The lunch was just as hastily thrown together, essentially a snack fest, since the golf course's rest lounge lacked cooking facilities, and Shiller couldn't cook anyway. Luckily, he had made sandwiches in advance, which could be quickly heated and eaten.
Any conversation about the future of mutants was too heavy, and without any research findings, speculation alone was futile. They decided to let that topic rest for now, waiting for Reed's research findings.
During lunch, Stark suggested they should bring the conversation back on track as they were there for his wedding after all. He thought everyone should hold a seminar in the afternoon to actively discuss his wedding plans.
The weather wasn't too harsh that day, so Steve suggested they go to the pool to play and chat. Stark felt it was too informal but all the others supported Steve's idea as most hadn't yet tried the slide Shiller had set up.
Stark wanted to say more, but Eddie, or more precisely Venom, mockingly said to Stark, "Oh, is Little Stark baby scared of going down such a high slide? Does your 'Venom dad' need to protect you?"
This goaded Stark into agreement on the spot.
However, there was still a bit of dispute over lunch. Pepper enthusiastically invited Loki to be her bridesmaid, and the two of them were discussing the bridesmaid dress design when Stark just had to interject, insisting that Loki should be his best man.
It was initially a nice thing, both of them needing Loki, fully highlighting Loki's importance. But Stark's big mouth could always turn a good thing into a bad one.
"Err, I didn't mean anything by it, but I think bridesmaids are supposed to be female, right? I mean, um... female from birth..."
Before Loki could even respond, Ultron turned around with his phone, having been busy filming short video edits and uploads. The gathering attracted a lot of curiosity due to so many superheroes, which rocketed his follower count.
"Natural born female? Is this your view on gender, Mr. Stark?"
"That's not what I meant," Stark said. "I mean, Pepper knows so many ordinary beautiful girls, and my groomsmen are..."
Pepper quickly covered his mouth and made a 'bribery' gesture to Ultron, urging him to delete the video immediately.
Loki looked down, fiddling with Mjölnir.
Stark pulled Pepper's hand away, trying to explain, but luckily Little Morgan cried at that moment, drawing their attention, and the conversation didn't continue. However, from Loki's still twirling eyes, it was clear she wasn't planning to let Stark off the hook.
Everyone had a little something to snack on to hold them over before splitting into two groups. One group went back to fetch their swimming gear while the others headed directly to the pool.
The reason for going back was because there were children in the group, and toddlers learning to crawl and walk needed special swimming floats to swim. Also, the pool was quite large, equipped for things like kayaking. Helen even wanted to do a poolside movie night, so Eddie went back for the movie equipment and picnic supplies for the evening.
Upon arrival at the pool, those who hadn't been before were amazed at the pool's size and the slide, which seemed like a summoning device for the Mother of all slides.
To make sure it was safe, Steve tried it out first. Captain America was certainly fitting his title, sliding down without a peep, but his conclusion was gloomy. It was safe to play, but there was no need.
Especially the free-fall section that suspended one several dozen meters in the air. According to Captain America, it was similar to the feeling he got when he fell into the ice from the plane back in the day.
Sadly, no one, neither superheroes nor their families, would listen to such cautionary words. They were all too curious and promptly lined up to try the slide, with screams echoing throughout.
Even though the sun wasn't scorching, it was still hot. Shiller soaked in the pool, lounging at the edge sipping juice, particularly favoring the right side. From there, he could see the farm's ridges, and some of the earliest planted veggies were already sprouting. Perhaps later he could pick some to make a fresh salad.
Those who had already experienced the slide or who couldn't be bothered to queue up gathered around him. Several people in the pool corner pushed the floating table back and forth, playing a game of hot potato.
And when it was finally Stark's turn to experience the slide, everyone's attention shifted there.
When Shiller saw Loki nearby, he knew there would be entertainment.
Stark was always stubborn, and everyone said the body slide was the most thrilling, so he insisted on trying it, despite Pepper trying desperately to dissuade him.
The terror of this slide was a vertical drop of over twenty meters, meaning complete freefall, and despite the flow of water cushioning the fall, it was still terrifying. For Captain America to give such an alarming review indicated how extreme Shiller's design was.
Standing at the entrance to the body slide and looking down, Stark had a bad feeling, but he was a man who lived for saving face. The more others said it wasn't possible, the more he wanted to try.
