Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

"You know… given what we knew of the island before this, I'm surprised we didn't discover something like this before now." Rivet threw her hands up. "I mean, there's a volcano—not like it's going to erupt during our lifetime, but there was bound to be hot stuff in the vicinity."

The expedition members sat lounging in one of the cabins. Suffice it to say, nobody expected to uncover a vein of water running underneath the wild pigs' nest—almost all the Abyssals who had participated in the hunt had been covered with dirt and mud to some degree by the sudden eruption, failing to realize what was about to happen when they got close. Fluffy had arguably gotten the worst of it, being engulfed by a blast of water measuring around 170 degrees Fahrenheit; the poor Princess was currently soaking in a tub of cool water upstairs, her entire body having a pinkish, almost human-looking skin tone from the scalding water.

Regalia sat off to the side, munching on a small ingot to restore her lost top. "I can't help feeling kinda guilty," She grumbled. "My intimidation tactics got Fluffy burned, literally."

Rivet shrugged. "It was a freak accident that nobody could have seen coming, given the circumstances. Once she gets over her burns, I'm sure she'll be able to look back and laugh at this incident." She gripped the Re-class's shoulder and shook her gently. "And look on the bright side—we can build a hot spring!"

"Do we even know how?"

"Admittedly, no." Regalia turned to the doorway to see her mother Tanith enter. "But we can reach out to others in Japan for help or instruction. But anyway, good work, everyone." She nodded towards her daughter with a small smirk. "Especially you, Regalia. I heard your warcry from all the way back here."

Regalia inclined her head, trying to subtly hide her blush. "Thanks, Mom." Tippy got her attention with a shoulder nudge, prompting her to feed what was left of the ingot to her tail. "I was actually kinda surprised, myself. I mean, Tippy's let off some roars every now and then, but none of them have ever sounded like that."

Tanith hummed. "Perhaps it is because you were doing something you've never done before: issuing a challenge."

"And one hell of a challenge, if you ask me," Rivet added. "Some of those pigs didn't even try to avoid us… all they could focus on was getting away from you."

After a few seconds' thought, Regalia shrugged. "That makes sense, I guess." She pointed to the floor above. "Anyway, Mom… if you want to talk to Fluffy, she's upstairs. I bet Aunt Renita is worried about her."

"Actually… Renita has been playing with the children. They seem to like her." Tanith gestured to the window. Outside, the Re-class was playing goalie—both herself and her tail working, albeit halfheartedly, to keep the kids from bouncing the ball off the cabin wall behind her. "That said, I do think I will pay Fluffy a visit. She must be commended for her work scouting out the nest—and locating a valuable commodity, however accidental and painful it may have been."

As Tanith made for the stairs to the second floor, Regalia spoke up once more. "Hey, I haven't seen the other flagships in a while. What have they been up to?"

Looking back, Tanith brought a claw to her chin, thinking. "...I believe they have been cooperating on a project."

XXXXXXXXXX

Ritou sat back on her haunches, letting out a sigh. "Okay… that should about do it, wouldn't you say?"

The other installations pulled away from the dry dock, bags visible under their eyes. It had been a taxing few days for them—putting together a hull from scratch was no simple task, especially when there had never before been a ship like it. Every little detail needed to be looked over once, twice, three times over, to ensure the schematics were being followed to a T. Of course, they could have made do with a few more hours of sleep per day, but what's done, was done.

Thankfully, their diligence had paid off. Laid out before them was the completed hull of the Mi-class heavy repair ship... the first of her kind. She was motionless, dormant… but with the imps donated to her by all of the installations, there was at least a small spark. Something that, hopefully, would eventually grow into someone new.

Nuri lifted her arms over her head with a yawn, stretching to loosen her muscles after several days with little movement. "I guess we've done all we can… for now, we just wait and see if she will wake up."

"You really think it will work?" Patty asked.

Ritou shrugged. "Maybe. We just did what Tanith does when she makes new ships: we struck the imps from our crew manifests, and released them into this new Abyssal. All that remains to be seen is if they'll take it from there, and start actually populating the hull."

Yoko rubbed her eyes. "Yeah… I just hope that, if it works, it takes at least twelve hours. I need to sleep."

There were sounds of agreement from her sisters. After taking some time to clean up their work area, the flagships were finally able to amble sluggishly out of the room, eager to seek out a bed to lie down in. Behind them, the dry dock chamber was left quiet, the sounds of machinery finally gone after several days of nonstop activity. For now, at least, their work was done.

So it was that, just minutes later, nobody was present to see a finger twitch...

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Leaving the tea house behind, Harry smiled first at Maruyu and then Imuya, who both took his hands in theirs, "Well, you two seemed to enjoy that pie."

Eyebrow raised in amusement, Imuya poked him in the side of the head and made him snicker, "And you didn't, Harry-Chan? Besides..." She grinned some, "It was chocolate!"

A serious expression on her face, though one ruined by the amused twinkle in her eye, Maruyu nodded, "Hai! And it being chocolate was the most important part."

Unable to help himself, the wizard snorted and shook his head even as he smiled, "You two..." Both girls giggled and leaned into him for a few moments before pulling away. As they walked though, Harry glanced around at some of the roadside stalls that had various things in them. Each of them had a theme though, and that was for Valentine's Day. At one point, when they walked past a river, Harry blinked, "Huh, that's sort of nice."

Confused, the two shipgirls turned in the same direction and their eyes widened a touch. Because sailing down the stream were swan shaped boats. But more than that, said boats were animated with wings fluttering out every so often and their heads turning in this direction and that one. As one passed by close, they could see that it was even propelled by the "Feet" of the swan, something that made Imuya raise an eyebrow at, "Huh, that looks sort of neat."

Turning to her, Harry cocked his head to the side with a considering sort of expression. After a few moments, he smiled and chuckled, "Want to go and try it out?"

With a glance at him, Imuya opened her mouth before pausing. Then, she too, gained a thoughtful look and slowly grinned, "You know... those are built for two people. It might be a bit of a squeeze for three..."

In reply, Harry blinked and tilted his head, "Poi?"

Something passed between the two shipgirls and they nodded before pulling Harry along. Soon enough, they reached the 'Dock' where people got onto the swan boats and off before they waited for their turn. It did not take them long, though the attendant there raised one eyebrow at the three of them before shrugging.

After all, it was none of his business... though he was somewhat jealous of the thirteen year old boy.

Once they were all seated, though squeezed together as Imuya mentioned, the boat headed away from the dock and down the river. Glancing around, Maruyu noted that there was no breeze or wind, but it was also somewhat warm. A glance down at the floor of the boat revealed one of those magical heaters which explained the warmth, but not the missing wind. When she mentioned it, Harry shrugged, "Probably some sort of shield charm that keeps out the wind, which means that the heat stays in to some extent."

Leaning back, Harry was somewhat amused as the two Submarines leaned into him in a cuddle. Chewing his lip briefly, he let go of their hands and wrapped his arms around their waists. Which was something that, going by their smiles, was the right thing to do in that situation. Watching as the river banks passed by, Imuya sighed, "Now this is nice."

Just humming, Maruyu nodded, "Hai, it is nice..."

Softly smiling, the black haired wizard kissed first Maruyu on the cheek and then Imuya. Something that the two returned back before going back to cuddling. Eventually, the ride came to an end and they got out, with Harry nodding at Ron and Duke who were getting into one, much to the confusion of the attendant.

Once more with his hands in theirs, Harry was glancing around before Maruyu grinned and pointed, "Can we try that one, Harry-Chan?"

With a blink, Harry turned in the direction given and spotted a small booth where people shot spells at targets at different spaces. As he watched, one young man got a hit close to the bullseye and turned to the person in charge of the booth. Said attendant nodded with a smile and handed a teddy that the younger wizard gave to his girlfriend with a smile. Considering it, Harry nodded, "Why not?"

Reaching it, they waited until the man who was in charge of the booth realized that they were there and he smiled at them, "'Ello there, want to give it a try?"

All Harry did though was nod and grin, "Sure, any rules?"

The man seemed amused by it and rubbed his chin in thought, "Well, no dark magic is the only real one. Also, no attacking no one either." When he got nods, he continued, "Now, there are different targets fer one ta hit. Each one is at ten foot distances, so one at ten feet, one at twenty, and so forth. As well, each one is a multiplier by the tens. So hit a target at twenty feet and the area is two times the points of one at ten. At thirty, it is three times, savvy?"

While Harry nodded, Imuya hummed some, "Does it need to be outright magic that one uses?"

Eyebrow raised, the attendant frowned, "Not really?" Reaching behind him, he pulled out a well kept bow and an arrow, "Yeh can use these as well, or one of them crossbows. Same rules as the spells, no attacking one with them."

Simply nodding, Maruyu held up her hand, "I'll take the crossbow."

A grin on her face, Imuya shook her head, "Then I'll have the normal bow." Taking it, she examined it and hummed, "Nice."

Just snorting, the man shook his head, "Of course it is, I keep them in good shape since some always use them trying to impress someone by mastering something 'Muggle'. Not that it ever really works out all that well fer them, mind yeh."

When the man turned to him, Harry shook his head, "I'll use my wand for this." After giving the man some money, the thirteen year old walked to the firing area with Imuya and Maruyu. Glancing at the red haired Submarine, he raised an eyebrow before softly speaking, "You any good with that bow, Imuya-Chan?"

The Submarine just grinned at him before speaking just as soft, "I'm pretty good, some of my crew were into Kyudo, and I learned from them." Winking, she continued, "So don't worry about me."

Harry just smiled some and took up his position, "I'm not, Imuya-Chan, because I know that you're just that awesome." Because he was looking away from her, he missed the blush on the red haired shipgirl's face. With a glance at the man attending the stall, and getting a nod, Harry took a deep breath and cast his first spell, the Arrow Creation spell. It shot from his wand, solidifying shortly afterwards and hit the second target close to the center, "Got you."

Lining up the crossbow, Maruyu chuckled, "Not bad, Harry-Chan." Firing it, her bolt impacted even closer to the bullseye, "But I can do better."

With a scoff, Imuya brought up her bow and took aim. It hit roughly on the other side of the target from where Maruyu's bolt did, "You're not the only one, Maruyu-Chan! For I am a Sniper of the Seas!"

Rapidly, Harry snapped off another arrow spell, this one hitting right between the two Submarines' own hits, "And I am a wizard, Imuya-Chan."

Each of them glanced at each other and smirked before turning it into a competition as they each tried to outdo the other. Soon enough, they switched to the thirty foot target and then the forty foot one. Much to the two girls' surprise, Harry was especially good at hitting that target. Their competition only ended when the attendant called out, "Okay! You've hit your limit for what you paid."

Still smiling, Harry walked over, "So how did we do?"

Only rubbing his chin, the man tallied up the points and nodded, "Not bad. The young wizard here just barely beat out both of you young ladies, in which case it was a tie or close enough." Handing them the paper, he gestured at the stall of prizes, "You did well enough that you get to chose your prize, so go ahead.

It didn't take long for the two girls to choose their prizes, with Maruyu choosing a stuffed dragon which wiggled some in her grip, while Imuya chose a unicorn plush. Both shipgirls were happy with their chosen prizes and gave Harry a kiss, ones that made him grin madly even as the two Submarines snickered.
__________________________________________________________________

Groaning in relaxation, Imuya walked out of the bathroom in the guest quarters at Hogwarts with a pleased smile. She was wearing her usual sleepwear which consisted of a T-shirt declaring no hedgehogs allowed, sleep pants, and one of Harry's old robes that she had grabbed alongside Iku and Hachi. Reaching the two chairs where the thirteen year old wizard was across from Maruyu, she snickered some, "Maruyu-Chan's beating you at Go again, Harry-Chan?"

A frown on his face, Harry just nodded, "Hai, she is." Pouting, he gave a playful huff, "She keeps massacring me in this and won't let me win."

Unable to help herself, Maruyu giggled and wagged a finger at him, "Sorry, Harry-Chan, I can't go easy on you. Otherwise, you would never improve." Examining the board, she crossed her arms and leaned back with a smug smirk, "Speaking of, I win again."

Theatrically moaning, the wizard threw his hands into the air to the amusement of the two shipgirls, "See what I mean, Imuya-Chan? She's so harsh."

Mock serious look on her face, despite the twinkle in her eye, Imuya nodded as she patted the young boy's head, "There, there, Harry-Chan. One day you'll beat her." Moving around the chair, she sat in Harry's lap, something that flustered him even as she placed her arm around his neck, "Today was a great day, Harry-Chan. I really enjoyed myself."

Across from her, the smaller Submarine nodded with a smile as she put away the game, "Same here, I really enjoyed myself as well, mogu mogu!" Placing the gameboard into her hull, she sighed, "It's nice to have times like this away from the war."

Expression softening, Harry looked at her, "You only need to ask, Maruyu-Chan."

Her expression just as soft, and understanding, Maruyu gave a nod, "I know that, Harry-Chan. But that does not make days like this any less refreshing." Getting up, she walked over before getting into his lap as well and hugging him, "Something that I am thankful for."

With a sigh, the teen smiled at her.

Glancing at her plush unicorn, which neighed softly, Imuya remembered something from their day, "By the way, Harry-Chan, you did really well with those spells when we won that aiming game. I mean, you were hitting close to the targets nearly all the time, even that one that was moving."

The wizard blinked at that, "Hmm? Oh yeah, I've been practicing with my spell accuracy. Hoshi-San has been having me do a lot of that. Especially with the arrow spell because it can be used against things resistant against magic."

Both shipgirls nodded at that before they changed the subject to other things. Such as their favorite activities of the day, all of which they were rather excited about. Then, they turned in, cuddled up together in the bed. Lights turned off, Maruyu looked up at Harry and gently kissed his cheek, "Good night, Harry-Chan, and thank you for today."

On his other side, Imuya did much the same, with Harry lightly blushing before kissing them both on the head, "No, thank you both for today, I really enjoyed myself. And hopefully you both have pleasant dreams."

Imuya and Maruyu snuggled more in and the red haired of the two sighed before yawning, "I... don't think there is any worry about that, Harry-Chan." Eyes closing as his heartbeat lulled her to sleep, she hummed, 'No worries at all...'

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

Omake- The Disguise

Drops of crimson tapped the floor in a slowing beat as the windows rattled. Eyes flashed not to the light and sound outside, but to the door. Feet ghosted silently across the floor as she finished her grisly treat, her face a mask of horror.

"Gēge?"

Her hand flashed again and a small body fell as she held aloft a second prize.

She closed her eyes as a wave of pain, terror, and fear washed over her from the city. It had been…too long…too many countless centuries she had been deprived of such a repast. And yet, she was very aware of her danger. She was no stranger to war and strife, and despite her experience there was always the possibility of defeat. She would need…camouflage.

She dropped to all fours and slinked across the room to the body. It was still warm, as if the life had not yet left it. Without a second thought she stripped the clothes away, her hands moving over the soft tissue. It would do.

Nails elongated as her fingers teased the flesh before slipping beneath. Centuries of learning allowed her to strip the flesh off and wear it as her own. Normally to do such would require a bargain with a human, a heart for a heart, skin for skin, but an oathbreaker and a liar…the Laws of Heavens were no protection for such a person, and Yen Lo Wang would have his due.

She sent a sliver of power out.

She blinked.

The Gates of the Tian were sealed shut. The Heavenly Emperor was silent. Even prayers to Nuwa, whispered from frightened voices, were unanswered.

And yet, this battle raged between Tianxia and the Darkness. She could feel it calling to her. This Darkness. It was like a warm, familiar friend. A banquet served from the depths of Diyu.

Her breath caught, and the turned to the East.

An echo.

A mirror of her own soul.

Like calls to Like. Soul calls to Soul.

She hesitated.

Time has made her whole once more, and that part of her that separated so long ago could only be a singular entity like herself now.

Perhaps one day there will be a reunion, perhaps even reunification, but for now, she turned away.

She stood at the window and watched the city burn.

Her ears twitched as did her nose. Others approached. A flick of power sent the discarded sword flying across the room and to her hand. Another flick altered the skinless body to the visage of another.

"Jin Yong," A breathless voice raced into the room. "What-"

"A Jiuweihu," She replied. "Perhaps seeking to cause mischief in the confusion." Her invisible tails wove a subtle spell.

"Ah," the man blinked. "I see. We need to go. The city is lost and we dare not tarry any longer should the Westerners seek to impose further restrictions due to the violations of the Statute of Secrecy. The others will happy that you survived."

Statute of Secrecy? "Then let us be off. I am sure the others will be most…pleased."

She followed the man from the room without a glance back. I have much to learn of this new world, and this will be most…enjoyable…

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

It was dark, damp. The ground beneath her was cold and hard.

Where was she…? WHO was she?

She took a deep breath, her chest rising, when she realized there was something over her mouth and nose. Slowly, hesitantly, she brought a hand up to her face, fingers brushing against some sort of crinkly fabric, and pulled it away. Her eyes fluttered open… and hanging over her face, grasped between her fingers, was a white face mask. Where did this come from?

She took several seconds trying to get up off her back, her motions jerky and sluggish. It took her a few seconds, but eventually she lifted herself upright. Looking down at herself, curious as to the mysterious weight in her shoulders, she let out a soft grunt at the pair of large, soft, heavy mounds of flesh hanging off her chest. It was probably going to get annoying lugging these around…

Setting that matter aside for now, she started to look all around herself, taking in her surroundings. The chamber she was in was dimly lit, with only just enough ambient light for her to not be blind, and littered with several piles of scrap metal. She seemed to be alone… but some other sense that she couldn't quite identify, told her that that wasn't the case. Somewhere nearby, there were others of her kind… and among them, her progenitor.

One would think that this realization would bring her comfort… but instead, it only filled her with great unease. Waking up in this cold, dark room, all by herself… suddenly it all felt so wrong to her. She didn't want to be alone, not in a place like this. She wanted to be somewhere brighter, warmer… she wanted to be with her kind.

She had to find someone.

She shifted herself over until she was on her hands and knees, crawling to the nearest wall. Using the rough stone surface to brace herself, she slowly rose up on her untrained, wobbly legs. She took one shaky step, then another; with each step, her movement became just a little bit easier. After several more steps, she had reached the door that she assumed lead out of this chamber. She tried to push on the door, open it… but it held fast. A glance at the corners told her that this door hinged inward, not out. While she could have just worked her way to the other side of the door and opened it there, something in the back of her head told her there was a quicker alternative.

On a whim, she decided to go with it.

There was a flash of black steel, a blaze of light… and the door's hinges fell away, glowing with dissipating heat.

She didn't know what to expect, when she pushed the door open. What would she see on the other side? A hallway? A path outside? Was there anyone waiting for her…?

Whatever the case, she should have seen what was about to happen next—freed from its hinges, the door had nothing actually holding it up, meaning when she pushed against it, it simply fell over, hitting the ground with a loud crash.

XXXXXXXXXX

Renita slumped back in the beanbag cushion with barely a sound, her body aching and her eyelids heavy.

Playing with the children had been… fun, she supposed. For a few hours she was able to set aside her near-constant worries, and just try to give the children a good time. At the start, she couldn't help feeling she'd be unable to live with herself if she didn't do her best to make these kids happy… but as time passed, she actually found herself enjoying it, as well.

But spending time with the children had taken a lot out of her. While she might have been healthy on the outside, the fact remained that her spirit was fractured and frail; it took significantly less to exhaust her, mentally and emotionally, than anyone else. Honestly, just getting through her normal day was enough to tire her out. After several hours actively exerting herself? She didn't think she had it in her to make it to her bedroom—she'd be better off just tapping out here.

Renita shifted weakly in the cushion, trying to make herself more comfortable. Once her weight was better distributed—and she was sure she wouldn't accidentally flatten the cushion—she let out one last sigh, and drifted off to sleep.

At least, that was what she had planned to do. Instead, she was abruptly jostled by one of her crew. She turned inward, mildly disappointed at being kept from sleeping… but perked up when her imps told her that a new IFF had suddenly popped into existence on her system.

It was nearby… and it was like no signal Renita had ever seen before.

Slowly, she picked herself up from the cushion, and started lumbering towards the strange new signal. Over the course of a few minutes, she made her way across the throne chamber, down the side hall, and around a couple corners, all the while pondering the signal, where it could have come from.

Finally, she rounded one last corner into a hallway that ended in a single door… which fell forward from its frame before her eyes.

There was a booming crash, echoing through the hall... and into the deepest recesses of her mind.

surrounded on all sides by hungry, hateful glares, screaming hoarsely as she fired the last of her ammunition—

no

tearing at a Ru-class's flesh with her bare hands, howling in pain when the Abyssal's sixteen-inch guns went off mere inches from her head, rupturing her eardrum and scorching the right side of her face and neck—

no no no

her tail issuing a challenge in a strangled, gargling growl, its lower jaw ripped off by the War Demon—

no no please no make it stop

letting out a raspy growl at the Demon, her throat ruined after hours of screaming and pain, fighting past her agony as she clung to the scorching-hot barrel of her foe's turret—

make it stop MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP

managing to warp the barrel, bend it, even as the flesh of her hands caught fire, just moments before it went off—

explosion

everything burning

PAIN

and darkness consumed her.

XXXXXXXXXX

She flinched at the loud noise; that was bound to attract a lot of attention. But as she took in the hallway past the door, she realized that was a moot point—standing at the end of the hall was a Re-class battleship, standing stone-still, staring at her with impossibly-wide eyes.

"...uhh… H-hello?" She asked quietly.

And then, without warning, the girl screamed.

She jerked away from the doorway in shock, falling back to the floor. In front of her, the Re-class collapsed clutching her skull, continuing to scream; her tail writhed behind her, emitting a distressed, keening howl.

What the hell just happened? Why did the Re-class suddenly completely lose it? Why did she know this was a Re-class, and what even was that!? So many questions that she desperately wanted to find answers for… but looking at the girl, those questions fell to the wayside. Something in her just couldn't bear to see someone in so much anguish.

The girl needed help. She needed comfort. And her heart demanded that she be the one to give that help and comfort.

Shakily getting back on her feet, she stumbled past the door, towards the frenzied Re-class. A small part of her was worried that the Re-class might lash out at her if she got too close… but once she had gotten right up beside the girl, it became apparent that she was trapped in some sort of nightmare, completely oblivious to the world around her. Trying her best to tune out the Re-class's shrill cries, she grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her close. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry… please, snap out of it!" She pleaded softly. "Everything is okay—you're fine, I'm fine, we're fine! Just calm down, please…"

For a moment, she feared her actions were having no effect… but then, the Re-class's screams began to sputter. Her cries got just a little less loud, a little less ear-piercing. Emboldened by the deescalation, she pressed on, adjusting the Re-class so her head rested against her own soft chest. "Th-that's right… we're all fine, see? Whatever you're scared of, it's n-not real. You don't need to be afraid… I just want to help you. So please, try to calm down…"

XXXXXXXXXX

Tanith paced through the palace, Regalia beside her. "How long ago did it happen?" She asked.

"Two, maybe three minutes," Regalia answered. "I was coming into the palace to get something from my room when I felt a weird new IFF. Then I heard a really loud sound, and next thing I knew, someone was screaming."

"And you did not go and check it out yourself?"

"I didn't know what I would find. I wanted some backup." Regalia looked around. "It's quieter, now."

"Hmm."

Tanith's rigging manifested as they rounded the corner, where the unidentified Abyssal was supposed to be right in front of them. She was prepared to take on whatever threat they might face… but what she found instead left her at a loss for words.

A pale, voluptuous woman dressed in a monochrome nurse outfit... a freakish capital ship, the likes of which neither of them had ever seen… laid on the floor in front of a broken door, holding a trembling, sobbing Renita against her bosom.
Spoiler

https://forums.spacebattles.com/attachments/capture-png.40942/

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love V

Yokosuka Fleet Activities Archery Range

Suzume Ibuki stepped back from the shai archery line and bowed to Houshou in the instructor's kamiza seat to her right. Getting a nod back in return she moved to the hikae waiting area against the back wall as Kaga and Akagi took her place on the firing line.

Soryuu joined her, removing her hachimaki headband and then retying her twintails. "That was some good shooting, Suzume."

The she-wolf smiled and unlaced her muneate breastplate, "Thank you, Soryuu-sempai. I am getting used to shooting with a muneate on in case my rigging requires it."

The Blue-Green Dragon nodded and stretched as they walked to the storage area. "Good thinking. And even if you don't end up with equipment like First and Fifth Carrier Division's, you never know what a Kai remodel will bring." She then hefted her significant fuel tanks. "Fortunately, Hiryuu and I do without, I fear they do not make one in my size."

Suzume started to laugh and then paused as her phone vibrated. Slowly she removed it and then smiled at the text message.

SUZU-CHAN WATCH THIS NOW!!

She clicked on the link as Soryuu peered at her friend. "What is it?"

The She-wolf started to giggle through her grin as she turned the phone so Soryuu could see the video stream of Moriko enthralled by a short bishounen waiter at a cafe. "Ara ara, I fear my romantic of a big sister has been found out at long last."

The laughter redoubled as Zuihou poked her head inside the storeroom, "Hey guys, what's so funny?"

"Give me the link, Suzume-chan, and I'll post it on SGO!"

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SGO General Forums/Ship Happens

Post #11453 by Blue Dragon (Midway Veteran) (We Are CarDiv2 But We Try Harder!) (Kidou Butai)

SUBJ: "Cute Couple? Discuss!"

Is this not the sweetest thing that you have ever seen? *^_^*

(can we send a temporary access link to Suzume? Expecting some prime video from her in a hour)

link: Sachik003/BigSisGotABoyfriendArooo

Post #11454 by BattleshipX (Moderator) (USN) (Verified Badass) (Scientist Boat) (BB-57)

RE: "Cute Couple? Discuss!"

GENERAL QUARTERS! GENERAL QUARTERS! ALL MODS MAN YOUR SERVER MELTDOWN STATIONS! HOT GOSSIP INBOUND!!

(I'll get her a link sent and will just upgrade her server access after she Awakens)

(and I need some insulin in here ASAP)

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

Moriko unlocked the door to their apartment and wheeled Sachiko inside, humming happily. Even the devastation inflicted on her bank debit card by her needed payoff of sewing supplies to keep her little sister from spilling the beans could not quell the song in her heart. As she flung the door wide, the song reached her lips and she began to sing with her head tilted back and her eyes closed.
Spoiler

"I know you,

I walked with you once upon a dream

I know you,

The gleam in your eyes is so familiar a gleam..."

"Sleeping Beauty, Moriko-chan? So who is Prince Charming?? Ara ara, so my big sister has finally found her type! Weak, slight, and waif-ish little girly boys~!"

The she-wolf's eyes popped open to see her twin sister sitting at the table recording her reaction with a phone. Her ears popped out and flattened and her tail manifested and sank as she whined.

"Shit! Suzume-chan how could you?"

Sachiko wheeled to Suzume and gave a high-five to her sister.

"You too Sachiko-chan?"

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

SGO General Forums/Ship Happens

Post #11506 by AirWolf (Probationary Member)

Re: "Cute Couple? Discuss!"

As promised here it is:

link: suzume002/GotBigSisGOOD

Post #11507 by xX-BushidoSamurai-Xx

Re: "Cute Couple? Discuss!"

Sailed broadside on to a CVL's trollpedo bombers on her airstrike?

That's a paddlin'!

/Jingles'd

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

Moriko closed her bedroom door behind her and groaned.

She was dead, dead, dead, dead.

She trudged over to her desk and started to pull out the romance mangas. She was never going to hear the end of the teasing from her sisters and her friends.

Ugghh...

She then paused as she pulled out the last book. her head snapped around to the alarm clock.

7:03

SHITSHITSHITOHNOWHATIFHEDOESN'TPICKUPI'MLATECALLINGHIMSHIT

Frantically she grabbed her phone and punched in his number with shaking fingers. As the phone rang, she squeezed her eyes shut and tears formed as she trembled.

Please pick up...please pick up....!

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

Yokosuka Municipal Library

Hachiko smiled as he unlocked his bike. He couldn't believe that such a beautiful girl had wanted his phone number.

Maybe, just maybe she could be the mother that Aki needed.

If she called, surely a girl like that could do better than someone like him, a Hanyo with no magic and a young brother to care for.

He blushed and adjusted his glasses as he fought down the worry that she would come to her senses.

She was also really sweet, maybe....

He sighed and shook his head, and then gulped nervously. He...didn't know if he was ready for an actual girlfriend. He certainly wanted one, but he didn't want Aki to get caught in the crossfire if things turned out badly.

What happened at the end with Father and Mother...

With an effort of will, he pushed away the memories of those times.

The arguments, the yelling....

He wouldn't let it happen to Aki no matter what.

Besides, somehow, deep down, he knew that this girl wouldn't let things come to that point.

He hoped.

His phone rang.

"Moshi Moshi, Miyata Hachiko desu." He responded automatically as he accepted the call.

"Hachiko-kun!" He closed his eyes luxuriating in that contralto growl.

"Hello Moriko-sama, you and your sister are well?"

"We are, thank you. Um, I was wondering, um... "

The sound of a door opening sounded through the phone's speaker followed by a snarl of "GET OUT SUZUME-CHAN!!!"

He blinked. That was the name of her third sister. Clearly there was some kind of domestic disturbance on the other end with the baby of the family. "Um, moshi moshi?"

"CAMERA, NOW! Or I'll feed it to you!" More indistinct noises.

He blinked again, and then reached his free hand in his pocket as he waited.

He paused as he found the business card and pulled it out.

'Couple's Karaoke Special, Two enter for the price of one!'

He smiled shyly realizing that thanks to his share of the tip, he could actually afford a day out... and this was on his next day off.

Aki would even be in after school kyudo class then. Lucky!

A door slammed and then Moriko spoke again, "Hachiko-kun!" She was out of breath, clearly her baby sister had run her ragged.

"Yes, I'm here. Are you free next Thursday? I... um... I have a coupon for a Karaoke bar trip. So, um, if you want...." Hachiko spoke slowly, fingering the coupon.

"YES!!!! I live on base so you can't visit, but I can pick you up at the main gate! When does it open?" Moriko's voicce was husky and her growl made him suddenly think of a large dog protecting her pups.

"According to the coupon, noon and it stays open to 2 AM. I'll have to pick up Aki at eight though from his kyudo class."

"Aki.. OH! Your brother! That's great! I'll see you at eleven-thirty at the main gate here and... um..." She paused and then continued with a bit of a desperate tone in her voice. "We can get dinner too."

Hachiko blinked, "I'll make us bentos then?"

"Great! Um and... er... you can... call me any time if you want to talk or... something?"

He smiled. "I'll call you after I get Aki fed and help him with his homework and clean the house then?"

"Yatta!" He could see the toothy smile in her voice as she proclaimed victory.

"I can't wait, but I do need to head home and take care of Aki."

"Hai, be safe, and I'll see you Thursday. Ja ne!"

Hachiko smiled as the call ended and he pedaled home, humming a happy song and with his mind filled with the thoughts of a bent-nosed goddess.

Across the city at the Naval Base Moriko began to throw clothes onto the bed and whined, "Oh no!! I don't have anything to wear!!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

And some bonus SGO fun on the Moriko thread. H/t to K9Thefirst1

Shimakaze: They need to slow down! Love's not a race, they'll make babies! (BotRC reffs!)

Dreadnought: Oh how precious. However, Miss Moriko must take caution if she is to go courting. I am in agreement with Miss Shimakaze, this sort of thing must not be rushed, lest there be some sort of scandal. If you are in need of arranging an investigation into this young man's background, I would be more than happy to offer my Quartermaster's services.

Akigumo: Hate to bust your bubble, but it's pretty clear that she's batting for the other team!

Dreadnought: Don't be ridiculous, that is a man. A very effiminant man, but masculine nonetheless.

Akigumo: Please, this is the 21st century, get with the program! They're in lesbians with each other!

Dreadnought: And the adam's apple in his throat?

Akigumo: ...Shut up!

*Rhode Island - [BCV-01] [Good Ol' Girl] [New Girl In Town] [Fully Armed And Operational Battlecarrier]: Shoot, that right there's a prime sight of a coon dog treein' her prey!

*Rhodie will have been revealed to the world by now.

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Ron, Duke and Warspite 11

The house was much dirtier than Ron had expected it to be, though he did not complain as he moved through it with Duke, Warspite and Summer. It was their house, which meant that it was his job to take care of it. At least some of it would be. Warspite and Duke had already mentioned a maid and he now agreed with them, even if it would be nigh impossible for it to get this dusty again.

As they reached the rather large kitchen in the back of the house, the group was greeted with even more dirt, as well as what looked to be several rather large and old stains, as well as a possible fire mark on one of the walls and ceiling. At least heavy smoke damage.

"We'll need to get that cleaned." He muttered, looking everything over.

"I think we'll need to do more than that." Warspite's voice was confident as she moved to what looked to be several old appliances, her steps marked clearly in the dust. "A full refit would be my preference."

