Best Bride Winter 2007

Round Three

2008-06-18T23:32:00.006+01:00

A White Wedding To Remember

There's several reasons Marco decided on the Wedding Palace for our event – with this being his first wedding I let him run his ideas by me and went along with most of them. As I said before he likes to show off, and he's been thinking big. The Wedding Palace is huge – here it is in its entirety (I think!)

There's method to his madness though. With this being a double wedding, the guest list is massive. As well as that there's apartments for us to spend the night there if we so wish, and Marco took advantage by booking us both a room, staying there to get ready so keeping the tradition/superstition of not seeing the bride or the dress before the wedding. I'm not usually one for tradition but that one I'll go along with given what happened last time. He forgoes the comfort of his coffin for the day ahead while I stay at home and enjoy mine.

I get rudely awakened by the doorbell at gone five in the afternoon. Rising from my slumber without the slightest hint of drowsiness, I pin myself up against the door as I fumble blindly for the lock, and open it wide with my back flat against it.
“Come in!” I yell from my shelter.
It's Erin who pulls the door from my grasp as she closes it. “Hello sweety!” she greets as we hug.
“Hiya,” I smile back, “Do you want a drink, or get straight on with it?”
“No time for a drink dear, you've got an appointment in a few hours!” she grins, and taking the hint we go upstairs. The first thing I do is shoo her from the room as I put on the lingerie they bought me, then let her enter while I try on my dress. Once it's on however, we both look at each other with expressions of disappointment – it does show through the dress. Damn!
“Oh what a shame,” she muses as I take it off. “You need something blue though...”
Suddenly I get hit by a tidal wave of inspiration, and my eyes sparkle as I approach and run by her the zaniest idea I've had yet. As I hope, in reply she cackles with glee.
“I thought you might like it somehow,” I grin.
“Don't move!” she grins as she makes for the door, “I'll be right back with everything you need...”
“Hey Erin!” I call to her before she leaves, “Go crazy! He wants a winter-themed wedding, he'll damn well get one!”
“I'm on it!” she smiles on her departure.

We finish just in time, and head off to our ultimate destination. I find Emily and Nadia there waiting for me, and for a moment the pair of us can only gaze in awe at each other.

“My word...” she gasps, “You look incredible!”
“You too!” I grin in reply, “I thought you might go for that kind of theme somehow.”
She chuckles a little. “I remember seeing these dresses on the nobility,” she says, “I yearned dearly to wear one of them just the once...”
“Come on you two!” Frank bites, “Some of us feel the cold you know!”
“Alright alright,” I chide in reply as we move off, both of us allowing ourselves a long exhalation as we go. This may be my second marriage but it's my first big wedding, and on top of that there's another anxiety playing on my mind. As we approach though, the sight of Evan's Best Man trotting down the stairs to us tells me there's already a problem.
“Hi Joe,” I greet him, “What's up?”
He sighs angrily in reply. “Your darling groom has been a silly boy,” he grumbles, “He didn't think things through when he booked – you'll be lucky to squeeze your own guests in the aisles, let alone Evan's too.”
“Huh?!” I exclaim, exchanging looks with Emily. “So we have to go one at a time?”
“Basically, yes,” he says, before adding a remark that may shine light on the problem, “Still, that may be a good thing, if you get me...”
My heart starts to pound as I look back at him. “Is he here?” I check.
“Well I don't know,” he frowns, “I haven't seen him, but Evan seems happy...”
As he leads Emily and Nadia away, I tug nervously at my skirt as Frank offers his arm.
“He's long gone, remember?” he reassures me, “If he is here, he's Evan's guest not yours. You might not even see him.”
“True,” I smile as we walk onwards, concentrating on remembering my lines.

Eyes widen and mouths fall open as I pass them, including Marco's when he sees me.
“Is this wintry enough for you?” I tease with a sparkle in my eye – although maybe the contacts mask that, I don't know, I've never worn them before.
After briskly nodding, he dips his head towards my ear. “You look amazing!” he whispers.
“Thanks,” I grin, before eyeing his suit. “So do you!”
He mutters his thanks before it's time to get started. I'm so set on remembering my vows I lose track of time, and before long he's saying his to me.
He gets bitten by the nerves bug for a spell however, and bites on his lip as his gaze drops to the carpet of snow at his feet.
“It's okay, take your time,” I soothe as I speak. The poor guy's more reserved than me, and as he takes my hand I can feel his shaking.
“Never in a million years did I imagine myself doing this,” he confesses, “If you'd told me even a few years ago I'd be getting married I'd have laughed, but...”
Blood trickles down his chin as his lip suffers another bite. He looks at me with sorry eyes as he shakes his head, cursing to himself – he's lost his nerve.
“I'm sorry,” he utters, “You can rehearse until you're blue in the face...”
My heart goes out to him as I lay my hands on his shoulders. “Hey, relax, it's okay,” I tell him, trying to settle him. Before long his son Karl and Manuel are by his side as they join me, and as his Dad gives him a hug I turn apologetically to our guests, who are probably quaking with him.
“Let this be a lesson to you all,” I address them as I guess what the problem is, “Never make your first wedding a big one.” I then eye my Maid of Honour as I add as an afterthought “Unless you're as extrovert as our Hallow e'en couple, of course.”
I manage to raise a chuckle from the gathering, and it even seems to ease Marco as Manuel hands him back to me.
“It's only now I realise that,” he remarks dryly, licking his lips as he tugs at his jacket, muttering to himself. “I'm gonna do this, I will...”
“Take your time,” I remind him. He merely nods as once more he takes my hand, determination burning in his eyes before another feeling takes over as he gazes into mine.

