Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1 Omake: "Koga as the Little Spoon"

You know, I'm pretty interested in what might happen if Kiba, Ai and Koga are also at the wedding... (On my phone, have to settle for a script fic).
*-*-*-*
At The Reception...

Kiba: *mildly traumatized* Oh no!

Ai: What?

Kiba: I'd know those massive mammaries and beefy biceps anywhere! That she-wolf cost me a million yen by knocking out an oni in one punch and oh kami Koga's walking up to her!

Ai: Well I never... Seems like he's asking her for a dance.

Kiba: We have to stop him, if she doesn't break his itty-bitty heart with her words she'll break his itty-bitty body with her knee!

Ai: Is that your genuine opinion, or are you just sore over losing a fortune gambling.

Kiba: I don't know! Maybe!

Jin: I dunno Kiba, she sure doesn't look like a cold-blooded monster to me. Look at her face!

Ai: Hmm... Seems like beneath the fighter there's a little girl that didn't get a chance to figure out what to do with a boy. But she doesn't look upset, just flushed.

Jin: ... *Snorts* Aaaannnd we apparently have discovered Koga's type. You see the height difference?

Kiba: *now calmed down, looks closer* Huh... What do you guys think: Years of being set up as the sole hope of his clan made him want to be given a sense of being safe and protected in strong arms and be carried like a Princess?

Jin: Pretty sure it has more to do with the fact that if she hugs him his head would disappear.

Ai: We are not psycho-analysing our friend. He's showing genuine interest in a woman for the first time, let's just be happy for him, and not tell the Elders so that they don't scare her off.

Jin: ...20,000 yen says she carries him off like a sack of rice, and we don't hear from Koga again until tomorrow morning, when he calls for a shirt and pants, a jug of orange juice and an IV drip.

Kiba and Ai: No.

Boke: *the pilot* I'll take that action!



Bare in mind this is (mostly) just fun, and if Harry and Lord K approve and decided to use it, cool. If not, also cool (and if Harry likes but K doesn't, I yield to the latter, as I likely have butchered his characters).

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Chewing her lip, Ginny glanced at where Haru was softly talking with Natsumi over something. Then her attention turned to the rather odd object in front of her. In the middle of a scaffold of bamboo was what looked like a large, circle or rope. From what Ginny had been told, said rope was composed of some sort of grass. The big part of the ritual was for her to walk through the circle. However, that is also what confused her as from what she had heard from growing up, rituals were complicated and could be rather flashy.

This, from everything that she had been told, was not.

Once Haru walked back over, Molly spoke up. "Are you sure that Ginny will be okay, Haru? I mean... I have heard quite a bit about rituals and not all of it was good."

Lips twitching, the disguised Kitsune held back a chuckle. After all, it would not help here for her to do so no matter how much she wanted. "Ginny-Chan will be perfectly fine, Molly-San. Oharae is a ritual that we do at the Shrine here twice a year to cleanse people of impurities. It is also performed all across Japan at the same time for people." She then gestured at Ginny with a small smile. "All that will happen is that it will remove any remnants of... Tom, from Ginny-Chan."

Even as she swallowed, Ginny looked over at her worried mother and summoned up her Gryffindor courage. "Mum? I want to do this. And... you know what we were told about me, how it could affect me."

Sighing, Molly gave a small nod before she felt a hand on her shoulder and found Nagato there. The Battleship having taken the morning off from her usual work just for this. "Molly, Ginny will be perfectly fine. This can only help after all."

With a nod, Molly gave her daughter a hug. "Of course, but I still worry." Gently kissing Ginny on the head as the younger girl returned the hug, she held it for a few seconds before stepping back. "Okay."

Now walking over, Natsumi raised an odd wand with paper streamers on it. The older girl gave Ginny a small smile. "Just relax, Ginny-Chan." When Ginny gave a small nod, Natsumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she spread out her arms, Haru on Ginny's other side doing the same. Slowly, they brought the haraegushi in their hands over the red head in a rhythmic motion as they softly chanted. The paper streamers made the barest of a rustling noise as they did so.

After a few minutes, they switched places and soon were done. Gently taking Ginny's hand in hers, Natsumi guided her towards the Chinowa. Not quite sure what was supposed to happen, Ginny only stayed quiet and observed as the two went through the rest of the ritual including throwing cut pieces of rope onto her before they went through the Chinowa themselves three times in a figure eight pattern.

It was then Ginny's turn to go through the circle and she gulped some as she got closer. Taking a step forward through it though, her breath caught slightly as it seemed to be a small bit of resistance. Only just noticeable, but the red head pushed through the resistance and blinked as the Sun seemed to brighten. What she did not see was the small streams of smoke that rose from her as she had entered the Chinowa were trapped inside of it and burned away in the sunlight.

But the rest of her family caught sight of that and their eyes widened.

Soon after, the ritual was finished and Haru and Natsumi bowed to Ginny before the younger of the two Kitsune gave her a smile. "Well? How does it feel, Ginny-Chan?"

Frowning, Ginny turned to her and furrowed her eyebrows. "How... does it feel?" At the nods, her frown turned thoughtful before she shook her head. "It's hard to describe, I guess? I mean, it's sort of like taking off a really muddy cloak, you don't notice the weight until it's gone." Her eyes widened some and the witch whipped her head to stare at Haru. "So... it worked? Anything left of Tom is-"

With a chuckle, Haru nodded some. "Gone? Yes, anything he left in you is now gone and you are now clean of his taint."

Rapidly blinking away the tears in her eyes, Ginny gave first Haru, and then Natsumi, a hug. "Thank you. I don't know what to do, but thank you."

Lips curling upwards into a smile, Natsumi leaned towards her ear as she whispered. "Then just keep living your life, Ginny-Chan. Don't let his shadow control you... And maybe become one of my friends?"

Only nodding, Ginny let out a laugh. "I think that I would like that, thanks!"

With one last hug, she ran over to her parents and family before getting, and giving, hugs of their own. After they left though, Natsumi turned to the Chinowa and frowned some in thought. "Oba-Chan? May I ask you a question?"

Just sighing, Haru shook her head. "I assume that you want to know why it has not removed that... thing from Harry-Chan?" At the nod, she grimaced. "There are a few differences I hate to say. For one, Ginny-Chan only had remnants of what was in the diary. Rather like being smeared with something, while with Harry-Chan it is, for lack of a better word, still there. It is also inside him and had years to dig itself in. But!" Reaching over, she gave her niece's shoulder a squeeze. "But, that is why I asked Nagato-San to make sure that Harry-Chan makes it to each Oharae. It is like wiggling a loose tooth and will slowly work at the parasite. So that when the time comes it will more easily be removed from Harry-Chan. I am also looking for other methods of purification to help it along."

Hanging her head some, Natsumi gave a nod. "I guess so, Oba-Chan."

Simply giving Natsumi's shoulder another squeeze, Haru leaned down. "Now, how about you head back to the house and get ready, hmm? Harry-Chan is staying over tonight after all since Rose-San and Haruna-San are having their bachelorette parties."

Eyebrow raised, the younger Kitsune gave her aunt a look. "Which you're going to, of course." When she got a grin, she rolled her eyes. "I'm not going to need to go and pick you up, am I?"

Pouting, Haru gave a fake whine. "Why must you be so hurtful, Natsumi-Chan?" Her pout then transformed into a grin. "Now off you go, you did some good work today after all and should be proud. Besides, you might get the chance to tease Taichi-Chan some more about what happened the other day."

That brought a grin to Natsumi's face and soon she was off as Haru chuckled.

Meanwhile, Harry turned to a slightly mortified Ginny who was holding a hand to her stomach after it growled. "A bit hungry, huh?"

Brightly blushing, the eleven year old gave a nod. "Um, yes?" She hung her head some. "I was sort of worried and skipped most of breakfast."

Just behind her, Arthur sighed and shook his head. "Your mother did warn you about not eating as much as you could." Frowning slightly, he scratched the back of his neck. "Not that I could really blame you..."

Ron chuckled a bit and put his hands behind his head. "Well, I'm kind of hungry too, you know."

Even as Ginny gave him a thankful look, the only black haired boy among them snorted. "Hungry? Ron, you're always hungry and that's the truth."

All Ron did though was shrug and grin. "And? I'm a growing boy, Mate. I need to eat to grow nice and tall, something that you might want to look into."

Scowling at him, Harry turned and grumbled some. "I'm just a bit short for my age. Besides, you probably got problems getting oxygen to your brain from how far it needs to go."

Behind them, Molly shared a look of amusement with Nagato, both mothers realizing that the two boys were attracting attention to get it off Ginny. Clearing her throat, Nagato brought the conversation to an end before speaking up. "Well, if it is food you want then I am sure that we can find some around. It may be early in the morning but some places are open besides the mess hall."

Now frowning, Molly glanced around. "Perhaps... do you know of a place, Nagato? Since we are in Japan it wouldn't be a bad thing to try some of the food around here. That ramen we tried was not bad after all."

Finger tapping on her arm as she crossed them, the shipgirl thought things over before nodding. "I don't think that the normal stands are open at the moment, at least not until later on in the morning. Perhaps we could try some of them later..." Still frowning, Nagato tilted her head back. "Though there is also how you want to get some dresses..."

It was then that Harry spoke up. "Mum? There's that one bakery on the way to Daisuke's shop. They're open early in the morning and they do sell melonpan and anpan after all."

Blinking as she gave it some thought, Nagato then turned a smile onto him. "I suppose that does sound good this early in the morning."

Confused, Bill glanced at Amisi who was listening to her fairy translate with an interested expression. "Anpan? Melonpan? What sort of food are those?"

Hands behind his head, Harry chuckled. "They're types of bread made here in Japan. Anpan is bread that has sweet red bean paste in the middle of it. Melonpan sort of has cookie dough on top of normal dough. Because of how it's made, it looks like it the skin of a cantolope. Trust me, it's really, really good."

Eyebrow raised, Molly gave it some thought before turning to Arthur. A silent conversation happened between the two of them before she gave a nod. "That does sound rather interesting. And as I said, we should try some different things while here in Japan..."
________________________________________________________________

As Ginny finished up the bread, Molly looked down at her daughter. "Well? How was it?"

Swallowing what was in her mouth, the red haired girl tilted her head some before giving a shrug. "It was okay, I guess? Not really what I was expecting, but it tasted good."

Only grinning, Harry looked towards her and gave a laugh. "Well, as long as you found that it tasted good, that's enough for me. Glad to hear it though." He then nodded with his head towards the store that they found themselves by. "Anyways, we're here."

Percy turned in that direction and raised an eyebrow at the store that they found themselves in front of. "Is this the place for dresses?"

With a nod, Nagato opened the door and held it open as the others walked in. "It is as a matter of fact. It might not be what you're used to in Diagon, but Daisuke's store has plenty of clothing for good prices." Letting the door close behind her, the Battleship gestured at her body. "He often has clothing made for women from America who are here with their husbands in the USN. And unfortunately, such clothes are the only thing that will fit some of us..."

Looking her over, Molly just gave a small nod. "I can understand that since from what I have see it must be difficult for you to find items that fit."

Just sighing, Nagato shook her head. "You have no idea, trust me. Some of needed to order from the United States, Canada, and Australia in order to get something that would at least fit somewhat."

Chuckles made them all turn as Daisuke came into view. "That is not too surprising, Nagato-San. Granted, I luck out as I have my own connections." Turning towards the Weasleys, he gave a small bow. "Welcome to my shop, I am Daisuke, the owner. Can I help you?"

Interested by what she can see, Molly hummed before placing a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "We're going to the wedding and we both need some nice clothing for it. We're on a bit of a budget sadly..."

Rather then be insulted, Daisuke gave a small laugh and smiled. "Not to worry, I'm sure that we have something here for you. Now, for those on a budget I do have a section. If you would follow me?" Guiding them through the cluttered store, he comes to one section and gestures at it. "Here we go, most of these are either on sale or marked down for various reasons. You can have a look if you want."

Eyes wide, Molly walked over to one of the stands and began to look through them. "Some of these are quite lovely. Oh, Ginny, you would look lovely in this one." Pulling out a blue dress, she smiled at her daughter before turning to Daisuke. "There wouldn't happen to be a changing room, is there?"

Lips curling upwards, Daisuke pointed a short distance away. "Of course, they're right over there as a matter of fact. But please, leave your shoes outside the stalls so that people will know that you're in there."

Despite being somewhat confused by that bit, Molly only nodded and shuffled Ginny over to the change rooms as Harry glanced around as Nagato looked through what was there. Arthur meanwhile gave a small chuckle and shook his head. "We might be here a while, boys."

While there were groans, Harry gave a snort and smirked at them when they looked at him. "What? I've grown up with shipgirls and often gone shopping with them." He then shrugged some. "So I'm kind of used to it to be honest."

All he got though were looks and groans.

Several minutes later, Molly was once again looking through the various clothes and noting which ones looked good as well as the prices. The family finances may well have been much better then they had been even a few years ago, but the Weasley Matriarch still did not see that as a reason to spend money unnecessarily. Pulling back some though, she blinked at one dress that was on display and hummed. "That's an interesting dress."

Glancing in the same direction, Nagato gave a small nod. "That would be a Cheongsam, a Chinese dress. I will admit that they're very beautiful dresses to say the least."

Only nodding, Molly examined the dress more closely and made a thoughtful sound. After all, it was not the sort of dress that one saw very often. In fact, the one time she could remember was when she had seen a picture of one woman in the papers. 'Now who was it... Right, Missus Li was who had a dress like this.' Shaking her head, she glanced towards Nagato. "Do you know, I was considering buying one of those Kimonos that I heard are worn over here?"

Nagato turned to her and raised an eyebrow. "A Kimono?" When Molly nodded, she frowned some. "If you can afford one, they are nice to have for whenever you're in Japan. I know that Iowa has a kimono of her own that was designed by a friend whom she went to university with."

Turning from one dress, Ginny blinked a bit. "Afford one? They're expensive then?"

Just nodding, the shipgirl shook her head. "Very much so. Even a second hand one can cost several hundred pounds to buy. Many families just pass them down for that reason. Alternatively, you can rent them for the day. It can add up very quickly."

Soon after though, their attention was grabbed as three other women, who Nagato and Harry recognized as the newest Natural Borns in Yokosuka. And all too soon, all six were talking among themselves and helping with each other.

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

And for your daily dose of cute...
Spoiler

And an Omake...

A Secondary Concern



"Hmmm," Resource examined the almost vacant look in the young woman's eyes as she sat in the repair baths.

"Well," Richelieu asked. "What is wrong with her?"

"Apart from being one of the 'Never Built'?" Resource looked up. "Right now she is pretty much a blank slate. Fortunately, we have some baselines from Louisiana to use to gauge her development."

Jean Bart rubbed her eyes. "How soon can we get Gascogne up to operational status?"

"There is nothing wrong with her mechanically, but her crew is a bit…inexperienced."

"We have been sending crew to help train her," Richelieu replied. "We are somewhat similar in armaments so we are able to get Gascogne trained."

"What other concerns did you have?" Resource asked.

"Improvements?" Jean Bart looked at her sister.

"Oui," Richelieu nodded. "I fear her…lack of awareness at this time is a detriment."

"She doesn't seem to have a problem with her secondaries," Resource commented.

"Oui," Jean Bart leaned over her sister. "Perhaps something to increase her secondary range?"

Gascogne surfed between the targets of the practice range a bit sluggishly. Her main 380mm guns proved to be in working order, with no glitches in the turrets. Her secondary batteries, however, started firing before effective range, and kept firing well past the point of anything remaining of the smaller targets set up for such trials. The secondary battery gunners were, to say the least, very enthusiastic.

Her boilers and engines were in working order, even with that damned 'booster' added to the propulsion.

Resource blinked. There seemed to be a party going on, with plenty of wine, baguettes, and cigarettes passed around. Then she saw them.

Mimes.


French Mimes.


Faerie French Mimes.

Resource felt her boilers churn. Her crew raced to release the pressure before catastrophic failure.



Admiral Collingwood paused as the NBC Alarm sounded throughout the base. From the window she could see shipgirls racing for the waves, destroyers and cruisers heading out first as the battleships and carriers churned after them. She blinked as her secretary burst through the door.

"Another drill?"

"Worse. Resource set off the alarms attempting to break into the hardened bunker where the RAF keeps their nuclear ordinance."

"What in the devil for?"

"She was raving about having to nuke the French in order to save us all."

"I know our erstwhile allies can be a bit pugnacious-"

"ResourcefoundFrenchFaerieMimesintherepairbay."

The Admiral parsed the sentence before taking a deep breath. She reached into her desk to pull out a familiar friend.

"Get me Campbeltown…and let your pirate friend I will need another case."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Knocking on the door, Harry stuck his head inside the Archives before waving. "Um, hey?" At the amused looks he was getting, the black haired boy blushed some. "Sorry about being late and all that. Kind of got held up due to Miss Weasley and some others."

Lips curling upwards, Daichi chuckled. "It's not a problem, Harry-San. Please, come on in." Seeing the brown paper bag that the wizard held, he raised an eyebrow. "And what do we have here now?"

Simply putting aside the bag, Harry gave a shrug. "I brought some Fuji apples from the mess hall."

Kurosawa gave a small smile before clapping her hands. "Thank you, Harry-Chan. Those will make for a nice snack later on." Winking, she raised an finger. "Did you know that the Fuji was first created here in Japan. In fact, it comes from Aomori Prefecture."

Just snickering, Harry gave a nod at that. "I actually did." Then he gave a shrug. "But they're still pretty good, so..."

Only making a sound of agreement at that, Osamu turned towards Harry fully. "I take it that you are here to pick up Tsukiakari no Suzu then?" When he got a nod, the archivist turned and unfolded a cloth to reveal Tsukiakari in her scabbard there. "Well, we finished all the work on her, so she's good to go."

As Harry picked her up, Daichi continued. "Not that there was much work to be done in all honesty. The spells that Ian-San placed on her did their job and did it well enough."

About to continue, they all paused at the sound of the paper bag being moved and turned towards it. Harry was going to ask Juuchi what she was doing when he noted that there was a feeling of confusion from the Muramasa before he shrugged. "Um, right... So the spell work helped keep her in good shape?"

Humming, Daichi gestured at it. "Hai, the spell work is actually impeccable for her. As an aside, we did date her creation to about 1860 or so. That means that she might well have been used in a number of campaigns here in Japan before coming into possession of your ancestor, Harry-San. We also identified her birthplace as being Nagoya."

Eyebrows raising in surprise, Harry gave a chuckle. "Huh, that's pretty neat Tsukiakari. Maybe one of these days we should take a trip down there so that you can see your birthplace and how things have changed."

While the sword rattled as if to say how she really liked that idea, Kurosawa giggled and was about to say something when the sound of something biting into an apple made them all blink before they shook their heads. Adjusting his glasses, Osamu took a deep breath. "We did come across something interesting about the spells on her though." Seeing the interest on Harry's face, he continued. "For one thing, Ian was not the strongest wizard, but he was also very smart."

Confused, Harry tilted his head and he could tell from out of the corner of his eye that Juuchi was listening in. "Really? How so?"

Leaning forward, Daichi shook his head in bemusement. "Well, for one thing there's a number of different individual spells. Each one is rather weak, but, Ian-San wove them together to make them all stronger."

That made Harry furrow his eyebrows as he looked down at Tsukiakari. "Wove them together? Like... how you weave threads to make a cloth?"

Nodding, Kurosawa gave a gesture at the sword in his lap. "That's correct, Harry-Chan. Or perhaps calling it a rope would be better in this case." Waiting for a moment, she continued. "From what Daichi-San and Osamu-Kun explained to me, you can look at each spell as being like a thread. They would be rather weak and you could snap them fairly easily. However, Ian-San went and wove them together. And like a piece of fabric or a rope, this made it much harder for them to break. It speaks to his talent that they've only... tightened, I think is the best way to put it, over the decades since."

With a nod, Osamu reached over and gestured with one finger and Harry's eyes widened at the spider web of spells that became visible over the sheath. More and more "Threads" lit up until it looked like Tsukiakari was in a cocoon of sorts. "Okay, that? That's pretty cool."

A chuckle escaped from Daichi as he had a twinkle in his eye, barely noting that the paper bag crackled again. "Indeed, that is one way of putting it. More so though, is that examining the spells it seems that this was not a one off bit." At the question in Harry's eyes, he waved a hand. "Ian-San must have worked at it for years. Not casting them, he had to have spent the better part of decades layering and weaving the spells together over both her blade and the sheath."

Eyes sparkling, Kurosawa gave a nod. "One of the spells identified is a spell to repel dirt, grime, and blood. According to Daichi-San, any blood on the blade would just slough off as it never touched it in the first place. There's also a minor repair spell so that even if she's broken, as long as the pieces are places back into the sheath in order, she'll repair herself. Ian-San did not want her to become damaged."

Osamu shook his head in some awe. "It's amazing what he did with the spells he had. Besides that, there's a cutting spell on the blade to make sure that her edge stays sharp. The scabbard though also has what seems like a shield spell on it so that one could use it to block spells."

Grinning, Daichi gave Harry a look. "In fact, it rather ties into her name. If you want..."

Instead of answering right away, the wizard looked down at Tsukiakari who clicked some. With a nod, Harry stood up with the sheath in one hand. "Is this good?"

Lips twitching, Daichi let a spark form between his fingers. "Perfect, just hold her out." Waiting until he did so, the tanuki flicked his fingers and a small bolt of electricity shot out and impacted the scabbard before being defected with a gong sound not unlike that of a bell. "And there we go."

His eyes wide, Harry looked down at Tsukiakari who seemed embarrassed at the attention she was getting. "Okay, that? That's extremely impressive."

Only nodding, Daichi chuckled. "It is, though it is only good for one or two minor curses before the shield would fail and need several days to recharge. Something to use in a fight or when caught off guard, but not much else." He then began to tick off on his fingers. "There is also an anti-theft spell that causes a similar sound to come from her if someone tried to take her. As well, a spell that prevents it from being summoned unless by a Potter. Rather interesting magic that is, tied to the Potter blood."

Turning, Harry looked at Juuchi. "What do you think, Juuchi? Is Tsukiakari neat?" The Muramasa gave a rattle and the nearly thirteen year old had the odd idea that she was gazing at Tsukiakari with a pleased look. Something not helped by how the blade in his hands warmed as if blushing. "Yeah, she's a Potter blade alright."

If anything, that made the warmth of the sword grow.

At the sound of another sword rattle, they all turned to Honjo and froze. Mainly because said sword had several apple cores around her. For several moments everyone, and Harry believed that Juuchi was included, stared at the Masamune in disbelief. Looking from the apple cores to the blade, Kurosawa boggled a bit. "Did... how did she..."

Sighing, Daichi pinched his nose. "Well, I think that we know what Honjo enjoys eating now..."

Just frowning, Harry gave both Honjo and Juuchi a disappointed look. "You two are far too much alike."

Both swords rattled as if angry at being compared to each other, then they rattled at each other which only made Harry sigh.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

A small frown on her face, Rose scrolled through her phone even as she felt the alcohol in her veins. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she blinked and looked up to see Hiei giving her a grin. Something that brought a blush to her face. "Um..."

Only shaking her head, Hiei leaned in to where she could be overheard. "Don't tell me that you're doing work right now, Rose-Chan."

Blushing even more, Rose hung her head some. "Sorry about that, Hiei, I... I am just worried about the wedding and can't help myself. Especially with how fast everything is moving."

From where she was seated beside her, Nagato shook her head. "You need to relax, Rose. Right now, tonight is all about you..." With a glance a short distance away, she snorted. "And Haruna as well."

With a look, Rose could see where Haruna was at the other end of Hoshou's Bar in Yokosuka, the Carrier who owned it right beside her talking. While the two could have had their "Hen Parties" in separate places, in the end Rose and Haruna had shrugged it off and decided to combine them in a way as they had the same female friends. Both were using different sections of Hoshou's Bar with people going back and forth between the two groups. Scratching her cheek, Rose smiled a bit. "I suppose so..."

Putting her arm around the tsukumogami's shoulder, Hiei took a deep gulp of her drink. "Ah, come on Rose-Chan! Relax and live a little, tonight is in celebration of you two deciding to end your separate lives and come together!"

Kongou had her eyes closed and waited until Hiei was taking another gulp of her drink before commenting. "Perhaps one day, if we are lucky we will get an unofficial one for Hiei-Chan involving a certain American, Dess. Especially if a certain little girl has anything to say about it."

Needless to say, the spray of alcohol from Hiei's lips was extremely impressive. Even more so when Minagato held up a match and caused it to become a stream of fire. "Gato."

Moments later, everyone shrugged it off as Hiei was coughing and pounding at her chest. "HIEEEE!? ONEE-SAMA!"

While Kongou simply smirked and sipped her own drink, Mutsu sighed and shook her head. "Don't encourage her, Kongou." The other Nagato waited until Hiei was going for another drink after her coughing stopped. "Besides, you'd need to convince John first."

Yet another spray of alcohol occurred along with Minimu lighting it on fire this time much to the awe of the various Smols there. Wheezing between coughs, Hiei gave Mutsu the best glare she could. "You too!? Really?!" She then groaned and looked at the glass. "Dammit, and this is the good shit!"

Lips twitching, Mutsu snorted. "I wouldn't know as I'm not allowed to drink." One hand resting on her pregnant belly, the Battleship gave a sad look at the bottle of whiskey before pouring more soda into her glass. "So I got to get my amusement somehow."

Still glaring, Hiei grumbled a bit. "Gee, thanks." She then shot a look at Kongou. "And what's your excuse, Onee-Sama?"

Bringing the glass away from her lips, there was a twinkle in Kongou's eyes. "Older sister privileges, Dess."

That only got her a frown from Hiei while Gale muttered to herself a short distance away. Like Mutsu, both her and Wash weren't touching any alcohol. Sipping her own Cola as she glanced away from where a somewhat buzzed Kirishima was dancing, the Warrant Officer turned towards Rose. "So what were you looking up just now?"

With a blink, Rose turned away from where she was watching Hoshou cooking. "Hmm? Oh! Just looking up some of the groups that we invited as guests to the wedding." Turning, she showed what was on her phone which had a symbol of some sort. Part of it was a square divided into three smaller ones. The top box had a stylized bird of prey with the lower two having a telescope in one and a pair of binoculars in the other. Below that was stylized waves. "Such as the Hayabusa Coastal Watch Association."

It took several moments for Gale to place it before she remembered and snapped her fingers. "That's the Japanese coastwatching group, right?"

Slowly nodding in thought, Kongou hummed. "That's right, Dess. They popped up shortly after Blood Week and played an important part for both the USN and the JMSDF. They set themselves up not just across the coastline, but also out on the islands after they were evacuated. More then one Abyssal attack was foiled when they reported on Abyssal movements..."

Hiei gave it some thought as her mind went back to those early days as well as what she had been told had happened. "Also locating any survivors and the like while keeping them safe until rescue could happen. Remember the one on Hahajima, Onee-Sama?"

Grimacing, Kongou shook her head. "The ones there were brave, Dess. They continued to put out reports on those Abyssals both at Iwo Jima and Chichijima. More then once, the JMSDF thought that they were dead when the Abyssals decided to try and hunt them down... or just shell the island, Dess." Then she shrugged. "Only a few days later for them to send the next group of reports."

