raven-reborn

[raven-reborn]

A Fairy Tale Wedding - Phillip/Raven

Raven woke up early that morning.

It was a cold winter day in Sharance, and Raven could feel the wind gusting through the cracks in her window shutters.  This was her last day living in this house.  After over a decade, it was time for her life to change.

Since it was too early to walk over to the nearby mansion, Raven enjoyed a peaceful morning with Rose by her side.  The little wooly followed her around, as if she knew that Raven was nervous about something and that she needed to be comforted.

Gaius was still asleep when Raven finally left the house and headed towards Sofia’s home.  The two girls had decided that it would be best for Raven to get ready for the wedding at the mansion, as there would be no risk of soot covering her wedding dress.  She was worried that it was still too early to knock on her best friend’s door, but was relieved to find that the girl was just as eager to get the day started as she was.

After they had greeted each other, Sofia led Raven to her bedroom, where she had been keeping their dresses, make-up, and everything else they would need for the wedding.  Shara arrived shortly after, and Karina appeared fashionably late, claiming that she had slept in, as usual.

The four girls got ready together.  And while Sofia, Karina, and Shara chatted, Raven remained silent, her nerves bubbling up in her throat and preventing her from joining in on the conversations.  She allowed Sofia to do her hair and make-up, and watched in silence as Karina painted her nails.  Once they were done, Shara threaded a flower through her hair, and they all stared at Raven in awe.

It would not be long now.

[raven-reborn]

Raven allowed herself to bask in the moment, reaching her arm up to wrap around Phillip’s neck.  She kissed him gently back, thankful that the winter weather was keeping everyone’s prying eyes away from them.

When Phillip pulled away, she continued to hold him close.  Although her heart dropped slightly at his words, she had expected the answer, so she nodded once they finally released one another.  “Alright,” she finally responded, leaning forward to kiss his cheek gently.  “I’ll see you in a few days then... I love you.”

And once they had said their goodbyes, Raven lingered at the door to the forge, watching as Phillip walked away.  When he had turned the corner and disappeared from her sight, she let out a sigh and finally headed inside.  She expected Gaius to greet her when she arrived, but the man seemed to be out.  Perhaps he was visiting Evelyn or in the desert looking for ore.

So, Raven shuffled up the stairs and headed to her room alone.  She kicked off her boots and curled up in her bed, where she eventually drifted off to sleep.

3 more days. 

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven held onto Phillip tighter when he mentioned that he was cold, wishing that she could somehow transfer her body heat to him.  Though she did not respond right away, instead nodding along contently with his words and watching her feet make footprints in the snow.  “It’ll be like our own little world...” she eventually replied, thinking about Privera Forest and how beautiful the flowers would be.

When Phillip hugged her, Raven reached up to hug him back.  She did not want to let go, knowing that she would have to say goodbye soon.  “Did... Did you want to come in for a few minutes?” she asked somewhat nervously, knowing that Phillip likely had to go home to finish preparing for the wedding.  “I could make you tea to warm up a little before you go...”

At Phillip’s last words, Raven could not help but blush.  It would be nice to see him every night and every morning.  “I’m very excited too,” she admitted, despite knowing that the move would be bittersweet.

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven blushed at Phillip’s words, knowing that he was definitely right.  Even she had ended up falling asleep at her work table in the past, though at least she had never fainted from heat exhaustion at the forge.  “I guess you’re right...” Raven admitted.  “I love my work, but it’ll be good to have a break.”

Although Raven was going to argue against Phillip paying for the entire meal, she barely got a word out before she had gotten up from the table and headed over to Collette.  “Thanks for paying,” she said once he returned, and she moved to grab his extended arm.  “But, yes, let’s go... it’s getting late.” 

And as the two of them headed towards Raven’s home, it dawned on her that this would be the last time Phillip would ever drop her off at the forge.  It would be one of the last times they would ever be separated.

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven laughed, nodding along as Phillip spoke.  “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll like the attention.  I know Evelyn will be pretty eager to help anyway.”

“The honeymoon will be nice...” Raven replied with a smile.  “I haven’t been to a beach in so long... or rather, I haven’t really been on any vacation in a while.  I’m looking forward to it.”

Raven then shook her head and gestured to her own unfinished food in front of her.  “Honestly?  I’m a bit too nervous to eat any more right now... what do you say we pay and go for a little walk?  I think the fresh air will be nice...”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“That’s... a good idea, actually,” Raven said with a slight smile.  “Evelyn is always happy to distract Gaius from work, and he knows he really needs it.”  He smile grew broader as she looked up towards her fiance.  “Thanks, Phillip.”  

