Tuesday 1 October 2013

Messiah 5 : Marriage

Katachi reached for the clothes within the basket, and flapped them out so they would not crease. With intent care, Katachi slowly threaded the small pole across the arm hole, to the other arm hole. With the clothes properly straightened, he hung the small plank onto a rack, with many other clothes and garments already on it.

K : (... That should be all of Mother Rin's clothes. Now, for Roberia's...)

Katachi had his qualms about seeing her garments, but since Roberia insisted that he accustom to her presence around him swiftly, he was allowed to touch and hang her clothes.

It's surprising what many would give, and even die for to catch a glimpse of her apparel; Not every day comes an opportunity to chance upon the regal clothes, which Katachi handles, blissfully ignorant of its fine craftsmanship.

K : "?" (This shirt...)

The burgundy shirt she had in the basket, which comprised her battle wear, was a familiar sight. Katachi recalls the time Roberia was impaled during one of their battles, and her blood soaked and seeped into the shirt, staining its rough crimson with a contrasting shade of maroon.

K : (Where's the hole on the shirt? Does she have multiples of this shirt? Shouldn't this shirt be damaged or at least patched up with some cloth?)

To his surprise, the cloth he held in his hands was unscathed. There were no signs of sewing at the damaged part of the torso, or any other sort of wear-and-tear or loosening of the shirt's neck hole. Nothing at all. It seemed just as new as it had been the first time he met her.

K : (... This is weird... This can't possibly be the only shirt she has... What kind of materiel is this made of? It's almost like... Cotton, maybe? It looks... Pretty smooth, actually...)

Katachi had heard and read about fables of the wondrous cotton shirt, on its comfort and elasticity, which is far superior to his usual raggy linen shirts mended repeatedly with patches of other fabric. But to see one in the flesh, Katachi's heart throbbed with both excitement and pain.

K : (... A real cotton shirt? It's real? Whoa... So this soft, smooth texture is cotton... ? But, isn't this expensive? Was her family quite rich or something? Perhaps... A farmer family with a middle-class heritage? Won't this shirt be really taxing for them, if they aren't? They could have used the money to pay the bandits and ward them off, but...)

Katachi's mood soured a little.

K : (... On hindsight, the bandits will take everything anyway, so maybe it's a wiser choice to spend it on Roberia after all, since she's not going to stay there for them to hoard... Or did she run away from home after a recent attack, to escape with whatever they had left? Are the bandits clever? Can they tell what's valuable and what's not?... And, what 'valuables' did they take away, exactly?)

His moods churned and churned, giving off an odor similar to curdled soy milk.

K : (... They didn't take her 'valuable', did they?... I... I kind of feel bad for her...)

*Cozy's Notes : That's surprisingly... adult for a 10 year old boy. Then again, I think that's affected by both his era, as well as his horrid mistreatment when he was young. I'll write about his past soon enough, in a few... Uhm... About 40 chapters from now.

Oh my god. Sorry for making you guys wait. But it's gotta be explained in a story order, y'know. Look forward to when it comes - You'd be surprised how sad his past actually is, which could explain his personality now.*

He silently reached for another wooden pole to hang the shirt with.

*** ***

Later that day, when Katachi had finished lining the clothes and dusting off the church area, he stumbled upon Mother Rinnesfeld sitting at a corner of the catering room.

K : "Mother Rin? I'm finished with dusting- ?"

Mother Rinnesfeld was holding something in her hands - A white-colored gem, as well as a plain ring with am empty slot.

Ri : "Ah, good work. Go enjoy yourself, dear. Mother's busy."

K : "? Busy? Busy with what?"

Ri : "This, dear."

K : "What's that in your hands?"

Ri : "These are wedding rings, dear."

K : "!?" (Wedding rings?!)

Katachi excitedly jogged over to her side and peered above her shoulder. She had been trying to place the white gem onto the ring for a while now, but delicate work like that proved to be challenging for a nun whom was accustomed with rough, burly work.

*Cozy's Notes : Marry me, Rinnesfeld! I have good precise hands, and I will tend to you for life!- Actually, I don't. My hands shake a damn lot too when I'm handling small objects and components. In any case, please, marry me! Here is my proposal to you!*

K : "Should I help?"

Ri : "Well, if you want to. I'm setting up the first ring. Try the other."

Katachi reached for and picked up the lightweight, pristine white gem and the plain ring on the counter. Slowly, he tried to fit the gem onto the ring with utmost care, and in moments the gem had snugly attached itself to a comfortable position.

*Cozy's Notes : He's a natural, damn. There goes my chance. I shall write WINCEST, IN WHICH CASE- Wait, that doesn't make sense. He's marrying Roberia, not Rinnesfeld.

Uhm... Ah. That was awkward.*

K : (Such a pretty ring... I remember these things.)

But something was caught in his sights; At where the ring was held, is an engraving.

K : (... -ia. Roberia?)

Katachi turned the ring a bit, and read the full name on the ring.

'Roberia'.

K : (... Wait, this... This is her ring? Then, the other...?)

Dared he peek at Mother Rinnesfeld's hands, while she was fumbling and fiddling with the gem and ring?

Katachi slowly eked his head out a bit over her shoulder, and caught sight of a few letters.

K : (... A... A bunch of... Anikan characters?)

On the other ring, the words 凝椿 形 were engraved. They were beautiful characters, but Katachi didn't know what they meant.

K : (... Then... Who's the other ring for?... Is that me?)

Katachi placed the ring back onto the desk while gazing at the ring in Mother Rinnesfeld's hands.

Ri : "Thank you. You can leave this one to me, dear. Run along now."

*** ***

Later in the afternoon...

Ro : "Kotsuba Katachi! Come over here!"

