I know! I KNOW! I'll see you guys in the A/N notes.
A Pile of Empty Brass | Sora no shinchū no yama
空の真鍮の山
Chapter 4
"Star Spangled Banner"
"Japan never considers time together as time wasted. Rather, it is time invested."
― Donald Richie, A Lateral View: Essays on Culture and Style in Contemporary Japan
Location: The Border World
Currently between two worlds
Date: Unknown
Time: Unknown
A formation of men traveled in a single column. Laden with small bags and skin-tight armour, they trudged along in the void. Their usual metal armour was replaced with lighter leather and cloth.
Commoner clothes.
There was a chance they needed to fight, but they needed to be light and inconspicuous for what they would do.
The sky was filled with specks of lights. Each twinkling as it looked down upon them, as to make them feel ever so smaller in the void they were in. Arcs of purple and cobalt blue mists weaved its way through the obsidian sky above, before gradually fading away in the distance.
It would've been enough to make a man pause and appreciate the majesty, not to say they didn't do just that whenever they paused for a break.
But that effect was more than outdone by the eerie plains of darkness.
It seemed like if one were to walk out into it, the void would ensnare them into its inky depths, never to let go.
So, the scouts traveled in a tight line, not once letting each other out of their sight.
The torches and lamps they held up aided in this endeavor, not so much as illuminating the shadowless darkness underfoot than helping the men keep their bearing.
Every step they took left a bright blue footprint, eerily pulsating with an odd glow.
The Centurion leading this small expedition glanced around, trying to ignore the grumblings of his stomach.
How long has it been since the survey team stepped through? Hours? A day? He couldn't guess. The void offered no hints to them the very moment the Survey Corps stepped through.
His legs ached, begging for a respite from the strenuous hike they were undertaking.
The party took hiking intervals of two hours—or at least what felt like two hours—then they would stop to make camp, snacking on whatever substance they've brought with them, afterwards continuing on with their journey. It was a routine that bid them well in alleviating fatigue.
Fatigue wouldn't have been an issue if they'd been allowed to take their horses and wagons with them. However, their horses and wagons were being "borrowed" to transport resources for the Imperial Army to set up a garrison in Alnus.
All in preparation to send in legions should Emperor Molt give his blessings to pillage the lands of whatever world the portal led to.
Thus being the reason he and his scouts were here, to gather intelligence around the world beyond to determine if it was worth sending in armies or not.
Looking at the "sky" above him, he fished out a pre-roasted slab of meat out of his sac. He sunk his teeth into the tender morsel, taking a quick glance at the survey members behind him.
Fifty men in total embarked on this mission. As far as the Centurion was concerned, they were expendable for the Imperial cause. Should the unthinkable happen, them all dying a grisly death, the Imperial Hierarchy would hardly lose sleep over them.
The best he could do was to keep everyone together and triumph over this uncertain mission. But the first thing was to get through the void that acted as the border world.
"Keep following the bright blue light at the end of the horizon. It will lead to where the portal decided to open up at."
Yeah, okay.
They've been following the brightest source of light on the edge of the horizon for hours. Yet, no matter how far they've marched, the light did not grow as they had been told. It stayed the same, mocking them as they marched.
For as long as they've been traveling, negative thoughts entered his mind, particularly scenarios in which the portal closed while they were still here in the void, forever trapping them inside.
As crippling as those thoughts were, Arrnus did not voice them. All he could do was keep moving.
Survey the area… All we have to do is survey the area… Simple.
In a perfect world, the portal would have opened in some uninhabited forest or mountain, ripe with resources free for the taking. All to hopefully get his once beloved Empire back on its feet instead of struggling to make ends meet.
However, the veteran soldier knew more than enough to delude himself with such optimism.
"Hey look!" someone from behind him shouted. "I think I see the exit!"
The Centurion stopped mid-bite, glancing at the bright blue light at the horizon that they've been following for the past several hours.
"Imbecile!" another voice shouted. "That's the same patch of light we've been following. Nothing's changed."
A few murmurs in agreement.
"No! I can see it getting brighter! I swear it!" the voice countered, an edge of optimism on his voice.
The Centurion decided to put his roasted meal away, squinting towards the alleged "exit". He quickened his pace, moving with a sense of purpose while anxiously glaring at the mist of light. After walking several meters, indeed there was a noticeable bright circle of light in the centre of that azure blue, the aura beckoning him forward.
"I see it as well, men!" he confirmed, hushed voices and murmurs echoing behind him. "Take five minutes to check everything you have. Decanuses, talk to your Contuberniums about our mission one last time before we step forward! I don't want us walking around there like headless chickens."
The survey team quickly assembled, mages, spell-casters, and normal humans going over their roles with team leaders one last time.
Between the fifty men, each one went over their roles of the mission. From blending in the local populace should the scouts find itself in occupied territory, to providing overwatch, to bait-and-switch tactics should they need to kidnap any natives found on the other side.
After rehearsing with his men one last time, their window of five minutes was over, the men once again getting in single file. They were anxious, anticipating becoming part of a historical mission.
The Decanuses and the sole Centurion finished their task, the five minutes window given to them having expired. Soon, they were a long file of anxious men again, the odd shuffles and ceaseless movements more prevalent than it's ever been in their journey.
"It's just like any other mission we've undertaken in the past. It matters not if it's an alien world. Keep your head straight and report to your assigned leaders of your respective teams. Do you understand?"
Chants of "Understood sire" echoed back.
"Good, remember this is vital to the survival of our great nation of Sadera. Good luck and may the Gods be with you."
His men echoed back the sentiment.
Nodding his head as he turned around to face the alluring light, he stepped forward, subconsciously tugging at the heel of his dagger. His heartbeat thumped loudly in his chest as the light got brighter and eloped around him.
He would be a liar if he said he wasn't nervous. Fearful even. But he couldn't show that to the men.
There's no turning back now.
Inhaling deeply, the Centurion took one final step forward before being completely wrapped by the light.
Time: 07:59 Hours
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Combined Arms and Training Center Fuji (Camp Fuji)
Parade Deck
Date: July 4th, 2020
Several formations of Marines and Jietai stood at the parade deck, all of them facing the headquarters building, all of them neatly covered and aligned as they stood at the position of attention.
Six troops stood by two flag poles, three being Marines, the other three being Self-Defense Soldiers. Each of them sported their nation's flag, both of them hooked to the pole's cable, ready to be hoisted up.
The sound of reveille played over the base's loudspeaker, echoing loudly across the urban terrain.
"Colors!" The Battalion Commander yelled out at the first note, snapping his hand in a crisp salute.
"Keirei!" The Japanese Commander shouted at the same time as his American counterpart.
All troops, Japanese and American, saluted in a swift motion, being in sync as the American Flag Detail raised their nation's flag on the pole, doing their due diligence to make sure the sacred fabric did not touch the ground. After getting it high enough to where it wouldn't be at risk of doing so, the assistant snapped to attention as he raised his hand to salute.
The American flag finally reached the top of the pole, flowing blissfully in the wind as Reveille finished playing.
