Been playing a bit of multiplayer and then the thought hit me... What the hell are Specgru and Kortac even fighting for? Why are we fighting at places like Breenbergh Hotel, Crown Raceway race tracks, oil fields in Al-Mazrah, and random farmhouses? I get that trying to make multiplayer carry lore will just make it needlessly convoluted (Flashy gold and lime green camos ignored), but I'd at least like to know why my operator's are leaving bullets in each others memories while F1 continues racing like they weren't in the middle of an active warzone.
Anyways, which one would y'all prefer?
l Yep yep! l Yep - yep! l Yep, yep! l Yup, yup! l Yup - yup! l Yup yup! l
Not really too important on how it looks, but I'm a stickler for consistency (At least, I'd like to think I am...). Torn between simply: Yep, yep! or Yup, yup! But I've seen some different versions tossed around in the campaign…
Gate: In the Company of Shadows
Chapter 8
Land of the Rising Sun
PHILLIP GRAVES
ALNUS HILL, FALMART
IMPERIAL CALENDAR 687 - 08:05:00
Graves found himself tapping his boot against the soil, inspecting the watch on his wrist and absent mindedly whistling a merry tune as he kept one hand on the shoulder strap of his vest. He switched from his all black combat uniform in favor of something more low profile and less intimidating. Now he was adorned in a simple white button up and blue jeans, a pair of aviators hung off the molle webbing of his quick release - low profile plate carrier now in coyote brown, and the rest of his Shadows were currently dressed in similar, more casual civilian clothing reminiscent of what one would see in a populated city, helping them to blend in more. Try to anyway…
Hoodies, compression T-shirts, flannel, and baseball caps didn't really do too much for concealment when one slapped a plate carrier or chest rig full of mags or shotgun shells over top of it. Who would have thought that trying to keep the presence of foreign private military contractors hidden under the radar inside of a major metropolitan city like Tokyo with one of the highest population densities in the world would have been so difficult? Graves certainly didn't think so.
When asked about this by one of his men, his response was simply, "I've been dealt shittier hands. We'll work with what we've got, so improvise if you need to."
They were currently doing last minute checks on all of the gear and equipment brought with them via the Humvees, while the Japanese soldiers nearby stood at attention in their dress uniforms with the otherworlders. Well... he wouldn't call them, 'at attention' right now though. The half lidded eyes clearly told him that these soldiers didn't exactly get a proper full nine hours of sleep. Maybe their impromptu self invitation into their world had something to do with it. Oh well, it sucks to be them.
"Why did we have to be up at this time?" Itami asked as he slouched lopsidedly.
"Because time passes differently across the gate, sir" Tomita failed to stifle a yawn as he answered him. "I heard it's an entirely different season now back in Japan."
"And that means that we need to stand out here with the foreigners?" Kuribayashi asked in annoyance.
Graves rolled his eyes at the offhanded comments and complaints behind him before speaking up. "Hey! Any of y'all know when that other Lieutenant of yours is coming? We don't exactly have a schedule to keep, but I'd certainly appreciate it if your folk were a little more timely about these things."
Itami lazily looked at him, the lack of sleep being very apparent in his eyes. "You're asking me?"
Graves whipped around, staring the Itami dead in his eyes. "you're the only one who has any answers for me, Lieutenant. So yes, I am asking you."
Quickly being reminded of his role, the man apologized as he rubbed his neck. "Uh, yeah, sorry about that… Last we heard, they were finishing up reports and making the final preparations for when we cross. They should be arriving sometime now."
"Right," Graves mumbled before turning to look back at the dome. There was no mistaking it, especially this close. The gate that led through a fantasy world was, coincidentally, contained in a dome just like theirs.
'What are the odds that it'd be this identical… maybe it's the same on the inside too.' Graves mused to himself.
He turned to find Princess Pina, standing all by her lonesome, subordinate nowhere to be found as she kept her gaze firmly planted on the ground in front of her.
"Princess," He said, snapping her out of her stupor. "Where's that blondie knight of yours?"
"Um, I-I'm not so sure…" She looked around with some worry in her tone. "She said she went out to get some air, and I let her, so long as she came here when we were ready."
"She's over here, boss!"
Down the path was Bristol, briskly making his way to them with Bozes in tow. Now the only one missing was his last Shadow. "Bristol, where's Viper?"
"He's cleaning up right now, sir. He'll be here in a sec."
"He better…" Graves sighed. "I'm startin' to get tired of waiting."
"I'm sure you can keep that Southern hospitality bravado up for a wee bit longer, sir."
"It certainly feels like I'm starting to run out of it, Bristol."
"Yeehaw, sir?" Bristol asked, pumping a fist out.
Graves merely glanced at it before bumping it back with his own. "Yee fuckin' haw."
"Are you sure this is okay, Lieutenant?" Kuribayashi asked, looking at their otherworldly tagalongs before her eyes non discreetly flickered to Graves.
They all looked at Rory as she stood happily by, humming excitedly. It wasn't hard to see why. Anyone would be excited, if not, a little anxious at the prospect of entering another world. Rory's mood only seemed to be that of barely contained excitement and curious wonder.
"She seems a little… much." Tomita stated.
"Absolutely…" He said in agreement. "But I did get permission, and it's a much better idea to have her with us and under our watchful eyes rather than roaming freely around here, right?"
Tomita nodded, though Graves kept glancing suspiciously at the reaper girl.
"She's not gonna go around cuttin' folk down with that oversized blade of hers is she? Cause we're trying to be discreet about our presence before we get to the Diet and we don't need her convertin' people to whatever crazy cult she's apart of."
"Cult?" She asked, showing she was somewhat offended as she held a hand up over her heart. "I'll have you know that it's an entirely legitimate religion. Emroy, the God of darkness, war, death, violence, and insanity is just as much real as the other Gods and Goddesses that watch over the region."
"Insanity? Well you certainly got one thing right-"
"Insanity is in the eye of the beholder-" She interrupted.
"Not how the saying goes-"
"I can always show you just how insane I really am-"
Graves nearly snarled at her. "I'm bettin' you'd like that, wouldn't you? You creepy little freak-"
Itami stepped in between them before the dispute could grow at an exponential level. "Woah, woah, woah! C'mon people, tap the brakes real quick. Let's just take a step back and relax for a moment. There's no need to start getting all worked up and resorting to name calling right now."
