Volume 20 - Grand Finale, Chapter 154 - The Big Day

The bachelorette party was in full swing. Liquor and dancing and laughter filled the private back room of the Wild Life nightclub. The brides-to-be wanted to cut loose and they succeeded with style.

"Hey, Haru baby. My love…" Yuisu whispered over the top of her beer. She'd lost track of how many she'd had, but she wasn't worried. They'd scheduled an entire day for hangover recovery and Yuisu meant to use it.

Haru smiled back. "Yes, darling?" She'd had a few drinks herself — not as many as Yuisu, but Haru was a literal lightweight — and she was just as buzzed.

"I'm in a mood. A strong one. I can't focus on anything." As Yuisu spoke, she slipped her shoes off under the table. She ran her bare toes along Haru's calf and up to her thigh, one foot on each side of Haru's leg.

Haru shrugged. "I wish I could take care of that for you."

Yuisu's mischievous feet stopped. She leaned forward across the table and whispered, "You know how this room has a private bathroom?"

Haru nodded. She'd seen it, and how fancy it was inside.

"And did you see that it had one of those lounge chairs in it?"

"A chaise lounge, I think it's called," Haru said, nodding.

Yuisu grinned and her eyes sparkled in the low light. "Well, I happened to notice that the door can lock. Since this is our bachelorette party, that's basically our private bathroom, don't you agree?"

Haru smiled in thought and that was all the go-ahead Yuisu needed. She hopped to her feet, grabbed her shoes from under the table, and pulled Haru toward the bathroom. She tried to be sneaky, hoping it would look like she just needed help with her makeup, or something.

Drunk Yuisu was not as sneaky as she thought. Mara easily noticed the two women slinking off toward the bathroom. She danced past them, gave a wink and a nod, and said, "Have fun, ladies."

By the time they reached the bathroom door and slipped inside, Yuisu was getting impatient. Haru moved to lock the door behind them just as Yuisu tugged her toward the couch. The latch slipped through Haru's feathers, but it made a click sound that she interpreted as locking.

Outside on the dancefloor, glowing and panting from their vigorous dancing, Kazumi and her new date Ken shared a brief kiss. The kiss ignited a stronger passion in them and it was clear they both wanted to take things just a little further. Maybe second base at most. But neither of them were exhibitionists, so they wanted somewhere more private to make out.

"The room we reserved for the bachelorette party has a very nice private bathroom," Kazumi said with a glint in her eye. Ken nodded and followed her lead to the bathroom.

The door was unlocked, so they slipped inside, then closed and locked it. Ken pushed Kazumi up against the door and went for her neck, peppering it with kisses and inhaling the fragrance of her perfume. Kazumi moaned softly, but a different noise was louder.

They both turned their heads at the same time to see Haru's back, easily recognizable by the low-backed silver dress and her long white hair. She seemed to be kneeling by the chaise lounge, and Yuisu's face was visible above that, eyes closed.

Very quickly, Ken and Kazumi both figured out what they were looking at. Even without any visible nudity, the scene was clearly explicit. Yuisu was laying back on the chair with her shirt and bra pulled up to her chin, her skirt hiked up around her waist, and her legs in the air. Black lace panties dangled from one ankle. Thankfully, Haru was fully obscuring Yuisu's exposed body, but only because her face was buried between Yuisu's thighs and her wings were actively teasing Yuisu's nipples.

In unison, Kazumi and Ken blurted, "Oh god, sorry!" and started flailing at the door, trying to escape.

Yuisu opened her eyes and stammered, "Uh, Haru, I thought you locked the door…"

Haru lifted her chin and said, "I thought I did. My bad…"

With one more "Sorry!" Ken finally got the door open and pulled a shell-shocked Kazumi out with him. With a firm thud, the door closed again.

Haru got up off her knees, calmly walked the few feet to the door, and flipped the latch. She tested the handle to make sure the door was locked this time, then turned back to Yuisu. "Now, where was I?"

Yuisu's face and chest were flushed pink, and not just from the extreme embarrassment. She answered, "The part where you make me forget that that ever happened."

Haru licked her lips. "You got it."

