Blazepanzer here with a bit of a long awaited update! Enjoy the new chapter!
Note, Blazepanzer does not own Girls und Panzer!
Taeko glanced down as she was escorted through the halls, Hanoashi by her side. Both of them were wearing the second strike uniform now that their two month mandate had expired.
Surely they're not going to place us both in the same cell, right? Taeko mused, really wanting that but not getting her hopes up. Of course she had no idea that the courts had allowed for the Irish girl to pick her cellmate nor that she had indeed picked her, but still she had her hopes that they'd be cellmates, or if not that she'd get someone like Saori.
"Number thirteen, in you girls go!" the guard chuckled as he undid Hanoashi's cuffs first before shoving her in. Before she knew it, Taeko likewise was decuffed and shoved in, the cell door shutting behind her.
"Wait...we're...cellmates?" Taeko gasped in astonishment, turning to Hanoashi who have a quiet smile on her face.
"What are the odds," the Irish girl chuckled a bit.
"I know right?" Taeko gasped.
"Well...to tell you the truth sis,"Hanoashi began closing her eyes. "I asked for you to be my cell mate," she admitted.
"Wha...and they agreed to it!?"Taeko gasped, staring at her with wide eyes.
"More than just asking, they gave me the choice outright,"Hanoashi smiled as she opened her eyes and gazed around. "Not much in terms of decor," she added.
"Well...at least we get to spend time together," Taeko smiled. "And real books," she added, gazing longingly toward the bookshelf.
"Yeah, that reader was rather hard to read," Hanoashi admitted. "Frustrated Rikona to no end."
"Oh...right...you won't get to see her..." Taeko whispered.
"I'll still see her during practice," Hanoashi reminded her. "And given that we share the same tank..."
"Right..." Taeko sighed. "I'm just glad to be away from Miho. It's been like what...nearly three months and I can't begin to forgive her."
"Hey at least you didn't try to attack her and get a permanent mandate or decades behind bars," Hanoashi reassured her.
"Hm...there may have been times I was really tempted to," Taeko whispered quietly, almost to herself. "And furthermore if I did they and they sent me to prison it'd be for life at this point."
"I wouldn't want that Taeko," Hanoashi shuddered.
"I know. I don't want it for my friends either...well I'm not sure about Miho but..." Taeko let out a small gusty sigh.
"I'm conflicted about her still." Hanoashi admitted quietly. "I mean...she and I were pretty much best friends for a year and knowing that she has life in prison now hurts. On the other hand though, she got three people killed by her so called plan and that lead to six more people being killed." She paused and slumped down on the bed, and let out a gusty sigh. "As much as the friend part of me wants to hug her and tell her that it's okay that I understand that it was an accident...I cannot."
"An accident?" Taeko hissed.
"That's how the part of me that wants to be Miho's friend feels like," Hanoashi quietly defended herself. "The Sensado commander in me want to tear her throat out," she added with a small growl."
"Oh...for a second I thought that you wanted to defend her," Taeko huffed, sitting on the bed and crossing her legs. "Seriously, though, an accident?" she challenged, clearly pissed off.
"Not a faultless accident, no," Hanoashi sighed. "She just...I think that she just gets too focused on winning the match that she forgets about safety is all. Doesn't make it better or anything, but I don't think she intended for this to happen."
"Quite frankly I don't give a crap, intentionally or not she got us all arrested," Taeko muttered. "And my best friends all got life sentences, and in all likelihood I would have as well had I not been chosen to give up information that day in exchange for a reduced sentence."
"I'm sorry," Hanoashi whispered, glancing down.
"No...I'm sorry, I have to remember that Miho was your friend as well," Taeko sighed.
"Yeah..."
"Hey sis?"
"Hmm?" Hanoashi glanced up.
"What do you think of them...Noriko, Akibe and Shinobu I mean," Taeko dared to ask. She had asked it before, but she wanted to know if the Irish girl had changed her mind.
