"It's still strange, sometimes. Over half a year and I'm still getting used to it. But I enjoy it. Doing things for myself, making my own priorities, those are good things." Makeup, as silly as it is, is an outward reflection of that. Finding his own creativity and forms of expression, and maintaining the confidence to do so, to stand out apart from all these other men from Earth who don't have that same custom rather than blending in like he's done all his life.

But there's so much more to it than that, it's just harder to know how to put it into words. "It probably sounds funny, but I miss calling in," he admits. "I was away from the base for most of my work but I always checked in weekly. It was nice to know someone was out there listening."

And he regrets not calling Sengoku for most of those last several months. But he did what had to be done.