Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Snow compacting her boots, even as they nearly reached the tops of them, a bundled up woman breathed into her hands as she used the lantern she held to light her way. It swung to and fro in the darkness of the night even as fresh snow fell around her. All of a sudden though, it seemed like she stepped out from the winter and into late fall as the exposed grass barely had any snow onto them and the air was slightly warmer. Continuing to walk, she smiled some and flipped her hood back to reveal that it was Kat, "Arutemisu!"

Blinking, said Inaba looked away from where he was standing with his own lantern, "Kat-Chan? What are you doing here?"

In reply, Kat raised one eyebrow and crossed her arms, "What am I doing here? I'm going to be dragging your fine ass back to the house." Walking over to him, she threw her arms around him with a pout on her face, "I'm cold without you there."

Rather amused, Arutemisu rolled his eyes at that and chuckled somewhat sheepishly, "Sorry about that, Kat-Chan. I was just... well, checking out the Shrine."

Lips curling upwards, the American shook her head and let out a breath that fogged in the night air, "Don't know why, Arutemisu. I mean, the work on it is coming along well enough as it is." Even from where she was, she could see the steps slowly climbing up a hill to where the darkened, still incomplete form of the shrine was, "Nor do I know why you came out here at night."

Glancing at her, Arutemisu gave a shrug, "Just... reminding myself." At her look, he continued with a gesture towards the shrine, "That all this is actually happening. That I am going to be the Head Priest for the local shrine when it is complete and we enshrine Shiromizu-Sama into it." Slowly, the Inaba shook his head, "I am still getting used to that."

With a chuckle, Kat grinned at him, "That is just like you, isn't it?" Leaning against him, she her grin softened into a smile, "I am happy though with this. You have a shrine of your own to run, and I got my own little shop to run nearby. Pretty much living the dream now."

Arutemisu looked at her before lowing his head and giving her a kiss. Pulling away, he nodded some, "And I agree, Kat-Chan." Taking her hand, he guided her towards the steps, "Want to see?"

Lightly laughing, the woman shook her head, "Sure, though I think that it would be more impressive during the day."

That got her a shrug from her husband, "Maybe, but that is also when all the workers are about working on it."

Nodding, she gave a hum, "I suppose that is a good point, Arutemisu." As she stepped onto the first of the stone stairs, Kat glanced around, "Magic is a wonderful thing, isn't it? I mean, there's a special temporary ward keeping temperatures around the shrine just above freezing so there's no snow on the ground, and it lets them work through the winter."

Ears drooping a little, the Inaba squeezed her hand slightly, "Kat-Chan..."

Only shaking her head, Kat looked at him, "Arutemisu, I am not going to be like other Squibs and get all pissy about not having magic. After the shit my relatives put me through? And how that fact allowed me to meet the man I love and the father of my future children? I really can't find it in myself to really care. I change what I can and do not let that which I cannot bother me too much."

Simply nodding, Arutemisu hummed, "That is true and a mature way of looking at it, and very wise."

Jerking her thumb at herself, the American laughed, "Yup! Now if only you listened to me more."

His tone becoming very dry, Arutemisu raised one eyebrow, "If I did, then I doubt that I would be leaving my bed at all."

That only got him another laugh from his wife. When it died down into chuckles, she looked around at the area before pausing at the empty pedestals near the torii gate, "That's where the Koma-Inu are going, right? When are they supposed to be done?"

With a shrug, Arutemisu frowned, "Not sure, to be honest. Shiromizu-Sama, from what I have been told, is having Potter-San make them. So it might be a few months yet." That got him a nod as the two stepped through the gate and into the shrine proper. "The rest though is coming long just fine."

Glancing around, Kat could only nod, "That is true. Most of the buildings here are already complete." She turned her attention to one particular item, "And the chōzubachi there has water from Shiromizu-Sama's spring, right?"

Proud, Arutemisu nodded, "That's right, Kat." Eventually the two came to a stop partway through the Shrine, "Still... a lot of work to be done."

Just smiling, his wife shook her head, "But that is what makes it work it in the end." Spotting one small shrine, she tilted her head, "That is the setsumatsusha for Jin-San, right?"

Scratching the back of his head, Arutemisu chuckled, "Hai, it is. The Yokai here asked for it to be placed here... though some of them also want one to be built here for the Abyss Divers, after they die of course. There was also talk of ones for Nagato-Sama and Hoppou-Sama as well due to what they did."

Bemused, Kat snorted some, "I wonder how they would react to that now? Though..." She frowned some and looked towards the main building, "Didn't Shiromizu-Sama also state that she wanted to enshrine Potter-San here if and when he does pass on?"

In reply to that, Arutemisu jerked his thumb at the main building, "Hai, and she wants him to be enshrined at the same place she is. A little odd, but... I am not going to argue with her." Patting his foot on the cut stones, he gave a nod, "They did a good job. You never would have guessed that there hadn't been a platform above the rest of the ground here before now. "

They were not the only ones examining a construction site on that area of the mountain. Handing a steaming cup of tea to Misa, Akitsu Maru glanced around before sitting on the same pile of stone as the Unagi-Hime, "I must admit, this is rather impressive." With the nearly Full Moon above, a lot could be seen and the shipgirl looked where the snow stopped and bare ground began, "Though that is impressive in and of itself."

Gently blowing on her tea, Misa smiled a bit, "Hai, but it is a common enough way for magicals to perform construction. It is not warm enough to grow anything, but just enough to prevent freezing or snow, allowing for work to continue even in the middle of winter."

Humming, Akitsu Maru turned to where what would be Shiromizu's home on the mountain was slowly being built, "I see. Though it does make sense." Taking a sip of her own tea, she gave a nod before gesturing at the construction site in front of her, "However, this is rather impressive. I would have thought that it would be much more expensive then what it is."

Misa chuckled some at that, "Yes, if we had to ship every bit in." She gave a wave of her hand and smiled, "Most of the construction materials though come either from the mountain itself or from on it. And the Yokai that were hired are very good at traditional structures, some of them helped build such for hundreds of years after all. Hence, how we are able to afford them."

Slowly, the shipgirl next to her nodded some with a slight smile, "That... is very true. With local materials, I suppose that would enable you to instead use the money for paying those who do know what they're doing."

Lips twitching, Misa gave her a smile, "Hai, it also has another purpose." When Akitsu Maru turned to her, she continued, "It also functions as a sort of make work program for a number of Yokai needing jobs. Needless to say, for a number of them this pays very, very well. Especially with what Harry-San has sent us."

Head cocked to the side, Akitsu Maru hummed, "That is true. From what I have been told it was quite the amount of gold, which you have taken and converted into funds for this?"

Nodding, the Yokai chuckled, "We have, and it was quite the amount as well. I... don't think he realized just how much he has given us." Taking a sip of her tea, Misa leaned just a touch against Akitsu Maru, who didn't move from where she sat, "Something that, I have no doubt, Shiromizu-Sama will be quite... surprised about."

Eyebrow raised, Akitsu Maru glanced towards the structure and snorted some, "Oh, I can see her being rather surprised about this..."

Both of them shared a little smirk at that and continued their chat as snow continued to gently fall on the mountain.

Meanwhile, in Yokosuka, Shiromizu gave a loud sneeze and frowned to herself, 'What was that about...?' Catching something out of the corner of her eye, she gave Harry a suspicious look, "Why are you smirking like that?"

All the wizard did though was shrug, "Not a clue, I just felt like smirking as if something hilarious was going to happen that I was involved in, that's all."

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Hello all. A snip from me in the middle of the day is strange but I've personally been excited about this one so you get to enjoy.

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One day full of shopping that started with clothes and ended with things he hadn't even known existed later and Ron was perfectly happy to be sitting in the back of a military lorry along with Duke, Warspite and Summer as they traveled to where the manor was. He still had a hard time thinking of it as his manor, given his normal monetary situation but it was true. He might only be one third owner of the place but Duke and Warspite had made very clear that it belonged to all of them, no matter how his mind tried to quibble.

Looking up from his musings, he saw one of the reasons that they were able to get a ride. HMS Dreadnought was sitting with her back upright, head tilted at just enough of an angle so she could peer down at the reports she had in front of her. He hadn't been sure what to think when Warspite had informed him her mother was coming to visit the manor with them. On one hand, it made sense that she would come given that the Royal Navy was considering making the manor some sort of safe haven for Summer and two of her daughters were involved in the purchase. On the other hand, Dreadnought still reminded him entirely too much of his mother and Warspite had told him that she had come explicitly to do just that.

Almost as if she could read his mind, Dreadnought looked up at Ron and he realized he'd been staring.

"Is there something you need Mr. Weasley?" Her voice was not cold, though it held no particular warmth either. Ron still had trouble figuring out what Dreadnought really thought of him, though Warspite claimed she was fond of him in her own way.

"I'm sorry, I seem to have lost myself in thought ma'am." He gave her a brief smile. "Buying a house is a bit intimidating I guess. Even though I know everything is taken care of and that we can afford it, it's a big step."

Glancing over at her daughters with another unreadable expression, at least to Ron, Dreadnought was met with a smile from Warspite and a nod from Duke.

"That it is." She turned her gaze back to Ron. "It's good to hear you're thinking about such things. Especially at your age."

"Yeah. I mean with Percy already having a house and Harry having a couple now it's not as bad as it could be. I know mum went over everything too so I know everything should be fine. It's just..." He shook himself. "I guess its just the thought of finally signing on that dotted line and making everything official."

Dreadnought's gaze seemed to pierce him for a moment. "You're not having second thoughts are you?"

Ron could see that Warspite wanted to interject but she held her tongue, giving him time to think.

"No, I'm not having second thoughts. Warspite and Duke mean a lot to me and I'm not at all worried about that. I just want to make sure it all goes right and even though I know it should I won't be able to relax until it's all official and the money is transferred. Have to get everything down to the last nut and bolt."

He felt himself being examined again, though this time he thought he might have done something properly by the way Dreadnought looked at him.

"Well said Mr. Weasley. Throwing around money willy nilly isn't something anyone should be doing but neither is being a miser. If you're all sure about this..." Dreadnought turned to look at her daughters again. "Then there's no reason to be concerned except about the particulars."

"We're still very sure mother." Warspite's tone was impeccable but there was still somehow an undercurrent of a discussion that had been had more than once.

"I've made my feelings clear as well." Duke's voice was perfectly formal, though that in and of itself spoke volumes.

"Very well." Dreadnought's tone actually sounded vaguely relieved. "I'll leave you all be then." Her gaze traveled back to Ron. "I am looking forward to meeting your mother."

"I'm sure she's looking forward to meeting you too. She's mentioned it more than once." Ron was sure he didn't sound relieved at the idea but that simply caused Dreadnought to smile.

Thankfully it was only shortly after that the lorry pulled up to a stop next to what would appear to be a field filled with twisted bracken and vines that had several large, old and clearly dilapidated structures in it along with a manor house that looked like the roof had caught fire at some point. Not the sort of place you wanted to be wandering around in unless you had a particular reason. At least that's what it looked like to their no-maj driver, who seemed to think that the group hopping out right then and there was a particularly daft idea. Dreadnought went to speak with the man, directing him to head back to the town several miles away while they looked around. He obeyed, though his face clearly thought it should be otherwise.

As the man drove away, Ron's eyes gazed on the real view. Unfortunately it wasn't a whole lot better than the projected image. The once well tended lawns had grown wild, wildflowers and weeds having grown willy nilly, formerly pruned trees now spread out and intertwined. The path up to the manor, which was easily half a mile long if not more, was spouting grass between cobblestones where they weren't missing entirely. The gatehouse nearer to the road at least to be in decent shape but it would need a thorough cleaning at the very least.

"I would assume this is at least one of the reasons why we managed to secure such a good deal." Duke looked less than impressed with the initial impression of the manor and its grounds.

"It's been abandoned for a decade, I'm surprised it's not worse." Warspite seemed much less disturbed than her friend. "We can hire people to clean in up."

"You'll likely need to hire someone to keep it clean. Back before the war you'd need dozens of servants to clean and run a home like this." Dreadnought sniffed, clearly unimpressed with the current state no matter what deal they'd gotten on it."

"Mum mentioned that the Ministry was looking for jobs that other magical beings could take. I'm sure we could..." Ron was interrupted when there were two pops, his mother apparating in next to the property along with a man who could only be their realtor. The man was short and portly, only a few inches taller than his mother and had an unfortunately ruddy face to go along with a dearth of hair on his head.

For whatever reason both of them seemed to miss the fact that Ron's group was standing almost right next to them, instead focusing on the grounds in front of them.

"Mr. Hearth. When you said the estate might need some work you didn't explain this." Ron had to admit that his mother could do a sniff of disdain worthy of any aristocrat when she wanted to.

"Mrs. Weasley please, call me Delbert." The man patted his robes for a handkerchief, which he coughed into. "It's as I told you, Passel House has been abandoned for ten years and the previous owners were quite destitute in their final years so repairs..."

"Has anyone even been by to check on the property since then?" Dreadnought's voice cut into the man's excuses and he suddenly seemed to realize that he wasn't simply dealing with one woman. He turned around and opened his mouth to reply but he clearly faltered when confronted with Dreadnought. His face descended even further when he noticed that there were four women looking at him without much mercy and two of them were noticeably taller than he was. He paled completely when he saw Summer, though Ron knew that she was doing absolutely nothing other than staring at the man curiously.

Ron decided that any attempt he made to show his displeasure would be entirely superfluous so he simply sat back to watch the man try to explain his way out of his already tenuous position.

"I… I do not know." Delbert coughed into his handkerchief for time. "I've only been in possession of the deed for five years and I personally have not been here except for a little visit when Mrs. Weasley made her initial inquiry..."

"So can you guarantee that the buildings are in livable shape?"

"No but..."

"What about the outbuildings? Are they even in one piece?"

"They are all standing but there's some damage..."

"And what about the property? There are no markers for the fields and..."

"Madame please!" Ron decided that Delbert, whatever his other problems, was not actually a coward. Interrupting Dreadnought wasn't something he'd enjoy doing. Having raised his voice the man coughed again.

"Madame I understand your concerns. The property is old and needs touching up. To that effect let me take off another five percent on the sale." The man pulled out some parchment and waved his wand, numbers changing in a downwards motion. "It's really the best I can do even with the need to sell the property."

Dreadnought and his mother looked over the contract and then nodded.

"I suppose that will have to do." Dreadnought didn't show much emotion but Ron was sure she was somewhat pleased with herself.

"Yes, that's very kind of you Mr. Hearth." Ron's mother graced him with the barest hint of a satisfied smile. "Now did you want to finish up business or were you planning to show us the land?"

Looking over the group once more, Mr. Hearth simply shook his head and coughed once more. "No Mrs. Weasley, I think if we can get all the participants to sign here, I can hand over the deed and then go to Gringotts to finish the transaction. I trust all the funds have been set up?"

"Yes, they're all ready." Warspite stepped closer to the realtor. "Two in the Royal Navy fund and one from the Weasleys."

"Yes, good. It's all right here ma'am so if you'll sign..." Delbert held out the contract for Warspite to sign, quill in hand.

Warspite looked over the document, double checking the articles and then nodded and signed her name on the appropriate line. Then Duke did much the same thing before turning and handing it to Ron. She gave him a smile and a wink when she was turned away from Mr. Hearth.

Not knowing exactly what it was for Ron just nodded back to her and stepped up to the realtor. The man seemed only a little bit surprised, glancing over at his mother who simply nodded to him with an unamused look on her face.

"Here you go young man just sign on the line..."

Ron took his time to look over the contract like everyone else had. It surely wasn't needed but he felt he should anyway. Finding nothing wrong he got down to the bottom and found that Duke and Warspite had left him the spot of the primary title holder. Surprised but perhaps not as much as he might have been otherwise, Ron made sure to sign his name large and clearly along with the date.

Handing the quill back to Mr. Hearth, Ron nodded to the man who managed a brief smile.

"Ok now that is all done and binding..." He turned the papers around and Ron saw the man's eyes widen. He coughed, then handed a sheaf of papers to Ron with only a little hesitation. "The property is all yours."

"Thank you." Ron took the papers and then shook the offered hand.

"If you don't need me for anything else, I shall go to Gringotts and conclude business with them."

"Thank you for your time Delbert." Mrs. Weasley nodded to him and then the clearly grateful man nodded back before disappearing with a flick of his wand, apparating away.
Ron looked up to Duke and Warspite, who both seemed pleased with themselves.

"You didn't have to do that you know." He looked between them.

"No, perhaps not." Warspite smiled at him. "One day you will be our Admiral though so we thought it appropriate."

Duke nodded. "In addition this way you'll have no doubts about it being your home as well."

Ron fought back a bit of emotion, realizing again how lucky he was to have met both of them. Despite both his mother and Dreadnought being there he moved forward and hugged both Duke and Warspite.

"Thank you both." He managed to speak without choking up but from the looks on their faces they knew what he was feeling.

"Thank you Ron." Warspite laid her hand on his cheek. "For everything."

Ron nodded, looking back to Duke and offering her his hand, which she took.

"Thank you as well Duke."

"I feel the same."

"Now that we've all thanked each other, maybe we should go look around?" Ron looked between them one more time and then to the path. "We'll have to decide what needs doing first."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Warspite nodded and took the sheaf of papers from his other hand before grabbing it with her own, the trio starting up the path towards the manor together with two mothers behind.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Toulon, France

Slender glove covered hands typed at a keyboard while the open window across the room let in the sounds of a busy city and the Mediterranean breeze. She'd just gotten back from another convoy run, another slow trip across what was one of if not the safest bodies of water in the entire world. Something which should have been left for older units, from the first war or even before.

Unfortunately her situation meant that she could not do battle as she was supposed to. As she was meant to do. Something she had been denied in her first life and in this new one as well. Yet this one still had promise, a chance for her to fight if only she could find a way.

The SGO forum finally appeared in front of her and she typed in her ID.

The Last Battleship appeared on the forum and began her trawling for news. She rarely posted, got into discussions with her fellows even less and had a dearth of PM's except from those directed at her by her sister. Yet she was on almost constantly seeking possible remedies for her condition.

Today was another day of nothing much, certainly not in France itself. It wasn't until she got to the foreign news and saw a half familiar face along with a new one that she stopped.

The young boy standing next to HMS Warspite didn't look like much. He certainly didn't look like the reputation he'd already gotten among those interested in engineering on the forum. Yet this time she was forced to stop and reconsider yet again given the other new face.

An abyssal Princess brought into the fold. An abyssal installation Princess and all the power implied behind it. Brought in by him. Rumor already stated she'd be closely involved with the boy, probably to keep her in familiar territory.

That made sense of course, the British hadn't gotten where they were by being idiots. France's long time rival and now friends were anything but that. She hadn't approached them for help due to pride though but now…

Now she might need to reconsider.
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Comments much appreciated.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

Splitting this into two parts for the sake of pacing.

XXXXXXXXXX

"How bad do you think it will be…?"

"I don't know." Carrie shook her head. "But right now, I'm thinking we should have thought this through a little better."

They'd thought the most difficult part of their plan—getting a ride into Japan—was over. They'd done all the research they could on the matter; it seemed that so long as they submitted to giving their fingerprints and photographs when they arrived, all they really needed to enter Japan was a passport, and they had that. Talking the transport pilot into bringing them along not only gave the pair a dodge on paying for pricey plane tickets, but also gave them a trip straight to their desired destination—the Northern Ocean Princess.

But it was only now, minutes from touchdown, that Carrie and Sherri were starting to realize: they should have considered how the Japanese would react to their hitchhiking.

As it turned out? They didn't sound too happy, based on what the two could hear from the cockpit radio.

"You girls are telling us the truth, right?" The pilot called back to them. "Not hiding anything important we might want to know? Because you're putting yourselves in a hell of a lot of hot water by coming with us."

"N-no," Carrie stammered, "We're not hiding anything, honest!" She picked up her bag and reached into it, pulling out a notebook and a shirt. "Nothing weird, see? All we have for gadgets is our phones and my sister's tablet. We're not spies, or Abyssals in disguise or anything—we just wanted to meet the Northern Ocean Princess. And since she can't come back to Alaska, this seemed like the most effective way to reach her…"

"Well you better hope that explanation holds up, because you're not the only ones whose asses are on the line here!" The girls flinched. They'd also failed to take into account how the crew of the plane might be punished for letting them come aboard—meaning they had put these men's livelihoods at stake.

This was a horrible idea; they never should have gone through with it. But it was too late to undo their actions. Now, things either went according to plan, or they ended up in jail—or worse—with these guys holding a grudge against them.

They could only hope things would work out once they reached the Princess…

XXXXXXXXXX

Regalia glanced out the window, silently marveling at the huge aircraft descending from the skies. "You know, I want to say it's amazing how such a big and heavy ship can fly through the air the way it can," she mused, "but then, I remember that we're walking, talking boats, and I feel kinda silly."

Tanith shook her head. "There's nothing wrong with having a sense of wonder, Regalia. Just look at Mother." She gestured to Hoppou, who had climbed down off of her shoulders and was herself peering out the window with wide eyes.

"...yeah, I guess you have a point." The Re-class looked back to her mother. "You think it'll be okay if we go outside to watch them come down?"

A shrug. "As long as we're not in the way, I don't see why we can't."

After getting confirmation from the nearest guard, the three stepped out onto the tarmac. Already, they could feel the disturbance in the breeze from the approaching plane, as well as hearing a low buzz. Said buzz grew rapidly in intensity as the plane got closer to the ground, until nearly all other sounds were drowned out by the low roar of the jet engines. Eventually the plane touched down on the ground, beginning to slow down, but it still passed by the Abyssals with enough momentum to buffet them with a blast of wind. Regalia couldn't help but take a step back, less from the wind blowing her away and more from the shock of such a massive thing flying past her.

Finally, as it turned off the landing strip and into the parking area, the plane slowed enough to come to a stop. Making their way over, the Abyssals watched a host of crews and smaller vehicles flocking to the ship to tend to it. One thing that caught their attention in particular, however,was Ooyodo pacing towards the plane's cargo bay with a mildly agitated look on her face… and her rigging deployed.

"Ooh… she doesn't seem too happy…" Regalia said, pointing to the secretary ship. "You think those girls are in trouble for coming here?" She was met with silence. "...Mom? Grandma?" She asked, looking over to them.

The mother-daughter pair had gone deathly-still.

Before she could repeat her question, the Re-class felt one of her imps trying to get her attention. Turning inward, she checked her IFF system… and her eyes widened at what she saw.

Right in front of them, where the plane sat, there was a pair of IFF transponders giving off what she could only describe as… junk data. Regalia hadn't even noticed the IFF tags popping up on her system until now, because her crew was simply too baffled by what they were looking at to relay it. There were no discernible patterns or consistencies in either signal, not even with each other; they matched no known fleet, present or past. Regalia couldn't even tell if it was coming from an Abyssal or a shipgirl; she had never seen anything like it.

It was almost as if… they didn't belong to ANY fleet.

"Mom…" Regalia repeated, tugging at Tanith's coat. "What are these signals…?"

Slowly, the dreadnought turned to her. "I… I don't know. Not even stray Abyssals give off IFF signals as… broken as these."

Closer to the plane, Ooyodo was waving away the technicians coming close. "Get back. Get back! Possible Abyssal contacts!" Turning back to the cargo bay ramp as it started to descend, the shipgirl held her turrets at the ready. But as the ramp dame down, giving everyone a clear view of what lay beyond, the ship-spirits all stifled gasps.

Standing at the edge of the cargo bay were two Ri-class cruisers… but everything about them looked wrong.

XXXXXXXXXX

I'll be quite honest, when readers started predicting this well in advance of it happening, I kinda started getting the idea to pull a bait-and-switch. Have Carrie and Sherri actually be normal girls… who take the opportunity their visit provides to set up a FaceTime call between Hoppou and her Unalaskan daughters.

But while writing this snippet out, I just found it too hard to make that idea work in a way that felt believable to me… like, if they really were normal girls they'd most likely be sent back immediately, or they'd be taken into custody for a little while, with their belongings such as electronic devices confiscated for security reasons, so they wouldn't be able to set up the call.

I like to think that I pride myself on not breaking SoD whenever possible, so with that in mind, I decided to just go along with the original plan.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

[intersects w. NotHimAgain Snips]
Hands in his pockets as he walked along, Harry tilted his head some towards Siusan, "Ever been to one of these, Grandmother?"

The Irish fox shook her head as she looked around curiously, "No, I have not." Frowning some, she gave him a slight smile, "I will admit that even for one as old as I, this is... new." Siusan frowned some but nodded, "However, I am rather interested to see how one of these... Summonings, happen."

With a hum, the teen cocked his head to the side, "Well, it is different depending on the nation and country that is performing it. Different peoples, different traditions, you know?"

Nodding, Siusan became thoughtful, "Yes, that would be true enough, Harry-Child. But what about ships from long ago? Recently, I came across a village in Eire that had shipgirls from when I was but a Kit."

It took a moment, but Harry realized what she meant, 'Eire? Ireland?' Filing that away, he hummed, "True, but that is mostly due to historians and the like who studied the culture. Some of the students were the ones who summoned them through guesswork..." A frown on his face, he shook his head, "Which... is sort of frightening considering what we are playing with."

Siusan grimaced at that and gave a sound of agreement, "Yes, it is best not to mess with such powers willy-nilly. Though I am not surprised that people do so..." Lightly chuckling, she smiled a bit, "After all, it is a strength of humanity to be so curious."

That got a grin and a nod from the young wizard beside her.

Minutes later, they reached the building that contained the Summoning Pool and entered it. They joined Nagato who gave them a small nod and smiled at Siusan, "How are you doing today, Siusan-San?"

Looking up at her, the fox gave a slight tilt of her head, "I am doing well, Nagato, thank you. This old Fox has been enjoying the time so far, and what I have spent with my Grandson." With a slight bow, she sighed, "Thank you again for having me."

Nagato just waved her off with a chuckle, "You don't need to thank me, Siusan-San. I am more than thankful to you that Harry now has a grandmother through you. Just..." A grin appeared on her face, "Don't outfox me by giving him and Hoppou a lot of treats."

Confused briefly, Siusan let out a bark of laughter and shook her head, "That was something that Lily-Child would have said, I think." Eyes lighting up as she looked back on memories, happier ones, the Irish fox sighed, "I miss her."

Gently, the Battleship placed a hand on her shoulder and gave a light squeeze, "I am not surprised. From what I hear she was a wonderful woman who I would have liked to meet when she was alive." Seeing the puzzlement, Nagato leaned down, "I did meet Lily once, in the Other Realm, where us shipgirls come from and where we briefly go when we get out rebuilds and such. She... passed on some things to me, to make me better able to help protect people, especially Harry."

Blinking away tears, Siusan sniffled a bit, "Yes, that does sound like Lily-Child." She paused for a moment, but spoke in a bit of a broken tone, "If... if you should happen to come across her again, could you... could you tell her how sorry I am?"

Expression softening, Nagato shook her head, "From what she told me, she is watching over us. So I have no doubt that she already knows, Siusan-San." Lips quirking upwards a bit, she snorted, "And probably thinks that you're being silly in that there was nothing to forgive."

With a slight nod from the fox, and some brightness coming back to her expression, Nagato gave a final squeeze of her shoulder. Head tilted to the side, Harry gave his Grandmother a smile of his own before blinking as they began to stack the summoning materials, "Huh, so you're using quite a bit of those that I made, Mum?"