She harrumphed, crossing her arms in defense. "Hmph! I'm not the one getting worked up or resorting to name calling! He is-"
"Oh boohoo, a couple of words scare you little lady? Cause you're startin' to sound a little worked up right about now, partner-"
"Hey! Enough, guys! Please…?" Itami begged. He looked down at Rory, who was now hugging her halberd against her body. The handle was pressed tightly, conforming the dress closer to her body and leaving little to the imagination. Not that there was much to imagine in the first place… Graves glared over at the little goth lolita, who was currently flinching under his stern gaze. She glanced up to Itami, putting up a very obvious front and giving him puppy dog eyes, complete with whimpers and tears at the corners of her eyes. Itami's willpower could be seen crumbling as he struggled to resist it. "Rory, promise that you're not going to kill or convert anyone over in our world?"
"I promise I won't convert anyone… unwillingly…" She added in a sly tone.
"Rory…" Itami warned.
"Okay, okay, fine. I won't convert anyone… killjoy." She grumbled. "But if we're attacked, I make no promises on the killing."
"S-Sure," Itami stuttered, before leveling his gaze at Graves. "Graves, apologize for your words."
He paused as his brows furrowed down, finding himself staring at Itami incredulously. "What? Are we in a preschool? We're not kids, Lieutenant."
"Well your behavior is telling me otherwise and she technically is a kid-"
"She technically isn't…"
An expectant look crossed Itami's face, leaving no more room for discussion.
Graves' brows were now shot up in astonishment. 'Wow, he's seriously adamant about this ain't he? What good does this do anyone? My concerns were entirely reasonable! Folding at crocodile tears too? Fucker is gettin' too soft...'
Graves huffed, throwing his hands up in disbelief as he pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek. "Fine… I sincerely apologize… for my words that have offended you." He put his hands on his hips as he looked between the two with an expression that all but asked, 'was that good enough?'
"Oh it's no biggie," She nonchalantly said, waving the apology off as if it were completely unnecessary (Which it was). "I've heard much worse throughout my years. If you really wanted to offend me, you'd have to come up with much better material."
He mentally berated himself for a moment. 'Choose your battles wisely Phil…'
He didn't trust strange women; that much was obvious from his first glimpse of her. She made quite the impression with how she cleared out the horde of bandits back at Italica and it seemed he had made an impression on her too, judging by the fact that her smile beamed just a little bit wider, and a creepy giggle emanated from her lips as crimson eyes met icey blue. Centuries worth of experience could be seen in hers, and it made Graves' skin crawl as he tried his best not to look as if he was genuinely creeped out by her. The smirk and slight head tilt told him that she knew of his feelings of distrust already… if the previous conversation wasn't already telling enough.
"Besides, Phillip Graves…?" She asked slowly, testing the name as if it was dancing around her tongue. She covered her lips with her hands, giggling as if she came to some cheeky conclusion, one which Graves knew full well she'd bring up like countless others had before her. "Fill up graves… how fitting. I like it. It's very closely linked to the same aura that surrounds you."
He found his brow slowly furrowing once more. "And what exactly would that so-called aura of mine be…?"
She smirked at him with half lidded eyes. "Death… it emanates from you."
Graves felt his teeth slowly grinding against each other as he kept his face expressionless. 'Hope you ain't a mind reader, little girl… cause you are mighty distasteful…'
His attention was turned to the arrival of a black sedan as it honked its horn, startling the otherworlders again (Much to his silent amusement). Stepping out from the driver's side was First Lieutenant Yanagida, who Graves noticed had a rather relaxed expression similar to the one he saw back in the General's meeting room. Either the Lieutenant was completely unbothered by their presence - unlike his fellow soldiers, he simply didn't see them as a possible element to have any reason to be cautious towards, or he was simply just a genuinely friendly person.
But you don't make friends in this line of work.
After all, keep your friends close and your enemies closer is what he always liked to say. Yanagida probably thought the same.
The Lieutenant walked towards the group and smiled at them warmly. "Sorry for my tardiness, people. Paperwork was a chore to get through, as I'm sure you all know," he paused briefly before turning to Graves and adding, "Let us not delay this any longer though. If your people are ready, we can begin opening the gate."
"My people have been ready, Yanagida."
If he was bothered by the use of his name rather than rank, he didn't show it.
The lieutenant nodded at him before turning to Itami, handing him a blank envelope from within his pocket that slightly bulged from the mystery contents held inside. "Here," He said. "That should be everything you'll need."
Itami raised a brow as he inspected it, rubbing a thumb to feel inside. "And... what exactly is this?"
"Something we thought would help to make good first impressions."
"First impressions? I don't think-" The lieutenant began until his words were cut off as he opened it, making a noise akin to half choking and half gasping. "Uh, but- what?!"
Graves watched as Itami pulled out a large stack of Yen from within. He was almost impressed, before quickly realizing how little was actually in there. Compared to how much he paid his people for a single day's worth of work, that wad of Yen was almost worthless.
"That's probably the most he'll hold in his entire career..." Ronin commented nearby. Luckily, Itami was too awestruck at the coloured paper in his hands to have heard him.
"Courtesy of the good General himself. Use it to give our guests a warm welcome and don't spend it all in one place." Yanagida added. "After all, it'd be good to tour Tokyo a little and see the sights, especially for those who've never been to such places."
Graves found his eyes narrowing at the suggestion. He was no stranger to those hiding ulterior motives. It was an all too common occurrence in his line of work. With the not so secret suggestion and the amount of Yen thrown into the situation, it was clear that they were using this as an attempt to show off to the more... impressionable... members of their little visiting party. Rory, Tuka, and Lelei, but more specifically, the princess and her knight. If he was this confident in basically telegraphing his intentions in front of him, he either thought them slow or incapable of doing anything against it.
Needless to say, this wasn't his first rodeo, and attempting to con a con-man never ended well for anybody. Graves noted to himself that he'd somehow make sure Yanagida found that out, one way or another.
Itami stared at the money in his hands for a few more moments before slowly placing the stack back into its container and pocketing the envelope, seemingly unable to move on. His gaze fell onto the dome structure that covered the gate.
"I guess it's now or never..." His shoulders sagged as he sighed heavily.
Right after he said that, the large steel doors to the dome began rolling back, revealing the large marbled and polished quartz that formed the gate inside. Large blue diamonds framed around the Romanesque roof and pillars reflected as they saw light shine upon them once more.
The elf-girl found herself with stars in her eyes, staring in awe. "This is the gate to the other world…" She said, realization fully dawning on her.
"Oh how exciting this all is!" Rory exclaimed.
Lelei gave her the side eye, but her expression and tone remained the same as always. "This trip isn't for us to have fun, Rory."
