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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (5/13/2008 2:28:48 AM)
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February 1, 1944
Location: Tokyo
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Await further orders.
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There is a faintly sour smell in the Ariga household. Taiki politely pretends not to notice. In any event he does not blame Mrs. Ariga, who is a small, plain, and overly tired woman who is working 12 hours a day as a seamstress to support the family. Her husband, on the other hand, is a different story. He is a stocky, unemployed man who has already done serious damage to a bottle of cheap sake despite the fact that it is early in the morning.
Their married daughter, also present, would ordinarily take up the slack in maintaining the household, but that does not seem to be the case here. Her husband, a fit-looking man of around 30, is also in the room. He seems very proud of the badge proclaiming him to be in charge of village air-raid warnings. Taiki thinks about asking him how many air raids he has helped to warn against, but diplomatically decides against it.
Taiki’s dress uniform is crisp, though he has removed his cap and shoes. He formally recommends Nanami Shun as a prospective bride for Riku and stands awaiting their response.
Riku’s father grunts. “This girl, how much money does her father have?” he asks. His wife remains seated, eyes downcast.
“Her father has served with distinction in the Imperial Japanese Navy for twenty-three years,” says Taiki. “It is a position of respect, but not one that pays overly well. She brings little money to marriage, but much honor and happiness.”
“Honor and happiness,” sneers the brother in law. “That’s well enough for the bridegroom, I suppose, but what about the rest of us?”
Taiki takes a deep breath. He is beginning to see why Riku never talks about his family and rarely visits them.
“It is a fair match,” he says evenly. “Riku Ariga also brings little to the marriage.”
“That is not my fault,” grumbles the father. “I’ve got this bad leg, you see…”
“Yes, yes,” says Taiki hastily. He is already tired of hearing about the leg. “The fact remains that this is a fine girl, of high moral character and great beauty. The two of them are deeply in love and have overcome great obstacles. Riku will hardly accept anyone else, in any case. May I have your agreement that they may be wed?”
“But she is Ryukyun,” says Riku’s sister. “Really, they are hardly civilized there.”
“And poor besides,” says her husband. “It just doesn’t seem…”
Taiki has had enough. “Silence!” he roars. All of them shut up. Taiki grimaces. He suspects this is not how most nakodo do the job, but he is going to do this his way now. One thing about the last decade in Japan, he thinks, is that civilians now almost automatically defer to anyone wearing a uniform. He is going to use that reflex to his advantage.
“I have made this a polite request,” he says, biting out the words. “You have made your points. Now I will make mine. I will leave here with your blessing for this marriage or I will find out why two apparently fit men are not active members of the armed forces. Am I clear?”
“I am an air-raid warden…” begins the brother-in-law weakly, but Taiki glares at him so ferociously that he falls silent. There is a moment of quiet, then Riku’s mother raises her head for the first time.
“Riku has our blessing,” she says quietly. “Please let us know when the wedding will be.”
“I will, Mrs. Ariga,” Taiki says. “Thank you.” He goes to the door, where he picks up his cap and puts on his shoes. He then turns to face the occupants one more time.
“Thank you all for your hospitality,” he says politely. “Good day.” As he steps out onto the dirt road he puts on his cap and then takes a deep breath of the clean country air. Without looking back he walks away, a thin layer of snow crunching under his neatly shined shoes.
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