Pre-Bonding Jitters

Posted on Tue Jul 9th, 2019 @ 8:42am by Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Mona Gonadie & Maica III 47 & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Asa Dael & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan
Edited on on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 @ 9:07am

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: USS Hera, Deck 4, Main Flight Deck
Timeline: 2396

Maica had run around getting everything on the flight deck set up for the past couple days according to Mona's plans, coordinating with every department, the ship's chef, Mona's own foster parents, the computer, and even the Artan Fortress to make sure the wedding would go off without a hitch. Last night she had gone out with Mona, Rita, and Thex to the spa to relax and trusted that the last few remaining things could be handled in the morning, but...

There was still a lot left to be done and someone had parked and torn apart the engine of a civilian shuttle right in the middle of the reception area an hour before the wedding was about to start. Rather than complaining to the department head about the lack of intelligence that the flight deck engineers had just shown, she called Enalia in.

The spotted Captain glared at the sight of the engines that had been partially disassembled and the two crewmen that were responsible standing at attention. "You will remove this immediately, you will clean up this mess, and you will NOT interrupt this wedding again. Understood?"

"YES MA'AM!" They both called out simultaneously.

"DISMISSED!" Enalia called out, spurring them into action, one of them picking up parts and tools, tossing them into the craft as the other headed for the flight deck tractor control to haul the craft to one of the maintenance lifts.

Pausing long enough to rub the bridge of her nose, Enalia leaned against her holographic wife for comfort and support. "An hour before a wedding and they think it's a good time to clean out the plasma injectors on a class seven shuttle?"

"At least no one has spiked the punch yet..." Maica added, rubbing Enalia's back and straightening her lapel. Maica was already in her white dress and Enalia was in her white dress uniform, but at this rate, they might need to change before the actual ceremony if things kept going the way they were.

"I'd better get on it then," Enalia grinned that piratical grin of hers and slipped Maica a kiss and a wink as she headed off. "I'm going to check on the two brides. Let me know if you need anything else!"

"Will do, my love!" Maica waved happily for a moment before rushing off as well, heading towards the buffet line - more specifically, the pair of rotund Miradonians and their deep fryer. "Oh please tell me you didn't cook someone..."

Chuckling softly, Enalia tapped her comm badge. "Telvan to Paris. It's time to check on the brides to make sure everything is ok and see if there's anything they need last minute. I'm going to check on Mnhei'sahe. Do you mind checking on Mona?"

“Blushing bride to be report in progress, Captain. I’ll make sure she’s taken care of and get our lovebird to the altar on time,” Paris replied, indicating to Lieutenant Provenzale to take the conn as she departed the bridge. She had to get going anyway, as she herself would need to change into something other than her anachronistic duty uniform for the wedding, she suspected. Or they might want her to attend in her uniform- whatever the call, Rita would abide for the special day of the two lovebirds.

Taking the lift down to Deck 4, she strode out into the corridor that met up with the Flight Deck, and approached the conference room that had been converted into a dressing room for one of the brides, while elsewhere there was another for the ebullient Miss Dox. Along the way she mused to herself that she was thoroughly unaware of Miradonian or Romulan marital ceremonies. So it could be either, or, a combination of both or they might have adapted to more earth-style traditions to enact the ritual of their declaration of bonding to the universe colloquially known on earth at least as a wedding day.

Approaching the door, Rita suspected that Mona Gonadie’s exuberant and enthusiastic parents may have been tending to her, but they might just as well be handling the catering. Tabbing the door chime, Rita waited patiently for the buxom befeathered beauty to reply and grant her entrance.

Mona was fussing with her dress and all but fighting the attendants that were trying to help her with it and the corset. "Come in!" she called as they cinched her down again.

The upward flowing dress started at a silvery blue pool at her feet and seemed to cascade upward like water. As it seemed to swirl around her gravid hips with slightly darker blue feathers, it transitioned into a scaled corset and joined more of the same shimmering blue and feathered fabric on her arms and around her buxom bosom that seemed to defy gravity even more, her own plumage marking a fine contrast as the high collar and back rose behind her head to fade into a mix of silver and midnight blue feathers, almost like a rising moon behind her.

