A New Year [Closed RP: Skwisgaar and Toki]
((Plus their Shoggies if they care to appear. Backdated to December 31st of last year.))Variety may be the spice of life, but there was something to be said for familiarity and the stability and balance it brought, particularly for someone whose interpersonal relationships had been on a perpetual revolving door basis, with few exceptions. For
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In Skwisgaar's preoccupation with his plans, the state of the weather outside hadn't actually occurred to him until he noticed Toki pulling on his coat. He got up and went to the closet to get a winter coat as well, likewise surreptitiously running a hand over one of his front pants pockets to ensure he wasn't forgetting his surprise, and then collected a couple of their spare, warm blankets in case it turned out to be even chillier than anticipated.
"Goods idea. Is likes one big ice coolers outs there withs the snow," he said, and refolded one of the blankets to make a "pocket" into which he slid several bottles of beer for easier carrying. Carefully tucking the bundle underneath an arm, he smiled at Toki as he reached to take his hand. "We coulds have doubles New Years parties if we goes to Mordhaus after this, heh. I think it's a fews hours behind Scotsland." Although their Jul and earlier New Years celebration had been fairly low-key, private affairs compared to those of prior years, Skwisgaar was enjoying the change. He had the family and sense of familial belonging now that he'd always been denied from his blood relations. And even if part of his chosen family consisted of little guts-pile horrors, he was glad to have them.
The lightshow was just beginning as they made their way out onto the school lawn with their shoggies in tow. The enormous bursts of multi-coloured fireworks boomed and lit up the night sky, making it easy to find their way. Skwisgaar headed for the remains of a gazebo, which was now little more than a few steps leading up to an open platform, and spread out one of the blankets for them to sit on. He knelt on it and set the makeshift beer carrier where they could both reach it, then pulled out his Dethphone to check the local time. Nearly midnight. It may have been a bit silly and not terribly brutal, but he wanted a midnight kiss.
"Looks over there," he said with barely contained excitement as he pointed to where, sure enough, a firework had exploded into the familiar shape of a devil-tailed bear, its eyes glittering red. "I asked thems to dos some special ones... is a reals special night."
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While Skwisgaar retrieved his own coat, Toki took a tangled bundle of Shoggy scarves and worked upon extracting them individually, draping each one over a waiting Shoggy. Shoggy 10 was still mumbling on about firework flavours, while Shoggy 4.6 wondered if Great Master Cthulhoo was going to show up for event (he probably wouldn't, having no sense of human new years, nor any concern for their Earth-based calendar). Shoggy 3 was the one to remember their sleds, which trailed behind the Shoggies as they left the room- amazingly, the Shoggies managed to not get tangled up in the process.
Toki did end up assisting Shoggy 18 with its sled, once it became tangled up with its scarf in the hall, as they made their way out of the school. Hand in hand with Skwisgaar, and dragging a Shoggy-sled in the other, he smiled as they emerged into the night. Although chilly out, Toki thought it was a beautiful night, and all the moreso for having someone special to share it with. "Doubles New Years mights be fun, but mostly I's just happy to spends it with you," he told Skwisgaar. "We can do that, or just go backs to our room after the firesworks, either's good with me. The most specials thing about holidays is spendings them with the peoples what you cares about the most." A sappily sentimental observation, perhaps, but Toki didn't care, and one of the Shoggies added a proper dash of brutality by interjecting, "And sacrifices, don't forgets them!"
As Toki and Skwisgaar situated themselves in the remnants of the gazebo, the Shoggies took their enchanted sleds and began to scoot about the snowy grounds nearby, granting their 'parents' some private time to enjoy the firework display. Toki pulled out a couple of beers and opened them as Skwisgaar checked his phone, and, snuggled up next to him, watching the sky with expectation.