"I agree." Duke stayed next to Ron, looking around with her nose scrunched up. Ron couldn't blame her, it was rather gross and there was the simple possibility that she was about to sneeze.

"Well Mum and your Mum did get us a deal on the house. Even more than we already did I mean." Ron cast another few cleaning spells to get rid of the worst of the dust. "We could use that to help."

"Duke and I didn't use all of our savings Ron, we can certainly fix this." Warspite turned and smiled at him. "Besides, it's not as if we don't have friends to help us after all."

Ron nodded, thinking of what Harry might do with a kitchen this size all to himself. He could feed dozens. It was then that he brain realized something else. The kitchen was actually meant to serve dozens. The house was meant to contain quite a few people as well. The three, no four of them would practically be swimming in the place even if they did get a maid or two.

"That's true." Ron spoke, looking around for a moment as his brain ran through a number of different ideas. "Do you think we could help them out as well?"

Warspite paused and turned to Ron, quirking an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" Ron looked to her, then over to Duke who was looking at him as well.

"I mean there's what… easily a half dozen bedrooms or something in here?" He gestured at the kitchen. "The kitchen is way more than the four of us would ever need."

""There's at least a dozen bedrooms if you count the smaller ones." Duke commented. "What are you getting at Ron?"

"I… uhm..." Ron shook his head, turning around to look at Summer who was in her normal dress. The flowy, relaxed look of something meant to take your ease in finally clicked what he'd been trying to process in his brain.

"I mean what if we renovated this place not just for us and Summer but for everyone?" His mouth was now having trouble keeping up with his thoughts. "Admiral Whitcomb already mentioned that the Royal Navy was interested here and your mother said something as well. I think they mentioned it more as a place to keep people if necessary but what if we made it bigger than that? A home away from home for people? We could get everything refurbished, maybe get a repair bath put in and let others cycle through if they want to. A little bit of a break between missions and if we can get another vanishing cabinet set..." Ron suddenly stopped as he realized he'd been rambling.

He coughed to clear his throat and looked between Warspite and Duke.

"At least that's the idea I had. Since we've got so much space." He waved his wand vaguely around the kitchen.

Warspite looked to Duke with one of her incomprehensible (to Ron) smiles and then back to him.

"I think that's an idea seriously worth considering." The smile she gave then was not incomprehensible at all and quite pleased.

Ron felt himself flush with pleasure, especially after Duke placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I agree. There is quite a bit more space we have yet to see and there is no way we need all of it to ourselves." Duke's voice was calming to him as well and Ron nodded before again remembering something and turned back to look at Summer.

"Would you be ok with other people around, Summer?" He looked up at her pale blue eyes, the Abyssal Installation looking confused.

"M-me?" She pointed to herself.

"Yes you." Ron nodded. "If you'd be upset if there were other people around then we can't do it. You're supposed to live here too after all."

Summer looked even more surprised, glancing between Ron, Duke and Warspite before continuing.

"W-will they be n-nice to me?" Her voice was soft, nervous but still ever so much better than it had been before.

"Yes they will." Ron surprised himself with the strength of his voice. "If they aren't I'll make them go away."

If he'd been able to see the smiles and Duke and Warspite's faces from where he was, Ron would have realized that he'd taken another step along a path he'd been unknowingly traveling for quite some time. A step along the path that would eventually see him be a commander of thousands of tons of armor and firepower in truth and not just in their hearts.

"O-ok." Summer nodded, smiling again at the young human who'd rapidly gone up in her esteem, largely building it as he went. "As long as they're nice and d-don't break my stuff I don't mind."

"They won't, I promise." Ron nodded to Summer once more and she let a faint smile come across her face.

A cough came from behind him, causing Ron to turn suddenly. Dreadnought and his mother were standing there, each of them sporting a small smile on their face.

"I think we're done with the downstairs." Molly spoke first. "It needs refitting of course and a thorough cleaning but you were already discussing that."

"Err… yes." Ron glanced between Duke and Warspite, who still seemed pleased and back to the elder women. "We might do a bit more than we thought."

"We heard most of it." Dreadnought spoke with what Ron could think of as approval. "If you do offer up such a thing, I believe we could rightfully have the Royal Navy assist in the refurbishing. Some of it at least. Adding a repair bath at minimum."

Ron nodded, feeling Duke give his shoulder a squeeze.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

"So should we check the upstairs or perhaps head out back?" His mum's voice cut in. "There's a lot more to see."

"Lets go upstairs first." Warspite spoke again, gesturing back to the door from the kitchen. "That way we can start to think of things we might need to change before we go outside."

There was a general murmur of assent and Ron turned, noticing the second stairwell just outside of the kitchen.

"Lets go up this way." He said, taking the lead while everyone else followed behind.

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

The eyes had watched as the Young Master cleaned up his new property with his own hands. The ears that went along with them listened as he spoke to his companions, two clearly the mother and mother in law(?) of him and what appeared to be at least two if not three partners. The fact that he was so young and yet clearly held their respect only spoke more highly of him. Yet he was also clearly being guided in a few ways, even if the touches were light and he made his own path for the most part. That spoke well of his companions.

The idea that the Royal Navy would be using the house as a rest area for weary sailors was a good one. It had been empty for so long but the eyes knew that if given the chance and half the refit the Young Master was suggesting then they would be quite happy. They'd make sure of it.

The observation continued as the group went upstairs. The Young Master got the Master bedroom of course, with the two blonde companions getting ones to each side. There were appropriately no doors between them, as the Young Master was still a bit young for some of the more adult things that had happened there previously. It was clear the two matrons approved and there was talk of new, larger furniture as well. The large pale one was not a partner as they'd thought originally but more of a ward. A happy ward but a ward nonetheless.

Talk continued about the rest of the bedrooms, needed furniture and refits to the plumbing and electric. Wealth appeared to not be an issue for the Young Master or his partners, which meant all of it would have been top notch even without the help of Her Majesties Government but he appeared to be doing quite well for himself there too.

As they finished with the upstairs and headed back down to examine the rest of the buildings, the presence smiled and continued to follow them. Though it seemed like he would be a good master, it did not hurt to form as full of an opinion as you could first.

The Young Master would see her soon enough after all.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Took long enough but stuff is progressing for Ron.

Comments welcome as always.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Maruyu's eyes slowly fluttered open to reveal the bedroom bathed in the early morning light. A glance at her internal clock made her smile some as she snuggled in, 'Still have at least two hours before needing to go home.' Closing her eyes, she just enjoyed the warmth of the body beneath as well as the slow heartbeat while Harry breathed in and out slowly in his sleep. Times like this were ones that she treasured greatly, even as common as they had become. Some might think that it made it less precious due to how often it happened.

But then, to Maruyu's mind, that made them just as precious.

Each experience like what she was going through, she made sure to engrave upon her memories. To be forever part of her, part of her very soul. Such things were far more precious than any gemstone, any amount of gold, or treasure. Memories, like the ones she was building, were her treasure in her mind.

Briefly, her thoughts turned back to when she had returned years ago. No one had been quite sure what to do with her. She had no weapons that could be used to kill Abyssals, nor were there really any island installations that needed her to run supplies to. Not to mention, she was an Army Submarine serving in the JMSDF.

At the time, she had been depressed about how the world had changed. Japan, her nation, had been defeated though she had not seen this as quite a bad thing seeing the modern Japan. However, Maruyu had known that it left her without a place of sorts. Especially when she realized how the IJA was seen, the part of the Japanese military she had been part of. Shortly after, she had begun to perform trips up and down the coast, basically acting as a courier for the other shipgirls and delivering things as needed from base to base. It... was not much, but it was something.

One day though, she had met Harry when visiting the other Submarines. Meeting her, he had been curious about her and what she did. And, Maruyu had indulged that curiosity. Why not? After all, few really were curious about her. It was after she had talked about her lack of weaponry that Harry had tilted his head to the side and asked a question that brought her up short...

"Why can't you use normal weaponry as well? Like, rocket launchers and stuff."

Confused, Maruyu had been about to say that she couldn't due to being a ship, when she remembered that she wasn't just a ship. She was now a shipgirl. Shortly after, she started experimenting and working out how she could do things. Which lead to her as she was now, likely the closest to a Special Forces Operative in the Japanese Shipgirl Corps. And she felt that she owed the first steps on the road to it to young man who slept beneath her.

There were other things as well which caused her to come to deeply care for the thirteen year old wizard.

Maruyu was not blind to the fact that compared to her friends, she was somewhat plain. After all, both Iku and Hachi were busty and curvy, while RO and Shioi had the legs. Even Imuya was what one could call 'Balanced'. Now her? She was shorter than the others, even RO, with barely anything that could be confidently called a 'Figure'.

Oddly, the one time that she had blurted it out to Harry? The than ten year old had given her an odd look and asked what she meant? After all, to him, she was pretty like the others. And no, she was not short, she was petite. He had stated it with such confidence and surely, that Maruyu had believed him, and still did every time he told her that.

The one time she had mentioned it to Iku, the bluette had laughed and told her that she was lean, not figureless. And that was nothing to be ashamed of. A fact shown to her as the others had taken her out shopping and showed her how to dress in a way that brought it out. Much to her shock and embarrassment, Hachi had commented that she sort of wished that she had a body closer to Maruyu's. Easier to get nice clothes for, and also because if she had longer hair, she would look like the epitome of a Japanese beauty.

It went without saying that every time she remembered that, Maruyu felt a pang of thankfulness towards her friends.

Eventually, she opened her eyes to find Imuya also awake. Softly smiling, the red haired Submarine's voice was a soft whisper, "Good morning, Maruyu-Chan."

Smiling back, the smaller Submarine nodded, "Morning, Imuya-Chan. You have a pleasant sleep?"

With a hum, Imuya's smile widened a touch, "Hai, I have." Her eyes closed partially and she sighed, "Times like this are wonderful, aren't they?"

From where she was, Maruyu gave the barest nod possible, "They are, Imuya-Chan. And makes it all worth having come back along with new friendships and the like."

Reaching over, Imuya grasped the Army Submarine's hand in her own, "Hai, and I am glad for it."

All too soon for the two shipgirls, Harry woke up and blinked away sleep from his eyes before smiling down at them, "Good morning, Imuya-Chan, Maruyu-Chan. Have a good sleep?" Just watching him stretch, the two nodded which made him smile more, "Good to hear."

Internally glancing at her clock, Maruyu sighed within her hull before sitting up, "We should be getting up, Harry-Chan. After all, it is nearly eight and if we're to have breakfast before leaving..."

Harry just nodded at that before sitting up himself and kissing her cheek, "Hai, that's true." With groan, he stretched again, "Though I wouldn't have minded a bit more of this."

Unnoticed by him, the two Submarines lightly blushed at that even as they smiled. Getting changed, the three of them headed to the Great Hall for some breakfast, and then left for one of the rooms beside the Great Hall. Looking out onto the snow covered grounds, Maruyu let out a sigh, "This was great."

Walking up beside her, Harry leaned against the window frame and nodded, "It was, and I really enjoyed myself."

Imuya gave a hum as she placed her arms behind her head, "Maybe we should do more like this back in Yokosuka, Harry-Chan. When you're home, I mean."

Head tilted to the side, Harry just nodded, "I'd like that." With a sigh, he gave both of them a hug, "I'll miss you."

Just tightly hugging him back, Maruyu nodded, "And we'll miss you, Harry-Chan." Standing some on her tip toes, she kissed him for a few seconds and pulled away, both their faces feeling like they were on fire, "I'll see you in Yokosuka in a few weeks."

Backing away, she let Imuya do much the same, the other Sub's cheeks about as red as her hair after giving Harry a goodbye kiss. They then waved after Harry returned said signs of affection and were whisked off back to the Vanishing Cabinet that leas to Yokosuka.
__________________________________________________________________

Adjusting her clothes, Hanna looked herself over in the mirror and gave a sharp nod to her reflection, 'Good, I'm all ready for the day.' With a chuckle, she turned to where her two "Shadows" were waiting, "Mia? Mila? Are you ready as well?"

The Veela twins nodded silently before smiling as they spoke as one, "We are." Heads tilting to the side though, they chewed their lips, "Are you sure about this, Hanna?"

Simply ruffling their hair some, the Heavy Cruiser chuckled, "Ja, I am sure about this you two. Harry is both a very good man and a very good friend. And I have been looking forward to spending the day with him for some time now." Her eyes softened some and she gently placed a hand on their heads, "Just give him a chance, trust me. You will not regret it."

Watching as Hanna turned before she took a heavy jacket and placed it around her shoulders, though she did not need to being as she was a shipgirl, the twins frowned, "So you say. And while our family have told us about how the Potters are, we... are somewhat concerned with how Herr Harry has more than one girl apparently involved with him."

Just pausing, the older girl turned and regarded them, "Hmm... Ja, I can see why you would take issue with such." Internally, she added a little more, 'Especially considering your history.' Outwardly though, the Heavy Cruiser shook her head, "But it is not too big a deal for me." For a few moments, Hanna was silently regarding them before she smiled, "Well then, get ready." Turning, she continued to put on her jacket as she glanced at the mirror, "I suppose a Heavy Cruiser could use some escorts."

Her lips curled some as she heard rushed movement behind her as she continued to get ready.

Meanwhile, in Japan, Tenryuu was looking at Verniy as DesDiv6 walked along the corridors under Yokosuka towards the Vanishing Cabinet, "Are you sure that you are going to be alright, Hibiki?"

Softly smiling, the Destroyer adjusted her hat, "Da, I am sure, Kaa-San. I can handle myself in Hogsmeade, besides which, Hanna-San will also be there." Pink dusted her cheeks as she continued, "And so will Harry-Chan."

Pinching her nose, Tenryuu muttered some to herself, "That... is true..."

Holding up one finger, Akatsuki nodded as she closed her eyes, "Just remember! You are a really elephant lady! And that is what is important! Also, Harry is a very elephant gentleman."

Eyebrow twitching, Ikazuchi gave her sister a look, "It is 'elegant', not 'elephant', Akatsuki-Chan. E-le-gan-t."

With a blink, the purple haired Destroyer blinked at her sister, "That is what I said, elephant." Ignoring the sounds of an annoyed sister, she turned back to an amused Verniy, "So just enjoy your time with Harry-Chan."

As Tenryuu sighed at Ikazuchi who was opening and closing her hands, Inazuma gave a nod and a smile, "Akatsuki-Chan is right, Hibiki-Chan. You go and have a lot of fun with Harry-Chan today. We'll see you tomorrow when you get back."

Finally huffing, Ikazuchi placed her hands behind her head, "Yeah, what Ami-Chan said. You can rely on us holding things down." Suddenly, she grinned, "Though between smooching with Harry-Chan, remember to bring us back some chocolate! Those chocolate bars are huge!"

Expression blank, her mother slapped a hand over her daughter's mouth as Verniy went bright red, "Aki, that is enough." Ignoring the mutters from behind the hand, she gave Verniy a smile, "You just enjoy yourself, Hibiki. Don't worry about anything else than that."

The Destroyer gave a nod and a smile, "Da."

When she turned towards Tatsuta, said Light Cruiser gave her a thumbs up and a closed eyed smile, "As Tenryuu-Chan said, have fun~'

Soon enough, Verniy left behind the base and was in Britain. The usage of a Portkey found her on the outskirts of the village and she blinked as she noticed someone and walked over. A small smile on her face, she gave a nod, "Hanna."

Lightly smiling, the Heavy Cruiser chuckled and nodded back, "Hibiki..." A thoughtful look came over her face, "Or is it Verniy?"

However, Verniy shook her head, "Either is good, though my friends can still call me Hibiki." Spotting the other two shipgirls, she tilted her head, "Hello."

With a gesture from Hanna, the twin shipgirls bowed, "We are Mila and Mia, M-Class Cruisers."

Only shaking her head, Hanna turned back to Verniy, "Don't worry too much about them, Hibiki. They are..." For a moment, she thought over her next words before nodding, "Apprehensive about some things."

Raising an eyebrow, the Destroyer just nodded and didn't say much more. She understood that there was a story there that she was not being told. However, Verniy also understood that the story was not Hanna's to tell either. Instead, she turned to the road and waited.

And it was not before Harry arrived and greeted them. First, she hugged Verniy who had walked up to give her own hug, and then Hanna. Both of them, he kissed on the cheek before noticing the Twins watching him. Softly smiling, he gave them a nod, "Hello." The two glanced at each other and introduced themselves quietly, though Harry noted that they seemed a bit uneasy around him. A glance towards Hanna, and he understood that there were good reasons, though not what those were.

It didn't mean that he did not have some suspicions though, he was not an idiot after all.

Just smiling, he took Hanna's and Verniy's hands in his, fingers entwining with each other, before nodding, "So then, it has become something of a tradition to start off at a tea house here in Hogsmeade... my treat."

Each of the shipgirls smiled and nodded at that before they began to walk, with Harry guiding them along.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Fear God...

English Channel

2005, Shortly After Blood Week
Spoiler: The Battle Of The Channel

The water of the English Channel churned with the winds and rain of a unnatural gale. Thunder both natural and man made split the air and the flash of gunfire dueled with bolts of lightning as once again the waves of the Channel ran red with the blood of brave men and brave ships on the battleground that it had become.

Just like in 1066 when Duke William the Bastard of Normandy earned his title of 'Conqueror' when he claimed England for his descendants to hold.

HMS Duke of York grunted in pain as a trio of eight-inch shells slammed into her upperworks. Seconds before they detonated and severed the power cables for her fire control radar her own rifles roared in response, blowing the Ni-class that had blinded her sky-high in the flash of a magazine detonation.

Just like in 1588 when the Grande y Felicísima Armada sailed from Spain to challenge the Royal Navy for control of the seas.

HMS Warspite snapped out orders to her division-mate over the howling gale as her own rifles lowered to their loading angles. "Come left to three-three-zero!" Once again, the Royal Navy stood alone in defense of the British Isles against seemingly overwhelming numbers attempting to force the Channel.

Just like in 1804 when Horatio Nelson set sail on a voyage that would end off Cape Trafalgar in the naval victory that would stymie Napoleon's ambitions for Europe.

More waterspouts bracketed Warspite as sixteen-inch shells from the Ru-class she was dueling threw tons of salt water over her battle-scarred decks, putting out the fires amidships as she stabilized with counterflooding to keep her afloat. Her fifteen-inch rifles trained out again and took aim at the leader of the column of battleships bearing down to smash their way through the thin red line barring their path to the helpless civilians beyond.

Just like Warspite had done in her first action off Jutland in 1916 as the High Seas Fleet challenged the Royal Navy to a death grapple in the largest big-gun warship battle in history.

Duke of York cursed as A Turret reported a jam in her shell room, her secondaries firing starshells to illuminate the demons from the deep coming for her and her comrades as her fourteen-inch rifles from B and Y Turrets took aim. In the remnants of her rain-swept superstructure, one of her engineering officer faeries braved the elements, splinters and shrapnel from the shells pouring in around her, and death from the live wires he was handling as he fought to repair her fire control radar.

Just as she had done off the North Cape of Norway in 1943 as Duke of York and Scharnhorst savaged each other in a howling arctic blizzard in the last battleship duel in the Atlantic during the Second World War.

The Ru-class staggered as five Armor-Piercing shells slammed into her and turned to port to unmask her aft turrets to fire on Warspite. A second Ru followed her sister, taking aim at Duke of York as the younger battleship followed the Grand Old Lady into the mouth of Hell. Another flash of lightning illuminated a third Ru who turned to starboard instead, looking to pincer the British battleships as she broke through their escort screen behind them. A fourth Ru followed in her sister's wake as the Abyssal forces split.

Warspite's lips thinned as she realized the jaws of the trap that was starting to close on them. If she turned to engage the second battleship division, the first two would rake her and Duke along their bows. If she fought the first two the third and fourth would be allowed to fire relatively unmolested as they maneuvered to rake Duke astern.

"Orders, Warspite?" Duke shouted over the radio through the thunder of battle.

Warspite's jaw firmed and she drew deep on the centuries-old tradition that was as much a part of her and her sisters as the steel of their keels. One could hardly go wrong by giving the final order that Nelson did at Trafalgar, after all. Ships would sink, and men would die like Nelson did on Victory's blood-soaked deck, but the tradition of victory at sea would endure.

"Engage The Enemy More Closely." Warspite responded calmly as she braced herself for the worst to come. Her faeries stood to their duties, and the signal flags for that order were run up her mast and nailed to it.

Warspite's rifles elevated from their loading angles and took aim at her opponent. Behind her Duke loaded her own rifles in turn and felt her damage control faeries stand by to keep her afloat as long as possible in the crossfire that would hammer them mercilessly.

Just like on board HMS Victory at Trafalgar as wooden ships and iron men sailed into the mouths of hundreds of waiting cannon in the Franco-Spanish line of battle awaiting them in the battle that would decide the fate of empires for a century to come.

As the signal flags reached Warspite's yardarm, a trio of lightning bolts hit the ocean ahead of the second battleship division. In the aftermath of the blinding flash, an argent glow formed in the depths of the Channel where they had struck.

-------------------------------
Spoiler: The Tradition

Once she was the most powerful warship ever afloat, making all others obsolete by her presence. The symbol of the greatest empire to ever stride the globe writ in cordite, iron, steel, and brave men at the zenith of British power.

ACTION STATIONS...

Her very name became a synonym for the Queen of the Seas, the pride of the Royal Navy, and the pinnacle of Marine Engineering.

ACTION STATIONS...

Soon afterward her daughters came, built in British dockyards and then in those of the other Great Powers, because only a Great Power could hope to proudly christen one of the princesses that were her children to rule the waves under their banner as a symbol of their might.

ACTION STATIONS..!

When the Great War broke out, she was too old and viewed as outdated, and her daughters fought it in her stead while she rested at anchor and patrolled home waters. Dark irony that her daughters did too good a job, and the most powerful ship of her era never once fired her guns in anger before being sent to the breakers after the War.

ACTION STATIONS.!!

But her fate did not matter to her then. She had done her duty as the matriarch of her family should and set the standard that all others, British-built or foreign-built, would strive to attain.

ACTION STATIONS!!!

England expected every ship to do her duty. And her duty was calling her once more with the tides of war once again reaching British shores as her daughters fought for their lives.

-----------------------
Spoiler: ...And Dread Nought
The silver glow solidified into the form of a short and curvy Edwardian matron with dark hair in fashionable curls. Her ankle length steel-gray dress was gathered at the waist with a sash patterned on the White Ensign before puffing out over her ample bosom and ending at her throat and elbows, where her arms emerged in creamy white lace full-length gloves. At her throat a brooch glittered with her crowned coat of arms of a mailed fist holding a key above the waves announcing to the world a name legendary in naval history.
Spoiler: The Coat Of Arms

Disapproving sea-green eyes narrowed minutely under her ostrich plumed hat as she surveyed the Abyssals. Her normally smiling mouth thinned in the kind of unamused look that was given to naughty children caught red-handed making a mess in their nursery by their governess. Her hand holding the gold crowned lion handle of her closed parasol tightened fractionally.

Duke of York's lookouts rubbed their eyes as they looked through their binoculars at the spiritual hull surrounding the matron. Five double turrets were laid out in odd arrangement with one forward, two abeam amidships, and the final two in line aft but not superfiring the way hers were. Two funnels belched coal smoke as at her mainmast the White Ensign fluttered proudly.

Duke whispered to herself as she took aim at the trailing Ru in the division. "It can't be..."

Warspite had no such confusion.

Unlike her much younger compatriot, she remembered well that dark day in 1921 when her mother sailed serenely to the breakers past her mourning children with her head held high. Tears of joy filled her eyes to match the tears of sorrow on that day for the Grand Fleet at Scapa Flow.

As her shells slammed into the lead Ru, Warspite's happy voice matched the thunder of the detonation as the Ru foundered and began to sink. "Mother!"

Caught with their turrets rotated the wrong way, the two Abyssal battleships steamed toward Dreadnought as their crews frantically calculated a firing solution while their turrets turned hastily.

The leading Ru of the pair confronting Dreadnought was too close for its guns to bear so swung a fist at her face. Dreadnought absorbed the blow unflinchingly on her armor belt and in a flash of steel, the sword hidden in her parasol impaled the Abyssal battleship. As black blood, oil, and even more noxious substances dripped from the dying Abyssal's mouth, the first true battleship leveled her broadside at the trailing Abyssal.

For a brief moment, hate-filled jade-green eyes met calm, resolute sea-green as HMS Dreadnought's ten BL 12 inch Mark X rifles elevated to take aim at the doomed Abyssal.

"Open fire." Her voice was crisp and controlled.

Dreadnought's guns roared and the Abyssal collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut as the shells blew its boiler room to pieces. As the Ru sank back to the Abyss that it had crawled from, Dreadnought set course for the spot where her daughters had just finished pounding the final Abyssal to scrap. Around them the gale broke and the seas began to calm.

"Warspite. This is a most unexpected reunion. These uncultured rabble actually make Jerry look almost welcoming." Dreadnought's voice was filled with reserved pride as she gave a smile and a nod at the elder of her daughters while carefully cleaning her sword before replacing it in her parasol. "You look quite well considering your habit of getting into scraps. Well done as always, 'Spitie."

"Thank you Mother. It has been too long for me too." Warspite's voice cracked slightly as she continued to shed tears of joy.

Dreadnought's eyes found the still visibly stunned Duke of York. "I don't know your companion, but I believe that I should."

"HMS Duke of York, ma'am. Pennant Number Seventeen. I was launched in 1940." Duke responded, licking her lips nervously under her mother's cool, considering inspection as her faeries announced that her turret had finally been unjammed.

Duke's boilers thudded in relief as an approving smile broke out on her mother's face. "Duke of York, then? I see that standards are being maintained properly. You'll do." Dreadnought moved close and hugged the younger battleship as Duke teared up and returned the hug. "You'll do and well done, Duke."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Spoon clinking as he stirred the tea in his cup, Harry turned his head slightly and smiled at the two younger girls, "How is your chocolate mousse? Any good?"

Mia blushed some and nodded as her sister spoke up, "It is very good. And so is the chocolate." Glancing at Hanna, they nodded, "Thank you."

All the teenager wizard did was nod and smile, "That's good to hear." It had not escaped his notice nor either Hanna's or Verniy's that the two girls seats were at a different table from theirs, and on the opposite side from where Harry himself sat. Turning back to the two sharing his table, a large smile broke out over his face, "It's good to see you again, Hanna, in person I mean."

That made the Heavy Cruiser chuckle warmly and smile back at him, "Ja, it has been a while." Holding her cup of coffee before her face, Hanna's eyes twinkled some, "Though I am glad that we get to catch up now."

When he turned towards her, Verniy blinked when he became extremely amused due to there being some chocolate on her face. At his amused look, she blushed and wiped it off upon realizing what had happened before giving him an even look, "Do not laugh, Harry-Chan."

Holding up his hands, he just smiled, "Wouldn't dream of it, Hibiki-Chan. Just like I don't need to ask you if you are enjoying your cake."

Still blushing, Verniy turned back to her snack, "Molten chocolate cake is good."

On Harry's other side, Hanna nodded, "Ja, it is." Taking a forkful of her own cake, which was drizzled in chocolate, she took a bite, "Mmm... very good."

Taking a sip of her own tea, Verniy turned towards the Natural Born and tilted her head some, "By the way, Hanna-San, can I ask how you have been doing? Since you have awoken?" When Hanna looked at her, she blushed lightly, "I want to compare it to what Inazuma-Chan and Ikazuchi-Chan as well as what Kaa-San has told us."

Not having expected that, the German girl took a few moments to gather her thoughts. Then she nodded some with a small smile, "That is understandable, I suppose." Finger tapping on the table, Hanna tilted her head to the side, "I... am afraid that I have not noticed too much difference between before being awoken and after. But then, I was only a few days away from awakening on my own by that point."

A frown on his face, Harry furrowed his eyebrows, "So why didn't they let you awaken on your own?"

Lightly chuckling, Hanna shook her head and gestured with her fork, "For a very good reason, Mein Freund. No one could tell exactly when I would awake, just that I was mere days away from such. What if I was sleeping and I did so, unable to control my weight? I would have fallen straight through my bed and the floor!" Once more, she shook her head, "Nein, they decided that I was close enough as it was."

Slowly, the wizard gave a nod to that, "Makes sense, I suppose."

Continuing after taking another bite of her food, Hanna hummed before placing her hand on her chest, "But as I said, there does not feel like there is much difference. I am stronger now than I was, more durable which I know. Though thinking on it, the biggest difference is that now mein heart no longer beats, because it has been replaced by boilers and turbines."

Much to her slight surprise, Harry reached over and took her hand, "Hanna?" Seeing her attention on him, he smiled, "Your heart does still beat within your chest, it just isn't physical anymore is all. But you still have that big heart that I know you for."

Needless to say, the Heavy Cruiser had a bright blush on her face at that. Though she noted that the Twins were silently nodding in agreement which made her smile, "Danke, Harry." Leaning to the side, she kissed him on the cheek and pulled away with a brilliant smile, "Danke."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Harry grinned, "Bitte."

Lips curling upwards, Hanna shook her head and turned back to the Destroyer before frowning, "As for any other differences..." She tugged some on her shirt and her next words caused Harry to choke a bit, "I, uh, found myself with a bigger upper superstructure than I expected."

Ignoring Harry pounding on his chest, Verniy hummed and nodded, "Da, I can understand that. Kaa-San complained about such things and I think that Yahagi-San has as well."

With a shrug, the Heavy Cruiser frowned a bit more before tugging at her shirt, "At least others have the same problem. It meant that I had to borrow clothes from mein Schwester for a time."

Off to the side, the Twin Light Cruisers seemed amused with Harry's reaction to Hanna as did the lone tea house employee who quickly got out of sight as she tittered.

It was not longer after that they left the tea house and began walking back into the town. Amused as Harry pouted at them, Verniy poked him in the cheek, "Come on, Harry-Chan, that was funny."

Eyebrow raised, the thirteen year old frowned, "Funny? Hmm?"

Unnoticed by either Verniy or Hanna, a twinkle entered Harry's eye. Meanwhile, not knowing of the danger, the Destroyer nodded with a slight upturn of her lips, "Da, very funny-"

However, she was unable to finish as Harry quickly stole a kiss from her leaving her frozen. Something that he then duplicated with Hanna, who flushed deeply as she stood there. With a hum as he placed his hands into his pockets, he smirked, "Yes, I suppose that it was funny."

After they managed to reboot, the two shipgirls glanced at each other and Harry yelped as Hanna grabbed his arms and Verniy his legs. Both girls grinned as they carried him over to a snowbank and tossed the laughing teen into it. Landing, Harry gathered up some of the snow into snowballs and pelted both Hanna and Verniy, who dashed for cover as it soon turned into a snowball fight between the three. Off to one side, Mia and Mila sat and watched as they giggled at what they were seeing, the same thought going through their minds, 'This is fun.'

Of course, that was when they joined in as well on Hanna's side after rushing over.

It was a laughing bunch of sodden teens that walked away from that. Upon noticing that Harry was shivering a bit though, Verniy stopped laughing, "Harry-Chan? Are you okay?"

Lips twitching, he rubbed his arms some, "Yeah, I'm okay."

Frowning, Hanna looked around, "Nein, you are not, Harry. Let's find somewhere to warm up a little, Ja?"

Meanwhile, the Twins were looking around when one of them pointed, "What about there?"

When he turned in that direction, Harry's eyebrows rose a bit, "The Hogsmeade Theatre?" Considering it, he smiled a bit and nodded, "Alright. Besides which, they might have a play on since it is Valentine's Day."

As they entered the theatre, the group of five felt warm air rush over them and Verniy glanced around. It was not a large theatre to say the least, but... it was cozy. Walking over to the bulletin board, she cocked her head to the side, 'Hmm...' Looking over her shoulder, the white haired Destroyer pointed at it, "They have two plays one after the other, Harry-Chan. One is Twelfth Night and the other is... Fountain of Fair Fortune?"

Coming up beside her, Harry gave a nod, "Huh, that's actually pretty good luck. As for the second, it's a story from Tales of Beedle the Bard. Not to spoil much, but the ending is a bit romantic, I suppose." Glancing at Hanna, he cocked his head to the side, "You want to watch? I'll pay."

Not saying anything right away, Hanna glanced at both Mia and Mila who had a silent conversation. After a few moments, they turned to her and nodded, which made the Heavy Cruiser smile, "Ja, that sounds good. Though afterwards, we should do some shopping as well."

Harry simply nodded at that and paid for their tickets, being told that the first of the two plays were about to start. Entering the theatre, Harry found somewhere for them to sit which was easy as the first play only filled the room halfway, though he noted a lot fellow Hogwarts students that he knew to be muggleborns in the audience.

