Commander's Rounds Volume 1

Entry 13: Lonely Phoenix

"Yeah..." He looked at the door himself. "But that's more of a commander problem than something you need to worry about. Come to think of it, I've only really been in here the one time, when I needed to convince her I didn't hate her."

Albacore pondered something as she stared at the door. "Soooo.... You're really sure that you want to go in there?"

"Yeah." that door was both enticing and foreboding, much like what lay beyond it. "Whatever's going on in Taihou's head, she would never actually hurt me- she has a love-sickness of some kind, but she doesn't think she can keep my soul or anything."

Albacore rocked on her heels. "Soooo... You don't want me to stick around?"

He shook his head. "Nah, you can go home- I don't think she'd take too well to you being around on a day like today."

She saluted him. "Sir!" and then headed off to get into whatever mischief she could get into on a day like today. Commander did think of something, though, that he'd have to ask her later- he would've thought she would prank Taihou in the same way that Victorious made her attempts to woo Tirpitz.

The commander collected himself and knocked on the door.

Her voice came from the other side. "Annnh... I'm not coming out today no matter how much you knock... I don't even care if even Yamato comes here and says so..."

He took a deep breath, wondering if he'd regret what he said next. "Taihou, it's the commander... May I come in?"

There were several hurried foot-noises and the movement of a few locks, and the door opened a crack. He saw one of Taihou's red eyes peeking through the crack- and then a big, bright, manic smile. "Ah! Commander...! You would.... You would like to come in?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Since I'm here and can't really go home in this weather, I thought I'd check up on you."

That eye looked around and even looked down at herself. "My commander- I haven't even brushed my hair today."

She really wasn't expecting to go anywhere today, seeing that this was very much in the afternoon. And Taihou was more than capable of hunkering down, seeing as she could very handily cook for herself. "Look, Taihou, it doesn't matter, I'll just brush it for you and then it won't be a problem."

That eye widened, and she opened the door, and before he knew it he was in her room, minus his shoes.

The thing about Taihou's place is that it looked nothing like one would expect from the mentality of the owner. It looked very much like the sort of place that would be owned by a rather traditional Sakura woman- there were no shrines to the commander, no corners stacked with commander's stolen things, and nothing else that would be an external indicator of the state of its occupant. Taihou knew what she was about, she didn't need any extra reminders.

Taihou herself would be a bit of a curiosity even if it wasn't for her love-sickness. She had an impossible knockout body and a cute, sweet voice, which was already an odd contrast. Unlike many other Sakura carriers, she didn't have a partner from way back when- the only other one in port to share that distinction was Houshou, and that one contented herself with being the eldest sister or even mother-figure of all other Sakura carriers.

And the thought of his first encounter with Houshou still made him blush.

And then there was Taihou, gleefully kneeling right there on the floor, brush in her hand, holding it out to the commander. He took it in hand and found a place to sit behind her, and got to work. It may have been because he had mostly seen it done up in twin tails or otherwise arranged, but Taihou rarely cut her hair except to keep it out of her eyes. When it was unbound or undone, that black, silken waterfall always seemed to reach to her ankles, and caring for it was probably a job and a half.