Here's part two! This time we'll have dress shopping, cater planning, general shenanigans as the cast forgets the previous weddings they've done and run about like headless chickens, and exasperated planners! Should be fun for all involved, no?
Without further ado, let's go!
After a few weeks of congratulations and tearful hugs, Rean and Laura began planning their wedding earnestly with their friends.
Then all hell broke loose.
"What do you mean you're booked?!"
Rean was growling into the orbal phone, barely listening to the rambling woman on the other end. They'd just finished getting the flower order they wanted out of the way, after two days of searching, and now Rean was trying to book a photographer.
He already tried Rex and Fidelio, but they were busy documenting a famine in eastern Zemuria and wouldn't return until next winter.
Rean shook his head as another apology came over the phone. "If you're booked, you're booked. We'll try elsewhere."
He almost slammed the phone back into its rest, making Laura look up from the table where she was comparing fabrics. "No luck?"
A breath exploded from Rean's throat. "No, they're booked the entire month. You'd think they'd make an opening for us, especially since I'm asking months in advance."
Laura shrugged and held another ream of fabric to the light. "You've only tried three photographers. Why not ask Elliot if there are any in Heimdallr he can recommend?"
Rean pinched his nose. "I did, haven't heard from him since I asked. I'll try Norton I guess, but I'm pretty sure I won't be able to without getting us in the Chronicle."
Laura nodded. "True, he'd want to write an editorial on it for sure. By the way, do you think I should go with pure white or should I add some color?"
"It's your dress." Rean answered. "I think you'll put Alfin to shame in it regardless, but I have no say in the matter."
Laura grimaced and looked at all the fabric spread out before her. "I wish this wasn't such a big deal. I've had more of these samples sent my way then I know what to do with."
On cue, the door to the room slammed open and Fie walked in with a pile of fabric piled high. "Another delivery for the bride to be."
Laura groaned and slumped in her seat, Rean slumping as well. What next?
-Gaius-
"We can't use the horses?"
Gaius openly stared at his brother, the younger man scratching his head sheepishly. "Yeah… see, Sheeda and Dad didn't get the memo about the wedding so the mares got paired. They'll be too busy giving birth or taking care of the calves next May."
His father appeared equally sheepish. "This is my fault, Gaius. I should have realized you'd want to use the horses as gifts."
"No just that." Gaius sighed. "I was planning on having them help move things from the station to the reception. Emma's going to be pissed with us."
-Emma-
"What?!"
Emma was pacing around the living room of her home; ARCUS pressed to her ear as she listened to Gaius describe his situation. "Are there no other horses you can use?"
"None that won't require a lot of training." Gaius replied. "The only ones we'll have available come the wedding day are too young to start hauling goods and they haven't been trained to work together."
Emma groaned and sat down. "Alright, thanks Gaius. We'll think of something."
She hung up and frowned, hoping nothing else would pop up. The wedding may have been a couple months away from going into planning overdrive, but the more they could get done now the better.
-Two Months Later-
"Rean, the chapel's too small."
Rean looked up from yet another catalogue Elliot had given him, staring at Father Hamilton. "Too small?"
The priest nodded. "It is. I understand neither of you wish the ceremony to be a circus, but there's simply no way to fit all the guests we know for fact are coming."
Rean groaned and his head thudded against the table. It was piled high with decoration ideas, recipes, shopping lists, letters, and all manner of things not relating directly to the wedding. "What can we do?"
Hamilcar shook his head. "I'd say hold the ceremony in the square, then it'd be big enough. Question is whether or not the fog would cooperate with us."
Laura chose then to walk in, two papers in hand. "Rean, do you think we should go with floral ropes or… what's wrong?"
Hamilcar answered for the despondent Rean. "I fear the chapel is too small to fit all the guests you have, milady. The only way we'd be able to fit everyone is if we changed it to an outdoor ceremony."
Laura frowned. "I see… so we should tell everyone to go hunt their dinner then?"
Rean shuddered, an image of everyone in formal dress charging onto the highway with weapons in hand flashing before his eyes. "Let's… not have that happen. I don't know if I'd die of embarrassment or laughter."
Laura blinked before an amused smile spread on her lips. "It would be fun, for sure. I can already see Sharon gladly making a feast out of it."
She looked to the puzzled priest. "I think we'll be fine with an outdoor ceremony. I simply wish to be married in my hometown; it doesn't have to be in the chapel."
