8 AM--Jeremy and Drake
Emotionally of course it didn't matter, but Jeremy realized he had no idea what day of the week, or calendar date precisely it was. Once you were in the park long enough, time simply, ceased to matter. Oh sure you could likely keep track of you tried hard enough, but until the huskies showed up telling you your time in the park was up, there was almost a timelessness to being the park, your human life just seemed so, distant. (Maybe that was how nearly all their relationships started in the first place.)
Jeremy made a point that would have to ultimately ask the huskies precisely what day he and Leticia were wed, it would be rather humiliating if they didn't know their own anniversary date.
"Drake."
"Yes Boss Man Jeremy?" The shorter business bowed to the collage lad without a second thought.
"Remind me tomorrow to ask the huskies about what day today the wedding day is."
"Yes Boss Man Jeremy." Drake bowed again, not feeling humiliated in the least, it merely feeling.. proper. The sentient park of his brain knew it was just the buck instincts, but he couldn't bring himself to care.
One less thing to think about. Too bad. That meant Jeremy had to think about the wedding. Today the day. Today he sealed his fate, if it hadn't already been sealed when Leticia turned out to be pregnant. Neither one really discussed it, but they knew, even if they were able to leave the park some day, they doubted it would be as humans. Jeremy knew at this point, he couldn't picture himself as they evolved monkey anymore, than Leticia could picture herself as Larry.
Jeremy wondered, would Marth try something at the very last moment? Would it rain? Would there suddenly be an emergency that would derail the whole thing? Would Leticia realize she really couldn't spend her entire life as a female and politely decline when asked to say 'I do.'? Jeremy shuddered, but struggled to keep up his 'fearless leader' motif that was expected of him as herd leader.
He almost felt like handing the crown over to Spike after all. True, Spike wasn't really the buck who beat him anymore, but he wasn't really the buck who had wanted to turn half the bucks into does either! But Jeremy knew better than to hand over this kind of authority, even the authority of some park guests inside a park run by a giant unseen financial group. But in the end, Sam had trusted Jeremy with this responsibility, and if he couldn't shoulder this burden, how could he handle supporting a family with Leticia?
True the park was going to take care of most things until Leticia's fawn was born, but what about after that? Who could say. But Jeremy did know one thing, he would show his mother one thing, that he could face them like a man.
"Boss Man Jeremy." Drake asked politely, "Shall I begin applying the body paint?"
Jeremy remembered his loyal work hand was still right besides him. Jeremy nodded.
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8 AM--Father Tyminski
The raccoon priest looked over what would effective function as his church this day. Though the real church of course had always been, and would always be the people who made it up. He had made do with fewer resources during his stay here. He knew this was supposed to be a vacation for himself as much as anyone else here. But this park did indeed create the illusion of being it's own miniature world. And Father Tyminski felt almost like a missionary of sorts here sometimes.
As for the panthers, Father Tyminski had had many polite discussions with them. The priest had admirably been able to hold onto the belief that it was the soul that made any living thing human. Some in the park considered this way of thinking a disease, but being Christian, Father Tyminski was very much used to his ideas being considered such. While the panthers still believed they were not human, and because the animals they had had their DNA replaced with were not social creatures, thought marriage could hold no truth to them: Father Tyminski still believed they would come around ultimately.
In a way, Father Tyminski say them as no different from teenagers, with new feelings, urges, and hormones. After all, they had had their new forms for SUCH a short time, could they really say with that much certainly they weren't human anymore? And Father Tyminski felt, that far too many people over the decades and centuries, had fought for the right to be called human, for it be discard easily.
Father Tyminski memorized his short sermon again, knowing what to say for the happy couple on the most important day of their lives. That done, he began applying the white body paint pattern he had decided on along with the pair of deer in charge of the event with the help of another of the park's raccoon morphs, a convert. He felt it proper, to wear something besides his cross for this day.
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8 AM--Jenny and Spike
"Hey little guy, how are you today?" Katie said kneeling down to Spike level.
"Hello Doggie." Spike said, "Uh, you're not here about me and mommy are you?"
Katie laughed, "No way kiddo! I'm here about your mommy's best friend that getting married. I have a very very special something that's very very VERY important that it's given to her best friend, and Mr. Jeremy."
Spike was spellbound. "What is it?"
"An important something I want you to help me with giving to them."
"Excuse me." Jenny said, Robbie right behind her. "What do you want with my fawn?"
Katie bolted up, the smile never leaving her muzzle. For once, she didn't mind being naked among the park guests. For just this once, she let go. "I have a personal gift for Mr. Jeremy and Misses Leticia. Concerning their wedding if they'll take it."
"What?" Jenny asked, her guard dropping figuring this wasn't like anything to do between her and Spike anymore. Robbie also felt more relaxed feeling Spike wasn't in danger.
"These." The husky held up in her paw two bands of gold, large enough to fit around the armored fingers of an hyper evolved deer.
