Jaekob Faolan takes a deep breath to find his balance before he begins.
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| The Druid Officiates |
Jaekob Faolan: “M’Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. We are gathered here today to witness the union of Daniella and Josiah.
Jaekob Faolan: "Dani and Jo very much appreciate your attendance at their special occasion. This ceremony is mostly non-sectarian, but it combines a little of Pagan and Jewish practices within it, so have fun trying to work out what’s what. Or just nod and smile, nod and smile. No offense is meant, implied or inferred to any system of belief or lack thereof by this ceremony.”
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| TheAisle |
Jaekob Faolan nods and smiles.
Jaekob Faolan: “OK, Ladies and Gentlemen, that said, please be upstanding for the bride. (That means you stand up. It’s a quaint British term and we ARE in Albion, which has an English flavour.)”
Josiah MacTire gulps.
Daniella MacTire smiles.
Jaekob Faolan turns to the assembled “You may be seated."
Daniella MacTire smiles at the assembly and at Jae and Jo.
Josiah MacTire is tailwagging furiously.
Jaekob Faolan: "Now, before we proceed, it is incumbent upon me to ask if anyone among the assembled is stupid and suicidal enough to raise an objection to this wedding. If so, I ask you to commend your soul to the Great Pack and speak now, or forever hold your peace.”
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| Daniella and Josiah at the Altar |
Josiah MacTire casts a baleful eye over the assembled.
Daniella MacTire grins at Jo.
Jaekob Faolan looks from one to the other and continues.
Josiah MacTire nods.
Jaekob Faolan: “As a protection and blessing on this ceremony, I call upon the four winds and the four elements to guard and guide us."
Jaekob Faolan: "North Wind, element of Earth! Join us and bring your strength to the proceedings. May this couple be as steadfast and enduring as you are, and may you carry away the steadfast and enduring smell from across the water, which no amount of drain cleaner has managed to remove.”
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| The Ceremony |
Josiah MacTire looks embarrassed. "Stupid terraforming."
Daniella MacTire giggles. "That's *Jo's* land."
Jaekob Faolan: "East Wind, element of Air! Bring the blessings of clear communication to this couple. Let them always be able to talk to each other about anything, except possibly that night in Bridgemere when Dani.”
Josiah MacTire whispers: "AHEM!"
Daniella MacTire glares at Jaekob and tries to look innocent.
Josiah MacTire waves Jaekob off.
Jaekob Faolan: South Wind, element of Fire! Bring warmth to the couple, so that they may always feel they have support and friendship – one with the other. Bring passion, so that they may always turn to each other’s arms and never another. Blow away all traces of the sound of hammering from Jo’s region next door…
Josiah MacTire looks even more embarrassed.
Daniella MacTire smirks.
Jaekob Faolan: "West Wind, element of Water! Bring love to these proceedings and let this
couple always walk in love with each other, and with the love that is found in the company of good friends. Wash away all traces of fear, and of jealousy.”
Daniella MacTire whistles.
Josiah MacTire is now blushing scarlet inside the ears.
Jaekob Faolan turns to the altar and pours a cup full of wine.
Jaekob Faolan: "We continue the ceremony by asking for a blessing on the couple from their gods and with the sharing of wine. Josiah, you may unveil the beauty of your bride and give her the wine, symbol of rejoicing."
Josiah MacTire reverently lifts the veil and holds the cup to her lips.
Daniella MacTire beams.
Josiah MacTire: "There's my beautiful lady."
Daniella MacTire sips the wine.
Daniella MacTire passes the wine to Jo so he can sip and before she takes him anywhere, they say the blessing.
Daniella MacTire passes the wine to Jaekob.
Jaekob Faolan: “Do you, Daniella, take this wolf to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love, honour, and obey when it suits you, to brush, bathe, flea-dip, blow-dry, clip toenails, and remove that horrid waxy buildup from his ears that maketh him whimper, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
Daniella MacTire: "Praised are You, Sovereign of All, who giveth the fruit of the vine."
Josiah MacTire: "Praised are You, Sovereign of All, who giveth the fruit of the vine."
Josiah MacTire takes a sip and looks at Jaekob. "NOW you can ask."
Josiah MacTire grins.
Josiah MacTire sets the wine glass down on the altar.
Jaekob Faolan: “Do you, Daniella, take this wolf to be your lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love, honour, and obey when it suits you, to brush, bathe, flea-dip, blow-dry, clip toenails, and remove that horrid waxy buildup from his ears that maketh him whimper, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
Daniella MacTire grins. "Only a VERY brave man would marry off these two!:
Jaekob Faolan shakes his head and bites his lip.