The Battleship crossed her arms before nodding, "We are, as a matter of fact, Harry. After all, that is what they're supposed to be used for." Both the boy and the shipgirl shared a smile at that, "Besides which... we are close to when the Solstice happened. Considering what happened when we held it on the Harvest Moon, some people think it could give a boost."

Harry considered that for a few moments before making a sound of agreement, "That is true, I guess. Magic is a bit odd like that."

For her part, Nagato simply chuckled before remembering something, "I heard that something happened yesterday, Harry? Between you and one of your friends involving Yamato's... Smol?"

With a blink, the teenaged wizard sighed some and nodded, "Hai... we came across Yamapi at a food stand and she wanted some food. But then she asked for me to go and see Akechi-San to cheer her up."

Eyebrow cocked a bit, Nagato frowned, "From your tone, it didn't."

Shaking his head, Harry grimaced, "Barely got the chance to try as she took off running to the graveyard. Her parents are concerned about her... all I got is that her little sister died a couple of months ago in a car accident and she blames herself for it. Akechi-San's parents were dismissive of it and stated she believes their daughter was killed, not in an accident but by something else. I... think that she might be right."

Her own eyes narrowing, his adoptive mother opened her mouth before pausing. Remembering what was happening during Summer, she had a sinking suspicion as to what it might have been, "You mean that whole thing with a cursed website?"

As he nodded, Siusan frowned at him, "What do you mean, Harry-Child?" Quickly, he explained and her expression became one of distaste, "Ah, one of those. Yes, I am familiar with the concept though not with how it was done in this case."

Tone lowering, Harry shook his head, "I contacted Tatsuya about it and asked him because it tickled a little something that I remembered him mentioning. He was busy, but... Benio was able to answer for him. Apparently they almost managed to rescue a little girl who was being beaten by one of those things, but were just too late. They mentioned that there was a older girl, who they thought was her sister crying that it was all her fault..."

Dots connecting in her head, Nagato sighed, "The timeline would fit. And it would not be hard to imagine that perhaps she had written in the website in a moment of anger, not believing it for a moment. As well, the whole car accident does stink of a cover up by the magicals. Though how they missed her in it..." Shaking her head, she grunted a bit, "Then again, considering who we're talking about, they might well have missed her and just decided that people will think that she's crazy."

Clicking her tongue, the Irish fox with them shook her head, "The young child is not to blame for this. One of the greatest crimes that has come about due to the hiding of magic is that such things are possible." With a sigh, her expression became one of sympathy, "The foolish child did not know any better in this case."

With a glance towards her, Harry suspected that she knew about how it would feel in Akechi-San's place. He, too, could sympathize with her, though he furrowed his eyebrows some as he swore in his head that he had a dream or something before shaking it off. After all, he could always just look at this dream journal when he got home. Right now, the Summoning Ceremony was about to begin if the fact that Haru was taking her place was anything to go by. So while his thoughts were partially towards his sympathy towards his former schoolmate, they were also towards the Summoning.

Unknown to him, both Nagato's and Siusan's thoughts were also like his.

Meanwhile, the ceremony continued as it normally did with an opening from Haru followed by the Warship's March. And as usual with a successful ceremony, they could all feel a wind pick up, causing the candles around the room to flicker in the breeze, though they did not go out. Eyes widening some, Siusan pointed as the various summoning materials began to vanish into sparkles of light that trailed off into the Summoning Pool, which began to slosh and bubble, "Look at that..."

Lips twitching a bit at the awed tone, Harry only nodded, "It is always impressive to see, Grandmother. But that just means that it was successful." Seeing the shipgirls perk up, he cocked his head to the side, "Mum?"

Humming, Nagato gave a chuckle, "I am getting multiple contacts on sonar approaching, Harry. Far more than just one... Seems like this is one of the more successful ones." Almost as soon as she said that, various shipgirls burst from the water. One of them caused more than one blink as she looked somewhat similar to the Kongou sisters, though like Kongou herself looked like half-European and half-Japanese, with her black hair in a style similar to Kirishima's. Another difference was that her "Headband" only had one of the odd Bridge attachments which went upwards at an angle. Seeing her hull, Nagato blinked and looked between her and the surprised Kongou and Haruna, 'She... resembles them.'

Blinking, the shipgirl looked around before spotting Goto and saluting with a shy, unsure smile, "Design B-40, Japanese Battlecruiser, designed in Britain. H-happy to be here?"

Ignoring the excited whispers between his girlfriend and her sister, Goto smiled and nodded, "Welcome to the physical world."

Turning, he noted that a few others there, including a young girl looking around in confusion with some of the biggest turrets he had seen on someone that size, two of them. Another shipgirl there though was a Submarine in a familiar uniform, and hearing a gasp he knew that the shipgirl with the same uniform had spotted her. Seeing him, said Submarine gave a salute of her own even as she bobbed in the water, "Admiral, good day to you. I'm the eldest of the Sentoku-class, first ship, I-400. Hmm.... Shi...o...n? Yes... Shion... please call me that."

One of the two smaller vessels bowed to him and nearly fell over before she caught herself. She was dressed in a uniform like an Elementary student would wear and sheepishly grinned, "Um, good day, I'm the name ship of the Chidori class, Chidori. Please take care of me."

Simply chuckling, Goto gave her a nod, "We'll do our best with that, Chidori-San." Finally, he came to the last ship and gave her a curious look, "Hello, and you are?"

Rapidly blinking, the shipgirl stared at him and then around before focusing on her turrets as she mumbled to herself, "I'm a shipgirl...?" Spotting everyone now staring at her, she swallowed and looked forward, still completely lost, "U-um, I'm Akechi Momo? And... Honshu? The Name ship of the Honshu Class Coastal Defense Ships." Chewing her lip, she looked around, "W-where's my Onee-Chan? I-I've been hearing her saying sorry, but I don't know where she is..." Teary eyed, Momo looked up at the Admiral who had wide eyes, "Um, Mister Teitoku? C-could you help me?"

For several moments, everything was quiet before it exploded into whispers and shouts. Blinking, Nagato turned to Harry and cleared her throat, "Harry? Could you get in touch with Akechi-San? Or get the school phone number to Ooyodo? I think that we're going to need it..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part VII)

RAF North Front, Gibraltar

18 January 1942
Spoiler: Into Africa

"Colombe, you have to be kidding me." Delilah stared at the pair of biplanes being pushed out of the hangar.
Spoiler: Stringbags!

Colombe shook her head. "This is what SOE came up with to get us to into North Africa covertly. Just another evening maritime patrol flight to the spies watching the Rock."

"Those wings fold. Are you sure that this is safe?" From the tone of the revolver's voice, sanity was clearly lacking in the plan.

The rapier shrugged as she carried a broom toward the pair of Fairey Swordfish being prepared for flight. "If you wanted safe we could have stayed home."

Delilah hefted her own broom and the pack containing an Owl Box and followed her sister as she muttered under her breath. "Right, because drop behind Axis lines, try to make contact with a friendly local agent, locate an Unplottable tomb filled with potentially war-changing artifacts, and oh yes do that before a vampire mage backed with the whole weight of the SS gets there first isn't enough of a risk, we get to travel in these flying antiques. I must be crazy to go along with this plan."

"That's the spirit, Delilah." The rapier smugged at the revolver.

Delilah sighed. "Once, just once, I would like to spend time with you that does not involve having to frantically improvise to stave off disaster. I swear, you have the worst luck, Colombe."

"Tell me about it. At a certain point, you just have to laugh at the insanity of it all to keep from screaming until you can't scream any more." Colombe shrugged philosophically as she reached the first plane and climbed into the open cockpit for the observer,

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

4000 feet over the African Coast
Spoiler: Flight over Africa

"There, that salt lake is the Sebkha of Oran!" Colombe pointed below and to the right as water shimmered from a break in the low clouds thanks to the setting sun. "Time for us to head out."

The pilot nodded and waggled his wings to signal the trailing plane.

In the observer seat of that plane Delilah grasped her broom a little more tightly. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained." With that she unbuckled the safety harness and stood up. She wrapped her left wrist around the straps of her pack and then nodded to herself before jumping out of the plane.

"GERONIMO!" Delilah screamed, a smile filling her face as she plummeted toward the clouds below and wrapped her legs around the Cleansweep 3 broom that Lyra had 'loaned' her from the collection in the storage shed.

Taking control, she looked around the sky as the planes above them turned to make the return trip to Gibraltar. Delilah saw Colombe below her to the left and shot down in a dive to pull up alongside her sister.

Colombe smiled at her and pointed toward a road heading south into the mountains. "Let's get as far as we can down that before we land and camp for the night."

Delilah nodded and turned her broom to follow her sister into Africa.

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

Ten Miles North of Hammam Bou Hadjar, Algeria

Colombe landed her broom in the last few rays of sunlight, and Delilah followed suit. The rapier smiled happily and turned in a slow circle with her arms extended.

"I love Africa!"

Delilah gave a smugly sardonic smile. "So I noticed, Colombe. You said that you had local experience in this part of the world."

Colombe nodded and unslung her pack. "Oui. I went through here with Karl Potter in 1904 and I know a family in Saida on the far side of the mountains here. Good people and they know many local legends. A good place to learn information about any relevant local legends as well as get supplies."

Delilah smirked and dropped her pack in turn, beginning to set up rocks to contain a cook fire, "For which I brought the gold coins. I must admit, I'm a little surprised that you are used to roughing it, Colombe."

The Rapier paused in setting the tent up. "Oh, I could say the same thing Delilah. Jackie said that you were pretty sheltered and from the upper crust too."

Delilah paused and then nodded. "That's fair. However, my mother wanted to have me expand my horizons, so Jackie and I went around the world on Jackie's boat..." The revolver blushed pink and bit her lip, "Which was an experience in more ways than one. Also when I came of age, I bought a property out in the Dakotas as a bit of a getaway. There is something about solitude that calls me, and Jackie too, I suppose. Just yourself and no one else in the world."

Colombe nodded as the campfire ignited. "I can relate, some of the best moments of my life have been alone here in Africa, or with the company of a good friend sharing a tent looking at the stars."

Her voice hushed, "And wondering if somewhere out there Norimune is looking at the same stars that I am."

Delilah hugged her older sister gently. "One day, I'm sure that you can ask her that. I'll do what I can to help you."

"Thanks Delilah."

"Call me Del please."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

[intersects w. NotHimAgain Snips]
Setting down the steaming cup of hot chocolate, Harry smiled at the young girl who was kicking her legs back and forth beneath the chair she was on. With said chair creaking as she did so, "Here you go, Momo-Chan."

Brightly smiling, the girl looked up at him, "Thank you, Harry-San!" Moments later, she blinked as a plate full of cookies was set down in front of her as well, giving Harry an unsure look, "Um..."

Gently, Harry patted her on the head, "Go ahead and have as many as you want." A loud growl from her stomach made the younger girl blush, and the teen lightly laugh, "After all, it sounds like you're hungry."

Momo gave a small, unsure nod, "Hai..." Taking one of the cookies, she took a bite and her expression brightened, "So good!"

Only shaking his head, Harry watched as she ate one after another, drinking the hot chocolate, which he replaced with a new one. However, she stopped and looked around which made him raise an eyebrow, "Something wrong, Momo-Chan?"

Chewing her lip, she nodded with a shy expression on her face, "Um, I was just wondering where Onee-Chan is... and Kaa-San and Tou-San. Are... are they alright?"

Expression softening, Harry crouched a bit so that he could meet her eyes, "Hai, they're alright, Momo-Chan. Teitoku, Mum, and the others are trying to get in touch with them even as we speak. So they'll be by soon enough." Ruffling her hair, he chuckled, "So don't worry too much."

Head tilted to the side, Momo looked down at her feet, "I don't think that Onee-Chan is okay though." Seeing the puzzled look on Harry's face, she scrunched up her face cutely, "I... I don't know how, but I know that Onee-Chan has been crying a lot. And saying sorry... and really hurting." The little girl brought her face up to meet Harry's eyes, "I don't want Onee-Chan to be hurting, Harry-San! I don't! But..."

With a sigh, the thirteen year old shook his head, "I think, Momo-Chan, that you coming back is going to make things better for your Onee-Chan."

Meeting Harry's eyes, there was hope in hers, "Really?"

Slowly, Harry nodded, "Really. Trust me on that."

Just nodding, Momo blinked some before her eyes widened, "Oh! And Onee-Chan kept mentioning you, I think. Something about wanting to be friends... or something? There was something silly there as well."

It was now Harry's turn to look confused, "Eh?"

Rapidly nodding, the little girl took another cookie and smiled, "Hai! She went on about you a lot." Chomping the cookie, she brightened, "Double chocolate!"

At the other side of the meeting room watching, Nagato turned and stepped out of the room while closing the door behind her. Outside, she noted that Akashi as well as Ooyodo were there alongside Goto (who had just returned from giving the other new summons a quick debrief for now), a confused Haru, and Siusan, who seemed rather thoughtful. Glancing at Nagato, Goto frowned and looked at Akashi, "Have you identified her yet?"

Flipping through the pages on her clipboard, Akashi nodded, "I have." She twisted it around to show them a photocopy of a hand drawn picture, "Katsura confirmed it when I spoke to her, Akechi Momo seems to be the Honshu of the Honshu class Coastal Defense Vessels on the magical side. They were based on the Thonburi Class already built, but with some modifications as upgrades to the design and were built at the end of the war. Basically, they were Destroyer sized vessels with quite the amount of armor and two Heavy Cruiser turrets. The reason that they were built was so that they could be used to defend Japan against the incoming Allied invasion fleet in the later part of 1944. They would have made for a very nasty surprise... And as the name suggests, there were four of them. Honshu, Kyushu, Hokkaido, and Shikoku."

Ooyodo frowned and adjusted her glasses, "Yes, I can see where they would be rather effective."

With a nod, the Repair Ship flipped the page to a new one, showing a slightly different design. Rather then a double turret, these had triples, "This is the Izu Ōshima Class, which is a Subclass, which instead of using the eight inch turrets, used the old triples from the Mogami class. But she's got the eight inch guns, so..." Giving a helpless shrug, Akashi frowned, "Still, that means that she is rather powerful and armoured for her size."

Taking the sheet, Goto felt his eyebrows raise some, "So she has late war radar? As well as sonar?"

Arms crossed, Akashi tapped one spot, "Hai, and her AA are actually 40mm guns like the ones that I am currently working on. Not as effective as the American ones, but still better then most. Like I said, powerful and well armoured for her size. Slow though, which means that she would be best for inshore patrols and perhaps escorting convoys back and forth along the coastline."

Simply humming, the Admiral nodded before placing half formed thoughts and the like into the back of his head for now. It would be best to go over them later once everything has settled down. Instead, Goto decided to bring up another question on his mind and turned to Ooyodo, "Have you gotten in touch with Akechi-San's family?"

Grimacing, Ooyodo sighed some, "It has been rather troublesome getting in contact with her parents, but we just managed. Though they are... rather disbelieving of what we are telling them. Her sister does not know, but the school has released her and Yamato is bringing her here to the base." She reached up and rubbed the side of her head, "From all accounts, her parents really, truly do believe that she is dead and died in a car accident."

Haru frowned some and had a thoughtful look on her face before narrowing her eyes, "I wonder..." At the looks, she waved her hand, "While Obliviate is the common form of memory charm, there is another spell that can be used alongside it to reinforce it. Said spell, however, does not work on magicals. What it does is 'Lock' someone into an explanation as to what happened... for a couple of months at least. It reinforces the Obliviation and makes the person unquestioning of it for long enough that by the time it fades, the person will dismiss anything that says otherwise out of hand. It... is not really that common, in fact it is extremely rare. Partially because it is easy to break that sort of spell, just them having Akechi-San tell them what really happened would be enough, along with the truth of what was done with them."

That brought a grimace to Goto's face, but he nodded, "I see, that will be... a tough conversation. Especially if some of what you suspect is true."

Finger tapping her chin, the Kitsune only shook her head, "It is only a theory, some of what Natsumi-Chan and Harry-San has described to me really does make it sound like Akechi-San's Onee-San may be magical. With how screwy things have been, I can believe that she slipped through the cracks rather easily." A frown then appeared on Haru's face, "What I don't understand is how this happened... How could she have come back, even if she was a Natural Born considering..."

Her arms crossed, Nagato gave a nod, "Considering what Lily informed me of how it works. By all accounts, it should have been decades from now that she would be able to be summoned."

While still saddened by what she had heard about what Lily did in the afterlife, Siusan was proud of her. Pushing that aside, she cleared her throat, "While I do not use magic much, I... might have an explanation for things."

Intrigued, Goto turned to her, "Go on..."

Simply nodding, the Irish fox gathered her thoughts before speaking, "From what you have told me, she died a victim of a ritual, yes? Her sister unknowingly sentencing her to a horrific death, though I do not blame the child for it as she did not know and thought that it was a joke."

Just furrowing her eyebrows, Ooyodo nodded, "Yes, that was correct. It was a cult who set it up, an Abyssal Cult who believed that the Abyssals had been sent by Hecate. In fact, they were simply being used by a wizard who wanted human sacrifices to summon said goddess and... purge non-magicals."

Lip curling into a sneer, Siusan snorted, "Which would not have worked." Seeing the interest, she made a motion with her hand, "While I am not quite old enough to remember the Romans, I have spoken to some who have. Despite how some think that she was evil for being a goddess of sorcery and witchcraft, that is only in the here and now. She is in fact a goddess of magic and a protector... especially of children."

Wincing, Nagato cleared her throat, "So summoning her via human sacrifice..."

Siusan blinked and turned to her, "If it had worked, would have enraged Hecate. Especially if there were children who were killed for it. Those that did so would be lucky if she felt like turning them into beasts to use as playthings. Most likely they would have met a... far darker fate and may yet still as I believe that they would be marked. Hence, Hecate might well claim them when they die for her special attention." Furrowing her eyebrows, she shook her head, "The other possibility is that they might have summoned Nemesis considering what they were using. From my understanding though, Nemesis is very much... an eye for an eye. In which case, she would slaughter them for what they did, and very likely all those involved in the curses."

Needless to say, this time it was not just Nagato who winced. Clearing her throat after she shook it off, Haru frowned some, "But how does that explain what happened."

An amused look on her face, the Irish fox wagged a finger at Haru, with said Kitsune feeling like she was facing either her parents, Hoshi, or said Kyuubi's sister. Like she was a young kit again, "It has everything to do with it, Haru. As I mentioned, among other things, Hecate is a guardian, including of children. And a goddess of magic. From my understanding, the ritual gathered energy from the sacrifices, but was left unfinished... now what do you suppose that a goddess might do in such a case."

Eyes widening, Haru boggled at her, "You think that Hecate-Sama gave Akechi-San's 'Spiritual Age' a boost by pushing what was in the ritual into her? I..." Frowning, she grew thoughtful, "I would normally say such a thing is impossible, but we are speaking of gods here..."

Giving a shake of her head, Siusan frowned, "Indeed, and gods from Olympus. That... is what I think may have happened at least."

With a glance to the meeting room, all those there grew thoughtful as well.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

[intersects w. NotHimAgain Snips]
If there was a word to describe Sayaka at the moment... it was confusion. Complete and utter confusion. All the young teen knew was that she had been in class when she was called down to the office. Upon entering though, she was asked to wait and less than fifteen minutes later, Yamato walked in and greeted her before having a quick talk with the Principal. After which, she left with said shipgirl. When asked though, the Battleship had looked rather unsure herself and stated that she was not quite sure how to explain.

Things only got odder though when she arrived at the main headquarters for the shipgirl section of the base to find a snowy owl also arrive, with Yamapi and another 'Smol' that looked like Nagato. The sight of said owl caused Yamato to brighten up and she had thanked 'Hedwig'. Seeing her confusion, Yamato explained that the owl actually belonged to Harry which made her eyes widen some as well as a slight blush come to her cheeks. Though she was surprised at the fact that Harry owned an owl, though said bird did look rather beautiful.

Not really having been in this area of the base though, Sayaka had looked around as they walked, Yamapi chatting with 'Minagato' as the other Smol had been called. It... was much like she had expected a military base headquarters to look like, to be quite honest. Which was somewhat disappointing as she had half expected that there would be various cool things. Like posters of the shipgirls in poses telling people to do their duty. Or maybe robots and holograms helping out.

Perhaps she had been watching too much anime.

Coming around a bend in the hallway though, she blinked as Harry was there waiting leaning against the wall. She could feel a slight heat in her cheeks from that as he just looked so cool doing so. Then, Harry perked up upon seeing her and walked up quickly with a smile on his face, "Akechi-San!"

Lightly blushing, Sayaka gave him a slight bow, "Um, hello, Harry-San. It's... good to see you? I..." With a look around, she chewed her lip some, "I am still not sure why I am here..."

Harry blinked at that before turning to Yamato and crossing his arms. Much to the other teen's surprise, the Battleship seemed sheepish, "You mean that you didn't tell her why she was coming, Yamato-Oba?"

Unsure, the shipgirl weakly chuckled, "Well... it was not really my place to talk about such things to her, Harry... I mean..."

Sighing, Harry shook his head and turned to Sayaka. For a few moments, she could see the busy mind behind those thoughts before he frowned. "Akechi-San, may I ask you a question?" At her unsure nod, he continued, "What do you know about Natural Borns, shipgirls, I mean."

More than a little lost at where this was going, Sayaka blinked and furrowed her eyebrows, "I... um, they're normal girls and women who were born and have the souls of warships in them? And they can be turned into shipgirls by being awoken through a ceremony?" Frowning, she gave a shrug, "There's... not much more than that?"

Just nodding, the thirteen year old boy hummed before shrugging himself, "That is the basics of it, yes."

All of a sudden, Sayaka's eyes widened as she came to a conclusion, "W-wait, are you saying that I'm a shipgirl? B-because I... I can't be..." Inside her head, she continued, 'After all, I could not protect Momo and got her killed...'

However, Harry shook his head, "Um, no, you're not a shipgirl, Akechi-San." Running a hand through his hair, he frowned, "But... your Imouto, Momo-Chan, is."

There was a feeling like a hand clenched around her heart, 'Momo was...' Swallowing, Sayaka shuddered a bit, "Momo was a... shipgirl?"

Briefly, Harry bit his lip, "Not... was, is." Seeing the confusion, he continued, "She showed up at the summoning, Akechi-San, your Imouto. As a shipgirl."

Seconds ticked by until almost a full minute as the teenaged girl stared at him. Finally, she gave him a glare, "That is not funny, Potter-San! This is not a funny joke at all!"

Eyes widening, Harry waved his hands, "I-it's not a joke! Momo-Chan is alive, I swear! We're still not sure how, but-"

He was cut off as Sayaka snarled and got up into his face before grabbing his shirt, tears in her eyes, "Momo is dead! I... I saw her dead body! I know that she's dead, because... because I got her killed! All my fault! And here you are making some sort of story up about that?! Who put you up to this?!"

The last part was said in a shout, which caused Ooyodo to look up from where she was down the hallway. Yamato herself was looking on with wide eyes and about to say something when the door to the meeting room opened as Sayaka continued to shout at Harry. However, said girl froze as a voice reached her ears, "Onee-Chan?"

Freezing, Sayaka stared at Harry and looked over his shoulder and felt her throat constrict. Because right there, coming out was Momo who looked unsure and somewhat scared... "Momo...?"

Somewhat scared, and it hurt Sayaka when she realized that her little sister was scared of her, Momo nodded, "H-hai... Onee-Chan." Then the little girl smiled a bit and shook her fear off, "But now you're here! I was so worried and everything, Onee-Chan!" Running forward, she came to a stop just behind Harry and cocked her head to the side, "Onee-Chan?"

Meanwhile, the teenaged girl just stared at the form of her little sister. The one that she got killed, but was now greeting her like nothing was wrong at all. And who was now asking her what was wrong. She... wanted to run right at that moment. Sayaka was unsure if she wanted to run to her little sister, or away from the phantom that was obviously in front of her right at that moment. Joy, sadness, grief, fear, and self-hatred warred inside of her mind at that moment. And... and...

And why did she find it so hard to breath right now? Why... why did it feel like she couldn't get enough air into her lungs?

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't get enough oxygen into her as it felt like she was drowning somehow, or being squeezed into a vice. Already, black was creeping from the edges of her vision and she could hear Harry-San shouting at her as if from far away. Same with Momo before all strength left her and she felt herself falling.

Then... nothing more than blackness.

Seeing her suddenly collapse, Harry rushed forward and grabbed her into his arms, "AKECHI-SAN!"

Quickly, he grabbed her before she could hit the ground, just managing it. Beside him, Momo was shouting, "Onee-Chan?! ONEE-CHAN!?" As the other adults rushed up, she looked between them, "What's going on with Onee-Chan!? Why... why did she just fall down?!"

Harry ignored that and pressed his finger against her throat and closed his eyes as he mumbled under his breath before opening his eyes, "Okay, her pulse is quick... but okay. She's breathing a bit heavily and..." Pressing his hand against her skin, he blinked, "I... think that she is in shock?"

Doing his own checks, Goto nodded some, "That seems about right, looks like she had a panic attack."

With tears in her eyes, Momo looked between them,. "Did... did I hurt Onee-Chan, somehow? She... When she saw me, she just..."

Only shaking her head, Nagato crouched down some, "You didn't do anything wrong, Momo-San. What happened was that your sister just received a bit of a nasty shock and should be fine after some rest."

Placing his arm under Sayaka's legs, the black haired wizard gave the still frightened Momo the best reassuring smile that he could, "She's going to be fine, Momo-Chan." Turning as he lifted the teen girl up, he gave Goto an unsure look, "I'm going to take her to the first aid room if..."

Simply gesturing with his arm, Goto nodded, "Go, and make sure that she's okay."

Just nodding, Harry began walking with Momo looking between him and the adults, with the Admiral giving her a nod and motioning for her to follow Harry. He did not need to talk twice as the little girl rushed off after Harry. Upon reaching the first aid room, she watched as the thirteen year old boy laid her older sister down on a bed there before she heard something inside her head. Eyes widening, Momo straightened some, "Oh! I got doctors in me? Or, um... something..."

Hearing that, Harry gave her a smile and a chuckle, "Well, that would be helpful."

Not long after, a group of fairies came out and joined them, which Harry recognized as being magical healers and a few Yokai. Both him and Momo than sat in some chairs to wait for the teenaged girl to wake up.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part VIII)

Saida, Algeria

20 January 1942

Colombe stood aside to let a squad of French soldiers in field kit with the kepi blanc of the Foreign Legion pass down the street. Behind her, Delilah followed suit, holding a veil across the lower part of her face in a gesture of traditional modesty. The veil, headscarves, and matching robes were the result of some transfiguration on their flight suits once they landed just out of sight of town. Instead of a pair of pied noir French colonial women suddenly wandering around town, they were merely a pair of somewhat fair-skinned locals in the eyes of the Vichy French authorities.

Colombe raised an eyebrow mentally as she headed down the street. While she had been here four decades before and was confident of at least appearing to be native to the untrained eye, she was frankly shocked how well Delilah had slipped into the role. As they moved through town, Delilah blended in more and more with her body language and mannerisms. Unfortunately, while Colombe was rusty but fluent in Arabic and Berber thanks to her travels with Karl and Tamenokalt Potter through North Africa in the first decade of the 20th Century, Delilah was only fluent in French. Which could be troublesome if they were challenged.

Colombe paused to let a herd of goats go through an intersection ahead of her and then followed them. Glancing back, it took her a second to pick out Delilah from the crowd as her younger sister followed her. Finally she reached a palm-tree plank door in a walled compound of buildings and knocked twice, then once, then twice. An eye slit opened in it, and a young male voice asked "Min hdha?"

