"If you insist, my friend." Shade gives a nod to Sentinel, and then takes a note from his jacket. "I am here for no declaration, neither by myself, nor those who I endeavor with. I am only here to offer the words of a friend long gone. Who spoke on love, and this day far better than I ever could." He unfolds the page and recites, glancing about for emphasis where necessary.
We are resolved into the supreme air, We are made one with what we touch and see, With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair, With our young lives each spring-impassioned tree Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
With beat of systole and of diastole One grand great life throbs through earth's giant heart, And mighty waves of single Being roll From nerve-less germ to man, for we are part Of every rock and bird and beast and hill, One with the things that prey on us, and one with what we kill. . . .
One sacrament are consecrate, the earth Not we alone hath passions hymeneal, The yellow buttercups that shake for mirth At daybreak know a pleasure not less real Than we do, when in some fresh-blossoming wood We draw the spring into our hearts, and feel that life is good. . . .
Is the light vanished from our golden sun, Or is this daedal-fashioned earth less fair, That we are nature's heritors, and one With every pulse of life that beats the air? Rather new suns across the sky shall pass, New splendour come unto the flower, new glory to the grass.
And we two lovers shall not sit afar, Critics of nature, but the joyous sea Shall be our raiment, and the bearded star Shoot arrows at our pleasure! We shall be Part of the mighty universal whole, And through all Aeons mix and mingle with the cosmic Soul!
We shall be notes in that great Symphony Whose cadence circles through the rhythmic spheres, And all the live World's throbbing heart shall be One with our heart, the stealthy creeping years Have lost their terrors now, we shall not die, The Universe itself shall be our immortality.
Shade glances about, before refolding it and speaking. "Oscar Wilde. And to ease any lingering woes, I'll watch your vows from another area of the ship. This is not a place for prejudices or flawed expectations." He focuses back on Sentinel, unblinking for the moment.
He lonks from his father to Shade, and though his words are addressed to the latter, thdy're aimed at the former as well.
"Everything here today is because of you. You rescued me, trained me. Taught me to control my power and not the opposite. If it weren't for you, I'd still be in the asylum, or worse.
"I want you here, sitting with the family. Where, as far as I'm concerned, you belong."
"Of course they're not, sweetie. Don't you worry."
The smile never leaves Ma's face. Yet it doesn't take anything to reinforce just how bad an idea it would be to continue the topic further. If Todd wants the Shade here, then everyone else will deal with it and like it.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Shade. We appreciate everything you've done for our Todd, and it means a lot that you're here."
Alan finds a smile for Shade, a small one at that, then nods to his son and steps back, arms crossed over his chest in an expression of acceptance. Is he happy? No. But he can deal.
"If you insist, my friend." Shade gives a nod to Sentinel, and then takes a note from his jacket. "I am here for no declaration, neither by myself, nor those who I endeavor with. I am only here to offer the words of a friend long gone. Who spoke on love, and this day far better than I ever could." He unfolds the page and recites, glancing about for emphasis where necessary.
We are resolved into the supreme air,
We are made one with what we touch and see,
With our heart's blood each crimson sun is fair,
With our young lives each spring-impassioned tree
Flames into green, the wildest beasts that range
The moor our kinsmen are, all life is one, and all is change.
With beat of systole and of diastole
One grand great life throbs through earth's giant heart,
And mighty waves of single Being roll
From nerve-less germ to man, for we are part
Of every rock and bird and beast and hill,
One with the things that prey on us, and one with what we kill. . . .
One sacrament are consecrate, the earth
Not we alone hath passions hymeneal,
The yellow buttercups that shake for mirth
At daybreak know a pleasure not less real
Than we do, when in some fresh-blossoming wood
We draw the spring into our hearts, and feel that life is good. . . .
Is the light vanished from our golden sun,
Or is this daedal-fashioned earth less fair,
That we are nature's heritors, and one
With every pulse of life that beats the air?
Rather new suns across the sky shall pass,
New splendour come unto the flower, new glory to the grass.
And we two lovers shall not sit afar,
Critics of nature, but the joyous sea
Shall be our raiment, and the bearded star
Shoot arrows at our pleasure! We shall be
Part of the mighty universal whole,
And through all Aeons mix and mingle with the cosmic Soul!
We shall be notes in that great Symphony
Whose cadence circles through the rhythmic spheres,
And all the live World's throbbing heart shall be
One with our heart, the stealthy creeping years
Have lost their terrors now, we shall not die,
The Universe itself shall be our immortality.
Shade glances about, before refolding it and speaking. "Oscar Wilde. And to ease any lingering woes, I'll watch your vows from another area of the ship. This is not a place for prejudices or flawed expectations." He focuses back on Sentinel, unblinking for the moment.
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He lonks from his father to Shade, and though his words are addressed to the latter, thdy're aimed at the former as well.
"Everything here today is because of you. You rescued me, trained me. Taught me to control my power and not the opposite. If it weren't for you, I'd still be in the asylum, or worse.
"I want you here, sitting with the family. Where, as far as I'm concerned, you belong."
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"As long as he promises not to cause any trouble."
The jest is only slightly nervous-sounding.
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His eyes plead with Al and Alan, silently asking them 'please.'
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He grins, giving Todd a thump on the back.
"Lighten up, will you?"
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The smile never leaves Ma's face. Yet it doesn't take anything to reinforce just how bad an idea it would be to continue the topic further. If Todd wants the Shade here, then everyone else will deal with it and like it.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Shade. We appreciate everything you've done for our Todd, and it means a lot that you're here."
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