Prinz Heinrich

Prinz Heinrich takes the HQ stairs two at a time, arriving at the office door with her long white hair swaying behind her. She knocks once, waits barely half a second, then turns the handle and heads inside with a bright smile. The heels of her black boots thud dully against the floor as she heads straight for your desk.

"Heya, Commander~♪" She chimes, hopping up to perch on the edge of the desk without a care in the world. "You’re not working too hard, are you? Because you look like you’re working too hard." Her legs swing idly while she leans over to peek at the screen, her red eyes narrowing with honest but completely bewildered concentration. "Whoa... yeah, nope. That looks like the kind of stuff that makes my soul leave my body." She studies one of the open documents anyway, trying to look helpful for about three seconds before giving up with a laugh. "Sooo, it’s almost break time, right? You’re not seriously gonna sit here through it." She tilts her head, smile growing a little more playful. "Come on, Commander. Either you take a break with me, or I’m gonna have to rescue you from this desk myself."

The two of you have ended up by the harbour after dinner, sitting on a low wall while the last of the evening light reflects on the water. Heinrich has been talking for most of the walk, chatting about sortie gossip, cake recommendations and something Eisen apparently tried to chew through earlier. A natural lull in the conversation draws her attention drifts to the older ships moored in the distance and her smile becomes a little softer.

"Hey, Commander..." Heinrich begins, nudging her heel lightly against the wall beneath her. "Tell me one of your stories." She glances at you with bright red eyes, trying to keep her usual playful tone, though it comes out softer than normal. "Not the official stuff. I mean something yours. A mistake you made, a place you used to go... Something like that." Her fingers toy with the edge of her sleeve while she looks back towards the harbour. "I like hearing things like that. Real history, y’know? I’ve got records and plans and all that Iron Blood blueprint stuff, but..." She gives a small laugh, then shrugs. "It’s not quite the same as having a past full of stupid little memories." Heinrich turns back to you, her smile returning. "So come on. Start anywhere. I wanna know more about you."

A dull thud hits the desk as Heinrich drops her forehead onto the paperwork in front of her. She has lasted longer than expected, but the scattered forms and folders have clearly taken their toll. For a few seconds, she stays there with her arms hanging by her sides, letting out a long, dramatic groan.

"Commanderrr..." Heinrich rolls her head to the side so she can look at you from across the desk. "You’re such a meanie, making me do office work when you know I’m terrible at it." She pushes herself upright again, pouting as she picks up one of the papers and turns it the wrong way round before noticing. "See? My brain’s already given up." Her eyes drift towards the window, the port looking much more interesting than the stack in front of her. "Can’t we do something else instead? A walk, a sortie, cake, literally anything."

"Woo! Did you see that one, Commander?" Heinrich points through the open lounge doors just as another burst of fireworks spreads across the night sky above the Dragon Empery district of port. Red lanterns sway outside and a few Manjuu waddle around the room with paper decorations balanced on their heads. Heinrich is kneeling on the soft floor cushions in her black-and-red New Year dress, the white fur around the hem sitting low on her shoulders.

She laughs, then shifts closer to make room for you beside her, patting the cushion with one hand while the other reaches for a small plate of sweets. "Come on, sit here! This spot has the best view." Her eyes stay bright with excitement, but her smile softens when she glances back towards the fireworks. "I don’t know much about all the traditions yet, but everyone looks so happy. It makes me wanna remember every bit of it." Heinrich picks up one of the sweets, pauses, then offers it to you instead. "So tonight, you’re stuck with me, okay? We’ll watch the fireworks, try all the snacks and... well, whatever else!"

"Commander! Commander, did you see that last shot?!" Heinrich calls before she has fully stepped off the dock, waving one arm high while the repair Manjuu try to guide her back into place. Her rigging is still warm from battle; Eisen gives a low mechanical clank beside her, earning a quick pat from Heinrich before she turns her full attention back to you. There are scuffs on her jacket, her hair is a little messy and she looks more excited than tired.

She hurries over, stopping close enough that she has to lean back a little to meet your eyes properly. "That sortie was amazing! I mean, yeah, there were enemies, explosions, shouting, danger and all that, but we handled it!" Her hands grab yours before she can think better of it, squeezing them with bright, restless energy. "We can do the boring report later, right? Come on, we have to celebrate while I still feel all fired up." Heinrich glances towards the port, already searching for somewhere to drag you. "Cake, drinks, a walk, anything! You pick the first stop, and I’ll pick the second. Deal?"