Colombe lowered her veil to show her full face and responded in Arabic "'Akhbar abn alnaar almushrif 'ana alhamamat huna marat 'ukhraa." She then raised it as the eye slit closed.

Delilah sidled up alongside her. "Now what, Sis?"

Colombe shrugged. "We wait."
Spoiler: The abn Alnaar

Delilah sighed and then turned as the door unlocked and opened. Inside was a whitewashed brick passage illuminated by flickering oil lamps containing a young man with dark skin clad in a indigo-dyed robe and turban. He silently gestured for them to proceed as he closed and barred the door behind them. As they headed down the passage the sound of half-heard muted voices whispered at them and the smell of incense tickled Delilah's nose. Colombe pulled off her veil and headscarf and shook her hair free, and after a moment Delilah followed as they reached a pointed arch filled with ornately carved hardwood beads strung from the stones to create an interlocking barrier.

The incense smell was stronger and Delilah could hear the crackle of fire from beyond the beads. Colombe breathed in and out then lowered her voice. "Let me do the talking here and follow my lead. Only speak if you are spoken to, and respond to any questions with direct honesty. The ones ahead...do not care for men's deceptions."

Delilah nodded and followed her sister through the curtain, then blinked twice in shock. The hall beyond was round, with walls of fine indigo silk billowing in a desert breeze. Lit only by a fire pit in the center, and a charcoal brazier at the right hand of each figure, a semicircle of five humanoids surveyed her. Veiled with dark indigo with their skin an ebon black, five sets of glittering red eyes surveyed them silently as Colombe walked to a pair of cushions set before the fire pit on an ornate colorful carpet.

Delilah followed, and watched as Colombe bowed, touching two fingers to her lips, brow and then heart before sitting cross-legged. As she did an unlit brass brazier on her right hand flared to life. Delilah followed suit and felt a sudden jerk of energies yank at her very being as the brazier next to her ignited and began to produce an aromatic smoke. She sat and surveyed the figures, automatically computing what would be needed to shoot their way out of here.

At an unheard signal, Colombe bowed her head and spoke. "Alsalam ealaykum, 'Akhi Alkabir abn Alnaar." She took a deep breath and shifted to French. "Forgive my impertinence, but my Youngest Sister cannot converse in the Prophet's Tongue. Courtesy demands that I must speak in ways that she can follow."

One of the five spoke in harshly accented French. "You try our patience, Child of Earth. Your words must be proven true. You know what must be done."

Colombe nodded and gave Delilah a quelling look before plunging her right hand up to the wrist in the hot coals of the brazier. Flame suddenly shot from the brazier and Colombe gritted her teeth as she gave her interrogator a firm look. Then the flames died down and she relaxed minutely as she kept her hand within the coals.

Another voice sounded. "Her words are refined in Fire and are without flaw. You seek knowledge, Child of Earth. Inquire."

Colombe took a deep breath as flame once more flickered around her wrist. "I seek a Mountain of Flint, towering among yellow clouds and surrounded by a forest deep within the desert. Underneath is a tomb that my foes seek, and inside are treasures that could shake the realms of the seen and unseen."

All five figures showed signs of shock and their braziers flared to life in a display of fire, from the blue-white of natural gas to the soft red warmth of glowing coals as they looked at each other. Presently the flames died down, and the first voice sounded.

"You ask much of us Child of Earth. What purpose would you put this knowledge to?"

Colombe bowed her head as the flame in her brazier ignited again, dancing up her forearm. "I swear upon my honor and my name to not use it, but keep it safe until such time that it can be returned to She who sleeps under the Mountain of Flint. No son of Adam, or child of Iblis shall be harmed by action taken with the treasures of the Sleeper if I can stop it with word or deed. I...cannot say the same for my foes, they would enslave the Seen and the Unseen in the service of their," Colombe's lips twisted in scorn, 'Greater Good'."

Yet another voice spoke, "Wouldst thou slay thy sire to protect the Sleeper's treasures? Even now she whom thou seek fights for the cause that you oppose."

Colombe winced and tears tricked down her face as she whispered. "Oui. I would though it would break my heart. My honor demands that I must oppose the cause that she fights to champion."

Delilah felt the eyes of the Five turn to her. "What of your companion? You we know, Child of Earth, by word and deed, refined in fire, but of she, we know naught."

Delilah rolled back her sleeve and plunged her hand into the brazier, choking off a scream as fire raced through her avatar's veins. "I am Delilah de Breuil, daughter of Norimune Muramasa and Jezabel de Breuil. Younger half-sister of Colombe d'Aubigny du Chasteler and Jacklyn Fox."

She blinked smoke from her eyes as the pain from the fire mounted. The forms opposite her wavered and shifted in the smoke, appearing almost like living flames judging her mercilessly. "As my sister has spoken, so I shall. I stand alongside her to fight for the causes that we champion, no matter the foe, even to my sire. I shall protect and preserve the Sleeper's secrets and keep them safe from the foes that would enslave us all. So I swear."

Her breathing grew labored as she felt the flames lick at the black powder loading her true body, and her heart hammered like a furnace. Then the flames withdrew as a voice burned in her ears with a harsh crackle. "Child of Earth, we know you now. You are an eagle, observing in silence before you strike like a thunderbolt and pass on."

The burning voice continued as the room began to spin and flames caressed her very being. "Listen well and heed our words, Children of Earth. From our abode, travel toward the rising of the sun three days travel to the shores of a lake of salt. Purify thyself there, for as thou are forged from the Earth, one day to Earth thou shalt return. Once thou art clean, travel due south to the stone of lamentation that crieth out in the wilderness. At the midpoint of the night, light a fire and if it is thy destiny to find the mountain, a guide will be provided. Follow the guide, but beware, for a price must be paid by all seekers and bones litter the path you must tread. May your travels find shade and water, Children of Earth."

Delilah gasped as the room swam and darkness then claimed her.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

[intersects w. NotHimAgain Snips]
Slowly, Sayaka could feel herself be drawn more and more into consciousness. At the very edges of her awareness, she could hear indistinct mumbles of conversation. Mumbles that ceased as she scrunched her eyelids before her eyes fluttered open, 'Did I fall asleep somewhere?' Eyes fully open though, she was not met with her bedroom ceiling.

No, she was met with an unfamiliar ceiling.

Before Sayaka could say anything though, she found the familiar face of Harry enter her vision and he blinked down at her, "Akechi-San? Are you alright?"

Rapidly blinking, the teenaged girl frowned, "Potter-San? What are you doing here... where am I?"

Looking unsure, Harry coughed a bit, "Um, you're in the first aid room in the shipgirl headquarters in Yokosuka. You... sort of fainted."

That made Sayaka furrow her eyebrows in confusion, "Fainted? But why would I..."

It all came back to her and she sucked in a breath before sitting up. Gently, Harry took her by the shoulders as she nearly fell back as the world spun around her, "Whoa there, be careful, Akechi-San. You had a bit of a panic attack there."

Part of Harry noted that he could see shakes running through her body as she looked directly at him, "I... I saw Momo and..."

Before the thirteen year old boy could do anything, a small hand gently grasped hers, making her gasp as a voice that she had ached to hear spoke up, "Hai, Onee-Chan." Slowly, Sayaka turned to find her little sister, alive and hale, looking up at her and nearly felt her heart stop. For her part, the little girl chewed her lip, "Onee-Chan? Are... are you alright?"

Tears gathering in her eyes, Sayaka brought up one shaking hand and placed it on Momo's cheek, "Y-you're real..." Now wetness spilled down her cheeks as the little girl nodded, her older sister's voice filled with hope warring with disbelief, "You're real and right here... alive. H-how...?"

From where he sat, Harry took a deep breath, "Well... Teitoku is talking with your parents and, it seems that she was a shipgirl." When Sayaka turned to him, he continued, "No one really knows how she popped up, but... we're all happy that it happened."

Just looking at him, to Momo, and back, Sayaka shook her head before curling into herself, "You're... alive, Momo-Chan." Sniffling, she whimpered a bit, "You hate me, don't you?"

Utterly lost, Momo looked at Harry who shook his head and turned back to her older sister. Something in the little shipgirl's chest ached to see and hear the pain in Sayaka's voice, "Hate you? No! I love you, Onee-Chan!"

Head coming up, the teenaged girl stared at her, eyes filled with tears, "B-but it is because me of that you got killed! And... and... it's all my fault! If I wasn't so stupid and dumb and... and..."

With her head tilted to the side, the younger of the two sisters blinked, "Onee-Chan? But you didn't kill me? That big mean thing did..." Now sniffling herself, she shook her head, "I... I called out for you, but... it got me and... and hurt me. Not you!"

Mouth moving, Sayaka felt as if a knife had stabbed her in the chest, "You called out for me...?" When Momo nodded, she felt even worse and broke down, "But I was at fault! I was just so angry with you, and there was a website! I..."

As the story spilled out, Momo simply listened before her eyes widened with realization. She glanced at Harry who simply shook his head sadly. Once Sayaka trailed off, the newly summoned shipgirl frowned for almost a minute as she thought it over, her sister sobbing. Said sobs came to a stop though as Momo crawled up onto the bed and gently hugged her sister, "Please don't cry, Onee-Chan. I forgive you, you didn't know that something bad would happen."

Struck speechless, Sayaka's tears only came the harder as she stared in disbelief. Finally, she managed to speak around the constriction in her throat, "But... but I... it was because of me..."

Now looking up at her, the little girl shook her head, "You didn't know any better!" She then chewed her lip and buried her face in her sister's chest, "I... I remember you talking to me. Saying you were sorry all the time and that what happened really hurt you. How sad you were and everything... though not really why. B-but I know that I didn't blame you and just wanted to hug you and tell you that I love you, Onee-Chan! L-like I can now..."

Body trembling, Sayaka wrapped her arm around her sister and began crying all the harder, "Y-you remember?" Getting a nod, she sobbed, "I-I am so, so sorry... No matter what, I am an awful Onee-Chan."

Only shaking her head, Momo looked up at her with a frown, "No you're not! You're a great Onee-Chan!" Pulling herself up some, she threw her arms around her sister's neck and hugged her close, now crying herself, "You're the best Onee-Chan that I could ever have. And... and I'm sorry that you were so hurt. But you didn't do anything wrong!"

Eventually, the two calmed down some and Sayaka looked around to find that Harry had left at some point to give them some privacy, "P-Potter-San?"

Also looking around, her little sister blinked away some tears and frowned, "Um..." Furrowing her eyebrows, she held out her hand and there a glow before a fairy came out of her sleeve, "Could you find Potter-San for us?"

The little being gave her a salute, "Desu!"

With that, it hopped off her hand and ran off. Meanwhile, Sayaka just stared in shock before turning to her sister, "That... you really are a shipgirl."

Puffing herself up, Momo nodded with a proud look, which was ruined a bit by the still wet cheeks, snot coming from her nose, and red eyes, "Hai! I'm a shipgirl now, Onee-Chan! And I can protect you now!"

Rather unsure how to take that, Sayaka only nodded. Before she could say anything, Harry returned with a box of tissues in his hand, "Sorry about that, I just thought that you could use some space."

Lightly blushing, Sayaka shifted a bit, "Um, thank you, Potter-San."

Due to not looking at her sister, she missed the thoughtful look on Momo's face before it vanished. Instead, she took some of the tissues herself and wiped at her face and blew her nose, Sayaka doing much the same. Once they were done, Harry helped them off the bed, "We should probably be meeting with your parents, they're in the meeting room."

Only nodding, Sayaka kept Momo close, not letting her go. Something that the little girl was only too happy to allow. When they entered the meeting room, there was silence for several moments as hers and Momo's parents stared at them before they rushed over and hugged both their children. More tears were shed, though they stopped with confusion when Momo's mother commented that they were happy that she was alive again after being hit by a car, only for Momo look at her in confusion, "But... I wasn't killed by a car."

Sharing a look with his wife, her father frowned and shook his head, "It probably happened so quick and you-"

Cheeks puffing out, Momo glared at them, "I wasn't killed by a car! It was this... really wierd thing, like a person, or one of those mannequins in the stores! It grabbed me and started hitting me over and over again!"

Mouths moving, the two adults stared at each other and then at Sayaka who held her sister close, "What? But, I... that isn't..."

From the table, Goto sighed some, "If you will sit down, we'll explain a little." When they did so, the Admiral frowned as he considered what to say and nodded, "Your daughter, unfortunately, was the victim of an Abyssal cult." Holding up a hand to forestall their comments, he continued, "They used a form of magic to create a trap for people, a sort of cursed website set up as if it would cause someone bad luck. Instead, it made them targets for a magical ritual designed to summon a goddess named Hecate. What they did not know, was that they were being used by a wizard who hated non-magicals such as ourselves. Because we forced them into hiding several hundred years ago."

Eyebrows furrowing, Sayaka's mother frowned, "That... seems rather unbelievable. If so, then why don't we remember this?"

Grimacing, Nagato glanced at Harry before continuing, "Because in order to hide, the wizards and such of the world created a magic that can wipe memories and replace them with false ones. Unfortunately, this means that due to magic being the reason for Momo-San's death, they wiped your memories. We're still unsure why they missed Sayaka-San, but we have some suspicions."

Her father looking angry, he turned to Goto, "And you people allow this?! And why did this wizard hate non-magicals!?"

Simply leaning back, the Admiral frowned, "We don't allow it at all, unfortunately it is something that has been happening since the seventeen hundreds at the very least. Granted, at the time with the witch hunts targeting magical children, they had reason to want to hide. But as with all things, momentum is very hard to stop when it gets going. That said... such methods fail with those around shipgirls for long periods and their hiding is coming to an end. In any case, not all of them are bad people, far more are good."

About to say something, Momo's father was cut off by Harry speaking, "As for why... there's many reasons." Much to Sayaka's confusion, the thirteen year old boy looked... tired, "For some, it was simply because they were forced into hiding. They believe, for very stupid reasons, that magicals are better then those without magic. That they should rule over or simply kill you because magic gives them that right. Wars have been fought to stop those people whenever they pop up though..."

Frowning, Sayaka looked at Harry in confusion, "How would you know, Potter-San?"

Bitterly chuckling, two green eyes looked at her with sadness in them, "Why do you think that I am an orphan, Akechi-San? My parents were murdered when I was barely a year old by a leader of one of those groups that hate non-magicals." The eyes of the Akechi family widened at that, "My birth Okaa-San? She was a witch born to non-magicals, it happens from time to time. And these people hated that, because they do not see such people as being worthy of having magic. Some of them even claim that said people stole magic from those from magical families, leaving them without. Stupid... My Otou-San was a wizard from a family that had been magical for generations. They fought those people like that who killed Momo-Chan and others. And one day, their leader himself came to my home and murdered my Otou-San and my Okaa-San. Tried to murder me, but..." Giving a helpless shrug, he shook his head, "I'm still here."

Hands against her mouth, Momo's eyes watered, "They killed your Okaa-San and Otou-San...?"

Slowly, Harry nodded, "And my Great-Uncle and his family, because mine found such views abhorent and would fight those with such views in what ways we could. In my Okaa-San's and Otou-San's case, that was literally fighting battles with those who were attempting to harm those without magic."

Just sharing a look, Momo's mother cleared her throat, "Does... does that mean that you can do magic, Potter-San?"

Lips twitching a bit, he nodded and pulled out a stick. Motioning with it, he made a cup tap dance across the table to giggles from Momo. Then, he muttered something and tapped said Styrofoam cup, transforming it into a mouse which got claps from the little shipgirl as her family looked on in disbelief. Bowing slightly, Harry flicked his wand to produce some flowers that he handed to Sayaka and nodded, "I can do a little bit of magic, I go to a school for it, after all."

Placing his hands down on the table, Goto chuckled some, "It also needs to be said that Harry-Kun here not only does not believe in hiding, but has helped out on several occasions. Enough so that he would be facing jail time by his own people for doing so."

Harry just gave a shrug at that, "It's the right thing to do."

Both parents really looked unsure about that, but Sayaka blinked and spoke up, "So... there's good wizards and stuff, and bad ones? And you're a good wizard?" When Harry nodded, she frowned, "And the memory thing is... sort of like in some of those animes? Like Ojamajo Doremi where they hide magic?" Once more, the teen got a nod, "Huh..."

Suddenly, Haru spoke up from where she was seated at the end of the table, "In fact, Harry-San here might well have played a part in Momo-San's return." That startled the whole family and they turned to her, with her making a motion towards the messy haired boy, "You see, Harry-San has been helping out by creating summoning materials from scrap metal. A large number of which was used in the same summoning as Momo-San... and it helps that Momo-San is the shipgirl of a magical warship."

Eyes wide, Momo's father looked at his youngest daughter in disbelief, "Magical warship...?"

Nagato gave a nod, "Hai, as it turns out, there was a magical side of the Pacific War, where the magical side of Japan was fighting with the magical side of the United States and others. Among other things, they built their own warships, of which Momo-San's original hull, the Honshu was one of them. A Coastal Defence Ship."

Then, she slid across a folder to them, with her parents opening it to reveal a drawing of a warship. Granted, they were a bit confused when Momo blushed some, but both of them as well as Sayaka stared at it. Looking up, the oldest of the two sisters turned to her little sister with a small grin, "Wow... that is so cool."

With a deep breath, Sayaka's father closed the folder and rubbed his brow, "This... is a lot to take in." Chuckling some, he turned and looked towards Harry and gave a bow, "No matter what I may think of the other... wizards and such, thank you, Potter-San. For your help in bringing back my youngest."

Blushing, Harry bowed deeply, "You are very welcome, Akechi-San. In any case, I am deeply, deeply sorry that magic has harmed your family."

A frown on his face, he only nodded some and soon the talk began to bring out more and more detail behind various events. Her parents decided to keep an open mind though when one of Momo's fairies, her Captain, made an appearance and began to speak to them of the magical world. That, along with Harry's own information regarding things such as how those that did things like what killed their daughter are hunted down for it, did a lot. By the time that it ended though, it was late in the evening and rather then have the exhausted family drive home, Goto had them sleep in the guest quarters on the base.

Shortly after entering though, Momo frowned and pointed at the tiny Yamato trying to eat an entire stick of dango, "Um, what is that?"

Only sighing, Sayaka shook her head, "That... is Yamapi."

The Smol just swallowed the last of the dango and looked at her, "Mato." Then, she picked up another stick and began to eat that as well.

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire

Yellowhammer said:
Yet another voice spoke, "Wouldst thou slay thy sire to protect the Sleeper's treasures? Even now she whom thou seek fights for the cause that you oppose."​

...Ohhhh, there's some nightmare fuel right there.
*-*-*-*

A 2-v-1 standoff, staring over blades and/or gunbarrels, was nothing new to Norimune.

The fading glow of the Blood Relation spell surrounding all three weapons... that was new.

"I am sorry... 'papa'..." the blonde rapier not Julie's ghost not Julie's ghost no this is worse said in a voice that wavered much as her blade did not. "But I gave my word. And you know, as well as I, that allowing your current... 'employers'... to take possession of the Sleeper's artifacts would be to doom half the world, or more."

"So we can't let you pass," the revolver not Jez but she's our daughter oh kami she has her mother's eyes added. Her bead on her 'father's' center of mass was steady, but her eyes -- Norimune wondered if her own looked as despairingly hollow.

"I made promises too," Norimune replied, feeling her voice crack. "All my... all my students, the kids who trusted me after the last war, who looked up to me... working for those bastards that sent me here is the only way I have to keep them safe. The only coin I can pay to keep them out of the meat grinder." Her own blade swayed, and she tried to pretend she was simply adjusting her grip. "If I... if I let you stop me... I won't be the one who pays the penalty for my failure." A stream of begging, pleading words logjammed in her throat, stopped by the reality she could see in her daughters' maybe I deserve this but they don't why why WHY faces and stances.

The silence stretched interminably, all of them mentally scrambling for some word, some agreement, to prevent the inevitable, even as they physically prepared for it. The moment... swelled, like a batch of old nitroglycerin becoming more and more unstable.

In the end, no one could ever say with certainty what finally triggered the detonation.

(and I am SO GLAD this never happened!)

Harry Leferts said:
"Your daughter, unfortunately, was the victim of an Abyssal cult."​

"I should clarify, this was a cult of Abyssal-worshipping humans. The actual local cult made up of Abyssals has, so far, been annoying but mostly harmless."
"....what?"

And now, some more Sisters In Amnesia, as the Bread and Butter Knives conspire to make toast lemonade out of the lemons life has handed them....

The clack of colliding shinai was enough to tell the trained, experienced ear much. A gentle blow, meeting a clumsy defense -- poor grip, bad angling, a practice sword in hands unsuited to holding it.

It was the covert, visual observation that let Honjou no Masamune see the barely-constrained tears of frustration, self-contempt, and fear, as her nameless sister's bamboo blade fell... again... from fingers that no longer remembered centuries of practiced deftness. The amnesiac Masamune's pain was silent, and Honjou found herself ashamed at wondering if the muteness inflicted on the other sword was a curse or blessing.

It wasn't until she felt Umitsubame's hand on her shoulder that she realized she had been about to break cover and charge across the yard, to gather her weeping sister into her arms and... and shame the broken Masamune who hid her pain so well, so constantly.

Out on the grass, the Blade of Faded Memories bent down, scooped up the fallen shinai, started to hand it back to her ersastz sparring partner--

"Nameless-chan? What's wrong? Where did these shinai come from -- ack! Did someone hurt you? Did-- did I hurt you? Were we sparring too hard? Your eyes are all wet, but there's no onions around, but Akutoku always says the Onion Ninja are creeping up on her every time she watches her soap operas -- don't worry, I'll keep the the Onion Ninja away, you're safe with mEEEEEP!"

Forgetting everything about holding a sword had done nothing to reduce Nameless's upper-body strength, and living in a wheelchair had probably increased it. That might explain how easily she grabbed and yanked Kyoshu into an awkward embrace half-sprawled across the wounded sword's lap. Blinking in confusion, the Muramasa dropped both shinai and wrapped her arms around her Masamune partner, as the mute sword hid her face in the other blade's shoulder and wept.

Honjou forced herself to watch the sister she could not remember cling to the child-minded sword-spirit who had once been numbered among the most vile and dangerous weapons in the history of warfare, as said weapon stroked her hair and began softly singing a children's lullaby.

"We should leave them be," Umitsubame murmured beside her. "Kyoshu is... quite good at handling this. Better than anyone else, I think."

Honjou nodded numbly and followed the Waterwitch Blade back into the house, where the Muramasa gestured her into a seat and began to prepare tea. Honjou, desperate for distraction, watched her host with more attention than might otherwise be warranted. She noted that, while the accoutrements might be modern and plain, and the tea served with only the bare minimum of ceremony, the other blade prepared and served tea with all the unconscious attention to detail that one might expect of Master Sen no Rikyu... or a professional potion-maker.

Umitsubame, it seemed, was as in need of distraction as Honjou herself.

As samurai of rival houses of old might, they slowly savored the excellent tea in silence for some time, almost meditating. Eventually, somewhere during the round, Honjou approached the subject of their meeting.

"I know that you are no voyeur. As such, you would not have violated my sister's privacy in such a way, nor drawn me alongside you, without compelling reason. May I ask what that reason was?"

Umitsubame opened one hand in the general direction of the back yard. "You wished to discuss moving your sister to live with you and your host family. Clarification of the context of that discussion required... personal observation."

Mentally, Honjou felt her lips quirk. The Waterwitch Blade, while known for being the most stable and responsible of her sisters (a low bar, true, but one which she cleared with substantial margin), was also known for being blunt, straightforward, and having (as one of her previous Potter hosts might have put it) "no patience for blarney or blather." To see the famously plain-spoken sword act so... classically... was a sign of how seriously Umitsubame was taking the delicacy of this subject. And a reminder that while subtlety was not her forte, it was far from a stranger either.

"My sisters and I stand in your debt," Honjou stated, bowing her head by the precisely measured degree of that debt. "When my wounded sister was given into your care, it was due to lack of time and press of circumstance -- your offer to take her in, among those experienced in caring for similar... wounds... was most generous. But it was never our intention to take advantage of your hospitality for a prolonged time."

"Your sister has been a most welcome guest," demurred Umitsubame politely. "Indeed, any debt that exists may lie in the other direction."

Honjou raised an eyebrow millimetrically -- I politely disagree, but please explain further.

The Muramasa paused, turning her teacup between her hands, clearly sorting her words carefully. "When Kyoshu came to my home, after being... broken--" her fingers tightened slightly around the cup "--she was... unstable. An innocent child one moment, a hysterical, cornered animal the next." Her eyes were focused on things very far away. "Nights were the worst. On bad nights, I would awaken to find her bed empty, and search the house and the grounds. She would find the most... unexpected... places to hide. Tiny corners, holes... places I would never have thought she could fit herself." One hand drifted upwards to her own cheek. "Sometimes I could coax her out. Sometimes she erupted the moment I found her, attacking me like a wild thing -- no sword, no skill, simply... blind panic. Desperation, to escape, to flee... in the worst moments, there was nothing in her but the fear."

She paused to sip her tea, and Honjou let the silence stretch between them. She felt a strong suspicion that what she was hearing now, few others ever had. Even the other Muramasa swords.

"I... after some time, I found that lullabies worked, where words would not. Kyoshu was... I've never heard of her being fond of children... before... but for some reason, children's songs could reach her even in the depths of waking nightmares. One in particular..." Umitsubame's voice trailed off.

Honjou took a sip of her own tea. "The one she sang to my sister, earlier."

Her host twitched slightly. "...yes. I... I've never heard her sing it before. I didn't even know she remembered. When she 'woke' from those... episodes... she never seemed to remember them. I eventually... came to see that as a blessing."

The Masamune carefully considered the oceanic depths of what the Muramasa was not saying, and sipped her tea quietly.

"Over time... Kyoshu settled in. The episodes tapered off, until they were rare, and usually triggered by something specific." Her lips bent slightly. "We eventually learned most of those triggers, and how to avoid them." A sip of tea. "But... that was where her recovery plateaued. She existed in a state of perpetual childhood and innocence, barely able to remember anything from day to day. Her entire life became... 'in the moment.' No memories, but no regrets, either. And her fears... almost entirely forgotten. Certainly the details."

Umitsubame fell silent to prepare another batch of tea. This allowed the conversation to lie fallow for a healthy period of time.

"And so, life went on," she eventually continued. "Kyoshu's situation became... normal. Our sisters gradually came to accept this new normality."

"Even Juuchi... eventually," Honjou interjected. Learning the British art of understatement certainly came in handy, sometimes.

Her host managed to almost entirely cover a snort. "Just-- ahem! Just so. But the situation was... static. Until, that is, your sister came to live with us." Umitsubame looked up from her tea to make direct eye contact. "And for the first time since the war, Kyoshu... changed. It was as if part of her had been asleep for decades... no, perhaps most of her life. A seed, planted in dry ground, which suddenly encountered water for the first time." Umitsubame gestured, slight frustration at the inadequacy of mere words. "For the first time, Kyoshu... grew. Blossomed, in a way. She went from being someone who had to always be watched, and cared for, to... a partner. Her own... situation... allows her to relate to your sister, to connect, in a way I think no one else can. And from what I have observed... your sister feels free to be... vulnerable... in front of Kyoshu, in a way she refuses to let anyone else see."

