Memory 14

[itsalluseless]

Memory: The trip to Rokkenjima [ep1] (Trivial Positive)
Game: Nick's memory scavenger hunt
Day: 193
Form: Emerald green feather. 3/5 uses left.

Various members of the Ushiromiya family are gathered at an airport, on their way to the annual family conference on Rokkenjima. While Battler is worried about whether the plane is going to shake, he's mostly just happy to see all his relatives after six years. It's briefly mentioned that Battler's little half-sister Ange is sick and thus not attending the conference. After some reintroductions and light-hearted teasing all around, they board the plane. And yes, it does shake.

At the harbour in Niijima, they are greeted by Jessica and Kumasawa. Battler does his usual pervy act in response to how much she's grown since the last time they met, and the two joke fight a little. To Jessica's disappointment, unlike six years ago, Battler is now the stronger of the two and easily beats her. And then it's time to board the boat for the last leg of the journey...

RUDOLF: Hey, Battler, maybe you should just swim to the island.

GEORGE: Battler-kun, you shouldn't lean over the railing too much. You might fall.

MARIA: Uu- Uu-!! Faaall, faaall!!

BATTLER: Daaaaammiiiiit..., so this is why you were all grinning before!

So this is the super high-speed boat that the captain started modding... Oh, yes, that piece of junk fishing boat from six years ago doesn't hold a candle to this one...

BATTLER: Whooooooooa, it's shaking it's shaking it's shaking!! Fall fall faaall!!!

MARIA: Uu-uu-uu-!! Fall fall faaall!!

BATTLER: If I fall, I'll land in the ocean and drown...where's the parachute...no, wait, where's the buoy?! Gimme a life jackeeeet!!

JESSICA: Waah-hah-hah-hah-ha! What's up, Battler, what's with that kinda attitude, waah-hah-hah-hah-ha!

GEORGE: Jessica-chan, Maria-chan, it's not nice to tease. Battler-kun, if you're scared, then just don't come out on the deck. I think that if you stay inside the boad, you'll be a bit less afraid.

BATTLER: Heheh, that's a no thank-you, Aniki! Shipwreck victims are always the ones inside the boat. The survivors are usually those on the deck during the accident. That's why I'm here!! But, it's shaking!! I'm gonna faaall!! Whooooaaaaaahhh!!

MARIA: Shake faaall!! Uu-uu-uu-!!

ROSA: Maria, I told you to behave yourself! .......But Battler-kun, it looks like you really can't handle it... I'll go tell the captain to slow down for you.

BATTLER: Whooooa, Rosa oba-san, thank yooooouuuuu! I confirm that safe, slow driving is the thing, even on the seaaaaa!!

EVA: *cackle*! Don't do that, Rosa. Ordeals are necessary to the young. Right, Battler-kun? If it's only this, you can easily conquer it, right? Otherwise, you won't be able to go to Egypt with your aunt!

BATTLER: Whooooa, Eva oba-san, you're meeeeeeeeaaaan! Ooh noooo, I'm gonna faaaaaall!! Life jackeeeet, parachuuuute?!! Whoooooooaaaaaaahh......!!! N-no, okay, turn it over and think that way!! What's the enemy aiming for?! He wants to make me afraid like this?! If that's what he's aiming for, too bad, like hell I'll be scaaaaaaaared!! But stooopp iiit, I'm gonna faaaaaaall!!!

So, after I made a huge fool of myself for a while, Rosa oba-san had a talk with the boat captain, and he slowed down to a more manageable speed for me...

BATTLER: ............Haa... This speed is a bit better............earlier, I didn't even feel alive......

Apparently, the max speed I can tolerate is extremely slow. ...But that just now was completely insane... The whole boat was shaking! Sliding and leaping on the ocean's surface! It felt like I was riding on the back of a flying fish...

Jessica was still guffawing at me as I leaned against the railing, tired and disheartened.

JESSICA: I lost in that strength contest earlier, but I'm glad to know I'm no worse off where it really counts. But seriously, hahahahahah!

BATTLER: Dammit..., go ahead and laugh. One of these days, I'm gonna find your weakness and I'll get back at you...and then your boobs will be mine to squish......

JESSICA: Ahaha, well, we'll see about that if you ever do find it, okay?! Waah-hah-hah-ha!

MARIA: Uu-. Battler, all weak.

BATTLER: Yeah, Battler, all weak... I want to die on land, not in the ocean or the sky...

Maria was patting my back, so I patted her head in return. ...Her expression was blank, as usual, but I realized that she wanted to console me.

GEORGE: Battler-kun, the captain is throwing in drinks to make up for this. Won't you have just one? To calm yourself down.

George-aniki and Kumasawa baa-chan brought us all glasses with floating ice cubes and canned drinks.

