Chapter 17: Night Under the Stars
Vampire was honestly unsure whether to squeak in embarrassment and hide or draw herself up in pride, as what seemed like the entirety of the Azur Lane base cheered and whooped in joy and adulation.
"Sisters, is this not, perchance...a bit overblown of a celebration?"
"Is it? Bear in mind, when was the last time such an overwhelming victory was achieved against the Sirens? Such conquests only came at a heavy price, more often than not being pyrrhic in nature."
Enterprise's calm and confidant tones drifted across the tiny destroyer's mind, a near undetectable satisfaction coloring the words.
"What we achieved? Well, let's just say that even I find it hard to believe."
Warspite chipped in, speaking with such blatant happiness that Vampire herself couldn't help but feel a smile tilt her lips.
"To be able to actually fight effectively after so long...I imagine even Kawakaze has a thing or two to say about that."
The Sakura destroyer's satisfaction and cautious joy was clear to sense across their newly shared bond, her response a quiet hum of affirmation.
Her heart feeling lighter than ever before at her sister's obvious improvement to morale Vampire straightened her back, offering a regal and majestic smile to the hollering crowds of her fellow comrades as she pulled into a docking berth, giddiness causing her lithe body to tremble as she saw a number of her fellow shipgirls leap aboard without reservation.
"We saw what the battle was like! It was so cool~!"
The Royal Navy destroyer felt herself flail dangerously backwards as San Diego, Javelin and Saratoga engulfed her in a hug, Lexington guiding Laffey, Z23, and Ayanami forward like a proper older sister, the Royal Navy destroyer fighting for breath.
"S-sisters, you're squeezing...too tight…"
"But you were like some kind of superhero out there, fighting off all those nasty Sirens with the rest of our sisters!"
"Indeed, it was quite the impressive showing, as the rest of our sisters and Azur Lane will no doubt attest to."
Lexington's calm but proud words caused the silver-haired shipgirl to blush - and not just from oxygen deprivation - as she noticed Kawakaze and Warspite also hop on board her vessel, repair crews beginning to descend upon their ships with clear enthusiasm.
...It also didn't escape her notice that it was merely Belfast going to greet Enterprise, the pair quietly slipping behind a point-defense turret for some semblance of privacy.
"So, how was it?! Using your retrofitted form, I mean? Was it scary, was it natural? Did it feel good?"
San Diego's litany of questions threw the destroyer off kilter for a moment, giving the question honest thought before stating, "It… felt empowering."
Vampire blushed slightly, clasping her hands before quickly adding, "And...and it did feel good. Like having a ball of fire inflame every round and every push of thy engines, senses reaching further and farther as if that of an olden war goddess."
The memories of her battle were more than slightly intoxicating, of squinting and focusing on Siren aircraft before missiles had screamed after them with unerring accuracy, of clenching her fists and jaw before lances of invisible energy had turned enemy forces into flaming, spiraling balls of scrap.
Her fellow sisters listened with rapt attention, affording the destroyer a chance to extricate herself from the asphyxiating embrace as she quickly smoothed out her rumpled clothing, Nagato and Elizabeth approaching them with regal and sedate motions.
"You, Vampire and Warspite, have yet again proven to be my most loyal and capable subjects with none coming close to your brilliance. Your display was most exhilarating!"
The blush from before was nothing compared to the blush from now, Vampire feeling like she was going to burst into cinders from her queen's obvious enthusiasm and satisfaction, even Warspite seeming bashful as she tried to hide behind her planted sword, swiftly responding, "Surely you are exaggerating, your majesty?"
Elizabeth smirked, grandly gesturing to the throngs of Azur Lane men and women who continued to yell and shout in appreciation of their upset victory.
"Do you truly believe that, Warspite?"
"What the four of you have done is no small or forgettable act...you have inspired hope once more."
Nagato's additional explanation caused the group to flush, Kawakaze especially as the Sakura destroyer's ears twitched and tail wagged before she clammed up once more.
"So, naturally, all of you will be attending a celebration that has been coming together over the past few days while you were away~!"