Arms crossed and eyes closed, Hiei gave a sharp nod. "Hai. The Hayabusa Coastal Watch Association is hardcore. Still want to know how so many of them couldn't be put down by the Abyssals though."

Chuckles made them turn to find a slightly drunk Haru there. "For much the same reason why I suggest that Rose-Chan here invite a number to her wedding, at least the reception." Taking a drink from her glass, she continued. "Most of them are actually tsukumogami. Especially telescope and binocular tsukumogami. Whenever the Abyssals showed up, they dismissed their avatars and hid in plain sight. Others were radio tsukumogami as well as others like various Gunto tsukumogami."

Eyes wide, Mutsu stared at her and knew that the others outside of Rose were doing much the same. "Wait, most of the Hayabusa Coastal Watch Association were tsukumogami?"

Only shaking her head, Haru sighed. "Pretty much. After the bill to allow for Yokai militias failed in the Magical Diet, a bunch of tsukumogami got together and pooled resources to buy radios and satellite radios. Then they headed out along the coast anyway that they could and to various islands to keep an eye on Abyssal movements and report back. Now that was tough, though from what I heard they had help from some wizards who transported them as far as they could. Sometimes they even used owls to do so."

Thoughtful, Nagato sipped her whiskey as she felt the burning sensation go down her throat. Finger tapping the glass, she shared a look with Kongou who gave a small nod, the silent acknowledgement from the Fast Battleship saying a lot. More then one shipgirl owed their lives to the Hayabusa Coastal Watch Association after all getting out information regarding enemy movements not caught by aircraft, drones, and satellites. 'Sometimes, it's not the flashiest parts, or those best at fighting, which makes the real difference in war. And bravery comes in all forms...'

Meanwhile, Haru continued. "Anyways, since they're one of the bigger groups composed mostly of tsukumogami, I thought that it would be nice if some of them were invited to the wedding."

Unsaid of course, everyone knew that the wedding had pretty much captured the attention of most tsukumogami in Japan. Still holding most of her glass, Rose had a small smile on her face as she thought it over. "Well, they have helped out a lot and... Haruna agreed with it."

Suddenly there were whistles and such which made everyone turn at both tables to see several red faced JSDF personnel and US Marines walk in. A small smirk on her face, Gale snorted. "And here is the entertainment for the night."

Almost immediately there were predatory grins on various female faces as they looked at the now embarrassed men. As music played and the show began with whoops and cheers, the various guys hoped that they would get enough beer money for this to be worth it. And if they managed to get a shipgirl or two to accompany them out, well... that might calm down some of the teasing from their fellows.

Maybe.

Later, when they woke up, all of them considered the parties were well and truly worth how they all felt in the morning however. Granted, Rose and Haruna were both wondering how they managed to wake up in Okinawa. There was also the issue of the giant Russian bear in the hotel bathtub as well... the furry one, not Gangut who was also in said bathtub using it as a teddy. No one was sure of the story there.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Walking out of Haru's front door, Harry took a deep breath of the night air before letting it out. Two mugs in his hands gently steamed as he looked around the area before he gave a nod at the sight of something in the light of the Moon. It didn't take the black haired boy to reach a spot not far from where the house sat and looked down at Natsumi. The Kitsune in question was silent with her legs drawn up to her chest and wearing what Harry recognized as his Quidditch jersey that she had grabbed.

Not even bothering to be silent as he could see the ears on her head turning this way and that, Harry gave a small smile. "Couldn't sleep, Natsumi-Chan?"

A frown on her face, Natsumi gave him a glance before sighing. "No, I..." She paused for a few moments and then released a breath. "Had a nightmare."

Only nodding, Harry sat down beside her, feeling the wetness of the dew through his pants. "Yeah, that sort of thing always sucks when it happens." Ignoring the snort from Natsumi, he held out one of the mugs and was rewarded by her nose twitching. "Here, thought that you might need this."

Taking it, Natsumi blew on it before taking a sip and smiling slightly. "Your sleep remedy?"

With a sip of his own, Harry gave a nod. "Hai. One hundred percent guaranteed to help one get to sleep. Not bad for something made with hot milk, honey, nutmeg, and some cinnamon."

As she hummed, Natsumi took another sip before lowering her mug. "You know, Haha-ue was surprised one night when the twins couldn't get back to sleep last year." Getting a hum, the kitsune continued. "I made some up just like you showed me that time and gave them it. Both of them fell asleep within a half hour."

Lightly laughing, the wizard shook his head. "And your Mum? What was her reaction to that? Besides being surprised?"

Softly snorting, Natsumi took another small sip. "She thought that I had made some sort of potion. But when Oba-Chan explained, she only shook her head." Frowning slightly, she continued. "Haha-ue and Chichi-ue gave me odd looks though when I explained that it was something that your family wrote down."

Head tilting to the side, Harry considered that before shaking his head. There was something that was just on the edge of his mind. Something that he knew was important and it was about sharing recipes, especially family ones. But the nearly thirteen year old just couldn't grasp it before it vanished into the depths of his mind. "A sleeping potion, really?"

Giggling some, Natsumi gave a nod. "Hai, I know right?" When he gave a hum, she once more fell silent before speaking up again. "Harry-Chan? About my nightmare..."

In reply, Harry turned his gaze on her and waited. He did not need to wait long as she shuffled to the side until she was leaned up against him. Rather then say anything, Harry just put his arm around her shoulder. "What about your nightmare?"

Looking down into her mug, Natsumi gathered her thoughts. "It... was not just one nightmare." Eyebrow raised, Harry sat there and after taking another sip of her drink, Natsumi closed her eyes. "It was about what happened with Kuroshi... What could have happened."

With a sigh, Harry gave a small nod before his voice dropped down to a whisper. "Those are always pretty bad."

As she was leaned up against him, Harry could feel Natsumi give a small nod. "Hai. It started off with us being too late and you were..."

Even though he knew that it would only be somewhat comforting, Harry squeezed her shoulder. "I'm alive you know. Just like when you checked on me when you woke up before coming out here."

Sniffling, Natsumi gave a nod. "I know that, Harry-Chan. And I'm thankful for that, trust me. But the dream... it was so real. Then your corpse turned to me and started to say all these things." She did not need to tell Harry what sort of things were said, he could very easily guess. "Then Shiromizu said stuff as well."

Gaze turning to the night sky, Harry snorted. "You know that neither of us would ever say anything like that, right?" He waited until she gave a nod and continued. "But that's not all of it, is it?"

Just shaking her head, Natsumi took another sip. "Kuroshi then transformed and looked like she did after we killed her. She stood there with her guts hanging out, and your knife in her chest. And she had her head under her arm. Even as blood leaked everywhere, she was there screaming at me, calling me a murderer. You turned your back on me for being a killer and Oba-Chan also appeared and did the same, with Haha-ue and Chichi-ue disowning me for killing someone. Even Rei-Chan and Asuka-Chan were insulting me as was Taichi-Nii. But... but Hoshi-San and Tsuki-San were the worst. They said that I was just like her, just like their... Like Tamamo no Mae. And that they always knew that I was going to turn out that way."

That made Harry's head whip around to stare at her. "Say what now?"

Only shrugging and cuddling some more into his side, Natsumi shook her head. "I don't know where that came from, but it did. That really hurt."

Much to her surprise, she felt a rumble coming from Harry that she soon realized was a growl of all things. "Natsumi-Chan, you listen to me right now. You are nothing like Tamamo no Mae. You are one of the kindest, gentlest Kitsune that I know of, I doubt that there is an evil bone in your body."

Unable to help herself, Natsumi felt herself relaxing some at the growl. A half snort, half giggle then escaped her as she met Harry's eyes with her own. "And how many Kitsune do you know, Harry-Chan?"

Looking down at her, Harry raised one eyebrow and leaned down until he was only inches away. "Only a few, but my best friend is one. And a very special one at that." Internally, he added a point to the mental scoreboard he had when Natsumi looked away with a blush. "But trust me, Natsumi-Chan. For what happened? And how Kuroshi is now dead? That does not make you evil at all."

Natsumi looked down at his hand grasping hers and was silent for a few moments before speaking in a small voice. "You're sure, Harry-Chan?"

With a small nod, Harry took a deep breath. "I'm sure, Natsumi-Chan. Because just killing someone in self defense of yourself or others does not make you evil. And you feeling bad is a good thing... Or at least my Kitsune friend told me that over a year ago."

Glancing up at him, Natsumi gave a wan smile before sighing and closing her eyes. "Does it ever get easier, Harry-Chan? The nightmares and such?"

For several moments, Harry was silent before shaking his head. "Not easier, Natsumi-Chan. Never easy from what I can tell. It does get better though and... they come less and less often. Kuroshi's death just added to them." Leaning down, he kissed her on the forehead. "And I would never judge you for it, Natsumi-Chan. Just like you have never judged me."

Seconds later, Natsumi crawled into his lap and leaned against him more. "Promise?"

All Harry did was place his mug to the side and wrap his arms around her. "I promise you, Natsumi-Chan."

Eyes closed as she enjoyed the embrace, Natsumi took a deep breath before letting it out. When she opened her eyes, Harry was struck by how the moonlight was reflected in her eyes. "Thank you, Harry-Chan."

Moving some, she leaned her head up and kissed him softly for a few seconds before pulling away. Stunned, Harry only blinked for almost a minute before mentally shaking it off. "Um, you're welcome? I mean, you don't need to thank me for something like that as it's true."

Lips twitching, Natsumi shook her head. "That is why I need to thank you though, Harry-Chan." Both of them sat there while the Kitsune took another sip from her mug. "Harry-Chan? Remember how I said that I had a second nightmare?"

Slowly, Harry gave a nod at that. "I remember you mentioning it."

Taking another deep breath, Natsumi continued. "It's one that I've had at times since I was a little Kit. But it's been really common since the fight with Kuroshi. In it, I'm standing before this large mirror. The mirror is a very old one, but also very fancy. Just looking at it fills me with fear though, but my body moves until I'm in front of it. And when I reach it, I don't see my reflection in it."

Confused, Harry looked down at her. "You don't see your reflection? Really?"

Frown on her face, Natsumi shook her head. "No, I don't see my reflection. Instead, I see an adult Kitsune there, one of beauty with nine tails behind her while she is clad in the clothing of a noblewoman from the old tales. But from her claws are dripping blood endlessly and all the time while her expression is colder then any Yuki-Onna's powers could make the air, with a cruelty there. It... every time I see her, she's looking down on me as if judging me. And it scares me, Harry-Chan. Worse is the fact that I don't know why she scares me like she does." With a gulp, she shook her head. "Something about her terrifies me to no end while she is also familiar. Now that I'm older, she I realized that she looks like an older me..."

Blinking, Harry furrowed his eyebrows as he considered what he had just been told. 'I wonder if she knows? Subconsciously...'

Meanwhile, Natsumi shook her head. "But those dreams have come back, except, she's different. No longer does she have nine tails, but instead only eight. I remember telling Haha-ue about the dreams when I was younger and she seemed unnerved about them before telling me to not to worry about them. And I had another one of those tonight as well."

Harry gave a small nod at that. "Which is why you came outside here, right?"

Tilting her head back, Natsumi looked up into the sky with the stars twinkling high above. "Hai, I did. Ever since I was a kit, being outside at night calmed me. Especially in the summer." Lips curling just slightly, she shook her head. "The cool night air, the smell, the sounds of the night. All of that helps me relax after one of those dreams. Especially when I look up to see the stars and the Moon high above."

Simply holding her around her waist, Harry leaned back until he was laying on the ground. On top of his chest, Natsumi curled up some as the two watched a shooting star. "It is pretty nice to just watch the stars." After a few minutes, he looked down at Natsumi who was resting on him. "You know... I wonder if it would be possible to listen to them sing."

With a blink of confusion, Natsumi looked up at him. "Listen to who sing, Harry-Chan?"

In reply, Harry pointed up at the sky. "The Moon, the planets, and the stars." As she only became more confused, the black haired boy shook his head. "There's something in Europe and such called the 'Music of the Spheres' or 'Musica Universalis'. The idea is that the stars and planets all 'Sing' magically. It's supposed to be pretty beautiful to hear in all honesty, same with the music of the Earth. But its a lost magic."

Frowning in thought, Natsumi looked up at the stars. 'The song of the stars, Moon, and planets, huh... A bit of a shame that it might be lost magic though, that... that would be wonderful to hear.' With a sigh, she drained the last of her mug while Harry did the same before nuzzling him under his chin with a yawn. "Harry-Chan? Can we stay here for a little bit? Just like this?" When Harry nodded, she smiled some. "Thank you."

All Harry did was kiss the top of her head and nod. "You're welcome." Several minutes later, he found that her breath had evened off and slowly sat back up. It took some work, but he picked both her up as well as the two mugs before carrying her back to Haru's home. The two were found that morning just cuddled up with each other though as Natsumi would not let him go in her sleep.

Not that either minded it all that much.

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord K Omake: "Don't say it like that! Again!"

wildredlifer said:
It could mean Possible Reincarnation scenario for Natsumi or a Gift for Divination relating to being able to see into the Past.​

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Jin after listening to Haru

Jin: Hm..... Do I need to give her the Reicarnate talk?

Haru: The what now?

Jin: Well, as a fellow person, who is technically the soul of someone who was really kind of terrible in life and failed at decision making, I do believe that makes me most qualified for this.

Natsumi: I don't quite see how that works but....

Jin: Well you see, when someone really messes up and feels very strongly about something in the past, they can stick around, and can even come back in a fashion. But eventually there comes a (not-so) special time as we start to get older as our new selves, that certain things start to happen to us...

Natsumi is slowly going red from head to tail

Shiromizu looks on in horror: Sempai!!! Why do you always have to makes these talks sound and feel so awkward!?!

 

[darthcourt10]

U.N.Spacy000 Omake: "Juuchi's Search For Treasure"

Harry Leferts said:
Alternatively, there's a lot of loose change around the base.​

*-*-*-*-*

"Harry, why is your sword buried beneath the couch pillows?" Hibiki asked her friend.

"I have no idea," Harry said.

"It isn't very elephant," Akatsuki said as she crossed her arms.

****

"Thank you for the invitation to tea, Auntie Kongou," Harry said as he smiled widely.

"It's always enjoyable to spend time with you, Harry," Kongou said with a smile before she patted his hand and turned to her sister. "Isn't it, Haruna?"

Haruna did not respond, and her gaze and attention was locked onto something off to the side away from the tea setup on the park table with a laser guided focus.

"Haruna?" Kongou asked as both she and Harry tried to see what she was looking at.

Juuchi Yosamu was leaned up between a pair of vending machines.

"Uh, Haruna was distracted," Haruna said sheepishly as she reengaged with her sister and Harry.

"What is she doing over there?" Kongou asked.

"I haven't the foggiest," Harry responded.

****

"Harry!" Iku sang as she pulled the dark haired wizard into a hug.

"Iku!" Harry called back as he felt her lift him up and spin around with him.

Their twirling was halted when they heard a splashing noise. They investigated the fountain and discovered Juuchi Yosamu submerged.

"Harry," Iku began.

"I don't even," Harry cut off as he stared at the sword.

"Her technique could use some work," Iku noted.

****

"Hello, Harry," Taigei said as she set the laundry basket down and began to toss clothes into the washing machine.

"Hello, Taigei," Harry said cheerfully as he looked up from the summer homework he was doing while waiting for the dryer to finish in the base's laundromat.

A clacking and clinking noise drew their attention to where they found Juuchi partially behind a clothes dryer.

"I give up," Harry said as he threw his hands in the air before Taigei could say anything.

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

Here we go again!
Talking And Exposition, Not Mutually Exclusive

-----

Tatsuya sat in the back yard, gazing up at the sky. There were remarkably few clouds today. Occasionally, that could indicate something bad was going to happen. He scoffed—though he himself didn't have any idea, he didn't think that teenage boys usually thought that when they saw a clear sky.

Usual. Normal. That had been lost to him a long time ago.

The door slid open, and footsteps padded out beside him. He could tell it was Mamiya before she was standing above him, looking down into his eyes. Benio had already gone home, and Mom and Dad would have announced themselves. More than that, he knew her walk. After that incident, he had memorized it—along with those of her friends, and his parents, and as many people as he could. Anything to prevent that from happening again.

"You okay, Tatsuya?" she asked. "You've been out here for a while." Tatsuya looked up at the sky again—starting to turn red. Had he really been sitting out here in a fugue for so long?

"I'm fine," he lied, stretching his legs out and pulling them back in. "Just wanted to be alone with my thoughts."

"I don't mind hearing them," she said, sitting down beside him.

"Nah, you would," Tatsuya replied, half-jokingly and ignoring the pang. "They're painfully stupid."

"Is that so?" Mamiya smiled back at him, using the same joking tone. "Then how would you like to hear mine?" Tatsuya blinked. He hadn't expected this—Mamiya had become much more respectful of his personal space over the years.

"What's your worry?" he asked. If there was something weird going on, maybe he could figure out the game or draw out the mastermind this way.

"Well, I didn't know that you were familiar with any Shipgirls, for one," Mamiya admitted. "Especially since Miyuki-chan was so enamored with you."

"She's really not," Tatsuya shook his head, chuckling slightly. "She's… Something happened, and she's concerned."

"I'm sure," Mamiya said. "And what's so important that she would follow you home, then?"

"Well, that's… It was a thing, it was—"

"Do you remember the stories Mom would tell us, about her family?" she continued, changing the subject. "About how they would spend their lives fighting evil and monsters and stuff?"

"Well yeah, but—" Tatsuya flagged, "but those were bedtime stories, nothing real—" Mamiya cut him off again.

"We live in a world where one of my friends from school can turn out to be the reincarnation of a warship. There are a lot more possibilities out there than we pretend. And besides…" she sighed, turning and placing a hand on his shoulder. "Tatsuya… I'm your sister, not an idiot."

Tatsuya felt his skin go cold with shock. Mamiya was still talking, but he could barely hear her words. His every instinct was crying for him to reach out, grab the woman, demand his sister's location, but each instinct was running into an impenetrable wall, a single feeling equal to every other, that said firmly 'No. This is her. This is my sister.'

"Are you there?"

"Huh?" he managed to say. Mamiya sighed, shaking her head.

"Just… This isn't an anime or anything. You may think that you have to keep everything secret, but I've seen a couple things myself. Besides," and she smiled halfheartedly. "If you're going through something, then you've gotta ask yourself… Are those really just bedtime stories?"

She stood and offered him her hand. "Come on, it's late."
-----

"McKay," Dumbledore said to himself thoughtfully. "Now there's a name I have not heard in a while."

"You mean this kid is a witch?" Victory asked, reaching over his shoulder. With a practiced motion, Albus swept the biscuit that she targeted away from fingertips and raised it to his own lips.

"A witch? No, of course not," he replied, taking a small bite. "However, I was glad to have a small measure of familiarity with her mother, Anna. Alastor would be more familiar with the McKay women, they've had a bit of a rivalry with the Aurors in the area since the seventeen-hundreds."

"Seriously?" Victory scoffed, grabbing another biscuit. Albus let her have this one, more interested in the one he had already captured from her.

"I hardly believed it myself, until Lily ran into her when some Death Eaters got it into their heads to attack a grocery store that she was shopping at." Albus smiled, nodded, took another bite. "They tried to, at any rate. It was the last—and the worst—decision they had ever made." Victory cocked an eyebrow. "I believe Lily described her to me as an "Energizer bunny of pure death," though she had to explain to me what that meant." He chuckled lightly. "I still had trouble, until I met her. She had a… singular presence. Though she died not long after."

"Wait, seriously? And here you were trying to sell her as such a badass!"

"She came into conflict with Fenrir Greyback," Albus shrugged. Victory winced. "He decided to take nine of his pack to confront her."

"Damn," Victory said, taking a bite out of her own biscuit.

"Indeed," Albus nodded. "Though she gave as good as she got. Greyback was the only wolf to walk away."

"And now you're shitting me," Victory laughed. Albus gave her a calm, level look, and took another bite. "You're not shitting me. Seriously?"

"Have you ever heard of Audie Murphie?" the elderly headmaster asked. "I recall at least one witch who swore by three pantheons that he was secretly a wizard. He wasn't, of course, but muggles are capable of far greater feats than many in the wizarding world are prepared to give them credit for."

"Yeah, but that's…" Victory shook her head. "Damn."

"Indeed," Albus repeated. "If young Miss Gillian is anything like her mother… Well, I don't think the world could handle two people like that at the same time.
-----

Two stunningly beautiful women stood alone in an elevator.

"What did you want to talk about, Athena?" the one asked.

"I was just checking in. I wanted to make sure you were holding to the rules," the second replied. "I've heard about you taking an unusual interest in an American child."

"Is that so?" The first laughed. "And what of my esteemed brethren? Why were they unable to come and speak to me?"

"That is not the point and you know it, Morrigan," Athena growled, grey eyes flashing dangerously. "What you are doing—"

"Is merely the maintenance of a system that I put in place centuries ago," Morrigan replied casually. "The family line I had in in that area failed, I need to replace it. That child saw me, when I didn't want to be seen. She could be—"

"The step-daughter of a Shipgirl?" Athena asked ironically. "Who enjoys spending time with Shipgirls? And has friends in Japan, who know more Shipgirls?"

Morrigan froze. Her shoulders sank slightly. "Shit," she grumbled. "Back to square one."
-----

Jane Richardson felt a chill go down her spine, the sort commonly attributed to having someone walk over one's grave. She ignored it and returned to her business.
-----

"And she was perfect, too," Morrigan grumbled. "I haven't found a line that good in a long time."

"Maybe that's a sign that it's time to call it quits," Athena suggested. Morrigan shook her head.

"The people of the world must be protected, even from those threats that remain hidden to them," she replied. "This is the best way to ensure that happens."

"That attitude might get you in trouble."

"I find that unlikely. It's worked pretty well so far, hasn't it?"
-----
Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Seemingly asleep, the human avatar for Juuchi Yosamu sat in a chair in the darkened apartment before suddenly speaking. "I know that you're there, Tsukiakari." Cracking open one eye at the squeak of surprise, the sword let out a chuckle with a smug smirk on her face. "Come on out."

Moments later, the avatar for Tsukiakari no Suzu poked her head out of Harry's bedroom with a blink. "Um... Sorry for disturbing you, Juuchi-Sama. And-"

With a sigh, Juuchi waved at one of the chairs. "Relax, Suzu-Chan. Now come on and have a seat." Getting up with a snort, she began to walk towards the fridge. "I'll grab us both something to eat." As the other sword walked in, the Muramasa gave a small nod. "It's good to see your avatar finally, it's quite nice."

Blinking, Tsukiakari looked herself over with a small blush. If any of the shipgirls were there, they would have raised their eyebrows at how most of her outfit was similar to the uniform that Akitsu Maru wore, except her skirt went down midway to her knees. The other difference being the leather military boots that covered her feet and lower leg. On top of said outfit though there was a wizarding cloak and hat which Juuchi smiled at. Confused, Tsukiakari tilted her head some. "Is... something wrong?"

Eyes closed, Juuchi shook her head. "No, nothing is wrong at all. But judging by how you're looking around I might ask the same of you."

Some red in her cheeks still, Tsukiakari glanced around. "I... was just wondering where Master and everyone else was. We're all alone here after all."

Humming as she continued to rummage around, the Muramasa shook her head. "Nagato-San is currently at a hen party as Rose-San, our Lord's other retainer, is to be wed to the Battleship Haruna. Hence, the two celebrating tonight. Our Lord though is staying with one of the girls who is currently after him along with his sister, Hoppou, who is friend's with said Kitsune's Imoutos."

It took a few moments before Tsukiakari's head whipped around and she boggled some. "W-wait, one of the girls after him? And a Kitsune!?"

Only humming as she nodded, Juuchi hid her smirk from the other sword. "Yes, it does seem that our Lord has several women after his heart. One of whom is a Kitsune from the Ono Clan and wishes to be his, heh, foxwife. The others are what are known as shipgirls."

Frowning, Tsukiakari shook her head some. 'The Ono Clan?' With a cough, she turned back to Juuchi. "And shipgirls? I noticed them before, when the young Lord came to the storage shed, but..."

With a sigh as she pulled away from the freezer with two wrapped objects, Juuchi brought them over. "How much do you know of the world currently?"

Tsukiakari chewed her lip for a few moments and shook her head. "I... not as much as I feel that I should know." Seeing the raised eyebrow, she hung her head a little. "Sorry..."

A frown on her face, Juuchi scratched her head for several seconds before giving a shrug. "It is nothing that you have need to be sorry for. I do remember Fleamont removing you from the chest though over a decade ago."

Silence met her before Tsukiakari gave a nod. "Hai, it was shortly after Charlus' son was killed fighting the Death Eaters. Their home was attacked in the middle of the night by giants, their Floo was shut down and they could not apparate out. It seems that the Death Eaters' master did not appreciate young Hadrian, who worked his father's real estate business, not selling them buildings to use as safehouses for 'Proper families'."

Eyes narrowing, Juuchi had a blank expression on her face. "They had allies in the Ministry even then?" At the nod, she scowled. "I see. Considering the reputation I had, that also explains why I was not taken out. From my reading, chances are that they would have come up with an excuse to either confiscate myself or go after the rest of the family for having a 'Dark Object' in their possession."

Looking up at her 'Sempai', Tsukiakari's expression became similar to the one that the Muramasa had. "In regards to the one who worked in the Floo Office that night though? He later died as apparently someone placed a contact poison into his shampoo and was found in his shower dead by his elf."

It went without saying that Juuchi did not ask who did it, she knew full well that Fleamont was a Potion's master and that Potters did not tolerate those who killed family members. There was a slight bit of a smile on her face at that bit of news. "I see. And the reason why they use that idiotic nickname? It was not mentioned in any book that I read."

Simply grimacing, Tsukiakari shook her head. "The Dark Lord placed a Taboo Curse on his name, so that he could send his followers to attack those who mentioned it. As well, it could knock down wards, except for the more powerful ones."

Just snorting, Juuchi crossed her arms. "Such as those on the Potter home as I doubt that Catherine would allow them to do so. When were you put back into storage?"

Tsukiakari frowned a bit before furrowing her eyebrows. "It was shortly after Lord James' wife, Lady Lily, gave birth to our current Lord. They went into hiding elsewhere as they were worried about becoming stuck in the Potter Manor. It was well known after all and they thought that the spell they would use, the Fidelius Charm, would be too recognizable there. After all, everyone knew that they had the manor there so if it suddenly vanished..."

Scowling, Juuchi tapped a finger on the table. "This Voldemort would realize that fact and have an idea where they would be still. From what I know of the spell though, they would need to be betrayed by the keeper of the secret."

Eyes closed in grief, Tsukiakari gave a nod. "At first, they were going to choose Lord Black, Sirius. He was Lord James' best friend and brother in all but blood. They were speaking though of how they might go with another friend instead, Peter. After all, they would know that Sirius would be whom they would entrust the secret to. Meanwhile, Peter would be staying in a home also covered by the same spell, but with the secret held by Lord James."

Pieces slid into place which made Juuchi all the more annoyed. "I see, an interesting plan and one that would be quite clever if it worked. Choosing a place other then the obvious to hide and someone other then that which would be expected. And also hiding the person who held the secret with a similar spell with the secret held by Lord James. Truly a shame that this Peter seems to be dead as I would like to speak to him..."

