Saint George is a post-war N3 class ship who was originally, in my thought, a battleship. For a while, we weren't sure if Britain would be allowed to make battleships and then we thought Saint George could just be KGV? I'm treating her as separate for the purposes of this presentation but as always Kaiser Lane lore is mercurial.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gained,

To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come 'round right.

Hermes was honestly a bit excited. Things seemed to be moving into place without a hitch: all the food she had asked for had arrived and none of it had gone bad (don't think about the whole it blew in her savings) and the Elizabeths had all agreed to come and spend some time with her. A sleepover!

Perhaps that was a childish thing to get excited about, and a lot of the oomph was lost when they all lived on the same naval base, but she was glad to see things working out so well. MacDonald's government had collapsed in on itself, everything was expensive, rumors said the government was going to cut navy funding, and arguments were happening inside the naval base now…

The fighting and arguing always made her want to slink into a corner somewhere. She wasn't made for that sort of direct confrontation, even if her cheeks burned with shame when someone like Hood had to intervene, planting her cane between the two disagreeing parties. No one was bold enough to circumnavigate a wheezing Hood to continue their argument– so far.

Back to the business of Hermes' party, she thought her preparations had panned out rather well, even if tariffs for anything outside of the Empire were steep. She had asked Malaya for a few cooking tips, only to learn that her knowledge of Malayan cuisine wasn't nearly as deep as Hermes had hoped. Still, she was willing to make suggestions, and Hermes thought those conversations about food were a fair part of the reason Malaya came at all.

She liked Malaya. All of the Queen Elizabeth girls were courteous, sure, but Malaya had checked in on her many times when she was first brought into being, simply being present as Hermes' strange circumstances were being worked out. Hermes repaid her by playing cards with her whenever battle forced her to the hospital. It must have taken away from the reading Malaya enjoyed so much, but she didn't complain. She met Hermes with a smile each and every time.

As for Warspite, Elizabeth, and Barham, Hermes thought each could stand to let their hair down a little. Yeah, Hermes wasn't dumb, she recognized circumstances were pretty dire, but if they weren't trying to live well, what was the point? Even the Syndicalists were shooting for human happiness, in their own strange sort of way. (The way the government and Elizabeth talked, you'd think the Syndicalists crawled out of hell to tear down decent society, but Barham and Malaya were sympathizers and they were quite clever…)

Despite being a carrier, some of this politics stuff felt a bit over her head, even as she remembered what Barham had said… "By our very nature, we are compelled into politics. We deal in violence, in war, and that is inherently political." You could really get her going on that sort of thing, it was one of the few subjects she was really, aggressively talkative about. That very lecture about violence had proceeded an argument with Liz about whether or not the state had a license to violence, which had been something.

For a moment, Hermes wondered if this party was really a good idea, but she had already done too much to dream of canceling it… All she had to do was be such a marvelous host that everyone would get along and be happy for a few hours. Like, uh, coordinating seaplanes! Just avoid collisions, right?

Shipgirls usually tended to live a bit like officers: they were apart from the rank and file, for rather obvious reasons, having single rooms or maybe sharing with one other ship, typically a sister if you had one. Hermes did not have a sister, so she had to negotiate a bit with her roommate.

"Thank you again, Lydda." Technically, she was Saint George, but she had refused the title of Saint because she wasn't one, and having two Georges drifting around was confusing. Therefore, she was Lydda, named for the city where the saint had died. Perhaps a bit macabre, but it was a nice name, perhaps even a bit fitting.

George of Lydda was some sort of Greek. Malaya probably knew which specific region he came from, because she was a nerd like that, but their own Saint George also looked Greek. Dark, curly hair paired with a Mediterranean complexion… only to be thrown out of whack by piercing red eyes.

"You're welcome," Lydda said, picking up the book she was reading and a set of clothes from her drawers. "Keep that tarot stuff on your side of the room, though."

"Alright." Lydda was not a particular fan of Hermes' use of tarot cards or most card games in general. Even low-stakes gambling regarding sweets or duties rubbed Lydda the wrong way.

