Out of your whole life, give me but a moment!

[firebrandish]

Who: Clive and Jill, Joshua, and all of you lovely folks
Which: Open log
Where: A venue at the flower festival
What: We cordially invite you to the wedding of Marquess Clive Rosfield and Princess Jill Warrick
Warnings: Rated R for Romance



I. Feasts and festivals - Reception
[ Of all the seasonal celebrations upon which the date of a wedding might coincide, none could feel more serendipitous or meaningful to the couple in question than a flower festival. Clive hadn’t planned for this when he’d proposed to Jill—hadn’t planned on anything, really, save that he wanted to marry the girl he’d loved since he was a teenager, who had stood by him with unflinching devotion through thick and thin.

As guests begin to arrive, they will be greeted by Torgal, who has been dressed for the occasion with a red scarf tied around his neck. He barks, tail wagging, as he leads them into the venue. The customs of Rosaria dictate that it is not the wedding ceremony itself that comes as the first order of business, but instead a welcoming feast. For what is in fact a royal wedding, the atmosphere is surprisingly casual; the venue, a blossoming meadow, has been ringed with garlands and fairy lights, while a long buffet table is laden with a variety of foods that might be found in the dining halls of Valisthea—a fine selection of roasted meats and vegetables, loaves of warm bread and pastries both sweet and savory, little cakes and bread pudding, fruit and cheese. Pitchers of water, spiced wine, juice, and tea are all available for guests to drink.

Each place setting is topped with a favor from the bride and groom: a daisy and a dandelion handmade by the happy couple from ribbons and wire, a charm that can be worn as pin or pendant. Each one is imbued with the warmth and love of the hands that crafted them. At the head table sit the lord and lady in crimson and blue, crowned with flowers and smiling with unreserved love at one another.

Once their guests have all taken their seats, Clive rises to address the those who have assembled for the occasion. There’s a softness to his voice, and yet it still projects over the crowd; he is accustomed to commanding an audience, after all, but it has never pleased him more to do so than it does now. ]

Friends and honored guests, it is with utmost gladness that I bid you welcome to our wedding feast. This is a day that my beloved and I have long hoped for, through many years of war and hardship—a day we feared may never come to pass; a day for which we are that much more grateful. We entreat you all to partake of this feast and of these gifts which we have prepared for you, to share in our joy on the eve of our nuptial celebration. May the Phoenix bless those upon whom his light shines.

[ Clive sits and Jill stands. Warmth abounds in how she carries herself; comfort, too. Both serve as an adequate cover for the excited nervousness that she feels above all else. It wasn't long ago that she struggled with guilt over wanting some bread and pies. That she's having a wedding now feels so surreal that she can't stop beaming as she speaks. ]

Even if this is but a dream, it's one we've held since we were children. Seeing it realised is everything to us. We may not have been here for very long – or had the opportunity to get to know you as well as we'd have liked – but that makes us all the more grateful that you've joined us tonight. Time makes no promises, so thank you for helping us dream with our whole hearts while it's still ours to claim, and may we one day be able to return the blessing.

[ It’s a relatively short speech, but there will be more to say later in the evening. For now, everyone is invited to eat and be merry. A delightful band of adorable NPC musicians led by Venti the Bard on his lute plays delightful music for the assembled guests, and everyone is invited to dance in the clearing. As the sun sets and the moons rise, flickering flames of Phoenix fire appear over each table, casting their ruddy light so that the guests might continue to enjoy themselves while the night grows long. ]


II. Two hearts beat as one - Wedding
[ At some point in the evening, the bride and groom slip away for a wardrobe change, and shortly before the clock strikes midnight, all the guests are ushered from their tables to a separate seating area. There is no central isle here, but Joshua stands behind a carved wooden altar in vestments of crimson and black. He smiles beatifically at the assembled people before him, lifting his hands to call for silence once it's time for the ceremony to begin. ]

Dearest friends, family, and guests, we bid you our most heartfelt welcome. Today we bear witness to the union of two souls, bound by love and guided by destiny. As we embark on this sacred journey, let us invoke the wisdom of the Founder and the resilience of the Phoenix. The Founder built our home so that we may thrive. We pray for their comfort. The Phoenix’s flames protect us, fierce and bright. We pray for their strength. The Founder paved roads so that we may grow in community. We pray for their bond. The Phoenix’s wings bear life and rebirth. We pray for their health.

Comments

Helga Pataki | OTA

[heartatsunder]

[Helga had no interest in going to some stupid wedding for two randos she's never met.

She insistently told herself this while pulling out the feather dress from her embarrassing "swan incident", imagining instead that it's the bridal gown for her own wedding to a certain football-headed gentleman.

And was promptly terrified when it turns her back into a swan with an obnoxious honk!

Buuuut wait, she can use this to her advantage! She can take a peep at the wedding without actually being a guest, and no one will know the difference! She can indulge in all of the romantic sentiments and none of the awkward socializing! It's brilliant! ...What do you mean she said she didn't want to go? Shut up!

