Regina poofed into Daimlon's office, a sheet of paper in hand. "Hey Daimlon, Just got word the helicopter was delayed by 45 minutes, so it'll be here in about 3 hours now." She said, pushing her glasses further up onto her face. She looked down at Daimlon who was busy writing across several sheets of paper.
He slowly looked up at her and nodded. "Alright, thank you. Gives me a little more time to pack… Is everything else running smoothly?" He asked, dropping his pen on his desk as he leaned back in his chair a bit.
"Well, the weather here is stable, but the weather on the way to Okinawa will be… A bit rough. Other than that everything is going well. The airfield should be finishing up in about an hour here and we'll be ready to receive the incoming aircraft." She said with a smile on her face.
The airfield took a long time to build, and it was a close call but they managed to get it done. It was a small strip just behind the construction yard and supply depot, further back into the island a few dozen yards. Unfortunately it wasn't large enough to host anything larger than the kanmusu sized aircraft and a few helicopters, maybe a small single engine lightweight plane but there just wasn't anywhere big enough for a large airstrip.
"Good, you got that aircraft order squared away, right? I want them to fly as soon as possible." Daimlon said, planting an ankle on his knee.
Regina smiled and nodded. "Yep, we have 3 Ki-27s ready right now, the remaining 9 will come online over the next three days." She said, pushing her glasses back up her face again.
"Not much, but at least it's a CAP." Daimlon commented as he looked down a bit. It would have to do until they got a more capable airframe, who knows when that would be though. He could have gotten more, but those resources were better spent elsewhere with how weak the Ki-27 was. Daimlon took a deep breath and refocused on Regina.
"Just remember if anything happens-" Daimlon began, but soon found himself being cut off.
Regina just smiled and chuckled slightly as she spoke. "Send you a message, I know I know. You don't need to be so nervous, we'll be fine." She stated. It was nice to have him care that much but he shouldn't feel worried while he's supposed to be attending this meeting.
Daimlon just sighed. "Right." His thoughts wandered a bit, he didn't like leaving his base in such a vulnerable state. Defenses were still meagre at best and if the Abyssals found them and sent a strike large enough, they could torch the place. The air was their biggest weak spot right now.
"Alright, just wanted to give you that update. Gotta get back. I trust you and Asashio will be ready to go?" Regina added to fill what would otherwise be an uncomfortable silence.
"I'm ready, just need to wrap up these final reports so I don't walk into the meeting empty handed." Daimlon said as he looked over his reports intended for the other Admirals to bring them up to speed with what has been happening and what his plans are.
Regina just looked at him for a moment, as she expected some kind of response on Asashio. "And what about Asashio?" She asked, pushing her glasses up on her face again.
Daimlon just shrugged, and let the silence sit for a moment. "I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet she was ready to leave before I was." Daimlon said. She usually took care of things right away, she didn't exactly let things sit.
Regina tilted her head as she raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, probably… Anyway, I'll see you in a bit Daimlon!" She said with a smile, and she was gone just mere moments later, disappearing in that cloud of white vapor as usual.
Sitting at his desk, he thought for a bit about how things would go. It'd be a long, unpleasant flight but at least they'd get there on time.
Yahagi stepped out of the Mess Hall after finishing her lunch, and into the hot, humid air of the Pacific. As usual, she found herself bored out of her mind, there was absolutely nothing to do on base. As she looked up into the sky, she heard the faint hum of an engine. She spotted three aircraft loitering above the base, sort of in an arrowhead shape. Ever since the airfield finished the base wasn't as quiet as it once was. Though it wasn't loud, it ruined the calming atmosphere of the waves crashing on the docks and the breeze of a warm day. A constant reminder that they were, at the end of it all, not far from the enemy.
But as she looked up at the sky, she noticed that the clouds and lighting looked… Somewhat unique today. Large, puffy and with the light gleaming through, it was rather pretty. She took a moment to go back to her room, fetching a book and a pen before returning outside. She took note of Shigure, Fubuki, Kisaragi, Maikaze, Furutaka and Lilly horsing around outside as they usually did, keeping themselves occupied. Shouts and laughter pierced the air as Yahagi walked over to the ramp on the Docks that lead down to the water.
Yahagi took a few steps down the ramp before sitting down. Removing her shoes and socks, she slowly dipped her legs into the warm water, up to her knees as she laid back on the hot concrete. She silently cursed herself for not grabbing a towel or something. Grabbing her book and pen, she flipped to a fresh page and planted the book on her stomach as she stood it straight up, holding it up with one hand. With her other hand she brought the pen to bear, and glanced up at the clouds above her.
As she laid back on the Docks and sketched the scene in front of her, she wondered if this is what normal people might do. If this is what a day at the oceanfront might look like? The sound of seagulls, waves, kids playing, minus the sound of fighter planes overhead of course. The smell of salt in the air and the warm sun on her skin. What did it even mean to be normal? This was normal for them, after all. Though her thoughts dwelled on such topics, it did not interrupt her concentration on her drawing as she carved another cloud into her drawing.
She looked her drawing over as it neared the halfway mark and suddenly she realized it just wasn't very good. She kept going anyway, but something was just nagging at her.
Would she ever see a normal day? Out in the middle of the Pacific with no one to turn to but her comrades, sent to do what even the most modern military hardware couldn't, all to preserve what? The very people who were dictating her life? Could she even say she had a life? What was she?
She thought back to after the attack on UG. She defended her choice to dump the torpedoes of her small squad into the enemy, but at the end of the day… Daimlon, while admitting the torpedoes may have been necessary given the situation and thus letting her off the hook, also underlined how important it was to obey orders. She felt as though she had no free will, she had no use of judgment and there was no flexibility. And it seemed like no one else took issue with it.
Glancing over to the others as they played, throwing a large ball around, her eyebrows furrowed with curiosity. Did they feel it too? Were they just putting up a front and hiding it? Or did they not feel the same way?
Yahagi watched as Shigure was hit in the face with the ball, stumbling her. A few burst into laughter as Furutaka walked up and put a hand on her shoulder, wearing a smile as she did. Shigure rubbed her face a bit but looked back to Furutaka and smiled as she scratched her head.
What was the endgame? Would they even be allowed to live after they won?... If they won?
She glanced down and stretched her hand out in front of her face, blocking the sun overhead. These weren't exactly new thoughts, but why were they bothering her so much today? She had so many questions, and felt like she knew so little.
