Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Letting out a sigh in the chilly air, Natsumi looked beside her as she adjusted her backpack, "What do you think, Louisiana-Chan? Ready for the two day climb?"

Warmly chuckling, the Battleship nodded some, "Oui, I am, ma chérie." Looking up towards the mountain, Louisiana smiled, "Spending the next few days hiking I think will be a pleasant way of spending time together." Shifting her coat a little, she hummed, "Especially as Spring Break is nearly over for you. But I would never say no to spending more time with you, ma chérie."

A laugh made them turn as Hoshi winked at them as she joined them, flinging her own backpack on, "Don't forget me, you two." Smirking at the slightly flustered look on Natsumi's face, she continued, "After all, you both need some adult supervision."

Placing her face in her hands, Natsumi groaned, "Hoshi-San..."

More amused than anything else, Louisiana smirked herself before patting the Kitsune on the shoulders, "There, there, ma chérie. Nothing for it." With a small nod, the shipgirl hummed a bit, "Shall we?"

Both Kitsune nodded at that and soon they began their journey up the mountain. Here and there snow yet covered the ground even as spring arrived. Looking in the distance, Natsumi could just see Mount Fuji rising upwards due to the clear weather, "A bit of a shame that we could not climb Mount Dainchi."

With a shrug, Hoshi shook her head, "The snows were heavy once more this year, Natsumi-Chan. Which meant that we could not climb up the mountains as it is a bit too dangerous for one of your level this time of year. But... perhaps in a few years. And there is also always summer."

Considering that, Natsumi hummed some, "I guess." She then perked up some, "Which means that maybe I could take along Harry-Chan." Becoming thoughtful, the nearly fourteen year old frowned in thought, "Though we have also discussed maybe climbing some mountains in Scotland."

That made the older Kitsune cock her head to the side, "Truly? Which ones?"

Natsumi looked at her before smiling a bit, "Harry-Chan pointed them out to me actually when we went to Hogsmeade back in October. One was called Braeriach and is the third highest mountain in the United Kingdom." Getting a nod, she continued, "The other one that we talked about was Ben Navis which is the tallest mountain in the United Kingdom. Neither are that big compared to some of the mountains here, they're smaller then Kumotori-San. But..."

Slowly, Hoshi nodded with a chuckle, "It would be a mountain that the two of you would climb, and in Harry-San's homeland. A victory of your own and memories created."

Lightly blushing, the teenaged Kitsune nodded. She then glanced at Louisiana and shrugged, "Maybe you could come along as well, Louisiana-Chan."

Her lips curling into a smile, Louisiana chuckled a bit, "Oui, perhaps. Though it might be best if it was just the two of you first, ma chérie, with mon chéri. But thinking on it..." Frowning, she gave a hum, "Did not mon chéri mention another mountain?"

After a moment, Natsumi tapped her chin, "Well... Harry-Chan stated that it was not really a mountain, just a very big hill in Surrey called Leith Hill. According to him, his class when he lived in Britain climbed it. And... he wanted to climb it alongside me and some of the others." Softly smiling, she shook her head, "I would not be against such a thing..."

Smiling herself, Louisiana nodded, "Nor would I, ma chérie. Nor would I..."

The three of them shared a small smile and continued their hike as they slowly made their way up the incline. Entering the trees, the group looked around in interest before Hoshi hummed a bit, "There is nothing quite as good for one such as us, Natsumi-Chan, than Shinrin-yoku."

Even as Natsumi nodded in agreement, Louisiana tilted her head some in curiosity, "Shinrin-yoku? Forest bathing?"

Looking over her shoulder, the Kyuubi smiled a bit, "Hai." With one hand, Hoshi gestured around them, "To walk among the trees and meditate on them. Wonderful."

Somewhat intrigued, Louisiana glanced around in interest before taking a deep breath before letting it out, "Oui, walking in the forest is something to treasure." Reaching over, she held out a hand that Natsumi took, "Especially with those that you care for."

Fingers entwined with the Battleships, the Kitsune could only nod in agreement. As they continued their hike. Still holding Louisiana's hand, Natsumi slowed down some and waited until Hoshi was a distance in front of them. Looking up at the shipgirl, she smiled some, "Thank you for coming, Louisiana-Chan."

Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, the Battleship shook her head, "You do not need to thank me, ma chérie. Any time I spend with you, I treasure." The smile that she got made hers grow a bit more before she hummed some, "You seem to enjoy mountain climbing."

Even though it was not phrased as such, Natsumi understood that it was also a question. After a few moments of thought, she tapped her chin, "I do, Louisiana-Chan. For some reason, climbing mountains and walking through the forests and such... it calls to me. And I feel this peace when I do so. Not sure how or why... but I do."

For several seconds, Louisiana was silent before nodding, "I see." She then smiled again, "Does that mean that one day you may try the Seven Summits?"

That made Natsumi blink a bit in confusion, "The Seven Summits?"

Chuckling, the shipgirl looked down at her, "Oui, they are the highest mountains on each continent. A challenge for one who enjoys climbing mountains."

Head tilted to the side, Natsumi considered that, "I've always seen Fuji-San as the goal of my climbing, to one day climb the slopes of that peak. Myself and Harry-Chan have talked about it when we were younger and we promised to do so when we graduated high school. But... perhaps after..." She grinned a bit and Louisiana knew that if her tails were out, they would be wagging, "Perhaps after, I could become the first Kitsune to climb the Seven Summits."

Warmly smiling, the Battleship nodded at that, "I believe that you could do so, ma chérie."

All Natsumi did was nod excitedly at that.
__________________________________________________

Feeling herself being shaken some, the Kitsune grumbled a bit and snuggled more into her pillows. They were nice and soft as well as warm. Being shaken again, she grumbled a bit into said pillows, which got a chuckle from them which made her thoughts pause. Eyes cracking open, Natsumi tilted her head back and squinted at the smirking Louisiana, "Well, ma chérie?"

It took only a few moments for Natsumi to realize what her "Pillows" were and she deeply flushed, "Sorry, Louisiana-Chan..."

Moments later, Louisiana brought a finger under her chin and tilted her head back some, "Non, you have nothing to be sorry about, ma chérie. Though I will not deny that I do not mind all too much."

Giving it some thought, a part of the teen's mind gave a mental shrug, "Eh, sure." With that, she buried her face back into the Battleship's shirt covered chest, "Too tired, and too comfy."

Eyes closed, it took every bit of Louisiana's will power not to burst out laughing. Mainly because she knew that if she did, than she would both be unable to stop and would likely wake everyone else in the lodge. Still, her shoulders shook as she bit her lip and her voice was coloured with mirth, "Ah, but it was you who suggested that we wake before dawn to go back to the summit, ma chérie. To watch as the Sun rose over Japan."

After a few moments, Natsumi gave a sigh and mumbled into the marshmallow hell she had placed herself into, "Thank you for reminding me, Louisiana-Chan..." Pulling back, she gave a huff of annoyance though her eyes twinkled with mirth, "I suppose that we must wake up then."

The only thing that the Battleship did was smirk at that.

It did not take the two of them long to get changed back into their climbing clothes. And leaving their room, they met Hoshi who gave them a once over and nodded, "Good, everyone is ready." Holding out some cups, she smiled, "Here, to wake you up some."

Sniffing the cup, Natsumi sighed as she took a drink of her black tea while Louisiana downed her coffee, 'Harry-Chan ruined me when he introduced me to this... How else would I get up in the mornings?'

With that done, she handed the cup back to Hoshi who took it, the same with Louisiana's. Leaving the lodge quietly, the three headed back up towards the peak. A frown on her face, Hoshi looked over at the Battleship, "Are you going to be fine? That last slope is steep and it is still dark out."

Louisiana only smiled some and pointed at her shoulders. There, two fairies on each one held up flashlights and turned them on revealing the path, "Oui, I will not have any problems, Miz Hoshi. But thank you."

Only chuckling, the Kyuubi shook her head, "Ah, the wonders of being a shipgirl. Not that I have much worry nor does Natsumi-Chan." Seeing the interested look, she pointed at her eyes which Louisiana noted had eyeshine, "Among other things, us Kitsune have very good eyesight in the darkness."

All Louisiana did was nod at that as it did make sense. Meanwhile, it did not take the three long to reach the summit. Reaching it, the three breathed a bit hard into the cool, pre-dawn air. Slowly, the horizon began to lighten and Natsumi took a few pictures. She then grasped Louisiana's hand and looked up at her, "Did you know, Louisiana-Chan, that Kumotori-San features in 100 Famous Japanese Mountains?"

Warmly chuckling, Louisiana nodded, "Shinano mentioned such to me when I stated where we were going." Turning some towards the South, she could see Mount Fuji in the distance as the sunrise painted it in color, "And I can understand why."

Looking in the same direction, Natsumi nodded though she did not say anything. Taking a picture with her free hand, she placed her camera back into her pocket before gesturing for Louisiana to bend down. Once the taller woman did, she gave her a kiss on the cheek, right on the corner of her lips, "Thank you for coming, Louisiana-Chan."

The Battleship just returned said kiss on the cheek in the same spot on Natsumi, her eyes glimmering, "Non, you do not need to thank me, ma chérie. For this, I have no problem."

Both of them shared a smile at that before turning back to the rising Sun. Due to that, neither noticed the amused look that Hoshi had on her face before the older Kitsune shook her head, 'Ah, to be young again...'

Several hours later, the three sunk into the hot springs with a sigh from Louisiana and Hoshi as well as a groan from Natsumi. The nearly fourteen year old Kitsune leaned back against the shipgirl some much to the amusement of the older Kitsune, "Ah, nothing like a visit to a hot spring after climbing a mountain."

With a glance towards Hoshi, who nodded, Louisiana placed her arm around the teen's shoulders, "Oui, this is lovely."

Arms on the side of the pool, the Kyuubi gave a slight bow towards the shipgirl, "I must thank you, Louisiana-San. When those Aurors arrived looking for magical beings that tripped one of their sensors, I believed that I would need to... make them forget having found anything." Snickering, she shook her head, "Though the looks on their faces when you stated that it must have been you was priceless."

From where she was leaning into Louisiana, Natsumi gave a barking laugh, "Hai, that was hilarious! Especially when you summoned your rigging." Widely grinning, she looked up at the freckled face of the shipgirl, "They cleared out rather quick."

Humming, Louisiana leaned her head to the side, "Well, I could not have them interrupt our trip after all." After a nod from both Hoshi and Natsumi, her next words caused the two Kitsune to freeze, "Though I doubt that they will like the fact that my fairies were annoyed with the interruption enough that they decided that such sensors were not needed on the mountain."

That got a laugh from the Kyuubi after a few seconds as she shook her head, "No, I think not!" She blinked and looked back at the mountain and smiled a bit, "And I think that perhaps the local Kami are in agreement."

Not quite understanding what the Kitsune saw or sensed, Louisiana simply nodded and went back to enjoying Natsumi cuddled up to her as they sat in the steaming, mineral rich waters. The trip turned out to be everything that she could have hoped for. She spent quite a bit of time with Natsumi just talking as they made their way up and later down the mountain, shared a meal with her, and generally got to know the teenaged Yokai. At the same time, Natsumi got to know her a little better

Slowly, the Battleship leaned back a bit into the hot, mineral rich water with a soft sigh even as Natsumi used her shoulder as a pillow. Opening her eyes, Natsumi glanced at Hoshi before leaning up and kissing Louisiana's cheek, "Chu!"

Getting a blink, she smiled a bit and giggled before going back to laying her head on Louisiana's shoulder with a sigh. After a blink, Louisiana looked down at her with a soft smile herself before closing her eyes. Both of them just relaxing.

Really, as far as Louisiana was concerned, it was a worth while trip in every way.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sipping her coffee, both to wake up and to ward off the early morning chill, Tonks gave a hum. At hearing a snort beside her, she glanced at one of her fellow Auror trainees, though this one was barely through the Academy, "What is it, Giles?"

The young man gave her a grimace, "How could you drink that?! I tried it once and... ugh!"

Eyebrow raised, the currently purple haired woman smirked, "What? It's just coffee."

One of the other female trainees snorted, "No, that is mostly sugar disguised as coffee. How much milk, sugar, and cream did you put into that?"

Loudly smacking her lips, Tonks had a mock thoughtful look on her face. After a few moments, she shrugged, "Enough to put a diabetic into a coma from seeing it." She then gave a loud slurp which got more grimaces, "So almost enough."

That got her eye rolls from most of those there. But one of the younger male ones scowled at her, "Ugh, do you mind? Just because you got lucky..."

Just giving him a look, Tonks narrowed her eyes, "Yes, as you have made your thoughts on the matter known very well, Trainee Alexander. And yes, it was luck. But I am very glad for it as a real piece of shit is now off the streets."

However, Alexander was not finished and gave her a scowl, "Doesn't it bother you that he is being put to death in a few weeks?! That someone is going to get killed for what happened?"

Mock thoughtful, Tonks shook her head, "Nope, not bothered at all." She then turned on her foot and walked up until her face was inches from the other Trainee's own, "But what bothers me is that he was able to get away with his shit for so long. And that you seem to have an issue with the fact that he is going to get exactly what he deserves, Parkinson. Don't like it? Tough shit. The guy murdered a bunch of our own and others. For that? I hope that he burns in Hell."

Alexander turned red, but didn't say anything. Instead, he walked a short distance away and stood there with his arms crossed. More than one of the others rolled their eyes. After all, the trainee had his family's views when it came to blood purity. So a fellow Blood Purist being sentenced to death was not something he liked, no matter what the reasoning.

Only shaking her head, another of the Trainees pulled out a pocket watch. Looking at it, he looked around, "Who are we waiting for anyways to get out to this island?"

More than a little thankful for the distraction, Tonks looked around, "An old friend of mine actually." Before anyone could comment, there was a crack and a red haired wizard was there, "Charlie!"

Grinning widely, Charlie Weasley gave a laugh, "Nymphadora!" At the glare he got, his grin widened more, "It has been far too long."

Her arms crossing under her bust, which seemed to grow a touch, the Metamorphmagus snorted, "We just talked last night." With one final glare, she calmed down some, "Still, thanks for coming. I appreciate having an expert here."

Charlie gave something of a shrug, "Not a problem. Besides which, I'm waiting for some materials for the new dragon reserve being built in the Highlands. So not that much really to be done."

A smirk crossed Tonks' face at that, "Oh? And here I thought that you were spending lots of time with Seiche..." Much to her amusement, the Weasley coughed and looked away as he blushed, 'Hah! One for me!'

A cough though brought them back as Giles gave them both looks, "As interesting and amusing as this may be, I do have a wish to be done with this. Not to mention, we may be needed elsewhere, so best that we get this done now."

With a shrug, Tonks looked at Charlie with a raised eyebrow, "He does have a point." Getting a nod, she made a motion, "Okay, everyone into the boat."

Several minutes later, they were all in a small motor boat and were heading out into the Irish Sea. As they traveled, one of the Trainees frowned a bit, "What's the big deal anyways with this island? From what I know, it is a Reserve or something, right?"

From where he sat, Charlie nodded, "That's right. Though it is mostly for wyverns or the odd Welsh Green. A lot of them seem to make it a point to travel to this island at least once in their lives for some odd reason." A frown on his face, he shook his head, "I have a few ideas as to why..."

Eyebrow raised, Alexander looked at him, "Oh? And what sort of ideas are those now?"

Ignoring the slightly mocking tone, the Weasley shook his head, "You'll find out soon enough..." However, if they expected him to continue, they were going to be disappointed. Instead, Charlie pointed at a line of breakers that seemingly stretched out, "That is one of the more interesting bits though."

Twisting in her seat, one of the female Trainees frowned, "What? That the waves are breaking over something? Why is that interesting?"

Bemused, Charlie shook his head, "It is interesting because of what it says. Once, centuries ago, before Hogwarts was built, this was all land. But the sea reclaimed much of it and the island that we're heading to was once attached before the sea wore away the peninsula and left it on its lonesome. Which is probably a good thing as it was set up as a place for the British Wyvern to live."

Right then, a tingle washed over them as they entered the ward line and they could not see an island. Above the island though were flying forms about the size of horses. One swept by close enough to snatch a fish from the water and they could see it more clearly. It was reptilian with a crocodilian head with horns. Unlike a dragon, it only had four limbs with the forelimbs replaced by bat-like wings while an arrow shaped tail stretched out behind it.

As it turned back to the island with its catch, Charlie gave a nod, "And there we have one of the British Wyverns. Beautiful..."

Glancing at him, Giles frowned a bit, "I would not quite say that..." His frown deepened, "Has there been any issue with them?"

Just humming, Charlie considered the question before crossing his arms, "Wyverns are like any other animal really, though intelligent. Not to a human level, I don't think. But... at least as smart as one of those Chimps. So they can be dangerous if they had to be. Most though just do things like catch wild pigs and such. Outside of those who do something to piss them off, I can only think of maybe two attacks in the past three hundred years."

Sighs of relief escaped from the various young Auror trainees at that to his amusement. Moments later, Tonks snatched that away, "Which does not mean that this is not dangerous."

At that, they winced.

It did not take long though for them to arrive on the island. Much to their surprise, a young woman was waiting for them. Glancing at her fellow trainees, Tonks rolled her eyes at how more than a few of the guys were outright staring at the woman. Granted... the Metamorphmagus had to admit that she was beautiful. Hair like spun gold cascaded down her shoulders while piercing blue eyes looked out onto the world.

Before she could think more on it, Charlie jumped off the boat and grinned like a loon, "Ceiwen! It has been some time."

Pale lips curled upwards into a smile as Ceiwen laughed and hugged him, "Ah! It has indeed, Charlie." She pulled back some and looked him over, "Let me look at you... it seems that good, honest work has agreed with you!"

Lightly laughing, the red haired man grinned, "It has, though my Mum would rather I be in a different career. Claims that I'm going to turn her hair white if the Twins don't."

Softly snorting, Ceiwen shook her head, "I very much doubt that." After a moment, she slugged him in the shoulder getting a yelp, "Now, about what I have been hearing from Seiche-"

Blinking, Charlie stared at her, "Wait, you know Seiche? How?"

There was an amused twinkle in the golden haired woman's eyes, as if she knew a joke that Charlie did not, "We've known each other for a very long time. Both of us and her sister are members of a... unique community, let me just say." Ignoring his confusion, though she noted that there was a slight suspicion in his eyes, she turned to the trainees and placed her hands on her hips, "Now then, the Ministry informed me that I could expect some visitors... but not why." Ceiwen rolled her eyes some with a huff, "Not that I expected much better, no offence to present company."

With a shrug, Tonks walked forward and held her hand out which the other woman shook, "Well, we're to investigate something in particular. We just got some of the sensors repaired and there's been some... odd readings from Wyvern Isle. And someone noted that the muggles have noticed tremors here."

For a moment, surprise crossed Ceiwen's face, which made Tonks narrow her own briefly. But then it was gone and the golden haired woman nodded, "I see... I will admit that I am unsure about the magic, though the wyverns have been more active as have the four Welsh Greens that call the island home. The tremors though... those have been going on for a few months."

Pulling out a notepad, Tonks clicked a pen, "They have? Do you have any idea of when they started happening?"

Somewhat bemused, Ceiwen hummed, "I think that they started in early August of last year... yes, it was right around then." She then made a gesture with her hand, "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to where I live and keep the logbooks. Perhaps even a tour of the island itself?"

Alexander spoke up with his voice tinged with haughtiness, "Yes, that might be a good idea."

The glare that Tonks gave him slid right off him. As they began to walk, the trainees kept an eye out for the wyverns that lived there, or the few dragons that did. Giles adjusted his glasses and looked at the woman with a frown, "Do you really live here all alone?"

Humming, Ceiwen nodded, "I do, as have members of my family for centuries. We're the Keepers of the island dating back to before there was a Hogwarts. Granted, we don't go to said school. Rather, we've been going to the Avalon Academy."

Only snorting, Alexander sneered a bit, "That place? It doesn't even count as a school!"

Eyebrow raised, the golden haired woman gave him a look which made him quail. For a moment, he felt as if he was a mouse before a large lion, "It is only not considered such because the Ministry and the ICW has Hogwarts as the only official school in Britain."

A glance by Charlie at the annoyed Tonks told him that a certain trainee was going to get chewed out. Deciding to head that off at the pass, Charlie cleared his throat, "Since we're here, perhaps you can tell us that family story of yours?"

Confused at first, Ceiwen's expression softened, "Of course, Charlie. Do any of you know the Tale of the Two Dragons?" At their heads shaking, she tsk'd a bit, "I see, I would ask what Hogwarts is teaching, but that is beside the point I suppose."

Hands in her pockets, Nymphadora hummed, "You mean the legendary red and white dragons of Wales? That story?"

Lips curling into a smile, the other woman began telling the tale of the Red and White Dragons. How the Red and White fought each other with their screams and such causing problems such as women to miscarry and the like. And how the British King, Lludd, after consulting his cousin Llefelys, managed to capture the two dragons and buried them under a hill in the middle of Britain, where Oxford now is. Centuries later, King Vortigern attempted to build a castle on the hill, but it always fell. Until he came across Merlin who revealed the dragons and that the two were released. The Red Dragon, according to Merlin represented the Britons, while the White represented the invading Anglo-Saxons. Because, for a time, the White Dragon, like the Anglo-Saxons, would be stronger than the Red... eventually, it would reverse and it would fall, like the Anglo-Saxons would before the Britons. And the Red defeated the White...

Raising a finger, Ceiwen continued, " Granted, in a way, you can make the argument that the Britons did win in the end." Seeing their looks, she smirked a bit, "Now, in most legends that is where it ends. Except for one continuation passed down in my family and a few others. According to that, there was more to it than that. See, the White Dragon disguised itself as a woman to hide until such time that it could heal enough to fight the Red once more. The Red, meanwhile, transformed itself into a man to try and draw out the White." Lips curling, she chuckled a bit, "Guess what happened?"

Boggling, Tonks stared, "Don't tell me that the two..."

Slowly, Ceiwen nodded with a broad smile, "They did, and had a child. But when they saw the Golden Dragon, both parents realized who the other was. The Midwife ran for her life with the newborn hatchling as the house behind her exploded as the two dragons resumed their fight... until Gwydion, who was passing by, spotted the fight and tried to get the two to stop. And when they ignored him, he cast a spell that sent them into a slumber as their spirits roamed the earth. With that, he buried them deep beneath the ground once more."

Tilting his head, Giles frowned, "But what about their daughter?"

For several moments, Ceiwen was quiet, "Gwydion cast a spell to make her appear as human for a time and had her placed in the household of a local King. She was raised alongside the King's heir and they became like siblings. When she was an adult, there was an attack and the spell broke, with her sending the enemy into panicked retreat. But... a final spell from an enemy hit the Prince, who had become the King and the curse meant that he would die by the time that the year was out. As well, his wife was dead and thus he was left heirless. Until, the Gold Dragon stepped in. While she loved him as a brother, and he as a sister, she was willing to bear him an heir which she did. The King lived long enough to name said son... Uther Pendragon."

More than one set of eyes widened at that before Alexander scowled, "Are you claiming that King Arthur was... not of human blood? And was some sort of Halfbreed?"

All the golden haired woman did was shrug with a mysterious smile, "Perhaps. But that is how the tale in my family goes..."

For the next few hours, the Trainees studied the logbooks at Ceiwen's home. This was followed by them searching the island for any oddities regarding the magic. But... they found none and could not identify where the odd magic was coming from. Thankfully, Charlie proved his worth in that a few times he had to step in before one of the trainees did something to anger the Wyverns or dragons there. Though he did have to step in once to calm a Welsh Green that was set off by Alexander with help from Ceiwen. But all of them were glad when they could go home despite not finding anything.

After they were gone and she had returned home, Ceiwen pulled out a satellite phone and dialed a number. Putting to her ear, she began making her dinner, a pot full of stew, "Hello? Seiche? It's Ceiwen." Smile brightening, she gave a laugh, "Yes, it has been a few days. Guess who I saw again today for the first time in a while as well? Oh? Charlie already told you?" Pouting a bit, the golden haired woman huffed, "Well, that's no fun."

Slowly stirring the cauldron, which contained far more than a normal person could eat, Ceiwen sighed, "Yes, they came to see about some odd... signals, that the magical sensors picked up. Not to mention that the Muggles have been picking up tremors..." A worried look crossed her face for a moment, "Yes, I am worried too. Hopefully though, they will listen to reason this time. But you know my family... especially those two." Wryly smiling, she snorted a bit, "Quite." Suddenly, Ceiwen smirked, "Though I will note that I am impressed with Charlie once more, and same with that one woman, Nymphadora Tonks. If she becomes an Auror, she'll go far I think. You met her as well? Not too surprising I suppose and I am glad that you share my opinion on her."

Taking a sip of her stew from a bowl before nodding and adding some more spices, she hummed, "By the way, speaking of Charlie and Miss Tonks... both of them are quite intelligent. I suspect that they know something. Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't mind if it is them. And both of them seem to be the sort to keep quiet, Charlie especially. During the tour, we came across a crack in the ground which had smoke coming from it. I managed to convince the others that some of the Welsh Greens set off an underground fire on a coal seam a few years back when incubating their eggs. But those two? They did not seem to be fooled at all, though they didn't say anything." Grinning a bit, Ceiwen laughed, "Oh, you definitely have a smart one. Brains and good looks in one package as they say. If you had not already sunk your claws into him, well..."

On the other end of the line, Seiche said something and made Ceiwen laugh, "No, I am not into that sort of thing. If I am to be involved with someone, then I would be their only significant other. Won't want to share them with anyone. Though I would look out for your sister regarding him. Especially if she happens to get into the mood to, ah, 'repopulate your clan' as it were-" Briefly, she froze and blinked, "Wait, you... um..." Head tilted to the side, she gave a hum, "Well... I suppose that would be a rather surprising and nice gift for a birthday or anniversary though even you agree not beyond that." Giggles then escaped Ceiwen, "You might need some pain relieving potions as well as helping for dehydration the morning after such a gift.... and skele-grow. We are talking about your sister and I do remember your mother and aunts. Though considering how large the Weasley family is from what I have heard..."

As she continued to talk, a golden scaled tail swept back and forth while she placed some of her bangs behind horns that grew from the side of her head...

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Weasley's Warship Workshop 2

Ron gave a chuckle as Duke looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"One of your biggest secrets is that you like coffee?" Ron couldn't help but grin at her as the two finished up their luncheon.

Duke's face was quite red and she took a moment to compose herself by wiping her mouth.

"Yes. Don't spread that around." If Duke had looked any more mortified Ron would've expected her to be caught with her knickers down.

"I won't." He grinned and shook his head. "I just don't get why it's such a big deal."

"Family." Duke shook her head and Ron knew enough about that to get where she was coming from. "They aren't the ones who went to America and then Bermuda on their shakedown cruises. Washington didn't help, what with the time we spent together." There was a pause and Duke shook her head. "She still sends me some occasionally."

Ron just shook his head one more time and wiped his mouth. Victoria appeared from seemingly nowhere and took their plates to the kitchen.

