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

Early in the after party

[not_the_last]

Cassandra comes sweeping out of the crowd -- and it is sweeping, the kind you can only do in a garment with this much fabric.

She doesn't stop short in shock when she sees Crabb, but her face does brighten on seeing her, in unabashed admiration.

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb's face has always been a traitor so it is of no surprise to herself to feel her eyes widening at Cassandra's get up, but it would be nice to have control over that reaction for once. Still, she flashes a grin.

"—now somethin' that nice has gotta be threads from home."

[not_the_last]

"Yes," she says happily, and -- oh, why resist the impulse? She twirls, just once, so Crabb can see it better. "It was the same delivery as the book of paintings I showed you. And oh, you look lovely, Crabb."

It isn't the gracious, mannered compliments she's been giving others, but something much more impulsive.

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb chuckles softly watching her spin, the gown is beautiful and it's nice to see her enjoying herself, and... well, she has just as little control over the way her face warms at the compliment as she did over her widening eyes. She rubs at her neck, but not in the uncomfortable kind of awkwardness, just faint embarrassment.

"...thanks, got uh— got Johnny to thank for that, really, getting something like this tailored for a woman is a real special order at home and he helped. But uh." She adjusts the jacket, a bit. "Yeah. It feels good."

[not_the_last]

"It suits you perfectly. I'm glad he was able to get it for you."

The impulsiveness is short-lived; as she steps closer, she throws a quick glance around the room, still smiling but with a slightly guarded look coming back into her eyes.

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb casts her own cursory glance across the party, before her gaze settles back on Cassandra. Not staring, but a quiet sort of attention that she settles readily on folks she mentally counts as her people to keep an eye on. She idly swirls her drink. "You enjoying yourself, so far?"

[not_the_last]

"It's a beautiful party," she says, which isn't exactly an answer. "Are you?"

[pointofhonoria]

Not exactly an answer, no. Crabb doesn't not notice that, but she doesn't call her on it right now. "I am, yeah. Got to watch Johnny and his boys get married, got to dance with Erin, dance with Johnny... pretty good evening, by my measure, so far."

She also knew the Captain would be involved in advance and is thus mostly glad he didn't screw it up for the boys.

[not_the_last]

"Good." She smiles.

Hesitates.

"... Would you care to dance with me?"

[pointofhonoria]

If she seems less surprised than you might expect, it's because she's actually less surprised than she'd expect to be. Aside from anything else, this is the first event with dancing she's been to where dancing is something she's actually taken part in for... well, years.

But besides a light raise of her brow, she just sets her drink down and says, "Sure I would," and offers out her hand.

[not_the_last]

Cassandra takes the offered hand with a graceful dancing-school curtsey, and draws Crabb out onto the dance floor.

"I don't know if we know any of the same dances," she confesses as they move, "but I think we can improvise?"

[pointofhonoria]

Crabb follows her easily, stopping face to face with her as they find space and gently tugging to draw her into a hopefully not wildly unfamiliar hold. "Gotta be some common ground enough to work with, yeah. I only ever learned from family as a youngun, but I pick things up quick enough."

[not_the_last]

"Let's see now," she says, brightly enough, as they take their place.

Yes, the hold is familiar enough, and she finds where to put her own hands without a hitch. "There's a step that will work to most music at this speed, just moving around the four points of a square ..."

[pointofhonoria]

"Now that sounds familiar enough. Guess some of the basics carry across; people are people everywhere and all that."

She moves to take them through the start of the step as she knows it, just to be sure.

[not_the_last]

And it's close enough to the step Cassandra knows that she's able to move right into it.

"I think it's working," she says, and for just a moment her smile is genuinely delighted.

[pointofhonoria]

That's nice to see again, whatever moments of genuine enjoyment Cassandra can have tonight... well, she should get to have them. "Sure is. Alright, so, there we go..."

She falls into the pattern she knows and flashes Cassandra a smile of her own. Once they're into the flow of it, they'll be fine.

[not_the_last]

"Do you know, I've never danced at a wedding before?"

She glances past Crabb's shoulder, a swift look for the grooms, another for the now-vanished officiant.

[pointofhonoria]

"Not been to any, or just not been doing any dancing? I ain't since I was a little kid, myself. Aunt and uncle got married; I only danced with the girls there, always tried to lead the boys."

And a girl could lead another girl but she wasn't really supposed to try to lead the boys. Here, well, she led Johnny when they danced. The old rules don't matter.

[not_the_last]

"The same as you; I haven't been to one since I was very small. Too small to stay until the dancing."

And most likely even if she'd been older she would only have danced with one or more of her brothers. Unless some baron's son or daughter of the right age had been in attendance.

[pointofhonoria]

"That'd do it. I was, eh, about ten, probably. Old enough to take part. Didn't even have to worry about things like needing to be in bed, parties tended to be morning or afternoon."

Early wedding, early party.

"Couple a' my friends got married recently—back home I mean, not just Johnny and his boys. But they were outta the country when it happened and we didn't even find out 'til they came back. Makes it nice not to miss another."