User blog:ToastSoul/Dialogues: Niishiro 2

there's gotta be a better way of doing this

← Dialogues: Niishiro 1

 - NIISHIRO 2 -

PEACEFUL WATERS NAVAL BASE - SAMIDARE & HATSUHARU’S ROOM - STORMY DAY

Rain patters against the only window in the room, currently hidden behind its curtains. The room is bathed in a warm orange light by the cheap-looking ceiling lighting.

AKEMU NIISHIRO lies on the bottom bunk of the bunkbed, sniffling as she reads a thick manga magazine held above her head. On the lower, wooden-floored section of the room, her clumsy secretary, SAMIDARE, flusteredly cleans up a tea spill.

AKEMU Achoo! (sniffling) Ugh…

SAMIDARE Ah, I’ll get you a tissue-

AKEMU Don’t worry, I got this.

AKEMU releases her top half from under the blankets, walking on her hands across to the low table nearby and seriously stretching for the box of tissues. After a few reaches, she manages to tip the rectangular box over onto it’s side, making it close enough to pull some tissues out.

AKEMU Too easy~

She flips herself onto her back and blows her nose, still half out of bed.

AKEMU I should probably bring these a bit closer too, while I’m at it.

SAMIDARE Oh, I can-

AKEMU Samidare, I know you want to help me as much as you can, and I really do appreciate that, but something this simple I can do this on my own.

SAMIDARE But you're sick!

AKEMU I’m not gonna argue that I’m not sick, but while I’m definitely down, I’m not exactly dying.

AKEMU slinks back into the bed, placing the box of tissues by its side.

AKEMU And besides, you already lent me your bed! I think that’s more than enough for now.

SAMIDARE Oh, no, the least I could do was to give you a half-decent place to rest! The couch beds in the admiral rooms must be very uncomfortable after all.

AKEMU Well, they're pretty good in couch-form! Still, at least for now I’m going to enjoy snuggling up in here. Thanks, Samidare. Really. I’ll make sure to get out of your hair as soon as I can.

SAMIDARE stops her floor-drying activities and dives onto AKEMU, giving her a big hug.

SAMIDARE (tearing up slightly) Oh Akemu, you can stay as long as you like! You're always welcome here!

AKEMU Whoa, careful! Don't want this to spread to you, after all.

A knocking can be heard from offscreen.

HIRYUU Excuse me.

HIRYUU pushes open the already partially opened door with her back, giving herself an extra bit of room to bring in the tray of warm food she carries.

HIRYUU I’m not interrupting anything too important, am I?

AKEMU Hiryuu! What are you doing here?

HIRYUU Looking for you, actually. Miss Ami wanted me to bring you this food.

SAMIDARE Ah, I can help with that.

SAMIDARE gets up and walks over to HIRYUU, taking the tray off her hands and putting it down on the low table.

SAMIDARE Honey lemon slices, okayu, more tea...

SAMIDARE opens the lid of the tea pot on the tray.

SAMIDARE Correction, honey lemon tea.

SAMIDARE puts the lid back on as HIRYUU pulls out a wooden chair from under the nearest work desk and takes a seat.

SAMIDARE And a cooling patch. Miss Ami sure is prepared for your typical winter sickness...

HIRYUU Oh, the cooling patch is from Mr. Masami. He said to use it if you feel like you're really burning up.

AKEMU Aww, that’s so... doctor-y, of him!

HIRYUU Uh, sure.

AKEMU Y’know, having heard that, I think I’m already starting to feel better!

SAMIDARE Unfortunately though, you actually look like you're a bit hot right now and just few words won't make it better. I’m gonna put this on you straight away, so just hold still...

AKEMU Oh do we really have to?

SAMIDARE Yes.

SAMIDARE attempts to stick the cooling patch to AKEMU’s forehead, missing and instead sticking it across her eyes and the bridge of her nose.

AKEMU That’s an interesting place to put it. Is this a new type or something?

SAMIDARE No, I’m just bad with my hands… And my legs… My entire body, really.

SAMIDARE fixes the cooling patch to its correct place on AKEMU’S forehead before going back to the table to pick up the okayu.

AKEMU Oh. Wait, I’ve got a crazy idea then! What if you purposely tried to do things badly? Would the bads cancel out? Like, you’d be bad at being bad, which would make it good…

HIRYUU I doubt it would work like that… I get the feeling she would just end up doing things badly in a different way.

SAMIDARE Hey! I do all the important stuff right! It’s just when I’m not paying too much attention that I slip up…

Saying that, SAMIDARE returns to AKEMU’S side and carefully begins feeding her, balancing the bowl on her lap.

AKEMU Good point. I dunno, I just feel like there’s someway your clumsiness could be a good thing…

HIRYUU Geez, you're so optimistic. Stupidly optimistic, really. I bet you weren't expecting you’d actually catch a cold after dragging me out into the forest, were you?

AKEMU I wasn’t… But that was just because I wasn’t prepared. It won’t happen next time!

HIRYUU I don’t really want to believe this, but the way you said that sounded an awful lot like you intend to run headfirst into the pouring rain again as soon as you get another chance.

AKEMU I mean, if I run I might slip so I don’t think I’ll run. Safety first, Hiryuu!

SAMIDARE She’s got a point. Trust me, I slip and fall over all the time!

AKEMU You hear that? I’ve got a point! Yeah!

AKEMU and SAMIDARE fistbump, triumphantly staring down HIRYUU. The bowl of okayu falls off SAMIDARE’s lap, spilling over the floor and causing her to panic. AKEMU remains frozen, unmoving in her triumphant fistbump position.

HIRYUU (facepalming) You guys are idiots.

Chapter 2: (re)start →