#one is OLD and SAD and the other is DALETH.

[leaf-in-a-flower-garden]

Guys I think my friend needs glasses, she thought these two had same face syndrome. W. What.

[Poor lighting cause uhhhh]

[amity206]

Random Elder Headcanons

Thinking about the Sky elders and what they would have been like when they were fully alive (I use he/him for Daleth and she/her for Teth based on things the devs have said when talking about them but given the elders canonically don’t have biological genders I just go with some of them decided to use gendered pronouns while others didn’t - everyone is free to their own interpretation of the lore)

Daleth / Isle Elder

Likes solving puzzles

Stargazes and knows the constellations by memory (as the guide / ferryman elder I imagine he would be skilled in navigating by stars)

Takes a really long time to make decisions but usually makes good ones

Very supportive (concept stuff compared him to a kindergarten teacher), knows how to talk to kids (though he can sometimes get overwhelmed by the noise he’s super good with children)

Actually very skilled in both combat and magic. In his old age he’s getting weaker but he can definitely still kick ass

History geek

Blames himself for the King’s corruption. He thinks he could have prevented it, that he didn’t do enough. He still loves the King like a grandchild and wants to make sure he’s okay.

Ayin / Prairie Elder

Really good at cooking, even though the Elders probably had staff to cook for them

Loves baby mantas (baby light creatures of all kinds really)

Likes to make miniature models of things. would really enjoy those several thousand piece Lego sets if spirits had legos

Vegetarian

super patient. Almost never mad. Absolutely terrifying when they do get mad

Listens to everyone’s opinions on things, very thoughtful

Gives the best hugs

Very hard worker, incredibly strong. The kind of person who does not procrastinate

its canon that they snore loudly

Very sad over how the light creatures were drained under their watch, filled with guilt about it. Wishes they could have found another way that didn’t involve trapping the King in Eden.

Teth / Forest Elder

Could be bossy or stern sometimes, but actually cares very much about the people around her

She will snap at you for annoyances like handing her a shipment of improperly prepared darkstone. Everyone around her deeply respects her though

Introvert at heart, secretly enjoys cheesy romance novels as well as like. Business / mining manuals

Originally called the shaman ancestor so probably had a deeper connection to Megabird, at least at first

Nothing scares her (at least, that’s what she says)

Inner turmoil about her role in the Fall - knowing she played an instrumental role in the Kingdom’s downfall, but also unwilling to place the blame on herself. Despises the former King

Samekh / Valley Elders

Very focused on maintaining their public image and being seen as great by the Kingdom

Sibling Banter™️ with constantly trying to out-perform each other. Despite this in the face of a threat they fight almost as if they were the same person… or used to be

Former bodyguards of the King, watched him become corrupted. As the youngest Elders they looked up to the King more and didn’t know what to do

Liked to throw massive parties/spectacles

Because of this and their playful/occasionally flirtatious streak, some regarded them as more shallow and less intelligent than the rest of the Elders. Sah and Mek were actually geniuses, though prone to making impulse decisions

they judge you by how well you perform in the races / other tests laid out by them. Very dismissive of those who don’t do well.

Because of the “maintaining public image” thing, even in a dead Kingdom they don’t want to let anything be known about the extent they had to do with the corruption

Tsadi / Wasteland Elder

Got seriously corrupted by darkstone like they did in concept art. Used to be super in control of their emotions, as the corruption took hold they became more short-tempered and angry

Long-term planner, very good at military strategy and also strategy games like the Sky version of chess. Has an amazing poker face. (Ignore that the spirits wear masks okay)

Really needs someone to talk to, finds it hard to open up but has a lot to get off their chest- loss, regret, pain, things they could have done better, people they could have saved. Before the Storm they used to talk to Ayin, but now they can’t anymore

Doesnt talk much. Enjoys the company of Teth because they’re both introverts and Teth also likes strategy games.