Not missing a beat, the Japanese national anthem played right after, the Japanese Flag detail repeating the same steps of their American-counterparts.
Both flags waved in the wind, reveille coming to an end.
"Order, arms!"
All the troops cut their salutes, once again being in sync.
The Battalion Commander for 3rd battalion, 3rd Marines, Lieutenant Colonel Chester Hood, turned to face the formation of Marines, the 1st Sergeant standing right next to him.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Today Is the Fourth of July Holiday!" He proclaimed, adding extra base in his voice to ensure most of the Marines could hear him.
Hood proceeded to give his spill, congratulating the Marines on a job well done in the field ops a week prior to those who paid attention to him, most of the others counting down the time before the sweet merciful release of liberty call.
He then went on about their nation's history and the significance of why they celebrate this holiday. He also went into details about the sacrifices many troops have made and the importance of traditions and values. Then he went on to tell them how wonderful it was to have allies such as Japan who share their core values.
All and all, he reminded each of them, both Japanese and American, that they play an important role in maintaining freedom and democracy, no matter what role it was that they played.
"Infantry, motor-transport, tankers, aviation, admin!" He emphased, much to the bemusement to a lot of the Infantry ground pounders when Hood claimed each Marine, regardless of MOS, had a role to help ensure that freedom rings, deterring adversaries from trying to take that away.
However, what everyone really took from his speech was when he mentioned everyone was getting the weekend off, the holiday falling perfectly in line on a Saturday.
He gave them a reminder to always be professional on liberty, "In or out of uniform, you will always be a Marine! So conduct yourselves accordingly! Enjoy your liberty, don't party too hard, and be ready to get back right into the grind, running! Good to go?!"
"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
A large group of Marines and Soldiers shouted, glass bottles of beers clinking together as they all toasted to celebrate a day off, carbon bubbles overflowing past the rim.
More troops joined them, the chorus of pops and snaps as troops opened beverages taken from the cooler.
Hilaire smiled, taking a snap of the group with his personal Nikon D7 camera.
They actually gave us an honest to God weekend off...
Hilaire and everyone he knew of figured the 4th of July would have been spent inside the Japanese wilderness to hone in their skills to be a more effective fighting force, eating cold MREs, drying off their wet socks, and applying insect repellent in an effort to try to get a decent night's sleep and prepare to do it all over again
Instead, high-command pitched the idea of friendship building and strengthening alliances in the form of carnival festivities.
The carnival itself was in the process of being built long before the Coalition participants stepped foot inside the joint Marine-JSDF base, the flashy colour of tents neatly set up in rows across the Japanese green grass.
Several stations of Horse-shoe tossing had been erected at the parade deck, a couple of troops trying their hand at the sport. Squirt gun stations were lined up, several soldiers trying to shoot the bullseye several metres away.
Several dunk tanks were lined up, each of them having a crusty Gunny or his Japanese equivalent taunting patrons into coughing up either yen or dollars in an attempt to hopefully toss the ball into the bullseye target next to him, sending them into the watery pit below.
All in all, a lot of festivities that made the American holiday what it was.
It really is a cold day in hell…
A sudden wave of envy came over him as he witnessed another group of troops rushing towards another cooler being placed by one of the many rows of tents, the staff and volunteers checking each of the troop's yellow wristbands to see if they're of age to be consuming the alcoholic beverage.
Hilaire glanced at his own purple wristband, signifying his status of currently being underage.
Sucks to be nineteen and not twenty.
Unlike the states, troops stationed in Japan were allowed to buy and consume alcohol at the age of twenty instead of twenty-one. Unfortunately for him, he'd have to wait another six and a half months before he could party like the ones around him. However, what were the odds of him getting white-boy-wasted in a setting like this where he was with a bunch of troops from different nationalities?
Ah well.
He took another snap of a couple more people cracking open several White Claws, the shaken up can spraying the group like a geyser. They didn't mind though, yelling out a battle cry as they showered themselves with the beverage.
Hiliare heard someone coming right up to him, "You know you can get out of your cammies and into civvies, right?"
He turned to face the source of the voice.
Milo eyed the cameraman, a can of dos equis in his hand. Milo had ditched his cammies in favour of his civilian attire, sporting a black shirt with the Punisher logo in the centre, tactical khaki trousers snugged around his waistline, a coyote-tan baseball cap neatly resting on his head.
Hilaire glanced around him, seeing a bunch of other troops had ditched their military uniforms after being dismissed from the morning formation, a sea of colours contrasting against one another. Seldom did he see any other serviceman still in their cammies unless they were on duty or volunteering.
"Too far of a walk," Hilaire excused, Milo narrowing his eyes as he cocked an eyebrow. "Besides, how was I supposed to know they'd give us the day off during this exercise?"
"Common sense?"
"Alright, you got me," Hilaire conceded, "I'll probably change later, I don't want to miss anything cool. The moment I leave to go back to our barracks will be the moment something hilarious happens that I won't be there to witness."
The Slav shrugged in return, "Alright man, if you want to be that guy."
Now it was Hilaire's turn to narrow his eyes, "Milo, you look like a dollar-store Blackwater Contractor. Don't tell me about being that guy."
"Fair, fair." Milo conceded, taking a swig out of a can of dos equis, "Are you going to hang out with the squad? Or do you have other plans?"
Shrugging, Hiliare answered, "Other plans. I'm trying to see if I can find those Marine tankers who came out here. I'd love to get a chance to talk with them, seeing what they're future plans are with the corps trying to axe its tank fleet."
Milo shook his head, "A day off and you're still trying to work." He took another swig of the beer in his hands, letting out a small burp, "I mean, I love your enthusiasm and initiative, but you gotta learn how to balance between work and fun."
"I mean…" Hilaire tried to come up with a rebuttal, his mind drawing a blank as Milo crossed his arms.
"I remember when I was a boot," The Slav teased, putting a hand on his partner's shoulder, "I mean, you want to take the initiative and work during off hours, by all means, I won't stop you. Me? I'm going to get white-boy wasted and make life-regretting decisions like sleeping with the fattest chick on the base."
Hilaire snickered, "Lemme know if you wanna tag team."
"I'll keep you in mind!"
The Slav departed, heading towards one of the tents that was selling alcoholic beverages.
Hilaire sighed, glancing down at the expensive issued camera slung over his neck. He glanced over at the field where a couple of Korean Marines were having a football match with some U.S. Marines, the ball currently in the hands of one of the Koreans as he darted towards the goal line, the Korean audience cheering him on as three American Marines gave chase.
Hilaire raised his camera, taking another snap just as the Americans tackled him at the five-yard line close to the goal, the American crowd cheering on.
I dunno… this seems fun, Milo.
-Large Chinese Naval Armada spotted off the coast of the Ryukyu Island chains
Cooper narrowed his eyes at the phone screen the youthful Lieutenant held in front of him, fixated on the headline before casually scrolling through his news feed.
-PLA Naval submarines trailing behind a U.S. Navy Carrier, the U.S.S. Nimitz.
"China is really playing the 'fuck-around-and-find-out' card, aren't they?" 1st Lieutenant Dennis Brett said in more of a statement than an actual question, taking his phone away from Cooper's face and setting it down on the table the two were sitting at.