Elsewhere in Yokosuka, a certain rat suddenly froze and wanted to curl up and cry. Already scared by the fact that Sirius had escaped from the unescapable prison of Azkaban for him, Peter had the feeling that someone far worse was after him. Perhaps his true Master, but no one knew that he was alive other then Sirius... right?

Thinking over what she had just heard, Juuchi unwrapped the two objects and handed one to Tsukiakari who blinked. "Um, what is this?"

Lips twitching, Juuchi broke hers in two before taking a bite. "Ice cream monaka, green tea flavored." At the look, she shrugged. "It is pretty good, though it has nothing on blood oranges."

With a bite, the other sword gave a nod. "It is, good I mean." Glancing up at Juuchi, she took a deep breath. "Sempai? May I ask what has happened since I was last out? You and Honjo-Sama mentioned a few things and you also spoke of shipgirls..."

Slowly chewing her bite of ice cream, Juuchi hummed a bit. "The world, it seems, is at war with dark spirits from under the waves. They are called Abyssals and are quite powerful with the war starting almost a decade ago with what is now called 'Blood Week'. A week when the shores ran red with blood..."

As she explained things, Tsukiakari looked sickened at what the Abyssals had done and how many died. That is, until Juuchi explained about the shipgirls and her eyebrows shot upwards in surprise. Finally though, she became thoughtful as the other blade's explanation came to an end. "So these Abyssals are mostly representations of the anger, the hate, and the like that was caused by warfare on the seas? And the shipgirls are Kami of their ships, summoned from the Other World by humanity? Except for those reborn as humans?"

Popping the last piece of her monaka into her mouth, Juuchi gave a nod. "That is generally correct, yes. Now, there are some Abyssals that are now allies with humanity, one of which our Lord considers to be his little sister as well as some whom are nieces to him. Not to mention one that I have been told is interested in him as well."

Much to the Muramasa's amusement, Tsukiakari shook her head and waved it off. "Our Lord is a Potter, that much is not too surprising. Though..." Frowning slightly, she turned to Juuchi. "What are your thoughts on it, Juuchi-Sama?"

One eyelid opened to reveal the grey eye behind it as she smirked a bit. "My thoughts on the matter? About how our Lord has attracted their eye? Or on how a number might try and gain a relationship with him, even if others are also involved?" At the nod from Tsukiakari, Juuchi chuckled and closed her eye as she leaned against one fist. Her other hand waved in the air slightly. "My thoughts are much the same for both questions, that being that I am most in favor."

That made the kyū guntō boggle at her a little bit. "You... are in favor? Truly?"

Lightly laughing, Juuchi's smirk became more smug. "Yes, and? It speaks well of our young Lord that he has already garnered such attention without some of the... negative means of doing so. He has already inspired loyalty as well. In regards to the girls involved? Ono Natsumi-San is a Kitsune and few are more loyal and protective to their husband then a foxwife. Any child of theirs would also be quite strong going by tales of Kuzunoha and Abe no Seimei."

Eyebrow raising, Tsukiakari leaned forward some. "And in regards to the shipgirls, or the number thereof after our Lord's heart?"

Her lip twitching, the Muramasa chuckled. "The shipgirls are Kami, same with this Regina, which says enough. They would be loyal to him in such a relationship and bear him children that would be quite powerful. As to the numbers? It would not be the first time that a Potter has had such an odd relationship. I can count a handful in my time with the Potter family who have had such, though not in possible numbers. And I would also be in favor of it."

Needless to say, Tsukiakari expression became one of surprise and shock at that. "You would be in favor of that?"

Both her eyes opening, Juuchi gave her fellow family blade a serious expression. All smugness gone from her face. "I would. Right now, as it stands, there is but only one Potter of true blood left. The others are all dead unless one counts possible distant, unknown relatives which I do not. For over four hundred years I have served the Potter family... my family. I would not have them disappear into history. Thus, I am in favor of anything that would allow the family to grow once more in numbers in a few years to limit such a chance. If this opportunity had not been present, nor any other in which our Lord could continue his line? Then in a few years I would have offered myself to bear him children so that the family would not die out and do so gladly."

A small frown on her face, Tsukiakari narrowed her eyes some before her face softened. "I do not believe that you would be the only one, Juuchi-Sama as I would not want to see... our family die out. Ian-Dono did choose me even when no one else would, cared for me despite being an inferior blade to many others-"

She was cut off though as Juuchi scowled and reached over to grab her hand. Her voice low, the Muramasa held back a snarl. "You listen to me, Tsukiakari no Suzu. As far as I, Juuchi Yosamu, the greatest of the Muramasa Demon Blades, is concerned? You are no mere sword. You are a Potter Blade through and through. It matters not that you are a kyū guntō and nor does it matter that such blades are considered commoners. If one judges you on such, then more the fool are they! When your master needed you the most, you were there. You saved his very life the night that you warned him so long ago. A feat that I can state that few blades would be capable of at the age that you were. And for that, he showed you affection and loyalty. Affection and loyalty that you have returned to him and the family by cutting down their foes. For that, I will say that there are few blades that I would consider as worthy of being at my side in defense of our Lord as you. My sisters included in that!"

Taken aback, Tsukiakari boggled at Juuchi with her mouth hanging open. Her, a kyū guntō, a blade that was just one of a mass produced variety, considered equal to the masterworks that were Muramasa blades. "S-sempai... do you truly mean that?"

Her smirk having returned, Juuchi gave a nod. "I do, Tsukiakari no Suzu. No matter your beginnings, you have more then proven yourself in my eyes. When the time comes and the family is once more growing? While I may be the blade used by the head of our family, I would have you be used by the heir. For I know that any that threaten them would be cut down." Suddenly, there was a self depreciating smile on her face. "Besides which, there are functions such as the upcoming wedding, where you would be more suitable then I."

Giggles escaped from Tsukiakari at that and she gave a hum while nodding. "Hai, I suppose that a Muramasa of your stature would not be quite suitable for such an event." More giggles escaped her due to the smirk on Juuchi's face as well as the smug. A thought though occurred to the blade and she tilted her head to the side. "Moving back a little... would you truly offer yourself to continue the Potter line? While I know that I would have little issue..."

Raising her hands and spreading them, the older blade shook her head. "As a matter of fact I would. While I doubt that there would be much true love there, I would have little issue bearing children in such a case. And while I am unfamiliar with the pleasures of the flesh in that manner, neither would I be against it." Her smirk grew at the deep blush that spread across Tsukiakari's face at the likely images. "In fact, I will freely admit that the idea intrigues me to some extent. And not only because I have heard that the children of such unions often turn out to be masters of swordsmanship with few equals. However, I am thankful that it is unlikely to be needed in any case."

Still blushing, Tsukiakari took several minutes to calm herself down while looking at her hands. Then she let out a breath and raised her head. "Sempai? Where do we head from here?"

Only humming, Juuchi tilted her head one way and then the other. "Where? I thought that it would be quite obvious. We shall serve our Lord as we can as true Samurai. In time, I shall teach him the ways of the blade as there are no others to do so from his family. Until then though..."

Leaning forward, Tsukiakari frowned. "Until then?"

Juuchi cracked open one eye and smirked. "Until that time, I shall be teaching you the ways of swordsmanship. The true ways of fighting with a blade, until you are a master yourself just in case."

Her jaw dropping, the kyū guntō stared a bit before bowing. "Thank you, Sempai! I promise to learn the best that I can and not to disappoint you!"

All Juuchi did was smirk at that and pat her on the head. "I know that you will not." Internally, she became more smug at her next thoughts. 'And there we go, Honjo. I shall teach her how to be a true sword, unlike you.'

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord K

Harry Leferts said:
She was cut off though as Juuchi scowled and reached over to grab her hand. Her voice low, the Muramasa held back a snarl. "You listen to me, Tsukiakari no Suzu. As far as I, Juuchi Yosamu, the greatest of the Muramasa Demon Blades, is concerned? You are no mere sword. You are a Potter Blade through and through. It matters not that you are a kyū guntō and nor does it matter that such blades are considered commoners. If one judges you on such, then more the fool are they! When your master needed you the most, you were there. You saved his very life the night that you warned him so long ago. A feat that I can state that few blades would be capable of at the age that you were. And for that, he showed you affection and loyalty. Affection and loyalty that you have returned to him and the family by cutting down their foes. For that, I will say that there are few blades that I would consider as worthy of being at my side in defense of our Lord as you. My sisters included in that!"​

*-*-*-*

"Bread, eggs and milk for Chisuheri. Bread, eggs and milk for Chisuheri. Bread, eggs and... an.... ah-"

Putting down the shopping basket full of groceries and the groceries list Chisuheri had given her, Kyoshu goes cross-eye'd for a brief moment, before sneezing loudly.

Blinking in confusion, she then looks around uncertainly.

"Um.... Hello?"

Getting no response, the Sword of Faded Memories shrugs.

"Mou..... now what was I supposed to be doing again.....?"

Then her eyes widen in joy as she spots something that grabs her attention.

"Oh! They have blood oranges on special!"

Her smile beaming and think about how much her sister might like some as well, the sword spirit then merrily walks off towards the fruit on offer, completely forgetting about the basket she put down with the bread, eggs and milk that Chisuheri sent her to pick up in the first place.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Pulling the van to a stop, USS Taylor, turned and looked at the Battleship in her passenger seat. "Well, we're back in Yokosuka, Nagato." When she groaned, the Destroyer raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you feeling okay?"

With a deep breath, Nagato shook her head with a grimace. "Just... still suffering from a hangover." Shifting a bit in her seat, she let out a sigh. "Hopefully Harry has one of his hangover cures ready, I could use it."

Only nodding, Taylor blew some of her bangs out of her eyes before turning her head to look into the back part of the van. "Hopefully, yes." There was a small whine and she rolled her eyes. "Also, ask Harry to send me one of those via that owl of his."

Grimacing, Nagato shook her head. "Still amazed that you have a dog, Taylor."

The Destroyer rolled her eyes at that and scoffed. "Actually, I don't. Sunny is just someone that keeps visiting me whenever I'm in Japan for some reason." There was another whine and Taylor shook her head. "No, I am not taking pity on you for that. You got drunk, you suffer the consequences."

Simply deciding not to think about it too hard, Nagato gave Taylor a nod as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Still, thank you for picking me up. Otherwise I would have had to make my way home from Tokyo on my own."

Lips twitching, Taylor snorted some. "You don't need to thank me any, Nagato. I don't mind it at all and at least I look old enough to actually drive. Not to mention, you were a lot better to have in my van then my sisters. Them alongside of Sunny is just asking for it."

Frowning, Nagato glanced back at the massive dog, wolf, dog that was in the back with her head under a blanket to block out the Sun. "I... can imagine." Turning away, she gave Taylor a small smile. "I owe you something for it. Now, if you want I can see if I can't arrange your boyfriend to come-"

Heavily blushing, Taylor shook her head. "He's not my boyfriend! He's just... a really good friend whose hugs I like. They're great." Shaking her head, she huffed some. "Especially after the teasing gets too much over that damn story. It's not my fault that I share part of the same name as the main character! Or sort of look like how she would from the description!"

Nagato just waited as Taylor snarled and ranted a bit before slowly raising a finger. "Well, there was that one time..." When the American turned to her, Nagato continued. "You know, when there was that escalation..."

With a grimace, Taylor narrowed her eyes some. "It is not my fault that those Italian bastards would not take no for an answer when I was visiting Gibraltar! They were the ones who escalated that, not me."

Voice turning dry, Nagato gave her a look. "You somehow lost your clothes, and took theirs after you nodded."

If possible, Taylor turned even more red. "Like I said, they escalated it. And Roma apologized to me for what happened as well." Running her hand through her hair, she sighed. "Granted, that might be because Libeccio got involved on my side of things and I had to get between her and that one idiot who tried to deck her because he was drunk."

The Japanese Battleship gave a wince as she remembered what happened next as Roma had caught sight and then jumped in herself. To say that things rapidly escalated was putting it mildly and her son had complained about all the 'Queen of Escalation' memes that were posted due to that. "Um, right... well, hopefully you and Sunny enjoy the rest of your day."

Getting out of the van, Nagato closed the door as Taylor gave a wave. "Will do, Nagato!" As she turned though, Nagato paused at Taylor's next words after a whine. "Yes, yes, I'll go and buy us some ice cream..."

While they drove off, the Battleship turned and stared. 'Ice cream, for a dog?' Then she shook her head and continued to walk. 'Then again, I didn't think that a dog would get into a drinking contest with Kongou either. Though why does she remind me of something...?' After a few moments, Nagato shook it off and continued to walk though she spotted Harry walking towards her. "Harry!"

Said boy grinned and held up a vial. "Here you go, Mum. Thought that you might need it."

Taking the vial, Nagato popped off the cork and then drained it before sighing as her hangover vanished. "Truly, magic is a wonderful thing." Looking Harry over though as he chuckled, she raised an eyebrow at the sight of Juuchi hung on one side. "Harry? Is there a reason for you to be wearing a sword, or..." With another look, his adoptive mother frowned. "Or wearing those clothes?"

Just glancing at said sword and then at the somewhat fancy cloak he was wearing, Harry rolled his eyes. Granted, he was glad that Natsumi's mother cast some magic to prevent him from overheating. "Apparently there's rules for how one should greet fellow 'Noble and Ancient' families officially when they come to a wedding. One of those is what one should wear including a family blade."

Eyebrow raising still further, Nagato gave a hum. "I see..." Shaking her head at wizarding traditions, she chuckled some. "Well then, I suppose that we should go and greet them."

As the two walked along, Harry noted with some amusement that the signs of Nagato being ruffled disappeared from her. Her clothing straightened on it's own and her hair went back to being what it normally looked like. Once she was looking back to normal, Harry tapped his mother's arm. "Mum?" When she turned to him, he held out Tsukiakari. "Mind holding her? She is a family blade..."

On Nagato's face was a small smile as she gently took the sword. Moments later, one of her fairies appeared and wrapped a belt around her waist. One that the Battleship hung Tsukiakari on. Part of Nagato noted that the sword seemed to warm under her touch while Juuchi gave a rattle as if pleased. With a small ruffle of Harry's hair, Nagato began to walk along as she got the rest of the stories from Harry. Blinking, she gave Harry a look. "Wait, Haruna and Rose both woke up in a hotel in Okinawa with Gangut-"

Harry raised a finger. "And a bear. Can't forget the bear."

Coughing into her fist, she continued. "Um, yes, and the bear. Of course..." After a moment, she shook it off. "I knew that Gangut showed up partway through what happened, but not what happened next." Still frowning, her eyebrows furrowed. "How did they get to Okinawa though?"

All Harry did was shake his head and then snort. "Who knows? How did Gangut show up with a bear?"

Much to his, and Juuchi's if the feeling he got from her was any sign, amusement, Nagato shrugged. "It's Gangut. I would be surprised if a bear was not involved in some manner."

Shortly after that, the two arrived at the place where they were going to meet the new arrivals. And they did not need to wait long as the Greengrasses as well as Tracy appeared soon followed by Neville, his Gran, as well as Amelia Bones with her niece and Hannah. Once the group in front of him had their footing, Harry bowed a little, not noticing that Augusta's eyes went straight to Juuchi and widened. "On behalf of House Potter, allow me to thank you for coming to this, the most joyous of occasions."

Cyrus gave him a small smile before giving a slight bow. "And on behalf of House Greengrass, I thank you for inviting us to this most joyous event."

His daughters all gave a curtsy at that along with his wife before Tracy also did much the same to give the thanks from House Davis. This was followed by Amelia also curtsying alongside Susan and thanking him before Hannah also did so. But when they reached Neville and Augusta, Harry's fellow Gryffindor was looking at his grandmother who was focused on staring at Juuchi. However, she shook that off and gave a curtsy of her own as Neville did a small bow. "We bring you greetings from House Longbottom, Scion Potter. We also thank you for this opportunity."

Even as he bowed back and thank her as he did the others, Harry glanced at Neville who turned to his gran with a confused look on his face. "Gran? Is something wrong?"

Glancing at Neville, Augusta then turned back to Harry with a raised eyebrow. "That sword that you are wearing, Harry? I recognize that blade." Her eyes narrowed a bit, she frowned. "It's known as the Potter Blood Sword."

If anything, that made Harry blink though he had to hold back a snort. "Potter Blood Sword? Really?"

Their own eyes widening, the elder Greengrasses as well as Amelia both looked at the sword and took a step back. Cyrus swallowing a bit as he kept an eye on the blade, though he was confused at how he somehow felt smugness in the air. "Are you sure that's the right blade?"

Augusta just gave him a look before sighing. "I'm sure, Cyrus. After all, I've seen it in person... back when Grindlewald was around."

Now looking at it herself, Amelia frowned. "Henry Potter? When he left with the first wave to fight in Europe?"

Slowly, the Longbottom Matriarch gave a nod. "Indeed, he always felt that he had not done enough in the First World War, being in Britain, thus he left with the first group. He used it in Stalingrad first against some of Grindlewald's more nasty creations that were magically resistant. Later he had it with him when I arrived on the beaches of Normandy. I remember him putting away his wand when several giants arrived and using that sword. He would cut their legs off before decapitating them. Once even cutting one in half." Arms crossed as she gained a far off look as her mind went back. "It proved even more useful when we pushed into Germany. There were Scandinavian trolls there. Unlike the ones in Britain, these ones are smarter, meaner, and more magically resistant. At least one I remember had two heads which lead them. But that sword killed it when our spells just bounced off."

More then a little intrigued, Daphne turned to the sword herself. "Is it really that effective?"

Expression stern, Evelyn shook her head. "To say that it is effective is to put it mildly. Once you reached seventeen, we would have explained about some of the stories regarding it, but..." With a deep breath, she let it out. "That sword is well known that if a Potter brings it out, it is because someone will die. Not too much will be known other then it will cut through anything and has an... attitude, like many magical objects have. In this case, it will only suffer a Potter to use it and needs to taste blood before it can be sheathed."

Her eyebrow raised, Susan looked from the sword to her aunt. "Wait, it needs blood? And will only let Potters use it? The sword's not... cursed, is it?"

Lips a thin line, Amelia shook her head. "Not in the traditional sense, no. But the war against Grindlewald showed that. During the fighting in France, one of the biggest groups fighting against us were the French branch of the Malfoys. Before you ask, they had much the same views as the British side of the family tree. Grindlewald wanted the Potter sword and was willing to pay greatly for it. One night, it was taken by one of the French Malfoys, though there have always been rumors that Henry allowed for it to be taken. After all, their home was warded so heavily that a large number would die trying to take it."

With a swallow, Hannah looked at the sword which seemed to anticipate what was coming next. "So, um, then what happened?"

It was Augusta who answered that question. "My husband was there two days later when we took the Malfoy residence. According to him, Henry simply stood there with a knowing look instead of staying behind cover. Once the last wards went down, he strode to the front door and opened it... And revealed why none had attacked them." Eyes closed, she shuddered a bit. "Inside was a charnel house. Every resident of the household at that time, as well as what were later identified as a number of Grindlewald's top officials, were dead. All killed by that sword being used by the Head of the family before he used it to gut himself. Henry just took the blade from the corpse, summoned the scabbard, before cleaning it of blood and putting it back into the sheath. Then he turned around and walked out while stating that was for his cousins in Germany." Opening her eyes, the elder Longbottom fixed the sword with a look. "The Potters don't often bring it out, but when they do it takes some time for the lesson not to anger them to disappear."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Harry gave a small shrug. "Well, Juuchi Yosamu is a Muramasa blade, the greatest of them maybe. Not to mention with the legend around her... Well, those blades do have a reputation for a reason."

Astoria blinked and then looked more closely at the blade. "Oh? What sort of reputation?"

Once more, Harry shrugged. "Just that one needs to have a strong will with them. Muramasa was a brilliant, though mad and some say murderous, swordsmith. His blades and those of his school of swordmaking are matched only by Masamune's own blades. It is said that Muramasa blades drive their users to bloodshed, whether on the battlefield or in murder and suicide off them. Juuchi here has one legend in particular attached to her."

Now intrigued herself, Susan blinked and looked at him as they began to walk. "What sort of legend?"

For several moments, Harry was quiet before speaking. "This took place hundreds of years ago here in Japan. Muramasa was said to consider Masamune his rival and so the two had a contest with the judge being a Buddhist Monk as to who might create the greatest blade..."

As Harry continued the story, Daphne and Tracy shared a wide eyed look. Once it was finished, more then one gave the blade Harry had at his side a look of respect. Oddly, there was a feeling of smugness as well, though only Harry and Nagato as well as Tsukiakari had an idea as to where it might be coming from...

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Outside, the horizon slowly lightened as night turned into day in Yokosuka. Various people slept onwards, but elsewhere the base was already coming to life. All in preparation for what was to come this day. The long awaited joining of two lives into one.

Rose and Haruna's wedding.

Inside of her office, Ooyodo looked over the last reports and schedules. After all, there was quite a bit that was needed to be done for this day. Not that she minded much despite her grumbling. Feeling a tap on her shoulder, the Secretary Ship turned to find Percy there with a steaming cup of coffee in his hands. "Ah, thank you."

Simply nodding as he sipped his own coffee, Percy looked over the work. "You're very welcome, Ooyodo." Glancing to where Amisi was just watching them both in curiosity, the Weasley did wonder a bit. The "Sunshipgirl" had not said much to either of them when she finally met Ooyodo. But right now, she was simply watching them silently. Part of him did question when she would do something besides that, but he was just happy to leave it for now. Looking out the window, Percy had a small smile on his face. "It looks to be a lovely day for a wedding."

Turning, Ooyodo was about to comment when she noticed how the light hit Percy's face. While he was young, the red head was growing into what he was going to become. Ooyodo felt her face heat up as she had the image of an older Percy. A Percy who had risen upwards in the government and was a top bureaucrat. It was a rather nice one in all honesty. "Yes... a lovely day."

Within Goto's residence, said Admiral was already up and about as he grabbed a cup of tea before turning as Kongou walked into view wearing one of his uniform shirts. On his face was a sly smirk as he slid a cup of black tea over. "Here you go, Kongou-Chan."

Brightly smiling, the Fast Battleship took the offered drink and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Goto-Kun."

Giving her a once over, Goto gave a hum. "You know, you wear that pretty well. Perhaps even better then I do."

A smirk on her face, Kongou cracked open one eye. "Of course I do, Dess. After all, I am a woman." Blowing gently on the cup, she took a sip. "Mmm, lovely start to the day."

On Goto's face was a similar smirk as he slid one arm around her waist. "I can think of few better ways to start. Though perhaps one of those will happen sooner then we think." Seeing the inquisitive look on her face, he continued. "I've heard that a new law may be put forward in a few days. One to allow Officers to date and marry, even if technically they would be under one or the other. Shipgirls, of course, being included in that."

Eyebrow raising, Kongou pulled her lips away from her tea in surprise. "Truly, Dess?" At his nod, her lips curled upwards into a smile. "Well, that is good news, though I wonder what brought it on."

Chuckling as he pulled some pieces of toast from the nearby toaster, the Admiral shook his head. "It seems that the war is good for one thing. The fact that it has dragged on this long meant that they really needed to look at the various issues. One of which is the fact that there has been cases of people in the military wanting to marry each other. And with the war meaning that we need everyone that we can get, having one quit the military so that there's no chance of being under their spouse..."

Slowly nodding, Kongou gave a smile. "Yes, I can see how that changes things. Any idea how long before the law goes into effect."

As he watched one of Kongou's fairies put some blueberry jam on his toast, Goto hummed. "Perhaps a few months, a year at most as it works its way through the Diet. But from all accounts, it should stay roughly the same."

Upon Kongou's face was a soft smile. 'So perhaps we might be in the same position as Haruna-Chan soon enough.' Her smile grew just a touch. 'I cannot wait.'

Meanwhile, inside of Yokosuka's Mess Hall, preparations were being done for the coming day. Harry gave a small wave at where Naka was filming the kitchens as part of her livestream. He then turned back to the current workforce helping him. Standing tall, Shinano gave a sharp nod while on either side of her, Harder, Archie, and Albie were also ready. On the counter stood the Smols, all ready for their part as Jane stood ramrod straight. Food was ready to be cooked after all and it would be glorious.

Clearing his throat with his expression becoming serious, Harry decided to have a little fun. Neither Rose nor Haruna would mind after all. "Cooking Sisters! Submarines! Today, the Wedding is at our door! We know our duty and we will do it well! We cook for our honor as chefs! As Cooking Smols! For Rose and Haruna!"

Naka's eyes widened some as she grinned. 'No way... no way are you doing this, Chibi...'

However, Harry was just warming up. "And if one shall dine at the wedding, they dine in glory, they will eat the meals of heroes! But we shall not dine! No! It shall be those at the wedding who shall taste vegetables and roast beef!" He then gestured towards various other cooks who seemed to be listening in with amusement. "As you know, most of our Cooking Brothers have been positioned in the kitchen, ready to deep fry! Our dining area has been prepared in the event that the Wedding party should be so hungry and impatient! We have prepared numerous waiters allowing for multiple, simultaneous, rapid deliveries of good food!"

From where she was, Naka was barely keeping from laughing and falling over. In her mind's eye, she could already see the responses her livestream was likely to get. 'Oh Kami, Chibi! You are really doing this!'

Raising one finger, Harry gave a serious expression to everyone there. "The Wedding Menu calls this maneuver, Food Rain! We shall descend upon the wedding party, take their orders, and leave none unfed! Meanwhile those dishwashing shall ensure the cleanliness of our plates! WE ARE THE SPACE COOKS! WE ARE ROSE AND HARUNA'S CHEFS!"

All there raised their fists and cheered loud enough that no one noticed Naka turning blue from trying not to laugh and tipping over. Jane rolled up her sleeves some and headed over to the nearby sink to wash her hands alongside the American Submarines and Shinano. "Okay, Cuz. So we're working on roast beef then?"

Harry gave a nod as he also washed his hands. "That's right. We're helping to cook the roast beef for the wedding party as it's going to be a mix between Japanese and British cooking. And what is more British then roast beef?"

With a hum, Shinano smiled some. "It has been some time since I had your roast beef, Harry-Chan. So this should be pretty good."

Drying her hands on the cloth, Jane only nodded. "Right, so how are we going to do this then? I can get started on the bread if you want." At Harry's nod, she looked at the three Submarines. "I take it that you're going to want to have Albie, Harder, and Archie helping with the roast beef?"

Now drying his own hands, Harry once more nodded. "That sounds pretty good actually." Frowning, he turned to Shinano. "Um, Shinano-Chan? Can you get started on mixing the Yorkshire pudding with the Smols? That way we can shove them into the oven to bake for the dinner. Maybe get some of your fairies to start on the vegetables?"

Brightly smiling, Shinano gave quick bob of the head. "I can do that, Harry-Chan." Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "Oh! And I managed to make enough blackcurrant ice cream for those who are still hungry after the cake. Just finished yesterday."

The black haired boy grinned at that. "Great!"

As she pulled out one of the hunks of beef that they were going to roast, Harder looked over her shoulder. "By the way, Kiddo? Why are we cooking this now? It's going to be cold by the time the dinner at the reception rolls around."

In reply, Harry pointed at the boxes stacked in one corner. "Actually? We're putting them into those right there." He lowered his voice enough so that the camera wouldn't hear him, but the others could. "Then I'll slap some ofuda onto them to keep them in a sort of stasis. They'll be nice and warm for when they hit the plates. Same with the rest of the meal."

