2018-10-07: A Ceremony at Sea

• Log: A Ceremony at Sea
• Cast: Cecilia Adlehyde, Claude C. Kenny, Tethelle Cirdian, Sorey, Celine Jules, Ida Everstead-Rey, Ree, Fei Fong Wong, Chime Isa, Layna Manydays, Leon Albus, Elhaym van Houten, Elvis, Lily Keil, Yarobeleedt, Zed
• Where: Port Timney
• Date:2018-10-07
• Summary: The wedding of Mint Bandenade and Cress Al'Vane does not go as planned. But what wedding ever does?

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<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Cecilia Adlehyde is very definitely not present. Definitely.

Instead, the good ship Sweet Candy will today host the nuptials of Mint Bandenade, a woman who definitely exists and is not fictional nor is she a pseudonym for the princess-royal and uncrowned queen of Adlehyde because that would be silly; and Cress Al'Vane, a man who definitely exists and is not fictional nor is he a pseudonym for a man from another planet because that would be silly. The selling point is to be a traditional sea wedding, one of the great traditions of the Ignasian sailors, a highly formalized thing with lots of little ins and outs that Cecilia Adlehyde has definitely not had to learn in a hurry because she's not participating. The first sign one might notice that something is very weird here is that at no point does anyone mention a reception, aka the main reason anyone comes to these things.

The second sign is that Captain Bartholomew, the captain of the Sweet Candy, the vessel in question, is selling tickets. Well, there weren't any invites sent out, per se....

The third, surprising in light of one and two, is that the deck of the Sweet Candy is full of sailors, who seem to just be here to watch one of the high ceremonies of their possibly unexpectedly dearly-loved culture.

Still, there's seats, if you want to be around this crowd.

The ship has come out to sea, by now, with the sun creeping up toward late afternoon. They'll likely return to port after dark. The Sweet Candy itself isn't particularly special as ships go, though it certainly is one, a single-mast vessel on which the deck is currently mostly occupied by chairs. The foremost deck has been kept clear for the officiant, who is also the captain because of course he is, Bartholomew - a portly man in the officer's coat of a navy that doesn't exist and may never have, his white captain's hat worn at a primly straight angle. Beside him is a large blue jewel on one side, and a Medium of the Sea Guardian on the other, sacred symbols of the MAN.

OF.

THE SEA.

Probably.

And at the back...

'Mint Bandenade' is definitely just straight up Cecilia Adlehyde, her shoulder-length hair swept back tightly behind a bridal veil and wearing an actually pretty nice dress someone provisioned from a local dressmaker.

She looks like a person who is drowning, though a few quick breaths is slowly bringing color back to her cheeks. Time for the moment, as - as is tradition among sailors - she steps forward first, leading the way forward.

DC: Layna Manydays switches forms to Captain Manydays and her Merry Crew!

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

Awaiting Mint Bandenade at the front of the processional, standing off to one side of Captain Bartholomew, is 'Cless al'Vane.' Who, it should be pointed out, looks an awful lot like Claude C. Kenny. Which is good, since they're the same person. Especially so, in fact, because - unlike the half-plate and mail he wore upon Lunar - Claude is just straight up wearing his Federation uniform, which looks as clean and spotless as it always has, although he is openly wearing the holster of some sort of bizarre-hilted sidearm that at least a dozen people have only caught glimpses of before.

Also, he isn't wearing his bandana, because this is a formal occasion.

As 'Mint' starts to step forward, Claude swallows and remains at ease in body, but very much not at ease in mind, with a million thoughts racing through his head, viz.:

        -oh my god what is happening
        what is this
        -i am even deader than i am dead already
        -this isn't really real, though
        -i mean, it sort of is but it's probably not space legal
        -or maybe it is, that is spacist
        -mom is going to kill me twice for missing this
        -dad also but screw that guy
        -what did she mean 'someone as good as you though'
        -she's just doing it for the planet, it's fine
        -just chill
        -is that something you say if you don't mean it
        -geeze she looks good
        -dude shut up and chill
        -but maybe she
        -NO NO NO NO stop it
        -but what if
        -aaaaaaaaaargh

Mostly, Claude looks like he's halfway between smiling his cheeks off and preparing to vomit, which places him more or less at par with most bridegrooms across the cosmos.

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

The ship also contains Tethelle Cirdian, who absolutely does exist and is not a pseudonym for anyone.

Tethelle fits in with the sailors remarkably well. She is even dressed like one, having switched her normal shorts-and-skirt combo for a pair of blousy pantaloons (though she still has the vest, because she couldn't think of something better to switch it for). She has brought a cutlass and a curved knife instead of her usual gigantic sword, to fit in.

Tethelle had some misgivings but they (mostly) went away after speaking to Cecilia (and definitely not Mint). Instead she has been occasionally making jokes which, in retrospect, she is not entirely sure Cecilia - a sheltered girl who studied at an abbey - will get. (Claude, she figures, as a soldier, is way more likely to get the subtext.) She is also two drinks in, because she brought ... something on board. It's gone now. She shared the rest with some of the sailors.

Despite actually being a priestess and probably allowed to do weddings, if you acknowledge the authority of the Baskar priesthood, she has not taken any of this away from Bartholomew. This is aaaall on him. She is currently behaving herself, though she does give the pair an encouraging big, big grin.

Well, at least someone's having fun, even if the Guardians are likely to be less amused by it than she is.

<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

 'So this seems cool, we should swing by and see what one of these fancy weddings at sea are like. Who knows, maybe we can find a way to sell people things!'
 
 'I think it sounds interesting, I'd like to swing by and see one if we could while we're in the area, Sorey.'
 
 'I can't say I'm 'married' to the idea, but I think it would be interesting to see how Filgaia handles these sorts of ceremonies!'
 
 'Whatever. Let's just try and not break anything.'
 
 This was the conversation that had lead to Sorey and company being present on the ship for this particular wedding. They were selling tickets, and there was enough curiosity about the actual ceremony to get everyone interested in the proceedings. Of course, Rose had... not made it to the pier in time, caught up in a sudden, unexpected, and probably profitable deal, which had left Sorey and his Seraphs on the boat, watching to see what is going on.
 
 Lailah and Dezel are sitting on a spar, looking down at the proceedings from a more advantageous position that makes them INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS to anyone who has the resonance to see them, but invisible to the rest of the crew. Mikleo on the other hand is standing next to Sorey near the railing, and he looks out pensively across the waves.
 
 The Shepherd is, of course, taking notes. Weddings are a new thing to him, although he admits that he IS a bit surprised that he seems to recognize the couple to be. He would have figured that Cecilia would be getting married in a bit more formal of a ceremony.
 
 Lailah just dabs her eyes with a handkerchief. "Weddings are so nice," she confesses to Dezel. "People showing their love, honesty, and devotion to each other never fails to warm my heart."

<Pose Tracker> Celine Jules has posed.

The first question, most importantly, is if Celine cares about the occasion, about the totally Filgaia-n man getting married to a completely normal princess.

The answer is yes.

The reasoning is not happiness for Claude.
        Neither because Rena is probably moping.
                The reason is between her lips.

On the table, too. With a bottle, and not glass, in her hand, Celine is as dressed as she usually is, that is to say, both over and underdressed for the occasion, due entirely because Claude's life has to be harder than it needs to be at all times. "Cleeeeeess~, what a shame, you had so many choices~. You could have kept everyone in suspense~." Her finger wiggles, among other parts of her, as she winks from the edge of the ship. If the reception didn't bring alcohol, then this is her personal stock for such an occassion.

She doesn't notice Sorey and crew, mainly due to lack of resonance.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida would never admit to morbid curiosity being the primary motivator for attending a wedding. Nevertheless, it accounts for most of the reason why she's here, seated in one of the aisle chairs, wearing the dressiest thing she could manage--a long navy coat, a cream-colored blouse, and the golden brocade silk waistcoat she brought on the expedition in the remote chance she needed some fineries. Her boots are freshly-shined, her trousers are pressed, and Devil's Due is tucked into its concealed holster because she figures it is best to be prepared.

        Ida has been the model wedding guest. There is something perversely delightful in being so straight-faced when this entire thing is obviously a sham, but there she is, smiling at 'Mint' and 'Cress' as they walk up to make their vows.

<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.

Ree was surprised to find, right there on the docks, a booth selling tickets to a wedding. A wedding, like the one she herself had been deprived of. She shrugs and buys a ticket, figuring at least there should be cake.

And pehaps some small, valuable wedding gifts to purloin!

She takes a seat politely, nodding to the sailors and the surrounding crowd and hoping she doesn't stand out too much from being underdressed. The bride and groom are both young, blond(e), and pretty. This should be quite a spectacle!

Now where was the cake?

