Part I - Summer (Middle) - "We had a wedding ..."

"—… and so that's why they call them … porcupines! Get it!? PORK-YOU-PINES!!!"

And then the entire table, comprising the two human boys as well as a large group of heavily-accented Summergrün wedding guests—the majority of them not so fluent in Common, though skilled enough at least to understand the play on words—shook violently, as all those seated (except for one human boy in particular) laughed uproariously at Heinrich's joke: "A-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!"

A portly Summergrünian with a long beard slammed the table with his (very large) fists. "Oh, this human kid, I like! Very funny! Very good joke. Pork-you-pine! HA!"

The bearded one's wife next to him shouted, "Hein-rick boy! You deserve more beer. HEY! LAZUMERIAN BOY! OVER HERE WITH THE PITCHER! WE REQUIRE ADDITIONAL LIBATIONS!"

(Elegia, annoyed, pouring for the guest: "I have a name …")

"Ya! … Human kid Hein-rick is funny! Not like friend next to him. Friend is too quiet. Friend! Why you are not, uh—doing the talking much? Why do you not laugh at porcupine?"

"Huh?" Cameron looked up from his half-eaten plate of roast beef. "Oh, sorry. Yes. Yes! Porcupine. … Armadillo? Hedgehog."

The Summergrünians exchanged confused looks. One smiled politely at Cameron.

Heinrich clapped Cameron on the back. "Ah, don't mind Cam. He's more of the, uh—contemplative type, ya know?"

"No. 'Con-tem-plate-if?' … No … We are not understanding of what that means."

Cameron tried to smile, but quickly looked back down at his plate, returning to his thoughts.

Heinrich: "Uh—s-so … anyway! Hey, fellas! Now stop me if you've heard this one, before … How do you know if you're dating an elfen girl, versus a human girl …?"

The Summergrünians leaned in for the punchline. "… What?"

Heinrich, unable to contain himself: "That's simple! … You just reach over behind their—"

Well, whatever he said, it turned out to be a riot, and as the table shook with laughter again, Cameron seemingly away somewhere else entirely.

… Was this all okay? Looking around him, at the wedding reception, all the tables around him—everyone was having so much fun. Laughing faces, elflings running around, a band playing elfen love songs.

Even Yuka had looked happy, as she walked down the aisle earlier to be married off to a man in another village she hardly even knew. Was that real? … Or was she just putting on a brave face, because she had to?

Really … They were all okay with this?

Cameron sighed. Well … If everyone seemed to be fine with this, then what could he do? … Right?

Even Heinrich had said as much, a few days after they got back from Embervyl, the two of them talking in Heinrich's guest room at the Nocturne house.

"It is what it is," shrugged Heinrich.

"I guess," said Cameron. "I mean—look, I get it. In the olden days, you probably needed something like this to—I dunno, introduce genetic diversity in villages or something, right? Or to strengthen ties between alliances and tribes. But there's no reason to do it these days. Especially not like this."

Heinrich sighed. "It's just how things are, Cam. You can't just go in and demand a community you had nothing to do with until a month ago suddenly change everything just because you don't like it. … It's not your place."

"I guess …" repeated Cameron, not particularly convinced.

"Well, whatever. Listen, are you gonna finish that roast beef?"

"What?"

Heinrich pointed at his dish. "I said, are you gonna finish that?"

"Oh. Yeah. No. … Whatever."

"Okay, it's mine then," said Heinrich, plunging his fork into Cameron's meat.

Then, a Summergrün man spoke: "Hein-rick's friend, Cam-run! Please tell us joke! Funny human joke. We are much enjoying those."

"Yes! We are having much high expectations!"

Cameron thought for a bit, then smiled to himself. He began, "Okay. I got one. Okay, so. … A crystal walks into a bar …"

All eyes on Cameron: "… Yes?"

"And the bartender asks, 'What are ya havin'?' …"

"… Yes, yes?"

"… and the crystal says nothing … because it's a crystal!"

Dead silence. Confused looks all around. "I, uh … am not understanding."

"Because … crystals, uh … can't talk. … They're inanimate objects."

One Summergrünian, looking particularly offended: "I would most prefer if you would not be taking light of crystals. They are very sacred items, you know. …"

Alright, then.

In the wake of that disastrous performance, what else could Cameron do, except excuse himself ("Sorry, I have a bad back, heh heh, gotta go up and stretch a bit …") and step away from the venue, leaving the massive tent under which a hundred-odd wedding attendees in total were celebrating the joining together of Yuka Yuuni (Cameron, at some earlier point in time: "Elf women keep their maiden names, I believe." Heinrich, confused: "… Okay? I didn't ask?") and her Summergrünian groom.

He stood in the dark, looking up at the stars, the sounds of faint merry laughter behind him.

After a while, Heinrich joined him.

"There you are! Man, those Summergrün guys are hilarious, huh?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. … They're nice enough, I guess … (Although one of them called me, 'round-ears', I'm pretty sure? … I dunno how to feel about that.) They're a bit overwhelming, though. Would've preferred if we could just sit with the Nocturnes."

"Uhh, they're at the family table. We're a bunch of human nobodies, Cam, why would we be seated with—"

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

"Yuka was nice enough to invite us, at least. … Though, she keeps introducing me as her 'personal punching bag' to everyone. … I'd prefer it if she didn't do that."

"She just probably doesn't want to go, 'Oh, this is Heinrich, he's my cousin's boyfriend's roommate,' every single time."

"I mean, would it hurt her to call me her 'friend'? … Well, whatever. … Anyway, dude, you okay? You've been out of it all night."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Just thinking about stuff. Still feels weird to me. Yuka and the Betrothal."

Heinrich shrugged. "Can't believe you're still stuck on that. Hey, if it bothers you so much, why don't you just"—he pointed somewhere off to his right, in the dark—"ask her how she feels?"

Cameron squinted his eyes, trying to make out what his friend was pointing at …

… And there she was, Yuka, barely visible, almost camouflaged against the trees out there in the night, sneaking off … somewhere.