Part 28: Miho
Minatomirai
Yokohama City
Given the dramatic events of the last several days, and having been stuck at Ooarai for months, either plugging away at unending work or being driven mad by boredom, Miho had no reason to object to Yukari's idea of a brief reprieve. This took the form of a Christmas Eve trip to Tokyo, specifically a place she had found during her spy mission to St. Gloriana.
A habitual, or as Reizei had said, 'professional' worrier, Nishizumi had to repeatedly remind herself throughout the train ride that Kawashima and Takebe had things under control at home. Isuzu was in good hands, and few members of the team were still there at all, so there was little chance of anyone landing themselves in trouble. Maho had also offered to help if she was needed.
Miho reached up and adjusted the hat that Yukari had insisted on them wearing. A simple ball cap, OD green, with an orange diamond surrounding a white number '1' on the front. '1st Ooarai Rangers' was sewn over the top, and 'Veteran' on the bottom, all in Kanji. Their family names were velcroed over the back as well. "To not completely stand out." As Akiyama had put it, whatever that meant.
It was roughly seven o'clock in the evening when Yukari led her companion to what resembled an English pub. Miho was initially surprised, but then remembered their close proximity to Ark Royal's mooring point.
"Huh. Place looks popular tonight." Akiyama observed, nodding to the presence of Willys Jeeps, a lone Sd. Kfz 251, a Bren Gun Universal Carrier, and a Morris LCR, all marked with the coats of their respective schools. Miho eyed another marking on the Bren APC.
"Sods' Opera?" She asked. "What's that?"
"No way." Yukari said, a dash of excitement boiling up inside her. "Come on."
(Sods' Opera -The Firth of Forth)
She took Miho's sleeve and pulled her inside, where the two were greeted by a Pub that was busy, but not overcrowded with patrons. Many were listening along to the lively music coming from a piano somewhere. Initially, if it weren't for the lyrics, Miho would have mistaken the song for one from Saunders.
"We flew the north Atlantic 'till it made us fucking weep
The sea was fucking wet, and fucking cold, and fucking deep
Operations room at Thirty Wing is simply fucking rotten
And 269 will be there 'till they're fucking well forgotten!"
Akiyama politely shouldered her way through the group of people, revealing the source.
A handful of girls from St Gloriana, dressed in Royal Rifles garrison uniforms, singing and dancing around a piano in one corner of the bar area. A few others had instruments as well, with one using a tiny accordion, a small brass and wind section happily playing, and two more holding kazoos of all things. Other patrons were dressed similarly, being either from Kuromorimine or Saunders respectfully.
"We joined the fuckin' Air Force
Cause we thought it fucking right!
But we don't give a bugger
If we fly of fucking fight.
But what we do object to
Are those fucking Ops Room twats!
Who sit there sewing stripes on
At the rate of fucking knots!"
"This is Sods' Opera?" Nishizumi asked.
"Yep!" Yukari said gleefully. "Their songs are just as historical as they are hilarious! Come on!" Akiyama led her girlfriend to the bar and quickly ordered a pair of beers, which appeared almost instantly. Miho remained somewhat mystified at the sight of the Royal Rifles girls singing so cheerfully, but she had to admit that the crude lyrics were catchy.
"Ain't the Air Force fuckin' awful?
And they sit there sewing stripes on
At the rate of fuckin' knots!"
The conclusion of the song was met with applause and hearty laughter, largely from the St. Gloriana and Saunders camps. Black Forest had also listened along and applauded, but were known to be less rowdy in public.
"I can see why you like this place." Miho said, sipping her drink as the band took a short break.
"It'll grow on you." Yukari replied.
"But… why here, of all places? There are plenty of bars and cafés like this in Ooarai."
"Look around." Akiyama gestured to the crowd around them, ignoring the line of foam on her upper lip. "Here, things won't go quiet when we walk in, and we won't be surrounded by people who feel sorry for us. Here, we're with likeminded people. Folks who understand, and won't offer sympathy as they awkwardly leave and find somewhere else to eat. Besides that, just the atmosphere in general. I love military bars. The guys and girls here are some of the coolest you'll ever meet."
