"So you want to be cold?" Gangut stared up at me in confusion as I continued to hop from one foot to the other.

"No!"

Gangut smiled and nodded in understanding. "Then I will stay and warm you!"

"N-" I couldn't think while trying to stave off frostbite on both feet. "Scoot over."

She dutifully did so and I sat down on the bed, quickly tucking my feet under the blanket to give them some feeling of warmth. "Look," I sighed, finally able to compose my thoughts into a coherent sentence, "It's not that I want to be cold, I just…I think I'd be fine if we just added another blanket or two. Don't take this the wrong way, you seem like a wonderful woman, but this seems like an…awfully intimate thing to do for two people who've just met."

To my surprise, Gangut seemed to give it some serious thought before she nodded slowly, her expression serious. "Perhaps you are right, Comrade," she acknowledged, "I had not thought about the cultural differences between us." But then that broad, infectious grin of hers returned. "But that is why you are here, da? To bridge the gap between us! These mistakes happen, but we will learn from them and move on! Now, tell me, Comrade, what do you do in your home country when you are cold?"

"Get another blanket," I said slowly, not sure if the idea of layers was something everyone in the Northern Parliament was unfamiliar with, or just Gangut.

"Da, da," she waved her hand dismissively. "But what do you do if you cannot find another blanket?"

I thought for a moment before shrugging. "Suck it up, I guess."

"Comrade, Comrade, Comrade," Gangut shook her head slowly, her tone admonishing. "Are your people so enamored of your individualism that you would rather risk life and limb before relying on one another?"

"Not quite," I chuckled. "I think part of it is that it rarely, if ever, gets as cold as it does up here. If it's cold, then most of the time it's not life-threateningly so. So most people just kinda deal with it. Getting physically close with people you aren't romantically involved or related to is seen as being kinda awkward unless there's some sort of extenuating circumstance."

"I see. Then, in the future, I will refrain from slipping into your bed unless it is an absolute emergency!" Little did either of us know that this would be proven to be a lie in relatively short order.

"Thank you," I bowed my head as I sighed inwardly. At least we managed to get out of this with a minimum of embarrassment and misunderstanding.

"It is what Comrades are for!" she beamed, slapping me on the shoulder so hard I damn near fell out of the bed. "Now come, let's get dressed and head down for breakfast!"


Thankfully, Gangut was gracious enough to give me my privacy while I changed, using the time to return to her own quarters for a new uniform before she met me back at my temporary billet. She returned just as I buttoned up my coat and tucked my cap underneath my arm, ready to head out.

Her ruby eyes took me in appraisingly as she smiled broadly. "You clean up well, Comrade!" she declared.

"Thanks," I replied as I looked down at my uniform. "I wore the same thing yesterday."

"Ah, but yesterday, you looked a little…what is the phrase, 'worse for wear'? Understandable, considering what Pamiat said you went through. But a little vodka, some rest, and now you're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, ready to conquer the day!" Before I could say anything else, she grabbed my arm and practically dragged me out the door. "Now, breakfast! Have you ever had a proper Northern Parliament breakfast before, Comrade?"

"Can't say I have," I answered as I struggled to keep pace with her. I'm pretty sure if I'd tripped and fallen, she'd have just kept going, dragging me behind her.

"Then you are in for a treat!" she laughed. "They made syrniki this morning, along with eggs and doktorskaya sausages! You will love it, I'm sure!"

Eggs were about the only thing I recognized. "Never heard of sir-nicki, and I know what sausage is, but I've never heard of…doctor sausages?"

"Syrniki," she repeated. "It's like…ah…I'm not sure quite how to describe them, but I'm sure you'll love them! And Comrade Tashkent keeps saying doktorskaya sausage is a lot like mortadella from Sardegna. I wouldn't know if she's right, but hopefully, it helps explain things, Comrade."

"I've had mortadella," I confirmed, "So you would slice it like lunchmeat instead of cooking it whole like the breakfast sausages back home."

"Da!" She chuckled. "It would take far too long to cook an entire doktorskaya sausage, and you wouldn't be able to eat it all in one anyways."

Mercifully, Gangut slowed her stride as we rounded the corner, and I heard the sounds of conversation growing closer. "Gotcha. Sounds like I won't have to wait for too long before I get to try some."

"Just a few more steps, Comrade," she grinned as she stopped and pushed open a door, revealing a large dining room, several shipgirls sitting inside, chatting and eating their breakfast. The first thing I noticed was the heavenly aroma that wafted out as the door opened. Freshly baked pastries, cooked meats, and a faintly sweet scent all mingled together, and my mouth began to water as my stomach quietly growled.

"Oh, that smells delicious," I smiled as I stepped inside, pausing to smile and wave at the shipgirls seated at the table. Rossiya, Pamiat, and Avrora were all finishing up their breakfast, and all three turned to grace me with a big smile as soon as they heard the door open.

"Dobray Utra, Comrade Commander," Rossiya greeted me softly, "I trust you slept well."