The bachelorette party wrapped up around 2AM and the limousine took nearly an hour to take everyone to their various homes. Four of the passengers were strangely quiet, having independently decided to never speak of a certain moment. After Ken was dropped off at his tiny apartment near the university, Kazumi looked like she wanted to say something to Yuisu, but she thought better of it.

The next day, the Nakahara household was quiet until nearly 10AM. Rem and Sya were up early to help with any guest needs while the other residents slept off hangovers and dance-weary muscles. But Yuisu and Haru couldn't afford to sleep forever. They needed to spend the afternoon on some last-minute planning. It was also when most of the out-of-town wedding guests arrived.

All the visitors wanted to stay at the Mountain Lily Inn to support their friends and experience the Inn's quaint mountain charm, but Kazumi had already claimed the last open room. Thankfully, Ski Lodge Kobold had plenty of hotel rooms available and Korbin offered a discount for guests of the wedding. He knew he'd make the money back a couple times over from lift ticket sales, ski rentals, and extended stays.

Yuisu was actually relieved that the wedding guests weren't staying at the Inn. She had enough to worry about already without trying to play gracious host too. It was more convenient for all the guests anyway. On the big day, they could walk from their hotel rooms straight to the banquet hall without even going outside.

January 14th arrived with a bit of light snow and a media frenzy. All across Japan, thousands of homosexual couples were getting married on the first day it was legal. Some of them had already gotten symbolically married or married in other countries where gay marriage was already legal, but they wanted to make it official back home too.

Haru and Yuisu wouldn't have stood out at all among all the marriages that day, except that they were one of very few liminal-human couples tying the knot. Yuisu turned down all the reporters who came calling, but the Exchange Program asked her to get some photos taken to share through the Program newsletter and website. Agent Will called in a favor with a photographer friend of his to handle that task.

The wedding party arrived at the Ski Lodge early in the morning to get ready. A professional hairdresser came shortly after to style both brides' hair. Haru and Yuisu were set up in adjacent rooms and the hairdresser kept running back and forth as she made adjustments. Around the same time, Quess arrived with a truckful of flowers. She gave Haru's flower hairpiece to the hairdresser, then set to decorating the hall.

More important than hairstyles, Haru and Yuisu needed to get changed into their wedding dresses. Yuisu mostly managed on her own, with a little help from Mara. Haru needed a lot more assistance, so Tsuen and Rem had volunteered for that.

While Tsuen tugged on the top edge of Haru's sleeveless dress, trying to get it up and over Haru's considerable breasts, Rem said, "Say, where's that wing pendant you always wear, Haru? Isn't that your engagement necklace?"

Haru's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile as she replied, "It's been reworked into my wedding necklace. You'll get to see it during the ceremony."

There was a knock at the door and a man's voice said, "Excuse me? Ladies? Are you decent?"

Tsuen glanced over Haru to be sure, then called out, "Yes, we're decent. Come in."

The door opened and an unfamiliar man stepped in. He had spiky black hair that was a little thin on top even though he didn't look very old. His eyes had a weathered look to them too.

He gave a little wave with one hand and held up a bulky camera with the other. "Hi, I'm Eiji, and I'll be your wedding photographer for the day! I'm a good friend of Will's and I've worked for the Exchange Program in the past. Most of my work was pretty different, but I've shot weddings a few times."

Haru bowed slightly. The dress wasn't fully fastened and she was afraid of spilling out it if she did anything more. "It's good to meet you, Eiji. I'm Haru. You should visit my fiance Yuisu next door as well."

Eiji bowed back and said, "Already did, actually. She gave me a few photo requests. Do you have any shots you'd like taken, either before or during the ceremony?"

Out of habit, Haru tilted her head in thought, then straightened when she remembered the flowers clipped into her hair. "Hmm, I can't think of anything right now."

"No problem. I'll be around taking photos of the guests and decorations if anything comes to mind. Seeya!" With that, Eiji turned gracefully on the spot and left the room, closing the door gently behind himself.

