Chapter Twenty-Eight
Though the day started the same as any other, I could not deny that there was a fresh spring in my step when I arose from my slumber. My sluggishness in the morning was often further hindered by the fatigue from any troubled dreams I experienced the night before, but fortune was with me as I woke up refreshed and vigorous. A part of me was beginning to suspect that the strange dreams were somehow linked to Choshu's mood because it always appeared that whenever she was anxious, troubled, or uneasy would be the nights where I experienced memories and dreams of similar moods. And I had sufficient reason to believe that Choshu would be in similarly good spirits, for the night before we devised our plan to give Captain DeWolf not just a day off from work, but a day off from work that he would never forget.
As it was well established by now that our captain was something of a workaholic, we both knew that keeping him away from his duties would be the best chance to ensure that he kept to his word and attended the Royal Navy's party being held tonight in his honour. Even a stray piece of paperwork could be leveraged to commit himself to long hours chained to his desk, or keep him running around the naval yard until he is too tired to even take a step in the banquet hall.
The success of any plan would hinge on us intercepting the captain before he reached his desk. Thus, the night before I laid out everything I would need in advance so upon arising from my slumber I could be washed up, groomed, dressed, and ready to sortie far faster than my usual glacial pace that was more akin to a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, or perhaps a small rodent emerging from hibernation.
Today, though, I was prepared. We had a goal and a plan to achieve it. As the westerners would say, I was the early bird and I would soon have my worm.
Just as I was ready to depart, a knock came from my dormitory door. Given how early it was, the only person I reasonably expected to be visiting would be Choshu. However, what greeted me on the other side was not a dark-haired fox, but a green-tinted feline.
"Miss Akashi, to what do I owe the honour of this visit?" I said, flipping on the switch for a polite, dignified greeting.
"Special delivery for you, Lady Nyagato." As Akashi handed over a small box that bore the red paw sigil of her personal business, I noticed a curious grin that she wore. It might have just been her feline-nature at play, but it gave off an air of smugness, as though she were privy to a private punchline that would soon fall upon me. It made me wary, but at the same time: it was just a delivery. What could possibly befall me from such a small and ordinary box?
"A delivery?" I replied. "I do not recall making any purchases." I feigned ignorance, of course. One did not need to be an oracle to predict that this had to be the gift that Captain DeWolf had been discussing with the others yesterday.
"A special order from the captain himself," she explained. Clearly this hadn't been intended to be an anonymous gift. "It's a custom order, though, so nyo refunds I'm afraid."
"I would never consider turning down such an act of generosity," I insisted before offering a polite bow. "Thank you for the delivery, Miss Akashi."
I bid her farewell and closed the door. If there had been a spring in my step earlier, I was now practically skipping as I hurried back to my bed and set the box down. I had never felt such excitement over a gift before, but this was the first time I had been given something not out of reverence or obligation, and from somebody outside the Sakura Empire, no less. Rather than a gift for the head miko or the divine oracle or the flagship of the Fourth Combined Fleet, it was just simply a gift for me. I sat on the floor staring at the box for several seconds, pondering the possibilities. The box itself wasn't any longer than my forearm and only a few centimeters thick, and I would estimate it didn't weigh more than a kilo.
"Clothes, perhaps?" I postulated aloud. The box was about the right size that one would package clothing into. I saw no reason to dither with further contemplation, and opened it up to find a small card atop of layered wrapping paper. The card read:
I know you've been having a lot of trouble sleeping lately, so I bought you something that I've heard has helped a few of the other kansens when adjusting to new environments.
-Capt. James DeWolf
Equal parts sentiment and practical, the choice fit his mannerisms to a tee. Perhaps it was a blanket or a western-style housecoat. The possibilities made me all the more curious as I peeled back the wrapping paper, but what I found couldn't have been further from my expectations if it had been fired out of a cannon. It was clothing, but only in the loosest sense of the word. It was a silken nightgown, but almost the entirety of it was see-through save for a strip of thicker, red fabric at the top from which the shoulder straps connected to. It was so dainty, I suspected it would barely cover my entire figure, not that it would afford much decency given the aforementioned transparency of it. How in the world did the captain reach the conclusion that this would help me sleep better? I was so shocked by what I saw I just hung there frozen in confusion and embarrassment. His message said that this had helped a few other kansens, but I struggled to see what kind of problem would be solved by this kind of indecency.
Before my brain could overcook, I stuffed the nightgown back into the box as fast as I could and pushed it to the far side of the bed. Everything about this situation felt wrong. Maybe there was a mix-up in the order. Captain DeWolf was a decent man who got uneasy whenever Akagi started becoming even the slightest bit suggestive, and she was even there helping him with choosing the gift!
Then again, if Akagi was helping him pick, could she have had something to do with this? I had spent so many of my years sheltered in the empire, it was possible that I simply did not know how the rest of the world worked like she did. I had always heard that western men were bold and salacious, but I had heard little about the habits of western women. It could be that they were just as bold as their male counterparts. One conversation with Littorio from the Sardegna Empire was enough to prove that passion did not belong solely to the men. If other kansens had bought this for themselves, then it was entirely possible that my reaction was but a product of my sheltered upbringing. As strange as it came across, the gift of a nightgown could be seen as normal and mundane for people outside the Sakura Empire, just as the gift of a hamaya could be seen as peculiar by those unfamiliar with our customs.
Fighting down my trepidation, I slid the box back over and took out the nightgown again. Despite my silent prayers, it was still just as transparent as it had been minutes ago. The craftsmanship, though, was excellent; the fabrics were soft and smooth to the touch, and there was even a pair of thigh-high stockings included. This could not have been an inexpensive purchase for the captain, who must have paid for this out of his own pocket.
Unfortunately, I was so wrapped up in my own anxieties and thoughts that I didn't hear the second knocking at my door. It was Choshu, who didn't bother to wait for any acknowledgement before barging in.
"You better not be sleeping in, Nagato! We have big plans to–!"
In my surprise, I spun around to face the newcomer, but I had neglected to put the nightgown away, so Choshu caught a full-on view of it in my hands. The wide-eyed, open-mouth stare resembled a girl in a short skirt caught in a strong breeze, and it was probably identical to how my face looked. A more sensible person would've come up with an excuse to dissuade further curiosity, or even just tried to hide the evidence, but all my frazzled thoughts could come up with was a panicked, "Close the door!"