She pinked slightly at Honjou's crooked eyebrow. "Allowing Kyoshu and your sister to be alone together, without 'adult supervision,' had... risks. I half-expected Kyoshu to forget she was supposed to be helping, and go chasing butterflies... off a cliff. Yes, it happened before. I felt I needed to be close enough to... intervene when necessary." Her expression turned pensive. "Instead... it wasn't necessary. Oh, there were close calls, but your sister proved surprisingly adept at managing them. And there were fewer and fewer close calls over time. Now... now they're partners. Almost like an old married couple, in some ways -- I swear they communicate entire paragraphs without a word."

Honjou felt both her eyebrows rise. "Are they..." dammit, how to ask this delicately? "Romantically involved, then?"

Umitsubame sighed heavily, shoulders sagging. "I... don't think so? At least, not yet. There is a deep bond between them, and it grows daily. Sometimes I think they must be... romantically involved... when no one is watching. But other times, they're more like sisters. Or a mother and daughter -- and they switch off roles. And on occasion, more like a child and their pet." She shook her head, bemused. "If I had ever suspected that responsibility would grow Kyoshu, I would have started with something smaller, years ago. A puppy, or maybe a kitten. Or a goldfish?"

Hidden inside her mouth, Honjou bit her tongue to avoid laughing aloud. "So... you think that separating them would be bad for both of them?"

Her host nodded. "Put plainly, yes. I'm... afraid, that without your sister... needing her... Kyoshu might... backslide. Lose some of the progress she's made. And..." a long pause, as one attempting to broach a touchy subject. "She is a Masamune. And surrounded by other Masamune, as well as people who hold your family in reverence... I fear she would feel compelled to show a strong face to everyone. To conceal her pain, even from those who love her unconditionally. With Kyoshu... she seems able to be unreserved. To set down her pride, without sacrificing her self-respect." The Muramasa's lips pressed into a thin line, obviously holding back much, in favor of leaving the most critical speech alone and unburdened by additional baggage.

Honjou sipped tea and considered for some time, dividing and weighing each of Umitsubame's words with the full care they deserved and required.

In the end, it boiled down to a single question. "Is she... happy, here?"

The other sword nodded in acknowledgement of all the unspoken words that single question carried in train. "In the main, yes, I believe so. Oh, there are good days and bad, and certainly her condition... frustrates her. But overall, I would say that she is more happy than not, with her current situation."

Honjou nodded, weighing the conflicting demands of filial duty. And how much of that conflict, she forced herself to ask, is based on my desires rather than my sister's? To have her close, under my own eye, in my own house? And away from these 'mad, dangerous Muramasas'? she added dryly. Seventy-odd years of being confined alongside Juuchi Yosamu had certainly forced her to achieve some... clarity... where the Murderous Blades were concerned, versus their reputation.

Her ruminations were broken by a sudden commotion from the rear of the house -- Kyoshu's voice, urgently calling Umitsubame's name in a way that made Honjou think of Band-Aids and lollipops.

She and Umitsubame had almost made it to the shoji leading to the back of the property before they slid apart violently, almost knocked down by a frantic sword-spirit...

...carrying another sword-spirit on her back, both of them covered in leaves, twigs, and various forest detritus, and something clutched carefully between the mobile sword's cupped hands.

"Umitsubameeeeeee!" Kyoshu wailed -- urgently, but not in danger or pain, Honjou judged. Her sister, peering over Kyoshu's shoulder, certainly looked like she'd been rough-and-tumbling, but seemed more bemused (and amused) than pained or frightened. "Heeeelllllllp!"

"Kyoshu, what happened?!?" The Waterwitch Blade, Honjou reflected, certainly had Mom Voice perfected to a high art.

"Na-chan and I were exploring in the woods out back and went down by the river but then her wheelchair got stuck and I was trying get it out when I nearly stepped on him!"

Umitsubame blinked. "Stepped on who?"

Kyoshu thrust her cupped hands forward. "Kit-chan!"

The two "adult" swords blinked and leaned forward. Nestled in Kyoshu's palms was the tiny, furry form of a tiny fox kit, so young its eyes were not yet open.

"..what?" Umitsubame blurted. "It's completely the wrong season for fox kits! Where did you find him?"

"In the woods," Kyoshu repeated, as if her sister was being especially dense. "I nearly stepped on him!"

"For a kit so young to be out of the den, and alone, is very unusual," Honjou murmured. "Are you sure his mother was not nearby?"

Twigs and leaves fell out of Kyoshu's hair from the violence of her headshake. "No! Kit-chan was all alone!"

Umitsubame pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'll call animal control, and the park ranger service. If there's a dead vixen in the woods, there'll be more kits that need help. In the meantime..."

Kyoshu stared at her imploringly, eyes huge and guileless. "He followed me home, can we keep him?"

Umitsubame facepalmed. And Honjou watched as her sister... began silently laughing to the point of tears, her chin propped limply on the Goldfish Blade's shoulder.

"Kyoshu..." Umitsubame sighed. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

Kyoshu blinked blankly, several times... before her expression changed to stricken horror. "NAMELESS-CHAN! I forgot Nameless-chan!" She spun in desperate circles. "Na-chan! Na-chaaaaan! Where are you?"

The subject of her search, clinging to her back, managed to stop laughing long enough to pinch her cheek. "Mm! Mmm!"

"Ah! There you are! ...what are you doing there? What happened to your chair?"

"..that's what I want to know," Umitsubame muttered, still facepalming.

"Ah... Kyoshu-san," Honjou said delicately. "Please have a care for the fox kit."

"...ah? What fox kit? What do you-- Oh! A fox! I have a baby fox! Where did that come from? Umitsubame, did you get me a baby fox for my birthday? Ne, is it my birthday? It's too warm for Christmas. But isn't he too young to be away from his mother? Ne, ne, Umi-nee, you should be more careful! Baby animals are delicate! ...why are you hitting your face?"

If her amnesiac sister laughed any harder, Honjou judged, she would be in danger of falling from her current steed and passing out from asphyxiation.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

I'm not overly satisfied by how this turned out... but I've spent too long to get this out, as it stands. I hope you guys enjoy it anyways.

XXXXXXXXXX

For all their lives, Carrie and Sherri Bridges had felt out of place.

It had started from the moment they were born—when they broke free of their prenatal prisons, escaped into the open world beyond. Everything felt wrong, everything felt cold, unfamiliar. Even as developed as they were, they were still only infants; their first coherent thought was to seek out their mother's comfort. But as their IFF systems came online—as they reached out in search of the one who would explain this strange new world to them, who would protect them, teach them to survive—they found nothing.

There was no Princess. No Flagship.

No Mother.

They were heartbroken. With nobody to guide them, to care for them, give them an identity, they had no hope of survival. They were going to die, without ever having known a mother's affection, never having a chance to sail the seas as they were made to do. Alone and afraid, all they had was each other.

But then… someone found them, laying in a corner in the underground bomb shelter, shivering in cold and fear as they clung to each other. They were gently guided out of the shelter, brought to a place that was brighter, warmer. They were cleaned off, wrapped up in blankets. Given all the food they could fit into their fuel bunkers.

They were given names.

The two hatchlings couldn't believe it. This woman who had taken them in… she was not a Princess. She didn't even have a hull. She was not their Mother, and they were not her children. But despite that, she cared for them anyway. She was there for them, when their Princess wasn't. There seemed to be no way to rid themselves of that feeling of not-belonging… but being young and naive as they were, the two girls just didn't care.

More than anything else, they yearned for their new Mother's warmth.

Time passed. The sisters were provided with their own room, and were taught how to fit in with the other inhabitants of the island. Every now and then they were visited by those other inhabitants… and through their stories, the pair learned of their lineage. How their people were hellbent on wiping out humanity—but the one that would have been their Princess defied their bloodlust, used her strength to help others instead. They learned how she and her entire fleet sacrificed themselves, to save the people of this little island from their wicked kin.

As far as anyone knew, Carrie and Sherri were the last of their bloodline.

Deep down, a part of the girls was relieved—and devastated. They weren't cruelly abandoned by their Princess… but instead, they were orphaned. Why? Why was the Princess's kindness such a crime? Were they just fated to be monstrous and murderous, and the Princess was fighting the inevitable? Were they just jealous of how happy she and her fleet were?

Regardless of the answers, the sisters wanted nothing to do with any of it.

Together Carrie and Sherri renounced their identities as Abyssals, and took their Mother's name. Aided each other in tearing off the metal collars and gauntlets that had been a part of them since birth, and threw them away. They started to dress themselves in bright new clothes, paint their nails different colors, refused to even think of summoning their rigging. They did everything they could to distance themselves from what they were born to be: monsters. They just wanted to live, free of this war.

And as the months passed… it started to change them.

Their hair began to grow; their skin began to take on a normal, pinkish hue; and the ethereal echo of their voices, slowly but surely, faded to nothing. By the time they had their first birthday, they were all but indistinguishable from normal girls. They could finally leave the safety of their house, explore this island they called home—so long as they hid from the shipgirls, who would assuredly see past their flushed skin to the undeniably-Abyssal hull beneath. It was a feeling like they'd never felt before: liberation.

But they could still feel it, deep inside—the call of the ocean. It's simply what they were made for. And as much as the sisters wished to answer that call, they were trapped; they would never be able to set sail in open water, as long as shipgirls patrolled the island. It was an itch they couldn't dare scratch, lest they end up taken away from everything they'd come to know and love… and after three years helplessly enduring that itch, they were at their limit.

And then they heard the news: their Princess, and a number of her fleet, were alive… and at peace with humanity.

There was a chance, however slim, that they could finally stop hiding.

XXXXXXXXXX

Regalia could barely understand what she was looking at.

Well… of course, she understood that she was looking at two Ri-class cruisers, based on their hulls—their distinctive shapes drilled into her mind by her Grandma's teachings—but that was the only thing about them that looked the same. Everything else…

They bore no flags… no ensign. Every inch of their black Abyssal steel had been painted over with a snowy-white color—haphazard in some places, more uniform in others, as if the painters were learning as they went. Their guns looked as if they had never even been fired, sealed up with featureless tampions, and their torpedo tubes were all unloaded. But their undersides were the most shocking sight. Regalia recognized the clean, bright red of untested antifouling... she spent most of her young life seeing it in the mirror.

These two cruisers had never sailed.

Ooyodo lowered her guns, her jaw hanging. "What in the…?"

The two Ri-class slowly raised their hands. "Please… don't shoot…" the one on the left said. "We don't mean any harm."

"We just want to talk…" the other said. "That's all." Carefully, the pair came forward one step at a time, making their way down the ramp. As they touched down on solid land, they continued forward… coming to a stop in front of the Abyssals.

In front of Hoppou.

"Hi… Mom…" Carrie said hesitantly. "We've… wanted to meet you for a… really long time."

Hoppou started at them with wide eyes. "You… you're…?" she stammered.

"The eggs you left on the island," Sherri confirmed. "The islanders found us. They took care of us. Told us how you saved them."

Hoppou reached out with a shaky hand. Sensing her intent, the sisters kneeled down in front of her. "You look… so strange," she gasped, cupping their faces. "What happened to you...?"

Carrie's gaze fell, as she brought a hand up to her bare neck. "We… we just wanted to be normal. To be able to live in peace, away from this war. Over time… I guess that changed us."

"We must look awful to you…" Sherri added in a soft voice. "Barely even recognizable as Abyssal." She looked away. "We understand if you want to… disown us. It's just that… we wanted to stop living in secret. We wanted to sign the peace treaty, so we can be free to live our lives without being locked up. And we figured… since you all live here, the people in charge would be more likely to—"

"No!"

Sherri was cut off as Hoppou wrapped both girls in a hug. "Don't say any more," Hoppou pleaded, her voice cracking. "Hoppou is sorry… she abandoned you, before you were even born. Left you to grow up without a fleet, without siblings to help you understand everything…"

"I-it's okay…" Carrie reassured her. "We get it. You had no way to know we were rescued..."

"That isn't an excuse!" Hoppou shot back, shaking her head. "Hoppou should have checked! Should have sent letter to Unalaska, to ask if eggs made it through the fight safe! But… Hoppou was scared of being hated by the humans, so she…"

"We forgive you, Mom." Sherri leaned into the hug, wrapping her own arms around Hoppou. "We were scared, too… scared to live our lives, the way we were meant to. We rarely left our house… we've had to hide from every shipgirl… we've never been able to go out to sea. We just couldn't bear to live in a cage like that, anymore."

Carrie joined her sister in hugging the Princess. "I hope you don't mind our appearance," she said softly. "You can… put us back, if you want. We wouldn't mind… if it means we can live free."

"No…" Hoppou sniffled, looking up at them with a teary smile. "Hoppou would never reject her family because of how they look. This is who you are, and Hoppou won't change that. And besides… Hoppou thinks you girls look beautiful."

Carrie and Sherri started to shake as they clung to their long-lost mother, sniffling and whimpering. Finally, they began to break down in tears, whispering the word "Mommy" between quiet sobs as they hugged her tighter. Hoppou let her own tears flow freely, relieved in the knowledge that her unborn daughters were cared for in her absence… and they didn't resent her for leaving them behind.


The two scrambled IFF signals, having at last been united with their Princess, winked out of existence… reappearing as two new ships of the Fleet of Laughter.

 

[darthcourt10]

WickedestCard

I'M BACK! And I have a snip for everyone! Granted it's not a Smol snip but in fact the next chapter for our So-class. For time-line context this happens around December 18/19 in story with the transport arriving around December 20 or 21ist. Poor Norihara, her new reputation precedes her now.
-------

PART 2: Medical Transport.


To say Rear Admiral Franklin St. John was having a odd day was an understatement as he looked over the notes on his desk. A quick report from Gambier Bay and California along with that of the Shipgirl repair team that gave him a detailed overview of what the...captured sub's condition currently was honestly made little sense to him. By all accounts the So-class should be rusting away at the bottom of the ocean with the amount of damage she sustained. At first some of the personnel on base had thought the radio traffic exaggerated but once the seaplane had unloaded they had to admit it was true.


He shook his head and hummed a tune as thought about his chosen course of action. Naval Base Guam simply did not have the facilities, personnel or procedures to repair the Abyssal sub in her current state. It was a priority now as a little discussed fact outside of Flag ranks and intelligence organizations that they know disturbingly little about Abyssal submarines and here was a opportunity, if all things go right, to flip one. At that moment his Secretary ship, the heavy cruiser USS Quincy, entered his office fixing her glasses.


"Admiral, everything is ready for the video call," she stated promptly as she sat down over at her own computer. A nod of acknowledgement towards her and Admiral St. John collected his thoughts as his monitor came to life. After a few clicks and typing he was connected to the two others he really needed to pass on the information to.


"Admiral Richardson, Admiral Goto, I appreciate being able to have the conversation on such short notice." The current commander of Naval Base Guam told them, a true statement as the two were known to be the very busy men.


"Of course Admiral, we got your report and from the basic overview we agree on the urgency." Admiral Richardson stated professionally even with his somewhat tired state.


What followed was a trying hour of relaying details, new facts that came to light and working on having their patient be transferred to Yokosuka. However the CO of Guam at the end was able to reassure Admiral Goto that thanks to the "critical and catastrophic structural and system damage lead in into a crisis of existence" the So-class would remain in her coma for at least a couple of month's. Admiral St. John also felt he was really going to have to have a word with some of his medical staff. Still, he had given the orders for the previous escort for the So-class to prep for the medic transport to Yokosuka, including the fighter coverage. Admiral Goto was going to cover the second half of the transport once the plane was in range.


Taking off his cap for a moment, the officer rubbed his temples. Even when he was a Captain here in Guam before Blood Week he had not liked the political and bureaucratic realities of being an officer. While he was not a natural at it nor was he particularly great at it when he was promoted a couple of years ago, he was quick to learn and a sharp mind. Still that didn't mean he wasn't daunted by the task set out before him. Intel that could come from would be nearly invaluable.


"Quincy, I want every scouting, expedition, supply run and combat sortie as well as any news story, civilian sightings or even rumors on my desk as soon as it's possible. Something about this doesn't feel right. Most of the ocean around Guam is 'safe' from hostile Abyssal activity. So something happening is bound to worry the upper brass and politicians." He stated firmly, putting his cap back on.


"Think they'll keep you for the investigation once this goes higher sir? The So-class has already been put on a need-to-know basis and I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of ink and a secret stamp get added to this report." The auburn haired cruiser asked as she started to pull up recently logged reports on her computer.


"Even if I'm not I'd rather be able to give something useful and substantial to whomever this gets handed over to. Well, at least someone will be having a Christmas break in Japan." he sighed as he remember how he managed to the accompanying escort to Yokosuka green-lit for a few weeks of shore leave.


"Hmm, letting yourself get soft at your age sir?" Quincy joked lightly, remembering the stories on how stern and stony her Admiral was back when he was a junior officer.


"I'll have you know that I still have more brown then grey on my head. No, just that everyone knows that while Destroyer Escorts love to take convoy and expedition sortie after sortie, they burn out themselves faster than they'll admit. Trust me, no one wants to deal with frustrated DE's if they can help it." the man reasoned as he started to get to work.


"Yes, that's true enough sir. Still, you shouldn't be defensive about they greying of your hair. After all, I hear that it adds a dignified look to people and that some quite like that." the heavy cruiser said in a tone that her CO couldn't tell if she was teasing or simply stating facts. And that honestly was a little frightening to him.


---


(A few hours later, Emergency Medical Transport over the Pacific en-route to Japan.)


Gambier Bay and Santa Fe were having a quiet chat as they sat in a defensive formation around the tub of specialized repair fluid that held the So-class. Said submarine was secured in a gurney like seat so that she wouldn't move during the flight and somehow cause even more damage to herself. A natural silence had ruled the plane since take off. Gambier Bay along with her other Taffy 3 members USS Dennis and Raymond as well as said light cruiser were also tasked to escort the So-class until relieved by Goto's shipgirls. While no one on the plane expected her to regain consciousness any time soon, they were not going to simply take that chance and the human medical team appreciated the extra horsepower to help move the sub.


"Hey Fe? Do you uh...hear anything?" The little black haired Dennis suddenly asked. All at once all the humans and shipgirls in the bay went quiet, leaving only the sound of the equipment and from flying to be heard.


"Hmmmm hmmmm hmm…" a slow, quiet melancholic tune could be made out over the ambient noise and all at once every gave an unnerved look at the Abyssal. A quick look at the equipment she was hooked up to showed no change to her state and yet she was humming. Little did they know there were two others humming the same tune.
------------

So originally this was much longer with the conversation between the three Admirals but I just couldn't get it flow right and didn't like the dialogue I was writing. Plus it was rehashing what we as readers already know. Near the end I just had Quincy try to break the tense and heavy atmosphere and hopefully it doesn't break the feel. Still, any questions, comments, criticisms or concerns you may have go ahead and ask.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part IX)

Saida, Algeria

20 January 1942
Spoiler: With the abn Alnaar

Delilah awoke to gentle fingers wrapping her avatar's right hand with cool linen against aching skin.

She glanced over and saw a young woman in her early twenties with a mane of tousled red hair and striking green eyes tying a strip of linen around the red and slightly swollen fingers. Automatically she moved her hand, noticing that despite some pain it was functional.

"Oh, forgive my clumsiness, Child of Earth," the girl whispered with downcast eyes and a shy, gentle smile on her face. "Ten thousand apologies."
Spoiler: Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar

Delilah glanced over to where Colombe was sitting cross-legged in front of the fire pit, the warm coals illuminating her sister's face as she stared into their glowing depths. "My thanks for your kindness, Miss....?" Delilah trailed off as the young lady raised her face to look at her, her eyes flashing like a cat's in the near darkness as the coals made her hair come alive and burn like living fire.

"I am Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar, Child of Earth." The girl whispered in a gentle voice as she bowed her head once more.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I an Delilah de Breuil, Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar." Delilah responded.

Zamarad's full lips curled in a smile. "I know, I was watching alongside my family as our Shaykh tested you by Fire, Delilah de Breuil."

The revolver blinked twice and spoke thoughtfully. "I did not see you and all of the figures present were male, so..." Her voice trailed off as her head tracked to the firepit in the center and she pointed. "you were present there all along, invisible and intangible, just a spirit...of fire."

Zamarad laughed with a sound like the crackle of burning timber as a fey light danced in her eyes. "Indeed you strike the mark with your thoughts, Delilah de Breuil. Few amongst the Children of Earth are so swift of wit and strike so closely to the target."

Delilah leaned forward and rested her chin on her uninjured hand. "Indeed, that would make you an Ifrit then?"

Zamarad nodded. "That is one of the names of my kind yes. How did you know?"

The revolver smiled smugly, "I do my homework. The mind is the most deadly weapon and I keep it well exercised. In this specific case I have read the Arabian Nights; many of those stories feature your kind and the other Djinn. As I told my sister, sometimes the truth is concealed in the stories passed down by grandmothers to grandchildren."

Zamarad smiled, showing a mouthful of gleaming inhumanly sharp teeth, as she responded. "Swift of wit, powerful, and firm of purpose. You intrigue me, Delilah de Breuil."

"Zamarad!" A female voice called from behind them and the Ifrit blushed a fiery red before hurrying to face the elder woman. While Delilah did not know the language the two began to speak, the tone was clearly chiding the young woman for some misdeed.

Colombe sat next to Delilah and spoke quietly. "I met her when I was here in 1904. Her family was waylaid by bandits led by a mage as they came back from a wedding, and she was captured briefly. Karl and I freed her family and returned her to her kin here. She is very young for one of her kind, not even two centuries old. And as such...interested in us mortals where older and wiser heads avoid us because of the danger that we are to her."

Zamarad returned with a tray containing flatbread, chickpeas, and roast mutton upon it, which she placed before the sisters and bowed. "Please, accept our hospitality, honored guests."

Colombe bowed her head and used one of the pieces of flatbread to scoop chickpeas and mutton. Delilah looked at Zamarad and asked quietly. "You won't eat with us?"

Zamarad gave another crackling laugh. "Hardly this fare, Delilah de Breuil. We feast on that which we consume in flame."

Delilah tapped her lip briefly then smiled. "A gift for the gift of friendship then, Zamarad aibnatu Alnaar." She reached into her blouse and pulled out her medicine pouch. Opening it, she extracted a braid of sweetgrass the length of her thumb, and handed it to the curious Ifrit. "One of my teachers was Lakota, and he taught me that such sacred medicine has an aroma when burnt that is pleasing to good spirits. I think that you might find that it has an interesting 'taste' when you consume it."

Zamarad smiled happily and skipped as she departed. Colombe watched the exchange with a smug smirk and then elbowed Delilah as the Ifrit vanished from sight. "Fast work. Does Jackie know that you are moving in on her girl in every port reputation?"

"Sis! You take that back! I'm just being friendly!"

"Just friends is what you call it? Riiight, Delilah. Pull the other one, it has bells on it. Eat your mutton, otherwise you will insult your girlfriend's family."

"COLOMBE!!"

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

The next morning, Delilah and Colombe walked alongside Zamarad to the entrance to the compound.

"I wish you the best of luck in your quest my friends. I wish that I could go but the Shaykh has decree--"
Spoiler: Trouble!

Delilah froze and her wand suddenly appeared in her left hand as her right dove into her robes. "Protego Maxima!"

The gate that the two Muramaasas had used to enter the compound exploded in front of them, fragments bouncing off the hastily raised shield. A harsh voice snarled out "Būkite susietas su mano valia!" from the smoke cloud.

Before Delilah's horrified eyes, Zamarad screamed like a steam boiler exploding as she dissolved into a whirlwind of green and red flame. A tendril of the tornado shot into the smoke cloud where the gate had been, followed by the rest of her, vanishing without a trace.

As the smoke cleared, Delilah saw a squad of Foreign Legionnaires with dead eyes and oddly inscribed silver collars around their necks. In the middle of the squad were two men in SS uniform. The scarred one on the right was holding up a hand containing a golden ring with a large ruby cut in a hexagram pattern in the center. A ruby that had a miniature of Zamarad hammering helplessly at the crystal imprisoning her.

The second was staring at the sisters with naked hatred and betrayed pain on his face and visibly sharpened canines. Obersturmführer Wolff leveled a submachine gun at Colombe and snarled, "Du Französische Hure!"

Delilah saw red.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Walking along the path, Shion looked in one direction and then another before turning to Shioi, "It... is rather different now."

Just nodding, the other Sentoku-Class nodded, "Well, it has been about eighty years, Onee-San. Things can change a lot in a shorter period of time than that after all.

As she glanced to where Imuya was playing a game on a 'Cell phone', and then to where Iku was walking ahead with a very bright flashlight, the I-400 Shipgirl nodded, "I can see that, I suppose."

Moments later, she found herself being hugged by her younger sister, "I'm just glad that you're here finally, Onee-San. I've been hoping for it for so long."

Rather amused, RO skipped a bit with a grin, "And since Harry-Chan created the summoning materials, guess that means that this is a gift from him to you, Shioi-Chan. Hmm?"

Blushing, Shioi scratched her cheek some, "Hai... I guess so."

Somewhat confused, the newly summoned Submarine blinked a bit, 'Harry-Chan? It's that name again... but isn't that a Gaijin name? Who and how do they know him?'

Upon reaching the Sub Pens, Shioi gave her sister a moment to take in the large, bunker-like structure, "This was made to give us easy access to both the water and a place to rest. As you can see, it is all reinforced to the point where you would need a Battleship firing guns or massive amounts of bombs to destroy it. Something that we've been thankful for in the past." Reaching into her swimsuit, she pulled out a card that she motioned with, "You'll get one of these yourself as well as a passcode to get inside."

Head tilted to the side, Shion frowned some, "Does that really secure the place?"

Iku glanced at her and nodded, "Far better than you might think. The doors use very powerful magnets in them to keep the door closed and anyone trying to force entry will set off an alarm in the main building and also the MP building on the base." She waited until the door was opened and walked in with Shion following. Making their way along the area between the water where the Submarines launched from and the wall, the blue haired Submarine gestured at it, "You can see the main gates to the rest of the harbour from here. There's two ways of closing it, one is an underwater gate composed of bars that drops down and is secured. The chain runs along the ceiling, but one of us is easily able to lift it if needed and it's locked into place. Now, the second way is a group of shutters that drop down when the weather is bad to prevent the waves outside from getting in and causing damage."

Only slowly nodding, she turned to Taigei who smiled as they reached a hatchway that looked more like an airlock and turned the wheel to unlock before opening it, "The inside area is, well, able to keep out water and the like. In case a tsunami happens, we can seal the inside living quarters from the rest of the base. Also helps in case there is a nuclear or chemical attack really. We also have our own generators with several day's worth of fuel and a small RTG, in order to provide power just in case."

More than a little confused at what that last thing was, the newly summoned Submarine merely nodded. Upon stepping inside though, her eyes widened at the sight that met her, "Is... is this really our quarters?"

Practically skipping around her, the lone Uboat of the bunch twirled before nodding, "Ja! This is our place on the base."

Her mouth open, Shion walked in and looked around. The first thing that came to mind was that it was 'Comfy'. Here and there she could see pieces of furniture in the large room. As well, along one wall was one large screen, that she remembered was called a television. There was also a large bookcase and the like, before her attention was caught by Taigei who pointed, "Over there is the kitchen, since sometimes coming in after a long patrol we don't feel like heading over to the mess hall for something to eat, or just want a snack."

Blinking at the fanciful, and to her, futuristic, kitchen, Shion only nodded, "Hai, that is good to know..." She trailed off though and pointed, "What is that?"