"Well...I think they they were far too reckless, but I'm more sympathetic toward them than Miho. No one properly trained them, and they were being lead by a commander they trusted who was trying to save her school. They're no excuse for the incident, and they do deserve some time, but they're a bit different than Miho in my opinion." Letting out a tired sigh Hanoashi closed her eyes. "I don't think that any of us believe that we don't deserve jail time for our involvement in the incident, no matter how small."
"Yeah...I see what you mean," Taeko sighed. "I mean, I really didn't have much of a choice in that incident, but even so..."
"It's stupid,"Hanoashi sighed gusty, gazing at her wrist. "Girl like myself, Miho, and the other ducks, we deserve to have some time behind bars. We committed crimes. But you and the other girls...you should have been given some mercy..."
"Alright girls, time for breakfast!" the guards called. "Place your hands on the front bars until we can get to cuffing you."
"And here we go again," Taeko muttered. "Really miss the juvenile system where we could just walk to our destination as long as we didn't abuse it."
"It was nicer in some ways," Hanoashi admitted. "But the 444 th isn't all that bad so far," she added as she wrapped her fingers around the bar, Taeko soon joining her.
"Four years and ten months though,"Taeko sighed.
"It'll feel like we were just arrested yesterday once it's all over," Hanoashi smiled.
"Feels like time is going at the speed of snail though," Taeko complained jokingly.
"Prison can be like that," the female guard noted as she entered the cell and quietly cuffed the girls, before leading them out of the cell. "Are you two managing it though?"
"No real complaints on my end," Hanoashi admitted earnestly.
How can she handle this so well...she's so confident...Taeko mused, but nodded. "I'm...fine, just more upset at myself for not doing more to stop the girls than anything else."
"Hey at least you tried to warn them," Hanoashi smiled.
"As did you," Taeko pointed out gently.
Hanoashi didn't respond as the officer began guiding them to the breakfast table, and sat them down, before the guard handed them their plate. "Fifteen minutes starts now!" the guard called after a bit.
Taeko glanced at the food, spotting a bowl of milk with some sort of bland puffed rice cereal, a cal-cake, and one biscuit and sausage sandwich. Remembering to eat the Cal-cake first, she still had a hard time swallowing it down, but she managed.
The cereal itself got it's taste from the milk, and Taeko drank it all once she had eaten the puffed rice, before quickly finishing off her biscuit. It's an improvement over the third strike meals for sure, but even so it's nothing like what me and the girls ate before prison. Well...it's overall better in comparison to the protein bars we'd eat during our marathon runs, but still...
However, after the fifteen minutes were up, Taeko was surprised when the guards began going from girl to girl and bounding their wrist to the other. When they came to them, Hanoashi bowed her head. "Pardon the question, but may I ask what is going on?" she asked gently.
"Class lectures, we tether the girl's wrist together to make it impossible for you to run, miss runaway!" the guard left, grasping her wrist and shoving it next to Taeko's, before tethering them together with something akin to a watch strap.
That's cruel! She ran, but not only did she not fight it, but she also asked for the max sentence! Taeko growled indignantly, barely managing to keep her anger to a thought. However, glancing at the Irish girl, she noticed that her sister-in-law didn't respond, just glanced down in submission.
"You alright?" Taeko asked as they walked though the hall.
"Hmm...he's not wrong," Hanoashi smiled gently. "We are prisoners and I am here partly for fugitivey," she reminded her gently.
"I guess...still they don't need to be so rude about it!" Taeko hissed quietly.
"What about you, are you alright, being tethered to me like this?" Hanoashi asked.
"Better than the three legged races where our inner feet were tied together," Taeko huffed. "But yeah, I'm fine with it. Speaking of which, I don't think that we've had any physical contact with each-other before," she added.
"You know, you're right, although I was always under the assumption that girls didn't like it too much, even among each other," Hanoashi sighed. "Nothing like Nishmari," she added.