At that, Miho had to agree. While not much of a military person, she was still a veteran, like everyone else here. Even the St. Gloriana girls had seen action at Ooarai, and several had been lost while helping the police fight the Mercenaries.
She also finally understood the reasoning behind the hats.
"So, what next, girls?" The one at the piano asked her friends.
"Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant Major!" Guderian cried, earning a few responses from the Saunders girls.
"How about D-Day Dodgers?" One uniformed girl offered, from her spot atop a boy's lap. She received a louder reply, so that was the song the band decided on.
"Ah, that's a good one, too." Yukari said, spinning around on her barstool to face the band.
The song started out slowly, with a few slow notes from the piano, but quickly picked up with the addition of the vocals.
"We're the D-Day Dodgers, out in Italy
Always on the Vino, always on the Spree.
8th Army Skyvers and the Yanks
We live in Rome, and stuff the twanks." A few of the singers provocatively thrusted their fists forward.
"For we're the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy."
Yukari bobbed along to the song, draining half of her beer in one go. Miho sipped more modestly, smiling at the cheery lyrics.
"We landed at Salerno. A holiday with pay!
Jerry brought a band out to cheer us on our way.
Showed us the sights and gave us tea
We all sang songs, the beer was free.
For we're the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy.
Naples and Casino, were taken in our stride
We didn't get to fight there. We just came for the ride
Anzio and Sangro were a fuss
We did fuck all, sat on our arse
For we're the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy."
"I wonder if Anchovy has heard this one?" Nishizumi wondered aloud. Yukari chuckled in reply as the song continued. One of the St Gloriana girls stepped out to the middle of the floor, beer sloshing about in her pint glass.
"On our way to Florence, we had a lovely time." She sang solo.
"We ran a bus to Rimini, right through the Gothic Line
Soon to Bologna, we will go
When Jerry's fucked off beyond the Po." She wandered over to a Black Forest girl, playfully jerking her thumb over her shoulder.
"For we're the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy.
Once we got a bright light, that we were going home
Back to dear old Blighty, never more to roam." She put one hand over her heart, gesturing to the nearby school ship with the other.
"Then someone whispered, 'In France, you'll fight'
We said, 'Fuck that." The girl's voice went from cheery to more level as she waved off an invisible person, earning a laugh from the audience. " We'll just sit tight.
For we're the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy!"
As the instrumental continued, the girl singing was joined by another and the pair began dancing. Pausing, they linked their arms together and drank from their glasses, emptying them. Before the lyrics started again, the two bowed and retreated to their places.
"Old lady Astor, please listen here to this." The rest of the choir continued.
"Don't stand upon the platform, and talk alot of piss
You're the nation's sweetheart, the nation's pride
But your bloody big mouth is far too wide
That's from the D-Day Dodgers!
Out in Italy."
The song took a slow and somber tone for its final stanza, with the girl playing the accordion singing by herself. The other members of the band all kept still with their heads down.
"If you look around the mountains
In the mud and rain
You'll find the scattered crosses
Some which bear no name
Heartbreak and toil and suffering gone
The girls beneath them slumber on
For they were the D-Day Dodgers
Who'll stay in Italy."
Following the somewhat glum conclusion, the pianist quickly switched to a more plucky tune, one that made Yukari's ears immediately perk up.
"Ooh! Ooh! This one's my favorite!" She set down her empty glass and took Miho's surprised hand. The Commander barely had time to put down her own drink before being yanked closer to the impromptu dance floor. "We'll be back!" She called out to the bartender, who playfully shook his head at the pair.
"I don't want to join the Army!" The girls began.
"I don't want to go to war!
I'd rather hang around Piccadilly Underground
Living off the earnings of a High Born lady." One of the singers jogged out to the center of the gathering.
"I don't want a bayonet up me arsehole!" She mimed along to the song, getting her own batches of laughs.
"I don't want me fanny shot away!
I'd rather stay in England. In merry, merry England
And fornicate me bleedin' life away!" Arms outstretched, the girl ran forward and tackled the first boy she laid eyes on, pushing him away from the gathering.
