A Pile of Empty Brass | Sora no shinchū no yama
空の真鍮の山
Chapter 2
"Welcome to Camp Fuji"
"God created war so that Americans would learn geography." ― Mark Twain
The large movement being conducted in the countryside of Japan was a sight to behold. All around, various Japanese citizens stopped to glance at the large convoy of vehicles and heavy armour parade the streets, often escorted by law enforcement or small sections of the JSDF. News Media outlets sent their vans and journalists to broadcast the live images of troops, both national and foreign, as their equipment was transported to their destination.
A large armada of naval vessels sat off the coast near Naval Station Sasebo on the island of Kyushu. Multiple flags and ship colours flowed through the breeze as the commanders rehearsed their roles once again to ensure every protocol was followed through the letter once Olympus was greenlit. Their troops were all geared up and standing by to begin their roles in the military exercise.
Every major news channel conveyed the movement as watchful eyes were glued to their television screen. For some, they had a front row seat to witness a few tanks, light armour, and the occasional aircraft that flew by. Others wanted to witness the event themselves that were happening right across their street.
In the larger cities, traffic was often halted to allow the movement to pass through unhindered. It was an event that multiple businesses and companies prepared for. However, like all new things that have never been tried before, it had some rough patches.
Civilians greeted the new arrivals with open arms, waving the various flags of the nations as they passed by. This was the first time many Japanese had seen foreign troops on their soil other than the occasional Yankee. As such, Japanese social media were flowing with images and videos of the convoys.
For the same amount of people who greeted the troops with open arms, there was an equal number protesting the hordes of foreign troops in their streets. To them, a large foreign military presence in their country was an insult to their beliefs and traditions. Many passing troops have seen the anti-military signs, telling them to "Go home, Yankee". Even more condemned the entire military exercise as thinly veiled American Imperialism.
The largest gathering of protesters had been outside the National Diet building, one of the largest Tokyo has ever seen. At least from what the Japanese media was portraying it. It was ultimately the Prime Minister, along with the Ministry of Defense, who gave the go-ahead to greenlight the entire exercise despite heavy opposition to his opponents.
Needless to say, the Prime Minister's approval rating dropped to an alarming 39% since the beginning phases of Olympus. With the first arrival of troops arriving at Yokota earlier that day along with the naval fleet that was sitting south of the nation, the Prime Minister knew that he was going to be fighting an uphill battle if he wanted to continue his political career.
But for the Japanese Prime Minister and the troops who were in for the duration for Olympus, this was not even the beginning of their adventure.
Location: Combined Arms and Training Center Fuji (Camp Fuji)
Building 4635
Currently in the squad-bay assigned to the officers of 3/3 Marines.
Date: June 25th, 2020
Time: 16:13 Hours
"Jesus Christ, man. We're not even out of the field yet and we're already living in the suck. I wouldn't even put a dog in this shithole."
Cooper watched as the other 2nd Lieutenant pounded his fist against the metal frame of his grime-stained bunk-bed, the action almost causing the double-bunk bed to collapse on itself.
Cooper let out a loud sigh before he chimed in. "These squad-bays have been around since before the Bush-era, Jacob. What exactly were you expecting?"
Jacob sighed, running his fingers through his brunette hair that was cropped to a "motto" high-and-tight. "I dunno? A cleaner living space? I mean, shit. It doesn't look like it was cleaned from the last unit who used it."
Cooper and the rest of the officers had gotten a brief tour around the squad bay they'd be calling home for the next six weeks when they arrived. Needless to say, even that hadn't painted the prettiest picture.
Decaying walls, broken showerheads, moldy sinks, and the occasional ripped mattress. Cooper couldn't say that he wasn't exactly thrilled to be living in this ghetto, but complaining was not going to improve his situation. That didn't stop the other officers from doing so, however. Luckily, most of them resided in their fates and made do with what they had.
Jacob, however, was certainly being the most vocal about it.
"An Infantry Officer can't handle the suck?" Cooper rolled his eyes as Jacob turned away quickly, sniffling and bringing his hand to his face, seemingly wiping something away.
"No... Just, Fuck, man. I did not want this to be what I wanted to rest my head on."
Cooper rubbed his temples, already growing tired of hearing Jacob complaining about their subpar living spaces. It was no secret that officers typically had the cushier lifestyle compared to the lower ranked enlisted. However, upon walking towards his platoon's barracks and seeing their squad-bay was equally as run down as theirs, he opted to just keep silent and accept that this was the norm for anyone who did field operations in Camp Fuji. They were all in the suck together as far as he was concerned.
"Fucking boot," Cooper murmured, Jacob shooting him a glare.
"Excuse me?"
"You've only been in the fleet for like, what? Three months?" Cooper paused before raising an eyebrow. "If you're bitching in garrison now, it's only going to get worse from here."
"Pretty sure I can handle it, you dick. Doesn't mean I have to like it, right?"
"I'm just making sure you don't bring the morale down, J," Jacob threw a dismissive wave at him, almost causing Cooper to grit his teeth. "Just from seeing how you've conducted yourself since you've checked into the unit, you still have a lot of growing up to do if you're going to be an effective Platoon Commander."
"They wouldn't have let me become an infantry officer if they did not think I was mature enough. I think I can pull my weight, Coops."
Cooper almost let out a loud huff. He heard through the grapevine that Lieutenant Jacob graduated the Infantry Course at the very bottom of the list. He, among other officers, speculated that the only reason he even graduated Officer Candidate School and Infantry Officer Course to begin with was due to the fact his father was a One-Star General who was stationed over at the Pentagon. Someone who had more than enough pull and connections to see that his son was properly taken care of.
While Jacob was still a brand new officer in the fleet, the way he came off to those around him was a college douchebag who thought he knew everything. Olympus will be his first major training exercise, allowing Cooper, the other officers, and Jacob's men to see just how well he performed under stress.
"We'll... see about that. Remember, Captain Bannon is keeping tabs on how we perform out here." Cooper said in a mockingly concerned tone. "And from what I know, the man's pretty cut throat. He'll have no problem recommending you to be reassigned somewhere else if he thinks you're a liability."
Jacob stood there for a moment, almost giving the impression that he was in deep thoughts over what Cooper had to say to him. Jacob was out of his element, that Cooper could see. However, what mattered to him was how much of a shit Jacob gave. Someone could be incompetent at their job, which could be fixed. But it all came down to how much they were willing to stick their neck out for the troops, and Cooper had yet to see evidence that he would.
"I'll be fine. Christ, man." He threw his arms in the air, obviously frustrated. "You and the other officers seem to think I'm some sort of idiot."
"Just looking out after you. As I've said, you complaining about our current living environment is not going to do you any favors."
Their conversation came to an abrupt end as the sound of boot steps were approaching their proximity. The two officers spun around to find their Company Commander, Captain Bannon. Haggard, bags under his fluttering blue eyes, anything that described tiredness, would've described Bannon at that moment. Despite all of that, his back was ramrod straight, and the fluttering stopped the moment the two Junior Officers laid eyes on him. No doubt from not wanting to look weak in front of his men.