"Just don't let this distract you from your duties, Hermes." She excused herself, heading out to spend a night with her sisters, David, Andrew, and Patrick. The four of them together were a 'happy' bunch of ascetics: austere, frugal, and intense. Kind of funny that the women who had never spent a moment in war were the ones who were so insane about rationing and careful husbandry… but the officers certainly appreciated it.

Anyway, Hermes moved a few of Lydda's things around– being extremely careful– so that everyone could have room to sit around and spend some time together. The sword sharpening kit goes under the bed, but not the sword, since that was literally always on Lydda's person…

There was a knocking at the door. Perfect! Hermes shot to her feet and opened the door to see three girls: Valiant, Warspite, and Elizabeth. "Thank you for the invitation, Hermes."

"My pleasure!" She smiled, opening the door wider so the three could file in. They would spend time together! They would bond! Their fleet would reach greater heights! "I've got some biscuits and a couple of Thermoses with tea…"

They settled down, sitting on chairs or the beds themselves, and scarcely a moment later there was another knock. Barham and Malaya both slipped in, and the room fell silent. Hermes smiled, having predicted this and planned accordingly. "Barham, you like Assam, right? I've got some here, and there's some black for you, Malaya…"

At the very least, they could agree on the proper British tradition of tea and snacks. The five members of the Queen Elizabeth class didn't talk much, but they did look around the room, seeing Herme's aircraft prints and Saint George's collection of knightly pieces. Gareth and Gawain, Saint George…

And a certain painting of nine unlabelled warriors, holding swords and generally looking knightly. "What does that depict?" Valiant asked.

"They're the nine worthies," Hermes said. Not really her subject of interest, but she picked things up from Lydda. "Each is supposed to be an ideal knight. They're… Hector, Alexander, Caesar, Joshua, David, Judas the Maccabee, Arthur, Charlemagne, and Godfrey de Bouillon."

"Funny how there aren't nine worthy women," Malaya remarked.

"There were. Lydda just doesn't care much for them… uh, Semiramis, maybe?" The medieval people liked their symmetry. Patterns. Three sets of three, pagan, Jew, Christian. It was kind of understandable, trying to look for some great ordering in the cosmos.

"Only warriors…" Warspite mused. Hermes got her point. It was funny how the three best pagans, Jews, and Christians were coincidentally the ones who went off on massive military campaigns. No John the Baptist, no Brothers Gracchi, no anyone who didn't live by fighting. Maybe that was rich, coming from a warship, but to Hermes, it read like a bit of a plot. Nine worthies, if you defined worthiness by martial prowess.

Hermes would frankly love a world out of those chivalric romances, where knights were bold and nobles fair, where rulers were benevolent and resolved their issues with duels between gallant champions instead of industrialized slaughter. At times, she thought that it would be better if they removed crews altogether. A contest of nothing but sheer skill… if you disregarded caliber and armor and tonnage. It would in theory mean fewer people dying, but it would never happen.

She got lost in thought there for a minute, but it seemed like a conversation about the merits of the worthies had started. Unfortunately.

"Was Caesar a true knight when he killed a million Gauls?" Malaya said, her voice getting heated…

"Arthur, then!"

"A figure who didn't exist. Of course, he's a knightly ideal because the only place you'd find a just knight is a storybook–"

Oh dear. How had she missed the lead-up to that? She was supposed to be a reconnaissance expert. Still, she could attempt to change course before the party imploded on itself. "How would you like to get your fortunes told?" Hermes asked, more than a little loudly. "Future success–" glance at Barham, "– romance, finances… there are all sorts of mysteries in the cards!"

"Or so you say." Warspite said, giving Hermes' pile of cards a skeptical look.

"It'll be fun!" Hermes said. "I can tell your fortunes, and if you don't think it's interesting I can just teach you the card games!"

"Maybe we can give it a shot…" Malaya said, curious enough to indulge Hermes.

"Malaya…" Barham sighed.

"Maybe this is your ticket to success. The future, right there!"

Valiant seemed intrigued as well, so it was eventually decided that Hermes would do some fortunetelling. Getting them all to agree on something was nice, even if it was something as small as how they spent their freetime together.

