Part 2: Erika
Hotel Mesm
Tokyo
Coming out of a restless sleep, Itsumi Erika's pale blue eyes slowly blinked open. She pushed herself up from under the covers and rubbed her tired eyes. At her side, Nishizumi Maho peacefully snoozed as the morning passed by. Erika groaned and sat up, knowing that any attempts at going back to sleep were pointless. Her foot hit a glass bottle and knocked it to the side as she moved to stand, which rolled to a stop near a gathering of half a dozen more.
"I don't even remember falling asleep." Itsumi thought groggily, still trying to clear her foggy, hungover mind. Her eyes were drawn to a bath robe hanging up next to her night stand, which bore the Kuromorimine Academy coat of arms. On the table itself was a glass of water, a pair of pain pills, and a breakfast cereal bar.
"Why are you so good to me, Maho?" She whispered, a small smile forming on her lips as she picked up the cup. Erika ignored the pills, but made a mental note to take the bar. "Who knows? Maybe this headache will teach me something? As doubtful as that seems…"
The vice commander sleepily shuffled to the large window overlooking the bay, lazily shrugging her robe over her bare shoulders. Pulling open the curtain, she shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun.
The one object that had dominated the immediate view of the harbor for the last several months was Erika's home ship, the KMS Graf Zeppelin. Over the course of only a few days, every building on the top deck had been either gutted, bombed out, or completely flattened. Following an ordinance sweep, reconstruction began the same week the ship arrived. Although, nearly every day, the construction crews still found hidden caches of weapons, abandoned vehicles and unexploded bombs.
Out of curiosity, Erika picked up her binoculars from the nearby desk and peered through them. Aboard Graf Zeppelin, construction could be seen in several locations. The main school building, City Hall, the dormitories, and the Sensha-do garages. The school appeared to be the most complete, which wasn't a surprise. Other than minor external damage and some broken windows, the war hadn't really touched the building, despite its use as the Volunteer Korps' headquarters throughout the battle. Next was the dormitories. Most of the effort there was internal, with doors, walls and sometimes entire rooms completely destroyed. Maho's own room came to mind, with the ransacked furniture, bullet riddled walls, and the blood.
So much blood.
Erika moved on before the dark memories overtook her. She found the garages rather easily, thanks to the presence of a large mobile crane. The shattered structure, which had once been a graveyard for Kuromorimine's tank arsenal… and team, was now a flurry of activity. The tank husks had been taken away and were being rebuilt or scrapped by a military contractor, since other than Maho, herself, and about a dozen others, the Sensha-do team no longer officially existed. Scaffolding was wrapped around the garage, which supported the ongoing bricklaying project. If she zoomed in, Itsumi could make out individual people at the site, but couldn't quite tell who each one was.
Feeling a sudden restlessness, Erika moved away from the window and quickly dressed herself. She had to go for a walk to clear her head, and knew exactly where to go. She scribbled a note for Maho while emptying the glass of water.
Went down to the ship to visit Dahlia. Let me know when you wake up.
-E
Placing the note on Maho's nightstand, Erika pulled on her jacket, stuffed the cereal bar in her pocket, and left the room.
It was a short and chilly walk to the harbor, at least to where the ship was docked. At the bottom of the gangplank, a trio of girls from the Kuromorimine Volunteer Korps stood guard, huddled around a fire barrel. One of them casually saluted Erika as she approached.
"Guten Morgen, Kommandantin." The girl said politely. Itsumi begrudgingly returned the gesture as she produced her student ID card.
"I asked you to stop doing that, Inge." Erika said in a slightly defeated tone. "We don't have a team. I'm not a commander anymore."
"Entschuldigung, Fraulein Itsumi." The girl shrugged, accepting the card. "Old habits die hard." She looked at the card and opened her watch log book with gloved hands. "What brings you to Graf Zeppelin today?"
"Visiting a friend at the construction site." Erika replied. The soldier girl looked up.
"Most of the ship is a construction site, Commander. Any specific area you're going to?"
"Wherever the Ooarai Blue Collar Club is."
"They're present at several of the sites, ma'am. I'm afraid I can't let you board the ship unless you can provide an exact location." Inge looked at Erika with a serious expression. Itsumi arched her brow in confusion, only to let it fall when the other girls at the checkpoint began snickering.