"Back to work," Tsuen said as she circled Haru and checked the fit of her dress. Rem was riding on her shoulder, and they both wore matching light pink dresses. They were both custom-made by Mara, who had whipped up all the bridesmaids' dresses on a surprisingly short timeframe. Doing the fitting for herself, Rem, and Tsuen had been easy, but the final bridesmaid wasn't local. Mara had been forced to work from measurements that Chiyoko, Yuisu's childhood friend, had emailed over.

"Oh, my, god, Yuisu! You look amazing!" Chiyoko said, her mouth agape.

She'd already changed into the pink dress Mara made for her and it fit perfectly. She half-expected it to be intentionally mis-sized, but it seemed Mara had forgiven her rude first impression back when she visited Yuisu nearly two years before. It wasn't Chiyoko's fault that Yuisu hadn't mentioned that her roommates were liminals, but Chiyoko certainly could have handled the revelation better than the total freak-out she'd reacted with.

"Finally regretting turning down my advances in middle school?" Yuisu asked, striking a sexy pose in her bare-shouldered wedding gown. Her glossy black hair was pulled into a pristine bun, with a perfectly wavy lock hanging down along her right cheek.

Chiyoko chuckled, sending her blonde-tipped hair swinging. She had stopped bleaching it shortly after her last visit to Okayado and she hadn't died it back to black. She actually liked the two-tone look for some reason she couldn't quite place. She answered, "A little bit, yeah. Seriously though, you're gorgeous. Haru's a lucky woman."

Yuisu shook her head. "No, I'm the lucky one."

Mara was reclined in a plush chair in an unladylike way, playing a portable video game of some sort. She looked up from the screen long enough to quip, "Why not both?"

Yuisu smiled at that, then said, "Oh, Mara, can you go check that the guest book is set out? People will be arriving soon."

Mara kept on playing her game. "Already did. The photographer dude is standing next to it, taking snapshots of everyone who signs in. I saw him get one of your moms standing together."

"Moms?" Yuisu mumbled. "Oh! Kohaku's here?" Haru's mother was the one member of the wedding party Yuisu hadn't seen yet.

"Yep, and looking hawt. Agent Will's gonna have trouble focusing on his spiel during the wedding."

Chiyoko blinked and looked back and forth between Mara and Yuisu. "Huh, what's that mean?"

Yuisu sighed. "Haru's mom Kohaku is dating Agent Will, my Exchange Program Coordinator and the officiant for the wedding. They keep it on the down-low, but it's still a thorn in my side."

"Why'd you say that? He's gotta be a nice guy if you chose him to marry you and Haru."

Mara said, "You'll understand when you meet him, Chiyoko."

"Meet who?" came a voice from the doorway. Agent Will's voice.

Yuisu let out a very Haru-like squawk and said, "What the hell! You can't just walk into a woman's dressing room without knocking."

Agent Will shrugged his shoulders, which looked very broad in his crisp black suit. His elegant appearance was tarnished by the sunglasses he was wearing indoors and the half-eaten muffin in his left hand. "My bad, but you wanted to rehearse your vow, right? We're running out of time."

Chiyoko met Mara's gaze, glanced at the intruder, then nodded in understanding. She could see exactly what kind of man Agent Will was: quirky, oblivious, and a bit rude, but overall dependable.

Mara hopped to her feet and said, "We'll let you do that, Yuisu. Give me a ring if you need anything." She waved for Chiyoko to follow and said, "Let's go get us some of those muffins. I'm starving. Oh, and you can finally meet my girlfriends."

"Girlfriends, plural?" Chiyoko asked as she followed the little pink spider from the room.

By the time the wedding ceremony began, the guest book had been signed by 28 people, on top of the 11 people involved in the wedding party. The event hall had plenty of space and chairs, but Kazumi had insisted on putting all the extra chairs away. She wanted everyone to sit next to each other and meet their new friends and family.

Every seat was filled, except for two at the front that were reserved for the mothers of the brides. Next to one of those seats was a shy-looking Ken, wearing a nice grey suit that really made him look the part of college professor. Other than the mothers and keeping couples together, seating had been assigned at random.

Actia and Chione were seated near the back next to the succubus Lethe and her grey-haired date. His name was Jotaro, and he was the big-time event manager who had secured ComicMon's location at the Tokyo Big Sight convention center. He was dressed the part in a dark blue business suit.