Hamilcar bowed in thanks. "Very well, I will begin the necessary preparations. Please remember to tell me which specific passages you wish to have read by next Saturday and I'll take care of the rest."
Laura bowed too. "Thank you, Father. We'll be sure to let you know as soon as we can."
The priest smiled and left, Laura taking a seat next to Rean. "So, who wants to tell Alisa she'll be throwing out all the decoration plans she and Alfin have been going over?"
Rean groaned, wishing Klaus was there to help him sort through this. "I'll do it. You have to go and explain to Sara and our parents that the budget changed."
Both of their heads thudded against the table this time. This was getting a lot more complicated the closer they got to the promised day.
-Alisa-
"Son of a bitch!"
Sharon deftly dodged the table thrown her way and grabbed the phone next to her. "Yes, Master Gwyn? Your granddaughter threw her desk out the window again."
She nodded at the exasperated reply before looking to her charge. "Something drastic I assume?"
Alisa growled and slumped in her chair, the desk she'd been working at currently shattered on the ground in the 'Reinford Thrown Desk Landing Site'. "They just changed the theme of the whole wedding! It's outdoors now and they haven't made a decision on it being in the afternoon or evening!"
Sharon smiled demurely. "I see. Would you like me to contact Her Highness and inform her of the change?"
Alisa pinched her nose. "Please do. I need to go blow off some steam."
She didn't wait for an answer, grabbing her bow from its spot on the wall and marching for the elevator. Riding it all the way down, she boarded the freight train bound for the Iron Mine and pulled out her ARCUS. "Yes, can you put me in contact with Hugo Kleist and Becky Kleist?"
A moment later, familiar voices greeted her. "Hey, Alisa! Need something new for our mutual friends?"
Alisa sighed. "See, here's the thing…"
-Machias-
He was not expecting the current CEO of Kleist and Co. to barge into his office alongside his wife.
Hugo marched up to his desk and slammed a paper onto it. "I need permission to recall the previous orders I made two weeks ago!"
Machias stared at the man, slack jawed, so Emma took the time to explain. "The wedding's changed from indoor to outdoor. Alisa called and scrapped all our previous plans."
Machias gaped for another moment before snarling and grabbing his desk. A moment later, it joined the ever growing pile of lumber building outside of his office window.
Hugo blinked before reaching into his coat and producing a piece of paper. "Here's the bill for the new one. Figured you'd do that."
Machias snatched it and stuffed the paper in his pocket. "Get me Elliot and Claire. We're starting from scratch!"
Emma sighed and pulled out her ARCUS. "Excuse me, Fie? Cancel the reservations to the spa, we'll be working overtime."
"…Really?"
Emma shook her head. "Yes, Fie. Every permit we had to get everyone together on time along with all the decorations and food just became null."
"…Great. I'll go see Laura, I guess."
Emma nodded. "Please do. Your boyfriend and the rest of us will try and get as much of the paperwork done as we can before you return."
"… Ja."
The call disconnected and Emma rubbed her brow. How did they go from semi-ready to square one with a single change of venue?
"Get off of me Kleist or so help me I will shoot off your balls!"
Emma hung her head and stalked forward. She didn't know what got the fight between her husband and Hugo started, but one thing was for sure.
She would end it.
"Oh great stars…"
-Fie-
Fie thanked the receptionist for her time and left the spa, ignoring the dust cloud that rose in the distance. Considering the corona that had shined for a few seconds earlier, Emma had been upset.
Now that she thought about it, several construction companies and carpenters owed their livelihoods the Sevens in positions of power. Desks and buildings tended to get destroyed when Fie's friends got mad.
Shrugging, she pulled out a list and glanced around languidly. "So… where's the cake place?"
Choosing a direction at random, Fie set off on her search. She could have used her speed to search the entire district within a minute, but the last time she did that an alarm had gone off and she'd been dragged off to see Claire by a very cheery Millium.
Not wanting to do that again, Fie just wandered the streets at her leisure.
After checking in on that, I need to ask Laura about any other places she may want to go for her party. The stripper idea was shot down out of the gate, even if I swore it would be Rean giving her a private show, so what else is there?
As is no surprise, this was Fie's first time as a Maid of Honor. She and Laura were in constant contact, always going over things, and Fie had to put out any fires that her friends started.
A few of her own too.
On top of that, she was in charge of planning the bridesmaids' gowns and when they'd get a hand on Laura's dress. A smirk flashed across her face as she remembered the shriek Laura had let out upon seeing a dress that Vivi had designed.