"Oh speak for yourself, kid. It's not often that a demigoddess, let alone mortals, get to travel to an entirely different world. You should savor this experience!"
Graves found himself scoffing at her remarks. 'Seriously, and a God complex to boot?'
"So how are we doing this?" He asked. "Cause I'm pretty sure there's a better way to cross than to simply just walk into the dark abyss here."
Yanagida turned to look at him.
"You're more than welcome to use the Humvees you came here with," He gestured back to the parked vehicles as Viper finally arrived next to them. "But when you enter Japan, we'll have a bus ready for you and your men to ride with us."
"What? No convoy of all black SUVs and jeeps?" Graves asked sarcastically.
"The ones with tinted windows are all undergoing maintenance right now" He joked back. "Sorry about that."
Probably for the better then. A bunch of armed foreigners driving around Tokyo in a convoy of all black SUVs with dark tinted windows. Doesn't get any more obvious than that. Though, with how carefree and cavalier Yanagida was when interacting with them, it seemed like he had some sort of plan for his company. What it was exactly, he didn't know, and it didn't seem like he'd be willing to tell him...
Graves imagined the smug face behind the glasses saying, 'It'd ruin the surprise...'
"Alrighty then people, let's get to your victors. We're Oscar Mike!"
A chorus of affirmatives sounded and all his Shadows immediately began climbing into their vehicles again while the JSDF got into their own, their visitors joining them. As usual, he climbed into his vehicle. Now away from foreign ears, he reached for his radio once more.
"All Shadows, let me remind you that our main priority is being represented at the Diet assembly and protecting the princess and her subordinate. Now our Japanese friends have so graciously provided us with only the most advanced and best inconspicuous transport on the other side. They call it a bus."
He paused as he heard his men laughing.
"Alright, jokes aside, we can afford absolutely zero fuck ups here and that includes sensitive info leaks. Watch what you say, execute your jobs perfectly, and there'll be a nice bonus for when you're all back at HQ. Sound good y'all?"
"Yep, yep!"
"Good, let's get this show on the road!" He called out, pounding a fist against the exterior. The convoy began moving forward, driving into the dark abyss inside, with only the ground in front of them being lit up by their headlights.
YOJI ITAMI
GINZA DISTRICT, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 8, 2022 - 10:10:00
"You look like absolute hell." The clerk behind the counter said, sneaking a look at him from the corner of her eye as she finished typing.
"Do I? Well I certainly feel like it. Blame the jet lag."
"We've all been there my friend…" She agreed before finally hitting enter. She leaned back in her office chair, moaning as she stretched her back. Itami couldn't tell if the chair was old, or if her back was really in such a bad state to make such horrible cracking sounds. same for her knuckles. He assumed she was comfortable with the desk job rather than fieldwork.
'She can't just do this at a different time?! Oh how I wish I were her… well, not a female, but in her position. An office job would be so much better than this. Actually scratch that, more paperwork? Nuh - uh.'
"State your name and rank please…?" She drawled on in a questioning tone, looking at him strangely as she finally swiveled the chair to face him directly. "Wow, excuse my rudeness, but you look worse than I thought."
'Gee, thanks. You certainly don't shy away from brutal honesty… This stress must be doing numbers on my complexion to have her putting it that bluntly to my face. Either I always look constipated or absolutely zonked out. Not sure which I'd prefer really…' He thought to himself. 'You're a lucky lady. No one should be subjected to the weird mental ramblings of an overworked First Lieutenant, despite how funny the prospect may seem to you at first.'
"Sir?"
'Oh crap! Right, social interaction with other humans…'
Before any more absent minded staring, which was very obviously beginning to creep her out, could continue, he answered. "Yoji Itami, First Lieutenant."
"And your business here?"
"Escorting Special Region emissaries and others to the Diet meeting, General's orders."
The clerk behind the counter found her gaze lingering behind him, causing him to turn around slightly. A confusing, puked out, hodge podge of clashing colors greeted them. It appeared she was staring at his group of said emissaries, which were all gathered around to look like a cosplay convention crossed over into a military training simulation. It was like the setup to some horrible joke.
A blue haired teen mage, an elf girl, a loli demigoddess, a princess, a knight, and a group of foreign mercenaries all walk into the same bar.
He doubted that the punchline would be as humorous…
'Do I even have the will or energy to laugh right now? Maybe I can stop by a 7-Eleven real quick…'
"Are you bringing any outside items into Japan like liquids, live animals, or…" She looked toward the giant halberd that Rory had poorly concealed in some sort of cloth wrap. "Unregistered weapons?"
"Um… no…?"
"Are we topped up on ammo over here boys?"
"Check! Just need a re-up on the Humvee minigun and 50 cals. Some more gas in the tanks also wouldn't hurt!"
"We'll worry about that when we're back, lock the munitions crates will ya? I want every single round accounted for while we're here."
"Yes, sir!"
"Alright Shadows, you know how this goes! Mission critical devices only! Any personal phones, take 'em off of your persons and drop them off in the goodie bag! We'll lock 'em in the vehicles and you'll get them back later, capiche?"
"Yep, yep!"
Itami felt his face burn red as he sweat nervously, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment "... maybe…"
It was clear that the clerk wasn't at all convinced by his answer, and Itami prayed that she didn't ask any more awkward questions. Luckily, her expression told him that she was just about done with everything today, and after a few tense moments of silence slowly shook her head in disapproval before she checked off a box on her sheet and muttered to herself.
"Give me a moment to run this through our system. This'll only take a few minutes."
Itami stepped back, sighing as his shoulders sagged in relief.
'Yeesh, who knew border security would be so uptight and tedious everywhere in the world?'
"These towers... they're so tall that they're nearly scraping the sky."
Itami turned to find the princess and her knight, staring up at the buildings in awe.
"Close, but those are just regular buildings. There are others that reach much more impressive heights in this world."
"We've had structures somewhat reminiscent of these ones, but they really don't compare to the scale and magnitude of the ones here. Are they made entirely of glass?" She asked. "There seems to be... a lot of it. I can't imagine it being stable for so long."
"Sturdy windows are a component to these buildings, sure, but it's just to help let sunlight in. It's mostly the concrete foundations and support beams holding it up, plus the combined efforts of our best architectural minds who study and perfect their craft through years of higher education."
"I see, your people seem to like building up, rather than expanding out. Is your country so small to require such a thing?"
"Kinda." He shrugged. "Japan's just a simple archipelago of islands in the middle of the pacific ocean, but we also have a pretty decently large population for what it is."
