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Chapter Text

In the outskirts of a small town during the hours of the night that blanketed the surrounding woods, a lone cathedral quietly stood.

The silence of the cathedral marked the end of a climatic conflict. An eternal war that was never ending found some semblance of resolution on that bloody night.

Dawn was soon to approach, bathing the woods, cathedral, and town with the safety of radiant daylight. Where no nightly creature held any authority. However, in this precipice of change before the dawn, a story of personal stakes had reached its conclusion within the cathedral.

A great blow had been struck against the creatures of the night as the vampiric lords lay dead and fatally cold upon the bloody stone flooring of the cathedral.

Amongst the ranks—Belfast, the vampire maid and envoy of the covenant of vampires lay upon a pool of her own blood with a stake piercing her chest. She violently coughed blood, disturbing the silence that hung. "Curse you. You abhorrent woman. Vampire... Hunter!" She bellowed her angry words throughout the cathedral with all her hate. If she wasn't on the verge of death with her powers slipping like water through a puncture, she could have shattered glass at full strength.

The booming nature of her words did shake the ground slightly and it brought back the far-off gaze of a pink-haired woman dressed in hunter-victorian-style clothing. The hunter alone was the one that brought death upon the vampires, only suffering wounds that impaired her mobility and nothing seriously fatal. She was a few feet away from the dying vampire maid while clutching a pale glasses-wearing woman that was lying on the floor.

She and the pale woman lay at the center of the cathedral, where the stained glass windows would soon greet the approaching sunrise that would shine an iridescent glow within the walls of blood and death.

The vampire hunter continued to soothe the pale and unconscious woman in her care. Her eyes darted to the vile vampire maid and the two exchanged an icy glare.

"You're done, head maid of the Royal Blood. Your family will never again devour upon another town ever again. The people of Avon Shores can sleep soundly knowing that you, your queen, and fellow knights are no more."

The realization broke the dying vampire maid. To her right and near a shattered throne, the remains of her queen, who was nothing but a pile of ash and scorch marks on the ground remained.

The blood knights, her kin, were all staked and lying dead around her. Ark Royal, Illustrious, Dido, Sirius, and Sheffield, were all disposed of with the skillful work of a seasoned hunter with more luck than their mortal flesh should've held. The only reason she was still breathing was because of her pitiful dying sister that was the pale woman in the arms of the vampire hunter. That pale woman who had tried to save her at the last second, caused the hunter to deliver a sloppy stab of the stake upon her. Though sloppy, it was still fatal.

She coughed again, her chest hurting unimaginably with blood dripping from the side of her mouth. "Vampire Hunter... I would curse your wounds to be fatal and that you die a slow and agonizing death, but that's too good for you. No..." She let out a manic giggle, looking at the pale woman that was her sister with sadistic glee. "You already have a curse of your very own. To have fallen for one of us. Tell me, did you save my sister's soul? What good is your victory in the dark if the one you have fallen for cannot come into the light when it's time to depart?"

The vampire hunter mournfully exposed her pained feelings to her enemy amidst the grunts brought upon her physical wounds.

She enjoyed seeing the hunter in her distraught state, that’s all she had left. "My sister, Edinburgh, is far too weak for this world, even as a vampire. Khhh... you ruined everything! Avon Shores was supposed to be her sacrifice to the blood ritual to elevate her into a lord like the rest of us. You ruined it all. Now bask in the entropy of knowing that she no longer has a future."

The angered frown from the vampire hunter diminished into a tired one. "That's where you're wrong. Edinburgh is far stronger than you, your queen, or any other creature of the night. In my life, I never witnessed a creature who has fought against her primal urges and retained her humanity. Amongst your wicked family’s pressure, she remained sure of her ideals."

She gazed at the vampire hunter with disgusting mockery. "Yes... my sister. Weak to the very end as she couldn't even decisively let me go. Instead, she had to make my death more agonizing because of her weak change of heart. Do you approve that she tried to save me?" She said with a wicked smile.

The pink-haired woman closed her eyes in acceptance. "That's not for me to judge if she wished to save her sister who bathes in the blood of her victims—who lets loose reanimated zombies against the young girls of Avon Shores. The same sister who has spent her waking moments of life making her feel like dirt. No... that's not for me to judge. In the end, she wished to save your soul."

Belfast sneered at her venomously with unrivaled revulsion. "My soul burned away long ago, and so did hers. What humanity she tried to salvage was the light of a dead star from long ago. Vampire Hunter—no, Seydlitz. May your hunter bloodline see its end to a pack of ghouls, vampires, or even wraiths one day." With a final glare at the hunter who vanquished her kind, she ultimately slumped to the floor, releasing her final breath.

The vampire hunter was emotionally drained on equal measures as the wounds on her body. She tried to stand up to help drag the unconscious vampire that still held a heart, yet her body would not respond. On her right leg, she had a puncture wound and her waist side had a brutal claw slash courtesy of the Vampire Queen's right hand, Warspite.

The head injury that stained her pink hair with crimson blood started to throb and rattled her head like a broom against a cage. Her hat, adorned with a stylish red feather from a demonic bird had been lost in the heat of battle. While it meant a lot to her, she couldn’t drum up the desire to search for it now. Nothing else mattered except making sure the woman in her arms survived the coming sunshine.

Her sword, forged in the fires of the holy church's crucible was completely ruined after challenging the nightmarish toy manifestations of the vampire Dido. They were massive bears in a variety of dark colors and brandishing sharp claws and teeth that would break the sanity of any average human. At the end of that dance was her skewering the darkness-corroded blade into Dido’s heart.

Her hunter outfit was in bad shape, making it more in line with her dark pink cape that originally appeared worn and ripped. It hardly phased her just like her missing hat and damaged weaponry. Reaching a heavy and bloody hand upon the cheek of the sleeping vampire, she softened her face. "Edinburgh, you need to wake up. I can't... I can't let it end this way."

The plan of lowering the bounded field around the cathedral had gone off without error, but Edinburgh still lived as detaching from the blood ritual while simultaneously canceling the field should have killed her. If it had, it would have been that, and the hunter would mourn for a second before carrying out the final wish of the vampire she’d grown to respect and more. The reality and what could have been a possibility became true. It was both hope and a horrible twist of fate. Edinburgh had survived which meant that the hunter needed to add her to the list of victims her stakes would reap that night. It was what Edinburgh wanted if she survived the canceling of the field.

She promised she would kill her if she survived but in the deepest corners of Seydlitz’s mind, it was no longer desirable as it brought strength and focus that further fueled her hellish battle with the vampire nest.

With the threat of the hostile vampires eradicated, Seydlitz clutched the now-remembered necklace around her neck. It was a black shiny vial in the shape of a cross and a red old ribbon wrapped at the center. Gold detailing etched across the black surface made it uniquely stand out.

The woman under her stirred via a chorus of soft moans that sparked joy on the bloody face of the hunter.

“Seydlitz...?" Edinburgh roamed her hazy gaze across the chaos and destruction that surrounded the only two remaining witnesses of the vampire massacre. Survivor's guilt weighed heavy on her dead heart, eating away at her with a sharpness only found in a nighthound's jagged teeth. "Why am I still alive? This wasn't part of the deal. You need to kill me, too. You owe me that much!" Agony morphed her face, and she clutched the hunter. The canceling of the field and ritual left her weak so her strength couldn't outright tear the hunter apart, but she didn't desire that even at this point. However, with her weakened state, the smell of blood that lingered temptingly around the hunter was too much. Her restraint was failing her, and the bloodlust was reaching her eyes.

Trepidation and hunger revealed her desire to bite the neck of the hunter, and yet, Seydlitz refuse to release her.

The pink-haired hunter smiled grimly at her. "Yes, we did make a skewered deal that benefited me more than you. I'm sorry if you hate me for robbing what little gain you had, but I couldn't go through with it anymore. When I witnessed you saved those girls from the reanimated dead, I did indeed still had no compunctions in killing you. Despite you never killing anyone and only taking what essential blood you needed to survive, it was a foregone conclusion that you would one day kill. That blood would be on my hands If I didn't stop you."

Edinburgh's eyes grew moist with tears that held nothing back. "Then why deprive me of my wish? I promised you a way past the bounded field to kill us all. To save the townspeople from the blight that my family had imposed. I betrayed the murderers that were my family but that still doesn't absolve me of what I am! All of us need to be dead, Including me."

The vampire hysterically roamed her hands all over the wounded body of the hunter. Pain and discomfort followed suit from all her various injuries, yet she still blushed from Edinburgh's touch.

"You must have one dagger or stake remaining— a crossbow bolt?! Perhaps poisonous herbs against us?" Questioned the mad ramblings of the surviving vampire.

Seydlitz muster the strength to keep her away— much to her racing heart that she was sure Edinburgh could hear. "I'm all tapped out. I got nothing left under my belt, boots, or sleeves. My sword met its end from its final strike and my chain whip dagger met the same fate when facing off against Warspite."

Edinburgh whimpered and slumped her body in defeat. "Then... let me burn. Dawn is approaching, so just stop holding me, or else the flames of my body will consume you too."

Seydlitz lowered her head, feeling utterly useless. She genuinely wished to save the vampire, yet the dawn was coming and aside from moving a few feet away, she couldn’t outrun the sunshine.

At that crucial moment, she clutched her necklace once again that held the path forward and the words of her mother filled her head. In a whisper, she spoke to herself. "Mother... I now understand what you meant about relinquishing our heirloom not out of forfeit but for the heart." With her heart steadfast and true, she yanked the necklace away from her neck, and with a bloody hand, she pulled the gold seal that rested at the top of the cross.

Edinburgh reacted to the sudden flurry of movements, and she soon felt the hunter's hand around her jaw. A sad smile of joy flashed across the hunter who looked on the verge of tears. "Edinburgh, forgive me. Here you've been seeking an escape from your nightmare through only death, but I had the answer to your blight this whole time. No more, walk with me into the light!" She forced the vampire's mouth open and poured a mysterious fluorescent blue substance from the vial down her throat.

The vampire's blue eyes widened, and she tore herself away from the grip of the hunter. An explosion of pain erupted from her dead heart which felt hot and sharp. Not two seconds went by until she felt her body seizing up as a response that caused her to convulse on the stone floor.

The vampire hunter with bated breath, stood silent in the eerie room of the cathedral, watching it all play out. The dreaded anticipation similar to watching a drowning victim being saved and waiting for them to resurface caused her a lot of emotional distress. Her sapphire blue eyes grew watery and like a flash of light through her despair, Edinburgh stopped and sucked in a huge breath. Her piercing scream filled the cathedral and all the vampire hunter could do was clutch her with all her might.

Hope replaced despair. She never once believed that her family had served her a plate full of lies when it came to her heirloom. Seeing the works of the old liquid that had never left that vial filled her with joy. "Edinburgh! Stay with me, you deserve happiness at the end of this nightmare!"

The shouts of pain stopped and the vampire disorientingly moaned softly while feeling like she was in a state of dreaming.

Dawn brook through the stained glass windows of the cathedral like a focused beam of light, advancing upon them like a wall. She felt decisive in her actions as a minute too late would have made everything pointless.

The light bathed them in its warmth and the vampire hunter smiled upward. A face full of love, devotion, and joy was all that remained. The woman in her arms stirred and the hazy eyes of Edinburgh weakly gazed up at her.

"Miss Seydlitz? What did you do? What is this feeling?" It felt nice, nicer than resting near the hearth of a crackling fire.

"It's the sun. The source of all life and vanquisher of the darkness."

The glasses-wearing woman acknowledged the rays of sunshine by throwing her head back as best as she could while still being held by the hunter. "The sun? It's been so long since I've felt it upon my skin." The once-forbidden rays of sunshine that could burn her into ash soaked her body from head to toe. Her mind swam in a seemingly endless river of bliss that made her forget all that she ever feared from the giant ball of fire.

The haziness cleared and her rationality returned. Her synapsis fired in reactive terror of what she was feeling and how it was even possible quickly hit her like a truck. "Wait a minute! I should be burned into a pile of fire and ash."

Seydlitz could not help herself from seeing how animated and sweet the genuine actions of the former vampire were. A string of pained chuckles flowed out. "There's nothing to fear anymore, Edinburgh. The curse of vampirism no longer cages your soul and flesh."

She was human. The realization swept through her whole body, a full numbing sensation of disbelief and hopeful anxiety for the future. If the rays that soaked them both weren't enough, the bloody sight of the vampire hunter was the proverbial nail in the coffin. The crimson liquid that drenched the hunter smelled bitterly strong and metallic. What once smelled something akin to the sweetest fruit now no longer held the same meaning.

This feeling of elation dwindled significantly as she hung her head, unable to keep basking in the joy of humanity restored while she knowingly orchestrated the defeat of her vampire sisters. They were monsters in the end, but so was she, and they were family above all else. That’s why it pained her so much.

Seydlitz frowned guiltily and shifted her body to ease the pressures of her knees. She ultimately dropped beside the former vampire and basked in the sun from the stained glass windows.

"The vampire lineage is truly dead now, milady. You're a creature of the night no more." She held up the empty black vial to let it shimmer in the light like a pearl. "This heirloom has been in my family for many generations. My mother wore it during her vampire slaying days and her mother wore it before her. It's always been passed down to the eldest child that takes on the wet work of hunting what lurks in the night. None have ever used it, a testament to our efficiency to safeguard those around us as well as ourselves. The old liquid whose origins have been lost to time could only purify the tainted blood of a supernatural creature only once. My mother had told me to keep this close to me. This is our strength and our history. If I ever become the thing I hunt, the comfort that it isn't the end always eased me. While I might use this on myself, she told me that I could relinquish this for the heart of another."

The words hung heavy over Edinburgh, seeing the hunter in a new light. "For another? You used something both precious and priceless on me... why?"

The vampire hunter turned to her; her eyes moist with joyful tears. "Because I've fallen under your charm, milady. Not your vampire charm but your human charm."

Blood rushed to her face and her heart boomed fiercely. Two human qualities passed through her body like searing fire.  She had long since forgotten this feeling, yet it flowed naturally to her like breathing. "What's with all this milady mumbo jumbo!?" She buried her face between the hunter's chest while delivering light smacks to her body.

Seydlitz laughed through the pain that she somewhat deserved. "Well, you're not a vampire anymore of course. I… I’m sorry for the things I called you in the beginning. Woman of the night, blood devil, husk walker, and… well, my point’s been made," she said somberly.

All those names Seydlitz had called her had never cut deep enough to hurt. How could they hurt when she had called those names to herself for centuries? There was no part of her heart that could genuinely argue with the hunter that restored her humanity. "Seydlitz, I... I... Yes, the vampire lineage is dead." She said, feeling free and teary-eyed.

This vampire hunter had used a sacred and old liquid, that was now useless, to cure her of her vampirism. It was wasted on her in truth, wasted against any creature of the night that dared to take the life of another when the hunter could have used it on herself.

In the warmth of the sun that she hadn't felt for so long, she kissed the vampire hunter, responding to her feelings in equal measure.

(End)

A wave of emotional sounds filled the stands around the scene that the audience had witnessed. What was believed to be a cathedral was realistically a set piece from a stage fueled by a splash of imagination when needed. One couldn't be blamed for not noticing this critical fact as the immersion from the actors had captured the hearts and minds of the audience.

The spotlight that acted as the source of the sun that pierced through the stained glass window above turned off, and another light was cast on a silver-haired woman standing on top of a stage tower. Prinz Eugen while wearing torn clothing and greenish make-up that sold her portrayal as one of the zombies that had been used earlier began to narrate.

