The Phoenix's Flight

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.

The farmer lingered in the hug for a bit longer, his cheek resting against her hair as he basked in the thought that this was their final moments together before they were to be married. It was nerve wracking, but her body against his comforted him throughly. He chuckled as she spoke, knowing full well that if he went inside it would be ever harder for him to leave her. 

A part of him hated how they decided to do this to themselves, he would have been content on waking up with each other on the day of the wedding, instead of having all of this long drawn out time in between. But, alas, on the other hand it was only three days and he shouldn’t be so possessive. It would simply make the day of even more exciting, plus he would have all the time he needed to prepare. So, reluctantly, he agreed that it was a good idea. 

Phillip leaned back from the embrace, looking down at her with a gentle grin spread across his lips, lost in thought that the next time he would be able to see her she’d be fully decorated in her wedding gown. His hand rose to brush her bangs back and out of her face, basking in the natural beauty of the girl he had fallen in love with. Without as so much as a response to her words, his hands both then cupped her face, leaning in to press his lips against hers. “♥ ♥ ♥”

There’s never much time to reflect within several seconds, but these seemed prolonged. The amount of time they’ve spent together, and apart, over the past several years came to his mind like a firework. The progression of their relationship all lingering to the moment they shared together, outside the forge and surrounded by the falling snow. And with the Spring they would share in the beginning of the next chapter they would share together.

When he pulled away from her, his gaze lingered for a moment with hers, before wistfully letting his eyes fall closed as he pressed his forehead against her own. “You know I can’t,” He spoke finally, softly, and with evident regret in his tone. 

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.

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.

“Well of course!” Phillip laughed in a bright manner at the woman’s words of thanks, brushing them off with a shake of his head. “You’re going to be my wife soon. I know this is going to be a teamwork sort of effort, but I’m always going to spoil you whenever I get the chance ♪. Plus,” He winked towards her as she reached to hold onto his arm as they walked. “It was our last meal as an engaged couple, so I couldn’t help myself.”

Phillip enjoyed the silence between them for a moment as they walked, it was refreshing to have no dire thoughts disrupting each and every moment of peace that he’s had within the past couple of weeks. Plus, being beside her always brought him back to ease. The town seemed empty, probably because of the below freezing temperature outside, but the lack of people and chatter made it even more tranquil of a moment. The man breathed a sigh of relief, before blinking in a bit of surprise at the sight of his own breath. “Jeez it’s cold …” He mused quietly, in any attempt to not disturb the peaceful evening surrounding them. “It’s really hard to believe that we’re going to be getting married in Spring, surrounded by flowers, when it’s so cold everywhere else.”

As they approached the forge that the girl called home, Phillip mused on a prolonged though for another moment before stopping outside the front door and looking down at the woman beside him. “Luckily, this is one of the last times I’m going to have to say goodbye to you for any long period of time, hm?” With a bit of a chuckle under his breath, he slipped his arm from her grasp and wrapped her in a hug instead, pulling her close to him and squeezing her in a reassuring manner.

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...”

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…”

Phillip laughed openly as his fiance spoke about the honeymoon, nodding along as he picked up the napkin off his lap and placed it on the table. “You’re just as bad as Gaius sometimes. Sure you might not on a regular basis end up fast asleep at your work desk, but you also rarely take a break even when you need one.” He rested his elbow on the table and then leaned his cheek against his fist, winking at her in a teasing manner. “The honeymoon’ll be good for you, good for us both. You can rest as much as you’d like.”

The man perked up as she offered the possibility of heading out, to which he nodded happily to. “Sure! That sounds fine with me since I’ve definitely eaten my fill.” He sat up from his previous position. “I’ll go pay at the counter and you can go along ahead and I’ll meet you out front.” He rose from his seated position, before making his way to Collette on the other side of the room.

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.” 

“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.”

“See!” The man spoke in a new merry manner, happy that his fiance seemed to be perking up a bit. “Not too awful of an idea, yeah? I’m more than happy to throw out suggestions, plus seems like we’re doing Gaius a favor too hm?” He laughed in a bit of a michvious way. “He gets out of the house, and spends time with a girl he finds pretty. Seems like that works out to me!”