Chione wore a blue and black checkered skirt with a white blouse and her cyan hair was in a simple braid. She looked pretty tired, which was to be expected for a nocturnal liminal at midday. She bowed her head and said, "Thank you again for your help with ComicMon last year. It turned out so well, thanks to you."

Jotaro smiled, bringing out the wrinkles on his cheeks and forehead. "You're welcome, young lady. The site is yours this year too, if you want it. I had a couple events asking about that space, but Lethe asked me to hold it for ComicMon."

The gargoyle's eyes went wide and the sleepy look on her face disappeared. "That would be amazing. We're still in the early planning stages for this year's con, but we'll absolutely take you up on that offer."

Actia piped in with, "Maybe I could help out this year? If that's alright." Despite her small size, she looked elegant in a pale blue backless dress. Her short white hair was pinned to the side, showcasing her red multifaceted eyes.

"Of course. That would be great!" Chione said, then she placed a kiss on Actia's forehead.

As the little moth blushed, Lethe twirled a lock of her blonde hair around one finger and said, "Ah, young love. Isn't it delicious?" She was nearly indecent in her slinky red dress with deep cleavage and a high slits on the sides.

Jotaro chuckled, low and deep. "I can't speak to the taste, but it's definitely adorable."

On the opposite side of the aisle, a different pair of young lovers were whispering to each other.

"I can't believe they beat us to the finish line, Yamato. You proposed first!" said the girl, who had long black hair and wore a sleeveless yellow dress to accommodate her black-feathered wings.

"It isn't a competition, Misaki. We're here to support their big day, so don't go stealing their limelight," Yamato replied. He was a plain-looking human man in a high quality black suit. It looked nice enough to get married in.

"Hey, I don't steal things anymore… Much." Then Misaki planted her black wings on her hips. "And don't change the subject! You need to man up and pick a date already!"

A different voice cut in from the row behind them, "Woman up. Saying 'man up' is sexist."

Yamato and Misaki turned to see a petite redhead with brightly colored wings wearing a sporty sundress despite the cold weather. She was sitting next to an inhumanly pale woman with white hair and a fancy blue kimono.

The pale woman said, "First, Phoebe, it's rude to eavesdrop and to butt into other people's conversations. Second, 'woman up' is sexist too. I prefer gender neutral phrases like 'buckle down' or 'fortify'."

Phoebe rolled her eyes, then turned to Misaki and said, "Sorry for my rudeness. I kinda just wanted to talk to another harpy subspecies. My name's Phoebe, and I'm a phoenix."

Misaki positively beamed as she said, "I'm Misaki and I'm a yatagarasu! I used to think I was just a crow harpy, but then this guy kidnapped me and—"

Phoebe's eyes narrowed and the temperature around her rose a dozen degrees in an instant. "This guy?" she asked, pointing one orange feather at Yamato.

Yamato frantically shook his head. "No! Not me! It was some rich business guy. He's in jail now."

Phoebe's cheerful smile reappeared and the temperature returned to normal. "Oh, okay. Continue your story, Misaki."

Misaki shrugged. "Not much else to say. Apparently I'm good luck or something. I did meet my handsome man here, after all."

The pale woman looked Yamato up and down, then said, "A little scrawny for my tastes."

"Yuki!" Phoebe gasped, "Now who's being rude?"

Yuki blinked several times, her face growing more purple every second. "I said that out loud? Oh no…" She buried her face in her hands and mumbled, "I'm so sorry."

With an awkward chuckle, Yamato said, "No, it's okay. Don't worry about it." Misaki, on the other hand, was glaring at Yuki very disapprovingly. She had zero tolerance for people talking bad about her fiance.

Just then, Agent Will approached the flower-covered arbor that would serve as the backdrop for the wedding. Everyone went quiet in case the ceremony was about to start, but Agent Will just tucked his sunglasses in a pocket and started to review the notes on his notepad.

"Hi," a young man said to the older couple to his right. He had cat-like ears sticking up through his black and tan striped hair. "I'm Andy. How do you know the brides?"

The woman, who had very tan skin, said, "Yuisu's mother Kazumi is my cousin. We're the same age, so we used to play together when her family visited Okinawa." She gestured to her right and said, "This is my husband Kiro, and my name's Ayu."

