Marital Preparations

[Darion McNair]

lol..."Actually....I'd rather kiss your sister."

[Moonitic]

Moon stood there, wherever "there" was, & scowled underneath her blindfold. "This is not funny," she muttered & did not care who heard her. Out loud, as she stood her ground she said, "I'm not moving!"

Two sets of hands grabbed her arms, linking them through theirs & holding tight. "Don't worry, love," someone said to her left, "we'll just bring them to you."

The someone to her right said, "You'll want to hold still, of course. And pay attention. You don't want to keep your groom waiting."

[Alys Breenon]

At Rosaline's announcement and the subsequent blindfolding of the Bride and Groom, Alys chuckles and backed further into the darkness of the drapes. She'd managed to slip in under the pretense of carrying food into the wedding, and had stayed.

She'd get it later, but it was worth it. Moon was beautiful, and the night filled with laughter. She didn't have the nerve to go out onto the floor when the dancing started- in fact felt that she didn't have a right to be there. But to stand in the shadows and admire everyone was more than enough for her.

And now that the entire crowd had rushed over for the first chance (and the last) at kissing the king or new queen of Muu, Alys was more than determined to stay hidden in her corner.

[Moonitic]

that's entirely too cute of a post, Alys.

[Alys Breenon]

It's been a week-long wedding of wonders. How could Alys not wheedle and plead her way into it?

Certainly was some wedding, but I've not seen any kissing yet. I'm hiding in the corner to avoid an unwanted encounter.

[Swordsman]

HA!! I win again, Moon!

[Swordsman]

Nækos had just finished blindfolding Moon's eyes when Rosaline's words sank in.

It took approximately a quarter second for him to turn on the ball of one foot and then launch from it, breaking straight into a dead sprint, headed for the nearest window. They'd barred the doors, sure, but glass wasn't about to stop him.

Senyik and Darion, however, might - they were both closing in fast, seeing his bid for escape. He waited for the last second, then crouched low on one stride and shoved off high, diving up and hopefully over them. Darion reached...Nækos flew...and Darion snagged his ankle. The windows, freedom, were a scant foot from his outstretched hands. Instead he grabbed a handful of curtain to save his face the impact with the ground.

As he lowered the rest of himself to the ground, his hand bumped something not quite solid behind the curtain - pulling it aside revealed Zelda's very surprised handmaiden.

"Well, hello there," the Swordsman remarked. Then wrenched himself around using the curtain and kicked his foot free, bouncing to his feet as Senyik grabbed at him. He leapt backwards to dodge the next grasp, and hopefully put himself through the window this time, but Darion caught him again, by the collar this time, just before he contacted the glass. Nækos leg-wrapped his arm and twisted again, trying to force it off, but Darion sidestepped and swung, forcing Nækos around away from the window and onto his back. He managed to dodge as Senyik dove for him, but a second later the smith had an arm around his neck, and Darion was quickly dropping on him. There were a few seconds of struggle, but not wanting to hurt his comrades, the Swordsman was quickly pinned. They hauled him up again and off his feet, each of the men with one of Nækos' arms wrapped tightly in theirs. Tæbryn darted in from the direction of the main room and grabbed onto his ankles to prevent him from kicking, which he had been doing savagely.

Lines were already forming in front of each of the royal couple, and they managed to drag him into the one approaching Moon. Rosaline came up from behind and took hold of the back of his head, ready to force it forward when the proper moment came.

"You will all pay for this," he growled.

Senyik nodded.

"I swear I will get you. Every last one of you."

Darion shrugged as best he was able.

"One of these nights I will come after you while you sleep, and you will regret ever laying hold of me."

Tæbryn grinned up at him from where she was dragging along on the floor beneath his feet. "Regret it? Never. Threaten all you want, but anything you actually do, will be completely worth it."

"You little brat." He wondered why that term sounded familiar.

She just kept grinning up at him. "Ain't it great?"

[Moonitic]

"Look, I don't see the point to-" Moon began, quickly cut off by someone's lips on hers. But as Nefus, Zarcon's man, once said "scribes don't shut up." Even when kissing against their will is involved. "Wasn't him," she muttered, & continued with her rant. "-all this. Tradition or not, why would I want to kiss someone else?"

"Because it's fun!" someone said. That sounded like Ken-Dall.

"For who?" Moon muttered.

"I think you're supposed to say who kissed you," the person holding her right arm said.

"That's hardly fair! There are more gypsies in this room than anyone, & I don't even know their names."

The someone to her left seemed to shrug. "You've got a point. Okay," he called out, "they don't have to guess everyone else...just each other!"

"Lucky me," she muttered again, as someone else stepped up to give their kiss.

[Moonitic]

After a couple of other men, Wooden Bob staggered up & plopped his lips onto Moon's forehead. "UGH! Now THAT was Wooden Bob!" Moon recoiled, attempting to release herself to wipe the spit off her head. Instead, she turned to one of the people who held her & wiped it off on them.

"Thanks ever so much," the person said.

"Anytime," Moon said.

"How'd you know it was me?" Bob slurred.

"One guess."

Wooden Bob sniffed himself, loudly. With a wide grin that Moon could not see, he said, "Point taken!"

"This is evil. Purely evil," said Moon.

[Darion McNair]

The line moved and Senyik, Darion, and Taebryn dragged the disgruntled halfling another few feet. Darion looked down at his superior only to see him glaring back up at him with a look that would have turned grapes to raisins. Darion only smirked.

“Hey, if Senyik and I have to suffer so do you.” He laughed and they pulled the Swordsman along a few more feet. Senyik laughed as well but not at that. Elbowing Darion to get his attention, he pointed to the front of the line.

“Wooden Bob just has his turn.” he said. Darion saw the disgusted expression on Moon’s face but the line continued moving forward none the less.