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

~The metal demons invaded and they had a war, killed Ceci's dad and so much more. The metal demons wished to ressurect their god, did stopping the statues' shattering even end up mattering?~

~We went to the moon and fought a war, learned a little about what it's for. Lacan and Siegfried were best friends, but he became a betrayer Siegfried, And I think we can all agree, that's a little bit upsetting...Fei would rather think about a wedding!~

Fei is dressed in his finest suit. He is DETERMINED to make this wedding go well and also not explode. He will have a nice thing, he will have a nice thing. He hums a soft melody to himself that doesn't seem to have any particular origin. He isn't worrying about how he didn't get a ticket. He suspects Cecilia or Claude or both were just a little shy. He has behaved himself aside from a few winks and congratulatory gestures and hasn't done anything too crazy as of yet. But then...the boat went out to sea. He is now... a MAN... of the SEA! He has the upmost respect of Captain Bart and tells him he has a friend he has to introduce him to someday and he asks if he can make a quick toast.

Upon seeing the bride there, looking flustered, Fei takes it upon himself to ease her situation by assuring her that she is loved not just by her husband to be, but all her companions. And so...

Fei takes a glass, lifts it into the air, and taps it rapidly with a spoon.

"Everyone...Everyone can I have a moment?"

He draws out a note card oh fuck.

"I just would like to say a few words." Fei continues. "Having been a man blessed by the company of these two individuals for over a year now." He clears his throat.

"There are many religions out there that speak of our flaws. They tell us that we are born wounded, the world itself wounds us further. We cannot hope to fly because our wings are torn. Now that sounds like a pretty dark message, but that's not the whole message. Though we are wounded, it is through others we are made whole whether it be the wings of the Nisan or the mediums of the Guardians, it's only through that togetherness that we are made whole."

He gestures to 'Mint' whom he obviously knows is Cecilia. "Our--lady here has sufferered greatly. It is easy to hate the world when you have suffered. It is easy to look for something to blame for your misfortune. It is far more difficult to find another wounded heart and accept it for everything that comes with it, and in turn to have your own heart's pain accepted. I'm proud of them for finding such joy even in a time of hardship. We all know it cannot be easy, but we know it is brave to build for a brighter future even though we can never truly know how strong the foundation is. Together, they have decided not to fly to the heavens, but to walk this earth together, and I wish nothing but the best for them. May they have a union that never tires, nor weakens the burdens that come upon them--but embraces them through their combined blessing."

Fei wipes at his eyes. "Congratulations, my friends. You're the best. I love you all."

He is trying not to cry. He never expected he'd see a day like this come to pass.

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Twenty plus years of drifting, and over forty of just living, a certain petite ARMs Meister knows how to get around. And Chime having picked up the rumor and pictures of a couple getting married in Port Timney. Pictures that included a well meaning if brash young man and a certain princess of a kingdom the elf may still have quite a bit of loyalty to even if she's only visited for the first time in two decades recently. Even if she didn't point out who the pictures actually were of anytime the subject came up in guild halls along the route to Timney.

        Chime takes full advantage of her height and looks slipping almost all the way in as a child till Batholomew grabs her by the back of her vest and gives her look and a hand indicating she best pay up. She sticks her tongue out at the portly man with a grin, handing over the gella and saying "Cannons still in good shape?" which gets a nod and a wink before she's released to disappear into the crowd looking for a good vantage spot to watch with a book and pencil in hand!

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Layna Manydays, Captain of the Ruby Empress and Known Pirate, is here! And she's brought friends! As a seafarer herself, Layna was interested in the culture of Filgaia's sailors.

She was also, as it happens, very bored, and so she's brought a couple of friends to witness this glorious(?) union. Dahlia, Quartermaster, and Victoria, Lead Artillerist and expert spearwoman, are here as well, and all three of them are dressed for the occasion. With the occasion being 'a completely legitimate marriage on the sea', that entails...basically what they usually wear, just a bit cleaner and touched up a little bit. It was proper seafaring attire!

Layna herself sits in her chosen chair, leaning back with a satisfied smirk on her face and her arms folded in front of her as she watches the proceedings. Dahlia and Victoria sit on either side of her, both looking...surprisingly interested!

You can tell because they're not actually talking - just watching and taking mental notes on the procedure. Whether or not any of them have caught on to the true behind the couple to be wed is another thing entirely, but judging from the look on Layna's face...

...Yeah, probably.

"Hear, hear!" Layna calls out with applause as Fei gives his heartfelt speech. He clearly meant it! ...But maybe she's just egging this on.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

EARLIER

"Princess Cecilia..."

Leon sits in his lounge chair in the Fereshte, with a newspaper in his hands. He raises an eyebrow, slowly; in his surprise, his smoking pipe almost droops out of his mouth.

"...is marrying who?"

Leon turns his head, looking across the room. "Lily," he says. "She is about to make... a mistake. I think that it's time for..." Leon folds the newspaper, neatly, and lays it on the table. "...an armed intervention."

NOW

There is a faint glimmer on the horizon. Leon grips tightly onto a huge, pale yellow-green ball of riveted iron. It has two flaps on the side, which are beating rapidly like wings. Inside, there are numerous noises -- and there are handholds for people to grab onto. Leon is holding onto one; he grits his teeth, the wind blowing back his hair. "Maybe," he says, "We aren't too late..."

He lowers his head, and narrows his eyes. "We are... CUCCO FLYING."

He has no idea why he says this. He is moving very fast on a flying, painted ball of iron, which is careening towards the Sweet Candy. There isn't a lot of blood going to his head right now. But his coat flaps dramatically in the wind behind him, and that is the most important thing in the world right now*.

• It's not even close, really.
  

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei assumes the psuedonyms were picked for anonymity even though it clearly hasn't worked at all because apparently Claude and Cecilia are both similar in how capable they are at disguising themselves. He sits himself down and asides to Elly, "I was so nervous, but it seems like it is going--" Yaro and Zed appear. Fei doesn't even slow his dialogue down. "--well. It might get a little hectic here and there but that's how these things always go. So I hear."

He blew up the last people he knew were going to get married so he didn't get to have the experience.

But that's when Leon arrives and he can't ignore this. He gasps in shock, and...horror! He says, "Leon!" Fei says. "It's not what you think! She's known, uh, 'Cless' forever!"

He can't believe Leon's friggin' crashing a totally real wedding!!

Then a cucco flies into his face.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
EMMA HETFIELD bought one of the tickets and has come here in an extremely fluff-hemmed green dress, with a cloche hat with a veil and a tasteful nautical-themed pashmina afghan. She has been sobbing politely into a hankerchief all along, in between making confusing passes at sailors.

Now it's mostly the sobbing.

"Oh - she's so beautiful - what a joyous day - ah! This feeling transcends the limitations of science and reason... Getting married at sea is a young lady's romance!" Emma editorializes with energy.

ELLY VAN HOUTEN is in a similarly modish if less fluff-hemmed dress. Its primary hue is a light blue, like a robin's egg. She actually got it from the same shop as Emma, albeit through sheer chance. She has a capeline hat on, which has been securely belayed to her hairstyle with several pins.

It's still a struggle.

She has been here with Fei (of course) and a somewhat large purse (for some reason) and is surprised visibly when Fei produces a [Note Card]. She is then gradually impressed by his words.

All of them. They're very good words.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

Look, research is incredibly important to understanding Human motives better. Viewing one of their eternal bonding rituals would make for an interesting evening. His computers at the Control Zone he claimed as a research center were running, and didn't need his supervision. Likewise, his three main assistance were competent enough to work without him.

So, why not?

Elvis has pruchased a ticket (yes, he didn't steal one this time) and is aboard the vessel. While the listed forever-partners were of different names, the Sentinel swears he recognizes them. From Azado? Possibly.

He hasn't made much conversation yet, preferring to jot down notes in a large book on how these proceedings go. "Merriments and delectables offers before the ceremony... oddly shaped glasses used as decanters for the occasion..." Strange notes such as these are the ones written down. Though even he is perceptive enough to tell that this one is out of the ordinary. One at sea.

And yes that Sea Medium he has noticed. But no, not today. This was supposed to be special between these two Humans, despite how short-lived they often are. Poor decisions and being fragile chief amongst their kind. At least they seem to mean well?

And trying to make friends with Humans would probably be soured if he ruined this evening, considering how well it was known.

Fei's toast gets a nod from the Professor, who otherwise remains quiet for the time, in some sort of studious trance writing literally everything down. Decor, provisions, dressing attire (which he surprisingly fits the bill with on this occasion, huh!) and others small things normally glossed over by others.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

EARLIER

Lily sits in a nearby chair, reading a book. She pauses, and frowns, the chilled glass of whiskey by her hair bobbling lightly as she looks across the room in turn. "She's... what?" Lily answers.

She frowns sharply. "Yes. I think it is."

NOW

"FLYING... with CUCCO."

