much wedding such wow

[astralera]

♥ Who: Era & Ardbert & OTA
♥ Where: Lup's Fabulous Mansion
♥ When: Evening of December 12th
♥ What: Wedding Ceremony (invitees only) & Reception (OTA)
♥ Rating: PG-13

☘
INVITEES

{all invitees can bring a +1 if they choose}
• Lup
• Honerva
• Emet-Selch
• Ardyn
• Regis
• Noctis
• Prompto
• Ignis
• Lunafreya
• Lance

The mansion will open to all offworlders who wish to attend the reception — no invites needed for that!

THE CEREMONY (INVITEES ONLY)

Takes place in a cozy outdoor garden beneath a starry night sky. There are comfortable benches set up with enough space for everyone invited, as well as a not-insignificant number of reserved seating for people who cannot attend. The aisle is bordered by thistles, and lit by warm lanterns. At the end of the aisle is a small platform beneath an elf tree decorated with fairy lights.


Carbuncle leads the procession, acting as the 'flower girl' by shaking a basket of petals around as it trots along. It is followed by Era, who is walked down the aisle by Regis, and waiting for her at the end is Ardbert, flanked by her chocobo and his amaro, all looking very dapper in their tailored coattails and ties. She wears a long robe so deep a grey it looks almost black, and her face is obscured by a mask. She carries a artichoke bouquet.

When she steps up to meet her betrothed he lowers her hood and removes her mask. They're both smiling, clearly head-over-heels for each other. Her bouquet is handed over to Seto for safekeeping, knowing Peki would simply eat it (though Peki reaches over with his long neck and promptly eats it anyway).

There is a priest (grabbed at the last minute from the nearest temple) ready to begin the ceremony. It goes quickly and with hardly any fuss. There is no mention of gods or religion—just loyalty, commitment, and love. Hythlo, their amaro chick, is the ring bearer, and does an admirable job (even if he does run to Noctis instead of Ardbert at first).

In the end Era's vows are very simple: "I love you."

Ardbert abandons the vows he came up with earlier, following his wife's lead with an equally simple: "I love you, too."

Their first kiss is short and sweet. Ardbert has his fingers twined with hers and she can't stop blushing, looking shyly down at the ring on her finger. Familiar with her discomfort in being at the center of attention, Ardbert jovially pulls the aggro calls out:

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go eat!"

THE DINNER (INVITEES)

The meal will be held place in a second room made to look like another section of the garden from the ceremony. The dining tables are rustic picnic benches lit by warm candles in crystalline cups. Overhead is a balcony of arched branches, decorated with fairly lights and strings of crystalline beads (1).

Now devoid of her robe, Era wears a dress with flowing skirts that glitter like the night sky and a top as white as the Light that joined her and her husband together as one. Her hair is loose for once, and her auracite pendant hangs openly from her neck for all to see, as well as the scars on her back she rarely reveals.

The meal is largely made up of hearty, traditional foods like creamy lamb stew, potatoes of all kinds, myriad other vegetables, warm and buttery dinner rolls, various beverages (including both pomegranate and caelumfruit wines), etc., though if there's nothing that tickles your fancy available one of the moogle attendants will do their best to fulfill specific requests. The dinner will be served up to a maximum of nine courses, so hopefully you brought an appetite. Era sure did, and can be found stuffing her face alongside Ardbert in a way most unbefitting a bride, but very fitting for a Warrior or Light.

At the end of the meal they cut their two cakes (one apple-pomegranate and one ice cream), and when Ardbert smashes a slice of cake in Era's face he smartly chooses the non-frozen one. Despite having agreed to smashing cake in each other's faces Era is so excited to eat cake that it completely slips her mind, leaving her blinking up at Ardbert in utter confusion as bits of cake fall on top of her plated slice. (She finds it all very funny once she clues in, as does Ardbert).


**note: invitees will have their dinner first, but there will be food available throughout the reception! it just will be more of a buffet than a proper dinner.

THE RECEPTION

The main reception hall is a recreation of the main hall of Fortemps Manor, albeit a little smaller (1, 2, 3, 4). There is plenty of seating for those who wish to relax in a comfortable chair, or some peace and quiet to snack on finger-foods.

To the left of the main foyer is a medium-sized room with bright, focused lighting suitable for excellent photographs. The garden area is where one might go for that sort of background, but in this room guests can choose from a number of options - a few spots somewhere in Havenwell if they want a more grounded picture, or a different city entirely, an ocean view, a crowded party scene... plenty to choose from. Whatever is selected will be magically projected onto the opposite wall and floor where anyone can pose.

