A/N: Who had me not dying in 2024 on the board? Because I didn't.

I really need to stop this nonsense of appearing, vanishing, appearing again, and on and on and on. But at the core of it, I won't write if I don't want to write or if I'm not satisfied with what I do write. And I'm sorry that I keep doing that to you guys, but that's the fact of the matter.

Here's a 30k word apology note.

—/—\—/—\—/—\—

She watched as her older sister eyed the distant horizon under the cover of the setting sun, watching for any movement that was out of place or unexpected. She watched the edge of the world under a scrutinizing gaze, daring the non-existent enemy vessels to rise, daring them to peek up at them from beyond the observable space.

She dared them to face their deaths.

Even though they both knew there wasn't a chance of any enemy vessels being anywhere near here.

Kaga yawned.

The noise was apparently loud enough to warrant Tosa's attention, the older battleship turning her gaze onto the younger of the two of them from her position at her bow. Even from where she was, Kaga could make out the unamused gaze of her sister, eyes unflinching as they now dared her of all people.

Kaga offered a look in her eyes that spoke of genuine surprise.

But the grin she wore did not.

Tosa gave the order for her crew to slow in order to come alongside her younger, more impressionable sister. The entire time, Kaga watched, her amusement non-fading as she looked on from her position of her second turret. Hands on her hips in a proud fashion, her gaze help up against Tosa's half scowl, the name-ship watching her younger sister with a feeling of misplaced disappointment.

"Kaga." Tosa greeted, her tone one of calm, one void of emotion.

"Tosa-nee." Kaga replied, her tone bubbling from each vowel with adoration for her older sister.

Tosa stared at her sister a moment longer than what was probably needed before she shook her head.

"It is important to be alert during Wartime patrol." She told her. Kaga chuckled at that, glancing to her other side, watching the horizon there before looked back to Tosa, even offering a raised hand in the direction that she'd just been watching.

"The coast of Occupied-Australia looks so very hostile in this light, does it not?" She asked with a grin.

Tosa's expression did not promise one of laugher.

"Even occupied territories can pose a danger." Tosa toned at her sister. "Though I am well aware that I should not have to tell you this. As one of our nation's most decorated battleships, you are more than aware of the rules of war and constant lack there of." The older sister said. Kaga simply nodded at that.

"And yet, here we are, with not a single enemy to pursue or target." Kaga replied, her arms raised and widespread before her. Tosa shook her head at that, though the brief smile that tugged at her lips was hidden behind the movement. "The United States Navy cannot reach us here. They have yet to make substantial gains in even retaking Hawaii." She chided.

"Just because you are correct in this instance does not mean you should become complacent or content. Constant vigilance is as much a lesson that can be taught as it is a rule to live by." Tosa chided her. But even then, she seemed to relax for the briefest of instances. "Though, once again, you are correct. While we find ourselves in widespread war, we have also found ourselves a time of peace. Go, retreat to your quarters. Allow yourself some rest."

"You underestimate my resolve then, sister." Kaga chided in her own way. Tosa only spared a single glance in Kaga's direction.

"And you underestimate the sailors that have entrusted their lives to your care. Go, get some rest, let them show you that they are the capable force we all believe them to be. We shall be back to port by the morning." She told her. "When you rise, I shall take my rest. Go, Kaga."

"Sister." Kaga warned.

"It will be me, myself, the stars, and my thoughts. It promises to be an exciting adventure." Tosa told her. "Now go sister. It's been a long few days as is. You've deserved your rest."

Kaga watched her sister further for a time, no words coming to mind in that immediate minute. And when they continued to fail to come forth, she eventually nodded her agreement, turning and making to jump down from her second turret. Tosa smiled as she went, still watching the darkening horizon before her as Kaga turned her back on her sister, soon vanishing into the depths of her own hull. Her crew stepped aside with signs of respect or salutes in their own fashion, responses that she herself had assured them were acceptable in her eyes.

Eventually coming across her quarters, she slipped inside without an issue, closing the hatch behind her.

—\—\—\—\—/—/—/—/—

That breath that filled her lungs, coinciding with her consciousness returning to her was a different kind of relief. Kaga's eyes slipped open as she came face to face with with the ceiling of her and Akagi's shared room, her futon wrapped around her like a shield of protection. And it was then she allowed herself a moment to dwell upon what she'd just witnessed.

Or, at least, seen.

A war in the Pacific? Longer and better fought?

A reversal of roles? The United States put on the back foot?

Her service not as a member of the Kido Butai, but as a member of the eight-eight?

Kaga closed her eyes as she crossed her face with an arm.

What was it all for? What did it all mean?

The image of she and her sister sailing side by side into San Francisco Bay as the US Navy lay defeated was a hard one to forget.

And one not sure she wanted.

No matter what dreams told her or what tricks her mind played on her, she had seen her service in the Pacific as a proud carrier of her nation. As far as she was concerned, whatever that dream had been was simply an unforeseen side effect of her reality as a part of humanity. An unintended distraction that invaded her mind so very easily and left just the same. Kaga let out a quiet exhale.

And then the door to her shared bedroom opened.

She brought her arm away from her eyes befell the doorway, the door swinging open ever so quietly. She watched as Tosa entered the room, before turning and quietly closing the door behind her. She clearly hadn't been expecting anything out of the ordinary or anything like it as her gaze wandered over Kaga's prone form, meeting eyes with her sister before her gaze continued to sweep across the room.

Kaga blinked.

And then Tosa's gaze darted back to her sister's in a rare show of surprise, widening by fractions as she met and now held the gaze with the woman. Immediately, she approached her sister's side as Kaga slowly worked herself into a sitting up position as Tosa came to a kneel at her younger sister's side as Kaga looked to greet her.

"You're awake." She was told. Kaga nodded in agreement, that much easy to know and clear to see. She was in fact awake, and based on the look that Tosa had first given her, there had been reason for her not to be. Kaga took a moment to collect herself before her gaze reconnected with Tosa's.

"What happened?"

"Akagi, you, Souryuu, Hiryuu, Shoukaku, and Zuikaku fell ill. Abruptly and with little warning. You have all been out for close to three days, with only Zuikaku waking up before you. If only for brief periods at a time so they can check her conditions." She informed her. Kaga took a second to note that, especially with Zuikaku having woken before her. It showed well on her, even if as far as Kaga was aware, she couldn't control that any more than Kaga could. And then she frowned.

"You said ill?" She asked.

"You six under-came the effects of rather intense fevers by normal standards. The commanders made as much clear. In the first hours, they were not certain the six of you would survive. But it seems that given our nature and higher than normal statuses compared to that of a normal human, this seems to be par for the course." She told her. "Still, until recently, no one aside from a few were allowed to visit out of a precaution. They were worried that such an illness would spread to and incapacitate the rest of the fleet." She explained.

Kaga shook her head as she took that information in.

"What do you remember?" Tosa questioned. The ask drew Kaga out of her thoughts at the ask, looking to her sister in a questioning manner. And then she actually began to think about it.

The Carrier range. She had been practicing by herself.

And then...

Kaga's sense of remembrance tightened.

And then Yorktown.

"Yorktown." Kaga recalled. Tosa nodded.

"Yorktown confirmed that she entered the Carrier range some time after you. And that after her arrival, there was a brief amount of discussion before things began to potentially turn for the worse. And that is when you fell Ill. She immediately carried you to the docks, where you were put under the care and supervision of the repair staff while everything proceeded to unfold."

"She is not responsible for this?" Kaga asked. Truthfully, she doubted she was anyways. But she wanted to hear the reasoning.

"It is doubtful that anyone is truly responsible for this to any degree that we can seek punishment for. Six members out of a multi-hundred strength fleet falling ill and yet no one else, while not impossible is highly unlikely."

Not to mention that Kaga's understanding of how all this worked and Yorktown's own likely weren't that far apart.

"And you say that Yorktown is the one that brought me to the safety of the docks?"

"One way or another, she was quite distressed when she arrived with you in her arms, desperate for others to know that she was not nor had she ever been the one responsible for your sudden and onset condition." Tosa explained. "Which is likely the case, given that Akagi was with Enterprise, Souryuu and Hiryuu were with Missouri, and Zuikaku was with Captain Algerona." She informed her.

"And Shoukaku?"

"With Mamiya as witness, Saratoga was the one that delivered her to the docks." She told her.

Kaga quietly adjusted to that information. She knew Saratoga was unhappy with her current situation, and quite vocal about it to with those that would listen. But with that being said, Saratoga had never shown to be what Kaga would call unintelligent or stupid. She goaded and taunted those of the Japanese when she saw fit, but openly antagonistic was out of her playbook and had been for some time.

Still, it was all past them it would seem.

"Hm." Kaga sounded. "Then where is Akagi-San?"

"She currently rests within the Japanese Command building." Tosa informed her. Kaga nodded as she made to get up.

Only for Tosa to reach to stop her.

"It has been advised that upon waking, you do not move too very much." The battleship informed her carrier sister. Kaga paused at that, looking for her sister to explain. "Upon waking, Zuikaku very briefly suggested a sense of nausea and unease. When she went to try and move fully, she became ill and subsequently lost her stomach." She explained to her.

"I feel fine." Kaga replied.

Tosa's gaze was unwavering as the battleship's arm failed to stray from it's grasp on the carrier.

"Tosa." Kaga's tone was one of warning. But the older sister that she was, Tosa did not relent.

Their gazes met in a quiet back and forth, neither one willing to give, nor was the other willing to relent. Tosa's grasp on Kaga remained, the battleship unwilling to negotiate as Kaga willed her to release her.

The stand-off was only broken when the door opened, admitting one Myokou class heavy cruiser inside. Nachi quietly closed the door behind her before turning and looking to Tosa.

Only to blink as she found Kaga and Tosa staring at her In response.

She rapidly recognized that the two had hands on one another, largely Tosa's wrist and one on Kaga's shoulder. She surmised that it was likely to Kaga having tried to get up and out of bed. But as the seconds ticked by, and their gazes did not shy away from her and her alone, she sighed.

"Did she try to get up?" Nachi asked. Tosa nodded, her grip still firm on her sister.

"I feel fine." Kaga insisted, her own hand clamped to Tosa's wrist. Still, neither gaze removed from the heavy cruiser.

Admittedly, finding herself the subject of a stare down courtesy of two of the most stoic residents on base was not exactly something that Nachi cherished or wanted. When the sisters had yet to separate, Nachi shook her head. "Likely you do, but in actuality you're not. Zuikaku felt fine when she awoke, but it was fleeting the more she woke up. But further than that." Nachi added on, reaching for her pocket. "I've been sent to check your fever. Answer the question once and for all so that the two of you don't kill one another." She explained as she produced the thermometer from her pocket. "If the two of you would release one another? I don't quite cherish the idea of being caught between squabbling sisters. I get that enough with my own sisters."

Tosa and Kaga traded a look at that before Kaga shook her head, releasing her elder sister's wrist. In turn, Tosa's grasp on her shoulder faded away as the battleship relented. They two separated with a quiet word between them, but none that Nachi picked up on or wanted to know. Instead, the heavy cruiser approached Kaga's side, already getting it ready. "This goes under the tongue. I can only imagine how uncomfortable that is, but it's what I've been told." She explained as she presented the end to Kaga.

The carrier begrudgingly allowed it into her mouth, soon enough moving the end under her tongue as instructed as Nachi kneeled at the futon's other side.

Tosa looked to Nachi.

"How long?" The battleship questioned.

"No more than a few minutes." Nachi answered her.

"And then?" Tosa questioned further.

"More bedrest." Nachi explained.

The stoic battleship looked almost smug at that answer.

Kaga's look of conflict promised her sister that she would not stay down easily.

The elder sister's gaze found the younger's all too easily.

"Bedrest, Ka-"

The thermometer announced its conclusion to the room, Tosa looking almost annoyed at the device as Nachi looked surprised. Still, she didn't hesitate as she removed the item from the carrier's mouth, already bringing it to her vision. "And the magic number is...oh."

Both Kaga and Tosa looked at Nachi expectedly.

Nachi shrugged. "Her fever's gone."

Despite not a single muscle in either's face shifting in any which way, Kaga now radiated an aura of smug that only Tosa could really feel. And much to her chagrin, it was suffocating. Tosa turned her head towards Nachi.

"So no bedrest." Tosa asked.

"No bedrest." Nachi answered her. "Not unless the Commander's ask for more. Anyways, I can report to the Admiral, let him know you're awake. Or you can be given time to get ready, and present to him yourself." She told the carrier.

Kaga nodded slowly. "I shall make myself presentable and report to him myself. Thank you Nachi-San." Kaga told her. Nachi nodded at that, recollecting the thermometer, capping it, and standing. She'd need to clean it before she made her further rounds, but for the time being, this was nice enough of a surprise.

And a weight taken off of the cruiser's shoulders.

They were going to be okay.

It didn't take long for Kaga, after a trip to the baths and a fresh change of clothing for her to look as if it was any other day. Even though she could tell not all was right with her. While her fever was gone yes, there were still aspects to her that did not feel as if all was okay. Even as she stood, putting the last things into place, a hint of residual dizziness remained, prompting her to second guess some of her movements. Even with Tosa keeping a close eye on her. While the battleship had relented in keeping her from rising on her own merit, even Kaga saw the warrants in simply making sure everything was as it appeared.

When she approached the door to the bedroom, Tosa at her rear, it very much seemed to be that way for the most part.

She opened the door, slipping from her room, her sister behind her as she went to close the door. The two of them made their way down the hall towards the stairs, the whole affair largely going about quietly and without real issue. When they reached the stairs however, they were found almost immediately as Fubuki and Shirayuki were just coming down from around the corner, Shirayuki leading the way as she conversed with her older sister. Only for a moment thought before Fubuki's eyes traced from her sister to that of Kaga, watching the both of them quietly, Tosa behind her.

It took a moment.

And then Fubuki's brain clicked.

"K-Kaga-Senpai!?" The destroyer asked suddenly, nearly stumbling down the stairs and prompting Shirayuki to turn sharply to face the carrier. Kaga watched as the two destroyers rapidly changed and came about face to face her head on, looking up at her in both surprise and amazement.

"Fubuki-Chan. Shirayuki-Chan." Kaga greeted. Fubuki seemed to revel in the greeting for a moment as Shirayuki offered a lazy wave.

"Are you all better?" Shirayuki questioned. Kaga nodded to the question, looking back to the destroyer.

"It appears so. Though the likelihood that I will be held away from sorties is regrettable as it is is most likely to be the case. I imagine that the Admiral will want to make sure I am back to full capabilities."

"Isn't that the best option, though?" Fubuki asked.

"Most likely." Kaga answered her, her voice taking on a momentary tone of resignation. Whether the two destroyers caught wind of that, they didn't let it show if they did. Simply nodding their agreement with the statement, Fubuki nodded again after that.

"We're glad you're awake, Kaga-senpai. Hopefully this means that the others will soon awaken as well." Said Fubuki. Kaga agreed wholeheartedly.

"Hopefully." Kaga replied. The idea of Akagi being laid out from this... sickness any longer than was truly needed was an abysmal thought, one that Kaga refused to entertain any longer than she needed to.

Which was far as she was concerned was not at all.

"We will see you later. Fubuki-Chan. Shirayuki-Chan." Kaga told them after a second or two. The two destroyers took that as their cue to continue on their way, making their way down the stairs in front of the two. Kaga and Tosa followed suit a few paces after them.

In no time at all, they were on the ground floor of the Japanese dorms. Kaga spared no time, and with Tosa simply trailing in her wake, the sister duo made their way out of the dorms and on their relatively short walk towards the Japanese HQ. If they noticed other girls take notice of them, and even if they didn't, they were paid no heed. Kaga had her intentions and they would be met post haste.

There wasn't even a greeting upon entering the Japanese HQ proper. Stepping inside revealed no obvious occupants and there were no distant voices to be heard. Akagi was to be in this building as she had been told, but as much as Kaga wanted to go to her side, the Admiral needed to be made aware of her newly recovered status. Making her way down the route to his office, she prepared herself for whatever he might say. It was odd, even to her that she'd awoken with little issue when four others still had yet to awaken and the fifth hadn't exactly woken under the best conditions.