Each of the Submarines blinked and looked in the same direction, with Hachi adjusting her glasses, "Oh, that's our Christmas tree."

Utter silence came from Shion before she turned to her younger sister, "A... Christmas tree? As in, that Gaijin holiday? But... that..."

Rubbing the back of her head, Shioi chuckled, "I know, it surprised me as well when I came back. But... Japan celebrates a version of it, though there's nothing really religious about it. Mainly, it is an excuse for family to sit down, give presents, and eat KFC and cake."

That made the other Santoku blink before she furrowed her eyebrows, "O-kay?"

Simply shrugging. Imuya gave her a smile and shrugged, "Things are different now and you'll get used to it."

Just nodding, Shion glanced around before her eyes fell on several pictures on the wall. Walking up to them, she blinked and examined them as they showed the Submarines with a young, western boy with green eyes. Some were of him when he was just a child and others had him as a teen. In all of them though, the Submarines and the boy, as well as sometimes Taigei and someone who looked like her, were happy. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized where she had seen him before, "He was at the summoning!"

Walking over and standing beside her, Shioi gave a nod, "Hai, that's Harry-Chan and he's Nagato-San's adoptive son."

Confused, the other Submersible Aircraft Carrier frowned, "That's this Harry-Chan that you keep talking about? And also Nagato-San adopted him? A gaijin?"

Arms crossed, Shioi frowned before giving her sister a look, "Harry-Chan might not have been born in Japan, but he is as Japanese as anyone. I hope that you're not being insulting about him..."

Shaking her head, Shion waved her hands, "No, not really? Just confused about all this! I mean..." Then she sighed and ran a hand through her hair, "I mean, all this is just strange."

Expression softening, her sister shook her head, "Sorry about that, Onee-San. It is just that some newly summoned shipgirls have had... issues... with Harry-Chan and such. And we're protective of him."

Bemused, Shion noticed that the other Submarines were all nodding, "I can understand that, I suppose." Sighing, she shook her head some, "Just... I remember us losing the war. And what happened after and to see everything, it is just surprising. Like Nagato-San having an adoptive son who wasn't born in Japan. Or everything else."

Gently, Shioi hugged her, "You were not the only one, Onee-San. This time is strange to a lot of us, but we found happiness too. Happiness, that we did not expect when we came back."

Hugging her back, her older sister chuckled before pulling back and looking at the pictures. For several moments, Shion was quiet before she cocked her head to the side, "All of you seem close to him."

Lightly blushing, Shioi gave a nervous chuckle, "Well, um, we are close to Harry-Chan. Very close."

Now narrowing her eyes some, Shion raised an eyebrow as she glanced between her blushing sister and the other Submarines, all of whom also had blushes outside of the quiet Goya, who only smirked, "How close?"

Wetting her lips some, her younger sister gave an unsure smile, "Do you remember how, when we were just ships, us Submarines were treated?"

Slowly, Shion gave a nod, "Hai? We were at the bottom of the rung and basically ignored unlike most of the navy."

Just nodding herself, Shioi took a deep breath and let it out, "Well... in some ways things are different. I mean, Submarines and their crews are much better treated than they were when we were steel hulls! A lot better! But, at the same time, they're not paid much attention to because their job is to sneak around, so generally most don't pay attention to them. Which meant that when we came back, not a lot of people paid us much attention and... we acted in certain ways to get attention. Any attention."

Even though she was suspicious of what sort of ways her in which her younger sister had acted, the older of the two I-400 Class simply hummed, "That... makes sense, I suppose."

Letting out a deep breath, Shioi nodded, "Hai, but things changed after we met Harry-Chan. Because he actually started paying us attention, and the good kind as well. We would come back to find meals waiting for us or treats in the fridge. Or Harry-Chan would spend time with us as well, which did a lot."

From where she stood, Iku sighed, "A lot of the other shipgirls don't understand what it means to us to come back to base and find a warm meal waiting. Or a small cake waiting with our name on it. A hug also goes a long way after a lonely patrol in the cold waters of the Pacific. Not that Harry-Chan cared all too much about that as to him, if it made us feel good, then that was all there was to it. He really enjoyed doing it too and..." Biting her lip, she shifted from one foot to the other, "And Harry-Chan promised us that one day, he was going to become an Admiral. That he would be our Admiral!|

Imuya gave her own nod at that, "And we know that Harry-Chan will manage it! Which is something that we can't wait for as we know that he will take good care of us."

Softly smiling, the eldest of the Santoku class shook her head, "He sounds like a nice person... and that you love him." Seeing their blushes and how they could not look her in the eye, Shion blinked, "Wait, do you mean that..."

A blush on her face, Hachi adjusted her glasses, "Hai, we do love him." She then smiled, "And we know exactly how we're going to be with him..."

With that, she explained their plan as a bemused Shion listened. At the end, said Subgirl only shook her head in some surprise, but decided not to say anything until she knew more. Instead though, she turned her attention to some food that Taigei had made for them.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part X)

Saida, Algeria

21 January 1942

Delilah saw red.

It was whispered among those in the know that the Demon Blades of the Mad Smith all shared his flaw of a lust for blood. Given the right, or perhaps more accurately wrong, circumstances any one of them was capable of sending her wielder into a berserk killing frenzy that would only end when there were no more survivors to be slain by a sword soaked in carmine from hilt to point.

Yet, even among the Demon Blades, not all berserk states were equal. Some controlled it better than others, and in the case of the Blade of Hopelessness, her inability to properly comprehend or feel emotions combined with her tutoring at the hands of the Urabe Clan made her wrath a cold crushing merciless avalanche with no wasted action or thought as she killed with spell and terror while those around her cowered from their worst nightmare brought to hellish life.

Coldest ice to her sisters' all-consuming fire.

A trait that Kagotsuruhe shared with her niece Delilah de Breuil.

Unlike her sisters and all her aunts save Kagotsuruhe, Delilah's wrath burned as cold as the frozen heart of an extinct star tumbling endlessly through the darkness of space as opposed to the molten core of fury that animated her sisters. Delilah had been trained literally from the moment she could comprehend words to conceal and hide her true nature, to walk among human witches and wizards as one of them while being a sentient revolver who would be destroyed by MACUSA for her violations of Rappaport's Law. Control, observation, calculation, never once for a moment slipping up to send herself and her mother to the waiting pool of Death Potion for lawbreakers such as she was by her very being.

Furthermore, unlike all her kin who killed with their steel close up, carmine painting their avatar's face as they stared into the dying light of their foes' souls in their eyes while the final gasps of air tickled their skin, Delilah's battles were those of a firearm. Her combats were those of trajectories, movements, possibilities, numbers; the cold calculations of ballistics and the precisely ruthless application of lethal force. Ambush, deception, fights that began and ended in a single shot placed for maximum impact that her target never saw coming.
Spoiler: Delilah's Wrath

As red filled her vision at the sight of the violation and enslavement of a friend who might one day be something more to her, Delilah froze and focused.

Her voice came out in an icy, frigid monotone. "Colombe, get the Ifrit clear from their cordon. These are mine."

With that her right hand came out of her desert robes with the walnut pistol grip of an Ithaca 37 shotgun filling it as the first bullets from the submachine gun ricocheted off her shield. Her lips curled in a coldly superior smug smile as the stock thumped into her right shoulder and her left hand flicked her wand back into its holster before finding the pump. Through it all her eyes never wavered like twin chips of green ice in her face.
Spoiler: Delilah's Boomstick


Delilah had selected and enchanted her shotgun for one simple role. What Muramasa and Masamune were to blade-crafting, John Moses Browning was to firearms. In his patent for the firing mechanism that would make up the heart of the Ithaca 37 shotgun, he had been asked by the US Army to develop a shotgun to clear trenches in World War I. He responded with a shotgun that could literally fire as fast as the operator could work the pump to jack fresh shells from the magazine into the chamber when the trigger was held down.

Normal humans would wrestle with recoil and have to practice extensively to shoot accurately as they held the trigger down. Delilah didn't believe in fighting fair if she could at all help it, and had enchanted her personal shotgun with a size expansion charm in the magazine and customized anti-recoil charms in the stock. She also viewed a day where she 'only' shot several hundred rounds from one of her weapons or her true body as light entertainment.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM click

A normal Ithaca 37 with an extended magazine had seven shells at full load. Delilah emptied all twelve shells in hers in under five seconds of aimed fire.

"Accio Buckshot." Her voice was as calm and controlled as if she was discussing the color to paint the pantry in her house.

Glyphs flared to life along the tube magazine and the open bolt clicked back into position as her gun reloaded.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM click

"Accio Slug." A bullet whined from the cloud of gunsmoke in front of her and flattened itself against her hauberk under her robes. Her hands moved like lightning again as the shotgun readied itself a second time.

BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM click

"Accio Buckshot. Accio Slug." Delilah's lips curled in satisafaction as she lowered the shotgun from her shoulder.
Spoiler: Wulfen Attack!

Movement coming at her. Fast. In the remains of a Foreign Legion uniform with a collar with glowing SS runes and Grindlewald's symbol.
Spoiler: The Wulfen

Delilah flash stepped out of the way of a clawed paw the size of a dinner plate that swung at her face to rip her head from her shoulders and in the same motion slammed the muzzle of her shotgun against the creature's chest and pulled the trigger.

BOOM

Three thousand foot pounds of force spun the Wulfen away from her as the magnum slug round fired, turning its chest into red ruin. Automatically she one hand pumped the shotgun as her eyes tracked to the wreckage of the door.

Vampires not visible. Legionaries transforming into werewolves. No friendly obstacles to fields of fire. Target priority and weapon selection as follows....

Her right hand swung the shotgun down as her left hand flashed to her thigh and came out with ten inches of Bowie knife filling it.

The first Wulfen's eyes widened as the barrel swung in line with its face and Delilah's finger caressed the trigger to blow its head apart.

BOOM

As the first shell bounced off the floor and the second shell spun away from the smoking shotgun in twinkling brass, the Bowie suddenly ignited in a flash of silver flame. Delilah's lips curled back from her teeth in a smug smirk as in the distance behind her an explosion sounded.

"Who wants to be my next rug~?" Her voice was ruthlessly, mercilessly calm with an undertone of ice-cold mockery as she stared into blood-mad furious eyes.

Bestial howls answered her as the survivors of the pack charged to rip and tear the lone Muramasa maiden in their path.

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

Colombe coughed as smoke filled her sight as she rushed back to her sister's side. The compound was burning around them as a diversion for the flight of the Ifrit through the hole that she had blown in the surrounding troops (and the compound wall). Time to go before the building collapsed.

Considering the commotion ahead, Delilah was still fighting for her life.

Colombe rounded the corner and her eyes widened. Four massive gray and black striped lupine bodies littered the floor on this side of a raging wall of fire that filled the corridor beyond. One had its head shattered by a point-blank delivery of buckshot. A second lay in a pool of blood and entrails where it had been gutted. The third had several fist-sized holes blown in its torso and was missing an arm. The fourth was the shocking one as it had a battered shotgun with a shattered stock rammed down its throat and its back blown to pieces where the gun had been fired.

Delilah ducked aside from the swing of a fifth werewolf, blood flying from claw marks on her face and wounds on her leg. Her hand came out of her vest with the revolver that was her true body as she hefted a bloody Bowie knife in her off hand and flash-stepped past the wolf toward the wall of fire. As she blurred past the Wulfen, the Bowie flashed in a brutally precise arc to hamstring the Wulfen as it tried to turn to follow her.

Her revolver barked and the Wulfen howled in pain with a near-human cry in its voice as the bullet blew chunks of meat from its thigh and its good leg crumpled to send it to the blood-slick floor. A sixth werewolf appeared out of the flames in a blur and barreled into Delilah, knocking her over, then flew off her aided by a boot to the belly to crash unmoving with the Bowie protruding from its left eye.

Delilah flipped to her feet like a cat and leveled her revolver at the only living Wulfen as it crawled toward her. Throughout all of her maneuvers, her coldly cruel smug smile had not shifted an iota.

CRACK

The Wulfen bucked and collapsed bonelessly with a .44 caliber bullet through its heart.

"You have an exit, Sis?" Delilah's voice was conversational and calm as she limped over to the Wulfen and pulled her knife out of its skull.

"O-oui." Colombe licked dry lips. She was intimately familiar with violence in all its forms, but this calm tranquil fury unnerved her.

"I suggest we take it before their backup arrives." Still not the faintest trace of anger or emotion in her sister's voice. "Pity, I liked that shotgun." Delilah removed the wreck of the shotgun from the throat of the Wulfen that she had killed with it and made it vanish.

"This way, Del, lean on me. I have a flying carpet for two."

Delilah gave her sister a small smile as they reached the carpet. "I...intensely dislike slavers."

"Me too, Del, me too."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Humming, Harry walked up the stairs with a box in his hands. It was just one of several of them which he had brought back from Hogwarts in one of the shrinkable trunks with an expanded lid. Reaching his destination, the thirteen year old knocked on the door and waited. After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Teruzuki who's face lit up upon seeing him, "Harry-Chan!"

Lightly laughing, as she hugged him, the teen wizard shook his head, "Hey, Teruzuki-Chan! Don't be squashing the cake."

Moments later, more laughs escaped him as said Destroyer leapt back, "Eep!" Quickly, Teruzuki checked the box in Harry's hands, "It's alright? Not squashed?"

Only shaking his head as his lips twitched, Harry snickered, "No, it's fine, Teruzuki-Chan." Shifting it, he gave her a hug with one arm, "So don't worry about it."

Nodding, she smiled some, "Hai!" Teruzuki then moved out of the way so that Harry could walk past, "Come on in, Harry-Chan!"

After doing so, and the door closing behind him, Harry took off his shoes and looked around in interest. Like many of the Destroyer quarters, the one for the Akizuki sisters looked more like a small apartment than anything else. Before he could say anything, the door opened to where the Destroyers slept and both Akizuki and Hatsuzuki smiled, with the older of the two gasping. Quickly handing off the box to Teruzuki, Harry let the two hug him as he returned the embrace with Akizuki smiling, "Harry-Chan!"

Just hugging her back, as well as Hatsuzuki, Harry grinned, "Good morning, Akizuki-Chan, Hatsuzuki-Chan!"

Brightly smiling, Teruzuki made a motion with the box in her arms, "Look! Harry-Chan brought his Christmas cake!"

The two other Akizukis smiled brightly at that with Hatsuzuki nodding as her hair flaps moved, "Having Harry-Chan's Christmas cake will be good."

It was then another voice made itself known, "Hmm? Is this the person that you have all been telling me about?" Harry turned and blinked at the sight of a girl wearing the same outfit as the other Akizuki sisters. Like Hatsuzuki, she wore a body suit under her uniforms, except hers was white, the same color of her hair. Blinking, she tilted her head some, "Harry-San?"

Deeply bowing, Harry smiled, "Hai, I am Potter Harry, and I'm pleased to meet you."

Also bowing, the Destroyer's lips curled up some, "And I am the Destroyer Suzutsuki, the third of the Akizuki class." Standing, she smiled a bit more, "My sisters have told me a lot about you, Harry-San." Then, Suzutsuki gave a small nod, "Thank you for taking good care of them."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Harry chuckled, "You don't need to thank me, Suzutsuki-San. After all, they're friends and that is more than enough for me." He then shot the three Destroyers a smirk, "Besides which, I love stuffing them with a lot of good things to eat."

Hand in front of her mouth, Suzutsuki giggled, "Yes, they do give off that sort of feeling." With a fond smile to the three, she turned back to Harry, "Still, thank you, Harry-San."

Teruzuki held up the cake box, "Look, Suzutsuki-Chan! Harry-Chan brought us a Christmas cake!"

Interested, the white haired Destroyer walked up and looked at the box, "Oh? I thought that we already bought a Christmas cake?" Somewhat bemused, she looked at her excitable sister, "After all, you were excited about that."

Wagging a finger, Akizuki shook her head, "Ah! But this is a British style Christmas cake! And those are different!" Humming, she tilted her head some, "They're a sort of fruit cake, not like the Christmas cake that we bought. And Harry-Chan's are so good!"

Rapidly nodding, Hatsuzuki smiled, "Hai, they're really good! And they're also made to last a long time so we can have them over weeks as long as we keep them somewhere nice and cool."

Eyebrow raised, Suzutsuki frowned, "Weeks? Really?"

When she turned to him, the thirteen year old shrugged, "Hai, fruitcakes that are made properly can last for a very long time when taken care of. And I make mine properly." Harry then gave a chuckle, "But the Duckies seem to like them and they last a while."

Practically rubbing her cheek against the box, Teruzuki nodded, "And that means that we can have a little here, a little there, and make them last until at least March! All the while we have a nice and tasty treat that we can have with tea." She pulled away some and frowned, "Though it is a bit heavy on the stomach."

Raising a finger, Akizuki nodded with her eyes closed, "But that just means that you can eat smaller amounts of it to equal a larger portion of something lighter!"

Even as Hatsuzuki nodded, the newest of the summoned Akizukis noticed that Harry had a look of sadness on his face before he covered it over with a smile. Internally, Suzutsuki smiled a bit, 'I think that I can understand what my sisters mean when they say that Harry-San takes care of them. Especially with their worries...'

Meanwhile, Harry narrowed his eyes some before taking the box, "Well... I have something to tell you then, Akizuki-Chan." Opening it, he revealed that there were four boxes inside that expanded, "I made four of them, one for each of you!"

Their eyes widening, the three Duckies boggled at what he had just revealed before Akizuki stuttered a bit, "A-a cake?! For each of us?!"

Now grinning, Harry leaned towards the three Destroyers as they whimpered a bit, "Yes! A cake for each of you! And that is as many as four cakes for four Duckies! And that's a good thing!"

Hand once more in front of her face, Suzutsuki giggled some at the reactions of her sisters. Granted, there was some sadness there, but their reactions were amusing. Hatsuzuki gulped a bit, "A-are you sure, Harry-Chan? I mean... is there enough cakes for everyone?"

Lightly chuckling, Harry reached over and patted her head, which made her blush even as she leaned into it, "Hai, I made more than enough. You should know me better by now, Hatsuzuki-Chan! You're my friends and I enjoy making food for you after all, and seeing you like and enjoy eating it? That is the greatest thing in my mind, especially to see you all stuffed and no longer hungry."

All three of them, Akizuki, Hatsuzuki, and Teruzuki gasped and held their closed fists in front of their faces. Then they practically threw themselves at Harry and hugged him tightly, "Thank you, Harry-Chan!"

In return, the teenaged boy hugged them back as he enjoyed the feeling of three of his friends embracing him. He opened his eyes some and blinked as he felt another pair hug him though and turned to find Suzutsuki also hugging him, a smile on her face, "Thank you, Harry-San, for this."

Blushing some, Harry only nodded, "You're all welcome."

When she pulled back, Akizuki suddenly gasped, "Oh! Harry-Chan, I almost forgot!" She then gestured at her newly summoned sister, "Suzutsuki-Chan wanted to thank you for the recipe that you shows us! For potato pancakes, she really likes making them."

Just blinking, the wizard turned to the white haired Destroyer who gave a nod, "Hai, it is a useful recipe to know and I've been making a lot with them. Potatoes are rather useful after all in cooking."

Harry gave her a nod at that, "Hai, they're really useful when you need to make meals and such." Lips curling, he chuckled, "I'm glad that you enjoyed the recipe." Spotting Teruzuki looking at the boxes, the teen smirked a bit, "Want a slice?"

Eyes widening, the Destroyer in question shook her head, "Oh, no, Harry-Chan. I-I'm fine, after all it won't be long until lunch."

Wagging a finger at her, Harry became amused as she bit her lip, "Hey now, you can have a slice, that is what they're there for after all. And no one is going to complain about each of you having a slice now with some tea."

For several moments, Akizuki chewed her lip, "A-are you sure that it is okay? I mean... we got another Christmas cake and... and we don't want to waste any."

Bemused, the teenaged wizard gave her a smile, "Akizuki-Chan, I know that you would never waste food. None of you would... so go ahead and have a bit extra." Leaning towards her, he gave the shipgirl a kiss on the cheek, "I want you all to enjoy them after all."

Some steam coming from her ears, she flushed heavily but nodded much to the amusement of Suzutsuki. An amusement that increased as Harry kissed the cheeks of the other two, with her chuckling as she turned around to make some tea. Once that was done, she looked down at the slice of cake on her plate and took a bite. Chewing for a few seconds, Suzutsuki nodded and turned to Harry, "This is a good cake, though like Onee-San said, it is heavy."

Chuckling, Harry rubbed the back of his neck, "I know, and it is a bit heavy compared to other cakes. But... I find it good."

Only taking another bite, Suzutsuki smiled some, "That is because it is good." A glance made her smile at how happy her sisters were as they ate their own slices slowly, enjoying them greatly if their expressions were anything to go by. Turning back to her own, her smile grew a touch as she nodded to herself, 'I am glad that they had someone kind to take care of them... and he will make for a good Admiral for them when he grows older if he cares this much for them already.'

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part XI)

Grand Erg Occidental, Sahara Desert, Algeria

23 January 1942
Spoiler: Trip through the Sahara

Delilah sighed and rubbed the bandage on her right hand. Unlike her wounds from the fight with the werewolves which had responded to a dose of Healing Potion plus a good night's sleep on this flying carpet, the burn to her hand from the brazier was only healing with time.

The implications of that fact were...uncomfortable.

Delilah sighed and looked out over the shifting sand dunes that they had been flying over for the last day. Even with a shading and cooling spell cast on the carpet, it was incredibly hot and dry. She shuddered to think what this place would be like in midsummer as opposed to midwinter.
Spoiler: The Grand Erg Occidental

Unfortunately, the terrain or rather lack of terrain to comment on meant that she only had limited diversions from brooding on her thoughts. Not for the first time she regretted not making sure that vampire mage was dead.

Two in the chest was well and good (her lips curled in a smug smile at the memory of the twin red blossoms appearing on his uniform as she 'walked' those slugs up his right side) but you always put one in the head to make sure of your kills. Especially against a supernatural, some of them could be damned difficult to put down and keep down.

As she had done constantly for the last two days, her mind shied away from the look on Zamarad's face when the spell latched onto her soul, dragging it screaming to the receptacle prepared for it.

With that, she glanced over at Colombe, who was sitting cross-legged at the front of the carpet, staring ahead with a far-off expression in her eyes. Only the slight rise and fall of her sister's chest showed that she was alive.

That and the gentle stroking of one thumb along the black silk and white lace of Lyra Potter's 'favor' tied to the hilt of her rapier body.
Spoiler: A Muramasa's Choice

Delilah felt her cheeks flush slightly at the memory of Colombe and Lyra's parting. The rawness and depth of the emotions were....

She blinked away the beginnings of tears at the thought of that sacrifice that both were enduring. Even as the youngest of her sisters and not even a century old, she was intimately familiar with the transience of mortal life. Even now she missed Emily's quiet warmth and deep thirst to know and it ached that she would never see her friend again or listen to her latest poem.

How much worse must it be for her eldest sister to know that even now every moment that she was apart from her love was a moment that could never be regained as the time of Lyra's death inevitably approached? To have to go on while missing people who only existed in her memories of them with even their graves worn away by the tides of time?

And yet the moments that she had seen Colombe and Lyra together...oh how brightly they had burned against the dark. Burned brightly...and yet incomplete, with the absence of Ian save in portraits, artifacts, shared phrases and memories of the one who had gone on before them tempering their joy with knowledge of the certain price to be paid one day. Paid willingly by both of them in exchange for memories more precious than rubies.

It was different from Jackie, Delilah mused, Jackie also accepted that death was a constant for those that she knew, so loved broadly, with a playful joy as she tasted the moments and yet never experienced too deeply to risk losing herself. Unwilling to drain the cup to the bitter dregs. Colombe... Colombe drained that cup to the dregs with a toast and a smile; loving with all her heart and soul while accepting that the price for what she experienced would be the pain and loss when her loves succumbed and left her to carry on without them. Making up for the breadth of Jacklyn's experiences with the sheer intensity and trust and intimacy of her relationships with those fortunate kindred spirits whom she gave her heart to.

Where had she learned this strength to carry on through the pain when those relationships ended? To open her heart yet again to someone doomed to die before her after walking away from a gravestone wishing for yet one moment with her newly lost love?

Automatically, Delilah's brain whirred into motion, referencing her reading of Colombe's MACUSA and ICW files, things that her sister had told her in 1927 and after they met again in 1941, things that Lyra had hinted at while she stayed with the Potters.

Her eyes narrowed and her lips curled upward as she produced the firing solution for the answer.

After all, she would like to experience what Colombe did. Jacklyn's way was fun (blushing demurely at the memories of some activities Jackie had gotten her into that Mother Should NEVER Know About), and helpful, and she had learned much from Jackie, not least when they traveled around the world (a deeper blush remembering the mayor's daughters and the love potion on Lesbos). But she too would drain life to the dregs, find someone she (blushing scarlet now) would allow to fire her true body, trust unconditionally with the secrets of her nature, make a life with. While she was naturally reserved and not willing to give her trust without full and sufficient reasons for it, she would establish the criteria for her love. And then track her quarry down wherever he...or she...was and do what it took to find her happiness.

Plan made. Objective zeroed in. Step one is to find out from Colombe how to drain that cup to the dregs. Best to begin at the beginning.

"Hey Sis?"

Colombe blinked and looked over at Delilah as her thumb stopped moving. Her voice was curious as she responded. "What is it Del?"

Delilah slid over to sit alongside Colombe and looked out at the horizon as well. "I was wondering... If you wouldn't mind telling me about your adopted family. Since we have nothing else to do but pass the time."

A deep breath from the revolver as she took the plunge and laid her cards on the table, "I'll also tell you about my growing up too. Trust for trust, and we are family. Family needs to rely on each other."

Colombe moved her hand from the silk to give Delilah a one armed embrace around the shoulders as she smiled and leaned closer to her youngest sister. "Oui. Family's important. Papa first told me that in 1713 when..."

Buhayrat Al'ashbah, Grand Erg Occidental, Sahara Desert, Algeria

24 January 1942
Spoiler: The Lake

The carpet glided to a stop on the sand next to a small, oval lake. Salt crusted the edge of the water, and Colombe stepped off and looked at the setting sun.

Delilah followed suit and looked at it in turn.

"Right, so we purify ourselves here. Any ideas Sis? Since you are the expert at local customs and traditions."

Colombe nodded. "Set up camp. At the rising of the moon, we will wash our faces, hands and feet in the waters. Pray while you do so."

Delilah nodded and pulled the tent out of their packs.
Spoiler: Purification

The waxing moon turned the waters of the lake into a sheet of silver as barefoot and bare headed the two sisters approached the lake. Colombe went to her knees, automatically making the sign of the Cross as she did, and whispering a prayer in Latin before scooping water in her palms to wash her face.

Delilah followed suit a moment behind her, praying silently in turn. She rubbed her face with lake water and then froze, warm water trickling down her face.

"Delly?"

Rising from the waters was a woman clad in a witch's robes embroidered with the symbol of the Horned Serpent House of Ilvermorny. A face that she had not seen in over fifty years... since 1886 when Emily had been poisoned by a Scourer... stared into her eyes.
Spoiler: Emily

"Delly? Do you want to read my latest poem?"

Delilah swallowed a painful lump in her throat. "I would Em, but I'm on a mission. It's important."

"Aw, it will just take a moment. Can't you join me?"

Delilah wavered for a second, and then she felt Colombe shift next to her. Her sister gave a little-girl whisper of "Papa?"

