Highschool of the Dead: Fanfiction Darkpenn

The AMerican Adventures part 7

Part 7: Hot Springs

"Now this is a great American invention," said Lian.

The four women were luxuriating in a hot pool, something they had encountered in Yosemite National Park. It was a week since what they generally called The Breakfast Incident. As they travelled through the park, they had seen more of the big creatures, but the creatures had not bothered the humans and the humans had certainly not bothered them.

"I don't think it's an invention," said Sachiko. "I think it's just here naturally."

"Oh," said Lian.

"Hey, Hotaru, those are some pretty cool scars you've got there," said Jill.

"Thank you," said Hotaru. "This one is where the zombie Blue slashed me. This one is from a fight with a zombie in the Second Sakhalin Campaign. I got this burn when I was too close to a flamethrower unit in a battle in Nagoya. This one - "

"Okay, that's enough, I've got the picture," said Jill. "All I can show is saddlesores. Feels like I've been on that horse forever."

"It is 63 days since we left Columbia," said Lian. "I have been keeping track. We will have to start back soon if we are going to reach there before winter."

"When will you return to Japan?" said Jill.

"We wouldn't try to cross the ocean until we can be sure of good weather," said Lian. "So we would wait until spring. Would you like to accompany us, Jill? Rise suggested that I should make the offer to you. You would be welcome."

Jill raised an eyebrow. "Well, I haven't thought about it," she said. "I guess I don't have any reason to stay in Columbia, and at least two good reasons to leave. So maybe I will."

"And maybe I will stay," said Sachiko.

The other three looked at her. "For personal reasons," she added.

"Sounds like a man is involved," said Jill.

"Well, I kind of ... like ... James Fraser. We worked together getting the saya-mills up and running. And then some other things. The problem was that we couldn't get much time alone, between his responsibilities and everyone wanting me to solve some problem or other. So I really don't know if he is interested in me."

"Tell him," said Hotaru. "Without delay. It is very likely that he feels the same but cannot find a way to say it. Men are like that."

They looked at her. They had never heard her say anything even remotely connected with personal relationships before.

"Trust me in this," said Hotaru.

"It sounds like pretty good advice," said Jill.

"There is a difference in ages," said Sachiko.

"Which was not a problem for Rei and Benaro, or Reika and Naobi," said Lian.

Sachiko considered. "True," she said. "Alright then, I'll do something about it when we get back. Not sure what that might be, though. I've never, er, dated before. How do you start something like this?"

The others exchanged glances.

"Rise and I met on a battlefield," said Lian. "Then we showed each other our swords. Not really a date."

"My first kiss with Kazuki was when I was about to go on a hunting mission," said Hotaru. "So perhaps not useful as a lesson."

They looked at Jill.

"What makes you think I would know!?" she said. "Whoring is not the same as dating, you know!"

"Some help you guys turned out to be," said Sachiko, laughing.

"Don't worry," said Jill, with a sigh. "We'll think of something."

Rise, Kazuki, Dean, Sam and Ren were in another pool, not far away. Sam kept glancing in the direction of the pool where the women were.

Rise laughed. "You know," he said, "I chose this pool so the girls could have some privacy."

"But there are four attractive, naked women there!" said Sam. "Three of them available!"

Rise laughed again. "Two," he said. "Only two of them are available. If you are counting Sachiko and Jill."

"Huh?" said Sam.

"Hotaru is Kazuki's girlfriend," said Rise.

"Really?" said Sam. "I didn't know that. Huh. You know, Kaz, I would have thought you would have had someone ... prettier. No offence meant to either you or her. It's just that ... well ... you would have your pick, wouldn't you?"

"Funny, she said something like that a little while ago," said Kazuki. "I do not understand why. I feel very fortunate that she has chosen me to be my partner. I am not sure she believes me when I tell her she is beautiful."

"Well, women can be odd that way," said Dean.

"You think!?" said Rise.

"My dad once told me that things used to be different between men and women," said Dean. "Before the Collapse, women were expected to raise the kids, men were expected to work to ... well, he said 'to bring home the bacon', and I don't really know what that means. But now, everyone works, or fights, or both."

Rise nodded, and said: "In Japan, after the Outbreak, there were more women than men who survived. Saya Takagi thought it was maybe because men were drafted into the army to fight the zombies, and so more were killed. One way or another, there was an imbalance. Saya also said that pre-Outbreak, the ideal Japanese woman was meant to be sort of submissive, just waiting for someone to marry her so she could become a housewife. Obviously, that wasn't going to work after the Outbreak. These days, women are more than ready to make the first move when it comes to starting something."

"Hotaru kissed me," said Kazuki. "The first time."

"How does she reach, when you do that?" said Sam.

"I lean forward. You know, I am hoping that she will want to begin a family soon."

The others were silent, trying to imagine what the offspring of Hotaru and Kazuki would be like.

"Well, that would be good," said Rise eventually.

Dean was looking at the mountains and land around them. "This is a good place," he said.

"It is certainly beautiful," said Rise.

"It is, but what I mean is that it might be a good place for a settlement," said Dean. "The soil is good, there is water, there are fish and deer. And there are mountains, which the zombies don't like. And wolves."

"Wolves?" said Kazuki.

"Those things you can hear howling at night," said Rise. "Lian explained it to me. They're like big dogs, but wild - naturally wild, I mean, not like the ones in the cities. But I think as long as they make that noise the zombies won't come near the place. So I'm thinking that when we get back to Columbia I might see if there are people who want to come here, set up a farm. Thirty, forty people maybe. That would take some of the pressure off the food production in Columbia as well. Life there can be pretty tough. Kowalski does her best, but there's always a hanging-on feeling. Might be a bit easier here."

"I'll be in that," said Sam. "I can think of a lot of people who'd like to give it a shot."

Ren put up his hand, and then pointed to himself.

"A fresh start," said Rise. "Sounds like a plan."

"Yeah," said Dean. "You've gotta have a plan."

END