The smell of baked goods brought her back to the present, a smile crossing her face at the sight of her destination. "Here we go."
The sign read 'Lissa's Bakery: Pastries for All Occasions!' It hung over a simple door that, when Fie walked in, lead to a small front room and counter with a variety of pastries and cakes set out on display.
No one was at the counter, so Fie walked up and rang the help bell. "Hello?"
A voice sounded from the back and a pretty woman with long blonde hair and light blue eyes came through a door. "Hi there! What can I help you with today?"
Fie looked down at her list. "A friend of mine recommended this place. They said you make good wedding cakes."
The woman gasped and turned back to the door. "Donny, we got a wedding order!"
The sound of crashing metal sounded through the door and a disheveled man with dark purple hair and a pot on his head came through. "Don't do that! You scared me right into the pan rack!"
The woman waved him off. "Aw, you're fine. Come on, this little lady has a wedding order!"
The man-Donny, Fie guessed-sighed and pulled the pot off his head. "I got ya, just let me straighten up back here. 'Sides, you can do it yourself Lissa."
The woman shrugged. "Fine, see if I give you warning next time."
She turned to Fie. "Anyway, yeah, my name's Lissa Spatz, and that's my husband Donnel Spatz. Take a seat over there and we'll start talking cake."
Fie suppressed a smirk and did just that, Lissa joining her with a smile. "So, who are we making this for?"
Fie glanced at her list and smiled. "Two of my friends. We've been planning the more… annoying parts of their wedding the last few months, but I wanted to make sure the cake was taken care of before anything went wrong."
Lissa clapped excitedly. "Oh, that must mean you're the Maid of Honor, right? I remember being the Maid of Honor at my friend's wedding, though I just made the cake for that one."
Fie kept up her smile, even as she realized the woman before her was like a blonde Millium. "I am. My friend still hasn't decided on a dress yet, but I'll be taking her out with her fiancée's mother and hers to go shopping for one next month."
Lissa nodded and Donnel joined them. "Alright, let's get to the cake. Don't spare a detail, the more we know, the better we do!"
Fie smirked, a little mischief entering her eyes. "Well, the wedding's next year, May 5th…"
-Elliot-
"For the last time, Elliot, I'm not going to a cabaret! Alisa tried to burn the place down when we went to one for Machias!"
"It's not a cabaret!" Elliot groaned, wishing he could just sit at the piano for a while. "It's the newest bar and grill in the Sankt district, it's just next to a cabaret club! It's not my fault you get free tickets by going for a steak, we can just burn them!"
He heard a sigh on the other line. "I'm not sure… none of us are good with liquor, we may end up doing something stupid."
Elliot sighed. "That's the whole reason I'm trying to have this happen the month before your big day! Fie's had to cancel the spa day she'd reserved for Laura and the gals since you guys switched to an outdoor ceremony, but this can still work!"
He heard Rean hum before giving in. "Alright Elliot, I trust you. Just don't be surprised if we all make fools of ourselves."
Elliot relaxed. "Don't worry; I'll make sure Gaius doesn't start a war dance."
Rean laughed. "Good! Jusis couldn't show his face in polite society for six months after the last time that happened."
"He shouldn't have joined in." Elliot shot back. "Paula didn't let him hear the end of it."
Rean's laughter quieted at the mention of Jusis's wife. "I'm assuming you got the announcement, right?"
Elliot sighed, finally taking a seat. "Of course I did. Arnauld delivered it to Fie and I personally. We couldn't make the official shower, if you call that ball Jusis was forced to put on a shower, but we called to congratulate them."
"Yeah, it was a real circus." Rean said. "Laura and I were able to go, but people would not leave Paula alone. She got so pissed off the party ended with her chasing all the guests out with her axe."
Elliot shuddered. "Mood swing?"
"Mood swing." Rean confirmed. "Man was she upset afterwards. Jusis had to make it so only two people at most could see her so Paula wouldn't get overwhelmed."
Elliot half-heartedly tapped at the table. "Sounds like what happened with Bridget. She didn't have near as many people try and butter her up, but Alan had to fight her off when Mint ticked her off and she went for a knife."
Seeing the heavily pregnant Bridget and Alan duel it out with a rapier and a knife had been prime viewing, if scary, until Bridget had broken down in tears and been escorted upstairs by her husband. She was fine the next day and apologized to everyone involved.