Why are they talking like this? Lily doesn't know. She's also there, though, gripping tightly onto the handholds, her hair blowing sharply in the wind. Too late...

Well, she's moving fast, too. Her eyepatch makes her a stunning figure in the sky, too small yet to be seen.

Her golden eye narrows.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        "Stab that present!!" ...That voice. A voice that, as onlookers will soon discover, originates from the bow. The illumination from the late afternoon sun does them no real favors in giving them a cool mysterious silhouette. Quite the opposite.
        There is an ochre slug-blob-bug-whatever trying to 'stand' dramatically at the very tip of the bow. They are failing. But they are trying. They are not failing at trying, or rather, not trying to fail? But they so are. They do not deserve the dramatic slow pan they are getting from the camera.
        "I am here for the salary of the honor?? To advance the conquest in a proquest?! But then the warriors of humanity are ^Soft Biting^??" They rant on and on. Are they lecturing, or are they asking for help understanding what a wedding is? They want to cross their arms, but they can't stick on the bow. So instead, they're kind of clutching onto it for dear life right now with the more stable, solidified arm while the more unstable, blobbier arm waves as if to go 'tisk tisk tisk' while the wind does its damndest to shed off some of the biomass. It's like an arm is wearing a scarf?
        Yarobeleedt can never pull off standing around and looking cool before a dramatic wind.
        "Is this the legend of the spy unit ^Peeping Tom^ of which all are remember to be member??" Yarobeleedt garbles further, leaning closer as those unfocused, almost googly eyes get marginally less googly. "Shame deficit? Fix it, shame!"
        "Fufufu... it is Yarobeleedt! Mother's world... here to take it!!" What, by themselves? The same pathetic, yellowish barely-worth-a-name foot (...slug) soldier among the Metal Demon ranks? To crash a wedding, just out of the blue like that? A clever scheme, or a trick to throw them off their guards maybe? It's not like there's any more statues they can bust.
        "It is a time and space that is here!!" Yarobeleedt waves his arms wildly, maybe even threateningly, finding enough balance to rear up like he might be able to stand on his slug-like bottom as though they were legs. This may not be a cool 'prepare to fight' pose and instead him pinwheeling and flailing to not lose balance and fall into the water. "Redebut fight!! As future Quint Knight?! Rematch until just right??"
        It turns out they weren't even pointing at Yarobeleedt all along. They're - the nameless sailors - pointing at a big giant colorful ball that is flying in fast towards the Sweet Candy.
        They were never paying attention to him?!
        Yarobeleedt stops raving to follow their fingers and look to the oncoming painted ball.
        "hex"

<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.

Ree listens to the sappiest of sappy toasts and fidgets impatiently. Surely the young man giving the toast didn't believe all that nonsense about Happily Ever After? Well, if he did, he'd learn better after being slapped around by Life for a bit.

She stares at Yarobeleedt, yellow and slimy and clinging to the bow. "What the HELL is that?!?!" The sailors stir, milling and pointing at the rapidly-approaching multicolored ball. It appears someone -- or several someones -- objects to the nuptials. Ree is relieved she's not dressed formally now. It means she has her ARMS on her. She keeps them at the ready.

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

EARLIER

"CLAUDE IS GETTING WHAT!?" Zed asks an incredulous, floating yellow box. Somewhere on the other line, a floating face in a television screen is desperately trying to make sure it hasn't gone deaf. "I need to save him! I NEED TO GO. But..."

"Wait," Zed mutters. "What... What even... is a wedding?"

Beat.

SLIGHTLY LESS EARLIER

"OH MY GOSH," Zed exclaims, "WEDDINGS HAVE CAKES."

A librarian glances up to shush the sudden noise, but there is only a Zed-shaped dustcloud where he once stood.

RIGHT NOW

Things are going too well.

Far, far too well.

Something is bound to go wrong. Any minute now. ANY MINUTE NOW.

No. No! What is that sound. There is a terrible, awful whistling sound. Something... Is dropping out of the sky...!

It... It...!

IT LANDS, RIGHT ON TOP OF THAT SQUISHY THING ON THE BOW.

"I," Zed declares, wearing a perfectly servicable tuxedo except for the fact that there is also a pauldron on one shoulder and a sword hanging from the back. "HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT THERE IS CAKE."

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

(Zed is also not wearing his forehead protector, because this is a formal occasion.)

<Pose Tracker> Celine Jules has posed.

Some people, like "Cless" who gets another wink as Celine leans a bit too forwards when giving him that wink, are mostly psared from Celine's antics. Of course, others are within touch range, and that by itself is a travesty that, in due time, others will come to regret.

"Hey~ Hey~! And a toast, for all the hearts that he broke on the way~. May they recover... and rebound pretty quickly!"

To Elhaym, she may feel something on her shoulder - this is because that is a Celine on her shoulder, face already slightly red from something (clearly what might cause it is anyone's guess) especially as she holds a drink in her hand. "I know, but you have to know, I traveled with that guy and he's reeeeally a wild man, you know~. Really lets it all out. She'll find out soon enough as well~."

With a somewhat silly grin, Celine stands up without leaning on Elhaym, at least. "Ooh, but it's a shame, I know one woman who couldn't even brign herself to show up!~"

As Zed arrives, Celine, unfamiliar with him, claps. "Yaaaaaaaaaaay! Entertainment too!" Yaro and Zed are clearly acts, right?

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Fei's speech, cheesy as it is, is heartfelt--and it deserves applause. Ida claps, politely and demurely, until a horrible squishing noise emanates from the bow of the ship. Ida's brow furrows as Yarobeleedt climbs right up onto the bow, in violation of etiquette, common sense, and common decency. She sucks in a breath, and lets it out. She almost forgot how this entity is not on speaking terms with comprehensibility. "Hello," Ida begins--

        SPLORTCH

        "Zed," Ida says. She blinks, once, glances aside to 'Cless' and 'Mint'. "If you're the Best Man here, I'm afraid you're running a little late--"

        'FLYING... WITH CUCCO.'

        "All right," Ida says, to 'Mint.' "I'll bite. How much of this was actually part of your plan?"

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Fei speaks. Cecilia's eyes bug out. She looks like she is in the act of dying right now, in front of you, of horror.

It's not like Claude is an awful man, he's just....not what....it's complicated, OK....also she's pretty sure if she tried to marry Claude for real it would cause an interstellar incident and she already has enough of those to deal with. Fortunately that face looks an awful lot like just being teary-eyed with powerful emotion from the outside.

The sailors echo Layna with a general roar of approval to Fei's slightly weirdly-timed toast, because let's face it, they're sailors and the fact nobody actually scheduled for a bar to be around doesn't mean nobody brought liquor.

Still, when she approaches the fore of the ship, she meets up with 'Cress', and manages to get her face to lose the embarrassed rictus. He is, after it all, truly her friend, at the very least.

The officiant clears his throat to call for calm, which is of course impossible because the ship is full of rowdy, drunken sailors. "On this wonderful day!" he begins, because eventually you just push on through, "You who are to swear your eternal companionship, gather here before the Sea Guardian!"

He motions widely, one hand indicating the Medium of Lucadia on the altar. Cecilia gives Claude a crooked grin, steps forward first - that's in the script they were given - and--

Stares blankly as Zed slams onto the bowsprit.

Cecilia looks to Bartholomew, who gamely continues going through a shouting demon because he's already working with shouting drunks, "Bride! Now, tell me your name, and the name of the one to whom you make your vow."

Cecilia opens her mouth.

squish.

Cecilia stares blankly as Yaro talks, mouth hung open in elemental shock.

She looks to Bartholomew, who has finally actually started looking surprised himself. "Erm," he says, slowly.

A guy with a unique character model in the crowd that nobody knows laughs uproariously for some reason.

She looks to Claude hoping perhaps his years of diplomatic training can help her deal with his interspecies life partner and some kind of demon slug.

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

If you had told Claude C. Kenny a month ago that his wedding would be interrupted by a Yarobeleet attack, and Zed jumping onto the wedding cake, and (a little later) by two of his acquaintances arriving to physically prevent him from marrying his bride, his response would have been: Yeah, that sounds about right. This probably says a lot more than it he would like about his life choices.

Claude's response to this series of events, and Cecilia's questing look, is to stare up at the sky and look for spaceships. Just... just once, man. Beam me up. Please.

Failing to find any, Claude sucks in a breath, squares his shoulders, and scoops up his bride in his arms. "She's Mint, I'm Cless," Claude says to Bartholomew, having retained enough awareness of the situation to maintain kayfabe. "Just..."

Claude ducks, a faint flicker of concentric force rippling out across the decking. A split second later, Claude surges up into the air, landing atop the lower stay (unknowingly, about eight or so feet from where Lailah and Dezel are observing).