"Hey, is everything okay?" A voice asked from behind her. Tilting her head up, Yahagi knew who it was even before laying eyes on her.
Looking up to the small figure floating above her, Yahagi spoke up at the black haired fairy. "I guess, Nonna. Just thinking." She said in a somewhat quiet voice as she kept her hand stretched out in front of her face, returning her gaze to it.
Nonna floated down to sit on the ground next to her. "What about? I've got plenty of time now that the airfield's done." Nonna said with a smile on her face.
Yahagi finally let her hand drop back down to rest at her side, grabbing the pen. She knew something wasn't right, she wasn't like the others in so many respects. It couldn't just be a coincidence, she could almost feel how alone she really was. Gripping her pen, Yahagi went back to her drawing as she thought about what to say, or if to say anything. She knew what might happen if she spoke up, but she also had no intention of always feeling this way.
"Gotta say, you're pretty talented. How long did it take you to draw that?" Nonna asked, hoping to fill the awkward silence as she examined the drawing for a bit.
"About fifteen, twenty minutes… I don't know, I wasn't keeping track." Yahagi said as she stopped to look at the picture that was still in progress.
"Mmm.. So what's on your mind?.. If you want to talk about it, that is." Nonna said, wanting not to lose sight of her attempt to allow Yahagi to open up a bit.
Yahagi took a deep breath as she let the drawing book fall flat against her thighs. She then looked to her side and straight at Nonna. "I think I'm... defective." She said, with a flat and serious tone and expression.
Nonna just tilted her head, a visible question mark on her face as she scrunched her eyebrows. "What?" She asked with a bit of a chuckle. "I think I'd know by now if you were. What's made you think that?" Nonna asked, curious where this was coming from.
Again, Yahagi sighed as she sat up, and looked back over to the group playing around. "I'm not like them. Am I really the only one who questions what I'm doing here, why I'm here, what's going to happen to me? That I feel like I have no free will, no ability to express myself?" Yahagi said, venting a bit as she felt a bit nervous.
Nonna was taken aback by her words, and offered none in return initially. It wasn't unheard of, but it was quite rare. Finally, after a drawn out silence, Nonna spoke. "Do you feel as though you don't understand why you're fighting the Abyssals?" She asked. She had to confirm it first, but based on that alone she had an idea of what was going on.
Yahagi just turned and nodded at her. "I guess? I get why I'm fighting but, I don't get why I should. I can't help but feel like… I'm not me. What is 'me' anyway? I mean, I feel okay most of the time but, sometimes it just bugs me." She said as she looked at her hand again. Though the way Nonna asked the question did make her more nervous, clearly Nonna had something.
"Yahagi, I need you to be perfectly honest with me when I ask this. Okay?" Nonna said, stressing the significance of this.
Yahagi just nodded. She knew it, she was 'defective' after all. To what extent she wasn't sure, but she felt it.
"Do you feel loyal to the Japanese Navy?" She asked.
Again, there was an uncomfortable silence. But Yahagi knew it was important to be honest. "Only by circumstance… I have nowhere else to go, but…" Yahagi said, trailing off a bit. "It's difficult to explain. But I guess I just wish I were somewhere else, doing something…. I don't know, I don't understand. It just doesn't mean anything to me. I'm willing to fight, but only because what's the alternative?... There is none." She said, struggling with the feelings inside of herself. Her head pounded as she tried to rationalize it all.
Nonna was confident enough now. She smiled at Yahagi, hoping to reassure her as she placed her small hands on her shoulder. "Well, I'll have to run more tests to verify it, but you might be slightly defective. If I'm right, it's… Minor, depending on your perspective. It's called One Way Dissociation. Or OWD for short." Nonna explained.
Yahagi shifted a bit as she thought for a moment. "I'd rather not hear anything until you're certain…" She said softly, looking down at the book resting on her thighs. Her brows were furrowed as she only further questioned everything as she tightened her lips together.
Nonna floated up in front of her face, Yahagi's eyes training to meet her. Nonna had a smile on her face. "Sure. But I want to let you know if it is OWD, then it's a minor issue and it's not worth scrapping you over. Why don't you stop by the construction yard in a few hours? I'll run a series of tests on you. I'll have to put you to sleep and run diagnostics for a little over a day, but we can get to the bottom of it." Nonna asked, trying to be as cheerful as possible. It was unfortunate, and though defects in kanmusu were exceptionally rare, with about a 0.09% occurrence rate, it did happen. In fact, if she were indeed confirmed to be defective, Yahagi would be the first defective Japanese kanmusu ever.
"In fact, it's so minor I would personally say it's not a defect. It's just a slight disruption, no permanent damage or incapabilit-" Nonna continued to explain, but Yahagi interrupted her.
"Not until you know for sure, please." Yahagi reaffirmed. she understood Nonna was trying to cheer her up a bit. But still, it never felt good to be told you were just born flawed.
Nonna just smiled nervously. "I'm sorry. So in the Yard in a few hours? I need to run this by Daimlon first." She asked, hoping to move on.
Doing nothing but nodding in response, Yahagi picked up her book and laid back down as she gazed up at the clouds and kept drawing. The scene had changed by now, but she could see it clearly in her head what she was drawing.
"Great. I'll see you later then." Nonna said warmly with a smile. She was a bit nervous about her, but then again.. Yahagi always came off as a rather independent and collected individual, she would likely be fine.
"I'm about 85% certain." Nonna said, as she floated in Daimlon's office, making her report to him.
Daimlon and Asashio sat in their seats as they listened. They looked at each other with rather serious faces. Daimlon turned back to Nonna. "So what's wrong with her?" He asked, sitting forward in his seat.
"I can't say for sure until I run my diagnostics, but uh.." She said as she paused, wondering how best to explain it. Finally she turned to Asashio. "Asashio, if I could ask how you feel about Japan, and fighting for it?" She asked, more to make a point than anything.
Asashio looked to the side for a moment, taken off guard by the sudden question. But she replied in due time. "I feel that I'm doing what I have to in order to defend my homeland, so that I might see it for myself one day. And when we win, live there peacefully. I'm fighting for the many who otherwise can't fight this threat, and I'll do whatever I have to." She explained, her feelings naturally rolling off her tongue. A strong sense of conviction was laced into her words.
