Two Old Men Get Hitched - Early month prior to mini-missions

[bentheredonethat]

[ ooc: tl;dr two old guys get tethered in a very outrageous and opposite to what they wanted way. Characters are welcome to react (or ignore!) as they’d like/reach out “privately” to them via their communicators, but the Doctor and Obi-Wan will likely thread hop since they’ll be together contemplating their life choices after this. If that’s not your cup of tea, feel free to indicate who the comment is going to and or mark it as 'private'! ]



The tethering between Obi-Wan and the Doctor had been purely tactical and out of necessity. It turned out that neither of them wanted to test the limits of going untethered, and for their own personal but similar reason, neither of them wanted to tether with the people that they were closest to. Which meant that this was the perfect match.

They even wanted the same thing: a no-nonsense hand decoration ceremony. Obi-Wan had raised the subject of wanting to be considerate of the Witches’ camp culture, but they figured jewelry could come later. A hand decoration ceremony, a simple hand fasting and done. So they had set out in casual street clothes that day to the Command Center.

It should have been straight forward. Go to the Command Center. Register their intent. Fill out necessary paperwork. Someone does a thing, and all is happy and good. Except when you put two relatively smart old men in a building, they’re bound to get a little lost. In hindsight, one of them would eventually remember that they were supposed to take a left at hallway AQ, not a right. Or maybe they were supposed to go straight? Regardless, a wrong turn was taken.

When the camera flickers on, anyone watching the broadcast will see one very confused man (Obi-Wan) and another very apparently angry (the Doctor) man staring at the scene before them as the doors to the chambers swing open.

The camera pans revealing the reason why they look confused and/or angry. The room has been set up with an aisle of rose petals and hundreds of candles that lead up to a vine backdrop that seems to have fairy lights woven in between the branches. Soft music plays overhead and somewhere off screen rose petals pelt the two men every so often. An officiant stands looking expectantly at them at the end of the aisle all hopeful and wide-eyed.

“Did we take a wrong turn?”

"I believe we must… was as far as Obi-Wan got before a man wearing a winning smile and beautiful ceremonial robes came striding towards them.

“Welcome, welcome! We were beginning to fear you weren’t going to make it, but here you are, such a lovely youn… ah, such a lovely pair!” As he spoke he somehow managed to get behind them and started to usher them up the path of roses, towards the arch covered dias.

“All of this for hand decoration?” The Doctor muttered to Obi-Wan but it wasn’t necessarily designed to be just to him.

“Well you did ask for an elaborate romantic ceremony!"

The Doctor's expression twisted and his eyebrows furrowed even further as he gaze snapped towards the man. "In what world did we -,"

Obi-Wan was quite fluent in the language of eyebrows, and if anything it was Obi-Wan who had been beating the dead horse the drum of ’be respectful of different cultures’. He stepped forward, shoulder bumping lightly but pointedly against the Doctor’s as he smiled at the officiant.

“What my, ah, tether partner means is we were looking for a si…”

“Singularly unique, unforgettable experience, and that is what we have prepared! Now come along, we’re already an hour over the time we booked for this room!” The man cried with such joy that Obi-Wan felt his heart sink. Correcting the man felt rather like kicking a Tooka kitten.

The camera caught the look Obi-Wan shot towards the Doctor. It was a combination of How do we do this without being rude, with a quick knitting of his own brows to impress upon the Time Lord NO we are not going to be rude!

There’s a moment where the Doctor stares at Obi-Wan and a slight forehead vein pops out before he looks back at the officiant with gritted teeth that in no way would ever pass as a smile. “…Yes. Exactly.” That didn’t seem to matter to him though. Another cry of joy left the man’s mouth as he tugged them towards the altar just as the music got a little louder muffling his voice as he jumped right into explaining everything that they were about to go through.

At one point, when the officiant’s back was turned, Obi-Wan turned to the Doctor and made a shrugging motion with his shoulders, hands cast upward as he mouthed silently, something to the effect that maybe this was how a Command Central command ceremony worked. Did the Doctor have any way to know differen… before the Jedi could finish the thought the officiant turned back, all beaming smiles, and Obi-Wan automatically slipped back into a diplomatic smile of his own. The Doctor however remained scowling.

