once he and Lup get in position to dance. He takes her by the hand and leads her to the center of the designated dance area, and they put their hands in position to get ready to waltz.
“I thought we would have had our instruments, so we could play our song as the first song,” Lup says with a smile. She can't hide that she's slightly disappointed though.
Barry chuckles. “That would mean we wouldn't be able to dance to it though. I would have brought your music box, so we could dance to that, but it wouldn't have been loud enough to carry the sound for everyone to hear. So instead, I recorded it on a record.”
Lup gasps as their song starts to play, and Barry leads her around the hill. He holds her out at the swell of the violin and then brings her back in as they continue to move across the dance floor. Then he spins her at the end of the second phrase, and the sun catches the beads on her dress, making her glow in flame like radiance. She smiles as she clasps hands with him again. They move faster around and around the dance floor, in step with the music until they reach the point it slows again, and they hold each other out before Lup spins inward back toward him. They waltz some more, and when the music picks up tempo again, Lup spins Barry before they blaze their way through the dance floor together. As the music slows again as it reaches the end of the song, Barry twirls her slowly one more time, and when he brings her in at the end of the song, he leans over and dips her. As he does, she leans upward a little to meet him in another kiss. The crowd around them applauds, and a few moments later, Scales starts playing his lute.
Barry helps her back up as more people join them on the dance floor, and Lup says, “You really thought of everything, didn't you?”
Barry chuckles slightly. “Helps when we've done this twenty or so times already, and we were still somewhat planning for the next one before everything.”
Lup laughs. “That's true.” She takes a beat before she says, “Thank you for this. Really. I think this is my favorite wedding out of all of the ones we've had.”
Barry smiles and kisses her on the forehead. “I think so too. I really wanted to have a wedding here like we would have had at home too, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity of surprising you with it. I'm really happy with how it turned out and that you're happy too.”
Lup pulls him in for a hug, and she rests her chin on his head as he tucks his head underneath her chin. Lup closes her eyes as they sway in time with the music. Then she feels a tug on her dress, and she and Barry pull apart a little to look down. Mookie is the one pulling on her dress excitedly, and he says, “Aunt Lup! Uncle Barry! Scales said he's going to play Asmodeus Went Down to Phandalin! You gotta come dance with me!”
Lup laughs as Mookie lets go of her dress and the music picks up speed. “Alright, little rascal, let's dance!” Mookie grabs her hand as she grabs Barry's hand, and they let Mookie pull them toward Merle, Mavis, and the rest of their family, laughing all the while.
-
-
Night has fallen, and everyone is still dancing and hanging out under the canopy of the stars. Lup is standing by herself by the water cooler, watching her husband talk animatedly with Angus and June with a soft smile. Her feet are killing her, but today was so worth it.
“Hey, Lup! How's it going?”
Lup looks to her left and down a little, and she sees Davenport is the one who's made his way over to her. She smiles at him and says, “Really great! I'm just taking a little break from being around everyone.”
Davenport nods and looks back out at the dance floor. “Same here.” He pauses for a second before he says, “I did want to talk to you about something now that I have you sort of alone.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” A small smirk forms on his face. “Now, I don't want to be that family member, but you and Barry have gone on for so long without having to deal with something like this, so I feel like it's in my duty to embody that archetype.”
Lup laughs. “Uh oh. Now you have me worried.”
Davenport laughs a little but keeps his eyes dutifully on the dance floor, nonchalantly. “Yeah, I was just wondering... are you two going to give me any grandchildren any time soon?”
Lup throws her head back and laughs, and Davenport laughs too. “Dav!”
“I'm just curious! You and Barry might live forever, but I certainly won't!”
“You still have like, a good couple of centuries left in you!”
“And at the rate you guys take things, I'll be on my death bed before you decide whether or not you actually want kids!”
Lup is laughing so hard now that tears start forming in her eyes. She doubles over, and it takes her a little while to calm down enough to be able to say, “Rude, but that's fair.”
She takes a few deep breaths, and Davenport gives her a side hug. When she's fully caught her breath, she hugs him back, and she says, “Since you're bringing it up, we actually have thought about having kids before. We just wanted to wait for everything to settle down and for us to get used to our new jobs before deciding when we would be ready to be parents if that's what we really want to do.”
“That's really smart. It's definitely not something you should rush into... as much as I'd like to be able to see them in my lifetime.” Davenport says with a wry smile.
Lup bites back another bout of giggles and shakes her head. “We'll have an answer for you within this century, how about that?”
Davenport laughs. “I'll take it!” He turns to give her a full hug, and she hugs him back. “No matter what you guys decide to do at whatever pace you decide to do it in, I know it will be the right decision for you, and you'll be amazing,” he says quietly.
Lup smiles softly. “Thanks, Dad'n'port.”
“Lup! Davenport!”
They pull apart and turn to see Barry skidding to a halt next to them. “Leon arrived with a camera!”
Lup laughs. “You managed to convince Leon to show up? I thought he hated me and Taako!”
Barry laughs. “Lucretia managed to convince him to at least just drop off the camera with the promise that we wouldn't damage it or steal it. So that means family photo! In front of the temple! Come on!”
Lup and Davenport look at each other, beaming. “Hell yes, let's do it!” Lup says, and all three of them run to the steps to the temple.
Taako, Kravitz, Magnus, Lucretia, Merle, Mookie, Mavis, and Angus are all already there. Killian is holding the camera and motioning for everyone to get into position as everyone is shuffling around on the steps.
“Barry! Lup! Come up here; you're in the center!” Magnus calls out, and Lup and Barry laugh as he grabs their arms and drags them up onto the steps.
“Have Merle, Davenport, and the kids in front!” Killian says. “Er, Angus, if you could be on one of the ends of the front row, 'cause you're a little taller– yeah, stay right there!”
“Make room for ja' boy!” Taako pushes his way next to Lup and puts an arm around her and Kravitz who sidles up next to him.
“I'm next to Barry! Come on, Lucy!” Magnus grabs Lucretia's arm and pulls her along side him, and she smiles and puts an arm around him. Magnus also puts bunny ears on Barry who doesn't notice, and Lup snorts but doesn't draw attention to it.
“Alright! Everybody, on the count of three say, 'family!'” Killian says. “One! Two! Three!”