"I did, thank you," I answered. "It was a bit cold, though."

"That is life in the Northern Parliament in winter," she replied with a wry grin, taking a sip of her tea before continuing. "We should have your new quarters ready by this afternoon, however, which should be better than those drafty old barracks. And just to be on the safe side, I will have them add an extra blanket."

"Much appreciated."

"Not a fan of warming up the old way, eh, Commander?" Pamiat said with a big grin and a knowing wink.

Before I could answer, Gangut spoke up for me. "Apparently they do not engage in such behavior in the Eagle Union except in the most dire of circumstances. It is, how do you say, awkward. He told me this morning."

A murmur ran through the shipgirls, and Pamiat's grin grew bigger. "Sounds like someone got themselves a Gangut-sized blanket last night."

"It's not what you think!" I bleated, trying not to give them the idea that I just started sleeping with shipgirls five minutes after joining them. "I was already asleep when she joined me!"

"Suuuuuure you were," Pamiat said, that mischievous grin nearly splitting her face. "You just couldn't wait to get a taste of that famed 'Northern Hospitality', weren't you?"

Fortunately, Gangut leapt to my defense. "He really was asleep when I found him, Pamiat," she interjected, glancing down at me with a sympathetic smile. "He was just so cold and shaking like a little leaf." To this day, I'm not sure which was less emasculating, mouse or leaf. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Get an extra blanket," the other three shipgirls responded in unison.

"Fine, fine," she groused, waving her hand as she took a seat, patting the one next to her. "In any case, the issue is resolved. Come, Comrade!" She smiled up at me. "Sit and eat your fill!"

"Alright," I smiled back as I took a seat next to her. "And where would you recommend I start?"

"By telling us how you take your tea, Comrade," Gangut stated as she poured the piping hot liquid into a teacup for me.

"Tea?" I repeated, wondering if I'd suddenly teleported to the Royal Isles. "You guys don't have coffee?"

The boisterous battleship made a face and shook her head. "Blech," she began, sticking her tongue out. "I think Kirov is the only one here who partakes in that overly bitter stuff, and she's off on a mission right now. Besides, your meal will taste better with tea!"

"If you insist," I relented, but made a mental note to find Kirov when she returned from her mission. "I'll take the tea how you take it."

"Two sugars and a dash of cream, then!" Gangut added a pair of sugar cubes and a dash of milk to the tea with a surprising amount of delicacy, stirring it so deftly it left hardly a ripple. "Go, grab your food!"

I looked at the spread, wondering what half of this stuff was. My eyes found the eggs, sunny side up and still in the pan, along with several slices of what looked like bologna. I carefully portioned two of the eggs onto my plate, along with some of the meat, and set it back down on the table. "This the, uh, doktorskaya sausage, I take it?"

"Da!" she beamed. "Excellent pronunciation, Comrade! We'll have you speaking the mother tongue in no time, I can tell!"

"Thanks," I grinned sheepishly. "And the, ah, syrniki?"

"Right here," she pointed at a nearby tray full of what looked like…silver dollar pancakes, but much thicker.

"Huh…kinda looks like pancakes, but smaller and thicker," I mused as I grabbed a trio. "Do you guys pour syrup on these, too?"

"We usually add sour cream or fruit preserves, but syrup isn't out of the ordinary, Commander," Avrora answered with a smile.

I looked around the table and spotted a small glass container filled with blueberry preserves and a spoon. After dolloping some onto the plate, I finally cut into one of the little pancakes and took my first bite. The pillowy texture gave way to a slightly sweet taste, punctuated by a tang from something I couldn't place. "Delicious!" I declared, much to the delight of the kansen. "What's in this? It reminds me of a pancake back home, but it's a lot fluffier and there's a tang at the end I can't quite place."

"Do you put cheese in your pancakes?" Rossiya asked.

"No," I admitted. "There's cheese in this?"

"Yep!" Pamiat chimed in. "It's the secret ingredient!"

I ladled some of the blueberry preserves onto my next bite, adding a bit of extra sweetness and acidity to the syrniki. "I never thought about putting cheese into a pancake, but man, it's a great idea!"

"Welcome to the Northern Parliament, Comrade!" Gangut laughs as she sets the teacup in front of me.

I smiled at her as I took another bite of the delicious syrniki and vowed to get the recipe before I headed back home. This was too good to have just once in a lifetime. After washing it down with a sip of hot tea, which was, admittedly, pretty good, although not as good as a strong cup of coffee, I looked around the table. "So what's everyone up to today? Rossiya and myself excluded."

"Why you two?" Pamiat asked, looking between us. "You got some top-secret mission?"

"If I did, I couldn't tell you about it, could I?" I grinned over at her, and she shot me a dirty look in return. "Rossiya's going to introduce me to Sovetsky Soyuz and go over my stay in the Northern Parliament. So I know what we're up to, what about you guys?"

Pamiat nodded, then sighed and looked over between Avrora and Gangut before they all simultaneously announced, "Maintenance. Battles like yesterday can really take it out on our riggings."

