Introducing Mr & Mrs Von Weiss ...Again [Event]

WC: 408 / 4000 Tag:  @Johann

At first, the one of the two Ambassador's of Dies Irae had reckoned with the fact that today would be nothing more than one of those days- a day that could be considered bland, boring, though necessary, at the least. Over the course of the last months, it had almost amounted to a year by now, Johann had gotten rather used to his new role as Ambassador of the guild. It was hard to believe that this much time had gone by, and much had happened since, though the changes were mostly not unwelcome in the least. In fact, the silver-haired God of Ishgar considered himself quite lucky, given the fact that he had made enormous advances towards his goals, and while the world was not yet free of darkness, he doubted it ever would be, he had people at his side that shared his convictions and pursued them with the same vigor, the same passion ... and for that, for the people he could trust, his friends, he was immensely grateful. More than he himself was possible to put in words. Not that he was the smoothest of talkers, anyway ...

Regardless, the one thing that had remained a persistent constant, no matter how hard Joh had tried to get rid of it, was the never-ending flood of paperwork that absolutely had to be dealt with and was of course a priority. A thing that, frankly, every paper-pusher tended to say. Still, their offices worked hard on maintaining the guild's image, and he wouldn't disappoint them too much if he could at all help it. Finishing up a report that had evaluated the expansion of Port Amber and asked for additional funds that would aid the construction efforts, he, with a smooth and practiced motion, placed his signature on the sheet of paper before ultimately placing it aside with the rest of the already processed paperwork, reaching for the next batch only to realize the piece of paper he had taken was, in fact, an envelope, and not any envelope either. It seemed that the thing was colored bright pink, a stamp in the shape of a heart sealing it shut. Upon closer inspection, was this thing perfumed? "How ... curious", the Ambassador would whisper under his breath before promptly opening the thing, pulling out a similarly pink piece of paper and beginning to read, a raised eyebrow slowly shifting into an amused grin.

This was not just an opportunity to spend time with Amalie, he figured, but also a brilliant excuse to take a break from this of all gods forsaken paperwork that threatened to corrode his mental stability. It would simply have to wait a few hours until he was back ...

Confidently leaving the guildhall, after changing into an outfit slightly more comfortable than his uniform, a black, striped suit, the man would vanish as soon as he had set foot outside, blinking away in a fashion that was typical for Johann only to reappear at his desired location a few seconds later. The atmosphere in Rose Garden was different from Amber Island, the air wasn't as salty, not as fresh, and the steady wind the sea brought with it was replaced by a calm the silver-haired man was almost not used to. Still, his intuition had not betrayed him, and he would find himself in front of the same warehouse he had known from a while ago, swift steps taking him inside the company grounds, much to his surprise, finding that his lover was already present.

"Amalie", he would greet, a smile instantly finding its way onto his face as he greeted, gradually stepping closer. "I didn't expect to see you here already". As he reached her, the man would extend his hand, and pull her close for a brief, but glad and loving kiss, should she take it. It had been a little while since he had seen her, a fact that was to be expected given their line of work, but to say the man didn't long to spend time with her would be a lie. As soon as they would part, the man's grin turned somewhat more sheepish, though he was quite earnest, and sought to express himself as such, "I've missed you". Briefly, just her presence had made him forget why he had even come here to begin with, though he was certain that soon he would be enlightened in regards to their plans for today, anyway.

---

Word Count: 746
Word Count Total: 746
Thread Word Count Total: 1,154 / 8,000

WC: 492 Amalie's Total WC: 900 / 4000 Tag:  @Johann

While Amalie's acceptance of the kiss did not come as a surprise, Johann nonetheless lost himself in the sensation of her lips for just a few passing moments, enjoying the time he got to indulge in the Articulation Mage. He was, first and foremost, glad to see her again, his emotions stirring within his mind, and the passionate, though short embrace, reflected his longing for her company, until finally, the moment would come when they would have to part once more. It wasn't unconditionally accepted, though Johann was aware that they were stll in public, not to mention the fact that they had come here for an explicit purpose. "Right behind you. I must admit, the invitation I got made me rather curious" linking his arm with Amalie's. "I'm intrigued by what they have in store for us this time ...", he muttered to himself more than the woman beside him, somewhat lost in a sense of nostalgia.

