shenevermisses | 19th Throw

Okay.

[She's decided that saying it to the village at large is a better idea than writing it. This way, she can't change her mind a hundred times then put it off and either not do it or totally rush it.]

I... don't know the customs around here, so I'm just going to announce it.

For anyone hearing this who doesn't know me-- my name's Clove.

Um. In a little while. On the twenty-third of October, actually. Cato and I are getting married.

I don't know how weddings work here or where you're all from. I know things can be pretty different. Where we're from -- District Two of Panem -- the wedding itself is a pretty quiet thing. Little ceremony, short vows. That being said, we do need someone to officiate. I don't know who that would be, here. If someone could help with that... I'd appreciate it. A lot. I know someone mentioned it a little while ago. So, yeah. That'd really help.

After the ceremony, we have a meal. Where I'm from, it's a big thing, but it's casual. We'll have lots of food and anyone who wants to come is invited. If you know us, if you don't, whatever. Everyone is welcome. Come, eat, mingle. Really, it's as simple as that.

So. Yeah. Thank you for your time.

[And for the opportunity to make this announcement.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Certainly. How about late morning?

I'll be there.

Thanks.

I'll see you then.

[And sure enough, Konan will have tea and biscuits ready for Clove's arrival.]

[Clove arrives promptly, knocking at the door in the morning. She can't help but be a little nervous. This, after all, is the important part of the wedding. The dinner and any decorations they have are secondary, even if she's here to see the origami. What really matters to her is that Konan agreed to perform the ceremony.]

[There's a little 'mew' noise immediately after the knock to the door, and a couple of seconds later, Konan opens the door.

A small fluffy white cat looks up from the couch, sniffing at the air, but otherwise fairly unconcerned by there being a visitor. There are a few very elaborate origami pieces on display on shelves, and a couple of strategy games like chess and go. If not for those things and the presence of the cat, the apartment wouldn't look lived in.]

Good morning, Clove. Please, come in.

[She steps aside so that Clove can walk into the apartment without having to squeeze past.]

Good morning. Thank you, again.

[Konan, especially, deserves the thanks. Clove isn't keen on those words, but she offered the one thing Clove couldn't do without: someone to officiate.]

How're you?

[They'd all had their trouble, after all, over the last few weeks. Enough has happened, certainly...]

Well enough, thank you. An old friend from home is here now, which is nice. He lives next door, although he's not home presently.

[She doesn't mention that Nagato was her husband in those false memories. All of those were false. Including those of being a high school art teacher, just recently beginning her maternity leave.]

Please make yourself comfortable.

[She disappears into the other room briefly, returning with a small tray of biscuits.]

Thanks.

[Clove finds a seat, looking around as she does so.

Her own false memories... a mix of good and bad. Growing up with parents, a boyfriend she was going to marry, a sister. They were bad, mostly, for their loss now.]

You're really helping us out.

It's my pleasure.

[She sets down the biscuits on a small table in front of Clove, retrieves an origami swan and an origami rose and takes a seat nearby.]

These are two examples of the sorts of things that can be made with origami. I thought I would show you before we got to talking about the ceremony.

Incredible.

[Clove picks up both the pieces in turn, gingerly turning them over to examine every angle.]

We don't have anything like this where I'm from.

When I was a child living in the streets, I made them from discarded wrappers.

[Konan smiles fondly at that. She'd even given one as thanks to the man who became her teacher for a time.]

So if you have any ideas of what sorts of things you would like for wedding decorations, you have an idea of what I could make now.

The flower kind are really pretty. [And she can remember what feels like a very long time ago and seeing them for the first time.] And I don't think there are a lot of flowers in bloom in October.

Not unless you live in a very warm climate. Then they bloom year round.

[She motions to the biscuits.]

Please help yourself. We can discuss the ceremony next. I'll tell you what's typically done in my world, and you can tell me what you would like to add or change.

Thank you.

[Clove takes one and begins to eat.]

I don't think this area has that sort of climate. It got pretty cold last October.

No...so the paper flowers might be a good choice for your decorations.

[She pauses.]

I'll tell you some basic information about the wedding ceremonies I have officiated.

[Clove can decide what she wants to keep and what she wants to change from there.]

The ceremony begins with the groom waiting for the bride. If they are available, the bride's parents are involved, if not, one close male relative and one close female relative take over their roles. The mother will lower the bride's veil, and the father will escort the bridge up the aisle. The officiant announces the names of the soon to be wed couple, and then the groom lifts the bride's veil so that the two can exchange nuptial cups of sake.

[And then there's the vows themselves. She suspects the vows might suit Clove and Cato for the most part.]

Marital vows in my country typically involve a promise to face whatever obstacles come the couple's way together, to fight side by side, and to be each other's shelter and support in hard times.

That sounds pretty similar to ours except the vows. But I like those better.

[Clove looks at a biscuit, thinking. She hasn't been to many weddings, but she knows them well enough.]

The bride's escorted to her future husband by her father, veiled. The vows are said -- in District Two, we promise our love and loyalty to each other, second only to our duty to Panem -- then the veil's lifted, there's a kiss.

But I think here [and for them] the vows you mentioned are better.

[Konan listens while quietly chewing on a biscuit. There are some similarities between wedding ceremonies in their worlds, but some differences (as one might expect) as well.]

The bride and groom typically exchange nuptial cups of sake - a kind of rice wine, in my world's wedding ceremonies. The cups are rather small, and typically the couple drinks from them before kissing, to celebrate their future together.

[She doesn't know if Clove would be interested in that, but it's worth mentioning.]

I'll mention that to Cato. [After all, things like that and substituting the vows are things she needs to ask him about. The entire point of the ceremony is uniting them. That means they have to be a team.] I know he'll like the vows, and I'll see about the... sake? you called it?

Yes. You could always substitute the sake for another type of wine or champagne, though.

[It makes perfect sense to Konan. It's the couple's special day, and it's important that the ceremony be right for both of them.]

Let me know what the two of you decide.

We don't have anything like that where we're from. I think Cato'll like the idea.

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