Wedding rings are just very small handcuffs [Event]

Ever since his arrival on Earthland, Dagda had vowed to himself to experience as much as he could. From taking jobs to trying new foods, he took any opportunity presented to him. So much new information had flooded his brain since his crash landing. All the places he went and people he met only increased the chance of him finding out how to return home.

Some of the places Dagda went were purely for enjoyment. He was trying his best to stay positive and see the bright sides of his situation. A few odd jobs had been taken and the alien attended some sort of winter festival, which he enjoyed immensely. During that afternoon, he had met a fellow father and his adorable son and discovered how delicious dark chocolate was. It was the fondest memory Dagda had on Earthland so far. Being stuck on a foreign planet where he knew next to nobody was lonely, though. The titan jumped at any opportunity to meet new people and make connections. Everyone he had met so far was kind and helpful.

Dagda flexed the metal fingers of his right arm as he approached the Grande Lotus Hotel. Just a few days before, he had seen flyers plastered all over Hosenka. Some chocolate company had expanded their business to cover all sorts of wedding services now. They were asking for help to test out some of their new features. Dagda had jumped at the opportunity. Earthland weddings were surely much different from those of the titans on Tetsukazu. He was eager to experience all the facets of it. Dagda had sent a letter in reply to the advertisement on the same day he picked up their flyer.

Strands of white hair were pushed off of his forehead. As usual, Dagda’s fringe had a mind of its own. Some days it was white, others it was the same deep black as the rest of his hair. When he woke up earlier, it seemed to have chosen white for the day. There was no rhyme or reason to it. Before he entered the building, Dagda straightened out his clothes to look presentable. The tight black longsleeve he wore clung to his muscled torso closely. Simple jeans accompanied the top, finished at his feet by combat boots with thick soles.

Once he was satisfied with the state of his clothes, the titan pushed through the massive doors. His steps as he took in the lobby. The Grande Lotus Hotel was certainly extravagant and was the perfect venue for such an event as a wedding, albeit a mock one. A massive fountain occupied the middle of the lobby. It gurgled pleasantly in the sun rays that fell from the skylight above. Dagda’s dark eyes traced to the front desk. A woman with brown hair sat behind it, deeply engrossed in the papers at her fingertips. He approached the desk and peered down at the receptionist. Too focused on her task, she took a moment to notice the giant man. Blue eyes traced all the way up to his face in surprise.

“Er… can I help you?” she asked tentatively. Dagda realized that his stature must be intimidating to her. “Yes, I’m here for the wedding testing. My name is Dagda,” he replied with a friendly smile and a little wave. “Oh! Just a moment,” she drawled. After his name was marked off of a list, he was approached by an official looking man in a flawless suit. Apparently he was the event organizer. His mustache was trimmed to perfection. Dagda rubbed the stubble on his own chin absentmindedly.

The titan was handed a clipboard with some paper on it. The suited man had explained that it was a contract for the job. All he had to do was read and sign. Dagda took a moment to skim through the paper. The job requirement of a temporary marriage to someone else was unexpected. He wasn’t quite sure how that worked. Maybe situational brief marriage was some sort of Earthland custom? Maybe the job couldn’t be done without it? Dagda just shrugged to himself. Surely it couldn’t be that bad.

Once the paperwork was complete, the titan was sent to sit in the lobby and wait for the person he would be marrying for the afternoon. He had arrived early, apparently. Dagda had struggled to figure out the time by the sun’s trajectory. The sun worked differently here, and there was only one! The timing of his arrival had been off by at least 15 minutes.

Dark eyes spaced out for a while. Looking around the room had grown boring so Dagda retreated within his thoughts. That was, until another person that had entered the hotel minutes before caught his attention. He snapped out of his daydreaming to look. The event organizer had joined the new entrant and was speaking with her. The titan tilted his head slightly as he took in the woman’s appearance. Long, raven-colored hair fell from her head to her waist. Dagda couldn’t help but notice her exposed midriff. Those legs, too…

The massive man shook his head as he stood and approached the two. Dagda was self-restrained enough to force himself to focus on the task at hand. The suit guy and the lady’s conversation reached his ears shortly after. She was berating him about the necessity of marriage for such a seemingly simple job. It seemed as if marriage was equivalent to torture for her. The suited man just looked uncomfortable.

