This story is one that I put by the waist side as just as its title, it was a delinquent in all manners of that aspect. From a writing standpoint to a story/trope standpoint. I did feel a little nervous about this one because the theme is about a trope that I lean in the middle between indifference and dislike.
Some backstory with this one, I started this before I wrote the Azur Lane summer story (The Royal Barbequeen) and it started to stretch to about the same length as The Head Maid's Maid story. It's not bad for it being that long because there's so much going on in this one, and it feels up there in necessity just like The Head Maid's Maid. The problem was that I needed a break from this story as the latter half was starting to feel hurried and falling apart. There was even a brief moment when I considered scrapping this story, but I decided to put it on hold and let my inspiration for the summer story take root.
I concluded that scrapping it wasn't something I wanted for the time I put into it, and it's a story idea that I did want to play around with. So, breaking this into three parts instead of one whole chapter or a two-parter was the decision I landed on.
I dare say, this might be the black sheep of my Coffee Leaf stories, but I'll let you all decide. While the trope is one that I'm indifferent to, it does bring a lot of romantic shenanigans with it and allows for a more dramatic form of romance. If I left your interest piqued, then keep on reading!
Summary: Enterprise wishes to change for the better but like a rushing wave that pulls someone toward one direction, she finds herself struggling with all her might. Bonds of friendship have kept her afloat for this long but it's not enough as her heart yearns for something more.
Belfast has come to that grim terminus as well and both find themselves unable to proceed beyond the bounds of friendship. Perhaps a delinquent cupid is just what they need?
[Delinquent Cupid Part 1]
The mess hall was always unruly, especially in the mornings. One would think that it would be the opposite as freshly rubbing-eyed shipgirls would still be yawning and smacking their dry mouths to get rid of the settled saliva that lingered in their mouths all night, but that wasn't the case.
Most shipgirls relished the start of a new day and their stomachs eagerly awaited the yummy food prepared by the shipgirl kitchen crew.
While most were like that, there were a few noticeable exceptions like Laffey... and then Enterprise came to mind.
The latter shipgirl sat at her usual table and away from the presence of the others. People she knew like Cleveland, would always go out to the shopping district with Helena to get a more intimate morning meal with her, "going steady girlfriend."
Hornet, never lingered in the mornings as she would hang out with her buddy Northampton.
The reality for Enterprise was tough to say because she was a loner in the mornings, but she didn't mind. The reclusion in the mornings had always been a time to reflect and ponder on what the enemy could be brewing. It was only after a few momentous events and one Royal Navy maid sailing into her life that she started to realize how cold and empty this reclusion felt. Her even straining to justify that her constant pondering and planning was expected of her by humanity felt like noise in the background that hardly felt viable anymore.
A series of disgruntled moans filled her throat as she observed her immaculate breakfast. She wished she could feel as pristine as her breakfast. It should have been a crime if one asked to have an immaculate meal, but not feel one hundred percent in the mornings. She was rambling internally at this point and the issue was surface level at best as there was a deeper meaning as to why she felt so disgruntled.
In honesty, the source of her upset nature stemmed from two reasons. One was dreams that kept her from fully having a blissful night, which resulted in her tired and moody outlook. One couldn't see it because she hid it well but look just deeply enough into her dull eyes and you would see the truth that she harbored.
She made another sound of discontent and sipped on her coffee, feeling the rich and inviting properties ease her soul and body. "Hmm, she's gone... and I'm always tired. What a duo," she sarcastically mouthed under her breath while the last bits were internally spoken by her.
She then picked up her warm biscuit from her plate and determinedly bit a big chunk of it. "Do you approve now, Bel...?" While she internally ate whatever resentment she felt, she failed to notice the presence that loomed behind her.
"Who's gone, dear?"
Enterprise widened her eyes and her gaze rapidly turned to see the woman that plagued her thoughts. With an unceremonious swallow, she exhaled and suddenly felt shame for her recent thoughts. "B-Belfast... you're still here?!"
What had been a somber morning for Enterprise now shifted to shock and a bit of rekindled hope.
The head maid of the Royal Navy held a tray of food in her hands with a reserved expression on her face, while standing next to the carrier. She was sharp even in the mornings and could deduce it was she who was the "her" in that bitter statement. She let it pass knowing that Enterprise had valid reasons for thinking like that. In a way, it took a different kind of cruelty to bring color into someone's world and then leave before they could make something out of that color. "Why yes, is it odd that I would want to stay here on base for just a bit longer?"
Enterprise who still held the biscuit close to her mouth, and over ten shades of silent stun repeatedly opened and closed her mouth like a fish. For the life of her, she couldn't figure out if this was a dream or not, but then again, she knew what her dreams were like these days, and it made her anxious and cautious about what she was perceiving.
A long pause blew by and even Belfast now looked out of place as she felt very silly standing there in the middle of the mess hall.
The carrier suddenly jolted, being aware of her silence that was getting them nowhere. "H-How long is a bit longer? I figured you would be needed back home after things cooled down here," she softly said with her eyes despondently moving down to her plate.
The maid tilted her head with worry across her eyes as she hated to see the woman in such a state. Her worry was pushed aside as she focused on the cynical tone found in the carrier's fragile tone of voice.
Despite it all, the maid forced a smile, hoping to genuinely uplift the carrier. "However long I want it to be. Remember when I said I was interested in you? Well, our bond is something I cherish, and I'm not done with being with you."
Enterprise swallowed and felt lost without words. The maid, true to her words, wouldn't leave her and it brought a smile to her face and more shame that she believed the light cruiser would leave her like all the others in her life.
Belfast witnessed the small smile and knew she struck gold. There was no doubt that she had unknowingly caused grief to the white-haired woman from her thinking she was truly leaving. While yes, it wasn't wrong for her to think that way as parting was always a possibility; however, she never had any plans to leave, and Enterprise merely concluded that on her own.
Seeing the carrier smile, brought hope to Belfast as what she said was the closest way of conveying her feelings to Enterprise without biting the proverbial bullet and flatly stating her true intentions.
Enterprise looking more upbeat gazed at her with joyful eyes. "I see. Would you like to sit?" She finally declared the obvious that had Belfast nodding readily.
They both giggled and enjoyed the other smile before the maid sat across the carrier.
(Commander)
In the headquarters building of the base, the Commander's office had become restricted for the time being, as a guest had entered her office with the unusual of propositions.
"Lady Nagato, is the matcha tea to your liking?" The Commander sitting by her desk spoke with a hopeful tone in her voice, and a friendly smile that could put anyone at ease. Her hazel eyes were even a source of warmth that had been the eyes that even some shipgirls on base had fallen for, but that was a long story in itself.
For her guest, It had been so sudden when a Sakura Empire main fleet had descended on base intending to communicate with the newly appointed Commander of Azur Lane's main base. Lady Nagato silently drank from the aluminum can with a green label wrapped around it. She sat across from the Commander and was a small black-haired girl that one wouldn't think she would be a leader of anything aside from leader of her dolls.
"Hmm... when you said matcha tea, I thought we would be having a traditional tea version and not..." She paused, unable to fully distaste what she had tried. For what it was, it was instant, refreshing, and remained true to an old fashion drink. "... would it be all right if I took one for Mitsu, my sister?"
The Commander leaned back into her chair and shined down a smile at the shipgirl. "Go ahead. I have a whole fridge full of them." She swiveled in her chair and opened a mini fridge from behind her, handing another can to the flagship of the Sakura Empire.