Raven then rolled her eyes at Phillip’s teasing.  “You know what I mean,” she said with a teasing tone of her town.  She then took another bite of her food, before pushing the plate away ever so slightly.  Although she had not finished her stir-fry, she could not bring herself to eat anymore.  Perhaps it was the pre-wedding nerves.

“I know exactly what you mean...” Raven admitted.  “I don’t really want to go to the party either, but luckily it’s the day after tomorrow, so it won’t be the day before the wedding.”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven smiled, happy at the idea of having her favourite flowers growing on Phillip’s farm.  It would be a nice piece of home, and she could help take care of them, and things would seem a little less daunting.  

“Oh, you mean Evelyn?” Raven asked.  “She’s... She’s great, but a little unreliable.  I’m not sure if she’d be too good at checking in on him.”  She sighed, thinking about the last time Raven had left on vacation, and came back to find Gaius sleeping right at the forge. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to ask, though.  Some help would be better than none.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure Shara has done a wonderful job,” she continued.  “I saw some samples the other day, and they look like they’ll be really nice.  Plus,” she paused, poked at her food with her fork, then continued.  “You’ll just have a nice surprise when you see them at the party.”

It was truly going to be difficult not to speak to Phillip over the next few days, but she knew they would go by quickly.  “Oh yeah... Sofia wanted to do a little party for us girls too... I really don’t want to, but I suppose I don’t have much choice in the matter,” Raven said with a laugh.

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“Good to know,” Raven said with a smile.  It really was sweet for the people for Konohana to do that for her, so she could not complain too much.

Raven nodded and ate as Phillip spoke, happy to just listen to what he had to say.  “The flowers should grow fine... your climate is pretty similar to ours, but I wonder if there are differences in the soil.”  She would have to ask Micah about it the next time she saw him.  He knew more about the earth than he did.  “And it’s good that Lillian is taking care of the farm for you.  I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

At the mention of Gaius, Raven frowned ever so slightly.  “He’ll be fine managing the shop on his own for a few days... I just don’t want him to overwork himself while I’m gone.  You know how he is.”  That was the hardest thing about moving away from Sharance.  Gaius tended to work himself to exhaustion, and Raven was worried for his safety.  But she also knew that he was a grown man, and he could take care of himself.

“My schedule?”  She thought for a moment, took a bite of her food, then continued.  “Mostly just packing, really... Sofia’s going to help me with some last minute things, like doing a test of my make-up and hair, but otherwise it shouldn’t be too stressful.”  She paused for a brief moment.  “Oh, and I have a meeting with Shara tomorrow to look over the centerpieces.”

“What about you?  Are you going to be okay with everything that you have to do?”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“It does,” Raven admitted, thinking about the next week.  It seemed like their wedding would never come, yet it was already so close.

Raven could not help but let out a light laugh at Phillip’s story.  Even though Konohana was still relatively foreign to her, she knew that the townspeople were kind, and that she would settle in nicely.  “Well, I’ll try my best to enjoy it then,” she said with a smile.  “It’s so kind of them to do that for me.”

“To our final meal as fiances,” Raven then replied.  She rose her glass of water so that they could toast, just the two of them.  She knew it was silly, but it also felt right to be able to celebrate alone (in the middle of a crowded restaurant).

And after they toasted, Raven slowly began to eat her food and made idle conversation between bites.  “So how’s everyone at the farm, anyway?  Is Lillian going to take care of them while we’re on our honeymoon?”  

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“If you want to come one day after you’re done with the farm, you can help me bring a few bags, but no pressure,” Raven said with a somewhat sad smile. The topic of moving always weighed heavy on her heart.  Home was such a foreign concept to her before coming to Sharance, so it was hard to have to leave it.  And she hoped that Gaius would be okay without her too.

Though the moment was lightened when Phillip mentioned the party.  Her face reddened slightly, and she moved to squeeze his hand.  “Oh, you know I don’t like parties,” she stumbled.  “But that’s really sweet of everyone.  I’ll try my best to act surprised.”  Raven laughed nervously, imagining all the attention focused on her.  She already knew everyone in Konohana, but they still felt like strangers to her.  She just hoped that they would come to feel like family to her over time.

