"Is that a new dress?," Jack asked to the very confused Kasumi, changing topics from living arrangements completely out of the blue. Kasumi wasn't even wearing— "Damn, Kaz, you have no idea what kinda shit you started… next thing you know, she'll be flashing her panties every time she takes cover."

Following the biotic's eyes brought a little clarity to the question, but introduced a whole new level of amazement. Shepard was walking toward them, and not only was she wearing a new dress—and evidently walking with a rather graceful sway in heels—but it was a very pretty, flowing, empire-waisted, knee-length summer dress in a vibrant purple and finished off with a white belt. And a fu— and a purse.

"Damn," Kasumi agreed solemnly.

"Oh shut up, you two," Shepard muttered when she got to them, brushing her hair behind her ear. "Does it look OK?"

"You look good, Shep," Kasumi said earnestly. She did, too, and even Jack acknowledged it with a little nod just as Kasumi peered over Shepard's shoulder when she spotted the asari approaching. "Not as good as Liara, though," she added with a grin.

"Jesus fuck, I must have been a goddamn saint in my previous life," Shepard said in an awed hush as she turned to watch Liara make her way down the corridor. "I've no idea what I've done right to deserve this."

Kasumi couldn't fault the woman… the tall, beautiful asari was quite the sight walking toward them in a long, flowing, traditional dress of her people—that is to say, an extremely sensual one—of a white silken cloth with a gold stripe reaching from the low-cut neckline all the way to the floor. The doc was essentially born to look good in gold, Kasumi reflected when Liara stopped hesitantly a few meters away, barely acknowledging anyone but Shepard with her smile.

"Well go on, you idiot," Jack said, shoving Shepard toward Liara more or less gently. "We'll be in there."

Kasumi gave the biotic a little smile, receiving a roll of the eyes and a shake of the head in return as she grabbed Kasumi's shoulder and pulled her into the suite Shepard had arranged—probably via Aria—with a grumble about the Normandy just not feeling right for this. Kasumi followed in, all too pleased to give the happy couple a few moments before they began… whatever this confirmation ceremony was. She still wasn't quite clear on that point.

The room they entered was quite impressive, with an enormous window overlooking most of Omega occupying the opposing wall. The decor was luxurious yet surprisingly understated, avoiding the tacky ostentatiousness Kasumi had frankly expected of an… well, anyone living here. Standing out from the normal furnishings a few pretty rugs had been spread out in the middle of the floor along with two thin cushions and an enormous pile of pillows forming a semi-circle around one of them. One of the cushions was smaller, only big enough for sitting, while the other one you could comfortably sleep on. They looked a little like prayer or meditation rugs, and whether they were from somewhere in the apartment or if Samara had brought them with her, Kasumi didn't know. Two comfortable-looking chairs sat next to eachother a few meters away from the cushions, immediately drawing Jack to slouch on one with her arms hanging off one side and legs off the other. They'd have to have words about wearing shoes inside, too…

The Justicar was standing quietly on the smaller cushion, back turned at the entrance and watching a projection of what looked like any government office anywhere—though the insignia of the Asari Republics clearly denoted the particular government in question and if the window was in fact a window, Kasumi was almost certain that the particular hue of the sky marked the location as Thessia itself. Just as she was about to dare to intrude on Samara to ask about the reason for the remote view, an asari in a formal dress strode into view and looked around what Kasumi assumed was her own projection until locating the Justicar.

"I must say that this is highly unorthodox," the asari said, evidently continuing a previous discussion while Kasumi and Jack looked on quietly. Samara stayed silent, just watching the bureaucrat with her hands clasped behind her back. "…But we will of course accept your testimony, Justicar," the asari official added into the silence with a deferential traditional bow.

"Good. We will be ready whenever you are," Samara said with a small, approving upward curve of the corner of her mouth as she looked back at the arriving Shepard and Liara.

"It will be just a moment and one of the Registrars will be free to join us," the bureaucrat said to the Justicar's back. "I will record their identifications in the meanwhile."

Samara nodded without turning back, gesturing the pair to seat themselves on the cushion in front of her. As the two sat, both leaning on an arm and eachother on one side and legs folded on the other, she herself kneeled down and in a surprisingly maternal manner laid her hands on the sides of their necks. "You may begin now, and please…" she said as she looked first at Liara and then Shepard. "…If you like, you may stay seated, but I recommend whatever position you found comfortable when forming the bond. Go on, we are all adults here," she continued, carefully ignoring Kasumi's hard-won struggle against a titter.

Kasumi couldn't help but smile along as Liara and Shepard turned to eachother in synchrony. The woman nodded almost imperceptibly, eyes focused on nothing but Liara. Despite the flush of purple on her cheeks, the asari said something inaudible and leaned in for a kiss. Shepard wrapped her free arm around the asari's waist and slowly lowered both of them onto the cushion. Almost unconsciously the two bodies twined tightly together, legs around eachother's and heads resting on Shepard's arm as Liara's wrapped around the woman, the kiss unbroken even through quiet murmur.

