"Hey, Charybdis," I greeted as Howe and I stepped through the doorway.

The maid had evidently been in the middle of tidying things up on her bridge before we got there. "Oh, Captain! Is it that time already for the constituency checks," she giggled.

"Indeed, it is," I replied. "D'you mind if we have a seat?"

"No, please! Go ahead, go ahead," she said politely, putting her rag on the side and pulling up two chairs we could use.

"Thank you," Howe and I replied simultaneously.

Charybdis seemed to pause at that, but only for a split second or so, catching herself as she was about to say something.

Howe coughed from beside me and I noticed a little rosy tinge on her cheeks but decided to chalk it up to the temperature outside.

"So, have you made a little more progress with the targeting system," I asked, knowing Howe had been pitching in whatever assistance she could for Charybdis to acquaint herself with the fresh installation.

"Well, before we get to that," the maid said, "is there any chance you two would like a drink first?"

"Oh," I looked at Howe, prompting her to go first in case she did have a request in mind.

"I'm alright, Chary, thanks," she smiled.

Charybdis nodded. "Captain?"

"I'll have my hot chocolate," I replied. "Do put it in that mug again. I like being called #1 Captain."

It was Howe's turn to snicker to herself as Charybdis blushed. "R-right. I'll get on it, then, just sit back and relax!"

"Sure thing, thank you," I chuckled.

It wasn't too long before Charybdis had whipped up my drink, got back from the galley, and sat down with us for our chat. "There you go, sir. I had to make it a slight bit hotter considering the more temperate conditions, but it should be just as you remember."

I took a sip. She was on point. "That's impressive," I approved to her gratified smile. "Thank you. The flavor combined with the warmth really makes me feel…something. You know?"

"Something?" Howe asked from beside me, a playful smirk on her lips.

"Well, it's strangely nostalgic to me," I said, narrowing my eyes trying to describe the emotion. "I think it's because it tastes a bit like this chocolate drink I used to have back in the Philippines. Either way, what I'm trying to say is, it's perfect."

Charybdis laughed modestly and gave a shallow bow. "I am flattered you think that, Captain. You spent some time in the Philippines?"

"Of course. And yes, I grew up there. Howe will tell you all about it," I replied before taking another sip.

"Oh, you've told Howe all about it, have you," Charybdis asked, looking at her friend with a slightly raised brow.

Once again, Howe's face went a little rosier than usual, but her tone stayed consistent with her regular chipper demeanor. "Yes, we chat while working sometimes. Anyway, I believe we were here for a constituency check, Captain?"

I looked at her with a smirk and a raised brow when Howe mouthed so Charybdis couldn't see or hear, Please, just drop it. Not being able to resist her, I decided to take her prompt and moved on. "Yes, yes, of course. I'm just wondering how much further your 'studies' have progressed since yesterday if any. How confident are you in your ability to hit the broadside of a carrier as of right now?"

"Well, the broadside of a carrier, I'm sure I can do," Charybdis tittered to my approval. "If you'd like for me hit finer targets, say, a particular battery on a battleship is where I get a little shaky."

"Alright," I nodded. "As long as you're aware of just what exactly is in those missiles, I trust you to realize the importance of well-placed shots."

"Indeed," she said, growing serious. "Acid missiles aren't something to be thrown around like stones, are they?"

"Definitely not," I agreed. "Alright, well that's all I wanted to ask, anyway. Thanks for being so judicious."

"Certainly, sir!" She chirped.

I grinned and slid my seat back as Charybdis launched with Howe into a conversation on their own twosome, allowing me to focus on enjoying the warm drink and the fantastic view outside.

There was certainly something to be said about areas back home in England that looked beautiful. Ancient castles that stood as testaments of history, wide swaths of green grassland, bustling cities that sparkled at night, and the like.

