come_sailaway | 10th Contraption: Mawwiage

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10th Contraption: Mawwiage

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Klaus holds up his hands. "I'm not gonna tell Sharky. I can't imagine he doesn't know something about it already, though."

Of course, in the next minute, he's very suddenly falling backwards and onto the floor in a very undignified manner, letting out a squeak. So much for his suit not hitting the floor. "Ow," he whines. "I didn't know that was so exciting for you."

But yeah. That blush is adorable and once his brain adjusts from the surprise of being on the floor, but that's fine. This is fine. The mood has shifted once more. "I can bully us back to it if I need to." Cause that's the only way these conversations happen. Somehow.

"I talked with Valdis and...well...I don't think she actually agrees with me on my decision because she says I'm too good of a person...and I don't know. She said something and I felt like she was saying I was useless and I was upset about all the talk about how I shouldn't...and I didn't really like...know why I was so upset when I'd already said I didn't want to be...and...I dunno." They shrug.

"I guess I just sort of thought about it a lot since then. I think it's...I don't...want anyone to choose for me. Not my dad, not you, not the Captain, not anyone. I just...I need to control what happens in some respect. This place is going to make us kill one another or get into dangerous situations...and not being able to take care of myself puts you all in danger. Because you'll be worried about protecting me. I don't want that."

Klaus presses a little kiss to his red cheeks. "I don't know that I'd say I was that strong. I just...listen. And I guess know when to push."

They laugh a little. "Well, I can't help my previous profession. What's done is done." There's a nose wrinkle at the boop and he tries to bite it in further retaliation. "I can use myself."

He smiles a little. "I don't expect immediate perfection. But I hope you're doing this for you and not just me." Nobunaga truly is the most ridiculous man he's ever had the pleasure to meet. "I will be here for you. I promise. Through all of this bullshit." He blushes himself here. "Can't plan our eventual candy wedding otherwise."

"Yeah he told Pratt to get some sort of vanilla kink. It's a tough mission. Pray for him." Maybe he could ask Yato about that. Who knows.

More head nudges to Klaus' chin. Fuck it, if he has to lean into harder things, this is easily the lesser of difficult things to openly admit wanting! "We kind of fought about it, her and me. That was our argument on the expedition. You not wanting to be a weapon, and then me doing the opposite and being one for Yato. I'm not sure which bothers her more, but I kept saying, you're zen. I think it's just associated with being used by others to hurt others and not you getting to protect them that you don't like, right? Same with the army?" All the head nudges and nuzzles! Nobunaga splits into a giant grin when his finger gets nommed on. "Yeah. I like you keeping me safe. It's new. I like it."

Resting his head back on Klaus' chest. "Mmn. I can adapt pretty well. I think. I'm not as flexible as you but--" he doodles a finger absentmindedly in circles on Klaus' chest. "I wouldn't do something like that if I could resent you for it. I don't need to be liked... but freedom... I guess being hated is still a chain of responsibility? And I want the freedom to... have friends. Even if I'm still learning what that means. I don't want to limit myself but... you're not going to escape being my better face. I'm the big guns that gets pulled out when peace and love aren't enough. You can pull me back anytime you need, and I'll reach my hand out to you, to say, 'not everything has to be a war.' But people still have to take that first step. I've had a lifetime of working for everyone else. I didn't think I could earn my freedom, but I did. I'm doing my best, Klaus. To enjoy it, still be me, and not hurt anyone else. Break conditioning without breaking the person." Impatient head nudge!

A soft smile finally. "Yeah. Everything candy." Doki doki!

"What even is a vanilla kink?" Klaus is trying to think if he has vanilla kinks.

They are really just being attacked by a very affectionate kitten right now. Soon he's gonna start headbutting them. That will probably hurt. "Oh. But..." He squints slightly. "You wanting to be a weapon is different? Cause you chose it." There's a small nod of agreement about his assessment. "Everyone has their own ideas. I mean, I guess I could still be used to hurt someone, but I just want to...keep people safe. Like when the people who couldn't fight at the Halloween party were in danger. And like at the excursion when we had to go off on our own for a bit, but I don't think I could do much against the Bahamanal."

