Scene 23 - May 30th

Interior MLED Compound, Morning

Holly Koval

I shifted a little to bump my shoulder into Quinn’s where we sat, waiting for Canaveral and Shepard to start the ceremony. “You doing okay, Quinn?”

They sighed and slumped a little, letting their head rest on my shoulder. “I should be, but I’m nervous for some reason. I know that this is a private ceremony, it’s just going to be the Journeymen, the Champions, and the director, and I know them all - there’s nothing to be worried about. It’s just... well, it’s just the same stupid anxiety that cropped up when we graduated from college last week.”

“You’re afraid that you’ll do something wrong,” I summed up, “even thought you know what to do and it’s very simple.”

They nodded against my arm. “Yeah, basically. Dumb, right?”

I rested my arm across their shoulders and let my hand rest on their head, gently playing with their hair to try and soothe them. “It’s not dumb - you can’t control how your anxiety makes you feel just how you react. If that’s how you feel, then I’m glad you told me,” I said, and they let out a happy hum. “Will your anxiety let you trust me to know what to do, if not yourself?”

“Yeah, of course,” they said immediately. “I trust you completely, Holly.”

I smiled, and turned to press a gentle kiss into their hair. “Then just follow my lead, and everything will be fine.” They twisted their head to meet my eyes, a smile spreading across their face, and I couldn’t prevent my eyes from flicking down to their lips, which practically called out for me to kiss them. I could prevent them from seeing the blush that spread across my cheeks at that thought, thankfully, and I did.

“Ready, kids?” Canaveral called from the podium he had set up.

“Hold on!” Quinn said, pulling their costumes mask over their head as they stood. I, on the other hand, just snapped my fingers, causing the mask of Loki’s costume to appear over my lower face as I rose. “Ready!”