But—and I'd harbored this thought ever since the first time I'd popped by any of the northern countries—the oceans and skies around Norway held such a mystique to them. It was as if the clouds themselves, the roiling waves on the sprawling ocean, and the ever-robust rock standing the test of erosion and time, all had fantastical tales to regale travelers with.

The cold was something I'd grown relatively used to, so I didn't mind it too much either. If I had to pick a place to settle down and live a peaceful, quiet life, the possibility of Norway was always in the back of my mind. Inwardly, I wondered what Howe thought of doing herself when the war finally ended. I hoped she wouldn't want to continue serving in the military even after all this.

Take this as the simple opinion of a quiet man, but I just feel that there are many, much more enriching things to do. I say that, even as someone who has ability for organizing the battlefield.

But I digress.

Before letting rosy thoughts of a serene life with Howe by my side take me away, I sipped the last of my hot coco and placed the mug gently on the table. "Alright," I said, "I've just finished my drink, which means we can wrap up here unless you've got something of concern I should know."

Charybdis thought for a moment before shaking her head and standing up, collecting my mug, and pushing her chair back under the console it had been secured prior. "I don't believe there is, captain," she replied. "Thank you for checking in on me."

Howe and I stood up likewise as I replied, "Of course. Let me know if there are further developments. Until then, do update the mission logs vis a vis your progress."

"Absolutely, sir," she smiled. "I shall see you two at dinner."

As she walked out the bridge heading for her galley, Howe and I looked at each other. We were awkwardly silent as I felt my heart start beating strangely excitedly, my imagination from just minutes prior suddenly flashing by. I shrugged it off quickly and decided it was due to the anticipation of the operation's execution tomorrow. "Alright! Onto the next one?"

"Mhm," Howe replied, perhaps a little too eagerly. "Let's do it."


It took one transmission to find out that Z23, Javelin, and Vampire were actually convened on the Javelin by their own initiative. I guessed they were probably discussing preparations for the mission proper.

As Howe and I made our way through the halls, I noticed she was clutching her notepad and pen.

"What's that for?" I asked, gesturing at it.

"Hm? Oh," she held it up reflexively, "I'm jotting down what they say for the mission logs. You know."

"Ah, right, right," I nodded, doing my best to pretend I definitely had not forgotten we needed to do that, too. "Smart."

"Mhm!" She hummed.

We rounded the corner, getting closer and closer to where Zed had said they were lounging in Javelin's quarters. As we walked, the sounds of chatter and laughter seemed to grow louder, indicating that the conversation was going well.

Knocking on the door, Javelin swung it open and greeted us. "Hello, Captain! Howe! Come on in!"

I chuckled and greeted her correspondingly, wondering to myself where she got this limitless supply of energy.

Javelin ushered the two of us into the room before shutting the door and taking her seat on the bunk. Zed and Vampire greeted us simultaneously from their spots on the floor as I finally took notice of Javelin's surprisingly homey décor.

A fluffy-but-not-too-fluffy carpet had a low coffee table on it a few paces from the bunk. There was a study table in the corner, and she'd hung little fairy lights all throughout the room to give it a very cozy illumination. The atmosphere inside had a fuzzy, warm energy flowing calmly throughout it. Its effects were enhanced by the comparatively grey sky outside.

"I must say, this is not how I expected your room to look," I mused.

Howe snickered once again from next to me as Javelin tilted her head.

"What?" She questioned. "What's that mean?"

"I don't know," I shrugged and chuckled, telling myself off for being so prejudiced and assuming Javelin's interior design tastes based solely on her personality. "I guess I was expecting an overwhelming wave of hot pink all over the place."

Javelin scoffed, clearly unimpressed, while Zed only nodded sideways in subtle agreement, and Vampire sat passively, waiting to see what would happen. "Well, I like to think I learned a thing or two about how to furnish a room from Miss Wales."

"No, no, I have no issue about that," I reassured the peppy destroyer. "It is a lovely room. Well done."

She blushed slightly, and the defensive protest from earlier became a bashful tone. "Thank you, sir."

