Stepping onto the tarmac of the post runway, Bearn barely seemed to note the wash and still steady noise of the propellers roaring behind her. She, and more perplexingly her trademark kepi, seemed utterly unconcerned by the wind, skipping to a stop several meters from the aircraft and surveying the mostly empty airstrip with a cheery and optimistic smile.
"It is much more humid than I expected." She noted staring off at the small houses on the far end of the runway, "and the summers here are quite hot compared to the coast at France."
"So it seems." Dreadnought muttered, finding herself grabbing ahold of her cap to keep the propellers from throwing it off her head.
Bearn took a break from her distant fixation and did an abrupt about face, startling Dreadnought with the suddenness of the move and her blank expression, "where do we go now?" the carrier asked plainly, though still with a thick and unmistakable accent.
Dreadnought turned to give an expecting look towards the two groups of marines hat had filed out behind the two capital ships but was met with a cluster of disinterested smoke breaks and chatter, both groups continuing onwards in small cliques that fanned out to escape the noise and we're completely obvious to the Shipgirls they were assigned to. The battleship let out a sigh that was only barely audible beneath the continuous roar of the engine. "I'm not certain." Dreadnaught admitted with a twinge of frustration
"Do you think that little one knows?" The carrier asked, absentmindedly gesturing towards a series of sterile administration buildings with the words "United States Navy Warship Personnel Command" neatly emblazoned on the side of the doorway.
It took several seconds for dreadnaught to pick up exactly where Bearn was pointing, but standing next to the sign in rigid and blankfaced posture was a small woman that while easily mistakable to the untrained eye as a particularly young looking lower enlisted, bore the unmistakable silhouette of a destroyer to the battleship's more unusual senses.
"Right." Dreadnaught affirmed in a tone clearly meant to save her pride. "I suppose asking her couldn't hurt."
Bearn however was a step ahead, already firing up her turbines by the time the battleship had noted the girl's presence.
As Bearn approached with Dreadnaught close in tow, the girl offered a crisp and clearly well rehearsed salute to the pair, clicking her boots audibly and offering a stern, "ma'ams".
Bearn returned a gesture that was as much a wave as it was a salute, while Dreadnaught offered a traditional British salute.
"My my, isn't she just the cutest!" Bearn muttered ruffling the destroyer's Navy issue patrol cap. "It looks like they hold you American girls to a very high standard." The Carrier muttered. "If I didn't know better I would think you a sailor."
Stewart took a half step back, offering a subtly annoyed glare at the Frenchwoman "I hold myself to my own standard." she answered sternly, "as acting aide to Commander Andrews it's important for me to present myself professionally.
"But of course! And a most excellent job you are doing!" Bearn affirmed, grinning proudly.
Dreadnaught sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation, "Bearn dear, I know you are French, but please do try and behave yourself."
The carrier returned a confused glance to Dreadnaught, pondering the battleship's comment with confused glances between the two assembled warships before turning back to Dreadnaught, "I do not know what this means but I think I am offended."
"Again, I know you are French." Dreadnaught offered dryly, before addressing the smallest of the assembled warships, "right, Miss-"
"Stewart ma'am, midshipman Stewart." Stewart affirmed standing slightly straighter than before.
"I see the American Shipgirls are more organized than I expected." Dreadnaught muttered offering her hand to the girl, "Dreadnaught."
Stewart's expression conveyed the closest thing her professional attitude could convey as a shrug as she returned the gesture, "most of us don't even have ranks to fall into. I asked for one. I felt it important that I know where I fit in."
Dreadnaught offered a confused look but said nothing, Bearn chose to ignore the comment and ruffle he destroyer's hat again with her trademark bubbly grin.
"You are just adorable." Bearn cooed in a sing song tone, ruffling the destroyer's hair, "such a very serious sailor you make!" She reached into the pockets on her blue petticoat before grabbing Stewart's hand and forcing an unseen object into it with a friendly smile. "Maybe with some sweets I can get you to smile."
Stewart's mouth briefly ticked firmly downwards, she opened her hand and gave the small but brightly wrapped orb a derisive look "Thanks you ma'am." The destroyer answered in her best 'strictly business' voice.
Bearn laughed mirthfully and gave Stewart's head another happy ruffle. "You are most welcome little one! But I still must find a way to make you smile, it looks like candies will not work," she cooed happily before her eye caught the unimpressed gaze of Dreadnaught. Bearn offered a short, laugh. "But it seems like our British friend is uninterested in this as of now. Maybe you can take us to your Commander so she can get back to being so very serious and English?"
Stewart's frown subsided ever slightly following the request. "Right this way, ma'ams," she offered, gesturing to the door behind her.
Bearn followed quickly ahead of the other two, followed by dreadnaught after the later lost a brief yet polite battle of instances to Stewart over who held the door open for the other.
"If you'll permit me to lead, the Commander's office is just up ahead." the destroyer offered, letting the door close behind them and focusing on the tiled white hallway ahead of the trio.
"Most excellent," Bearn commented, happily patting the destroyer on the back.
Dreadnought followed in back, pondering the sterile military look of the facility's walls and various room's, noting the lack of personnel and other Shipgirls with trepidation, wringing her Royal Navy in her hands idly, "If I may ask," the battleship interjected, "how often do you find yourself sortieing from this post?"
Stewart gave a glance back before slowing down and matching pace with the battleships to answer her directly to her, "not often ma'am, I'm mostly here for command and control, acting as a liaison and aide to the commander. Though I hear I may be sent back out soon with the fleet reforming."
"Oh!" Bearn cooed from the front, tworling on her heels to change facing though continuing to walk backwards "it will be nice for you to get fresh sea air, no?"
Stewart offered an unconvinced grimace and sped up slightly to take the lead of the formation. "We're almost there, her office is just around the corner."
The comment only barely registered to Dreadnaught as an immense force impacted her at flank speed, catching her completely off guard and tumbling her into darkness.
apologies if this feels like a rewrite of the last one, there was originally a three parter that was intended to parallel itself, original stuff next chapter, I swear.