[RFC] Being You is Deculture

[classicdrogn]

Given it usually takes about three years in between for new Macross projects to come to fruition, those dates don't sound so far off any more. Supposedly there's a Delta movie on the way, and a new series "this year" though that may well mean something like how Frontier and Delta released a preview episode in late December and started properly airing the following spring. That would see HG's timer running out right around whatever comes next after that, and with the way they've treated the property I really don't see them getting offered a renewal.

[robkelk]

... That would see HG's timer running out right around whatever comes next after that, and with the way they've treated the property I really don't see them getting offered a renewal.

Nor do I - that particular legal mess appears from here to have cost the Japanese firms quite a bit of money. If they have an out; I don't see them passing it up.

[Black Aeronaut]

Well, I guess that just means I can torrent it guilt free for a while longer.

No development tidbits at this time - been working my keister off doing UberEats. Trying to bring in at least $100/day so I can hurry up and get back into writing.

(Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and surprisingly enough, even Monday, seem to be the best days for this... but I have yet to manage to hit the other weekdays for both the lunch and dinner rush due to sleep cycle issues.)

[classicdrogn]

After bouncing it around for a while, I think using any dirty tricks at all on Kaifun would only reinforce his narrative of military members as worthless bullies, and it would have to be a situation where a fight was at least partly his idea in the first place as well. Or if he somehow agreed to accept a spar, since doing it as actual lessons is probably out of the question given the differences in his kung fu and Garrick's Juraian sword style let alone his attitude.

Alternately, does it have to be Garrick who administers an attitude adjustment? Directly, I mean. If more people are being added to the population of Macross City specifically in the name of preserving knowledge, it wouldn't be strange to have at least two or three martial arts masters included, and if one happened to be from a senior school of Kaifun's style he'd probably be more inclined to listen to that person than some military wardog. Garrick could still be involved in the scene on the premise of seeking to expand his swordsmanship by practicing against other skilled martial artists, or to brush up his unarmed combat in case a blade is unavailable or lopping off bits of the opponent is undesirable.

[Rajvik]

Honestly I think it would mean more if Minmei delivered the beating

[classicdrogn]

That would be awesome, but it would probably take a fair bit to push her to that point, and for all his faults Kaifun really is a good martial artist so it would be hard for her to get to a level where it's even possible. She might do yoga or tai chi for excercise and flexibility, but I doubt she seriously trains to fight given her career focus on music. There's only so many hours in a day to practice if nothing else, and she has a job (at first the restaurant, now idol stuff) and probably some kind of homeschool work as well.

[Norgarth]

Well, he might leave himself open at first simply because he can't imagine her attacking him. Depending on what she opens with (a knee to the crotch maybe) he'd be significantly handicapped to fend off the rest.

[robkelk]

Is it in character for Minmei to attack anyone?

[classicdrogn]

Anyone has their breaking point... but yeah, I agree that it would really take a lot to get Minmei to that point. Most of the appeal in the idea (to me at least) is Kaifun getting some wall to wall therapy with waif-fu, however unrealistic that image is even in the "reality" of (non-martial arts/supernatural) anime fanfiction.

[Black Aeronaut]

It's an interesting idea. But I think that in order to push Minmei to that sort of edge, Kaifun would have to do something truly monstrous, like have it come out that he'd actually been a commander of a covert anti-UN terrorist cell.

Which, honestly, I don't think it's taking Kaifun terribly far out of character to do. In the aftermath of the Rain of Death, he was incredibly sullen. And why so? He obviously had no real love for his family, save maybe for Minmei, but we all know how twisted those feelings are. Personally, I think it was because the very worst-case scenario - all other governments had been eliminated and all there was left was the command staff of the SDF-1, who were the very antithesis to Lyn Kaifun's world view.

But for now, I'm not going to put too much thought into it. Merely the idea that Minmei does something to humble the schmuck is enough food for thought for now.

I'd like to do more here, but recently I noticed that I've been forgetting to take my meds due to how busy I've been, trying to get out the door and get to work. And I've noticed the different. Clinical depression is a bitch because it's something you need to stay on top of.

I'll check back in here in a day or two once my meds have had a chance to start having their full effect.

[ckosacranoid]

I just got done reading this story and skipped a lot of the talked about other posts to get to the action. I do not know much background about your OC in this story. But its not bad and kinda seems a little bit over the top mary sue a bit for power. But since he ended up in the tenchi setup that does not say much even though he did end up becoming the center of the madness though. While it is not a bad story and fun to read, it does pretty much end up in the Marty Stu stuff though. BUt that is my take on the story.

[Black Aeronaut]

This is pretty much my not-so-mindless self indulgence story.

I won't even attempt to argue against the fact that my character has indeed slid into the main-character slot here, but I've been doing my part to make sure Hikaru, Roy, and everyone else aren't made to look like schmoes. Except Kakizaki, but that's kinda his lot in relation to everyone else, and one that he is actually happy with. (As I mentioned earlier, he probably wouldn't make for a great officer, he would be an outstanding senior noncom.)

But really, my biggest goal here, and one I believe that I've been succeeding in, is ensuring that everyone is in character, or that their character has been refined and developed in a manner that's a lot less SoD-breaking.

Minmei is a great example here. Teenage girl becomes an overnight celebrity success - a metaphorical Cinderella Story. Which *is* believable - there've been a lot of sudden absolute rocket-launch careers in the real world such as Carrie Underwood.

But what makes Minmei stand out is that it is heavily implied that she writes *all of her own music*. All of it. Every note, every word of it is all her. And that takes a lot more than just talent. That takes years of learning, even if it's not directly learned from an instructor. Which means Minmei wouldn't be the flat and all-but-lifeless character in the anime, but a person who stands out and distinguishes herself. She will be the type of girl that will flatly say, "Excuse me? Do I look like a Disney Princess here?"

And then there is Kamjin. He is indeed a glory hound. But to receive the distinction that he has, he needs to be a glory hound that isn't just blindly aiming for a cheap win. He challenges himself with clever opponents, sharpening his own skills in the process, and proclaiming his successes. And while he definitely hates to lose, he accepts that an opponent was better at the art of war than he, and then sets to learning how to beat this new opponent.

And that's what I try and do with everything I get into - I try to enrich the characters that get glossed over, and folks around here seem to really enjoy that.

[Black Aeronaut]

Folks, keep an eye on this space in the next week or so. I just got past this block and all I need is a few more bits and pieces, along with a quick editorial pass to make sure everything is lining up properly.

[Black Aeronaut]

Here's a bit of fun dialogue for later.  When Minmei's father hears that she is seriously considering marrying Garrick, he then demands to know just how well educated Garrick is.  And tells him flat out: double-doctorate with mechanical engineering and electrical engineering, and working on a third one in Overtechnology.

And Kaifun overhears this.

"You’re a Double-Doctorate?  And yet you’re a trained attack dog of the UN?  What a pitiful waste."

"That’s pretty rich coming from someone who got expelled from college because he felt that it was more important to protest against the UN than show up for his classes, let alone study."

"What!?  How did you know that?"

"I know a lot of things, Lynn Kaifun.  I may not be Office of Spacey Intelligence, but I am an officer who has been tasked with an important mission.  And a legitimate request for information on persons I would be interacting to that Office will yield a significant amount of information.

"Now, how about you let the adults here talk like a good boy or else your Uncle finding out why you had to leave Macross City will only be the -second- worst thing to happen to you today."

And indeed, the elder Mr. Lynn was giving Kaifun some absolutely furious looks.  He didn’t need to question me on the matter any further.  Kaifun had clearly implicated himself when he demanded my source of information.  That, and despite their differences in taste, Mr. Lynn knew his brother quite well.  There were only so many reasons Kaifun could be estranged from his parents for.  This serious of a lapse in his dedication to becoming educated would certainly rank in the top three.

I couldn't tell for sure if Kaifun wanted to take an honest shot at ripping my head off or running from his Uncle.  Either way, I had just completely defanged Kaifun.  Mission motherfucking accomplished, you whiny little Randian self-fellator.

heh-heh-heh....  The idea came to mind when I heard that in Robotech, Lynn Kyle did indeed get expelled for the above reasons.  And that just fits the character so well that I had to use it here.  It's a fucking beautiful way of completely invalidating Kaifun in the eyes of his Uncle, shifting some of the heat off of Garrick's self, and too good of an opportunity to misquote that famous line from a Team Fortress 2 short. 