"Well if I ever find myself in the position of having the need of or in possession of some coffee I'll let you know." Ron would treasure the look on Duke's face as he stood from his chair and checked the watch on his wrist. "I think we should go check on Summer and the other abyssal for the surgery."

"Yes, we should." At the mention of the other abyssal Duke's more businesslike demeanor came back and she was more on alert.

"Did she ever give her name?" Ron asked curiously, "Summer didn't seem to know."

"No, she didn't." Duke shook her head as they headed towards the now finished and covered repair baths. "Even her crew wouldn't tell so we've just been calling her Battleship Princess since that's what she is."

"Hmm..." Ron pondered that as the two of them went out the back of the manor house and onto the covered walkway that led to the baths.

The building was built to match the style of the manor house, with a number of windows and a more angular style. The windows were especially in the style of the house as most of them were fake and none of the rest looked onto anything important or potentially embarrassing for those inside. Opening the rich wooden doors Ron looked around with a bit of amazement.

"They really did a good job, didn't they?" He said as he looked at the freshly laid floor and painted walls.

"It's quite nice." Duke agreed with him. "I believe Summer should be this way, to the private baths."

It was clear enough where Summer was given the presence of Acasta standing outside the door.

"Hello Acasta. Did she give you any trouble today?" Duke spoke as they approached the dark haired girl.

Acasta shook her head in the negative. "No. She was… ok."

Duke's nostril's flared and she shook her head. "I suppose we shouldn't expect her to be all that cooperative. Lets go see if Summer is ready Ron."

Ron nodded and gave Acasta a smile and a wave as he passed. She gave a little wave with her hand and a slight quirk of her cheek. Ron took that as friendly enough, as he knew she wasn't much given to histrionics or even being very expressive like her friend Ardent.

Inside the private bath was a pool that was roughly twenty feet in diameter with tiered steps that also doubled as seats. There was about five feet of water at the deepest point and the air was somewhat more humid than outside had been. Inside the room were Summer, Angie and a grumpy looking abyssal with long black hair, a black dress and the figure of a battleship seated in a wheelchair.

The abyssal was the first to turn and look and Ron got the feeling she would have been glaring if she felt she could get away with it. Instead she simply looked morose. Her eyes went to Duke first, then examined him for a moment. Ron looked her right back in the eyes and the red orbs met his own for two seconds before turning away. Ron wasn't quite sure what she made of him but he could tell just from looking at her that the damage he'd been told about was quite serious even now.

Summer turned around next, her eyes going wide at the sight of Ron and she rushed over.

"Ron, I-I mean Yardmaster." Summer paused in front of him, reaching into her dress and pulling out something. "I-I m-made t-this for y-you." Summer handed Ron a small flattened piece of square black metal with several curlicues on it that he didn't recognize.

As he took the item Ron noticed out of the corner of his eye as the sullen battleship suddenly looked up in surprise.

"Thank you Summer. Can I ask what it is?" Ron ignored the look he was getting for a moment and focused on Summer.

Summer blushed and placed her arms under her chest, accidentally displaying her fuel farms better as she turned her head to the side.

"I… it… uhm…" There was a pause for a moment as Summer moved her hands to cover her face. "I-t's your Yardmaster pass.""

Ron looked at the black square once more and nodded, understanding the significance of it.

"Thank you Summer." He reached out and patted her on the arm. "I should keep it on me at all times right?"

"Y-y-you d-don't h-have to but i-if y-you do it w-will let everyone k-know you're in charge." Summer flushed again when he touched her arm but she didn't pull away.

"Oh, like Harry's ID bracelet. What does it say I'm in charge of?" Ron cocked his head at her.

"Everything. Even her fleet?!" Ron looked over at the abyssal battleship as she spoke for the first time, her voice clearly surprised. As he turned to look at her the Battleship Princess noticed and their eyes met for a moment more. This time he could tell she was putting more serious thought into him, before their eyes broke away once more and she clammed up.

Ron gave it a second or two before he looked back up to Summer.

"Is she right?" Ron asked, his voice quite serious.

Summer couldn't do anything but nod.

Ron felt a weight settle onto his shoulders, one of responsibility given to him that he hadn't quite realized he'd taken but he certainly wouldn't let down.

"Thank you Summer. This is very precious so I'll always have it on me." He raised his arms to Summer and wrapped a hug around her waist. "I promise."

Summer didn't say anything but she wrapped her arms around Ron lightly in return before he broke away and looked up at her.

"Did you have anything else? He asked lightly.

Summer shook her head no, still blushing but clearly happy.

"Then could you tell me what you're going to do with her?" Ron nodded towards the wounded Princess. "I read the precis you gave me but I want to hear it from you again."

Summer nodded happily and immediately began to speak about how she planned to reinforce the Princess' keel, words pouring from her mouth in a torrent that Ron managed to keep up with, smiling all the while.

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

Brigid couldn't help but look at the small human out of the corner of her eye while he and the traitor installation discussed whatever butchery they were going to do to her next. While some of it made sense to her, she had no idea what a "back brace" was or what it might have to do with her keel. By the gestures the human was making it seemed like it was a torture device of some kind, though his words seemed to claim it would help her.

Brigid couldn't help but shake her head. Of course the human wouldn't actually be helping her, if he could control an installation harshly enough for her to make a token of his superiority over her then he was either fiendishly clever or inherently cruel, possibly both.

As she glanced at the blonde battleship another possibility entered her mind. She was clearly looking at the human fondly, though she could not fathom why. Perhaps he held the installation in check through the power granted by his fleet? Whatever it might be composed of?

Like many abyssals Brigid knew of the humans and some of their ways, like the overall fleet organizations. What she wasn't sure of was if the ship girls followed the same rules or how they were broken out. It was entirely possible that this little human was in command of a larger portion of the enemy fleets. If that was the case…

Brigid sat and waited, her mind plotting even more dark thoughts as she waited for her opportunity.

Of another explanation, of love or trust she had no thought, as those things were the exception not the rule among the abyss. Why would it be different here?

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Not as long as the last one but I hope you all enjoy.

Questions and comments welcome as always.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Four and a quarter months.

A hundred and twenty four days.

Two thousand, nine hundred, and seventy six hours.

It was thoughts like that which went through Sirius Black's mind as he sat in the Accused's Chair before the Wizengamot. Everything, including his trial, had taken months to get to this point. Not that he minded all too much after nearly thirteen years in Azkaban.

Quite the opposite as a matter of fact. If there was one thing that he was happy about, it was that Amelia had a good head on her shoulders. Say what you would about the Ministry as a whole, but when Amelia wanted a trial? She would have her "i"s dotted and "t"s crossed. Along with his lawyers and such? They had made sure to drag out the trial as much as possible, even as it brought to light various issues with the Ministry. Now looking up at Dumbledore in the Chief Warlock's position, Sirius found his heart pounding.

It was so loud in his ears that he barely heard what Dumbledore's speech was. Though he raised his eyebrows as Dumbledore apologized for it taking so long to grant him a trial. Finally, the words came as the old wizard's eyes met his, "Sirius Orion Black, it is the decision of this Court that, upon considering the evidence, that you are innocent on all counts. And thus, you may walk out of this courtroom a free man. Once more, I cannot apologize enough for what you have been through and how we, who should have been better, failed you when you needed us. In my duty as Chief Warlock..." Raising a hammer, he brought it down, "I now pronounce this court adjourned."

The strength in his body sapped, Sirius slumped where he sat as the chains around him removed themselves. And he would freely admit that he cried as well at the same time. Free... he was finally free. A laugh escaped him even as he noted Umbridge looking like she had swallowed something rotten.

With a deep breath, the wizard rose to his feet. The weeks spent in Redstone had done wonders for his health. Say what you will about non-magicals, they provided medical help for their inmates. A far cry from Azkaban's dank and damp halls and cells. Which meant that, among other things, Sirius had recovered more than he had from his incarceration in Azkaban. Voice thick with emotion, he spoke with a smile, "Thank you, one and all for this. I have always stated that I was innocent and none believed me until now. So thank you."

With those words, he stepped away from the Accused's Chair and, without a glance to it, walked away. Shaking his cousin's hand, he found her smiling at him, "Congratulations, Sirius."

Lightly smiling, he chuckled some, "No, I should be congratulating you, Andy. If not for you..."

All that Andromeda did was hug him, "Someone would have stepped up." Pulling away, she patted him on the cheek, "You just keep yourself from getting into these situations anymore."

Thinly smiling, Sirius shook his head, "No promises, Andromeda. But I am going to do my best. Especially as I now have three things that are highly important to consider."

Chuckling, the female Lawyer gave him a look, "Yes, you do." She then clapped him on the shoulder, "Let's get out of here, Delores looks like she is about to combust."

That only got a snort from Sirius and a shake of the head. With a deep breath, he walked with her towards the Courtroom doors to confront the two greatest challenges yet. One, of course, was piecing his life back together. Granted, he had friends and family helping with that. But the other was more immediate as he opened the door...

And that was the press as they swarmed him with questions.

Blinking away the spots in his vision from the flashes of the camera, he gave a smile as they shouted at him. One of them asked if the Ministry was going to give him recompense for the time spent in the prison. That one Andromeda answered with a thin smile that reminded many of a predatory cat, "There has been some preliminary discussions before the verdict, but nothing concrete. But there should be some for what my client has suffered through."

One of the reporters caught Sirius' eye and made him blink. After all, he would recognize that lion-like hairdo from anywhere. Especially as he could remember the prank that he had cast on the man which made gave him lion ears and a cat nose... which helped the wizard attract his future wife, "Xenophilius!"

Brightly smiling, the reporter nodded, "Sirius! As you are now free, are you going to take up your old alias as Stubby Boardman and reunite the Hobgoblins for a new tour?"

Everyone went silent at that and just stared at him outside of Sirius who hummed, "Stubby? Huh... been a while since I was mistaken for him." Waving a hand, he shrugged, "His girlfriend thought that I was him once. If it was not for the fact that he is five years older, I would wonder if we were twins."

It was not the only odd question either, but most of them were covered by either Andromeda, is Sirius himself. At the very end though, one of the reporters put his own question forward, "Mister Black, if I may... now that you are a free man, what are you going to do?"

Pausing as he considered the question, Sirius scratched his chin, "I have a few plans. First is to give myself a few days to come to terms before going shopping for clothes. It has been some time after all and my wardrobe is out of date... by a lot. After that, spend a Saturday with my godson, Harry Potter."

As others shouted, Andromeda held up a hand, "I am sorry, but that is all the questions that we have time for now. All further questions will be dealt with in time. Please and thank you."

Grasping Sirius' shoulder, she helped him get through the crowd even as they shouted further questions. Unnoticed by them was Umbridge in the background with a grimace on her face, though there was a hint of unease. Seconds later though, she turned and left herself.

It took a few hours to get through all the paperwork and to retrieve his belongings from both the DMLE as well as Redstone. Much to the bemusement of the guards there, Sirius shook their hands and thanked them for his stay. The Warden walked out with him and gave him a handshake of his own, "Hopefully, Mister Black, this will be the last time that you have issue with law enforcement."

Sirius gave a snort as he shook his head, "The worst that I hope for is maybe a night spent in a drunk tank, and that is about it." With a nod, he walked away whistling happily before leaving the Anti-Apparation wards. Once past the sign, he disappeared with a crack and reappeared at a hotel not far from the ocean. He only paused in front of an MP and glanced inside, "Is she...?"

Lips curling into a smile, the MP nodded, "She is, and she's waiting inside for you, Sir."

Just nodding, Sirius took a deep breath before letting it out, "Thank you." Walking past, it did not take him long to enter the hotel. Nor did it take long before he came across his first Abyssal, a lone Ru-Class in front of a room, "Rulia."

Eyes widening, the Abyssal grinned, "Sirius? If you're here..." She looked around and her grin widened still more, "And without an escort, than..."

Puffing out his chest, Sirius gave a chuckle, "I am a free man."

Moments later, he found himself getting a hug from Rulia, "That is good to hear, Sirius. And I am certain that the Princess will be happy." Seeing him glance at the door, she pulled back some, "She is just inside, so go and tell her the good news."

With a smile, Sirius straightened his shirt, "And I am just about to-"

The Ru-Class than winked, "Just give me enough time to get some earplugs for when you two... ah, celebrate."

Cheeks somewhat red, Sirius gave her a glare though it was ruined by the twinkle in his eyes. Finally, he chuckled and nodded as he patted her shoulder, "I'll try." Walking up to the door, the wizard opened it to find Isley looking over some catalogues. At hearing the door open, she looked up only for her eyes to widen, which made Sirius grin, "Isley, my Love... I'm free."

In Isley's eyes were tears as she gave a laughing sob, "That is good to hear, Sirius." Despite the advanced stage of her pregnancy, she made her way over quickly and pulled him into an embrace, "That is wonderful news..."

Reaching up, Sirius brushed some of her hair from her face, "Aye." He then placed one hand on her swollen belly, "Now I can be a proper Dad."

All Isley did was pull him into a hard kiss that deepened rather rapidly. That was followed by her dragging him towards the bedroom, "Let's celebrate..."

Outside the door, the Ru-Class there whistled before checking her internal clock. Reaching into her clothes, she pulled out some magical earmuffs and put them on, 'Not going to be listening to this...'
_____________________________________________________________

Pale faced, Umbridge ignored the group of Dementors around her as the personification of Azkaban growled at her, "What do you mean, Sirius is free!? He can't be free, he belongs to me!"

Grimacing, the witch nodded some, "You will get no argument from me on that matter. Unfortunately, I tried everything that I could to get him tossed back here." A scowl grew on her face as her jowls shook a bit, "Bones blocked me every chance I could and that lawyer was not much better. Cornelius would not hear of trying to block certain problematic issues with the trial."

The seemingly little girl walked up and snarled at the witch, "That does not matter! He is mine and stays mine! And if you cannot get him for me..."

At feeling the temperature drop around her, Umbridge shook a bit. She had always had an understanding with the Dementors after all. One that they understood as well as she did was because they were able to... compliment them. Her first meeting with the personification of Azkaban nearly went badly for her, as she did not expect for it to have manifested an avatar. It galled her to work with such a creature, but at the same time... it was useful for when she wanted someone broken.

More than one recent opponent of the Ministry had been found mentally 'unwell', after all.

But that was as far as it went, and both understood just what the relationship was and how they could stab each other in the back once they stopped being useful. Rapidly looking through her memory, Umbridge suddenly smiled as she remembered something. A fact that Azkaban noticed and raised an eyebrow, "You know something."

On the witch's face, a sickingly sweet smile appeared, "I do. And with it, we can both get what we want." Chuckling, she narrowed her eyes some, "You see, Black is apparently going to spend a Saturday with his godson. Which one, I am unsure of mind you, but I can have some people keep an eye out and when he goes out..."

A similar sick grin appeared on Azkaban's face as she jumped up and down like an excited little girl, clapping her hands, "Oh yes! And once I know where and when, I can send my subjects to go and collect what is mine... and perhaps a little extra. After all, he does owe me."

Slightly confused, Umbridge nodded, "Yes, I do suppose that Potter does for the Dementors that he slew."

However, her confusion only grew as Azkaban waved it off, "No, no, not that. I am not talking about Potter, though one does owe me and I shall take it from Potter along with his soul."

Just frowning, the witch shook it off. None of her business, just the fact that the Ministry, and her, were going to have a thorn removed was good enough. Clearing her throat, she smiled, "Of course, we shall need to come up with an excuse for why the Dementors still went after him... thankfully, they are quite alien in thought and might have issues with understanding that Black does not need to come back here, let us say..."

Both of them grinned at that.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Pack Dynamics IV

Mitsue Detective Agency

The old-fashioned antique telephone rang shrilly on the battered and chipped wooden desk in the cramped office. A female hand with dark purple nail polish fumbled for it and brought it to the sole occupant's ears.
Spoiler: Miho Kitsue

"Moshi moshi? Kiho Mitsue here."

A brief pause of static sounded and then the woman's brown eyes narrowed at the sound of a voice from her past. "Ahh, I am pleased to catch you, Miho-san. It is Shigeru Miyata."

Her dark brown eyes narrowed and flashed with a suppressed fury as she looked over at a dusty picture frame across her office. A fifteen-years younger her in Auror's robes accepted a decoration for public service with Deputy Undersecretary Shigeru Miyata on the stage with her under the screaming headline 'SCANDAL IN THE DIET! COUNCILOR'S SON OR YOKAI PIMP?'.

Her last case as an Auror before her promotion was derailed by a 'routine security check' turning up that her mother was unfaithful and had conceived her after a one-night stand with an Inugami sailor. Disgrace, and dismissal followed, along with the suicide of her mother after the news leaked that her child was a Hanyo.

With that stigma and the shunning of many of her friends, she was barely able to get into business herself privately as an investigator. Missing persons, background checks, adulteries...

Fifteen years of scrambling to stay afloat, one step above eviction. Fifteen years of her ideals to clean up Tokyo and make the Law a shining thing rather than a sick joke. The worst part was that she knew, knew that the security screening was a political hit job.

She just couldn't prove it, prove what was done to her mother to cause her to say what she said. Which was acid in her gut as she suppressed the reflexive disgust at the Diet with the ease of long practice.

"I see. I take it this is not a social call." Her voice was cool with a razor edge in her soprano.

A happy laugh on the other end of the line. "Oh certainly. I was wondering, if you were free tomorrow for dinner? My daughter Naomi has asked about meeting you. Since your time is money, you will of course be amply compensated for your dining with her, plus she insisted that I pick up the tab."

Her fist tightened on the handset as she refrained from slamming it onto the metal switchhook above the dial. "That...can be arranged. You do know that I reserve the right to choose my clients and jobs." A warning, letting the slimy bastard know that she would not be trapped in one of his sick schemes. While far from the worst member of the Civil Service, his hands were filthy considering his 'coincidental social ties' with members of the magical yakuza running the gambling and entertainment industry in Roppongi.

"Of course, of course. Your current rates are two Shu per hour, correct?" Shigeru's voice was calm.

She glanced at her near-empty cashbox. "Hai, that is correct."

"Well since my niece holds you in such regard and your reputation is strong, two Ryo for two hours of your time then. I shall have Naomi visit our bank and make the withdrawal if you are agreeable?"

She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly, "I see no problem with meeting your daughter for dinner, where do you wish for me to meet her?"

"She enjoys seafood, so The Kappa's Catch in Magical Roppongi then? I shall arrange reservations for your both for seven PM then?"

Kiho felt something inside her cry out as she agreed to the meeting and hung up the phone. Damned Tsuchigumo spinning his webs from his office...

With that she walked to her bathroom mirror, rested her palm on it, and began to shake as she looked at her reflection in the glass.

She had trouble looking herself in the eye.

If she did not desperately need Miyata's money to pay the rent and put food on her table....

But she did.

She dreaded what filth she would have to rub on her soul this time to make ends meet.

Was this the time when she would finally have to break the law and her code of ethics and morals?

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

The Kappa's Catch

Magical Roppongi

Kiho Mitsue smiled at the uniformed Maitre'd as he led her to a private booth. The Inugami bowed. "Your table, ma'am."

She nodded and slid through the beaded curtain, feeling the tingle of a privacy ward on her skin. With that, she bowed to the witch sitting opposite from her. "Greetings."
Spoiler: Naomi Miyata

Naomi Miyata tilted her glasses down and bowed back. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Mitsue. One moment while I strengthen the privacy wards here."

With that she pulled out her wand, and cast additional wards on the booth, causing Kiho to raise her eyebrow silently. She slowly spoke. "You know that I have certain ethical constraints in my line of work, Mrs. Miyata."

Naomi nodded. "Which is acceptable. We do not intend to have you transgress on your moral code. Far from it. The one thing I must request is for you to keep the following statement I make in strictest confidence whether or not you take the job."

The ex-Auror looked at the bureaucrat across the table from her for a minute. "As long as it does not involve a crime, I shall agree to that."

"Good. In brief, my nephew Hachiko Miyata has met and fallen for a young lady who works at Yokosuka Naval Base as a martial arts instructor to the shipgirl program. I wish to have a full background check on her so my father and I can make a determination as to her suitability to marry into our clan. Furthermore, because of certain political currents in the Diet, we request that all the information you gather about the lovebirds and their families be handed over to us in strictest confidence. My father does not need the distractions while he helps hold the government together."

Kiho raised her other eyebrow. "I take it there are difficulties with the young couple."

Naomi sighed. "Yes. In brief, as you may know, Yokosuka has gotten a hands-off reputation with the Aurors thanks to certain policy decisions. I suspect that an unregistered Kitsune may -- may -- have pranked my nephew to make him fall for Miss Ibuki. If so, I would like the identity of the miscreant so I can communicate my displeasure by requesting the Aurors to take steps to arrest the troublemaker. Any information about conditions in Yokosuka and any unregistered Yokai there will be worth a bonus for you so my department can formulate better policy decisions."

Kiho felt something inside her unknot as she recognized that today might not be the day she sacrificed her honor for a roof over her head. "I see, I have reasonable daily and weekly rates and would be happy to assist you with this family matter...."

Naomi nodded, "We are willing to pay a premium for your discretion, plus expenses, of course." She reached into her purse and pulled out a folder with a contract pinned to the front of it. "Here is the Civil Service file on Miss Ibuki."

Kiho opened the file and flipped through it rapidly. "I... see. This is much appreciated. Is there anything else that you can provide?"

Naomi pulled out a small, heavy box and placed it on the table. "Your first week's pay in advance plus expenses. My nephew will be meeting Miss Ibuki this Saturday for hanami at the Plum Blossom Park in Yokosuka so you can observe them in the wild as it were. I included my contact information with the file I gave you."

Kiho carefully read the contract, then signed it with a quill, followed by Naomi. "I shall make arrangements to view the blossoms then. Weekly reports?"

"Are more than acceptable." Naomi tapped the box of Ryo with her wand to unlock it, letting Kiho see the money within. "I suppose once you count your fee, then I shall take the privacy ward down and we can discuss Japan's chances in the World Cup of Quiddich qualifying while we eat?"

Kiho smiled and relaxed as she shrunk the box to place in her purse alongside her copy of the contract. "Our draw is not ideal. The Pakistanis are lucky to be in the regional qualifiers, but New Zealand is a traditional powerhouse and Korea will put forth their best effort against us. Plus we have to play the Koreans in Busan, not ideal at all...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Just finishing dinner with Isley, Sirius was surprised to hear a tapping on the window of the hotel suite that he now shared with Isley. He was not going to take his future wife into the traditional Black home of Grimmauld until he could be certain that it was safe for her and the children. And from what he had seen, it would be some time before he was willing to let Isley live there. Besides his mother's portrait, which continually shouted obscenities at him and those there, there was also Kreacher. The old house elf muttered various insults and the like as he walked around.

It was going to take weeks before he considered the home livable enough for them to stay in, though he was thankful for Isley's Fleet helping. Say what you will, but the various nasties and such were not able to bother them in the slightest. And they had some fun with some of the dark creatures that had taken up residence, with Rina, a Ri-Class laughing as she chased doxys around with a butterfly net, the poor creatures freaked out. Sirius had laughed his ass off at seeing it.

Shaking those thoughts off, Sirius turned to the window where Hedwig sat on the windowsill. A smile bloomed on his face at that, "Hedwig!" Looking at Isley, he shook his head, "That must be from Harry."

Rulia's lips twitched some as she opened up the window, "Give me just a moment, Sirius."

Once the window was open, Hedwig flew in and landed on the table. The Owl glanced at Isley curiously before bobbing her head... and opening her beak to speak, "Owl-gram from Harry for his Dogfather."

Everyone went silent at that, even Sirius. Inside of her head, Hedwig could hear Harry cackling in hilarity. Waggling a finger in his ear with an odd expression, the Animagus frowned, "I'm sorry... what was that again?"

Her eyes twinkling in amusement, the owl held out her leg, "Owlgram for the Dogfather of Harry Potter, my Master." She tilted her head some, "I am talking to him, correct? Though I hope that you are not drunk..." Looking at the wine glass, Hedwig clacked her beak, "Hmm... or it is hearing damage? I hear that as humans age they can become hard of hearing..."

Just blinking, Sirius frowned and shook his head, "That was what I thought that you said... wait a second!" An expression of realization became one of irritation, "I'm not old!"
In return, Hedwig only hummed, "I see, I see. Granted, considering your age, well..."

Grumbling about how he was not old, the wizard took the letter. Meanwhile, Reivana just boggled at what was going on as well as other Abyssals. Raising up some, Stab moved forward with a frown on his face until he was just inches from Hedwig. Said Owl only just looked back at him nonplussed, "... The owl just talked?"

Eyes wide, Hedwig gasped, "I did?" Holding one wing in front of her face as it stroking her chin, she looked away, "Hmm... I suppose that I do-Wait!" The owl's eyes widened again and she gestured at the tail, "The tail talked! How about that?!"

A single bolt of lightning jumped from one cathode tube on Stab's head to the other, "Are you mocking me? I mean, really...?"

Shaking her head, Hedwig gave him a look of innocence, "Nooo... of course not." As Stab got within inches of her, she held up a wing, "One moment please." For a second or two, she looked around before leaping off the table to a nearby dresser and she grabbed something. Coming back, she dropped it in front of Stab, "Here you go."

If he could have, the Tail would have given a slow blink as he looked down, "What."

One wing in front of her face, Hedwig leaned toward him while giving a stage whisper, "It's a breath mint. You really need one because you have a sort of issue..."

Jerking back, Stab growled, "You stupid owl!"

Wing against her chest, Hedwig gave a blink with a mock offended (or the best that an owl could give) expression on her face, "I will have you know that I graduated with honours from a prestigious Owl School! Even have a certificate and everything that I am a trained post owl. Have you been to school..." Pausing, she looked at Reivana, "Do Re-Class tails have a school?"

Nearly completely lost at what was going on, Reivana opened her mouth, "School? Tails? I, uh... no?"

Sighing, the owl shook her head sadly and patted Stab's jaw, "You poor dear... being jealous of those with an education... There is nothing to be jealous at all about as I am certain that you are quite smart."

For several moments, Stab's jaw worked, "You stupid featherball!"

A gasp escaped from Hedwig and she held her wing to her chest as she stared at him with wide eyes, "Featherball! Why, I have never been called that before!"

With a glance at the sputtering Stab, Sirius gave a raised eyebrow, "... Never would I have expected to see an owl and a tail of a Re-Class in a battle of wits and snark... as well as sarcasm."

Bemused, Reivana shook her head, "Or for a tail to lose in it..."

Head tilted to the side, Hedwig blinked, "Do you think that perhaps I should give him a handicap or two? I mean, if this was an actual fight than I suppose that it would be best if I was to do so disarmed."

With a shrug, the Re-Class chuckled a bit, "Maybe?"

Twitching, Stab growled, "Oi! I am attached to you!"

All the owl did was turn to Reivana and bow slightly, "My condolences."

Even as Reivana accepted them, leading to more angry sputters from Stab, Sirius finished reading the letter and summoned a piece of parchment. Using a pen, he wrote down his answer before folding it up and giving it to Hedwig, "Here you go, if you could take this to Harry for me?"

Hedwig only bobbed her head before giving a salute, "Yes, Sah!"

