Cobalt Plus: Yoshika and Aya

Continuing on with the story of Yoshika Miyafuji (@Strike Witches) and Aya...

The day after Suguha was saved from drowning had gotten off to a fairly normal start. Aside from some residual concern lingering in the aftermath of the rescue, the day went on like a normal one where Chihaya had no classes – Chihaya continued studying for her finals in the morning and Aya helped tidy the apartment a bit after breakfast. After doing some work at Yoshika’s practice which included leading some pool aerobics sessions at a physical therapy center near the interstate, Suguha called Yoshika’s office asking for a little assistance with household tidying of her own as well as some company that evening, even sending directions leading to an old house behind a local high school and inviting “those two girls who helped me.” While somewhat puzzled at how this girl had gotten her professional number given the oddly low-tech nature of her practice, Yoshika simply shrugged and assumed the girl had found her number through the internet or otherwise through word of mouth before deciding to ask Chihaya about the call – she knew Chihaya dived with Aya and might have run into somebody since snorkelers and other divers at Siesta Beach were fairly common. After explaining the rescue attempt the night before, Yoshika and Chihaya agreed on a plan to close the practice about 15 minutes early and help out, Aya affirming the plan later on back at the apartment. By about 5:15 that afternoon, the three were at Suguha’s home, nestled in a labyrinthine network of old houses in various states of maintenance.  

For about an hour, Yoshika, Aya, and Chihaya had helped clean and reorganize Suguha’s garage. The room had a lot of old computers and musty sports bags from Suguha’s junior high days that were just never sorted properly. Somewhat tired from an indefinite mix of her sudden underwater emergency the day before, her typical daily routine, and college coursework, Suguha nonetheless offered everyone a light dinner of calamari salad and a drink by the pool area – an area that featured a patio space complete with a grill and mini-refrigerator stocked with bottled water and a small variety of various soft drinks, usually a cola of some kind and the odd energy drink for variety. While Chihaya and Suguha got to know each other better near the old table over at the patio, Yoshika and Aya decided to chat a little bit in the jacuzzi adjacent to the large, ornate pool that had a fountain that was turned off for the moment. The conversation had begun normally enough with the two asking how the other’s day had been up to that point just before taking a direction that would touch on something that had been on Aya’s mind for a while by then…