Chapter 12 – Birthday girls
Over a week has passed since uncle's birthday. The daily routine of the officer's course was slowly growing on me. On a Sunday, I got out and explored the city a bit on my own. I stuffed myself full with the local cuisine, but I still didn't see the whole city. It's just too big… Ah, whatever, maybe another Sunday, which would be tomorrow…? But today, I have a mission. Today's the 18th of August, a triple occasion! Holy shit, why didn't I do any preparations yesterday, aaaaaaaaargh! Never mind, up and at 'em!
Toshiro stood up and dressed himself in his training clothes. He shot out of his room and ran down the stairs, and down to the basement. After quickly starting a fire under the boiler, he ran up the stairs. Unexpectedly, Adolfine was already waiting for him with a confused expression
"Toshiro, why are you running like a madman from the morning up? You didn't even respond to my 'Hi'…"
"Oh, hi… You know, today's a special day…"
"Special day… Hmmm… What is it about?"
"Yoshika and Eila have their birthday, so I thought I'll call both of them. And by extension I might as well wish happy birthday to that Shizuka girl that's with Yoshika… So, that's why I'm rushing like that, since I would like to leave earlier…"
Adolfine placed her hands on his shoulders, shook her head and said, "Toshiro, Toshiro… I already have those bases covered… I called the 502nd, and it appears Eila and Sanya are using their base as their own base of operations in the efforts toward finding the latter's parents. As for Yoshika, their ship will have a full day stop today in the port of Durban, so this will considerably ease the effort of contacting her. We'll just shorten our workout…"
Toshiro's eyes glittered and he hugged Adolfine.
"Thanks, Adi…"
"Heheh…" Adolfine laughed and patted his back. "But, if you want for them to have birthday parties, you have to arrange that with the ship's captain and Gundi."
"Gundi?" Toshiro tilted his head.
"Major Gundula Rall, the commander of the 502nd. She's a bit laid back, so you'll have no problems with talking to her."
"Ah, okay. You're really a life saver…"
"I just like you too much to let you worry, heehee… Come on, the weights won't lift themselves."
"Oh they won't…"
After workout, bathing and breakfast, they left for the HQ. After being spotted, Helga greeted them. "Good morning you two. Why so early today?"
"Hi, Helga. I have a special mission today, so I had to reserve some time for it in the morning."
"Aaaah, I won't press the issue further. Have a good day, and good luck!"
"Thanks!"
"Follow me to my office, Toshiro." Adolfine said.
"Okay!"
They slowly walked to Adolfine's office. She opened the door and said, "Make yourself cozy, I'll go and look for myself elsewhere."
"No, no… You don't have to go anywhere. I have a feeling you'll get to talk to Yoshika…"
"Oh, okay then…"
Toshiro sat at the small desk of Joachim and Adolfine sat on it.
"So, who do I call if I want Yoshika?"
"The Durban port authority. Just tell them your name and everything should go smoothly."
"Kay, let's go…"
After a while of line switching, he heard a deep, male voice, "Durban port authority office, how may I help you?"
"Hi, this is Toshiro Edelweiss calling…"
"Ah, you are the one that General talked about. Wait one moment, I'll do what I was told."
Toshiro heard a muffled "Girls, come in!" and after a few seconds the man asked, "So, whom should I pass the receiver to first? The brown haired girl or the black haired girl?"
"The brown haired one please."
"Okay, here you go."
He could her a faint "Here, it's for you." And then he heard the voice that was like honey poured on his heart.
"Hello?"
"Hi, sweetie. Missed me?"
"Toshiro!" She shouted so loudly his right ear almost popped. "Yay, Toshiro's calling!"
"Oh, you're really happy from what I hear…"
"Bah! Toshiro, this is so damn boring! It's like the Akagi all over again, only now, I can't even swab the deck for fun!" She shouted "And Shizuka is such a stickler to rules, bleh…" She added quietly. "And it's cold! We're in Africa and it's cold!"
"Just like here, Yoshika. You know why I'm calling?"
"Hmmm… You missed me?"
"Ain't that a bit too obvious for me?"
"Heehee… I don't know then…"
"Oh Yoshika, Yoshika… Happy birthday you little dunce…"
"Oooooooooooh! Wow! You remembered! And I've forgotten about my own birthday because of this boring trip! Yay, thanks! Be sure to call Sanya, okay?"
"Sure I will! That's the next thing I'll do after I talk over some things with the captain of your ship and Shizuka. And I have some stuff to talk about with you…"
"Humm?"
"Five-five."
After a brief moment of silence, Yoshika said, "Adolfine?"
"Yeeeeaaaah…"
"On her own?"
"Yup."
"How?"
"She wanted to comfort me after my grandma died." Toshiro said while looking at the intrigued Adolfine.