"El pinche cabrón, he didn't warn us that it'd be fucking cold here!" One of the contractors complained as he reached for the gloves on his belt.
"Oh come on, It's not that bad."
"Viper, I'm a Texas born Mexican man. You're a gringo who lives up in Oregon! I don't wanna hear it!"
Tuka exhaled forcefully nearby, expelling heat from her lips and shivering as she hugged her arms close to her body. "W-w-wow, I didn't think… that it'd be this chilly…"
"Yeah, that's kind of why I brought it up earlier," Kuribayashi said with her hands on her hips. "Don't say I didn't warn you. I'd offer to help but unfortunately, that was the only cold weather clothing we had back at Alnus, so you'll have to make do for the moment. Sorry about that by the way."
"Are you okay, Tuka?" Itami asked in concern. "We're in the city now, I'm fairly certain I can get you a warmer coat."
"Hm? No need! I'm all good here, I can still walk around like this." She waved him off, though Itami could see a slight tinge of red around her cheeks. The air was crisp and cold in Japan this season, and his breath puffed out in front of him as if it had been frozen solid. It appeared that the wool sweater she had on wasn't enough. Itami rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. Introducing someone to an entirely new climate that they weren't acclimated or conditioned to withstand was going to cause some problems down the line. It looks like one of the first stops he'd have to plan would be a clothing shop to get the poor girl something warmer, lest she catches a cold on his watch. Then he'd never hear the end of it...
"No need to put on a stubborn front. If and when you change your mind, just let us know." Kuribayashi said supportingly, to which Tuka chuckled in response.
'You're one to talk, Sergeant, but I'm glad we're at least beginning to build bonds now.'
Out of everyone they brought along, Tuka was definitely the most approachable. The first time they met her, everyone noticed that she had a kind of naive charm and her eyes sparkled with curiosity at every little thing the JSDF introduced her to. She smiled politely every time she answered them, and it made him feel a little giddy inside. Guess that's what happens when blonde anime elf girls are no longer fictional, and instead, reality.
'Such a sweet girl... no one should have to go through the things she has.'
Losing her village, watching her family burn, and freezing in cold water at the bottom of a well (Possibly getting hit with that bucket he threw down after...). She certainly got dealt a bad hand, but the fact that she was attempting to appear unbothered with a smile on her face, despite the situation, told him that she was stronger than he thought. Either that or she was simply in denial, repressing any bad emotions to remain in blissful ignorance. Unfortunately, the requests for double the offered essentials and male clothing were starting to point things in that direction…
He cringed to himself. 'That'll be a bad can of worms to open…'
"Well, well, well. There he is." Itami turned around, spotting three new figures standing nearby. They were all dressed in suits, while the one in the middle had a beige trench coat draped over him. "I'm Komakado from the National Defense Intelligence Headquarters. I'm here to make sure that you and your guests get to your destination in one piece."
His eyes narrowed at their freshly steamed suits and ties. "The Public Security Bureau sent you?"
"Was it that obvious? Well, I guess Japan's big hero wouldn't have any problems with figuring it out so quickly." The man smirked as he pulled out a tiny notebook from within his coat pockets.
He groaned at the mention of his heroic acts. "Ugh… it was just a coincidence. Anyone else would have done the same in my position."
"Well, you're not anyone else, are you? I did some digging on you, Itami. Ranked second to last in the basic officer candidate course, only managing to stay in because of the injury of a colleague, which forced him to drop out. They were satisfied with keeping you as a sub-Lieutenant, but you managed to anger your commander something fierce enough, that he decided to send you straight to ranger school. I'd have thought you'd have flunked it, but somehow you passed, barely. Then you were transferred to Narashino as second Lieutenant until Ginza, where our Minister of Defense promoted you to First Lieutenant, despite your muted protests against the idea."
Itami felt his teeth grinding as he briefly read his career history out loud to him. "Wow, you really did your research! You want a gold star?" He asked sarcastically as he clapped slowly.
Komakado laughed in apparent amusement, seemingly unperturbed by his response. "Salary thief, juvenile, underachiever, otaku. Those are just the highlights of your reputation in the Force. A ranger? Sure, I could possibly see that… but Special Forces?"
.
.
.
"... Huh? Wh-? But… Whaaat?!" The panicked cries of his Sergeant could be heard nearby.
He sighed in frustration. "Two gold stars I guess. It's simple logic anyway. Kick one lazy ant out of an army, another will take its place. Pretty obvious when you look at it that way."
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Graves giving him a strange look. A weird mix of disbelief, confusion, and humor? He couldn't exactly tell, but it was certainly much better than what he expected. At least he didn't look like he hated his work ethic, despite how surprising it may have seemed to many...
Graves cocked a brow up as he inspected him up and down. "You're saying the military needs more lazy soldiers? That's not exactly the most reassuring mentality I've heard from someone in Special Forces, Itami…"
"I guess you and the Colonel agree on something then. I tried to tell him that during my last ass chewing before he booted me off to Special Forces selection."
"You spent more energy and effort trying to backtalk your Colonel during a verbal beatdown to convince him that your laziness was acceptable?" Graves asked, looking bemused. It was certainly rare for a soldier to do such a thing, especially in the Japanese military… but it wasn't completely unheard of. "You've got some sort of backwards and twisted logic there, Itami."
"I guess I do… but maybe doing less is more?"
"Really now?" Komakado spoke up. "Then why have I heard about you staying behind to defend the trading city of Italica?"
"Look, I was assigned as an escort to our refugees, who simply wanted to do some trading. The city and its people were in trouble, and coincidentally, my unit just so happened to be there. That's all." There's an awkward pause where Itami fidgets uncomfortably with his tie. He tries to keep the frown off his face, but judging by the look on Komakado's, it doesn't quite work. Moments later, Itami's eyes widened in realization. "Wait a second, how do you know about that? Isn't Public Security more concerned with internal security issues? Last I checked Italica isn't in Japan, so it shouldn't matter to you."
He chuckled in response, "I do my research, Lieutenant. I think that deserves a third golden star, hmmm?"
Itami rolled his eyes, expressing just how unamused he was by the smug smile on Komakado's face.
Maniacal laughter nearby interrupted them. They both turned to find Kuribayashi, hunched over and grasping her head as she began having some sort of crazy episode. "Argh, no way! This idiot's not a ranger and Special Forces! I refuse to believe it! Someone please tell me that's not true! That's a lie, some sick and twisted unfunny joke!" She shook her body around in frustration, causing a commotion and causing everyone to stare at her. He began sweating nervously as he even eyed one of the Shadow Company mercs reaching for his holster, before another slapped his hand away with a disapproving look that basically shouted 'seriously?!'.