"Good afternoon, Captain Bannon." Cooper greeted, immediately snapping to the position of parade rest with Jacob following suit. Bannon waved a dismissive hand, smiling as he looked at their living spaces.
"As you were, gents."
Cooper and Jacob relaxed as they came out of parade rest, Bannon walking over to inspect their gear and their bunk-beds. While he didn't express it, he assumed that Bannon was quite displeased with the state of their living spaces. Probably more of the fact the last unit that was assigned to this place didn't even try to clean up their mess that they left behind. It was going to be a long night with getting their area squared away between organizing their belongings and cleaning up the place to at least make it somewhat livable.
"How's everyone getting settled in?" Bannon asked. Cooper couldn't tell if he was being rhetorical or serious, but he gave him an answer anyway.
"Place could definitely use a little bit of elbow grease, but it isn't too bad, sir." Cooper answered, Bannon simply nodded his head in response.
Jacob shrugged, "Wish I had some subtitles, to be honest. You know, like how they have in those foreign films? But instead, you can see texts displayed in front of your eyes. It would certainly help me understand the Japs."
Cooper internally cringed, resisting the overwhelming urge to face-palm right there and then. Bannon raised his eyebrows, entertaining this unique and rather unexpected response.
"Those English to Japanese pamphlets not helping you?"
Jacob once again shrugged his shoulders. "I haven't really had the chance to study the phrases before I left. I'll get right on it."
Cooper snickered, taking a trip down memory lane at the mere mention of those leaflets the DOD, or Department of Defence, loved issuing out. "We both know how useless those things are, sir. They did jack for us in Afghanistan."
"Won't argue that." Bannon said with a chuckle.
"Wait…" Jacob interjected, eyebrows raised. "You were in Afghanistan?"
Cooper nodded, "Yep."
"The Marines stopped deploying ground units a while ago... How did you manage that gig?"
Cooper snickered. Jacob certainly hadn't bothered to learn much about his fellow Marines.
"I was prior enlisted before I was commissioned." Cooper answered, grinning as Jacob's mouth dropped. "And so was the Captain."
Both Bannon and Cooper let out a chuckle as Jacob stared at the two men, mouth still hanging open. Cooper speculated that maybe Jacob would finally start taking him more seriously now. The two of them might have been Second Lieutenants, but now Jacob knew Cooper outweighed him in terms of experience.
"How are the men getting settled in?" Bannon asked.
"Good, all things considered." Cooper answered, having done so earlier to make sure his men's living standards weren't worse than theirs.
"No bitches, moans, or complaints?"
Cooper eyeballed Jacob, the latter returning his gaze before looking back at Bannon.
"No complaints, sir. At least, nothing that we can't fix."
Bannon nodded, looking at the gear locker where the cleaning equipment was usually stored. "They might have us living in the slums, gents. But these tiled prisons will look like the Hilton Suites whenever we've hauled ass back from the field to recuperate from time to time..."
"Yeah. Better than the boys on the 11th MEU." Cooper remarked. "Those guys are stuck on the LHD when they're not out on the field. At least here, we get to enjoy land and scenery the entire time."
LHDs, the Navy's helicopter and VTOL carrier ship. Unlike the Navy's Nimitz-Class carriers, LHDs weren't designed to operate fixed-wing aircraft. The living spaces were still cramped and claustrophobic for the both of them, however.
"Oh yeah," Jacob concurred. "Wouldn't want to trade places with them."
Bannon raised his eyebrows once more. "Why is that, Jacob?"
"The MEU boys have the shit jobs of amphibious landings and island taking throughout the duration of our training," he answered.
Bannon crossed his arms. "You mean the thing that makes Marines… Marines?"
Jacob let out a nervous chuckle, no doubt feeling like he was burying himself into a hole. "I mean, do you really want to be stuck with riding on LCACS, and AAVs from ship to shore?"
"Fair," Bannon answered.
Cooper knew how much Bannon and himself hated riding on either of those things. Wanting to take the heat off Jacob, he opted to change the subject.
"Besides the MEU, what other American units are participating in Olympus again?"
Bannon paused for a moment before he decided to answer. "Saw a few soldiers from the 82nd and 101st Airborne on station. Probably for joint-ops with the JGSDF Airborne Brigade."
"Figures," Cooper muttered. "Army couldn't let the Marines have too much of the spotlight."
Bannon gave him a wink while he clicked his tongue, "You already know."
Cooper pondered. If the 82nd and 101st were there, who's to say the Army haven't sent their more lethal hitters? "Any Rangers?"
"Pretty sure they'll be here too if they aren't already." Bannon shrugged. "A training operation as big as this one will attract a lot of boys from the Special Ops community."
"MARSOC?" Jacob asked.
"Probably, but I wouldn't hold my breath. I don't recall if there were any Raider elements on the MEU. Besides, if they aren't forward deployed to the sandbox, those boys are all stuck on the East Coast now."
"Fucking oof." Jacob lamented.
For once, Cooper could actually agree whole-heartedly with Jacob. He hated that their only Special Operations Force was relocated to one spot on the east-coast in an effort to save money. He was sure a lot of the Raiders were livid when they found out that they were going to be moving out of Sunny-side California into the deep woods of North Carolina.
"It's still a large participation. Some forty-five thousand troops in total will be part of this exercise." Bannon said. "We're still part of an historical event. I'm honestly not sure if Japan would ever host something like this again. But not in the near future."
"Why do you say that?"
"Not sure if you've been paying attention, Jacob. A lot of the Japanese people aren't exactly too keen on us being here." Bannon grumbled, crossing his arms. "Also the fact the Japanese Prime Minister's support dropped considerably because of this."
"Of course." Cooper sighed. Damn, he hated politics.
"Enjoy it while it lasts, gents." Bannon said as he turned to take his leave. Cooper was sure he wanted to check on the other men and platoon leaders of the company. "It's going to be a bumpy ride, but one that you can always brag about. Whether it's with the new guys or your family, you can always say you were part of one of the largest war games in South-East Asia."
Cooper nodded, smiling as he thought of what was in store for them. Jacob also nodded before the both of them gave Bannon the proper farewell as he went on his merry way. Despite only being in the country for only a few hours, he had already taken a liking to being in Japan. He wasn't sure if it was because it was something different than what he was used to, or if it was just the scenery and culture.
Whatever it was, he was determined to find the answer as he proceeded to pack away his things.
Building 4781
Currently in the smoke pit outside the barracks assigned to 1 PPCLI.
Time: 17:42 Hours
The troop movement to Camp Fuji had been mostly completed. A vast majority of those who were participating had already staged their belongings inside their lockers next to the bunks of their choice. There were still stragglers who were making their way towards the base, whether their flight was delayed or redirected to another airbase or even civilian airport.
