I took a deep breath as I raised my hand to knock on the door to the Port office. After a couple quick raps, it opened, and before me stood the buxom, beautiful kansen Prinz Eugen.
"Ah, Ensign Leiber," She greeted me, "the Kommandant is waiting for you. Quickly now," she ushered me in.
I saluted, "Herr Kommandant, reporting as ordered, sir."
"Yes, yes, enough of the formalities. I am promoting you to Lieutenant immediately and assigning you as my adjutant, understood?" He said, getting right to the point.
"I understand, sir," I replied, though I absolutely fucking did not.
"You see, my dear husband is a bit too much like me, so another kansen is just… unacceptable. You will have help, however. I have arranged for another kansen to assist you in your tasks, though they will always be with you," Prinz Eugen turned to the Kommandant and waggled her finger.
He laughed, "You'll love her, I promise. You haven't had the pleasure of working with kansen, right?"
"I have not, sir," I replied.
"Oh, stop being so stiff…" He admonished me, "Enjoy it, few have the chance, and they absolutely wonderful…" he gave me a wink, and Prinz Eugen gave him a smack. He laughed uproariously at this, and I managed a slight smile to appease him.
"What is her name, sir?"
He nodded, "That's more like it! She is official Zerstorer 23, but she prefers to go by Nimi. In fact, she should be here any second…"
I turned as the door opened, to see the destroyer peek in, a serious, inquisitive look on her face. She had shoulder-length blonde hair and bright blue eyes that locked to mine immediately. I could feel her scrutiny, and I had to admit, she was cute. She was shorter than I'd thought she'd be. Her head only came up to my chest.
"Eugen… why am I here?" She turned to the cruiser.
"Ah, right… I didn't tell you. You'll be working with Lieutenant Leiber here. Just call him Erik. He's cute, isn't he?" Prinz Eugen teased the destroyer.
"I'd say so and isn't she cute too?" The Commander chimed in.
Nimi blushed a little and sighed, "Erik… I apologize for Eugen's behavior. Please follow me and I will get you settled in."
"With pleasure," I said, turning and saluting the Commander, his half-assed salute as he bid me well kind of irritating. Well, he was my superior, so that was his prerogative.
I followed the destroyer to a room close by. It was spacious and full of shelves of paper files. A second desk sat beside Nimi's, a small nameplate already sitting atop it. She gestured for me to sit down.
"So, I'm Nimi…" She introduced herself. She didn't seem the type that did much socializing, but neither was I.
"I'm Erik. I'm looking forward to working with you. I'm not sure what I'm to do, though," I said.
"It's all pretty routine… paperwork and the like. Prinz isn't a fan of other shipgirls working with the Kommandant, even me, and she has, in no uncertain terms, ensured that she will not be performing that type of… ugh… 'Nimi-work,'" She shook her head and grabbed a stack of files, placing them on my desk.
"This is going to be a trial by fire, isn't it," I said.
"Pretty much. These are new kansen files, they need to be interviewed and have an audience with the Kommandant. I'll be with you through all of it, however. Basically, when you leave, I leave… I might be a bit early though, so don't worry about getting here at the same time. I'm here to help and support you, but we'll do our best if we work together," Nimi said, her intensity and the conviction in her voice admirable. I can see why she's regarded so highly, and it was kinda cute.
I was a professional, though, "Thank you, I look forward to working with you. It is a privilege to work with a kansen."
She nodded, favoring me with a small smile before she walked around and sat at her desk. As she passed, I caught a whiff of her perfume, and thought to myself that it smelled very nice indeed. A far cry from the JO's I was used to working with.
There were three new shipgirls arriving today, and we had to interview each of them. The first two were pretty standard destroyers, and their interviews were short and to the point, the Commander paying them little attention during the process, almost as though he were going through the motions. Yet the third was a heavy cruiser who stood out, the shock of red in her otherwise white hair making quite the statement.
"Guten tag, I am Graf Spee. I am looking forward to working with the fleet," She said, sitting down in front of us. Nimi turned to her and raised her eyebrows.
I turned to the destroyer, "She is… going to capture his attention. We need to make sure that this goes smoothly."
"Good eye. I'll get ahold of Eugen as well, she'll want to be here as well. This would be so much easier if he wasn't as bad as she was," she nodded and got up, leaving the room.
"Ahh, I apologize if I…" Spee began.
"No need… she is just going to retrieve another kansen. So, Spee, I see you're a pocket battleship? I studied you extensively in the academy."
"Ah, I'm embarrassed… my end was… ignoble," She sighed.
"Yet here you are, once again ready to serve in the name of the Fatherland. Your skills are impressive, and you'll find that you are more capable than ever. That being said, how do you feel, personally?" I set down the file and leaned forward, giving her my full attention.
