. o 0 Chapter Ten 0 o .
Responsibility.
A word that the young learn to fear and the old grow to resent.
Sergeant Major Kururu would sometimes wish he didn't have any obligations to be responsible for anything whatsoever. Although he knew with his rank and expertise there was no possible way of skipping on what needed to be done when it was due time, that didn't mean he liked any of it.
Sure he was fast and nimble in ways others grow to envy, and whatever needed to be built would not be an issue since he could whip it up in seconds, he just did not care about doing something for others unless there was some sort of merit he could get out of it.
It was far more aggravating in the past, though. Back when he was younger and needed to be taught the ropes and the tricks of the trade, he needed to pay constant and close attention to what was being described, what he was asked to create and how to have it done in the shortest time and with the best quality possible, and as such with certain things it was difficult to have leeway in doing what he wanted when he was under a tight schedule.
All work and no play made him a very cranky child; maturity notwithstanding.
Kururu did not like carrying the weight applied from high expectations of others; he loved making machines because he loved tinkering and it was his passion and greatest asset, yet others kept trying to make him step out of his pleasure zone and shape him the way they wanted, the way that served them best regardless of how he felt regarding the whole thing.
They were trying to box him and his imagination, curbing his affinity to explore, restricting his right to dream under tight rules and regulations that made no sense to him other than protecting their statue and rank, and exploiting his skills and abilities they best they could.
He had no intention of being anyone's tool, no matter who they were or how powerful they thought themselves to be.
If he did not do as they asked to because he wanted to, then he'd soon rather off himself!
That's when he decided he didn't give a damn to orders from those who outranked him and let things boil over. It was only after years of struggling with his superiors that dumb luck served him well. Sure getting demoted so long ago had given him some trouble, stamping his record with a dark mark that haunted him for a fair while afterwards, but still he kept going because that setback gave him something to look forward to.
Besides, a little smear was nothing to him and did not affect him at all; no skin off his back.
What was a fighter without a few scars? The dirty spots and ageless wounds of body and spirit were proof he had to fight for what he believed in, for what he wanted, and whether or not others agreed with him or not did not matter.
On the long run it was a much needed change, and he grew to appreciate it every morning.
The strenuous pressure of paperwork and the slew of mundane and brain-numbing projects that needed to be done had been cut short, perhaps a bit too short to the point that he found himself with more free time than he knew what to do with.
For a bit of a busybody, Kururu was a little uncomfortable with that, it was difficult to adjust to so suddenly. At first he enjoyed the free time and did whatever he wanted as much as he could, but of course all good things come to an end and he soon found that having nothing to do and no company to badger quite the bother.
So he requested to join a platoon. Not just any platoon, he requested a strong platoon worthy of his talent and skill and not some greenhorn rookies who had no clue what they were doing. He asked not to be the leader, either; he wanted nothing to do with the responsibility of catering for a bunch of nimrods.
Of course being the mean-spirited and mischievous imp, the Sergeant Major was not quite the social person and did not fit in with varies selection of platoons on the first go.
It was after a few assembly attempts that his superiors began to question his comparability to join a group without starting a fight amongst the members, and be cooperative enough not to make things worse for those involved, or for the council who were trying to gain his approval. Kururu knew they considered him a prize and if push came to shove he could get them under his thumb with a bit of persuasion… but again, it was too much work and he couldn't be arsed to bother.
For a while, Kururu was content with mischief making, willing to bid his time and wait for the right selection of invaders who would accept him for who he was rather than try to shape him into the mold they expected.
That was until the Keroro Platoon was being formed and the name of Corporal Giroro caught his attention.
Kururu would sometimes think back on that day with a nostalgic grin. Had it really been a little over four years since they had gone to Pekopon, to spend so much time messing around and having fun, and how he got to spend every day with that hotheaded dope? My, what a long, strange trip it's been…
It would be kind of depressing if it all ended up in blood and tears, though.
Although he could be a responsible Keronian if he so chose, he was the type of person to really not be arsed to do anything unless he really wanted to, or was motivated with enough reasons to do that. Or, if the situation and circumstances were fitting, found it entertaining in some shape or form and was willing to cooperate for the sake of the outcome.