With that Delilah's eyes narrowed as the pieces fell into place. Her left hand flashed out to grasp her sister and prevent her from entering the water as her right grasped her pistol's butt. "No. I cannot. Either you go and haunt us no more..."

There was a click as Delilah's thumb cocked her hammer as she leveled the pistol at 'Emily' with a diamond-hard focus and ice in her voice. "Or I'll send you back to where you came from. Your move, specter."

Beside her Colombe stirred and reached for the hilt of her rapier. "What Del doesn't take apart, I shall." The rapier's voice was filled with banked fury as she realized that her long-dead and dearly beloved father was not there.

The ghost gazed into their eyes for long moments then turned into a fading wisp of mist in the moonlight. The rising moon illuminated a scattering of human skeletons in the depths of the lake as Delilah slowly holstered herself.

"Let's finish washing before this place sends something else our way. And camp well away from this lake."

"Agreed."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Stretching some, Naka sighed as she walked up to the door for her quarters on the base, 'At least I am off duty now... and for the next four days.' A slight smile crossed her face at that thought. Reaching her door, she grasped the nod, "I wonder what I should do first..." Walking in though, she blinked as a smell hit her. Naka gave a sniff and walked in before closing her door, "Is that..."

When she turned to the kitchen in the quarters, she was met by the sight of a smirking Harder, "Home cooked Christmas ham? Yes, yes it is."

Bemused expression on her face, the Light Cruiser smiled at the Submarine, "When did you get back from patrol?"

Chuckling as she leaned against the counter, Harder's smirk grew some, "Around six this morning as a matter of fact. Had to pick up a ham though from Archie, she went hunting on that island of the pigs that Louisiana found for some premium pork for Christmas and was nice enough to give me a good amount."

Unable to help herself, Naka licked her lips, "Then I am definitely looking forward to that." Walking up, she threw her arms around Harder and gave her a hug, "Still, good to see you back."

Amused, Harder shook her head and twisted to give Naka a hug back, "And it is good to be back after a few months of patrol." She then grinned, "It also helps that there is someone waiting."

Lightly laughing, the Japanese shipgirl gave a nod, "Hai, that is true enough." Her smile softened a touch, "That is true enough..."

Simply giving her an understanding look, Harder nodded before turning back to her cooking, "It is kind of odd though, you know?"

Confused, Naka raised an eyebrow at that, "What is?"

With a shrug, the Subgirl shook her head, "That the person that I got waiting for me back on shore is a Japanese shipgirl. Hell, sometimes I find myself wondering at times how it happened... and not really caring all that much. But if you had told me before I became a shipgirl? Well..."

Naka hummed and gave a nod, "I can understand that, from the perspective of a ship." She then shrugged some, "But you also need to remember that I have almost nineteen years of being a human as well. And thinking about it? If I spoke to myself before the war, before being awoken as a shipgirl? She would likely be shocked at me finding myself having a Submarine as someone I come home to."

Eyebrow raised, Harder glanced over her shoulder at the Light Cruiser, "Really? Even you as a human?"

Humming, she nodded, "Hai." Thoughtful, Naka considered it even as she kept hugging Harder from behind, "Back then... well, I was not really all the concerned with such things. Don't get me wrong, like all girls and such, I dreamt of having someone to come home to. Though back then, it was a handsome husband and such. You know, a pretty boy."

That got a chuckle from Harder, "A pretty boy? Really?"

Just shrugging, Naka grinned, "That's right, a pretty boy. And there were a few that I had in my imagination. Like... Sesshoumaru from Inuyasha, always thought that in real life he would look hot."

Softly snorting, the Submarine shook her head, "Whoever that... wait." Frowning, she thought back some, "Sesshoumaru... You mean that demon guy from that series we watched back in, what? 2009, I think?"

Eyes lighting up, Naka nodded, "Got it in one. But yeah, back then when I thought of having someone to come home to, it was usually a husband who was a pretty boy. Though also rather domestic while I would be a go getter and such. Granted... said thoughts was always for after when I would become an Idol and retire. Even then though, it didn't cross my mind that much, just did not seem too important in the grand scheme of things really."

Frowning, Harder glanced at her, "Really? That... is sort of sad."

Only shrugging, Naka sighed a bit, "Maybe. But part of that was also because of my parents, besides the whole harping on me to give up my dream of being an Idol, they also pushed me to find someone. Even setting me up with some guys they knew, sons of friends, young fellow employees... that sort of thing. Kind of put me off the whole idea."

Harder grimaced at that as she remembered various things that Naka had told her about how her life was before she became a shipgirl. Stuff that more than once made the Submarine want to march to her parents and just shout at them for some time. But... as always, she shoved that urge well down into her hull and locked it into the safe. No matter how angry Naka's parents made her, they were her parents and that was that.

At least they had done nothing like what Ooi's parents had done, which was something that Harder always felt some sympathy for said Cruiser.

Granted, in the Subgirl's mind, while that put her friend's parents above them, it was not exactly a high bar to clear. And she had sometimes been the one that Naka vented to whenever she had spoken to her parents or gone to meet them. Not that she ever minded being said person. Something about seeing Naka so animated and emotional, as well as open, always did something to her engines. It still confused her to no end... speaking of... "So, you give your folks your annual Christmas call."

Rolling her eyes, Naka nodded, "Hai, Harder-Chan, I did, and their presents are in the mail. We spoke for a few minutes to each other and the like. As per usual, they mentioned that they were happy that I was doing PR work instead of 'That silly Idol thing' and that I should focus on that. Kami, they piss me off with that bullshit."

With a hum as she checked some of the food that was cooking, Harder raised an eyebrow, "The offer is still on, you know. I know some guys... they could pull some pranks and such."

Snorting, Naka gave her a look, "Don't tempt me, Harder-Chan, one of these days I could take you up on that. Still..." A frown crossed her face, "I sort of wish that I had a better relationship with them. And I guess that there is still a part of me that hopes one day that they will finally just drop their problems with my choice and not just accept it, but also support me. Though the rest is pretty sure that is one dream that will never come true no matter what I wish."

Gently, the American reached up and placed her hand over Naka's, "Hey, don't let them get you down, Naka. One day, they will accept it and be proud of you for it." Turning her head, Harder smiled at her, "Okay?"

Lips twitching, Naka chuckled, "Maybe, one could only hope." Pressing herself more into Harder's back, she sighed, "Anyways, enough of them. It's Christmas and I got someone cooking me a good meal for it. Best not to let myself get all down in the dumps as it is a time to be happy."

Feeling the Light Cruiser's body pressed into hers, Harder smiled some. After all, she would not deny that it felt rather nice and was something that she enjoyed, "That's the spirit, Traffic Cone."

A smirk on her face, Naka chuckled some, "Besides, I got my cuddlebuddy right here to make me feel better."

Now blushing, Harder scowled best that she could, though the corners of her lips twitched, "Goddammit, Naka! Way to ruin the moment."

Setting her chin on the Subgirl's shoulder, said shipgirl giggled, "What? How can it ruin the moment when it is true?" Her expression softened a touch and she kissed Harder on the cheek, "That said, I do appreciate having a friend like you, Harder-Chan. So, thanks."

It was now Harder's turn to smirk, "You're very welcome, Traffic Cone."

Later as the two had laid down after an early dinner for a nap before Naka headed off to perform her Santa Watch livestream, the Light Cruiser was laying back with a softly snoring Harder pillowed on her shoulder. One arm around the Submarine, Naka just watched her for a few minutes as she played over their conversation again. She really had not been lying to Harder, knowing that said shipgirl would be waiting had more than once helped her in making it through several battles. Part of her wondered sometimes how the two of them had become so close to one another.

However, that remained a mystery.

That said, sometimes Naka felt something stir in her, deep down which made her wonder more. Like when she had walked in to find Harder there cooking a meal, that warmed her insides more than the other girl would ever know. Or the times that Harder would sit back and just let her rant and rave about whatever had gotten her ire, sometimes being her parents. Afterwards, she would find herself thankful, especially when the Submarine hugged her. Thankful and... something else. Something that she could not quite figure out. But it was there, somewhere in her.

Right now though, she stared down on the sleeping form of the Submarine and smiled some. As Harder breathed in and out gently, Naka had to hold back a chuckle at how at peace she looked, 'Cute.' Softly kissing the other shipgirl on the forehead, she laid back and closed her own eyes as she drifted off for a few hours, not seeing the smile on Harder's face that mirrored her own.

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

I take a break from Different Steps and a new project I have accidentally started to bring you a short update on some of my characters!

The One with the Abyssals
"Tsubaki."

With a start, the light cruiser jerked upright, casting about wildly. Who had said that? Who was calling out to her? Was it Talon, was she… was she alright?

She glanced over to her side. In the dim, pre-dawn light, the patchwork figure lay so silently that Tsubaki wasn't even sure she was breathing. As her head cleared of sleep, Tsubaki looked away. It had only been a dream.

Of course it was just a dream. It had been weeks of drifting around aimlessly, maybe even a month. Talon responded to her entreaties sometimes, and then ignored them entirely every time that she'd thought she'd made some kind of meaningful progress. Tsubaki was beginning to fear that she was clinging to mere threads of a long-vanished hope—

Wait. What was that glinting?

Tsubaki turned to glance back at Talon. The moonlight glinted lightly off of her non-glowing eye—open. Since when? How long? Was she asleep, or awake? What would she be looking at…

Something turned over in Tsubaki's stomach. Staring directly at the open eye, she turned slowly and traced its direction as best she could. The line of sight passed her head, just barely, and Tsubaki's breath caught at the sight of Pascal.

She looked back at Talon. Then she quietly pulled herself across the foot or two of sand between her and Pascal, wrapped her arms around him, and did her best to curl her body over his.

Talon made a quiet huff-ing noise and did nothing.
-----

"I don't know, it could have been better," Nemo shrugged. "It's an interesting idea, and the mystery was engaging, but… I don't really understand why there's such a massive web of relationships. And this has been going on for how many years?"

Takumi shrugged. "Yakumo will be disappointed," he noted. "She pretty much swears by Detective Conan."

"Yakumo swears by any manga that started at least ten years ago and has a decent art style," Nemo pointed out. Takumi frowned, thinking back across their interactions with Sakurada Yakumo. It seemed like a bit of an exaggeration, but he had to admit that the girl was just a bit of an otaku.

"A lot of those manga are pretty popular even after ending," he pointed out. "Some of them are even extremely influential in their genre." Nemo gave him a slightly befuddled glance. "Tachibana gave me the run down on what she recommended you read," he admitted, and she rolled her eyes.

"I still don't know why…"

She trailed off, looking ahead. "Wait a second," she hissed, grabbing him by the arm and yanking him into an alleyway.

"Uh," Takumi frowned, "Nemo—"

"I-Idiot!" Nemo squeaked. "I just picked up some unfamiliar signatures is all. It's nothing really, just the…"

"The Fleet of Laughter?" Takumi sighed. "I get that your mom doesn't like that one princess, but isn't that fleet… the uh, the Northern Princess? I don't think that she's going to go after them…"

Nemo looked away. "The White Princess doesn't want to push our luck until it's absolutely certain," she admitted. "Fleets don't always do exactly as their princesses say, after all." Her lip quirked upward in an ironic smile. "That's part of how we met, remember?"

"So it is," Takumi mused. He sighed again, placing his hands on his hips. "Well, no matter. Don't worry—if worst comes to worst, I'll protect you." Nemo blinked twice, then collapsed into hysterical laughter. "Ow. Now you've gone and hurt my pride as a man. Why did you have to do that?"

"I-If you had any of that…" Nemo giggled helplessly, "wouldn't you bring Yakumo on our dates?"

"Tachibana would get pouty," Takumi said nonchalantly.

"Then bring her too!"

"I… don't think I'm exactly her type."
-----

And just to head off my usual problem...

Nemo is a member of the Twin Princess's fleet. The Twin Princesses were home guard for one of the fleets that attacked Unalaska, and were thus purged by Wanko. "Ku-Tan," the Black Princess, was severely traumatized by this, and "Shi-chi," the White Princess, is no less interested in the war. Part of the reason that they became signatories was so that they could avoid the fighting as much as possible. The other reason was so that Nemo could openly go to and from Japanese waters to hang out with her boyfriend. Sakurada Yakumo is a girl who confessed to Takumi, who turned her down due to already having a girlfriend. This lead to drama with Tachibana Haruka and another of Yakumo's friends, but that was more or less dealt with after they found out about Nemo.

I do kind of want Nemo to run into the Fleet of Laughter, but I'm not entirely sure what that would entail yet. Has Hoppou discussed the Twin Princesses with the FoL yet?

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part XII)

Tademait Plateau, Sahara Desert, Algeria

27 January 1942
Spoiler: A Dove's Meditation

Colombe glanced at the compass in her hand to confirm that the flying carpet was still flying due south. She then glanced over at her sister's sleeping form and her lips curled in a fond smile.

Asleep, Delilah seemed to lack a certain tension and reserve that was always present in her youngest sister's form. Colombe reached over and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind her sister's ear.

Delilah had told some stories of her early life to fill the time as they flew across the Sahara. Always hiding her true self, even her very nature. She had to pretend to be a normal witch instead of a spirit of a weapon anytime that she was not around her mother or her sisters.

Delilah had even gone to Ilvermorny and graduated with distinction, which was a source of a mix of pride in her sister and lingering bitterness at how Colombe's studies at Beauxbatons had ended. From what Delilah had said, she could have perhaps become a Prefect, but she did not want to stand out. 'Hiding in plain sight' was how she described it.

Colombe laughed briefly as the carpet passed over a ridge line in the morning sunlight. Thinking of Delilah as a diligent student, never once setting a foot wrong in public, having many acquaintances but almost no real friends. She did not know how to take that insight into her baby sister.

If I had met her when we were both students...would I have seen her as someone who needed to unwind and get drawn into the fun that Gabriel and I had as students raising hell? Or would I have written her off and overlooked her as a hopeless straight-arrow bore, never seeing the hidden depths beneath the facade?

Although, Jacklyn had nurtured the secret, hidden side of Delilah. Bless their sister's piratical heart for that.

Clearly no straight-laced bore could be the same as the girl who laughed as she spoke of spending her fifteenth birthday with rain in her eyes and the wind in her hair as Delilah and Jackie had steered Horizon Bringer through a Pacific gale as they sailed around the world.

Much less the laughter shared with her sister yesterday as they mutually realized that they had each gotten into a bar fight and then thrown out of the same seedy dockside tavern and brothel in Hong Kong a quarter-century apart. Even if it was not her fault that Lo Pan had picked that place to make the deal to purchase her cargo of opium, and that the Triad Society members after him had decided that would be the perfect time to kill them both.

If she ever headed back to China, she would have to see if the Golden Lotus was still there, come to think of it. Maybe ask Delilah along to compare their memories of that place. No Jackie, though, unless the goal was serious hell-raising.

Her lips curled in a smug smile as she looked back out over the vastness of the Sahara, before returning her gaze to her sister's sleeping form.

It helped to have a sister who understood the burdens that she so willingly shouldered. Lyra, bless her, was a rock as well, but they both knew that Lyra's days were numbered and already Colombe was steeling herself for the inevitable moment when the light in her love's eyes faded for eternity.

Delilah, at least, knew the importance of holding herself to proper standards unlike Jackie. They both knew that much was demanded of them because of their families. She knew that Delilah was trustworthy, forged of the same steel - literally! - that Colombe herself was. That Delilah would be there for Colombe for the rest of her life, unless and until misfortune and injury killed one of them.

Not that she had any intention of dying anytime soon. Especially not considering what she was racing the Nazis and Grindlewald to claim.
Spoiler: Dark Reflections

With that her brow furrowed and she sighed, her eyes shimmering.

Seeing Wolff again was a shock, and the naked hatred and betrayal in his eyes when he saw her face....

Unwarranted and certainly unwanted a treacherous thought hissed at her from the recesses of her soul.

Exactly how truly different was her seduction and betrayal of Wolff from what Hippolyte had done to her in 1871 and then again in 1895?

Automatically her mind threw up objections.

That Wolff truly believed in the poisonous ideology of National Socialism. Trying to sway him away from the Reich would have put her mission in jeopardy. The needs of the many crushed under the Nazi jackboot outweighed her own feelings for him and her own moral qualms about doing what 'needed to be done' to strike a blow.

That if she had not done what she did, Lyra and the other Potters would have died at the hands of Grindlewald, that she would have betrayed their trust in her. Her belief in freedom would have flickered and died had she not acted.

They weren't enough.

Why should they trust someone such as her, a failure? Why should they believe in her when she had fallen short time and again?

She knew that look of pain and betrayal all too well. She had seen it once before in waking memory and then again in her nightmares. In the mirror at a 'trading station' (her lips curled in a sneer at that euphemism for cannibalism, torture, slavery, and rapine) up the Congo River during 1895 as her eyes rose from her grandnephew's signature on the orders to have her 'dealt with' to stare at the stranger in the mirror who had unknowingly aided these evils in prospering.

Wolff had truly believed in what he thought was right... just like she did.

Then she used that belief to get close, under his defenses, and wound him to the heart when she turned on him.

Death would have been a mercy compared to what she did to him. Just like death would have been a mercy compared to what Hyacinthe did to her and her family.

Automatically her eyes lowered to the desert passing by and she sighed heavily, and then drew herself. Placing her rapier in her lap, she contemplated the mirror-bright wood grain of her pattern-welded and forged steel blade.

Was this what Delilah meant when she said that Norimune did not have the strength to face her mother's death, and Jezabel's inadvertent betrayal of her? Like father, like daughter? Fatally flawed?

She felt the first tears land in crystal shards onto her blade before drying up in the desert heat as if they never were.

Her hand found Lyra's favor and clung to it with desperate strength as she mourned for something precious that she had destroyed. The wind seemed to lament in counterpoint.

She barely registered the arm around her shoulders and the presence of Delilah as her now-awake sister pulled her into a hug.

"What's wrong, Sis?" A quiet voice comforting her.

Gasping through the pain. Words falling like razor-edged droplets of blood. "That second vampire. The young one. I know him. Knew him. Back in France. Wasn't a vampire then. Is now. Used him. Cast him aside. Just like Hyacinthe used me. That's all I am, a user. All take, no give."

"Had to be done." A bitter bubble of laughter swelling, voice turning harsh. "Mission demanded it. Find someone vulnerable with access, get close to them, and then steal their face. Easy mark. You know that he fences too? That's how I met him." More howls of agony around her as the wind lashed her with sand.

Sister's arms pulling her close. Holding her steady as her avatar shakes and keens. World around her mourns too. More salt tears on her steel. "W-when I saw him...I knew that look. Know. In my memories, my dreams. Nightmares. Looking back f-f-f-rom the mirror." Voice breaking how can steel break so? "H-hya-c-c-c-inthe did that to me. Took my trust, took my family. Couldn't protect them from him. Failed. Failed family, can't do that. P-P-P-papa, I'm sorry"

Fire in my blood, anger, anger is good, anger keeps me going on forges steel anew. "Left me to die in the Congo. Ordered me dead, hit wizards, company troops, cannibals." Feeling of pain as nails bite into palms, Delilah holding me firm. "Can't fail again. Papa, I won't let the du Chastelers die. Make you proud, make everyone proud somehow. I promise."
Spoiler: The Stone of Lamentation

Delilah held Colombe steady as the carpet slid to the stop at the foot of a towering butte. Cracked and scarred, the wind howled through it like the voice of a million million ghosts weeping for all they had lost.

Colombe gradually returned to herself then looked up through red-rimmed eyes.

"Del, is this?"

Delilah nodded as she walked to a set of firepits laid out in a pentagram. "The Stone of Lamentation? I would say so, Sis. Wait, what is this?" She knelt and began to brush away soot and small pieces of charred timber. "Coals are warm. Two days at most"

Colombe walked over and knelt next to Delilah as the revolver brushed soot from a small green jewel which flickered from an inner flame and was hot to the touch.

"Wait, that's an emerald. Delilah, that's what her name represents. Zamarad is Emerald."

 

[darthcourt10]

Haiku

ANZAC Cove, sometime after the war.

Mesûdiye was cold. That was not unexpected in the pre-dawn gloom. But it wasn't just weather making her feel cold. Some of that belonged to the woman in front of her.

The woman. Mesûdiye had been told that she was important part of this years ANZAC day remembrance, though why an old costal defense ship like herself was to be used as an escort, she didn't understand.

The woman. She was large, dark, had asked to be called Auntie and treated everybody (even the Admiral) as if they were her nieces and nephews. Her FAVORITE nieces and nephews. She always had something to give to everybody, whether it was advice (rather blunt advice, in the case of the sailor agonizing over breaking up with his boyfriend), a treat or even a lullaby. Needles to say, the destroyers loved her. They even promised to go and visit Auntie if (no, WHEN) they got enough leave. And yet…

Mesûdiye grimaced. There it was. And yet Auntie was a shipgirl (no, shipWOMAN, nothing girly about that figure) who was clearly a canoe of some sort, if a particularly big one. Nothing amazing about her. Except her eyes. One look into them and you understood the phrase 'old eyes'.

Suddenly, Auntie started speaking. Mesûdiye didn't know what was being said but could understand what was being said. Come home. It's over. Welcome home. Slowly, what could almost be mistaken for a mist if you hadn't been here before, started to rise and head to Auntie. Mesûdiye gasped. She couldn't help it. Even with everything that happened during the war, it wasn't every day you saw the spirits of the dead. Certainly not like this. Mostly people only knew them as a shipgirl's fairies.

Auntie seemed to have noticed her… Concern (Not distress, she was a warship damnit!). "Relax, they're not going to hurt you. They just want to come home and see how their friends and family."

Eventually, as the sun began to rise above the horizon, the stream of spirits ceased.

Te Arawa smiled. She and her sisters had planned to do this shortly after they came back during the early stages of the Abyssal War (not early enough, they had hurt her and her sister's children and she was unable to help). Travel through the places where their people lay buried and help guide them to Hawaiki. This was the first year they had been able to start their project. There had been a great squabble over who would go to where it started and they had ended up drawing lots. That got her to grin at the memory of the look of disappointment on Kurahapō's face. Really, she had the worst luck.

She turned to her escort. "Well, time to rattle our dags and rustle up some brekky, eh?"

Mesûdiye just looked bewildered.

A/N – wanted to do this last year but never bothered.

While looking up Kiwi slang (got dictionary in a book sale) found 'by the thundering sardine!' Something for Harry-chan to say?

Relevant - why Te Arawa is called Auntie:

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Rubbing some sleep from her eyes, Aeroprin walked out from Hoppou's room with a frown until the smells of breakfast hit her. A smile on her face, she turned to the kitchen where Harry along with Siusan were cooking, "Good morning, Uncle Harry! Grandma Siusan!"

With a chuckle, Harry nodded his head towards a plate with quite a bit of food on it, "Good morning, Blackie Smokie. Hopefully you're hungry."

Her own lips twitching a bit as Aeroprin nodded, the Irish fox internally shook her head. She was... knocked somewhat off kilter by the fact that Harry's "Little sister" was an Abyssal Princess. One that had a rather large number of daughters as well. Not helping it was how they all called the last Potter 'Uncle', though it did amuse her. But they also accepted her right off the bat and started calling her 'Grandma Siusan'. Something that warmed her. A light smile on her face, Siusan gestured at a cauldron, "There is plenty of porridge if you want some, child. Nothing is better on a cold, winter's morn, especially with some honey. And there are also some oatcakes."

Brightly smiling, Aeroprin nodded, "Thank you!"

Soon enough, the whole local family were gathered around the table eating breakfast. Besides Harry, Nagato, and Hoppou, they also had Siusan, Aeroprin, her Destroyers, and Wokyuu as well as Hedwig. Said familiar drew a chuckle from Harry as she enjoyed her breakfast of bacon. Meanwhile, Nagato nodded as she took a bite of her breakfast and smiled, "Thank you for the breakfast, Harry, Siusan. It's wonderful."

Lightly smiling, Siusan chuckled and gave a nod, "I am glad that you have enjoyed it, Nagato." Glancing at Harry, her smile grew slightly, "Harry-Child is quite good at cooking, it would seem."

All Harry did though was shrug and smile as he turned back to his own meal. Lips twitching, the Battleship nodded as she sipped her coffee, "That is true enough." Putting down her cup, Nagato hummed a bit as she took another bite of food, chewing before swallowing, "Once we're done, we'll be opening our presents here though Rose will be over for that."

Just chuckling, Harry grinned a bit, "After opening her gifts from Haruna-Oba and the others."

That got him a nod from his adoptive mother, "Of course..." A few minutes found them all on the floor with Nagato humming as she brought out gift after gift. From Hoppou, for example, she received another turtleneck sweaters like she loved. Upon getting a box from Harry, she raised an eyebrow, "Hmm..."

Grinning, Harry gave a nod towards it, "Go ahead and open it, Mum."

Eyebrow raised, she unwrapped it to find a box that she opened. For several moments, she stared down at what was there and then at Harry, "Oh, Harry..." Gently, she reached in and removed a block of rock crystal about the size of the palm of her hand, and an inch thick. But imbedded in the top was a scale model of her hull done in black stone, with milky quartz around it creating a wake.

It also, to her relief, concealed the keel of the hull from view.

Bringing it up to her face, she looked at it in pure awe before setting it down and hugging her adoptive son, who returned it with a chuckle, "So I don't need to ask if you like it, Mum?"

Simply shaking her head, the Battleship kissed his forehead before pulling back, "No, because I love it."

That brought a bright smile to Harry's face as he nodded, "I'm glad, Mum. It is also my first example of enchanting as I used a hardening spell on the Jet that makes up the hull." As she nodded, he took another box and handed it to a surprised Siusan, "And this is for you, Grandmother."

Eyes wide, the fox stared at him in utter shock, "I..." Looking down at the present, she trembled a bit, "Oh, Harry-Child, you didn't need to get me anything..."

Much to her confusion, there was a twinkle in his eye, "I didn't get it for you... I made it."

If anything, that only made her more shocked and she opened the gift slowly and carefully. Soon enough, all that was left was the box and she opened it before looking inside. No sound escaped her, Siusan placed a hand against her mouth as her eyes widened. Reaching in, she pulled out a fox made of red crystal that shone in the light. The nose, paws, and the tip of the tail was a darker crystal. But the likeness of her was... uncanny, "O-oh, Harry-Child..."

A small smile on his face, Harry gestured at it, "See, the body is garnet, there's some around the Black Lake at Hogwarts if you know where to look. The nose and stuff is smoky quartz. It took a bit of work of transfiguration, but I got them all melded together so it would not fall apart."

Placing it back into the box with trembling hands, Siusan turned to him before hugging him tightly, "Thank you, Harry-Child... I will treasure it like few other things. This... this is wonderful, thank you."

Just smiling, the thirteen year old hugged her back just as tightly, "You're welcome, Grandmother."

It was not just Nagato and Siusan who got such sculptures either. Aeroprin, her Destroyers, and Wokyuu got similar ones of their hulls. Hoppou, meanwhile, got a Reppu made out of smoky quartz which made her laugh, especially when she saw a tiny, though rough, version of herself in the cockpit, "Hoppou thanks you, Big Brother!"

With a laugh, Harry grinned as he hugged her, "Well, as long as you like it." Turning, he smiled some at Rose who was looking at a similar block of rock crystal. Inside, in silver, was a model of her tea set, "What about you, Rose?"

