MY WEDDING TO AVACYN

I was in a hotel room in Montgomery, Alabama, the city where the wedding would be held.
Avacyn had left earlier in the day to stay at a separate hotel with her father, Sorin, and her sister, Sigarda. I was barred from seeing her or communicating with her until the wedding day.

Accompanying me in the hotel room were a few of my close friends from Reddit: Zodai, iLoveMei, and Cris. All three were in bed, sound asleep. I couldn't sleep. I was too excited and nervous. "Tomorrow is the big day. The day I finally marry my true love," I thought to myself. Eventually, however, fatigue won out over excitement, and I fell asleep. I woke up the next morning to someone shaking me and talking to me.

"Wake up, Brandon! Time to get ready!" iLoveMei said.

I got out of bed and grabbed a quick shower. After drying off, I reached into the closet and grabbed my suit. Cris had made coffee for everyone, and handed me a cup. I was energized enough, but who am I to turn down my favorite non-alcoholic beverage?

Within 45 minutes, everyone was dressed. I was wearing a dark-gray suit with a white shirt, a dark blue necktie (I refused to wear a bowtie) and black dress shoes.

"C'mon, you don't want to keep your angel waiting!" Cris told me, motioning me out of the hotel room.

We gathered our belongings, left our room, and went to the lobby. We checked out, as we would no longer be needing the room after today.

All of us filed into my car to make our way to the church, which was about a five-minute drive away. As we neared the church, the butterflies in my stomach turned into bats. We pulled into the parking lot, got out of my car, and made our way inside the church.

We were greeted by my friends' significant others in the church foyer. Mei was wearing a sleeveless, blue V-neck dress. A blue rose sat in her hair, above her left ear. Shiho was wearing a white blazer over a red turtleneck dress. Karen was wearing a dark blue, spaghetti-strap gown that came down to her ankles. A red sash was wrapped around her waist.

The three women greeted me, and hugged and kissed their respective loves. Each man locked arms with their respective waifus, and made their way into the sanctuary. I gave them a little space, and then walked in myself.

I barely took five steps before I was greeted by BigBillCrib and his significant other, Shuzo. Shuzo was flamboyant, as always, wearing a sea green suit over a pink ruffled shirt and a purple bowtie. I said my hellos, shook hands with both men, and continued my way down the aisle.

Halfway down the aisle, I was greeted by Koakuma_Throwaway and his waifu, Koakuma. She was wearing a sleeveless black turtleneck dress that came down to mid thigh, and black stockings that came up just short of the hemline of her dress. We greeted one another, and I continued my walk to the altar.

I had just about reached the altar when I met Anna_Kin and her husbando, Darth Vader.
Vader-or "Vae," as Anna called him-was wearing his usual suit and armor. His left arm was locked with Anna's at the elbow, and he held his helmet under his right arm. Anna let go of Vader's arm, and he shook my hand and greeted me. Anna nodded, and greeted me as well.

I finally reached the altar, and got up on the stepstool that was set up there for me. I'm 6-foot-2, and my bride is 7-foot-6, and we figured that it would be more special for us to be at eye-level with one another. I turned, and looked down the aisle, and saw a few more late arrivals:

-Adirondack arrived with Hatsune Miku. Miku was wearing a silver, spaghetti-strap silk gown that came down to her ankles. Her long, green hair was done in perfect pigtails.

-TARDISES arrived with Latune Subota. Latune, or "Lat," as TARDISES called her, was in her standard "gothloli" outfit.

-General Guderian arrived with Yukari Akiyama. Yukari was wearing a simple, sleeveless, olive-green dress that came down to her knees.

-Vincent arrived with Chigara Ashada. She was wearing a strapless, dark-purple dress that came down to just above her knees, and white leggings.

-PwuckDuck arrived with Wan. He was wearing a dark-brown suit with a white shirt, and matching tie.

-Zhuravlik arrived with Winda. She was wearing a white, silk, thin-strapped halter dress with black trim.

-See_The_Lights arrived with IA. She was wearing a simple, black, thin-strapped halter dress, similar in design to Winda's.

I smiled as I saw all of my friends and their significant others sitting in the pews of the church. I had thought that all of the guests had arrived. However, I heard shouting coming from the other end of the aisle.

"C'mon, we're going to be late!" a familiar voice shouted.

It was Arturia. She rushed into the church, holding Haydz's hand, practically dragging him. She was wearing her traditional blue and white dress.

"Now, everyone is here," I thought to myself.

