red and white
My mother held onto my left arm firmly. To be honest, I was leaning on her more than a bit and not only because of the heels. Butterflies weren't just
in
my stomach, they'd
become
my stomach and now I was just filled with fluttery sensations throughout.
The venue Mama and So-yi chose was pretty much perfect. It was small and cozy, attached to the hotel where the brides would spend their wedding night. The layout was such that it afforded a great deal of privacy, preventing the other guests from accidentally stumbling into the ceremony or reception.
Its small size worked in my favor in more ways than one. The aisle, with two rows of chairs on either side, was very short and thus I didn't have far to go and potentially stumble while the photographer was snapping away. The camera's flash element strobed repeatedly as Mama and I glided down the aisle.
My aunt and So-yi were already at the other side, standing to the left of the wide podium. Both Meilin and Mama would stand behind the podium, speaking into the built-in microphones—the venue was small enough that their own voices would have been enough, but Mama insisted. Getting good audio for the recording was important, after all.
I caught sight of the photographer Mama arranged—actually it was Aunt Yayoi's husband, Kouta—moving around unobtrusively, his index finger flicking against the shutter trigger as he snapped photo after photo. The faint sound of a clearing throat jolted me back into awareness, keeping my eyes forward as we arrived at the podium.
My place was to my right; I stood, tilted at an angle so that I could face Misaki after she arrived while also still being able to see the officiators. Mama walked solemnly around, careful not to bump either Yayoi or So-yi, and came to stop behind the podium. A violin swell built in the music playing over the PA system as Misaki's bridal party began to file out from her dressing room.
Amber was the first one, and it was all I could do to suppress a snicker. The rather masculine woman had flatly refused to wear a dress and instead was the only member of the two bridal parties that wore pants. I had to admit that she really
did
look snazzy in a flawless Italian-style suit, colored the same charcoal-gray as the dresses worn by the other women in the ceremony. A brilliant, shimmering flame-orange watered-silk tie set off her outfit to stunning effect.
Then came Nicole. It had been only a few months since Rowan's birth and yet she already was back to her customary trim and fit figure borne from rigorous exercise. Her fashionably retro dress matched the rest of the bridal party—the deep charcoal color of the fabric draped over her athletic form was lovely to behold. It was rare to see Nicole dressed up so formally, but the adaptable woman looked as if she were perfectly in her element.
Whispering from the assembled guests, all twenty or so of them, abruptly increased in volume and puzzlement. I tore my gaze from my sister-in-law and let my eyes drift down the aisle. Meilin's elegant charcoal-gray qipao was her contribution to the personal cultural touch we infused into the ceremony. So-yi's dress was styled to resemble a traditional
hanbok,
while Mama wore a minimalist modern kimono.
It was that moment I understood perfectly why the tradition of separating the spouses-to-be was so damnably popular. My eyes became so round and so wide I was momentarily afraid they'd simply fall out of their sockets.
Misaki stepped out onto the carpet laid down the aisle.
Her features were faintly obscured by the sheer red veil that clung to her head like captured smoke, but I could still make out the enormous grin that dominated her entire face. The dress she wore was a lovely brilliant red—not quite the bloody hue of crimson, but brighter, more vibrant and saturated. Delicate but wide lace shoulder straps supported a lace-detailed bodice decorated with glittering rhinestones. Like my dress, Misaki's was cut playfully short to the middle of her thighs, the ruffle-trimmed skirt flaring out around her hips and flouncing with each slow, deliberate step she took.
Red-tinged gold swished and swayed behind her. Misaki's tail was visible for all to see, the great fluffy thing having been meticulously brushed and smoothed until the fur seemed softer than down and shone like fresh honey. Her small feet were clad in high-heel pumps that matched my own, only dyed red to coordinate with her gown. Opaque red stockings covered her shapely legs.
As Meilin and Misaki silently stepped up to the podium, my wife-to-be's prominent ears perked straight up, ensuring that anyone with the power of sight would be unable to miss them. The murmuring among the guests seemed to intensify, but nobody dared interrupt the ceremony. I hazarded a quick glance at my aunt, but Yayoi looked as calm and easygoing as she always did. I wondered if Mama had warned her younger sister ahead of time.
