Wedding Bells Part 2: The Reception

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel giggled as Cruz kissed her on the side of the neck and whispered in her ear. She was glad to be a better distraction. And he seemed quite distracted by her. Cruz and Rachel had chatted once about their relationship and making it more physical. She had told him she wasn't ready for sex, and he took it as a gentleman. He said that was okay and never pressed her. This was really the closest he had come. Rachel was willing to bet he was in the mood, and truth be told - she was ready for that, but now wasn't the time to tell him that.

Rachel held him tighter as Kiriena gave Cruz her card. "She is really the best!" Rachel said and Kiriena blushed.

"I wouldn't say the best..."

"She's also incredibly modest." Rachel said with a laugh. "Cruz, would you mind if I stole a bit from your plate - I've not eaten much today."

Upon getting an okay, Rachel took his fork, and cutting off a piece of chicken, ate it. "Oh this is so good," she said. Moments later, the wait staff came out, bringing out champagne bottles and glasses to each table. That was her signal. "I'm afraid I need to go for a bit. Got my toast to give soon." She gave Cruz a kiss. "See you on the dance floor later - we'll see if you can keep up with my moves." She stood up almost reluctantly from Cruz's lap and gave Kiriena a quick farewell before heading back up to the head table.

[Cruz]

Rachel finished most of what was on his plate, he wasn't particularly hungry anyway. But soon she had to leave to do her last thing. He couldn't wait to get alone time with her, it had been a while, even if that alone time was in front of all of her sister's wedding guests. It was always good to spend time with Rachel.

Cruz had taken the card from Kiriena and tucked it into his pocket with his wallet. Cards were antiquated but they were cute none-the-less. Nox had them, but he liked to keep his digital foot print small. Not that he'd been doing a good job of that.

A beep drew Cruz away from the table conversation and to his wallet. His grandfather was sending out mass texts to the company. That was never a good thing. He took a moment to read the message. It wasn't addressed directly to him, and there wasn't much Cruz could do about it, he knew nothing about security measures. He'd have to talk to Sage later, see if he could help. He put the wallet away, nothing he could do about it right now.

[Jay Carpenter]

There was a time in his life when attending a wedding meant a hell of a night was in store. Ceremonies were usually pretty tame, but receptions could get wild. The clouded memories of the wedding parties of his youth flooded his head as he entered the hall.

An elaborate hall decked to the nines opened before him. Tableware suggested a full course dinner was coming much to his approval. The rest of the venue was traditionally laid out, but way over the top of anything he’d ever seen back in Iowa.

He waited near the open bar until the couple’s arrival. Few spoke to him, though many met his eye. It was the uniform, but he was used to the stares and whispers. It only made him grin to himself, nod a friendly hello when it happened, and nurse the beer bottled cradled in his palm.

He was holding up the wall when Wizard and Emily arrived. The display took him by surprise, just as it did everyone else, and he clapped in approval with the crowd.

So Emily was also a channeler. Suppose it would take one to handle Wizard’s antics.

Eventually, he found his seat for dinner.

[Jared Vanders]

Jared had enjoyed the Prime Rib. He mostly ate, but took some time to toalk to Jeremy and his wife while eating. It looked like Emily had gotten the chicken herself. He had tried some of that and she had taken a bite of his dinner as well. His wife. The thought still amazed him. He was a married man. Jared saw Rachel go out to sit with Cruz after she finished, and Cruz looked a lot more alert than he had during the ceremony. Jared was glad to see it.

The waiter came to remove plates and began pouring champagne into glasses to prepare for the toasts and Rachel returned to the head table. The DJ came over, handing a microphone to Jeremy, who stood, clinking his spoon on his glass. ”Hello everyone, I’m Jeremy and I have the pleasure of being Jared’s best man. The couple has also asked me to thank you for taking the day to celebrate their wedding. They love you all.” it was true A they had asked him to do that.

