WHO Open to everyone! WHAT You are cordially invited the Ohno-Qualls Nuptial. WHEN October 18, midday onward WHERE Some castle in Scotland. Don't be picky, guys. >.>;; RATING/WARNINGS tbd STATUS Ongoing TO BE AIRED HELL YES
After the fifth attempt of tying his bow tie, Joe finally managed to get it right and it was with a sigh of relief that he finished it and ran his hand down the buttons of his white shirt. It was considerably stupid of him to have to attempt it on his own but he was in a strange mood to take everything...slow. Give them the ceremony that they deserve. So that in spite of the fact that he was born and raised a wizard through and through, he wanted to prepare for his wedding in the closest way that he could as a muggle.
He was putting on his black vest -- to match his black suit jacket and slacks and polished-to-an-inch-of-their-lives shoes -- when someone knocked and he turned to see the door open. And he smiled when he saw the face that peeked from behind. "Emi," he said.
"You look very dashing," said his sister with her own growing smile as they embraced each other, herself patting her brother on his shoulder while Joe tightened his arms. "More dashing than I'd ever seen my entire life."
"That's good," Joe said with a small laugh as they parted, and he looked at his sister with her knotted hair, the purple flowers on her head and her simple lilac dress. That was the color of the day. "I hope I look ready, though."
"Are you?"
Joe nodded. "More than I ever imagined."
Emi smiled and tugged his collar a bit. "You look ready," she said. "Ghaliya looks ready, too."
"How did she look?"
Emi wrinkled her brows at him and shook her head. Women on wedding days. He supposed he ought to give this to them at least... "I wouldn't spoil it for you."
"I'm already spoiled as it is."
Emi beamed. "Right? I'm glad you and Ghaliya decided to accept the network's offer. It's turning out so beautifully. It's perfect."
"It's not," Joe said with a sudden quiet voice. "I wish Mum and Dad were here."
Emi herself fell silent.
He gave a small smile. "I think they'd be happy to see me stand by the officiator, waiting for Ghaliya. I think Mum would cry."
Emi sighed, looked down a bit. Then reaching up, she ran her right down her brother's arm again. "Joe," she said quietly still. "This wedding is perfect. It's as perfect as it needs to be perfect for you. It's beautiful. And everyone is happy for you and Ghaliya. It's perfect."
Joe took a moment to taste her words, looking at his sister's eyes that were also his. And his parents'. They always shared each others' eyes in that family. Somehow, that gave him heart, and he smiled at the thought of his parents' eyes seeing him through his sister. He smiled, and he nodded. "It's perfect."
The wedding took place in a distant castle in Scotland, far from Hogwarts where once a lord lived with his lady and spawns. Due to the "exclusivity" of the event, guests could only go to it through designated portals from the Ministry.
The ceremony happened shortly after lunch and was simple enough in spite of the grandeur of the venue. Friends and employees, old and new, were invited to the celebration and there were seats prepared for everyone, yes. There's not much drama to be had here -- no runaway bride, no third party stopping the wedding, no sudden change of heart. Ghaliya walked down the grassy aisle in her classic wedding gown with her long black hair pulled up in circles and knots with tiny flowers here and there. She looked radiant and happy with tears of joy. Her mother was also crying. Chelsea was a flower girl along with the daughter of Emily Gumboil and Pilot Fletcher who was Joe's best man.
After a brief conversation with the officiator, they were pronounced husband and wife and kissed. Flowers and fireworks exploded and everyone cheered.
The reception started just as the sun was setting and everyone was ushered into the huge converted shed for dinner.
The buffet table was absolutely teeming with all sorts of food. There's meat and fish and shrimp and vegetables and fruits and cakes and cookies...
And everything refills itself automatically. Thank you, ancient House-Elves.
As for the drinks and the dancing, step outside for that!
This is where the real party starts. There are bands that play all night long and drinks that magically don't disappear. When Joe and Ghaliya aren't making the rounds and accepting congratulations or asking if everyone's enjoying or looking around for Chelsea who's playing chase with all the other kids in their wedding reception, they are found here. They had fun particularly in upbeat covers of The Way You Look Tonight and I Love You More Today than Yesterday where Joe is seen dipping Ghaliya, spinning her and singing to her.
And of course, what would be a The Department wedding special without secret corners for lovers and drunks and secret hook-ups? If anyone wants to pull an Evelyn, there are four confessional booths spread around the location. Two are hidden in the gardens and two are closer to the reception.
Towards the end of the party, people got on with the program. There's Joe and Ghaliya being kids with the cake, washing it all down with the wine annnd the best parts: the garter and the roses.
The roses were thrown without much fanfare, only the customary laughter and shrieking as Ghaliya threw the bouquet over her shoulder and NAME HERE caught it. The garter, though, that was the fun part. After much swooning and hooting when Joe slipped it out of Ghaliya's leg, he threw that over his shoulder, too. But just before it fell to the grasping hands Joe spun with the grace of a duelist and aimed at the garter with his wand so that it exploded into multiple copies. Insert much howling and cheering here and Ghaliya hitting Joe and calling him a cheat. The fake garters disappeared once someone touched them. NAME HERE caught the garter, and everyone hooted for him to put it on NAME HERE.
In the end of the party, Joe and Ghaliya made a speech, thanking all their guests for coming and all the sponsors who helped them. "This...perfect wedding, as my sister called it," Joe turned to Emi in the crowd, smiled and nodded to who grinned and waved, "would not have come together had it not been for every single one of you. Ghaliya and I," he wrapped an arm around his new wife, wand pointed to his throat, "are very happy to see all of you gathered here, drinking and eating and just having fun. Thank you for celebrating our happiest day with us and thank you for becoming witnesses of our love." Glasses were tinked and they kissed for the nth time.
"Obasan, Ojisan," Joe proceeded, this time to address his muggle relatives. The entire speech is done in Japanese but here's the subtitles of the show: "You took care of me when Mum and Dad passed and I don't know how much I can thank you. It didn't matter to you that I wasn't raised in your world, that I was different from you. And now I'm here, with a wife, a lovely daughter," he says as Chelsea runs to them to hug them, "And with a growing career. Thank you for putting Emi and I up when we had no one to run to. We owe you everything because of that." And then Joe bowed to them to the waist. Ghaliya, too, bowed but a little more daintily.
It was late by the time they had said their final thanks and their goodbyes. They waved and gave out hugs and departed by a white limousine. To those who know, it'll take them to the closest airport where they will board a plane to Japan for their month-long honeymoon.
But for as long as there are guests who aren't ready to go home yet, the party goes on. Or as Tony Stark would say it, "The after party starts in fifteen minutes."
OOC: This is an IC/OOC event so go wild! Also, happy to thread with Joe, Lystrom, Jamila and Geneva~ No Charls because he hates parties. :<