Residential Area, Azur Lane Base, Pearl Harbor
June 2, 1942
8:00 AM
The Residential Area was a modest expanse of land designated for the Base's Personnel and Shipgirls to have their own private quarters. While some Shipgirls opted for the communal dormitories due to financial constraints, those with more stable incomes enjoyed the relative luxury of their own small houses with backyards.
Along the street leading to the Kansens Dorm/Earth Embassy (as it was now officially known), the Cleveland sisters strolled. On their way, they noticed a cluster of press and journalists, cameras in hand, congregating near a particular dorm.
Cruiser Denver spotted the commotion and remarked, "Hey, look. Reporters. Do you think they'll want to interview us?"
Birmingham responded with a hint of disdain, "Journalists these days interview the dumbest people they can find."
"Yeah... news these days is so controlled by politics. You can't even tell what's real news or just propaganda anymore," Cleveland added, clearly weary of biased reporting.
Biloxi interjected pragmatically, "Maybe we should avoid this area before they surround us."
"Yeah," the Cleveland sisters agreed, nodding in unison as they altered their course to steer clear of the press.
In the direction where the journalists, photographers, and filmmakers had gathered, a Union Army troop (who seemed to be under the influence of something) was currently the center of attention. They all crowded around him, cameras flashing and notebooks at the ready, eager to get the latest scoop on the recent Siren Stronghold raid for the eager Eagle Union public.
"I'm on a News Film! Oh-shit! First I was featured in a Propaganda Film, now this? Oh-man, I'll be a STAR, MOM!" the Union troop exclaimed with unrestrained delight and excitement.
A female press member, notepad and pen poised, asked, "What can you tell us about the operation?"
"Well—we all got our asses chewed by Gunny Lucas first. As soon as we hit the beach, BAM! We ran like hell! I—mean it was a BANG! Artillery shells go boom! And that fort with the Sirens goes BANG!"
The male press member, also with notepad and pen, followed up, "How close were you to the fighting?"
"Real close. I—mean the whole bullet whizzed past over our heads, and Bang! A large explosion blowing the Siren fortified line! Tanks rolled in and, BANG! Planes swooped in dropping bombs! Then I got real close to one of the dead-ass Sirens and whoa! Those cheeks were nice."
A brief, awkward silence followed this unexpected observation. Then, the female press member pressed on, "What would be your last words to the Siren?"
The Union troop took a deep, dramatic breath as he prepared his profound statement. "Murica! Bitch! Murica!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.
The photographer and filmmaker captured every moment, the press scribbling furiously in their notebooks.
The Dorm
Lucas slowly regained consciousness, the chirping of birds outside the window and the bright sunlight illuminating his face gradually pulling him from his slumber. He instinctively shielded his eyes with his hand. Blinking slowly, his blurry vision gradually focused as he looked around.
He was in the living room of the dorm, sprawled on one of the couches. Confusion clouded his mind as he couldn't recall being covered by a blanket when he had passed out on the couch.
He pulled the blanket that covered half his body aside and slowly sat up, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes from the previous night's excessive drinking.
He scanned the room for his boots, taking a moment to realize they were right in front of him on the table. He put them on and groggily made his way to the kitchen, craving a strong cup of coffee.
In the kitchen, JS Maya, dressed in her kimono and an apron, was diligently preparing breakfast. She was currently cooking for the three hungover occupants of the dorm.
Still slightly disoriented, Lucas stumbled into the kitchen and saw her. "What... the..." This was the first time he had seen her in the kitchen, let alone dressed in a kimono and apron.
JS Maya turned around gracefully and saw him struggling to navigate his way into the kitchen. "Do you need some coffee?" she offered gently.
"Yes..." he mumbled, slowly sinking into a chair at the kitchen table.
JS Maya quickly brewed him a strong cup of coffee, hoping to alleviate his lingering drunkenness. "Here you go," she said, placing the steaming mug on the table beside him.
