(2022-03-15) Matron of Honor

Details

Author:	Luridel
Summary:	Mordecai asks Ismene Hazan to be his best woman? Maid of honor? Matron of honor, that's the one.
Rating:	T for Teen

Logging started on 03/15/2022 at 19:58:20.
20:04:38 Ismene sighs and plops down to sit, during a rare lull in the waves of wounded.
20:05:50 Mordecai finishes up with a patient, looks around, and… everyone's been taken care of.
20:06:01 Ismene eyes Mordecai as she picks up a basket of clean fabric and begins rolling bandagaes against future need.
20:06:23 Ismene: So. You're um… You're Colson's fiance, right?
20:06:24 Mordecai comes over to help.
20:06:28 Mordecai: Oh. Um.
20:06:29 Mordecai: Yes.
20:06:46 Ismene smiles at her lap. Hi lap. "He's very nice. Handsome."
20:07:05 Ismene sets the basket between them to make it easier to split the task.
20:07:29 Mordecai nods. He starts rolling bandages too.
20:08:16 Ismene lets a few moments of silence go by. "Are you very excited?"
20:08:52 Mordecai glances quickly at her as if trying to gauge the response she wants to hear. After a moment, he nods.
20:09:14 Mordecai: I actually… um, I had a favor to ask of you, Mrs. Hazan.
20:09:49 Ismene's smile broadens. Maybe the bandage she's rolling is particularly amusing. "I'm sure I'd be happy to help."
20:10:20 Mordecai: Well… Ben is standing for Colson as his best man at the wedding.
20:10:46 Ismene nods, looking just pleased as punch. So punch must look pretty pleased most of the time, for some reason.
20:10:48 Mordecai: And I, um, I still need someone to… I don't have… I wasn't sure who else to ask.
20:11:32 Mordecai is looking at the bandages and not at Ismene.
20:11:44 Ismene hesitates. "Um. Well. Are you… asking me for suggestions?"
20:12:13 Mordecai: No, I'm asking you. If you wouldn't mind.
20:12:44 Mordecai hunches his shoulders. He is braced for rejection.
20:13:01 Ismene buh-links at the bandage in her hand. It pauses, half-rolled, and waits for her to get it together.
20:13:25 Mordecai: To, to stand for me at the wedding? As the… is it best woman? Maid of honor?
20:13:54 Ismene is derailed further. "Bless, I supposed I'd be Matron of Honor because I'm already married. Isn't that a thought?"
20:14:11 Ismene laughs at the notion, because she doesn't giggle. Not at all.
20:14:51 Mordecai: Is that what it's called?
20:15:08 Ismene: Oh! I suppose I didn't answer. Of course, I'd be honored! But… um… You'll probably… You'll want som- I mean, when you return home of course you'll have— I shan't make a fuss! I understand it's only because we're *here* and so terribly far from home.
20:15:33 Ismene rolls intently.
20:16:00 Mordecai: Thank you, um.
20:16:24 Mordecai: We -are- getting married in Stormwind. Colson said they'll be able to spare us for a day.
20:17:45 Ismene peeks at Mordecai. "And you weren't sure who to— That is, there's no one yo—" She stops herself. It only gets worse from there.
20:18:15 Mordecai: Well, I couldn't ask Colson.
20:18:17 Mordecai: Because I'm.
20:18:19 Mordecai: Marrying him.
20:18:23 Ismene giggles again. LAUGHS. She laughs.
20:18:26 Mordecai: And I… couldn't ask Ben because Colson already asked Ben…
20:18:43 Mordecai blushes. He ducks his head and wow this bandage is very interesting isn't it.
20:19:46 Ismene is also terribly interested in her bandages. "Isn't it this Saturday?"
20:20:44 Mordecai: Well… yes.
20:21:47 Ismene: I'll have to send to Mother for one of my gowns. She'll be ever so pleased.
20:21:51 Ismene does not sound pleased.
20:22:01 Mordecai: It's not… too short of a notice, is it?
20:23:18 Ismene hastily assures him, "Oh! No, not at all! It's just… well, mothers can be… Oh, but not your mother! I'm sure she's lovely. If she's still alive! Oh dear, she's not dead is she? Oh, but I'm sure she was lovely while she was ali—"
20:23:30 Ismene takes a deep breath, turns crimson, and hunches over her bandage.
20:23:44 Mordecai: N-no, she's alive.
20:23:55 Ismene huffs a sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping.
20:24:05 Mordecai does not comment on how lovely his mother might or might not be.
20:24:18 Ismene: Oh. I'm glad. I always say the wrongest things, sincerely I do.
20:25:04 Ismene: Do you… Well, I'm sure you *must*. Have wedding clothes, that is.
20:25:45 Mordecai nods. "Colson wanted his sister to make them."
