Hey! Welcome back to a more revised and edited version of Paperwork, Drama, and Shipgirls. I'm not going to say much here besides how I've changed tiny aspects of the first chapter. There will be much more changes in the following ones, especially more drastic ones. I hope you all enjoy this and I'll focus on being a bit more consistent with my uploads

A sight of the bright blue sky hung over the specs of land surrounded by vast oceans. To anyone traveling long voyages, the small islands were a haven for resupply and refueling. On said island was a heavily fortified island packed to the brim with coastal defenses. Coastal guns pointed in all directions with hidden AA turrets nearby to take on any aircraft trying to disable the main defense. A dock housing many battleships, destroyers and cruisers was begging for an enemy to test the armament there. Lastly, underneath the ocean, were submarines patrolling the area as an early reconnaissance team.

Despite all that, the island itself was quite beautiful from afar and up close. Just beyond the docks were buildings to house the various humans that ran the day to day operations. Further down the dock was a series of stores maintained by locals or some of the shipgirls themselves. Just beyond those was an academy with classes, storage facilities, and munitions to service the shipgirls themselves. Finally, hidden through the vegetation was a single building smaller than the rest. Needless to say, there was still plenty of nature to enjoy without needing to see the structures.

But this smaller size did not reduce the effectiveness of the structure's purpose. This was the commanding officer's personal office. Entering the building, guests would be greeted by one large hallway with many rooms to the left and right side of it. There would be insignias of the various ship groups that each door corresponded to. Smaller insignias would display the ship type, especially for those of the Eagle Union and Royal Navy who had many ships. But at the every end of the hallway was a set of double doors that opened up into a large office.

A large desk was the first thing in sight with piles of paperwork that had either been completed or reports given by the various fleets. An assigned secretary would be handling a portion of the daily paperwork in the spacious office. However, there were more than just one secretary and as a result, a daily rotation was needed. Behind the desk was a smaller door that was the Commander's personal office area that also functioned as a temporary room if he found himself too sleepy to walk to his quarters.

The Commander in question was busy working on paperwork with a weary look on his face. Bloodshot eyes that foretold of a long and arduous day, "How many more damn piles will they keep sending me?"

He put the pen down once he slain the current monster in front of him, pushing back from his small desk with a sigh. Gabriel Harper, one of many officers that participated in the recent Siren War. An enemy from a supposed 'future' that brought technology in the form of Wisdom Cubes. Said technology led to the creation of the Kansen after humanity's initial fleets were decimated early on. A decade of warfare which he got to be a part of in the second half with an array of Kansen under his direct command. It had been a couple of months since the last reports of Siren aggression or any sighting were reported.

The Sirens being silent was a good thing for him, but also a curse as now he had to catch up on paperwork. Instead of putting together a sortie to take the fight to the Sirens, Harper was ensnared to the desk. One form of hell traded for another. Thankfully the many Kansen he had acquired and got to know made this a lot more bearable, to an extent. When it wasn't Sirens causing a problem, it was the girls themselves that were the issue.

The various fleets did not always get along with each other, sometimes even threatening to shoot each other on the spot. These tensions boiled in the early weeks when Harper was basically assigned to hell. It took months, years, to get the factions to at least get along enough to not have guns firing. That didn't mean they weren't throwing insults every once in a while and occasionally a fight broke out. Mainly the prideful Italian ships and their German allies would try to stoke the flames of the British.

Before Harper could think more on the past events and how he was put in this situation, the sounds of knocking broke his concentration, "Come in."

The door opened to reveal a youthful, but still mature, woman dressed in a white kimono with red eyeliner on her face. Her pale hair matched her outfit which gave an impression of a crane due to the ends of her sleeves forming wings. A hairpiece nestled on the left side of her head firmly and her calm blue eyes were entrancing to look at. She had white stockings that reached all the way up her thighs with her faction's standard wooden sandals. She was a newer addition to the combined force on the island, along with her sister, which was always an added bonus.

"Shikikan, the paperwork is all done. You need some rest," the woman spoke in a soft voice filled with both wisdom and calmness, that caring feminine feeling.

