A/N: Do not judge. Am shit at this.

—/—/—/—/—

Elizabeth Hiroshi, head of the Kitchen of the Ship Girl portion of Yokosuka, only stifled a yawn, a hand covering her mouth as she walked her way towards the mess hall of the base. Her staff had yet to start showing up and that was just how she liked it. It offered her ample peace and quiet for a while, maybe prowl social media for a while she enjoyed a cup of hot coffee. It was her own personal space on base, allowing her a sort of tranquility for a while.

And it wasn't that Liz didn't like working with the fleet, because that simply wasn't true. But she, like everyone else, needed time to herself. And the early mornings was that time, her time to clear her head for the day ahead. She wasn't a commander by any sorts, but since the arrival of the first seven American ship girls and each and everyone after that, her demand had skyrocketed comparatively.

So having even just a few hours to herself meant a lot in the end. As she made way for the building however, her phone began to ring. Blinking somewhat at that, she fished in her pocket for her phone as she made her towards the front entrance to Yokosuka. ID at the ready. Finally retrieving her phone, she took a glance at the number and caller ID.

JJ.

Smiling somewhat to herself, she held a moment. JJ was an ex that she always managed to stay on good terms with, despite everything going on with Liz's career back then. JJ was called away for matters that involved her personally, and Liz was there to see her off. If Liz could've had it her way, she wouldn't have let JJ go. But she knew the business she had to handle was all too important to be selfish about. She couldn't have let her personal feelings get in the way of that, and she wouldn't have.

Answering, she tried hard to keep the smile off her face as she handed the guards her ID for them to check and validate. As she did so, she offered a hello to J.

"Hey, JJ." Liz greeted, nodding her thanks to the guards as they waved her through. The woman on the other end of the line laughed somewhat at that, bringing a smile to Liz's face.

"Hiya Lizzie." JJ returned, some laughter in the background sounding off. "So what might you be doing right now?" She asked.

"Heading into work at three thirty in the morning." She answered. JJ made an apparent noise of disapproval at the mention, obviously pretending to gag. Liz rolled her eyes at that, slipping her ID away back into her pocket as she now focused on making her way across base, towards her building.

"Ughhh. Getting up early." JJ replied. "Gag me with a spoon, please. Any day of the week." She said. Liz rolled her eyes at that, walking along as she continued with their conversation.

"That's rich coming from the only person I've ever known to get all of her sleep in the form of naps. I don't think I ever saw you sleep for more than three hours at a time." Liz answered. JJ made a noise of disagreement on her end of the line, Liz offering a chuckle as she did so.

"Look, don't judge just because I was able to get sleep to get over herself and fall in line with what I wanted. Sorry, but I have things to do and places to be. I don't have time to figure out what sleep wants. You know me. Get on board or get out." She answered. Liz chuckled at that as she nodded.

"I seem to recall having trouble getting you off of me now that I think about it. Hmmm, fall to your own plan did you?" She asked. She heard an exaggerated huff, mixed with wild laughter and yelling in the background. Liz hummed somewhat, offering a small chuckle. "Sounds like someone is having an absolutely wild time over there." She reasoned. JJ sighed a moment.

"Excuse me a second." She said, apparently making some motion to cover the phone. Liz waited a moment, even holding it away. And good thought to, as JJ immediately began to yell at someone she could only imagine. After a couple moments of incessant yelling and JJ threatening them with various ways of harming them for a moment before it silenced once again, Liz bringing the phone back to her ear. "Sorry about that. Back to topic. And the answer is easy. I seem to recall it was you who came onto me first." She said. Liz shrugged at that, offering a shrug to herself.

"I know what I like." She said in simplicity.

"Ain't that the truth." JJ offered one reply. "So? What's the Fleet up to now? How many mouths they got you feeding over there now?" She asked. Liz paused a moment at that, growing silent. Immediately, JJ answered. "Come on Lizzie, you know I'm not about to go spilling to anyone. And I'm hella sure I'm not one of those Abyssalists fucks." She insisted. "You know. Now come on. How many you working with over there?" She asked. Liz only held a moment before sighing.

"Two hundred seventy four." Liz answered. A sharp, drawn out whistle sounded from the phone on the other end of the line. Liz waited for JJ to finish, the whistling sound dulled somewhat through the line before JJ spoke again.

"My lord Lizzie." JJ exclaimed. "Are you sure they're not having you slave away?" She reasoned. Liz only chuckled somewhat at the question before shaking her head as she continued to make her way towards her building.

"Yes, JJ. I'm pretty sure I'm okay." She said with a small nod. "But speaking of new recruits, hows that new Co-worker you were telling me about? She settling in ok?" Liz asked. JJ gave her a noise of affirmative at the question from her end as she did so.

"Oh yeah." JJ answered. "She's settling in fine. Eager to prove herself and all that jazz. And she's already proven to be big help around this place. So, here's a question for you. How's that American doing? The one you won't stop telling me about?" She asked. Liz smiled somewhat at that, chuckling somewhat as she finally began to near her building. Fishing out one of the keys she carried for the place, she approached the door as she began to unlock it.

"The American is doing fine." Liz answered her. "That I assure you of. She's a calming sense for the fleet and she's even changing the view of Americans for a few of them." She said. JJ answered with a noise of affirmative at that.

"That's good." She said. "So back to the important question. Why are you up at three in the morning again?" She asked with a chuckle. Liz shook her head at the question, smiling somewhat as she opened the door after she'd gotten it unlocked.

