The Ribbons Fluttered in the Sea Breeze

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

Corey stood on the beach, waiting. Most of the guests had already arrived and everything was set up. One thing was missing, however: Andreas.

"Where is he? We can't do this thing without him." Corey started pacing.

Corey was dressed in Tokian fashion. He wore a kilt and sash, both in the tartan of his family. His body was covered head to toe in yellow tattoos. Around his neck was a gold torc set with blue stones, marking him as a Tokian duke, and above that another gold torc set with green stones, marking him as Tokian royal family. His hair was cut to about 15cm.

Set out on the beach were benches decked out with white ribbon and flowers of white and blue, a long center asile with white linen as a carpet leading up to an archway covered in white and blue roses with more white ribbon. The ribbons fluttered in the sea breeze.

"Corey!"

Corey looked to see who had called his name. Jess was bounding towards him.

"Corey! Can I help? Please?"

"Well...hmm...we need an usher, and you're the youngest one here..."

"I'll do it! ...What do I have to do?"

"It's easy, show people to their seats."

"That's it?"

"That's it. Go ask the master of ceremonies for the seating chart."

"Sure thing!" As Jess ran off, "Thanks!"

Corey sighed. Andreas hadn't shown up yet. At least the midday day was warm.

Just as a note, I kinda expect this thread to take a few days, since a couple different people have to participate, and I want people to have a chance at commenting and giving their own interesting twists...

[Gilrean Treebane]

Gilrean swished her tail nervously back and forth. Her golden eyes shone with excitement under her veil of white lace. Her wild mane of hair had been tamed and pulled up with a few loose curls to frame her face. She held a large bouquet of primarily white roses with a few blue roses peeking out here and there. Her dress itself seemed as if to have been made of a white rose. It was strapless and fell in layers of varying lengths. She wore no jewelry save for a single golden locket - a family heirloom.
She ran through the old wives tales of bringing luck to a wedding. "Something old" - her locket, "something new" - her dress, "something borrowed" - she panicked. She hadn´t borrowed anything from anyone! "Quickly," she hissed to Lectriece, "give me your hair pin!"
"What? Why?" Lectriece asked confused.
"I need `something borrowed´"
"But why?"
Gilrean sighed, "Just do it alright?"
Lectriece shrugged and gave up her hair pin. Gilrean quickly fixed it in her hair.
There, "Something borrowed" - the hair pin and finally "something blue" - the roses in her bouquet. She had always had a fondness for blue roses, the rarest of flowers. Indeed they did not grow naturally and the flowers had been painted by hand but they still represented something rare and extraordinary.
The thin linen walls of the tent where she and her bridesmaids had been changing rustled in the sea breeze. Gilrean began to pace. She hated not being able to see everything that was going on but she must remain out of sight lest Corey see her. He couldn´t see her until she came walking down the aisle - another one of those wives tales. Gilrean took a deep breath of the salty air, forcing herself to calm down. She sat down carefully on a chair and closed her eyes, using her sharp ears to catch snippets of the conversations going on outside.

[Prodigy Almighty]

Kale and Korstokk, side by side in their Chelkran Elite Guard Class-A red-and-gray uniforms, looked at Prodigy. Then t
Prodigy just nodded, still standing in front of his two loyal followers. "Kale. Korstokk."

"Prodigy, I hate to tell you this, but you're not supposed to outdo the groom while you're standing next to him up there," Kale pointed out, looking at Prodigy.

"Overdone, tacky," Korstokk said simply.

"Do you think the real polar bear fur lining is overkill?" the cyborg asked, turning a little to pose and point at the trim on his enormous red cloak.

"Is that a halo?" Kale remarked lazily, looking over Prodigy's head.

"What, I can't have a halo?"

Korstokk squinted. "What's with the jewel on your head?"

"It's my symbol of office, Korstokk," Prodigy scoffed, as if this was common knowledge. "You should know this."

"Prodigy, you had someone make that for you just for this, didn't you?" Kale asked.