I chuckled before proceeding with the conversation at hand. "So, I see we're all getting friendly with each other?"

"Ja," Zed nodded, reaching for her jug of water and having a drink before setting it back down. "We're actually just waiting for 1206 to get here so we can start reviewing the plan. Have you seen her anywhere, Kapitän?"

Just before I could reply, the U-boat burst through the door, evidently having had to rush to get here. "Tut mir leid!" She exclaimed, shutting the door and doing her best to control the panting. "I had to," she took a breath, "deal with a busted valve."

Howe giggled from her spot, having sat herself down next to Javelin on the bunk.

"That must've induced some déjà vu, no?" Vampire joked.

Zed had to choke herself from snickering naughtily and gave her new friend a quick, playful slap on the shoulder, at which Vampire cackled.

"Kind of," 1206 replied as she sat down with them on the floor, producing a little cloth to wipe some sweat off. She'd probably missed the joke Vampire was trying to make, which made it all the more mildly amusing to me.

"Well, now that you're all here, I suppose I'll just leave you to it. Though, if you would all humor me this one curiosity," I asked, "what part of the battle plan is making you feel most apprehensive right now?"

They all paused to think when Javelin popped her hand up and said, "Using the breathing equipment. But that's why 1206 is here, too! She can probably give us pointers."

I smiled. "I'm sure she can."

"I've got one, too!" 1206 chirped. "I already have experience spotting, but it'll be pinpointing weak areas that I need to brush up on," she said.

"Alright," I nodded. "I'm sure you can refine that in no time. Vampire? Zed?"

"Nothing that hasn't already been said, Kapitän." "I wilt concur with her, captain."

I nodded. "Alright. Have at it, then! Howe?"

We bade each other our farewells before the door shut and we were off to our next check-up.


"I must say, this is going much quicker than I expected it to," I mused aloud to Howe as we made for the Prinz Eugen's bridge.

She tittered and tilted her head. "Would you rather we take it slowly?"

Before I could respond, she grabbed my elbow and brought me to a stop. When I shot my head around to see what she was up to, she'd begun walking at a much, much more sluggish pace.

Jokingly, she said, "How about we walk like this?" I did my best to keep from chuckling and encouraging the bit as she smirked cheekily at me. "Slooow moooooo…" She deepened her voice to imitate it being distorted by slow motion.

I shook my head to hide my snickering as I jolted her to normal speed with a hand on her elbow. "That's not what I meant," I replied snappily, though I couldn't help my tone shaking once for a quick laugh. "I'm just saying I could get used to it."

Chuckling her joke off, she smoothed out her dress and replied, "Get used to what? Things getting done quickly?"

"People actually trying to study my plans without me having to wrangle them into it," I laughed.

"Well, I can see why that would happen," she giggled.

"Why what would happen?" Prinz Eugen's voice floated in behind us.

"Gah!" Howe and I both yelped and spun around. "Eugen!" I exclaimed reflexively. "You're…there! Not… We thought you were on the bridge!"

The heavy cruiser tittered smoothly, walking between us to get ahead. "Well, I just went to have a snack. I'll see you two there~!"

It wasn't long before she was out of earshot ahead of us.

Howe looked at me and giggled again before I shook my head and rolled my eyes.

"Right, let's go."

"I didn't think you could get startled like that."

"Not a word of this to anyone."

"Aye, sir!"


Eugen was already lounging in one of the chairs when Howe and I got to the bridge. "Oh, greetings, Kapitän! Frau Howe! I did not know you were coming!"

"Yes, yes," I played along as Howe tittered. "I'm sorry for the lack of advance notification, we did get quite preoccupied."

"Preoccupied with each other?" Eugen poked, putting her index finger on her lip as she did so.

"In a way," I replied, "but not in that which you are suggesting. Now, to business."

Eugen sat up as she simpered. "Right."

"Have you figured out how to set everything up?" I asked.