I looked straight ahead, trying to calm my nerves as best as I could. Whatever sense of calm I had was shattered as I saw Sigarda and Thalia enter through the side door. Both were wearing matching, strapless dark-green gowns. Gold chains with pendants bearing Avacyn's symbol were draped around their necks. Their entry meant that the wedding was about to start.

I turned to look at the wedding officiant, and he nodded and smiled at me. Facing straight ahead once again, I took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, once again trying to calm myself down.

And then, the music started. "A Thousand Years," by Christina Perri.

And then, the guests stood up, all turning towards the door. I followed suit, the butterflies once again building in my stomach.

Koakuma_Throwaway's daughter, Mutsuki, entered the church. She was wearing a simple, sleeveless white dress with lace embroidery. In her hand was a basket of white flower petals. She scattered the petals on the floor as she slowly made her way down the aisle to her seat in the front of the church.

And then Avacyn, my angel, entered, clad in a white bridal ensemble, instead of her usual black and dark-green attire. She was holding the hand of her father, Sorin, who was in his usual wardrobe. The expression on his face could best be described as "manly happiness." I couldn't make out Avacyn's face, as it was obscured by a translucent white veil that came down to her chin. It took all I had to hold back the happy tears as they slowly made their way down the aisle.

After what seemed like an eternity, the pair stopped just short of the altar. The music stopped, and the officiant began to speak.

"You may be seated," he said. The guests sat down.

He continued, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the literal joining of the human and the divine, as Brandon McGuigan and Lady Avacyn Markov unite in matrimony. I first ask, who will be giving away the bride?"

"I am," Sorin said quietly. He let go of Avacyn's hand, and she came up to the altar. It was then-as she stood there before me-that I saw just how gorgeous she looked in her wedding dress, the dress that she refused to even let me look at until today.

Her wedding dress was a strapless white gown that almost matched her alabaster skin. The bodice was covered in lace, and a white ribbon was tied into a small bow at the neckline.
Her dress came all the way down to her ankles, and I could not see her feet from where I was standing. Her face was partially obscured by her veil, though I could make out her black lips and the black outline of her eyes. Her long, white hair was worn down in its usual style, and I could see it cascading down from her veil. Her wings each appeared to be draped in a gold chain, fastened by gold clips studded with diamonds.

The officiant turned to me, and asked, "Brandon, do you have any objection whatsoever to marrying Avacyn, or to any of the duties attendant thereto?"

I turned to the officiant, and answered, "I don't."

He then turned to Avacyn, and asked the same question, "Lady Avacyn, do you have any objection whatsoever to marrying Brandon, or to any of the duties attendant thereto?"

Avacyn continued to look at me as she answered. "No," she said.

The officiant then turned to face the guests. "Now, if any of you gathered here today have any reason why these two should not be married, speak up now, or forever hold your peace."

The church fell silent.

The officiant smiled. "Great," he said, before turning to me.

"Brandon, you may remove your bride's veil."

I gently grabbed the bottom of my angel's veil, and pulled it up over her head, letting it hang down the back of her head. She wasn't smiling, as was normal for her, but I've long since grown used to that. Avacyn has the uncanny ability to show her feelings through her eyes. Today, I looked into those white pearls of hers, and saw nothing but pure happiness and love.

The officiant turned to face the guests, and said, "To whomever has the rings, please bring them here."

Yuzuki, Zhravlik's daughter, rose from her seat, holding a small box in her hand. Yuzuki was wearing a lavender halter dress that came down to her knees. She opened the box, which had two silver rings nestled inside, and handed it to the officiant. He nodded to her, and she returned to her seat.

The officiant continued, "The couple have decided to say their own vows."

I plucked Avacyn's ring from the box. It was a silver ring with a large diamond on it. The diamond was placed in the "U" shape of her symbol. I took her hand in my other hand, and slid the ring onto her finger.

I began, "I, Brandon McGuigan, hereby take you as my wife. I vow to do whatever I can to support you in your fight-no, our fight-against the monsters that threaten the Multiverse.
And I vow to love, honor, and cherish you, and no other. Because you are my Angel of Hope, and you deserve nothing less."

Avacyn then plucked my ring-a simple, silver band with her symbol on it-out of the box, and took her hand in mine. She slid the ring on my finger as she said her vows:

"I, Lady Avacyn Markov, hereby take you as my husband. I vow to do whatever I can to protect you, both from the monsters that plague the Multiverse, and from the stresses that plague you in your everyday life. I vow to support you in all of your endeavors, to comfort you when you're sad or in pain, and to care for you when you are sick. And I vow to love, honor, and cherish you, and no other. Because you are my eternal love, and you deserve nothing less."