And with that, she left, flying out the window which an amused Rulia closed. After a few moments, the Ru turned to her Princess with a chuckle, "Well, that just happened."

Isley was also rather amused and only nodded before turning towards Sirius, "So what was the letter about, Sirius?"

Chuckling, the wizard smiled up at her, "It wasn't too much really, just Harry asking about the Saturday that we'll be spending together to get to know each other, Godfather and Godson." Taking a sip of his wine, he sighed a bit, "He got permission to go to Hogsmeade for that day so that we're away from all the stares for the most part. I think bringing him up to the Shrieking Shack and sharing some stories there might be a good idea."

Head to the side, Isley considered that some before nodding and turning towards Reivana, "I know that you belong to Aunt Porta's fleet, Reivana, and so I cannot order you, but could you..."

Understanding what was being asked, Reivana gave a nod, "Watch over him? I can do that, Lady Isley." Puffing out her chest, she smiled, "You can trust in me."

All Isley did was nod at that with a smile.
______________________________________________________

The night before his Godfather's visit, Harry slipped into his bed and closed his eyes to fall asleep. He was nearly asleep when he felt something move under the sheets. After a few moments, he sighed and shook his head as he realized what it was. Or, rather, who. Partially because it was something long and chilly...

And also the scent of oranges in the air.

With a sigh, he grumbled a bit, "Juuchi, what are you doing?" The sheathed sword rattled for a second or two making him furrow his eyebrows, "So since I am going to meet my Godfather, you have decided that you need to keep an eye on me just in case something happens..." Yet again, he got a sword rattle, "I am not that ba-"

Once more, Juuchi gave a rattle in her sheath.

Scowling, Harry looked over at said sword, which exuded waves of smug and some concern, "I am not that bad, and that stuff just happens. It is not like I actually go looking for trouble you know, it just happens to find me all the damn time, whether or not I want it." When the Muramasa rattled again, he sighed and rolled his eyes, "Fine, fine, I am not going to argue with you." Placing his head back onto the pillow, Harry grumbled a bit, "At least go and put on the covering I got for you for Christmas. Because otherwise you are too damn cold."

There was a brief moment of silence before the sword rattled.

Under his eyelids, the teenaged wizard rolled his eyes, "You know that you like it. We both know that you actually love it. Now go and get it before I change my mind about letting you follow me around as you're likely to do."

For several moments there was nothing before Harry felt Juuchi leave. After a minute or two, she returned and slipped back under the covers, except this time there was a softness covering her that was also warm. While yawning, Harry grumbled a bit, "Much better."

The only answer he got was happy smug as he fell asleep.

Waking up, Harry stretched some and slipped out of bed before turning to look at the sheathed Juuchi. Over the sheath of the blade was something akin to a sock, colored black with blood oranges, whole and in slices, covering it. It was something that he got for her around Christmas because more than once, he found her in his bed. At least this way he would not wake up because of something cold touching him.

It helped though, that as he had commented, she loved it. According to Tsukiakari, she had even shown it off to the other Muramasas, who were confused. Said Kyu Gunto also asked where he had gotten it because she wanted one with apples on it for Honjo. And perhaps one with Mizuchi and goldfish for one of Juuchi's sisters, Harry was sort of confused on why but just shrugged it off.

Stretching some, Harry got his change of clothes and walked off to the shower. Granted, he was somewhat annoyed at coming back to his bed to find Juuchi still there... and the bed covered in blood orange peels, "Don't make me regret letting you follow me."

All Juuchi did was exude smug.

 

[Warwolf117]

Two threadmark errors:
St. Patrick is an N3, not a G3.
You accidentally mistitled Pack Dynamics 4 as 3.

 

[darthcourt10]

Two threadmark errors:

Click to shrink...

Ah Okay then

I'm not up with what the ships are classed as, I think I pulled it from discussion that was ongoing at the time

Easy mistakes to make

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Hands in his pockets, Harry leaned against a stone wall as Sirius did much the same as he told him a story about his grandparents and father. Lips curling into a small smile, the teen could only chuckle at a bit at a mention of a prank that the older wizard had played on his father. So far, the day was going great. The weather was fine, if still a bit chilly due to being still early April though not that bad. And the two had spent the day telling each other stories with Sirius about Harry's parents, grandparents, and friends.

Meanwhile, Harry had told Sirius about his own life thus far. Granted, he had gotten an odd look from the other wizard when he talking about Natsumi and the others. But than he had snorted, shaken his head, and told him that his parents would be proud of him. When he spoke about Hoppou and the Fleet of Laughter, he had been surprised. After a few moments though, he calmed down and smiled.

In the present though, the current story was winding down and Sirius was looking out at the growing heather on the hills and such surrounding Hogsmeade with a small smile of happiness. Looking over at him, an epthiny came to Harry, "You really loved my Grandparents, didn't you? As parents, I mean."

Slowly, the elder wizard nodded, "I did." Turning to Harry, he chuckled a bit, "Your grandparents, James' parents, were really great people. When I ran away from home upon turning sixteen because of my own parents, mainly my mother, your Grandparents took me in. More than that, they treated me like I was their own son. And for that? I can never thank them enough." Pausing, he shook his head, "Hell, even before I ran away they were there for me. Every time my... Mother was too much, I would take off for James' home."

Tilting his head to the side, Harry snorted, "I take it though that she, your mother, did not like that too much."

A bark-like laugh escaped from Sirius at that, "That old bitch? No, she did not like it at all. Considered the Potters to be 'Impure' with their blood and all that bullshite. Grandfather, Arcturus who was my grandfather, really disagreed with her. Apparently, it nearly came to blows when, a few years after marrying my Father, she attempted to disown my aunt, Dorea Black for having married Charlus Potter due to 'Sullying a Pureblood Line'. Grandfather fixed the tapestry after that and nearly kicked her out." He gave a small shrug at Harry's incredulous gaze, "She was like that. Grandfather though outright told her there and then that the Potters and Blacks were friendly to each other and it went back centuries." For a moment, Sirius was silent, "Also told her that if she tried that again, he was going to toss her into the Thames... in the middle of winter at midnight."

Just staring, Harry boggled a bit, "Really?"

Now serious, the other wizard nodded, "Really. The Blacks, well... we have a reputation as a Dark family as a reason despite our relationship with the Potters. After that? Dear old Mum limited herself to blasting names off the family tree and acting as if that disowned them, though Grandfather kept his own and showed me how to repair it. Apparently tried to blast my name off the family tree as well when I ran away, but Grandfather kept me."

Frowning, Harry remembered something that he had been told, "Wait, what about Andromeda Tonks? Wasn't she disowned?"

That made Sirius grimace a bit and suck his teeth a bit, "She was... part of it was due to her marrying a Muggleborn. Grandfather was many things, lenient among them, but he still did not like Muggleborn except for those that 'Proved' themselves. Your Mum was one of those, and he stated that she was one of the 'Good ones' compared to others. Andy's husband, Ted? Never proved himself to Grandfather's standards. Thus, he didn't protect her though in his will he stated if I wanted to, I could bring them both back into the family once I was out of Azkaban or if declared innocent as I would be officially the Head of the Family."

Eyebrow raised, the black haired teen frowned as he considered the thoughts from a now dead man towards his mother before shaking it off, "Partially?"

Grimacing, Sirius nodded, "Yeah, partially. She ran off with Ted because her parents were planning to get her married with a Pureblood. I am reasonably sure that it would have been either Rabastan LeStrange or MacNair. And considering how either of those have turned out? Well, yeah... But that still left the family with egg on its face and thus she needed to be punished." Scratching the stubble on his chin, he shook his head, "Hence her being disowned due to embarrassing the family so much."

For a few moments, Harry considered that before nodding. While he did dislike the reasoning, it was understandable if one looked at it from such a point of view, if distasteful and something that he disagreed with heavily. Instead, the conversation turned to other things and events. One of which made Harry boggle as they re-entered Hogsmeade and raise his hands into a "T" formation, "Wait, wait...my Mum did what now with her underwear and bra?"

Sheepishly grinning, the older man laughed, "Well, by that time the... former friendship that your Mum had with Snape had pretty much died and she really disliked him. Not helped by how he tried to get back into her good graces by insulting James and hinting that perhaps she was under some sort of potion. So, one day she somehow caught him brewing Felix Felicis potion in our Seventh Year. Supposedly, according to him, Professor Slughorn was giving it as an assignment to people under his wing as a test... Unknown to him, Lily was already his apprentice and he stated that, no, he did not give that out and was concerned. So Lily set up something." Lightly laughing, he shook his head, "Had me show up with her bra and panties as if to tease her about showing them to Prongs and hit me with a tripping hex. And what do you know, they landed in Snape's completed potion! Completely random and by accident!"

All Harry did was facepalm, "I cannot believe it... though..." Pulling his hand away from his face, he frowned, "Those had to be the luckiest pair of panties and bra in the world..."

To that, Sirius shrugged, "Pretty sure they were. Gave Lily-Flower a lot of luck when fighting after all and I am pretty sure that she was wearing them the second time her and James fought Voldemort. Because that took a hell of a lot of luck to escape from him." Seeing Harry's unsure look, he shook his head, "And no, she was not wearing them that night... I think." Pausing, he grimaced, "I, uh, didn't check and-"

Looking somewhat sick, the thirteen year old held up his hand, "Please... don't."

In return, Sirius gave a shrug and they continued to walk before pausing as their breath began to fog and a cold wind swept past, 'What in the world...? Why did it suddenly-' Suddenly, the older wizard's eyes widened as he recognized the now familiar feeling and shoved Harry forwards, "RUN FOR THE VILLAGE!"

Even as he stumbled, Harry pushed off and began to run further into the village alongside his Godfather. From where he was, he could see wizards and witches shouting and running for cover... right before he nearly fell back as four Dementors swept in. Twisting, he could see more arriving behind them and to the sides. Not just a few, or a handful...

But dozens of them.

Growling, Sirius whipped out his wand even as sweat began to bead on his brow, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

A silver mist gathered around the two even as the older wizard shuddered under the strain. Meanwhile, Harry was grabbing some of the Ofuda he carried on him even as he could hear his mother, Lily, screaming in his mind, "Bloody great!" Hitting one of the Dementors, he could only nod as five of them screeched as they vanished into ash with a burst of light, even as darkness crept into the edges of his vision, 'I'm going to have to thank Kagotsuruhe-Sensei for giving me some resistance...'

Elsewhere, Reivana skidded to a stop as the Dementors' effects began to hit her. Almost immediately, every dark emotion that she felt spiked and rose to heights that she had never felt in her life. In the back of her mind, as it began to be swamped and she began to go berserk, she could hear herself screaming as did every imp in her body as they went completely insane. Stab, too, was going nuts with his cannons extending and retracting as the cathode tubes on his head lit up brightly with one cracking from the power being put through it. Mind almost submerged in the anger, the hate, the rage, the despair, and the terror, Reivana's screamed one last plea to the world both internally and externally.

"PRINCESSSSSSS!"

And said plea got an answer as something slammed down on her mind and her very soul. It was cold and dark, the feeling of the Abyss at it's most powerful. Even what remained of Reivana's conscious mind could tell how powerful it was, and recognized it as Porta. Despite focusing, Porta's mind seemed to be strained as it fought the madness that had taken her Re-Class from where she was in the North Atlantic. Unknown to Reivana, sweat began to bead on Porta's forehead as she focused and suddenly, the Elder Princess was there within Reivana's body and seeing what she did. Feeling the mind of the Re-Class grab cling to her own consciousness like a frightened child to their mother, the Princess growled as she forced back the dark tide of emotions.

Moments later, the twenty Dementors that had been about to feed on Reivana paused at the darkness coming from her. And then the Re-Class raised her head to reveal one eye completely black except for an electric red pupil, "Perhaps... I was wrong to be so dismissive of Isley's failure..."

Then, she leapt forward and began to tear the Dementors apart.

On the other side of the mass of Dementors, Juuchi snarled as she cut one Dementor in half, while beside her, Kagotsuruhe drove one Dementor inside before stabbing it and hurriedly resheathing herself. A frown on her face, she glanced to where the main mass of Dementors were and blinked before speaking with a toneless voice, "We won't get through them in time."

Nearly maddened, Juuchi looked at her, "DON'T TELL ME BULLSHIT LIKE THAT!"

For a moment, Kagotsuruhe looked at her sister in the eye before the other Muramasa turned back to the slaughter as she attempted to fight her way through the horde. Briefly, the Blade of Hopelessness cast her mind back to decades before, when she attempted to comfort a young boy who called her "Onee-San" as he died. Her lips then curled a bit, "No, we can't, but..."

Twisting, Juuchi looked at her sister and noted where she was looking before understanding and tossing her true self to her sister.

Airborne, Tsukiakari growled as she came down and smashed one foot into a Dementor's face before slashing her true self across, and through, another. Pushing off with a Eastern spell that Ian knew, and causing the Dementor's face and head to explode like a overripe melon hit by a hammer, she leapt once more. Lips curling upwards, she smiled grimly before smashing one Dementor with her sheath and decapitating another, with the follow up cutting the first in two.

One of them grabbed her, only for her to grab the arm and twist it around. As it slammed into one of it's fellows, she stabbed herself through them both, following it up by nearly cutting them into four. Unlike Juuchi, this was the sort of fight that she was made for, and which ran through her blood. A fight pitting one against many, and she showed it.

Meanwhile, Harry was rapidly weakening as the darkness crept more and more into his vision. Beside him, Sirius as on his knees barely conscious as the black haired boy reached for another Ofuda... only to come up empty. Around him were at least twenty piles of dust and ashes where Dementors had been. Feeling two cold hands grab him, he found himself staring into the face of a nightmare as he attempted to pull the boy close through his weakening struggles, 'Sorry Mum... Hoppou... Natsumi and everyone... I won't becoming an Admiral..'

It was then that he could see a glint of something before a sword descended, a Japanese woman appearing beside it with the hilt in her hands. Upon what would likely be a beautiful face was a vestige of pure rage. There was a brief flash and Harry found himself falling into her arms as the Dementor's own were removed... as was it's head. Snarling, the woman turned to the other ones, ""You filth dared to harm my Lord and attempted to prevent him from entering the Pure Land. I will not abide this." Bringing up her blade, she continued, "My Maker named me 10,000 Cold Nights and bade me to cut all without distinction. It is said that that you cannot die for you are not alive. Very well, may your continued existence be AGONY!"

With one arm around Harry, she slashed another Dementor into first two and then four. Seeing one come up from behind her, Harry was about to call out when another blade burst from it's chest, and around the edges, the flesh seemed to blister and melt from the bones due to a bluish mist that drifted from the blade. That was, until the sword was brutally ripped from the creature, which only had time to scream before being bisected. As it fell apart, it revealed Tsukiakari there breathing hard. Her clothes torn by claws and covered in what passed for blood and gore from the Dementors. Even Juuchi had to pause for a moment at the sight before literally disarming another Dementor that was trying to drag an unconscious Sirius away, "TSU! GET MASTER HARRY OUT OF HERE!"

Glancing at her even as she smashed one Dementor away with her sheath, following it with a backswing of her true self, Tsukiakari grimaced, "SENPAI-"

It was then that Harry took a deep breath and snarled at himself at the memory of what happened. What was he doing?! He was about to die and just allow for it?! Was he really about to just allow for himself to die here, like this!? Didn't he train under Kagotsuruhe, fight past mental exhaustion to learn a spell to protect himself?! And for what!?

To just give up?

HELL NO!

Digging deep, Harry brought up memory after memory. Nagato, when she adopted him. Hoppou when she first declared him truthfully to be her Big Brother! Wanko, hugging him and declaring him to be her Little Brother. The Arashi clan, and how they welcomed him fully. Tsukiakari and Juuchi, now fighting to protect him. Sirius having done the same and Remus...

Out of the corner of her eye, Juuchi could see Harry stand as he fought against the aura attempting to drag him down.

More and more images and moments came to the fore in the thirteen year old's mind. Natsumi hugging him while they laid on a hillside in summer, followed by her giving him a light kiss. Shinano looking at him kindly before she kissed his cheek. Verniy brightly smiling with tears in her eyes as he signed her logbook. Regina that night of the party in Germany, laughing as she carried him. Hachi and Iku as they danced with him. Enjoying tea and such with RO and Shioi.

His hand began to shake as did the wand in it.

Maruyu laughing alongside him as the two played with paint guns and hit Akitsu Maru. Theatrical groans as he beat Imuya at a video game. Cooking alongside Taigei and Ryuuhou. Facepalming at the sight of Eugen with a face blackened from a chemistry experiment gone wrong as Hanna laughed, holding onto him to keep from falling. The expressions of happiness on the faces of Akizuki, Teruzuki, and Hatsuzuki as he brought them a big meal.

The look on Louisiana's face when they had saved her, followed by more recently the date that they had together with Natsumi. Niiyodo as she looked on to the first festival that she organized with his help, the pure joy on her face. Happy tears dripping down Ume and Sakura's faces as he hugged them after seeing their 'Yuurei Forms' that night. The thanks and smiles he got from the ships in the caldera.

All of the times, the laughs, the tears... and the joy as well as another emotion he felt and knew they did rose up like magma in a cataclysmic volcanic eruption all rose up.

One last memory, from the very depths of his mind, of his soul. Of a red haired woman with green eyes lovingly smiling and a man with messy, black hair and hazel eyes with a Devil may care lopsided grin. Both of them with love on their faces as they looked at him.

Eyes snapping open, Harry did not know that they were not just glowing, but brightly so as if they were full of fire. A small golden film covered his body, his birth mother's protection supercharged. More than that... it was fueling what was coming as he raised his wand, the phoenix feather able to be seen as it too, was glowing, and able to be seen through the wood, "Go back to the dark pit you came from..."

Outside the horde, various Aurors appeared. Tonks was one of them as was Kingsley and Mad-Eye. As well, Amelia Bones appeared and paused at the sight of the Dementors which dragged up memories of the war with Voldemort. Looking around and seeing Dumbledore also appear, she called out, "OKAY! READY PATRONUSES AND-"

However, a bellow from within the Dementors made her pause, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

From inside, there was a flash of silver and then what could only be described as a pulse pushed outwards, flinging Dementors everywhere, most smoking. Briefly, everyone had to look away as it lit up the night. Feeling it wash over her, Kagotsuruhe felt the closest that she had ever to surprise and shock, even as she could feel the emotions within the light. Reivana, too, paused as all the negative emotions were washed away and on her throne, Porta's unseeing eyes shot wide open and her eyebrows met her hairline, 'What in the name of the Abyss...?!'

Before the first pulse was even done, there was a second followed by a third, all of which threw the Dementors like leaves in a whirlwind. When everyone looked back, they could see a roughed up Harry standing next to a massive stag that was glowing so brightly that it was hard to look at it. Coming back to consciousness, Sirius squinted a bit before mumbling in shock, "Prongs...?"

Glancing at him, Harry breathed heavily before narrowing his eyes. Legs tensing, the Patronus cracked the flagstones beneath the hooves as it shot forward. One Dementor screeched as it was caught in the antlers and tossed like a doll, followed by another. It drove the dark creatures before them, with the Dementors cringing and trying to get away from the light. As the Aurors and Dumbledore created their own Patronuses, the Dementors changed direction. Their Mistress, their 'Mother' wanted the one named Black. In the back of their minds, they could feel her scream of rage at being denied and would not have it.

They really should have.

As they rushed towards him, Harry spotted one last Ofuda blowing past. Quick as a snake, he grabbed it and the paper began to smoke. Raising it, he held it up as the paper burned away, leaving the glowing letters of the charm as he chanted, calling upon Amaterasu to burn away evil. There was a final flash from the setting Sun before it sunk fully beneath the horizon as the Dementors came within feet of Harry.

Everyone had to look away as the world went white.

Where they laid around Harry and elsewhere, the Dismembered Dementors smoked and burst into flame under the light before burning into just smoke. Those in front of him were not much better as their bodies seemed to disintegrate as the light reached them. Thirty Dementors were near instantly killed with others badly burned. And with that, they just broke and took off, driven forth by Harry's Patronus that continued to chase them all the way out of the village, a hundred total.

It eventually returned though, and came to stand before an exhausted Harry. Looking up into it's eyes, Harry whispered something that only Juuchi and Tsukiakari, caught, "Thanks... Dad..."

His eyes closing as everything caught up to him, the black haired boy collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut. Before he could hit the ground, Juuchi caught him and smiled at him, "Good job, Master... Just as worthy, and perhaps more than most, as any Potter."

The only response Harry had was to smile softly as Prongs disappeared into motes of light...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

SkyeFire said:
Okay, my head went straight to Billy Joel's We Didn't Start the Fire, which frankly Colombe could almost use as a theme song. Except that she's too old....​

You too, I see. Hmm... Well. This one is all your fault....

She Didn't Light The Dumpster

Castle Moulbaix, July 13th, 2007

"I'm glad that Jezabel was able to come, Del." Colombe said as she watched her 'aunt' speaking to Zamarad next to the baluster at the end of the grand staircase.

"So am I, Sis. So am I. She caught cold six weeks ago and I was very concerned." Delilah responded quietly as she watched her mother.

"Hello hello!" Both blades turned at the familiar voice coming down the stairs.

"Jackie, good to see you!" Colombe said with a smile and a hug for her middle sister. "New dress?"

"Aye. Picked up for the party from a dressmaker down in the Tenderloin." Jacklyn responded, turning around slowly so her sisters could see the strapless scarlet cocktail dress.

"Red suits you, Jackie." Delilah murmured, giving Jacklyn a look and a slight nod.

"Indeed it does. Let me speak to me favorite niece first!" The cutlass headed over to where Claire was playing Debussy and leaned over to speak to the piano.

Colombe turned back to Delilah. "So nothing too crazy at MACUSA this week?"

Delilah shrugged slightly, her dark green dress rustling, "Nothing too crazy. Fortunately, the shipgirls are holding the line against the Abyssals, so no second Blood Week. Thankfully."

Colombe nodded and absently rubbed a hand against a scar hidden under the midnight blue silk of her dress. "Thankfully." Then her head snapped around at a musical giggle from Claire followed by a sudden fast flurry of bass notes with a catchy treble melody.
Spoiler: She Didn't Light the Dumpster

Jaklyn leaned against the piano like a 1920's cabaret girl and began to sing huskily with a smug smirk on her face.

"Big Sis went to Beauxbatons. Got expelled so said I'm gone!
Decided to go the mercenary life to find our Dad!
Went cruising around the Med. Fought pirates who wanted her dead!
Ran into ghouls, slavers, and everything that was bad!"

Colombe blushed and started to chuckle as Jacklyn continued to sing her take on Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire"

"Her Papa was fitted for a shroud! So she set out to make him proud!
Sailed from Paris to India hot on Dad's trail!
Saved a Rani who kissed girls for fun! That became Lady Chastity's Adventure One!
Killer thugees, naga, raksasha, all did fail!"

Delilah smirked smugly and joined in on the chorus.

"She didn't light the dumpster!
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
She didn't light the dumpster
No, she didn't light it
But she tried to fight it!"

Colombe gave Delilah a wounded 'you too?' look as her sisters continued to serenade her.

"Got word of the French Revolution! Saved her family and went for absolution!
ICW blamed her for violating the law!
So she fought against Napoleon! Sent him to Elba cursing a rapier amazonian!
Went back on Dad's trail as an outlaw!"

The uncontrollable grin Colombe had put the lie to her weak protests as Jezabel and Zamarad moved over to the piano.

"Back to India to pick up some jasmina! Then hot on Dad's trail to China!
Established a company and smuggled opium!
Crossed the tongs so killed their Hit man! A gang war later, off to Japan!
Got barred from Japan with extreme odium!"

Colombe shot Delilah a 'you told her about my Asian misadventures, didn't you?' glare as Zamarad picked up on the chorus and the revolver smugged back at her.

"She didn't light the dumpster!
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
She didn't light the dumpster
No, she didn't light it
But she tried to fight it!"

Claire picked up the volume and banged her head as the next verse started.

"Back to Belgium to check in with her clan! Found her evil nephew was a bad man!
Sent her off to be killed in the Franco-Prussian war!
Didn't work so her next trip was to Africa! Found out that he was a slave trafficker!
Another dumpster ready to burn and Sis said more!

Our dove is hard to kill! Despite all his ill will!
Evil Nephew blown away! What else do I have to say?"

Colombe shook her head and began to laugh helplessly at the retelling of her life in song.

"She didn't light the dumpster!
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
She didn't light the dumpster
No, she didn't light it
But she tried to fight it!"

Jezabel hugged her daughter around the waist and joined in the song.

"Just in time for World War One! Asked the Klan to have some fun!
Saved an Ifrit in World War Two!
Went to Tijuana in the wrestling ring! Iranian Revolution was a thing!
Blood Week was shared with Kasuyu!"

As if summoned by the song, the axe appeared with a tray full of full brandy glasses and a large birthday cake shaped and iced like a dumpster fire and with Happy 300th Birthday in icing on it.

"She didn't light the dumpster!
It was always burning
Since the world's been turning
She didn't light the dumpster
No, she didn't light it
But she tried to fight it!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Pack Dynamics V

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

'Excuse me."

Hachiko Miyata turned at the words from the scowling young lady standing by the gold-colored American car parked illegally just outside the shrine. "Yes, can I help you ma'am?"

"I was wondering if you had seen my imōto Tokunotakai? She teaches Kendo and Kyudo at the shrine and I have not seen her in the last week. Since she was supposed to go out to dinner with me yesterday..." The young lady -- who Hachiko was sure was a yakuza considering her gold-framed sunglasses, expensive haircut, fitted business suit and flashy car -- sounded quite concerned under the hectoring tone.

Hachiko frowned, "I last saw her....ten days ago. She and a blonde foreign woman were planning to take the train to climb Mount Fuji."

A sudden grasp pulled him nose to chest with the yakuza. "This gaijin...what did she look like?!"

Hachiko gulped, "Well she was taller than Toku-sensei or you, slender, hair of a rich gold and blue eyes...oh, and she was carrying two backpacks and had a straight sword at her hip... like in that movie about the Musketeers?"

The yakuza girl released him. "Kuso!! Thank you, I need to make some calls now. She could be anywhere doing anything to poor Toku-chan!"

As he hastily made his escape up the shrine steps he heard the girl behind him yelling into her phone. "What do you mean Honjo is out of the building at an appointment! Get her on the phone, we have a real crisis here! That damn gaijin rapier kidnapped our sister!"

At the top of the stairs, a cough attracted his attention. A young woman with peach-colored light pink hair in a red and blue kimono tilted her conical sugegasa straw hat back to survey him from where she was idly whittling a piece of driftwood. "You have not seen Tokunotakai, have you?" Her voice was high pitched with a Kansai accent.
Spoiler: A Mysterious Wanderer

He blinked, "I'm sorry miss. As I told her sister, she left on vacation to climb Mount Fuji and has not returned to teach kendo."

Two sharp blue eyes surveyed him and the figure nodded once as she tapped a finger on the hilt of the daisho set that she carried. "You said her sister was here?"

"Yes, she is down the street next to a gold... car..." Hachiko trailed off as the mysterious figure sprinted down the stairs, then shrugged. Strange day, but he needed to get Aki and head to the base to meet Moriko for hanami flower viewing.