"Thank you..." he said, gratefully taking a slow sip of the coffee she had prepared.
A sudden thud from the living room stairs startled them both. JS Maya hurried to the source of the noise and found Laffey-200 sprawled on the floor, clearly disoriented. She had fallen down the single-story flight of stairs.
"LAFFEY!!!!"
JS Maya screamed in horror at the sight of the "wasted" bunny lying motionless near the bottom of the stairs.
Laffey-200 slowly pushed herself up, seemingly unfazed by her fall. She completely ignored the fact that she had just tumbled down a flight of stairs as if it were a minor inconvenience.
JS Maya was left speechless, watching Laffey-200 act as if nothing had happened. She then nonchalantly walked towards the kitchen and sat down at the table opposite Lucas, uttering a single word.
"Breakfast."
JS Maya wordlessly retrieved a plate piled high with pancakes and placed it in front of her. Laffey-200 immediately began to devour the pancakes in her characteristic manner: one deliberate forkful followed by one equally deliberate bite.
Essex-12 slowly descended the stairs, embodying the stereotypical teenager waking up late. She groggily made her way to the kitchen where everyone else was already seated at the table, eating breakfast.
"Morning," she mumbled, punctuating her greeting with a wide yawn.
Everyone else returned the greeting. "Morning."
Essex-12 settled into a chair at the table and asked, "What's for me?"
JS Maya placed a plate of bacon and eggs in front of her. Essex-12 eagerly dug into the breakfast that had been prepared for them.
JS Maya found herself unexpectedly assuming the role of housemaid, as Frigate Belfast was away on the Eagle Union mainland for a meeting with Enterprise-80 and Bunker Hill-76.
Essentially, JS Maya was now the temporary "maid" of the house, tasked with babysitting these three perpetually troublesome individuals.
William burst out of his room and headed towards the kitchen with an air of urgency, his hair disheveled and his necktie askew.
"Ohayu, William. Would you like to have breakfast?" JS Maya asked, holding up a plate of pancakes invitingly.
William snatched a piece of toast and rushed out of the kitchen, leaving everyone behind. He bolted out of the dorm like a middle-class worker frantically trying to get to work on time, the piece of toast still clutched in his mouth, resembling a high-schooler late for class.
"There he goes again..." Lucas commented, taking another sip of his coffee.
"Is he always like that?" JS Maya asked, her voice tinged with concern. William rarely ate breakfast and often skipped lunch entirely.
"He's currently engrossed in researching Siren Technology, especially that particular piece we recovered from one of the Siren Forward Bases in the Southern Pacific," Essex-12 explained between bites of bacon and eggs.
"You mean that Siren head?" JS Maya clarified.
The two nodded in unison. "Yup."
"Alright... I'm heading out to check the mail outside the dorm," JS Maya announced, leaving them to finish their breakfast.
She opened the door and walked towards the mailbox to collect the daily deliveries. These weren't ordinary letters; they were primarily fan mail, with a significant portion being love letters.
The mailboxes of Enterprise-80, Frigate Belfast, Bunker Hill-76, and Lucas were overflowing with love letters. Their visit to the White House and the subsequent media attention had catapulted them to a certain level of fame.
Enterprise-80 and Bunker Hill-76 received numerous love letters from various Commanders within the Eagle Union, all vying for a date.
The same held true for Frigate Belfast, with Commanders from the Royal Navy expressing their admiration. Lucas, however, received his share from local ladies, likely due to his reputation for intervening in brawls whenever a woman was being harassed. Apparently, women in the 1940s had a penchant for the "bad boy" type.
JS Maya, Essex-12, Laffey-200, Denver-856, Lafayette, and William received a more moderate amount of mail compared to the overflowing boxes of the "famous four."
JS Maya's small collection of letters came mostly from people she had met and befriended during her deployment in the Sakura Empire the previous week.
