They ended up going ashore in Europe, choosing one of the southern countries not patrolled by Zeitwächter's personal nemesis — battleship Brokencore — and were now strolling aimlessly in the streets.
„I'm surprised that the people aren't more afraid of us", Zeitwächter stated at one point while stretching with her arms behind her head.
It was true. None of the people here reacted like one might have thought (you know, like screaming, getting out of sight, cussing) and instead were, at most, throwing careful glances and nothing more.
„They're accustomed to you", Kongō said.
„Yeah, but the people in the west are too", she made a thoughtful noise, „though those are Germans and Frenchs and all that, so…"
Kongō looked at her, eyebrows one dumb word away from rising skyhigh.
„There's a temperamental difference between south, north, west and eastern Europe and I have no way of explaining it to you."
Ah, her eyebrows had raised, damn it.
„Well, Kon-chama, let's go window shopping!", she jogged forwards, still almost walking and waving a wallet she had conjured from God knows where.
Churchgrim and Kongō had to speed up in order to not get left behind: „Where did you get the money from?"
„I'm not trying to Weimar Italy, don't worry!"
What did that even mean!?
„Queenie pays all of us a monthly salary~"
Kongō looked at the seemingly very heavy wallet and thought that Zeitwächter mustn't have come ashore in quite a while: „And where does she get all the money from?"
There were quite a few ships, after all.
„Are you worried that she robs people?", the battleship leaned down to give her dog a treat and pat, „the various governments pay her a certain amount and she divides it evenly between us."
„You're allied with humanity, then?"
„I suppose?", she put a finger to her chin and tilted her head cutely, „we do work together with them at the very least."
It wasn't really a thing that Zeitwächter was concerned about; if they were allied with humans or not didn't really matter to her as she disliked them anyway.
However, money? Best thing those fleshbags could give the fleet (and the very least).
Just in that moment, a vendor selling and trading fabric and clothing called out to them: „Ladies! Would you like some new dresses?"
Kongō felt Zeitwächter's mood sour instantly, her and Churchgrim hiding behind the blonde who chose to answer: „We don't."
They were disappointed at a good business opportunity just passing by and thus held up what was undoubtedly one hell of a costly dress: „Really not? It would be a shame to pass by this opportunity. You will never find a dress like this again-agh!"
Their colleague had finally stepped in and slapped them on the back of their head: „Shut up. Those are members of the Fog and you're making them uncomfortable."
"But money…"
"What kind of vendor are you?", he wasn't even looking at the other, instead focusing on a phone or something, "you can't sell anything to uncomfortable people. You also can't sell shit when dead."
From then on, they descended into a loud verbal fight and the group of ships took that as their sign to leave.
"What kind of shop are you searching for?", Kongō asked Zeitwächter while she looked at a food stall they were passing.
"I need new art supplies."
"You draw?", that did surprise her a bit, somehow.
In retrospect though, it most likely shouldn't have – Zeitwächter seemed like someone who practised some kind of art.
The battleship beamed and nodded while making a confirming sound, moving energetically up on her toes and down immediately again in a mimic of a happy little jump: "I do! I'm not the best at it yet, but I'm having a lot of fun with it!"
Fun, huh?
Kongō thought back on her first and only visit to Iwoto and felt a painful twist in her heart; she really was having fun with them all, she supposed.
"Kon-chama, I think this might be it."
They had come to a halt in front of an old stone building which certainly had seen better days but was still in great shape. Its door was outfitted with colourful glass and over the entrance was an artistically designed metal sign reading "Little Shop of Artists".
If lucky, then the two metre giant that was Zeitwächter wouldn't even have to duck.
Just as Kongō was thinking that, her theory was proved by the battleship entering the shop to call towards the counter: "Hello? Is it alright for my dog to enter too?"
A brown head popped up from behind the wooden construct: "Hello! Yes, of course, good boys and girls can always come in!"
Churchgrim immediately patted in and sat down by the counter, tail wagging madly.
"Oh what a cute boy!", the woman cooed, "a sweet little man!"
He was preening and practically growing with every word she said until Zeitwächter put a hand on his head to stop the sudden growth of the already not-so-little man.
The woman, by now lying on the counter, looked up at her: "Are you his mom?"
"Uh", Zeitwächter said, "more like… sister?"
"Oooh I see!", then her gaze got caught by Kongō slightly behind them, "are you his sister-in-law then?"
Kongō's head snapped around so fast, if she were made from flesh and blood you could have heard the muscles in her neck snap: "Come again?"
She asked at the same time Zeitwächter sputtered out a way more inelegant mess of words.
Churchgrim, for his part, looked between them all then made a stupidly happy face.
You don't even know what a sister-in-law is!, Zeitwächter screamed mentally.
The woman was, apparently, legitimately confused: "You two aren't a thing?"
"No", Kongō simply said.
"Oh", she slumped back down on her counter, "too bad, you're kinda cute together."
"She…she… flagship!", Zeitwächter was still having a certain amount of trouble.
"I see, so it's a workplace affair."
That sentence had been muttered, but also been loud enough for Zeitwächter to bang her hands on the counter and more or less die in front of it while kneeling on the ground: "Art supplies! I don't suppose you have Faber-Castell but-"
A package of Faber-Castell colour pencils landed in front of her.
"Hah?", she looked up at the cashier, dramatics forgotten, "how the hell?"
Said woman just shrugged.
"...How much?"
And that was that.