Also, I'm rather pleased with myself for coming up with a way of cursing him so colorfully without resorting to derogatories for homosexuals and genderqueer.

Update is iminent.  Just need to do one more pass over on it.

[Black Aeronaut]

Okay, I feel that this is pretty rough as it is right now.  But like I've been told, it's never gonna get out there until you stop messing with it and get it out there.

This is where I depend very heavily on commentary.

Anyhow, brace yourselves, folks!  Because this is where Garrick pulls back the curtain to show Minmei what's really going on!

---

It had been so long since I had dreamed of trees.

I almost wanted to cry from the joy of seeing them again in my dreams.  I was a young man of eighteen, barely more than a boy.  And with me were all my ladies.

Including Minmei.

We were all young.  We were all headstrong and free.  We were living peacefully, building a home together with the knowledge of what was to come, for despite being young, three of them were noticeably with child already.  The soon-to-be-mothers glowed.  The others were happy for them.  I was proud.

And then Minmei leans up to my ear and whispers something.  I don’t know what it is, but it makes me whoop with joy.

The dream began to fade with me kissing her...

##

...and then I woke up to her lips on mine.

Not that I was complaining much, but that’s a heckuva way to wake up.

After she pulled away, she smiled down at me and said in a low and playful voice, “You were talking in your sleep.”

“Oh?” I replied with a sleepy smile.  “What was I saying?”

Minmei blushed and giggled.  “Not saying~!”

I snorted at that and turned to look at her bedside clock.  It was just a little after 0600 hours.

This was not early for either of us.  Me due to my life in the military, her due to her new occupation.

So for a moment we simply snuggled together, enjoying the warmth of the bed she shared with me, the soft sound of her breathing and the accompanying movement of her chest, and the gentle pulse of her heartbeat.

As my mind went back to that dream, though, my thoughts turned more and more sober.  I knew what I had to do, but part of me was still afraid of what she might do in response.

I pulled her closer, slipping an arm up the roomy sleeve of her pajama top so I can feel her bare back - a sort of compromise between what we wanted to do and what we were limiting ourselves to.  Minmei loved it.

Of course, she wore no bra to bed, so the only thing between her soft chest and me was the t-shirt I wore and her flannel top.

It was hard to keep myself from thinking about that.

“Minmei?”

“Hmm~?”

“You remember that I told you I had a secret that I wasn’t ready to tell you about yet?”

It was like throwing a switch.  The shift was a measured one, but quick nonetheless.  Her face morphed from mildly sensuous contentment to a heartfelt concern.

“Yes.  I remember that.  Garrick?  What is it?”

“Well, I’ll start by showing you.”  With a silent request to Katherine, the disguising hologram fell away from my left forearm to reveal the wooden vambrace with its red-amber jewel and my C-pod in a bezel mount.

Minmei blinked at the sight.

“Well, I was wondering why you’re left arm always seemed kinda off!  So is this it?  How were you hiding this?”

“I was using a hard-light hologram.  But this... it’s just the tip of the iceberg.  This is the rabbit hole, Minmei.  Are you ready to become Alice?  Are you ready to see Wonderland?”

Minmei closed her eyes and kissed me softly, but with a certain fervor that made it clear that she was prepared.

“yes” she whispered as our lips parted.  “i need you no matter what”

I stroked her head gently, then I slowly lifted us upright in her bed.  Minmei looked into my eyes pleadingly, desperate to know what my secret was.

I tapped the sequence into my C-pod, and my door appeared against the wall of her bedroom.

Minmei gazed at it in wonder, but otherwise did not move from her spot where she was still wrapped around me.

“what’s inside?” she whispered.

“my home away from home,” I whispered back.

“show me.  please,” she said in a voice that held both awe and desperate solicitation.  She made no move to remove herself from me, with her legs wrapped firmly around my torso.  So, I gathered her up and carried her to the door and opened it.

“It’s... nice?” she said as she took in the airy and contemporary looking space that was my home.  “I mean, this is pretty cool.  How did you make this place?”

“It wasn’t me.  It was my friend and mentor - a scientist who has no rival.  This is all just a complicated bit of space, all folded in on itself so it’s separate from the rest of reality.

“But this is still not the most amazing part,” I told her as I slowly carried her up the stairs.

Minmei stayed quiet as I turned the corner, walked past the large picture windows that overlooked my garage and workshop, and up to the door at the end of the hall.  I opened it and dim sunlight filtered in, mimicking an early morning sunrise.

“Minmei, I want you to meet my boon companion and partner for life... Katherine.  Katherine, this is the one you’ve been wanting to meet so much.  This is Minmei.”

Minmei was confused at first because, to her, there was no one there.  But then Katherine’s beams of rainbow light came down and her telepathic voice made itself heard.

“Hello Minmei!~  It’s so nice to finally meet you!~”

“She’s... she’s a tree?” said Minmei in surprise.

I smiled and nuzzled her head gently.  “I told you this was going to be Wonderland.  Did you not believe me?”

“I... I did but I wasn’t expecting something like this... something like... Katherine?”

Katherine giggled softly.  “Yes, that’s me!~  Come on over and sit down.  You can lean on me - I actually kinda like that sort of thing.  It feels nice~.”

Minmei blinked in confusion as I brought her over and set her down by Katherine’s trunk.  I sat with her, holding Minmei’s hand while Katherine slowly told Minmei my story.

Minmei followed along, only stopping us to ask a question or two now and then...  That is, until we got to Yuki.

“Wait a minute, she’s going to marry you!?”

I repressed the urge to sigh - this was something that I had been dreading.

“Please don’t take it the wrong way, Mei-chan.  Yuki is... she was a very troubled girl.  And I accidentally gained her undivided attention at a critical moment in her life.  When it all started I thought it would just be a passing crush.  You know how that is - a girl becomes infatuated with someone they find admirable, she gets a little heart broken when she realizes it won’t work, and eventually she moves on.”

This time, I did sigh.  “But that didn’t happen.  Sasami worked at setting her up with me - told her all my likes and dislikes, my habits... she especially told Yuki how to best win my affections.  She wanted Yuki to be in love with me, and for me to be in love with her.”

“But...  Why would she do that!?” cried out Minmei in shock.

I shrugged.  “Several reasons.  First and foremost, she loves me so much that it breaks her heart to see me alone.  And I was pretty down in the dumps after Minagi left.  Also, she’s been wanting a friend around her age - someone that she doesn’t need to be careful with accidentally revealing their secrets.  Someone that she can relax with and just be a girl around.  And lastly, because she really does like Yuki and wants her to be happy as well.”

“And the others are okay with this!?  Even though she’s only twelve!?”

I nodded.  “They start young in the Royal Families of Jurai.  Girls can be married off by the time they’re fifteen or sixteen years old, but betrothals and engagements can happen a lot earlier.”

“So you haven’t...”

It took me a half-second to figure out what she meant, but when I did, the very thought horrified me.

“Oh Tsunami’s sweet fruits!  No!”

Minmei sighed in relief.  “Oh thank God.  But... has she... asked?”

“By ‘ask’ you mean try to sneak into my bed at night so she can spend the night with me unattended?  Yeah, she went through that phase, but that ended pretty quickly after certain... incidents.”

“What happened?”

I shrugged helplessly.  “She saw Minagi and I having sex.”

“WHAT!?”

“Trust me, we had no idea she was there.  This was on Minagi’s ship and Yuki was supposed to be back on Earth.”

“Oh that must have been..." said Minmei, verbally flailing as she turned all kinds of interesting shades of red.  "I have no idea what I would have done if I saw the guy I was crushing on do something like that... That is just so NAUGHTY!”

I scoffed at that.  “At the very least she decided to tone things down a bit.  While she knew about the technicalities of sex, she never knew that it was... well, like that.”

“I guess that would be kinda scary looking if you don’t really know what it’s supposed to be like.”

I raised an eyebrow.  “And you do?”

“I have my vices,” said Minmei with mock-piety.  “And no, you may not see my secret collection.”

I rolled my eyes at that.  At least it explained why she knew exactly how to get my attention in that department with only a little trial and error.

“But still...  Garrick, you have an underage fiance!”  Suddenly she blinked, then asked, “What about Minagi?  You said Yuki saw you and her having sex?”

“She came back,” I said.  “She said she never wanted to be apart from me like that again.”

“Her too then!?” said Minmei incredulously.

I nodded solemnly.  “The moment Minagi arrived, Yuki immediately went to work on getting to know Minagi.  Sasami told her that polygyny is the norm on Jurai, and Yuki accepted it without batting an eyelash.”