"In any case," Rean continued. "Let us know what other ideas Fie has when she gets back. It's looking more and more like we'll have to get something custom for Laura."
Elliot sighed and wished Rean luck before hanging up. Call it a feeling, or call it dating his girlfriend for several years, but he had a feeling Fie was being Fie.
And that meant all kinds of trouble.
-Three Months Later, Alfin-
December came with all the force of a wrecking ball.
"Why are the bridesmaids dresses white again?"
Alfin's question was met with quiet groans. For the first time in a couple years, all the girls of Class VII alongside Elise, Alfin, Monica, and Altina were together in one place. Specifically, a bridal boutique in Bareahard's Artisan District.
Paula, who had been helped into her dress on account of her growing belly, answered. "Lady Laura has decided on a custom dress, but it's going to be predominately blue and white with green trimming and some fur lining it. White makes the most sense."
Alfin pouted. "I guess that's true. White doesn't clash with any of the colors and blue has always been Laura's thing."
Alisa grunted as the bow tightened around her waist, the assistant grimacing along with her. "You're telling me! I couldn't get that woman in anything besides blue until three years after I knew her!"
Laura, who was watching her friends get ready, smirked. "That was for the third anniversary of Rean and I making it official. I wore a yellow tabard as we recreated the duel."
Monica, who was already in the white gown and had the bow tied around her waist, sighed as she put on the long gloves. "I still think it is so you that you started dating Rean after a duel."
Emma giggled. "Oh, it most certainly is. He proposed by offering his sword, right?"
Altina, who'd already finished putting on her smaller and frillier dress, tilted her head. "That's not how one proposes. It is by the offer of a ring with a precious stone."
Millium wrapped her arm around the other puppet master, her dress in a state of disarray. "This is Reany we're talkin' about! Who knows what kind of sword mumbo-jumbo he was workin' with?"
Fie paused in the adjustment of her shoe straps. "Actually, what does that mean? I never did ask."
Laura frowned as all eyes went to her. "Well… it's normally just a supplication technique, showing loyalty and utmost respect to superiors and such. When it's done for a girl, it means the blade is being pledged in service to her happiness and her life, nothing else."
Alfin gasped, head resting on her hands. "That's so romantic! I never took swordsmen and women to be so chivalrous!"
Elise sighed, grimacing as the shawl scratched against her skin. "Yes, well, Master Ka Fai was rather old-fashioned. Um, Laura?"
Laura glanced at her soon to be sister-in-law. "Yes?"
She pinched the shawl, the white felt shining. "Are we sure it has to be all white. Maybe we could weave some blue into the shawls?"
Paula, who was footing the bill for these dresses at her own insistence, looked to the designer who'd been standing by quietly. "How long would it take you to put in some blue designs?"
The woman sighed. "It depends on the complexity, Your Grace. If it's a simple floral design, it won't take more than a week."
Alfin got a mischievous look in her eye. "I have an idea…"
Elise tried to stare Alfin down, but the designer dutifully answered. "What do you have in mind, Your Highness?"
Alfin grinned and pointed to Elise and Laura. "Simple. Combine their family seals into something original and emblazon it on the back of the shawls. We can do the same with the groomsmen coats."
Objections were raised immediately. Combining the seals of two separate families meant that they were becoming a single, united entity which was not happening.
Alfin waved them off, even as Elise pinched her cheeks. "What djou think Waura?"
Monica turned to her friend, eyes pleading. "Laura, you can't! A floral design would be beautiful, there's no need to go to such lengths!"
Laura though was intrigued. "Would it be alright if I made a quick call to Rean and my father? I'll make sure to include his parents as well."
Alfin nodded and Laura walked from the room, Emma and Alisa immediately rounding on the smug Princess. "What was that for?!"
Alfin feigned confusion. "What do you mean? I simply wish to provide assistance in getting my dear friends ready for the big day!"
Alisa would not buy it. "As if. Something like that could take another three months, and now you've put the idea in Laura's head!"
Fie, finally figuring out her shoes, wobbled over to join them. "I think it's an ok idea. They are going to be continuing two lines after all."
Emma huffed. "Be that as it may, we shouldn't be considering something so complex when the wedding's just next May! Laura still hasn't decided on a final design either, we only know the materials and colors!"
Altina spoke up. "I feel the Princess is trying to 'butt in' as Claire would say."
Millium, ever ignorant of common social sense, added her two mira. "Yeah, I think she's just pissy Laura didn't let her be a bridesmaid."