There was a short, awkward silence. "Yes. But it's going to be my symbol of office from now on!"

"If you don't lose it," Korstokk pointed out sarcastically as he walked toward his seat, Kale in tow.

~~~~

A cyborg hand popped into the bride's tent, but no one entered.

"They're real," Prodigy noted as he waited for someone to take the bouquet of blue roses from his hand.

~~~~

Prodigy walked up to Corey, though the groom couldn't tell if he was smiling or if he was cocking his eyebrow, two things he usually did in a situation like this.

"Wow, our big boy is growin' up, ma," the cyborg chuckled. "Congratulations, Corey."

"Thanks," Corey managed through a nervous smile. "Where's Andreas?"

"Damned if I know," Prodigy shrugged. "But I know where the fireworks are."

"Did you actually bring those?" Corey asked, looking suspicious. "I don't know how I feel about that."

"Oh, come on, they're a mile and a half out and have near-flawless targeting."

"The 'near'-flawless is what makes me nervous," Corey told him.

[Gilrean Treebane]

Gilrean squealed with delight over the bouquet. "Look, look!" She squealed to Noemi and Lectriece, "REAL BLUE ROSES!" She breathed in deep their aromatic scent. She quickly set to replacing the fake blue roses in her bouquet with real ones. She took two of the blue roses and 3 white and worked them into her hair, creating a little rose tiara.

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

Corey looked Boris up and down. "A bit much?"

"NEVER! You know as well as I do I could have done better!"

"Indeed." Corey looked out to sea, contemplative. Boris somehow noticed through the thick fur collar and sunglasses.

"Something on your mind?"

"Nah, just thinking about how bizarre this wedding will look."

"Yeah, that's true...Hey, you know what? You'll be my vassal after today!"

Corey smiled, evilly. "No, I'll be married to your vassal." They laughed a bit. "Damn me, where is Andreas?"

[Jess]

Jess found that seating chart, written on it was that the Kaiser sat in the front row with Mike Fors, the count of Musica. Jess found his seat was on the dune about one kilometer north, he found that outragious and moved the Kaiser on the dune.

Jess wanted to bring a friend from Maraguo, he phoned Jacobus and asked if he wanted to go to the wedding. Jacobus agreed. Little did Jess know that somehow, that was a political looking thing.

[Prodigy Almighty]

Boris left the Andreas question unanswered. Corey sighed and looked at his friend.

"Well, what's the symbolic meaning behind all the pieces of your get-up?" the groom asked, wanting to pass the time.

"Now, that is a good question," Boris began, "and you won't regret asking it!"

Corey groaned. Maybe he would regret it.

"Now, first, we'll start with the headband. This is my symbol of office as Executor of Chelkran Kesh, three rubies to represent the three original Chelkran cities - Chelkra, Aeriona, and Momouchi."

Corey was, in fact, regretting the question. Something told him, with all the accouterments Boris had on right now, it would take until after the ceremony to finish the explanations.

"If my headband was gray with the rubies, it would be only Executor. But the black denotes that I'm ALSO High Commander of the Chelkran Elite Guard. Not that the Executor ever ISN'T the High Commander, but we have to make these distinctions - just in case, y'know?"

At this point, Corey wanted to hit himself in the head, but it was wasting time pretty effectively.

"The Halo marks me as one of the three Paladin Lords of the Keshian Templars - by the by, if Andreas doesn't show up, I can do your ceremony for you..."

Maybe good to know, but he already booked Andreas, and that would be mean to swap him out before he got there.

"What about the big red cloak?" Corey asked, cutting Boris off before he got to the little ring on his finger.

"Oh, this?" the cyborg chuckled. "This just looks so awesome. REAL POLAR BEAR FUR!" Boris added, rubbing the fur lining with his fingers to accentuate his point.

"Y'know, polar bears are an endangered species," Corey pointed out with a smirk.

Boris, fur still between his fingers, froze and blinked a few times.