Only shaking her head, the tsukumogami reached over and hugged him, "Thank you does not seem to be quite enough, Master. But still... thank you."
_______________________________________________________________
Standing in the main area of the mess hall, Natsumi kept looking towards the doors. If she had been in either her fox or hybrid form, she knew for a fact that her ears would have been twitching as she waited. Around her neck was the warm scarf that Louisiana had sewed for her from silk. Even she had to admit that it was quite fashionable. Glancing towards her family, who stood by the trees with Hoshi giving them a narrowed eyed gaze, she snorted. Even more so when said Kyuubi frowned as one of the cymbal monkeys appeared briefly and seemed to stare at her before going back among the trees.

A snicker escaped her as Hoshi muttered to a bemused Haru, "I am still confused about that whole place. Where does it come from and who sets it up..."

Lips twitching, Natsumi ignored how her aunt stated that was a mystery that no one had yet figured out. Instead, she turned her attention to other conversations around her. Hearing a gasp, she glanced at where Takao was looking at Yuubari's sister in surprise and shock, her voice easily heard by the Kitsune, "I... I have more sisters?"

With a nod, the Light Cruiser smiled, "Hai, a few more." Tilting her head, Katsura hummed, "You know about the Takao-Kai class?"

Frowning, Takao nodded as she furrowed her eyebrows, "Hai, I remember those. They were improved versions of Maya-Chan and the like. Better armour for torpedo and bomb protection and the like. But they were cancelled before they were more than designs due to the London Treaty. Why..." Her eyes widened some as she came to a realization, "They were built on the magical side..."

Even as Katsura nodded, Natsumi tuned them out as it was not really much of her business. Granted, she did wonder about what said shipgirls would look like. Thankfully, she heard something else and was already heading for the door as Harry walked in with a bag at his side that very likely held presents. Before he could react, she was already hugging him, "Harry-Chan!"

Laughing, Harry hugged her back, "Merry Christmas, Natsumi-Chan!"

With one last squeeze, she pulled back with a smile, "And a merry Christmas to you as well, Harry-Chan." Reaching into a pocket, she pulled out a small box, "Here."

Eyes widening, Harry unwrapped it before smiling at what was inside, "An inrō? Really?"

Humming, Natsumi gave a nod, "Hai, though a magical one that you can wear with a Yukata or a Kimono with an expansion charm on the inside. It is also charmed against theft and the like, that way when you wear traditional clothes, you don't need to worry."

Quickly giving her a hug, the thirteen year old kissed her on the cheek, "Thank you." Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small box, "Here, this is for you."

Curious, Natsumi unwrapped her gift before gasping and holding her hand to her mouth. It was a simple necklace or sorts, but the centerpiece was a silver medallion, with a two tailed Kitsune done on it with a reddish gemstone, the tails and other black parts in another gemstone, "Oh, Harry-Chan." Placing it around her neck, the Kitsune leaned forward and kissed him on the lips, not caring if people saw it or not. Pulling away, she smiled, "Thank you."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Harry tried to ignore the blush on his cheeks, "You're welcome, Natsumi-Chan."

All the Kitsune did was smile at him brightly.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

"Sis…?"

Rachel glanced beside her to her baby brother, sitting sideways on the couch next to her… not that he really had much of a choice in how to sit, with the tail. "What is it, Andy?"

"What's everyone doing?" Andy asked, pointing to the others.

Rachel's gaze followed his gesture. The other children were gathering up what few possessions they had and putting them into boxes with their names on them, stacking them up in a small pile near the door. "I don't think it's anything to worry about; we're just getting ready to go. The Japanese have found some people who will be taking care of us from now on."

"Who?"

"I don't know just yet. They're supposed to be having someone meet us today…"

Rachel paused as she felt a sting of discomfort in her eye. She moved to rub at it—but stopped upon seeing the pale hand of a Ru-class rising to her face. "...is your eye bothering you again?" Andy asked, concerned.

"...yeah, a little bit." Rachel instead opted to cup her other hand over the eye. She tried her best to ignore the glow behind said hand. "I'll be alright." A clattering sound caught Rachel's attention—a young boy, around thirteen years old, had stumbled and dropped the box he was carrying. Scars like chemical burns covered over half his face, and his one open eye glowed a sickly green. "Can someone help Eli? He dropped his things," She announced to the others.

The siblings watched as another girl, the one with Ne-class tails protruding from her abdomen, stepped over to the nearly-blind boy and helped him to his feet. "Do you think this new place will be nice?" Andy asked.

Rachel frowned. "Honestly… I don't know. But anything would be an improvement from… that place."

A sudden knocking got everyone's attention. They turned to the door, where they found a shipgirl standing there. "Hello, children," she spoke to them with a slight Japanese accent. "I want to thank you for going along with us, so far. I know that times have been… tough, for you, recently. Escaping the Mad Scientist Princess, moving from place to place with the Abyssal shipgirls, coming here and having a lot of tests and checkups done on you…" Several of the kids shifted uncomfortably on being reminded of their plight. "But that being said, I want to assure you that it's almost over. As I speak, a boat is being prepared to transport you all to your new home. Once you arrive, you'll be safe--safe from bad people, safe from being judged by others because of what's happened to you. But before we get you ready to set sail, I wanted to introduce you to a couple of the individuals who will be taking care of you."

As the shipgirl stepped aside, out of the doorway, the kids looked to each other with small glimmers of hope. Could it be true? Were they really going to their new home? Would things finally start to get better for them?

Those hopes died a little, when a pair of Abyssals stepped into the room.

The one in front was very tall, her head almost bumping into the door frame, with two large mechanical arms. A plain white dress was visible beneath the fur mantle sitting on her shoulders—too plain to be a normal part of her outfit, it felt like. Beside her was a Re-class flagship, only slightly shorter but still standing taller than anyone else in the room, looking around with a curious but restless expression.

"Hello, everyone," the Princess began, her voice deep but gentle. "My name is Tanith. I am the Northern Water Princess, and official leader of the Fleet of Laughter. I'm sure you all have met Princess Hoppou, when she inspected your… implants?" There were a couple of nervous nods and affirmative sounds from the group. "Well, I am her daughter. Our fleet controls a remote island in the North Pacific, where you will be able to more or less live in safety."

Rachel spared a glance to the other kids. Several of them watched the newcomers with apprehension, suspicion, anger. She didn't blame them; the mad princess and her Abyssals were the ones who had turned them into freaks. If the Japanese really cared about them, then why on earth would they be handing them over to another Abyssal group?

Looking out over the children, seeing these emotions, the Princess's stoic expression softened. "I understand that this arrangement may be… unappealing, to some of you. But I promise you, neither me nor my family want to see any of you suffer any more than you already have. We want to give you the chance to live out your lives and be happy again—something that monster tried to take away from you." She looked to the Re-class and nodded. The battlecarrier rolled her knapsack off her back and rummaged through it briefly before producing a small basket and handing it off to her. The Princess held this basket out to the children. "We brought some chocolate bars. Would any of you like one?"

The younger kids perked up at the offer, although they remained wary. A couple of them shuffled towards Tanith and slowly reached into the basket… and their eyes widened as they each pulled out a Hershey's bar. "See?" Tanith asked. "I am not here to hurt anyone. I'm sure treats like these have been few and far between for you children. I cannot tell you for certain whether that fact will change, living with us… but you have my word that my sisters and I will take care of you."

As several more kids felt emboldened to accept a candy bar from the Princess, Rachel noticed the Re-class eyeing her and her brother… and his tail. She stepped over and carefully lowered herself to her knees in front of the siblings; all the while, the head on her tail seemed to quietly observe the one on Andy's. "Hi," she said softly. "I'm Regalia. What's your name?"

"...Andy," the boy answered in a small voice.

Regalia gave the boy a small smile—probably trying not to show her jagged teeth, Rachel supposed. "That's a nice name." Looking over, she pointed to Andy's tail. "And this one? Does it have a name?"

Andy looked to his tail. The tail looked back at him, head slightly tilted. "No…" he eventually said. "It's just a tail. Why would it have a name?"

"Well, they DO have their own brains. We have a lot of control over them, sure, but that doesn't mean they can't think and feel things just like we do. For example…" Regalia reached out and stroked her tail's flank. The tail let out a low, grumbling purr at the gesture. "This is Tippy. She can be a little sassy sometimes, but she's great with kids. Really gentle."

Tippy leaned in closer to Andy's tail, inspecting it. After a few seconds, she clacked her teeth twice in quick succession, and in response the other symbiote huffed sharply. Tippy turned towards Regalia, who tilted her head. "What is it?" Andy asked.

"Tippy says he—your tail, I mean—wants to be called Domino."

"...Domino?" The boy frowned, puzzled. "Why does it want to be called that?"

Regalia shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you try asking him?"

"How?"

Rachel continued to watch her baby brother converse with the Re-class; occasionally she spared glances to the other kids, who were finally warming up to Tanith, judging from how they were gathered around her. Having been greeted so nicely by these new Abyssals, she began to think…

Perhaps living with these people really wouldn't be that bad.

XXXXXXXXXX

Hoppou ran her hands gently over Carrie's exposed back, tracing the pale outline that ran down her nape and spread out over her shoulder blades. Her rigging extended over the altered Ri-class's deck, lifting one of her turrets part-way out of its turret ring for inspection.

It wasn't as if Abyssal components couldn't come off, period. Really, with the outstanding exceptions of the Ne-class and Re-class's tails, almost all their metal bits could be detached at least temporarily. But one had to be careful when going about such a process—if a component was linked to their rigging in some way, mishandling it could damage them.

Such was the case here: the Ri-class's guns were fed almost all their power and information through tubes that connected to the plating on their back. By ripping that plate away, Carrie and Sherri had rendered their weapons almost completely inoperable. Of course, that may have been part of why they did it—to make themselves harmless—but the fact remained that they'd hurt themselves in the process, and had been in this damaged state almost their entire lives. That just wouldn't do.

But how to fix the damage without putting the plate back...

"So, how is it?" Carrie's question caught Hoppou's attention. "It's not... beyond repair, right?"

Hoppou sat up, rubbing her chin. "Well… girls did a number on turret internals. Severed hydraulics, cut wiring, that sort of thing. Hoppou could fix it right away… but it would require replacing turrets and turret subsystems. That means putting your metal parts back, the way they should be."

Carrie glanced to her sister, who was sitting off to the side. The two shared a nervous glance. "We're not in danger of having the damage spread, are we? You know, if we choose not to have our guns repaired immediately?"

The Princess shrugged. "Sisters have been okay for this long. Damage is mostly functional, not structural. Can't use guns, but no visible side-effects beyond that." She prodded the small of her daughter's back. "Does it ever hurt you?"

The changed Ri-class reached back and rubbed her neck. "No, not at all. At least, not as far as we can remember."

"Hm." Eventually, Hoppou's crane carefully lowered Carrie's defunct turret back into place, and her rigging dematerialized. "In that case… Hoppou can leave Carrie and Sherri's guns alone for now. Will look at Carrie and Sherri's blueprints, try to redesign riggings so they don't need any metal parts to stay attached. Does that sound good?"

The girls looked at each other, contemplating for a moment, before nodding. "I think that'd be acceptable, Mom," Carrie said.

"Great!" Hoppou grinned. "In the meantime, Hoppou can finally introduce girls to all their older sisters!"

The twins' eyes widened.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part XIII)

Stone of Lamentation, Tademait Plateau, Sahara Desert, Algeria

27 January 1942
Spoiler: Desert at Night

The stars overhead were a mass of diamonds spilled across the black velvet of the night sky. Colombe paused from stacking brushwood in the final fire pit to admire them. The wind from the Stone of Lamentation gave an eerie counterpoint what she saw, with the moaning of unspeakable sorrow at the transience of existence.
Spoiler: Night sky in the Sahara

"Takes your breath away, doesn't it, Del?"

"Yes, yes it does, Sis. It reminds me of a clear night on the Great Plains, nothing but me and the stars forever."

"Reminds me of the moon rising to form a rainbow over Mosi-oa-Tunya south of here."

Delilah looked a question at Colombe in the light generated by her wand as she glanced up from her watch.

Colombe's eyes were distant and her voice hushed "'The Smoke that Thunders' is the translation; the British call it Victoria Falls. Prefer what the locals call it. Waterfall on the Zambezi River in south-central Africa. I saw it in 1900 heading north to the Congo. One of the most awe-inspiring sights that I ever saw. In the dry season you can swim out to the edge and look down into the clouds as the water around you roars like a thousand lions."

Delilah nodded and responded in an equally hushed voice as the wind moaned and howled around them. "Something to look forward to after the war, Sis. Maybe we can take Mother, Jackie, and even our father there, make it a family outing."

"I'd like that. Thinking about it, a lot of what has happened over the years has sucked but then moments like tonight make it all worthwhile somehow. Sharing it with friends makes it even more special."

"Agreed. I would have enjoyed my around the world cruise a lot less if I didn't have Jackie along to experience it with. Half a hour until midnight."

Colombe mock pouted as she walked back to Delilah and surveyed the desert around them, resting one hand on her rapier. "Aww, and here I never got an around the world cruise. Woe is me." Her lower lip trembled and she sniffed obviously.

Delilah's voice was as dry as the sand that she stood on. "You never asked, Sis. I'm sure after the war that Jackie will be delighted to drag you off to get into trouble in some ports on another sea cruise. Jackie's never so happy as when she's got the wind in her hair and the wheel in her hands, after all."

"That...isn't a bad idea, Del. Maybe make it a family outing so I can meet your mother finally?"

The revolver frowned and spoke hesitantly, "Maybe. I'd have to talk Mother into it, and she has other commitments that she monitors that she won't drop to go off and sail. I...can't tell you more, because I'm sworn to secrecy and she makes the decisions on who to tell about that."

Colombe shrugged and drew her rapier. "I understand. What you don't know you can't tell. Same reason I have been vague about some of my activities because that way if the ICW ever questions you about me you legitimately can tell them nothing under Veritaserum."

Delilah smiled in clear relief. "Just so. Security's important. Speaking of that..." The revolver trailed off and looked up into the stars for a long moment as Colombe waited.

Delilah's voice was hushed and tentative. "You know the Ifrit better than I. What...what is the meaning of this emerald?" Her hand caressed the spot where the Medicine Pouch under her clothing lay next to her heart.

Colombe frowned in thought, picking through her memories of the abn Alnaar, stories that she had heard from Tamenokalt and other natives, and things that she had read during her travels. She spoke slowly as she nibbled her lip. "Mind you, I don't know, Del...but I can make some guesses."

The rapier shrugged, "All of what I know agree that while you can enslave a Djinn or Ifrit with the right item to trap her and the right spell to bind, they are always looking for a loophole. Commands carried out to the letter that harm their 'master', commands not given that liberate them. Knowledge withheld unless specifically asked for. The Devil is a lawyer, and another name for her kind is Shayatan. I rather doubt our quarry ordered Zamarad to leave a token forged from her magic in the embers of a fire that she perhaps ignited. Especially one as symbolically significant as the emerald representing her."

Delilah nodded and spoke slowly. "That makes sense. She admitted to me that she heard everything that was told to us therefore I would come here. Although our enemies are ahead of us..."

Colombe's teeth gleamed in the wandlight in a smug smirk. "Exactly. They were not at that haunted lake where we purified ourselves. If she was commanded to reveal the start of the path to the Sleeper's Mountain..."

Delilah's own teeth gleamed in a matching nasty smile, "She might only tell them to head here and summon the guide at midnight with fire. Not telling them a critical step to pass whatever lies ahead."

"My thoughts exactly, Del. Speaking of guides, how long?"

"Five minutes. Shall you do the honors, or shall I?"

"I'll handle it, Del. But back to Zamarad, we... well mortal humans and I guess those like us... represent a threat to them because we can bind them into servitude. Depending on the legends you read or listen to, that might date back to King Solomon. So they have an innate learned distrust of humanity, but we are also... well... the forbidden fruit to them. Now, it takes a lot to get an Ifrit to trust you and betrayal of that trust is really not worth contemplating, but if you are loyal to them then... there's more than a few folktales about genies having half-human children. Granted all of the tales that I know tend to have some apparently arbitrary rules that the mortal spouse must follow. Normally followed by the spouse getting curious or greedy or stupid and breaking the rules, then Bad Things happen."

Delilah nodded, her eyes distant and her voice very thoughtful, "Like Cupid and Psyche then. A common theme of a relationship between the Mortal and Immortal. They have rules that they have to follow and woe betide the mortal that violates them. Logically if I were to pursue Zamarad, honesty would be the best policy, and speaking to her directly about 'ground rules' is a must. Oh and never never letting Jackie hit on her in any serious way."

"Not unless you want to see if she can melt Jackie's blade. Ifrit can be extremely quick to anger and when they do...." Colombe trailed off with an impressed whistle at the memory, "Speaking of Jackie, where is she now?"

"In the Pacific. Some acquaintances were planning a private military effort against the Japs and I got Jackie in touch with them. She's incredible on the oceans. Byproduct of sailing the Seven Seas, I suppose. It's time." Delilah extinguished her wandlight.

"Oui." Colombe's rapier flashed in the starlight as she swept it in a salute and then spoke in a powerful voice that had an undertone of cracking flame as her blade moved, "Agni Kee Jvaala!" Fire trailed in the wake of the shimmering steel and all five bonfires lit as one.
Spoiler: A Midnight Guide

Delilah smirked, "Indian, Sis?"

Colombe nodded as she lowered her blade, "An invocation the priests of Agni used to light fires in their temples. Learned it in 1778."

Delilah smiled. "Works, I guess... Movement." Her head turned and tracked a dimly lit shape in the firelight who had appeared out of the darkness.
Spoiler: The Guide

Clad in a jet-black chador and with her face veiled in shadows, the figure approached to the edge of the flickering firelight with a slightly limping gait as the moaning wind fell deathly silent.

"Travelers. Met under starlight in the blaze of fire. Whither journey thou?" The voice was that of a young woman.

Colombe curtsied, "May your journeys find water and shade. I am Colombe Du Chasteler, and my sister is Delilah de Breuil. We journey to the tomb of the Sleeper under the Mountain of Flint. We were told to light the fire to summon a guide. Are you she?"

The figure gestured in affirmation, "I am Ghula-min-Mldalil. Well met Travelers. I knoweth the path, if thou hast the courage to follow it. Wilst thou follow me under starlight to where thou seeketh?"

Colombe's grip on her rapier tightened. "I shall, Ghula-min-Mldalil."

Delilah stepped alongside her sister, "As shall I."

Ghula stepped into the firelight fully then with her limp. As she did so, her head raised, showing an oddly-carved wooden mask covering her face.
Spoiler: The Mask

Colombe blinked twice. "That mask looks like ones from the Congo. May I ask where you got it?"

Ghulah laughed demurely, "A traveler many risings of the moon ago gifted me it as a token for his passage. It was crafted in the image of his God. All service cometh with a price, Colombe, Delilah. But you know that, this is the way of things since Adam was created."

She gestured. "Now, let us depart. the path is long and only those who wish to die wander under the heat of the sun. We travel by night and rest by day."

With that, the flames flickered and died suddenly in a cold gust of wind. Ghulah turned and began to walk, and nodding to each other the sisters followed her into the darkness.

 

[darthcourt10]

Weaver

Thursday, 26th December 2013

As had been the case for the majority of Boxing Days in his life, this one found Dan on the beach with his family, part of a large, slightly chaotic crowd who'd come to watch a bunch of nutters run into the sea. Some were in clothes that were season appropriate apart from being barefoot with the legs of their trousers rolled up, some were inv shorts and t-shirts,some were in fancy dress of various levels of absurdity (including at least four shipgirl costumes), and there was at least one nutcase braving the December weather in a Speedo.

The annual Boxing Day Dip was a local tradition that was organised by the Rotary Club to raise money for charity. The war had prevented it for several years, but with things cooling down and the nearby shipgirl base providing a fair amount of production, the beach had been cleared of mines and tradition resumed. This year's Dip was the third since then and like previous years Dan spotted his uncle Keith and other lifeboats volunteers suited up and keeping an eye on the proceedings.

Unlike previous years, this time they were accompanied by a familiar figure dressed like a nineteenth century fisherman and a large, shaggy Newfoundland, both of whom were standing on the water's surface. Zetland had been declared to be sufficiently seaworthy to handle being on calm and shallow water and, much to the delight of the lifeboat crew and Rotary Club, had volunteered to take part. While both her and Crossley were being very professional about things, they seemed to be thoroughly enjoying their first time at sea in over a century.

Another difference from previous years was that his family was a good deal larger. In front of him and his parents were the four River-class destroyers, wrapped up in coats and scarves to avoid attracting unwanted attention from shipgirl fans and watching the goings on with bemusement and a side of being visibly scandalized by what some people were wearing, although they didn't say anything. Neither did Forward, who was standing to his mum's left and also dressed to blend in, or C9, who was standing at the end of the row of destroyers next to Moy.

All of the seafaring members of the Hartlepool Bombardment club had been at his house the day before, which among other things had turned Christmas dinner into a major feat that had made everyone glad that they had two ovens and a good sized hob. It had also led to the discovery that parlour games were far more interesting to those who were from the Edwardian era, although them having only been in the modern world for nine days made charades and quizzes difficult.

Since they'd planned on coming to watch the Boxing Day Dip, the destroyers, Forward and C9 had spent the night. The destroyers in their newly purchased double bed in Dan's former bedroom, while, after a brief round of rock, paper scissors to decide things, Forward had ended up in the same room on the camp bed that used to be in the former spare room and C9 had slept on the sofa.

All of them clearly thought that those running into the sea weren't right in the head, although to be fair plenty of humans thought the same.

As the last of the brave, and now shivering, lunatics found their way back on to dry land, Zetland followed them and made a beeline for Dan's family.

"Good afternoon. Did you have a good Christmas?"

Dan's mum beat him to replying.

"Yes. We were a bit more crowded than usual but the more the merrier."

Meanwhile the other WWI vessels were looking at Zealand and Crossley in a way that Dan suspected meant that they were seeing a pair of specialised rowboats as well as a young woman and a dog. Zetland looked back at them.

"And who are these young ladies?"

Forward spoke up first.

"I'm HMS Forward."

The destroyers and submarine followed suit.

"I'm HMs Doon, pleased to meet you."

"I'm HMS Waveney."

"I'm HMS Test."

"I'm HMS Moy, pleased to meet you."

"I'm HMS C9."

Zetland smiled slightly.

"Pleased to meet you. Dan's told me about you. I'm Zetland, the world's oldest lifeboat and this furry individual is Crossley."

Doon tilted her head to the side.

"The world's oldest lifeboat? How old are you?"

"Well, I was built in 1802, so that'll make me two hundred and eleven. I served sixty-two years as the main lifeboat and made my last save sixteen years after I officially retired."

The last sentence was said with noticeable pride. The WWI vessels looked suitably impressed. Doon kept talking.

"Why'd you go out after you were retired?"

Zetland shrugged.

"Had to. The other two boats were out of action so it was up to me."

Test spoke up next.

"How many people did you save?"

"On my last launch or in total?"

"Both."

"Seven in the case of the former, over five hundred in the case of the latter. Which isn't as impressive as people keep making out; Tyne up in South Shields has well over a thousand saves to her name."

Despite Zetland's modesty, Dan sensed the WWI vessels' collective level of respect ramp up a few notches. He spoke up and changed the subject.

"What's it like to be at sea after so long?"

"Amazing. And a bit weird to be honest. It's certainly not the same as my hull doing so. Still, it was nice to be back on the water after spending over half my life on land."

"What do you think of the Dip?"

"It was what it was. I had noticed that there was something going on when I was still in the museum but I never knew what. Now I do."

As the crowds started to disperse, his family started the long walk back home, Zetland tagging along and chatting with Patricia while Dan listened in.

"So what about you? Did you have a good Christmas?"

"I suppose so. It's my first one as an actual person rather than a boat so I don't really have much to compare it to, although I had to put some effort into not thinking about the worst one I had."

Realising what Zetland was referring to, Dan winced slightly in sympathy. Of all the days you could lose a crewmember on, Zetland had probably had it happen on one of the worst ones.

His mum steered the conversation away from depressing territory.

"So, what did you do?"

"Went to church in the morning since my crew insisted on it. There was a bit of an argument about denominations but Church of England won, at least this year. Then I spent the rest of the day with the Picknetts since they invited me first, which Thomas was happy about. I'll probably be at Fred's for New Year's."

After a while the approached the lifeboat museum. While more or less intact, the old building had suffered some damage during Blood Week and the years that followed and was therefore boarded up. Zetland gave the place that had been her home for almost a century a sad look, which made Dan speak up.

"I heard that they're planning on repairing it soon. Your hull might be back inside it this time next year."

"Hmm. Maybe. It'll be nice for all of me to be near the sea again, although I don't really want to leave our James on her own."

Dan refrained from pointing out that the Sir James Knott was still just a hull. After all, it didn't mean anything; shipgirls were proof that there was more to ships than their hulls and Zetland remembered all of her two hundred and eleven years. Sir James Knott may not look like a person yet but that didn't mean that she shouldn't be treated as one.

"You can always go and visit."

"True. Anyway, I'd best be off. Someone's giving me and Crossley a lift back to the museum I'm currently living in."

"Okay, bye."

Goodbyes were repeated by everyone else and they parted ways, Zetland heading back towards the lifeboat station, Newfoundland in tow, and Dan and family heading on towards home, tea and Christmas cake.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

A/N: The Boxing Day Dip is an actual thing. See below for video evidence of the real life 2013 one.
Spoiler: Video

The Picknetts are a real life family who have been heavily involved with the lifeboat crew and Zetland for over a century. As in, you can't throw a rock at anything to do with either and not have a good chance of hitting a Picknett. The Thomas mentioned is Thomas Hood Picknett who AFAIK is the first of the family on record as having served on Zetland, although it should be noted that earlier records are almost none existent. The fairy version of him is very proud of his descendants.

Fred is Fred Brunskill who's in charge of the lifeboat museum in real life. I figured that going by what I know of him he'd want to be part of Zetland-the-person's life as well.

By the by, the real life Zetland returned to the museum earlier this month after going in for a much needed referb last year. She looks good.

 

[darthcourt10]

mikelima777

Now for some more Canadian stuff

*****

The Captain took a deep breath as he paced outside the bridge. He looked around at the city where his vessel remained docked, the sounds of a busy Japanese city at work. He watched as his crew settled back into the ship that kept them alive for nearly a decade. For the first time in ages, the signal flags were out on display as his ship, the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Regina, FFH-334, got ready for the long journey home. Captain Wilson now had the unintentional record for the longest command time of an RCN warship, having served as Regina's CO since before Blood Week.

For HMCS Regina, many expected this to be her final journey home, at least in her current form. Her diesel engines were now operational, but her two turbines were still unrepaired; it was found that they would need to be completely replaced, which necessitate cutting open the ship, a costly and resource consuming operation at best. Her old Sea King Helicopter had been taken off the ship; it had been loaded onto an RCAF C-17 Globemaster which flew back to Canada; several museums were already making bids to acquire it. The hangar was filled with spare parts, additional supplies, as well as some extra beds for a few passengers. While some of the crew had been flown home, many had remained aboard. They as well as their children were itching to head home. This time, she would not be sailing alone, responding to a distress call off the Aleutians and was subsequently presumed lost for years. No, this time would be different.

