[GP] The De Rolo Wedding Reception

[st_abby]

The calendar of "Kahl-ee-Fornea" was very different to that of Tal'Dorei. But the spring dance had been a good reminder for the Exandrians (one of them, anyway) that the Renewal Festival would take place more or less this time of year, landing always on the thirteenth day of Dulahei. It seemed a fitting time to set the 'small family dinner' in celebration of the marriage of Vex and Percy.

...Yeah, but no. Because Vax'ildan didn't mind a bit of revenge for their having done the thing without so much as telling him for several weeks, and because his sister always deserved the best of everything anyway, the garden had a whopping lot more than that for the happy couple as they opened the doors onto what first looked like pitch blackness. Until the big, white-hot spotlight snapped abruptly on to glare down on top of the pair with blinding scrutiny.

A familiar voice sang out from beyond, his ever-charming booming and crooning amplified to fill the whole of the outdoors by something called a 'microphone,' Scanlan using all his singular panache to belt out a melodic tune:

"There she is, Mrs. De Rolo
There she is, your ideal
The dreams of a million boys and girls who want to find love in Emon City
For Vex may turn out to more than Baroness of the first house of Whitestone and Grand Mistress of the Hunt
There he is, Mr. De Rolo
There he is, your ideal
With so much brooding and tinkering he took the town by storm
With his all-Whitestone face and form
And there they are
Walking on air, he is
Fairest of the fair, she is
There they are - Mr. and Mrs. De Rolooooooooooo~"

A resounding wave of applause, murmuring, cheers, and laughter broke out all around the newlyweds - one such unbridled merry cackle absolutely coming from the bride's brother - and Scanlan's tone changed immediately to a much more vibrant, excited, sporting-event-enthusiasm style of announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen - it's the DE ROLO FAMILY!"

The strands of bulb lighting popped into yellow-soft brightness all at once, revealing the guests gathered around dozens of tables artfully set with dinner places enough for everyone at the Inn. Each table included flowers, linens, and garlands all matched in smart Whitestone-Blue, darker Owlbear-Blue, black and white with touches of gold accents, all thanks to Caroline's management. The outdoor area so far as one could see had been dressed in one of Lillith's illusions to mimic a beautiful forest clearing at purple-dusk with fireflies dancing, the shapes of buildings and foothills in the distance distinctly cast to look like the city and castle of Whitestone. Ignis and Emma stood by putting a few final touches on what they'd all started calling 'fancy barbecue,' an enormous buffet of haute cuisine smoked and grilled meats with artful sides, a table beside them holding up the massive layer cake Pike had tirelessly fussed into perfection. So many others had come together to help or to wish the de Rolos well - but there would be plenty of time over the evening for them to be thanked and recognized with food, drink, song - there was even an area marked out as a dance floor.

A freshly bathed Trinket in his very own bowtie lumbered up to Vex'ahlia to rumble and lick her face as the pair finally had a moment to react to the spectacle. At ground-level, a small disc-like device with a large serving spoon taped to it had been labeled with marker as Ensign Stubby, rolling its way between tables and chairs while balancing a large, many-times-stabbed basket of flower petals (with a handful left nestled in its giant spoon) on top of its flat surface like a drunken flower girl to finally bump into Vex and Percy's shoes. ...And possibly the best thing about their stunning surprise? That Peter boy had got the whole thing on VHS.

Comments

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

The chicken thing got old fast, that was for sure. She glanced around and gestured to where she saw Ignis. "You want something specific, you can talk to him. There's also a girl who works in the kitchen, but I haven't seen her yet." Emma made delicious food too.

Mary looked back at him. "Or, I can offer you a dance, if you like. It's been a while since I've had the opportunity and I'll fend off anyone who might come up to talk to us, if you're so inclined."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"I'd be honored to dance with you," he said after a brief moment of consideration, but it came out awkward instead of suave.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

A little known fact about John Winchester was that he was awkward when she first met him. He only grew into his confidence the more they dated. She found men like that charming, at least some of the time, so it didn't phase her at all.