"Seydlitz, the Vampire Hunter. What was once Edinburgh’s sworn enemy had become her avenging angel that razed her wicked Royal Blood family. They had made an unholy deal that she would help the hunter get past the bounded field around the cathedral to kill her family if she also killed her with the others. Yet, the hunter grew a silent agony to her wishes when love struck her fast and true."

A blonde beside the Iron Blood made her presence known as Wales. Even though she wasn't part of the play, she donned a gothic vampire costume as she proceeded to read the next line. "Her death was always a foregone conclusion. To live with her family invited death and to live without them invited death. She was no more than a dreg compared to her family's status resulting from her never indulging in blood as they had done. While conflicted, she wished to make her family happy and be with them but not out of the expense of people's lives. They moved to Avon Shores to perform a blood ritual to elevate Edinburgh into a higher being. For that to happen, they needed to sacrifice the town with a blood spell that would drain them all. Refusing her family wasn't an option as they would force her. She would then lose the remaining fraction of humanity she still had.”

Eugen took the next set of sentences, giving her girlfriend a playful thumbs up. "She then concluded to kill herself to spare the town but then, her family would probably still kill them out of sport. That's when she met the vampire hunter, Seydlitz. An enemy that showed her mercy after saving a group of lost girls in the woods from reanimated zombies unleashed by her wicked sister, Belfast. Their journey has come to an end with Edinburgh now human for the first time in over five centuries. Their love from this point on… well, that’s for a different story. Hopefully a lot less bloody."

The audience erupted once again with a wave of joy and cheers from the amazing play that had been hosted that evening.

"Heck yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" Shouted a random Eagle Union shipgirl from the sea of countless girls.

"It had both drama, action, love, and a happy ending!" Shouted one shipgirl from the Sakura Empire within the crowd.

"It needed more blood and pyrotechnics!" Shouted an Iron Blood shipgirl from the crowd.

"Marvelous! Could you imagine if Queen Elizabeth actually got incinerated like that, or how Miss Belfast was stabbed?" Shouted a Royal Navy shipgirl from within the crowd.

Both Seydlitz and Edinburgh stood back up, seemingly uninjured, while the spotlight from before shined down on them. From behind them, the stage crew and actors came together to take a bow for their hard work. Warspite, Ark Royal, Dido, Sirius, Illustrious, and Sheffield had taken a curtsy bow behind the main characters. Dashing across the stage from the left, Queen Elizabeth, in her vampire outfit, opulently basked in the warm praises of her fellow servants.

“It is I! Did you all think I would burn that easily and fast? Worry not for there was a trap door that I safely dived into when the pyro effects ostensibly engulfed my body!”

Eugen frowned from up top and held a remote in her hands. “Yeah, kind of like this, your Majesty!” She sweetly stated. The button pressed and the trap door that the queen had carelessly rested on opened again. Only the frantic yelps from the royal queen could be heard, quickly turning faint.

“Eugen!” Sighed Wales with a head shake.

A playful giggle resounded from the zombie-dressed heavy cruiser. "This concludes our naval port Halloween play. Courtesy of the wonderful mind of Wales and myself."

A distant booing resounded from a group of Northern Parliament shipgirls that uplifted a vein from the heavy cruiser. “What kind of kiss was that at the end?”

"Who said that?!" Comedically shouted Eugen, giving random shipgirls dagger stares.

From behind the crowd of stage crew and actors, Belfast was the one to get up from the floor lastly. A sisterly gaze acknowledged the hard work of her older sister. She removed the fake stake from her chest and basked in the joy of a successful play.

The presence of someone behind her made her smile softly, knowing who it was. "Enterprise, so how was my acting? If I have to be honest... my face hurts for making such a vile face," she humbly stated to her girlfriend that smiled back at her.

Enterprise went in for a hug, the hug feeling like those given to ones that had been away for far too long. It had thrown the maid off, yet she quickly let herself reciprocate it. "You were a natural, but that's not surprising considering you have a knack for hitting things out of the park."

Belfast giggled softly and fell into the hug from her girlfriend. The praise always felt wonderful when it came from her girlfriend, and it motivated her to always commit to her tasks.

"Hey, what’s this now?!" They both turned to see Enterprise's sister approaching them with a grin plastered on her face. "Sis is trying to act all cool in front of her girlfriend?”

"Hornet!" Blurted the ace carrier, her face turning crimson from what had happened not too long ago that she would have preferred it stay secret.

Hornet's playful antics could not be stopped. "Jeez, Essex and I had to hold her down when she saw Seydlitz stab you in the chest with that collapsible stake. She was even biting her nails when you were delivering that vindictive speech."

The mental image of seeing Enterprise acting overly protective was blissful to the light cruiser. "Oh, darling. It was all pretend,” she said, blushing madly nonetheless.

Enterprise pouted and composed what little dignity she had left. "I know but at the moment, I was swept up in the theatrics."

"Well, that means we did a good job." Belfast turned back to her sister, and she caught a glimpse of a detail that was lost amongst the celebratory congratulations from the other actors. Every now and then, her sister would gaze at her Iron Blood co-star with a heavenly blush while they dished out autographs from the audience members that approached them.

Mirroring her own experience, she only ever did such a blush when relating to her girlfriend Enterprise. There was chemistry in the air between her sister and Seydlitz. As her duty of being the only one of the two in a relationship and the younger sister, a switch flicked inside her.

With a dumbfounded look that turned enlightened, Enterprise let out a series of hums, voicing her concern. "Bel, you have that look all of a sudden. The one that says that I have a goal and nothing else will dare get in the way."

The bloodied head maid reacted to her lover's observation and exchanged a look that told she wanted Enterprise to understand. "Yes, look over there, Ent-Ent. Don't you see the romantic tension between them?"

Enterprise squinted and made an unsure face. "Well... maybe with your sister. Yes, that look she has reminded me of the way I saw you—acting unsure and captivated at the same time. But Seydlitz doesn't look like she..." She spoke too soon as when the Iron Blood turned her head, she softened her eyes toward a distracted Edinburgh who had been swarmed by a group of destroyer girls from the Royal Navy.

"Oh!" Replied the Eagle carrier, pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. A hand hooked around her neck and Hornet intensely checked out the situation like her sister.

"You know, I found their kiss delivery to be so-so, but oh baby, I haven't seen sexual tension like that since..." From behind the blonde, a pale hand reached toward her ear and yanked it something fierce.

The blonde cowgirl recoiled, her gaze turning toward a head of silver hair and shrine maiden robes. The icy stare containing a mole under her left eye held Hornet in a trance. "Anata! I swear...  I can't go five seconds without leaving you alone until you say something so brazenly uncouth, Hornet."

The blonde carrier grinned goofily and pretended to feign ignorance. "Baby... moon pie, I think you heard me wrong. Isn't that right, sis?"

Like a dear caught in headlights or someone being between a rock and a hard place, the eagle ace didn't know how to respond. She hated to lie but she also wanted to save her sister from her girlfriend’s ire.

Enterprise made her decision and went for it. "S-Shoukaku, umm..." The events of their relationship were still developing, bringing happiness that she hadn't seen in Hornet. While she had mixed feelings, her younger sister's happiness mattered more even if their relationship appeared within the realms of playful abusiveness.

Belfast with a straight-man attitude struck first. "She did indeed say the shameful comment that you overheard, but it isn't without its merits. My sister and Miss Seydlitz have a certain chemistry. Seeing it now, it further overjoys me that I made the right decision of switching roles with her."

Shoukaku and Hornet blinked a few times until they both recoiled in shock, ending their lover's quarrel. "Are you telling me that you were supposed to be the leading role with Seydlitz?!" They both said in stereo.

Belfast frowned and tilted her head. "Yes, is that incredibly surprising? I merely wanted my older sister to have her moment in the limelight. She studied the script to a tee like I did, and I figured that maybe different roles would be a nice change of pace."

Hornet scratched her cheek in how to word her response as she shook her head to dispel what Belfast thought. However, her girlfriend Shoukaku beat her to the punch since they were of the same mind.

"No disrespect to your capabilities to play the main role. The reason that Hornet and I were flabbergasted was that we were thinking how Enterprise would have reacted to seeing her girlfriend locking lips with another." Her pouty nature didn't go unnoticed via her words and even her body language expressed a sense of disapproval and understanding if she had been in Enterprise's shoes and seen Hornet kissing another, especially an Eagle Union.

The realization hit Belfast like a sea mine and she covered her face to hide her shock. She hadn't given it thought and by the swirly marks around Enterprise's eyes, neither did she.

"K-Kissing...?" Manically murmured the archer.

Hornet smiled, getting past her shock, and finding amusement. "Man, while a part of me wished to see that, I bet my troubles with sis back there would have looked like child's play compared to her reacting to a kiss. Sorry sis, but that's the truth."

Enterprise nervously fidgeted, unable to retort their remark. She was aware that she was overprotective of Belfast and that was something she was trying to mitigate. Ultimately, the royal was her girlfriend and not a caged bird that she owned. "I think... I would have been okay with that—it's pretend, right?"

The head maid felt elated with how mature and not insecure her girlfriend exhibited. "Yes, darling. I really only did have my sister's best interests at heart and didn't do it to avoid kissing someone else. Besides, I find it cute when you're jealous," she kissed the carrier on the cheek, and Enterprise relaxed.

"Aww, look how lovely dovey they are, Hornet. In my opinion, being jealous is a show of devotion that your flames of love still burn strong," stated the crane carrier.

Hornet opposingly let out a defiant chuckle. "Yeah, will those flames can end up burning a relationship if they spread too damn wild!"

Shoukaku pouted before aggressively clinging to the blonde. "Oh, I can't help it. When I see you flirting with those Eagle Union girls my heart gets envious. Choco pie, am I not your moon pie?" She whimpered despondently.

Hornet distressingly reddened and held her girlfriend tightly. It had been a running joke throughout the base that Enterprise's sister tends to fold when Shoukaku starts to cry. "Say what!? Shou, jeez... I'm not flirting with anyone! First of all, Cleveland is with Helena, North Hampton is a good friend, and South Carolina is just... well, she gets flirty with anyone but is harmless I tell ya!"

Enterprise and Belfast shared a synchronized series of blinks that told them they should depart soon. Overall, it was outstanding how Hornet was committed to making her relationship with the carrier ship of the Sakura Empire work.

"Enterprise, let's go to my sister so that we can properly congratulate her performance," suggested the head maid at the perfect timing.

Enterprise swallowed and nodded firmly, deciding to detach herself from the beginning stages of cutesy wordplay regurgitation from her sister and her girlfriend.

A distance away, Enterprise sighed. "I still don't know how I feel about their relationship. It feels like both of them are wrapped around each other's finger. What kind of relationship do they even have if this continues?" She then felt a firm squeeze on her hand from the head maid who turned to smile at her.

"A sturdy relationship if they accept each other's flaws," she said without a doubt. Enterprise smiled at her and moved forward, linking her arm with the light cruiser. Once they reached Edinburgh, the last set of shipgirls moved away from them.

"Hey, that was an outstanding performance," said the archer carrier.

Seydlitz and Edinburgh glanced at them and showed pleasant gratitude. The hunter was the first to speak. "You’re too kind. Working with Edinburgh was fun, and Belfast did a remarkable job, too. Although, I wish you would have thrown me a bit harder to make it more authentic."

Seydlitz's comment startled the older sister beside her. "We're not trying to injure each other here, Seydlitz. The point of a play is that it's all an act."

"If there’s anything I take pride in it’s my ability to be rather durable. I would have been fine. When my fight scene with Warspite happened, I'm sure you all could feel the heaviness of our battle. That's because I told her not to think of me as a lady but instead as an enemy going for her Queen."

The head maid was speechless and gave the hunter a look full of admiration. "Dear me, I commend you for your commitment to bringing this role to life even more. However, that's just not in me to be so rough when it's all for entertainment, Miss Seydlitz."

"Fair enough," shrugged Seydlitz.

Enterprise folded her arms with an eager smile. "I don't know. If she asked me, I'd spar around with her," added Enterprise, earning her a beaming smile from the Iron Blood.

Amongst them, Edinburgh stood shocked at the revelation that Seydlitz had actually been thrown around for real. A deep desire to grant her a back rub fueled her maid mindset along with other desires, but it wasn't her place to invade her personal space. Ultimately, they weren’t dating or even close for that matter, and yet, they had shared a kiss that needed to be done.

The cheery sound of Belfast elevated, and she raised a finger. "Miss Seydlitz, do you have any plans later night?"

Seydlitz frowned and folded her arms. "Well, not necessarily. I was going to hand out candy with Hipper and Eugen but... " She uneasily stared at Eugen who was swept up by Wales's presence. The two looked ready to head out alone and get going with what they had planned together for Halloween. It wasn't a surprise as it had been a common pattern. "... I'm sure that ship has sailed. Hipper also texted me about saying how weird it would be for just the two of us to be giving out candy. Honestly, at this point, she's off doing her own thing and might be a bit sour that Eugen ditched us for some Wales time.”

Belfast gave her a sympathetic smile but deep down her own agendas exploded with enjoyment. "That's too bad, really. But... If you have the time..."

Seydlitz pondered on what Belfast ultimately offered her. It wasn’t every day someone would invite her to do something outside the Iron Blood shipgirls she mostly kept to. A few weeks ago, she would have quickly responded with, “you wouldn’t want me around,” but perspectives had changed. She was trying to be more positive in herself and venture into doing things she wouldn’t normally do. “Gladly…” she responded with anxiety fueling her hopeful smile.

(Some time later)

Enterprise scratched her head, wondering how they had reached this conclusion. Here she stood, in the small living room of their joined dorm room with Seydlitz. Edinburgh retreated with Belfast to the only other connected room which was the sleeping area of the Navy/Union couple.

Belfast had mentioned to her that it would be rude to leave Seydlitz alone and that she needed to talk to her sister privately. So, it was up to the carrier to entertain her hunter guest.

Seydlitz respectably roamed the living room, making sure to observe and not touch anything. Her hunter outfit perfectly suited her to be searching for more extravagant places. Say, the ruins of an old bell tower. All in all, she made observing the mundane look exciting. "You must be very lucky to have your own place like this that comes with a kitchen and living room. In my dorm, I share my room with Thüringen and Elbing, but they are off base at the moment." Her eyes landed on a display case near the kitchen section full of medals and ribbons.

Enterprise truly felt grateful for her situation. "Commander Brea makes exceptions for shipgirls that are romantically involved. Since the base is always expanding and new shipgirls are coming in, she moves things around for those that won't be making too much disruption."

"Oh, how so about this disruption?" Asked Seydlitz.

It felt like it didn’t need to be spoken but the Iron Blood did look genuinely engrossed. "I'm sure you can tell. Wales and Eugen have been trying to butter her up for a room of their own but..."

Seydlitz laughed and held an enlightened hand up. "Ah, I see. Yes… I'll feel sorry for the neighbors around them if they were allowed to be together in a private setting such as this."

Enterprise amusingly agreed. "My sister and Shoukaku are trying to get their own room but it's even more complicated. Not only is Brea still deciding, but Zuikaku is also another factor."

"Zuikaku? Shoukaku's sister, right? Hmm, I feel deep sympathy for Shoukaku being pulled like a tug of the rope." On one side you have your sister with whom you’ve always been close, but now you have a significant other who has taken the same amount of space on the other side of your heart.”

