"Why does it mock me?"

Gabriel stared intently at the piece of paper right in front of his desk. On normal occasions, this would have been nothing but a quick signature or thrown into the shredder. Except, he had his arm in a sling which so happened to be his writing arm.

After the attack on London, Queen Elizabeth had decided that it would be best to head back to the naval base as soon as possible. Wraith's calculated plans had caused Parliament to go into panic with accusations being thrown back and forth as to who's fault it was. So, to avoid any politics, Elizabeth took it upon herself to quell the panic while Gabriel was sent back. If he could give her anything for the trouble, the most that could be offered would be some gratitude.

However, Gabriel could not even do his duties as an officer. Without his right arm to do many of his menial tasks, the most he could do was rest. It wasn't that his subordinates couldn't do the work for him, but, it should be his job to handle the paperwork and not shove it all on the girls. The trip back took more than two weeks of his recovery but Vestal's examination condemned him to months of rest as of today.

"This is hopeless…" He sighed with shoulders slacking to their lowest points since his first days on assignment. It was bad enough to be wounded and not severely injured but when that wound prevented your daily routine, it was almost agonizing.

A few knocks on his office door rang in his ears, "Der Admiral, I'm coming in."

The door opened with Z23 entering with a short stack of papers neatly packed together. Bless her soul for doing the work so diligently without needing any orders. Ever since his first day on this base she had been like that. From the constant reminders of staying on task to the daily updates on reports. If there were any perfect secretary other than one of the maids, Z23 fit the bill.

"How is your arm?" the destroyer asked, laying down the papers on his desk. Her completed set was minuscule compared to the mountain range that needed to be completed. For the weeks Gabriel had been gone, how could the paperwork pile up so much?

"Unable to be used," Gabriel answered, "Until I get Vestal's approval to use it again, I can't really be much use." God smite him for being such a useless human being at this very moment while all the work had to be done by his subordinates. It's one thing to allow them to help ease the burden but when his routine was disrupted entirely, that was a problem.

"It is fine, Admiral. There are so many of us in this port that no amount of paperwork can be a burden." Z23 blinked as memory reminded her of something important. "Ah, I inspected the paperwork for the Muse system and it appears that there are pre-selected candidates for testing."

"Is there?" Gabriel hummed at the information presented to him. He remembered the cubes before his trip was still locked away until further notice but now that he was back, testing can begin. "Z23, is there a reason why the system is called Muse?"

Z23 nodded, "It's clearly stated as follows: 'The possibility of weaponizing music by having Kansen integrate modified rigging to their existing forms. Secondary objectives include raising morale among the troops for beaut-.'" The destroyer's face became pinkish before she could finish the preface and that normally meant one thing. "WHO WROTE THIS?!"

"Weaponizing music huh? Are we going to make the Sirens' ears bleed with noise?" Gabriel joked as the probability of taking music and actually making effective weapons out of it seemed far fetched. As much as the thought of music was appealing on a personal level.

Except, he had forgotten that Z23 was bothered by something. "Admiral, do you see what this says? They want us to dress up like idols to sing and dance for the armed forces! This isn't a weapon system, this is a subtle attempt for a glorified music tour!"

The Admiral could only sweatdrop at that which quickly turned into interest. The Sirens haven't done anything and their only threat was from Wraith, who had some sort of agenda of his own. The girls having the chance to do something different with a proper excuse could be a beneficial thing for the whole world. It could help lift up the spirits and bring everyone just a little bit closer without the recent events plaguing their minds. But, who did come up with this because whoever it was, it was a genius-level maneuver. Interestingly, it would have been something Gabriel would have thought of himself if he wished it so.

First things first, who were the selected individuals? "You mentioned pre-selected participants to test out the system. Can I have a dossier on who among us has that privilege?"

Z23 looked over the papers, eyes peering in between the fine print for the answers. "Hm, it appears quite a few are in port but a good portion is not. Of the selected, we have Baltimore, Roon, Hipper, Sheffield, Akagi, and Gascogne."