Jeremy continued. ”Ive known Jared since I was a freshman in college. This week, I’ve gotten to know Emily, his lovely bride. No one who spends a minute with these two can deny the deep love they have for one another. George Sand once wrote “there is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.” I see my old college friend now, and I see the truth in this. Emily - you bring Jared so much joy and happiness. And I can see he brings it to you as well. I wish you more of the same for many years to come. he raised his glass. ”To happiness and love - and to Jared and Emily.”

Glasses clinked as people repeated the toast and took their drinks. Jared stood up, giving his friend a hug and then Emily gave him one as well. Jeremy handed the microphone to Rachel.

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel took a sip of her champagne and then took the microphone from Jeremy. Rachel didn’t like talking to big groups, but she alleviated her fear by recognizing that for most of her toast, she would be talking to her sister and brother-in-law.  Emily looked up at her, an encouraging smile on her face.

Rachel took a deep breath and began. ”It has been a rough year for our family. Ever since mom and dad d…” Rachel’s voice trailed off as she froze. Her mind stopping her to tell her she hadn’t fully processed this yet. Rachel’s eyes flicked to the table where two bouquets of flowers sat at empty chairs. In reality, seconds passed, but to Rachel they felt like minutes. Time reverted to normal as she felt Emily wrap her in a hug.

A hand stroked the back of her head. Another person hugged her from behind. Mara had joined them. ”it’s okay. It’s gonna be okay.” the microphone was close enough that it should have picked up Emily’s voice, but it didn’t. The DJ had the foresight to mute the microphone, giving them some privacy.  Rachel could feel tears starting to well up, but they didn’t come.

”I feel a little embarrassed.” Rachel said after a few moments.

”Don’t be. This is my wedding - my opinion is the only one that matters.” this elicited a brief laugh from Rachel. ”Im gonna hold on for a little bit longer. I need this too.” this was the first family gathering since their parents had died, and together, the three sisters took a moment to mourn that they weren’t here. ”you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

”I want to.”

Emily released Rachel took her face her hands, moving Rachel’s head to look into her eyes. ”You good?”

Rachel nodded and Emily took her seat again. Rachel turned to give Mara a quick hug before her younger sister went back to her table. Emily took her hand as she raised the microphone to speak. ”Sorry everyone,” she said, taking a moment to compose herself. ”Ever since mom and dad died, I’ve felt a little lost. So I did what I always did. I looked up to my older sister.  I know she tried to hide it, but I saw how sad she was and how scared. Like me, she had lost her parents, but on top of that, she received a great weight of picking up their legacy. But as I continued to watch - I saw her change . Over the past year, I saw my sister turn from an overwhelmed, frightened, and insecure person to a strong, confident, and bold woman. I see this and can only think that even though mom and dad aren’t her in this room today.” The tears began to lightly fall. ”They are watching from above and smiling. Proud of the amazing woman their daughter has become. Even though they aren’t physically here. They live on in you - I see dad every time you talk to a client. And every time you tell me I’m being a stupid idiot, I hear mom’s voice. Just remember mom wouldn’t say it like that though.” this got a laugh from the crowd and Emily squeezed her hand. ”Theyd be proud of you as I’m proud to call you my sister. Jared - you make her so very happy. There was a time I never thought I’d see my sister truly smile again. But she hasn’t stopped since she met you. I can tell how much you love her and how much she returns that love to you.” she raised her glass. ”I love you both. To a million lifetimes - to Emily and Jared.”

Once again glssses clinked as the toast was repeated and drank. Emily stood and once again wrapped her sister in a hug. ”Love you sis!”

”Love you too!”

They broke apart, Emily giving her another smile. Rachel could see she had a few tears too. Jared gave her a hug as well. Rachel smiled and took her seat feeling like a weight had lifted in the moment.

