Helm: Aquamarine/Story

Spoilers!*"Your greatest villain Drake shall warn you, SPOILERS AHEAD!"*The following article or section contain **spoilers!** Viewer discretion is advised.

Overview**Story**VoicelinesGallery

## Behind the Scenes

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Sa Moon-young

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Kaitlyn Robrock

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Marina Inoue

## Profile

When Helm was told she would be embarking on a mission by the ocean, she considered that she should bring clothing that's made to get wet. Fortunately(?), a patron from one of Aegis' fundraisers donated a swimsuit she could bring, though she finds the attire...quite revealing, to the point where she'd rather go around with a shirt on for modesty's sake. Which, while effective, *also* tempts people like ~~the protagonist~~ Anis to try and splash her to reveal the spectacle underneath.

### Nikke Backstory

Helm sets off on an adventure in Blue Water Island. Although she looks strange wearing a uniform over the swimsuit which was given to her, people can't help but be attracted to her getup.

## Story

### Character Story

*Set during the events of Sea, You, Again*

#### Episode 1 - Working Holiday

While still technically on vacation at Blue Water Island, both Helm and the protagonist find themselves holed up in a room plinking away at reports and paperwork. The former is confused at how the latter can still be working at a summer paradise, to which the commander responds that Helm is in no position to casts stones. Plus, he didn't buy it for a moment when the higher-ups told him he could take his time relaxing on the island. Helm commiserates with that opinion, as she feels like she owes Burningum a thing or two, to say nothing of how this work would simply pile onto Mast and Anchor if she were to just lay back and let it pile up. Seeing as how there's still plenty of work to do, the two hunker down to spend likely the entire day working...

A knock at the door interrupts the toil, and the protagonist calls the guest in. It's Anis, asking him about getting her some replacement parts when they get back, claiming she may have suffered some thigh damage after getting into a floating contest with the rest of Counters. The protagonist performs a basic check of Anis' condition, noticing no abnormalities. Nonetheless, he promises to get some extra budget when they return so Anis can replace the parts, earning him a thankful goodbye from the Tetra Nikke.

Watching Anis skedaddle, Helm sighs and chides the protagonist over coddling Counters as much as he does, obliging their every small request like this. The protagonist clarifies that Anis actually took some hits during the small skirmishes on the island, and this was just her roundabout way of asking for new parts. Anis hates showing weakness when she can avoid it, so him handling it this way redressed the issue while keeping her feelings in consideration. Surprised at the protagonist's aplomb for working with his squad, Helm thanks him for the lesson and gets back to work.

Later, Liter hollers at the door asking for the protagonist, who lets her in so she can explain the situation. The repair job he asked her to do is taking longer than expected, so she needs about a two-day extension on the deadline. The protagonist promises her a delay is fine so long as he can get it fixed in three days. Happy at the idea of having some free time to tend to Volt and finish her work, Liter departs with a smile.

Helm is mildly confused at the protagonist being so accommodating. For one, she's the kind of person who can't stand people that miss deadlines. For two, the repair job in question is for M.M.R.'s Rapture detection device, an important tool for making sure they stay secure on this island. The protagonist explains that he knows how much Liter's been toiling away at the task she's been given, and trying to firmly stick to the original deadline would have made her resentful over the unreasonable expectations heaped on her. Moreover, the repair itself has nothing to do with the device's detection feature, so it's a low priority at most.

Seeing how the protagonist has handled matters so efficiently, Helm has something to ask of him. As much as she tries her best to pay attention, Helm doesn't quite know her squad members very well, and that's probably why Mast and Anchor end up complaining and disobeying her. As much as she wants to set an example, and for her squad to do the same, her subordinates don't seem as motivated to do so, and they end up arguing a lot.

In order to improve her leadership abilities and become someone Mast and Anchor can comfortably speak with and rely on, Helm wishes to take some pages out of the protagonist's book and learn some of his tricks to leading. The man himself warns that he and Helm work from different angles when it comes to leading, and his techniques may not mesh well with her style. Helm still insists on going through with this training, confidently declaring that she never gives up once her mind is made up.

#### Episode 2 - Task One

The protagonist decides to have Helm train by leading two of the other Nikkes stationed on the island, more specifically...Frima and Yan, two of, if not *the* least cooperative out of everyone he could've picked. Helm can already see the herculean task this poses, and for all she claimed she wasn't going to give up, she wonders why he didn't at least pick someone more professional, like Rapi or Pepper.

Even more confusing to her is the protagonist claiming that Frima and Yan have behavioral resemblances to Mast and Anchor. Sure, those two have their quirks (Mast's ad nauseum hollering about adventure and Anchor's tendency to hoard marine life), but they're *nothing* like how Frima (a perpetual loafer) and Yan (a conniving money-grubber) act on a regular basis. The protagonist clarifies that like the two before them, Helm's subordinates in Aegis often pursue their own personal interest separate from their roles and expectations within the squad. In the face of such reasoning, Helm admits he has a point, and asks for what task she must make them do for her training.