Nonna just motioned toward Asashio as she looked at Daimlon. "Asashio feels this way because she feels connected to Japan because she sees herself as a person from Japan, which is true. Yahagi doesn't see it that way. Every kanmusu feels similarly, though not identically, to how Asashio does. But Yahagi feels no loyalty or desire to fight. It's imprinted upon kanmusu to feel this way, to ensure that they always fight as effectively as possible and to help them accept their role." Nonna explained to Daimlon and Asashio both.
Daimlon shook his head slightly as he furrowed his eyebrows. "So her motives are in question? I have to be honest, I'm not exactly picking up what you're putting down." He asked Nonna. He glanced at his watch, knowing that time was running out before the helicopter arrived.
Nonna took a deep breath. "I can't say for sure, like I said but… How severe of a defect it is depends on how you view it. Basically, there was a glitch in the imprinting process during her construction. So where someone like Asashio wasn't necessarily told how to feel, she was given the information necessary to reach a conclusion and feel strongly about it. Yahagi is missing that information that allows her to connect with her human side." Nonna explained. It then dawned on her how to go about with the rest of her explanation.
She summoned a small diagram, roughly the same size as she was and floated it next to her, demonstrating visually what she was talking about. "It's called One Way Dissociation because they feel disconnected with who they are in either their kanmusu form, or their human form. I believe Yahagi is disconnected from her human form based on what she told me. She'll fight hard and feel fine when on a sortie, but she does not feel like she is Japanese, she does not feel human, and she will see herself more as a weapon to be wielded instead of as a person." Nonna explained, exhaling heavily as she finished her explanation. "I think. It materializes in varying ways, and it's hard to know right now." Nonna added, it wasn't going to be perfectly clear until later.
Daimlon pinched the bridge of his nose as he sighed. He was just getting all the problem ships, wasn't he? "So, what's the solution? She needs to feel like one of us, that's just depressing that she doesn't." He said. Now that he thought about it, something was always a bit off with her, even during their meeting. She always seemed a bit… Detached, or distant… Like she was just sort of there so to speak. It made sense now.
"Well, until we can identify what's missing and what she's actually feeling, nothing. And depending on how much is missing, it could take a while to help her build her sense of identity. But it's a problem that can be solved with time and effort." Nonna explained with a smile. She was confident that Yahagi wasn't going to be an issue for too long, and she was happy to see that the first defect she came across was something fixable and relatively minor. "But I would suggest suppressing this information. It's rather stigmatized to be labelled as 'defective' for a kanmusu." She added, genuinely believing that OWD shouldn't even be considered a defect.
Daimlon sighed again as he leaned back in his chair. "Right, keep it under wraps in that case. Run your diagnostics and we'll continue with this after I return." He instructed as Nonna's diagrams poofed away.
"Understood. I'll make sure you have a full report waiting for you when you return." Nonna said professionally as Daimlon stood from his seat, stretching a bit.
Sighing slightly from his stretch, he then looked at her. "Thanks Nonna, I'm glad someone knows what's going on." He said with a smirk on his face. He reached down and grabbed his bag. Mirroring him a bit, Asashio slipped her arms through the straps of her backpack as it rest on the chair behind her, and stood up.
"Don't worry, like everyone else I just pretend." Nonna said, laughing a bit as she finished.
Daimlon glanced over to Asashio as she pressed her uniform and adjusted her skirt a bit. Just what was it that they thought and felt? He couldn't help but wonder what went on in their heads, if they really were just like regular people, or something different. How much of it was forced on them? He turned his gaze away from her before stepping out into the middle of the office. "Well, time to get going. They should be here in just a few minutes." Daimlon noted.
"So how long is the flight?" Asashio asked, a sense of nervous tension prevalent in her voice.
"About seven and a half hours. It's a bit of a stretch." Daimlon said as he took his time going down the steps.
A few moments of silence interspersed with the noise of footsteps expired before Asashio spoke again. "Wait, so the pilots have already been flying for seven hours just getting here?" She asked, unsure how to feel about flying for so long.
"I'm not sure where they're coming from. It's possible they're from somewhere closer." Daimlon responded as he reached the front entrance to the HQ. Pushing the door open he stepped out onto the concrete and looked around. To his surprise, almost everyone was outside in a group, talking amongst each other. After a quick count, only Yahagi and Akebono weren't present.
Naganami noticed first, and waved at him. The group turned their attention to him and walked over to him, quite a few with smiles on their faces. "Running away from us already?" Sendai called out first.
"No, he's running away from you." Naganami quipped with a smile.
Daimlon couldn't help but smile himself. "Relax, I'm just gonna be gone for a few days." He said as they all took a spot near him. Though he did notice Jintsuu kept her distance a bit more than the others, she did have a slight smile on her face too.
"I hope you make it there safe." Furutaka said warmly, a smile that was just as warm across her cheeks.
"I hope so too, Commander." Fubuki said softly, clutching her arms together. Kisaragi chimed in with a similar statement as well shortly after.
Maikaze stepped in front of him and looked straight up at Daimlon. "I wanna go too!" She said.
Daimlon raised his arms, trying to calm the crowd as they instantly barraged him. "Sorry, only room for two on this trip." He said with a smirk.
Sendai stepped up this time, taking on a deeper and more rugged tone as she started acting up as usual. "Well, I'm just glad that you've decided to resign and make me Admiral, it's about time I got some recognition around here. Now go on, and never come back." She said in a smug fashion, laughing as she finished.
"In your dreams." Daimlon said with a laugh. "I would appoint the fish in the harbor Admiral before you." He joked back at her.
He'd made some efforts in the past few days to connect with the girls working under him, and he definitely felt a bit better about the relationship he had with them now. He was definitely glued to his work too much, they were…. An interesting bunch to say the least.
Shigure quietly walked up to Asashio and spoke with her on the side as the larger group continued to act out. "So, are you scared?" Shigure asked, looking at Asashio.
Asashio perked an eyebrow. "Of?" She asked.
"Flying." Shgure clarified, wearing that same slight smile she usually did.
Asashio just scratched her head. Yes, she was terrified. She would rather sail there. "A little, but only because I've never… Flown before, you know?" She said, shifting about a bit as she thought for a moment.
Shigure nodded at her. "Yeah, I'm kind of glad I get to stay here." She said, laughing nervously.
It was then that a distant, deep noise could be heard. A constant drumming that broke every conversation, demanding attention. For most it was the first time they'd heard such a noise, but Daimlon recognized it as the sound of the helicopter approaching. It grew louder and louder.
"Is that it?" Lilly asked, running out a bit further to look around.
