11: 36 AM -- Bridal Party
"What do you mean Jenny?" Leticia asked, stopping her tears (both of joy and that last twang of regret she knew she had to bleed out to face her future) for the moment.
Jenny remembered Lateisha's warning of doom and had no intention of breaking it, but she knew she didn't need to say precisely what happened.
"Marth was looking down in the dumps when Hannah started painting him, so she managed to drag out his misery and talk him out of it. The two of them looked like they were finally hitting it off pretty well when I last saw them."
"Heh." Leticia smiled at the irony, "So our Hannah has finally got a buck friend who isn't taken... Hey! This is supposed to be MY day." Leticia with a smile on her face.
"Well, Marth's found the courage to move on, like you kept telling him to yourself mind you. Now you following your own advice or going to drag on the drama?" Jenny said all this with a cheerful tone.
"Heh... you're right..." Leticia wiped her tears away. "I won't have those regrets, not now, not ever. Thanks Jenny." 'Maybe me and Marth don't need to say good-bye more time, maybe, we just needed to say good-bye to ourselves.'
++++++++
11: 40 AM -- Hannah and Marth's Love Nest
While Lateisha's devotion to seeing the wedding went as perfectly as possible couldn't be questioned: her overreaction to Marth and Hannah's tardiness was fairly disruptive in it's own right. She had dragged Jenny away from the groom's party early (causing things to get derailed on that track).
She had also successfully killed the after glow of Marth and Hannah's first moment of passion (derailing the resolutions and absolutions the two were forming).
However, Lateisha was as intense as Naomi in this matter, a frightening force of will devoted to Jeremy and Leticia's will and happiness. Both she and John had put so much effort into this wedding, she would have nothing screw with it under her watch. This will and devotion was so powerful it was enough for her to easily shrug off the musk from Marth and Hannah with no effect. Something no non-sentient deer could ever hope to do.
Su Yin took Lateisha's displeasure like she did most things with calm and coolness. She knew that Hannah and Marth needed their moment of passion, it was needed for the both of them to finally find a few path for themselves. As such, 'I have no regrets Lateisha, none at all. If you think I'm responsible then I gladly accept it.' Su Yin thought indignantly.
Finding the pine had -thankfully- been relatively easy, just a matter of stumbling on the right tree with the right smell. Breaking the branches had been a little more trouble than it was worth, but Lateisha wanted the smell of pine, and dead ones wouldn't give the oder quite as much.
Marth and Hannah had emerged from the river much more sober, and Lateisha had wasted no time in applying the pine branches to the couple, then to herself and Su Yin as well. Well, there were much worse things to smell like than pine.
Rob had galloped to the creek huffing, Lateisha's thundering orders through Jenny having made the urgency of her orders clear. This park was NOT small, and while the majority of them were now built more for running than climbing, running for one place to another still drained a guy.
Rob had fell to his knees holding the two sacred prizes in his hands, the flowers for Hannah and the body paint for Marth. Lateisha plucked the two prizes from his arms without a word and Rob fell laid down catching his breath. 'I am SO glade I don't have an 'official' role in this wedding.'
Lateisha also had one major problem that was going through her mind. Where precisely could she place Marth? There was no way in Hades she was letting him fight for his place in the herd today! Not with so little time left! It was a random factor, and she despised those today more than anything! Place him near the back he might fell insulted, placing him near the front might get the other bucks agitated.
Having Marth and Hannah stand like soldiers at attention (indeed, Naomi would have been very pleased with Lateisha), side by side, Lateisha struggled, and ultimately decided, "Marth, you'll sit next to Hannah on her left. You should have a decent view of the ceremony there."
Also, she figured that with Hannah's new status with Marth, Hannah would be able to keep Marth under control.
"Yes, er, Miss." Marth said, somehow being submissive to a doe felt VERY wrong, but Hannah was in the same boat so things were tolerable.
Hannah allowed herself to smile at the news.
"Su Yin I trust you remember the pattern?" Lateisha said handing the body paint to her.
"Like my birthday, like the chinese zodiac, yes I remember Madam." Su Yin said formally. 'When exact did Lateisha get upgraded to 'Madam' status? Well, at this point it's best to go with the flow.'
"Okay, I'll do Hannah then." Lateisha said, "And you two." pointing an armored finger at the couple, "Are going to be statues for the next couple minutes and have no say in the matter understood?"
The two deer merely nodded.
"Good, let's do this and hope we finnish before noon then!"
Su Yin applied the predestine black pattern on Marth's body with the speed and precision of professionalism, keeping herself as detached as she could from feeling up a buck's body, there was no room for drama here. As for Marth, he felt excited, but he also resisted the urge to act upon it. The rational part of his knowing all to well that the clock was ticking down very fast indeed.