"Just keep shouting the rest of the ceremony!" Claude calls down. "We're probably gonna have to do this on the run, but we totes still wanna marry! Right, sweetie?" he asks.

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Seated ontop the centrally located cabin and below decks entrance, Chime is kicking her feet lightly as she draws in her book watching the crowd with a vastly amused smile. She's leaning back against the mast right behind her running up through part of the cabin.

        "Oh my~ This is going to get interesting and fun so quickly it looks. I wonder how the princess will handle it~" she says outloud to herself as she continues to draw, stopping only long enough to watch Claude's jump with a little shake of her head before returning to the work in her lap.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

Leon glances, sideways, at Lily. He nods, once.

Then, the wrought-iron ball comes down. Surprisingly, it does not blast through the wooden decks of the Sweet Candy and shatter it. Instead, it bounces. It bounces off the aftcastle, and then slams down onto an iron grate. That grate bends around the ball, as it comes to a rest, and Leon hops off it.

He glances at the various people attending the wedding and stares for a moment. He looks over all of them, and then, finally, he points a hand at Claude and Cecilia. "I object to this!"

"Uh, that part of the ceremony didn't start, yet, actually--" one of the Sweet Candy crewmembers interjects.

"How in the name of the Guardians was I supposed to time it that well? It's, frankly, shocking we didn't arrive here three hours late or slam down in the middle of the ocean!" Leon snaps. Then, he whirls, back to face Cecilia and Claude. "I know you've both been under a great deal of stress..."

He shakes his head. "...but a week's long courting and then abruptly being married is a youthful mistake, and as your friend, we can't let you do this! Lily!"

He turns his head. "It's time for... ARMED INTERVENTION," he interjects. "Do your worst."

"OH FUCK WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE" a crewmember screams, and then leaps overboard.

"..." Leon 'remarks.' "Lily. Do the two hundred and thirty-ninth thing from your worst. Release... the cuccos."

The giant painted ball shudders.

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle had been here for a not-entirely-legit wedding ceremony and also the ability to joke with her friends about it for the next, like, year.

She was not here for Fei to give a speech, and momentarily debates pulling him aside to explain the situation a little more. Tethelle had in fact just started to rise to do that when not one but two different Metal Demons show up, one to give a speech she didn't listen to (that was Yaro) and one to demand cake.

"This," she says, pointing at Zed as she rises, "is a formal occasion. If you do not have an invitation, you're not getting any cake." Since no invitations were given, Tethelle is entirely sure that she will not have to give him any (which is good, because while she may or may not have another bottle of whiskey she absolutely did not bring a cake aboard). She does not bother to respond to Yaro, because let's face it, he's getting stepped on.

And then a giant metal ball shows up and threatens cuccoos.

"I haven't drunk enough for this."

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        Yarobeleedt is flattened against the bow with a squelch that sounds a whole lot more distressing and probably fatal than it actually is for someone (well, more of a something) like him, a short-lived shriek-whine as he cushions Zed's landing without so much as compromising his footing - like the fates have aligned for him to be where Zed wipes his feet, today. He dangles on the precipice of taking a bath in the rotting waters of the Filgaian ocean before he can go on a weird tirade about how this doesn't count or won't write about this encounter in his memoirs.
        As is just and proper in a universe that cares as to whose line this is, anyway.
        A soupier arm shakes and shudders as it tries to reach back up from his upside-down dangling to pull himself back up so that he may continue to pontificate at length--
        Somewhere in the bouncing of the giant ball, Yarobeleedt is shaken off. He screeches and falls into the water with a plop noise.
        Some moments later, he crawls back up while the overboard crewmember is attached to him. Neither seem to be aware of the presence of the other, as Yarobeleedt plops his head and hands just up from over the side like he were taking a hesitant peek. His eyes blink arrhythmically.

<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

 Truth be told, Sorey hasn't seen any weddings himself, so he's not sure about what you would consider normal. So Yaro and Zed being here is... a little weird but he knows Claude has some sort of odd respect thing going on with the Metal Demon so maybe he invited Zed and a plus one?
 
 He doesn't know if Demons... HAVE those sorts of things, and he glances at Mikleo who just sort of shakes his head at the proceedings. The two of them just look at the potential havoc, followed by Cecilia being shell shocked and Claude jumping around, and it's just...
 
 "...this is rather entertaining, at least?" Sorey asks quietly.
 
 "I don't think it's supposed to be quite this wild, but... I suppose we should just wait and see," Mikleo whispers, leaning up against the railing and just... raising an eyebrow sardonically. He's pretty sure this isn't how it goes, but... well, it at least had the potential to be entertaining.
 
 Meanwhile Lailah just laughs and claps her hands at Claude's rather... energetic abscondscion with his bride. "Oh! Oh! Is this an elopement in the middle of a wedding!?" she calls out. "I've not seen anyone do that for several hundred years! But where are you planning to elope to on a ship?"
 
 "I think he's just an idiot," Dezel grumbles, and just... leans back and watches.
 
 Still, the sudden arrival of a giant iron ball catches everyone by surprise. Sorey blinks. Mikleo just buries his head in one hand.
 
 "...I'm going to get a drink. I want no part of this madness." And with that, Dezel just disappears back into Sorey. Probably looking for the mini-bar.

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

From behind Leon, Lily Keil rises, standing up straight and turning with her single good eye towards the crew--and towards Cecilia and Claude. "Frankly, he's right," Lily answers about their arrival time. But then...

"Yes, Captain."

Lily lifts one ungloved hand, and the circuitry there gleams red-orange as suddenly... a fuse on the side of the ball ignites in a tiny rush of flame. That's all.

There is abrubtly a plume of smoke as all around the ball there is a shockwave of force--but it doesn't shatter the deck. It merely knocks some chairs over, as suddenly--

"cucco"

"bwu-KAAA"

Everywhere, there are feathers. Surging up and around the deck, rushing all over, cuccos are flying out in all directions, covering the ship, eating the cake. One goes for Zed's face. Three land on Yarobeleedt. One lands on Cecilia's shoulder.

But they are all over.

"Seriously, a week's courting?" Lily's voice calls. "Honestly."

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"They have known each other for a year and a half!" Tethelle yells, a moment before a cucco smacks her in the face.

<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.

Ree watches Yarobeleedt go into the sea and come back up. "Whatever that thing is, it can swim," she murmurs to no one in particular and hoping the thing will be vulnerable to gunsmoke ARM-fire. She's startled when Dezel darts back inside Sorey. That's weird! She's completely distracted as the cuccos swarm the ship, milling around her, squawking and fluttering. "Shoo!" she commands a couple of particularly obstructive birds. "Go away, go home!" Oh, no, they're converging on the cake!

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

As Elvis is jotting down notes on this fascinating Human activity, someone arrives he definitely did not expect. "You...!" he says, pointing is quill toward Yaro. Come to think of it, has he ever really got his straight name? Being arround him it is been mostly incomprehensible gibberish and hexxes.

AND GODFORSAKEN SQUEAKS

"What are you doing here?" he asks. And of course before an answer, that dolphin guy shows up and splorts him. A good side-effect from that odd degenerating form is Elvis knows he can come back from that. The bad news is he can come back from that.

...Anyway.

And then some Human shows up and starts making objections. "HEY! You're messing up my research! CUT IT OUT!" he calls to Leon.

And then the birds come.

Elvis' eyes nearly bug out of his skull. With a sigh, he puts his ironbound tome and quill away as all the birds swarm the event.

And Elvis reaches for the nearest chair.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

A lot of things happen at once. A giant ball flies toward the ship, then comes down not with a crash, but a series of bounces. That weird slug creature creature shows up. And then Zed appears, descending right onto said weird slug thing, right as one of the giant ball's riders dismounts, leading the groom to leap.

Layna stares...and then laughs as she begins to applaud. This was amazing.

"Ah, I love it when things take a turn!" Layna says, looking over toward Dahlia. The Quartermaster just gives her a Look.

"Should we...?" Dahlia starts, but Layna just shrugs.

"Nah. Not yet. I wanna see where this goes." Layna says. Everyone else is doing it, so Layna reaches in her coat, pulls out a bottle, and takes a swig from it.

And then, all hell breaks loose. In this case, 'hell' takes the form of a murder of cuccos.

So, pretty appropriate, really.

Layna just laughs and takes a swig. A cucco flutters over to her. Layna holds the bottle out to it, but it just sends her a look of disdain and flies off.

"So, uh...just how long did it take you to put all of this together?" Layna asks, looking between Leon and Lily.

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Zed is not entirely certain that human ships DON'T have amazingly squishy landing pads, and so he doesn't think twice about where he's landed or what he might be standing in. All he cares about right now is saving his BOSOM BUDDY from GIVING AWAY HIS SOUL and also cake.

...

Mostly cake.