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

As Hachiko collected his little brother from the substitute kyudo instructor, Fudo Masamune swore into her cell phone as she drummed her fingers on the hood of her car.

The Evil Gaijin Rapier was getting away and Tokunotaki was in trouble. She had to go to the rescue of her little sister!

"Dammit, Kote-chan, pick up!"

Suddenly a hand fell on her shoulder and squeezed hard enough to cause her to wince. A very familiar voice drawled in her ear. "Fudō-han! Shibaitaro ka?" (Fudo! Do you want me to give you a beating?)

Fudo paled and turned to see the smiling form of her big sister Musashi. Who was carrying a freshly carved bokken and had an ear to ear happy smile at finding a suitable 'sparring partner'. Regardless of what the current victim of Musashi's monomaniacal devotion to The Way Of the Sword wanted.
Spoiler: Musashi Says Long Time No See

Fudo gulped and spoke nervously, "Musashi-sama, this is not a good time..."

Musashi-no-Masamune's grin widened. "It is always a good time to practice The Way. Now get over here!" With a crack of displaced air and a cut-short scream from The Chosen Blade of Fudo My'oo, Musashi Apparated Fudo away.

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

Yokosuka Naval Base, Main Gate

Kiho Mitsue bowed to the street vendor, then took her cup of kakigori flavored shaved ice as she watched the traffic out of the main gate. Dressed in a knee-length skirt and a nice blouse, she was the image of an Office Lady secretary out to enjoy flower viewing. Something that her thick brass-rimmed 'cat eye' glasses and hair up in a severe bun furthered her appearance as yet another of the mass of humanity on the street outside the main gate.
Spoiler: The Glasses


Of course her 'glasses' were actually custom-built low profile Auror's Omnioculars set to record the scene for later analysis. She stepped to one side as a group of destroyers led by one she recognized from the muggle newspapers escorting one taller girl and a gaggle of young children headed to the shaved ice cart that she was standing next to.

She raised a mental eyebrow as her oculars flashed indicators around most of the children showing that they had magical auras disguising their true forms. Before fuzzing out in static as the surveillance spells glitched on the elderly device causing her to sigh and duck her hand inside the purse to rub the control ofuda taped to the liner to try to bring the focus back to non-headache-level clarity. She was lucky that she even had these old models thanks to Auror Yamato selling her her old pair rather than destroying them when the Mark XIV models superseded them before Blood Week.

It didn't make the headache that was forming any less before the display finally cleared up some while the younger girls attached to the lead destroyer asked if they had peanut butter flavored shaved ice.

With that she murmured to the Self-Scribing Quill inside her purse as she discarded the empty cup in a nearby trash bin. "Shipgirls exited Yokosuka with eight apparent Yokai children in tow, possibly acting as parental figures."

Once again she resolved not to try breaking into the base. If they knew about magic, no doubt precautions were taken. Also, she would only bend the law as an absolute last resort, and her plan of observation should render it unnecessary. It was clear both from what she had heard before the job and the attitude of the Miyatas that if she messed up and was caught, she was on her own.

Also, this was just her preliminary round of observations to establish a baseline and highlight areas to look into for further analysis and data collection. Get observations and footage of their interactions and auras for later analysis and refining her plan of data collection.

Field Work is 99% boredom and 1% utter robe-browning terror, as the saying went.

She idly mused that hopefully she had used up her quota of terror for this decade when she had found out that the missing daughter she had been hired to locate last year was the victim of a jorogumo who had a gashadokuro on call. Once again she resolved if she ever met Nagato to prostrate herself at the battleship's feet for getting rid of that menace, which had converted her to a quiet but fervent supporter of shipgirls on the spot when she heard the news through her contacts among the Aurors and the press.

Yamamoto-sensei had impressed on her how tricky and deadly a jorogumo alone could be when he spoke of the one that had eluded him for decades up and down Japan after ripping half his face to ribbons on Hokkaido as she escaped his capture team. One with the kind of unstoppable power that a gashadokuro represented really did not bear thinking about save to burn incense that someone else had put paid to that menace no matter the risks to the Statute of Secrecy.

Better embarrassing explanations to the muggles than slaughtered towns.

Her eyes located a young 'girl' in tan slacks and a baggy off-white sweater escorting a somewhat shaggy headed younger boy toward the gate. "Hachiko Miyata in sight, escorting young boy. Boy has a magical aura, potential Yokai? Potential sibling? Potential wizard? Research later." Her lips curled in a smile as she ordered the oculars to lock on him and start recording.

Her eyes narrowed at a group of three young women, the lead one immediately recognizable from her file as Moriko Ibuki. Behind her, a clear close relative of Miss Ibuki was being pushed in a wheelchair by a near-identical twin of her target.

Time to earn her pay.

With that thought, she reached into her purse to pull out a cell phone. Turning as she began her 'phone conversation' as she walked down the street in their direction, she watched Hachiko drop the boy's arm and run toward the woman in the lead. She then blushed slightly as Moriko gathered him in a hug where his face vanished in her rather substantial chest and swung him around like a rag doll in her excitement.

She could see why the boy had fallen for the girl if this was normal. She certainly acted a lot younger than her 'official age' of 24, and as she zoomed in, she noticed a strong magical aura around Miss Ibuki and the other girls. Matching that of the Yokai children that the destroyers were guiding toward a bus running to the park.

Interesting...

She casually walked to be in earshot of the teenagers as Moriko finally released a red-faced and giddy Hachiko from his daily dose of Marshmallow Hell.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer Omake: Musashi whittles a bokken

Lord Khuzdul said:
Enter stage right, Musashi-chan. Me likes this older sister.​

Musashi: "Oh, you want to date my nerdy baby sister, Colombe? Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while kicking your ass!"
Musashi: "Hello Toku, long time no see! Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while kicking your ass!"
Musashi: "Toku's been kidnapped by a gaijin Muramasa, Fudo? Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while kicking your ass!"
Musashi: "Honjo, I see you got returned to your family after 70 years! Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while trying to kick your ass!"
Musashi: "You want to tell me about the new Emperor you serve, Kotegiri? Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while trying to kick your ass!"
Musashi: "Have I seen a Mizuchi, Kyoshu? Let me whittle a bokken and test your skills while kicking your ass!"

(You get the picture)

Granted, she will listen to Fudo several hours from now once she beats Fudo into the ground a dozen times and comments that Fudo is out of practice.

Lord Khuzdul said:
Hmm... maybe she should meet the severe shirt allergy case that shares her name. I might even ship them. Attitudes seem a good match nonetheless, and I personally know just how much fun a couple that shares the same first name can be (my better half and I have the same unisex first name).​

Musashi the Bread Knife and Musashi the shipgirl are a good match since both like a good brawl, or a good bar crawl. After the requisite Hero Fight sequence because that's how Bread Knife Musashi rolls.

jmcdavid said:
I see Musashi-no-Masamune probably likes to play Scorpion in Mortal Kombat.​

Musashi: "He was a good sparring partner. Pity what happened to him."

(if Mortal Kombat actually existed in some form in HatSG, that is the kind of Tournament of Death that Musashi would absolutely track down and participate in)

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Ship of Fools 10.75 - The end of the date

It had been a wonderful time for all three girls in the village. Draco even had made extra effort to get to know more about Niobe and Cleopatra. It was when the girls had been sharing their and crews regrets in their ship lives, that Draco opened up. With considerable hesitation, he told all three of his girlfriends about the worry driving his pursuit of wandless magic and arcane power.

As he divulged what he went through while paralyzed by the basilisk, the three girls all held his hands and passed meaningful glances between themselves.
Draco took a breath and then got his biggest fear off his chest. "I... I know there's a lot of people who think my father would deserve whatever he gets from Voldemort. But I can't stop wanting to not let it happen. I don't want my father and mother to die. He's my dad." The girls said nothing, but all three of them hugged Draco tightly.

-0-

As they walked up to the gates of Hogwarts, Draco to enter and the girls to leave, a bushy haired Gryfindor stomped out of the castle and pointed her wand at Draco.

"Draco Malfoy, just what in Merlin's name are you plotting in seducing MY SISTER!" Hermione hissed at the blond boy. "I will give you to the count of ten to start running, then I will turn you into a fine red mist."

"Hermione Dagworth-Granger! You will do no such thing!" Cleopatra stepped in front of Draco to face off against Hermione.

As the two girls began to argue, Draco sat in stunned thought. Granger is Cleo's sister? Wait wait wait.. Granger is a DAGWORTH-GRANGER! Oh oh shite.

"Ahem," Draco gently laid a hand on Cleo's shoulder and moved into the line of fire. "Is it true. You are a Dagworth-Granger?"

"Yes you piece of sister-seducing slime! My blood opened the wards on the manor and my great grandfather was the younger squib brother of Medea Dagworth-Granger. So what Malfoy?"

"I apologize."

"Wut?" Hermione just stared at Draco slackly.

"Yes. First year where I called you a filthy Mud-blood. I now learn that I was in error. I apologize for slurring against your heritage. It was wrong of me to do so and I beg your forbearance." Draco stopped and considered for a moment. "You know, you could have made my social standing hell? Slurring a family line like I did has caused blood feuds in the past. Thank you. I owe you Hermione."

Hermione sputtered. "Why? Why would you apologize for that ... oh oh my god it's worse than I thought! YOU'VE SLEPT WITH MY SISTER!"

Draco replied confusedly, "Yes, last night I slept with Cleo, Johnston and Niobe. Why is that a problem?"

"DIE!" Hermione screamed.

-0-

Later on in the Gryffindor common room, Hermione flopped into a chair and tried to desperately massage her migraine away. She sighed heavily.

"Problem Hermione?" Ron inquired while he was playing a game of chess with Harry.

"My airheaded sister Cleopatra is dating Draco Fucking Malfoy is the problem Ron."

"I thought he was dating Johnston?" Harry looked up from the game.

"Oh no, he's dating three girls now. Johnston, Cleo and a German girl Niobe."

"Wait, are they all ship-girls?"

"Yes Harry. Draco must be jealous of you or something. He's clearing following your lead."

"Poi?"



----

Okay... that's enough to say that Chapter 10 is now complete.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Juuchi only shook her head before looking at Tsukiakari, but without needing words the other blade sheathed herself. Gently, the Kyu Gunto picked up Harry into a bridal carry before sighing, "Thank goodness."

Humming, the Muramasa nodded before her arm shot up in time to grab her sheath. Placing it to her side, she then sheathed her true self, noting that all the gore on it was gone, burned away in what had happened. She reached down and helped a shaky Sirius to his feet, "Up you go."

A chuckle from the side made her look at Kagotsuruhe who was observing the unconscious Harry. For a moment, Juuchi swore that the soft smile on her sister's face was genuine before shaking it off. Kago then turned to Juuchi and had a broad, though faked, smile on her face, "You have found interesting Masters, have you not, Juuchi-Chan?"

Softly snorting, Juuchi gave her a smug smirk, "Of course. Because I am me and would have no one less than those worthy of me."

Only nodding, the other Muramasa did not say anything. Instead, she turned to where the Aurors were rushing up, with Tonks running to Harry. With a glance at Tsukiakari, she cast a number of spells before sighing, "Good... just exhausted physically and it seems mentally."

Looking at Harry, one of the Aurors had an awed look on his face, "That had to have been... a hundred Dementors or more! And Potter blew them away with a Patronus before using... whatever that was to kill a bunch. Bloody Hell..."

Amelia glanced at him and then at the village where she could see various also awed wizards and witches mumbling to themselves, 'Yes, and no doubt the story is going to be all over Britain by the time the hour is out. And likely growing in the tale.' With a sigh, she shook her head internally, 'As if Potter was not famous enough, with this...' Turning towards Juuchi, she narrowed her eyes some. Especially as she noted the sword that the Japanese woman had at her side, as well as the one that Tsukiakari had, "Excuse me, may I ask who you may be?"

Her eyebrows twitched a bit as the woman in front of her only gave off a smug smile before making a motion with her hands, "We're retainers of the Potter family, Young Master Harry got in contact with us recently."

Eyes narrowing, the tone of Amelia's voice made sure that no one would mistake it for believing them, "I see, interesting."

Clearing her throat, Tsukiakari glanced around, "Um, what about what just happened? With the Dementors attacking?"

With his eyes narrowed, Dumbledore made people back away from the aura that he was giving off. One that stated, in no uncertain terms, that he was utterly livid with what happened, "I am quite wondering that myself, as it turns out."

Knuckles cracking as she clenched her hands hard, the head of the DMLE snarled, "Something that I am going to get to the bottom of. And if I do not like what I am about to find... someone is going to lose their heads."

Smile turning somewhat bloodthirsty, Juuchi internally chuckled, 'Perhaps, I will help.'

Turning towards Dumbledore, Tsukiakari nodded towards Harry and Sirius, "Perhaps we should get them back up to the castle to be looked after? After everything that has happened..."

Dumbledore nodded before they began to make their way towards Hogwarts, only stopping to help Reivana to her feet and bring her along as well. The weary Re-Class noticed that Porta's consciousness retreated, though it left behind a feeling that she was proud of her that made the Abyssal smile.

Meanwhile, many hundreds of miles away, Porta slumped a bit in her throne as distant booms of battle could be heard. Wiping her face with a hankerchief that OLD handed her, she shook her head, "That was..." With a deep breath, she held out her hand was handed a glass of water that she greedily drank from before gasping, "Demon, make a note. As soon as possible I shall need to write a letter to my neice. I was... wrong, to be so dismissive of what she had gone through."

Despite not being visible, one still had the feeling that Ocean Liner was raising an eyebrow, "Oh?"

Slowly, Porta let out a sigh, "Yes." Pulling her hand away from her face, her eyes had an understanding look, "If that was what she had faced, then I cannot blame her in any way for retreating. And, more than that... to keep together what she did of her fleet, I count that as being impressive in the face of what Reivana just faced, especially for a Petty Princess such as her."

Bowing, the other Abyssal hummed, "I see..."

Porta then lifted her face and gave OLD a look, with her expression one full of wrath, "As well, spread this Order from Us to the rest of the Fleet. These... Dementors, offend me. Deeply at that. They stand under the Hand of Death from those belonging to us wherever they may be."

A deep chuckle came from OLD at that as lightning flashed, "It shall be done, my Lady..."
______________________________________________________________

Setting Harry down in the bed, Tsukiakari smiled softly at him. Despite what could have happened, he was alright. Gently, she brushed some hair from his brow which made him quietly mumble. Her eyes though caught sight of something glinting and her eyes narrowed, "Senpai?"

With a hum from where she sat in a chair, Juuchi looked up at her, "Yeah, Tsu-Chan? What is it?"

Not saying anything at first, the Kyu Gunto looked at where Pomfrey was fussing over Sirius before she pulled something away from Harry and placed into her pocket, "Watch over Master for a little bit. I need to do something..."

Eyes narrowing, Juuchi only nodded some, "Of course I will." As the other sword turned to leave, she softly whispered, "Be careful."

Looking over her shoulder, Tsukiakari smiled, "I will, Senpai."

It was less than forty minutes that found her flying on Harry's Firebolt, shooting over the Scottish Highlands as her eyes scanned the ground below. The brush and moors passed by at well over two hundred miles an hour as she used a trick that Ian had during WWI to push brooms past their speed limits. In front of her, there was a shimmering cone pushing the air aside. Finally, her eyes caught sight of the Dementors and she slowed down. One hand on the broom, she pulled out her phone with the other and pulled up an app. Using it, she noted her location and continued to follow the Dementors as they travelled below her before grumbling a bit.

They were not even attempting to hide their movements beside moving along fast.

After several more taps on her phone, noting locations which confirmed their direction, she moved away and landed. Pulling the time turner from her shirt, she gave it a flick and watched as time turned back around her. The Sun slowly rose above the horizon and she nodded before flying to a nearby road.

Once she was there, she shrunk the broom and stuck out her sheathed blade. With a bang, the Knight Bus was there and she stepped onboard, "Godric's Hollow, if you would..."

Several hours later, as the Sun was setting, Tsukiakari set down with Catherine behind her on the broom. Getting off it, the French blade looked around with a frown, "Is this where they shall be?"

Tsukiakari grimaced a bit, "I am unsure, but assuming that they do not move too far from their course? Yes, they should be coming this way..." She paused for a moment and continued, "Or close enough..."

Just nodding, Catherine smiled thinly, "Yes, close enough. I shall be irresistible to them, I would assume." Taking a deep breath, she let it out, "Very well, go Tsukiakari and I shall deal with the threats to our Master. They have attempted to prevent him from crossing over when it is his time, and that is unforgivable."

Bowing deeply, Tsukiakari got back onto the broom and took off, "Good luck."

All the French blade did was nod and pull out her sheathed sword before holding it in front of her with the point barely buried in the ground. Leaning forward, she placed her forehead against the pommel and began to softly whisper as she prayed and fortify herself for what would come...
_____________________________________________________________

The chill, night wind of the Scottish Highlands swept over the ground, blowing the young heather. Above, the Moon broke through the clouds illuminating the Earth beneath, in particular one young woman with blonde hair and the clothes of a peasant from the Hundred Years War. Before her, a sword was sheathed in it's scabbard against whose pommel she rested her forehead against. Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked into the distance at the approaching cloud of darkness...
Dementors.

Somehow, despite the darkness of the night, and the distance, she could see them. Or, rather, she could sense them upon the wind. For a few moments, she stayed there in that position before rising and gripping her sword's hilt, her true form. Eyes narrowing, she frowned, which upon a face such as hers was worse then a scowl, "Foul beings... you do not belong on this World under His skies. You who have threatened my Master with preventing him from moving on when his time comes."

Far away, Azkaban blinked and turned her attention to her "Children" with a small frown as the woman's voice was carried upon the wind, the distance not mattering at all. Head tilted to the side, she giggled as the small child she appeared to be, malice glowing in her eyes, "Oh my... looks like we have a new playmate." With a twirl of her fingers, she sent a mental command and her Dementors changed their path slightly more towards the woman. So full of light, of warmth, of love and courage...

Things that they hungered for deeply, especially after the battle that they were in.

Giggling, madness in her eyes, Azkaban grinned far wider than a human could showing sharpened teeth more like fangs as her eyes glowed malevolently in the darkness, "We're going to have such fun~"

However, Catherine was not bothered at all even though she sensed their intent. Instead, she only nodded, "I see. Very well, perhaps He shall have Mercy upon you, for I can not in the face of such darkness." Light began to shine from where her hilt met the sheath, while her clothes also began to glow and break apart as if on fire.

But as they burned away, embers trailing and being carried off by the night wind, they revealed armour underneath her clothing, breastplate that shone under the Moon and Stars with it's own inner light. Meanwhile, the darkness of the Dementors began to increase as Azkaban focused more of her power. Eyes closed for a moment, she took a deep breath and let it out, "Here I plant my standard... and here I stand."

With those words, they were almost upon her and she drew her blade, which burned brightly with light and swung it at the Dementors as the area lit up.

And far away, Azkaban, who was still connected to the Dementors, widened her eyes and she screamed as her avatar collapsed in agony. As she writhed on the roof of the prison whose spirit she was, smoke rose from her body.

Meanwhile, in Scotland, the light faded to reveal scorched ground with some fluttering pieces of cloak to reveal that no less than forty of the monsters were dead. They were not even disintegrated as not even smoke remained. But even as the first scrap of cloth touched the ground, Catherine was already moving, eyes as steely as her true body. Swinging, she easily cleaved through two of the Dementors which did not even have time to scream as they just broke apart and disappeared into motes of light.

They were not the last either, as Catherine less fought and more danced between them. Moonlight glinted and flowed off her blade as she struck again and again, Dementor after Dementor dying as their bodies were first cut and then burst apart into motes of light.

Out of the corner of her eye, the French blade spotted one of the Dementors flying up into the sky so to escape. Gripping her hilt, she threw it as hard as she could. As it passed above the Dementor, she reappeared and grabbed her true body and brought it down. cleaving the dark creature in half. Pushing off it's dissolving remains, she launched herself to the next flying one. Behind her, the cape she wore seemed to look like to, large white wings which glowed much the same as her armor in the moonlight as gold hair streamed behind her with her shining blade held before her.

Eventually, the Dementors managed to break from her and took off as fast as they could. Rather than pursue, Catherine stood upon the top of a hill and held her true self at arms length, pointed towards the fleeing monsters as her lips moved. Eyes narrowing, her sword began to glow brighter and brighter as did her armor and cape. Said cape spread behind her in the wind as the light shone greater and greater. Until, it seemed, like a star itself had fallen and come to rest upon that hill.

Instead of what one would expect though, Catherine yanked her true self back. And the results... were instantaneous as the distant Dementors screeched. The reason for which was obvious as mere moments later, small blue orbs made of light burst from their backs. First one or two each, and then dozens.
Souls, that they had eaten over their existences.

And it was not just them, as in Azkaban, the Spirit of the Prison screamed once more as her back arched towards the sky. The evil being clawing at her own chest as light after light escaped from it, from the torment that she had it. Souls dating back to when she first built by the Dark Lord Ekrizdis to torture Muggle sailors and others he caught. A practical tornado streaming out of her and into the sky.

The last ones eventually escaped her and Azkaban slumped back onto the roof, blood trailing from her mouth. Not dead, not yet, but weakened. Mouth moving, she whispered, "One day... one day... I will kill you, and feast upon your soul..."

In Scotland, Catherine only stood straighter as the last rescued soul vanished into the Afterlife, which ever one would meet her. Wind blowing her hair, the Sword spirit narrowed her eyes, "You may try, Demon." She then slid her true self back into her sheath as her armour was replaced by the dress she wore, "You may try..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Barricade/Lord Sunhawk: Taffy Three SECRET ATTACK!

Was re-reading some old stuff in other kancolle stories, and spotted this. Pray that the Taffies are never portrayed being group summoned in a movie, because this will be it. And likely enough, done to Born To Be Wild playing blaring in the background.

Lord Sunhawk (I grabbed this from his SV version) said:
Thirteen girls stood on the now calm waters of the summoning pool. The American summoning pool. They weren't all the same size, there were six that looked like they'd just started high school, three that looked like they belonged in junior high, and four that looked like fifth or sixth graders at most. But they were all dressed nearly the same.

Ragged cut off old-style dungarees with threads hanging everywhere, the fabric brutally cut right above the knee. Ribbed mechanics style t-shirts that were nonetheless scrupulously clean, black leather belts with battered steel American Eagle belt buckles and looped chains hanging from them held up their pants. They all had black leather motorcycle jackets with tarnished studs on all the seams on, with American flag patches on the shoulders and brightly colored patches up and down the arms, and all but one were wearing crushed down baseball caps. They all had on mirror reflective shades, and the one without the ball cap was wearing what looked to have started life as an admirals cover, but had been sat on and run through the wash a few times, and worn at a cocky angle.

The six older girls had small flight decks attached to their upper left arms, and slingshots were tucked into their belts with one of them also having a comically oversized for her frame magnum revolver tucked alongside. The younger girls were all carrying what looked like miniature 5"38 single turrets in their right hands while torpedo tubes were strapped to their thighs.

And on the backs of their jackets, where any proper biker gang would put their logo, was a single word. Taffy.

The building was empty. The lights were out. But that didn't slow the girls down one bit. They strode out of the pool like a conquering army striding ashore using their radars to navigate in the darkness. The doors to the summoning chamber were locked, and even that didn't slow them down as they simply kicked them open without breaking stride or even bothering to try the handles. The lights were on in the hallway but there still was nobody present, thus the group didn't hesitate at all as they stalked through the halls with purpose. The locked doors leading outside met the same fate as the ones in the summoning chamber.

None of them said a word. None of them had to say a word. The six escort carriers lifted their slingshots and fired causing squadrons of Wildcats to appear as they set up a CAP purely on instinct. The three destroyers led the way in a wedge, while the carriers formed up in two lines of three and two of the destroyer escorts flanked each line. It was dark outside, but none of them bothered to take off their sunglasses. They were on shore, none of them bothered to dismiss their rigging.

While there was absolutely no activity around this building, next door was the main summoning facility used by the JMSDF and there was plenty of activity there. It was only a matter of moments before the girls were noticed as they marched, or more accurately swaggered, towards the milling sailors and marines. With their rigging still deployed, there was absolutely no mistaking them for anything else, and a wave of consternation spread through the crowd leaving the supposedly 'failed' summoning.

"I guess we should use your resources for the summoning more often, Sir, if that will get us American reinforcements." The Japanese officer commented with a somewhat wry twist to his lips. "I'm not sure I recognize them, destroyers and small carriers? I guess we have some convoy escorts."

The admiral, meanwhile, shook his head. "If they are who I think they are…" he looked over towards where Nagato was practically quivering and nodded. "They aren't exactly convoy escorts." He gestured towards the battleship girl, who looked torn between running away, massive disapproval, and a quivering eagerness to hug the cuteness that was approaching.

Spotting the unmistakable uniform of a US Navy admiral, who had been attending the attempted summoning as a guest, the girls drew themselves up into slouching approximations of what could vaguely, if you squinted really really hard and the light was awful, be considered attention.

One of the carriers, the one in the lead of the right column wearing the crushed admiral's hat, tossed back a sloppy, almost negligent and arrogant, salute. "USS Fanshaw Bay, CVE-70, and Taffy-3" she began, then consulted a small notecard she'd been handed by one of the destroyer girls and began reading from it a bit hesitantly. "Reporting ready to kick some fucking ass and chew some fucking bubblegum." At that all of the Taffies immediately and simultaneously popped a stick of chewing gum into their mouths. "And that was the last of our fucking bubblegum." And she put the card away as she chewed her gum and all the girls struck what they clearly thought were suitably badass poses, although the actual result was more along the lines of 'cute little girls cosplaying a hardcore biker gang'.

Admiral Michel Arnoult-Sauvé-Waggaman, generally known as Admiral Anti-Sub amongst his friends and colleagues, Old Three-Names amongst those who didn't like him, and generally went with just the first of his massively hyphenated surnames professionally; was resisting the urge to smirk at the reactions of the Japanese officers around him at that declaration. The old Cajun seadog stepped forward, hands clasped lightly behind his back, before returning the salute nearly as casually as it was offered. He did blink, however, when he noted that on each of the girls' jackets they had a ship patch, complete with designations, and while the CVE's simply crossed out the letter E, the destroyers and destroyer escorts had crossed out their prefixes and overwritten them with BB in bright sparkly pink glitter ink.

He shook his head, bemused. "You can dismiss your rigging, ladies." He said. "Most of you survived the war so you know we are now allies with Japan."

The lead destroyer… errrr battleship. "But… you know those Japanese battleships, they can sneak up on you at any time!"

Michel was about to reply to that when suddenly a wild Kongo appeared, dropping down right into the middle of the formation of Taffies.

"SOME NEW PEOPLE DESS! KONGO! WELCOMES! YOU!" she proudly declaimed as the smaller girls scattered slightly to surround her.

"GET HER!" One of the destroyers yelled. He wasn't sure, but thought it was Johnston.