“‘Uggo?’ I’m hurt. Is that any way to talk about your temporary husband-to-be?” Dagda spoke as he walked up to the two, placing a hand over his heart in exaggerated mock pain. His tone was lighthearted and teasing. A friendly grin was plastered on his face as he looked down at the woman.

The woman turned around as he spoke and Dagda knew he was in for an interesting afternoon. She was even more gorgeous up close. The titan could feel her greenish-blue eyes tracing his form. The color reminded him of a flower that grew on Tetsukazu, the Odraire. It grew sparsely and was treasured for its unusual color. The flower and this woman were quite comparable in their beauty.

Her tune seemed to change the instant Dagda made his presence known. A scowl had been replaced by a flirty smirk. The receptionist tried to ease her worries further. After a moment of consideration, the contract was signed and she had turned back to the tall man. Her voice was smooth and sultry as she spoke, and Dagda felt a pleasant shiver down his spine.

“I’m Dagda,” he responded simply. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lili.” The titan dipped his head in greeting, unsure of what else to do. Earthlander formalities were still a subject he had to learn more about. He would likely wait until he was sure the way in which his interactions with Lili went. As much as his interest had been piqued, he didn’t want to be too forward. It had been a long time since Dagda had flirted with someone. He was quite rusty. However, his mind was jumping at the opportunity. Something about Lili was irresistible and he was dying to know more about her.

A group of people came from another room. The receptionist excitedly introduced them as the outfit stylists for the wedding event. They were all impeccably dressed from head to toe and definitely knew what they were doing when it came to fashion. Lili’s flirtatious words were unexpected, but more than welcome. It seemed she was into Dagda and didn’t shy away from making it clear. “A crying shame,” he added with an exaggerated pout. He wouldn’t mind seeing more than what she was showing. The titan waved as the stylists pulled Lili away.

The remaining outfitters led Dagda to a room on the opposite side of the hotel. Sewing machines and packs upon packs of pins were set out in preparation. Rolls of fabric sat in a neat pile. Some half-finished suits hung from a rack nearby next to a fitting room closed off by a curtain. Dagda looked around curiously as he was pushed right into the dressing room. “You vill try ze suit on ze hanger in zere,” the lead stylist directed, pointing to the outfit already in the little space. “Zen come out and ve vill make ze necessary alterations.” It took a moment for Dagda to process the words under her thick accent. He had never heard anything like it before.

With a nod, Dagda pushed by the curtain and closed it behind him. He had to duck to pass under the bar that held it up. Once inside, he turned around and realized that the space between the curtain and the ceiling was right at face level. He could still see out into the stylists’ room and his head was just inches from the white ceiling above. It seemed that Earthland buildings weren’t intended for someone as tall as him. The titan had noticed having to duck under doorframes ever since he arrived.

Dagda turned and undressed. He grabbed up the suit and peered at it with dark eyes, feeling the material with his left hand. It was smooth and well made. Not a thread was out of place. As he started to put the dress shirt on, Dagda’s brow furrowed. The sleeves struggled to go over his biceps and the material between his shoulders was stretched to its limit. The titan tried to be as gentle as he could with the garment. He didn’t want to rip it.

Next came the pants, which proved to be a problem as well. Dagda had managed to pull them up most of the way. However, they would not go over his butt despite his efforts. The titan began wiggling and hopping as he pulled on the black trousers. A couple times he nearly lost his balance. The material began to inch over his rear. With one last tug, he pulled them all the way up, but not before smacking his head on the ceiling. “OW! Shit,” Dagda mumbled, rubbing his head. He heard the stylists snickering outside of the fitting room and couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

He managed to get most everything on, though the buttons on everything were strained to their limit. It was clear that the stylists had been expecting someone of smaller stature and figure. Dagda stiffly exited the dressing room. His movements were slow in order to preserve the suit.

The stylists’ jaws dropped as he stepped out into the room. Silence filled the room as they observed his horribly mis-sized outfit. Everything was nearly bursting at the seams and Dagda’s stomach and ankles were exposed. “Um… I think I need a bigger size,” the man said gently, not wanting to offend the professionals. They all nodded vigorously in agreement.