"What!?" Zed gasps at Tethelle's rebuttal. "No. This cannot be! I came all this way...!" Zed despairs! He despairs! But... Then he sees a way out. "W-well... Then I will simply need to challenge someone for their invitation! A DUEL OF HONOR!! Wahahahahaha-oof"

There.

In his face.

A big, fluffy, snuggly white bird.

The scent. The texture. This can only be one thing.

"C--" Zed stutters, "C-cucco!? What are you doing here!? OH NO!" Zed yells as the tide of cuccos swallows the deck. "No! Is Riese here? We must get her away, quickly! Before it is too late!" Zed leaps, holding his cucco overhead! He... sails delicately down right next to where Claude is cuddling his very own waifu. "Claude! Quickly, we must save the cake! And possibly Riese! BUT MOSTLY THE CAKE! WE CANNOT HAVE A WEDDING WITHOUT CAKE, CLAUDE."

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        As grand proclaimations, accustions, matter-of-facts, and hilarity ensue, Chime begins to giggle helpless from her seat. Her feet drum light on the wall-board of the cabin. Even the release of the Cucco's doesn't stop her through she manages to pull out from her vest a small sack of cucco feed which she uses to keep any that come near her calm as she grins brightly while laughing. Even as she tosses the occasion piece of feed out towards the crowd which only eggs the cucco's on more most likely.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
EMMA sobs at the words of Fei Fong Wong. She sobs so hard she misses the arrival of Yarobeleet entirely. There's not even an attempt to acknowledge him! She does, at least, look up to see the arrival of Zed. She blinks slowly.

ELLY...

Well she noticed Yarobeleet. She doesn't say anything or do anything about him other than straighten up in her seat, but she saw him! Unfortunately the angle at which she is sitting means that she is not seeing -That- which is approaching from behind them at preposterous speeds.

Fortunately Tethelle is addressing Zed. And then

POOMP! bounce, bounce, THUNK comes... "Leon!?" Elly cries out in shock.

"Lily?!"

"R-- Cuccos?!"

A cucco flies towards her and Elly sweeps round to catch it on her hand. The round bird perches and Elly's hand sags downwards a little. SHe cradles it to her chest as she rises from her seat. A second passes as she pets it.

Then she looks towards Zed as he flies, abusing the bird in the process.

"Fei," she says to him, "I'm starting to think something about this situation is strange."

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

A cucco gets comfortable on Fei's face.

"Yeah," Fei says from his position on the floor. "Something fowl is going on here."

<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

 "This wedding has definitely gone to the birds!" Lailah calls out with an amused laugh. A Cocco lands on the spar next to her, and she looks at it for a moment before smiling and reaching over to gently pet it.
 
 Another one joins her on the other side of the spar a moment later. It's debatable if they actually see her or not.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        Yarobeleedt sinks at a glacial pace when the cucco show up, as though thinking better - or, really, thinking at all - about the situation. His unwitting deckhand stowaway seems to be of the same mind--
        Then three cuccos jump over the railing to go be terrible in the ocean - oh, look, the three of them are furiously flapping their wings and lifting Yarobeleedt right back onto the deck with that deckhand.
        The deckhand jumps right back off again, leaving the Metal Demon to their fate.
        Their grisly fate of being frozen paralyzed in fear as the three of them all decide to nest within the foul-looking liquid metal biomass like it were the most comfortable thing. One of them looks ready to get all broody and just take it easy for a fortnight or so.
        Yarobeleedt undulates--
        Cucco angrily clucks, and he stops.
        The advance scout inches an arm at a--
        Cucco disapproves.
        This cycle repeats across a myriad of insignificant variations, until Yarobeleedt goes for broke and just darts into the feathery cloud of cucco chaos, at which point there is a rising chorus of angry cucco calls and - oh there is a lot of silver on the deck, now.
        Yarobeleedt gets slowly dragged back to where he was first re-deposited by the three cucco, and one of them nests back right where they were before.
        "mother"

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Now that Yarobeleedt is taking a nice swim, Ida turns her attention to the (somehow) less-sensical wedding crashers. "What are you talking about," she says. "This is not a--"

        'Release... the cuccos.'

        The ball shudders. Ida looks at Lily, searching her eye for anything resembling mercy. She should have known better. The ball cracks open, and unleashes feathery death upon the ceremony and everyone in attendance. "ALBUS, YOU BLOODY MADMAN," Ida screams--squawks, really--as cuccos charge her, buffeting her with their wings and talons and a ceaseless barrage of buck-awks. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" And then she disappears under the swell of feathery bodies. Oh no.

<Pose Tracker> Celine Jules has posed.

As Celine looks around, she fades more into the background as the insanity begins to peak.

Turning away as the others arrive, Celine take another drink and may begin to head below deck - above seems to be quite interesting, but there might be something she's not seeing below. Especially as her gossip and they already seem to know Claude, so, well - that's well and good!

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Neither Claude nor Cecilia become spirited away by spacemen.

The crowd of sailors are laughing, though they loudly boo Claude covering for Cecilia because apparently form matters when your wedding is under active attack!?

Bartholomew lets it pass anyway. "Ah, yes, good! Very good!" he says, as Claude swings away while Bartholomew is left entirely undefended next to some manner of demon thing and also Yarobeleedt. "Now, groom! Prove your bond before the Sea Guardian, and recite the sum of your and the bride's ages!"

Cecilia immediately goes bug-eyed because that wasn't actually in the script.

"Oh boy!" one of the sailors yells. "We're doin' the improv version! Love this one! Hope they do that Change game!"

And then Leon and Lily release a horde of cuccos upon the deck. Cecilia gives them a frustrated look then turns her eyes sharply on Claude, then at the bird on her shoulder. "I've known him for more than a year, thank you!" she calls to Lily.

"And bride!" Bartholomew yells up, sounding nervous. "Raise your, uhm, you left your glasses down here, you need those -- er, in praise of your partner!"

Cecilia yanks the cucco off her shoulder and holds it up like a totem. "He's always been an impressively quick thinker!" she declares.

The sailors cheer at the improvisation, the ones that aren't currently beset by cuccos. Several of them try to menace Leon and Lily and get birds int he face. "Gwon!" one yells. "'s like seagulls but they hate you more!"

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

Claude C. Kenny, being roughly as magical/resonant as a tube of toothpaste, misses Dezel's flight and Lailah's glee entirely. Which is a shame, really, because he likes puns and stylin' hats both. In any event, he is rather preoccupied with trying to remain balanced on a rope and also not dropping his bride-to-be. Which was difficult even before the cuccos showed up.

"Zed, dessert is not an important part of a wedding!" shouts Claude, who has some experience of this thanks to his status as the son of a bona fide Hero of the Federation, i.e., his dad, who has presided over no small number of matrimonial ceremonies of high-ranking Federation members. Claude usually ended up having to escort one of the daughterssonsaliens-of-indeterminate-or-multiple-gender down the aisle, which, minus the flying birds, is a lot like today, when he thinks about it. "Or at least... human weddings!" he adds rapidly, one particular incident surfacing in his mind.*

Tangent.

"ALSO, CAN FEWER PEOPLE I KNOW ACT AS THOUGH MARRYING ME IS A WORSE FATE THAN DEATH!?" asks a slightly desperate Claude, who shifts his grip on Cecilia, committing lese-majeste in the process, then drops down off the rope and starts falling for the deck. His right hand snakes up and catches the rope as he falls, the combined weight of bride and groom bending the line taut; the rope - made to withstand the pressures of a wind at full sail - snaps back with impressive force, propelling Claude and Cecilia up to the top stay (which is, ironically, not the uppermost stay), where he lands and balances once again, legs shivering as he lowers his centre of gravity. "Oh, uh... praise, right, uh... she's, like, super self-sacrificing and one of the most dedicated people I know!" Not having a cup, and spotting Cecilia's handy cucco totem, Claude makes a grab for a nearby fluttering bird.

Just then, a stray breeze wafts across the sea, shifting the rope ever so slightly. Claude expertly shifts his weight forward, absorbing the motion with his knees, pitching forward a few inches before regaining his balance.

Unfortunately, this is timed such that, instead of grabbing the cucco's legs, he punches it in the face.

• - Specifically, a wedding on Fomalhaut Beta in the Alpha Piscis Austrini system, where Claude mistook the tuxedoed man holding a silver tray for the hors d'oeuvres guy, picked up what appeared to be a small frosted gelatin on it, and very nearly ate the crown prince of Macaron V.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Go!" Leon orders the cuccos. They do not, really, listen to his command. He accepts this as part of reality. Then, he looks at Layna, and shrugs. "About a day," he admits. "I haven't slept since yesterday."

He gives Zed a look -- and then Ida, before he shakes his head. "Madman! Hardly! This is a hastily-made mistake! Even if they knew each other for a year, that--" He looks at Fei. His head tilts to the side. "Cless? The commander of that mercenary group on Lunar?"