Cooper sighed, his right foot tapping against one of the table legs. "Yee'up, sounds about right."
"Let's not get started about how Russia's been beefing up their presence on the Kuril island chain." Brett added, his animated fingers slidings through various web articles, "What a time to be alive, I guess."
The 1LT in front of him continued reading the current events out loud about the recent buildup of Chinese and Russian aggression across the disputed territories, Cooper only half listening as he gazed down at his own phone, checking his messages for the umpteenth time.
He'd been sending messages to his wife, anxiously waiting for a response from her.
- 03 July, 2020 -
- 13:32 John: "Hey, Jill. Call me when you can."
- 15:40 John: "Hello?"
- 18:23 John: "Jill, please don't do this. We can talk about this."
- 21:03 John: "Why are you ignoring my calls? Why are you doing this now when I'm gone?!"
- 04 July, 2020 -
- 06:45 John: "How's Brooke taking all of this? Did you even tell my parents?"
- 09:32 John: "Jill…"
No replies.
Brett paused, noticing Cooper glued to his screen along with his right leg anxiously tapping against the table.
"You okay, dude?"
Cooper didn't react, his eyes still on the phone.
"Hey, Coops!"
Brett's voice pulled Cooper from his stupor, drawing him back to their conversation, "What's up?"
"...You alright?"
Cooper simply nodded, "Yeah, just waiting on a text from the wife back home. We're this close to securing a house right outside Honolulu. And with the price they're selling it for, it's practically a steal! Two-hundred and fifty grand."
The butter-bar shot his shot, hoping his friend would not catch onto the lie he just told. Well, technically a half lie. The two were looking to move out of base housing in Kaneohe right before Operation Olympus was set.
Brett's dirty-blonde eyebrows raised, his steely blue eyes widening, "A house for two-hundred and fifty grand?! In Honolulu?! Bullshit!"
Cooper sighed in relief, being thankful that Brett fell for the deceit, "Yeah, man. Not bullshitting. And for the price they're selling it for, the house is surprising in top-tier condition. Some minor wear and a little mold there, but nothing a little bit of elbow grease can't fix."
"Uh huh," Brett crossed his arms, "And how big is your yard?"
Cooper let out a small snicker, "Yeeeeah… that's the only thing that sucks about it. I can kiss my dreams of having a big dog goodbye."
"Alright, and how big is the house in general?"
"One story home, Three bedrooms, two bathrooms. Twenty by fifteen square feet."
Brett whistled, "The perfect American household."
Cooper shrugged, "For Hawaii, anyway."
"I'm glad everything is working out for you two," Brett flashed a grin, his pristine teeth and youthful features nearly making him the poster child of a Marine officer, "I was worried about y'all for a minute back there in Hawaii."
Cooper's lips pressed into a thin-line, trying his best to put on a sincere smile, "Yeah, sorry you had to see that argument in the parking lot. Didn't think she'd drive all the way to work just because an old female high-school friend of mine liked one of my facebook photos…"
It was as if someone had twisted a knife inside Cooper's gut, trying his best to not betray his facade of pretending everything was fine.
Especially mentally going over the surprise voicemail he'd received upon turning on his phone after coming back from the field.
"I can't do this anymore, John. I just can't! This military life isn't for me! You're not the same man I once knew in high school!"
He replayed the voice message she left him, not really paying attention to whatever Brett replied with as his voice droned on in the background.
The one I've known for fifteen years… a complete stranger…
"-Yo, Coops!"
He blinked, "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said that we should all hang out again when we get back to Hawaii." Brett reiterated, Cooper nodding without verbally responding.
"You sure you're alright?"
"Yeah, just anxious. Just gotta keep tabs about the house, my wife and daughter, my men, this exercise. Everything's kinda hitting all at once, you know?"
Well, at least that part isn't a lie…
Brett snicker, clicking his teeth as he ate a couple of fries off his plate, "Yeah, I get it. This operation is definitely something we've haven't seen on this scale before. Gotta hand it to the Japanese, I didn't think they'd ever host something like this on their own soil."
"They ain't too happy about it from what I've heard."
"Oh well. They gotta come to terms with reality sometime. Maybe this is the wake up call they needed. Or maybe they'd just go back to their status-quo. Who knows? But we're not politicians. We're here to lead our men and make sure they, nor us, fuck up in the meantime. Like Jacob who thought it was a good idea to take his cellphone out in the field."
Both men laughed, diverting their gaze to the adjacent blue-striped tent. Standing behind one of the cashiers, Lieutenant Jacob listened to one of the orders a Filipino soldier requested, a gloomy expression on his face the entire time before disappearing behind the makeshift kitchen.
Brett wiped a tear from his eye, "Son of a bitch really got his platoon wiped out because they zeroed in on his signal."
"I guess someone forgot to leave their phone on airplane mode?"
"Either way, I've never heard Captain Bannon yell at someone like that before. The kid looked as if he were about to shit himself. Hell, I was scared for him." Brett commented before taking another sip. "I'm absolutely sure they're going to FAP him off to some admin job somewhere when we get back to Kaneohe."
"It's for the best…" Cooper nodded, taking a sip of his sprite before saying, "Some people aren't meant to lead. I'm amazed he made it this far to be honest."
A few chuckles here and there before being followed by awkward silence
"Hey, just keep doing what you've been doing, Cooper. I might be a silver-bar, but you still have more experience when it comes to leadership, you know, with being prior-enlisted and all." Brett said, Cooper merely nodding. "Not saying not to worry about your wife and daughter. Fuck no. But both of us need to keep our head in the game once we're back out in the field. The only thing I have is a damn boat deployment that consists of a lot of hurrying up and waiting and getting shit-faced during port calls. You've been out in the shit in Iraq and Afghan. A lot of the guys, myself included, are depending on your knowledge and experience to get us through the day."
Cooper gave a half grin, drinking his can of coke, "Gee, I feel less pressured already. Thanks Brett."
"I'm serious, Cooper. Between the platoon leaders of Bravo company, you're the only one with actual combat experience. So of course, everyone has more expectations from you. . Now if you'll excuse me, I have a video-chat appointment with a Samoan chick who has daddy issues."
Cooper snickered, "Just make sure this one isn't a barrack's mattress again."
Brett gave him a wink, "You already know."
It's not fair!
Kuribayashi stifled the tears threatening to leak, adjusting her chestnut shoulder-length hair inside the hairnet provided by the cooks.
When she learned that the troops in Camp Fuji would be taking an operational pause in order to celebrate the American 4th of July holiday, she, along with everyone else, were very surprised to say the least. She and the Americans figured the day would be spent out in the fields, blowing things up that would have made Michael Bay blush in envy.
Not that she would not have minded it. After all, that was what she joined the Defense-Force. Yet upon gazing at the merry festivities that Americans enjoy, how could the CQB expert not be excited to enjoy it with them?
"Sergeant, Kuribayashi. Since you apparently have no concept of team work nor section leading, we deemed it fitting that you serve your troops before serving in your own self-interest. You'll be providing food and drinks for the troops the entirety of the festivals."