“There is a thin line between true love and infatuation,” he begins, and I know immediately what he refers to but let him continue. “When infatuated, you only think you're in love... but the real thing is when you know you want to spend the rest of your life with that person, without ever knowing why... there's just something about them that glows, that pulls you in as a lighthouse would beckon to a lost ship... and this vessel comes bearing precious cargo that has been securely locked away for a long time. That lock has been forced and almost broken before, but it took your gentle touch to release my hidden treasure... That I promise you now and for all eternity, to grant you the love you once had and to never hurt you.”
It's as much as I can do to keep my tears inside, and as my turn comes I recite a poem I wrote for the occasion.
“In all the time we've known each other
Only now our love has grown
No fairytale this has been
Yet for us no less significant.

When all hope seemed lost you gave me light
Gave me the strength to go on
I give you now my promise
To stay true, return your love for me.”

How we manage to stay dry-eyed is anyone's guess, but with all the kisses we've shared before this one tastes the sweetest.

Once the emotion has died down a little, the cameraman switches into work-mode as the crowd disperses, some of them heading for the bar.
“Okay, let's get a shot of you on your own...”

“Okay, let's get some of you two together!”
Still recovering from his emotional influx, he steps over and plants a big kiss on my cheek.

“I need a sit down,” he complains.
“Aw, poor you!” I tease, before deciding it would make a good picture...

I then frown as he assumes his favourite position.
“Sit down, you said!” I bite playfully, but as he gazes up at me all I get in reply is a nice view of his tongue. “Put it away, don't know where it's been!”
“Oh yes you do,” he chuckles with a twinkle in his eye, “That's the best bit!”
My jaw momentarily drops. “Behave you!” I scold before breaking into giggles. I would say that man never ceases to amaze me with his humour, but...

“Okay,” the cameraman pipes up, and my cheeks redden as I guess he heard our banter, “let's get the rest of you in there.”
We both stand up and the fun ensues of getting everyone into a good position. I guess now's a good time to name everyone – you can probably recognise Marco's parents and my brother already, but moving along we have my Maid of Honour Giana, the wife of Evan's Best Man – she asked me to be the same for her wedding so it was only right to return the favour. The guy on the ground is Karl, Marco's son and Best Man, and my bridesmaids are my daughters Jeanette, Emma and one of my ex's daughters, Lorna. About the children... those four year olds left with Evan some time ago are now old enough to go to school. Our flower girl is Vicky, and our ring bearer is one of Evan's, who I consulted very politely before swiping him for our needs.

“Oh Marco!”
Too late I realise why the cameraman protests, and the culprit's arm flops suspiciously to his side as he looks about himself in mock-innocence.
“What??” he replies, but I'm not fooled for a minute. I glower playfully at him and nudge him sharply with my arm in response.
“Here we go,” I mutter to myself. The emotion's gone with a vengeance now, leaving behind the silliness I'd grown accustomed to over the years.
I suddenly gasp in surprise as he pinches my rear, before slapping his torso with my hand.
“Ow!” he complains, before looking around, “Assault!!” he cries before looking back at me, “On our wedding day too! What're you like?!”
“I could ask you the same thing!” I retort, but all I get in reply is a poke in the ribs, prompting a shriek that causes my poor brother to wiggle a finger in his ear in protest. “Bastard!” I bite back giggling, but realise that to be a mistake as it serves to encourage him as he approaches me.
“I beg your pardon?!” he says with a smile.
“You heard!” I retaliate, backing away.
“Come on you two!” a little voice pipes up, “It's meant to be a double wedding!”
I look up to find Evan and a crowd of his guests peering down at us from the nearby bridge, and apprehensively clear my throat. “Sorry,” I call back as I grab Marco's hand, pulling him away from the arch.
“We'll see you in the bar,” Manuel tells us as most of the crowd move off. Marco and I linger in the background as his guests accumulate in the little area, before shaking my head in disbelief as I look back at him.
“What were you thinking?” I ask softly as the next wedding progresses, after we've retreated to the bridge.
He shakes his head at me in reply. “I don't know,” he admits, “It all looked so nice, romantic...”
I cuddle up to him in a reassuring manner. “It is,” I smile at him, and continue to watch Evan's wedding without saying another word, my eyes fixed onto them to the point where I don't notice anyone else in the crowd.