But even with that, she knew she likely wasn't to touch the water for some time. At least not if the Admiral went about this the way she was expecting him to.

They came upon the door to his office faster than she'd realized, but there was no time for hesitation or retreat. Growing closer, she could hear his voice mixed in with both Nagato and Mutsu's, the three discussing something that likely didn't pertain or concern her. Hand going for the handle of the door, she twisted before pushing it open.

The attention of the three in the room was grabbed almost immediately, Nagato at her Admiral's side as Mutsu leaned against the desk on his other side. Looking towards the door, it was clear the three found themselves surprised as they registered just who was standing before them. The Admiral and Mutsu wore near matching looks of surprise while Nagato managed to keep herself in her usual refined manner, if only just.

Kaga entered the office, Tosa at her flank, as she approached the man's desk. To his credit, he wore the shock off faster than he'd shown to do as he looked to Kaga.

"Admiral." Kaga offered in greeting. "Nachi has reported that my fever has cleared and so I am reporting for service."

"Unlikely." Nagato commented. "When Zuikaku awoke, she was still very much under the effects of this illness."

"And I am not Zuikaku." Kaga replied, her eyes darting to Nagato's a moment, the battleship and carrier trading looks. Turning her gaze back onto her Admiral, she looked to him in her usual nature. "I request to know what duty I will be allowed for the time being. I am under the suspicion that I will be denied the ability to sortie for some time."

"On grounds which you are correct." Ishigara told her. "The fact that while your fever has let up to such a degree is nothing short of a relief. Especially so soon. But, that does not erase the fact that you were rendered unconscious. Putting you back on the water for the moment is out of the question, not to mention the hesitancy around the idea of allowing within the range at the moment. At least, not before a period of observation." He told her. Given that she'd been expecting at least that much, she raised no complaints or disagreements. Not with the Admiral. "But we won't make it extensive. 36 hours of reduced duty. Two check ins with the repair ships. Clear that with no issue and we'll see where we stand. Hopefully the rest show as remarkable recoveries as you have."

Kaga nodded in agreement. Simple and clear.

"I would request to know the condition of Akagi-San."

"Much like you were, she's still unconscious under the effects of a fever." He told her. "Go check on her. But I should let you know and more than that, ask that you do not cause issue. I do not believe you will, but Enterprise has been keeping watch over her since you all went down and she's left the room for only the bare essentials." He explained. Kaga nodded.

Getting along with Enterprise was not a difficult task for anyone really. Perhaps one of the most surprising things about this life was learning that the one her people had known as the Ghost had not come back with a grudge or a sleight against her people. Unlike her older and younger sisters, Enterprise held no issue with being here amongst them. Offering the Admiral a parting, she turned and made her way from the room, Tosa mimicking her movements before following after. Watching her go, Nagato and Mutsu turned their gazes on the man.

"You won't tell her?"

"I will." He replied. "But she should be allowed her time with Akagi for the moment."

"And if an American gets to her first?"

"A possibility for sure." He answered.

Kaga made her way through the Japanese HQ towards the limited selection of guest rooms within the building, Tosa trailing after as if she were meant to act as a bodyguard of sorts.

Approaching the door that was indicated as occupied based on the sign hanging on the door, she took it to be Akagi's room. Approaching the door, the carrier's hand went for the handle. Pushing it open, as the door opened ever so slowly, her eyes crossed over the visage of Akagi first. Satisfied, she pushed it open further, expecting to find the form of Enterprise waiting for her. But as the door was opened further, Kaga found not the dark gray haired carrier and yet instead that of fiery red locks. Leaned back against the wall in the chair she sat in, the figure looked to be all but sound asleep.

But when Kaga took a step into the room, it proved untrue as they came to almost instantly, head straightening up as they rubbed at their eyes.

"Good, you're back." Yorktown offered. "She hasn't really moved all that... much..." She trailed off as she came face to face with Kaga, not her younger sister like she had been expecting.

Yorktown blinked.

Kaga however was not so slow on the uptake.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned, her flat tone taking on an edge. She knew of the carrier's dislike of her situation, knew of her distaste of her surroundings. The idea of her being in here alone when Akagi was unable to defend herself in any real sense or truly recall anything made Kaga weary in the loosest sense of the word.

Yorktown seemed slow on the uptake of this particular situation.

"Why are you here?" Kaga asked again. "Where is Enterprise? I was told that she would be here, looking after Akagi and her needs." The carrier snapped.

It was about that time when Yorktown's mind seemed to catch up with the present.

"You're awake?" Yorktown questioned. Kaga's eyes narrowed as she awaited her answer.

"Where. Is. Enterprise?" The carrier's voice came down harder. The question seemed to finally kick the last bit of surprise from her features as Yorktown looked to Kaga.

"You've been here longer than I have. You have at least some idea of how Admiral Johnson is. How she feels about certain things. From what I understand, she pulled rank on E and in no short order told her that she was going to take a shower, get something to eat, and at the bare minimum get six hours of sleep. Under threat of being forcefully removed from the room by way of Iowa class battleship. Or, battleships if truthfully required. E is strong, but she's not a match for the likes of J and Mo."

"You say that like I have a habit of spending uncommon amounts of time with the one you call Admiral." Kaga answered her, her tone contained and battened down. But something about the way Kaga presented herself told the American carrier that caution was going to serve her best here. "Was Admiral Ishigara made aware of this change?" She demanded.

"I don't know." Yorktown told her. "Enterprise asked a favor of me to keep watch over Akagi while she was absent. And here I am. Three hours later. Doing exactly that."

"Why." Kaga asked. "You've been verbal in your dislike of your situation. Why would you spend six hours watching over one that you have no ties with?"

"Because E asked me to." Yorktown answered her. She watched as Tosa's gaze travelled to that of Akagi for a moment before looking back to Kaga. "You're absolutely right. If I could go the rest of my days without spending another here, that would be great. But I care for E. And she cares for Akagi. So by extension, that means my ass remains in this room until E walks back through that door and relieves me of my station."

"Yorktown?" A voice called. The carrier blanched.

Yorktown, Kaga, and Tosa turned their combined gaze onto that of the doorway. Hearing the voice was one thing, but watching as the Ghost herself came through the door. Her eyes snapped to Yorktown but her confusion warranted the recognizing of Kaga's form amongst the room with her sister, and Tosa to boot. "You're awake? When did you wake up?"

"E! It's not even been an hour and a half since the Admiral took you away. You need to be sleeping." Yorktown chastised her. Enterprise offered her a dismissive hand at that as Kaga looked ready to scold the both of them for the volume in proximity to Akagi. But part of her surprised both Yorktown and Enterprise.

"Your sister is correct, Enterprise-San."

"I had a Power Nap! I'm all good here." She assured them. But as an unlikely united front in this endeavor, Kaga and Yorktown simply offered looks of disbelief in response.

"Doubtful." Kaga said. E offered an offended look to the carrier in question as Yorktown crossed her arms.

"Power naps are not a solution." Yorktown added.

"They work fine! Humanity has survived for centuries on power naps. It'll be fine." Enterprise insisted, crossing her arms in turn. "I feel fine."

"I can't help but wonder if Admiral Johnson shares the same beliefs in the power of naps." Yorktown countered, her tone suggesting that she didn't. Enterprise suddenly because hesitant at the topic of conversation.

"She's not a apart of this discussion-"

"I also can't help but wonder if she believes you to still be within our Room, sleeping as she had so asked you to do. As I recall, the ask was one to take care of yourself, no?" She asked that of her younger sister. And despite their past records, despite their past services, Enterprise seemed to shy away from the subject at hand. "Tell me Enterprise. Does she believe you still to be asleep?" She asked.

"I mean there's a good chance, yeah."

"So why aren't you?" She asked in turn.

"Akagi needs the attention and rest more than I do!" Enterprise insisted. Kaga remained stoic as Yorktown arched a brow at that.

"While she needs the attention, sure. You need rest. And if you somehow thought that I would simply let you be, let alone Admiral Johnson, you've got another thing coming. So here's what we can do. You can take yourself back to our room and crawl back into bed and get some more sleep. Or I will find the nearest on base battleship to take you and put you there by force if needed. Which in this case happens to be Tosa. Tosa, would you be willing to forcibly remove my sister from the premises if it meant that she got some adequate sleep? You wouldn't have to worry about keeping her there. Jersey and Missouri would be more than willing, I'd imagine." She reasoned.

"Yorktown!" Enterprise cried. "There's no way that those like Pennsylvania or Arizona would be okay with that!"

"Who now room in a separate building from your own." Kaga minded. "Or at least that is what you've told us before."

"Shall I take her now?" Tosa inquired, now nearing the woman. Enterprise looked at the woman like a deer in the headlights. But Yorktown held off at that for a second as she looked to her sister, tilting her head somewhat.

"Can I trust you to walk back to our dorms, to our room on your own and get the sleep you need? And I'm talking sleep. Not another Power Nap."

"But what if you can't stay? You have a sortie later today." Enterprise insisted. In turn, Yorktown simply gestured to Kaga.

"Just about the only person who I would expect to do it on their own resolve just the same as you is right here. And likely isn't scheduled for anything intensive for the time being. What a lucky break for you." Yorktown offered. "Now go."

"Yorktown, we can-"

"Tosa." Yorktown spoke.

"Fine!" Enterprise admitted defeat, already eying the battleship who had made a move to reach for the carrier.

"Would you accompany her, Tosa-nee?" Kaga questioned. Tosa nodded and as Enterprise's shoulders fell at that further, seemingly stalking away down the hall, Tosa following after her as if she was her own personal harbinger of doom. Yorktown watched them go a moment before sighing, letting her shoulders slump a moment as she rubbed her face, Kaga remained where she had been standing.

"I suppose you'll want me out of the room as well?"Yorktown asked, looking to the carrier. Kaga paused at that somewhat before nearing the door, swinging it closed as not to allow any further noise within as not to disturb Akagi any more than already had been.

"You have sortie later?" Kaga asked.

"Not for a few hours. But more than enough for you to get something to eat and for E to get the sleep she needs." She answered her and then paused. "I... owe you an apology." Yorktown admitted.

Kaga looked at her expectedly.

"The other night, the one in the range. I had my own shit going on and I tried to take that out on you. That whole back and forth that happened was on me and I'm sorry for that. I let something else that hadn't gone my way get to me and I went after for you for it. It was a shitty thing for me to do and I'm sorry for that."

Kaga remained silent.

Yorktown seemed to still in the silence

"I understand it that you're the one who made sure I made it to the docks after I collapsed." The carrier told her. Yorktown nodded. "Then we'll call it a debt repaid. But should you ever approach me with the intent to lay your hands upon my person, I will consider them forfeit." She told her.

Yorktown nodded.

It was fair.

—\—\—/—/—

It was the sound of Marley nearly falling out of her chair that woke the woman from her sleep. Rubbing her eyes somewhat, Valeria casted her attention to that of the American across from her. Marley looked for all the world like she'd been punched in the face, and Valeria simply watched as she adjusted to the fact that she was awake.

"You know you there's no one asking you to stay here round the clock, right?" She questioned. It took her a moment, but Marley seemed to finally open her eyes as she readjusted, her gaze now coming to rest on the woman sitting across from her.

"The same could be said for you." She replied as she sat forward, resting her face in her hand, yawning somewhat. "What time is it?" She asked.

"Close to noon."

"Fuck." Came the quiet swear. Valeria watched her a moment, watched as the woman slowly came more and more alive as the effect of sleep was lifted from her body. "Given that they didn't wake us, there's probably not any more news." She reasoned. Valeria nodded her head in a quiet agreement as her own hand found her face, resting there for a moment before the noise of the TV caught her attention.

At least not any news about Captain Young.

The world knew in full what had happened in the Indian Ocean.

The faint sounds of the repeat news report filtered the ambient noises of the hospital. Valeria only spared the thing a singular glance before she turned her attention back to Marley, who was looking like she was trying her hardest not to simply fall asleep then and there again. Valeria made to say something before her phone interrupted her to the presence of an incoming text. And before she could even check that, her another one chimed at her. Brow furrowing, she fished her phone from her pocket as she brought it up to her level.

Three messages, the first apparently having not been heard given that it had sounded off half an hour ago. The other two were just now, all three having one sender.

Before she could think of responding, a fourth arrived, from the same source. Valeria shook her head somewhat, reading over their contents a moment before tapping away at her phone to respond, sending it, and locking the device seeing the conversation as done and dealt with.

At least, that had been the plan until a fifth and rapid fire message lit up her phone.

Things have changed.

Valeria let her eyes wander over that message again. And again. And again. Things had changed? What things? Though as the ambient sound of the news above her once again lulled her into the present, she really didn't have to guess just what might have changed.

Shooting back a message in return, she once again expected that to the end of it. Her phone had just ever so barely graced the presence of her pocket when once again her phone lit up. Brow furrowing, lips curling into a frown, she made to respond to whatever message came next. Only to find that it wasn't a message in the typical sense. Instead, she found it to be that of a picture. Studying it a moment, she rapidly realized it was that of a street. And further than that, she realized fairly easily she knew the street all too well. Given that it was only only a few minutes from here.

And then the message followed.

Come find me.

Samuele Mariani. The man that had all but forced her to step away from her position, down from her responsibilities. While not all his idea, nor his doing, he had been the nail in the proverbial coffin.

But hate was the last emotion she felt for the man.

It was the sound of her quietly cursing that returned the favor to Marley, the woman looking back to Valeria to find her staring at the phone's screen with a strange kind of dissonance and separation from the device in her hands. "You good?" She asked.

The question seemed to startle the woman from whatever trance she seemed to be in a moment, Valeria looking up to her in a quick motion before she paused, nodding a moment before pocketing the item.

"Yes. It would seem that work isn't quite done with me."

"Oh? They're not pulling you back in are they? Figured you would've gotten more time." Was the response. Valeria shook her head.

"The situation says that I shouldn't have been put away to begin with. But no, nothing quite so grand." She said. "Still, I'm going to have to go deal with this. You have my number." She told her as she got up, grabbing her bag. "Text me should anything change." She told her before turning away from her, making her way for the elevator. And once she was fully and totally out of sight of Marley, she finally let her form slump as the elevator doors closed behind her.

Now of all times? Captain Young was showing promise of fully awakening, and of course that itself came with its own set of challenges and waiting heartache. But it was still progress regardless.

Progress that she wasn't sure how it was going to end.

It was only the sudden stop of the elevator that jolted Valeria from her thoughts, stopping on the floor that she'd pushed. Straightening herself, she made her way past the people already waiting for the elevator and past them, allowing them to funnel inside. Already knowing where she was going, she was once again under the cloudless sky soon enough. Though even from inside, she could smell the hastily approaching rain.

That and evidence based on the distant cloud bank lumbering through the sky.

She watched them lumber ever closer before turning on her heel and heading in the direction of that which had been asked of her. Only a brisk 10 minute walk from her location, that did not quell the thoughts or worries building within her mind. Why now? Things had changed, yes, after the situation in the Indian. But did that mean things had changed here in Italy as well?

She supposed in someways both known to her and unimaginable in others, yes it had.

She turned onto the street that had been decided upon by her surprise visitor and defying all logic, she found him almost immediately. Seated near the entrance to the building, she found him seated under one of the umbrellas, two drinks already put out before him. He looked up from whatever he'd been reading and offered her a smile In greeting. She half heartedly returned the gesture as she made way for his table, he already sliding the second drink towards her in response. The steam rose up against the chill of the air, waiting to greet her as she took her seat.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" She asked. Sam only smiled somewhat as he looked up to her, closing his book and putting it to the side as he sat up, leaning forwards.

"A visit between friends."

"Is that what we're calling it?" She asked. "Because the last space we shared was very much not in the way of friends."

"We both know when the collars come on, the gloves come off as it were." He told her as she sat down. And damn him, no matter the feelings she harbored in that moment, he still remembered the way she liked her drinks, the way she liked her food, the way she liked...