But for Master Corporal Severtson, his part for the day was over, and he just wanted to relax. The grueling days of Olympus were due to begin soon, so any time to unwind would do wonders for his spirits.
Fortunately for him, it seemed that the troops who were here had the same idea. After the troops had gotten settled into their living spaces, a lot decided to kill some time by throwing a small barrack party right outside their respective quarters. Said parties were mostly confined to their barrack's smoking areas, or what they were more commonly called, "The Smoke Pits".
The smoke pits were few and far between, often in the middle between four buildings. By this design, it caused a lot of troops to come into the area and integrate with one another if they wanted to go out for a smoke. For obvious reasons, smoking inside the barracks was a huge no-go from headquarters. The open squad-bays in the barracks buildings eliminated any chance for someone bold or stupid enough to try and sneak a quick smoke inside the building, lest one be chewed out a new one with possible paperwork.
The Calgarian had brought his own personal camera to photograph the lively barracks. These particular barracks were acting as the temporary home for his fellow Canadians. The ones across from him were shared by the Australians, New Zealanders, and Taiwanese.
Music vibrated on the barracks walls as a few of the soldiers decided to make the smoke pit livelier with their Bluetooth speakers. It certainly attracted more people to hang outside, opting to socialize and meet a couple of new faces they were going to be training with.
Camp Fuji was considered a field environment, so civilian clothing was not permitted for them to wear despite being in garrison. However, plenty of troops had decided to remove their blouses, going outside in either Boots & Utes or PT gear to be comfortable in the warm Japanese climate.
Not wanting to wear his beret when he went out, Severtson decided to take off his blouse as well, neatly folding it on his bottom bunk before leaving to head outside.
The barracks party had mostly consisted of the Canadians, Australians, and a couple of New Zealanders. Additionally, some Taiwanese and Indians had made their way towards their area, obviously attracted by the noise. Most of the members of his section were also out partying, either smoking or dancing to the beats
Colten and Shepard were dancing with one another, the latter with a lit cigarette hung loosely from her lips. Snickering, Severtson made his way over there, wanting the familiarity of being with his two friends.
"Well, well. I'd imagined you'd be playin' your Halo games right now, Maddy." Shepard snarked, somehow managing to keep the cigarette on her lips as she talked.
"Halo's cool and all. But I'd prefer to actually soak in elements of a foreign country." Severtson replied, Shepard responding with a huff.
"Easy on him, Barb." Colten glanced over at him, his golden sunglasses reflecting the rays of the setting sun. "Japan is temporary. Halo is Infinite."
The two video game geeks laughed, Shepard letting go of Colten as she grunted in disgust.
"My God, you fucking nerds!"
"Shut up, Barb. You love it." Colten snarked, giving her a wink behind his sunglasses as she rolled her eyes.
"Christ sakes, why do I even put up with ya?"
Colten grinned. "Because you love the abuse."
Severtson had wondered why the two would not just come out about their relationship status already. It was obvious to anyone who paid attention that the Med-Tech and fiery Scot had a thing for each other. Their replies whenever asked were along the lines that they were better as "friends-with-benefits". However, FWBs don't get jealous when they looked at other potential love interests.
Be as it may, he opted to let the two soldiers enjoy their game of teasing.
He looked over in the corner and spotted his Platoon Leader sitting on a metal picnic table, drinking a can of Arizona ice-tea. Next to him was his little Marine brother that Severtson was briefly introduced to when they landed in Yokota. His eye also caught the sight of a lone bespectacled JGSDF female as she sat next to the Marine Hilaire. Besides little Hilaire, another Marine was hanging out over there along with two other Australians.
"Yo, Colten. I'm going to hang around the El Tee for a little bit. Definitely want to get to know his brother a little bit more!"
"That scrawny little fuck?" Shepard laughed out.
"Don't let a cover of a book fool you, Barbara." He reasoned, Shepard responding with her signature eye roll. "Pretty sure he could kick our asses if we piss him off enough. He has the El Tees genes, after all. Even if they don't look physical."
"Have you compared the two? El Tee's a body builder. His wee brother looks like he'd be a hundred and forty pounds soak 'n wet!"
"It's all fun and games until someone gets their ass kicked by someone smaller than them." Severtson replied. Shepard snorted, giving him a dismissive wave to go on already.
Severtson took that cue and made his way over towards the group, looking at the Japanese female who leaned in with keen interest. Whatever they were talking about, it had her, the two Marines, and the Australians eager to hear.
"-Well, the primary reason why we're here is because the suits in our parliament are playing with the idea of a Canadian Marine Regiment." St-Hilaire replied to the previous unheard question.
"Royal Canadian Marine Corps?" Hilaire spiked up. "That'd I'd love to see."
"You and us both." Severtson replied, everyone turning to meet the newcomer.
"Master Corporal Severtson! How are you doing, bud?" St-Hilaire asked, motioning to come sit over.
"Lively! I'm in Japan. New country. New experience. New people." Severtson glanced over at Mount Fuji, smiling at the sight. "My mind is still processing that we're actually out here." Severtson sat down on the edge of the table, an Australian soldier offering him a cigarette which he politely declined.
Severtson himself rarely smoked, the tastes and smell of tobacco too distasteful for his liking. However, it didn't stop him from going out there and mingling.
"You'll get to love it more if you guys are afforded the opportunity to go out in town and actually get the full Japanese experience." Hilaire responded, sounding hopeful that some of these troops wouldn't be returning the same day the operation ended.
Severtson himself had prayed for at least three free days in Japan before they had to return back to their base in Alberta.
"Heard you talking about the Canadian Marines again, sir." Severtson inquired, St-Hilaire nodding his head in confirmation.
"I'd love to see how it would be done to be honest." The Canadian officer replied,
Ikazaki tilted her head, slightly. "What do you mean?"
Severtson snickered, feeling like he knew this topic. "I'm not sure if you've seen our Navy… but it certainly isn't something to be overly impressed about."
The Australian soldier close to him piped up. "How many ships do you guys operate?"
"About thirty or so. Most of them are just frigates or glorified cutters that have no business staying afloat. Four submarines with a plan to add a few more." Severtson answered, internally sighing.
Prime Minister, pleeease…
"The problem isn't that Canadian troops can't fulfill the role of Marines." St-Hilaire interjected. "The problem is we do not have a ship large enough to sustain an Expeditionary Force."
Severtson snorted, knowing Canada had done this dance before. "Honestly, I expect this entire thing to go exactly like it did the previous times it was tried before. We perform well, the brass talk about expanding the Navy, talks start to cease once they realize how expensive it would be to purchase and maintain a large vessel, and the idea ceases once more."
Milo raised his eyebrows. "You really think the Canadian Forces aren't going to spend the budget on establishing a larger Navy?"
Severtson had almost laughed, seeing his officer also barely suppressing a snort. "We've wasted billions on the F-35 project just for the Ministry of Defence to say 'nope', and went around to go buy the used Australian F-18s instead."