After their pictures I get called into the scene for the big one... and quite a crowd it is too. When it's done I get my first good look at Evan and a chance for a chat.
“Wow, look at you!” I admire, before noticing for the first time the silver glistening in his ear lobes. His long mane of brown hair usually flops over his shoulders and ears.
“Thanks,” he grins in reply, “You look great!”
“Thanks,” I smile, before out of the corner of my eye I notice a little crowd gathering a little way from us. It's a group of three, two boys about Evan's age and a well toned adult... I can't see the latter very clearly, but the green skin in itself is eye-catching to say the least.

“Who are they?” I ask him.
“The two kids are Joe's twins, Chris and Andy,” comes the reply, “Remember what I told you about Chris?”
My eyes roll skywards as I search inside my mental filing cabinet. As I find the answer, I retrieve with it all the sorrow surrounding the boy, and it shows through as I look back at him.
“Yeah, I remember,” I reply softly, “Which one's him?”
“The beefy guy with the reddish-brown hair.”
“Okay,” is all I can say before I peer curiously at the back of the grown man's head, eyeing the leaves seemingly sprouting from his scalp. “Who on Earth is that?”
I don't know which is more strange; Evan's answer or the manner he adopts as he gives it.

“That's Dad,” he awkwardly replies.
At first I'm taken aback. “What??” I exclaim, “But... he's green!”
“I know,” he explains, “He had an argument with the wrong kind of plant life while doing some gardening.”
I rub the back of my head in puzzlement, trying to comprehend what he's saying. “Your Dad's a plant?!” I check, knowing how ridiculous it sounds – and that's coming from a vampire talking to her equally undead son.
“Yeah,” he confirms, smiling knowingly at my expression, “I know.”
Sadness tugs at my heart as I notice Chris having an emotional episode, and he sobs into Luca's chest. Evan goes over to him, and by the time it's all over Evan lays a hand on his shoulder before having a word with Luca. It's then he turns and sees me. Sensing an awkward moment Marco excuses himself from our presence, and as the rest of the crowd moves off it's just me and him.
“Hi Sarah,” he greets gently, “You look wonderful.”
“Thanks,” I smile back, “I'll be honest, I was only half-expecting you to turn up.”
“Well, I won't repeat myself,” he says, “I'll let Evan tell you what I told him, but I will say now I can understand why you ended it... I've been such a d*** to you all.”
My head lowers as memories I'd tried to bury begin to emerge. “Look,” I say as I struggle to retain my composure, “I know you couldn't help it...”
“It's okay,” he says, “Anyone else would have run screaming long before you'd eventually had enough.” He then smiles sadly as his rich green eyes gaze down at me, “You two deserve each other – you're both wonderful people.”
I can feel tears beginning to trickle down my face, and self-consciously dab at my cheeks before he offers me a hug.

“Come on,” he smiles as we break away, “Your friends will be missing you.”
We both join the others, who are by now finishing off their meals – one thing we both now share is the lack of needing to eat, so we haven't missed much. Although he takes me by surprise as he swoops upon the table containing the two treasures of the evening; champagne and wedding cake.
“Okay guys, how about something to wash down those tasty meals?” he grins as he fills the waiting glasses. Marco and I take one each, and we both watch in astonishment as Luca holds a toast not only to Evan's wedding, but ours too!

“Lose one Turilli and gain another, eh?” he acknowledges as he winks at Emily, before gesturing broadly with his free arm. “Welcome to the mad-house!”
A murmur of laughter drifts from the crowd before he continues. “I know there's been much pain from our family over the past few years, admittedly some of it by my hands, but I've learned a hard lesson since then...” As he speaks, he gazes sadly at our eldest Gino, as well as Chris, “Life is too short for regret, for pain... I can only apologise for my hand in it all, but now is the time to move on. Just as Sarah has by joining another lovely family; I'm sure she'll be just as proud to be a Staropoli as she was a Turilli.”
“I'm sure she will,” Manuel winks in reply.
“So with this I propose a toast,” Luca finishes as he raises his glass, “To the newly-weds... both pairs,” he says, grinning at Evan. I can't help but smile so broadly my mouth begins to hurt – just seeing Evan's face I can tell he's happy just to have his father back.

The night is still young however. I can tell Chris's appetite just by the way he hungrily eyes the cakes sitting on the table – he probably eats more than I used to!
“Oh alright, I can take a hint!” I tease him as I approach ours. I pick up the knife and gaze expectantly at Marco, but all he does is hover.
“You're meant to do this with me!” I prompt him. His response is no more than I expect.
“It doesn't take two people to cut a cake you know!” he retorts with that familiar glint in his eye. Shaking my head knowingly, I can't help but chuckle as I cut it myself.