"Those are." Jenny asked.
"I just figured that, since it's their wedding day, you can't have a proper wedding without a pair of rings right? I'm sorry if they aren't quite up to snuff, but they're the absolute best I could find." Katie had also owned them for almost a decade before this day.
"You figured?"
"The Managers have nothing to do with this, consider this a personal gift between me and them."
"Why? Do you know me personally?"
"No more than anyone else. It's just my belief that just because our DNA has been modified doesn't mean we have to give up the little things that make us human."
Jenny held back a good natured laugh, figuring the husky might take it the wrong way. "T-Thank you. I'll be sure they get them. Why were you talking to Spike though?"
"Well.. the rings need a ring bearer right? Didn't you ever see Lord of the Rings?"
The mention of the movie based off the novel, brought memories of the outside world crashing back to the deer. Jenny started for a moment. None of them had given movies a thought almost since they had entered the park, or any form of mass media entertainment for that matter.
"Do I need to drop them into Mount Doom?" Spike asked.
"Er, no dear, you don't." Jenny explained.
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8 AM--John and Lateisha
John and Lateisha beheld their creation, though the final parts had yet to arrive (the bride, bridemaids, and groom), it was still a fantastic site to behold. The addition of the flowers by the huskies had done wonders. There were some things wild flowers just couldn't compare with, like it or not.
"You know, I wonder who feels more nervous about all this," John said, "Me, or Boss Man Jeremy. If anything doesn't go just perfectly, it'll be my tail in the fire."
"Hey! I worked on this too! So don't go think it's suddenly all your fault if this bombs, which it ISN'T by the way." Lateisha said sternly.
"Just looking out for worst case scenario." John brought his hoofs up in defense.
"Well don't. This is a happy day, and things are gonna turn out just right, just you wait and see."
"Just don't jinx it by saying stuff like that okay?"
"I don't believe in jinxes. We make our own luck. And we've MADE this place beautiful, and everyone else is gonna MAKE this a wonderful day."
John changed the subject, "So... are you gonna keep your fur? Ya know, when ya leave?"
Lateisha shook her head smiling, "Nope! Not in the least! It's been fun! And all the friends I've made here will ALWAYS be my friends. And if they want to keep their DNA creatively changed, more power to them. But me? I don't mind bananas."
"Me neither, but I'm stuck here along with the rest of the herd leaves... even if Boss Man Jeremy has to stay behind to look after Boss Lady Leticia and her fawn."
"Not like you could ask him to do anything different even if the park made it so... so... how long after the wedding are the rest of you little collage boys stuck here for anyway?"
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8 AM--The Newshounds
Lexy was a couple years older than Spike, maybe, it was hard to tell. But she was every bit as happy go lucky, without a care in the world. Strange for someone who was supposed to be in their forties.
Her big brother was supposed to be in his forties as well, even if he was supposed to be just a year older than her, though now he was over twice her age and then some. He didn't mind being young again, he had just accepted what age he was in the real world, and had no intention of trying to cheat death or old age. He was comfortable with who he was on the outside and saw no reason to change it.
It had been of course Lexy's idea for them to be Lynx's, as a pun on their names. Rex had secretly wished for them to have dinosaurs on the list, but no such luck, guess the extinct species list didn't go back that far. Rex had decided them to be ARed when the option had shown to simply try it out.
Lexy answered every question Rex asked her with little or no trouble. Her name, her street address, her pin number, her social security number, the name of the collage she went to, her first grade teacher. But... she just seemed -bored- by them. She knew how to write up an outstanding essay, but she just didn't seem to care. the only question she answered strangely was her age.
Rex knew he was gonna have a long talk with the park management about the side effects of major age regression. Or he wondered... if he regretted not de-aging himself to the same age as Lexy.
Either way, she showed some marginal excitement at going to the wedding (since there were no video games or dolls in the park). And was eager to tag along to check it out with Rex to report on it to the rest of the 'News Hound Tribe.' They were still the best reporters the new hounds had. Harrison apparently was going to be sitting in with the panthers, having formed a friendship with the panther Keith.
The plus side, Lexy was proving to be very good at coaxing answers out of people who didn't want to talk to Rex. And Lexy enjoyed every moment of it.
Walking Coyote (go ahead and guess his species), their wether man of sorts (he swore his grandpa was a certified shaman), promised it was going to be clear skies all day. When Monty's Motley crew said there was no signs of crop circle activity, Rex just took it with a grain of salt.
"Well little sister, the big day is finally here."
"Do you think we could get married too big brother?" Lexy asked smiling.
Rex sweatdropped. "Er, no, sorry, I don't think it could work out."
"Aw nuts." Lexy lamented for a few moment before saying, "Still, I'm sure we'll get something good for everyone to hear about right?" She grinned.
"You bet!"
Lexy clapped and laughed.