"Well, I had a few ideas," she said. "First of which is gathering a heap of flammable materials from around here and maybe disposables from the rest of you and concealing it behind one of the turrets, situated on the starboard side. That is also my most viable idea without the need for actually shooting me to make it convincing."

I nodded. "I suppose, then, the hardest part is insulation."

"Ja," she nodded. "I believe setting up barriers with some materials from the cargo containers will do nicely."

"You both talk like you've done something like this before," Howe mused as we chatted.

"Trust me, we haven't," I replied for the two of us.

"I do know how to look good doing it, though," Eugen quipped after.

I nodded in approval before continuing. "So, you've got an idea for a setup and how to control it. What's our plan for disposal afterward?"

"That is the question," Eugen nodded. "I wouldn't want to dump it in the ocean. That's just a…douche move."

I snorted at the unexpected wording but agreed. "Yes, it is. Perhaps we stash them somewhere safe until we get back, and then have the guys dispose of it all there?"

"Maybe," the cruiser said, clearly weighing options in her head. "I will give it more thought and get back to you."

"Sure," I shrugged.

Suddenly, Howe sat up next to me. We looked at her with a raised brow as she said, "You're getting a call from home. We should head back soon."

"Oh," I replied, a sense of urgency kicking in. "Yeah, we probably should. Good going, Eugen. Let me know once you have an update."

"Jawohl. I will see you two at dinner," Eugen replied.


When we got to the Howe, we were in such a hurry that she didn't even bother letting me run to the computer myself, doing the legwork all the way until we were both plopped in seats next to each other in front of the screen. Impressively, though she was panting, she didn't look exhausted one bit.

"How are you not collapsed on the floor?" I asked with comic bewilderment.

She chuckled while wiping some sweat off her head. "I'm a ship. Well, a ship-girl."

I nodded sideways and conceded. "Fair point. Alright, we're on, here we go."

I figured there was no harm in having Howe with me for this one. If the person on the other end was an officer or someone seeking a verbal update or consultation, then it would be convenient to have both the CO and the flagship handy.

But the person on the other end wasn't an officer. Not even military personnel.

And there were two of them, not just one.

I tried speaking but found that my mouth had been rendered incapable of uttering words, instead producing pathetic excuses for words that could only ever pass as sputters.

Howe's eyes had gone wide as dinner plates.

My dad and mum sat on the other side of the screen, both smiling jovially, clearly very happy to see me.

Finally, my brain had recalibrated itself and I was able to get at least two words out. "M-mum…dad! Uh—"

"Hello!" They greeted enthusiastically.

"Buttercup! How're you doing? And who's this with you?" Dad asked with a grin.

I frantically pointed at myself and then at Howe, who'd gone red in the cheeks and was putting on a very nervous smile. "Right! Um…I'm James. Wait, no—this is Howe. Yes. We're doing fine!"

They laughed for a moment before dad decided to greet Howe, too. "Hello, Howe! Nice to meet you."

Howe, clearly not expecting to be addressed so soon, suddenly sat up in her chair and nodded shakily. "Ahem—Yes, sir! Hello! Nice to meet you, too."

"Oh, there's no need to call him sir," my mum joked cheekily from beside him with her distinct lack of an English accent. "You can call us tita," she gestured to herself, "and tito," she gestured to dad.

Howe then looked at me pleadingly, clearly not knowing what the words meant and begging for a translation.

Slowly regaining the rest of my bearings myself, I stifled a snicker and quickly supplied, "Filipino words for aunt and uncle respectively," I explained.

"Oh," she giggled before nodding politely. "Alright, tita. Did I...say that right? Oh goodness—"

Mum had her own little chuckle and nudged dad on the shoulder, mumbling something unintelligible before replying, "Yes, yes! You'll get used to it."

Howe nodded once again before giving me another look.

I reassured her wordlessly, Yeah, you will.

"So, how did you two meet?" Dad asked.