Everyone stared at the two girls in open shock. There was being ignorant and then there was being rude!
Alfin was non-plussed. "Guilty as charged I guess. I want to do something for them, but no one lets me!"
Paula cleared her throat. "Uh, no offense Your Highness, but you have a habit of making it harder for others just to get a laugh."
"Fie isn't as bad as you." Alisa huffed. "The last time you invited all of us to a ball, you had servants drop green paint on us as we left!"
Alfin shrugged. "Again, guilty as charged. It's all up to Laura though, if she doesn't want to do this, then I have much simpler designs that I think will be cute."
At that moment, Laura returned with a thoughtful frown on her face. "Well, I have an answer."
"And that would be." Emma prompted.
Laura scrunched her face in thought. "They're not opposed to it, but they want to come up with a design among themselves. That, and Rean's mother wants to be the one to sew in the design."
She looked to the designer. "That's… ok, yes? My fiancée's mother was quite adamant."
The designer shook her head. "She can go right ahead if you ask me. It's a big enough honor you're all happy with the dresses themselves."
Emma bowed politely. "Oh, very happy! You got everything to fit perfectly."
"You somehow restrained those watermelons Emma calls breasts." Fie smirked. "I think you deserve your pay and more."
Laura nipped Emma's explosion before it could begin. "I see you're all dressed! Shall we take a group photo and see how it looks?"
Elise frowned. "But… we don't have any make-up."
Paula groaned as she stood at last, an assistant helping her up. "I don't think that matters. Come on girls, I can't stand up like this for too long."
The group gathered together and the designer produced a camera. One flash later and everyone was cooing over how each looked in their respective gown.
Laura, smiling at Alisa pointing out that she needed to show more leg next time, spared a thought to Rean.
I wonder… how the suit fitting is going?
-Rean-
"Why on earth do we need to wear capes?"
Rean sighed as Machias stared at the black fabric. "It's traditional attire, we had to wear these at Jusis's wedding."
Machias snorted. "But why you? I thought we were just going in tuxes for this!"
Rean looked over the fabric that Elliot held up to him. "Change of plans. Laura asked about combining the family seals on the bridesmaid shawls. Parents agreed to come up with a design, so now we need the capes."
Machias groaned and started looking through the racks of capes. Most were black, as expected, but a few were made of dark colors like green and red.
Jusis, accompanying them as they were in Bareahard, shrugged. "I still have the cape I wore to my wedding. It would be a simple matter to retrieve it."
"True." Gaius answered, holding up a dark blue cape. "On the other hand, we don't know if all of the capes need the same design."
Rean shook his head. "They won't. You and Jusis can just wear the capes with your family's crest on them. Elliot and Machias will need the new one my parents and the Viscount come up with."
Elliot hummed as he held up another cape. "How's this one? It's almost black, but it's got a blue shine to it."
Rean walked over and looked at it too, taking it from Elliot and holding it up to the light. "Yeah… I like this one. Hey, Jusis, Gaius, think this'll clash with the capes you have?"
Jusis strode over and glanced at the cape. "No, I don't believe so. Green and gold would go well with this if you added some sapphire accents."
Gaius took the cape from Rean's hands and gave it a once over. "I think it'll go well too. My tribe's formal capes are white with green borders, so the sapphire and black should work nicely."
Rean nodded and looked to the last undecided man. "Machias, you ok with this?"
Machias frowned, chin on his hand, before sighing. "Looks fine to me. Let's get the fitting over with; I think the proprietor's going to have a stroke if we take much longer."
Rean glanced behind him to see the elderly man wringing his hands nervously, two aides fidgeting with measuring tapes and pins.
He chuckled.
"Yeah, I think we should do that.
-Four Months Later-
At last, the time had come. The fruits labored over for days and weeks on end, driving the two in charge to near madness, had finally ripened.
It was time for a night of parties, laughs, and altogether insanity.
It was the night of Laura's Bachelorette and Rean's Bachelor parties.
Lucia Schwarzer, bless her, had just called to inform the party that her, Sharon, and Sara-after much prodding-had completed the new seal and sewn the design into every shawl and coat along with the train of Laura's gown.
It had taken them a month to come up with the design and another after that for Laura to finally decide on a dress design she liked, the one she chose courtesy of her friend Klein.
With much of the preparations out of the way besides the gathering of ingredients that was to come, it was time to party!
Fie had, after a long and through search, found a nice tearoom to reserve for a few hours before the party would go on a café run and shopping spree through Heimdallr, everyone planning to return to Elliot and Fie's home by two o'clock at the latest.