Prompto has been asked to act as the wedding photographer, though he won't be constrained to this room, so guests may have to find him or someone else to help. If they do not have a photographer handy, they can pass their camera or communicator over to one of the mansion servants who is standing by at the door, a semi-translucent floating moogle. The moogle will politely take any photo that the guests ask for until they're satisfied.


On the opposite side of the foyer is a large square area with a beautifully patterned floor, tiled and sturdy, well-suited for dancing or moving about, if guests wish to spend a little time prancing in their lovely outfits. Small cocktail tables and comfortable chairs line the outside area for when you need to rest your feet, and one corner has a band of moogles playing music, switching instruments in and out as needed between songs depending on the mood they're going for. None of them are singing, but there is a microphone if anyone feels like getting... impromptu. Just don't ruin it for everyone else... the moogles also double as bouncers on command.


A small room off to the side of the garden acts as the combination restroom/powder room, with segmented areas for privacy as well as a space to freshen up, cool down, and escape the rest of the party for a bit. It's as fancy as the rest, all marble and gleaming tile, clean and softly-lit. Imagine the nicest hotel bathroom you've ever seen, and that's about what to expect from this room.

MANSION NOTES:

• anything taken out of the mansion that was created within it will dissipate into smoke once passing through the portal, so no food, furniture, or servants can be stolen. (go ahead and try, though.)

• though only a handful will be visible and working at any given time, there are 100 servants hiding in the woodwork somewhere. anyone who causes enough of a ruckus that the bride and groom wish them to be removed will immediately be swarmed by moogles and tossed out the door.

• the mansion is active for 24 hours or until dispelled, so feel free to party as long as you want, unless the happy couple (or Lup) decides it's time for you to go the heck home already.

Comments

[iustaegis]

[ It's a start, and so, Pyra will seize this opportunity to make this the best start Honerva might have.

A new song begins as played by the moogle band, and Pyra does her best to help her adjust to the more lively tempo. The quicker beats aren't meant to be daunting, but an exciting challenge instead, a fun one, hopefully. Even if mistakes are made (for Pyra makes them as well), they're moving, learning, and dancing together-- becoming a swirl of their dresses as they step out their path. Pyra's gratefulness for the opportunity shines through in her smile as she turns with Honerva one more time before the finale. ]

[shroudedsecrets]

[ The quicker beats cannot help but be a little daunting, for one so unaccustomed to moving in such a way. Even the consideration of having ever been more familiar with such lively movement is far from thought, as she tries to focus more on the present than anything else.

The present movement is... well, if someone could seem so elegant and graceful and yet so awkward about it all--but if there's one thing about her is that when she commits to a path she commits hard, trying to relax at any mutual mistakes. Lup's eyes are out there in the crowd and her son's are, too, but Pyra seems more pleased than not by their progress. Better to focus on her movement than any observation.

She still glides more than steps but the twirls are improving. Her movement isn't as hindered as it used to be. It is... not unpleasant. When the final turn comes she does find herself smiling back at Pyra in an unguarded moment. ]

[iustaegis]

[ There have been many things in her home world that she had never gotten to experience before coming to this one. Dancing had been among those activities, and she had only first done so about a year ago, not too soon after her arrival.

She adores dancing, even if she might not be particularly good at it. Moreover, she enjoys dancing with others. The experience cannot be understated, especially as she catches sight of the other's smile. She brings Honerva into one last spin with her, loose and flighty and done on the final count, beaming just as the song finishes.

Breathless from their exercise, her hands retake Honerva's hands in hers, squeezing them both between them. ] W-well...? What do you think of that?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She too needs a moment, the dance is over, time to take a breath, is her hair okay, all that moving about... but Pyra seems so happy. It was right not to deny her that. ]

I do not know if I can become accustomed to these... spins.

[ She says, finally, but she is still a bit flushed from the rush of it anyway. ]

But this was... quite new. I appreciate that, thank you.

[iustaegis]

[ Pyra looks over Honerva with a smile, tugging at her hand to guide her off of the dance floor. It seems she's a bit winded? flushed, perhaps-- good. That's how it's supposed to be. She sincerely hopes Honerva was able to enjoy the dance. ]

The more you practice it, the more comfortable you'll become with the steps and improvising.

[shroudedsecrets]

[ It's... a few emotions, there. Really she's far more capable of movements like that than she's been able to realize, which is in part of why it's startling.

As most concepts tend to be, particularly the ones that everyone else considers "ordinary" and easy. Not when such activity didn't have place in a prior lifestyle, or the means to adapt. And yet here they were, with the consideration of it planted. ]

You do seem quite certain of that. I thank you for your confidence.