Bastards!
So here she was, serving hamburgers and hotdogs to an endless wave of troops who've made their way towards the tented kitchen, her forehead dripping in sweat from both the stoves and the humid July heat.
This should be considered a human rights violation!
Cry all she wanted, a part of her knew this is what she deserved for being so reckless. Truth be told, her command was actually being extremely lenient in dealing her punishment. A fuck up as big as the one she made should have realistically result in a severe ass chewing as well as potentially kicking her off the training op.
Not that she didn't receive an ass chewing, courtesy of Tomita.
Kuribayashi let out a hopeless sigh, resigning to her fate. At least she could still participate for the remainder of the training op so long as she didn't attempt any other lone-wolf Rambo tactics. Being in the kitchen and forced to watch the merry activities around her gave her ample time to go over her infamous banzai charge in this age of modern warfare.
I'm such a retard...
She caught a glance at a Marine 2nd Lieutenant repeating an order from a Filipino soldier, the Marine's tone lazy and bordering on depressing.
Almost reminding her of a certain JGSDF Officer.
"Sergeant Kuribayashi-san," Itami's voice called out in front of her, "How are those burgers coming along?"
She forced a smile, gritting her teeth as she glanced at the burgers sizzling on the grill, "This batch is almost done, sir."
"Alrighty. Once you're done cooking this batch, take a ten minute break."
"Roger that, sir…"
It's not fair!
She could maybe handle being barred from enjoying the festivities. She could maybe handle slaving in a kitchen in the humid July heat.
But why did they have to pair her up with him?!
It's as if they wanted her to suffer. It's no hidden secret the CQB expert didn't exactly have a high opinion of the guy, so why did they think pairing her with this loser was a good idea? Did she really suck that bad that they deemed it fitting to pair her with the most pathetic officer in the Defense-Force?
Am I really that awful of a soldier?
She'd been so enwrapped with her inner turmoil, she almost forgot the flip over the burger patties, the smell of charring meat assaulting her nostrils. In a slight panic, she flipped the finished and slightly darkened patties over at the aluminum bin, wiping the sweat off of eyebrows.
"The patties are gone, sir."
"Excellent!" Itami beamed out, "And not a moment too soon!"
Cocking her eyebrows, she glanced up at her Lieutenant, who seemed to be smiling at a short bespectacled Japanese woman, her dark shoulder length hair appearing slightly disheveled.
She returned his smile, slightly blushing as she muttered something Kuribayashi couldn't hear.
Itami gazed back at the CQB expert, saying "Hey, Kuribayashi-san, what do you think of the festivities around us? Is it something you'd like to partake in?"
She glanced around her, trying to hide her disappointment of being barred from the abundant venues, "It is something I'd love to be a part of, sir, but my duties are here in the kitchen."
"Oh, that's a real shame then," Itami sighed, feigning disappointment.
Kuribayashi narrowed her eyes, "Where are you trying to go with this, sir?"
"It seems that I've found someone to cover your shift, so I honestly do not need you here anymore."
At the mention of that, Kuribayashi widened her eyes, her mouth agape as she stared at her superior.
"Sir… Y-you mean that…"
"Yes. You're free to go enjoy the rest of your day, Sergeant."
Kuribayashi had to stop herself from leaping in the air, her eyes sparking with both excitement and relief.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!" She stammered, bowing down repeatedly.
Itami gave a small laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry about it, Kuribayashi-san. It's nothing, really!"
She paused her bowing, cocking her eyebrows, "Um… who's my replacement?"
"Oh," Itami blushed, once again rubbing the back of his head. He turned towards the short Japanese woman from earlier, gesturing his hand, "Kuribayashi-san, this is Risa-chan. She agreed to come help me with the festivities earlier this morning."
"Hello! Nice to meet you, Kuribayashi-san!" The short bespectacled woman bowed, the CQB expert doing so likewise, "Please forgive me for being late. I meant to come by earlier when my silly husband over here told me about the celebration!"
"Oh, it's fine! I'm just glad that–"
Wait…
Kuribayashi froze mid-sentence, replaying the small woman's words in her mind repeatedly like a broken record.
"My silly husband over here."
Silly husband over here…
Kuribayashi's heartbeat spiked, blood rushing into her head as her mind proceeded to go into overdrive.
H-husband?! Over here?!
No! It can't be! She must have misheard her. No way could this freak actually be married!
"H-h-husband...?" Kuribayashi stammered, pointing a shaking finger at her and the Lieutenant. "Are... a-are you...?"
"Yes!" Risa beamed, smiling nonchalantly, "I'm his wife!"
For a while, Kuribayashi just stood there, silently staring off as if she were in a catatonic state. Risa tilted her head, calling out to ask Kuribayashi if she was okay. When she didn't respond, Risa gave her husband a very concerned look, who simply shrugged at her as he moved in front of the blankly staring Kuribayashi.
Itami snapped his finger at the CQB expert, who seemed to finally return to reality.
"Hey, What's gotten into-"
Itami, Risa, and everyone within the immediate area covered their ears as Kuribayashi let out a blood curdling scream.
"This is such bullshit...!"
Severtson cocked an eyebrow at the statement made from a visibly irritated Shepard, who sulked as she dragged her feet walking towards the picnic tables where everyone else were enjoying their merry festivities.
"What? That alcohol ban really got you feeling some sort of way…?" Colten responded, the bespectacled redhead scowling at the blonde Med Tech.
"Stick it up your ass, Ronnie!"
"Not my fault you get violent every time you consume alcohol." Colten pointed a lecturing finger, "You heard Sergeant Burton, Barb. Now is not the place to spark an international incident."
"Bah!" Shepard groaned, "I'm of Scottish blood! To deny me of my livelihood is discrimination!"
"I thought it was the Irish that drink a lot," Severtson chimed in, earning a scowl from the fiery redhead.
"There's a difference?" Colten quipped.
Severtson recoiled as the med-tech nearly doubled-over, groaning in pain as Shepard socked in him the gut.
"Call me and my people Irish again, I'll stick my foot in your arse, Ronnie."
Still clutching his stomach, Colten shot her cheese eating grin, "I… thought you didn't do ana-"
She raised her fists, Colten cowering in fear.
"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"
"Yeah, that's what I thought."
Severtson shook his head, "So, are you two ever going to be a thing or...?"
Shepard only responded with a huff, crossing her arms as she faced away from Colten, who had finally recovered from getting the air knocked out of him.
The three Canadian soldiers finally made their way to the tent that was selling funnel cakes, all three ordering a strawberry whipped cream version from an American volunteer worker. After receiving the delicious desert, the three decided to sit at one of the many wooded tables near the parade deck.
Both Colten and Shepard continued to play their dangerous game of their version of flirting if you could even call it that, Severtson sighing as he turned his attention to the courtyard adjacent to them.
A team of U.S. Marines and Sailors were playing a game of tug-of-war with each other, the centre of the flag switching back and forth as each team gave it their all. Eventually, the Marines started gaining ground when two Sailors at the middle of the rope slipped on a pile of mud, the Marines quickly taking advantage of that small window they needed. Eventually the flag crossed over to the Marine's side, signaling their victory.