If he had been drinking coffee, Gabriel would have spat it out by now. That's already six women that he was somewhat close to, give or take. Worse, Akagi and Roon being participants in all this was bound to cause some issues. Do any of them even know how to perform the music of any sort, let alone sing?! Wait, there was that one time he saw several of the girls performing instruments back at the fundraising concert.

"Z23," Gabriel said in a whisper, "Please tell me these papers are just a prank."

"I'm afraid not, Admiral." Z23 sighed as the news was nowhere pleasing. "These are official documents to have you implement the system as soon as possible. The sooner, the better."

He admitted defeat to the overwhelming odds in front of him. There would be no escape in this as Gabriel began to wonder if the Admiralty purposely plotted this scheme to mock him. Sure, he had a background and proficiency in theater and music but that was years ago. The rust was still showing even if Gabriel had kept his form in top shape; partly due to the girls wanting to dance with him. There was only one option now…

"Very well, let's get the news out to them. First, we'll focus on the weapons system and see its effect before we even consider any actual musical performances. I want everyone to get their rigging adjusted as soon as they can," Gabriel ordered. His previous hesitations disappeared with determination set in. If the Admiralty wanted a morale boost, they were surely going to get one hell of a boost.

Z23 saluted, "Ja, I'll inform them at once."

Once the destroyer left the room did Gabriel switch his thoughts to the events back in London. The dials on the cylinder of the revolver seemed to be an indicator of some sorts. When off, they acted like regular bullets that were no more threatening to kansen than shooting a tank with a sidearm. However, when he pulled the trigger on a glowing dial, whatever left the barrel seemed to be able to flat out disintegrate armor. Was this how Ash's Commander was able to kill Sirens despite him being a regular human being?

"This is right out of a science fiction magazine. Akashi never mentioned anything off about this weapon despite multiple inspections. Could humanity be able to make weapons like this in the future?" His thoughts only continued, putting the culprit on the table for further inspection. Besides the etching, nothing seemed off about it.

Gabriel shook his head and decided to leave the room himself. The longer he stayed in there would only be more frustrating. Next time he got to talk to that apparition of the Commander, maybe he could get some firm answers to the nature of the weapon. But for now, it would be nice to take a break with a simple walk.


What should have been a simple walk turned into a journey through the base. Not that it was a bad thing for a man not to use his right arm temporarily but he should have gone back by now. Except, every time Gabriel considered going back, the little voice in his head encouraged him to go a little more. Then there were the greetings he gave to any passing woman on base followed up by questions on his condition. Questions he quickly answered and dismissed any worry before being on his merry way. His trek did land him at Akashi's workshop to see the Muse system, whether that was his intention from the beginning or not.

Funnily enough, when he entered the R&D section, the neko was nowhere to be seen and several prototypes laid unattended on wooden tables. Instead, the Admiral was greeted with Baltimore inspecting her rigging with noteworthy changes. Simply speaking, the only major change was the addition of speakers installed into the hulls and several smaller speakers connected throughout the frame. Not a single instrument was in sight nor anything else to clue him on what particular musical instrument she was supposed to play. Unless…

"Ah! Admiral!" The heavy cruiser squeaked in a cute manner that contrasted her confidently cool demeanor. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."

"Me either. I just happened to be in the area." Gabriel admitted with a shrug, one that made him wince as one shoulder reminded him. The idea of the walk was to clear his head, not to take him right to one of his assignments. Oh well. "So Z23 gave you the report?"

"Oh yeah." Baltimore nodded, "I got the jist of it. I'm all for entertaining since everyone needs to believe in a brighter future. No one should have to be depressed about all those they lost in the war."

"Absolutely. This is a perfect opportunity to lift everyone's spirits and remind them of how much good we can do if we work together. So, what's your designated role?" Gabriel asked.

