Paradise is Where... Ep 46 Part 1

In my defense, more than half of this has been written since August or so, but I’m just able to fit it in and have it make sense, now So don’t worry, I’m not writing THAT insanely fast. Why, that’d almost make me seem productive if I was, wouldn’t it?!


Episode 46
Romama Platoon:  A Day in the Life
Part 1


“Did you pay the bills?” Fujuju’s head snapped up from his book, and his eyes widened. Rokiki’s head hit against the table he was repairing, and he glared as he stood up high enough to make eye contact with Fujuju from across the table.

“No, I wanted them to shut down everything before you got home,” Rokiki snapped.

“…Fine, then. Just checking before my parents come over for dinner, is all,” Fujuju removed his glasses and sighed, shutting the book in front of him.

“Hey… You have a cold?”

“Not that I’m aware of… Why do you ask?”

“Your voice sounds… Different,” Rokiki tilted his head, and Fujuju only shrugged and stood up from the dining room table piled high with books. “Deeper… I guess. Can’t put my finger on it.”

“Well, as long as the table doesn’t collapse during dinner…”

“…It wouldn’t if you didn’t insist on putting every book you own on it at the same damn time…”

“I heard that!” Fujuju called on his way to the kitchen.

“I wanted you to!” Rokiki shot back, and went to unloading the books from the table, back into the library of the house. Along the way her passed the awards and photos framed on the wall. While he usually didn’t pay them much attention… The trip had come and gone, and life had moved on… He stopped now, and looked at them—Including two framed medals on the wall. One for himself, and one for Fujuju. All those years ago, the mission to Pekopon was still fresh in peoples' minds, it seemed.

While it didn’t seem out of the ordinary… It all felt wrong.



“There!” Chunini laid down the drinks, and the bar patrons raised these to her gratefully as she returned to the bar counter that Eriri stood behind, polishing a few glasses. Chunini rested her chin on the palms of her hands, and smiled as she looked out at the large crowd, laughing, joking, and having a generally good time.

“You know you’re not going to have any time to prep for singing if you stay back here,” Eriri giggled, nudging Chunini a bit.

“I know, but… I guess it’s just the audience that’s the most fun part!”

“I thought it was finally being able to sing without fear of anyone being mad about it,” Eriri snorted.

“I guess so… I like it all, is that so bad?”

“Nah, not at all!” Eriri replied, and placed an arm around Chunini’s shoulders. Chunini reached over and gripped onto Eririr’s free hand.

“I like it all,” Chunini  repeated in a whisper, and Eririr smiled.

Chunini returned this smile, and something caught her attention, through the thick glass of the lone bar window. A mother and child, walking side by side. She watched this with incredible intensity, her jaw clenching briefly. Eriri noted this look, and tapped her protégée on one of the buns on the side of her hat.

“Are you doing okay?”

“Hey! Have you ever thought about adopting?” Chunini asked in an excited gasp.

“Hey!…What? You… Hate children. Right?”

“Right! Right! I do! Got you! I just like making you jump every now and again!” Chunini giggled, and patted Eriri on the hand.

“Well you’re doing a good job of it. Now come on, no one’s going to wait all day for you!”

“All right, all right! I’ll go get ready!”


She said this, but not without one last look at the mother and child standing hand-in-hand on the sidewalk, awaiting a bus pickup.

Looking at that just felt right, somehow.



Fujuju and Rokiki both turned to each other as the doorbell rang, and both called out a quick “not it”.

“I’m making dinner, you should get it,” Fujuju replied, laying down the silverware on the dining room table.

“But I’m… Cleaning it all…” Rokiki started, but end it just as quickly. He knew how moot a point this would be with Fujuju.

Rokiki answered the door, and failed to find his surprised face as there before him stood Mahihi, surrounded by a small clan of circling children. The one in the gentle headlock was of particular interest to Rokiki, and Mahihi, after a moment, allowed the boy to tumble out of his grasp and land on his feet on the ground. The small, yellow-eyed Keronian boy immediately embraced Rokiki, and then continued to run into the dining room, where he ran up to Fujuju, and, after tugging on Fujuju’s apron, delivered an embrace to him, as well.

“No dessert yet, Rememe,” Fujuju replied, and the young boy rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. Fujuju saw this, and, after a brief moment, sighed, “…There do happen to be a few cookies on a counter in the kitchen…  If you took one I don’t think the baker would notice.”

The young boy let out a small cheer as he ran into the kitchen, and Fujuju’s smile grew as he finished adjusting the floral centerpiece in the middle of the table.

“So how’re things going with the roommate?” Mahihi chuckled, looking over Rokiki’s shoulder to Fujuju.