Essex-12 and Laffey-200 received mostly fan letters from their predominantly female fanbase, with a few scattered love letters from male admirers.
Laffey-200, despite her tendency to terrorize low-tier perverts, surprisingly received the most fan mail of anyone.
Denver-856 received only a few letters, largely due to the mailman's recurring mistake of delivering them to Cruiser Denver's mailbox. Denver-856 maintained a level of secrecy regarding her identity comparable to Arizona.
William's mail consisted primarily of correspondence from the scientific community, along with a few letters from what could be described as Female teachers from various colleges and universities, drawn to his breakthroughs in Siren technology.
Lafayette had his own small fan club, mostly consisting of letters from children his age in both the Eagle Union and Royal Navy.
Arizona's mailbox was usually empty, with only a few occasional letters from Shipgirls who knew his true identity. Occasionally, BB Arizona would pay him a visit, much like a mother visiting her son in a dormitory – a spectacle best avoided in front of the other shipgirls.
JS Maya collected all the mail from the mailbox and neatly arranged it in a cardboard box. Before she could fully pack it, however, she was spotted by the waiting press.
Suddenly, all their attention shifted towards her. They swarmed her from both sides, bombarding her with the relentless, personal questions typical of annoying reporters.
"Nani???" was the only word she could manage amidst their non-stop barrage, which made her increasingly uncomfortable.
"Sorry, but... I cannot answer all of your questions. I apologize, but I really must go now..."
As the relentless barrage of questions continued, a single gunshot rang out, causing everyone to duck down and cover their heads instinctively.
JS Maya and the rest of the press looked in the direction of the gunshot. It was Laffey-200, casually holding her Desert Eagle, having fired a warning shot into the sky to silence the persistent reporters.
"Noisy," was her only laconic comment after the sudden hush fell over the crowd.
Then, a hapless seagull plummeted from the sky, landing with a thud on the concrete walkway of the dorm, its feathers slowly drifting down like snow. The unfortunate bird, merely passing overhead, had been struck by a .50 caliber round from Laffey-200's Desert Eagle.
The first casualty of the day was a fucking (Steven) Seagull.
JS Maya seized the opportunity and hurried inside the dorm, carrying the box of mail. Laffey-200 waited for her to enter, then calmly lowered and holstered her handgun.
She then nonchalantly walked towards the gate and headed towards the harbor as if it were the most normal thing in the world. The stunned journalists, photographers, and filmmakers simply watched her pass in utter silence.
The press and a certain contingent of low-tier perverts now harbored a healthy fear of confronting this seemingly innocent bunny who openly carried concealed firearms strapped to both her thighs.
JS Maya distributed the mail, placing the appropriate letters in each room. After her delivery rounds, she retreated to her own room to finally read her own correspondence.
She was excited to open and read the letters from the friends she had made in the Sakura Empire.
Lucas received his stack of love letters from the local ladies. He began opening one, noticing that each letter carried a distinct perfume.
Lucas wrinkled his nose, waving a hand in front of his face as the mingled scents of various perfumes wafted from the letters. "Do women really love to douse their letters in perfume? I mean... come on. My nose is killing me."
Essex-12, engrossed in her own mail, commented, "Yes, women really did put perfume in their letters back in those days. Now, everyone just sends messages on the Internet—Damn it! Why am I always being mentioned as Carrier-God damn it!"
Laffey-200 grumbled from her corner, "God damn it! All of them are telling me to go to the same place where the previous letter mentioned this specific place. Now this letter is also asking me to go to this place."
"Wouldn't that make it easy for you? I mean... you could date them all in one place. You wouldn't have to move from place to place," Essex-12 suggested.
"Do you think I'm going out there to go on dates... huh! I'll go out there to find trouble!"
"Good luck with that. How are you going to tell these girls? Are you just going to straight-up reject them?"
"Yeah..."
"Good luck, Marine," she said with a mock salute.
...
Academy Research Lab
William hurried into the room and made his way to where Adm. Nimitz, Cmdr. Thomas, and Langley were gathered.