She, at least, had enough wits remaining to follow my orders, but that still left me with the problem that she was in the room and I was still holding my gift from the captain. Before I could sweep anything under the metaphorical rug, Choshu was already at my side, eyeing the garment with growing curiosity as she peered in close.
"Is that what I think it is?" she whispered. Why she thought it necessary to stay discreet was anyone's guess. "I had no idea your tastes were so… mature."
"This isn't mine!" I replied in a panic. "Er, I mean, I didn't buy it for myself: t-the captain did!"
"The captain?" Choshu sounded even more surprised than I had been a minute ago. "Wait, this is the gift he was talking about? I thought he was going to get you, like, a blanket or something!"
"It would appear that he did not. W-why would he give me such an item?"
The two of us continued to stare at the garment, as though enough focus might bring the answer out as text across its silken surface.
"Do… do you think maybe it's a sign?" Choshu whispered. "I've heard certain kinds of gifts can have different meanings. Like how on White Day, giving a hard candy means they like you back."
I hadn't even thought about that, although it worried me what kind of message nightwear could imply. Only one thing came to mind when it involved people late at night in bed, and my constitution could only take so much embarrassment at a given moment. The captain and I had only known each other for a short time, but could he really have those kinds of thoughts about me? Maybe he was as typical a man as Akagi originally described.
"I do not… I am uncertain what I would do if what you suggest were true," I murmured back. "D-do you have any experience with such matters?"
"Me? How would I?" Choshu said as she recoiled. "We're kansens—we were built to make war, not love. I've certainly no experience with… y-you know, that. Just because I'm a steadfast warrior doesn't mean I can't also have a maiden's heart." She averted her eyes as a bashful glow rose to her cheeks. "A-although, the captain isn't too unpleasant… for a foreigner."
DeWolf did have his good points: it was undeniable that he cared about the fleet and everyone in it, even if we didn't always agree on the manner in which he expressed those feelings. He was a diligent and capable officer, too; I doubt anyone in the Sakura Empire would've been able to unite the fleet in the way he had. One couldn't ask for a better ally or commander.
And he was… nice to look at.
"Wait, what am I thinking?" I blurted out as I shunted such selfish, earthly thoughts from my mind. "H-h-he is an officer! I am a kansen! I… I wouldn't even know where to begin." I tried to hide my embarrassment, but the only thing I had was the nightgown and so I buried my face into it. "It… it would not be proper. I would be… sullied."
"Right, because you are the head miko for the empire," Choshu said, nodding in agreement. We fell silent for a moment as the implications of our conversation continued to weigh upon our hearts. It was scary. Unknown. As she had said, we were made to fight Sirens; to protect humans, not… entwine with them. I was pulled from my turmoil by a gentle nudge. "Do you think you should try it on?"
"Try it on?" I exclaimed, forgetting that the dorms had relatively thin walls. "Have you taken leave of your senses? To what purpose would that serve?"
Curiosity returned to her eyes. "T… to see how it looks? It was a gift after all. Wouldn't it be a little rude to just dismiss it without even giving it a chance?"
The heat in my face grew so intense, I pulled the nightgown away out of fear it would ignite if I kept it close. I was a priestess of the Sakure Empire, how could I ever wear something so revealing? Clothes such as these were meant for fulfilling selfish, earthly desires, and better suited for a woman more… mature. I was well aware of how I looked, how small I was. Other kansens had fuller figures, more pronounced curves. They looked like powerful, commanding women worthy of envy and respect while I, even at the best of times, just looked like a child pretending to be a grown-up. And it wasn't as though I could look forward to something better in the future; as a kansen, this was the body I was born with, and it would be all that I ever would be.
What man would be interested in that?
"I… I cannot!" There was just no way I could put on such salacious garments. I was not the right person. It would be like trying to put a dress onto a rodent. Such finely-crafted clothes deserved a worthier body than mine. "W-we are allowing ourselves to be distracted. Today is not supposed to be about me; it is a day meant for the captain." As the nightgown drew far too much attention, I stuffed it back into its box and shoved it under my bed.
Out of sight, out of mind.
"I think most navies would consider this an act of mutiny."
When Captain DeWolf arrived at his office, rather than the usual friendly greeting, he instead found Choshu and I standing before the door with a clear and obvious intention to bar his entry. Or rather one of us had a clear intention. Despite my best efforts to put the morning's discovery out of my mind, upon seeing the captain, all of those thoughts surged back like a tidal wave. I could barely even look the captain in the eye without picturing those clothes. All I could do was stand there in an awkward silence, holding in every sentiment like an uncomfortable case of indigestion.
"You heard our demands, captain," Choshu said, fortunately taking the lead once it was apparent that I couldn't open my mouth without embarrassing myself. "It has come to our attention that you have not taken a single day off since your arrival here, and so you will be taking a much-needed day of reprieve. By order of the secretary ship."
"Is that so?" DeWolf challenged.
As he turned his attention to me, I had to do my best to look resolute. Obviously, I had no actual authority to order the captain to have a cup of tea, let alone take a whole day off. However, he had acquiesced to the invitation to King George V's party by our combined pressure, so we had a chance.
Steeling my resolve, I straightened up and puffed out my chest. "That is correct, sir. According to your services, you are long overdue, and while your rank affords you several weeks worth, we are willing to compromise on you taking leave just for today."
"And it's just a coincidence that today also happens to be the day for the Royal Navy's party?" he observed. Knowing him, he had already deduced the why of our plan, but with any hope, he could not stop it. "Now say I do agree, what would happen to the inordinate amount of paperwork that's needed for this fleet to function?"
An inevitable response that Choshu and I knew would come. Surely we would not abandon our duties just for a little relaxation, he figured. Choshu, armed with her own clever words and a confident grin replied, "Naturally, the paperwork will be handled by—"
"Me."
My interruption diverted from our agreed-upon plan, but the original plan involved the three of us spending the entire day together. It wouldn't normally be an issue except I could not stop thinking about the nightgown and just seeing DeWolf's eyes on me put more images in my mind than I could manage. All I could envision was myself in that nightgown and the captain's all over me. Even keeping my heart under control for this brief conversation was taxing, so if I could find a way out of today's activities, leave him in Choshu's care, then I could protect myself while still fulfilling the mission.