"Elizabeth first?" Hermes asked.

"Me!" Valiant insisted, ignoring a gentle swat from Warspite. After a moment, Elizabeth nobly permitted her junior to go first, and Hermes shuffled through the deck, laying a few cards out, face down, before Valiant. Three of them: one for the past, one for the present, and one for the future.

"Go on and draw."

Valiant gave her a bit of a look as if offended she had to take the monstrous effort to flip the cards herself. She took the first and flipped it to reveal a group of youths, jostling and fighting with heavy staves. "Five of wands. Conflict and lack of communication. If I had to guess, I'd say clashing egos?"

Elizabeth nobly held her laughter back. Warspite and Barham both grinned faintly. Valiant frowned. "Are you trying to suggest something?"

"I didn't do anything but shuffle the deck. Next card?" Hermes asked. That was pretty close…

The next card flipped revealed an old man with a lamp. "The Hermit. Introspection and prudence. Depending on the reading, you could either see it as loneliness borne for the sake of a plan…" like treason, for example, "... or a period of meditation."

Valiant smiled. "A successful plan?"

"We don't know. We might find our answer in the last card?"

With a confident grin, she flipped the last card over. A figure pouring water from one cup to another, likely depicting the ancient Greek practice of watering down wine so it wouldn't inebriate you. "Temperance. Balance, a middle path. Careful management leading to harmony."

"An auspicious omen, then?"

"A very good sign, and a reminder to be moderate and careful in whatever you do."

Valiant fell silent for a few moments, lost in thought. No brash comments or swagger… was she already dipping into the Hermit's quiet isolation? Maybe Hermes was reading a bit too much into it, but it was gratifying to see that her readings had provoked such deep thought. And something that could silence Valiant would impress the others.

"Alright then, deal me in!" Malaya grinned, taking a seat across from Hermes as she worked the deck. "You'll have to explain the symbolism to me sometime. It looks very interesting."

"It is!" Hermes chirped. "People like to say tarot is Kabbalah or ancient Greek wisdom from the god Hermes, but it's got a more modern context."

"It's not some ancient piece of European mysticism?" Malaya asked, looking a bit disappointed.

"No, but it's still quite interesting, I think. Pick your card!" She laid another three out, and Malaya flipped her first. A rider holding a chalice in his hands. "Knight of Cups…" Hermes mused.

"Is that the grail?" Barham asked.

"I think the ace of cups is associated with the holy grail," Hermes said, noting the way Malaya's eyes lit up when the holy grail– and therefore a piece of obscure English trivia– came up. "Lots of the cups focus on creativity and emotion. The knight is bringing his cup into the world in the same way you might bring, say… art. He's intuitive to the point of being an idealist."

"You know…" Malaya said, "You could be feeding us this and we wouldn't know better. All you have to is twist the picture on the card however you like."

"My tarot book is up there, if you'd like to double-check me."

Valiant yoinked it before anyone else could, and quickly buried her nose in the book. Elizabeth chuckled. "Nothing in there will make you the oldest sibling, you know."

"There's no reason being oldest means she has to be the leader," Malaya mumbled, reaching for another card. "Primogeniture, now?"

Thankfully, Elizabeth didn't seem to have heard that particular comment, and Hermes could distract Malaya before she followed it up. It was quite the distracting card, actually. "Lovers–" Hermes said, immediately redirecting the conversation as Malaya flushed bright red.

Barham almost made to stand, like she wanted to walk over to her sister Malaya, but didn't quite manage to free herself from her seat. Warspite turned to Malaya: "I wasn't aware you were… seeing…"

"I'm not!" Malaya yelped. "Hermes?"

"Lovers isn't necessarily about romance, even if it has a lot of romantic meanings. See how it depicts Adam and Eve in the garden? That's a strong implication of choice, and some other decks will have a man between two women with Cupid above. It could mean a relationship requires sacrifice, or that a choice might risk a relationship."