"Oh great, there she goes… Thanks Komakado, now I'm gonna have to deal with that for the rest of the trip now. She was in a good mood too."
"I don't get it," Lelei said from nearby. "If she believes the truth to be an unfunny joke, then why was she laughing beforehand?"
Rory put a hand on her shoulder. "It's how some people cope, you'll get it when you're in the same situation."
Komakado chuckled in amusement as he turned back to him.
"To be lazy in such a high ranking position? How very bold. I kind of envy you for it." He smiled before leaning forward as he got much more serious. "But don't try to rely on being reactive for too long, Itami. After all, it's one thing to have U.S. bases stationed here, but it's also another matter entirely to have even more foreign boots on our soil. Japan is risking a lot with mercenaries here, and as the one in charge of this operations' security, we will do what we must to protect Japan, okay?"
Itami found himself frowning as he glanced over at Graves and his men, "Let's hope it doesn't come to that then…"
[REDACTED] Ronin [REDACTED]
GINZA DISTRICT, TOKYO, JAPAN
NOVEMBER 8, 2022 - 10:24:36
"A bus… seriously? What is this, a field trip?" Bristol scoffed.
Ronin snorted. "Nah, we're on a contract in Tokyo."
"Oh yeah, real funny wise-ass…" Bristol said, flipping him off before gazing out the window. "You get what I mean though, right? We're badass guns for hire that get paid the big bucks, and we're sitting here packed into public transport like sardines in a tin?"
"I'd say more like tourists." He replied.
"Ronin, that goes without saying, because we're all tourists getting the tourist treatment." He turned to look at him sharply. "Cept for you and Viper, anyhow."
He rolled his eyes with a small grin. "Heh, then it's a field trip, and everyone's armed to the teeth."
"And what about it being packed?"
He found himself inspecting the seats around, several of them filled with fellow Shadows sitting idly by, all of which were probably either bored out of their minds as they looked out at the passing scenery, chatted with others, or were simply occupied with their own thoughts. The seats not taken by Shadows were instead filled with their JSDF escorts or the otherworlders. "There's still plenty of seats for all of us."
"Twenty four out of twenty five seats are taken, and that creepy goth girl has that big fuck off halberd in the seat next to her. Ain't no way am I askin' to sit next to her! Especially not after Graves went off on her…"
"Well, it's either that or you can be squashed back there with Carnival next to the crazy one."
Bristol turned to him in surprise. "Those lads are saddled back there with her?"
"Don't believe me? Take a look."
The two of them peeked their heads back over the seats behind them, finding Carnival's squad leader awkwardly rubbing slow circles against Sergeant Kuribayashi's back in an effort to comfort her during her mental breakdown. She was currently babbling on as she held her head in her hands, clearly still upset at the info revealed about her superior earlier.
"It can't be real, no way is it real, it's all a lie, a bad lie, a bad dream, a nightmare-"
"Shh-shh, it's okay, just relax for me. It'll get better soon, you just need time to process it, that's all." The operator looked up to his teammates for help. "Don't just sit there and stare at us, help me out here!" He hissed out.
"What exactly do you want us to do, sir? Ignore you?" One of his people asked. "You seem to be doing just fine on your own…"
"Hell no I'm not! Offer words of encouragement or something. Whatever will help to ease her mind!"
"And why exactly do we need to do that?"
"Hey, don't blame me if we wake up to find your throat slit as a result of her maniac episode. Plus, I hate seeing women cry or panic as badly as she is right now-"
"This again? Dude, you seriously need to-"
Bristol and Ronin sank back down into their seats looking at each other while Carnival squad argued in the back.
Ronin swallowed. "You think he's overreacting?"
The Brit grimaced in response. "Nah, she's off her fuckin' rocker, mate-"
"-Yeah, I hate interacting with people outside the company too-"
"-Poor bastards…"
Meanwhile, their foreign guests spoke up nearby, fascinated by every attention grabbing detail that caught their eyes. Some were excited enough to ask for more details on the different places they saw and their significance while others wanted to know about particular shops or restaurants.
"So many people are here."
"Maybe it's a market?"
"Or maybe a fair or a festival? Look over there." Tuka leaned forward as she pointed out the window to a passing Christmas tree "There's glowing ornaments decorating that tree."
"Perhaps they're good luck charms?" Pondered Rory.
Bristol looked out the window past him, squinting his eyes at the fake fir tree as the bus drove past. "A Christmas tree? Isn't it November right now? How early do you folk celebrate Christmas?"
Ronin shrugged his shoulders, "Don't look at me. I'm not the festive type."
The JSDF and the other Shadows watched the scene with mild interest while his eyes watched the road signs and landmarks, doing his best to commit as much of the path to memory and recall it if they needed to.
"Hey, this isn't the quickest path to the Diet, Lieutenant." Ronin pointed out to Itami. "What's up with that?"
"We're taking a slight detour!" He called back. "We can't exactly go to the Diet dressed in blue jeans now can we?"
Some of the operators, including Graves, looked back down at their pants.
"No thank you, Lieutenant. I think me and my Shadows are more than comfortable in the clothing we're currently working with. Besides, aren't the others wearing more… absurd… articles of clothing?"
He looked back towards Rory, whose eyes met his as she pouted slightly. "This is the Oracle's formal attire, thank you very much!"
Ronin could only imagine how weirded out Graves was feeling from her. It was like he was looking at a kid, which she technically was… as weird as it was to think about.
"I realize that my statement probably applies to nearly half of you all, but if I'm being honest, it's more about getting Tuka something warmer than what she currently has on."
He found his eyes trailing down her body and to her exposed midriff as she leaned forward to get a better view outside. "Yeah, I've noticed… She's practically wearing a crop top, and in this weather? You didn't have any larger sweaters for her?"
Itami shook his head. "No, we didn't. That's why we're going to a nearby clothing store to remedy that problem."
"Clothes shopping? Is this just a simple day out for us, Lieutenant? Shouldn't we be more focused on going to this big meeting that'll massively shake up your world's geopolitical climate? I'm fairly certain the girl can tough it out for a bit longer."
"Well technically, we're on a business trip until the summons."
Graves glanced at him. "And that is…?"
"Later in the afternoon. Don't worry, that'll give you plenty of time to plan ahead and for me to relax," He said. "Because I really need to…"
Ronin found himself nodding along, mostly uncaring about Itami's needs. "So a few hours of clothes shopping, and waiting around in order for things to start happening?"