Choshu, seemingly betrayed, turned to me. "What do you mean? I thought we were in this together," she whispered over, not that she could hide her words from a man standing only a few feet over.
"I-I was just thinking it would be better if you took care of the captain, while I took care of the base. I know we agreed last night that the base would survive for a day without him, but he does have a point: the administrative duties do need to be taken care of." It was a bit of a lie, but I hoped that Choshu wouldn't know enough to fight back against me. I just couldn't be around the captain, not today. "We cannot neglect our responsibilities to the protection of humanity."
The surprise on Choshu's face lasted only for a few seconds before she relaxed and simply smirked back. "I had a feeling you would say something like that," she replied, hand on hip, "and that's why I asked for some help from them."
I feared the worst as she gestured down the hall. At the far end, I could see them approaching: it was Hornet and Admiral Hipper. Had I been outmanoeuvred?
"Miss Hornet! Admiral Hipper! What are you two doing here?" I asked, even though I knew what the answer was. A part of me was just living in a last breath of hope and desperation.
Hornet greeted us with a flashy grin and a tip of her hat. "Taking care of the fleet, what else?"
"Obviously you've been working just as long as the captain, so if he's taking the day off, it's only logical that you do as well," Hipper added. The two kansens marched past Choshu and I and into the captain's office, neither waiting for their commanding officer's approval. Hipper, hardworking and diligent, went straight for the desk and picked up a clipboard. "In case you've forgotten, other people are allowed to care about your well-being, too." She shot a quick glance to the captain and I, then quickly looked away. "Not me, of course. I'm just here to make sure you two taking time off doesn't leave behind a huge mess for the rest of us!"
"So don't neither of you worry about a thing," Hornet reassured us. "You three go have fun, and we'll hold down the fort."
"Just don't set the house on fire," DeWolf replied.
My fate was sealed. There was no arguing past the two of them. That sense of dread and hopelessness must have been how DeWolf felt when he found Choshu and I outside his office.
"I'm not letting you shirk away so easily," Choshu said as she slid up beside me and hooked her arm around mine. "We are in this together. Don't you forget that."
DeWolf let out a heavy sigh, and it took every ounce of willpower to not join him in that sentiment. We were both locked into this course, and my only choice was to play along lest I embarrass myself further. If I let my misgivings and worries about DeWolf's gift be known, it could ruin his time off. I just had to make it through the day without thinking about it or what it could mean. A task easier said than done, however, given it was hard to even look him in the eye.
"Do I even get a say in how I'm spending my day off?" he asked.
"There's always room to negotiate, but we've got a day of rest and relaxation all planned out for you," Choshu insisted. "And the first order of business is a proper breakfast in the mess hall, and not your usual toast and coffee at your desk."
"Could we switch it to a bagel then?"
Choshu and I both knew we would have to contend with DeWolf's negotiations throughout the day. The strategy, though, was to find where we could safely compromise so he still felt he had some control over the day. After all, if we let him have total control, he would surely find a way to sneak work back into his activities. A bit of 'give and take' as the westerners would say.
Taking a deep breath, I calmed my nerves and reminded myself that today's plans hinged on me remaining poised. It wouldn't be the first time I put on a resolute face for the sake of the fleet. "If a bagel is what you wish when we arrive at the mess hall, then you may partake of one, but it would be a waste to not utilize our facilities to their fullest." Truth be told, I could use a proper meal, too; a full belly and some tea could hopefully ease my anxieties.
"I'm sorry, did you just say projectile vomiting?"
Choshu, the captain, and I all had the same incredulous expression once we heard Vestal's explanation as to why we arrived to find the mess hall closed down and all the assigned staff for the day unexpectedly absent.
"I'm afraid so, Captain DeWolf," Vestal said with a regretful nod. She gestured to a smear on the nearby wall just next to the kitchen entrance. It had been wiped down, but one could still see traces of bile staining the once pristine white walls. Somebody had been sick here just recently, and considering the stain was several feet off the ground, it had been launched with considerable force. "From what I've been told, San Diego brought a snack and shared it with the other kitchen staff. They all became quite ill shortly thereafter."
"And how are the girls?" the captain inquired.
"I've given them some anti-enemics for now. I would like to keep them in the infirmary for a few more hours just to be on the safe side."
"Very well. Be sure to let Admiral Hipper or Hornet know if there are any developments."
Vestal blinked. "Hipper or Hornet? Why them?" she asked.
"I'm on leave for the day," DeWolf explained. It was a relief that he wasn't trying to fight against or hide the truth. "They're handling operations for today, so contact either of them if there's any concerns."
"In that case, I hope you enjoy your time off," Vestal said, then gave a polite bow before excusing herself.
That left the three of us to take stock of the situation. DeWolf surveyed the mess hall for a moment. Without any kitchen staff, nothing could be prepared ahead of time, so the few kansens who stopped by had to make do with what could be made quickly, which involved a lot of toast, fuit, coffee, and tea. Not the best way to start a day, but for many there wasn't enough time for much else.
"What a surprise that girl cooks as well as she could fish," Choshu said with a subtle groan. Though it was a setback in our plans, I tried not to hold any animosity towards San Diego; I was certain she meant well when she shared her food with the others. It was just unfortunate timing on our part that this disaster coincided with our hopes of a sit-down with the captain. "Well if all the cooks are out of commission, what do we do now?" she continued on, grumbling with flattened ears. "We could try seeing if any of the cafes in the market are open yet. I don't know if any of them do breakfast, but they might make an exception given the circumstances."
While Choshu and I were reconsidering our options on how to avoid an inauspicious start to our plans, our captain already had ideas of his own.
"Come on, let's see what we can whip up," he announced, unbuttoning and removing his coat as he headed into the kitchen. I had almost forgotten that he was comfortable in the kitchen, whereas I hadn't stepped into it since my assignment with Montpelier.
"Hold on, sir," Choshu said as she chased after him. "This is supposed to be your day off. At least let Nagato and I take care of the cooking, while you relax."
"In case you didn't hear what Hornet and Admiral Hipper said, it's a day off for the two of you as well," he answered between pulling ingredients and cookware from the pantry. "Would you girls be interested in some pancakes?"