Time for some quiet time as we sit with our friends, and I stare awkwardly at my plate. Forcing myself out of politeness to sink my fork into the slice, I brace myself for the taste I know will be awful but the conversation is enough to take my mind off it. That and the fact we haven't even eaten tonight – I will myself to finish just to fill the void in my stomach.
“Are you alright?” Marco asks with a smile.
“Ugh,” I moan as I grab the champagne glass, frantically gulping down its contents to wash away the flavour. “I need a proper dinner...”
“Yes, me too,” he agrees, “We can get that later, eh?”
I eagerly nod, but the mention of us leading the dance triggers a look of sheepish horror on his face.
“Um...” he begins. It dawns on me immediately what he's about to say.
“Oh you're joking!” I remark, but he quickly improvises.
“Come on,” he smiles as he clutches my hand.
“Where're we going?” I ask, but we stop only a little short of the area we've just left.
“We can still dance,” he says as he leads our music-less dance in the midnight snow, and I can't help but enjoy the coolness of the snowflakes against my skin as our feet disturb the otherwise serene white blanket, crunching along the patio as he gives me a twirl.

The rest of the night drifts along in a blur. Before long we notice some night creatures disappearing, returning and more leaving, and soon enough it's our turn; they were leaving - as we now are - for a midnight meal, and I return refreshed, content and ready to spend the rest of the night just relaxing. Marco seems to know just the place too, and whisks me away to the top of the palace where a rosy hot tub awaits.
I chuckle as I join him. “I'll bet this is the main reason you chose this place!” I tease as I settle down next to him.
He smiles a little in reply, but I frown as he becomes subdued.
“What's wrong?” I ask him.

He sighs sadly to himself before eyeing me somewhat warily. “When Dad asked what I wanted for a wedding gift, and I told him, he refused,” he tells me, “He said I look fine as I am.”
My heart sinks as I twig instantly what he's talking about. He's been making noises about surgery for a while, but even now for some reason I find it hard to believe he actually wants to go through with it.
“You do,” I try to comfort him, but quickly change my tack as I figure that isn't what he wants to hear. It's clearly been bothering him a great deal, and no amount of telling him otherwise will sway his decision. “But if that's what you really want, you'll have my support,” I finish with a smile, “So long as it's still the same Marco underneath, that's all that matters to me.”
He beams at me as tears trickle down his cheeks, scooping me into his arms, “Thank you,” he says, before the sparkle returns to his eye, “I promise I'll make a better kisser too.”
“Is that possible?!” I grin mischievously as our mood lightens.

... What? You don't expect details on what happens next do you?! Clear off, we're busy!

Second Special Task

2008-06-18T23:21:00.002+01:00

Traditional Gifts

Last time round, my parents treated me to motorbike lessons for a wedding present. This time they're not here, so Marco's parents got together with my brother Frank... only the first I heard about it was an ominous phone call from the latter to say not to be alarmed by any movement heard during the day. We all make a habit of keeping each other's keys, you see... although let me tell you something about these three. Marco gets his silliness from [B]both[/B] his parents, and Frank's not much better - in fact I think he's worse. If they were indeed planning a gift, I soon wondered if I wanted to know what they had in mind.

When Marco and I woke up this particular night, the first thing we saw on leaving our sleeping quarters were all three of them - Manuel, Erin (his parents) and Frank - standing there in front of the master bedroom like the Three Stooges. I was quickly not liking the look on her face as they greeted us!

"Good evening to you too," I greeted dryly.
"Okay you two, close your eyes!" she told us. Marco and I could only exchange puzzled glances as we shrugged and did as we were asked.
I could feel myself being guided forwards, and while I stood there in the dark she began to prattle on in the fashion of one of those TV interior designers.
"I mean, light modern wood and dark red walls? That had to go for a start, to say nothing of the lighting! I know you like modern style Marco, but trying to do that in this kind of room, it just doesn't go darling."
I crossed my arms as my tittering joined the others in the room.
"Are you trying to say something Mother?!" came the playful biting reply.
"Ready?" Manuel asked.
"Yeah, we're ready!" I jumped in reply, becoming impatient.
"Okay, open!"
I did so, and as my eyes opened they grew wide at the sight that befell my eyes.

I may be more serious, but I'm not that bad. I just burst into laughter on seeing the bed, and Marco was just as bad!
"I take it you approve?" Frank checked.
I could only nod in reply as I tried to compose myself. Once I did Manuel had another surprise in store.
"Well, Erin and Frank tell me it's tradition to give the bride something.. oh, new, old...?"
"Oh yeah yeah," I acknowledged, before giving a little snort. "I've never been much of a traditionalist."
Manuel raised an eyebrow, and I could hear him thinking about Luca. I quickly raised a finger in reply.
"Careful," I warned.
"Well, we thought best to not take any chances this time," he said, "Here."

