Somewhere That's Green (IC)

[KnightDisciple]

Carson gave a smile and nod to the quartet; they'd done quite well, and played some less-well-known, but still excellent, songs. Now, it was time for him to get to work.

Blowing one final test note through his oboe, he stepped up to his microphone, closes his eyes, and began to play.

The piece was a somewhat older, classical style piece. It was upbeat, but not overly loud. It sang of love, celebration, happiness, and hope. It brought a smile to the face of everyone who could hear it, at least for a moment. Everyone listening could hear the joy and celebration that Carson felt for the happy couple. He played the song as one of his wedding gifts, as something that let him speak from his soul without taking attention away from this special moment.

[Supercape]

Quentin tried to persuade himself that he was fashionably late. The truth was, the experiment with the particle smasher at the Lab had been at a particularly interesting stage and he had lost track of time. His morphic clothes had shaved off several minutes of frenzied preparations, as had the prompt teleport to an unseen nearby crevice of the church, but he was still, he conceded, late, and it was not fashionable. Rude would describe it better.

He walked in as fast as he could, without appearing rushed. He didn't want to take a seat quite yet, but looked around to take in the guests and the scenery. He imagined that Stesha would have invited several of Freedom Cities finest superheroes. In civilian garb, damned if he could recognise any of them.

[Dr Archeville]

"Calm yourself, Derrick!" the German scientist implored. "There is nothing to be so worried about! The wedding is going to go fine, no problems, not like Jack and Taylor's, and you two are going to be very happy together!"

This is the most worried I have ever seen him! It is... is almost comical!

He approached the nervous groom and placed one hand on his shoulder, partly as a reassuring gesture, partly to get some warning if he decided to go intangible and bolt. "Look, Derrick, I do not often give this type of advice, so please listen: you are a good man. Stesha is a good woman. And it is clear you both love each other very much, which makes you two extremely lucky and blessed. Never forget that. Start each morning, and end each evening, by telling her 'I love you,' and never take her for granted."

I wonder who I would ask to be Best Man at my wedding? Not that I expect Mona and I to take that step anytime soon, of course.

[Avenger Assembled]

Mark turned out to be a surprisingly well-mannered seatmate for Trevor, both babbling and poking much less than Midnight might have expected. Truthfully, he seemed a little awed by the situation, and busied himself with reading through the wedding program and occasionally adjusting his tie. "Man, this looks like it'll be a nice service," he finally murmured quietly. "I can't believe Alex and Mike are going to do this soon. You think you and Erin are ever going to get married?" he asked quietly. "I mean, you guys seem pretty serious, and she's not going to college, I think..."

[Gizmo]

Trevor paused, giving Mark a sidelong look and wondering mildly if he'd been asked to attend largely to have someone to keep an eye on his socially unfiltered friend. The more reserved youth had to admit, however, that as usual Mark's boundless sincerity led him to ask legitimate if awkward questions. "...haven't seen many of these end well," he qualified quietly, holding his hands and leaning forward slightly in the pew. "Ceremony, certificate... for other people's benefit. But..." Trailing off, he glanced over to Mark with a the faintest ghost of a smile. He'd had a lot of time to think lately, and making the trip to Chicago had been more than a whim. "Beginning to appreciate the sentiment."

[Heritage]

"I bet all kinds of crazy super-stuff happens here! Did you know Chicago once had a fight between an archangel and an archdevil? It was back in 2005, a big battle fought here and in Texas. It was cool."

Lynn almost bust out laughing when she heard Mark go all fanboy on the local super scene.

Why was I so worried about blowing his cover again?

"Man, this looks like it'll be a nice service," he finally murmured quietly. "I can't believe Alex and Mike are going to do this soon. You think you and Erin are ever going to get married?" he asked quietly. "I mean, you guys seem pretty serious, and she's not going to college, I think..."

The shapeshifter's face clouded a bit; with the accoustics in the church and her own proximity, she heard the enthusiastic Mr Lucas discussing the upcoming marriage plans of Alex and Mike, the two Clarement students she'd once been ordered to spy on by Dr. Archeville himself.

That's another step closer to having little Zoe, and then what? The end of the world as we know it? Oh God...

She and Dok hadn't had a meeting on the subject in a while, in part because of her own school career, but also because she had pointedly not brought it up around the German genius; his newfound enthusiasm for seemingly everything, from ballet to her lovely teammate Mona, thankfully provided more than enough distractions.

Maybe I'll join the two Jacks at Panera in a little bit...

[Avenger Assembled]

"Weddings are really great," said Mark, thoughtless of the implications of his words in another history. "I'm not one for a lot of fancy ritual, not for normal things like this, but they're really special. A symbol of people committing to each other, a hope that there's something more between people than just hormones and feelings." He thought of pictures of his own parents wedding, and what Trevors' folks' might have looked like (probably not in a shadowy, smoke-lined cathedral, despite the image that gave him), and sighed softly. "Let me know if you do," he said with a little smile. "I've got plans, man."

