A/N: Alright, time to get to the string of chapters where the Admiral is going on dates with some of the shipgirls that possibly, or possibly not, could be in his harem or are already in said harem.
Oh, btw, Baltimore's appearance in the chap is based off a piece of fanart I found so credit to the artist.
Waking from a restful night of sleep, which he needed after that whole incident on Thanksgiving with Roon, the Admiral let out a yawn. The first sight he got was his bland ceiling with the ceiling fan swirling waves of air around the room. There was a sizzling sound coming from the kitchen before Shikikan got a whiff of what was cooking. He definitely smelled something being cooked with how his nose wanted to pull the rest of his body towards the source.
"Ah, Herr Admiral, you're awake," his ears picked up on Roon's voice
Shikikan rose from his bed, reaching towards the ceiling with his arms to remove the laziness within his muscles. A yawn escaped as he stretched before swinging his legs around to get away from laying down. A cup of hot coffee was awaiting him on the nightstand with a piece of, surprisingly not burnt, toast.
"I see that you've been practicing," Shikikan said, grabbing the coffee and taking a large gulp of it to knock the remnants of sleepiness out
Roon's response was filled with glee, "I've had a little help for the past week."
The Admiral wanted to ask who was giving the Ironblood some lessons in cooking but he assumed that her fellow comrades gave her some assistance. That or maybe one of the Royal maids might have had a hand in the assistance themselves. It was a good outcome no matter who really assisted Roon in the end.
While awaiting the food to be finished, the Admiral went over to his closet to get himself ready for today's date. Normally, he would have been embarrassed to have a girl in the same room while he was changing. But, he had spent so much time around the shipgirls that he wasn't as uncomfortable when one of them was in the room. It would only be if they were checking him out while he was changing that Shikikan had a problem with.
When he had finished getting changed, Roon had already served him a plate of food that looked almost like he took a trip to the buffet. He spotted scrambled eggs, black forest ham, salami, cheese, more toast, and some butter. Whoever was teaching Roon, when it wasn't Shikikan himself, really taught her well.
Roon had her hands clasped in front of her while looking away with a faint blush, "Tell me how it is."
"Will do," Shikikan replied while taking a seat on the couch
Taking a spoon, he took a bite of everything before the Admiral raised his eyebrows in surprise. Roon observed him his face on every slight change in his movement to determine his review.
"It's good. It needs improvement but pretty good for a week of practice," his voice made Roon's heart soar up in happiness
So much happiness that she was radiating it like the Sun. For a moment, the Admiral could only imagine how different Roon might have been after she was built if she was filled with more positive emotions. Not that she couldn't have them, but considering what the Ironblood revealed earlier, Shikikan was a bit worried about her emotional stability. Thank goodness that she was changing for the better. Slowly, but at least it was progressing with a more happy Prototype Cruiser that wasn't trying to murder her rivals.
Before he could realize what was going to happen next, the officer soon found himself being tackled onto the sofa. His plate of food spilled onto the floor, only being partially eaten leaving the rest to be wasted. Shikikan wasn't able to question what Roon was up to until he saw her snuggling his body tightly. Not anything lewd, just an adorable snuggle with the shipgirl rubbing her head on his chest.
This got Shikikan to become a bit embarrassed, "Roon? Can you please get off me? I got stuff to do."
"Sorry, I'm….." the Ironblood obeyed, fiddling with her hands like a shy schoolgirl, "I never got so much praise."
Even though the food was now wasted, Shikikan couldn't bring himself to get mad at the shipgirl in front of him, "Ok, just let me finish my food next time."
Roon could only giggle as she went to fetch another plate for her officer. A thought came to the Admiral's mind as he finished his cup of coffee; Would the Priority ships be considered a separate faction or part of their national factions? Something in his brain was beginning to plan for the worst. At least the date with Baltimore couldn't be bad.
Shikikan looked out into the sea as he stood on the docks. The wind was calmer this time around with the sun being a bit warmer than usual. Not enough for him to start sweating, but enough for him to not wear his uniform. Instead, it was replaced with a simple black shirt, jeans, and sneakers. He looked like the average civilian on their day off. Quite a difference from the usual although he had more casual clothes worn just a week ago during the feast.