"I don't think any of us should be approaching men until we have a better understanding of our role in the world," Elizabeth said. Hermes got the impression that was something of an order, like the head of a dynasty preventing any of his relatives from marrying without his permission.

Malaya refrained from comment and flipped her last card, to see a farmworker leaning on his spade, observing a plant as it bore coins instead of fruit. "Seven of pentacles. Hard work and diligence. With patience and a willingness to wait, your efforts will bear tremendous fruit."

Malaya smiled, and Hermes smiled too. Another hopeful future from the cards, one that they would hopefully bring into being by working together. That would be how they made concrete change, as long as they could overcome the obstacles before them. The obstacles seemed…quite big, but a clever girl like Malaya would do well for herself, and Valiant could too with a bit of effort.

(Valiant gaining a bit of temperance… yeah, that was a future the base would probably benefit from.)

Barham didn't seem too interested, and Warspite let Elizabeth go first… so Hermes sat before her and dealt out the cards. Elizabeth flipped her first to see a somewhat crowded scene: an old man resting, observing a couple and a child in a garden. Ten coins were laid over the scene in a strange pattern, one Hermes knew to be the kabbalistic Tree of Life. Even without that mystic connection, the suit's association with wealth and the several generations on display had a strong implication.

"Ten of pentacles. A legacy or a windfall, a fortunate inheritance. Considering that this is your past card…" Well, everyone was aware of Elizabeth's royal name, her pride of place among shipgirls, and the proud naval tradition she had inherited.

Elizabeth turned over her next card to reveal an angel blowing a trumpet– one with Saint George's own flag attached, funnily enough– as people stood up from their graves and the sea gave up her dead. The humans, grey with the pallor of death, look up at the angel in heaven. The penultimate arcana, one that could be read with more finality than even the earlier arcana of Death. "Judgement," Hermes said. "Self-evaluation and the changes that causes… or the arrival of consequences for past actions. A change, but one that you have to live with."

Warspite seemed a little cheered by that, and Hermes wondered if she got to see that process firsthand, being Elizabeth's roommate and near-perpetual aide. Valiant's nose was still buried in the book, but she flipped through pretty quickly, as if to check Hermes' interpretation against the printed word. She seemed quite excited by the whole thing, while Malaya and Barham had a more subdued gladness?

Well, she supposed there was no reason to get upset if it seemed like your sister was going to go through character growth. (Although some part of Hermes wondered if Elizabeth's sisters ever wanted her to see judgement in the sense of her being knocked down a peg.) She supposed that if you took the eschatological meaning of judgement, you didn't have much to worry about as long as you lived well and didn't do bad things…

For a moment, it seemed as if Elizabeth wavered, as if she was doubting, but put on a smile and reached out for the card qukckly afterwards. Still, Hermes was absolutely certain she had seen it.

"And your future…" Hermes gulped when she saw the card. "Ten of Swords." A man facedown with ten long swords digging into his back. Despite herself, Hermes rattled off the meaning: "Ruin. Failure. Betrayal."

You didn't exactly need a book on tarot to interpret that particular card, although you could read a tiny bit into it. The swords digging into the victim's back could imply that the attack was unexpected, for example, and you could perhaps attach some symbolism to the background…

But you really couldn't get a good reading out of a brutal stabbing. Elizabeth's gaze flicked to Barham and Malaya for a moment.

Oh dear. "Would you like to learn the card game?" Hermes suggested, trying to put on her best smile.

Despite her attempts at moving things along, there was a certain awkwardness in the air throughout the rest of the party, and you could see it made manifest in how they slept. There were two beds, plus a sumptuous collection of blankets and pillows which could be formed into a third, quasi-bed. Hermes, being the accommodating host, decided to use that one, and Warspite followed for the sake of her lady. The hair tufts were exceedingly cute up close, you'd be glad to know.

That left Elizabeth and Valiant in one bed, while Barham and Malaya cuddled up in the other. It was a sweet scene, but Hermes got the impression of being stuck between two opposing camps. Warspite didn't seem to be, though… her squirming and turning during the night dragged the pillows, the blankets, and Hermes in the direction of Elizabeth and Valiant.

… Fitting.