The lead stylist approached him. “No vorries, ve fix you,” she said, patting his arm with a toothy smile. The group got to work, using magic and sewing to correct and expand the outfit. The sleeves now fit comfortably over Dagda’s arms. The right arm of the dress shirt was cut off and tucked neatly into the grooves of his metal arm, but the suit jacket still went all the way down to his wrist. The pants were snug but stretched comfortably with each movement.

Dagda looked at himself in the mirror, turning to one side then the other. He was thoroughly impressed and felt confidence rising up within him. The titan didn’t feel bad about how he looked in general, but the way this suit fit just brought him to the next level. Next, the stylists tackled his hair. They washed, dried, cut, and styled his hair, lathering it in creams and hairspray. It was more than Dagda had ever had done to his hair. His scalp was tingling by the end. The stylists also shaved off his stubble, leaving his jaw smooth to the touch.

By the end of it all, Dagda felt like a new man. He had begun to look forward to the rest of the job and was excited to see Lilith again. Surely the other stylists had worked their wonders on her too and made an outfit perfect for her. She would look amazing, he was certain. The titan was led out of the styling room and to the church, which was fantastically decorated. Flowers, ribbons, lights, the whole lot.

Dagda stopped at the altar, standing with his hands in his pockets. He was told to wait for the music to start. Moments later, it did. He was curious how the ceremony would work. It would be interesting to compare it to weddings from his culture. The titan looked around for Lili as the song played.

Dagda’s jaw dropped as Lilith rounded the corner. She was magnificent. The crisp white of her strapless dress only made her skin tone warmer and the raven locks of her hair stand out more. The stylists had done wonders enhancing her features, including how well-fitting her dress was. The titan was more than enjoying the view.

She strode down the aisle to a monotonous song. Dagda hadn’t heard it before, but it must be a special melody. An old lady in the crowd had been wiping away tears since it started. Personally he preferred something with more beat, but he wasn’t too bothered.

Dagda looked down at Lili as she joined him on the dais. She winked at him and he couldn’t keep the grin from his face. “You look stunning,” he whispered to her. The two stood across from one another as the priest began the ceremony. It was hard to pay any attention though, instead he kept his eyes on the striking woman before him. A prayer was started and Dagda noticed that Lili kept quiet throughout. He figured she may follow a different religion than the one being used in the ceremony today. She wasn’t alone, as Dagda couldn’t recite prayers he didn’t know anything about.

He caught the little downturn of her mouth, his own brows coming together in concern. The priest asked them to join hands, so Dagda took Lili’s up in his own. The size of her hands was nearly dwarfed by his own. The stature difference between the two became even more apparent to him in that moment. As soon as their hands grasped, Dagda ran his thumbs gently over the back of her hands a few times. It was his little attempt at comforting his gorgeous temporary bride.

After many minutes of blathering, the priest finally arrived at the rites. He queried Dagda about the depth of his dedication to Lilith, which seemed a bit ridiculous as the commitment was temporary. “I do,” he responded. After Lili repeated the same sentiment, the priest wrapped a ribbon around their hands. Dagda peered at it curiously as he felt the magic emanating from it. It must be what officially bound the two together for the rest of the day.

They were now husband and wife! For now, at least. Dagda turned his attention as Lili did, a keen smile on his face. The priest had given them permission to kiss and he wouldn’t protest one bit. The giant felt her arms wrap around his neck as she pulled him in. He leaned down quite a bit so she didn’t have to strain to meet his height. Dagda felt her warm breath on his face as she stopped. Their faces were nearly touching. The beat of his heart quickened.

He met Lili’s eyes, wondering why she hadn’t finished the movement. The way she was looking at him brought him to a realization. She was waiting for him to close the gap. The titan knew he had to complete the kiss and prove to her that he wasn’t just all looks. There was power and desire within him, he wanted her to know that.

Dagda surged forward, their lips colliding in an instant. His hands instinctively wrapped around Lili’s waist. The softness of her lips was like flower petals against his own. Such blissful sensation made his eyes close. The giant man leaned into the kiss passionately, supporting Lili’s back in case she leaned too far back. There was more to it than just the action, though. The intense kiss revealed the fiery lust that was budding within Dagda.

