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Suletta’s heart pounded in her chest, the thunderous palpitations forcing blood to the extremes of her body. Her senses were pushed to their limits as adrenaline screamed through her system, mind scrambling to find any way out of her current predicament. Taking inventory, the panicked redhead made an internal list of her assets.
Four (4) ridiculously elegant napkins, embroidered in some sort of filigree that Suletta was convinced may be actual gold.
Three (3) small plates, square and slightly indented.
One (1) hybrid between a dish and a bowl, which her partner had poured an inky black liquid into from a small bottle wrapped in some manner of wicker.
And finally two (2) thin prongs, traditionally crafted from wood but now fabricated from some metal/polymer blend that Nika could probably name but was far less important to Suletta than what the objects in question represented.
Hopelessness.
Suletta had been elated when Miorine had declared her intent to treat Earth House to a meal to celebrate their astonishing victory over House Grassley. When she announced that they would be dining at an exclusive restaurant attached to Asticassia that Suletta didn’t even know existed, a glimmering protuberance of smart glass and excess usually reserved for the elites of the school that was a far cry from the school’s cafeteria, Chuchu looked at her with a look of disbelief and disdain before walking off muttering “elites” alongside a collection of words Suletta didn’t recognize but was fairly certain weren’t polite. When the party arrived to discover that Miorine’s generosity evidently included a total reservation of the restaurant, Martin actually tipped over from shock.
And when Miorine approached Suletta looking uncharacteristically skittish, fingers tugging at the fabric of the elegant and unbelievably enticing dress she had donned for the occasion, asking if Suletta wanted to join her at a private table nestled against the curvature of the restaurant’s dome, Suletta almost pulled the alarm for a vac-breach because she was fairly certain her heart just shot through the roof.
But then it all went wrong. Well, not all wrong. Suletta was still in a plushy booth with a pale-haired girl staring at her with eyes she could fall into, as if Suletta was the only thing worth looking at in the world, and she had managed to survive well enough to this moment, watching and mimicking what Miorine did. But when Miorine had looked at Suletta with a mixture of pleasant surprise and pride when she spread one of the provided napkins over her lap (even though she’d only done it because Miorine had first,) she realized that disappointing her bride by showing just how uncultured she was might actually destroy the anxious redhead. She’d even studied on her notebook what all the different kinds of utensils were used for, from soups to salads to hors d'oeuvres after hearing Chuchu make exhausted comments about how the bourgeoisie had too many pieces of silverware that they didn’t need.
But then the menus had appeared (not on but IN the table, which apparently was a screen in and of itself?) and Suletta found herself paralyzed by a staggeringly encompassing menu filled with words and foods she didn’t recognize in languages she didn’t even know existed. Not wanting to lose face in front of her bride, she asked Miorine what her favorite item on the menu was, feeling quite proud of her recovery.
And then Miorine had started talking about the sushi, (apparently a favorite food of her mother,) and how the chefs apparently insisted on importing and using real fish, and Suletta realized the battle was already lost. Weakly encouraging Miorine to order for her, she quietly and decisively resigned herself to her fate. The robotic waiter came and went, first delivering an aromatic pot of tea and then a small basket of eda… ededam…… emdameme……… some fancy type of bean or pea that apparently Miorine had been trying and failing to cultivate. All while Suletta quietly died inside, dreading the inevitable moment of truth.
“-uletta? Suletta?” Realizing she’d been spacing out, Suletta clapped her hands against her cheeks, the impact leaving a pair of faint red imprints. Refocusing her gaze she saw that Miorine was looking right at her, her grey eyes wide with worry. Clapping her hands together, Suletta lowered her head in apology.
“I’m so sorry, Miorine!” Peering up from her flexure she saw that the concern on the girl’s face had only grown, those big sweet eyes starting to tremble.
“No, no, no, Suletta, please don’t apologize. I should have known this wasn’t a good idea, but-“ Her groom’s head shot up from it’s prostration, her own eyes wide.