[Emily Shale-Vanders]

It had been some time since their parents had died, but Emily had noticed Rachel struggling more with it.  Rachel had always been a good emotional support for others, but sometimes, this caused her to struggle dealing with her own emotions.  Emily had seen it at home.  Although Rachel knew her parents were gone, she had yet to fully process it.  So when Rachel began to freeze during her wedding toast, Emily was ready.  As soon as Emily saw Rachel's eyes move to the family table, she was on her feet and wrapping her sister in a hug.  It wasn't long before Mara had joined them.  Emily was not surprised at this.  Mara had brought similar concerns about their sister to Emily who had told Mara Rachel would heal in time.  It appeared to be happening now.  The whole exchange took a little longer than a minute, but it was necessary.  All three girls needed to take time to be sad about the fact that their parents weren't her on this important day.

The toasts over, the cake was brought out and Emily went with her husband to cut it. They had agreed that they wouldn't do the whole smashing the cake into the other's face thing.  But Jared didn't know that Emily had lied.  So she took her shot while feeding him his piece of cake.  It was a wedding cliche - people expected it, but laughed all the same.  He of course returned the favor, and not even caring, Emily gave him a kiss before they took their seat.  Rachel helped Emily clean her face, and then they got to eatiing.

The waiters would bring cake out to the guests and inform them that wait service would be ending.  The waiters would take final drink orders, let the guests know of the snack table, and would inform them that they could get drinks at the open bar for the rest of the night. They ate and the DJ approached Emily and Jared just to make sure of the timeline.  Next up would be the first dance, and after that, the reins would officially be in the DJs hands.

At the appropriate time, the DJ turned the lights down and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, the couple would like me to take this time to once again thank you for being here to celebrate their big day.  I would also like to take this time to congratulate Emily and Jared as they take the dance floor for their first dance.

Jared offered her his hand and she took it, a big smile plastered on her face as the music for the song for their first dance began.  While planning for the wedding, Emily had heard "Everything I Do" by Bryan Adams on an oldies station and immediately knew it was their song. Emily had always thought it would feel awkward to dance while everyone just watched, but soon tunnel vision came into being, and she and Jared were the only two people there.  Emily didn't resist when Jared pulled her closer, she rested her head on his shoulder, closed her eyes, and sighed contentedly.  The moment was perfect.

The song came to an end and Emily looked up at him - her husband - and smiled before he kissed her. "This is the best day of my life.  I love you so much."

Jared smiled, "I love you too - more than anything."  This time she kissed him.

Another song began - once again a slow one.  The DJ announced the dance floor to be open and other people began to join them.  Jared and Emily did not separate.  They would take another dance before mingling.

((OoC: thank you all - things are a lot more open now as most of the ceremonial stuff is done.  Thank you all for your patience in getting here!))

[Kiriena]

Kiriena watched the entire proceedings with a smile on her face. Well, except when Rachel froze. Weddings were happy occasions, but even in happy times there could be times of sadness. It was only natural for the sisters to feel sad that their parents were not there on this special day. Especially since parents usually played a pretty significant role in weddings. Kiriena hadn’t known the Shake girls long, but she had known them long enough to. It be surprised by their support for their sister.

The cake was delicious as she had expected. Emily had drawn out all the stops for the event and could easily afford to do so. She was one of the richest women in the world. She took this opportunity to order another glass of wine before the wait service ended, and sipped it quietly while waiting. The first dance came and like the others, she watched. These two were so clearly in love.

The dance ended and it was time to move on. People, mostly couples began to join the dance floor. Kiriena hadn’t brought a date. Starting her own flower shop had taken a good deal of time, and hadn’t left much time for dating. So she looked around, wanting to dance.

She had noticed the Dominion come in and had also notice people typically gave him a wide berth. Kiriena didn’t like that. It may have been a scary job, but that didn’t mean he was a scary person. He was also rather attractive (men in uniform were sexy) and also seemed to be by himself. Kiriena wasn’t drunk, but had had enough to feel a little braver as well. Why not? What was the worst that could happen? It was just a dance.