"You'll recognize this part!" Yukari promised her companion. Before Miho could ask, the girls began whistling a tune that she immediately recalled. At a small party a few months prior, Azusa had insisted on watching the film 'Bridge on The River Kwai', and the soldiers had whistled in the exact same way.
This however, was ended by a stanza that would have made Nishizumi perform a spit take.
"Hitler has only got one ball!
Göring has two, but very small.
Himmler has something similar
But poor ol' Goebbels has no balls at all!"
What she failed to notice was Yukari singing along, keeping in perfect harmony.
"We are Fran Kano's Army
We are the RFC.
We cannot fight
We cannot fuck
But bleeding, good are we!
And when we get to Berlin, Ol' Hitler he will say:
'Aw, heck, Mein Gött
What a puffy fine lot
Are the girls of the RFC!'"
Miho couldn't help but laugh along with her companion.
"Our Sergeant Major leads a solitary life
She hasn't got a husband, and she can't afford a wife
So she uses the end of the regimental fife
As she revels in the joys of mas-tur-baaaa-tion!"
As the next stanza started, Yukari pulled Miho forward again.
"Wait, Yukari no!"
"C'mon! It'll be fun!"
"I've never heard this song! I don't know how to dance to it!"
"Neither do I! Just go with it!" The pair began a clumsy dance, with Miho stumbling over her own feet a few times. Luckily for her, the beat was slow for the moment.
"They say there's a boat on the river, the river
They say that it's loaded with beer!
Oh, why is that boat on the river, the river?
It fuckin' well 'ought to be here!
Sing it!
Hey, drink a jig, fuck a little bit
Follow the band!
Fall on the band with your cock in your hand!"
Akiyama playfully pawed at Miho's pants. She batted her girlfriend away, giggling madly and cheeks flushed red. Their dance continued, both girls smiling ear to ear.
"Hey, drink a jig, fuck a little bit
All on the band
All in the call of the band!
I've been in the saddle for hours and hours
I've stuck it as long as I could!" One of the girls approached the duo, singing along with Yukari.
"I stuck it and stuck it, and now I say 'Fuck it!
My arsehole is not made of wood!'
Sing it!"
The singer winked at the girls and danced away, while Miho joined in for the finale.
"Hey, drink a jig, fuck a little bit
Follow the band
Follow the band with your cock in your hand!
Hey drink a jig, fuck a little bit
All on the band
Fall in the call of the band!"
The conclusion was met with rowdy applause, which Miho and Yukari joined in with.
"Thank you, everyone!" The girl at the piano called out. Her friends stood and gave small bows, with some stowing any instruments they had. "We're all going to take a quick break and grab a bite, but Ingrid here is going to play some tunes to keep you all entertained. So show 'er some love, too!" A girl toting an acoustic guitar sat in the pianist's place, where she strummed some quiet melodies that sounded Irish in origin. As the crowd dispersed and conversations picked up, the Ooarai girls trickled back to their spot at the bar. Nishizumi was slightly winded from the dancing, singing and laughter, but part of her wished it hadn't stopped.
"So, what did you think of that?" Yukari asked after she ordered another round. "Think we'd get something like that back home?"
"No." Miho shook her head, finishing off the pint she had left. "Definitely not. Not even Donzoko could pull that off." Nishizumi eyed her beloved, nodding at her. "This was a great idea, Yukari."
Akiyama smiled. "I have my moments. So… how about some food? I'll buy."
"Should I consider this… a date?" Miho asked somewhat hesitantly.
"I suppose you can." Yukari said with a sly grin. "It's been a while since we've had a proper one."
When the bartender returned, the girls placed their orders. As he headed off to enter them and tend to other patrons, Miho took in the ambience of the pub. Soldier-girls from the Big Three were intermingled all around, likely on liberty from their respective training regiments or present stationings. Those over the rate of Private, PFC, Lance Corporal or Obersoldat were few and far between, but a few NCO's were present, indulging their subordinates' requests for stories. Beit funny, awe inspiring, or one told on behalf of someone who was absent, tables and stools around the pub were filled with lively chatter.