I chuckled a little as I accepted. "Thanks," I said, "So what's what?"
Manuel glanced at his son before leading me away. "It's meant to be a surprise for him, remember?"
"Yeah, okay," I replied as we went into a different room.
"Anyway," he answered, "Erin went digging through her wedding clothes to see what we could use. She decided to lend you the purse and give you the veil.
"Okay," was all I could say as he continued.
"You'll find out with the other two soon enough," he finished with a smile. I eyed him for a little while before opening the package, and began to cackle in delight on seeing the contents.
"Wow, thanks!" I grinned as I gave him a hug.

So what were these things? Well, here's the veil:

This is the purse:

He was right, I did figure the rest out for myself. My eyes widened on the "new" though - a jewellery box containing these little treasures:

And the blue? Put it this way, I hope it won't be noticeable under my dress:

*****

A couple of the pics are a bit glitchy, sorry about that - one of them I couldn't help though, that's the trouble with necklaces on the athletic girl mesh :(

Round Two

2008-06-18T23:05:00.003+01:00

I think I can safely say I've never worked so hard on pictures in all the time I've been taking them! One thing before I start on the entry:

One of the pictures is glitchy - this is the fault of the object involved, but despite that I was determined to use it - you'll see why soon enough ;) Oh, for a couple of pics from the stag night I've attached a larger version - shrinking those were sacrilege :(

Think that's everything - here goes!

*****

Damsels and Warrior Women

What with this being a double wedding, I only had to take a look at the other bride and her Mum for me to decide what we'd be doing for our hen night. It's not just the darker styles I like; I have a deep-seated love for medieval and fantasy, and given that the afore-mentioned ladies were born in that time, I only had to drop in a suggestion and the two maids of honour snatched upon it in an instant.
“Great idea!” Giana grinned at the mention. Giana is the wife of one of my ex's alien sons - he's not technically my family but he's as good as, even though we're now divorced. Besides, she asked me to be maid of honour at her wedding, so I felt it only right to return the favour - at any rate, it was her husband who got us in touch in the first place, and a lovely man he is too.

I don't know how sincere some of the others were at being up for the idea, or how much they like to dress up at the best of times, but me? I love it. I went to town with this baby - I can't wait!

Okay, it's not strictly medieval but it counts as fantasy – no women of my build would be caught dead in your usual dress anyway ;)

We'd hired out a place for the night that was perfect, although what little snow coated the ground earlier has melted by the time we arrive. With it being winter, a lot of us forego the theme altogether for a while and made a beeline for the ice-rink – I'm just grateful vampires don't feel the cold! We had to give Emily and her Mum Nadia some lessons though, bless them – they got the hang of it soon enough though. I feel for the girls in dresses – try to ice-skate in those long things?

As I glide along the ice I find some open space, and a smile spreads across my face. An urge to show off builds up inside, which can't be resisted. I really am wearing the wrong attire for this – women who'd wear armour wouldn't be so graceful on the ice, but I don't care.

We don't spend too long on there however, since some of the others have already gone inside out of the cold. We find them sitting with cups of coffee as they warm themselves by the crackling fire, and sit with them for some relaxing girl talk, mainly about our significant others. Although with Nadia and Emily sitting next to me and Lucia by us, that talk got very close to home. Lucia (in the purple dress) is married to another of my ex's alien sons. Emily is the teenage girl sharing my wedding, and her fiancé is none other than my youngest son. What with Jeanette sitting by us too, things got a little awkward at first – Marco fathered her second child. Still, she says during our little chat he was better off with me, even saying she never deserved him. I make a mental note to myself to have a very long talk with her when we're both free.

After that something catches Giana's eye and she moves over.
“Hey, looky here!” she grins, pulling at something, and turns round brandishing a gleaming blade.
“Ooh, swords!” I grin as I join her. “Is there another one? ... Ah, beautiful!”
I tug at the handle and marvel at the slender, ornate weapon nestled in my hands.
“En garde!”
I look up just in time to see her sword swinging playfully at me, and instinctively block its path.
“Come on then,” she offers with a teasing smile, “Let's see what you've got!”
I sense the others crowding round us, and smile as I can hear them cheering us on while we spar.

After a while I can't help but look about myself. There really isn't much we can do here, not for a party. We can't spend the rest of the night on the ice rink either, it's not fair to the others who'd freeze.
“Who fancies going to a bar?” I offer. Hands everywhere shoot up in an instant, so off we go to the local metal joint. Complete with dance floor and hot tub... not to mention a drum kit! What to go for first...

The party animals among us decide for me and head for the dance floor. I get some strange looks at first and I begin to wish I had one of those traditional L plates to complete the look, although for me it's hardly accurate – what else is there to learn? With a then-husband turned werewolf and a wayward son I've probably done it all by now. Compared to the fun those two alone gave me, Marco and Vicky will be a cinch... all the more reason to celebrate!