Kiro nodded his head, but didn't speak. With his muscular shoulders and heavy brow, he seemed the strong, silent type.

"How about you? Ayu asked.

Andy's ears and tail twitched as he said, "Chiyoko's one of the bridesmaids, and Yuisu's childhood friend. I'm Chiyoko's boyf— err, her friend."

Ayu smiled a knowing smile. "Ah, I understand. Forgive me if this is rude, but are you in the Exchange Program?"

Andy grabbed his tail to keep it still, then said, "I am. It's how I met Chiyoko. She's friends with my host." Then he lowered his voice and said, "I'm technically not supposed to be here without my host, so don't tell anyone."

A pink-haired woman to Andy's left said, "I wouldn't worry too much about that. The Exchange Program's pretty lax in these parts, thanks to Agent Will there." She hooked a thumb in the direction of the arbor, where Agent Will was still reading his notes.

A giant of a man with tan skin and an immaculate white Armani shirt bopped the pink-haired woman on the shoulder and said, "Don't encourage others to break the rules just because you got away with it, Mimi. And besides, you're here with your host."

Mimi fixed the shoulder strap of her light purple dress, then raised an eyebrow at the man. "I could have come alone, Brutus. You're only here because you're a sucker for weddings and begged me to bring y—"

"Nevermind! That's enough on that topic!" Brutus said, trying to hide his face behind his shirt's popped collar.

Other clusters of people who were chatting to kill time before the ceremony included Aluru, Hakuto, Korbin, and Rosty; Flare, Quess, Iormu, May, and Kyle; and Cissu's foster parents Genta and Miwa, two white-haired harpies, and a tiny harpy girl. The latter group was talking about the joy and difficulty of raising young children.

"She sure is a cutie," Genta said, referring to the fluffy little girl with dark grey hair and feathers. "I assume her hair will change color to white at some point?"

The harpy woman named Kahoru nodded and ruffled the hair of the toddler on her lap. "Yep, Suzy's hair should turn white within a year, around the same time she gets her flight feathers and learns to fly."

Miwa, a short woman with peppered grey hair, said, "Wow! Flying so soon! Isn't she only two now?"

"Two and a half. Did Cissu not grow up that fast?"

Miwa glanced at Genta, then said, "We didn't meet Cissu until she was four, but her first major physical change won't be until she blooms around age 13."

The other harpy, Kanoko, shrugged. "Harpies need to fly at a young age just to get around our homeland. The terrain is very treacherous." Like her sisters Kahoru and Kohaku, Kanoko had gold eyes and long white hair, but hers had far fewer streaks of black running through it. She also had a very carefree attitude; she'd already flirted with nearly a dozen human men around the Ski Lodge.

"Ahem!" Agent Will said to get everyone's attention. He didn't clear his throat, he literally said 'ahem'. He looked out over the gathered guests as they quieted down, then nodded to someone in the distance.

A gentle melody started to play and everyone turned to watch the wedding procession. In the lead were Chiyoko and Mara. They were bridesmaids and ring bearers, though in this case the rings were pendants. When they reached the front, Chiyoko stood to Agent Will's left and Mara went to the right. Mara was smiling so wide her sharp teeth were showing, and it would have been terrifying if she wasn't so clearly happy. Chiyoko was already getting emotional and dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief.

Next came Tsuen with Rem on her shoulder. Fortunately, Rem's light pink dress was a different shade from Tsuen's hair so she didn't blend in. When they reached the front, Rem hopped onto Mara's back and Tsuen stood next to Chiyoko.

The flower girls followed shortly after, both wearing white dresses with gold ribbon accents that made their unusual skin colors stand out. Pwess and Cissu each held one side of a single large basket of pink flower petals, the same color as the bridesmaids' dresses. With their free hands, they took handfuls and sprinkled them gently along the aisle as they stepped in time with the music. The little girls were both utterly adorable and they looked beyond happy to be working together.