“What do you expect of me!?” she cried out.  “I absolutely refuse to be like one of these girls in a birdcage drama!”

“You’re not some pet to me, Minmei.  None of you are.  If you were to marry me, you would carry my name with you, and that will mean that you bear a share of the power that name will carry.  You will have authority, but you’re also going to have to share that authority with others.”

“Authority!?” said Minmei in surprise.

“Yes.  I am a Prince, remember?  That’s not some symbolic thing.  The Emperor will assign tasks to me - tasks that will require me to delegate tasks to everyone else.  Of course, that means that there’s going to be some very real authority to go with the titles.”

“What on Earth would I be doing though!?”

I shrugged.  “Whatever you want?”

Minmei cocked an eyebrow at me.  “Excuse me?”

“Well, they’re not tyrants over there, but they do expect people to pull their own weight.  They don’t mind how its done so long as its nothing illegal.”

“But what about this whole... plural wives!?  Why?  I mean, I get the whole gender imbalance thing, but why should that apply to you!?”

I sighed again.  “Minmei, part of it is that while they do require political marriages, they’re also not so heartless as to deny someone love.”

“Do you love Minagi?”

“Very much so.”

“And Yuki?”

“Emphatically so.”

“Why do you love her?  She’s just a little girl - yes, I know, I’m one to talk and all.  But even so, she’s only twelve, Garrick.  WHY?”

“She got her foot in the door with my pity for her.  You know how I hate seeing you upset.  Imagine how I felt seeing her pour her heart out to me.

“From there, she did to me the same thing you did.  She pressed on, striving to prove herself, doing her best to make me see that she loved me.  It’s not just some infatuation, she honestly does love me.  While it was cute a lot of the times, there were other times that sent a loud and clear message that she had every intention of spending the rest of her life with me.

“That is so hard for me to resist, Minmei.  Devotion - not the blind fanaticism, but true and heartfelt devotion hits me so hard.  I automatically have this urge to love and protect someone that gives me that kind of devotion.  Yuki wanted me to be happy.  For me, being happy meant never being alone again.  And she made a point to be at my side every second she could get away with.  She hardly ever went home, and when she did it was only because she absolutely had to.

“And I hate to admit it, Minmei, but it was hard to resist the temptation of letting her spend the night with me.  I was still in a lot of pain back then.  Being with my newfound family helped, but I wanted someone to be in my bed with me.  When Minagi was there... her being there brought me peace.  Sure, I spent a lot of nights restless before I finally got used to it - it wasn’t that I was uncomfortable.  It was that Minagi being there distracted me from sleep.  I simply enjoyed her presence - the soft feeling of her body against mine, her warmth, the beat of her heart and the soft sounds of her breathing...

“When she left to mourn her father’s passing it was hard for me.  And then Yuki came along and made her intentions clear to me...  I really wanted to take her up on that - just to have her there and for us to hold each other close all through the night.  But instead I had to put my foot down. Every other night I would wind up carrying her off my bed and into my sisters’ room.  I hated leaving her behind each time.

“What was worse was that I knew that if I had let her spend the night with me, then no one would have really cared.  So long as Yuki was happy, they’d know that I was treating her well.  But I just couldn’t do it.  Not when it could get me into trouble so easily.  All it’d take would be for the wrong person to hear the wrong thing and then it would have been all over for me.  There was just no way I was going to chance that, because I was already in love with her.

“I just didn’t want to admit it at the time.

“The final straw was her stowing away on Minagi’s ship.  That was a sign for me - she had shown how far she would go to be with me.  I no longer had any choice in the matter and I was forced to take responsibility for her.  And in doing that, I had to finally admit that I really did love her - not only to Yuki, but to everyone else as well.

“After that, there were some other revelations, too.  We learned that Yuki practically lived alone.  Even though she had her family, they hardly ever spent time with her.  She would wake in the mornings to an empty home, and then come home from school to an empty home.  She would make her own dinners, bathe by herself, and then go to sleep without anyone to say goodnight to her.  She lived all by herself, and it damn near killed her soul.”

“Alright then.  I get it,” said Minmei hotly.  “I understand why you love Yuki.  Besides, it’s pretty obvious from the way you’ve gone on about her - you’re head over heels for her!  But I’m still having trouble understanding why you need to marry both of them!  How many women does your father expect you to marry?”

“There are two others,” I said heavily.

“TWO MORE!?”  Minmei suddenly shot up from her spot and started pacing around frantically.  “I.... I don’t know what to say!  I love you Garrick, but to be with you I have to not only be willing to leave everything here behind, but also eventually share you with four other women!?”

She was about to lose it completely and that was the last thing I wanted, so I said the only thing that I thought and hoped could possibly defuse her.

“They want you to be their sister!” I said, nearly shouting.

Minmei stopped dead in her tracks and gave me a shocked look.

“What?”

“All of them.  They’ve been hoping, some of them even praying, that you would say yes.  They not only want to see you, but they want you as part of our family.”

Minmei blinked as she tried to process that.  “But... they hardly even know me.”

“I’ve been sending messages back home.  They’ve heard your songs and seen your interviews.  They may not know you personally yet, but they want to.”

“Messages?” she asked.

“Yes.  Like email.  In fact, they recently sent some that were just for you.”

Minmei looked as though her whole world had suddenly turned sideways as he almost fell over, taking a step backwards.

“No way...” she breathed.

I tapped the eBook app icon on my C-Pod and pulled up the recent set of letters, letting the hard-light hologram resolve in my hands.

“Please.  Believe me.  Read it.  They are trying to get their feelings to reach you.”

Minmei reached out tentatively and slowly took the portfolio from my hand and opened it up...

---

Dear Minmei,


It’s Washu-chan!  The Multiverse’s Greatest (Mad) Genius!

You’ve got a lot of fan mail over here as the recordings you made for Garrick have been huge hits.  Everyone can tell (myself included!) how much you love him from the way you sing for him.

And that’s what really counts for everyone.  As long as you love him so much that you will do whatever it takes to make him happy, then the others are more than happy to make you part of the family and help you be happy as well.  Nobody wants to see anyone crying over a broken heart.

Oh, I guess I should mention: in addition to being one of the two resident Super Geniuses, I’ll be that family’s specialized medicine practitioner.  And Yume, our other resident super genius and Gar-kun’s fiancee number three, will be your general family practitioner. (Not that there’s much that she can’t handle, but we’re hedging our bets.)  The house that you’re marrying into is pretty self-sufficient - Gar-kun already has a number of retainers waiting for him to return home and I can assure you that they all excel in their chosen professions.  There’s even a couple of musicians mixed in, too.

Now, just so you know, I will not stand for any fiance of Gar-kun’s to have a sub-standard education just because she suddenly achieved fame and fortune.  I want you to send me copies of your homework so I can get an idea of where you’re at.  Then, I’ll send over an couple of tests.  Don’t worry - these are just aptitude and placement examinations.  Just answer the questions that you can - there’s no worries here.  I’m just trying to get a better idea of what you know, what you don’t know, and where your strengths and weaknesses lay.

There will also be a questionnaire about how you would feel about or react to certain situations.  This will be for me to better ascertain your personality as well as your likes and dislikes.  This way, if you wish, you may pursue further education in a field we not only know will be ideally suited for you, but will be very likely be something you would enjoy doing.

I know this may seem like much, but I don’t worry.  I may be in the pursuit of the secrets of the Multiverse, but I am also an educator by inclination and profession.  And I want my students to be happy.  If for no other reason than that a happy mind is one that learns more effectively than one that is preoccupied by worries and stress.

I look forward to having you as a student, Minmei.  To be the sort of musician you are now, as Gar-kun would say, you have to be a lot more than a pretty face with a good set of pipes.  You have a wonderful mind inside that head of yours, Minmei, and I want to see its full potential to be fulfilled.


Sincerely,

Washu-chan

--

Dear Minmei,


I am Achika Masaki-Jyurai, third daughter of Crown Prince Yosho Masaki-Jyurai.

I am going to start with the hard parts and write to you as a soldier and the future First Wife of House Grimm, first and foremost.

By decree of the Emperor, Garrick is to first wed a woman of one of the four Royal Families of Jyurai.  This is to ensure that in Garrick’s household that the motivations and goals of the Empire are supported and upheld.

Additionally, in the family there must be a clear chain of command.  Garrick, of course, is at the very top of that chain.  The only person that would rank higher would be the Emperor himself.  However, many of the decisions regarding household affairs will be left to me, as Garrick will have many other responsibilities that will draw his attention away from home.

