Captain's Log.

Stardate, 2020.

My ship, Twintails Rising, based on the U.S.S Enterprise, hangs above the beautiful blue orb of Errera. Patches of green and grey intermix on the planet. But it's moon, nearly a quarter in size of Errera, is covered in civilization.

The Moon Elf Civilization. In my precarious position as the literal right shoe, I've found myself isolated again and again from the girls who I am supposed to call 'nakama'.

Yarko, the insane one, a lump of brutality, is sailing over the eastern sea now on a whaling expedition. Niji, the evil one, is confined in the brig, my shielded prison aboard this ship. She has company as well. Kirei. It pains me that I have no time for a proper trial to punish him for his crimes, but looking through the memories I received from Wizard resolved the issue.

Indefinite detention is the best move. I have reservations about having Niji and Kirei so close, so I've posted vigilant surveillance. My crew, handpicked by Hohemi, my first mate, is getting used to using the amenities of Twintails Rising.

I've had some disturbing memos about holodeck usage. I suppose I underestimated the quality of my judgement in selecting crew. As Captain, it is my responsibility to give them what leadership they need. The coming war will be difficult, I'm glad taking action ahead of time. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

~~~

Hohemi paged Stehy's door, a pleasant chime sounded to Stehy's ear. Sipping the last of her chocolate milk from a wine glass, she hid the empty glass behind a couch she sprawled over.

「Enter。」Stehy said, officious.

Hohemi walked in through the sliding metal door. She wore the requested suit, though it closed the beauty of her body off to the imagination, Hohemi knew when to suck up to a superior. If her childhood growing up as healer-in-training taught her anything, it was find the person who had the most power, butter them up, then, repeat.

Of course, that was only until she seized leadership for herself, Hohemi smiled.

「Are you upset?」Stehy noticed how Hohemi's smile was mildly different today.

"As my old profession was a clothing designer and manager with a side gig as an assassin, I took a lot of pleasure in dressing the part."

「I understand。My regulations are too strict。But, as I say everytime, it's only until we the crew settles in。Then, I believe a lessening of the dress code will be in order。」

Hohemi sat down on the couch next to Stehy, and Stehy sat in her lap, closing her eyes as Hohemi's hand traced across her twintails.

"The crew's settled in just fine. Much better than the countryside full of monsters in that forsaken land, they are protected here. There is more space on this ship, why not invite more onboard?"

Stehy frowned as she shifted her body back into Hohemi's warmth. She didn't want to disclose the truth of the situation to an outsider... Stehy realized she was holding back on telling Hohemi the truth. She sighed as her twintails were stroked.

「I wanted to。For relief efforts, I wanted to recover all of those I teleported from the ruins of Nephilz directly to my ship。She interfered。」

"Oh, Anime Girl. But why would she..."

Stehy let out a low moan. 「She plans to kill them off, outside of Wizards eyes。That is what I believe。Why else leave them in a forest far under the mansion where monsters roam? She's letting them fend for themselves。」

Hohemi slowed her stroking down. "Then, we appoint a leader among them. They can found a new city there, loyal to us only..." Evil laughter ensued.

Stehy ignored Hohemi's plotting.「I already appointed the most virtuous one capable of the least amount of trouble as the figurehead。 The King and his brothers were not happy, but they will live。He already demanded that his people be returned to the Nephilz, but with Anime Girl missing...」

"Won't she be fine with it? You're the one who would teleport them out."

「My position。」Stehy halted, unwilling to give a voice to her worries. 「If I were to offend Anime Girl in some way, then those other two, and Wizard, what would they。。。」

Stehy went silent, looked down as Hohemi pat her head. "Want me to talk to her?"

「No, no。That's far too dangerous。It's unfortunate。It is, very unfortunate。There is only one I can rely on。The most unreliable person。I have to rely on the unreliable。」

Hohemi's smile contracted. Then, thinking of the work she did that day, and Stehy's plan, the smile returned to it's former state.

"Remaining impartial as always, waiting for the right chance, and weakening our enemies. Isn't that the course of action you agreed upon when you made me First Mate?"

Stehy lied down across Hohemi's thighs, exposing her belly as she wound her arms behind her head for an improvised pillow.

「How goes it?」

"The shipping is going as expected. We're lucky we met 'that' girl, or we would have had no way to export the [Yumicite] weapons. 'That' girl said she spread rumors about the Moon Elfs, and deizens of the 2D realm have already started invading..."

Stehy voiced her displeasure.「How low must my tactics sink? It's unfortunate the Moon Elves aren't the type open to diplomacy。」

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Hohemi patted Stehy's belly, humming. "Wasn't this your idea? Give the 2D realm a bunch of low-grade [Yumicite] weaponry, then unleash them on the Moon Elves homeworld?"

「Given my options, and who I have to deal with, it is the most responsible course of action。Anime Girl and Wizard have said little on the topic, even though they were outright almost bested in combat by that Psychic Ninja。What could those two possibly be thinking?」

Hohemi wrapped her arm around Stehy's upper body, drawing her from her sprawled position into a hug. Stroking Stehy's back, Hohemi told her what she wanted to hear.

"Who knows?"