It was also then that Harry noted a familiar looking female "Student" next to someone he heard her call 'Sister'. He had seen said student in Ravenclaw robes before, but this time she wore Hufflepuff ones. The fact was that he also recognized the older seeming of the two as well, who glanced at him and smugly smiled before it vanished from her face, 'Hmm...'

But the thirteen year old's attention was grabbed when Hanna sat on one side of him and Verniy on the other. As the seating was benches, both girls pressed close as they waited for the play to start, which it soon did. Lips twitching, Harry placed his arms around them as they watched the famous romantic comedy play out, though this version definitely had a magical twist. Such as Viola using transfiguration to make herself appear like a male for instance...
_________________________________________________________________

The horizon had barely lightened when Hanna awoke in bed next to Harry and on the other side from Verniy, who was also awake. The Heavy Cruiser could just barely hear the sound of the Twins in the bed also in the same room, which told her that they were awake as well. But instead of saying anything, Hanna sighed and closed her eyes as she simply savoured the moment in time.

Right now, in the moment, the German shipgirl felt warm, peaceful... and content.

And so, she didn't feel any need to actually hurry up. Instead, she decided to enjoy the remaining time she had. Her arms wrapped around Harry, Hanna shifted her body a bit before humming softly. For some odd reason, the thirteen year old reminded her of Hans, her stuffed bear. A feeling of safety and contentment from the young man in her arms.

Neither Verniy nor Hanna spoke, because there was no need to do so. Instead, they just laid there as the seconds ticked by into minutes. As they did so, Hanna's mind drifted back to the day and night before. All throughout the trip to Hogsmeade, Harry acted just as she had expected towards the Twins.

Something that both shipgirls had greatly appreciated, and slowly their unease ebbed away.

Which was not to say that it was totally gone, not yet. And Hanna expected it would take a while before they would be as at ease with Harry as they were by people such as Hartmann. But she knew that it would likely happen, though they would likely never be completely at ease around him. For they had been through far too much for that.

If anything though, the trip had helped put her more at ease with things regarding Harry. Despite there being another girl there who was also affectionate towards the black haired wizard, she had enjoyed herself. Something that had surprised her to say the least to some degree. Yet, it was true, the date was rather fun.

As a matter of fact, it was so much fun, that she was saddened when it had to end.

Opening her eyes, Hanna looked up at the sleeping thirteen year old and smiled, 'Yes, I think that I will be looking forward to more of this, Harry. And, perhaps...'

Less than an hour later found Harry waking up himself. Blinking away sleep, he looked down and gave a lopsided smile, "Morning."

With a light laugh, the Heavy Cruiser grinned up at him, "Guten Morgen, Harry."

Verniy gave a smile of her own and nodded, "Dobroe utro, Harry-Chan."

Stretching a bit, the wizard chuckled before giving them both a kiss on the cheek. With a glance at the time though, he sighed a bit, "Sort of sad that you're going to have to leave soon."

Just shrugging, Hanna sat up revealing that she was dressed in a tank top and shorts, "Ja, same with me, Harry. But it happens." Looking over her shoulder, strawberry blonde hair cascading over her freckled shoulder blades, she smiled, "That just means that we should makes sure that we have other times such as this, Ja?"

Even though he had a light blush on his cheeks, Harry nodded, "True."

On his other side, Verniy stretched a bit and hummed, "Da, and it is good advice." Reaching for the side table, she grabbed a brush and was about to comb her hair when a thought occurred to her. Cheeks warm, she held it out to Harry, "Harry-Chan? Would you mind brushing my hair?" Glancing at Hanna, the Destroyer smiled, "And perhaps, Hanna-San as well."

Gently taking the brush, Harry simply smiled, "I'd love to..." Fingers running through his friend's white hair, he began to brush it slowly, "How is that?"

A smile on her face, the Akatsuki looked over her shoulder slightly and smiled, "Wonderful."

Much too soon for any of them though, the time came to get changed and head to breakfast. After which, it was when they had to say goodbye. Standing in one of the side rooms, Harry gave first Verniy and then Hanna a hug, "I'll miss both of you."

Hanna just chuckled and shook her head, "And we shall miss you, Harry."

Beside her, Verniy nodded and Harry turned to regard the Twins. Bowing slightly, he gently smiled at them, "And while we have not known each other long, thank you and I'll miss you as well." His smile softened a bit, "New friends are always good to have."

Shifting a bit, the two Light Cruisers hummed a bit, "Ja, and thank you for taking care of us."

They didn't hug him, nor did Harry expect them to. Something that they understood and were thankful for. He then turned back to Hanna and looked her over as she was back in her uniform. Lips curling, he could only shake his head, "By the way, you do look really good in that."

Arms wrapping around him, Hanna kissed his cheek, "Danke." Pulling back some, she paused and looked into his eyes. After a moment, she leaned in and kissed him softly for a few seconds on the lips and pulled back, a slight amount of steam escaping from her ears, "Danke."

For a few seconds, Harry just blinked, "Um..." Shaking it off, he stood on his tip toes and gave her a kiss back before smiling, "You're welcome." The German shipgirl pulled the brim of her hat down some as she blushed deeply. But before Harry could say anything else, he felt Verniy's hand on his shoulder turning him, "Hibiki-Cha-"

He was interrupted though as the Destroyer kissed him for a few seconds and pulled back, "I'll see you in a few weeks, Harry-Chan."

It took a bit to reboot, much to Verniy's amusement. But then, Harry stole another kiss from her, "Hai, I will, Hibiki-Chan."

Pulling back, he waved them both goodbye as they took their separate portkeys in hand, the twins sharing Hanna's. With a final goodbye, the shipgirls were vanished as they headed home.

Though not long after, Verniy was blushing as her sisters tried to get every detail about what happened, not knowing that Eugen was doing much the same with Hanna...

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Flash Back: Interlude
The dark-skinned woman knelt down by the wrecked car, shaking her head at the body that hung in the broken window. The perpetrators had already fled, and the fire department had not yet arrived to deal with the flames (which were beginning to spread, maybe she should jump back a little?). For that matter, the police hadn't either.

She glanced back at her companion. The old wizard was looking around the street with a mournful expression on his face.

"Gates," she said, loud enough to break him from his reverie. "How much longer on the Somebody Else's Problem field?"

The old man coughed. "We have a few more minutes," he said, counting off on his fingers silently. "And I've already explained this many times before, but the spell is not called—"

"No, but that's what it is," the woman replied, waving him off. "I call it like I see it, always have." She stood, looking up at the hotel. A Chinese woman looked down at her, waving. "Oi, Xiang! You guys got Absalom?"

Xiang gave her a thumbs up.

"Great! Now let's get a move on, we're running out of time!"

She turned back to Gates. "Don't be too hard on yourself," she said quietly. "Way things were going, you probably would have ended up dead, too. Ah—" she cut him off as he opened his mouth, "don't go raising a fuss. The only thing you can really do now is raise a glass for them."

"But, aren't you going to—"

"Go home, kid!" she snapped. Argh. That came out a bit harsher than she had been thinking, hadn't it? "Just let me be selfish here. Besides, bringing anyone along will slow me down." She shoved her hands in her pockets, glaring down sullenly at the corpse. As the sound of running feet came closer, she looked over her shoulder and spoke up louder. "In fact, that's a blanket order. Okay everyone? Hear that, Xiang? Boss is hogging the McKay girl and her friends all for herself."

Xiang gave her an entirely unimpressed look, bordering on utterly put out.

"Don't be like that, I mean it." The woman turned and began to walk away. "I'll be back home in a week, tops, so you're in charge until I'm home. Understand?"

Absalom… Dare… Jimenez… You just had to go and die like idiots, didn't you? Just the way I made everyone promise not to go.

And now I'm gonna have to avenge you all.
-----

Wow, it's almost like being an Ax Crazy (and all-around crazy) Blood Knight can cause pretty major problems, huh?

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1

The Power Behind The Throne (A Puppy Love Sidestory)

In the Magical side of Chiyoda, deep within the metropolis of Tokyo, rules the Glorious Capital of Magical Japan, the Imperial Magical Diet of Japan. Or rather, it was once glorious. In the early days of the Abyssal War, the Enemy attempted to destroy the seat of Japan's two governments as second time. They were repulsed, but not before they succeeded in half of their goal. The Magical Diet was in session on that day, and the quiet but pervasive rot and decay in the Magical Government's various departments and bureaucracy manifested in a failure for the Aurors to fully comprehend the danger the sea demons posed to the civilians and their government.

By the time the Aurors had mobilized, the shipgirls had already broken the momentum of the Abyssal attack and were well on their way to pushing them back out of the bay and into the open ocean to be destroyed. And by then, a single 16-inch shell from one of the battleships in the fleet impacted the Magical Diet building, gutting it, and slaughtering the vast majority of that body, including the Japanese Minister of Magic and his Deputy Minister.

Transitional Diet Members stepped up to the role, and a snap-election took place, but by then the damage was done: The Diet that shambled out of that attack was much weaker, feebler, more divided than the already corrupt government it replaced. Scores of representatives and councilors that were in the peak of their careers were snuffed out. And they were replaced by less talented, less skills, or less experienced politicians. The ones that were simply to inexperienced to be ready for their role, or were the incompetents that were only available to step in because they had been elbowed out of the way and were in 'harmless' positions where it was thought that they couldn't do any harm to their parties.

In the near decade that followed, those underwhelming politicians made an already corrupt (but functional) government into one whose shortcomings were all to apparent, and growing more blatant every day. Even with subsequent elections, those steeped in corruption has simply groomed successors that were just as bad, all of them irresponsibly blind to the threats they were to themselves. With the turn of the decade, one scandal after the next further damaged the reputation of the Diet. So much so that the least corrupt began to break away, establishing themselves a new Diet, in Japan's historical capital of Kyoto. And with the turn of the year in 2014, only the willfully blind, cravenly desperate, or depressingly nihilistic remained.

And while the once dignified Tokyo Diet withered and died on the vine, the Civil service carried on. While before the war they were a source of obstructionist corruption, with the obvious transfer in power and the clear and present inevitability of the fall of the Statute – and all that meant – many of those same servants began to quietly change their methods and goals. Where once the civil service was only interested in its own interests, they were now doing what they ought to have been all along: Competently advising the Diet and ensuring the smooth execution of legislative and government policy of the Diet.

The Kyoto Diet. Everyone loves a Winner after all.

One such bureaucrat, Deputy Undersecretary to the Legislative Assembly Shigeru Miyata, loyal subject of the Tokyo Diet, was taking the time to meet an old Colleague, Takato Kamiya. The fact that Takato Kamiya, lifelong friend, was also the Deputy Undersecretary to the Legislative Assembly, and a loyal subject to the Kyoto Diet, was of no matter. Politics did not matter between civil servants. This was understood by all of the other co-workers also dining in the club. After all, The Gentleman's Lounge was a private club for both the service and the Diet, and foul play was above suspicion amongst the Civil Service, and the Diet Members were just as content to ignore them in favor of their own colleagues at dinner and over drinks as they were in the Diet Hall over paper and cigarettes.

Indeed, foul play would have been most frowned upon had it been found out that Deputy Undersecretary Miyata was abusing the confidence of his position to betray the Tokyo Diet by selling out to the rebels in Kyoto.

"You know," Shigeru said around a mouthful of Kobe steak, looking at the contents of the manila folder in his hand, "I fear the Financial situation in Tokyo is quite depressing. It would be a grave coup if Kyoto were to find out about it."

Takato hummed in agreement as he accepted the folder from Shigeru, cocking an eyebrow at the numbers.

"Yes, quite the embarrassment," he said, swallowing from his glass of wine and reaching for his wand and a small stack of blank paper, "if Kyoto were to find out about this appalling misuse of monies, why, it could be used to squeeze additional concessions from Tokyo. Or result in the Kyoto Service stealing even more competent servants from under the Tokyo service, leaving them with only the dregs and sacrificial lambs."

"Most assuredly," Shigeru replied with resignation as he watched Takato copy the contents of that folder onto the blank paper, "it would be a travesty, yet one more irreversible blunder as Tokyo falls further and further into irrelevancy."

That done, Takato put away his copies of the budgets, returning the originals to Shigeru. The old friends sat in silence for a few minutes as they enjoyed their meals. In time, Takato reopened discussion.

"Tell me Shigeru-kun, how goes Tokyo Representative Kobayashi's bill on opening the government?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Mm…"

"And Kyoto's Representative Iwasaki's efforts on the same? Obviously Takato, the group intending to be a government of liberty and representation for the people, as opposed to Tokyo's apathetic myopia would be working on their own bill, right?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Mm…"

"And your family, Shigeru? How is Hisako?"

Shigeru nodded, his expression warming just slightly at the mention of his wife. He took the time to swallow his mouthful of mashed potato before answering.

"Fine. Hisako and her lady friends have made great progress in organizing private gardens, to offset the food rationing, that sort of thing. Takashi has managed to secure a position for himself as a board member for MUFG, thus securing a presence for the family in the non-magical side of things."

Takato smiled.

"Outstanding! I told you that he would go far!"

"Yes, he is quite excited about the new car he has been promised, almost as much as his own son and daughter-in-law's upcoming first child. Now if only he could find a place to hide the damn thing until after the fall of the statute.

"Next is Yuuko, she and her husband are struggling to maintain their little bakery, but no matter how much I insist she refuses to accept my financial support. Calls it 'dirty money' for some reason."

Takato nodded in understanding as he cut another cube from his own steak.

"Might it have something to do with your ties to the, shall we call it, underground elements of employment?"

Shigeru rolled his eyes.

"Exactly! Which is what I find so odd. It's not 'dirty,' I know exactly what that family does for a living, and that it is one-hundred percent legitimate! …I simply prefer not to inquire into it.

"Naomi continues to climb the ladder of the Civil Service, and she feels to me like a potential successor."

"In good time?"

"In good time… At present she is doing fine work as Administrative Aide for Councilman Ito."

Takato smiled warmly at the name, his mind flowing back to happier days.

"Ah yes, Councilman Ito. A safe enough master I suppose. Of all the politicians to stick with Tokyo, he is certainly the one I regret never convincing to transition to Kyoto."

"Why is that?"

"He's easily manipulated."

"A fair point." Shigeru agreed with a nod, taking another bite from his meal. "Though he isn't quite as easily manipulated as one would think. He made a bit of a mess for himself this past week on the floor."

"Oh dear, what happened?"

Shigeru sighed and took another sip of his beer.

"There was a motion to revise the Emergency Budget to cut back on funding to the reserves. You remember how sympathetic he was to those JNHRO people?"

"Yes," Takato replied, "not the wisest position politically back in the day, but quite topical and popular now."

"Well he was dead set on opposing the bill. Against Naomi and my advisement, he went ahead and made a passionate speech."

"It backfired?"

"It backfired. The bill would have passed regardless, he simply ensured that it was almost unanimous rather than by a landslide. And on top of that he has made enemies of almost everyone on in the House of Councilors."

Takato merely shook his head before washing down his steak.

"Politicians. Fortunately for him it looked good for his constituency, yes?"

"Oh yes," Shigeru said flippantly, looking over one shoulder as she scratched at his jaw, "the Councilor's constituency is one of the few urban areas where the JNHRO's message resonated with something resembling strength. But we digress. Aomi, well… She is being difficult."

"How so?"

With more force that strictly necessary, Shigeru banged his fist on the table, rattling the dinner setting as his voice creeped just that much higher.

"She refuses to talk sense into her soft-hearted doctor husband of hers! He refuses to ignore the medical situation of the reserve just five minutes from his practice! He always goes in there at any time of the day or night, and what is worse he refuses to be compensated for his time or the medical supplies he brings with him!"

The Tokyo Deputy Undersecretary shook his head in agitation, his voice holding a characteristic of amazement, "Don't they realize what a difficult situation such economic frivolity such practice this puts on our family name! And over those animals in the reserve system? It's simply irresponsible, foolhardy is what it is I say!"

Shigeru stabbed his fork into his steak, cut it with restrained fury with his knife, and stuffed the cube of rare Kobe steak into his mouth. After a moment of furious chewing, Shigeru and leaned toward his friend to speak around his food.

"…Do you think they heard that?"

Takato nodded slightly as he sipped his wine. Two tables behind Shigeru, one set up for a large party, a collection of Diet members and Civil Servants known to them to be dyed in the wool Pro-Statute upholders has started to take notice of the pair.

"They did."

"And their reactions?"

From the edge of his vision, the Kyoto Civil Servant watched as the group slowly turned away from them, showing all the hallmarks of desperately ignore something that was none of their business.

"Sympathetic… And now they are going back to their meal, I think we threw them off."

"Good." Shigeru said with a sigh and a smile of relief, "Always a pleasure, taking advantage of the Japanese need to ignore anything not one's concern. I don't know how the civil service does it in the West, everyone is so… So friendly, wanting to be a help to total strangers."

Takato shook his head in disapproval as a waiter refilled his glass.

"Barbarians, the whole lot."

Shigeru groaned as he remembered something that he desperately wished to forget, leaning his head on his fist.

"Well, not that we're any better. We had a scare recently."

"Scare? How so?"

"One of the younger members of the administration staff got it into his head to go hunting for smugglers in one of the reserves."

Takato balked at that.

"What an absurd notion! A member of the Civil Service doing, Kami Forbid, field work!"

Shigeru put his hand to his temple to help stave off a migraine.

"It gets worse. He had an on-site medic he had some sort of grudge against beaten trying to get the information out of him."

"Ghastly." Takato groused, shaking his head in disgust and disapproval.

"Yes. We managed to keep it out of the press thankfully, the Tokyo Diet is dying as is, it doesn't need another scandal."

Takato raised his glass in agreement, a motion Shigeru returned, and they took a drink.

"By chance," Takato inquired innocently, "did he find anything?"

He managed to not look relieved when Shigeru shoot his head in the negative.

"No, the medic made a point of not sticking his nose into things he was not interested in finding. Meaning that he had a much better head on his shoulders than the uncivil servant in question."

"What's his name?"

"The medic or the servant?"

"Yes."

Shigeru narrowed his eyes at his old friend in amusement, while Takato looked utterly innocent.

"I can't recall," the Tokyo Bureaucrat answered at last, "and I don't think it's worth remembering. Especially the servant. He won't last past the transition even if it were. He is far too ambitious."

Takato pulled his glass away, looking at Shigeru with not to little surprise and curiosity.

"I thought a touch of ambition was good in a young civil servant? Kept them from getting any bright ideas and eager to not step out of line."

"It isn't when the servant has the good sense to hide it." His friend answered hotily, "By the kami I remember when I first met the man. He barely looked at me during the whole interview, instead he was admiring my office as if measuring the windows for curtains. Furthermore, he yaps so often about being the Minister someday."

Both men suppressed a gag of disgust.

"Atrocious."

"Yes."

"Unsightly!"

"Yes! In the '80s you and I both watched so many of our colleagues running out of the civil service in order to get into the Diet. Spouting such drivel about how it was 'where the action' was. When they didn't have the eyes to see that it's the service that carries out and influences that action!"

"You have my sympathy." Takato said, with earnest, genuine empathy in his voice and face.

"Well… He is an idiot, but one that has his uses. We will need a few sacrificial lambs in all levels of the Tokyo government for Kyoto to put in prison for life, and junior is a perfect fall man for the Civil Service… So long as he doesn't do something in public before then…"

"So other words, he is completely useless."

There was a pause, Shigeru took a sorrowful sip of his beer. Takato gave a friendly smile and cut himself another bite of steak.

"Cheer up Shigeru. It's better in Kyoto, what with us getting the people with good sense, but we have our idiots too. We too have managed to keep it out of the media, but just this past week, we had a small scandal with a Representative's son making a small crime ring in Hokaido with yokai orphans, pretending to be with the Yakuza."

Shigeru stared wide-eyed at his friend, sincere shock and horror in his eyes.

"By Amaterasu's tears!"

Takato nodded as he swallowed his steak and sipped his wine.

"One of the children made the fortunate mistake of taking a shipgirl's purse, and she uncovered the lot of them. Leading to an Auror of the Kyoto government to make the arrest. And the son made a very big scene-"

"Because of course he did."

"…And made threats about using his father to punish the children. And Kyoto couldn't hold the boy because he has an Uncle in our Diet, and if holds to much influence in the oversight committees to ignore."

Shigeru and Takato stared at each other for a long, pregnant pause… Before Shigeru buried his face in his hands.

"Please tell me this shipgirl shot him." He muffled.

"Unfortunately, no. However, she made sure to smooth things over with the local chapter of the Yakuza: gave them his name and face, convinced them to leave the children be, that sort of thing. Unfortunately for the Kyoto Representative and his family, the order for Auror protection from the inevitable reprisals will be misfiled and won't be found by the Kyoto Civil Service until it is far far too late to prevent the worst of it. And the note I didn't write to your office to warn you of the coming attacks on that boy and his family in the Tokyo Diet will not doubt be lost in the Post. It will be quite a tragedy, and a blight on my own personal record given that it would have all passed my desk…"

Takato stared into his food, looking for all the world as if mourning the collateral damage done by his own decisions, the burden of being a Hard Man being tasked with making Hard Decisions… Then he smiled gayly, "Oh well! Nothing of value lost! Now, on to more important matters, what is your opinion of when the transition ought to take place?"

"I actually wanted to ask you the same question," Shigeru replied, keeping his voice low as he leaned in, "When do you think?"

"Difficult question," Takato answered, brow furrowed in thought, "Like debating on the right time to release the maniacs from the asylum. But you know Shigeru, these things cannot be rushed. But… Certainly no later than… Middle of 2016, in the middle of the election cycle, with a few months before the election to let everyone know who was still running."

Shigeru's brow also furrowed as he sipped his beer, digesting the information.

"That is awfully soon isn't it? Why not wait another… Two years or so?"

"We could." Takato admitted, cutting another bite of his steak, "However, there are two reasons why it must be rushed. For one thing, the Statute of Secrecy only has months to live. The last thing we need is for the Magical Diet to be in the middle of the transition when it falls."

Shigeru audibly swallowed, and there was a heavy tension around them as they pondered what that could mean. Both for Magical Japan, and themselves and their families.

"For another," Takato continued, "Tokyo won't last until 2020, right?"

"True."

"Meaning that Kyoto would need to step in as a Transitional Government. And the trouble with Transitional government is that, if elections are to far in the future, it will become the official government."

Shigeru nodded.

"Yes, I see your point. Without any sort of elections soon after the transfer, marginalized districts risk feeling left out of the new government, meaning we could end up with a counther-transitionary movement. Meanwhile, if the transitional government is as short as possible, everyone participates and – regardless of outcome – even the Anti-Kyoto remnants will feel a grudging amount of acceptance of the new government."

Takato nodded, confirming Shigeru's assessment.

"Indeed, the shorter the transitional period the better. Ideally soon enough to warrant a snap election, so that we have a transitional government that feels legitimate for the length of time until the 2016 elections. So the real question to ask is who to have as our first Post-Transitional Minister."

"Do we have any candidates?" Shigeru asked, eyebrow cocked as he supped up some of the juices from his steak with some left over bread. Takato wagged his hand in reply.

"A few. None are really heartening as far as the civil service is concerned. You remember that sensation last year, where Councilor Konohana Akiyama revealed how his family used his sisters as Hitobashira before defecting to Kyoto?"

"Yes, I think I have heard rumors that he gave his surviving elder relatives the choice of seppuku or isolation for life."

"It's true. All of it. He has become something of a Darling for the Liberal faction of Kyoto. Among them and many in the other factions in the Diet he is a favorite for being Minister. Another is someone in your camp actually – Osamu Naito."

"Is that a fact?" Shigeru asked, then nodded after a moment of thought, "Likely because he's a mole I assume. Even if he fills a seat in Tokyo he also mails in his votes and his speeches to Kyoto. So, what problem does the service have with these fine gentlemen?"

Takato sighed, putting down his utensils as he addressed his friend.

"Well, Konohana-san, it is feared, will be heavy-handed in the Minister position. Using his position to above all dismantle the civil service before rebuilding it to his liking. In essence he is an interventionalist, having a foolish notion of running the government on his own. Furthermore, there is concern that he will alienate and antagonize the conservative faction of the resultant Diet, given agitation over his actions to his family over what happened with his sisters. Make them dig in and oppose him on every little thing."

"Are we so sure that there will be a conservative faction?"

"Don't be daft," Takato said, sipping his wine, "of course there will be. Only an idealistic fool would think otherwise."

"Indeed. Meaning that if the first candidate is a firebrand – or a perceived one – he or she will split the Diet, turn Kyoto into a new Tokyo, making all our work a waste of time. Yes, most unfortunate. And Osamu?"

"Osamu brings similar political concerns. His association with the JNHRO has always been absolute, and even though the service is now far more united in the cause of relaxing the government's policy towards yokai than we were even five years ago, we recognize that we cannot do it if a large portion of the government feels threatened by thinking him a fanatic or an extremist."

"Even if he isn't?"

"Especially if he isn't. So our allies in the civil service are hunting for a compromise candidate, and I was hoping you could offer an insight to any possible candidates in Tokyo."

Shigeru put some serious thought to that. He leaned back in his chair, face turned up in concentration, giving the matter serious consideration.

"Hmmm… I'm not certain that is possible. It would require any Tokyo candidate to survive a Post-Transition election. Any from the House of Councilors would be poison if they have stuck with the Tokyo Diet this long. If any leave now, they will simply be seen as disloyal rats fleeing a sinking ship."

Shigeru and Takato sank into meditation over the matter, each listing off a characteristic that would be ideal for any Post-Transitional Government Minister that would also work well with the Civil Service.

"He would need to be malleable."

"Flexible."

"Likeable."

"No firm opinions."

"No bright ideas."

"Not ideologically committed."

"With no strength of will to carry through with major changes."

"Someone who could be manipulate- I mean, 'professionally guided.'"

"And willing to leave the task of running the government to those that know how to do it…" Shigeru scoffed at an idea that came to mind. "Sounds like Councilor It-… Ito…"

The pair stopped short, slowly to look at each other… And began to laugh. Loud. Shigeru had to bite on his napkin to avoid barking with laughter outloud. After what felt like hours, the pair calmed down, and Shigeru sighed.

"Unfortunately, he'd never make it to the new Diet anyway."

Takato, still grinning like a loon as he sipped his wine.

"Don't be so sure. If I recall the numbers correctly, Councilor Ito's constituency had appalling voter participation when Kyoto held their elections last year, and the fellow that won that sit is… Well, a twat. If he had an actual opponent – even a man like Ito – he would lose easily. So long as he doesn't do anything divisive, Councilman Ito should ride easily into the Post-Transitional Diet. And from there into the Ministership. Much of the government would welcome a non-interventionalist Minister, especially after so many years of one abysmal scandal or controversy after the next."

"Mmm… True enough." Shigeru said, then rubbed his chin as he considered the notion. "And thinking on it, if our departments frame his sticking to Tokyo as less spineless waffling and more Honor-bound determination to stick to his post where his constituents Democratically sent him to be, then the rest of the new Diet wouldn't see issue with him. Furthermore, having the first Minister be from the old government can offer a sense of legitimacy, a passing of the torch for the governance of Japan."

Takato clasped his hands in front of him, the light of the room just happening to glance off of his glasses as he spoke.

"Furthermore, his known Liberal slant for things regarding the Yokai will make him a shoe-in for the JNHRO faction, and his status quo track record means that, internationally, the ICW won't feel a need to intervene, helping to bring over those that are on the fence. And yet he is conservative enough to be palatable to that faction of the Diet. So the Kyoto House of Councilors would gladly vote for a 'Minister Ito.'"

Shigeru solemnly shook his head.

"Not the two candidates though."

Takato simply smiled and hummed as he sipped his wine.

"I wouldn't be so sure. It's probable that they will either not bother, or be persuaded to stand aside."

"Why is that?" his friend asked, pausing in mid bite and looking at the man from Kyoto with suspicion.

"Well," Takato replied, "Representative Naito has stated in private and semi-publicly that he wishes to retire once the Transition is complete. Go into veritable hiding for at least two years in his constituency. If we in the Kyoto service can convince him that the new government is well in hand he would gladly stay home.

"And Councilman Konohana, I imagine, is not as radical as he is feared. I looked into his Magical Security Intelligence Agency file, and he seems more interested in settling accounts with his family than to continue public service. By the way, I suggest you take the time to look up the MSIA files of Diet members, especially if you are in need of a good laugh."

Shigeru considered that, and made a mental note to do just that once he returned to the office. As the pair returned to their meals, Naomi walked up to the men, a document folder in hand. She nodded to Takato, and made no comment on her father, the Deputy Secretary of Legislative Affairs, meeting with his counterpart from Kyoto.

"Deputy Undersecretary? I require your alterations and your signature for this budget proposal."

"Ah, Naomi, welcome, please sit down would you."

The wizard's daughter thanked him and sat in the free chair at the table. Meanwhile, Shigeru skimmed the document, crossed out anything he disapproved of, jotted down his suggestions for the redraft, and signed it. As he did so, he addressed Naomi.

"Tell me daughter, how are things under Councilor Ito?"

The woman blinked in surprise.

"…Fine, I suppose. Nothing unusual… Why?"

"Well, what would you say, to your present master… Being the first Post-Transitional Government Minister of the Magical Diet?"

"…Councilor Ito. Minister?!"

"Indeed."

Naomi stared at the two older men for a long moment, when she smiled.

"Pull the other one. It's got bells on it."

She had expected there to be laughter at her quip, but she was instead met with solemn expressions…

"You're serious."

Takato Kamiya leaned forward, and Naomi had the strangest feeling of being cornered.

"My lady, are you suggesting that you do not hold faith that Councilor Ito is not up to the job?"

"Oh! Uh, no it's just…" the witch's mind rifled through a number of different ways to tactfully answer that loaded question, only to find all of them were terrible or damning by faint praise. In the end, she defaulted to the first generic answer her father ever taught her when she joined the service: "I'm but a civil servant, and it would be inappropriate for me to comment on government policy."

Deputy Undersecretary Kamiya straightened up, relieving the feeling of pressure Naomi felt, and spoke as if he was addressing a councilor himself.

"There is a considerable body of opinion that feels favorable about the notion of the Councilman's appointment."

Her father barely suppressed a snort.

"No there isn't-"

"Shut it Shigeru – for the best interests of Magical Japan, as we move forward into this turbulent time."

"Ah, y-yes!" Naomi replied, as if that made perfect sense. "Of… Of course… He… he would?" Which she didn't of course. Meanwhile, her father leaned in, and spoke in hushed tones so as to take extra precaution about being overheard.

"Yes daughter. And it is vital, you understand? Vital, that the Councilman does nothing, absolutely nothing to cause a scandal."

"Or a controversy." Kamiya supplied helpfully.

"Yes, he must not say anything incisive, decisive, or strongly held, on any, one, thing, for the next year or so. Is that clear Naomi?"

The civil servant, still utterly and hopelessly lost about what sort of mad world she had stumbled upon, slowly nodded.

"…Well, sure. In fact, I'm sure that was the Councilor's intent to begin with."

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Ron, Duke and Warspite 12

Ron led the group back down the rear stairs of the house, the group heading outside to examine the remaining buildings. He was still a little internally shaking his head a little bit, as both Duke and Warspite had insisted that he get the largest of the bedrooms. Yes his name was on the deed but they were both bigger than him! At least that's what part of his mind thought. The other part had quite happily picked up on the fact they were both to either side of him and while he knew he'd be gone for school much of the year, they were both nice to cuddle with.

He felt heat rising on the back of his neck at the mere thought, the boy young and understanding of his situation but still vulnerable to hormones just as much as any other. He managed to shake the thought as they reached the back door, holding it open for his companions as they headed towards the nearest of the outbuildings.

Built in a clearly blocky style and with a number of windows that needed replaced or cleaned thoroughly, the building had one large door at the front and another on the side that was more sized for a person.

"I suppose this is the garage then." Ron looked at the trail of gravel that had once been a proper path leading up to the door.

"I think it's even older than that." Dreadnought spoke lightly, raising her head slightly as if to try and look through the windows. "It was likely a stable first and might still be if they never converted it."

"I don't think we'll be needing horses here, so it might need another refit." Duke shook her head. "Might be a good spot for the repair bath."

"Those are usually better purpose built though aren't they?" Ron asked as he stepped up to the large front door. They were clearly stiff but seemed to suddenly give way after his first tug. There was a massive creaking sound as he managed to get the door open and sunlight washed into the structure as dust billowed outwards. Waving his hand and pulling out his wand to start cleaning again, Ron froze as he finally caught sight of what was inside the building.

There was a vehicle inside of it, a broken down 2 and ½ ton truck that had been taken apart and left in pieces in the center of the building but that wasn't what drew his attention.

Instead it was the vast array of shelves on the right side of the building, along with the mess of what appeared to be machinery and gadgets on the left side.