At last he pulled back. The cheers from the ceremony attendees flooded back into his hearing, which he realized had been occupied by the roaring of blood in his ears. Dagda shook his head to clear it. Everyone was looking at them expectantly, waiting for the newlyweds to walk back down the aisle together. On a whim, the titan bent down and swept Lili off her feet. She was carried - well, bridal style - in his arms with one beneath her knees and one around her back. Dagda gave her a wink and a peck on the lips. He proceeded down the aisle with Lili in his arms. The audience whooped and hollered. Dagda felt his cheeks hurt from smiling. Even though this was all fake, he was having a great time.

At the end of the aisle the wedding organizer waited, a more pleasant expression on his face than before. “Excellently done,” he praised the two, giving a few quiet claps. “Now we’ll move on to the next piece, the first dance. Off to the dancefloor! Pip pip!” He ushered them towards the other side of the room. Dagda continued to carry Lili all the way over, setting her down on the smooth wooden floor. The wedding guests gathered around the edges of the dancefloor section, watching the newlyweds excitedly. “Shall we dance?” Dagda asked her, bowing a bit and offering his hand.

Dagda loved the kind of woman who could challenge him. One who pushed the limits to the brink. One who was strong-willed. One who could always surprise him and keep him on his toes. It seemed that Lilith fit this type quite well. Not only had she challenged him to keep up, but she was giving him little hints and brief touch as they danced. It was driving Dagda wild.

Dancing wasn’t a huge part of the culture of his people, so Dagda didn’t really know what he was doing. He simply went along with his instincts and how his body was telling him to move. Much to the titan’s surprise, he found himself moving smoothly to the beat of the music. It was as if some outside source was guiding the dance moves Dagda didn’t even know he had. He remembered something in the paperwork about an enchanted dancefloor. The magic didn’t bother him at all, in fact he was quite pleased that it allowed him to keep up with Lili.

The cheers of the crowd died down and Lili propositioned him once more. “I can last much longer than that,” he replied with a wink. “Let’s go another round!” Dagda grabbed her hand and pulled her further onto the dancefloor. A song started up, one with a more smooth, suggestive tone to it. The bass coming from the speakers made the floor rumble beneath their feet. The DJ hadn’t hesitated to change the music to a more club-like vibe. The lights had been lowered in the area around the dancefloor, though the rest of the venue seemed as bright and wedding-themed as ever.

Dagda pulled Lili in. “This is more like it,” he whispered, his deep voice just loud enough for her to hear. The other dancers around them paid little attention to the newlyweds. The titan got closer, leaving mere inches between the two. All his focus was on the woman before him. Her touch and presence was a high he just couldn’t get enough of. The dancefloor aided his movements once more. Should Lili follow his lead, the two would be dancing body to body in a style of dance almost too risque for a wedding. Luckily the darkness and other guests masked them fairly well.

The song seemed to end too quickly. Before they could continue dancing, the event organizer approached the two once more. He beckoned them both to follow and led them away from the dancefloor and loud music. Dagda pouted a bit. He was having a great time dancing and didn’t want to stop. As soon as he could be heard, the organizer turned to Dagda and Lili. “As much as I’d love to let you two dance the afternoon away, the job is not complete yet. You still have to cut the cake!” He pointed to the side of the room where there was a table piled high with desserts. In the center was a massive cake with five tiers.

When he reached the table with the cake, Dagda raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had never seen a confection so large in his life. The effort it must have taken to create was impressive. At the top were two tiny figurines, magically adjusted to look like little replicas of Dagda and Lilith. They must have been magically powered too, as the figurines danced together in a waltz atop the cake. The titan was fascinated.

A crowd of guests had wandered from the dancefloor to gather before the dessert tables. Some of them held glasses full of alcohol in their hands. Apparently the bar had been opened up after the ceremony had finished. Several of them looked unbalanced as they stood swaying. One let out a slurred cheer.