Klaus is really debating getting up, but...it's so comfortable like this. He hopes no one spills anything on them. "Yeah. Which definitely means considering your words and actions a little more. Juuuust a little." Cause that's part of it and they know that it's maybe a bit of an ask, but if Nobunaga is willing to try, Klaus is willing to support him in any way. "I'll be here if you need help or reminders or someone in your corner."

They feel a hot flush across their face. "I love you, you weird candy fiend." There's a beat before Klaus starts levitating them up in the air. "Hold on. I'm getting us back into a chair cause I don't want to be stepped on."

Nobunaga just shrugs. How the hell would he even know? "I guess..." he closes his eyes to think. Mitsunari if he had kinks. He does not. But the most normal, plain, rational, angelic version of it. "Something healthier? Like getting into working out sex, or something tamer than Sharky himself." A sober nod!

"I still think the best way to handle the Bahamanal is probably just to stabilize its environment. Like combating typhoons. As much as human's inclination might be to try shoot it, it is better to bend with it, and be stronger than it, so you outlive it, and reduce its fury by robbing it of its power and drive."

An annoyed huff about the considering words. It's not like Nobunaga doesn't. That's the problem. He chooses things that will disrupt everyone anyway. Still, there's a difference between doing it for the short term gain of chaos, and the long term gain of progress. And he doesn't want to make things harder on Klaus, and he's not always sure as much what is progress here. Maybe there's some degree of kicking things just because they're there, and Nobunaga is too reflexively used to having to fight everything in his wake? It's weird too, when so many things he's been used to fighting are suddenly vanished. Good. It means he won, but also unbalancing, since he is braced to fight and lacking the force that he is used to opposing the same. So he'll have to move and adapt like fighting a typhoon instead. Probably. Still -- "It is difficult to tell what is truly beneficial to someone even when it's extremely uncomfortable for them until after the fact. Especially if they are unaccustomed to any resistance." Everyone should be more like Teyrey.

But then Klaus is the one blushing and oh. Suddenly Nobuanga gets it. Why Klaus is always doing it to him and likes it so much. Okay then. "Hah... okay." That's a little embarrassing too. Even if people missed the whole tackle glomp and kitty head nudges, the floating was probably more obvious, especially with Nobunaga laying his head on Klaus' chest, but whatever. Since when has that stopped him?

And another thing...

Maybe he could just trailblaze a path for others to follow, like Crichton did (albeit accidentally) and he didn't have to push the entire country (or ship in this case) into the direction Nobunaga wanted. Without the restrictions of the past, he also had an additional opportunity to be freed of those ties that he'd been used to having to use to drag people out of their comfort zones just so Nobunaga could get closer to what he wanted for humanity. Although speaking of comfort zones, it wasn't like Nobunaga always stayed within his own either. Comfort was boring.

"Konpeito of purple, lavender and orange.
Red, pink, and blueberry,
Humanity's greatest accomplishment,
Candy konpeito, the greatest treasure of all,"
He really did just start singing (for Klaus' ears only!) about candy. Listen... candy is great.
"Spiky and sweet, the greatest of treats
A konpeito wedding is a sight to behold
Candy candy for the young and the old."

Don't look at him.

“I mean…I guess?????” Klaus supposes that maybe not getting a finger cut off would be a good start. “Maybe talk him into utilizing safe words. That might work better.”

Klaus maaaybe glazes over at that bit because like what does that even mean? This is why Klaus is not great at war strategy. He was just a soldier and that was really all that mattered. “That could work.” Because likely, if Nobunaga said it, it could. They couldn’t tell you what the plan was again, though.

“Yeah. I guess so. It’s also fine to like slowly dive into shit sometimes, too. Like I don’t know anything about that, really, cause I just run into things and then things get awkward and…yeah. But sometimes I manage.”

Klaus shifts them back to sitting in a chair that isn’t toppled over and it’s probably for the best because that song is making the blush even worse and his whole face feels hot. It’s creeping down his neck a little, too. Whatever made this weirdo love them and sing weird songs about candy, Klaus hopes it never stops existing. “I love you so much,” he whispers before moving to steal a kiss. Part of them is of the mind that they’d probably probably marry him right now if he asked, but they’re just going to smother that for now.

"Safe words only work when both sides know it's sexual or agree in advance to respect the lines. I don't think Pratt remembered not all vore and sadism is sexual at the time."

Heeeeee...