"If anyone asks, this was made from my fake polar bear rug."

[Andreas the Wise]

Andreas arrived, slightly flustered, and in full ceremonial garb. As High Priest of Sakat, he wore what appeared to be a normal robe at the top, but from about knee height down was shaped in realistic looking tentacles which trailed down to his feet. In his hand he did not carry a staff or mitre, but a large fountain pen (squid-ink of course). Though he had performed this service for several Melangian couples, he had never done the full ceremony required for nobility before. He wandered if Corey knew what he was getting himself into when he hired Andreas.

At least they'd agreed to hold it by the sea. He'd better prime Corey and Gilrean about the full details ... that it had to be held outdoors, on the sands of the beach. That both people had to dip their hands into the ocean then mark the sign of the squid on eachothers forhead at some point during the ceremony ... and that, though the actual words and actions required for the ceremony were very small and a great deal of freedom was given to the particpants to elaborate as they would ... afterwards they'd have to write full historical accounts of any and all alterations they did do, fill in a number of forms, and, after their honey moon, file a minimum 5000 word historical report of what occured on it within 3 weeks, or their union would not be validated. Weddings under Sakat were small in ceremony, but mighty big in paperwork (and history!).

Still, when their wedding was validated there was the guaranteed inclusion of their wedding in all official histories covering that day, which was a bonus. There's nothing like reading someone elses autobiography and finding a footnote inserted by a meticulous melangian editor "4. On this day, other historical events included the marriage of Corey and Gilrean."

Now, he just had to find the groom ...

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

Noemi looked squarely at the blue roses, eying them. "Gil, who gave those to you?" Her eye brow arched up on her pale skin.

Gilrean looked up, smiling like a child who wandered upon a bag of candy, "Prodigy gave them to me."

With that Noemi was off, mumbling her native language under her breath. When she spotted Prodigy speaking to Korey. Prodigy was wearing some tacky polar bear collar on his cloak. The ground was a little too soft where they were standing for heels. To solve the issue Noemi focused her powers through her feet to harden the earth so she could walk over. Thankfully for Prodigy, it calmed her some.

She stopped in front of Prodigy, the difference in height didn't bother her in the least. In fact, now that she was close enough to him, she could tell that the fur was either fake or very well cleaned. Glancing over at Corey she flashed a smile, "oh, sorry to intrude, but I must speak to Prodigy for a moment. Before Corey could answer her eyes snapped back to Prodigy. "Prodigy, you didn't happen to break into my lab did you? 'Cause those roses that Gil has looks awfully familiar" The elven vampire placed her hand on her hip. Ki, who was obviously pampered for this wedding, eyed the cyborg. While Noemi did her best to not look annoyed, though, the glasses seemed to add to the look no matter what.

[b3n|<3r|\|]

Benkern sat alone in a church in Mar Sara, dressed in full regal attire and a Ducal crown to top off the ensemble. He had spent some time considering whether he belonged in amongst the Groom's side or the Bride's side of the church, before deciding to sit at the back of the long, quiet hall and allow both sides to fill up before he made his decision. "Wait, they're still having the wedding here right?" Realising his mistake, he hurried off in the direction of Absentia, hoping he wouldn't miss anything important.

[Prodigy Almighty]

Prodigy stood stock still, facing Corey with his mouth open to speak, but looking at Noemi out the corner of his eye, very confused.

He turned to face the shorter girl. "Lab? You have a lab?"

Noemi stood silently, hand on hip, looking unconvinced. Prodigy sighed. "Look, you don't seem to know what, exactly, I do. I'm a geneticist. I dick around with nature's plans and make them my own." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "I made those in my lab, using those white, waxy JFK roses with some genetic alterations. I've been messing with plants almost as long as I've been messing with animals; I've got at least 14 different colored roses, none of which are natural, back at the greenhouse in Chelkra." He blinked. "And seriously, since when did you have a lab?"