Dagda raised the knife up to the cake. He hated to ruin such a masterpiece, but it was unavoidable. He began to slice into the top tier. Just then, one of the drunks began to move forward. He had gotten too close to the dessert tables and, in a drunken stupor, lost his balance. The guest came stumbling right towards the cake! Dagda acted fast, throwing the knife away from himself so it wouldn’t cause harm by the crashing drunk. The utensil lodged in a nearby wall, far away from any other guests. He then grabbed Lilith and pulled her in to his chest. The titan turned his back to the table to protect his bride from flying desserts. The resounding crash echoed around. Gasps came from the other guests. Dagda felt the majority of the cake collide with his back, splattering all over his suit jacket. Luckily he had taken the brunt of the delicious disaster, leaving Lili’s dress still clean.

Dagda turned around to see just how bad it was. The drunken guest was lying in a pile of cake, cookies, and pie. Frosting made his hair stick up in messy spikes and pie filling dyed his face red from the fruit. He groaned and struggled to stand, wobbling and losing his balance. Dagda paced over, stepping on clean patches of floor so he didn’t ruin his shoes too. He picked the drunk up by the shirt and placed him on his feet.

“Get lost,” he growled at the drunkard. The sight of such a large, angry man combined with a drunken haze made the dessert-covered guest quickly scurry away. Dagda grabbed a napkin from another table and wiped his hands off. He returned to Lili to check that she was okay. From what he could see, the desserts had missed her.

The titan peeked over his shoulder. The cake and frosting coated his suit jacket in clumps. It was unwearable, possibly ruined. Dagda carefully shrugged it off, making sure not to get anything on his other clothing. As entertaining as it would be to strip down in front of Lili, there were other guests in the room. Thus, he deposited the jacket on a nearby chair. His metal arm was now exposed. The titan hoped Lili didn’t mind his prosthetic limb. Dagda rolled up the other sleeve of his dress shirt to make it even.

Looking down, he decided to remove his tie as well and deposited it with the jacket. As he undid a few buttons on the top of his shirt, Dagda winked at Lili. “The tie was a little too tight,” he explained teasingly.

Dagda kept eye contact with Lili as she put the frosting-covered finger in her mouth. The sensual action sent heat throughout his body and he felt himself inhale sharply. Damn, the titan thought to himself, I’m so screwed. At least, he hoped to be by the time this was over. Her grin only confirmed that he was being teased. It was driving him wild.

Dagda was becoming annoyed with the wedding organizer as well. Each time he was having a moment with Lili, the man interrupted them! A slight pout appeared on his lips as his bride was dragged off. It seemed this activity was something she had to complete alone. He claimed a nearby chair and watched as the bouquet was thrown. For some reason, the flowers exploded in the air, raining down glitter and petals on the crowd. It was a beautiful sight to behold.

At last Lili returned to him. The interruptions from the event host would likely cease now that the event was completed and the bride had given him a piece of her mind. Dagda felt his shoulders relax a little, releasing tension he hadn’t realized was there. The whole wedding had been something totally new to him. He’d had fun, but was glad it was over.

“Sounds good to me,” Dagda agreed, rising from his chair. The various cake-covered suit garments were left abandoned by the dessert table. Dark brown eyes sought out the bar, which was conveniently near the dance floor. Several guests occupied the bar stools with drinks of their own, while most mingled or danced. The titan placed a hand gently against Lili’s lower back, guiding her alongside him as they approached the bar.

Since arriving on this planet, Dagda had discovered many new types of food and drink that he had never tried before. However, he hadn’t gotten the chance to explore alcohol very much. Beyond trying a beer once, he was inexperienced with the drinks of Earthland. Surely his faux bride would be able to give him some direction. “I’m not sure what I want,” Dagda admitted with a laugh. “What would you recommend, Lili?”

Dagda tilted his head slightly when Lili suggested bubbles. What did bubbles have to do with alcohol? He had seen bubbles before, but they weren’t a drink. It must be some strange Earthland thing. The titan joined his companion on a parallel barstool, which was a little small. He managed to sit fairly comfortably anyways.

His curiosity was only partially sated as the bartender brought out a fancy-looking bottle and two tall glasses. The label had gold lettering in an elegant font that Dagda couldn’t read. Dark eyes watched intently as the bartender popped the cork out and began to pour the drinks. The liquid fizzed as it fell into the glasses and a layer of white foam formed on top. Dagda was perplexed. There was nothing like this in his culture!