Wanted to be seen as a hero, not a monster. Thought they were fighting for the good of the Kingdom

Enjoys books on military history and strategy

Cares a lot about people, bad at expressing it

Feels like the King used them as a weapon, incredibly angry about that

Lamed / Vault Elder

The kind of person who will silently judge you instead of confronting you about something

Always uses inside voice

Knows so many things. Passion is searching for obscure and forgotten history

Doesnt get involved in other people’s drama, would serve as a mediator in debates between Elders. Has never needed to raise their voice because a stern look is enough to get everyone to shut up. No one wants to see them get mad.

Fluent in sign language and several ancient languages

Good friends with Daleth, they have tea and share stories

MASTER at strategy games, better in many of them than Tsadi. Sharp-witted too, good at the occasional pun and knows if you’re hiding something/lying

Feels bad for skykids. Doesn’t know how to tell them they were basically created to die, so does their best to prepare them for the storm instead

[prince-les]

Subway twins reaction to any elders? Namely the Triumph Twins?

Let's start from the top:

Daleth (Isle): Emmet didn't get the chance to meet Daleth like Ingo did, so this will mostly be Ingo's opinion.

During his first encounter with the Isle Elder, Ingo's first impression of the old looking figure is that he seems rather composed and in pain. Well that part is quite obvious by the fact that he watches Daleth's mask just casually assembling itself.

The two doesn't really have much to comment about Isle of Dawn and the elder. Isle of Dawn is.. Definitely something bad had happened there and something way more horrible have happened to the elder. Nothing but pity, I suppose.

More utc because if you know me you know it gets long lmao

——

Ayin (Praire): Ingo doesn't have much to talk about Ayin but that he's definitely friend shaped! The Praire's elder size sure is a surprise to him, however embarrassed he is, he won't lie, he didn't expect the giant on the ground would actually be a person.

Emmet loves him! In the younger subway boss' eyes, Ayin is like a gentle butterfly magician. The way butterfly just burst from his can (can?? Bucket??) Is just simply beautiful that are nearly comparable to Ingo's Chandelure's light!

The two overall enjoyed both Praire and the elder! Butterfly and manta go bbrrrrrr oh also Oreo! Can't forget about the good boy.

——

Teth (Forest): Oh she looks sad. The first thing they saw as they entered her temple is Teth sitting in what they can only assume to be grieving as she sit on top of her anvil.

But then they're a bit intimidated by her presence. She seems rather rude and strong headed (?? I forgot the English word I'm sorry). They see Teth as someone who are forced to keep up a harsh look to keep her people strong. Overall she seems like a respectable figure, or at least, she used to be one.

——

Sah - Mekh (Valley): Twins!!! Emmet was ready to fist fight Sah and Mekh when both of them jump the subway bosses from the sky!!!

The Valley twins are as competitive as the subway bosses. While most of the time Sah and Mekh are competitive against each other, they won't hesitate to commit a truce to challenge other competitors. They too, like winning more than anything else. They're the Valley Elders for a reason you know.

Ingo is looking at the other pair of twins with competitive respect. Compared to all the previous elders, Sah and Mekh seems like the youngest of all yet they seem to hold a high ground in the Kingdom as the leader of the Valley.

Emmet wants to battle them so bad!! The twins looks like they would be a strong trainer if they were ever to be one! It's verrryyy unfortunate that Emmet couldn't play the sport sky people play and the Valley twins can't do Pokémon battle.

——

Tsadi (Wasteland): Just like Teth, they seem to take pity on the Wasteland elder. He was a warrior, as obvious as it seems. Now stripped away from his power and authority to become a sole, lone guardian of the Vault.

Ingo takes pity more than Emmet does. He was a warden afterall, he used to have the responsibility to protect Lady Sneasler and her Sneasles. He can't imagine the anguish he'd feel if he were to fail his task back then, and he certainly can't imagine the pain Tsadi is yielding on his back after losing so much in war.