As the rest of the group came up beside him to look, he heard Summer gasp in what was clearly happiness and what sounded like clapping hands.

"What's all this?" Warspite looked back and forth at the mess.

"Workshop." Summer sounded rather pleased at the fact and Ron felt himself growing excited at the prospect as well. It was clear that whoever had built the place had quite enjoyed their work, as the shelves were cluttered as close together as they could while still allowing proper access and there was a headboard of a bed visible next to a table on the left side.
"A Wizard's workshop." Molly spoke up, pointing to the right where there was a broomstick still tied to a beam, floating several inches off the ground.

"Is it dangerous?" Duke peered back and forth, her hand on the hilt of her blade.

"It shouldn't be." Molly shook her head. "At least I don't see anything that would make it so."

Ron made to take a step forward but a hand fell on his shoulder. He looked up to see Duke shake her head at him.

"Let me go first." She rigged up immediately afterwards, her turrets appearing and her weight clearly settling the ground a bit more before she took a few steps inside. When nothing happened, she took a few more and then turned around. "I don't sense anything either." She said, dismissing her rigging as she toed what looked to be the drive shaft of the old Deuce and a Half.

Ron immediately took a few steps inside and then turned to the left as he began examining the machinery and other assorted objects. Aside from the clear patina of dust and rust that some of the items sported, it was clear that they were old just from looking at them. Some of the clearly wizarding items like the abacus and cauldron looked downright ancient, while the muggle items were clearly no younger than late WWII vintage. Still he examined each one a bit before he moved on, Summer following him close by.

When he came back to the middle of the structure, Ron found his mother and Dreadnought coming back from their examination of the other side of the building.

"It's mostly reagent storage." His mom spoke as he looked behind her. "Much of it is expired past any usage and will need to be cleaned and sorted."

"There's a large quantity of more mundane things as well. Steel, copper and the like. Some old oil barrels which are remarkably rust free."

"Rust resistance charms." His mother said. "Good ones."

Ron looked over to Warspite and Duke who were nearby, smiling.

"Can..." He started to say before they both immediately said "Yes."

The two blondes glanced between each other and smiled before Warspite continued for the both of them.

"Yes you can use this as a workshop Ron. I think it'd be silly to do anything else with it." She waved at the various shelves.

"You'll need to clear it out and make sure everything is safe first." Duke said, though she had an indulgent smile on her face.

"Thanks!" Ron said happily, moving to give both Warspite and Duke a quick hug. "This will make all my research easier!"

As Ron stepped back from hugging Duke, he heard a small sound from behind him. Turning, he saw Summer standing with a slightly embarrassed look on her face.

"C-can I… uhm..." She flushed to the mild extent she was able to, when she saw Ron looking at her intently.

"Of course you can Summer. I mean it's not like I could use all of it myself." Ron gestured behind him to the building, which was easily large enough to hold a small family by itself.

Summer nodded, her big hat bobbing as she smiled eagerly.

"So where to next?" He turned to the rest of the group and was somewhat surprised when Dreadnought raised her hand and pointed.

"I believe that building over there is an Orangearium." Ron turned to look and a building that seemed to be at least half made of windows came into view. "I've not seen one in a while and we shall probably need to evaluate it for repair or demolition."

There was a general murmur of assent and the group head toward the building. As they crossed the yard there were a number of old paths threading through wild piles of either dead bushes or wildflowers in almost equal measure.

"Replanting the garden wouldn't go amiss." Duke said, looking down at one of the flowers as they passed.

"Mmm." Dreadnought replied. "I know many of the girls do appreciate at least some time outside. A cup of tea and smelling the flowers is always enjoyable."

"We'll need a gardener or two but I think we can manage that along with everything else." Warspite nodded in agreement.

"Do people still sign up to be permanent gardeners and maids?" Ron asked, looking back to Dreadnought and Warspite. "I know a lot of wizard families use house elves for that but I know we can't do that."

"There are some around." Dreadnought said, considering his statement. "It shouldn't be a problem to find a few."

"There's a work program that your father knows of." Ron turned to look at his mother as she spoke. "Helping people from the magical side get mundane jobs in preparation for the SoS falling. I'm sure we could find some there."

"That might be a good idea." Ron said, thinking things over. "If we have someone who can use magic it won't be as hard to clean up. Especially if we have a lot of people over."

"I think that sounds like a good idea as well." Duke chimed in, with Warspite nodding along.

Molly glanced at Dreadnought and then nodded to the rest of the group. "I'll put some inquiries in or get your father to. I'm sure we can have someone hired by the time everything is renovated."

With that little matter solved, it was only another minute until they made their way to the Orangearium. The building was rather large, easily big enough to fit a tree inside of it given that Ron could actually see a number through the broken and dirty windows.

"It looks a little bit rough." Ron said, looking to the broken panes of glass that had clearly fallen inside the building.

"Mmm, it does. The trees all appear to be dead as well." Warspite seemed to agree with Ron.

"It's to be expected, an Orangearium is for growing things you would not normally be able to in this climate." Dreadnought spoke with experience in her voice. "The underlying structure seems sound enough and you could fill it with whatever sort of plants you wanted."

"W-w-whatever you w-want?" Summer piped up suddenly, causing everyone to glance back at her.

"Essentially yes." Dreadnought spoke to Summer directly, the enormous abyssal looking like she was about to wilt away simply from being looked at by they matronly battleship. "I know tropical fruit trees are a favorite but flowers and other plants from all over are quite common."

Summer pulled her hat off her head, the enormous blue and black flower it sported coming into view for Ron as Summer stroked it lightly.

"C-could you m-maybe… keep it?" Summer nearly froze again after she asked the question and Ron looked to Warspite and Duke.

"I don't see why not." Duke spoke first. "As mother said the structure is sound enough and it would be nice to have a place to sit in the winter aside from the house."

"There's some magical plants that still need hot weather too." Ron spoke up. "I could ask Neville for some that are pretty as well as useful."

Summer again flushed as much as her pale face could and nodded happily.

"T-thank you." Summer said, looking between everyone.

"Yes thank you, I've been quite fond of the Orangearium ever since it went in. It'd be a shame to lose." A female voice spoke from behind them, the tones smooth and level. It took a second for Ron to realize he didn't recognize the voice and then everything happened at once.

Duke and Warspite turned around almost instantly, their rigs shimmering into existence in the time it took them to do so. Dreadnought turned as well, stepping between Molly and the voice while Summer immediately moved and wrapped Ron up in her arms to protect him.

Yet somehow he managed to get a very clear view of Warspite and Duke pointing their rigs at a very surprised looking maid before his vision turned to white.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Woo, more updates. Almost through the house bit I swear.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

The office was filled with the sound of clicking as the Greek Admiral looked at her computer screen in deep thought, thumb extending and retracting her pen's point. On said screen was a map of a section of the Aegean Sea. Said place being somewhat north of Crete. Various icons pulsed showing the rough locations of different shipgirls, their identification numbers above their positions. Some were Italian and some Turkish. But the majority were Greek, as were the steel hulled ships in the area. The female Admiral was brought out of her thoughts though by a mug being set down on her desk, "Here you go, Admiral Aetós. Fresh from the machine."

Gratefully smiling, the Admiral grasped the mug and nodded, "Thank you, Georgios." Sipping it, she hummed, "Good as always."

Lightly blushing, Georgios nodded with a small smile, "You are very welcome, Admiral." Walking around the desk, she took a seat on the top of it with her hands against the well worn wood, "It is one of my jobs, after all."

Chuckling, Aetós had a twinkle in her eye as she placed her hand on top of the shipgirls, "And you do your job very well, my dear Georgios. Very well indeed."

As the last word came out on a purr, as well as the hand on top of hers, Georgios Averof's light blush deepened. Especially as the Admiral's thumb brushed along her knuckles. Wanting to distract herself before her boilers exploded, Georgios looked at the screen, "Is that the new data regarding the SOS signal?"

With a hum, the Admiral removed her hand from the shipgirl's much to Georgios' slight dismay. Something that, unknown to her, Aetós had noticed. Internally smirking, the female Officer nodded, "Yes, we've narrowed it down."

Before Georgios could say anything, a choking sound came from her right when she opened her mouth as the Admiral placed her hand upon the shipgirl's thigh. Despite being a woman and her apparent young age, the Admiral's hands were rough from what had to be years of work. Roughness now laid against the smooth skin of Georgios' leg. Swallowing, Georgios found herself wishing for the hand to move just a bit upwards, before she squashed that thought.

And squashed it hard.

Something, she noted, that somehow Admiral Aetós knew from the knowing smirk on her face, 'Damn this woman! She knows what this does!'

With a deep breath to calm herself, Georgios let it out and was about to say something when she squeaked a bit as the Admiral gave her thigh a light squeeze. Expression one of innocence, Admiral Aetós looked up at her. But it was ruined by the mirth hiding in her eyes, "Something wrong, Georgios?"

Clearing her throat, the Armoured Cruiser shook her head, "No, n-nothing." The last bit came out as a stutter as the Admiral's hand moved to her knee, fingers tracing along the skin gently, "S-so, we have narrowed down the source?"

Now thoughtful, Aetós placed a finger beneath her chin, though she did not remove the hand on Georgios' knee, "Hmm... we have a general area, yes. The signal is not that strong and comes and goes. One of the Intel personnel thinks it may be a spark gap, which would explain the range and weakness of the signal. Unless, that is, this is some sort of Abyssal trap."

Considering that for a few moments, Georgios shook her head as she crossed her arms over her breastplate, "No, that does not sound right. Besides which, there has been little Abyssal activity on the Aegean, let alone the Mediterranean as a whole." She then glanced at her Admiral with a knowing look, "But then, you already knew this." Just sipping her coffee, the Admiral didn't reply, which made the Cruiser shake her head, "Of course." Shifting slightly, Georgios internally smirked as she caught the Admiral's eye glance at her bare legs before tapping the screen, "Still, we are narrowing down the search area."

Lips twitching, Aetós gave a nod, "We are, which is the important thing. Aquila's planes are helping a lot in regards to search patterns." After a few moments, she drained the rest of her coffee and stood up, "I'm going for a walk, Georgios. For a while, anyways."

With a bemused sigh, the Greek shipgirl shook her head, 'Of course you are.' Outwardly, she chuckled, "Is there anything that you wish for me to do while you are out, Admiral?"

Pausing from where she was shrugging on her uniform coat, the Admiral frowned for a moment. After a few seconds, she turned and looked towards her secretary ship and once more, with the light coming in the window, Georgios was struck by how beautiful her Admiral was. Right now though, she could see an emotion that she hardly ever saw in the other woman's eyes...

Nervousness, with a hint of fear and unsureness.

But then, it was gone and the normal confidence was back, "Actually, there is something that you could do for me, Georgios." Taking a deep breath, her Admiral let it out, "Check the schedules and see if either of us have something on Friday? I recently bought some wine and some nice beef. It would be... nice, to have some company for dinner."

Checking her logs quickly, the Cruiser shook her head, "No, neither of us have anything booked for Friday..." Eyes widening, she glanced at Aetós who stood there, "Friday, which is Valentine's Day."

Slowly, the Admiral nodded, "Yes, it is Valentine's Day."

For several moments, neither of them spoke. Licking her lips, Georgios turned her full attention to Aetós, who stiffly stood there just watching her, "Valentine's Day... Are... are you inviting me for..."

Much to her shock, Admiral Aetós had a small blush on her face, "I am, Georgios." With another deep breath, she continued on, "I... will admit, I have little experience in this. And, well, I am attracted to you. But at the same time... I-I'm not like others, it is your choice and I will respect whatever it might be. Just know..."

Getting up, Georgios walked over to her Admiral and stood in front of her. Then, she softly smiled down at the other woman, "I understand, Admiral. Believe me, I do." Reaching up, she cupped Aetós' cheek with her hand, eyes gentle, "Also, I know that you would be loyal to me, and I can tell you now, I would be such to you as well. You have told me much, and I figured out more. But I will never betray you."

Only nodding, Aetós looked up at her before speaking in a quiet voice, "Thank you."

Both of them looked at each others eyes for a few moments before Georgios leaned in. It was nothing more then featherlight, but when the Cruiser pulled away, they both were breathless. Lips curled into a smile, Aetós' eyes practically glowed before she gave a nod. Neither said anything more, because nothing needed to be said. Standing there, Georgios helped her do up the last bit of her coat and nodded, "Now, I will be waiting, my Admiral. I can ask nothing more."

Aetós gave a nod back, "And I will come."

With that, she turned and left the office with the Greek shipgirls standing there. Walking to the window, Georgios watched as the Admiral, her Admiral, walked out of the building with a smile. Chuckling, she shook her head, "At least now it is in the open..."

Meanwhile, Aetós walked along with her hands in her pockets. On her face was a happy smile unlike most of her other ones as, for the first time in a truly long time, she had someone to love and who would love her back. Even the small voice in the back of her head that sounded like a certain man's from her past and which had claimed she would be betrayed was silenced. And it made her feel light on her feet as well. Already though, she was planning what would happen that Friday, while another part of her was putting together some thoughts as to a different issue. One that would need resolving soon enough, but in a way that would not cause any trouble.

Looking around as she walked, the Admiral could only nod as she made her way through the shipgirl section of the base on Salamis Island. Most would have expected Athens to have a shipgirl base, and said city did. But the main headquarters for the Greek Shipgirl Program was here, on Salamis. From their base, they were able to cover the Aegean Sea easily enough. And it was not just Greek shipgirls either, as others from the EU used it as a base in the Eastern Mediterranean as well.

It also meant that for some of the other higher ups in the Hellenic Navy, they didn't have to hear about shipgirl shenanigans right away.

Soon enough, she came upon the person that she needed to speak to which was another female Hellenic Navy Officer, one in the uniform of a Captain. Said woman was in the middle of a group of young girls looking not much more then ten years old. Almost immediately, Aetós identified them as being the Thyella class Destroyers. Coming to a stop, she waited until they noticed and each of the little girls gained a serious expression before they saluted, which Aetós returned, "At ease."

Head tilted to the side, Thyella frowned, "Is something wrong, Admiral?"

Only shaking her head, the Admiral waved a hand, "No, nothing is wrong. I simply wished to speak with Lana for a time about some things. But I can wait."

Looking at each other, the Destroyers shrugged and turned to the Captain who smiled and nodded, "We'll go to the bakery as promised."

Now grinning, the group of shipgirls hurried off and Aetós chuckled, "Ah, to be young again. I remember those days... though they were much different. Same most likely with you, Lana."

The other woman's eyebrow twitched a bit, "I could say the same... Maddy." At the smirk from the Admiral, she sighed, "Okay, what is it? I made a promise after all."

Eyebrow raised, the Admiral hummed, "Trust me, it won't take long... Atalanta. Just a few minutes of your time."

Arms crossed, Atalanta frowned, "Very well, but make it quick, Medea..."

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Ship of Fools Part the Tenth

In which the House was Rocked, a Block was Busted, and Draco Saw Something Nice


In minutes Draco, Johnston and Cleo had managed to make their way through the line and into the venue. Finding their seats, Draco was jostled by Johnston as she held his arm against her. "Wow Cleo, these are going to be great seats! We're close enough to the mosh pit for the energy and far enough that we can still see the stage."

The light cruiser giggled, the act causing her blond shoulder length curly ringlets to bounce. "I know I know! My sister Black Prince just gave me all these tickets too!"

Johnston moved her hand to Draco's and entwined her fingers with his. Draco felt his face flush and the corners of his lips formed a small smile. Merlin she's pretty. Wait, concentrate Draco. Don't forget what Father said about being a gracious guest. "Please convey my thanks to your sister as I appreciate hers and your generosity in inviting Johnston and myself."

"It is weird," Cleopatra continued while pursing her lips in thought, "I know she was looking forward to the concert too. Black Prince wasn't exactly happy about giving me all the tickets either. But she's taking a lot of university courses right now, so that's probably why."

Johnston piped in, "Oh wow. That's really cool."

"Yeah, but because of her classes and her boyfriend she doesn't stay over at the manor or the dorms much anymore. But the house she's renting with Effingham and Agamemnon is close to the base and is really cute and it even has a dungeon!"

"Generally only castles have dungeons." Draco interjected. Following Cleo's conversation seemed to be like conversing with the Lovegood girl.

"Yeah Cleo," Johnston added, "a basement sure. A dungeon would be a bit much."

"But that's what Effingham called it when I went to visit Prince. 'Prince is downstairs in the dungeon with her boyfriend' is exactly what she said."

Anything else Cleo was going to say was drowned out as the band took the stage and began the set with 'Lion of the North'.

-0-

At a quiet cafe just outside the concert hall at this time:

Cu Cuchlainn stared over his beer at Lugh. "Seriously? All of Morrigan's shit has led to this?"

"As much as it pains me to say it, yes." Lugh took a swig of his own lager and slammed down the pint. Unsurprisingly not a drop spilled from the mug to the table. "Loki found out what Amaterasu pulled and he opened his damn frost giant mouth. We're just lucky that enough pantheons spent their IOUs for us to even have this Plan C option."

"The kid has potential, but some seriously dark leanings Lugh. Curse Morrigan and her project! We've got another Age of Heroes coming up, and thanks to her, our best candidate is probably an anti-hero at best. I do want to thank whoever had the foresight to put that shipgirl in front of the kid before they became unsalvageable."

"I know Cu. But that shipgirl is one of Taffy 3. If things go well we get a John Wick. If not, let's just pray Johnston never takes the Malfoy boy to see the Deadpool movies."

-0-

Across the room of the same pub, Washington sat with Ostfriesland at a small table. Ostfriesland had dismissed Niobe to go keep an eye on Derfflinger along with the light cruiser Leipzig. Washington, with her gaze on her drink smiled and raised her head. "Hello Mütter." Her voice cracked with emotion. "I've missed you so much..."

Ostfriesland moved her chair over to the side of the American battleship and put an arm around Washington, hugging her. "And I am overjoyed to see you tochter. I told you that you would become a beautiful battleship one day. Now you have."

Washington played with the thick burgundy braid of hair hanging over her shoulder as she smiled at receiving a hug from the German battleship. A ship that instructed her on how to be a battleship, that kept up her spirits, admonished her for despair, and had given Washington the strength to resist the call of the Abyss. There was no question in her mind that Ostfriesland was her mother. And it was no surprise that the next question from her mother was in Osty's 'do not bullship me fraulein' tone of voice.

"So what's this I hear about you telling the US Navy to bugger themselves and running off with a young boy?"

"You make me sound like a deviant. The Navy never asked for me. Draco declared that he wanted the lost and forgotten to come back, that he was asking for me to come back and live. Who do you think I would choose to follow?"

Ostfriesland smiled indulgently, "The one who wanted you of course. But do consider, you chose a civilian as your admiral, don't you think that having that kind of firepower under a civilian's control a little matter for worry to any government?"

Washington frowned and replied quietly. "What firepower Mütter? I was only seventy six percent complete when they disposed of me. I didn't even have turrets. Suppose I summon my rigging? What does it say if I summon my rigging," and her voice broke into a frightened whisper, "and there's NOTHING THERE?" Washington began to quietly sob into the German battleship's shoulder. "What if I really am so useless that it was a waste to even want to call me back?"

All Ostfriesland could do was rub circles on Washington's back to try and comfort her. She gently whispered to the hurting battleship. "Nein, it was no waste and you are not useless. Mein liebstes kleines Mädchen. And once you have succeeded in getting your young man to his goals, you will always have a home in Germany should you want it."

"And your admiral would accept that?" Washington asked as she wiped tears from her watery grey eyes.

"Jawohl." Ostfriesland grinned. "I would kick his manhood into his tonsils if he did not."

-0-

Three blocks down a short time ago

"This must be the place! A symbol of Englander football! Damp and full of failures!" A raven haired shipgirl with amazing legs stopped to admire the main pub for FC Celtic football fans in Glasgow. "Time drink England dry of gin!"

The light cruisers Leipzig and Niobe followed the Imperial German battlecruiser Derfflinger through the door of the pub, pausing only to share a long suffering sigh between the two. Then Niobe's face paled at Derfflinger's next exclamation.

"I WANT TEN BOTTLES OF THE BEST GIN IN THE HAUS! OH ALLO THERE INVINCIBLE!"

Niobe grabbed Leipzig's arm and dragged her down the street in search of Ostfriesland, the sounds of a dull roar growing louder behind them.

-0-

Back at the concert

The music being played was a new experience for Draco. The pulsing beat of the drums and guitar chords felt like they were literally vibrating their way through his body. He imagined that if he stood still he would move around by the vibrations alone. That, and the two girls who were alternating pressing themselves against him in time with the music.

Johnston was a whirlwind of motion with himself at the vortex. He tried moving in some semblance of time with her, assuming that it was what considered dancing. I have no idea what to do though. It all seems just random to me. The volume of the music was such that he couldn't even hear what Johnston or Cleopatra were saying to him or each other, so he just smiled and nodded where he thought it appropriate. It seemed to be working since they were both smiling.

As the song Carolus Rex ended and the lead singer started talking as an interlude, Draco's view of the stage was suddenly blocked. The reek of alcohol roiled of the four chavs now standing in front of Draco and the girls.

"Oi, you girls look like you need some real men. C'mon, me and my mates will show you a good time."

As the drunken fools swaggered and preened, Draco could see Johnston and Cleo scowl. They looked about to paste the idiots themselves. A certain dark part of Draco's mind was cackling at the prospect and was even trying to goad him into jinxing them insensate. A part of his mind that Draco had been unaware of stepped in however. Draco gave both girls' hands a quick squeeze in reassurance.

Draco's right hand then came up in sort of a passing wave and he spoke to the chavs, "These aren't the type of girls you're looking for."

The leering expressions of the chavs went slack, and the leader repeated, "These aren't the type of chicks we're looking fer."

Draco repeated the motion and said, "You should move along."

The chav leader turned and started to move away, "We should move along."

Draco turned to look at Johnston. As he was about to speak, he was stopped by Johnston's lips on his. Johnston let her kiss linger for at least twenty seconds before her lips parted from his. Then she and Cleo both squee'd.

"Omigodomigodomigod! Draco, you totally just mind tricked those shit-stains!" Johnston was bouncing up and down again and before Draco could blue screen, he felt a pair of hands turn his head in the other direction. He had only a second of recognition that it was Cleopatra before her lips met his.

With a smack their lips parted and Cleo giggled. "There! A proper hero's reward!"

"Cleo, you just kissed my boyfriend!"

"But Johnston, Draco just saved two pure maidens from being dragged off to be violated in unspeakable ways by those chavs. Don't you think he deserved to be rewarded?" Cleo kept giggling while batting her eyes at Draco.

"Ugh. We are going to talk about boundaries and trying to poach boyfriends later." Johnston rebutted in frustration as the lead singer announced the next song 'A Lifetime of War'.

The rhythm of this song seemed slower, so Draco decided to take action to reassure Johnston. Moving behind her, he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head forward so his cheek rested against hers. "Do you really consider me your boyfriend? I mean, I've never really asked you if you wanted to be my girlfriend. I think of you as my girlfriend, but I... now I want to ask. Johnston, will you be my girlfriend?"

Johnston twisted around in his arms and put her arms around his neck. "Yes to both questions you very cute silly boy." She then caressed his cheek with her left hand and gave him a gentle peck on the lips. Turning back around she and Draco swayed back and forth to the remainder of the song.

-0-

Three blocks down from the concert a major riot had broken out. There was masses of football hooligans brawling in the street. Windows were smashed. The FC Celtic bar was on fire. And as the riot grew, the instigators of said riot were slowly brawling their way towards the concert venue. Three buildings were beginning to crumble under stress from the sudden violent removal of key supports. Said removal due to the ship-girl sized demolition holes in the walls and beams.

-0-

As the concert finished and the crowd left the venue, Draco, Johnston and Cleopatra made their way towards the cafe across the street.

"So what did you think Draco? Pretty badass for a concert right?" Johnston asked Draco while grinning.

"It was. I had a great time. But everywhere I go with you is a great time Johnston." He then turned to Cleo, although he did slightly blush as he remembered her kiss. "Thank you for letting us attend Cleopatra. I really appreciate it."

Cleopatra blushed slightly, but to Draco's eye looked a little disappointed as well. Before she could reply, Johnston cut in, "Draco, sweetie, could you get Cleo and me something cold to drink from the cafe? Thanks!" Draco shrugged and went in to the cafe.

"So Cleo..."

"Look Johnston, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to try to poach your boyfriend. But... it's so hard to find a boyfriend when most guys think because I act like a ditz that I'm easy. And Draco is really cute and has that wannabe badboy thing when he's really just an innocent little muffin and I think I really like him too.."

"Whoa whoa Cleo calm down. I'm not mad or anything." Johnston stopped Cleo as it looked like the blond light cruiser was about to start crying. She sighed. "I.. I have 174 sister ships Cleo. So I get a little nervous about the thought of sharing someone that I can call mine alone. But if you really want to date Draco too... I guess that's okay. And anyway, Draco's mother was really really fucking clear that I had to wait four years before we can get to the fun stuff. So yeah, I'm cool with it. Just remember that eventually I'm the legal wife."

Both girls started to giggle uncontrollably, until two shipgirls burst out of a building Kool-Aid Man style half a block away. The two began slugging each other hammer and tongs in the middle of the street.

"Oh fuck, that's HMS Superb," Cleo stated shakily, "but she was at the football game so that must mean the other ship is Derfflinger."

"Crap, what the hell are they thinking? Stand back Cleo. I got this. TAFFY THREE!!!" Johnston charged the two brawlers.

"Hey Cleo, here's your drink where's Johnston?" Draco then looked where Cleo pointed. He paled as he saw Johnston attempt to restrain one of the brawling warships, only for the short muscular ship girl to grab Johnston and hammer throw her away. As Johnston went flying back in his direction, Draco didn't even stop to think, but ran forward as fast as he could to try and catch his girlfriend.

He was certain there was no way to make it in time, yet as he ran time seemed to slow around him. Then with an almost audible snap time to speed back up. Draco's brain had only time to register that somehow he had misjudged the difference and then his vision went black.

-0-

Cu Cuchlainn looked at Lugh. "Ok that went hilariously wrong."

Lugh simply looked forward out the window. "I'm putting it down to ship girl MSSB."

"And those Japanese cartoons that Amaterasu left behind that you enjoy so much had nothing to do with it?"

"Not at all."

"If you do that finger steeple thing, I will stab you until candy comes out."

-0-

Draco's hearing and vision slowly came back to him. He realized that at some point he had fallen and was now lying on his back on the pavement. Something weighed down on his shoulders and chest so he couldn't sit up or really even move. Suddenly the weight shifted down to his lap and his vision returned. "Wha happen?"

He tried to sit up but then a bright light flashed in his eyes. "Aaaaa!!!"

"Don't move yet Draco, you might have a concussion." He heard Washington's voice from somewhere off to his right. The light flashed off.

"He looks alright for now. I would have him checked out later though to be sure."

"Thank you doctor."

"He's going to be fine?" Draco raised himself on his elbows to look at the speaker straddling his lap. Johnston had tears streaming down her face.

"What's wrong Johnston, I think I'm okay, please don't cry."

Johnston sniffed. "Dummy. I'm a ship girl. Why were you trying to catch me? You're squishier than I am."

At this moment, Draco tried to summon a little teenage bravado. "But isn't that what boyfriends are supposed to do? Catch their girlfriends when they're falling."

A very laconic German voice cut in, "Ja, you aren't supposed to catch her with your face though." Draco turned his head to the voice to see the girl who had ridden with them on the way. Niobe grinned at Draco. "Unless you're that hard up for a peek of course..." Draco could only blink numbly, completely oblivious to her meaning.

Washington looked on at the scene and sighed. Turning to Ostfriesland she said, "Thanks to the riot there's no transport back to Germany at the moment. Do you want to come back to Hogwarts with me and Draco for the night?"

"Nein tochter. Leipzig and I will remain here to bail Derfflinger out of this. Niobe can go back with you."

"All right then." She clapped her hands, "Time to head back."

As they entered the Common Room of the Slytherin dorm Washington turned to Draco. "Alright young man, off to bed with you. You've had a needlessly rough day."

"Wait!" Johnston exclaimed. "It isn't a good idea for Draco to be alone. He should be under observation for the night."

Washington raised her eyebrows. "And how will that happen?"

"A cuddlepile! We can even stay here in the Common Room, the sofa is big enough!" Johnston smirked.

"Yay! Great idea Johnston!"

"Wait what? Whaa..."

"Ohhh Draco's bluescreened!"

-0-

Ok, there will be another bit with aftershocks and other stuff. But I needed to get this out and done. Just a reminder, this is just Saturday of the Hogsmeade Weekend. There is still Sunday to go. And Hermione finds out.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

"You…who are you?"

The nurse-like Abyssal's gaze briefly shifted to Tanith, before quickly going back to the Re-class in her lap. "I… I don't know. I just woke up. Who I am, how I got here… I barely know anything." She carefully stroked Renita's tousled hair, continuing her desperate efforts to soothe the tormented soul. "Do you… know this girl? Could you tell me why she would have had a sudden panic attack?"

Tanith struggled to respond, utterly baffled by this turn of events. Unable to find her words, the Princess simply took in the hull of this mysterious newcomer. For such a massive ship, big enough to match some of the Standards, she was shockingly undergunned… wielding only enough small-caliber guns to compete with a light cruiser at best, although the AA complement was excellent. But then she took note of the multiple heavy cranes hanging over the hull, the numerous bilge pumps and welding tools, the heavy-duty skiffs on standby atop her deck. This was no capital ship... this was an auxiliary ship.

A repair ship.

This was the Mi-class.

Pieces of the puzzle immediately started falling into place. This had been her sisters' project… somehow, they had produced a fully operational, fully cognizant Abyssal, in just days. If the fact that the installations were all in the village was any indication, they probably didn't even expect the Mi-class to wake up so soon. She would have to speak to them about this later…

Part of Tanith couldn't help feeling thrilled—this apparent newborn was only minutes old, and yet she already exhibited the gentle-hearted concern one would expect from a ship whose purpose was to care for others. She didn't even know herself, much less Renita... but here she was, holding the poor girl to her breast, doing everything she could think of to try and ease her spirits, setting aside her own fears. That alone spoke leagues of her potential as a healer, a caregiver for her fellow Abyssals, and possibly others as well. Frankly, however, another much bigger part of Tanith wanted to throttle her sisters, for leaving a newborn to awaken completely unattended. Surely she had been distressed, waking up alone, her Princess nowhere in sight…

The Princess shook her head. Take care of newborn now, reprimand sisters later. She turned to Regalia. "Please go find Fluffy. Bring her here."

"Okay, Mom."

As the younger Re-class raced off, Tanith stepped forward, kneeling down next to the Mi-class. "I am sorry, little one. You must be so confused… so scared. If it is any consolation, I very much doubt your Princess intended for your awakening to be like this."

The Mi-class looked up to her again. "My Princess…?"

"Your creator… your mother."

"Oh…" the girI's gaze fell. "Yeah. It was scary. It was… dark, and cold. I was lonely."

Tanith nodded. She reached out and gripped the Mi-class's shoulder gently. "As your aunt, and as the leader of this island and fleet, I promise that you will never need to go through that again. We take care of our family."

The Mi-class relaxed slightly at her touch. "...thank you." In her lap, Renita let out a small sniffle. "So… who am I, exactly?"

"You are a repair ship," Tanith answered. "A Mi-class, first of your kind."

"Hmm…" the Mi-class looked down, examining herself. "What's my name?"

Tanith shrugged. "That is up to you."

For the next minute the Mi-class was silent, a thoughtful expression on her face as she tended to Renita. Eventually, she spoke.

"...I think... I think I'd like the name Millie."

XXXXXXXXXX

"God..." Ritou groaned as she slumped over the table, rubbing her forehead with one hand and clutching a coffee mug in the other. "I need some stronger brew."

All around the table were the other flagships, along with Fluffy, Renita, and the fledgling Millie. Fluffy was busy fretting over her flagship, who was barely conscious after expending so much energy through her breakdown… while occasionally giving a wary look to the fidgeting newborn, who was herself being fretted over by Nuri. "I'm so sorry, sweetie," the Demon whined as she hugged and nuzzled Millie, who embraced her in return. "I'm an awful, ignorant mother, leaving you alone the way I did. I'll do whatever it takes to make this up to you, I promise!"

"It's okay… Mama…" Millie said quietly. Now that she had been united with her mother, she seemed much more relaxed. "I forgive you." She looked over to the Re-class. "And I'm… really sorry, about how I set off your panic attack. I had no idea you were even there… I was just trying to get out of that room…"

Renita's head rolled slightly, her tired gaze focusing on the Mi-class. Her eyes were still bloodshot, and her cheeks still stained with the tears she shed. "N-not… your fault…" she whispered. "I'm… damaged, inside..."