Judging from Kumasawa-san's big grin, our parents inside the boat were probably all rolling around laughing at my moment of pure terror. Dammit, I'm so embarrassed that I can't bear to face any of them... If I didn't change the subject somehow, I had the feeling I'd be the butt of everyone's jokes for the whole trip, so I tried to think of something harmless to talk about.

BATTLER: ...Hey, Jessica. How are Krauss oji-san and Natsuhi oba-san doing?

JESSICA: My old man and my mom? Unfortunately, they're fine. Though every other word out of their mouths is 'study, study', which pisses me off. I'm so jealous, since it doesn't look like Hideyoshi oji-san or Rudolf oji-san say those kind of things.

GEORGE: Hahaha, oh no. When I was slacking off during exams, I was always getting told 'exams, exams'. I thought it was annoying, but now I'm grateful.

BATTLER: Hah, I knew it, George-aniki can be human too... Anyway, I have to look after myself. No one tells me what to do! Well, it's not like I'd listen if they did, hihihi!

KUMASAWA: Battler-san, you still cannot return to your home?

BATTLER: ...Well, I kinda go back now and then. I'm still leaving lots of clothes and stuff at the previous house.

MARIA: ......Uu-? Battler has two houses?

BATTLER: Uh, .........hmmm. ......Something like that.

MARIA: Why? Why do you have two houses? Uu-? Uu-?

Only Maria, who couldn't really grasp the situation, voiced her naive question. However, the others just shot nervous glances at me, choosing not to respond even though they knew the answer.

JESSICA: Maria! Look, you can see the harbor now...! Look, over there! Can you see it?!

MARIA: Uu-! Saw the harbor, saw the harbor!

After Jessica changes the subject away from Battler's living situation, Kumasawa apologises for making things awkward. Just as Battler's telling her it's nothing and really he's more bothered by everyone making such a big deal out of it, Maria notices something strange. There used to be a reef with a shrine on it off the island's shore, but now it's mysteriously vanished. Jessica and Kumasawa assume it was washed off by a recent storm or possibly a lightning strike, and Kumasawa mischievously mentions that a lightning striking a shrine is a sign of misfortune. Maria takes this very seriously and becomes agitated. The older cousins' attempts to cheer her up only make her more upset, but fortunately Hideyoshi steps in and defuses the unpleasant atmosphere.

Soon afterwards, they dock at Rokkenjima and are greeted by Gohda. Battler realises something that's been bothering him for a while now: usually when they arrive at the island, people are greeted by the cries of seagulls, but now they're silent because of the approaching storm.

Rising up the path from the beach, they arrive in the mansion's beautiful rose garden. Maria notices a withering rose, and since she feels concerned for it, George marks it so she can come check on it later.

HIDEYOSHI: My...! Heeey! If it isn't Kanon-kun! It's een so long! How are you doin'?!

Hideyoshi oji-san suddenly shouted.

In the direction he was waving at, .........there was a slender boy.

Meeting him right after a huge man like Gohda probably emhasized his small stature. The boy was in the middle of transporting piled-up gardening tools and the like in a wheelbarrow. When he realized he was being called to stop, he set down the wheelbarrow, took his hat off and bowed his head.

KANON: ...........................Good afternoon.

...I figured he was probably younger than me. I realized by the general atmosphere surrounding him that he was a servant too.

He answered Hideyoshi oji-san's greetings, but he seemed unsociable deep down. It was a greeting that lacked feeling.

When Gohda-san noticed that our interest had shifted towards him, he went to the boy's side and introduced him to us.

GOHDA: Battler-sama, I shall introduce you. He is one of the servants who serve the Ushiromiya head house. ...Kanon-san, greet our guest.

KANON: ................I'm pleased to meet you. I am the servant............, Kanon.

Yep, my first impression wasn't wrong, he gave the feeling that he was unsociable, and a bit of a poor speaker. Compared to Gohda-san, who was extraordinarily polished as a servant, no matter what he did, he gave off a feeling of inexperience typical of his age. When Gohda-san urged him in a whisper to give a bit more of an introduction, the boy named Kanon only cast his eyes downwards.

GOHDA: Kanon-san. Could you perhaps give them a little more as a greeting...?

KANON: ............No. ............Because we, ......are furniture.

It seemed that he wasn't refusing to greet us out of spite, but rather, he gave the impression that he had no choice but stay silent, not knowing what to add to his greeting.

Though Jessica hurries to defend Kanon and Battler gives him a friendly greeting, all they get is more silence and awkwardness. As Kanon's about to leave, he fumbles with his wheelbarrow, dropping bags of fertiliser to the ground. Battler helps him pick them up.

What he learned:
+100 family dere, they're silly but gosh they're my family!!
+FUCK SHAKY THINGS FOREVER X(
+not only have I not met the relatives for six years, I've even been living away from home?
+and that's a really awkward subject
+Maria continues to be a really weird child
+but man George-aniki sure is good with kids
+Kanon is really shy and quiet
+and urgh, really insistent on the furniture thing >(