The Ambassador's thoughts involuntarily trailed off. Had it really already been a year? Last time the two had met on these grounds, they had not yet been, well, together, though in a sense, they had been. At least, the event this company had organized has required them to marry one another, though, of course, only temporarily. It had been a rather strange gimmick, admittedly, though a lot had happened since then. A voice rang out, bringing Johann's thoughts back to the here and now, his eyes falling on a familiar face. The silver-haired man didn't quite know what to make of this situation and the supposed fact that they were "running behind schedule", his eyes shooting the same look back to Amalie that she had given him, one eyebrow distinctively raised. Luckily, the woman at his side made no attempt to sugarcoat her inquiry, Johann, naturally, being curious as well.

When the Reverend explained that they would need to marry for this coming event once more, Johann chuckled, more reflexively than anything, recognizing that the situation they were presented with carried with it a certain sense of irony. The man went into further detail still, though, laying out the fact that the company that had hired them last time was expanding and required their assistance as, well, temporary bride and groom once more. A smirk found its way onto Johann's lips, though it would vanish not long after it had come, his eyes trailing off in thought once more. It shouldn't be a big deal, at least, it wouldn't be for the Ambassador. They had done it once before, after all. "Well, that sounds ... ominous enough, I suppose. A good question. Amalie?", he turned towards her slightly, a confident, though inquisitive smile on his face. "What do you think? Care to be Mrs. von Weiss once more?"

---

Word Count: 466
Word Count Total: 1,212
Thread Word Count Total: 2,112 / 8,000

WC: 452 Amalie's Total WC: 1352 / 4000 Tag:  @Johann
Note: Rolling for Outfit.

While Amalie had her thoughts, the silver-haired Ambassador was demonstrably oblivious. The task that was presented would be viewed, first and foremost, as a job, perhaps a fun way to kill time, though nothing that could ever equate to an actual betrothal with honest intentions. Unaware of the conflict within her, he did acknowledge her agreement, and while perception was certainly one of Johann's least honed skills, to say that Johann was not familiar in some sense with Amalie would have been a lie. Something about the woman's response appeared off, not quite characteristic, in a sense. Johann had expected a few teasing words, spoken with confidence and certainty. When that did not occur, however, it would raise an eyebrow. "Amalie ...?", he asked, though being more literally than metaphorically dragged away before he could actually speak to her any further, the Reverend and his entourage seemingly explicitly enthusiastic about this occasion.

Without much ceremony at all, Johann was swiftly guided through a door and into a room where a man seemed to already be waiting for him expectingly, dressed in a suit himself, though older than Joh, probably in his early sixties, yet, carrying himself with a sense of grace and elegance that was the most forward and imposing factor about him. In short, he appeared quite gentlemanly. "Ah, hello, friend, you must be the lucky groom. I am Caduceus, your tailor", the man spoke with a wide grin, Joh shooting a look back over his shoulder before the door was shut behind him, raising an eyebrow at the new acquaintance. "I suppose so?". The man kept his friendly smile, beckoning for the Ambassador to come closer. "Come, come, young man, don't be shy. I'll make sure to adjust your outfit to something more ... hmmm, suitable, yes!". "Suitable?" Eyebrow still raised, somewhat perplexed b the rather eccentric figure, Johann made his way over, the man immediately eyeing him from top to bottom, dancing around the Ambassador like a buzzing fly. "Interesting, how interesting ... yes! I think I have the perfect thing for you. Just hold still for a few seconds ...". "What? I-" Johann was more than a little confused, and it seemed that he had little say in whatever the other was doing as the tailor adjusted the Ambassador's posture, position, and a slew of other minute details before muttering a few arcane words and touching the man's chest. With a flash of magic, the Ambassador, now suddenly dressed in an entirely white suit, had his outfit changed seemingly in an instant, though the swift and perhaps somewhat hasted change had immediately shown its flaws.

Johann's shirt was probably a size too wide, and his sleeves were so long they covered his hands, the tailor doing his best to suppress a giggle. "Ah, you see, things like these happen. Nothing I cannot fix, though!". With those words, the man named Caduceus went to work once more in his energetic manner, Johann leaving the room only a few minutes later with what seemed like a perfectly tailored outfit, even sporting a pair of glasses, which were, of course, entirely fake. The Ambassador had to admit, though, despite the man's personality, he was ... surprisingly good and efficient at his job. Regardless, it would seem now that that particular ordeal was behind him, he could continue with their assignment, the Ambassador wandering forward through a hallway until reaching another door, not without wondering if Amalie had to undergo a similar treatment and what had been planned for them next.