"I designed this to fit so you'd think it would..." Mona huffed as she tried to catch her breath before they finished cinching the dress down the rest of the way.

Stepping inside, Rita took in the scene, analyzed it and chose her path. “Why Miss Mona, you look absolutely breathtaking! I’m here to help and ensure that you have everything you might need or desire for your big day. So, how can I help, what can I do or do you have enough cooks in the soup already?”

The brightly plumed aviatrix flounced for a moment before settling her gaze on Rita with a lost look. "I planned out as much as I could and we're already bonded and I know this is right in my heart but... I still have lizards in my belly... Why am I so nervous? My foster parents are out there and they're both going to walk me down the aisle, one on either side of me as per tradition while Maica watches their deep fryer. My Minay has her mother to do the same. The Captain is performing the Miradonian Bond Ceremony with you and Asa for the Romulan Bracelet ceremony... But I can't calm down..."

"C'mere," Rita said, opening her arms wide and offering a sisterly smile. "Give me a hug, then take a deep breath. Think you can manage that for a short term plan?"

Mona nodded and snuggled into a hug with Rita as best she could, her own prodigious bosom shelving underneath her first officer's fairly well as she did so. She then took a couple of deep breaths, trying to ease her stomach lizards. "Thank you."

"Wedding jitters. Someone has to have them, so better you than Mnhei'sahe, eh?" Rita delicately soothed the feathers that weren't woven into a subtly elaborate updo, emphasizing the crown of her feathers. Then she pulled back a bit so the two could see eye to eye. "Perfectly reasonable. Would you like to know why? Because things go wrong at weddings and someone has to be worrying about them. So you are doing a GREAT job!"

Mona smiled softly, starting to calm down a little. "Well, she's the one that's usually worried like this and all nervous... They say that the longer a bonded pair are together, the more alike they are. I guess this is one of those things, right? I tried to plan for everything and now I'm worried about Maica and you and the Captain and Asa... So I guess I'm doing a good job of doing that, then."

Taking another deep breath, Mona closed her eyes and steeled herself, letting the energy of the bond flow through her and reassure her. Nodding, she smiled up at Rita again. "Ok... I guess there's nothing left but..." Glancing back at the attendants still floofing her dress feathers, she continued. "...but to do this then. I'm ready."

Placing her fingers under the chin of the brightly plumed aviatrix, Rita Paris looked deeply into those golden eyes. When she spoke, her voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "When I didn't know how to fly, you taught me. When I didn't know my station on the bridge, you showed me. When I asked for the impossible, you built it."

"You are one of the most amazing women I've ever met, Mona Dox. Now you're going to go out there and marry another one of the most remarkable women I've ever known, and you're going to do what you always do." Rita leaned in and gently placed a kiss on the forehead of the marvelous Miradonian.

"You're going to be great."

Mona blushed softly, a yellow tint gracing her soft facial feathers. "Well, I do my best and I have the help of the rest of the crew, you know. Starfleet is a team and no one is ever truly alone."

Then another thought hit her. "Ah, the names. Miradonian culture, we're keeping our last names and sharing a chosen middle name bestowed upon us by this ceremony. It's going to be t'Sendatu'onay which means 'mended wings'. Traditionally, our chicks would use that as their family name, but I'm not sure my Minay is up for that. Miradonian and Romulan are hard to pronounce on their own and combining them..."

The immediate reaction for Rita was sorrow for the poor kids, who could have grown up with a name pronounceable by every race in the galaxy, who were instead going to be saddled with a name that most of the galaxy wouldn't bother trying to pronounce. Which also meant that whatever accomplishments their parents might achieve, it wouldn't create a recognizable lineage for their children. Kind of hoped someday there might be a Paris serving alongside a Dox, but the line and the name ends with Mnhei'sahe. But that was all their choice, so outwardly Rita smiled and nodded.

