[Round 5] Ehlanii, Brice, Riley, Walker, Mar - Love is a Temporary Mad

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JP - Ehlanii, Brice, Mar, Riley & Walker - Love is a Temporary Madness

((Twilight’s Edge, Deep Space 17)

::The fluttering in her stomach was almost more than she could bear as she

looked around the small room. As hard as she tried to calm her mind,

thoughts were flitting through faster than she could hold on to them. It

was today. The room was filled with energy, even though there were only

three people in it. The Haliian wished she could see out to where everyone

else was gathered but then she would be risking that they would see her.

Instead she was left, almost alone, with her thoughts and feelings to keep

her company.::

:: Out in the front of the ceremonial room, Ethan was standing with his arms

behind his back, his hands cupped together. He was staring at the front

where their presiding Officer was going to be stood. Staring. His teeth

were chewing the inside of his cheek. He shouldn’t have been nervous; there

was no possible point to him being nervous, he was getting married to the

woman he loved beyond all reasonable doubt, meaning he was going to spend

the rest of his human life with her, share everything with her... What could

he possibly be worried about?::

::Her thoughts weren’t even mostly bad. Overall, she was really excited.

She was also nervous, but it was all mixed up with joy and elation. It was

all finally happening. She looked down, smoothing a few tiny folds in her

dress - a vibrant blue, the color of the evening sky on Halii, edged in a

green as deep and dark as the hiresh trees on Halii. The fabric was soft,

imported from her home planet, not replicated. She could almost never tell

the difference between real and replicated - engineers did such a good job -

but this was one occasion where the real thing seemed truly appropriate.::

:: Music played in the background that the Engineer stood there could hardly

hear. A single piano player playing a soft melody for the congregating

guests. Breaking away from his stare, he looked down at his tunic and

brushed it down lightly. High collars and Starfleet uniforms never went

down well with the man who liked his freedom of movement. However, his

thoughts weren’t on the mechanics of his uniform, but on how his stomach was

turning and tossing inside his abdomen and he knew that at any moment, the

music would change and Karynn would be stepping through the doors to change

his life once again.::

::Karynn chewed on her lip as she listened to the soft strains of the music

coming from just beyond the door. It was almost time... very soon she would

walk out and merge her own life with Ethan’s.::

Riley: ::Smiling.:: Are you ready? You look so beautiful.

::The Haliian smiled, picking up the brightly colored bouquet, composed of

flowers from the two planets. Vibrant blues, purples, and yellows of

traditional Haliian flowers were interspersed among the pure white and

gentle pink of Terran roses..::

Ehlanii: I’m so glad you were willing to do this.

Riley: ::Blushes lightly.:: I wouldn't miss it.

:: Ethan looked over at Ben and grimaced; the look of a man with the look of

his stomach tying in knots inside his inner core, of the dress uniform

riding up his neck too tightly threatening to cut off his oxygen supply...

As if this was a possibility, the engineer hooked a finger inside the collar

and tugged it gently away from his neck.::

:: Smiles didn't come naturally for the Romulan trained human, but the look

of his brother pulling loose an imaginary noose struck him. He whispered

without turning his head. ::

Walker: Calm down, it'll all be over before you know it. And then you'll

keep wondering where it went.

:: Stifling a grin, the young man looked to the front and shifted a bit on

his feet. Nerves permeated every fiber Ethan was known to possess and he

tried to inhale calmly and coolly.::

Brice: It’s not every day I’ve got my family and Karynn’s family staring at

the back of my head.

Walker: This? This is nothing. Now try doing this in front of several

hundred of your betrothed's "closest" relatives all carrying weapons and

drunk. That is stressful.

:: True enough, he reasoned with himself as he dared to look around, over

his shoulder at the gathered congregation of family members and friends.

Maybe this was not such a good idea. Maybe they would have been better off

cohabiting as they were, try this again in few years when they had not

nearly as many friends and some family had died off...::

Brice: Maybe this isn’t a good idea, Ben...

:: His closest friend seemed to pick up on his nervousness and halted it in

its tracks.::

:: Ben's voice became serious as he replied::

Walker: Can you imagine a day without her? Does anything you do seem

completely real until you share it with her? Does seeing her bring a smile

to your face no matter how bad the day?

:: Ethan exhaled a brief laugh but kept the smile faintly on his lips.::

Brice: Of course.

:: He finished with a mock Scottish accent::

Walker: Well then laddie, I be thinkin' ye can stand theyer right an proper

fo' a lady tha grand.

:: Even seeing Ben’s mouth try to twist around the accent of his wife made

the Engineer laugh. He patted Ben lightly on the shoulder.::

Brice: You’ve got the accent down to pat there, Rommie. How’d you manage

it?

Walker: :: Openly grinning:: In-laws, you adapt.

::The music had changed and the Fleet-Captain knew what that meant. With a

wry smile at the comment about adapting to in-laws, Idril cleared her voice

and tried to sound stern.::

Mar; Gentlemen... I think we’re about to start. If you’d be so kind...?

::Karynn heard the music changed, the pre-arranged signal. It was time.

She nodded at the other woman and stepped aside, out of sight as the door

opened to allow them to leave. It wouldn’t be long now...::

:: The music changed and the Engineer inhaled deeply, exhaling deeper and

looked at Ben. They both turned, on cue, to look at the doors at the back

of the ceremonial room.::

::Karynn watched, out of sight as Sidney left the preparatory room. At

last, it was her turn. Again the music changed, this time an old folk

melody, traditional on the Haliian’s home planet. With her bouquet in one

hand, she adjusted the sheer blue scarf covering her hair, and stepped

through the doors. Her gaze went past the assembled guests, all looking at

her, straight to her fiance at the front of the room. A smile lit up her

face as she began the slow walk down the center aisle, a walk that seemed to

last an eternity and at the same time fly by.::

:: Barely turning at first, Ethan caught a glimpse of his fiancee from the

corner of his eye and felt his stomach dip, nerves becoming more apparent

with every moment. His hands clasped in front of him and he watched her

walk down the centre aisle towards him. His grin spread across his face as

the concoction of endorphins and serotonin swam through his cerebrum.::

::The Haliian approached the front, she reached out, taking Ethan’s hand,

her smile brightening as she began to feel his emotions wash over her,

mingle with her own. Together they took the last few steps toward the Fleet

Captain.::

:: And waited until the music had trailed off, stood together in unison

before their Captain. The redheaded Trill woman smiled at her two former

officers, then looked out across the assembly and raised her voice.::

Mar: Honored guests, we have gathered here today to bear witness to the

joining of two beings...

::She looked back to the couple in front of her.::

Mar: ...two friends... in a bond that is for some spiritual, for others

merely emotional, but for all is an expression of mutual devotion and shared

love.

::The green-eyed bride looked from her former Captain to her beloved and

smiled gently. It was hard to believe this was all happening. She squeezed

his hand gently, wishing he could feel every emotion flowing through her the

way she could feel his. Her gaze traveled back to the joined Trill as she

listened to the woman’s introductory remarks.::

((To Be Continued...))

Lt. Cmdr Ethan Brice

Research and Development

USS Independence-A

and

Lt. Cmdr. Karynn Ehlanii

First Officer

USS Independence-A

and

Captain Ben Walker

Ambassorial Attache

and

Flt. Captain Sidney Riley

Commanding Officer

USS Independence-A

and

Flt. Captain Idril Mar