The refugee blew the whistle, signaling their victory.
"Hmph... " Shepard pouted, "Think we could beat those slobs?"
"With you on our side?" Severtson snickered, Colten smiling in response.
"There she goes, always trying to pick a fight."
"What? I see no harm in a little sportsmanship. How about it, Ronnie? Maddie?"
Severtson sighed, "Well, it is the fourth of July. We missed Canada Day, so might as well make up for it."
Shepard grinned, cracking her knuckles. "Sweet! Let's get 'em boys."
"He's married..."
Kurokawa raised her eyebrows at Kuribayashi, the short female Jietai sitting on the plastic folding chair, a Sapporo beer tightly clutched in her hands.
The CQB expert gave off a thousand yard stare, appearing as if she aged by five years.
"He's married..."
She repeated it once more.
Ikazaki glanced at the medic from the chair adjacent to her, concern written in her eyes as Kurokawa shrugged.
Kuribayashi swiftly placed the bottle over her lips, taking a huge gulp of the Hokkaido band alcohol before letting her arm dangle once more.
"He's married..."
Kurokawa sighed, trying to think of a way to calm down her erratic friend before she repeated her madness mantra.
"Itami-san is... quite a character..." the medic agreed, taking a small sip from her bottle of green tea, "But is it that unbelievable he's found someone that loves him?"
Kuribayashi broke out her trance, slowly creeping her gaze towards the medic like a possessed doll
"YES!" she shouted, the girls and everyone within a twenty-foot radius either jumping or recoiling from her nails-on-a-chalkboard squeal. Thankfully, the CBQ expert took notice of the odd looks everyone gave her, calming herself as she took another chug out of her can.
Slightly embarrassed, she continued "Yes... I did not think anyone would ever lower themselves to marry that cockroach!"
"Why?" Ikazaki chimed in, sipping on her coca-cola through a straw.
"Because...!" Kuribayashi squealed again, barely able to keep her voice confined within their small circle, "He's such a loser!"
Kurokawa pinched her nose before letting out an irritated groan, "You've only known him for a month. The thing you only really care to know about him is that he loves Anime and has a weird hobby. Other than that, how do you know there aren't hidden depths of him? Have you ever actually tried getting to know him on a personal level?"
Kuribayashi huffed, finishing her beer in one final chug before putting the empty can on the table with a loud thump, slightly startling the two women next to her. A loud belch escaped her lips, causing both of friends to glance worryingly at each other.
"What else is there to know?!" Kuribayashi countered, "He's a slacker with no ambitions who puts off work whenever possible. He speaks with such a pathetic command presence, I'd think I'd get more enthusiasm from a highschool kid. That's all I need to know!"
The medic frowned, the CQB expert continuing with her rant.
"It's not fair!" she whined, pulling on the ends of her chestnut-brown shoulder-length hair, "I think I'm pretty enough! I like to think I'm a fun person to be around! Yet I can't keep a boyfriend to save my life! The Lieutenant is a childish pervert and he gets to find both love and marriage with a special someone and I don't?!"
Kurokawa nearly choked on her green tea mid-sip, glancing at the distraught sergeant with a hand covering her mouth in an effort to hide her giggles.
So that's what this was really about.
She's jealous! Kurokawa could hardly contain her laughter, swallowing her tea so as to not choke on the soothing liquid.
"News flash, Shino-chan, all three of us are single here." Kurokawa reminded, holding up her left hand to point at the non-existent ring on her finger, "So what if the Lieutenant is married? It shouldn't discourage you from believing there isn't someone out there for you. If anything, quite the opposite."
"Bah..." Kuribayashi waved a dismissive hand, snapping open another can of Sapporo beer.
"Errr… Umm..." Ikazaki stammered as she glanced at the CQB sergeant with uncertainty, "Don't you beat up your boyfriends, Shino-chan?"
"W-what?!" Kuribayashi spat out her beer mid chug, "Where'd you get that impression?!"
"I've heard you beat up your boyfriends then dump them afterwards." Ikazaki answered, Kurokawa once again looking as if she were on the verge of bursting in a fit of uncontrolled laughter.
"That was one time!" The CQB rebutted, her nails on a chalkboard voice barely kept at a low tone as Ikazaki tilted her head, wanting more of an explanation, "I was dating some shy timid man at the time. I thought I could maybe give him some self-confidence by teaching him a few martial-arts techniques! I guess I must've hurt his pride by handing him his ass one too many times, because he dumped me afterwards! Not me dumping him!"
"Ah, I see." Ikazaki nodded once more before taking another sip from her straw.
"Gee, Himeko-chan. Way to make it sound like I'm a domestic abuser!"
"Sorry, not sorry."
"Heh! Sounds similar to my own experience, minus the martial-arts part." Kurokawa commented, both women diverting their gazes towards her as she now became the subject of interest. "I was dating a Salaryman in Chiba prefecture. He was nice, mildly mannered, and good looking. But I guess he didn't like the idea of dating a military woman. It also didn't help that I'm 6'1 and he was 5'6. I've always speculated he must have felt intimidated that I've always towered over him. After a while, our relationship became stale, so we've decided to just break it off and go our separate ways."
"Oh…" was all Ikazaki could say, trying to find honey words to offer her condolences to the medic, yet struggling to find the right wording.
Kuribayashi, however, scoffed as she opened another bottle of beer before taking a swig, "Japanese men, I swear! They're always intimidated by a woman who isn't a damn Yamato Nadeshiko!"
"Itami's wife doesn't seem to fit the definition of a Yamato Nadeshiko." Kurokawa retorted her accusation.
All three of them glanced over at the tent where Itami and Risa were handing out barbeque sandwiches. The two appeared to be genuinely enjoying each other's company, laughing at some unheard jokes while politely greeting their patrons. They'd occasionally glance longingly at each other whenever there was a pause of customers, mouthing to each other none of the girls could pick up on.
"They look like two school children flirting at recess." Ikazaki commented.
Kuribayashi huffed, crossing her arms as she pouted unlike that of a spoiled toddler, "It's still not fair…!"
"Life isn't fair, Shino-chan, but you can't take your frustrations out on the Lieutenant just because he's found his special someone." Kurokawa lectured, Kuribayashi only reply being that of a subtle sigh. "Besides, you should be grateful to him."
At the mention of that, Kuribayashi glared at the medic as if she'd just given her the middle finger.
"Oh?! Why should I?!"
"Getting you out of mess duty, for one." Kurokawa quipped, narrowing her eyes as Kuribayashi froze in place, "He didn't have to bring his wife on the base in order to cover for you. I'm pretty sure he doesn't have the authority to overrule the captain's decision to punish you by confining you to the kitchen all day, so he's actually taking a huge risk sticking his neck out for you like this."
Kuribayashi stammered, opening her mouth to offer some sort of rebuttal but found the words stuck in the throat. She sighed once again in defeat, groaning as she ran her fingers through his chestnut-brown hair. Seeing the short-tempered sergeant accepting this fact allowed the medic to blow a sigh, relieved that she got her point across.
