WEDDING BELLS ACHIEVEMENT (Birdie and Ricky wedding)

[Winston Family Values]

July 4th, 2024, the big day was finally here. Birdie Winston and Ricky Spencer were getting married at the Marufukuro Hotel. The building was almost sacred to the gaming couple, as it was the original Nintendo Headquarters in Kyoto, Japan, so it was automatically a dream destination for the most significant moment of their lives, something that solidified their status in each other’s lives as the other’s ultimate couch co-op partner.

The Winstons had done a lot of the decor. Upon entry, guests were greeted with a stunning handmade Triforce with red, green, and blue flowers delicately attached to a handmade arch that seemed to be almost floating, waiting for the couple at the end of the aisle. Around the venue, some projectors had been set up to display different romantic cinematics from video games. Everyone who was invited was encouraged to cosplay a video game character. Even the officiant was in a subtle cosplay of Isabelle from Animal Crossing.

The Spencers were standing at the top of the aisle as the guests got seated. Bucky was in a simple Johnny Cage from Mortal Kombat costume, Jeb was Zagreus from Hades, Jeremiah was Kratos from God Of War, and Ricky the groom was obviously Zelda’s ultimate destiny, Link. The guests were mostly the Spencer extended family, some friends of the couple from the Performance Center, Vivienne with her husband Cyrus and some other friends from outside the wrestling business. It was a smaller and less publicized wedding overall than the last one Ricky’s sister Abby, Eternity and Shea had attended, but still beautiful.

Eternity, in her eponymous role as Edith Finch Jr from What Remains of Edith Finch seemed much more comfortable being in attendance at this wedding due to the highly chameleonic nature of it. She could disappear and be someone else entirely for the day, and here that would be not only encouraged but celebrated. Stood in somewhat stark contrast to her partner, Abigail presented herself as a Casandra Pentaghast, a fierce battle hardened warrior, enshrouded in her faith who had been elected as the new Divine in Southern Thedas. The costume stood out to Jolene and she decided that as soon as she saw it, it would be the perfect icebreaker to get to know Abigail and Eternity better, maybe they’d bond over a mutual love of the Dragon Age franchise, that was the hope at least.

Both Eternity and Abby’s costumes had been lovingly sown by Ma Spencer, who in a former life had been a gifted seamstress, and had made many outfits for Ricky’s convention trips throughout his life.

Shea O’Hara was Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn and had her costume made by the combined efforts of Orphira Rodgers and her daughter, Vivienne. Cyrus was dressed as Agent 47 and Vivienne was dressed as The Artist from Dead By Daylight. Cyrus being here had been a little tense given the hand he’d had in almost disrupting the wedding even happening but Abigail had talked Ricky into being the bigger man and proving he wasn’t threatened. Turning the other cheek was the Christian thing to do, but Ricky couldn’t help but wonder if Cyrus had chosen to be a hitman as some kind of sick joke on them. Whereas Vivienne had allowed her wedding to be live-streamed exclusively on Shea O’Hara’s website, showcasing her love story to the world, Ricky had made no such insistence, preferring instead to be much more low-key, private, and intimate in his affairs. Only those here in attendance today would bear live witness to the blessed union with his beloved soulmate, Birdie Winston.

As everyone was getting settled, the Scott Pilgrim Universal Studios 8-bit opening sound played to let everyone know to get in their seats, a slight tongue-in-cheek reference to how into videogames and nerd culture the couple were.

Instead of the traditional bridal march, the extended Princess Zelda’s music from The Ocarina of Time game played first down the aisle Yusumi Mitsu acting as the flower girl in a Sailor Chibi moon cosplay went down throwing soft petals before being followed by Jolene in Morrigan from Dragon Age cosplay, Denny in Squall from Final Fantasy 8, next was Gretchen in Lara Croft cosplay.

When the song got a brief reprise Birdie walked down in a beautiful recreation of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Princess Zelda Wedding Style with softer whites and pale blues with her eldest sister Dixie walking her down the aisle in a Sonya Blade cosplay to give her youngest sister away. Ricky’s grin was immediate and never left his face, his heart always raced upon seeing Birdie, but seeing her today it practically threatened to burst from his chest.

Birdie quickly scanned the crowd to see if Starling had managed to come but hadn’t seen her so focused on how handsome her husband-to-be looked in his outfit, “Hi.”

“Hi.” Ricky smiled.

The Officiant cleared her throat, “Who gives this woman to be married to this man? The commitment that the two of you are about to make is the most important commitment that two people can make, you are about to create something new, the marriage relationship, an entity that never ends. As you stand here today, are you now prepared to begin this commitment to one another?”

“I do,” Dixie said firmly, hugging her sister before stepping back with her siblings to the side.