Sometimes there didn't need to be a reward, getting or grating one someone's nerves would be more than enough to please him for hours, even if they were his own family.
And speaking of family, after Chief Medic Shupepe arrived to tell them it was time for their heath examination and therapy session, Giroro's disheartened and reluctant state after dealing with the space Doberman canines was enough a trigger for the yellow one to try and think of something to keep the mood light and playful.
If Giroro was not willing to go ahead with those sessions just yet, then neither was Kururu!
Kururu wasted no time drawing back behind the curtains, popping his headphones out and using the special amplifiers to create sounds that only the dogs could hear; or so he hoped. Shupepe and perhaps the Corporal could detect or sense the whistling since Shupepe wore headphones that could filter such sounds, and Giroro's ears were as keen as that of a dangerous dog of war. Though the red devil could not hear the whistle itself that did nothing to prevent him from knowing something was going on.
The supposed-silent whistle roused the canines from their sleep and plopped Tororo right out of the comfortable bedding, causing the groggy tadpole to grunt and snort as he was shocked awake. Shupepe was surprised and confused at the sudden onslaught of hyperactive pups jumping up and about like the gymnastics of a circus act, but at the amused chortles of his brother coming from the upper bunk bed he realized what had happened. The pale blue Keronian struggled to stay on his feet when the puppies continued to leap at him to paw at his clothes and yank on his coat, forcing him down and away from the others.
Nobibi hopped off the bed and tried to help keep the horde of canines behaved, but it was only a moment later that the door of the dorm opened when an elite guard arrived, only to get mauled by the small army of space Doberman pups who wasted no time racing out of the stuffy and restricting room. The soldier toppled back with a shout of surprise and hit the floor with a thump, then stared in sheer puzzlement as the excited animals darted out of the room, barking and yipping all the way.
Giroro did not understand why they were running off at first, only seconds later he realize Firecracker had gone missing and was no longer on his shoulder; the dogs were chasing the feline down the hallways again! Once acknowledging that, he and Nobibi ignored the baffled guard and hurried out of the room hoping to collect these wild house pets before they caused any more trouble.
Almost as if all the pain and agony Kururu had felt after the beating he took meant nothing, he wasted no time jumping off his perch and racing out of the room as well, wanting to get a good show and escape a possible thrashing by his brother.
Shupepe was not amused when he was left behind, confused and disheveled in a very dirtied room. In fact, the Medic was seething in bottled rage to the point his face turned into a light shade of strangled purple.
When his voice bellowed through the wards enough to make the furniture rattle, calling out his brother's name and demanding he come back right that instant, it only served to make the yellow imp laugh even harder. He was a rebel at heart and had no intention of following anyone's orders, not even his elder brother. The evil giggles of the Sergeant Major echoed and resonated throughout the wards, bouncing every which way he went.
Nevertheless, it had been a good handful of hours since then, and Corporal Giroro muttered under his breath how Kururu was going to get the beating of a lifetime as soon as he got his hands on him. The red warrior had gotten separated from the aqua green youngling somewhere during the chase.
It had taken him a lot of running around in order to cut the chase short and rescue Firecracker before the puppies got to him, and when he had the little rascals all scattered so they won't get packed back into the small room. The Corporal jumped at them in hope of catching them before they fled and only managed to grab two by the ankles. After a bit of calming down as they had gotten quite the scare at his attempt, the Corporal requested a bit of aid from the transforming blob of pink. Firecracker morphed into a leash and attached to the pup's collars, giving them space to move about but not get too out of reach for the cranky red Keronian.
Giroro gave a low aggravated sigh and then grumble. Looking at his surroundings it seems that he had gotten himself lost to boot!
Instead of being within the Elite floor he had somehow managed to puzzle his way through to the crisscrossed wards and trek his way to upper gardens. With Firecracker working as a leash for two energetic puppies, the irritated Corporal wondered why these shenanigans were being pulled at the worst times possible.