The trio's thought process came to a screeching halt, Nagato offering a regal smirk at Elizabeth's notification as she added, "I see the three of you are quite excited for such a momentous occasion. Why, the rest of your sisters are already informing lady Enterprise that she will be 'required' to attend."
Sure enough a glance to the side revealed Prinz Eugen dragging a blushing Enterprise and Belfast out from their private enclave, the submarines, carriers and Tirpitz rolling their eyes at the Ironblood's pushy camaraderie.
"Perchance we may, erm...only attend for a short time?"
Vampire's wary inquiry was enhanced by Kawakaze frantically nodding at the suggestion, neither of them particularly enthused by the idea. While they had no particular aversion to parties and celebratory events both shipgirls preferred smaller gatherings...an island-wide festival where they would be the constant center of attention was the opposite of their idea of a good time.
"Being fawned over and served wine and spirits by the many comrades and allies among Azur Lane does not sound so adverse a scenario...but not for the countless hours it will inevitably last."
Vampire couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at such a thought. Years ago she would have reveled in the attention and focus sent her way...the war had apparently burnt out much of her taste for validation and praise, the simpler things seeming much more palatable.
"Oh hoh hoh~! A short time, dearest Vampire? No no no, you shall be the star of the show!"
Her queen's haughty words dashed that tender hope to ash, Laffey's ears twitching as she tugged on Lexington's skirt, hopefully asking, "Will there be beers?" as Z23 tried to pre-emptively talk her out of what would no doubt be a drinking competition that would leave more than a few sailors passed out.
Rumors and ideas for events began to circulate at a swift and breakneck pace, Kawakaze, Warspite and Vampire sharing resigned looks. While Warspite was no stranger to dignitary and escort functions she usually didn't have to say or interact much...this was the exact opposite of such an arrangement.
Resigned to her fate Vampire gazed out at the calmly drifting Bakunawa, resting quietly in the distance as the Royal Navy shipgirl felt a brief surge of disquiet.
"Sir Alexander is the one who afforded us the chance and opportunity to actually fight back and yet cannot even take part in the celebrations...such circumstance doth sit poorly with me."
The beginnings of a scheme began to percolate in the lithe shipgirl's brain as she gazed at her two other reticent sisters, small smile tilting fair lips upwards.
"Hmm...three pairs of hands do make light work."
"Didn't think the thing that would weird me out the most would be not having to wear a jacket in this kind of weather."
Half-expecting Observer Zero to make some kind of snide remark Alexander was left to raise a surprised eyebrow when nothing seemed to be coming from the Siren, a sigh that raised a cloud of steam from his mouth escaping him.
"Can't believe I actually sorta wish she was here to chat with. Christ that's depressing."
Slumping against one of the control towers dotting the Bakunawa's deck the male stared up at the stars twinkling high overhead, the night fairly clear and not even the light pollution from Azur Lane could diminish the scene, the male Siren mentally tuning in to the feed from the various drones scattered across the island as only a few personnel were aboard the ship that might stumble on his position and they were guarding the entryways, not the flight deck.
A smile crept onto his lips as he watched the revelry taking place, of how the shipgirls and personnel interacted in their own unique and varied ways.
Essex, I-13, Enterprise, Akashi, Zuikaku and Shoukaku were engaged in some kind of game where they took turns removing a block from a tower of identical pieces, placing the removed sections atop the tower as it continued to balance precariously. Unsurprisingly Essex, Akashi and I-13, engineers and tinkerers that they were, were deft hands at the game while the other carriers had looks of incredible concentration and focus adorning their features as they gingerly and hesitantly tested for loose points-
And Enterprise prodded a bit too hard at one of the links, the whole thing coming down as her expression turned crushed, the two Sakura carriers embracing and cheering wildly as if they had just won the war, Essex and I-13 trying to console the pale-haired shipgirl - all while fighting down their laughter - as the humans around them laughed and ribbed at each other, one of them handing Enterprise a beer that she proceeded to chug, slam down onto the table and yell something at the Sakura sisters with a colossal blush that reignited another round, the crowd cheering and encouraging their respective shipgirls on as Akashi began exchanging what looked like money with dozens of eager hands, ears twitching madly as her flared sleeves flapped with her energetic motions.