"Oh, sorry to hear…"
"I'm living in her house by the way."
"You are? Toshiro… I hope you're being civilized…"
"Yuki is keeping me at bay, don't worry."
"Hmm… Is she with you now?"
"Yup."
"Gimme her, I want to ask her one question."
"Okay." Toshiro said and looked at Adolfine. "Adi, Yoshika wants to ask you a question."
"Me? Okaaay…" She said as she took the receiver from Toshiro. "Hello? Yes…" A long pause took place during which Adolfine's face got really red. "Um, if you want me too… Okay… Okay… Happy birthday by the way… Yeah… I'll give it back… Here, Toshiro." She passed on the receiver to him.
"What the hell did you ask the poor Adi? She's red as a winter sunset…"
"Won't tell, heehee… And I told her not to tell you either, so don't put pressure on her!"
"Okay… Have something else to discuss?"
"No… I believe nothing…"
"Then pass on the receiver to Shizuka."
"Okay. I miss you by the way…"
"I miss you too… By the way… Sanya and you aren't the only girls that have their birthday today."
"No? Who are the other ones?"
"She's standing beside you."
"You mean… Really?"
"Yup. Come on now, pass the receiver to her."
"Okay! Bye, Toshiro!"
"Bye, sweetcake."
After a few seconds, a frightened voiced said, "H-Hello?"
"Sergeant Shizuka Hattori?" Toshiro asked in an official tone.
"Y-Yes?"
"Colonel Toshiro Edelweiss, fiancé of Yoshika. Now listen – if as much as a hair falls of Yoshika's head, I will kill you. Maybe not literally, but I've got enough connections to sack you out of the Naval Academy."
"Y-Y-Yes sir!"
"And try to entertain Yoshika more, befriend her or something."
"I c-c-can't just like that! I'm younger, lower ranked and… I admire her too much to just talk with her casually…" She said the last part so quietly that Toshiro had to guess it.
Toshiro sighed and said, "Can I call you Shizuka?"
"Y-yes, if you like…"
"Okay then, Shizuka… Judging by your voice and that photo I saw in your dossier, you're an honest and good girl. Now please, at least try to get along with Yoshika. She's still a bit down after she lost her magic abilities, and me being away from her also has an impact on her… So if not friends, at least become a… conversation partner or something… She may be your role model or something, but she's not technically in the military right now, so you can drop the rank bullshit and treat her like a normal girl."
"Oh… Okay, I'll try…"
"Or I'll tell Yoshika to sodomize you."
"So…So…So…" Shizuka started stuttering heavily.
"Don't even try to repeat that word in public! Is the captain of your ship somewhere around?"
"Y-yes, he's in this room."
"Then give me him AFTER I clear another issue…"
He could hear Shizuka whimper.
"Happy birthday, Shizuka."
"W-W-W-What? How do you… Ah, you've read my dossier… Heehee, thank you, sir."
"Now, give me the captain, and both of you can go. Play some cards or something."
"Okay." Shizuka said confidently and the audio started co crackle.
"Yes, this is the captain speaking." A male voice said.
"Hello, this is Colonel Toshiro Edelweiss."
"Ah, such a famous war hero calling me… What can I help you with, Colonel?"
"I have a little selfish request… Did the girls go already?"
"Yes, they ran off."
"Could you and the crew organize a little birthday party for the two?"
"Hmmm… Maybe… But it won't be anything flashy… And I doubt I can organize a cake…"
"It's the intent that counts, captain."
"Ah, what the hell. They'll have their birthday party today! Just tell me the name of that dark one, the other one I know… Well, everyone knows that now…"
"Shizuka Hattori, fourteen. Yoshika is now sixteen by the way."
"Understood. Anything else you want from this old salt?"
"Nah, nothing more. Thanks for everything, captain."
"Have a nice day, Colonel."
"And vice versa."
Toshiro laid down the receiver.
"Pheeeeew… Two down, one to go…"
"About that sodomizing…"
"What, you want a go at Yoshika? But Adi… I would have to go to Africa and shaft Tina to get the score even now…"
"S-shut up! Your intelligence and bluntness creeps me out sometimes…" Adolfine said with rosen cheeks.
"So you do want to try…" Toshiro said with a sly smile.
"M-maybe…"
"I won't judge you… I thought Shirley and Minna were straight to the bone, and suddenly – bang. Buuuut you'll have to organize Tina for me at the same time. Maybe we could do a foursome… Ah, shit, that would put Yoshika in advantage again… Uuuuuuh… Scratch that, I would have to bang Tina on the side…"
"Stop daydreaming, Toshiro… You're wasting time, and if you're late…"
"Ah, shit, you're right. 502nd, prepare yourself!"