He almost panicked, this could be a disaster. "BE…." He broke off, as the girls' rigging vanished and all 13 girls of Taffy 3 swarmed Kongo in what looked like the prelude to a rather impressive tickle pile.

One destroyer head popped up briefly "Told you so." Then vanished back into the pile, punctuated by shrieking giggles and yells of 'dess' and 'Burning Love will prevail!'.

He was still shaking his head as the Japanese captain stepped up next to him. "Welcome to the club of those in command of kanmasu, Admiral." The younger man said a bit drolly. "Admiral Goto is considering forming support groups with regular meetings off base."

Michel sighed and nodded, rocking back on his heels for the moment. "Well, tell him that I do believe I'll join him for that." He winced as the rest of the Kongo sisters appeared and promptly were dragged into the grand tickling melee. "Definitely will join him for that."​

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

Millie held her surgical mask to her face as sparks flew all around her, uncaring of the blinding light in front of her. Her mother stood beside her, watching her as she worked. "I'm not going too fast, am I…?" She asked. "Too slow?"

Nuri shook her head. "No, you're doing just fine. You've got the right filler metal, your welds are nice and deep, and you're controlling the heat well enough to prevent destabilizing the weld joint. Of course, we'll need to grind the welds down a bit later, smooth them out, but in the meantime let's prioritize function over form."

"Alright."

The Mi-class looked off to her side, taking in the patchwork of hastily-fastened plates that had kept the Omega from sinking en route to their island. A large chunk of the starboard-side hull was now completely gone, cut away to open up the engineering spaces for restoration; the rest of the hull was being worked on a little bit at a time, all the deteriorated exterior metal and temporary welds slowly being replaced with fresh, sturdy steel. This hull restoration was an ideal live trial for Millie—if she messed up, she could just cut the bad part away and try again. It was really quite relaxing.

{Hey…} Regalia's voice came in through the radio. She had time to spare today, so she'd chosen to lend a hand by hunting any faulty circuits on the interior of the yacht. {I think I'm in the galley, but I can't see anything in here. No windows. Do you guys think you could turn on the power?}

Tilting her head curiously, Millie shifted her focus to one of her other tails… which extended deep into the hull, through the hole beside her. Her gaze seemed to shimmer, the steel in front of her replaced with a vision of countless switches and indicator lights. Her tail was hooked into the power lines extending from the ship's old generator, letting her power parts of the ship herself. She silently counted off the breakers in her head, before eventually instructing her imps to flip a specific switch on. "Okay, did that do it?" She asked.

{...almost. You lit up the hallway behind me.} Millie hung her head sheepishly, before telling her crew to flip the next breaker down. {There we go. Thanks!} There was a few seconds of silence, before Regalia spoke up once more. {You know, Aunt Sonata said this boat was in an overall terrible condition… but on the inside, she doesn't seem any worse than you'd expect from a ship her age. There's deterioration here and there, and the generators are shot, yeah… but the electrical systems are more or less intact, and some touching-up would have everything else looking just fine, to me!}

Nuri shrugged. "Sounds fair enough. You find the bad socket yet?"

{Oh, one moment… yeah, yeah, I think I—}

Millie suddenly felt a literal static spark run down her tail. In her peripheral vision, she saw the galleys breaker abruptly flip off.

When Regalia resumed speaking, she sounded mildly upset. {...oh, great. Tippy got too close to a toaster, and next thing I knew there was a flash and the lights went out again. My butt hurts, too.}

"Are you alright?" Millie asked, worried.

{Yeah, we're fine. Tippy is less than happy about getting shocked though.} Her reply was followed by a disgruntled bark the Mi-class could hear from all the way outside. {...wait, do you taste orange the fruit, or orange the color…?} Another bark. {Yes, the difference matters! One means you're hungry, the other means your brain is fried!}

Millie and Nuri shared a chuckle. "I don't think you need to worry too much about your cousin," Nuri said. "She's got some impressive resilience for her age. She'll probably walk off an electrocution no big deal."

"To be expected of a Re-class." Millie nodded, though she maintained her smile. "I just hope that she doesn't do it too much, else she might accumulate some real nerve damage…"

It happened so quickly, Millie had no time to react. In an instant, the mirthful atmosphere around them died… subsumed in a storm of negative emotion that chilled the fledgling to her core even from a great distance.

Fear… Worry… Rage… And at its heart, the unfamiliar IFF of a Princess-class Abyssal.

"Wh-what… what is that…?" Millie whimpered, unconsciously clinging to her mother for comfort.

"Mother." Nuri maintained her composure better than the Mi-class… but only barely. "Something's happened."

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Weasley's Warship Workshop 3

"Sorry we didn't get to talk much before things got started Angie. I wanted to ask how you were doing." Ron looked up to the large woman, her coveralls still covered in oil and grease despite the fact he was rather certain she'd not done anything heavy during the procedure. The pair were walking out of the repair baths along with Duke after Summer had finished with the Battleship Princess.

"It is no matter Ron, Summer had something important to give you and repairing a damaged abyssal is very much her territory. I was happy to watch and corroborate some of those American reports they've passed around." Angie shook her dirty brown head cheerfully and patted Ron on the back with a thump that nearly caused him to stumble. "I am doing well though, thanks to you and your friends. Especially since the repair baths have been finished."

Ron smiled and nodded. "I heard they were working better for you than the ones at Portsmouth?"

"A little bit my friend, perhaps 5-10% faster on most things. Not enough to truly exclaim that things are best only done here but not inconsiderable either." Angie nodded to herself. "I believe it is because the pool is ah… "Home" as you might say. So I am more attuned to it."

"That does make sense." Ron nodded along. "I take it you're having no issues with the Royal Navy then?"

"No no no." Angie waved her hand in front of her face. "Not the officers at least. They are quite pleased to see me, even if one or two are upset that I eat so much." Angie grinned at that. "But a woman like me needs lots of fuel to work so they are quiet. What I am having trouble with are those stubborn battleships."

"The battleships?" Ron asked, cocking his head to the side as the two were about to enter the back door.

"Ja like Ms. Duke. She is perhaps not as bad as some but they are all stubborn about their repairs." Angie switched into a falsetto as they made their way to the kitchen. "No Angie, I am fine. Please ignore the GAPING HOLE in my side and take care of the little ones yes?" Angie snorted. "As often as not the little ones are merely rattled and scuffed. They are quick to heal and recover. Battleships, with their silly pride and honor try to hide the fact they are leaking oil or down a boiler if they can. I am your repair ship! I care not about your pride only that you are healthy for the next sortie!" Angie gave her head one last large shake as if she was a queen pronouncing and edict that had just finished.

"I… uhm..." Duke started to speak but then stopped almost immediately.

"You were about to say that you did not think you were that bad ja?" Angie turned to look at Duke.

"Yes, I was." Duke couldn't help but smile wryly. "Until I remembered some of my sisters and even myself in certain situations."

"You are one of the good ones then. You at least recognize you have a problem." Angie was clearly satisfied at that and Ron couldn't help but chuckle.

"I'm reminded of Warspite before I fixed her. She was just a little bit stubborn about her injuries."

It was Duke's turn to chuckle.

"That is like saying water is wet Ron but you have a point."

As they entered the kitchen Ron spotted Victoria in a state he'd never seen her in before. She actually looked mildly frazzled, what with several of her hairs out of place and the pinch of her eyebrows set close enough to be visible.

"Victoria, is something wrong?" Ron called out to the maid, causing her to look up immediately.

"Young Master." Victoria turned towards him immediately, the look of worry and the stray hairs somehow disappearing as a mask of calm appeared on her face. "I… there is not a problem per-say but..." There was a pause as Victoria collected her thoughts. "You do not know anyone who would perchance pull a low joke on you involving a harlot?"

"I… what? No." Ron was startled by the question, "Nobody that I can think of. Harry and Hermione don't have that sense of humor and Fred and George would get killed by my mother."

Victoria took a deep breath, clearly having expected an answer like that while desperately wanting it not to be.

"Then I am obliged to report that I believe the French… Guest..." Ron knew immediately that Victoria wanted to put "Harlot" there but was too focused to. "You are expecting is at the front gate. On a motorbike."

Ron wasn't sure which part Victoria disapproved of more, the fact that whatever Jean-Bart looked like did not meet her standards or the fact that she was on a motorcycle.

"Well then we should let her in." Ron knew that was what Victoria didn't want to hear but this was a request directed at him by a British ally through formal military channels. Not something he could avoid simply because Victoria didn't think the best of her.

"Yes Master." Victoria bowed her head formally and Ron could feel something happening in the meantime.

"Thank you Victoria. Will you prepare something for us? I think this is going to be a long meeting."

Victoria bowed her head, clearly relieved to be doing something more familiar so she could ignore what was coming up the drive.

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

On the road, fifteen minutes earlier.

Jean-Bart grinned as her hair whipped behind her, the engine on her BMW S1000RR howling beneath her. She couldn't open it up to the full throttle given the road shape and condition but she enjoyed it nonetheless. Say what you wanted about German shipbuilding but they did great motorcycles. At least this way she could reach some proper speeds.

Her mind turned towards her worries for a moment, of what Ronald Weasley might say about her condition. He'd repaired Warspite that was undeniable and he seemed to have an understanding of engineering far beyond his age. Yet she had no knowledge of anything like her particular condition happening elsewhere and if he had no ideas…

She shook herself mentally. That was no way to think at a time like this. Not when the sun was out and she had a free road to work with. Things like worrying about showing her rig could happen later when they were about to occur.

Instead she opened up the throttle more, wondering if she could find a spot flat, long and empty enough to try and hit close to the top speed. Probably not but she could hope.

Ten minutes later she pulled up to a stop, having not found the stretch of road she wanted but still managing to have pushed herself over 120KPH for one last burst of speed before she'd gotten to the manor house.

As she did pull up she had to admit that it was impressive in its own way. An old style to be sure, square even from a distance but the yards were relatively well tended and there appeared to be someone out and working on them from what she could see. However for some reason the gate was closed and she didn't see a button to press for a bell or entrance. Frustrated for a moment she considered simply driving around the thing as there wasn't a fence around the whole manor but she go the feeling that would be a bad idea, for multiple reasons.

Thankfully the thing finally opened after a couple minutes. Perhaps there was a timer on the thing? She shook her head as she pulled up the drive, the engine beneath her barely murmuring while her own boilers were steadily building pressure she had no release for. As she reached the front door she saw it open and several people stepped out.

The first one she noticed was the battleship. Not quite as tall as her and not quite as fast, the KGV class was still a respectable foe. Rather, she would have been if there had ever been a chance of France and Great Britain coming to blows. The blonde's hair was just about at length with hers and that brought a small grin to her face as her fellow ship of the line examined her with respect in turn. Perhaps they could talk about the issues of having quadruple turrets and long hair some time.

The second was the maid. Of moderate height and relatively nondescript build, she looked average. Even her hair was somehow average despite being just slightly more blonde than brown. Yet that wasn't what caught her eye. Instead it was the look she was getting from her. Oh it was perfectly polite enough. Yet she'd had enough people disapprove of the way she dressed and acted that she could tell she would find no friend there.

Finally the one she'd actually come to see. He was… still young. His face at least and his height still spoke of growing through the awkward stages of puberty. Shaggy red hair on top of his head and dressed appropriately for meeting a guest. Yet it was his eyes that changed her immediate opinion of him. For they were much more mature than what a boy his age would normally have and he was not leering at her. Nor was he even apparently shocked by her outfit. That could be both good or bad but she was leaning towards good.

As she stood from her bike and let it settle, she could feel his eyes on her. She thought for a moment he was ogling her while she wasn't paying attention but as she turned and started walking towards them his eyes stayed, watching her walk. That was also strange. Still she forced her face into a more polite arrangement as she got close and opened her mouth.

"Hello. I am Jean-Bart, second ship of the Richelieu class. I am here to meet Ronald Weasley."

Of course she didn't know those words would change the course of her life.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Ron's first impression of Jean-Bart was that she was… different.

Standing on the front step to meet their guest along with Duke and Victoria gave him a good view of the French battleship as she arrived on a sleek looking motorcycle and settled herself on the drive.

For one, most of his experience was with British battleships. He'd met a few Japanese ones when he'd gone to see Harry over the summer but Nagato had been just as proud and regal as any of Duke or Warspite's sisters and he'd only seen the others for a brief time. While Jean-Bart certainly had a presence of her own it was subtly different than the rest.
*-*-*
Spoiler: Jean-Bart plus explanation

Alright, so this is default Jean-Bart look. In the HatSG verse she has a bit less cleavage showing and her shorts are Magical Ship-girl Short Shorts. They cover all of her aft to her leg. No more no less and you'll never be able to see a curve there but you might imagine it. Still plenty to get a Victorian maid's dander up over.
*-*-*

It wasn't her outfit. For all that her shorts were nearly as short as the swimsuit bottoms Duke had worn in Japan or that her top showed off plenty of cleavage, he'd seen worse. The piratical them she seemed to be sporting overall was no odder than the maid outfits a few of the British cruisers wore, though the thigh high sock on one leg and the long boot on the other made her look slightly lopsided she wore it well nonetheless.

It wasn't her looks either. While part of Ron was informing him that her legs went up and up and up… it was a small part that he easily suppressed. If he'd not seen a ship-girl before it would have been different of course but between Warspite, Duke and his many times at the naval base he was as thoroughly inoculated against shipgirls looks as a man could realistically be. Her long brown hair was drawn up in a ponytail similar to Duke's, going down behind her aft though not quite to the ground like Duke's could do. That probably had something to do with how tall she was, a couple inches taller than Duke at least. Her eyes were striking, being a reddish pink but they fit her like the rest of her outfit did.

It was only when she started walking towards them that Ron's tickling senses finally clued in and kicked him in the rear. Jean-Bart had a runners grace, one that if he'd seen them in person would have reminded him of the Iowa class of the Americans. At least she was supposed to. If he'd not noticed Duke's injury earlier he might have missed it but Jean-Bart had a hitch in her step. It wasn't anything major, a subtle thing that he could just barely see much less pinpoint.

Yet it was there and because of that or perhaps only in part, Jean-Bart had the appearance of a battleships normal grace but it was a front. A veneer covering up something she'd rather not have anyone else see.

Of course then she was right in front of them and he had no more time to ponder.

"Hello. I am Jean-Bart, second ship of the Richelieu class. I am here to meet Ronald Weasley." Her voice was mild, forward if not rude and she looked him right in the eye as she spoke.

"A pleasure to meet you Jean-Bart. I am Ronald Weasley but please feel free to call me Ron. This is Duke of York of the King George V class and this is Victoria Passell, the head maid. Would you like to come inside? We have some refreshments made up and we can sit comfortably while we talk."

Ron fell back on formality for a moment, his mind still not quite sure how to process Jean-Bart and her attitudes. She didn't seem mean spirited to him at least which meant that he could work with her.

The brunette paused for a moment and nodded.

"Yes, that would be welcome thank you." Jean-Bart seemed perhaps slightly off put by his welcome but he wasn't sure if it was his reaction of if she'd been expecting something different.

Ron lead the way inside, with Victoria taking up the rear. They'd prepared a sitting room again, this time less formally but still with two chairs for Ron and Duke with another for Jean-Bart. There were sandwiches prepared and some lemonade in place of the mornings tea. The three settled down for a moment, items being passed around until everyone was waiting.

"If you don't mind me asking, why did you want to meet me?" Ron spoke after setting down his glass. "It's an honor to meet you of course but Admiral Whitcomb didn't say anything else about it other than you wanted to talk."

Jean-Bart paused for a few moments, her eyes focused somewhere on the floor before they rose up to meet Ron's.

"Please understand that this is difficult for me to talk about. I am… private, about my issues since I do not like to… bother people about them if there is nothing they can do."

Ron nodded, settling back in his chair as Jean-Bart spoke.

"I understand. I take it that you think I can do something to help you? Whatever it is?"

Jean-Bart nodded in turn.

"Yes. You are the best… no, the only person that I have found that may be able to do so. Understand I've been looking since I've come back, nearly three years now, for a fix and have found nothing. The repair baths do nothing and even the repair ship I consulted could not. At least she did not think so since the baths would be required for her help."

Ron's mind rapidly put together the pieces of what she was saying into a mostly coherent picture.

"You have an engineering problem you want me to help with? Something to do with your engines?"

Jean-Bart's eyes widened in surprised.

"Yes, how did you…?" She frowned for a moment. "Somebody told you."

Ron shook his head.

"No, you have… a hitch in your step. Or perhaps I should say you have a missing stroke in your engine where you're expecting power to be but it isn't."

Jean-Bart met Ron's eyes as the chair creaked in her hand.

"Truly you did not know this beforehand? Were not told anything?"

Ron nodded.

"I just noticed it in the way you walked, I swear. I don't know what exactly it is but between that and me only being good at one thing..." Ron shrugged.

Duke looked over at Ron and snorted, a clear sign of disapproval at his statement.

"If I may ask… how can you be so certain?" Jean-Bart clearly wanted to believe Ron but she was having trouble doing so. "You are not wrong but it could simply be a wise guess even if what you say about not being told beforehand is true."

Ron looked back to Duke and smiled slightly.

"Do you mind Duke or should I do Warspite instead?"

Duke blushed and shook her head in the negative, even as Jean-Bart looked between the two in mild confusion.

"No, you can show her Ron. I don't mind." Her voice was somewhat soft but there was definitely a note of pride in it.

"Victoria." Ron called out, the maid stepping from the corner she'd been in to hand him a pen and paper she'd gotten from somewhere.

"Thank you." Ron pulled the nearby table closer to him and grabbed the straight edge he'd taken to sticking in his pocket. "This will take a couple minutes." He looked to Jean-Bart for a moment before he began to draw.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jean-Bart watched first in confusion, then in comprehension and finally in amazement as the teenager in front of her worked.

At first she didn't understand what he was doing, the lines and markings he was drawing meaning nothing to her. It wasn't until she saw the multiple notations he was making as he went that she started to understand. Finally when she did understand and saw him complete what he was working on she was amazed.

It was a yard quality diagram of a boiler room, with top and side views included on it. Judging by the blush on Duke of York's face, it was hers and Ronald, Ron, had done it without looking at anything. Without speaking to anyone about it. Just off the top of his head.

He finished the diagram, looked at it and then offered it to the British battleship.

"What do you think Duke, pretty good?" He spoke as if he'd simply drawn her a picture instead of a detailed work on her interior.

"Yes." Duke of York smiled as she held it for a moment and her hand touched the boys, affection clear. "Here." She handed it over to Jean-Bart.

Jean-Bart looked at the drawing closely as she held it in hand. She tried to find anything at all wrong with the drawing. Even if she didn't know her British counterparts exact dimensions she could tell if it was more or less right simply by the way it was setup.

It was as far as she could tell, perfect down to the last marking. Perhaps even better than a builders print if such a thing were possible.

She handed the print back to Duke, who carefully took the item and set it on the table next to her.

"You can do that from memory." It was a statement from her and not a question. "For her."

"I did an entire book for Warspite. Stem to stern and keel to aerials." A return statement from the boy. Not a boast, just an assertion. "I needed to know that so I could fix her. I can do more for Duke but not quite everything yet. Her turrets are my main concern but it wouldn't be fair if I didn't do the same."

Jean-Bart felt part of her warm at the thought of somebody knowing her that well, even as she watched the long haired blonde in front of her clasp the boy… no he was too mature for that, the hand of the young man in front of her.

"I believe you." She said, feeling a ball of tension somewhere in her boilers release. "I do." She felt the barest of smiles come onto her face. "Which means I think you can actually help."

Ron nodded, leaning forward. "Then what exactly is it I need to do?"

Jean-Bart paused, her mind racing as she thought of all the things wrong with her.

"I think perhaps I should show instead of simply tell."

"The repair pool then? You should be able to rig up there."

Jean-Bart nodded, even as she was surprised at the casual mention of a repair pool on the property. "Yes, I think that's appropriate."

Ron nodded again and stood up. "Lets go then."

As she stood, Jean-Bart matched eyes with Duke of York for a moment. They didn't say anything but Jean-Bart thought that the British ship understood where she was coming from. Perhaps she did know what was wrong with her. If she did she hadn't said anything… and she clearly believed in him.

That was enough for her.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Wew another long one. There should be one more part with all of this before I go onto other things but I hope you are all still enjoying. Questions, comments, concerns welcome as always.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts Omake: After Battle Pun-ishment

Have an omake:
__________________________________

Cooler swinging from his hand, the now twenty five year old Harry whistled a bit before walking into the area of the base given over to repairing allied Abyssals. Walking in, he could see Regina laid out as Hoppou bustled around. At seeing him, Regina brightened some, "Harry? What are you doing here?"

Reaching her, Harry gently kissed her before stroking her hair, "Partially coming by to check up on you." Even as the blushing Re-Class looked up at him, he continued, "Shinano-Chan said that you got somewhat banged up during the last battle."

From where she was gathering tools, Hoppou smiled a bit, "Yes, Big Brother. Some bangs and dings for the most part, easy fix for Hoppou! But.... one part will be a bit harder for Hoppou."

With a hum, Harry looked over at Regina's arm... or what was left of it since a heavy shell had blown it apart at the elbow. Seeing the Abyssal look down a bit, he had a twinkle in his eye as he shook his head, "I suppose that you were... disarmed then."

Giggles escaped the Re-Class even as the small Princess shook her head. As she got herself under control, Regina gave him a look, "Harry, that's not funny."

At his raised eyebrow, she looked away with a blush. If anything, that made his eyebrow raise still further, "You giggled at it."

Chewing her lip, Regina was silent before looking at him, "Um, well, I guess it was kind of funny..."

In reply, Harry gave her another kiss, this one she leaned into. Pulling back, he chuckled, "I'm glad to hear your giggles, Regina. Almost as beautiful as you."

While the Abyssal blushed and giggled again, Hoppou rolled her eyes, 'Big Brother is silly.' It was then that she remembered something and gave him an odd look, "Wait..." Turning, she gave him an odd look, "Big Brother stated he came down only partially to check on Regina. What other reason is Big Brother here for?"

Slowly, Harry raises the cooler, "Iku-Chan and the other Submarines were in the area and found Regina's arm and brought it back. So I figured on bringing it here." Glancing at the stub, he frowned, 'I wonder if it is bad that this doesn't bother me like it doesn't bother them when they get hurt like this.'

Just sighing, Hoppou smiled, "Thank you, Big Brother. If Hoppou has old arm, easier to fix for Hoppou." As he set down the cooler and opened it to reveal the recovered arm, she tilted her head to the side, "Though Big Brother could have sent someone else to deliver it."

Right then, a familiar twinkle entered his eyes as he lifted the lower arm of the Re-Class from the cooler. Grinning, Harry held it up, "I just figured that I should come by and... give you a hand with this."

Utter silence met him before Regina began madly giggling enough that she fell back. Meanwhile, Hoppou gave him an unamused look before bringing out her squirt bottle and spraying him, "Big Brother too silly."

All Harry did was grin between sputters.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Dumbledore spared a look at the parchment, a copy of one that was within the Ministry itself, "Please tell me that this is some sick joke, Amelia. That what is in front of me does not exist."

A grimace in her face, Amelia shook her head, "I am afraid not, Albus." The Grimace rapidly became a scowl, "But I wish that it was. Especially after how long a night this has been."

Just about to say something, the Headmaster froze as he felt something come down on top of him. A massive weight pressing down. Swallowing, Dumbledore glanced towards the door, "It would seem, Amelia, that things are about to become much longer."

Unable to stop the shivers, Amelia glanced at him even as sweat began to bead on her brow and her instincts screamed at her, "Albus, do you know what that is...?"

For a few moments, the older wizard was silent. However, he finally sighed, "Unless I miss my guess, that would be young Hoppou..." Albus cleared his throat some, "And it would also seem that she is quite... upset."

Under his breath, Kingsley grumbled a little even as he tried not to shake, "That is putting it mildly..."

The Auror didn't notice the look his boss shot him.

It was all rendered moot about ten minutes later as the doors to the Hospital Wing opened to reveal Hoppou standing there with her mother behind her as well as Aeroprin. The little being had an aura of nearly pitch darkness around her as she glared, both red eyes alight with wrath. In her bed where she was nursing another of innumerable mugs of hot chocolate, Reivana froze. Moments later, she scooted as far back into her bed as possible. This was due to how Hoppou was reminding her of Porta when said Princess was enraged beyond anything possible.

Eyes scanning the room, Hoppou spotted the sleeping Harry in a bed. Briefly, her gaze softened before it hardened again and she gestured towards the bed he laid in, "Blackie Smokie? Hoppou wants you to guard Big Brother."

Her own eyes alight in rage, Aeroprin nodded, "Don't worry, Mommy. I will watch over Uncle Harry, watch over Uncle Harry."

Nagato glanced at the Abyssal who only paused to tilt her head at Juuchi, who was eating a blood orange, before sitting on Harry's other side from the sword. More important to the Battleship was Hoppou, who looked moments away from brutally murdering something. Not that she did not understand the feeling. The Kami know that she felt much the same.

Shaking that off though, she took a deep breath before turning to Dumbledore with her eyes narrowed to near slits as she she softly hissed like a sword drawn from it's sheath, "What. Happened."

A frown on his face, Dumbledore's own expression darkened, "Mister Potter was out in Hogsmeade spending the day with his Godfather." Both Nagato and Hoppou glanced at said wizard who was also sleeping, though uneasily, "The Sun was just setting when a large group of Dementors swept in. From what we can tell, Sirius was the true target with Mister Potter and Madam Reivana as... targets of opportunity at best."

Teeth grinding, the Battleship let out a hiss, "And how many... were involved?"

When Dumbledore glanced at her, Amelia let out a hiss of her own, "We are still taking numbers, which might well be hard as a number of bodies are... no longer around. But from what we can tell, the lowest number was that was there when we arrived was at least a hundred. That said..." She let out a sigh and pinched her nose, "We are assuming that perhaps the number was higher, perhaps as many as two hundred."

Utter silence met that statement before Hoppou looked up at him, her eyes glowing in wrath, "Hoppou sees... And how many are left?"

Thinly smiling, Dumbledore chuckled, "Far fewer than two hundred. Mister Potter managed to account for at least half that number, perhaps. Both from his ofuda and a... rather supercharged one that finally broke the Dementors as well as a corporeal Patronus. he created. After that, they fled, though to where, we do not know."'

Suddenly, another voice spoke up, this one soft and yet underlain with steel, "They are heading back to Azkaban though with far fewer of their number with than they started with when they left the village." Everyone looked at the woman in peasant clothing right out of the Hundred Years War with Tsukiakari behind her, "Many of their number no longer darken His Earth."

Eyebrow raised, Dumbledore stroked his beard, "I see, Miss..."

The young woman bowed a little, "Call me Catherine."

Only giving Amelia a look, Albus smiled slightly, "I see, and thank you for that. Do you know how many escaped?"

Humming for a few moments, Catherine gave a slight nod, "About two dozen."

Eyebrow raised, Amelia leaned forward and ran the numbers in her head, "That means, with the total that has remained at Azkaban, there are perhaps, at most, a hundred Dementors if our numbers are correct and assuming there are not more there in the depths... which I am not about to do so."