Valeria huffed as her hand ever so slowly closed around the cup before her, the beverage warm against her skin.

"And so it is." She eventually responded. "That does not however begin to explain what this visit is for. Coming in uniform would've been one thing, but having me away from the hospital? What's your aim here? To agitate me?" She asked. Sam laughed in a good natured way.

"I've known you long enough to know that the best way to agitate you is to leave you to it. Left by yourself, you always seem to be in some sort of mood by the end, no?" He asked. The look he received in return however told him that he was doing a good job at it as well. He only offered her a brief, quieted chuckle. "My point."

"Mariani." Her voice was calm, but the edge to the single word told the man that her well kept temper was fixing to make an appearance. And just for him. And as much as he enjoyed his fair share of causing unneeded problems, that tone of voice was one that he knew where he would lose.

"I trust that you're familiar with recent events, yes?" He asked, sliding the previous topic of conversation to the side. She seemed to calm at that, her body visibly relaxing before she nodded, taking a sip of her beverage.

"You would have to be quite out of the loop not to be." She commented as she rested the cup back on the table. A swift breeze blew past the two, chilling her to the bone. He however did not seem all that affected as he sat there.

"Good. Then there's no need to delve into that topic specifically. However, that topic does lead into others. Particularly, others that have less than savory intentions or ideals behind them." He explained, prompting a nod for him to continue. "Things in the Indian have accelerated things for our own intentions and objectives. Namely, the topic of Yokosuka." He confirmed for her. Valeria very nearly spit out what she had in her mouth at that moment, her body instead struggling to swallow in that moment to make her surprise and confusion known.

"Y-yokosuka?" She sputtered.

His calm, collected nod was the nail in the coffin as he confirmed it for her. She seemed to revel in her disbelief a moment, trying to figure out how she was now going to broach this sudden and expected development. After a sip of her own drink, she tried to best figure out how to approach this.

"The last I had heard, lest what I knew, we were no where close. And unless someone suddenly handed us a fix for this war, or an unlimited supply of whatever we needed, supporting a fleet halfway around the world was out of our bag of tricks. So many times I had the likes of Pola and Eugenio questioning just when we would be there to offer our own in person leadership, and the best I could offer to spirits of our own navy were noncommittal at best, a crude joke at worst." She all but spat. "And now I am to be told that all of the sudden, we have it in place that we not only are suddenly capable to moving upon this goal but we are to the point where we are avidly discussing it? And so openly in public?"

"Only so openly in public because you refrain from measuring your volume." He pushed back, refusing to give in to the look the comment brought upon him. It was rare, but like every person upon the planet, there was a temper to be found. And Valeria, as covered as it was, was still victim to her own from time to time.

The correlation of how often it came out tied against how often he was within her proximity was all entirely coincidental, he was sure of it.

Entirely coincidental.

"So what!?" She demanded before finally taking own measure of her volume. Exhaling in a slow fashion, she allowed herself some measure of relaxing as she focused in on him with steely eyes. "Why now? Why are we suddenly interjecting the topic of Yokosuka into conversations where before it formerly had no place? We are not ready, we don't not have the means nor the supply. We cannot-"

"We can."

Her tirade stopped where it had started as her eyes shot to the man in questioning, in demanding,  in asking. In turn, he simply provided the motion of reaching down into what she presumed was a bag of some sort and coming up with a stack of files. Files that he so leisurely placed before her, the woman frowning somewhat as she watched. "You're familiar, I'm sure."

She offered him only the briefest of glances before letting her fingers graze the top-most file. Taking it away from the stack, she pulled it to her and opened it. And recognized its focus immediately.

"Pola."

"Her past service record and current service today. Accolades accredited to her, notable service marks, and remarks made by those who serve in Flagship capacity over her. A largely complete list of her service history within this century thus far." He explained. "All wrapped up In a nice neat file that would see most people thrown in prison for even approaching it." He explained. She paused.

"So why-"

"Because you've spoken with her. With them. Punishing you for a role you were put into out of necessity wouldn't really do anyone any good." He explained. She nodded at that as she scanned over Pola's file before reaching for another one, this time Eugenio's.

"They're still doing well, no?"

"According to Admirals Johnson and Ishigara, yes." He replied. "Have you met that woman before? She seems like she has both everything under control and everything burning to the ground all at once. It's... impressive to say the least."

"A few times, yes." She confirmed for him, wholly ignoring the latter half of his statement as she scanned the cruiser's file in much the same way she had Pola's. "So then I have to ask why all the fanfare then? Why the files? I'm aware of who we have on base. Why broach the topic in this way, away from any base?"

"Because you're being reassigned." His words were flat, but his tone was edged and calculated. "As to what we're calling an extended posting in Yokosuka."

Valeria blinked only once.

The pieces all but slamming into place.

"No!"

"Val-"

"No!" She repeated, this time her eyes meeting squarely with his. "Not for a second will I even consider this, recognize this as even a little bit in place or within order." She spat. "This is absurd and on some unholy plane, you recognize that as well. Or at least you should!" She told him, eyes full of venom,  words deep with bite.

He however simply watched her like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Which only served to piss her off further.

"Samuele!" She spat.

"Do you get this testy with everyone you meet, or am I just the lucky one?" He asked with a slight tilt of the head.

Her glare would've killed him if it had been able.

"Antics aside, it's been decided. You're the far most versed with those we have on base by far, and you're established with already present leadership, even if it is by way of a handful of meetings and chats here and there." He explained, though her glare was unfading. "Whether or not you like it, regardless of your personal feelings on the matter, this really is the best course of action. For both you and the country as a whole. It puts distance between those that see you as liable for the Med and it shows the world stage as a whole that we stand to have our own hand in this war."

"You cannot be-"

"I am and I've voiced my opinions on the matter. You've heard my thoughts and you know how this is going to move." He told her. "Stopping at this point would take nothing less than an act of god. And I know you to be far more familiar with him than myself." He explained shortly.

Valeria knew she wasn't in a position to really argue this. Voice her displeasure, sure. And she knew he'd hear all of her complaints. But getting him to turn away from this plan, let alone the course of action that he had settled on would always be an uphill battle.

"How long do I have?" She finally asked as a brisk chill blew between them.

"A week. Put your affairs in order and be prepared for coming orders and details." He said as he began to stand, buttoning his coat as he did so.

Valeria looked down to the files once more.

"Oh, and Valeria?"

She looked up at him one final time.

"Give your family my regards." He offered in parting.

Valeria rolled her eyes.

"Bastard."

—/—/—/—\—\—\—

Once again that day she found her mind wandering in different directions, down dark corridors. Unpleasant situations and undesirable outcomes permeated her mind for stretches of time that seemed to be hours in length, but a swift check of the nearest clock revealed only to be minutes, not even that at some points. But her mind would not rest.

Not while four of them had yet to awaken.

Houshou was not in a good state of mind in that moment.

It was only when the bowl she had been reaching for instead clattered to the floor did she drag herself from her thoughts. Taking in the mess that now dominated the floor, her movements at first were slow and unsure until she fully caught up with herself. As they did so, she she reached down and collected the now empty bowl, its contents of flour decorating the floor in a way akin to a toddler's style.

The bowl came to rest on the counter with a heavy thud.

But not before Houshou took in the entirety of the mess that had been created because of her distracted nature.

Nor was she the only person to take notice of the sound of the bowl clattering to the ground, or the resulting mess that now dominated that section of the floor.

"My oh my." Mamiya chided lightly as she approached the carrier, hands half stuck in the pockets of her apron. But when she met eyes with Houshou, taking in that momentary bleakness, her form straightened somewhat as she offered a hushed, heavy sigh. "First I find that look in Shoukaku's eyes. And now I find it at home within your own." She muttered as she went about starting to clean the mess. "For different reasons I imagine, but two within days of one another does not strike me as a good and commonplace thing." The food ship commented.

"I'm sorry, Mamiya. I-"

"Let me clean this up and then we can chat." Mamiya offered. "Something tells me this issue is a bit more in depth and worth more attention than having half my focus on cleaning the floor of flour." The food ship offered as she began to go about doing just that. Houshou wanted to say something but no words found her.

Luckily for her, it wasn't even four minutes to the end of Mamiya's cleaning.

A sigh of relief escaped Mamiya's lips. "That's done." She said as she turned her attention onto the motherly carrier. "Now for the next mess."

"Mamiya." Houshou said, for once something other than an unsure tone taking its place. Mamiya chuckled as she gestured towards the back room, where their own little lounge sat. It wasn't large, wasn't luxurious or anything. But it allowed brief rests and respites when one got the chance. Houshou's tone remained firm, but Mamiya's expectations were tall. She simply gestured to one of the seats there, her own gaze watching the carrier.

Eventually, Houshou relented, easing herself into one of the seats there as Mamiya pulled the chair out. The food ship then turned, intending to whip up something for the two of them while they had a few moments to themselves which was rare these days. Back when it had just been the sixty of them, the cafe always seemed to be in high demand. Arguably, largely by the lower tonnage members of the base, but they'd still get the heavies and capitals from time to time.

Akagi to be sure.

Amongst the quiet of the building, only Houshou's soft breathing and the clinking of items as Mamiya went about preparing some tea filled the ever so present silence. Houshou refrained from something anything to fill the silence, and Mamiya was all too happy to allow her the peace she clearly needed. Even if it was only momentarily.

When Mamiya placed the cup of tea before the carrier, Houshou offered her thanks before ever so gently wrapping her hands around the item as Mamiya took her seat across from the carrier, clasping at her own as she waited a moment for it to cool before she sipped at it gently. Houshou took her own sip as they let the silence stir for a time.

"You're worried, I take it." Mamiya said.

Houshou could've laughed.

"I do not believe that truly hits the issue. But yes... worried is the least you could use to explain what I am feeling."

"Two of them have woken up already."

"And four of them are doing no such thing." Houshou replied, that ever so rare tone of bitterness seeping into her words. It was hushed and minimized and suppressed. But Mamiya picked up on it all the same, and she wordlessly listened to Houshou, allowing her the time she needed.

But the reality of it was the fact that none of them were really prepared for life as a human.

Sickness. Loss. Death. Pain. They had known fully of it back in their time as steel and they had their crews to learn that. But they had no personal connections like the ones they now knew. Not in such a personal, interconnected way. It was one thing to hear someone else speak of them, to describe them in detail.

It was another thing when everything seemed to cloud your thoughts and judgement because of something that you could not control.

The six did not ask to fall ill.

And now Houshou was left to worry herself in circles while five remained in the same state. Her only saving grace from going all but mad with worry was the fact that Kaga was now awake and up like everything was totally normal. But the non-presence of Akagi by her side, the normally jovial laughter of Hiryuu or Souryuu missing from the range, or the calm demeanor that Shoukaku seemed to exude.

And the memories of Zuikaku from the prior morning.

Fingertips tightened against the surface of the cup in her hold as that first night played through her mind again. And again. And again. Ship girls of all nationalities and types to tell her that the six had gone down in one form or another, and all without her being any the wiser.

The first to tell her had been disbelief.

The second to tell her had been worry.

The third to tell her had been a nightmare made real.

"That doesn't mean they won't." Mamiya offered in a mannered reply. Houshou only spared a glance to her before her eyes befell the table a moment as she sipped at her drink. "In the very least, I'm glad you're somewhat willing to talk about it with someone, even if this is more me talking and you looking at me with various looks and stares. Langley-San has been getting a bit antsy about all of it."

Houshou only offered a heavy sigh.

"The last thing I wanted was to drag her into all of this. She's not-"

"Japanese, no." Mamiya offered quietly as she sipped at her tea. "But recognition of one's homeland has become more of a personal quirk rather than the status quo these past some months. And more than that, she and you have become rather close. It would make sense that she would be worried for both you and the girls given the circumstance. And even without that, that's just who Langley-San is as a person. She's kind, considerate, and a caretaker to the rowdiest carrier family in history. There was hardly any chance of her not getting tangled up in this, even without your charms being so readily used upon her."

"I have done no such thing." Houshou didn't quite snap, but the tone there wasn't her usual relaxed either.

Mamiya made sure not to end up the victim to that bite.

"And so you didn't." Mamiya answered her. "That does not make the fact that she cares for you any less of a fact. You care for the six, yes, and in a time like this that is invaluable. But are you letting someone do the same? Letting someone care for you in the same sense? Yes, Langley's presence by your side is a common occurrence these days, but that does not mean you're doing what is best for you. Would you be actively opposed to it if I suggested that you let Langley in? Let her in fully?"

Houshou didn't respond in turn, simply finishing her beverage as she made to stand.

"I do not have time for this Mamiya." Houshou replied quickly. "There are other things to do, and to be honest, better things to do than asking open-ended questions of what if. I appreciate your concern, both as a fleet mate and a friend, I would further appreciate if you put an end to this topic of discussion. It does not a single person any good to sit here and wonder about what if's or maybes." She said as she made way for the back door of the cafe, her hand resting on the handle as she looked to the food ship. "I need to go check on Shoukaku. I'll be back later." She said with an air of finality.

Mamiya simply closed her eyes as Houshou paved her way out of the building.

Even as she closed the door gently.

Mamiya smirked into her cup as her eyes ever so slowly shut.

Houshou made her way across the base with purpose and little time for anything else. Anyone who called out to here, relatively few as they were, were simply pushed from her mind as she made way to the Royal Dorms building where Shoukaku was being kept for rest and recovery, an equal distance from the others that suffered just and all the same under this virus.

She knew that Mamiya was only trying to help, but saying that she should split her attention between those fallen ill and a carrier that she herself did not know where she or how she stood with, the answer was the obvious of the two in her opinion. Langley could way, she would understand if Houshou put her to the side for a time, surely wouldn't she? She wasn't pushing her out, she wasn't severing their ties with one another. But the six's condition, now only five thankfully to Kaga's recent awakening, was paramount in ample comparison. And there would be no further discussion if the choice were hers.

And at the moment, everything seemed to be anything but hers. There was nothing she could except hope and pray that the four still fully within this sickness would pull out of it. Hope that Zuikaku would fully get over whatever had brought the six of them to their knees. Pray that Kaga did not succumb to it a second time, as if the virus was simply allowing them a breath of fresh air, only to strangle them for it when there guards were lowered. There was too much at a possibility of going wrong, and until she could safely see the six back within the carrier range once more, Houshou would be restless, her sleep even more so.

She rounded the corner to come to lay eyes on the royal dorms building. Which also served to present itself as the Royal command as well, given that the buildings were in fact connected. The dorms themselves were one main structure, almost forming a square in shape. The only thing that prevented it from being a full square was the cut out of the closest wall, giving ample access to the courtyard that sat in the middle of the structure. Some things were still being put in place in terms of plants and other such things, given the light equipment easily scattered around.

The HQ building itself was settled on the right-front side of the building, three stories just like the dorms. Self contained away from the rest of the dorms even though it was technically built onto the building, it would serve as the HQ for the hopefully not far out British Navy.

She made way for the courtyard, veering off to the right as soon as she passed into the courtyard, soon within the shadow of the building. Hand going for a door, she opened it as she immediately turned right, heading for the room to the right on the end, where Shoukaku was being kept and tended to. She approached the doorway for a moment until she noted that both the door was cracked and the lights within were dimmed, which was saying something given that the last she knew the lights had been turned off. She hesitated a moment, her mind flying through a list of people that would be here or should be here and compared it to that if she knew where they presently were or not. When she drew more blanks than she would like, she huffed, already preparing to deal with the likes of the Fletcher sisters or someone along those lines.

Even if she didn't think they would purposely try and do anything to Shoukaku in her current condition, it was still a chance that Houshou did not want to take, a chance that she would not take. If they were in there for any reason, regardless of what it was, they did not belong there and so she would remove them. She huffed somewhat as she approached the door, handing going to the handle as a precautionary measure even as she bumped the door open with a hip. In her best motherly tone, she prepared to chastise anyone who would be in here.

Only for everything to die in her throat.

What she found eluded all of her sensibilities.