Nagato analyzed the woman in front of her. The woman was highly respected by not just Azur Lane and its factions but by even Iron Blood which had warranted an Iron Blood dorm to be made. Her home faction as well as her saw her as someone to be highly respected. "Commander Brea... are you liking this base?" She received the can and her eyes never looked away from the woman in the white uniform. Another feature noticed by the flagship Sakura was the Commander's long, dark, and rust red hair that reminded her of a warm open fire.
The Commander nodded warmly. "I do. Frankly, I felt a bit small surrounded by girls that could level buildings and fight armies all on their own. But then... I got to know them and understand them as people. Take Cleveland— an Eagle Union Light cruiser for example. She's a knight with a strong code of honor, which I think is very cool. Underneath that, she's a wonderful older sister and is hard-pressed to get people to see her girly side. Then there's Enterprise..."
Her eyes lit up and her smile grew brighter. "... she's larger than life and can pack some of the strongest of punches, making her stand head and shoulders above the strongest of shipgirls. She appears to look serious all the time, but when it comes to her fellow Kansen, she's kind and honest like an ideal senior."
The Commander grinned cheekily, imagining Cleveland and Enterprise blushing madly as if they were here to hear all the praise.
"This base is lucky to have you, Commander." Nagato's scanned the room and to her side, where a large bookcase stood adorned with past medals and ceremonial trinkets, she noticed a framed picture of various officers on a Naval port. What caught her attention was a young teen woman among the men. She had short black hair and big framed glasses, grinning goofily in front of a Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bomber that had seen better days, and was most likely a salvaged memento of an olden day.
Nagato, feeling a sense of homey comfort and warmth, failed to keep up with the conversation.
"I feel lucky myself. It's nice to be around the company of other women as I was surrounded by only men most of my life before arriving here."
Nagato was pulled out of her bright reverie and looked toward the Commander again. She composed herself with a smile of understanding and her eyes expressed a mulling of sorts. "I don't mean to be forward but are you related to the home region of the Sakura Empire in any way?"
The commander leaned forward in no way tensed or defensive. "Oh? My mother was from the Sakura region. I was raised in the home region of the Eagle Union, so I sadly never got to grow up around the cherry blossoms."
"Don't feel sorry about that. It's not something you could have changed, and it's molded you into who you are today."
"So insightful for someone so adorable," happily teased the Commander.
Nagato blushed, feeling like she wasn't being taken seriously. "I... I... Looks can be deceiving. If you don't mind me asking, you went through a change yourself from what that picture over there tells."
"Ah, not many would connect that it's me in that photo. Most think it's an old friend or lover," she playfully shook her head at the last part.
"Why change your hair color from black to red, Commander?"
"You should be saying, why did you change your hair from red to black?" She let it set in for the other occupant in the room, and when Nagato looked shocked and puzzled, she began again. "My natural hair color is what you see, genes from my father, and... there was a time I adored silky black hair to that of my mother but... time has a way of wedging bonds apart. I wish I could say that you know how mothers can act but for a shipgirl, that concept is a bit foreign."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe you and she can rekindle whatever feelings you had before your disagreement."
The woman in white smiled somberly. "Yeah... maybe I'll get my chance one day." She dispelled her moody deposition and coughed to help bring herself back into topic. "Right. How about we get to the main meat of this discussion? As much as this matcha tea tastes good, that wasn't the main reason you came here."
Nagato nodded and placed her can on a coaster on the Commander's desk. "You seem to be getting ships from around the world wanting to rally behind you. Northern Parliament, Dragon Empery, Royal Navy, Iron Blood, and so on. You've shown how forward and tactical you are against the Sirens."
"I can't take that praise. I'm merely a human borrowing from the power of the Shipgirls under my command. There's nothing really special about me."
Nagato puffed her breath out. "They borrow your wisdom into battle that gets them victories over our true enemy. Don't sell yourself short, Commander. Regardless, old shipgirls and new shipgirls are pouring in, gracing this base every day, and I noticed that your resources in getting them geared are limited, and Naval HQ seems to be lacking to assist you in that regard."
The Commander tensed and quizzically raised an eyebrow. "Who told you all this?"
"The petals in the air did..." Replied the shipgirl with fidgeting of the thumbs.
She wasn't surprised that she got an evasive answer from the Sakura girl, and she laughed lightly, slumping her weary body back on her chair. "Right..."
"I'm not using this information to twist your arm or give off malicious intent. I want to help you out by providing you with bullions to help improve the shipgirls on base."
Commander Brea now looked both interested and rightfully cautious. "That's mighty generous Lady Nagato but... what's the catch?"
The small girl shifted in her seat, a blush forming on her face. "Oh, I thought I was mentally prepared for this. Ahem... bake sale..."
A painful pause lingered between them, and the Commander suddenly felt the wind get knocked out of her. "Huh!? Come again?"
Nagato moaned disapprovingly and closed her eyes. "I would like you to allow the Sakura Empire to host a bake sale in exchange for the bullions. We have a lot of ingredients in storage after talks with the Dragon Empery didn't go too well... again. They are going to expire soon, and Akashi recommended that we bake here and sell them for profits."
The human commander scratched her cheek and sighed in disbelief. "Always on the ball, that one is. Hmm, this sounds too quirky. Could we just allow an exchange of resources or money?"
"No, it would be a waste to let the ingredients spoil, and this is getting two birds with one stone."
The Commander sipped from her can and then crossed her arms in playful sternness. "True. You'll get rid of your ingredients and get a profit overall. Can I trust you that there will be no underhanded actions during this event?"
Nagato humbly bowed her head. "You have my word that no malicious tactics on our end will arise, Commander Brea."
Hearing the shipgirl use her last name made her feel closer to her to feel reassured. "Hmm, there are a lot of shipgirls with a sweet tooth... and I do want to add that despite us not having an official Sakura dorm, there are Sakura girls that refuel and lounge temporally before resuming their journey. I guess it won't be the worse if the girls here get to experience what the Sakura has to offer." She stood up and raised a fist into the air. "All right, let's use this to re-strengthen our bond."
"Commander..." Said Nagato with a taken aback look.
The redhead stretched her hand out for a handshake. "Whatever bad blood you have with my allies in the Azur Lane..." She wanted to say Naval HQ, but they both understood to not warrant a specific name. "... know that they are hands-off with operations that happen here and trust in my judgment. I just wish they could do more in actual aid rather than spirited words to uplift me. What I'm trying to say, is I speak for myself, and I don't see why you and I can't have a working relationship if this festival goes off smoothly. But for official reasons… let's do this for humanity."
Letting out a steady breath of relief and joy, Nagato accepted her handshake. "Yes, countries aside, let's work together for a hopeful future for humanity."
"Yay, let's celebrate with another round of matcha tea," she casually smiled while cracking another can open.
Nagato nodded eagerly and thanked that Akagi or another who would not be named wasn't here to give her scowling lectures about not overdoing one's stomach.
"So, shall I be expecting a flow of Sakura girls coming into the base in the next few days?"
Nagato flinched and a sweatdrop formed on her cheek. "Umm... you could say that."
The Commander suddenly widened after being told that half of the ingredients were already on base within the allied ships of Nagato. And the other half was already on standby somewhere off in deeper waters.