Baltimore's demeanor shattered like glass with her grin flipping and eyes averting away from the Admiral's gaze. She began to fiddle with her fingers with her face taking a rosy hue. "W-well...um...I have to sing."

Gabriel slightly smiled at that with memories flooding him of a previous life. So many beginners, especially himself, have to go through that dreaded idea of singing. Unless one was extremely talented from birth, the potential ridicule and embarrassment was too much for most. No wonder there was a lack of guys in the department but considerably more women. "Oh good, there are plenty of genres that you can sing that fit your style."

"It's not that," the heavy cruiser replied, "I have to be all cutesy and stuff. They want me to be an idol."

"Oh…." Now it made sense that Z23 was flustered more than usual. It wasn't the simple idea of singing in front of armed forces, mostly men, but having to be cute while doing it. The genres to choose from were eliminated in an instant. What the hell was the Admiralty thinking?

"Y-you have experience with this stuff, right?" Baltimore inquired, being like a lost lamb in a forest of darkness. The date with her alone spoke volumes as to how different she was compared to ninety percent of the base. She wasn't as girly as the others, she was a lot more competitive in sports and she had a heart of justice so strong that it reminded him of super heroes. A tomboy was the easiest way to explain.

Gabriel had to mentally note her question was asking a lot more than it initially seemed. Thankfully, he was at least one step ahead of her. "Before the war, I was supposed to be in Broadway musicals. I think I'm more than qualified in the experience department but keep in mind, I haven't done much due to the war. I'll happily give you and anyone else any advice that I can offer."

Like a ray of hope shining in the darkest of skies, Baltimore's prior nervousness was vanquished with her bright smile overshadowing any doubts. "Aw, you're the best. When do we get started?"

"After everyone gets to test out the system, then we'll get into show business. That would take…" Gabriel mentally crunched the numbers in his head as he had to take into account tuning and tweaking the rigging for possible issues down the line. Akashi was a fast worker, if she was incentivized, but there was only one of her to make these adjustments. Well, there was Hipper but it would be too much to ask her for mechanical help since she handles her own. "I say give about a week or two."

The heavy cruiser rested her head on one of her hands with a thoughtful expression taking form. "That's a bit long for only having a handful of us. I guess they really want to use this against the Sirens."

"I wouldn't know. I doubt Commander Adams has to do this with whoever is stationed on his post."

"From what I've heard from my sister, they sent this to another handful of girls. So, I guess I'm not the only one really nervous about the whole thing."

This prompted Gabriel to ask, "You keep in touch with your sister? I'm assuming that's Bremerton from what Intrepid has told me."

Baltimore nodded, "That's her alright. She likes talking about people's problems or sharing a bit of gossip so long as it doesn't cause a problem. There isn't a day where I haven't gotten a text from her."

On cue, a buzzing noise echoed in the room. There was a slight amount of rumbling from Baltimore's jacket which made her reach into one of the pockets. She pulled out her personal phone to see what could Bremerton be sending her way to only blush brightly.

"You okay there, Baltimore?" Gabriel asked with a brow raised, curiosity increasing when the heavy cruiser didn't say anything. All Baltimore could do was quickly tap a few buttons and stuff her phone back in her jacket.

"Y-yeah, she just sent me a message that I wasn't ready for." She couldn't even look him in the eye at this point with the red glow spreading through her face. If the Admiral asked her what the subject was about, he feared she would look more like a tomato in color. Thankfully, she shook it off and settled her nerves. "Hey, have you ever done any duets with anyone or sang with any girl?"

"A few times," Gabriel mused on his earlier memories back at home. "I used to volunteer to a small performance company that was a bit more old fashioned. Swing, tap, ballroom, and that sort of stuff. There was this one woman I was good friends with throughout my time there and we often performed together. She's a much better singer than a dancer but I haven't seen or contacted her ever since I joined the navy."

"Why's that?" Baltimore asked, "If you two are good friends, didn't you two swap numbers or at least give your address to her?"