"Only kidding, Commander." The grinning Inge handed the ID card back and scribbled into her book. "Welcome aboard. If you're looking for someone specific, you'll have to ask around, but most of the BCC is around the Garages."
Erika nodded in thanks, making her way up several landings to the top deck. At the surface were the remains of the city. Her home for the last four years.
Most debris piles had been either cleaned up, or at least pushed out of the roads. Cars and tanks still dotted the landscape, but their numbers were being reduced by the day. A fine layer of snow crunched under Erika's boots as she walked. A line of girls marched past her in the opposite direction, many of them carrying pickaxes, shovels and buckets. One, pulling a small wagon filled with more tools, politely waved at the Commander, a gesture she returned. Despite the cold, the work never stopped.
Suddenly, she heard a car horn behind her and she turned. An Ooarai Academy Blue Collar Club truck pulled up alongside her, the brakes squeaking as it came to a stop. The window rolled down and revealed someone Erika recognized.
["Howdy, Itsumi."] The blue haired driver said.
["Hi, Chloe."] Erika stepped up to the truck and leaned into the window frame, shivering from a strong gust of wind. The heat was on inside the pickup and it wafted over her, carrying the strong scent of coffee.
"What brings you to paradise?" Chloe asked.
"Going for a walk. Looking for Dahlia, actually."
"No kidding. She's exactly where I'm going. Hop in."
Erika gratefully accepted the offer, climbing inside the warm cab. On the large armrest between her and Chloe were several foam coffee cups in paper carriers.
"Coffee shop messed up my order and gave me a few extras." The girl could sense Itsumi eyeing the hot beverages. "Want one?"
"Sure." Erika pulled one of the cups out of its holder.
"Sugar and all that stuff is in the bag."
While Chloe drove to the site, Erika carefully mixed her drink to her liking. She glanced through the window and saw a front loader pushing a pile of bricks out of the way of a partially collapsed building. A few workers around the machine pointed out observations of the structure, like scorch marks and cracks, possibly trying to determine what caused the damage.
"How are things here?" The Commander asked. "It's been a while since my last visit."
"Well, it may not look like it, but we're making progress." Chloe began. "We're focusing on the Main Campus. Getting the school back up to snuff in time to come back by the end of January. I doubt we'll have much, if any housing done by then, but… the BCC has made miracles happen before." Erika held her cup away from herself as the pickup drove through a missing section of pavement. "Other than getting new furniture, the Dormitories are done. Black Forest's own Workers Guild took over at the school, with some guidance from us. Dahlia wanted to give the Ironworkers and Masons some work, which is why we're down here."
Itsumi sipped from her cup as she realized where Chloe was going: the Sensha-do garage. Mere seconds later, they had arrived. The Carpenter placed her hard hat on top of her beanie.
"Here." She passed an extra hard hat to her passenger, who also helped carry the more precious cargo. Erika opened her door and was bombarded by a gust of snowy wind, the pleasantly familiar odor of diesel exhaust, and an incredibly loud construction site. Much of the sound seemed to be coming from a heat generator of some kind, with hoses leading to the tarp-covered scaffolding wrapped around most of the garage. The rest was coming from vehicles, a stone cutting saw, and other power generators scattered around. Itsumi watched with wonder as a pair of Ironworkers installed a steel I-beam high up above. After snugging the bolts down, they stood up and walked like gymnasts on a balance beam towards the rigging. One signaled the crane and the hook lowered, allowing the girls to unwrap the straps. Once they were done, the hook raised out of the way and the workers retreated, off to the next in the row.
["Dahl! I'm back."]
Dahlia looked up from her drafting table, a short distance from the first, most intact garage bay. ["Hey kid."] She took one of the steaming cups. ["Many thanks."]
["Brought a stowaway, too."] The foreman looked past her apprentice and saw Erika, balancing two more cup trays while she pushed the truck door closed with her foot.
["Hey, Freya!"] Dahlia shouted over the noisy work all around her. "Freya!" When she didn't get a response, she tucked her lip under her teeth and whistled loudly. A girl on the far side of the garage looked up from her work, and the foreman held up her coffee cup and beckoned her friend over. Freya replied with a thumbs up, and Dahlia returned her attention to her visitor.