[Supercape]

Quentin didn't really recognise anybody. No superheroes here... in costume anyway. No unusual mass or gravity disturbances, no unusual energy signatures.

Rather refreshing really.

Still, it made him rather the lemon. He had never particularly grasped the skill of striking up chit chat, although he made a few pleasant introductions and conversations to the room. He found himself wondering how Stesha and Derrick were. Anxious probably, as anybody would be. Given how long the engagement had been and how difficult the periods apart, he supposed more anxious than most. After all, who knows what super - powered complication might manifest to throw a spanner in the works?

[Dariusprime]

Mona slipped back into the church and took up her seat. She was still her normal, amazonian height, and tastefully took an outside seat, lest she obstruct the view of the ceremony. She'd been polite and chatted with the other guests, known or unknown, and let Viktor and sundry qualified personnel put the finishing touches on the occasion.

Although her mood had a touch of melancholy, she tried not to show it. After all today was for Stesha and Derrick. Sitting quietly, waiting for the main event, she glanced at the beautiful church and decorations with a pleased look. She didn't know Stesha at all, but Derrick she knew enough to realize just how important and difficult and wonderful this moment would be for him. Silently she hoped Viktor would help keep him calm and collected. They deserved a lovely wedding day.

Noting Lynn's own funk, she leaned over and put a hand on her shoulder, speaking softly, "You okay, perky?" she asked with a smile.

[Gizmo]

Trevor made a low, baritone noise that it took Mark a moment to recognize as a quiet chuckle. "Mark, buddy? You're a very good friend, but I'm not letting you plan my hypothetical wedding. Just... no." With a faint smile, the dark haired youth shook his head slowly before looking around the church as guests filtered in. "At least we don't stick out much," he noted, reflexively adjusting the sunglasses obscuring his unusually pigmented eyes.

[Avenger Assembled]

Edge seriously considered protesting, perhaps even showing Trevor some of the elaborate scenarios he'd written up for a Hunter/White wedding, or even better, the fanfic that sometimes he wrote and posted online. But somehow he had a feeling Trevor wouldn't appreciate either, so instead he simply grinned and said, "OK, fine. Just make sure I'm invited, all right?" He briefly entertained visions of Zarana in a skimpy jungle wedding dress and shook off that thought with a little laugh. His sometime-girlfriend was fiercely loyal in her own way, but her relationship with him was driven entirely by the fact that they wanted no commitment greater than occasionally breaking curfew together. Which they hadn't done a while yet. Mark was eighteen; his mind started to wander.

[Heritage]

"You okay, perky?"

It took a few seconds for Lynn to register the large hand on her shoulder and murmur a reply.

"Hmmm? Oh, it's nothing; I just...don't always like myself very much." She smiled ruefully. "Y'know, people think I'm this happy little elf all the time, but sometimes it's a lot of work." Lynn sighed deeply, then reassuringly squeezed Mona's hand. "It's nothing, really; I'll tell you all about it sometime. Besides, we're suposed to be here for Derrick and Stesha, right?"

The tiny shapeshifter, who looked even smaller next to her teammate, turned her attention back to the ceremony and did her best to think happy little elf thoughts.

[Electra]

In the groom's anteroom, Derrick gave the Doktor a small smile, consciously straightening his back, then tugging on his cuffs. "She's the sunlight in my world, Viktor," he said with quiet certainty. "The whole universe is open to me, but she is the one who can make anyplace home. I'll never take that for granted. It's just... there are a lot of people out there." He took a deep, self-conscious breath, as though not used to having to bother with such small mannerisms. "But if I get through the ceremony, everything is going to be wonderful."

Even as the guests finished arriving and settling into the pews, the audience was quiet, listening to the poignant and uplifting notes of the lone oboe. When Carson was finished, the audience gave him a satisfying round of applause, giving him time to sit down before the string quartet began playing again. As the strains of Edelweiss filled the air, the side door at the front of the church opened to admit the pastor, followed by a slightly pale but composed Derrick, then Doktor Archeville, then Stesha's two oldest brothers, David and Vasily, all in spiffy black tuxes with silver ties and cummerbunds. The groom's party lined up at the front of the church, four handsome men, and watched the doors at the back of the church as they opened. Stesha's brothers were smiling, Derrick had the focused look of someone waiting very intently.

Two ushers rolled a gauzy white carpeting down the center aisle to the front of the church, immediately followed by an adorable towheaded boy and girl, siblings or cousins and no more than four years old, wearing a miniature tuxedo and a lacy white dress. The little boy was obviously very nervous, but his companion had one arm hooked through his and dragged him resolutely down the aisle while tossing handfuls of rose petals hither and yon. The pair made it all the way to the front of the church, where the little girl asked loudly enough to be heard over the music, "Do I get my Barbie Doll now?" Everyone laughed.