"Physical contact was common there?" Taeko asked.
"Well, it is in co-ed Sensado schools among close friends," Hanoashi explained. "Head and shoulder pats are fairly common, and hand holding was constant among those dating."
"Did that ever cause issues with parents?" Taeko inquired.
"Not really. Everyone knew and understood that dating was a real possibility and with people treating each other like siblings, going that far meant that you really wanted to be together. Yukaro and I were on the verge of announcing our relationship when I got the scholarship to Ooarai and thus we decided to remain close friends and decide on a full relationship after we graduated." Hanoashi smiled.
"And then the bridge incident..." Taeko sighed.
"Yeah," Hanoashi sighed.
Arriving into the class room, Taeko was beginning to feel a bit conflicted. This whole tethering thing is creeping me out. Granted, it's not her fault, but even so...guess I'm not used to this kind of skin on skin contact.
Glancing at the Irish girl's hand, Taeko realized just how different their skin tones were. Where as hers had a natural Japanese cream skin tone to it, Hanoashi's was an defiantly Irish, having an ever so slightly reddish tint to it.
"Is it bothering you Taeko?" Hanoashi asked quietly.
"Just not used to this is all,"Taeko sighed. "It's not you though," she added quietly.
"A small part of me kinda likes it, but it's also not exactly comfortable," Hanoashi confessed.
"I'm guessing that you are the kind who likes skinship?"Taeko noted as they took their seat on the bench.
"Meh, I wouldn't want to be handled by someone I didn't know, but to be honest someone like Yukaro could just about have his way with me," Hanoashi shrugged her free shoulder.
"I see...I'd tolerate more with Nova, but that's only because I love and trust him," Taeko noted gently. "As for other girls, I'm fine with brief hugs and shoulder pats among close friends, but I'm kinda shy about other forms of physical contact.
"I get it," Hanoashi smiled. "Aside from the head-pats we didn't do much else in the co-ed leagues...we were just more...tolerant of it I guess. And we respected those who requested that we don't do that kind of skinship."
"Alright class, the lectures will be starting now."
The room went dark and Taeko watched as the old tv flipped on and a documentary about the air force came on. She tried to watch, but it all seemed rather drab to her.
"The missile knows where it is at all times. That's because it knows where it isn't."
Wha...that makes no sense!? Taeko ranted to herself. How the Maus does that even work!
Before long she sighed and loosened her balled up hand, letting it rest on the bench. Before long Hanoashi also likewise let out a small sigh of defeat and loosened her fist, laying her now sprawled out hand on top of Taeko's.
Sorry Taeko, Hanoashi glanced at the wide eyed Japanese girl, but turned her attention back to the rather boring documentary. Everyone else is doing it, some even have their hands classed together. The Irish girl noted to herself.
After a while she heard Taeko whisper. "Can you stop please?"
"Sorry, but it's this or balling our fist up," Hanoashi whispered back.
She wasn't too sure, but she thought she could hear Taeko wimpier the F-bomb under her breath. She really must not like this hand holding stuff, Hanoashi realized.
"Stop complaining prisoner, we let you room with your sister-in-law, so get along Taeko," the guard growled from the other side of the room.
"S...sorry,"Taeko gazed downward.
"Good, now clasp her hands to prove it to me," he ordered.
"Sorry Taeko," Hanoashi whispered as she obeyed.
"It's fine..." Taeko gritted her teeth.
The documentary was over after what seemed like an eternity and once the lights came on the girl's where risen up, cuffed behind the back, and lead into a locker room.
"Alright, you girls will be changing into your gym uniforms, and entering the gym. Follow the coach's orders to the letter, alright?" the guard noted as they were cuffed.