“What wasn’t a good idea?” Suletta reached forward, clasping Miorine’s hands in her own and pulling them into the center of the table. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be distracted!” The white-haired girl’s eyes relaxed a little, a slight smile showing on her face.
“Were you overthinking something again, Suletta?” Her groom opened her mouth in protest, but thought better and nodded her head sheepishly. “You’re okay, Suletta. I’m not upset with you.” She sighed, looking towards a nonexistent horizon. “I felt useless in the duel and wanted to do… anything. Even with my name, all my father’s money and power, there wasn’t anything I could really do to protect a company I claim to lead. It might be the least I can do, but I wanted to show you- and Earth house- something new. A slice of the world people like me and my father stole from them. But I am sorry I’m monopolizing you.” Laughter sprouted from behind the pair, and Miorine glanced over at the Earthian-filled table to see Nika trying and failing to stop Chuchu from mixing… something into Ojelo’s drink, a maniacal grin plastered to her face. Looking back at Suletta, she assumed a cordial expression that even the redhead could tell was forced. “You can join them, if you’d like.”
Suletta shook her head fervently. “I’m exactly where I want to be, Miorine.” She clasped her partner’s hands tighter, praying that the physical contact conveyed her feelings. “Earth House is great, and I’m sure they’re so grateful to you for doing this. Even Chuchu.” She added, sheepish smile tugging on her face.
“So-“
“ So, ” Suletta cut her off before she could finish her interjection. “Even though I like Earth house, and it looks like they’re having a lot of fun-“ She paused, the “fun” Earth table was having apparently involving airborne potatoes- “but when you asked me if I would join you, I was happy. Really happy.” She blushed, but continued. “You’re really special to me, Miorine.”
“Thank you, Suletta, I-“ The pale-haired girl paused, having spotted a robot trailing towards them with a plate of food atop its domed head. She clasped her hands in front of her chest with an expression that anyone who knew the girl could only describe as gleeful. “I had almost forgotten! Took them long enough.” Suletta blanched- she had forgotten, her concern for her bride having briefly overwritten her own panic. “Oh, Suletta, I hope you like it.”
The redhead nodded meekly, eyes tracking over the spread of exquisitely presented rolls and cuts of fish. Across from her Miorine daintily grabbed a small amount of something green and began swirling it into the inky sauce she had previously poured, blending it until it became a uniform shade of olive. Suletta clumsily wrapped her fingers around the accursed implements, attempting to mimic her partner’s grip on her chopsticks. Why, she thought to herself, brain sprinting through the stages of grief, why was it that she could manipulate the controls of Aerial with such precision but couldn’t figure out a pair of sticks?
Miorine seemed to notice Suletta’s trepidation, her hands slowing to a halt. “You don’t need to add wasabi if you don’t want to, Suletta.” Smiling weakly in return, the fretting girl swallowed her trepidation.
Move forward, gain two, right? Picking a colorful cylinder as her target Suletta extended her own chopsticks, the tips trembling as they flanked the disk of rice. Exhaling in a futile attempt to calm her nerves, she squeezed them together.
As the beautiful roll exploded into its component parts, the thin slice of fish previously adorning it shooting upwards as if attempting to escape the station’s gravity, Suletta realized she may have squeezed a little too hard.
“Suletta…” A burning blush spreading across her face, the embarrassed pilot slowly looked up to lock eyes with Miorine. To her surprise she wasn’t met with disappointment or shame, but a look of gentle concern.
“Is this your first time using chopsticks?”
Suletta nodded, still blushing.
“Did you not tell me because you didn’t want to disappoint me?”
Suletta nodded again.
Miorine exhaled loudly, but the expression on her face was still gentle and affectionate. “Suletta, you know you don’t need to worry about that, right?” Suletta, still ashamed, had taken a chopstick in each hand and begun timidly tapping them together.
“You just… looked so proud of me when I was doing all the etiquette stuff. When I was like you.” Miorine poked her in the forehead with a single finger.