The bartender started to talk about payment, but Lili waved her off. It only made sense that the wedding organizers would pay for their food and drink in return for participating. The two could eat and drink to their heart’s content and leave the tab to the annoying guy who kept interrupting them earlier. The perfect revenge for his disturbances. Dagda picked up the flute gently, glancing over the glass and its contents before looking to Lilith. “Cheers,” he responded in turn with a grin, raising the glass before bringing it to his lips.

The sensation caused by the alcohol was odd, unlike anything he had felt in his mouth before. It startled him and he nearly spit out the liquid. How could a drink cause a fizzing on his tongue? In his culture, they hadn’t created carbonation in anything yet. He had never experienced the feeling of it before. Dagda finished his sip and placed the drink back down. He smacked his lips once in bewilderment.

“This is probably a stupid question,” he started with a chuckle. “But how is this drink bubbly like that? I, uh, I’m not from around here.” That was the easy way of saying it. Despite his inexperience with fizzy drinks, he found that the sensation was enjoyable. Dagda raised the flute to his lips and took another quick drink.

”It is nice,” Dagda agreed, taking another sip. The flavor was kind to his tongue. This was a liquid he could see himself drinking too much of, if not simply for the foreign feeling of carbonation. He noticed Lilith had downed her own glass, so he held his flute out to her to ask for some more. “If you don’t mind,” he added with a wink.

The space between them was closed by a bit, catching his attention. Dagda watched as her delicate fingers traced the metal limb. He was used to people asking about it. A prosthetic was not so common and drew attention easily. While he couldn’t feel her touch directly, the vibrations could be felt in his upper arm above the metal, where nerve endings still existed. It would take some time for touch-recepting tech to be developed for his arm, so for now he was stuck with cold, lifeless metal.

“It’s quite the tale, but the simple version is that I lost my arm in a battle. Some time passed before I was able to get medical attention, but the young man that saved me also saved the nerves in what was left of my arm. His name is Percy Dagger, the head of research at Dagger Corp. I’d never heard of the company before, but the kid is damn smart. He healed me right up and provided me with this arm that he made himself.” The titan lifted his metal limb and flexed the fingers, turning his wrist one way and then the other. Every aspect of the prosthetic still fascinated him. Secretly Dagda loved the way the silver glinted in the light, so he kept moving his metal fingers.

Dagda’s face lit up as Lili mentioned her association with Percy. “No way! That’s great, I’ll have to mention it to him next time I go in for upgrades.” It was a little reassuring to know that Fiore was not so big that he couldn’t meet people with connections. What were the chances that his wedding date and the guy who saved his life knew each other? The titan shook his head at the sheer coincidence of it all.

Dagda took another sip as Lili continued talking. An eyebrow raised behind the glass at her thinly-veiled flirting. Her alluring green eyes clearly showed the suggestive nature of her comment. Now that the ceremony was over, she seemed to be pulling out the stops all at once. He didn’t mind one bit. It felt great to flirt and be flirted with for the first time in a long while.

“I certainly can fight,” he answered, “and I can throw someone around easily. It’s fun. I’ve got no problems with being rough.” Pushing thoughts of actual battles out of his head, he took another sip. The fruity flavors and bubbles sang across his tongue. He would definitely have to have this drink some other time. It was growing on him.

“In battle, I mean,” Dagda added with a cheeky grin. That was definitely not what he meant, but he couldn’t help joking around a bit.

All of a sudden Dagda realized that Lili was closer than before. Much closer. Her fingers trailed up his arm and left a blazing trail of sensation in their wake. It was becoming harder to focus on anything but those emerald eyes and that enticing touch.

“Well,” Dagda started, taking a deep breath to try to refocus on the conversation. “I’m new to Fiore. Just got here a few months ago.” He wasn’t sure how she would react knowing he was from another planet, so he chose to omit that detail.

“I took this job to help out the company that put this on,” he began in response to the loaded second question. There was definitely a heavier meaning implied. “...But it seems they may have helped me out instead.” Dagda winked. “Soon as I got here, I knew this event would be a treat.” Lili was laying down some pretty clear hints, but the titan held himself back a bit. He wanted a clear go-ahead before he could just pick her up and whisk them away to the nearest private room. Every move she made caused his resolve to waver even more. She was becoming irresistible.