The red-haired girl wearing white robes called out to Katachi hiding behind the doorway.

K : "... It's embarrassing..."

Ro : "Don't shy away from me! There is nothing to be afraid of!"

K : "..."

Katachi reluctantly stepped out, in loose white robes of a similar hue and an odd hat.

*Cozy's Notes : I can't use the story to describe the hat's shape. It wouldn't make sense, since it's referencing our modern-day culture. It's sort of like a top hat, with cloth-like bandages around and a crest in favor of a gem at the center. Think of it like a turban that is shaped like a top hat with a dull gem carved with a pattern you see on some shields.*

Ro : (... He looks absolutely ridiculous... I can tell why he wouldn't want to be seen like this, but... marriages under Ilpoh were never this... This... Expressive, perhaps? We look so silly...)

K : "Don't stare. This is embarrassing..."

Ro : "... We were never required to dress like this in Rugnud."

K : "Well, I've seen people wear this for their weddings, but to think of myself wearing something like that... It looks unbecoming, and it's really awkward because most of the time, the couple consummates with each other immediately after the oath."

Ro : "Consummate!?" (Already?! That's... That's too soon, is it not?!)

K : "D- D- Don't worry! I won't, uh, I won't bed with you if, uh, if you don't want to..."

Ro : "... I'll take your word for it... We'll see."

The two walked slowly along the small corridor, towards the church hall where Mother Rinnesfeld awaited them.

*** ***

The hall was lit up with beautiful, viridian lights, and Mother Rinnesfeld stood at the podium, with a huge smile on her face, welcoming the couple before her.

Ri : "Would you two stand before me?"

K : "..."
Ro : "Of course."

The two stood before her, as she had instructed.

Ri : "Right then. Katachi, Roberia, hook your arms together, back to back."

K : "Like this?"

Katachi leaned his back against hers, and threaded his arms around hers. Roberia, to accustom to Katachi's height, bent her knees a bit.

Ro : "Uh... Yeah. That's my arm."

*Cozy's Notes : Duh, what else will they be, your knees? I get that you're tall, but surely Katachi can't be that short- No offense, though. I have love for them too. Just... Not as much for them as Rinnesfeld. Ironic, since the story's focused around them. Cuz I totally will want to, and eventually would, write fanfics about Rinnesfeld.

.... Writing fanfics for my own, ORIGINAL story. Great work, Cozy. Sigh... Me and my brain farts. HOW DOES THE AUTHOR WRITE A FAN FIC ABOUT HIS OWN STORY?! I'M THE AUTHOR, NOT A FAN!! I DON'T EVEN- *

Ri : "Good. Do you trust each other?"

Ro : "Yes."
K : "Yes."

Ri : "So as you decree, Segus shall now test your devotion. Let us witness testament to it, by having the couple walking around the church on each other's backs."

*Cozy's Notes : ... I'm sorry, Rinnesfeld... If you carry me on your back, I am pretty sure your back will break - Unless if, of course, you're fatter and heavier than me, which is impossible.

... I'm sorry... I love you...*

Ro : "What?-"
K : "I'll start, then."

Ro : "Wh- What are you doing?!"

Katachi bent his back, and lifted Roberia's feet just slightly off the ground. Her towering height over him wasn't making the ordeal any easier. Slowly, he carried Roberia around on his back across the church hall and back.

Ro : "Ahh! This is so embarrassing! Good lord, is this how Segus followers carry out their wedding!?"

K : "Just bear with it, Roberia! I'm about halfway there! You can trust me!"

Ro : (... Submitting oneself to their partners whole-heartedly like so...)

Katachi turned the corners of the church slowly, trying to make sure that Roberia does not get injured from the squarish stone pillars. Roberia, trying to avoid scraping her skin from the rugged edges on the stone pillar, laid her body against Katachi's in an arch, to keep her limbs as close to Katachi as she could.

Ro : "Careful! My leg! My leg! It's going to hit! Ahh!!"

And finally, Katachi placed her back down, when they were before Mother Rinnesfeld once again.

K : "... Your turn..."

Ro : "Should be easy enough."

Roberia, whom was at least a head taller than Katachi, simply stood up straight, walked a circle around the area, and stood back before the podium once more.

K : "So, how would your people carry out your weddings?"

Ro : "... Well... we usually have a ceremo-"

Ri : *cough* "Please speak later, honey."

Ro : "... Sorry."

Ri : "Segus has bore witness to your devotion. And now, I bestow upon this couple, their seal. Come forth and receive your rings which prove your matrimony."

Roberia quickly walked up towards the podium, and picked up the two rings. Katachi slowly followed suit.

*Cozy's Notes : He's still hesitant over whether marrying Roberia is a good choice or not? Seriously? He's already about to get his ring! But it does reflect upon the anxiety a non-mutual couple faces before the marriage. Not like their relationship isn't mutual, but uh. It isn't mutual yet, but it will get to that point soon.

... Too bad the couples of our society today don't have such luck of falling in love with each other heavily after the marriage.*

Ro : "!!!" (It's beautiful... A white crystal? It's completely different from Mom and Dad's... They have this red gem with a sigil, but this ring has a clear and white one...)

She sees her name engraved beneath one of them.

Ro : "!! This... This is for me?"

Katachi took the chance to clarify with Mother Rinnesfeld.

K : "Is that mine then, Mother Rin?"

Ri : "Yes. That's your name in Ohdean. It says 'Kotsuba Katachi'."

Katachi gazed at his white coloured ring for a bit, mesmerized.

K : (That's my name in Ohdean?... It's beautiful...)
Ro : "Katachi! Put it onto my finger!"

K : "Ahh... Ahh! Okay!"

And so, their bond fostered, their new lives begin, and they settle down, to bear a good number of children.

*** ***

Or so one would think.

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