He never knew they were the same. He pushes a seaman back, into a swarm of the birds, and starts forward. "They never even dated before this! They--wait..."

His silver eyes widen. "...I see what's happening here..."

'He's always been an impressively quick thinker!'

Leon rushes the stage. He leaps, jumping into the air, and comes down. His feet squish down into Yarobeleedt's head, before he lunges for Claude. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY ACQUAINTANCE OF NOT ENTIRELY UNPLEASANT MEMORY, IMPOSTOR! Claude wouldn't woo a young lady and marry her under strange pretenses!"

He yells that.

Then, slamming down near the altar, he grabs Claude's face and tugs on it. "I am going to find out who you really are--"

He tugs more. That face does not come off.

Slowly, finally, realization dawns on Leon Marcus Albus. His eyes screw up further. "Oh, bollocks."

Then a bird craps on his head.

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

Tethelle Cirdian has been bludgeoned by several cuccos, but she knows better than to bludgeon them right back. She tries to catch one as it flutters into her face again, holding it up over her head.

Then she's not entirely sure what to do with it, so she lobs it (gently) in the direction of Zed. HE can deal with it, thank you. "I told you, you're not getting any cake! Claaaaaess is right, anyway!" Tethelle pauses a moment. "And nobody said it's worse than death, only that you shouldn't rush into it. You wouldn't be that bad, probably."

Tethelle looks up just in time to spot Claude punch a cucco in the face. Part of her debates going up there to defend Cecilia from what she knows is about to happen, part of her debates staying well out of the way of the impending disaster... "C - Mint! Watch out! Protect your eyes!"

Tethelle vaults over several rows of chairs to approach Leon and Lily. "I blame you for this, by the way!" she yells, practically in Leon's face. "Wedding-ruiner!" At least she's in the spirit of things?

<Pose Tracker> Sorey has posed.

 Sorey remains as a reed in the storm, taking to mind the important lessons Lailah had been working to impart him as a part of his Shepherd training.
 
 Understand the flow of nature and life around you.
 
 Learn to empathize with others. Embrace their feelings, understand them, and you can claim their malevolence and purify it.
 
 Puns are a part of life. It is by puns alone that the mind acquires quickness, and it is by puns that the mind is set in motion.
 
 Forgive even your enemies, for the Shepherd must be willing to confront every darkness.
 
 And whatever you do, don't. EVER. Punch a cucco. It will not end well.
 
 One of the birds lands on Sorey's head, and his eyes narrow for a moment as the chicken thing just... clucks and settles in, apparently liking his hair as a new nest for the time being. Sorey just heaves a faint sigh, and settles down for a moment with a slightly narrow eyed expression.
 
 Mikleo does his best not to laugh at his friend's plight. But it is
 
 really
 
 REALLY hard.
 
 Lailah is still laughing up on the spar, and she smiles as Leon decides that he's going to expose this wedding for the farce that it really is. "Oh! Let's make the two of them duel on a plank for the hand of the lovely young bride!" she suggests in a manner that is not *entirely* teasing. It would be entertaining at least, as this wedding is clearly flying off the handle.

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Zed is told that weddings have nothing to do with dessert.

He looks as though his entire world has come apart at the seams.

"N-no cake...?" Zed sniffles as Tethelle's cucco lands on and makes a nest of his hair. "But... But you're giving yourself away to some very pretty blonde for your entire life! And you don't even get any cake!? What kind of scam is this!? WHY DO HUMANS EVEN GET MARRIED!??!"

Zed... Despairs...!

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Honestly it didn't take as much time to set up as you'd think," Lily chimes in with Leon to Layna. "I know explosives fairly well." ...Is she drunk? She might in fact be drunk. It's not easy to tell at the moment given all the cuccos.

But--"A year and a half, hm?" Lily asks, and shakes her head, stepping over a cucco casually. It's almost like she can sense where they'll go. Too much time with Riesenlied? But, "Knowing someone is very different from courting them!" Lily replies, looking over the desolation... of cucco. It's all very terrible. Claude's voice though--Leon runs over, but Lily doesn't. Instead...

"You're a perfectly suitable young man, but there are rules. A young lady needs to be able to trust them."

Leon... tugs at his face. But Tethelle--"She'd be better off protecting her neck," Lily answers, casually.

A beat, as she glances to Lailah, "They don't even have a proper second!"

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"What?" Fei says to Leon, gently removing the cucco on his head. "No it's--I uh. Can you. Slow. Down? Maybe? A little? Um." He watches Leon try to rip Claude's face off. For a moment, Fei is actually worried Leon is going to somehow rip off a mask and reveal Lily's dad twirling a mustache and talking about how now that he is wed to Cecilia he has the power and all that. Luckily, the face doesn't come off at all.

And Leon is pooped on. Fei accepts this stoically.

Fei frowns faintly and then stands up to his feet. "I'm not entirely sure what's going on here, but I will be their second! Sure, a year is not a long time in the grand scheme of things but it's hardly nothing... And love..."

He clenches his fist with wide eyes. "It can blossom on the battlefield all the same!"

He looks to Elly. "I think that's what I'm supposed to do." He adds more quietly.

<Pose Tracker> Ree has posed.

Ree stays calm amidst the chaos, birds fluttering and squawking, sailors milling about in confusion. She stays focused on the pretty marital pair. After all, they're supposed to be the center of attention. But something is fishy, and not just the green-haired weirdo she remembers from St. Centour, the slimy slug-naga thing, and the many, many cuccos covering the deck of the ship. She's aware that seamen have their own customs, but doubts that these things are a part of them. That said, the chaos was at least entertaining!

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        The biomass in which cuccos have come to roost is a lot flatter than before. It is because Yarobeleedt has used the always gross but handy biological feature that so many partially-blobby creatures like himself get to enjoy, like he were some kind of slimy reptile - he just shed the outer layer of his skin, and the birds are none the wiser.
        Downside - his lower-layer blob-flesh, while fresher, shinier, and healthier-looking, is even more sensitive to the touch. Now think about the woodwork on the Sweet Candy. Think of all the wear, the splinters, the everything.
        Freedom is wonderful, but also agonizing, as Yarobeleedt slithers low. As an advance scout, even for his greater size compared to most humans when factoring his total mass, he is a master of approaching from angles unseen - even when surrounded by so many eyes that can catch him - and watch. Bide his time. He is a threat! The greatest threat! It is a treat to be a threat. Why, from here, he could spear an arm through the back of --
        Leon steps on his head, and he flattens against the deck again with another muffled screechy word.
 
1200 EXP gained.
 
Leon Albus has gained a level!!
 
550 gella received.

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

A half-dozen cuccos, seeking revenge for their cousing, dive-bomb toward Claude C. Kenny, who tosses his bride-to-be up toward the topgallant stay (actually the uppermost rope). "Hang on, I'll be there in a s---"

Leon Marcus Albus would have made a hell of a football player, because he hits Claude with a full-body tackle that drives the both of them into the altar, Claude on bottom, his head bouncing off the deck. There are stars in his eyes, and voices echo foggily out like from a Peanuts adult, as words are spoken. Claude, who has taken no small number of concussions, recovers his wits (such as they are) quickly.

There is a man on top of him.

That man is Leon, who he now knows is not Cecilia's hairdresser.

Leon is clawing at his face.

And talking about bollocks.

"Knowing my life," he groans, head thudding against the deck, eyes closing wearily, "This is exactly how I pictured my wedding day."

...

"....oh god, where did I throw my wife," he says, eyes snapping open.

<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.

 
Elly crouched down a little to help Fei up, but her hands are kind of occupied with holding and petting a cucco. As another one lands on her head and starts vigorously taking the straw out of her hat, Elly tells Fei with a slightly glassy expression, "Perhaps...? I was surprised too but... - Leon!! Faces are hard to reattach, don't--"

He stops. Elly breathes out in relief. The cucco in her hand also defecates, although thankfully none of it gets on her.

In the background, Emma is attaching a little leather harness to a cucco, who has been bribed with corn.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

By this point, Elvis has gotten a chair and is swinging wildly at cuccos, though they always seem to be just out of reach. The Professor seems quite flustered.

"Can SOMEONE tell me if this is normal Human protocol PLEASE?!" he shouts, trying to get a little breathing room. These birds just seem to have a very bad temperament for some reason. Are the magically influenced? On some sort of medication?

...Actually.

Elvis drops the chair and starts chasing them. He wants one for testing.

He is barreling through chair rows and tables and people.

"GET OVER HERE!"

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Laughing uproariously from her seat on the cabin, on her side now holding her own sides Chime just barely avoids rolling off the cabin in laughter. Her book and pencil are still firmly in one hand, cucco feed in the other with a small group trying to peck and grab and get the delicious food from the laughing mini-tyrant that was feeding them but stopped.