"It's my Job, JJ. That's not about to change anytime soon, lest we want to actually win this war." Liz answered as she walked her way towards the kitchen. Actually walking into the kitchen, Liz turned to flip on the lights. But as she did so, she heard a sound of shifting chairs and shuffling feet. The lights when on, but she saw no one. But given that one of the counters before her was absolutely covered in various opened foods and plates with half eaten items on it, Liz paused a moment before glancing at the side of the counter, where she could actively see someone's foot.

Offering a deadpanned expression at this, she offered pause a moment at that before JJ started talking in her ear again.

"Lizzie. Earth to Lizzie. What's going on? You just kind of dropped off there." She said. Liz paused a moment at that before shrugging.

"Sorry JJ. Work's starting early today it would seem. Gotta go. When're you going to be able to have another chat?" She asked. JJ made a noise indicating she was trying to think a moment about the question, apparently mulling over he plans for the next few days before she came up with an answer.

"It's gonna be a few days to be sure. We're conducting a business dealing with a rival company. Let me tell you what, the bitch in charge is a fucking psycho. All that aside however, it's not really a concern. I'll call you when I can." She said. "Ba-bye Lizzie. Love ya much." She said before the call ended after that, Liz sighing a moment before she pocketed her phone. Turning her gaze back to the counter, where she could still clearly see someone's foot peeking back at her, she paused a moment before frowning, putting a hand to her forehead.

"New Jersey." She called. The foot seemed to go rigid a moment before pulling back behind the counter. A second later, New Jersey's head popped up over the counter, her crimson eyes glancing at Liz. The woman sighed, placing her bag down on the counter next to the wall near her before making way for the counter. "And your little posse as well, please." She said.

Jersey seemed to watch a moment at that before she looked to her side, glancing down. And immediately, her companions began to emerge, the first of them being Heerman, who offered the woman a wave coupled with a smile. After that also came Johnston and Hoel, the latter of the two also holding up Sammy B.

Coming around the counter came St. Lo, Kitkun Bay, and Kalinin Bay. But that wasn't all as only a split second later, John Finn popped up as well. The nine ship girls seemed to watch the woman, John Finn looking to be the only somewhat guilty partisan apart of this apparent early morning snack run.

"Hi Ms. Liz!" Kalinin greeted, waving rapidly at the woman from her position as Liz approached. The head of kitchen sighed somewhat before affording a wave of her own back to the Carrier, finding it impossible not to smile.

"So the obvious aside here, I believe the nine of you should be in bed, no?" Liz asked as she did nothing to stop Kitkun from giving her a hug. "I know for a fact Lo at least has a sortie scheduled." She said. "And eating metric tons of Peanut Butter and Jelly at three in the morning isn't going to help that." She said, glancing to the half made and half eaten piles of sandwiches littering the countertop the group had claimed. New Jersey paused a moment at that, her destroyer and carrier escort glancing at the woman a moment in questioning before Jersey shrugged to Liz.

"Couldn't sleep...?" Jersey offered. Liz paused a moment at that, before sighing, planting a hand against her face a moment.

"Okay? That'll I accept. But that explains one of nine ship girls I'm currently looking at. And the other eight?" She said. The eight lower classed girls traded a few glances with one another for a moment before Johnston looked to Liz.

"We're the escort." She answered. Liz paused a moment at that, a hand going to her hip before closing her eyes, withholding the sigh she could feel. She could try and argue with that logic, but she'd had this job long enough to know she'd lose it. Not to mention she'd never actually held a stand-off with American warships.

And she knew she wasn't going to win one here.

"I'll accept that for now." Liz said. "That doesn't change the fact that all of you should be in bed. Jersey, you've been on base for four days now. Is this a normal thing?" Liz asked as she looked to the battleship. But in the time that Jersey had stopped talking to the woman, she'd made another sandwich and promptly stuffed the entire thing into her mouth in one fell swoop. Upon being called upon by Liz, the battleship froze in the headlights, her eyes focusing on Liz a moment before she suddenly swallowed the sandwich.

"What?" Jersey asked as the first available moment she had. Liz paused a moment at that, watching the battleship a moment before chuckling somewhat, shaking her head at the sight of the woman a moment.

"Never-mind." She said. "Look, clearly I won't be able to stop whatever this is. But I want Lo back in bed by four at the latest. She needs her rest." She said as she looked to the nine of them. They seemed to pause at that, glancing with one another, before John Finn was the one that spoke up.

"But Lo's a carrier... she can stay up for this long without issue..." Hoel said. Liz nodded at that as she sat herself back against a stool, leaning against the counter behind her.

"I am more than aware of what Lo is. This doesn't change the fact that you girls are human now. Humans need sleep to properly function. And sending her out on sortie tired endangers herself and the fleet if she's not at full capacity." She said, allowing her warning to sink in a moment. "Look, I'm not trying to be Negative about this and I'm not trying to tell you girls what to do. I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying yourselves but that has to come with some rules." She said. "Whether you like it or not."

The girls paused at that a moment, the eight smaller pairs of eyes slowly wandering to Jersey's. Who took a moment to offer a sigh, only followed by a nod. "She's right girls." The battleship admitted. Some of the smaller classed girls, the Fletchers to be sure, only huffed at that somewhat as their shoulders slumped at that. Liz chuckled somewhat.

"I'll give you girls another ten minutes but then all this needs to get cleaned up and you all back to bed." She said before making way towards the back of the kitchen, leaving the nine in peace for the moment as she left the kitchen, leaving through the door she had come. But instead of leaving the building, she turned right, making way down a hallway towards her office. It wasn't big by any means of the sort, but it served her purposes. Stepping inside, she flipped the lights on, closing the door behind her.

Immediately, Liz made way for the coffee maker that sat behind her desk, going about setting it up. Setting a pitcher under the object, she soon went about brewing a pot, having to stifle a yawn that suddenly wanted to overcome her. She sat down at her desk and woke her computer up, it ready to greet her. 

