….
February 21, 2015 | Evening
The hotel suite was quiet except for the television and the sound of Ryan Reynolds' voice cutting through an interview.
Regal sat on the floor, back against the couch, watching the screen with mild amusement.
The interview was from earlier that day - Ryan and Shawn Levy - doing press rounds for [Deadpool], which had been in theaters for a week now.
The numbers were insane. $92 million domestic opening weekend. $180 million worldwide in seven days. Critics were still split - half calling it brilliant subversion, half dismissing it as juvenile garbage - but audiences didn't care. They were showing up in droves, many seeing it multiple times.
If this momentum continued, [Deadpool] would become the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.
Regal had deliberately stayed out of the promotional cycle after opening weekend. This was Ryan and Shawn's moment - they were the faces of the film now, and they deserved to own its success without him hovering in the background.
On screen, the interviewer leaned forward with that particular expression journalists got when they thought they had a provocative question.
["Ryan, the critical response has been quite divided. Some reviewers have been pretty harsh about the film's humor and violence. What's your response to that?"]
Shawn Levy's face collapsed slightly - a barely perceptible wince that suggested he knew exactly what was coming and was already bracing for it.
Ryan's expression didn't change. He just smiled that perfectly calibrated smile and said:
["Well, I think some critics walked into Deadpool expecting something physiological like [Death Note] and were disappointed as it was just dick jokes with occasional emotional depth. We never pretended to be important cinema. We're a violent R-rated superhero comedy that breaks the fourth wall. If that's not your thing, that's fine. But we made exactly the movie we promised, and audiences seem pretty happy about it."]
The interviewer blinked, caught off-guard by the directness.
Ryan continued, leaning back casually. ["I mean, one reviewer called it 'aggressively juvenile.' And I thought - yeah. That's literally the character. Deadpool is aggressively juvenile. That's the point. Getting mad about that is like watching a horror movie and complaining it's too scary."]
Shawn put his face in his hands, but he was smiling.
"Damn." Keanu said quietly. "I wish I had the guts to say something like that with a straight face."
There was a laugh from behind him. Regal voice: "Dude, we all know it isn't about guts. You're just too nice of a person to say something like that."
Keanu turned slightly. "Huh. You're praising me?"
"Did I sound like that?" Regal replied from the other couch, eyes still closed. "It wasn't my intention, honestly."
"What the… what kind of response is that?"
They were in Regal's hotel suite in Beverly Hills - not his house, because Gwendolyn had wanted to stay somewhere different for the night, and Keanu and Seren had tagged along for what had turned into an impromptu double date.
Gwendolyn was sprawled on one couch, already half-asleep. Seren occupied the other, equally drowsy.
"Can you two turn off the TV and stop making noise?" Gwendolyn mumbled without opening her eyes. "Some of us are trying to sleep."
"Yeah." Seren agreed, her voice muffled by the cushion. "It's almost midnight. Shut up already."
Both men immediately went silent. Regal grabbed the remote and muted the television.
Silence settled over the suite.
After a moment, Keanu opened one eye. "Should we go for a walk?"
Regal nodded.
"Where are you going?" Gwendolyn asked, eyes still closed. "Just sleep already."
"I gotta pee." Regal said with a completely straight face.
"Go alone then. And we have a restroom here if I remember correctly."
"Going alone? Nope. And this restroom doesn't have the right feel."
"Ugh." Seren's voice came from the other couch. "In-law, just let those two idiots do whatever they want."
"You're right." Gwendolyn murmured, already drifting back toward sleep.
The room fell quiet again.
Keanu and Regal exchanged glances, then carefully - very carefully - stood and moved toward the door, trying not to make any noise. Every footstep was calculated to avoid creaking the floorboard.
They made it to the hallway and closed the door with exaggerated slowness.
Then both exhaled.
"That was tense…." Keanu said.
"Like escaping prison."
They walked down the corridor toward the restrooms, both moving with the casual ease of people who had no particular destination and no reason to hurry.
The hotel was hosting some kind of event - a wedding reception, judging by the decorations and the distant sound of music. The Peninsula Beverly Hills was known for that kind of thing. Luxury weddings, corporate events, the occasional celebrity gathering.