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

"Not since yesterday, aye? That explains a lot." Layna comments with a shrug and a sip of her drink. And then she just...kind of sits back and enjoys the glorious chaos unfolding around her, as wings flap and people scream. Lily, meanwhile, gets a nod. "Oh, aye? Guess you'd have to be, to get the trajectory just right."

She and her crew seem to be accepting all of this pretty easily. ...Wait, speaking of her crew, where did Victoria and Dahlia go? There are blinking outlines where they used to be. (In truth, they saw Claude punch a cucco in the face and immediately bolted. Layna elected to stay behind.)

And then Leon bodily tackles Claude and starts tugging on his face? Layna laughs, then glances toward Elvis. She watches the large, burly man chasing some of the birds...and shrugs.

"Aye, pretty much." Layna says, then holds the bottle out to him. "Drink?"

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        The wave parts. Cuccos fly in all directions, shrieking and squawking. "This has nothing to do with the wedding!" Ida surges out from underneath them, shielding her face with her arms to keep the devil-birds from going for the eyes. "You know these beasts can't be contained!" she shoots back, at Leon. "And you've just unleashed them!" One of the cuccos in the fluttering cucco-ball snags its talons in Ida's hair. She lets out an undignified squawk, twists her head violently--but the cucco remains stuck. "Look what you've done!"

        Leon tackles Claude. Ida rushes after them, or tries to--she stumbles through the crowd of cuccos, the one tangled in her hair squawking and flapping. She stops, oh-so-gingerly disentangles the bird from her hair (which is now thoroughly ruined, all tangled and covered with feathers) and reaches down to help 'Cless up'. "Mr. Al'vane!" Ida cries, because for all she knows, the kayfabe is an integral part of... whatever this is supposed to be. "Are you all right?"

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"None for you! Maybe you should have had an invitation," Tethelle shoots back to Zed.

"Honestly, she should protect everything," Tethelle replies to Lily, with less volume because she's still blaming Leon. He gave the order to RELEASE CUCCOS, after all. "But they go after eyes, or at least they go after my eyes." This is not actually quite true; the cuccoos actually go after Tethelle's hair, but Tethelle has a lot of wavy hair and some of it is at eye level.

But then: 'Where did I throw my wife?'

Tethelle doesn't even look up. She knows where Cecilia was and she knows what Claude would have done with her; she takes two steps to the side, one back, holds her arms out just so...

...and waits for Cecilia to drop right into her waiting arms, sweeping her toward a safe position.

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Every wedding needs a plan for a mid-ceremony raid!" Leon answers Tethelle, even if he doesn't actually believe this. Also, his head is entirely white and his eyes are blinking through the goop that is falling down his head. His head turns to Ida. "Miss Everstead-Rey. I'm afraid that reason and honor have flown the coop."

But he does, in fact, stop and look down at Claude. He tilts his head to the side, and shakes his head. "Really?" Leon asks, while covered in chicken feathers and shit. "You're a strange one."

He does not feel like he leveled up, to be certain.

"Lily!" he calls out, turning away from Tethelle. "Have you spotted Cecilia? It seems the princess has fallen somewhere. Claude threw her in the air. Also, he seems to believe that he is a Lunarian captain of a unit... what was it? The Red Wings? He may need a good smack on the head to snap out of this."

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

"Since when did weddings become so violent?" Fei despairs, but at leats the wedding seems to be proceeding even if they're ... winging it.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

"I--well, yes! But--look it's all very complicated!" Cecilia has other objections to Lily but actually they were handled pretty effectively earlier so instead she just hangs on to Claude because he's doing all the locomotion right now.

Then Fei says some genuinely sweet words and, amid the chaos, Cecilia finds herself looking across the absolute chaos with something like fondness. "We have some good friends, huh?" she offers Claude, before he pitches her into the air while Leon tackles her groom. "WHAAAA"

Fortunately: She is holding a cucco, which flails valiantly and powerfully against the merciless evil of gravity. This allows her to drop very delicately into Tethelle's arms.

"Uhm," Bartholomew calls, standing very still for fear of being destroyed. "Wh....which quesiton were we on again..."

"SKIP TO THE GOOD BIT" Cecilia yells, and then gives Tethelle a haggard look that nonetheless has a certain energy to it. "Ah, thanks for the save," she says, and swings her weight to assist in getting to the ground.

"Oh! Uhm! There's lots of those though..."

"Gemstone!" Cecilia yells.

The unknown but presumably plot-important individual in the crowd hollers with laughter.

"Ah! Yes! Uhm! Th, the proof of your bond shines with light and hope! Tell these people, what is this treasure you have staked your future upon!"

The words burst into Cecilia's mind. She's not sure she's heard them before. "Blue Virtue!"

It pulses, as if in response. Bartholomew looks at it with alarm. ".....it didn't do that before."

"Happens alot around me!" Cecilia yells.

And then, Bartholomew looks to Claude, who is concussed, being tackled by a soldier, and beset by cuccos and cucco byproducts. "Now, Groom! To honor this occasion and your bond to this woman!"

The soldiers grow quiet. This one...matters.

                          R e c i t e i n p r a i se
                           t h e n a m e o f t h e
                       S E A G U A R D I A N

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"I'm always prepared for a mid-ceremony raid," Lily says after Leon's comment to Tethelle. She sounds... proud? Certain? She's definitely been drinking. However as she looks now at Leon, sees the goop... She frowns. But, she should protect everything...

"Well, they don't bother me all that much," Lily answers. The cuccos continue to leave her alone. ...Just why they do so is not something she appears to be inclined to explain at the moment.

"Forgetting where you threw her already?" Lily asks, and sighs. As Leon calls to her, "I--" She looks around and then sees her drop into Tethelle's arms. "Yes, I see her," Lily announces with some satisfaction. "...Leon, are you all right? Do you have the sand fever again?"

She begins to walk towards Tethelle and Cecilia both, and nearly reaches them... when Cecilia calls the Words. There is a glow in response, and Lily pauses, as she hears the next part of the ceremony.

She does not, as she'd been planning, bodily pick up Cecilia. ...Yet. She watches carefully.

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

"Yes, except it was my mom who was going to concuss me," says Claude C. Kenny to the chicken turd mask Leon Albus is wearing. "She hits harder than you, thankfully," he adds, which is much less insulting than it probably sounds.

The boy from Earth slowly pushes himself upward, a faint crimson stain spreading through his mass of fine blonde hair. He shakes his head to try and clear it, and by the time he's done, Tethelle has found Cecilia. "Uh... thanks," he offers the sword-shaman, then gives the everything-shaman a weary smile. And then freezes, because she's looking at him expectantly. As is literally everyone else. Oh right, he thinks, and opens his mouth to speak.

In another universe very much like this one, except for the side of a coin, Claude answers 'Lucario' and is roundly mocked.

In another universe, where a coin was sucked into oblivion, he answers 'Fartface McGee' and ruins everything, forever.

But in this universe, Claude remembers - despite the aggravation, and the pain, and the mild concussion - how important this is to both the world, and to Cecilia. And so he reaches into a pocket and pulls out a small, worn sheet of paper. On it, in a crisp hand, is written:

GARDIAN NAEMS - MEMORIZE

MOR GALT - FIRE
GRUDJEFF - URTH
FENGLON - WIND

Claude scrolls about a third of the way down, sucks in a deep breath, and speaks a few awkward syllables.

"Luca...dia."

He looks at Tethelle. "That was right, right?"

<Pose Tracker> Tethelle Cirdian has posed.

"Any time," Tethelle replies to Cecilia, with a grin and a wink. She helps her back to her feet.

Tethelle does not interrupt when she feels the pressure of the Sea Guardian. Just for a moment - Tethelle is not aligned with the blessings of the Sea, and with Mother's influence all she can do is tell that the power is present. Though, honestly, the pulse from the Medium is enough to show that.

She lets Claude speak without interruption, but -

"Oh thank the Guardians," Tethelle breathes out. "I thought I was going to have to stand in, and I don't know if Cecilia would be interested. Yes, that was right."

He can be taught!

<Pose Tracker> Fei Fong Wong has posed.

Fei frowns for a while.

"Maybe he is an imposter..."

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

"Oh good," breathes Claude, who lets his hands drop down to his sides, where Tethelle can see...

DINGO NOSE - MOUNTAIN (eets babees?)

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

A grassy head pokes up from under a half-dozen cuccos (and possible eggs). "NO," Zed cries, "HE SAID IT! MY PAL... IS DOOOOOOMED!"

Zed despairs even harder...!

<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.

"Ah," Leon says, turning just after Tethelle catches Cecilia.