Elliot had gone through with his plan and rented out a significant portion of the bar and grill he'd found, but not before the boys went to a new opera that was put on just that year. Window seats were obtained courtesy of Jusis.
Paula had to remain home, unfortunately. She'd discovered over the course of her pregnancy that she was carrying twins, as her stomach ballooned to the point she couldn't see her own feet.
Jusis had wanted to stay with her, but she'd basically ordered all the servants to kick him out and force him to Heimdallr for the party. He had to take pictures though, but Elise was kind enough to offer for the girls.
As the boys had little ability to get into any wild shenanigans while in the opera, we'll start with the girls!
The teahouse had been nice and soothing, the main topic of conversation being where Laura and Rean would spend their honeymoon and Paula's condition. Millium had exclaimed that she wanted to see if Paula could stop a mink with how big she was, but grew sheepish when Emma took it upon herself to explain childbirth to the other girl.
That had been more than a little amusing.
Now though, they wandered the streets of Heimdallr looking for any stores or cafés that caught their eyes. Alisa was prone to drag everyone into a clothing store the moment she saw one, while Fie and Laura were always looking for a new set of grenades or Mishy's respectively.
Monica and Emma had to enter appliance stores alone. The first time they'd gone in as a group and Alisa had been forced to write a check to pay for all the destroyed merchandise.
None of them had ever learned that Laura could not figure out orbal appliances, and neither could Millium or Altina.
After that mess, Laura and the Orion siblings were officially forbidden from entering any orbal appliance shop unattended. Thankfully they were more interested in searching for the newest Mishy mascot, but it was a little awkward for Alisa and Emma to follow their eager friends into a toy store whenever they saw one.
Elise hadn't been able to stay with them for long. She'd taken several pictures for Paula's sake, but Alfin had called for her help in getting part of the Princess's schedule squared away. She'd left them after apologizing profusely.
After Elise left, Laura discovered something interesting. "A tourney?"
The party gathered around the sign, Millium hogtied and thrown over Fie's shoulder. The eager girl had attempted to drag a blushing Laura into a lingerie store and Emma was having none of it.
Monica, the quickest reader of the lot, hummed at what she saw. "Free entry, and they're giving the winner a choice of three prizes… and it starts soon."
She sighed in unison with everyone not named Laura and Fie. One of the prizes was the very Mishy plush they'd been scouring the city for, in between random acts of property damage, paying for said property damage, and allowing Alisa to drown her sorrows in tea.
She had to pay for all their mischief, so they let her be.
Laura pointed at a part of the sign. "There's archery and sword play, why don't we go?"
Altina shrugged. "I see no point to it, unless you're trying to get Mishy."
"You bet she is!" Millium cheered. "I've seen that collection you tried to hide! Laura only needs that prize and her collection's complete!"
Emma resigned herself to the inevitable. "Alisa, would you like to join in? It looks like participants get a voucher for free ice cream over in Bifrost Plaza."
Monica pointed to one of the prizes. "Look, we can even get a free meal for any party size at Gamgee's Pub!"
"Those fish and chips were good." Fie noted. "I think we have our grand finale tonight eh? There's free booze too."
Laura jotted down the directions and turned to her friends. "Alright, who's up for getting sweaty?"
She received three enthusiastic cheers, two bland yays, two more sighs, and not one disagreement.
"Alright then, we're off! Can't let the boys have more fun than us!"
As Laura led the way, Alisa slowly growing more excited as they got closer to the tourney, Emma groaned.
"They're just going to a bar; we're not supposed to be the stupid ones!"
-Rean-
"Man that was a great opera."
The guys were gathered around a circular table in the bar Elliot had rented, tall pints of beer in hand. They'd only sipped at them so far, waiting on food orders as they were, and no one wanted to get drunk after what happened at Jusis's bachelor party.
"I quite enjoyed it." Jusis concurred. "The new Diva did an excellent job."
Elliot sipped at his beer. "I do wish we'd gotten to see Vita before we found out she was with Oroborous. She was supposed to be one of the best the opera house has ever had."
"Speaking of," Gaius sighed. "Does Emma still know where she is?"
Machias shrugged. "Last she checked, Vita Clotilde was dead and buried. On the other hand, Abend Time had its first international broadcast just last week and I hear Misty is as popular as ever."