The Australians let out a low whistle, the one on the further end chiming in. "Our F-18s aren't exactly new themselves. I'm surprised your people wanted to replace your junk with our junk."
"Anything that our budget can afford." Severtson mumbled.
St-Hilaire cleared his throat. "The point is, until we've expanded our Navy, the idea of a Canadian Marine Unit is simply a wet dream of some crusty politician."
"So… basically you coming down here is kind of pointless?" Milo asked, Severtson and St-Hilaire both nodding their heads.
"Pretty much."
"Damn…" Hilaire whistled. "And I thought the Marine Corps was cheap."
"Cheap?" Severtson snickered. "Have you seen the standard issued tac-vest we wear over our frag jackets?"
"Well… The fact you guys are still using heavy frag jackets and not plate carriers is a statement in itself." Milo replied.
"At least you guys still have your tanks…" The younger Hilaire said sourly, causing the Australians and Canadians to laugh
"Why did the Marines decide to get rid of tanks?" Ikazaki asked.
"Apparently they're too large and have a hard time surviving against China or whatever the fuck." Milo groaned, frustration and a look of denial on his face. It was easy to tell that he was not a fan of the Commandant's final decision as he took a long drag from his lit cigarette. "Basically, they're viewed as outdated equipment that no longer serves the Corps' purpose."
Ikazaki still looked confused, apparently still not understanding the decision. "Corps' purpose?"
"The Commandant wants us to go back to the island hopping doctrine, like how we did during World War II." Hilaire answered, Ikazaki turning her gaze towards him. "According to some war games they've simulated last year, our tanks had a hard time surviving, along with apparently causing the expeditionary team time and speed. Sooo instead of trying to find a work-around, it was decided to get rid of them all together."
"And what good is a tank on a small island?" Milo quipped, taking another drag.
"Iwo Jima has entered the chat." Hilaire joked, albeit acidly.
"But what if the U.S. finds itself in another war that isn't China? Or one that does not involve islands?" Ikazaki asked, her response from the both of them a small shrug.
"I'm guessing the Commandant will reinvent the wheel or it will be a mostly Army show." Hilaire answered, looking unsure. "It probably wouldn't be like how it was when we were in Iraq playing as a standalone occupation force. The goal is to make the Marines actual Marines again and not some knock-off Army."
"Dude, F." Severtson felt genuine pity for them, despite the two Marines not being tankers themselves.
"Oh, but don't worry!" Hilaire piped up, his voice oozing with blatant snark and sarcasm. "Tanks aren't going away from the battlefield! Marines will still have tank support provided by the Army!"
The Australians snickered at the Marine's expense. Ikazaki, however, had an extremely puzzled look on her face.
"Etto… But I've seen a couple of Marine tanks on base earlier today."
At this, the two Marine's ears twitched, their heads snapping towards her direction.
"Wait, what?!" the both of them stammered.
"Hai! There were a couple of Marine tankers who were at the MCX earlier!"
"You sure they weren't Army guys?" Hilaire spoke fast, his voice fluttering in pitch as the Marine nearly jumped towards Ikazaki, eyes beaming with excitement. Immediately after, he pursed his lips and sat back in his seat.
"They had your uniforms and had U-S-M-C on the back of their tanks!" Ikazaki replied confidently.
Milo pondered, looking at the sky as he tried to process why such a thing was allegedly happening. "The brass has already started decommissioning all tank battalions on the west coast. I don't see why they would've brought tanks over here... Unless…"
"Unless?" Hilaire piped up.
"Unless they were part of the MEU that were deployed before the decision was made." Milo concluded.
"I mean, that would make sense." Severtson answered, crossing his arms. "One final war-game before they're ultimately decommissioned. A proper send off."
"Well then. Looks like we have our work cut off for us, Milo."
"Be sure to take plenty of shots, gents. As everyone here loves to say, we're all part of an historical event!"
"Speaking of shots," the group spun their heads as the thick Scottish voice cut through their conversation, spotting Shepard standing by the group with her hands on her hips, "where the bloody hell is the alcohol?! You call this dump a barracks bash?"
"Unless we want a repeat of what happened last time you got belligerently intoxicated, we're just fine just smoking." St-Hilaire replied, his tone making it clear he was not going to tolerate another one of Shepard's shenanigans.
"Bah! You bunch of babies!"
Building 4585
Currently outside the barracks assigned to the JGSDF Personnel.
Time: 18:29 Hours
The sun had set over the horizon, completely obscured by Mount Fuji for those who wanted to sneak a glance. The setting bright disk had given the dormant volcano an orange outline that glowed in defiance, almost giving it an ominous presence. The cool night sky and the moon rising in the adjacent direction certainly made for a great outdoor setting.
It was wallpaper material for anyone who admired such views of scenery. But for Itami, he couldn't care less.
The otaku sat on an old wooden picnic table that was all but discarded in the barrack's opposite end. Currently, he was facetiming on his smartphone, earbuds plugged in to dissuade any eavesdroppers who might have wanted to listen in on his conversation. Tears of pain were threatening to leak over, clearly distraught over something that was near and dear to him.
Displayed on his screen was the ecstatic face of his wife.
"It was a very intense episode, Youji-kun!" Risa beamed, the feed showing her squealing on their bed. "You probably would've leaped in the air with the plot twist. Certainly different from how it was in the Manga! I totally wasn't expecting it."
"Dame!" Itami screamed, nearly throwing his smartphone. "I feel like you're spoiling too much!"
Itami pounded a fist on the table frame. Today just so happened to coincide with the mid-season finale of his favourite running Anime series, Mei-Com. Clenching his fingers, he nearly screamed to whatever higher-power in this universe on why they took the sadistic pleasure of watching him suffer.
Today of all days. The movement just couldn't be tomorrow, could it?
While Itami could just easily stream it once it was uploaded to the Crunchyroll app, he was robbed of the opportunity to watch it with his wife. He had been looking forward to at least watching the mid-season finale with her since they shared nearly the same tastes. But that would've made him somewhat content and happy, and the universe just could not have that.
"Don't worry, dear… I'll stop giving out so many details…" She smirked deviously as he narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
"So desu ka?... Since when have you've given up torturing me so easily?"
"Since my dear Youji-kun isn't going to be in our bed to keep me warm at night." She teased. However, there was a bit of sadness in her voice.
"Miss me, already?" He asked, already knowing the answer. Risa responded with a vigorous nod.
"Hai. I know it isn't the first time you've been away from home. But at this point, I'm just so used to you coming home every night and telling me about the latest plot of our shows." She chuckled. "Or on the rare occasion, how your day went."
"It's only six weeks…" He tried to reassure her, but she knew he was just putting up a front. He had let it be known that he was not looking forward to being away from both her and his hobbies.
"I know…" Sadness was also found in her eyes.
What has gotten into her?