As always, they probably meant to check in on how I was doing and how life in general was coming along. But the moment they see me with a girl… "Well, we were assigned on the same mission," I replied, keeping watch for any sneaky verbal traps he might try to bait me into.

"Ah," he nodded, smirking. "And what's the relationship status?"

Next to me, Howe started hacking and coughing.

A brief flash of panic took me as I swiftly reached a hand over and started patting her back to calm her down. "Uhh…we're friends."

"Friends, huh," dad nodded slowly.

"Maniwala ka diyan," mum pitched in sarcastically.

I laughingly shook my head before protesting. "I'm serious, mum, we're just friends. Right?" I looked at Howe, who had been recovering her composure.

"Mhm! Mhm, yes," she agreed quickly. "Friends. That's what we are!"

I had to physically stop myself from facepalming.

"Just friends," my dad echoed. "Then why is your hand still on her back, James?"

With lightning speed, I immediately rectified the issue.

"Oh," mum yelped, "ba't mo tinanggal?"

"I—," I choked helplessly while dad started giggling merrily to himself. Verbal traps. Verbal traps.

"All these years and you've never learned once," he quipped.

"What…what did your mum say to you," Howe whispered into my ear. Her tone, I noted, sounded quite timid.

"She asked me why I suddenly removed my hand from your back," I replied, trying to play off the heat I was feeling on my face.

Before I could address my parents further, dad had another question to throw at us. "So, how did you two become close?"

"Uh," I began, "work, mainly. She helps with the papers and management stuff."

Dad nodded, "I see. Have you exchanged personally yet?"

I rocked my head and forth. "Some here and there. I told her about my stress issues and stuff."

"Oh!" Mom said, "Sa wakas! That's good! Parang secretary siya, ano?"

"Yes," I chuckled, "she's practically my secretary."

Howe simply nodded in agreement, failing to fully keep up with the English-Filipino mix mum was employing.

"Have you told her about the Spider Story yet?" Dad continued.

It was my turn to freeze in place while Howe suddenly became intrigued.

When I remained silent, Howe filled in for me. "No, he hasn't. What's the Spider Story?"

"Oh, goodness," I mouthed to myself. "Dad, please don't..."

Dad laughed before saying, "Don't worry, I wouldn't. He'll tell you himself when he's ready, Howe."

"Aww, alright," Howe relented, eyeing me with such fascination.

"You've been nice to her ah, James?" Mum piped up. "Do you help her with the plates and preparing the food? Doing chores? Cleaning up the place?"

"Yes, mum," I replied, the words making me blush when I said them in front of Howe for some reason. "I do my best to help out."

"Ahh," she nodded approvingly. "Very good. Howe, has he really been helping you?"

The subtle quip was not lost on Howe as she giggled and replied, "Yes, tita, he has. He's actually great at tidying up, and I," she hesitated before continuing, "said I should probably...thank you for teaching him all that."

Mum laughed and clapped her hands together. "Sige lang, ayos 'yan. You're very welcome! You tell me if he doesn't behave, ah? I'll remind him how we do things in our house," she joked.

"Of course," Howe tittered. Inwardly, I did feel more relaxed knowing she was starting to get along with my parents.

"Okay," dad said, "we've got to go, you two. Be good to each other!"

"Yes, dad," I nodded, still feeling my cheeks grow warmer.

"Bye, bye," they both bade, waving their hands.

"Bye!" Howe and I waved back.

Just before dad could click the button to disconnect, mum said, "Love you!"

I couldn't help cracking a smile and replying, "Love you, too!"

Dad blew a kiss, and then the screen returned to the desktop.

Suddenly feeling like I'd just done something quite physically intensive, I slumped back in the chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Looking over, I saw that Howe had done the same, grinning from ear to ear.

"They call you Buttercup, huh?"

I chuckled and couldn't help a hand on my forehead. "Yeah. Would you like to know why?"