"Right," Hanoashi noted. Taeko gave a nod, seemingly in a foul mood. She opened the locker, and quietly changed into the gym uniform, which consisted of a pair of lace-less running shoes, and a one piece long sleeved parcel. It was Blue and Turquoise, much like the uniform, but consisted of two layers, separated by what she'd assume as a layer of fluff. Dispute preferring short sleeves, this feels much more comfortable then the one peice Hanoashi noted to herself.
Entering the gym, Taeko was still in a foul mood. It's not Blaze's fault...but still...damn this hand holding crap... she cursed. A small part of me fells like glaring at the Irish girl, but it wasn't as though Hanoashi had asked to be tethered to her. Well...she kinda did given that she picked her to be her cell mate, but still.
"I am coach Napo," a man in his forties walked up. "So...we have new girls?" he continued, glaring at her and Hanoashi, walking up to the Irish girl.
"Um...yes sir...I'm Hanoashi Katoni and this is Taeko Katoni..." she stammered.
I can introduce myself you know! Taeko glared at her sister-in-law.
"You don't look like sisters..." he mused.
"I'm married to her brother," Taeko noted.
"I could care less," The coach yawned, before he suddenly grabbed Hanoashi and began kissing her.
"Stop stpmmmm!" Hanoashi cried out.
"You want me to tell them that you went on the run again?" the coach threatened, rubbing her hair.
"No..." Hanoashi gasped, breaking away, before glancing away. "Do whatever you like," she whimpered.
"This is awful!" Taeko gasped, her previous bout with her sis forgotten. However...the coach had other ideas. Instead of gunning for Hanoashi...he walked up to...
"What do you think you are dommmphh!" Taeko shouted, but her mouth was clamped by his hand as he grabbed her, before massaging her breast with his other hand.
"Stop it! Stop it please!" Taeko screamed, barely managing to fight the urg to kick him.
"Leave them alone!" Maho waled over. "Do whatever you want with me, but leave Hanoashi and Taeko out of it!"
"And me!" Saori added, walking up.
"Me too," Yukki affirmed.
However, instead of releasing her, this caused the coach to rub her more harshly. Th...it hurts! Taeko wanted to scream.
She glanced over to see a horrified Hanoashi gazing at her...frozen in fear.
Before long the coach stopped. "Right, we'll be playing volleyball today," he noted. "Not you two," he added to Taeko and Hanoashi. "You'll be serving me today," he added, before glaring at Maho, Saori, and Yukki menacingly.
Sighing, Taeko followed him to a chair. "Hanoashi, you'll be rubbing my back, where as Taeko..." he gazed at her with lust in his eyes.
Sighing, she resigned herself to being fondled while missing out on her favorite sport. I'm never going to complain about Hanoashi holding my hand again after this! She growled to herself.
"I should be doing this to Yukaro," Hanoashi muttered, hating the taste of coffee and tobacco on her face. She gently glided her hand across his back, trying not to think about what her poor sister-in-law was going through. "Does this work for you sir?" she asked.
"Yes, just keep to gliding it like that, you young-uns have no idea what a hard day's work does to an old codger like me," he sighed happily.
Old codger? Hanoashi mused silently, but decided to ignore the quip. Boomer foreigners always think that they have it hard while the kids of today all have a nice, spoiled life, don't they? This one isn't from my Japan, that's for sure, she mentally shook her head.
After about forty minutes, he sighed. "You two did well, you both may play in the final game. No going on the same team," he growled after a while.
She was all too glad to get away from them and she walked up to Maho's team.
"Welcome to the two strikes," Maho quipped sarcastically.
"This is..." Hanoashi shook her head.
"Yeah..." Maho glanced down sadly. "He does this to us every day, and he is friends with the warden, so we can't do anything about it," she whispered gently, glancing nervelessly at the coach to make sure he didn't hear. At the moment he was too busy watching Ayumi.
"The one strikes also go here?" Hanoashi asked, glancing at her in confusion.
Maho let out a small laugh. "What, you didn't think they got a track and swim lane, did you?"
