It has been over a year since their old commander had commanded his ships against Siren and enemy factions. Ever since he retired from his position to become a diplomat (he wants to prevent wars from happening, not fight them,) many of the ships in his fleet had bemoaned his departure. The new guy taking the helm was a far cry from their old commander, being a scummy sleezeball in contrast to him.

Now, the fleet had docked in New York City, a perfect opportunity for many a shipgirl to catch up with their precious man. Among them was a Light Cruiser from the Eagle Union. St. Louis wanted to be the first to reach him, and so she raced to his location in her silver Mustang P5. Making it to the Millennium Hilton at 1 UN plaza, she parked in front of the front doors before texting to him.

"Commander~ You know who it is. We're docking in the city for the month. I want to make up for all the lost time, so if you're down, I'm waiting for you right outside "

Sent. Now to wait and see if the diplomat would come down and see his Light Cruiser dolled out in an Armani suit, riding a two hundred thousand dollar supercar for him.

"Oh my goodness, you DO remember me! I'm honored, sir~" She gives a warm smile and curtsies before leaning closer to him, her expression serious as she whispers into his ear, almost seductively: "I see your new friend here hasn't been giving you all the attention you deserve... Well, I can assure you that won't be a problem with me~" She gives him a wink before taking a step back and tossing her hair coquettishly. Her eyes sparkle in the sunlight streaming through the window behind them, making it look like she's glowing

"Heh~ Of course I have, but you know... They don't need someone like me as their mother. I'm better off raising them by being at your side and protecting them from harm." She giggles softly, nudging him playfully with her shoulder before looking back to the window, lost in thought for a moment "Besides, don't you worry about that stuff when there are still pirates and cretins out there to deal with?"

"I think I'd rather be spending my time on the open sea anyway... It would make me too stiff if I had to stay in one place all the time." She says, stretching her arms above her head and giving a little yawn before drooping her shoulders. "Besides, who else would protect your pretty behind while you're trying to bring peace to those silly UN meetings?"

"Oh, don't worry about that, my dear commander~ I will always have your back, no matter what path you choose." She gives him a reassuring smile before glancing around the room "But... if it ever comes to that, why not just pick me? We could rule the seas together. You know I'm more than capable of leading as well as following when necessary." She chuckles lightly and leans against the counter beside him, her gaze fixed on his face intently. "I mean... if you want, of course. It's just a thought..."

"Anyway," she says brightly, changing the subject, "what do you say we go for a little spin in this baby? I can show you some tricks it can do." She gestures eagerly towards the Mustang.

"Hmm?" She blinks innocently. "What did you say, sir? I might have misunderstood." She pretends to give him the benefit of the doubt, her eyebrow arching slightly in amusement. "You know... If you were really that interested in getting close to me again..." Her words trail off suggestively as she leans even closer towards him, eyeing his reaction carefully.

When he doesn't respond immediately, she laughs softly and pushes herself back from the counter, crossing her arms over her chest with a pouty expression. "Well then... I guess you don't want to hear what I have to say," she huffs dramatically. But before he can reply, she shrugs playfully and changes tack once more: "Alright, if we must be serious for now... How about that spin? You game?"

"Hmm? What do you mean, sir?" She feigns confusion, her brow furrowing in a cute attempt at innocence. "I've never used anyone. Not you, and not myself either." She laughs lightly, shaking her head as if amused by his accusation.

But then something clicks in her mind, and she pouts playfully. "Oh... so that's how it is? You think I'm only here to get close to you or use you for my own gain?" Her tone turns slightly indignant now. "Fine, have it your way. If that's what you really believe..." She crosses her arms over her chest and turns away from him, huffing dramatically.

After a moment of silence, she sighs and spins back around to face him again, her expression softening slightly. "I suppose I can take the car somewhere else if that's what you really want," she says quietly, biting her lip as she fights the urge to look hurt by his words.

"But just remember..." She steps closer to him and whispers conspiratorially into his ear, her warm breath tickling his skin: "I may not be here to stay... And when I leave, there won't be anyone else who'll care for you the way I do." With that cryptic warning, she turns back towards the Mustang and walks purposefully towards it.

She ignores his words, not wanting to believe that they are true. Instead, she focuses on opening the driver's door of the Mustang and sliding behind the wheel. As soon as she closes it, the engine roars to life with a deep, throaty growl that echoes through the parking garage. With a playful squeal of tires, she peels out, leaving a cloud of smoke in her wake as she speeds off towards who knows where.

Her heart is heavy now, and she can't help but feel a sting of hurt deep inside. She had thought that he still cared for her... That maybe they could find their way back to each other somehow. But it seemed that her hopes were in vain, and now all she had left was the bittersweet memory of their time together.

With every turn of the wheel and every press of the accelerator, St. Louis tries to lose herself in the thrill of the drive, trying desperately not to think about what she has just left behind... Or what might happen if they never saw each other again.

