Rain X Stella - A Retrospective

So, it's only a week or so before the marriage ceremony of Rain (Nick) and Stella. Might as well do a quick recap.

It doesn't seem so long ago since they first met. Stella, who was a babysitter back then, got drunk, made out with an equally-drunk Ilsaria and did some other drunken antics. Rain also got drunk, ranted a bit, snapped a photo and passed out. Few could have realised that it would have been the start of something more. I certaintly didn't, at any rate.

Next up was the incident where Stella was wounded by Regal and Ultima, and Rain looked after her by making some Victory Waffles and mixing a Happy Ending and BIG to share. Looking back on it, I really ought to have twigged that something was starting between them at that moment - I had a faint inkling back then, but after the disaster that was Stalker!Rain, I didn't think it would ever be possible. But that moment was so diabetes-sweet it was impossible for it to not go anywhere. Delmond Taggar was right when he said "Ah c'n see where this is goin'". Psychic, that man. Then after that was Rain's birthday, where a combination of Old Spice, a note from Alex and promises of a birthday dinner date dropped hints so blunt and obvious Sherlock Holmes would weep with dismay into his tea.

Of course, when you're going to declare love to someone, you really ought to do it in style. And no declaration of love is more true or epic than when you're being carried through the air by a half-demon roadie, blasting the kneecaps of a giant robot. I am somehow thankful that I made Eddie tease Rain the way he does, because then I don't think half of the stuff that ninja does to help his orator girlfriend would ever get done. Rain would never have gone into IYM and made Stella laugh, David would never have got her riled up enough for Zephyrus to work out she fancied that ninja, and a lot of other things that I may have not mentioned would have been glossed over.

Things got wacky afterwards. Rain took Stella on a trip through the air around town, and revealled his real (non-canon) name. Then he wore a tux, and persuaded Stel to move into this house with him (set up by Eddie, of course). Then there was cake, and they had a make-out session. Then there was Tridenland. Nick proposed. Then they went to a water park. The rest, they say, is history.

Looking back, RP'ing as what was originally meant to be a serious and snappish character in contrast to Eddie's cheery enthusiasm has gone way beyond what I expected. Thanks to Stella and her cheeriness, Nick has turned from your average, two-dimensional kombatant into a kind, considerate, compassionate soul who actually cares for his lover and his friends. Gone is the wanton brutality, the snide, condenscending remarks and the pent-up anger. Of all of the characters I have played, Nick seems to be the one who has truly developed - from one thing unto another. And it's all thanks to a certain prank-loving orator.

AlextheJanitor, for an RP'ing experience that totally snowballed in a direction I probably should have seen coming a mile off...

...I thank you.

Now, where did I leave that other song parody I was working on...?