“I’m proud of you no matter what, Suletta. You know why?” She gently prodded the redhead again. “Because I know you’re doing your best. Whether you know what you’re doing or not.” She picked up a fragment of the forcefully disassembled roll, popping it into her mouth with a grin. “Mmmm. You really should try some.”
“Miorine, I-“ Suletta paused mid-sentence, inhaling slightly when she realized what the white-haired girl was doing.
Miorine had, delicately and smoothly, picked up a particularly fancy looking roll and extended her chopsticks towards Suletta’s face, intentions clear. “Well?”
“Ummmm…” A wicked glint shone in Miorine’s eyes as she moved her hand closer to the now madly blushing girl. “Can’t you just… teach me how to use the chopsticks… maybe…?”
The look on Miorine’s face could only be described as “hungry”, and Suletta suspected it wasn’t just sushi she wanted. “Oh, I can.”
“But…”
The hungry expression deepened. “I don’t particularly want to.”
Not seeing any other options, Suletta clenched her eyes shut and closed her mouth over the presented roll. As promised it was delicious, but her contemplation of the flavors was interrupted by the cooing and chorus of “awwww”s that resounded from around the pair. If Suletta thought her blush couldn’t get any deeper, she was wrong.
“I did think it had gotten a little quiet back there…” Miorine remarked, her attempt at a nonchalant facade betrayed by the red that now tinted her own face. What was quickly identified to be the entirety of Earth House emerged from behind various pieces of furniture in various states- a deeply embarrassed Nika had to have been dragged out by Chuchu, whose arm was around her shoulder. Most of them had grins or secondhand blushes on their faces, and Lilique appeared to be almost hyperventilating after watching the display.
“How… how long have you all been watching?” Suletta sputtered out, head darting in different directions.
“Long enough to know we should be real grateful to the heiress here.” Chuchu sang out with a gleeful expression on her face. “Nuno said there seemed to be a show going on, and boy was he right!” The pink-haired girl’s comment sent Miorine into a new bout of embarrassment, foiling any attempts to regain her composure. Squirming free from Chuchu’s clutches, Nika spoke up (at least as much as any of the soft-spoken mechanic’s words could be “up”.)
“We… actually came to ask if you wanted to join us… we didn’t want Miss Miorine to feel excluded, but-“
“But it seems you two were perfectly happy in your own little world.” Aliya interjected, her face characteristically serene. “We’d hate to interrupt. Isn’t that right, Chuchu?” The first-year pilot groaned but nevertheless allowed herself to be pulled away, Miorine briefly considering pelting her with one of the spread’s thin slices of ginger but thinking better of it. Nika bowed to the pair apologetically, a look of deep embarrassment marked on her face, before shaking Lilique out of her romantic stupor and retreating. Once again left alone, the pair stared at each other, faces blooming, before they both collapsed into laughter.
“I can’t believe they were watching us!” Miorine finally managed, struggling to catch her breath. “Honestly, do they have nothing better?”
Suletta looked at her bride with an abashed smile. “Well, Aliya said they originally came over to invite you…” Miorine’s face calmed a little, a look of faint relief evident through the amusement.
“I’ll need to thank them later. That… probably means more to me than they know. Speaking of meaning more to me than they know…” She gave a meaningful glance towards Suletta, initially met with puzzlement that rapidly shifted to bashfulness as she understood the girl’s words.
“Miorine!” The white-haired girl laughed in that melodic way that made Suletta’s heart melt, an almost blissful look on her face until a potato wedge ricocheted off her forehead, its arc having originated at the Earthian table.
“Oiiiiiiiiiii!” Chuchu called, juggling an additional starchy projectile from her seat. “If you two don’t start eating we’re going to start stealing food! That looked good!”
“You can order some of your own if you want!” Miorine retorted, choosing to see the humor in the situation rather than start an ill-fated food fight. “Well, Suletta, should we begin?”
Suletta smiled, timid but happy. “If you’ll have me… I don’t think my heart could survive more…” She blushed deeply, recalling Miorine’s hand-feeding. Her companion’s laugh jingled across the table again.