As I implied, as his First Wife I am his First Officer, a person that he places absolute faith and trust in to keep things running per his directives when he isn’t around.  From there, the chain progresses with each woman he marries in order.

At this time, that order is not known as of yet.  The only position known for certain is mine, and that is an absolute necessity.

Though for all we know, Garrick may break with tradition and make everyone else an equal rank - like a ship with its captain, first officer, and then the officers in charge of different parts of the ship.  However, there would still be a vestigial hierarchy, only so that should someone be incapacitated it is know who would take their place.

So, now that that’s out of the way, brace yourself for the one-eighty.

I’m sorry that I had to do that to you, but I had to make sure that we were clear on a few essential details.  I admit, I can be a bit of a hard-ass sometimes, but unfortunately that’s something that comes with the territory.  Hanging around military types, you oughta know this by now.

On to more pleasant topics.

I’m not gonna BS it here.  We all love your music, and I’m no exception.  Hell, just about everyone here has become your fan, to one extent or another.

It’s made me very curious about meeting this little young lady who so suddenly set her sights on our Gar-kun.

Ohhhh don’t you dare try to hide it!~  We’ve all heard about how you’ve come after our Gar-kun.  You may not have known what you were getting yourself into, but regardless you saw Gar-kun for what he is, and you went for him with everything you had.

Relax.  I’m not chastising you.

In fact, I like you!

The fact that you went after Gar-kun the way you did shows us all that even if you’re not a soldier-type like me, you’ll definitely fight for the things that you want the most in your heart of hearts.

And that matters big time to me.

Minmei, I want you to know that whatever it is you want or need, I’m gonna be behind you on it all the way.  It’s what sisters do... at least if you’re still up for that.

I don’t blame you for being a bit scared.  But I think that this is a suitable test of your character; are you going to let the full magnitude of what you’re getting into intimidate you?  Or are you going to dive headlong into the challenge and reap rewards beyond your imagination?

Food for thought, huh?

Be brave, little sister.


Sincerely,

Achika Masaki-Jurai

--

Dear Minmei,


I’m Minagi, and... I have no idea of what to say!

Well, I guess I should start with the basics, first.  I know you’ve probably heard a lot about me from Garrick, but I should probably tell you a few things he wouldn’t mention because it’s not for him to tell about it.

As you may know already, my father was a Juraian noble who wanted to make the greatest sword in the Universe, one that would stand with no equal.  But in that quest, he was not successful.

But what he did do was to pass that on to Garrick.  And then, months later, my father passed on.

I took time away from everyone so I cold properly mourn my father.  And more importantly, to relearn what sort of person I am.   I felt that this was something I could not do while being influenced by the others - especially Garrick.  At the time, I knew he meant well; he never tried to force anything on me.  But in his eyes I could see it - the hope that I would stay with him, be his best friend and the mother of his children.

I couldn’t blame him for it, and I told him as such when I called him on it.  That poor, sweet man.  He felt absolutely ashamed for that.  Is it any wonder I love him so much?  That he would care that much for my free agency that even that much was enough to make him contrite?

But even so, I left him behind.

I regretted that choice so much.  Even though memories of my father occupied my mind a great deal, it still kept turning back to Earth, back to the Masaki estate with all my friends.  And most importantly, Garrick.  His bright and imposing character, his warmth and love, and the...  well, I probably shouldn’t tell you those kinds of things yet.  Besides, it’ll be more fun for you to find out on your own!~

Anyhow, the point is that I came to realize that more than anything else, when I was feeling at my worst, I wished that Garrick was there.  And that was when I knew for certain that I love him more than anything else in the universe.  And only because I knew without a doubt that he would always welcome me with open arms and an open heart.

I know this might sound a bit daunting, having to share him with someone like me.  But I want you to know that my love for him is not selfish.  In fact, I want more people to experience what his love is like.

And it sounds like you’ve been getting a fair share of that lately.~

Anyhow, I hope we get to meet, Minmei.  You sound like such a nice and wonderful person, and I really love your music, too!

And just so you know, yes, I too would love to have you as a sister.


Sincerely,

Minagi

--

To Minmei,


I am Yume, and I have a request of you.

Please, be part of our family.

I do not know if Garrick has told you yet, but singers such as yourself are an important touchstone of my people’s faith.  Through such persons, my people have sung their prayers to our gods.

We call them Prayer-Singers, and he hold them as equally important as our Shamans and our Alphas.

Minmei, you do not have to do this, but I would feel blessed if you not only joined our family, but also learned the ways of my people so that my family may have its own Prayer Singer.

And even more so, I would feel more secure in knowing that the ways of my people are passed on to my pups.

I wish I could show you my home, Minmei.  Though it is dangerous, it is a beautiful world with wonders all its own.  I only wish that my people would see fit to leave for at least a short time and see what the Universe has to offer.  But instead, I will have to settle for bringing my family to my home.

Please.  Come to us.  Be with us.  Let us call you sister.


Sincerely,

Yume

--

Dear Minmei,


My name is Yuki Masaki-Jyurai.  My family name used to be Mihara, and on Earth it still legally is.

Let me explain real quick.  While we were on an adventure, a Royal Tree named Bizen became bonded to me.  And if you aren’t part of one of the Royal Families already, then you get adopted into one.

Since Queen Funaho was already going to adopt Gar-kun, she decided to adopt me as well.  That way I have the protection of being part of a Royal Family until I’m old enough to be married to Gar-kun.

Minmei, I want you to know that I’m not jealous or anything.  I did fight hard for Gar-kun’s love - though I’m sure he was already in love with me pretty early on - I am not concerned about sharing him.

In fact, the way I feel about it, the more sisters I have, the more love I can give and receive.

...also, I have a confession I need to make.

Minmei, I’m kinda crushing on you.

I’m sorry!  I know it’s a bit strange!  But the truth is that I’m actually homosexual... well, mostly.

Gar-kun is special.  Any other man I feel absolutely nothing for.

But I see Gar-kun’s smile, or I feel his strong arms around me, or even just those hands of his with their firm but gentle touch...  Oh Minmei!  It just makes me feel like my insides are swirling around and my head feels like it’s going to float away!

Washu-chan tells me it’s mostly my hormones.  Stupid puberty.  But I’m pretty sure that it’s always going to be like this for me with Gar-kun.

Like I said, don’t worry about me being jealous.  I have all my sisters to be with me, and my best friend, Sasami... well... let’s just say that Sasami and I are very close.

If you are not interested in girls, that’s okay.  I am happy enough with another sister.  I have Sasami and I have Minagi, too.  But what’s most important to me is that there always be someone around that can give me a hug.

I don’t ever want to be alone again!


Sincerely,

Yuki Masaki-Jurai

--

Dearest Minmei,


This is your (hopefully) future Grandmother, Seto Kamiki-Jurai.  In time, I want to be the first to formally welcome you into our family.

Despite what others say about me (I am quite proud of my title of ‘The Devil Princess of Jurai’) I hold the interests of my family in very high esteem.

And make no mistake about it, my child.  Gar-kun is very much family to us.  He came into our lives, a broken husk of a man, who’s only real desire was to be loved and wanted by someone.  The kindness we gave him was returned with generous interest, and he stole all of our hearts, earning his right to call us his family.

The degree to which he loved was enough to even warm the heart of my Son-in-law, the currently sitting Emperor.  Though he expresses himself towards Gar-kun as a proud parent, it is easy to see that he has grown very fond of him, and I look forward to seeing the relationship these two build together as father and son.

Minmei, I want you to know that I am looking forward to seeing you for the first time.  You are such a beautiful young lady, not only in your appearance, but in your heart and in your actions.  I readily acknowledge that I do tend to put people through their paces - quite rigorously.  But for you, you will only have my love and adoration.

I’ll let Washu-chan handle your trials by fire~.

Please, dear Minmei: continue to be good to my grandson.  This journey has been taking its toll on his heart, and he needs someone with him besides his dear Katherine.  He needs someone to remind him that all will be well, and that he is never going to be alone again.

No person is ever meant to be alone, and this is especially true of Gar-kun.  Keep him well, my child, and you will forever have my gratitude.

Washu-chan informs me that she’s making good progress on her transmat project, so with any luck I will be seeing you soon, Minmei.


Sincerely,

Grandmother Seto

--

To Lynn Minmei of Earth:


I am Emperor Azusa I of the Living Wood Throne of the Empire of Jyurai.  I am writing due to your interest in my son, Garrick Grimm-Jyurai, Lord of Planet Abason.