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

Ki scurried to Noemi's other shoulder, Noemi took no notice to it, she was too busy focusing on Prodigy. "Oh, I know what you do, I just didn't know about those roses. As for my lab... I've had it for a while now," she laughed. "Got banned from my homeland for it too... my kind doesn't smile upon those who experiment... though, those roses had nothing to do with it. I have a rainbow of roses in mine. Some of them literally being rainbows in color." She paused, "hm, no matter. Carry on now." She turned around and walked back towards the bride's tent.

[Jacobus Loki]

(Shaking hands, my gods it Is starting to look political---)

Glad to be here. Nice to see you. How ya doin'.....What a lovely dress! Hows your Mom? .....YEAH< RIGHT ON! Thanks for your support.....

Who is running this anyway? Well, if the nice-person-performing-the-functions-of-kaiser dosen't make it, as High Confuser of Loki, I'm willing to fill in......

(Six groomsman drag the would-be politician 1/4 kM north, leaving him with a plate of hors d'ouvres.)

[Prodigy Almighty]

Prodigy just watched Noemi walk away.

"Huh, well, okay," he said, confused. "That one's a little strange. Nice curves though... too bad she's a vampire. And a lesbian." Turning back to Corey, he added, "Right, anyhow..."

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

Benkern stood in the cold wasteland of Absentia. His cellphone rang.

"Wha? No one has this number... Hello?"

"Pst! Wrong!" The line went dead.

"Hmm..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corey was still pacing.

"Looking for me?" Corey looked up to see Andreas.

"THERE YOU ARE! FINALLY! WE'VE ONLY GOT 15 MINUTES BEFORE THIS STARTS!"

"Right right right, but there are things you need to know"

"Go up there, get in place!"

"But I need to brief you and Gilrean! There's an essay!"

"Can you handle that for me? I gotta get this show on the road!"

"But..."

"Thanks buddy, let's go!" Corey ran off. Andreas sighed.

"This won't end well."

[Gilrean Treebane]

"Noemi there you are!" Gilrean exclaimed, as Noemi entered the tent. "Where did you go?!"
"To talk to Prodigy. 'Cause of the blue roses and all I thought maybe he had taken from my lab."
Gilrean looked at Noemi like Noemi was an idiot. "Prodigy is a geneticist. Messing with genetics is what he does. What makes you think he wouldn't be able to make them himself?"
"Well... I..."
"well now's not the time for this. The wedding's gonna start soon." As she said this she seemed to suddenly come to the realization herself that the wedding was going to start. "Gah! How do I look? How's my hair? Are the roses too much? They're too much, aren't they?" She said panicky.
Lectrice put her hands on Gilrean's shoulders. "Breathe. You look great, now calm down."
"Yeah, you look amazing." Noemi piped in.
Gilrean took in a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I am so nervous right now."

[Prodigy Almighty]

"I'M SO NERVOUS RIGHT NOW!" Boris shouted, sweating despite being a cyborg. Wait... sweating? "How's my hair? Is the polar bear fur too much?" Corey was confused, skipping a beat as he headed towards his place, but kept going, his friend in tow.

"Why the hell are you nervous?" Corey asked as they hurried. "You aren't getting married!"

"Yeah, but I just realized I've never been a best man before..."

Corey halted suddenly, and Boris almost ran into him. The groom turned on his best man and slugged him in the face, knocking the sunglasses from his nose.

Boris shouted his favorite Chelkran expletive. "Why'd you do that?"

"Shut up and let me get married! Just stand there and look cool!" Corey shouted, a vein on his forehead standing out.

As he bent down to pick up his sunglasses, Boris sighed. "I guess you're right. But, really, is the hair gel holding?"

[hypatias mom]

Countess Carol arrived in a traveling coach drawn by matched, dappled greys. Her coach stopped at the edge of the sandy beach, and her coachman helped her descend. "What a beautiful setting for a wedding!" I love weddings! She pulled a lace hankie from someplace and dabbed her eyes. " I'm glad it's happening at sunset. I can't wait to see Lady Gilrean and her bridesmaids. Oh, ribbons everywhere!"

