10th Contraption: Mawwiage

[pineapplesalmon]

Who: John Watson, Johnny Summer, and César Salazar with Rich Goranski, Fio, and Honoria Crabb AND YOU Oh god why are weddings like this
What: The throuple getting married by... the Captain?!
When: December 11th at 7pm
Where: John's
Warnings: I believe in us! But for now, nothing.


SEATING

John's has been transformed, the seating up front rearranged in rows towards the center dias with an aisle down the middle, the piano moved off to one side. The buffet for later can be seen off to the other. Decorations taken from Spirit Halloween appear here and there–flowers taken from cavalera flower crowns, sun and moon candlestick holders from the tarot collection, festively colored tablecloths draped down the walls like curtains or banners. A sign near the entrance says "seat yourself", although the front row on one side is reserved with a ribbon across the backs.

What can't be seen is who is officiating. Or the husbands, but at least that part makes sense. The dais is empty.


THE CEREMONY

As one of the few traditions in this wedding, music announces the start of the ceremony. Rich strolls in first, trying to look professional even if he’s clearly shaking a bit as he holds the small pillow with the rings laid on it. At least he’s dressed quite smartly, Johnny ensuring his red suit is wrinkle free and his cuff links are set in place. Fio, in a winged black dress and flowery headdress, follows after the ring bearer, adorning the path with paper petals as she moves along.

The first husband to be down the aisle is none other than Johnny, in a smart charcoal grey suit with a goldenrod pocketsquare, gold jewelry, and a wreath of orange blossoms on his head; and accompanied by Honoria Crabb in her perfectly tailored black tuxedo, worn with black gloves and a white bow tie. Watson and César take up the rear, arms linked together. César is wearing an equally fancy suitcoat with his tie held in place with a ruby and silver tie pin, and Watson is wearing an officer’s dress uniform, with the sword and without the helmet, and also his good cane. All three husbands-to-be are wearing green carnation boutonnières.


AFTER PARTY

It's time to eat, dance, and party!

The seating has been rearranged for sitting at tables around the "dance" floor. Food from Windjammer has been placed on some tables for a buffet. There’s a selection of fancy cheeses and crackers, sushi, premade sandwiches, and salad with dressings on the side. For dessert, to one side there’s a table with cupcakes, cookies, and chocolates arranged in a heart. On the bar are a couple bowls of punch (including one explicitly labeled as non-alcoholic) made by Johnny ahead of time, because he's been forbidden to bartend his own wedding, much to his deep chagrin.

There’s a space set just off the dancefloor for musicians who wish to perform, the usual John’s piano (bribed into behaving with a whole pan of beef brisket from the buffet) off to one side.

Comments

After Party | Max M and OTA

[redlightgreenlight]

A wedding on this hellship certainly isn't something she ever expected to be attending, even though all the passengers knew in advance, it still felt out of place. Though nothing involving death had been triggered by the Captain yet, and the wedding had seemingly gone off without a hitch. She's here, accompanied by a well-dressed man who is new to the ship. The dress that Klaus convinced her to wear isn't the fanciest outfit at the party, which is a relief, and the scars from her fight had faded completely. She's mostly holding back and keeping her distance from everyone, not trusting the situation in the slightest and watching everyone with an evaluating eye.

[busball]

Klaus is showing up, grinning widely. "Nice dress. Who helped you pick that out?" Oooookay. So he's fishing for compliments, but it's only cause it's funny and he's happy to see her. "Come on, then. You owe me a dance. I mean, since I missed out the last time."

[redlightgreenlight]

Valdis arches a brow at him. He knows exactly what his role was in both of those things.

"Why, Klaus, I though you'd never ask."

She holds out her hand to him. "Care to lead?"

[busball]

"Yeah. I've done both. When you have only like...one sister, you have to be the girl in the dance lessons." They shrug. "You have a dance you prefer or just pick something and go?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"You're leading, so you decide."

She's smirking now, her hand still held out to him.

[busball]

He takes her hand and starts them with a foxtrot. It's fairly simple and so it's easy to get used to dancing with someone for him. Waltz would probably have been just as easy, but perhaps maybe a little more 'everyone does this dance' for his brain. Not that that's a bad thing, but...eh.

They're having fun with it anyway. "So how are you feeling? I see you're all healed up. Still high on murderous undertaking or are we a little more even now?"