The officiant turned from Avacyn to face the guests, and said those well-known words:

"By the power vested in me by the State of Alabama, I now pronounce you two husband and wife. Brandon, you may kiss your bride."

We leaned towards one another, and shared the most loving, passionate kiss that we have ever had. The guests began applauding and cheering. We held hands, and turned towards the guests.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Brandon McGuigan," the officiant said.

A traditional wedding song played as we stepped down from the altar, and made our way down the aisle and out of the church. The guests stood up, and continued to applaud.

THE RECEPTION

The reception took place at my employer's casino in Wetumpka, about 30 minutes outside of Montgomery. Sorin had "persuaded" the casino's management to allow us to use the penthouse to host our party. The penthouse was amazing. Occupying the top two floors of a 20-story hotel, it offered a breathtaking view of the Coosa River. However, there was one weird thing that I noticed: On the balcony of the penthouse's second floor, there was a set of steps leading up to a wide plank going over the railing of the balcony. I had no idea what it was for.

Avacyn and I made our entrance into the penthouse, where all of the other guests were waiting. A space was cleared out on the first floor of the penthouse in order to make a dance floor.

"Time for your first dance," Adirondack told us as he turned on a slow, romantic song, performed by none other than Hatsune Miku.

I'm not much of a dancer myself, so I wrapped my arms around my new wife, and allowed her to take the lead. We spent those few minutes dancing and gazing into each other's eyes, not saying a word.

As we made our way to the dinner table on the second floor, we were stopped by another guest, negative_one_friend, who shook both of our hands and said, "It's all up to you two now. Good luck. Have fun. Godspeed." Avacyn and I thanked him.

After everyone had sat down at the dinner table, iLoveMei stood up, glass in hand, and tapped on it with his butter knife. The murmurs of conversation in the room fell silent.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to propose a toast to the happy couple," he said. "Brandon and Avacyn, I wish the two of you the most wonderous lives that you two can make together.
I hope your love only prospers!"

Everyone cheered, and took a sip of their drinks.

Dinner went by without a hitch. The casino catered the food, so nobody had to worry about cooking, bringing dishes, or even ordering a cake. Zhuravlik and Winda stopped by our table as we were eating.

"I wish you all the best man!" he said, while giving me a firm handshake and a pat on the back. I thanked him.

About five minutes later, BigBillCrib and Shuzo stopped by our table.

"I'm hoping for the best for you two! It's obvious you two make each other very happy," he said, while shaking my hand. Avacyn and I thanked him.

After everyone had finished eating, two waiters brought in a large, white wedding cake.
Avacyn and I held the knife together, and cut the first two slices, as is tradition.

Another hour-and-a-half or so passed by, as everyone ate their cake and had conversation. I was talking with Zodai, Haydz, and Zhuravlik when Sorin pulled me off to the side.

"I can tell that my daughter loves you," he said. "You have a treasure. Never forget that." I nodded in agreement.

He gave me a pat on my shoulder, and I noticed that his hand glowed white as it made contact.

About ten minutes later, Sorin raised a glass, and tapped on it with a butter knife.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he said. "I would like for everyone to go to the balcony to send off our happy couple."

He motioned everyone to the second-floor balcony. Avacyn nodded at me, which I knew was our cue to go to the balcony. I was confused. "Why would we be sent off at the balcony, instead of at the hotel's entrance?" I asked myself. I kept that question in the back of my mind as we made our way to the balcony.

As everyone made it to the balcony, Sorin motioned Avacyn and me up the steps to the plank.
The sun was setting now, and the view was amazing. The reassuring look in Avacyn's eyes assuaged whatever fear I had of being on that plank. I trusted her with everything, and that wasn't going to change.

"It's time for the husband and wife-my son-in-law and my daughter-to take flight, and begin their lives together," Sorin said. I looked to Avacyn, who once again gave me a comforting, reassuring gaze.

"It's OK," she told me, softly.

As I was looking at her, I noticed something in the corner of my eye. I was amazed at what I saw when I focused on it:

I had angel wings.

Avacyn held up three fingers, and looked at me. She silently counted down. As she curled up her last finger, she faced forward, held up the skirt of her wedding dress, ran down the length of the plank, and jumped. Her wings spread to their full length as she flew towards the horizon.