Klaus blushing and managing the levitation even with Nobunaga pushing the limits of his concentration makes Nobunaga extremely proud of him. He's at a loss for words though, because he has no idea what he did right or how, just so happy anyway! "Love you too, Babe!" Was it the song? He will sing him all the stupid songs! He doesn't even have to get drunk for it, he is already drunk on how much he loves Klaus.

“Well, we could make him talk it out first???” Klaus sighs. “I definitely prefer not to just get fucked up and find out without clarifying, but I guess some of us are more about fucking around and finding out.”

It was the song. Why is this a thing? Klaus doesn’t understand as they’ve definitely never been the type to blush over songs or ever. But this seems to be one of those weird exceptions. “You better.” He is just gonna cuddle his boyfriend like he hasn’t already been doing that this whole time. “I’m allowing us a couple more minutes before socializing with others because I continue to need your general presence. I still want to talk to a few people and you can check in with Yato or whatever.”

"Yeah... I like to fuck around and find out," a nod. Pratt really is like Nobunaga in that respect. Albeit, from the other angle.

A small laugh. "I don't have to, but I guess I could, I'm not sure how much his shinki usually have for independence from him, so it might be weird for him to go a long time. Or maybe not." A happy hum. "I still want to dance with you, but we'll have to find something not too sexual."

"Yeah. I already know about that." There's another light poke at that. "Which can be mildly problematic, but I still love you."

There's a slight shrug at that. "I know, but I also know you and you're very serious about your duties. So I don't want to keep you from it." There's a smile forming and he moves to kiss him. "Think we can manage a waltz? That's the best I know."

"Yes," A giant sparkling beam, ignoring the previous statement except the love part. "I learned from Austria itself. Not that I've gotten to go there yet. I want to. But they sent me a gorgeous white eagle and I danced with some of their best in my quest to perfect the best humanity has to offer." He's exceptionally proud of this, because he's the only one in all of Japan (in his time, and honestly for quite a few centuries after...) who gives the slightest tiniest fuck about such a thing, and it really was a great expense for something so esoteric!

"They couldn't figure out how to bring pipe organs though. It's the most extravagant thing they have, very European, very Catholic church, Luis Frois was going mad with the logistics to bring one for Japanese cathedrals to spread their culture and tie it to the religion. But impossibly risky to deal with bringing all the way just to demonstrate or for homesickness, despite all the pirates in between us and Europe. Even just getting it to seas would have been tricky with bandits!" A laugh. "I said, bring me blueprints, and I will get Mitsuhide or others on it, but even that is apparently very secretive.
Imagine my surprise when the first similar music I finally heard was... piano from Billy Joel." More laughs! "They built it up so grandiose in my head! I thought it would be like a mountain, and cannon fire, an entire army of gongs of different notes, instead it is all plinky and light like a dulcimer. If I'd known I would have told the missionaries to not worry about European instruments, and just steal the countryside's music for themselves and make them better."

Klaus studies him quietly for a moment, slightly shaking his head. He doesn't know how a white eagle came into play or why there was so much dancing involved. There's a part of their brain that recognizes Luis Frois, but can't remember why. Perhaps it was a school thing?

Either way, the continued rambling about the difficulties of getting a pipe organ and then the mention of the piano being plinky make him laugh. "Trust me, babe. I've seen pipe organs and they are different from a piano. Wish I had the cds to prove it. It's probably not a big deal all the same. I've heard music from all over. It can be one of the cool parts of traveling. Outside of eating the local food. And then whatever sort of night life they have. Clubs and dancing and all that."

Could be! Or Nobunaga probably mentioned him once or twice. Luis Frois was the closest person he could have called a friend in his world.

"Yeah?" Nobunaga perks up! And then beams WISTFULLY about travel! He loves travel. It's his dream. "I always wanted to explore," a quiet happy blush. "Let's do that for both our honeymoon and retiremenent. And just the rest of our existences, okay? I get to cheat though!" A GIANT BEAM! "Because I get to learn music from the future! Although you could ask Tendi for future music, but I'm not sure you'd like it."

"Yeah." Klaus can't help but smile here, taking joy in the blush and the idea of a honeymoon. They have a little blush of their own and there's a nod. "Yeah. It sounds really nice." He reaches out for Nobunaga's hand. "You're cute when you're happy." It's dangerous, but no less true.