“Have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?”

“We have.” Birdie and Ricky smiled at each other.

“I’m told you both came with your vows. Birdie, would you like to start?”

Birdie reached forward and took Ricky’s hand. “I, player 1 Birdie Winston, take you, Player 2 Ricky Spencer to be my permanent party member, to quest and to co-op with, from max-hp to in cap status, for richer or for poorer, through buffs and debuffs, to level and raid with; from this day forward until our health bars are drained. Life dropped an epic husband, the rarest and most loot chest of all, in the game of our life, and I was lucky enough to win the dice roll.”

Ricky blushed, his voice cracked and his eyes glistened as he spoke softly. “I player 2 Ricky Spencer, take you, Player 1 Birdie Winston to be my permanent party member, to quest and to co-op with, from max-hp to in cap status, for richer or for poorer, through buffs and debuffs, to level and raid with; from this day forward until our health bars are drained. Life dropped a legendary wife, the rarest loot chest of all, in the game of our life and I was lucky enough to win the dice roll.”

The officiant signaled for the rings. Dixie handed Birdie the tungsten ring with the triforce engraved on it to give to Ricky. Spencer gave Ricky the silver sapphire trifle ring for Birdie.

"Do you, Birdie, agree to be Ricky’s healer, to put their life bar before your own, and to always keep a finger on your dispell cast?"

Birdie beamed as she slipped Ricky’s ring on, “I do.”

"Do you, Ricky, agree to be Birdie’s tank, to shield them from damage and to always keep an eye on your threat-meter?”

“I do, always and forever.” Ricky slipped Birdie’s ring on.

Birdie admired the silver triforce ring that was her engagement ring and it fit perfectly with the wedding ring.

“Congratulations, you have unlocked the rarest platinum trophy in this game, ‘Happily Ever After’.” A brief trophy popping sound plays, and confetti rains down on the couple. “To advance to New Game Plus, please kiss the new bride.”

Ricky leant forward and kissed Birdie softly, as the confetti continued to fall around them.

Birdie and Ricky's first dances at their wedding was a joyful spectacle of various silly Fortnite dances including ‘the hootenanny’, ‘jubilation’ and ‘flossing’. This unexpected but completely nerdy approach to their dancing together made their guests erupt into laughter, as Ricky slowly blossomed out of his shell, showing his lighter and more comedic side. The thoroughly unserious approach continued even as they swayed to the music of their song ‘All Your Love’ by Hellogoodbye where the couple broke into ‘Gangnam Style ‘ as howls erupted throughout the room, infectious and genuine. Eventually Ricky took it a bit more seriously and took his dance cues from The Mask as he twirled Birdie with a playful grin, and she responded with a burst of giggles, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Their movements were light and carefree, each step a testament to their shared joy and love. The guests around them couldn't help but laugh at the sight of such a radiant couple, lost in their own world of merriment and affection. It was a series of carefree dances that that not only marked the beginning of their married life but also encapsulated the spirit of their relationship: full of laughter, love, and a deep connection that made their hearts dance in unison.

Ricky and Birdie approached the elegant wedding cake that was covered in a stain glass design with Link and Zelda cake topper, marked with the day’s date, hand in hand, their faces lit up with excitement and anticipation. Surrounded by friends and family, they shared a tender moment as they picked up the knife together. With gentle encouragement and teasing glances exchanged between them, they delicately cut into the cake, each taking turns feeding the other a sweet bite. Laughter bubbled up as a bit of frosting accidentally smeared across Ricky's cheek.

“Oh no!” Birdie giggled.

Birdie leaned up and licked the frosting from his cheek. Ricky blushed hard as Bucky catcalled and whooped, never one to miss an opportunity to embarrass his youngest brother. This simple act of cake cutting became a cherished memory, blending love, joy, and a promise of many sweet moments to come in their life together.

Instead of the traditional bouquet of flowers, Birdie tossed a giant Kirby plushie to the eager crowd of single friends. With a mischievous grin, she turned around and playfully pretended to throw it over her shoulder, causing laughter and cheers from the guests. The single ladies eagerly jostled for position, giggling at the unexpected twist. As the Kirby plush landed in the outstretched embrace of Shea O’Hara, she hid the disappointment that she hadn’t even had a date to this wedding, by smiling wide. The room around the young Irishwoman drowned out her anxiety and loneliness momentarily as the crowd erupted into thunderous applause and more laughter. It was a whimsical and unforgettable moment that perfectly captured Birdie's playful spirit and added a unique touch of joy to her special day.