Checking the time with his watch, the Admiral noted that it was time to head into town. He had a date to attend to and being late was the worst mistake he could make. His first date to start off the week.
Baltimore. One of the tomboys within his fleet although she stood out amongst the others. No, it was not just because she was relatively more 'gifted' than her compatriots. It was a simple difference in Baltimore wanting to be a bit more girly rather than the Admiral treating her more like a woman. A strange case but not too unfamiliar. Well, unless someone was to account for her passion for seeking 'justice'.
Walking down the road that led him towards the town, Shikikan made sure he looked presentable for his date. The walk into town didn't take him long before he was strolling through the main street of the area. Passing by a clothing store, the Admiral wondered if he should get a new set of clothes. Then again, Zara had done his shopping ever since she joined his fleet. The girls needed to not make him feel so useless when it came to doing his basic chores outside the office.
Shikikan would have continued thinking on such thoughts if he didn't get the sight of someone waiting next to a cafe. At first glance, he didn't recognize the person being his date until he spotted her short brown hair. This was not what the Admiral was expecting when he got closer to get a better view.
Baltimore was not in her usual attire, which was quite revealing, but changed into something more akin to a first date attire. She wore a long-sleeved blue shirt that left her shoulders bare coupled with a white skirt that had purple leaves all over. A black thin belt wrapped around her skirt located around her stomach finished with a black choker. Finally, she had a light blue purse that must have held some small items she brought along.
She must have recently arrived considering the Admiral was still on time. Baltimore took a look at a small wristwatch anxiously while fiddling with her hair with the other hand. Slowing down his pace, Shikikan gave the normally confident shipgirl time to spot him before he accidentally spooked her. He didn't know what to expect with how anxious she looked. Thankfully, Baltimore looked towards his direction to spot him before he got too close.
She ceased the movements of her short hair while fighting down her anxiety, "Admiral, glad you got here on time. I was beginning to think you overslept or one of the other girls kept you busy."
Shikikan shrugged in response, "Well, I got my schedule in order so I have no excuse to be late."
"Right, um, so should we go ahead and start this...date?" Baltimore looked hesitant as she traced over the word
The officer could only give her a small smile before he took the initiative by hooking his right arm with her left. Baltimore was taken by surprise that her superior officer would be so straightforward with his approach. Then again, they were on a date so she shouldn't let something as simple as physical touch get the best of her. That still didn't ease her tension as she found herself unable to look at Shikikan.
As the two walked awkwardly hooked together, a few heads poked out from behind a building. Three maids of the Royal Navy watching the couple walk off with analytical eyes. Edinburgh, Glasgow, and every neutral Sheffield. Sheffield placed one of her fingers near her ear where a small device sat comfortably.
"The date has begun, what are Your Majesty's orders?"
The town on the naval base wasn't anything special considering everyone had visited the place many times in the past couple of years. Yet, it was always good to visit for many reasons, some including to see what new wares were allowed on base. If it wasn't immediately taken by Akashi to be sold at ridiculous prices, there was always something new to find. Whether it would be something simple as clothing or something more complicated such as a gift. The shop had it at some point.
Seeing something catch her eye as they passed by, Baltimore tugged the Admiral lightly, "Let's go see what there is to buy."
"I didn't take you for a shopper unless you want me to buy you an Oxy-Cola," Shikikan mused, unintentionally causing the American Heavy Cruiser to blush heavily
"I-I'm not, but, that's what couples do on dates...right?" Baltimore replied a bit defensively although she didn't have the confidence to back it up
Shikikan would have responded to her that shopping was just a small thing couples occasionally did but he remembered that Baltimore was quite inexperienced. While other shipgirls had a better understanding of flirting and romantic relationships, Baltimore was not equipped for the task. Either it was the fact that she was trying too hard to appear girly when she clearly was a bit more boyish or she was dating the Admiral himself. He got the hint the very moment she wore something that was unlike her.