Haru was the first bride to walk down the aisle, wing in wing with her mother. Kohaku's dress was light blue and sleeveless, with a fair amount of cleavage. True to Mara's prediction, it captured Agent Will's attention, at least for a moment. Haru's dress quickly reclaimed it, along with everyone else's. It was strapless and shimmery white, cut straight across the chest with a triangle of rhinestones pointing down. It hugged her curves tightly until her hips, when it flared outward in a spiral until it reached the floor. Her silver-white hair was tucked back behind her pointed ears, pinned in place with pink and green flowers that matched the rest of the wedding decor.

She smiled out at all the guests, and she was a little surprised to see a few of them. She had doubted that her aunts would make it, and she definitely hadn't expected them to bring a nestling along. Agent Will must have called in a lot of favors to coordinate their travel from the Harpy Nation on such short notice.

Haru tried to keep calm as she reached the arbor. She stood to Agent Will's right, took a deep breath, and tried not to cry. Kohaku failed at that before she'd even taken her seat in the front row. She wiped at her tears with a wing until Iormu's tail delivered her a wad of tissues.

Haru's composure failed as soon as she spotted Yuisu approaching with Kazumi. A tear escaped her eye and more followed with every step that Yuisu took. Haru wasn't normally an emotional person, but Yuisu's beauty and the importance of the situation had her quite overwhelmed.

Yuisu's dress was satin white and shoulderless, with a few inches of sheer lace across the top and a little dip of cleavage. A lacy ribbon trailed from her hair, its entire length secure in a bun, except for a single wave along her right cheek. Her vibrant green eyes sparkled with moisture, especially once she saw that Haru had teared up.

When they reached the front, Kazumi peeled off and sat next to Ken. Her short sleeved purple dress stood out compared to his grey suit, but they went well together. Yuisu continued to Agent Will's side, then turned and faced Haru.

Agent Will stood up straight and said, "We are gathered here today to celebrate and witness the union of Haru and Yuisu. I'm proud to say that as Yuisu's Exchange Program Coordinator, this is the second marriage I've officiated for her liminal homestays. But the road to this day was not simple or easy. I'm sure you have all heard the news: today is the very first day of Japan issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples."

He gestured at the two brides, then continued, "These amazing women played a part in that change, pushing the Exchange Program and the Japanese government to become better, to become fairer, to support true love despite gender or species. But their journey continues on. Weddings aren't an ending, a finish line you race to meet. They are beginnings, where two paths join together and become a single shared journey."

With that, he gestured with open hands to Haru and Yuisu. "Time for your vows, ladies."

Haru went first. She took a deep breath, blinked to clear her eyes, looked straight at Yuisu, and said, "I've never been an eloquent speaker, or a particularly creative person, but I knew I had to try my best to convey my feelings for you. I love you, Yuisu. I have for so long, for most of the time we've known each other. When we first met, I was curious about you, wanting to know what made this unique woman tick. After two years, I am still curious. I'm never exactly sure what you'll do, but I'm always excited to see it happen. And going forward, I'll always be there by your side, no matter what, so I never miss a single interesting moment."

When it was clear Haru had stopped, Yuisu cracked a smile and said, "I have to follow that?" Laughter rippled through the audience for a moment, then Yuisu said, "Our first meeting told me everything I needed to know about you. You burst into my life in a literal flurry of snow and broken glass: beautiful, powerful, and more than a little reckless. But in that moment you also went to extremes to protect me. I knew then that you were dependable and you cared more than your stoic expressions let on. Since then, your reliable presence has been my anchor, my shelter in the storm, and it has changed my life at every turn, always for the better. I love you, Haru, and I'll stay with you forever."

They clasped hands and looked into each other's eyes, then held that pose for a moment while the wedding photographer snapped a memorable shot. Agent Will had also stepped out of the frame, leaving just the flower-covered arbor in the background. The moment also gave Mara and Chiyoko time to get the wedding necklaces ready.

Art by davvworlds.deviantart.com

Then Agent Will stepped up and recited some traditional wedding vows, tweaked slightly since Haru couldn't wear a ring, and Haru and Yuisu each repeated his words. As Haru said, "I give you this necklace to wear as a symbol of my undying love and my bottomless devotion," she placed a pendant around Yuisu's neck. To help her fasten the chain, there were magnets instead of clasps.