"Yep, that's it." Daimlon replied. It was only then that he could also hear the drone of engines accompanying it, a lot of them.
Most ran to follow Lilly, but a few joined Daimlon in simply walking until finally it came into view. Still out over the water beyond the walls of the harbor, it was quickly approaching, and growing louder by the second. Dotting the skies beside and above it, Daimlon saw it's rather healthy fighter escort break off and begin descending as they maneuvered toward the airfield. The fighters were small, kanmusu sized but incredibly quick and nimble.
The helicopter, a UH-60J, descended as well as it flew past the walls of the harbor, the downwash disturbing the otherwise calm water below. Daimlon placed a hand on his hat to keep it from flying off as he started walking over to the airfield. It had a dark blue paint scheme, with a lighter blue on its underbelly. Complete with the red emblem on the side of its tail. It had large external fuel tanks on either side of the main chassis and a refuel probe extending from the right side of the chin.
Asashio followed behind, as did most of the girls but most couldn't peel their eyes away. As it flew directly overhead a few shouted as the downwash blew their hair and clothes about rather aggressively. They each felt the beat of the rotors deep in their chest, the drone of the engine was nearly deafening as it shook their very bones.
It wasn't long before the pilots had maneuvered over to the airfield, finding a nice spot to tuck it away next to the shoddy hangar building as the fighter escorts landed in pairs on the small dirt runway before running off to the side taxiways themselves. Fairies could be seen running about with gas lines as they refueled both the helicopter and the fighter escort as quickly as possible, engines still running.
As the group approached, the side door of the blue helicopter opened, and out stepped one man. He was in flight gear, probably the crew chief. The crew chief walked around a bit, completing a few tasks as he went.
Daimlon stopped about a hundred feet before the helicopter, turning to the girls behind him. He shouted to make sure that he could be heard, though the noise of the helicopter wasn't as bad anymore. "I'll be back soon, make sure you behave yourselves! If anything happens, get a hold of Regina, she'll take care of you!" Daimlon shouted, his hand still planted firmly atop his hat.
"Stop nagging and get going!" Sendai shouted, a smile on her face as her hair fluttered behind her.
Daimlon just smirked. Shigure had stuck close to Asashio during this time as they chatted quietly back and forth. Finally, Shigure embraced Asashio as she leaned in and spoke into her ear. "I'll see you when you get back." Shigure said softly as the two embraced, their hair still whipping about slightly.
Asashio returned her hug, but soon got used to it and relaxed into the hug. "Yeah, I'll tell you all about it." She said back as she spoke into Shigure's ear.
Finally the two broke as they smiled at each other.
Daimlon felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned to look at the crew chief standing behind him. "It's time to go, Sir!" He shouted, motioning toward the helicopter.
Daimlon then stood and turned to face him, ready to follow him. But he felt a tug behind him. Of course it was Shigure, with her arms outstretched a bit. He couldn't say no and quickly turned to give her one too. "See you later, I'm trusting you to keep Sendai in line while I'm gone, okay?" He said, speaking to her.
"I'll try my best. Have a nice trip, Commander." She said softly in his ear. With that, she stepped back and gave him a soft smile.
Finally done with his goodbyes, he turned toward the helicopter. He looked to the side at Asashio, and urged her to go first as they neared the aircraft.
As they neared the doors, the crew chief led them to the door. Asashio stepped up first, the downwash wreaking havoc on her hair. "Watch your step!" The crew chief shouted as he offered a hand to Asashio to help her embark.
She took it and climbed in, finding a seat on the opposite side next to the window in the back. Daimlon joined her, sitting beside her as they both set their bags in the cargo stash beneath their seats. Daimlon buckled into his seat and removed his hat, taking a deep breath.
Looking over, he saw Asashio struggling with the four point harness, unsure of how to fit it all together. It was unlike anything she'd seen up to that point. Unbuckling his own seat, Daimlon knelt down in front of her and started to buckle it together for her. Asashio could feel her cheeks burn for a couple reasons, but mostly embarrassment as Daimlon helped her.
It took a few seconds as Asashio leaned back to let him work, but finally she was buckled in. He gave her harness a quick tug to make sure it was tight. He glanced up at her and gave a brief smile before sitting in his own seat and buckling in again.
A few minutes passed as they sat in the helicopter before the crew chief finally boarded. He handed both Asashio and Daimlon a headset and plugged them in. He then worked over to the door, kneeling down as he slid the door closed, locking it shut. "Check your mics." The crew chief stated as he then worked his way over to his passengers, tugging on everyone's harness as he passed by them. He quickly went back to tending to various parts of the helicopter.
"Loud and clear." Daimlon said over the radio. He adjusted the volume knob on his headset as he spoke.
"I can hear you." Asashio said meekly, unsure of what to say as she adjusted her hair trying to make it look like less of a mess. It was all so new and unfamiliar to her. It made her feel extremely uneasy as the gravity of what she was about to do sank in.
Asashio looked around the inside of the helicopter, barely big enough to stand up in even with her shorter size, an open floor and various objects and wires peppering the walls. A first aid kit was about the only thing she recognized, everything else was… Helicopter.
A new voice chimed in over the radio, probably one of the pilots. "See that? We're gonna have to go around that on the way." He said.
Another voice spoke up, this time the pilot in the left seat as Asashio saw his lips moving as he looked over at a tablet in the other pilot's hand. "Yes sir, I'll notify Unicorn we'll be late." He stated.
"Tell them.. Twenty minutes. We'll be cutting it close." The pilot in the right seat said before turning around. "We're gonna hit a weather system a little before we get there. We'll avoid what we can but it's gonna be a bit rough." He said, looking directly at Daimlon.
"Right. Just do what you can." Daimlon replied professionally. He already understood very well where he stood with regular military, enlisted and officer alike.
The pilot then shifted his eyes over to Asashio. He simply looked at her for a few moments. "Don't worry, it won't be too bad. We'll try to make it as smooth as we can. There are airsick bags under your seat if you feel nauseous." He said before turning to face forward again.
"We're clear." The crew chief said as he finally settled in and stopped moving around.
With almost no hesitation, the pilot spoke as the engine whirred and the aircraft shook slightly. "Off we go." He said. The floor lurched as they lifted off and immediately started to circle around. Asashio got a good look at the base from overhead, seeing the small crowd beneath them waving. She already didn't like it. She wanted to go back.