He'd swear, if he didn't know any better he'd say some powerful being out there was doing this just to torment him!
Needing to rest his weary legs and perhaps give the little whimpering baby-eyed mutts some time to play, Giroro plopped down on the mild slope that rested on either sides of the watering channel, and then heaved a heavy sigh, his hand clenched tight on the leash that kept them from running off again. The puppies soon crept closer and decided they wanted to cuddle, perhaps sensing that he was not in a very pleasant mood they curled on his lap. Being the softie that he was Giroro slipped a little chuckle and petted them, careful not to stab his fingers with their pointy head crowns.
With them subdued and pleased they coiled against one another, happy and content. Since a leash was no longer required or at least not for the time being, Firecracker unlocked itself from their collars and wrapped itself around the Corporal's neck, transforming into a hot-pink scarf. Giroro touched the scarf for a moment and twitched a wane smile, with Firecracker's happy 'shyaa!' he thanked him in a hushed tone and then glanced up at the blue sky above.
The gardening area was by no means safe, there were traps laid in every inch of it for moochers and hungry greedy grabbers. Giroro had experienced the dangers lurking within the bushes himself when he had first come to the Grand star ages ago.
Though in afterthought he had to wonder if that nice old lady was still there or not; if she was then her dog must have gotten bigger over the passing of time too, no?
A little too weary to think the red Keronian laid back and huffed to release some of the tension tightening his skull, making it hard to clear his mind. Firecracker, still wrapped around his neck remained still for a moment longer until the puppies began to stir. They got up and started nudging and nuzzling the Corporal's face as if asking if he was alright. The red invader chuckled and scratched one of them under the chin, while the other poked its snout into the scarf for a sniff.
Firecracker re-transformed into the pink blob for a second before it leaped onto the grass, made a loud and perhaps playful 'shyaa!' and then transformed into a Doberman puppy just like the others, only its eyes were a bright pink instead of amber gold-orange. Giroro had propped himself up to watch the three play and tackle one another, thinking it was safe to rest for a bit to gather his bearings. The grass was very lush and green and made for a wonderful mattress.
The Corporal closed his eyes and started thinking again. Calling the little pink alien 'Butt Firecracker' always made him feel weird so he would just have to settle with calling it Firecracker, since going around crying 'Butt Firecracker' would not really give a positive impression. What was Keiko thinking when she decided to call him that, anyway? He would have preferred if she had gone with that gibberish codex name she originally intended than this awkward name.
Deep, navy blue eyes fluttered open and stared at the holographic dome above, watching the clouds soar overhead and the soft breeze from the ventilation system swoosh by, caressing his skin with a soothing, cool touch.
He frowned, just a little. This, all of this, was so fabricated he found it difficult to adjust. As much as his surroundings and atmosphere were real, the sky alone was the fake part that bothered him the most. This sky and the wind that breezed by, they were nothing like the nourishing spring air on Pekopon, nor the homey and comforting embrace of Keron's star-cloud littered sky, and though it could be passed off as realistic the Corporal had been in the real world long enough to know a real sky from an artificial one.
He lay there with his hands to his sides and eyes closed. The pups scooted off to the side of the slope and closer to the water, and then started sniffing about for the transforming pink puddle that continued to elude them, hiding in the grass in ways that made the red soldier grin, he could see the little creatures were not yet daring to venture off too far. Firecracker seemed to like to mess and play with them so the three soon engrossed in a game of hide and seek.
The Corporal watched them play for a little longer and found it easier to relax, their playful banter somehow calmed his senses and kept his mind clear, his hands folded under his head and his ankles crossed, a hint of a fanged smile graced his lips while he enjoyed the short break.
Alas, the short break was cut even shorter when the footfalls of someone approaching because more and more audible. The Corporal did not to look up, much too absorbed into his pacified state to think otherwise. It was not until the hot breath of someone looking down at his face, and then the sticky wet tongue of the space Doberman mother slobbering him with kisses did he jump with a yelp and sputter, with a suppressed a screech of alarm he pushed up to wipe the drool from his face.