She was normally self-sufficient enough to function without him. Granted, since the two of them moved into their apartment a couple of months ago, the two of them had become exceptionally close. However, she never seemed this clingy before.
Or maybe he was just too preoccupied to notice her sudden change of behavior.
Women are weird.
"Look at it like this. Me being away for a few weeks gives you some time for yourself. You can finally finish your doujinshi chapter that you've been wanting to get published."
Risa pouted, sticking her tongue out. "You mean the vanilla hentai chapter whose characters aren't totally based on you and I?"
"Perhaps." Itami feigned disinterest. However, the small blush on his cheeks betrayed any sense of pretense.
Risa picked up on that, a sinister grin suddenly creeping across her face. "Hey, Youji-Kun… How much do you miss me?"
He gulped, feeling the blood rush to his head. "N-Nani?"
She still kept that grin on her face. "I asked how much do you miss me?"
"A lot." He answered honestly, having a faint clue where this conversation was headed.
"Oh?" She asked seductively.
She stood up on her knees as she laid her phone against their bed's headboard, allowing it to stand up and view her body. She lifted up her t-shirt, exposing her fair skin as Itami suddenly felt very hot. He instinctively looked around him, panic in his eyes as he made sure that no one was around him. Fortunately for him, the other Defense Force personnel were away either inside in their bunks or doing other things that were of no concern to him.
"R-Risa-chan!" He stammered, earning him a giggle from her as she winked at the screen.
"Mmmm... Do you still miss me, Youji-kun?"
Making absolutely sure that no one was around him, he slowly nodded towards his screen. Body heat was slowly rising, his mouth feeling dry.
"Hai…"
She then lifted her bra, letting them hang out as Itami turned beat red.
"How about now?"
He had nearly dropped his phone, feeling like he was about to have a nose bleed. Despite the fact he had seen her naked plenty of times before, he could never get tired of gazing upon her. He regretted that he was currently outside in the public eye, otherwise he would've gone to the head to take care of some rather… rising urges.
I really am the worst Lieutenant in the world…
Building 4585
Currently in the squad-bay assigned to the female JGSDF Personnel.
Time: 22:16 Hours
"Sore wa!" cried Kuribayashi, falling into her bottom bunk as she buried her face into the pillow. "It's not fair!"
She lifted her head to glance down at her wrist, checking her watch again for the 3rd time in five minutes as she desperately pleaded to whatever deity to speed up time so that it will be tomorrow already.
22:17
She buried her face in the pillow again, throwing a muffled tantrum that fate would be so cruel to her. The visiting hours that each troop could visit the other's assigned buildings in the designated common area would be from 08:00 – 22:00 hours. After that, all the personnel were to return back to their own assigned living spaces for the night to rest and prepare themselves for the next day.
She paid no heed to the other female soldiers who were also taking residence in their squad-bay, their excited chit-chat and jolly mood a stark contrast to her dark storm cloud that hovered above her head.
When their bus reached their assigned barracks, she was the first one off, making a bee-line straight to the female barracks and into the first bunk that was available. The enthusiastic sergeant figured that the sooner she got herself situated, the sooner she got to interact with the foreign troops. While she did get the chance to hang out over at their barracks, she had somehow forgotten the most basic ground rule when it came to training exercises.
Curfew.
She contemplated on sneaking around the firewatch guards that were posted around the barracks. However, after weighing her pros and cons, she came to the conclusion that the amount of trouble she would find herself in the event she was caught was simply not worth it. Her earlier ass chewing had already put her under the Sergeant Major's radar, so she could not afford to get in trouble again. Lest she'd be completely taken out of participating in the field op at the request of her Chain of Command.
She shuddered at the mere thought.
She wanted to participate and challenge herself both as a Sergeant and as an individual. And the mere fact that there were also many foreign troops participating in this military drill was just icing on the cake. Kuribayashi had only seen them on the internet and social media, always wondering if they were as tough as they claimed, or just LARPers with an expensive budget. While she did have a general idea of the United States' military, this could very well be one of the few chances she was ever going to get, cross-training with the other foreign troops.
Foreign troops that had never come to Japan in such a large influx before since after the war.
Exercises like this were the reasons why she joined the Defense Force to begin with. It wasn't lost to her that the military exercise would last around forty-five days, but she felt that six weeks was not long enough to get to know the troops she would be training with. Wanting to take advantage of it while she was still able to, she made her way over to the Marine barracks where she could spend some time with them.
Unfortunately for her, there were too many Marines who were busy unpacking or on a working party to help offload gear and equipment. For the majority of the day, the Marines assigned to the barracks simply did not have time for her questions. Her luck soon changed when she found two Marines who were taking it easy in the common area, deciding to converse with them after building up the courage to do so.
"Etto… My name is Shino. Shino Kuribayashi." she had stammered, the uneasy feeling of butchering English already present.
The two Marines had introduced themselves as Artis and Xiong. Kuribayashi found herself flustered as she tried not to come off as being awkward when she was talking with them. To her surprise two Marines were exceptionally welcoming. Despite her preconceptions that they would've laughed at her pitiful attempt of English or being dismissive of her with their alleged cocky attitudes.
"Oh, no! You're cool! You're cool!" Artis said when she awkwardly tried to shoo herself away after stuttering and struggling over the foreign tongue.
She imagined that they would've laughed at her poor English, but the Marines motioned her over to come sit with them, a warm smile on their faces. She happily did so, and the two Marines finished their previous conversation before they focused their attention on her.
Xiong was an Asian, like herself. While he wasn't Japanese, it certainly helped her feel more at ease with being in their presence.
They proceeded to ask her questions about her personal life and life in the military, doing the same in return whenever she answered.
"I'm from Chapel Hill, North Carolina." Artis had said, puzzling the woman as she had no clue where that state was located in the U.S.
"I'm from Saint-Paul, Minnesota." Xiong said after Artis. At that, Kuribayashi found herself blushing in embarrassment. She assumed that he was from China due to his surname. Thankfully, she had not voiced it before she found out.
Pretty soon, she felt comfortable enough where she wasn't struggling in English as much anymore. She asked them all sorts of questions that she had always wanted to know about life in the Marines.
"How long have you've been in?"
"Do you want to make a career out of it?"
"Have you ever deployed before?"
"How heavy is your equipment?"
"How often do you guys PT?"
"How was boot camp for you?"
Her eagerness nearly shone through any attempt at restraining it, going off on a tangent of asking a million questions a second. Sure she occasionally went overboard with questions, but she was trying to fix that unfortunate habit. Besides, the Marines didn't mind her that much.
She thanked God that the two had the patience to deal with her rather erratic behavior. For an organization that prided itself with their fierce and deadly reputation, it surprised her that they tolerated her that much.
But like all good things, it all came to an end when the clock reached 22:00. The Duty Marines practically had to shoo her away and lock the doors behind her. Defeated, she sulked on her way back to her assigned barracks where she was currently moping on her bunk. She counselled herself with the fact that she had forty-four more days to enjoy Olympus, and she wanted to savour every moment of it.