To be blindsided by the ingredients that had not been agreed upon, yet given the green light to sail toward base made her feel all kinds of unsettled. If they had organized preemptively just for ingredients, then it wasn't hard to say that could translate to a disguised attack. "Nagato, you promise me that this isn't an attack, right?"
"We already discussed that! But... for full transparency... Taihou is among those coming. I've heard you and her have some... history," she said with an unsure smile.
"So, this IS an attack!" Comedically shouted the commander.
(Enterprise)
Blue and clear skies greeted the base. In the shipyard, Enterprise's ship stood docked, and she casually rested on top of one of her fighter planes. The energy she exuded was one without a care in the world and the smile behind her captain's hat that covered her face was evidence of her tranquility.
The cry of an eagle startled her, and she lifted her upper body, letting her hat fall off, as she gazed into the bold and brave eyes of her eagle that perched on her plane wing.
"Grim, what's all the fuzz?" She said, rubbing her eyes from sleeps wonderful embrace.
Her eagle communicated with her through a series of weak whistles, piping sounds, and fluttering emotes via his wings.
For Enterprise, she smiled softly and raised an eyebrow, knowing her eagle's eccentric forms of coherent communication— at least coherent to her. "Really? I'm one to say that? I'm just here minding my own business and taking a short nap."
Her eagle piped at her and fluttered his wings.
"Huh? My smile? I'm making a fuzz because I'm smiling. Are you saying that it's weird for me to smile? I'll have you know that smiling is a very human emotion."
Her eagle fluttered his wings again and perched on her shoulder much to her disagreement with the overall argument.
"Of course, I have a reason to smile." She paused and shyly looked away from her bird. Her legs then went up to her chest and she felt grateful that no one was around to see her looking emotionally exposed. "Belfast is staying on base... is it weird for me to feel happiness at a friend staying?" Her words came out quiet and happy; only allowed to be heard by her eagle.
She had acted overly odd toward Belfast when she had been told the good news, and she had just been in a state of incredulous from it all. But it was true. All of it, and her smile persisted without her not fully grasping it.
The one that grasped it was her eagle that still had that wild movement to his actions.
"Can you stop exuding that energy? I'm telling the truth!"
Her eagle happily piped, as if knowing something that the carrier didn't.
Enterprise lowered her gaze into a tired pout, feeling like she didn't change the mindset of her feathered friend. "I'm actually glad she didn't hear all of what I said. I know that I shouldn't be bitter or resentful if she did leave but... I just don't know why I felt like that. I'm used to people leaving, it's part of life. Part of being human as she adamantly expresses." She sighed and noticed that her eagle was messing with his feathers and hadn't heard her frustrations.
"Pfft, I need to be better. I need to try to make peace with those negative thoughts." It was then that an odd thought entered her mind. "Now that I think about it, why am I here relaxing when I should be with her? —making it up!" She smiled unknowingly, feeling the warmth and fondness she felt in having someone like Belfast enter her life that made her feel more alive than she had been in a long time.
The moment of clarity rapidly vanished when her bird whistled angrily toward the sky, and it wasn't from any sort of playful banter she expected. His cries were serious and panicked.
Enterprise shot her gaze upward to see a barrage of payloads cataclysmically falling toward her ship. So many things raced through her mind. "We're under attack! A dive bomber!? How did the enemy get this close?!"
She instinctively grabbed her eagle and jumped off her stationary plane as the first strike in the wave decimated the front part of her carrier deck. In quick succession, another payload annihilated the mid-section of her deck. She was lucky to be almost at the back of her runway, giving her enough time to sprint like she just escaped hell.
Destructive shockwaves and explosions rattled her body, causing her to nearly stumble as the ground underneath her shifted. Her ship was a foregone conclusion, and it was sinking rapidly. She was running across her ship on a diagonal ground, quickly conveying that it had split into two and was fastly approaching sinking. She watched as ablaze metal from her planes drowned in the water and the fires spread throughout her ship. "This... can't be happening!" She leaped off her sinking ship, across the gap between the shipyard and her now doomed vessel. Horror flashed in her eyes when a nearly incoming payload bomb blasted her forward while still in the air.
Her body smashed against a shipping container, denting it and forcing her to spit blood from her mouth.
She must have lost consciousness for a minute or two. When she came to, fire and screaming welcomed her back to consciousness.
The smoke in the air choked her and forced her to cough. Explosions continued to ring all around her and the shipyard itself had become a wrecked wasteland of fire.
Standing up shakily, she noticed the grim gut-punching awareness that her eagle was gone with only feathers scattered on the floor and held firm in her hands. "Grim! Where are you!?" She despairingly searched all over.
The cries and artillery fire from other shipgirls perked her ears and she turned behind her to see Cleveland and her sisters firing at the smog in the air caused by all the fire. She then saw San Diego, Hammann, and Hornet also combating whatever was above them in the cloudy smog.
"C-Cleveland! Hornet! Everyone!" She desperately wanted to aid them, but she had been disabled too quickly by an unreal enemy that got past all their warning defenses. Taking a few steps toward them, her heart sank when she spotted shadows plummeting from the sky masked through the smog that she could barely tell. "No, run away!" She crazily yelled at the top of her lungs, but it was fruitless.
The shadows were the casings of payload bombs that hit Cleveland, her sisters, Hornet, San Diego, and Hammann in a point-blank hit, vaporizing them on the spot.
"Ahh!" Enterprise covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably at the tragedy that she witnessed. "Cleveland... Hornet... Hammann... no."
It became grimly apparent to her that in her time of unconsciousness, she had been numb to the horrible sight that other shipgirls had met the same fate as rigging parts were scattered throughout the burning shipyard.
"Miss... Enterprise..."
A new horror filled her violet eyes and she hesitantly turned around. In the distance, where a building had crumbled, Belfast lay on the ground with half her body buried under a fallen wall. The archer sucked in the smoke-riddled air and ran even faster than she did when she was running for her own life.
"Belfast! No... no please!" Her hands gripped the fallen wall and she lifted it slowly with all her strength. Maybe it was a part due to her adrenaline and fear of seeing Belfast wounded or her overall strength as a carrier, but she soon lifted it enough to drag it away from the light cruiser. She exhaustedly stood over the maid and dropped onto her knees, picking up the royal and not even caring that she dug her knees in broken glass from a once whole window from the same building. "Bel..." Tears were streaming down her face, and Belfast weakly opened her eyes.
"Enterprise... don't cry..." The maid forced herself to smile, her bloody gloved hand touching the burning skin and wet tear-stained cheeks of the carrier. She made a groan and succumbed to unconsciousness in the arms of the carrier.
From the hot raging flames, a cold and calm voice resounded. "None of them can be saved. War will always take and take until you don't even have a leg to stand on anymore."
Enterprise crazily shot her eyes at the grim voice that came from the bowels of the inferno that now surrounded her as if it had a mind of its own. Once she heard that voice, she knew it was from that nightmarish version of her that had tormented her some time ago. "No... you can't be here. I changed my fate... and rejected your ideals of war!"
The eagle carrier looked down and noticed that Belfast was gone from her hands. "What?! Give her back now!" She shot her gaze up and came face to face with the battle-worn visage of herself.
Her counterpart's eyes were cold and distant, giving off a firm look of death and indifference. "War never gives anything back..." She calmly stated.
Enterprise dropped her head on the floor and began to sob.