The only motion that offered her pause was a glance at a necklace that laid on her desk. The black and white gem was shimmering in the light a moment before Liz looked back to the computer, logging in a moment.

And immediately, she was presented with the various sheets and pages she herself had made. The tastes and likes of each ship girl on base. For those that she didn't know that well yet or hadn't really gotten a chance to ask with them personally, they were left largely blank. Pausing a moment, she went to edit something before she noted the the figure of someone standing in her doorway. Turning her gaze, she found the form of John Finn standing in her doorway. Taking a last glance at her screen, she offered the destroyer a smile as she did so.

"Hello John. What can I do for you?" She asked as she moved to the side so that Johnny could see her entirely. The destroyer seemed hesitant a moment to approach at that before she eventually did so, stepping into the woman's office, the British woman watching her. "Johnny?" Liz asked.

"We didn't mean to make you mad..." Johnny said after a moment, the destroyer fiddling with her hands as she did so. Her gaze was glued to the ground, unable to meet Liz's gaze. Liz paused for a moment, taken aback somewhat at the statement, before she shook her head.

"I'm not Mad Johnny, despite what you may think. Is that what this is? You thought I came back to my office because i was mad at the nine of you?" She asked. Johnny froze for a moment at that, offering pause before she slowly nodded. Liz only smiled somewhat at that for a moment, head hanging for a moment before she looked up to the destroyer. "I'm not mad." She said.

"But you just-"

"Johnny, there is a difference between being mad at you. And being worried, much of myself falling into the second category. While I do not maybe worry in the same way that your Admirals do, I do worry in my own way. I'm the one in charge of making sure you girls are properly fed day in and day out. Well, properly fed may not do it justice considering how much some the battleships eat some days. All that aside, I do worry about your personal well being more on a living hood scale. But that's not to say your Admirals don't because they very much do." She said. "So to answer your fears properly, no, I am not mad at the nine of you for getting yourself an early morning snack."

"Oh." Johnny said, pausing a moment at this suddenly and surprising piece of information for a moment, her mouth pulling down into a frown somewhat, before offering the woman a small smile. "I guess that makes sense." The pig tailed destroyer said after a moment. Liz offered a nod at that as she offered the seat in front of her desk to the girl, Johnny frowning somewhat. "Shouldn't I go to bed?" She asked. Liz nodded.

"You should, but you don't even have rigging yet and from the way I hear it, you're not to keen on getting near the water. So I don't mind keeping company for a few hours if you don't want to sleep. I just need to get the Fletchers and the Casas to sleep." She said. "It's not good to be tired while on sortie." She said. Johnny nodded at that somewhat for a moment, apparently recognizing the logic in the statement.

"And New Jersey?" John asked. Liz shrugged at that as she looked back to her computer a moment.

"She's free to do as she wishes. If she wants to stay here, she can. Go to bed, she can. Again, I just wanted the younger girls going back to sleep. I don't want them turning this into a habit." She said for a moment. "And besides, I can't really tell an Iowa class what to do. Whatever I say is largely just a suggestion." She chuckled somewhat.

John Finn only giggled in agreement.

—/—\—/—\—/—\—

She didn't need the alarm to awaken that morning. She didn't need the tell tale sound to prompt her body to start moving. She already knew what time it was and that she should wake by the feeling of the destroyer hugging her middle.

She cracked her eyes open somewhat at that, unsurprised at what she found. In the four days since NJ's escort, Turner and Thorn had taken quite well to Bristol's example. And that meant also taking to sleeping with both her and Maryland. Which was the current situation she found herself in, that being the feeling of Bristol out right laying on her as Thorn hugged her side. Turner had elected to lounge atop of Maryland, something Anya could just barely make out the shape of.

Sighing a moment, she canceled the Alarm with her free arm, hitting her clock before resting it on Bristol's back a moment. She stared at the ceiling for a time as Bristol shifted somewhat on top of her before settling back down.

After a while longer, Bristol finally began to stir, the destroyer slowly waking up as she stretched her limbs somewhat. All before she suddenly rolled off of Anya, pretty much rolling over Thorn as she did so. Anya only chuckled somewhat at that as she watched, this motion also prompting Thorn to turn away from Anya and all but glomp Bristol in their sleep, freeing Anya from the reigns of her Gleaves class prison. She chuckled somewhat at that as she slowly sat up, looking at the four a moment before she shook her head.

She loved the Gleaves class, she really did.

But it'd been over a week now, with Bristol staying each and every night. To say the frustration was sky high was an understatement. She loved the destroyer, she really did. But there was an aggravation building and she wasn't the only one. Not by a long shot as she glanced at Maryland. She paused a moment as she watched the battleship turn onto her side, her arm automatically going for Turner to hold her in place as she shifted in her sleep. Anya watched the battleship settle, the destroyer not even budging even the slightest. After which, Anya eventually stood from her bed, yawning somewhat as she yoinked her phone from the charger, checking for any notifications as she made way for the bathroom. Humming as she did so, she grabbed a change of clothes as she went, heading for the bathroom. Tossing the clothes onto the counter, she waited until she'd closed the door before turning on the lights.

Presented with the sight of the shared bathroom, she stretched a moment at that before looking to her phone again, checking for any notable messages or notifications.

The only real thing of note was a text from Sendai, giving Anya yet another article on the proper methods of the night battle. The blonde sighed a moment at that before marking the message as junk and sending it away, glancing over any other notable pieces of mail. But when she didn't find any, she put her phone back on the counter as she turned towards the shower.