It was peaceful. Not in the tranquil silence type of way, but in a relaxing, happy place type of way.
As her eyes swept the room, Nishizumi spotted one table, consisting of a Corporal and Sergeant from Saunders, an Unteroffizier and a Feldwebel from Black Forest, all looking down at their drinks and half finished meals in silence. The Commander watched them for a few seconds, and when they didn't move, she nudged Yukari's shoulder.
"Hmm?"
"What are they doing?" She asked, nodding in the direction of the four veteran soldiers.
"Oh… Moment of silence of some kind." Yukari explained. "Honoring someone who's no longer here. That's also what that untouched drink is for, on the end of the table."
Sure enough, a few beats later, the four girls nodded mostly in unison, with the Saunders Corporal crossing herself. With that, their conversation continued, as if nothing had happened.
"One of them will eventually drink it, or pour it out, on someone's behalf." Akiyama concluded, sipping from her own beer. Nodding in understanding, a thought suddenly crossed Miho's mind.
"We never did anything like that, did we?" She asked. "For Yuuki, or Taeko?"
Yukari slowly looked at her. "No. No, I don't think so."
"Should we get two more?" Miho gestured to the glass in her hand.
"No. They don't seem like the drinking type. Even at their ages. How about this?" The Loader reached up to her headgear. "Take off your hat for a second."
Miho did, facing forward as well. Her thoughts soon became filled with both Utsugi and Kondou's faces. The two innocent First Years, who, this time last year, were still riding the high of saving their school from closure. The Duck and Rabbit had also been instrumental in the Aomori Raid, with Yuuki serving as Mika's Loader, and Taeko keeping in constant contact with all of the ground units and acting as a liaison for Saori and herself.
In the months following, the two had stepped up their game. Yuuki had become one of the fastest Loaders on the team, and Taeko was on her way to surpassing Takebe with communications skills. Then the war started, and she didn't even have to ask them to come along. Rabbit Team was the first to volunteer, followed by Duck. That day, Taeko had signed her own death warrant, and she had no idea it was coming. She'd had no time to react, no time to avoid it. She'd simply been unlucky, as Yuakri had said.
Yuuki was a slightly different story.
She had followed Aya and Klara through Abashiri without argument or hesitation, despite Oono's insistence to the contrary. Yuuki had done what she was told to the letter. If anything, Aya getting separated from the group is what saved them, as Nonna's girls were on the verge of overwhelming them when she arrived, and she delayed the NKVD until help arrived, forcing them to retreat.
Of course, much of this was based on speculation, but Miho believed her Commanders when they spoke of their fallen Comrades.
Some bits and pieces of Koume drifted in as well. Nishizumi couldn't quite believe how much she missed her friend. It felt like Miho and Koume had known each other for decades, even though they had only first met in their first year of middle school. The two had been inseparable since that day, much in the same way Maho and Erika were around that time. It felt monstrous that her beloved friend had been taken away so suddenly. What saddened Miho the most, however, was their last conversation. A text message chain, still stored in her phone, asking about the upcoming match against Saunders. Koume had explained when the gates opened, which had been around Nishizumi's available time frame, and when the livestream of the match would begin if she wasn't able to make it. Akaboshi's final message, just before the Battle began, was asking where Miho wanted to meet after the match. Miho's response had gone unread, and her next few messages only received an 'unable to send' error.
Seconds later, Yukari snugged her hat back on, which Miho copied. And not a moment too soon, as their meals arrived when they looked up.
"Jeez." Akiyama mumbled, plucking a few potato wedges from her plate and biting into them. "Wild year, huh?"
Miho found herself feeling… different after their small moment. Like she had fulfilled some kind of long overdue obligation, or had said something to someone that she had wanted to say for a very long time. Those feelings manifested as the sensation of subtle warmth rising in Miho's chest. A warmth that she hadn't really noticed was gone.
"I would call that the understatement of that year." She said, raising her fork.
The former Rangers ate in comfortable silence, with Miho noticing the absence of the St Gloriana guitarist. She had stopped playing at some point, and had joined her bandmates on the side of their performance area. In her pocket, Yukari's phone suddenly buzzed. Thankfully, she had remembered to silence it, lest she scare the daylights out of everyone in the bar. She wiped off her hands and retrieved it, reading a message from Takebe.