More were eliminated soon after. The one right in front of the group was eliminated rather quickly due to some considerably odiferous halitosis. It was then that the three pushed the Swordsman ahead. Naekos looked at them with eyebrows furrowed and then to the blindfolded, oblivious, and completely clueless new queen of Muu.

[Swordsman]

As they drew ever closer to Moon, Nækos ceased issuing threats, and instead sealed his mouth tightly shut. In response, Rosaline leaned forward to his ear and began whispering. "You know, if you don't make this a decent kiss, we'll bring you back through as many times as necessary. Or I'll just have the boys here pin you down so I can have a kiss or five." He turned his head to glare at her for a moment, then turned back to Moon as they leaned him forward, and relaxed his jaw.

He closed his eyes, unable to watch.

And suddenly encountered a warm, moist sensation that was not altogether unpleasant.

[Moonitic]

Moon loathed this. She stood there, held against her will, & received many a kiss from people she did not know & did not particularly want to know after said kisses were delivered. Though the sloppy wetness that Wooden Bob had bestowed upon her had been wiped off, the disgusting feeling remained. And she knew that if she protested anymore, it would just lengthen the torture. I really hope they're all enjoying this, she thought.

The last man moved quickly away, & there was a pause. It sounded like...a struggle? Perhaps it is Tellurine. Her heart sunk to her stomach. She had seen him at the reception earlier, with Wooden Bob...& "everyone" had to take part in this little tradition...[I]I'd rather be kidnapped.[I] She could not help a sigh.

"You Majesty, a little forward if you could." A hand came to the back of her head, & she reluctantly complied. Best to just get it over with. The more they went through, the closer she would get to Meekal.

Rather suddenly, someone's lips met hers. Not hot...not cold. Parted slightly. She found herself leaning forward on her own, confused & confounded for the first time.

[Iwant2bafencer]

Hahahahahahaha. Aw come on, the idea of kissing Rose can't be that bad.

[Crin Dalmeiier]

"Sir." One of the guards stopped Falcour before he could approach the Lady Moon, and he wrinkled his brow in confusion, glancing left and right to see if there was any way that the guard had the wrong person. But when he looked back, the guard was watching him with an expression that was obviously covering amusement. "The small redhead who left about two minutes ago asked me to deliver this once she had gone." He then handed Falcour a small tube of parchment.

"Thank you." Giving Talmour an uneasy look, Falcour unrolled the parchment.

Please give my love to everybody, but there is something that I must do for myself. Do not chase me, for trying to find me would be worthless. Only be assured that I am safe, and that when I am ready, I shall return to you. Crin.

"What's going on?" Talmour whispered, sidling over to his brother. Falcour wordlessly handed him the parchment, and he paled and handed the parchment back. "Oh. She's running."

"Tell the Swordsman that Crin and I will catch up to the group of dragon hunters," Falcour ordered just before turning and sprinting from the room.

"Where's he going in such a hurry?" Ame wanted to know as she came over to her friend.

"Trying to save a love I fear might be lost." Talmour just sighed and sat down at the table. "Go on, play the little kissing game these Arconian fellows have set up. I fear I'm not in the mood for any jollity." Changing his mind, he stood. "I will meet you in front of the castle before the sun's fully risen."

And with that, he strode away.

[Alys Breenon]

Alys had been quietly minding her own buisness when a brawl practically broke out in front of her hiding. The Swordsman seemed to be intent on throwing himself out the window than kissing the new Queen. It couldn't be all THAT bad, Alys thought, amused. Until there was a scuffle and she was suddenly face to... upside down- face, with the Swordsman, who was partially hanging from the curtain. She supressed a shreik of surprise and tried to push herself farther back into the corner of the alcove.

At last the other two men had the Swordsman pinned, and he certainly had a vocabulary. She was glad to say she wasn't on the recieving end of the threats. She smothered her giggles and he was lead back to the line. "A fate worse than death?" she mused to herself.

[Swordsman]

Surprised as he was to find he didn't mind it, the Swordsman was even more surprised to realize that Moon was kissing him back. He was also too surprised to think to pull away.

[Moonitic]

The lips on hers did not yield, which made Moon suspect that maybe she had found her husband. Yet she thought, a little disconcerted as she was, that someone could have been teasing her making it harder for her to guess. She & Meekal had rarely kissed before, & that territory was still relatively foreign to her. Could it be him? She still was not convinced. And so, she moved closer, feeling the arms that held her loosen slightly.

[Swordsman]

After one of the longest moments he could remember, it suddenly occurred to the Swordsman again just what was going on. He jerked his head back suddenly, accidentally hitting Rosaline in the forehead with it. "Alright. I've done my part, let me go!"

[Moonitic]

Moon knew that voice. It was the same voice that chided her when she was training...that cut her to the quick at times..that made accusations against her... The same voice that belonged to someone who rescued her time & time again, who spoke kindly to her not long before this moment, during a dance in which she admitted a feeling that went deeper than friendship. The voice of not just a friend, but a brother.

"Nækos?" she exclaimed, pulling herself back. "That was YOU?" She struggled in her captors' loosened grasp. "What in Craig's name..." she began, suddenly furious. The release of her arms provided to her a moment to break an arm free & scrub at her lips with the back of her hand. She was even more furious with herself to even consider that deep down, she liked it. Well, she thought to soothe herself, at the very least he put up a struggle. But after the blindfold was off, how could she possibly look at him again?

[Zelda]

Zelda watched the competition with interest. As queen she had claimed royal immunity from taking part. It had taken a bit of fast talking but she had managed to get out of it.
The scuffle to get Naekos into the line had her grinning, the halfling was such a contary creature. She spied Alys hiding behind a curtain, and winked at her, wondering where she had been and what she had been up to.