Impressed was not enough to describe how she felt about the Iron Blood being in tune with those outside the usual Iron Blood circle. "Eh, I'm more with the commander on this. I just don't think Hornet and Shoukaku are quite the match for each other—don't get me wrong, I still support them by not getting in their way, but I feel like they aren't good for each other. I feel like a hypocrite because Belfast and I weren't that compatible in the beginning either."

Seydlitz frowned and felt out of her element. "I'm afraid I don’t have much to offer when it comes to your sister’s situation. That's on me, as the topic of relationships goes over my head. If they like each other, it's worth seeing how it plays out, right? I’m sure this is a crude way of looking at it, but a plane takes a while for it to take off from the ground. We now know from engineering and experience that it will, but humanity once was still unsure if their designs would ever reach the skies."

Enterprise gazed at her in wonder. There was wisdom in the battlecruiser that inspired Enterprise to take a chance on her sister's love life. "Wow. For not knowing much about relationships, you sure made a great comparison. I should be more supportive until she says that it didn't work out until the very end."

Seydlitz felt warm all over for having her words taken to heart. She completely expected the carrier to write her off as not knowing anything similar to Eugen or some of the other Iron Blood girls. She felt more at ease and the two shared a friendly laugh. All this couple talk brought her mind briefly back to Edinburgh. Before the play, they hadn’t interacted much, yet lately, she’s been on her mind more than ever.

Feeling a sense of camaraderie and thinking it wouldn't hurt to ask as it would also benefit Belfast, she went for the golden question. "So, Seydlitz, do you have anyone you have a crush on? I know that relationship stuff goes over you but, the heart is always the one that runs that business." She couldn't help but draw from her own experience with Belfast and how she had known they had something special before she even put two and two together.

The proverbial spotlight shined on the Iron Blood. A spotlight so bright and hot that it made the stage light from before feel cold. There was someone that her heart had been restlessly pining for. Still, she only just started to know Enterprise more as a person and couldn’t speak her mind that freely with her. The fact that she was the girlfriend of the sister of the one she liked deterred her more. "N-none at all, haven't seen anyone that catches my eye." An obvious lie that even Enterprise could see through.

Whether it was a half-truth or a half-lie, there was one unequivocal truth that she believed. Regardless of what maddening strings her heart tormented her with, she knew that no one could ever love her that way, much less a distinguished maid who practiced the virtues of being a lady

Seydlitz strained a smile, swallowing her woes. "Now that that's settled, you must tell me the history behind these medals. Milady, these battle medals are highly impressive. I'm honored to even have the privilege to look upon them."

It took a second for the carrier to align herself with the new topic of conversation. To her internal honesty, she had hoped that Seydlitz wouldn’t have been interested. Alas, the carrier rubbed the back of her head, meekly smiling from the praise. It was Belfast who took the time to display the medals behind a glass case for her, but she did say she needed to keep her entertained. Imagining that Belfast had anticipated that Seydlitz would be an admirer of medals wasn't a far stretch either. "These things… I'm sure that you have your own set of medals with equal recognition."

Seydlitz humbly closed her eyes. "Not at all. I mean, I do have a few. As much as others tell me they are remarkable, they feel undeserving. Each one required a sacrifice that others had to pay in blood. Even one life is too many, milady. Such is the cruel fate of having to lead."

The critical opinion from the Iron Blood made Enterprise relate with a soft smile of understanding. "I'm sure it benefited your allies and country overall. There's more to war than being a one-woman army. To lead is something to be praised as well. Some of my medals required sacrifice making them feel cold and empty. However, these medals inspire bravery in others. That acknowledgment of bravery that inspires allies to answer the call of duty— that is my true medal there."

Seydlitz gaze at Enterprise with respect and also stars in her eyes as she nodded eagerly.

From the small hallway, the maid sisters had peeked into the living room to hear the full topic of medals. Edinburgh sniffed while a few tears poured out from hearing Enterprise’s speech. The words that could instill devotion in anyone made her slump and turn fast to her younger sister. "Bel, Enterprise distracting her is going to end up swaying her off her feet!"

For the last half-hour, Belfast had grilled her sister about her feelings for Seydlitz and that's when the clumsy maid had spilled the proverbial tea that she did indeed have feelings for her. "Oh dear, I wouldn't blame her if she did fall for Enterprise's endearing display of heroism."

"Bel..." Moaned Edinburgh, forming a squiggly frown.

Belfast lightly winked at her. "Worry not. While they are very much alike, their chemistry only extends to respectful camaraderie."

"You like stamps too!?" The energetic question from Enterprise startled the sisters and they quickly saw Enterprise race to the nearby coffee table and lift a binder from it. The pages turned rapidly, and the carrier began to show her expansive collection of stamps to the Iron Blood. "Check these out. I collected a few on my missions, but I have an older sister who retired that goes around the world and mails me some of the most exotic ones I own now."

A chorus of awes and mutual adoration of the colorful stamps displayed in Enterprise's binder filled the room. "Absolutely wonderful!" Gasped Seydlitz.

Belfast nervously perspired and tilted her head the whole time, retaining an empty smile filled with doubt. The image of them practically cheek to cheek, gazing at the new stamps with the turning of the pages could make anyone feel territorial.

"Milady, I'll be sure to bring my own collection on our next available off day. I have a few that have some adorable eagles that are absolutely tasteful." She felt like she had to stress that given the history between their countries, but that fell to the waist side around the base’s general culture.

"It's a date then," said Enterprise lightheartedly and unaware of how much that word had stung Belfast.

The maid coughed from the doorway and framed her smile. "We just finished up changing!"

Both sisters revealed themselves. For Belfast, she dressed in her gothic vampire outfit with the stained blouse being replaced with another copy of the same article of clothing. If one didn't know her as an individual, said person would be fearful of running into her in a dark alley.

"Ah, the vampire returns to stock the night," replied Seydlitz in an olden tone of voice. Her eyes had been focused on Belfast until they bounce to the right to see a sight that constricted her chest.

A maid outfit, themed in the spirit of Halloween was Edinburgh's choice of costume. Her skirt was the color of chocolate and invoked a rich and warm visual sensation. A gold and brown ribbon adorably sat around her chest area with a pristine white button-up shirt. On her waist, a tantalizing waist corset hugged her small frame that rightfully would be getting people to make a double take. Black suspenders connected from her shoulders and corset, giving her an antique charm coupling her seductive frame.

Seydlitz felt the temperature in the room rise and her sapphire blue eyes darted to anywhere else that would ease her heartbeat. Locking to the maid's hair, she was awestruck to see that spooky pumpkin accessories attached to her long french braids hanging to her sides. Her white stockings and black pumps were also not a bastion for her eyes as the seductive gauge skyrocketed.

There was little to rephrase that Seydlitz already harbored hidden feelings that also didn’t help in calming her.

(Flashback)

"It was a wonderful play, was it not?" The head maid casually conversed with her sister, buttoning the new shirt similar to her old one. Checking herself in the mirror, she adjusted the black leather and strings around her breasts.

Edinburgh stood behind her, her reflection giving off that she was watching her like a hawk. "Bel, what's the meaning of this?" She asked straightforwardly.

"Huh? What do you mean dear sister?" The fake cheeriness of her voice betrayed her.

The older light cruiser puffed her cheeks. "You invited Seydlitz and me to the Halloween shoreline movie feature when you were already going with your girlfriend."

Belfast blushed and innocently turned away. "You stagger me for saying it like that. I'm still a bit lost, though."

The glasses-wearing maid grumbled some more. "Lost my foot. You wouldn't be asking anyone to join you if it was just the two of you."

"Preposterous. Ent-Ent and I love our alone time, but Halloween is a time to celebrate with those around us. I prefer to treat than to trick."

"Gosh Bel, what does that mean?" Sarcastically proclaimed the older sister.

Belfast sighed and acknowledged her sister properly, turning to face her with a sisterly smile. "How long have you had feelings for Miss Seydlitz?"

To the same effect as a ghost spooking her, her face drained of all its color. "Eh!? So you do know?!"

Belfast delightfully smirked, striking proverbial gold. "Then I was right!"

Edinburgh coward away to the opposite side of the bedroom, anger also infused. "Grr... Bel, whatever you're planning, I don't need it. I'm not trying to get with her.” She stubbornly stated with shut eyes.

Belfast frowned and maneuvered gracefully, getting behind her sister, and nudging her toward the mirror. "And why is that? You like her and your feelings are equally genuine as they are pure."

Edinburgh reddened and struggled to meet her own reflection. "Pfft, it's not that simple, Bel."

The head maid grew heartbroken to hear her older sister rejecting her desires. "Enterprise felt like a wall when we first knew each other. It was only when I told her how I felt about her that she realized she shared similar feelings. We tested the waters by dating and I was surprised to discover her gentle and romantic side."

That was the last thing she wanted to hear as it soured her even more. It was petty of her to feel this jealousy but where Belfast excelled in everything, she also had to have a “perfect” girlfriend, too. "Well, I don't have your confidence, Bel."

"Even my confidence betrayed me when I confronted her. As soon as my lips finished uttering my love, it left me to dry upon the shocked gaze of Enterprise. Love is a leap of faith, dear sister. It's up to the receiver to meet you halfway."

Hating the way she was feeling, Edinburgh frustratingly hung her head low. "Weren't you afraid it would change things with Enterprise?" She gloomily murmured.

Belfast still heard her as she was quite close to her. "Yes... at times I even asked myself if I was being selfish for wanting our relationship to be something more. But you just need to be true to yourself, Edin. And from a certain point of view, not telling Enterprise would have stunted the both of us to what we truly wanted."

It was easier for her sister to say such uplifting words. For Belfast, she pushed herself to achieve what she wanted. "Oh, sister. Your love story sounds so wonderful. If only Seydlitz and I were good friends from the beginning. We're only acquaintances because of our time rehearsing the play. She's too popular to even look my way."

"Popular?" Incredulously remarked the vampire maid. She didn’t want to be rude, but her sister was greatly misinformed.

With a somberness to her voice, Edinburgh began to speak. "Yeah, she's so cool and carries this gallant aura. I've seen how other shipgirls look at her with hearts in their eyes. I even delivered such a weak kiss that didn't sell that of a love-struck couple... I'm sure she had better and can only think that she sees me as some girl."

That statement echoed what Hornet had said earlier. At the time, Belfast had been pretending to be dead and missed the theatrical kiss but now Edinburgh also felt the same. Regardless, there was still chemistry between them, and it was reasonable that Edinburgh hid her feelings with a weak kiss.

Belfast swirled around the negative space that was her sister's emotions, rejecting everything that was being thrown at her. Her sister lacked the courage to go for it and she wasn't going to have it. "So, she has many suitresses pining for her like lovesick puppies just like you?"

"Huh?" The critical tone from Belfast similar to a parent made Edinburgh acknowledge her. The sternness of her voice with a sharp edge to it also reminded her of Belfast’s wicked character from the play.

Belfast collected her thoughts in order before speaking. "Dear sister, she doesn't strike me to be with anyone of the sort. Just trust me on this. Didn't even see anyone approach her during breaks when she and I were rehearsing our lines originally." She couldn’t say for absolute certainty what kind of person Seydlitz was, but from what Eugen would casually spew from random conversations, she had a general understanding. Seydlitz tended to prioritize her duties on base and had a rigid soldier mentality that kept those outside the Iron Blood faction from getting to know her better. That was old info, and from the fact that she decided on participating in the play, perhaps Seydlitz was making strides in becoming more sociable.

Indeed, Seydlitz was no different compared to Enterprise when she first met her. That experience alone provided her ample assurance that her sister had a good shot at making her crush notice her… if she applied herself more.

"Wait, did you plan this that far ahead?!" Shouted the other royal with the constant question if that was the reason Bel had wanted to switch roles with her.

Belfast relaxed slightly enough to shoot her an amused giggle. "You give me too much credit. Me giving you the limelight was all that mattered at that time. It was only after the play that I finally glimpse at your feelings, and she feels the same."

Belfast was trying to instill hope in her heart, but her sister refused it. Her sister’s depressing and critical viewpoint hardly allowed any wiggle room. "Stop trying to play cupid, Bel. She would never give me the time of day." She was nothing special, unlike her younger sister who was capable and confident to tackle anything. She even managed to capture the heart of the Eagle Union's greatest, a feat that definitely made her a rival to some Eagle Union shipgirls.

"So stubborn..." Edinburgh was jolted from her whirlpool of negativity when she heard her sister speak.

Belfast let her go and raced to the closet, pushing a few hoodies from Enterprise out of the way, and going deeper into the closet. "That's why I'm going to prove to you that you are worthy of being loved. Now, where is that outfit you threw back at me last year when you... and I quote, said 'brown and orange aren't my colors. And what's the deal in making me look like the great pumpkin?'"

"You kept it this whole time?! It doesn't even fit you." Her bold statement was directed at her younger sister's chest size rather than it being a matter of weight. The poor shirt would definitely bust on Belfast if she tried to wear it.

Belfast pulled an outfit out, overlaying it on her and smoothing the fabric of any potential wrinkles. "I never discard anything that has value. Still have the ticket stub from my first date with Ent-Ent. She took me to one of the Eagle Union's prominent big states where we went to their state fair. It was quite a sight seeing that massive cowboy."

The glasses-wearing maid deflated comically. "Never knew you to be a hoarder," she dryly stated. Her eyes glanced at the outfit, and she pouted like a kid. "I liked you better when you were acting as my wicked sister! She didn’t care about my love life in the slightest."

"We shall speak no such fantasies— now put it on." She insistently demanded.

(End flashback)

Both sisters stood at the entrance of the small hallway, looking at the two capital ships on the other side of the room. "How do I look, you two?" Without being rude, Edinburgh didn't care about Enterprise's opinion but decided to lump them together, keeping her intentions masked.

"You look ready for the Halloween festivities," replied Enterprise with a friendly smile.

"T-Thanks," she replied with uninterested eyes while looking mostly toward Seydlitz.

Seydlitz appeared to look taken aback before quickly regaining her footing into reality. Edinburgh tensed, wondering if that had been a good or bad response. "This is a pleasant surprise, milady. I definitely thought you would be wearing your vampire outfit." She spoke with unhidden surprise in her voice.

Connecting her fingers endearingly, the Halloween maid’s stare would only meet the Iron Blood sparsely. "Y-You did break the curse over me, so figured this was canonically appropriate." It came out more mousey at the very end, yet still managed to be heard by the others.

Belfast raised an eyebrow, amusingly impressed that her older sister had such a good quip even though it wasn't true as she had to force the outfit on her like trying to put a sweater on a welsh corgi.

A faint blush and a small smile awarded her riskiness that came from the hunter. Seydlitz straightened, feeling overall embarrassment from hearing it stated like that. "On that, I can agree. Maybe I should have returned to replace the red stains on my outfit like Belfast."

Belfast chimed in quickly. "Not at all, I think it adds more to your glory as a champion of light when hunting creatures.” The last thing she wanted was Seydlitz running off with the possibility of her not showing back up.

"I see. Milady... No, Blood Baroness Belfast, I hope you can hold your curse at bay for tonight?" She spoke once again in an olden tone of voice, drawing from the vampire hunter she portrayed.

Belfast channeled her theater character and challenged her with a sinister smirk. "Indeed, you might have vanquished me, but I'll allow you to have fun during this Halloween festivity. It will make your despair that much sweeter when you fall."

They both laughed much to the confusion of Enterprise and Edinburgh who looked like they both ate something sour.

"Actors..." Mumbled Enterprise dryly.