She considered the question for a moment, "I feel… good. Power surges through me, and my gauntlets feel as though they could rip through steel."
"You could take them off when you're inside though," I encouraged. She cocked her head, but nodded, removing them and setting the enormous claws aside.
"Ahh… I could see why that would cause discomfort. Thank you for your advice. I can't wait to see what I am capable of. It is strange, though, to be in this form, and in these clothes…" She looked down, gesturing to her exposed flesh.
"Hmm, we could arrange for alternative attire, should you wish it," I informed her.
"Ah, there is no need," Spee replied.
The door opened, and I heard Prinz Eugen before I saw her, "Hmm, Nimi… I thought I made it clear that it was your responsibility to…" She paused as she came into the room. Spee turned to greet her, and she turned to Nimi, "I take everything back, Nimi. I apologize and thank you for retrieving me."
"Ah, you must Prinz Eugen. A pleasure to meet you," Spee said.
"Ahh… the pocket battleship. Damn, you are far, far cuter in person…" Prinz Eugen said, bending over a little and getting close to the new shipgirl, sniffing her. "You smell good, too. Yeah… I'll make sure to set the scene. Nimi, ten minutes."
"Yes, Eugen…" Nimi said, and took her seat again as Prinz left.
She had a distinct line of questioning for Spee, and when she was through, we had learned about the shipgirl and her mannerisms, and how to effectively apply her.
"Hey, Nimi…" I turned to her, "I know I'm his adjutant… but why doesn't the Kommandant bother to acquaint himself with his fleet's capabilities?"
"Oh, he is very much acquainted with a certain heavy cruiser's abilities… but he leads from the front and relies on us to feed him battle plans to work with," She explained.
"Ahh, I see. Anyway, we should head in to introduce her," I turned back to Spee, "Please, follow us."
We got up and led her the short distance to the port office. Nimi knocked and opened the door, revealing that Prinz was standing very close to the Commander, hand hand resting on his shoulder.
"Kommandant, here is the final new kansen for the day. This is Graf Spee, a pocket battleship. However, she is technically a heavy cruiser and this will serve best in a vanguard capacity. I would recommend using her to defend other kansen while dealing large amounts of damage," I introduced her. She took a seat and smiled.
His face lit up like a Christmas tree, and a moment later he grimaced as Prinz visibly tightened her hand on his shoulder.
"A pleasure to meet you, Spee! I look forward to leading you in battle, and hope you'll settle in well," he said, his voice carefully neutral.
"Danke, Kommandant, I will do my best to serve the Fatherland," Spee replied.
"Excellent. Dismissed."
Spee left with Nimi, the destroyer leading her to her new accommodations. Prinz let go of the Commander and grinned, "It's so nice to see this little arrangement working so well so quickly! I'll make sure you enjoy quite the tenure, Erik." Prinz shot the Commander a sly smile.
"Yeah, yeah… you get tangled up with one shipgirl and suddenly you can't even tease the others…" He rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you know why this is happening~," Prinz replied.
"Hey, you're just as bad…" He retorted.
"Mhmm… that might be true, but I intend for you to remain monogamous now that you put a ring on my finger~."
The Commander turned to me, "You are very good, it seems. Try to live for me, ok? Nimi would be quite the catch."
Prinz giggled, "Well, he certainly is correct there…"
"I'm going to see myself out. Thank you, Kommandant, Prinz Eugen. If you need me, you know where to find me," I said, getting up.
Their laughter followed me out of the room. I nearly ran into Nimi, but we stopped short. We shared a brief look, her blush rising as she heard them laughing.
"Those two…" She sighed.
"Yeah…" I said, unsure of what else to say.
Their teasing didn't end, however. Yet Nimi and I maintained a professional relationship. In fact, when we would finally decide to get to know each other, we were both shocked to find out just how little we had learned over nearly three months of working together.
We had fallen into a comfortable routine, Nimi taking care of my morning coffee, and I would fix hers in the afternoon. We ate together, chatting idly about how to best use the resources of the fleet. One day, however, Prinz invited my partner out to lunch, and the Commander invited me to join him in his office.
His personal cook served lunch, and I have to admit that his position certainly had its perks. We talked shop for a bit, but his ulterior motive soon became clear.
"So, Erik, have you gotten to know Nimi any better?" He asked.
"I… suppose…" I said, wracking my brain to figure out what I knew about her.
"You seriously haven't even tried to get past that serious facade she wears? Oh, man… I hope you're not hopeless, because you do not want to give up this chance. I was going to ask if you've kissed her but…" He guffawed, having to take a moment before he could take another drink.
"Ah, I understand… I was under the impression that we were to have a professional relationship," I said.
"So you are interested in her?" He pried.
