Reception (Garnham)
Scenes from the reception (in no particular order)
1. Dancing
The main festivities are taking place in and around The Last Coconut. Tables have been set up outside and the town square has been set aside for dancing.
The Arrelion family have set up their instruments on the eastern corner of the block. Galliana is playing the only piano in Farshore, a family heirloom brought over from Sasserine. Tehrik plays guitar, Dantrik is on drums and Gerriss plays cornet. They aren't as good as Rowyn, but they have the advantage of playing after the liqour gets served.
The newlyweds have their first dance and everyone else is invited to join them.
Numerous couples begin to dance.
Tilden, looking quiet dashing in a new suit, offers his hand to Ruby the Weaver. She smilingly accepts.
Ruby: So you're TIldenacre Medcap.
Tilden: At your service.
Ruby: Quiet a mouthful.
Tilden: My friends call me Tilden.
Ruby: (looking over at the Garnham and Lavinia) They certainly make a nice couple.
Tilden: That's what I thought when I introduced them.
Ruby: I thought they met...
Tilden: ....when Lady Vanderboren hired the Silver Beetles? That's the story that they want you to believe. The truth is much more complicated. Back alley deals and derring-do just a bit too sordid for the average person.
Ruby: Really!?
Tilden: Absolutely. Perhaps I can tell you about it later at my place.
Ruby gives him a knowing smile and they dance on.
Elyosha and Keskus might be dancing together. It's hard to tell with all of the humans in the way.
On the edge of the dancing sits Y'Kern. The young Ohlman man sits on the ground watching the foreigners dance. Gertie Bessand walks up to him. She's balancing two plates of food and a cup of wine. She hands one of the plates of food to Y'Kern.
Gertie: I got you a plate.
Y'Kern: Thanks. I was going to wait for the line to thin down before I got anything.
Gertie: I figured. (she sits and begins to eat)
Gertie: You like the dancing?
Y'Kern: It's a bit tame for a wedding.
Gertie: It looks fine to me.
Y'Kern: Ohlman dancing is more spirited than this. More energy. Less clothing.
Gertie: Oh. (long pause) I was wondering if maybe you'd like to dance with me. After we eat of course.
Y'Kern: You'd need to ask my grandmother.
Gertie: I don't want to dance with her, I want you.
Y'Kern: (shrugs his shoulders) There is a proper way to do things. Grandmother is very big on the proprieties.
Gertie: Oh.
Telda dances by with Rhyner.
Telda: So you're Garnham's foster father?
Rhyner: More or less. I watched over him since his mother passed. He could have turned out worse I suppose.
Telda: You're being modest. I think you did an excellent job with him.
Rhyner: Thank you.
Telda: How long are you here for?
Rhyner: Just the wedding.
Telda: How did you get here?
Rhyner: It's complicated. You see...
They dance off, Rhyner's explanation lost in the crowd.
Dexter and Rowyn dance by.
Dexter: Thanks again for playing the fiddle.
Rowyn: What can I say, weddings bring out the romantic in me. Play your cards right and you could get lucky tonight.
Dexter: We're going to play cards?
Rowyn: Why not. Ever play strip poker?
The gnome Urol Forol and the dwarf Gunnlodda Sellis dance by. Urol has his eyes fixed on his feet obviously not familiar with the steps to this, or probably any other dance. After he manages to get four consecutive steps in a row right he meets Gunnlodda's eyes, his face in a huge eager puppy dog grin.
Gunnlodda: Don't get cocky yet, the fast stuffs coming up. (She proceeds to twirl him around the dance floor.)
Captain Ulvar Kabbanja and Ilsa Baldrick dance by.
2. A Wedding Present
At a lull in the festitvities T'zon comes up to Lavinia and Garnham bearing a wooden club. The club features an image of a (presumed) fertility goddess. T'zon extends the club to Lavinia with both hands.
T'zon: A present to you Lady Vanderboren on the day of your wedding.
Lavinia: (accepting) Thank you. (examining it) What is it?
T'zon: It is traditional for new brides to receive this on their wedding day. This (she point to the fertitlity goddess) is to insure children. And this (she turns the club around revealing bits of what must be the Ohlman version of the Kama Sutra) is to insure pleasure. And if your husband gives you neither (she grasps the club as if to attack) then he gets this.
Lavinia: (smiling) You've had to use it yourself then?
T'zon: My second husband. I had to let him go. He couldn't find the capstone of my womanhood with a map, a compass and a pair of hunting dogs.
Lavinia: I'm not sure that I could either.
T'zon: Dear Lady, I had forgotten that you lost your mother. She was a good woman. We spoke many times. It was her responsibility to tell you of your body, but I can do this in her stead.
Lavinia: That's alright. I..... have an aunt in Cauldron. Probably.
T'zon: All the better. It is best that family do this.
Lavinia: Yes. Thanks again for the present. I hope you don't mind if I just put it in the other room.
T'zon: That is probably best. That Bessand girl has her eye on Y'kern, and I don't want to put any ideas in her head.
Lavinia: Maybe we'll have another wedding in a few years.
T'zon: That's between her and me.