Whether it was her more dominant personality or her nervousness compelling her to get this embarrassing day over with, Baltimore brought the officer into the store. They were greeted with a wide variety of clothing with most of it being for females. There was a small section dedicated to the Admiral since he wasn't always going to wear the same clothes every day. However, that section was quite small in comparison to the rest.
It didn't take very long for Baltimore to pick out an item that she felt was a good gift for Shikikan. Taking a black fedora and placing it on his head without a word. She didn't even try to look at him as a heavy blush still entrenched itself on her face. The officer turned to a mirror to inspect how he looked with such a small thing, smiling at the result. It wasn't as good with his current attire but next time he went to a party or back to New York, he could wear this.
"Thanks, Baltimore, I didn't think you had a taste for fashion like Zara does," he complimented the American Heavy Cruiser, only adding fuel to the fire
"Y-your welcome, but...we still have to pay for it," Baltimore stuttered in her speech
The Admiral didn't say anything afterward as the duo made their way out of the shop and back into town. The gift was a nice addition to his more casual attire although he should have worn some sort of coat to complement it. He heard so many tales about the Italian gangsters that ruled New York for some years making the fedora iconic. Shikikan would have complimented Baltimore more or at least found something he would find cute for her, but he relented.
Stopping their walk that was directed towards the only mall on the island, a rather small one at that due to budget constraints, Shikikan then asked, "Is there anything you particularly want to do, Baltimore? I don't mind stuff like this but, it isn't you."
His question got the American heavy cruiser to lose some of her embarrassment as her eyes looked down to think a bit better. Her blush soon completely vanished with her eyes sparkling a bit, "I've always wanted to try the new Laser Tag game that High Command sent us."
The Admiral gave Baltimore a confused look, "Laser Tag? We're not shooting each other with those Siren guns are we?"
Her response was to shake her head with her calm smile returning finally, "No. They're harmless. It's a great game with two teams basically firing lasers at each other to hit specific parts of the body and score points. I would love to try that out."
As Baltimore explained the activity that had gotten quite a following back in America, Shikikan couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant to try it. Sure, it was harmless. But he couldn't help but let his face form a small frown as a certain memory came into his head. When Baltimore finished her explanation, Shikikan forced that frown away quickly.
"Why don't we go try it now?" he suggested finally despite his earlier feelings
The officer did not expect for his right hand to be grabbed before being pulled after the shipgirl. Thankfully, Baltimore didn't use too much strength that would throw him off his feet. Her confident smile was in full force as she led her date to the mall.
Appearing from some nearby signs, Edinburgh held a camera in her gloved hands before taking several of the couple, "The Admiral seems to prefer confident women that have a shy side to them."
Edinburgh's earpiece began to light up with a particular voice being received on the other end, "Of course, the Admiral is a man who desires the best for his heart. I clearly have everything that he is looking for yet he does not give me such affections."
Edinburgh sweatdropped, giggling nervously since she knew the one reason, "Perhaps he is attracted to women of...uh..greater bos-"
"Yes of course! If I had the bosoms as those bloody Sakura Carriers then Shikikan would fawn over me in an instant. Continue to spy on him, I must know everything if I am to win his heart."
Edinburgh let out a defeated sigh. She really didn't like that her Queen was dead set in 'winning' this race for the Admiral's love. It wasn't even a competition in the first place, just a compromise to keep everyone from going to war again. At least, when the Sirens weren't around to keep them occupied. But, as a Royal Maid, it was her duty to serve Elizabeth until her dying breath.
A short trip to the mall and the couple found themselves in a section dedicated to this Laser Tag game. The first thing the Admiral noted was the 'armor' that everyone had to wear. Breastplates that had lights on them connected to their laser guns that also had a series of lights. He figured that these were the hitboxes to score points on when firing at the opposing team. His breastplate and gun were lighting up in a blue.
"You better watch out, Admiral. A lot of us Eagle Union girls know how to make some impossible shots. We may not be Warspite with her godly aim, but that doesn't mean we can't hit something from comparable distances," Baltimore chuckled, throwing her little challenge towards the man as she wore a breastplate with red lights
He looked up at her with a smirk, "You forgot I had weapons training before I even joined the Navy and transferred over here. I know how to hit a target too."