"We'll also be seeing the sights for a bit and we'll even go out for food. I'm sure everyone here is hungry."
He turned to his boss, who was intently following along with the conversation. "What's the call, sir?"
"I don't know about you boys, but I think we deserve to treat ourselves every once in a while. I'm getting tired of MREs, field kitchens, and chow hall dining. If they're offering to pay…?" He asked, looking expectantly at Itami as he nodded back in confirmation. "Then sure, we'll fill our stomachs up. They're treating us hospitably, I see no reason not to do the same back."
"They better be the ones paying. I'm not even sure if my card works on this side of the gate…" He said in deep thought. "And what's wrong with the mess hall? Ours is leagues better than whatever slop they dropped onto our trays back when I was still in SDF service."
"Ain't nothin' wrong with it Ronin, but one gets tired of eating the same thing on repeat, week after week. Besides, I've had worse. I was on deployment when they rolled out the cheese and veggie omelet MREs way back when."
"Holy hell, you tried the vomelet?" Bristol asked. "Your poor stomach."
"Yep, once and never again. One of my many regrets in life… Now the best food I put in my body is whatever I whip up myself. That or takeout if I'm too lazy. Speaking of food, where exactly are you taking us, Lieutenant?"
"Firstly, a professional clothing store for Tuka, and then, a beef bowl restaurant. I'm sure you'll find that it's pretty good over here. It's a favorite of mine that I quite frequent myself."
Ronin found himself with a deadpan look on his face, "Gyudon? Seriously, Itami?"
"Am I missing something here?" Bristol asked, out of the loop of Japanese culture. "What's wrong with Gyudon?"
"It's like if I were to take you to Burger Town back in the states."
"Well hold on a minute. We only have a budget of five hundred Yen per meal, and We're feeding a pretty large party of people. That, and Gyudon is actually quality food that's leagues better than any old fast food chain you'd come across in the West. If I really wanted to take you guys to a burger place, I'd do it. We have them here." He finished explaining before giving them a questioning look. "Also, Burger Town? You mean Burger King?"
"King? How can one chain claim to be the king of burgers? Is it the only thing they have?"
"No, they serve other things too."
"I wouldn't mind a bacon cheeseburger and a milkshake right about now…" Vale mumbled quietly nearby.
Ronin shook his head. "How patriotic of you Vale… I'm surprised you even have the strength to lift up your rifle with no feeling in your cholesterol filled arms."
"American obese joke, yes I get it. You're the master of comedy here."
"You're not helping the stereotype, bro."
The vehicle came to a halt, causing Ronin to lean out and look down the aisle. Looking out the driver's window, he could see that they were currently parked at a traffic light, just a few minutes before they pulled into the underground parking garage near the center of the city and prepared to have their unexpected day out. The streets around them appeared full of people, which would help them to blend in as a large group of simple tourists completely ignorant to the customs of the land.
Because they were exactly that.
At least his squad wouldn't be taking obnoxious photos every thirty seconds and blogging about every tourist attraction that they'd come across. There was a limit to how in disguise he'd really act and the chances of someone coming out of nowhere with a gun aimed directly at one of them for whatever reason were much lower here…
Not impossible though…
It wasn't the most ideal situation, but it was exponentially safer than doing similar low profile fieldwork back in the Middle East, even if he secretly missed it sometimes. If it came down to it, he'd throw his pride away and make an idiot of himself for a few minutes if he really had to. That didn't mean that he'd like doing it though... and that said something, considering how hard he'd been trying to avoid going back since he left his home country.
Technically it wasn't really his Japan, but did it really matter? Tokyo was still called Tokyo here.
'Maybe I could act as the knowledgeable tour guide for the boys. As long as standard Japanese customs carry over, I should be fine.'
"So… you fella's got any kids?"
Everyone turned to the front, finding that the driver of the bus was the one that asked the question as he looked back. The rest of them stared back at him in silence, slightly unnerving the young man as nobody answered. He could handle it if it was his team, but they weren't. These were professional contractors, way out of his league.
"I got a little girl. Just throwing that out there. Figured we'd work better together if we connected… or not. Don't everybody speak at once." He chuckled nervously as they said nothing.
Maybe it's best that the cream of the crop doesn't mingle with someone like him. It appeared Itami felt the same, judging by his current cringing at the driver's attempt to involve themselves and make small talk.
Before things could get any more awkward, Bristol sighed, turning from the window beside him as he spoke up. "Nah, I could never settle down. Always on the move, busy with work, so why bother, y'know?"
He perked up, grateful that someone picked up on the conversation topic and gave him an out. "yeah! Yeah - no, I get it." He cleared his throat in a poor attempt to conceal his relief, which was immediately replaced with some sort of excitement at being able to interact with the strange men. "My wife and I have been married strong for about six years."
"Woah, six years? So how'd you and the missus meet?" Bristol asked, deciding to humor the young soldier as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a carton of cigarettes.
Ronin shook his head, "Have some consideration. Not in Japan, and definitely not in the seat next to me on the bus. You want everyone to smell like smoke everywhere we go?!" He hissed out.
The British man huffed, grumbling something about Japanese customs and city life to himself as he put the carton away.
The driver, meanwhile, rubbed the back of his head as he looked away, reminiscing about happier memories. "Met her back in secondary school when she dropped a stack of papers in front of me. Went to help her pick it up and then our hands touched. We made eye contact, blushed in embarrassment, you know, shy hormonal teen stuff. She was the most beautiful person I'd ever laid my eyes on, still is. We started hanging out during school, and then after school, until eventually one thing led to another, and then we asked each other out on a date. Like a cheesy love story."
"Exactly like a cheesy love story. How romantic!" Bristol laughed, pretending to show genuine care. "Tell me, did ya' both plan for the kid?"
"I wish! That's a big decision! Caught pretty off guard when it happened." He exclaimed before looking a little down. "Scarily enough, She was seven months pregnant near the Ginza district when the gate appeared, ground zero of the Empire's invasion. Thankfully, nothing happened to her and I got to hold my baby girl before crossing the gate."
"Well, that's lovely. Hopefully, this'll all blow over soon, and you can go back and see them both, yeah?"
"Hehe, yeah. Here's hoping!" He turned to look at the others before singling one out. "What about you, sir? Do you have any children?"
'Of all the people to ask, the kid asks the one person that clearly doesn't want to be bothered? Kid must be green as hell. I guess they just threw the first private that was eager enough to jump onto this assignment.'
Viper's head slowly looked away from the window to face the young Japanese soldier behind the steering wheel.