"Well, hello, everybody. Where shall I sit? Oh, thank you, young man. You are most kind. Oh, good, I'm glad I can see everything from here." Aside to person on her left, "Do you know when things will be startring? Oh, I see. Thanks."

"Oh, doesn't Korey look handsome in his kilt? He reminds me of my son at his wedding. I wonder if they will have a piper also... "

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

Noemi smiled, "Yes, Gil, you look perfect. Don't worry about it. I'll be right nearby to make sure your heels don't stick into the sand as well." She looked over at Lectriece and added, "besides, Lectriece will make sure nothing bad happens. Isn't that right, babe?"

She nodded in respond, then walked to Gil and adjusted a flower. "It was crooked," she explained, as she wrapped her arm around the vampire. "And I'm sure you'll be fine."

[Andreas the Wise]

One of Andreas' assistant Monks set up a table by the ocean, and deposited a large amount of paperwork on it, then drew out two exquisite pens. One advantage of a Melangian wedding is you got to keep the 'marriage pen'. Andreas readied himself, facing the sea. He breathed in and out a few times, then turned to his assistant. He was ceremoniously handed The Pen of Ceremonies. Taking it, he wrote on the top of the form "Marriage of Gilrean and Corey." Now he was ready to start at least. He hadn't had time to prompt them on the ceremonies. They hadn't had time to tell him what they'd wanted and set up already. It'd all just have to mesh together as well as it could. It'd be a wedding to remember, that'd be sure. It was time to begin. Andreas turned to face the crowd, who were still milling around, preparing and chatting.

"Aquvio Shivieio Fyoeieio Chazwzwo" he mutterred. Behind him, the sea rose and a giant tentacle appeared out of it. It got the crowds attention and they turned to face Andreas. "Could the bride and groom come forward in their own Time, and we will begin," he said.

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

"Ahem"

Andreas looked to his left, where Corey had approached without his notice. "How long have you been there?"

"I was here when you started."

"Oh, well, then why hasn't the bride come forward yet?"

"You haven't cued the music."

"That's my job?"

"Yep."

"Since when?"

"Since now. Cue the music."

Andreas sighed. Corey really needs to tell me these things beforehand. He looked to his right, where there sat a traditional celtic band. He gave them a nod and they began playing.

[Gilrean Treebane]

A lone violin began to play a slow and leisurely tune. From inside the bride's tent Lectriece and Noemi heard the music and quickly hurried out to take their places. Gilrean, on the other hand, heard the music and seemed transfixed by it. She closed her eyes, lost in the lone song of the violin. It was not until the violin was joined by the other instruments in the band that she remembered just what that music meant. She quickly moved to the door of the tent, took a deep breath, and stepped outside. She could feel all eyes on her as she made her way to the isle and slowly began her procession down the aisle. She walked with her shoulders back and her head bowed. She closed her eyes for a brief moment under her veil, nerves gripping her. She didn't like being the center of attention for so formal a reason but deep down she was happy. She took a deep breath and smiled, refusing to let her nerves show through. She reached the table just as the violin cried it's last note.

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

Noemi smiled as her friend stood there while she focused her energy. A small wind caressed the guests; Gil's dress softly swayed against the wind. If it wasn't for the fact that she was the one controlling it, she wouldn't have believed that just a mile away on all sides a storm was going on. That the sand wasn't grabbing at the heels of the guests, and that nothing was covered with sand... apart from the ground of course. She could tell her friend was nervous, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Lectriece seemed to notice it even more.

Ki, the ring bearer, was very well pampered today. She held the rings, one she wore on her arm, which on her looked like a bracelet more than a ring. The other was in her paws, and was being eyed nervously as it spun in Ki's paws as she waited for the "I do's" to come.

