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[fourthsaken]

WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, JADED. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 005.04.008.13 *** CHARACTER NAME/ALIAS has joined 005.04.008.13 <JADED> hey, you've reached Jade. <JADED> leave a message or whatever and i'll get back to you. <JADED> God, I hope this shitty thing actually works.

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[crowedthedead]

[He laughs and catches her with an arm around her, returning the hug tightly. Soeki never had a doubt that she'd be happy for them, but it does catch him by surprise that she helped with this too.]

I don't know why I'm surprised that you helped set this up. He proposed last night, over dinner. It was our anniversary - or, sexiversary. It was June when we started sleeping together last year. I don't think we even got to dessert.

[fourthsaken]

Sexiversary? That's a thing? [And she immediately reconsiders her question, making a face. The less she thinks about her older brothers having sex, the better.] Nevermind, don't answer that.

And of course I helped. I had to. You guys need my help. Someone had to tell him not to propose with dog slippers.

[crowedthedead]

It's a thing. [But that's all he's going to say about that, because yeah, awkward.

He snorts out a laugh.] Do not rag on my moving-in proposal. I choked, okay? I thought about giving him the key to an apartment but then if he didn't like the apartment I chose, we'd be stuck with it, and I panicked like the day before. His proposal was much more smooth.

[fourthsaken]

[Thank you, Soeki. She appreciates his moment of restraint.]

Okay, but slippers? Why slippers? You could've given him like, a fake key. It didn't have to be the key. You don't have a ring yet, right? We thought it'd be cool if you cold pick something out together, like the apartment. [She continues, but not before lowering her voice to a whisper. Oliver's not around, but just in case.] And then you can pick out something cool that Oliver would never pick out.

[crowedthedead]

I told you I panicked! I'm bad at this kind of thing. [A fake key had not even occurred to him. God damn it.] Point taken, I should have asked you for advice.

No, we don't have rings yet. I'm not sure when we're going to go pick those out. [He laughs and shakes his head.] I don't think he'd appreciate if I got an engagement ring with a skull on it or something. We might go simple. I like the idea of engraving on the inside.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade nods, smiling smugly] You should always ask me for advice.

[Jade seems to be seriously considering how much Oliver would kill them if they got Soeki an engagement ring with a skull on it. She knows it's possible to get jewelry custom made.] Ollie'd be pissed if you got a skull ring, huh? It should still be something different. It can't be boring.

[crowedthedead]

[Honestly Soeki has no idea what he wants in an engagement ring. It's not something he ever really considered. Do men even get engagement rings? Or do they just skip straight to wedding bands? He's going to put that on the list of things to ask Oliver later.]

So what are your ideas, then, oh wise one?

[fourthsaken]

[Jade's hands go to the necklace she wears every day, a small skull with a bow made out of white gold and accented in diamonds. Enjolas had given it to her, along with matching earrings and a bracelet. She knows they could make something for Soeki too.]

You should go to the place Enjolras always went to. I, uh, sorta stopped by there a couple days ago. Do you know that you can get rings made out of black gold?

[crowedthedead]

[He sees where her fingers go, and he smiles warmly.] Black gold? That sounds fab, I wonder if he'd go for that. We'll definitely try that place first and see what they can do. [He picks up a bottle of metallic silver polish and shakes it to mix it up.]

Here, do you want to paint my claws?

[fourthsaken]

[Jade smiles, pleased that Soeki seems to like he idea. She takes the bottle of polish from him with a nod, giving it a few more shakes.]

Yeah, of course. [Her smiles turns to a grin as she uncaps the bottle.] How much would Ollie freak out if you had painted claws at the wedding?

[crowedthedead]

[He holds out his hand, claws already manicured down to something more elegantly pointed and less lethal looking. They're black naturally - the silver polish will stand out.] I think me having painted claws is like one of the tamest things he might expect. You know we can't go full goth with this, right? It wouldn't be fair to Ollie.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade takes one of Soeki's hands in hers, starting to paint his claws in practiced, even strokes. It's calming for her, familiar. They really need to do this more often, she decides.

She rolls her eyes at Soeki's wedding planning stipulations.]

I know, I know, but we can go a little goth, right? It's not just his wedding, it's yours too.

[crowedthedead]

[It's definitely nice, sitting around like this, just talking and doing each other's makeup and nails. A comforting sort of routine.]

A little bit, a few touches here and there. I don't want to bring this down for him, you know. He's the kind of guy who's always figured he'd get married some day, and honestly? I never really thought I'd have a wedding at all.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade nods. She understands what Soeki's saying, but that doesn't mean she's completely happy with it either. She chews at her bottom lip worriedly.]

Are you... Okay. It can be a mostly normal wedding. I just... I don't want it to be something you don't like. [A pause.] I don't want this to change everything. [Because as happy as she is for Soeki and Oliver, and as much as she thinks them getting married is the best idea, there's a niggling worry that maybe she won't have the same place in their new life together.]

[crowedthedead]

It's going to be great. We're just both going to have to make some compromises on taste and aesthetic, and marriage is all about compromise, right? [He taps her knee to catch her eye, giving her a sincere smile.]

Nothing's going to change. It's a new set of words for the same thing we've had, and a big party.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade looks up at him, returning his smile. She believes Soeki. If he says that things won't change, that's all the reassurance she needs.]

Right. I know the wedding will be great. You guys are great. I told Oliver, you're perfect for each other. I just... It's stupid, but I still want to be part of it.

[crowedthedead]

Of course you're going to be part of it, don't be ridiculous. The first thing we agreed on was that we wanted the focus on our family. That's you.

[fourthsaken]

Really? Oliver said that?

[crowedthedead]

Yeah, why wouldn't he? You're our little sister. And it would be pretty shitty not to involve you, considering we wouldn't even probably have gotten this far without your meddling.

[fourthsaken]

[There's a long pause, as Jade brings her attention back to Soeki's nails. Her perfect paint job stares back at her, preventing her from stalling from long.]

I just... I dunno. I love Oliver, but we're so different. What if he doesn't like my meddling?

[crowedthedead]

I mean, he probably doesn't want skulls on all the tables at the reception, but we both want your input and your help with the wedding. God, please don't leave us to do this alone, I've never planned a wedding. Shit, I've never even been to a wedding since my brother's.

[fourthsaken]

[Jade grins, satisfied that they really want her help. They definitely need her help.]

You guys are hopeless without me, you know that? You never would've even started officially dating if I hadn't told you to.

[crowedthedead]

Believe me, I know that all too well. Honestly, we probably wouldn't be doing this if he hadn't proposed. Not that I don't want to marry him, but it never even occurred to me that- it was a thing we could do.

[fourthsaken]

I'm glad Oliver thought of it. And was brave enough to ask. He was so freaked out that you were gonna freak out.

[crowedthedead]

I mean, I had a small internal freakout. I kept it in, pretty much? It's not that I don't want to marry him, obviously I do, but... [He exhales and lifts a hand like he's going to run it through his hair, but remembers his claws and lays it down on the coffee table again.]

I guess I never thought that this was... something for me. When I was a teenager, I always sort of figured I'd wind up marrying Ryelle. Then her death, and everything with Rista, I just sort of resigned myself to dying alone.