[Fox]

Tarrant chuckled, having an awful hard time keeping a grin off his face as he heard the girl's question after the young pair had made their way down the aisle - or, at least, after the young girl had dragged the poor boy down the aisle. There's an amusing and probably inappropriate metaphor somewhere in there, he thought to himself, but I'm certainly not going to be the one who makes it.

[Supercape]

Quentin half-stifled a laugh. The girl had, in his opinion, done everyone a favour - Weddings could be all to stifled with everyone insisting on complete perfection. An innocent comment like that broke the ice.

Nothing was ever perfect - we can only strive for "good enough".

Mind you, those suits of the groom and company were top notch. He approved thoroughly.

[Electra]

With the little ones squared away, the bridesmaids came down the aisle next, each with a stunning bouquet of blue roses and silved-edged white lilies that were obviously the work of the bride herself. Taylor was first, looking lovely in a simple silver gown, the eye of Heshem snug around her throat as usual. She was followed by two women who looked quite a lot like a younger and then an older version of Stesha herself, except they were both still blonde. The trio of bridesmaids lined up opposite the groomsmen, and then the string quartet were joined by the organist for the traditional strains of the Wedding March. Almost as one, the crowd rose to its feet.

In her full white gown, Stesha looked like a bit like a lily herself, one at the peak of bloom. Those who were familiar with dresses might note that there were extra decorations at the waist and down the front of the dress, but that was partially concealed by the large and lustrous bouquet she carried. She'd eschewed a veil in favor of an elaborately curled and pinned hairstyle under a circlet of white flowers. Her father, a handsome man in his mid-sixties, beamed as he escorted her down the aisle, but it was obvious that her gaze and her smile were focused on only one man in the entire room. At the front of the church, Derrick watched his bride approach with equal raptness, looking a little joyful, a little staggered, but not nervous anymore.

At the front of the church, Stesha kissed her father on the cheek, laughed at whatever he murmured to her, and then turned to Derrick as her hand was placed in his. In that moment, for the two of them, the packed church might as well have been empty. The minister smiled benevolently at them and began the ceremony. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today..." The words were familiar, a traditional wedding service slightly modernized for the sake of equality, but hewing closely to the well-established. Despite their unusual line of work, Derrick and Stesha were surprisingly traditional people. Those listening closely did notice that the couple chose to omit the part about objections, just to minimize the chance of interruption to the ceremony.

[Supercape]

Quentin pulled out a hankerchief and dabbed his eyes.

Just a spot of dust he said to himself.

The truth was, it was all very emotional and he couldn't help but feel pleased as punch for the happy couple. They looked splendid, and they radiated joy. One couldn't help but get all caught up in it. Of course, he half expected some megalomaniac super villain to emerge from the floor in a mole machine, and noted that the vows omitted the "objection" clause - but - he held his breath - the floors or ceilings did not crack, the windows didn't shatter, and there was no evidence of mind control going on. So it looked like this would have a happy ending after all.

[KnightDisciple]

Gabriel sat by the other musicians, a large smile on his face. He didn't know Derrick terribly well (though hopefully that could change), but he considered Stesha a good friend. His happiness, nay, his joy, at seeing them take this step was plain for all to see. He managed to keep the tears of joy from running, but only just.

Though he didn't dare do anything audible, in fear of harming this moment, he felt more than free to offer up a silent prayer, as well as internally express his hopes for the happy couple.

'May the road rise to meet you.

May the wind be always at your back.

May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home,

and may the hand of a friend always be near

May God be with you and bless you;

May you see your children's children.

May you be poor in misfortune,

Rich in blessings.

May you know nothing but happiness,

From this day forward.'

He meant every word of it.

[Heritage]

As the ceremony proper began, Lynn suddenly felt her heart racing; of course, she was immensely happy for Stesha and Derrick, but she couldn't help but imagine her own upcoming wedding to Colt...er, Billy.

I guess I should get used to calling him that...

She was deeply conflicted by this line of thought, as it seemed unfair not to focus her full attention on today's lucky couple; however, it then occured to her that several young women present were probably engaged in similar fantasies, and not to beat herself up to much.

They do look amazing; oh man, here come the waterworks...

A discretly conjured handkerchief appeared in her hand to soak up her tears, soon joined by a second one she thoughtfully offered to Mona.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Aw, man, look at them," murmured Mark, sentimental enough to dab a little at his own eyes. He was teenage boy not to do more than that, though, especially with his buddy Trevor right there. "Aren't they pretty?" Mr. Lumins is so nice, and so is Miss Madison. They both deserve someone nice to be married to. Knowing both halves of the couple as well as a student can know his teachers, Mark concluded they were absolutely right for each other. He thought nothing of any unusual cuts in Stesha's dress, instead just enjoying how pretty everything was. You know, I don't even want a supervillain to attack! This wedding is that good! Traditional though that was at superhero get-togethers, somehow this place called for a more sedate time.