Kuribayashi snapped out of her little storm cloud when a pair of slippers clatted on the ground next to her. The CQB expert darted her eyes over to see the face of Kurokawa gleefully looking down at her, a damp towel wrapped around her head and the last dredges of water still clinging to her hair.
"Well, well. Looks like someone enjoyed themselves a little too much this evening." Kurokawa teased, looking at the Sergeant burying her head back into her pillow as she murmured unintelligible words. "And no rumours of you planning on eloping with one of the foreign troops so far. I'm so proud of you."
"Eat me, Mari." Kuribayashi said, turning over to her front to stare at the bunk above her. The medic giggled, stifling the giggle with a hand as she watched Kuribayashi steal glances at her watch. If only she could skip time! All she wanted was to talk to those Marines again, but noooo curfew was the thing.
"Is that an offer?" The medic licked her lips.
"Oh fuck off!" Kuribayashi tossed her pillow at the medic as her face turned beet red. Kurokawa deflected it with ease, laughing audibly as she stepped back.
The medic sat down on the bunk next to her, moving aside her rucksack that laid on the floor next to her locker. Kuribayashi recalled that the medic herself was excited to participate in Olympus. Something about wanting to meet the foreign troops and seeing their cultures and all that.
"Well?" Kurokawa crossed her legs as she leaned forward, facing the irritable sergeant. "Tell me about them. You've been with them all day, have you not?"
Kuribayashi leaned on her side, facing towards the medic. The funk that she was in went away as the exciting conversations she had with the two Marines came to mind. It all felt like moments ago. Yet, it was… nineteen minutes ago. Huh.
"The Marines I've talked to today are awesome, Mari-chan," Kuribayashi answered, smiling as she replayed the conversation in her head. "I'm honestly surprised. For a fighting force that has that fierce a reputation, they were pretty friendly."
"Oh?" Kurokawa tilted her head. "What were you expecting?"
"I don't know." Kuribayashi admitted, trying to think of what she had expected their behavior to be. "I imagined that they'd want to challenge me to see if I was worthy enough to speak to them."
"Are you disappointed that they did not?"
"No! No!" she stammered, waving hands defensively. "Just… surprised. That's all."
"The Little Samurai, Shino Kuribayashi, is not disappointed she hasn't been offered a challenge by the ferocious Marine Demon Dogs?" Her mouth was mockingly agape, her hand reaching over to cover it in a sarcastic motion.
"I'm not that bad!" Kuribayasi snapped, earning a grin from Kurokawa. "Also, they're called Devil Dogs."
"Same thing, basically." Kurokawa lazily shrugged.
"Besides. I'm sure I'll have the chance to grapple with them! CQB and martial-arts exchange programs were planned events if I remember correctly," at that, Kuribayashi began smiling at the mere thought of grappling with one of the Marines in a one-on-one match. She heard that they were one of the only branches who specialized in those fields. To be beaten by one would surely win them her personal brownie points.
"I'll be sure to record it." Kurokawa teased, giving her a wink before making the "ok" symbol with her hands. "Just be sure to play nice."
Kurokawa let out a small snicker as Kuribayashi shot her another annoyed glare.
"But we're getting off-topic, Shino-chan. Continue on about the Marines you've talked with today."
Kuribayashi laid on her back, still facing her medic friend. "The Marines I've talked to are a rowdy bunch. Just like I expected." Kurokawa smiled before nodding her head, motioning with her hand to continue. "They were professional enough, but they both had unique personalities about them."
"Oh?"
"Yeah, their names were Artis and Xiong." She recalled. "Artis was pretty laid back but could probably flip the switch when he needs to. Xiong seemed rather reserved."
"Xiong?" Kurokawa interjected. "Isn't that a Chinese name?"
"Hai," Kuribayashi answered. "But he was born in the U.S. in a state called Minnesota."
"Oh... I keep forgetting that America is very diverse." Kurokawa blushed, her eyes fluttering to the side. So she wasn't the only one that would assume he was born in China, that was a nice reassurance at least.
"I'll introduce you to them tomorrow, Mari-chan! I'm sure Artis will make you laugh just from the way he talks and jokes around."
Kurokawa nodded her head as she smiled slightly, her eyes drifting off, deep in thought.
The both of them looked up as Ikazaki entered, carrying her rucksack, her face red and nearly out of breath as she took the last few steps to the bunk Kuribayashi currently occupied. In a swift motion, she dumped the heavy pack onto the floor with a loud thud.
Wiping the few drops of sweat on her forehead, she pushed her glasses up on her face as she smiled at the two other women.
"Konichiwa!" she blew out a breath as she leaned against the bed frame to catch her bearings.
"And just where have you've been, young lady?" Kurokawa asked with a tone of a lecturing mother.
"I was with the Canadians and Australians today," she answered sheepishly.
"Good word, Himeko-chan!" Kuribayashi stared at the overstuffed pack that was nearly bursting at the seams. "What exactly do you have in there?!"
"Etto… The essentials?"
She let out a nervous laugh as she rubbed the back of her head. The two women got out of their bunks as Ikazaki proceeded to dump her rucksack's contents on the top bunk, showering the bed with the cache of uniform items, kits, pouches, and other miscellaneous items that the other two knew weren't going to be used on the field at all.
Rookie.
"Himeko-chan…" Kuribayashi ran her fingers through her hair, clenching her eyelids as Ikazaki glanced at her.
"Hai?"
"Do you think it's necessary to pack six uniform sets into your pack?"
The bespectacled soldier blushed, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "I thought the others would get dirty in the field."
"Well, you're going to get dirty out there. But there will be opportunities to have your uniforms washed."
Ikazaki fumbled around her fingers as the two ladies continued to inspect the pack's contents. Kurokawa then brought out a white laptop computer that was plastered with a multitude of cute chibi stickers.
"Well, nothing wrong with bringing entertainment to help pass the time," Kurokawa remarked, turning the laptop in her hands "Just don't get any ideas of trying to sneak it out on the field. If you don't want it crushed from the abuse of the elements."
"I-I knew that!"
"Oh-ho! What's this?!" Kurokawa grinned as she pulled out a purple cylindrical object from one of the side pockets of the rucksack.
Ikazaki let out a loud yelp, turning tomato-red as she raced to wrestle the object out of the medic's hand. Kuribayashi watched them entangle themselves before the object slipped out of Kurokawa's hand, sliding right in front of Kuribayashi's feet.
Upon glancing at the object, Kuribayashi busted out in a fit of laughter
"A vibrator, Himeko-chan?!" Kuribayashi wiped a tear from her eye, barely able to keep her laughter in check.
Ikazaki hastily grabbed her play-toy, stuffing it deep into her pack.