I felt my face flush. I had been… seeing her a little differently as of late, but I certainly wouldn't just act on my feelings without properly analyzing them. Kansen were something to be respected, admired… not the subject of one's desires.
Surely…
"Ahh… I can see it in your face. You're worried, aren't you? Well, here… let me give you a piece of advice. If you don't act, you'll never know. Maybe just go ahead and talk to her like you want to get to know her better. Give her a compliment, let her know she means something to you, and see how she responds. I have a feeling you won't be disappointed," he lectured.
I nodded, "Alright, I'll… I'll try that after lunch."
"Good, good…" He grinned again, chuckling as he ate.
When I returned to the adjutant's office, I found Nimi waiting for me, giving me a funny look, "H-hi… Erik…"
"Hey Nimi, what's the matter?"
"Nothing…" she lied, blushing a little.
"Oh… perhaps your lunch with Prinz went the same way mine did…"
"Those two… c-can't they see…" Nimi stuttered a little. Seeing her this nervous was strange.
"Forget about it…" I said, but she shook her head. I sighed. Alright, I would try it… "Hey, Nimi…" She looked up at me again, "You uh… you look nice…" I said. Holy fuck, did I sound dumb…
"Thanks… I guess… I uh… jeez…" She was blushing furiously at this point, "I'd like to get to know you better…"
"Nimi… why don't we just go somewhere after work today and have a coffee. Being forced into this situation by our superiors is so surreal… and I honestly like you too much to continue this nonsense…" I said, praying that my bluntness would dispel the awkwardness of the situation.
She visibly relaxed, "Thank you… and I'll accept your offer. A proper date suddenly seems so much less stressful than whatever that just was."
We shared a small laugh and got back to work, our duties quickly making us forget of what would be the first of many strange encounters we would have together. What worked for the Commander and Prinz Eugen would never work for us… yet that didn't stop them from trying.
We were a little hesitant, or at least I was, when we sat down at the little cafe outside of the port walls. No one bothered us. Military types were here all the time and Nimi wasn't immediately seen as a kansen.
Relative anonymity was a blessing, after all, and soon we relaxed enough to chat.
"This is much better," I said, doing my best to start off the conversation.
She nodded, "Yeah… I mean, Prinz wanted me to tell you I thought you smelled good."
I laughed, "I thought that was usually what the men tell the women…" I said. She was a little quiet, looking at me expectantly. "Ahh… well, to be honest, you do smell good."
She blushed, "You didn't just have to come out and say such a strange thing!" She said, but smiled a little nonetheless.
"Yeah, but it would be foolish to lie and say I hadn't noticed. We work together in the same room almost every day… whatever perfume you use, it's a damn sight better than what I was used to before being assigned as his adjutant," I said, taking a sip.
"Oh, I don't use perfume…" Nimi said, blushing a little as she looked away. I stopped, looking at her.
"I… I don't know what to say but… wow…" I felt myself redden a bit as well. We sipped our coffee in silence for a few minutes.
"Alright, my turn… what do you do for fun?" I continued.
"Ahh, well… I like to help out the other girls with their studies, and catch up on paperwork and the like…" she said.
"Wait… you're working on your days off? Even I take time to relax…" I replied, incredulous.
"Well, there is just so much to do and…" She began, "I don't really have any hobbies or anything like that so I just… kinda…" she paused.
"Well, are you enjoying this now?" I asked her.
"I am… hey, Erik, what do you do for fun?" she asked, turning the question over to me.
"Promise not to laugh?"
"Promise."
"I like that Sakura Empire stuff…" I said.
"Well, they are our allies and… OH," she smiled, "I see…"
"Oh no, I know what that means…"
"N-no! I promise… I'm just a little surprised, seeing how regimented you are and how seriously you take your rank and responsibilities," she blurted.
I smiled, "I'm giving you a hard time, but thank you. I just thought keeping my personal life out of my professional life would be best, but… maybe I should be a little more personal." Nimi nodded, her small smile seemingly ever present on her face.
"Thank you for this, Erik… it's nice to get to know someone. If it's ok, I'd like to make this a regular occurrence. Once a week maybe?" She asked, once again comfortable.
"I'd like that too," I said, a smile on my face.
We had become more than just colleagues… I now thought of Nimi as a friend, and maybe something just a little more. It turns out that the ridiculous actions of our superiors did, in fact, bring us closer together.
When we got back to our rooms later, and they were pretty close together since we were both directly working for the Commander, she surprised me with a hug. After a moment of surprise, I wrapped my arms around her as well.
"You… smell nice too…" she said, a little flustered as shortly after she broke the hug.
"Goodnight, Nimi. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Erik." She went into her room, and I turned to mine a moment later, just going in and laying on the bed, still remembering how it felt to have her hug me and enjoying that moment. There was so much more to her than met the eye.