"Yeah, that certainly seems to define the rivalry between them."
Laffey, Z23, Javelin, Ayanami, Aurora, Hipper, Nagato and Elizabeth were all gathered around a series of fire pits, wooden benches and disposable chairs scattered about as they obviously held court over some kind of cook off, various chefs and such from the different factions creating a wild variety of meals for their comrades and shipgirl's benefit.
Steamed buns, burgers, seared meats, fried fish...it was quite the extensive list, the biggest prize of the night being a compliment from the two leaders or a blush from Hipper as she no doubt tried to convince an unconvinced crowd that their culinary arts weren't as good as they seemed to think they were.
The four destroyers alongside Aurora were clearly a part of the experimental crowd, happily testing and commenting on a wide selection of odd dishes, Laffey in particular happy to try out the comprehensive booze list...which was being given to her in moderation, Alexander grinning at how the personnel tried to look out for her while not shutting the girl out of alcohol entirely.
"Guess everyone on the island knows how to take care of one another."
The last and arguably wildest portion of the party had the rest of the shipgirls engaged in a singing competition, Lexington and Saratoga obvious the favorites to carry the day but meeting with solid competition in the form of none other than Belfast and Prinz Eugen, the cruiser duo sounding exotically appealing inbetween their hypnotizing accents that he could hear even from the distance he was at.
San Diego, U-81 and U-522 were holding up numbered plates to judge each performance by, the crowd shouting out a wild bevy of scores that they had final say in as Alexander shook his head at the boisterous display...and blinked as none other than Tirpitz and the Commander took the stage, the older man leading the blushing battleship by the hand as they were handed a pair of mics by the bemused others…
"What the fuck? They're really good?"
Scarcely able to believe his enhanced ears the duo were insanely talented, Tirpitz's lower but lovely tones mixing and intertwining hypnotically with the commander's bass as they perfectly worked around the other's vocals that left the young man with a dropped jaw.
Needless to say three spellbinding minutes later the crowd was in an uproar, perfect tens being flashed across the board as Tirpitz looked as if she wanted to sink into the floor, an impossible prospect as Saratoga was tightly hugging her, mouth running a mile a minute as she no doubt tried to rope her into the idol business, Prinz Eugen looking as if she was having a hard time not collapsing in laughter at her sister's plight.
"Damn, never would have expected that showing…"
Chuckling to himself Alexander took in the base as a whole, of the dancing bonfires, boisterous crowds and wild performances by shipgirl and human alike-
-and was left blinking at the sudden melancholy that tore through him like a hot knife through butter.
"...A sight that I'll probably never get to experience. Not with the way I am now."
Sighing heavily the male Siren stared sightlessly upwards, good mood well and truly gone as his thoughts wandered aimlessly.
"All those community events back on the mainland, all the pow wows, buffets, dances and other shit...guess it's a thing of the past."
He tried not to let that thought bother him, memories of a spicy food challenge as he took on Daisuke, a Sakura kid the same age as him as they sweated from every pore and drooled from overly stimulated nerves. Of his work crew as the community welcomed them back home one time with cookies, a rare excess of sugar rations allowing them to indulge a bit. Of the dance night when he'd finally managed to work up the nerve to ask Monique to a dance, the Iris Libre girl of light brown hair and sparkling eyes agreeing as they twirled the night away, a spur of the moment decision ending up with them sharing a bed and something far more intimate-
"Let it go, dumbass. You're just making yourself miserable for no reason whatsoever."
Only the occasional breeze answered his words, the young man inhaling tiredly...and paused, ears perking as he heard whispering from below.
"Should we not make a clamor in hopes of locating our quarry posthaste, rather than wander aimlessly?"
"And what, alert whatever guards may be present to our arrival? They will wonder why we are here and I do not fancy having to lie about Alexander's existence."
"...Maybe in the bridge?"
"Perchance, let us search that area next."
Rubbing his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things Alexander was treated to the sight of Warspite, Vampire and Kawakaze sneaking across the Bakunawa's deck, the young man at a loss as to how they snuck on before belatedly remembering that they had been the sole shipgirls absent from the festivities.