He squeezed into the hatch, hugged his arms, took a deep breath, and as the floor beneath him retracted, he unleashed an earth-shattering scream.
"AAAAAAAAAH!!"
It sounded long in the drama, but was only a matter of seconds. Just as he was about to hit the curve, before Stark could let out a sigh of relief, he spotted a pristine white Teleportation Portal beneath his feet.
With a whoosh, Stark vanished into the teleportation portal, then fell out of the slide entrance, dropping into another portal, commencing an endless cycle of freefall.
Above, Loki roared with laughter, while Stark screamed and cursed below.
"AAAAAAAAH—Luo—AAAAAAAAH—ki—AAAAAAAAH—"
Steve could only describe it as what Tony deserved.
It took Tony several minutes to finally slide to the bottom, and then he went to throw up as well.
Having enjoyed the spectacle, Shiller, satisfied, struck up a serious conversation with Eddie, who was leaning next to the pool.
"How are you planning the newlyweds' entrance for the wedding?"
"I've been thinking about using hot air balloons," Eddie said. "Not the cheesy sort of aerial rendezvous for couples, of course. I want to create some illusions in the sky. Have them ride the hot air balloons through these illusions, reliving memories of their past life together before descending to the ground and entering the wedding hall."
"It could be done on the ground too, but I feel walking might distract them. Plus, they might stop, which could mess up the timing of their entrance. But with a hot air balloon, it's all controllable."
"Like a slower version of a roller coaster?"
"More like an aerial sightseeing car." Eddie took a sip of juice before adding, "I'm still figuring out how to set up the visuals so that all three couples are moved."
"They're superheroes," Shiller pointed out. "Maybe they'd like something grander."
"Are you talking about human endeavors? But I feel like weddings are a special occasion, it should be more personal, closer to love."
"Do you think their love and career are separate?"
After pondering for a moment, Eddie said, "Maybe you have a point. If they hadn't been committed to human progress, maybe their love wouldn't have reached this point of fulfillment."
"Maybe you can combine the two, start from surface-level details and go deeper, that might resonate more easily."
Eddie nodded before saying, "To do that, I might need your help."
"I'm here to help. But what do you need? I'm not good at creating illusions."
"The illusion stories I'm crafting need a foundation to resonate with them. Simply put, I need details about their love, but I can't just ask them."
"Why not?"
"Tony told me I should give him a surprise, so even if I do pull it off, I can't let him know."
"The element of surprise is the only part we can touch on," Shiller considered after a moment. "All other parts involve the guests and, for safety reasons, must be rehearsed in advance. This might be the only aspect where we can retain some mystery."
"I was thinking the same. I do want to give him a surprise."
"Alright, what kind of details do you want?"
"Some details from the early days of their romance?" Eddie suggested tentatively. "I didn't know them early enough to know exactly how they came together; it would be great if I had some details like that."
"I can list some for you, although I don't know everything. Forget it, I'll do a psychological assessment for them tomorrow and ask about such matters."
"Just don't be too deliberate," Eddie warned. "They're all very smart. If you deliberately ask about this stuff, they will definitely know it's related, and that will diminish the surprise."
Thinking it over, Shiller said, "Asking directly does seem unnatural. How about this—I'll take you into their dreams to see."
"Dreams?"
"Their psychic battlefield. We can see fragments of their past romances from their memories."
"That would be perfect," Eddie said. "With visuals, I can arrange everything more specifically and in detail. But won't they notice?"
"I know a friend who wields the Power of Dreams. He can sneak us in. As long as we're careful, we won't get caught."
After finishing the discussion, Shiller no longer wished to linger in the pool. He was ready to find a few people to pick vegetables, and Helen volunteered eagerly. Pikachu and Rocket Raccoon also wanted to join.
Neither Pikachu nor Rocket Raccoon liked swimming. On one hand, both were furry creatures; after getting wet, they'd need to use a dryer since they can't dry as quickly as human skin.
On the other hand, Rocket Raccoon is actually a mechanical raccoon whose density makes it difficult to float, so he can only use a swimming ring and can't frolic in the water.
After Shiller left, only Eddie remained by the poolside, absorbing the scenery. He sipped his juice intermittently, his mind swirling with various ideas about the wedding process.
Suddenly, Venom spoke up.
"I've been meaning to ask, Eddie, what is a wedding?"