While We Were Away

Posted on Thu Aug 27th, 2026 @ 7:00pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu

3,517 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Kintsugi
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Timeline: April 3rd 2397

The tiny house didn't look like much passers-by. However to Taiga and Ryuuji it was theirs, and it was their second home. Its wooden frame and simple construction was complimented by the grey tiled roof and traditional Japanese windows and doors. A few of the plant pots were starting to overgrow, and there were noticeable weeds poking through the exterior paving.

It was a house comprised of only five rooms. Two of them tatami rooms, joined onto a shared living and dining area. The kitchen sat off towards the back, and the bathroom complete with bath and shower finished the layout. It would be easily classed as a 'Starter Home' and that is exactly what it was when Taiga and Ryuuji managed to secure it, some twelve years ago.

In twelve years, they had not spent much time in this little house. It wasn't very often that they were on Earth, or even in the same sector to appreciate their own little slice of Japan.

"Looks like Mrs Ishikawa hasn't visited recently." Taiga said softly as she took a step over the threshold into the small paved front yard. Behind her Ryuuji nodded in agreement as he carried two large bags. Riko was nestled in Taiga's arms as she approached the door. "You did let her know that we're back right?"

"I did send a message to her," Ryuuji replied back. "But, I didn't get a response."

Taiga nodded. "Well, we'll pop round later. See how she's doing. Its been a while since we last saw her." Fond memories of the elderly woman who owned the house next door flooded her mind. She remembered how she was the first person to greet them.

They were both fresh out of Starfleet Academy, and had just managed to secure the house. Even though they only spent a couple of weeks there before being assigned to their first ship, Mrs Ishikawa had greeted them as neighbours and welcomed them to the community with open arms. Since then she had been taking care of the house whilst they were away on assignment. She had even offered, and insisted so that Taiga and Ryuuji always had a place to come home to.

"Yeah, lets get in first. I'll pop round later." Ryuuji said as she fumbled around in his jeans pocket. He pulled out a small old key. It slid into the lock on the front door easily, as if it had been used every day. With a click the lock turned and soon the old door was pushed open.

He stepped aside to allow Taiga and Riko in first. The entrance hallway was small and cramped. The Genkan looked a little dusty at first, but that was to be expected. The shoe rack on the side sported a few pairs of Taiga and Ryuuji's old shoes, even a pair of old work boots from their Academy Days.

"Tadaima," Taiga called out subconsciously. Of course there came no reply, but it only felt right to announce her presence upon entering her own home. She then looked down at Riko. "Welcome home Riko. Its not much, but its where our family lives."

Riko didn't seem at all bothered, she just stared up at her mother. Slipping off her shoes Taiga slid them to one side with her foot. They hit the side of the Genkan and came to rest untidily. Then she took one step up onto the smooth floor and slid open the door to the living area.

Ryuuji soon followed. He had lined up Taiga's shoes neatly and placed both bags down on the small low table in the centre of the room. He shuddered as he looked around. "This place needs a good clean..." he said. His eyes seemed to be filled with fire as he began to walk towards the kitchen. He ran a single finger along one of the wall beams.

The layer of dust it picked up made him scowl. "Taiga. I'm going to clean this entire house!" he announced. Taiga shook her head as she sat down on one of the cushioned mats that were neatly arranged around the table. Gently she placed Riko on the cushion next to her.

"Riko, the first thing you should know about your daddy is that he's a complete clean freak. One of his worst enemies is dust. But his arch enemy is the dreaded mold. If he finds that, he has to drop everything and starts bleaching the life out of it." Taiga said down to Riko as she relaxed a little. "Ryuuji... If you're going to get cleaning. I'm going to visit Mrs Ishikawa next door. Where did you put the pop up travel cot?"

Ryuuji by now had already moved to the kitchen. "Its in the bag..." came the slightly muffled voice from the kitchen. Taiga shook her head again, she could already hear the frustration at the dirt in his voice even from this distance. She pulled the bag across the table and unzipped it.

A few minutes later, the travel cot had been set up and Riko placed safely inside. Taiga had set it down on the table, no doubt that Ryuuji would vacuum up the room as well as mop the wooden floor. "Watch Riko whilst I go next door."

"Will do!"