[Andreas the Wise]

Finally, the bride was there, on the side of the groom. Andreas began, with the absolute minimum Melangian ceremony necessary, assuming Corey would prompt him if he wanted something added. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the historical coming together of two loving souls - Corey and Gilrean. If you would both face the sea ..."
Gilrean slipped her hand into Corey's, and together the stood, side by side, facing the sea.
"Take your free hand and dip a finger into the water," Andreas intoned. "Feel the ripples of Sakat in the sea, then, your hands still wet, mark the sign of the squid on your partners forhead."
They did so, with a few muffled laughs from the assembled as the two clearly didn't know how to make the sign of the squid. Corey's was particuarly more phallic than Gilrean's. Finally, they were done.
"By the power vested in me ..." Andreas began, but someone interrupted him ....

[Prodigy Almighty]

It was Prodigy, whispering into his hand.

"... no, don't fire yet dammit! I'll tell you when and where!"

The ceremony stopped as they all stared at him. He turned to look at the gathering. "Don't mind me, I'm just making sure your wedding doesn't explode."

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

Noemi looked over, shocked. "Explode? Why would it...?" She glanced around her feet making sure nothing would pop out from beneath. In her brief moment of shock the wind picked up some and the storm clouds rolled closer. "Ah! Curses!" Her hair drifted up as she focused, and the storm resided to become nothing more than a pleasant day. She flashed a sheepish smile towards everyone else in the ceremony and apologized as Ki scurried down her arm.

[Andreas the Wise]

Andreas decided to continue. He could investigate strange magical activity from an SCM-untrained vampire later.
"By the power invested in me by the almighty Sakat, Lord of Time, I pronounce your union historically recorded! You may now fill in the bride's paperwork."
Corey flicked the paperwork aside with a mental blast and grabbed Gilrean, kissing her romantically instead. Andreas sighed ...

[Prodigy Almighty]

...when, far off in the distance...

BO0O/\/\!!!

"It's just so beautiful," Prodigy sobbed, dabbing his eyes with a hanky. "I love a B0O0/\/\ist wedding... Good work, good, steady, ready second salvo, these coordinates..."

He began looking around, smiling as the two kissed, and fed the radio some more numbers. Then he looked over and frowned. The rumble of firing artillery was heard from further inland, and Prodigy's eyes grew even wider. "Oh, sh--"

B0O0/\/\!!!!

He blinked a few times as the happy couple separated from their wedding kiss, mouth agape, eyebrow twitching. Someone in the crowd gasped. "My van! You sonnova--"

"HAPPYWEDDINGCOREYBACKFORTHERECEPTIONGOTTAGO!" Prodigy shouted as he dashed full speed across the stage, chased by an angry wedding goer, large red cloak flapping in the wind. Kale and Korstokk burst from their chairs and began following the angered citizen. People watching saw him get tackled face-first into the sand by two duty-bound Chelkran soldiers - never a pretty sight, war or peace.

Andreas watched, an odd look on his face. Gilrean had her hand over her mouth, looking apologetic. Corey didn't look surprised at all as Prodigy continued to book it down the sandy beach, his two followers in tow.

[Oroigawa Koreyasu]

Corey smiled as Boris continued to run along the beach. "Typical."

Corey looked down at his hand. He looked at Gil's hand. "WAIT! RINGS!"

[Noemi_Vassiliais]

As if by cue, Ki leaped from Noemi's hands and scurried up Corey's leg being careful not to tear any thing. She rested on his shoulder, and with a bow towards Gil the rat passed Gil's ring to Corey who took it. She then scrambled down and made her way to Gil, who also took the ring from the rat.

All the while Noemi stood there wondering if she should distinguish the van. After a few moments thought she shrugged and decided against it. Turning her back to the flames. And instead averted her eyes to Prodigy who was trying to make his escape. Chuckling Noemi made the ground beneath him rise, then suddenly fall. He lay there shocked for a few seconds then scrambled up to get away from the angry wedding viewer. The person with the inflamed car then suddenly stopped, as if he ran into a wall, then fell down with a bewildered expression. With that, Noemi turned to watch the rings be placed onto the others hands.