---

Word Count: 592
Word Count Total: 1,804
Thread Word Count Total: 3,156 / 8,000

WC: 944 Amalie's Total WC: 2296 / 4000 Tag:  @Johann

Well, this would be it. The man took a deep breath before pushing open the door, to his surprise, finding rows of seats filled with unfamiliar faces, the crows most likely working with the same company that had approached the Commander and Ambassador of Dies Irae, all facing altar where the Reverend from before seemed to be waiting already. The man with the argent-hair cleared his throat, now finding himself confronted with some nervousness as he let his eyes wander over the people present before taking a step forward, then another, walking towards the altar, an array of sounds and music picking up when he finally reached it, standing off to one side. Amalie was not yet here, of course, though the Ambassador, realizing that the scope of this ordeal was somewhat grander than that of the last event this same company had organized, was somewhat overcome by a tingling sensation in his gut. Was it a form of stage fright? Were too many people present for this? It was probably the fact that Joh knew none of these strangers, the notion that a mock wedding among a group of people he had never met before was possibly, in more than one way, somewhat of a cruel joke only occurring to him now. It looked, it sounded, it felt too real for what was nothing more than a mock wedding. Would Amalie feel the same way? He hadn't considered that before ...

Still, there was something else. Deep down, the man knew that there was another feeling besides some disappointment, a feeling that caused said disappointment. He was excited. Did he actually look forward to this? It seemed so, but why? "Isn't that obvious?", Johann was suddenly made aware of the Seal's presence, his voice, though, not the usual echo, reduced, in this instance, to naught much more than a subtle, almost smooth whisper. "Is it?", the Ambassador, used to the Nephilim's periodic and sometimes quite annoying presence, which carried with it a nature of acute constantness, responded back in much the same fashion, curtly, but not offensively so. "You're so predictable, my little vessel, tssehehe. It's because it's her". The Ambassador would visibly raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean?". The Second Seal snickered, the music picking up once more, the guests rising from their seats. "You love her, do you not?". The silver-haired man hesitated for a few brief, fleeting moments, lowering his head. "More than I ever would have thought", Joh answered honestly. There would be no point in lying to the Seal, anyway. "Well, there you go then. Good. Make sure you don't fuck it up with her, big man", the Nephilim cackled, his presence fading away, leaving the man slightly perplexed, unsure what to make of the fact he had just received relationship advice from an age-old, immortal embodiment of War.

It did make him think, however, Johann passing over the creature's words once more. Was that why he was nervous? Not because it felt too real, but because he wished, longed for it, wanted it to be real?

There was no time to mull over this question. Turning his head, he saw Amalie enter, his eyes widening. His mouth now slightly ajar, he could do little more than stare for what was perhaps longer than he should have, though he couldn't help himself. His breath had been taken away by her as she walked down the aisle, particularly the allure of the white wedding dress that fit her form with graceful and overwhelming, yet subtle elegance, giving the already quite attractive Amalie yet more charm. It was only when she got closer the man realized that he probably resembled a drooling buffoon as he stared, straightening up, a warm and genuine smile finding its way onto his face. "Amalie, I-", he began , not sure how to address or even articulate the things he and the Seal had talked about before, no, not even sure if this was the right time. He would instead make his most recent thoughts known. "You look beautiful", he spoke with a somewhat astonished, but genuine tone.

---

Word Count: 688
Word Count Total: 2,492
Thread Word Count Total: 4,788 / 8,000

WC: 662 Amalie's Total WC: 2958  / 4000 Tag:  @Johann

The smile on his face, an expression of genuine happiness and fulfillment that lasted for a few moments, widened as she returned the compliment, his cheeks flushed with the slightest hint of carmine, though doubt laced the impression, dulling the emotion after the passing of some seconds. Was this really what he wanted, what they wanted? If they were to look back on this event in a few years' time, would they remember it fondly? The Ambassador truly struggled with the thought now that this situation began to unravel before him, his irises, steeped in characteristic, twofold hues, wandering over the crowd of what amounted to a group of practically complete strangers. He was certain of a few things. Of his appreciation for the Articulation Mage, an insight that he had dwelled over for a while and a revelation that had dawned on him naught more than a minute ago when the Second Seal had put his innate feelings for her into words, a tangible and concise form that left no room for debate.