"Kukuku, you're not usually one to sleep on the job, senior," came the amused chuckle of the yellow imp of a frog riding on the broad back of the large hound, and then he continued with a cheeky leer, "Don't tell me those mutts tuckered you out already, old man?"
"Kururu! " Giroro began, somewhat surprised and confused, and perhaps a little annoyed at being found already, but before he could say anything he noted the small bright-green colored arms wrapped around the yellow Keronian's midsection, and then the large, baby blue eyes of a young female Keronian tadpole peered at him, "Karara!" the Corporal added, surprised to see the girl who was missing with none other than the yellow creeper.
The next moment, three other puppies arrived in yips and barks to tackle to Corporal by the knees and knock him back, sending themselves and the alarmed Corporal backwards to roll into Firecracker as well, and then plummet into the water with a loud splash and cry of surprise. The first to remerge was Firecracker, transforming into a toy boat with a large blinking eye and a loud 'shyaa?' of confusion to what had just happened. Soon Giroro splashed out with a gasp for air while the pups whined and whimpered as they had a bit of trouble swimming.
Firecracker hurried to the shore to transform into a big fuzzy puffball and shook itself dry, while the Corporal climbed up the edge to couch and sputter, then look back at the splashing pups. He contemplated going after them to help them out, but was a little confused why they weren't swimming their way out.
"Don't they know how to swim?" he asked aloud, directing his question to Karara who had jumped off the mother Doberman.
"They do, they probably aren't used to deep water," She explained, a little worried.
With a grunt Giroro gave a low curse and jumped back into the water; it looked like he had to save those little rascals before they got swallowed by the current.
Meanwhile, Kururu dismounted from the back of the large canine and watched the red warrior swim his way over to the frantic whining animals.
He glanced at the mother, she seemed neutral though perhaps expectant. She made no move to go into the water to save her children, so she either felt they could get out of it themselves, or that the Corporal will be able to get them out unharmed. Or, what was likely to happen from his experience taking care of such house pets, she will toss them back into the water if the Corporal brought them to shore so they learn how to swim on their own.
As expected, as soon as Giroro managed to retrieve two of the puppies and place them back on land, the mother got up, walked right up to them and shoved them right into the water.
Kururu did not laugh since he did not find that funny at all. Instead, he watched the… crestfallen? Yes, that word would fit; crestfallen and upset look on the Corporal.
The red invader did not understand what the mother was doing and growling at her to stop that only earned him a snarl and sneer, and then a harmless nip to the snout. Giroro flinched and then rubbed his face, then glowered at her confused for only a moment longer. When he turned to the yipping creature that she had knocked into the water again, he saw it was trying to swim its way back to shore on its own.
It took a few seconds, once realizing what the mother was all about Kururu watched in silence as the Corporal closed his eyes, sighed and them pushed out of the water with a somewhat hurt look on his face. The hurt only lasted for a glimmer of a moment, a slight glister in those sad, deep and navy blue eyes, they soon turned into contemplative and accepting, before a weary smile quirked the corner of that fanged mouth.
Without realizing or meaning to, Kururu's lips stretched into a soft smile. His senior might have been slow, now that he understands everything will be fine.
Giroro stood next to the mother and watched the pups struggle a bit to reach dry land, they shook themselves and rushed towards her, yipping and barking as if exclaiming if she saw how well they did. The Sergeant Major could almost see her reaction, she'd nod and give her children affectionate licks and puppy kisses, before making her way with her little bundle of mischief makers to the little Keronian girl. Karara smiled wide and reached out to hold the female Doberman's head and give it a loving nuzzle, happy to have the family back together.
Climbing up the slope with the soaked animals, Firecracker transformed into a towel and flung himself across the clearing to slap itself against the startled red face, and then started rubbing with squeaky noises as it tried to rinse away the water. Giroro gasped and grunted, peeled off the sheepish pink towel and then huffed, flustered. Firecracker wrapped itself around the red soldier's neck again and made a pleased sound, comfortable on the perch over his shoulders.