"Saori says that she's at the hospital. Hana is awake."
Miho smiled, a background feeling of worry dissipating. "Good. That's great. Tell her that we'll visit in the morning."
Yukari nodded and sent the reply, adding a few words of encouragement for Isuzu. "Visiting her should be… interesting." She mumbled. Nishizumi wiped her mouth with a napkin, her meal finished.
"What makes you say that? Don't tell me you still feel responsible for her being there."
"No. I don't. Not anymore, at least." Akiyama shrugged. "Just… knowing that I was in the room… where it happened."
"Okay, Hamilton." Miho sipped her beer before facing her companion. "What's on your mind?"
"Like I said. I was there. For most of it." Yukari shuffled in her seat. "I guess, more than anything, I'm grateful that out of all of us, Saori is still in her right mind." The Commander took note of Yukari having dropped her habitual '-dono' title, referring to her friends by their first names, more often than not. "Her and her unrelenting optimism. It kept her head on straight. Out of everyone that night, she caught it. She caught on to Hana."
"Mmm." Miho hummed. "I just hope she doesn't develop a hero complex." Yukari eyed her.
"Was… was that an attempt at a joke? Because… it was pretty good, actually."
"You know how Takebe is. Almost everything she does is in the hope of increasing her popularity. Especially with the boys."
"No. This was genuine." Akiyama declared after a moment of thought. Miho nodded. Before she could respond, the Sods' Opera girls began returning to their spots. The piano player, who also seemed to be the leader, nodded to the room, likely taking note of the calm atmosphere. A few of her girls trickled by, handing small sheets of paper to some of the uniformed patrons and asking them if they would like to participate in an upcoming song. Those who agreed began reading what appeared to be song lyrics. The players, meanwhile, retrieved their instruments and, after a few sounds of scattered practicing, began playing an upbeat song.
Yukari's ears immediately perked up again and she gasped excitedly.
"This is the one I requested!" She chirped, spinning around again.
Two of the chorus girls stepped out into the middle of the floor, while the others sang.
"Private Jones came in one night
Full of cheer and very bright
She'd been out all day upon the Spree."
One of the girls began drunkenly stumbling around, smiling and waving at everyone, before slowly walking backwards.
Towards the other girl.
"She bumped into Sergeant Smeck." The girls collided, with the 'Private' flamboyantly wrapping her arms around her partner.
"Threw her arms around her neck
And in her ear she whispered tenderly…
Kiss me goodnight, Sergeant Major!" The band took off, with the Private dancing happily and the Sergeant acting rather confused.
"Tuck me in my little wooden bed!
We all love you, Sergeant Major!
When we hear you bawling, 'Show a leg!'!
Don't forget to wake me in the morning
And bring me 'round a nice hot cup 'o tea!
Kiss me goodnight, Sergeant Major." The Private tapped her cheek.
"Sergeant Major, be a mother to me!"
The pair suddenly pulled out the Kazoos that Miho had spotted earlier and began playing them, dancing arm in arm, while the audience clapped along. Yukari and Miho joined in, as well as adding their voices to the next stanza.
"Kiss me goodnight, Sergeant Major!" The two dancers stowed their instruments and continued, hand in hand.
Tuck me in my little wooden bed!
We all love you, Sergeant Major
When we hear you bawling 'Show a leg!'!
Don't forget to wake me in the morning
And bring me 'round a nice hot cup 'o tea!
Kiss me goodnight, Sergeant Major!
Sergeant Major, be a mother to me!"
The conclusion was met with hearty applause, and a few whistles. The 'Private' and 'Sergeant', who actually held those ranks, bowed together and retreated back to their ensemble positions. The Opera girls let the activity die down a bit before starting their next song, which in contrast, was much slower.
(Sod's Opera - Thanks for the Memory)
The pianist looked up and smiled at her clarinet player, seated on top of the piano itself, and the pair played in perfect harmony.
