"And one day she just appeared! Brooklyn, Cassin and I went out to meet her but she didn't want to fight. She just said she'd been very bored."

"That still doesn't explain how she found us or why her shard isn't corrupted," Thorson muttered, speaking with Yamashiro as they ascended the stairs to the dormitories together. Shigure was the subject of conversation.

"She and I have always been close friends, tono-sama," the shrine maiden clarified. "Though I have no idea what she meant when she said she smelled her way here. That girl has always been difficult to control, like her sister Yuudachi. I hope she will not give you much trouble."

"Pennsylvania seems to have wrangled the white dog fairly easily, but consider your warning noted, Yamashiro. I won't say no to more escort ships assuming she can fight. Can she?" He wondered.

"I believe you will find her to be Yuudachi's equal, tono-sama. But for tonight maybe it's best that we take an hour or two to not think about the war?"

"Yamashiro…"

"Tono-sama," she sighed, leaning against him and taking his hand. "It is hard to imagine how you are still so stressed after having slept with both Pennsylvania and Arizona."

Thorson looked over at her silently as his shoulders fell. She giggled softly. "I do not mind, tono-sama. We have already been over all of this together. It does not mean I do not want my turn. It does not mean I don't want to comfort you…or serve you, if that is your wish," she finished in a whisper.

"I don't need-"

"You do…tono-sama," Yamashiro insisted in her ever-gentle nature. Thorson scowled and inhaled deeply, a breath full of humid, warm air. She clasped her hands in front of her, suddenly reserved. "I'm sorry, tono-sama."

"How many men are out there fighting for the Union who don't have a woman like you to hold them after every sortie? All of them. I'm not special," he insisted.

"You are special to me," Yamashiro said softly, looking over at him. With her eyes off the stairs her sandals caught the last step. Thorson's presence saved her from a full spill onto the concrete, his hand shooting out to take her around the arm and arrest her fall. She smiled broadly as he helped her steady herself, the newly finished and decorated Sakura dormitories now fully visible off to their right. Akashi had installed more lanterns, decorative sculptures hewn from stone, and bamboo. "And how many of those men are also fighting the sirens, tono-sama?" Yamashiro wondered.

"I still-"

"I love you, tono-sama. Who you choose to fight does not change that. You saved Fusou-nee, and you saved me. I would like to do something for you tonight because I love you. That is all," Yamashiro explained, flipping her short hair behind her head and taking his hand. He caught a whiff of sakura blossoms.

"Just let me make a couple stops on the way," he conceded, taking a left after they removed their shoes at the entrance to the building. A multitude of footwear could be seen there, indications of a thriving fleet. Walking down the hallway and then making a right, Thorson came to the central portion of the dormitory, with rooms on his left and the open central courtyard to his right. The first stop was a small bedroom. When Thorson opened the door the occupant scrambled to his feet. The Commander held his tongue and forced down the word 'boy'.

"Yes sir?" Frederick Miles asked, saluting him. Thorson nodded curtly but didn't return the gesture.

"Be sure to avail yourself of the new facilities here. I won't tolerate uncleanliness from anyone on this base."

"But sir-"

"Is there a problem, Mr. Miles?" Thorson demanded.

"The…the shipgirls sir-"

"Will not be using the men's room, I presume?" Thorson cut him off. "Besides, from what I hear the entire place is communal bathing. Neither of us stands a chance," he admitted with a rueful smirk. Fredrick's mouth dropped open as he realized Thorson was giving him permission to use the onsen that was now forbidden to the rest of Stevens' fleet.

"I…but sir, you said-

"I know what I said, Miles. And I know that if you try anything those ships won't let you leave that onsen alive. I don't need to trust you," the Commander explained. "So long as Shiratsuyu is satisfied with your performance…"

"Yes sir. Thank you, sir!" Miles saluted. Unable to quite bring himself to say 'you're welcome', Thorson opted to return it instead, leaving without another word.