The pilots chattered back and forth as within minutes they'd cleared away from the island they called home, and set off on their journey. The fighter escort that followed formed up on them in a protective screen in all directions, and Asashio looked up nervously at Daimlon, then back out the window as she felt her stomach churning and her heart beating faster.
In her room, Jintsuu finally laid back. She took a deep breath as her eyelids felt heavy, her heart thumping in her chest. She was hot, sweaty and exhausted. Everything ached as usual, but she would finally have a day off tomorrow. Yuu was relentless in her training regimen, the only break she got was to see Daimlon off. She wasn't sure how much more she could take.
Sitting up she removed her socks and examined her feet. They were red, irritated and had a few swollen, ugly blisters on them. They pained her more than anything else. She heaved a sigh as she rubbed her feet softly, massaging them a bit to relieve the pain. And right on time, there was a knock on her door. She already knew who it was, and that she didn't need to say anything.
The door soon swung open and in walked Sendai. "Hey. You doing okay?" She asked, checkin in on her sister as she usually did.
Jintsuu just shook her head gently as she sighed. "I guess." She said quietly.
Sendai took a few steps in after closing the door behind her. Her attitude was rather serious as she spoke to Jintsuu again. "Feet still bothering you?" She asked.
Jintsuu nodded.
"Can I see?" Sendai asked as she knelt down close to Jintsuu.
Though she wouldn't reply, Jintsuu would just extend her legs out toward Sendai as she sat on the floor. Sendai just picked her feet up and looked at them. After a few seconds of Sendai looking them over, she spoke up. ".. I don't know Jintsuu.. It kind of looks like these blisters have gotta go." She said, prodding at one to have Jintsuu pull her foot back in pain.
"You think so?" She asked quietly. She already knew as much, but she was just… So exhausted, it didn't matter to her at this exact moment.
"I think so… I'll have to ask someone who knows better but…" Sendai said before trailing off for a bit. It didn't take her long to come to a solution in her head. "Tell you what, go get washed up and I'll take care of them for ya." She said with a smile on her face.
Sighing once again, Jintsuu pulled her feet away from Sendai. "..Alright." She said quietly as she stood up again. It was slow, painful and uncomfortable as she stood on her bare feet. Just as slowly, she walked her way over to the bathroom. Sendai just sat there watching her struggle until finally she made it, and closed the door behind her.
Taking a moment to exhale, Sendai lamented the whole situation. Ever since she started her training, Jintsuu had been drained of energy every day, and was rarely seen. She felt worried, and just missed hanging out with her sister like they used to. She missed her sister in general. She contemplated talking to Yuu and seeing when she might ease up a bit, but for now…
Sendai stood and headed out the door, looking for either Nonna or Regina.
Finally finished, Jintsuu stepped out of her bathroom in fresh pajamas. Sendai was sitting at her table looking over at her. There was a host of equipment sprawled out on the table, all of it medical. "Come, sit." Sendai said with a smile. She shuffled over next to Jintsuu's futon, and pat the futon with her hand.
Jintsuu slowly walked over to her futon before crawling onto it. Sendai brought her supplies next to her as she took up a spot near Jintsuu's feet. "Alright, let's see here." Sendai said as she picked up Jintsuu's feet, examining them again.
Jintsuu did question if Sendai was the person she wanted treating her feet, but she had no desire to stop her.
There was a knock at her door, grabbing the attention of both Sendai and Jintsuu. Sendai just glanced over to Jintsuu, and she just slowly nodded at her.
"Come in!" Sendai shouted.
The door opened. Stepping through the door in her own set of pajamas, hair still noticeably damp, was Yuu. "I just wanted to make sure you're feeling okay, and give you an update." She said softly. For the first time in over a week, she didn't speak to Jintsuu as an authority figure, but as she used to.
There was a bit of an awkward silence as Sendai grabbed a few items and kept examining her feet. Yuu walked over by Sendai and took a look for herself. "I must say that your progress is great thus far. And I understand if you feel bitter towards me, but I hope that you understand I'm not against you." Yuu said in her usual soft, relatively monotone voice.
Though Jintsuu did feel somewhat bitter, she didn't dislike her or feel ill towards her. She just questioned why she was so unforgiving and tough on her. She knew it was nothing personal, but to treat her the way she has for the past week, and then suddenly want to be friendly? It just rubbed her the wrong way a bit.
"I know." Jintsuu replied softly as she glanced over to Sendai, who was still trying to assess her blisters.
Yuu leaned down next to Sendai, taking a closer look at Jintsuu's feet. Sendai shifted over a bit to create some distance.
"Your feet are worse than I thought…" Yuu said, trailing off a bit.
Sendai felt uncomfortable with the situation in the room, sensing Jintsuu's discomfort as well. But she tried to stay focused on her task. Despite Regina's best explanations, it was hard to tell which blisters should be drained and which ones should be left alone.
Perhaps sensing this, Yuu reached over and pointed to her feet. "These ones should be drained, I think…" She continued professionally.
Sendai glanced up at Jintsuu again. The tension she felt was just obnoxious. But Jintsuu returned her a slight nod. Respecting her sister's wishes, Sendai spoke up. "How can you tell? It.. All looks pretty much the same to me." She said.
Yuu knelt down next to Sendai and pointed again at the base of her big toe. "See how that one is large, and it's in a high friction area? It won't go away by Monday, so it needs to be drained." She said before pointing to the side of the arch of her foot. "This one is smaller, and there won't be as much friction here so leave it for now." She advised rather professionally. "I assume you know how to do it, right?" Yuu asked, looking at Sendai.
Sendai gave a slight gulp. "Yeah, Regina gave me a step by step I just.. Wasn't sure what to look for really." She replied before grabbing the lance. She brought it to bear against the largest of Jintsuu's blisters and pierced it. Jintsuu pulled her foot back in reaction, sucking her teeth as she winced.
Yuu stood up and walked over to Jintsuu before kneeling again. "So, here's the plan. Next week is going to be much the same as this week was. But after that I'll have you shift away from physical training and move on to the more.. Practical side of training." She explained. Jintsuu looked over at her, listening to what she was saying.
"You will still run and do physical training, but not as much. To give you some advice, wear two pairs of socks to help prevent blisters and soreness. It'll reduce the amount of friction on your skin." Yuu continued as her long, bright hair flowed in front of her body.