——

Lamed (Vault): The twins feels a bit indecisive in meeting Lamed. The scene that played before them showed that the Elders are a sort of protectors of the world where they currently visit in, but hearing tales about the tragic fate the God of the world had given sky kid somewhat chipped away the respect and pity the two held on the elders.

Though Lamed seems just as in pain as everyone else. They seem like they too, don't like the situation they've been put in. To wield such responsibility by your King and your God. The scar on Lamed's face somewhat brought back the pity, the twins refused to elaborate further about their thoughts on the Elders role in the world.

If only they can talk to the elders. Maybe then they'd received some answers.

[mx-metronome]

Hello, skyblr! Finally coming out and sharing my ideas/theories for Sky! This post is INSANELY long, but I hope you’ll stick around for the entire deal! Spoilers under the cut, just to warn you! (also I refer to the elders by the names given to them by the skyblr community)

tl;dr: It’s suggested even by TGC’s concept art that each of the realms represents a stage of life. I’m gonna take it a step further and say that not only is that true to the individual, but also the civilization pictured throughout the game.

 We’ll start from the beginning of the game and establish some evidence as we go.

Part the First: The Isle of Dawn

Birth. Nascence. The first establishment of existence. The Isle of Dawn is aptly named, being the first point of contact of the people that fell from the stars. They came on ships of stone, riding the newborn winds into this uncharted land, hoping to eventually settle. Pictures drawn of light can be seen carved out of the walls, a primitive method of documentation akin to cave paintings in the earliest times of our own society.

Remnants of the ships can still be found throughout a number of the lands, but especially so here, buried in the sands. The spirits that can be found here are identified as voyagers and stargazers - sailors making land for the very first time.

The elder of the Isle, Daleth, carries a cane, which is significant enough to make up the isle’s constellation. Perhaps they are like a shepherd, guiding the people to their new beginnings. Perhaps the cane just looks really, really cool.

The emotes learned here are directional, like pointing and following.

Part the Second: The Daylight Prairie

They locate the prairie, which signifies childhood. The flowers and the butterflies of light are in abundance here, symbolizing the purity and innocence of youth  still untouched by society.

Here, the society is still in its infancy. The people see the untapped potential in this land, and they begin to plant their roots. Any notable settlements are still small and scattered, but supply lines are quickly established via boats carrying large pots across the clouds. The pots seem to be full of light, a valuable resource that several spirits here can be seen gathering and transporting.

The elder of the Prairie, Ayin, is also pictured as a worker of some kind, and they are depicted with a pot of light, hence the constellation’s shape. The transporting of light is critical to the continued development of the civilization.

The emotes learned here are very basic (like learning to wave hello) or childlike (like charming butterflies or laughing), among a few others.

Part the Third: The Hidden Forest

The forest is a symbol of adolescence: it’s a seeking of identity and all the growing pains it entails.

This light painting (the last one the can be found in the game’s progression [I think], another sign of the advancement of this people) shows the population carrying themselves deeper into areas of richer resources to further expand. And expand they do!

Their structures grow larger and more sturdy. Additionally, the doors through each wall are made of iron and small crystals of....blue light? A similar blue to that of the strange plants that can be seen growing everywhere. These plants of darkness seem to be appearing in larger numbers now: there were zero in the Isle of Dawn, and few enough in the Daylight Prairie that they’re easy to miss. Here they’re not rampant, but they are starting to command attention.

The darkness isn’t necessarily an absence of light, but rather an antithesis to light: the two are opposites but equally powerful in their own unique ways, and both can be seen in the forests’ constructions. There is also some evidence that darkness literally spreads through negative emotions such as hopelessness and sadness, as shown in the memories of the Tearful Light Miner:

While their crew is mining, there’s a cave-in, and all of their friends are injured by the falling rocks. One friend survives the initial collapse, but they are mortally wounded by the affair. This scene here could be their friend resigning to their unavoidable death, and their hopelessness manifests itself as a darkness plant growing out of them. A small detail which is only symbolically important, but tucks itself into the meta quite nicely later.