Rean nodded as their server returned. After thanking the woman for the various steaks and sandwiches, Rean ordered another pint of beer, though a lighter brew then he normally had.
Jusis nodded at the order. "Is it time?"
Rean reached into his coat and pulled out a photo. It was the last surviving photograph of their class when it was well and truly whole.
Everything else with Crow in it had been burned.
"Guess we don't want him getting drunk, eh?" Elliot mused. "That's why you got a light beer."
Gaius chuckled. "I remember a time while we were eating with the class in Kirsche's. He lost a bet and Sara forced some kind of dark brew down his throat and he swore off anything like that from then on."
"Yeah, and he thought Fie could outrun Millium." Machias snorted. "No offense to your girlfriend Elliot, but Millium doesn't get tired."
Elliot shrugged as the waiter returned with the pint, Jusis asking for privacy as Rean placed the pint before the empty seat on his left.
"Alright, here's to a friend that helped us through a difficult time in our lives and a friend that lost his way before we beat some sense into him. Cheers!"
His friends cried cheers and clinked glasses, chugging the beer down like champs. Once done, they slammed the glasses onto the table in unison and started to partake in their meal.
At least most did, Machias was too busy staring at the extra pint. "Uh… did anyone accidentally grab Crow's glass?"
Rean stared at him, wondering if the alcohol was hitting him harder than expected. "No… I was pretty sure I grabbed mine."
Curious, he glanced over to the pint in question only to gape at the fact it was empty.
"What's up Rean, it's like you saw a ghost?"
Rean shook his head and stared some more. The others turned to face the empty spot, but their jaws dropped as well.
"Geez, stop staring so much," An ephemeral Crow teased. "I'm liable to have to have to cover myself at this rate."
Rean found his voice first. "…Crow?"
The vision frowned, looking at Rean. "Man, you guys are such lightweights. I'm just a ghost; no one can hear or see me. If you're seeing illusions of me being there, I suggest you see a doctor fast."
Rean looked to the others before looking back to the ghost, his face flat. "Crow, we can hear and see you, stop being clever."
Crow chuckled. "Yeah, there's no way. The lady promised I'd be able to see you guys for the next few months but you can't see or hear me. So just go on your drunken way, I'm not here."
He lifted up his mug and the others followed the mug as it rose into the empty air to meet the ghostly lips of their dead friend.
"Crow." Gaius tried. "We see the mug being lifted in the air. The waitress just screamed and ran out calling for a priest."
The spirit blinked and lowered the mug slowly, face going blank. "So… I'm visible… and audible…"
They all nodded.
Crow cleared his throat. "Uh… give me a second will ya?"
He stood and floated through the wall, Rean and friends following after him. When they got outside, they found Crow arguing with a woman that Elliot and Machias recognized as they baker they'd hired for the wedding.
"You said they wouldn't know I was there!" Crow screamed. "Do you have any idea how awkward it is walking into a bachelor party when you're supposed to be dead?!"
"More than you know buster!" Lissa shot back. "I was thought dead for three weeks only to come home and walk in on my brother and sister-in-law making my niece! I couldn't look either of them in the eye for months!"
Crow growled and she growled back, a golden circle appearing behind the woman before Rean cleared his throat. "Excuse me, can I ask what's going on please?"
The two aggressors stopped and looked back to the confused group, both sheepish. Lissa decided to go first. "Well… see… Crow here had some regrets that tied him to the world of the living, but there was no way for him to resolve them. So, he's spent these past few years haunting Ms. Millium and the other members of Class VII intermittently when he wasn't attempting to help Ms. Herschel with her work."
Machias glared at the sheepish ghost. "So you're the one responsible for Millium's exorcist phase. Do you have any idea how many scams she got caught up in trying to get rid of you?!"
Crow shrugged. "I just made things rattle and move sometimes, nothing hurtful. She's the one that overreacted."
Lissa somehow bonked Crow on the head. "Quiet, I'm trying to explain things. Anyhow, when you delivered the invitation to his grave, Crow came upstairs to ask if he could stay in the mortal world until the reception was over before he moved on. Aidios wasn't too big on the idea, but she can't say no to grandma!"
She chuckled. "I have to admit, you're all taking this situation very well. I expected you to think you were all drunk and punch each other's lights out to make sure you didn't do something stupid."
Jusis huffed. "We've had our fair share of encounters with the supernatural. Our green-haired friend here is married to a witch."