I turned to gaze at Misaki. Even through the red and white haze of our veils, I could see the sparkle in her huge emerald-green eyes. Her smile was wide and the corners of her mouth twitched, as if she was physically restraining herself from bursting out into joyous laughter. Knowing her, she probably was.
The music slowly faded away, replaced by a soft click and hiss as the microphones on the podium were switched on.
“We are gathered here today to bear witness to the forging of an everlasting bond of love and companionship.” Mama's strong, clear voice permeated the room from the loudspeaker system. “To lend our support and our hopes for the new future that Karin and Misaki will share together…”
I can't say I could quite follow everything Mama was saying. Her speech was not long, perhaps only five minutes at the most, but my awareness faded as I lost myself in Misaki's eyes. The spell she cast this evening required no mana, was no astral invocation, but a magic of an entirely different sort.
Time slowed, lengthened, twisted and stretched. At some point—I'm not entirely sure when, exactly—I felt a light prodding on my back. I knew it was Mama. Still ensnared thoroughly in Misaki's beautiful enchantment, I drew back my veil and listened as Mama began to read the vows and dedications.
“Do you, Karin, take Misaki to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her and cherish her no matter the situation—through tumultuous times, through battle and pain, despite hardship or sickness? Do you promise to stay true to her above all else and beyond all others for as long as you both shall live?”
I glanced at Mama and smiled warmly.
“I do.”
Misaki drew her own veil back, routing it between her ears. She suppressed a giggle and turned to regard Meilin as the other began to speak.
“Do you, Misaki, take Karin to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, support her and encourage her no matter how contrary and difficult she acts? Do you promise to stay true to her and ensure that she stays true to herself and to you for as long as you both shall live?”
“H-hey!” I protested under my breath, but Mama silenced me with a none-too-gentle jab in the back. The look on her face told me exactly who'd influenced the wording of Misaki's vow—not that I was surprised or even displeased. There was nothing worse than a ridiculously fucking somber ceremony. I'd been to more than enough of them in my life.
Misaki couldn't hold back her giggles this time. She recovered quickly, though, and nodded in her usual cheerful manner to Meilin. Her tail lashed to and fro with an ever-increasing frequency.
“I do!”
“With their vows thus spoken, I now pronounce Karin Ashley and Misaki Ashley bound together through their love and through the promise of matrimony.”
We both took a step forward.
Our hands reached out and pressed together, our fingers interlacing as we gazed into each other's eyes. It was obvious that Misaki was barely holding it together, looking as if she was only seconds away from bursting into tears—and I knew I'd already failed in the whole not-crying department. The hot droplets rolled down my cheeks and I sniffled as we stood facing each other.
“The brides may now kiss,” Meilin prompted.
Not that we needed it.
I drew Misaki closer to me, pressing her body to mine. Her right hand slipped free from my left and wrapped around my lower back, pulling us even closer. Despite the fact that she was shorter than me, it was clear she wanted to initiate. I let my knees bend just slightly, lowering and arching my back to conform to her body.
Misaki's lips pressed against mine. Petal-soft and warm, I could smell the perfume she'd put on for the ceremony—the same faint scent of cherry and plum blossoms that preceded our first meeting. I felt her squeeze my right hand more tightly, urgently as our lips met.
My eyes closed and I was lost in the warm, fluffy haze. I could feel her tail curling around and wrapping around us both, at least as far as it could. There was no way to be sure exactly how long we were checked out, but the sound of people clapping and cheering (with the occasional loud sob—I think that was So-yi) brought us both back to reality.
Misaki drew back just barely and grinned from ear to ear, flashing her little fangs as she licked her lips.
“That was yummy.”
I felt a big stupid grin of my own start to spread across my face. I didn't even bother to try and suppress it. It was important to be honest about one's feelings, after all.
By all the stars in the universe, I loved this girl so much.
~to be continued
Another Story by Corinn Heathers
[-]
An Excerpt from
Binary System: Deneb
A people without a home. An endless war. An implacable enemy.