Giroro was amused and perhaps a little annoyed, he unwrapped the pink creature and placed him on the grass. Firecracker reverted back to his gelatinous and brightly colored pink blob, earning a surprised stare from Karara, and the renewed attention of the still energetic puppies.
Making sure the puppies were all present Giroro and Kururu settled on the grass, Karara sat between them looking flustered and guilty, not to mention a little teary eyed. She had been quiet during the whole play of events, and Giroro was a little worried since she had been a rather talkative little girl.
He decided to talk to her in hope it'll get their minds off things, "I hope you're not injured or hurt in any way?" he asked, trying to be friendly.
She hesitated for a moment, a warm blush colored her cheeks, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to cause so much trouble," she sniffled and rubbed her eye with a fist to wipe away the tears, then peered up at the red soldier, "do you think Chiroro is alright? We got separated when I went down the laundry shaft…" she explained.
"I'm sure she's fine, the laundry room is usually stocked and if I recall, that's where Nobibi went when we split up, so with luck and my brother's expertise she will be found unharmed." He comforted, petting her on the head.
"That doesn't change the fact that knowing your father, he won't be too pleased with what happened, kuku…" Kururu murmured from where he had laid back, enjoying the lush and cool grass along with the soothing fresh air.
Giroro was annoyed at the yellow one's insensitive commentary, and though he wanted to say something to lighten the mood he really didn't have anything to contribute with. The three fell into a strange silence. Save for Firecracker's playful bantering noises with the house pets, the three were draped under a rather calm, neutral quietness.
Deciding that there was really no point in sitting idle, Giroro announced the need to at least contact his brother, perhaps Garuru had already found the missing yellow Keronian girl and was looking for them, so it was best to go back to the lower floor. Karara agreed, so with her straddled on the mother space canine, Kururu walking besides her, and Firecracker transformed into a massive and tangled leash, the puppies were all gathered to prevent them from running off again.
Kururu grinned when they began to move, watching that powerful body struggle at the task of keeping the pups in line. Thick glasses watched the rippling muscles of the red soldier flex and bend, with the task he held with the miniature tug of war against the army of mutts Giroro had to summon every ounce of strength in order to make sure none of them slipped out of his grip.
No one said anything while traveling across the gardening area, the only noises emitted were from Giroro and Firecracker grunting or squeaking at the puppies that kept trying to stray off the path, chasing a bug or wanting to jump into the bushes to explore. Kururu would chuckle every now and then yet not bother helping, spending most of his time following the red one. What started off as a position to stare and admire the red devil Corporal's broad shoulders, powerful flexing arms keeping a death grip on the leash, fine toned backline and ample rear, soon turned into a contemplative daze of what was about to come next.
Kururu was more than aware Shupepe will not take his bratty antics well, and Rinono had yet to make her presence known, so Kururu had no meat shield to hide behind if his brother chose to flip a lid and flog him. Though the Sergeant Major will never admit it out loud, Rinono's absence was starting to bother him; where did she go?
The yellow one gave his head a subtle shake to ward off the unwanted thoughts. Rinono was a strong woman and is not someone he should worry about, at least not for the time being. If Koii added her into the group for a reason then it was either Rinono provided something that no one else did, or Koii was going to use her against himself to pressure him or for something of that level. The yellow genius could not determine for a fact if Rinono was even going to let any harm befall him or Shupepe, she would be the first to take a stand against it.
Torn out of his own line of thought, Kururu flinched when Giroro gave a loud cry of surprise when the pups dragged him over a low fence, barking and yipping at what looked like a terrified space chicken that was minding its own business. The Sergeant Major could not help but snort in surprise and then reel around, Giroro was latching onto the leash pretty tight in a desperate attempt to not let go, but it was proving futile as the gods were struggling to get free. The pups have all gone through the openings between the poles of the fence and had left the red Keronian bent over the top; flaunting the goods at the frustrated Sergeant Major no less.
Though the yellow genius wanted nothing more than to ram right into that cushy and ample rump and Fuck like No Tomorrow, the circumstances were not providing and he had to, yet again, smother the burn in the pit of his stomach the best he could in order to try and help the troubled Corporal out of his funny predicament.
