5tar
Active Member
ON: Kyoto - Star Army Military Memorial
It had been a while since the Senbu's various crew members descended on the metropolis planet of Yamatai. Kuriko, who was resting one early morning in her luxurious hotel bed, was awoken to a message sent to her by an A. Kanno. The warm morning light cast a soft glow to the room, creating the perfect image of which the resort used as its name. Tengoku, which directly translated into heaven... and the welcoming comfort was more than that to the Pride Wing and their worn commander.
"What is that noise?" Kuriko mumbled as she tried to find the source of the wretched sound that was disturbing her sleep. Finally, the Neko realized it was her communicator and rolled under the covers as she slid her arm out of the warmth of the bed to reach for her communicator and read the message. Akira-taii? Kuriko thought sleepily as she flipped up the clamshell lid of the communicator to read the message in full.
The message read: “Kuriko-san, I will be in Kyoto today. If you would like to meet at this moment, I am currently heading to the Military Memorial here in the city. If you would prefer to meet later in the day, I can arrange something with you. Please respond to this at your earliest convince so that I can include you in my plans here in the city.” It was digitally signed with the kanji of Kanno Akira's full name and no rank or titles attached.
Kuriko read Akira's message twice over. The Heisho was slightly surprised by his level of informality, not that she was displeased by this. Perhaps she was a little shy about being so informal with Akira than she had thought she was. Kuriko spent a minute thinking about how to respond before she finally did so: “I would be more than happy to meet you there, Akira-san.” Kuriko followed Akira's lead with how she signed and presented her message as well. Using a lower level of honorifics was actually quite a tough decision for the Heisho since it was permissible for superior officers in speak that way to lower ranking officers, but not the other way around. Clasping her communicator shut, Kuriko slid into a duty uniform, lacking any civilian attire yet, before leaving the hotel and heading to the Memorial.
Kuriko received a complementary ride to her destination from the resort. It was a nice, sunny morning in the large city of Kyoto; the streets were busy and the city alive and pristine. The capitol was just as much of a utopia as they said it was, the buildings reached high up into the clean air and green was incorporated into the cityscape beautifully. It was a long ride, but not a complicated one, the Heisho would arrive at the entrance to the Memorial an hour in total after she had received the message. The officer she came to see wasn't in the font area, but it did seem like the massive park-like setup sprawled out quite a bit, with the military ever-expanding and the many killed members to add to the rows, he could be anywhere at this point.
Kuriko scowled for not having thought of where exactly to meet Akira at. The Heisho slipped out her communicator and wrote a message to Akira: “Where inside the memorial would you like to meet?” Kuriko's fingers flew over the keys to type the message, and it was away rather quickly. All she could do until he responded was keep her eyes peeled for him or wait for his response. Silently, the Heisho settled for both.
The message bounced back, a small notification detailed that the user she was trying to connect to currently had his communicator switched off or was out of communications range. Her gaze wandered, but she only saw more and more pathways, it looked like Kuriko was in for a short stroll. There were memorials to so many ships and Star Army personnel that it was almost daunting to think that her name could be there any day in the future. It was a haunting beauty as plant life and sakura trees decorated the memoriam; there was a sparse amount of people there even for the size. So her task didn't seem too hard, after all, it wouldn't be very difficult to spot the tall and handsome Yamataian in such an open area.
Kuriko slid the communicator back into it's pouch before setting off down the path. She was awed by just how many had died up to this point. Awed by the knowledge that these were those who had chosen to remain dead and that so many more had been reborn to live their lives. Some broken, incomplete without the memories they had made while others better for it or lost nothing. Some ships lost all of their crew in one bout; they died together as they had lived: a family. Others, although grouped with their shipmates, clearly died at different times, maybe even alone. The sight continued to awe the Neko as she proceeded to walk down the paths while looking for Akira. Part of it caused a righteous anger to swell up in the her chest, a hatred for those who had caused these wars. For the Mishhu, even a small amount for Uesu. At least now, though, she could find solace in the knowledge that the Mishhu were gone for now.