"Why," she asked, perking up.

"There's this candy called Reese's Peanut Butter Cups," I explained, "I'm sure you've heard of them."

"Yeah, I have," she said.

"As a kid, I absolutely loved them," I laughed fondly at the memory. "The best chocolates around in my book. They have a really nice and chewy chocolate outer layer, and the inside is filled with peanut butter. Basically my biggest weakness."

"Ooh," Howe nodded, her eyes glinting. "So noted."

I nodded and smiled thinly at her.

"And, going back to your parents," she added.

"Yeah?"

She giggled, "They really are lovely people."

I grinned. "Thanks. They seemed to like you, didn't they?"

"Yeah, I'd love to meet them in person. Though, I might have to teach myself some Filipino to keep up with your mum," she tittered.

"Yeah," I chuckled, "she's been in England ever since, but the native language seeps through when she's with family. Understandable, if anything."

"Oh, of course, of course," Howe agreed. "It's only natural. That's the language she associates with family and friends."

I hummed in agreement before letting silence finally give us a break. I looked out the window at the wavy sea and orange sky beyond. What an interesting dynamic to have. A shipgirl I'd met almost entirely by chance and circumstance on a special mission ended up having a successful interaction with my parents. McConnell's words echoed in my head. Does she make your heart jump sometimes?

Howe had outstretched her hand to the ceiling, and she was staring at the back of it thoughtfully. Subconsciously smiling fondly at the sight, I wondered if my heart and the sights & sounds around me were trying to tell me something.


At supper, the group did end up trying to get me to do something.

"Come on, Kapitän," Eugen coaxed, "are you afraid you can't handle it?"

They all voiced their agreements in chorus.

Howe had prepared something special for supper, in classic Howe fashion. A bowl of vegetables and other culinary delights tastefully mixed and tied together nicely by a single, long noodle. The dish, apparently, was called biang biang, originating from a province in the Empery. What had them all challenging me to give it a try was that Howe apparently made them quite spicy, to the point Charybdis started sweating upon having a helping.

"Alright, look, look," I said over their voices to calm them down, "I will have a bowl of it, but on a condition."

They looked among themselves before Zed asked, "What's the condition, sir?"

"You just have to answer this riddle for me," I replied. When they started sighing and rolling their eyes, I laughed and enticed them on. "Yes, yes, I know. But should only two of you answer correctly, I will try some of those spicy noodles. What d'you say? A challenge for a challenge!"

It took a few seconds as they once again exchanged looks and glances.

"Alright, fine," Howe said, "what's your riddle?"

"Okay," I cleared my throat and slid the chair back. "Howe."

"Mm?" She said.

"You and nine other individuals have been abducted by aliens," I began, "whether or not they are Siren can be up to your imagination." They chuckled at the quick quip before I continued, "Now, these particular aliens have spent their whole morning looking for something to have for lunch. They're quite hungry, and they think you lot would make a good meal."

"Oh, goodness," Howe giggled, scrunching her face up a little.

"Thankfully, one of their comrades interferes and reminds them that they are prohibited from eating any species that is capable of logical and conscious thought," I said. "But they can't tell whether you guys make the cut. So, they devise a test. Listen closely now, this is important."

They all leaned in for a better listen.

"The aliens will line the ten of you up in single file, height order so that each one can see directly in front of them but not behind or to the sides. Then, they will distribute ten hats that are either black or white. The colors will be assigned randomly, and it will not be disclosed how many of either color there are," I explained, "Do you all follow?"

"Yep!"

"Right. Now, the challenge is: Each of you will have to guess the color of your hat, starting from the back of the line and ending at the front. So, the tallest person at the back will guess first, and so on. You are not allowed to signal via intonation or volume or use any other word than black or white. You also can't look behind you, to your sides, or step out of the line. Otherwise, you will be eaten," I chuckled. "Still following?"

"Still following!"