A gasp of delight accompanied Toki's huge smile as he watched the Deddy Bear firework glimmering overhead. "Wow-wee! Is my bear! That is specials, real specials." His gaze remained fixed on the shimmering bear, which remained there longer than a typical Muggle firework, only slowly fading into the night. "Thanks you, Skwisgaar, is a reallies great surprise!" Despite the transient nature of fireworks, their memory would be lasting- Toki snuggled closer to Skwisgaar, wrapping an arm about him as he watched overhead, wondering what would come next.
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"We've beens together fors a few years," he started, trying to order his thoughts. "And, to me, it feels like it's always beens this way. We gots our bands family, and our dragons and shoggies family. We gots each other." There was a certain awkwardness about his speech despite the long hours he'd spent going over what he wanted to say during this moment, but he soldiered on, first downing a good bit of his beer to help fortify his nerves. This was clearly something Very Important. "I haves something fors you -- um, fors both of us..."
Setting aside his beer, he shifted a little so he could reach into one of his pants pockets, but paused what he was doing and made a soft surprised noise as a firework exploded into the outline of a Gibson Explorer overhead. It was the perfect moment to present his gift. Colour was quickly rising to his face that had nothing to do with the chilly temperature. From his pocket he produced a black velvet ring box, and he took the liberty of opening it before offering it to Toki. This time, it did contain the expected ring -- a set of them, in point of fact. While the pair of bands had elegantly simple, unadorned exteriors, the interiors of each had been engraved with both Skwisgaar's and Toki's initials, and featured an intricately detailed guitar motif across them -- a Flying V and Explorer crossed at the necks -- which could be viewed in its entirety only when the bands were stacked together, with each band having half the image. Basically a more metal take on the "Best Friends Forever" break-apart heart charms. XD
"They don'ts have to means anything, unless... you wants to... you knows...?" Eloquent he was not, but he was earnest, and was offering the rings with full knowledge of what they could represent. "I just hopes that we's always going to bes together. And if -- if yous feel that ways too... will you wears it?" he asked, momentarily forgetting to breathe as he watched Toki's face, waiting for his answer.
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The Shoggies remained distracted by the overhead show- most of them zoomed around on their enchanted sleds, oooooh-ing and ahhh-ing, while Shoggy 10 attempted to launch itself high enough into the air to taste a firework. It failed at this, of course, although it did succeed in briefly creating Shoggy 10.2 on one especially splashy landing. Its next leaping attempt brought it squelching back down upon Shoggy 10.2, and they soon became tangled to the point of re-cohesion.
Toki paid little attention to the antics of their Shoggy family, however, for as soon as Skwisgaar began speaking, he could tell that it was indeed going to be something of great importance. As he'd said, they'd been together for a few years, and in that time, Toki had come to learn most of Skwisgaar's behaviors pretty well. To interrupt or to not pay attention was out of the question- if something was important to Skwisgaar, in general it was important to Toki now too (with the slight exception of frequent and regular guitar practice). And in this case, it was apparently going to be about them, and their family. . .and involved something for them both?
As curious as Toki was about where Skwisgaar's words were going, the sparkling shape of the Gibson Explorer overhead was too cool to ignore. He made a mental note that next time Hogwarts did fireworks, they needed to tell the house-elves to enchant them to explode with the sound of power chords. This seemed a very minor notion besides whatever Skwisgaar was leading into. His brief distraction, however, meant that he didn't actually notice Skwisgaar pulling out the ring box. When he turned back to Skwisgaar as the ephemeral shape of the Explorer faded, he found himself looking at the paired rings, bright against their dark background.
The rings may have been simple, but, the motif etched upon their interiors more than made up for Skwisgaar's lack of eloquence. To Toki, the motif of crossed guitars spoke clearly enough, and he gave a small gasping squeak as it all sunk in. He'd known something important was coming, but, had not anticipated that Skwisgaar would voice these feelings that he too shared- when he found himself thinking of the future nowadays, these thoughts always contained Skwisgaar, no matter how far down the road he might be thinking. Toki's answer was a quick nod as he looked up from the rings to Skwisgaar, still wide-eyed with surprise. "Is what I hopes for too, Skwisgaar, is the way I feels, of course I'll wears it. When we ares together, is like everything feels right, and I can't imagines it any other way now."