["Chlo, go take break. The adults need to talk."] Chloe gave her friend a playful shove and headed to the rest area; a shipping container that had been converted into a break room. "Erika." She greeted the new arrival with a sniffle. "And how are you on this fine Tokyo morning?"
"Cold." Itsumi stuffed her free hand into her pocket. "And tired. And a touch hung over. Other than that, I can't complain." Dahlia chuckled.
"With ya on all three, my friend."
Erika looked around at the new brickwork of the tank garage. It had a gothic revival style of architecture, with an artificially aged appearance. Much of the original stone was still present, and the new was being styled in a way that would match it.
"Wow." Was all the Commander could say. "It looks great."
"I'm glad you approve. You think this is cool, you should see the new dorms." Dahlia said with a grin. "We're actually recycling most of the old bricks, so it'll have that nice rustic look. Worn out and decrepit, but cool at the same time." Out of habit, she looked around at the workers up above, setting large stone blocks into place, when she spotted something. The carpenter made an exasperated sound.
"I thought I told them… Hey! Ho!" She shouted at the girls, whistling sharply again. "No! That block goes on that corner! Yours is still down here!"
The girls looked at each other, then back down at Dahlia with confusion.
"Jesus Christ. I swear, these girls are fucking with me. You speak German, right, Itsumi?"
"Yeah."
"Tell them that the block they're placing is for the far corner. The one for them is on its way up. And before you ask, yes, it matters. Architecturally speaking." Erika nodded and cupped her hands around her mouth.
"Das ist der falsche Block! Der, der dorthin geht, ist auf dem Weg!"
The girls glanced amongst each other and eagerly nodded.
"Natürlich! Verstanden!" One shouted back
Erika jabbed her thumb in Dahlia's direction and grinned. "Machen Sie es sich leicht mit dem Fälschen! Sie ist auf euch Mädels drauf!"
The girls smiled and gave Erika a thumbs up.
"What did you say?"
"That you're grateful for their help and hard work." Erika said with an innocent smile.
"Ahuh." Dahlia was skeptical. "One of these days, I'm going to pick up enough German to understand all of you. On that day, these kids are fucked." She gestured her friend closer to the drafting table while the girls on her crew began trickling past for their break.
Inside the 'ConnEx', Chloe quietly sipped her coffee and shook off the cold while she listened to some of the conversations of her friends. Most were looking forward to the upcoming holiday break, which would see the site closed and many girls going ashore to visit their families and friends on their home ships.
"Hey, Eva!" One of the Ironworkers called out. "Was läuft heute in der Jukebox?''
Eva, a former Bellwall conscript, smiled warmly. A tank mechanic for her homeschool in a past life, she had accepted a position as the site's lead Operating Engineer, keeping the heaters, generators and cranes running throughout the winter. The only creature comfort she had been allowed to bring to Black Forest was her guitar, and one way she made up for what she and her comrades had done to the school was by playing music for her new friends.
"How about a favorite of my Bellwall companions?" She nodded to the small gaggle surrounding her. "Ich Bin Soldat?"
"Let's hear it." The Ironworker said, other girls nodding and expressing interest. Eva set her snacks aside and collected her guitar from under her bench. She strummed it a few times before beginning to play.
"Ich bin Soldat, doch bin ich es nicht gerne
Als ich es ward, hat man mich nicht gefragt."
(I am a soldier, though I do not want to be one
When I became one, I was not asked.)
"Man riss mich fort, hinein in die Kaserne
Gefangen ward ich, wie ein Wild gejagt."
(I was torn away, into the barracks.
I was captured, like hunted game.)
Chloe was familiar with the old folk song. An anti-war song written by a German soldier in the 1870's, with some modifications. It had quickly become the rallying call for everyone who had been forced to fight in the war, both for and against Pravda.
"Ja, von der Heimat, von des Liebchens Herzen
Musst' ich hinweg, und von der Freunde Kreis."
(Yes, from my home, from the hearts of my loved ones
I had to go away, away from my circle of friends.)
"Denk ich daran, fühl' ich der Wehmut Schmerzen
Fühl' in der Brust des Zornes Glut so heiß."
