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When Orion approached, Rainier turned to him fully. [color=deepskyblue]“Could be the end of our world…”[/color] Rainier repeated softly, then let out a gentle, breathy laugh. [color=deepskyblue]“Darling, I’ve had bad hair days that felt like the end of the world.”[/color] His smirk tugged up, but his wings drooped just a little behind him.[color=deepskyblue]“But this?”[/color] He looked back toward where the Queen had stood.[color=deepskyblue]“This is real. And terrifying. And bigger than any of us ever imagined.”[/color] He said, sounding sincere. [color=deepskyblue]“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.”[/color]

Then Rainier tilted his head. [color=deepskyblue]“But,”[/color] he whispered, [color=deepskyblue]“if something awful is coming… I’m glad I met you before it got here.”[/color]

He gave a wink. [color=deepskyblue]“Now,”[/color] Rainier added, straightening with a little flourish,[color=deepskyblue]“I need to pack… which for me means deciding which outfits I’m willing to possibly ruin on a life-or-death quest.”[/color] He nudged Orion’s arm lightly. [color=deepskyblue]“Try not to miss me too much on the walk home, Handsome.”[/color] He stepped backward, wings giving a slow flutter. [color=deepskyblue]“See you soon. Don’t die before I get back. I hate wasted potential.”[/color]

—

Rainier stood dramatically in front of his wardrobe.[color=deepskyblue]“What does one even wear for impending doom? Something that says ‘tragic, but well-dressed…”[/color]

He flutters from outfit to outfit: a sparkling blue robe with water droplet accents, a sheer top covered in embroidered clouds, a glittery tunic that probably violates multiple laws of physics. At one point he holds up a floor-length cape covered in reflective sequins and frowns. [color=deepskyblue]“Too bridal. I’m not marrying the apocalypse.”[/color]

Behind him, his bed is covered with a bunch of stuff. Satchels, boots, accessories, a full makeup compact, emergency snacks, etc.

Eventually, he manages to narrow it down to two satchels. [color=deepskyblue]“Okay,”[/color] he whispered to himself. [color=deepskyblue]“Time to go.”[/color]

—

And then when he got back to the meeting point, Celine just… dies… For all his dramatics, Rainier had never seen something so cruel.

[color=deepskyblue]“She was supposed to send us off,”[/color] he murmured. [color=deepskyblue]“Not… fade away before we even left. Not like this.”[/color]

He looked up at the others, his eyes shimmering from tears.

And still… Rainier was Rainier.

[color=deepskyblue]“She would hate to see you crying in public, you know,”[/color] he whispered.[color=deepskyblue]“She’d want us all defiant and dramatic and shining like the stars she believed in.”[/color]

[color=deepskyblue]“Let’s make her proud,”[/color] he said, turning to face the others fully. [color=deepskyblue]“Let’s show this Bog or curse or whatever it is that it picked the wrong kingdom. That we are not fragile little things, waiting to turn into dust.”[/color] His voice trembled. [color=deepskyblue]“And when it’s over,”[/color] he added, brushing a tear from his cheek, [color=deepskyblue]“I’m throwing the biggest party this realm has ever seen. Celine’s honor deserves that.”[/color]