Halloween's tomorrow! I'm soo excited to see what's going to happen!
Since there are concerns about spreading the contagion from trick-or-treating, the city council has strongly discouraged people from going around and partaking in such activities. The jury's still out as to whether it hurts the shipgirls on base, but it definitely hurts us townspeople. We're humans now, after all!
I'll include such a note about staying home in the paper coming out tomorrow; gotta stay healthy, stay safe, you know! That's one of the admiral's catchphrases that I remember. He used to say it all the time!
So instead of going out, everybody agreed to a decorate-off! The town's become rather lively for not seeing a soul on the street. I've gone around while reporting on other stories, and I have to say that the Kongou sisters' dorms are so over-the-top! It's no secret that Halloween originated in England, after all. But when it comes to favorites, I have to say Houshou's shop. It creates such an ambiance without doing much, and it still feels cozy on the outside and inside.
'Nuff about that! I promised that I'd write something about the hardworking fairies in town, right? Well, after a little bit of drafting, this is what I came up with. Enjoy!
If you're not used to them, seeing little souls scampering around town is quite a surprise. Being so small means that they can only do so much, it seems, that they just seem more a nuisance at first more than anything.
However, this couldn't be further from the truth. The prosperity of our town can be traced down to the hardworking nature of these little fairies. Their defining trait isn't what one fairy can do but what many can do together.
Usually, their work is maintaining and operating the equipment that every shipgirls grows to love. Working with little to no pay, this is the breeding ground for finding drive and determination no matter what they put their mind to.
Even when they are relieved of their duties as equipment personnel, they usually stick around to make sure the naval base runs smoothly. Paperwork needs to be filed, parts need to be moved around in the arsenal, new fairies need to be trained... the list goes on.
For some, though, their journey as a private contractor begins. After leaving the base, they lease their time and energy to anybody who is willing to pay for it. Living in meager apartments that are thin enough to be situated in building walls or underground, these fairies eke out a living doing work like cleaning buildings, moving papers, entertaining children, or even check on the electrical wiring of a building. All-day, every day, they forge on with a smile on their face.
While touring the town in the wake of the air raid, I couldn't help but notice that some buildings, including our own, were reduced to rubble. What most don't see is that many fairy housing and work complexes were destroyed, too. They're hidden just about everywhere to support a humongous population, and they're very well hidden. The ones I spotted were shredded, and I couldn't help but wonder how it would affect their lives.
It didn't shake them one bit.
In the aftermath of the bombing, these small, brave souls ventured out into the damaged town to aid in reconstruction efforts. These kind souls moved past their desire for money and instead aided the community as a whole. Thanks to them, we were able to finish rebuilding in record time.
Thank you, fairies. I hope you feel smug in your newly built homes, and we all hope for you that no more harm will be on the way. Thank you for all your help during our rebuilding and your daily help in general.
Should I sign it "Aoba"? Or include my last name? Or leave it out?
I mean, it's the editor's forward, so I might as well.
By