(Whenever I think about it, I feel pain and sadness
I feel in my chest, the glow of anger so warmly.)
Other girls around the room began joining in whenever they could, Chloe among them.
"Ich bin Soldat, doch nur mit Widerstreben
Ich lieb' ihn nicht, den rote Königsrock"
(I am a soldier, but only against my will
I do not like the Red Queen's Uniform.)
"Ich lieb' es nicht, das blut'ge Waffen Leben
Mich zu verteidigen wär' genug ein Stock
(I do not like this bloody weapon life
To defend myself, a stick would be enough.)
Eva herself stopped singing, allowing her ensemble to clumsily continue.
"O sagt mir an, wozu braucht ihr Soldaten?
Ein jedes Volk liebt Ruh' und Frieden nur."
"Oh, tell me, what do you need Soldiers for?
All people, love only peace and quiet.)
"Allein aus Herrschsucht und dem Volk zum Schaden
Lasst ihr zertreten, ach, die gold'ne Flur!"
(Solely from lust for power, and to harm the people
They tread over the golden fields!)
Chloe and a few other girls cheered Ava on.
"Ich bin Soldat, muss Tag und Nacht marschieren
Statt an der Arbeit, muss ich Posten steh'n."
(I am a Soldier, I march all day and night
Instead of working, I must stay at my post.)
"Statt in der Freiheit, muss ich salutieren
Und muss den Hochmut frecher Burschen seh'n."
(Instead of being free, I must salute
And watch the arrogance of my impudent comrades.)
"Und geht's ins Feld, so muss ich Schwister morden
Von denen keiner mir zuleid was tat."
(If I go to battle, I must murder my sisters
None of whom have ever done me harm.)
"Dafür als Krüppel trag' ich Band und Orden
Und hungernd ruf ich dann: Ich war Soldat!"
(Now, as a cripple, I wear a ribbon and a medal
And starving I then shout:
I WAS A SOLDIER!)
All of the Bellwall girls cried out happily, raising their drinks or closed fists. Eva did the same, holding up her right hand and showing off her missing pinky.
"All ihr Schwestern, ob Schwarzer Wald, ob Sonders
Oder Ooarai, Gloriana oder B.C."
(All ye Sisters, whether Black Forest, whether Saunders
Or Ooarai, St. Gloriana, or B.C.)
"Ob grün, ob rot, ob blau, ob weiß die Hosen
Gebt euch statt Blei zum Gruß die Schwesterhand!"
(Whether Green or Red, or Blue or White your uniform
Instead of Lead, greet each other with a sister's hand!)
"Auf, lasst zur Heimat uns zurück marschieren
Von den Tyrannen unser Volk befrei'n."
(Come on to our homes, let us march back
To free our people from the tyrants.)
"Denn nur Tyrannen
müssen Kriege führen
Soldat der Freiheit will ich gerne sein!"
(Because only tyrants need to wage wars
A soldier of Freedom I shall be!)
Chloe found herself to be the only one singing at the very end, and she received a small ovation from the girls around her, despite likely butchering some of the pronunciation.
"So. Seriously. How are you lovebirds holding up?" Dahlia inquired, looking away from the Ironworkers climbing down from their work area.
Erika took a hesitant sip of her coffee. "Honestly? I think Maho is faring better than I am. Must be that Nishizumi temperament."
"And you?"
"Just… one day at a time, right?" She said with a shrug. "I know it's been as long as it has, and most people would be fine by now…"
Dahlia shook her head. "Hey. You take your own sweet time with your recovery. I've seen girls get messed up worse by less. Hell, I've got one girl back at the shop at Ooarai. She was down on one of the lower decks on a machinery maintenance job when a Laborer fell through an open elevator shaft. It was closed for maintenance, and somebody left a door open. Seven decks down and landed on top of the car, dead on impact." Erika's eyes widened with shock. "Girl was in the shaft under it when the kid landed. Three years later, and she still has nightmares about it. Won't go near that elevator, either. She thinks it's cursed or something. Though, it does have a tendency to stop on that deck, even without pressing the button…" Her voice trailed off. "Ah well. Point is, don't feel like you should be okay and perfectly normal by now. Not many people could go through what you did and come out with all their marbles."
