The Wedding - Afterparty

[Rhodes]

The Ceremony concluded, the King of Autumn and the Queen of Spring were married.

Everyone in the Freehold had been invited to share in their day at the Vizcaya - the halls of white were accented by material red and gold, the colours of the ceremony. The gardens were in full bloom, and the vows were done in the yard in the afternoon sun.

Rhodes had two favourite moments – when he saw Sera appear at the end of the aisle, and when he brought out Mhari to surprise her. It had been the best surprise he could manage.

But that was the ceremony, and now the party was in full swing. Wines, spirits and non-alcoholic drinks were abounds.

Rhodes and Sera had just finished their dance, a slow number, the two of them unable to stop smiling with unbridled joy.

This is the after-party of Sera and Rhodes’ Wedding! All changelings are invited!

[Liam Gelt]

Even to the mundane, Sacramento could be a place of many wondrous and terrible sights. Today, it was a 7-foot tall man crying.

Liam stands to the side, awaiting his chance to greet the happy couple. The ceremony had been beautiful, and seeing Circe and Sonnie handle the preparations so skillfully (at least as far as he could tell) made his heart swell. And seeing Sera and Rhodes up there, reciting their vows, bound by the laws of Man and their own potent magic, it was just too much...

He wipes an amber tear from his face, going through his fourth tissue of the day. Finally, there's a break in the crowd and Liam approaches the Lord of Autumn Fear. "Congratulations, Rhodes!" Is all he can get out before ever so gently, as if this titan of magic was made of glass, he wraps his arms around Rhodes and pulls him into a hug. "Those vows were so...beautiful! You guys are amazing." Joy threatens to overwhelm the Giant, and he releases the groom with an embarrassed cough. He looks over to Sera, if she isn't occupied, and he opens his arms. "Congratulations, Sera!"

[Sonnie Wu]

Sonnie Wu, in her beautiful purple bridesmaid dress (which she wore while barefoot), was sniffling and wiping her eyes with a tissue. "My little girl... *sniffle* she's all grown up..." She could finally let it out now. How she managed to not start bawling during the ceremony, she'd never know.

Well, thinking about the upcoming wedding party feast helped. Speaking of which...

"Can we... *sniffle* eat now? When's the cake getting cut?"

[Circe]

Circe's suit for the night was as Rhodes had requested, midnight black sports jacket with matching slacks. A grey button up shirt beneath. Her favored color of maroon-purple tie was still present, as were the notable cuff-links. Four on each sleeve, symbols for each of the four courts.


It was a wonderful wedding, the after party quite ready to rock. Food and alcohol a plenty, party favors went to the fun Spring of course, save for the one part she'd kept secret.


Sonja's words got a quirked eyebrow and ear from Circe, who then stalled in speaking something. Because with their demographic, age was an iffy thing even to calculate. Despite behavior, Sonja Wu could be the eldest one here. Best to not risk that in the joyous moment.


Instead, Circe lived up to the Best Woman title by pulling out a travel pack of tissues for Sonnie to use, "Here's a tissue, don't rush past tradition Sonny," before turning to the couple, "The ceremony was truly magical, because the two of ya were the center of it. I can't think of how ta congratulate ya both enough, Rhodes, Seraphina. Though I will spoil that my celebratory use of gunpowder will be," she coughs into her hand, "Ahem. Restrained and legal," this concludes with a smirk and a wink.


Given how many weeks of paperwork she'd had to get done for it, even with Brownie's Boone mind you, the elf was saddened of how limited the result would be.

[Seraphina]

The had arrived in a blur. Just when invitations had been sent and a location picked out, the day had arrived.

Where did the time go?! Was she panicking? A bit. This was huge.

And trusting Sonnie and Circe to take care of the decoration and details? Nerve wracking! Because it had to be perfect! Could her best friends make it perfect? Would she have to go back after them and redo things? What if they didn’t follow her instructions and pictures she had given them?

It was those thoughts, and memories of her past that was making her pace. Nervously she was chewing at her bottom lip, lost in thought. Marriage had never been in the cards for her. Not after her ex tried to murder her and she had been Taken. She had been too broken and damaged for the love that comes from marriage. Yet, here she was, about to marry Rhodes. Who had shown her that love didn’t mean pain. That what he saw in her was more than she could have ever seen on her own. She could be happy and she could open her heart.

