Who: Noah, Calum When: Before the wedding Where: Craigcrook Castle, Edinburgh What: Noah's wearing his full regalia, mostly, and planning on distracting Sebastian off and on while Sebastian's working. Calum's getting a chance to see a soon to be family member wearing the colors. Rating/Warnings: none that I noticed! Status: Complete
Noah's heading up the steps when it's pretty obvious that someone's noticed he's not wearing his usual post work jeans and something else sort of affair. He's worn kilts around the castle itself before, and cooked a few meals at the gatehouse, getting a feel for the swing of the pleats and the texture of the wool.
When you're used to a uniform, strange fabric movement really did get startling until you could recognize what it was.
Calum hasn’t spotted Noah in the full gear together yet. He’s seen most of it being gathered, looked at how things seemed to fit together when it came to actual items, but actually being worn is a different thing. He’s heading around the corner, on a call, but he’s stopping it when he sees Noah’s heading up.
“Hans? I’m going to call you back. Have Evan tell the Historical society we’ll send them the proper paperwork after this weekend, and once I’ve had a chance to see how Sebastian feels about that proposal. I’m not bothering them with it now.”
And then he’s heading around so he can get a better look.
“The stitching on that really suits the coloring.” He greets Noah, giving him a nod.
Noah smiles. "It's not the best shirt, and this is the winter fabric one, not the wedding one." Same colors though. "How has your morning been?" The kilt's a longer one, in the Vael colors, with some hose and a long sleeved linen shirt. The shirt's a little light for the cool spring weather, and the kilt's a little heavy, but the combination is pretty comfortable. Noah got changed after his riding lesson (or well, how to get on a horse and not look like you're clutching to a sinking ship) with Aedan earlier.
“It will look good then.” Calum says, nodding. “I like the look of it all together. It’s a good length for you.” He smiles. “Nothing too exciting so far, actually. A few things from the historical society that don’t need to be handled right away came through, and I have some students coming for harp in the afternoon, and one for lyre. How are YOU doing? Sebastian seems eager to get the major areas out of the way to just relax with you.”
"Not too bad. Did a bit of riding earlier, with Aedan. Mostly him sitting and me correcting my posture on a very very patient horse." Noah gestures. "Had a shower and changed, and I was thinking of seeing if Sebastian would mind company while he's working. Tomorrow, there'll be some more kids to talk about the garden program. I think the teacher's got a speech about victory gardens so I may just be standing around in the potting shed looking alive."
Noah hesitates and steps closer. "How - does it look? Usually I don't bother with the hose if I'm just padding around the house, but with the rain, I wanted to be warm."
They've had a wet and rainy spring, and the prediction was that summer would be hot and dry. Noah's already planning on what to plant, and possibly letting the garden go a bit fallow for the hottest part of summer.
“I like it.” Calum nods. “Given the forecast, it’s likely a good idea for right now.” Hopefully it won’t be TOO much of a downpour, which would be sort of a disaster, wouldn’t it? And then he’s pausing, something else occurring to him.
“While I’ve got you, since it’s a few days before the wedding...I likely should warn you about...I’ve heard of a thing they like to do here, to the grooms. I dare say either you or Sebastian MIGHT end up dealing with it, and it seems a bit...violent at first. It isn’t but...a lot of traditions here LOOK that way and...apparently they like to kidnap grooms before the weddings, muck them up a bit and parade them around. I’m HOPING no one’s work friends go for it on the basis of neither of you’s from here, but….”
But he can’t be certain.
"I'd say warn Sebastian, and make sure he's got a change of clothes." Noah's frowning. "I'm . . . not sure I'd handle it well. I can see my nerves deciding it's an attack, not a tradition, if that makes sense? I could casually bring it up at work, and our main fancy icing person is ex-Navy. I suspect he'd understand if I imply it's a trauma thing, and that I'd need to go easy."
Noah hesitates. "I'm glad you told me? I could see - my heart sinking, if that makes sense?"
“I can do that.” Calum nods seriously. “It’s meant in good fun, especially these days, and given his position, it’ll likely, if it happens, be a thing for sport, but I thought, given everyone’s experience, forewarned IS likely best. And there’s a good idea. They call it Blackening The Groom if you want to bring it up by name and look informed. And well. It’s not something I’d much like coming out of nowhere. Admittedly, at home, we’d have the bride’s friends steal her at dinner the night before, when closer guests arrived and send the groom in with something ridiculous to fight his way through them. I had a brightly colored painted stick, but that IS quite different.” He eyedarts a little. “And Lily’s sister got me really well. I had a bruise somewhere unmentionable for a week. In retrospect, asking Antivan women to fight was...not the best idea. Antivans are…” He snorts a little. “Passionate.”