Turning it on with a fluid motion, it immediately began to heat up as she stepped away for a moment, turning back to the mirror. Upon doing so, she hooked her fingers under the hem of her tank top, lifting it up and over her head as she removed the article of clothing. Looking over herself in the mirror, she ran her hands up and down her form. It took a few moments for a moment before she eventually hooked her thumbs into the waistband of her sleeping shorts, slipping them off, tossing them and her underwear into the hamper in the bathroom alongside her tank top.

And just as the shower started to steam as well.

She only let a yawn escape her lips, picking up some volume within the bathroom before she made way for the shower, stepping under the warm water without hesitation. She held a moment, just relaxing as she let her mind begin to really start up.

They were at 112 slots, with room for eight more, and there was still a fair amount of US Ship girls that were waiting on sisters. San Francisco, Maryland, Dionysus to name a few. She hummed a moment before frowning. She knew which option she wanted the most, but that was only because she was biased, and she knew it.

"She said she didn't mind about her sisters.." Anya said to herself. But was that the truth? Or a small omission of it? Did Maryland really not mind waiting for her sisters even longer if they didn't make it through in the next eight? Everything she knew from Mary told her that yes, the battleship was alright with it. But her breakdown that night, the day Hipper had come through pointed at the opposite.

The Admiral didn't know what to think for sure. Not something that wouldn't possibly get her in hot water with Maryland.

She shook her head. She needed to take Maryland's word for that and that alone. Her word. If she said she didn't mind not having her sisters present, she needed to accept that choice and move on, only really getting involved when she needed to.

And then a moment's pause cleared her mind, and she sighed. There wasn't a whole lot that she could do anyways in the end. This was the Gateway. And they all knew that the Gateway operated with it's own agenda. Anya just hoped that lined up with their own.

Which was something she wasn't always sure of most of the time. She paused at that before sighing, figuring that actually showering was going to prove far more beneficial to her at the moment then anything else would at her current moment. Sighing, she actually went about starting that. But even as she did so, her mind continued to wander, even as she actually began to shower.

How was this all going to end? The fighting? The war? Would humanity stand all at the end of it all? Or would they meet their fates at the hand of the deep, more than ready to kill them without a second thought? She frowned somewhat at that particular idea, her mind not willing to entertain it any longer than it had too. But it was also a fair point that always seemed to make itself right at home within her mind, no matter how much she tried to push it away or rid her mind of the concern. But the fact that this far, Humanity really hadn't made a winning move or made some sort of meaningful strike against the Abyssals since practically the start of the war. The closest thing was the fact that Constitution had all but smacked them back to the curb from whence they came when they'd tried to raze Boston.

As the water beat down against her skin, steam rising as it did so, she sighed somewhat, her Hull-

She paused.

Body.

Body.

She had a body. Not a hull.

She sighed somewhat as she once again focused on showering, willing her mind not to wander any further on. And for once, in her life, her requests seemed to have been honored, her mind seemingly allowing her to shower in peace for a while.

And it ended up lasting all the way through, the blonde woman turning the water off with a pleasant sigh.

But then her mind decided it wasn't done with her. Not when the thought that she was totally and utterly in the nude registered to her. And the woman she loved was only a single door away intruded into her mind. So much to the point that she even glanced towards the door. All before her own mind reminded her that she was also just a Door away from three Gleaves class destroyers. She grumbled to herself as she reached back and turned off the shower, the only sound now being the water dripping from the shower head behind her.

She reached for a nearby towel, pushing any thoughts of the sort from her mind as she began to dry off, yawning again somewhat as she did so.

But once again her mind became encompassed by other matters, all the way to the point of barely recognizing the sound of the bathroom door opening. She paid no mind to it, the sound coming from the other end of the room, it belonging to Sofia as she went about toweling out her blond locks. But the door never closed.

She only spared a glance in the direction of Sofia's room, expecting to see the Captain standing there. But when she was met with the sight of the bathroom door to The Captain's room remaining closed, she paused a minute, the towel still resting on her head as well as her hands. All before she turned her gaze towards the mirror somewhat, glancing back at the doorway to her room.

And there she met eyes with Maryland. Or at least laid sight on her eyes, the battleship's gaze all but glued to the Admiral. Anya offered pause a moment at that, her mouth frowning somewhat before the realization hit her. This was the first time Maryland had seen her naked. As this information settled within her mind, settled within her consciousness, even she couldn't help the small, playful smirk that now pulled her lips. The silence only lasted a moment as she watched the battleship a second more.

And then she wiggled her hips at the woman.

The reaction was immediate, and to Anya, the example of priceless as the battleship's eyes went wide at the sight. Anya couldn't help the smirk that widened ever so slightly at the sight, watching as the battleship's eyes took their sweet time traveling up and down the curves of her body. Anya didn't want to brag, but she knew the work she put in was more than worth it. Especially for a moment like this.

But it was only when Mary's gaze finally found the mirror, did her eyes finally meet Anya's. And they stayed just as wide there as well they had been, a motion that served make Anya chuckle somewhat before she went back to drying off. When the door shut behind her, she paid no mind to it any longer as she focused on drying off.

She only a heard a singular step towards her.

She thought she saw motion of a hand being-

SMACK.

She suddenly stood straight, going rigid in the back as the sudden stinging pain in her rear screamed at her, the Admiral yelping somewhat. She heard Maryland offer a small laugh, so much so that Anya whipped around to look at her, a motion that more than caught Maryland off guard. And despite the stinging of her ass at the moment no thanks the handprint she had no doubt that was now forming, the smirk returned as she saw Maryland's eyes slowly dart downwards. Anya's smirk widened at that ever so slightly as she looked up to Maryland.

"My eyes are up here, you know?" She asked, the battleship's gaze darting up to meet hers. Even while Anya's smirk was still as wide as it had been. And the peace even lasted for a couple of moments.