So guests may notice a mute swan waddling around the reception parameters and... posing with the garland? Settling into the flowery meadow? Sighing while gazing goofily at the bride and groom? Must just be wedding décor - right? Couldn't possibly be a girl disguised as a swan, that's crazy talk.]

[reasonandrime]

[Jill's always been fond of animals, so she notices the swan fairly early on into the evening. Notices, too, the way it interacts with the event in a not-quite bird-like manner. So, at some point, she'll pull herself away from the crowd and approach her, crouching down once she's near enough and offering her one of the daisy and dandelion charms.

Not that the swan can do anything with it on her own, but it is dangling from a ribbon that just so happens to be the perfect length for a bird, and Jill holds it up as if to place it over Helga's head.]

Hello. [Though she's not sure whether she's a swan-swan or a human-swan, she'll err in favour of the latter. Better to look silly than rude, she figures.] All guests get one, if you'd like.

[heartatsunder]

[Helga just happens to be staring at Jill for the twentieth time when she suddenly starts walking in her direction. She considers running, but that would be too obvious - she's clearly not going to her, so standing still will surely do the trick.

Still approaching... still approaching... is this guest they're seeing literally right behind hi- oh criminy, she's crouching, this is definitely directed at her. Play it cool, Helga, you're a bird, do bird things. And a bird's natural reaction to a ribbon dangling over her head would be to-

She's talking to her. The elegantly-clad, admittedly-beautiful-looking bride is talking directly to her as a guest.

And that's about the time the swan unleashes an obnoxious HONK!, flaps her wings violently, and flees from the interaction... then remembers she was offered something, so waddles back to grasp the charm with her beak. Jill is welcome to let go or not, or at least enforce more socializing.]

[reasonandrime]

[For a moment, Helga does have Jill tricked, the honk-flap-flee combo working well enough to convince her that she was imagining things. But then she returns and it's back to square one – though this time, Jill's smiling, amused.

She'll let go of the charm – it's not in her nature to force things like this – but she won't give up on their feathery guest quite yet. Still crouched, she gestures over to the buffet tables.]

May I bring you something to eat? There's vegetables and fruit, pastries, bread... you need only gesture to what you'd like.

[heartatsunder]

[She takes the charm almost indignantly but tries to steal in a beady glance at it when (she thinks) Jill's not looking. She turns her head up in refusal at the offer for food, determined to ignore the tables...

And that's when an enormous growl erupts from her feathered stomach and she shrinks a little bit. If swans could blush, her face would be beet red right now.]

[reasonandrime]

[Jill smiles again, but softly. She may not be an expert on waterfowl body language – or waterfowl in general, really – but at the very least she thinks she can pick up on the vibe here. Reluctance, yes, but she hasn't fled yet, so there's something else at play.]

Shall we, then? Or would you prefer to wait over there while I bring you something?

[She gestures over to an inconspicuous point, barely touched by the firelight and tucked away amid some of the decor. She'd draw less attention there than at the buffet tables, but alas, she won't get to choose.]

[heartatsunder]

[Still obviously embarrassed, her eyes lower as if making a pout, and she starts waddling rather quickly over to the table. The sooner she can eat, the sooner she can continue stalking this lady and her wedding- er, going back home like nothing important's happening in peace.]

[reasonandrime]

[Jill's more than content to follow after her, stepping just a bit ahead when she can, then stopping when they reach the most swan-appropriate spread of food. Or what she thinks is swan-appropriate, anyway. It's not like she's spent much time in the company of waterfowl.]

You'll be needing a boost, won't you? Have you met Torgal?

[And she'll now be gesturing to the very goodest boy, who also happens to be a wolf. But the goodest wolf!]

I assure you, he's quite friendly.

[heartatsunder]

[She peers curiously at the table. Plain bread and salad? What does she think she is, a b- oh, right.

She prepares to flap up - or at least how she assumes she can flap up - only to flop over when she's startled by the enormous wolf approaching. Stay cool, Helga, stay cool, it's just a giant dog, she says he's friendly-

Probably friendly with his food, too.

Nope, nope, not thinking about that, just going to suck it up and pretend it's fine by staring just a little too intensely at the canine. Yep, she's cool. Not scared at all. It can't smell her fear can it?.]

[reasonandrime]

[With a nod, Jill whistles for Torgal, who bounds over then immediately lays in front of the swan, lowering himself to the ground as much as he can, tail wagging as he makes himself seem smaller, somehow. Less threatening.

Jill would pet him here, but alas, it's probably better not to when she's about to handle food. Sorry, Torgster. She'll just grab a small plate instead.

To him, she'll say:]

Good boy.

[And to the swan:]

Whenever you're ready, then.

[heartatsunder]

[Good boy. He's a good boy, she can handle this.

With a visible gulp, she flaps her wings again and manages to settle onto the dog's back. All this hassle just because she's a bird...

And the moment she thinks that, suddenly there's an 11-year-old girl on top of the dog in the swan's place, dressed in a very ornate gown.

Helga is still registering what just happened and, paralyzed with an entirely new fear, is staring very intensely at the bride as her brain desperately attempts to formulate a response.]