Nearly a millennium has passed since the mysterious invaders known as the Gray forced humanity to abandon the cradle of their birth. Spreading out among the stars, the wayward children of Earth are fiercely united under the ancient and enduring banner of the Sol Alliance as they struggle to survive and thrive in the cold darkness.
For Alisa Pierce, fighting the Gray is all she knows and all she is. Aloof, efficient and focused only on total victory, her sole close companion and confidant is Rin, her artificial intelligence operator and partner. Alisa's cold distance from her fellow humans only served to draw her ever more closely to Rin. After the success of a deadly and difficult solo mission, Alisa and Rin transfer to the celebrated and elite 703rd Hyperspace Assault Wing.
On the surface, Alisa's future seems a brilliant star rising, placed firmly on the heroine's path. All is not as it seems, and the fortunes of war can easily take a very dark turn. A devastating and tragic event erupts into a sinister conspiracy within the Alliance. As the line between ally and enemy is erased, Alisa and Rin will have no choice but to fight for their lives, their people and their love.
[-]
Headaches weren't on Alisa's top ten list of ways to wake up in the morning. She blinked her eyes rapidly, trying to clear the blurriness away. Groaning aloud, she realized that she had somehow managed to tangle her bedsheets completely around her legs in something akin to an intricate trap.
“Good morning.”
Alisa looked up and blinked again, trying desperately to push the throbbing pain away and focus on reality. Her augmentations gave her the ability to metabolize toxins more quickly and safely, including alcohol, but they couldn't stop dehydration. Rin stood near the bed, holding a coffee mug and a bottle of cold water.
“I'm wondering what's good about it,” Alisa grumbled as she untangled herself from the twisted blankets.
“You drank quite a lot last night,” Rin observed, pulling the coffee mug back as Alisa tried to reach out and grab it. “No, you're going to drink some water first. You're totally dehydrated.”
Rin handed her the bottle of water. Alisa accepted it without complaint and twisted open the resealable top, upending the bottle into her mouth. She drank without pause until more than half the bottle was empty before gasping for breath.
“What time is it?”
“Just past 0900,” said Rin. “The
Infiltrator
arrived in the Lethe system approximately six hours ago. We're on standby for the moment.”
“That won't last long,” Alisa noted before finishing off the bottle of water. She felt better already, but her sleep-fogged brain still wanted the coffee.
“No.” Rin finally relented and handed over the steaming mug, retrieving her own from the table nearby. “The commander won't pass up this opportunity. The Gray don't usually leave supply dumps this lightly-defended.”
“Could be a trap.”
“Doubtful,” Rin said, sitting down in the chair across from the bed. She crossed her bare legs and blew a strand of black hair from her face. “Lethe is remote and fairly uninteresting. The Gray shouldn't know we're here with the stealth systems up and running.”
“This kind of sneaky back-blading harassment is a waste of the
Infiltrator
's capabilities,” Alisa noted acidly. “We could be spearheading major assaults into Gray strongholds, taking back territory they've held for centuries.”
“Long-term strategy isn't your strong suit, Alisa.” Rin shook her head. “Besides, it's not like we planned this. There wasn't even supposed to be anything here, and rumor has it that the captain intended to just keep on going, but Command had other ideas.”
Alisa frowned but said nothing.
“You should get showered and ready to go,” said Rin. “Knowing the commander, it won't be long before we're sortied. With only one wing on the ship, we won't even get a chance to rest.”
“Considering how the commander does things, Delta's the most likely to be sortied first. Daniels and Portland aren't going to like it.”
“It looks like an easy run on the surface, yes,” Rin said, “but anything can happen in combat. Don't let those two get too complacent.”
“I do know how to do my job, Rin.” Alisa tilted her mug and swallowed the last of her coffee.
“Of course.” Rin took the empty cup and set it on the nearby table. “Oh, and make sure you drink some more water before we go or that hangover's going to make this mission a lot more unpleasant.”
Alisa threw her hands up and stalked off toward the bathroom. “Fine. I'm going to get a shower.”