It's true. Honestly, Itami did not have to risk his neck for her just so she could enjoy the day with the soldiers she idolized. The fact he did so despite knowing of her low opinion of him should have driven home that perhaps her views about him were far too harsh if bordering on unreasonable. Driven home that perhaps there's more to him than just being an Otaku.
Good. Now you can hopefully stop complaining and start learning, the medic thought as she took another sip from her green tea.
"I've heard Itami-san was Special Forces before his assignment to us," Ikazaki chimed, taking another sip with her straw.
Kuribayashi let out a haughty laugh as she popped open another Sapporo-band beer, Kurokawa becoming slightly concerned due to this being her third beer in a row, "Yeah right! As if that goon could ever pass the selection process with how timid he is."
"Didn't he come from Camp Narashino?" Ikazaki countered, the CBQ expert merely replying with a snort.
"How should I know?" She lazily shrugged, "Even if he did, he was probably some desk clerk before transferring to our unit."
The medic grinned, unbeknownst to the CQB expert.
I was there when he checked into the unit. You weren't.
She glanced over at Kuribayashi once again denying Ikazaki's analytical questions, covering her mouth as she suppressed a giggled.
I'm going to need to prepare for the therapy sessions once she inevitably finds out.
The sun had since gone down, the weather clear enough to cast a starry night to those who'd glance up and stargaze. The festivities had concluded around 17:00, leaving a large working party of troops to break down and store away the tents and game setups.
Those that were lucky enough to avoid getting attached to the working party were either relaxing in the squad bay or partying in the smoke-pit once more, the latter once again being designated as the after-party rallying point for those who still wanted to mingle with one another.
It was the most they could do at this point. Because of the fact they were on Japanese soil, there would not be a show of fireworks in respect to both the Japanese government and the surrounding locals.
Thus, the troops once again found themselves vibing in the smoke pit, the genre of music being played on Bluetooth speakers all over the place.
Several troops were in their own corner, discussing the latest topic or hearing something from a guy who knows a guy.
Two Marines in particular were currently discussing the most debated and controversial topic in the entertainment industry.
"Nah, sub is the only way."
Hilaire narrowed his eyes at Xiong, the Chinese-American remaining stead-fast in his opinion.
"Xiong, Black Lagoon is better dubbed!" Hilaire shot back, Xiong shaking his head
"Nope. If I have the choice of watching anime dubbed or subbed, I'm simply picking subbed every time."
Hilaire groaned, exhaling hard through his nose as he rubbed his temples, "Even Cowboy Bebop? The fucking Japanese said the dub is better than the original!"
Xiong shrugged, opening a plastic fanta soda with green liquid inside, "Dunno, never watched it."
Cocking an eyebrow, Hilaire asked, "You claim to be an anime fan, yet you've never seen Cowboy Bebop?"
Xiong took a swig before saying, "Shit's old."
Hilaire let out another groan, "You've got to be kidding me…"
The cameraman grabbed a fanta soda of the same green liquid, cracking open the bottle cap before taking a long swig of it.
"This shit's good!" Xiong commented, looking at the label that was written in Japanese characters. "What flavour did you say this was?"
"Melon pop."
"Pop?" Xiong mused, "You call soda pop too?"
"I'm Canadian, remember?"
"I thought it was a Minnesota thing."
"Eh, Minnesota might as well be a part of Canada," Hilaire laughed before placing the bottle on his lips again.
"Yeah right. Bullshit," Xiong refuted, finishing his bottle of Melon-flavoured fanta before grabbing another one from the cooler.
"Careful. You might become addicted to them." Hilaire warned, glancing longingly at the container full of green coloured beverages.
"They only sell these in Japan?"
Hilaire nodded, "Mmhmm. Have fun trying to buy these off ebay if you can find a seller."
"Shieeeet…"
The two chuckled once more, glancing at the designated "dance floor" where troops were intermingling with each other. One brave Korean soldier started break dancing in the middle, the crowd encircling around him as they loudly cheered him on.
Another soldier approached him, apparently taking up the challenge as he started the break dance in front of the Korean. The Korean who was breakdancing watched on, crossing his arms when the crowd was cheering the other soldier on.
The two continued on their competition, the ambient music in the background being drowned out by the cheering of the crowd around them.
Xiong tried standing on his tip-toes in order to see past the crowd, Hilaire finding it comical due to how short the man was.
The short Chinese-American gave up, turning around to Hilaire, "Yo, Imma try to see this dance off up close. I'll be back!"
Hilaire nodded, motioning the smaller Marine away. Xiong tried navigating through the crowd before disappearing inside the moving circle, leaving the Canadian-Marine to sit back and watch from afar.
He glanced around, looking at anyone who hadn't decided to join the circle. There were several people to themselves, either recording the dance off or occupied in their own conversation.
His eyes settled on Ikazaki, the bespectacled female watching the crowd with a taller Japanese woman by her side.
Hilaire raised his eyebrows.
Jesus, she's tall…
Even from sitting down, Hilaire could tell the woman was easily around six-feet tall at the least, making her the tallest Japanese woman he'd seen. Probably the tallest Asian he'd ever seen.
Ikazaki continued staring at the crowd, seemingly entranced with the competition going off.
Hilaire wondered if he could try starting up another conversation with her, not having seen her since their first field op.
He was about to get up and try to shoot his shot before someone walked up behind him, wrapping an arm around his neck before he could react. Alarmed, he craned his neck around, half-expecting the perpetrator to be a drunk Marine who'd become rowdy.
He relaxed somewhat when he discovered the arm belonged to Sergeant Kuribayashi, who seemed to be giving him a predatory grin from ear to ear.
"Ara ara! Why are you... sitting alone?" She asked with barely comprehensible English.
Hilaire's nostrils flared from the overwhelming aroma of alcohol on her breath.
Is she drunk?! He sat still, unlike a deer caught in the headlights.
Slurring her words, she asked him, "Would you mind if… I sat with you?"
Yeah, she's drunk.
He opened his mouth, yet no words came out.
In a perfect world, he would've politely declined her offer, and instead, escorted her to her barracks where she could sleep off her intoxication. However, upon gazing up at her beautiful soft features, he struggled to say the right words that could save him from a potential international incident.
She, however, did not wait for him to answer.
Keeping her armed around him, she sat next to him, wrapping a leg around his waist. Blushing, the cameraman gave her a timid smile, causing Kuribayashi to giggle in response, her huge breasts pressing against the side of his ribs as she leaned forward.
She's not wearing a bra…
Hilaire tried crossing his legs, hoping it would stop the blood rushing to a certain part of his anatomy.
It didn't.
Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice as she continued giggling like a schoolgirl.
This was all wrong. She's clearly drunk and unable to consent to anything. He, however, was sober and knew better than to accept her advances.
Despite knowing that, he rested a hand on one of her biceps, timidly stroking it.
She responded by tracing her fingertips along his chest.
I mean… technically she's the aggressor here.
Even if she was a motard and slightly overbearing in the short time he'd known her, Hilaire would be lying if he said he didn't like the attention she was currently giving him.