Unlike Brooklyn, Yamashiro had nothing to say about his treatment of the young man, good or bad. She simply followed along politely as they stepped next door, the sky above slowly changing to the hues of dusk. Pennsylvania and Arizona stood with guns drawn on either side of a set of double sliding doors, left open so that the occupants of the room could be watched at all times. Naka and Jintsuu were well taken care of for prisoners, set up in an unremarkable but furnished double room with a couple of futons, a simple low table, some cushions, drawers, and a handful of other necessities. Thorson met their eyes as they glanced up to evaluate the disturbance that had obstructed the outside light. "Any issues here?" Thorson asked of his battleships.

"None, sir. The night shifts have already been decided as well," Pennsylvania reported. "We'll find you if something occurs. You're heading back?" She gestured in the direction of the onsen with her head.

"Oh you'll just love it!" Arizona exclaimed sweetly. "Akashi and the rest really outdid themselves. Maybe we'll see you there later?"

It was impossible for Thorson to miss the subtle implications in her voice. It had Penny shaking her head. "Ari…"

"You got to be flagship for an operation, sister. The rest of us need to make up for lost time," she explained with an innocent smile on her face.

"Well, good luck to your pelvis," Pennsylvania joked, earning a gasp from Yamashiro and a snort from Arizona. The younger sister met Yamashiro's eyes.

"Going to 'take care' of our dear Commander?" She asked.

"Arizona!" Thorson and Penny interjected while Yamashiro developed a shy countenance, clearly intending more than just a tour with Thorson.

"It's nothing. I was just making sure he'll be relaxed and cared for in our absence, sister," Arizona explained, earning a roll of Penny's bright green eyes.

"Yeah yeah, best get going Commander; before these two have an aneurysm," Pennsylvania gestured to the prisoners who looked most uncomfortable. "I'll stay here and educate my baby sister on proper decorum for a woman who's had sex and knows she doesn't have to beg for it." Thorson nodded and tried to keep his face neutral, knowing that he was the cause of such a dynamic. All he could do was take things back to the matters of war.

"Like I said, if anything-"

"Goes wrong we'll come to you. We're armed and on home turf. It's alright sir," Arizona assured him. "We have rigging and we'll be vigilant."

"Thank you both," Thorson replied stiffly, unable to come up with any other distractions. Yamashiro took him gently by the arm and they began walking the final stretch to the onsen.

"She did a bang up job, I'll give her that," Thorson admitted, storing his clothing in one of the many square wooden cubbies that rested against the inner, white-washed clay walls of the bathroom. To his back was the bamboo palisade that encircled the entirety of the onsen, and around him was the rest of the men's room. The floor was actually made of smooth bamboo trunks that allowed water from the many showers and two unheated baths to drain easily below the structure. Thorson was pleased to discover that the showerheads contained hot water as well, but the small spacing between them reminded him of basic training. The space had obviously been designed with visits by Stevens' fleet or others in mind, and with the aim of quickly cleansing the body before soaking in whatever awaited him outside. Thorson took a deep breath as water dripped from his hair and body, wrapping a coarse but thick towel around his waist. Akashi had been insistent at dinner that only towels or naked bodies were permitted in her onsen, for the sake of both tradition and maintenance. "Doesn't make it any easier," he muttered, more than able to hear the din of female voices through the open doorway to his right. Only the thought of Yamashiro's disappointed face kept him from retreating to the left, from whence he'd come. With only his dog tags and a towel adorning his body, Thorson steeled himself and walked across the bamboo to finally step onto smooth shale and the onsen beyond. "Wow," he let slip.

The area before him was vast, with a pool longer than it was wide spanning out in front of him and dominating the space with steam, clear water, hewn rock borders, and many naked or towel-clad shipgirls. A couple of catcalls and hollers came his way as he glanced to his right, finding a large, covered platform on risers that extended partially out into the pool and provided some shelter for those underneath. Atop the dark wood construct he saw many kotatsus and cushions, marking it as a place for food, drink, and conversation. A sign in Akashi's cutesy scrawl indicated that kimonos were thankfully permitted in that area at least. The dining space was served by a bar directly to Thorson's right, which currently stood unmanned and un-provisioned. The structure only begged the question of how Akashi intended on getting a supply of alcohol that didn't belong to Laffey onto the base. Thorson was about to survey the far end of the area, which included some sort of towering rock waterfall in the middle of the pool, when soft fingers rested against his upper arm. He turned to find creamy, naked shoulders, a towel covered chest, and a beautiful face with fluffy ears staring up at him.