“Do-do-dooo!”
I chuckle to myself as the conga song plays – I haven't heard that for years!
“Come on Mum!” Amy nudges, “You've got to lead!”
Well into the party spirit by now, I shuffle my way past the girls as, one by one, they latch onto each other as we manoeuvre through the bar.

The mortals among us decide it's time for some food, so we all sit at the tables while they eat and catch their breath from all the dancing. Among the chatter this time is wedding talk, and how well Nadia and her daughter Emily are adjusting to life here. They seem to be getting on fine, although at first Emily feels a little weird around me... I suppose I would too if I was in the same room as the mother of her fiancé that I'd bitten by accident, but now's not really the time to go into that. As we sit around after they've finished eating, Erica and Lorna slink off for a little soak in the hot tub – we decide to leave them to it.

As time wears on, a good proportion of the girls grow tired and head home, leaving the undead to party on into the small hours. We still have to go home sometime though, and at about half six in the morning I arrive home after picking up Vicky, head upstairs and find a now familiar sight in the master bedroom. Still fully clothed and stretched out on the bed, he looks up at me with a mischievous grin and a sparkle in his eye. I merely smile to myself as I stretch out next to him, although he seems drawn to my outfit... can't think why(!)
“So, how was your night?” he asks casually after a while.
“Oh, it was cool thanks,” I reply in a similar air, “You?”
He smiles ominously as he says in reply “Oh, it's a long story...”

~~~~~~~~

Painting the Town Black

Lesson for today, or rather tonight: Never let your gothic vampire Uncle arrange your stag night. Yes, my dear Uncle Kieran decided we should have a themed night and guess what he chose...
“Might as well get some good use out of those clothes I gave you, eh?” he says. Bah...

Still, as I apply the finishing touches to my attire, my eye sparkles as I pocket my camera. Dad has such a gentle disposition - I can't wait to see what he looks like! I just hope Kieran behaves himself...

I think now's a good time to list off the people who'll be attending - there's an awful lot of us, wouldn't want you to lose track would we? I've mentioned a few already, namely the party arranger himself, my Dad, and the guest of honour himself of course... although that doesn't just mean me. Sarah's youngest son Evan is also getting married, despite outwardly being such a young age. This is meant to be an adults-only affair due to the alcohol involved but... Evan's a vampire. He looks and acts sixteen, yet in real terms he's eighteen now. Also on the guest list are Sarah's brother Frank, as well as Johan and Carlos, half-alien brothers she regards as family even though they're not her children. Um, who else... ah yes. There's my younger brother Dante, my other Uncle Alex - now, he and Kieran were lovers, so I'd normally be cautious about inviting them both to the same event. I just hope his new boyfriend Gino will be able to keep him under control! Yes he's coming too, he's Sarah's oldest. Then there's my son Karl who's now at University, along with his and Evan's friends Rowan and Gino, my youngest brothers - Mum and Dad have been very busy over the years! Johan wanted to invite his father too, of course I agreed. Phew! Out of that little lot, it's Johan and Karl who are the Best Men for our double wedding - I thought it unfair that one man carried the burden for such a big affair, and Evan got to Johan before I did – all three of us have been through a lot together - so I asked my son instead.

Yes, it's the Best Man's job to organise the stag night, but for some reason Kieran was very keen to arrange it instead. Why I have yet to find out, but for now it's off to this rock/metal bar to begin our night. I decide to leave the car at home and fly there, only to find some of them have already arrived. A smile spreads across my face at the sight of one of them.
“Hey Dad!” I grin as I produce my camera, “Strike a pose!”

Now you know partly where I get it from! The other part? Mum of course ;)

Some of our guests are in their element with this theme, but others aren't so happy. Like my brothers for instance, although they go along with the idea. We spend about an hour or two in the bar before Kieran gets excited.
“Right, you ready?” he asks eagerly, his hands rubbing together in anticipation.
“I suppose so,” I reply, “Ready for what?”
“My big surprise!” he grins as we head off. The rest of us look about each other, all equally puzzled. Our best men shrug at me with a mixture of bewilderment and knowing, as if to say “This is why we let him arrange the night... whatever it is he has in mind.”

We arrive at what looks like an old church, but I recognise it as the Confession Nightclub... trust Kieran to pick this place. He's unusually chirpy as he enters, but I soon discover why as he stands in a wide open space with a broad grin on his face as he gestures broadly about him.
“This, my friends, is my business venture in-making with any luck!”

I can't help but stare in amazement at him. I know he's been itching to start a business at some point, but now it seems like he's ready to put this into practise pretty soon. He's not finished however, as he approaches me and drapes an arm round my shoulders.
“I have a proposition for you in fact,” he says, “Since you're very much the businessman yourself, how would you like to look after that side of things?”
My eyes widen as I look back at him. “Are you asking me to be your business partner?” I check.
“If you want to,” he replies, “I'm not forcing your hand.”