Jintsuu winced and groaned with pain as Sendai applied pressure to drain the fluid from her blister. But she turned back to Yuu, looking at her. "Okay… I'll do that." Jintsuu replied. She felt a sense of relief wash over her as Yuu explained she'd only be enduring this for another week. She could make that much, she had a goal now and she would reach it. It renewed her spirits a bit.
Yuu just looked her up and down as if appraising her, a few moments of silence interrupted by Jintsuu's groans of pain as Sendai kept working. Lance, drain, disinfect, bandage.
"You're doing well, keep it up." Yuu said before standing up again.
Her praise would have meant more if she wasn't so exhausted and her whole body wasn't aching. But she at least recognized what Yuu was trying to do. Having done what she came to do, Yuu walked over to the door and put a hand on the handle before pausing.
She turned to look at Jintsuu for a moment. "And seeing as your feet are so bad, I'm giving you Monday off. Rest well, and let me know if you need anything." Yuu said in her signature tone of voice. With that said she opened the door and walked out, returning to her room for the night.
A silence fell between Sendai and Jintsuu as Sendai bandaged another blister, moving on to the last one that Yuu pointed out. Jintsuu took a deep breath as she felt any animosity she felt for Yuu from the past week slowly fade away. Perhaps she wasn't as cold and heartless as she thought. The silence hung for a bit longer.
But Sendai was not known for silence. "I hope you know that you're not leaving your futon tomorrow." She stated.
"I don't think I'd be able to anyway…" Jintsuu commented quietly. Though her feelings toward Yuu had changed, her feelings toward the training had not.
Placing her final bandage, Sendai smiled at the pair of bandaged feet before her. "There, finished." She said proudly as she started putting everything away. Over the next few minutes Sendai would tidy everything up, washing her hands and putting everything back on the table.
Jintsuu watched as a familiar feeling welled up within her, one she recognized too well. She just felt…
Finishing up, Sendai walked next to Jintsuu and knelt down. "Alright, get some rest. I'll be along tomorrow to take care of you." She said softly with a smile.
Jintsuu nodded back to her, a soft expression on her fatigue-laden face. She swallowed a nervous gulp as the feeling came on stronger.
Sendai stood and started walking to the door. "Goodnight Jintsuu."
Jintsuu tracked her sister as silence fell in the room again, tracing her all the way to her door. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. "Sendai." She said.
Naturally, Sendai stopped and looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
Her eyes shifting side to side nervously, Jintsuu spoke softly. "Stay... Please."
A bit surprised, Sendai's response was delayed. "Yeah, sure. Everything okay?" She asked as she took a step away from the door.
Jintsuu just nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat. It took everything she had in her to admit it. But she didn't want to be alone. "I.. I just feel… Lonely." She said quietly, ashamed to speak such words aloud.
Sendai nearly gasped at Jintsuu's words. But she caught herself and smiled warmly instead. "Alright.. Tell you what, I'll be right back and we can have a little sleepover. Okay?" She was pretty happy to hear such words from Jintsuu.
Jintsuu would just softly nod at her, her face turning red with shame.
"I'll be back soon, don't move." Sendai said as she walked out the door. She'd return in about five minutes wearing her pajamas. Jintsuu was halfway asleep when the door opening jerked her awake again. She shimmied over to the side as Sendai turned the lights off and crawled over to the futon. It was easily big enough for two people, though it was a bit tight.
Getting under the covers, Sendai got comfortable as she laid flat on her back and looked over at Jintsuu beside her. "So are you the big spoon or am I?" She asked teasingly, hoping to help Jintsuu feel more comfortable.
She knew she succeeded as Jintsuu gave a slight scoff as she draped an arm across Sendai's stomach and placed her head on her shoulder as she spoke. "Shut up, you're ruining it." She said quietly with a hidden smirk on her face.
Proud of herself, Sendai wrapped an arm around Jintsuu's shoulder, pulling her a bit closer. "Love you too Jintsuu, love you too." She said softly. Sendai was wide awake as she looked over at her sister. Sendai stroked her hair as she gently ushered Jintsuu to sleep. A process that did not take long at all.
Asashio was sweating lightly as she gulped down a lump in her throat. She had felt nauseous since they left, but now they were in the thick of that weather system that was mentioned. It took all her effort to control her motion sickness, and was barely fighting it back. She took slow, deep breaths as her hands trembled slightly. A harsh bump of turbulence lifted her gut, then dropped it right back down along with her head.
She'd swore to herself multiple times during the trip that she would never fly again as long as she lived.
Asashio looked over at Daimlon, who was reading a book, noticing that he seemed as normal as ever. She questioned if she was the weird one as she looked at the rest of the crew as they also seemed to be completely unfazed by the constant rocking and bumping of the helicopter.
She wasn't even sure how long it'd been but they had to be getting close. Darkness had descended upon the outside, only a slight illumination of the sky over the horizon from the sun that had already set. A small red light illuminated the inside of the aircraft, but no details outside could be seen aside from the silhouette of a few escort fighters outside. Off in the distance a few flashes of bright light lit up thick, voluminous clouds with lightning and thunder.
Asashio looked forward to see the pilots chatting back and forth as they pointed at the tablet they shared between them. She couldn't really follow along with their conversation at all, but something wasn't right. They were planning, coordinating and discussing various things that they could do.
She looked up at Daimlon to see his gaze rock steady on the book before him. Ever since the flight started he'd hardly said a word, and read books that she'd never seen him read before. He wasn't acting the same, and she couldn't understand. But another series of bumps and rocks of the aircraft broke Asashio's focus as she desperately tried to keep herself from vomiting.
She forcibly swallowed again as she forced the feeling down as best she could. Finally, the crew chief turned around and spoke on their channel. "Admiral." He said, getting Daimlon's attention.
Without saying a word, and without much change in expression, Daimlon looked up from his book to stare at the crew chief. He simply waited for the crew chief to continue.
"The forecast was wrong. We're barely doing 30 knots across the ground because of the strong headwind. Flight plan called for 70 across the ground. We're almost there but we will have to tank again. There aren't any ships in the area and Okinawa is the closest, we'll have to press through the weather." The crew chief explained with a sense of nervousness in his voice.
"How long?" Daimlon asked in an unusually cold tone for him.
"Another forty minutes, but we're running on fumes. We're almost at the rendezvous point with the tanker." He replied, still looking at Daimlon.
Daimlon just looked at him for a few moments of silence. "Carry on, then."