"Well no...but I was under the assumption that since the third strikes were segregated that the one and two strikes would be as well," Hanoashi sighed.
"Not quite," Maho shucked. "We have different meals and classes from them, as more barebone cells, but other than that we're treated the same. Well, their cells have more privacy albeit not by much. But you already knew that bit."
"Yeah, I remember the first time we were assigned to the terms of our punishments...not going to lie those board games look inviting," Hanoashi sighed wistfully.
"Any fights or cheating results in going back to a two strike, often with a mandate," Maho cautioned. "Hoshino got one the stupid trout," she added, glaring at the former mechanic. "You'll wanna watch out for that one," she added with a whisper.
"I'm just more worried about Taeko than anything," Hanoashi whispered, glancing over to her sister-in-law, who was trying and failing at playing volleyball.
"I was under the assumption that she was on the volleyball team," Maho noted.
"Giver her a bit of a break, she's been though a lot. And she hasn't played volleyball since being arrested at least," Hanoashi chided back.
"True," Maho sighed. "Rooming with Miho this time wasn't pleasant I'm sure."
"Sorry Maho," she sighed in response.
"Don't be, she's been making reckless mistakes for a while now. Be honest as much as I hate to say it she should have been absolutely bared from Sensado after that whole Panzer in the ocean incident back at Kuromorimine."
"How'd that even..."
"I was sick with a bad fervor, so Miho had to take over," Maho sighed. "I would say very inconvenient timing, but who knows what situation she could have found herself in. Plus..." she paused, her amber eyes gazing to her lap as she fiddled her fingers. "If anything I should be the one apologizing for bringing the Maus to the match like that. If I had just stuck to traditional tanks, none of you would have been here."
"I probably would have, as would Rikona, Asuga, Mika, and Fusae...and Alice," Hanoashi corrected.
"Lumi and I would have been here as well," Haruna added as she sat down beside them. "Welp, you're up!" she laughed.
"Come on, we might as well finish this. Once we leave he can't mess with us," Maho patted her on the shoulder.
Taeko sighed as she sat next to Saori. "Not really thinking right," she sighed, wiping the sweat off of her brow.
"Can't say I blame you," Saori sighed. "Aside from him are you doing alright?"
"I will be as long as he doesn't do...that," Taeko sighed.
"He doesn't mess with the holes near our waist if you will," Saori noted flatly.
"That'll have to do," Taeko sighed. Nova would understand...right? That I was forced into that? She glanced up to see Hanoashi serving the ball, her ginger hair glistening in the light. I can see why they call her Blaze, Taeko realized.
"Hey, at least the Katoni treat you well," Saori encouraged.
"Hm...they are the family I need right now," Taeko smiled weakly. "No seriously, she treats me like a beloved sister. I know we look nothing alike, but I feel like we've been best friends since childhood."
"I envy you in a way, I've always wanted to get married, but...well..." Saori let out a gusty sigh. "I'm not so sure now. Between my criminal record and experiencing...him..."
"I'm kinda the opposite. Never really been interested in marriage or even a boyfriend...that was until I met Nova," Taeko smiled. "He's the only guy I considered leaving my dreams of being a star volleyball player for, and believe me I've had guys ask me."
"I can imagine. You are really polite and pretty," Saori noted. "You're also not obnoxious, at least the way I am," she added, pouting a bit.
"I don't think you are obnoxious,"Taeko waved her off.
Saori shook her head. "Maybe not on the Sensado team, but...well...the members of the Anglerfish team could certainly attest to that. And looking back at it, I probably chased off a lot of well meaning guys thinking that they had the hots for me."
"Team Maho wins," a girl called.
"She's good,"Saori whispered, glancing at Hanoashi.
"Yeah, she's strong willed, to be able to do that after what she went through," Taeko whispered in awe. "Not like me...I can barely even think straight at the moment," she added as she got up and joined her cell mate.