Taiga looked down at Riko. Her eyes had closed and she was now fast asleep in the small travel cot. Looking around, Taiga knew that she wouldn't be much use with the cleaning. She knew that Ryuuji had a certain way of doing things, and frankly, she sucked at chores.

Taking the opportunity for a quick exit, she made her way back to the front door. It didn't take long to slip back on her shoes and make her way next door. The house looked immaculate as usual. However, something seemed slightly different from how it usually looked. The flowers were different in the pots, and the washing line had been taken down.

Taiga approached the door and knocked. As she waited she continued to look around the front yard. Things were different from when she was last here. Not only had the old washing line being taken down and the flowers had changed, but the windows seemed to have been replaced. The entire building in front of her seemed cleaner and more well cared for. Even the loose tiles on the roof were now properly fixed in place.

The doors slid open and a young man stood there. "Erm... Hello?"

"Hello..." Taiga said. She had never seen this man before. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, no more than twenty eight at most. "I don't suppose Ishikawa-san is here?"

The young man's face seemed to drop. "Oh... I'm very sorry. But, Ishikawa-san passed away just over two years ago." He explained to her. "I gather you knew her?"

Taiga felt like she had been hit by a shuttlecraft. "I see. Yes we did. We're actually her... well, I guess your neighbours."

"Oh, the house next door?" the young man replied. "We've never seen anyone go in and out of there. We were starting to wonder if it was a vacant property."

Taiga shook her head. "We're Starfleet Officers, so we don't get home much. Mrs Ishikawa used to take care of the house for us whilst we were away. We've... been away for a long time."

"Papa! Who's there papa?!" came a young voice from behind him. Suddenly a very young little girl appeared at his legs. She didn't look any older than three years old. "Hello lady!" she said cheerily.

"Why hello there." Taiga said.

"Dear, who is it? Yui, come back here. Daddy seems busy," Another female voice said. A woman of similar age appeared behind the young girl. She was holding a baby in her arms as she smiled at Taiga. "Hello."

"Sorry to be a bother. I'm your neighbour. I didn't realise that Ishikawa-san had passed away. I had originally come over to see how she was doing." Taiga explained. "We don't get home a lot." she explained to the woman. "We're Starfleet Officers..."

"Ah I see," The young woman said. "That explains a lot. Well, it does look a little run down at the moment. So, do you need help with getting it all nice and clean?"

Taiga waved a hand. "I appreciate the offer, however my husband is currently doing all the cleaning. He's a little obsessed with that sort of thing. We're back on shoreleave with our daughter."

"Oh you have a little one too? How old is she?" The woman asked.

"A couple of weeks. So, this is her first time on Earth... or any planet really." Taiga replied.

The woman smiled as she more or less pushed the young man out of her way. "Well congratulations. Sorry, I didn't catch your name..."

"Oh..." Taiga said. "I'm Captai..." she cut herself off. "I'm Aisaka Taiga. My husband is Takasu Ryuuji, and our daughter is Riko."

"Nice to meet you Aisaka-san. I'm Takanashi Himari, this is my husband Takanashi Makato." Himari introduced herself and her husband. "Our daughter Yui, and our new son, Haruto. He's only a few weeks old too." she smiled fondly.

'What a nice normal little family' Taiga thought as she looked at them. They were most definitely younger than her. But they seemed happy together. "Its nice to meet you all. I am sorry for interrupting. I wasn't aware of..."

"Oh there's no need to worry. You couldn't possibly have known about Ishikawa-San with being in Starfleet and all. Regardless, welcome home. If you need anything, feel free to pop by." Himari explained. A shrill cry erupted from the small bundle that Himari was holding. "Please excuse me, someone needs a clean up."

Makato smiled as Himari took Yui by the hand and led her back inside the house. "I best go help..."

"Yeah. Once again sorry for bothering you.." Taiga said.

"No need. You're welcome anytime neighbour." He replied giving her a small smile before sliding the door shut. Taiga stood there for a few seconds before she turned away and made her way back towards the gate. She took one look at the house as she stepped onto the pavement.

"Rest peacefully Ishikawa-San. You're home has a lovely new young family to care for it now." She said softly. "I hope we can be as good neighbours to them as you were to us."