“Fine. How about with your wife?” Rokiki returned, and Mahihi held up his hands and shrugged his shoulders.

“What can I say? We’re happy.  She gets to take care of all of the kids and have her brothers and sisters there, I get to look after the shop and try not to get fat. Hey, I just thought about it this morning, but you know, we should head out to the beach, some time. Make it a big family thing. There’s one on the next planet over, might be neat to check out.”

“Beach? Do you even know how to swim?”

“Nah, not really… I guess I just got a feeling like it’d be something to do.”

“They don’t make a bus big enough for your family…”

“I dunno, you guys would only take up three spots, two if Rememe sat on one of your guys’ laps?”

Rokiki’s eyes flashed, and he swung the door a bit, his eyes focused on the ground, “Hey… Have things seemed a little weird to you, recently?”

“Maybe it’s the weather. I heard they’re supposed to make it rain, today. Could just be stuff like that getting to you. You and the little Mrs. have a good time, whatever you’re up to in here.”

“His parents are coming over for dinner, later.”

“Ohhh, nice!” Mahihi beamed, and pulled Rokiki into a hug. “Moving fast, aren’t we?”

“Could have said you did the same thing?”

“Hey, it’s not my fault we got to bond during the trip back… You’re okay with it, after all. I mean, you are, right?”

“I have to be, four children later. But… I am. Lupapa’s happy, you found someone to tolerate you…”

“And you’ve got a kid and the perfect little garden,” Mahihi replied, breaking hold of his embrace and patting Rokiki roughly on the back. “Good luck tonight!”

“Thanks. Give Lupapa my regards,” he called out as Mahihi walked back down the path through the perfect little garden. Rokiki shut the door and rubbed his eyes, and, upon opening them, saw Rememe looking back up to him, clutching on to the hem of his long skirt. Rokiki picked up the dull red Keronian boy, cookie in his hand, and led him back into the dining room.

“Should I even guess who ruined his dinner?” Rokiki asked, holding Rememe, and, as an extension, Rememe’s cookie.

“You know children are my weakness,” Fujuju answered. “Along with—Oh, the roast!”

Rokiki set down his son, and followed Fujuju into the kitchen, where, blessedly, the chartreuse Keronian had managed to save the roast in question, by lifting it out with a long towel in addition to the normal oven mitts.

“Perfect!” Fujuju exclaimed, tossing the towel on his shoulder. In became caught around his neck, Rokiki noticed. Almost like a scarf. It was then that Rokiki felt a distinct chill.



“Hey, not bad!” Eriri met Chunini behind stage, and passed her a towel that the yellow Keronian gratefully wiped her forehead off with.

“Not my best, either…” Chunini grumbled, and Eriri sighed and gave her a brief embrace.

“It was amazing!”

“I think I’m going to go serve some drinks while the next act’s on.”

“Hey… Are you all right?”

“Why? Was I flat? I was flat. I knew it….”

“No, more like… You just seem off, Chunini,”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be all right once I get out in the audience and get my ego fed a little!” Chunini giggled, and rushed down the steps at the side of the stage, and after a quick visit to the bar, started to pass out drinks while the next act, a comedy routine, performed.

Chunini was at first curious as to whom would place an order like “one alcohol” in a bar, and was stunned, briefly, as she placed the bottle of beer on the table for the female Keornian. Chunini had never seen one quite like her, before… A purple hat, with the sides draping down to her shoulders, incredibly light gray skin, and dull pink eyes. Chunini didn’t recall seeing a symbol like hers before—a yellow spear, but did note the woman staring at her as she laid down the drink.

“H-Hey, there, I appreciate the stares, but you could make someone jealous. I’m off the market, you know,” Chunini chuckled, setting the drink down in front of the slender Keronian. The Keronian, in response, muttered to herself and stood, without Chunini catching a single word.

“…No use in being rude, either…” Chunini muttered, rising from the table and shaking her head.



“So you want to be a scientist!” Oriri buttered another roll, against Fijiji’s gentle reminders about heartburn, and leaned forward, intent on hearing more from Rememe’s plans for the future. “That’d be wonderful! What sort of sciences were you thinking?”

“Maybe something that involves history, too!” Rememe replied excitedly, taking a bite of his own roll as he swung his legs back and forth against the chair.

“Archaeology, then! Well, it’s not chemistry or physics, but it’s also quite important! What about you boys, what have you been up to?”

“Focusing on getting a settlement started on that rock—Maybe clearing out those big lizards that’re there now, we’re not sure.”

“That’d be a shame…” Oriri sighed.

“I didn’t say I was with it,” Rokiki answered with his own sigh. “I’m thinking with enough knowhow we could use some of them for protection.”

“That’d be wonderful! What about you, son?”

