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While large parties didn’t happen all the time, the Kansen weren’t ones to turn down a chance to dress up and have fun. And one of the Royal Navy Balls was as good as any other reason for those that wanted a night out. The Commander surveyed the crowd passively as he enjoyed a drink. Some were dancing, many were eating, but it appeared everyone was having a good time, which was the point after all.
“Hey there, Commander, enjoying the view?”
The Commander turned to see Bremerton was the one who spoke to him and gave her a smile.
“Well, everyone is having a good time, so why not enjoy seeing that?” he asked. “You look great in that dress by the way.”
“Thanks~” she winked at him and smoothed out her dress. It was a pink themed dress of the same, if mirrored, design of Baltimore’s dress. “Speaking of dresses, have you seen Balti? We came together but went our separate ways for a while.”
“I think I saw her with Cleveland and a couple others,” he said. “She looked to be enjoying herself, so I don’t think we have to worry about her on that front, even if these aren’t always her speed.”
“Yeah, I was just wondering because sis has been a little worried about walking around in heels recently is all,” Bremerton said. “She also said something about getting a suit or tux like what Cleve has.”
“Baltimore in a tux?” he asked. “Actually, I can see that. I think she could pull it off pretty well if she wanted to.”
“Baltimore can pull anything off because she’s pretty even if she worries about it,” Bremerton smiled. “But that’s besides the point. Anyway, how are you enjoying the night?”
“Pretty well,” he nodded. “I heard that King George helped with the food tonight and it certainly tastes like it. I’ve also been able to talk with some others that I haven’t been able to for a while. So I think it’s been a good time.”
“Had any dance partners yet this evening?” she asked.
“No,” he shook his head. “I haven’t ventured over there yet.”
Bremerton gave him a confident smile and held out her hand.
“Well, would you entertain me with one?” she asked. “Maybe two?”
The Commander smiled and accepted her hand easily.
“Certainly,” he agreed.
Elsewhere in the room Baltimore was finishing putting a bandage on her heel. She already wasn’t great walking around in the shoes and them rubbing a sore spot on her achilles just made it all the harder.
“Hey there! Oh, that looks painful,” Foch said as she walked over with a smile. “Need me to fetch Vestal for anything?”
“This isn’t something to bother her with,” Baltimore shook her head. “But it does make getting used to them harder when they do this to my feet.”
“Yeah, I had to get a pair that had an elastic back to help me,” Cleveland said. “But I still chose to wear this tonight instead.”
“Honestly, I think that’s a good idea,” Baltimore said as she looked over Cleveland’s and Foch’s more masculine modes of dress. “I think I’d feel better in a suit or tux anyway.”
“So, why don’t you have one?” Foch asked.
“I guess I got caught up in wondering if I was too much of a tomboy?” Baltimore wondered. “I mean, I do like dresses and girly stuff on occasion, but I don’t think anyone would really buy that at a glance. Also, getting new stuff sized and shipped over is difficult at best. Not to mention expensive.”
“Being a tomboy is a spectrum,” Cleveland said. “And look at us! No one even blinked when we tried this out. And we’re far from the only ones too. Kinu, Biloxi, and I’m pretty sure Littorio has a suit too.”
“And I might have a solution about the time and cost if you are interested,” Foch added. “A girl needs to feel comfortable at a time like this after all, so who cares if you decide to wear a pair of pants and a vest?”
“I suppose you’re right,” Baltimore nodded. “What were you thinking?”
“Well, there isn’t a lot on the island for getting dressed up, but we do have options,” Foch smiled. “Victorious helped me with this piece and I think she’d be willing to help you out too.”
“Yeah, she designed my conductor outfit too,” Cleveland added. “So she knows what she’s doing in that respect.”
“She’ll probably have to size you though,” Foch said. “You’re a little bigger than we are.”
Baltimore squeaked and blushed at that but nodded all the same. Besides, it might be nice to have something to change it up on occasion.