"Yes sir." Was the only response as the crew chief looked over to Asashio. His brows furrowed a bit in curiosity, a brief conflict taking place on his face. But he returned to his station as she continued speaking the complex jargon that Asashio just couldn't even begin to understand.
It wasn't long before they had indeed met up with the tanker again, for the fourth time this flight. But it dawned on her that this time would be very different as another flash of light illuminated a nearby cloud, briefly lighting the helicopter as the rough air rocked the chassis from side to side.
A set of blinking lights appeared in front of them, with steady red lights on the left and green on the right. A new voice chimed in over the radio after a click, obviously the tanker talking to the pilots. It was a brief exchange, identical to the others with tankers.
Finally, they positioned right behind the familiar basket trailing behind the plane in front of them. The light in front of the helicopter's refuel probe was the only thing illuminating the basket. "Cleared contact." The tanker pilot said calmly.
What followed was a tense silence behind the dull drone of the engines as the helicopter tilted forward aggressively pursuing the plane in front of them. They hovered behind the basket for what seemed like minutes as the tension rose as the pilot in the left seat spoke up. "Five hundred pounds." He called. As he did an amber light illuminated on the instrument panel.
An audible warning sounded within the cockpit. An automated voice. "Bingo… Bingo…" It was a feminine voice that lacked any and all emotion.
Asashio's skin crawled as it dawned on her what it all meant. She looked up at Daimlon to see his eyes still glued to his book. The aircraft rocked once again, messing up the helicopter's alignment with the refuel basket. Her heart started to pound even harder in her chest as she felt suffocated by both her airsickness and the realization that they were about to be starved for fuel. With yet another rock of the helicopter as the pilot made smooth, although abrupt changes, Asashio couldn't hold it back any longer.
She scrambled frantically, reaching under her seat as she felt the rising feeling from her gut. Daimlon reacted swiftly, but hardly broke his gaze from his book as he presented a sick bag in front of her. She quickly took it, and within moments was filling the bag.
"Four hundred pounds." The left seater called.
Finally, the right seat pilot found the moment he was waiting for, and the helicopter lurched forward. The helicopter tilted forward somewhat aggressively, but was rocked with turbulence just moments after. The basket was falling from view as the helicopter lifted up from the rough air.
Tilting to the right side, the probe was angled downward just enough to barely catch the basket. It was a maneuver so abrupt that even the crew chief stumbled and had to grab onto the seat to stay upright. Bringing it back to the left to counter his rightward motion, the probe was slotted into the basket with a thunk that briefly shook the cabin. And with a few more smoother adjustments they were stable behind the plane.
"We're taking fuel." The pilot on the left called. The right seat pilot said nothing as he constantly adjusted the stick and controls, keeping the helicopter where it needed to be. Asashio managed to keep a firm hold on her airsick bag despite the somewhat rough maneuvers. She hoped that after throwing up she'd feel a bit better, but she only felt worse.
After spending several minutes behind the plane, they broke off and disconnected. Exchanging a brief few calls and thanks between the pilots on the radio, they resumed onward to Okinawa. The sky was pitch black at this point, nothing could be seen outside the window.
Finally, almost half an hour later, lights outside the window could be seen far in the distance up ahead. The air had smoothed out, despite a few rough patches every so often. Asashio had managed to keep herself from throwing up a second time, but was still teetering on the edge as she clutched a fresh bag just in case.
The pilots turned several knobs up in the instrument panel as the two chatted back and forth in their usual jargon. Finally, they were ready. "Miyagi control, Star Niner-Three-Seven-Seven is inbound five miles to the southeast, entering your airspace. Inbound for landing at Miyagi." The right seat pilot said over the radio.
There was a pause for several long seconds before a female voice replied. "Star Niner-Three-Seven-Seven, descend and maintain two thousand feet. Call one mile final."
Finally, they were arriving. Asashio would have breathed a sigh of relief but a quick buffet of air lifting her guts again reminded her it still wasn't over.
With a few more radio calls, and a few more descents, the helicopter approached the landing pad. Asashio would have looked out the window, but she was far too busy keeping her sickness at bay. It was all she could do to control her breathing as she clenched her eyes shut. The gray concrete painted with an 'H' in the middle got bigger and bigger until the floor lurched before settling. They finally landed.
Asashio unbuckled herself in record speed as the crew chief got up and slid the door open, the roaring engines filling the cabin again as Asashio tore her headset off as well. She was about to jump out of the helicopter when Daimlon grabbed her wrist.
Asashio looked over to him to meet a serious face. He waved his hand at her in a calming fashion, visually saying exactly what he needed to. Asashio swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded gently. The engine of the helicopter whirred down as the pilots started to shut everything down one by one.
Daimlon stood, hunched over as he planted his cap on his head again, and grabbed his bag. Asashio followed suit as she reached for her bag as well. Goosebumps crawled across her skin as she leaned to retrieve her bag, feeling the remaining contents of her stomach lurch upward slightly. She stifled what she could and pressed on. As she stood she saw Daimlon leaning forward and talking to the pilots. Asashio barely heard what he was saying, but was able to thanks to the whining down of the engines.
"Excellent work, I appreciate your efforts. Have a good night." He said as he turned away. The pilots looked at each other, hesitating in their response but managed to say "Thank you, sir!" as Daimlon neared the door. The crew chief was standing outside the door, offering a firm salute.
Stepping out, Daimlon returned his salute and issued a similar farewell to him. Only now did Asashio walk up to the door. The crew chief offered a hand to her in a similar fashion as when she embarked. Her stomach churned heavily as she weakly took his hand. It took her a few moments as she slowly stepped out of the helicopter. "T-thank you." She managed to say quietly.
"Take care, Miss!" The crew chief said politely.
Daimlon stood just before a series of steps leading down toward a concrete pathway. It was clear to see now, the facility at Miyagi was massive. A concrete path stretched straight out in front of them all the way to a large, five story building with a few Japanese flags flying on a flag pole on each corner of the building. Beyond were a few more buildings, but they were mostly obstructed from view. To either side of the path was grass, and beyond that simply open water.
She wondered just how big the base was beyond this short path ahead of-
Without warning, Asashio felt a familiar feeling. Eight hours of white knuckle flight forced her to her knees as she threw up on the landing pad. Her bag slumped off her shoulder as two surges of vomit soon decorated the landing pad. She breathed heavily as it subsided, wiping her mouth. She was exhausted, and her whole body ached.
