lucetilogs | The first step is the one you believe in

The first step is the one you believe in

Who: Pepper Potts, Tony Stark, and everyone who has gathered there today.
What: A wedding and reception
When: Sept 14, All Day
Where: Cherry Blossom Hill / The Battle Dome
Summary: Pepper and Tony are getting married ~~finally~~ ~~officially~~ finally.
Rating: PG/PG-13 max? There's at least one kid here.
The decorations on the hill are simple ones; they've chosen this spot because it's naturally beautiful without the need for embellishments. Chairs have been set up for the expected guests, with a clear path laid out for the wedding party. And of course up front there is a place for those people to stand, in sight of everyone gathered so Tony won't be able to tell Pepper "I told you so" as color commentary won't be necessary.

After the ceremony everyone will be invited to go to the Battle Dome for the reception. There Tony's programmed an expansive hall with tables and seating enough for everyone. There's also a dance floor, which everyone is encouraged to take advantage of. The atmosphere is warm and vibrant, clearly intended to help all in attendance have a good time. Dinner will be served, and there's an open bar, with rum by request of the officiant.

Just don't get too rowdy, okay kids?

{{ooc: Visual references and details can be found here. Link is very image heavy. There will be separate threads for before the ceremony, during, and the reception.

EDIT: Now with a sign up to catch the bouquet!}}

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"It's really one of the best feelings in the world, I'm told," and with all the pomp and circumstance it was like a snowball effect, being caught up in the celebration and party-mood. He surveyed the room with a grin, glad that the cake was well received enough to have some praise, and at the very least, not be displeasing to anyone's palette.

Attention turned back to her (as it wasn't difficult considering how she and Tony were the center of attention today) and he blinked at the offer. Initially, his instinct was to decline and politely find himself called off to something or other but--

But this time, no. He grinned, warm and a little lopsided before he lifted his hand, index finger extended. "Okay, gosh, but only one, you hear me? I can't have Tony getting jealous~ Now, Jack. Well, I like him being a little jealous." using the same hand he was counting with, he lowered it to capture Pepper's hand in his. Yes, he was beyond the awkward second start, and this would be proof to himself that they really had made progress. Without hesitation, he led her toward the dancing area, all eyes on her despite knowing there were a few on the two of them.

"Oh, you were told correctly. But you should know that for yourself already, right?" Robot Elvis and Malnosso-influence aside, Eugene had been married to the man he loved. Pepper certainly hoped it held all the bliss for him that this day had for her; considering all that Jack and Eugene had been through, they deserved it.

He held up a single finger, and Pepper laughed as he laid out the terms. "Only one, I promise." And with a respectable amount of space between them; Tony possessed his own jealous streak, and Pepper didn't want it to flare. But she thought this dance with Eugene was important in it's own way; they'd been something once. Yes, the Malnosso had caused it, but the feelings had been real at the time. And like the invasion, they needed to come to their resolution. So, one dance as friends, and Pepper followed Eugene's lead, her free hand resting lightly on his shoulder once they turned to face each other.

"So, making Jack a little jealous, and on purpose no less. Seems a bit mean." Said with a grin to show she was teasing.

"I do~" two words that brought him the same amount of joy that they had hopefully brought Pepper.

"One dance, coming up." It was easier to do this than he thought, much less awkward and more... settled? Comfortable. With each step it was easier to simply enjoy without anything complicating matters. Mentioning Jack brought a brightness to his eyes that no one else could. He had to set a good example for the newlyweds, after all.

"You know me, gotta keep the spark between us alive. If I'm too easy he'll get bored." in no way was he serious. You didn't simply walk away from someone who carried you to safety at the risk of their own mortal peril. But he wasn't thinking about that when presented with a lovely lady that he was dancing with. Eye contact was easy, and he was... grateful to see the understanding kindness that was there in hers. It was... definitely difficult to reconcile, what had occurred but they had been through worse, and would likely face worse in the future.

For right now, though, what he felt was definitely as a friend. He'd been worried to try and see what he might feel in this situation. "But... looks like Tony keeps you plenty busy. Should I explain to him I'm really not a threat?"