Before Maryland all but picked Anya up, throwing the woman off guard before she seated her on the counter. Despite herself, Anya giggled somewhat at that as she slowly wrapped her arms around the woman's neck, the gaze of emerald meeting that of periwinkle.

"Well you've got me Right where you want me." Anya said, her voice dropping a level or two in tone. "What's your plan next?" She asked as she looked to the battleship. But Mary's eyes met her gaze, telling Anya all too well that she had no idea what to do next. Anya only offered a smile at that as she leaned in and up, towards the woman.

Her lips met Mary's.

Her arms unfolded from around the battleship's neck.

And just as her hands began to wander south, towards the woman's chest, the bathroom door at the other end of the room swung open, admitting one very exhausted looking Sofia. The two of them met gazes with her a minute, Sofia seeming to take a second to process what she was looking at. And after a few quiet moments, Sofia only rolled her eyes.

"Good lord." She sighed as a hand went to her hip before she took another glance at the two.  "Look, I'm all for an early morning rendezvous as much as the next person. But if the trend has continued this morning like I suspect it has, you have at least one destroyer sleeping in your bed. With only a door between her and you two. And considering I alone could hear a slap from my room, this isn't a good idea." She said.

The two watched her a moment before logic finally seemed to come screaming back at them, Anya holding a moment before she sighed somewhat, her hands dropping to the counter below her. Maryland wordlessly backed up to allow Anya to get off the counter, turning to collect her clothing to get dressed. And as she did so, Sofia chuckled somewhat.

"That's a hell of a hand print, Mary." Sofia offered. Maryland only offered a slight laugh, even while her cheeks burned with the blush quickly encompassing them as she watched the Admiral begrudgingly get dressed.

—/—\—

Sofia only watched the woman with an amused smirk as she followed the woman towards the mess hall for breakfast. When the blonde looked over her shoulder at the woman with a scowl on her face, Sofia's grin only widened at that, her arms swinging at her sides. "Hey, look, it's not my fault the two of you tried to get into it in a bad spot." She said as Anya shot her a dirty look. "I'm just here to preserve the modesty, something you've never been very good at." She said.

Anya glared at her. Sofia cackled in her face.

"Oh come on Anya. You had to know that wasn't a good spot for that, in anyway shape or form. Any of the three of them could so have easily walked in on you." She said. Anya rolled her eyes.

"We would've stopped." Anya tried. Sofia paused a moment at that before laughing.

"We both know that's a lie. You were butt ass naked. There's not a chance in hell that you would've stopped back there and we both know it. Just be glad it was me who found you and not the destroyers." She said. "Anywho, that's behind us at the moment. I was gonna ask, do we have any sort of plan for how the girls are supposed to be organizing themselves in the dorms? Or are we just going with whatever?" She asked. "We do have three dorm buildings. It wouldn't be that hard to get some sort of organization going while we still have the chance."

"Three buildings?" Anya asked first and foremost. "There's four we have access too."

"Not at the moment. With King now actually having built a fleet and their rigging now within our own control, not to mention whatever other British and French girls come through, that's essentially one building no longer within our domain. It's already stretched enough as is with three country's in one building." She said. Anya glanced at the woman as Sofia now made pace with the Admiral.

"Okay but we have four country's in our first building as is." She reasoned. Sofia nodded at that.

"Okay, you have a fair point. But there's a difference as Akashi and Dreadnought have chosen to room with already present girls. And Leningrad and Molotov don't seem to ever cause problems. There's a difference when we're putting the growing fleets together in one building. Putting the Australians, British, and French are enough. Let us not put Americans into that equation. Especially if we end up with any other of the Royal Navies with us." She said. Anya nodded in agreement at that. She knew Sofia had a point.

"Yeah, good point. But do we need to organize them or where they sleep?" She asked. Sofia shook her head.

"I'm not saying we do or need to. I'm just saying that should we want to choose something along those lines or something similar, our window of getting it done somewhat simply is closing rapidly. With the next expansion, if it doubles our current limit, getting 240 girls to move is going to be a pain trying to get them organized." She said. Anya nodded at that somewhat.

"I mean, I see what you're getting at. But do we have avid or real reason to try and organize them? The current layout doesn't cause any..." she paused. "Doesn't cause that much trouble. Well, I mean that was before NJ's escort, but time will tell on that." She said. Sofia nodded at that.

"Again, I'm not trying to push one way or the other. But should we want to, we need to start thinking about it." She said. Anya nodded at that a moment, accepting the logic as sound for a moment. All before Sofia pushed her luck somewhat. "So? You really haven't been able to do anything because of Bristol each and every night?" She asked.

Anya scowled again, prompting a laugh from Sofia.

"Wouldn't be a problem if Bristol would sleep in her own bed for a night." Anya said with a huff. Sofia nodded somewhat at that.

"It would, it really would. But the day her mother says that to her face will be a day I don't think I'll ever live to see." Sofia replied. When Anya only rolled her eyes, but offered no retort as they finally walked within eyesight of the Mess Hall, Sofia snickered. "You're not disagreeing." She laughed.

"Well of course not." Anya replied hastily. "If you have another name for what I've become to Bristol, id love to hear it. Because otherwise, I've pretty much unofficially adopted her and the Gleaves class." She said. Sofia arched a brow at that as she watched the woman.

"Thorn and Turner..."

"Were the other two surprise guests last night alongside Bristol. I'm just glad they didn't do the full class again. That's hell let me tell you what." She replied. "But I didn't raise a fuss when they walked into our room last night and I won't now."

"Except that's exactly what you're doing, Raising a fuss." She said. "You know, just because they come to your bedroom door asking To sleep with you doesn't mean you have to give in. You still have the option for personal space if you're really bent up about all of this." She said.