~~~

I don't know what I'm thinking. Yukko has me against the wall of the pool, her eyes closed, her face, her lips, they are coming closer. Will my first kiss be like this?!

Unfortunately, no. Yukko's eyes were just blinking. It was a mirage. Her head went past mine, looking down across my back. I felt the bikini tie tighten.

"I don't like this." I complained. Like a little kid.

Yukko backed off. A silent, and I'm sure, envious gaze towards the size of my chest. Then, she turned, running her fingers through her hair. My eyes scanned her body line again, just to be sure.

She's in a swimsuit. I, also, am in a swimsuit. This isn't the pool episode or beach episode, because this isn't an anime. Here we are though. At an empty indoor pool. My mind's frazzled thoughts scattered as I focused on the ninja star drawing on Yukko's butt covering. Panties? What do you call the bottom part of the bikini that is basically panties? Why can I only think in panties now?

Yukko walked up to the edge of the pool, then, beelined for the metal stairs nearby, eased herself down into the water, and then leaned again the side with her arms holding herself up.

"Haaaah~" Yukko let out a puff of air.

She's tired. We had a fairly tough encounter before this. Stehy teleported away saying the first seal is just ahead and I have to face it myself or something, but, in the end it's just an indoor pool.

What were my battles for? Why am i wearing a silver bikini? This isn't naked, so why do I feel like I'm completely naked? I looked down, shaking a little as my hands trembled. Memories of days gone past where I ran around the forest naked, getting stripped naked by some tentacles in the middle of the city during some battle. I rubbed the chest.

See? It's there. There's cloth. I am not naked. I am not naked. This is normal for girl's clothing. Normal. Normal.

My hands shot up to my head, ruffling my hair as I lamented.

"You're making me tired just being near you," Yukko commented. Her closed eyes, her leaning, near naked body enjoying the pool.

I see. I see now. My eyes focused in as Yukko yawned, not bothering to cover her mouth. This, this water, this is where you submerge yourself and engage in the concept known as 'play' and 'skinship'.

This is it. This is the first seal of [Anime Girl]! What a devilish trial! I sank to my knees. I can't win. I can never win.

Yukko turned her head towards me. "The water is fine. I'm going to enjoy it myself, so if you're going to ruin the mood could you leave?"

Anger boiled from within me. How dare you portray me as the one making this situation awkward?

Wait. Isn't- isn't that true? It's all my fault? Then...!

I divebombed into the pool.

"Uwah." A deflated response from Yukko the waves shifted her around. Then, I circled from my watery position, and attacked.

"Hi~yah!"

I felt the soft and squashiness tremble under my fingers. This was premeditated. Yukko's face is close, and her eyes... her pretty brown eyes. Is this it? I will make it, it! My first kiss will be an anime girl from the second dimension!