The battle-worn version of herself closed her eyes in rejection of the sad display from Enterprise. "You're right. I shouldn't be here. I'm just a ghost, a ghost you refuse to let go of."
"Stop it! That's not true!" Enterprise stood up to challenge this version of herself staggering from her knees having glass in them. The goal of saving Belfast gave her the strength to move forward against the flames that started to grow closer with abstract faces within the flames that looked like they wanted to devour her.
"War never changes, Enterprise. And you will never change. You lack the will to let me go, knowing that each battle brings you closer to me. It's undeniable."
Enterprise angrily moved forward with one eye closed and the flames encroaching quicker. Sweat drenched her body, and she was choking, but she had the strength to let out what she now believed. "People can change... bonds can be reforged, and we can learn from our mistakes. We... must change."
A whirlwind of air swept through them both and the flames immediately snuffed out like candles on a cake. What stood around them now, were ghostly white ashes that floated gently toward them, sticking themselves on their skin, hair, and clothes.
A broken smile appeared on the wicked archer. "Who are you convincing?" Me or you? Bonds of friendship are not enough, and you know it. Eventually, those bonds will break, and you will be alone just like me."
The flames rekindled with a newfound wave of heat that consumed both in an instant.
"No!" Enterprise's world turned dark, yet she could still feel every burning and agonizing second of those flames.
"Miss Enterprise!"
Tightened eyes rapidly shot open, and the violet pools of the carrier expressed the harshest of storms. It had all been a dream, one that took a piece from the archer, nonetheless. Her skin was pale and shined a cold sweat all over. Her heartbeat hadn't stopped its panicked dance, and it wasn't until she registered where she was that it all started to fall back in place.
It was the morning of the next day when Belfast had told her she would be staying, and the woman that urgently spoke was none other than the head maid.
Belfast's eyes were filled with concern and fear for the woman underneath her.
"Belfast...?" Uttered the white-haired woman in a daze.
"You were thrashing around in your sleep, Miss Enterprise."
"Sleep... it was all... a dream?" Her unsteady eyes looked back at Belfast and the maid recoiled when an out-of-nowhere hug from the carrier held her firmly in place.
Belfast just stood there, wide eyes and steady breath at the vulnerability expressed by the white-haired woman. Whatever terror she had dreamt up, shook her to her core.
They pulled apart and Enterprise lowered her head. "Belfast... I... I need to tell you something." She spoke those words with a heavy and dire tone. The maid merely nodded silently and reassuringly.
"You've been having nightmares?" Time had advanced and Belfast and Enterprise were now at the infirmary under the care of Vestal, the local repair/medical ship of the base. Aside from overseeing the condition of all the ships, she was also the primary care physician of Enterprise.
"Yeah..." said the carrier with a willingness to speak about her horrible trauma toward the lavender-haired woman.
After the harrowing things that the maid learned from Enterprise, this outcome was a foregone conclusion and one that Enterprise didn't even fight against.
Enterprise now sat on the patient's table with a thermometer in her mouth. If asked, she would say it was a useless health check as she wasn't feeling anything wrong with her body temperature-wise. Regardless, she allowed Vestal's proverbial clipboard box checks.
"... and these have been a reoccurring thing for weeks?!" Asked the repair ship, while writing more stuff down on her clipboard similar to a woman possessed. She forced herself to not emote how agitated she was by not shaking her head as she wrote, but Enterprise could see it in her eyes and tone.
The head maid somberly looked away as she had also failed to notice the tormented awakenings of the woman under her care. She had hidden it well from everyone yet this dream that she told her had been the final nail in the coffin.
Enterprise like a broken record replied with her one singular word. "Yeah..." She laid out all the dreams she had, and Vestal listen attentively.
Vestal proceeded to chew on her pencil before putting it down along with her clipboard. "Enterprise... I... I'm not sure what I could do for rampant dreams like these. I could request for sleep study equipment to be delivered on-site to perhaps find a cause for this or... maybe it's best that you return home for a full examination and some R&R?"
Enterprise stiffened at the options, and she guarded her emotions with her eyes looking away. She didn't want to be separated from Belfast... and the others. They needed her. The commander needed her. This base needed her.
Vestal took the silence and nodded grimly. "It could be all mental with some... unresolved feelings merely playing their part." She glanced at the head maid, considering that the latest dream had her play a cruel role in it.
The carrier looked to be at her wit's end and she gazed into space for what felt like minutes, but it was only a few seconds. She shook her head randomly a few times and trained her eyes back on them as if finally agreeing with herself. "I... I don't know. Could we try the on-site sleep study equipment option? I'll feel better if you were the one overseeing my issue rather than a bunch of faceless lab coat doctors. Please, study me away if you must. I just... want these dreams to stop."
Vestal felt touched and nodded. She even didn't add that if she took the return home option, she would have gone with her as that was her duty both as seeing Enterprise as her patient, and one who she saw as family. "I understand. Thank you for letting me know about this. I'm very proud of you."
"—we both our, Miss Enterprise," added Belfast with a smile.
Enterprise sadly locked gazes with Belfast and she gave her a small smile that conveyed how happy she was to see her.
Belfast smiled back at her, yet it didn't reach her eyes. She felt utterly useless to her friend that had demons she couldn't fight physically with her.
The morning was underway and as Enterprise and Belfast exited out of the infirmary, a group of Eagle Union girls was running to the mess hall for the morning grub.
"Just like clockwork," commented the carrier to herself. This helped her move away from her lingering thoughts on herself and to something more outward like the shipgirls that she lived with.
A hand rested on her shoulder and the carrier suddenly felt warm and happy. She looked over her shoulder to see the maid.
"Miss Enterprise... thank you for agreeing to come." She removed her hand and placed them on her front in a prim and proper manner.
Enterprise blushed and she produced a vulnerable smile. "It would have happened sooner or later. Listen, can we put this behind us for now?"
"Very well. Just know that this doesn't make me look at you any differently. I'm proud of you for opening up more to me."
Enterprise choked in her attempt to let out a cry and felt happy to hear what she heard. She gave Belfast a warm smile that captivated the light cruiser. "Bel... you're a good friend. I don't think I ever had someone like you, and I feel lucky." She smiled further, her tears falling slightly from her closed eyes and a happy smile
Belfast beamed, feeling like their bond had grown deeper and their trust in each other had grown. However, it wasn't without defeat, as the crushing label of a friend felt too small for what her heart wanted to carry.
(Later that day)
Within the base, around where the headquarters building resided, an indoor garden was housed that drew one Eagle Union carrier in.
She heard good things about this spot from Laffey who had used it as one of her go too sleeping places with how relaxing and tranquil it was.
A part of her thought that she would have been alone at this afternoon hour. The reason was that most of the Shipgirls rushed to the quickly assembled Sakura event festival that had been the rumor as to why an influx of Sakura shipgirls had invaded the base yesterday.
That event was now being held on the academy grounds as the Sakura shipgirls had taken over the ovens of the academy kitchen and had been baking all afternoon and night.
She had not expected anyone, but the last person she least expected was the commander of all people who greeted her with a warm smile.
"Enterprise, how are you doing today?" Commander Brea waved at her from the doorway of the garden.
The carrier dispelled her shock and somewhat annoyed look on her face. She had been laying on a stone bench and gazing off into space when the commander had entered. "Commander... fine. Is there an assignment?"