She held out her hand to him. Mary would give him the option to lead, should he wish, but if not, she had no problem leading him out a little way away from the karaoke machine to where people were dancing.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

He had no trouble leading, he'd learned to dance as a boy with the earls children at the main house and moved into it smoothly taking her into his arms as moving to the music.

"YOu didn't think I knew what I was doing, did you." He might have smiled, barely, before it was gone.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

Mary laughed. "You had me, I'll admit." He was a bit hard to read, that one. "But I'm kind of glad to see the stereotype of English gentleman is alive and well." Or so it seemed, anyways. "I'm Mary, by the way."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

The thing about stereotypes was that they were true as often as they were false, because they had to come from somewhere.

There was a pause as he considered and then he said, "James. But most people call me Hathaway."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

Had his last name been Bond, Mary would have probably lost it. As it was, she had to admit she found the accent rather enjoyable. You didn't run into a lot of British people in Lawrence, Kansas.

"Which would you like me to call you." She smiled with slight amusement.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"Why don't we start with Hathaway and see how things go." He told her after a moment of serious consideration despite which he never faltered a step in the dance.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

Her smile warmed a little, intrigued by his comment,. "Alright then." She leaned in a little, voice slightly lower and playful. "You can still call me Mary, though."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"I'm honored," and he was actually. Not being one who was called by or called very many people by their given names it always felt like a favor when someone offered. He tried to imagine calling Lewis, who was boss, partner and possibly his closest friend by his first name and almost grimaced. He was not ready to even think of the man as Robbie.

"I suppose I should ask if you know the happy couple." Since he didn't and was a bit of a gate crasher - though Kitty had assured him everyone was welcome.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"I don't, actually. Not really." She offered a smile that was maybe a little apologetic simply because it meant they were both there for people they barely knew. "I've seen them around, of course, but we haven't formally met."

She paused, letting them dance for a moment. "Truth me told, I'm still trying to get over the fact I can interact with creatures like elves here." Which was better than saying 'I'm used to killing non-human things'.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"I'm not confident that I'll ever get over it," he admitted wryly.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"That's fair. And even when you think you've learned everything there is, I'm sure this place has other things to keep us on the edge of our seats for a long time." Mary was still of the opinion the inn was someone's playground and they were their toys.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

That sounded a bit like his normal life, but not even being a murder cop had prepared him for this place.

"And here I was hoping for a nice relaxing vacation spot."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"You don't like your vacation spots with a little adventure, Hathaway?" She smiled back to him. He seemed good at taking things in stride, which would be good for him.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"Usually my vacation spots are less adventure and more good works," he admitted wryly. But he had experiences and saw people and things - he just didn't necessarily have adventures.

"I guess you might say I'm a trifle dull in that regard." Or incapable of relaxing which is what Lewis would say.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"Hm." She seemed to ponder that as they danced. "My father was like that. He's pretend we were on vacation, but use it to help people." Hunt things, but those kind fo went hand in hand. "Never really stopped working until the day he died."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"I think everyone I know would be shocked if I died anywhere but at the nick," he admitted with a laugh.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"Is that your local pub?" It kind of sounded like a name of a bar.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"No," he chuckled amused. Americans. "It's what we call the police station where I work."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"Oh." Mary felt a little sheepish, though she smiled instead of blushed like someone else might. "A police officer then? Is that your regular day job."

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"If I say yes are you going to run away?" some people, even law abiding ones were made nervous by a copper.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"Nope." Maybe back home she would have, or at least started to out-right lie. Cops here were pretty much harmless. "Unless you plan on arresting me." Mary wiggled her eyebrows a little playfully.

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_james]

"Not my patch," in fact so far outside his jurisdiction he didn't want to consider it. "Do we even have laws here?"

Re: Hathaway/Mary

[st_huntermom]

"I think it's one of those 'universal law' ideas where everyone keeps the peace because it'd be pretty awkward if someone was an ass and still had to deal with everyone after." Mary thought it seemed pretty evident that the people at the inn all had some sort of familiar attribute as well.