"Tono-sama?" Yamashiro whispered as Downes shouted to them from the water nearby.

"Hey hey, when you're done with him let me have a go? I've been dying to try this body out!" Any further exhortations were cut off as Tennessee placed a firm hand on Downes' head and pushed her under. Thorson nodded to the battleship, only then noticing that she was completely naked. In his youth Thorson had seen pictures of some of the hot springs of Europe, complete with rich, opaque mineral water. Clearly his base did not have whatever minerals it took to achieve such a hue, and while the ample steam ensured he couldn't see deep enough to make out anything between her muscular legs, Tennessee's tanned, chiseled abdomen, youthful breasts, and toned arms were fully on display.

"T-Thanks," he stuttered, allowing Yamashiro to steer him around the near curve of the hot springs to a small, clay-walled structure on the left. Two doors marked entrances to each of the private sections, both of which had signs indicating they were open. Yamashiro flipped one of them and opened the door for him. Thorson was thankful for the respite. The cheers and whistles of his girls, Akashi and a handful of the bulins included, combined with Tennessee's imperious stare were more than enough to drive him from the public eye. The room was simple, featuring a slatted roof that allowed light in but no rain, a padded table for massages, and two small pools, one warm and one cold. Thorson's throat ran dry as the room proved occupied, despite the open sign. The back of her naked shoulders faced him, but the long, wavy hair and butterfly pin were unmistakable. "Fusou?"

The shrine maiden with the motherly figure stood and turned to face them both, smiling weakly at Yamashiro and blushing from her cheeks down to the base of her neck as light steam rose from her body. "Nee-chan…tono-sama."

Yamashiro rested her head on his shoulder. "Well?" She asked, sounding as nervous as he was. It bolstered his courage, and Fusou's presence reminded him of the many trials of the past months. Yamashiro wanted to do something for him, but he felt perhaps the opposite was warranted.

"Why don't we tend to your sister first, Yamashiro. Her faith has been tested greatly in the last month," he suggested quietly, his serious eyes letting Fusou know that he wasn't attempting to pull anything over on her or use her religion as some sort of weakness. Yamashiro's ears and tail perked up.

"Hai, tono-sama!"

"Tono-sama please, you don't have tooooo~" Fusou's protests died and gave way to pleasurable groans as Thorson's fingers pressed into the muscles of her neck and shoulder blades. Unlike the natural rocks that formed the barrier of the hot springs outside, within the private rooms the small baths were ringed with flat, smooth stone, giving Thorson a place to sit comfortably as he worked on the tension in Fusou's body. She sat back between his legs, which thankfully for him were still clothed, and allowed him to massage her after some protest. Yamashiro looked on from across the bath, her nude body and buoyant breasts keeping Thorson in a practically permanent state of arousal as he tended to her sister. He took a deep breath as she smiled at him, refocusing on Fusou in a futile effort to relieve the stress. She was making no effort to cover her prominent nipples from his gaze, choosing to hold his legs gently under the water instead, her fingers pressing and tracing unknown patterns on his skin as they bonded with one another.

"Of course I don't have to, Fusou. Doesn't mean you couldn't use it," he replied quietly, his voice a couple octaves lower than normal on account of his building lust. "I know they all look up to you."

"Jintsuu and Naka certainly do not," she told him with regret in her voice. He pressed deep into the muscles above her clavicle, earning a gasp as Fusou tightened her grip on his legs.

"Sorry, too much?"

"It was just a bit painful, but I don't mind your touch," she admitted bashfully, allowing more and more of the reserved young woman beneath the shrine maiden and older sister exterior to come forward.