After Party with Valdis but also OTA

[maximumcake]

It's only his second day here and he's found himself at the wedding of three men, of all things. Thank God he showed up here wearing a suit already so he, at least, doesn't feel so underdressed next to the stunning gown Valdis is wearing here. He is having a really hard time taking his eyes off of her in it.

"You really look like a queen in that," he tells her fondly, with a hint of blush on his cheeks.

For most of the night, Max will follow Valdis around like a nervous puppy. He's seemingly perfected the art of staying just at her side and just slightly behind her, out of her way but there if she needs or wants anything. She won't ever have to get her own drinks, that's for sure.

During those moments when Valdis leaves him to go mingle and dance on her own, he will stand off to the side, looking like he's trying to become a piece of the decoration, or maybe blend into the wallpaper. He doesn't really know many people here and he's still so on edge about all of this. So, he'll stand by and observe, fiddling with a drink in his hand, hoping not to draw much attention to himself.

[redlightgreenlight]

"Thank you, Max."

Valdis tries very hard to both keep Max in her sights and not allow him to wait on her the entire time. It's both charming and highly annoying to have a puppy attached to her side, even when he's just simply following her around.

"You don't need to get me things though, I am perfectly capable of getting my own wine."

She's watching everyone very carefully, looking for threats, or anything that might disrupt the wedding. It had been too peaceful so far. Something had to give.

[maximumcake]

"I know I don't," he says with a slight whine, "but it makes me feel like I'm helping." He's so hardwired to be the one hosting the party that he doesn't otherwise know what to do with himself here. Hell, just two days ago he was putting the finishing touches on things for the annual New Year's Eve party his master hosts and now... he's here. At a wedding. Still in December and yet, apparently, somehow earlier than new years.

"I... can't help but notice you are keeping a pretty close eye on things. Are you expecting a fight?" She's got that same look in her eyes that Josiah, his master's chief of security, always has when he's checking for danger.

[redlightgreenlight]

He's observant. Valdis takes a deep breath to center herself and turns a dazzling smile toward him.

"No, of course not. Things just aren't always as they seem here. The wedding was lovely and there is a very low chance of anything happening to disrupt that."

There is still a chance. She takes a drink of the wine he'd just brought her.

"Do you go to parties like this often?" He seems to have that twitchiness associated not being in charge.

[maximumcake]

"Low chance, but not no chance." He is observant, and he can tell she's trying to put him at ease. Which makes him feel slightly guilty that she's having to do that for him. Okay. Deep breaths. It's just a party.

"I do. Usually, if I'm with my master I'll be wearing--" Oh, maybe he shouldn't say that. Will she be weird about hearing he usually wears a collar and leash? Probably. "...Something a little fancier, you know? I also host parties for my master. He puts a lot of faith in my planning. It feels weird to just be here without anything specific to do."

[businessorlibation]

One of the grooms has sufficient perception (and is already doing a mental headcount, looking to see if Friday is there and what sort of dress Siffleur wore) to notice the wallflower, sweeping over to him with a cupcake to offer.

"Hi. I'm Johnny Summer."

Up close, the man is revealed to be short, though his presence seems to make up for it.

[maximumcake]

It's a really good thing Max just saw Johnny getting married because he would otherwise be so impossibly tempted to flirt. That suit, the style, the bigger-than-life presence in it--really damn attractive. Those two guys are lucky.

"Hi, Johnny. Congratulations on your wedding. I'm Max Maximum." He would go for a handshake, but Johnny has the plate with the cupcake so he ends up awkwardly taking that instead.

"Should the groom be serving guests at his own wedding?"

[businessorlibation]

"They're lucky I agreed not to bartend properly tonight. Allow me this." Johnny's smile comes easily. "And in case you're worried about not being invited, your invitation was delivered before you arrived. You're absolutely welcome here. Everyone is."

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga is forever paranoid. A billion times calmer since becoming Yato's weapon, but still... some things like wearing his armor 24/7 and leaning his back to hard solid non-paper walls would always come standard to him.

He stands nearby to the man trying desperately to blend into nothing, while Klaus and Valdis are off dancing together. It's just as well, Nobunaga and Klaus can only get one or two dances in before they escalate dangerously.

"You're new right? I'm Nobunaga Oda, Demon King of the 6th Heaven, Japan Earth Hell 1582. How are you handling it so far?"

[maximumcake]

He wasn't sure what to do when Nobunaga, clad in that armor, approached, so he stood there like a deer in the headlights. But now, he jumps when the man addresses him directly.