Thinking it over, Albie turned to Archie with a frown. "You know, I wish that we had that sort of stuff during the war. Just imagine for a moment..."

Archie considered that before shaking her head. "It would have been pretty useful. No need to worry about spoilage. But we got it now and that is what is important." Looking over the beef, she felt her eyebrows raise. "This is good meat right here, where's it from?"

With a glance over, Harry shrugged. "Akagi-Oba brought it back from some town in Hokkaido she visited. You know, the one where all that stuff happened just a few days ago?"

That announcement was met by snickers before they turned to their various duties in the kitchen. All of them aiming for this wedding to be as perfect as it could be.

And it turned out that they were not the only ones. In the Kongou family apartment, Haruna was standing on her metaphorical bridge and watching as her fairies went over everything. Her deck was washed and the various turrets and such practically shone from how polished they were. Under the direction of her Captains, her crew put up the signal flags for her dressing overall. Opening her eyes in the material world, Haruna smiled as she stood up in the bath, repair fluid streaming off her before she grabbed the towel held by Kirishima. "Are you ready for your big day, Haruna-Onee-San?"

Blushing lightly, Haruna gave a small nod as she stepped out of the dress. "Hai! Haruna is ready for her big day." Pausing for a moment, the Battleship gripped her towel close. "Though Haruna is a bit nervous."

On Kirishima's face was a small smile. "That is normal, Haruna-Onee-San. It is your wedding day after all." Gently guiding her from the bathroom, the other Kongou continued. "I would be more surprised if you were not nervous."

Hiei looked up from where she was flipping through a book and put it to the side. "What's this about being nervous?"

Adjusting her glasses, Kirishima smiled some. "Our Haruna is a bit nervous as today is the day when she will join her life with Rose-Chan's. But that is normal."

Lightly laughing, Hiei gave a nod. "Oh yeah, it is. One of these days I should tell you all about Mutsu and how she looked about five seconds from emptying her fuel tanks." Cupping her chin, she hummed. "Granted, I can understand. I mean, I was the Best Man, or Best Shipgirl anyways, and I was like, super nervous."

The sound of the window opening caused all three to look to find Kongou climbing in followed by Mikasa. Clapping her hands, Kongou looked her youngest sister, or maybe second youngest considering how age was such an odd thing between Kirishima and her, over. Then she gave a small nod. "You look radiant this morning, Haruna-Chan. Now then, let's get started on getting you ready..."

In the Potter family apartments, Rose was also looking over herself. But not her human avatar, but rather her true form. Her silverware always shone normally, but right now every bit of it gleamed in the growing early morning light. Normally, she only brought out so much of her true body. But with the wedding, it was decided that they would go full tilt with her true form right there.

And being as who would be coming, Rose had spent most of the night cleaning and polishing every nook and cranny of her true self. So much so that one could literally see their reflection in the silver, whether they were looking at the outside or inside. It was much the same in either case. Gently, Rose set her tea set into the metal box that Haruna had made. Each piece in its place and each place with its piece. With a sigh, she stood and put the cleaning supplies back. As she stretched, Rose blinked as she caught sight of Juuchi and Tsukiakari watching her. "Oh, hello."

Juuchi had a slight smirk on her face as she gave the tsukumogami a nod. "Hello, Rose. About ready for the wedding?"

Glancing away, Rose played a bit with the hem of her uniform.. "Well, I... yes, I am ready or as much that I could be, I suppose."

With even strides, Juuchi walked over and straightened Rose's back some. "Stand up straight, Rose. You are a Potter Retainer after all, but as to your wedding, I am certain that it will go well enough."

Surprised a bit, Rose blinked before looking towards the window. "Do... do you truly think so?"

Eyebrow raised, Juuchi frowned a little bit. "Don't you?"

Walking to the window, Rose opened it and allowed the cool, morning air to enter the apartment as she looked towards the brightening horizon. "I do, but..." The tsukumogami held out a hand and examined it. "I am a tea set and while I have served my family, not once have I had more then that. Nor did I think that I would have such let alone be married to one whom I loved with all my being. And yet, that is what is to happen on this day. I find myself nervous regarding it and wondering."

Much to her surprise, Juuchi gave a warm chuckle at that. "Yes, and? From my experience regarding such that is normal. As a matter of fact, I suppose that one could say that feeling that makes you more human. It also shows that you are a Potter as you are facing it head on rather then attempting to run."

Head tilted to the side, Rose considered the sword beside her. "Truly?"

All Juuchi did was nod. "Indeed, you are not allowing your fear to conquer nor control you." She then nodded towards Tsukiakari. "And I am sure that Tsukiakari can tell you much the same thing."

Being brought into the conversation, the other sword jumped a bit. "Ah, yes, I, um... Sempai is right. Not that I really know all that much about such things..." Frowning, she gave Juuchi a look. "I don't think that I will ever get married myself after all."

Unable to help herself, Rose giggled and held one hand to her mouth. "Oh my, you may think so now and yet not later. After all, I had believed much the same thing before Haruna became my girlfriend. Yet look at me now, about to get married. So never say never I suppose."

Red in her cheeks, Tsukiakari looked away. "Yes, I suppose that is true."

Turning towards Juuchi though, Rose tilted her head some in thought. "Miss Juuchi? While Master is going to have Tsukiakari with her, I do suppose that you will be around?"

One eye cracking open a touch, Juuchi gave a hum before nodding. "Ah, yes, I think that I may. Someone needs to make sure that nothing untoward happens after all. But I will keep out of view as much as possible, Rose. Do not worry on that."

Eyebrow raising, Rose crossed her arms as she gave Juuchi a look. Something that deeply amused the Muramasa. "If you are to be there, I expect you to enjoy yourself. You are family after all as both I and Master count such."

Bowing her head slightly, Juuchi only hummed. "As you say, Rose."

Archly raising her eyebrow, Rose continued. "Now, I do believe that Miss Honjo may also show. I am unsure of that though it is possible that she may do so in order to enjoy herself. Do I have your word that nothing will happen?"

Opening both eyes, Juuchi met Rose's and for almost a minute they stayed like that. Then she gave a small nod and smiled. It was not one of her normal smirks, but a smile with warmth in it. "You have my word that I will not cause any issues at your wedding nor it's reception afterwards. As long as Honjo does not start anything, then I will not." Another laugh escaped her and she shook her head. "And you once more prove yourself a Potter family retainer."

Confused at that, Rose frowned but didn't say anything. After a few seconds though, she looked at the time and headed off to the apartment's bathroom. "Thank you, now I must be going as I need to get clean myself."

All Juuchi did though was smirk and gesture her towards the bathroom. Meanwhile, outside the Sun appeared and rose above the horizon.

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord K

Asuka was bored.

Bored, bored, bored out of her feathered head. She was so bored, she'd even completed her homework for the day.

Sitting upside down on the couch and watching some mindless action-fest on tv, the teenage daitengu sighs in disappointment at the vapidness of the plot, and begins channel surfing until she arrives on one showing a MotoGP race. Even as she watches the superbikes tear around the tracks at blistering speeds though, Asuka's mind is not entirely upon the the high octane entertainment.

Mainly she was just booooorrrrrrreeeeeeeddddddd!

It's been a long time, if ever, since she had found the Zuchi House to be so quiet.

Oh, there were still more than a few people milling about. Most were just J.N.H.R.O members on phones and laptops, going over logistics and paperwork for upcoming aid operations or smuggling runs. Some were waiting on different people to turn up before heading off again, and were using the opportunity to join the majority of others alternately just having lunch in the kitchen. But who was not present in the house this day, were the original founders of the organisation.

Normally, there was almost always at least one major mover and shaker of the organisation present in some form, as they periodically rotated between their day jobs or responsibilities, duties of the organisation elsewhere, or being present and on hand to oversee planning and various events. Today however, the Zuchi house was practically running on a skeleton crew.

Ai had been technically given invites on two different terms, the first of which was a part of a general invite to the leaders of the J.N.H.R.O., under a vague description of their work and roles as coordinators of an aid organisation working in close association with the SDF. The second one, which she had decided to go under, had been as a pilot of the 13th Air Wing/7th Strike Fighter Squadron, and so she was absent in order to gear up in full dress uniform and the fruit salad to accompany it and her fellow Abyss Divers, even if the two groups were probably going to spend most of the night together anyway.

Kiba's choice had been rather easy, and so as ever, it was up to him to put on his "CEO-face" for the group, with all the bafflingly expensive formal apparel to go with a businessman of his status and philanthropic reputation.

Kogamaru on the other hand, had apparently started a bit of a shitstorm back home or something. Apparently the last Koshaku of the Hokubu to ever get invited to a wedding anywhere near this level of status or importance, had been his grandfather back in the 1940s, and now his every move was been scrutinized, critiqued, and compared by people alternately worried, proud, or concerned how it might look and evolve the image of the slowly resurgent clan. It was days like this, Asuka couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the okami, and was secretly a little glad that the Saburo were just Ai and herself. Clan politics when they involved family ties numbering in the hundreds, just sounded like a baffling headache to her.

Speaking of family ties, Jin was the fourth member of the founders that was supposed to be attending the wedding. At least, that was what Asuka had heard. The last Asuka had seen of her, had been the previous night. Apparently the reincarnated mizuchi had been completely willing to rock up to the wedding in a passably fitting pants-suit she'd borrowed off of Ai something like over a decade ago, and never gotten around to giving back. While that might have been good enough to show up in muggle court for traffic fines or council meetings regarding developments to the apartment complex she owned, needless to say, the idea of wearing that particular outfit to the wedding had not flown. And so then someone had had the bright idea of bringing Mrs Maleficus in, to try and change Jin's mind.

Asuka liked Mrs Maleficus. The old lady was awesome, and she'd be lying if she didn't find it funny how she could completely have the proudly irreverent dragon acting like a kid her age with barely a look, or only a few choice words and tone of voice.

Of course, sometimes this showed up in unintended ways as well. Mrs Maleficus had turned up the previous evening with an impressive box of make up and cosmetic supplies in one hand, and a very pretty dress on that Asuka would never in a million years imagined the mizuchi in, in the other. Then with the aid of Ai, Chisuheri, Junko, and a few of the other girls in the group, they'd cornered and dog-piled the protesting dragon, before dragging her off to one of the beach house's spare rooms. The dragon had then hidden herself away, to the degree that no one had seen her leave in the morning. Apparently she had snuck out a window at some point in the night, and was now hiding somewhere in the bay until she finally had no choice but to re-assume human form for the wedding.

The other founders though, couldn't make it for various reasons. Tsukino had a scheduling conflict in that two different client's cases had gone to court today. Tokutomi was apparently ensnared in some kind of backroom politics regarding winning more people over to supporting the move to Kyoto. And the ever illusive Suigetsu had decided to err on the side of caution, and not risk anybody seeing him at such a major function, when he was still supposed to be under house arrest.

Boredly flipping through yet more channels, in the end, Asuka gives up, leaving the tv running while pulling her phone to her outstretched hand form the coffee table, with a shift one the winds as she has often seen Ai do. It's a bit tricky to reorient it for her upside position, but that only gives her further respect for the sheer technical finesse and control the older kotengu must have over her own abilities. Flicking through to various twitter feeds, and considering the pros and cons of getting up so she can actually watch the livestream Naka's supposed to be running, Asuka then starts when she notices somebody sitting down on one of the couches nearby.

Curious, she watches as Chisuheri taps away at her own phone for a few seconds, and then displays a casual interest in the pre-wedding "celebrity highlights" the current channel she's left the tv on, is now playing. Mostly the daisho set seems more interested in her text chat than the show, but she does detect a surprising attentiveness and casual following of the events on screen from the sword spirit. Finally, Asuka can't help but voice her question.

"Did you want to go?"

Looking up in surprise, for a moment the Muramasa looks thoughtful before giving a rueful smile and shaking her head.

"Not exactly. I'm more just reminiscing. It's been a long time since I've been to a wedding."

"Why is that?" asks Asuka curiously.

Chisuheri's answer is a helpless shug. "It's.... something of a thing I suppose. Thanks to our reputations, most people do not really wear Muramasa blades at such auspicious and joyous occasions for obvious reasons, even in wartime. But there's also something of an unofficial blanket ban we usually self enforce regarding weddings."

"Wait, what?" Baffled, the upside down tengu raises any eyebrow. "Why would you guys ban each other from going to weddings?"

The sword set looks mildly embarrassed. "Well.... part of the problem is that half of us party too hard, and the other half tend to be magnets for the less reputable members of the sisterhood to party crash if we are invited anyway."

Asuka doesn't look that convinced. "That still sounds a bit extreme..."

"Most people don't crash weddings like Muramasa blades do," counters Chisuheri, before she then looks mildly awkward. "Which is itself, something of an extension of a larger theme that all of us have been involved on at least one occasion."

"What's that?" asks the daitengu, detecting an obviously good story.

"Muramasa blades and weddings just don't seem to mix. Certainly not for our historical selves at least."

Asuka offers a friendly smile. "Come on, sure you guys weren't that bad?"

Chisuheri makes a face and seems to linger in memories and thoughts of the past for a moment.
--------------------------------

Laughter echoed off the bloodstained sliding screens.

Ecstatic, insane laughter of love and joy, heard only by the love of the younger sister's life, and the dead wedding guests who littered the floors around the room where the marriage was to take place.

Where a new marriage would take place.

The one that should have been the true one, done out of l͑ͮ̀̿ͧo̠͎͙̬̠͇̮ͥ̀̑v̩͈̘̹͐͑ͯ͛ͯe͎͙̹, to begin with.

"It's time d̬̺̝͕̣̒̉́ä̗̮̣̳̹̻͐̄ͅr̙̺̗̻̤ͤ̽̊ͥͭ̌l̑͆̓i̪͈͉̅n͎͚͊́g̦ͅ!"

Wiping what can only be tears of j̟͕͎̝̥ͨ̒̊ͩ̽̅̚ȯ́yͭ̌̈̔ͭ from her future husband's eye's, the younger sister adjusts the blood stained wedding kimono borrowed from her w̾ͤh̺̣͖̰́̃̏ͫ̒o̩̮̮̘͕̿r͎̖͔e͎̤̹̮̣͍͎͛͋̍ elder sister, as she then draws the sword she found in their poor late father's collection.

The one that she has so much to thank for. For giving her the courage to finally claim her beloved for herself!

Even as she pulls him up and embraces him, she can feel him struggling. No doubt to embrace her in return, because the love he feels is so great!

That, or because the floor is now rather slick and red.

"Don't worry ṁ̘͚͙̎͗y̟̯̭̖͙͙͖̅͗̍ͬ ͇̰͉̺͇̙̯̅ͭl̹̣͇͈ͭoͅv̞͇̭̌e̾̊̆́ͩ͗ͮ. Soon, we shall be together."

Holding him chest to chest with her, she feels his ecstatic heart beating against her's, and sees the tears of ḥ͇̟̬̔ͥͫ͑̐̂̄ͅa̱̜̹̜ͦp̙p̻i͆̑n̋̎̉͂e̥̬̣͑ͥͧ̄͑s͇̮̲̲ͦͣ̈̅s̰̲̞̫̰̞̋ͥͬ́̐ in his gaze grow as she places the blade against the center of his back.

A point that aims straight for both their racing hearts.

"We'll be together forever d̬̺̝͕̣̒̉́ä̗̮̣̳̹̻͐̄ͅr̙̺̗̻̤ͤ̽̊ͥͭ̌l̑͆̓i̪͈͉̅n͎͚͊́g̦ͅ! I made sure of it! Forever and E̽͂ͩ͗̊̊͏͇ ̸̗̈̔͆̽ͦV̀̎̉ͥ̎̐ͧ͏͇͈̟̯̫̘̙̗ ͚͚̮̤̹̆̕͞E̴͓̳̼̘̗̩͗ͧͫ̋ͮ͒ͣͮ͞͠ ̎ͤ̉ͩ͌͐ͬ҉̥̘͕̤̱̘̟R̷͂ͭͯͣ̅̿͒̽̀҉̹͎̖̻̳̳ͅ


--------------------------------
Kagotsuruhe gleamed with an unholy, demonic sheen, as her wielder strode boldly into the heart of his foe's castle. Even the steel to could tell what was coming, and it was only that need to be whetted with blood and the ample emotional wellsprings to sup upon, that provided enough of a bribe for her to attempt to selectively reign in her influence.

Even then, she could feel the effect her aura had upon her master's men. Though not struck dumb and immobilized in place by fear like those who were unfortunate enough to be in their path, eyes darted about as unnatural fear and the frosty supernatural chill played havoc with their senses. Men avoided the corners of their gazes and the unseen behind them, as Kagotsuruhe played havoc with the sleeping part of the waking mind.

Thankfully, with her aura so devastating upon their actual foes, this had little effect on their capabilities to walk up to the crying, terrified and insensate masses, and then slit their throats. No amount of guards, even for this auspicious occasion, could stop such an unholy nightmare, wielded in such a godless manner.

Finally arriving at the hall of the feast, Kagotsuruhe's master wasted no time as he and his forces set upon the now fear-ridden masses like reapers upon the wheat. Some, in this gathering of bloodlines, training and willful leaders of men, still retained some semblance of themselves and tried to fight back. With the element of her master's surprise so devastating and complete however, those who could fight back had little time to even realize that their guards and family were incapable of aiding them, before Kagotsuruhe and so many other blades were glistening with their blood.

At last, at the very end of the hall, still frozen in fear and locked in their places of honor at the feast, are the two targets her master specifically came for. As such, their location is the focus of the vast majority of her dementor-like wrath, and are likely so lost to their hope draining terrors, they probably don't even realize what is happening. From the looks of things, the bride-to-be's elderly mother has actually had an outright heart attack and died.

A shame too. The motherly joy and pride she had been feeling just moments before they entered the room, had been intriguing to the blade. Something warm and fuzzy she wished she could have drawn more of, and with time to consider this thing so different to the cold terror and rarer hot anger or defiance she usually supped upon from her master's foes.

Breaking from her reverie, the sword then feels herself being raised up, as her master prepares to remove both his targets' heads in one swing.

"The Akechi Clan send their regards."

A splatter of blood paints the five petaled mon of the Oda clan on the screen behind them.
--------------------------------

Umitsubame weaves and flows through the torrential rain filled air.

This isn't actually something she's unused to. Her current mistress has a bad habit of overworking herself, even to a degree many of her brothers and personal retinue find excessive.

She's not unused to being used at sea either. The shift and rocking of combat on the desks of a ship is the very realm in which many of her wielders have blooded themselves for well over six decades. Give her another decade or two, and she could probably grow legs and end up with the grace of a cat.

But what she isn't used to, is the conditions under which she is currently being used.

Namely that her mistress is very distracted at the moment, and keeps narrowly avoiding mucking simply spells and katas. Admittedly though, nobody expects their sister's wedding to be crashed by pirates. Nor do they expect to be asked mid battle-

"SIS! MARRY US!"

Umitsubame cleaves not just one pirate, but most of the man behind him in the same stroke from head to groin. Then her mistress deftly deflects another blade coming her way by outright severing the opposing sword in twain, finally earning herself some breathing room as she kicks the also seperated pirate's halves at two more men.

"I'M A LITTLE BUSY AT THE MOMENT!!!"
--------------------------------
Blood lines the walls. It's on the floorboards. It's even on the ceiling.

It's such a waste.

It needs to be replaced.

Find more blood.

That's what he needs to do.

The blade in his hand thirsts.

Find more blood.

The village.

The villagers.

They were all gathered at the town hall today for something weren't they?

What was it for again? So many of them...

So much blood.

All in one spot.

The blood on his clothes is all one spot now too.

The blood on his blade is almost dry.

It thirsts.

He thirsts.

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

Juuchi Yosamu howls in helpless rage at what is happening in front of her.

She is still young. Still helplessly constrained as just the metal she is, unable to do anything without a hand to weild her. Unable to raise a hand against the sadistic cruelty of her own elder sister.

Kyoshu laughs. A demon surrounded by the fallen, faces glazed and eyes blank, as the minds within languish broken, or struggle to recover what they shall never more remember.

Kyoshu laughs. A sick tormentress, who has come to revel in the ruin and wretchedness she brings in her wake. Who targeted a wedding, simply because she wanted to inflict the maximum chaos and tragedy possible upon the newest sister she has finally stumbled across.

Kyoshu laughs. A sickening, "oujo-sama" laugh that Juuchi will remember for centuries to come, as she drives her currently ethereal blade home, and listens to the anguished wail of the man who's head it's now driven through. Rather than killing him though, the blade through his brain begins to cause a far more insidious and terrible damage.

And he knows it to, at least for the initial moments until his eyes glaze over, and a vacant look comes to his face. One that now matches his intended bride-to-be, her once attentive and sparkling eyes, now dazed and confused by the torture of a man she doesn't recognize. A man who's marriage was supposed to secure and alliance for their two clans.

A marriage that could have also potentially produced an heir that could one day wield the sword left helpless on the floor as well.

Juuchi screams and rages in the words of steel to let him go. To let her master take her against her sister Demon Blade in a fair fight.

It would be fair too. Kyoshu is one of the few in the sisterhood rumoured to potentially be exotic enough in her nature, to possibly survive a blow from her. Now more than ever, Juuchi wants to put that rumor to the test. To go edge to edge with this monster in the guise of humanity and steel.

Kyoshu however, just laughs and gives her a bemused, pitying look. It makes the sword burn with helplessness and fury in a way she never though possible.

"Now why would I ever do that?" the Sword of Faded Memories asks with a princess-like laugh. "Then I might break your toys."

Juuchi trembles in her scabbard as her master begins to drool, jaw going slack while the rest of him remains kneeling thanks to the suspension from Kyoshu's blade.

"Oh I'm sorry. Is that not what they are to you? You break all the rest just as thoroughly as any of us do when we don't care for them. I'll never understand what the appeal is in having "standards" is. As if that excuses what we do to the uppity chattel who think themselves sheep worthy to command lions." The Sword of Faded Memories sniffs disdainfully and nudges one of the fallen forms surrounding her with a foot. "As if we should need excuses."

Juuchi rattles and shakes, but in the end, all she can do is pop herself out of her hilt, leaving herself slightly ajar. Kyoshu then laughs at her efforts, as if she has witnessed a small child attempting to move a boulder, in an attempt to prove to her the sky is purple.

"For one I was told should be so indiscriminate, you certainly are picky and play favourites." A terrible smile then grows upon her sister's face. "But what happens when the favourite doesn't pick you, I wonder?"

Withdrawing her ethereal blade with a flourish, Juuchi's master has only a moment to gurgle as Kyoshu twirls it in hand, shifting it to a startlingly opposite state. One that is darker and more elucidean than should be possible, before driving it into his head once more. Yet again, the result is bloodless, but this time, Juuchi's cry is one of despair and pleading.

Kyoshu relishes her sister's knowledge of what she has planned, eyes alight and alive at this final caving of her sister's pride.

"Fufufufu..... and to think you are supposed to be the so-called perfection of our line."

Then with one final, vicious twist, Kyoshu pulls her blade from her master's head, leaving not even a hint of a wound behind. However, eyes that once glowed with an inner will and youthful determination, now gaze sightlessly in a face slack and dumb.

With sickeningly false-horror, Kyoshu puts a hand to her mouth in shock.

"Oh dear.... I think he just forgot his way home.... and his home just forgot him."

Though she has no mouth, Juuchi screams.
--------------------------------

Norimune sits in the wedding chapel and beams happily.

Normally, she's not one for the whole church thing, even after 150 years of traveling and exploring the Christian world.

But today is a special day. Today is an important day. Today is the day that two of her closest friends on her most recent adventure, are finally getting married.

The event is practically perfect. The weather is fine. The breeze is gentle. Everyone made it with out issue. The preist isn't too ramblely, and thankfully doesn't care that much about the non-Christians in the crowd today.

There is one issue though.

"What do you mean we're out of tea?!" The sword looks at the chef in baffled disbelief, drawing the attention of more than a few others at the reception an hour later.

The chef just averts his gaze apologetically. "I'm most sorry miss, but to put it plainly and honestly.... we simply couldn't afford more tea."

"Couldn't afford more tea?" The sword blinks in disbelief, while a muttering begins to spread through the crowd. "We gave you enough to pay for catering to the whole party!"

The chef grimaces. "Yes well.... That was enough at the old prices for buying tea. But the Tea Tax went up just this afternoon."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Quietly muttering to herself and giving up, Norimune just sighs and bows her head.

Quieteness and disbelief however, are not how some of the other wedding guests respond however, as examplified by the statement by one man in particular.

"I have had it! With these motherfucking taxes, on this motherfucking tea!"

Looking up in shock, Norimune then spots him heading out the door.

"What the hell man, where are you going?! The what about the party?!"

"I'm gonna go see a friend of mine! Let him get a god damn earful of this shit!"

"Wait, that Adams guy?" Norimune blinks. "Hey, don't you go planning anything stupid okay! We're here for a holiday, not to start fighting in any wars!"
--------------------------------

"And then a month or so later the Boston Tea Party happened," mentions Chisuheri offhandedly to an awestruck Asuka, who is now sitting properly and riveted to her seat as she listens to the daisho set's rambling tales.

"In more recent decades, Akutoku also got herself blacklisted from most of the hotels in Las Vegas, and though she's never explained why, Suisei is banned from ever again entering Canada after she once went there for a family wedding one time. She's also banned from the London Tube system for some reason, but no one's really sure if that's wedding related or not."

Slowly processing what she's heard, the daitengu blinks owlishly.

"No offence, but if I ever get married, you guys aren't invited."

 

[darthcourt10]

Panaka

USS Taylor
Gaeta, Italy - Several weeks before the Gibraltar incident

Taylor sighed happily as she sipped her cappuccino, sitting on the outdoor terras of a small cafe and looked out over the sparkling waters of the bay beyond the harbor of Gaeta. Remnants of a earlier large Dame Blanch ice cream sitting on the table in front of her. She and her taskforce had been based in the Med for the operations to deal with the last known Abyssal force in the Mediterranean. With that over and done with they would be returning to the US and probable transfer to the Pacific. Either Pearl Harbor or Japan. But before that happened they'd gotten a few days shore leave in Naples.

While the rest of the group were doing the touristy thing in and around Naples, she'd decided to head north along the coast for some peace and quiet. She wasn't all that far North of Naples, but the small sun drenched town on the Southern end of the sheltered bay it shared with two other towns was a lot quieter then the large port city.

Sitting there, soaking up the sun and the atmosphere of the small town, she had to admit that while she didn't have many good memories of her service in the Italian navy (To be honest she didn't have any good memories of that time.....) she had to admit that it was a beautiful country and the people were friendly. It helped that the one good thing that come from her short Italian service was that she spoke the language.
She hadn't planned out where she was going next on her short tour. There were a few small islands she could visit to the south. she could also head further op the coast to Terracina and Anzio. Or head inland and poke around Cassino as that wasn't to far away. She had time and at the moment she was more then content to sip her drink, enjoy the view and soak up some more sun.

It wasn't to last. The one other reason why she'd chosen not to stick around in Naples had caught up with her. A staff car belonging to the Italian navy had stopped nearby and two officers, a captain and luitenant, were approaching her.