He cherished her in a way that was sincere and uncompromising. The emotion that he felt had been hard to interpret to begin with, given that Johann was quite sure he had never before in his life felt the same way about another person, but, yes, he was certain. Certain that Amalie was the one person in this world he could rely on, and one of the very, very few who didn't judge him for what he was or what he had done, for what people called him and said when he didn't listen, didn't care for him because of his previous nobility or his current lack thereof, the titles or money, the authority or the politics, even the presence of the Nephilim of War, as eccentric as the Second Seal was. No. If he could be certain of one thing in this world it was the fact that yes, he loved her.

He knew that this was true, but ... if this was the case, then why did this not induce a feeling of euphoric expectation? This would be the logical conclusion to their story, would it not? They would profess their love for one another, marry, and live happily ever after. Well, apart from the fact that this would not be the case. At that moment, it would click, the pieces falling into place. Of course not, how could it be? This whole ceremony was, for all intents and purposes, a lie. A faux wedding that had not much purpose other than to entertain guests and be a public spectacle for strangers to partake in and enjoy, while, demonstrably, the pair had to sit through and endure the whole procedure. Johann, as oblivious as he could be sometimes, naive, even, was a man of conviction and integrity. His ideals, as some people knew, meant a lot to the God of Ishgar, and when he had set himself a certain goal a long time ago, he did not imagine that this would be a part of that goal. This did not feel right. No, this was not how it would go down.

The gentle tunes of classical music were almost drowned out by the Minister's speech, Johann's eyes, with an expression of growing concern, remaining locked on Amalie, and when the man asked her the same question that the two had been asked on a day exactly one year ago, Johann did not fail to notice the moment of hesitation. His brows inched closer together ever so slightly. The man, though, continued with unchanged pace and tone, extending the same question to the Ambassador. The silver-haired man, initially, did not respond, eyeing Amalie with an expression that was discernably stern before taking a deep breath, exhaling with a heavy sigh. "I do, I really do. I sincerely believed that this was what I wanted, but ...", the Ambassador paused briefly, a soft smile curving his lips upwards before he continued, "... well ... to put it plain and simply, I was wrong". An array of gasps would come from the crowd, some evidently shocked by the display that had to, admittedly, have come rather unexpectedly, especially given the nature of their gathering, the nature of this event.

The argent-haired man showed himself unfazed, continuing with an unimpressed, steady, and collected tone. "When I first met Amalie my life had come to a point of struggle. A struggle that involved my past, my present, and my future alike". The Ambassador paused once more, turning to the Commander, a warm smile on his face. "Over the course of months, years, though, you have helped me overcome what held me down. You showed me that I can still laugh, and that despite all that has happened, I can still feel. I can depend on you, unconditionally so. You showed me love, Amalie". The Ambassador pondered for a few fleeting moments. He didn't care anymore if he was causing a scene, he didn't care if he was going against this Company's expectations, he simply didn't care anymore. Instead, he took another breath, his mind filled with a certain clarity, a sense of confidence that had been long been gone from the Ambassador's repository of emotions.

"I love you, Amalie West. With all my heart, I love you".

The man turned his head towards the Minister, his tone sharp and appropriately critical. "And yes, eventually, I do want to take her to be my wife. I do want to marry her, "honour and keep her in sickness and in health", as you have so eloquently proclaimed-", he would turn to the crowd and back to the man who had the explicit purpose to conduct this fake wedding, "-but I have come to realize that I do not want to do so in front of a crowd of strangers, none of which I have ever met in my life, by a man who barely knows our names, for little more purpose than providing an entertaining gimmick, little more than an advertisement, to please people I neither know nor care about".