"So how does this work, your folks come to escort you to the altar? I've never seen a Romulan or Miradonian wedding, so I'm pretty lost as to what to expect."

"My foster parents will flank me and escort me to the altar while Jaeih does the same for my Minay. From there, the holographics simulate the rising of the two moons, which all Miradonian weddings are supposed to take place under for the Moon Goddess's blessing. That and the holographic starscape will be the only light in the room so hopefully, my and my foster parents' eyes won't tweak out too badly from the holographics..." Mona mused for a moment before continuing. "Then the Captain says a few words, we say our vows, everyone present gets to see the physical embodiment of the bond between us... And the sun rises..."

“That sounds truly beautiful, Mona,” Rita smiled, a genuine and radiant smile of happiness for her two amazing friends who were preparing to start their lives together. “Have you considered some contact lenses to screen out the holographics for you and your folks?”

"I've been working on it or some sort of eyewear, but the variable polarization density is just... The Thunderchicken was easier to design..." The brightly plumed aviatrix hung her head for a moment before cheering up. "But at least I have a few prototypes and I'm making progress. The best of them make everything look just... Weird... But holograms at least look solid. That's progress, right?"

"Ah, but here we are talking about work and inventions and I'm about to have my bonding ceremony!" Mona cringed as she shook both hands in the air, her attendants finishing up on her dress as she did so. "There's more important things to worry about right now!"

“Then how about we get you to the church on time,” Rita began, then shook her head as she made the realization that would likely be confusing to the woman whose only time on Earth had been in Starfleet Academy. “Ah, sorry, old turn of phrase from my people. Let’s go see your lovely bride and have a nice ceremony, shall we?”


--------


A couple of the conference rooms had been converted into dressing rooms for each of the brides, and Enalia now found herself in Mnhei'sahe's to check on her. "Hey there. Mind if I come in and see how you're doing?"

Startled slightly, Mnhei'sahe turned quickly from the full-length mirror she had been standing in front of. "Captain? Uh... yes. Of course."

The anxious Romulan bride-to-be was fidgeting with the long sleeves of the stunning, golden yellow dress Mona had designed for the occasion. Clearly corseted, Dox' belly was contained in a deep plunging dress with flared golden feathers that looped around her upper arms, falling off the shoulders. The body was layered in a pattern that resembled overlapping feathers radiating out from the center of her chest and down to her waist where the dress flared out around her ample rear.

Flowing down, the dress bloomed into a bell shape of ribbon forms in a swirl of long, golden feathers that spread out on the ground before her, ending in a rim of sparkling gems. The entire design inspired by the representation of the Romulan bird of resurrection, Al'hindor.

Her short bobbed hair was swept back up into a swirl on the top rear of her head, with similar golden jewels forming a rim along her hairline on the sides of her face. It was a design that wasn't entirely unlike the freckle like patterns of spots on Mona's own face.

"Please, come in." Dox said to her commanding officer and friend.

Enalia was certainly impressed as she headed into the makeshift dressing room. "You look amazing. How do you feel?"

"I'm me... so nervous. I mean... We're already bonded. Empathically and more. So in a way this is just... a way of showing that to everyone. Sharing it. But I'm still so nervous anyway. I feel like my stomach is eating itself." Mnhei'sahe replied, speaking hi a bit too fast as she continued to fuss with the dress.

"Wedding day jitters. We all get them." Helping one of the attendants, Enalia adjusted some of the feathers on the back so they were floofier. "Maica was so nervous I thought she was going to decompile her lunch. You love each other and everything will be fine. The hard part will be not tripping as you walk up the aisle. Just remember... Right foo..."

"Left foot first, Captain," One of the attendants corrected her.

"Ah, well, good thing you have professionals here to coach you," Enalia added with a wink and a smile to the attendant.

"Wait, what? There's a correct foot to use first?!" The anxious young pilot blurted out, legitimately surprised. "I think I miss fighting the kreldanni pirates." She then muttered, cursing under her breath in her native Rihan.