[-]
“We're on standby,” Alisa told her pilots. “That doesn't mean you've got free reign to start goofing off—we'll likely sortie within the next few hours.”
Lindy said nothing, but Alisa could tell the woman was alert and well-rested, ready for duty. Despite her petite form, Lindy was far more adept at dealing with the aftereffects of a night of drinking.
“Ma'am, if I may ask a question?”
Alisa frowned and turned toward the source of the question. “Go ahead, Two.”
Portland sat straight in his chair, clearly eager to get flying, but something in his expression told her that he was not comfortable about the mission they anticipated.
You called it,
Alisa said to Rin through the link. The other merely flashed a small smile in Alisa's direction, but didn't reply.
“What are we doing stopping here in the middle of nowhere?” Portland asked. Alisa noticed that the man's tone was much more respectful than it was the first time they'd spoken. That was unexpected; Alisa wondered briefly if the man had done some back-checking on her records.
“I don't know. Obviously something in the Lethe system interests High Command, else the
Infiltrator
never would have been ordered out here. As near as I can tell, it's just a supply dump and a small outpost.”
“Command wouldn't usually order vessel like the
Infiltrator
to deal with something this trivial,” Daniels added, “even if it is a target of opportunity.”
“Which means it's very likely not trivial at all,” Rin observed.
“My thoughts exactly.” Alisa gave her pilots a warning look. “Something doesn't feel right about this system, Flight Officers. This may look like a simple target of opportunity on the surface, but the Alliance would not have us delay our actual mission unless they felt it was absolutely necessary.”
Portland nodded, his broad shoulders relaxing somewhat. The man was very large, muscular and physically imposing, qualities uncommon for a fighter pilot. Portland wore his brown hair close-cropped against his skull in the style common to the marines. Alisa knew this wasn't coincidental; Portland once served as a marine before transferring to Fleet, after an injury-related neurological exam revealed his suitability for pair-linking.
Most children born in Alliance territories were tested for neural link capability at a young age, but Portland was a refugee from an independent gas mining colony. Many of the Alliance's personnel had been recruited from the poor and the disadvantaged. For these people, the daily struggle to survive was far harsher than the possibility of death against the Gray. According to the records, Portland enlisted in the Alliance right out of primary school with the intent to help support his family. He was already a marine for four years before a head injury and subsequent neurological exam revealed his link capability.
Alisa brought herself out of her private thoughts and focused her attention back on the conversation going on around her. As she'd already predicted, Daniels was complaining about the assignment.
“So we're just supposed to sit around here until the commander orders us out? What the hell, Lead?”
“You really should be used to it by now,” Rin pointed out.
Daniels shot the artificial girl a look that defied description. Alisa fought the urge to let out an exasperated sigh; it would take a lot longer before Daniels and Portland would finally accept Rin as a living being rather than a piece of computer equipment.
“That's correct, Flight Officer. You're free to spend your downtime training or engaging in recreational activities, but you are on duty. That means no alcohol.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Daniels stood up and saluted, but Alisa could tell he was sulking.
Daniels and Portland were certainly an odd couple. The two were thick as thieves, but they were incredibly different both physically and in general temperament. Portland was serious and taciturn, preferring to speak only as much as necessary. Daniels presented the image of the stereotypical ace pilot—brash, cocky and generally full of himself, but still managed to get the job done.
Delta Three was a thin, lanky man who stood a few inches taller than Alisa herself. In many ways his physique was similar to her own—slender and toned, but unlike Alisa he carried not an ounce of fat on his frame. Daniels possessed a head full of sandy-blond curls and sharp green eyes, with regular and even features. He was very attractive and, perhaps unfortunately, was fully aware of that fact.
Like Alisa, Daniels was an heir to a military family, one of middling rank. Like her, he had been tested at an early age for link capability and enlisted into the Fleet at the age of seventeen. Unlike Alisa, however, Daniels' scores were solidly in the average range, but his records showed that sheer tenacity and determination managed to surpass his marks and help him complete missions that would have otherwise been written off as failures.