"What are you doing? Are you a kid. Let go."

My reason returned. My hands however, remained on Yukko's breasts. My face became serious.

"Why are you looking at me like that? And, release them. I told you. Groping is bad taste. I thought we were similar, you and I. Was I wrong?"

The cold water matched my feelings as those words poured over my steeled will. My will collasped like a wet noodle as I released Yukko's breasts, my cheeks heated up. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. You were just so beautiful."

Yukko waved me off. "Calm down. The way you talk and the way you are is out of sync. Aren't you a lazy girl with no intention of putting in effort unless it's absolutely necessary? What are you thinking, complementing my looks? Are you trying to win points with me? Are you so desperate for attention from a cute girl like me that you'd say or do anything to progress your relationship points? You know, it doesn't even work like that even in dating sims."

I retreated, swimming, doggy paddle, around aimlessly. Yukko felt the need to add more.

"Work hard at not working hard. You remind me of old me, Wizard. Before I had any friends at school, I was just the weird girl who slept in class. I used to think about doing stuff like groping a girl from behind like I saw in anime, but, it's too much effort. I was never that sort of person. Then, once I met Rui and the rest, I still slept in class, but..."

Yukko stopped. "Huh? Wasn't all that changed that I had people to talk and hang out with? And we did plays together. We share a dream. Isn't that all? So... why does it feel like, there's nothing more important than them?"

I leaned against the pool myself. The concept of 'friends'. 'A dream.' 'Earnestly pursuing a goal, despite challenges.'

Those are all full of effort, Yukko. So why don't I doubt her seriousness towards her friends at all? Likewise, my... 'attempt' just now. What do you call that?

Oh. Desperation.

"Friends sound nice." I said. "But. There is no way someone like me could have friends. People are... people are..." My voice trailed off.

"Sounds like a wall you put around yourself to feel safe." Yukko said. "Being open and telling Fumi that coffee will just make me sleepier makes her mad. I did it anyways, without thinking. I wanted her Fumi to hear what I had to say, even though all it would do was make her angry. That, that I believe, that is love."

I laughed. "What are you talking about?" I splashed Yukko. Her eyes screwed up as the water hit her. She relaxed again, not bothering to return fire.

"Wizard. Do you want to be my friend?" Yukko's leg floated above the crest of the pool.

"Asking straight out like that is something a grade schooler would do."

Yukko sighed. "You want to be my friend but you don't know how friends work, is it?"

I don't know how friends work? That's impossible, I... it's more like friends are impossible for me. The concept is foreign. I believe I can't relate to anyone. If Yukko is right, and it's just a 'wall' I put up, that makes sense. It could be it's just easier to not to talk to anyone.

Talking, hanging around with, thinking of others... is it that I never learned how? Is it that I don't believe I can do it? Is it that I believe I'm not worthy of affection, so I'll sabotage anything resembling a relationship?

Wait, Yukko's face is really close. Since when did she... I felt a peck on my cheek. Those were lips. Those were lips! My face, my face is red, where is my face why is my body so hot where are all these bubbles coming from...

Yukko's hand layered itself into my hair, moving across the top of my head. "Analysis paralysis is another form of fear, y'know."

"I didn't know that. You're really smart, Yukko-sama."

Yukko inched closer again, holding my face by my cheeks. My heart is pounding. It's pounding. Yukko's eyes burned into mine. How is this... this is impossible!? For someone like me, it's going to happen?! It may be another world and I have reincarnated into an anime girl but my mind is resisting the reality before me with every neuron!

"You know. I've never told anyone... but..." Yukko's voice, sultry, just, just where the hell is this isekai going?!?!?!?

C R A SH!

Oh thank god. I looked up, and my savior has appeared. Anime girl. She stood high above us on top of a nearby food court, her arms crossed and legs close together as the sun radiated from behind her.

"Step away from Nee-san. She's mine."

"ENGLISH!" I yelled and pointed, using the opportunity to push Yukko away, "ENGLISH!"