"Three." He answered plainly. "Don't know if I'll ever see them again…"
"Ah," He winced, before not so carefully asking, "Why's that?"
He looked resigned, simply shrugging his shoulders in silence.
.
.
.
His response effectively shut down any possible dry small-talk in the future, as their driver gulped in nervousness and turned away. It was clear that he didn't want to overstep any boundaries and make things even more awkward, so he just frowned at the road in front of him and kept to himself, only glancing up at the rearview mirror every once in a while as the red light turned green.
'Great, peace and quiet. But the methods used to achieve said results… could have been handled with a little more tact, V. Oh well... curiosity and cats never mixed well in the first place. His fault for pushing.' As he leaned against the back rest, he found his eyes roaming the bus to see if any one else wanted to comment on the awkwardness, before his eyes settled on Bozes nearby. Her attention was diverted from the window, avoiding the scene gazing in favor of staring at his mentor. She eyed Viper with a tiny frown on her lips, silent curiosity and pity very obviously written on her face. 'Don't let him see you like that. He'd hate the pity...'
Aside from the odd report from the radio and the interested oohs and ahs behind them, the inside of the bus was dead silent for the rest of the journey… for the most part.
"So are you all excited to be in Japan?"
"Oh, bloody fuckin' hell…"
Ronin found himself looking down at the ceramic bowl. It had been years since he'd stepped foot in a setting so much like his home country. The hushed conversation of others minding their own business, the calming music of the restaurant combined with utensils digging in, and now this God damned steaming bowl of chicken miso ramen sitting in front of him. Everything was so familiar, but also very alien at the same time. He felt like a middle class office worker using his nine to five lunch break to go eat at whatever cheap place he could afford that wouldn't break the bank. That life wasn't suited for him. He didn't work like that, so why would he treat himself like that?
The truth is, he never did. He never acted like he was the boring suit and tie, accompanied with the business briefcase, and stuck at a dead end job that would ultimately lead nowhere. He'd seen it happen to others, and he vowed to never become like them, no matter the cost.
Japan was a land of tradition, so he studied hard. Japan was a land of honor, so he joined the Special Assault Team. Japan was a land of warriors, so he served in the Japanese Self Defense Force.
Japan was also a land of change… so he joined the Yakuza.
It was… somewhat liberating, in a sense. He was able to do things before that he never thought possible, but the organization never did allow for complete freedom like he wanted. The strict code of conduct was holding him back, and the looks regular people would throw his way, especially at the myriad of intricate tattoos that covered his body, told him that he was doing something wrong. When he took a step back to look at the bigger picture, he realized why he was feeling this way. Simply put, he was an outcast, a dropout from a society that never conformed to include people like him.
Japan was a land of change… and so was the rest of the world.
When the states came under attack, he ultimately fled his ghosts, cutting off as many Yakuza ties as he could, and re-enlisted in the JSDF in the hopes that he'd see action. He never saw any… In hindsight, he honestly never knew why he expected to see any in the first place. They were a Self Defense Force, they never striked first. His teammates never agreed with him whenever he brought it up, always looking at him weirdly and doing their best to sit away from him in the mess hall. Ironically enough, the only one he could truly interact with that was similar to him in a way was the foreigner.
A professional expert, Viper served as the operational Advisor for Ronin's unit after the war broke out. He was hired on to train, evaluate, and organize the JSDF forces all while giving his two cents. His two cents being, "There's always room for improvement. Reset and we'll run it again!"
He would die happy if he never had to hear his mentor repeat those words to him ever again…
Despite the man's secluded nature to mostly keep to himself, Ronin found that he was the only one to break through the Westerner's walls. The two found themselves agreeing on the status quo very quickly, leading to the start of their long lasting friendship and a much shorter stint in maritime private security, which ended the moment they signed away their destinies to Graves' contract in that dark meeting room.
Japan was a land of change... so he joined the company of shadows.
"Arigotou gozaimasu... and uh, your people will be quiet about this, won't they?" Ronin quit glaring a hole into his food, looking up to find Itami speaking to the restaurant waiter behind the counter as he placed the bowls in front of him.
"Are you kidding me?" Asked the waiter with a massive friendly smile plastered on his face. "Of course we will. Do you have any idea how much the Japanese government paid me to reserve the entire restaurant for your group? Discretion is now my new middle name!" He exclaimed, laughing jovially.
"Well that's good to know." Itami sighed, popping the marble seal of his melon flavored Ramune soda. "Again, thanks for serving us by the way."
He bowed forward as he finished laughing. "No, thank you for your business. If any of you need anything, please don't be afraid to ask. I'll only be nearby."
Itami nodded at him as he looked back down to his food. He put his hands together before bowing forward slightly and saying, "itadakimasu," which his teammates replicated before cracking their eggs and mixing them into their bowls.
He watched as the waiter wiped his hands with a towel over his shoulder, before stepping behind the register and writing into a notepad nearby. Most likely just routine business expenses and taxes. Boring and simple life matters that never concerned people like him...
"Well he's certainly friendly."
"Huh?" He said, turning to find his squad leader sitting in front of him. "Oh… Vale?" Gone was the balaclava, goggles, or face paint that usually covered his face, allowing him to see the scars and sunken eyes which clearly held years of experience within them.
"Well yeah, unless you mean the other V in our squad?" He asked, gliding a hand across his face and along the scars that ran down it. "Am I really that unrecognizable? You and the boys have seen what I look like back at HQ."
"Obviously, but we don't often see it outside of the base."
"And for good reason. Not like I have much of a choice in walking around Tokyo all masked up though, right?"
"Well, there are some people who wear lower half surgical masks. Whether in concern of germs, allergies, or privacy." He explained. "I've even seen people walk around with them as fashion statements too. It's not that unusual if you were to be seen wearing one yourself."
"Really now? It's that common in Japan?" He nodded in response. "How come I don't see you wearing one then?" Vale asked, pointing the chopsticks at him briefly. Ronin cringed to himself, doing his best not to show offense.
"I don't have any of those problems, nor am I trying to make a fashion statement, which the waiter probably thinks our guests are doing… Also, we need to work on your Japanese dining etiquette."
"Why?" Vale asked before burping into his fist. "What'd I do?"
.
.
.
