Welcome to Gaia! ::

Even amongst the blessedly welcoming excitement, Celadonite was right — not only did it take them far too long to reach this point, but this little ceremony went completely unplanned and unheeding of their guests' needs. However, Faustite was perpetually broke; if they wanted to feed anyone, Waru was the one who would have to foot the bill. Waru, who was even worse at foresight than he was.

Waru looked good in a crowd, he realized, as he backed away enough to let that bonded little runt of a cat in to weave around his legs. The cat was the only one to be considered formally bonded, but Faustite thought Albite bonded well with all of them. He respected Mizuki's murder tendencies, brought Cryolite in, hooked up with Jada, and took Cela's ribbings without complaint. He never objected to Lilith's guidance, and got on well with Alkmene. He didn't need to ask for more.

"It's an impulse," Faustite clarified. "Better done now than wait too long. Make it worth your while, though.

"Tell you a story. Met this one after my first youma was dusted. Felt like I was skinned alive, in a magical sense. Thought he was stupid to take up the request to help me drain energy. Knew he was stupid when he offered up his starseed on an asinine bet.

"Albite's pissed me off more times than anyone alive. He's also the first to treat me with respect — without pretending my youma side doesn't exist."

His attention shifted from the group to the boy. "Now look at you. Been through the Rift, fought under the gaze of Sovereigns, clawed your way to Eternal. Earned your place on the team time and again. Supported everyone where I could not. Got to know me, which is itself a daunting feat.

"So you will have my support, my care, my trust, my love. But not until death, for it's a kind impermanence. I'll stay with you until there are no lifetimes left to live —here or among the stars. Until the stars themselves die.

"Take this ring, and in accepting it, receive all I offered." Or, he thought, reject it and I'll throw you into the Hall of Shadows.

Had he ever been speechless before? Maybe not since he was toddling n too young to make more than babbling sounds n wail into the night, but even then — Albite couldn’t remember ever feeling so quiet. Inside n out, in ways that initially felt like ill gotten peace. Sept it was hard won n worked for. By him, by his team. By Faustite. The moment was earned. He just had to keep telling himself he was worth it — that they both were.

So for once? Albite enjoyed the quiet, shifted on his heels with excitement through it; unable to keep completely still against all the swelling happiness in his heart. For once lacking in words that weren’t simple smiles and chuffed laughs as his husband's retelling of their initial meeting went on. It was a good one. An alternative perspective to his own messy, rose slit view of every interaction he’d ever had with his boy.

It put all the ways he hadn’t been paying attention to the fact that he’d been being paid attention to in brilliant spotlight.

It was beautiful.

Albite had to steal a pause of breath to snatch Tama’s soppy yet stunning flowers up with abandon, pressing an affectionate kiss to the top of the feline become humans head. He thought they were beautiful, thought their whole team was beautiful. That everyone they cared for were there, speaking generous, encouraging words—

One more thing he’d needed without knowing.

Cause death was always waiting with an open maw: six months ago, last night. Hell, the next time some uppity space-monster with a laser cannon and fire breathing pet touched down planetside. Ends existed like a constantly looming shroud. Better then, to not count it in their affairs; not when Senshi rebounded like rubber balls and true youma wandered the rift for untold ages; entire races of beings that’d made lifespans and their ends into wonky ******** up things that Waru couldn’t possibly keep track of.

Especially when it sounded like Faustite was promising him forever — an eternity ad infinitum — something that died with the stars and not just their own short life times.

“Course I will,” and the ring was taken between fingers laced with flower-water; it slid on with ease, “My love for you, my devotion to our team,” to say it was an automatic given would’ve undercut the value Albite held for them all, for Faustite especially. “It’s ******** well deserved at this point. Cause despite all appearances? M’not some cheap b***h who comes easy. You’ve earned ‘me’ firebrand; with every bit of patience you’ve shown, the way you’re so willing to hear me out — even if all I go on about is a lot of nothing —- heh, how you give me the scant few hours you have unconditionally.”

And he would’ve sworn he wasn’t still crying, even if he totally was, even if he had to stop long enough to smear more dead void creature across the bridge of his nose n under an eye like the messiest sort of cheap mascara.

“You’ve challenged me in the ways I needed most to become who I am, and I can’t imagine living another lifetime without that. I need you beside me the same way I need every single one of your smiles, n to poke at all that heat you’d rather spare me from touching — until I have every inch of your heart; or until heat death n entropy n— idunno— black holes? Heh, though honestly I’ll probably find ways to chase you down beyond that, because you’re mine —- no amount of impulsive desire, or span of time will change that.”

Even if Faustite burnt the ring to cinders n chucked it into the deepest pit in space — Albites love was forever. A promise, a threat, a need to keep that lived in the magic that ran through his core self.

“So you’re going to take my ring, n then we’re gonna kiss n get these good people so ******** wasted that only Fulgurite will be able to teleport them all home….Sorry Fulg's, but I know you’re the responsible one!”


For all that he'd berated Albite for getting weepy over his own vow's, he couldn't help but find himself misty eyed too. Watching the scene unfold with all the sweetness of a bakery on fire -- ten thousand threads of cotton-candy caught in a blazing storm. It was lovely as it was chaotic, it had an ichor-dark edge tempered nicely by Albites endless joy, by the heat of Faustites dead as knives sincerity.