She'd finally spot the blonde haired officer, rising up from his knees in front of a tombstone then bowing to it deeply in salute to its owner. With a long sigh, he pushed a hand through his golden bangs and glanced up high into the sky. His celestially-pointed gaze seemingly looking for something, or someone. The area he was in had a display nearby, marking that it was the memorial site for the YSS Teppen. A small description below read that it was a an Anri-class vessel commanded by a Taisa – Endo Saki. The motto was proudly displayed as well under the ship's name: "When the blossoms fall, we will catch them."
Kuriko approached the man silently and looked at the marker for the Teppen. Kuriko sat there momentarily stunned by what she saw. It didn't take the Neko more than a few seconds to realize that the captain of the Teppen and the Taisa were both from the same family, due to the spelling of their name. Nor did it take her more than a few seconds to realize that it was an Anri as well. Endo-Taisa... Kuriko thought sympathetically toward her own commander. Jack had mentioned something about the Teppen; Kuriko quickly went over that memory, and though it was slightly hazy due to alcoholic consumption, it confirmed her suspicions. The Heisho wanted to offer some kind of verbal support to the senior officer, but couldn't find any words to express it. Instead, Kuriko merely stood there, silently saluting the lost souls of the Teppen. As Kuriko stood, her muscles began to ache and the Heisho unconsciously moved her foot, displacing some of the gravel from the path, no doubt giving away her presence behind the Taii.
"I’m sorry if you tried to contact me, I didn't want to disturb the sprits here. The dead have ears, after all..." Akira said without looking at Kuriko, acknowledging her presence. At least she had an explanation to why his communicator was off now, and he wasn't kidnapped or something of that sort (though that was an extremely low probability on such a secure planet). He then turned his battle-worn, sapphire blue eyes down at the small Neko standing close by. "I'm glad to see you looking so refreshed, I was afraid that leading the Pride Wing would have taken a worse toll on you, Kuriko-san," Akira said in a friendly manner as he crossed his arms behind his back and strolled up beside her, allowing the Heisho to join him on a stroll of the area.
Kuriko telepathically shut her communicator off as well before joining the Taii in his stroll. "To tell you the truth, if this break hadn't come along I think I'd find myself with a lot less hair," Kuriko admitted. "How do you do it?" Kuriko looked over at the Taii as she asked the question. Jack had spoken of a loyalty that the Gold Wing possessed, a willingness to follow Akira into hell itself and back, and while Kuriko knew that if she gave an order it would most likely would be obeyed, she somehow couldn't help but feel that there wasn't the implicit trust that existed between the members of Gold Wing. Then there's Shin... Kuriko's smile turned a little upside down as she thought of the Yamataian, though it didn't remain that way for long before she forced herself to be happy.
The once-leader of the great Gold Wing stepped slowly through the rows upon rows of tombstones, his eyes, for the moment, were cast a few steps ahead. He contemplated just how to answer the Heisho, still unsure at this point how he got there himself. "Well..." he started, deciding it was better to break the silence instead of let it float there, "I can't really give you any pointers on it," he admitted, pausing in his steps as he reached the last gravestone on a raised platform. It read 'Endo Saki.' As he stared at the memoriam to the YSS Teppen’s captain, he gathered what he thought might be the right words. "But I can tell you a piece of advice that I still use to this day," he mentioned as he smiled slightly to the memory of the old Taisa. "No matter what happens, don't let them know you’re scared – your enemies or your allies." He then turned around and faced the Neko, running a hand back though his hair to move the bangs from his eyes and scratch nervously at the back of his head. "Sorry I ain't got much more, but I can assure you, it gets easier as you go," he said with a soft chuckle. He then placed a hand on Kuriko's shoulder, and guided her to turn as he then led the way back to the gate.