"Nevermind…"
"I have to say, for only my second time in Japan, it's been pretty good so far. Even if it's not technically ours and we're still on contract rather than a vacation." He glanced around the restaurant, eyes roaming across all the occupants currently seated inside. Sergeant Kuribayashi now seemed calmed down enough that she could sit next to her Lieutenant without freaking out about his past and their otherworld VIPs could be heard happily chewing nearby, holding the bowls up close and cooing with smiles as they stuffed their cheeks with delicious food while they enjoyed the new experience. "Weather's nice and the sights look pretty. I know that it's supposedly different, but does it remind you of home? I'd try and compare, but the resemblance is almost uncanny."
He found himself tensing in his seat. "... Unfortunately, yes…"
Luckily for him, Vale was able to read him pretty well. "Sensitive topic, got it. I understand though. Home is where the heart is. If you don't mind me asking… if this doesn't make you feel at home, then where is home for you?"
"Fieldwork and action, not… this!" He exclaimed, gesturing dramatically around him as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm out of my element... I don't feel alive..."
Vale cocked a brow up at him. "Woah there cowboy, you tellin' me that you're itching for a gunfight? Be careful what you wish for…"
"I didn't wish to be back in Japan again like this. It's kind of why I left in the first place…"
"What's wrong with the simple mundanities of a regular life?"
Ronin found himself facepalming before leaning forward and looking side to side to ensure that no one else heard him. "Vale, we signed on to a PMC that operates outside of the boundaries of regular militaries. We cut through red tape bureaucracy restrictions everyday, making us prime candidates for other foreign countries to hire us and do their dirty work. We've suppressed totally legal and legitimate political protests while also affecting third world elections though assassination jobs just for a fat paycheck. The amount of CIA blacksites I've gone to and prisoners I've waterboarded can't be counted by the fingers on both my hands anymore. I don't think a simple and mundane life is suited for any of us inside the company or even long after."
Vale stared at him with a frown on his face, simply nodding along at his words. "Way to bring the mood down…" He muttered, before looking down at his bowl while pointing at it with his chopsticks again (Much to Ronin's chagrin). "You gonna eat that?"
Ronin glanced down at it before looking back at him, disbelief written all over his face.
"It's gonna get cold soon-" Vale said, cutting through the momentary silence.
"I know it's gonna get cold soon! I don't need to be told this from someone who puts cheese on their Gyudon!"
"Hey, don't go judging me for my topping choices. Our Japanese escorts cracked raw eggs and put red ginger in theirs."
"And yet you want my chicken miso ramen?" He asked in annoyance.
"It doesn't seem like you do…"
Ronin opened his mouth to respond, before shaking his head and relenting. 'It's too early to be getting worked up like this...' He decided to humor him, pushing the broth filled bowl across the table and electing to instead drink the tea he had nearby rather than continue putting more effort in refusing him.
Vale laughed slightly as he watched him sip away, "Enjoying the tea?" He asked.
He shrugged in response. "I've had better."
"Ooh, don't let Bristol hear you say that. He'll start going off on a tangent that'll make our VIPs want to off themselves. Then we'd never hear the end of it from Graves..."
"Nah mate, he's right. This tea tastes like piss."
Their brows shot up their heads which snapped to the side to find their resident Brit sitting quietly at the table beside them.
"The fuck?! Bristol, how long have you been sitting there?!"
He looked at them both weirdly. "Since Vale sat down, why?"
'And I didn't notice you earlier?!'
"I find that very hard to believe…" Ronin said before glancing down at the menu in his hands. "What are you doing with that? We've already ordered."
"Getting another drink, what's it look like?" Bristol asked rhetorically. "You think they've got Gin here?"
"Bristol, it's a beef bowl restaurant. Do you honestly think that it's high end enough to be carrying alcohol for you to be drinking at eleven in the morning? Plus, Itami said we only had five hundred Yen per, you can't just be going over that-"
"Oh please," He interrupted. "You seen how much that Yanagida bloke handed him in that envelope, not to mention the price tag on that business dress for the elf-girl. I doubt everyone here went over the five hundred line, so I'm bettin' it's fine for me. If anything gets pricey, I'm sure he can just fork the bill over to National Defense again."
"Really taking advantage of their generosity here, Bristol…"
He peered at him from over the menu. "Isn't that the whole point?"
"To take advantage of the government's generosity?"
Bristol shrugged his shoulders. "Is there a problem with that? This time they're offering, and no one's forcing them to, sooo… yeah." He turned away from him to look around the restaurant, eyes settling on their server. "Hey, waiter!" He called out, loudly waving the man behind the counter over.
Vale looked indifferent, exhaling through his nose as he looked at Ronin. "What can ya' do?" He asked.
Ronin currently wanted to face plant onto the table in front of him... either that, or plant Bristol's face into it.
The latter was beginning to sound a lot more appealing...
Author's Notes:
Here, 11,000 words, because you're epic!
A more dialogue heavy chapter, but our Shadows are now in Japan, with Ronin awkwardly reacclimating to the land which he once called home all those years ago. A completely different world, but still Japan all the same, weird quirks and social etiquette included. Hopefully he can minimize any possible faux pas' that his teammates might cause by accident. Definitely not the time or place to be having any such blunders.
Rory's fascination with teasing Itami is still there but no longer as strong. Instead, she's become much more interested in / fascinated with Phillip Graves (Much to his annoyance). To her, both Itami and Graves are soldiers, but both representing two different sides of the same coin. She sees Itami as an emotional anchor with a clear conscience in wanting to help others and do good, even if he puts effort in showing that he doesn't want to be placed in such positions in the first place. Graves, on the other hand, is seen as her care free spirit, letting go of her inhibitions and going wild, uncaring of who truly gets in her way just to satisfy herself and Emroy. She'll be piggybacking from Itami to Graves, depending on who she feels like provoking that day. A demigoddess has to keep herself entertained somehow, and these two men seem like fun toys to her.
Itami doesn't see Shadow Company as "The suspicious contractors that are as morally gray as their uniforms" or simply "The intimidating bad guys". To be honest, I don't think he truly sees anybody as bad or evil. He doesn't strike me as the type, especially considering the fact that he doesn't really care most of the time (Too much effort to hate someone). But with that attitude comes complacency, which Komakado warns him about. Itami's not exactly getting chummy with them, but Komakado, from an outside perspective, can clearly see that he's slowly beginning to warm up to their presence, even if he doesn't realize it himself. Not a good idea for Japan's savior of Ginza to be seen co mingling with private contractors and all that jazz.
That'd really stir up a craze with the media, wouldn't it...?
Speaking of stirring up a craze, the Diet meeting is nearly here, which means that this worlds political climate is going to boil over when broadcasted live on national television.
The world has been set as a show stage, and Shadow Company is about to light it ablaze...