This time, Miho was the one to stand, after she saw some other couples heading out to the floor. She held out her hand to Yukari, who was taken by surprise.
"You did say this was a date, didn't you?" Nishizumi asked. Cheeks pink, Yukari accepted.
Rocking back and forth, her hands cradling Miho's hips, Yukari felt as if she was on cloud nine. Saori had once asked what being in a relationship with the Commander was like. From a basic standpoint, not taking her status as a national celebrity into account. Doing so might change her answer at times, as kids and adults alike would sometimes approach them for autographs and pictures when they were out and about, in which case Yukari would feel like a tagalong, or a minor celebrity who didn't really want attention. Takebe had been referring to the relationship as a whole. What it felt like to be with someone she truly loved. At the time, Akiyama's answer likely wasn't satisfactory to the hopeless romantic Radio Operator, though she couldn't recall what it was. Now, she knew exactly what it was like. Being here with Miho made her feel a completeness. She felt wanted, loved, understood. Not that her family and friends didn't make her feel that way, but it was different in Miho's case. It was all of those things and more, personified.
A St Gloriana girl began singing quietly as Yukari wrapped her arms behind Miho's back, pulling her closer. Nishizumi did the same, locking her girlfriend in an embrace as their dance continued.
"I don't know if I've said this recently," Akiyama said as the vocals went on. "But I love you, Miho."
Miho smiled. "You have. Once this morning, then twice more on the train. But that doesn't make it any less nice to hear." She nuzzled her dance partner. "I love you, too." Yukari pulled back, only to receive a soft, sensual kiss.
'Oh yeah, Takebe.' She thought cheekily, their foreheads touching. 'This is what a relationship with Miho feels like.'
The song came to a slow end, and a small number of uniformed girls filed past the couple. They looked up to see soldiers from St Gloriana, Saunders and Kuromorimine link their arms behind each other's backs, somewhat resembling a barber shop quartet. At least, if there were twelve of them, and not four. The piano started, and the girls swayed to and fro together with the rhythm.
"When this Bloody war is over
No more soldiering for me.
When I get my Civvi clothes on
Woah, how happy I will be.
No more church parades on Sunday
No more begging for a pass.
I will tell the Sergeant Major
To stick her passes up her ass.
No more NCOs to curse me
No more rotten Army stew.
You can tell the old Cook Sergeant
To stick her stew right up her floo."
Despite how somber the song and its meaning were, many in the crowd still smiled and giggled at the lyrics.
"No more Sergeant Major bawling
Pick it up and put it down!
If I meet the ugly bastard,
I'll kick her arsehole 'round the town.
When this Bloody war is over
No more soldiering for me.
When I get my Civvi clothes on
Oh, how happy I will be
How I hate the fucking Army
Hate it more than I can say.
All I long for is my freedom
Roll on, roll on Dimonte."
As the audience applauded, Yukari looked at Miho.
"So… I do okay?"
Nishizumi smiled warmly.
"More than okay. This was beautiful, Yukari."
The pair kissed again, ignoring the band thanking everyone and bidding the pub goodnight.
A/N: Some much needed fluff with Miho and the Floof
I had so much fun writing this one, given the fact that this is the longest chapter so far, and most of the word count is song lyrics
If you get a chance, look up Sods' Opera. I can't believe I've only JUST found them. Their songs are so great, and there are so many that I wanted to add, but couldn't just for the sake of brevity.
So this is a peek into Miho's mindset. She's done her best to put everything behind her and move on with her life. A supportive girlfriend should prove helpful, so long as she's squared away with herself...
Special thanks to our newest friends Ellie0Williams (no comment) and Hizo23. Welcome to the show!
As always, thank you for reading. I hope everyone's enjoying the trilogy.
Side note! Writing has officially started for Katyusha's Revenge: War Stories, and Girls und Panzer: Contagion. War Stories draws some inspiration from Red Tide by Phoenix_T70 over on AO3. If you enjoy a Cold War gone Hot scenario, with quite literally everyone dying in horrifically brutal fashion, give the series a read. Contagion gets some influence from S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Metro and Dead Space. Any of that sound like your cup of tea? Follow me for updates
See you all next week!