Returning to the story, the big theme here in the forest is industrialization. Lumberjacks, miners, prospectors, and pioneers can all be found here, striking their claim on this new soil and its resources aplenty. Structures are larger and more numerous, but at the cost of deforestation and putting a lot of holes in the cliffs for mining. Butterflies are not as common now, so alternative sources of light had to be found (more discussion about the harvesting of light from the light creatures can be found here in this post, and it’s this post that in fact inspired this entire post of my own).

Both light and darkness are being harvested from the earth (and possibly even synthesized, if the negative emotions becoming dark plants is taken literally) and fashioned into tools and machinery. The elder of the Forest, Teth, is a blacksmith, and the constellation is a hammer and anvil, a testament to the people’s industrial revolution. Their temple itself is a massive piece of machinery, an impressive feat of engineering only indicative of a civilization accelerating its growth and advancing towards a golden age.

Coincidentally, this oncoming of darkness is also reflected in the emotes learned here, such as apologetic, anger, worry, and crying.

Part the Fourth: The Valley of Triumph

The Valley of Triumph symbolizes young adulthood and is the pinnacle of this society’s achievements. Buildings and structures here are HUGE: entire cities, castles, and the technological advancements are like nothing anyone’s ever seen.

Here the populace has put less focus into expansion and more into the development of its culture. The architecture is much more colorful and stylized. Sporting events such as the races down the slopes or through the clouds are means of entertainment. The citadel’s orrery could indicate a deep understanding of astronomy and mathematics. 

There are twin elders in the Valley: Sah and Mek, and they’re athletes! Whatever sport it is they play involves the use of long sticks, and it’s their two crossed sticks that make up the constellation, emphasizing the establishment of life’s greater pleasures and a thriving culture. A lot of the spirits found here are either athletic in some capacity or are out here living their best life.

The emotes learned here are of pride and athletic ability. Cheering is also noteworthy here, as happiness and enjoyment are highlighted in this realm.

The most curious part of this realm is that there are no darkness plants to be found, and I think the reason for that is that the populace is so swept up in its shows and studies that it’s distracted from its inevitable collapse that will soon follow. Perhaps these people don’t realize what is coming. So what is coming?

Part the Fifth: The Golden Wasteland

The Golden Wasteland symbolizes late adulthood, maybe even a sort of midlife crisis. It’s in this stage that the society begins to break down. The reasons for the upheaval are part of the game’s unsolved mystery, but there are some details of note to be highlighted in this realm.

The structures here are the biggest we’d seen so far, and many of them are a lot like strongholds: Huge, thick walls; pipes of awesome size; and what used to be giant columns dot the sandy wastes. The water is polluted beyond purification; bones of large, long dead creatures are scattered across a hunting ground; and not only are darkness plants in abundance here, but an entirely new embodiment of darkness is also introduced: the krill. 

Krill are a curious creature: not much, if anything, is known about their origins, but their presence as active seekers and destroyers of light could symbolize war and hatred, as an angry or upset individual would try to drag down others from feelings of happiness to the alternative. It is easier to succumb to the darkness and fall from light than it is to climb back out, and it appears that’s what this civilization has done.

In their pride and vanity, political disagreement had sprung into full-scale battles and skirmishes. Barricades pepper the land, especially just outside the temple. The people resorted to weaponizing darkness and blotted out light altogether (notice how fewer candles can be found here than in other realms). The world drowned in despair which only spread the darkness faster. It was like a nuke that left fear and anger in its wake with no chance for light to flourish again. All that remains now are the skeletons of stone and bone, memories of a dying people.