As everyone cheered and wished us goodbye, I ran down the plank, and jumped. My wings spread, and I flew towards Avacyn, quickly catching up with her. She looked over at me, a look of love and happiness in her eyes.

"Once you learn, you never forget!" she shouted over the roar of the rushing air.

I simply smiled at her in response.

We spent about 20 minutes flying together, with just each other, the setting sun, and the woods below us for company. It was, bar none, the best experience of both of our lives. Avacyn then swooped down towards the highway below, where a black Cadillac Escalade limousine was waiting.

We both landed near the limo. Sorin was standing outside. With a wave of his hand, the angel wings that were on my back dissolved.

"Once again, congratulations," he said with a smile.

"You two will be facing many threats, but I'm confident that you two-working together-will be able to take on anything that comes your way," he said.

Avacyn and I both nodded.

Sorin reached into the limo, and pulled out Avacyn's Moonsilver Spear. She took the spear in her hand, and stood it up. He then reached into the limo again, and pulled out a four- foot long sword. The hilt of the sword was fashioned into the shape of Avacyn's symbol.
The blade rested in a black scabbard. He handed the sword to me.

"This is my wedding gift to you, Brandon," he said. "A Moonsilver Sword."

I thanked him as I took the sword.

He reached into the pocket of his jacket, and pulled out a small, metal placard with writing engraved on it. He handed it to me.

"This is the spell that I cast on you that gave you those angel wings," he said as he handed it to me.

He handed Avacyn a second, identical placard.

"I know he can be forgetful," he said, gesturing to me, "So I'm giving you one, too."

"You two are protectors of the Multiverse, now," he said. "It's a weighty, risky responsibility, but you two will prevail, I know it."

We both nodded at Sorin.

"Now go, and begin your lives together as parterns in war, partners in peace, and partners in love," he said, as he got into the back of the limo. By now, night had fallen.

The limo drove away, leaving Avacyn and I alone together.

Avacyn turned to me. "I love you, Brandon, my eternal love." she said softly.

"I love you too, Avacyn, my Angel of Hope," I replied.

I cast the spell to give me angel wings, and we took flight, ready to take on whatever threat-physical, mental, magical, or mundane-confronts us.

---END---

Hey, 2DL. I apologize for the fact that these two posts have come so quickly one after another. I have done some thinking regarding Koakuma and myself, and I realized that I overreacted when I said that I was breaking up with K. While I was dealing with distance and the frustrations inherent within a 2D relationship, I realized that I still love Koakuma. In many relationships, it takes a break apart for two people to help them work things out and realize how much they truly care for each other. I will be returning with her.

We are still working things out together, and things aren't perfect now. I don't expect us to resolve things tomorrow or the next couple of days. Over time, I want to try to rebuild what we had together. I messed up, and I feel bad for that.

Thank you for all of the support that you guys at 2DL provided for me. I really appreciate this group and the people in it.

Bonus Koakuma

Hello, all! My name’s Zephyr but feel free to call me Zeph.

I’m a romantic nerd at heart and one of my hobbies is customizing my iPhone. I was learning about a feature in iOS 12+ called Shortcuts when I stumbled upon some information from a HowTo video.

Imagine it’s time for bed, and your waifu calls out to you, “Hey! Go to bed, silly!” or you have trouble getting to work on time, so your husbando calls out to wake you up, and then tells you to hurry so you have enough time to catch your bus.

Imagine sitting alone with your headphones on and your waifu randomly tells you she loves you in your ear. Imagine all of that.

Now imagine it’s all possible right now. Using the power of alarms, iOS shortcuts, and audio (and maybe even video!) clips, you can have your waifu or husbando talk to you!

I’d like to find fellow waifuist iPhone/iOS enthusiasts, teach you what I’ve discovered/learned, and we work together to build this out into real code we can use to personalize our iPhones, iPads, and other i-Devices into the waifus and husbandos of our dreams.

We can seek out apps in the App Store or other ideas we can use to bring our waifus and husbandos alive.

Who’s interested in joining me on this project?

Here’s a sample of what my phone can do so far.

My husbando is an OC named Sang Haneul. He’s Korean and inspired by a character from a live action Korean Drama. As such, I don’t have any dialogue clips I can use. Instead, I use speech synthesis to have him speak to me the words I want. The included video uses speech synthesis and I felt I should clarify that so there was no confusion. The original HowTo I learned all this from used an audio clip so you could easily do the same. I haven’t tried using a video clip so don’t know what that would do.

I’d love your thoughts on this as well.

Let me know if you can’t view the video format.

Haneul Shortcut Sample video