"I still have another set from the Ironblood. Commander Adams wants me to make sure it's sent as soon as possible. If I don't, it'll be hell for the Ad-," Harper tried to reply back but the woman had walked up to his desk and took his pen, disarming the officer from his war on paper

"Rest, now. Save your strength for another day and do not let it be wasted on wishful thinking," the tone of her voice was enough to have him slump his shoulders a bit in defeat

Harper slowly rose from his seat, the aches in his glutes reminding how much he had spent sitting. How long has it been? Three hours? Four? Time had a way with moving faster so long as the mind was distracted.

Shoukaku let a light smile trace her lips as she sat down on the commander's bed before he could lay down, patting a spot next to her, "My sister, Zuikaku, would do the same thing. Never resting until the enemy was destroyed, and getting herself into trouble in the process."

The Commander laid down on his side and found his head lying in the lap of Shoukaku, the maiden lightly tracing his hair, "If I remember right, her and Enterprise fought many times."

"Yes, far too many for my liking," Shoukaku admitted, her smile turning into a frown, "I fear that one day she will get over her head and I will not be there to save her."

A frown formed on Harper's face while his eyes closed. A small headache was rising, "I try to get them to work together. It always seems to blow up in my face."

"Maybe it is for the best that they don't fight side by side, yet." Shoukaku let a weary sigh escape her lips, prompting Harper to open his eyes to look at her.

He noted the skin under her eyes was sagging a bit. The carrier must have had little sleep as of late, a problem Harper faced quite often in his line of work. "You're as tired as I am."

The crane maiden only shook her head despite Harper's observation, "The little ones got scared from Washington-san's 'smile' that she so desperately tried to make. I had to play for them until they calmed down to sleep. By the time I stopped, it was already my time to assist you."

"First order of business, get some sleep." A smug smile played on Harper's lips, prompting Shoukaku to blush slightly.

"In the same bed, Shikikan? I didn't think you were t-,"

Harper gestured to a corner in the main office. There was a large couch situated there in case more than one of his subordinates was needed. He even slept on it when an all-nighter was necessary. "I'm not perverted. I just want to make sure you're giving your best out there. That and I don't think the destroyers will quiet down anytime soon. Plus, I don't think the brass would like me to get into any scandals."

The Sakura Empire carrier couldn't argue against that argument. It would be hypocritical of her to deny that order for both her own honor and her own order for her Shikikan to rest. Laying herself on the free space given to her, she closed her eyes and found herself in sleep's embrace quickly. Although, once she fell asleep, Commander Harper looked back at the paperwork remaining on his desk.

An exhausted sigh left him, "I can't leave this work for tomorrow."

It had been hours before the sound of light knocking was heard. No answer came from the office as a slumbering Shoukaku was still deep in sleep. For Harper, he was resting his head on the desk with all the paperwork handled. Whoever had entered slowly stepped inside, taking time to carefully make each step as muted as possible.

Harper began to stir out of his sleep when he felt a shake on his leg, looking up to find another pale haired woman wearing a darker uniform over him. Even through his sleepy eyes, his mind immediately recognized who this woman was based on the fact she had one of her index fingers up to her lips as if pondering something. It was Prinz Eugen, the heavy cruiser that joined his fleet a couple weeks into the battle against the Sirens.

Although, Eugen was always a bit of a mystery to the Commander. She had a completely different way with words, usually being sarcastic or teasing. As a result, it was hard to tell when she was being serious about any situation. In this very moment, this was a perfect opportunity for Eugen to really get Harper.

"Staying up all night to get the paperwork done, again?" The Ironblood woman had a slight smile. This wasn't Harper's first time doing this and she recalled many times it happened.

Harper grumbled something incoherent before removing his head from the desk. His neck ached with the awkward position he put himself in and his eyes still were blurry. Rubbing his eyes, Harper rose with a yawn, "You know how it is with High Command. Years of paperwork being ignored is what got us in this mess."