"Only if it's paperwork,"
"Alright Baltimore, you're on." Shikikan thought, his previous hesitation evaporated with anticipation to prove this woman wrong replacing it
Some basic rules were given from the staff, which were obviously shipgirls who weren't on patrols. No hand to hand combat since this was meant to be fun, no physical contact with another player's weapon, keep your feet on the floor, and no conniving insults. A bit odd on that last rule but considering some of the tensions between factions, a necessary one. The prevention of using hand to hand combat was obvious since this was laser tag and not physical training. Keeping their feet on the floor was to prevent flips or other maneuvers that would be considered unfair.
As the Admiral was busy thinking on why the rules seemed to make sense in this current setting, the lights turned off with the colored lights illuminating the room. Two doors opened and the participants were led into separate areas of the main arena.
The arena was as dark as expected with a blue tint illuminating the area enough for one to see where they were going. Multiple structures were set up for both cover and to obstruct the view of the opposing side so they couldn't flat out snipe their competition.
"Round begins in five seconds." A monotone voice played over the area, no doubt using a speaker system so everyone heard
Shikikan felt his heart race a little with each passing second for the round to begin. His eyes blinked quickly to keep his vision sharp for the slightest red light he could find. His palms went a bit sweaty and his breathing became a bit heavier than normal.
"Just a laser tag game, not an actual battle. Relax," he told himself, trying to force his body to not act on survival instinct
The Admiral heard a sound go off before all the doors closed and his weapon came online. Alright, game time. This was now a competition of who had the better shot and who was the better soldier between him and Baltimore. Good thing this wasn't a melee competition because he wouldn't just lose, he would get manhandled-or would it be womanhandled?
Not even a few seconds in the lights on Shikikan's harness went out and made a power down noise. How did he even get hit when there were plenty of structures in the way? Looking around him, he noticed small metal plates placed randomly around the room.
"She used those plates to change the direction of her shot...or she got lucky," Shikikan thought, waiting for his equipment to power back up
Once his lights were on once more, he decided to pull a little experiment. He took aim at a few of the metal plates and fired several rounds at them. Waiting on hearing for additional noise, the Admiral crouched down to avoid the same fate from earlier. A few more test shots and he could faintly hear the power down noise from a distance. Smiling to himself with his small revenge, he began moving through the arena.
With gun held upwards and his feet walking cautiously, the officer was moving through the arena like he was a part of a squad. If there was one thing basic training taught him well was how to move through an area like this. Looking through every sightline and even above him to be sure Baltimore didn't get the drop on him.
The hairs on the back of his neck rose when a gut feeling told him to take cover. He pressed himself against a handmade barricade just as a laser soared right over him and missed. Shikikan took a couple of breaths to steady his body before he stood up and fired several rounds in the direction of where the last laser came from. One of his shots must have been lucky enough to hit something as he heard the sound once more.
Grinning confidently, Shikikan couldn't help but gloat, "You know, what do I get if I win? That's how these sort of dates go don't they?""
Baltimore's response came quickly, knocking out his lights as soon as her came back on, "That's if you win."
His grin never left his face as he found a new set of cover behind a small wall. This was already more fun than simply talking, shopping, or dancing with the other girls. It definitely beat being cooped up in that damn office of his.
Their little 'game' continued on for a couple of hours with the score constantly evening out and not allowing either to win outright. So, when the staff decided they spent enough time with the arena to themselves, the Admiral did the gentlemanly move and conceded defeat. Baltimore did land the first shot on him within a few seconds, something he couldn't deny but highly impressive.
Walking back towards the dorms with an Oxy-Cola in her hand, Baltimore was smiling a bit, "Ah~, the taste never gets old. Victory tastes so sweet when its well deserved."
"Hard to protest that when I'm against women that are stronger, faster, and better looking than I am. Although, I'm the only guy on this base so I'm not saying much," Shikikan replied honestly, a light smile on his face with how he faired decently against someone who was superior to him physically
"Well...I had fun," Baltimore said, stopping at the entrance to the dorms and turning to the Admiral, "I wasn't expecting dates to be this fun. You think we can do this again sometime?"
