Chapter Text
As she passed Lt. Kaidanovsky, Mako paused to bow respectfully and allow her the right of way. She watched the tall Russian stride purposefully down the corridor, people scrambling to give her purchase, and wondered if she'd ever be able to command such a presence.
Just an inch shy of six feet tall, Sasha was built like a soldier and wore her bleached hair and makeup like warpaint. The men of the Jaeger Program learnt quickly that just because she was a woman, it certainly did not make her a pushover. Four broken noses, one broken arm, two chipped teeth, five concussions and a terribly unamused Marshall could attest to that.
Mako admired her, and a part of her yearned to grow to be such a woman. The Marshall raised her to be disciplined and in control at all times, for lashing out in anger was a surefire way to make preventable mistakes; to keep a cool head was to keep a clear mind, and a clear mind made the best decisions.
Sometimes, though, she wanted to be the raging fire beneath Siberian snow. She wanted to be the burning anger that could defend an entire country for years on end. She wanted the confidence to change her hair and wear red warpaint. She wanted to walk down a corridor and have juniors bow to her.
"Lieutenant?"
The heavy door was pulled back, revealing the other Kaidanovsky. The silent co-pilot gave her a quizzical look.
"Is Lieutenant Sasha here?" Mako asked, clutching her bag just a little closer to her chest. The Russian was not much older than her but easily a metre taller, and was an imposing figure that seemed to fill a room without even trying. He gave a brief nod and stepped aside to allow her in.
"Ms. Mori, hello." Sasha greeted her with respectful nod. "How can I help?"
She looked over her shoulder at the looming figure of Aleksis, and turned back to Sasha with a look of uncertainty. Catching on, she gave the man a lazy wave. Barking something in Russian, she punctuated the sentence with a mischievous smile before he nodded and took his leave.
"Please help me." Mako bowed and held out the small bag, not looking up to meet her eyes. "I want to put colour in my hair."
Sasha took the bag from her and opened it to find a small box of hair dye. She brightened immediately and laughed.
"Of course! But first we change you to blonde, this ok?" Touching Mako's black hair before gesturing at her own, she tried to explain further. "Your hair is too dark. We have to make light before we change to another."
"Ok." She found herself smiling at the other's enthusiasm, and showed her the box. "I want to make it blue. Kaiju blue."
"Ah," Sasha grinned, giving her shoulder a fond clap, "you want to wear blood of your enemies in your hair. This very Russian. I like it."