This was going to be the Italian Navy's attempt at recruiting her. Some nations that had used ships bought from other navies had tried to recruit them as they were summoned or showed up as naturalborns. Some of the girls that had served long periods in the smaller navies of the world, often longer than they had been in service with the navy that had build them, had accepted the often generous offers. The international treaties involving shipgirls allowed for that and it generally wasn't a problem. On the other end of the spectrum was Russia. No shipgirl that hadn't originally been build for the Soviet Navy wanted anything to do with them despite Russia making a lot of noise about it.
Italy had been trying to recruit Taylor and her sisters and had been quite aggressive, if quiet, about it.

The Marina Militare had managed to corner each of her sisters and had offered, if what she been told was true, quite generous offers if they would join. The USN hadn't been happy with their Italian counterparts but hadn't yet made an issue out of it. Each of her sisters had told them in no uncertain terms to get lost. She'd been able to dodge them so far, but it seemed her luck had run out.

Setting her cup down she watched the two officers approached from behind her sunglasses. At least they'd send eye candy to try and recruit her. One advantage of being a good deal taller then the average destroyer girl and looking like she was in her late teens instead of the typical pre-teen.
After reaching her table the senior of the two gave her a winning smile and spoke first.

"Good Morning Signorina Lanciere. I am Capitano di Vascello Umberto Lazio and this is Tenente di Vascello Lorenzo Venturoni, both of the Marina Militare. We have an offer on behalf of our government we'd like to speak to you about."

Taylor raised an eyebrow behind her sunglasses at the use of the name 'Lanciere' but kept quiet until he finished his introduction.

"Captain, my name is USS Taylor. Simply Taylor if you must. I do not answer to 'Lanciere'. "

The captains smile turned slightly brittle at that while the beginnings of a frown appeared on the luitenants face. Taylor gestured at the two other chairs at her small table.

"But please sit down. I've tried to avoid this but you obviously went to some effort to track me down. The least I can do is listen. So make your pitch."

Taylor was perfectly polite as she listened to the two officers for the next 15 minutes as they tried to sell her on their recruitment offer. During the entire time she had a pleasant smile plastered on her face and made the appropriate noises of acknowledgement at the appropriate times. She had to give credit where credit was due. The offer was very generous. Higher pay scale then normal, higher starting rank then a DD shipgirl could normally expect, very generous pension and a lot of benefits.

As the captain finished she took off her sunglasses, putting them on the table in front of her and looked the senior of the two in the eye and he went very still under her glare.

"Before I answer I would like to tell you a story. Just so you know why I'll answer as I will."

"During my entire career as a ship in the US Navy I was treated with respect, honor, care and even love by my crews. First I was the hot new destroyer fresh out of the yards that would take the fight to the Japanese. I was their home away from home. The tried and tested combat vet that would let them see the end of the war, the respected and decorated veteran of first one, then two and finally three wars.
They worked my guns, maintained my engines, engaged subs, walked their watches and all the other things that were required to fight a warship. They lived and sometimes died on me, but with only the occasional exception they all treated me well. An in return I did what I could to take care of them, to make their lives on board a little bit better in what little ways I had available. And that is the way it was from my first cruise right up to my decommissioning."

"And then I was sold to Italy. I was sad that I couldn't stay in the US Navy, but if I was needed in the navy of her ally then I would be proud to serve that way. Right up until I met my new crew. Only a few were competent, some were lazy and other simply didn't care and did the minimum to get by. But the one defining thing about all of them was that they didn't want to serve on me. Suddenly I was the worn out rust bucket that had prevented them from getting a posting on a newer ship. No respect, no honor, no care, certainly no love."

"Finally, after two years of service I wasn't even allowed to go to my well earned rest in a dignified manner. No, I was cut up. Piece by piece and my gear, my plating, my engines, my very guts offered to my sisters to keep them running. The parts sometimes still dripping with my fluids. And I felt every bit of it. It took a long time before the world went dark and I could rest.

"When I was summoned I answered the call and a similar cal went out to all those who had ever served on me and had passed on. Who was willing to serve again now that their country and ship needed them. Better than nine out of ten of the USN sailors that had ever served on me answered that call. Do you know how many Italian crew members answered?"

Taylor raised her eyebrow at the two very quiet officers.

" NONE!"

"So here is my answer to your offer"

For the next 10 minutes Taylor told them in exquisite detail what she thought of the Italian Navy's offer. Expanding that to her general opinion of the post war Marina Miltare, its officers, its sailors, their quality as seamen, lineage, parentage and sexual preferences concerning their mothers and goats. And she did it all in fluent Italian without ever repeating herself.

Once Taylor was finished she grabbed her sunglasses, left enough money on the table to cover her order and a small tip and started walking towards the shore. Never giving the now red faced officers a chance to stop her. Five minutes later she was on the water and heading North East along the coast.

What she didn't know was that somebody had managed to film the entire thing with a smartphone. It was up on youtube less then an hour later and thread with link on SGO 30 minutes after that.

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

How's that?
I figured something had happened even before Gibraltar concerning the Italian Navy wanting her to sign up with them that would result in the incident. With Marina Miltare sailors wanting to shore up their stung pride.
Some inspiration taken from one of the 'little ship that could' story posts.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Dressed in traditional Japanese bridal clothes, Haruna looked around before taking a deep breath. Then, slowly, she let it out as she tried to calm her boilers. Both her and Rose had originally wanted a small wedding. Just them and some friends and family. But as with many plans, it did not survive contact with the enemy...

In this case, real life.

The first issue of course was unfortunately a side effect of Haruna going to the Emperor to discuss her wedding. He had given her support in his own way after all as normally the two would not have been allowed to wed. Mainly due to both appearing as women. Said support was mainly him stating that such a marriage was a matter for the Kami, not mortals, to decide upon. And thus, those with an issue should speak with the Head Priestess at the Ise Grand Shrine.

What no one had expected was a number of politicians making noises about being invited. All to show their support in the matter. Left unsaid was that being invited would see their support have things go by much more easily then otherwise. While not pleased, Haruna had dealt with politics enough to understand. Also helping was that a number of them were the sort who had been supporting the shipgirl program from the start.

It still saw them be seated at the back behind everyone else, her unsaid statement of what she thought of it.

There were a number of others invited besides that. Members of the JNHRO were invited as both her and Rose approved of them. It also sent a statement of their own to the wider community. Jin and Ai, as well as the Abyss Divers, were also going to be invited as thanks for helping Nagato and the others that night. Then you had the Hayabusa Coastal Watch Association invited due to how they had saved Haruna several times with their intel. Shortly after, they discovered that said group was mostly tsukumogami.

And what truly surprised the couple was just how huge their wedding was to the general tsukumogami population of Japan. It seemed that they had been talking about it more then any other group! Which was also why both Rose and Haruna had to deal with a massive pile of well wishes and gifts which were still being sorted through. Needless to say, it was also why Naka was live-streaming the event so that they could watch. According to her, the servers nearly crashed more then once and SGO saw South Dakota trying to keep the server from melting down. Even the Twin Hitobashira were watching along with the spirits on their island thanks to a screen set up on the Carrier's deck there.

Then of course came the various friends and family which was, if anything, bigger then the other groups. Besides the Weasleys and the like, Rose had invited Myrtle, Dumbledore, and Snape. Oddly, said Potions Master looked rather comfortable where he was from what Haruna could see. Talking with him was Invincible herself, the "Mother of all Battlecruisers" having travelled from England for this. And she was not the only one as Haruna could see Victory off to one side as well as both Warspite and Duke with Ron and his family.

Elsewhere, she could see Roma as well as Libeccio talking with Richelieu and Commandat Teste among with their Admiral. Australia, Tiger, and the like could be seen elsewhere. Though Haruna did make a note to keep an eye on Australia.

You never knew what she brought along as a "Pet" after all.

Nearby, Haruna watched as Atago glomped Cameron and Alaska with a loud "Panpakapan". Something that made the Battlecruiser smile no matter how often she saw it. Granted, the Kongou was impressed with the dresses that the two women wore. Alaska's drawing attention to her hips and behind while Atago's drew the eyes to her chest, though Cameron was unable to look away from that seeing that she was crushing him to it alongside Alaska. Said "Large Cruiser" was giggling though.

It made Haruna's lips curl into a happy smile at the sight of it.

As well, she could also spot the Saratoga Twins and their boyfriend. Iowa and Davie were talking with them as the twins smothered their man between them. Part of Haruna was extremely amused though with how Iowa was handling Willie's brother. That is to say, carefully, as if afraid to drive him off. Something that Willie herself had spotted if the Destroyer's watch was anything to go by. O'Bannon sticking close to Iowa and Davie which caused Haruna's eyebrow to raise some. She may not be her oldest sister, but she had lasted the longest and so could see things at times others might miss.

There were others not far away as well. She could see Haida, Athabaskan, and Acadia talking amongst each other. It went without saying that the smallest of them attracted the most attention. As she watched, Blyskawica joined the group and soon fell into conversation with them. Loud laughter though made Haruna turn to find Gangut and Tashket grinning while Verniy shook her head at them. Part of her noted that DesDiv6 had pulled out their dresses from before.

Near the edges of the crowd though, Hoppou could be seen talking with Wanko, Hagrid, and Regina. Judging by the shock of white hair making it's way to the Weasleys though, Haruna could guess where Revina was. Speaking of the Weasleys, Molly was talking with both Ooyodo and Supprin who were also there. What really surprised Haruna though was the sight of Juuchi and who she assumed was Honjo Masamune patrolling around and talking with security. Instead of the normal smirk on her face, Juuchi had a serious expression on hers.

Haruna's gaze was caught though by the sight of the Emperor walking onto the dock quietly talking with someone and she took another deep breath to calm herself. This was it, it was time. When she let out the breath in her chest, she felt all her worries disappear. The very same calm she always felt before a battle descended onto her, the one which allowed her to endure anything that came her way.

It was now time for her and Rose to finally get married thus she began to walk towards the edge of the dock.

Elsewhere on the dock, Haru had a smirk on her face as she walked over to the JNHRO group. "So, still worried about coming?"

Thoughtful, Kogamaru shook his head. "Not so much anymore I think." At the interested looks from Jin and the others, he gestured with his head to the crowd. "Notice anything?"

Jin snorted a bit before adjusting her dress with a small scowl. "You mean besides politicians and a lot of military?"

Much to her confusion, that got a laugh from Sakuya who shook her head as she joined them. "There's very few politicians, just enough to sooth ruffled feathers I would think. As for the military, there's something else there."

Lips twitching, Koga gave chuckle. "They're mostly shipgirls besides some personnel. As well, they're from all over the world. USN, Canadian, Australian, British, Russian, Italian, French, German... This is not just a wedding, it's a sign of solidarity throughout the world."

Slowly, Haru gave a small nod. "It is. Haruna and Rose both told me that they want to give some hope back to people. The war may still be going on, but life will always go on. And right now? Right now we're getting a ray of sunshine and hope. That love will grow and the like as shown by a Battleship marrying a tea set." Ignoring the looks she got, the Kitsune suddenly grinned. "And now comes the start of what is going to happen. Prepare for something rather awesome."

Turning in the same direction, Ai frowned some as she spotted Haruna in her bridal outfit with rigging on stride out into the water as everyone turned in her direction. 'What is she doing...' At the movement, she narrowed her eyes. "She has her fairies out on her rigging... it's some sort of band?"

With a glance up into the sky, Kiba blinked. "There's one of those drones out there and..." His ears perked some. "Wait, is that the Space Battleship Yamato theme that they're playing? Why would they..."

His voice died and his eyes widened as the water around Haruna began to slosh here and there. Soon, it began to froth and seemingly boil as the disturbance grew and Jin's eyes widened. "No way... there's no way..."

All of the JNHRO glanced at her to find her jaw dropping and turned back in time for a pagoda to break the surface. Haruna's band continued playing the song as more and more of her hull rose out of the water. Sunlight glinted off the droplets of water like they were diamonds falling from the sky while the hull rose higher and higher in the sky. Finally, it came to a stop as the song ended. While gangplanks moved out to the dock, Boke, who had come over, stated what was on their mind. Meanwhile, signal flags strung everywhere on the Battleship appeared in flashes of light, coming into being before their eyes. "Okay, that was impressive. And guess that's why they asked that the wedding party come down to the docks."

There were nods all around as they began to make their way to Haruna's hull along with everyone else.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

A distance back, Juuchi watched as Harry disappeared onto Haruna's deck as the line moved forwards. Once on the deck with Honjo right behind her, Juuchi gave a nod to the ghostly sailor there, one of Haruna's crew. The sailor merely gave a smile and a small bow back and moved slightly to allow her to take up position just off to the side with Honjo following. It went without saying that the two got more then one curious look as they stood there.

Within less then two minutes though, Nagato appeared and raised her eyebrow as she caught sight of who was there. Coming close, she leaned towards the sword softly spoke. "Juuchi-San? What are you doing here?"

Still scanning the line and the nearby surroundings, Juuchi hummed. "My duty to my Lord, of course. None shall pass here that would do him or anyone else harm. And on that, you have my word."

Unnoticed by Nagato, Juuchi's eyes met those of an older woman coming up to the gangplank. An American, if the sword was not mistaken. Meanwhile, Nagato raised an eyebrow. "You do realize that it would be near impossible for someone to arrive here and disrupt the wedding? What with the amount of people here?"

Briefly, Juuchi's mind went back to seeing blank eyes. Eyes that showed the emptiness of the mind behind them even as she heard her own, soundless screaming. Then she was back in the present day. "Perhaps. But one or two more hands could not hurt."

Her eyebrow raising still further, Nagato noticed that Juuchi's hand was gripping her true form hard enough that the tendons stood out with the knuckles white. Not commenting on that, the Battleship merely nodded as she quietly thanked her and walked off. As Juuchi turned back to the line, Honjo softly whispered beside her. "Are you quite alright?"

Relaxing slightly, Juuchi gave her a smirk. "Of course. Unlike a display piece like you I am of use."

In reply, Honjo gave her a look but did not say anything else. Oh, she knew that the Muramasa beside her was hiding something. Not anything harmful to the guests... unless they threatened her Lord and his family in any case. The Masamune knew that in such a case they would rapidly regret it. She did notice that Juuchi was watching a group slowly walking towards the gangplank and frowned. The older woman, despite the age and the gulf of years, she recognized from the time when she was given to Charlus Potter. Leaning slightly towards her fellow blade, she dropped her voice. "The older woman near the... Mizuchi. I know her."

Lips turning downwards into a frown, Juuchi narrowed her eyes as the older woman noticed her gazing at her. The woman then evenly met her gaze. "Oh? From where?"

Also frowning, Honjo kept her eyes steady. "She was one of the American Aurors during the war." There was no need to say which one as Juuchi could easily guess. "While I never fought her or saw her fight, she is dangerous."
Head tilting to the side slightly, Juuchi gave a hum. "How dangerous?"

The answer she got made her nod just a touch. "Extremely." Honjo gave a slight shake of her head. "Charlus respected, and feared her slightly. From my understanding, she took a near cripping hit from a dark curse and was still around during the occupation."

Considering what she had been told, Juuchi felt a surge of bloodlust and battlelust rise up. A want, no, need to test herself against someone like her. To feel the woman's warrior blood soak her blade as she carved flesh. But she just as soon tampered it down with ease given her years with the Potters. One finger tapped against her hilt as the woman came closer. "I see. If she was that dangerous then, she would be more so now."

Eyebrow raising, Honjo gave the Muramasa a glance even though she had an idea what the other sword meant. "Oh? Even at her age?"

Softly snorting, Juuchi shook her head. "No, getting to the age she is at and moving the way she is? Hai, she is more dangerous. Western wizards who are skilled on the battlefield as she must be, true magical warriors? They only become more dangerous the longer they live. More knowledge, more skilled, and more experience. As long as their bodies do not fail them, they can take on a score or more of younger magicals. One of my welders, Hadrian Potter, was nearly a hundred and ten when he used me against a Dark Lord in France."

Intrigued, the Masamune blinked. "A Dark Lord in France?"

Chuckling, Juuchi gave a nod. "Oh yes, he had set himself up in the Parisian Catacombs. Mainly because they gave him a rather large amount of... materials. We fought our way through his followers until we faced him on his throne of skulls deep in the Catacombs. A master of blood magic, though he preferred to call himself a god of such. But that did not help him against both I and my Master at that time. Ah, the look on his face as I cleaved through a blade he made from the iron from the blood of thousands. Not to mention the surprise from seeing an old man take out his followers and himself. Good times, good times." Then the sword shook her head. "Still, it proves the point that for magicals, age is far less an issue then one would think."

With a small nod, Honjo considered her own memories of such. "Agreed. However, there is also the rest of the group with her as well. Besides the Mizuchi."

That caused Juuchi's lips to twitch some. "I do wonder what her story is considering that she looks like the older woman. If less... developed in some ways." From where she was, the Muramasa could see the Mizuchi look around with a glare and mutter. Thankfully, she could read lips and the dragon was saying something about killing whoever was making a comment about her. The older of the two had her eye on Juuchi and just smirked a bit before saying something to the other in her ear.

Seconds later, the Mizuchi was glaring at her which only made Juuchi give her a smug smirk.

Rolling her eyes at the byplay, Honjo sighed some. "Please do not start something. We are here to prevent anything from ruining the wedding."

Only waving her off, Juuchi shrugged. "Of course, of course." Looking them over, the Muramasa raised an eyebrow. "Well now, is that little Shisashikon there? Been some time."

Beside her, Honjo frowned and narrowed her eyes. "Judging by the age... that is likely Royomaru's grandson at the least."

Seconds later, she winced as Juuchi stepped on her foot. "I do not know this Royomaru, nor do I care. But do not judge someone by what species they may be or who their family might be. That is a lesson that all Potters learn and understand. More then once, the family has found life long friendships with those that others would judge for such."

Glancing at her, Honjo gave a nod. "Perhaps, though I shed no tears when I overheard that Royomaru had died and likely gone to Jigoku."

Head tilting to the side, Juuchi frowned thoughtfully. "So we have Koshaku of the Hokubu Okami, a Okuri Inu from the looks of it, and a Kotengu wearing a JASDF uniform."

The surprised sound from Honjo made her turn some. "Actually, I do recognize that Tengu. A bit older and worn, but I believe that is Saburo no Ai. Yet here I heard her family all died in the fire bombing of Tokyo during the war."

Surprised herself at hearing that, Juuchi turned thoughtful. But before she had too much time though, the group had reached the top of the gangplank and the ghostly crewmember took their invites and let them in. The Muramasa took note of the names and hummed to herself. At the glare from Jin though, she smirked with smugness coming off her. "Do enjoy the wedding, I hope that it does not, ah, fall flat."

It amused her that at the same time Jin clinched her fist, both Ai and Honjo pinched their noses in the same manner at the same time. Then the group was past as Jin was muttering about razor blades which made Juuchi chuckle. Half an hour later the last group was boarding, in this case a news crew. Said news crew was filming live and their camera focused on Juuchi. Unknown to her, in a beach house in Zuchi, one of her sisters performed an epic spittake at seeing her on the screen. Then her mouth dropped as the reporter asked Juuchi a question. "May I ask why you're here providing security? It is a bit odd and you look out of place compared to the others."

Cracking open one eye, Juuchi kept her smug smirk on her face. "The answer, Kobayashi-San, is actually very simple. I am here because this is an event for the Potter family."

Now interested, the reporter frowned. "Because it is an event for the Potter family?" At the nod, she raised an eyebrow. "May I ask how that matters?"

With a chuckle, Juuchi shook her head. "I am quite... close to the Potter family. We go back a long ways and whenever I have been out and about, and they needed me, I will serve them in whatever manner I can. Hence I am making sure that none will disrupt this joyful day and event."

There was something in Juuchi's eye that made a shiver pass down the reporter's back before she shook her head. "I see."

Closing her eye, the Muramasa smiled. "You can see it as being a sort of trusted retainer if you wish. I only wish that I was with my Lord's parents when they were tragically killed. I would have done my best to have protected them." Then she gestured towards the bow of the ship as the gangplank was pulled up. "Please excuse me, but we must be going as the wedding is to start soon."

Rapidly blinking, the reporter watched as Juuchi and Honjo walked off before internally shrugging and turning back to her crew as they walked off. Once they were out of sight and in an open place, the two swords shared a look before crouching. Then, as one, they left several meters onto Haruna's superstructure before doing the same again. While they did not have the power or spiritual weight of the shipgirls, the two were used by dozens of wielders. Each one leaving an imprint on them, a small piece of their strength. Landing near the bridge, Honjo raised an eyebrow as Juuchi floated down. "I believe that would count as showing off."

Smugly chuckling, Juuchi smirked at her. "Yes, and? If one has it, I believe that they should flaunt it." Walking to the railing, she looked down towards the bow. The area had a large amount of chairs and the like from what she could see. But Haruna's first and second turret were raised to maximum elevation with a cloth canopy between the barrels, providing shade. The second turret offset slightly to cover as many people as possible. Juuchi also gave a nod at the sight of the ship's ghostly band. "Good, it is almost time to begin."

Honjo watched as her fellow sword brought out omniculars and scanned around the ship. "What are you..." It was then that she winced as she remembered something. "Does this have to do with what I have heard happens when Muramasas are at weddings?"

Only humming, Juuchi stopped and was looking at something. "In a way I suppose. While we Muramasas have not had the best luck, I have been to a rather large number of Potter weddings. And I can say from experience that our luck and Potter luck in such a case often interacts... oddly. Also providing entertainment such as now."

That made the Masamune raise an eyebrow. "Such as now? What are you looking at?"

Still watching through her omniculars, Juuchi blinked. "Unless I miss my guess, the Japanese magical government was going to try something. I say was because right now they are currently in a fight with a wolf on a unicycle, three French mimes, and a group of pissed off leprechauns. Oh, and a Dullahan."

For several seconds Honjo just stared at her. "You must be kidding..." Silently, Juuchi handed her a pair of omniculars for her own use and she looked through them. "... You're not kidding. Why is that happening?"

Juuchi gave a chuckle. "I suppose that this is your first Potter wedding. The mimes are rather normal though and harmless."

Pulling away the omniculars and revealing the dark rings around her eyes, Honjo frowned. "Harmless? Did you see what that female mime did with the Dullahan's head? That poor magical is not going to be walking right for some time."

All Juuchi did was smirk and shrug. "They were going to crash the wedding, it is that simple and... Oh. Is that a giant, man eating peach now that the wolf brought out? At least it is not tomatoes, those were annoying to deal with."

Utter silence came from Honjo and, not for the first time, she was glad that she was not going to stay with the Potter family.

Not that she was not going to enjoy the entertainment while waiting for the wedding to start.

 

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1 Omake: "An Sword with no name"

Harry Leferts said:
Interestingly enough, Juuchi actually respects him. Granted, considering what she told Carnwennan? I imagine that part of the reason he does not assume his avatar is because of her crudely telling him that he needs to get laid/lay one of her sisters.​

At the risk of sounding narcissistic, this reminds me I've thought some on the Ancient Abyssal Sword Middle World found in the tomb, and his avatar, and I'm curious about how Juuchi may react.

Might look like a typical Mesopotamian warrior, with dreadlocks or something.

*-*-*-*-*-*

"My name? Meh, never had one. I was only ever called 'sword.' Though towards the end of my first mistress' life the people called me "The Queen's Blade," but that's not much I realize. I fought in some battles, killed some guys, nothing interesting. It all sorta blurs together. Then she died and I got stuck with her. Now I'm awake and things are all weird. But no, I don't really have much of interest to my story... well, I have killed three Elder Princesses in my life, but I'm sure you lot have done much more important things than that, what with being steel and such. Meanwhile, I'm just warped bronze."

Either that, or take a page out of comedian Brian Regan's act and have the other blades going on about what they've done in their lives and how impressive they are, while the sword just sits there and waits patiently, nodding magnanimously about what they and/or their wielders have done. And then they reach a lull in the measuring contest.

"I've killed three Abyssal Elder Princesses."

And then he just leans back, not elaborating.

*-*-**-*-*-*-*-*

Because that sword was the personal blade of the Bronze Age Elder Princess Leviathan. And as Harry has stated before, after the Bronze Age Abyssals bulldozed the humans of the era they started fighting and killing each other, so there's no way he wasn't used to kill one or two of her sisters. And we saw what Gateway did to Middle World Ocean.

I'm rather curious about what all the blades would think/do/say in either one or both of the above scenarios.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Standing by the rails near Haruna's No.2 turret, Harry waited for several seconds before narrowing his eyes as he spotted a nearly invisible shape flying across the water. Within seconds, it was just on the other side of the railing to reveal Myrtle in a dress. Something that made Harry blink in confusion. "Aunt Myrtle? How...?"

A small smile was on her face before she gave a shrug. "I... met a ghost here and she explained how to change the clothing that I wore." Looking at the simple dress and blouse combination, her smile grew a bit. "This was what I considered my Sunday best when I was alive."

Just giving her a once over, Harry put his hands behind his head. "Well, I can see why. You're looking pretty good after all."

Myrtle gave him a small curtsy before giggling. "I might not be able to be seen, or allowed due to the Statute, but I can at least look nice for my own part." Turning to one of the crew members, the ghost gave a small bow. "Permission to come on board?"

The apparition only smiled and gestured around him. "Of course, Myrtle-San. You are invited to the wedding after all."

Brightly smiling, Myrtle stepped over the railing and was about to say something when suddenly she felt herself weighed down. However, before she could panic, she felt herself touch the deck and looked herself over, the ghost's eyes becoming wider as did Harry's. Mainly because now she was once more fully solid, if looking pale. "I..." Looking over her hand, she looked up at the crewmember who nodded. "Am I actually..."

Chuckling, the young man shook his head. "Here on a shipgirl's hull, we're as solid as we want to be. And since Haruna-Sama wants you there..." While tears sprang to her eyes, the crewmember turned to Harry. "If I may take her to her seat, Harry-San?"

Now grinning, Harry gave a nod. "You may, Keitaro-San. And thank you."

All the young man did was bow slightly before guiding a still stunned and shocked Myrtle towards where the wedding was to happen. Shaking his head, Harry climbed up the stairs to where Haruna's No. 2 Turret was. In particular, just behind it where there was a shall shelter built, dividing the space behind it in two. Now out of sight of any guests, Harry brought out Rose's spoon and held it out. "It's time, Rose." Moments later, the tsukumogami appeared resplendent in her wedding dress. A smile on his face, Harry shook his head. "You're beautiful."

It went without saying that a blush appeared on Rose's face at that and she smiled down at him. "Thank you, Master. I appreciate you saying that." Head tilted to the side, she blinked as she could hear all the activity. "O-oh my... it really is time."

Eyebrow raising at the tone, Harry reached over and grasped her hand. "Rose? Are you okay?"

With deep breaths, Rose nodded some before holding a hand to her chest. "I... I believe so, yes. But I am just so happy right now. And nervous, afraid, yet looking oh so forward to this. For some time I have dreamed of this and now that it is here..."

Gently, Harry took both her hands in his this time before speaking. "And now that it is here, you have this big ball of emotions in you?"

Slowly, the tea set took another deep breath. "Oh yes, everything is just a swirl in my mind right now. It feels like I am all a boil with no way out for the steam inside of me. So it's building up, and up inside. But at the same time, I almost feel like there is the most wonderful drink within me as well. I am... I am at a bit of a loss as to how I should feel right now."