“On to other matters, did you know your sister stole the Commander for the evening?" Cleveland said.
“Huh?” Baltimore looked up confused but Cleve just pointed to the dance floor where they could be seen dancing. “Oh.”
“That’s their third dance,” Foch noted with a smile. “I know the Commander is willing to dance with whoever asks, but I think she’s got a hold on him tonight.”
“Ah, well, Brem doesn’t often ask for anything, so maybe the Commander is willing to let her have a bit more when she asks?” Baltimore ventured.
“Whatever it is, they look like they’re enjoying it, so why not leave them to it?” Cleve said.
Foch flagged down Victorious and the carrier walked over with a smile.
“Hello you three, need something?” she asked.
“Yeah, Baltimore here was contemplating getting something like what Cleveland and I are wearing,” Foch nodded. “You helped us both before, so we thought to bridge the gap as it were.”
“Yeah, I think I’d feel better when I’m not tripping in this dress all the time,” Baltimore nodded.
“I see!” Victorious nodded. “I should have some time free in my schedule here soon if you want to come and discuss it. I’ll even give you some pointers about your dress too, if you want. You look beautiful in it after all.”
Baltimore flushed at the compliment but nodded. “I think I’ll take you up on that. When are you free?”
“I’ll have to check once this is all over and then we can pick a time that works for us both,” Victorious said. “Don’t want to pick a day just to remember later that we have an exercise or mission or something.”
“Speaking of, I’ll have to be there in spirit because I leave tomorrow afternoon for a mission,” Cleveland said. “But I can give you some of the notes I took last time if you think they’d help.”
“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Victorious nodded. “Cleveland and Foch both like having freedom of movement, something I think you’ll appreciate too.”
“Thanks, that’s part of what started this conversation in the first place,” Baltimore nodded.
“Great!” Victorious smiled. “Feel free to come in comfy clothes too, that way you aren’t walking around in your dress all the way over. Can’t have it getting caught on something.”
~~~
Bremerton was supportive as ever when Baltimore brought it up in conversation later. And she opted to wear a pair of short shorts and a hoodie on the way over. Not exactly elegant, but she felt comfortable in it. Cleveland was away on a mission, but Foch made a point to come along for support and to offer input if needed.
“You can hang your dress here,” Victorious pointed to a tower hanger she had brought out for the occasion. “We’ll get to that later, first let’s list out what you want.”
“Right, and thanks for the help,” Baltimore said.
“Of course!” Victorious smiled as she brought out a note book. “Now, you’re a very active woman and feel more comfortable in shorts than skirts, so we’ll keep a point for movement going forward…”
….
It took a little bit of time to get down everything Baltimore felt she might like or want in a suit or tux. Part of this was her getting educated in what different types of cuts were, but that was why they came to Victorious, she knew her stuff. By the end of that conversation, Baltimore had chosen something that was largely similar to what Foch had been wearing at the ball. It would be easy to move about in, but smart enough that no one would blink at her choosing to wear it at any special occasion.
“Alright, now for the sizing,” Victorious said and pulled out a tape. “You’ll have to strip for this, just down to your underwear is fine.”
Baltimore knew this was coming and she was with decent company, so she didn’t find this difficult. Especially when it wasn’t all that different from dressing or undressing in a locker room. So she pulled the hoodie off, took off her shirt, and dropped her shorts. Her shoes were already by the door, taken off when they arrived, and she folded everything into a neat pile, leaving her in her simple bra and panties.
“Right, just copy me if I need you to move or anything,” Victorious said. “It won’t be hard, but we are aiming for ease of movement, so I’ll have to make sure things will let you move.”
“No problem,” Baltimore nodded.
“I have to admit, seeing you like this is impressive no matter how many times I witness it,” Foch said matter of factly.
“What do you mean?” Baltimore asked.
“Well, you’re just so athletic,” Foch told her from her seat. “I mean, we all know that any given Kansen is strong, but you look strong. I can only imagine the discipline it takes for you to keep your body like that.”