3. A meeting of the minds
It's later in the evening. The band is still playing, but it is obvious that they are using alcohol to fuel themselves at this point. There are a few couples still dancing in the square, but more are just relaxing, chatting, sipping drinks.
The main room of the Last Coconut is mostly empty. The only occupants are Zan Oldavin, Jeran Emrikad, Bill Gan, Avner Meravanchi and Gina Fiddlebiter. There are several decanters of wine and other spirits on the table. The five are all at least two sheets to the wind.
Zan: I don't even know why I'm here?
Avner: This is a bar, if you can't figure it out then you're not trying hard enough. (he empties his glass.)
Zan: I mean Farshore. Was a time when being a Jade Raven meant something. Now the Lady's got herself new favorites.
Bill: And she ups and marries one.
Zan: Exactly.
Gina: A thief like you.
Zan: I'm notta thief. I'm an adventurer. He's a thief. What am I doing in this drenhole town.
Jeran: Having an adventure.
Zan: Not me. We're part of the B team.
Gina: And you fought for us just as well as the Beetles.
Jeran: Look at me. Past my prime and still full of dreams. You're doing it kid. You don't see me going off to fight troglodytes or sword fight pirates.
Avner: There is too much liquour here for that much depression. (He refills Jeran and Zan's cups.)
Gina: So Bill, they tell me that you're a pacifist.
Bill: A couple years ago I nearly died in a fight. Saw me a vision from on high. Told me to stop fighting.
Gina: Even in self defense?
Bill: Yeah.
Jeran: Which god was it?
Bill: Dunno. I'm not a particular religous man.
Avner: Let's keep religion out of this. Tonight is about drink and women.
Gina: If that's the case you boys better drink up cause I can guarantee you that the only person at this table going to bed with a woman tonight is yours truly.
Zan: Can we watch.
Gina: I meant that I'M a woman and I'll be in bed. By myself. Gods Zan, are you this pervie when your sober?
Zan: Ask me when I'm sober.
Avner: None of us have the lifespan to wait that long. (Avner drains his glass and looks to Gina.) Now what's this you say about going to bed alone.
Gina: It ain't happening longshanks.
Avner: You do realize that what they say about human men is true.
Gina: That you're twice as disgusting as halfling men? Figured that one out on my own.
Jeran: Not all of us are that bad.
Zan: You're one of the good ones Jeran.
Bill: My god, whoever they are, just told me not to fight. Said nothing about celibacy.
Gina: Avner, you've been in Farshore a few months and you've already seduced and abandoned all of the local girls who'll have you. You know what they say about men who womanize like that?
Avner: That we're blessed by the gods.
Gina: No. They say that men like that are trying to hide something. Trying to hide the fact that they like other men.
Zan: You know he has been looking at me awful funny all night.
Avner: You're a man? I'm sorry, my mistake.
Zan lunges at him from across the table. The half-elven rogue knocks the young wastrel back. Jeran, Bill and Gina stare back and forth at each other.
Bill: I'm a pacifist.
Jeran: I'm too old.
Gina: I'm betting 5 silver that Zan kicks his sorry ass around the island.
Bill and Jeran look at each other.
Bill: My god didn't say anything about gambling. I'm in.
Jeran: Me too. Except the deity speaking to me part.
The three refill their cups and turn their chairs around to watch Zan and Avner go at it. From outside the Coconut we here the following:
Dexter: Look out, I'm coming through.
Maggie: NAKED WEDDING!!!!!!!! WOOOO HAAAAAAAA!!!!
4. The end of the evening.
Garnham and Lavinia are walking into the manner holding the hands that are still linked by their wedding bracelets. Lavinia has T'zon's club in her other hand.
Garnham: You know, they used to take the chains off at the altar.
Lavinia: And then the bride and groom ended up getting pulled apart every five minutes during the reception. I like it better this way. I have you all to myself for at least one day.
Garnham: Amen to that.
They walk through the main hall and up the stairs. Stopping at the threshold to there room.
Lavinia: This is it.
Garnham: Yeah.
Lavinia: We walk through that door and that room transforms itself from my parents' room to ours.
We'll be the grownups then.
Garnham: That's a scary thought. (he pushes the door open with his left hand) I'm ready if you are.
They walk into the room. Just inside the doorway is a small wooden stand upon which sits a mahogany box almost identical to the ones carried by Sabine and Dexter. On the top of the box there is a small golden placard that reads:
"Kai Garnham and
Lavina Vanderboren
United together
In love and friendship
This April 14th XXXX"
They step forward to the box. Lavinia opens the top.
Garnham: So I undo you.
Lavinia: And you undo me. It's good luck.
Garnham undos one of the chains on Lavinia's bracelet. She undos the same chain on his bracelet and places it reverently into the wooden box. She then undos one of the chains on his bracelet, he reciprocates and places that chain into the box. They continue until all of the chains are in the box.
Garnham closes the box and Lavinia picks it up and carries it to a shelf along the left hand side of the room. She places it there beside an almost identical box bearing the names of her parents.
Garnham embraces Lavinia.
Fade to black.