What she found came in the form of Langley, just ever so carefully easing a still ill Shoukaku back into bed, freshly dressed in a new set of sleeping attire. Given that she was a ship girl, strength wasn't an issue, but watching her carry the taller Shoukaku in her arms was comical in a twisted sense as she fully settled the carrier back onto the bed. Langley took no time in pulling the comforter and sheets back over the carrier, smoothing them out a moment. She turned back towards the other bed, but stopped halfway when her vision caught sight of Houshou standing there, baffled by the looks of it if anything.

"Houshou?" Langley questioned, now pivoting on foot as she turned to fully face the woman.

Houshou could only stare. Having just been the ever so brief topic of conversation between she and Mamiya, the last person Houshou expected to run into here was right in front of her. Standing there, as if questioning just what was going on before her. There was a silence between them for a time that seemed to grow more awkward by the second, the silence only briefly filled by each short breath from the carrier behind them.

But Houshou, for all and who she was, could not for the life of her process why she was standing before Langley, in a room where she hadn't asked her to be.

"Houshou?" Langley asked again. "I had thought you were to be attending to the cafe with Mamiya at this time?"

Houshou made to respond, but her voice couldn't quite find itself when she opened her mouth. "I- What?"

"I'm not sure I understand...?"

"What- why are you here, Langley?"

"I was tending to Shoukaku while you were busy with the cafe?" Langley answered her, as if it made the most sense in the entire world. Houshou blinked before shaking her head.

"Do you not think myself capable of handling my own issues?" The carrier asked. The bitterness in her tone continued to creep and crawl into each word, but Langley didn't react if she noticed it.

"No, that's not what I was trying to imply." Langley replied. "But between the cafe and looking in on five different persons, my only intention was and is to help and try to alleviate. As soon as I was done here, I was going to head to the cafe and let you know how she was doing. And then cover for you while you head for another of the girls."

Houshou blinked again.

And she sighed.

Maybe Mamiya had a point.

She already had the commanders keeping an eye on each one, out of their own willingness to help rather than her having to have asked them. And she had simply gone along with it. Was it because they were in charge? Because she was meant to trust them because they were in charge? She'd spent three times as much with Langley, way more than any commander aside from maybe her own Admiral. Did she not trust Langley? Was she against the idea of someone doing her job for her? Was it simply because she wanted to be the first one they were to see if they happened to awaken?

Houshou didn't know. What she did know was that it wasn't fair to Langley to hold anything of the sort against her.

The carrier's presence here on her own volition and free will spoke to that in volumes.

Houshou closed her eyes a moment before looking to Langley, offering a smaller smile.

"Thank you Langley." She said.

Langley let out a quiet laugh, as not to potentially disturb Shoukaku as she looked to Houshou.

"I'm not sure I quite understand? But you're welcome?" She answered, the confusion on her own features easy to see.

Houshou simply smiled in turn.

—/—/—/—\—\—\—

She was grabbed out of the way at the last possible moment as Newport News dashed down the hall, followed hot on her tail by both Shangri-La and Lexington. They both offered apologies in passing, but did not stop their chase as the heavy cruiser dashed outside and into the night of Yokosuka.

She watched them go a moment, as the door closed behind all three of them, before she looked back to the one that had all but yanked her out of the path of destruction.

Arizona blinked.

And she then apologized as she placed Shigure back onto solid ground, the destroyer once again standing on her own two feet. The destroyer took a glance at the door, just to see if the heavy cruiser and two carriers would make an encore appearance. When a few moments had passed, and they were no more likely to show up, the destroyer turned her gaze back up to Arizona.

"Sorry about them. Newport has been stirring up trouble with them where she can for reasons only known to her." Arizona explained. "It never gets too heated though, but Newport remains unchallenged." She sighed as she took a look at the door for her own benefit. "Anyways, it's probably for the best that you head back to your own dorms. Given recent events-" Arizona paused, as if thinking better of it for a moment. She scowled only briefly before shaking her head. "Pennsylvania will be here soon and I'd rather not you have a run in with her right now." She offered with a parting pat on the head. Shigure nodded her confirmation at that as she turned her attention back towards the exit of the dorms.

She was under no delusions of what Arizona meant with that comment, that very much was clear.

The unfortunate news of who and what had been used amidst the attack on the Maldives was not a well kept secret. As in, it was no secret at all. There were those of the American fleet that had taken this as a personal attack, and reacted accordingly. But, they weren't alone. The news had seemed to jar some of those amongst the Japanese members of the fleet in much the same way. The base was a mess of frayed nerves and rising tensions, with no easy answer or option in site. The commanders couldn't simply dismiss the feelings and opinions of those under them, but they also couldn't simply allow to do what they felt needed to be done.

They were caught in the middle of fleets suddenly feeling the past in a very big and very bad way.

The distance between the two fleets seemed to have grown as well, tables at lunch less diverse than they had been in days previous. While there were still those that ventured outside their circles, Shigure one such case, there were those that were more than willing to stay with what and who they knew rather than trying to extend a hand.

Akashi's presence in the first American dorm was no small topic of discussion amongst the American fleet.

Still, there were those that also served to be the voice of reason on either side of the spectrum.

Enterprise and Akagi. Jersey and Mutsu. Langley and Houshou. What had transpired did not matter to them, did not change the way that they saw things. It was simply an obstacle that they would have to overcome with time amongst other things.

That did however not change the fact that the sudden chill the American side presented to the base had not gone unanswered by those willing to engage in conflict. Members such as Musashi, Agano, Suzukaze, and Kasumi had been more than willing to spark conflict here and there, even though Musashi was few and far between. And largely reigned in by that of Yamato. But it did not change the fact that tensions were rising amongst the peace and quiet of the base.

Shigure offered Arizona a final goodbye before leaving and turning her way towards the exit of the building, keeping a careful eye out for the Super Dreadnought's sister. Though she did not personally think that Pennsylvania-San would actually cause harm or otherwise to another person, that did little to change the intimidating aspect of the woman. Maryland claimed it was simply because the woman was grumpy a large majority of the time, even way back during their first lives.  Shigure however was unwilling to give it a test in any way, so as she stepped out into the looming night, she only offered herself a brief look around before starting to make her way towards the rest of the base.

At least, that had been the plan until she unintentionally glanced at the American HQ building to her left.

Fubuki had told her that the American Admiral had seemed rather sad the last day or so.

Shigure had no doubt that the older American Shipgirls and the Captain could handle such a task like that, making sure the Admiral was content and happy. But with each passing step that took her closer and closer to leaving the American portion of Yokosuka, Shigure found herself watching the building longer, trying to catch any sort of glimpse of the woman in question. When she'd had yet to do so, and she was at the point of no return between her and the building, Shigure paused in brief thought.

And then she turned left. Afterall, there wouldn't be any harm in checking up on the Admiral, even if it was brief and short. Shigure had no doubt that the woman would be tired to an extreme extent given all the recent events. And between that and her normal fleet-wrangling approach, she'd no doubt that the woman was exhausted.

But even that was a fleeting thought as she opened the door of the HQ building, expecting to see at least someone. But when no one stood there to greet her, she moved on, letting the door come to a close behind her as she made way for the office door.

If it was her own Admiral's office, there would be no hesitation in going to knock on the door and wait to be permitted entry. But that was her own Admiral's.

Shigure was unsure if the American ship girls afforded their Admiral the same courtesy.

After twenty or so seconds, the destroyer made up her mind and reached for the handle. Twisting, she gently pushed the door open. And while not Anya's voice before her, she instead her others.

Upon the door opening all the way, she got a pretty good idea of just who those belonged to.

The first thing she came into view of upon entering the office was the simple fact that a vast, overwhelming majority of the space was covered in scraps and pieces of cut paper of all sizes. Even the ground before her feet was a solid and heavy white as she looked to those responsible. Which in turn came in the form of a heavy majority of the Casablanca class, spread around the room. Most laying on their stomachs, a few seated properly, they all looked to be armed with safety scissors and stacks upon stacks of paper. Their intent it would seem had been to make paper snowflakes as indicated by the few that hung from the counter on the right of the room.

But that hadn't lasted long and instead the would be artisans simply devolved into unrestricted and wanton destruction. Fitting for American Escort carriers in a way, but watching it firsthand was an experience in of itself. Shigure watched as a clip of paper drifted by through the air right before her eyes all before another seemed to dive on it, knocking both into a soft fluttering to the ground. Mission Bay glanced up to the destroyer, watching her a moment, before going back to her crafts before her. But that did not stop the carrier from leaning forwards, and then immediately slamming her head back against the desk she was leaning against. Which in turn brought the attention to that of its owner.

"Mission Bay!" The Captain called, slamming a hand down on the desk. "I have told you at least five different times to stop! You may be near indestructible, but my desk is not!" Sofia admonished her, her voice on full tilt. "So please! Stop bashing your head against the desk!" She demanded as she stood up and leaned over the piece of furniture. Mission glanced up at her with innocent eyes as she giggled with all the accusation of the accused. Sofia glowered at her, watching the escort carrier for a time until she slowly retreated back, going to return to her seat. But as she went to settle herself, she found that of Shigure standing at the front of the office, the destroyer only watching with wide eyes. Sofia simply sighed as she eased herself back into her chair.

"Sorry Shigure." Sofia apologized as she leaned back in her chair even as more pieces of paper fluttered and tumbled through the air. Sofia snatched one out of the air that was traveling to close, but instead of crumpling it, she simply tossed it in the direction it had come from. Unfathomably, it once again caught the invisible wind apparently going around the office, and simply sailed right by Shigure's head. The destroyer watched a moment before she looked back to Sofia. And a moment later, glanced at what she now knew to be the empty desk of Admiral Johnson. Sofia seemed to take note of that, sparing it only a glance before she looked back down at her own work.

"She's not in right now unfortunately." Sofia explained as she once again settled into her work, even though the end of her day was rapidly approaching. Shigure paused at that, having suspected that when she hadn't first spied the woman in question. Still, that did not mean the end straight away.

"Do you-"

"She's also asked not to be disturbed." Sofia answered her with a straight expression. "As problematic as that may be. I'm sorry." The woman told the destroyer.

"O-oh."

Sofia looked up at that, watching the Japanese destroyer milling about in front of her. She seemed uncertain in her posture and everything about the situation. Apparently, she'd been expecting and relying to find the Admiral within her normal stomping grounds. But with that information locked away and only held by that of the Captain, the destroyer seemed unsure of what to do with herself.

One or two of the Casablanca class glanced up at the destroyer a moment, Sofia watching them idly for a time before looking back to Shigure.

"What did you need to see her for?" She asked. Because if anything else, Shigure seeking out the American Admiral was a curious thing. She hadn't really known the destroyer or woman in question converse with one another all that much. If it had been an American destroyer or something akin to that. But no, instead, she found Shigure standing before her. "I don't recall anything she said having anything to do with you." She commented, trying not to sound as harsh as it did in her head. "As far as I know, you didn't have anything scheduled with her, right?"

"No." Shigure confirmed. "We did not."

"So why then?"

Shigure seemed to hesitate a moment before she looked back to the Captain. "Fubuki said that Admiral Johnson seemed... sad." The destroyer answered her. Sofia sighed at that, rubbing her face a moment.

While she wouldn't call it sad persay, it was something. Sofia knew the woman. She'd known her for more than a decade. She knew she had a habit of getting trapped in her own head. It had happened on and off since they had been on base, but recent events had spiked it to a new degree that she personally hadn't seen. Nancy had made mention of it a few times here and there in her past, but Sofia had never witnessed it to this degree. And frankly, she had no idea to try and go about handing or reducing it's effect on the woman.

She knew that at some point, Anya would eventually pull herself out of that darkness. But until that time came, Anya herself would be an uncertainty in how she would act and present herself. Sofia knew that she would keep it level, would keep up the image of the Admiral that she had built. But there would be cracks and there would be signs that the War was dragging on her extra heavy, signs that the state of things was weighing on her shoulders.

She knew the smile would be fake.

Her gaze landed on that of Shigure once again. There was no way the destroyer would have any idea on what was going on within the woman's mind. No inclination or subtle hint. But in that same regard, there were times when Sofia felt that same distance. Yes, they had over a decade when it came to knowing one another, but sometimes Anya could be just as aloof as their first day at the Academy.

A day of fire and brimstones that had been.

Gailer had threatened to throw them both out the window and Melissa had tried so desperately to place the peacemaker between three women who wanted nothing to do with each other.

But as Sofia looked back to Shigure, the destroyer wasn't looking for a history lesson or Anya's entire health written out before her to be lectured on. And so Sofia sighed.

"Sad's a good way to put it, yeah." Sofia somewhat agreed, finding that the path of least of resistance in this case to be the best course of action. "Recent events have taken a toll on everyone, and she's taken it extra hard."

"Did... she know anyone that lived there?" Shigure asked quietly. The question prompted an inappropriate and sudden laugh from Sofia, one that took her entirely by surprise. She quickly stifled it just as fast as it had come, but Shigure watched her unsure as Sofia reigned herself in.

"No, no. That.. would be far too easy of an explanation for Anya." Sofia reasoned, shaking her head slightly. She paused a moment, thinking about how best to explain it.

"Then why is she sad? If she did not know them?"

Sofia stopped as she looked to Shigure, meeting gazes with those crystal blue eyes. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that despite looking, sounding, and acting like humans, the girls were not human. At least, not first. They were ships. Machines of war. They were souls meant to bring carnage and destruction while at the same time keeping the peace and protecting their homes.

Machines of War first.

Humans second.

That meant that the intricacies of the human life and all it's wonder were sometimes just a grasp out of their ability to handle. That didn't however mean that they couldn't be taught, nothing of the sort. But that also meant that sometimes that breaching something sensitive or a topic that needed comfort on maybe wasn't the best thing to bring up to a ship girl if one really needed help with it.

But despite Shigure's answer, Sofia didn't dwell on it.

"Emotion is a dangerous thing Shigure. Sometimes it keeps everything in check and makes things real simple. And then other times, it throws everything into disarray. And how much it does that differs on the person and what situation they're in. How I react might be different from Admiral Ishigara or Admiral Herkunft or Captain King. In Admiral Johnson's case these days, she has a super high level of Empathy. Even for those she does not know. Combine that with the fact that she is in a military branch and with the war going on, it only multiplies it all in the end for her. And so when something goes wrong or some big event happens that results in loss of life like the one we just had, she takes it extra personal." She told her.

Shigure paused, as if she were giving all of this an extraordinary amount of thought. And likely, while maybe not to that degree, the girl was very much likely doing just that.

"But why?" She eventually answered with.

Sofia sighed.

"I can think of at least ten different people whose lives would be so much easier if we knew that answer, Shigure." She told her. "So much easier." She answered before shaking her head, taking a moment to check over the Casa's in the room. When they were still very much entertained by their own wanton paper fueled destruction, she turned her attention back onto that of Shigure. "Either way however, back to the original point, Admiral Johnson is not here right now. If you want to hang around, she'll be back eventually, but I can't promise just how much of a conversation partner that she's willing to be at the moment."

"Can you tell me where she is?" The destroyer questioned.

Again Sofia found herself watching the destroyer. If it was anyone else aside from Shigure, that last request would've sounded desperate in her opinion. Desperate to know that which they do not already. She knew where Anya was of course, so the destroyer was right on the money in asking her, but that meant it came down to Sofia's personal feelings on the matter. Was the Admiral in the sort of mood where she would even be willing to entertain a visitor or interruption of sorts? Or would Shigure's presence only make things worse in one way or another? Honestly it was a 50/50 with how she knew Anya and how Anya was dealing with in. And every side of that had Pros and Cons. Perhaps her being disturbed would knock her out of this that much faster. Or maybe it would make everything so much worse for everyone involved.

Sofia didn't know.

And she wasn't sure she would ever properly know.

A sudden sound of voice came from her left, the small radio on her desk sparking to life. Her gaze snapped to it immediately, knowing what it was.