A low chuckle escaped him as he watched her roll her eyes, before continuing on to the next topic of interest. “Oooh I feel like I would much prefer that, honestly I feel like the day before the only thing I’m going to want to do is sleep in preparation.” The man shrugged before sighing lightly. “But it is kinda nice as the sorta, pre-celebration of finally getting all the things I needed to do done.”

“Though sleeping for a whole day does sound nice.” There was a moment when he drifted to a daydream, though coming back a moment later. “I’m definitely taking a nice long nap out on the beach during our honeymoon. Just time to lay back and not do or worry about anything.” The man finished up most of what he had ordered, completely satisfied with the suggestion she had given him. 

“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 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.

“Yes! Evelyn! That’s her name!” The man spoke triumphantly as he nodded. though his expression faltered as he listened to Raven continue, wincing slightly and shifting in his chair. “Well maybe you should ask her to do more than just check on him, maybe asking her to do something with him to take a day off! I know he doesn’t take many of those, and it would be healthy for him.”

His bright smile returned at the mention of the wedding decorations. “Ah yes of course,” Phillip teased with a turned up grin. “Because the thing I’ll be looking forward to seeing the most at the wedding will be the center pieces.” After laughing openly, he spoke genuinely once more. “I’m sure she did a fantastic job, I can’t wait to see them.”

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.

“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?”

“Maybe,” He mused with a bit of a shrug. “I’m hopeful for it thought! It would be nice to keep some flowers around the farm that are similar to your ones here, so I really hope it does. I’ll keep on having faith. Plus, for a little boost in faith I’ll check the pH levels of the soil to see how they’re doing before we leave on vacation.” A chuckle escaped him, before nodding at her next sentiment. “I hope so, I never know with that girl. She can raise some of the best animals I’ve ever seen, a natural Snow White, but with plants? It’s like they wilt at the sight of her.” 

Phillip nodded along with her as he ate. “Yeah … he’s not too good at not over doing himself is he. Why don’t—” he set his fork down as he continued his suggestion. “Why don’t you get that one girl … I can’t remember her name, the one that’s the sister of your friend Sofia. He has a crush on her right? Why don’t you ask her if she can check on him while we’re gone?” He wasn’t too good at remembering gossip, but he had a feeling she would know what he was talking about. “I mean a just in case kinda thing since I know you’re worried about him.”

The man couldn’t help his laughter at her response. “I was about to say you need to tell me how they look when you go and see the centerpieces, but i keep forgetting that I won’t be talking with you the next few days.” Another laugh as he scratched the back of his head. “This is going to be hard, why did we decide to do this again.” He teased her in a playful tone, before snickering and continuing on.

“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 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?”  

“Of course,” Phillip piped with a bit of an embarrassed grin. The people of Konohana sure were like family to him, and sometimes just as embarrassing as family. “Plus, I’m probably one of the rowdiest people in town besides Dirk and Kana. And you already know them well and fine, everyone else is just really sweet, laid back and down to earth. So it definitely won’t be too overwhelming.” 

The man couldn’t help his laughter, and the broad grin that spread across his lips a moment after. “As fiances,” He rose his glass in unison, before clinking the glass against hers in playful manner. “Cheers to us.”

After taking a drink from his glass, Phillip came to notice just how excited his was to eat. Maybe skipping lunch wasn’t the best idea he’s had. Thus he didn’t put off the food a moment longer, finishing the bite he took before replying to her. “Fine and dandy,” he replied before taking another bite of his curry. Huh, this was pretty good! “Thank goodness that’s the one thing in my life that has remained pretty stable. Luckily, in this case, Winter isn’t always the best time for crops. So my workload has died down quite a bit which is usually a bummer, but if I had a full schedule like I usually do I don’t know what I would have done!”

Another bite, before he continued yet again. “I’ve been trying to plan some of the flower seeds you gave me that only grow in Sharance. I’m not sure if the climate is doing them any good, especially since they haven’t even sprouted yet.” He took a moment to shrug, thinking back to the time she had given him said seeds. “I know you said they took a while, so I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.”

“And yeah! I already chatted to her about it and she said of course she would.” A bit of a laugh escaped him as he shook his head in defeat at the thought of his companion. “She’s not the best at dealing with crops, so we’ll see what kind of damage we come back to.”

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.”

“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.”

“I’d be happy to!” Phillip piped up with a broad grin, obviously willing to helpful in anyway he could be. “We’ll discuss what day you want me to help you when we actually make it into next week.” He laughed lightly. “It seems so far away and so close at the same time.”