"Oh yes... You'll be fine." Enalia chuckled softly as she handed the tool she was using back to the attendant. "I have a question about the ceremony part. I understand you're going with a combination of Romulan and Miradonian ceremonies and you have your own small vows as well as a middle name I'm to bestow on the two of you?"

"Huh... Yes. Right. Uh..." Dox was clearly in a fairly mild panic, which was almost comical to watch for someone who was almost unnaturally calm while flying the Hera into battle with space monsters or sword fighting with the aforementioned pirates. "Yes. Where is it?"

Scooching delicately but quickly over to the small table to the side of the room, the flustered Romulan grabbed a PaDD on the corner and called up a file. "Here it is. Okay, yes. The bulk of the ceremony is Miradonian, which I had Mona save out. I personally... I don't care for much of the Romulan ceremonies. Except for the bracelets. I had a pair of ceremonial bracelets made for Mona and I at one of the station jewelers."

As she talked, she called up and image for the Captain to see. "In the center, there's a clear crystal that has one of Mona's feathers braided with a lock of my hair, sealed. And the pearlescent black swirling metal that makes up both bands is... my mother actually asked for that from maintenance for me. It's a piece of the hull. The ship... it's... It's very important to me, so it seemed appropriate. And on the inside, it's engraved in Rihan and says 'Dhael nnea nveiss Aen'. Basically, 'birds of a feather'."

"I gave them to Asa, and they'll give one to Rita to present to us at the end." Dox added, still talking quickly.

From where they had been lounging indulgently at the back of the room, Asa sat up and gave a thumbs up to the pair of them, indicating they were locked and loaded on the bracelet front. The dutiful best friend was ready.

As Enalia studied the image, her smile softened. "They're beautiful. Not only that, but they're full of meaning and love."

"As for the naming ceremony, this came from Miradonian culture. When two are bonded, they choose a third name with significance. The couple take it as a middle name, but any... uh... any children could carry it as a last name. We chose 't'Sendatu-onay.' The 't' is a Romulan naming convention denoting a wife, basically, but the rest means 'mended wings'." the anxious aviatrix finished, starting to calm down as she spoke, thinking of Mona.

"Ah, that makes sense. t'Sendatu'onay... t'Sendatu'onay... t'Sendatu'onay..." Enalia practiced the pronunciation to herself a few times to make sure she had it committed to memory. "It's a beautiful name. Any children you would have would be beautiful as well."

"Well, you don't have to worry about remembering how to pronounce it much after the actual ceremony. It's mostly just for us." Dox added. "We're keeping our own last names. Two Dox's on the ship is confusing enough with my mother here. And I know that 't'Sendatu'onay' is a mouthful. Hell, 'Mnhei'sahe' is a mouthful."

Then Dox rolled her eyes slightly and sighed nervously at the thought of children. "I think... I don't... I know Mona has her heart set on children and... Uh... do you think so?"

Probably not just Mona, if she was honest with herself Asa mused silently with a smile.

"That you'll have beautiful children? I guarantee it. We have the goddess of matrimony and family aboard, after all." Enalia just chuckled softly at her own reference to the ship's namesake that lived a few decks below them.

"Well... I guess... I guess I need to take care of this part first." Mnhei'sahe turned back around and looked up at Enalia. She nodded firmly and tugged slightly on the front of the dress like it was her uniform top. She was blushing a light green and making a physical effort to not fidget.

Taking a long breath, Mnhei'sahe let it out with a long sigh and closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, as she concentrated, she could see the warm red glow that she knew as her own energy. Her own spirit. And swirled around it was the ever-present blue of Mona. A piece of her bond-mate that was always with her. She smiled as she opened her eyes and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Excellent," Enalia gently placed her hands on the sides of Dox's shoulders and squeezed ever so gently. "I'll see you out there momentarily then." With that, Enalia winked and headed out to get in place and start the ceremony.