Finally the ceremony seemed to get underway. More rose petals rained down on the three of them as their officiant artfully wound silken pieces of fabric, one representing Heba and the other Tian, around the Doctor and Obi-Wan’s joined left hands. The fabrics were interwoven with beautiful folds that delicately knotted them together. Once their non-dominant hands were fasted, the officiant then lead them through the hand decoration ceremony; a paint brush was handed between the two of them as they painstakingly drew the symbols for Tian and Heba respectively on the back of each other’s hands all while the smiling man waxed poetic about it being a promise to balance one other for years to come.

As the language became more flowery, Obi-Wan kept his head down with his eyes focused on the movement of the brush across the Doctor’s hand. Some of the language had the Jedi blushing - a fact he would deny until his dying breath - even as he was doing all he could to distract the Doctor from doing something rude.

Meanwhile the Doctor’s jawline was razor sharp as if he were biting his tongue. He all but snatched the paintbrush offered to him by the officiant but the man was so deep into his prose that he barely noticed as he instructed the Doctor to paint Obi-Wan’s hand. The Doctor wasn’t even looking at what he was painting but rather glaring from the officiant to Obi-Wan as if to say this was the last thing either of them had signed up for.

In the brief periods when the officiant was lost in rapture to the sound of his own voice, Obi-Wan shot back a look suggesting he was well aware that this was not what either of them had discussed. But was the Doctor used to things going the way they should? Was he? Because Obi-Wan sure as hell wasn’t, and that was when you had to call an audible and SOMEONE needed to stop grinding his teeth and get on with it.

Shockingly, the Heba symbol on Obi-Wan’s hand is flawless as the camera panned overhead to show them off to any onlookers.

Off camera the Doctor’s voice cut in just as the officiant spoke over him. “Grand are we done -,”

“And now we move onto the food sharing ceremony -,” and suddenly the camera zoomed out to show off a dainty, but aesthetic spread of desserts. The officiant threw his hands out wide with a grin, “that the both of you chose for one another.”

”Oh. Ah, now that does not seem neces…”

The officiant looked so pleased as he stepped over to the table, waving the happy couple into frame. “The ceremony won’t be complete until we have lovely captures of your first meal shared as a tethered pair! Come, come.”

Obi-Wan gave the Doctor a quick, worried glance. Did that mean they’d come this far only to fall short of all the requisite steps and risk having to do this again, if they failed to finish out the whole ceremony?

The Doctor caught Obi-Wan’s glance and the camera fully captured him burying his hands into his face as he let out something between a groan and a yell. A noise that would result in Obi-Wan lifting his decorated hand and rubbing his palm along one side of his face. It wasn’t in the Doctor’s nature to curse but with the way he was bent over you’d think that he was in his mind at the very least. His eyes were pure rage when he finally looked up but he roughly tugs Obi-Wan towards the table. They were not going through this again.

Situated across from one another with the officiant between them, he urged them to each take a small piece of their cakes and hand feed it to the other.

“With our hands?” The Doctor asked dryly.

Obi-Wan, the galaxy renowned Negotiator, looked like he was wishing for the floor to open up and swallow him whole.

“Well yes, it’s symbolic of the -,”

“Yes okay shut up I get it,” and with that the Doctor held out a piece of cake towards Obi-Wan, eyes screaming eat the cake so we can get out of here.

Mortified to a shade of rose that should never be found in nature, Obi-Wan still turned towards the officiant and offered the man a tight smile, attempting to express gratitude for the man’s time and effort. ”Thank you, for ...” is about as far as he gets before he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, cake heading for the corner of his mouth.

Turning back, Obi-Wan lifted what appeared to be a piece of cream pie - some Tian delicacy - towards the Doctor. Despite being mortified and in over his head with all of this, there is enough of a twinkle in gray hazel eyes to promise the Doctor that if that cake ends up anywhere other than his mouth? There will be retaliation.

There's a moment of angry, mischievous sparkle in the Doctor’s eyes too as if to say he’d love to see Obi-Wan attempt to retaliate anything after all this was said and done. But on cue he maneuvered his cake - an almost translucent Heban delicacy filled with what looked like candied stars - into Obi-Wan’s mouth just as Obi-Wan’s piece of pie made it to his.

…And shockingly the angry eyebrows seem to fade for a minute because the pie honestly wasn’t that bad. In fact, it was pretty good.

If the raised eyebrow expression on Obi-Wan’s face was anything to go by, the cake was likewise, quite good. In fact. If the cake was this good, it appeared that the Jedi was prepared to explore some of the other offerings on the table and the Doctor was too.

