super ktkm and ooi adventures 11

I felt like Ooi really wanted to tell me something, but she was pretty tight lipped until after breakfast and back in the room.
	“Kitakami, do you want to go to a party today?”
	“Huh?”
	“I was invited by one of the marines.  It would be a fun thing to do, right?”
	“I dunno.”
Ooi falls uncharacteristically silent, searching for the right words.
	“...I'm sure there will be lots of good food, and I doubt any of the other girls will be going.  We don't have to stay the whole day.”
	“Well... That doesn't sound too bad.”
Ooi's face immediately brightens. I didn't know how much she was looking forward to it.
	“We should wear our summer uniforms!”
Oh, those.  They were our two piece tan uniforms that showed off your midriff pretty well. It was getting hot outside, so it's not a bad idea.
	“Yeah, yeah, that's fine.”

-  - -

Well, this is the place marked on Ooi's little slip of paper.  Near the water, officer housing, pretty nice.  There's music and the sounds of general revelry coming from the back fenced-in yard. It's an all wooden fence, the kind that doesn't really let you see in.
	“Let's go over there” Ooi points towards a gate in the fence next to the house.
There's no latch on the gate, so I guess it only opens from the back? I knock on the gate.  The top half of a close shaven head appears at the top of the gate, eyes peering down at us.  It doesn't speak.
	“We're uh, here for the party.” Ooi answers the silent head.
The eyes of the quickly scan Ooi's figure and mine before answering.
	“Normally I'd ask for your invite, but I'm sure this will be fine. Come on in, the food is almost ready.”
There's a some tents set up with plenty of seating and the main focus seem to be a few large grills running hot.  We're about halfway to getting on line for food when one of the marines notices us.
	“They don't make marines that cute, who the hell are you two?”
The party seems to take a pause as the music is lowered and all heads are turned towards us.
	“Hey, chill out Ives, I invited them.”  Ooi's eyes flash with a hint of recognition at the voice.
	“You bribed them Elbon, there's no way you'd get two girls to talk to you.” Another voice from the crowd.
Ooi's acquaintance, Elbon, steps out in front of us. Ooi reaches stretches her hand with practiced grace; the marine pauses uncertainly before taking it, earning a few shouts from the rest of the party. Ooi introduces me and herself. What a show-off.  The music is turned up again.
	“Oh for fucks s-” The new voice is immediately interrupted by a stream of
	“Dududududu”
I don't really understand the Americans sometimes.

- - -

We're in line for food now.  Ooi's chatting away with the person in front of us.  I don't know how she does it. I feel so out of place right now.  Hopefully the food will be worth the we-
“Ah.”
I  jump a bit in surprise as someone gave my butt a squeeze. The next thing I hear is a smack and a the sound of a body hitting the ground.  Ooi's standing over the fallen body, and it's pretty obvious to put the two and two together.  The entire line has their heads bent in different directions to see the causality.  What the in the world is Ooi thinking? No, she's not thinking at all.
	“I'm so sorry about Ooichi, she's just a little protective, plea-”
My frantic apologies are broken up by a chorus of 'oooohs' and other jeers at the fallen marine.
	“DID YOU SEE THAT? SHE JUST LAID SCOTT RIGHT OUT.”
	“I GOT THAT ON VIDEO.”
By some sheer stroke of luck or cultural norms we seemed to have dodged a bullet right there. I glance over at Ooi, a smug look on her face as she's showered with attention.  I can't believe this.  I reach down and help the battered marine to his feet. He's got a big red handprint on his face. Ouch.
	“Hey, no hard feelings, alright?”
The marine just nods, and grabs something from one of the coolers before taking a seat.

We're getting close to the end of the line now, I can see all kinds of meats being laid out, fresh from the grill.  Ooichi picks out some meats and heads down to another table for sides.  The server calls out to me.
	“Hey there, cutie, what'll you be getting?”
	“I'll uh.. have four sausages.”
	“Oh ho, well now I'd tell you to leave some for the people behind you, but I'm really diggin' your braids, so I'll give you a pass.”
	“Hey that's bullshit, I'd braid my hair for you if it wasn't out of regs.” A deep voice from behind me.
I'm not really familiar with all the different sides, but everything here has that home cooked feel, so I guess I probably can't go wrong with anything.  I see where Ooichi is sitting and take a seat across from her.
	“Hey Kitakami, why do you get four hotdogs?”
	“Ahhhgrrh ggrasha haaa.” I reply thoughtfully, as I've already started stuffing my mouth.
	“Man look at that girl devour those 'dogs...”
	“She's a pro alright.”
Ooichi's face turns bright red. “Don't speak with your mouth full Kitakami!”
	“Ahh, it's fine, it's fine.” I reply as I wipe some mustard off my cheek.