She continued playfully caressing him, gliding her hand around his chest until they stumbled upon something above his left breast pocket.
She gave it a light tug, the metallic object remaining in place. She tilted her head, curiosity written in her eyes as she stared in awe.
She's really cute...
"Hilaire…?" She asked sweetly, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Ano… I… been wanting to ask. What is this metal pin you wear…?"
"My jump wings...?" The young cameraman stammered.
"Jump wings?! You jump out of planes?!" She exclaimed, her voice causing several troops to gaze in their direction.
Thankfully, Ikazaki and her friend were among the few.
Both females shrieked in unison upon noticing their drunk friend all but molesting the Marine, her flushed face rubbing against his as if she were a cat.
Like a pair of cheetahs, the two dashed towards the cameraman and the CQB expert.
"Shino-chan!" the tall one yelled in a scolding tone, unlike that of a parent.
Kuribayashi whipped her head over at her tall friend, her once graceful features replaced with an aggressive scowl.
In Japanese, Kuribayashi told her, "Leave me alone, mom! This badass cutie is mine!"
Hilaire blinked.
Mom...? She has kids?
The tall one scowled in return, "You're drunk, Shino-chan! Stop before you embarrass yourself again!"
"I-I'm not drunk!" She slurred, "I just want to have fun! Himeko-chan said I would have a better chance with a foreigner since they're far more open minded!"
Ikazaki bowed profusely, "Hilarie, we're so sorry! Please forgive our friend, here!"
"I...-"
"There's nothing wrong with a little fun!" Kuribayashi shouted before pointing at the cameraman's boner, "B-besides! I think he wants to have fun too!"
Ah crap.
So she did notice.
Both ladies turned beet-red upon noticing where Kuribayashi was pointing too, Hilaire wishing he could just disappear at this very moment.
She continued arguing with her tall friend, the two going at it like alley cats. Ikazaki could only stand there, apologizing in between. Hilaire glanced around, seeing several people had caught on to the dispute happening between them.
Several onlookers were from 3/3, namely Artis and Aronov, who've decided to take their phones out and record the commotion rather than intervening.
Thanks for the help, assholes! Hilaire thought to himself, shooting an annoyed glare at both squadmates.
He tried thinking of something to deescalate the situation.
Kurata's words echoed in the cameraman's head, "Well, if she were to learn that you waste your life by playing video games, she would probably immediately detest your very existence."
Kuribayashi's hold tightened around his ribs, reminding him of a Boa Constrictor as she continued to mouth off to the tall Japanese girl, Ikazaki continuing to give him both an embarrassed and apologetic look.
Fuck it.
"Hey Kuribayashi-chan" Hilaire spoke to her in Japanese, trying to suck in some precious air that had been previously squeezed from him.
"H-hai?" She asked between a hiccup, resting her chin along his shoulders as her hands caressed around his chest.
"Ever seen the inside of a Marine's barracks room?"
Hey eyes widened, excitement sparking in her brown irises, "No! I have not!"
Hilaire nodded, fishing inside his pocket to retrieve his cell phone, "I took a video of all the things I have decorated on my side. Wanna take a look at the things I have?"
"Hai!" She beamed, her arms wrapping tighter around them.
Ikazaki and the tall woman cocked their eyebrows, giving the cameraman both a confused and concerned glance. He simply smiled, giving them a wink as he unlocked his phone. Going through his photo gallery, he used his fingers to scroll down until he finally found the nearly two-minute long video he was looking for. Whispering a silent prayer, he put the video on play.
Kuribayashi glanced at it, both a childish and giddy smile as her eyes transfixed on the screen.
The video started off as normal, Hilaire and Milo standing in front of the door that led to their barracks room.
"Welcome to the nerd's den!" Hilaire said in the video, Milo snickering as they used their keycard to unlock it. With a simple turn of the knob, they pushed the door open.
Kuribayashi's eyes immediately widened.
The video showed various posters of Waifus and Anime figurines posed on both Hilaire and Milo's side of the room. Stickers of Anime girls clad in skimpy material had been plastered on their personal belongings. In Milo's closest, rows of uniforms and tactical gear were either neatly folded or hung, airsoft weapons that were certainly not authorized to keep in the barracks. In Hilaire's closet, sets of cosplay pieces from Halo and Star Wars sat neatly on his shelves, a Spartan III and a Mandalorion respectively. On the top shelf were boxes of 1/6 scaled action figures along with 1/72 model aircraft, all neatly lined up.
The video went on for longer, but Kuribayashi had already released her grip, her eyes wide with horror as she covered her mouth.
Hilaire heard something rumbling in her stomach, followed by a sound of her violently gagging.
Oh fuck!-
Too late.
The short CQB expert lurched over, releasing a waterfall of vomit all over Hilaire's torso and lap before he could dive out of the way.
"Oh shit! The JSDF is getting some!" One Marine shouted, drawing the attention of the rest of the troops in the smoke-pit who were otherwise not paying any mind beforehand.
"Hell yeah! Get some!" Another one shouted, taking out his phone to capture this event.
Pretty soon, the smoke pit erupted in cheers and chanting as Kuribayashi released another stream of vomit. Luckily, Hilaire had moved out of the way in time, loudly groaning as he tried wiping off the yellow sticky bile in a futile effort to clean himself.
Ikazaki and her tall friend dashed towards Kuribayashi, the latter grabbing her by the arm and escorting her to the nearest trash bin before she could throw up again.
If only she'd been faster as Kuribayashi puked up a third time, this one getting on her friend's shoes.
If her friend was pissed off, she didn't show it, assisting Kuribayashi in leaning over the trash can to finish puking her guts out.
"Moushiwakearimasen! Moushiwakearimasen!" Ikazaki apologized repeatedly, her face beet-red as she bowed each time she issued an apology.
Hilaire traced his fingers along his jump-wings, foul smelling sticky substance dripping down on the floor, "It's okay! It's fine!"
Another loud retch, followed by the sounds of liquids splashing inside a plastic bag.
"O-otaku…!" Kuribayashi screamed, lolling her head over towards Hilaire's direction as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"Keep your head over the bin until you're done puking!" The tall one scolded, Kuribayashi merely responding with another projectile vomit.
"It's not fine!" Ikazaki shouted out at him, looking as if she were on the verge of tears, "She isn't normally like this! Please forgive her!"
Unbuttoning his blouse, Hilaire simply sighed, "It's fine, Ikazaki-san. I'm not mad. Just…"
Another loud retching noise.
"Caught off guard…"
By now, several of his Marine acquaintances started walking up towards him, all with mixed reactions in their faces. One of them being Aronov, snickering as he held out his phone.
"Bruh, I think she likes you."
Hiliare extending out his hand, shooting him a middle finger, "Yeah, fuck you. Thanks for the help by the way, you assholes!"
Xiong stood right next to him, raising his hands defensively, "I've only left you alone for five minutes. I turned around and saw her on your lap, so I thought you two were about to hit it off. Didn't want to cock block."
Hilaire glanced at his rolled up blouse, small drips from Kuribayashi's vomit splattering on the floor below.