Two guards entered the room and ushered the girls out. Taeko felt her feet dragging as she walked in silence, quietly swapping to the uniform again.
"You alright?" Hanoashi whispered from beside her.
"Only Nova should have been doing that to me," Taeko whispered, before nodding. "I'll be alright...I think..."
"I'm sorry. It wasn't easy for me, what with him kissing me like that, but what he did to you was..."
"I even told him that I was a married woman," Taeko sighed, half slamming the door. "Then again maybe the other girls tried lying about that...but married or not he shouldn't have been doing that to us."
"Right. So we have Sensado next...right," Taeko added after a pause.
"That's right," the guard informed her, handcuffs in hand.
Of course they're going to handcuff us, Taeko growled sarcastic. But she didn't dare complain as she bound her wrist behind her with the metal rings. I'm going to be so glad once this is all over! She hissed, still not at all found of the handcuffs. And Blaze as usual acts like it's nothing. How can she be so calm about this! I mean...she literally freaked out when the officer first handcuffed her, Yukaro had to calm her down and that wasn't easy. And yet again here she is, acting like it's nothing in the...
"I'm not fond of them Taeko," Hanoasho noted flatly.
"How did..." Taeko gasped.
"Anyone could tell which the admiring gazed you were giving her," their escort noted, amusement in her laugh.
"I'm still not used to it," Taeko sighed. "I...have to fight the urge to resist and yell," she added hesitantly.
"Long as you keep winning that fight, you'll be fine," the guard encouraged her.
Hanoashi sighed in relief as her hands were undone, and she walked over to her tank, performing a quick inspection of it before nodding to the officer. "Looks good," she smiled.
"Then get in," he growled.
Not wasting any time she clambered in, noticing that her teammates were already in the tank.
"Rough day?" Rikona asked gently.
"Meh, a lot to adjust to is all," Hanoashi shrugged.
"Hm...keep your secretes then," Rikona pretended to be offended, before shaking her head. "Seriously cousin, I could tell that something happened to you and Taeko," she added.
"Come on, you know I shouldn't talk about things like that," Hanoashi whined.
"Whatever it is, Antony can help," Rikona urged. "And the TWSCO's going to be a bit late anyways, something about a meeting."
Hanoashi sighed. "The coach is...touchy," she muttered.
"I would quip so is all the guards, but this is different?" Rikona guessed.
"He...drew me into a kiss," she confessed.
"I'll bring it up to Antony when I get the chance. Might be a while though, he's been busy with a lot of things lately. Performance reviews and whatnot. Hence why I know that the TWSCO is going to be out. "
"You'd better not be whispering sweet nothings while I was away Rikona," the radio crackled to life.
"Just talking bout Antony making the rounds is all, kinda boring without a cellmate now that Antony is busy."
"It's just a week or so, something your child with him will have to do," the TWSCO chided, clearly unimpressed. "Anyways, today is going to be simple, fire ten rounds, and head back. Unlocking the transmission," she added.
"Right! All girls, you know your jobs, let's keep this nice and clean," Hanoashi urged, before pulling out a map. "Maria, please take us to point A-12-G. And we'll be in the usual firing range."
"Got it commander," Maria smiled.
Sighing as she gazed outside,she forced herself to relax. First Taeko got uncomfortable with our arms being latched together and then she got fondled. Maus I wish I could have stopped all this back during that practice match.
"So um..." Rikona began.
"Yes?" Hanoashi asked.
"Antony's been thinking about things and...well...he want's me to take over the Lee once there's another tank position open for you," Rikona whispered.
"That's fine, no need to be embarrassed bout it," Hanoashi smiled. "I'm a bit disappointed that this means we won't get to hang out like normal, but at the same time a part of me has always wanted to see what you'd be like as a tank commander," she added.
"You...really don't mind?" Rikona asked. "I mean you'll be getting a far inferior tank, possibly even an L-35," she warned.