"Says the woman with a bed to herself." Anya replied. Sofia rolled her eyes at that as she lightly punched Anya in the arm, Anya chuckling somewhat at that. "I'm joking, joking!" Anya cried indignantly with a laugh. Sofia only rolled her eyes at that as she watched as the woman before turning her gaze towards the Mess Hall.

"So, I'm assuming you've still told no one of your birthday yet?" She asked. Anya paused a moment at that before shaking her head, glancing back at Sofia. The woman chuckled at that, rubbing her chin a moment. "Hey, maybe if I tell Maryland, you'll end up with a battleship with a ribbon tied around her chest in your bed tonight." She joked. Anya shook her head at that.

"I'll tell Maryland later tonight, but I'd rather my birthday fly under the radar if it all possible." She said. Sofia rolled her eyes at that.

"I don't know why you make such a big deal about your birthday, you hooligan." She said. "The girls would no doubt go crazy with celebrating." She said. Anya nodded at that, apparently understanding all too well.

"Which is exactly why I'm not saying anything. There's not a reason to put so much stock into my birthday." She said. "Going uncelebrated is the ideal scenario." She said. Sofia only rolled her eyes at that as they walked into the mess hall, the fleet already well within gathering for breakfast. The two made way for the officer's table, finding that the two of them were once again the last of the table's normal occupants to arrive. Emma only offered them a wave to them before returning to her waffle, attempting to eat a bite. She only got it in the end when Saradia offered her a helping hand, her mother chuckling somewhat before she offered a wave to the approaching duo.

Anya and Sofia offered a wave at that in return as they reached the table, the usual candidates in their usual spots.

"It'll be an odd day to be sure when the American officers are the first to arrive to breakfast." King offered in greeting. Anya rolled her eyes at that as Sofia chuckled, the two easing themselves into their seats. And just as Liz approached, sliding Sofia a cup of her usual. And then came Anya's, paired with a singular plate, topped with a cupcake. Anya blinked somewhat at that, eyeing the cupcake for a moment before glancing up at the woman. Who in turn simply offered her a grin in parting but not a word otherwise.

Anya frowned deeply at that as she stared at the cupcake a moment, racking her brain a moment trying to figure out what it could mean. Before she suddenly began to draw a conclusion. And she huffed.

"Admiral Johnson?" Saradia asked.

"Liz knows." Anya hissed. Sofia only chortled as Ishigara and King looked to the woman a moment for an explanation, Sofia all too happy to provide one at the moment.

"Tomorrow is the good Admiral's Birthday." Sofia revealed, causing King and Saradia to laugh somewhat as Ishigara offered a nod of understanding at that.

"Ahh, I see. Yes, keeping information such as that away from the likes of Liz is a fruitless effort a majority of the time." He replied. Anya huffed.

"What I wanna know is how she figured it out. It's not like I went around telling people, and yet here we are a day before, and suddenly Liz knows." She said. Saradia nodded at that.

"Well, aside from the usual options of her gaining access to personal records or something similar of that nature, I do recall that your own mother was on base for a while, was she not?" Saradia asked as she looked to Anya a moment. Anya paused at that, Thinking about the possibility for a second before she huffed again, pulling two pancakes and a bit of scrambled egg onto her plate.

"Of course." She answered, a little miffed before she did the thing any sensible person would. She stuck her finger into the frosting of the cupcake, gathering a sizable amount of the stuff before depositing it into her mouth. King crinkled his nose.

"Don't tell me you're one of those people that just eat the frosting off of stuff and leave the actual cakes." He pleaded.

"Only on cupcakes." Anya replied after she'd swallowed the cupcake frosting, soon digging into her actual breakfast. King paused a moment at that sudden piece of information, as if trying to figure out if he considered it acceptable. After a moment, he finally relented with a nod. And only as Liz began to gather the attention of the fleet, which was now finally settling down for breakfast. When a majority of the eyes in the room were on the woman, she held her mug before her as she offered a nod.

"If you were on base as one of the original sixty before last July, then you'll know my views on birthdays. And that's that they should be celebrated properly. Of course, as the fleet grows and grows, the number and days of Ship girl birthdays become numerous. But as for the Command staff of this fleet, their birthday's remain ever constant. I bring this up because as we now have five commanders of the fleet this far, I must ask. How many of you here know that we are on the eve of one of these birthday's?" Liz asked. Anya's shoulders slumped at the question somewhat as none of the fleet raised a hand, not even Maryland. Liz chuckled at That. "I will give the culprit thirty seconds to oust themself, otherwise, I will do it for them." She told them.

The fleet directed their attention to the Commander's table in turn for a moment. As the seconds ticked by one at a time, Anya sighed.

Resigned herself to her fate.

And put up her hand.

There was a brief second of blessed silence.

"Admiral!" Enterprise yelled. "Your birthday is tomorrow and you didn't tell any of us!?" The carrier demanded.

"Rude!" Atlanta joined in.

The smug, victorious shit eating grin that Liz wore in Anya's direction only made the blonde admiral grumble.

—/—\—/—\—

"It's her birthday tomorrow." Maryland uttered for maybe the fifteenth time in the last ten minutes. "It's her birthday and I had no idea." The battleship said in disbelief. Her conversation partner, Atlanta, only glanced up at the battleship a moment from her spot next to her, for once without one of her sisters at her side.

"I mean from the sounds of it, the only ones that knew it was tomorrow was the Captain." Atlanta said in return as she glanced up at the battleship. Maryland only let out a dramatic sigh, Atlanta chuckling somewhat at that for a moment. "You know, you could always try and get her a late gift. Look, I know this is probably important to you and all that, but this is on her keeping her birthday from us like she did." She said. Maryland huffed at that.