Daniella MacTire grins. "I do. He'll pay me back in ways I shall not embarrass this assembly with. Twice."
Josiah MacTire looks hopeful at that.
Josiah MacTire: "Only twice?"
Jaekob Faolan turns to Jo
Jaekob Faolan: “Do you, Josiah, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love, honour, and hand over the keys, to cherish, nuzzle, and do unto her all those secret things that cause her to laugh when any human male even TRIES to get her attention, forsaking all others, until death do you part?”
Daniella MacTire grins. "I'll tell you why, later."
Josiah MacTire smiles, ears perked. He blinks and looks at Daniella. "Who, HER?"
Josiah MacTire: "Oh, right! Yeah, that sounds good.:
Daniella MacTire growls, very wolf like for a human.
Daniella MacTire pokes him HARD in the ribs.
Josiah MacTire: "YIP!"
Josiah MacTire growls back.
Jaekob Faolan: : “In keeping with tradition, the couple will exchange tokens of their commitment in the form of rings. Do you each have a ring for the other?”
Daniella MacTire: "Yes."
Josiah MacTire makes a big show of panicking and slapping multiple pockets until relaxing with a WHOOSH. "Yeah, got it. Heh."
Jaekob Faolan: “Perfect! Josiah, please place the ring on Dani’s finger and repeat after me."
”
Josiah MacTire puts the ring on her finger.
Jaekob Faolan: “Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring.”
Josiah MacTire: "Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring."
Jaekob Faolan: “ ...according to the religious teaching of Moses and Israel.”
Josiah MacTire: "According to the religious teaching of Moses and Israel."
Jaekob Faolan: “I betroth you to me forever.”
Josiah MacTire: "I betroth you to me forever."
Jaekob Faolan: ”I betroth you to me with steadfast love and compassion.”
Josiah MacTire: "I betroth you to me with... with steadfast l-l-ove and c-compassion."
Jaekob Faolan: "I betroth you to me in faithfulness."
Josiah MacTire sniffles.
Josiah MacTire got some dust in his eye. Yeah.
Jaekob Faolan smiles at Josiah and turns to Dani.
Jaekob Faolan: "Dani, please place the ring on Josiah’s finger and repeat after me.”
Daniella MacTire slips the ring on Josiah's finger.
Josiah MacTire: "I betroth you to me in faithfulness."
Jaekob Faolan: “Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring.”
Daniella MacTire: “Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring.”
Jaekob Faolan: “ ...according to the religious teaching of Moses and Israel.”
Daniella MacTire: “ ...according to the religious teaching of Moses and Israel.”
Jaekob Faolan: "I betroth you to me forever.”
Daniella MacTire: "I betroth you to me forever.”
Jaekob Faolan: "I betroth you to me with steadfast love and compassion.”
Daniella MacTire: “I betroth you to me with steadfast love and compassion..”
Jaekob Faolan: "I betroth you to me in faithfulness."
Daniella MacTire: “I betroth you to me in faithfulness.”
Josiah MacTire looks over his shoulder at the assembled, particularly the men, and gives a very satisfied lupine sneeze.
Jaekob Faolan smiles at both of them.
Daniella MacTire smiles back.
Jaekob Faolan: "Now I would ask you to make your vows to each other. Josiah? Please turn to Dani and make your vows!"
Josiah MacTire gives him a grin and a wink.
Josiah MacTire: "Daniella..."
Josiah MacTire takes her hands in his paws and looks down into her eyes.
Daniella MacTire melts. Puppy dog eyes. Works every time.
Josiah MacTire: "Once upon a time... there was a woman and her wolf."
Josiah MacTire: "They met long ago and far away, and fell into one another's arms in a whirl of laughter and poetry and arguments and passion. Wherever they went, people stared in a mixture of bemusement and envy... how could two people so different be so happy?"
Daniella MacTire remembers. You can see it in her eyes.
Josiah MacTire smirks a little.
Josiah MacTire: "Hell, how could two people be so happy, period? It wasn't fair!"
Josiah MacTire: "Well, that didn't stop us. For five years across more than one grid, we've walked hand in hand, woman and wolf. We always felt like we were two lonely people sharing a cuddle beanbag in a large and uncaring universe."
Daniella MacTire nods.
Josiah MacTire: "That is... until we came HERE."
Daniella MacTire smiles.
Josiah MacTire smiles at the assembled, with gratitude.
Daniella MacTire does, too.
Josiah MacTire: "This community has welcomed us with open arms, given us friendship and stature and respect, repaid our efforts tenfold. So it is fitting that we take our vows here, before such an amazing, wonderful community."
Daniella MacTire agrees and nods.
Josiah MacTire: "Of course, it would all be meaningless to me without you to share it with."