She stood up and approached the Dominion. ”Hi, I’m Kiriena - would you like to dance?”

[Cruz]

Things went like expected. Even the part where Emily encouraged Rachel to finish. Their parents death had been hard on both of them. And to know the person who accidentally was the cause of their crash that didn't help matters at all. Nox as usual had tried to make retribution, which is how Emily found him. And how Rachel met him to begin with. It was through Nox's act that he even met Rachel. It was good. He liked her, but he hated that they probably wouldn't be more than passing acquaintances. Not that Nox was even remotely close to Cruz any. Mostly on him, he was sure. Nox was usually well liked by everyone, and Cruz not so much. That whole rich boy thing always put people off -- except those who were the same -- which Rachel was. They understood each other in ways that no one else could.

Cruz almost went up there to comfort her, but Emily was on the job, but Cruz hadn't hesitated once he saw the tears start, he was waiting for Rachel at the end of their table waiting for all the festivities to end so they could dance. He didn't have much to say or much to comfort her with, his parents were now divorced its own sort of new hell, but they were alive. And well and completely there for him even if he didn't want them to be.

"Can I have that dance?"

[Rachel Shale]

Rachel smiled at Cruz and took his hand. ”Yes, please,” she said cheerfully. Rachel was feeling more free than she had since her freak out.

She walked with Cruz to the dance floor and wrapped her arms around his neck, allowing him to take her waist. If he decided to get handsy, she wouldn’t mind. She looked him in the eyes, smiling and sighing contentedly.

”I’ve missed you,” she said after a few moments of just enjoying being in his presence. ”Ive not been very present lately. I’ve started this masters program and the professors just keep giving me books to read and telling me I’m already behind on my thesis, and…” she sighed. ”That doesn’t matter so much. I’ve not been good at making time for us and for that, I’m really sorry, Cruz. I’m going to make a bigger effort to do more though. I promise.”

Rachel let heraelf relax more, saying less than she wanted to. She kept words to herself - words she wasn’t ready to say in her heart. She wasn’t ready to tell him that. But she was ready for more. She knew Cruz wanted a more physical relationship. He had never pushed it. He had always been a gentleman, but she knew. And she knew she was ready for that too.

Rachel pulled Cruz closer, pressing her body against his. ”Hey - Em and Jared aren’t leaving until tomorrow and I wanted to give them some privacy so I got a room in the city. she brought her mouth right next to his ear and whispered. ”Would you like to join me?” she sucked on his ear lobe and give him a sting of kisses down his jawline, not being subtle at all by what she meant and finally looking onto his eyes to await his answer.

[Cruz]

Rachel apologized for not being present. He felt a little guilty about it, but he'd been busy too. It's not like they had a claim on all their time. "It's okay. I've been busy too. Between school, work, my grandfather, and my research project I haven't had much time either." He reassured her while leaving out the other parts. He was focused on all those things, but all those things including his new roommates and the fucking skulls consumed a lot of his time.

But all those half truths and omissions quickly fled as Rachel pulled him closer and whispered in his ear. His entire body reacted to the way she felt against him, her lips brushing the cuff of his ear and the softness of her mouth along his ear and jaw. He groaned audibly drawing a few stares from the people dancing nearby. But soon they were swept away in the current of the dance floor and no one could blame them -- this was a wedding after all. And they were both adults. It took him several moments before he realized she'd asked him a question and the look she was giving him meant she knew his answer before he even gave it. His voice was caught in his throat, dry and hoarse. "Yes." was all he could manage to spit out before he kissed her hard but still kept the propriety of a public display. They might be at a wedding but he wasn't Nox, he wasn't going to go all out on the dancefloor. He was a gentleman!

Cruz's wallet buzzed in his pocket and he ignored it. He would very much rather be kissing and dancing with Rachel and that's where his attention lay until they would both need a break...