The fact that Portland and Daniels had become friends was interesting. Alisa supposed the ancient aphorism of opposites attracting certainly applied. While Portland rarely said much to most people, he was positively chatty when with Daniels. It wasn't unusual for two pilots to form a strong bond such as theirs, but it was something Alisa herself had never experienced.
“Ma'am.” Portland's low voice pulled Alisa out of her thoughts. She looked up in surprise, noting that Daniels had already left. Her eyes scanned the ready room quickly; Lindy had relocated to one of the lounging couches across the way, engrossed in reading something on her tab. Rin was still standing in the same place, her eyes holding a dreamy, unfocused look as she devoted much of her processing power to tactical forecasting.
“Sorry, Flight Officer. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to apologize, ma'am.”
“What for?”
“I did some checking up on you, off the record,” the pilot continued, his voice strong and clear. “I know I should have just asked you directly.”
“I thought you might have done something like that.” Alisa pursed her lips and stared hard at her subordinate. “Did this unauthorized investigation change your opinion of me, Flight Officer?”
“Yes, it did, but I don't understand, ma'am. Your scores are so high you're in the top five percentile of the entire Fleet. You're the youngest pilot to achieve command rank in recent memory—”
“And you're wondering why I was assigned to lead Delta.” Alisa's expression was completely unreadable. “The lowest-scored flight in the 703.”
He nodded. “Respectfully, ma'am.”
“Officially I was assigned to Delta in order to whip the lot of you into shape, raise up your scores and bring you more in-line with the rest of the 703.”
Portland's expression was dubious. “Excuse me, ma'am, but that sounds like bullshit.”
“No need to apologize, Officer. I agree completely that it is bullshit. Either High Command has something in mind they're not sharing with anyone, or…”
“Delta Four,” Portland murmured under his breath. Alisa's frown deepened and she glanced over at where Lindy was sitting. The woman was too busy reading to notice and too far away to hear what Portland said.
“I cannot confirm nor deny that, Officer.” Her scowl suggested that he should drop the subject, especially with Lindy in the same room.
“Yes, ma'am. I may look like a muscle-bound meathead, but my daddy didn't raise a fool. I know politics when I see them. Don't worry about me, Lead. I'll get the job done, no matter what.”
“Thank you for understanding, Officer. Relax a little while you have time.”
“Yes, ma'am.” Portland straightened into a parade-ground stance and saluting in one smooth, fluid motion. Alisa watched silently as the big man walked away, heading toward the door leading out of the ready room.
“That was really awkward,” Rin commented.
“It was. It means they're starting to accept me as their leader, though.”
“Portland and Lindy, anyway.”
“Daniels will take some more finesse, surely,” Alisa murmured. “I'm sure you noticed how he looked at you when you spoke to him.”
“I'm used to it.” Rin shrugged her slender shoulders as if it didn't matter. “The only way it'll ever stop is if I prove to them that I'm not really any different than they are.”
Alisa didn't respond. Rin's expression darkened a hair and Alisa braced herself for the inevitable.
They're never going to accept me if you keep me hidden away from them and you know it
, Rin's voice echoed through her mind.
I don't want to discuss this now.
You can't keep avoiding the issue forever, Alisa. Rumors will keep flying around the both of us if you don't work to put them to rest. It's not something I can do without your active participation.
Alisa blinked and looked away. It was clear Rin wasn't going to let the issue drop this time. A nameless dread began to claw on the inside of her stomach, leaving her feeling hollow and cold.
Alisa, please—
I told you I don't want to talk about it
. Alisa's mental snap had her eyes narrowing sharply.
We've got more important things to worry about right now. Commander Isaacs will be calling for us any time now.
“We are going to talk about it later.
Tonight
. No objections,” Rin demanded aloud, not bothering to keep her voice down. Alisa felt a rush of sudden anger and embarrassment as Lindy looked up at the sound of Rin's raised voice.
“Rin, cut it out.”
“I will not cut it out,” Rin snapped. “I'm not fond of being treated like a piece of property. Especially by
you
.”
“I'm not treating you—”