Then Yuisu did the same for Haru, returning the wing-shaped platinum engagement necklace she had given Haru once before. It had been upgraded with small diamonds at the tips of the feathers, but the same blue teardrop sapphire adorned the center. Yuisu's pendant was identical, except it was mirrored to represent the other wing and the center gem was a bright green emerald.

Smiling wide, Agent Will said, "It is my great pleasure to pronounce you wife and wife. You may now kiss."

Yuisu leaned forward and stood on her toes to kiss Haru, but Haru had different plans. She put one leg forward and deftly tipped Yuisu backwards. She caught her with both wings, dipped her low, and kissed her deeply.

The kiss ended with Yuisu still nearly parallel to the floor and their chests pressed together. Haru whispered, "I wanted to recreate our first meeting, just a little bit. How'd I do?"

Yuisu smiled and whispered back, "I'm fine with the lack of snow and broken glass, but we're wearing far too much clothing."

Haru giggled at that, then lifted Yuisu back to her feet as cheers from the audience poured in. The newlyweds smiled out at the gathered guests and began their walk back up the aisle, both blinking back tears of joy.

After the ceremony and a buffet-style lunch, everyone was free to mingle and greet the newlyweds. Haru and Yuisu mostly stayed put and guests came to them whenever there was an opening.

A towering orc and a petite chameleon-girl approached, smiling but looking unsure of themselves. Kyle bowed his head slightly and said, "Congratulations, and thank you for the invite. It was certainly unexpected."

To his right, May nodded. "Yeah, we were already thrilled that you ordered your wedding cake from The Muse's Grace."

Yuisu said, "Well, we've run into you two so often that I'm surprised we've never properly hung out. And besides, Brutus is here too. You're still close with him, right?"

Kyle beamed. "Of course. I'd say we're soulmates, but May would get jealous."

May jabbed him in the hip with an elbow, confirming it. Then she said, "Looks like there's a line of people waiting to talk to you two, but we should get together sometime."

As the mismatched couple departed, Haru waved and said, "Absolutely. Maybe a dance night at the club?"

May turned a bright and cheerful gold from head to tail and said, "That'd be awesome!"

Next came a trio of harpies, Haru's aunts and cousin. The one without a toddler in her arms opened her wings to hug Haru.

"Been a while," she said after the hug. "Last time I saw you, you were barely bigger than this fuzzball."

"Indeed," Haru answered. "Thanks for coming Aunt Kanoko." She turned and gave a one-winged hug to the other woman. "And you, Aunt Kahoru. But who's this?" she said, crouching down to look the toddler in the eyes.

Kahoru answered, "This is Suzy, my latest. I'm pretty sure her dad's English, so I named her Susanne."

Haru tickled Suzy's nose with a feather and smiled at her cute giggles. "Only pretty sure?"

"Well, you know how it is. You sleep with dozen guys here, a dozen there… oh, maybe you don't know how it is." She looked away, embarrassed.

Kanoko cut in. "Now, Haru, introduce us to our new family member!"

Haru stepped back and gestured with a wing. "Yuisu, these are my mom's sisters Kanoko and Kahoru. Don't worry if you have trouble matching their names to faces. I got them mixed up all the time when I was little." She didn't get a chance to introduce Suzy before Yuisu pounced.

"Oh, em, gee. She's adorable!" Yuisu cheered, already reaching for her with both hands. "Can I hold her?"

Kahoru glanced down at her daughter. "Do you want to meet the pretty lady?"

Suzy blinked her wide copper-colored eyes, then nodded twice. She reached out toward Yuisu with short wings that were covered in fluffy grey feathers.

Yuisu scooped her up and was surprised for a second at how light she was. "I'm Yuisu," she said. "What's your name?"

"Suzy," she said in a cute, high voice. Then she patted at the arms holding her up and said, "No feathers?"

"Yep, no feathers. I'm a human, not a harpy like you. But we're family now."

Suzy smiled and echoed, "Family!"

Yuisu turned to Haru and said, "Were you really this adorable once?"

Haru blushed and said, "Yes, and my mom has hundreds of pictures to prove it. She doted on me more than most harpy mothers do, since I was an only child."