Oh but they had; two words which had the power to make her heart race when they had been spoken to her or fallen from her own lips. It brought a less controlled smile to her face, a look of joy that had Pepper glancing away for a moment. Not surprisingly, her eyes had wandered toward her husband.

But she wasn't so rude as to ignore her dance partner, so Pepper returned her attention to Eugene. "Plus keeping things challenging can be pretty fun." No, a person didn't just walk away from that, but it was still something to consider, when a person had just married someone who wasn't the type to typically settle. Still, Pepper was confident that Tony wouldn't be taking his heart back any time soon, and she certainly had no plans to revoke his ownership of hers.

"I'm pretty sure he knows. Not to mention that I can convince him in ways that he'll find fairly appealing." It was their wedding night--technically for the second time, but she had little doubt as to what their private celebration would consist of. In that, at least, they would stick to tradition. "Just don't take it badly if he comes over here to cut in?"

"I would hope he does." which was part of his ploy to keep things challenging from the start for Tony, keep his interest piqued. He was more than confident the man knew just how lucky he was to have Pepper not only by his side, but through sickness and health, better or worse. There was a lot being exchanged, and Eugene would be happy to see them overcome difficulties. And possibly help, if he could.

Though the music carried on and Eugene tried to hedge their way over toward Tony, as a gesture of good will, at least. He hadn't met the man in an official capacity, only through mutual friends. And Jack hadn't had the most positive first impression of the man, but he'd come round.

"Thank you, Pepper. I actually had a small request, if you don't mind my asking. Don't worry, it's nothing invasive."

She followed Eugene's lead easily, a practiced enough dancer to fall into step with her partner. Pepper didn't miss the direction he guided them in, and that had a playful grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. All the easier for Tony to claim his wife if she were nearby, and Pepper silently thanked Eugene for the gesture, and the sentiment.

"Oh, of course." Pepper didn't doubt the innocence of whatever Eugene meant to ask, especially in light of the conversation they had just had. "It's the least I can do after you provided that gorgeous wedding cake. What would you like me to do?"

That she so readily agreed was a wonderful thing. And he was grateful that she trusted him with those offhanded sort of favors. But he hadn't actually thought to what exactly-- or not what exactly but how exactly he'd ask this. So instead of anything carefully rehearsed he gave her a small, nervous smile.

"...Your ring. Where did you-- or who did you ask to make it?"

Being here, around all this celebration and splendor was nice. To celebrate the joining of two people in matrimony was always joyous... he wanted something more substantial than how his own had gone. Being married by a robot Elvis was novel and all, but he wanted Jack to know he was more committed than merely in this for the humor and fun it would bring. Something more permanent, a little more official...

"I mean, we have the piercings from Zevran but I... I wanna do something for him. Don't tell anyone, just. Keep it between us?"

There were very few reasons for Eugene to ask that particular question, of course, and Pepper's eyes lit up as she assumed which one it might be. Eugene confirmed it himself a moment later, and despite his request Pepper couldn't help but sneak a glance at the man in question, still doing his duty as the receptions DJ.

"Oh, definitely. Our secret." But she was all smiles as she made the promise. Poor Eugene might be in trouble if Jack came to Pepper with questions; she was a pretty terrible liar, and a secret like this begged to be told.

She would try her best, however, and Pepper tempered her grin to actually answer the question. "A woman named Raven works at the smithy. She made my rings and Tony's."

Eugene would be a little disappointed if his carefully thought out plan was found out before he had a chance to present his surprise. But he'd get over it, and he licked his lips in nervousness as he joined her in glancing over at Jack. He really did look nice, relaxed, in his element with music and a good time-- a party.

"He deserves better than Elvis, just... saying." if Eugene could, he'd give him so much more. Maybe a world without zoms. But he tore his gaze from him Jack and turned back to Pepper. "So Raven in the smithy-- I think I met up with a Rockbell there. Are they one and the same? Blonde? Cute, young?"

He didn't have to worry; Pepper would do her best to keep it under wraps. She was just too thrilled for Eugene, and she squeezed his hand a little tighter for a moment as he talked about what Jack deserved. "He isn't the only one who does."