"Rigging, weren't you supposed to be on the lookout for intruders and warn me of such?"
[Designated shipgirls are not deemed as threats and are beneficial to mental health and wellbeing, their presence was not deemed harmful thus not reported.]
"...Fine, whatever."
Giving the trio a confused look as they crept beneath his location towards one of the vessel's entryways he noticed they were carrying a variety of bundles in their arms...bundles that smelt strangely enticing.
"Wait, is that food?"
Completely at a loss as to why the three were going to such lengths to find him he figured he might as well find out, calling out, "What brings you all to this neck of the woods?"
Warspite and Vampire yelped in surprise, Kawakaze remaining silent but her tails and ears snapped upwards in alarm before relaxing as they caught sight of him waving from high above.
"W-what possesseth thou to startle young ladies such as ourselves so suddenly?!"
Raising an eyebrow Alexander blandly replied, "The fact that you're here and not at the enormous party just over there? Here, come on up."
The silently vigilant rigging unfurled three of its gelatinous tentacles before lowering them below, the shipgirls hesitating only a moment before allowing the construct to lift them to his level, the man gesturing grandly with his arm.
"Welcome to my home, girls. Amenities are sparse but the view is something else."
Kawakaze tilted her head, asking, "I believed you were taking up permanent residence on the bridge."
The bland looks she got from the three others caused her to avert her bright aqua eyes, tone mildly defensive as she muttered, "That was a joke."
Suddenly snorting in amusement the young man mused, "Just a hint, but deadpan and sarcastic jokes can be hard to discern unless you're familiar with the person or make it highly obvious, Kawakaze."
He offered a more genuine smile.
"But it is nice to see you try for humor. I think a few more goes at it and you'll have the proper deadpan delivery down pat."
While her nod was noncommittal no one missed the way her tail wagged ever so slightly as Warspite cleared her throat, proudly stating, "Moving past that we come bearing gifts, your majesty-"
"Just Alexander is fine if the whole 'your majesty' thing doesn't sit right, Warspite."
Appearing torn over the matter for a second the battleship eventually regained her composure, bowing her head slightly as she intoned, "After all you have done - this most recent victory of ours included - I believe you are mostly deserving of that title. And besides…"
In a rare showing of bashfulness the Royal Navy shipgirl scuffed her boot against the tower, explaining, "That is partly why we are here now. It did not feel right that, despite being what enabled our victory, you cannot participate in the celebrations."
Vampire nodded her assent, proclaiming, "Thou has undergone a great trial and allowed us to emerge all the more powerful for it, it is not fair that you are excluded from reveling in this newfound hope. Thus, we come bearing gifts and drink!"
Kawakaze's affirmation was quieter but no less impactful, a slight bow and twitch of her ears enough to signify true gratitude.
Which left the male blinking rapidly, the distant and tenuous connection he felt to the three - mostly diluted and withdrawn since they had learned to control and mute it after days of practice - signaling their honesty and good intentions.
"Oh, uh...well, shit, umm…"
Feeling a bit of a lump form in his throat the young man had to take a moment to clear his throat, somewhat awkwardly managing to speak, "Thanks. Seriously, you three, just...thank you, I guess."
While the words were a poor substitute indeed for the depth of his gratitude evidently they could sense enough of his sincerity that the trio of shipgirls merely smiled at his response, another slight wag of Kawakaze's tail more meaningful than any spoken words could achieve.
"Bah, enough of this morose talk! Now hath arrived the time to dine and feast! Morsels and spirits from all walks of life we have, say, liberated from the rest of Azur Lane will now be put to good use!"
So proclaimed Vampire, regally but swiftly tucking her legs beneath her lithe body as she opened up her package, revealing a few bottles of wine, meats and what he recognized as egg rolls. Warspite and Kawakaze followed suit, beers and hard liquors contained within as they met the gaze of a widely grinning Alexander.
"You know? It pays to have friends like you three."
"Don't you know what your homeland's specialty meal is?"
"Isn't that in the travel brochure?"
"How should I know, aren't you the one who lives here?"