Daimlon soon stood over her, and picked up her bag off the ground. "You okay?" He said quietly. Asashio just couldn't muster the strength to respond as she panted heavily, still kneeling on the pad. She just nodded gently as she at least managed to get herself on one knee. "Just a little longer. Keep a strong face." He said quietly as he waited patiently.
Wiping the dirt from her hands off on her skirt, she stood up. Still breathing heavily through her nose, she looked at him and nodded. He handed her bag back to her, and turned around down the steps.
At the bottom of the steps, three people waited. Two were heavily armed and geared with body armor and the Type 20 rifle, flanking either side of a man in an Officer's uniform. Asashio did her best to straighten up again, leaving the contents of her stomach behind her as she followed Daimlon down the steps carefully.
As Daimlon neared the bottom of the steps, all three men stiffened and offered sharp salutes. The Officer in the middle spoke. "Welcome to Miyagi, Admiral Daimlon." He said in a professional tone.
Daimlon returned their salutes, then dropped it. The three before him soon dropped theirs. "Thank you." He said in a calm, professional tone.
"I'm Commander Fujimori, If you would please follow me, I'll show you to your room. I'm sure you must be tired." Fujimori stated before turning around and starting to walk down the well lit pathway leading to the main building in front of them. The two armed guards lead the way. Daimlon recognized the patches on their shoulders. The Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade - the premier naval infantry unit of Japan. Long since relegated from amphibious assault duties to simple guard and security detail.
"Yes, it was a long flight." Daimlon stated as he followed behind them. Asashio kept pace but her stomach continued to churn slightly, though not as violently as she finally settled down and her motion sickness began to fade. As they approached the gargantuan stone building before them, the solid oak doors were opened by the security detail accompanying Fujimori. They offered a salute as Daimlon and Asashio stepped inside, closing the door behind them as they stayed outside the building.
Inside was a hustle of activity as Navy personnel walked the shined and polished tile halls of the building. A few side eyed glances were taken at Daimlon and his smaller black haired companion as they strolled through, but no one looked or gawked at them, or stopped to talk to them.
The walls were decorated as one would expect of a large headquarters building, often with pictures of older admiralty and flags, pictures and paintings of days past. The lobby, at two stories tall, had expensive chandeliers hanging from the ceiling as well as a few support beams off to either side. Asashio hadn't seen anything like it and openly gazed at just how… Clean and professional the whole building appeared.
Seeing the glances upon her and Daimlon, she sped up a bit to walk a little closer by Daimlon as Fujimori led them straight to the elevator. They walked right past the older, disheveled elevator for the more common individual. Straight into the fancy, well maintained elevator reserved only for more 'qualified' personnel.
A large elevator decorated with red flooring and spotless metal walls, the door slid closed in front of them. Fujimori pressed the button '4' button. It was an awkwardly silent ride up as Fujimori didn't speak, but maintained a very straight spine and serious posture. Asashio glanced up at Daimlon, but again, he kept a steady gaze in front of him. She increasingly felt the need to brush her teeth as time passed.
Finally, the door opened and within a few turns down a very similar set of hallway to the others downstairs, Fujimori veered off to a heavy, ornately decorated wooden door, with a dark reddish-brown color. Fujimori fished a keycard out of his pocket. "Here is where you will stay. Please make yourselves comfortable." Fujimori said as he slotted the keycard into the sensor above the door handle. It flashed green, and he turned the knob and walked in.
Stepping inside, it looked as though it was a luxury suite from only the finest hotels in the world. Three leather armchairs flanking a glass shin-high coffee table in the center with a fireplace, and a mounted television above the fireplace. Two large beds on opposite sides of the room, one of each side; both easily big enough for two people. A large window between the beds that stretched to the floor, and at least two and a half meters tall, meeting in an arch up at the top. A red and gold curtain was draped on either side. There were two desks with everything one would need to work in front of each bed, facing the wall and a larger table in the middle behind the leather armchairs with seating for six. To say it was big would be an understatement.
"Thank you Commander Fujimori, we will." Daimlon said calmly as he stepped inside and placed his bag on the nearest leather armchair, stretching his arm above the high back of the chair as he did so.
Asashio was simply stunned, mouth slightly agape at the room before her. "Dinner will be served to you shortly, at 0800 tomorrow your liaison will brief you further. If you need anything, simply press 'one' on the phone at your bedside." Fujimori continued before offering a stiff salute.
Daimlon turned to face him, and offered one in return. "Thank you for your hard work Commander. If that is all, you are dismissed." Daimlon said. Asashio took some meagre steps inside the room as she kept her bag slung over her shoulder. She looked at the clock to find it later than she expected. 2230.
"One last thing. Grand Admiral Hokama wanted to extend his apologies for arranging the flight on such a rough day." Fujimori finished, keeping his spine, posture and tone as stiff as humanly possible.
Daimlon nodded. "It was necessary. Thank you." Daimlon said as he turned to walk about the room as if appraising it.
"Understood. Have a good night, Admiral." Fujimori stated before leaving the room, but not before leaving the key card to the room behind on the table.
As the door clattered shut, Daimlon broke character as he heaved a heavy sigh. "Oooogh.. Are you okay?" He asked, looking at Asashio.
Asashio just sighed as well, stretching out with freedom for the first time. "I'm never flying ever again." She said in a quiet tone.
Daimlon chuckled as he removed his overcoat, and placed it on a tall wooden coat hanger near the window. "It was pretty rough. You handled it better than I expected though. I'm surprised they didn't divert, honestly." He said.
Asashio was a bit confused by his sudden shift in behavior. Was it really necessary for him to be so… Uptight when other people were around? "I thought I was about to die." She said, finally breaking off from her position near the door as she walked over to the unoccupied bed. She set her bag down and started fishing through for her toothbrush.
"I've flown on helicopters a lot. That was the first time I started to sweat." Daimlon said with a nervous laugh as he started to unpack his own belongings.
Saying nothing, Asashio went about organizing her things and packing away the clothes she brought in the small dresser underneath her bed.
"Why don't you take a bath? Should help you relax. I'll knock when dinner's here." Daimlon said, as Asashio spent a few more moments in thought as she reflected upon the events that transpired. Her eyes were heavy, but she wasn't really that tired either. She gathered up the necessities for a bath.
"Right." She said softly. It only took a few minutes, but those few minutes were awkward as both she and Daimlon settled into the room. Asashio just felt that nothing more needed to be said, and eventually she'd close the door to the bathroom and turned the water on.