"But what about the wedding!?", the bridesmaid next to Amalie stepped forward, waving the bouquet in the Ambassador's face. "Cancelled, I'm afraid", the man grinned sharply, responding with a determined tone. He reached forward, snatching the bouquet and throwing it over his shoulder into the crowd almost haphazardly with a "You'll just have to find someone else". As soon as the flowers started flying through the air, they began to glow subtly, a magical enchantment doing its work, exploding into what seemed like a cloud of glitter, petals and the shimmer of magic.

The Ambassador of Dies Irae, however, paid very little mind to the bouquet and its magic, his attention instead focussed on the woman in the wedding dress beside him. Without much thought, he extended his hand towards her to take, a gentle, soft tone defining the character of his words as he addressed Amalie. "I suppose we'll have to talk about this later, but for now, please, let us just get out of here". As soon as she took his hand, the two would seemingly vanish into thin air in an instant, teleported away from this miserable display to another point in Rose Garden, a random street, the sudden breeze of fresh air swirling through the silver-haired man's hair, catching a few loose ones of his argent strands, which would fall to one side. With that fresh breeze, however, also came the realization that he, they, had escaped what could quite possibly have become a decision he would've looked back upon with nothing but regret.

---

Word Count: 1,277
Word Count Total: 3,769 / 4,000
Thread Word Count Total: 6,727 / 8,000

WC:862 Amalie's Total WC: 3,820  / 4000 Tag:  @Johann

The man took a deep breath, turning to Amalie and almost expecting some kind of bewilderment or demonstrable confusion after the woman had taken his hand and they had more or less escaped the display that had waited for them in that church. Instead, he felt the Commander's hands wrap around him, Johann almost tumbling a step back when she practically jumped into his arms, a wide, pleased smile spreading across the Ambassador's face as she did before, with a sudden onset of joy, reciprocating her kiss, her closeness dulling out all previous feelings of frustration that had managed to linger as if they had never been present in the first place. The same joyous laugh would only intensify when she placed her forehead on his own, an expression of genuine, amused happiness overcoming him as he stared into her ice-blue irises. When she, in turn, uttered the words he had directed at her no more than moments ago, returned the proclamation of love, Johann almost felt relieved. It was somewhat ironic, he thought, that exactly a year ago the two had gone through a similar, albeit much simpler version of this experience, that back then he had flinched at her touch while he now found himself longing for it. The fact remained that Amalie had, whether or not she realized it, changed his life for the better, and her admission of love almost felt like a guarantee, a safety that would ensure that she would continue to do so.

And with that, the man would be content. For the first time in a long, long while, he could, without doubt or second thoughts, feel like he'd taken the right path. He laughed, his lips meeting her's once more. "Amalie", he began as they parted, pausing briefly as he looked into her eyes, "I love you, too", his tone overjoyed, but still confident and, in a comforting way, reassuring. After all, he'd never been more certain of anything else before.

With the same smile, he would quietly watch Amalie lighten up before him, the contrast to her demeanor from before stark as the difference between night and day, chuckling as she commented about the dress and being a 'runaway bride'.

"I suppose you're right", he nodded, responding briefly as he looked down at himself, only now realizing that he, too, was still in his wedding outfit, the two seeming quite out of place for the middle of Rose Garden, though that was of no further concern to the Ambassador. Of course, the woman was quick to follow up on that, Johann's eyes rising from his white sleeves back to her face, his smile widening once more. "Well, come to think of it, it would seem like we conveniently have the rest of Valentine's Day off", he said as he extended his hand for Amalie to take once more. "Care to join me for dinner?".

As she took his hand into her own and the two would turn to presumably find somewhere less ... frustrating than that wedding, Johann seemed to pause for a second, as if suddenly remembering something, turning to Amalie one more time. "I almost forgot, I've been thinking about something ...", he began, clearing his throat as he took a steady breath, "... I believe my apartment is a little too big for just myself alone. Say, what do you think about revising our current living conditions?". While he somewhat casually and playfully presented the offer, the thought stemmed from the fact that he, now more sure than ever, knew that, despite their duties pertaining to the guild, he wanted to spend every free moment he could with her and that this would be the first step in that direction, hoping, though almost assuming with certainty, that she shared that view and would accept to move in together.

---

Word Count: 641
Word Count Total: 4,410 / 4,000
Thread Word Count Total: 8,230 / 8,000

~END~

WC: 188 Amalie's Total WC: 4,008  / 4000 Tag:  @Johann