"Sorry I'm late. I overslept last night," he said, his voice carrying a note of urgency.
"No, you're just in time. We only entered this room seconds ago," Adm. Nimitz reassured him.
"Hey! Don't ignore me... I'm still here, you know... HAHAHA!"
They all turned towards the voice and saw the blindfolded Siren head, still rambling nonsensically. It had been speaking incoherently ever since its recovery from the wreckage of the Siren Main Building at the forward operating base in the Southern Pacific.
"So... I'm assuming this is Purifier?" William asked, pointing at the disembodied head.
"According to our records, she is Purifier," Langley confirmed, adjusting her glasses.
"What's with the name 'Purifier'? She's not exactly going around purifying everything that is evil," William commented.
"We call her that because every time the Sirens make mistakes or any kind of failure that could reveal their weaknesses, they send her to clean up those messes. She's the one who 'cleanses' it," Adm. Nimitz explained.
William nodded in understanding. "Alright... you can leave us here. I'll handle her."
"Are you sure you can handle her?" Cmdr. Thomas asked, concerned about leaving William alone with the Siren head.
"Yes. I'll be alright. Besides... it's just a talking head," he said with a hint of humor.
Langley nodded to the two officers. Adm. Nimitz and Cmdr. Thomas, along with their security detail, left William and Langley alone in the room with the Siren head.
William removed the blindfold covering the Siren's eyes, getting straight to the point. "Can you tell us about the other Elite-Sirens and Arbiters? And the whereabouts of the rest of the Siren Bases?"
"~Okay... I'll tell you~" Purifier replied.
"That was easy," William remarked.
"Wait, what???" Langley exclaimed in surprise, not expecting such easy cooperation.
"Look into my eye, and I'll tell you," Purifier insisted.
"Okay, then..."
"William, NO!" Langley tried to stop him, but William was already staring directly into Purifier's eyes.
Purifier grinned, believing she had him under her control. But then, William swiftly pulled out a spray bottle and proceeded to spray her directly in the eyes with water.
Purifier shrieked in pain as both of her eyeballs turned bright red from the water. She thrashed around on the table, despite being only a head.
"My eye, my eye! My eye!" Purifier screamed in agony.
Langley simply stared at him, a dumbfounded expression plastered across her face. She hadn't expected him to stare into the eyes of an Elite-Siren and not be immediately hypnotized.
"H-How???" was the only word she could manage in response to his seemingly reckless stunt.
"You think I'd fall for that just because I'm a man? Think again," William said, twirling the spray bottle like a gun.
"What was that! I said I would tell you if you looked into my eye!" Purifier insisted.
William countered, "If I told you to look down the barrel of a gun, would you do it?"
"HAHAHA, of course not! What am I... stupid?" Purifier retorted.
"Same goes for me. I will not look directly into your eyes."
Purifier tried again to hypnotize him, this time staring intently into his eyes. William responded by spraying her face with water once more.
This absurd interaction continued until noon, Purifier's face constantly wet from the repeated squirts of water from William's spray bottle.
"Had enough?" William asked. "We can continue this kind of stupidity until nightfall."
"HAHAHA. I can do this all day," Purifier replied with a playful tone.
"Okay then."
(Psst the link is here)
On the other side of the room, Adm. Nimitz and Cmdr. Thomas watched the entire ridiculous scene through the one-way mirror. William was casually squirting water at the decapitated Siren head, while Purifier desperately tried to hypnotize him.
The two naval officers observed this "interrogation" as if they were watching a bizarre cartoon show, utterly bewildered by the silliness of it all.
Cmdr. Thomas took off his cap and rubbed his eyes, trying to comprehend the goofiness he was witnessing. "How long are we going to watch this? I mean, it's been an hour since we started this 'interrogation'," he said, his voice laced with frustration.