“T-Thanks,” Baltimore blushed a little. “But Kansen don’t really change no matter what we do. I think I look this way because whatever decides how we work knew I would be active, so it gave me a body that matched.”
“It’s true that our bodies don’t change no matter how much we eat or workout or cut our hair,” Victorious said. “But I agree with Foch on this. And part of what makes it impressive is that you use what you’ve got. We’ve all seen you in the gym or playing sports. It wouldn’t be surprising to see you with abs that could rival Alabama.”
Baltimore thought about it as Victorious carefully wrapped the tape around her breasts.
“Yep, definitely bigger than Cleveland and Foch, but we can make it work~”
Baltimore blushed as Foch giggled and Victorious finished sizing her.
“Out of curiosity, would you like to see?” Baltimore blushed and quickly continued. “My abs, I mean.”
“Honestly, yeah,” Foch nodded and stood up to come closer.
“I’m ready to be amazed,” Victorious nodded.
Baltimore took a breath and flexed her abdomen. Suddenly her smooth and flat belly sculpted as the muscles underneath tensed. The eyes of both Kansen watching widened and Foch let out a low whistle. Baltimore wasn’t one to always show off like that, but it was a sight when she did. After holding it for a few seconds she relaxed.
“Wow,” was all Foch could say for a moment.
“Yeah, you’re definitely packing some real power just under the surface,” Victorious remarked.
“No wonder you always chose to keep your belly bare if you can get away with it,” Foch subconsciously ran a hand down her front. “I’d be proud of that too.”
“Well, it’s not like I’m flexing all the time,” Baltimore said with a faint blush. “But yeah, it’s something I’m really proud of.”
*Knock Knock* “Vicky? Are you decent?” Illustrious asked through the door.
“Hold on just a moment!” Victorious called. “I’m sizing someone!”
Foch handed Baltimore back her clothes and she quickly changed back into them. Once given the all clear, Illustrious stepped through the door.
“Oh! Are you helping Baltimore today?” she asked.
“Yep,” Victorious nodded. “Just a little sizing today as well as helping her move around in her dress.”
“Splendid,” Illustrious smiled. “I was just coming to tell you about tea here in a little while. And I believe Baltimore and Foch would be more than welcome if they wished to join us too.”
“What do you think?” Foch looked at Baltimore.
“I don’t see a reason to refuse,” she smiled. “Besides, we’ve spent an hour with Victorious already.”
“Sounds good to me!” Foch smiled.
“Excellent,” Illustrious put her hands together. “I’ll leave you three to your clothes and be seeing you later.”
Illustrious closed the door behind her and Victorious gave Baltimore a smile.
“Now, let’s get you in that pretty dress of yours,” she told her. “And don’t worry, it’s not that you can’t walk in those types of shoes, you just haven’t learned yet.”
“Right,” Baltimore quickly undressed again before grabbing her dress. “Can I ask one of you for a hand? Brem normally helps me get this on.”
“Sure thing!” Foch said.
~~~
Victorious was true to her word and Baltimore learned a lot about wearing and moving in high heeled shoes. The main thing she learned was that she had to treat them more like her rigging boots where she had to adjust her center of gravity. It also helped if she took shorter strides. The second one made a large difference as Baltimore with her athleticism and long legs tended to take longer strides when she moved. You couldn’t do that in heels.
Baltimore was grateful of course and Foch also learned a lot too, seeing as she also preferred shoes and boots to heels. And while she was certainly physically bigger than Foch, they had the same size shoe, so Foch was able to put to practice Victorious's words by borrowing her heels for a quick walk.
But all of that was behind them now as they made their way to tea.
“So, it’ll take a little while to get everything here and put together,” Victorious said. “But I’ll let you know when it’s ready.”
“That’s fine,” Baltimore nodded. “Oh, before I forget, what do I owe you for all of this?”