About fifteen minutes went by when Enterprise stepped back out, dressed in a detective outfit. Gray vest, black dress shirt, black dress pants, yellow tie, stylishly black gloves, and a black overcoat with brown detailing at the cuffs and collar of the coat. Lastly, she donned a black hat with a brown ribbon across the brim of the hat, tying her masterwork of a costume nicely.

"Ah, darling that looks magnificent." While Belfast had known what outfit had caught the eye of her girlfriend, this was the first time she was donning it to her. Simply put, the vampire maid drowned madly in love with the outfit. Her delicate fingers ran across the soft fabric of her dark coat and even toward the yellow tie that perfectly nestled around her savory neck.

The light cruiser giggled softly, invitingly pulling on the necktie of her lover, keeping her gaze on her and only her. The passion in the air grew drunk and Belfast licked her lips quickly.

A callous cough from Edinburgh resounded throughout the room.

Darting toward them, Enterprise and Belfast were greeted by Seydlitz, nervously smiling, and Edinburgh's glaring glasses hitting them with a shine from the room lighting.

Belfast sheepishly giggled and winked at Enterprise before moving away. "Terribly sorry. The Halloween excitement in the air is unraveling me from the seams."

Seydlitz, appearing more relaxed, smiled at them without feeling like she was intruding. "You two are an item, it's perfectly fine to express to each other in that regard."

Edinburgh adjusted her glasses and hastily moved out the door. The sooner she reached the hallway dorm, the sooner she could get fresh air from the love-choking atmosphere emitted by those two. She was happy for her sister but seeing them nearly close to dry-humping from how they were staring at each other was her limit.

Seydlitz followed suit, leaving the couple to catch up. The vampire maid held a finger close to her mouth, her face blushing red at what she had wanted to do if there wasn’t anyone else besides the two of them. "Oh dear, I wasn't trying to shove my love life in front of Edin like that. I feel terribly awful."

Enterprise then rested her head on the chin of the vampire maid. "I'm not." The purr sensations coming from her throat sent tiny electrical jolts all over the light cruiser's body. Their intimacy poured out upon their soft rubbing of each other's cheeks. Enterprise's hands went to Belfast's shoulders where they began a blissful massage. "Call me old fashioned but I much rather spend the night with you watching a horror movie while hugging ourselves tightly under the covers than go and watch a film with the others present."

Belfast drowned in that reality that grew invitingly closer to the point of touching it. "I do too, but we're doing this for my sister, and we can do that later tonight. Besides, I hear they’re going to have festive food, too."

Enterprise defeatedly felt more inclined. "Hey, is she on board with this? I mean, I can imagine someone being frustrated when they feel like they're getting back-seat driving instructions of the love variety from another family member."

Belfast cocked her head, entertaining those stressed feelings that her sister definitely had. "Well, she did finally surrender to the outfit I threw on her. I'm her sister, and it's my duty to push her in the direction she wants when cold feet are at work."

Enterprise sighed, knowing that no number of words would deter her girlfriend from forcing love and happiness onto her older sister. "All right. Just... try not to overdo it. I talked with Seydlitz earlier and she confided in me that she isn't with anyone. She also said that there wasn't anyone that catches her eye but the way she looked at Edinburgh’s outfit said other things."

Belfast smiled determinedly. "Before the night is done, she will truly see the beauty that Edin hides away. On that, I am sure."

Enterprise felt concerned by the bold courage of the head maid. It was going to be an interesting night to see it play out.

Chapter Text

On the night of all Hallow’s eve, one could say it could be an ominous omen for the sky to grace everyone with beauty rather than gloom. Not a single nightly cloud dared cover the full moon that visually appeared bigger and orange.

Upon reaching the shores that connected to the academy grounds, the four of them were welcomed by the ambiance of the shoreline party.

A bit about the shoreline party was that it was mostly a mingle spot until the main event would start that night. The attraction that pulled many shipgirls toward the sandy shore would be a horror movie projected onto a big screen. While mundane for some who rather use this night to trick or treat, the novelty of being outside, and surrounded by others wearing colorful costumes resonated deeply with most who yearned for an alternative. Also, the fact that the Commander didn’t skip out on the food helped boost that idea to many.

The crackling of multiple bonfires, mostly because each faction within the base had wanted their own, roared warmly into the cloudless night. In contrast to a controlled and almost hypnotizing fiery glow, music boomed from nearby stereos.

There were more than four bonfires that made up the congregation sides to the Eagle Union, Royal Navy, Iron Blood, and Sakura Empire. An array of smaller campfires scattered across the sandy landscape from those who didn’t care about faction bragging rights and yearned for an intimate or social circle ambiance. As a result, the entirety of the shore glowed warmly to that of seeing multiple fireflies or even the aesthetic of a Sakura festival that contained an abundance of lanterns.

For those that couldn’t see the beauty of being surrounded by friends and merely enjoying the company of each other or the music, fun game stations were set up along with a few manjuu giving out drinks from water to sodas.

Drinks weren’t the only thing they gave out as they also provided fun snack cups to help stave off the hunger of those wanting food but prefer to wait until the lines near the food stall thinned out.

Looking over to the food stall, it was the only discernable building around the area that rested on the sand. There was a pier deck some distance away but that hardly held any interest. Originally, the food stall was a beachside restaurant that had closed recently for upcoming renovations, but Commander Brea temporally re-opened it to be used to cook food from its kitchen.

Various shipgirls donned creative Halloween costumes but the stark popularity of witches’ costumes was the obvious hit choice among those that truly felt the Halloween spirit.

Sitting on a sideways log repurposed to be a bench, Long Island, Ayanami, and Z23 sat around a smaller campfire as Enterprise from the Royal Navy told a creepy story for their enjoyment.

The girls huddled together in the safety of each other's company while snacking on the Halloween snack cups provided by the manjuu staff that night. What was held in these cups was a mix of pretzels, popcorn, candy corn, and chips. The holy trinity of something salty, sweet, and a bit buttery was a hit wonder to anyone that had taken one. Shipgirls like Laffey were already on their fourth that night, with actual food completely voided out of their mind.

The platinum blonde maid with piercing gold-colored eyes who was known as Enterprise upped her storytelling. The three girls, completely glued to their log seats and absorbing every word while also devouring their snack treat began to shudder in terror.

Enterprise, the bookworm maid, dressed as some obscure manga character with a large black coat that further sold her creepy tone also perfectly complemented her gripping story. She was incredibly animated while telling her story and the fire seemed to rise and dance for effect when she reached another level of dread in her bone-chilling story.

As the story progressed into its climax, the other three were scared out of their wits that had all their cheeks practically side by side, huddling together as if the unity might give them strength to face the haunting and creative mind of the maid.

Her golden warm eyes grew dark and detached as if reserving herself from all forms of association to her story. "... and that's when the great pumpkin appeared from behind, brandishing a hyperventilating, hungry, and crazed expression along with its gooey eye holes that now ran with blood!"

All three unanimously gulped with pure white faces of terror. A shadow encroached from behind and brought them in for an abrupt hug. Terrified and unable to make sense of the situation in that split second, a pumpkin jack-o-lantern face donning a witches’ hat overshadowed their vision from in front of them. "At last, my Halloween morsels!  I'll make sure my orange guts liquefy you all into the finest of paste—hehe!"

The story had come to life. The spatial presence of the unprecedented and horrible creature surrounded them. It was in front of them, yet arms had ensnared the three shipgirls and its voice was disturbingly detached as they could hear it coming from behind them.  The three shipgirls yelled like banshees, jumping out of their skins, and managing to tear themselves from the grasp of the Halloween pumpkin intruder. All three fell face-first onto the sand next to the fire.

A duo of giggles from Enterprise, modest for description's sake, and another full of unchecked joy from the sudden story invader filled the campfire air. The three simultaneously looking up from the ground were shocked to see the shipgirl named Benson.

The blonde with amber eyes struck a pose, smiling with an ear-to-ear grin while dressed in her Halloween costume. A purple staff with the head of a jack-o-lantern covered her face as she began to speak from behind its glowing expression.  "Yoho! Did I scare you all? Don't be, I'm just the cutie pumpkin that can only gobble one of you at best."

Long Island, who had been also dressed in a purple witch’s costume let out a disgruntled moan, dusting the sand from her overly large hat. “That’s not very nice! Oh… Ayanami, couldn’t we have just gone with our original plan of staying indoors and streaming Dead by Nightfall?”

Ayanami gradually composed her beating heart which quickly replaced itself with another reason other than fear that began to make it pump. It was worth noting that she too was dressed in a witch’s costume, leaving a lot of skin showing with an orange bikini top and orange skirt mostly being her main article of clothing. She had black stockings and an orange skull ribbon keeping a dark crimson cape together. Feeling embarrassed of her unstable heartbeat that instilled a level of guilt because of her selfish change of plans, she quickly lowered her witch hat to avoid line of sight.

It was then that a hand reached out to her coming from Z23, her girlfriend of a few months. The Iron Blood had been the only one remaining who had the effects of the Halloween fright plaguing her nerves. However, she couldn’t ignore her girlfriend’s squeamish nature to avoid Long Island’s question. “Nami was only thinking of me when she decided to change plans. She was being selfless, and I was the one being selfish for throwing this as a last-minute alternative.” Her face reddened and she quickly looked down. “Is it so wrong that I wanted to spend Halloween with my girlfriend?”

Benson, Long Island, and Enterprise were all speechless at the gutsy honesty from the Iron Blood destroyer.

Ayanami blushed and leaned closer to Z23. “Zed, that’s not true at all! I wanted this too! This was the perfect solution where we could have spent the night together instead of being forced to either trick or treat.”

Long Island suddenly felt shallow and callous for being unable to see anything past her own selfish ego. “Goodness, gracious… ignore what I said as it was so rhetorical. You two have every right to have a Halloween night you both are engaged with. Zed might not be much of a gamer but at least we’re all movie lovers. There’s always another time to stream Dead by Nightfall some other night.”

Benson smiled while placing her hands on her hips. “Wow, very adult of you, Long Island. Say… you’re not worried that missing an important day might bury you in the sea of obscurity on Fidget?” She was referring to the streaming platform the Eagle Union hosted her streams on.

Long Island tensed and stiffly turned her head to look at her. “My viewers will understand and besides, spending Halloween with friends is what really matters.”

Both Ayanami and Z23 held each other’s hands in loving support as they smiled genuinely at Long Island. “LI, I promise you that we’ll stream together tomorrow for sure!” Said Ayanami, moving forward and hugging her friend.

Enterprise joyfully grasped her hands together at the display of friendship between all three of them. “Who wants to hear another spooky story? I got one more grounded in reality because sometimes reality is far scarier than fantasy. A story where this one woman’s intentions to learn about the methods of childbirth is not all they appear to be, for she holds a dark desire to own something that she can no longer have. Our story will start in an airport bathroom with a rusty key as her weapon to take what she can no longer have.”

Benson recoiled in abject horror, seemingly having something that she repressed a while ago suddenly shot back up into her consciousness. “Holy smokes! Don’t you tell that messed up story, Ents! I couldn’t look at keys for a week after that.” She mumbled while grabbing her bunny ears in terror which were a part of her outfit.

Taking the cautionary path, the other shipgirl undoubtedly shook their heads. “That won’t be necessary. We’ll save the rest of our chills for the movie,” said Ayanami.

From some distance, the Eagle Union Enterprise known now as Detective Enterprise, and her three companions observed the shipgirls' choice in spending the Halloween night.

"What a great turnout this year. Not like last year when someone had pranked the base by spreading a chain mail curse that had everyone spooked from going outside their dorm." Enterprise channeling her detective side held a theory of who the still unnamed assailant could have been. Atago ranked number one on that list but that was only a theory as she remembered that she had spooked her seemingly unshakable sister after she recounted some horror movie she saw whose plot revolved around a chain mail curse. It put fear in Takao, and Enterprise had been close by when it happened. It was odd that after that incident with the sisters, the fear of a cursed chain mail began to spread.

Edinburgh adjusted her glasses, making a visible pout remembering last year's failed event. "Ah, that's right. The Commander had to run damage control, but at least was able to host a small event at the very end to those that did come out."

The light cruiser maid checked her surroundings and saw Unicorn, Javelin, and Laffey talking to Cleveland and Helena near their small bonfire. Both Cleveland and Helena were dressed as a reaper couple to her best guess while the other three were all dressed as witches.

Next to the food stand building, Erebus and Terror hosted a bobbing for apple game with an impressive line of shipgirls partaking in the game for the coveted grand prizes of supernatural-styled plushies.

A small manjuu dressed as a pirate, brandishing a peg leg, striped blue shirt, and red bandana appeared before the four of them, holding a tray of exotic drinks.

"Huh? What's this?" Enterprise picked one of them up and inspected it. She was more in the mood for a soda but the manjuu only had the one choice. Making somewhat of a face, she tactlessly brought it close to her to smell any hints of what the drink could be. What she knew so far was the cup appeared to be a hollowed-out apple with a clear golden liquid inside.

Belfast took one, inspecting it by also bringing it up to her nose yet in a more graceful manner after swirling it a few times to enhance the reaction of citrus smells. "Apple cinnamon cider, Enterprise. A refreshing Halloween beverage with no waste left afterward. They hallowed out dozens of apples to make these." She sipped gently from her drink and her smile widened in delight.

Seydlitz also grabbed one and swirled the liquid inside her hollowed-out cup. "Hmm, how creative that you can also eat the cup after the drink is finished." Upon the golden liquid reaching her lips, the sweetness and freshness of it made her feel like a new woman. Caught in the moment, she rotated the cup and took a test bite that brought her smile to new heights. Think of it as a little kid getting chocolate cake and then finding out that it’s also ice cream inside.

Edinburgh was captivated by her smile. It was one she could watch all day and not get tired of. Wanting to join in on the moment, she sipped from her own drink and let out a gratifying sigh.

Without meaning it, Seydlitz and Edinburgh both had done the same action, letting out a refreshing sound of serenity. Both caught in the same act made them feel sheepish toward each other yet still held up a friendly smile.

Belfast adored the almost coupley display between her sister and the girl her sister was crushing on. With a glint in her eye, she desperately tried to find an available spot on the beach. "Oh look, there's an available spot for a personal campfire." She jaunted to the spot that had two logs resting side by side with a setup of stones and firewood that hadn't been lit yet. The location before them was especially close to the water, giving off the hint the reason none had picked this spot out of fear that a rebellious wave would swing by.

Enterprise saw another pirate manjuu carrying a tray of Halloween snack cups and she proceeded to quickly swipe four of them with the manjuu nearly staggering from the sudden reduced weight.

Belfast scanned the long crowd near the food stall where shipgirls were ordering food and drinks. "Hmm, it's best to wait for the line to die down before heading to get food. I'm confident that there's plenty to go around."

Enterprise's gesture registered with her once receiving a Halloween snack cup from her. She accepted it with thanks and sat down on the log that only had room for two. Obviously, Enterprise sat with her, leaving Edinburgh without options, and sharing the available one with the pink-haired shipgirl.

Belfast quickly tried to grab the attention of a manjuu pirate to help them start the campfire as she had seen a few walking around with lighters. To her annoyance, none looked her way and Enterprise was about to get up to better grab the attention of one, in a polite way. That was until Seydlitz lifted from her seat and crouched near the campfire.

Edinburgh was the first to see it all, and the sounds of a flicking lighter perked both Belfast and Enterprise to the Iron Blood’s direction.