"You can take a break if you want. The base needs its Commander. Leave this matter to me. Get some rest, Commander," Adm. Nimitz suggested.
"Yeah... all this Siren stuff really makes my head hurt," Cmdr. Thomas admitted, rubbing his forehead.
"By the way, Commander, I heard from Enterprise that she hasn't seen you around much lately. Most of the staff said you were out on leave."
This question caused Cmdr. Thomas to break out in a noticeable sweat. He used his cap as a makeshift fan to cool his brow, breathing erratically at the mention of Enterprise's name.
Adm. Nimitz noticed his odd behavior. "Are you alright, Commander?"
"Y-Yeah! I'm alright, I'm... just tired... that's all," he stammered.
Adm. Nimitz suspected he had been rejected by her. Enterprise-80 had confided in him about the Commander's advances, and it had even been recorded. She was simply concerned about the Commander's well-being after the rejection.
Without wasting any more time, Cmdr. Thomas quickly excused himself and headed towards the Commanders' Quarters. As he hurried through the base hallway, he accidentally bumped into someone, jolting him from his preoccupied thoughts. He looked up to see who he had collided with.
He was surprised to find Enterprise-6 standing before him in the hallway. Enterprise-6 looked at him, a confused expression on her face at the distress so clearly etched on the Commander's features.
"Umm... Are you alright, Commander?" she asked, genuinely worried about his health.
Cmdr. Thomas experienced a brief panic attack as the image of Enterprise-80 wearing Enterprise-6' cloths flashed through his mind, like a persistent ghost.
"Commander?"
Cmdr. Thomas snapped out of his momentary hallucination, Enterprise-6's voice finally registering. Like a startled "Sonic the Hedgehog," Cmdr. Thomas vanished in a blur, quickly darting past her.
Cmdr. Thomas seemingly activated a warp drive, leaving Enterprise-6 standing in his dust.
Enterprise-6 stood there in a daze as the Commander seemingly evaporated into thin air. She blinked, utterly stunned by his sudden burst of speed. "What...????" she muttered, completely bewildered.
Cmdr. Thomas reached his quarters and slammed the door shut, locking it as if a phantom were hot on his heels. If only he could barricade it and chain it shut, he might finally feel secure.
He slowly calmed himself down, staring intently at the closed door. He then sank onto his bed, the frantic beating of his own heart audible in the sudden silence of the room.
He slumped back against the pillows and stared blankly at the ceiling. His mind reeled from the rapid succession of events, his head and heart struggling to process everything. Exhaustion finally claimed him, and he drifted into a troubled sleep.
'I'm stupid! I should have known the difference between the two.'
...
At The Harbor
Lucas and Essex-12 strolled along the harbor, observing the diverse array of World War II-era warships docked alongside their modern counterparts as Lucas made his way to his own ship.
They were greeted by Essex-9, still clad in her police uniform, her face a tired and contorted mask of anger and anxiety.
"Morning, old hag. What's with the face?" Essex-12 casually inquired.
"Look here, dumbass. I've only had a few hours of sleep. Can you at least not make my life miserable by daybreak? I have a stack of complaints on my desk about those Commanders you left crying," Essex-9 snapped.
"You did that... huh," Lucas muttered, a hint of amusement in his voice.
"I guess they can't handle rejection as well as a break-up," Essex-12 quipped. "Sorry if you had to babysit those grown children."
"Another complaint and I'm throwing you in jail," Essex-9 declared, brandishing a pair of handcuffs.
Bunker Hill-17 cut in, her voice flat, "That's the fifth this week and the first this morning."
"You'll never do it," Intrepid added confidently.
"Fine! Then I'll have to arrest you too!" Essex-9 retorted, stepping towards Intrepid.
"You have no warrant," Essex-12 pointed out with a smirk.
"Oh... I don't need such papers to put you behind bars."
"Gotta go," Essex-12 said, suddenly darting off.
"Don't you dare run away from me!" Essex-9 bellowed, giving chase.
