Chapter 25: Raptaryn's Daring Proposal part II

"And that's why we need *precisely* three backup routes in case a student wanders into section C-4 of the library," Raven concluded, tapping her detailed floor plan where she had mapped out every possible interruption scenario.

"I'm starting to think my sister's wedding was less thoroughly planned," Lailah remarked, her orange eyes sparkling with amusement as she adjusted one of the practice crystals they'd set up. The subtle light caught her lavender hair, making the silver and black highlights shimmer.

Raptaryn was consulting yet another tome, his dark fingers tracing the ancient elven script. "According to 'Traditional Bindings Through the Ages,' the crystal configuration should form a perfect octagon to maximize the harmonic resonance with—"

"Put the book down," Qrow interrupted, gently but firmly removing the volume from Raptaryn's hands. "You're starting to sound like my wedding vows practice sessions."

"Which took three months," Raven added helpfully.

"Two and a half!" Qrow protested, running a hand through his black hair. "The last two weeks were just... fine-tuning."

"You made me listen to sixteen versions of the same sentence," Taiyang reminded him. "'My heart beats in harmony with the eternal crystal song of—'"

"We agreed never to speak of version twelve!" Qrow's red eyes narrowed as the others struggled to contain their laughter.

Raptaryn slumped into a chair, watching his friends with a mixture of gratitude and anxiety. "I just want everything to be perfect. Summer deserves—"

"A man who loves her enough to spend three days planning the perfect proposal?" Lailah interjected softly. "Who wants to honor both their cultures? Who gets so nervous about expressing his feelings that he's read every book on proposals in two libraries?"

"Three libraries," Taiyang corrected. "I caught him at Haven's archives yesterday."

"The point is," Lailah continued, placing a gentle hand on Raptaryn's shoulder, "Summer fell in love with you, not a perfect ceremony. Remember when you tried to impress her with that formal elven greeting?"

"And she tried to do it back," Raptaryn smiled despite himself. "But she mixed up 'honored meeting' with 'horrible meating' and basically declared she was a terrible butcher..."

"And you laughed," Raven noted. "Not at her, but with her. That's when I knew you were good for her."

"Though maybe save the linguistic confusion for after the proposal," Qrow suggested. "Just to be safe."

"Speaking of safety," Raven pulled out yet another diagram, "we should discuss the rose petal deployment schedule. I've calculated wind patterns based on the library's ventilation system..."

"Raven," Taiyang said fondly, "I don't think we need to coordinate the rose petals with military precision."

"That's exactly what someone would say before a rose petal formation failure," Raven muttered, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.

Lailah began arranging the practice crystals, their soft light creating patterns that danced across the library shelves. "Remember what my brother told you when you asked for advice? 'The most meaningful traditions are the ones we create together.'"

"After he stopped laughing about the 'horrible meating' incident," Raptaryn added dryly.

"Well, that's what you and Summer do best," Qrow said. "You take the best of both your worlds and make something new. Something uniquely yours."

"Like that time you combined elven battle meditation with Summer's speed semblance," Taiyang recalled. "Professor Goodwitch still hasn't figured out how you managed to clear the training room so fast."

"Or how you two developed that combination attack using dust-infused ancient texts," Raven added. "Very unconventional."

"But effective," Lailah smiled. "Just like your love story."

Raptaryn stood, looking at the practice setup they'd created. The crystals caught the light just so, creating a path through the memories held in these shelves. Each book they'd chosen marked a moment in their journey: their first meeting, their first study session, their first mission together. And at the end, a blank journal – ready for their next chapter.

"You're right," he said finally. "All of you. I've been so focused on getting the traditions right that I almost forgot what they represent. Our story isn't just dark elven or Vale customs – it's both, and neither, and something entirely our own."

"Now that's a proposal speech," Qrow grinned.

"Just maybe memorize it," Taiyang suggested. "So you don't need to bring note cards."

"And remember," Lailah added with a gentle smile, "no matter what happens, no matter if every crystal shatters and every rose petal falls the wrong way..."

"Summer will only see you," Raven finished softly. "Trust me on that one."

As his friends returned to their planning – Raven now explaining the backup backup evacuation routes while Taiyang pretended to take notes – Raptaryn felt a peaceful certainty settle over him. They were right. The perfect proposal wasn't about perfect execution of ancient traditions. It was about honoring their journey together and taking the first step toward their future.

Though he did make a mental note to double-check the crystal harmonics calculations. Just in case.

"Qrow, I said *three* meters between the crystals, not *thirteen*!" Lailah whispered urgently, one hand resting on her growing belly as she directed her husband from the library's second floor. "The resonance pattern will be completely—"

"Look, carrying twenty precision-cut crystals while trying not to alert the entire student body is harder than it looks!" Qrow whispered back, carefully adjusting another crystal. "Especially when your wife keeps changing the configuration!"