The officiant, who was not completely oblivious to the awkward air that had laid across the rest of the ceremony, appeared to finally relax as it appeared that the two gentlemen were genuinely pleased by the food.

“And it is done!” He exclaimed, turning towards the camera - or rather someone behind the camera - and making a cut off motion with his hand. Before the broadcast can end though, the Doctor and Obi-Wan could be clearly seen attempting to take away as many of the treats as they can.

The Doctor looked towards the officiant who had turned his back to the camera at this point before asking, “Do you have a take away bag? Actually containers would be better. And no, we’re not paying extra for photos - keep the pictures we’ll take these.”

And that’s when the camera feed shuts off.

Comments

[forceguided]

[Not that he isn't a little jealous, because he absolutely is, but what a mess! Luckily, all three of Luke's own tethers had been nice, simple ceremonies bonding him to people he does care for. Some more strongly than others sure, but they're all people he cares about.

But none of the ceremonies had been anything like this. It's probably the furthest thing he can imagine from what Ben would have preferred. So there's no way he chose this. Which means...

Luke doesn't hesitate before sending a response that's just a video of him absolutely busting a gut with laughter. The young Skywalker almost bent over double as he laughed, hands wrapped around his sides. Because what.. how? It's honestly one of the funniest things he's seen since they'd arrived in this weird place.]

[bentheredonethat]

Please tell me I taught you better manners than this. [ So.Much.Facepalming. ]

[twelfthsong]

[The Doctor isn’t sitting beside Obi-Wan but he can definitely hear some young whippersnapper kid laughing at him which means he’s laughing at the Doctor by association. Have some furious tea sipping from the other side of the table, Luke.]

[forceguided]

Come on, Ben! Even Uncle Owen would have found this funny!

[Still laughing, not even sorry. This is just the most absurd thing,]

[bentheredonethat]

Let us not discuss your uncle's pleasure in my discomfort. [ There is a brief pause and then Obi-Wan can only shake his head. ]

It would have been your aunt who found this funny.

( closed: obi-wan ) two old men contemplate their lives up until this point

[twelfthsong]

[The Doctor had lived through plenty of moments in his life, but he had to say that it had been a while since he had encountered anything like that tethering ceremony. He wasn’t even mad it was more like bewildered at how his life had taken such a drastic turn. At least misery loved company and said company was seated across from him at the Hammer and Hare as they tried to drown their experience in (paid for) tea and pilfered sweets.

For what had to be the umpteenth time since they had sat down the Doctor let out another heavy. His teacup was half way to his lips when he stopped, realizing something.]

We didn’t pay for these. And we definitely should have taken a left at the AQ hall.

[bentheredonethat]

Please don't remind me. [ Obi-Wan said, in a voice that was rough in the way of a man who is still in a state of shock over recent events. He has his hands wrapped around his cup of tea, lifting it now and then to take a sip but otherwise clinging to it as if the cup were some sort of childhood woobie. ]

I keep wavering between never wanting to set foot in that building again, and running back to throw money at someone with my deepest apologies.

[twelfthsong]

I’d say that if that was broadcast to the entire camp that whoever’s ceremony that was supposed to be will probably track us down at some point so you can apologize profusely then.

[Oh joy, of joys. Exactly what he wants - dealing with a tetherzilla.]

On the bright side we aren’t going to die one odd, horrible death on a planet that isn’t ours.

[bentheredonethat]

We can apologize profusely to them. [ Obi-Wan smoothly corrected the Doctor's statement, because if a tetherzilla shows up on his doorstep, he's taking you under the bus with him, sir. ]

Oh I don't know. [ Obi-Wan began, eyeing his device and the cackling young Skywalker. ] I might yet expire of absolute mortification.

[makemeasong]

[ Ben, this has nothing to do with you. You're an angel.

Clara waits until the feed cuts off and sends a text, not realizing it's going to both of them. And it's petty, a little jealous, but a lot hurt. ]

Glad you found someone you feel like you know, Doctor. Now everything else comes down to being a coward, doesn't it?

Ben, thank you for making sure he doesn't die from idiocy.

[ And she throws her phone down angrily, unsure if she can actually calmly express how hurt her feelings are. ]

[twelfthsong]

Clara it has nothing to do with knowing him well. I barely know him. This was practical!

[Well now he does. Quite well actually - but details. But because of that Obi-Wan is probably getting panicked, 'if you don't back me up I s2g' vibes right now.]