"Catch me if you can, old hag!" Essex-12 taunted the pursuing Essex-9. Intrepid also joined the chase, a mischievous glint in her eyes.
The sight of a Marine being chased by two Police Officers was nothing new to those familiar with the often-contentious relationship between the Marines and the base police.
(Two Essex chases one another.)
( Link ) ( https://youtu.be/rAWD6Jxbz3w )
"Those two potato heads," Bunker Hill-17 muttered, watching the chaotic chase unfold across the harbor and over fences.
"Good to know they still follow the same lineage," Lucas commented, nodding towards Bunker Hill-17.
"Better catch those two before this madness reaches the Chief of Police's desk," she said, then abruptly sprinted off in pursuit.
Lucas watched her go, impressed by her speed. "Damn, even her. I guess it really does run in the family," he remarked, recalling Bunker Hill-76's own surprising agility after witnessing the carrier vault over a fence.
He continued along the harbor until he was greeted by one of the rookie Commanders who challenged him to a bucket challenge – a repeat of the scene where he had famously downed an entire bucket of mixed alcohol.
"What's with the commotion?" Cmdr. Timmy asked, approaching him.
Lucas quickly turned his head. "Son of a bitch! You're alive!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"Well... I'm here, so I am alive," Cmdr. Timmy replied, a little taken aback by Lucas's outburst.
Lucas then remembered something about their previous wager. "Where's my five-dollar bet? I finished that challenge in time, before Maya barged in and ruined the party."
"You mean your girlfriend?" Cmdr. Timmy asked, a knowing smirk on his face.
"What girlfriend? I don't have any girlfriend!" Lucas exclaimed, his tone defensive.
"Bro, it's been the gossip all over the base and the mainland about you and her," Cmdr. Timmy said, pointing at him.
Lucas's expression turned serious. "Who spread that shit rumor?"
"It's been on the news lately. Maybe the press had something to do with it," Cmdr. Timmy said with a shrug.
Lucas ran a frustrated hand over his face. "This is why I hate the media. They always exaggerate everything and downplay real news just to sell their biased garbage to any dumbass who's gullible enough to believe it."
"Damn..." was the only word Cmdr. Timmy could muster in response to Lucas's sudden outburst.
A few moments later, Lucas had calmed down, realizing he had startled his new acquaintance who hadn't witnessed his sudden anger before.
Cmdr. Timmy spoke, attempting to divert his attention. "Hey, can you help me hit on one of the Sakura Empire Shipgirls over there?" He gestured towards a section of the pier where a group of Sakura Empire Shipgirls had gathered.
Lucas looked in the direction he was pointing. "Okay, who's this shipgirl you want to hit on?"
"That one." He pointed to a specific shipgirl with white hair wearing a white kimono. "I've been seeing her around the base lately... can you help me talk to her?"
"Wise choice," Lucas said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
At the harbor, the Sakura Empire Shipgirls were gathered, chatting amongst themselves about their interactions with the Modern Kansens and the Azur Lane shipgirls.
Takao commented, "I can't believe how much the whole base has changed since the last time we were here."
"Yeah... many of the rules that seemed ridiculous to us are now gone, and the situation here has definitely improved," Shoukaku agreed, idly fiddling with her flute as the gentle breeze majestically rustled her hair.
"Thanks to the Modern Kansen's intervention, all those silly rules were changed," Atago added, perched on one of the bollards at the pier.
"Nee-san, do you think I can challenge Grey Ghosto again?" Zuikaku asked, her competitive spirit evident.
"No. The last time you challenged her, an entire operation was put on hold because you and Enterprise were injured. And don't even think about asking the other Enterprise for a duel... the last time you did that, your bottom got electrocuted," Shoukaku scolded her sister for her persistent desire to duel both Enterprises.
Zuikaku had previously challenged Enterprise-80 to a duel, only to have her backside zapped by a taser. Enterprise-80 had fired the taser from behind, turning the whole incident into a comical spectacle as Zuikaku's rear end stuck out awkwardly while she was being electrocuted.