After the usual rituals, he heard a rather harsh voice.
"Major Gundula Rall, who am I speaking with?"
"Oberst Toshiro Edelweiss."
"Aaaah, Adi's pupil!" Rall's tone changed immediately. "Whatcha want, Oberst?"
"Is Sanya somewhere nearby?"
"Mmmm, well… It would be a bother to call her out… Why do you want to talk to her?"
"You don't know what day it is?"
"Saturday, August 18, Anno Domini 1945."
"Ugh, I perfectly well know the day date…"
"Then I don't know…"
"It's Sanya's fifteenth birthday."
"Oh really?! The little Sanya is turning fifteen today?!"
"Yup."
"But that is in need of celebration! I believe her lovey dovey Eila wanted to tell me something today, but I think Nikka scared her of… Okay, a party it will be!"
"Um, can I have her at the phone already?"
"Ah, yeah! I got a bit too forward, heehee… Wait a second, okay?"
"Yeah…"
Toshiro could hear that Rall started shouting "Sanya, c'mere to the office! There's someone on the phone for you!"
"Okay, I called her in through the PA, she should be here in a few…"
"I heard you shouting here in Neue Karlsland…" Toshiro grumbled.
"Heheh… So, if I may ask…"
"Toshiro."
"Ah, okay, call me Gundi then."
"Suuure, Gundi…"
"So, is it true that your fiancé… swings both ways?"
"Hmmm?"
"I mean, I heard from a reliable source that Miyafuji is bi…"
"And what would that source be? Is it perhaps silver haired and wearing white tights?"
"Yes, that would be Eila! Oh, fuck… She told me that one in confidence…"
"Well, since you have such a loose tongue, I'll leave you in uncertainty…"
"Baaawww, Toshiroooo! Come on!"
"We barely know each other, Gundi…"
"But I really won't tell! Only Nikka and I know that Sanya and Eila are queer as a three dollar bill, I promise this won't leak outside of this office!"
"I hope you're not using a broad term here… Yes, Yoshika is bi-curious."
"And she looks so innocent…"
"Hahahahaha! If she'd get you on the side so to speak, you would be in for a surprise!"
"Amazing… Ah, Sanya's here. Hey, Sanya, come over."
After a few clicks and rustles, he heard the shy voice of his favorite Orussian.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Sanya."
"Oh, Toshiro! How nice of you to call me on this day."
"Heheh, you probably knew I was coming, huh? Happy birthday, Sanya."
"Heehee, thank you. Eila told me somebody I know very well will contact me today."
"For once her tarot cards were useful…"
"Well, she has her better days… What are you doing right now, Toshiro? How's Yoshika?"
"I'm undertaking an officer's course in Neue Karslsland, since I never had one. Then I'll be helping develop new stuff for me. After that – hell would I know. And Yoshika… Yoshika's on a ship to Europe. She'll be studying in Basel in Helvetia."
"Oh, how nice for both of you. But you two are separated right now… Did you call her today?"
"Of course I did! I have my priorities set straight, heheh…"
"Heehee… Well, I'm still searching for my parents now…"
"At least you know they might be alive… And I bet you're tuned in to receive radio waves for the whole day, right?"
"Heh, yes… Even now I have my antennas out, scanning the airwaves for that one song… Maybe I could ascertain the location of my parents if I'm close enough to the broadcast…"
"Good luck, Sanya. And don't let Eila go to rough on you today."
"Hmmm… I'll damper her a bit, but who knows… Things might get a bit hot… And I've been depriving Eila of… stimulus lately…"
"I can sympathize with her on that one… Ehhh… Bye, Sanya. I hope we'll meet again!"
"Goodbye, Toshiro. I also hope we'll meet in person once more."
Toshiro hooked the receiver and looked at the grumpy Adolfine.
"Why do your conversation always have to veer off towards the topic of sex…?"
"Dunno… Maybe because I'm a lean, mean, fornicating machine?"
"Or a perv right to the bone… You should run off to Sperrle, or you'll be in trouble."
"Yeah, thanks for everything!" Toshiro said and ran to the class room. He managed just in time.
"Ah, my favorite student… Today, we will be learning about…"
The rest of the day went on rather normally.
Just before Adolfine closed the door to her bedroom, Toshiro asked, "Hey, Adi, what did you talk about with Yoshika?"
"Hah, you'd like to know, huh?"
"Well, sort of…"
"You'll get to know soon enough…" She said in a flirtatious tone and closed her door.
What did those two talk about…? Damn little secrets between women… Sheesh…
I have some bonus cut content available the usual way. ;)
And if you want to praise/rant about my story, please leave a signed review, so we can continue via PM's. Seriously, I don't bite. Unless provoked :]