"What could I even get her that she'd want?" She asked. Atlanta shrugged at that.

"Dunno. On a totally unrelated note, my gift's gonna be fucking A grade present material." Atlanta cackled to herself. Maryland almost entirely wheeled on the cruiser for a moment as Hipper looked up as well.

"You've already gotten her a gift on such late notice?" The heavy cruiser asked, arching a brow. Atlanta paused a moment at that, watching Hipper for a moment before nodding, turning her gaze to Maryland, offering a wide grin.

"Mhm." She said. "Though, you are her girlfriend." She said. "So... I suppose, if you really want to, I'll let you say that you helped think of my present too." She said. Maryland opened her mouth to say something at that before pausing.

"What is your present?" She asked cautiously. "It's not a prank is it? Because if you think I'm about to put my name on something only for you to end up getting Anya with it, we're gonna have some problems. You know that right?" She asked. Atlanta nodded in response to the question at that as she did so.

"Oh most certainly." Atlanta said as she looked to the woman before gesturing to the woman to bend down to her. "Now come here. Here's my gift." She said. Maryland eyed her a moment before leaning down to the cruiser as requested. And that's when Atlanta told her.

Maryland wanted nothing more than to hug the cruiser.

She had plans to make.

—/—/—/—/—/—

The day had come and gone, and Anya swore it hadn't gotten any easier as it had gone on. She'd had nearly every single American Capital ship asking what she wanted for her birthday. So far, the only thing she'd actually received was two bottles, decorative wrapping. One from Kidd and One from Leningrad.

Her exhaustion was nearing it's peak and there wasn't going to be a whole lot left to give coming here soon, and she knew that. Exiting out of her computer and shutting it down, she turned her attention to Sofia, who was still working somewhat. Well, working being an opportune word, considering she and King were throwing paper airplanes back and forth to one another.

"I'm so glad the productivity here is an all time high." Anya chuckled, watching as a paper airplane careened from the air due to a bent wing, slamming it's nose into the floor. Sofia chuckled as she wheeled over to it a moment, leaning down to pick it up off of the ground as she looked to Anya.

"Mhm, sure is." She said. "Question for you. Have you seen Maryland since Dinner?" She asked. "She usually makes a stop in the office for a while, but tonight it's been awfully maryless. She feeling okay?" Sofia asked. Anya shrugged at that as she offered a sigh, scratching the back of her head somewhat.

"It wouldn't surprise me if she's a little miffed with me at the moment, what with the whole surprise birthday issue." She said. "Goddamnit Liz." She sighed. Sofia chuckled somewhat at that as she tossed the paper air plane back to King a moment.

"Maybe you just need some sleep. Discuss the whole thing with her in the morning." She said. "It couldn't hurt at this point." She offered. Anya watched the woman a moment before sighing. She knew the Captain likely had a point, Anya standing at that as she nodded.

"Probably for the best." She yawned as she offered a wave to the woman and man before leaving the office. Yawning again, she began to climb the stairs towards their room. Stepping onto the second floor, she approached the door of their bedroom, opening it, admitting light from the hallway into the darkened room. Reaching along the wall, she began to search for the light switch when a voice from within the darkness sounded.

"Don't..." She swallowed. "Please." She softly spoke.

[A/N: This is your warning.]

Anya paused at that, staring into the darkness of the bedroom a moment before her gaze landed dead ahead. Stepping into the room, she wordlessly closed the door behind her, swallowing the room in darkness once again, the only light being the pale light coming in through the window above the bed.

And there, wrapped in the sheets, was Maryland.

The battleship could only watch from her spot in bed as the door closed behind the woman, Anya vanishing into the dark of the room. The only illuminated part of the room now was the bed itself, the light coming in from behind her. The silence was palpable for a moment, Maryland shifting somewhat under the sheets as she waited for the woman to say something. It took a few moments, but eventually Anya's voice greeted her from the darkness.

"I can only guess... but I assume you're not exactly what one might call dressed right now." She said, presumably with her gaze locked to the battleship. It took a moment to answer, the battleship's entire face flushed red amongst the pale light before nodded to the question. "Mary, you know Bristol-"

"Is sleeping with Atlanta tonight... as her gift to you. Apparently.. she's been reading how aggravated we've been getting over the last few days and apparently put two and two together." She said, managing to find her voice for a moment. The silence greeted her in turn, Anya saying nothing for a second.

"Is that so..." Anya finally spoke aloud.

"Mhm." Maryland replied, her face still burning up as she searched for any sign of Anya within the darkness. But she didn't find one.

Only the soft rustling of clothing greeted her.

Maryland willed the burning in her face to go down as she watched for any movement amongst the darkness of the bedroom. She kept thinking she saw movement, only to be proven wrong in the next second. The pale light coming in through the window only served to mess with her rather than actually help her.

A second later, she heard what sounded like the dresser being opened and then shut, Anya apparently having found her prize. Maryland's breath hitched in her throat a moment, glancing in that direction before actual movement appeared at the foot of the bed, the battleship just barely able to make out her form standing there. Green eyes, catching the light just right, seemed to be alive in their own way of amusement as the woman stood just within the light's embrace. Mary could just barely make out her form, but nothing else. But then Anya made a move Maryland wasn't expecting as she reached forwards with a hand and clutched a handful of the sheets.

"May I?" Anya asked quietly. But her tone told Mary that she was only asking to be courteous. She guessed that the sheets would have come off one way or another. Relenting, she nodded as she let go of her grips on the sheets. And immediately, Anya pulled at them, uncovering Mary and piling them at the foot of the bed.