"I think I may have lost a few." Erika pointed out. "On the way back?"
Dahlia rolled her eyes. "Fine, Rain Man. Someone else would have lost more. Or all of them. I'm tryin'a be supportive here."
"I know what you meant, Dahlia. I'm only joking."
"Which means you're already on your way to recovery. The day you can look back and laugh is the day you know you're almost there."
Erika nodded, watching a snowflake float over Dahlia's head. Just before it landed on her hat, her phone emitted its notification sound, which sounded awfully familiar to the carpenter.
"What was that sound?"
"Three words: World At War."
"Wehrmacht?"
"Blitzkrieg." Erika eyed her phone and found a text. "Oh good. Maho's awake."
"Hey, speaking of Casa del Nishizumi, earlier I got a message from Tsuchiya. Leopon's Driver? Miho is throwing a little holiday boogaloo at Ooarai, and she invited me, you and Maho. Whaddya say to a little drive?"
Itsumi looked up. "Would it be okay for you to leave the site?"
"I'm the General Foreman." Dahlia remarked. "I can do whatever I want. This place practically runs itself, if I'm being honest. Whole school's closed after tomorrow, either way. Though, last time I left Freya in charge, things didn't go well." As she spoke, the bespectacled girl walked by, and stopped when she heard her name.
"Huh?"
"Exactly. While you're here, Freya… I'm takin' off. I grant you the title of Master of this realm."
"Hooray." Freya said unenthusiastically, snatching a cup from the table and tightly wrapping her hands around it.
"Hopefully nobody bombs you this time."
"And hopefully you tell me where you're going." The Foreman jabbed her finger into her friend's shoulder.
"Fair enough. Back home to Ooarai. I won't be here tomorrow, either. So if I don't see you, Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal."
"You too, Dahl. See you next year, eh?" Freya snickered. "Hey, want me to take Chloe home, or is she riding with you?"
"Good question. Chlo!" The apprentice's head popped up as she was leaving one of the portable toilets, and Dahlia waved her over. "What would you say to an early start to the holiday?"
"What do I have to do?"
"Roll up your stuff in the next…" The foreman eyed her watch, trying to ignore the scar in her wrist. "... couple'a minutes."
"Count me in." Chloe vanished into the break room.
"Smart kid." Freya commented with a nod.
"Maho is up for it." Erika chimed in. "I told her to wait for us at the dock." Dahlia set her cup down and rubbed her hands together.
"It'll be good to go home for a bit." She said, looking around at the frozen work site. "This place has been home for four months."
"You've had to stay on the ship?" Erika asked, sounding almost horrified.
"Oh God, no." Freya clarified. "Black Forest put us up in a hotel in the city. Not exactly the Ritz, but its a helluva lot better than a four hour round trip after a twelve hour day."
"Which one are you in, if I may ask?"
"Stay Ginza. A bit cheap, but like I said, better than the alternative."
Erika thought for a moment. "If you like, I could talk to some people and move you to a better place. The one me and Maho are at is really nice."
"Where?"
Itsumi turned around and pointed at a tall building just outside the harbor. "That one. Mesm. It's 'French inspired'. With my binoculars, I can actually see you guys from the window."
"Huh." Freya said. "Well, I'm not going to ask for anything, but… ya know…"
"I'm sure we'll work something out."
Around that time, Chloe returned, carrying a small backpack.
"You got everything, kid?" The Foreman asked.
"Yep."
"Crayons, snacks, sippy cup?"
Chloe nodded. "I even tied my boots all by myself."
Dahlia put a hand over her heart. "They grow up so fast. [Aight."] She gestured towards the truck. ["Go on now, git!] We'll make a pit stop at the hotel." Chloe headed off, with Dahlia and Erika following after a moment.
A/N: Felt like posting early.
The reconstruction of Kuromorimine Academy is ongoing, as the war was quite devastating for them. Just imagine Berlin at the end of World War 2. It's going to take a very long time for both Black Forest and Saunders to rebuild, and that's not even including their tank fleets.
As I said previously, this is going to be a story that jumps to multiple different locations, each with different characters.
I hope everyone likes the story so far. There is much more to come.
Thank you for reading!