[OTA] We Are Gathered Here | The Fox-Kattalakis Wedding

[headfollowheart]

A few things had gone wrong, honestly. There had been some confusion in the morning when they’d arrived to decorate the church - a few bouquets on the altar, some green and blue ribbons twined around a few of the posts - and it’d been locked. She’d managed to leave Spade Castle with her dress, veil, the coin from his mother strung on a thin leather thong, the emerald silk sash and Victor’s ring - but of all things, she’d managed to leave her shoes in their box in the closet, and Chives had had to go back for that. Hadyn looked a little green from his adventure shanghaiing Victor with Ben and Elisha, her cousin Sara had in usual Sara fashion managed to break the heel on her left shoe. Nerves finally hit as Chives was braiding her hair, and by the time the veil was settled over the smooth curls, her nails had left indents in her palms.

In the end, though, it was pretty much perfect. Two of her closest friends preceded her down the aisle in soft blue dresses with forget-me-nots in their braided hair and small posies in their hands. She’d walked towards her fiance on her brother’s arm with her hands full of spring flowers, and after the words were said and Victor lifted the veil, they were married. It only felt a little different than before, Zoe thought as their brief kiss ended. But it was different; she was Zoe Fox.

Zoe Fox knew, of course, that Victor Fox would have preferred them to just slip back to their apartment - no big party, no flowing wine and hors d'oeuvres - but she’d wanted something. And he’d given her carte blanche in the end, really; she’d chosen the small reception room that opened out into the Castle gardens, she’d picked the combination of hyacinths, hydragea, and lily of the valley for the table arrangements, the Greek-flavored menu of spanakopita, wild green and strawberry salad, linguine primavera and herb-encrusted lamb. She’d pored over cake designs until she finally picked a vanilla bean cake with strawberry puree filling, decorated in vanilla buttercream. She’d pruned the list of friends, family and acquaintances who might be expected to be invited to the wedding reception until they numbered barely fifty.

Under the strict supervision of Chives, of course the reception looked perfect, she thought as they arrived, and she smiled as she slipped her hand into Victor’s arm and the full skirt of her dress swirled against both of their legs. Perfect, though perfect didn’t matter quite so much to her right now.

Comments

[old_dog]

Somewhere in the back of his mind, after having gone through three butlers Michael has to wonder if they're all born with some unhealthy obsession over the state of attires.

"I heard from Amy you're getting married soon as well." Wasn't it a little early to be getting married at twenty-something?

[piqued]

Congratulations, Michael. You made the butler Blink, fingers falling completely still for a few heartbeats.

There's the tiniest bit of Uncertainty as he gives the Jack's tie a slightly sharper Tug into neatness. "...I am, sir."

[old_dog]

He must have said something wrong, but Chives didn't seem too unsettled after what must have been the initial unexpectedness of the question.

"Well congratulations. That's-... very good news. Who's your lucky other half?" Or was the more important question why he didn't seem overly thrilled about it?

[piqued]

"...Miss Riordan, sir."

The flit of his eyes in the direction he Knows Annie Is is unconscious, as is the incredibly brief Smile that hits his eyes even if not his lips.

"In... the fall, sir."

[old_dog]

Ah. There we go. That horribly understated expression had to count for something.

"Well we're all very happy for you," He's taken good care of everyone here. Why wouldn't they want him to have a dollop of happiness in his life?

"You'll be good to her, won't you?" And hopefully Chives wouldn't turn her into a blonde android like the rest of them.

[piqued]

Right. Back to Work. His fingers give one last brush over Michael's shoulders for all the last bits of invisible Dust before he steps back to give the Jack a final once-over.

"...of course, sir. She's--" His lips have to shut tight briefly. "...she's quite special."

[old_dog]

"Alright." Nice to hear Chives say something normal for once. It can almost lead a disillusioned man to believe that there is still hope left in the world. He can only hope that Chives doesn't look at her like she has an octopus for a head, because sometimes with all the fussing and staring that's how he makes Michael feel.

"You can go boss catering around if you must. The wedding won't become the scandalous wreck of the century because I've got three rebellious strands of hair."

[piqued]

This Chives, at least, was doing quite Well. The question of whether is parents would forever look askance at the poor woman, however, was yet to be Answered.

"Do you understand the concept of the word perfect, milord?"

It meant Every Detail. Every Last Hair.

[old_dog]

"I do. There are also concepts of Jesus and alien pregnancies. That doesn't mean they exist." Any attempts Chives might initiate to make physical contact with Michael's hair would be promptly met with physical and verbal resistance.

[piqued]

"Then I should like today to be as near to it as possible, sir."

But that also meant not being the cause of a Physical Altercation at the wedding, no matter how minor. Time now, clearly, to Bow slightly without making a grab for the other man's hair.