"You should enjoy yourself, nee-san," Yamashiro encouraged. Given the small size of the pool, it was easy for her to reach out and take Fusou's leg onto her lap, assisting her Shikikan by giving Fusou's calves some attention. Her movements had the unintentional side effect of giving Thorson a perfect view of Fusou's womanly thighs.

"Damn, that's…quite the sight," he whistled.

"Tono-sama! Ah!" Fusou made to stand but he gently forced her back to her seat with pressure and a kiss to the top of her head.

"Bear with it. I feel…more comfortable tending to you than the other way around," he told her. Fusou turned her neck to catch his gaze out of the corner of her eye. A small smile curled her lips.

"Then I'll stay right here, tono-sama. Thank you both."

"You're always trying very hard, nee-san," Yamashiro 'scolded' her sister.

"Our faith and your happiness are most important to me, Yamashiro," Fusou insisted, her head rolling to the side as Thorson found a knot under her shoulder and began working it out with his thumbs. Her creamy skin was heavenly to the touch.

"And I think that you should take some time to find your own happiness and fortune!" Yamashiro replied happily, giggling as she and Thorson met one another's gaze.

"She may have a point there," the Commander agreed. "This is a good start."

"But-"

"No buts," Yamashiro insisted. "Tono-sama says you had a very difficult trip while Yamashiro stayed here safe and sound!"

"And I hope that will always be so," Fusou agreed, the warm water and firm fingers beginning to break her down. "Oh by the gods that feels heavenly, tono-sama."

"I'm glad to hear it. You always looked far too serious when you were aboard the Pennsylvania," he replied, moving higher to her neck.

"It was difficult hearing a woman I respect insist that I, that we all are traitors," she whispered. Thorson's hands stalled for a moment and a hard frown covered his face.

"I'm sorry."

"Do not be, tono-sama," Fusou insisted. "You did not force me to choose this path. Akagi and Kaga did."

"I know that doesn't make following my command any easier," he insisted. His words prompted Fusou to stand and turn to face him, her glistening bosom fully level with his face.

"I am honored to follow you," she assured him, placing her hands on his stubbled cheeks. Though the two of them shared a long moment in silent affirmation, it was only a matter of time before Fusou glanced down. "Oh my…you honor me again, tono-sama," she cooed, her own voice changing as she got a very good idea, even through the towel, of what Thorson thought of her body. Yamashiro giggled excitedly, causing Fusou to look her way with a frown and questioning look. "Nee-chan?"

"Would it make you happy?" Yamashiro asked with a complete lack of concern, standing and stepping out of the hot bath. Her skin was flushed a healthy pink from the heat as she padded the couple of steps to the cooler pool and dropped herself in. The neko shrine maiden sighed contentedly, her ears and soggy tail resting as she turned around, kneeled on the submerged rock seating, and placed her arms and chest on the smooth stone floor of the private room. A small amount of overflow ran into a channel on the far side of the tub to be conveyed out to wherever Akashi had designated for the primary drainage for the facility. She smiled at the two of them as only a woman who was part cat could, looking as though she'd found a tasty canary. "Do you want to be one with tono-sama?"

Fusou's face was beet red, but she eventually looked back to Thorson and nodded, keeping her hands clasped over her lips. It was endearing beyond words, so with Yamashiro's tacit permission given he reached forward, took her hands in his, moved them to his towel, and kissed her flush on the lips as Fusou's fumbling fingers bared his body. Yamashiro tittered delightedly at the sight, proving a very different kind of younger sister than Arizona. The two Union battleships had made it very clear that they both wanted him alone and only alone. "Just don't wear him out too much, nee-san. Yamashiro will not be waiting another day, not when Arizona-san has already had her turn!"