Long story short, Kururu and the Doberman female grabbed the Corporal by the belt and tried to pull him back, alas the sudden yank caused his belt to snap open. With the belt undone and caught between Kururu's hands and the female dog's maw, the Corporal lost his grip on the leash and was then flung forwards to lose balance and plunk face-first into the dirt, body bent upside down and in a very painful position. Without Giroro's physical support Firecracker could no longer keep together and snapped back to shape with a yelp of its own.
With the restrains snapped out of place the puppies ran amok and frightening the farm animals that were there. They got into the chicken pen and had the farm fowl terrified out of their wits, pelting them with eggs. They frightened the cows and lambs and sent them smashing through the barn's doors in fear, and then jumped into the mud and made a mess out of things as they left trails of paw prints, splotches and smears of mud and dirt everywhere they went.
Nevertheless, with the belt returned to the disheveled and neck-pained warrior, the space Doberman mother's help and Firecracker's transformation into doggie treats, only because no other alternative was present to lure the mischievous little critter out of their hiding place, Giroro was able to gather the little runs and leash them once more.
The farmers who had their property destroyed were by no means pleased, and gave the three of them an earful lecture about taking house pets out into their field without permission.
Kururu felt no guilt over the whole thing; rather he thought the farmers were being killjoys because he found the whole mess hilarious!
Giroro profusely apologized for all the trouble and promised to make it up to them soon, while Karara started crying and apologized to the farmers how it was all her fault and how she was so very, very sorry. Giroro, awkward and nervous at her loud bawling hastened to take her hand and comforted her, apologized to the farmers once more and then tried to guide the horde of muddied and dirties dogs off the farm.
It took the group longer than usual to guide the hyperactive bunch back into the lower floor, past the reluctant elite guards who refused to let them pass at first until they saw their ID cards, and even longer to find their way back to the dorm.
Much to Giroro's and Karara's relief, though Garuru did not look any better for wear himself, was waiting for them in their still ruined dorm along with an irate Tororo, a teary eyed Chiroro and a cranky Nobibi, who also looked like he had gone through the wringer.
Where Kururu could take a guess that they walked in on a verbal argument between Nobibi and Tororo, which may or may not be the reason Chiroro was on the brink of tears, the two sisters wasted no time latching onto each other to cry their eyes out, glad to see the other was unharmed and sorry for all the trouble they had caused. The mother Doberman scooted closer with her little horde of pups to comfort them with licks and nuzzles.
Nobibi however was just glad to have Firecracker back in one piece.
Where Garuru seemed relieved with everything turning out for the best, Giroro was too tired to give a damn about anything else from that point onward.
The red devil Corporal wasted no time to climb up the ladder to crash in bed with a loud, exhausted groan. Giroro was so spent he didn't even feel himself taking a swan dive into dreamland; coated with peace and quiet, the tiered Corporal began to snore.
. o 0 o 0 o .
Some time later, Chief Medic Pururu was writing something on the clipboard when Chief Medic Shupepe arrived with Tororo.
"I see you decided to be the first to join the therapy session?" she said with a sweet smile.
"Nope," Tororo muttered, coming off as very irate and not quite safe to interact with, "everyone else was out for the count, pu pu…"
"There had been a…" Shupepe grumbled, trying to fish for the right words to say, "slight mishap in the dorm, so Corporal Giroro, Lieutenant Garuru and Sergeant Major Kururu will be having their turns in the therapy session later this evening. I'm afraid they're a bit too tired to do this at the time being." He explained.
Pururu arched a skeptical brow, far more concerned with the fact Garuru as well had passed the session than the others; "Dare I ask?" she voiced her thoughts, but felt it might be a moot point from how pale Shupepe looked. He had left in such a chipper mood earlier, too. What could have possible happened to down his attitude so bad?
"You don't want to know, trust me." The pale blue one sighed and walked ahead, leaving the lavender female with the cranky salmon-red youth. Once passing the half way point across the room and towards a nearby door however, Shupepe blinked and looked around, "Where is Rinono?"