The redhead sighed, internally thinking how Enterprise was always very serious and hardworking when it came to duty. "No no. Just saw you on my way to the festival and... you looked troubled."
The archer's violet eyes grew shaky and distant. "Am I that much of an open book? Don't worry, Commander. My personal problems will not hinder my performance on the field or my allies... It won't." She refused to give doubt to the commander and potentially force her to sideline her in future operations.
The Commander's hazel eyes playfully rolled in place, making Enterprise unsure what she would say next. "Not everything is about performance and work, Enterprise." She sighed and proceeded in ripping the metaphorical band-aid open. "I've heard what happened this morning."
Enterprise shot up, her fear realized and rage from the betrayal of Vestal and Belfast being her only two companions that knew about her incident. "You did? It was Vestal, wasn't it? So much for doctor-patient confidentiality," she bitterly proclaimed with a disgusted frown.
"Whoa, calm down. She's just concerned and wanted my input."
Enterprise's violet eyes sternly shot at the commander. "With respect, this isn't your business, Commander."
A cold shiver ran down the human's spine. She had been around the Siren playground of danger in the past, but that look from the carrier made that all feel like an actual playground and not death concepts and alien weaponry that could kill her an infinite number of times over. This truly was a sensitive matter if Enterprise was acting so defensively. "Maybe, but I worry about you, Enterprise. It's only natural for a friend to worry about another."
The word friend disabled Enterprise's anger and the respect and admiration for the human bled through. All she felt now was shame for herself for her pettiness and sickly behavior. "I..."
The commander lifted a hand to express that she didn't need to apologize for her actions. "Vestal didn't tell me everything as she said that I should hear it from you, but she did tell me that these nightmares have been reoccurring and getting stronger. Please don't lose trust in her."
Feeling overwhelmed, Enterprise placed herself back down on the stone bench. "They started off as memories... I say memories because they felt so vivid, and I remember them clearly like remembering what I did a week ago or even a year ago. But in these memories, I'm not myself. I'm my ship and I'm being attacked on all fronts. The damage I sustain feels real too, and I can feel the pain as if my flesh was being bombarded by those attacks." The carrier grew startled when the commander silently sat down with her on the bench.
The commander then pulled out a mustard yellow ration bar from her pocket. "Would you like one?" She asked with a warm smile.
Enterprise stared at the commander and then at the ration bar with unblinking eyes. She heard about this from other shipgirls. How the commander would have specific food items that Shipgirls might like almost like an ice breaker or conversation starter. It reminded her of a teacher carrying treats for her kids that made her feel small and not taken seriously.
Enterprise pushed it back toward the commander who looked taken slightly aback.
"No disrespect, Commander. But I promised a friend that I would quit eating those things. You probably heard how I ate those religiously, but they were becoming a crutch against my daily nutritional needs, so I quit."
Commander Brea understood and felt bad that she had offered up the opposite of what she intended. To her, it now felt like she offered a drug vice instead of a favorite treat to the one she wished to grow a better bond with. She stuffed the bar back into her pocket and leaned forward with her hands underneath her chin. Her voice then returned. "Memories... and... you being your ship? It sounds like a case of passive cognition remembrance brought upon your wisdom cube." She remarked with a pondering look behind her gaze
"Huh!? Commander what do you know about this?!"
The redhead smiled warmly and hid nothing back as a show for her mistake earlier. "Oh, nothing much. It's making waves in the Kansen research department and there's no concrete proof at the moment. It's all theory but do know that what you have been experiencing has been found in numerous other shipgirls throughout the world. During deep sleep, a Shipgirl's wisdom cube will reach out and connect to memories that are not your own but of another version of you in another time and life."
"Another version of me?" Her mind flashed to the battle-worn woman that was a cruel reflection of her, and she bitterly made a face.
Commander Brea winked and with a metaphorical star in her eye, she raised an all-knowing finger in the air. "Yes, I have a colleague who's writing a book about it and if you want, I could always introduce you to them. There's also support groups that have Shipgirls dealing and venting out these troubling memories."
The carrier turned her head away, expressing outright rejection of the idea. "It's embarrassing to show my face toward something like that. What will they think of seeing Enterprise in one of those groups...?"
The commander shook her head and determinedly stared against the carrier's closed-minded view. "... That the woman they look up to is having the same issues as they are and can relate to you on a human level."
Enterprise paused, feeling a deep level of touch that brought about overall shame for her negative thoughts.
"Enterprise... you said they started off as memories. So, what are they now?" Inquired the commander.
The carrier sighed, her desire in keeping her issues guarded no longer feasible. "They're different now. It happened before you arrived here but to make a long story short, I ran into a woman that looked like me and she kept telling me that war will never change and that I would be just like her… soon alone. In this latest dream, she attacked the base and killed my friends and... took Belfast..." She shut her eyes, yet tears began to pour out in volume from her words.
The commander widened her eyes at seeing Enterprise cry for the first time in her whole life. This ace carrier that she admired beyond measure and had the honor of serving with was showing her most human side. And it didn't diminish the image she had of her. "Belfast. The head maid from the Royal Navy, is that right?"
Enterprise quickly became evasive, and she dried her tears and was replaced with crimson cheeks. "She's helped me so much to accept my human emotions and to live life proudly. But all I gave in return was a failure to keep her safe."
"Hey, don't berate yourself. No one can control their nightmares— they wouldn't be nightmares if you could."
Enterprise cracked a sorrowful smile and tried her best to stop her spontaneous tears from flowing. It was then that her voice took on a grim and dark tone. "I fear that I might lose her one day to war, and a small part of me wishes that I never got to know her to keep from one day feeling something that painful and brutal."
The redhead felt lost for words for a second until she patted the carrier on the knee. "My, you poor thing. Enterprise, war is a harsh beast, you and I know that all too well. That's why it's vital to smile and rely on one another through the toughest of battles. You wishing that you never met her is the worst kind of wish you could ask. It borders on an apathy, empty, and indifferent level that gains nothing to the overall experience of human life. As the saying goes, it's better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all. If we don't let ourselves heal our souls through our connection with others, then we'll become numb to everything just to make the pain of war go away."
Every part of Enterprise unanimously agreed with the other woman. "Commander... I've been trying to, it's just hard. It's hard to not think like that when every battle gets tougher."
They had reached an impasse in their discussion, and the commander could see that Enterprise would not heal herself with just her being with her. "Then come to the festival with me. Let's join our friends in some fun and games while stuffing our mouths with delicious sweets."
Enterprise expressed the greatest of reluctance that went hand in hand with her crossed arms.
Feeling a bit cheeky and assessing that there was more to Belfast than just a friend because of the way the carrier blushed, she went all in and used the Belfast card. "Isn't Miss Belfast going too?" She stood up and placed her hands behind her back while wandering toward a bed of roses.
"Belfast..." Enterprise's evasive gaze and her crossed arms canceled out, and what stood before the commander was a carrier who looked like she had just been hit with the news of the century.
The commander cocked her head and saw the fighting expression that the carrier was doing within herself. She could see that she was deep in some reverie that wanted to force a smile out across her unsure face.
The woman dressed in white sauntered back toward Enterprise, getting her attention. "Enterprise, change begins by the one desiring it taking the first step. Don't shut yourself away from the world... from those who love you. That's when that woman's reality will become your own." She stepped out, placing her faith in Enterprise that she would take the next positive step in her healing.