20:25:50 Mordecai: …I don't know what they look like yet.
20:26:03 Ismene blinks. "You don't?"
20:26:23 Mordecai shakes his head.
20:26:31 Mordecai: I-I suppose I could… ask if she's done?
20:26:43 Ismene: But what if— I mean, I'm sure it's lovely, Cressidha's quite talented, but you should know if it's something you'll even *like*.
20:26:45 Mordecai suggests. It sounds a lot like 'I suppose I could stick my hand into the shark's mouth?' Same tone.
20:27:16 Mordecai: I'm sure it's… fine?
20:27:32 Ismene: But it's your wedding day!
20:27:42 Ismene sets aside the bandages. "Let's start with your favorite color."
20:27:53 Mordecai: Blue?
20:28:10 Ismene frowns a little, confused. "Are you not sure?"
20:28:25 Mordecai: I, um… most colors are fine?
20:29:17 Ismene: Fine is fine, but you should have only things that please you, for your wedding. And oh! You needn't do a thing, I'll do it because that's my job, isn't it? As matron of honor?
20:30:22 Mordecai shrugs helplessly. "I think… Colson's family has made most of the arrangements. Except, um."
20:30:39 Ismene waits patiently.
20:30:42 Mordecai whispers, "I'm going to make a cake."
20:30:54 Ismene: Do you want to make the cake?
20:32:01 Mordecai: Yes.
20:32:06 Mordecai sounds sure about that one.
20:33:00 Ismene sighs happily. "Oh good. I haven't the faintest notion where I should get a fancy cake by Saturday. But I'd get one if you wanted it, of course! So, I'll go and see the wedding clothes and make sure at least some of your favorite color is represented."
20:33:11 Ismene: Does it matter if it's pants and a shirt, or a robe?
20:33:19 Mordecai: It-it doesn't matter.
20:34:02 Ismene cocks her head to one side.
20:34:15 Ismene ventures carefully, "You… you do *want* to marry Colson, don't you?"
20:34:31 Mordecai goes red. "Y, yes. I do."
20:35:06 Ismene: Then. I suppose that's why… why it doesn't really matter?
20:35:45 Mordecai: I don't… think Colson's sister would make me something horrible if I'm marrying her brother. So.
20:35:57 Mordecai: I'm-I'm sure whatever she chooses will be fine.
20:36:28 Ismene says softly, "But Mordecai, what do *you* want?"
20:36:42 Mordecai: I really don't have a preference. About what I wear.
20:37:19 Ismene nods and looks back at her bandage. It's a rolled bandage. Somehow that happened. She sets it aside, then picks up another length of fabric.
20:37:48 Mordecai has been mechanically rolling up neat little bandage rolls this whole time.
20:38:19 Ismene fingers the fabric fringe, alliteratively. "I… suppose you want to marry Colson and you want to make the cake, so… That's two things you'll get."
20:38:47 Ismene: Is there… I mean, do you want… Should I be doing… anything… else?
20:38:47 Mordecai: That's plenty.
20:38:50 Mordecai: Um…
20:39:40 Mordecai: I-I don't really know…? I've never been to a wedding before.
20:40:14 Ismene: Well, if you *do* want or need anything, let me know.
20:40:26 Ismene peeks over at him again, uncertain.
20:40:41 Mordecai: Thank you, um…
20:41:14 Mordecai: Actually… maybe? If you could… find out what kind of cake is Colson's favorite… without letting him know I'm-I'm making the cake? So it's a surprise?
20:41:57 Ismene seems relieved. "Oh yes, I can do that. I suppose it's no good asking him anyway."
20:42:16 Mordecai: If I ask him then it'll be obvious…
20:42:25 Ismene: He'll just say he doesn't like sweets.
20:42:57 Mordecai: No, he-he does. He's stopped, um, pretending he doesn't, I think.
20:43:19 Ismene: Maybe Lady Aspenwood will know. I'll ask her; she'll keep a secret if she knows it's a secret.
20:44:28 Mordecai nods.
20:44:36 Mordecai: Thank you…
20:44:49 Ismene smiles a bit at the bandage in her hands. "You know, when I got married, I didn't even have a cake. I just had Ben. So there, you're already doing better at wedding things than I did."
20:45:08 Mordecai: That… sounds nice.
20:45:29 Mordecai: Getting to… skip the spectacle. I could never…
20:45:47 Ismene: Even if you could, he wouldn't.
20:46:18 Mordecai: Of-of course.
20:46:37 Ismene: Do you know how many people will be there?
20:46:47 Ismene sounds like she's asking how full of spiders the pit is.
20:47:33 Mordecai: Well, um… my family… the Aspenwoods… and he'll have invited everyone who would be offended by not receiving an invitation, which doesn't mean they'll all come…
20:47:42 Mordecai: He, um, he said he invited all of Cobalt Company.