Victorious almost told her not to worry about it, but she also knew that while the Eagle Union were very community oriented, they valued people being compensated for the goods or services they provide. Thankfully, Victorious knew of something that would work. She didn’t know everything about clothes after all.
“I’m needing some new exercise clothes,” she started. “But the last stuff I bought didn’t hold up as well as I had hoped. So maybe you can help me figure that out later.”
“Sounds good to me,” Baltimore smiled.
“Hello,” Belfast greeted them with a bow. “And I see Baltimore and Foch were indeed able to join us, most excellent.”
“Yeah, not often I end up here around this time,” Foch said. “So I guess I was a bit curious.”
“I believe you were always welcome if you were interested,” Illustrious said. “But you are here, so please enjoy.”
Tea was a rather low energy affair most times. Something that neither quest was particularly known for. It was something that Valiant decided to comment on.
“To be honest, I’m surprised to see that you two would be interested in tea with us,” she said. “Both of you appear to live far more active lives both on and off the field. So I wonder what interests you about all this.”
“It’s not as though we don’t understand the value of slowing down every now and again,” Foch said as she spun her knife idly on the table. “My nation is known for its temperament about relaxation after all.”
“I don’t know if I can point to anything about this coming from my nation,” Baltimore said thoughtfully. “We’re far too varied for that to work. However, no one can go at full speed all the time, no matter what it might look like.”
“I think it may also be worth noting that both Baltimore and Foch could be considered at the far end of a spectrum,” Hood said. “It isn’t as though we don’t see Baltimore sleeping in the grass with Alabama on occasion. And I believe that it is well known that Foch enjoys a glass of wine on the beach while doing nothing more.”
“It isn’t as though we don’t have our own energetic ones,” Illustrious added.
“I suppose that is true,” Valiant nodded. “I didn’t mean it in any poor way, of course, just a curiosity of circumstance.”
“Haha, not to worry,” Baltimore nodded. “Foch and I both have tough skin.”
“Hm, it does lend a new character to the conversation having you too here,” Hood smiled.
“Ah, well, we aren’t exactly the most proper,” Foch scratched her cheek.
“That’s not what I mean,” Hood said. “Just that I find your personalities refreshing is all.”
Tea lasted for a bit longer before people had to go their separate ways. But Valiant had something more to say once the two cruisers had left.
“Hood?”
“Yes?”
“Do please invite them again in the future,” Valiant said. “They were indeed a refreshing pair to have at these events.”
“Of course~”
~~~
The Commander didn’t know that Baltimore had decided to get some new formal wear, but it would be unrealistic for him to know everything that went on around the base. Often, so long as it didn’t make it his problem, he let the Kansen do as they pleased on their own time. But that didn’t mean even good things didn’t find a way to his attention. The Kansen often pushed for it to happen, even if they didn't explicitly inform him.
So when he stopped by the Royal Navy Maid Cafe that they ran on occasion to meet with Warspite, he did a double take when it was Biloxi in one of her suits standing there as the host.
“Afternoon, Commander,” she gave him a winning smile. “Just one?”
“Ah,” he was caught short, but only for a moment. “Actually, I’m meeting with Warspite.”
“She’s right over there,” Biloxi pointed and he followed her direction to see Warspite giving him a polite wave.
He Gave Biloxi a nod and made his way over, a menu still on the table for him.
“Thanks for being prompt, Commander, though you’ve always valued others' time as much as your own,” she greeted him.
“It’s part of being professional,” he nodded as he saw Kinu walking by. Another glance saw Foch in her gentry outfit serving another table as well. “So… a butler theme this time around?”
“A good enough guess,” Warspite nodded. “Baltimore and Foch came around a while ago to visit Victorious for a more masculine formal outfit for Baltimore and they stayed for tea after. Valiant was rather pleased with them so when Baltimore’s outfit was complete, she suggested this as a way for her to show it off. The Queen agreed seeing as it was a Royal Navy ships work, but they all seem to be enjoying it.”
