#(I'll be honest; I could never do anything like HHN; with mazes and scare actors all around:)

[beatingheart-bride]

Emily had to agree with Dorian's conclusion: though there was no way of telling what he and Elizabeth had up their sleeves, it was evident that they were all starting a new chapter of their afterlives. She and Randall were surrounded by more loved ones than ever before, both in life and in death. Things had gotten off to a rocky start at first, but now that their guests had gotten a few days to settle in, they were all given a chance to bond and make up for lost time.

And of course, Emily looked forward to seeing just what the future would bring for Dorian and Elizabeth: they deserved everything good that came to them, and given their upbeat attitudes as they spoke about it, it seemed as if they were going to get just that.

Everything was looking up as the two couples continued on their stroll: with so many loved ones in their corner, Randall's and Emily's future looked bright, and it seemed as if Dorian's and Elizabeth's would only bring good things, as well.

With a playfully quirked brow, Emily teased, "Didn't you just invest in some new clothing a few weeks ago? Are you looking to switch out your entire wardrobe?"

@beatingheart-bride

"You know, I haven't been able to put my finger on it," Dorian remarked, chuckling just a little at the way his wife nudged him, trying to get him to be a little more subtle. "But...I can't help but feel as though we're all turning a new page in our afterlives, a new chapter...a new beginning, you might say."

At this, Randall tilted his head as he gave it some thought: In some ways, he sort of understood where his best friend was coming from. Since his grandparents and uncles had arrived at the Mansion, it felt like they were starting a new, exciting chapter. It felt like a new door was opened, and through that door came...so many possibilities! His parents would surely keep in touch with their extended families once they returned home, the Paces and Burkes no doubt wanting to be kept abreast of what was going on at Gracey Manor, and vice versa...chances were good they'd be back for birthdays and holidays; hell, one of these days, he'd get a chance to meet his aunts and all his cousins! It was frightening and exciting all at once.

And even beyond that, more had come from the presence of the visitors: Both his mother and father got to reconnect with their family and get to know their respective in-laws, and while they had some bumps in the proverbial road, given the heavier topics in the family, that hadn't stopped them at all from taking comfort in each other's presence and enjoying their time together. It was even eye-opening for the children; Lon got to see there were more twins like him in the family, and Erika was slowly but surely beginning to open up around the visitors. It all felt like the start of something new.

"Y'know...I like the sound of that," Randall smiled, and Dorian smiled back, before saying, "On a completely different note, I had some patterns I'd like you to look at for some new clothes I've had in mind. I may not be able to get them to you until later, what with all the planning, but I'd appreciate it if you gave them a once-over, and gave me your thoughts."

"I'd be happy to!" Randall replied brightly-anything for his best friend, after all.