#nonbinary drifter

That familiar nagging of Roathe would not ruin today.

"You're awfully quiet, even for you, Priest." Roathe raised an eyebrow. "Has the recent relevation of this Drifter troubled you?"  Like Roathe actually cared, non. He only cared to see the fallout, the chaos of it all, the irreconcilable different.

A Preist of Lua, and a Witch of Luna. Two names of the deity they both worshipped, yet a path not taken. Drifter would have made a lovely Child of Lua, yet, it would go against their very nature, wouldn't it?

"Do not bother, Devil." Lyon couldn't help that hopeful light in his voice, today was a good day. One he had only seen the briefest glimpses of, but one he knew with his full faith was going to be a good day. With the full moon, Drifter had offered, for one evening, to meet him under the light of Lua, and show him part of their practice. A meeting of devotions. Perhaps even a chance to see what Drifter's sense of prayer looked like. "It is an occasion your insults will not spoil."

An occasion where Lua, in all her brilliance, would bless the meeting of two souls who were no longer strangers, still learning to bridge the gaps between their faiths. They called themself a "witch" after all. Marie is absolutely beaming, Lyon can see it from the corner of his eye, and her laughter is light enough Sol would be foolish not to bless her with how it honors him.

"I do hope you have a blessed eve, Lyon," Marie wishes him only well when the time comes, "Remember to keep an open mind, oui? They're sharing something special to them."

Lyon could only nod. Drifter had asked, if he had them, for Lyon to wear some of his best vestments, and they would do the same. Stepping out into the moonlight, Lyon looked around.

Drifter appeared, and his heart leapt into his throat. Vestments felt like an under-dressing to their attire, adorned with the silver span of Lua's phases, polished stones woven into their hair like an abbot would hide the hair of the Sisters. Their hands stained with silver, soft silk tied around their waist, and skeletal visages painted along their arms.

They smiled upon seeing Lyon.  The deep dark greys and silver highlights of stars painted on nearly made Lyon recoil. It looked beautiful, like trying to capture Lua's quiet beauty as apart of their own image.

"Good evening, Lyon," they greeted him with that calm warmth that they had always shown him. He nodded.

"Good evening, Drifter." Lyon kept track of their gaze as they looked over his own vestments. The ones he saved for the holidays, kept sacred even from the Devil's taunt. They saw the silver linings, the rich greys, and the sigil of Lua molded into the center.

"You look lovely," They're cautious with their wording, approaching him. Their steps are muted, so much so Lyon finally glances down. They're barefoot. He looks back up, nodding.

"As do you, mon miracle." He took their hand when they offered it. They guided him to a spot, between the trees, where one could look up and see the full beauty of Lua, unobscured. In that clearing, they had taken the time to set up two altars, one according to the scriptures of Lua he so carefully studied, and one in their own faith following Luna.

They had not lit the incense yet, but he could already smell it. While they had been certain to get him the traditional incense, theirs had this earthy, floral scent he couldn't quite place, and a shimmering bowl of water sat neatly, reflecting the light of Lua in all her brilliance.

"I, uhm, I hope that I got the right incense," They sounded nervous, laughing at themself a little. "I can appreciate how you and Marie manage to keep true to your faith."

"You have, you needn't worry, Drifter." Lyon hesitated, looking between the two altars. "I must admit I am curious as to the purpose of everything at your altar. The incense, water, and mirrors."

"Ah, that's… Where this gets a little more complicated," Drifter admitted. "Tonight's the Solstice, as I'm sure you're aware. It's apart of my practice to have some water blessed by the light of Lua, cleanse the mirrors in her light, and the incense as an offering to her. So that you might see yourself as others see you, and move forward with clarity and purpose."

Lyon nodded, quiet, contemplating. He had heard of old rituals like this before, but had never seen them out in the light. Theoretical, diagrams, nothing ever this real in all his studies of Lua's texts.

"It sounds to have brought you a great sense of peace," Lyon commented more on how it made them feel, seeing how they looked to the altar with a smile on their face.

"The meditations clear my head, better than most things. The music helps, and then, since she is balanced, a period of stillness always needs a few moments of movement. No two dances are the same." Now that was new, music and a dance in the name of Lua. It felt strange, not the quiet reverence Lyon had expected, had practiced his whole life. Peace and pains, atonements and comfort found of the rhythmic movements of finding new wounds in the old places. A calm and kindness that came with understanding that Lua was both pain and pleasure, and moved within such.