"Y-yes, your highness." That title is a long one, but Max appreciates it all being laid out for him right up front. Now he knows how much deference to use. But can that really be right? Hell? Figurative, he hopes. But the year 1582? Is he an immortal too?

"I'm Max Maximum. I serve Lord Erik Osborne of the Ozark Mountain clan." He dips into a low bow. "I'm... just trying to stay out of the way."

[konpeito_aji]

He's cute and incredibly jumpy. How the heck did he even handle Valdis? Oh wait. Lord Osborne must be like her?

"At ease, Max Imum." Yup he took it to be a stammer, or like James, James Bond. Nobunaga waves a hand, and purposely leans back against the wall trying to look as relaxed, as he can despite embodying living weapon, walking arsenal vibes. "Ozarks, those are... near Montana? Big Sky Country? America? I thought they had a democracy. Four year presidents, not aristocracy?"

Although his idea of North American geography was shaky at best, having to conceptualize it pretty abstractly through the others.

[konpeito_aji]

Nobunaga gives her a nice low wolf whistle and an absolute filthy grin, because of course he does. "Now you just might be gorgeous enough to hold my attention for three minutes." A joke, because she knows she can captivate him much longer as needed. He's down a sword, but still wearing the matchlock and heavier of the two blades, and full armor as normal, though the red tie is where it is supposed to be for once and actually around his neck. "Who's the lucky guy you dressed up for?"

Spill the dirt!

[redlightgreenlight]

It takes every ounce of self control to not roll her eyes at him. Even she has the decency to be unarmed. She's not even wearing the pendant dagger. Not that she needs weapons when she now has other powers at her disposal. She'd hate to ruin this dress by shifting though.

"Klaus."

It's the truth, but her eyes flit toward Max who is off in the corner for a split second.

[konpeito_aji]

"I'm sure he picked it out," because Nobunaga would love to see Klaus in it too, don't get him started, "But you came here with someone else."

Nobunaga takes the time to do the on guard paranoia thing instead of her, but if he's being honest, he has it pretty well sussed that --

Yeah, see? There's Skulduggery taking care of dancing with the Captain.

Nobunaga cheerfully drinks his alcoholic punch - something he definitely wouldn't be doing if he were worried.

"I get the impression you are acting more as his bodyguard than vice versa, however. What gives? The other night's escapades?" That was why Nobunaga was back to full armor, after all. Even if he was down a sword.

There are two things the Fool of Owari is infamously bad at: weddings and funerals. Though to be fair, anything formal and well-mannered, really.

[redlightgreenlight]

"He didn't, it came with other items in my wardrobe in a box from Friday, but he did convince me to wear it."

With the rest of his words, clearly speaking about Max, she turns her complete attention on him, smiling, teasing, completely dodging the question with the intention to distract him. "What, afraid he'll get me out of this dress before you do?"

She pulls closer, "You don't have to worry, very few could compare to you."

Re: After Party | Max M and OTA

[crushed_pearls]

Erin brings Valdis a glass of punch as an excuse (she has her own, there in her other hand), and offers it with a playful smile.

"You," Erin almost purrs, "have clearly chosen violence, Valdis. Hell of a look to be playing the wallflower with...though it does warm my heart to see you seem to have taken our new artist -" she nods her head in Mister Maximum's direction, as subtly as she can, "under your wing at least a little. How're you enjoying the party?"

[redlightgreenlight]

"You look good too, Erin."

She holds up the wine glass that Max had brought her to indicate she already has a drink. Perhaps a bit rude, but she's not in the mood for pleasantries.

"I'm not sure I can truly enjoy the party knowing what happened the last time someone not a passenger joined in."

Surely Erin has noticed the Captain being here.

[crushed_pearls]

"...I don't think I can join your suspicious air here," Erin admits, reluctantly. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still...pissed, actually, but the Captain's demonstrated the willingness to be neighborly before. And if he's paying attention I doubt we'll see a repeat of Halloween on a technical level."

Erin takes a drink from her own punch since both her hands are going to be full. So much for offering a hand out to dance, but Valdis's company is still nice.

"Now, I promised you small talk and a fairy tale. I don't have time for a fairy tale tonight, but the small talk is on offer if I can't tempt you to relax a little."

[redlightgreenlight]

"I don't trust people without souls, no matter how neighborly they may seem."

She glances back at Erin, holds her breath a moment and then releases it.

"I'm open to small talk."

Though it may not help much, it might even make it worse.