"Great. If at least nine of you get the right color, you're all free to go. How do you get out with everyone alive?" I finished, crossing my arms and sitting back in my seat. Just as it seemed like they were starting to think, I issued one final measure. "You guys can't share your answers, by the way. I want to see which of you can solve this on your own. I'll give you, say…five minutes. Yeah?"

After giving it a moment's thought, Charybdis said, "So, in five minutes, if at least two of us have solved the riddle correctly, you'll try the noodles?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Deal," the maid said. "You guys?"

They all collectively agreed one by one.

"Alright," I said, producing my phone and opening the stopwatch. "In three…two…one…go."

There was always going to be something strangely enjoyable about seeing people trying their hands at a puzzle you'd presented them, even though you may not have been the one that originated the puzzle.

As the time ticked down, Eugen's expression remained calm and collected, but it was apparent she was in deep thought. The same went for Vampire who stood in contrast to Javelin, who was counting something on her fingers and beginning to pace around the room.

Zed was stroking her chin with her eyes shut, probably imagining the scenario in her head.

U1206 had apparently given up, instead electing to get back to her food silently so as not to disturb the others.

Howe had a look of utter confusion on her face, clearly working the problem on her own, but to limited avail.

Finally, after exactly five minutes, my phone rang. "Alright, time's up," I declared.

In unison, they all seemed to slump and sigh to themselves.

"That's not fair!" Javelin protested first. "It's way too hard!"

"Yeah, James," Howe added, clearly not caring about using my first name in front of the others any longer. "We're not all geniuses."

"Yeah, James," Eugen chuckled. "You could have at least cautioned us."

"Hey, hey," I put my hands and snickered, "you all agreed to it! And I did say, a challenge for a challenge."

"We did agree, but on the presumption that thy riddle wouldn't beest so challenging!" Vampire pointed out.

"I think I was able to solve it though," Zed piped up, her tone remaining cool and focused contrary to everyone else's strong protest. They all went silent and looked at the girl with surprise.

"Ah!" I gestured to her. "Alright! Why don't you whisper your answer to me and we'll see if it's correct?"

"Oh, okay," Zed replied. She got up from her seat and walked until she was beside me, turned away so that the table wouldn't be able to hear. The rest of them watched as she began explaining her solution to me.

When she finished, I grinned and nodded. "Yeah, you got it right."

The destroyer chirped and did a little jump in victory, smiling with a hint of pride and pumping a fist in the air.

The others had looks of surprise on their faces. "What?!" They all shouted, almost in sync.

Everyone started clamoring at Zed for the answer before I decided to give them some leeway. "Alright, alright, you have ten seconds to try and figure out the answer!"

Like magic, the room went quiet as everyone scrambled to make the most of the ten precious seconds.

"…Six, five, four, three, two, one," I said. "Anyone?" When they all stayed silent, I nodded and gestured to Zed. "Alright, you can explain your answer to them."

"Ah, okay," she cleared her throat. "The key is that the first person who guesses—the tallest one at the back of the line—has all the information required. He knows who has black and white hats, and how many of each there are among the next nine people, which is the minimum number we need to escape. The question, then, is how to relay this information with only the words black or white. Right?"

"Uhh…" Howe narrowed her eyes. "Right."

Zed nodded, "So, the rules said we couldn't signal with intonation or volume, but there were no restrictions for code. So, the words black or white themselves can be used to signal information to the rest of the line."

Suddenly, Howe's eyes widened. "Oh! Oh, shit, I get it now!"

I laughed, causing them to look in my direction. "Alright, then," I coaxed Howe, "what's the solution?"

"Okay, so the words black and white can signal information. We only have two words to work with, so something like the total number of black or white hats won't work," she began, "but there is a property that only has two possible values: Whether or not there is an odd or even number of a color hat."

"Ja," Zed nodded, "It is called the parity."

"Alright, the parity," Howe said. "So when the person at the back says black, for example, that can mean that there is an odd number of black hats among the rest of the nine. If he says white, then that means there is an even number of black hats."