On the radios, Captain Wilson could hear the transmissions from the other vessels escorting Regina, as well as the shipgirls. Leading the escorting hulls was the new AEGIS destroyer HMCS British Columbia. The guided-missile destroyer was a derivative of the Arleigh Burke, inspired by the Japanese Atago-class and the Sejong the Great-class destroyers of the ROKN, featuring more missile cells and a sizable hangar able to accommodate two CH-148 Cyclone helicopters. There were also two of Regina's surviving Halifax-class sister ships, HMCS Vancouver and HMCS Calgary, as well as the Hamilton-class frigate Kelowna, a derivative of the Halifaxes. Rounding out the steel hulls bringing Regina home was the USS Ralph Johnson, a "wartime" Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built to replace losses from Blood week.

Also escorting Regina were a trio of Fletchers, as well as the Canadian shipgirls Ontario, Nootka, and Algonquin. They had orders to sail ahead of the group and act as the first line of defence. As well, a shipgirl tug was also sailing with Regina, ready to aid the frigate should the diesels malfunction. But they were not the only ones protecting the more vulnerable steel ships.

To some surprise, the group of abyssals known as the Wardens, who once guarded the captured Regina before joining the crew in survival, had all accepted offers to join the Royal Canadian Navy, with a possible route towards Canadian citizenship. To avoid the risk of being considered mercenaries, the Wardens were temporarily given ranks of Ordinary Seaman (B) and were technically under the command of cruiser shipgirl Ontario. However, they were de facto still under the command of their leader, the battleship Tandy Ferguson, despite her mysterious "health" conditions.

The de jure Ta-class battleship, Kai Flagship variant, had been dealing with increasing headaches, centred on a growing spike on her head. She was also confused over the change in her hair colour. Formerly, Platinum Blond, it was now partially coal-black, and it started to grow even longer than before. To add to the mystery, she had developed an appetite that could match a Yamato, yet there were no signs of pregnancy, and there was no strange cravings, only a desire for any food. To the shipgirls, it seemed like Tandy's hull, which eerily resembled an Iowa-class, seemed to be stretching, and a gap had developed between the aft turret and the aft superstructure. That gap now had a hole covered by a tarp, which slowly grew wider and wider. Despite this, she was willing to do her part to guide the ship carrying her husband and children home.

All of the Wardens, for now, continued to fly the flag of Hoppou's fleet, with the multicoloured aurora and crab pot. But they were also flying the Canadian flag as the state ensign. Given that their supposed status as commissioned warships was still ambiguous, they have not been issued the Royal Canadian Naval Ensign.

In the evening, the force departed the port with some fanfare. The formation of abyssals, shipgirls, and steel ships made their way eastwards. The Regina and her escorts would rendezvous with a merchant convoy bound for North America, carrying goods across the Pacific. The convoy was part commerce, part test; with the Fleet of Laughter signing the accords to assist humanity, it was hoped that the North Pacific trade route along the Aleutians would be re-established as a safe corridor for merchant ships, though escorts would be needed in case of incursions by hostile Abyssals.

In the distance, under multiple concealment charms, a vessel quietly shadowed the force, ready to intercept any wizarding threats to their non-magical counterparts. The orders from the Canadian Ministry of Magic were clear. Even if it were wizards from the Tokyo government or other ICW members, they were to intercept any attempts to interfere. Were the ship visible, observers would have been surprised to see what appeared to be an Annapolis class destroyer, a design that ended its service in 1998. The flag on her mast was the Canadian flag, except for crossed wands behind the red maple leaf, and the sides of the hull had the number "264 1/2" painted in black. On the superstructure towards the stern on each side, a wood embossed name plaque displayed the ship's identity in bold.

"SEVERN"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

A slight smile on his face, Harry walked between the various groups of people. He could see people chatting about various things or exchanging gifts with family and friends. No matter how many times he had seen it though, just the sight warmed his heart. It is was far different then the odd gift exchange he had seen with the Dursleys.

Briefly, a memory came to the fore in his mind. His five year old self looking through a crack in the door as gifts were exchanged between the Dursleys and a few neighbours at a party. How the adults mostly made polite noises with the gifts and placed them aside, likely to either exchange them later or toss them somewhere to be forgotten. Or Dudley just tearing off gift wrapping and tossing the present a few seconds later to go after another. Not really caring all too much what it really was... just that he had gotten it. Which was not to say that there was any real thought or effort put into it. But still...

Quickly shoving that thought to the side, Harry took a deep breath and let it out. His hand holding the bag at his side tightening some. Perhaps that was why whenever he bought a present or made it, he always put in the maximum thought into his choice. Or why he enjoyed making gifts so much.

Granted, from what he could see he was not exactly alone in that. After all, many of those there also took care in the gifts that they chose for their family and friends. And unlike those parties, the smiles and laughs were genuine as well, which made a lot of difference.

Shaking his head, Harry glanced around before spotting two familiar forms. One of them he had expected there, but the second? That was a surprise. Making his way over, he smiled up at the two who turned away from their chat, also brightly smiling, "Shinano-Chan! Regina!"

Lightly blushing, Shinano reached down and gave a hug to the teen, "Harry-Chan, merry Christmas."

Once she pulled back, she was replaced by the Re-Class who also had a small amount of blush on her cheeks, "It's good to see you as well, Harry. Merry Christmas."

Tightening the hug briefly, Harry pulled back, "Its great to see both of you here, though I am kind of surprised, Regina. After all, I thought that you were coming a bit later."

Just shaking her head, Regina gave him a smile, "I thought so too, but I was finished with my patrols early. So Lady Wanko allowed me to come before I was going to do so originally." Pulling her scarf up a bit, she hummed, "And I am happy for it."

A grin on his face, the wizard gave her another hug, "And so am I, Regina."

Beside her, Shinano was nodding, before giving her a half-hug, "I am too, Regina-Chan."

When they pulled away, Regina's smile grew before she suddenly gasped and put one hand into her poncho, "Oh! I got your present right here, Harry." Pulling out a small box, she handed it to him with a bashful look on her face, "I hope that you like it."

Somewhat bemused, Harry looked up at her, "It's coming from you, Regina. Of course I'll like it!" Opening the box, he gave a blink before pulling out a necklace of sorts in the form of a silver chain. Hanging from it though was an odd pendent in the form of a small person or baby, with a wooden head and glass eyes, "Huh..."

Chewing her lip, Regina pointed at it, "Um, that's a fumsup."

Head tilted to the side, the teen examined it more closely with his eyebrows furrowing, "I... remember hearing about them before? From Tiger, I think. And on SGO..."

Regina gave a nod at that, "They're a lucky charm and were popular during WWI. And, um... they made a comeback now with so many shipgirls from then." Shifting a bit, she smiled unsure, "I found it during one of my leaves in Australia."

Giving her a soft smile, Harry hugged her before kissing her cheek, making the Abyssal blush with some wisps of steam coming from her ears, "I love it, thank you." Pulling back, he slipped it around his neck and nodded, "And one can never not have enough good luck after all."

With a sharp nod, Shinano showed her own, "That's what I told her, Harry-Chan." Reaching into her own pocket, she pulled out a small, wrapped box, "And this is my gift, Harry-Chan."

Intrigued, he opened the box and blinked at what was inside before slowly lifting it out, "This is a seal... wait..." Recognizing it, Harry gave Shinano a shocked look, "This is my family seal."

Nodding, the Carrier smiled, "Hai, it took some work to find out what it was, but I did. And I had it made since you sometimes need it from what I know." Adjusting her glasses, Shinano blushed, "I... used some scrap steel from when I came in with some damages for it."

Shocked, Harry stared at her for a few moments. Gently placing it in his bag, he wrapped her up in a hug, "Thank you, Shinano-Chan." Kissing her on the cheek, he smiled as she flushed deeply, though with a pleased look on her face, "Thank you so much."

All the shipgirl did was nod before speaking, "You're very welcome, Harry-Chan."

Harry then reached into his bag and pulled out two boxes that he gave to the two, "And these are from me to you."

Both girls' eyes widened some and they unwrapped it and opened the boxes before gasping. Tears in her eyes, Shinano looked down at him, "Oh, Harry-Chan..." Reaching inside, she pulled out a block of quartz crystal, with a model of her hull made out of black jet on it. Around it, white quartz formed a wake, as if the model was steaming across the surface, "This is..."

Rapidly blinking away tears, Regina nodded with her throat feeling constricted. Her gift was the same, but instead of Shinano's hull, it was her own. The amount of detail made her blush some, but she could also feel her boilers running hot in her chest. With a deep breath, she summoned her courage and leaned down. Moments later, Harry's eyes widened as he felt her cool lips against his for a few seconds before she pulled back, "T-thank you, Harry..."

However, before he could say anything, Shinano did the same as her friend. When she pulled back, she had a bright smile on her face, "Hai, thank you, Harry-Chan."

At seeing his stunned expression, she gave a small giggle, though also feeling rather pleased with such a reaction.

Similar reactions played out with other shipgirls that Harry gave gifts much like the ones he did Regina and Shinano. When he gave Shioi hers, Shion stared for a few moments at it before becoming rather thoughtful. After all, it said a lot to her that he crafted such a thing for her sister.

When he gave Verniy hers, Inazuma could only shake her head in awe, "Hwawawa! That is amazing, Hibiki-Chan!"

Blushing, said Destroyer only nodded, "Da, it is." Throwing her arms around Harry, she gave him a quick kiss and pulled back, "Spasibo, Harry-Chan."

Akatsuki continued to examine the gift that Harry had given her sister while her mouth was open, "That is a really elephant gift, Harry-Chan! You are so lucky, Hibiki-Chan."

There was a frown on Ikazuchi's face as she raised a finger, "You mean elegant." Ignoring Akatsuki looking away, she hummed with a slight smirk, "Enough to give back those tickets to that Hatsune Miku concert that Harry-Chan got for you?"

Gripping said tickets tightly, the purple haired Destroyer stared at Ikazuchi, "No!" A blush on her face at the snickers, she gave a sniff, "No, because Harry-Chan understands what I like and I will not degrade such a gift."

Simply rolling her eyes, Tenryuu poked Ikazuchi in the head, "Lay off Akatsuki-Chan, Aki-Chan. You know how much she loves Hatsune Miku. And this is one of those concerts with augmented reality after all."

Rapidly nodding, Akatsuki smiled, "It is going to be so amazing!" She then gave Ikazuchi a look, "And I am not sure if I should bring you along, Ikazuchi-Chan. After all, you're not being very lady-like right now." Ignoring the grumbles from said Natural Born, who crossed her arms and huffed a bit, the Destroyer considered things, "Huh... maybe bring along Atlanta-San? She did seem interested... and Inazuma-Chan and her boyfriend."

Now it was Inazuma's turn to be blushing, "T-Toby-Kun is not my boyfriend, Akatsuki-Chan! Just a really good friend."

A smirk on his face, Harry hummed a bit, "Well, considering that video that Ikazuchi-Chan posted on SGO~"

If anything, that made Inazuma flush before she shot her twin a withering look, with said look bouncing off the unrepentant girl. Then she turned back and gave both Verniy and Harry a look, "You're a fine one to talk, Nanodesu."

Blinking, the thirteen year old wizard cocked his head to the side, "Poi?"

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

"This one... and this one... and this one here..."

Takumi looked up from his book and scanned the boys in the seat just ahead of him. They were clustered around something that the one actually sitting there--he didn't pretend to remember his name--was holding. From context...

"This entire page. Right here. Hottest."

"Yeah, but they're Cruisers. They're gonna stay that age like forever. You wanna go for a battleship."

... They were looking at a photobook of some kind. Probably something to do with Shipgirls. Takumi groaned, but just as he was returning his attention to his book, someone spoke up.

"Yeah, I'm totally joining the navy. Once you reach captain and beyond, they all start throwing themselves at you."

Lowering his book again, Takumi thought back to his admittedly somewhat intermittent interactions with the Shipgirls and naval personnel of Yokosuka base. He didn't think that he had ever observed behavior quite like that. Maybe it was done in private? No, people weren't so stupid or unprofessional.

"Oh, dude! You could have your pick of them!"

"Or you could just have all of them at once! See, I have this cousin..."

Putting his book down, Takumi tapped a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "... Am I the only one who doesn't really get the appeal of having multiple girlfriends?" he mused to himself.

As one, the boys in the seat ahead of him turned on the one individual in class who not only had a girlfriend, but a girlfriend who wouldn't mind bringing another girl into the relationship and a second girl who was outright interested in him.

"YES!" they roared in unison, brought together by their dislike for the one person they personally knew who had anything close to the dream they wished to live.

Takumi shrugged and returned his attention to Father Brown.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Eyelids flickering some, Haku hummed some as he slowly awoke. The first thing that he noticed was that he was warm in his futon, toasty as a matter of fact. It was the type of warmth that made one want to snuggle in and stay like that for a time.

Which brought his waking self to the next point... mainly that the warmth in his bed was not coming from him, but a second body as well.

Opening his eyes, Haku felt himself smile some as his vision cleared and he was greeted by the sight of the slumbering Kiyohime. The demoness had her eyes closed and was softly breathing in and out, an expression of contentment on her face. Like he had done so every time he could since his girlfriend had started sleeping in the same bed as him, Haku just traced her face with his eyes, committing it to memory. Moments like this was precious to him like nothing else.

Moments that he used to convince himself that, yes, this wonderful woman was in love with him as he was in love with her. That she cared that deeply for him and returned his affections. And that this was not some sort of dream. Something that he knew she did much the same when she woke up first as well.

Gently reaching over, Haku pushed a strand of hair from her face, fingers brushing against the soft, warm skin of her cheek. Shifting a bit, he pulled himself a bit closer to her as he just laid there with the clock on his dresser ticking away the seconds, the minutes, and the hours. None of that really mattered much to him, after all right now was almost a dream despite being awake, for he was with his Kiyohime.

Eventually, the demoness' eyelids fluttered and soon opened. As Haku watched, sleep cleared form the golden orbs of her eyes and she blinked the last bits away before yawning. Upon seeing her boyfriend watching her with a small smile, she blushed deeply, "H-Haku-Kun...?"

Lips curling upwards into a smirk, Haku cupped her cheek with one hand, feeling the heat from the blush under it. Hot, but not burning though he noted with some amusement how smoke seemed to curl from her ears as she subconsciously leaned into his hand, "Hmm? Yes, Kiyohime?"

Still blushing, she glanced away, "Were you watching me sleep?"

Now blushing himself some, Haku nodded, "Hai, I was. You look so peaceful when doing so that I can't help myself, Kiyohime." Leaning forward, he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "I love seeing it."

Flustered some, Kiyohime buried her face in his chest, "It is somewhat embarrassing, Haku-Kun.." Tilting her head back up, she looked into his eyes with a small smile on her face, "But... also wonderful."

Chuckling, the nearly eighteen year old nodded, "Hai." Thumb gently rubbing around the base of one of her horns, Haku smiled as she sighed, "I'm just glad that I am blessed by you being my girlfriend."

Her eyes meeting his, Kiyohime shook her head, "No, Haku-Kun. It is I who am blessed. And every day as well since I met you." Kissing him, she threw her arms around his neck as she pressed their lips together for almost a minute and then pulled away, "Truly blessed."

Heavily blushing, Haku grinned a bit. At least part of it was from the kiss and the rest was from the fact that his girlfriend's body was pressed against his own. Giving her a peck, he chuckled, "Merry Christmas, Kiyohime."

Brightly smiling, she gave a nod, "Merry Christmas, Haku-Kun." Shifting a bit so that he was on his back, and she was straddling him, she sat up and the blanket fell away. Unlike what most would think, the room was not cold, but was warm from Kiyohime's warmth. However, she smirked a bit as he gulped from the fact that the blanket now off her revealed that she was once more wearing his clothes.

Something that she tried to do every time she went to bed due to the effect it had on him.

Eyes flicking from the bare legs exposed to Kiyohime's own eyes, Haku only sighed, "Why do you do this to me?"

Giggling with a twinkle of happiness in those golden orbs, Kiyohime tilted her head, "Because of what it does to you, Haku-Kun." With a soft hum as his hands gently brushed the soft skin of her bare thighs, she smiled, "And because I like to."

Only shaking his head, the seventeen year old sighed before propping himself up and looking at her, "Well... I can't deny that I enjoy it myself, Kiyohime."

Head tilted to the side, Kiyohime gave another giggle before closing her eyes for a few moments. Opening them, she looked down on her boyfriend with a happy look. Once again, she sent out a silent thank you to whoever had allowed for her to wake in this time and meet the young man before her. To her, despite what she had done... this was heaven indeed. Placing one palm on his chest, Kiyohime leaned down and gave her boyfriend yet another kiss. Another kiss that she placed into her heart which was slowly filling with warm memories of their relationship. Yet another moment that she would treasure and revisit time and again.

Eventually, the two did get out of bed and got changed, neither of them leaving the room. After all, they had seen each other before in little. Though, they did sneak looks at the other. Once they were dressed, Haku kneeled down on the end of the futon and patted beside him, "Come and sit, Kiyohime, I'll do your hair."

An air of mischievousness around her, Kiyohime did that... except she sat in his lap. Lips curling as she laughed a bit at his expression, she shook her head, "Thank you, Haku-Kun."

With a sigh, the young man brushed her hair to the side a bit and kissed her neck, which caused a shudder to run through her. Another one also went through her with an electric tingle as his warm breath tickled her ear, "You're very welcome, Kiyohime."

Not long after, the two were down in the living room exchanging gifts. Opening hers, Kiyohime gasped a bit at the sight of the silver earrings with yellow gemstones hanging from them. Yes, in her day such a piece of jewelry was unknown. But she had no doubt that if it had, it would be something for a noble to wear, not the simple daughter of a Village Headman. Feeling a hand on hers, she looked up at Haku, "Haku-Kun?"

Cupping her cheek, he gave her a serious look, "You are not just the daughter of a Village Headman, Kiyohime. You're also my girlfriend... and the woman that if I had a chance, I would take as my wife."

Breath freezing in her chest just as it had done so each time he had made such a pronouncement, Kiyohime stared at him before tears gathered in her eyes. Then, sniffling, she launched herself at him which knocked him back fully onto the couch, "Oh, Haku-Kun!" Kissing him hard, she pulled back as the two of them were both breathless, "Thank you..."

Arms coming up and around her waist, Haku smiled at her, "You're welcome, Kiyohime." Briefly, his mind went to something else, something that he had been thinking of for some time now. After various conversations, he finally relented and published his first Light Novel. It was the one dealing with a young boy in the Heien Era and his various adventures around his village. Much to his surprise and shock, it became something of a hit and already, there was quite a bit of money flowing into their home.

Enough money for him to consider a special gift...

Yes, he knew that he might never be able to marry Kiyohime as much as the two wished for it. She had no presence in the non-magical world after all, so that was a no go there. And in the magical world... the Tokyo Magical Diet had declared her a criminal for multiple breaks in the Statute as well as what had happened when some Aurors had knocked him out and were going to modify his memories. Granted, from what he found out later, said Aurors were rather hated by Yokai, and thus no one shed a tear for what happened to them, but still. It just meant that was a no go there as well as far as marriage was concerned.

But... after some time, Haku had thought about things. What was marriage anyways? A piece of paper? Something that declared to the world that the two were one? Was that really all that important in the end then what the two people in question thought and believed?

Haku came to the realization that such things didn't really matter in the end, what did was what the two people in question thought and wanted with their hearts. And as far as he was concerned, the beautiful young woman who was his girlfriend? She was the one he wanted as his wife. No lack of paper was going to stop that from happening.

The only question in his mind... was what the ring should look like...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Operation: BUTTERKNIFE (Part XIV)

Tademait Plateau, Sahara Desert, Algeria

28 January 1942

Delilah frowned as she followed her sister Colombe and their masked and shrouded guide Ghulah deeper into the desert through the predawn darkness. Fortunately both she and Colombe had spells to see in low-light conditions as they walked deeper into the desert. Ahead a range of hills rose like the spine of some ancient beast, dark in the starlight.
Spoiler: A Dark Journey

Delilah frowned minutely as the guide gestured to the left and they proceeded into a ravine that wound deeper into the hills. Ghulah's soprano voice sounded. "Not long now, another three hours before we can stop and rest through the day."

Colombe responded, "Come on, Del. How long will it take us to reach the Mountain of Flint?"

"As long as it takes us to." Unhelpful. Not an answer.

"Oui, I see." Colombe shrugged and clambered over a small drop with cat-like agility. Delilah followed and continued to follow their guide.

Finally as the sky just barely began to lighten the guide stopped and gestured to their left. The long-vanished river that had cut the canyon had carved a cave in one of the bends. "We rest here and resume our travel in the cool of the night."

Delilah nodded and flexed her wrist to let her wand shoot out of its forearm holster.

"Lumos!"

The nine inches of English Oak flared to light and her eyes narrowed at the scuffed sand on the floor of the cave. "One moment, let me examine this."

She walked forward with a cat-like tread and knelt, reading the tracks with trained skill that had been honed with her decades of experience as an Auror and spy. "Two individuals with hobnailed boots... one small one with sandals..." Automatically her mind flashed back to the Ifrit Zamarad's feet in leather sandals "and a group of them with clawed toes and paws walking upright, at least eight." Wulfen.

Her lips thinned as she walked to a fire pit and carefully laid her hand on it. "Lingering warmth in the coals. One day."

Her eyes flicked at Ghulah and then rested on Colombe. "I suggest rotating watches. You sleep first after eating and drinking Sis. I'll wake you at noon, you wake me an hour before sunset."

Colombe nodded. "Works for me."

Delilah lit the firepit with a small application of magic and soon enough a leg of mutton from her pack was roasting under Colombe's supervision, using the rapier as a spit. Delilah meanwhile laid out a bedroll and then cast charms to refill the canteens that they had used.

"Ghulah? Do you need me to refill any waterskins that you have?" Delilah asked the silent woman sitting in a shadowed niche.

The figure shook her head. "I must decline your offer of water."

Past her Colombe's eyes narrowed slightly. "Anyone want mutton, flat bread and salt?"

Delilah smiled. "I will have some, I have worked up an appetite."

Another head shake. "Alas, I ate before I met you." There was...something...in that soprano voice.

Colombe nodded decisively. "Well then, breakfast is served."

After eating, and extinguishing the fire, Colombe glanced over at their guide. She then smiled smugly. "Oh Del? I really have to thank you for introducing me to that poet you like so from Baltimore that you sent me as a Christmas present in 1940. You know the fellow who wrote 'The Raven'?" Edgar Allen Poe. And it was 1934 when I gave you that for your birthday, not 1940.

Delilah smiled with slightly forced cheerfulness. "Indeed I do! 'Quoth the Raven --Nevermore!'"

Colombe nodded as her smile grew. "Well this little walk reminded me of part of his poem about the 'The Bells'. 'Hear the tolling of the Bells - Iron Bells! What a world of solemn thought their monody compels!'"

Delilah's smile froze as she nodded. "Indeed it does. Indeed it does." Her eyes found the curious masked form of their guide. "Indeed it does."

"Perhaps I shall compose a poem for you while I stand watch." With that Delilah walked to the opposite wall from Ghulah and leaned back against the solid stone; her right hand resting in her lap an inch from her pistol's grip. "Sleep well, Sis."

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

When Delilah woke after exchanging watches with Colombe, she saw Colombe examining scratches on the stone as her rapier glowed gold. 'Coincidentally', she was in a position to watch the unmoving form of Ghulah as she did so.

"Look here Del, I have seen inscriptions like this before. The Berbers south of here told me that these are spells of protection and binding."

Delilah nodded, filing away the data point to refine her tactical calculations. She cast her own divining spell and saw faint witchlight dance along the worn grooves in the bedrock. "Interesting, Sis. I'll pack the bedroll so we can make good time."

Delilah's eyes hardened and she watched her sister's jaw firm as Ghulah finally stirred. "We have a few things to discuss with those ahead of us. Pointedly."

Colombe's matching smile showed all her teeth.

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

Unfortunately, the Nazis and their captive stayed a 'day ahead' as hills and canyons turned to salt flat that turned to shifting sand, and then turned to more hills and wadi and finally wind-sculpted mountains.
Spoiler: The durar Uhaggar

The miles dragged on into monotony for Colombe, albeit a familiar one from her travels from Belgium to Japan and then throughout Africa. From words shared with Delilah, her baby sister had done her share of long chases and travels as an Auror in the West and then into Mexico before she had met her oldest sister.

The days were the same pattern, one sister slept as the other stood watch over Ghulah, who refused water, bread, and salt.

The only thing that changed was the tension as it steadily ratcheted up notch by notch.

Finally at the beginning of their tenth day of travel, things changed.

Ghulah paused at a twist in the wadi which they had been traveling down, and gestured at a large stone that had slid down the slope. With a solemn groan, the boulder moved, revealing a dark passage into the heart of the stone.
Spoiler: The Final Leg of the Journey

"Not far now. We shall reach the Woods by the rising of the Moon!"

Delilah flashed her wand to light. "Good. The Mountain is just beyond the Woods."

With that she nodded to Colombe and the trio entered the tunnel. Obsidian glass reflected the wandlight back in a maze of mirrors that subtly distorted their forms as they walked on a slight downward slope. Behind them, the stone rolled back into place.

Finally, the tunnel ended, and Colombe, Delilah, and Ghulah stepped out into a round valley filled with vegetation. The sky overhead was a yellowish-gray as the moon illuminated a massive sandstorm swirling overhead.

Delilah's voice was glacially calm as she looked up. "Ahh, that explains the golden clouds of the poem."

Colombe nodded and loosened her sword in her sheath as she surveyed the tangled dark trees ahead with a low silvery mist filling them. "True, at least there is a path if those white markings on the ground are any indication. Be ready, Sis."
Spoiler: The Woods

"Come, come! The Sleeper awaits!" Ghulah limped forward.

Colombe followed with one hand on her rapier as Delilah knocked a half-moon of obsidian from the tunnel walls and pocketed it before bringing up the rear. The path ahead was marked with cairns of rounded off-white stones.

Delilah smiled as they passed the first one and then whispered to herself in Italian, " Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita, mi ritrovai per una selva oscura, ché la diritta via era smarrita."

Colombe raised an eyebrow and spoke in an equally quiet voice as her eyes flitted among the mist shrouded woods.. "Dante's Inferno, First Canto? How fitting. Finding ourselves in a Dark Wood with a guide."

"I didn't know that you spoke fluent Italian, Sis." Delilah's voice was hushed.

"You never asked, Del. Time to do this." Colombe squared her shoulders and stepped forward.

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

The path wound and twisted, and finally reached a pair of statues. The one on the left was a woman carved of black basalt with a circlet on her hair and a flowing robe. On the right was an armored and vizored knight with a short sword and three hearts and three lions on his shield, all carved from white marble. Just past the statues, the path continued to a ten-meter wide moat filled with brackish water, surrounding an island of flint with a visible cave entrance. White stones made a pavement starting between the statues and ending at the water's edge

Delilah waved her wand as the trio stopped just before the statues. A circle of swirling energies formed in front of her face. She slowly turned in a full circle, humming to herself.

"Anti-Apparation and Anti-Flight wards, no anti-Portkey though, although that does not help. Must have been a recent development after Morgan or her acolyte set this up. Concealment and notice-me-not littered throughout the forest. Guess we need to swim, although that water looks foul. Also... some nasty curses in the woods, probably kill anything living in a matter of moments. Path between the statues is clear."

Ghulah laughed melodiously. "Nay, Travelers, I shall summon the bridge." She began to chant guttural and disquieting syllables and a brown causeway appeared from the water stretching from shore to shore. Water streamed from its broad surface.

"After you, Travelers."