Kuriko normally would have jumped slightly at Akira's touch, normally would have been overjoyed by the fact that the Yamataian had felt comfortable enough to touch her, but this time the Heisho remained silent. Gently, she resisted the man's push, if only to feel his support behind her. "I have a person under my command I need some advice about." Kuriko's voice had dropped a little, but she was still audible. The Neko hadn't ignored the Taii's earlier advice, but referenced it. She treasured the wisdom that Akira had given her; she wished there was more. She wanted more than his advice even, but now... now wasn't the time for any of that. Shin had created a lot of stress and it was a situation that needed to be solved one way or the other. Like the Taisa had said, Shin was her problem now.
"Ah, you must be talking about Nekki Shin," Akira said with a small, all-knowing smirk; he hid a secret about the situation and it clearly shown on his face. "Well Kuriko-san, some people are not fit for the military and most often they slip by personnel management. Now, Nikki Shin was one of these people. It is our duties as officers to make sure people like him don't end up in service as to keep the people we are responsible for safe, or at least safer." He placed his hand on her shoulder once again, pausing in steps. "Kuriko-san, I think the Taisa wanted you to relax before hearing the news, but I think it's best if you know so you could rest easier. Nekki Shin's fate has been reconsidered by the Taisa and Personnel Management; there are new orders on his profile. He’s been sentenced to a month's worth of imprisonment as well as a full psychiatric examination and won’t be released until they figure out how to make him better. The Taisa has also stated firmly in the report that he won’t be allowed to return to the Senbu or allowed anywhere she commands."
Kuriko wasn't quite sure about how to take this news. Part of her was relieved that Shin wasn't her problem, but the other part was upset at the same time. Shin after all was her problem, in the words of the Taisa. Kuriko's hands twisted into fists as the two sides of her fought for control. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?! Kuriko's angry half raged, HE'S MY PROBLEM NOT HERS, SHE SAID SO HERSELF! Kuriko's teeth ground together in anger as she recalled the scene that had placed so much stress upon the Neko just before the vacation had started. Kuriko wasn't aware if it was audible or not and at this point she didn't care. Another voice responded to the angry side of her, She's right though, you yourself suggested counseling for him. And don't you forget, she is your Taisa. She doesn't have to run anything by you. Whatever amount of relaxation that Kuriko had achieved by this point was quickly fading. The Heisho recalled Akira's words about what an officer’s job was. Kuriko's hands relaxed, though her palms were now white and her muscles in her arms, wrists, and fingers ached from being tensed to their max. What was even the point of doing that to me? Why didn't she just tell me herself, why didn't she just decide this sooner? Kuriko wondered. After a few slowed breaths, Kuriko finally regained her composure and faced Akira. "Thank you Kanno-taii," Kuriko said formally. "Sumimasen, I have some matters I'd like to take care of. Please forgive my intrusion onto your vacation." Kuriko wanted to escape, she wanted to be alone. Alone to rage, alone to cry. Alone.
A single raindrop fell from the heavens above and splashed on Kuriko's nose as if the sky itself was trying to cool her temper. Then soon after, a light drizzle washed over the memorial grounds. "Kuriko, you know I can't just let you leave like this," Akira said, losing himself a moment, forgetting formalities as he endearingly tried to think of how to make things better. He had experienced her pain before and knew just how she must be feeling at a time like this. "How about we go talk this over somewhere more private, at least we can get you out of this rain." That's when the chivalrous officer removed his coat and draped it over the Heisho's shoulders and wrapped an arm around her to walk her to where he had parked.
Kuriko didn't refuse the Taii's offer to talk it over in private. Kuriko wasn't too sure she could convince herself that it was alright, and she knew that it would be better to express her opinions to someone. As the pair walked to where Akira had parked, Kuriko relished the feeling of the rain on her face. It helped ease her anger, at one point the Heisho even chuckled as she realized that she was 'cooling down' in both a literal and figurative way. Nekki-hei... Kuriko shook her head as she thought about the Hei. "Why, Akira?" Kuriko asked the Taii dejectedly.