"You are just…Yamashiro how can you, eek-!" Fusou squeaked as Thorson stood and lifted her up, stepping into the tub and easily setting Fusou on his lap thanks to the assistance of the water. She willingly settled into his lap, the two of them sucking breath through their teeth as their lower bodies touched one another for the first time. Thorson was about to verbally seek confirmation one last time, but Fusou proved unwilling to wait any longer, placing his hands on her hips. An involuntary purr escaped her throat as her tono-sama took the lead and slipped inside, claiming her. After the massage and the warm water, her body offered no resistance whatsoever to him. She grasped the hair on the back of his head as her downward motion finally came to a halt. Their foreheads met gently, her tail swaying back and forth in the water as his hands moved to cup her substantial posterior. "I love you, tono-sama."

"Feeling's mutual, Fusou."

"Hmm, tono-sama you smell so good!" Yamashiro murmured, resting against his bare chest as they came down from the highs of physical and emotional union, the cool water of the pool sapping away their excess body heat. Thorson said nothing, choosing instead to indulge in the shrine maiden's legendary softness as she remained seated in his lap. He kissed her forehead and turned to his left, finding Fusou watching them quietly from the warm tub. He couldn't be sure, but he imagined that her face held less stress and doubt than before. He threw a small nod her way, hoping she approved of the manner in which he had treated her little sister as they made love. Given he didn't have any rigging pointed his way; he figured he was in the clear.

"Hey now, no falling asleep in the tub," Thorson murmured kindly into Yamashiro's fluffy ears. She stirred and groaned as he finally slipped out of her.

"But Yamashiro is tired and tono-sama is so comfortable," she insisted. Thorson was powerless to deny such a compelling and cute creature, but thankfully for him Fusou was there to help. The elder sister stepped out of her bath, making no effort to hide her dense shock of black pubic fur or center from him as she stepped over to the table and grabbed a towel for around her body. She then managed to coax Yamashiro from his hold, getting her covered so that they could shower and head to sleep early.

"Thank you," Thorson said simply, wrapping a towel around his waist and noting that he felt significantly more comfortable in their presence. Fusou stood on tiptoe and left a kiss on his lips.

"I will put her to sleep and then see if Arizona and Pennsylvania require anything. You are…you should be more confident in your abilities, tono-sama."

"I…how do you mean?" Thorson wondered.

"You were even more magnificent the second time," Fusou explained with a heavy blush, her center throbbing lightly as she remembered being taken from behind. "Have a good evening, tono-sama."

"Bye my love…I mean tono-sama!" Yamashiro stammered and giggled, emerging back into the main area to the glances of every ship still enjoying the onsen at the late hour. Knowing it wouldn't be any easier to wait Thorson followed them, ensuring the private room was clean before leaving. Yuudachi and Shigure could be seen trailing after Yamashiro, their soggy tails waving about as they sought details on her salacious evening with Shikikan. A whistle drew his attention away from them and towards Ark Royal, who was lounging comfortably on the far side of the pool from the private rooms. He nodded to her as she threw him a small smile.

"How are the little three?" He called.

"Sleeping soundly after today's excitement. So now it's my turn to relax," Ark informed him, standing and wading through the shoulder height water. As she drew closer, the light from stone and paper lanterns revealed that she was not nude or toweled, but actually wearing a compelling ensemble of swimwear. It was a deep cerulean to complement her slate blue eyes, and featured geometric cutouts that showed off tantalizing glances of her bust and hips. "I got permission Knight Commander, don't worry," she said confidently, exiting the pool to stand next to him. "I won't begrudge the Union and Sakura their preferences, but I think a bit of modesty goes a long way if your roving eyes are any indication. What's wrong? Those two kittens couldn't sate your lust?" She asked with no small amount of humor, indicating she was there to discuss matters of the flesh as a friend or co-conspirator, not a potential partner. "I suppose we were at sea for a long while but…I hear you got a taste of Union battleship on our voyage."

"It suits you quite well, Ark," Thorson replied and deflected simultaneously. "Can't help it."

"Nor should you. We're all adults here and I'd hate to be the one woman you don't look at. That said I wanted to get everyone used to swimwear, both for the sake of shyer girls like Hatsuharu and for the children. They desperately want to experience the onsen for themselves but I'll not have them in here naked."