Do not worry for the formal wording of this letter, dear child.  It is not my intention to intimidate you, for my dearly beloved daughters are already smitten with you, and I myself have taken a liking to your music.

However, I will caution you, dear child.  If you do take up my son in the bonds of matrimony you will automatically become an enemy to certain factions here that are opposed to my own house, and ergo that of Lord Grimm’s.  You may be subject to political intrigues of my court, or even outright physical attack.  I assure you, the former is quite rare, but it does happen upon occasion that our enemies feel they may capitalize on such dastardly misconduct.  I only wish that we could ever find the evidence we would need to convict the masterminds.

For this reason, you will need training to avoid these pitfalls.  That training will be under the hands of my beloved First Wife, Queen Funaho Masaki-Jyurai.  She has the esteem of being the head of our political intelligence and espionage agency and will educate you well.  Additionally, at the earliest possible convenience, you will receive lessons in our own self-defensive style from my beloved Second Wife, Queen Misaki Masaki-Jyurai, who has the esteem of being the head of my Royal Bodyguards.

I know this may seem frightening, dear child, but I have a suspicion that you’re not one to shy away from something like this.

I look forward to seeing you.  I told Garrick to make me proud to call him my son, and he has not failed me in that respect.  And I believe that you will not fail me either when I ask of you this: Make me proud to call you My Daughter.


Sincerely,

Emperor Asuza Masaki-Jyurai I

--

HELLOOOO~!  MISAKI-CHAN HERE~!


Oh you are so PRETTY~!  And you have such a beautiful voice, too!  OH, I can’t even WAIT to MEET YOU!  I can already tell that you are going to be such a wonderful person to have around!  And can I make a little confession?  I just KNOW that you’re going to give our Gar-kun such gorgeous children!  Oh it has been simply TOO LONG since I’ve heard the pitter-patter of little feet in our palace!

Now, I already know that my darling husband has warned you that I would be teaching you how to defend yourself in the unlikely chance that you need to.  But I don’t want you to be worried about that process.  Unlike dear little Yuki-chan, you’re only going to be receiving the self-defense styles.  These are nowhere as arduous as the more advanced lethal and disarming techniques.  I don’t intend to be rough on someone as sweet and loving as yourself... but I will be firm with you.

To be quite frank, my dear, there are some very dangerous individuals out there, and it would break my heart if something horrible happened because I didn’t teach you well enough.  I only do what I must because I so dearly love my family!

And remember, at the end of a hard day, Auntie Misaki will always give you a great big hug to remind you that you are loved~.

I look forward to meeting you, Minmei.  Be strong, for yourself, for us, and for our Gar-kun.


Love,

Misaki~

--

Dear Minmei,


I am Funaho Masaki-Jyurai, your prospective mother-in-law, but it is my most fervent hope that you will simply think of me as your Mother.

I will readily admit: I laughed a little when my darling son wrote about how you were driving him spare with your antics.  While he does like his girls to be youthful, he is painfully aware of how that sort of thing looks.  The poor boy, having to grow up in such a restrained society.  Had he been born to me or my dear sister, his engagement to you and dear little Yuki-chan would have been a celebrated occasion, no matter your respective ages.

Although we would have likely waited until Yuki-chan was at least fifteen before allowing her to actually marry.

However, you are of perfectly marriageable age by our standards.  I only regret that we cannot fulfill your desire right away.  Alas, politics is a monster that will not so easily be swayed by a young woman’s passion and heart.  Achika must be the first to be wed to our Garrick, though you already know this.

Personally, I would permit it if the situation did allow it.  For I myself was in your own shoes, and at your own age, too!  It was only because of the selfless love and devotion of my dearly beloved sister, Misaki, that I had the honor of being my husband’s First Wife.

Oh, the stories I can tell!  Those were such heady days leading up to my husband’s ascension to the Throne.  But that will have to wait for another time.  I’ll save them as object lessons for later.

Of course, that brings us to your future education under my direction.  Misaki has undoubtedly told you that she does not intend to make you suffer.  And I, for my part, intend the same.

Dear Minmei, it is my most heartfelt desire that you feel like a welcome member of our family.  You have no idea the comfort it would bring me to know that Garrick will have someone with him to help assuage his heartaches as he bears through this hardship.  For that alone you will have earned your place here among the Royal Houses of Jyurai.

Be safe, Dear Minmei, and keep reminding our Garrick that he is loved and cherished.


Love,

Funaho Masaki-Jyurai

---

Minmei sat and read through them all in disbelief.  I felt apprehensive of what might come next.

Finally, she closed the portfolio and set it down.

“This is real, isn’t it?” she asked, her eyes wide in shock.

“They wouldn’t say such things lightly,” I told her gently.

“But... I don’t get it.  I’m an outsider.  An interloper.  I would selfishly have you all to myself until this... transmat thing can work... And they’re okay with it?  They want me to keep you company?”

I sighed as I laid down next to Katherine, the simulated sun gleaming through the narrow gaps in her canopy.

“I’ve left friends behind, Minmei.  Good friends.  Wonderful friends.  Friends that can and would literally move the sun and moon for me.  In fact, it almost felt like we were becoming family.  But then... then the day came.  It was time for me to go, and I had to say goodbye to them all.

“Do you have any idea what it’s like?  To have something like that, and then be forced to turn away from it and have no prospects of ever being able to go back to see them again?

“It hurts.  Sweet mother of trees, it hurts.  Just saying goodbye was heartbreaking for me!”  I took a deep, shuddering breath as I fought the tears back down, because if I didn’t I wouldn’t be able to say what needed to be said.

“I know I’m asking a lot of you.  I’m asking you to voluntarily do as I have done, and to jump into something that is unlike anything in your wildest dreams and nightmares.

“But the important thing to me is that you have that choice.  I won’t ever hate you for it, Minmei.  You have the right to say no to this.  To keep living in this Universe and find new love for yourself.

“I would rather die than force you.”

Minmei came over and sat down next to me, looking down into my eyes.  And in her own eyes was a deep and troubled pensiveness.  For a long time she just stared into me like that.

“I don’t know what to say, Garrick,” she said quietly.  “This is just so much...”

“I know it is.  And I don’t expect an immediate answer.  I want you to take your time - deliberate and consider this choice in great depth.  Because once you’ve made that choice and I’m gone... there’s not going to be any second chances.  And that goes for both choices.  You won’t be able to come back here, or with the other choice, you won’t be able to come after me.”

“I might just surprise you,” she said, just as quietly as before.

Despite the heavy air, I couldn’t help but crack a small smile at that.

“I can’t imagine how.”

There was a short moment where we were giving each other small wry grins.

“All joking aside, though,” said Minmei her face sobering once more, “...This is a lot.  I mean I get it.  I really do.  And really, your other brides sound like very wonderful people.  Especially Yuki.  Honestly, she sounds incredible.  But like you said, I’d have to leave everything here behind forever... You said it broke your heart before... What do you think it will do to me.”

It wasn’t a question.  She knew that I knew what the answer was.

I sighed and looked back up into Katherine’s canopy, and then the music came to mind.  Unable to resist, I sang...

On the corner of main street
Just tryin' to keep it in line
You say you wanna move on and
You say I'm falling behind

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

Minmei gave me a mildly surprised look, then smiled as she began to recall the lyrics and softly sang with me.

I never really gave up on
Breakin' out of this two-star town
I got the green light
I got a little fight
I'm gonna turn this thing around

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The next verse makes me choke half the time, especially the bit about the trapeze.  My own past-life experiences simply made it all too painfully easy to imagine: the level of desperation for a young man to try and pull off such a make-or-break stunt.  The very essence of flying on one wing and a prayer.

And of course, the preceding lines that mourned for a time lost, when a man’s word actually meant something, that spoke of a yearning for something better, and a love that must always be furtive in nature to evade ridicule.

It’s a phenomenal combo-chain attack at my feels.  This time, I did choke, but Minmei never missed a beat, even as she looked at me in surprise, and then heartfelt sympathy as she immediately realized what that verse meant to me.

The good old days, the honest man;
The restless heart, the Promised Land
A subtle kiss that no one sees;
A broken wrist and a big trapeze

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you go,
can you read my mind?

Minmei’s hand found mine and gripped it tightly as I found my voice again and carried on with the song.

It’s funny how you just break down
Waitin' on some sign
I pull up to the front of your driveway
With magic soakin' my spine

Can you read my mind?
Can you read my mind?