Now it was his turn to be a bit nervous about the answer. Truth be told, he hadn't talked much about another woman besides his mother to those around him. "Ah, well, I kinda had a crush on her at the time. The thing is, there is an unspoken rule about being a performer. You don't date your partner, at least how our instructor loved to say. Something about jealousy and unnecessary drama."

"I'm sure you'll run into her again if we ever head back to the US. If you ever need a hand, you can count on me." The heavy cruiser gave her superior officer a thumbs up, one that he couldn't help but smile at. "What state are you from anyway?"

"Confidential," Gabriel replied in a lightning maneuver. A quick glance at a nearby clock reminded him to get back to the office if he didn't want a reprimand from Z23 again. He turned to make his way for the exit but with an insistent cruiser calling behind him.

"Wait, Admiral, I'm being serious!"

"I know you are, but I save the best information for dates. I'm open later in the week if you really want to know."

He basically pulled his trump card at the perfect moment as Baltimore's face lit up one last time. It was a bit mean to pick on her for not being as girly as the others but it was too easy to poke just a little. "D-Date?! Don't pick on me like that!"

Without another word, Gabriel left the workshop and made his way back to the office without any more detours. Actual testing would have to start tomorrow once the paperwork was back under control and no last-second changes occurred. Though, there was something missing in all this; almost like someone should be expected by now. Then again, he lost track as to how many kansen resided at this base.

Too many to count.


The next few hours were relatively standard except for the current disability ailing the Admiral. The mountains on top of his desk had their tips chopped off but it was far from being completed at this rate. It was only a good thing that he could get some extra assistance when it was needed most. Even so, the warm sun heated the room up to a ripe temperature to get drowsy in. He could take a nap while the day was still up but that would mean a hard time sleeping at night.

"I don't have anything in particular to do until the girls get their new rigging installed. I should probably give my mother a call." The phone stood right on his desk, calibrated to be on a secure line if the Sirens tried to trace any communications. Any call was to another member of the navy or one of the other admirals but with no war, it wouldn't hurt to use it for other methods.

Several buttons pressed later and Gabriel had the phone ringing to a particular number. "Mom? Hey, it's me. Sorry for the lack of direct calls but you know how things are over here."

Just outside his office, however, another encounter was about to begin. Whether the Admiral liked it or not, there was a certain kitsune who was listening in. Thanks to her fox ears, she could hear every single word that was spoken in that room. Words that were beginning to make her tails swish back and forth.

"What are you doing, Akagi?"

The aircraft carrier almost flew up towards the ceiling as she was caught red-handed in her act. Her tails went stiff, slowly turning around to see who she was at the mercy to. Thankfully, it was just Roon.

Akagi visibly relaxed as she turned her attention back to the door, "Teito-sama is speaking with his mother."

To her horror, Roon immediately pressed her ear into the wooden door. The kitsune growled with her tails pointing at her adversary like spears. "His mother? What has he told her about us?"

Akagi relented her threat even if her anger burned like magma. A fight with the battle-hungry cruiser was a quick method to the infirmary. "Nothing yet." Pressing themselves against the door, the two women began to gather intelligence.

Gabriel's voice spoke out, "Yeah, Martin wasn't wrong. I have my hands tied down to this place but it isn't that bad. The women around here have their quirks about them but nothing I can't handle. Hm? Have I gotten married? Well...yes but...it's a bit complicated."

Roon frowned at the mention. They all knew Eugen was married to him first and it's not even known to the regular citizens that it was the case. Nobody knew about the agreement save for the Admiralty and everyone in the port. Would Gabriel's mother even consider anyone besides Eugen as legitimate? Roon wanted to break something to stave off the building pressure. However, Akagi didn't look all too bothered.

"What is our comrade up to?" Both women narrowed their eyes as a third had joined them. A tall Northern Parliament battleship to be precise. Without warning, she too pressed her ear against the cool wood. "What secrets must he keep from us?"