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Skwisgaar wore an expression that was somewhere between nervous and hopeful as he watched Toki taking in the gift, and affirming his own feelings. It wasn't that he'd had any reasons to doubt that Toki would feel the same; it was the significance of the gesture that had him feeling anxious, and more than a little vulnerable. The rings symbolised permanence. The type of commitment that, a few years ago, Skwisgaar wouldn't have been capable of promising. But now... he knew what he wanted, and had for some time; this was simply sealing the deal, as it were.
He broke into a pleased smile as he reached to hold Toki's right hand and, pulling one of the rings free of the box, slipped it onto his ring finger. He'd done his research in that regard, just in case Toki cared about the traditional Norwegian custom of wearing wedding rings on the right hand -- though the rings didn't necessarily have to carry that meaning, it still seemed the best placement. Skwisgaar then put the other ring on, choosing his right hand ring finger as well.
"You don'ts have to wears it in publics in our world if yous don't want to... you knows how everybody woulds start rumours and craps, and it ain'ts their business. But I think I'ms going to keeps mine on," he decided, and briefly checked his Dethphone a final time. A few seconds until midnight. He did a mental countdown while he pulled Toki in, tilted his head, and once he reached 1, kissed Toki deeply. "Happy news years," he murmured against his lips, then let the contact dissolve into another kiss. When they came up for air eventually, Skwisgaar was still smiling. "Whats do you thinks? Do you wants the rings to mean... marrieds? Togethers for always? We can be whatsever we wants to be."
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Toki stared almost entranced at the rings, unblinking for a long moment- it was easiest to stare at the rings. He almost wanted to cry- in a good way, however. Although nothing specific regarding the rings had been decided, the idea embodied in them was clear enough, and meant just about everything to Toki. Stability, permanence, something lasting, whatever they chose to call it, it came down to the same thing, Skwisgaar expressing that he in fact wanted just what Toki did. Some sort of forever.
"Ams going to wear it for always," insisted Toki after Skwisgaar had slipped the rings on their fingers- the weight of it felt good there, and even better that knowledge of what it meant. "I don't care whats anyone thinks anymores. Everybody cans just think whatever they wants to. I'm not takings it off, not evers, goings to die with it on." It seemed an appropriately metal sentiment, and, beside, he meant it.
In light of the circumstances, Toki had nearly forgotten what night it was, and why they were sitting in the remnants of a gazebo with fireworks overhead, until Skwisgaar turned to kiss him. As far as he was concerned, it was a perfect moment, one that he never wanted to end. It was only reluctantly that he lifted his lips from Skwisgaar's, smiling now as well. "Happy news year, Skwisgaar, I loves you." He thought for a moment- what did he want the rings to mean? Although Toki had grown significantly less naive about certain matters thanks to Skwisgaar in recent years, he was still naive enough to think 'married' was supposed to mean 'together for always'. "We cans be both?" he asked as he clasped Skwisgaar's ring-bearing hand in his own, explaining, "Togethers for always is married, I thinks? I don't think you haves to do it ins a church withs all the people. I thinks we can decide it in a gazebos if we wants to."
His own present seemed to pale in comparison to Skwisgaar's, but, the New Year's kiss had reminded him of its existence. With his other hand, he fished around in his jacket pocket and pulled out the small item he'd concocted for Skwisgaar- it was a simple bracelet made of a pair of black leather strips, held together by a small charm made of polymer clay. This too was black, and, had been sculpted carefully by Toki into the shape of a black sea serpent-like creature, whose coils made a sort of figure-8 or infinity symbol, through which the leather strands passed. He'd added a couple of silver beads to flak the little sea dragon for a bit of interest, and attached a simple clasp. "Is just a silly News Year gift. What withs its supposed to be somes black-water-dragon year." He sounded a bit embarrassed, painfully aware that his simple crafts seemed rather trite beside such a meaningful gift as Skwisgaar, but was still smiling. "Is going to be about the best year evers I think, afters the best start."
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