They hope they'll always be happy like this. In these little moments. "Shall we dance, then? Just steal a little more time? Then we can check in with the others."

Nobunaga gently nips Klaus' nose in punishment, but gives their hand a small squeeze.

"Okay! Waltz, right? I don't need to check in though. He can feel my happiness, and just call if it's an emergency. I don't think he's stupid enough to avoid it just because I'm happy like this. But if you really think I should I'll send him a text. I don't think he's here now."

"It's still true even when you bite me," he whispers.

That's good, though, because they don't really want to stop being together. "Yes. Waltz. Don't worry. I know both parts, so you can lead!" Since Klaus assumes he does. "And...if he's not here and you don't have to, then...I guess it's fine!"

Oh his gosh... he cannot handle the giant blush that overcomes him at that. "Sh-Shut up...." Waaah...

Nobunaga laughs quietly about Klaus knowing both parts. "Admittedly, I forgot, I do not know how to be led. In anything. At all." So he will have to lead, definitely. But he's very good at it! "You're so elegant. I've always said you move like you're dancing. To actually support you, it feels like we're flying instead. You're not using your power on me, are you?"

“You like it or you’d have told me to fuck off seriously already.” There’s definitely a wink. “But if you ever don’t, just tell me.”

There’s an eyeroll at all of that. “I don’t have any powers. And I wouldn’t use any to trick you into liking me anyway. I want to know you do. For keeps.”

"Shut up," but in spite of the words, there is the exact opposite of force, it's all cuddles and intent meaning stay close, never leave, I love you, never stop talking!

And then Nobunaga laughs! "I meant us flying! I was trying to be romantic!" So much laughing. "Never mind. You're very beautiful. And naturally charming. I wouldn't care if you did use powers like that on me, they wouldn't work. I'm too crazy."

Klaus grins widely, happily staying close. “Love you too, babe.” These are the real heart eyes here.

There’s a snort. “I don’t have that kind of power. Ava’s more of the flying type. Could probably make someone else fly with her.” There’s a small laugh. “You’re not that crazy.” A beat. “And don’t take that as a challenge.”

"Floating then," Nobunaga arched an eyebrow, and then smiled. "Too late~" and quickly starts improvising! Spinning and dipping Klaus, completely blending more modern dances into his previously courtly royal waltz!

Klaus still follows fairly easily, but there’s a little more focus than before. “This is crazy for you?” They shouldn’t be egging him on, but here they are.

More laughs, and Nobunaga improvises his way right out of the waltz, into more of a samurai dance. Though even he has enough tact (mostly because of the others' reactions to him even having it on him at all) to not unsheathe his blade just to show off. But just like that, he pulls Klaus back in, their back to Nobuanga's front, and whispers in their ear, "Remember to keep it decent~" He slides down with Klaus slowly, sensually, but too sexually that neither of them could keep it together (PROBABLY!), and quietly, "Ready?" He's tossed Klaus in self defense demonstration enough, that he knows the weight of Klaus enough to probably do it with muscle memory, but keeping it in time and ALMOST the bounds of a waltz do take his brain a little, so up over his shoulder he moves Klaus, literally ready to improvise solely depending on what his partner (best partner, best friend, best lover!) does and decides to do to continue increasing the chaos.

Klaus' eyes light up just a little as the dance changes, something new and he doesn't know the steps or what he's supposed to do, but it is exciting. There's a laugh at the words as he's pulled back against Nobunaga. This is perhaps why he shouldn't have egged him on. Because the strong desire to kiss their boyfriend exists right now and there's already one couple making out and making it everyone's problem. As he gets thrown over his shoulder, Klaus has to think fast. And they choose levitation and quick.

Nobunaga blinks. It was unexpected! But he is, after all, improvising, so he holds Klaus' hands, crosses them as he does an elegant turn around himself and goes face to face with his partner half waltzing, half still throwing in new things Klaus wouldn't predict either, like more occasional samurai spins!

"And here I thought you were against flying at the same time as dancing." Yeah yeah, not flying, floating.

Klaus giggles a little at the obvious surprise (obvious to him anyway). This is so much more fun somehow. They will easily go with anything, doing their best not to do anything that could end in one or both of them getting hurt.

"Mmm. No. I just said that I couldn't make us both float." But he'll lower himself to the ground. "I love you. So much."

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