“Trust me! I told them!” He defended reassuringly. “I said, the wedding is enough attention on us there’s no need. But Ina and Yun insisted on doing something with just the town, so …” The man shrugged with a playfully defeated sigh, shaking his head back and forth. “I think they’re excited because it’s becoming somewhat like tradition I suppose? I wouldn’t know for sure since I was the last one that ever moved to town all those years ago, they threw one for me and that was extremely embarrassing since I barely knew everyone to begin with. So I think they’re all really excited to greet someone new. Especially since you’re not just some random stranger who’s moved to town to be a farmer like I was.” The cheeky smile returtned. “You’ll be that farmer’s wife instead ♪!”

At the mention of the two rambuncious girls, Phillip could only laugh. He loved each of them dearly, but putting them together can always be a bit overwhelming, especially for someone that isn’t aware of their antics beforehand. “We’ll have to see what they’re up to, but I know what ever they’re planning comes from a good place in their heart.”

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).

“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.”

“That’s actually a really smart move.” Phillip nodded as she explained her plan. “Then it won’t be overwhelming to have all of your boxes at the house at once. You can just bring one at a time and unpack them as you take them.” Goddess, even just talking about the move was making the man quite giddy with excitement. To be finally living together, to have the love of his life be both the first person he saw every morning and the last thing he’d see at night. It was a whole different level of anticipation that he could hardly contain. Even the thought of saying goodbye to her later tonight was quite the painful thing to think of.

However, he understood the level of difficulty this was for her. Whenever they talk about the move, the woman across from him would become a bit stiffer, a little more hesitant. The stress of change can be difficult, meanwhile Phillip, because of the farm, got away with not having to move anywhere. This part always tore him up inside, if where he lived quite literally wasn’t his livelihood, he would have picked himself up and gone anywhere to make her happy. Thus, because of the guilt that was settled into his heart, he did his best to comfort her on the subject much more often then gush about it. “Well if you’re sure,” He finally spoke with a bit of a grin. “I feel bad not being able to help you more, so know you can always call on me if you need a hand.”

“Of course I don’t mind,” Phillip spoke with a cheeky smile. “I’ll pick up the bag when I walk you home after dinner.” Though, at the sheer mention of the honeymoon, the man sighed in a desperately dreamy manner. “Is it sad I’m so excited for the honeymoon?” He laughed in a worn out sort of way. “I mean, obviously I’m excited for the wedding, that’s a given. But I’m a very social person and even I’m getting tired of all the fuss and attention we’re getting. All I want is it to finally just be you and me, alone, married, as husband and wife. The tropical island is just a bonus.” His hand ran through his hair once more and he shrugged in a jokingly defeated manner. “Is that too much for a guy to ask for?” 

Phillip nodded as Colette left their table, before perking up at the expression that had fallen upon his wife to be. “Hey now,” he cooed in a softer tone. “I know, it’s going to be hard, but I’m here for you and so is everyone in Konohana.” He took a long pause for a moment, inwardly wincing to himself for thinking about spilling a secret that he promised to keep, well, a secret. “Ya’know,” He spoke almost slyly. “I’m really not suppose to tell you anything, and Grandma Yun is gonna have my hide if she finds out a told you, but everyone’s been planning a welcome party for you at the tea house once you get settled in.”

Phillip once again reached across the table to take a hold of her hand, absolutely hating that this was the most appropriate form of affection he could show her in a public setting. “Take it as a side effect that comes with all of the attention around the glitz and glamour of getting married in a small town. But everyone really wants to go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and to welcome you with open arms.” He smiled to himself at the thought of all the quirky people he had come to love so much. “They’re like the closest family to me I feel like I’ve ever had, just like how everyone in Sharance feels to you. They want it to feel like you’re going from one family to another.”

Suddenly, he came back to his senses. He pulled away from her for a moment as his eyes went wide, raising both hands up defensively. “I’m serious though, don’t tell anyone I told you, otherwise you might not have a husband for very long.” He ended the comment with a genuine laugh. “Honestly though, I swear everyone has been talking about you none stop, especially Ying and Rahi. Apparently I’m not a good enough person to play with if it’s just me anymore.”

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.”

“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.”