Posting by:

The tiny house didn't look like much passers-by. However to Taiga and Ryuuji it was theirs, and it was their second home. Its wooden frame and simple construction was complimented by the grey tiled roof and traditional Japanese windows and doors. A few of the plant pots were starting to overgrow, and there were noticeable weeds poking through the exterior paving.

It was a house comprised of only five rooms. Two of them tatami rooms, joined onto a shared living and dining area. The kitchen sat off towards the back, and the bathroom complete with bath and shower finished the layout. It would be easily classed as a 'Starter Home' and that is exactly what it was when Taiga and Ryuuji managed to secure it, some twelve years ago.

In twelve years, they had not spent much time in this little house. It wasn't very often that they were on Earth, or even in the same sector to appreciate their own little slice of Japan.

"Looks like Mrs Ishikawa hasn't visited recently." Taiga said softly as she took a step over the threshold into the small paved front yard. Behind her Ryuuji nodded in agreement as he carried two large bags. Riko was nestled in Taiga's arms as she approached the door. "You did let her know that we're back right?"

"I did send a message to her," Ryuuji replied back. "But, I didn't get a response."

Taiga nodded. "Well, we'll pop round later. See how she's doing. Its been a while since we last saw her." Fond memories of the elderly woman who owned the house next door flooded her mind. She remembered how she was the first person to greet them.

They were both fresh out of Starfleet Academy, and had just managed to secure the house. Even though they only spent a couple of weeks there before being assigned to their first ship, Mrs Ishikawa had greeted them as neighbours and welcomed them to the community with open arms. Since then she had been taking care of the house whilst they were away on assignment. She had even offered, and insisted so that Taiga and Ryuuji always had a place to come home to.

"Yeah, lets get in first. I'll pop round later." Ryuuji said as she fumbled around in his jeans pocket. He pulled out a small old key. It slid into the lock on the front door easily, as if it had been used every day. With a click the lock turned and soon the old door was pushed open.

He stepped aside to allow Taiga and Riko in first. The entrance hallway was small and cramped. The Genkan looked a little dusty at first, but that was to be expected. The shoe rack on the side sported a few pairs of Taiga and Ryuuji's old shoes, even a pair of old work boots from their Academy Days.

"Tadaima," Taiga called out subconsciously. Of course there came no reply, but it only felt right to announce her presence upon entering her own home. She then looked down at Riko. "Welcome home Riko. Its not much, but its where our family lives."

Riko didn't seem at all bothered, she just stared up at her mother. Slipping off her shoes Taiga slid them to one side with her foot. They hit the side of the Genkan and came to rest untidily. Then she took one step up onto the smooth floor and slid open the door to the living area.

Ryuuji soon followed. He had lined up Taiga's shoes neatly and placed both bags down on the small low table in the centre of the room. He shuddered as he looked around. "This place needs a good clean..." he said. His eyes seemed to be filled with fire as he began to walk towards the kitchen. He ran a single finger along one of the wall beams.

The layer of dust it picked up made him scowl. "Taiga. I'm going to clean this entire house!" he announced. Taiga shook her head as she sat down on one of the cushioned mats that were neatly arranged around the table. Gently she placed Riko on the cushion next to her.

"Riko, the first thing you should know about your daddy is that he's a complete clean freak. One of his worst enemies is dust. But his arch enemy is the dreaded mold. If he finds that, he has to drop everything and starts bleaching the life out of it." Taiga said down to Riko as she relaxed a little. "Ryuuji... If you're going to get cleaning. I'm going to visit Mrs Ishikawa next door. Where did you put the pop up travel cot?"

Ryuuji by now had already moved to the kitchen. "Its in the bag..." came the slightly muffled voice from the kitchen. Taiga shook her head again, she could already hear the frustration at the dirt in his voice even from this distance. She pulled the bag across the table and unzipped it.

A few minutes later, the travel cot had been set up and Riko placed safely inside. Taiga had set it down on the table, no doubt that Ryuuji would vacuum up the room as well as mop the wooden floor. "Watch Riko whilst I go next door."

"Will do!"

Taiga looked down at Riko. Her eyes had closed and she was now fast asleep in the small travel cot. Looking around, Taiga knew that she wouldn't be much use with the cleaning. She knew that Ryuuji had a certain way of doing things, and frankly, she sucked at chores.