He watches the proceedings. It takes a moment, through the haze of sleep deprivation and everything that happened, for him to realize: this was not, in fact, an absurdly rushed marriage ceremony. There was a point to all of this. Leon's mouth opens; it hangs open, for a moment, before he steps over closer to Lily.

'Lucadia,' Claude says.

Then, he realizes. "...ah." He glances around the ship. There is the happy 'couple.' There, he sees cuccos flapping and squawking loudly at people. There, he finds the slime of Yarobeleedt. Off to the side, he spots Chime laughing. Feathers drift, idly, through the air. Leon scratches at the back of his head.

Then his fingers come away, covered in white bird crap. He glances sideways at Lily, and offers his conclusion:

"Lieutenant," he ventures, "I am beginning to suspect this wasn't a fruitful endeavor."

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        Yarobeleedt, though concussed and probably having the alien equivalent of a very serious bone fracture in places protecting some very near and dear parts of their anatomy, reaches up with a shaky, pointy weapon-arm whose tip is so soft and brittle from wear and tear that it is completely indistinguishable in character from a No. 2 lead pencil.
        p.s. don't eat lead, even if you are a Metal Demon
        He tries to scratch the following on the list in what might be his own blood, actually -
 

1. -1 INVALID ANSI DEFINITION
   

 
(it actually says that, they did not translate this text string, forever sealing the joke from overseas audiences forever)

<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.

"Captain," Lily answers, "I'm frankly not entirely sure where we are right now."

She pauses, and looks to Leon, lifting her eyebrow. "Well, that's disgusting."

But there is a Medium of Lucadia in her satchel.

"...I hope you're planning to wash that out before you do anything else."

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida steps back, allowing 'Cless' to climb to his feet. He seems... well, as all right as someone can be after enduring both head trauma and the unexpected appearance of a flock of demon birds. She reaches up, dabs at the blood welling up in the scratches on her face. She looks like she fought an entire coop of chickens, and lost... which isn't too far from what happened. She doesn't feel the pulse of the Medium, but it seems as though something has been accomplished here, which is honestly all she can hope for.

        "Is that it?" Ida says, looking at Claude and Cecilia with a rictus smile. Blood drips from a scrape running the length of one cheekbone. White feathers jut out from her hair at odd angles. "Is it done?"

        Yarobeleedt just sort of oozes on up. Ida takes a step back, and glares at him for a full minute before looking up at Lily. "Do you have something I can use to wash these out?"

<Pose Tracker> Chime Isa has posed.

        Chime's laughter briefly subsides when the question is shouted about what treasure is staked. Or at least she does when the answer is shouted as it pulse is unmissable. More so when Claude correctly manages to name the Sea Guardian. She doesn't stop giggling through.

        The cuccos around her start pecking at her, and the short elf squirms between giggles returning to feeding the peckish horde she's collected around her as she works to get her laughter and giggles under control. She still needs to get back to drawing! This was going to be an amazing tale for the adventure guild halls~

        Made all the better by the birds of feather flocking together at this totally real wedding.

<Pose Tracker> Cecilia Adlehyde has posed.

Claude says the fateful words.

Bartholomew raises his hands. "Wonderful! Then, since you're sort of busy right now and the kiss is sort of a formality anyway, I pronounce you--!"

A cucco soars across the distance, slams into his face, and sends him toppling backward with a squawk. He kicks forward, sending the jewel rolling across the deck and the medium in another direction. That one slides to a stop at Cecilia's fate. The unnamed man rises, laughing.

"Haha! A real good show!" the man says. He is dressed rather more casually than Bartholomew, with a black undershirt and a pink-hued overjacket and...he...actually kind of looks like Janus Cascade if he were more of a di--

Well, if he had darker, longer hair anyway.

"But y'all just could not keep---"

Cecilia touches the tablet.

ANd a presence floods the area. It's a sudden flash, a wave as the entire sea seems to glow.

        Shaman...

Cecilia bolts upright.

        I am the Sea Guardian, Lucadia.
        This bond you forge may not be of hearts, but it is true as the sea and sky.
        Fear not the low tide, Shaman. Though it reveals secrets and terrors...
        The sea shall rise again.

Drake, captain of the good ship Nobody Cares, collapses to his knees as the light fades.

Cecilia looks at him with a cocked eyebrow. "Close enough?"

"yeah that'll do," he croaks.

<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.

"Wait, kiss?" asks Claude C. Kenny, who it seems forgot about that part of the whole 'wedding' thing. Scandalized, he opens his mouth to object when---

Oh hey, it's a Phantom Thief.

Oh hey, it's a Guardian.

Who is... not sassing him for a change?

The dude collapses, and Claude sees a way to solve two problems at once. "Hey Zed!" he shouts, pointing at Drake. "Do you want to do the 'ceremonial throwing of the pirate overboard'? It's a solemn duty of the..."

...

"...ringbearer, which you are because you..."

...

"...get to ring a bell after tossing him."

...

"It's a very sacred human tradition," Claude adds, semi-sincerely.

<Pose Tracker> Yarobeleedt has posed.

        The lowly largely-splattered slug-something peers back at Ida. 'Awkward' ceases to be a word to capture the magnitude of the moment.
        His eyes do not track her glare, which in itself is normal as he is noted for being a giant coward. He seems to be staring at her shoulder, blinking irregularly between those eyes like there's something about that shoulder he thinks he should see but doesn't, and suddenly looking confused about whether they should be perplexed or afraid.
        A great power washes over the area. A power that he is decidedly opposed to. No matter how pathetic and easily brushed aside as he might be to the point of being seen as being little more than a mild annoyance, he is part of the anathema that dares infest and twist Filgaia to suit them. The shining power of the sea, filled with the promise to once more rise, straight-up washes Yarobeleedt overboard.
        Then it ejects him out of the water, again and again, constantly, as many times as it'll take to just bodily hurl him out of the water while Lucadia recovers that bit of their power under such planet-straining duress, because let's be honest - even when Mother is bearing down upon every facet of Filgaia's existence at once, any expenditure of power in which to at least slightly inconvenience such a disgusting creature is an expenditure well-spent.

<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.

Zed...

...Gets to ring a bell...!?!?

Zed suddenly shoots upright. A cucco squawks as it's thrown from its roost. "R-really!? I get to be the ringbearer? And all I have to do is..." Zed turns to Drake. His eyes are wild. Wild with hunger. And pride! AND HUNGER! "D-do I get cake if I'm the ringbearer?"

Beat.

"No! Wait, it doesn't matter!" Zed declares, exploding from his sarcuccophagus amidst a blizzard of fluffy white feathers! He lunges, grabbing with his GRABBY HANDS at this so-called DRAKE FELLOW. "PIRATE CHUCKING IS A NOBLE TRADITION!"

And then, presuming he's not interrupted, Zed... Would then straight up Figaro-style suplex this pirate right into the drink.

(Coincidentally, this also dumps Zed into the sea, but he's a big boy. He can climb back up on his own.)

<Pose Tracker> Layna Manydays has posed.

Well, that happened. The sea begins to glow and a presence begins to flood the area - a familiar one. She held a Medium of Lucadia herself, after all...and for someone so close to the sea, she knew that presence.

"Well, I'll be damned." Layna says with a smirk as she hears Lucadia speak to the Priestess.

She didn't expect things to turn out this way...but then, things taken a different turn. One that she finds amusing.

"Aye, that it is!" Layna chimes in with a wave, deciding to play along. "I'm a pirate m'self, I should know."

She doesn't know that guy, but he probably deserves it.

<Pose Tracker> Elvis has posed.

After a good bout, Elvis finally managed to catch a cucco. It is disgruntled and trying to get away, but he's got it under his arm, and it ain't going anywhere. This finishes at about the time the Sea Medium is triggered, which catches the Prfoessor's attention. "Hum... That magic again..." It was the kind suggested to come from Filgaia itself, no? A possible research route suggested to him...

At least the cucco issue is coming under control. Relatively speaking, one bird at a time.

"Wait what." is all Elvis can say to this strange custom after vows. "You Humans have such strange customs. Duly noted for my research though."

He actually smiles a bit. "Maybe one day I'll get to toss the pirate overboard and ring a bell for a wedding ritual."

But for now, the Sentinel seems placated having a very angry cucco.

<Pose Tracker> Ida Everstead-Rey has posed.

        Ida wasn't sure what she was expecting out of this, but 'a Guardian manifestation' was not it. A presence washes over the area, deep, inscrutable, and tranquil. Ida has felt it before, in miniature, but this is an order of magnitude greater. She looks down at the Medium, and then up at Cecilia, as Lucadia says her peace. Is she being optimistic about this? Is she stating her view of things as the mystical embodiment of Sea? Ida swallows around the lump in her throat, and thinks back--back to what Mariel told her.

        "We'll do our best," Ida says, even if she's not sure Lucadia can hear her. "I suppose it's all we can do."