"But Nee-san, I just want to spar—"
"No buts! I'm done with your ridiculous excuses. You are not allowed to ask either of them for a duel. Again!" Shoukaku declared, her frustration finally bubbling to the surface.
Zuikaku slumped in dejection, a visible pout forming on her face.
"I also heard that Lucas-san is always involved in every brawl whenever a woman is being harassed by some perverts. Is that true?" Cruiser Maya inquired.
"Essex-san said that's just how Marines are; they always look for trouble, or trouble finds them, or they just become the problem themselves," Takao replied.
Lucas and Cmdr. Timmy slowly approached the group of Sakura Empire Shipgirls as they continued their conversation.
"Are you sure this will get her attention?" Cmdr. Timmy asked, sounding uncertain about the line Lucas had coached him to say in front of the specific shipgirl.
"Yes, I am absolutely certain this will get her attention," Lucas said, a suppressed smile playing on his lips.
Cmdr. Timmy looked at him with suspicion, a nagging feeling that this was going to ruin his chances with the Sakura Empire Shipgirl. "Riiiiight..."
Lucas nudged him forward. "Hey, we're here. Now go... make me proud," he said with a mischievous grin.
The Sakura Empire Shipgirls noticed their approach. Atago, Takao, and Cruiser Maya, with their keen hearing, had overheard their conversation from a distance.
Cmdr. Timmy nervously walked towards Shoukaku and proceeded to deliver the line that Lucas had instructed him to say.
"Boku no chin chin wa chiisai."
He said it in fluent Japanese, leaving the Sakura Empire Shipgirls stunned and dumbfounded. Atago and Zuikaku struggled to contain their laughter.
Shoukaku was utterly speechless and bewildered that this man had just said that to her in fluent Japanese.
"Nani???" was the only word she could manage, her surprise evident.
"Did I say it wrong?" he asked, wondering if he had butchered their language, given their stunned reactions.
Lucas, unable to contain himself any longer, burst into uncontrollable laughter, collapsing onto the concrete ground, tears streaming down his face. He hadn't expected Cmdr. Timmy to deliver the line in perfect Japanese; he had anticipated the usual stammering and awkwardness that most men displayed when facing a Japanese beauty.
"HAHAHA! You certainly got their attention now, my friend! HAHAHA!"
Cmdr. Timmy, his face flushed with embarrassment, rushed towards Lucas, grabbing him by the shirt. "What is the meaning of that word? Tell me!" he demanded.
Zuikaku, doubled over with laughter, rolled on the concrete ground. "HaHaHaHa! He's trying to flirt with you, Nee-san..."
Atago spoke up, a playful smirk on her face. "It means..." she then raised her right pinky finger. "You have a small Winnie."
The Sakura Empire Shipgirls erupted in laughter, finally unable to suppress their amusement. Cmdr. Timmy was now thoroughly mortified.
"Dude! What the actual Fuck!"
"You said you wanted to get her attention. Well, you've got it," Lucas said, pointing towards Shoukaku.
"See...?"
The rookie Commander looked at Shoukaku. She was having the laugh of her life. This was the first time someone had elicited such a reaction from her.
He released his grip on Lucas's shirt and straightened his clothes, attempting to salvage his dignity. Lucas, adjusting his own rumpled shirt, spoke to Shoukaku. "My friend here wanted to talk to you, Shoukaku-san," he gestured to Cmdr. Timmy's side.
He nudged the rookie Commander in the ribs. "Come on, say something. She's waiting."
Cmdr. Timmy, still mortified, struggled to find the words to speak in front of the laughing Sakura Empire shipgirls. "Umm... How do I...?"
Lucas gestured for the rest of the Sakura Empire shipgirls to follow him, leaving Shoukaku and Cmdr. Timmy alone to give them some space to talk.