Any further protestations from either Choshu and I fell abruptly flat at the mention of pancakes. For a pair of kansens more accustomed to the traditional foods of the Sakura Empire, his offer sounded like a decadent luxury. I could've voiced an objection on the basis that such a nutritionally imbalanced meal was unsuitable for an officer of his station, but the growling lamentations of my stomach had its own opinion. I looked to my colleague to see if she had any concerns, but judging by her vacant, hungry stare she had already surrendered to her gluttony.
"Considering the occasion, I have no objections to your proposal," I finally answered. "But it should be a joint effort. Do you not agree, Choshu?"
Still wrapped up in her thoughts of food, I had to give her a quick nudge to bring her back to reality. "Wh–oh! Y-yes. We should do the, uh… thing that Nagato said. Together."
"Then roll up your sleeves, and let's get to work," DeWolf said as he gestured for us to join him.
Though it was a figure of speech, both Choshu and I wore traditional Sakuran garments, which had long, hanging sleeves that required more than just 'rolling up' to keep them secure. Thankfully, with a little bit of work, the sleeves on mine could be removed entirely, so I bundled them up and set them aside for safe-keeping. It did leave my arms exposed to the kitchen's air conditioning, but it wasn't anything I couldn't endure.
After stating he would not 'suffer any of that premade pancake mix nonsense', Choshu and I were dispatched to gather up the necessary ingredients: flour, sugar, milk, and eggs, among other things. He didn't even need to consult a recipe as he mixed the dry and wet ingredients together.
"Could one of you check to see what fruit we have available?" the captain asked.
I volunteered for the task and headed to the produce fridge. For a military base, we were fortunate to be very well provisioned. To take stock of what we had, it probably would have been easier to note what we didn't have, as the fridge held an abundance of nearly every popular produce imaginable, and even a few I was less familiar with. Be it apples, pears, plums, peaches, grapes, bananas, and melons both large and small, there was something for even the most discriminatory of palates.
No wonder the diet and nutrition budgets were so astronomical; it had to be expensive to fly this much fresh produce out to an island facility.
"Is there a particular fruit that you require?" I asked, as I could not possibly list all that was available in a reasonable timeframe.
"Small ones. Berries, ideally."
Unsure of what everyone's tastes were, I grabbed some bags of blueberries, strawberries, cherries, and raspberries. By the time I brought them back, Choshu was finishing up mixing the batter under the captain's supervision.
"Okay, that should be enough," he said before taking the bowl from her. "It's just batter, not a Siren, so it doesn't need to be pummelled into submission." He handled the actual cooking, pouring out a half-dozen perfect little circles across the stovetop griddle.
Eager, Choshu tucked in beside the captain, right under his arm. "I demand my pancakes to be as fluffy as possible," she declared, watching the pancakes with a hungry intensity. "This is taking too long. When will they be ready?"
"It's been ten seconds," DeWolf replied. "And please try not to drool on the stove."
With my counterpart taking his attention, I was free to keep my distance from him. From what I could see, if his gift did have any kind of deeper, more carnal meaning to it, he did an excellent job of hiding that intention in his public behaviour. He acted no differently than he did any other day, albeit in better spirits compared to when we first arrived. Considering how uneasy he got whenever Akagi was more assertive with him made it seem even less likely that he had some kind of darker nature lurking beneath. If anything, the person I saw before me acted more like a father, especially with how Choshu clung to his arm and bounced on her feet as she waited with waning patience for her breakfast.
"Can you put raspberries in the next one? Oh, and blueberries. Oh, and bananas! Oh, and cherries!"
"Settle down there, Choshu, or else there won't be any room for the actual pancake in all that."
At least they were getting along just fine. Choshu was clearly not as bothered by the gift as I had been, but she had been more curious than troubled back when she first saw it. Before I could contemplate the matter further, I heard the mess hall doors open and a smattering of accompanying footsteps.
"Hold on! We're not too late are we?" a voice called out.
"I don't see anybody here. I think we took too long getting Laffey out of bed." The second voice I recognized as belonging to the Iron Blood destroyer, Z23, which gave me a good idea of who else to expect as I stepped out from the kitchen. I found her near the doorway of the mess hall with her friend, Javelin. Between the two of them, however, was a barely conscious Laffey, whom I could only presume had been so reluctant to get out of bed that her two friends had to literally carry her over.
"My apologies, but the kitchen staff for today have all fallen ill," I informed the girls.
"No! I was so looking forward to today's menu!" Javelin cried out. So distraught at the news, she fell to her knees in dismay, forgetting that she was helping Z23 carry their friend and thus dropped her to the ground, too. Somehow, she landed with more of a squeak than a thump.
"Does that mean the kitchen is closed?" their fourth friend and my fellow Sakuran, Ayanami, asked. She had trailed behind the other three, but approached the kitchen door. She was likely drawn by the sounds of activity inside, which would normally suggest that the kitchen was far from closed.
Despite being unceremoniously dropped by her friend, Laffey was quick to get back to her feet as well. She sniffed at the air, her nose panning from side to side until narrowing its focus towards the kitchen. "Smell food…" she murmured, then followed in step behind Ayanami.
"W-wait, you don't have to go in there," I said in a half-hearted attempt to dissuade them. I knew if they went into the kitchen, they would bother the captain, and we were already faltering in our efforts to make today a relaxing day off.
There was nothing I could do, however, especially when it came to hungry stomachs that had already locked in on the scent of fresh cooking. They all rushed past me without another word, and by the time I caught back up with them, they had all crowded around Captain DeWolf.
"You're making pancakes?" an excited Javelin asked. "Oh! They look so delicious! Are those blueberries in them?"
"Best kind of pancakes if you ask me," he answered.
"I see that you made them from scratch," Z23 observed, noting the nearby mixing bowls and the lightly dusted countertop.
"Homemade pancakes have always been something of a tradition in my family." A quiet, gentle smile crossed DeWolf's features as he plated the now-cooked breakfast. "My father would cook them every Saturday for our family. The shipyard kept him away from home most of the time, so it was one of the rare occasions where we all got to sit down together. At least until the yards had to be closed down and everyone had to be evacuated inland." Given how easily it came to him, I had a suspicion he was drawing on more than just memories of his youth, but I refrained from saying anything about it.