They used the restroom - an unnecessarily luxurious one with marble counters and ambient lighting - then grabbed Cokes from a vending machine near the elevators.
"These cost eight dollars each." Keanu observed, looking at the machine.
"Highway robbery."
"We're paying for it anyway."
"Obviously."
They found a seating area in a quiet corner of the hallway - leather couches positioned near large windows overlooking the city.
Regal sat with his head tilted down, eyes half-closed. Keanu leaned back with his head resting against the wall, staring at the ceiling.
Neither spoke. They just sat there, drinking overpriced Cokes, existing in comfortable silence.
That's when the woman appeared.
She was clearly from the wedding - full bridal gown, professionally done makeup and hair, moving with the slightly frantic energy of someone who was supposed to be somewhere important five minutes ago.
She was hurrying down the hallway when she glanced over and stopped mid-step.
Her eyes locked on Keanu.
Full-on starstruck freeze. The kind of recognition that took a moment to process, followed by visible disbelief.
Regal's head was still down, so she didn't notice him. All her attention was on Keanu.
"Oh my god!" she said, voice slightly breathless. "You're… are you Keanu Reeves?"
Keanu lifted his head, smiling politely. "I am. Hi."
"I'm so sorry, I don't mean to bother you, I just–" She seemed to remember herself, smoothing down her dress nervously. "I'm getting married. Right now, actually. The reception is down the hall. I just needed a moment to breathe and…. sorry, I'm rambling."
"Congratulations." Keanu said warmly. "That's wonderful."
"Thank you." She laughed, still slightly flustered. "This is so surreal. I'm literally getting married and I just ran into Keanu Reeves in a hallway."
"Best wedding story." Keanu agreed.
There was a pause. The woman seemed to be debating something internally, then made a decision.
"This is completely insane, but - would you want to come to the reception? Just for a minute? My husband would lose his mind. He's a huge fan."
Keanu blinked. "Your wedding reception?"
"I know, I know, it's ridiculous. You're a complete stranger and this is my wedding and I'm being completely inappropriate—"
"No, it's fine." Keanu said, already sitting up straighter. "I'd be happy to stop by."
The woman's face lit up. "Really?"
"Really."
Then reality seemed to catch up with her. "Wait, no, that's insane. I can't just invite a celebrity to my wedding. That's - what am I doing? I'm so sorry, please forget I said anything."
"It's fine." Keanu reassured her. "Honestly."
"No, no, I should go. Thank you for being so nice about this." She started backing away, still apologetic. "Congratulations on… well, everything you do. You're great. Okay. I'm leaving now. Sorry again."
She hurried off, disappearing around the corner toward the reception venue.
Keanu sat back down, finished his Coke, and set the empty can on the side table.
Silence returned.
After a full minute, Keanu stood up and checked his clothes. "Does my outfit look presentable?"
Regal looked up. "Yeah. But since when do you care about stuff like that?"
He didn't. Keanu was wearing dark jeans and a plain black button-up - nice enough for a hotel lounge, but definitely not wedding-appropriate. Not the kind of thing an A-list actor would wear to a public event with photographers and guests.
But Regal already knew where this was going.
"Your outfit looks good too." Keanu said casually.
Regal made an irritated face. "I wasn't even invited."
"You are now."
"That's not how invitations work."
"It does…"
Regal sighed but stood up. "This is a terrible idea."
"Probably."
"We're going to cause a scene."
"Most likely."
"And we're underdressed."
"Definitely."
They headed toward the reception venue.
….
The wedding reception was in full swing - about a hundred and fifty guests, elegant decorations, a live band playing something jazzy.
Keanu and Regal entered through the main doors, and the reaction was immediate.
Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Heads turned. Someone dropped a glass.
The bride spotted them first - her eyes went wide, then wider. She grabbed her husband's arm, pointing mutely.
Keanu smiled and walked directly toward the couple, Regal following slightly behind.
"Congratulations." Keanu said, extending his hand to the groom. "Your wife invited us. Hope that's okay."