It was a piece of Zuikaku's radio equipment, configured so that it could carry simply signals and messages, most if not all of them in Morse code. She watched the object a moment as she allowed it to relay its message to her. She listened to it go on a moment, a message relayed to her by that of Zuikaku's fairies. As for the radio equipment itself, that had been approved by the carrier personally.

Sofia shook her head as she stood from her desk, her gaze falling on that of Shigure once again. Gesturing for the destroyer to follow her, she looked to her escort carriers.

"Twenty more minutes girls." She said with a pointed stare. "And then I want this cleaned up. And I mean all of it."

She let it hang in the air.

"Do you understand what I am saying?"

Their nods told her that they in fact did. Their giggling told her that her words were falling far short of their intended effect. Sofia watched them a moment with narrowed eyes, their giggling only growing in turn. Sofia huffed before she turned towards the door, Shigure following behind her. When they entered the lobby to the American HQ, Sofia neared the stairs, pivoting to look to Shigure.

"If you're so insistent to try and see if she's okay, I won't be the one to get in your way. She's holed herself up within the Mess Hall kitchen. I don't know if she's gonna be much of a conversationalist when she's by herself right now, but you're welcome to go and see for yourself." She told her. Sofia then turned back to the staircase, soon climbing them with the intention of checking in on the occupant of her room. That left Shigure to her own devices, in which the destroyer turned away from the woman and room alike as she made way for the front door, now set on a new path.

That new path soon enough found her walking through the doors to the mess hall once again. Memories of nights prior came back to her, where she had met Liz in the Mess before continuing on to find Anya, McCalla, and Mervine in the kitchen. But this time, Shigure did not find Liz seated at a table like she had. The room was startlingly empty, lights all but non existent, the room quietly still. But still, Shigure pushed on towards the doors to the kitchen, where already she could see light filtering through the edges of the space, partway illuminating the floor directly in front of it.

Slowly pushing one open, she found the kitchen to be not as nearly well lit as it had been during the last visit. Instead of all of them on, Shigure only found two or three in the back corner that were on. And that was where she found the blonde woman in question, standing against the far wall as she seemed to either be reading something or writing. Maybe both. Shigure-

"And I told you little shits that wasn't going to work! But no! Don't listen to me. Why ever would we make things easier on us? On me?" The woman suddenly asked.

Shigure offered pause.

She hadn't seen anyone else in the kitchen when she had entered. And even now, she did not readily see another form anywhere around the woman. Shigure's brow furrowed ever so slightly as she slowly made her way towards the woman, who had yet to take note or even notice Shigure's presence in the kitchen with her, let alone her approach.  And still, Shigure watched Anya as she made way across the room.

It wasn't until she got a bit closer did she realize that one of the cabinets settled against the wall was opened. And yet unlike last time, there was no evidence of any sort of baking like there had been last time. Not even a collection of ingredients showing there was even any intention to make something. So then why was the cabinet open like it was?

It was another few steps forwards that brought the inside of the cabinet into view of Shigure and what exactly was held within it.

It was however exactly what was in the cabinet that alerted Anya to Shigure's presence, the woman not fully closing the cabinet in one quick motion. But she closed it enough that it cut off the destroyer's gaze as she turned to meet eyes with the girl.

"Shigure." Anya greeted. But her greeting lacked its usual flare, the usual smile that she employed to great effect. While it wasn't quite to the same degree, the destroyer almost felt as if her presence was not exactly wanted in the here and now.

"Anya-San." Shigure greeted her, coming to a stop a few feet in front of the woman. The destroyer's eyes curiously travelled to the cabinet behind the woman, still not quite closed. But Anya's gaze didn't move from the destroyer.

"Did you need something, Shigure?" The woman questioned, arms crossing as she focused in on the girl. Shigure paused somewhat, her gaze turning away from the cabinet in turn for the woman before her, finding herself under the gaze of those emerald eyes.

"F-fubuki-chan said that you seemed sad. I wanted to...." She trailed off when Anya's sigh became non-missable, the woman rubbing her face somewhat as a reaction. "Anya-San?"

"She did, did she?" The blonde asked. When Shigure's nod all but confirmed it for her, she only rubbed her face with a hand, seeming to take a moment before shaking her head. "Yeah, well, she's not that far off."

"The Captain says it's because you care too much."

"And neither is she." Anya said. Her entire being seemed to deflate somewhat, even lower than the sight that Shigure had walked in to. Her gaze drifted back to the destroyer, watching her a moment. "And what about you? You wanna try your hand at psycho-analyzing me too?" She asked, her tone not one that suggested kindness. When Shigure flinched at the tone, Anya huffed. "Sorry. You're the last person I need to be doing this to." She said with a hoarse laugh. "As if I need to be doing this at all." She said with finality as she reached for the glass that had been sitting on the counter behind her. Bringing it to her lips, she downed what little remained within before returning the item to the counter.

Shigure blinked.

When Anya caught wind of her gaze, she shook her head. "Just to take the edge off. Or at least try. People always talk about being blackout drunk or a buzz. But I've never gotten there. Never had enough in my system I guess. And that was before all of this. This war. This magical gateway bullshit fucking with me in weird ways." She said before glancing to Shigure before gesturing to the island next to them and the stools that sat there. Shigure slowly nodded as she made way for the seat as Anya cleaned up what little she had dredged out, the glass rinsed out in the sink and left there as she fully closed the cabinet. Making way for the island as well, she sat across from Shigure, crossing her arms as she leaned on the surface. "Tell me. Do I look like I'm going crazy?" She asked.

Shigure shook her head as she watched the woman. "No Anya-San."

"Agree to disagree then. Because it certainly feels like I'm going crazy. Or at least, starting down that path. My next psych evaluation is going to be a riot." She huffed, shaking her head. "But that's neither here nor there." She said as she looked to Shigure. "You came in to check on me?" She asked.

The destroyer nodded.

"I appreciate it then. Even I don't seem to convey that very well in the moment. Especially with the ranting." She told her. "If my memory serves me right, you're not slated for deployment tomorrow, right?" She asked. When Shigure shook her head, Anya nodded. "Good. Because I'm starving and I'm making something. And that means you're my partner in crime just in case Liz shows up."

"O-okay?" Shigure answered, taking a glance around the kitchen for Liz just in case. Anya nodded.

"So what should we make? Can be anything. More meal-esque stuffs. Or we can make something sweet. What about you? What do you want?" She questioned. Shigure seemed to think about it a moment, trying to figure out what may serve as a good snack. Though her mind drifted back to the cheesecake that she had made the last time here, she doubted that the woman wanted to make the same thing.

Even if it was delicious.

It seemed the odd choice to ask her when there was little doubt that the admiral knew so many more choices than she could even attempt to think of. But maybe the woman had reason for asking her like this? A test perhaps? Something just as crucial? Shigure didn't know. All she knew was...

"Cookies?" She asked. When the emerald eyes seemed to light up at the suggestion, Shigure figured she'd said something right.

"And what kind of cookies should those be?" Anya asked.

Shigure paused. Did she know any kind of cookies? She-

Christmas! There were more than a few kinds there, courtesy of the Admiral's mother. A few ones that Shigure very much adored. They had been-

"Snicker? Snickers?" Shigure tried. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't seem to remember just what they had been called. But that seemed to suit Anya just fine, the woman only looking like she had to think about it momentarily before she had her answer down.

"Snickerdoodles?" Anya supplied, a hand now resting under her chin. When Shigure nodded her confirmation, Anya understood. "Fair enough. Let's see.... I'll gather the ingredients. In the mean time, you can start by washing your hands at one of the sinks." She offered. But when Shigure blinked, Anya simply offered her a grin. "The last time was a freebie. But from now on, if you want the goods, you'll put in the work just like me. Now, sink. And if you need a stool to stand on, let me know and I'll scrounge one up." She offered as she took a glance around the kitchen. "And don't worry. They're super easy to make."

Shigure watched her go a moment before turning her attention to the sink nearest her. Hopping down from the stool, she could reach the sink to meet her needs. But if she was going to be expected to work at the counter in depth like they had been planning- or at least that's what Shigure assumed- then she would likely need the stool. Still, she went about cleaning her hands in the proper fashion as she listened to the woman rooting around the kitchen for what they'd need.

Shigure soon enough finished cleaning her hands as she reached for a paper towel. As she did so, Anya returned with a number of ingredients for the two of them.

"I think we'll need the stool." Shigure told her. Anya nodded at that as she went about finding something that could be used to their needs. But as she went to do that, Shigure took another look over the assembled ingredients. And found herself pausing in confusion.

There amongst the ingredients was a mixed collection of fairies, some simply idling about. Others looked to be trying to actively get into the ingredients, largely the bag of sugar that the woman had put down, three of them eagerly grabbing at a part of it and desperately tearing at it. It didn't give to no one's surprise, but that wasn't what had floundered the destroyer. No, the fact that one of the fairies was one of her own was throwing the destroyer for a loop.

That combined with the sight of the fairy catching only a slight glance of her, prompting her to freeze, make a quick double take, and then turn and bolt for the relative safety only served to further the confusion, Shigure blinking at the sight again just for good measure.

It was Anya coming back with the appropriate item and placing it on the ground for the destroyer that brought Shigure out of her tempered surprise, the destroyer looking to the woman for a moment. It was Shigure's look of surprise that prompted Anya's own glance.

"Shigure?" She asked. When Shigure pointed at the fairies assembled on the counter before them, Anya shrugged. "Yeah, they do that sometimes." She said as the destroyer stepped up onto the stool, now getting a better look at everything. And the first thing she did was reach for the two ingredients that her own fairy had dashed behind. And surprisingly, was still to be found there. When the fairy realized, she made to dash away only for Anya to scoop her up within an open hand. "And sure enough, here's your fairy." She told her, as if it was not entirely obvious.

"Why?" Shigure asked.

"Because they find it funny to do as they please, despite my asking them not to." Anya replied.

"No." Shigure corrected her. "I mean... why do you have one of my fairies?"

That was when it was Anya's turn to blink.

"What?" She asked, blinking in confusion for good measure once more.

Shigure blinked in response.

"What do you mean?" Anya asked.

Shigure's glance at the fairy in her hand silently reaffirmed the question that had been put forth exactly as she had asked it the first time through.

"She- she told- they told me that they were sent to me to observe and report back. They've been communicating-" Anya tried, but slowly trailed off when Shigure slowly shook her head as she watched the woman. Anya paused at that before looking back to the fairy for a few focused moments of silence.

Before she sighed, her hand meeting her face.

Stowaways.

She had fucking stowaways.

The sigh on her lips desperately and rapidly became a strangled cry of exasperation before her gaze wheeled back to the fairy in her hand. And very rapidly, the fairy realized there was danger to be had there. But despite that perceived threat, her fingers did not bend, nor did her hand enclosed upon itself. Instead, Anya simply watched the fairy for a moment before putting her ever so carefully upon the counter before her.

"Get your asses out here right now." The command came swiftly. Shigure paused, unsure of who she was speaking to, before fairies began to appear by the dozens, creeping out from around the ingredients on the table. Some came over the tops of the items, tumbling head over heels as more moved up from behind them, sending them tumbling down into the assembled groups of fairies.

Shigure watched in one case as one of Mississippi's fairies crashed headfirst into both a Bismarck and Nagato fairy, sending all three sliding across the counter in a pile of stubby limbs and a myriad of emotional 'heys'. Shigure couldn't help herself, giggling somewhat as more and more continued to emerge before the woman at her request.

It was a minute or two before the entirety of her Fairy force had properly assembled, bigger since the last she had seen them all assembled together like this too. What she had simply thought a simply inconvenience to begin with had suddenly become a much larger and far more infuriating headache to deal with. The problem though is that it wasn't all stowaways. She knew some girls had personally given their consent for their fairies to be here, Maryland and the Midway sisters chief amongst those. But the presence of Fairies that belonged to those of Zuikaku and Musashi amongst others suddenly made more sense.

And so much less sense at the same time. 

Even if not all of them were going to be openly hostile or opposed to the idea, there was a lot of members of the fleet that more than likely would have an open problem with her having any of their fairies in such a complex way. And that went for some of the Americans just as much as it did any of the Japanese or foreign nationalities that were present on base.

But even with that aside, Anya needed to address the issue at hand now.

"I want those of you who your ship gave clear and concise consent for you to be with me off to the right. As for the rest of you, I want you off to the left. And do not attempt to lie or curb the truth. Because given Shigure's reaction just now, I'm going to personally check with every single ship on base to clarify and verify that they gave permission. So if I were you, I would be honest in the here and now." She offered, her tone dropping an octave. "Because trust me when I say this, I don't want to have this conversation a second time. Now sort yourselves out."

She watched as they did just that.

And she offered an irritated sigh.

Four-fifths of her apparent Fairy attache were stowaways.

Four fucking fifths.

Shigure watched as the woman settled in over the assembled menagerie of fairies, her own intermingled amongst that group. And as much as the fairy clearly hoped that Shigure would save her from this quickly devolving situation, Shigure made no move to do so as she stood there upon the stool that had been found for her.

"Eyes up." Anya snapped, her own gaze landing on the fairy in question. Immediately going rigid, the fairy dared not take her eyes away from Anya once more as Shigure watched quietly. The woman in question wasn't loud, not like she'd been when she had snapped at Atlanta and her sisters. But her tone was void of emotion, dangerous and quiet as she spoke down to them as a group while those that had had permission to be there simply watched off to the side. One of Enterprise's fairies trotted over to Shigure and waved stubby arms in turn with an excited 'hey' thrown in for good measure.

Excited to see someone break one of the cardinal rules.

One will refrain from pissing off thy Admiral.

When Emerald eyes fell over the fairy, excitement turned to dread momentarily.

Shigure stifled a giggle as the fairy was tugged back into formation by a uniformed fairy that she couldn't place.

At least until the fairy turned back towards Anya, and with that, Shigure herself.

Shigure blinked as she registered the visage of the Admiral's fairy, unsure of exactly what she was seeing. When Anya looked over them again, recognizing that her fairy was amongst the group assembled before the destroyer, she only offered a deep sigh before knocking on the counter.

And out of the wood works came the other eight of her currently nine strong contingent of fairies, each of them taking a position around the various groups of fairies, offering their full self a stubby armed salute.

What Anya said next was drowned out to Shigure as she continually looked between the nine fairies in attendance, belonging and crewing a woman that by all means should not have nor be able to host fairies. The last half of that had been odd enough when she'd seen her own fairy with the woman. But now that was pushed to the side completely and entirely as the destroyer focused in on the nine fairies that by all known rules simply shouldn't exist.

When Anya eventually finished her choice words for those assembled, she eventually turned her gaze to Shigure, who glance back at her as one of Anya's fairies patted the destroyer's hands.

"So..."

"Are you a Shipgirl too?"

Anya huffed a laugh at that as she leaned against the counter.

"Funny, if you had asked me that back in July, the answer would have been 100% no." She answered her. "But if you ask me now, the answer's a strong... 90%." She explained.

"How?" Shigure asked. Anya paused at that, weighing the options within her mind before shaking her head.

"I can't really answer that without airing things that I would rather keep to myself." She said as she looked to her fairies. "They were meant to be apart of that as well, but it would seem that a certain someone's had other ideas as much as it may annoy me. But that's the past, and this is the now. Yes, I have fairies. No, I am not 100% sure how. But I am 100% sure that if I try to go out there and walk on water, I will get a very cold bath instead for my troubles." She told her. Shigure simply nodded at that as she glanced at the fairies again.

"And you only have nine?" She asked.

"Well, I've got ten in total. But one very prolific American Battleship just had to have one. And her pouting was getting to be a bit extreme between you and me." Anya offered with a careful side eye towards the door in dramatic effect. Shigure giggled at the sight as Anya straightened her stance. Shigure glanced back at the fairies again for a moment, Anya watching her and the assembled group a moment as they settled amongst the silence as the other fairies decorating the countertop milled about, mingling with one another. Anya sighed as she rubbed her face. "And now I have the job of going to each and every member of the fleet to double check with them because of these little shits. The only country that doesn't have Stowaways is Russia of all things. Thank you Leningrad and Molotov I guess." She said as she eyed the two fairies in turn.