(Some more time later—At the festival)
The academy grounds had undergone a drastic change that now had Sakura Empire aesthetic as the main theme of the academy. Aside from all the invasion of the Sakura Empire jokes, this was clearly an invasion of the cultural kind for a lack of a better word. It didn't help that most of the trees in the academy were radiantly pink that tied everything together.
On every building and every tree, red Sakura cherry lanterns hung wonderfully, encapsulating the style and traditions that were pivotal to the Sakura Empire and dwarfed only by their honor.
The merchants, who were also shipgirls, that would be selling the baked goods were those who either volunteered or were picked by Nagato to oversee the proper and fair transactions between those in need of quelling their sweet tooth.
Shipgirls like Souryuu, Hyuuga, Zuikaku, Shoukaku, and Mikasa were among those who had set up cute and cozy stands lining up the different areas of the grounds.
Big red imposing Shinto Torii gates were haphazardly placed virtually all over the place from the dirt paths to the academy doorways.
Some Sakura shipgirls were also heading out folding fans with every sweet purchase made akin to the same energy as someone ringing a bell after a successful transaction.
The Sakura Empire tapestries were on a whole different level that decorated the stands and made them even more garish and unique.
In one of the stands, close to the massive golden anchor that was part of the academy fountain, a black-haired Sakura shipgirl hummed melodiously to herself. She proceeded to set up pies on top of a black heating platform placed on top of the table stand, and adjusted a heat lamp that hung above the table via adjustable lamp legs.
Another Sakura ship, who was smaller and with green hair, waltzed through the entry point of the stand. There was no hiding her excitement that had her cat ears twitching. "Haha, I smell both profits and delicious treats, nya! How about you, Taihou?"
The black-haired shipgirl named Taihou turned around, revealing her blue apron over her red dress. She wore a different hairstyle than her usual, and it resembled more of a messy housewife hair bun compared to her usual long twin tails. "Akashi, stop smirking over there and help me set up the table. The dessert rush is about to kick off and I want my sweet Commander to come by as one of the first ones to glance at my delectable desserts." A love-induced smirk appeared across her face as she lifted binoculars that rested on the edge of the table close to her eyes and trained them all around her perimeter like a fisherman searching for their white whale. And it was no stretch to say that she had a particular harpoon ready for her loving commander.
Akashi then popped on the other side of the binocular lenses with the widest of grins. "Oh, you'll get the first glance, nya! The 'Oh no, it's her' glance. Face it, you're not going to surprise her because I'm sure Nagato already spilled the beans on that."
Taihou bitterly lowered her spying tool and almost snarled at the catgirl. "It doesn't matter! My Commander will still come towards me. Our love is written in the stars," proclaimed the red-eyed carrier with a dramatic hand upon her forehead.
Akashi just looked not that into it and sighed. She stepped back into the roof shade of their stand and leveled with the other woman. "Okay, first of all, Nya. She's not your Commander as she hasn't accepted you into the ranks."
That jolted the busty beauty from her high place, and she stared daggers at the catgirl. "Grr... she's shy okay! I can see it in her eyes that she yearns for me just as I yearn for her but is too afraid to make the first move."
Akashi folded her arms and turned her head to the side in disbelief. "Nya! You're being delusional! You made the first move, and the second, and the third and still she evades your advances." The cat merchant suddenly saw the shadow of a massive basket loom above her, and she turned in fright to see a fruit basket descend on her. Taihou had dropped her elegant weight on top of it once it had ensnared the annoying catship. "Quiet you. Whose side are you on anyway?!"
Akashi cried humbly under the basket, and one could hear claws scratching against the woven basket. "The one with the most coin, nya— which is you, nya!"
Taihou smirked and looked pleased with the answer. "Then pipe down and don't use the special pie until she gets here. It's at the top within the hot box."
"All right. Jeez, it's not like I have to go far to get it."
Taihou dreamily gazed off into space. "Oh, I can hardly wait. When I see my cute ember darling, I'll give you the go-ahead and put the pie on display." She kicked the basket with her foot and Akashi appeared with her knees close to her chest.
"Hmph, If you guys were destined to be together, why do you need the pie anyway?" She said as she brushed the dirt from her sailor uniform.
"Even true love needs a push to get it eternally moving," sensually smirked the carrier with a hand on her bosom.
"Jeez, what a slogan. How do you even know she's going to even come to this booth, nya?! If I was her, I'll avoid this area like the plague."
"Hehe, because she won't be able to resist what I have to offer! I did some digging, paid a few people within certain groups I'm not too keen to name, and found out her favorite dessert."
The cat girl scratched her fluffy ear, processing what she just heard. "So that's why you chose to make a cat ton of Grandma's Sakura Empire fruit pie. Talk about a classic, nya."
"Ack, I refuse to call it by that name!" She twirled around gracefully and stretched her arms out toward her pies that were nice and toasty under the heat lamp. "These are my delinquent delights— devil fruit pie series! So good, it's sinful."
Akashi suddenly looked deflated and exhaled noisily. "That name... sounds oddly like something she would be interested in, and I doubt you came up with that without some hint."
"Pfft, I know everything about her, so yes, you're right that the name resonates with her," proudly declared Taihou.
"Admit it, you've been literally digging through her trash, haven't you?!"
The Sakura carrier woundedly flinched and forced a smile out through the scowl she shot at the catship. "My methods are above your understanding, Akashi. Besides, I have an Iron Blood buddy who does it for me and sends me what she finds valuable."
"Okay, just stop, or else I'll be testifying in the near future if I hear more of these illegal info-gathering activities," she stated with a cute face and her leg endearingly digging into the floor.
Taihou crossed her arms. "Stop acting cutely innocent. Your job was to make the secret ingredient for the pie and to help me draw her in when the time is right. I'll show you that she truly does love me."
"Hmm... we shall see if it's true love or obsession," she mumbled under her breath.
"What was that!?" Shouted Taihou.
"Nothing! All right, jeez. This is going to be a catastrophe of epic proportions." She set to work on finishing their stand while Taihou did her thing and set off to track her beloved Commander to get her whereabouts to ready herself.
(Belfast)
The head maid of the Royal Navy walked through the transformed academy grounds. She and along with a wide array of shipgirls were taking in and experiencing the wonderful rich aroma of sweets that permeated the air.
The grounds were unrecognizable with the only landmark being the golden anchor and fountain that served as a firm key point. The sweet air was truly nothing to scoff at as rich aromas blanketed and caressed her nose via delectable mouthwatering smells. There were many types of desserts for every type of sweet craving one could imagine.
Sweet stuff like Dangos, Castella honey sponge cake, yummy gelatinous Mizu yokan, Mochi ice cream, Matcha tiramisu, and rainbow and sugary Konpeito assaulted her every time she cocked her head in a new direction. That wasn't even the full list as much further back she spotted the simple yet delicious wafer-based Monaka, and the diet-friendly, summer-friendly, cool and refreshing Anmitsu.
The array of creative desserts was just staggering, and Belfast was having a hard time wondering which one to choose. Her dainty weight also came into play as she mournfully imagined the extra work, she would need to do to keep her ideal form, especially with summer closing in. "This is quite the dilemma."
She spotted a dessert from one of the stands that were housed inside a type of plastic wine glass and had white cream on top of a chocolate base of sorts. Feeling like that was a good starting point, she walked over to it.