"Years of paperwork to do or dying to the Sirens? Hm, I wonder which is worse." Eugen replied putting her hands behind her back, "The commission teams have returned and there will be some work to do in the morning. Since I'm back, I'll take over secretary duties."

Harper questioned in return, "Why bother? The work is already do-" He was silenced when Eugen put a finger to his lips.

She got close, putting her lips next to his ear to whisper, "That's the point. Get refreshed and change your clothes. You're starting to smell of ink and sweat."

Harper grimaced at the mention, "Right...I'll go do that. Same spot?"

"Same spot." Eugen confirmed, turning to leave the office and head back to her dorms.

Leaving the door to the office unlocked so Shoukaku could leave, Harper left the building to go had set up a rotating schedule so every faction had a ship to work as a secretary during certain portions of the day. One for the morning hours, one during the afternoon, and one during the evening. When more and more factions rejoined Azur lane, it became a little more complicated to set everything efficiently.

Things were fine...for now.

A short trip to his private home and a much needed shower later, Harper was finishing putting on something formal. Working as a high ranking officer got him used to wearing collared shirts so he got a fresh one to pair with some slacks. The tie was a bit more difficult to get straight but overall, a pretty quick change. Harper even threw in a bit of cologne just to spice himself up for the night.

Knock Knock

Perfect. A quick grab for a black jacket to finish the set and a quick slip into some shoes, Harper was ready to go. He quickly opened the front door to find the same woman from before with quite a different look. Her usual uniform was replaced with a formal dress that Harper had only seen her wear once before.

"I forgot you purposely requested night hours lately. Something tells me this is why," he commented, closing the door behind him.

Eugen replied, "You have enough trouble having to cater your time to other things. All your free time is mostly at night."

Harper let a small smile grace his lips at that, his hand finding itself lightly holding Eugen's, "That's true, but I also think you only want to bother the Sardegnians once again, no?"

"We were allies." The heavy cruiser only smiled while her hand was being held by Harper. Her smooth and pale skin felt his slightly tan and calloused ones, years of wielding the pen while she wielded the gun. The pen may be mightier than the sword, but a gun hits from further away.

"Let's get moving before they close for the night," Eugen spoke after some time passed.

The light from the moon had struck a specific part of her hand on her ring finger, where a beautifully cut ruby rested. She hardly wore it during combat but now that she was going to be around her Commander more often, there was no reason not to. The couple then departed for their evening date to begin.

The two were now walking down the street that circled the entire island and led to all the important facilities. Most of the other Kansen were asleep besides those who either had the night shift or were night owls. All the street lamps were on and evenly spaced to allow good lighting for all the inhabitants.

The sea looked dark due to the sun being replaced with the moon. The parts of it illuminated by the light of the streetlamps or the patrolling ships made it feel like specs of blue in a sea of black. The stars shone brightly above with a few constellations visible at this time of year while the rest were viewed elsewhere. The moon itself fully shining above yet allowing the darkness to retain certain parts of the land not already illuminated.

"You certainly picked a night for this," Harper noted, staring up at the glittering night while his hand firmly grasped with Eugen's

The Iron Blood heavy cruiser had her index finger of her other hand to her lips, humming, "We're not there yet."

Harper just nodded, aware that it was their usual spot. The small shops on the island base were all run by various Kansen. They were all started after collecting salvage after engagements during the war and the commission teams bringing in some extra income. How they got the rest of the materials was still a question. A question Harper had to deal with on a daily basis to organize such logistics.

He then felt her press against him as they walked, making the simple act of walking more romantic. Naturally, Harper wrapped one arm around Eugen's waist to further bring her closer. The stores they passed by were closed or closing as the night continued on. The only shop that would be open right now would have to be with the Sardegnians.

Walking to the end of this particular section of the street, that one store was still open. The yellow lights were still enlightening the storefront with the smell of food begging for hungry stomachs to enter. The smell was reminiscent of bread, vegetables, and herbs. This had to be the one shop the Sardegnians owned.