"Don't they tell you about those sorts of things when you first arrive?"
"Why would I know that if I've never been here before?"
"Because that's how things work when...dammit!"
Warspite - possessing a healthy pinkish tinge to her fair skin - scowled violently and took a large gulp of straight bourbon, setting the bottle down with a loud CLINK as she glared at her three laughing companions.
...Two laughing companions, Kawakaze mostly just hiding her mouth behind one of her sleeves. A pointless gesture, considering how often her ears twitched and tail waggled with undisguised mirth.
"Despite all of thou's brilliant intellect on the field of battle and politics, it seems lady Warspite mayhap be rather awful at games of quick wit~!"
"Silence, Vampire! Such demeaning words are unbecoming of a member of her majesty's entourage!"
Alexander smirked, dramatically whispering into Vampire's ear, "I think she's a sore loser, don't you?"
"Oh very much so, sir Alexander...dear Warspite hides her competitiveness behind a surprisingly thin veneer of ladyship and composure, nothing irritates my fair lady more than defeat of any kind~!"
A strangled growl escaped aforementioned battleship, the duo snickering at the blonde's fury as Kawakaze quietly stated, "I shall play," a rosy tint to her own skin after more than a few shots had ended up snaking down her gullet.
"Yes, a proper attitude for a proud Sakura warrior to display! Come, let us begin!"
Both Warspite and Kawakaze faced the other down, the battleship going first as she stated, "That's a pleasing hair color you have, is it natural?"
"Is it any more natural than your hairstyle?"
Warspite's eye briefly twitched at the playful comment directed towards her fox-like styling, swiftly retorting, "Perhaps I was just born beautiful?"
"Isn't beauty in the eye of the beholder?"
"How would one know she is beautiful without many to tell her so?"
"Isn't one supposed to love themselves first?"
"I do respect myself, thank you very-DAMMIT!"
A deafening shout of dismay slipped past the Royal Navy shipgirl's lips, Vampire and Alexander loudly cackling at her loss in yet another round of question tennis as Kawakaze's tail thumped back-and-forth across the control tower they were posted on.
"Don't worry, Warspite. We'll take it easy on you and play something different for awhile."
"Do not patronize me, my liege...but I shall seize victory yet, now bottoms up!"
Taking her penalty shot this time it was a bottle of whiskey that was finished off, Warspite wiping her lips with the back of her hand before swaying slightly in the wind, eyes blinking rapidly in a bid to no doubt stay coherent.
"Damn, these girls can drink. And they're on the smaller side of the shipgirls, I'd hate to think what someone like Enterprise or Tirpitz could handle."
Six different bottles of varying hard alcohols laid discarded in one of the baskets, the four of them only feeling tipsy by the third and Alexander himself barely felt buzzed after six, his new body apparently rather efficient at filtering booze...or maybe because it was Warspite was bad at word games and had been taking the lion's share of shots, all of them comfortably seated upon the same material the rigging had used as impromptu bedding not too long ago.
"Sir Alexander...would thou mind answering a question?"
Vampire's sudden question caused the towering male to glance her way, tilting his head as he replied, "Sure, ask away."
Ruby eyes batting innocently Vampire posed, "What is thy ideal woman?"
"Hah! I don't have a preferred type, all girls are beautiful in their own unique ways and any guy that thinks otherwise is just pointlessly limiting himself."
The destroyer pouted, protesting, "That is a most unsatisfactory answer!"
"A cowardly one as well. Proclaim your true desires, craven!"
Warspite joined in on the fun, Kawakaze watching the proceedings with an intense stare as Alexander smirked, responding, "Don't believe me? How about I prove it? Vampire, your eyes are without a doubt the most beautiful shade of red I've ever seen, something that compliments your hair and style immaculately, like a priceless doll. Warspite, your union jack attire that's modest and militaristic clashes impeccably with your bared and lovely legs. Kawakaze, the blackened tips of your ears and tail - which are already insanely exotic, by the way - are something I'll never get tired of looking at."
He grinned mischievously at how all three shipgirls stared blankly at him, color dotting their skin that had nothing to do with the alcohol.
