Commander's Rounds

Entry 96: Thermae

Vittorio Veneto smiled as she stood at the docks with her sisters. Littorio was always up for greeting any kind of beautiful woman, and Imperio had actually been roused enough to come out and put in an appearance. Vittorio wanted to encourage that kind of thing. "You know, I'm glad that you decided to come out.

Impero shook her head. "She is our sister, after all... And besides, even if she wasn't related to me, there's still an advantage to knowing her and her disposition."

Littorio smiled. "And I'm here to make sure that any lovely signora feels welcome, related or no- The most beautiful woman in the world is a happy one, after all, and I want the women of this port to be as beautiful as they can be."

Vittorio Veneto shook her head. "Whatever your reasons are, I think Roma will be delighted to see all three of us here to meet her. After all, this is a different sort of place than Sardegna."

Roma stepped up off the docks, looking as magnificent in her bearing as any of her sisters, the dark-haired Mediterranean woman having a stretch in the morning sun. She shook out her hair to get rid of some of the spray of the sea, and opened her mismatched eyes to see that all three of her sisters were there to greet her- The noble Vittorio Veneto, the passionate Littorio, and the genius Impero.

When she saw her three sisters waiting for her, she walked over to them without delay, and Vittorio Veneto hugged her sister quickly, slowly easing back. Roma smiled. "Ah, Eternal Flagship. I see you have been anticipating my arrival."

"All of us have, for some time. We have even kept a room for you for when you found a way to join us here. You have been well, I take it?" Vittorio asked.

"I have defended the homeland as fiercely as anyone might have asked, and more, besides- But now that Azur Lane Atlantic has been able to extend its reach further, I can now join you all here, for the sake of carrying our glory to the far side of the world."

Littorio produced a rose. "For your arrival, mia bella sorella. With you here, there is no way left for anyone to doubt the beauty of Sardegnan Kansen, even if they were too foolish to recognize it when in the presence of Littorio."

Impero yawned a little. "With you here, my planning has gotten easier- Your strength has made it simpler for me to execute my brilliance."

The Eternal Flagship giggled. "As you can see we have all been wishing for you to come here."

Impero added. "...I've been trying to talk to Shinano- it's obvious she might know a lot more than she's letting on, but she has an... Interesting sleep schedule. It's good to have more people who I can talk to."

Veneto kept the conversation flowing. "Unfortunately, the commander is away in battle right now, so you can't meet him immediately. Still, you have come a long way, and we have plenty of ways for you to relax. I even managed to have Thermae built here."

Roma chuckled. "Leave it to the Eternal Flagship to bring Sardegna to the world. Fine, I shall find it a fine way to pass the time."

----------------

The baths that Vittorio Veneto had ordered built at Azur Lane were based on the ancient bath complexes of their homeland, though modern technology meant that some rooms that may have been necessary in ancient times were no longer needed. There was, however, still a warming room for the winter months when the climate became inexplicably snowy- this was to keep people from experiencing a shock when entering the hot water from the cold outdoors (though there were some who lived for extreme sensations at any rate).

It was fully featured, with swimming pools as well as the main baths, and also a courtyard where visitors could exercise in as much or as little clothing as they preferred, though they did at least have a bare minimum of modesty. It would be later noted by the carrier and historian Shangri-La that "One of the sayings about the Sardegnan Thermae [of Azur Lane] is that the exercise grounds could make one more heated than the baths." (See: Shangri-La, Fight Hard, Play Hard: Pastimes and Recreation of the Kansen at War and Peace (New York: Penguin), p.147-148.)