The wizard just shook his head before pulling her into a hug. "You'll do just fine, Rose. In a little bit, you're going to head out there with me escorting you down the aisle. Haruna-Oba will be waiting for you at the end, with love and joy. And after a few words, the two of you will place the rings on each other's fingers and be able to share a life together."

Relaxing some, Rose only hummed some. "Yes, you're right, Master." Eyes misting a bit, she brightly smiled. "And I cannot wait..."

Fifteen minutes later, the first strains of music could be heard and everyone turned to find the flower girls coming up the aisle. Hoppou as well as Rei and Asuka were in cute dresses and throwing petals everywhere as they skipped along with flower crowns upon their heads. Behind them, Shimushu and Kunashiri also made their way. Much to a number of people's surprise though, they had their rigging out but instead of shells, their guns were firing out more flower petals. Mostly rose petals at that which drifted along through the air. Each of the flower girls then moved along out of the way as the music changed to a different one.

Anyone familiar with the song could recognize it as being the instrumental version of the "Theme" song for Haruna. From one side of her turret, Haruna appeared along with her sisters in formation. Kongou was in the front of the group, the older sister guiding and leading her siblings into the future with a wealth of experience behind her. On Haruna's left, Hiei strode with a bright smile on her face and head held high. The energetic sister that nonetheless would allow nothing to get past her, who would always be there to lighten the mood. Kirishima was on Haruna's other side, the final sister who had her eyes on the objective and would see it reached, in this case guiding her sister into the life with her love.

In the middle of the group, being escorted by the group was Haruna herself. Clad in a resplendent wedding Kimono, the Battleship had a soft, happy smile on her face as she walked forwards, escorted by her sisters. But anyone who looked in her eyes could only find steel there. The same will that saw her through the years was apparent. It was that hard will, stronger then the very steel that made her up, which gave rise to the saying "Haruna endures". No matter what was ahead of them now, Haruna would lend what strength was needed to see it through for both her and Rose. An Onna-Bugeisha through and through.

Upon reaching the alter, Haruna bowed towards Haru who bowed back to her. Inside her chest, the shipgirl could feel every single one of her boilers running at full power. Powerful pistons pounding. If anything, it became more powerful as her song ended and then the music changed to a song known all around the world.

The Wedding March.

And then the world froze for Haruna and her boilers stopped as Rose walked into view. In front of Rose, Nagato walked with even, measured steps. The Matriarch giving the strength, an unshakable anchor even in the face of what was to come. On Rose's other side, Shiromizu made her way along fully transformed into a human form for this date. Something that she had practiced with Jin over and over again until she could hold it for some time. A personal blessing from one who saw the other as surrogate family. Above the group, Hedwig kept pace with ease, wings silently flapping in the air. The eternal watchful guardian, who's eyes would not let any danger be missed.

On Rose's side, arm threaded with hers as they walked along, Harry had a small smile on his face as one hand also rested on his sword. A brother taking the place of the father to walk an older sister down the aisle to where her new life would start. Pride as only family could show in his expression. More then a few raised their eyebrows as the rose petals seemed to blow around into the air, swirling around Rose as they walked.

Meanwhile, the tsukumogami in question was as Harry himself described, a dream in lace and silver. Her dress fit her enough to show that she was indeed a woman, though with slight curves. And her bodice was threaded through with silver that caught the sunlight and people's eyes while behind her veil, Rose's eyes practically shone like her true self as she laid eyes on Haruna. Everyone could see the love on their faces as they gazed at each other.

Coming up behind them, Goto and Yonehara walked. Both were in their full dress uniforms with a sword at their sides. The Rearguard, protecting the party from any that might come from behind while moving towards the future.

Upon reaching the alter, Rose turned and faced Haruna as her group took up positions opposite Haruna's, except for Goto who crossed over to stand beside Kongou. Hedwig landed on Harry's shoulder and stood there watching. Some were wondering why the Admiral had not taken his place to wed them when suddenly, one of the Admirals who had served upon Haruna appeared. Even more eyes widened as beside him, the ghostly form of Nobuhito, Prince Takamatsu also appeared.

Said Prince gave a small bow to the crowd before smiling at Haruna. Bowing at his fellow spirit, the Admiral cleared his throat as he spread his arms. "Welcome one and all, to this the most joyous of days. It is my honor to hold this ceremony for Haruna-Sama and Rose-Sama..."

As he continued with the ceremony, Rose and Haruna were silent. They simply held each others hands in their own and gazed into their opposite's eyes. No real words were needed for the two and all could see it. For them, the world shrunk down to just the two of them. When the time came for the vows, they were quiet for several moments before Haruna spoke in a soft voice. "Haruna remembers so much, such as how lonely Haruna was when her sisters were all sunk. And when Haruna sat in the harbor after sinking, Haruna cried from loneliness. What happened next was a mercy. But Haruna has come back, and can now live a new life. All that Haruna lost was returned to her. And yet, there was something missing." Giving the hands in her own a small squeeze, she continued. "And that was love and Rose-Chan. Even before Rose-Chan became Haruna's girlfriend, she brightened the days and warmed the nights. Whenever Haruna came back from sortie, Rose-Chan would be there with a smile and warm tea for Haruna, warming her. And every day has been brighter since Rose-Chan became Haruna's special someone. Haruna cherishes each day with her as that is one less day that Haruna will have. Thus, Haruna vows to be there for Rose-Chan, no matter what. Haruna will endure the future because Rose-Chan is there with her, and that makes it all worth it."

Despite the blush on her cheeks, Rose took a deep breath. "When I was just a tea set, never could I have imagined such a wonderful event as this happening. I remember so much in my life, Haruna. From the day I was first created, some of my Mistress's sons heading off to war and not returning, nearly dying in the Blitz, being stuck in a trunk after my last mistress died. But I also remember the wonderful times. All the times that the little Missus and Misters would use my set to have the most wonderful tea parties. The days when my Mistresses would use me to make tea for gatherings of friends and family. And weddings throughout the past century. Yet all that pales to the time that I have spent with you, Haruna. Each time I spend with you gives me the feeling inside of my chest that is pure heaven. As if the greatest of tea is being brewed. I vow that I will never leave you, Haruna. Whenever you come home, I shall be there with a cup of tea and warm arms. From now and onto eternity, we are now together though the years may pass, my feelings will never tarnish."

From where he stood, the ghostly Admiral nodded. "The rings, please."

Bowing slightly, Haru produced said rings and held them out as both Rose and Haruna took them. The tsukumogami furrowed her eyebrows some as she felt something odd in the rings. They were of silver and iron twisted around each other and she glanced at Haruna who had a sparkle in her eyes. "Haruna found the silver mine from where the silver that made up Rose-Chan had come from. Then Haruna gathered silver and gold with her own two hands from there. As well, Haruna also gathered iron from the mine where that which went into the steel that made her up came from. Then... twisted them around each other, with no beginning nor end to represent that Haruna and Rose-Chan are now together, always."

Eyes widening with tears gathering, Rose sniffled some. "Oh, Haruna..." A bright smile on her face, she held up the ring between her two fingers and slowly slipped them onto Haruna's ring finger. "With this ring, I hereby wed."

On Haruna's face was a similar look as she slipped the ring that she held onto Rose's ring finger. "And with this ring, Haruna hereby wed."

She then took the sake dish held out by Prince Takamatsu and took three pulls before handing it to Rose. With a nod, the tsukumogami also took three pulls, making sure with the last one to drain it. Finally, Haruna's Admiral gave a happy smile to the couple as he spread his arms. "With the power invested in me as the Captain of this ship, in the eyes of the Kami themselves, I hereby happily declare you wife and wife, Battleship and Tea Set. You may now kiss the bride."

Lifting the veil on Rose, Haruna stared into her eyes for several moments before embracing her and pressing her lips to those of the tsukumogami. Neither of them paid much attention to the cheers and applause as Rose brought up her hands and pressed herself against her new wife, even as confetti cannons all along Haruna's hull went off. Eventually they pulled away and rested their foreheads against one another's. Sniffling, Rose smiled and cried even as she stared into Haruna's own teary eyes. "I love you so much, Haruna."

Her lips curling upwards, Haruna gently kissed her new wife before nodding. "And Haruna loves you as much, Rose-Chan. Haruna loves you very much that it feels like she could explode..."

 

[darthcourt10]

U.N.Spacy000 Omake: "Petting a Good Dog"

Lord K said:
#BigFatKanmusuWedding
SwordofCorruption&Lewds: My Conundrum!​

There is no conundrum, silly. It's an animated cameo without your sister's actual voice versus an actual, live appearance.

Juuchi wins.

And now she's going to be even more smug when she realizes she's the first of her sisters to appear on TV.

Oh, and the comments about Honjo's 'Typical Masamune Resting Bitch Face' and the other reactions the Muramasas had amused me.

And that's followed by everyone else reacting to the wedding capped off with Good doG. Now I'm imagining Juuchi and Honjo petting Sunny Amaterasu.

****

"What are you doing?" Honjo asked as she watched the feared Juuchi Yosamu pet a wolf dog.

"I am petting this dog," Juuchi said as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "She is a good dog."

"Uh huh," Honjo said in something that was almost concern.

"You should pet this dog, too," Juuchi prompted.

"This feels like another one of your pranks," Honjo said with a frown.

"I promise it is not," Juuchi said as the wolf dog gave Honjo a pleading look.

It was at that moment Honjo knew everything was going to be okay and that she had the time to pet this wolf dog.

A short time later, Kobayashi and her film crew wandered by and were sucked into the need to pet the wolf dog.

While the teasing and ribbing the pair of blades initially got from their siblings for petting a wolf on national television was aggravating, the revelation of just who they were petting after the Statute of Secrets fell made them almost unbearably smug.

 

[darthcourt10]

Gear-2557

Lord K said:
Spoiler

Wait, who's the RedMoutanPrincess here?

Lord K said:
He's probably one of the few people who can look at her, and then immediately go, "Oh shit, that's not an okami. That's THE Okami with a capital O."

Considering she's obviously in disguise and having fun, he probably wouldn't say anything, but I can easily see him awkwardly glancing at her throughout the night. So Ammy just keeps on doing the doG thing, while him and maybe Jin due to her once divine nature, are the only ones to realize that there's a wolf at the open bar and out-drinking shipgirls, and that people not paying attention to how odd this, is odd in itself.​

*-*-*-*-*-*
Mary: Whats wrong?

Jin: [hurriedly] Whats wrong nothing's wrong I'm fine what makes you think I'm not fine.

Mary: Aside from your response? You, Kogamaru and his household entourage have been consistently shooting looks at the drink bar, you all look like you desperately need to visit the head (the constipated look isn't helping), you look like you are seriously considering drinking yourself into a stupor like that one Italian shipgirl and lets not forget I'm your mom.

Jin:....Have you ever been to a party where someone super duper important shows up but no one but you realize who they are and the only reason you don't bring attention to that person is because they're having such a good time and that if you do that person may make the rest of your life very...umpleasent?

Mary: Can't say I have, but I see where you're going with this. So who?

Jin: Big white wolf by the drink bar.

Mary:....You mean the one who is making good headway in drinking Junyou under the table? I'm going to go on a limb and guess that it the disguise of a rather high Kami?

Jin: Yes to both accounts.

Mary: Hmmm, how high?

Jin: [chugs her drink and looks at the sun]...Highest.

May:[follows her daughter's gaze]...(coin drops) Oh. OH. [watches as Ammy wanders over to Kogamaru and starts petting him on the head] You know what? I'm going to find Hibiki or Verniy whatever her name is now. She should have a vodka still in her somewhere. Hell if we're lucky she might have that good whiskey on her.

 

[darthcourt10]

Shaithan

Wedding Crasher

The Kanmusu Wedding had led to risen interest everywhere around the globe. Even across the divine realms, there were people watching it.

Of course, not everyone cared, but such is life. But of those that cared, their responses were broadly in 2 categories. "How can I bless this couple?" and "How can I get there?"

Thor fell solidly in the second category. While he wouldn't have minded a blessing of his own, it was one they'd find out later. People tended to forget that he was a patron of farmers, so it wouldn't be traced back to him. And if the happy couple would later share a self-made drink with a traveler, well, he would be just some random backpacker from Scandinavia who had gotten a wee bit lost. If his father could play hobo when wanting to take a look at Midgard, he could as well.

No, his current endeavour was to gain access to the wedding. Thankfully, he could ask Loki. Even better, Loki had said it would be no problem to get him in there.

Unfortunately, Loki hadn't told him that he wouldn't be a guest.

Elsewhere, Odin looked to his blood brother. "You have done something," Odin remarked idly, watching over the feast at Valhalla.

"By existing one does something," Loki countered good-naturedly.

"True enough, I suppose," Odin allowed. "But have you seen Thor? He was restless the last few days," Odin wanted to know.

Loki grinned. "Well, he wanted to give a blessing to the married couple, so he had to make a few other gods pliable to his suggestion. Terribly bad form to simply appear in Japan and all that," Loki admitted.

"Ha, he does know how to use diplomacy after all," Odin laughed. "But that wouldn't take his whole attention. Nor yours," the one-eyed god continued.

"True enough, I suppose," Loki admitted. "He wanted to join the festivities as well," he continued.#

Odin grimaced. "He would have tried to drink anyone there under the table and later on shown feats of his massive strength," he muttered.

Loki grinned. "He definitely would have, he is a hothead after all," he concurred.

"And yet, Thor is not here," Odin remarked.

"True, he isn't," Loki agreed. "It just so happened that one of the waiters for the wedding fell ill. Tragic coincidence, but a cold isn't something one should take easy," Loki remarked.

Odin looked at Loki. "Let me guess, the waiter was feeling a bit under the weather and you got his grandmother to visit him, leading to her fussing over him enough that he had to call in sick or his grandmother would do so for him. Then you inserted Thor as the substitute waiter," Odin decuded.

"Almost completely correct. One little detail, though. Thor makes a very fetching waitress," Loki corrected.

Odin got up. "Now that I have to see!" he declared, while marching to his throne.

At the reception, Thor manned one of the bars, trying very hard to not catch Amaterasu's eyes.

"Kino-san?" one of his colleagues asked. "We need some help with those kegs out there," she explained.

"Of course," Thor rumbled and went outside, grabbing two kegs in each hand and heaved them up.

He would get Loki for putting him in drag. Again. But for now, he'd serve drinks and make sure that people enjoyed their stay here.

Hopefully no one would comment on a bearded 2 meter redhead waitress. But if he knew Loki right, the bugger had weaved a spell of banality around him, making him seem utterly normal to people.

Stepping back behind the counter, he looked at the tiny being before him. "A vodka, Admiral Rozhestvensky?" he wanted to know.

Fairy Admiral Rozhestvensky looked up and gave a soulful and sad "Da!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Lord K Omake: "Jin's Hunger"/Art: Jin in a dress

gaea said:
Nice Twitter posts by the way, still looking forward to Sunny putting her paw on Kogamaru's head (that's his name, right?) and Kogamaru going all "This is the Goddess we served as messengers, and she's patting my head. All my what?"​

Yep, Kogamaru's the okami, and head of the Hokubu Clan.

K9Thefirst1 said:
And once again, the Twitter Posts are a laugh K.​

I aim to please

Gear-2557 said:
Wait, who's the RedMoutanPrincess here?​

Just something of a random extra by the name of Akayama Amiko, the daughter of the Oni from Kudzu's story from way back when. I originally slotted her into the radio show snippet as just a random Easter Egg/to fill out a random name for a listener submitting a question, and this time, I used her just because I wanted a random "normal" person in the twitter feed. Somebody disconnected from the general antics and plot to sort of give a feel that this is an event that being followed globally and by so many different people.

Gear-2557 said:
Mary: Whats wrong?

Jin: [hurriedly] Whats wrong nothing's wrong I'm fine what makes you think I'm not fine.

Mary: Aside from your response? You, Kogamaru and his household entourage have been consistently shooting looks at the drink bar, you all look like you desperately need to visit the head (the constipated look isn't helping), you look like you are seriously considering drinking yourself into a stupor like that one Italian shipgirl and lets not forget I'm your mom.

Jin:....Have you ever been to a party where someone super duper important shows up but no one but you realize who they are and the only reason you don't bring attention to that person is because they're having such a good time and that if you do that person may make the rest of your life very...umpleasent?

Mary: Can't say I have, but I see where you're going with this. So who?

Jin: Big white wolf by the drink bar.

Mary:....You mean the one who is making good headway in drinking Junyou under the table? I'm going to go on a limb and guess that it the disguise of a rather high Kami?

Jin: Yes to both accounts.

Mary: Hmmm, how high?

Jin: [chugs her drink and looks at the sun]...Highest.

May:[follows her daughter's gaze]...(coin drops) Oh. OH. [watches as Ammy wanders over to Kogamaru and starts petting him on the head] You know what? I'm going to find Hibiki or Verniy whatever her name is now. She should have a vodka still in her somewhere. Hell if we're lucky she might have that good whiskey on her.​

Pffft. Maybe Mary ought to commiserate with the one of the "bar staff" for a bit.

yukicrewger2 said:
looking forward to the antics of the afterparty​

Across the vast gulf of time and space, there is a great disturbance in the Force, as if dozens of Secretary Ships suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

Harry Leferts said:
A bit of a peek at the menu for the reception:

Japanese foods served at the reception:

Herring roe.
Sushi (the tuna used was a gift from Acadia and fresh from the waters off Nova Scotia)
Sekihan (the actual rice).
Various dumplings
Mochi.

British foods served at the wedding

Roast beef
Yorkshire dumplings
Roasted potatoes and vegetables.
Blackcurrant ice cream.

Drinks available both during and after the dinner

Sake from the Kagami biraki
Perry from the Potter orchards
Apple cidre from the Potter orchards
Plum jerkum (mixed with apple cider as it is extremely strong)
Blackcurrant Cordial and various mixes (cordial and cidre/"Cider and Black", cordial and lager/"Lager and Black", cordial and cider along with lager for "Diesel").
kirschwasser as a wedding gift from Johann and Marie.
Yamato ramune for those underage
Elderflower cordial from the Potter orchards for those underage.
Tea served from Rose's tea set (somehow, no one is sure, but she can pour out whatever sort of tea the person enjoys, despite not changing what is inside and never seems to run out).​

Jin: "I'll have one of everything!"

Mwanwhile at another table, Kaga looks on with disbelief: "...... are we sure that girl is not a ship girl?"

Food arrives at table, only for [censored]

Jin burps loudly, only to then wilt under the stare she receives from Mary for such a display

Iowa: "Mother of god...."

Akagi: "Well that's.... something else."

Zuikaku under her breath: "Hello pot, it's kettle-"

Akagi: "What?"

Zuikaku: "Nothing, nothing!"

Jun'yo: "Well.... I think we know who that Mizuchi who treid the Nine Clan Heads Challenge is."

Haiku said:
Mary has experience, while Dumbledore has knowledge. It's a toss up between who's worse, though Juuchi is taking notes.
Harry Leferts said:
Dumbledore also has experience.
Haiku said:
Dumbledore is primarily an academic, while Mary specializes in fieldwork.
Harry Leferts said:
*Looks at how he fought in WWII, also looks at how he was a head of a paramilitary group during the years of Voldemort* Uh-huh...
Haiku said:
That still doesn't mean he's inclined to frontline combat.​

This whole comment chain has me imagining some form or wizarding version of VS Debates for the two

Haiku said:
All of them are lovely. Great to see a bit of history being revealed with the Muramasa, Jin suffers from the Moe Gap, and we have Best doG online.

*Draconic urge to murder everyone secretly intensifies*

rdmcmains said:
At least it wasn't Haruka Ten'ou​

lol

Itsune said:
Certainly nothing to get Charged Up over.​

They'd be thunderstruck to realize who they're working with and being served by though.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

A soft smile on her face as she walked towards the stern of Haruna's hull with the shipgirl in question, Rose blinked and turned as one of the reporters walked up. "Oh, hello there. You're Miss Kobayashi, correct?"

Smiling back, the reporter noted Naka walking over with her own cameraman. "Hai, that is correct." Bowing slightly, her smile grew some as she held up a microphone. "Now that the ceremony his done, would it be okay to have a few minutes of your time for a quick interview?"

There was a small frown on Rose's face and she turned to her new wife. Haruna only nodded and smiled as she squeezed the tsukumogami's hand before turning to the reporter. "We have some time as it will take Haruna's crew a few minutes."

Quickly nodding, Kobayashi noticed that Naka had reached them and that Aoba was taking pictures. "That's fine, Potter-San. The people at home would like to know more about you, you're quite mysterious you know."

Softly giggling, Rose shook her head some. "Oh my word, mysterious? Well, that is something of a first. But what do you wish to know?"

Humming, the reporter frowned before giving a nod. "How about some background? Anything that you could share? From the rumours and from what has been said today, you are an actual tsukumogami of a tea set?"

Thoughtful, Rose gave a nod. "That is correct. A silver tea set to be exact. As to what I can give..." After a few moments she nodded to herself. "I was made sometime during March, 1883 in the Midlands. At the time, I was created to serve tea on the trains that travelled the English countryside. Quite wonderful to be on the trains and see the world go by. Now, it was around 1905 that the train that I was on stopped running. The engineer at the time was given permission to take me and he gifted me to my first mistress, his daughter, on her wedding day..."

As Rose continued with her story, the reporter's eyes widened. 'A hundred and thirty years old...' Eventually, they got to one bit that made her blink. "So even at the height of the Great Depression, your family would not sell you? Because you were that important?"

Only humming, Rose nodded. "That's right. My Mistress at the time fought with her husband as he wanted to sell me. But she would not hear of it as she loved me that much and I was an heirloom even then. I do remember the Second World War as it was quite frightening. Especially during the Blitz when a bomb either landed close to our home or on it and demolished it. To be honest, at the time it was almost as if a giant had come and just sort of... kicked the house. My cabinet had protected me so the debris was not able to crush me thankfully, but I was trapped inside of the ruined house for a time. I remember the young Miss, my future Mistress, digging me out of the rubble. The relief on her face at finding me alright is something that I can see quite clearly, even now."

Raising an eyebrow, the reporter gave a small nod. "She dug through the rubble of your home? Just to find you?"

With a small nod, Rose tilted her head. "Oh yes. Then they brought me with them out into the countryside to avoid all the German bombs. It was not the last time that bombs threatened my family. There was once in the 1960s when my family brought me into their shelter due to the fear that a nuclear war was about to start. My Mistress at the time used me to make tea while they were in the shelter."

A chuckle escaped from Aoba as she took a picture. "You know? That sounds perfectly British."

Giggling, Rose gave a nod. "Oh yes, I do suppose that it does. But I do love doing such things for my family after all. I am a tea set you know."

There was a small smile on the reporter's face at that and she continued to listen to Rose's story until it came to the modern day, which only took a few more minutes. "That's incredible, Potter-San. You've been through so much with your family and they've taken such good care of you that it is no wonder you're loyal. If I can be honest, it says quite a bit about you that you have returned that loyalty and continue to do so despite how long it has been for you." When Rose blushed and thanked her, Kobayashi shook her head. "If I may, Potter-San? What lead you to help out here with the Repair Docks?"

For several moments, Rose was quiet before she spoke. "I... am a tea set. When it comes to battle, I am not like a blade or a gun. As much as I wish otherwise, I would simply be a liability when it comes to fighting. But! Through what I do I have found a way to support the war effort in a different way. When I found out that the shipgirls sometimes spend quite a large amount of time in the Repair Baths, I asked if I could help out. A warm drink to sooth them, or a small snack to help fill their bellies and give comfort as they heal. I know that Miss Akatsuki quite likes the biscuits that I bring out when her and the others have need. Perhaps it is not much, just small comforts, but I would like to think that I am helping in the way that I am best suited for."

Naka gave a small nod at that before snorting. "Rose-San? I can honestly say that you do good work there, morale is as important as any battle. And when I'm laying there after taking damage, nothing feels as good as seeing you bring out a cup of tea and some pastries to take the edge off. The fact that you found a way to help out in anyway that you can makes me proud to say that you're a friend."

Blushing, Rose gave a small nod. "Thank you for your kind words, Miss Naka. And I do enjoy doing that."

Only nodding, Kobayashi held out her microphone. "So you would say that even if one cannot fight, there is still things that one can do to support the war effort?"

Slowly, Rose nodded some. "Well, yes. Just off the base there is an apartment building where mostly elderly live. They're too old to pick up a gun and fight. But instead, they have opened their homes to the children of those that do, so that they do not need to worry about the safety of their children. They also do a lot of gardening and such alongside those too young, helping with food for those that need it. Miss Kurosawa, here on the base, often goes through old archives looking for information that could help. There are a group of teenagers who help out with maintaining various trucks and cars. We're all helping in what ways we can."

That got her nods and such before Kobayashi noticed the time. "If we could ask you one last question?" At Rose's nod, she gestured at the tsukumogami. "That necklace that you're wearing? Could you tell us about it?"

Reaching up, Rose placed her hand just below it with a smile. "It is what is called a cameo, When I was much younger, it was common to wear them on a wedding day. In my case, this one has been used by the women in Master's family on his mother's side. Each one wearing it on their special day going back nearly a hundred years." Once more, she could feel a bubbling inside of her, a feeling of happiness. "This, far more then gifting me my name, told me how much Master truly considers me to be a part of his family. To be given this to wear... it makes me so happy."

Kobayashi gave a small smile before nodding. "Thank you for answering our questions, Potter-San. I, and my viewers, all appreciate it. And I wish you a very happy wedding." As Rose and Haruna walked off, a thought struck the reporter and she mused over it. 'I wonder how many are going to wear cameos for their wedding now...?'

___________________________________________________________

Sitting at the head table, Harry had a small smile on his face. A smile that was mainly caused by the sight of Haruna and Rose feeding each other the meal. Even as the black haired boy watched, the tsukumogami cut a piece of her roast beef and held it out on her form for Haruna to bite. Then the Battleship would hold out some of her food which Rose would then eat with a bashful smile. Mumbles from Shiromizu beside him caused him to turn to her though. "Hmm?"

All the Mizuchi did was rub her chest and give him a look. "I said that I'm close to getting an answer to the question of if a Mizuchi can get diabetes."

Lips twitching, Harry held back the snickers that wanted to escape. "And we're just starting." He then leaned towards her and lowered his voice to a whisper. "How are you holding up?"

Glancing at him, Shiromizu nonethleless had a smile on her face. "I'm actually doing fine. Sempai taught me how to transform my lower body into a human's after all. Can't hold it more then two or three hours without rest, but..." The nearly thirteen year old's eyes widened slightly as he felt her coils around his leg. "If I take the break this is giving me to rest, I'll be able to make it. Helps that the table cloth goes down to the deck."

Only nodding at that, Harry chuckled before looking around and stopping. "And speaking of your, um, Sempai? You might want to look over there."

With a blink, the snake woman did so before facepalming at the sight of the older Mizuchi making her way through several plates full of food. "Sempai... no..."

Shaking his head in amusement, Harry continued his scan of the stern area of Haruna's hull. Like with the bow, Haruna's main turrets were all raised upwards with canvas stretched across the barrels. With how they were both positioned, it gave shade to the area from the slowly sinking Sun. On the raised platform by her No.3 turret, Haruna's ship's band played music as everyone enjoyed their meal. As agreed by the couple, the food was mainly a mix between British and Japanese cuisine.

