A Kick In The Shins (BB and Starry's Banding)

[The Bard Babe]

BB watched Starry as he worked sword forms, a Bandy in her hand. She thought carefully about how to approach this new problem. Never had she worried that her best friend would turn her down. Such a thing was beyond them both.

She had never had to worry that she wouldn't be safe in his presence, and she'd be damned if she let him be hurt when she was around to take the blow for him.

But how now to approach him? They both were fighters of old issues. They both were young, yet both were wise when the other had no tears left to cry. Starry had his own problems, scars from years past, and BB had war wounds much the same. She felt them itch on skin long since hardened and toughened by fall after fall from her steed. Both were struck time and time again by the swords and arrows their foe wielded, yet never would they allow each other to fall. When he stumbled, she lifted him onto her horse, and when she fell, he watched over her until she had strength enough to re-mount.

Again, BB considered the drink in her hand. Never had Starrik given her cause to be nervous. Offering him a drink would be fruitless. She needed to go and speak to him directly. She had no need to fear his response. Starrik was a cloud of solidity, a contradiction of natures and a clash of worlds that she would never allow herself to abandon. He was the little boy and the wise old man, her rock, her sword, her horse and most of all, he was her friend.

While BB was around, Starrik would never die. She would allow no such thing to happen. A frown creased her face as the thought crossed her mind. Never.  And he would never let her fall so far that she was impossible to bring back. Any wound she had, he could heal, and any injury he received through his infantry ways, she woudl see mended, and then go after whoever had done it and castrate them.

They knew this. It resounded within them as words so deep they could never be uttered.

Nodding to herself, BB marched herself over the lanky swordsman.

[Starrik]

Starrik worked his way through the forms, sweat beading on his forehead. He never achieved the void that was so highly prized among soldiers, instead he though. And right now, his thoughts were stuck on BB. She was right there in the corner of his eye, watching his efforts to master the sword intently. A little voice in the back of his head told him that she wasn't really watching the sword forms, but instead studying him. She was thinking about something, and that something involved him. It didn't worry the fledgling Infantryman, nothing she said would ever be too much for him to handle. Starrik tried to focus his thoughts back onto the sword again, but failed utterly. Instead, the mind that was supposed to be perfecting the graceful movements of his weapon flitted to the connection between him and his dear friend. Theirs had been an unexpected friendship, as many are, two people drawn together through circumstance and shared interests, but their bond was deeper than that now.
The Bard Babe, magical musician, natural nerd and ferocious friend was his swordsister of the world. No matter how bad the situation got, or the troubles that the world threw their way, Starrik knew that he could count on the familiar prescence of his closest companion, holding his back against those foes that would try to sneak in unaware. That vague shadow in his eye had turned his life upside down, revealing to him worlds he had never imagined, stealing away pasttimes and replacing them anew. She had brought him to Dragonmount, shown him the Wheel itself, albeit kicking and screaming at times. Entire universes had erupted from their pooled creative abilities, stories of an epic magnitude. She would always be by his side, to protect him, and he her. As she slowly approached, her short form as always masked by her huge personality, Starrik abandoned all pretence of swordplay, and turned to her.

[The Bard Babe]

BB started as Starry finished his sword forms with a wonderfully coordinated flourish. Usually neither of them were that terribly coordinated. A grin stole over her face. It was a good thing they were both there to pick each other up again when they fell, considering the amount of things they tripped over.

He was right there, watching her, staring at her, and yet BB, who relied on words to see her through every situation, was content to stand in silence, just for a moment, drawing the moment out, marvelling in how safe she felt the second she stepped near him. She needn't worry about any backstabbing fiends when he was there guarding her back.

"Starrik." she began simply, feeling the emotion between them wash over her. Starry knew she was there for a reason more than a casual conversation. She wouldn't be asking him this if he didn't. "How long we've known each other doesn't match the depth of the emotions I like to believe we share. We both have overactive imaginations. I know you know how it feels to see me stabbed in your mind's eye, and I know how it feels for me to see you impaled in my imagination. I just wanted to make absolutely sure that you know that I would take any wound if it meant you were saved from harm. The harm need not be big, but I know a nick to your heart can cripple you. You always have had too big a heart for your own good. Basically, what I'm saying is, nothing's gonna harm you while I'm around."
Grinning to herself, she hummed the song that matched those words in her mind, and continued. "See, there I go again! Starting off eloquent and ending in simplicity." She shook her head, her grin still firmly in place, and caught Starry's eyes. She knew what he would say, how he would respond, but she still could feel a moment of doubt shake her innards. "So, I reckon it's time to make that agreement official. Starry, will you be my Banded?"