"I'm fully in agreement. If Akashi gives you any flak about that you let me know. I'm sure we can find a balance between personal comfort, modesty, and the maintenance needs of this place."

"It is quite the creation, no question. You may even need to start holding fleet meetings here, sir. But I won't take more of your time tonight. Would you care to evaluate my performance with the P-40 tomorrow?" Ark requested.

"I'd be glad to. After breakfast?"

"Splendid. Are you retiring for the evening like your…partners?" She asked with a wink.

"Perhaps soon," Thorson chuckled. "But I'd like to go see whatever Akashi set up on the other side of that." He pointed to the rocks that rose out of the water far down the onsen. One could circle around them on the left or right, but only in the water. The pathway and bamboo fencing ended there.

"I think I saw Cleveland heading that way. Let me know what's back there tomorrow morning. Have a good night, Knight Commander."

"And you, Ark," Thorson nodded, walking as far as he could down the warmly lit pathways before removing his towel and hopping into the water again. It was warm but noticeably cooler than at the entrance. Wading around the corner, his sound obscured by the water running from the rocks into the pools, Thorson beheld something of an infinity pool. It was a relatively small basin where the water of the onsen collected and spilled over into the forests below. A lithe, athletic figure with long, strawberry blonde hair could be seen peering over the edge, the swell of her taut behind just visible at the water's surface. It was quite the sight with the stars and ocean as a backdrop.

"Anything interesting down there?" He announced his presence, causing Cleveland to jump and turn to face him, quickly gathering her arms around her body.

"C-Commander! Don't scare my like that! Oh man, you're naked too?" She groaned nervously.

"I could go get my towel if you like?" He demurred, watching her sink into the water. Eventually she shook her head.

"Not like I haven't seen it before. So uh…sounded like you had a good time?" She asked, not meeting his eyes. Thorson sighed and walked forward, eventually sitting next to her. "Commander?"

"I've been unfair to you," he told her seriously, looking up at the stars.

"Wait what? H-how do you-"

"I…we had our first time together and never talked the way I did with the battleships," he clarified. Cleveland's face fell.

"It's alright, Commander. I get it. They've got all that armored plating and huge tits and asses. I'm just a cruiser."

"Damnit Cleveland, that's not what I mean and you know it!" Thorson huffed, reaching for her hand under the water. "I mean…we never talked about how things would change if…alright, when I eventually had sex with the others and how you felt about all that."

For a long while Cleveland and he stared at one another. Slowly her face shifted from frowning concentration to rosy-cheeked remembrance. "You're saying you still want me? Even after you've been with a bombshell like Yamashiro?"

Thorson moved his arm gently, allowing her hand to come to rest on his 'answer'. Her face lit up and she immediately turned around, kneeling on the submerged rocks and presenting the contours of her dimpled back and pert ass to him. "Holy shit," he whispered as the moonlight caught all her curves and edges perfectly.

"I can think of something that would make this beautiful view even better, Commander. Now why don't you prove to me you still want your first," she encouraged with growing confidence, her voice falling to a bare whisper as she realized what she was saying, how her own emotions and experiences were changing her into a woman as well as a war machine.

"I was thinking of maybe just talking things out, but I guess actions speak louder than words don't they?" Thorson chuckled, set at ease by her attitude in spite of the delectable, carnal feast she'd offered to share with him.

"Darn right. So how about you stop stalling and we have a little fun breaking in Akashi's latest creation?" She suggested saucily as he made ready to take her. "You have any idea how long a month is, Command-!?"

Thorson silenced her nervous and excited rambling as he loomed over her body. He began by placing his hands on either side of hers; resting his chest against her back to trap her beneath him and ensure her that he 'had her'. The cool metal of his tags touched her spine as their lips and hips came together again after more than a month and Cleveland's moan of happiness was swallowed up by his own. That night the onsen was officially 'opened' as multiple shells from Cleveland's rigging were fired out to sea.