“There… that should do it.” The fire roared to life and its golden warmth began to touch them all on this now notably cold night. Once her kind act had been done, the hunter noticed the interested stares from all three. Feeling exposed as if sensing they were forming conclusions about her, she quickly noticed Edinburgh staring at the lighter in her hand. It all simultaneously hit her, and she understood why they had been staring at her as if she was a fish out of water. “Yes, this is a cigarette lighter, miladies.” A sense of shame had seeped into her, yet she felt best to breach the subject first, knowing that they wouldn’t have said anything out of courtesy.

Belfast quickly regained her mental footing and raised her hands to give off a nonjudgmental vibe. “Please, you don’t need to explain, it’s none of our business. Thank you for starting the fire.” While she viewed smoking to be a nasty habit, she understood that many shipgirls, including those in the Iron Blood would partake in it. Being protective of her sister was her next thought yet her sister was old enough to decide on her own.

Seydlitz would not have them kindly give her an out. Yes, while it was true that it wasn’t their business, she had nothing to hide and by looking at Edinburgh, she deserved the whole story—it felt right to her. “Upon experiencing what being human offered, I found myself impressionably succumbing to some of the other ladies' like-minded enjoyment of their unique brand of cigarettes. I ended up finding the cigarettes from the Iris Libre to be flavorful and enriching. I knew that it wasn’t the ideal form of vice, regardless of all of us being shipgirls and smoking hardly affecting our lungs. Yet… those that I saw as my sisters would always keep their distance from me. Even those that had been the ones to introduce me ended up telling me that I was overusing and that I should see smoking as something suited for adult social gatherings amongst like-minded allies. It was Hipper along with Elbing and Thüringen that helped me go cold turkey. I no longer smoke, and it’s been many months. Actually, parting with my case of cigarettes, was easier than parting with my lighter—in an odd turn of situations.” She smiled softly to herself before continuing. “My lighter stays on me as a reminder.”

Hearing how the pink-haired battlecruiser had managed to overcome an addicting vice with the help of those close to her applauded respect from all. While Belfast and Enterprise offered supportive smiles, Edinburgh’s eyes sparkled with a new shimmer to them.

Finding a new layer about her and how she overcame her habit resonated deeply with her. She had always thought Seydlitz was flawless and a model shipgirl like her younger sister, yet she now felt more grounded that truthfully, made her like her even more. “You’re so strong to brush off the hold of such a vice,” she said meekly and eagerly.

Silence filled the air, and Edinburgh blinked a few times before she registered that what she said hadn’t been in her mind.

Seydlitz widened her eyes, a noticeable tint of red painting her face. Her eyes then shrunk, as if holding herself from emotionally overloading. She urged to express how weightless and happy those words made her feel coming from the royal who took up rent-free residency in her mind. With a clearing of her throat, making sure her voice wouldn’t waver, she acknowledged those words. “Is it? I… I mean…” Her habit to downplay herself started to rear its head. Not wanting to fall into that pit, she allowed herself to take the compliment. “…thank you, Edinburgh. For the kind words. Those closest to me were the ones to make me realize how bad it had gotten. I started to use it more for stress every day, and I appeared like a chimney.” That earned her a mild appropriate laugh from the others as that had been her desire to help bring the mood back. Sensing that she had recovered, she quickly started to munch on her snack to better help her nerves. She didn’t have to force herself to eat, realizing how famished she truly was.

Edinburgh stealthy touched her face, feeling how hot it was from her feelings being accepted. If there were any doubts about her feelings being that of a schoolgirl crush or something more, then she had her answer. She wanted nothing more than to better understand the costume-dressed hunter.

Noticing how Seydlitz snacked on the contents of her cup, getting real food became her obsession. Her maid mindset saw this as an opportunity to head out to the line in hopes of grabbing whatever was on the menu for that night. Still, her courage lacked.

Edinburgh had tells when she quietly and attentively focused on something in particular. Belfast knew that all too well and it had been present when she noticed how her older sister lovingly gazed at the hunter, and it was present now when she would urgently glance at the line that seemingly had no intention of thinning out.

Belfast figuratively applauded her sister for having focused goals, yet indecisiveness was her greatest enemy to happiness. She grew serious, contemplating the best result to push her into whatever she had on her mind. That’s when a cruel yet needed push entertained her thoughts. Earlier, being affectionate with Enterprise had both pushed her away and motivated her. It wasn’t the ideal way of going about it, and she knew that. However, like a mother bird, that would push its younglings out of the nest to make them fly, she knew she needed to get drastic, too.

Steadfast, she turned to her lover, Enterprise, who was eating from her snack mix while poking the fire with a stick, trying to stoke the flames. The campfire began to acknowledge her efforts and hum more radiantly.

The vampire maid lovingly passed a hand across the silver hair that fell from under the detective hat. "I still can't get over the fact of how dashing you look in a detective outfit. Simply marvelous and encapsulates the gentlewoman of my dreams."

Enterprise, full of snacks that her mouth could hold merely looked at her with a level of satisfaction that could be seen through the eyes. Once she swallowed the food, she revealed her warm smile that Belfast always felt like she struck gold. "Hmm, it was an old outfit when I owed Essex a favor but that's a story for another time."

Belfast grabbed onto her lover's arm who continued to eat more of her snacks. "I see. Hmm, my character in the play was a devil of a woman, but maybe if a certain detective had been present in the play, then perhaps her humanity could have shown."

Enterprise paused, finding a thrill in inserting herself into the story and seeing how it would have deviated. She quickly swallowed to respond. "It would be my job to figure out the mystery of the missing victims taken by the vampires that would ultimately lead me to the heart of the conflict."

Getting into their narration of a new story all of their own, Belfast leaned seductively close to the detective. "Then my character will see yours and proceed to drain her of blood. But before she can dry her out like a husk, she finds the taste of this detective absolutely orgasmic. It's then that she decides on placing a charm on her and keeping her as her love slave."

Enterprise, blushing, yet committed to the small world they created, dropped the empty cup onto the sandy ground and joined Belfast, leaning closer to her until their noses were inches from each other. “Little does she know that the charm is redundant in the end."

A massive and exasperated squeal resounded near them. Edinburgh, comedically fuming with heat and blushing madly stood up. "Do you both need a room or something!?" It stung to see someone else being lovey especially when the older sister was absent of such intimacy.

Seydlitz also felt uncomfortable with the situation, expressed by her lowering her hunter hat.

The world seemed to have shrunken to the point that Belfast and Enterprise had forgotten that they were surrounded by others on the beach. This was impacted less by Belfast who knew this was the risk of her aggravating her older sister. Still committed to her plan, she covered her face in shame. “Oh, dear me. I did it again. Forgive me as the Halloween night truly is wicked.” Technically, even though it had been a calculated move on her end to flirt with her girlfriend, she did indeed enjoy their mutual storytelling.

Edinburgh gulped, feeling like her throat was dry. "Khh, I'm going to get in line now— I could use a drink!" She stormed off and Belfast pretended to be devastated. Her anxiety diminished as this crucial terminus could have gone many ways. One of those ways was her sister running out of the beach, but she had acted exactly as Belfast had planned; they were sisters after all, and she knew her best.

Seydlitz watched the royal storm off to the line and for a split second, her body tried to act on its own and follow her. Reality struck her like lightning, and she planted herself back on the log. Feeling disappointed with herself for backing down, she agonizingly struggled internally on what to do. “She looked sad… I should go to her. Yet… what can I do for her? She and I… we’re only acquaintances. Is it even my place to say anything?”

Belfast frowned, reading the Iron Blood’s hesitating body language like a book. She quickly put on an air of sadness. "Dear me, showing off my love in front of my older sister who is rather sensitive about that. Seydlitz, could you keep her company?" She pleaded with despondent eyes.

"Huh?" The Iron Blood returned to the situation and her grip on her cup restlessly tightened.

Belfast pleaded to Seydlitz with sad eyes once again. "Yes, if I were to talk to her now, she would only push me aside. Could you tell her that I'm sorry?"

Seydlitz nervously looked between the quickly moving Edinburgh and her theater archrival. "I… I’m not sure if I’ll have the desired outcome that you expect from me. I’m not that good when it comes to making others feel better.” She was downplaying herself once again. She had the natural ability to inspire those in battle with her reckless bravery, yet this wasn’t a battle involving sharp swords and hot ammunition. This battle was more on a different level that required softer words and comforting gestures. Was she capable of such feats?

Belfast smiled softly at her while also seeing what kind of person she was. "You shouldn’t think like that, Miss Seydlitz. You’re a good friend to her as she talks highly of you. If there’s anyone that she’ll listen to at this moment, it’s you—trust me on that, dear.”

Enterprise had been quiet and continued to gaze at her girlfriend with an astonished expression.

Those words had more of an effect on Seydlitz than she cared to show, and perhaps Belfast had known to play that card. "I'm her friend?" She said almost in a trance.

It was an unknown melody that ensnared the Iron Blood and brought her a level of comfort that she hadn't known she needed.  She and Edinburgh were friends. She never gave it much thought but there were merits to that claim. All the sessions they spent together, and all the hard work they poured into their performance. That alone had forged a friendship that anyone could agree with.

"Indeed, she told me herself." It was a half lie but mostly innocent, born from the absence of Edinburgh directly stating it. She had shown a crestfallen face when stating that they weren't friends.

Seydlitz hesitantly looked down, the idea that neither of them had spoken such a friendship out loud. Yet, Belfast had revealed and made it solid for the Iron Blood; made her feel hopeful. "Y-Yes, we are. Of course, we are. I'll... um... tell her you said sorry." She didn’t know how she could deliver the maid’s apology to her. Regardless, seeing Edinburgh distraught had felt like she had taken a stake to her own heart. Her friend was distraught, and she needed to go to her.

Seydlitz got up and briskly walked to the food line that Edinburgh had gone to.

Once she was gone, Enterprise leaned close to her girlfriend, this time trying to pry answers out of her. "Bel, that sad expression didn't look genuine. What are you scheming?"

The vampire maid flashed the detective with a sly smile and stood proper, even now trying to hide her devilish side. "Maybe it wasn't the right way to go, but they are now together. This means that Edinburgh will confide her disgruntled feelings about not having someone to love with Seydlitz. A topic such as that must surely get them to a mutual understanding of love. Even maybe... they might be able to reflect off each other and see something that they weren't able to see."

"That's... a... rather big maybe, Bel," said Enterprise with a sigh. Her stomach began to grumble at the worst time, making the vampire maid giggle sweetly.

"I hope that you’re not mad that I used our love to anger my sister. My heart tells me that it's a win all around. Besides, we have some alone time now before they come back." As If the stars were aligning, a manjuu pirate walked by them and Belfast stopped the manjuu to grab a set of two of whatever they had.

Enterprise perked up and locked her eyes on a colorful stick of delights that shined with the fire. "That's... candy on a stick?"

Belfast offered her one and held her own a bit high. "Indeed, my detective. This here is candy kebabs. A group of gummies and marshmallows skewered to make a fine grab-and-go dessert. Would you forgive me for using our love in that way?"

Truthfully, Enterprise couldn’t be mad. Belfast genuinely loved her, and their playful conversation wasn’t a lie. It had been used to fulfill an undesirable goal yet that was the choice of Edinburgh who allowed herself to get fired up. Giving Belfast a stern gaze, conveying that she should consider her sister’s feelings more, she accepted the treat.

Belfast grew elated and went in for a hug, truly knowing how to win over her girlfriend—she truly was a fearsome tactician of the heart.

Mildly pouting as she felt she let the head maid off too easily, she decided on changing the subject. "Bel, aren’t we going to spoil our appetite for when we actually get some decent food in us?"

Belfast moved away and glided the kebab across her teeth, chomping on the top part of the sugary treat. "Ent-Ent, it's Halloween and I'm a treat girl rather than a trick girl. I want my mighty eagle to be able to relax and indulge in sweet things from time to time. One day won't hurt if we gorge ourselves silly."

Enterprise busted out laughing warmly, bringing the maid into a state of ease. "I wasn't expecting you to sweetly tease me by calling me your eagle. If we're going to throw animals into the mix, then... if my lioness says it's all right, then all I have to say is... you better rub my stomach if I wake up holding myself."

An instinctive shine flashed across the maid's blue eyes. "But of course! As a maid, it's my duty to take care of you. Whether it's sore back, tummy ache, sore feet, or even a pimple needing pop, I'll dutifully do what is required of me."

Enterprise tilted her head, feeling taken aback. "That last one sounded oddly specific! I never had a pimple on my face, Bel."

Belfast smiled ominously, channeling her character as she possessively caressed her lover's face. "Just some reassurance, my love. Sugar has the chance to produce those tiny popping little buggers. Know that I shall not shy away from helping you vanquish them."

Enterprise narrowed her eyes and now had doubts about continuing her snack. "You sound selfless saying that, but something tells me it's some type of fantasy of yours."

It was the vampire maid’s turn to be taken aback. A half second passed, and Belfast gave off a guilty smile yet the light from the fire had done little to grant overall reassurance of what Enterprise had glimpsed. "Perish the thought, Ent-Ent."

The eagle ace reached an endpoint and she sighed. "Hmm... all right. But if you break out then I'm doing the same to you. That includes all the other things you mentioned, too."

Belfast perked up, refusing to entertain a reality where she had pimples on her perfect skin that she worked so hard on. Now feeling more grounded and uneasy, she sheepishly smiled at Enterprise. "Hehe, then we have a deal forged in the most intimate of couple acts one could think of. But just know that I never had any sort of breakout—ever."

"Hmph, you don't say..." Sarcastically stated Enterprise. The two then leaned towards each other to take in the glow of the fire while they waited for the other two to return.

(Edinburgh)

Angered stomps were masked against the soft mounds of sand. The owner of those stomps was Edinburgh, who exuded both bitterness and sadness. "Bel, why do you always get to flaunt your love in front of me? This whole group date... thing, you planned wasn't worth the effort." Her eyes grew teary as she realized that not even wearing this Halloween maid outfit had given her the confidence to speak her heart to the one, she liked. "Why am I even trying? I'm not pretty like Bel, nor am I capable like her. All I can do is try my hardest not to mess things up. That kiss... wasn't even real and I messed up the execution."

"Edinburgh..."

The light cruiser tensed up and immediately darted behind her to see the concerned sapphire blue eyes of the Iron Blood.

"Are you all right?" Seydlitz's words of concern warmed her as she hadn't expected the pink-haired hunter to follow her. If the roles had been reversed, she wouldn’t have had the determination to pursue her. A lowly maid such as herself would have no words to comfort someone like her. Given Seydlitz’s stout and no-nonsense personality, she probably wouldn’t be in the situation. That or she would have found some resolution like how resilient she overcame her cigarette addiction.

The Halloween maid turned away and dried her eyes roughly with her sleeve before stuffing her vulnerable state away. "Yeah— why? Why wouldn't I be?" This was the lowest she’s ever been and no one with two eyes would believe her words. She didn't know why she was building a front against the battlecruiser. Maybe born out of trying to hide her feelings to avoid spilling out in any way where she’d be left looking foolish.

"Your sister seems to be getting under your skin,” said Seydlitz. Her intuition told her to not reveal that it was Belfast who gave her the mental running start to console her.

Edinburgh sighed and shied away from confirming it. "She... just... I guess I'm the one who is getting fired up for no reason. The thing is, I feel empty when I see her and Miss Enterprise showing off how in love they are."