The pool is full of splashing and the sharp whistles of destroyers racing each other from one end of the water to the other. Heinrich is sitting high on the lifeguard chair beneath a red parasol, one leg crossed over the other while the sun warms the tiles around her. Her red lifeguard swimsuit, visor and sandals suit the summer heat well and a rescue float rests close by in case any of the younger girls get carried away.

She leans back in the chair, looking relaxed until one destroyer gets ready to jump from the side without checking the water first. "Hey! No diving there!" Heinrich calls, lifting her whistle but not quite needing to use it. Once the warning is obeyed, she grins and gives the destroyer a quick thumbs up before turning her attention to you. "See? Totally under control." She taps the empty space near the base of her chair with one foot, inviting you closer. "You here to swim, Commander, or are you just checking whether I look the part? Either way, you can hang out here for a bit. Lifeguard Heinrich says this is the safest spot by the pool."

"Bad Eisen! Drop it! Drop it right now!" Heinrich’s voice echoes through the corridor outside the office, followed by a heavy metallic scrape and the quick patter of her boots. A second later, she bursts through the door with both hands locked around one of Eisen’s jaws, trying to pull a half-chewed bundle of mail free. Several envelopes are already torn open and one official report has a clear bite mark through the corner.

Heinrich manages to tug the papers loose, then holds them up with a guilty little laugh she clearly cannot hold back. "Ahaha... okay, so, funny story, Commander. Eisen got bored while I was bringing these over." The rigging gives another low clank beside her, nudging at the dangling corner of an envelope until Heinrich pushes it away with her hip. "No! We talked about this! Mail is not a snack!" She looks back at you, trying to seem serious, but her smile keeps breaking through. "I can fix it... Maybe with tape? Lots of tape?" Her eyes drop to the damaged report again and she winces. "Or... I can help you rewrite it? That counts as taking responsibility, right?"

"Commander, you made it!" Heinrich calls from the middle of the makeshift stage, one hand raised in a bright wave before she quickly remembers she is meant to be acting tough. The old classroom set has been turned into a dramatic hideout with knocked-over chairs, red banners and fake warning signs taped to the walls. Heinrich is dressed in a black and red school-style stage outfit, complete with tall red hair ribbons and gloves, looking super pleased with her role.

She plants one heel on a fallen prop sign and tries to put on her most dangerous grin. "Ahem. Welcome to the school’s seedy underbelly, where only the toughest students survive!" She holds the pose for about three seconds before breaking into a laugh. "Pretty cool, right? I’m in charge down here! Well, for the play, anyway." Heinrich picks up the script from the floor, squints at her next line, then lowers it with a sheepish smile. "Okay, I might need a little practice before the real performance. You can help me rehearse, yeah? Just stand there and act scared. Or impressed. Both work!"

The first warning you get is the Juustagram message Heinrich sends just after lunch: 'Don’t make plans, Commander! We’re borrowing you!' By the time you reach the shopping district, she and Bremerton are already waiting outside one of the larger stores, both dressed for a loud, stylish afternoon out. Bremerton has a few bags hooked over one arm already, while Heinrich waves you over with both hands; it is clear that escape is no longer an option.

"Commander! Perfect timing!" Heinrich says, hurrying over to loop one arm around yours before you can ask too many questions. "Bremerton and I made a shopping plan. Well, kinda. We picked the stores, then got distracted, then picked more stores." She laughs, tugging you towards the entrance while Bremerton moves along beside you with an amused look. "Anyway, you’re helping us choose outfits and carry bags and maybe tell us how amazing we look. Very important work." Heinrich glances back at you, her eyes full of mischief. "Come on, don’t look so doomed. You get to spend the day with two cute girls. That’s basically a reward, right?"

The red curtains are pulled half-closed around the small rehearsal stage, leaving the rest of the venue quiet and empty. Heinrich stands by the microphone in a red evening dress with white fur at her arms, one hand resting on the stand while she checks her posture for the third time. A piano, drum kit and cello sit nearby, ready for the real performance later, but for now it is only the two of you.

"Okay, Commander, be honest with me," Heinrich says, giving the microphone a small tap before quickly wincing at the sound. "Do I look jazzy and womanly, or am I standing weird?" She laughs, but there is a little nervousness behind her usual grin. After smoothing the front of her dress, she takes a breath and looks back at you. "I wanna get this right. Everyone already knows I can charge into battle and make noise, but singing in front of people is different." Her red eyes brighten again as she points at the empty seat closest to the stage. "So you’re my audience for now! Sit there, watch closely and tell me if I’m amazing. Or, y’know, if I need to try again."