"I'm not changing it, I'm optimizing it based on the current lunar position and—" Lailah paused, her orange eyes widening. "Raven, incoming! Port at two o'clock!"

Raven materialized from the shadows near the library entrance just as Professor Port rounded the corner, already launching into what promised to be an epic tale. "Professor! I was just wondering if you could help settle a debate about Nevermore hunting techniques..."

"Ah, an excellent topic!" Port's mustache quivered with enthusiasm. "Why, this reminds me of the time I single-handedly..."

"Perhaps we could discuss it over coffee?" Raven suggested smoothly, steering him away from the library. She shot a meaningful look over her shoulder at the others: *Hurry up*.

Meanwhile, Taiyang was attempting to arrange roses along the planned path, consulting Raven's military-precise diagram. "Okay, so the white roses form a crescent pattern here, symbolizing Summer's emblem, while maintaining optimal viewing angles from both seated and standing positions..."

"Tai," Qrow called down, "you're holding the diagram upside down."

"That... explains a lot actually."

A crash from the entrance made them all freeze. Raptaryn had arrived early, arms full of additional books, and promptly walked into a book cart. "Sorry! I just thought maybe we should add a few more texts about silver-eyed warriors and their connections to ancient elven prophecies—"

"No!" three voices hissed in unison.

"But—"

"Out!" Lailah ordered, making shooing motions. "Go prepare yourself. And remember what we discussed about excessive academic citations during emotional moments!"

As Raptaryn reluctantly departed, Qrow finished placing the last crystal. "Okay, test run. Three... two... one..."

The crystals illuminated in sequence, creating a path of softly shimmering light through the carefully arranged books and roses. It was perfect.

Then the library's automatic dust-cleaning system activated.

"Who schedules cleaning at sunset?!" Qrow demanded as they scrambled to protect the setup.

"Actually, that was my fault," Taiyang admitted sheepishly. "I may have adjusted the schedule to help keep the rose petals fresh..."

"You what—" Lailah began, but then her enhanced hearing picked up familiar footsteps. "Summer's coming! Everyone out! *Out!*"

What followed was a mad scramble that would have made excellent training footage for future huntsmen on rapid evacuation techniques. Qrow nearly crashed into three different bookshelves, Taiyang somehow got tangled in his own rose arrangement, and Lailah had to practically drag them both to safety.

They made it just in time. Summer entered the library, looking puzzled at the note she'd received. She followed the crystal-lit path, her white cloak trailing behind her as she stopped to examine each book, each rose, each memory they'd laid out...

And found nothing at the end.

Because Raptaryn wasn't there.

"I'm going to kill him," Raven muttered from their hiding spot.

"No need," Qrow pointed out the window. "Look."

There, clearly visible from the library's massive windows, was a second trail of crystal lights, leading out toward the cliffside path to Patch. Where Summer's nearly-completed house stood. Where she and Raptaryn had first talked about building a future together.

"He changed the plan," Lailah breathed, understanding dawning in her orange eyes. "He's not doing it here in the library where they met..."

"He's doing it where they're going to be," Taiyang finished, grinning.

They watched as Summer followed the new trail, her smile growing with each step. The crystal lights led her along the path they'd walked so many times during construction, up to the cliff's edge where they'd planned their home together. Where Raptaryn waited, no books in sight, just a small box in his trembling hands and stars overhead.

Even from a distance, they could see Summer's hand fly to her mouth as Raptaryn knelt. Could see her tackle him in a hug before he could finish speaking. Could hear her delighted laughter carrying on the evening breeze.

"Well," Qrow said, wrapping an arm around his pregnant wife, "all that planning for nothing."

"Not for nothing," Lailah corrected softly, leaning into him as she watched her friend lift Summer and spin her around, both of them laughing under the stars. "Sometimes the best plans are the ones we abandon for love."

"Speaking of plans," Taiyang turned to Raven with a grin, "I believe you mentioned something about tactical diagrams for our—"

"Don't even think about it," Raven warned, but she was smiling as she watched their friends' happiness unfold against the backdrop of twinkling stars and crystal light.

On the cliff, Raptaryn finally managed to slip the ring onto Summer's finger – a blend of Vale craftsmanship and elven crystalline artistry, just like them. No ancient texts required, no perfectly positioned roses, no carefully rehearsed speeches. Just two people, their love, and the future they would build together under the endless sky.

And if anyone noticed the library's automatic cleaning system had scattered rose petals everywhere, well... that could be tomorrow's problem.

Summer Rose knew something was up when she caught Raptaryn muttering ancient elven conjugations in his sleep last night. Her normally composed dark elf had been acting increasingly flustered over the past week – walking into more doors than usual (an impressive feat, considering his usual record), dropping books whenever she smiled at him, and once attempting to drink from an ink pot instead of his coffee mug during their morning study session.