"Yeah, certainly. After I deal with other dates and important matters," He answered with a nod, not expecting what was happening next
Baltimore embraced the officer, stunning him for a couple of seconds before he returned the favor. After a few more seconds, Baltimore quickly let him go and walked inside the dorms to hide a blush on her face. The Admiral watched her leave until she was out of sight, turning towards the docks before making his way.
Looking towards the sea, he noticed an approaching ship. It was small compared to the various battleships on the docks so it had to be a supply boat. It must be those experimental gear that High Command was sending him. Quickly raising his pace, Shikikan began to jog back to the docks. He needed to go see a particular shipgirl about the shipment.
"Shikikan, what is it nya?"
Akashi was trying to inspect a black painted tech box that had arrived with the recent shipment. Shikikan held a keycard that came with the box, allowing him to open it if he so chose. This wasn't the first time he received such a box, but it was the first time he didn't know what was in it. High Command generally gave him the details on what was in the boxes but this time around, all he got was a vague notion. The experimental tech they told him.
"The only ones to see this will be you and me, right Akashi?" he said to the Neko
She gave him a nod as he presented the keycard to a small scanner on the box. A quick scan of the card and the tech box began unlocking itself. Upon the box opening, the Admiral was greeted with a small Wisdom Cube colored in a pure white. It looked highly modified and tampered by someone's hand since Wisdom Cubes never came like this.
As if on instinct, Shikikan performed the sign of the cross on himself as some form of good luck. A sensation washed over him the more he looked at this pure white Wisdom Cube, begging him to touch it. He heard stories from Enterprise with her encounter with a black mental cube but never something like this. Before he knew it, his hands reached out and touched the exterior.
His vision was suddenly assaulted with multiple scenes of a burning ocean and destroyed cities. The Admiral tried to wretch his hands free of the cube, but his hands would not respond. More scenes flooded his mind of the various shipgirls sinking into the depths of the ocean; a death so slow it was impossible to witness. When Shikikan felt like his mind would break after all this, the scenes stopped and he found himself on a small island.
"Commander...We did it," he heard a voice say, looking around him to figure out where it came from
The officer's eyes rested on a shipgirl that looked like Enterprise besides the absence of her bald eagle and her clothing looking darker. A black sash wrapped around her neck, slightly obscuring her mouth. Laying against a palm tree was a human covered head to toe in armor, something akin to those video games Long Island played. Upon closer inspection, Shikikan noticed a pool of blood under the human with a few holes in his armor.
"No...You did it...Enterprise," the human croaked with what little air he could muster, "I...failed you...all of you."
The alternate Enterprise kneeled down, resting her hands on the helmet before pushing it upwards to remove it. Shikikan had so many questions to what was going on, but he suddenly found himself on the floor of the warehouse before he could see the face under the helmet.
He blinked when his vision returned him back with a worried Akashi over him, "Admiral-sama, you're alright nya?"
Taking several moments to recollect his thoughts, Shikikan gave a nod as he slowly got up. He closed the box holding the white cube, locking it down and placing the keycard in his pocket. Akashi worriedly looked at him as he just stared at the locked container with a mixed expression.
"Akashi, keep this locked up until further notice. No one sees this and no one touches it without my permission," he ordered, getting a nod from Akashi right away despite her worries
Shikikan then turned, leaving the warehouse to return back to his bed. He had another date to attend to tomorrow. Before that, he was going to have a very long phone call with Martin.
Hey guys! It's been a little bit, well, not really. I was hoping to get this chapter out sooner but I had been busy with irl stuff. So, I do want to make one announcement right here for my more explicit content. It's a very simple change I will have on Archive.
I will basically make fanfics of the Commander going on a 'Route' system with shipgirls of my choosing. As much as I like the harem antics and comedy, I prefer making couple based content. So with that said, I will be taking turns on updating this story and one of those fanfics.
Stay tuned~