"Can we have some? Can we? Please?" Javelin pleaded with the captain.
"Laffey hungry…"
"Javelin, Laffey, please. You're bothering the captain," Z23 tried to reason with her friends.
I expected a staunch rebuttal from Choshu, who had already been trying her patience waiting for breakfast, but rather than dish out harsh words, she took the plate stacked with pancakes and handed it over to Javelin. "Here. Destroyers have tactical lessons today if I'm not mistaken. Don't take too long, or you'll be late for class."
"Wait, are you sure?" Javelin replied, surprised. "After you and the captain made these together?"
"It's fine, it's fine," Choshu said with a wave of her hand. "Growing girls need their food anyways. Plus, the captain was going to teach me how to cook a perfect pancake."
"I was?" DeWolf asked, which earned him a quick elbow jab from Choshu. "O-oh! Right. Yes. We were just about to start." Though he hadn't expected the new assignment, he adapted quickly and directed our attention back to the mixing bowls. "You'll need to gather up the ingredients again. Let's see how much you remember."
Now with fresh pancakes, Javelin and her friends headed back into the dining hall to eat, with the exception of Z23 who headed to the nearby pantry. "We'll just need some pancake syrup," she announced.
However, just as she opened the cabinet door, DeWolf was suddenly at her side, slamming the door shut in her face and startling the poor girl. "Miss Z23, I like to consider myself an open-minded person, and I recognize that this base contains people from all manner of cultures, each with their own ways of doing things," he said, his voice turning to cold steel. "It's not my place to judge people's preferences and choices. With that said, though, I will not see my hard work sullied by cheap, imitation corn syrup. Not on my base. The maple syrup is in the fridge."
I hadn't seen Captain DeWolf look that determined since the attack while en route to the base. Whether swayed by his steadfast dedication to his homeland's namesake, or just too stunned by his sheer brazenness, Z23 stared in absolute silence for the longest five seconds I had ever endured. The captain's gaze never broke away from her the whole while, including when she finally started moving and edged her way over to the fridge to retrieve a bottle of maple syrup.
Once the last of them left, Choshu and I were able to make a new batch of batter without any guidance from the captain. This time around, though, my counterpart insisted on handling the cooking portion as well, though with a little coaxing I managed to talk my way into joining the impromptu cooking lesson. I couldn't let myself just sit on the sideline while everyone else did the work. The two of us stood side-by-side at the griddle as DeWolf continued to guide us on crafting the perfect pancakes. His instructions proved easy enough to follow, although I found myself waiting anxiously for when the bubbles would start forming in the batter, signifying the time to flip. The timing was important, for waiting too long could result in one side burnt, while being premature could leave the entire pancake undercooked.
"How about now? Is this enough bubbles?" Choshu asked, gesturing for DeWolf to come over and inspect her work.
The captain peered over her shoulder. "Looks good. Now flip it over. Remember: it's just one smooth motion."
Choshu nodded and gripped her spatula with both hands, her lungs heaving deep, calming breaths. "One. Smooth. Motion. Bonzai!" It wound up being less of a graceful flip and more of a forceful slam as she threw her kansen might into the motion. It hit the stovetop with a distinct, wet 'splat', which created a star-like corona of uncooked batter around the pancake. "I… uh, meant to do that. That pancake had it coming."
"It's fine. As long as it cooks properly, it won't matter what shape it's in," DeWolf reassured her. He then leaned over to check on how my pancake was coming along. "Give it about another thirty seconds and then flip."
Such instructions should have been simple to follow; however, in leaning over he brought himself very close to me. Much too close. I don't know if he intended it, but when he spoke, it was almost directly into my ear. Feeling his breath against my skin brought a fluster to my face and made every muscle in my body tense up. I tried to keep my eyes on the cooking batter, but in doing so, I couldn't see what DeWolf was doing. Was he watching the pancake like I was, or was he looking… somewhere else? If he got any closer, he'd be able to hear that my heart was churning faster than a turbine engine.
"Nagato?" he whispered, his voice soft and low. Or at least, it appeared to be. My thoughts were becoming so wrapped up in their own anxieties that my consciousness felt like it was a hundred nautical miles away. I had to keep it together. I couldn't let him know.
"Nagato?" His voice was stronger now, more urgent. Had the close proximity awoken something primal and carnal from deep within him?
"Nagato?"
I couldn't! My heart wasn't ready!
"Nagato! The pancake!" DeWolf grabbed me by the shoulder and gave me a sharp, sudden shake.
But like a coiled spring, the sudden movement caused a release of all that pent up energy. In my spiralling panic, I forgot about what I had been doing, and with a startled yelp, I flung the pancake up and over my shoulder, and squarely into the middle of Captain DeWolf's chest. There was a brief silence as the three of us stared at the burnt diskette now slowly sliding down the captain's blazer, until finally the uncooked batter could hold on no longer and the whole thing fell to the ground.
DeWolf looked at me with a raised eyebrow. "Are you okay, Nagato?"
Mentally, I was probably the furthest thing from 'okay' one could be without crossing dimensional lines, but I couldn't admit that openly. My own well-being was a distant concern compared to the sight of our commanding officer looking as though a baby had just spat up on his brand new uniform.
I had to fix this.
"O-oh my goodness! H-hold on a second, captain!" I exclaimed as I scrambled for a cloth. "I shall clean this up. Just give me a moment!"
"It's just a bit of batter, Nagato, you don't need to–whoa!" He was too tall to properly reach, so I had to grab the captain by the lapel with a free hand and pull him down to my level. "H-hey, easy now. There's really no need for this."
"This is entirely necessary, sir," I replied while frantically wiping the mess off his coat. "You are the base's acting commanding officer, and you must have a proper and professional appearance. I cannot allow my mistakes to sully your good image."
"I appreciate that you think I have an image worth preserving, but maybe you should reconsider how this looks." Only when I stopped to digest those words did I realize their full meaning. I had just grabbed the captain and pulled him down almost to eye level, and our faces were now so close that even a priestess like myself would have trouble not jumping to a salacious conclusion. And then, DeWolf made a gesture that made my throat tighten up: he pointed off towards the kitchen serving window, where almost a dozen kansens now stood.