As she did so, one of the Anya fairies approached Shigure as she placed a stubby hand on the top of the destroyer's own, looking up to Shigure.

"Hey."

Anya rolled her eyes. "You little shit." She offered paired with a shake of the head.

"Hey!" Came the rebuttal. Anya rolled her eyes harder at that before shaking her head as she looked to Shigure as she pointed to the fairy.

"You can understand what she's asking, yeah?"

Shigure nodded as she looked down to the fairy a moment, recognizing what she was asking.

"Will Maryland get angry?" She asked. Anya snorted.

"She's my fairy. Mary can get all uppity if she wants, but it's my fairy therefore my soul or some Magical Shipgirl bullshit like that. And besides, she's on good terms with you. It's not like I'm getting down on one knee and handing Kaga one of my fairies." She said, Shigure giggling at the mental picture produced at such an idea. She wasn't sure Mary or Kaga-senpai would be too thrilled with that happening in the slightest. "In the end, it's up to you." She told her.

Shigure nodded somewhat at that as she glanced down at the fairy again once more, weighing the options put before her. Eventually however, she placed an open hand on the counter before her, to which the fairy hobbled her way into her open hand before offering the destroyer another salute. At the sight, Anya leaned in.

"You behave." Anya warned before looking to Shigure. "And as for you, if you could keep this development on the down low, that would be appreciated. I will never hear the end of it if Bristol and her sisters learn of the fact that I have fairies and I did not immediately offer each one of them one." She said. "It will be... not quite tears, but there will be yelling, hurt feelings, and too many destroyers and not enough headpats. So please, save me from that fate and keep it between you and me if you could." She asked. Shigure nodded as she deposited the fairy within her hand on top of her head, who in turn simply sat down and offered an over exaggerated nod.

Anya huffed.

"Anyways.... Snickerdoodles. Before anything else has a chance to go wrong. And by the way, here's the facts. There will not be any to share with anyone else because any that you do not eat, I will. I am starving and no one else will share our bounty. Am I clear?" She asked with an arched brow.

Shigure grinned her agreement.

"Excellent. Now here's how this is gonna go."

Thus the chaos between an Admiral, a destroyer, and a myriad of mismatched fairies both in country of origin and typing began.

It was a quarter of the way in as she was rolling out dough did Shigure realize that Anya was making a second dough. Pausing, her own hands covered in flour and the counter covered likewise, Shigure tilted her head in confusion.

"Are we making more?" Shigure asked as she continued the motions as instructed by the woman. Anya blinked as she turned to look at the destroyer, Lexington and Enterprise fairies seated upon her head, before shaking her head.

"No." She told her. "This cookie dough is for eating while the other cookies bake." She told her.

Shigure stared.

Her eyes cast downwards to Anya's middle.

Anya scowled. "That's the second time that you in particular have called me fat, Shigure!"

The destroyer laughed.

"It's a tradition!" Anya insisted. "And it's delicious!"

Shigure laughed harder.

Anya simply huffed her annoyance as she went back to her own job set out before her, a myriad of fairies spread about the counter like-wise. She watched as an Ise fairy picked up for her what was a rather sizable pile of flour. Already seeeing the implications and intents that were forming within the fairy's head, Anya shook her head and pushed it out of her mind.

Just as the fairy in question proceeded to slam said pile of flour into both one of Louisiana and Totomi's fairies. The two battleship fairies simply questioned their existence before turning their combined gazes to that of the battleship before them.

Anya shook her head as she and Shigure went back to their previous tasks, Anya guiding the destroyer as needed.

When Anya finally placed the tray into the oven and they had their wait ahead of them, Anya offered the destroyer a spoon and the other bowl of cookie dough. "Now's the time when you eat your words. Please, by all means." She told her. Shigure watched her a moment before taking the spoon with one hand. Eyes traveling back to the woman before her, Shigure got herself a spoonful of the stuff and brought it up to her. A myriad of raw mixed ingredients, this didn't seem appealing in the slightest. But on Anya's word, Shigure would trust it this once as she suddenly found herself with a mouthful of the stuff.

And her eyes widened.

Anya cackled her success as she produced a second spoon for she herself as she took a spoonful for her own consumption.

"Is this safe?" Shigure questioned as she took another bite.

"Mmm..." Anya began before swallowing what she had. "There's an answer of yes and no? For the most part, none of these ingredients aside from the raw egg has a potential to really do anything. Some people like the risk, others don't. But they also make dough like this without the eggs in it making it entirely safe for consumption. But given that you're a ship girl and I'm currently a breeding grounds for the Twilight Zone, I'm thinking we're gonna be fine."

"Mmm... it is very good." Shigure confirmed.

"Told you." Anya said with a hint of both amusement and pride as she went back for more. "Next time, we'll have to make chocolate chip. That's where the real treasure is." She told her. Shigure nodded her agreement as the two of them continued to partake in the fruits of their labor as they waited for the oven to go off. As they did so however, a third form entered the kitchen.

"And here I was expecting Jersey and her destroyers to be my midnight raiders." Liz offered as she approached, mug in one hand, the other on a hip. "And yet I find a destroyer that has never caused me any problems and one of the prestigious leaders of this fleet using my ingredients. What is this world coming to?" She asked with a hum. "What do we have here?" She asked, bringing the hand away from her hip to point at the mixing bowl.

"Cookie dough." Shigure answered her as she sucked on her most recent spoonful.

"May I?" She asked.

"Not unless you want my eternal hatred." Anya offered, looking at the woman with a cautious gaze. At least until the woman chuckled and slid the bowl towards the woman. Liz simply smiled as she produced a spoon of her own and swept up some of the treat for herself, taking it within a moment.

"Mmm..." She hummed as she ate what she'd gotten. "Not chocolate chip?" She asked.

"Snickerdoodle." Anya and Shigure answered in unison.

"Your mother's recipe?" Liz asked, gaze traveling to the blonde.

"Yes."

"Can I-"

"Not a chance."

"It was worth a shot. She said the same thing."

"Did you think I would say yes? Did you think I would override my mother?" She asked.

"You speak like you're afraid of her."

"32 years of life because of her gives one a somewhat healthy bias I would say."

"Fair I suppose." Liz concluded. She sipped at her drink before turning. "If you could get me a list of whatever you use by the night's end, there won't be any issue with me." She told them as she made way for the corridor that connected to her office. Anya offered a thumbs up before turning back to Shigure, the destroyer watching Liz leave a moment before looking back to Anya.

"This is a.... Secret?" She asked. Anya shrugged.

"Depends on what you mean by secret." She told her as she took another mouthful of sweets.

"I shouldn't know it?" She told her. Anya chuckled.

"There's not gonna be any harm from you knowing most of the recipe, Shigure."

"And your mother.. won't be mad?"

"Out of all of the things to make my mother mad in any degree, you knowing one of her recipes is going to be rather low priority in that list. At least this one. Now if I were to just let you in so freely to the secrets of her Ginger Snaps or Apple pie? Yeah, the American fleet would be needing a new Admiral because I would... well... not in as great a condition as I am now."

Shigure giggled as the two continued to enjoy their snack.

It was an eventuality that they would run out of cookie dough, even more so an eventuality that the oven would go off. Anya looked over to the oven in turn before getting up and making her way for it, Shigure watching all the while. Anya switched on the internal light a moment to take a peek. Nodding her agreement, she switched it off and went for an oven mitt instead, soon opening the door as she reached in for the first tray.

When that had been set on the counter, the second tray wasn't far behind.

Oven switched off, the scene of cinnamon gradually drifted around the room as Anya worked from place to place, finishing up what little cleaning they could do. Shigure came alongside her, up on the stool, and assisted where she could. The two were so enveloped in what they were doing and their conversation as it was, they didn't notice another figure enter the kitchen.

It was when Shigure turned around to do something did she catch site of the form before her.

And froze.

"A-admiral Johnson?" She asked. Anya paused at that, the tone in the destroyer's voice giving her own part to stop at. Turning, she found Shigure.

And then she found the figure for herself, seated at the other side of the island, facing the two of them.

Anya moved to put Shigure somewhat behind her as the two of them focused in on the figure before them.

At the very least, she didn't look to be doing anything threatening. Leaning against the island, an elbow resting on the top, she propped her head up by way of a palm resting against her cheek. Dark black hair ran down her forms in a myriad of curls and straightened sections, well past the counter's level. As for she herself, she almost looked to be asleep, the fact that her eyes were closed. It was almost peaceful in a way as she seemingly slept there.

At least until she seemed to yawn.

"Something smells.... Particularly delicious." She offered, the pale visage of her face a standout amongst the kitchen. And combining that with the fact of the oversized turtleneck the woman wore was more than enough to present quite the interesting profile. Anya watched her a moment, their supposed treat cooling behind them all but a forgone thought as her mind switched gears.

"Who are you?" Anya asked.

"Who am I?" The questioned came repeated, her tone one of many.

"Yes...?"

"No?"

"What?"

"May I have one of those?" She asked, brushing the previous line of conversation aside for the time being as she finally seemed to sit up as she gestured to the still cooling sweets. Anya paused as she glanced back at the stove, unwilling to take her eyes off the new visitor for any reason at all.

"They're cooling." She offered quickly.

"Ah? A shame.... I suppose I will simply wait then."

That was the last thing Anya wanted. Both with Shigure behind her and the woman still being an unknown.

"I- yeah, that's... that's okay, sure." Anya offered. She didn't know who she was or where she came from, but something told the woman that if it came to down to the worst of the worst, there was little Shigure could do to defend, and absolutely nothing Anya herself could do to try and stave off the woman. An appearance like hers, with a personality so far presented, was likely to be anything but normal.

"Won't you sit?" The stranger asked. "It is rather rude of myself to be sitting while my hosts are standing before me. And rather perplexed while at it."

Anya opened her mouth to respond before closing it a moment. Instead, she looked back and down to Shigure, the destroyer still well behind her. The two traded a glance, and a slight shrug of the shoulders from the destroyer brought them to the same plane of reasoning.

She was suspicious. But they'd yet to be given a solid reason to distrust or disallow her. So in the name of keeping things peaceful, they moved.

And took their own seats across from the woman.

Another glance was traded between Admiral and destroyer before they turned their focus in on their very much uninvited guest.

"Ah. Much better." The stranger offered, head still titled as it leaned to meet her palm. "Look at the two of you, up at this hour of the night. Aren't the two of you exhausted?" She asked.

All the while her eyes remained frustratingly closed.

"Not particularly, no." Anya told her.

"Oh." The stranger offered. "I suppose I was simply mistaken then. My deepest apologies, truly."

"Where did you come from?" Anya asked before she could get another word otherwise.

"I... don't understand?" The stranger offered.

"Where did you come from?" Anya asked again. "The Gateway?"

"No." Was the stranger's answer. And that's all she felt to explain it would seem as she fell quiet once more.

"So...?"

"So?"

"So where did you come from then?" Anya asked again, her frustration starting to sound through her words.

"Quite the inquisitive mind aren't we." The stranger so openly surmised. "Do you interrogate every one you meet like this, or have I simply caught you on a bad day?"

Anya bristled.

"I-"

"Or is it perhaps I am the cause of your suddenly irritated presentation, hm? Is my presence really that much of a bother to you?" She asked.

Anya's motion was to nod her agreement.

"Ah." The stranger sighed. "A shame then."

"So you'll leav-"

"No." The stranger denied.

Anya and Shigure traded a glance.

"It is rather rude to ask a guest to leave so very unprompted, you know?" She asked. Finally, her head came up and off of her hand. In turn, both went to supporting it as she rested her chin on open palms. "Where do you come by the gall to request something so openly?"

"You're the one that invited yourself in." Anya countered.

"And so I am." The stranger reasoned, a creeping smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Alas, I am not without my own fair share of bad habits to sure. And heavens knows I've passed on far too many of those to my own, but I digress." She chuckled us. "Look at us. Simply a pair of unrestrained, decorum lacking mongrels. Truly, a pair to be seen, aren't we?"

"A pair, sure, it would be nice to know who my partner this time around might be." Anya tried. The Stranger's grin revealed teeth as she seemed to not only look at Anya, but right through the woman.

"Again with that? Is it not boring to ask the same question again and again only to be met with the same result? Though I suppose this is it how it's meant to go, with you, the asking and mine the asked. Are names truly that important?" She asked.

"Yes."

"Then tell me who might Momi be?"

Anya's eyes narrowed.

"Thought so." Her grin broadened.

"So you know Momi, then?" Anya asked.

"It depends on who wants to know. But given that I know you do, I suppose the trouble is on my side this time around. But I simply can't be bothered all that much, so take that to mean that it rounds back to you. So do you know Momi?" She asked. "Cause Momi knows you."

Who the fuck was this woman? Anya had heard of talking in circles before, but she was making a race of it.

She'd tried to ask who the woman was multiple times and that'd helped to no avail. Perhaps she needed to mix that up, try another avenue or some-

"You seem kind of mean." Shigure offered. The stranger paused, seemingly turning her attention onto the destroyer, even while her eyes remained ever closed just as they had been.

"There are other ways of speaking that one can be mistaken for being mean. Such as being down and to the point."

"Which definitely doesn't describe you." Anya muttered.

"You see." The stranger offered, her head coming sliding off her hands as she pointed to Anya while keeping her attention on Shigure. "That comment? That attitude? That's mean." She told her. "But then again, implying that she's carrying a little more than she should could also be perceived as mean. Hm, quite the pair of jerks the two of you are, huh? I've found myself in the presence of some downright rotten company, now haven't I?" She said with a sigh. "Just my luck. Are those scrumptious things cooled yet?"

"Quite the glutton, aren't you?" Anya asked as she got up. However the stranger simply shrugged her shoulders as she placed her hands on the counter for the first time.

"I simply know what I want. And based on first impressions, I know I simply must try one of those.... What did you call them?" She asked.

"Snickerdoodles." Shigure supplied as Anya went about gathering a few of them. Turning away with three bundles of two cookies a piece wrapped up in paper towels, she returned to her seat. Offering one to Shigure first, she then reached across to offer the stranger her own.

"Such an odd name." She said as she carefully grabbed them from the woman. Anya watched her a moment as she took a bite out of one of her own, Shigure doing the same as they watched the woman bring one up to her lips, open them to allow herself to take a bite. Her head seemed to rock back side to side as she seemed to savor the bite. After a brief moment of this, it was clearly something she favored as she opened once more only to simply shove the remnants of the first cookie inside. A noise of what sounded to be satisfaction emanated from the woman, just as Anya and Shigure watched her in turn.

"I'll take that as a sign that you liked it."

"My compliments to the chef." She offered. Anya huffed.

"Thank you oh so much." She asked as she finished off her first cookie in turn. And then she thought about it. "You won't answer who you are?" She asked.

"Won't I?"

Anya ignored what was clearly bait into another 15 minute circle. She thought about it a moment, watched as the woman all too happily devoured her second cookie like a woman possessed, crumbs and cinnamon landing on the front of her turtleneck. She seemed to take note of the fact and made to brush it off ever so simply before returning to her original position, hands on the surface before her.

"What are you here for?" Anya asked.

"You."

"Me." Anya confirmed.

"You." She repeated.

"Why?"

"Because word travels and Momi is loud. And I've my own personal interest in this base and those that dwell here. Well, some more than others. And at the center of it all is you, as put by Momi's words, a scrappy blonde with a feisty attitude."

"Scrappy?" Anya muttered. "Who does she think she is?"

"She's not entirely wrong." The stranger offered. Anya arched a brow as both she and Shigure finished off their second cookies.

"She's most certainly wrong. I am not scrappy and she's not as funny as she thinks she is." Anya told her. The stranger simply smiled at that as she bowed her head somewhat.

"Everyone has their own charms and curses. She is no different than anyone else, myself and present company included. All that aside however, I simply figured that I would stop in a moment and make my presence known, as a way to break the ice as it were." She said. "May I have more?" She asked.

Anya couldn't argue with that when she herself sought more as well.