“Oh, here and there…” Fujuju flittered a laugh and began to cut into his meat.

“Here, there, and everywhere?” asked Fijiji as she took a bite of her own food.

“…That’s about right, Mom.”

“Glad you two have been keeping busy!” Oriri gave a hearty laugh and rose from his seat around the same time Rememe finished eating his own meal. “Now if you excuse us, I have some important business to attend to. Mainly if we can get that toy track working again.”

“Yeah! Let’s do that!” Rememe gasped, taking hold of the old man’s had and pulling him along to his toy-filled bedroom.

“He really thinks of him as a grandson,” Fijiji watched the two, a melancholy shadow covering her face for a split second before vanishing. “Oh! I’ll help you out with the dishes, Rokiki. Fujuju, you can work on your here, there, and everywhere a little bit more if you like!”

“Thanks, Mom,” Fujuju stood and embraced his mother briefly as she picked up a stack of dishes, and she dutifully carried these out and followed Rokiki to the kitchen.

“…Something’s troubling you,” she whispered as she set down the dishes beside him.

“Yeah...Does…. Something feel weird to you?”

“Well, you are doing the dishes without complaining…”

“…Yeah… I am…” he furrowed his brow as he looked down into the sink. “…I don’t know, something just feels different around here today.”

“Maybe you should go play out in your workshop some Mora.”

“…What?”

“More. More. Sorry,” she patted him on his shoulder and began to wipe off plates, while Rokiki stared out the window at the night sky outside. "Don't really know what I'm saying, anymore!"



“Eh?” Chunini tilted her head as she found a light on already in her and Eriri’s apartment. Her partner had remained behind at the bar to collect some things, leaving Chunini to walk home alone; not that she minded it that much, this evening.

Positioning herself in the doorway, Chunini silently bent down and picked out the  only weapon she could find—A small houseplant decorated with smiling faces painted on the pot that had been left out to get a little more sun.

Chunini took a deep breath, and then burst into her house, screaming all while she did so, and causing Kodada to scream and drop her tray of cookies.

“O-OH! K-Kodada! You don’t have to scare me like that!” Chunini immediately set down the plant as she remembered the extra key she’d given her sister, and rushed over to help pick up the now broken cookies from the ground.

“Your guys’ poor carpet… I… I’m really sorry! I’ll fix this!” Kodada yelped, grabbing handfuls of cookie bits herself and tossing them on the tray.

“It’s okay! It’s okay!” Chunini stopped her by taking hold of her hands with her own cookie-covered ones. “What’re you doing here, anyway?”

“I…” Kodada’s eyes fell to the ground, and Chunini, not knowing what else to do, planted a reassuring kiss on her sister’s forehead.

“Let’s talk about this over some cheap boxed cookies, okay?”



“Not sure?” Chunini took another bite of her cookie, secretly bemoaning the demise of the freshly-baked cookies as she noted the staleness of the box she’d found in the kitchen.

Kodada hung her head, and looked down at the ring on her finger, “…Yeah. I’m just… I’m not sure. A year or two ago I maybe would’ve wanted this, but… Now…”

“Have you two been fighting?”

“What? No! Not at all!”

“I’m going to be delicate about this, but… You like his, type, right?”

“Type?”

“You know, like how I don’t.”

“O-Oh! Right. I do,” Kodada nodded wildly. “It’s just… I guess the stress of the work’s getting to him.”

“Relax! You’re both still young.”

“I’m the age you were when you met Eriri, now…”

“Mm. But I was young and stupid. You’re young and smart. You’ll figure out what’s wrong, sis,” Chunini rose from her seat, as did Kodada. “Give Mom my love?”

“I was actually going to stop by and see Dad and his roommate.”

“Well, give it to them, then,” she reached over, embraced her sister, and laughed. “Take care! And remember, you’ll figure it out. It’ll be a piece of cake! It’ll be a piece of cheesecake!”

Kodada cocked her head, and Chunini mouthed the word “cheesecake” in bewilderment, wondering what word she’d just made up, exactly. She wasn't sure what it meant, but... It sounded better than the cheap cookies.



Romama, meanwhile, a full grown Keronian, with his face mainly teal, and expression mainly worried, sat at his desk. The resignation letter stared back at him, as it did many nights. He had only to sign it and date it, and this would all be over. The suffocating celebrity, the fear of being found out… All over with a few pen strokes.

He allowed his pen to hover over the signature before tossing it aside and cramming the paper into the drawer of his desk upon hearing his sister enter his bedroom.

“Nervous about this weekend?”

“W-Weekend?”

“Well, the parade and all! It’s the anniversary, remember?” she giggled. “I can tell you for certain that your nephew’s excited to be seeing it! Mom and Dad, too!”