“I think I met Laney and Georgia once or twice...” Raven replied, thinking back to her time in Bluebell.  It had been a while since she had last visited, and there were a lot of new faces for her to get to know, but everyone had been kind to her.  “I’ll have to say hi once I get settled in... it’s nice of them to worry about me.”

And with that, their food arrived at the table.  Raven thanked Colette before moving to turn towards her stir-fry.  “Anyway, let’s enjoy this dinner, yeah?  Our last one before we’re husband and wife.”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“I’m almost done packing, actually,” Raven replied, thinking back to her little bedroom at the forge.  “I’m not taking any furniture with me, so packing wasn’t too hard.  I don’t really own too much, anyway.”  Even though she had been living in Sharance for years, Raven never really kept too many material possessions, so she really only had her daily essentials left to pack.

Raven then mimicked Phillip, moving to take a sip of water.  “I actually have a bag of stuff I’ll get you to bring to your house tonight, if you don’t mind.  It just had some pajamas and extra clothes for the honeymoon.  Then I’ll slowly bring the rest of the stuff home when I come back here for work.”  She smiled.  “So no need to use the horse.  I got it.”

Raven then nodded as Phillip went ahead and ordered for her.  “Yeah, the stir-fry would be great.  Thanks Colette.”  She handed the other girl the menu, then watched as she turned and walked away.

“It’s so strange to think that these people won’t be my neighbours anymore.”  She sighed quietly, though it was not necessarily out of sadness.  “I’ll miss this little town, but I’m excited to settle into Konohana.”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

“Thanks, Phillip,” Raven said with a smile.  She was grateful that the man understood just how nervous she was about the move.  It was a big change for her, especially after living with Gaius for over ten years.

Though despite her nervousness, she was also excited for the change.  The furniture that the two of them had bought was beautiful, and it would be nice to have a bigger living space than the top floor of the forge.  Plus, she would be back for work often, so life was not changing too much.  “That’s great,” she eventually said.  “I can’t wait to see what it all looks like... Gaius said he would help me finish packing too, so I’ll be good to go.”

“You’ll get it all done,” she responded, watching as Phillip smoothed back his hair.  “Even if you don’t have time to get it trimmed, it’s not the end of the world.  You’ll still look good.”  She was trying to remain level-headed for Phillip’s sake, but she was also mentally checking through everything she had to do.

“The curry is really good,” Raven eventually replied after thinking for a moment.  “Speaking of which, here comes Colette now.”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven nodded in response and pulled out the phone from her purse.  “Yeah, it’s really nice to have... I like being able to take pictures with my friends.”  She opened up the gallery on her phone, and swiped through a few photos until she found one of Sofia, Karina, and her.  “See?  I’ve gotten pretty good at using it.”

“Can you print these ones for me, actually?  I’d be nice to have photos of everyone in your... our home.”  She smiled and found a picture of her and Gaius.  The pictures would definitely make the transition easier for her.

After a few moments, Raven put her phone away and turned back to look at Phillip.  “I might look calm,” she laughed, “but I’m nervous too.  This next week is going to be the hardest.” 

Raven was grateful for the change in topic, and she laughed once more at Phillip’s question.  “Slicked back, for sure,” she answered quickly.  “I like it when you put it back, and it does look a little cleaner for the wedding.”  She rose her hand and fiddled with a strand of her own hair, wondering how she was going to look with her hair up on the wedding day.

“I’m going to get the stir-fry,” she responded after a brief look at the menu.  “I had lunch with Karina, so I don’t want anything too heavy.”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven laughed lightly and rolled her eyes.  She too was nervous for the wedding, but for once, it seemed like Phillip was even more anxious than she was.  She already had her dress, and Shara had the flowers under control, so everything seemed to be falling into place.  She had promised herself she would not leave anything until the last minute.

“Thank you, Love,” she eventually said, giving her fiance’s hand a reassuring squeeze from across the table.  “We’ll... We’ll have to take some pictures before you leave tonight.”  Ever since Phillip had introduced her to his cell phone’s camera, Raven fell in love with the idea of taking pictures of the two of them.  She treasured the tangible memories, and tonight was not a night that she would want to forget.

“This next week is going to be hard,” she sighed, before adverting her gaze and looking down at the menu as a distraction.  “I know I look calm, but...” Her voice trailed off.  Raven was nervous about the idea of getting married.  About leaving Sharance.  It was such a big change for her, and she was not the biggest fan of change.