Next to her, Fluffy let out a soft sigh. "Hearing your side of what happened… I can kinda understand what you were going through," she told Millie. "So… I won't hold this against you." The Princess gingerly tried to wrap her flagship in a hug, her skin still sensitive from her earlier burns. "I just wish I could have been there when it happened, to help calm her down…"

"Don't we all…" Tanith shook her head, before turning to the Mi-class. "That aside… I saw the hinges on the door were cut with some sort of blowtorch implement. Your doing, obviously… but I do not see anything on your person that could have let you do so. Where is your rigging?"

"...rigging…?" Millie asked, her head cocked. After a moment, there was a flash of realization in her eyes. "You mean this…?"

Slowly unwrapping herself from Nuri, the Mi-class stood up. Then, to everyone's mild surprise, she turned and presented her rear end to them—showing them what they all had failed to take notice of until that point. Extending from just above her tailbone was a set of five black tendrils, each tipped with a different tool… with the middle one ending in a stinger-like syringe.

"I was just starting to wonder what these were…" Millie continued, as her tails waved in the air behind her. "Didn't look too deeply into it while breaking out, of course, but now..."

"Those," Nuri spoke up, "are your work implements. You're equipped with a lot of tools to care for other Abyssals. Blow torches, bilge pumps, generators… all sorts of things." She tilted her head. "Still not quite sure about the necessity of the syringe, though."

"You'll thank me one day..." Ritou groaned with a raised finger.

Millie examined her tails with a thoughtful look. "So… my purpose is to help people?" She asked. Slowly, a small smile crept onto her face. "...yeah. I think I'd like that."

Her mother chuckled. "It would be weird if you didn't. It's what the Mi-class was made for, after all." She rose up from her chair, taking Millie's hand. "Now, you must be hungry, after everything you've been through since you woke up. What do you think about going to get you some food, and meeting the rest of your family?" Millie perked up, eagerly following her mother out of the palace towards the residential area.

Once they were gone, Tanith turned back to the other three installations, frowning. "So… would you three care to explain how Millie showed up on such short notice? Exactly what kind of 'experiment' were you running?"

Patty sagged in her chair, looking guilty. "It was Nuri's proposal. She wanted to field test the Mi-class as soon as she could, so the designs could be passed on to our counterparts in the Atlantic to aid in their campaign. To that end… she wanted to find out if Abyssal construction could be sped up."

Tanith's eyebrows rose. "...what gave her that idea?"

Ritou lifted her head up, taking a draught of coffee. "It was partly from watching Mother rebuild Regalia and Renita… and partly my own knowledge of your construction process, which you told me a while back. Her idea was to skip the egg, and the growth process itself, and just build the complete hull with her own hands, seeding it with imps afterwards to let the new Abyssal's spirit grow."

"...and it worked." Tanith couldn't help but sound a little incredulous.

"Better than we'd hoped," Ritou admitted. "We started planning this a while back, when Mom brought Carrie and Sherri to the island; we actually got Mom's approval on the idea, when she evaluated the Mi-class's final draft. Our work began on Millie's hull just a few days ago; we finished this morning, and when we left the room to get some rest… well, she woke up. We had no idea her consciousness would develop so quickly, once Nuri donated the imps to serve as her foundation…"

Tanith pursed her lips. "Interesting."

It sounded unbelievable… but she'd seen the proof with her own eyes. Despite not growing in an egg like the rest of them, Millie appeared perfectly normal. The circumstances of her awakening were less than ideal, of course… but it seemed it really was possible to make an Abyssal by hand and animate her in less time than it would take for her to incubate. Given some better setup, more coordination… knowledge of such a procedure just might prove useful in the future.

That said… coordination. Tanith folded her arms. "Well, I will not refute your results. But should this be attempted again in the future, I suggest you warn your other sisters. Renita's breakdown could have been avoided, if you had had someone stay behind to supervise Millie…"

"Yeah, that was an oversight on our part. It won't happen again..." Ritou grunted. She looked to the others. "So… all in favor of declaring this experiment a success?"

All hands went up.

"Alright. And all in favor of never pulling 60-hour drydock shifts again?"

Several of the sisters lowered their hands, leaving just the three installations present.

"Okay, good."

With that, Ritou let her head drop to the table with a dull thunk, out like a light.

 

[darthcourt10]

TempestK

Harry Leferts said:
She technically is a minor goddess/demigod. But her being a "Divine Agent" is extremely new, before she just sort of wandered around and did her own thing. Some of which will come up... but the Olympians were desperate when they saw Blood Week coming and had to get someone to help out on Earth like the other Pantheons. However... most of those they asked told them to go and fuck themselves due to the shit that they pulled.​

Hmmm...

---
Before Blood Week, location: ???
---

There was a quiet crackle of flame, the welcome snap of a hearth as it kindled, before a young woman dressed in warm clothing appeared in a tongue of fire. The room she was in was opulent, decorated with gems and minerals of every color of the rainbow, arranged to create a cascade of colors pleasing to the eyes and reminding the viewer of a spring field of wildflowers in full bloom. Turning, a statuesque woman dressed in a light green chiton with a darker green, nearly black peplos over top. Her eyes were also green, the light verdant green of new shoots. Smiling, she stepped forward and kissed the shorter woman on both cheeks in greeting.

"Ah, it's so good to see you. Here to check up on him?" The taller woman smiled, and the shorter of them giggled.

"Yes, after what happened I thought that I should talk to him instead of one of our brothers." The taller woman rolled her eyes.

"I take it they were just glad to put the whole business behind them and stopped paying attention?" She led the other woman through halls of stone; marble, onyx and granite all carved masterfully. Out of the corner of the eye could be seen the occasional flicker, a ripple as if a disturbance in a pond's reflection.

"You know them so well. And I felt best to vacate the area before those harpies started in on their bitching." The was a crackle of flame in the shorter woman's eyes for the breifest of moments, before she relaxed. The two heard a crashing sound coming from the large set of doors they were approaching, but neither seemed to be all that worried.

"That does sound like them. I'll leave you to talk privately, I need to see to the fields." The taller woman's face dropped into a meloncholy frown. "I imagine we'll be getting quite a few new residents there." The shorter woman patted her hand gently.

"Yes, but that's why he built them in the first place. For those who deserve the rest of heroes, no matter their origin." Another crash and a long rumbling growl came from beyond the doors. "I suppose that I'd best get in there before they get too involved in their play." She gave the other woman's hand one last pat.

"Thank you Aunt Hestia. I hope you have a productive talk." The Goddess of the Hearth smiled, and opened the door.

Beyond was what could best be called a war zone in minature. A small arena, the land was scarred by deep gouges and charred spots. At one end stalked a massive three headed dog, hide black as night while manes of serpents thrashed and hissed down its necks. A serpentine tail extended from its rump, sinuously weaving back and forth as all three heads tracked their target.

At the other end of the arena stood a man, bare-chested and clad only in a perizoma. He was smiling, elegant lips turned upwards, while an aquiline nose crinkled. Black hair was brushed out of his eyes, before he made a "come at me" gesture. "Is that the best you've got? You're getting soft in your old age Kerberos!" The dog snarled... lunged... and the man lunged to meet him; a shockwave rising from their clash. The man was actually wrestling the dog into submission! As Hestia watched with fond amusement, a short sharp whistle cut through the sounds of combat.

Immediately the dog disengaged, while the man actually pouted before stepping back and looking to the side. "Uncle, it was just getting good. Why stop there?" The voice that responded was level and cool, although not cold.

"Because I've another guest to entertain, and I'd rather not have you and my dog end up tearing apart the arena on accident." The man looked abashed, rubbing the back of his neck, before he seemed to actually process what had been said. Looking around, his eyes fell upon Hestia and lit up. Rushing forward, he moved to embrance her.

"Aunt Hestia! It's been ages!" Hestia smiled tolerantly, but held out a hand, stopping the man in his tracks.

"It's been four hours Herakles. And you're covered in sweat and dog slobber. Go bathe, we can talk properly later." Scuffing his feet like a chastened schoolboy, the Olympian nodded. Rolling her eyes and shaking her head, she crooked her finger. "Oh... come here you." His smile was bright as he came over, and leaned down, receiving a peck on both cheeks in greeting. "Now, to the baths with you." Herakles saluted smartly, before gathering up a pelt and club that had been lying in an alcove along with his chiton, and made for the exit.

As he left, there was an exasperated sigh. "Some days I wonder if he'll ever grow up." A shimmer in the air like a mirage began, rippling violently, before warping into a man with fine features and jet black hair, dressing in a black chiton bordered with ash-grey trim; having just removed a helmet from his head. Kerberos approached with a whine, and received a scratch under his center chin. "That's enough boy, back to your cave for now. You can play with Herakles again later." Hades, lord of the Underworld, smiles slightly as his favored pet chuffed slightly, before heading towards another exit to the arena. "So Hestia, to what do I owe the pleasure?" he led the Goddess over to a side area, where a tray of meat, cheese, olives and nectar had been prepared.

"I was just curious... why'd you do it?" Hades paused, one brow arching, before smiling ever so slightly again.

"I'm not sure what you mean sister." Hestia's cheeks puffed, and she stomped a foot.

"I'm not Zeus you know. I could tell. You practically threw those negotiations with Medea once you were brought in." Hades paused, before carefully selecting an olive and popping it into his mouth.

"Because after everything the rest of the family put them through, the least I could do was help her get what she asked for." He paused again, frowning slightly. "I'm only sorry I wasn't able to lead her into asking for Hippomenes to be revived as well, just to salt Aphrodite's wound that much more." Hestia winced at that, but didn't remark on it otherwise. "Herakles was actually the one that brought the whole affair to my attention, and well... my nephew owed me a favor; so when Zeus tried to weasel around the negotiations by asking me instead of ordering me, I agreed. After that, well..." he picked up a date this time, wrapping a slice of meat around it before taking a bite. "At that point he was backed into a corner. He'd given me the power to negotiate on his behalf, and any agreement we made was to be sworn on the Styx itself. From there it was all a matter of putting on a good enough act."

Hestia sighed, taking a bite of the food herself, and looked to her brother. "Do you think it'll be enough? Just having the two of them in play?"

Hades' eyes grew hooded as he looked in the direction of the Asphodel fields, and the Elysian fields beyond them. "It's going to have to be. The family has burned so many bridges it's a wonder we're not swimming in charcoal. All we can do now, ironically" he smirked sardonically, "is pray."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Not answering right away, Medea waved her hand while wriggling her fingers. Almost immediately, Atalanta could feel a tingle on her skin which told her that the other woman had placed privacy spells over both of them. Something that brought back memories of talks on a ship rocking in the sea while the stars twinkled high above...

Before she could get too far into her thoughts though, Medea sighed and placed her hands into her pockets with one of them rooting around, "I assume that you know about the search in the southern Aegean?"

Glancing at her, the huntress snorted, "Of course I do. How could I not know?" A frown crossed Atalanta's face, "It has been over the news after all."

Amused, Medea laughed lightly, "Yes, I suppose so." Pulling her hand out from her pocket, she revealed a wine skin that she tossed to her friend, who easily caught it. "Though I will admit that I enjoy the fact that stories and such can travel so quickly. Some are exaggerated of course in the telling, but still far better than in our day."

That got her a snort from Atalanta before she took a deep swing of the wine, "You sound like an old woman, Medea."

Lips curling a bit, Medea wagged a finger, the wine skin returning to her as she took a drink, "That is because I am an old woman despite my looks." For a brief moment, she looked ancient and Atalanta felt for her, "Sometimes far older than I would like."

Grimacing, Atalanta decided to change the subject as she took back the wine skin, "Now, about this search? I realize that I am a hunter and thus well able to perform searches as I have done so before, but still."

Medea glanced at her and took back the wine skin. Taking a drink, she swished it around a bit before swallowing, "The area that the search is in... it is where Aeaea is located."

Brought up short by that piece of information, her friend paused before holding out her hand. Taking a long drag of wine, she only had one thing to say, "Shit."

Slowly, Medea nodded with a small grimace, "Shit, indeed."

Watching as the other woman drank deeply, Atalanta frowned, "So they have been alive all this time? Really?"

Just signing, the Sorceress nodded, "It would appear so. And somehow have cobbled together a radio. Not sure how, but they have." Glancing at her, Medea shook her head, "And before you ask, I have not heard anything from my Aunt. Not that I would have expected to in any case. She is alive, and that is all I know."

Only nodding, Atalanta rubbed her chin in thought, "Hmm... troublesome. From what I remember, the island has Cyclops, Minotaurs, and others correct? Placed there by the ICW? Or that was what you informed me after... well."

Avoiding that subject for now, Medea nodded, "Yes, my Aunt's spells made sure that the island was well hidden. And as it was already used to hide 'Creatures' from the outside world..."

The huntress could hear the scorn in the last few words, but didn't comment on it, "So they are in perhaps need of help. But why come to me?"

For several moments, Medea was silent before she spoke, "Because this whole situation places me in a tough position. One that needs careful thought and planning."

Her eyes narrowing, Atalanta passed her the wine skin, "Go on, Medea. How?"

Drinking deeply, Medea sighed as she pulled it away from her lips, "It will not take long before certain people begin to notice where the search area is slowly shrinking. And those people would most likely react... badly or in a way that could cause an issue. Even as crippled as they are, they could cause a lot of problems." Turning towards her fellow Argonaut, she frowned, "The best way to prevent it is for the source to be found. But unfortunately, that means the island must be found, hence the issue."

Considering it, Atalanta nodded, "I see. Both of us could easily point out where the source is. However, that will just cause people to wonder how we knew it was there. Questions that can't he answered right now without causing more problems then they would solve."

With a nod, Medea turned towards her fully, "Yes, hence the issue. But if a ship helping to search was to... stumble upon the island on the other hand, well... that is different, now isn't it?"

Simply humming, the other female Officer nodded with a slight smirk, "Yes, it would be. Give me fifteen hours and I can have the Meleager ready to set sail." She turned her gaze to where her Submarine sat, "It would not take us long to reach the location, maybe a day or two to 'Find' the source of the signal."

Much to her surprise though, Medea waved her off, "No, no, no need to rush. We have the time after all and besides..." A smirk appeared on her face, "Friday is Valentine's Day. I couldn't ask for you to be away on that day."

To her great amusement, Atalanta blushed deeply at that and looked away, "I... thank you for that, Medea. You could have ordered me to put out today, but..." With a sigh, she nodded and gave her friend a smile, "I don't say this enough, thank you."

Now it was Medea's turn to blush lightly, "You don't need to thank me, Atalanta."

However, the Huntress placed a hand on her friend's shoulders, "Yes, I do. And I do not say it often enough. Medea, you have done so much for me and..." Chuckling, Atalanta looked down at the wine skin and took a drink before sighing, "Sometimes, I have to ask why? Why me, of all people when you could have asked for so much more."

Staring out at sea, Medea was silent before speaking in a voice so soft, it was nearly a whisper, "Because you were my friend." Turning, Atalanta's eyes widened slightly at the tears in the Sorceress' eyes, "You were my friend when I needed one. I was a lost, scared girl in a group of heroes, obsessed with one of them. How many times did you softly speak with me, to see if I was alright? You cared, when so few did. You, Herakles... and few others. Despite how long I have lived, I never forgot that, Atalanta."

Gently, Atalanta gave her friend a hug, "I know, Medea. And also..." With a shuddering breath, she continued, "I remember after Zeus turned both myself and Hippomenes into lions, because Aphrodite was angry at him because he was waiting until we reached his home to give her tribute for the golden apples. She was angry, so when we stayed at the Temple of Zeus on our way home, she had us nearly driven mad with lust for each other, causing us to..." Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, and then opened them, "I was a lioness, Medea. But despite that, I remember. I remember one day you appearing before us. I remember you falling to your knees and weeping at what had happened to us both. And... I remember, you taking us in."

Her own eyes closed, Medea leaned into the hug, "I controlled your minds though, with magic. And also... I failed to return you both to your true forms..."

Just holding her friend closer, Atalanta shook her head, "You controlled our minds because they were that of beasts, Medea. We would have thought nothing of attacking you in the states that we were in. To eat you, like we had deer and the like. But you still took us in, cared for us. And I do not blame you for not being able to return us to our true forms, because it was Zeus that turned us, and you had yet to reach the levels of power needed..." Pulling away, she placed her hands on either side of Medea's cheeks and stared into her eyes, "But you still tried, Medea. You tried. And even though you failed, you were still there. I remember when as a lioness, I grew old, and infirm. How you fed me meat by hand to keep me going. And I remember when I died of my age, you holding me close and weeping so very much, stating how sorry you were that you failed me."

Lump in her throat, she shook her head, "Because I did fail you. My one, true friend, even more so than Herakles, and I failed you." Arms coming up, she grabbed Atalanta and held her close, "I failed you." With a deep breath, Medea pulled back some, "Thus, when the idea of 'Payment' came up for acting as an agent and protecting Greece? That was one of the first things that came to my mind. I did not expect Hades and the others to allow, it, yet they did. I have been alone all these centuries, few bothering to know me. Hiding who I am. The idea that I could have you back as my friend once more..."

Only humming, Atalanta nodded, "And I am glad for it, though..." A small laugh came from her lips, "Growing up all over again as your... sister, was not what I expected."

Now smiling herself, Medea cleared her throat some, "You say that as if it was a bad thing."

Softly snorting, the Huntress shook her head, "No, it is not. Far from it, and if I had to have a sister, well..." Atalanta shrugged some, "I could do with far worse despite what some myths claim. Though also being your foster daughter was also odd."

Grimacing, Medea shook her head, "I had no choice if I was to get you into the system. Especially as we needed backgrounds to be able to join the navy, though that was not as hard as some would think."

Just rolling her eyes, Atalanta sighed, "No, it was not. Especially with the money that you threw around." Looking at her Submarine once more, she snorted again, "Such as helping to rebuild the Hellenic Navy."

Her lips twitching, the sorceress shook her head, "I have had a lot of time to build up riches, Atalanta. And what use are they if I do not use them from time to time."

Voice dry, Atalanta gave her a look, "There is riches and then there is being able to front a good amount of the cost of rebuilding Greece through fronts and charitable donations. Or helping the nation afford what they needed."

Chucking, Medea gave her a smirk, "What? I cracked how to make a Philosopher's Stone and Mineral Stone centuries ago. Add in all the money that I have invested over the decades, and it barely made a dent. Probably make it all back in a few decades anyways..." She then made a motion with her hand, "And you forgot all the other rebuilding in other nations that I have helped with."

Atalanta rolled her eyes again, "Of course."

Bemused, her friend shook her head, "Also, you cannot say that you don't like being able to hunt Abyssals in the way you do. You've made a name for yourself both in the Med and working alongside the rest of NATO in the Atlantic. Apparently even the Germans have been impressed with you."

Shrugging, Atalanta didn't bother hiding the pride on her face, "I will admit, while different to the hunting that I have done before, this... is challenging." A smile crossed her face, "And I will also admit to enjoying it. So, once more, thank you for both this and..." She lightly blushed a bit, "What you used your... bonus from the gods for."

That got her a smirk from Medea, "Yes, and I have not regretted it. Hades actually laughed even as his brother fumed and so did Aphrodite." She grinned a bit and winked at her friend, "And you enjoyed that present, do not deny it."

Concerned even though she blushed, Atalanta gave her friend a look, "Be careful not to antagonize them too much, Medea. I realize that you had them by, what is the modern term, 'By the balls', but do not push them too much. You pulled a lot of concessions from them as it is."

Despite that, the other woman looked utterly unconcerned, "Yes, and? I have no need to push further than I have." Thoughtful, Medea tilted her head, "Which, I will admit, is rather far...'

If anything, that made Atalanta more concerned, "What did you do...?"

Hands behind her back, Medea hummed, "Well..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

(A.N.-I was trying to bang out the next Puppy Love chapter, but this demanded to be written)

The Price of Arrogance

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

1230 AM, 10 March 1945

Masamune-no-Tokunotakai stood at the head of the shrine steps like a statue.

The red-orange firelight from the north illuminated the flowing tears on her stricken face.

Her hand clenched on the sheath of her true body, turning her knuckles white, as she quietly prayed for mercy, for protection, for all those suffering tonight.

She did not even know anymore what she was praying for.

She only knew that her prayers were not answered tonight.

That her prayers had not been answered for eight long years of war.

In the skies overhead, an endless stream of B-29s droned, lit by occasional flickers of searchlights on their silver bellies.

The red-orange glow filling the northern sky illumined them as fresh cascades of firebombs fell into the inferno that was Tokyo.

A hot wind filled with smoke and the smell of burned flesh lashed her face, drying her tears on her cheeks.

She had seen fires before, of course.

But even the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 had not spawned this Jigoku-on-Earth that was happening before her eyes.

Fresh tears flowed as she remembered the arguments with her beloved sister Fudo about the policies of the government ministers that the elder Masamune supported.

Toku had tried to tell her that while, yes the Land of the Gods was divinely blessed certainly, any attempt to spread their rule by force to other lands with other Gods would be most unwise.

That madness and arrogance, that hubris, would be punished harshly.

Fudo had not listened.

Toku closed her eyes and sobbed, whispering a prayer for her sister's safety.

She feared that her prayers would not be enough.

Not anymore.

Arrogance had its price, after all.

She had suffered for her arrogance and misplaced pride eighty years before at the hands of a gaijin blade.

She feared that her punishment then would be merciful compared to what Fudo would have to endure now.

She just prayed that the price for Fudo's arrogance would not be her life and her soul.

March 12th, 1945
Spoiler: Reuinion

Tokunotakai helped the horribly burned heavily pregnant Inugami matron to sip the healing-potion laced broth that she had given her. Her hoarse voice spoke as the dog Yokai relaxed slightly. "Once you finish that, Mrs. Kokonoe will find you a place to rest."

As the Masamune turned to the next person in the endless line of refugees heading to the shrine where she had set up an emergency hospital, the Inugami grasped her wrist with a bandaged hand. "Kami bless you, girl. After losing my husband to the war and my family to the fires, I feared that the Gods had forsaken us."

Toku gave an exhausted smile. "Faith. Faith that our leaders will find the wisdom to end this war before we are destroyed. Pray for that."

She closed her eyes for an instant of weakness as she steeled her will to keep pushing on through the pain and fatigue to serve those who the Protector of Warriors had sent to her care. She had not slept and barely eaten in two days since the first of the wounded and homeless made their way to her from Tokyo. She prayed for fresh strength to perform her duties.

Opening her eyes, she headed to the next patient sent to her by the children and elders that she had trained as her assistants. Unrolling bandages she knelt beside the pallet that two of them had carried up. Gently washing soot and blood away from the face of the figure so she could bandage it, she froze. Masamune-no-Fudo's haunted amber eyes blinked back at her.

"Fudo-nee!" Toku exclaimed in joyful relief. Hastily, she smeared some of the shrinking amount of burn ointment on the bandages before applying them to her sister's wounds. Finally she fought with herself mentally before pulling out one of her last vials of healing potion and carefully pouring it into Fudo's mouth. Fresh tears flowed as she did so, falling on her sister's avatar.

"T-toku-chan?" A dazed whisper and a trembling hand interlaced fingers with hers, soot and blood mingling on the sisters' hands as they held each other. "Is it...is it really you?"

"Hai, Fudo-chan, it is." Toku looked at one of her other nurses who nodded and came over to relieve her as she picked her sister up in her arms. The elder Masamune hugged her around the shoulders then and sobbed into her shoulder.

Staggering with bone-deep fatigue she made her way to her quarters in the dojo and laid Fudo down on her sleeping mat gently. "Rest now, Fudo-chan. I'll be back as my duties permit."

As Toku turned to go, Fudo's hand shot out and grasped her wrist in an iron grip. "P-please don't go? Don't leave me? Y-you are all I have now."

Toku looked into her sister's eyes with an unvoiced question. What of our sisters, Honjo, Kotegiri, Suzume, Musashi?

Fudo's pain filled eyes answered her. All gone, all consumed by the War and the fires. I don't know anymore if they are alive or dead.

Toku nodded sadly in acceptance. "I'll stay, Fudo-chan. Let me make you at home here." With that, she carefully removed the scorched and burned tanto from her sister's waist and carried it to the sword rack where her own true self rested, placing it there.

"Toku-chan?" A plaintive whisper from behind her as Toku wondered where she could find the materials to help heal the damage to her sister.

"What is it, Fudo-chan?" Toku turned to see her sister looking at her.

Toku gulped and then whispered miserably. "This, this is all my fault. The War, the fires, all of it..."

Toku knelt beside her sister's bedside and took her hand in Toku's. Fudo grasped Toku's hand with bone-crushing force as the Blade of Hachiman spoke to the Blade of Fudo My'oo. "It doesn't matter, not anymore. You are my big sister. Get well and you can make amends, perhaps. Speak to the people you know and get them to stop this madness before it consumes us. This is a war we cannot win. Not anymore."

Fudo closed her eyes and whispered bitterly, "I should have said something. I was so sure that I was right. That the West was weak and unworthy. That we would win, even after Midway. When I suspected what was to come after the fortunes of war turned against us, I did not share my fears. I dishonored our sisterhood with my actions."

Toku squeezed back. "I equally regret not helping you see the truth before now. But none of that matters now, we cannot change the past. All we can do is tend to our present duties. My duty is to heal you and others who come to the Shrine as I protect it. Yours for now is to mend and heal. Once you are better, you must share your insight with those in power. Let us pray that it is not too late."

Fudo nodded with a hiss of pain before falling asleep at last. Beside her, Toku held her hand until she in turn finally rested for the first time in days.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sitting at a roadside café, Medea hummed some as she kicked one foot back and forth under the table. Meanwhile, a radio nearby was talking about how Argentina was invading some islands. Just snorting, the Greek sorceress smirked slightly, 'Someone is going to be getting their asses kicked. The more things change...' Then she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and silently sighed, 'I thought that they understood that no meant no though at least they sent them.' When they arrived at her spot, Medea gave them both smiles, "Hestia, Herakles, been some time."

Herakles waited until she motioned at the chairs which appeared at the table and sat down, something that got her a slight nod of respect, "Medea, it has been some time."
Practically bouncing, Hestia sat into her own seat before waving for some coffee, "Longer than it has been for me!" Briefly, she looked over the other woman and nodded before giving her a quick hug, "You are looking well."

Just shrugging, the Sorceress shook her head, "Perhaps, though I could say much the same for you." Amused, she gave the other woman a look as the goddess pulled away and sat down and could only shake her head. Hestia, as per her portfolio, as the humans called it, definitely had a matronly figure. One only enhanced by the clothes that she wore. Something that made the goddess grin as she noticed the amusement from Medea. Then, Medea turned to one of her few, and oldest, friends, "And you are looking well too, Herakles. How are Hebe and the children?"

Lips twitching into a smile, the giant of a man laughs as he shrugs, muscle shirt shifting with the movement, "Hebe is doing well as expected. As for the children... they miss their Aunt Medea."

Only shaking her head, Medea sighed, "Tell them that their Aunt Medea misses them as well. Though I assume that Hera must twitch every time she hears them."
Now widely grinning, Herakles chuckled, "Why do you think that I have no trouble with them calling you that? Or that I encouraged them?" With a mock worried look, he glanced around before leaning in, "Just don't tell anyone that I said that, okay?"

From where she was seated, Hestia wagged a finger, though there was amusement in her eyes, "Now, now, you should both stop riling up Hera..." Taking a sip of her newly arrived drink, she smirked, "As amusing as it is."

Unable to help herself, the Sorceress shook her head, "Both of you, be off." A small smile on her face, Medea sighed, "I have not seen any of the children since World War Two. In particular when they informed me that Grindlewald and the Nazis were after the Lernaean Hydra... separately."

***********************************************
Coughing, in the modern day, Atalanta boggled at what she just heard, "Wait, are you serious? They were after that monster?"

Grimly smiling, Medea nodded, "They were as a matter of fact. I do not know if they believed that they could control it or if Grindlewald wished it to breed monsters. But I do know that they found it and had cut one of the stumps of its necks open to produce a head that they took while trying to remove the rock on the middle one. Grindlewald's forces got away with that head while I had to fight a partially freed Hydra. Granted, it also killed the Nazis attempting to get at it as well. It... was one of my more memorable fights over the centuries."

A grimace on her face, the Huntress shook her head, "I have no doubt of that."

With a sigh, Medea shrugged and scowled, "Yes, well... if it had gotten free, it would have been like one of those giant monster movies. Most likely would have devastated most of the area if it had. Thankfully, I burned the new head stumps and buried it once more under the ground." A frown crossed her face, "I should check up on it after those Death Eaters attempted to free it. Though I am thankful to that one witch, Lily Evans, I believe her name was. She helped along with her husband to keep them from finding it."

Throwing her hands up, Atalanta groaned, "Idiots! Magicals and the occultists in this day and age are idiots!"

Simply sipping her wine skin, the other woman shrugged, "I would not say all of them, and there were just as many in our day. That said... you will get no argument from me, Atalanta. Because they are far too sure in their superiority." Chuckling, Medea shook her head with amusement, "Did you know, some of the magical history books claim that Bellerophon was just a normal, if somewhat foolish wizard, and Pegasus a normal flying horse? Nothing more and nothing less?"

Face in her hands, Atalanta groaned, "Why...?"

Just scoffing, Medea shook her head, "As I said, magicals of any age can be arrogant and sure. I was less surprised when I read that than I should have been, to be quite honest." With a sigh, she waved her hand, "Anyways, after we had made small talk, the real reason for the visit came up and it was as I expected..."

*************************************

"I refuse."

Just sighing, Herakles shrugged some while nodding understandingly, "I told them that you would say that, but... you know Father."

Now glaring at her friend, Medea snarled, "Yes, I unfortunately do." Suddenly, she was grinning, "After all, how many of his would be paramours have I rescued from him or his wife?"

Sipping her coffee, Hestia piped up, "Enough of them to annoy him!"

The Sorceress gestured at the Hearth Goddess, "As she said, but... I suppose that you have an explanation as to why me. Why would I, who have been the thorn in the side of your fellow Olympians, suddenly be given an offer to become an agent of sorts?" Leaning forward, she looked Herakles in the eye, "Because you, I trust to tell me the truth. Hestia as well. But the others?" With a shrug, she sat back, "Lord Hades, perhaps, Hephaestus possibly as well as your wife, Herakles. But the others...? No."

Herakles only shrugged and didn't defend his family, he knew just how bad they could be after all. Picking up his own coffee, the cup looking small in his hands, he took a drink, "Apollo has been having visions again. Ones of mass death, of fire, and of destruction. He claims that it is worse than World War Two. Perhaps causing the destruction of Greece."

Frowning, Medea considered that before raising an eyebrow, "And what sort of threat are we talking about? I lived through World War Two and fought against the Axis, so I know how bad modern warfare can get."

Much to her surprise though, it was not the former Argonaut that spoke. Instead, it was a serious looking Hestia, "Unfortunately, we don't know."

Eyes widening, Medea sat up straight, "You... do not know? How can you not know?"

Grimacing, Hestia shook her head, "Whatever it is, the disaster is just too large to pinpoint. Except, somehow, it affects all of Greece. So we can't see an underlaying cause except, maybe, war. Or such a large natural disaster that it would have far reaching effects."

After a few moments, Herakles picked up where his aunt had left off, "Thus, we can't be sure what will cause it. Father has been visiting Tartarus to see if the Titans' bindings are loosening. He has also been checking on Typhon and various others. I have been talking with some of the other Pantheons and they been getting similar visions. So it is not limited to Greece. And they been looking for agents as well."

Her eyes narrowing, the Sorceress bit her fingernail in thought, "That... does the exact opposite of narrowing it down. I can name at least enough large threats that I could count off on all the fingers of my hands with none left over that could return and cause widespread devastation. Damn... even the non-magicals have the possibility with their biological weapons and nuclear ones."

Only shrugging, Herakles sighed, "Something that I will not dismiss the possibility of, even if Father does in regards to 'Mortal weaponry'. More the fool is he, though even I have become surprised with how destructive they have become." Shaking his head, he pressed his lips thinly, "He seems to regard it with some amusement, 'Oh! Look, the mortals think that they have powers that can equal the gods in destruction! Ha!'" A scowl on his face, the muscular man glared at nothing in particular, "Foolish, but not unexpected."

For almost a minute, Medea was silent before she shot her friend a narrowed eyed gaze, "You are an asshole, Herakles. Of all people, you know..."

Completely unrepentant, the Demigod gave her a raised eyebrow, "That you will not let this lie and will attempt to help? Whether you have our support or not? Yes, I do. It is not like you have not helped out over the centuries after all. Though I do say that you still looked, what is the current word? Cute, in that nurse's outfit during the First World War. Gave Hebe some ideas that we both enjoyed..." Ignoring the sputters and deep blush on his friend's face, as well as Hestia's snickers, Herakles continued with a serious expression, "But I would rather you be informed about it one way or the other." With a fond smile, he chuckled, "After all, you have fought for Greece for centuries in your own ways. Defending her and being a hero, if from the shadows."