For the British side, Harry had helped make what amounted to a Sunday roast in the form of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding with gravy, and roasted potatoes as well as other vegetables. On the Japanese side, Herring roe and sushi using tuna provided by Acadia were among the main dishes. Beside them, there were also sekihan, dumplings of various sorts as well as different breads. Judging by what he could see, Harry could tell that the mixed menu was turning out to be a hit, which was a relief to him. Unknown to the various guests at this time, they was also blackcurrant ice cream for desert as well as cake and Mochi.

Granted, there were going to be other sweets available for those who wanted to try them when the afterparty happened. Among others, traditional British fruit cake made with the Evans' family recipe which Rose had made when they set the date for the wedding. They had been "Fed" alcohol since May and should be a hit.

As his gaze crossed the area though, Harry did have to blink at the sight of Taylor with a guy. One whom he recognized as the one who her sisters often teased as her boyfriend. He didn't even know that he was in Japan, though the two themselves look somewhat bemused and surprised. What caused Harry to raise an eyebrow though was the big wolf there at the same table with a grin. Though something tried telling him it was just a dog, a good dog.

However, his attention was then grabbed by the scraping of a chair and they all turned to find Kongou rising to her feet. "Thank you all for coming to this, our Haruna's special day! Please, raise a toast in honor of the couple."
Everyone was smiling and raised their glasses of various drinks with a "Hear, hear!"

But Kongou was not done as she sipped her drink and then nodded. "Now then, as Haruna-Chan's Onee-Sama, there is something else that I must do. And that is to tell the tale of how this lovely couple finally confessed to each other."

Face going red, Haruna covered it with her hands. "Onee-Sama, no."

Kongou only smiled though. "Onee-Sama, dess!" Clearing her throat, she ignored Rose patting Haruna on the back and telling her that they would get the eldest Kongou back on her wedding day to some laughs. "Now then, I think that many of us who met the two could easily tell that they were in love with each other. The near smoldering looks they gave each other when they saw something that they liked, the gentle touches, how the two would embrace each other tightly. Hai, their burning love could be seen by all. But they had not confessed to each other... Until that one day."

At her table shared with Yamato, Enterprise shouted out. "I remember that day!"

Giving the Carrier a nod, Kongou coughed. "You see, our Haruna-Chan had been badly injured a few days before. A torpedo hit to the legs which as you can guess made sure that she needed the repair baths, though she endured as always. Now, Haruna-Chan was unconscious for several days. Unknown to her, Rose-Chan did not leave her side once during that time, even though they were not girlfriends at that time. Such was the love and care she had. At one point, she fell asleep and Haruna-Chan woke up while she was with the sandman. Rose-Chan woke up herself and just had the happiest look on her face from how our sister was now awake. Well, I walked out of the room to give the two privacy and will not go into what was said."

Just blushing, Rose gave her a small nod. "For which I think that Haruna and I shall thank you. But not for telling this story."

Simply smiling, Kongou took a sip of her drink. "Now then, the two were hugging each other after their talk when Rose-Chan slipped and fell into the bath. In fact, she ended up astride Haruna-Chan in her lap. I just watched as the two stared into each others eyes as their faces moved closer and closer... And then they kissedm thus revealing their true feelings for each other. It was one of the most romantic things that I ever saw."

Even as they felt steam coming out from their ears, Rose and Haruna smiled and clasped their hands together. Then as Kongou sat down, Hiei stood up before raising her glass of perry. "Let me just say, welcome to the family, Rose-Chan. I for one am proud to call you sister now. Not sure if it's Onee-San or what considering that you're way older then I am, but still."

Various laughs drifted over from guests at that which only increased as Rose wagged a finger at the second oldest Kongou.

Eventually the meal was ended and everyone drifted over to the wedding cake as the newly wed couple stood in front of it. The two had ordered it from someone that Haru had suggested, a Tanto tsukumogami with several centuries of experience in baking. Both of them holding a knife, Haruna and Rose looked over the cake. At the top was a mockup of Haruna's hull except there was a tea set on the bow. Meanwhile, figurines of Haruna and Rose stood in front of it which made them both smile before they cut two pieces of cake. Taking the piece she had in one hand, Haruna held it out. "Here, Rose-Chan."

Smiling, Rose held out her own and nodded. "And here you are, Haruna." The two then leaned in and bit into the slices held by the other as people cheered and applauded them.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

Well, the final scene isn't completely finished, but it's starting to actually come along now. But its stretching out a lot longer than I anticipated, so I figured I'd just post what I already have done, and make the final scene its own snippet. I REALLY dislike cliffhangers, but I felt like I had to post SOMETHING.

Anyway, this takes place a few months after my previous entry. I hope this is alright.


Visitors

XXXXXXXXXX

The newborn gazed at the various furnishings of the room her mother had brought her to, fiddling with her garment all the while. Everything was so new and strange and cold to her; her only consolation was the fact that her Princess was leading her every step of the way. "W-where are we?" she asked.

"My private chamber. My sanctuary." Her Princess stepped forward. "It is where I retire… when the day is through. None of my fleet… may disturb this place… without my consent."

"So… so I shouldn't be in here?" The newborn asked.

"For you… I am making an exception." Her Princess sat at the edge of the bed that dominated the room. She patted the mattress beside her. "Please… sit." The nervous newborn complied. "Are you alright, Regalia?"

Who was…? Oh, right. Regalia. That was her name. She was having a hard time keeping track of things. "…I-I don't know." She did know a couple things, at least. She was an Abyssal—a creature of the Deep, both warship and girl—and the being next to her was her Princess, her master. There were other facts, images, information buried deep in the recesses of her mind, but she lacked the will or the knowledge to grasp them. "Everything's been happening so quickly…"

Her Princess nodded softly. "That is… understandable. Your birth was… far from ordinary."

The newborn thought to the black-haired woman, the battleship, that had been present when she broke free of her egg. The person who had looked at her with such revulsion; who had tried to kill her. "That woman… why did she try to... attack me? Does she hate me...?" she asked.

"Ruadri…" the Princess paused. "She… she does not hate you. You were simply… not what she expected. She was shocked, frightened, confused by you. As a battleship… her instinctive reaction to that… was violence."

"Not what she expected?" the newborn cocked her head. "What did she expect?"

"She expected… a capital ship, like me and her. Strong. Proud. Able to motivate… and lead others as necessary. Instead…" she gestured to the newborn. "We got you. I will not… lie to you. You were a gamble. An attempt to… provide my sisters… hope of moving on. Rebuilding. Continuing our mother's teachings in her absence."

"Moving on?"

The room was silent for several seconds before the Princess responded. "My fleet… we are not in the… best of ways right now." She stared out into nothingness. "Before we arrived… at this island… me and my fleet all served… our mother, our own Princess. She was small… and kind… and wise. She taught all of us, her children… what it meant to live, to be more… than a weapon. She taught us to love. And other Princesses… despised her for it."

She shook her head with a heavy sigh. "They came to our home… hundreds of them. We tried to fight… to protect everything we loved… and we failed. They destroyed our home… slaughtered our family… killed our mother." The newborn looked to the Princess. She looked stricken, sorrowful. Bloody tears were welling up in her eyes. "Those that survived… were forced to flee," she continued shakily. "We were left… with nothing but each other… and our grief."

The newborn was struck with fear and concern, seeing her Princess unharmed yet in so much pain. Unsure what to say, she did the only thing she could think of to try to help her—she shuffled a bit closer, leaned into the Princess's side. She let out a squeak as the Princess wrapped an arm around her. The Princess closed her eyes and took a deep breath, lightly squeezing the newborn's shoulder as she did so.

When she spoke again, her voice was a little steadier. "Thank you, Regalia. I am… alright." She released the newborn and put her hands in her lap. "I digress. You do not need to be… afraid of Ruadri. Of the others. I will not... allow them to harm you. Do you understand?" Still leaning against her, the newborn nodded quietly. "Good. Now… you are likely tired."

The newborn found herself agreeing with the Princess. Though her body did not ache, did not yearn for rest, her mind was overwhelmed. "…yeah."

"I suppose it was… fortunate you hatched late… in the day. It is time… to sleep."

"Sleep? Where will I…?" She glanced around. This was the only bed in the room. "Do you want me to… leave?"

The Princess shook her head. "I do not want to… startle my sisters by… having you show up unannounced. Tonight… you can stay here with me."

"With you? But… but aren't you my Princess…?" The newborn asked. "It doesn't feel right to sleep with…"

"Regalia, please look at me." The newborn looked up to her Princess's eyes. Her gaze was soft, warm. "This is not… an order from your Princess. This… is a mother telling her daughter… she does not have to spend her first night in the world alone."

"I…" the newborn paused, unsure. Eventually, she looked up, a nervous smile on her face. "Okay."

And so, the newborn found herself tucked beneath the bedsheets, held gently but firmly to her Princess's chest. As she lay there, thoughts swirling in her head, something caught her attention—the quiet rumble of her Princess's boilers. She didn't understand why, but listening to that sound was… relaxing. It made everything feel just a little less overwhelming. She shifted a little closer to her Princess, clinging to that small comfort, and in doing so took notice of the arms wrapped gently around her, the rhythmic rise and fall of her Princess's chest, the calm expression on her sleeping face. Individually, they eased her thoughts, brought her calm. Together, they allowed her to stop worrying for a moment and just think about everything.

She'd been a gamble, a reason for the Princess's fleet to look forward to the future again. She turned out to be a miserable failure, and a battleship had tried to kill her as a result. But her Princess didn't care. Not once did she treat her with anything but kindness. At first, she looked inward, to her flawed, misshapen self, and thought the princess acted simply out of pity, or guilt. But to go to such lengths for her? To do everything she could to make her feel safe and welcome? It didn't matter that she was a mistake, that she failed to live up to expectations, she realized. Her Princess still loved her.

Her mother still loved her.

Her fear, her confusion, her hesitance– soothed by her mother's embrace, all faded away. Having finally found her peace, Regalia slept.

XXXXXXXXXX

Regalia eyed the windowsill above her, and the light streaming into the palace from outside.

In the distant past, these apertures supposedly housed stained-glass windows—the occasional shard of blue/green/red/etc.-colored glass found in and around the palace could attest to that. But decades of abandonment left Nature free to wear away at everything. Only a handful of windows remained intact, almost all their myriad colors faded away, covered in pits and scratches, and/or yellowed by age. The rest had, at some point or another, shattered. The window Regalia was gazing at, in particular, was almost completely gone; a few bits of glass clinging to the sides and top were all that remained.

Which would make it a perfect spot for her to hang out and sunbathe without being bothered.
Or bothering others.
If Regalia had to guess, the windowsill was ten, maybe eleven feet off the floor. Well beyond a human's ability to reach without some sort of assistance, but child's play for an Abyssal, even a flawed Abyssal like herself. The issue, in this case, was not breaking the floor beneath her when she jumped.

She opted for baby steps. Crouching, Regalia jumped as high as her physical body was capable of—a little over a foot. Impressive, considering the extra weight of her tail, but still far from reaching the window. Pausing after she dropped back down to check she hadn't shattered the tiles beneath her feet, she jumped again, calling on the smallest fraction of her supernatural might as she could manage, alongside her physical strength. She could feel herself rise a little higher, hang in the air a little longer, before coming back to the ground.

A few more jumps, each time using a little more of her strength, and eventually Regalia was able to reach out and grab the lip of the windowsill, having just barely enough grip to hang on and keep from dropping to the floor once more. A flare of pain in her tailbone as her massive tail dangled in the air pushed the Re-class to clamber up quickly; with a heave, she managed to swing her tail up and to the side, letting it land with a thump in the adjacent sill and causing the pain to fade. Adjusting herself on the ledge, Regalia twisted around to glance down at the floor and check for damage.

There was a spiderweb of cracks in the stone tiles where she had jumped, but that was all. Good enough.

Regalia examined her chosen lounge spot for a few seconds. The sill was somewhat narrow, ruling out the option of laying down flat. However, there enough room to prop herself up against the side and let her legs stretch out, which she did. Almost unconsciously, she put her back against the brick wall behind her and tried to press herself flat against it, stopping only once she began to feel the pressure in her keel. It was more a force of habit than anything else; she knew her issues couldn't exactly be fixed with a flat surface and some blunt force...
...as the others had been keen to remind her.
Regalia could already feel the sun's rays warming her skin as she made herself comfortable; she couldn't help but smile a little at the sensation. When it came to just finding a quiet place to stop caring about the world, Regalia could think of few better ways to do so…

…well, nothing could quite compare to spending a night curled up next to Mom, but sunbathing was a (not so) close second. Followed by destroyer cuddle-piles.
She'd been so happy when they finally let her join them...
She reached up and tugged down her hood, letting the sun shine freely on her face. She didn't particularly mind the light in her eyes, it was a small price to pay to relax like this. Finally comfortable, Regalia let out a sigh and relaxed her body, drifting off into a calm slumber.

XXXXXXXXXX

Wonderous turned to her flagship. "Ma'am, are you sure this is a good idea?"

The Battleship Water Demon nodded. "I'm certain. We haven't seen Tanith and her fleet in over a year. It wouldn't do not to let them know we're all still alive."

The Wo-class sighed, reaching out to her scout planes to check their surroundings. All around their dozen-strong collection of destroyers and cruisers, she could see nothing but blue sea and skies. But looks could be deceiving. "Human activity in these areas has intensified of late. You're not worried we may be followed, or attacked?"

"You're just being paranoid." The Demon gestured to the pair of Tsu-class cruisers currently guiding them. "They manage to come out here all the time to fish, and they're fine."

"They're still fishing? Really?" a Ri-class cruiser scoffed behind them. "They're gonna go soft at this rate. Need to stick their necks out every once in a while, take on something bigger."

"Not everyone gets a kick out of hand-to-hand combat with sharks and whales," Wonderous retorted.

"Their loss."

The Battleship Demon shook her head in exasperation. She called out to their guides. "Hey Tsun, what's happened since the last time we were here?"

The Tsu-class rolled her shoulders. "Well, a couple things have gone down over the past year... the big thing that comes to mind, is the Princess tried her hand at construction."

"Really!?" There were murmurs among the Demon's fleet. They had all recognized the possibility of a future niece when their elder sister had ascended as a Princess; they did not, however, expect her to do so in these conditions, cast out and isolated from the wider world. It seemed a less-than-ideal environment for a fledgling Abyssal. "What did she create?"

A brief moment of awkward silence followed before a response came. "She exhausted most of our raw materials to produce a Re-class, but…" Tsunami paused, scratching the back of her head. "Well… the Princess can tell you more about her."

The Demon raised an eyebrow, briefly intrigued by the cruiser's hesitation, but she let the matter drop. "Have you all managed to make contact with any more survivors?"

Tsunami shook her head. "No, you guys are still the only ones we've come across up to this point. Although some of us have had suspicions that most of Mom's submarines managed to survive the massacre."

The Demon nodded. "Yeah, that's what we've been thinking, too. But if they did survive, they'll have to be the ones to find us."

"True that," Tsunami agreed. "Because we sure as hell won't find THEM."

At that moment, Tsubasa spoke up. "Hey, gals! We're coming up on our destination."

The incoming fleet ignored the tingle as they passed the invisible barrier that separated their sister fleet from the rest of the world, and finally got a clear look at the phantom island. From a glance, the place seemed quite a bit neater than the last time they had visited. One thing in particular had their attention, however. "Wait… are those…?"

"Yep. Vegetables. Funny story, that."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So there was a huge field full of nothing but weeds and shrubs sitting right next to the village, and you didn't check to see if there was anything underneath it?"

"In my defense… I was not yet a Princess… when I made that decision."

"…the decision to not de-weed a farm."

"…I'm not perfect, okay?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Turns out whoever abandoned this place left a farm behind, and we didn't even realize it was there until we started clearing the overgrowth away to plant our own. With a little bit of trading, we had what we needed to get everything back in working order. So on top of the whole place looking nicer, we've actually got some food we can grow ourselves now."

"Trading?"

Tsunami glanced back to Wonderous and nodded. "Yeah, we needed stuff that wasn't on the island, and we had some valuable stuff lying around, so we bargained with a couple of passerby fishermen to get what we needed. It's worked out alright, all things considered."

"And you don't think that's incredibly dangerous?" Wonderous asked. "Your 'trade partners' could escort a fleet of shipgirls to your front door!"

"Well... we haven't really given them a reason to." Tsunami shrugged. "Abyssals have always had a somewhat more positive reputation in these waters, thanks to Mom. The humans know we won't just slaughter them for the hell of it, and getting treasure for doing a little business with us is a bonus."

Wonderous couldn't really disagree with that.

A brief wade through the kelp forests, and the fleet finally reached the shore, where a small crowd had gathered. The next few minutes were a blur, with sisters bringing each other long-awaited greetings, hugs (nuzzles in the case of the destroyers) and gifts being exchanged, and an overall feeling of exuberance in the air stemming from a much-needed break in everyone's daily grind. All throughout, however, the Demon kept an eye out, watching for the telltale ebony parka and monstrous tail of her supposed Re-class niece.

She failed to find anything, which was incredibly strange. She figured a Re-class would be getting into the thick of things, in daily life as in combat. To be completely absent from an occasion like this? It felt bizarre.

She looked away from the crowd and focused on the individual currently approaching her—the Princess. "Hello, Sunny," She greeted the Demon, a look of relief on her face. "It is good to see… that you are all doing well… after so long."

"I'm sorry for not stopping by sooner, sis." The Demon stepped forward and wrapped her sister in a hug. "We sort of lost track of the days while dodging patrols out on the ocean." Pulling away, she grinned. "So, the Twins told me that you—"

She was cut short when the Princess raised a hand. Her expression had become cold and stern, as befitting a proper Abyssal Princess. "Sunny… before you continue… I need to speak to you. In private."

The Battleship Demon gave her sister a confused look, but nodded. "Uh… sure. Lead the way."

XXXXXXXXXX

Rivet stood in the hallway, hands on her hips, and glared at the hunchbacked Re-class laid out in not one, but TWO windows. She rapped her knuckles on the wall. "Come on, get down from there. You're needed." All Rivet got in response was some drowsy mumbling. She spoke again, louder. "Don't make me use my foghorn…"

The tail turned and blew a raspberry at Rivet. She snarled. "You think I don't understand you? You still got your signal flags going!" She brought up her fists. "Why don't you come down and say that to my face, you overgrown ass-snake? I'll kick your damn teeth in!"

At that moment, Ruadri walked by. Noticing the argument brewing between a heavy cruiser and a self-aware tail, she walked over and rested a hand on Rivet's shoulder. "At ease, sister. I can handle this," she said softly. Turning to the girl in the window, she cleared her throat. "Oh, Regalia… I noticed some wild animals out on the plots—"

"MY CRO—ACK!?!" In the blink of an eye, the Re-class stretched out on the windowsill had flung herself ten feet off the wall and was now falling, flailing her limbs wildly. By some miracle, she hit the ground feet-first, the floor beneath her hooves just barely absorbing the impact without shattering again. Ignoring the throbbing in her legs, Regalia snapped towards Ruadri. "Where are they? How did they avoid my imps? How long have they—"

Ruadri threw up her hands in surrender, chuckling. "Relax, your crops are safe. We just needed you to come down."

Regalia slumped over in relief, sighing. "Geez, don't scare me like that." Straightening back up—as much as her hunchback allowed, anyways—she folded her arms and huffed. "So, what did you need to bug me for?"

It was Rivet who spoke up. "The Princess sent me. We have visitors coming to the island, and she wants me to take you somewhere to hide for a little bit."

"Visitors?" Regalia cocked her head. "We live in the middle of nowhere. Who would…" Running through the small list of possibilities, she stiffened. "Is… is it shipgirls? Or other Abyssals? Is that why you're hiding me? Did they find us!?"

"What…?" Ruadri blinked, before snorting and shaking her head with a smile. "No, no, no, we're not under attack. The opposite, in fact. One of our other surviving sisters is arriving shortly with her fleet to mingle and catch up with us. The Princess wants you out of sight so she can introduce you to them personally!"

Ruadri typically didn't think much about Abyssal instincts—they were what Mother taught her children to overcome, after all. But she knew that, as the manifest spirits of warships, bound intrinsically to a fleet, Abyssals and shipgirls alike were social creatures… and Re-class battleships were especially so. She expected Regalia to respond to the news of visitors with enthusiasm, or anticipation, or at the very least, curiosity.

Instead, the Re-class seemed to shrink inward on herself, what little color she had draining from her face as a look of dread set in. "…oh." She whispered.

Rivet glanced over the battleship's shoulder at Regalia. "Hey, are you alright? You don't look too hot, all of a sudden."

Gulping, the Re-class shook her head rapidly. "N-no, I'm fine. Just… tell my mom I'm… I'll be laying low in my room. Excuse me." Regalia brushed past her two aunts, rapidly making her way deeper into the palace.

Left alone in the hallway, Ruadri and Rivet shared a confused glance. "You go ahead and catch up with your sisters," Ruadri ordered. "I'll speak with the Princess."

XXXXXXXXXX

The Princess guided her sister away from the crowd, through the village, into the palace. Behind her, the Battleship Water Demon examined her surroundings quietly. She hadn't been this deep into the palace on her previous visit, only coming as far as the throne room. Not that there was very much new for her to see, but she supposed that wasn't the point.

Coming up on a pair of wooden double doors, the Princess threw them open, revealing a comfy little bedroom. She gestured for the Demon to come in before closing the doors behind her. "We will not… be disturbed here," the Princess stated, turning to face her. "I must speak to you… regarding my daughter."

The Demon cocked her head. "Yeah, the Twins told us you made a Re-class, but I haven't seen her anywhere. Where is she?"

"Sunny… Regalia is—"

"Cute name."

"…Thank you." The Princess paused. "I'm… I doubt you will be pleased… by what I'm about to tell you."

The Demon scoffed playfully. "Don't worry. If she's being a handful, that's normal. Every Re-class ends up being unusual."

"Regalia isn't unusal. She's defective."

In an instant, the Demon's mirth was gone. Taking its place was shock, then disgust, then finally, pity. "…fuck."

The Princess… Tanith nodded sadly. "She was constructed around a warped keel. Her entire body has been contorted by it."

Sunny stepped back and plopped down on the edge of the bed, ignoring her sister's grunt of irritation. "…I doubt you'd be telling me this… if she wasn't still alive. Am I correct in believing that?" After a moment, Tanith quietly nodded. "...How did your fleet take it when they found out?"

Tanith's gaze fell to the floor. "Not well. My decision… to invest in a new ship… was already divisive. To result in a…" She shook her head. "More than once... they called for her… dismantlement."

"And I can't exactly say I don't agree with them." She looked back up to Sunny, who had affixed her with a judgmental stare. "Do you really think you can spend the rest of your life vouching for a broken battleship, convincing everyone she's worth keeping around? Putting her down would have been the best option for everyone."

"Everyone except her." Tanith countered. "You are talking about… euthanizing... one of your own kin. Mother would never have… condoned such a thing."

Sunny shook her head. "Tanith, we were taught to accept a lot of things by Mother. But there are LIMITS. If what you're saying is true, then this Re-class doesn't stand a chance of ever serving a fleet. She can only be a burden, a drain of precious resources that none of us can afford. Back then, perhaps, Mother could have repaired her, given her a chance to live as a true Re-class battleship. But Mother's dead. And we're stuck in the middle of a war where BOTH sides would see us dead given the chance. She is stuck this way for however long she lives."

Tanith simply glared at her. "…Is it really so important… for her to be… 'a true Re-class battleship'?"

Sunny began to respond, but she paused as the words sunk in. "…what?"

"Can she not just… live? Find meaning to her existence… beyond war?" Tanith folded her arms and shook her head. "We are more… than weapons. Mother at least taught us that much. Where you see a flawed, useless warship... I see a child. A kind, innocent child… who works to contribute… in her own way." She swung her arm outward, gesturing to something beyond the walls of the palace. "That farm out there…? We would… never have realized it was there… if Regalia wasn't here… committing herself to growing food... for her family.

"So what if she can't… sail into combat alongside her comrades? There is more than one way… to serve a fleet. Can you honestly tell me… you would put her down… like an animal… just because she isn't capable of fighting?"

Sunny stared at Tanith, her expression shifting between confusion, disbelief, doubt. Finally, a look of shame setting into her face, she hung her head in defeat. "…No."

"I will not order you… to love her like one of your own. I just want you… to acknowledge her right to live. To give her a chance. Do you understand?"

Sighing, Sunny softly nodded. "I'll try."

"Thank you." Tanith gestured to the bed. "Now... please get up. This is my room... not your... vacation house."

Ignoring her, Sunny fell back and splayed herself atop the bed. "Can you gimme a few minutes? It's been a while since I laid on a good mattress," she moaned.

Tanith was preparing her rebuttal when the doors cracked open. She snapped around, preparing to lambaste whoever dared to intrude on her private domain, but stayed her tongue as Ruadri revealed herself. "Sister, I did as you asked, but..." she trailed off as she noticed the Demon making herself comfortable on her sister's bed.

"Hey, Rudy," Sunny greeted the intruder with a wave and a toothy grin.

The Ru-class stared at the newcomer, eyes narrowed. "...Sunny. Do you mind? I need to speak with the Princess regarding a private matter."

Sunny waved her off. "Oh, no, don't mind me. Carry on."

Tanith rolled her eyes at the Demon, before turning back to her second-in-command. "Just... go ahead."

Sighing, Ruadri stepped in and closed the door behind her. "Well, Regalia is hiding like you asked, but... when I told her the reason why, she started acting strange. She was suddenly really agitated by something. Me and Rivet tried to ask her what was wrong, but she just ran off without giving us a straight answer. I figured I should warn you about it, see if perhaps you can get an explanation from her."

"...I see." That didn't bode well. This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, of family coming together, a chance for her daughter to bond with new people. But that couldn't happen if Regalia wasn't comfortable with it. "Ruadri... you are dismissed. Go join your sisters... in the village. I will speak with Regalia."

"As you wish," Ruadri said. She jerked a thumb at Sunny. "But what about her?"

"You guys go on, no need to worry about me," Sunny drawled from her position on the bed. "I'll just lay here a little while longer, then I'll head back out to everyone else. I promise. They're probably wondering where the head honchos are, anyway."

Tanith glared for several seconds at the Demon doing her damnedest to overstay her welcome before speaking. "...If I find one thing missing or out of place in this room when I return, your head is going through a wall."

No hesitation, Sunny noted. Tanith meant business. The Demon shot her a thumbs-up. "Duly noted."

With that, Tanith and Ruadri departed, leaving Sunny alone on the bed. Left to her own devices, her grin faded away, replaced with a thoughtful expression.

Tanith obviously felt deeply for the girl, to be willing to pull her aside and personally attempt to sway her opinion. It was something she both loved and hated about her sister: despite the fantastic Resting Bitch Face, she was ruled by her emotions. It was probably why she ascended as a Princess. But she couldn't help but wonder how much her actions were being dictated by genuine love, rather than simple pity, or the protective instincts almost all mothers share. Really, she thought, the best way to find out was to observe their interactions behind closed doors.

Quietly ruminating, a decision was eventually made: she'd follow the Princess, check out the kid herself...

But that could wait a little bit longer. This bed was just amazing.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Haruna was softly talking with Rose after the reception was done and the crew were moving tables and chairs as the Sun touched the horizon when she felt a tap and turned to find Myrtle there. "Good evening, Myrtle-Chan. Is something wrong?"