Content warning

As Birdie and Ricky prepared to leave for their first night, the excitement was palpable. Surrounded by friends and family waving farewell, they shared a heartfelt embrace before Birdie took off the bottom part of her dress to reveal a much shorter dress almost too short, before they exited to the elevator adorned with "Just Married" decorations. With a wave, beaming from ear to ear, as they embarked on their new personal romance quest together as husband and wife.

The elevator ride up to their honeymoon suite felt like it lasted an eternity, as Ricky was entranced by just how much thigh his new wife was showing. He’d always loved her legs, but she hardly wore anything like this in any of her cosplays before. He wondered if it was her big sister Dixie’s influence. She was usually dressed much more conservatively, saving herself for marriage, just as he was. Except being one of four brothers, porn was harder to avoid or resist consuming, so Ricky felt unworthy of her at times, not being as pure and virginal as she was. He never voiced this secret shame to her though.

Ricky registered the nervous uncertainty all over her face.

“Somethin’ wrong?” He asked.

“Just nervous,” she whispered. “Not sure what I’m supposed to do. I haven’t even pleasured myself, like ever, ‘cause I was savin’ myself for my future husband. I was savin’ myself for you.”

“I only know what the internet and my brothers told me,” Ricky said. “I’ve been savin’ myself for ya too, but figured a little research couldn’t hurt. Didn’t wanna embarrass myself by bein’ totally clueless, ya know?”

“I appreciate it,” Birdie said. “I know you’ll never hurt me, I trust ya with my life, my heart, my soul an’ my body.”

Birdie pushed open the door to their honeymoon suite and Ricky could tell the Winston sisters had supplied a range of items from romantic to practical for a first time including lube. Birdie stood next to the bed, looked at Ricky, “Should we get undressed now?”

“I think so yeah,” Ricky said. “Do you want to undress each other or just ourselves?”

“Each other her. I think that’s more romantic, don’t you?” Birdie started by unbuttoning his tunic and lifting it over his head to see him shirtless. He could see the red rush up her face, “oh…oh wow.”

He in turn unzipped her dress slowly, kissed her neck as he whispered, “Glad ya like it, babe.”

The dress fell revealing Birdie in a matching pair of blue lace underwear. A body he’d dreamt about, suddenly exposed and vulnerable, for just him. Birdie touched his chest, “You’re gorgeous.”

“Thank you,” he blushed, “So are you. I dunno how I got so lucky.”

Birdie blushed as she looked down at his crotch curiously, “Do you want to undress me first or should I undress you?”

“Oh sorry,” he fumbled with the clasp on her bra, partly due to inexperience and partly due to nerves, he hoped he wasn’t spoiling the mood with his awkwardness. He did his best to ignore the prickly heat that bloomed across his cheeks as he worried about embarrassing them both.

“It’s okay. I want us to be naked together. And I’ve never seen a boy naked before, ya know?” Birdie was blushing too as Ricky got to see her topless for the first time. She fought the instinct to cover up, it was okay, he was her husband now. Only he would ever see her like this for the rest of their lives together.

“Absolutely beautiful,” Ricky whispered. He pulled her quickly into his embrace, his own chest pressed against hers, made her feel safe and less vulnerable as their lips met in another soft kiss that awakened within him sensations that he’d felt before but never had the chance to explore.

He slowly deepened their kiss and kept her waist close to his, instinctively. He stiffened against her, and she took a moment to adjust to what she felt, not only from him but from within herself. She fumbled with his belt buckle and kissed him clumsily, but eager, wanting. It took a few moments for them to settle into their passion and when they did Ricky scooped her up off her feet and carried her to the bed. She let out a squeak and giggled before she kissed him more confidently. Birdie’s fingers trembled with nervous excitement as she ran them over Ricky’s hips, gradually liberating him from more of his costume. Ricky assisted, snaking his hips free slowly, holding her tight as he kissed her neck softly. Birdie’s breath hitched slightly, as he in turn liberated his princess from the rest of her clothing.

The mutually vulnerable newlyweds fumbled their way through awkward and nervous foreplay with soft kisses and caresses, gradually settling into each other’s safe and intimate energy. Only when Birdie felt ready and comfortable with the new sensations washing over her, did the couple physically become one. Ricky eased himself into a slow, loving rhythm, as he held her gaze and ran a hand through her hair. She shuddered and grimaced a little, pushing through the slight pain barrier. Her love kept her strong as she started to synchronize with him, physically and emotionally. Another deep kiss and her pain soon surrendered to her pleasure. Ricky lost himself completely in her kiss and found his first release inside her. Birdie herself had stars behind her eyes and a shivering, gasping undoing that awakened a great hunger in her for things she had never felt before. She encouraged him for more, desperate and almost addicted to him now.

In that moment, both Ricky and Birdie knew their love had changed the game forever.