Underneath the rows of the same dessert stood a cold table to keep them all cold and in top form. If she had to give marks to the Sakura girls it would have to be on their dutiful attention to quality, especially given that they were working out in the heat of the sun and had taken measures to maintain the quality of their desserts.
"Excuse me, what do you have here?" She asked politely.
A shipgirl wearing an old-style military officer outfit, horns on her side, dark brown hair, and yellow eyes turned to her after bowing to the last customer she had. "Salutations, I see you are one with a keen eye for a great quality dessert. This here is Coffee Jelly, a harmonious blend of bitter coffee cubes swimming in a wonderful sea of sugary and creamy... well, cream! If you're the type who likes the flavor of bitter and sweet hand and hand, then look no further for this is the best of both worlds."
Belfast marveled at the promising dessert that would be a hit toward the one she wished to give. "I see. She would definitely love this. Could I please get two?" She then pulled out her phone and glanced around inquisitively. "You wouldn't happen to have a credit card reader or the option to pay via phone, would you?"
The Sakura ship blushed and began to whimper quietly to herself, forming a squiggly line across her mouth. "Umm... credit card reader? wait, you want to pay by giving me your phone?!"
Belfast quickly defused the situation when fate granted her cash within her small purse. "S-Sorry. I do have cash on hand, so worry not dear."
The dark brown-haired woman sighed with joy. "Oh, forgive me. I'm not used to the times. How it baffles me that a simple form of currency transaction could grow to be so complicated."
Belfast bid her farewell, stepped out of the stand, and back into the sun; a little pourer but with a treat for the carrier that she knew she would like. "Oh, I should indeed call her. Maybe she's here somewhere. Wait, perhaps she's ditching the event and staying in her room." Her eyes grew stern, and that lone idea was unacceptable to her. "Belfast... this is why you cling to her like gum on a shoe. But... I shouldn't be too clingy. Good gracious, we're not even... dating." She swallowed grimly as her true feelings bubbled and raised out of her throat in the most natural way possible for her.
She sighed and moved both plastic wine glasses to her left hand, all the while her mind hadn't veered away from what she had confessed. "We would be dating if I had the guts to tell her how I felt, but I don't think now is a good time. She needs a friend more." A fire of rekindled determination fueled her when she remembered the heavenly smile the carrier gave her when she told her that she would be staying. A smile like that carried a lot of weight in someone that saw another as something more than a friend, even if that person didn't know what those feelings meant yet.
She mentally fought herself, disliking the idea of forcing the Eagle Union woman to realize her own feelings. It was a poor way of getting her feelings across, and she needed to be patient with her and help her reach that endpoint on her own. "I shouldn't assume too much. For now, I'll call her and drag her here if I must." She raised her phone and waited patiently for the line to answer.
A second turned to two, and two seconds turned to a minute. "She didn't pick up. All right, Miss Enterprise. You leave me with no choice." She would head over to her dorm room and confront her. Letting her energetic high dissipate for a bit, she realized that Enterprise might still be feeling off from those nightmares she's been having. A justifiable reason to stay indoors but one that didn't solve the issue at hand.
She was about to start making her way to the Eagle Union dorms when...
"Come on, you gals. Love is a beautiful thing but sometimes it needs a little push in the right direction, nya!"
"Huh?" Belfast attentively fixed her blue eyes toward a stand with the name "Delinquent Delights" written on a sign that was at the front of the table. From her observation, she spotted Cleveland and Helena glancing over the desserts.
She didn't know what compelled her to go toward the stand. Maybe it was the promise that encapsulated the idea of love in dessert form or maybe she felt enraptured by the general curiosity about it. Regardless, she moved up and stood silently behind the two Eagle Union light cruisers.
Cleveland had just taken her first bite, and her throat vibrated with happiness while her lips were still closed around the spoon. "Hmm—wow, now that's good fruit pie," she said with a magic aura of delight around her.
Her girlfriend Helena was on the same wavelength. "I never gave it much thought that a combination of raisins, pecans, and coconut could melt my mouth like this!" She moaned lyrically and mentally prepared herself for another blast of overload to her tastebuds.
"Is this why it has delinquent in its name?" Playfully asked Cleveland, while taking another rich bite from her slice.
"Haha... that's the pun... I think, nya!" Little did they know that the choice of name was only something so esoteric to her, Taihou, and the commander— who would sadly be the guinea pig in what she called a trial run.
"I'll take two to go then. What do you think, Hel?" Questioned the blonde.
Helena mournfully scraped the remaining bits of pie off her plate and savored the last bite of the dessert. "Oh... we shouldn't as there's so much more to pick from but... okay!"
"Nya! Looks like you two love birds already have the breaks shot off on your love train." She pulled out a to-go box and slid two pieces into the box, all the happier that she secured another purchase.
Cleveland laughed shyly and accepted the box while exchanging it with the payment for it. "Well, our journey doesn't need no breaks." It sounded better in her head, and she instantly blushed more from what she said.
The effects of it had Helena melting into putty. "Ah, Cleve." Despite the shyness, the blonde didn't refuse a peck on the cheek from her girlfriend.
Belfast stood in deep fondness and reverence from the romantic display that got her heart a bit sad if asked. Her thoughts traveled to Enterprise, and she wondered what kind of sweet and intimate things she was capable of saying.
The two Eagle Unions quickly went off to find other worthwhile desserts, leaving her with Akashi.
"Hey there, maid!"
The royal perked up in attention and elegantly bowed. "Hello. I'm Belfast of the Royal Navy."
"Figured as much with that get-up you got. You've come to the right place if you're looking to kick off your love."
Belfast had always felt confident and took pride in the uniform she wore that made her feel a part of something noble and bigger than her, but the inconsiderate remark made from the catship had caused a stain of doubt to metaphorically appear on her maid dress. She refused to allow herself to show how much those words impacted her thoughts, and she narrowed her eyes sternly. "I'm more than capable of kicking my love off the ground, thank you very much."
"So, you got soft eyes for a certain someone, huh?" Akashi gave her soft and flattery eyes, and Belfast stumbled upon her words. It was bad enough she was drawn to a stand that promoted the promise of assisted love but to actively reveal it was of a different nature.
"N-No, it was just..." She was stumbling hard. This wasn't like her, and she knew that. Just go to show how much Enterprise had an endearing grasp on her heart that made her grow shaky in her foundation.
"It's okay, Miss Maid. Love and coin can make one blush, and I'll ease up on the teasing. Now, could you be looking for a slice or two for you and your... gal?"
Belfast closed her mouth which had been opened slightly and stood courteous by placing her hands in front of her. "I won't answer that, but I'll take two if you don't mind."
"You got it, Miss Maid, nya!" Akashi then noticed that most of the pies had been emptied from their pie dishes and considering she had been giving the maid a wild tease, figured to get a fresh one out from the hotbox.
The maid leaned to her side to be able to talk to the other shipgirl who was covered behind the open hotbox door. "Again, the name's Belfast, Miss Akashi. You might not be from around here, but we have met in the past."
"Hmmm, I could say I have a bad memory but that's not true. You royal maids all look the same with the way you dress. You should find a different style and see if she likes how you look in it."
Belfast was taken aback, and she dared to entertain that thought… but she did. "That... won't be necessary. Besides, if I did have someone I fancied then I would expect them to like me as I am— maid dress and all."