The elder here, Tsadi, is a warrior of renown strength, proficient with the constellation’s shape: a spear and shield. They likely fought along the barricades just outside the gates, desperate to protect any survivors that made it inside.

The spirits here are fighters, survivors, people that are struggling to stay alive in the chaos, and their emotes match that. 

So, after this civilization burned itself to the ground, what remained?

Part the Sixth: The Vault of Knowledge

The Vault of Knowledge symbolizes old age. With no more strength and no more people, all that remains is the collection of knowledge they had accumulated throughout their history, from the Isle to the Wasteland, and any lessons that could be learned from it all.

The realm itself is one giant structure: a tall tower packed to the brim with knowledge stored as light. Light is in abundance here: it fills the room as you climb it, and memories of mantas and other light creatures dwell within here as well. There are little bits of buildings, floating platforms, and large skeletons on display, almost like a museum of the world that once was. 

The elder here is Lamed, and the Vault’s constellation resembles a codex: one of the many lanterns found throughout the vault where texts are kept. In their cutscene, they appear tired and hopeless. The Vault is all that’s left between the source of the darkness and the rest of the world.

Scholarly spirits walked the halls and recorded as much history as they could before they too were wiped out by the impending darkness, vainly hoping that their mark on the world would be left behind in the stories they told so that they might not be forgotten. The emotes learned here are of praying and meditation, strongly suggesting the theme of pausing and reflecting on all that had transpired.

It is here that your journey begins to come to an end as you reflect on the realms that you’ve seen and the people you watched rise and fall. They weren’t forgotten because you witnessed it all. They succeeded, in a way.

The Vault of Knowledge is unique in that at the top of the level, not just one elder statue sits, but all SIX are there. This realm isn’t a part of the society’s story: it IS the story. 

As you progress through the level, the constellations are revealed to you, one by one.

In the cutscene where all six elders bow to you and thank you for guiding the spirits home, a song plays. What’s the official title of that song in the soundtrack?

“The Story So Far.”

Lamed and the other elders told you their story. About the rise and fall of their people, blinded by ambition and by a thirst for both light and darkness. In their attempt to balance the two powers, darkness ultimately won, and now no one remains.

Only a vault. The room of six statues is a new addition, as they all seem cleanly cut and without any wear. They were built intentionally, shortly before the darkness destroyed everyone, as a means to tell that story to whomever may find them.

This was the old room. Where Lamed’s statue once stood is now an empty pedestal. The light is now gone, and the soft blues and blacks of the rest of the level are now a dark, dull gray. The only decent source of light is from the occasional flashes of lightning from the storm beyond. The rest of the Vault was sealed off to protect its contents and its people who all died within, leaving this top chamber to be consumed.

Finale: The Eye of Eden

The most mysterious of the seven realms, Eden symbolizes death, an inevitability for all. I don’t have a lot to go off of for this part, but the red diamond that rests at the top of the mountain seems to be neither light nor darkness. It’s emitting a ray of golden light up to the heavens, but it’s also showering the mountain in a dark storm of rocks. So, which is it?

The scene shown from the Vault cutscene depicts the mountain with the diamond at the top. There also sits a monarch of some kind underneath it. Is this king the one that weaponized darkness and brought the fall of his people? There’s a lot of speculation behind this one.

I believe the diamond is death itself. Death is the most powerful tool a king can have, for there’s no threat to your power if all your competition is in the ground. But a warmonger invites violence to his doorstep, and he and all his people perished as a result.

But the diamond itself is not to be feared. Yes, it’s spouting darkness across the land, and that’s all a mortal will ever see. But on the other side of that dark storm is the beam of pure light shooting into the heavens, something only the deceased will embrace and understand. Death is an ending. Death is a release.

The spirits all needed a little light to find their way to that other side. So you lit them with your candle. You taught them how to feel love and happiness again, something that widespread darkness took from them. 

And when you fell and collapsed under the darkness yourself, some other sky kid came along and granted you their winged light so you may pass on too.