I begin to feel overwhelmed at the prospect, and a smile creeps across my face as the possibilities flit through my mind. But I quickly bring myself back to reality as I tell him I'll think about it. This isn't a small offer by any means, and it requires much discussion. My stag night is hardly the time to talk business.
“Of course,” he says before heartilly slapping my shoulder. “Come on, let me get you all a drink.”
He may be a goth and a big flirt, but he has a heart of gold.

The evening wears on and the alcohol flows freely - not a problem for us vampires as we can't get drunk, but it seems to be getting to the heads of the others. We all decide to have a dance as I silently hope I won't end up carrying one or more of them home - I'm already getting visions of my Dad passed out in my arms as I fly to his home, rehearsing what I'd say to Mum when she sees him.

Larger version

I eventually feel a tap on my shoulder and turn to find Carlos, looking distinctively worse for wear although not enough to deteriorate his flow of speech.
“What's up?” I ask casually, although I can sense something strange in his train of thought.
“Can I ask you a favour please...?” he begins, before his mouth moves to my ear as he speaks again, in an effort to make himself more easily heard above the loud music. My head jerks away as I look him squarely in the eyes with a serious expression.
“Are you serious?” I check, “This isn't the wine talking is it?”
“No no, I've been thinking about it for a while,” he replies adamantly, shaking his head.
“What about your family?”
“They'll be fine!” he grins, “Lucy wants it anyway, we both spoke about it...”
“And you're 120 per cent sure about this are you?”
“150!”
I smile to myself as I spot a gleam in his black eyes. “Alright then,” I agree, about to move off before I notice him already tugging at his shirt. “What, here?” I ask with a frown.
“Why not? Joe had it at his graduation!” he replies, referring to his younger green-skinned brother.
I look about myself nervously; my last time was in the privacy of my own home. This couldn't be more different.
“Come on!” he urges.
Eventually I shrug before obliging.

“What the...?” I hear someone exclaim.
My heart sinks as I recognise it as Dad's, and as I take my fill I can feel his eyes on me. I look up at him as I sheepishly wipe traces of green blood from my lips.
“He asked,” I offer meekly as I eye Carlos with slight concern. It may not be Dad I carry home in my arms...
Johan steps forward to scoop up his brother and carries him to nearby seating, setting him down as I self-consciously lick my lips, my eyes flicking between various human members of my family. Dante seems to be the only one remotely unmoved, but then he does live with a werewolf. Nonetheless, I don't relish the fact that my family has seen this side of me – dinnertime isn't a topic I generally discuss with them given what it entails.

During the course of the night Carlos recovers, and after a spot of relaxing - be it playing pool or darts with a few more drinks in between - I rummage in my pockets for the camera again, asking a passer-by if they would kindly help capture a souvenir of my - well, our - big party night.

Larger version

Oh for heaven's sake... I'll be slapping certain family members afterwards, that's for sure! Oh, who's who? Well, some you've seen already but I'll go through it again: From the left, there's me and my son Karl, Alex, Kieran, the man laying on the floor is Frank, above him is Dad, my brothers Rowan, Dante and Gino, then fledgling vampire Carlos, below him is his father. Then there's Evan's brother Gino, the lad himself and our good friend Johan.

Maybe I should attach a sharp objects warning to that photo – there are a lot of fangs on display! I suppose the theme was fitting for that reason alone... oh, and when the night's over I fly home empty handed, thankfully. Still, better to get the eventful stuff out of the way prior to the wedding – I for one don't fancy a repeat of what happened when Johan and Giana got married.

*****

That last pic drove me absolutely nuts. Moving them around was one thing, but when they stubbornly refused to look at the camera, instead gassing to their friends even though I'd cancelled the sitting action in the queue...

Round One

2008-06-18T18:47:00.003+01:00

Question Time

Where did you and your fiancé meet for the first time? I think the very first time was when one of my ex's kids brought him home when they were teens... yes, there's quite an age difference between us. We bumped into each other a few times after he graduated from Uni, and became friends after that.

What is your favourite part of your fiancé, & Why? His heart - he's very gentle, warm, loving... just like my ex used to be before he changed. In fact it took Marco for me to realise how big the cracks in my existing marriage were, seems daft now...

What is your fiancé’s favourite part of you, & Why? Funnily enough the same thing - he's often told me similar about myself.

Do you want children? Erm, bit late for that... ;) We may want more later on... it's not like we have any rush!

What's your favourite feature on your fiancé? He doesn't like his mouth, but I love the smile it gives him.

What would he say is your best feature? He loves my eyes - he's always admiring them.

Was it love at first sight? Now that would just be wrong wouldn't it?! ;) No, shortly before that happened he thought at first he loved one of my daughters Jeanette... it's a long story, but even Luca (my ex) and I were trying to warn him away from her, together with his Uncles - sounds bad I know, but she really isn't the commitment type. He found that out the hard way after asking me to bite him, then using his new gift of telepathy to find out for certain how she felt... and promptly turned to me when his suspicions were confirmed. Although it was also then he admitted he'd been pointing the love he'd been feeling in the wrong direction - that's how we ended up together. We couldn't do much about it until Luca and I had split, but since then...