“It looks fantastic,” Phillip confirmed with a nod, thinking back to how the house itself seems to have grown so much since he ever first most to Konohana. He mused for a moment on the past, before he came back to the conversation while the young woman continued. “How far are you along in packing anyway? Goddess bless you for getting so much prepared after the wedding.” A chuckle escaped him. “I feel like I’ve been so caught up with the wedding itself I haven’t even thought about a time after it.”

The man leaned forward to take a drink of the glass of water that had been sat on the table. “Actually on that point, we haven’t really chatted about the day you want to get all of your stuff moved.” He set the glass back down before continuing. “I figured I can bring the horse cart so we can just get it finished all in one day, I have a large enough one that could more than likely fit everything you have. It’s not the one I use for everyday deliveries, so you’d just have to let me know if you want to move your stuff that way so I can dust if off and what not.”

Another laugh escaped the man as he leaned back in his chair once more, resting his arm over the back while they chatted. “Really now? Well I won’t fret on it too much then. Actually, having it a bit longer may make it hold better for when I push it back,” He thought over the dilemma for a moment, before shrugging it off. “Ah, I’ll think about it. I may not have enough time to get it cut anyway.”

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.

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.”

“Well I’m glad you like it so much!” When she turned her phone so he could take a look at some of her examples, a wide smile grew across his face at the images. “You’re so cute in all of these! Look at you go, you’re a natural pro photographer now.” At her question the man simply leaned back in his chair and nodded. “And of course I can print them for you, just send me the ones you like most and I’ll get them printed so you can do whatever you would like with them.” 

At her wording slip up, Phillip released a bit of laughter as he affirmed her wording. “Our home.” His smile was beaming at the statement. “Speaking of which, your dresser finally came in! Finally. I was starting to get worried about it. But Kana helped me put it together so it’s all set and ready to be used.” And luckily that was the last piece of furniture the two had been waiting on, after their furniture shopping spree in the city. “Everything’s set and good to go, I wanted to make sure it was done and you didn’t come home to a place full of half put together furniture. I’m hoping it’ll make next week go a little smoother.” He assured with a grin. “Now all the home is missing is you to make it complete.” 

An audible groan escaped the mans throat, obviously teasing her. “Ugh. Fine.” Phillip then laughed at his own frustrations. “I love how quickly you answered that, seems I didn’t have much of a choice in the manner to begin with. But I agree, it will definutely look a lot nicer.” His hand rose to smooth his own hair. “Speaking of which, I should probably think about getting it trimmed at some point within the next few days.” Another groan. “My to-do list really never seems to have an end.”

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.

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.

Phillip chuckled along with her as she laughed at him. He knew full well that he was letting his nervousness show, meanwhile she seemed as collected and well put together as always. He knew that she was stressed in her own right, and she just had a better way of controlling it. It was a big difference, a big change to the comfort of their everyday life and routine. And change can, well, definitely be scary.

The man’s expression brightened at the suggestion posed, nodding happily and responded. “So you’ve been enjoying the phone then? I mean I know you’ve had it for a while now, but have you been getting the hang of it? I told you it looked all confusing at first, but it’s really a handy tool for the day to day.” He couldn’t help the laugh that escaped him at her suggestion. “And of course! We’ll take as many pictures as you like, and I’ll get the ones you like most printed for you.” 

Though when Raven’s tone of voice shifted, Phillip rose his eyes from the menu to look back up at her. He smiled softly inwardly to himself. “You look very calm! If you’re just as .. excited as I am, well you’re doing a great job at keeping it under control.” This time it was his turn to give her hand a reassuring squeeze. “But seeing you, calms me down. Because I know that we’re going through all of this change together, and everything that we have to do next week we’ll face together. As husband and wife.” The words still tingled on his tongue, the approaching truth of that statement sending waves of warmth throughout his body.

“Oh—” This time it was his turn to laugh at her slight nervous show. “Right, I have a very important and very difficult question to ask you that I just haven’t been able to come up with an answer myself. So, think long and hard if you need to on the answer.’

Phillip then ran a hand through his hair with a cheeky smile. “I haven’t decided if I want to slick back my hair or not. I feel so darn stiff when I do and it doesn’t really feel like I’m myself, but I think it looks a lot nicer and much more—” Cue air quotes, “wedding appropriate.” He laughed again. “So, which one do you prefer?”