The groom looked like he was having a small stroke. "You're–this is–I–"
"Keanu Reeves." Keanu confirmed. "And this is my friend, Regal Seraphsail."
Now the bride noticed Regal. Her expression suggested she was reevaluating her entire life.
"We don't want to intrude." Regal said quickly. "Just wanted to stop by, congratulate you both, maybe take a quick photo if you want?"
"Photo." the groom repeated, still processing. "Yes. Photo. Definitely a photo."
Someone produced a phone. Then several phones. The bride and groom stood between Keanu and Regal, both looking shell-shocked and delighted.
Multiple photos were taken. The bride was crying - happy tears, apparently. The groom kept saying 'this is insane' under his breath.
"Beautiful ceremony." Keanu said, despite not having seen the ceremony.
"Thank you." the bride managed. "Thank you so much for coming. This is–I can't believe–"
"Enjoy your night." Regal said, already stepping back. "Congratulations again."
They were out the door before most of the guests could even approach them.
The entire visit lasted maybe three minutes.
….
They made it back to the suite around 12:30 AM.
Gwendolyn and Seren were both awake now, sitting up on their respective couches, arms crossed, wearing identical expressions of suspicion.
"Where were you?" Gwendolyn asked.
"Restroom." Regal said. "Then we got Cokes."
"For forty-five minutes?"
"We took our time."
Seren looked at Keanu. "Why do you have lipstick on your cheek?"
Keanu touched his face, finding the mark the bride had left when she had hugged him. "Oh. That."
"What 'that'?" Seren's voice had taken on a dangerous edge.
"We may have crashed a wedding." Regal admitted.
Both women stared.
"You what?"
"Technically we were invited." Keanu clarified. "The bride invited me. Regal just came along."
"You crashed a stranger's wedding." Gwendolyn said slowly.
"We didn't crash it. We visited for three minutes, took a photo, and left."
"Do you have any idea how inappropriate that is?" Seren stood up. "That couple's wedding photos are now going to be dominated by the fact that Keanu Reeves randomly showed up. Their whole night - their entire memory of their wedding - is now about you being there."
"They seemed happy about it." Keanu offered.
"That's not the point!"
Gwendolyn sat back down, rubbing her temples. "By tomorrow morning, this is going to be everywhere. Every entertainment news site, every gossip blog, every social media platform. And that couple is going to spend their honeymoon dealing with media attention they never asked for."
"We should apologize." Regal said.
"How? You don't even know their names."
"The hotel has records—"
"Stop." Seren interrupted. "You're making it worse. Just... stop talking. Both of you."
They stopped.
The women retreated to one of the bedrooms, closing the door with slightly more force than necessary.
Regal and Keanu stood in the living room, looking at each other.
They sat on opposite couches, both processing.
Silence.
More silence.
"I am sleeping on the couch tonight." Keanu observed.
"Same."
….
Next Morning.
Regal woke to his phone buzzing aggressively.
Multiple messages from Samantha, Darren, and Simon. All saying variations of the same thing.
[Samantha:] Have you seen the news?
[Darren:] Please tell me you had a good reason for crashing that wedding.
[Simon:] The photos are everywhere. Call me when you're awake.
Regal opened Twitter.
The top trending topic: #KeanuCrashesWedding
Second trending: #RegalSeraphsailWedding
Third: #WholesomeKeanu (which was trending every other week anyway)
He scrolled through the posts.
@EntertainmentTonight: EXCLUSIVE: Keanu Reeves and Regal Seraphsail made a surprise appearance at a wedding at the Peninsula Beverly Hills last night. The wholesome moment everyone is talking about!
@PeopleVIP: The Most Unexpected Wedding Guests: Keanu Reeves and Regal Seraphsail Surprise Newlyweds in the Sweetest Way.
@ENews: Keanu Being Keanu: Actor Stops By Stranger's Wedding After Being Invited, Brings Regal Seraphsail Along.
….
But on the bright side the comments were mostly positive:
@WholesomeContent: Look at them in regular clothes just being normal people. No entourage, no drama, just showed up to make someone's day special. THIS is class.