The teenage queen, the loaded gun;
The drop dead dream, the Chosen One
A southern drawl, a world unseen;
A city wall and a trampoline

My eyes teared up as this had summoned up thoughts of how rejection and heartbreak can be so murderous, of hopes and dreams unrealized, how people judge on appearances, and again the desperate struggle to get out by any means possible.

It was impossible for me to keep my voice from wavering as I looked hard into Minmei’s eyes through those tears.  And I knew that she was hearing me loud and clear, that I meant every word of the refrain.

Oh well I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine
Before you jump
Tell me what you find
When you read my mind

Slippin’ in my faith until I fall
You never returned that call
Woman, open the door, don't let it sting
I wanna breathe that fire again

I finally choked again, and Minmei slowly put her forehead to mine as she continued singing.  It was almost perfect that she would sing these lines alone.

She said I don't mind, if you don't mind
'Cause I don't shine if you don't shine

Put your back on me
Put your back on me
Put your back on me

I got my voice back just in time, though, for the final lines.

The stars are blazing like rebel diamonds cut out of the sun
When you read my mind

Finally, she closed the distance and we kissed their in Katherine’s shade.  Afterwards, she laid down next to me, looking upwards as well.  It was a companionable silence - all that needed to be said had been said.

“I love you, Garrick,” said Minmei at last.  “Nothing is ever going to change that.  And that is what’s going to make this choice so hard for me.”

##

During the second day, I set to work making a door hidden in her closet to my C-Space, along with a bracelet that gave her unlimited access.  It gave us a way to spend nights together whenever we wanted, but I suspected that those may be few and far between with what lay before Minmei.

Of course, this meant I had to set up a discreet sensor that would detect when someone was knocking on Minmei’s bedroom door, and a peep-hole setup similar to my own door.  This way she would have a chance to get back to her room.

And then I went and did the same in my quarters back in the barracks.  It was gonna be fun the first time I let Hikaru or Roy in through the door of my quarters in the barracks and they suddenly find themselves inside my C-space instead.

Afterwards, we met with Mr. Truent at our favorite coffee shop, who had important news for the both of us.

“You two are gonna love this!” said the dapper man in tweeds with his typical excitable energy.  “I pitched the film serial idea and the ate it all up!”

“Really!?” cried out Minmei.  “So we’re really gonna do it?”

“You can bet the farm on it, Miss Minmei.  Of course, filming will have to center around Mr. Grimm’s limited free time, but I have already gotten in touch with his chain of command.  Given that this will drastically improve the citizen’s moral and can serve as good Publicity for the Spacey, they’ve agreed to work out an arrangement for this film serial.  Besides, it should not demand an undue amount of time.  Part of the thing is that these should be quick and easy to produce.”

I nodded.  “Not unlike how they banged out entire episodes of Jim Henson’s The Muppet Show in mere days.  Those guys were freakin’ machines.”

“Hah!  Now there’s a classic!  What was your favorite episode?”

“Oh you’re making me choose!?  It’s really hard to say.  The one with Alice Cooper was a riot.  And the episode with Raquel Welch?  I bet those old film reels they took back to the editing room were so radioactive that they’re STILL glowing today!  And of course, who could forget the one with Mark Hamill?  And oh sweet mother of GOD who could forget the Vincent Price episode!”

From there, Mr. Truent and I began to regale Minmei with stories about our favorite moments from the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppetational show on the planet.

It will probably not surprise the reader at all to know that Minmei quickly extracted a promise from me to marathon the series with her someday.

##

It is a foregone conclusion that all good things come to an end, and it showed when we were all together with Minmei’s family for dinner - myself, Minmei, Hikaru, Roy, Claudia, Misa, Max and Hayao.  A sort of final hurrah before we put our noses back to the grindstone.

And every one of them could pick up that something was going on between myself and Minmei.

Honestly, it wasn’t hard to notice.  Where before we had been lovey-dovey like young newlyweds, now we were quiet and subdued.

In the end, it was Minmei’s Aunt Lynn who broke the silence on the matter, as it was her right to do so, being the matriarch of this house.

“Gar-kun, is everything okay?”

“Hmm?” I replied, not quite picking up on what was up right away.

“Between you and Minmei.  Is everything okay?  You two aren’t acting like your usual selves.”

I looked around and everyone was giving me and Minmei significantly curious looks.

Roy in particular seemed to suspect exactly what was up, and the look on his face spoke volumes about who I should go blabbing about my real story.

“It’s both simple and complicated at the same time,” I said.  “I mentioned before that a family in Okayama took me in and practically adopted me, right?  Well...  I wasn’t kidding around about that.  It’s a private matter for them, but at some point in time I’m expected to return to Japan and fulfill certain obligations.  Ones that, if Minmei and I were married, would separate her from you and everyone else in her family.  In fact, because of the sensitive nature of this matter, Minmei wouldn’t even be able to pursue her career during that time.”

“Garrick, these people aren’t involved in anything... questionable, are they?” asked Uncle Lynn, point blank.

“No, nothing like that,” I said.  “They’re just a very old family.  I honestly cannot say what they do because they wish to remain in seclusion.  All that I can say is that they are very faithful servants of the government.”

Among Minmei’s family, serious looks were exchanged.  Uncle Lynn then spoke again.

“How is it that you gained the trust of such a family?”

“They have a young daughter that they dote on.  And for good reason - she’s an absolute angel.  Even though I was feeling depressed, I couldn’t help being sweet on her.  And in turn, she took a liking to me and demanded that she be allowed to call me her big brother.  It took them a bit to come around on that, but despite their reclusive nature, they aren’t blind to what’s in front of them.  They saw that I was a man of honor and integrity.  I pulled my own weight, did things that needed doing, made money and contributed to the household fund.  And I’ve made promises to them that I absolutely must keep.”

More looks now, this time with acknowledging nods.  This time, it was Auntie Lynn who spoke, this time directly to Minmei.

“Mei-chan, dear?”

“Yes Auntie?”

“You know that we love you very much, and that we only want you to be happy.  It was why we took you in and let you enjoy freedoms that your parents never let you have.

“But I want you to know that if you will be happier staying by Gar-kun’s side, then we will still support you if you marry him - even if it means that one day we may not get to see you again.”

“It’s alright, Auntie,” said Minmei with a wan smile.  “Garrick and I are working this out.  He’s being very good about this.  He’s told me that it’s my right to turn away from him.”  Minmei turned to me and smiled a bit more.  “It makes me love him all the more.”  She then sighed and went on, “Which is what really makes this choice so hard for me.”

“Garrick,” said Uncle, calling my attention to him.  “I would like to thank you for being so considerate of my niece.  There are far too many men out there that would be bitter about such a state.”

I gave him a wan smile of my own.  “It’s okay, Uncle Lynn.  After all, how much would I really love her if I tried to keep her to myself like that?  She is her own person, so she has this right.”

##

The next day it was back to business as usual, planning out CAPs, working with our flight crews to ensure our birds were in tip-top shape, and a bit of training in the simulators to get our heads back in the game.

It was what came at the end of the day that mattered.

The commanding officers all sat together once again in my C-Space, with extra seating called up for the others that were in on this.  Full coffee cups were distributed and I permitted Captain Gloval to use his pipe properly, as he used only the finest pipe tobacco he could get his hands on.  Besides, the C-Space’s environmental controls handled it very effectively, subtly shifting air currents so the smoke was drawn up and away.

“Very well then, let’s all get down to business.”

“Pardon me,” said Roy all the sudden, “but does anyone else here feel like they’re suddenly in a shadow-cabal?  Because I feel like we’re suddenly a shadow-cabal.”

Decorum be damned, Claudia grabbed a handy throw pillow and shoved it in Roy’s face.

“He raises a cogent point, though,” said Maistrof.  “Loath as I am to admit this, perhaps it is a good idea to involve the Mayor, as the decisions we make here would have drastic affects on the civilian population.”

Captain Gloval nodded.  “Indeed.  We’ll table that for the moment.  Right now, we’re merely making plans for the future with Mr. Grimm’s input.  As well as the rest of you - do not be shy here.  If you have any ideas, then by all means share them.

“Now, let’s begin with what is happening with our enemies.  Mr. Grimm, what can you tell us?”

“Yes sir.  What I know is that right now we’re dealing with two groups who are of two different minds.  Kamjin’s squadron and Azonia’s.  Now, Kamjin has it out for me, and by extension everyone else here.  He’s a glory hound and a grandstander, but he can back it up with solid tactical acumen and a willingness to act in unexpected ways.