He hiccoughed some rough applause and grateful sound, and buried the small seed of jealousy in him, knowing he didn't carry that same desire so easily on his own. He couldn't just get married on a whim, that was insane, wasn't it? He couldn't just marry Waru---that one belonged to the world, worshiped a fire, would go out in the same blaze he spoke so reverently of. Those things weren't for Syrus, not in ways he'd ever allow, so he applauded politely, and laughed for Fulgurites plight -- the way that poor man caught no pause or respite -- ever a responsible target put in charge of taking charge.

Cryolite was suddenly glad to just be a basic, he'd rather tell stories and tease Tama and get roaringly drunk tonight; bask in his friends loveliness, applaud the perfect, dangerous union of it all.

"Congratulations Waru, and Faustite -- you deserve one another." the most honest words he'd ever spoken without having what was needed to make a proper toast of it all, but the goods seemed to be soon coming. He hoped to hide the puffiness he wanted rubbed away beneath a deep red wine and whatever remained on his uniform of those horrid void creatures..

It was sweet, in a way.

In a way, because he still hadn't asked to be here. In a way, because he imagined the relationship between the two of them was sweet and genuine and actually full of love but also complicated by the fact that they were both dipped in chaos as much as everyone else was. Anyway, because he was missing some of the context of how they met, and how they got together, and the fact that he was looking at he was pretty sure what had been the subordinate and the boss...

Though he supposed that hadn't been true for a while now, and it wasn't like they were in an office where that s**t was actually supposed to matter (not that he knew, he never worked in an office). More like a tight knit community, like on a pirate ship, where the stuff just kind of happened...

He wasn't sure he was terribly surprised, in the end, by their vows.

And he wasn't sure, either, what he wanted romantically. Was this supposed to surface mirroring thoughts in him? He was happy for them, to a degree, because they were still the reason why he was stuck, but the unhappiness wallowed inside his heart as he pondered what this meant for his own emotions, his own psyche--

Wait.

Was Albite making him be the designated teleporter?

Fulgurite's brows rose to his hairline. "Responsible?" He was terribly dismissive. "I just can't be bothered half the time."

Now that, was the truth.

"Oh, by the way, Albite, see me once the party starts. I have a seed packet for you." A wedding gift, he guessed. He was going to give it to him anyway, which maybe did make him the responsible one... That was something to consider...

Cute of him to state he wasn't some cheap b***h who came easy. Faustite had a mountain of evidence otherwise, but he kept to a knowing smile as Albite wound on. It felt both strange and hysterical in its own right to listen to Albite, and to hear sentences with meaning come one after the other. Had he practiced these vows? Had he been ready since the day he proposed? No, couldn't be so — Albite didn't plan ahead.

Perhaps he made the extra effort, then, to sound coherent and stay on topic. That was itself endearing, and Faustite was eminently pleased by it. Flame-wreathed eyes smoldered on pleasantly, lingering on Albite's expression for the rest of it.

To know he'd be so readily chased about was itself a comfort — knowing that, if he was taken hostage again, or if he left for the Rift again, there would be someone ever lookin out for him. Albite, for better or for worse, would drag others along on a search, would dog Jadarite into taking him down into the Rift. He'd motor-mouth at any knight or senshi, wear them down into letting him check their worlds. He wouldn't stop at rampant fire, nor raging storms. He wouldn't stop at his own death. Truly, Albite was a most wonderful boy, and a catalyst for so much change that Faustite could not have ever imagined his life panning out this way.

His response to Albite's declaration was a reserved chuckle, and he accepted the ring as easily as he accepted the impending libations. "Fine. Get blackout drunk and forget this day, and I'll set you on fire." warm promise to accompany one of many swelteringly hot kisses to come.

Though that kiss broke into a rasping, ambushed laugh as soon as he heard Celadonite speak up. He doubled over with it, eyebrows arched in surprised mirth. The audacity of the name got him each and every time, whether it was the Rift or his own damn wedding. "That ******** word —" He gasped out between fits of laughter.

Which, he knew, cut a terrible figure in front of the team. Wasn't respectable at all. But the Negaverse, for him, wasn't the professional position that most of the human agents considered it; he was alive because of the Negaverse, the Negaverse was half of his being, and he would never divest himself from the Negaverse the way that Albite or Alkmene or Fulgurite could simply hang up their outfits for the day. On days like this, both his life and the Negaverse had to coexist.

When he'd recovered, when he'd wiped the tears from his eyes, a hand pressed to his chest for how sorely he'd laughed over it, Celadonite had seen himself out. Sad that he had to depart so quickly, but they would have time to summon him back later that night.

"Fulgurite," he called once he was sure he could breathe again, "find someone else to do it and you're off the hook." As a Super, he should learn how to delegate appropriately. Best to give him the chance now, since he admitted so boldly to his own lack of care.

But the real treasure was watching Albite thank Tama, and Tama turn into a ******** beet over it. That, too, earned a smile. Better yet, he had an assurance that he had something on the cat, now. "You lied, once. Said you slept with a human. Be nice to him; he might be your chance to make that true."

He turned to the others that were gracious enough to answer a summons on such short notice. "Relax a while. Celadonite will return shortly; drink as much as you like.

"And take the week off. Consider that my thanks to all of you. Wouldn't have come this far without you."