Just nodding, the Headmaster frowned, "Yes, that does seem to be correct."

With a glance at him, Nagato sat down in a chair and leaned forward, "Why?" At the looks, she gave them one of her own, "Why did they attack Sirius? He is innocent and the Kiss order has been long since rescinded."

No one said anything for a moment before Amelia sighed and handed her a piece of parchment, "Here." When Nagato took it, she continued, "This is the original agreement between the Ministry and the Dementors... and what they are using as their excuse, as it were."

Frowning, the Battleship took the parchment and looked it over. As she did so, her eyebrows furrowed more and more before she looked up, "What, exactly, am I reading here?"

Dumbledore sighed and rubbed the side of his head, "Azkaban was made into a prison by a Minister of Magic called Damocles Rowle. He was... I believe the term would be, a real piece of work. Besides being Authoritarian, he was also a sadist of the highest order. To him, the Dementors driving the prisoners insane and suicidal was not an issue... it was a benefit. Thus, he made an agreement with the Dementors of the prison, whereupon they would be supplied with a steady supply of prisoners to feed upon to their non-existent heart's content."

It was then that Amelia took over, "One of the aspects of the agreement was... that any prisoner placed into the Maximum Security Wing would be in Azkaban until they died and were buried in the graveyard. There was never anything in the agreement about a prisoner found innocent and released." Now looking Nagato in the eye, she grimaced, "Hence, according to them, it does not matter that he was found innocent because by treaty, he is still to be returned to Azkaban or Kissed."

Rubbing her face, Nagato let out a groan, "Please tell me that this is some sort of sick joke. That they are not actually trying to use legalities to explain themselves..."

With a small shrug, the old wizard grimaced and shook his head, "I am afraid that I cannot do so, Miss Nagato. As much as I wish otherwise, it is right there in the treaty. And being as Dementors have a... different... type of mind than almost anything else? Most would accept that they might have... believed such, I am afraid."

Arms of the chair creaking under her mittened hands, Hoppou growled, "Hoppou sees, but is not happy." Looking up at Dumbledore, she continued, "And Hoppou is going to show them what she thinks of them trying to take Big Brother from Hoppou in how they did, and do so in such a way they will not get chance again."

Despite the sweat on his brow, which was odd with how freezing the room had become, Dumbledore nodded, "And I would agree and allow for it. I despise the Dementors personally to be quite honest and would like to see nothing else. But there is a..." For a moment, he searched for a word and finally shrugged, "A few complications, let us say."

Pinching her nose, Madam Bones shook her head, "Albus has explained a muggle term that applies in this case... do you know what MAD is?"

Now looking between them, Nagato frowned, "Mutually Assured Destruction." At their nods, she stood, "You cannot be serious!? Are you stating that destroying the Dementors could cause MAD!?"

A soft mutter of, "No, Sirius is in the bed" made them look at a pink haired Auror who blushed, "Sorry, heard that joke so long that, well..."

Only shaking ehr head, Amelia's lips twitched into a ghost of a smile, "I think those of us who know Black were saying it in our heads." Becoming serious again, she turned towards Nagato and Hoppou, "First, you need to hear the story of Azkaban to understand why we say such a thing..."

Looking over his shoulder, Dumbledore conjured a comfy and squishy looking chair with a hole in the back before gesturing at it, "Please, come and have a seat as you will need to report this back to Princess Porta, Miss Reivana." With a look at Hoppou, the Re-Class did so, Stab easily slipping through the hole, "Now, the story starts in the Fifteenth Century with a little known Sorcerer Ekrizdis. Unlike Dark Lords such as Voldemort, Ekrizdis was, thankfully not too concerned with ruling over people. Rather, he was more interested in his studies and experiments, thus built Azkaban for such a purpose from the ground up. A place where he could perform the darkest of magics without being interrupted..."

While he continued to tell the story, the Headmaster was not surprised to see the looks of dismay and disbelief grow on his audience's face. When he was done though, there was silence before Stab spoke up, "Huh... if he was not human, I would have said that both this Ekrizdis and Damocles Rowle would have been perfect matches for Central Atlantic from everything that her Highness has stated. Sadistic and cruel... also stupid."

Eyebrow twitching, Reivana glared at him, "STAB!" Turning back to Dumbledore, she frowned in thought, "So the reason that you are concerned with attacking Azkaban is... because there is things down there that you are frightened of, which you do not know what they are or how powerful they are, and that the Dementors might release if they are attacked?"

Slowly, Dumbledore sighed some, "Yes, that is the fear... One of the things that we have is magical sensors that can measure the levels of dark magic in a place and how many sources as well as general power. They take time to set up... but there has been several times that they have been set up on boats passing by to see what they could get from Azkaban." His expression darkened, "Deeper in than the prison, there are a number of signatures that move around every once in a while. Each one is, at a minimum, equal to a normal Abyssal Princess from the readings taken. What they are, we do not know, but they are some of the darkest, and most powerful readings ever taken. And they have been fed by the misery and other dark emotions produced by the prisoners above. At least one is under the cemetery on the island as well."

Internally cursing, Nagato glanced at the Re-Class who looked stunned. After a moment, Reivana became thoughtful, "That... would be a reason to be worried, I suppose. If such things wake up..."

Leaning forward, the Headmaster was quiet for a few moments, "Which is not to say that there are not... plans in the works." He glanced at the Aurors who also glanced at their boss. Amelia nodded and they left. Once they were outside the door, Dumbledore cast several privacy spells before turning back to them, "We understand that Mister Potter has used Ofuda on several occasions to kill dark creatures, including Dementors. And that, somehow, you are able to use them to enhance your own weapons as shown when you killed a Gashadokuro."

Confused, Stab looked at them in confusion, "A what now?"

A frown on her face, Nagato glanced at him, "A Gashadokuro is what results when hundreds of humans are killed in brutal manner, usually starvation, and leave behind massive grudges.When there is enough bodies in one place from such deaths, they can... consolidate into a massive skeletal being up to eighty feet tall, formed by those grudges and the originating skeletons merged together. Invisible and hungry for blood." Eyes narrowing, she grimaced, "Both myself, Hoppou, and a few others were fighting it and barely managed to kill it. And that was with myself using Purification Ofuda similar to what Harry used to kill the Dementors which boosted my own shells and made them operate in much the same way."

For several moments, Reivana was staring at Nagato and then at Hoppou. Back and forth she went before she paused and her eyes widened some, "Could... something like that be at Azkaban? Or multiple ones?"

When they turned to the Headmaster, he had a pensive look on his face, "I wish that I could say that it would not be possible. Yet... I, cannot. The fact that no one who entered the depths of Azkaban and returned would willingly state what they saw down there besides that the Dementors are the least horrific thing... it is a source of worry."

Eyes closed, Reivana considered what she was being told before opening her eyes and glancing at Nagato, "Would it be possible to get a video of this... Gashadokuro battle? In case Her Highness needs an example?" In return, Nagato gave a small nod and confirmation before the Re-Class turned back to Dumbledore, "You stated that you were working on something though to kill such things?"

Internally sighing in relief, Dumbledore smiled thinly, "Currently, we are working on methods of creating similar effects to what Miss Nagato used with local methods. It is slow going, but... we have worked out some ways of doing so. But in any case, doing so would take time and both us and the RN have agreed that the only way to prevent major issues would be to come with, what is the muggle term? Maximum overkill, I believe." He spread his hands some, "For example, the Saint Class with their Eighteen Inch Guns among others, Monitors, Carriers outfitted with bombs... Not just British shipgirls, but also ones from across Europe." With a glance at Nagato, he gave a slight nod, "And help from the Canadians."

Puzzled, the Battleship frowned before realization came over her face, "Habakkuk. She is able to field normally land based Bombers such as B-17s. Lancasters are another with possible modifications to carry Grand Slam bombs. From my understanding, the Canadians can also offer Halifax who can also launch such aircraft. It should be enough to put down any issues that may be there. But... it will take time to do so."

As Reivana nodded, Dumbledore gave a small smile, "However, as it may be, reparations will be paid due to the attack, I do not think that would be a huge issue. I have some that... may be useful."

Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a box and handed it to her. Confused, Reivana glanced at him before opening it and her eyes widened as her jaw dropped. Hand shaking, she reached in and pulled out a ruby the size of a chicken's egg, "I, uh... there's nine. T-three of these, three sapphires, an-and three emeralds..."

Dumbledore merely nodded, "Yes, that is just one part, but consider this yours no matter what." Getting a nod, he stood and smiled, "I am afraid that there is some business to attend to, you must understand. But I see no issue if you wish to stay and recover further, I will have the house elves bring you any food that you wish."

The Re-Class nodded and just kept boggling at the gemstones in the box, not noticing the odd look on Amelia's face. Seeing the glance, the head of the DMLE followed Dumbledore out as well as Nagato who gave a slight nod to Hoppou. Once they were a distance from any of the other Aurors though, Amelia gave him a frown, "Albus, where did those come from?"

Placing his hands into his sleeves, the Headmaster chuckled, "Mister Potter found a collection of them in a place here in the Castle. However, they all belonged to the goblins thus it does not harm us in the slightest to give her them. And, hopefully, it will calm Princess Porta some when she sees them as I am certain she can find some use."

On one side of him, Nagato hummed even as Amelia shook her head in disbelief. After a few moments, the Battleship frowned, "The... way that they are going to destroy Azkaban, that was not all of what there is, is there?"

Almost a minute went by before Dumbledore sighed and shook his head, "No, I am afraid not. But I felt it best not to mention to Miss Reivana knowing that it could get back to her ruler." Glancing at Nagato, he took a deep breath, "What do you know of HMS Plym?"

It took only seconds for the shipgirl to answer, "HMS Plym? I know of her, she died in a nuclear test much like myself. Though in her case, she died because the warhead was... was..." Coming to a stop, she turned and looked at Dumbledore in disbelief, "Please do not tell me that..."

Grimacing, Dumbledore shook his head, "She came back with the bomb still inside of her. They have disarmed it, thankfully. But the RN is still in possession. If needed... it is to be enhanced with purification capabilities and used against Azkaban. But that decision has not been made quite yet."

Nagato cursed at that and shook her head with a scowl on her face, "Let us hope that it does not."

All she got from Dumbledore was a nod even as Amelia gave a shudder, "Let us hope."

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Well, let's see if we can get this show on the road again. For some reason, I'm feeling the hype today a little more than usual. Maybe I'll have everything done by the weekend?

Nah, too much to hope for. Maybe inside the month.
Flash Back: Little Talks
"Damn it, Xiang!" The Chinese woman stood impassively, glancing down at the flaming box in her companion's hand. The sword (who Xiang secretly referred to as "Cynthia") glanced down, following her gaze. "Oh, right," she said derisively, tossing it away and patting the flames on her hand out. "That. Xiang, I told you to wait for me! What the hell made you decide to ignore that? I—wait…" she glanced back down at her hand, then glanced over at the box, which had sputtered out as soon as it left her hand. "Oh… that's clever. I like these kids."

Xiang rolled her eyes. She tapped Cynthia firmly on the shoulder and, with the older woman's eyes back on her, waved her hands through a series of familiar patterns. "A man came who wants to speak with you. He is one of those people."

Very few people survived with the Holy War Sword of the Scythians long enough to get a feel for her, but Xiang felt that the miniscule jolt that seemed to run down Cynthia's form for that split second was telling. Of course, even if she didn't identify them by name, both of them knew full well who she was talking about.

"You're sure," Cynthia said, voice calm and certain.

"I have never forgotten them, or the feeling of them."

"Well. That changes things." Cynthia crossed her arms, turning away. She glanced over at the box that was lying on the ground, then snorted and turned back to Xiang. "Okay. Here's what we're going to do. It's kind of dumb, but I think that we can make this work…"
-----

"You put some kind of tracker on your calligraphy set?" Benio asked, giving Reiko a hard, "interrogation" kind of stare. The jorogumo responded with a half-exasperated, half-pleading look, and Benio recalled that there were strangers around. She shrugged apologetically, and Reiko nodded.

"Two, actually," she admitted. "One on the box itself, and one to… disable magical defenses, kind of, it's like a… uh…" she glanced over at the Scottish girl, who was giving her a stare of her own. "I'm not very good at explaining it," she finished in a near whisper.

"You," the American guy said, glaring at the other girl himself. She side-eyed him, one corner of her mouth quirking upward for a moment before she turned away almost primly. He turned back to Reiko. "So, we can track her now?" he asked.

The miko nodded uncertainly. "Theoretically," she corrected. "I'd have to get the box back first, and there's the possibility that she's going to some untraceable location or other, but…" she shrugged. "That's all that Sam and I could come up with on such short notice."

"Damn good idea, too," Benio said. She reached over, and patted Reiko on the head, prompting her to bat her away. "Hey, Tatsuya, don't you think she deserves some quality time for pulling that off?"

Tatsuya glanced over at her. Do I want to know what you're up to?

Probably not.

Gonna let this go, then… he shook his head and turned back to Reiko. "You said that one of the ofuda disabled magical defenses. Do you have anything that can mess her up from a distance?"

"I mi—"

"Haul yer fuckin' 'orses!" the Scottish girl snapped. "Who says we aren't gonna fight 'er? I—"

"Would lose," Tatsuya cut her off, "because you are talking about someone with literally over a thousand years' experience, and is such a good fighter that she can anticipate your moves before you make them. If we want to get any kind of victory out of this, we're going to need to avoid a direct fight." The girl gave him a glare (much nastier than the one she'd directed at the American, Benio noticed), but said nothing. "Reiko?"

"I might," the jorogumo admitted. "We have a… a lot of onmyouji texts back at the shrine, it's almost insane… but I remember one that might be able to knock her for a loop if we get it off before she can start fighting."

"Good work," Tatsuya nodded at her, and she turned away blushing slightly. Sitting next to her, "Sam" elbowed her in the ribs with a cheerful grin. The American guy glanced between them all, but was silent.

Looking at their companions, Tatsuya took a breath. "Sorry if I'm being… pushy or anything," he said. "That aside, I think we're really going to need your help if we want to get any kind of win here. I'm not even sure what her whole plan is—but I don't doubt that she'll keep coming after us if we don't do something here and now—"

"Stop trying to convince us," the American replied. His eyes were closed, and he had the calm air of someone more or less resigned to whatever madness was about to fall on his head. "I don't doubt that every one here came without some idea of the risk." His glance flickered over to his sister again, and she returned a perturbed one of her own.

"That's… great," Tatsuya nodded. He looked over to the side. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go check in on Tonbo."

Benio glanced over. Their own sword girl had been standing off to one side the whole time, silently looking at the ground beneath her feet. She nodded. "Don't worry, Mommy will take care of all the difficult business over here. You go do what you have to."

"Well, that's just going to make Daddy worried," Tatsuya replied flatly. He stood, and walked away.

"Do they do that a lot?" Sam asked Reiko.

"Eh, every so often."
-----

I want to give Tatsuya and Benio a scene here, but in Pittsburgh right now it's one in the morning and I want to get to sleep maybe before two so that idea is out. Tomorrow, hopefully.

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

RCNAnon

Weasleys' Warship Workshop 4

As Ron, Duke and Jean-Bart headed towards the repair baths, Ron suddenly remembered something and turned to look at his guest.

"I'm not sure if you've heard about her but Summer is a friendly Abyssal Princess we have as a guest. She's currently in the bathhouse or she was last time I checked so please try not to frighten her."

Jean-Bart looked over and down to him, meeting his eyes for a moment before nodding. "I will do so. I've heard of her but had no chance yet to meet a friendly abyssal so I'm sure it will be… enlightening."

"Oh and we also have an Abyssal Battleship Princess in there as well. She's not friendly but Summer demilitarized her and her back is broken so you don't need to worry about her either."

Jean-Bart's eyebrow raised at that as they reached the door, surprise clear on her face.

"A prisoner?"

Duke nodded.

"Yes. We found her in the north with her broken keel and sinking. There have been some disturbing rumors from around there and we needed intel. So we brought her back and Summer assisted in making sure that we didn't need to kill her out of hand."

Jean-Bart nodded again to that, though her face was contemplative.

As they were about to reach the door to the bathhouse, it opened. Out stepped Summer, Acasta pushing a wheelchair and the Battleship Princess in said wheelchair who seemed just a bit out of it.

Summer immediately let out an "eep" in surprise and sidled towards Ron, though she did not cower away like she used to. Acasta seemed unaffected like she normally was, though she stopped the wheelchair immediately and jerked the other abyssal slightly more awake, her eyes tracking over the group.

Ron immediately reached out a hand to Summer, placing it on her arm and she calmed down, though her eyes were locked on Jean-Bart.

"Jean-Bart, this is Summer. Summer, this is Jean-Bart. She's from France and she's asking us for some help with an engineering issue."

Summer's eyes immediately widened and the fear disappeared from them as she looked the French battleship over properly. Jean-Bart did much the same to Summer in turn, having to crane her neck up slightly.

"Hello Summer." Jean-Bart kept her voice as pleasant as she'd had it before, offering her hand to Summer. "I've heard about you."

"H-hello..." Summer took Jean-Bart's hand cautiously for a moment, more of a squeeze than a shake. "Uhm… can… d-do y-you mind…?" Summer glanced to Ron and then back to Jean-Bart.

Ron turned to Jean-Bart, who looked somewhat confused at Summer's reaction.

"Summer is… shy." He said in way of explanation. "Especially around new people. What I think she's asking is if you mind if she joins us." He looked up at Summer, who nodded in thanks. "She likes engineering problems."

Jean-Bart looked back up to Summer and then to Ron again.

"You would be discussing things with her anyway, would you not?"

"More than likely." Ron nodded. "Unless of course for some reason you felt it shouldn't be."

Jean-Bart looked back up to Summer, who at that point looked somewhat like an eager puppy and then sighed and nodded.

"There is no point in hiding it from those who might help you so she may come, yes."

Summer's eyes lit up and her hands clapped together in front of her waist.

Duke looked down to Acasta, who was waiting patiently for all of them.

"Will you be ok without Summer?" She asked the little dark haired destroyer.

"Yes. She's sleepy and the watch says all is good."

A little fairy emerged from the top of the Princess' head and waved for a moment before disappearing back inside with a poof.

"Still, be careful but please continue." Duke smiled to Acasta

Acasta nodded, the dark haired abyssal being carted away with her eyes having only been slightly focused on the group.

Ron gestured his hand forward and Jean-Bart nodded. After allowing her to go first Ron followed, Summer and Duke ducking in behind. A short walk through a currently unused changing room later and they were at the main pool, which was more of a swimming pool sized than the smaller one Summer had been using before. Walking up to the side Ron stopped and turned to Jean-Bart, who was visibly preparing herself for the moment.

"Do you need a minute?" He asked politely. "We don't have to do this now."

"No, we do." Jean-Bart's words were clearly somewhat of a struggle. "I just hate how it feels when I do this."

"Take your time then." Ron started to raise his hand but then stopped, keeping it down by his waist instead of raising it in a friendly pat. He didn't know her that well yet.

Jean-Bart nodded, took a deep breath and then stepped forward.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jean-Bart really hated summoning her rig. It was the moment when she was reminded of how incomplete she really was. Complete she was a terror of the seas to all but the biggest and best armored ships. Now she was only a step above a lame duck.

She saw out of the corner of her eye as Ronald… Ron's hand started to raise but he set it back down. The thought was appreciated but the discretion more so. Richelieu she could stand but… not anyone else.

She took a deep breath and stepped forward, focusing on herself as she did so. Her rig summoned in its normal sparkle, forming around her before her foot touched the water. She reached out for power and felt it come, then stop suddenly like it always did. She grimaced and then turned, the pool an acceptable substitute for the moment but nothing like where she was supposed to be.

As she turned, she felt Ron's eyes on her like she had at the door. Examining, probing, trying to see what was wrong with her. It didn't take long, as there was a glaring example of just how incomplete she was immediately visible to the most ignorant moron.

"You're missing a turret." Ron sounded surprised, his eyes going to the point on her rig that held the base of the turret and nothing else.

"Oui, an entire half of my firepower simply does not exist." She waited, wanting to see what else he would notice.

"Not very many secondaries or AA guns… I see a few spots for more."

"I have none of my three triple 152mm turrets. Only five dual 90mm AA guns and two double 37mm mountings." A pause as she fought down the shame and continued. "I only have one large rangefinder, one secondary and a single one for navigation. My fire control directors are not my own and my guns are only indifferently connected at best." She snorted. "You can find destroyers with more effective firepower than I have."

Ron nodded, looking her over and then up to her eyes.

"You have propulsion issues too."

That wasn't a question but a statement.

"Yes. I have only half my boilers in working order. Half of my turbines as well and only two of my propellers are mounted." She paused again, another one of her shames coming to the fore. "I can on a good day keep up with Warspite or her sisters. Perhaps."

"Anything else?" Ron took one more look at her rig.

"Nothing major. I occasionally have issues with my one radar but I think it's more that its an old fashioned set and my crew is not used to… ahem. Well there is one thing. I don't have a full crew." Jean-Bart shook her head. "There's not much point in having one when they wouldn't have anything to do."

"Well we'll need to get that fixed too." Ron muttered to himself and then looked back up at Jean-Bart's eyes. "So just a run down, you need me to install and get working properly a full half of your propulsion systems, half your main armament, all your secondary armament and most of your AA guns. Then it all needs to be given a test, fixed into your fire control network, which we also need to rebuild properly and then get you all of your sensors that you should have in the meanwhile. Finally, we need to get you more crew so everything can run properly once it's installed. Does that sound about right?"

Jean-Bart winced at the full listing of her issues but she nodded.

"That is correct, yes. She paused. "Can you do it?"

"Not sure yet." Ron said. "Probably."

"You aren't sure?" Jean-Bart felt herself deflate promptly at his words, an edge coming to her voice.

"I am not actually a naval architect yet Jean-Bart." Ron's voice took on a more serious tone. "I am a gifted amateur with plenty of time and help." He pointed at Summer. "I think we can do it provided we have the resources."

"Those will not be a problem." Jean-Bart said, slightly mollified. "My government will pay the price for my repairs. Of that I am certain."

"If that's the case I still want to..." Ron froze and then shook his head, looking like he wanted to swear. "Victoria!"

Jean-Bart's eyes popped as the maid suddenly appeared behind Ron.

"Yes Young Master?" Her voice was perfectly level, as if she'd been expecting this.

"Can you get Angie for me please? Tell her Jean-Bart needs some dry-dock time."

Jean-Bart cocked her eyebrow as Ron turned back to her.

"I need dry-dock time?" Her tone was somewhat flat.

"Yes." Ron didn't seem to be bothered by that. "You told me a lot but I'm going to need more detail than what you told me. Dimensions, current wear and tear, if something doesn't match the blueprints…" He stopped and grinned. "I've also recently been reminded that battleships like to skip out on repair time if they can." He cocked his head at her. "And I can see a few spots that need a paint job on your rig. When's the last time you soaked in a bath or were even in a repair dock?"

Jean-Bart suddenly felt a chill go down her spine for some reason and she looked around the room for a moment.

"I spend the required time in the baths after every sortie and since I've not had combat damage in quite a while there's no need…" she started, just as the door to the changing room was suddenly thrust open and banged on the wall. An amazonian woman with sun bleached hair and tanned skin stood there, an entirely too eager looking smile.

"There is no need for what?" Said the woman in an English accent mixed with German.

"Jean-Bart, this is Angie. Also known as Admiralty Floating Dock Number 8. Angie, this is Jean-Bart, second ship of the Richelieu class. She's come to us for help in repairs and well she can't remember the last time she had dry-dock time."

Angie's grin widened in a manner Jean-Bart did not like very much at all.

"I see. Good thing you called me Ron." The woman's green eyes focused on Jean-Bart. "So should I do a normal job or is this a special occasion?"

Jean-Bart turned the corner of her eye to Ron, hoping that by whatever gods there were that he didn't say it was a special occasion.

"I think this qualifies as a special occasion." Ron said, turning to look at Jean-Bart. "Be easy on her though. I still need drawings and specs of what is and isn't done so there needs to be a full survey."

"Ja." Angie's eyes were agleam. "It will be done."

Jean-Bart felt her chances of escape slipping away quickly.

"I don't have to stay here." She said, sounding unfortunately defensive even to her own ears.

Ron nodded.

"You don't. I can't do my job though if I don't know what I need to look at." His reasonable tone made Jean-Bart all the more nervous. "It's for your own good, I promise."

Jean-Bart looked between Ron who was so utterly reasonable looking, Summer who seemed to be nodding, Duke of York who was only grinning at her and the unmerciful eyes of the giant Anglo-Germanic repair dock.

"...Fine." She sighed.

"Great!" Ron smiled. "I'll leave you girls to it and go do some of my own research."

Jean-Bart watched as Ron was followed by Duke of York and Summer out of the pool, leaving her only with Angie.

"It will be fine!" Said the giant woman as a wrench appeared in her hand. "I will take good care of you."

Jean-Bart gulped.

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

Hours later, enough that it was long since dark, Jean-Bart blew bubbles in the water as Angie finished up her check.

"See, I told you it would not be so bad ja?" Angie was quite pleased as her hands did up the last of Jean-Bart's hair.

"You did." Jean-Bart admitted grudgingly. She did feel quite good after her time but it was still somewhat humiliating to be so easily maneuvered into such a position.

"Ronald is a good lad. He will be one of the best some day so you are in good hands. Even with all of this still needing doing."

Jean-Bart turned and looked to see several of Angie's fairies struggling under a mountain of little notes.

"I just hope it works out." Jean-Bart said.

"It will." Angie finished with Jean-Bart's hair and nodded. "Now you can get out. I'm sure they have a room for you."

Jean-Bart nodded and got out of the water, drying herself on the offered towel and redressing herself.

As they were leaving, Jean-Bart turned to see Summer carrying Ron against her shoulder with one hand, an enormous pile of paper in the other and Ron fast asleep looking exhausted.

The abyssal princess stopped as she saw them and put a finger to her lips.

"The Yardmaster is sleeping." Her voice was barely above a whisper as she carried Ron towards the door.

"Is that normal?" Jean-Bart turned to Angie.

"From what I understand, yes." Angie nodded. "I've not been around long but according to Duke and Warspite he is often scolded by his mother because he fell asleep on their blueprints. It looks like he's doing the same thing for you."

Jean-Bart felt her boilers flutter at the thought, her eyes tracking Summer and Ron until they made it to the door where the maid was waiting.

Victoria waited until Jean-Bart and Angie got close before speaking.

"I have prepared a guest room for you at the Young Master's request. He says it's to be kept open for your use." Her voice was neutral, showing little inflection but she didn't seem quite as cold as before.

"Thank you." Jean-Bart said. There was no point in being rude.

There was a pause as Victoria narrowed her eyes briefly and then stepped aside, gesturing towards the door.

"Please enjoy your stay."

Jean-Bart nodded, stepping back into the house and wondering why she felt her boilers flutter nervously at those words.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Well, this is the end of Ron's first return to Passell house but there's sure to be more coming. My next snip is one I've been looking forward to for a while and I hope to get it out soon. Until then, questions, comments and concerns welcome as always.