Said task turns out to be cleaning a room in the villa, something neither of Helm's temporary subordinates are on board with. Between Helm's reasoning that a clean home is good for morale ~~and definitely not because the protagonist arranged this and they can't disobey their commander~~, the two eventually come around to give it the old college try.

Unfortunately, things quickly get out of hand. Between Frima breaking things in bouts of sleepily tottering and Yan ripping the sheets, Helm calmly(?) tells the two to step outside and let her handle the rest, all but screaming to the world how *done* she is. Despite the visible mountain of leftover cleaning, Yan obliges Helm's request, taking Frima with her on the way out.

The work is long and tiring, and the sun's gone all the way down by the time Helm finishes. The protagonist steps inside to inspect the results, and notices the Nikkes he'd assigned are now mysteriously absent. Helm tries to rationalize by saying that despite his expectations, she'd felt that the two were getting in the way, only for the protagonist to say something surprising. He *didn't* have any expectations for this task. He goes on to explain that while it would have been nice if they *could* cooperate, he was by and large *counting* on this to fail. Seeing Helm get just a *little* frustrated at this seeming boondoggle of a task, the protagonist suggests they go for a walk.

#### Episode 3 - First Time Excuses

The stroll takes the duo to Frima's favorite hammock, but not to await the fixer and chew her out. Rather, the protagonist tells Helm they're going to...borrow Frima's hammock to lie down? Befuddled but intrigued as to where this is going, Helm climbs into the hammock...and almost immediately loses her balance, sending them both to the ground. Despite the protagonist assuring her to take her time, Helm seems to be confused as to why he's not being angry with her.

She already failed one task he gave her, and now she's fumbling around on another task and tripping him up. Were they in reversed positions, she'd be giving him the verbal thrashing of a lifetime. She doesn't accept the excuse of it being her first time using a hammock, citing a Nikke's superior physiology and reflexes as to why she *should* be able to do such a simple thing. This leads the protagonist to ask why Helm seems to be so hard on herself.

Helm explains that she can't tolerate failure in any form. From her perspective, Aegis is in charge of the *only* battleship in all of the Ark. The costs and responsibility of that are entirely on her squad's shoulders, and because of that, they have to deal with all manner of incidents and scrutiny. Not once has anyone around them said "this is your first time, it's okay to fail". Because of that, everything Aegis does *has* to be meticulously planned and executed down to the last minutia, nothing less will be acceptable.

Helm acknowledges that this style has caused her to become a micromanaging perfectionist, and the stress she feels means she's passing on negativity to Mast and Anchor, but she knows no other way. She feels she has responsibilities to others around her; her crew, her ship, Burningum who maintains the Admire, the donors who support them...

The protagonist then declares Helm can rely on him. It's not her responsibility to appease every request, whim, or obligation just because some people have done something for her. If anything, some of those people ought to be helping *her* whenever she needs it. Helm bewilderedly muses that she never thought that way, and the protagonist invites her to switch her reasoning a bit. There's no harm in having a little faith in the people around you.

After a moment to think, Helm confesses that she feels awful. She's the one who asked him for this training, yet she kept messing up, and now the protagonist is disheveled and dirty because she can't do something as basic as getting into a hammock. Yet she finds some measure of solace in the fact that there are people who are willing to accept her for who she is, imperfections and all. She muses that Mast and Anchor are also doing that by acting the way they do, and in all likelihood they're waiting for the day she stops being so controlling and demanding, and instead trusts them to get things done by themselves. She realizes that all this odd busywork was all to bring her to this epiphany, and the protagonist confirms her guess.

Helm apologizes for putting the protagonist through this trouble, and promises to give the training her best shot. On that note, the protagonist asks her to get back into the hammock, carefully instructing her until she's safely ensconced in the hammock's embrace. Musing over how comfortable this is, with the breeze on her skin and the night sky directly in view, Helm invites the protagonist to join her on the hammock.

It's a bit of tight fit, but eventually the two manage to both lay down in the hammock. Helm whispers under her breath about how nice it feels to have the protagonist's warmth right beside her, only to realize what she just said and run off in a fluster. Having not heard what she said, the protagonist can only look on in confusion.

#### Episode 4 - It's the Thought That Counts

The next day, Helm and the protagonist are once again plying away at their work, what with the former spending her whole day training and the latter using said day to help the former. With that mildly unfortunate note, the two buckle up for another day spent working on vacation...

As the work progresses, the protagonist notices that Helm seems...a little off for some reason. Helm herself doesn't notice as her morning physical came out fine, but becomes flustered as the protagonist puts a hand to her forehead to check her temperature. Oddly enough, the Aegis leader is warm, almost feverish, a confusing notion since she's neither overexerted herself or eaten anything potentially deleterious since coming to the island. If anything, she's more uncomfortable at the protagonist's proximity, backing away until his hand is off her forehead. Brushing aside the protagonist's concerns, Helm reminds the commander that he still has paperwork to do.

