Nimbus Child I: Games of War

Chapter 3

Manfred von Richthofen was still in a tiny body, but she was at the point where she used that to her own advantage.

"Excuse me Miss?"

Midway looked down when she felt a tug at her dress and instantly melted.

Red eyes looked up at her with big, sparkling eyes, hands clutched cutely in her dress: "Can you please pick me up?"

There was zero chance for Midway to escape her newly born and fully activated maternal instincts, so she knelt down, picked the other carrier up and rose back up.

The little carrier immediately hugged Midway's neck.

"Is this alright?"

"Mhm", she smiled as brightly as possible.

Midway's meek voice sounded once more after she had put a steadying hand on the small back: "Did you want to look outside the window?"

Theoretically, if that had been the case, the redhead could just have used the one klein field hexagon granted to their kind and elevated herself, so no.

"I want to see your planes", Manfred accidentally slipped back into her actual persona, with those equally beautiful as intense eyes and serious voice.

That was something that frightened Midway. Manfred's eyes were piercing, seemingly capable of looking into your souls as if gauging whether she should devour it or not, as if constantly weighing your worth on a scale.

"Oh-oh... sure... Black Baron", Midway felt her hands shaking and her knees felt weak as well.

Manfred wouldn't hurt her – the carrier was undangerous to allies – and Midway knew that, but...

...It was an unreasonable fear, but it was still a fear.

As long as the carrier didn't look at her, she felt safe around her, Midway grounded herself with that thought as she made hasty steps towards her vessel, clinging to other random thoughts to calm herself with and then set her guest down after jumping on the deck.

The other immediately turned around and sprinted to the planes on the big carrier's deck, carefully touching the wings and flanks of them with glowing eyes.

Midway looked on with soft eyes – it seemed like planes were a genuine source of joy.

Ah, that reminded her: "Miss Black Baron?"

"Mhm?"

"If it's okay to ask, why do they call you that?"

Richthofen looked over at the mental model in confusion and a speck of surprise, before she remembered that the other nations had mainly just adopted the Black Baron nickname from their German peers: "My hull is dark and my lights are black", she explained as she walked back over, "just like yours, Miss."

"Ah... thank you..."

"You're very welcome, Miss."

Midway looked at the little person, the adult inside its body having apparently abandoned the child act for the moment: "You have never called me Miss before. B-before today, I mean."

The super aircraft carrier cocked her head slightly: "Would you prefer if I stopped?"

"No", she shook her head, "I don't mind, I was just...confused?"

"Understood, Miss", a playful smile accompanied the words, "let us fight together next time."

"That is not really something we can decide..."

Manfred von Richthofen looked at her with a blank expression and strong eyes: "I suppose."

Midway did her best to smile through the ominous reaction and shifted in her kneeling position: "Is there anything else you need my help with?"