Lissa smirked. "Touché. Anyway, long story short, Crow here got permission to be here for you guys when the wedding happens. I may have played a trick on him by saying he can't be seen or heard, but it's only by his fellow Sevens. No one else."
She winked at the group before turning to leave, but Rean's voice stopped her. "Wait, who are you to know all this stuff?"
Lissa paused before turning and bowing. "My name is Lissa Spatz, or that's how I'm known down here."
She looked up and smirked, eyes shifting to golden pentagrams. "Upstairs I'm known as Horakthry, Goddess of Light and grandmother to Aidios. I hope you enjoy the cake my husband and I made, we worked really hard on it."
Lissa stood and smiled, a golden light suffusing her form. "Oh, and Mr. Albarea. Don't worry about your wife, that birth couldn't go better if I was delivering those twins personally."
With that she was gone, a shower of sparkles all that remained. The group looked between themselves and the ghostly Crow before they all nodded.
Combat links burst to life and they simultaneously KO'd each other.
Except for Gaius, who was silently agreed upon to take them all back to their lodgings. Loading his friends onto his back and under his arms, Gaius smiled at the shell shocked Crow. "Since you can pick up a mug, I'll assume you can retrieve the leftovers in the bar. We'll be at Eliiot's house; you can talk with Rean later."
With that, Gaius took off for their lodgings, Crow shaking his head and muttering something that made Gaius smile.
"I thought that knockout pact was just a joke."
-Fie-
She never thought the day would come when she'd have to carry two passed out Orion siblings under her arms.
"How's Laura holding up?" Fie asked, looking to a tire Monica.
"Better." Monica replied, shifting her blue haired friend's weight carefully. "She's out cold now, but still snuggling the plushy."
Fie sighed in relief before looking to Emma. "Alisa still think you're a horse?"
Emma grimaced as Alisa yelled for her to go faster, demands to reach the 'castle' continuing to rain from the drunk blonde. "On the nose. I should've known that free beer was going to get us into trouble."
"Just be glad Sara isn't here." Fie snorted. "If she were, we'd have gotten a parade started."
Emma and Monica grinned in amusement, but almost dropped their charges when they arrived at Elliot and Fie's home. "Thank Aidios. I didn't think we'd be out for so long."
Fie glanced to the dark sky, nodding absently. "We're just lucky the event was close by. Trams stopped running almost two hours ago."
She nodded to the front door. "Keys are in the box, we'll be up in the guest room. I'll put these two on the couch and wait for the guys."
Emma and Monica groaned their thanks before trudging into the house. It had been a tiring day, but they'd all had fun.
Especially since they got to see Laura take all comers in a one woman vs. all brawl.
Then Lammy joined the fun and walls started caving in.
When all was said and done, the girls had stood atop a small mountain of defeated drunkards like goddesses of victory while Monica and Emma silently contemplated desertion.
Not as wild as some of the parties Fie had been to as a jaegar, but still pretty good.
After getting the happy drunks situated, Emma and Monica found a pair of recliners and passed out. Fie didn't have to wait much longer before the door opened and Gaius came in with all of their male counterparts slung over various parts of his body.
Considering he was still in traditional Nord robes, it looked like he'd come back a conquering warrior holding the slain remains of his enemies.
After the hilarious image of Gaius dressed like a typical barbarian flashed through her mind, Fie went to help him. "Drink too much?"
Gaius shook his head. "Nope, KO pact came into effect."
Fie blinked, vaguely remembering said pact. "What happened?"
"I happened." Crow answered as he floated through the door. "My ghost appearing before them is apparently weird enough to make the pact useable."
Fie blinked, pinched her cheeks, and then blinked again. "Gaius, can you put the guys in the other guest room please?"
Gaius tilted his head. "And?"
Fie sighed and looked at Crow again.
"I'm not drunk enough to deal with this. I want in on that pact."
Gaius shrugged, put Machias on top of Emma for the fun of it, and turned back to Fie. "You sure?"
Fie nodded and didn't blink as Gaius's fist crashed into the top of her head. She was out like a light.
Crow gaped at the scene, jaw stretching to the ground. "…When did you guys go insane?!"
Gaius shook his head and picked up Fie. "Long ago, Crow."
"Long ago."
Ch. End
A nice, more humorous chapter if you ask me. I'll leave what happened at the tourney to your imaginations, but I always wanted a ghost Crow to show up and realize his former friends belonged in an asylum.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy part 2! Next time, we have all the ooey-gooey sticky sap my brain can come up with! It's wedding day baby!
See ya next time!