Medea just glared at him before huffing, only to turn as Hestia spoke up, "If I may make a suggestion?" When the Sorceress looked at her, the goddess smiled, "My brothers and sisters, as well as nephews and nieces are getting rather desperate. After all, there are not many that would act as an agent. Circe, perhaps, but..."

That got a laugh from the other woman, "My Aunt? Oh yes, I can imagine how well that would turn out. Though, perhaps, 'Well' is not the word."

Continuing as if she did not hear, Hestia drained her coffee, "Yes, they want an agent here on the mortal realms badly. But, as you can guess, they burned far too many bridges and have only realized this now. And really, they only have their own selves to blame." Setting down her cup, she gave Medea a smirk, "I cannot say this in an official manner, but between us friends? Well... there is... much... that they would agree to."

When Medea turned to Herakles, the large man merely smiled and said nothing at all as he looked away as if not hearing a thing. Which, in and of itself, was telling. Humming, the Sorceress looked at the radio, "Did you know, I own this café...? It is a nice little place and I would not like to see it ruined." At their continued silence, she sighed, "Give me a few months to come to a decision as to if I will humour you or not. But, if I do, I will have a list of demands..."

All the two Olympians did was nod in agreement, small smiles on their faces.

*******************************************************

Several months later, a fist slammed down onto a table hard enough to crack the stone, smoke coming out of the cracks, "I REFUSE!'

Leaning back, Hades only hummed some, "Please, sister, do be careful with the furniture. While I do not lack for funds, I would rather not spend money that I do not have to." When Hera glared at him, the God of the Underworld simply sighed and waved the glare away, "I do mean it, I rather like this table. Persephone chose it and would be saddened if it was destroyed." With a look around, he stage whispered to her, "She claims it matches the drapes."

Head turning, Herakles coughed into his fist which made Hera glare at him. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and pointed at it, "Sorry, swallowed a bug, I think." With some more suspicious coughs, he growled, "Mmm, a big bug."

Eyebrow twitching, the goddess turned to her brother and gestured at the scroll, "You still cannot be serious! These... demands! They are simply not acceptable!"

One eyebrow cocked, Hades spread his hands out, "Truly? There is nothing too objectionable in them. Well... except for one bit, but that I will allow considering the circumstances even though normally, I do not. Frankly, the other two are extremely lenient considering things." Making a show of examining the scroll, he hummed, "For example, I do not see any demands to allow for her to live upon Olympus. Or for us to raise her to our level, as much as I would not mind such."

Across the table, Medea snorted, "No offence, Lord Hades, but I would not wish to live there in any case. Not so close to... certain personages, shall we say."

The glare that Hera gave the Sorceress would have immolated a lesser mortal. For Medea? It simply bounced off her as she smiled, Herakles once more coughing. Looking towards him, Hades pulled out a wrapped item, "Cough drop, Nephew? Wonderful things that the mortals make for such issues. It helps, I find."

Sniffing, Herakles nodded as he took the offered item, "Yes, that does sound good."

With a nod, his uncle turned back to Medea and tilted his head as if to grant her the point, "Yes, I do suppose that makes sense." His next words cause Herakles to choke a bit on the cough drop, "After all, that is much the reason why I live here. Certain personal issues, you understand."

Her eyebrow twitching madly at this point, Zeus's wife growled as she ignored what was just said, "The rest though-"

Yet again, Hades waved a hand, "Are, as I said, perfectly acceptable. Only your pride are issues, which is why I suggest that you drop it, dear Sister." At her glare, he continued, "Your husband, our King, did give me full leeway with these negotiations." Thinly smiling, he hummed, "Unless you do not want us to have an agent or have a better choice?" At the silence, he hummed before turning to the scroll. Looking at the list, the God of the Underworld scratched his chin as if in thought, "Having you remove the cursed love that you forced upon her is a small issue, for both you and Aphrodite. Though why you have not done so before now..."

As his eyes fell on her, said Goddess of Love grimaced, "Yes, I suppose that would be easy. Though I do not see why it would be much of an issue."

For the first time, Medea gave a glare to someone there and growled, "Oh, not an issue? Why, it is not like I have lived for over two thousand years unable to stop loving a bastard while hating and despising him the whole time! Because said love being completely unnatural! It has prevented my from loving anyone for that time as it makes me feel like I am betraying that asshole!"

Hades sighed and nodded, "Yes, frankly, I agree with Medea my dear. This has gone on for far too long. Remove it from her at this moment in any case."

With a deep breaths, Hera snarled, "I see that you are ignoring the real issue! And that is-"

Now standing up, the Lord of Hades gave a glare to his sister and she quelled beneath it as he seemed to loom over her, "Is what, Sister dear? Do you have another choice of Agent? Hmm? No? Then swallow your damn pride for once and act like the 'Queen' you declare yourself as! What is the mortal saying? Ah, yes, 'I told you so!' After all, I have warned you, and the others, many times that your actions have consequences! Well, this is one of them!"

Face paling, Hera looked from Hades, to Medea, to Herakles, and Aphrodite. None of them had any sympathy, though Aphrodite also looked glum, "You... you cannot-"

Looming more over her, Hades walked around the table, "I can and I will! Our brother, your husband and King of Olympus have granted me full power! She quite literally has us by the balls, Hera! Now stop acting as a child!" Pointing at Medea, the Lord of the Underworld snarled, "I hereby swear upon the Styx that this deal is accepted! So, you will get upon your knees and both apologize for the harm that you have done to Medea of Cholchis, and admit that you were wrong to do so! And you shall do so right now in front of me as a witness!"

Utter silence fell over the room while Zeus' wife looked like she had been struck dumb. Nothing was said or spoken for a time, when one of the chairs slid out and Aphrodite got out of it. Looking as dignified as she could, the goddess walked over to where Medea was. Then, slowly, she got down on her knees and bowed, "I, Aphrodite , Goddess of Love, hereby apologize for the harm that I have done to Medea of Colchis. What I have done is unforgivable, and I was in the wrong to do so."

Medea, meanwhile, had her mouth wide open in surprise while her eyes boggled. After a few moments, she swallowed, "I... apology accepted."

Nodding, Aphrodite got up and stood as straight as she could before turning to Hades, "I... believe with this, that my part in this is done." Snapping her finger, there was a glow around Medea that faded away, "There, the cursed love is now removed from you."

She then gave another nod before signing the agreement, though she paused for a moment and she glanced at Hades. With that done, she walked out of the room. Body shaking, Hera looked around the room before growling. Practically stomping over, she kneeled down and apologized much like Aphrodite had. After Medea had accepted it, she stood and shot one last venomous glare at everyone before signing the agreement and leaving. Several moments of silence went by before Herakles gave a low whistle, "Damn, never thought that you would do it."

Hand running through her hair, Medea shook her head, "I didn't actually think that she would..." She then shot a look at Hades, "Or that you would go for it. I would have given it up for other things. All I wanted was to see her face when she read it."

A smug smirk on his face, Hades spread his hands, "My sister, as much as I love her, needs to have some lessons in humility forced upon her. And a kick in the ass every now and again." Glancing at the paper, he frowned, "Though, I must ask... just one?"

The Sorceress nodded some, "Yes, Lord Hades. Unlike the others, you have never given me cause to be... angry... about. I can admit that you are fair at least, so I see no need to be greedy."

Chuckling, Hades bowed his head some, "And I thank you for that, it is part of my duties after all." He had a small, amused look on his face before he continued, "Now, I will admit that I added some to the agreement that my dear sister did not notice." Sliding it across the table, the Olympian smiled a bit, "I do hope that is to your personal enjoyment?"

Eyes wide, Medea stared, "Two hundred years in which neither Hera nor Aphrodite can do anything to me in regards to harm. And... if I prevent enough deaths, as decided by you, a bonus favor?"

When she looked at him, Hades sighed and nodded, "My family has done you wrong, Medea. And for that, I apologize myself as for reasons I could not interfere. Consider this part of that, now, who is it that you wish to be brought back?"

Lips curling, Medea told him and he laughed, stating that he could hear his brother's bellows of anger from where they were...

***************************************************************

For several moments, Atalanta stared at her friend before shaking her head, "I... should be surprised, and yet I am not." A snort escaped her, "Though that explains so much, such as how Hebe deaged me in my new body."

Simply shrugging, Medea smiled, "Actually, that was a boon from Herakles. He stated that he had never seen Hera so enraged in centuries, and decided that deserved a reward."

It was then that the Huntress frowned, "You should be careful. Hera will not forget, nor forgive that."

Glancing at her, Medea shook her head, "I would not worry too much." At the confused look she got, she hummed, "Zeus, it seems, has been considering if mortal forms of birth control could well protect if magically strengthened. Hades, it seems, sent him a pack of Trojans as something of a gag gift and his brother did not realize what was meant and misunderstood. And to that end, according to Hestia, has been seen sniffing around Metis again..."

With a sigh, Atalanta rolled her eyes, "Of course. The problem would solve itself in that case, dammit." Several seconds passed before she sighed with a soft smile, "Though having you exchange the free favor from Hades for my husband to be returned to life as well..." Tears in her eyes, she turned to her friend, "Thank you."

The Sorceress smiled a bit and took back the wine skin, "I would be a fool not to notice how much you missed him, Atalanta. And you missed him deeply..." Letting out a breath, she gave her friend an understanding look, "Thus, the decision was easy when Hades came to me and stated that the favor was available. One decision that I did not regret due to seeing the two of you embracing after he was restored to life."

Atalanta gave a sigh as she nodded, "And, once more, I thank you." Turning towards the ocean, she hummed, "Perhaps, if you ever find someone we could go on double..." It was then that the Huntress noticed the light blush on her fellow Argonaut's face and her eyes widened while they sparkled with barely concealed glee, "Do not tell me..."

Even though she attempted to keep her dignity, Medea knew that she had failed. Especially as she could feel her own lips curl upwards into a happy smile, "I... have spoken with Georgios, and admitted to some things. And she has accepted, fully and without hesitation. We shall have our first true date this Friday on Valentine's Day."

Her teeth revealed due to how large a grin she had, Atalanta laughed and gave Medea a hug, "That is great news, Medea! If there was anyone who deserved actual love, it would be you." Pulling back, she gave the Sorceress a happy look, "I am so happy for you, Medea."

Voice slightly choked, the other woman nodded, "Thank you, Atalanta. Though I ask that you wait a few months before suggesting any double dates. I... need time to get used to this first, you understand."

Softly snorting, Atalanta shook her head, "Medea, you do not even need to ask." Placing a hand on her friend's shoulders, she chuckled, "Take things at your own pace, friend. No one else's. Though you should be warned, considering things Herakles might well ask for you to go on a group date with him and Hebe, possibly alongside us."

That got a snort in turn from Medea as she smirked, "Yes, which means that we can spend such a date needling him with all the tales we know about."

Both of them shared a grin at that, while on Olympus, a certain muscular man paused in his match and looked around at the shiver that went down his back, 'What was that?'

However, his thoughts derailed as Ares punched him in the face, "HA! GOTTEN DISTRACTED AGAIN, WHELP!"

Meanwhile, back in Greece proper, Atalata nodded, "But I'll be looking forward to it, and I hope you have all the best of luck, Medea. "Checking her watch, she smiled a bit before giving Medea a hug, "Unfortunately, I will see you later, Medea. Those Destroyers have waited long enough, after all."

Just patting her on the back, the Admiral nodded, "They have at that, and say hello to Hippomenes for me when you get home."

All her friend did was nod and headed off at a fast run, while Medea herself turned and began to walk back to her office... she had a Armoured Cruiser to tease and flirt with after all.

Life, was good.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VI

Hachiko smiled at Aki as his younger brother wolfed down the rice and miso for breakfast. "Aki-chan?"

"What is it, Tou-san?" The young Inugami child asked as he neatly placed his bowl in the sink to be washed.

The Hanyo adjusted his glasses as he began to scrub their bowls. "I asked Akira-kun to help take you to Tokunotakai-sensei's kyudo class after school. I will be busy then, so will pick you up at eight and we can ride the train home then. I'll even stop so we can get some ice cream or a snack. So I fixed you two bentos, with the second one for dinner."

"Oh, your job, Tou-san? I wish it didn't take so much time that you could spend with me," Aki's ears and tail drooped. Hachiko knelt and scratched Aki behind his ears."

Hachiko closed his eyes and whispered. "Me too, Aki-chan, me too. But I have to do it for your sake." He hugged his brother then packed both bentos away. "The one with the blue kerchief is for lunch and the green is for dinner. Now, let's hide your ears and tail and then head to school, Ok?"

"Ok, Tou-san!"

As he packed away the other two bentos for himself, Hachiko sighed. He was not sure how he would tell the nomaj girl who was interested in him that he was part Inugami and his mother's family were mages.

How can I tell her the truth?

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

Moriko surveyed her outfit. After lengthy and agonizing consideration, she had decided to 'go casual' with blue jeans, and a black T-shirt showing three wolves howling at the moon.
Spoiler: Moriko's shirt

She gave a silent giggle at the secret message in the shirt. Not that Hachiko-kun had any idea that she and her sisters were Okami Wolf Yokai, much less Natural-Born Shipgirls.

How can I tell him the truth?

She shrugged and grabbed her purse and keys. She would figure something out, she was sure.

"Ja ne! I'll be home later tonight and be eating out so no need to cook for me, Suzume-chan!"

Her twin slyly giggled from where she was putting their bowls and plates up as Sachiko washed them, "Don't break Hachiko-kun's pelvis this early in, Moriko-chan! Let the poor boy up for oxygen before then for his sake!"

"SU-ZU-ME!!" Moriko snarled as she turned red as a tomato. "I'm not like that!!"

"Hai, but Prince Charming will be upset if you are late for your date." Suzume grinned, "Anyway, I should go soon too, Soryuu-sensei has some special training for me planned."

"OH SHIT! I'll be late!" Moriko dashed off to the sounds of her sisters' laughter

------------------------------
Spoiler: Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It...

The Day Before

"Suzume-chan. As a carrier, you must learn the arts of deception and concealment. Remaining hidden while keeping eyes on the enemy until the time comes to hit her with a surprise airstrike."

"Hai Soryuu-sensei. Just like at Midway."

"Exactly. Therefore when your sister goes on her date, you are to shadow her, relay reconnaissance data as you remain in strike range of her, but do not be sighted by her. I shall observe your observations via top cover from my Reppu and relay suggestions through Shigure, who has volunteered to act as your plane guard. Are there any questions?"

"In other words, you want me to snoop on big sister's date, get candid blackmail photos to post on SGO to satisfy the demand of the forum netizens, and if I am caught you will disavow all knowledge of this operation to embarrass Big Sis. Oh and Shigure is along to satisfy her romantic side"

"...that too."

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

Moriko glanced around as she reached the main gate, then checked her watch.

11:23

She was early, thankfully. She then leaned against the lamp pole, and folded her arms underneath her significant fuel tanks to survey the crowd.

Behind her, her twin sister ducked out of sight. The dark-haired girl beside her wearing a white shirt, black coat, and plaid skirt watched with some amusement. "I'll notify you when she maneuvers, Suzume"
Spoiler: The Lucky Escort Ship

"Thank you, Shigure."

Shigure grinned as her target locked on her fire control on a short slender young man with thick glasses dressed nicely but plainly in a slightly threadbare white button-up shirt and black pants. "She's moving now."

As Suzume nodded and stood up, the Tin Can Mafia radio channel got a transmission. "Operation Insulin Delivery sortieing in pursuit of target!"

---------------------------------
Spoiler: The First Date

"Hachiko-kun!" Moriko hurried over, an invisible tail wagging behind her as she grasped his arm. "You came!"

"Hello too, Moriko-sama." Hachiko spoke with a happy smile on his face at the shock of electricity that ran through them both. "I made handmade bentos for us both to eat for lunch."

"Oh wow, you can cook! I knew that you were providing for your little brother but..." Moriko's mental ears perked up at the news as she spoke happily.

Hachiko grimaced, "Mother... died... when I was in school so I had to learn for Aki's sake. I wound up taking HomeEc classes with the girls so I could take care of him."

Moriko froze and then hugged Hachiko to her chest at the stricken look in his eyes. With an eeep, Hachiko's face vanished into marshmallow hell.

Behind them, a red-faced future Ibuki-class CVL coughed suspiciously as several high-quality blackmail pictures of her sister cutting off her boyfriend's oxygen with her chest were taken.

Hachiko emerged from the embrace red-faced, spluttering, and with a bit of a giddy smile. Wow, maybe being short isn't so bad....

He looked up through his crooked glasses at the sad smile Moriko gave him as she spoke gently. "I'm sorry. My parents are absent too. It hurts a lot. No one should have to deal with that pain." She took a deep breath and gently straightened his crooked glasses. "I'm sure that they are proud of you. Prouder than mine are of me, I... had to do things I am not proud of to provide for my sisters."

To her surprise, Hachiko stepped in and carefully turning his face so he did not get it wedged into her bosom again, he gave her a hug. "You did what you could for them. Because you love them."

Behind them, more blackmail pictures were taken as Moriko's face flushed as she returned the hug.

"Hachiko-kun. I," The she-wolf took a deep breath and clenched a scarred and battered fist as her eyes drooped, "I fought people for money, because we needed it for my baby sister."

He reached for her hand and gently took it in his, uncurling her fist with his so he could lace her fingers in his. "You did it for Sachiko and Suzume. I can't say that is wrong, Moriko-sama. I just wish that I was strong enough to provide for Aki like you have for your sisters."

With that she steered down the street with the young man dragged along in her wake with a happy smile on both faces. "You look nice in that outfit." Very Shinji Ikari schoolboy-esque. Moriko added to herself.

Hachiko blushed and mumbled, "It's my old schoolboy uniform. It's all I had that was nice enough to look good next to you. I...don't go out much."

Moriko squeezed his hand and he looked at her, blinking through his glasses. "It suits, and I always wanted a schoolgirl romance." She giggled, "So this is a dream come true."

Then as she turned to the stores that they were passing, she got a lupine grin on her face. "Hachiko-kun?"

"Yes?" Hachiko spoke, blushing at the cute smile on her face.

Moriko pointed to a store with imported coats. "C'mon, I think you would look cute in one of those. I'll get you it, Ok? You and Aki both deserve something nice!"

"Umm, those look awefully expensi-"

"Don't worry about it! It'll be my treat, just leave it to me!"

"B-but I c-can't Moriko-sama. This... This is very generous of you, but I cannot accept. It would be wrong!"

"Don't be so shy, it's fine! I figure you don't make all that much, so I'll take care of-"

"No." Hachiko said. He did not raise his voice, he was perfectly calm and civil. But the steel in his tone, and the gleam in his eye, was more than enough that this was his final warning. And for a split second, Moriko felt like a little girl, facing the wrath of the Headman Okami in the village she grew up in.

"I apologize if I seem rude Moriko. But while it is true that I do not make much in my part time jobs, it is still mine, earned by my own work. And as much as I like you, I will not stand to be looked down on. No matter whomever it may be by. Am I understood?"

Moriko's tail and ears invisibly drooped. He was right. He refused to take unearned charity because it would demean what he did for his brother. How many times had she and Suzume been belittled by backhanded pity-charity? How many times had she sworn to herself to never be so disrespectful to anyone like that? And here she was, betraying that promise, to a boy- no, a man, that was so much like her, in soul if not truly in circumstance...

"I'm sorry. I was thoughtless. I'm... not that good at romance. I think with my fists and my heart too much and my brain not at all. I should have known that you are like me, you will only take a hand up begrudgingly and never a hand out. Because you gain worth only because it is what you fight for." Moriko spoke quietly. "Can... Can you forgive me?"

"I know, and I wouldn't mind something like that, but... not at Aki's expense or my honor." He squeezes her hand gently. "I forgive you."

With that she cast around for something to change the subject and saw a sign for a local park. "Let's head to Taura Plum Blossom Park for a picnic! We can eat those bentos you fixed for us and watch the ships in the harbor."

"Let's!" Hachiko smiled shyly and squeezed Moriko's hand as they headed for the park overlooking the harbor.

 

[darthcourt10]

Spectral Waltz

Would you believe I'd planned for this to be four parts?

Well... Turns out I was wrong, and the cute gay swords are going to continue being cute and gay for at least one more snippet after this one.

At least the spar happens in this one...
------------------<>------------------
Dove and Shrine Maiden - A Union of Bread and Butter Part IV

Lunch is taken in companionable silence but as the afternoon wears on and the rain shows no signs of letting up Colombe and Tokunotakai find themselves growing restless. The shrine buildings lack somewhat for modern pastimes but while the practice yard is rained out, the dojo has room for them to spar so long as they don't go overboard.

On a day like today 'not going overboard' suits Colombe just fine, but Tokunotakai surprises her by poking through the weighted wooden training weapons in the racks on the walls. "Can we not simply charm our edges blunt as usual?" Colombe asks curiously as her partner weighs a Shinai in hand and, seemingly finding it satisfactory, tosses it towards her. The Rapier manages to avoid an undignified yelp of surprise, but does not manage to keep from nearly fumbling the training weapon out of shock, drawing laughter from Tokunotakai to which she responds with an aggrieved look.

Turning away, Colombe tests the weight of the blade, finding it well-balanced for a Katana, though her familiarity with the Japanese swords is limited to fighting against them rather than wielding one herself. Looking back, she sees Tokunotakai take another similar practice blade and her brow furrows. "You want me to learn this?"

"Of course~" Toku replies cheerfully, though she can't help but notice the tsukomogami's cheeks are faintly pink. "I'll not let you eh… wield me without proper instruction first after all." Colombe's brow furrows further. Wield her? That's…

Oh…

"N-not for a while yet of course!" Tokunotakai quickly clarifies, but the thought is well and firmly planted. "A-and you'll need to teach me how to fight with a rapier as well! It's only fair after all." The japanese sword spirit's face has gone nuclear and Colombe is pretty sure she's done the same, the thought is undeniably appealing yet frighteningly intense to imagine. Sparring with Lyra that once, letting the other woman wield her back then had been exhilarating on every level, yet there was something both dangerous and appealing at the thought of doing the same with Tokunotakai, of knowing that perhaps her sparring partner was feeling the same things…

But not right now, no, not right now, it would be too much, too fast, they've only really known each other for a year or so, but starting to learn… Would that really be too much on it's own? Tokunotakai -she realizes- is watching her with equal parts anticipation and apprehension, face smooth, yet her eyes revealing both hopes and fears in equal measures.

It is the fear that makes the choice for her in the end, knowing that this is not simply a matter of Toku moving too far too fast, but a matter of wanting to build up to something. "Oui," Colombe finally agrees, raising the practice weapon slowly, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "So I should call you Toku-Sensei while we're in here?"

Toku nods, "Hai, that would be correct." Her blush subsides as she finds her footing in the familiar pattern of instruction of a student in the dojo.

Colombe's smile grows and becomes more smug with her next words. "Alas, I shall have to beg Toku-Sensei's forgiveness at my unpreparedness, for I left my practice rapiers back home in the salle d'armes at the castle. My lesson for her shall have to wait until she visits."

Toku's blush returns briefly, then Masamune visibly steels herself as she steps to Colombe and adjusts the Muramasa's posture, using the familiar routine of teaching a novice kendoka chudan position to center herself. "I see that I shall have to m-make arrangements to t-travel then." Toku speaks in a hushed, gentle voice. "It is something that I have thought of often, but," The Masamune, satisfied with Colombe's stance, walks to face her, "I have not had the courage to place my own desires and wants above my duties here."

The rapier's eyes meet the katana's, sparkling crystal blue staring into shadowed blue-green. Colombe says quietly, "Non, Toku-Sensei. Standing to your duties despite all else in the universe but your will wishing such matters to be otherwise. That is true courage. Duties and responsibilities can never be shirked, and only death removes them from us truly, but they can be adjusted to modify the load that we carry. You now have a duty to teach me, as I have a duty to learn from you. And I shall also have to pick up the duty, and joy, of passing down my knowledge to a pupil."

The shadow in Toku's eyes vanishes, as her eyes are filled with understanding. "Hai. The first fundamental strike is Men. We stand in chudan, and I shall demonstrate the three steps of Sankyodo Shomen uchi for you as I issue the commands for each step."

"Sankyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!" Toku's arms raised as she brought her shinai horizontally behind her head and took a step forward with her right foot.

"Ni!" The shinai flashed down to end with the point at her eye level in a smooth arc.

"San!" Toku smoothly stepped back into chudan as her hands lowered to her waist with her sword point at her throat level.

Toku then spoke again. "To focus her spirit and will, as she performs 'Ni' the kendoka shall channel her spirit into her kiai shout of 'Men!' as I demonstrate with Men in one step."

"Ikkyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!" Toku's arms raised and she stepped forward. Colombe sensed the Masamune's fierce spirit coiling like a striking cobra as she began her strike. Then as the blade swung down, the energies of Toku's spirit shot down the wood as Toku shouted "Men!". Like lightning, the spiritual energies returned to Toku's body as she smoothly stepped back into chudan.

Toku then looked into the eyes of the fascinated rapier as her hands automatically performed the motions to clean the blood off a katana before sheathing her shinai at her hip. "Are there questions? Do you need another demonstration of Men?"

Colombe spoke softly. "No, Toku-Sensei."

Toku gave a smile that never reached her lips. "Very well then. Upon my command you shall perform Sankyodo Shomen uchi as I call the strikes. You shall continue until I give the command of 'Yame' at which point in time remain in chudan."

"Understood, Toku-Sensei." Colombe's grip on her shinai tightened.

"Sankyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!"

Toku's focus sharpened as Colombe stepped forward and her arms raised her practice blade, looking not only at Colombe's posture and balance, but also the spirit of the Muramasa rapier as she circled her student.

"Ni!" The blade flashed down two inches too far as Colombe expelled the tension in her frame with her kiai of 'Men!', a trickle of her spiritual energies filling her blade as she did so.

Behind her impassive face and measuring eyes, Tokunotakai nodded in satisfaction at her evaluation. It was almost adequate, especially for a beginner's first step along the Way of the Sword. She could forge something worthy of her steel with this student.

"San!" Colombe stepped back into chudan smoothly.

Unsurprising, Toku mused, considering how precise Colombe's footwork and blade position was when they sparred with their steel. Some corrections for her would be needed, of course, but the bare bones of a strong foundation to build this kendoka up were available for Toku at first viewing and evaluation.

"Ichi!" Toku barked out the command to begin again as she prepared herself to issue the needed corrections and adjustments for Colombe to master Men.

=======

"Hah…" Colombe's breath comes in ragged gasps as she finally lets the point of herself fall to one side, sweat shining on her skin as she nods sharply, holding posture as she salutes and then finally, finally letting herself relax. After nearly two hours of instruction, Tokunotakai had declared the lesson sufficient and they'd moved on to sparring. With the rain still pouring down outside they'd decided to forgo spellcasting and mixed arts for a duel of pure physical skill, blade against blade. They'd dulled their true selves with a temporary spell and flung open the doors to let the cool air in and fought to the pounding beat of the storm without.

It was dangerous, reckless even, both blades going all out -or at least as much as they could without bringing magic to bear- against each other, yet each deflection was like a caress, each clash a forceful kiss. Despite the remove at which their avatars found themselves, the lengths of their blades separating them from each other, their true selves met again and again. It was heady, exhilarating, easy to lose one's mind in the heat of blurring steel and pounding hearts.

Until is was all over, and all that was left was the rain slackening to a gentle hiss and the harsh breathing of the two blades.

Colombe's stomach growled plaintively, and Tokunotakai stifled a giggle as they glanced at the clock. It was past dinner now, and then after…

After…

Leaving Tokunotakai's shrine had always been a little bittersweet, but as much as the thought of going home made her happy knowing she would see the rest of her family again, the thought of leaving here made her heart ache slightly. Not getting to see Tokunotakai for a week or more? Colombe wanted to slap herself for acting like such a maiden but as seemed more and more often the case of late, her heart hardly listened to the mind that was telling her she was far too old to be feeling this way.

The idea of a Home that did not include the Masamune blade seemed suddenly just that slight bit less inviting.

The hand on her shoulder pulled Colombe from the morose introspection and Tokunotakai, Toku-chan's face loomed close. "What's wrong Co-chan?"

Colombe bit the inside of her lip, took a deep breath, inhale, exhale…

"...I don't want to leave… But… I can't just stay here forever. Fu-... Bleh..." She reached up and palmed her face. "I should be better than this, you'd swear I never had a lover before."

"And how long ago was that?"

It takes a moment for Colombe to think it through, how easy it can be to lose track of time when one has so much of it. For that matter Tokunotakai's proximity does nothing to help with her clarity. "Sixty years… Mmp?" Whatever else she was about to say is cut off physically by a kiss, and subsequently forgotten as the contact holds for seconds? Minutes? Counting is a task somewhat beyond her, when all she wants to do is pull Tokunotakai closer, to feel more.

"Six. Decades." Tokunotakai murmurs as she pulls back. "Don't be sorry." The second kiss comes less unexpectedly, though it is no less intoxicating. "If anything it's… Flattering." She smiles shyly as she pulls back. "But you and I are well acquainted with the unfortunate demands of duty."

Colombe blinks, something about that line tugs at her memories. Lyra..? Something familiar in the more aggressive posture, though not in the nervousness still lurking in her eyes. Not nerves enough to hold her back as she kissed Colombe a third time, but nerves enough to be easily visible, nerves that were out of place in the faint tableau of distant memory. Sixty Years…

Finally, somewhere between the fourth and fifth meetings of their lips, Colombe musters the wherewithal to push back a little, not pushing entirely away, but holding her back just slightly, giving a moment of respite from the intoxicating touches. To breathe in the smell of the rain outside and close out the temptations of the Shrine Maiden looking up at her. "I shall still need to go back to Moulbaix at some point."

"It is still raining quite heavily…" Tokunotakai counterpoints, thunder rumbling in the distance as though to punctuate her words.

"And you and I are both still hungry."

"Wouldn't you prefer to… T-to…" Toku's best flirtatious smile fades as her flush goes from 'aroused' all the way to 'mortified' within a span of seconds, losing her nerve at the very tail end of the line, and Colombe knows it is a line. Finally things come together in her mind to paint a picture that makes sense of the scene before her.

Colombe's lips twitch up in a triumphantly smug smile and she gently lays a finger on Toku's lips to silence the Masamune's budding panic. "I confess that Lady Chastity's Thrilling Adventure #6 is one of my favorites in the series. I do think that Lyra was a little melodramatic when she named that story from India in 1767 'Lady Chastity and the Women of the Waterfall', though. If you want, I will tell you about the real story of that trip and my experiences."

Tokunotakai's blush goes nuclear at that point, she'd known ever since she'd been present for Tsukiakari and Colombe's meeting that some of the rapier's adventures had been turned into a niche erotica series as 'The Thrilling Adventures of Lady Chastity', but in the time between she had quite forgotten, or perhaps she'd simply pushed those memories down and away. She'd read her illicit collection of those stories over and over again but while Colombe hadn't exactly been absent from her fantasies, but now she was forced to connect the two directly instead of just thinking of the heroine, 'Lady Chastity Dovesworth', as a merely fictional character. She had placed a face and name on her actions both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. The same face and name who is causing her heart to beat uncontrollably and whose finger is a molten bar of steel against her lips.

Colombe leaned in and breathed. "After dinner, though. No need to get worked up on an empty stomach. One thing I learned from my travels is to always get a good meal when you can, since you never know when a crisis will erupt."

Toku nods slightly hastily, biting her lip as her blush slowly fades from nuclear to merely embarrassed as they leave the dojo. "H-hai, Co-chan. Um… I am sorry, it is just…" She trails off, trying to find the words for what she is groping towards.

To be honest, she does not know herself what she is trying to say. An apology for owning the books waiting in their hidden space under her futon? Curiosity about the real stories behind the words that she has scanned over and over again? Perhaps even...a secret wish to act out the role of Lady Chastity's many, many lovers, many of whom, she realizes with a start and a redoubling of her blush were female?

Toku's confusion is relieved as her Co-chan, just like in their earlier duel, shows yet again her ability to penetrate the Masamune's defenses and strike to the heart of the matter when she must. Colombe gently hugs her around the waist from behind as they reach the kitchen, "It is alright. I would not have agreed to allow Lyra to publish very thinly fictionalized stories of my exploits if I was ashamed of them, or did not enjoy them. You did enjoy that book yes?"

Toku gives a shy nod, visibly relaxing in the embrace as the embarrassment fades with this acceptance, and arousal and curiosity gain the upper hand in the blood turning her cheeks scarlet. "H-hai, I did. Do."