"Honestly, at this point I'm just using Sensado to pass the time. Something to look forward to most days," Hanoashi confessed. "Granted, I am enjoying my time in the tank, but I'm only doing it because I have to, not necessarily because I want to. After Ooarai...I..."
"I understand," Rikona nodded. "I was actually thinking about attending school here, but then mo...ugh...that woman got arrested and I got tossed along with all the junk."
"Try not to think about her, okay?" Hanoashi urged.
"It's not easy," Rikona let out a gusty sigh. "She's been a part of my life since birth, before even..." she broke off as the tank entered the firing stall.
"Alright, unlocking turrets and guns, you may fire when ready. Wait until all tanks have finished firing until you head back. Throw all empty shells at the range."
"Right, show me what you girl's got," Hanoashi smiled. "Mina, you're up!"
"Right," the girl smiled, firing on the target, hitting a bit to the right.
"Rikona, your turn!" Hanoashi ordered.
"Understood!" the Dutch girl nodded, firing and hitting the mark.
They cycled though this, sometimes swapping the order, but while the rounds took a bit longer than the overs giving they had to coordinate two guns, but once again they made it though. The drive back was quiet, with a few of the girls glancing back toward her.
"I'll be alright," Hanoashi reassured them quietly.
"Hmm...sure..." Rikona noted. Things were silent between them as Rikona was cuffed along side the other three strikes and lead to her cell.
Turning on the screen, she tried her best to distract herself, but imagines of her beloved cousin kept flashing before her eyes. It must have been scary...Antony is very...very touchy and yet even he didn't have the gall to do that. Then again he never insinuated sex nor dispute his enjoyment of physical contact indicate that he was very interested in it. Hugs and hand-holding, sure. Maybe some hints of wanting a back massage...but never sex, she reflected to herself. Even being married to the high heir of this academy doesn't really give me any special privileges...well Antony can call me to meet with him, but...I guess I should consider myself lucky considering Blaze and Taeko have so little contact with their husbands in comparisons she mused.
Gazing out of the cell bars, she sighed,just wanting to be done with this jail sentence. She got up, stretched as best as she could, and sat back down.
But before she could go back to reading, her door came open and Miho was escorted into the room, and was sat down across from her, wrist latched.
"You handling things alright Miho?" Rikona asked her gently.
"Not really...too much guilt," the girl sighed.
"Yeah...you really messed up there, but I understand that you and the other girls were just trying to save your school," Rikona spoke gently.
"So you don't hate me?" Miho whispered.
"I don't want to hate you," Rikona corrected. "But while I can't forget what you've done to my cousins, I'd rather have...maybe not a friend but someone I can talk to at least. Kinda lonely without Hanoashi and Antony won't be around for at least two more weeks."
"Thanks...I just..."Miho paused and gazed down at the screen. "I just wanted someone to talk to as well. We...don't have to be friends persay...but I appreciate what I can get. My life is going to be handcuffs and prison bars from now on anyways, so I might as well make the best of it."
"Yeah...I'm lucky Antony came in when he did. I spent so much of the money that I could have gotten decades, easily had Antony not stood up for me," Rikona admitted.
"But him forcing you into a marriage..."Miho began, but Rikona shook her head in response.
"My hand in marriage is a very...very small price to pay for his help. Sure, it might sound big, but he had to pay a lawyer over one hundred and fifty million Yen...per case. And considering I have dozens of cousins..."
One hundred and fifty million Yen?" one of the guards asked as she made her rounds. "That's like...hm...how much in US dollars?"
"Nearly one million, Lyra," Rikona smiled.
"That's a lot," Lyra noted before continuing her guard duties.
"He paid that much?" Miho gasped.
"Yeah, and they're no way any of us could ever pay that back. See...that's why I don't consider him asking for my hand in marriage to be a big deal."
"But are you happy?" Miho pressured.