Lateisha discarded the job ruined by Hannah's love making and began from scratch, annoyed at her work being tarnished so callously. But there was no time, no time at all. She began the careful process of making up Hannah's hair, and precisely placing the flowers in her hair and fur, if they were lucky, they would just make it in time.
+++++++
11: 45 AM -- First Church of TF Park USA
"So you remember what to do, right little guy?" It was weird John calling the child who used to be the fearsome Spike 'little guy' but it felt even weirder calling him 'dark lord' or something else along those lines.
Spike nodded eagerly, "Yep! After Mister Jeremy and Miss Leticia go down to Mr. Raccoon, I come down with the rings, not running, not tripping over anything, and just 'pre-sent' the rings to them."
"Good." John said, then he realized. All the members of the herd had to be decorated in some way of those who were involved directly in the ceremony. He realized that Lateisha and Jenny were nowhere to be seen, and there wasn't time anymore to come and get them.
John sighed, 'Please let no one thinking I'm a degenerate for this.' He hoped that Lateisha just approved of the pattern he'd use.
Finding the last bit of body paint, John said, "Okay little guy, just stay still, and I'll put your body paint on."
"Like Indians?"
"Sorte', this is important so try to stay very still."
"Okay."
Keeping his distance as much he could, John began to apply the body faint to the fawn. He had to start over twice because Spike broke out into giggles with the body paint being applied to his body. But seven minutes later, Spike looked the part of another member of the ceremony for Lord Jeremy and Lady Leticia.
Now John just needed to hope the does didn't murderer him.
++++++++
11: 50 AM -- Predator Hill
"Whadda mean you've never played video games?" The blue vixen asked, who also happened to be named Chris (in spite of her instance on being referred to by the name of the character she had been molded into the shape of) which had served as the topic starter. Truth was, Chris actually didn't mind talking with someone who wasn't trying to hit on her or trying to 'help her discover her inner girl.' The fact the vixen had been male on the outside two also served as a bit of a topic starter. Though Chris found the fact she had chosen to be a she for her vacation weird.
The panther girl Chris just shrugged, "They rot your brains, and I prefer to just my real arms and legs, not imaginary ones on a computer screen."
That's not true, they help develop your sense of logic and strategy, and problem solving."
"And they're hopelessly addictive, and ruin your social life." True, panther-Chris didn't have much of one either, but that was besides the point.
"I'll have you know I have plenty of friends." True she only knew most of them on-line, but that was besides the point.
"I'll have you know, no fighting game can teacher you real self defense."
"Think we're gonna have to interfere with this point?" Invisible Zack asked invisible Harry.
"As long as they don't start yelling who should have ended up with who in their favorite show, I don't see this turning violent." Like it had with Monty's group on occasion.
+++++++
11: 51 AM -- Jessica and Katie
"Okay, step back, block, upward block, downward block, hidden foot stance, and bow to me. That's it!" Katie was impressed that the girl was picking up quickly, however. "Okay Jessica. I'm happy to see you're getting it. But remember, sometimes a little experience can be more trouble than more experience. Defend yourself if need be, but don't go starting anything."
"Okay Katie." Jessica bowed again. "So it begins right at noon?"
"Hopefully. Wouldn't be the first wedding I've been to where things go derailed and things ran late. But it looks like none of the bucks are aiming to cause trouble, and Monty and his gang are staying away so that's one less thing to worry about."
"Monty?"
"Monty Mongoose, conspiracy nut. He thinks that the TF Park Tech is all alien in nature and that everyone is gonna to be turned into zombie ninja robots, or some garbage like that."
"Sounds like an idiot."
"Not really, idiot's not the right word. He's smart, TOO smart, and he's WAY too creative in the way he connects things, and he's totally convinced all authority figures are out to get him."
"Now that's just weird." Jessica admitted.
"Agreed. Well girlie, the show's about to begin, I'd say just sit back and relax, but Naomi might appear and demand to know why we were sitting on our tails during an assignment. So keep your wits about you."
"Okay... oooh that little fawn is so cute, was he born here in the park?"
"Naw. The park hasn't been in operation THAT long. He's another guests who was de-aged for therapy." Katie saw no reason to tell Jessica about the misery the OLDER Spike aimed to cause.
"Therapy?"
"Yeah, he had some problems, being little helped him see them from another perspective."
"Heh." Jessica laughed, "Sounds fun!"
"Depends on the person I guess. This is it girl, so stand ready." Katie said in mock drama.
"Yes Madam!" Jessica laughed.
Katie wondered if this lass had any older siblings in the outside world, she sure knew how to act like a little sister.