And you and the spirits, now freed from the suffering of darkness by way of just a taste of light, returned to the stars from whence you came.

....Uhh, the end? That’s my super hot take? Add to it if you like?

[livinasimminlife]

The best of Amy Cat and Cathy Tea from Livin’ a Simmin’ Life

In honor of Pride Month! Thanks to @cathy-tea and MsShadami for submitting these lovely Sims for my Livin’ A Simmin’ Life story. 

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Excerpt #1: 

Cathy Tea had traveled the world in the last year. She toured for another bestselling book. Unfortunately, the road can be a lonely place, as Cathy wrote me. The most interesting people she met were bartenders. Unfortunately, they were either too old…

“How does a youngin’ like you know a sasparilla?” the bartender in Windenburg inquired.

He rocked the salt and pepper look with his twirling mustache. He regaled Cathy with tales of the “good old days,” plopping an extra cherry in her whipped cream. In the end, he went to his grave a few days after meeting Miss Tea, a case of bad fish and indigestion. Perhaps she wanted to be with someone who didn’t have to inhale Pepto Simsol on a daily basis.

…too young…

“Aww… Mz. Tea, you are always makin’ me smile,” the dark-skinned, chiseled jaw, and sparkling eyes caught her attention.

“Say, we should grab a coffee sometime, or a tea. You like tea right?” she smirked. “Wait, you like tea, or else you wouldn’t be talkin’ to me,” she quipped.

“That’s awful kind of ya, but shouldn’t you date someone your own age?”

“Ouch! Who said anything about dating? I was just thinking delicious intellectual conversation with a handsome young man like yourself and an experienced woman as myself and we’ll go from there.”

“No thanks, Mz. Tea. Maybe some other time.”

While waiting for the metro city bus to arrive, Cathy surprised a bystander with a shower of red rose petals.

“These are called Dame de Coeur,” Cathy explained. “Aren’t they lovely?”

“Say do you usually go around and throw flowers at people?” the redhead made a face.

“Why not? Admit it. It made your day,” Cathy smiled. “It means ‘lady of heart.’ You should be flattered.”

“Uh thanks,” the woman replied, sarcastically. “Where are you headed?”

“Here. There. A little bit of everywhere,” Cathy remarked. “I’m Cathy.”

“Amy.”

“Enchanted.”

You see, Amy Cat walked to Thymes Square to meet a man she chatted with online. Turns out the man was goofy and charming and wanted in four states. Oh did I say states? I meant countries. Dejected, Amy boarded a bus and rode until the end of the line in Oasis Springs, and wandered around until she purchased a ticket to return.

Perhaps it wasn’t a completely wasted trip because she met the goofy and charming lady Cathy with her quirky ways and winning smile and messy braid that bounced when she walked. Amy found herself drawn to the older woman in a way she hadn’t ever felt before. Cathy promised to give Amy a full tour of the Springs and if she didn’t like it after the afternoon, Cathy would personally reimburse her for the ticket cost.

Amy stayed for four days, absolutely delighted by Cathy’s way of telling stories and intrigued by how well she seemed to know every nook and cranny of the Springs from the local watering holes to the best hidden picnic spots to the most comfortable night’s sleep in three counties. At the end of the week, Amy was sad she would need to return, but then Cathy surprised her once more at the bus stop with a single Dame de Coeur rose.

“It’s a simple as bread and butter and the sun that rises in the western sky, Amy,” Cathy began. “I like you. I like you a lot. And I think we should go steady if you’re into that.”

Oh Amy was most definitely into that!

They kissed.

They hugged.

Amy promised to return the following weekend, and Cathy replied “nonsense,” and said she had friends in the city who owed her favors. She would be coming with on the bus ride.