"Ah," Eugen palmed her forehead. "I understand. Yes, yes, so let's say there are five black hats along the rest of the line. The person signals black because five is an odd number. Then, the only thing everyone else has to do is keep track of how the parity changes."

Howe clicked her fingers. "Yeah! So, if the first guy signals black because there are five hats, then the one in front of him might not know that there are exactly five black hats, but he does know he's looking for an odd number of black hats. If he only sees four—or an even number—of black hats in front of him, that means—,"

"—That means that he has one of the black hats!" Charybdis chirped. "And now, everyone that comes after him knows that one of the black hats is behind them, meaning the next one in line is looking for an even number of black hats, and so on."

"So, if the next one in line also sees an odd number of black hats, being three, then that also means that his hat is black. It goes from there, each person tracking how the parity shifts. The one at the front of the line technically has the hardest job because they have to keep track of how many black hats were reported," Howe explained, "but even then, so long as they don't forget and fumble their counting, it's an absolute certainty."

"Therefore, the solution is to signal the parity of the count of the black hats among nine total hats, and the line can deduce their hat color based on that," I summed up for them.

Sounds of laughter and victory washed the room as Howe high-fived Zed and Eugen nodded, all the while still deep in thought, perhaps running through possible permutations of hat distribution.

"Okay, because you were able to solve it after Zed gave that hint," I said with a smile on my lips that couldn't be helped, "I will have just a bite."

More sonorous cheers before Howe got up and served me a bowl of noodles. "Alright," she declared, "Go on!"

I exhaled and shook my head to myself before taking a pair of chopsticks and having, as promised, a bite of the noodles. They all quieted in anticipation for my reaction.

Almost immediately after coming into contact with my tongue, the heat was almost searing. "Oh, goodness," I blurted. "Bloody hell, that is hot. Woo!" Subconsciously, my legs started to bounce in a reflex reaction.

"Yes, yes," Howe coaxed playfully. "Feel the burn!"

"The dissemble is to swallow as swiftly as thee can, Captain!" Vampire advised me with a mischievous smirk on her lips.

Or at least, she attempted to advise me. "You don't think I'm doing that?!" I quipped to their giggles. Finally, it went down. Though my tongue was spared from any more contact with the sauce and whatnot, the heat still annoyingly lingered. "Oh, fantastic, the heat's gotten into my throat," I remarked drily. "Can someone grab me, like, a gallon of milk? Oh, and some tissues, too." I sniffled as Javelin pitched in her contribution to get the tissues while Charybdis retrieved the milk.

"Here you go, sir," the maid said as I blew my nose.

"Thanks, Charybdis," I replied, taking the glass and quickly chugging it. After maybe ten seconds, I finally put it back down and took a deep breath. "Goodness, Howe, what the fuck did you put in that?"

Howe burst into giggling, perhaps in part thanks to the abruptly strong language. "Just some harmless chili oil, sir. And maybe some flakes and other spices, too."

"Damn," I said, still breathing in hard to air my tongue out. "That was gnarly."

"The recipe was crafted by George herself," she said with a smirk, "so that might say something."

"That says quite a lot, if her reputation precedes her," I replied snappily.

They all laughed gleefully as I went back to the harmless soup I had been eating up till that point.

Supper carried on, with stories, jokes, and quick laughs here and there. I looked back at how easily they started bouncing ideas off of each other involving the riddle once Zed had given them just a part of her explanation. I smiled at the sight of them having lively conversation.

My thoughts wandered to Tirpitz, a sense of sympathy for her growing in me. She was probably all on her lonesome over in whatever that prison might be, longing for the chance to sit at a table with people like this just one more time.

I chuckled to myself as I watched them go on about whether or not water was wet.

They really do grow on you quickly. I felt a sense of confidence that everything would go just fine when we arrived tomorrow.

Hang in there, Tirpitz.