Josiah MacTire strokes her cheek gently.
Daniella MacTire doesn't look as if she's cry at all. Nosiree.
Daniella MacTire melts. Again.
Josiah MacTire: "So... this day, I marry my partner in crime, my foil, my co-writer, my Goddess, my love slave, my sympathetic listener, my precious treasure... and the best friend I have ever had, in this or any other Universe."
Daniella MacTire has epic fail and cries.
Josiah MacTire raises her hands to his muzzle, kisses them, and lets her go.
Daniella MacTire smiles at him, tears running down her face.
Josiah MacTire licks away her tears. Wolf, you know.
Daniella MacTire kicks her typist who might be crying a tiny, weeny bit.
Jaekob Faolan: "Marvelous. Now Dani, turn to Josiah and make your vows."
Daniella MacTire takes a deep breath.
Josiah MacTire smiles encouragingly.
Daniella MacTire: "My wonderful Josiah! As I go about my business here in The Great Canadian Grid, I find that many of its lovely residents are not aware I have a betrothed, as you are not here as often as I am."
Daniella MacTire: ... I think they know now, though.
Daniella MacTire grins.
Daniella MacTire: "With these vows I want everyone to realise, and especially you to realise, that you are ALWAYS with me."
Josiah MacTire smiles a little.
Daniella MacTire: When someone sees me smile at them, they aren't just seeing my happiness because they are there. They are also seeing the happiness in my heart because I love you, and am loved by you.
Daniella MacTire: "When I am helping someone, it is not just that I am taking time out because of the goodness of my heart. It is because I am acting in a way that honours you, for it is what you would do. You're doing it through me."
Josiah MacTire doesn't whimper and eardroop, nope. No trembling chin either.
Daniella MacTire: "When I am cheeky in chat, and I make people laugh, it is not because that is my nature alone."
Daniella MacTire: "It is because I think of you, and your personality shines through me, and you're with me, making me confident to be myself. It's Dani and Jo... even if one of us isn't there."
Daniella MacTire: "When someone feels that I care for them, then that is because of you, too. You have allowed me to feel cared for - and when someone knows how that feels, they can care for others with joy."
Daniella MacTire: "When someone says they are my friend, it is because they have enjoyed the person I am, that you helped to make. I am what I am because of you, because of who YOU are."
Josiah MacTire nods.
Daniella MacTire: "I can be a friend, because I know what it is like to have true friend that time, distance and circumstance cannot take away."
Daniella MacTire: "I vow to show my love for you in everything I do, because I do love you, Josiah MacTire. I vow to make sure the grid can see the wonderful person you are, by being as wonderful as I can be, made so by your love."
Daniella MacTire: "I vow to truly be your other half in as many ways as I am able, and to let people see what two halves are like, whether you are here or not. Thank you for being you, for being my friend, and for letting me love you."
Daniella MacTire: "I will be proud to call you my husband, but I'm already proud I can call you my friend."
Josiah MacTire dabs at his eyes. Stupid speck of dirt.
Daniella MacTire takes another breath and turns back to Jaekob.
Jaekob Faolan nods and beams
Jaekob Faolan: “Ladies and Gentlemen! The couple have exchanged tokens of their love and made vows to each other in the sight of their gods. The elements have been duly called and will now be dismissed with the very last thing needed before I may pronounce the couple husband and wife. Josaiah – the glass!"
Josiah MacTire stands up straight.
Jaekob Faolan silently reaches down to the table and picks up a crystal goblet, which he then wraps in several layers of white silk. He steps around the table and lays it down in front of Josiah, then steps back.
Daniella MacTire looks radiant over really runny mascara.
Josiah MacTire looks down at the glass.
Josiah MacTire begins to chant in a solemn voice, ancient words in Hebrew.
Josiah MacTire: "Im eshkachech Yerushalayim, tishkach yemini... tid'bak leshoni lechiki, Im-lo ezkereichi."
Josiah MacTire: "If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning."
Josiah MacTire: "Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth, yea, verily, as though glued there by peanut butter, if I remember thee not!"
Daniella MacTire raises an eyebrow.
Josiah MacTire really hopes Jaekob remembered the layer of Kevlar in with the silk, or this is really going to hurt. He takes a deep breath, raises his foot, and brings it down hard on the glass with a very satisfying CRUNCH!
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| The Wedding Kiss |
Jaekob Faolan raises his hands upward.
Jaekob Faolan: “Ladies and Gentlemen – I give you Mr and Mrs Josiah MacTire!”
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| The Happy Couple! Josiah and Daniella MacTire |
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| The Wedding Dance |
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A marvellous event! As unique and amusing as the "stars" of the show! Congrats Dani & Jo!
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