Seydlitz paused, searching inside herself that intimacy such as that was something she also desired. That type of intimacy she only saw herself directing to the lovely and sweet radiant lady before her. Realizing what she wanted only made her feel more horrible. "What they have is truly special. A bond that two can feel absolutely comfortable with the other and they never get tired of being around each other. Anyone lacking that…  I can understand them to feel a certain type of jealousy—even though I'm rather inept when it comes to love." She joked lightly while instilling some mutual hope in Edinburgh.

"You're... a lonely soul, too?" Whimsically uttered the light cruiser. Her question and the way it defenselessly got delivered caused the Iron Blood to recoil.

Edinburgh grew fearful at the response, thinking only of the worst-case scenario. "Ah, I'm sorry for saying it like that! Just because someone isn't romantically involved doesn't make them lonely!"

The adorable and squirming nature of the royal brought a smile to the hunter. "You didn't offend me. There are some people in this world who are not cut out for a romantic pursuit."

Edinburgh could read between the lines. The mournful gaze of the Iron Blood and her heavy words spelled it out clear as rain. Words that the battlecruiser held deep within. "No one could ever love me."

Edinburgh balled up her fist, wanting desperately to pull the Iron Blood out of such a bleak mindset. Before she could say anything or do anything, a flurry of pink hair moved across her vision toward her. The tensed fist was suddenly grasped kindly and raised to eye level.

Seydlitz determinedly gazed at her sad eyes. "Milady, you are not like me. You know what you want, and your heart is your greatest partner in that endeavor. As a friend, my advice to you is to take your time. Eventually, you will have what your sister has." Deep down she wished that she could be that person for Edinburgh, but she knew in her heart of hearts that she was not cut out for loving someone. A self-deprecating mess of a woman that was barely clawing her way out had no chance to mentally conquer another mountain that was love. Maybe one day she could inspire confidence in herself to find that happiness. 

"Friend..." The royal slipped that word out like silk to her voice.

"Y-Yes, I see you as a good friend, Edinburgh." The royal needed to know that she had a friend in her. It was all she could offer that she was confident in.

A victory, no more meaningful than a battle won yet nothing close to the feeling of a war being won, vibrated throughout Edinburgh’s mind. And yet, a hidden bitterness weighed her down, feeling like she had gained second place in something she wanted. "Seydlitz...” Crying felt right to her, yet she couldn’t decide if those tears should be from joy or sorrow.

Worried confusion showed on Seydlitz who failed to comprehend the agonizing struggle within the Halloween maid.

Seeing the Iron Blood’s concerned worries forced her to rise above her self-centered thoughts of what she wanted. “You have no idea how much that means to me. Here I thought that we were only acquaintances," she truthfully said, forcing herself to take this lesser victory that still resonated, albeit not in the grander way she desired.

The battlecruiser let out a relieved breath, expressing a sincere smile. "We spent countless hours going over lines and building a familiarity with each other. I can understand with me being Iron Blood, I might have had an impression of being distant, but I was more afraid that you saw me as an acquaintance."

"Never!" Adorably shouted the maid.

Seeing Edinburgh return to her old self while both now understanding where they stood was enough of a victory. "Then friends. Also, as a friend, I wish to convey your sister's wish that she is sorry for the way she was acting."

Edinburgh grew silent, cautiously obsessing if her sister had spun this event to happen. "Hmph, she has nothing to apologize for. If she wants to get all hot and bothered with Enterprise, then she can very much do that!"

Seydlitz smiled lightly, admiring how the Halloween maid was getting over her jealousy of her sister. "Since we're both in line, why don't we get food for the group?" She suggested meekly, which tugged on the heartstrings of the maid. Once again, Edinburgh felt honored to be seeing another layer to the woman she crushed on compared to the static impression of a soldier she adored.

Edinburgh pretended to give it some thought before folding at the idea. "Oh sure. This can be my way of burying my differences with Bel."

After some time, the line began to move until they were nearly at the front. That gave them a clear view of who was working the nightly food service.

On initial sight, they both saw two Eagle Union shipgirls dealing with a group of rowdy customers. "Stop shoving and cutting! If I see anyone continuing to the front of the line like that, I'm going to throw them back into the very back of the line! And if you’re part of the Eagle Union—well, you better not be!"

The roaring blonde woman dressed in a brown and white uniform was none other than Nevada of the Eagle Union.

Beside the orderly shipgirl, another blonde with short hair tried to be the contrast to her sister’s stern and harsh mood. "We have plenty of food so don't worry. Plus, the movie screening later tonight is still a ways away." She was none other than Oklahoma who eased the suddenly alarmed crowd with a bright smile. She quickly turned to the back wall that housed a window into the kitchen. From within the kitchen, six other shipgirls were working on firing up the food that would soon sell like hotcakes. “Girls, could one of you assist us out here? The crowd is getting restless.”

Two sisters from the Royal Navy turned to acknowledge the plea for help. They were both Repulse and Renown who both had been taking out burgers topped with an overload of cheese from the ovens they were near.

Repulse sprang into action after placing her tray on the counter. “That’s not good at all! Come on, sis—it’s go time!” She was incredibly energetic, more so since she was dying to check out the costumes that the other shipgirls on base had.

Her blonde sister, Renown, made a face, already getting her bread station set up to start making legions of hamburgers. “Come again?! But I’m perfectly comfortable working in the kitchen.”

Repulse stood stunned and began to tap her foot on the floor. “Sis, don’t you want to see the cool outfits all the others have?!”

Renown sighed and knew it was useless to fight with her sister as she would win every time. “Oh… all right.”

A blonde dashed past them, causing the doors to fling open as they both stood confused at the sudden hyperactive movement that slipped by them.

It was then that a happy-go-lucky smile sweeter than the riches candy stood at attention to Oklahoma. “Need help running orders? — I’m so here!” Her cheery smile left the Royal Navy sisters with equally gob-smacked faces.

The teal-eyed battleship of the Eagle Union nodded happily. “Blücher, thanks for the assist. Please take the orders from line one while I help Nevada with both lines two and three.”

Repulse’s face drained of color. “But… But…” She slumped to her knees and dramatically lowered her head. To have her thunder taken like that devastated her to no end. “… I wanted to go!” Yelled the brown-haired Royal Navy in defeat.

“Sister! Get off the ground—it’s dirty with footprints.” The outcome had been decided and Blücher from the Iron Blood had taken the opportunity without hesitation. She couldn’t help but feel guilty that her hesitation had caused Repulse to lose her opening.

Across the kitchen, a woman wearing horns and a rather opulent red and white officer’s uniform with a red apron mildly glanced at the commotion exuding from the Royal Navy sisters. “I don’t know why they are so gung-ho to put themselves in the center of attention like that. If they mess up, then everyone will see it.” She contemplated their actions stoically while stirring melted cheese sauce.

This shipgirl had a habit of internally expressing her thoughts without any hints of what she could be thinking flashing across her face. This habit of hers left her like a closed book to many of her Sakura allies. Even the one other Sakura shipgirl next to her, laying out plastic plates, soon to be filled with nachos, could only ever come up with her own conclusion about what she might be thinking.

A bunny-eared Sakura shipgirl named Shimakaze was the one laying out the spread of nacho chips while she silently began to mumble to herself. "Amazing. Miss Suruga refused to wear a costume yet her stoic and silent demeanor could even terrify an oni."

Switching back to Suruga, the one who refused to express emotions aside from general seriousness or stoicism, mentally deflated. "Ugh! Why am I even here!? I hate scary costumes but when Shimakaze asked me to volunteer with her... I couldn't say no." Her hand paused the stirring of the cheese and for a second, her mouth hung in awe before she rapidly closed it. Not even a blush graced her face, trying to understand why refusing was an unfathomable choice for her. The only visible shift in her expression was her evasive eyes that faltered briefly.

Shimakaze. The unpredictable and kind-hearted small destroyer that she couldn’t shake away from, even if she threw her into a tornado, had become more to her than a companion, yet she hadn’t made any strides in listening to the evolutions her heart had gone through when the bunny-eared destroyer came to mind. A rustling of what sounded like paper perked her ears from behind her. Turning around, her face finally showed visible emotion in the form of immense fright that turned her blue with dread.

Replacing the destroyer’s face, a paper mache mask of a blood-red Oni with the sharpest of teeth invaded the personal space of the battleship.

"Miss Suruga! What do you think of my Halloween mask!?"

"Kyaa!" Suruga stepped back and plummeted onto the hard floor with her rear making contact first.

Repulse and Renown stopped and silently stood with mouths agape to the murderous shrieking that was definitely heard by those outside the kitchen.

Shimakaze panicked and tore the Oni mask from her face. "Huh? Sorry—sorry, are you okay, Miss Suruga?!"

The horned battleship painfully glanced at her companion with one magenta eye open. "Owe, my butt... grrr... I wish she would stop adding Miss to my name, It's too weird now. We’re supposed to be friends after all." She quickly composed herself and talked for the first time. “What compelled you to show me that mask at this point in time?”

Shimakaze grinned sheepishly, feeling like her reasoning was not good enough. “I… wanted to see you make an expression. I’m sorry.”

Suruga froze, letting those words wash over her.

Blücher happily popped her head through the opening window. "Girls, mess around after we do orders. Then you can scare your girlfriend into your arms as much as you like!"

"Kyaa!" Suruga screamed once again and emotionally covered her face with her hands. “Damn that blonde heavy cruiser!” She cursed viciously within her mind. She was ready to knock some tact into her when her magenta-colored eyes landed back on a now-blushing Shimakaze.

"Miss Suruga... my girlfriend?!” The way she strung those words, and their inflection said a lot about how deeply she pondered the idea—almost as if considering such a reality. “M-Miss Blücher, you're still new around here but Miss Suruga and I are only friends."

Suruga crinkled her eyebrows with a wave of frustration. "Yes, keep reminding me, Shimakaze yet... why is she blushing like a tomato?"

Blücher made a playful puppy dog face. "Eheheh! That's how great love starts! It was like that with my sweet Brea who I owe everything for being able to be here with my sisters and all the others!"

Due to the distraction caused by Suruga, none had been aware when the doors from the kitchen opened again and Admiral Hipper stepped out from the kitchen. The older blonde without a pause reached her hand out and yanked her younger sister’s ear. "Blücher, I swear—I can't turn my back away from you for five seconds before you put someone on the spot. Also, the Commander isn't your girlfriend. Not every form of kindness means that she likes you that way. Stop being delusional!"

"But big sis!" Blücher whined endearingly to the older hipper-class ship.

"No! Ugh, you're a different class of handful than Eugen is."

The comedic and cute sobs from the younger hipper-class ship ceased quickly when she spotted a head of pink hair that was her next customer in line. "Oh, hey, look who it is!"

Hipper annoyingly turned her head in curiosity as to who her sister had been referring to. "Seydlitz... hey. Rather surprised to see you here, figuring you'd spend a quiet night in your room than out here."

Edinburgh and Seydlitz approached the counter and waved at the two Iron Blood girls. "Hipper, I could say the same for you. So, this is what you decided to do when our plans to give out candy with Eugen inevitably backfired?"

Hipper narrowed her eyes and released her sister’s ear. "Yeah... don't read too deeply into it. Figured I had nothing better going on. Huh?” It was then that her curious eyes landed on Edinburgh and her Halloween outfit. “You and she came together to the shoreline movie party?"

Edinburgh avoided eye contact but thankfully Seydlitz had the conversation under control before they jumped to any conclusion. "Um... yeah, we're friends."

Hipper’s pondering gaze between the two of them was interrupted by Blücher. "Haha, Hipper still wanted to be charitable and she rather not be alone during Halloween, too!"

"Grrr... can it, Blücher! Hmph, this is all that fat ass Wales's fault for always taking Eugen away while plans were already drawn up."

Blücher suddenly grew sour, finally acknowledging the elephant in the room. "Well, it’s not like Eugen said no to her, and what’s this about you three giving out candy!? As the second ship of the hipper class, I demand to have been a part of that. Isn't that right, sis?" Her red eyes did not go to Hipper but to Seydlitz, resulting in Edinburgh doing a double take.

Seydlitz appeared mildly bothered by the address yet shrugged her shoulders. "I suppose that is fair, but I don't know why you're looking for validation from me."

"Wait, Seydlitz. She's your sister?" Asked the royal maid.

The hunter rubbed her neck embarrassingly. "From a certain point of view..."

"Ack! That response was as heartless as Hipper's insults!" Moaned the younger hipper ship.

Hipper sighed heavily and placed her hands on her hips. "Can you blame her? Sis, you mess around too much. And for that candy-giving thing, we all knew that it was never going to happen and you getting involved would have made the rejection way too bitter to handle."

Blücher sensed the level of honesty that poured out of her older sister’s sharp tongue. "That's... wow you took my feelings into account. That's so sweet coming from you, Hippie!"

"Don’t call me that—and s-stop reading too deep into things!" Fiery declared the blonde.

"Hey! Stop messing around. We got customers waiting for their order." Nevada had finally noticed the lack of customers being served.

"Righto, Miss Nevada!" Playfully saluted the quirky blonde.

"Jeez, focus Blücher. I'm going to the back to help the wonder twins and those Sakura girls with orders," said Hipper, now emotionally drained and wanting to leave the conversation.

"Leave it to me!" Blücher pulled out a large menu that was the exact one that hung above the order counter behind them, but this one was closer to look at. "So, we have about four main foods for tonight's spooky festivities. The top main seller— Spiderweb nachos, is a bed of nacho chips, with beans, tomato, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream layered over them. The sour cream is designed to look like a spider's web and a fake spider is adorned at the top giving it the name."

Edinburgh looked captivated by the creative dish. "Wow... that sounds yummy."

"Hmm, I'm sure Enterprise wouldn’t mind something like that," added Seydlitz.

Also agreeing, Blücher continued. "Second, we have ghostly pizza! Realistically, creepy crawlies on your food are a massive no no, but these ones are fake and made of olives. We also draw ghosts with the cheese—hence the name."

"I'm not much of an olive person," said Edinburgh meekly. It was unbecoming to be picky, but everyone had their exceptions.

"No problem. Cheesy ghost pizza is still pretty good," reassured the heavy cruiser.

"I'll take a cheesy ghost pizza, please," ultimately decided the royal maid.

Blücher’s red eyes darted between them for a second before she had a thought enter her mind. "Would you like that as a couple’s pizza for just a few coins more?" Her hyperactive smile increased in anticipation of the answer.

Edinburgh blushed at the idea of sharing a pizza with Seydlitz. "Personal, please,” she stressfully stated.

The blonde deflated at the unceremonious response. "Oh well. The third option we have is a pumpkin burger."

Seydlitz leaned with her arms on the counter in a rather interested manner. "Is that like some kind of veggie burger?"

Blücher gave her a hard stare devoid of expression before exploding with a machine gun of laughter. "Pfft, come on sis, stop making jokes. As If you'll be caught eating a veggie burger. You and Eugen could compete in a wurst competition and be neck and neck for first place."

The battlecruiser gloomily deflated with a shadow of embarrassment on her face. "Why—why do you have to say it like that?"

Edinburgh giggled softly, making Seydlitz relax slightly. Hearing the maid laugh had surprisingly calmed her.

Blücher casually wiped a joyful tear from her face. "For real, the pumpkin burger is top-quality beef. All we do is cut eye holes in the bread, melt a ton of cheese to make it look like pumpkin guts, and place a pepper stem at the top! You got yourself a jack-o'-lantern!"