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Time for another little walk down.... Lonely Street

Lonely Street ... Part 2

Master Chief Longstreet was facing another day of finding something to do. With hanami proving to be a veritable blizzard of pink sakura blossoms, Yonehara had once again shuttered the office and given everyone the day off. Sure, things were running well and it wasn't like anything was pressing. But for Dalton, mindless shuffling of paper, files, reports and correspondence made the day pass. Nothing to do means I'm needed for nothing. Superfluous to requirements. He walked back home. He took the half full liter bottle of Coca-cola out of the fridge. He reached into a cabinet, took out a bottle of Capt Morgan Black Rum and poured enough rum into the Coke bottle to fill it. He secured the cap on the Coke bottle and gave it a shake to mix it together.

He chuckled grimly. "Time to go sailing with Captain Morgan / and not even leave dry land." Adding a sandwich to the Coke bottle in a bag, he headed out to the park.

Once again the park was full of families and groups enjoying the sakura. He made his way through the throngs, trying to locate a nice quiet solitary place. That meant avoiding the open grassy areas where most of the families had set up, so he kept walking, hoping to find somewhere unobtrusive. Several different groups of ship-girls were in the park. One of which was the natural born Ibuki sisters. A sharp pang of envy spiked through him at the sight of Moriko Ibuki bury a yeah that's a guy in marshmallow hell. The peals of laughter caused a familiar refrain to bubble up to his conscious thought.

Happiness happens to other people. Not you Dalt. Joy will not come to the unwanted, lest it be wasted.

"Chief Longstreet-san?"

Dalt was broken out of his reverie by the question. Looking back, he saw one of the destroyer girls that lived with Fubuki and all those kids. "Hello there Kisaragi-san. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh no. We just wanted to thank you for all the help the other night with that 'Boogeyman' problem. The children are sleeping much easier now."

He rubbed his chin in thought. "I was happy to help. It was just something that my grandfather told me about back when I was a kid. That when I became a dad, I would have to be the one to get rid of the Boogeyman and the Monster Under the Bed for my kids. He also said something about only adult men can see them and make them go away."

"And you certainly did make it go away! Although it was kind of messy."

"Yeah, another weird little detail my grandfather mentioned that I always thought was bullspit. Did the baking soda and water mix get the blood stains out of the closet?"

"Yes it did and thank you again! I'm sure your children will never have to worry about a boogeyman! OH! I've got to go Longstreet-san, arigato!" With that Kisaragi waved and moved off to catch up to Fubuki and the children.

Dalton just stared glumly off into space before he spoke to the air, "It's true in a way, being as I'm not likely to ever have kids, they certainly won't have to worry." He turned and found an unclaimed sakura tree to sit down and lean his back against. He sat down, took out the bottle of Coke and took a long pull. He didn't notice the woman in sunglasses surreptitiously watching the Ibuki group, nor that she had been within hearing distance of his brief conversation with Kisaragi. The only thing Dalt wanted was to feel something other than numb or lonely. For now, he was leaving that in the hands of Captain Morgan.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Pack Dynamics VI

Yokosuka Naval Base, Main Gate

Suzume Ibuki stifled a groan as her minutes-older big sister sprinted toward the effeminate form of her boyfriend. Not that she did not expect this kind of behavior, considering how bridge - no, head! - over heels Moriko-chan was for this boy. That said, it was still terribly embarrassing to see Moriko-chan act like a giddy schoolgirl in public.

People were staring at her and not just the children! That secretary over there was, as was the businesswoman that she remembered from the Karaoke club!

Sachiko murmured from where she sat in the wheelchair, "That poor little boy. Someone needs to comfort him."

With that Suzume nodded and hurried over to the side of the cute boy who was looking at his big brother with an absolutely adorable puzzled look. Since it was obvious that unless someone took a cutting torch to Hachiko and Moriko's relationship soon, she should be at least friendly to her new in-laws.
Spoiler: Aki Meets The Ibukis

She knelt down in front of the boy and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Moriko-chan's sister Suzume."

He blinked and looked at her with his brown eyes wide and whispered. "Oh! You must be Tou-san's friend's sister! He said that she was really nice and wonderful and stuff."

Unbidden her lips curled in a gentle smile that lit up her face. "Yes, yes she is. Um, you are Aki, right?"

He nodded, still awestruck. "Yes, yes I am. Um, you are really nice and wonderful too. Are you an angel like Tou-san says Miss Moriko is?"

She smiled. "That's very sweet of you, Aki-kun." She cast about for a subject to talk to this precocious elementary school student about, and seized on the hachimaki headband from his kyudo lesson that he was wearing. "That's an interesting headband, Aki-kun, where did you get it?"

She was curious, since unlike the normal slogans to pass an examination or be number one, the characters on the headband were hand-inked 体得 'Knowledge'.

He scuffed one sneaker against the pavement with a bashful look, "I wrote it myself my first day in Tokunotakai-sensei's class. She told me that kyudo was a path for people to grow, and for me to write what I wanted to grow toward, what I wanted to get out of the class. I want to learn and understand stuff like Tou-san does."

Suzume gave Aki a respectful nod and approving smile and then blinked in surprise. "Oh! You train under Tokunotakai-kyōshi? I wish that I could have. My senseis have spoken of her with respect but I have been unable to learn from her."

"Yeah, she's really amazing and funny, but not as amazing as you are," Aki said earnestly, with clear hero-worship toward this young lady treating him as an equal.

She laughed slightly and gave him a conspiritorial grin. "We are all amazing in our own way. I bet if you keep growing and learning, you will compete in kyudo tournaments like I did to get money to help my sister Sachiko; she gets sick a lot so she is in the wheelchair here. Want to meet her too?"

"Mm-hmm!" Aki nodded eagerly and reached out his hand for Suzume's. Calluses from kyudo practice touched each other as they walked past the embracing Moriko and Hachiko.

The two passed the secretary talking on her phone and then the nightclub manager, who had a smug self-satisfied smile as they walked to Sachiko. Upon arriving at Sachiko's wheelchair, Suzume gave Aki's hand a squeeze and released it. "Aki, this is my amazing and wonderful younger sister Sachiko. Sachiko-chan, this is Hachiko's little brother Aki-kun."

The youngest Ibuki sister smiled and patted her lap. "Want to ride to see the flowers with me?"

Aki glanced at Sachiko, then up to Suzume. Suzume smiled encouragingly and nodded and he happily hopped into Sachiko's lap.

"I see Big Sister Moriko finally is letting Hachiko-san breathe." Sachiko observed quietly as Hachiko's red face with a trickle of blood from his nose emerged from Moriko's cleavage.

Aki looked up at Suzume, "Why does Tou-san look so funny?"

Suzume smiled at him and winked. "Because Moriko-chan ruffled his hair like I'll ruffle yours."

Aki melodramatically put both hands up to protect his head. "Nooo! I don't want to look funny like Tou-san!" The roguish twinkle in his eyes and perked up ears put paid to any form of distress in his statement, though.

Sachiko and Suzume burst into laughter, followed by Aki as they wheeled to join Moriko and Hachiko.

---------------------------------------
Spoiler: Hanami

Kiho Mitsue smiled despite herself as she watched Suzume assist the wheelchair-bound form of Sachiko next to the picnic blanket that Aki, Hachiko and Moriko had set up under the cherry blossoms.

It was a beautiful day, not too hot yet, and with an invigorating sea breeze to make the blossom-laden branches gently sway. Considering the circumstances of some of her investigations, this was near-ideal.

Her smile widened as Moriko plopped herself down on the blanket and then grabbed Hachiko, pulling the smaller boy into her lap to use her bosom as a pillow while Aki ate his bento and the other two sisters talked quietly over lunch away from the lovebirds.

She rubbed the ofuda in her purse, sharpening her hearing while apparently looking at her smartphone with her visible hand.

".... Suzume-chan?"

"What is it, Sachiko-chan?"

"You smelled inu on Aki-kun too?"

"Hai. I don't think Moriko-chan has yet. I'm not surprised, since her nose never totally worked right after that oni broke it in her championship match. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I am. Let's keep Aki-kun downwind of her and see how long it takes her to figure out that the 'Inugami bitch who keeps sniffing around her Hachiko-chan' is his cute little brother."

Kiho's eyes widened behind her omnioculars and she bit her lip to focus herself and force her anger and betrayal back down. This definitely needed to be followed up, and explained why that spider Shigeru hung her out to dry rather than stepping in like he could have.

She murmured into her phone words for her self-writing notebook to transcribe for analysis later. "Definite yokai connection, investigate. Knows about oni, Reference Auror reports on female MMA fighters, possibly championship caliber. Also check Miyatas for inugami members."

Sensing eyes turned toward her from the direction of her quarry, she gave a visible exasperated sigh at the imaginary ingrate who had called her during hanami. She turned to 'visibly admire the blossoms' and lull suspicion as another scrap of conversation caused her magically enhanced ears to perk up

"Chief Longstreet-san?"

"Hello there Kisaragi-san. Is there something I can do for you?"

"Oh no. We just wanted to thank you for all the help the other night with that 'Boogeyman' problem. The children are sleeping much easier now."

"I was happy to help. It was just something that my grandfather told me about back when I was a kid. That when I became a dad, I would have to be the one to get rid of the Boogeyman and the Monster Under the Bed for my kids. He also said something about only adult men can see them and make them go away."

"And you certainly did make it go away! Although it was kind of messy."

"Yeah, another weird little detail my grandfather mentioned that I always thought was bullspit. Did the baking soda and water mix get the blood stains out of the closet?"

"Yes it did and thank you again! I'm sure your children will never have to worry about a boogeyman! OH! I've got to go Longstreet-san, arigato!"

"It's true in a way, being as I'm not likely to ever have kids, they certainly won't have to worry."

The weary, beaten-down tone of the man's voice sparked something under her professionalism. Embers of a flame that she had thought extinguished forever by the cynicism and cruelty of the way that she had been treated for doing the right thing.

She looked over and saw a middle aged and battered man sitting alone with a bottle of some brown soda and a sandwich next to him. As the destroyer girl he had been talking to headed back to the gaggle of young children that she was escorting, she noticed that he was certainly close enough to her targets to listen in on their conversation and she would have a decent line of sight to their picnic.

Perfect.

She murmured to her self-writing quill, "Begin automatic recording mode, full transcript."

With that set up, she walked over and bowed to him, pulling her own bento and a bottle of water out of her purse. "Excuse me, would you mind terribly if I sat beside you to enjoy the blossoms?"

Part of her told herself the reason that she would be doing this was to cultivate a contact to see what the base gossip network thought of the Ibuki sisters. But deep down, she knew that she did it because she knew what it was like to spend hanami abandoned by everyone around her as she suffered in stoic silence.

 

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1: Uzume gets her shipping on

RCNAnon said:
Aki is cute, like teeth meltingly cute​

Yeah, when cobbling together character traits to build into Aki, we seemed to have settled on a mix of Phantom Menace Era Anakin Skywalker, and Young Izuku Midoriya. So he is a prescious sweetheart of a little boy, with a love of tinkering - sadly we've not had an opportunity to revel in that aspect outside of Hachiko mentioning LEGO sets being his favorite.

But yes: He's a good boy, best doggo-boy.

And I hope we get to see more of that good boy.

and he's got the right instincts for a boy his age.​

Indeed. He shall be a source of much D'awws.

Aki: Suzume-nee? What's wrong?

Suzume: *watching Moriko and Hachiko snuggle like doggos at a fire* Oh nothing you need to worry about little Aki-chan. Just a bit of jealousy that Moriko-chan's happiness.

Aki: What do you mean? *doggo headtilt*

Suzume: *sighs* Oh nothing. Moriko is able to find a very good man in your brother. I just wish I could find the time to look myself.

Aki: *very serious little boy thinking* Well, don't worry Suzume-chan! When I grow up, and you haven't found a husband, I can do it!

Surrounding girls watching:

"Kaaawaaaiiiii!!!!"

Suzume: *a little surprised, but smiles, laughs a little, and pats his little head* That is very sweet of you to offer Aki. But you don't need to worry about me. I don't need a husband to be happy, just knowing that my sisters have their happiness is enough for me. I'll be just fine.

Uzume: ...

*pulls out a calendar and an abacus*

mikelima777 said:
I am on the fence about having another tie in to the Norikids. Maybe instead she got kicked out the manor next door and managed to break some decorations after slamming into the grounds.

Or Victoria heard of the dumpsterfire second hand.
Yellowhammer said:
We have been bouncing this idea back and forth off and on.

My thinking is that Colombe was a guest invited to a social event there and 'misbehaved' since she was in a bad headspace after crawling out of the Congo and then killing her treacherous nephew and someone slammed her red button very hard. Cue dumpster fire.​

Yeah, I'm of this same opinion. No need to oversaturate the setting. Besides, the uperclass are atrocious gossips. It wouldn't matter if the incident was in Northumberland, the tale would get down to her.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Slowly waking up from his deep sleep, Harry blinked his eyes and glanced around his bed. From the light coming in the windows, he was able to tell that it had to have been at least eight in the morning. Which meant that he had likely slept more than twelve hours straight. Something that... did not really surprise him all too much.

Even now, he felt mental exhaustion from what had happened.

With a slight grimace from his stiff muscles, Harry continued to observe the room with half lidded eyes. Ones that he opened fully as they met red ones looking up at him from where their owner laid beside him, "Hoppou?"

Hoppou's eyes watered some before she practically leapt into his embrace and hugged him tightly, "Hoppou was so scared, Big Brother. Hoppou thought that you were..."

Returning the hug just as tightly, Harry nodded, "You were not the only one, Hoppou. I was worried as well for a bit before, well..." He just continued to hug her, "Well, I'm okay now in any case." Feeling Hoppou nod against his neck, he nuzzled her a little, "I'm fine, Hoppou. And I am still here despite their best attempt."

Just pulling back some, the Abyssal smiled softly, "Yes, Hoppou knows this and is glad."

And with that stated, Hoppou went back to hugging him as Harry rubbed her back through her dress. Feeling the bed shift, he looked up to where Nagato was looking down at him before she hugged him, "She's right, Harry. At this rate, you are going to turn my hair white."

Lips twitching, and wanting to lighten the mood a little, Harry chuckled as he returned the hug, "Well, then I suppose that you and Hoppou will match. Especially as I can't turn her hair white."

Huffing, Hoppou reached up and bopped him on the head with one hand, "Big Brother being silly. And Big Brother is going to turn Hoppou's hair grey from worry for him."

Lightly laughing, Harry gave her a kiss on the top of her head, "I try not to, Hoppou. You know that."

Yet again, all he got was a huff from her as she snuggled into him. Meanwhile, Nagato shook her head and ran a hand through her hair, "Perhaps, and in some ways that makes it worse, I suppose."

Right then, the door opened and Aeroprin walked in pushing a cart with Juuchi munching an orange with Kagotsuruhe behind her. Upon seeing him, the Abyssal Destroyer rushed over and joined in the hug, "Uncle Harry! You're awake! Awake!"

Smiling, Harry patted her back, "I am." When he turned towards her, the first sign for Juuchi that something was about to happen was the twinkle in his eyes. The second was that he was smirking at her smugly to a level equal to her own at times, "Good morning, June."

Absentmindly, Juuchi nodded, "Good morning, Master..." Suddenly realizing what he called her, she gave him a look that was equal bits of confusion and surprise at what she just heard, "Wait, what did you just call me?"

If anything, his smirk grew some more smug, "June, right?" Expression changing to mock confusion, he continued, "I mean, that is the name that you chose for yourself, right? Though I don't know why as Juuchi works fine."

For several moments, Juuchi boggled at him as she opened her mouth only to close it without saying anything. At last, she managed to do so though, "How long...?"

Practically dripping smug, Harry chuckled, "Since before Christmas actually." He jerked his thumb at Kagotsuruhe, "I remember her at the Quidditch match transforming and 'Kagome' was the older sister of a 'June'. One that was in Second Year, yet I have never seen before this year. Add in that when she came to help me learn to cast a Patronus, she had your blade at her side and admitted to being your sister? Well... her Kagome persona just looked slightly different. So it was not that hard to put it all together, which I did before Christmas."

Utter silence was all that was heard besides Juuchi's sputters. That was, until Kagotsuruhe gave him a thumbs up and a wide, though fake looking, grin, "Good job!"

Head whipping around, her younger sister glared at her, "Stop that!" Turning back to Harry, Juuchi threw her hands up into the air, "If you knew for so long, why didn't you say anything!? Not once did you hint and..." She paused briefly and she went over the few encounters with "June" that Harry had, and her eyes widened as she realized he often smirked smugly to her confusion, "I..."

Only shrugging, Harry's smuggness was now equal to some of Juuchi's more smug moments, "Why? Because I wanted to see how far you would carry it before actually giving it up." He then snapped a finger and winked, "And also because then I could not tease you when you were in sword form by eating blood oranges in front of you and treats that use them, such as chocolate blood oranges. All the time knowing that you could take on a human form and chose not to because you didn't think that I knew what you looked like."

Bringing up her hands, the Muramasa growled, "You..." Giggles made her sigh and slump as she looked to the side where Tsukiakari and Catherine had fallen backwards on a bed, "Et tu, Tsu-Chan..."

Eyes twinkling madly in mirth, Tsukiakari shook her head, "Sorry, Senpai. But it is hilarious."

From where she was beside her, Catherine smiled, "It truly is, Juuchi. And oh so fitting as well that something like that would be turned back on you."

Crossing her arms, Juuchi huffed a bit, "You would, Frenchie."

All the French sword did though was shrug with a beatific smile on her face before turning back towards Harry. She then bowed her head slightly, "Good morning, Master, it is good to see you in good health this morning after the..." For a few brief seconds, she seemed to search for something to say before shrugging, "The unfortunate incident yesterday. As for who I am, my name is Catherine, or the Sword of St. Catherine, if you wish to be exact. I was in the French Branch of the family in Normandy before the last of them fled to Britain with me."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Harry frowned some, 'Sword of St. Catherine... where did I hear...' Suddenly, it clicked as he remembered one of the livestreams that he had done with Naka. In particular, it was one that talked about how a number of video games had a character based off- "Jeanne d'Arc." Eyes wide, the wizard turned to the young woman with awe on his face, "You're the Sword of Jeanne d'Arc."

Rather pleased, Catherine smiled softly and part of Harry swore there was a glow around her hair, "That is correct, Jeanne d'Arc was my most famous wielder."

Confused, Nagato had a frown on her face, "Jeanne d'Arc? But... the Potters are British. How did they...?" It took her a moment before she blinked as she remembered something that she had said, "That's right, you stated that the Potters had a French Branch from your introduction, correct?"

A sigh escaped from the French blade as she nodded, "They did. One of Hardwin Potter's sons journeyed to Normandy when it was under Norman control and established a branch of the family there. When it was taken from the English, they continued to live there and became French. And they stayed there until what is known as the Hundred Years War when they were driven out by the English forces." Leaning forward, Catherine rested her chin on her hands, "Which was where I met Jacques Potter, who became the Page for Jeanne, my Mistress."

From there, she explained how Jacques had served Jeanne faithfully as her Page for the years that she was fighting for France. No matter what happened, he stayed by her side, believing in her. And how, after Jeanne had a vision of being captured by the English, she handed him her sword for safe keeping.

Swallowing, Catherine shook her head, "The poor lad was in tears at what was going to happen, at being told that Jeanne was to die at the hands of the English. For she had become more than a leader he would follow, she had become an older sister to him. I can remember my Mistress reaching down and gently brushing the tears from his face before telling him that she had no fear, for she awaited the Lord. And that one day, they would meet in Heaven for she knew he would grow to be a good man in the Lord's eyes as well as how she would always watch over him. But until then, he needed to watch over me and make sure to take me to safety for I still had a destiny ahead of me. Placing me at his side, she gave him a final kiss on the brow before placing him upon a horse that was to be his. And with a final few words as to where he would travel for safety, and where he would find a wife to continue his line, she had him leave."

Hoppou considered things before nodding, "She was a good big sister."

Lips twitching, Catherine nodded, "Jeanne... truly was. I suspect that it was for as much Jacques safety as mine, giving him such an important mission. That she had somehow foreseen that if he had stayed, he would have died defending her. And I believe that the two of them are in Heaven under His Light. Because as he drew his last breath, I remember Jacques smiling in pure awe and joy, Jeanne's name passing his lips as he passed his last breath. I could feel her in the room then, come to bring him to his just reward." With a small shrug, she shook her head, "Afterwards, Jacques built a family chapel where they resettled. And laid me above the alter there in a place of honour, while Jeanne's Standard was placed elsewhere and only brought out for special occasions."

Eyebrow raised, Harry frowned some, "Wait, how did you get to Britain then? And what about the story of how you were broken?"

A light blush crossed the sword's cheeks at that, "As to the second, that was not me. That was another sword that she had been given. It... had not been well taken care of before being gifted to her. In regards to the first..." Her expression darkened, "The French Revolution happened. As I am sure that you know, it was as bad on the magical side as on the non-magical. A rather large number of Muggleborn decided that since some Pureblooded nobles were problematic, all of them had to go and in a permanent manner. Hélène Potter was but all of eight years old when they attacked the Potter Chateau. She hid within the chapel and prayed before the alter for deliverance."

Smugly smirking, Juuchi snorted, "Which, from what I remember from when she arrived in Britain, she received in the form of you manifesting." Ignoring the blush on the other spirit's cheeks, she jerked her thumb at her fellow Potter Blade, "She demanded to know what the mob wanted, and was not happy with their response of killing Hélène for the crime of being a noble and nothing else, right there in the Church."

Glaring at Juuchi, Catherine frowned, "Yes, I was not happy. But I will state that I did not kill any of them."

If anything, the smug increased from the Muramasa, "No, I never said that you did. Now, making sure that they were unable to follow due to not being able to move under their own power? By beating them nearly to death? Well... that is something else."

Now deeply blushing, Catherine mumbled a bit, "It worked for Mistress Jeanne, and it worked for me." With a sniff towards the now chuckling Juuchi, she turned back to Harry, "As she was injured, I carried her all the way to the Channel. And then, well..." She blushed a bit again, "I can only hope that the Lord accepts my apology for stealing a boat to get her across to Britain and gives me forgiveness. For I had no other choice with magical mobs after us. She eventually married into the English Branch, making her you many great-grandmother."

Thoughtful, Harry looked out the window, "What happened to the French property anyways?"

For a few moments, Catherine was also thoughtful, "From what I recall, it was later bought by the French Malfoys. Until, that was, after WWII. Miss Lyra had Henry buy the property and was working on restoration until her death. I... am afraid that I am unsure what happened to it after."

Reaching over, the wizard patted her knee with a smile, "Still, we at least know that it is there and that is the important thing."

To that, Catherine smiled and placed her hand over his as she nodded, "Yes, that is true and also a wise way of seeing things. Perhaps one day, we shall travel there and see for ourselves." After a few moments, she pulled back and gestured at the cart that Aeroprin had brought in, "But before we go any further, perhaps it would be for the best that you have a good meal. Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day after all."

With a chuckle, Harry nodded as he shifted a bit and took off the lid from one of the dishes only to drool a little at the sight of the chocolate chip pancakes. Another one was lifted to reveal double chocolate muffins as well, and there was hot chocolate for drinks. Which he took without complaint. Somewhat to his surprise though, none of it was grabbed by Hoppou. Instead, the Abyssal kept cuddled into his side throughout the whole thing.

Once he was done though, he had Pomfrey appear from seemingly nowhere and scan him. After a few moments, the School Medi-Witch was pleased by what she was seeing and nodded, "Good, it does not seem like there has been much issue with what has happened, Mister Potter. But still, take it easy for the next few days."

With a final and pointed look, she left. Looking around, Harry frowned some, "Where's Sirius?"

A cough made him look over to where Nagato had an amused look on her face, "Sirius is in another room. Isley finally received word as to what had happened and arrived earlier. Not that she was too pleased, and she took Sirius into a room with privacy spells to have a talk-" The door opening made her smirk, "And I think that he's just returned."

Right then, Sirius stumbled in with a slight groan as he rubbed at one red ear. Seeing Harry was up though, the former convict perked up and made his way over, "Your awake, Prongslet?"

Bemused, the teen grinned, "I am, and it seems that you have been for a time as well."

Simply sighing, Sirius gave a weak laugh before running his hand through his hair, "Yeah, I am." Flopping onto a bed, the older wizard gave a sigh, "Harry? I'm... sorry. For what happened." Seeing the confusion, Sirius shook his head, "The Dementors were after me and it was because of that you got caught up in the whole thing."

Just as he said that, a fan whapped him on the head. Blinking in confusion, Sirius looked at Harry as he pulled back his hand with the folded fan in it, "You got nothing to apologize about. Literally, it could have happened anywhere."

Eyebrows furrowing, Sirius frowned some, 'Where did he get that fan from...?'

Meanwhile, the thirteen year old continued, "Anyways, at the least we're all safe in the end." He gave a small nod to Isley who stood in the doorway before frowning, "Uh, everyone is okay, right?"

Despite wondering where the fan came from... and where he had put it, Sirius nodded, "Yeah, everyone is okay though a bit shaken... well, except for the Dementors. A lot of those are ash." Eyebrow raised, he gave Harry a look of interest, "Where did you even learn that?"

Harry just shrugged some, "Learned it from my Senseis for Onmyoudo. I wasn't even thinking much for the last one besides... calling out the biggest guns possible."
Intrigued, Nagato now turned her attention to that, "Who did you call upon anyways?"

Shifting a bit, the black haired teen frowned, "Well... one of the things about higher levels of Onmyoudo is that you need to call upon spirits or higher beings. So I decided to call upon the one Kami that I figured would be the biggest guns possible." At their looks, he continued, "Amaterasu-ōmikami."

After a moment of thought, Nagato nodded, "Yes, I suppose that makes sense. And she would despise Dementors to no end for what they represent."

His arm going around the waist of Isley who had entered and sat beside him, Sirius took a deep breath and let it out, "So... what are your plans?"

Glancing at Harry, the Battleship frowned, "To be quite honest, it is something that Albus and myself have been discussing. It is not impossible that Harry will get off from Hogwarts a week early for Easter Break." She reached over and ruffled his hair some, "Which, of course, means that he won't miss Hanami thankfully."

That caused Harry to smile a bit.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93: SGO Tags for the Fleet of Laughter

All I'll say regarding this matter, Harry Leferts , is that your story motivated me to pick up writing again—something that I'd given up on for almost five years prior. So... yeah.

Anyway. Remember way back when we were coming up with SGO titles for the characters? While I work to come up with my next snippet, I figure I'd provide some titles I made for some of the Fleet of Laughter girls...

Regalia
[Medic-in-Training] [Humble Farm-girl] [Not A Sleepwalker, Honest] [Wait, Where Did These Chips Come From??]

Nero
[Aspiring Chef] [Model Heavy Cruiser] [Mild Pyromaniac] [Pig Farmer]

Millie
[First of Her Kind] [Creepy Nurse But Not Really] [Too Pure For This Sinful World]

Tippy
[Sassy AF] [Solid Snake] [How the Hell Did You Get An Account?]