[Starrik]

As his dear friend halted, a comfortable silence spread between them. He grinned at her words, his heart returning the sentiment at each syllable. She asked, and a great smile split his face in two. Starrik bowed formally, then responded "I would be honoured." Taking but a step forward, he lightly kicked the shin of his best mate. "And you always know that if the world itself were to fall onto you, I would still pick it up to help you."

[The Bard Babe]

BB's face opened up into a smile larger than it could fit as he accepted, and she couldn't stop the brightest laughter she had ever uttered from bubbling out of her throat as her shin was lightly kicked.

"Ok, enough words now." she murmured, and leapt on her sword-brother in a bear hug that she knew would always be open for her to partake of. Tears filled her eyes, but she quelled them. She couldn't go disgracing the Cavalry with happy tears. Oh, to hell with the Cavalry. "Ok, this is getting far too serious, sword-brother. We need to go and spill a Band drink or paint Dice's horse or something."

[Starrik]

"Much agreed. My vote is that we paint Bunyan a sickly bright shade of pink." Starrik chortled, slightly impressed at the depth of the laugh. He grinned at the tears streaking her face, and narrowly stopped his own. There were band members around after all. He clapped an arm on his swordsister's shoulder, and set off in search of the right bucket of paint.

[The Bard Babe]

PARTY TIIIIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BridMorgan]

Congrats BB and Starrik!!!  Whoo hoo!!

 

*tacklehugs the Bands newest bandeds*

 

May your Banding grow stronger each day and outlast the heavens.

[The Bard Babe]

Yayyyy, thanks Brid.

 

O.o   You know of tacklehugs?     :)  That makes me happy indeed.

[Panchi]

Congrats BB and Starry!

[lolguy26]

congrats guys :DD

[BridMorgan]

BB, I've been doing tacklehugs for YEARS!!  LOL

 

*superflyingtacklehugs* 

[Starrik]

Thanks everyone!

[dicetosser1]

"Congrats kids!"

 

watches as Bunyan quietly steps up beside Starrik.

 

 

"you two got a bit impatient did you? lol  Very nicely done."

 

 

Grins at Starrik as Bunyan steps on his foot pinning it in place whuffling down Starriks neck "Bunyan suggests that if you want to live to enjoy your new Banding, that you dont try anything with him. i would agree" Dices eyes holds a malevolent glint to them

 

 

"Now Starrik as you have been Banded by a Cavalry member I believe you need to get used to drinking this."  Hands him a large Bandy. "And heres one for you too BB be careful you dont spill it."

[The Bard Babe]

*glowers at Bunyan for stepping on her banded*

 

*watches him snort and snuffle and then back away slightly ashamed of himself*

 

*nods*

 

 

Thanks Dicicle!!!!!!  XD  Yeah, we live in the moment, we got impatient.   :p

 

*chink chink drink*

[dicetosser1]

cracks up at the fact that BB believed Buynyans ashamed act..

[Nyanna al'Meara]

 

FINALLY!!!! CONGRATULATIONS BB and Starry!!!! Beaooootiful ceremony

 

*glomptacklesquishes then both and sprinkles horse oats all over them* Woohooo!!! :D

[beanie]

Ahhhhh Congratz you two!!!! That was a lovely ceremony

 

*hugs them both and dumps drinks on their heads*

[Mayleigh Aes Sedai]

Ah Jaysus!! that was ...so.... emotional....sniff!

 

Congrats you two!

[dicetosser1]

hands may a hankie  "she always cries at these things" he explains

[Jeannaisais]

Congrats to you both! Sorry it took so long to figure out what you guys could do :)

[BFG]

So sweet

*sniffs*

[WolfbrotherKronos]

Congrats to both of you!!!