And every single one of them was looking right at the captain and I.
I could hear their gossiping whispers amongst themselves; their curious gazes pierced through my very being faster than any ballistic shell; and the grins…
Good heavens, the way some of them were grinning ear to ear as though they had just stumbled upon a hidden treasure. If there was any mercy in the universe, I would have exploded right then and there, and spared myself any further embarrassment. Fear clamped down around my throat tighter than a sealed bulkhead holding back a flood. All I could do was just stare at the imminent demise of my reputation.
Thankfully, at least DeWolf had enough sense to pry himself free from my grasp and straighten up once more, creating at least some image of a professional officer despite the stains. "Is there something you ladies need?" he asked.
Near the front of the pack of kansens was Ashigara, one of my fellows from the Sakura Empire. "We heard you were making pancakes from Juustagram," she explained as she held up her smartphone. Displayed on the screen was a picture of Javelin and her friends posing in front of the pancakes we had given them only a short while ago. They all looked quite happy, but more importantly there was a caption beneath the image that read 'Time for breakfast with cap'ncakes'. While I wasn't very familiar with this 'social media' the younger kansens used, I knew enough to understand how fast word could spread on it.
"Did you all hear about this on Juustagram?" DeWolf replied in disbelief. Everybody nodded in response. "And you're all here for pancakes?" He was met with another round of nods.
"Wait a second," Choshu interrupted. "We all agreed that this is to be our day off work. We are not making breakfast for the entire base! That is absolutely, positively out of the question!"
Now for the sake of honesty, we did not make pancakes for the entire base: it was only about half of it. That still took the three of us most of the morning working the kitchen non-stop to feed everybody that came by. Word continued to spread even after the initial crowd–first just a couple more, then a few groups, and then eventually a steady trickle of kansens that lasted until finally relief showed up in the form of several members of the Royal Navy's maid corp. They took over the last of the cooking, as well as clean-up once the line was empty, and then began their preparations for the lunchtime menu.
Once he was relieved, Captain DeWolf took a mug of coffee and retired to a quiet, secluded corner of the dining hall where he could watch the last few kansens enjoy their breakfast. Despite the fact we had spent the past few hours slaving over a hot stove, I never got the impression that he was put off or troubled by doing what most kansens would see as work. Choshu was less bothered by the actual work as she was by the fact that it interrupted her time to eat. None of us got a chance to eat, in fact, which was why once we had finished up in the kitchen, Choshu and I approached DeWolf with a couple of plates with pancakes made from the last of the leftover batter.
"They might be a little bit burnt around the edges," I warned as I set the plate down in front of him.
"Thank you, I'm sure they'll be just fine." He set down his coffee and slid the plate closer to start eating.
I took a seat next to him, though I made sure to put a safe distance between him and me that would keep my nerves calm without making my aversion obvious. I was just about to start eating my own breakfast when a few familiar faces from the Eagle Union passed by the table.
"Hey, Nagato!" It was Cleveland herself that called out to me. Alongside her were several of her sisters, including Montpelier. The eldest sister was looking better by the day, though she was still keeping her training to light workouts. Or at least 'light' by the Eagle Union's standards given what they considered to be training rounds. "Awesome job with the pancakes. Next time you want to do something like that, let us know. We'll throw a little jamboree and everything."
"The decision today was… last second," I replied. "But I thank you for your offer."
Cleveland and her sisters said their good-byes and headed on their way, leaving the rest of us to continue eating. "Not a bad start to the day, if you ask me," DeWolf said in an idle remark.
"What are you talking about?" Choshu said from her seat on the opposite side of the captain, a plate of her own set down before her. "We worked more in the kitchen than we usually do in the office. It was hot, relentless, and tiring…"
"And you were enjoying it," DeWolf interjected. "I saw the way you were smiling every time you got thanked."
"T-that was only because everyone is so damn bright and cheery here," she hastily shot back. "It's infectious, and I bet it's got a lot to do with all your talk about 'working together' and unity stuff. May as well make our motto 'love and peace'."
"Doesn't sound too bad, really. The world could certainly use more of both," the captain said, sounding as serious as he usually was. "Could one of you pass the syrup?"
As I was closest, I reached over and handed over the bottle, once I had finished pouring some of the golden brown nectar across my own plate. "I am surprised our budget can afford to purchase so much of this maple syrup. It must be most expensive."
Anything shipped out to an island base was going to be expensive, but a specialty item like maple syrup all the way from the Maple Monarchy had to come at a premium. However, even after one bite of a pancake, I could see why DeWolf had been so insistent upon it. There was a deep richness to its flavouring that one just did not get from conventional syrup. It wasn't just raw sweetness, but there was a burnt, smokiness to it. Bold, but blunt, like a ship's prow crashing through rough seas. The blueberries only further enhanced the flavour, with sudden bursts of sweet juiciness hidden within the pancakes themselves. I have had pancakes before, but none ever as delicious as these. It was no wonder that word spread so quickly through the base about them.
"Lucky for us, with so many different cultures on base, there was a demand for everyone to have a little taste of home," DeWolf explained. "The Crimson Axis agreed to contribute, so our diet and nutrition budget now has a lot more breathing room. Unfortunately, the budget paperwork has been such a mess, nobody's realized it until recently."
"How fortuitous," Choshu said between mouthfuls. "Perhaps we should make pancake breakfasts a recurring event."
"You just want to eat more pancakes," I remarked.
"Is that a crime?"
"It'll just be once in a while, when the workload allows it," DeWolf said. "Kansen or not, you should be careful about eating too much sugar."
"You're starting to sound like a dad just now," Choshu quipped, although this time she failed to finish chewing and thus sent a flurry of pancake flechettes across the table.
DeWolf just chuckled under his breath, then reached over to wipe some of the crumbs from her face with a handkerchief. "If I'm the dad, then what does that make you?"
"A princess, naturally." She flashed an impish grin and snickered. "Should I call you dad or papa?"
"Sir will suffice."
"Of course, sir papa."
DeWolf just sighed and rolled his eyes. "Well, breakfast is done. What would you girls like to do next?"