“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.

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?”

“I know, I know.” Phillip spoke in a teasingly guilt stricken tone of voice as she chided him for how tardy he was. “I don’t know what it is with me this past week, you’d guess I’m a man that doesn’t own a watch by the way I’ve been falling behind on every scheduled thing I’ve had to do.”  He was definitely more than happy to be finally sitting down, perhaps he didn’t realize quite the speed he had been jogging threw town. “In fact I was so late for my final suit fitting with Dirk that the tailor made me make another appointment for tomorrow. So then I’m going to have to skip—”

The man paused. The sudden realization of the absolute ramblings he was going off on becoming clear. Perhaps he was a bit more nervous than he thought. “A-Anyway, you could say I’ve been a bit … frazzled this week.”

Phillip released a light chuckle at her compliment, he motioned to their matching color garments before speaking once again, this time the stress being replaced by his usual lighthearted demeanor. “Well you could say then we’re quite the good looking pair, if someone didn’t know us they would have thought we planned to match.” His hand reached for her’s across the table, his thumb caressing the back of her hand as he smiled to her. “Needless to say, you look fantastic as usual.” 

He inhaled deeply, her presence by itself causing him to feel much more at ease. There wasn’t another person on earth that could relate to his upcoming wedding stress more than she could. “Goddess,” he breathed, “it feels like it’s been a lifetime since I last saw you.” Okay, maybe it’s been a week, maximum, but with the impending excitement of them soon living together, it was hard for him to believe he ever went any longer period of time without seeing her. “And I know, you’re right. The whole reason why I was late was because of stressing too much about the wedding.”

“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.

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. 

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.

Raven watched as Katrine disappeared into the market, calling out a “goodbye” at the last moment.  She was slightly overwhelmed due to the crowd at the market - the markets in Adonea never seemed to be quite as busy as these - but she managed to focus her attention on Phillip.

“You know I’m not picky… I like all veggies,” she responded with a shrug of her shoulders, then turned to the stall behind them.  “So… why don’t we focus on what looks good?”  

She walked up to the counter and silently surveyed the rows of corn, tomatoes, and yams that seemed so plentiful in the autumn weather.  “You know this stuff better than I do… what’s most in season right now?”

Phillip released a teasing sigh, shaking his head from side to side while giving her hand a squeeze. “You’re too easy to please you know that?” He laughed gently. 

The man followed her gaze, looking over the rows of different vegetables and humming softly. “The corn looks pretty good, I’ve got to admit ♪. Though that also might just me being a bit partial to that veggie myself.” He mused for another moment or two, before grabbing a few ears of corn as well as a couple bright red tomatoes. “How does corn and tomatoes sound to you? A real good taste of the season, if I do say so myself. Pick another if you’re craving something.”

“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.

Raven smiled with a light blush at Phillip’s comment, loving the image of the two of them building their little “nest” together.  As they walked into the store, she moved to grip onto Phillip’s arm once more, giving it a gentle squeeze.  “I can’t want to see what our home looks like when it’s finished…”

She then took the time to survey the store, her eyes catching on the rows of desks and workbenches that filled a corner of the building.  “Let’s start with the essentials… I really want to look at the desks, if that’s alright.”

Heading towards the corner of the store, Raven ran her ungloved hand across the polished wood, smiling softly to herself.  Her desk at home was old and scratched up, and she was excited to get herself something brand new.  “What do you think?  I’d like something with dark wood, but I’m not too picky about the look of it.” 

“Well I know our home is going to look absolutely adorable,” The man chimed in his usual lighthearted manner. “Because it’s going to be our home ♥.”

Phillip merely nodded at her request to take a look at desks first off, happily being dragged around the furniture store from their held hands. When she finally released his grasp to get a feel of the polished craftsmanship, he put both hands on his waist as he looked it over with a keen eye. “Dark wood would be really nice, it’s slick, clean and good lookin’.” He felt the edge of the desk and nodded, “I like the look of this one, better than one that would be stained a dark color. This way you’d barely be able to see any scratches in it, rather with a stained wood desk you’d be able to see the light wood underneath.”

“I think it’s perfect!” He spoke with a laugh. “Do you want this style in particular? I can write down the order number for larger items like these and just give them to the cashier at check out.”

“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.