“They do all look rather handsome,” he nodded. “It just surprised me a little when I came in.”
“I saw that,” Warspite smiled.
“Right,” the Commander coughed a little as he browsed the menu. “So, scenery aside, what was it you wanted to speak about? Not something sensitive seeing as we’re here I imagine.”
“Correct,” Warspite nodded. “Some Kansen have noticed something on recent missions. I’m not sure that it’s bad, exactly, but I thought it worth bringing to your attention.”
“I’m listening,” he said, putting the menu down.
“People have been contacting Raven more and more during missions,” Warspite said. “And while each and every instance has been warranted, I am concerned about over reliance.”
“A fair worry,” the Commander nodded.
“Hello! Oh, hey there Commander!” Baltimore greeted as she walked over with Warspite’s tea and food. “Can I get you something?”
The Commander was once again slightly taken aback by what he saw. Baltimore was dressed in her new formal wear. The colors and theme were much like her dress, but was instead a vest over a dark button up shirt with a smart coat on top. She had kept the shoulder cape that her dress had, just adjusted to fit more with the other changes of her outfit. A pair of shorts not unlike what Cleveland or Foch liked sat on her hips with a black leather belt to hold it up. And her legs were covered with dark thigh highs to complete the look.
“You cut quite the handsome figure there, Balti,” he complimented her. “And you look like you feel a lot more confident too.”
“Thanks, I do feel better in this than my dress, but Victorious helped me with that too,” she smiled.
“I’m glad,” he returned her smile and placed his order, she was working after all.
Baltimore took his order and walked off. The Commander did watch for just a moment and was treated to the site of her shoulder cape working as intended.
“You know, she almost looks knight like in all that,” he remarked.
“I agree,” Warspite nodded. “I think Vicky took advantage of the fact that she was working with a more generally masculine vibe than what she gets to work with in the Royal Navy. Not many of us are willing to wear pants or shorts like that.”
“Yes, skirts and dresses seem to be the mainstay there,” he agreed. “But I’m glad everyone got something out of it. So, back on topic.”
“Yes, Raven is a very useful contact…”
~~~
His meeting with Warspite was productive. Unfortunately, they would have to run an actual investigation to see if there was anything actually wrong with what was happening. Which he realized was probably a sign in itself. But once he was done, he walked to the back of the cafe where Newcastle told him Baltimore was on break.
The tomboy-ish cruiser was sitting and enjoying an oxy-cola, her cape draped over the back of her chair. She had also removed the coat, leaving the vest as the top most article of clothing showing that the outfit was versatile for warmer temps as well.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
Baltimore turned her golden eyes on him and smiled. “Go ahead.”
He sat opposite of her as she took a sip from her drink.
“Something I can do for you, Commander?” she asked.
“I just wanted to hear about how this came about,” he said. “I didn’t think you were uncomfortable enough in your dress to change it up.”
“Ah, it’s less that I was uncomfortable and more that the opportunity presented itself,” she scratched her cheek. “Cleve and Foch noticed I was struggling in my heels and were helping me out when I mentioned something about trying what they had instead. Foch recommended Victorious and the rest is history I guess.”
“Victorious did a good job too,” he nodded. “But I think your confidence is what really sells it. The way you walked around out there could have made me mistake you for being on the track or something. You didn’t appear to have an ounce of doubt.”
“Haha, Victorious also gave me some tips on that too,” Baltimore said. “But the clothes help. I guess there is some truth to the saying ‘the clothes make the woman’. But I’m glad I got this.”
“If you’re happy, I’m happy,” he smiled at her. “I’ll get out of your hair so you can enjoy your break.”
“Thanks for stopping by!”
As he walked back to the office, the Commander had the thought that someone might really be taken by Baltimore in her new formal wear. Not because the clothes were nice, though they were of excellent quality thanks to Victorious, but because Baltimore was so confident in them that it was contagious. Then again, if Victorious had helped her have more confidence in her dress, then the same could be said there too.