"She was requested to attend presence with the Admiral," the nurse replied, then tensed at the others' apprehensive scowl, "Is something the matter?"
"N- no, just surprised; I'll be in the next room if you need me." He mumbled and shoved his hands into his coat pockets.
Pururu watched at the pale blue Keronian walked into the next room, perhaps a little faster in stride than usual. Choosing to disregard the odd behavior she turned to the tadpole with the pouty face before her, "I take it things had been busy? You seem strained."
"I don't wanna talk about it." Tororo snarled, though he bit back the anger it was clear the young one was by no means in a chatty mood.
"Well somebody's cranky," Pururu mumbled and decided to let the angry one have his space.
The nurse walked over towards a comfy armchair and then gestured for the irritated young Keronian to sit down on a recliner. She waited until he had done so, giving him a minute or two to calm down and perhaps seethe to himself a little more if only to get the heat out of his system. Pururu flipped through the papers on her clipboard and read through what was already written, before settling on a certain draft and then scribbling something down.
"Well now, since you and I are from the same platoon, I would like to inform you that anything you say during this counseling session will not leave this room. It will be confidential and only between the two of us, so please do not hesitate to tell me if something is bothering you." She explained, offering the young one another smile.
Tororo did not look too convinced, instead he scowled a bit more and then huffed, leaned back into the backrest and then hugged his knees, "Pu pu, I'd rather choke on a ship cable…" He muttered and looked away, not wanting to talk about anything at all nor to her of all people for that matter.
Pururu felt her brow twitch as a vein pulsated under the thick makeup masking her true features, yet she forced a chuckle to break the tension lingering heavy in the air nonetheless, "Now, Tororo, don't be stubborn. I know you and I don't get along too well but you can consider this a good communication practice." She reasoned, and then squared her shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, "Unless you'd rather talk to Sergeant Major Kururu's brother, Chief Medic Shupepe and I could switch roles?"
Tororo twitched, his scowl turned more downwards then before, downcast and defeated the tadpole unwrapped his arms from around his knees just a little, and then settled on the couch in a way he found more comfortable; his body felt tight and rigid, it was hard to relax. "Where's Zoruru?" he blurted, the insecurity and discomfort clear in his voice, "He'd been gone since last night and there is no trace of him anywhere." He complained.
At that, Pururu blinked in puzzlement, "Lance Corporal Zoruru? I recall Recruit Rinono told me she saw him heading into the Admiral's chamber earlier this morning. Did he not go back to the dormitory afterwards?" she inquired, confused.
That seemed to flick a switch of alarm across the little one's features, "What? No! We hadn't seen him at all! Unless… he came when we weren't there?" he placed a hand on his head, in a gesture akin to scratching his scalp.
"And why would you not be in the dorm? I recall the team was asked not to leave until orders had been submitted." She asked, paused and then her eyelids drooped and she managed a small scowl, "Don't tell me you boys were up to no good again," he mumbled, not a question.
Tororo looked a little sheepish, "Well…" he drawled.
Tororo contemplated the thought of explaining the whole story to the nurse or not. Choosing that anything he could use against the Sergeant Major counted as blackmail, Tororo began telling her everything from the events of Shupepe's forced back massage onto Giroro, the bath fight and then the dogs, all the while watching the color drain from her face, and the twitchiness of her brows and lips.
In the back of his mind, Recruit Tororo figured this counseling session may not be all that bad after all.
Seeing the hilarious traumatized reactions on Pururu's face was making him feel better already!
. o 0 o 0 o .
Meanwhile, as Tororo tattled the tall tales being told, Chief Medic Shupepe was in the next room deaf to all the rambling.
Out of sight, out of mind, and therefore out of earshot the anxious Medic had spent the first few minutes pacing back and forth across the room in deep, worried thoughts. Striding like a soldier in a march with his arms behind his back and a deep frown on his brows, Shupepe gave a low sneering grunt and then reclined on an office chair by dropping his weight into the cushioned seat, earning a low creak as it absorbed his weight and rolled back against the wall.
