What's This? (A Wedding)

"I always do, Griselda. Good night."

With those few words, Chase let Griselda return to the attention of her adoring guests, and he once again faded into the background of the event, moving along the outside edges of the various groups of conversation, looking for Erik.

Erik was actually in the back ground moving towards Chase, "Safe journey?" he asked genuinely of the man before him.

Meanwhile, Salif edged toward Rachel and held out a hand, palm-upward.

"Hand it over."

Chase have Erik soft, but genuine smile, "As safe as it ever is. Thank you for asking."

Chase extended his hand, "I just wanted to congratulate the two of you and tell you that I wish you all the best."

"Thank you, and I'm glad you made it. It means a lot to me." extending a hand to shake.

Chase gave Erik's hand a firm shake. It wasn't rude or intimidating and there certainly wasn't any Potence behind it. It simply was what it was: a firm handshake between two men.

"Now's not the time for me to ask why my presence means a great deal to you, but I'm curious. Some night, other than this one, you'll have to tell me why. But tonight is a night to celebrate the two of you. I don't want my philosophical nature to get in the way." At the last, Chase gave a slight smile. He knew his own mind and he knew that any in depth conversation that night would only serve to spoil everyone's good mood.

Erik shook his hand firm but not in contest, "BEcause you are friends, and friends should be here." he said simply and with that he nodded to the other man looking to see where his bride had gone. Then he said softly "Oh I hope you can become friends again."

Salif wrote:

Meanwhile, Salif edged toward Rachel and held out a hand, palm-upward.

"Hand it over."

Rachel walked over and fished out a $50 and put it in Salif's hand. "He really showed." kissing Salf's cheek, "I'm impressed."

Erik Johns wrote:

Erik shook his hand firm but not in contest, "BEcause you are friends, and friends should be here." he said simply and with that he nodded to the other man looking to see where his bride had gone.  Then he said softly "Oh I hope you can become friends again."

She was over by the table of food and drink, talking to one of the women that had been hired to help plan-slash-work the wedding. She was nodding to the woman and looked over to catch her husband's eye and gave him a smile - waving him over, since the woman was being pushy about cutting the cake.

"If you'll excuse me.' to Chase, and then headed over to see why Griselda needed him.

She smiled as Erik approached.

"This lovely young lady is informing me that there's a cake that people are clamoring for. And I heard a rumor that you and I are supposed to cut it."

She didn't ask what had transpired between Erik and Chase. That was their business. Not hers.

"I'll give you fifty bucks to not smear icing all over my face."

"Give you a ride you won't forget not to smear it over mine." leaning over to kiss her, and not caring if the cake lady was blushing.

She grinned again when he kissed her.

"I hereby solemnly swear to not smear icing on your face. But maybe a little somewhere else so I can lick it off later. But I swear, not the face."

Chase, for his part, stood and watched the cake cutting silently, standing near the back of the crowd.

Rachel Summers wrote:

Rachel walked over and fished out a $50 and put it in Salif's hand.  "He really showed." kissing Salf's cheek, "I'm impressed."

He took the $50 and the kiss, returning the kiss to her cheek and pocketing the money.

"Told you he would. He couldn't help himself."

"What do you think he's thinking?" whispering to Salif, while quietly watching Chase and not the cake cutting at the moment.

"Okay." he said with a smirk at her, then turned to put his hand on the knife with her to cut the cake.

You think she didn't notice that he hadn't returned the promise? She noticed...and gave Erik the side-eye of suspicion. She didn't say anything, though, putting her hand on the knife with another look.

"Fifty bucks and I'll give you the ride of your life if there's no cake on my face when this is over."

Rachel Summers wrote:

"What do you think he's thinking?" whispering to Salif, while quietly watching Chase and not the cake cutting at the moment.

"A healthy dose of 'That could have been me' with an even healthier dose of 'I want to make sure she's happy'." He shrugged. That's pretty much the best he had - he didn't know Chase all that well.

"I am a gentleman." he said stiffly and then smiled at her "No money and no cake or icing n bad places. So let's cut." with a lean over to kiss her again.

"Challenge accepted," she said with a cheeky grin. Then she was leaning into him, kissing him gently while they both cut the cake.

There was probably a photographer around somewhere snapping pictures, but she just didn't care. She did lean in to whisper in his ear, though. "Define: 'bad places'."

Chase Covington wrote:

Chase, for his part, stood and watched the cake cutting silently, standing near the back of the crowd.

The redhead sidled up and gave Chase a friendly nudge with her elbow.

"Hey, handsome. How have you been?"

"As well as can be expected, all things considered," he said, not taking his eyes off of Griselda.

She tilted her head.

"Then why torture yourself with this?"

"Because it matters to her that I'm here, or so I'm told. And because she and I deserve this; she to be happy, and me to be tormented."