“Well, there’s always another option.” Suletta cocked her head to the side inquisitively.
“Oh?”
Miorine nodded. “We could always just eat with our hands.” Suletta’s mouth opened in surprise, but Miorine continued before her groom could speak. “Of course, that might get a little messy, so we probably should take the food back to our quarters to make sure we don’t get these fancy clothes dirty.” Catching her meaning, Suletta’s face took on a similar hue to her hair.
“MIORINE! We’re in public!” A carnivorous smile spread across the heiress’s face.
“Oh, I know. That’s why I suggested our quarters.”
Panicked noises escaped from the redhead, her hands flailing involuntarily. Touching her fingers to her neck and attempting to control her breathing, she looked towards her flirtatious companion with pleading eyes. “I think, for now… maybe the lessons?” Miorine looked back at her, charming smile still making Suletta feel all tingly.
“For now?” Suletta nodded, abashed.
“For now.”
Miorine’s face took on a less predatory shape, softening to the more nurturing one Suletta was familiar with- in company, at least. Sliding to the other end of the table, the graceful woman sidled up next to her groom until their shoulders were touching. “Well, the first thing is-“
“Um…” Suletta squirmed, flustered. “I didn’t realize the lessons would be so… physical.”
Miorine was unfazed. “They don’t have to be. Do you mind if they are?” Suletta shook her head imperceptibly. “Then the first thing to know is that you were a little too forceful before.” Her groom’s head dipped into her shoulders, embarrassed.
“I… might have figured that out. A little.”
Miorine gazed at her comfortingly. “It was your first time trying, Suletta, and you were nervous. I think we both know you can be gentle when you want to.” Suletta was beginning to suspect that blushing was just her natural state, a thought that was only reinforced when Miorine enveloped Suletta’s hands in her own, guiding them towards the discarded pair of chopsticks. “Now.” She almost whispered. “Follow what I do.”
Suletta shivered as Miorine’s breath danced along her neck, their entwined hands slowly moving towards a piece of sushi adorned with wrought tempura and drizzled in sauce. Centering it between the prongs of the chopsticks, Suletta’s breath caught in her throat as her bride’s lips seemed to feather against her ears.
“Careful now. Move them together until you feel the barest bit of resistance.” Suletta complied, stopping her pressure as soon as she felt the rice give underneath her ministrations. “Good…” She murmured, the simple affirmation sending a wave through Suletta’s body that came to rest in interesting areas.
“Miorine-“
“Shhhhh.” Miorine breathed, Suletta’s hair standing on end. “Lift it up gently, don’t focus on the pressure, just try to not let it slip.” Gingerly lifting her hands away from the trembling redhead, Miorine leaned back. “Now just lift it towards your mouth. Nice and smooth.” Barely breathing, Suletta navigated the gently trembling roll towards her mouth, encompassing it in a swift motion.
Miorine looked at her with such a tender pride that Suletta’s heart not only skipped a beat, but she momentarily worried it may not restart. “Tastes even better when you do it yourself, right?” Suletta nodded almost imperceptibly, swallowing.
“Miorine?” She squeezed out, breath catching in her throat. “I, um, think that I want to try that other plan.” Miorine popped a roll into her mouth that did nothing to satiate the hungry expression in her eyes.
“Oh? But that was an excellent use of the chopsticks, there.”
Suletta’s eyes were pleading as she looked at Miorine. “Could we… maybe… do it anyway?” Understanding briefly flashed through the heiress’s grey eyes, imperceptible to all but those who knew the girl best.
“Oh, I think I see what’s going on.” Her groom squirmed, mumbling something Miorine couldn’t understand. “What was that, Suletta?”
“I said,” The redhead squeaked out. “It’s all your fault, Miorine.”
“Is that so?” Miorine raised her hand, one of the serving robots swiveling and zooming towards them. Leaning close to Suletta until her lips were brushing against the trembling girl’s ears, her next words were for her groom alone.
“Then I guess I better take responsibility.”