Stifling their laughter, Kuribayashi and Kurokawa traded glances as Ikazaki tried to hush them, not wanting outside ears to pry on what she brought with them.
"D-don't tell anyone!"
Kuribayashi finally composed herself, letting out one last snicker. "I won't. Promise."
Ikazaki allowed herself to relax a little, letting out a sigh of relief. Kurokawa still had the look of a predator, a sly smile as she glanced at the item of choice Ikazaki decided to pack.
"For some reason, I always thought you'd prefer… bigger toys to play with, Himeko-chan."
It took a considerable amount of effort for Kuribayashi to not burst out in another fit of laughter just watching Ikazaki stammer a reply.
"S-Stop making fun of it!"
"I'm sorry, Himeko-chan. It's just so easy to pick on you sometimes," Kurokawa winked, flashing the PFC a toothy grin.
Kuribayashi kneeled over Ikazaki's rucksack, inspecting the other excessive gear that the young PFC brought with her. It was definitely the first time the young PFC had been out in a field training since basic training, an observation she made just from making the mistake of bringing essentially everything that was issued to her from supply.
"Ok…" she blew out a breath, taking out a bunch of items and settling them aside. "Here are the do's and don'ts of bringing the stuff you'll need on surviving out on the field."
Ikazaki nodded her head as Kurokawa also stood up to help the two ladies, also being familiar with the field operation environment. Sure, it was too late since the PFC had already brought everything with her. But it wouldn't hurt to help mentor her for what was important and what wasn't in the future.
For Kuribayashi, being lighter meant being more flexible and mobile. Extra unneeded or excessive gear was just extra weight that would slow someone down. It was also more stuff that had to be packed tight into their temporary assigned lockers that weren't exactly spacious to begin with.
It took nearly half an hour of setting Ikazaki's gear aside, the Kuribayaski and Kurokawa showing their PFC what they've packed versus what she packed. Ikazaki nodded in embarrassment when she saw the two ladies packed almost half of what she brought with them to the field. Kuribayashi had gone through each item and explained why she would or wouldn't need it on the field and how useful or useless said items were.
"Just ask me to help you pack next time, Himeko-chan," Kuribayashi said, earning a nod from the PFC.
Kurokawa let out a loud yawn, slipping out of her bedroom shoes as she laid on her bottom rack. "It's getting late, ladies. We're going to have a long day tomorrow, so I advise you to get as much rest as possible."
"Hai." both women answered. Kuribayashi decided to help Ikazaki put away a majority of her things that could fit inside her gear locker. The rest of it stayed inside her rucksack as they slid it underneath the bunk-bed next to Kuribayashi.
The two ladies proceeded to undress out of their uniforms, sliding into their undergarments. Kuribayashi looked over at the PFC, who was putting fresh linen sheets on her top bunk.
"Hey, Himeko-chan…" Kuribayashi looked down, trying to find the right words to make up for the incident from earlier that almost resulted in a cat fight. "About earlier..."
She yelped as she suddenly felt her PFC tackle her, pinning her down on her bottom bunk.
"It's okay! I forgive you!" She teased, cupping a feel on Kuribayashi's gifted assets, causing the CQB expert to squeal and squirm.
"Trying to get some sleep here…" groaned Kurokawa, opening her eyes to give the two women a death glare.
Ikazaki let out a small giggle, releasing the CQB expert from her grip. Kuribayashi playfully kicked her off her bed, and the PFC gracefully landed on her feet before climbing on her top bunk.
The chatter in the squad-bay soon began to die down as the women started to drift away in a slumber, all awaiting for the events to transpire within the following weeks.
After a small struggle, Kuribayashi felt herself relax as she allowed her mind to drift. She was glad that she had the chance to speak with Artis and Xiong today, the two Marines having somehow exceeded and subverted her expectations of how Marines were. She would hopefully get the chance to know them better during their time out in the field. The thought of seeing the Marines in action up close was something that she could hardly wait for.
Her last thoughts as she finally drifted to sleep were of Artis and Xiong, wondering if they were thinking about her while they slept.
Building 4635
Currently in the squad-bay assigned to the Enlisted Marines of 3/3.
Time: 22:57 Hours
"Bruh, swear to God, she had some tig ol' bitties!" Artis boasted in a hushed tone, lest prying ears were to eavesdrop in on their rather inappropriate conversation. "On my momma, I ain't know Japanese women were built like that."
Aronov, Jackson, and Xiong huddled in a small group circle as they snickered at the Marine. Aronov snorted in disbelief as he waved a dismissive hand towards the auto-rifleman.
"Bro, I'm telling you. It ain't no way in hell somebody with some balloons like that would want to join the military. You sure you not cappin'?"
"Swear, to, God." Artis reassured, clapping his hands on each word to emphasize his point.
Hilaire and Milo both listened in on the conversation. Both because it was entertaining and the fact Artis was louder than he thought he was. Hilaire tried to adjust himself on the worn mattress he was laying on, his aching back wishing that he was in his own personal room. But more importantly, a comfortable and padded mattress that hasn't been used by countless troops who've rotated in and out of these buildings for the past several years.
Truth be told, both himself and Milo could've stayed in their regular barracks room rather than the squad bay that was the grunt's home for forty five days. It was a perk of being stationed in Camp Fuji rather than TAD, or Temporary Assigned Duty, like the majority of the people who come through here.
However, in doing so would only guarantee that the two camera men would stay alienated from the rest of the Marines of 3/3, who already viewed them as outsiders. While he was definitely going to be uncomfortable for the next 45 days, it was a price he was willing to pay to be another one of the boys with 3/3.
The cameramen had been trying to find a place to settle in with their belongings. As they expected, they were shooed away from the majority of the Marines who'd already settled in with their group of friends. After a while, the two eventually found two middle bunks that weren't being occupied. The Marines that they happened to bunk next to were thankfully friendly towards them, a huge plus for the amateur military photographers.
Needless to say, the Marines in the middle of the squad bay were restless, having to deal with the jetlag of crossing the Pacific.
And sleeping for the majority of the plane ride over here.
Even though the lights were off, a few Marines were up and about. Hushed conversations of the word they heard from a guy who knew a guy filled the air as background noise. Luckily, or unluckily, Hilaire and Milo had the luxury of bunking next to the bunch of animated individuals. They went on and on about all the foreign troops they met.
Then it went into details about a specific JGSDF female sergeant.
"Ain't no way! You've seen the average woman in Japan, right?" rebutted Jackson, fumbling for the pack of smokes in his cargo pocket. "Whole lot of them are all sticks with flat chests and no ass."
"But this girl actually has a large rack on her," Xiong interjected. Artis nodded gratefully at the Chinese-American. "And she's cute."
"If she's Japanese and rocking huge 'bitties', she's doing porn." Jackson reinforced, finally managing to get a Newport cigarette in his fingers. "I guarantee it."
"Just because she has huge boobs doesn't mean she does porn." Xiong reasoned, Jackson narrowing his eyes at him.