"So did I, both in the doing, the retelling, and then later when I got a signed copy of the first drafts from Lyra for my library's complete collection of her works." Colombe shrugs. "You are not the first person to enjoy them, and you won't be the last either. You are easily the cutest to be flustered by it however. If you want… well if you have any particular scenes from that book you want to act out after we retire to the bedroom tonight, or just if you would prefer to talk about it, I am at your service, To-chan."

Toku finally steps out of the embrace and begins to pull ingredients from the shelves and refrigerator. "Talk, yes. I have to ask… How much of the books are true?" As she asks, her blush returns to color her cheeks. Silently, she resolves to bring out one of her favorites in her collection tonight and 'discuss' some of the events in it with her Co-chan.

Colombe frowns as she melts butter in the frying pan. "Good question. It depends a bit on the specific book of course. Probably about ninety percent for most, give or take. The one that is the most fictional is Sultana of the Sands, mainly because that was Delilah's big adventure where she got the heroine's reward. I spent the time between leaving Lyra's embrace and returning to her nursing me back to health either celibate or in a coma with a dagger in my guts during that one."

Toku nibbles her lip thoughtfully as she starts the rice cooker. "Dagger.. .your daughter Ehren? Also, I have not read that one, which one is it?"

Colombe places slices of fish on the frying pan. "Ehren, yes, and Number Seventeen. Came out in 1944, the actual events happened in 1941-42. Some of the details were changed because of ongoing security concerns and of course Delilah was written out for various reasons. I happen to know that Del and Zamarad got a signed first edition of that one as well."

Toku shakes her head as she muses. "I only have up to number fourteen." She then blushes darker scarlet as she realizes that there are more books out there that she has not read. Yet.

Glancing over at Colombe, Toku relaxes at the fond smile on her love's face. "Not surprising. Lady Chastity and the Duchy of Doom came out in 1936 when you presumably got it. Then Lady Chastity and the Menacing Monastery came out in 1938 after the Spanish Civil War ended for me. Probably by that point, there was an embargo on them in Japan thanks to the runup to World War II. So you could not have picked up number fifteen, nor sixteen that came out right before Hitler stormed Poland. Sadly, Lyra died in 1949 before she could do more than a rough draft for number twenty-one."

Colombe trails off, looking sad and wistful at the memory of her old flame. Toku felt her heart reach out to her friend, and now lover, and walked over to embrace her. "She sounds like an extraordinary woman."

Colombe leans into the embrace, then reaches up to wipe tears off her cheeks. "Like you would not believe. She and Ian, her husband, saved my soul after the Congo." She turns and gives Toku a bittersweet smile. "I trust you do not mind me always carrying a bit of a torch for them?"

Toku shakes her head, that much had been obvious for some time already. "No, Co-chan. Not really. I also had a first love, although I was too young to know it at the time, and unlike you it was never consummated. Twenty years after I manifested, Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of Japan, visited the shrine and taught me the beginnings of the Way of the Sword that I follow to this day. I…"

Toku licks dry lips as she fills the rice bowls and then moves the food to the table, "I confess that I have often dreamed about him wielding me as we fought evils together. Even though one of my sisters was his acolyte then and follows his memory still, I wished to serve him as an apprentice, a blade in his hands, and perhaps in his bed as well. One of my regrets is that I did not go on musha shugyo, warrior's pilgrimage, with him when he and Musashi-oneesan left to further their understanding of the Way."

Colombe squeezes Toku's hand as they finish setting the dinner on the table. "You honor his memory by following his teachings to this very day. Just as Lyra made your Co-chan what she is today by healing her spirit, so did Miyamoto Musashi's teachings hone my To-chan into the wonderful person who I shall eat dinner with."

Paths upon paths, intersecting, twining around each other, from two smiths, to dozens of swords, to a collection of unique women and a legacy of heroism.

To two blades from different lines, brought together by history.

"Neither of us would be here without our pasts." Colombe looks up from her rice at that final pronouncement and then tilts her head ever so slightly, regarding Tokunotakai with curiosity. "So…" The Masamune continues, smiling, albeit bitterly. "I am thankful for them both… Lyra-sama, and Musashi-dono… Because together, they brought us to each other in their own ways."

Colombe nodded, then thought for a moment. "I would say that I doubt they knew where we would end up, but if Lyra could have somehow set this up, I'm sure she would have done so." She smiled wistfully, and Toku's lips curled slightly as well. The rain continued to fall outside as the grey clouds faded to black with the distant sunset.

The food was simple, but Colombe wouldn't have traded it for anything in that moment.

--------

In another place, at a similar time. A Phone rings in a darkened room.

"It's done?"

"It's done... Hachiman was more than happy to be of assistance. Apparently he's been trying to figure out how to get a signal to his devoted little bird for quite some time."

"Excellent... And they're happy?"

"No relationship is perfect, especially when it comes to those particular families, but they didn't need much help to fall for each other. I've no doubt they'll be together for a very long time."

"Good. Thanks so much for your help Takami-sama~"

"It was no trouble at all Lyra-chan~ Now about that book you promised me..."
------------------<>------------------

Produced with the permission and assistance of Yellowhammer by which I mean they actually wrote some pretty huge chunks of this one where I mostly just did editing work. Thank you again for your help!

Hopefully the next one will come to me more easily.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Eating her breakfast, Hermione paused a bit as she glanced at Harry suspiciously. Said boy had an odd smile on his face as he kept glancing at the doors, which made her narrow her eyes, "Harry... what did you do...?"

Brightly smiling, he turned to her, "What do you mean, Hermione? Do what?"

Slowly, Hermione brought up her finger and pointed at his face, "That smile." When it grew a touch, she jabbed her finger at him, "Yes, that smile right there! That smile always comes out when you have done something that will cause me to search for the Fountain of Aspirin."

That made Ron Pause for a moment and he gave his female friend an odd look, "Fountain of Aspirin?"

In return, the Light Cruiser gave him a look back, "Yes, the Fountain of Aspirin. You have heard of the Fountain of Youth?" Getting nods, she continued with a dry tone, "The Fountain of Aspirin is much the same but grants unlimited Aspirin."

With a shrug, Neville dug back into his breakfast, "You're probably not the first one to go searching for it then, Hermione. No doubt Admirals around the world as well as teachers here have." He paused for a moment before frowning, "Especially Madam Pomfrey."

Each of the teens there paused for a moment before wincing, as they did pity the poor nurse who had to deal with a school full of teens with reality warping powers and whom sometimes came up with ideas to use those powers for...

Shaking it off, Harry went back to smiling as he twiddled his thumb, "Just waiting for something, Hermione."

Now each of the other three, as well as the other students within earshot turned to him. With a deep breath, Hermione narrowed her eyes, "What are you waiting for, Harry...?"

Harry snickered a bit and his next words caused eyes to widen some, "I was bored and decided to spice up today. Hopefully by continuing a proud, Hogwarts tradition!"

Looks of horror were now exchanged with each other, none more so than those of Harry's friends. Hermione in particular felt a chill go up her keel as she remembered what day it was, 'Oh dear God no...'

Up at the staff table, various people noted the expressions at the Gryffindor Table. Snape in particular narrowed his eyes some, "What does Potter have planned now...?"

Dumbledore leaned forward some with an interested look on his face and hands in front of his face, "That, Severus, is a rather good question." A twinkle entered his eyes and he smiled, "But it should be interesting nonetheless!"

Closing her eyes, McGonagall groaned, "I am going to try and find the Fountain of Aspirin after this."

Softly chuckling, the Charms Professor patted her on the back, "I am afraid that is only a myth, Minerva. Far too many have searched for it and never found it for it to be real."

Eyebrow twitching, Minerva grumbled a bit, "Let me have some hope..."

From where he was seated, Remus raised an eyebrow in some amusement. Yes, tonight was the Full Moon, and thus he was not feeling all too well when all was said and done. Though... he did note that recently the transformations were easier, he was calmer after even with the potion, and that he was not quite as ill before and recovered quicker. Oddly strange...

Not to mention the odd dreams of a muscular, tribal looking woman with furs and a head of a wolf.

Leaning to the side, Remus considered what he had just heard from the Gryffindor Table, 'Odd...' He glanced at Snape and found that while the man was resigned, he did not quite seem angry. Which was extremely strange as Remus would have thought that the man would hate James' son possibly pulling a prank. Though, he did remember the recent talk with the man, where he admitted that he saw more of Lily in the young Potter Heir than he did James besides some looks. Something that Remus agreed with privately and helped separate James from Harry, "Severus? You... do not seem to be acting like I would have expected."

Only taking a sip of his tea, the Potions Master glanced at the other teacher, "Lupin, I assume that is because you do not know of... Mister Potter's particular form of humour." Waving a hand, he continued, "Which I will admit is rather surprising as you have been here for most of the year. And thus have seen... examples."

His eyebrows furrowing, Remus looked back at other incidents that had happened over the year. Such as the "Miss Potter Incident", which still made him cringe a bit due to how confusing it made everything. It was then that his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "Oh... he's like Lily in that way then?"

Slowly, every one of the teachers there nodded in agreement, saying the exact same thing, "Yes."

Much to some peoples' surprise, Snape had a fond smile of remembrance, "Yes, just like Lily."

Placing his chin in his hand, the werewolf considered that before frowning, "That... is interesting. But it does make me wonder what he meant by 'Continuing a proud Hogwarts Tradition' today."

The teachers blinked at that and furrowed their eyebrows. Spout frowned a bit in confusion, "A Hogwarts Tradition? I do not know of one... unless you count Mister Potter's odd announcement regarding how Valentine's Day will not defeat us." Her lips twitched a bit while Remus snorted as the whole thing had amused him, "It is always amusing how he has changed it from year to year. And some of the Muggleborn have commented that he based it off a 'Podcast' of some sort."

A frown on her face, Minerva turned to her, "Podcast? And what is a Podcast?"

Burbage spoke up with a small smile, "A podcast is like a radio play, Minerva. But it is played on the non-magical internet." With a small chuckle, she nodded, "The one that they are talking about is Welcome to Night Vale, which is amusing."

Most of them were surprised when Snape chuckled, "Yes, it is." He then frowned, "Though Mister Potter has already done that announcement for the day..." When he trailed off though, various Professors looked at him and how he was looking horrified, "No, Potter... do not tell me..."

Eyebrow raised, Flitwick felt a itch in the back of his mind as Dumbledore leaned towards the Potion's Professor. The Headmaster was concerned with how his friend looked, "Severus? What seems to be the issue?"

Swallowing, Snape turned to him, "Albus... today is Valentine's Day. And Mister Potter leans towards Lily for humour..."

Just frowning deeper, Flitwick felt the itch in his head increase as he rolled that around in his head while others asked Snape why he was suddenly getting up as if to run. Seeing Harry's grin widen, all the pieces fell into place just in time for the doors to the Great Hall to be kicked open, "Oh no... Mister Potter did not."

Upon seeing the dwarf in a diaper and wings on his back walk in, cigar being chewed, Minerva groaned and placed her head in her hands, "He has..."

Confused and lost, Remus looked at the teachers and those students Second Year and above. All of them looked horrified to some extent or another, though a few looked gleeful, such as Tracy Davis who was rubbing her hands together while her friend, Daphne, banged her head on the table. As more dwarves came in, the werewolf felt his instincts tell him it was too late to run, but he should try. But he also noticed one other thing...

Harry looked utterly amused and manically happy.

Behind the dwarf, others like him walked into view and nodded before pulling out lyres with smirks. Looking at each of the students and teachers, and noting the First Years looking bemused or outright confused while one female ghost had a massive grin on her face, the Dwarf nodded as he strummed his lyre, glancing at their employer who nodded, 'I like this kid.'

Moments later, Hermione was attempting to choke a madly cackling Harry even as a dwarf sang a very bad Valentine to her... which she suspected was from Upholder.

Juuchi just watched in smug amusement at the chaos that was happening around them during most of the day. Students, staff, and others attempting to avoid the various flying dwarves. Or sometimes attempting to kill her Master, in often humorous manners. Though shortly after lunch, she raised an eyebrow as two tracked down her and Kagotsuruhe. One of them began singing to her, "... Oh, she cuts so nice, uh-huh! Cuts right to the matter..."

Despite it, the Muramasa was... amused by it. Somewhat mortified, yes. Embarrassed, oh most definitely.

But also amused.

Especially as, for one of the very few times in her history, she got to see Kagotsuruhe completely confused and bemused. Which made it all so worth it. Once the dwarves were done, Juuchi nodded some though she was still wondering who had sent the Valentine to her. At least partially because she wanted to know who she might well gut. Then, a smug smile crossed her face and she looked at the dwarf, "Ah, you wouldn't happen to take requests for those outside the country, would you?"

Chomping his cigar, the dwarf grinned, "We do, and are actually heading to Japan in a bit for example."

If anything, the smugness increased and Juuchi nodded, "Excellent, I have a few names then I would wish to send Valentine's to and they happen to be in Japan."

Kagotsuruhe raised a finger, "As do I, though some are in Belgium." Despite the look given to her by her sister, the Sword of Hopelessness only smiled, "That should be alright, shouldn't it?"

The dwarf shrugged and smirked, "Nah, not a problem at all..."

Hence, the different Muramasas were greeted by dwarves dressed as Cupid bursting into their residences and singing really bad Valentine's as also happened at a certain home in Belgium where a Piano played along with hers while a dagger pinched her nose... and promptly sent one to her mother. While various Potter weapon spirits merely sighed as they knew who had done it, Honjo gained an idea and sent them to her sisters while also planning retribution against a certain Muramasa. She did get them to record the reactions, of course.

And spent quite some time laughing at Fudo's as well as Toku's.

Masamune no Musashi simply laughed and took the dwarf out for drinks. She woke up later hungover with a note stating she was welcome to show up and have some dwarf drinks sometime... And a rather large bill, which made her laugh and wince.

In both cases, Kyoshu had clapped her hands in glee at both her song and Nameless' before wondering if it was a prize for finding a Mizuchi. Chisuheri, meanwhile, sent hers along to other members of the JNHRO, with Jin facepalming as her cultists joined in on the song, though they were confused. Which, of course, meant Jin sent them to her mother, who just stood there in the lobby for the MACUSA Embassy when they reached her.

Colombe, of course, sent them on to Jackie and Del, who swore revenge on their sister (though Del's mother nearly laughed herself sick when she saw the recording).

However, it did not end there as Tatsuya opened the door to his home at a knock. For several seconds, he just stared down at the dwarf smoking a cigarette and looking like that Cupid guy as even for him this was strange, though he grimaced a bit at being reminded of that one time regarding something like the real thing. Raising an eyebrow, he looked down at the being, "Can I help you...?"

Eyebrow raised, the dwarf looked at his fellow dwarf and shrugged, "We're looking for a Tonbo and a Benio? They're supposed to be here?"

Said Hanyou poked her head out from around Tatsuya and raised her hand, "That's me, Tonbo is in the Dojo."

Instinctively, Tatsuya moved out of the way of the dwarves and watched as one of them began to sing a Valentine to Benio from Harry as her cousin. Arms crossed, he could hear Tonbo's groan as she received ones from two of her sisters. Granted, when Benio left and returned before whispering in the dwarf's ear and handing him some money, the Select had to internally sigh as the Cupid-lookalike began to sing one to him from the Hanyou, who was recording it.

Less than an hour later, Reiko was twitching as a dwarf sang her a Valentine as well from Benio, while a certain Kami fell down the Shrine stairs from laughing so hard.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Turning off the shower, Medea took a deep breath before pushing the curtains to the side. As she stepped out, she summoned her towel to her and began to dry her hair before following with the rest of her body. As she did so, the Greek Sorceress softly sighed, 'One of the best inventions... showers and indoor plumbing. However did we make due without them?' Walking out into her bedroom, she snapped her finger and her comb floated over. Upon reaching her, it began to brush her hair as she tossed the towel into the hamper.

Much like her office, her bedroom was rather spartan without much to it. Here and there were some personal touches, such as a painting of Hercules fighting the Hydra. She remembered having it commissioned in the 1800s. Another one was several objects that some might recognize as being replicas of Ancient Greek ones here and there. But besides that, there were pictures from her current life. Ones of her and Atalanta in school, graduating from high school, the academy, and the like.

As she looked at those, a small smile flitted over her face, 'Hopefully, you're enjoying Valentine's Day just as much.'

Walking in front of her mirror, Medea looked herself over before slowly nodding. Even in this modern era, she was a beautiful woman. One whom had a number of suitors, but currently, she was waiting on one that she had chosen. Whom she had real feelings for, something that left her giddy...

And utterly terrified.

Hence, reaching her bed and looking down at the clothes there, the Sorceress bit her lip nervously. Inside her chest, Medea could feel her heart pounding as part of her wanted to run back to the bathroom, lock the door, and hide in the bathtub for however long it took. But with centuries of experience, she shoved that part of her down. Her hair done, she motioned with a finger and the brush floated back to her dresser and set itself down, "You... you can do this, Medea. You have faced monsters and gods before in fights to the death. This... this is nothing."

Taking a deep breath, she held her hand to her chest and took another. Once she felt calm enough, she began to get dressed. The final bit was a deep purple, sleeveless dress that she slipped on. After some adjustment of it, she walked over to her makeup table and got to work.

It did not take her long to be finished and thus, she was downstairs waiting by the door for Georgios to arrive. The whole time, she was fidgeting nervously with an unsure look on her face while taking deep, calming breaths. Part of her was certain that those that knew her would find the whole thing amusing, even if she did not. Glancing at the clock, she just stopped herself from chewing her lip, 'She's a minute late... does... does that mean that she is not coming... Oh... two minutes now, I, um...' Just as she was about to rush off to her bedroom, there was a gentle knock on the door and she practically threw it open to reveal the shipgirl that she was waiting for, "Georgios, you... you came!"

Lips curling a bit, the Armoured Cruiser nodded, "Of course I did, um..." Finally looking over Medea, her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks heat up, "I... wow... you look, beautiful." With a glance at herself, Georgios chuckled a bit unsure. After all, she wore a blouse and skirt, "I... feel a bit underdressed."

Deeply blushing, Medea shook her head, "No, no, I... I'm sorry." Swallowing, she looked away, "I... I am overdressed. W-well, I was unsure and, I'm sorry."

Walking in, Georgios took her hand with one of her own, "It is okay, Admiral Aetós. You look fine and very beautiful."

Her blush deepening even further, the Sorceress chewed her lip a bit, which made the taller shipgirl look at it. Said shipgirl was struck by an urge to kiss her right then and there. Before she could make the decision to do so, Medea spoke up, "Please, not here. In privacy such as this, I am not Admiral Aetós, you can call me by my name."

Moments later, Medea felt a hand clasp her chin and was gently forced to look at Georgios who was close, their bodies almost touching. The shipgirl gave her a gentle smile, "Medea." Feeling the Sorceress trembling a bit, the Armoured Cruiser moved her hand so that it cupped her cheek before leaning in. Their lips almost touching with the former Princess feeling warm breath brush against her skin, Georgios curled her lips into a smile, "Medea..."

Feeling like her heart was about to explode, Medea swallowed, "Ge-Georgios, I..."

She was silenced by the shipgirl's lips on her own. Not forceful, in fact they were barely touching. But it was still enough that she found herself unable to speak. Eventually pulling back, Georgios gave her a soft smile, "Relax, Medea."

Eyes closed as she trembled, Medea could not help herself and leaned into Georgios' embrace, "I'm sorry, you must think me a... total wreck, right now."

Gently running her fingers through her Admiral's, and now girlfriend's hair, the shipgirl shook her head, "No, I do not, Medea. Unless I miss my guess, it has been some time for you?"

A snort escaped from the smaller woman who shook her head, "That is putting it mildly to say the least. The last time I even attempted to court someone seriously was..." Pausing, she furrowed her eyebrows and winced, "Was a long time ago, back in the 1500s."

Despite knowing that the woman in her arms was ancient, Georgios was still surprised by that, "It has been that long? Truly?"

Bitterly chuckling, Medea nodded, "Indeed, it has. But that relationship failed because, well..." A grimace crossed her face, "The curse from Aphrodite was still on me, thus I was still in deep love with Jason. You can put together the rest."

Only nodding, the Armoured Cruiser simply hummed as she continued to stroke the other woman's head. Part of her was amused that it was a reversal of what normally happened, where Medea would be doing what she was to some shipgirl to calm them. Finally, Georgios smiled down at her, "But that is in the past now and no longer a problem?"

Hearing the question, Medea sighed, "Thankfully, you are right." After another moment, she pulled away, "I suppose that we should retire to the dining room then, for dinner?"

Softly smiling, Georgios made a motion with her hand, "That sounds lovely, Medea."

Gently, the Sorceress took her girlfriend's hand in her own and waited until shoes were removed before guiding her to the dining room. While she had been there many, many times before, the shipgirl let her. Reaching the dining room, Medea pulled out the chair for her date with an unsure smile, "Please, have a seat, Georgios. I'll go and get our meals and..." Suddenly, she remembered something and flushed, "O-oh, and you're looking very beautiful."

Internally, she slapped herself while Georgios only chuckled, "Thank you, and as I mentioned so are you." Reaching into a pocket of her skirt, she pulled out some flowers, "Here, I brought these."

Eyes widened slightly, Medea took them and gave them a deep sniff before snapping her fingers with a vase appearing. Another snap, and the vase had water inside of it for the flowers which she gently set into them, "Thank you."

Nodding, the shipgirl then pulled out a box, "I also brought some chocolate cake, for dessert if you want it."

A smile on her face, Medea chuckled, "That sounds wonderful, we can have it for dessert." Leaving for a few seconds, she returned with bowls and plates following which had the food on them. Already, Georgios felt herself drool a bit from the smells that reached her nose. Noticing, the Admiral's eyes widened, "I take it that you find it acceptable?"

Quickly, Georgios shook her head, "I find this more than acceptable. Just like anything that you cook, Medea."

Blushing, the Sorceress hummed, "Well, when you are around for a few thousand years, you pick up on some things. And cooking for oneself, well... it gets tiresome when you cannot cook well, so you force yourself to be able to cook decently." Uncorking a bottle, she poured some of the wine into a glass, "Now, this should go well with the food I think. I own the vineyard after all and I accept nothing but the best."

Eyebrows raising, Georgios blinked at that as while she had guessed that her Admiral had connections, she did not know that, "Vineyard? You own one?"

Not noticing, Medea chuckled, "I own several as a matter of fact, both here in Greece and elsewhere. One of which has a Villa, though I also own a number of those and..." Suddenly realizing that Georgios was looking at her stunned, she flushed and winced, "Sorry, I suppose that I am throwing that in your face, I-I don't mean to. After so long of being around, I..."

Placing a hand on Medea's, Georgios shook her head, "Relax, love." The words slipped out without her noticing, but the Sorceress had and froze as she felt her heart stop before it felt like her throat was being constricted. Not seeing that, the shipgirl smiled, "I am a bit surprised, but nothing more."

Much to her confusion, the Admiral had some tears in the corner of her eyes. But before Georgios could ask, she laughed a bit, "Understandable, I suppose." Sitting down, Medea took a deep breath, "Well, being as this is a first date, I guess that we talk and get to know each other on a more personal level?"

Only nodding, the two got down to talking and learning a bit more about one another. As they talked, Georgios was happy to see that Medea relaxed more and more. It was something that she was happy to see as a matter of fact. One of the things though that came up was somewhat surprising to her, "So you and your friend, Atlanta, are going to open some sort of youth camp once the war is done?"

With a hum as she dabbed at her lips, Medea leaned back, "Yes, Atlanta is actually rather hopeful for it and so am I. They will be summer camps for the most part open to children that would normally be unable to go to one. Especially for those who... would need to get away from things." Just shrugging, she continued while sipping her wine, "There, children will be able to enjoy the wilderness and other things. We'll have plenty of activities and those who need to get away from things, will be able to enjoy themselves."

Considering that, Georgios took a sip of her own wine, "That could get expensive and you would need to set up the properties for the camps."

Medea just waved her off, "Money is not an issue, I could spend as much as I want for centuries and not run out. As for properties... I have plenty of those. Villas here in Greece and Italy among others, a Castle in a forest near to a lake in Germany. There is no worry of having a lack of somewhere to set them up. Atlanta believes in this dream, that she can change so many childrens' lives. And I believe in her, that she can do it and more than willing to support it."

Lips curling, the shipgirl held out her glass, which Medea clinked hers against, "Then you shall, Medea. Of that, I am sure."

Taking another drink of wine, the Sorceress softly scoffed, "And before you ask, no, I am not calling them 'Camp Halfblood', so you can forget that."

Her girlfriend nearly snorted out her own wine at that.

By the time that dinner was done, as was desert, the two of them were utterly relaxed. Night had fallen and Medea guided Georgios out onto her balcony before the two sat down again. Seated next to one another, they looked out onto the darkened Aegean Sea, the waves reflecting the light of the Full Moon. Shifting a bit, Medea leaned her head against Georgios' shoulder before closing her eyes, a happy smile on her face...

Elsewhere on the base, Atalanta slumped to the side before shifting onto her back with a satisfied smile on her face as silk sheets caressed her skin. Almost purring, she stretched her arms with a groan, "Mmm, that was wonderful, Hippomenes."

A grin on his face, said man put his arms behind his head, "I agree fully, Atalanta." Reaching over, he ran her hand between his fingers, "That was wonderful, as always with you."

Her smile becoming a grin, Atalanta's eyes became hooded, much like a pleased cat. Moving onto her side, she placed a hand on her husband's chest, "Flatterer."

In reply, Hippomenes cocked an eyebrow, "Yet so very true." His eyes trailed along her form, barely hidden by the blankets. A body toned by a lot of work showing it's physical power, but one with a modest figure. The woman next to him had stolen many hearts, both in the past and in the present.

Laying next to her, the resurrected Greek had no issue with stating that his wife was a goddess in his view.

The fact that she had been interested in him even back in Ancient Greece, a young man with a body that was considered, then, to be 'Geeky' of sorts. He considered himself the luckiest man alive, both then and now. Shaking off those thoughts though, he glanced at the clock and smiled before twisting a laughing Atalanta onto her back, though the laughs soon became gasps.

After all, they still had time before she would need to sleep for her mission the next day and it was his job as her husband to make sure that she would be able to sleep...
___________________________________________________________________________

Walking along and slightly sore, though in a satisfying way, Atalanta nodded to various personnel as she passed. Upon reaching the Submarine Docks, she made her way along to her Submarine, the Meleager. After being greeted by her crew, Atalanta stepped onboard, though she paused and glanced to the side.

Mainly because, out of the corner of her eye she spotted a flicker of a humanoid form saluting her with a smile.

Lightly smiling, Atalanta gave a smile in that direction before patting the conning tower. She could almost feel it vibrate under her gentle hand, which made her smile grow a touch. For almost a minute, the Ancient Greek hero stood there and savoured the moment. Atalanta had not been kidding when she stated that she loved what she did. Because she truly, utterly did.

Every time she went out, it was a hunt of the sort that she would have been scarcely able to imagine in her youth. Against foes that would have given pause to any of those that she once journeyed with. Something that made her smirk a bit as she considered what some of those she once knew would think.

Back than, far in the past? While she had made a name for herself, she had been mocked and derided by her fellows. After all, in those days men were extremely derogative of any female, even those who were 'Proper women'. Herself though? She did not fit in any of those roles. Even now, so many thousands of years later, she could still remember the sneers and jeers she had been met with. Jason had almost not accepted her into the Argonauts if not for a few speaking up for her such as Herakles himself.

"You will find hardly a better hunter anywhere in Greece!"

All that meant was that when she encountered issues with being a woman in the military, she had actually laughed in private. It was like children attempting to bully an adult there was so little comparison between the times and attitudes. She laughed even more at the shades of her old tormentors now, for despite being a woman, she was now in charge of a men. Not as a queen, but as a military Commander.

What made her laugh was the thought that many of those she knew in Ancient Greece were likely turning in their graves at what was happening, especially her father.

Soon climbing into the Submarine, she hummed to herself. Once they knew that the threat was going to come from the sea, her and Medea had entered the Hellenic Navy. And while her friend had gone for the surface warfare, Atalanta felt the call of the Submarine. Such an idea, it was truly among the greatest forms of hunting that she knew. And while men had issues with a female Submariner, she shrugged it off as they were nothing.

Atalanta had slowly risen in the ranks until right before Blood Week, when she was an XO of a Submarine. Despite being a woman, the men under her had respected her, even more than they had the Captain himself at the time. And when the Captain had been badly injured, it fell to her to command the Submarine, and none of the crew had issue.

Eventually, she had gotten her own Submarine. One that, she suspected, Medea might have funded somehow. After all, it was a modification with UAVs which she used to hunt down Abyssals. Atalanta had even managed to lame the Malta Princess, blowing off one leg. Granted, her Submarine had to retreat due to how said Princess' escorts attempted to kill her for what she did.

But she considered it a win.

Entering the Bridge, she glanced at a piece of wood off to one side. On it were kill markers, dozens of them. Some of them were different colors to designate how many of that type of Abyssal there were. A number were from the Med, others from the Atlantic. Each of them though was a killed, a foe who would not hurt anyone else. As she continued her way, her fingers brushed over a large, carved boar tusk mounted on the wall. The carving on it showed herself and the Submarine's namesake, with the tusk seen by many as being a good luck charm by the crew, with most gently touching it when they came on board. Glancing at the XO, she took the radio from him with some thanks as he smiled and took a step back.

With a nod, she opened the intercom throughout the ship, "Attention please, this is Captain Atlanta speaking. Our mission is likely to be a short one, I hope, as we are to head out and help with the search for an SOS in the Aegean just north of Crete. While I realize that this was likely not what you might of wished for. But, there are people in trouble there. And hunters are among the best at searching for those who are lost. We will head out, and we will find these people and bring them home to safety. That is all."

Several minutes later, she felt the Submarine moving beneath her feet and smiled, a slightly enlarged canine showing.

The hunt was on...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VII

Taura Plum Blossom Park, Yokosuka

Moriko and Hachiko wandered through the park hand in hand. The plum trees were showing hints of new leaf buds, even though the blossom festival would not be for several weeks yet.

Finally stopping on the hillside overlooking the naval base, the harbor, and Tokyo Bay, they paused and with unspoken agreement sat down together with their backs against a tree.

Hachiko handed Moriko a wooden bento box tied in a pink napkin. "Here you go, Moriko-sama," he said shyly as she took it. "I hope that you enjoy it."

The Natural-Born shipgirl (and disguised Okami Yokai) smiled at him and then unwrapped the napkin.She opened it and laughed at the heart holding the kanji for her name 'written' on the rice within in soy sauce. "It's so cute, I almost can't eat it, Hachiko-kun."

Her Hanyo Inugami boyfriend blushed cutely and adjusted his thick glasses after he opened his own plain hinomaru bento. "Um, I just did my best to cook something...."

Moriko reached over and patted his hand. "You did great. Let's dig in. Itadakimasu!"

With that the two teens ate in silence, observed by Suzume and Shigure, who were filming them.

Finally finishing their lunch, Hachiko leaned into Moriko slightly. The she-wolf started, then hugged the smaller boy around the shoulders.

"The sea breeze is great, isn't it?" Moriko's eyes were distant, looking at the bay where a quartet of destroyer girls were sailing out on patrol.

Hachiko nodded and then removed his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief. "It is. There's something about the sea, the smell of salt water that calls to me." He took a deep breath as he spoke quietly with a distant look in his eyes. "Both Father and Grandfather were sailors. They never came back when their ships were sunk by our enemies, but yet... this reminds me of a poem I learned in English class."
Spoiler: The Call Of The Sea

Moriko squeezed him around the shoulders as the young man slowly recited words that struck a deep, fundamental chord with her.

"I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying."

Moriko's own eyes were misty and her hug on Hachiko's shoulder tightened a bit as he finished and replaced his glasses, speaking sadly as he did. "But I cannot. Aki needs me, and I am all that he has. I promised him, promised Mother, that I would be there for him, and so I deny that part of myself."

Moriko nodded and spoke quietly herself. "Hachiko?"

"Hmm?"

"I... told you that I am a martial arts instructor for the base. Which is true... but not the whole truth." Her voice was very distant as her eyes looked at the Pacific at the edge of the distant horizon.

He blinked and looked into her shimmering gray eyes as she gave a sad smile. "I'm also a Natural-Born shipgirl, as are Sachiko and Suzume. When Sachiko is ready, when she is strong enough, all three of us will Awaken then."

Hachiko blinked twice. "Wow. Which ship?"

Moriko closed her eyes, "The Ibuki-class Heavy Cruiser Ibuki." She then barked a laugh. "Suzume-chan is the spirit of the nearly completed light carrier conversion of my hull after Midway, and Sachiko-chan is the spirit of the planned second sister ship that was scrapped very soon after construction started. We don't know what she will manifest as yet."

He reached over and hugged her around the waist. "In that case, if I promise to wait here for you on the shore, will you promise to come back to Aki and I? That way you can carry my dreams of the sea out with you."