“Azonia, on the other hand...  She’s a consummate soldier.  For that reason, she’s in command of the fleet - not Kamjin.  And right now, her orders are to blockade us, but not destroy us.”

Everyone’s jaws dropped at that.

Captain Duke was the first to recover.  “Are you serious, son?”

“Yes sir.  As I recall, when the Macross made the move to break through the blockade, Kamjin attempted an end-run on us, but Azonia literally put her ships between us and them.”

“This...” said Gloval slowly, “this is fortuitous.”

“Excuse me, sir?” said Max.  “What if things have changed?”

“How so?” asked Captain Gloval.

“Well, I got captured.  Lieutenant Grimm said this originally not the case.  And also, he never said anything about Budolza getting his hand chopped off.”  Max then looked to me apologetically.  “No offense, sir.”

“None taken, Mr. Jenius.”  I then looked to the Captains.  “He has a point, sirs.  The butterfly effect is in force.  The best thing I can think of is to attempt to parlay with Azonia.”

“Well, it couldn’t hurt to try,” mused Maistroff.

“Might as well, then,” said Duke.

“Agreed,” said Gloval.  “Now, then.  What of these spies that the good Commander Breethai has sent us?”

“Sir, they’re utterly harmless,” said Misa.  “They’re meant to verify Mr. Grimm’s claims.  If I may be so bold to suggest it, sir?  I say we give it to them.”

“The same as before?”

Misa nodded.  “Only more so.  We teach them what it’s like... what it means to be human.”

I blinked.  “Madame Lieutenant, are you suggesting that we set them up with some lady friends?”

Misa smirked.  “Among other things, Mr. Grimm.  Might you have any suggestions?”

I grinned back.  “I think your subordinates on the First Watch will do nicely.”

Claudia barked a laugh.  “They were making eyes at those three during the party, weren’t they?”

“Saints and heavens preserve us,” moaned Maistroff.  “We’ve been reduced to playing at matchmaking!”

---

And there you have it.  Minmei has affirmed her love for Garrick, but at the same time is intimidated by what awaits her should she go with Garrick, and that's saying nothing of the fact that she would have to leave everything behind.

Also, I hope everyone appreciates the choice in music here.  Read My Mind by The Killers is probably one of the most romantic songs I've heard, along with the likes of Africa by Toto and Ordinary World by Duran Duran.  If you want to hear it, there is an immensely entertaining official music video on Youtube.  How entertaining?  Epic-level goofing off in and around Tokyo, featuring its various natives.

Next update might be a bit as I've more or less run out of buffer, but I feel like I've gotten past the hardest part here.  Really, I need to know how well you guys think I nailed Minmei's reaction, along with whatever sticks out the most for you, whether it's good or bad.

[classicdrogn]

It’s Washu-chan!  The Multiverse’s Greatest (Mad) Genius!
(...)
I know this may seem like much, but

Usually I'd expect "like a lot" and probably "like a lot of effort for someone I haven't even met" or something along those lines here, though I don't think what you have is technically wrong.

I am Achika Masaki-Jyurai, third daughter of Crown Prince Yosho Masaki-Jyurai.
(...)
It’s made me very curious about meeting this little young lady who so suddenly set her sights on our Gar-kun.

You probably only need one or the other of "little" and "young," though again not technically wrong.

I’m Minagi, and... I have no idea of what to say!
(...)
I took time away from everyone so I cold properly mourn my father.  And more

could

I am Yume, and I have a request of you.
(...)
I only wish that my people would see fit to leave for at least a short time and see what the Universe has to offer.  But instead, I will have to settle for bringing my family to my home.

It occurs to me that Minmei's music is (quite canonically) well suited to reaching out to other species and getting them interested in the culture and happenings of the wider universe. Just sayin'.

I am Emperor Azusa I of the Living Wood Throne of the Empire of Jyurai.  I
(...)
opposed to my own house, and ergo that of Lord Grimm’s.  You may be subject to political intrigues of my court, or even outright physical attack.  I assure you, the former is quite rare, but it does happen upon occasion that our enemies feel they may

Preeetty sure you mean "the latter" here. Intrigue in the court of Jyurai is about as rare as trees among the landscaping

I am Funaho Masaki-Jyurai, your prospective mother-in-law, but it is my most
(...)
Oh, the stories I can tell!  Those were such heady days leading up to my husband’s ascension to the Throne.  But that will have to wait for another time.  I’ll save them

Have we actually been told the story of Azusa's marriages and ascension to the throne? It's mentioned a few times in fics and the small bits of canon I've seen, but while it sounds like it would make for a pretty nifty prequel series I don't know if it's ever been explored in detail.

Finally, she closed the distance and we kissed their in Katherine’s shade. 

there

It gave us a way to spend nights together whenever we wanted, but I suspected that those may be few and far between with what lay before Minmei.

suggest adding "for a while" in there, and/or "at least until she made the decision."

“You two are gonna love this!” said the dapper man in tweeds with his typical excitable energy.  “I pitched the film serial idea and the ate it all up!”

they

chain of command.  Given that this will drastically improve the citizen’s moral

morale

I gave him a wan smile of my own.  “It’s okay, Uncle Lynn.  After all, how much would I really love her if I tried to keep her to myself like that?  She is her own person, so she has this right.”

As they say, "If you love somebody, set them free. (o/~ Free free, Set them free o/~ ) If they don't come back to you, their heart wasn't yours in the first place."

  Full coffee cups were distributed and I permitted Captain Gloval to use his pipe properly, as he used only the finest pipe tobacco he could get his hands on. 

I suggest "he smoked only" here, to remove the repetition.

“Saints and heavens preserve us,” moaned Maistroff.  “We’ve been reduced to playing at matchmaking!”

Isn't Maistroff the intel guy? He of all of them should be used to the idea of a honey-trap, even it's basically the reverse of the usual situation here. If anyone, I'd expect Misa to be raising objections here, at least as a first reaction of an officer protecting her subordinates. Then she remembers the bit about the Bunnies making bunny-eyes at their spy trio, and realizes that it wouldn't take any more of a push than a typical "being a good freind and breaking the ice" situation to give it a fair shot. I would expect her to give the group a very stern eye while insisting that they're not going to get any kind of official word to that effect, though, and that there's not going to be even a hint of recrimination if the scheme doesn't take off.

Really, I need to know how well you guys think I nailed Minmei's reaction

Overall, it looks pretty good to me - she's gotten a big shock here, and it's clearly had an effect, but she's just as clearly working through it like the terrifyingly sharp little blade she's consistently been depicted as here rather than getting in a tizzy, and that's the important bit. She should probably be a little clingy with the Kyles while thinking about it, as her closest family present, since the prospect of leaving that behind is the most immediate effect of the new revelation. However big the idea of being part of a royal dynasty with real temporal power and the requirement of multiple other sister-wives may be as a concept, it's still just an abstract at this point, letters or no.

[Bob Schroeck]

Thanks for putting this up, BA.  I know I've been waiting eagerly, but oh!  The lack of a decision from Minmei is an agonizing cliffhanger.  

On the technical side, I noticed only a few things:

> I was wondering why you’re left arm
your

> We call them Prayer-Singers, and he hold them as equally important
we hold them

Also, the first time you use "prayer-singer", it's hyphenated.  The second time it isn't.  Which is the usage you want?

> a broken husk of a man, who’s only real desire
whose

> You may be subject to political intrigues of my court, or even outright physical attack.  I assure you, the former is quite rare
Did you mean to suggest that the intrigue is less common than physical attack?  If not, then you mean "latter" rather than "former".

[robkelk]

What they said. Oh, and somewhere in there, I believe you misspelled "polygamy" (as "polygymy").

[Mamorien]

What they said. Oh, and somewhere in there, I believe you misspelled "polygamy" (as "polygymy").

I think he actually spelled "polygyny" (the specific form of polygamy that involves one husband having multiple wives and/or concubines) correctly, but that's just an educated guess.

[Inquisitive Raven]

What they said. Oh, and somewhere in there, I believe you misspelled "polygamy" (as "polygymy").

I think he actually spelled "polygyny" (the specific form of polygamy that involves one husband having multiple wives and/or concubines) correctly, but that's just an educated guess.

Yeah, that's what it looked like to me.

[Black Aeronaut]

Thanks for all the technical fixes, everyone. They're all in the fix-list now.