END
It had been a while since the Senbu's various crew members descended on the metropolis planet of Yamatai. Kuriko, who was resting one early morning in her luxurious hotel bed, was awoken to a message sent to her by an A. Kanno. The warm morning light cast a soft glow to the room, creating the perfect image of which the resort used as its name. Tengoku, which directly translated into heaven... and the welcoming comfort was more than that to the Pride Wing and their worn commander.
"What is that noise?" Kuriko mumbled as she tried to find the source of the wretched sound that was disturbing her sleep. Finally, the Neko realized it was her communicator and rolled under the covers as she slid her arm out of the warmth of the bed to reach for her communicator and read the message. Akira-taii? Kuriko thought sleepily as she flipped up the clamshell lid of the communicator to read the message in full.
The message read: “Kuriko-san, I will be in Kyoto today. If you would like to meet at this moment, I am currently heading to the Military Memorial here in the city. If you would prefer to meet later in the day, I can arrange something with you. Please respond to this at your earliest convince so that I can include you in my plans here in the city.” It was digitally signed with the kanji of Kanno Akira's full name and no rank or titles attached.
Kuriko read Akira's message twice over. The Heisho was slightly surprised by his level of informality, not that she was displeased by this. Perhaps she was a little shy about being so informal with Akira than she had thought she was. Kuriko spent a minute thinking about how to respond before she finally did so: “I would be more than happy to meet you there, Akira-san.” Kuriko followed Akira's lead with how she signed and presented her message as well. Using a lower level of honorifics was actually quite a tough decision for the Heisho since it was permissible for superior officers in speak that way to lower ranking officers, but not the other way around. Clasping her communicator shut, Kuriko slid into a duty uniform, lacking any civilian attire yet, before leaving the hotel and heading to the Memorial.
Kuriko received a complementary ride to her destination from the resort. It was a nice, sunny morning in the large city of Kyoto; the streets were busy and the city alive and pristine. The capitol was just as much of a utopia as they said it was, the buildings reached high up into the clean air and green was incorporated into the cityscape beautifully. It was a long ride, but not a complicated one, the Heisho would arrive at the entrance to the Memorial an hour in total after she had received the message. The officer she came to see wasn't in the font area, but it did seem like the massive park-like setup sprawled out quite a bit, with the military ever-expanding and the many killed members to add to the rows, he could be anywhere at this point.
Kuriko scowled for not having thought of where exactly to meet Akira at. The Heisho slipped out her communicator and wrote a message to Akira: “Where inside the memorial would you like to meet?” Kuriko's fingers flew over the keys to type the message, and it was away rather quickly. All she could do until he responded was keep her eyes peeled for him or wait for his response. Silently, the Heisho settled for both.
The message bounced back, a small notification detailed that the user she was trying to connect to currently had his communicator switched off or was out of communications range. Her gaze wandered, but she only saw more and more pathways, it looked like Kuriko was in for a short stroll. There were memorials to so many ships and Star Army personnel that it was almost daunting to think that her name could be there any day in the future. It was a haunting beauty as plant life and sakura trees decorated the memoriam; there was a sparse amount of people there even for the size. So her task didn't seem too hard, after all, it wouldn't be very difficult to spot the tall and handsome Yamataian in such an open area.
Kuriko slid the communicator back into it's pouch before setting off down the path. She was awed by just how many had died up to this point. Awed by the knowledge that these were those who had chosen to remain dead and that so many more had been reborn to live their lives. Some broken, incomplete without the memories they had made while others better for it or lost nothing. Some ships lost all of their crew in one bout; they died together as they had lived: a family. Others, although grouped with their shipmates, clearly died at different times, maybe even alone. The sight continued to awe the Neko as she proceeded to walk down the paths while looking for Akira. Part of it caused a righteous anger to swell up in the her chest, a hatred for those who had caused these wars. For the Mishhu, even a small amount for Uesu. At least now, though, she could find solace in the knowledge that the Mishhu were gone for now.