Shikikan opened the door for Eugen to step forward first, the smell of food intensifying greatly now with the barriers down. Several tables were arranged neatly, having chairs of two or four, depending on the party size. The front, where the cashier was stationed, was manned by a lone girl that looked roughly in her teens. At least, from an outside perspective.

She had her golden hair neatly curled up as usual but she didn't wear her normal uniform. She seemed to wear something more of a waitress. She was shorter than Shikikan and Eugen with violet eyes that displayed both youthfulness and discipline. Her eyes looked up at them, going wide for a moment before saluting.

"Comandante! I wasn't expecting you, f-forgive my attire," the little destroyer fumbled, trying desperately to save any shred of honor she had left to her superior

Harper chuckled while waving the salute off since it was late in the night, "At ease, Carabiniere. No need to be formal. Was Cavour chastising you again?"

Carabiniere sighed, her shoulders slumping in relief, "Just the usual, Comandante. But what is the occasion that brought the unkillable Prinz Eugen here?"

Eugen hummed once more before she laid her head on Shikikan's shoulder while still having her index finger on her lips, "A date of course, or were you thinking of an ambush?"

The Sardegna destroyer jumped up at the mention of an ambush, looking around quickly with widened eyes and some of her hair losing "A-Ambush?! Where?!"

The couple laughed at Carabiniere's reaction, prompting the destroyer to look down in shame before getting serious once more. Since it was obvious these two were on a date, the destroyer quickly set up a single table for two with candles lit and roses encased in a vase. It always surprised Harper how fast the nimble destroyers could be but more so in Carabiniere's case. No menus were given since the Sardinian ships knew a little about romantic dinners. Lastly, a bottle of wine was left on the table for the couple to share.

"You know, I haven't seen any of those girls try to swoon you yet. Do you not like Sardegnian tastes, Kommandant~?" Eugen asked, trying to pry into her superior's head during this late night

Harper poured a glass for the both of them before answering, "I mean, Carabiniere is always around during the day but I haven't exactly spoken with them all too much. Don't they communicate with the Iron Blood? Like you said, you were allies."

"Hm, yes and no. Allies at first but it was as fragile as poor glass. Interests often clash between us when we were your enemy. I think they're jealous I got to you first," the Iron Blood woman mused before taking her glass and raising it towards him, "To an endless night like this."

Harper smiled while raising his own glass in response, "To the end of the Sirens."

Both took a sip of the wine, aged perfectly for the best possible taste. Neither seemed to pay attention to a pair of amber eyes watching them from the kitchen. Her eyes narrowed at them for a moment before turning her gaze elsewhere. A quick glance at the small pocket watch in her hand told her it would be another hour before closing.

"Spying on them are we? That's not like you, Cesare." The stranger turned around to meet a woman with long green hair and blazing red eyes.

Cesare flinched but composed herself quickly. She answered with a frown towards her opponent, "I just happened to see them walk in, Littorio. Eugen always comes here once a week with the Comandante."

"Ah~, but that's not why you're upset," Littorio grinned at her fellow battleship. "Tonight just so happens to be a special night for them, isn't it?"

Cesare didn't look her in the eye. She promptly brushed by her, "It's none of our business anyway. He made a decision, and we all have to live with that."

"So it is." Littorio chuckled, "If you had the chance to get to the Comandante first before our Ironblood amica, would you?"

Cesare stopped in her tracks as her mind contemplated the scenario. Was Littorio making fun of her with that question or was there something else she was after? "I would, but why are you asking me that?"

"Solo per te," Littorio shrugged. "My sister tells me of something developing very soon that might be of everyone's interests. She won't say what it is but it has many politicians talking."

Cesare replied with a questionable look, "What would be so important for politicians to get involved?"

Littorio didn't answer but that did not settle Cesare's curiosity. She wasn't surprised that Littorio learned of such things because of Veneto playing a part in politics. However, if Veneto wouldn't say what plans were being made, there were few ideas Cesare could think of. There was no war as of right now, but did that mean Sardegna would cause hostilities with Azur Lane again? No, that made no sense.

So what was it? What would it be that had everyone's interests at play?