The intimacy seemed to make even Jack a bit hot under the collar when Kasumi stole a quick glance at her but, just as she turned her eyes back, Liara and Shepard fell completely silent and unmoving as they had lain. The Justicar rolled herself into a cross-legged sit, and leaned forward enough to touch her hands on Liara's ankle. Her eyes flashed through a bright bluish white into dark obsidian and then she, too, became completely still. Almost a minute Kasumi and Jack just stared at them in silence, something about the perfection capturing their attention indivisibly.

"You may speak, you know" a voice said unexpectedly, breaking the spell. As Kasumi looked up, she noticed a second, much older asari in the projection. A matriarch, definitely. "They are not… here, if you will. You cannot disturb them," she added, giving the two humans a small bow at the same time.

Kasumi realized she'd even been breathing quietly as though in some infinitely echoing church, but still only managed a nod.

"What the fuck is this?" Jack asked quietly, the swearing probably more out of habit than for actual emphasis.

The two asari shared a glance before the new arrival—who must have been one of the Registrars mentioned—turned her eyes back at Kasumi and Jack, directing her words at the both of them. "I am unsure how familiar you are with the concept of the Meld… but in short, an asari may join her consciousness with another willing person."

Jack merely raised an eyebrow, but Kasumi found herself edging a little forward on her seat. She'd certainly heard a lot about it, though how much was true, she didn't know.

"The Bond is a… much deeper union. A pair may choose to form the Bond, to become bondmates. This may be at any time, and happens just between the two of them," the Registrar continued, "but many choose to register their relationship officially as well. Because the Bond grants many privileges, it is always verified at registration."

"That's where you come in?" Kasumi guessed, still hushed despite her best effort to stop. "How-"

"Correct. Like I said, a Bond is a much, much deeper relationship," the asari said with a small smile. "While Melding and Joining in particular is often referred to as becoming one, it isn't quite that. It can feel like it, but isn't. A Bond is. So, while normally an asari may only Meld with one person…"

"…She can Meld with two when they two are Bonded, because they're actually one person," Kasumi said, quietly now because of the profoundness of the thought. To think of truly being one…

"Precisely," the Registrar said with a broader smile. "And the ability for me to do so proves the Bond, and it can be registered. That is usually where I and my colleagues come in, with the bondmates visiting one of the Registration offices. You have discovered the single exception to that requirement… a Justicar's word is unimpeachable and as such we can accept their testimony of the Bond. This happens very rarely, Justicars being how they are. It's… quite an honor."

"How long does it take?" Jack asked, breaking her contemplative silence. To Kasumi's surprise, it sounded like she was asking out of curiosity rather than boredom.

"It can take a few hours," the Registrar replied. "It's not easy, Melding into a Bond. The older and more experienced the Matriarch Registrar, the quicker it is. For someone like the Justicar, it probably won't be long. I meant what I said, however," she continued. "Nothing reasonable you do will disturb them, so feel free to walk, talk, eat. We usually do not have… witnesses, I think the word was, that's a human custom. But I assure you it is not in any way disrespectful."

With that the Registrar muted the channel for a moment with an apology, and started discussing something with the other asari, leaving Kasumi and Jack staring at eachother.

"Well, I'm going to see if I can find some food, I'm fucking starving," the biotic opined after a moment, and jumped off to disappear somewhere in the bowels of the apartment.

Kasumi sat in place for a moment before gingerly getting up and padding over to the three still forms. She didn't dare go too close, but watched them for a moment, only deep, even breaths breaking the perfect silence. She smiled a faraway smile before getting up and walking over to the window. She stared over the city unseen, lost in her thoughts of the past… the grief, the regret, and even the cruel tendrils of jealousy. Alone with her hot tears until Jack nudged her in the elbow and pushed a glass of wine in her hand. The two stood there for an untold time, staring over the city, their silence melding with that of the others.

She didn't know how long she'd stood there slowly working her way back toward happiness with the biotic at her side, when she heard a small sound from behind them. She set her long-empty glass on the windowsill and gave Jack an appreciative smile as she turned back to the center of the room to find Samara pushing herself off the floor, and Liara and Shepard moving slowly, opening their blinking eyes to gaze into eachother's.

The Justicar simply nodded at the two asari in the projection as Kasumi and Jack walked up to her.

"Liara T'Soni and Eevy Shepard," the Registrar said with a smile at the couple still in eachother's arms on the cushion, their lips still touching, "on this day of January 30th 2186, your Bond is recognized by the Asari Republics and thereby the Council and all of the species in this galaxy. The Goddess has smiled."

A/N: Another little present for you. Obviously continues from the 7th, but the focus of that one was slightly different so these belonged in two separate chapters.

There'll likely be a third part to this—or more precisely, a retelling of this part from the perspective of one of the bondmates—but it may be on the Unity side, not sure yet. Next Coherence is something different. Also, there might be a –cough– fourth part eventually too…