"Yeah well…"
The Canadian-Marine couldn't think of a proper rebuttal, opting with a simple sigh instead. He turned his attention towards Artis, who was holding his phone in a landscape position, no doubt recording as his cheese eating grin exposed the gap between his two front teeth.
"Damn, niggah! She got 'cho ass!"
"Fuck. Off."
"Ain't my fault you got caught slippin'"
"I swear to God, if you post this on facebook..."
Artis gave a smug look, diverting his gaze upon hearing another sound of Kuribayashi retching.
Both Marines focused on the puking Japanese girl, who seemed to just be dry heaving at this point if the lack of bile was anything to go by. Kuribayashi slumped over the top of the trash bin, her tall friend grabbing the shorter girl's left arm and wrapping it around her shoulder. She then hoisted Kuribayashi up, who kept groaning as her head loosely dangled.
"Ikazaki-chan, please help me." She called out.
"H-hai, Kurokawa-chan!" She stammered, watching her sergeant barely able to stand on her own.
Kurokawa… that's her name, eh?
Ikazaki bowed one last time, her glasses nearly falling off her face with the crisp motion, "Please forgive her, Hilaire-san! We'll make this up to you! We promise!"
Hilaire simply gave her a small smile.
Waving a dismissive hand, Hilaire said, "Its fine, Ikazaki-san! It's fine, I swear! Just go help Kurokawa-san"
She stared at the drenched Marine for a moment longer before turning around, grabbing Kuribayashi's other arm to better support her. The three women proceeded to head off to their assigned barracks, the troops in the smoke pit returning back to partying in their small circles.
"You jump out of planes?!" Uriarte mocked, clamping his hands together while doing a genki girl impersonation, "So Kawaii, Hilaire-sama! Please give me your babies!"
"Go to hell, Terminal Lance…" Hilaire shot back, earning a few laughs from the group.
"Ooooh, haven't heard that one before." Uriarte replied in a sarcastic manner.
Pattison crossed his arms, glaring at Hilaire "How the fuck did you and Milo-whats-his-face managed to go to jump school anyway?"
"Dude, we've been over this already," Hilaire replied, slightly bemused. "Miloradovic and I are going to be attached to a Force Recon unit after this is over. They wanted us to be jump qualified beforehand so we can tag along in airborne ops."
"Yet they didn't send you to diver's course?"
Hilaire pointed at his exposed arm, "You see this? Dark. Dark man plus water equals not a good day."
Pattison snickered, "Alright, I'll give you that one."
Hilaire wiped a stray trail of orange sludge that was running down his trousers, trying not to gag as his hands made contact with the foul substance.
"Well… I guess I'll get changed now…"
Time: 22:59 Hours
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Ginza Ward
In an alleyway near 4-Chome intersection
The Centurion glanced at the entrance of the alleyway he and his scouts had hidden in, clutching against the loose fabric in an anxious tic.
The material this tunic is made of is smooth. And it stretches too!
Being a reconnaissance unit, blending in with the population was the cornerstone of a flawless mission. It immediately dawned on them that their wardrobes not only clashed with this world's definition of "fashion", but brought unneeded attention towards them.
Thus, they discreetly discarded their native tunics, acquiring these strange clothes from various means. Either robbing someone who were of identical build, or picking them off the strange bazaars that were all over these wide streets.
He closed his eyes, remembering the moment they stepped through the portal.
"By Emory! What is this place?!"
"How are buildings this tall able to stand?!"
"I can't even see the sun! What marvelous architecture!"
"How rich is this city-state to afford so much glass?!"
Years of missions and experience under their belts, yet they were instantly overwhelmed by the environment they found themselves in.
The infrastructure, the endless columns of horseless wagons, parchments plastered all over the place, boxes and slabs that would display what appears to be a live-stage inside them?
Just… what is this place?!
The native population, he discovered, were certainly homogenous, the norm being slender men and women with pale skin, dark hair, and slanted eyes. seldom did they encounter any native that looked like them, and even then, they spoke in a strange tongue none of them could understand.
They tried searching around the city-state, trying to find anything of value or something they could maybe exploit, only to discover this city was far too big than any of them thought imaginable, easily trumping the size of their own capitol city.
The next thing they tried looking for were military garrisons, once again realizing that task became next to impossible since they could not really distinguish what purpose these buildings served, all of them clashing and blending in with one another.
Save for several cohortes urbanae in white and blue tunics, there was nothing worth noting of an actual military presence in the city.
So now that left them with one other option they had in order to gain vital information about this city, something of a desperate and last resort.
The Centurion paced around, glancing at the gagged and bound natives the scouts have managed to successfully kidnap, their muffled cries snuffed out by several scouts intimidating them to keep quiet.
Hopefully these people would explain everything there was to know about this city-state, and whether or not it could be subjugated with Imperial rule.
Other than those unarmed cohortes urbanae, this city is practically defenseless.
Lightly defended, yet wouldn't make up for the fact the sheer size of this city made occupation by their forces all but impossible.
Plus, they'd still have yet to find where their actual outposts for their armies are.
Or even what they'd look like.
The scout shuddered, imagining how advanced their armies might be if these technological marvels were anything to go by.
He shook his head, tapping his foot as he glanced at the alleyway again.
One of the Decans ran up to him saying, "That's everyone, sire"
The Centurion nodded.
"Alright then. Open the portal and get us out of here."
The Decan nodded, chanting a spell in an ancient language.
The winds kicked up in the alleyway, blowing various parchments and trash that littered the narrow space
In an instant, the scouts and kidnapped victims disappeared in a bright flash of light, leaving no trace of their existence.
A/N:
M3 Luck3y Charms here, formally known as Cpl Isaac. Decided to just go with my other online Alias I practically use everywhere else.
First thing's first, I want to apologize for the severe lack of updates in… practically a year and a half. To be honest, I had originally planned an entire arc revolving the Saderan Scouts exploring Ginza and being marooned there before having to figure out a way to make it back to the Special Region. The entire thing was originally over 40K words detailing how they used the portal to go into Ginza, got trapped there, evaded the police long enough to gather enough people to essentially build another portal from our world to connect to there's in an effort to make it back.
Sounds cringe? Yeah, I know. TopHatGuy basically convinced me to… essentially cut out the arc entirely. But the whole thing had already been written before I had ultimately cut it out. Maybe in the near future, I'll probably post it as a separate story or "director's cut"
Now.. some of you may have noticed, but the Gate that appeared in Ginza hasn't exactly appeared yet.
In the vanilla, Noriko had commented that she had been taken from Imperial Scouts when she was in Ginza
weeks before the actual invasion happened. And that the Gate was still being constructed when she was originally brought over. Which all but confirmed that the portal was initially used by scouts to recon the area before Sadera actually brought the Gate over for Molt's armies to invade.
Other than that, I once again apologize for the lack of updates. And it's probably not even the update that you wanted. I'm sure A lot of you want to get to the Ginza invasion already. Trust me, I am too. Luckily for you all, the next chapter is practically already complete, so you won't have to wait much longer for the action to officially begin.
Happy 4th of July everyone!
M3 Luck3y Charms out!