She'd finally spot the blonde haired officer, rising up from his knees in front of a tombstone then bowing to it deeply in salute to its owner. With a long sigh, he pushed a hand through his golden bangs and glanced up high into the sky. His celestially-pointed gaze seemingly looking for something, or someone. The area he was in had a display nearby, marking that it was the memorial site for the YSS Teppen. A small description below read that it was a an Anri-class vessel commanded by a Taisa – Endo Saki. The motto was proudly displayed as well under the ship's name: "When the blossoms fall, we will catch them."
Kuriko approached the man silently and looked at the marker for the Teppen. Kuriko sat there momentarily stunned by what she saw. It didn't take the Neko more than a few seconds to realize that the captain of the Teppen and the Taisa were both from the same family, due to the spelling of their name. Nor did it take her more than a few seconds to realize that it was an Anri as well. Endo-Taisa... Kuriko thought sympathetically toward her own commander. Jack had mentioned something about the Teppen; Kuriko quickly went over that memory, and though it was slightly hazy due to alcoholic consumption, it confirmed her suspicions. The Heisho wanted to offer some kind of verbal support to the senior officer, but couldn't find any words to express it. Instead, Kuriko merely stood there, silently saluting the lost souls of the Teppen. As Kuriko stood, her muscles began to ache and the Heisho unconsciously moved her foot, displacing some of the gravel from the path, no doubt giving away her presence behind the Taii.
"I’m sorry if you tried to contact me, I didn't want to disturb the sprits here. The dead have ears, after all..." Akira said without looking at Kuriko, acknowledging her presence. At least she had an explanation to why his communicator was off now, and he wasn't kidnapped or something of that sort (though that was an extremely low probability on such a secure planet). He then turned his battle-worn, sapphire blue eyes down at the small Neko standing close by. "I'm glad to see you looking so refreshed, I was afraid that leading the Pride Wing would have taken a worse toll on you, Kuriko-san," Akira said in a friendly manner as he crossed his arms behind his back and strolled up beside her, allowing the Heisho to join him on a stroll of the area.
Kuriko telepathically shut her communicator off as well before joining the Taii in his stroll. "To tell you the truth, if this break hadn't come along I think I'd find myself with a lot less hair," Kuriko admitted. "How do you do it?" Kuriko looked over at the Taii as she asked the question. Jack had spoken of a loyalty that the Gold Wing possessed, a willingness to follow Akira into hell itself and back, and while Kuriko knew that if she gave an order it would most likely would be obeyed, she somehow couldn't help but feel that there wasn't the implicit trust that existed between the members of Gold Wing. Then there's Shin... Kuriko's smile turned a little upside down as she thought of the Yamataian, though it didn't remain that way for long before she forced herself to be happy.
The once-leader of the great Gold Wing stepped slowly through the rows upon rows of tombstones, his eyes, for the moment, were cast a few steps ahead. He contemplated just how to answer the Heisho, still unsure at this point how he got there himself. "Well..." he started, deciding it was better to break the silence instead of let it float there, "I can't really give you any pointers on it," he admitted, pausing in his steps as he reached the last gravestone on a raised platform. It read 'Endo Saki.' As he stared at the memoriam to the YSS Teppen’s captain, he gathered what he thought might be the right words. "But I can tell you a piece of advice that I still use to this day," he mentioned as he smiled slightly to the memory of the old Taisa. "No matter what happens, don't let them know you’re scared – your enemies or your allies." He then turned around and faced the Neko, running a hand back though his hair to move the bangs from his eyes and scratch nervously at the back of his head. "Sorry I ain't got much more, but I can assure you, it gets easier as you go," he said with a soft chuckle. He then placed a hand on Kuriko's shoulder, and guided her to turn as he then led the way back to the gate.