Have you ever split-up? If so why? No; we'd both been going through a bad enough time, in a sense each other was all that kept us going. Me more than him it has to be said, which he knows...

What does you fiancé do that drives you crazy? He has a very cheeky sense of humour, which although fun for the most part gets a bit much sometimes.

Do you get along with his family? His parents were friends of mine while he was younger. He gets his good nature mostly from his father Manuel - he's a wonderful guy.

The Proposal

I had just got back from visiting my youngest son Evan, who at the tender age of sixteen is already raising a family of his own with his girlfriend. However there was something different when I stepped through the front door. The smell hit me first; the scent of rose wafted past my nostrils, tantalising my senses - I've always enjoyed the smell of roses, even if it's the artificial kind produced by candles.

It was then I noticed a trail of rose petals forming a path up the stairs. Approaching it intrigued, out of the corner of my eye I noticed candles burning on various surfaces, but as my eye returned to the petal trail I couldn't help but smile. I knew exactly where it would lead, and chuckled to myself as I climbed the staircase and headed for the master bedroom, noting that indeed that was where the petals lead to.

I couldn't believe my eyes when I entered. There he was, stretched out on the bed without a care in the world... and dressed in clothes completely out of character for him. I began to suspect he was wearing them for a reason - he knows I have a soft spot for that kind of attire, and not only because I wear it myself.

"Very subtle," I mused, after letting the temperature die down a little.
"Welcome home honey," he replied with a cheeky grin.
I crouched down by the bed. "There's still no need to shout," I told him.
With that he clutched my hand and pulled me on top of him. "Oh yes there is," came the reply. I just chuckled.
"What're you like?" I remarked, and he was quiet for a moment before suddenly shifting his weight from under me, the fire between the two of us burning fiercely as we embraced.

After cuddling up to each other for a while, my mind drifted back to the rose petals and the candles, some of which burning softly in the room, and began to giggle.
"What?" he quizzed.
"I can think of more subtle ways to tell me you're in the mood..." I began, but again he fell silent for a moment.
"Believe it or not, that wasn't my intention," he smiled in reply, "Well, not at first..."
I frowned as I sat up. "I didn't think it was like you," I remarked, "Mind you, the outfit was pretty misleading if that's not what you had in mind."
"Caught your attention didn't it?" he said with a sparkle in his eye.
I allowed myself a brief chuckle before turning serious. "Come on, what's going on?"
In reply he slid off the bed, a hand gripping mine as he gestured to me to do the same. He never even stopped to dress before sinking to the ground on one knee...

"Sarah..." he began as he clutched my hands, but I could feel them shaking. He softly bit his lip before continuing, "I can honestly say there is no one else I would rather spend an eternity with than with you... It would be a great honour if you would become my wife."
A sharp expulsion of air left my lungs as I felt my knees weaken. It had been a long time since I'd experienced romance anywhere near this level, and as he produced the box and presented the ring, I felt tears well at my eyes as it slowly dawned on me that this was for real.

He stood up and brushed away the tears now trickling down my cheeks as I was barely able to utter my reply, triggering his own tears as we tightly embraced.

After all the pain I've suffered so far, however unintentional, this was the start of a new life for me.

First Special Task

2008-06-18T18:31:00.002+01:00

My biggest mistake to date was letting Marco fill in the invitations...

Larger version

When it came to the menu, we had an easy choice. Marco's Dad is Italian, so's one of his Uncles, and I used to love Italian food when I was mortal, so that pretty much drove the theme for the food :D

Larger version

What's the cake, you ask? A tasty (sounding, at least) fruit affair coated in royal icing...

Application Round

2008-06-18T18:02:00.000+01:00

This girl was my first ever go at a self-sim - barely looks anything like me, which given how she's been in-game is just as well... She's also a vampire, by the way.

*****

Your Name: Sarah Turilli
Fiancé’s Name: Marco Staropoli
Age: 62
Is this your first wedding? It is his, but not mine. This is my second marriage, the last ended in tears.
How do you describe yourself? Fairly reserved, I know when to be serious but still have a good sense of humour. And both of us are incredibly nice :)
Why should you be Best Bride? After the fun and games I've had so far - well, not just me but the whole family seems to be cursed - I think I deserve some good fortune for a change. My last wedding was a small affair, but Marco likes to show off - this time it's going to be loud and proud :D
Why you chose to get married in the winter? Valentine's Day, anyone? ;) Well, we're both big softies so with that approaching we just couldn't resist.

So this is me:

Enjoying some quality dancing time

And this is M... *shrieks* Alright, that's it... Excuse me one moment...!

This is Vicky, our first daughter together. Isn't she beautiful?