Rivet
[Verified MMAbyssal] [Yeet or be Yeeted]

Sunny
[Verified Abyssal Memelord] [Jaws Is My Bitch]

Kora
[Little Tugboat From the Deep] [Not the Avatar] [She Lifts, Bro]

Fluffy
[Safety Blanket] [Softest Of Puppies] [Miniature Battlecarrier] [Devoted to Renita]

Renita
[Survivor] [Needs Cuddles]
[YOU] [SHALL] [DRIFT]

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts Omake: Iron Wrought Chef

Anyways... to cheer myself up, I wrote an omake...
_________________________________________

Biting into a bell pepper, Harder paused before smirking at the camera. After a few chews, she swallowed, "Welcome, to the Yokosuka Finals Junior Iron Chef! We have two contestants here, live streamed by Naka."

Said Light Cruiser grinned and went into a pose, "Hai, Hai, Naka-Chan, Idol of the Fleet, Desu!" Naka then gestured at a nearby table, "And let us welcome our diners, the ever hungry Ducks, Akizuki-Chan, Teruzuki-Chan, and Hatsuzuki-Chan! And joining them are CarDiv1, Akagi-San, Kaga-San, with special guests Enterprise-San and Yamato-San!"

It was then that Harder made a grand gesture, "And now to introduce the two finalists!"

Nodding, Naka grinned before pointing at one side of the large kitchen, "First up, we got the ever adorable Harry Potter-Nagato! A top rated junior chef who often cooks in the Mess hall."

The ten year old gave a hmph as he adjusted his glasses, "Finally, it comes down to you and I..." Green eyes met red across the kitchen, 'Let's see what you have... you so called Faker.'

Not knowing of Harry's thoughts, Naka gestured at the other contestant, "And here we got his rival in the kitchens and fellow classmate... Emilya von Einzbern!" Internally, the shipgirl frowned, 'Kind of a coincidence considering the name...'

Eyes narrowed at Harry, Emilya frowned, 'Even a Fake can overcome a real thing...' Hands under the table, the pinkette softly whispered to herself, "Trace On."

In a flash of light, white bladed and black bladed kitchen knives were formed.

At that moment, the three Akizukis shivered at the aura from the two contestants. Gulping, Teruzuki looked at her sisters, "Is it bad that I am both terrified and excited?" When her sisters shook their heads, she weakly smiled, "Oh, good..."

Meanwhile, Akagi had a serious expression on her face, "I shall see you on the other side, Kaga-San."

All her fellow member of CarDiv1 did was nod before glancing at a smirking Enterprise, "I shall see you fall, Enterprise-San, upon this field of combat."

The American Carrier only smirked back before turning the competition before her...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Dove at a Dinner Party: Part The First

A Comedy of Ill-Manners, Shocking French 'Customs', and a Fire in the Rubbish Skip

Passel House

Friday, May 12th, 1899
Spoiler: Passel House

The thestral-drawn carriage clattered up the cobblestones of the driveway toward the front door. Inside, Colombe du Chasteler fanned herself with her ivory-handled fan printed with a picturesque Chinese pagoda.

As the carriage halted at the entrance, she took a deep breath and adjusted her dove-gray ankle-length dress and black hat. While supposedly these were her mourning clothes, she could not find it within herself to truly grieve at her grandnephew's death at her blade and hands.

If, in fact, he was truly dead, she reflected sourly, remembering a conversation with his photograph that he had possessed. In the most literal sense of the word.

Which was why she was here in England, both to distance herself from the investigation of the 'home invasion by some criminal element' that had killed a Councillor of King Leopold II of the Belgians - may her greedy sovereign burn in hellfire for what he countenanced in the Congo! - and to track down this 'Kasuyu' that had taught him many of his magics before returning to Africa.

Surely somewhere there was a way to rid herself of her nephew's baleful spirit.

Which was why she would cut this cancer out from the du Chasteler family before falling on her sword to expiate her sins.

Death was easy, living was hard. Living was pain. The only thing worth the living was revenge on the people who had destroyed her family.

With that she stepped from the hired carriage and handed a Galleon tip to the coachman, who touched his cap. "Please await word to bring my trunks down." With that she took a crocodile-skin valise from the luggage rack that she had carefully enchanted to carry her true self and approached the door.

It was not like she would need the blood money of her family's sins where she was going.

She knocked at the door and as it opened, curtsied to the House-elf like an automaton, and handed over her engraved calling card with a dove and 'Mademoiselle Colombe du Chasteler' surrounded by a very thin black border. "I am here to call upon Colonel Gamp," she spoke in a monotone as she placed the card upon the silver tray the House Elf held after folding over the top left corner of the card.

The small creature nodded and blinked out of sight. As Colombe sat in the chair in the foyer, the ghostly image of a young blonde lady with glasses in a modestly cut maid's uniform flickered for an instant in the corner of her eye. She turned her head slightly as she began to fan herself to see that the foyer was empty.

Strange....

With that she occupied herself by viewing the magical painting of a Quiddich match on the opposite wall and reflecting that the Colonel or another member of his family had truly execrable taste in art.
Spoiler: Broken Bird

It was easier to concentrate on the atrocious selection of colors for the sky and clouds than remember recent... events....

Remember the look in the eyes of PaPA's pAinTIng when she staggered from hiPpOLytE's study after she... dId whAT Had tO be dONe.

Remember the ConGo.

Remember what shE had doNe.

What SHe had aLlowEd tO be dONe....

"Missus du Chasteler? MISSUS Du Chasteler!"

The tug on her sleeve caused her to jerk out of her reverie and focus on the House-elf. "Yes?" Her voice sounded dead in her ears.

Whatever the House-elf saw in her eyes caused the small creature to flinch. "Master will see you now. Follow, pleases?" It whimpered pitiably.

She nodded and stood, plastering a mask-like pleasant smile over the endless scream she was somehow holding inside her.

The parlor she was escorted to smelled of tobacco and sherry, with dark red wallpaper and wood paneling. A florid-faced and white-bearded wizard who was quite fat and tall with his left sleeve pinned up stood up, his brown eyes widening around a red nose caused by heavy drinking. "By Jove, it is you!"

She nodded and curtsied on autopilot, letting him kiss her hand in the social proprieties of the day for a gentleman to a lady. "Colonel. It has been a long time."

"Indeed it has." The ghost of a smug smile flickered around her lips for an instant at his friendly reply as he rubbed his chest absently. "Beastly heat, makes my bones ache."

He had not changed in almost four decades. Pity the heroic and spirited 'young lady' he knew had died in the CoNGo and then in her nePheW's study.

He continued in that warm tone before clipping a cigar. "Shanghai 1862 against the Taipings. Damned stump of the arm I lost there still itches when it's wet. You haven't changed since that day, found the Philosopher's Stone then?"

She shrugged slightly, "Something like that. Take it from me, immortality is a curse. The nice thing about dying is that the suffering you endure ends. Too bad I am stupid enough to keep living rather than die when I should have."

Colonel Gamp looked into her eyes as he slowly lowered his cigar to join the others in his ashtray. "Bloody Hell, you are not joking. What happened?" He opened a liquor cabinet and poured himself a stiff drink then after he downed it, refilled his tumbler and poured her a tumbler of straight Scotch.

Colombe shook her head. "You are better off not knowing about my spot of family trouble, I fear. I mainly stopped by to wish you well and farewell before I... do what needs to be done." Her lips curled in a rictus-like smile.

He visibly connected her words with the half-mourning clothing that she wore signifying a death in the family and nodded. "Ah. Well if I may be of service, after all you did save my life at Shanghai. Beastly Taipings."

She jerked a nod as that spectral chambermaid appeared in the next room with a feather duster. "I do not wish to impose, Colonel, while I make arrangements to travel to Africa."

"Ah! Africa. My granddaughter's betrothed has a close friend from school that is knowledgeable about the Dark Continent. They shall be coming here tomorrow along with other members of his family for a dinner party, if you do not mind me imposing on you to be our guest for the weekend." His elderly face lit up before he coughed and wiped his bleeding lips with a handkerchief. "Bloody consumption."

She murmured in that near-dead voice. "You do me too much honour, Colonel. I shall, of course, accept your gracious invitation and introduction to meet this gentleman."

With that she curtsied and kissed his hand. The maid in the other room paused her dusting to stare in shock at the young lady being so forward.

The Colonel laughed and wheezed. "At least you are in a dress for your visit instead of those breeches you wore traipsing around China unchaperoned save by my troops, Madamoiselle du Chasteler. Simply scandalous!"

As Colombe gave the ghost of a polite chuckle to join his laughter, a spectral feather duster dropped from the shocked hands of an un-manifested house spirit blushing bright scarlet.

A.N.-Colombe is in a baaad headspace here. This is a few months after she crawled out of the Congo and then impaled her nephew for his treachery. The good news is that she has nowhere to go but up from rock bottom now.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Dove at a Dinner Party: Part The Second

A Comedy of Ill-Manners, Shocking French 'Customs', and a Fire in the Rubbish Skip

Passel House

Saturday, May 13th, 1899
Spoiler: Enroute to Passel House

"Your nephew is a prat, you know." The gentleman in the hansom cab emblazoned with the arms of the Potter family (D'or,à trois pie oiseau de sable et argent,2 et 1) observed quietly to the lady sitting next to him as they rode through the late-morning fog.
Spoiler: The Potter Heraldry

Lyra Potter laughed musically, "Oh absolutely, Ian. He's a Black after all, and we only come in two varieties. Libertines and prats."

Ian Potter grinned happily at his wife, "Lucky for me I acquired a libertine. At least you can make this social round to meet our future niece-in-law bearable."

Lyra grinned back saucily, "We will do our best to spice it up. Still I wish that we were back in Japan rather than performing our social requirements. I love England dearly, but it is so stifling. Can't do this, can't dare show that you have knowledge of that. Even if behind closed doors the lady of the estate we are calling upon is being screwed silly by the stableboy while the master tumbles the chambermaids. Hypocrites."

Ian stared at his smirking wife, "Surely not the Gamps!? I knew old Theophilus during my first trip to the Far East before I met you and he was hardly the type."

"Oh not him, dear. He's a stick-in-the-mud fuddy-duddy and he married Iris Dodderidge after his first wife passed away. A more staid, cowlike example of the fairer sex would be impossible to find even before her death and her daughter is more of the same from what I have heard." Lyra laughed, "No if you want a good scandal to set 'proper' society's tongues wagging, you need someone with a little fire and passion, such as a Longbottom, a Black, or best of all a Malfoy. Unfortunately those blonde vipers are entirely too good at using their money, power, and connections to arrange for the cover-up to avoid damaging 'their precious family'. You only get whispered rumors of why one of their daughters is in the South of France at a private spa on grounds of 'frail health' which suddenly clears up nine months later or a second son decided to find his fortune in Australia or Africa out of the blue after a Veela maid 'ran off suddenly'." Lyra's eyes flashed and her face darkened.

Ian squeezed her gloved hand, "Bad experiences?" he said sympathetically.

Lyra deflated slightly, 'Not me personally, thankfully, but I knew some other girls at Hogwarts two decades ago who were... well... seduced, ruined, and abandoned is the short version of what happened. And of course because they were only from 'one of the colonies' in the one case and from a 'Muggle family' in the second, plus the Headmaster being the worst kind of arrogant pureblood prat."

She sighed bitterly and continued, "It is just not right. I like bed-hopping as we both know, but I'm not malicious about it and try to treat the other ladies in our life with respect. Words and betrayal can cut sharper and deeper than the katana your family has stored away in the Armory."

Ian hugged Lyra around the shoulders. "And that is reason number eleven thousand, eight hundred and seventeen why I fell for you, dearest."

Lyra sighed and leaned into Ian. She placed her hand over his and squeezed as she gently whispered. "Flatterer, you are just trying to get into my knickers tonight."

He laughed and hugged her closer as Passel House appeared ahead of them, "Well, yes, that too."

-----------------------------
Spoiler: A Dove In Mourning

As Lyra and Ian Potter presented their calling cards at the front door to Passel House, Colombe threw cold water from the basin in her room into her face, before staring at the bloodshot eyes and tear-streaked face in her mirror.

Alone in the guest room that Colonel Gamp had put her up in, she bowed her head and bit her lip before breathing out then in deeply.

Her sleep had been restless at best, nightmares of her past plaguing her.

Ghosts in a silent parade continually watching her, mercilessly judging her.

Even now, awake and alone, she could feel invisible eyes on her....

With that she shrugged and locked the door. She gave her mourning dress a dirty look before dressing in it. Finally attired properly for the 'grieving young lady that society said that she would have to be', she examined herself in the mirror. With a smug smirk, she then snapped her fingers, transfiguring it to the much more comfortable riding boots, breeches, and ruffled linen shirt from the first half of the 1700s that was her preferred habit.

She suddenly whirled at the feeling of outraged disapproval, her sword flying from the nightstand to her hand at a gesture.

For a brief instant, she saw that blonde maid's ghost in the room with her with a bedwarmer full of hot coals to dry out and heat up a bed. Then... nothing as the maid gave her a surprised look and vanished before her eyes.

She bitterly laughed and whispered. "I can't go mad yet. I have things to do first."

Another shake of her head and a glance at the sun outside through the lifting fog persuaded her that she should find something to do.

With that she shrugged and sheathed herself before wrapping a shawl of Kashmiri wool around the sword to 'ward off the cold' later. Another snap of the fingers and her dress reappeared, wouldn't do to get thrown out before she talked to that African expert.

She headed down the back stairs and out the back door to the gardens and brand new Orangery that the Colonel had spoken fondly of over dinner.

Perhaps there she could get some exercise in and clear her head.

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

Lyra Potter curtsied to Hesper Gamp. "It was a pleasant chat, Miss Gamp, but I see my nephew has arrived. I think that I should take in the gardens now that the beastly fog has lifted."

Getting a courteous nod and murmured words of dismissal, Lyra made her escape. Already the blue-eyed and dark-haired Hesper's gaze was focused on the window where her nephew Sirius was dismounting from his broom alongside his friend Corvus Lestrange.

Silently Lyra pitied the female house-elf servant who was having to be a chaperone for that meeting. Sirius was not the worst of her relatives by far, but he certainly had an eye for the ladies. That said, the one she had heard rumors about was Corvus Lestrange, who according to the whispers did not believe in unwillingness or the lady being married to have his way with her.

Not for the first time, Lyra scowled behind her bone and rice paper fan showing Japanese ladies walking through a snow-covered Japanese garden at the unfairness of it all.

A Corvus Lestrange or Sirius Black spending time intimately with ladies interested in them and they were the subject of grudging approval from the other young men. A Lyra Potter wishing to scratch her many and multifarious itches, and she was an object of scorn and shame to all and sundry thanks to the whispered stories of 'unnatural lusts'. Which were quite natural, thank you so very much.

She then smiled like a cat in the cream as she headed down the garden path to the Orangery.

At least she had been fortunate enough to marry a good man who had made accommodations for her needs and desires in his own unconventional way. Once again she promised herself that she would do something extra-special for her Ian once she had privacy.

It would be a lot easier on her hormones if Ian had not been ambushed by Cousin Phineas in the smoking room and so unable to join her instead of being stuck in a discussion about potion ingredient trade policies.

Poor Ian.

Closing the door behind her, she found a secluded bower among the flowering trees in the vacant garden inside.

"Perfect." With that, she pulled out her wand (Hornbeam with a veela hair core, ten and a half inches, smooth and slippery) to cast concealment and privacy charms.

Satisfied with her arrangements, Lyra sat down to write in her favorite notebook.

After all, it was either this or solitary vice until Ian tracked her down or she had to go in for dinner. This time the coin she had mentally flipped came up with Queen Victoria's head.

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire

Even corruption can be kind.

(note: this omake is, as always, optionally canonical. Partly b/c I'm playing with other people's characters, and especially in this case b/c I'm playing in some "grey areas" regarding the full extent of Nameless' amnesia that have not, TTBOMK, been established in-story as yet)

(this takes place sometime fairly early in Nameless' stay at Casa de Muramasa, when she's still struggling to come to grips with her newly reduced condition)

(So, people were asking for more Nameless&Kyoshu cutes. Instead, I found myself writing some Nameless&Akutoku... interactions)

*-*-*-*-*

The Masamune sword who currently went by the nom de guerre of "Nameless" sat in the wheelchair she despised, but could not function without, pulled up closely to her host's dining table. It was fortunate that this table was Western-styled and tall enough to be seated at, unlike the family-room kotetsu-table which she thought she might have enjoyed… had she been capable of using it.

In the hours between midnight and dawn, seeking privacy as she struggled with her shame, she'd covertly crawled into the hated wheelchair and crept out of the room she shared with Kyoshu. In front of her on the table were a neat stack of books in varying languages, an open notebook that combined college-ruled even-numbered pages with engineering grid-ruled odd-numbered pages, several plain yellow pencils, a small sharpener for same, and an eraser.

Sending up a brief prayer that she might find some success this time, to whatever deities might deign to hear, she opened the first book, picked a simple word, and began laboriously attempting to copy it in her notebook.

A full hour and several silent, internal screaming fits of humiliated frustration later, she gave up her final attempt to graphically duplicate just a single letter, using the graph paper, and set the book aside with hands that shook from the blinding desire to throw it, or better yet burn it, or shred it with her steel self (were she still capable of wielding her steel in anything but the most ham-handed fashion). It wasn't the book's fault, after all. And whatever she had forgotten, she remembered that self discipline was one of the virtues of a warrior. She could not remember learning that, when or where or from whom, but the fact remained.

She dully wondered if remembering the learning of that lesson would make it less hard to adhere to, as she opened the next book in the stack.

...drat. A language she could not even identify, much less read. Nameless forced herself to take a deep, cleansing breath, imagining her anger as a toxic vapor in her lungs, expelled into the air to dissipate as she exhaled. No idea where she'd learned that, either, but her body remembered the exercise, so she must have used it often. Before.

This book also set aside, she paused to take stock. Checking her mental notes (as she was, so far, unable to make written ones), she tallied her current score over the past few days of late-night attempts:

Languages she could read: 4 (2 fluently, one with difficulty, one just barely)

Languages she could identify but not read: 5 (mostly those using derivatives of Chinese characters)

Languages she could write or transcribe even a single character in: 0

A good guest, she reminded herself, did not flip over furniture whilst everyone was sleeping, no matter how tempting the cathartic release. There was nothing for it but to continue, thoroughly and methodically. Reading must have been a preferred pastime for her, before, given how pleasant it felt, how eagerly her hands turned pages, the simple delight in fleshing out the scaffolding of printed words into vibrant cathedrals of imagination. At least, when the omnipresent sense of her condition was not poisoning even such simple joys as that damned mage had left to her.

"Nameless" bent her head over the paper, and chose the next book in the pile.

She was nearing the bottom of the stack, hours later (Read: 5, Identified: 7, Written: Zero), when an unexpected "hmm" from beside her ear made her leap-- er, jerk violently.

"Owwww," protested Akutoku, ruefully rubbing the spot where Nameless' reaction had clonked their heads together. Nameless realized she was mirroring the Sword of Corruption's action, and pulled her hands back into her lap, trying to emulate her best guess of what a Proper Masamune's behavior should be since she couldn't remember it.

Then she realized that the Muramasa must have been watching over her shoulder, completely unnoticed, for long enough to recognize Nameless' failing attempts at literacy for what they were, and found herself unable to avoid flushing with shame. She stared down at her lap, wishing the earth would simply open up and swallow her, and her shame, whole.

"Hmmm." Akutoku had picked up her notebook and was flipping through the pages with a clinical air, rather unlike what Nameless had observed of the other sword-spirit in their limited interactions too date.

"Well, that explains some things," the Muramasa sighed, dropping into the chair kitty-corner from Nameless. "That damned mage didn't just spike your speech center, he hit the entire symbolic processing hierarchy of your brain. And only on the output side, which is a neat trick."

...dignity be hanged, Nameless decided, this justified a frank, open-jawed stare. Akutoku noticed, and blushed slightly.

"Hey, now, don't mistake me, I'm no brain scientist. But when you're a writer or artist, you usually end up picking up a few things about how the brain interprets stuff. Plus, after Kyoshu, well..." she paused a bit uncomfortably. "The entire family sort of took up reading the latest magazine articles on brains, and memory, as a side line."

Nameless nodded, trying to convey That is perfectly understandable.

"At any rate," Akutoku continued, seeming to warm to her topic, "we know spoken and written language are handled by completely separate parts of the brain. The division between 'input' and 'output' inside those sections are less clearly defined, as I recall, but, well, magic." She made a face that Nameless felt herself involuntarily mirror. "You're obviously still able to read, and more than one language, I'm guessing…?"

Nameless held up five fingers, struggling with the sensation that she was bragging.

"Right. And your comprehension of spoken Japanese, at least, seems undiminished."

Nameless nodded assent.

"So, whatever that bastard did, he wanted you able to understand, but unable to communicate." Akutoku scowled, hands making involuntary neck-wringing motions. "Makes sense, I guess – just taking away your voice wouldn't have stopped you from sending notes, or email if you could get to a computer, or-- hey! Have you tried Morse code?"

A few quick attempts demonstrated that Nameless had probably never known Morse code – Akutoku's pattern of finger-taps on the tabletop didn't seem familiar at all. Akutoku promised to find some books on other, alternative codes, just in case.

"I should have known that would be too easy," Akutoku said glumly, supporting her chin on her hand. Behind her, Nameless could see the first light of dawn starting to lighten the window, and thought to wonder what had roused the notoriously slug-a-bed Muramasa from her bed so early. And also, wonder at this previously-unseen face of the Sword of Corruption – while their interactions had been limited, Akutoko's interactions with the rest of her family had been… hard to miss. She had always seemed, frankly, lazy, perverted, and prone to teasing and arguing with her sisters. These new depths had not even been hinted at.

"Thing is," Akutoku was musing slowly, "language isn't the only way to communicate. I mean, Kyoshu seems to be able to understand you amazingly well, even if she's not the most, er, reliable translator."

Nameless thought of her interactions so far with the Sword of Goldfish Memories, and could only nod ruefully.

"Not that we have any idea how she does it. But there's other ways to get your point across." She opened the notebook to a blank page, seized one of Nameless' pencils, and started sketching in quick, efficient strokes. "Like art. Okay, tell me, what's this?" She spun the page to face Nameless.

The mute Masamune shot the loquacious Muramasa an exasperated look, then looked at the page. It was… well, quite minimal, but it was fairly obviously… she raised one fist, and stroked two fingers of her other hand across it, as if slicing pieces off.

"A potato, right!" Akutoku grinned. "But, context matters. And so does your audience. If I showed this to an astronomer, I bet they'd say it was an asteroid. A geologist would probably say rock."

Nameless blinked, and looked at the sketch again. Yes, she could see the artist's point….

"Now, the thing is, any piece of art is an interactive experience." Akutoku was leaning across the table, eyes gleaming. "It's a collaboration between the artist and the audience. I can't make my readers perceive exactly what I'm trying to convey, because they all bring their own conceptual filters and biases. And drawing is more open to interpretation than words, so it's hard to be precise. But, over the years, mangaka and readers have developed a sort of 'visual shorthand' for simple ways to convey certain complex ideas, that everyone agrees on. You don't have to use that, of course, but it's a preexisting dictionary that you wouldn't have to teach people."

The Sword of Corruption's hands were making wide, sweeping gestures – Nameless had the sudden certainty that Akutoku honestly enjoyed this subject, and didn't get to talk about it often. At least, not to anyone who would listen.

"And of course, speaking is usually faster than drawing, but again, the 'visual shorthand' in manga is a way to convey a lot with as few lines as possible." Her expression turned wry. "There's nothing like a life of deadlines to motivate people to find ways to convey as much as possible as efficiently as possible. And, again, the visual 'language' of manga is one that almost everyone already knows. So you can use that as a starting point."

Nameless blinked. On the one hand… manga? The word reflected back from the walled-off parts of her mind with connotations of "childish, immature, pornographic," and other unflattering terms. And yet… the idea of having a voice again, even such a limited one….

She didn't notice she had snatched back the notebook until her pencil met paper… and froze.

...she had no idea what to do next. When she attempted to write, there was at least the ghost of a memory, the knowledge that she had known once how to do it. But drawing? There was nothing.

Akutoku had been watching her face, and spoke up hastily. "Hey, now, it's too early to get discouraged! You don't exactly have to be Hasegawa Tohaku to make this work. Hell, you should see what I turned out, back when I was just starting – it took me years to learn how to do anything better than stick figures!"

She blushed slightly in response to Nameless' quizzical eyebrow. "Well, I didn't even start until a few decades ago. Turned out it was not something that came naturally. Took a lot of work."

Nameless cocked her head inquiringly. Akutoku seemed to shrink a bit, and glanced around the room as if afraid of being overheard. "Well, it's… that is..." She took a deep breath, looking embarrassed. "The whole 'Crazy Muramasa Sword' gig got… old, after a while. After the Sengoku Jidai, then the Meiji Restoration and Boshin War, we'd all… well, most of us… started to get our fill of blood and killing. Was sort of a 'midlife crisis,' you know? Not all at once, but… after a while, you start wondering if this is all there is to your life. If you could be… more. And it didn't help that, even with all our special abilities, technology was making us less and less relevant." Her eyes grew troubled. "Inspiring an entire battalion into a frenzied howling-for-blood charge doesn't account for much, when the other side has machine guns and artillery."

She slapped the table, as if trying to dispell the sudden feeling of ghosts crowding around them. "Anyway! Problem was, we were still "crazy Muramasas," and 'dear ol' Dad' had saddled us with a lot of… let's call 'em 'personality quirks'." Couldn't get rid of 'em, so we needed to find some sort of coping mechanism. Chi went all Zen Buddhist, Juuchi apparently went all tsundere for that British family whose brains she couldn't scramble, Umi… well, Umi was always a bossy mother-hen… and me?" Akutoku grinned a bit sheepishly. "Well, 'Sword of Corruption,' yeah? Drawing eroge and H actually pays, and gives me an outlet for my… proclivities… that doesn't hurt anyone. It's..." she looked away suddenly, swallowing. "It's better than what I did in the old days."

Nameless found herself doing something she never would have imagined: reaching out and patting the Muramasa's hand comfortingly. Akutoku stared at their hands and whispered "thanks", before plastering on a Kagotsuruhe-style grin and standing up. "Anyways! I have a lot of beginner manga books, and more 'artsy' training books too. Lemme go grab a few to start you off with!"

Thus began an impromptu drawing lesson that continued as the sun came up. Kyoshu came wandering in at some point, in her pajamas and dragging her blanket like a toddler, muttering something about being cold. Umitsubame came in to start on breakfast some time later, only to find their wheelchair-bound guest bookended by Kyoshu (sleeping on Nameless' shoulder, with a blanket wrapped around them both) on one side, and Akutoku on the other, both wakeful swords bent over various books and papers together.

Umi's not-completely-awake mind split into several parallel tracks at this sight.
Awww, that's so cute, my teeth hurt.
WTF am I seeing? I wasn't working on any hallucinogenic potions yesterday.
Akutoku is sounding like an actual, professional teacher? What is this, Invasion of the Body Snatchers?
...my blood-coffee levels are too low for dealing with this shit.