Sonnie eagerly snapped her fingers in front of Sera, trying to get her attention, “What?” blinking a few times, trying to focus. “Gurl, lets go!” taking a moment to wipe a stray piece of hair from her face.
---

The dress? The dress had been everything she had every imagined. Made perfect because Mhairi had crafted it for her. How Rhodes had found her, she might never know. But he had, and she had crafted the Nix her dream wedding gown. To the other Lost, it was a dress crafted and spun from the ocean itself. Water ebbed and flowed around her, shaping the dress into something that appeared alive. Delicate pearls and diamonds had been woven into a belt that hinted at her tiny waist. Where the water would end, it folded and twisted into gentle waves. A light blue sea foam peaking out as the Nix moved, spreading out behind her to form a seemingly never-ending pool.

Seeing Rhodes at the end of the aisle, crying? Well, that just set off her own tears.

Everything had been perfect!

"I still don't know how you managed to find Mhairi, but thank you." a tear slipping down her cheek as she hugged Rhodes.

But seeing Liam, the giant Orge crying? That made her heart swell. They were surrounded by those who were truly happy for them.

Of course she accepts the hug, “Thank you Liam. So glad you could make it!”

Turning to Sonnie, “Thank you for everything Sonnie.” Her voice grateful. Then a laugh, Sonnie wouldn’t be Sonnie without the mention of food.

“And thank you Circe!” the support had been everything. Giggling, “Well, could always do something over the top in the forest at some point.” A wink added.

[Cassandra Reeding]

The ceremony had been every kind of beautiful and perfect and being there felt so surreal. Sera's dress had been spectacular, the oceanic substance of dreams all somehow weaved together. Every kind of different than her own ceremony years ago. Cassandra had gone simple, practically mundane because she wanted something to feel normal, though oaths are anything but normal. Watching an Oath for a lifetime be sworn, vows exchanged made her heart ache out of disappointment. She never did get to have that part. A year and a day each time.


She is in a teal wrap dress, waist-length hair done in simple, romantic waves that are already falling out back to it's usual pin-straight nature. Her make-up is tasteful and light as to not even hint at stealing attention. Still, her Polychromatic skin glistens with constantly shifting shades, obscuring or hinting at her emotions if you know her well enough. Cassandra looks around at the crowd, hanging back slightly until appropriate to approach Sera and Rhodes to congratulate the both of them.


"Sera, Rhodes, I'm so happy for the both of you. Your love for each other is so evident that it's hard not to shed a tear. It was a pleasure to witness." Perhaps a hint formal in tone, but she means every word.


It's hard to have harsh thoughts on such a day. Still, it does all sit weird with her and she knows it likely will all night. She'd had a hard time in between being completely entranced by Sera's natural presence not taking the time to gaze at her own partner. They're getting close to the end of their Oath's season. A year and a day next? Her heart burned for more, but she knows that's insane.


She greets those in the vicinity. "Hey, Liam, Circe, Sonnie. Nice to see all of you too." There is a sense of feeling awkward. A mild hint of anxiety. She's not surprised in the slightest that Sonnie is already asking about cake.

[Rhodes]

The Dread Lord holds his drink out almost comincally as the Ogre all but subsumed him under the unexpected hug. The free hand pats Liam awkwardly on the back. "It.... Thank you," he manages to usher out, looking notably relieved when the giant unfurls from him. He wasn't quite sure what to saw - he was on his third drink to steady his nerves, still fluttering. "Sonnie, the buffet will bbe ready any moment. I'm sure you'll be the first to know." Nothing could dampen his spirits.

He pulls on the sleeves of his suit, the hedgespun subtly letting his boughs break free from his forearms, legs and shoulders. Released, he gives Circe a smile, before pulling her into a hug of her own. "Thank you, Circe. I'm sure it will be... perfect." The Flowering seems to be unable to stop breaking into a smile.

Slipping back to Sera, he holds her colse as she hugs him. "\Well... I had to. I knew it would make you happy." He pulled back and shrugged, still smiling. "I have my ways, after all. I knew you were best friends. You missed her, but didn't know where she was. I promised you it would be perfect." He kissed her softly, savouring the moment. "She really is quite fascinating."

He gives Casaandra a small bow at the neck, still beaming. "Thank you. I'm so glad you could make it."