"At home . . . ." Noah trails off. "I think this was mostly legends, and not reality, but the bride would sew a coat for the groom, and he'd make her something. And for good luck, he'd ride up, in her clothes and pick her out from a crowd by her coat, and they'd ride off. Usually the day of the wedding and show up in their wedding gear. If it was a bad snow, you might wear your coat backwards or walk backwards out of the house to lose the bad luck."
Noah shakes his head. "In Archades, in noble weddings, the bride would sword dance and her women would wait around her at the door for her groom to come. The story was that it started with an empress who was not particularly impressed with the customs, and wanted things to start on the right foot. It was less warlike and more graceful posing for a lot of families."
“We had sword dancing.” Calum grins. “Only the men, though, for us. And I think, here, only Courfeyrac actually knows how to DO that, oddly enough. There’d also be a procession, typically, for the bride at least, toward the chantry. And we passed out almonds at the end, sugared ones, in little packages. Not for Starkhaven but Antiva. Something about luck and them needing to be uneven numbers.” He shakes his head. “I swear, I was counting them out for a YEAR beforehand. Well, at least an entire day.”
"In the case of the Empress, she'd ran a war, and her soldiers were largely commoners she'd trained, so I think it was a bit of P.R.? You know - you're marrying someone who's happily gotten armed and waged a war, don't strut in like a peacock and think you own the place." Noah shrugs a little. "I'd assume her husband found it a bit stressful. Almonds, huh? I thought the uneven numbers for gifts of fruit was to represent that your couple would have children."
“I didn’t ask much then.” Calum looks thoughtful.”I wish I HAD, now, but…” he laughs. “If it was that, it didn’t much help. Could well have been worse, I suppose. I’m not sure HOW it could have, but…”
He smiles anyway. “Things have worked though, reasonably. And I’m glad we came here and you did.”
Noah smiles back at him. "I still intend on marrying your little brother, but I'm glad you're happy with things." He laughs. "I suppose I'm getting cocky. But - he makes me very happy. I'm lucky."
Calum smirks. “I hardly blame you for that, and good. It’s nice to have you here, you know that? Especially considering when you came here, I’d barely arrived and things were in a bit of an uproar all around. Yet, you were somehow not driven off.” “He was probably a bit mad at the time, but I’m grateful for that.’ There’s Sebastian passing through and he’s glancing at Noah, his eyes widening a little, and then smiling. “Hello, Love. Is that…”
"The winter one, not the wedding one." Noah smiles and offers his hand. "But aye, your plaid. And I might still be a bit mad, but I could probably turn that to innuendo with time. Hello. Can I join you in your office?"
Sebastian snorts at the latter part. “I do like that on you. For obvious reasons, naturally, but beyond those, the color suits you pretty well. I’d quite like it if you did. I’ve been sending emails to the coordinators for Cal’s venue. They’d like a video greeting if you’re up for doing one when we can both organize it, and had some specific questions for me to answer about being a public official who is openly bisexual, so I’ve been emailing those back. I think there’s going to be a write up when they solicit donations, so I’m more than happy to help the group make more money.”
Noah nods slowly. "I can do that. You'd probably want to pick what we'll be wearing."
“I’d thought something like we’d usually wear.” Sebastian grins at that. “Probably my green jumper.” Which IS draped over one of the chairs at the moment, since he had it on earlier in the day, when he’d run outside to check on a few things. “How was the riding?”
"Still awkward, but we might be able to ride by summer without you feeling like you're taking a toddler to see the ponies." Noah leans to kiss his cheek. "I love you. We should wear a slightly Scottish pin, I think. If you can tolerate that."
Sebastian laughs at that part. “Why do I feel like there’s a toddler somewhere who’s really good? But good to know.” He leans in a little himself.
Noah nuzzles his cheek. "Have you eaten?"
“Not yet.” Sebastian smiles. “You?”
"Bread and jam, before riding, while plying Aedan with some." Noah tucks an arm around him. "I can repeat the performance. Would you like some, Calum?"