Taking the opportunity for a quick exit, she made her way back to the front door. It didn't take long to slip back on her shoes and make her way next door. The house looked immaculate as usual. However, something seemed slightly different from how it usually looked. The flowers were different in the pots, and the washing line had been taken down.

Taiga approached the door and knocked. As she waited she continued to look around the front yard. Things were different from when she was last here. Not only had the old washing line being taken down and the flowers had changed, but the windows seemed to have been replaced. The entire building in front of her seemed cleaner and more well cared for. Even the loose tiles on the roof were now properly fixed in place.

The doors slid open and a young man stood there. "Erm... Hello?"

"Hello..." Taiga said. She had never seen this man before. He looked like he was in his mid twenties, no more than twenty eight at most. "I don't suppose Ishikawa-san is here?"

The young man's face seemed to drop. "Oh... I'm very sorry. But, Ishikawa-san passed away just over two years ago." He explained to her. "I gather you knew her?"

Taiga felt like she had been hit by a shuttlecraft. "I see. Yes we did. We're actually her... well, I guess your neighbours."

"Oh, the house next door?" the young man replied. "We've never seen anyone go in and out of there. We were starting to wonder if it was a vacant property."

Taiga shook her head. "We're Starfleet Officers, so we don't get home much. Mrs Ishikawa used to take care of the house for us whilst we were away. We've... been away for a long time."

"Papa! Who's there papa?!" came a young voice from behind him. Suddenly a very young little girl appeared at his legs. She didn't look any older than three years old. "Hello lady!" she said cheerily.

"Why hello there." Taiga said.

"Dear, who is it? Yui, come back here. Daddy seems busy," Another female voice said. A woman of similar age appeared behind the young girl. She was holding a baby in her arms as she smiled at Taiga. "Hello."

"Sorry to be a bother. I'm your neighbour. I didn't realise that Ishikawa-san had passed away. I had originally come over to see how she was doing." Taiga explained. "We don't get home a lot." she explained to the woman. "We're Starfleet Officers..."

"Ah I see," The young woman said. "That explains a lot. Well, it does look a little run down at the moment. So, do you need help with getting it all nice and clean?"

Taiga waved a hand. "I appreciate the offer, however my husband is currently doing all the cleaning. He's a little obsessed with that sort of thing. We're back on shoreleave with our daughter."

"Oh you have a little one too? How old is she?" The woman asked.

"A couple of weeks. So, this is her first time on Earth... or any planet really." Taiga replied.

The woman smiled as she more or less pushed the young man out of her way. "Well congratulations. Sorry, I didn't catch your name..."

"Oh..." Taiga said. "I'm Captai..." she cut herself off. "I'm Aisaka Taiga. My husband is Takasu Ryuuji, and our daughter is Riko."

"Nice to meet you Aisaka-san. I'm Takanashi Himari, this is my husband Takanashi Makato." Himari introduced herself and her husband. "Our daughter Yui, and our new son, Haruto. He's only a few weeks old too." she smiled fondly.

'What a nice normal little family' Taiga thought as she looked at them. They were most definitely younger than her. But they seemed happy together. "Its nice to meet you all. I am sorry for interrupting. I wasn't aware of..."

"Oh there's no need to worry. You couldn't possibly have known about Ishikawa-San with being in Starfleet and all. Regardless, welcome home. If you need anything, feel free to pop by." Himari explained. A shrill cry erupted from the small bundle that Himari was holding. "Please excuse me, someone needs a clean up."

Makato smiled as Himari took Yui by the hand and led her back inside the house. "I best go help..."

"Yeah. Once again sorry for bothering you.." Taiga said.

"No need. You're welcome anytime neighbour." He replied giving her a small smile before sliding the door shut. Taiga stood there for a few seconds before she turned away and made her way back towards the gate. She took one look at the house as she stepped onto the pavement.

"Rest peacefully Ishikawa-San. You're home has a lovely new young family to care for it now." She said softly. "I hope we can be as good neighbours to them as you were to us."

Posting by

Captain Taiga Aisaka
Commanding Officer
USS Tokyo

Lieutenant Commander Ryuuji Takasu
Chief Strategic Operations Officer
USS Tokyo

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