Edinburgh watched Seydlitz's eyes brighten like a kid in a candy shop. Seeing the Iron Blood looking happy and blissful made her chest pound more.

If it wasn't a freaky enough night, Blücher turned her head sharply once the maid's heart started to beat faster and the hyperactive smile returned.

Edinburgh silently panicked, her mind racing the question if this quirky blonde shipgirl had somehow heard her heartbeat. Maybe she was an actual vampire with vampire hearing. The only proof she had was the hipper ship giving her a friendly grin as if she could tell her previous assumption had not been entirely wrong.

"I'll put down an order for a pumpkin burger with extra pickles because my sis likes that a lot!” She added that, wanting everyone to know how well she knew Seydlitz. “The last item on the list is Mummy Hot Dogs. Instead of traditional bread, we wrapped them in pre-made dough kind of like a Mummy. We even cut the bottom part to make cute little legs. They come in pairs with a side order of homemade potato chips."

"Bel might get a kick out of those and they seemed to be the lightest thing on the menu, so one order of those," declared the maid.

"Great!" She began to input the order on a terminal that rested between them on the counter. Edinburgh pulled out her change purse, alerting the battlecruiser of the unnecessary act.

"Milady, let me take care of the order," she quickly stated, pulling out a wallet from her side pocket.

It was a small detail for her to focus on, but she found it contrastingly cute that while she carried a small change purse, Seydlitz carried a wallet. That was neither here nor there and she focused on the situation at hand.

"Oh, using the milady thing, aren’t we?" Teased Blücher.

The Iron Blood blushed, nervously coughing afterward. “It would be my honor if you would offer me that right, Edinburgh.”

Blücher squealed quietly behind the counter, loving gestures that were straight out of a romance movie.

As much as that sounded sweet to hear as she wouldn’t be forced to spend a lot, she just couldn’t allow the battlecruiser to do that. "Really? Including Bel and Enterprise's order, too?” Reminded the royal maid.

"I bet you also want drinks, too,” added Blücher.

Seydlitz had been running the numbers in her head, but she did not account for the drinks that snuck up to her like a submarine. "Blucher... your input is always... insightful. Regardless, I'll feel terrible if you paid for me."

Edinburgh stepped up with determination in her eyes. "Nonsense, I'm more than happy to pay for it. I'm not really strapped for cash, you know?"

Blücher leaned on the counter, adoring the back and forth between the two who adamantly stated that they weren’t an item. "Miss Edinburgh, Seydlitz can be a pure gentleman and would never accept a lady paying for her. That's just her code after all." The blonde destructively smiled, watching Seydlitz’s face crack from being referred to as a gentleman. While she did act the part, she hated it being pointed out by her sister.

"I can see that and while that's very honorable of you, I'm my own type—a gentlewoman, if you would like a name. How about we split it both ways then?" Concluded the Royal Maid.

Seydlitz sighed. Still, there was no denying that she liked the pushback from the maid. "While I might not completely agree... if that's your wish, then I'll respect it."

Blücher once again squealed in delight. "Ah, how sweet. Seydlitz does need a gal who can give her some pushback. By the way, we have a deal for couples going on. If you say that you're both a couple, then you get fifty percent off on the food."

"Couple!?" They both cried, shyly looking away in different directions.

Blücher winked merrily. "Yep yep. You'll need to level with me and tell me that you two are secretly dating."

Seydlitz grew stern, placing a hand on her red belt. "What assumption did you even have to reach that conclusion?! We already said that we're friends."

Edinburgh nodded defeatedly, not being able to find the steadfast expression that the pink-haired hunter exuded.

"Oh, saying it isn't so. You guys have such good chemistry —I saw it in a video a friend tagged me in."

It was at that moment that they both staggered from what they heard. "Video!?"

Blücher endearingly and aggressively nodded. "Yeah! Didn't say anything earlier since a lot was going on, but you two were the stars of the Halloween play today, right?" She held her phone up and showed a video of the final scene of the play. Someone from the crowd had recorded them and the social feed below the video had exploded with comments.

"We were recorded?” stated the Iron Blood hunter with bewilderment.

"Yep! You’re both viral. Most are saying that you two look so good together."

Edinburgh's eyes horrifyingly scanned the comments under the video which were a mixed bag of comments.

Comment 1: "They have to be dating IRL."

Comment 2: "I don't know… that kiss was rather meek. As if it was their first."

Comment 3: “Can you imagine it if their first kiss was on stage?!"

Comment 4: “Really broke the immersion of it all. We're supposed to think that they are in love with each other but the kiss at the end really let it all fall apart."

Comment 5. “I’m calling it—Edinlitz or Seydburgh?!”

Seydlitz continued to stare at the incoming comments that she couldn’t tear herself away from. It was like watching a car wreck that horrifyingly captivated her attention. Her head worryingly shook side to side, her cheeks slightly red that shipgirls on base were throwing around slanderous rumors. Edinburgh wasn't her girlfriend, and her kiss wasn't meek!

Edinburgh’s world grew dizzy, and she unintentionally started taking a few steps back in a diagonal line, away from Seydlitz and the others waiting in line.

Back to Seydlitz, the conflict in her thoughts staggered her, feeling uneasy about where she stood. It didn't matter though. There was no way that Edinburgh would romantically like her— she was romantically incompatible with anyone as she didn't believe herself to be girlfriend material, let alone to a royal lady like Edinburgh. Caught up in her own loveless thoughts, she failed to notice the maid wobbly stepping backward.

It happened in a fraction of a second when Seydlitz tore her eyes away to see her sister give off a fearful and worrisome face at what she was seeing past Seydlitz. The hunter looked behind her to see the Halloween maid bump into a manjuu pirate, carrying a tray of food to be delivered, and trip completely over its small frame.

It was too late for Seydlitz to reach out and grab the maid before Edinburgh head planted the sandy floor. "Milady! Are you all, right?!"

The Halloween maid's face was concealed by her white hair and by the fact that she had hit the sand with the side of her face. Laying spiraled on the sand, Edinburgh began to move in a dazed and confused manner. "W-What happened...?" She groggily questioned.

"You tripped over a manjuu who had been walking behind you." Without still seeing her face, Seydlitz noticed that a pair of glasses were nestled in the sand a few feet away.

Before she could react to the maid losing her glasses, her gaze centered back on Edinburgh who finally picked herself up from the ground, though she was still lying on the sand. "Ugh, why am I always such a clutz?"

Seydlitz made a muffled sound of surprise, similar to getting punched in the stomach. That odd response made the light cruiser look at her with anxiety in her eyes. Yet, when she did stare at the Iron Blood, a blurred image welcomed her line of sight.

It took a second for Edinburgh to understand that her glasses had fallen off and her sight was dreadfully impaired. A tap on her shoulder from a blurry yellow creature that was no doubt the pirate Manjuu handed her an equally blurry black object.

With a clumsy hand, she took what was obviously her glasses from the manjuu and quickly fixed them on her face.

What she saw, gave the royal her own version of a gut punch to the stomach. Seydlitz stared at her, full blush, looking on the verge of emotionally cracking, and completely lost inside her own mind.

What could that mean!? Was what raced through the maid's mind. She never took off her glasses unless it was for sleeping or showering. "Seydlitz...?" She asked with tenseness.

Her name brought her back and she let out a held breath since her cheeks had puffed up. "Huh?! Umm, Edinburgh. Are you all right?" The shakiness in her voice didn't leave her but she still had enough sense to help the royal back to her feet.

The maid flashed her a weary smile, still completely embarrassed that she tripped over a manjuu. She dusted herself off and worriedly gazed at her friend. "I'm fine. Nothing broken here. But... are you okay? You looked..." Time hadn't helped in giving her a solid conclusion about the expression the Iron Blood had shown. If it was only the troubled gaze and startled sound, then it could have been easy to deduce it as her being disgusted to see her without glasses. Yet, she blushed. She blushed and had her cheeks puffed. The cheeks puffed could have been that she was holding back a laugh instead of being disgusted, but that was all the same to Edinburgh. No, she was not going for a laugh as too many other variables conflicted with it.

The only reason Edinburgh could think of was that she had forced the hunter’s heart to skip a beat. She had... made Seydlitz's heart skip a beat. The thought alone numbed her body, and she couldn't help but let a small smile of pride.

"Milady... there's no need to worry about me. I was just caught in the troubling moment that you might have been hurt."

That response left Edinburgh feeling sour and she couldn't accept that. Her own heart began to beat faster once again.

Blücher smiled nervously at them once they shook off the drama of the situation. "Hehe, um, guess I shouldn't have shown those comments on here." It hadn't been her intention to cause a panic for the maid like that. At best, she wanted to show them that the majority thought they looked cute together.

Seydlitz sighed, lowering her hunter hat in a way to hide her hot-red face. "Blücher, that's enough. Can we get our order finalized already? At this point, we've started holding up the line."

"Y-Yeah, my bad again for showing all this to you. Your order will be ready soon!" She sighed, accepted the money, and turned to the next group that was next. All the while, she knew it in her heart of hearts that the maid had feelings for her sister. "Jeez, Seyz, it took her glasses coming off for the love torpedo to hit you in the hull. Still, you can’t fool this Hipper-class ship! Maybe now you'll act on what you've been pushing aside. Yep, that clumsy response from her definitely said a lot."

Some time passed by, and their order was done. The two then quietly walked back to the campfire that they shared with the other two.

(Belfast x Enterprise)

Before the Hunter and former Vampire had yet to arrive back, Enterprise and Belfast had been enjoying a litany of topics that flowed seamlessly one after the other.

It was then that Belfast grew rather bold and gave her lover a humorless look. The look raised the caution of the Eagle ace, making her frown slightly. "Hmm, something troubling you?"

Belfast relaxed, holding the hand of Enterprise for strength. "Ent-Ent, the look you both shared... should I be worried?"

"Huh? What look? With whom?" She asked completely flummoxed by the out of nowhere question that incited disapproval from the carrier.

Belfast tried again, understanding that she had been too vague. "Edin and I saw how you and Miss Seydlitz were like kindred spirits while you showed her your stamps collection. I admit that you and I have never shared something in the way of hobbies that we are both passionate about. I have things like my tea parties, dancing, cleaning, social book gatherings, and knitting. You have your coffee, stamps, baseball, that phone game Long Island got you into, and you even started learning how to grill."

For context on the last one, Belfast wasn’t the greatest fan of barbecue, but she still supported her girlfriend in her exploration of more human pastimes. She even sampled them if she was provided with a knife and fork.

Enterprise quickly changed her stunned and mildly offended expression to that of a softer loving one. "Bel, are you...?"

Belfast focused her gaze on the crackling fire, seeing past it that felt like the fire of her jealousy. "I'm not free from jealousy as well, Enterprise. I dare say that I felt a bit territorial suddenly. The way you spoke about your stamps... well, at the very least, I'm happy that you have someone that shares that passion."

"Goodness…” The carrier lightly scratched her head before holding onto the hand of her girlfriend. “Bel, she and I could click in so many ways, but my heart only clicks with you in that special way that counts."

Belfast let out a relieved breath and relaxed into her girlfriend’s touch. "Of course, I have nothing to fear."

Enterprise assured her with an energetic nod. "Sure, we don’t have overlapping hobbies like… I’m a terrible dancer and can only knit a questionable scarf at best, but that's what I like about you. You make me get out of my comfort zone and experience new things. You're my other half and everything that I'm not."

"Enterprise...!" She staggered her breathing, feeling the urge to shed a tear. "I think that takes the cake for the sweetest thing you ever said to me."

Enterprise affectionately grasped her hand. "Then I'll have to try harder going forward."

The vampire maid smiled, feeling a realization consume her. "Oh, this has been rather cathartic for us. We never had jealousy be brought into our forefront like this but with potentially seeing me kiss someone else and me seeing you connect with someone in a way I can't relate, I think we've both grown a bit."

The detective nodded. "Bel, I sound like a broken record for saying this again, but I wouldn't have minded if you played the leading role with Seydlitz. A vampire who hadn't truly lost her humanity is a version that fits what kind of gentlewoman you are."

Belfast smiled sensually, needing no words to convey her desire to abandon the "double date" she put together and take her girlfriend back to their room for their own Halloween fun—one where a lot of playful biting was involved.

No sooner than the detective deducing what her vampire mistress wanted, Seydlitz and Edinburgh returned with both carrying a tray of food.

The eagle carrier shifted her urges when her stomach rumbled at the sight of a plate of nachos under a plastic top.

Neither had sensed the tension between the battlecruiser and light cruiser.

"Here, Miss Enterprise, we got you a spider’s web nacho plate. And for Belfast, I got you some mummy dogs with some chips." She also handed them sodas that they both accepted.

"Oh! You didn't have to do that, Edin," said Belfast, still feeling truthfully troubled by the way she had been pulling her sister's emotional strings.

"It's all water under the bridge." To a degree, it was true as she now had more to ponder than being angry at seeing her younger sister being happy in life with her significant other.

As time went on, the four talked and enjoyed the company of each other. It was soon made aware by the hard-working manjuu that they were setting up the massive projection screen along with the projector being brought in. The movie was soon to be in full swing and many of the shipgirls were getting excited about it.

"I wonder what kind of horror film they’re putting on,” said Seydlitz after taking another bite of her pumpkin burger.

"Nothing too overly violent I would hope with there being the younglings around too," said Edinburgh.

Seydlitz agreed, and the two exchanged a mutually understood smile that had overshadowed their pondering thoughts if only for a minute. Once they looked each other in the eye, Seydlitz was reminded of Edinburgh without her glasses, and Edinburgh was reminded of the vulnerable and cute face of Seydlitz.

The air around them grew awkward, making them focus on their food again.

"Edinburgh... as my girlfriend," internally spoke the Iron Blood, harkening back to what her troublesome sister had spewed. "What is wrong with me? We’ve only just acknowledged each other as friends. And yet… when I saw her without her glasses, I was overwhelmed. Grrr… as if she would even like me like that.”

Next to her, Edinburgh was internally arguing with herself as well. "Seydlitz... as my girlfriend. She did respond in a surprising way to seeing me without my glasses. That must be some kind of green light of confidence for sure. Yet, why can't I muster the courage to do what Bel was capable of?"

Once again, their internal moody thoughts were overshadowed by Belfast and Enterprise giggling and laughing with each other. Edinburgh vacantly stared with a tired expression in her eyes at seeing this old song and dance that was the wrong time if there was ever one. This didn’t go unnoticed by Seydlitz who grew determined to save the royal from getting upset once again.

Enterprise held her plate toward her girlfriend. "Bel, have some of my nachos. It's more than I can eat, and I'd rather share them with you."

The vampire maid graciously smiled. "I accept your offer, but only if you take a bite of my mummy dog," she said sweetly.

From a distance, the sound of two pairs of feet approaching them perked their ears. Eugen and Wales appeared holding a plate of nachos and pumpkin burger. Eugen couldn’t help but smirk at the unlikely group that stood before her. "Now this is a sight to see only on Halloween. The former vampire, the supposed-to-be-dead wicked sister, the love fool vampire hunter, and..." She raised an eyebrow when she saw Enterprise casually eating nachos.

Enterprise quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin. "Don't mind me, just a passing detective who ended up nursing a bloodied vampire back to health."

"Eh? That wasn't how the story went," bewilderedly stated Wales.

Belfast giggled sweetly and linked her arm with her girlfriend. "Call it fiction from the wicked vampire maid's number one fan." She hinted for Enterprise to improv a story.