"Dance?" Lyon couldn't fully formulate all the questions he had, still trying to see how the two practices could reconcile such a strange difference.

"Yeah, if it doesn't bother you, of course." Drifter was eternally accommodating, willing to set aside a dedicated moment of their practice to ensure his comfort. Lyon shook his head.

"Non, please, mon miracle," He spoke with a certainty he hadn't felt in years, "Dance, if it fulfills your faith, it will be no bother to me."

Drifter blinked, surprised, but that surprise turned to a warmth that only the stars themselves could reflect. They nodded.

"Then shall we?" They offered, gesturing to the altars. Lyon nodded, stepping to the altar. To be able to pray under the light of Lua, to see Her and feel the peace of the night… His mind quieted, focused on the ritual at hand, the murmurs of prayer quietly echoing amongst the trees.

Then, about an hour into the silence, he heard the Drifter drink, not the entire bowl, but part of it, quiet, reverent. The bowl gently rings when they place it back down, the sound like the ringing of an angel's bell, before they use both hands to bring the smoke of the incense up  over them in a reverent motion. Lyon found himself distracted, for a moment. Lua could forgive him, if he watched Drifter. After all, there may be many ways one could worship Her.

So when they stood, moving further into the clearing, a quiet, soothing tone rising from something placed on their altar, Lyon found his rapt attention was no longer on prayer, but on the movement of Drifter. He had seen them in the Descendia, their movement there lacked any elegance. Grace, of course, they had need to be swift and lethal.

This was elegant. Their turns precise, moving in patterns he only started to recognize on their third refrain. They there going through the phases of Lua, their movements fluid, just as the changes in Lua were smooth, night to night, until She had entirely changed. Lyon hesitated, how many times had Drifter done this dance alone? How many times had they practiced? Is this not just to mirror the quiet of meditation, but also to bring order to the chaotic nature of what they must do?

It felt right, this was their nature, the nature of change, of having to find balance and beauty in the smallest, most peculiar moments. Lua's light suited them well, dancing along the silks and silver, deepening the painted shadows they had adorned themself with.

Life, Death, balanced on the edge of the silver light of Lua herself. Lyon found himself counting.

Twenty eight repetitions, before Drifter's hands floated down back to their sides, and they sighed, closing their eyes and tilting their head up. A complete meditation that brought them peace. That same peace he found in the pains of the wounds brought upon himself.

He couldn't help but smile, quietly standing straight, looking up at Lua. The sense he had for Lua's guidance told him nothing that he didn't already know tonight. More alike than different, just different paths to peace, to calming the torrents of the years gone past.

He hadn't realize they had started to stare back, he hardly noticed that the fresh wounds had stung more than he intended. It almost didn't feel real, to see Drifter looking at him with the same admiration he had just show their own practice.

Drifter walked closer, careful not to disturb Lyon until he was ready. They kneeled back down at their altar, closing their eyes again and taking a deep breath. They take the bowl and take another small sip of water. Exhaling slowly, they returned it to it's place.

Lyon quietly finished his prayers, and the two found themselves speaking in unison.

"Lua guide us."

"Luna guide us."

They both blinked, looking to one another, before Drifter couldn't suppress a giggle. Lyon couldn't hide the smile on his face, walking to Drifter as they stood up. In a moment of rapture, there was no kiss, but the collision of two souls who saw the different beauties of Lua, and the warmth of a hug.

Time slowed, for just a moment. Their hold on one another a lifeline. A reconciliation of differences, of pasts and futures alike and different.

"We should get back soon," Drifter finally spoke as they gingerly pulled away from Lyon. "Marie will have my head if I don't get you back safely."

Lyon shook his head, letting Drifter go with grace.

"I fear not her wrath, not tonight." Lyon spoke softly, fondly even, "Mon miracle, I know I am safe with you. I had not realized how alike we are in our reverence for Lua, even if we take opposing approaches."

Drifter's smile was practically plastered to their face at this rate.

"Fair enough, though Lua is going to take her rest, and so should you, Lyon." Drifter directed his gaze to the breaking dawn. They really had been out all night, and he hadn't even realized. "I promise, we can talk more once we've both slept."

Lyon found no room for arguments there, following Drifter back to the hidden sanctuary of the church.