Cordiform Heaven

It All Cums Together In Paddington 2

 It was a hazy lilac morning. A morning that carried a brisk, refreshing, quality in its stoic tranquility. Crystalline dew drops rested on sea glass blades of grass, catching the eerie light of the dawn and shining like perfectly cut gemstones for but a moment. Any memory of the night before remained only as whispers shared between a few still-perceivable stars, which shimmered and winked in the indigo mantel of the sky. One with a romantic heart might take note of how the glimmering dew drops and sparkling stars existed as lovers separated by their stations in life, tragic lovers destined to only see each other at the break of dawn...

They weren't alone of course. Artie stood in the solitary field, observing the soft clouds that encased the sky in a sheet of delicately woven fibers. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he hardly noticed when a real blanket was draped about his shoulders. However, the comforting warmth caused his eyes to soften as he turned his head to face the familiar face he knew would be standing behind him.

Delnis stood in the morning's luminous embrace, a light smile pulling at his lips and humor dancing behind his eyes.  Artie clasped the edges of the blanket to his chest with shy, tentative, hands.

"I didn't think I'd see you awake this early, keeping watch?" Artie asked, although the ghost of a joke played between his words. Both of them knew they'd find a way to end up like this someway or another by now.

"Something like that, yeah." His voice was filled with a balmy, almost dark quality, but his subtle smile had curled into a teasing crescent moon, far too wide and dopey to ever be considered debonair. His faltering attempt to seem mysterious remained endearing despite, if not due to, it's overwhelming clumsiness. He gently placed his hands on Artie's shoulders, sliding them down the edges of the blanket as if to smooth it's surface before pulling it tighter about the human man.

He dropped his faux modish demeanor as he asked, "You're not out here getting yourself sick are you? We're all in for a long day ahead, it won't do you any good to be green around the gills."

Artie pressed the side of his head against Delnis' chest, savoring the way in which the triton so instinctively moved to hold him in response.

"Don't you have bigger things to worry about than me?"

"Well, you have seemed shorter recently..." Delnis remarked wryly as he smoothed over Artie's hair with the base of his palm, "But, no. I wouldn't say that personally." The two of them broke apart, lightly clinging to one another's hands as if the slightest breeze might catch them and carry them away.

Artie and Delnis eventually rejoined the rest of their party and began the day's journey to [thetowninwhichthetowerwiththedeadguywaslocatedFoxucan'trememberthenameofitrightnow].

Even as they walked down the dusty road of providence, the dark silhouette of the archmage's tower commanded the horizon, it's looming spire cutting harsh spirals into the clouds.

It was evening by the time the party landed in [thetownwhatonearthwasitcalled], and everyone was desperate to find some place to rest as Darius had stepped in something ukky yukky on their way over. As such, the party scoped out a local fantasy hotel [we call them taverns in show-biz]. This specific tavern was bestowed with the delightful moniker 'The Dapper Dragon'.  A name was fit to make Artie faint while clutching his favorite dragon dakimakura to his rapidly beating heart, but such displays of revelry would be further expounded upon when, upon entering, Artie was faced with the realization that dragons were actually real?!?!?!?!?! Tiny dragons were everywhere, serving guests while wearing tiny dragon suits, doing aerial back-flips, playing dragon cards, and preforming an entire fully-rehearsed dance number. It was so fantastic that the sheer existence of the Dapper Dragon was enough to prove to Artie the existence of heaven. This was it. This was divinity incarnate. Was it a severe health code violation, posing a high risk of contracting salmonella? Yes. Was it worth it for the dragons? Also yes.

It was all so elating to Artie that he said the first swear word of his entire life. This single event shocked all the party members so much that they parroted the swear word in perfect syncopated harmony.

It was a night for wine and calmness, of joy and love. Such perfect nights are one in a million.

And then day broke....