As we finish off our food Ooichi is still busy chatting with a few nearby partygoers, but my attention is turned towards a few people pouring out a bunch of peer into plastic cups. What's the point? One of the marines setting up the table notices me standing around and asks me if I want in on round 1.
	“I'm not really sure what you're doing.” I replied
	“We're gonna play beer pong, I'll take you as my team mate for an easy win, no sweat.”
	“Yeah, sounds alright.”

- - -

That was my first game of beer pong, went pretty good I think.  I was definitely carried along. Didn't mind drinking though. That was fine. My partner, Campbell, speaks up.
	“Is that the gunney? I guess there wasn't really a way to hide a party of this size from him.”
	“What's wrong with him?” I asked.
	“He'll find a way to get someone in trouble or just come here to ruin fun. Probably something about reflective belts.”
He certainly looks like an adversary. Like Goto on a real bad Kongou day, and with twice the muscle mass.	He's about to ream into a group of party goers until a faint sing song voice is heard and the entire party opens up with shouts of one name: Tatsuta.  She saunters up to the stock still gunnery sergeant and drapes an arm around his neck, saying something into his ear.
	“I had no idea she was so popular.”
	“She was a real riot at the last party, really made it something else.You know Tatsuta?” Campbell asks.
	“Yeah, we work together, sometimes.”
I can see the gears slowly turn together in his head, a look of terror on his face for but an instant before returning to normal.

- - -

We won round 2 also, but it wasn't as close.  After that I got into a contest with a few other marines. Who could do more shots of 'Jack'.  I was done after three.  I wasn't standing at that point so much I was leaning. Hmm, Ooichi's coming over, I was wondering were she was at.
	“Kitakami! You're completely drunk, you can't even stand up.”
	“Iim find. This is find. I'm taking it easy right now.”
	“Let's go home Kitakami. I really think you should lie down.”
	“Huh? Yuuur the one who wanted to come here in the first place and now you want to go home already? Whats with that?”
Ooi pretty much tore me from my support (bye Campell) and pulled me out of the party.
	“You'll thank me later Kitakami.”
I must have been pretty out of it because I don't remember much else. Aside from getting home and falling asleep.

- - -
I stir on my bunk, and look at my watch, 2100. Only out for a couple of hours I think.  The day's events  all coming back to me, along with a faint headache. What the hell is going on with Ooi.

	“Ooi. We need to talk.”
	“Oh, Kitakami, you're awake.”
	“What the hell is your problem?”
Ooi's mouth hangs open slightly, totally off-guard.
	“You're constantly dragging me around or telling me go do different things and then when I finally enjoy myself you pull me out.  Are you just messing with me?”
	“N-no! I really wanted you to have fun, it's just...” Ooi breaks eye contact with me
 	“Just what!”
	“I didn't want anyone to take advantage of you, that's all”
I snort at hearing that. The absolute madgirl.
	“You really think someone was going to do anything to me after you pretty much dislocated some guy's jaw? That wasn't o-k either!  We could have gotten in serious trouble for that, you know like being locked away in some dumb cell. I don't need you hovering around checking every single person I decide to hang out with, not to mention doing your best scaring off anyone from wanting to talk to me.”
Ooi's face of shock and confusion turns into anger and vindication.
	“I wasn't trying to do anything of the sort, I really care about you Kitakami!”
	“If you care about me so much why can you never let me do what I want?
	“You always look bored and unhappy, I'm just trying to find something that we can enjoy together! You're always lashing out at the other girls.”
	“Those destroyers? They bring it on themselves, buncha idiots. But we're still getting off track. I think you're just jealous when I'm hanging out with other people. If you're gonna go through everyone I associate with using a couple of chopsticks, who are you hanging out with? Who do you keep visiting at night?”
I can see Ooi's frustration at this question, and her thought process is transparent as she wonders if she can pass off a lie. That won't get by me.
	“I've been visiting Shiranui.”
And so it comes out.
	“You're worrying about me when you've been hanging out with that psychopath? She's a killer who wouldn't lose any sleep over snapping a few necks.”
A feeling I've seen Ooi direct at people before, but never at me, finally comes my way, hate.
	“There's nothing wrong with Shiranui! She's just a quiet girl! She's not cold or heartless at all. How can you say something like that?”
	“Don't visit her anymore.”
	“You can't stop me from seeing her, I'm not bringing you into it!”
I  jump out of bed, enraged by the hypocrisy.
	“Oh, but you can dictate all my moves? Forget this. Go stay with her then, I don't need you, and I don't want you lording over me anymore!”


I wasn't holding a gun, but Ooi still looked like she just took a bullet.