After some time spent working in silence, Helm remembers something the protagonist mentioned about an investigation earlier and turns to ask, only to become flustered again by his staring and bid him to look away. After another awkward silence, Helm asks one more thing; has the protagonist ever heard of superiors and subordinates becoming...romantically involved? The protagonist answers that he's not personally experienced it, plus the fact that the military frowns upon such fraternization. With a somewhat disappointed expression, Helm accepts the answer, rationalizing that they're part of the military, and such a thing would *never* happen. Closing her laptop, Helm decides to step out and clear her head, refusing the protagonist's invitation to accompany her and leaving him to his work.

Night falls by the time the protagonist is done, and it's now raining outside. Feeling the urge to go out and do something, he grabs an umbrella and steps outside. His stroll eventually leads him to Helm, who ponders why the rain suddenly stopped when she notices his presence. The two end up going back-and-forth about how his concern was unnecessary for a Nikke, only for the protagonist to assert that it's the thought that counts.

Hearing the protagonist go on about how nice it is to have someone who thinks and cares about you, Helm posits that in this case, he's talking about how he ostensibly cares for her, a notion she finds confusing since their relationship is that of one who orders and one who follows. In response, the protagonist makes it clear that Helm is someone special to him, and that's why he cares about her so much. Becoming increasingly embarrassed, Helm complains about how the protagonist is throwing her thoughts awhirl after she just sorted them out...

#### Episode 5 - Murmur of the Heart

The next day, the protagonist notes how strange Helm has been acting. She's been absentminded as of late, and always finding excuses to cut any conversation with him short, if not avoid him entirely. Everything comes to a head when he tries to check in on Helm's progress on a repair job with Liter, only to hear that the Aegis leader bolted the moment she noticed his approach. Liter herself has little idea *what's* going on, but points the protagonist toward the hotel where Helm fled. They're all stuck on this island for a little while longer, so it's for the best that any interpersonal issues get solved ASAP.

In a meadow by the hotel, the protagonist confronts Helm on her recent aversion towards him. Hearing the Aegis leader try to push him away, the protagonist wonders if Helm is backsliding into bad habits and shouldering all the burden by herself again. Helm denies that being the case, assuring the protagonist that his advice was heard and internalized by her. It's just...there's something wrong with *herself* that's causing this...

It takes a lot of prodding and insistence from the protagonist, but eventually Helm tells him her concerns. For some reason, she's been suffering a number of symptoms like tachycardia and a serious reddening of the face, and the subsequent anxiety has been adversely affecting her efficiency. The protagonist decides that Helm is in dire need of an examination, a prospect she seems to be vehemently against due to it requiring she *strip in front of him*. The protagonist asserts that if Helm really is suffering some kind of affliction, embarrassment over any exposure will be the least of anyone's worries. Finally, Helm acquiesces, pleading the protagonist turn around so she can have a measure of privacy.

The protagonist's examination is speedy, as he finds Helm's heart rate and temperature elevated, just as she described. Helm can't recall anything that might have catalyzed this...save for the fact that the symptoms started ever since she first met the protagonist. A strange feeling, as if needles were poking into her heart...

Even the mere implication is enough to render the protagonist speechless. Helm herself has no idea how to handle this emotion...and she doesn't want to know. Fully aware of the divisions between them as human commander and Nikke subordinate, Helm has done her best to distance herself from the protagonist, despite how futile that turned out. To that end, she pleads the protagonist to tell her what to do. Surely, he must know, as a keen-eyed rising star of a commander who taught her how to form a rapport with her coworkers. *How can she bury these emotions? How can she stop herself from loving him?*

The protagonist apologizes for being unable to offer any advice or course of action in this scenario. He clarifies that Helm herself has to be the one to decide how to handle these feelings. Helm considers it a ridiculous notion, the kind of thing you'd only say if you *felt the same way*. Then the protagonist kisses Helm, and his thoughts are made clear.

Flustered by the sudden lip-locking, Helm scurries back as she wonders what the protagonist is doing. The man himself merely reiterates that the choice is Helm's; she can either make it clear how she feels, or keep her silence. Helm admits she knows nothing about this sort of emotion, and that he'll have to take her hand and walk her through it. Accepting it as an answer, the protagonist kisses Helm again.

The second kiss isn't any easier, causing a jelly-legged Helm to tumble to the grass. The protagonist promises Helm that he'll teach her everything there is to know about love. Helm's acceptance is quiet yet undeniable, as he's kept her feeling in consideration the whole time he was teaching her...

Even as a midsummer drizzle comes down, the protagonist and Helm only have each other in their eyes and minds. It's only when the sun comes out several hours later that they begin to dry off~

## References

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