Kuriko normally would have jumped slightly at Akira's touch, normally would have been overjoyed by the fact that the Yamataian had felt comfortable enough to touch her, but this time the Heisho remained silent. Gently, she resisted the man's push, if only to feel his support behind her. "I have a person under my command I need some advice about." Kuriko's voice had dropped a little, but she was still audible. The Neko hadn't ignored the Taii's earlier advice, but referenced it. She treasured the wisdom that Akira had given her; she wished there was more. She wanted more than his advice even, but now... now wasn't the time for any of that. Shin had created a lot of stress and it was a situation that needed to be solved one way or the other. Like the Taisa had said, Shin was her problem now.
"Ah, you must be talking about Nekki Shin," Akira said with a small, all-knowing smirk; he hid a secret about the situation and it clearly shown on his face. "Well Kuriko-san, some people are not fit for the military and most often they slip by personnel management. Now, Nikki Shin was one of these people. It is our duties as officers to make sure people like him don't end up in service as to keep the people we are responsible for safe, or at least safer." He placed his hand on her shoulder once again, pausing in steps. "Kuriko-san, I think the Taisa wanted you to relax before hearing the news, but I think it's best if you know so you could rest easier. Nekki Shin's fate has been reconsidered by the Taisa and Personnel Management; there are new orders on his profile. He’s been sentenced to a month's worth of imprisonment as well as a full psychiatric examination and won’t be released until they figure out how to make him better. The Taisa has also stated firmly in the report that he won’t be allowed to return to the Senbu or allowed anywhere she commands."
Kuriko wasn't quite sure about how to take this news. Part of her was relieved that Shin wasn't her problem, but the other part was upset at the same time. Shin after all was her problem, in the words of the Taisa. Kuriko's hands twisted into fists as the two sides of her fought for control. WHO DOES SHE THINK SHE IS?! Kuriko's angry half raged, HE'S MY PROBLEM NOT HERS, SHE SAID SO HERSELF! Kuriko's teeth ground together in anger as she recalled the scene that had placed so much stress upon the Neko just before the vacation had started. Kuriko wasn't aware if it was audible or not and at this point she didn't care. Another voice responded to the angry side of her, She's right though, you yourself suggested counseling for him. And don't you forget, she is your Taisa. She doesn't have to run anything by you. Whatever amount of relaxation that Kuriko had achieved by this point was quickly fading. The Heisho recalled Akira's words about what an officer’s job was. Kuriko's hands relaxed, though her palms were now white and her muscles in her arms, wrists, and fingers ached from being tensed to their max. What was even the point of doing that to me? Why didn't she just tell me herself, why didn't she just decide this sooner? Kuriko wondered. After a few slowed breaths, Kuriko finally regained her composure and faced Akira. "Thank you Kanno-taii," Kuriko said formally. "Sumimasen, I have some matters I'd like to take care of. Please forgive my intrusion onto your vacation." Kuriko wanted to escape, she wanted to be alone. Alone to rage, alone to cry. Alone.
A single raindrop fell from the heavens above and splashed on Kuriko's nose as if the sky itself was trying to cool her temper. Then soon after, a light drizzle washed over the memorial grounds. "Kuriko, you know I can't just let you leave like this," Akira said, losing himself a moment, forgetting formalities as he endearingly tried to think of how to make things better. He had experienced her pain before and knew just how she must be feeling at a time like this. "How about we go talk this over somewhere more private, at least we can get you out of this rain." That's when the chivalrous officer removed his coat and draped it over the Heisho's shoulders and wrapped an arm around her to walk her to where he had parked.
Kuriko didn't refuse the Taii's offer to talk it over in private. Kuriko wasn't too sure she could convince herself that it was alright, and she knew that it would be better to express her opinions to someone. As the pair walked to where Akira had parked, Kuriko relished the feeling of the rain on her face. It helped ease her anger, at one point the Heisho even chuckled as she realized that she was 'cooling down' in both a literal and figurative way. Nekki-hei... Kuriko shook her head as she thought about the Hei. "Why, Akira?" Kuriko asked the Taii dejectedly.
END