The answer was fired back in return, "His mother."

"His mother? Yes, but of course. Family's keep secrets with each other as a form of safety but even so, why must he speak to her alone? Unless…" The gears began to turn for Rossiya as the revelation became all too clear. "I see now, our comrade Admiral has set up a challenge to determine who is worthy of courtship."

"Teito-sama wouldn't do such a thing," Akagi retorted against such a statement. It wasn't like Gabriel to even consider putting obstacles in front of them unless it was for a purpose. He was trying to adjust to this sudden change with a lot of his interactions. Could it be possible that this was a form of determining the most suitable?

Rossiya shook her head, "Whether intentional or not, the challenge has been set. His mother will be like a scythe to a wheatfield, only the best of us will be chosen. For a man of his position, it makes logi-." The battleship was suddenly shushed when Gabriel's voice spoke out on the other side.

"It's a really long story about what's going on about now. But, to be clear, I am married to a beautiful woman that you will absolutely adore. She'll be with me when I have to attend a conference and I'll stop by so you two can meet." The man chuckled shortly afterward until he sounded a bit taken aback. "Huh? Kids? No, we haven't even thought about that. It's complicated. I'll tell you everything once we meet in a few months."

"CHILDREN?!" All three of the kansen screamed in their mind. All forms of thoughts were fired in rapid succession at what kind of mother the Admiral had. Was she one of those women that were more preoccupied with her family lineage? Before anything could be set in stone, they heard the phone being hung up and the sound of footsteps approaching the door. Quickly, they moved out of the way lest they made it obvious of their intentions.

The door opened with a yawning Admiral feeling the weight of today's monotony becoming burdensome. When he saw the three women just outside his window, he raised a brow. "Is there something going on?"

"No, Teito-sama. We just wanted to wish you well on your recovery." Akagi replied, hiding the truth under a solid lie.

One that Gabriel bought since he was all too happy to go home. "Thank you. If there isn't anything else, I'm heading home for the night."

"Goodnight, Admiral." Roon's sweet smile turned vicious, pupils shrinking to pinpricks. "If anyone ever hurts you like that again, let me know. I'll make sure to eviscerate them.

"Thanks...I guess." He didn't want to stay any longer as the atmosphere was heavy with ominous signs. Roon's smile alone was giving Gabriel bad vibes but once he noticed Akagi's tails flowing, it was a sign to get out. The only one acting 'normal' was Rossiya who avoided looking at him for some particular reason.

He didn't want to know what was brewing in their minds. The Admiral left the office and retired for the night. But as he left, a fierce glare was shared between the carrier and cruiser.


Night had fallen at the simple house. Gabriel was resting against the comfortable couch situated in the living room. His mind was kept busy prior to the prior conversation with his mother and that one word that couldn't be swallowed. Had she only knew of what situation her son was in right now, the idea might have been condemnation.

On the bright side, when Gabriel had arrived, he was greeted with his bed full of wishful cards, bouquets and chocolates. It could be safe to mistake the gestures as Valentine's gifts for the average person but to be honest, he had lost track of what month it was. But still, the gifts were nice considering how his usefulness was void at the moment.

The sound of the door opening drew his attention to where he spotted Eugen. "No commissions tonight?"

"Hipper is covering me. I was performing maintenance on my rigging all day," the Ironblood cruiser answered back. She kicked off her shoes and laid herself across his lap in a move that should be expected of someone like her. "Throwing yourself in dangerous situations will get yourself killed one day."

"Has that changed really?" Gabriel questioned back. He took his arm out of the sling, wincing at the pain that followed but it was progressing. Vestal had advised him to begin some physical therapy immediately so his muscles wouldn't be weak by his full recovery.

"Let me help. Slowly." Eugen gently held his right arm, giving some necessary support when he began to extend his arm. The muscles roused to his command, their stiffness due to the injury had greatly weakened them. Once his arm was at max extension, Gabriel began to pull it back to a ninety-degree angle and then repeated the process.