“Anyway, if there’s anything big you need to ask me, go for it.  Otherwise... let’s try to change the topic,” she laughed again, nervously this time.

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

[raven-reborn]

Raven drummed her fingers on the table, tapping rhythmically to distract her from all the time that was passing.  Phillip was not usually late to their dates, so Raven was beginning to get worried.  She sighed and shook her head, thought about calling him, and then decided to wait some more.  If he did not show up in the next ten minutes, she would call to make sure everything was alright.

Every once in a while, Colette or Blaise would stop by to ask her if she wanted another glass of water, or to chatter softly about the wedding.  It was hard to believe that the big event was coming up in only a few days.  Raven answered their questions, but secretly wished everyone would leave her alone.  The wedding was stressful enough without people constantly asking her about it.

Somewhere along the line, Raven had fallen into a daydream, and was startled when she suddenly heard Phillip’s voice behind her.  Though once she collected herself, she smiled softly at him, and rose onto her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek.  

“I’d be better if you were on time,” she teased, then gestured for him to join her at the table.  “You look good.”

Raven sat back down and smoothed out her maroon skirt.  She had managed to find a relatively good-looking white blouse to go along with it, but she felt like she was overdressed for a restaurant like Blaise’s.

“Let’s just try to enjoy tonight, and not stress too much about the wedding, yeah?”

Final Countdown || Raven/Phil

Phillip rushed his way through town, a frustrated sigh escaping his lips as he took a glance down at the watch attached to his wrist. Yes, why of course, he was late. For some reason the young man felt as though he simply couldn’t keep on time for the last couple weeks. Each day has been seemingly filled with a checklist, of this to do of that to do, especially because of the up coming wedding. And this tight knit schedule was getting very difficult for him to keep. Especially if anyone did anything to disrupt that schedule.

It sure as heck didn’t help that the man wasn’t a particular impudent person, and he hated to interrupt people while they were speaking. And thus, because of this personality trait, he was stuck chatting (or more like listening to the other person talk while he slyly tried to slip away) with practically every resident in town. Today was his final checklist to make sure everyone who said they could make it, could actually make it, and of course every person had to ask the same exact questions. Was he excited? Of course. Was he nervous? Sure. What time was the reception again? For Goddess sakes Ayame, it was on the invitation that was sent to you months ago.

Needless to say, his schedule of a ‘quick check in with everyone’ turned into a much longer, and much more overwhelming ordeal then he had prepared himself for.

Phillip entered the dining establishment with a bit of an out of breath huff, happy and relieved that he had finally made it. He spoke a polite greeting to Collette, but having already spotted the woman he was meeting seated, he bypassed her and made his way right to the table.

“Hi sweetheart!” He spoke in a cheerful yet weary tone, guilt stricken by how late was. “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long, sorry I’m late.” As he gushed his apologies, the young man slipped off the black blazer he had been wearing and put it on the back of his chair, revealing a silken red vest that he wore underneath instead of his usual red plaid. He tried to dress up at least a little (perhaps yet another reason why he was late). “I swear if one more person asks me what we want as a wedding present, I might just lose it.”

As he sat he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Taking a moment, before looking to her across the table with a broad and excited smile on his face. Boy was it good to see her. 

“How are you doing my love?”

[raven-reborn]

“Corn and tomatoes sounds good...” Raven said with a nod.  “But I think carrots would mix well with that, don’t you?”  She continued as she walked a few steps towards a stall with fresh carrots.

“But other than that... I think we can go pay now.”  She grabbed a bundle of carrots, and took Phillip’s hand with her free one, smiling up at him.  She likes shopping with her fiance, appreciating that this would be their everyday reality soon.

“So where do you think your mom has gone off to?”

Becoming Family || Phillip&Raven

[raven-reborn]

Raven nodded along with Phillip’s words, despite being absorbed in admiring the desk.  She bent down to test out the drawers of the desk, smiling and nodding to herself when she decided that she was happy with her find.  “I like this one... it’s a little pricey, but it’s big enough and it’s a nice style.”

“Yes, can you write down the order number?”  She eventually replied, and then laughed at his question.  “And yes, the desk chairs are just over there, Love,” Raven said, pointing behind Phillip’s shoulder.

Wandering over to the chairs, Raven trailed her hand across the dark wood as she walked.  “Do you need any chairs while we’re here?  I don’t want this shopping trip to only be about me... !”

Making a House a Home || Raven&Phillip