Excerpt from: Weather the Distance, Part 2

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Excerpt #2: 

On hot nights, young lovers lay on the ground and identify stars. The excruciating temperatures of the day fade away. Coyotes sing their night hymns. White hydrangeas are in full bloom, an ode to summer. Nothing but calm and constellations and hearts full of dreams. The mighty hunter Orion. The vain queen Cassiopeia. The hearty bull Taurus. The wild archer Sagittarius.

“Luna looks beautiful tonight,” Amy cooed.

“You look radiant,” Cathy replied.

Amy flushed, her cheeks a pleased pink. “Thank you. Seriously, it’s almost as if…” she squinted. “I can see the Lakes colony.”

“Have you ever been?” Cathy inquired, crossing her ankles the other direction as she shifted, her back easing against the crevices of dirt between the paved stones.

“To Luna?” Amy said, rolling so she could see her girlfriend.

“Yes,” Cathy murmured, twisting her braid around her finger. “It is truly remarkable to visit the moon and see Simterra from space.”

“I’ve never left planetside,” Amy replied. “My great-great-great grandparents were explorers, and they hitched a ride with military pilots to the Delta base on Luna before it was off limits to civilians. I think they lived somewhere out here in the Daleth system. I always thought it would be spectacular to be a pioneer in space. There’s so much out there…” she swept her arm upward, placing her hands at different angles to frame clusters of stars. “…I would love to see it all someday. I can’t imagine living in a more lovely spot in the galaxy. Of course…” she smiled coyly. “…I have you to thank for that.”

Cathy propped her weight against her elbow, a bright smile spreading across her face. “Marry me, Amy.”

“What?” Amy blinked rapidly, shook her head, and sat up as if she didn’t hear her closest and dearest friend carefully.

“Marry me,” Cathy repeated, sitting up and draping her arms over her bent knees. “I’m not as young as you you, and I don’t have the energy you do, and I’m advancing in years. I don’t want to waste a moment. I want to be with the woman who makes me sun rise every morning, and who makes my stars shine at night, and who sends the spark of life through my veins.”

Amy’s eyes misted with tears. “Cathy…” she gasped, bringing her hands to her heart as she scooted close. “Thank you…” the women touched foreheads, bowing ever so slightly making silent vows never to leave one another.

“I will marry you.”

Excerpt from: Celebrate All That is Good, Part 1 

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Excerpt #3: 

Sugar played a simple, but beautiful version of Moonlight Sonata as the guest continued to trickle into their seats.  It was fitting as Amy shared with me how Cathy proposed. As the cellist, whom I had never seen before, pulled his bow across the strings, I could hear the lovely tension – the moving minor key, stirring me to almost tears. It was an unusual choice for a walk-the-aisle piece, but somehow fitting.

Cathy and Amy walked down the aisle together, holding hands. When they reached the arch covered in winding daffodils, roses, and ribbons, Cathy grabbed Amy around the waist and gave her a big smooch. The guests laughed, and Anne slid into a seat next to me.

“Sorry,” Cathy smirked, as she greeted the guests. “I know it’s customary to wait till the end for the kiss, but I couldn’t help myself.”

Amy flushed and fanned herself happily.

“Somehow, I never really imagined myself standing here, in a dress, with someone so beautiful,” Cathy said quietly. “Ready to do this? Are you brave?”

Cathy cleared her throat, glanced with a quick blush at the onlookers, and then spoke her vows:

“I’ll brave the world for you This I knew From the start.

“Kiss every challenge Embrace each hardship, So long as we’re not apart…”

“I’ll brave the world with you This I say With my heart.

“See? Your stars, my planets, smile together in our chart.

“Brave the world with me Write new law, Overturn Descartes

“Together, we’ll doubt The mind, which we know Our two hearts Will always outsmart.”

Amy’s eyes glistened with tears as she took the love of her life’s hand.

“With this ring I promise to continue to be your sun in the morning, your stars at night, and create our own galaxy of life and love through out all our days.”

Excerpt from: Celebrate All That is Good, Part 3

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