Lifting the Mood, Year 121

VT says: OK, OK, remembering to take screenshots took a back seat to playing and this update takes place about two years after the last story post. The next updates will start nine months or so after this one. But it is an update.

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Year 121, mid-spring

Casey zan-Ellen is 69; Li Yoo is 60; Natabu zan-Ellen is 5

Whoops - I haven't introduced Natabu yet, have I? She is Casey's recently orphaned granddaughter, sent to live with him after her parents' death because I felt mean not bringing any of his family along to new KS.

Casey's wig was itching again. He'd had to wear one today, because his ceremonial headgear wouldn't stay put on a hairless head. At least it hadn't taken as long to put together as Li's hairstyle. And nerves did distract him from it somewhat.

Everyone had gathered at Grandmother Grove already by the time he'd arrived with Li and Natabu. The atmosphere in the small clearing was buzzing - which was to be expected, really. It wasn't the first wedding in the settlement, but it was the first that hadn't been hastily thrown together while older relatives waved spears around.

Back in the old village, it probably would never have happened. They'd always been more like friends with benefits, and that was for twenty years. The move had brought them closer together, to the point that they were willing to discuss it, and everyone did need a celebration right about now.

Li and Casey were soon surrounded by neighbours offering congratulations.

Some of them (Hestrie zan-Avira...) had clearly been at the nectar already. Casey wasn't prepared to dance just yet.

Zareb even got caught sneaking a bit of it just before the ceremony started,

which was a little worrying considering that he was the one who Casey would be mock-duelling with to kick it off.

Fortunately, he didn't go too wild with the wooden sword. (Casey's own son had nearly poked his sparring partner's eye out at his wedding, seventeen years earlier.)

Zareb conceded defeat surprisingly fast for a werewolf, but he did happen to be looking at the wedding feast a lot during the "fight".

So, it moved on quickly after that. Zareb was a demon when he was hungry.

For the second part of the ceremony, Li tossed a little shell into the small spring and made the three wishes for love, luck and prosperity.

Casey did the same, and the couple moved over to the wedding pavilion to recite their vows.

After which Zareb quickly led the charge to the tables full of food

and everyone let their hair down and started joking, dancing and passing around cups of nectar.

Even Markal, who had lost his wife a couple of months ago, was smiling. Turi's death had been the first since the move, after the birth of a second pair of twins, and it had affected everyone in one way or another. That was why they'd held the wedding today. The tribe needed a party.

Although Markal did seem to be courting Zade on the rebound. She turned down proposals from him twice during the party, both most likely the result of the nectar...

which there was probably far too much of.

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VT says: Li and Casey had been engaged for a few rotations before Turi died, and Casey had the want to get married. Since the untimely death of a 25 year old in a very small village really dampened the mood in Kulo Seeri, I thought I'd take the opportunity to throw a wedding party, show off Nuidya marriage customs and take screenshots for an actual story update. There were plenty of shenanigans to photograph, I had to cut out a lot of pictures for this post.

Congratulations Li and Casey! :)