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 Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 7:22 pm
[ OOC: More like, this is only very barely taken from the Buddhist ceremony; I Lunaria-ized it almost completely, but I took inspiration. C: ]
Jianyu caught Sara's wave, and he returned it with a small incline of his own head; his face, while calm, betrayed no emotions other than a mild-mannered pleasantness, but the only eye visible sparked with mischief, happiness, and joy.
A flash of red hair made him turn his head just the slightest to the side - a flash of very familiar, very long-gone red hair...
...Sakngea..?
There he was, sitting in the very front row, looking up at Jianyu - and he was smiling. Jianyu had never seen that sort of gentleness in the other man's expression before, at least not when it came to anyone other than Xiu. But he was glad, warmly pleased, and Jianyu tilted his head just a small amount to show his gratitude towards the other man.
He was, however, quite easily distracted by the procession of Yue and her mothers as they made their way into the main room of the temple, Yue's feet making no noise as she padded softly across the marble floor towards them. Standing with his back to her, facing the table as the ceremony dictated, Jianyu waited until she was right beside him, and then he slid his eyes towards her, taking in her beautiful, bright presence like a ray of sunshine he had caught in his hands.
It was finally here - they were finally being married.
"If you will all now quiet," said the priest with a smile. His distinguished silver hair was neat and tidy, pulled back into a simple ponytail at the base of his skull, and for his age he was remarkably spry and limber, a man by the name of Eon.
"Ladies and Gentleman of Lunaria," the priest went on. "We have gathered here today to celebrate the union of two people who wish to spend their lives together, and we commemorate that and give them our blessings. Jianyu and Yue have told me that they wish to express their enormous gratitude and appreciation to you for attending the ceremony that will tie them together."
There was a pause as the priest ducked down, pouring what seemed to be a sort of tea in the two tiny, shallow bowls. Then he straightened and handed one to each Yue and Jianyu, indicating for them to turn so that they faced each other.
"A drink of the tea which brings us peace, so that you will always remember what you have learned."
Jianyu lifted the saucer to his lips, though his eyes had locked with Yue's, unmoving as he tilted the bowl and drank the swallow of tea, setting the empty dish down on the table as he did finished. The priest waited for Yue to do the same, then filled the two saucers again.
"A drink offered to your loved one, so that you will always understand the need to support one another."
Lifting the bowl in his hands, Jianyu tilted the tea gently into Yue's mouth, allowing her to drink on her own, and she did the same to him.
The priest was smiling. "And now, to show our respect, a breath of smoke, to remind us of the ones that have passed on and to hold on dear to what is important to us."
The sticks of incense were raised, lit, and then twisted in the air, letting the smoke dwindle and curl before they were set neatly back into the bowl.
It was now the last part of the ceremony. Jianyu turned back to face Yue, his smile reserved only for her.
"Lean forward," Instructed the priest, and Jianyu took Yue's hands in his, both of them bending towards each other. The priest took a lock of Jianyu's hair and pulled it towards a lock of Yue's hair, which he then twisted together. With a snip he cut off the braided locks and tucked them into a small pouch, stringing it around Yue's neck.
"To remember that you and he are now bound together for all of the eternities," Eon said, a gentle smile on his lined face. "Marriage is a sacred thing that should not be taken lightly. You have already each agreed to take the other's hand in marriage, and you have now promised to take care of each other; you will guide, protect, support, and love one another to the end of time."
The priest gestured for the rings. Sara had them, looking slightly panicked, but Jianyu slipped the rings from her fingers and squeezed her hand warmly. He turned back to Yue, giving her the one meant for him and slipped the ring onto Yue's left hand, leaving his over hers so that she could return the gesture.
The priest gave a low bow of his head. "By Lunaria's grace, you are now wed as husband and wife."
There was no "you may now kiss the bride," but Jianyu had already taken a step forward and pressed his smiling lips to Yue's as an explosion of happiness, cheers, shouts, and yells erupted in his ears, which heard nothing except the own beating of his heart and the soft, happy breaths of his wife.
[ OOC: This ORP is not quite over yet! There is the festival following, and there will be games and prizes, so stay tuned; but don't worry, it won't drag on. C: ]
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2011 8:41 pm
Kiran responded with a laugh of his own as he was nudged in the ribs. If they could make joking exchanges, that would help to relax in a setting like this. He wasn't used to such formal ceremony, having never attended something as grand as a wedding. Before Takeo came to take a seat beside him, Kiran was already starting to feel a little rigid sitting among all the other quiet guests waiting for the start of the ceremony.
When the mood soured somewhat, he blinked at Takeo's tone. "Ah, I didn't mean any offense," Kiran said hurriedly, trying to smooth over any wrinkly he might have made. It was just like him to put his foot in his mouth without even meaning to. "I only meant that, well, I've never really looked at anyone in that way." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling somewhat like a rambling fool. But he felt like he might have said something rude without realizing it and wanted to clear up any misunderstanding.
Kiran grinned at him. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Takeo."