On one of his repetitions, Eugen asked, "Roon was acting a bit strange today, did you do something to her?"

Gabriel shook his head, the encounter with her, Rossiya, and Akagi seemed very off. To be frank, they didn't mention anything that could bother them unless it was his injury. "Not directly, she just showed up to my office before I left and acted like herself. Akagi and Rossiya were with her too."

"What were you doing in your office before they entered?"

"Speaking to my mother over the phone."

Eugen gained her signature teasing smile, flashing the Admiral with a wink. "Call it a woman's intuition, but I think they might have overheard your conversation. It's not like her to show up with Akagi with how possessive she can be."

"And Rossiya?" Gabriel inquired, the battleship being the odd one out in comparison to the yandere kansen.

"She just so happened to be there too. I don't know what goes through those Parliament girls' heads but their rigging is strangely similar to Ironblood's." Eugen began to trace one of her fingers under his chin like those vixens from classic films. "Whatever the case, you said something with your mother that has their attention."

Gabriel blushed a bit, the conversation fresh in his mind and what his mother was expecting. He was confident that his mother would be pretty happy with Eugen but what about the others? There were cultures that weren't ashamed of something like this but this was one large-scaled balancing act. "Mostly catching up on what has happened. I told her about you and that we would visit her during the conference."

"But that wasn't all of it," Like a gap in a defensive line, the heavy cruiser saw right through his words.

"No," Gabriel's blush darkened and he took a deep breath to steady himself. "My mother always wanted grandkids once we all matured. You know the story of what happened to my family so it's not hard to guess what she brought up. She's really weird like that."

"Oh~, now I want to meet her myself." Eugen wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her face close which only solidified the current crimson hue. "If she wants them so badly, we can always appease her."

Any form of the Admiral's stoicism was shattered as he scrambled to mellow out the atmosphere. "E-Eugen, we don't even know if that's possible."

"Maybe not the first time, but who said we can't keep trying until it works?" The counter was more than enough to scramble Gabriel's thoughts. His relief would only be in the form of the woman giggling, "I'm joking."

"Damn tease…"

The Ironblood woman then quizzically stared up at him, "You seem different."

"How so?" Gabriel replied, unaware of what Eugen was speaking about. Truth be told, several occurrences did seem out of place ever since Ash and Ember came along. There were those vivid dreams of his followed up by changes in his body. Vestal even pointed it out during the first encounter with the Leviathans.

Eugen furrowed her brows at the question, "There's an aura about you. I don't know if it's a side effect of how much time you spent around us or something else. It's not a bad feeling but you have changed a bit."

"If I recall, I'm still part of an international marriage agreement that was thrust upon me without my prior knowledge," Gabriel sighed. There were other things but that still was the biggest player in all of his stress. Mix in the rivalries and competitive nature between some of the girls and you have a recipe for disaster. "There's that Muse system that the brass want me to implement and use for some musical world tour."

Eugen smirked again, "Sounds fun. You should have heard how angry Hipper was when she was called to have her rigging modified. I even offered to give her a makeover for her performances and you know what happened next."

"She blew a fuse, I assume."

"Exactly."

The thought of another time Hipper lost her nerve was tiring alongside the ounces of pain coming from Gabriel's shoulder. Tomorrow, he was going to have test firing sessions up to next week before he even considered putting a musical group together. A request for Commander Adams to send Cleveland back for the tests would be needed as well. Then, there was the whole issue of Jean Bart and Richilieu's dilemma from the war that hadn't been reconciled yet. Finally, scheduling a trip to Germany was not going to be fun, especially if Wraith showed up again.

Tomorrow was going to be another long day.


Not much to be said but there you go. I do have a small announcement to make. Due to a possible tightening of my schedule, updates will be possibly longer. I am uncertain as of right now but I do hope for the best. I hope you all are having a good day.

Stay tuned