[Gizmo]

Without looking over to his friend, Trevor proffered a handkerchief produced from one on his suit jackets several concealed inner pockets. Naturally, the square of silk was pitch black. "Mmn," he grunted softly in agreement to Mark's sentiment, resting one hand over his chin and lower lip. Lost in his own thoughts though the youth was, behind his sunglasses his eyes never left the couple at the alter, even as one corner of his mouth turned upward in a faint smile.

[Fox]

Tarrant was all smiles, hand folded in his lap and sneakers flat on the floor - some old church habits just never go away. The newlyweds had his full and undivided attention, however. It was a beautiful ceremony, and while he didn't know the groom they seemed a fine couple.

The lack of an objections opening didn't pass him by - he'd had a few friends get married in college, after all - but that certainly seemed like a wise move. He hadn't ever really understood the point of that bit, anyway. It was just asking for trouble.

[Dr Archeville]

"Wonderful," Archeville whispered.

My, goodness, but this is a beautiful ceremony! And the last-minute alterations Stesha had done to her dress on account of the pregnancy are quite elegant!

As happy as he was for these two, though -- and he was truly happy for them -- Archeville's attention was drawn to another. To his lover and confidante of the past year: Mona Teymourian.

Ah, Mona. Fulcrum not just in name, but of my heart. Able to move it from across the room, her influence greater the further she -- wait, no, this analogy is quickly breaking down.

Are we going to last? I would like to think so. Most signs indicate we will... she stayed with me even after I divulged my problem, and I know it is her love and support that helped me banish that Other away... yet even after a year together, she still keeps some distance, still lives in her own place on the Waterfront, even after being just myself for over three months. But maybe she is right: moving in would be a big step, for both of us, and while I like to think I could handle those changes and stresses with little difficulty, my past experiences -- like when trying to juggle the opening of ArcheTech, the formation of the Interceptors, membership in the Freedom League, and the beginning of our relationship, all within four months of each other -- has shown I do not always know my limits as well as I think I do.

But will it eventually happen? And, thinking longer term, will we ever get married? I would not want a grand ceremony like this, I am not religious at all, but something small and dignified to symbolize our love would be pleasant. And I of course would want a huge reception afterwards. And, down the line, kids? Can we even have them? There is so much about her Terminus-altered physiology I am unsure of, and if there are genetic components to the assorted madnesses that have plagued my family...

Oh! Her face! She looks a bit sad... but why? For the past two months she has shown hints of depression, making comments about humanity's end... but why? Is this a side-effect of her Terminus exposure? Or the price she has paid for helping me deal with my assorted problems? In giving me my sanity back, has she lost some of hers? Oh, I could not bear the thought of that!

Right, she and I are going to have a long talk after this. I am sure she would want to, anyway. If she needs help, I shall do all I can to get it for her; I could do no less!

Yeah, I am sure we will be fine. Why should we not!

[Electra]

The wedding ceremony was simple and didn't take very long to complete. Candles were lighted, a soloist sang Till There Was You, and the minister gave a reasonably short message about the gift of love being one that the recipients had to work at if they wanted to keep it strong. With the assistance of Doktor Archeville in providing the two simple gold bands, Stesha and Derrick exchanged their vows, simple and classic ones with just a few changes. Stesha had considered going a more modern route and writing personalized vows, but really, Derrick was nervous enough about public speaking in his civilian identity that it hadn't seemed wise to give him more to remember. Still, when he recited his vows it was with a clear voice and a smile on his face, one hand holding Stesha's as he promised to love and cherish from this day forth until forever. His upstage hand, half-hidden by their bodies, rested lightly on her stomach, making the same promise. As Stesha recited her vows, she covered his hand with her own, and didn't bother to stop the happy tears that fell. She was entitled to at least a couple.

Despite Derrick's squeaky clean image and slight embarrassment about public displays of affection, the ceremony was crowned by a quite credible kissing of the bride that got the more enthusiastic members of Stesha's very large family cheering approval. As the couple turned to face the crowd, with Derrick blushing and Stesha beaming, the minister smiled benevolently and announced, "Mister and Mrs. Derrick and Stesha Lumins!"

[Avenger Assembled]

"Woo-hoo!" Mark jumped to his feet and started applauding, joining in the celebration of the guests as Derrick and Stesha were united as husband and wife. "Yaaay!" Mark had a pretty strong personality, and between his moxie and the family's happiness, soon lots of people were on their feet celebrating. There was music playing, and people were crying with joy, and it was really very beautiful. Aw man, I've totally got to get married! These things are sweet!