I am Funaho Masaki-Jyurai, your prospective mother-in-law, but it is my most
(...)
Oh, the stories I can tell!  Those were such heady days leading up to my husband’s ascension to the Throne.  But that will have to wait for another time.  I’ll save them

Have we actually been told the story of Azusa's marriages and ascension to the throne? It's mentioned a few times in fics and the small bits of canon I've seen, but while it sounds like it would make for a pretty nifty prequel series I don't know if it's ever been explored in detail.

That tale is yet to be told, I think.  There's some details revealed in the Shin Tenchi Muyo light novels, but they're kinda scant as they're told mostly in flashback mode.  (I wasn't sure.  The translated version I saw wasn't very well localized.)

I gave him a wan smile of my own.  “It’s okay, Uncle Lynn.  After all, how much would I really love her if I tried to keep her to myself like that?  She is her own person, so she has this right.”

As they say, "If you love somebody, set them free. (o/~ Free free, Set them free o/~ ) If they don't come back to you, their heart wasn't yours in the first place."

Hey, Garrick figures that if it worked with Minagi, then maybe lightning will strike twice.  Besides, the portents look good to him so far, but Minmei could still go either way with this.

“Saints and heavens preserve us,” moaned Maistroff.  “We’ve been reduced to playing at matchmaking!”

Isn't Maistroff the intel guy? He of all of them should be used to the idea of a honey-trap, even it's basically the reverse of the usual situation here. If anyone, I'd expect Misa to be raising objections here, at least as a first reaction of an officer protecting her subordinates. Then she remembers the bit about the Bunnies making bunny-eyes at their spy trio, and realizes that it wouldn't take any more of a push than a typical "being a good freind and breaking the ice" situation to give it a fair shot. I would expect her to give the group a very stern eye while insisting that they're not going to get any kind of official word to that effect, though, and that there's not going to be even a hint of recrimination if the scheme doesn't take off.

Oh no.  Maistroff is the commander of the destroid battalions.  He is very much the Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart of the bunch - the no nonsense five rounds rapid approach.  Not to say he won't use more underhanded tactics, but you know how that goes.

As for Misa...  I'll see about tweaking the scene a bit.

Really, I need to know how well you guys think I nailed Minmei's reaction

Overall, it looks pretty good to me - she's gotten a big shock here, and it's clearly had an effect, but she's just as clearly working through it like the terrifyingly sharp little blade she's consistently been depicted as here rather than getting in a tizzy, and that's the important bit. She should probably be a little clingy with the Kyles while thinking about it, as her closest family present, since the prospect of leaving that behind is the most immediate effect of the new revelation. However big the idea of being part of a royal dynasty with real temporal power and the requirement of multiple other sister-wives may be as a concept, it's still just an abstract at this point, letters or no.

Pretty much what I was thinking.  And like I said before, the really big schism is going to be where he tells Minmei what sort of person Kaifun has become.  Which won't help the whole clinginess thing.

Though it's going to be fucking hilarious once he makes his intentions to marry Minmei public while on the Macross - the public backlash is going to be something else!  And people who were up in arms about Garrick being nearly old enough to be her father, they're gonna be caught between "Marry the girl to the old man" and "Marry the girl to her own cousin".

While it is technically legal in Japan, it's not exactly encouraged, either.  Though in some families they'll mercilessly tease a pair of cousins over how well they get along by asking them when the wedding is going to be or the father of the girl will jokingly say that the boy has the father's blessing.  But I don't think that will be happening here, especially after Garrick outs Kaifun's delinquency to Minmei's father.

But it would explain so clearly where Kaifun got the idea in the first place.

Thanks for putting this up, BA.  I know I've been waiting eagerly, but oh!  The lack of a decision from Minmei is an agonizing cliffhanger.  

I'm glad you enjoyed that, Bob.  And I'm glad that the cliff hanger, such as it is, is doing its job.  It can be pretty hard, sometimes, to pull this off in character-driven fiction.  But to me, this is so much better than resorting to character-breaking tropes like The Idiot Ball.  (God, I hate it when someone uses the Idiot Ball.  Having Ninja kick down the door is one thing - that can be legitimate as long as the motivations are there - but the Idiot Ball is such a cheap cop out.)

What they said. Oh, and somewhere in there, I believe you misspelled "polygamy" (as "polygymy").

I think he actually spelled "polygyny" (the specific form of polygamy that involves one husband having multiple wives and/or concubines) correctly, but that's just an educated guess.

Yeah, that's what it looked like to me.

Bingo.  I guess you don't see this usage very often because the spelling is so similar to 'Polygamy', which doesn't make the distinction - only that a person is married to multiple persons.

So, in the next few chapters we're not exactly gonnabe taking it easy - there's a lot that goes down. In fact, I'm surprised that no one noticed that the SDF-1 hasn't touched down on Earth yet - in canon, that happened almost the day after Our Heroes came back from their imprisonment. Here, they were just waiting a moment until Garrick finished his extended liberty because they now knew he had essential information for them. And Gloval was not about to risk the ship and the lives of the civilians when information like that was on the table.

And from there a lot of things are going to be happening at a rapid pace: Garrick and Minmei's visit to her parents, Gloval and Misa's concurrent visit to Anchorage... One thing that's already been butterflied is where Hikaru gets injured in a slightly botched Daedalus Maneuver, mainly because Hikaru doesn't come down on her quite as hard. (This because he remember's Garrick admonishing him for being too hard on her when she's already beating herself up for her shortcomings.)

Roy, on the other hand... Garrick is gonna make good on his promise to drag him back to the ship in Batroid mode. Roy will live, but his flying days are probably gonna be over. He'll hate being behind a desk, but he'll take a lot of comfort from Hikaru being placed in command of Skull Squadron, with Garrick there to help him along.

Though once it's clear Hikaru's got this, Garrick is going to be given his own squadron, but that comes a bit later - probably after Max and Mirya get married.

We'll then have our whirlwind tour of the world while the world itself has hit the "DO NOT PUSH UNLESS YOU REALLY FUCKING MEAN IT!!!" Button - replacing the leadership of the the military forces and scrambling to get shelters built by any means possible. And they'll also have their run-in with the Zentreadi, which will be FUN because this being over Canadian air-space, they're gonna also respond with their SV-52's.

And the point of the tour this time around, instead of Gloval trying to show the world that they are indeed alive and kicking, will be to pick up various supplies, repair crews, reinforcements, and also...

"Why are you sending us all these civilians!?"

"They're family of everyone on the SDF-1 - civilian and otherwise! They're all aware of the situation as well as the fact that, to be quite honest, they're probably safer with you than here on Earth. Besides, there's also this. These orders are for your eyes only, Commodore. Do not open them until you're in your office."

Gloval is in for a nasty surprise when he sees those orders: The Mayflower Contingency.

[SilverFang01]

Gloval is in for a nasty surprise when he sees those orders: The Mayflower Contingency.

Fleeing from the Zentraedi destruction of their planet, the SDF-1 leads leads a ragtag fugitive fleet on a lonely quest: a shining planet known as Kobol.

*Cue Battlestar Galactica (1978) Theme

[ECSNorway]

That tale is yet to be told, I think. There's some details revealed in the Shin Tenchi Muyo light novels, but they're kinda scant as they're told mostly in flashback mode. (I wasn't sure. The translated version I saw wasn't very well localized.)

The official English version of the first of these has in fact just been released.
The other two are coming in their time.

[robkelk]

...
We'll then have our whirlwind tour of the world while the world itself has hit the "DO NOT PUSH UNLESS YOU REALLY FUCKING MEAN IT!!!" Button - replacing the leadership of the the military forces and scrambling to get shelters built by any means possible.  And they'll also have their run-in with the Zentreadi, which will be FUN because this being over Canadian air-space, they're gonna also respond with their SV-52's.
...

Since it's come up... IIRC, it's fanon that the city under the Macross was Toronto. The show only says they were over the Ontario region. (Now, I can understand wanting to destroy Toronto, because it's Toronto, but the geography doesn't match. There's a conspicuous absence of any of the Great Lakes near the city shown on-screen -- which also lets out Hamilton, Windsor, and Kingston.)

If I had to guess, I'd guess that the doomed city was North Bay. (I suppose it could be London, but there's a boreal forest full of trees shown in the episode and not very many trees in southern Ontario.) Goodbye, Dionne Quintuplets Museum...

[Norgarth]

There's also a mountain/ridge line the Zent ship uses as cover for it's approach and there's nothing like that near Toronto.