Editing Episode 616 (section)

== Off the Rails: Wedding Recap, Pokémon, and More ==
James's wedding took place the previous Thursday. The ceremony was held at a historic Masonic building; Arif described it as fast ("thank you, Paul" — the officiant), preceded by a surprise: Sarah (the bride) had cut paper hearts that rained down as she walked the aisle. An operatic performance by a friend named Angel — whom Arif had never previously heard sing — was described as extraordinary. James, constitutionally unable to stop being an audio engineer, spent portions of the ceremony quietly adjusting the microphone position between himself, the officiant, and his wife. Dusty's best man speech involved him physically working the room — blocking out the floor, moving through the space, performing the reception as much as delivering a speech. Arif described it as among the better prepared public addresses he had witnessed. Dylan received the game ball. A Friday pre-wedding dinner at Monster BBQ in Grand Forks, North Dakota featured excellent pulled pork. Arif was briefly coerced onto the dance floor by a photographer. A security guard gave Dusty and a guest named Eric a tour of the building; James confessed he would consider joining the Masons specifically to spend more time there. Arif attended the Friday night pre-wedding gathering with the entire wedding party despite not being in it.
 
* '''Deez''' — Asked about joining a Pokémon draft league. Arif discussed the complexity of competitive Pokémon play and why he has circled it without committing.
 
* '''Jogger''' — Match NFL head coaches to their secret video game obsessions. Kevin O'Connell was assigned real-time strategy games, with the caveat that he is not good at them. Matt LaFleur was assigned GTA 6 because he is, in Arif's characterisation, a piss boy, and that is what piss boys are waiting for.
 
* '''A defensive player, Turner asks''' — Is Flores possibly changing the way defences look for years to come? Arif treated this as genuinely interesting and worth considering seriously.
 
* '''Don from Ohio''' — A long-time listener with questions including a request to compare life insurance policies to determine who gets killed first, and a question involving Caleb Williams. A "parabolic mic" reference was made and acknowledged.
 
* '''Skimbleshanks''' — Who would give out game balls at James's wedding? James worked through the attendees; Dylan was the recipient. Arif's skin tone was described as "appropriately inked" in the wedding party photo — more accurate than typical, though 100% accuracy was not claimed as an achievable goal. Norse Code merchandise is also available on Threadless.