But then came logistics, with Pepper shaking her head at Eugene's description. "No, that's Winry; you're looking for a young woman with red hair." Pepper took another look around, then nodded over to where Raven was standing next to Ikki. "Her. She's very easy to work with, and talented." Pepper wiggled the fingers of her left hand, showing off her rings. "Plus, depending on what you choose, there could be a magic effect on the ring. Aquamarine apparently provides a protective effect."

If he hadn't trusted her initially, he wouldn't have presented the question to her, but even if she told a few people who weren't Jack, he wouldn't mind. He was grateful, however that she gave him an opening to look away when she squeezed his hand, reminding him that the deal between them hadn't been one-sided at all.

"Right-- Winry. I spoke with her about the prosthetics she does. Seemed fairly... involved." which was to put it lightly, he'd left that conversation a little dismayed at mention of all those prosthetics required. But his eyes alighted on the red-head that Pepper mentioned and he made mental note to approach her later.

"I really ought to get out of the coffee shop more often." so many people he didn't know. He was lucky that Pepper was a genius social networker. Feeling the wiggle of her fingers he glanced up to see what she spoke of and finally got a proper chance to admire the ring. "Magical effects included, huh? After the draft... yeah, protection might not be such a bad idea."

“I’d imagine so.” Artificial limb replacement was a complicated process in their world, after all. Whatever technology Winry had available to her could apparently be recreated here, though Pepper couldn’t see the process being any easier for that fact. Whatever she’d told him, Eugene and Jack had ultimately taken a different route, trusting the Malnosso to make good on their points-for-prizes deal.

And considering that they were dancing rather smoothly, so far it seemed to have worked.

“I hadn’t met her until I went to commission Tony’s ring—and even then, I only knew about her because Tony had my engagement ring made first.” Luceti was comparatively small to the cities Pepper was used to, but still significant in size, as it boasted over two hundred residents. Luckily Tony had found the best one for their needs, and Pepper showed no small amount of pride as Eugene examined the ring.

“I didn’t think so. It’s definitely something worth talking to her about. From what I remember, different gemstones have different affects.” Although she couldn’t go into detail beyond that, hopefully Eugene would be able to come up with something that suited Jack in every facet.

"It's really gorgeous," not to mention there was something akin to awe at how very genuinely Tony's affection for Pepper had manifested in a ring, something forged and made for her out of the brilliant mind of her genius husband. It was more than merely a symbol of their life together, but of the love they shared. The more he admired it, the more he was convinced that this was something that needed to be done on Jack's behalf, as well.

But, that decision made and the information obtained, Eugene renewed their dance step and grinned at Pepper, keeping track of where Tony was so that he could get the man's attention. If he hadn't already, that was. But he wanted to hand Pepper off to the man of her dreams.

"So you... aren't expecting me and Jack to set some sort of example for you two, are you? Being the role models that we pretend to be~" it was meant light-heartedly, though was also an offer-- even if he and Jack weren't perfect, their bond was forged with things that tore most people apart. If ever she needed someone to talk to, Eugene wouldn't hesitate to assist for their mutual benefit.

"It is." Beautiful and significant; Tony truly had outdone himself with the design. Few people could truly understand just what the ring meant for both of them, in terms of their past as well as their future together. Pepper fully suspected that Eugene and Jack would have something of their own, some secret meaning shared by only them, and she couldn't be happier for them.

"Role models? I don't know if I'd put it quite like that." But the notion of having another married couple around was reassuring in a way. Of course Pepper knew that some relationships were very successful even without taking that step; she'd planned on her own to be for a long time. But now that it had all changed, she was glad for the silent offer of commiseration. "There aren't that many married couples around, though. I suppose we should try to stick together."

"Yeah, we aren't exactly paragons of married living, we don't even have matching curtains and bedding! How can we possibly be proper role models? I don't even think either of us have grown up, yet." even if it was all true, it wasn't something that he was letting bother him. Growing up was overrated, and he fully intended to enjoy every last moment he had with Jack. Whisking Pepper one last time as the music came to a close he disengaged and kept hold of just her hand.

"Thank you, Pepper. I'll leave you to be danced with by your darling husband, then. If you want you can dance with Jack. He's pretty harmless."

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The first step is the one you believe in

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