@KeanuFanForever: ONLY KEANU would actually show up to a stranger's wedding because he was asked nicely. This man is too pure for this world.
@MovieFanAccount: The fact that they're both dressed so casually makes this even better. They weren't there for attention - they just wanted to do something nice.
@BrideGoals: Imagine inviting Keanu Reeves to your wedding as a joke and HE ACTUALLY SHOWS UP. Best wedding story ever.
@FilmTwitter: Regal looks like Keanu dragged him there against his will and honestly that's hilarious.
@ObservantViewer: Look at Regal's face in the third photo. That's the expression of a man who said "this is a bad idea" and got ignored.
@WeddingPhotographer: Professional wedding photographer here: those photos are going to be treasured forever. What an incredible gift to give someone.
….
There were some critical voices - there always were:
@PrivacyAdvocate: Cute story but also they crashed a private event. Imagine trying to enjoy your wedding and suddenly it's about celebrities…
@SkepticalUser: This feels like a publicity stunt. Why were they even at that hotel?
….
But these were quickly drowned out by the overwhelmingly positive reaction:
@DefendingKeanu: @PrivacyAdvocate The bride literally invited him. Read the article.
@RealityCheck: @SkepticalUser They were staying at the hotel??? People are allowed to exist in hotels???
@VoiceOfReason: Y'all really trying to find problems with Keanu Reeves doing something nice? That's where we are as a society?
….
Regal closed Twitter and walked to the bedroom door. Knocked gently.
"Come in." Gwendolyn's voice.
He entered. Both women were awake, sitting on the bed with their own phones, clearly reading the same coverage.
"We're sorry." Regal said immediately. "You were right. We should have said no and turned their private moment into a circus."
"Yes, you did." Gwendolyn agreed. But her tone was softer now. "But apparently the couple is thrilled."
She showed him her phone. A statement from the bride, posted on social media an hour ago:
….
"To everyone asking about last night. YES, Keanu Reeves and Regal Seraphsail came to our wedding reception. My husband and I are HUGE fans, and when I randomly ran into Keanu in the hallway, I impulsively invited him. I honestly thought he'd say no, but he was incredibly gracious and stopped by for a few minutes.
Our wedding was already perfect. But this made it unforgettable.
To everyone saying they 'crashed' or 'made it about themselves' - please stop. They did the opposite. They gave us three minutes of their time, made sure we got photos we'll treasure forever, and disappeared so the night could go back to being about us.
We will never forget this. Thank you, Keanu. Thank you, Regal. You made the best day of our lives even better."
…..
The post had been shared over two hundred thousand times in an hour.
Regal read it twice. "So they're... okay with it?"
"Fortunately…." Seren said, showing her phone with the groom's post. "They are calling it the highlight of their life."
"But you were still right." Keanu said from the doorway. "We should have thought about the consequences before agreeing. Even if it worked out this time, it was irresponsible."
"Yes, it was." Seren agreed. "But apparently you got lucky."
Gwendolyn stood and walked to Regal. "Next time someone invites you to their private event, think about it for more than two seconds before saying yes. Okay?"
"Okay."
"Because your presence - both of your presences - changes the entire dynamic of any situation. You have to be conscious of that."
"We will be."
She kissed his cheek. "Good. Now buy me breakfast. I'm starving."
….
Regal, Kenau, Gwendolyn, and Saren were still in the room.
Moments earlier, Regal had ended a call with Samantha, instructing her to arrange a honeymoon gift for the couple - perhaps even a world tour.
He cut the call and looked at the two women. "So… that counts as us trying to set things right?" he asked.
After a long pause, both of them nodded.
"Finally." Kenau said.
The comment made Gwendolyn and Saren laugh, and Regal and Kenau found themselves smiling as well.
Then Regal's phone rang again.
[Samantha]
He answered, mildly amused. "What, did you forget something?"
But as she continued speaking, the smile slowly drained from his face.
His expression darkened.
And then darkened even further.
["Regal, I am so sorry to call with this, but you need to know–
["Richard Harris passed away this morning."
Regal's face went blank, then dark. "What!?"
….
.
[To be continued…]
★─────⇌•★•⇋─────★
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