"Oh?" Kiran tried to imagine something more fantastical than their current setting, but it was difficult to compare it to something that he hadn't seen. "Perhaps you'll have to take me out there sometime." He wouldn't mind taking a trip away from the city. If Takeo had meant his comment in any other way, it slipped past Kiran's notice.
As the ceremony commenced, he watched quietly, his mouth shut tight against any whispered comments that might disrupt the wedding. A rush of happiness for the couple ran through him as the wedding ended. Kiran applauded right along with everyone else as Jianyu and Yue shared their first kiss as a married couple.
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 4:06 am
Tu Shi remained quiet until the bride made her way inside. Shi sucked in a breath. Yue was the brides name if she wasn't mistaken. Auntie Yasu had only mentioned it too many times for her to count. But as Yue walked to her awaiting fiance, even the two gossipers that had come with her were quiet. Apparently the bride really was that beautiful. Only something really great could silence her Auntie and Xiang.
Shi watched with extreme interest as the ceremony commenced. Having grown up in Goshin village and then staying mostly at the Lin estate, she didn't really have the chance to see such an elaborate wedding. So this was quite fascinating to her. Apparently it was also fascinating to her Auntie and Xiang too because they immediately started to whisper behind their hands. A frown marred her calm face and she snapped at them under her breath, "Will you two shut up and be more respectful." Shi was extremely disappointed that they would be so disruptive. Grandfather would not be happy with their behavior if he were here.
After the ceremony was over and the bride and groom kissed, Shi politely clapped. Shi didn't know them, so she didn't quite feel like cheering as the others were. Was it over or was more to come? Shi didn't know for sure. Xiang giggled next to her at the sight of the newlywed couple kissing. That made her smile. Maybe one day Xiang could find a great lunarian to marry, after all, she would never be part of the war. As she waited, she once again tugged at the collar of her fuschia choengsam.
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2011 4:29 pm
Nivritti was about to continue the conversation with Kiran and the other boy that seemed to be a new friend of his, but the ceremony had officially started. She sat back and watched it. It was rather touching, even for her. Not to say she was cold hearted, but she kept everyone had a distance.
Crossing her legs she leaned back and listened to the priest. It was also rather interesting to experience. Her eyes focused forward and then before she knew it it was over. The groom had stepped forward and kissed Yue. She give a smile, and clapped with all the others.
When the others got up she joined them, and the air had lost its heavy feeling and lightened into pure joy. These lunarians were rather liked and popular with the others. Nobles and Legions.
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Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2011 8:05 pm
At first, it is the bright red lanterns that draw the eye: Main street is decked out in strings of beautiful lanterns, and as the sun sets, their lit glow becomes even more evident. Then there are the garlands of flowers, which are less conspicuous, but give off a sweet scent. It's almost dizzying. The street is full of wedding guests, though a couple stand out: the bride and groom, newly wed, are still the center of the party. Yue Lao opened a bottle of wine and laughed as it fizzed over the edges. During the process of fermentation, this particular kind of wine began to carbonate, and so it was fizzy when Yue opened it. Apart from that peculiar drink, which tasted of guava, there were bottles of rice wine and more exotic grape wines which Yue's othermother had brewed. And her mothers sat, beaming, behind the table; occasionally, Yowai pressed her forehead against Chishio's cheek, smiling. They had waited a long time to make their relationship evident.
Which, perhaps, mirrored their daughter. In any case, they were serving alcoholic beverages while nonalcoholic ones were pushed to the side on another table. Available, yes; advertised, no. Yue Lao had expressed a desire that all her guests be particularly merry. She leaned her head on Jianyu's shoulder, looking at the games.
There were a few games set up along Main Street, some which offered prizes. Amongst the games was one which had a small basin with goldfish. Players were given a thin paper net, and told that if they could scoop up the fish, they could take it home. Further down the street, there was a rather inconspicuous game next to a red tapestry with embroidery. Esentially, two players could allow themselves to be tied together with red thread. The goal was to untangle themselves. If the threads became knotted together at the end, once they had extracted themselves, it was a sign that they were meant to be together. There might even be a prize attached to that game.
The furthest away, as it needed the most room, was some cage made of thin bamboo, a dome-shape with light netting around the edges. Inside, someone had filled it with bushes, and transported a single tree to the enclosure. From a distance, it was merely seemed to be a lit garden created on the spot. Once one was able to get closer, however, it would become evident that the enclosure was filled with bright butterflies. Their wings seemed to glow, a soft light which was faintly yellow in colour. This game meant employing poise, tenderness and speed in order to catch the creatures without harming them. Perhaps there was a prize for this game, as well.
Apart from the games, there was food being offered, both from independent vendors selling more complex dishes, and a few dishes offered by the families of the groom and bride themselves.
Yue Lao raised Jianyu's palm to her mouth, kissed it, and looked up at him, her eyes hazy. "Looks like this is the start of our wedding night, Fierce Warrior," she said, leaning herself closer. She hoped that Sara, Sakn, Kiran, Van... everyone she loved would be nearby.
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