"Bet you one hun'id dollars I can point out shawty tomorrow," Artis held out his hand in front of Jackson and Aronov, the latter swatting it away.
"I'm not betting you one hundred, the fuck?" Aronov said, Artis' face beaming with smugness.
"'Cause you know I ain't bullshittin'!"
Hilaire leaned in, deciding to pitch in on the conversation before it could escalate.
"Her name's Kuribayashi, the one that Artis and Xiong are talking about." Upon hearing the camera-man say as much, all eyes turned towards him as he fumbled for his Samsung smartphone. "She's a Sergeant in the Defense Force if my memory serves."
Swiping through his photo gallery, he found the group photo he took with the Japanese welcoming party earlier that day. Kuribayashi stood out as she posed her fingers in a peace sign. Sure enough, the two Marines dropped their jaws when they saw how much she was packing in her chest.
"Holy fuck!" Aronov exclaimed, eyes wide as he inched closer to the screen. "How do her buttons not pop out of her jacket?!"
"Fucking told yo ass!" Artis declared victorious.
"Well shit… I'll be damned." Jackson said, zooming in the picture to get a better look.
"Dude, her back's going to be hurting in a few years." Aronov snickered, scratching his chin as his eyes remained locked onto the smartphone.
"Bruh, I'd suck the milk out of those jugs!" Artis yelled, licking his lips while making groping motions with his hands. "Real talk!"
Hushes from around the room, and the Marines made an effort to keep quiet.
"Well, did you get her number at least?" Aronov asked.
Artis shook his head. "Nah, shawty kept askin' us millions of questions."
Jackson snickered, a sly smile on his face. "What kind of questions, guys?"
Xiong grinned, "She wanted to know where we were from and how we like being in the Marines."
Aronov cocked an eyebrow "What did you tell her?"
"I told her life in the Marines was alright. It really isn't my thing, though," Xiong answered casually.
"Bruh, she looked like she was surprised when you said that," Artis followed up.
Jackson played with the cigarette in his hands, leading against his bunk. "Surprised? Why?"
Xiong shrugged. "I guess she thought we all wanted to make careers out of it."
Jackson stifled a laugh. "Oh boy. Don't tell me she's a Japanese Motard."
"Bruuuuuuh..." Artis nodded his head, causing the entire group to laugh.
Motivational-Retard, those people who lived, breathed, and shat anything even remotely military.
"She's… quite a handful, if I do say so myself." Hilaire admitted. Kuribayashi had asked him a million questions on their way to the welcoming party. While he was happy that she was excited to be working alongside the Marines and the other troops, he did not anticipate that the woman was practically a rabid fan-girl who wanted to know every single thing he's done since being in the military.
Jesus woman, I'm just a cameraman, not a fucking DEVGRU CAG Green Beret Ranger!
"Aw, yeah. She is a handful, alright." Artis said, once again moving his fingers in a groping motion, making the small party laugh once more.
"Who's that other girl?" Xiong asked, pointing at the rightmost person in the photo.
"That's Ikazaki." Milo answered, the other now focusing their attention on her.
"She's cute." Xiong said, analyzing her from what he was able to see in the photo.
"Lookin' kinda' big though." Artis chimed in, analysing her figure.
"She's a lot better than Kuribayashi. At least she doesn't ask a thousand questions a minute." Hilaire countered, almost defensively. "She's the type who'd rather watch and learn rather than pry."
"She hung out with us today at the Canadian barracks." Milo added, the men nodding in acknowledgement. "She told us there might be some Marine tanks out here on this exercise."
"Weren't they supposed to be decommissioned?" Xiong asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yeah. That's what we both thought." Milo shrugged. "We've looked around, but we didn't see any Marine tankers. If they're here, they were definitely a part of the MEU who are also participating in this."
"Let me guess. You military journalists want to set up an interview with them?" Jackson asked, more of a statement than a question.
"I mean, it would be a wasted opportunity we'll never get again." Hilaire pointed out.
"Well, you're not wrong." Artis agreed, leaning on his rack. "'Ight, Imma head to bed. Don't want to be tired when we run into shawty again, tomorrow."
"Yo, where's my kiss?" Aronov asked, hurt audible in his voice.
"What, nigga?" Artis cocked his head.
"You're the homie, aren't you? Where's my goodnight kiss?"
"Nah! You tweakin' mad hard right now!"
By now, the Marines started to enclose around him, Artis standing up in a defensive warrior stance.
"You really go to bed without kissing your homies goodnight?!" Hilaire yelled out, grinning like a shark while Artis tried to push his way past his friends.
"Fuck ya'll! Ya'll sweetcakes buggin'!"
"Hold his legs!" Jackson shouted, lunging forward.
The Marines tackled Artis into his bunk, the North Carolina boy fighting with all his might to push the Marines off of him. Try as he might, four Marines against one was not an optimistic outcome that worked in his favour.
While the Marines didn't kiss him like they threatened, they certainly were tea-bagging him while he squirmed on his bunk, shouting obscenities the entire time. Hilaire had stood on the outside, recording everything on his Samsung while he was laughing like a child. It was moments like these that reminded him why he decided to become a Marine to begin with.
Hilaire finally stopped recording when Artis eventually broke free, chasing the four of them around the squad-bay intent on revenge.
"Welcome to Camp Fuji, boys."
(A/N: Notes)
Well, this chapter took a bit longer than usual, but it's... a chapter.
First off, I want to give a huge thank you to Top Hat Guy for helping me write this, correcting my atrocious grammar and giving me tips and suggestions on how to write dialogue. He has certainly helped a crayon eater such as I improve, and for that, I'm sincerely thankful for him.
I know some of you want to finally see the other vanilla characters rather than the flood of O.C.s that are prevalent in this fanfic. Don't worry, they'll certainly appear in the next chapter during the drill.
Since the military exercise covers a timeframe of six weeks, I'm not going to spend these next few chapters focusing on that. I'll skip around a bit to allow myself to finally get to the part I'm sure a lot of you have been waiting for, The incident at Ginza, the subsequent aftermath and response to it.
Believe me, I want to get to that as much as you do, but we still have to pave the road to there.
A few of you have probably noticed that Risa and Itami's relationship seems a tad different than the Manga and Anime. *Gasp* They actually genuinely care and love each other? Well, that's what I've wanted for them. There've been plenty of fics that follow the same path of the two being happily divorced. Well... I want to try something different. Bare with me, here.
"*Gasp* Isaac! Marines are getting rid of tanks! They wouldn't be there for the training en-"
Yes, I'm vaguely aware that the odds of tanks being on a final Training Op is kinda nil, but it is a fanfic for a reason *Sniffs* Commandant... pleeeease…
Well, I think I've ranted enough. For those of you who continue to leave reviews and offer suggestions, I'm very thankful for you. For those who've offered constructive criticism, I thank you as well. I'm not above humbling myself to make the flow of the story better.
Isaac out.