Armed with a new round of cookies, Anya took a bite of her own as Shigure looked to the stranger.

"If you won't tell us what your name is.... What would you like to be called?"

"Hmmm, I've myself more than a few names." She reasoned as she snacked at the third sweet. "Ones that people have given to me throughout my life and ones that I have earned. But to tell you what I am so openly would do a disservice to those. So with that being kept in mind and my own promises to keep, I would be known as....." She paused.

Anya's brows arched.

Shigure paused.

"Momo."

Anya wanted to shriek.

Momi and Momo.

"You're fucking me." Anya ground out, Shigure only offered the woman a sideways glance.

"I am in fact not." She offered, all but annihilating the fourth cookie within her domain before steeping her fingers before her. "False statements aside, I-"

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE!?!?"

Anya did her best not to jump at the sudden volume filling the room. Shigure very much did however, and the Admiral had to snatch her by the waist so that she didn't fall off of the stool as the three looked towards the entrance to the kitchen to find Momi of all people standing there. When Shigure offered a careful glance to Anya, the woman only huffed. "It's okay. That one I do know. Somehow."

"Ahh! There's the oaf of the hour!" Momo declared happily. "Tell me, how are Koko and Ska these days?" She asked as she once more rested her hands under chin, eyes still closed as she looked in Momi's direction. Woman in question instead ignored her as she stomped her way across the kitchen, Anya and Shigure simply made to watch as she rapidly approached Momo. Momo herself simply waited with ever present grin and her best 'innocent' air about her. That held up as Momi stood over Momo, simply boring holes into her skull from where she was.

"I repeat, what-"

"Yeah, yeah we all heard you the first time I'm sure. I'm just here making friends. You know, since you won't give me anything to go on aside from your lackluster story telling."

"You're not supposed-"

"To be here, yeah, we heard that too. Both Scrappy and Blue here heard it just as well as I did, despite your attempts to deafen us. Guess your lungs are still working even with all of that smoke, yeah? You know that's horrifically bad for you? And even more ridiculous considering the Navy switched coal out decades ago. I know what they say about showing your age, but you're practically wearing it for everyone to see- well, in this case, I guess it would be smell, yeah?"

"You need-"

"I NEED to have another cookie. Everything after that is secondary you know. Proper eating and all that."

Before Anya could even begin to pick that particular statement apart as it had been presented, Momi then turned her attention onto Anya.

"And what about you? Why didn't you kick her out?" She asked, hands going to her hips. Anya simply looked at the woman like she'd grown another head as she wildly gestured to the woman across the island.

"How exactly am I supposed to even begin with kicking all of that out?!" She asked. "It's not like I asked for her to be here! What, you think I can control when another one of you pops out of thin air!?" She demanded. "As far as I know, it's one united front to royally piss me off at all hours of the day, my sanity serving as a consolation prize. I-"

"And not only that, but you decided to feed her?" Momi asked. "That's asking for twelve new kinds of hell."

"I take offense to that." Momo commented.

"And do what?" Anya asked. "Pick her up with all my might and toss her out the door?"

"Yes!" Momi answered.

"No!" Anya returned.

"Come now, there's no reason to fight." Momo interjected. "We can all simply sit around and eat more sweets. Please. And besides, we're like family already, what with Momi being your father In-law."

"She is not my In-law." Anya stressed.

"Kind of am." Momi told her.

"Are not." Anya replied.

"You did give Mary a ring." Momo interceded.

"That doesn't make us married or legally bound to one another!" Anya snapped.

"Bold assumption when the two of you fuck like you are." Momi claimed.

The breath that left Anya's lips was as strangled as it was agitated.

Shigure faintly giggled behind her.

The two larger women glanced at the destroyer a moment before turning their focus back on Anya. And then the woman shook her head.

"Wait wait, I thought Momi was Mary's mother. Why is she the Father In-law...." She Paused. "Are the two of you...?"

"Oh heavens no." Momo supplied as she rested cheek against fist. "That one there is far too much of a handful to even remotely consider the possibility. And despite what you may think, I am far uninterested with any idea of something like that. You'll find that a shared sentiment amongst our kind that the simple idea of such a bond in the end, is simply, not worth the investment. And the fact that your first impression is made by this one is an unfortunate fact, given that most of us are far too busy alone to even given the topic any consideration at all. This one however, is... how does one say it?" She asked as she tapped her chin with a finger.

"Unmotivated?" Anya asked.

"I would simply go with Lazy. But yes, unmotivated works too." She asked, a smirk curling at her lips. "Far too unmotivated, leaving the rest of us to pick up her slack. Poor, overstressed, over worked-"

The sound of Momi's hand slapping Momo upside the back of the head silenced the words on her tongue.

Momo huffed. "Brute."

Momi rolled her eyes at that as she looked Momo head on.

"Wouldn't have to be a brute if you weren't such an annoyance." She snapped.

"Noro and Copa love me for it."

"Noro and Copa are both very much legally deaf because of you."

"YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

It was at that point that Anya's brain seemed to misfire once or twice as the two got into the thick of it, the blonde's forehead now resting against the counter as Shigure idly placed a hand on the woman's back as the destroyer watched the back and forth between the two titans continue on unabated.

For about five minutes.

At which point Anya simply stood up, catching both Momo and Momi off guard as they watched her with undivided attention. Blonde in question simply pointed towards the door with an extended finger and spoke. "Out."

Momi and Momo looked at the woman like she'd grown another head.

All before Momo sighed in a dramatic fashion, head slumping somewhat. "Fine. I see how it is." She said, eyes still just as closed as they had been. Still, as Momi laughed somewhat, Momo stood as she smoothed her outfit.

And Anya found herself pausing.

Because for all Momo's posturing and out there attitude and knowing Momi as she did, the last thing Anya had expected was the somewhat defined bump sitting at Momo's middle, almost entirely concealed by the woman's oversized turtle neck that easily met down into the floor length skirt she adorned. She blinked again, somewhat expecting it to simply disappear, but instead all she got was the grinning visage of Momo, watching her in turn as she stood there.

"What?" She asked as she looked down at herself a moment before back up to Anya, her brows arching. "I think I carry the weight pretty well."

"Now you've stumped her." Momi chuckled somewhat, Momo looking to the woman with a grin.

"Haven't I?" She asked before coming to stand before Anya. Like Momi, she stood at a seven foot, little more little less. She looked down at the blonde off a moment. "Fine. I'll go. But I would like a hug."

"What?" Anya asked, bewildered.

"A hug. You know what that is right?" She asked. "I know Momi doesn't, but I'm very much fond of them."

"And if I don't?" Anya asked as she stood before the woman.

"If you think I'm the most annoying of the lot of us, you've a lot to learn. And you will be made to learn, that I assure you." She offered, the promised threat hanging in the air. Anya seemed to realize that for what it was and slowly nodded.

More was not what she wanted.

So she took the leap and offered a single step forwards and Momo took the option to wrap long, sinewy arms around the blonde.

Awkward didn't begin to describe it to the blonde. She didn't know this woman, she didn't know who she was. She knew she had a connection to Momi, who had connection to Maryland, so she supposed it was a sort of degrees of separation kind of thing? Luckily for it, it wasn't a long endeavor, one or two seconds tops of anything. Momo sighed as she pulled back from the woman, leaving Anya standing there as Momo reached over to ever so gently pat Shigure on the head. She then offered the two of them a wave as she turned, interlocking her arm with Momi's as the two made way for the entrance. Momo rested a hand on the woman's arm as they left the space.

"That hug... you know that's gonna get back to Maryland, right?" Momi asked.

Momo's grin was not one that spoke innocent tones.

"You're a witch sometimes, you know that right?" She asked as the two of them pushed open the doors to the building.

By the time they had swung back into the building, the two were gone without a trace.

Anya watched them go a moment before turning back towards Shigure, retaking her seat a moment later.

"So..."

"You gave Maryland a ring?" Shigure asked. Anya sighed.

"I don't suppose a second batch of cookies might keep your silence?" She asked. Shigure seemed to watch her a moment at that, glancing at the door a moment as if to make sure the two weren't going to make an encore appearance before nodding.

Anya huffed as she went about collecting the ingredients for a second batch.

///—///—///—///—///

Everything was blurring together.

No where was safe.

There was no end.

This was it.

This was the precipice.

As the foot of a Harbor Princess came down, there was a few scant inches of safety between him and being caught underfoot. But as those footsteps sounded from behind him, the heart in his chest beat harder, sounded deeper as he ran for dear life.

Dropping to his stomach, he took the corner with as much speed as he could get, possible collisions the last thing on his mind. And yet still, the pace of a demon kept up behind him. He surged on, through the legs of a Ru class minding her own business. But her confusion and surprise were negligible in the overall scheme as he pushed on, returning to his feet only a moment to correct his course before once again returning to his stomach.

Another corner, more Abyssals before his path. And yet still, they were no focus of his as the chill howled around him. Bit at him each time he collided down on that metallic floor before him. And yet still he moved, crashed through still standing forms and past those moving along as they please. Cruiser. Battleship. Even Princess did nothing to stop or alter his course.

And as those dashing footsteps behind continued to grow closer, each slam of weight down on that metallic floor, his resolve steeled itself a hundred times over. He practically glided along that smooth surface, willing his survival to continue as it had before.

That demonic laughter sounded from behind him in close proximity and yet he was reminded of his own mortality just like that. But he would not give in, he would not wait for the end, he would not become the next victim to the monster.

Suddenly, safe haven manifested before him at the end of the next corridor, the metal door there representing an end to the torment and subjugation. Rushing forwards with all the speed he could muster, he made his final play.

The door slid open to admit him, the sanctity and silence of the new space a welcome feeling compared to the terror that had been the normal for months on end. Still, as the door slid closed behind him, he could not rest. Returning to a standing position, he began to hunt for the one which he needed, the one that would save him.

And a moment later, he found her.

Chuchki was brought from her peace of a mind as what sounded to be an enraged squawk broke the peace of her lab. Pushing away from the table she was working at, she turned to find her demon rapidly approaching her. The vague amalgamation of a penguin rapidly approached her, Chuchki arching a brow as she watched the four foot creature approach her with purpose.

"Yes?" She asked, her eyes half lidded as she watched the creature.

She got an indignant squawk in response.

"That really doesn't sound like my kind of problem." She answered him.

The Penguin-Demon's beak rattled at the answer, it's twisted feathers of white and black bristling as it's master refused the assistance that he was so desperately in need of.

Another squawk answered her dismissal.

"Again, not my problem." Chuchki answered. But before her demon could answer her again in way that mattered, a knocking from the other side of her lab door. Chuchki's gaze glanced up to the doorway, as if she could see through it. "Ah, and so your reaper beckons. It is perhaps best to face your demise with honor, you know."

"Ms. Chuchki, are you in there?" Marcy called through the metal despite all odds. Chuchki turned back towards her table that she'd been working at.

"I am Marcy. What can I help you with?" She called back.

"Can I come in?" Marcy asked.

"You remember the rules of my lab, yes?" She asked. It took a moment, Chuchki no doubt figuring that Marcy was taking a moment to make sure that, yes, she actually remembered them. After a brief second or two of nothing in response, Marcy replied once more.

"I do!"

"What do you need then, child?" Chuchki called. It took another few scant moments of silence before her answer came once more.

"I'm looking for the penguin!"

"Ah, the penguin." Chuchki muttered under her breath, her gaze side-eying her demon as she did so. "And here I wonder where one might find a penguin." She hummed a moment. "And you're sure you saw the penguin come in here?" Chuchki called back.

"Uh-huh!" Marcy readily answered.

"Damned if you do, damned if you don't." Chuchki commented. "Aren't we?" She asked the demon with a side eye pointed to the creature. The demon in question seemed to rapidly look between the two of them, she and the and the door, beak chattering together in a nervous way. The demon took a moment before looking back to Chuchki as she looked back towards her own work. Chattering turning into more of a clicking, the demon leaned into nip at her.

Only for one of the Empresses hands to wrap around the beak, leaving the demon helpless as she reached for something on the table. A moment later, the door that had been protecting him from the harbinger of death slid open as Chuchki turned her attention in onto him.

"Wrong. Move." The empress offered. "And you know the rules just as she does. You do anything to hurt her, there will be consequences." She told him before releasing his beak. But she was no longer a primary concern, no longer his focus. Instead, it was the monster that was now gaining closer step by step by step.

The only thing that prevented it faster was Chuchki's rule of no running. Not in her lab.

The penguin's pace in that regard was outmatched. It couldn't even match a standard walking pace on the best of days, and with such a head start given to his adversary, there was simply no hope.

And when he felt the first hand run through his feathers, followed by a second one, slowly pulling him into the embrace of death, he knew it was over.

Chuchki watched her demon squawk helplessly as Marcy pulled him into what could only be a massive hug, nearly hauling the creature off of the floor, despite her size. And yet, the Penguin-Demon did not flail about as he had done in the past. The last time, one of his talons had come a little too close to Marcy for anyone's liking.

He'd been lucky that Chuchki had been the closest.

Kara or Arctic would have skinned him alive and the Empress would have been out of a demon.

Still, as she watched the girl manhandle her demon, it kept him busy and she where Chuchki could keep an eye on her. The Empress did not see herself as sociable, she in fact knew that she wasn't and any other Empress would confirm that for anyone who asked. And she would not attempt to hide the fact that she was no fan of their human visitors, Olivia most of all.

She knew the girl had had a rough time recently, between the loss of their mother and the split second decision to take them beneath the surface. That was going to cause no end of headaches in the end, she'd mo doubt. And mixing that with the fact that her personality was oh so standoffish when it didn't need to be. And with the wrong people.

Chuchki wanted to see her take that attitude and stance with Nordic.

She was sure that would go well.

And then again, the more Chuchki thought about it, maybe not. She didn't actually wish harm upon the girl, as annoying as she could be. And she'd spent little time with her father to have a proper opinion on the man, unlike other of their kind. But he seemed to have his wits about him, and walking with his head held high even amongst their kind was no small feat. Even if they were one sided allies of humanity in this day, that did not mean there were no reservations sealed away there. And all that on top of raising two girls like the ones he had was no small feat, especially in this day and age.

And then all that brought her to the third member of the family, the Empress watching Marcy out of the corner of her eye. Currently attempting to put her demon in the best stranglehold she could manage, it was most definitely a losing battle for the creature. Or, at least, it looked to be a stranglehold.

Chuchki's opinion of the third member of their would be adopted family was a little more of a mixed bag. Marcy's sense of curiosity was vast, and she wasn't quite at the age where humanity started to develop their well known sense of cynicism. So everything in the world to her was bright, and unknown, and wonderful. Even with the war going on around them. Chuchki sometimes wondered what that was like, being to able to look so freely at and into the world around her.

Her course had been set the first second air had rushed over her.

That didn't stop Chuchki from doing what she could for the girl however. Such in the case of her schooling. When their father was busy with Arctic's projects and Olivia was otherwise occupied, Chuchki would do what she could for the girl. In terms of writing and math at least. Human history was a footnote to Chuchki, given she'd been alive during the past a thousand years for it and hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention aside from maybe the past 100. And as for science, Chuchki had her own specialties, a large majority of which she really didn't feel that Marcy really needed to know. So she taught what she could or thought she should, but that did not change the fact that at the end of the day, one fact stood above all else.

They did not belong down here.

There was only so much she could do for their health, there was only so much that she could substitute. They needed the sun, no substitute was going to cut in the long term. They needed the sky, they needed the surface. Chuchki could only sustain them for so long with various injections of the like and similar nature. And she knew it to.

Her concerns had always been minimized by that of Arctic, the Queen always falling back to the usual answer of 'When the time is right.' But when was the time right, when the war ended? When the Queen tired of the three? Chuchki couldn't wrap her mind around just how Arctic was thinking this out, but then again, it was not exactly her place to worry about such matters.

So as she watched Marcy all but bend her demon into submission by way of hug, Chuchki pointed it from her mind.

Only for the door to slide open once more.