"Ah," I said. "Nothing serious though, right?"

A chorus of nos rose from all three of them as they shook their heads. "No, no, Comrade," Gangut reassured me. "Just making sure we haven't strained anything."

"Good to hear," I smiled over at her before I glanced at my watch. "Well, it looks like Comrade Rossiya and I had better get going. Don't want to give a bad first impression by being late. I'm sure I'll see all of you around later."

"Of course, Comrade!" Gangut declared as we got up from our seats. "I look forward to the next time we fight together, side-by-side!"

"I-" The rest of my sentence was muffled as she wrapped her arms around me in another big bear hug, holding me tightly to her as she lifted me off the ground. This time, she did not spin me around, although I suspect that was because if she did, she probably would have sent the table and chairs flying everywhere, at minimum.

When she finally released me, I staggered back and caught my breath, giving her an unsteady smile as I tried to steady my footing. "Until next time, Gangut. Avrora, Pamiat. Good luck to all of you with your maintenance."

I straightened my uniform, double-checking to make sure I was still presentable before joining Rossiya at the door. "Lead on, Comrade," I said with a smile.

She simply smiled and opened the door, ushering me back into the frozen north again.


We walked in silence towards what I could only presume was the HQ building for the Northern Parliament, given their emblem, a roaring bear, was prominently displayed on the facade. Seeing this place in daylight was a stark contrast to seeing it during the night. At night, the buildings are lit only by a few exterior lights or by the glow of illuminated windows, appearing as low stars in the night sky. In the cold light of day, however, the winter sun was much harsher, brightly shining upon the bare concrete, the once twinkling buildings now nothing but slab-sided monoliths rising up against the backdrop of snowy hills. A metaphor for the Northern Parliament, perhaps? I shook my head to dispel the notion. Even if I had suspicions, I hadn't seen nearly enough to make any sort of determination, one way or another.

As if she could read my thoughts, Rossiya spoke up. "How are you finding the Northern Parliament so far, Comrade Commander?"

"Cold," I quipped with a grin. "But very welcoming. It's clear you're all like one big family up here, and you've come to rely implicitly upon one another. I have to admit, I like it."

"Excellent," she answered. "I also hope Gangut isn't being too much for you."

I laughed softly as I shook my head. "She can be a bit…overwhelming at times, but her heart's in the right place. Honestly, I wish we had more people with her enthusiasm."

Rossiya gave me a perplexed look. "You cannot be serious."

"I am!" I laughed again, understanding Rossiya's reaction. "Give me a hundred people willing and enthusiastic to learn than a thousand people who think they know everything."

Only the sound of our boots crunching down on the snow-covered sidewalk filled the air as she pondered my words. "That has merit, Comrade Commander. Although the thought of a hundred Ganguts still fills me with dread."

"Fair," I chuckled. "She's definitely one of a kind."

"Agreed. I apologize for her behavior last night, by the way."

"No worries," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "Honestly, it's kind of endearing."

Rossiya slowly shook her head, a wry grin on her face as we came upon the door leading to the headquarters building. "If you say so, Comrade Commander. Please, come in."

"Thank you."

No sooner than we had entered we encountered two hulking brutes in heavy body armor carrying riot shields. I came to a dead stop, looking up at these towering giants, wondering where in the Northern Parliament they found these behemoths, but when I looked at their helmeted faces, I realized something. "These are meowfficers!"

Rossiya, who was signing us in, glanced over her shoulder and nodded. "Yes. We've specially modified these ones for…shall we say…heavier, more interpersonal combat-related missions. They also work as excellent guards. But do not worry, I am adding you into the system now so they will not give you any problems in future. Just do not attempt to force your way past them in the meantime."

"Yeah…" I said slowly, still staring up at the pair as they gazed down at me. One even smiled and waved! I numbly waved back. "Not sure how I'd be able to force anything past this pair. Not without a kansen backing me up, at least."

Rossiya chuckled as she finished her paperwork and handed me a badge, along with a clip. "Here. This is both your security badge and your room key, so do not lose it."

"Good to know, thank you," I said as I accepted the badge and clipped it to my lapel.

"Come, Sovetsky Soyuz awaits."

She led me up a flight of stairs and down a winding series of corridors until we came to a set of double doors at the end of a long hallway. Rossiya knocked on the door and a muffled voice came from the other side. "Who is it?"

"Rossiya, Comrade Soyuz. I have the Commander with me."

"Excellent, come in."

Rossiya swung the doors open, and I was momentarily blinded by the morning sun that was pouring in through the open windows. As I blinked the tears from my eyes and adjusted to the bright light, I saw a woman standing there, dressed all in white, with snowy hair that billowed out behind her, much like Rossiya. She took a step towards me and asked a simple question that would upend my entire world.

"Commander, would you join the Northern Parliament?"

A/N-Well, at least that awkwardness was averted. Surely it will never happen again, right? …right? Until next time, fair winds and following seas!