Kanoko nodded in agreement. "I can confirm that. She spent more money on instant camera film than I did feeding my first three fledgelings."

Yuisu felt the weight in her arms shift. She looked down to see Suzy asleep and somehow even more adorable than before.

Kahoru held out her wings to take her daughter back. "Ah, she's wiped out. She's never met so many new people at once before, and you aren't the first person to fawn over her today. I should take her up to the hotel room."

Yuisu reluctantly returned the sleeping toddler, then said, "How long are you staying in town? Maybe we can meet up later?"

"A couple more days at least." Kahoru nodded toward her sister. "Kanoko wanted to go skiing tomorrow, and we still need to catch up with Kohaku."

Haru said, "Wonderful. Let us know what time works for you and we can drive over. Or you can visit our inn and check out the hot springs."

Kanoko's eyes lit up at the mention of hot springs. "You've got a deal."

A while after that conversation, Haru's mom approached the new couple with a glass of white wine in her wing. She wasn't quite tipsy, but her tongue had definitely loosened a little. She said, "After meeting my little niece, have you put any thought into making me a grandchild?"

"What?" Haru squawked. "How would that even work?"

Yuisu had finished a glass of wine herself and was feeling open minded. She piped in, "Well, we could get a sperm donor and use artificial insemination."

The thought of having kids had never even occurred to Haru. As she slowly processed the idea, Kohaku and Yuisu kept talking.

"Is harpy birth hard?" Yuisu asked. "I could carry the baby, but then it wouldn't be a cute and fluffy harpy."

"Not at all! Harpies are born in eggs, so childbirth is a total breeze. It'd be no worse than the unfertilized eggs that Haru already—"

"Mom!" Haru hissed, putting a wing over Kohaku's mouth. "Don't talk about that stuff in public!"

Yuisu giggled. She didn't get to see Haru embarrassed often, so it was a special treat.

Speaking of special treats, Haru and Yuisu had big plans for their first night as a married couple. When they got home from the Ski Lodge, Haru carried Yuisu across the threshold and all the way into their bedroom. Then Yuisu pulled Haru back out to the front porch, picked her up, and did it again with the roles reversed.

Giggling, they tumbled onto the bed. They'd already changed out of their wedding dresses and let their hair down back at the lodge, but they still took great pleasure in undressing each other there on the mattress. After so many hours of being dressed up to look perfect for the guests and camera, showing their true selves to each other was a wonderful feeling.

"It's hard to believe it's real," Yuisu whispered into Haru's neck. They were naked except for their necklaces and they were snuggled up in a nest-like ring of blankets and pillows, warm and comfortable and isolated from the outside world.

"I know," Haru whispered back. "We're married. It's such a strange thought. Harpies don't get married!"

"Gay people don't get married!" Yuisu replied. "Especially not in Japan." She hugged Haru tighter for a moment, then said, "We made history today. Our photo's going to be on the Exchange Program website tomorrow, and probably on the news after that."

"Hmph, I hope they photoshop it first. We were both teary-eyed and sniffly."

"They will. I made Agent Will promise, and your mom made him promise her, too."

"Ah, that promise I can trust," Haru said.

"You really were beautiful today," Yuisu said with a kiss on Haru's collarbone. She was remembering the way Haru looked with her shoulders bare and her hair pulled back, showing off so much elegant skin.

"So were you." Haru ran a feather from Yuisu's hip to neck, firm enough to not tickle. "But you're even more beautiful like this."

"You always know just what to say, Haru."

"Just wait 'til you see what I plan to do."

The newlyweds didn't get much sleep that night. When they eventually took a break, they found a tray of juice and snacks waiting for them outside their door. There were advantages to having a houseful of understanding friends, people who had experienced similar things, had the same troubles, and shared the same hopes and dreams.

Thanks to the Exchange Program, Yuisu's once empty house had transformed into a thriving home and business. It had become a haven for atypical liminal women, outliers among outliers. The Mountain Lily Inn stood strong as a place of understanding and safety while they each ventured at their own pace into the human world.

It wasn't a perfect world, and it could be unwelcoming and sometimes unfair, but it was improving, little by little. Haru and Yuisu's union was proof: the world was always getting better.