Slouched on the seat with his legs outstretched, his elbows on the armrests and his fingers intertwined, a stern and irate scowl stretched across his features.
Having been asked to disassemble and interrogate the half-cybernetic assassin was one thing, but requesting Rinono's presence without informing him first was another.
What was Koii planning to call for Rinono and not for him? He worried if his sister was going to be asked to do something tedious, and knowing her with a little convincing she would agree without a second thought, oblivious to the dangers attached. She was by no means a warrior and was not cut out for this style of manipulative lifestyle, she constantly got herself in the position of being the scapegoat at best.
There were times Shupepe wondered why he'd look out for her; she could be so daft and clumsy sometimes it was infuriating! But she was family, and though she wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed she was still his sister! If Kururu got wind of this, Shupepe was sure his baby brother though he may not look it will cry for blood if Koii laid a finger on Rinono.
Aggravated, frustrated and perhaps too anxious to think straight, the Chief Medic could not excuse himself for a good long walk, not with the therapy session happening just outside the door nor with the other patients being out for the count.
Or rather, Corporal Giroro was out for the count when he had returned to the dorm, with Kururu in the same bunk bed giving the unconscious soldier a good back massage to go with it. The poor man looked worse for wear, and from the look of the dogs that continued to make a mess out of the room, the pale blue Keronian was not surprised.
While Garuru had a good long talk to the four tadpoles in the room, Shupepe could tell the Lieutenant was speaking from experience with his controlled and contemplative tone, choice of words and the lack of any actual anger in his voice. It came to the fact he was a responsible adult who had helped rear a little brother, Shupepe would guess Lieutenant Garuru seemed to get his point across to the four young ones with ease and without any hurt feelings, even if Karara seemed to be upset throughout the whole thing. The Chief Medic would think it was safe to assume she was just upset at being the cause of the whole dilemma and feared what her father would say or do when he finds out about it.
The Medic had half a mind to give his own brother a good ear-thrashing, and though the other half agreed, with the placid and almost loving look on Kururu's face as he kneaded Giroro's weary back, disregarding the somewhat intimate closeness of their position due to the little space the bed provided, Shupepe decided to save his lecture for later since he did not want to confront his brother when he was like this.
The Medic knew better than to mess with his sibling when the yellow one was enjoying himself, even if it was a one-sided bonding moment since Giroro was asleep, ruining Kururu's fun was never a good thing, he knew that well enough from personal experience alone.
Giroro, even in his sleep he gave a few low grunts whenever Kururu would press onto the still tender and soft spots, working out the tension and kneading them better; every muffled 'unf' from the red one earned a pleased grin from the yellow one. Shupepe wondered if Kururu was being unlike himself and overly considerate, or just cheeky. It was obvious the red soldier was much too tired to fight back, not with Kururu's experienced fingers training down those achy bones and making him feel so much better.
Thinking it was best to leave well enough alone, with the Corporal and Sergeant Major out of the count, Chief Medic Shupepe asked Lieutenant Garuru and Recruit Tororo which of them wanted to attend the therapy and health examination first. Of course, since Garuru was expecting Nobibi's father to arrive in order to escort the girls back home he was unable to leave the room, therefore Tororo was the only one available with no excuse to skip the session.
It were times like this the Medic wondered if he should have picked up smoking; he was so tense he needed some sort of outlet to burn.
Never one to like leaving things behind half finished, Shupepe stretched his arms over his head and contemplated his choices.
With a decisive nod to himself he pushed off the chair, rolled his shoulders and then popped the kinks in his stiff neck. There were more important things to do than idle with things he could not change. He walked out of the room and passed by the startled nurse and recruit, gesturing that he needed to make a quick run before the others started their session. Without giving Pururu or Tororo a chance to respond, he hurried off towards the Admiral's private chamber.
There was something that needed to be done. He still needed to put that assassin back together before they leave tomorrow.
After all, it would be rude to leave the guy hanging or in pieces no matter how Koii preferred it that way.