And then Anya retreated into the darkness once again. Maryland audibly gulped at that, an arm now covering her chest in some sense of modesty, but she guessed it wasn't likely to last.

It was only a few seconds, to Mary feeling like an eternity, until Anya popped up again, this time at Maryland's side somewhat spooking her. But Anya wasn't waiting around at this point, approaching the bed, stepping into the light as she got up on the bed with Mary. Going for her position, she quickly found it as she brought her leg onto Mary's other side, Anya all but now kneeling over Mary's waist. In the pale light, nothing was easy to see, but it was clear for Mary.

The heat began to build.

But it was at that moment at Mary seemed to note Anya was only wearing panties, the battleship warning to scowl at the article of clothing before looking up at Anya, those green eyes seeming to be watching her with a sense of amusement. "Anya, I don't..." Mary tried, finding that her words wouldn't come to her. Anya chuckled somewhat as she eased herself down onto the woman's waist, leaning back somewhat as Mary watched her every move. Her face was still flushed, but it only increased at a rapid pace as she watched the woman's hand slowly make it's way down her stomach, slipping under the waistband of her panties. Mary paused a moment at that, frowning.

She swore she could still see the woman's fingers-

And then Anya spread her fingers.

Maryland froze like a deer in the headlights.

The heat doubled.

They were see through. They were definitely see through.

Maryland's face turned a new and interesting shade of red amongst the pale light, Anya only softly laughing at that as she removed her hand from her panties as she leaned forwards, wrapping her arms around Mary's neck as her eyes kept their contact with Mary's. "Your hands having fun?" She asked, noting the fact that the battleship's hands were now simply down by her sides on the bed. Maryland paused, almost caught like a deer in the headlights. When she didn't offer a response right away, Anya hummed as she unwrapped her arms from around Mary's neck as she leaned against the battleship, her chest meeting Mary's. Reaching back, she grabbed Mary's hands. "Let's find them a proper place to rest." She said before guiding them, slipping them under the waistband.

When Mary's hands both had a handful of Anya's ass, the blonde smiled at the battleship. And Maryland offered a pre-emptive squeeze, Anya's breath hitching in her throat. Leaning back somewhat, pushing her hips back and by extension, pushing her ass against Mary's hands, she offered Maryland a sly smile as she wrapped her her arms back around Mary's neck once again.

"You are allowed to squeeze, you know?" Anya asked with a hum before all but crashing her lips into Mary's, the battleship following her advice to the letter and now starting to play with the woman's ass. As she did so, as the heat continued to build, Anya, still seated on Mary's stomach, began to roll her hips. At first, Mary thought it was just a trick of the mind, as she and Anya made out, but she quickly realized that she was starting to feel something wet. She didn't even need to try and think of what that might be. Even more so when a moan broke from Anya's lips.

The sound quickly became one of Mary's favorites as she could feel Anya pick up her pace more and more, her hips gaining motion and speed.

It was at that point that one of Anya's hands unwrapped from Mary's neck as it slunk in between the two of them and all but planted itself onto Mary's chest, Mary moaning slightly at the contact. And then Anya began to work her fingers as she pressed her dominance with her lips. Maryland all but relented under her advance, offering a sharp moan as she squeezed Anya's ass again. The heat between the battleship's legs was climbing rapidly.

After a moment though, Anya pulled away, her lips leaving Mary's, though her eyes remained focused on the battleship's. Her other hand that had been wrapped around Mary's neck up to that point slunk away and down the battleship's body. It took Mary a second to realize, watching what Anya was doing for a moment before it hit her, watching as the hand generally made the trip south.

It was right when Anya was about to move her hand between Mary's thighs when the battleship closed her legs, Anya looking to her with a brow arched.

"It's your birthday. You first." She said, her tone uneven and her chest panting for breath somewhat. Anya paused a moment before nodding, relenting in her advance as the two then went about going and switching their positions, Anya slipping into Mary's spot on her back as Maryland hovered over the woman. But as she did so, the issue of the woman's panties screamed back at her. Looking to Anya, the blonde only bit her lip at the battleship, her hands only planting themselves to their owner's chest in response.

Slowly hooking her fingers into the waistband of the woman's panties, Maryland began to tug them off, Anya helping somewhat as she lifted her hips off the bed. When they slipped to her knees, Maryland disposed of them with one simple last tug.

And the effect was immediate, as Anya's legs spread for the battleship, the battleship's prize all to easy to see. After a moment, she looked to Anya, who simply offered a smile.

"So I guess this is the time I discover if my brave battleship likes to play with herself when I'm not around." Anya said as she looked up to the woman. Maryland paused a moment at that, taking a glance at Anya's entrance before leaning down to the woman, her lips running into Anya's once again. As she did so, she reached back, lightly grazing the blonde's entrance. Already, she could the flooding the woman was going through. Taking a moment, even eventually pressed a finger to it, rubbing Anya, prompting a sharp moan to escape Anya's lips, the Admiral's hips trying to roll against Mary's hand.

But Maryland paid little attention to that, focusing on her fingers and where they were. Still rubbing her there for a minute, watching the blonde shift under her, Maryland pressed on, bringing in a second finger. The added contact served Anya no favors, her hips rolling against Mary. Mary kept the smile that wanted to tug at her lips back, instead electing to lean into Anya again, watching the woman's facial expressions. Anya's green eyes met Mary's a moment before wrapping her arms around the woman's neck, her lips meeting Mary's again.

Just as Mary slipped a finger inside. The reaction was immediate, Anya offered a hard moan as the battleship began to work her over.

A week of frustration had provided Mary with ample opportunity to learn properly on her own time.

Soon enough, the words between them stopped.

Their bodies did more than enough talking.