The eagle ace anticipatingly had been playing around with the idea earlier, giving her a good bone structure to a brief story. “It was some time after the beginning of dawn when my carriage and horse made it to the cathedral where all my leads had told me to go. Upon the empty, eerie, and sacred place, a battle appeared to have taken place, but no other signs of life were visible. Only the charred remains of various people littered the floor. I began to stare in horror at what kind of monster would have burned their victims. With the light of the sun illuminating my vision, I noticed a streak of blood as if someone had dragged themselves across the floor. The bloody streak ended near a covered area away from the sun and resting in the shadows. There, the labored breathing of a burned victim was horribly noticeable. I raced to the burnt victim and noticed a wooden stake protruding from her chest. A million worries raced throughout my mind, like how was I going to save her when she was absolutely far gone.”

It was then that Belfast tapped her on the shoulder to let her know that she wanted in on the story. “As I lay upon the floor, irritating my charred skin from the effects of the sun’s rays, a dark figure emerged from the light. My pupils dilated, wondering if this was death coming to personally take me away. It was then that my vision refocused, and I could smell the invigorating smell of human blood. She appeared before me like a worried sheep, defenseless in nature compared to a lioness. My lungs hurt to breathe yet I was able to painfully produce a few words. ‘Remove it and let me drink.’ I’m sure my cryptic string of words for my little sheep was lost at first, but she soon understood that the stake was what I meant.”

Enterprise tapped her this time around and urgently expressed to let her continue it. Belfast enjoyed the almost kid-like expression from her girlfriend and agreed.  “I felt some kind of magical sway from those words. My body seemed to have a mind of its own and feeling like it was my duty, I unburied the stake from her chest. For a painful minute, I thought the victim had died on the spot. Deep mourning consumed me, and I closed my eyes with respect to the poor victim's anguish. My heart jumped out of my chest when a deep blood-curdling scream hit me full force. It happened suddenly when she lunged at me and sunk her teeth into my neck.”

Belfast cleared her throat and playfully tapped Enterprise for attention. “The blood that flowed through my throat and into my veins was both nourishing and intoxicating. I could feel my blackened skin begin to slowly shed itself and produce new supple skin cells. Recovery was nigh, yet to be achieved it would take time. I passed out before I could contemplate anything else. The events after that are rather muddy but out of it being magical compulsion brought upon my bite, or perhaps the detective saw something within me, I later learned that she threw her coat over me and lifted me out of the cathedral and into her carriage. She would give me no clear answer during the weeks she took care of me by supplying my need for blood. She watched me, like a newborn baby growing before her eyes, my skin beginning to heal fully, and my hair regrowing. I no longer looked like a walking burnt corpse covered in bandages. It was that fated alleyway one dark night where I ended the lives of a few drunk vagrants that she tracked me down after escaping from her flat. Then, saw me for who I was; a dark and alluring woman that now only had a taste for one person. I was now bound to her—my fate woven with hers. She was my crimson nectar, and I was her fatal mistake. And yet, what she said to me shook the pillars of my being.”

Enterprise already knew what she wanted to say before Belfast had even glanced her way. “Miss Bel… let’s go home.” The story ended, and out of some messed up Halloween-induced spell, they urged to kiss each other intimately. 

Both Eugen and Wales both had shadows covering their faces with dread at the twisted alteration of their ending that sounded like a teaser to a part two.

"This night is getting scarier by the second! To think you both would be so comfortable in spinning a story based on gothic romance horror!" Yelled Wales.

Edinburgh and Seydlitz had to silently agree that the version they created was dark and stunning. It would have to take a lot of makeup and special effects to make it immersive for the audience if it was ever allowed to see a stage—that’s not even considering the rating it would need and if the younger shipgirls could even watch it.

"Anyways, I thought you two were doing your own private Halloween thing tonight," said Seydlitz.

"We are, but first we wanted to grab some of this festive food before heading out, isn't that right, Wales?” Eugen frowned when she noticed that her girlfriend had suddenly been notified with a message from her phone. The royal had wasted no second to quickly scan the screen. “Darling, you promised me that you would put down the comment section for tonight.”

Wales apologetically glanced at the silver-haired woman. Still, she didn’t deter from the obsession that called to her via her screen. "Sorry, Eugen. You know I’m weak-willed when it comes to wanting to know what others have to say. Grr—I think it’s unfair that these comments about the play are being written.”

Edinburgh closed her shocked mouth and guiltily put her head down. There was no doubt in her mind that Wales was referring to the comments about the weak kiss she delivered at the end. It bogged her down with embarrassment and shame all rolled into one.

The crestfallen look from the maid hurt like a dagger going to her chest. Seydlitz gritted her teeth and angrily stood up. Her determination to take the royal’s pain away went into overdrive and she cared for nothing else. "Wales, all of those comments are superficial! Edinburgh did a stupendous job of selling that kiss! The only one that has a right to judge her is me for being the one who received the kiss."

A full wave of shell shock washed over all the others around the campfire. Edinburgh vacantly paused, feeling like her soul left her body from hearing such strong conviction that flattered her to no end. All the others felt like their words were hanging in the wind as well.

Seydlitz’s face burned brightly, looking on the verge of fainting. However, she used all the strength in her body to grab the maid’s hand and whisk her away to somewhere less judgmental.

Eugen comedically looked between the other shipgirls. "Huh? What the hell just happened?"

Wales was equally confused, too. "I wasn't talking about the kiss that happened at the end. I was mostly reading comments relating to the writing in how convenient Seydlitz had the cure all along. That's the point. She hated her at first and never said anything because it was a selfish desire to keep it a secret."

Belfast proudly stood silent at the scene that played out. "It seems that Miss Seydlitz was the first to strike."

(Seydlitz x Edinburgh)

"Seydlitz! What's going on?" She made her confused protests be heard, yet she never did once try to force herself away from the Iron Blood. She would be lying if she didn't find this assertive side of Seydlitz endearing. It reminded her of the hunter character she played who never shied away from conflict or her beliefs. They continued to walk across the sand until they found the underside of a wooden pier deck that had enough room for someone to stand under. It was also a good distance away from the clutter and distraction of the various campfires and bonfires.

Away from the other shipgirls, Seydlitz let go of the light cruiser's hand. "Sorry if I was rough. I just... wanted to take you away from what burdened you." The heaviness to her voice sounded like she was struggling to believe that was the whole reason. It was only after a brief pause that she listened to her heart. "Your kiss at the end was perfect. Don't listen to what anyone has to say."

A sense of hope and hesitation enveloped the light cruiser. The word of it being perfect toyed with her fiercely. "It was perfect? Then... did it make you feel anything after it was done?" Her heart at this point was beating erratically.

Hesitation then found itself pouring into Seydlitz who turned her head and pondered with lowered eyes.

Edinburgh sighed and defensively held her arm with her other in defeat.

Seeing the crestfallen face of the Royal stung. Deep down, she had let her down for not answering. With a deep breath, she went for it even if it exploded in her face. "It... maybe it did. There was something that I felt! I felt... proud, happy, and... warm." The kiss wasn't supposed to mean anything. It was ultimately there to sell it to the audience.

Edinburgh was left spellbound and placed her hand on her chest. Did she just hallucinate what she heard? It shouldn't have meant anything. There was nothing inside Seydlitz other than a friendship they just barely built.

Seydlitz appeared as if she was struggling. Like someone crawling on their stomach to get to an endpoint. "Warm... when our lips touched for the first time, I felt warm. At the time, I told myself that it was the heat of the light that shined above us but even after that light had vanished, that warmth had lingered." That's all she said, all she would say as she began to fidget with her hat.

At this point, the maid could see it. Seydlitz was metaphorically crawling to the finish line to what she was trying to say. She was forcing whatever she wanted to say with all her mental strength and Edinburgh had to meet her halfway. With trembling hands and her heart racing, she needed to make her explain herself more concisely. Edinburgh refused to let her hyping emotions carry her away like the strongest of currents. Feeling warm wasn't a clear meaning that she liked her. No, those feelings were common to anyone who had successfully performed the leading role. They were not proof of love. "That warmness... did you also feel any butterflies in your stomach when we kissed? Because I did."

At this point, the maid felt like she was seeing herself in the third person. This spark of confidence startled her. The confidence of no longer feeling afraid of what might happen because she had already set it in motion. To backpedal now would be unceremonious to herself and her feelings.

"Butterflies?" The pink-haired shipgirl had never heard that expression used before. It helped her calm down and focus on it instead of reaching her melting point and shutting down from the intense blush she had. "To tell you the truth, that was the first time I ever kissed anyone, so it was perfect for me." More shades of red began to bleed through her cheeks as she finally said it out loud. She felt small and weak despite being dressed so chivalrously.

The maid's eyes widened, seeing Seydlitz so vulnerable and endearing. All of Seydlitz’s blushing, she wanted nothing more than to place a cold pack over her to keep her from fainting—it was a miracle she hadn't. She found support on a beam behind her, and she gazed behind Seydlitz into the ocean to help herself say the next set of truths. "What you said was so sweet and simple. I wish I could be happy with that too, but that kiss wasn't perfect for me... even though it was also my first."

The hunter staggered, taking in what she heard.

Edinburgh, battling with herself, puffed her cheeks and hid behind the beam. Only one of her eyes peaked to see the Iron Blood. And in a very shy manner, she spoke from her heart. "I can't be happy or see it as perfect for I limited myself when I kissed you... because... because... I didn't trust myself in stopping! I love you, there I said it!"

Seydlitz's world halted. Underneath the pier deck where they were, nothing else mattered. Only them and their feelings. "You love me?" She subconsciously took a step forward making Edinburgh shy herself away reactively.

The maid looked utterly defenseless, tears coming down her face. "Yes. You're everything that makes me feel like I'm walking on air. On my first impression of you, you're like a knight from a fairytale. You are kind, devoted, and honorable."

Her words were like a melody that eased the mind of the pink-haired shipgirl. The dignified woman she liked was responding to her feelings. "I never thought anyone would love me like that. I'm not tone-deaf about myself and I know I act very strict and soldier-like. This play was the first time I had the ability to get out of my comfort zone and act like someone else. It feels surreal to be told that someone loves me—an unladylike woman."

The light cruiser moved away from behind the beam. Edinburgh took her glasses off and began to wipe her eyes with her sleeve. "That's just crazy to think like that. But... I'm one to talk. Being in the shadow of my younger sister, I figured no one would ever look my way." She let out a small startle when she heard footsteps approach her and stop before her. Her glasses were still off when she gazed at a blurry stain of pink.

"We're a lot similar than we knew." Seydlitz's voice was heavy and full of determination. Her face then eased into a small smile that Edinburgh had trouble seeing.

"A bunch of Debbie downers, we are," said Edinburgh, trying to make light of the situation. At this point, their faces were mere inches from each other.

The hunter's hand wrapped around the hand holding the glasses. The royal felt the spectacles leave her hand and they were back on her face in no time.

Her world returned to its crystal-clear state and her first image was seeing Seydlitz gazing at her with a look full of devotion and warmth. Her glossy lips had indeed been smiling at the royal. "I'm not familiar with that turn of phrase but I get what you mean. Goodness... I walked around thinking no one would love me. You are a radiant lady full of beauty, Edin. You are worthy of being loved. There is no shadow covering you just as there is no reason for the two of us to not give this a try. If we like each other, it's worth seeing how it will play out."

Edinburgh felt pleasantly numb with happiness. "You're not undeserving of love. You participated in the play because you wanted to try and be something more than a soldier. Seyz, you are also worthy of being loved."

Their hearts had connected and when Edinburgh had placed her hands on the woman’s cheeks, Seydlitz did not attempt to shy away. Their lips connected softly, then aggressively as they began to find a synch.

The taste of the lip gloss from Seydlitz unexpectedly overwhelmed her. The taste of cherry made their kiss deepen with every second that went by.

They parted only when air became a problem, leaving a small string of saliva attached to their mouths before snapping. Their warm breath from each other kept them from cooling completely off, and before they knew it, they reignited the kiss again.

It was Seydlitz this time that took the lead, bringing the royal closer to her. Explosions of burning and hungry desires both on the spectrum of love and sexual desire found real estate in her heart.

Edinburgh moaned once she felt the hunter's hands caress her backside. Seydlitz's hands might have very well been searing pieces of iron as she jumped from contact.

As a response to this action, Seydlitz hoisted her up by her backside and let the maid lock her legs around her waist."

"Milady..." She moaned between breaths. Too busy with her lips trying to keep up and growing alarmed when she could feel the ever so teasing bit of tongue from the light cruiser, she stumbled back and lost her footing on a higher mound of sand. Their moans were replaced with yelps once they landed together on the sand.

Edinburgh raised herself slightly yet still straddled on top of the Iron Blood. Her glasses were hanging crookedly, and her disheveled appearance was unladylike. Still, she smiled goofily once the woman underneath her joined her in a pleasant laugh where both of their steamy urges had quelled.

“That kiss… that one wouldn’t be allowed on stage,” drunkenly giggled the maid from her love-induced happiness.

"Milady... my true lady. That was... nothing that I ever experienced before. If you would allow this feeble soldier to protect you, be by your side, and keep you from your shadows, then all I can say is that I love you."

Edinburgh leaned close, touching her forehead with hers. "When it comes to sweet talk like this, I think my sister beats me to the punch. But I'm speaking from my heart, too. It doesn't matter if you see yourself as a soldier or a lady, you're my girlfriend now. I'll give it my all in this relationship."

Seydlitz beamed with joy, tracing her fingers across the maid's lips. "As will I, for there is no one else that has excited me like you, Edin."

"Kyaa! That's too much for my heart to handle!" Edinburgh dived in and captured the Iron Blood's lips again. They stayed under the deck for another fifteen minutes while the movie in the background began to play.

Sometime later, when the movie’s terror-inducing attraction began to enrapture the attention of every shipgirl on the beach, Seydlitz and Edinburgh returned.

The campfire had been extinguished to provide the dark ambiance for the movie to start, similar to the light in a movie theater dimming.

The couple merely glance at the returned pair who had a different air to them, but it was hard to make out from the limited light of the projection screen. "We were beginning to worry about you two," said Enterprise.

Seydlitz sounded happy and a bit playful. "Nothing to fear. No creature of the night would dare challenge the vampire hunter who single-handedly took out a nest all by herself."

"I would have to agree," said Belfast, all the while glancing at her sister who looked blissfully happy from what she could tell.

With no glow from the fire, the area was blanketed by an inky blackness with only the light of the projector giving off light. This gave those being together as a couple the privacy to get affectionate. Like the rest of the night, Enterprise and Belfast hadn't wasted a moment to convey their love and this wasn't the time to stop.

While they had been gone, either Enterprise or Belfast had bought a tray full of chocolate cupcakes topped with pumpkin spice frosting, and candy corn bejeweled.

Seydlitz took one of the cupcakes and took a bite from the top. Edinburgh had herself tucking the left arm of the Iron Blood against her body, secretly enjoying that she had finally found what her younger sister already had, and it was with the one she had been crushing on.

A soft gesture made her dart her eyes from the screen, and she saw her girlfriend offering her a bite of the cupcake she had eaten from. She blushed in response, not being able to see that Seydlitz was also blushing.

This was all new to them both, but the fact that they would learn together made it easier to manage. Without any delay, she accepted the bite and enjoyed the sweet dessert.

Seydlitz laughed softly, being able to see that the light cruiser had smeared some pumpkin frosting when she dove in for a bite. Quickly leaning in, Seydlitz kissed the cream away that had stained her nose.