Moriko opened her eyes and ruffled his hair. "I will, since I need someone to come home to. Someone to protect. Someone to fight for and defend."

Hachiko nodded, and tightened the hug.

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

"Happy birthday!" Nemo chirped, holding out a cake box. Takumi glanced from her up to his house, wondering quietly just how long she had been waiting there. Only a short while, he hoped—after all, she knew when his school let out. She met him out by the gates usually. On the other hand, sometimes she got a little too excited about things… And she got embarrassed when questioned about such things.

"Thanks," he replied with a smile, pulling her into a hug. "I guess that this explains what you've been doing with Tachibana lately?" Wait—going further, that would explain why Tachibana had burst out laughing every time she saw him today. Oh well, that was the price to pay.

If she found out about the old "Saint Valentine" nickname that he'd had back in elementary school, then there would be problems. But no sooner.

He could feel Nemo stiffen momentarily, the way she did when she was surprised. "Eh?" she exclaimed, squeaking slightly. "W-well, I had to use her oven, but… you knew about that?"

Takumi had. Keeping secrets was not exactly Nemo's forte, and she tended to be a bit more secretive when talking to the other girl than Sakurada. It wasn't hard to figure out that she was up to something, even if he didn't know what it was until now. Releasing the hug, he planted a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair gently. "I know you," he said simply, one corner of his mouth quirking a little higher at her annoyed expression.

"Don't be such a dork," she mumbled, and he couldn't stop himself from snorting at that. "I… I wanted to give this to you down by the beach, but then I thought that sand would get on the cake or something, and I don't have the stuff for a picnic, and Tachibana said—"

"—that spending time with you would be the best present, no matter where?" Takumi suggested. "Or something to that effect."

"Yeah," Nemo confirmed, flushing again.

"Well, she wasn't wrong."

For a moment, the two of them were silent.

Then Nemo leaned over to look around Takumi at his house. "By the way, that woman in the window… She's related to you, right?"

What?

Takumi turned around to notice—oh, right, the drapes were open. And standing there, giving him a questioning look was… Wait a second. He'd been planning to for so long, had he really never gotten around to it?

He laughed.

"I guess you could say that." He took Nemo's hand. "Why don't you come in? We can have the cake… and I can introduce you to my mother."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VIII

Moriko opened the door for Hachiko. After lunch at the park they had headed out of the park and back through the shopping district.

Moriko took note of Hachiko lingering over a display of Technic LEGO kits in the toy store. "You like those, Hachiko-kun?"

Hachiko turned away, "I was looking to see if maybe I could afford one for Aki, his birthday is coming up in two months on April 24th. He enjoys building things, and perhaps the secondhand store will have one by then."

Moriko nodded, while making a mental note to do some shopping for a certain birthday. "I see, what kind of kits does he like?"

Hachiko laughed, "This month? Aircraft carriers. He was assigned to do a school report on a warship that came back as a shipgirl and picked Soryuu. I helped get him the research books he needed from the library."

Moriko smiled, "I see. It's nice that since shipgirls came back, LEGO started doing some naval Technic kits for various historical warships. What about your birthday?"

Hachiko shrugged, "May 21st. But at most I fix myself something I like for dinner and I have some old school friends who send me presents. Usually a manga series or light novel from Ryosuke-kun; he is into those things. Akira-kun is more the athletic type, so he gets me sweatshirts for various teams. "

Moriko laughed. "May 21st is my birthday too. Not surprisng when I found out that the Ibuki was launched on May 21st 1943. Even though I was never commissioned before..."

Hachiko hugged her around the waist. "Almost like it was fated."

"Oh yes." Moriko blinked as she turned suddenly and noticed a pair of girls ducking down behind a display of athletic equipment. Suzume-chan...? It can't be, she's training with the carriers.

"So Moriko-sama, shall we head to the Karaoke club that I have the coupon for?" Hachiko asked and Moriko started.

"O-oh, yes, let's." Moriko responded absently.

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

"Close call Suzume-chan. At least you have good reflexes in turning away to break that heavy cruiser's firing solution on us."

"You said it, Shigure-chan!"

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

A Piece of Heaven Karaoke Club, Yokosuka, Japan

"Welcome to A Piece of Heaven!" The young lady in a gold and pink dress patterned after a sunrise smiled at Moriko and Hachiko as the smaller of the two dug out the manager's card and a wad of yen. "You are in luck, because we have a special today for yuri couples. You each get a raffle ticket as a cute girl and at sunset we have a drawing for various prizes!"

While Moriko snorted and strained to contain her laughter, Hachiko blushed, and tried to not grit his teeth too much by disguising it as a grin while waving the offered ticket away.

"Oh- oh no. It's not like tha-"

"C'mon babe," Moriko interrupted, grinning hungrily as she roughly put her arm around his shoulder and 'fondled' his slim-but-still-masculine chest, "it's not like your parents are here, let's enjoy ourselves!"

Hachiko warred with himself briefly, but Moriko's good humor was infectious, and the blood was pounding in his ears.

"Hai, Oujou-sama!"

The two broke down in laughter as he paid the cover fee and took the raffle tickets.

Then they both laughed again at the sight of Inazuma on the stage belting out an enthusiastic rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" to her sisters and a grinning Tenryuu.
Spoiler: Plasma-chan Brings Down The House

"We will have to come back here. So...um. Moriko-sama, want something to drink?"

"Hai, a cherry Ramune," The she-wolf's eyes sparkled as she finished, "Hachiko-chan."

His lips quirked, "Only if you find a table... Moriko-chan."

She barked out a laugh and headed to find a table.

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

"Welcome to A Piece of Heaven!" The young lady in a gold and pink dress patterned after a sunrise smiled at Suzume and Shigure as they paid the entrance fee. "You are in luck, because we have a special today for yuri couples. You each get a raffle ticket as a cute girl and at sunset we have a drawing for various prizes!"

Suzume blushed to her collarbone, frozen at the very idea of her with another woman. Shigure, ever the dutiful guardship, simply sighed and smacked her palm to her face.

"Sorry, there's been a misunderstanding. We're not an item. We're just here to spy on her sister. She's on a date."

The employee followed the destroyer's pointed finger to where Moriko and Hachiko were getting settled in their booth. She made a pleased noise and returned the raffle ticked back to where she got it and rummaged behind her podium, returning with a pair of beige cards with the club's logo on it. Save that there was a pair of ninja in hiding on it, peaking out from either side of the icon.

"In that case, would you like to join our Spies of Love Club? Each member gets drinks half-price each visit they are following one of our couples. And if that couple takes a bold step in their relationship - be it a love confession, a first kiss, or even a marriage proposal, you will get a free meal and song at the karaoke machine!"

"S-spies of L-love C-club?" Suzume croaked out, her blush growing darker at the implications. But she was drowned out by Shigure smacking a wad of bills on the podium.

"I'll take it!" she yelled, "I'll take twelve!"

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

Moriko cuddled Hachiko in the booth for two that she had managed to claim and they sang along as a series of girls and boys took the stage. Finally they looked at each other. "I'll sing if you do?"

"Hai."

Hachiko took a deep breath and walked to the stage. He punched in the song selection and then removed his glasses, staring into her eyes as he began to sing a R&B hit from memory.
Spoiler: Hachiko's Devotion

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

His warm alto voice sent shivers down her spine as she thought that she understood the message in his song. That he would be there for her, always, with the kind of devotion and loyalty that people associated with Man's Best Friend. The devotion and love she remembered from her parents in the Reserve.

She wiped tears of joy away from her eyes as he walked back to the table, accepting congratulations and slaps on the back, and took a deep breath as she hugged him to her chest. She growled as she smelled an Inugami on him, but another sniff caused her hackles to lower, since it was faint. Must be a dog yokai bitch hidden in the crowd that he passed through.

Hachiko blinked at the possessive growl in his girlfriends voice. "What was that about?"

"Nothing important, Hachiko-chan." Moriko smiled at him with a predatory look in her eyes. "Wait here, and don't go anywhere."

With that Moriko took the stage and grinned hungrily at Hachiko as her invisible tail wagged while the bass line started. She was sure Ashigara would not mind too much that Moriko was going to steal her theme for her pursuit of the wonderful young man she had met.
Spoiler: CA On The Prowl Song

In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you.
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf

Hachiko listened happily as his beautiful girlfriend hammed it up, her husky contralto voice growling out the lyrics almost savagely.

For an instant, she seemed to actually be a wolf stalking him. He blushed at the mental image of Moriko stalking him, cornering him, and slamming her hands on the wall to either side of his head to trap him as she leaned in with that hungry growl in her voice....

Hidden across the packed karaoke bar, Suzume facepalmed as she filmed her sister. Moriko-chan was about to release her inner wolf, she just knew it.

Hachiko applauded happily as she finished and strutted back to the table through wolf-whistles. She reached the table and looked deep into his eyes as she leaned over the table, letting her forehead rest on his. He could smell a wild, almost primal tang to her sweat that caused his heart to thud.

She whispered with a sultry growl in her voice, "I could just cuddle you to pieces," and he gulped and nodded.

Compared to his fantasies, and the romance mangas, this was so real, so alive.

He saw something, he did not know what, in her gray eyes. "Do you want me to?"

He nodded and swallowed twice, "I do." His voice came out more resolute than he could have imagined.

With that she slid into the booth and lifted him up into her lap as she leaned into the corner of the booth. His face turned scarlet as she guided him to lean back against the softest pillows he could imagine and intertwined her hands with his in their lap. He relaxed as he felt her chin rest on the top of his head and she squeezed his hands. His blush subsided as his heartbeat matched hers. Being short is really really nice, especially around Moriko... chan.

Moriko's own heart was pounding, this young man in her lap, pressed against her was so right, so real, so... perfect. Her eyes swept the room, looking for the Inugami who had made a pass at her boyfriend. Mine, bitch, find your own, she thought as her tongue lolled out of her mouth slightly. Not that you will be able to find a man a quarter as good as Hachiko...chan.

Fortunately for Moriko's peace of mind, she had no clue that Suzume caught the songs and the embrace on video.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Standing on the deck of the Control Room for the Meleager, Atalanta had her arms crossed as she observed the silence as her crew worked. Every once in a while one would glance at her, not in nervousness though. Each and every one of them trusted her with their lives and more. She could order them directly into the fires of Hell and they would not before setting course to torpedo the Devil.

At the same time though, they understood that she would not order them to do something that she did not think them capable of doing. That, if anything, made them all the more loyal to their Captain as they knew that their safety was paramount. Hence, her standing silently there was not a sign of something wrong, it was just her trusting them to do their jobs without her input in every single thing. But when they did need her, their Captain was there to steady them, to act as an anchor against the storms of the war.

Her eyes taking in everything, Atalanta internally nodded to herself, pleased with how things were going. The crew were doing their job with professionalism above and beyond what many expected. With a look at the tablet in her hand, she hummed some as she went over old memories of this area. It was a lot harder than most would think to find such a place as the Isle of Aeaeas out on the waves, though she had visited the legendary isle with the other Argonauts. Thousands of years though did not make it any easier to understand the position of where they were inside the steel hull.

Especially as the last time she visited, she was within the Argo, a wooden ship propelled by sail and oars.

Frowning, Atalanta narrowed her eyes some at what she could see of their position before activating a program that Medea had made specifically for her. The view on the tablet changed to that of a starfield with a flat horizon. Many would not think much of it, but show it to an astronomer, and they would note that some of the recognizable stars were out of position... Or, rather, out of position for them.

That was due to the fact that the starfield was not the modern one. Rather, the stars were in the position that they had been back in the Bronze Age when Atalanta had last been alive. With her thumb, she slowly rotated the view so that she could get a good idea of their positioning. Though she had not been a sailor, she had picked up a few things on the voyage with the rest of the Argonauts. More than that, she was a hunter and no one got good at hunting out in the wilderness without being able to tell where they were by the stars above.

While she was still deep in thought, she was not deep enough to be surprised as a finger tapped her shoulder, "Captain Kouris? I have some coffee here for you.'

Softly smiling, Atalanta turned to her XO and nodded, "Thank you, Commander Mikos." Taking a sip, she sighed a bit, "Good coffee."

Hands behind his back, Mikos nodded, "Yes, then again we have not been too long at sea either."

Both of them shared a smile at that and the Huntress had to nod in agreement. Neither of the two were any strangers to when supplies ran low during war patrols and hunting Abyssals. Thankfully, when they were out in the Atlantic they had the Germans helping keep them supplied. And that nation was always good to it's Submarine forces. For a moment though, Atalanta's mind went back to her last name she chose in this life, Kouris. She was just thankful that Medea when crafting her background allowed for her to choose her last name. No way in Hades or Tartarus was she going to go with Medea's suggestion of "Gataki".

Needless to say when she found out the meaning of that, she had chased her madly laughing friend around her villa.

Atalanta was brought back to the present though when her XO cleared his throat and glanced at her tablet, "I have to admit, Ma'am, I am still surprised that you can navigate by the stars and prefer to do so. Though it is a rather useful skill considering that one time."

Thinly smiling, the Huntress nodded as she remembered that one time. Some Abyssals had knocked out their communications which also killed the GPS. But she was able to guide them back to friendly waters using just the stars above to do so, "As I told you, Commander, I spent a lot of time out in the wilderness before GPS became a thing. Easy to get lost, but the stars... they always tell you where you are and where you can be going." Giving him a slightly fanged grin, she continued, "Besides, this keeps my skills sharp just in case."

With a simple nod of agreement as his Captain took a sip of coffee, her XO waited until she sighed, "We picked up the distress signal and already informed command of it. Orders?"

Humming, Atalanta brought up the map now that she knew where she was, which also included the search area. Eyes trailing over it, she thought back before tapping one section, "I think that I have a course suggestion."

Behind her, Commander Mikos raised an eyebrow and followed as she made her way to the helm, 'I wonder...'

Upon reaching the helm, Atalanta smiled down and tapped the young woman there, with said woman blushing, "Lieutenant Angelos? I have a new course for you."

Eyes wide, Angelos looked at the course that was being ordered and nodded. Part of her nervousness was because the Captain was a larger than life figure for many. A legend in her own right within the Hellenic Navy, almost like she was a hero from the days of the Ancient Greeks! Being a woman in a mainly male dominated career had inspired many young Greek women and Angelos had been one of those.

In fact, back in her parents' home was a picture taken during a visit that Captain Kouris had performed at her high school, with her next to said Captain.

Quickly, she input the new course and everyone could feel the Submarine shift just a touch as it changed direction. With a nod, Atalanta patted the Lieutenant's shoulder before walking back to her original position. Forty minutes passed before the Captain noticed a slight buzzing sensation in the back of her mind. One that made her eyes narrow slightly, 'Got you.' However, it was then that she noticed that various members of the crew were looking somewhat nervous. And then she could feel the Submarine change course slightly, but not much. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Angelos had input something and sighed, 'I suppose that I cannot blame her, damn this cloak and dagger business.'

Meanwhile, Angelos felt the nervousness fade slightly. It had been almost unconscious. A feeling of dread in the back of her mind that eventually forced her to take action. It was only when she realized what she had done, that she froze, 'Oh no...' A hand on her shoulder made her turn to find the Captain there. Unlike what she had expected, the older woman was not angry, perhaps a bit disappointed which was nearly as bad. But there was understanding there, "M-Ma'am?"

Gently smiling, Atalanta shook her head before speaking in nearly a whisper, "Why did you just change course, Lieutenant? I am not angry, just curious."

Swallowing, the Lieutenant took a deep breath, "I... I do not know, Ma'am. There was this feeling and, I..."

Only nodding, Atalanta sighed a bit, "Understood and trust me, I do not blame you." Ignoring the confused look she got, she made a motion back to the helm, "Put the ship on the original course, and trust me, nothing will happen that will be bad. And I will be right here."

Nervously, Angelos did as ordered and the Submarine shifted course again.

All too soon, the feeling of nervousness returned, of dread. It made them want to turn the Submarine away from the course that they were on, as if it was wrong and disobeying some sort of law. That if they continued on the path that they were going, it would cause only ruin. The feeling continued to grow and grow for all of them... except the Captain. She simply stood at the helm, an island of calm. Most of them took comfort in that fact and even as whatever it was began to yell, to scream at them to turn from their course, they continued on. Their trust in their Commanding Officer was so ironclad, they were able to force the feelings aside.

More than that though, it was also almost as if Atalanta was... radiating something. Whatever it was, it filled them with courage to continue onwards. Thus, steeled, the Submarine plunged forward towards whatever awaited them. A gasp made them turn and they could see what looked like silvery light coming up the corridors from the bow. None of them had time to do more than close their eyes and bring up their arms as their instincts screamed to run away, certain that they were about to die...

Then... it was past and they were all alive. Out of all those there, only Atalanta did not pat herself down to make sure that she was alive. Said Captain only took a sip of her coffee and hummed, "Interesting."

Slumping in her seat, Angelos stared ahead as the Submarine continued on it's course, "I... I thought that I was going to die."

Gently patting her shoulder, Atalanta shook her head, "Like I said, you were not about to."

Eyes narrowing, her XO turned his attention to her, "You knew something, Ma'am? About what just happened?"

For several seconds, Atalanta was silent. But then she nodded with a slight frown, "I did, but not directly. Mostly through... hearsay, let us just say. Reports and the like that are classified, just like this is all going to be to the highest levels for the next few years."

Needless to say, that got several wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

However, soon enough they shrugged it off and got to work. Not at all to Atalanta's surprise, she got information that the seafloor was rising beneath them and frowned, "Bring us up to the surface so that we can see exactly where we are."

When they surfaced, the Huntress went up top and stood upon the sail. Behind her, Mikos took off his cap and stared at the island before them, "That can't be... there isn't supposed to be an island here. It isn't on any maps..."

Bemused, Atalanta chuckled some, "No, I suppose not." Her expression than turned serious, "Let's get the UAVs out and have them scout out the island. I would prefer for there to be no surprises at all..." Spotting something, the Captain narrowed her eyes before bringing up some binoculars that were around her neck, "... There's what looks like a Cruiser Ship wrecked close to shore."

Surprised, Mikos brought up his own binoculars and looked in the same direction before frowning, "You're right, Ma'am. And from the looks of her, she must have been wrecked here for... years. Maybe even as far back as Blood Week judging by some of the holes in her."

Thoughtful, the Huntress nodded before sighing, "That means that the UAVs are all the more important."

With a nod, the Commander left her there still looking out onto the island, silently...
_____________________________________________________________________

A few hours later, Atalanta was looking over the video taken by the UAVs as they flew over the island. Hers was the only expression not filled with disbelief, "Seems that we can confirm that the island is not uninhabited."

Looking away from the image of what looked like a town right out of Ancient Greece, her XO snorted, "No, we cannot confirm that it is uninhabited." A frown crossed his face and he scratched his chin, "But then, we are in something right out of that American show... the Outer Limits, I think."

One of the other Officers who was a bit younger than Atalanta herself appeared to be piped up, "Or perhaps that other show, SeaQuest? Didn't they have an episode where they fought Poseidon or something?"

Internally, Atalanta scoffed at the idea of a human Submarine fighting the Lord of the Seas. But she kept quiet and only nodded some, "I don't think that we have any gods that we are going to be fighting."

Arms crossed, Mikos shook his head, "No, but that does not mean anything." Rewinding the video, he paused it and pointed at the odd humanoid creatures, "I swear, those are real life Minotaurs. And we've seen some Cyclops."

Grimacing only slightly, the Captain nodded, "And Centaurs as well. But more importantly..." She gestured at what seemed to be between the female Cyclops and Minotaur, a young man, "There are humans living here."

No one said anything before Angelos spoke up, her voice unsure, "Maybe... they're survivors from the shipwreck close to the shore? And..." With a helpless shrug, she continued, "Maybe they're like that island we visited out in the Atlantic? Saint Brendan's?"

There were various nods of agreement at that. Atalanta gave the flustered Lieutenant a smile at that, "It is quite possible that you are right." Sipping her coffee, she glanced at Mikos, "And the Cruise Ship? Have we any information regarding that?"

Slowly, he nodded with a sigh, "Her name is the Atlantis and she was believed to be lost with all hands in an attempt to make it to Santorini when Blood Week started..."

Expression saddening, Atalanta shook her head, "If they had made it there, they would all be dead." Briefly, a memory flashed across her mind of the caldera of that island, the town wrecked. and wreckage everywhere. More than that, an ROV that was sent down found the entire floor of the caldera was covered in wrecks. The Abyssals having allowed for the civilian ships and one of the Hellenic Navy Destroyers to gather there in the false shelter of the caldera... and promptly slaughtered them all. Eyes closed, she muttered a brief prayer for said lost souls before opening them, "In regards to the island, we're going to continue recon on it until the other shipgirls arrive. Once they do, we will plan accordingly as to what we will be doing..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Taking a seat on Medea's desk, Georgios placed a mug of coffee down which said Admiral took gratefully. She then turned her attention to the computer screen which was showing various pictures of the island, and the inhabitants. One of those which had caused them to pause and consider things being a Re-Class with oddly colored hair and clothing that was not like any of the others of said Abyssal class that they had seen before.

Part of the shipgirl suspected though that more than some of those in intelligence were keeping far too close an eye on the Abyssal for other reasons, in particular the male ones...

Just shaking that off though, Georgios frowned as she looked at the pictures that Medea was going through, "So they survived Blood Week and what happened afterwards?"

Slowly nodding, Medea put down her mug with a smile, "Yes, and I'm glad that they survived." A grimace crossed her face briefly, "I will admit that I have been planning to go and check up on them, but everytime something came up that prevented me from doing so."

Gently, the shipgirl squeezed her girlfriend's shoulder, "And I am sure that if you could have, you would have." Turning back to the screen, she hummed, "You mentioned the name of the island, Aeaea? The home of Circe?"

Medea chuckled a bit and shook her head, "Yes, that was where my Aunt lived about, oh... three or so thousand years ago? She left though and moved to another island near Italy about twenty five hundred years ago. Was getting annoyed at being visited so often, though why she chose an island just off the coast from Italy, I do not honestly know. Really, anyone could just swim out to the place if they really tried... or walk through the marsh that connected it with the mainland."

Head tilted to the side, Georgios raised an eyebrow, "What happened to your aunt?"

Waving a hand, the Sorceress sighed, "My Aunt eventually headed off some time later and met Morgana. Do not know what those two got up to, and I do not want to know. She also helped Morgana set up an island off the coast of Italy as well." Taking a sip, she hummed a bit, "I don't know much about what my Aunt has really been up to in the last twelve or so centuries. We... had something of an argument and she got very angry with me and vice versa."

Eyebrow raised, Georgios frowned a bit, "Oh? How so?"

A grimace on her face, Medea glanced at her girlfriend, "I had a student, very promising to be honest. He soaked up the magic that I was teaching him like no one else. One day, I left for a time and my Aunt came and visited."

That caused Georgios to wince, "Ah, I can guess how that went..."

Now scowling, the Sorceress snarled, "Oh yes! My student was perfect at the time and did his duties as a host in my absence. And what did my oh so wonderful aunt do? Turned him into an Ass and let him loose on the countryside because she does not like men. By the time I found him and turned him back, he had been used by a harsh farmer for months. He... was never the same again after that and left, though he did not blame me. Granted, I went out of my way to antagonize my Aunt shortly after myself."

Somewhat concerned, the Georgios leaned down, "What did you do, Medea?"

Leaning back, Medea sighed a bit and shrugged, "I decided that I was going to piss her off in my own way. I am certain that you have heard of Scylla?"

It took a few moments, but the shipgirl remembered one mythological fact, "Wasn't she a Nymph that was transformed by..." Her eyes widened a bit, "Circe?"

Only nodding, Medea sighed, "Correct. Long story short, Glaucus loved her and went to my Aunt for a love potion. She fell in love with him instead and asked that he forget Scylla and become her lover. But... he rejected her stating he would never stop loving Scylla but still trusted her to make a love potion. You can guess what happened..." Then, the Sorceress shrugged some, "Well, I was rather pissed at my Aunt, and had more than two thousand years experience at that point. After what happened with Atalanta, I researched magical transformations especially and thus, turned Scylla back... though she could assume a form sort of like a human with an octopus bottom, granted she did not mind it for some reason. She also asked me to transform Charybdis back as well, and since that would piss off Zeus, I did though they could assume more monstrous forms after." A frown crossed her face and she shook her head, "I never expected those two to become lovers, though I suppose when all you have is each other for a over a thousand years... and they have had some children, somehow..."

Unnoticed by her, Georgios had an odd expression on her face, 'Wait, if they are both girls and Scylla sometimes gains the lower body of an octopus... nope! Nope! Images begone!'

Still thoughtful, Medea shook her head, "Anyways, the two of us started talking about... a century and a half ago or so, I think? Apparently she needed someone to cry to after she broke up with some woman named Colombe or something. Said woman was protected by one of the other Pantheons, so all she could do was drink her sorrows away and cry to someone who would listen. To say that it was... awkward for me is putting it mildly." Drinking some coffee, she rolled her eyes, "And I was basically it as Hecate was still pissed at her to no end for something or another." Taking another gulp of coffee, the woman scowled, "My whole family sucks."

Deciding not to even touch that subject, the other woman decided to clear her throat, "About Aeaea..."

Expression becoming thoughtful, Medea hummed a bit, "Right, well... the Minotaurs before you ask are descended from the original. My Aunt spirited away the children the original ones had-"

Eyes wide, Georgios held up a hand, "Wait, 'Ones'? As in more than one original Minotaur?"

Bemused, the Sorceress chuckled, "What? Did you think that considering my other Aunt lusted after said bull that she would stop with just one? Oh, no. Then again, Pasiphae was just plain odd. What with the whole having poisonous snakes, scorpions, and centipedes coming out of my Uncle's dick if he laid with any woman but her to kill them. Gods... what a freak." Shaking her head, Medea sighed, "Anyways, Circe transported them to her island and let them live there. Sometimes she transformed shipwrecked people into more to keep it going, but still. Thus, when the ICW decided to make one of their little 'Reserves' there, they decided on it due to my Aunt's protective spells and their own added on."

Rubbing the side of her head and attempting to banish the images in her mind, Georgios sighed, "Which might be problematic considering what happened when Atalanta's Submarine journeyed there."

Much to her confusion, Medea smirked, "Not as much trouble as you might think." Taking a sip of her coffee, she hummed, "I gave Atalanta a little gift to take with her. A special talisman, which now that it is inside the barriers allows for me to take control of the magic there." Waving her hand, the Sorceress caused glowing Greek letters and the like to form in the air before her, "Complete control."

Jaw dropping, Georgios looked at the letters and back to the Admiral. Finally, she was able to speak, "What does this mean for you?"

Head tilted to the side, the Sorceress shook her head, "Not too much for myself as I don't really care for control over the island itself. But here is the thing... see this?" Tapping one symbol, lines spiderwebbed out from it and connected with others, "The ICW when they laid the spells didn't keep them separate, the idiots. I do not know what they were thinking at the time, probably being lazy and cheap, but they attached them directly with the spells that Aunt Circe laid. Most likely because they felt that they were... improving the spells or some bullshit. I don't quite know how to describe it except... Circe's spells were steel mesh, they basically taped over the holes. But because I got control, if I follow this line..." Her finger traces one of the parts of the spiderweb and came to a stop, "This is the Anti-NoMaj portion of the spell, which basically makes those without magic avoid the island. If they get too close, it gives them a panicky feeling."

Leaning forward, Georgios frowned, "So you can bring it all down?"

With a chuckle, Medea nodded, "I could..." Seconds later, she became serious again, "But I'm not. Same with the spells that hide the island from sight. Because that would give up the game that someone with a lot of magical power just fucked the Statute and probably set off who knows how many alarms. No, but what I can do..." Snapping her finger with a twisting motion of her wrist created a ghostly flame that she pressed against the symbol. The flame disappeared into it and Medea twisted her hand a bit more, which made the symbol seem to decay. After a few moments, she nodded, "Is that. Basically causing accelerated decay of the spells in such a way that in a couple of months they will no longer even work and reveal the island. But it will look, well, not natural mind you, but as a long term consequence of damage to them, most likely done by Abyssals. Most likely, the spells will decay and fall either in the summer or just before next year, at which point the ICW would realize the problem and it would be too late."

For several seconds, the shipgirl was silent before she spoke, "I... see. Well, you do know more about this. That said-" She glanced at Medea, "Isn't this accelerating the collapse of the Statute?"

Grimacing, Medea shook her head, "Not as much as you might think. Remember some of the hysteria in Africa regarding witches and the like? There is some Dark Lord down there causing trouble who managed to use the war to hide his activities. He's no Grindlewald, but it is still causing the ICW to go into full crisis mode as he's trying to be a warlord. Then you have the Efreet and Djinn in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, whatever they are up to is slowly coming to a head." With a glance to the north, she shook her head, "And there's other things as well, some of the Uboats have been investigating an anomaly in the Baltic where their hydrophones have picked up crying, where Jurate is chained under the ruins of her amber palace. That is not getting into Baba Yaga moving around Russia." Sighing, she only shook her head, "This won't accelerate it much more than it has."

A frown on her face, Georgios raised a finger, "But what if the ICW tries to interfere?"

Lips curling into a smirk, the Admiral chuckled, "That is rather easy, I am going to assign a number of the older shipgirls to the island. Give it a few weeks, and none of the humans there will be able to have their memories modified, if they can still be with an Abyssal there." Getting a nod, Medea continued with a handwave, "And who will the ICW send? Greece's magical government is dead and has been since Blood Week, what is left are a bunch of smaller groups who are more concerned with actual magical crime than anything else in their particular areas and they are barely able to hold. Italy? They'll state that they got enough issues of their own. Turkey?" A snort escaped her, "Good luck, like Italy they have enough problems without needing to borrow any. Especially with their issues with how the non-magical government is going. Besides which, asking Turkish forces to deal with issues on Greek soil? That will cause the Statute to collapse right there and not in a good way. Besides which..." Medea waved a hand, "No real decision will be accomplished for at least a month on our side besides simple recon work."

Considering that, Georgios nodded with a hum before turning her attention to the map, "Do you think that there are any other islands that could be magical and discovered soon?"

Head tilted to the side, Medea considered that, "There are a few, I suppose. Most of them are just old ruins generally. If there was one though that I would consider? It would be the Shapeless Isle with the gorgons and the like on it."

Eyes wide, the shipgirl stared at the Admiral for a few moments, "The gorgons? As in Medusa and the like? They're... real?"

Chuckling, Medea opened her hands in a gesture as if presenting herself, "I'm real, aren't I? And yes, they are real though the island is also home to the Drakaina. Because of course since both are reptilian humanoids, and females, it makes perfect sense to stick them together. Granted, since then the two species have... interbred enough through sons from one another that you can have issues distinguishing between them. But that could be more an issue for later, I think considering things."

Somewhat bemused, Georgios shook her head before looking back at the monitor with the pictures of Minotaurs on it, "Though I wonder... do you think that have they figured out that someone found them?"

Now also looking, Medea frowned, "Most likely, yes. Cyclops have very good eyesight after all, and would be able to soon tell that the drones and shipgirl aircraft are not birds. But... that is out of our hands for now. All we can do is wait for orders..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord Khuzdul

As the Greek submarine pushed through the wards, two shapes were watching her, some distance away. At first glance, they appeared to be U-boats, with the characteristic wetsuit of the German ships. However, their suits were of a clearly older design, and when one looked closely, it was obvious that these girls were much smaller. And the Turkish flag patch on their shoulders was distinctive.

"That's the Greek submarine with the scary captain, isn't it?" said Birinci Inönü.

"Yup. Not sure what she is doing though. There is nothing there. And her route seems she really doesn't want to go that way," replied her sister, Ikinci Inönü.

"Should we follow?"

"I don't know. It feels like that is the sort of thing that would make Sakarya mad."

"But she told us to find the source of the transmission, and it was coming from that direction? Why would she be mad if we accomplish the mission?"

"Well, Greeks do get uncomfortable when we are around?"

"Hey, I even got Averof to sneak me candy. I think we can overcome that bit."

Ikinci Inönü shrugged, still unsure. "Well, we can't exactly ask anyone now, can't we? We are submarines, we are supposed to be independent."

Two little boats moved to tail their much larger distant cousin.

---

No need to make it canon, I just thought it would be a nice place to start introducing some of the Turkish girls I will be using later. These are Birinci Inönü and Ikinci Inönü, two Type UB III coastal submarines of the Turkish Navy, first submarines of the Republic, built by the Dutch. They are tiny, because they are 500-ton coastal boats, and their weapons grade cute is more dangerous than their WW1 vintage torpedoes.

Sakarya mentioned before is an Italian Argonauta class submarine, and the cat-herder of the Turkish submarines (she is the oldest that can be trusted with the responsibility. Inönü sisters are too small, and Dumlupınar is a derp).