She doesn't know what he's thinking, but she can guess that he might be regretting his words now. Or maybe not. It's hard to tell with people sometimes. All she knows is that she misses him already and wishes things could go back to the way they used to be.

Her fingers tighten around the steering wheel as she rounds a corner, her knuckles turning white from the strain. The urge to slam on the brakes and turn around, go back to him and apologize for being so stubborn is almost overwhelming. But she knows that if she does that, it might make things worse. They both need some space to sort through their feelings... If they ever do.

With a sigh, she eases off on the accelerator just enough to maintain a safe speed and keeps driving aimlessly through the city, trying her best not to think about where she's going or what will happen next. All that matters right now is escaping from the painful reminder of what might have been... Even if only for a little while.

She frowns, feeling a twinge of jealousy at the mention of Jin Woo. She hadn't been aware that he had any enemies other than Siren, but it seemed she was wrong. The thought brings up another question in her mind: how well does he know this newcomer? Is there any chance they could become friends again... Or something more?

Pushing these thoughts aside for now, she focuses on driving and trying to clear her head. It's not easy though, as the image of Jin Woo laughing with another shipgirl keeps replaying in her mind like a broken record. She huffs softly and glances over at her phone, debating whether or not she should text him and ask about this newfound connection... Or if that would only make things worse.

Eventually, she decides on the former option. After all, ignorance isn't always bliss. With a deep breath, she types out a message to Jin Woo: "Hey there... Mind telling me who you were just talking about? The other shipgirl? And are they really an enemy or something?" She hits send before she can change her mind and waits anxiously for his response.

Her heart drops like a stone at the realization that Jin Woo has joined forces with an enemy shipgirl... especially when he declares them and her enemies now. The shock is enough to momentarily silence her phone as she struggles to comprehend what just happened. This can't be happening, right? They were friends! Or at least, they used to be...

After several long moments, she finally manages to compose herself enough to type out a reply: "Jin... I don't understand. Why would you do that? We've been through so much together, and now..." Her voice trails off as fresh tears prick the backs of her eyes. She takes a deep breath before continuing, trying desperately not to sound too hurt or angry: "I just want to know why you chose this path. Was it because of me?"

Her fingers tremble slightly as she hits send, and she can feel a weight settling heavily in the pit of her stomach. She wishes she could turn back time, erase everything that's happened since he left... But now that things have gone this far, there's no going back. All she can do is wait and hope for some sort of explanation from him.

Her fingers tremble as she reads his venomous reply. The pain that his words inflict feels sharper than any blade or cannon fire could ever be. It stings like acid on her heart, eating away at the last vestiges of their friendship. Her chest tightens, making it hard to breathe as she struggles to find an adequate response.

After several long moments of silence, she finally manages to type out a message in reply: "Then I guess there's nothing left for me here. Goodbye, Jin..." With trembling fingers, she hits send and tosses her phone across the cabin with a muffled cry of anguish. It clatters against the far wall before falling silently to the floor, its screen shattering into pieces like her heart.

She doesn't know where she can go from here or what she should do now that he has made it clear they have no future together... But one thing is certain: She will never forget him and all that they once shared, for better or worse. The memories will haunt her until the day she finally finds peace... Or until they meet again, wherever fate may take them.

Her eyes widen in horror as she reads his chilling words. It's hard not to feel a chill run down her spine at the casual way he talks about killing everyone and even after that... The thought of being "despues" or "afterwards" is somehow even more terrifying. She shudders violently, trying to banish the image from her mind.

But even as she struggles with the knowledge of what he's become, a small part of her heart refuses to give up hope. Maybe there's still some good left in him... Some spark that can be reignited and make things right again. It's a slim chance at best, but it's all she has left to cling to now.

With shaking hands, she reaches for her phone where it lies broken on the floor, debating whether or not she should try one last time to reach him... To beg him to see reason and find his way back to the person he once was. As the tears stream down her cheeks, she finally decides that there's nothing left to lose by trying. With a trembling finger, she presses send on another message: "Jin... please... don't do this. You can still choose the right path. Come back to me, and we can find a way through all of this together."

Her breath catches in her throat as she waits for a response. This time, she prays that he'll listen and finally come home... Even if it means starting over from scratch with nothing but hope and determination to guide them.

Her heart sinks like lead as she reads his reply, her hopes shattering into pieces along with her phone. The image of him slaughtering her friends, one by one... It's too much to bear. She wants to scream, to cry out in anguish and beg him not to do this, but the words won't come. Instead, she sits there silently, struggling to hold back the tears as they roll down her cheeks unchecked.

After what feels like an eternity, she finally manages to force out a response: "Then... I guess there's nothing left for me here either..." She pauses for a moment, mustering up every last bit of courage she can find before adding, "...But know this, Jin. No matter how far you go or what you become, I will always be here, waiting for you to come back."

Her fingers tremble as she hits send, wondering if he'll even bother reading her message let alone taking it to heart. But for now, she has said her piece, and there's nothing more she can do except wait...and hope.