But nothing quite prepared her for the sight of him practically jumping out of his skin when she found him in the library that evening, surrounded by what appeared to be every book on Vale and elven customs ever written.

"Summer! You're... here. In the library. Where we often are. Because it's a library," he'd stammered, somehow managing to knock over three perfectly stable stacks of books while standing completely still.

"Are you feeling okay?" she'd asked, trying not to laugh as he attempted to gather the fallen books while simultaneously hiding their titles behind his back. "You've been a bit... distracted lately."

"Distracted? Me? No, no, just doing some... research. Very important research. About... dust. Yes, dust! Did you know that in ancient elven culture, crystalline formations were often used to—" He stopped abruptly, orange eyes widening in what looked suspiciously like panic. "I mean... weather! I'm researching weather. Very fascinating subject. Weather."

"Weather," she repeated, watching as he somehow managed to put a book back on the shelf upside down without noticing.

"Absolutely! For example, did you know that the atmospheric conditions tonight are particularly... weathery?"

She'd been about to point out that 'weathery' wasn't actually a word when she caught sight of Qrow trying to sneak past the window outside, arms full of what looked suspiciously like crystals. He made eye contact with her, froze like a student caught breaking curfew, and then very slowly moonwalked backwards out of view.

"Was that—"

"No one!" Raptaryn practically squeaked. "I mean, nothing! I mean... oh look, is that Professor Port calling me?"

"I don't hear—"

"Better go check! Very important... weather... things to discuss!" And with that, he'd practically sprinted from the library, leaving behind a trail of scattered papers that Summer could have sworn included detailed diagrams of... rose petal trajectories?

Later that evening, she received a mysteriously delivered note (which may or may not have been dropped by a suspiciously Raven-shaped shadow) directing her to the library. She'd arrived to find it transformed – crystal lights creating paths between carefully arranged books, each one marking a moment in their relationship. Their first shared text on silver-eyed warriors. The cultural exchange volume they'd both reached for at the same time, leading to their first touch. The combat manual they'd studied together, complete with their margin notes debating dust usage techniques.

But the path didn't end in the library as she'd expected. Instead, it led outside, toward the cliffside path to Patch. Toward their future home.

She followed the trail of lights, each step bringing back memories. Here was where they'd first discussed building a home together, Raptaryn excitedly combining Vale architecture with elven crystal-work designs. There was where they'd spent an entire afternoon arguing about window placements until she'd "accidentally" pushed him into a pile of leaves, starting an impromptu wrestling match that ended with both of them laughing in the grass.

And there, at the cliff's edge under the stars, was Raptaryn. Her brilliant, awkward, wonderful dark elf, who could recite ancient texts from memory but still got tongue-tied every time she kissed him good morning. Who had apparently forgotten every word of the speech he'd clearly prepared, judging by the crumpled papers falling from his pockets.

"Summer," he started, then stopped, looking panicked. "I had... there were notes. Many notes. And diagrams. Raven made charts. There were backup charts for the backup charts. But I..." He took a deep breath, orange eyes meeting hers with that same mix of wonder and love that made her heart skip every time. "None of them seemed right. Because they were all about trying to make this perfect, when what makes us perfect is that we're not. Perfect, I mean. We're just... us."

She watched, heart thundering, as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a small box. "I had this whole thing planned. In the library, with the crystal harmonics aligned just so, and the roses positioned for optimal viewing angles – Raven's idea, don't ask – and ancient texts, and..."

"And instead you brought me here," Summer finished softly, looking around at their almost-finished home, at the stars above, at the future they were building together.

"Because this is us," he nodded, dropping to one knee with only minimal wobbling. "Not just the scholars in the library, or the warriors in training, but... everything we want to be. Together." He opened the box, revealing a ring that caught the starlight like captured magic. "Summer Rose, will you—"

She didn't let him finish, tackling him in a hug that sent them both sprawling. "Yes! Yes, you wonderful, ridiculous, perfect—"

"I haven't asked the question yet!" he protested, laughing as he tried to maintain his grip on the ring. "There's a proper order to these things! I had it written down somewhere..."

"Too late!" She kissed him, feeling his smile against hers. "Already said yes. No take-backs."

"But... but the traditional elven blessing! And the Vale customs! And the crystal harmonics—"

"Raptaryn?"

"Yes?"

"Stop talking and kiss your fiancée."

For once in his scholarly life, Raptaryn followed instructions perfectly.

(Later, they would discover that their friends had been watching the whole thing from the library windows, and that Lailah had been taking extensive notes on "what not to do during a proposal" to share with future generations. But in that moment, under the stars with the taste of joy on their lips, none of that mattered. Just them, their love, and all the perfect imperfections that made it theirs.)

To be continued in Chapter 26: Reminiscing about the bond; Flashback of memories