* * *
It was good to be old. Or in charge, at least.
Yukari remembered the
Yuumi-class only from a tour she received before she was assigned to the
SS Snake. The battleships, powerful as they were, came with unusually elegant flourishes, from carpeted decks to the finest cuisine, and grand ballrooms for the hosting of guests, officers and even enlisted personnel.
At the time, she had not paid much thought to it, but now, she was smiling about it, laying on her back, staring up at the red-and-white vaunted ceiling that reflected back warm, soothing light from the 10 chandeliers lining it.
No one else was present. No one else was expected, either. The KAMI made sure of it. It played soothing koto music for her as she looked up into a volumetric panel consisting of Big Decisions — promotions, reassignments, other things among the officers of the Second Draconian Fleet.
The fleet didn't call itself that anymore. Now it was the Goddess' Fleet. There were many inside the Goddess' Fleet who wanted reassignment to the
Mokuren, to be closer to the Goddess, but everyone already here wanted to stay. Kasami, in a more respectful fashion than Yukari deserved in any circumstance, asked Yukari to please choose who moved around the fleet.
The temptation was to stop them all from going anywhere. She decided, instead, to delay any decisions until the vessels and personnel were absorbed back into the Star Army. She made a few exceptions: medals were awarded to those who made great personal sacrifice to save others during the mission, and some promotions among warrant officers were handed down.
The work took her about 15 minutes because of the slow, outdated KAMI. It was more than enough. The panel did not disappear, but she did.
*bloosh*
Down Yukari dove, all under her own power. The water was fresh, without any cleansing chemicals, so she dove with eyes open as she went for the blue-tiled bottom. When she reached it, she pressed her palm against the smooth ceramic. It felt like the tile of her cabin's bathroom. Her thoughts drifted to when she had Tom there, in that bathroom, and she smiled before spinning in the water and thrusting herself to the pool's surface.
The panel was gone when she came back up, and she was glad for it. She returned to floating on her back. She closed her eyes and felt.
The cool water chilling her skin. The gentle current sending her hair fluttering. The sounds of waves lapping at her body. The sensation of being truly weightless, instead of forcing herself to be that way in order to flee.
It was like home.
Home. What was it like anymore?
Yukari raised her arms, then stroked the top of the water, giving herself some momentum opposite of the current. It kept her toward the center of the pool.
Home was under siege, or near it. Home was unsafe. Home was a ripe target. Home was in danger.
Home could not be that. She accepted this and was ready to change it.
Home also was Tom. Tom, who stood by her despite all that was wrong with her. Who stood by her ... even as she pondered something that was, at least for a time,
a nightmare for him.
Having a youngling never occurred to Yukari. The thought of opening an inn in Ralt, where the Neko crew could recover, find their bearings — it was more than quaint and fuzzy; it was romantic, in its own way. The selflessness Tom had in him always made Tom so very attractive.
Becoming a Nekovalkyrja again in appearance, as well as spirit, did not come from nothing. It came from wanting to accept herself, finally, after so many years of yearning for something else. She wanted to look similar to how she felt. Tom ... Tom seemed to accept that, too.
She was Nekovalkyrja. But that did not mean she had to be alien, to Tom or anyone else.
Kotori might not appear at the wedding, when they had it. It might be too much. Maybe Yukari would have to accept that, too. At least Kotori would be there in spirit.
Maybe Kotori would be there if Nyton could accompany her. She wanted to ask. Nyton had to attend. It meant a lot, him being there. So long had she feared him, felt intimidated, wanted him out of the picture so she could grow outside of his shadow. In the end,
he was light, and she never noticed. She wanted him there.
Many were gone from
Miharu. But they would not be forgotten. Not by the Miharu Clan, which Yukari found inspiring; a group of sprites who became individuals forming a clan, all on their own. She knew it would be a great clan someday, a clan of good deeds and strong spirit. Still, she felt something more could be done. Something would be done. She would do it with her own hands.
Protecting all of that. Her mind circled back to it. Thoughts of a pretty dress were on the periphery. She needed to find a way to protect the people she loved, and the lost who had no one else.
A pair of minutes had passed. There was much to consider, and she did not have the benefit of injury-induced sleep. Yukari smiled as she continued to float, and let her mind take 30 seconds or so to consider a dress.
Perhaps a sleeveless one.