She turned her head to find a rare visitor to her lab, Wander, just now entering the room. But unlike most who entered her lab, there was no hesitation or cautious approach. Only her sole focus on Chuchki, based on the way once she'd appeared, her gaze did not stray from the Empress even somewhat. And as Wander furthered her approach, Chuchki took one last glance at Marcy before turning her full attention onto that of her fellow Empress.

"Kara's requesting our presence in the Hall." Wander explained.

Chuchki arched a brow. "She doesn't-"

"Olivia's getting into it with the Queen. Our Queen is the one who asked. And the Queen seems... less than favorable to her presence in the current moment." She explained.

Chuchki sighed.

"And what, prey tell, has started this bout between them?" She asked.

"Olivia learned about hostile actions in the Indian and our apparent lack of move against them." She told her.

Chuchki didn't signify that with a response, instead electing to look for Marcy as she herself began to stand.

"Marcy, dear. Come on." She said as she approached the girl. Marcy in turn looked up from her spot and her stranglehold she had on her demon.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because your sister is annoying Queenie, and we have to go make sure that our lady does not flay her."

"Chuchki." Wander warned. The scientifically inclined empress simply chuckled.

"I don't think she knows that word." She commented before looking back to Marcy, who was looking to reluctantly releasing the being in her arms.

"Can we bring Jeremy?" She asked. Chuchki shook her head somewhat, as amusing as it was at the name.

"No, no... I think it better that.... Jeremy." She paused as she watched Demon seemingly deflate at the name. "I think it better for the moment that Jeremy remain here. I assure you, you can come and see Jeremy later. But right now, we have to go make sure your sister's okay." She told her. Marcy seemed to resist only a moment longer before slowly releasing her grasp on the demon.

"Oookaaaaaay..." Marcy droned on as she released Jeremy fully. The demon took his chance while he had to quickly put distance between himself and the girl as Marcy turned back towards the two Empresses, approaching them as her coat's hood flopped about behind her. Chuchki gestured towards the door, in which Marcy immediately bolted, the two Empresses following after at a much slower and controlled pace. They watched as Marcy all but sprinted down the hallway, seemingly uncaring of the various Abyssals that went to and from. They watched her even stop to say something to a few of them, usually receiving a simple pat of the head in return.

Which would begin the cycle anew.

Every. Single. Time.

"Human children seem tiring."

Chuchki gave the empress a side glance.

"I didn't think anything could exhaust you."

Wander returned the sideways gaze.

"It does help that a large majority of them are currently deployed." She answered. Chuchki smirked somewhat as she turned her gaze back onto that of Marcy. "And I've no doubt that you are currently in similar position, no? Certainly feeling the absence of White, no doubt."

"More like not feeling." Chuchki countered. "It feels as if I've actually been able to focus on my work and responsibilities without having to concern myself with whatever that wretch may be up to at any given moment. Almost boring in a sense."

"So what you're saying-"

"No." Chuchki answered her, her tone straight and uncaring.

Wander offered only a smile at that response, but added nothing to it for a time as the two walked along after Marcy.

It was around the next bend when they could finally start to hear a shouting match, one between their live in teenager and their Queen. And from the one being given by that of the Queen, she was most certainly not in the mood to be entertaining such a conversation like the one Olivia had brought forwards, likely because Olivia had false ideals about just how this war was waged.

They rounded the next turn, and from there, straight into the Throne room. Where already, they could see Kara and Habba standing alongside the throne as Arctic sat there and Olivia stood before her. Arctic looked, as the humans say, fucking done with everything. Kara looked worried, and by the way her tone of voice presented itself, Olivia was livid.

Marcy took that as her chance to run for the Abyssal Queen, her arms spread wide as she bolted across the throne room floor.

Arctic spied her coming before she heard the footsteps, taking a moment to lean forwards, ready to receive the girl as she kept her attention focused on Olivia. When Marcy reached her, it was one smooth motion to sweep her up and off of her feet only to immediately settle her on one of her own legs, with one arm around her to keep her stable. Marcy immediately leaned in for a hug that Arctic accepted, but even then, her eyes did not leave Olivia.

"And yet there was no plan to intercept, to deploy any forces to stop them. Why didn't you try, why didn't you try to send help!? You have all these ships that you insist are valuable weapons, and yet not a single one of them moved! All those people are dead!" Olivia seethed. Arctic let the girl air her concerns, but with Marcy now on her lap, she brought her tone down to something other than yelling.

"The deaths of the people in the Indian are regrettable, Olivia. But not every battle is a winnable one, and more than that, not every battle is one that should be taken. It is an unfortunate fact of this life, but should we have taken that battle and more so the journey required to reach it, our losses would have been dramatic. You stand before me lecturing from a position of safety because there has been no risk or breach of our lines. But had we gone there, suffered those losses, I would not be sitting here entertaining you in this way because there would be no end of issues to address. You would not have a voice because there would be no safety to allow for it."

"So-so-so what?! They were sacrifices? Lives allowed to be lost because you didn't feel like attempting to fight them!?" Olivia demanded. Arctic simply watched her for a moment.

"If that is how you want to look at it? Then sure, be my guest. If that is how you want to view their operation and the loss of life sustained because of that, yes, view it as a sacrifice. But that implies that I intended for them to die, which at its core, is incorrect." She told her.

"So then why didn't you try? Why didn't you attempt to help them!? Scramble forces, intercept their attack! Why didn't you do something!?" She demanded. Arctic watched her as Marcy looked up at the Queen while her three Empresses and Habba simply watched.

"Because I refer back to my previous point. Not every battle is one to be fought and not every battle is one to be won. Just because we fight on the side of the innocent does not mean we are preordained to meet the enemy in each and every place they decide that they're going to appear. Not only is it impractical, it is highly illogical to expect something like that. And ignoring that facet of it, the fact is that no matter the route I choose to take, there is an insurmountable danger. If I had chosen to come in from the West, I would be treading into Atlantic's, Southern's, and Indian's territories. If I were to come from the East, I would only be trading Atlantic for Pacific while the other two would remain the same. Tell me, Olivia, what would be your plan mid-transit for the eventuality that one of the other Queens learned of your plan to foil their attack? How would you defend yourself? How would you ensure your survival and those allied with you? How would you ensure your equipment's survival, weapons of war that would take months if not years to repair, if that is at all possible in the end. Tell me Olivia, how would you fight this war from a standpoint where in all crucial aspects aside from force morale, you are losing?"

"W-what?" Olivia asked, the last line like a slap in the face. "But you've... you've won battles against the other kingdoms. You've sunk them. You've countered them. You've fought their Queens."

"Where we could, yes. But we fight this war at a ratio of 10-1, Olivia. For every battleship I have, they have ten. For every cruiser, they have ten. For every sub, they have 10. And that fact aside, we've been fighting a war that even now has never been the main focus of the other Queens. To them, we are a heavily armed petty rebellion. Indian's mind has never been focused enough to warrant the kind of concentration required. Atlantic at her core is far to unstable to really bring her mind about to focus. And both Southern and Pacific view any meaningful combat well below their statues. Our victories against them directly have been hollow, negligible count to their losses and forces while for us has always been a risk of immense force. We have never been their sole focus, Olivia. We operate at a half notice from them, if that, and no more."

Olivia grew quiet for a moment.

"And if they did, if they focused on the Arctic Kingdom as a whole?"

"We would die."

"Y-you-"

"If they really truly focused and worked together as one, we would get no forces outside of our territories due to increased and reinforced sub lines formulated by that of Southern. Once they were detected, incursions from the Pacific and Atlantic territories would push in, supplemented by forces by that of Indian. They would search and burn any base that they, yes, would eventually come across until the eventuality of them arriving here." She offered. "My forces would be split, my Princesses bent and shaped to their own forces. My empresses handed over to Southern to be promptly split amongst their own forces and upper echelons and I would be executed as the traitor to our people that I am. The only reason, Olivia, that I do not explain in every single detail of what would happen to you is because Marcy is on my lap."

"I-"

Arctic's sigh was frigid and cold and tired as she refocused on Olivia with a gaze that the girl had never seen. A Queen's agitation served to cause so many problems for others, both Allies and enemies alike. But a Queen's rage was a cold, biting thing that spared no one before them and promised no end. Her eyes remained focused on Olivia's, that white haze flaring erratically as she ever so softly nudged Marcy off of her lap, leaving the girl atop the throne by herself as Arctic stood, feet over Olivia even without the stairs Arctic perched herself on top of.

"It would seem that you're more of a hands on learner. And so we shall learn together. You will learn to listen when I tell you something. And I will learn just how hard that will be to get through that skull of yours. To the other end of the room, Olivia."

Olivia finally took a moment to recount her situation.

"I-"

"I will not repeat myself or ask again. Go." The Queen's words were quiet, contained, and final. Olivia only spared one look over the woman before following what had been ordered of her and made her way swiftly over to the other end of the hall. When she turned however, she still found Arctic standing before the Throne. But now, instead of just her, Chuchki and Kara stood to either side of her. And further than that was Habba and Wander on their sides. As one, the five Abyssals faced off against Olivia even as Kara looked no short of worried about what exactly her Queen had cooking up and just how much it would affect Olivia.

Both Chuchki and Wander appeared uninterested, but still followed their lady's word to the letter while Habba looked worried too, just maybe not to the same degree as Kara did.

"Here's how this will go." Arctic began. "You will start at the opposite end of this room and slowly make way to your sister. In this instance, she will be your goal. To achieve your goal, you will have to make it from one end to the other without bumping or running into one of us. Touching any one of us in any shape or form will be considered a death and you will be made to restart from the start." She instructed. "Is that clear?" She asked.

Olivia could only nod somewhat from her position.

Arctic only watched as she ever so gently kicked one of her feet forwards, the heel ever so barely making contact with the floor.

And just like that, the floor of the throne room was suddenly turned slick as ice cascaded along its surface, cracking and snapping as it crept it's way towards Olivia.

The girl watched the ice spread along the surface and ever towards her until it slowly began to stop before entirely pausing just before Olivia, leaving the girl a space of about 3 feet in a perfect circle of non-iced flooring. Olivia blinked for a moment as she looked at the task she was faced with before looking up to look to Arctic once more.

"I can't- I- This isn't fair! I can't walk on ice!"

Arctic's expression didn't so much as twitch. "A shame." She offered as she took her first step forwards.

Just as the ice began to emit a supercooled steam, quickly shrouding both the Abyssals before her and the room as a whole in a hazy fog. Olivia watched the stuff swirl about in on itself as it settled at the same distance at the ice itself, all but obscuring her way forwards and wrapping her in a pocket of chill. She tried to listen for any of the five that she knew to be before her, any sign of where any one of them was. But she knew in the back of her mind that was a fruitless endeavor having walked alongside them for a time. The Abyssals by nature were a stealthy race when they wanted to be, so therefore listening for footsteps was almost entirely always a moot point.

So it was with careful determination that she slowly planted one foot on that solid sheet of ice, intending to get to the other side. But there was no stability to be had there, despite her best attempts to balance herself against all odds. She watched the steam swirl around and about her as she finally took the dive and brought her other foot up and onto the ice. It was an uneven thing and there was no surefire way to get it to stabilize. But she-

A finger poked her in the right shoulder.

She looked over to find Chuchki standing there, no hint of her approach betraying her presence, while she simply offered the girl a dead eyed stare.

"Oops."

Olivia blinked at the Empress before said Empress gently shoved Olivia back towards the ice free spot of the floor, the girl having to catch herself somewhat as traction once again appeared below her feet. Olivia looked back just in time to watch Chuchki walk her way back into the depths of the room, the fog swirling with her retreat until Olivia could no longer see or hear her. Still, she went for another attempt.

This time bringing up both feet onto the ice from the get go, it left the girl sliding somewhat, but she got further than a single step that go round. She slid slowly, having not pushed off like she should have, but it counted for something.

Until the next second when Olivia found Wander standing just before her with a hand extended. And with no way to slow or change her trajectory, she simply received the Abyssal's hand on her stomach.

Olivia and Wander watched each other a moment.

Before Wander softly shoved Olivia back in the direction that she had come.

She found herself on solid ground less than five seconds later once again.

She took a steadying breath a moment before thinking it through once more. Instead of going down the middle, this time she would go for one of the sides for a wall and tread along that until she reached the throne. This time going for a push off, she all but ran onto the ice before her, already sliding someways in the correct direction.

Until she got to the wall.

Where she found Kara standing there, leaning against the wall. Unable to stop herself, her momentum meant she ended up sliding directly into the Empress, the Abyssal stopping her gently against her own self.

"A valiant attempt if anything." She offered.

Olivia huffed as the Empress walked her back towards the start.

Finding herself back on solid ground once more, she didn't hesitate or think about it. To the left immediately, she took this attempt on her knees, as if to cut down her height and make her somewhat less visible even through the fog.

Only to be stopped somewhat as Habba slowed her down gradually with a foot before slowly pushing her back the way she'd come.

Again.

Failure.

Again.

Failure.

Again.

Failure.

Again.

Failure.

Olivia let out a groan of frustration as she looked into the fog once again, trying to get a feel. A moment later, she walked forwards as if to step out onto the ice.

Only to focus on the hand waiting to push her back onto solid ground not even an inch into the fog.

"I can't win!" Olivia exclaimed.

"A fact of life." A voice from behind her sounded off. Olivia turned around to focus on where and who it had come from. And a moment later, she met eyes with that of Arctic, those white hazed locked solely on the girl before her. "As unfortunate as it is."

"This isn't fair! I didn't even get a chance!"

"Nor did the people in the Maldives. Or those in New York. Or San Francisco. Or Sydney. Or any other place the Abyssals have ransacked thus far. Ask them how fair the war was to them. Ask them what fairness did for them." Arctic offered as she slowly made circles around the girl.

"Those aren't the same thing!"

"Aren't they? Fine, let's look at things a different way. Is it fair that the people of the Maldives lost their lives?" She asked.

"No." Olivia said defiantly.

"Is it fair that you and your family are allowed our direct safety while hundreds of thousands of refugees have to and need to fend for themselves across the globe?"

Olivia paused.

"Isn't it?" She asked again.

"N-no."

"Fairness is not a luxury that exists within War, and most certainly not a war like the one we find ourselves faced with." Arctic commented as the fog in the Throne room began to dissipate. And when Olivia watched as it did so, she found that not only was there the four Abyssals she'd known before hand, there was now an additional six present, spread out amongst the room at varying lengths, including two standing directly before the throne.

She couldn't have won.

"I'm S-"

"Save it." Arctic commented, looking at the girl. "You were angry, you were livid, and you were scared. You were looking for someone to take it out on, and so if that ends up being me, fine. Sure. Great even. But I will say this once and one time only so do please listen. I am trying my damndest to make sure that you and yours do not witness your last sunrise from within the Abyss. So the next time you think about trying to minimize my efforts in this war, do yourself a favor, and keep that mouth shut. Because should we have to have this conversation again, Olivia, I can assure you my generosity will evaporate and you will learn to look at me the same way the other Queens do." She told her before promptly turning towards the door to the Throne Room and leaving without another word.

Olivia watched her go a moment before sighing as Kara approached her.

"You okay?" The Empress asked.

"I fucked up." Olivia told her. Kara titled her head somewhat as if she was considering Olivia's words for a moment before shaking her head.

"I don't believe so."

"I pissed off Arctic!" Olivia replied immediately, hands shooting into the air. Kara nodded.

"You did. But no more so than the situation at hand does either. While you are right in the fact that we did not attempt to intercept the other Kingdoms in their attack on your people, that does not mean the Queen simply brushed that aside either. She wears everyone of those losses on her shoulders, like a weight that means to suffocate her." She told her.

"Still feel like a bitch." Olivia muttered.

"Oh you most certainly had that role covered, I assure you." Chuchki commented as she walked past the two, this time with Marcy in her arms. Olivia watched them go a moment before looking to Kara.

"I should go apologize to her." To which Kara shook her head.

"Allow the Queen her time. She will reemerge when she finds it acceptable." She told her with a quiet hum.

Olivia sighed.