“That… That’s great.”

“Romama?” her smile fell, and she crept into his room, leaning forward to feel his forehead. He blushed and scooted away, muttering that he was no longer a child.

“You don’t have a fever, but you’re pale and shaking… Is everything all right?”

“Yeah. I think I just ate something bad…” he murmured.

“I told you that you can’t live on vegetables alone!” she delivered a quick hug to him, breaking this when she heard a crash. “…And that must be your nephew now. Don’t relax! I wish I’d done as many parades as you all had!”

She wouldn’t if she had, he thought ruefully, picking up his pen and twirling it around in his hand. All of the noise, and the people who gave him credit. Credit he didn’t deserve. It’d been Rokiki and Mahihi who adjusted the coordinates. Fujuju and Lupapa who fixed the engine. Kodada who’d steered it while Chunini flew outside and helped guide her. In her nervousness she’d managed to still make it through and be brave enough to save them all. All he’d done was wake up at the right time, and this was more freak accident then still.

The credit he received for running such a success story, bringing back hope to Keron… It felt fake. Every assignment after that felt even more undeserving with the praise that came along with it. It was now he stayed behind the scenes whenever he could. He gladly allowed eager members of the platoon he looked over now to take on whatever they wanted, all for the sake of not having to be accountable.

Because if he failed it’d all come crashing down.

Romama switched off his lamp and crawled up in bed, dreading the weekend.



“What do you think?” Rokiki adjusted the round hat on his head, and turned. Rememe, dressed in a less-ornate and smaller skirt, lifted up both of his thumbs. Fujuju, in a white coat with a gray armband on the side, also gave his own thumbs up from the bed.

“Why do you wear that?” Rememe tugged on Fujuju’s armband, and the scientist smiled, almost happy to explain the meaning.

“It signifies how I didn’t really get to be a child, and how I gave it up for the government. I wear it so people remember that children need to be children, and that while I didn’t mind it, I don’t want you to have to go through it.”

“This should do it,” Rokiki twirled around the saber he’d taken from the wall, and grinned, noting his reflection in it, and the numerous tattoos on his face. Rememe didn’t want them. It’d been a hard fact for Rokiki to accept, but the young boy instead opted for, on holidays like this, wearing black makeup to resemble the head marking of his father.

“I suppose we’ll all be off, then!” Fujuju rose to his feet, with Rememe clutching onto one of his hands. They swung their hands back and forth playfully as they followed Rokiki out to the ride that had been prepared just for them. They sat in the back of the luxurious vehicle and rode over numerous unending green hills, to a large expanse of a house with a bakery attached to the side. Out front several small children played while their aunts and uncles herded them around with minimal success.

Rokiki glanced back behind the lively house, to a solemn stone pillar that had been erected in the middle of a barren field some years ago. Mainly marble, there was a black triangle forged from onyx—a stone Rokiki had returned from the mission with. Surrounding the pillar were stones piled up, left by those who visited the place every now and again to remember. And around it were near-dead words inscribed in it. It was well known what they were, however. An apology, and a promise for these things to never happen again.

Mahihi was the first to pile out, Lupapa behind him, guarding an egg in a carrier across her front. She passed this off to one of her sisters, and rushed out with Mahihi. Mahihi had chosen to wear the Sankaku outfit he’d adopted from his adopted brother, while Lupapa opted for the vest she’d worn on that journey so many years ago.

Chunini was the next stop. After a hesitant departure from Eriri, and a rolling of Lupapa’s eyes, she too piled in, and met up with Kodada and an anxious Romama at the front of the parade route.

The crowds beginning to form were making Romama only more outwardly nervous. For comfort, he glanced at the resignation letter he’d hidden in his bag before stuffing it back in and joining up with the others.

“I swear you’re going to get taller than me yet!” Mahihi laughed, and greeted the two youngest members with a powerful hug. Kodada heard her back pop, Romama’s aching shoulder was suddenly a faint memory, having been put back in place by Mahihi. “How are you two? You still roped him into getting married, Kodada?”

“S-Sure have!” Kodada gripped onto Romama’s hand and gave her best smile.

“I’m hungry…” Rememe muttered, already bored by the adults surrounding him.

“I told you to eat breakfast before we left…” Rokiki muttered.

“No worries!” Fujuju grinned and turned towards the crowd. “I’m on it! You two stay here!”

Before Rokiki could answer, he was gone in the crowd.

Fujuju weaved in and out, passing by all of the food stalls but taking note of exactly where they were. He could always pick up something for Rememe on the way back.

The crowd died down the further he moved away from it, until it was only him in the alley he’d turned into. Him, and the white Keronian in front of him.

“You’re getting better about chasing me,” he chuckled.