Turning back to Sera, the smiles keep coming. "I'll make sure the food is on the way, before Sonnie starts eatign the decorations." He kisses her cheek. "Won't be long."

[Liam Gelt]

Liam is equally gentle with Sera's hug; his barkskin creaking with the breadth of his smile. "Of course! That's what we do, right? Share in the joy." The Spring Sovereign's happiness was certainly infectious. He'd almost felt a pang of disappointment that he hadn't been involved with the festivities himself. But having sat through the ceremony, he was glad to have been merely a witness to the events. Sometimes you just need to sit back and appreciate the big picture.

Having congratulated the happy couple, Liam gives a final wave to both before pulling out his fifth tissue of the day and joining the wedding planners. "Great job you guys! You should be really proud of all your work." He addresses Sonnie and Circe, the Summer Sovereign's jest about gunpowder drawing a brief chuckle amidst the happy sniffles. "Awwww, you planned fireworks! That's...beautiful." He blows his nose, crumpling up the tissue and stuffing it in his pants pocket, in lieu of no trash cans being in easy reach.

He waves to Cassandra. "Hey Cass! Glad you could make it." Rhodes mentions food, and the Giant brightens up just a bit. "That sounds nice. I can't wait to see the wedding cake. I bet it's just as amazing as the rest of the ceremony." Maybe another of the Lost had made the cake? Maybe it had special Goblin Fruit icing? Maybe it was just a really good, very pretty mundane cake? At any rate, no self-respecting Ogre would pass on dessert.

[Colonel Worm]

Directly after the ceremony, Colonel Worm had slipped off to the bathroom. He'd had to piss like a race horse. And attend to other business.

That other business? A touch of the old nose candy. You see, he's decided to forego heavy drinking at this special event. Wouldn't do to go stumbling around at the wedding of two Monarchs. But he's not about to go straight.

The solution? Uppers. Lots of uppers.

Wiping the remaining snow from his upper lip, the Goblin looks in the bathroom mirror. Feeling as sharp as he looks. He'd gotten a cut and a shave just for the ceremony, donned some dapper, non-prescription glasses, and dragged out one of his many statement suits.

Properly yakked up, just shy of obviously grinding his teeth, his hair and outfit straightened, Worm emerges from the mens room looking downright jolly.

First things first, he bee-lines for the bride and groom. He'll offer each a solid hug (if the two newly-weds will permit it). His strong arms hold each of them for a maybe a beat too long. "Rhodes. Sera. It was magical. Incredible. Thank you so, so much for the invite. An honor to be here. You guys are..." he seems to search for the word, "I want to say perfect. But it's more than that. You two were made for each other." Or re-made. Whatever. "I mean, just beautiful stuff." Wild eyes move back and forth between them as he speaks. He's speaking a touch too fast, but there's no trace of embellishment. The Goblin's telling the truth.

His piece said Worm retreats, offering Sonnie and Cass a manic smile (resisting the urge to blow the weeping Beast a kiss), and clapping Circe on the back with a "Hey, Boss," before stationing himself beside Liam. He looks up at the giant with a goofy grin, asks quietly: "You okay there big guy?" He's not making a joke at the Ogre's expense. It's apparent his question is genuine.

[Sonnie Wu]

Sonnie accepted the tissue from Circe and smiled, "Sorry. I'm just so full of emotions right now! I've been so cool up until today, I dunno where this is all coming from!"

Just how had she and Circe managed to pull this how thing together so fast? She could barely remember. There'd been so much scrambling around, making phone calls, buying this and that and the other thing. The energy was hectic but she liked hectic and the Beast had ridden that energy all the way to this after-party. Maybe she was just exhausted?

Wiping the last of the tears away, she smiled warmly at Seraphina . "Anything for you, sis." And she meant it.

"Hi Cassie! Welcome to the reception!" Her head bobbed towards the Polychromatic.

Rhodes received a grin, "And if it isn't, I'll give the caterers hell. That's my job!" Sort of. "Anyway, congrats! And thanks, Rhodes, for making Sera so happy." For a moment, there was a feral glint in her eyes, something primitive and ferocious that lurked in every Beast's soul. "And if you ever make her unhappy, you'll be the one getting hell from me." She winked, and the primal part of Sonja Wu receded.

The arrival of Liam and Worm caught her attention and she waved at them.