The question reminded both of us that we had intended today to be a relaxing one for the captain, not necessarily for us. Spending an entire morning working in the kitchen was not how either of us intended to spend our day off, and now it was almost lunch time and we had barely given the captain any opportunity to relax. At the very least, we no longer had to worry about lunch since our late breakfast would carry us through the majority of the afternoon, after which we could have a light snack to tide us over until the Royal Navy's party in the evening.
"Hey, hey," Choshu whispered as she gestured for me to lean in closer. "Since the captain wound up working all morning, we should break out the secret weapon. There's no way he'll be able to weasel his way out of it."
"Are you certain it is a wise idea to deploy our best option so soon? Should we not build up to it?" I replied in an equally hushed whisper.
"He turned breakfast into nearly three hours of solid work. If we're not careful, we could be working our entire day off."
Choshu had a point. While it was apparent to me that Captain DeWolf enjoyed his morning all the same, it wasn't the relaxation and pampering we had envisioned for him. We needed to keep a safe distance and a solid barrier between him and any avenue for work. "Very well then. We shall move to the crown jewel of our operation. Success shall be ours."
"You know I can still hear you two," DeWolf reminded us. While he didn't have our level of acute hearing, the simple fact that he sat between the two of us ensured that no conversation was ever going to be private. Not that either of us were concerned with that. This was going to be the best part of our plan.
"This is the worst idea ever."
While I had expected some resistance from the captain upon our arrival at the naval base's bathhouse, I wasn't prepared for such a bold declaration. The haste in which he reacted made it sound as though he barely even considered the idea before declaring his opposition.
"Nonsense! There is nothing more relaxing than a visit to the onsen," Choshu said in defence of our plan. "A heated spring will melt away all of your troubles, invigorate your spirit, and blast away any fatigue. Truly, there is no greater source of relaxation, at least certainly not at this base."
The three of us stood before the bathhouse's main doors, but DeWolf looked no less inclined to enter than he did when we first arrived. He simply stared at the door with a wary look of trepidation, as though some horrid fate awaited him behind the doors. "Ladies, I appreciate the thought, but if I'm not mistaken, this bathhouse–"
"Onsen!" Choshu barked.
"Whatever! The point is: from my understanding, this place was built on the premise that only kansens would be using it," an exasperated DeWolf explained, one arm jabbing wildly in the direction of the bathhouse. "That means no segregated changing rooms, no separate bathing areas, no nothing. Considering that even one of you have enough firepower to vaporize me in a heartbeat, I'd have to be desperate or suicidal to take even one step inside that place. That is a no-go zone for anyone with a Y-chromosome!"
His concerns were reasonable, if a little overblown. Aside from the one incident early on that had been the fault of me barging into his quarters, he hadn't been involved in any bathroom-related incidents with other kansens. I don't believe anybody thought of the captain as the type to try and take advantage of the bathhouse, but at the same time, there were definitely those with tempers strong enough that they would shoot first and ask questions only after the dust had settled. When one was used to spending all of their time around other kansens, it was easy to forget not everybody was as durable as we were.
Choshu, to no surprise, was unsympathetic. She wasn't about to let something like a fear of death and dismemberment get in the way of her successful plans. "We wouldn't be so cruel as to just throw you into a pack of wolves," she reassured the captain. "Nagato and I have taken the liberty of informing the other factions that the onsen would be specially reserved today for command staff only. That means you'll have the whole place to yourself."
"I… guess it'd be okay… if I'm the only one allowed inside right now," he replied, though his murmurings sounded more like he was trying to convince himself than anything. "Are you sure it'll be safe? What if somebody didn't get the memo and wanders in? I'm pretty sure I've read a few comics that go like that."
"What sort of comics do you read that involve that kind of a situation?" Choshu asked.
DeWolf cast a sideways glance. "Oh, you know… guy comics. About stuff."
"Choshu and I will remain vigilant at the entrance to ensure your security," I informed him. "You will be free to enjoy the bathhouse to its fullest. I do believe the outdoor hot spring was recently completed as well. Considering the difficulty of arranging this reserved period, I implore the captain to take full advantage of it." While my words were delivered passionately, my reasoning was nonetheless sound, and the captain soon acquiesced with a reluctant sigh.
"Very well. If the two of you went through all this effort, it'd be rude to turn it down."
We led DeWolf into the bathhouse lobby and made sure to do a quick sweep of the interior just to ensure that there were no lingering kansens who thought they could sneak a quick bath in before the reserved hours. Once we were certain that the area was safe, we guided the captain towards the change rooms.
"Now you are familiar with the customs of an onsen, correct?" Choshu asked as we gathered up a small basket of soaps, body washes, and washcloths for the captain to use. "When you first enter, you must clean yourself at the washing station, and then–"
"I'm a grown man, I know how to wash myself," DeWolf interjected.
Choshu rolled her eyes. "Please. You men practically make it a competition to see who can stink the most. This is an onsen–it was a sacred part of our culture and I will not see it disrespected."
"Didn't the Royal Navy build this place?"
"It's an onsen and that's final!"
"Okay, okay," DeWolf said, taken aback by Choshu's intensity. "You know, I didn't exactly pack a bathing suit with me when I came here."
"No bathing suits! Onsens are about cleansing and purity!" Choshu continued, maintaining a strict adherence to bathhouse traditions. Even I wouldn't have been that adamant about them, but I didn't want to risk sowing discord while we were still trying to convince DeWolf. She shoved the basket full of bath essentials into his arms and then pointed him to the change room like an overbearing mother. "Now you go in there and have an enjoyable, relaxing time. The towels are just inside the change room on the left, understood?"
Judging by the way DeWolf just shrugged his shoulders, I think he finally understood that he wasn't going to talk his way past Choshu. He was doomed to enjoy the hot springs, no matter what he said. All I could do at that point was offer him a polite bow and wish him a pleasant time. It was only after he disappeared into the change room that I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"I feared he would never agree to this," I admitted, feeling a huge weight lift from my shoulders.
"Bah, it was just a matter of applying enough pressure," Choshu replied. Her confidence clearly never wavered. Knowing her, she probably would've dragged him to the baths by force if he had put up more resistance. How she would've gotten him into the baths given her self-described 'maiden's heart' would have been interesting to witness, but thankfully that would remain in the realm of the hypothetical.