"More or less...he's a bit touchy, but I like that about him. His way with words though...yeah, not so much, but I can tolerate it," Rikona smiled. I just hope that we can get the help we need for getting rid of that awful coach! she added silently.
Hanoashi clutched the cell bar, before letting out a small sigh. Now I really want out. Prison itself is tough enough...but dealing with sexual harassment on top of it...
Sighing as the lights began to dim and she went on the bed and laid next to Taeko, who had her hands behind her back, staring up at the ceiling.
"You alright?" Taeko asked quietly, staring at the vent above them.
"Not really...but I'll make it," Hanoashi confessed.
"Same," Taeko sighed. "Just thinking about happier times, before Ooarai," she added.
"Oh?" Hanoashi asked.
"Yeah...Sasaki and Shinobu were best friends, having served on the Volleyball team back at Hitachinaka. Where as I went to Kitaibaraki for my final middle school year. And boy, that was a year," Taeko chuckled. "I was the new girl on the block, what with having just returned from America, but my teammates were welcoming of me, and they were good. Taught me a lot."
"Sounds like you had a good time," Hanoashi smiled.
"Yeah, we did. Managed to snipe away the championship from Hitachinaka that year as well," Taeko mused. "Not an easy feat considering that Shinobu and Akibe where there. Best players on their team, albeit unfortunately the only good players, but they were good at it." She then let out a small sigh. "And then we all had to go to Ooarai."
"I had to go there because of my scholarship," Hanoashi sighed ruefully. "Some deal that turned out to be," she added.
"Tell me about it. Me, I was somewhat the opposite. I got several offers for the land schools, but my stupid parents just had to insist that land schools were worthless and that ship academies or bust was the right answer." Letting out a small sigh, Taeko turned to gaze at her. "Say there was no Sensado...what club would you have joined?"
"Probably Archery," Hanoashi shrugged. "Not into a lot of the other martial arts and the literature clubs...yeah no, I've heard plenty from transferals about how they are nothing but goofing around. Flower arranging has it's fans, but not my thing. And incense...meh...I can appreciate a good smelling room as much as the next girl, but...not my thing either.
"Yeah...not too sure what I'd have join had the Sensado club not started. But...say it hadn't and I asked you to join the volleyball club...would you have joined?"
"You had that awesome gym outfit...the red and white sleeveless shirt and pants, right?" Hanoashi asked, before smiling. "If you came to me with one of those, then sure, I've have given it a try."
"Just to wear the uniform?" Taeko gawked.
"I like going sleeveless more than anything...it's liberating. Although a good tee shirt with a skirt is nice...with a matching leather watch...and maybe some thigh highs..." Hanoashi let out a small sigh. "Rikona always hated wearing High thighs."
"Did she...I think that she'd look cute in them," Taeko shrugged.
"She did, but it took me forever to get her to try it for me. Ah...she is beautiful. Just wish she didn't have to be in prison with us is all...really wish that none of us did."
"Yeah, would be nice...but hey, if we get to talk like this then it can't be all that bad," Taeko noted just as the lights began to dim to the final level. "Well..good night sis," she added before closing her eyes.
"Night Taeko," Hanoashi smiled, turning over and quickly falling asleep.
So it's been a while since I've updated this fic, but here is Chapter ten at last! Part of the reason why I haven't updated the 444th is because I've actually been toying around with another rewrite, but in the end I decided to just stick to this version, it's more than fine on it's own. The work I placed into that rewrite isn't going to be wasted though, I have plans to use the beginning of it in another fic so to speak.
Another thing, some may have noticed that I uploaded nine chapters in April and nothing in may until the very end. It's a bit of a new strategy I'm trying where I focus on content creation every other month, and mostly relaxing in between those months. This month I have at least fifteen chapters on the cusp of completion, Some need a thousand or so more words and others needing only a mere spell check.
Speaking of which, I think chapters five through eight of this fic still need another spell check, so that'll be something for me to focus on later this month. I just wanted to go ahead and get this chapter up first.