20:48:13 Ismene: At least we can assume they'll all be kind.
20:48:44 Mordecai: Cobalt Company? Y-yes, probably.
20:48:57 Ismene nods.
20:49:09 Ismene: How…
20:49:14 Ismene: How many invitations went out?
20:49:30 Mordecai: I, um, I don't know.
20:49:42 Mordecai: You received yours, right…?
20:49:56 Ismene nods. "Your fiance gave it to Ben personally."
20:51:13 Mordecai nods. He's starting to run low on cloth for bandages.
20:51:16 Ismene: I … I don't know if you don't know any of this because you didn't want the bother or because… because they just assumed you didn't, or did things without checking with you.
20:52:03 Mordecai: It's… all a little overwhelming.
20:52:48 Ismene says very, very softly, "That's not really an answer."
20:53:19 Ismene: Sometimes… sometimes when one is quiet or… or doesn't like to push, others think you have no opinions or…
20:53:32 Ismene: They think you don't want things when you do, but no one ever asks. So you never say.
20:54:02 Mordecai blinks. He looks up at her. "You're very considerate, Mrs. Hazan."
20:54:58 Ismene glances sidelong, offering him a little smile. "You can call me Ismene. Since I'm going to be in your wedding, I think we can be friends."
20:55:27 Mordecai smiles back, quick and shy. "I am… looking forward to being Mordecai Aspenwood. Very much. The ceremony itself, um, I'm sure I'll be terrified the whole time."
20:55:54 Mordecai: It's just one day. I just have to get through one day of spectacle.
20:56:16 Ismene: Well, the ceremony will be nice. You'll be looking at the priest or at Colson most of the time.
20:57:37 Mordecai nods.
20:58:41 Ismene: He's very kind. I'm sure he'll make a wonderful husband. He never once teased me for… for being such a goose-girl around him.
21:00:21 Mordecai nods. "Yes, he… Colson is wonderful."
21:01:30 Ismene: So it… you love him, then? It's not just… Oh, I suppose I oughtn't ask. But it's just that it's so nice to be married to someone you love, you see! Although I really don't have any experience of any other kind of marriage so I suppose it might all be equally nice, though it doesn't seem likely, certainly my parents didn't have a nice marriage. Well, don't have, since they're still married.
21:02:00 Ismene remembers to breathe.
21:03:01 Mordecai is still stuck on that first sentence. He nods, absently, looking around the room for a distraction.
21:03:52 Ismene rises with the basket of rolled bandages. "You'll make him very happy. I can tell."
21:04:01 Ismene walks them to the storage shelf.
21:04:36 Mordecai: I, um.
21:04:44 Mordecai says in a mumble, "I hope so."
21:05:00 Ismene: You're kind. And gentle. And thoughtful.
21:05:28 Ismene is struck by a thought. "Oh. Do you know about kissing and things? I didn't know and I think I was supposed to be told on my wedding day but, well."
21:05:50 Mordecai has no more bandages to distract himself with. He looks down at the floor.
21:06:20 Mordecai: I don't believe… Colson is interested in.
21:06:31 Mordecai waves a hand vaguely.
21:06:42 Mordecai: Any of that.
21:06:43 Ismene glances around to make sure all the patients are unconscious.
21:07:06 At least one of them is pretending to sleep.
21:07:07 Ismene: Oh. I thought that all men… did. Are. Interested, I mean.
21:08:08 Mordecai shrugs helplessly. He gets up and goes over to pour a glass of water.
21:08:49 Ismene: Well. If you don't think you'll…
21:08:52 Ismene: Be.
21:08:58 Ismene: Doing… any of that.
21:09:01 Ismene: I suppose that's fine.
21:09:19 Ismene thinks about it and doesn't look like it's fine. So she adds, "It's awfully nice, though."
21:09:37 Mordecai leaves the glass of water by the bedside of a patient they treated earlier.
21:10:02 Mordecai looks at Ismene's feet. "It's all right."
21:10:35 Ismene: It's awfully nice when it's with someone you love? But… again I wouldn't… have..
21:10:37 Ismene: You know.
21:10:41 Ismene: Advice on any…
21:10:52 Ismene stops. Just stops. "Anyway, it's awfully nice with your husband."
21:10:59 Mordecai: That's, um, that's fine.
21:11:35 Ismene: I suppose Ben will tell him.
21:12:18 Ismene declares abruptly, "I would like to stop talking about this now so I'm going to go away."
21:12:35 Mordecai looks at her in awe. You can just SAY that? Amazing.
21:12:57 Mordecai nods and turns away. He stands next to one of the beds and pretends to be busy.
21:13:00 Ismene hurries out, scarlet red face at the floor.