[bentheredonethat]

[ From across the table Obi-Wan is looking at the Doctor with wide eyes and slowly shaking his head.

You've picked up some of the surface thoughts and emotions running through his head, Doctor. Does anything up there make you believe that Obi-Wan has any experience in dealing appropriately with hurt feelings?

Where's Haja when you need him?? ]

[makemeasong]

That's even worse, thanks.

Congrats. Ben, good luck.

UN:2354Ssdfsdgs1

[noisecomplaint]

[At first, Rokuro was put off by the extravagance. Then as the ceremony proceeded, he was drawn in by the tradition, emotion, and overall ambiance. By the end? He is shedding a (singular) tear over his tablet at the beauty of it all.]

Congratulations to you both. I have no doubt your tethering shall be blessed by the gods.

[This next response comes after a lot of typing and deleting. Rokuro knows he should be polite, and focus on the joy of the happy couple, but throughout the ceremony a singular question has been eating at him.]

How much did all this cost, and how were you able to afford it???

[bentheredonethat]

[ Obi-Wan is back to blushing at the congratulatory remarks from a relative stranger, but before he can respond Rokuro is asking his question and ... err.

Shooting the Doctor a quick look, Obi-Wan goes all in on the idea of a certain point of view. ]

I must confess we were rather caught up in the moment. Too much so to address the logistics at that time. Those are details I expect to have settled here in a period to come.

[ There. That was not not the truth. If powers that be figured out that they'd effectively stumbled into an already possibly pre-paid tether ceremony and they owed money, then recompense to the appropriate individuals would be made. ]

[noisecomplaint]

One is able to acquire services, reserve space, and complete the ceremony with later payment?

[Rokuro has never been in debt, but it sounds like he's about to be-- and poor Tech is along for the ride.]

At this rate, it will be months of saving and planning until our own ceremony, and I do not wish for my partner or I to experience any ill-effects.

[bentheredonethat]

[ Obi-Wan was going to tie himself into a pretzel trying to stay away from any direct reference to the fact that he and the Doctor had stumbled into ... well, all of it. Actually he was only going to tie himself into a pretzel but absolutely avoiding the subject as much as possible.

Instead he focused on the latter part of Rokuro's statement. ]

You could perform a very basic ceremony, to complete the tether and protect you both from ill-effects. Then take your time, plan and prepare a more elaborate affair for later?

[ Sorry Tech. He is so, very sorry. ]

[Audio]

[tech_nically]

Ah... I suppose congratulations are in order?

[Maybe? From what he'd witnessed, even that seems to be up in the air.]

[twelfthsong]

[Have a heavy sigh from the other end of the line.] Thanks, we're overjoyed.

[And then a beat later because it's top of mind:] I hear your tethering ceremony is going to give us a run for our money.

[tech_nically]

Someone's money, anyway. I'm certain that broadcasting the entire thing would not have been the general's choice, otherwise.

[It seemed plenty obvious to him that the whole thing had not at all been planned at least. Still, he sighs.]

That you've heard as much worries me.

[twelfthsong]

What are you talking about? Obi-Wan definitely wanted all of that. [A pause as he glances over the table at Obi-Wan as he digs into another piece of cake.] To make it clear we didn't pay for any of it if that wasn't apparent. Don't tell Rokuro that.

You could just luck out and walk into another already planned ceremony.

[Audio]

[ezra_of_lothal]

[Ezra watches it all but doesn't respond immediately. He doesn't particularly like the swell of conflicted emotions that comes, and he certainly doesn't want to say or do something he might regret in the grips of those feelings.

So he goes for a long walk, before he lets himself activate his communicator and open with what he hopes sounds like a hint of tease-]

Well, I guess they nailed 'unforgettable'.

[Just probably not in the way intended...]

[bentheredonethat]

Hello Ezra. [ Obi-Wan was quick to respond to this communication, though he was also wincing at the term 'unforgettable.' ]

Not at all what either of us were going for, I'm afraid.

[ezra_of_lothal]

Yeah, I got that vibe.

[There's a beat while he deabte with himself more before he pressed on.]

The tether itself, though – that's...ok? Freely picked as possible, and all that?

[bentheredonethat]

[ Obi-Wan finds the question a little bemusing, sharing a quick glance with the Doctor, before responding. ]

As freely as possible, given what we've been told about the need to tether. There is still nothing ideal about the situation, but at least this affords us a way to protect ourselves and those we care about.