Normally there would be kansens lounging in the lobby, relaxing and cooling off after their baths in the assorted chairs and sofas, but with the bathhouse reserved there was only Choshu and I. With our only job to maintain a vigil and safeguard the captain, we made ourselves comfortable for the foreseeable future. Before joining me, Choshu stopped by a nearby vending machine and purchased some small bottles of milk. She handed me one, and I noticed that she set a third bottle aside before sitting down. We sat in silence drinking our bottled milk, enjoying the brief moment of respite from what had already proven to be a hectic day. Personally, I was already a bit tired, partly from all the cooking, but mostly from my nerves draining all of my energy. Part of me was still too anxious around the captain, which wasn't helped by the fact that my thoughts kept drifting to him. It was both puzzling and worrying. Why would he of all people be the one I keep thinking about? Even those closest to me in the empire did not occupy my thoughts nearly to the same extent, although that could be attributed to the fact that back then I was often isolated by my position, while here I had been working with him on a daily basis. And thanks to him and our work, I had spent more time talking with other kansens in the past days than I would in months back in my former position. People were… friendly to me, and I did not feel as stiff around others as I used to. My sister had already said that I was more lively, especially around the captain.
Then again, an engine shaking itself to pieces could be considered lively, too.
"It's a pity that we can't make use of the baths, too," Choshu said after chugging down the last of her beverage. "Back before the foreigners came around, the empire never had issues with men and women using the onsens together. I blame the Royalists and Unionists for it. I'm told the people from the Iron Blood aren't as squeamish."
"Then perhaps you should demonstrate the superiority of the old ways and join the captain," I challenged her. One did not need to be an oracle to predict that her face would turn red within a few seconds.
"W-well, Captain DeWolf t-taught us to respect cultural differences," she stammered back. "I wouldn't want to offend his delicate sensibilities." A deep breath helped her regain her composure, after which she shot me a subtle smirk. "If anyone should join the captain, it should be you. You're the ship secretary, after all. Isn't it your duty to take good care of him?"
Once again, she knew what buttons to push to get under my skin, or in this case, set it on fire. Fortunately, I still had some milk left to help cool myself down. "T-that is wholly inappropriate," I murmured, more into the bottle than out loud. "H-he is a grown man, he does not need my assistance to bathe."
"What if he ordered you to?"
"H-he would never!"
"Of course, of course," Choshu chuckled. She enjoyed teasing me far too much.
Before my embarrassment could melt me down into slag, we heard the doors open and a few kansens strolled in, and judging by the baskets of soaps and lotions they carried, they had only one thing in mind. Though their diminutive stature might lead one to mistake them for destroyers, I recognized the three girls as u-boats from the Iron Blood fleet. At the lead was U-81, who had always been something of a de facto leader amongst their feared wolf packs.
"Eh? Is something going on here?" she asked. As neither Choshu or I looked like we had recently stepped out of a bath, our presence had obviously tipped her off.
"The bathhouse has been reserved for the private use of the base command staff," Choshu explained, adding a slight haughty tone to add an air of authority to it. "I'm afraid you'll have to come back in the evening. Did you not get the memo?"
"Oh come on, we've been out on deep sea patrol," U-81 explained. "We only just got back recently. My hair is still full of salt." She gave her head a quick shake to demonstrate how her pink locks had all the consistency of a clump of seaweed, which was an unfortunate side-effect when one spent hours submerged in ocean brine. "Just let us use it for a few minutes, please? We'll be super quiet! The captain won't even notice we're there."
"Captain DeWolf is taking much needed time off work. We would ask you to please refrain from disturbing his rest," I explained to the u-boats as politely as I could. "The bathhouse will be available for general use in the evening if you wish to return later. We apologize for the inconvenience."
U-81 sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Guess it can't be helped. We'll just have to find another way…"
One of her fellow u-boats, U-556 from what I could recall of the roster lists, frowned and glared at her comrade. "You heard her: you better not be thinking about sneaking in through the side door," she warned.
Both mine and Choshu's ears twitched in unison. "Side door?' we said in unison.
With disappointment turned to frustration, then to anxiousness, U-81 flashed an uneasy smile. "There… might be a fire exit that some of the girls like to keep propped open with a brick. It's quicker to use if you're coming from the dormitories," she explained. "Not that I was going to use it, of course. I would never be so underhanded as to disobey direct orders from the ship's secretary."
"Be sure that you do," Choshu warned, firm but friendly.
The u-boats turned and headed off, disappointed but understanding. However, the second the doors closed, Choshu and I both had the same idea and bolted to the fire exit. Just as described, the fire exit door had been kept open with a brick wedged into the doorframe. More than just a 'few' kansens must have made use of it as a path had been trodden down through the nearby patch of grass that separated the bathhouse from its surroundings. More worrying, though, was the subtle trail of dirt leading from the doorway towards the bathhouse change rooms. As I secured the door, Choshu knelt down and examined the dirt-stained carpet, rubbing some of the detritus between her fingertips and taking a quick sniff.
"It's still damp," she stated. "Somebody's here."
The second the words left Choshu's lips, I bolted down the corridor. Now the dirt trail could've been left from the evening prior, but the chances that wet dirt would've been left behind by the morning cleaning staff was too small to be ignored. I didn't even stop to announce my arrival before storming into the change rooms. It was empty at first glance, which came as a relief, and I made sure to search every nook and cranny. However, just as I was about to feel content and secure, I caught a glimpse of red fabric out of the corner of my eye.
Captain DeWolf did not wear red.
I moved with enough speed to make even a destroyer envious. There was a basket on the shelf with a neatly folded stack of clothes inside, alongside a pair of large red sandals. A quick search revealed a coat, some stockings, a blouse, and even somebody's… undergarments. Then again, what did I hope to find if not clothing? Wishful thinking, to be sure.
"Is that what I think it is?" Choshu asked, having finally caught up to me.
"S-somebody's inside! There's someone in there with the captain!" I exclaimed. "We had one job, Choshu. This is a disaster!"
"Well, calm down for a second," my friend reassured me. "It's just one kansen. That's no reason to panic."
"I… I suppose you are correct," I said, trying to calm my erratic breathing. "I-it's just one person. It could be worse."
"Wait, aren't those Akagi's clothes?"
It just got worse.