Akashi went all the way down and picked the pie at the very bottom before closing the door and walking back to the maid. "But are you always going to be wearing a maid's dress? Why not a wedding dress?"
"I..." Belfast softened her eyes that grew lost in her deepest reveries.
Akashi smiled a ditzy expression. "Okay, look. I've been yanking your chain, no pun intended, so I'll allow you a deal. You can have these two slices for the price of one."
Belfast contained her frown as she touched the chain around her neck, which Akashi had been referring to. This was more than just a mere accessory, but that cat merchant didn't need to know that. She was now fully spell-broken and focused. "Ah, I don't see how that will make up for everything but it's a start. Very well, you got yourself a purchase."
As Akashi got one of the two slices in a to-go box and the other on a plate so that Belfast may sample it, Taihou came through the entrance of the stand.
"Did she come by?!" She asked with frantic and moody eyes.
Belfast grew curious as to who the Sakura carrier was referring to, and it was Akashi that glanced at her with an annoyed face.
"No, she didn't show up yet. I thought you were keeping tabs on her."
Taihou flinched and regained her composure within the span of a few seconds. "I was. I was hot on her trail until she ended up talking with Lady Nagato along with Zuikaku. Also, that goody Essex was with her." A flame seemed to rise from the aura of the Sakura carrier at remembering the Eagle Union carrier. "Essex, what makes her even qualified to be her secretary?"
"Maybe because she's not so obsessed with her as you are, nya!"
Taihou rolled her eyes and sneered to herself. "Oh, she's obsessed alright, just not with her." She took in a deep breath and composed herself to smile friendly at the maid that had been watching her as if she was a walking tv show. "Hello, I see you've bought one of my pies," she sweetly stated even though it sounded forced.
Belfast took the pie on the plate and nodded cordially. "Yes, I've heard good things about Sakura pastries, and I've been meaning to try Grandma's Sakura fruit pie for some time now."
Taihou twitched her eye while she maintained a forced smile. Sadly, she didn't get the chance to correct the maid. Akashi was the one that openly chuckled from what she heard. "She's being dishonest to her feelings. She won't openly admit it but she's getting this for her secret crush."
Taihou now looked increasingly intrigued. "Say, your secret crush wouldn't happen to be the Commander, would it?!" Her eyes were fiery and she grew protective of the love she harbored in her heart.
Belfast remained composed yet gave the carrier stern eyes. "Pardon me, but that's hardly your business, and my advice to you is to worry about the others as it's no secret that the Commander is looked upon with affection by some of the girls on base. From Iron Blood to... I dare say, the new Sakura girls that have appeared."
Taihou mockingly smiled even wider and held her hands up in fake surrender. "Are all you royal girls this smarmy and elegant? But you do make a point about the Iron blood and Sakura girls that I know."
"Here's your pie, Nya!" The pie in the to-go box was then received by Belfast. It was then that the cat Shipgirl leaned to the side when spotting a white outfit in the distance. "Ahh! I see her just at the bridge and now entering the academy grounds!"
Taihou pushed Akashi out of the way and confirmed it to herself. Without pause, she bolted to the hotbox and scanned down to where she had expected to find her pie. A drained face replaced her sunny smile and she rigidly moved toward the staggered Akashi. "Cat! Where is my special pie?!"
"Huh? It should be at the top."
"Why would it be at the top? I put it at the bottom, I told you this!" Remarked Taihou.
"Nuh-uh, you said that it was at the top and I figured you put it there so I wouldn't be able to reach it."
Taihou searched her memory, her face twitching with uncertainty that corrected itself with a horrifyingly clear realization. "Kyaa! Then I messed up as I meant to say that it was the bottom one all along. It's your fault because you wouldn't shut up!"
"You were the one who was off in dreamland with the Commander. But that's neither here nor there. If the bottom one was the pie for the Commander, then..." She nervously looked behind her to the maid that had let them bicker uninterrupted.
Akashi and Taihou fearfully locked their gazes at the royal, both of their bodies going cold. The head maid had begun to eat the pie she was given.
Belfast's actions resounded with one singular word: Hungry. The way she was eating the pie was as if she hadn't had anything to eat in over a week. Most likely her first bite had been normal as the fork had been stained with the orange filling but had been quickly discarded upon initial taste. Her eyes expressed hunger and her mouth grew stained with how messy she was forcing the pieces of the pie through her mouth via only her fingers.
Taihou stood slack-jawed, and Akashi joined her in that front.
This sight from the maid was unbecoming of a lady and if someone like Illustrious or Her Majesty witnessed this carnal and hungry display from the head maid, they would immediately admit her to the infirmary.
Akashi acted quickly and tackled Taihou onto the ground, knowing that if the maid saw either of them, then they would be in a world of trouble.
The last piece of pie passed Belfast's pie-covered lips, and she sighed a deep moan clawed from a depth that she never showed to anyone. "That was... ecstasy in sugar form. Simply... euphoric." Her eyes glazed over, and a tint of orange washed over her blue pools until she let out an urgent breath of satisfaction.
"Belfast?"
The tint of orange faded, and her blue eyes returned upon hearing that angelic and concerned tone from behind her. When she turned around, she came face to face with the Eagle Union carrier that she had known for a while now, and it was as if she was looking at her for the first time. The whole complete rose-tinted glasses, love at first sight, and butterflies in her stomach type of effect.
Enterprise appeared stunned as she looked at the unsightly appearance of the maid who looked like she had reverted to a child state and had scarfed down messy spaghetti. "Bel... your face." She wasted no time and grabbed a napkin from the table and proceeded to hold her gently while she cleaned her mouth.
The head maid continued to stare wide-eyed at the carrier, drinking in every detail that vibrated with new color and clarity.
Enterprise's beautiful violet-colored eyes grew brighter depending on the position of the light from the sun, the woman's white hair that shined in the light appearing to look silver, the lips that formed into loving concern for her, and the hat that she wore everywhere she went both out of her duty to remain formal and as it helped her hide her face when she grew embarrassed.
She could unequivocally say that she had fallen for the carrier all over again. This time, she was driven by the backbone she had always lacked when it came to her feelings.
"There, you look better. Bel, what's gotten into you?" She sounded in no way concerned or maybe she was but tried to hide it. Regardless, she went with the casual approach and made light of Belfast's unladylike moment.
The light cruiser blinked a few times and placed a hand over her mouth, eliciting a sensual laugh. "Just to see you smile, Ent-Ent."
"Ent-Ent?" Red formed on the carrier's cheeks, and she tilted her head with confusion. "Belfast, maybe the heat is getting to you. We should go see Vestal."
"No! I'm perfectly fine, Enterprise. In fact, I think I feel more fantastic than ever now that you are here," she said with a breathy smile and attentiveness in her eyes.
To be continued…
So yeah, what a cliffhanger.
The main reason that I didn't post this chapter back then was that it would have stretched to three chapters or maybe four. I realized that it would be better if I made this its own story. However, this story ties into some of my other Coffee Leaf stories as this is the chapter that introduces the commander that I referenced in Dual Hope and in Soldier Girl. The ending of this story was also a tricky thing after feeling like I wrote myself into a corner and the whole story blew up in my face, but I ended up coming up with a different version for the ending that also motivated me to finish this. I'll talk more about that in the next chapter. I hope you all enjoyed this one and are eager for the next chapter that I'll post soon.