"There, three surface-level observations that are nonetheless unique. Should I move on to personality ones? I've got plenty~!"
"N-nay, that is quite sufficient a point you have made!"
Vampire quickly downed one of the last bits of liquor they had available, slamming down the bottle as she stared at Alexander for a moment in contemplation...and gained a boldly salacious smile.
"Is mine own panties one of the things you find so alluring, sir Alexander~? Can thou guess as to what color they are~?"
Meeting the shipgirl's teasing with a confidant smirk of his own the male Siren replied, "Black, obviously. That skirt is sinfully short, Vampire. Not that I'm in any way complaining, mind you."
A sudden pout appeared on the destroyer's features, tone irate as she stated, "Have thy no lack of confidence, to so brazenly admit to seeing a lady's panties? Have at thee, scoundrel~!"
Briefly thrown off balance as Vampire pounced on him with a playful grin as she licked his neck the male quickly chuckled, meeting her simultaneously shy and bold expression from no more than a few centimeters away as he asked, "So is the blood-sucking thing real or just a rumor?"
Not wilting in the face of his confidence and flirting the shipgirl seductively proclaimed, "Hmm...perchance you will bare a vein or two and I shall answer~?"
"V-Vampire, where is this uncouth behavior originating from-EH?!"
A brief look and transferring of shared emotion between the male Siren and Royal Navy destroyer had them grinning identical grins, Alexander using his longer reach to pull Warspite onto his lap astride Vampire, the silver-haired shipgirl yanking aside the battleship's collar and exposing the slim curve of where shoulder met neck, playfully nipping at the blonde's flawless skin as she yelped in surprise and mortification at the action, Kawakaze looking on in open shock and - if Alexander was reading her emotions right through the bond they shared - some sense of exclusion.
At least until he reached out and pulled her into the dogpile of bodies, mortification and laughter, his hand lightly petting between her ears as the Sakura destroyer stiffened at the contact...and then her tail began to wag uncontrollably, eyes narrowing in contentment.
"E-enough, what has gotten into you, Vampire?!"
Managing to get the handsy and more than slightly inebriated destroyer to leave her neck alone - the silverette falling against Alexander's chest with a satisfied grin - Warspite promptly found herself straddling one of the male's legs, eyes widening as she felt his thigh smoothly slide between her legs, a completely unexpected shiver of delight traveling up her spine at the close proximity they shared.
"It's funny you should ask that because I think she's well and truly conked out."
Whirling to meet the man's gaze the blonde rapidly blinked as she found that Vampire had indeed drifted off to sleep in the few seconds she'd stopped assaulting the battleship, features softening at the expression of utter peace on her sister's doll-like face.
"Honestly, that is the most wild and unladylike I've seen her act in...a decade? Longer?"
One of the man's large hands tenderly brushed aside a stray lock of silver hair, Vampire mumbling softly in her slumber, tucking her knees closer to her chest as she curled up closer against Alexander with a silly smile adorning her lips.
"Well, I think she's earned it, don't you?"
Warspite scoffed.
"Of course I do."
Kawakaze suddenly spoke up with, "She was happy...happier than I think any of us have been in a long time."
Still lightly stroking her head the male let out a heavy sigh, head thumping against the metal deck of the control tower as he maneuvered himself so that he was laying flat on his back, Vampire curled on his chest while Warspite and Kawakaze occupied one arm each.
"Thanks, you two. For tonight, I mean. I guess I didn't ever really stop to think about how isolated I really felt these past few weeks...but I don't quite feel that way anymore."
Neither of the shipgirl's immediately responded...and Kawakaze slowly let a hand drift across his torso, the other cupping the appendage stroking her head as she let those actions do the talking for her, Warspite taking a more bold approach by outright kissing him on the cheek, flushing scarlet as her soft lips caressed his skin.
"You're welcome, my liege."
And then she promptly flipped on her side facing away from him, hugging his arm tight to her body as her emotions became a mad tumble that he quickly distanced himself from, eyes floating upwards and glazing over the field of stars twinkling overhead.
"...Christ, I don't even want to think about what Prinz would have to say if she saw this whole scenario."