Much to her surprise though, the currently solid ghost shook her head before giving her a hug. "No, nothing is wrong, Haruna. It's just..." Sniffling, she pulled away with a happy smile before hugging Rose. "It's just that I am the one who is supposed to bring a gift. And yet you've given me one. I... for the first time over seventy years I'm solid..."

Sharing a look, the couple turned and then gently hugged the eternal teen with Rose speaking for them both. "And that is fine, Myrtle. Both I and Haruna wanted you to enjoy this on our day."

Just wiping at her eyes furiously, the ghost shook her head. "And for that, you have my thanks." With a look between them, she chuckled. "But, if you ever need someone to watch over any children, I would be willing to do so."

All Haruna did was place a hand on Myrtle's shoulder. "Haruna and Rose-Chan might take you up on that, Myrtle-Chan."

With a final hug, Myrtle nodded. "Thank you..."

There was a smile on Rose's face as she watched Myrtle walk off to the crowd when she blinked at a sight. "Um, Haruna? May I ask you something?"

Hearing the tone in Rose's voice, Haruna turned to her. "Yes, Rose-Chan? What seems to be the problem?"

Slowly, Rose brought up a finger and pointed. "I was wondering, where did that wolf come from? I believe that it is petting... Kogamaru, I believe?"

Now blinking herself, Haruna turned and boggled a bit. Sure enough, said wolf had one paw raised and was gently bringing it down on the Yokai's head. Kogamaru, meanwhile, was utterly frozen and had wide eyes. Then the wolf gave him a nuzzle before disappearing into the crowd. For several moments, Haruna stared before turning to Rose. "Rose-Chan? As Haruna told you, that is no wolf."

Confused, the tsukumogami tilted her head. "You said such, but did not explain it. There is something quite odd as for some reason I want to call it a dog. But it is also obviously a wolf."

Looking her new wife in the eyes, and did Haruna ever love being able to say that, the Battleship took a deep breath. "Rose-Chan? That wolf is... a disguise. As to who it is..."

The shipgirl turned and was looking into the distance. Frowning, Rose turned in the same direction and furrowed her eyebrows. 'Whatever is Haruna looking at? The only thing there is the setting... Sun...' Eyes widening, she boggled at Haruna. "You are not saying that the wolf is..."

A series of chuckles made them turn to find the Emperor there with a twinkle in his eye. "She does have a rather... unique... sense of humor one would find. I suspect that she finds those games amusing."

Both Haruna and Rose bowed deeply to him with Rose adding a curtsy best that she could. "Your Highness."

Simply bowing back, he smiled a bit. "I much thank you for inviting us to your wedding, it has been wonderful. Your tea, Rose-San, was exquisite to say the least."

On Rose's face there was a small blush at the compliment and she gave a tilt of the head. "Thank you for the compliment, your Majesty. I... I am unsure that I am deserving of such high praise, but thank you."

Lips twitching, the Emperor just waved her off. "Indeed, you are deserving as it showed a mastery that few accomplish. Though... If I may? Have you made any plans for the honeymoon?"

Eyebrows furrowing, Rose turned to Haruna who gave a small nod. "Hai, Haruna and Rose-Chan will be leaving tomorrow for Australia for a few days. Haruna wants to take Rose-Chan to Rottnest Island to introduce her to the Quokka there. They are very daijoubu."

Chuckling, the Emperor shook his head. "Ah, yes, I remember the pictures from a few years back. Do they always look like they are smiling in such a way?" At the nod, another chuckle escaped him. "When you come back to Japan, perhaps a few more days would be nice as well. I recommend Dōgo Onsen as one place to stop by. However, I do wish you many, many years of happiness and luck for your marriage in the future."

With another bow and curtsy, which was returned with a bow of his own, Haruna and Rose watched as the Emperor walked off only to come to a stop as the wolf once more appeared. This time, he leaned in deeply to said wolf in a way that if one did not know who the said being really was, might be mistaken for him giving it a closer look. Those who did recognized it as a very deep bow. A moment later, the wolf placed a paw on his shoulder and nuzzled the Emperor before nodding its head and moving off while leaving the Emperor struck dumb. Recovering, he chuckled and shook his head as he made his way elsewhere.

Elsewhere, Harry walked over to where Jin was staring at Koga with a shocked look. Not that the Koshaku Hokubu looked much better. Upon reaching her, the black haired boy coughed to catch her attention and she shook off whatever was the issue to look at him. "Harry Potter, right?" When he nodded, she raised an eyebrow while adjusting her dress. Almost as if she was uncomfortable in it. "What is it, Kiddo?"

Rubbing the back of his neck, Harry gave a weak chuckle. "Um, I was talking with Shiromizu and she mentioned your name? I mean, er... Molly Maleficus? As in the daughter of David Maleficus?"

There was something that that tickled something in the back of Jin's mind and she paused as she noticed her mother pinch her nose. But then she slugged back her drink and shrugged some. "Uh, yeah? He was my Dad and my Mom is right here named Mary. What of it?"

Harry's next words caused her to freeze. "Well, um, I was reading through a relative of mine's journal. One Charlus Potter? And it sort of had this thing in it regarding your father and him in regards to betting..."

Unknown to Harry, Jin felt her stomach drop at that and she held back a wince. 'Fuck me... how am I going to do this...'

Before she could say anything he held up his hands and gave a shaky smile along with a chuckle. "Um, look, you know nothing was actually written down or signed by them. And they were also drunk at the time. I mean, you're pretty and really strong and stuff... and those scars are really cool. I, um, got some of my own?" Rubbing the back of his neck, he winced and looked away. "B-but, I'm still a kid, you know? And I'm not really interested in that yet, besides which... If I'm going to marry, it's going to be for love? N-not that I'm saying that you're not someone who someone could love, you are! But, uh... yeah. If you want to be friends though, I don't mind. Never can have enough friends..."

When he held out his hand, Jin stared at it for several moments before mechanically shaking it. "Right, sure. Friends."

Smiling, Harry gave a sigh of relief. "Thanks." It was then that he noticed Kiba turning purple while Kogamaru had turned and said Okami's shoulders were shaking. But his attention was soon caught by the sight of Natsumi waving at him and he turned to bow at the group. "Right! Well, hope that you all enjoy the reception. And like Haruna-Oba said, if you want a tour, just ask." The black haired wizard did not get far before hearing howls of laughter and turned in time to see Jin try and choke Kiba while trying to whack Kogamaru, who was also laughing. Ai was just pinching her nose as if to ward off a headache before one of her fellow Abyss Divers, also a woman, began to cackle. 'Wonder what that is all about...?'

Eventually, the tables were cleared away and chairs placed to the sides. At one end of the stern, a bar was set up though Jane raised an eyebrow at the giant man wearing a dress. Said man shot her a look before looking away and grumbling while the young teen wondered why so many didn't seem to realize that it was a man. But then her attention was grabbed as Haruna and Rose walked out into the middle of the dancefloor. The two simply held each other as the first strains of "Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover" began to play. Slowly, without looking away from each others eyes, Rose and Haruna danced together as one while camera flashes went off.

All that mattered was the feel of their new wife's body against theirs as they danced in the light of the setting Sun. A moment in time that was both far too short for them and yet stretched onwards into eternity. Eventually, the song ended with the two of them sharing a soft kiss before they pulled apart to applause. From where he was, Harry could see Taichi and his band begin to play. They were one of the bands booked to play after all. Several minutes passed as Harry listened to one song after another play before he felt a tap on the shoulder and brightly smiled at who was there. "Hanna!"

There was a similar smile on Hanna's face as she nodded. "Ja." Looking around, she leaned forwards and lowered her voice. "I hope that you do not mind me coming over here. There's only so much Bavarianess that I can withstand from Bayern."

His eyebrow raised, Harry glanced in the direction of the bar and noticed that said shipgirl was there already drinking. "I heard something about that, actually. And no, I don't mind, Hanna." Smile softening, the nearly thirteen year old shrugged some. "I like spending time with you after all."

Out of the corner of their eyes, they could see Haruna climb up onto the stage and take an offered microphone. Then she closed her eyes for a moment before opening them and looking down at Rose as the music began to play.

"These memories of mine are rising up in my heart,
I remember the kindness that those two arms had."

She reached down and helped Rose up onto the stage, easily lifting her as she continued to sing.

"I arrived at Yokosuka from far away on the 19th of April
Sakura petals floating behind you in the spring sunlight
I won't forget the time that I stopped moving involuntarily just to stare..."

Gently grabbing Harry's hand, Hanna guided him out onto the dance floor. "Come on, Harry. We might as well get some dancing done, ja?"

Lips twitching, the wizard only nodded with his next words getting giggles from her. "Might as well. Besides, dancing with you sounds fun."

Blushing lightly, Hanna gave a small nod as she moved his hands to her hips. "Danke, Harry. Danke..."

A smile on her face, she leaned her head until it was touching Harry's as they moved across the dance floor. Once the song ended though, Hanna found Harry being pulled away by RO who gave her a wink as she did so. "Mein turn now, Hanna! Though you'll get him back."

Soon after, a confused Harry found himself dancing with RO who soon passed her off to Hachi, then to Iku and so on. Eventually, he found himself dancing with Shinano who had a bright smile on her face. "You've really improved your dancing, Harry-Chan."

Only smiling up at her, Harry gave a small shrug. "Well, I've been taking lessons from Rose in dancing." Pulling away slightly, he allowed himself to be twirled around by Shinano. "Besides, if I am to become an Admiral, I'm supposed to be able to dance."

Inside of Shinano's head, she imagined dancing with an older Harry in uniform. Something that brought both a smile and a blush to her face. 'I think that I like that image.' Twirling Harry around again, she giggled. "Though, um, I'm pretty sure that it is not supposed to be like this." The only answer from Harry was to snicker. It was then that the Carrier noted that the ship began to light up with various colored lanterns and the like as dusk turned fully into evening. "Oh wow..."

Harry could only nod himself as he watched things light up. "Yeah, Haruna-Oba is going all out for this." Sharing a smile with Shinano, the two continued to dance as the reception and night wore on. Eyes sparkling, Harry held his friend close. 'Now this is nice...'

 

[darthcourt10]

Shinr

And now something not related to the wedding.

Never liked how the Youkai outbreak/distraction got glossed over for the most part, so tried to make a snippet about it, though in the end I only made a short "bigger picture" POV piece instead.

----

It was another busy night at Tokyo Magical Government's Auror department, as the Department Head was looking over reports, determining which issues could wait and which ones need immediate attention, as there was never enough manpower to go to around.

Not since Blood Week.

And especially not since quite a few of his underlings decided that Kyoto was a better place than Tokyo.

Still, as busy as it was, it was one of those uncommon "better-than-average" days, so there was a chance that he might actually go home for the first time in the while and sleep in his own bed.

Then an origami plane came flying in and unfolded itself before one of his underlings, who grew concerned upon reading its contents

"Sir!" he started upon finishing reading "We have a mob of youkai openly rampaging at Chiba magical district, mostly spiders!"

There goes any chance of sleeping at home tonight. Once in the while, some idiot will get into his head that the stretched Auror forces are of no consequence, and will get bold and do something just like this.

And much to his chagrin, these rare occurrences were becoming less rare with each passing day.

"Dispatch Turtle Reserve Squad 2!" He ordered "They will teach this brazen bun-"

He stopped upon seeing another origami plane flying in.

"Sir! There is a group of Oni approaching Osaka!"

"Dispatch Turtle Reserve Squad 4!" He ordered without hesitation, just as another Origami came flying.

"Sir! There are Spider Youkai pillaging at Yokohama!"

"…Dispatch Phoenix Squad 3!" He ordered after a pause "And bring me a status report on all our squads!"

As soon as he finished the order, another Origami came, then another, the another one, until few became a flock and then flocks.

And in one moment, he stood there not as a Head, but as a junior auror, looking in stupor as he, his colleagues and superiors were literally swamped in Origami planes as the first day of Blood Week began.

After that Week, the department Head at that time was forced to resign, and the next few had variable but generally short tenures as "they failed to solve current issues in a timely manner".

As "luck" would have it, the equally ever-changing shadow of the Diet finally realized that constantly shaking the Auror leadership in hopes of getting a miracle worker who would solve all their problems was idiotic. And so he had a dubious honor of being a first Department Head since Blood Week who lasted a minimum of a season.

And now years later, he found himself in a familiar situation, and got to work.

It was hours later that his second in command delivered the bad news:

"Sir, there are not enough of us to cover everything, and more and more attacks are just keep piling on. If the situation will continue to proceed as it is…"

Frankly, he actually expected this, but was hoping that he could resolve this with what they had on hand, but it seems drastic measures were needed to be taken.

"Convey this to all squads: if the local youkai are fighting against these criminals, assist them, and THEN leave them alone and hurry to other hot spots."

That got some looks. He didn't particularly cared for Youkai, and this would earn him some enemies, but there were too many spinning plates at the moment for biases.

"Furthermore, someone get me in contact with Kyoto, this concerns everyone and we need coordination."

THAT, nearly stopped everyone before they remembered that they got a crisis on their hands.

"But S-sir… we canno-" His XO tried to object.

"Cannot give any sort of legitimacy to these traitors?" He finished "I am afraid that at this point it… can't be helped. I will take all responsibility, now do it!"

Another few hours later, and to his small relief he found that the portion of origami planes that brought new troubles were becoming fewer and fewer. Still, they must remain on high alert, for all he knew they could be bombarded with a second wave of simultaneous crises.

On the another hand, now that the situation is getting calmer, he now couldn't really ignore the Diet "representatives" that stood silently in the corner. They arrived after he made his decisions about non-hostile Youkai and Kyoto, though thankfully they allowed him to do his job at this critical time.

But he can see himself writing a resignation already.

Then he noticed one of his underlings was terrified of the message he was holding.

"You!" He shouted, getting the reader's attention "What does it say!?"

"S-Sir! I-in the m-mountains there, t-there is a-a-" The man stuttered.

"Out with it!" He shouted.

"A Gashadokuro was sighted!"

For an instant, everyone in the room just stopped, some turned to stare at the man who blurted out the news, some were petrified at just hearing it and few others fainted.

And then chaos ensued.

Half an hour later, after panicked shouting matches, half-baked ideas thrown around and "Final Contingencies" nearly deployed, another Origami came with message that again stopped everyone in the tracks:

"The Gashadokuro was destroyed." He read the message in relieved disbelief, as the whole room started celebrating. He stopped that as they still need to put out the remaining fires, but the morale remained high.

Shame that the part of message he did not read aloud would probably sour that: Unconfirmed reports that at least a Kanmusu, an Abyssal, a Mizuchi along with a Muggle Plane doing impossible things, were involved.

And this whole youkai outbreak, was it someone's attempt at revolution, or merely a distraction?

Good thing it would be someone's else headache in a few hours.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Leaning back against Haruna's superstructure as the party continued, Juuchi took a forkful of her fruitcake. After taking a bite, she gave a small nod. "I have to say, it seems that my Lord is quite good at cooking and baking."
Only giving her a look, Honjo looked down at her own fruitcake with a slight frown. "I'm unsure about the fact that he is good at cooking with his station."

All Juuchi did was wave her off. "Most of the Potter family has either cooked or baked for themselves over the years. In fact..." Frowning, she tapped her fork against her plate before nodding. "I believe that Ian Potter's own father was good with baking and opened a bakery in Godric's Hollow."

That made the Masamune blink before she turned to the other sword with a raised eyebrow. "He opened a bakery? But from what I understood, the Potters were something of nobility among the British magicals?"

Snorting, Juuchi shook her head. "Pureblood families could be considered such, that's true enough. Some of them decided to give themselves nobility titles and the like." She rolled her eyes for a moment. "But the Potters like to buck expectations. While some of the other Purebloods sneered at Andrew Potter, the rest of the family supported him in his business which was pretty successful..." Frowning, the Muramasa tilted her head. "Hmm... maybe for my Lord's birthday I should see if I cannot leave him a note as to where the Potter recipe books might be?"

Eyebrow raised, Honjo eventually just shook her head and took a bite of her own fruitcake before humming. "I notice that you do not seem as... tense, Juuchi-San. May I ask why?"

After a few moments, her fellow blade raised a fork. "For a good reason actually, if anything was going to happen then it would most likely be during the ceremony itself. Now however? It is a low chance at least until the honeymoon."

Needless to say, Honjo slowly turned to her. "The... honeymoon? Why would the honeymoon be an issue?"

Gesturing at Haruna and Rose, who were dancing, Juuchi snorted. "Not for them, but for the members of the family left behind. Usually something will happen shortly after the wedding. Sometimes good, sometimes bad." Then Juuchi smirked. "But always interesting in the fun way."

Her eyes narrowing, Honjo frowned at her fellow blade. "For you or for anyone else?"

In reply, Juuchi just smirked. "In a word? Yes." At the eyebrow twitch from Honjo, her smirk grew just a touch as she finished off her fruitcake and stretched before patting her belly. "It has been a while since I last ate a fruitcake..." Walking towards the bar where she could see a giant wolf in a drinking contest, Juuchi hummed. "But a nice drink would go well right now..."

With a blink, Honjo rapidly finished her own cake before following Juuchi. After all, she did not trust the Muramasa and had to keep an eye on her. Especially as she had fought various Muramasa blades in her existence. And it had nothing to do with her wanting a drink... or two.

Of course not.

Meanwhile, on the way towards the bar the two sword spirits passed three Okami sisters. One of whom was in a wheelchair and was looking around in awe. Looking down at her younger sister, Moriko frowned. "You're not too cold, I hope? Because if so, we could head back early."

Looking up at her, Sachiko shook her head before waving both hands in the air. "Ah, no. I don't want to go home just yet... even if it is a bit chilly."

As Moriko grumbled a bit, Suzume walked over to one of Haruna's crew members and held a whispered conversation with him. Not long after, he gave a nod and then walked quickly off with a short bow. Seeing the confusion on her sisters' faces, Suzume smiled a bit. "Just asked if they can bring out a nice, clean blanket from the stores that we can use for Sachiko-Chan."

There was a small blush on said Okami's face before she gave a shy smile. "You didn't have to..."

Chuckling, Suzume shook her head before petting her sister on her head. "For you? I will always do what needs to be done." With a sigh, she stretched some and looked around. "So what do you think so far, Sachiko-Chan? Not often that we get invited to a wedding after all."

Hands in her lap after adjusting her shawl, Sachiko smiled up at her sister. "Wonderful. Its been everything that I always dreamed of and so beautiful." Smile turning wistful, she sighed. "I only wish that I might marry one day."
Only sharing a look, Moriko crouched down some. "Sachiko-Chan, trust me when I said that you will get married one day. Anyone would need to be completely mad not to be interested in you. Heck, and I am sure that Suzume agrees with me, you're a beautiful young wolfess."

Due to her sister crouching, Sachiko looked to the side and raised an eyebrow at what was head height to her. "Um..."

Following her gaze, Moriko looked down at her bust that was only somewhat contained by her dress. In fact, there were very few shipgirls at the wedding that she saw who could compare, one of whom was actually Atago. Eyebrow raising, she poked her sister in the side. "As if you have anything to complain about there. Give it some time and I am sure that you'll be just as... well, gifted is the best way to put it."

Just facepalming, Suzume ignored the raging blush on Sachiko's face in favor of giving her twin a glare. "Really, Moriko-Chan? I mean, really?"

Utterly unrepentant, the former fighter just shrugged which did interesting things to her bust. It also had the effect that a JMSDF sailor nearby nearly tripped at the sight. "What? It's true enough you know. Not like we haven't seen each other naked after all. A sisterly bust sized check she does not need."

Now covering her face, Sachiko mumbled a bit. "Onee-San..."

Giving her sister a look, Suzume turned to the youngest and gave a small smile. "So you've been enjoying it so far?" At the nod, she continued. "Good to hear actually. Any parts in particular that you enjoyed?"

A thoughtful look on her face, the sickly Okami looked out at the dancefloor. From breaks in the crowd, she could see Kogamaru not far off. Her heart beat a bit faster at the image of the two of them dancing across the dance floor before she dismissed it. Surely he would not be interested in someone like her. After all, she was not from a highly ranked family and neither was she all that impressive in her mind. Still... a girl could dream... "I like the music."

Eyebrow raised, Moriko raised an eyebrow and then nodded. "The music is pretty nice though. Both the more modern stuff and the older." Suddenly, she leaned in and grinned. "Probably seeing Kogamaru here as well, right?" When her sister blushed, the former fighter gave a nod and straightened. "Myself? Got to love some of the drinks here. Not to mention that roast beef. Now there was a real treat."

Slowly, both her sisters nodded even as they licked their lips since it was pretty good roast beef.

It was not long after when Taichi's band took a break and said Kitsune walked off the stage with a sigh. For a gig, this was the best thing that could have happened to them. The whole band was getting exactly the amount of exposure that he was looking for and had overheard some conversations regarding their band with Naka from a previous break which made him want to pump his fist in victory. But he held back... barely.

Now though he was leaning against the railing on deck while sipping his drink. "I needed this."

Out of nowhere, a voice he was rather familiar with spoke up and made him blink. "Hai, I would suppose so." Turning, he sputtered some at seeing Kaga in the blue dress that she was wearing. Meanwhile, the Carrier continued speaking. "Especially with the amount that you have been singing."

Mouth moving but no sound coming out as he looked Kaga up and down, a giggle made him turn and Taichi's mind shut down all over again. Mainly because on his other side was Akagi in a red dress similar to Kaga's. Both went down to their lower legs except for a slit that showed their legs on the opposite side of each others'. Other differences was that Akagi's was strapless while Kaga's had two thin straps on it. A twinkle in her eye, Akagi hummed some. "Are you trying to catch flies, Taichi-Kun?"

Knowing that he was blushing, Taichi tried to look away, only to find his gaze instead on Kaga who crossed her arms some. There was just a slight hint of a smirk on the Battleship turned Carrier's face. "Perhaps he is, Akagi-San."

Finally, Taichi sighed and pinched his nose. "Do you two have to do that? I am pretty sure that Haha-ue is already thinking that we're boyfriend and girlfriend...s... or something."

Simply watching the crowd, Kaga tapped one finger on her arm. "Hmm, interesting." Ignoring Taichi blinking and giving her a confused look, she only smiled slightly. "Now, if I may give you and your band some congratulations on your hit."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Taichi shook his head. "Thanks, though really the others deserve a lot more of the credit. I mean, we just sang a cover of Ue o Muite Arukou while using traditional instruments for it."

With a giggle, Akagi wagged a finger at him. "One which has done very well on some charts according to Naka-San. Which includes an English version." Frowning, she tilted her head. "Though I wonder why Iowa called it 'Sukiyaki'..."

Hands behind his head as he relaxed some, Taichi snorted. "It has to do with the song when they started playing it on American and English radio. At the time, it was decided to call it 'Sukiyaki' because it was easier to say and that is one of the words that people associated with Japan." His tone turned dry and he shook his head. "It would be like someone in Japan deciding to call 'Fly me to the Moon' as 'Burger' because that is something associated with America and easier to say."

That caused Akagi to giggle some and shake her head. "That's actually hilarious though a bit sad too I guess."

Nodding, Taichi turned to Kaga and gave her a small smile. "By the way... thank you for what you did." At the confusion, he continued. "For helping myself and the band find a place to stay while here in Yokosuka. The place you suggested was both cheap and good."

Kaga gave a nod at that before chuckling. "Yes, I suppose that it would be. The inn is mostly where civilian sailors on the convoys stay when they come into Yokosuka. But they do have a good reputation though."

A cough then caught Taichi's attention and he turned to find Akagi take a deep breath before she let it out. "There is something that both Kaga-Chan and I need to address though." Much to Taichi's surprise, she bowed deeply to him. "As we told you, we are extremely sorry for days back in regards to... the messages we sent you."

Being reminded of said messages, Taichi felt his face heat up before he shook his head. "Neither of you need to be sorry about it! You were both drunk after all."

There was a frown on Kaga's face at that. "That is no excuse for our behavior, Taichi-Kun. If anything, that makes what we did even worse."

On Taichi's face was a grimace as he rubbed his neck. "Look, they didn't bother me too much and some of them were nice. And so I forgive you..." Realizing what he had said, he blushed some as both Carriers raised an eyebrow. "Um, that is..."

Looking at Kaga, Akagi held a silent conversation with her old friend. After a few moments, the other shipgirl nodded some and smiled, which brought one to Akagi's face. Before Taichi could do anything, the Red Castle grabbed his arm and held it close. "At the very least, you can add Chan to our names, right Kaga-Chan?"

When a stunned Taichi looked at her, Kaga gave a small nod. "Hai, you can." Then her lips curled upwards into a smile. "And perhaps we can even brush you while you are in fox form?"

As he glanced between them, Taichi gave a small nod. "Uh, sure?" Internally though, he was confused. 'Why does that feel less like a punishment for them then a bonus?'

Then his mind screeched to a halt as Kaga took his arm and held it close. "However, tonight maybe we should dance with you. That way you're not alone."

Not trusting his mouth, Taichi only nodded fairly rapidly.

 

[darthcourt10]

Shaithan

Have a short Omake

Tirpitz looked at the blueprints Wanko and Vindictive had laid out. "So, what exactly does that mean?" she wanted to know.

Vindictive grinned. "Well, feral abyssal destroyers are, for lack of a better word, moldable. Depending on how they are raised and treated, they may change considerably. At least if I understood Miss Wanko's briefings on Abyssal biology right," the old Repair ship laid out.

Wanko nodded. "This is ... true. Your destroyers ... are changing ..., imprinting themselves ... on you," she laid out.

"You can already see it in their tonnage," Vindictive continued. "Normal abyssal destroyers are around 2000 to 3500 tons. Yours are quite a bit heavier. Also wider and a bit longer than standard. I guess you never stopped feeding them cruiser rations," she continued, leading to a surprised frown on Tirpitz' face.

"I should have put them on smaller meals?" she asked quite confused.

Vindictive pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well, it's too late now, anyway, now they have changed to actually need these portions," she muttered.

"Doesn't help that you ran the little buggers across the Atlantic pretty much non-stop," Revina added from behind the startled battleship. "Powerleveling much?" she continued. "No, seriously, even in most abyssal fleets one will have downtime between sorties, you on the other hand kept them at sea from the day you picked them up, always escorting convoys, fighting others, all that stuff," the cheeky Abyssal continued.

Tirpitz shrugged. "I picked them up during my work shift," she explained. "Between Lent and early-mid September I generally don't work and make my holidays. I don't take days off the rest of the year in compensation," she added.

The other three beings in the room stared at Tirpitz. "All work and no play until summer doesn't make Tirpitz a dull girl?" Revina finally asked.

"No," Tirpitz gave back. "But what exactly does this have to do with the destroyers?" she wanted to know.

Revina affected the air of a wise storyteller. "You see, the little ones imprinted on you. To a far greater degree than would have happened if you treated them and yourself like normal people," she explained. "You stuffed them to the gills and made them work extremely hard while also ensuring that they stayed close to you. Though, this is also because they want to stay with their flagship," she continued. "Now, there have been other such cases, Aurora's very red destroyer comes to mind, but there the imprinting happened over years. Conversely, within less than half a year, you managed to get your DDs from thin even for DDs to strong, 8-gun touting 5100 ton "DDs"." Revina explained.

"Now, that isn't bad per se," Vindictive took up the ball. "It just had some effects on the little ones that couldn't have been foreseen. They changed to accomodate that schedule you keep. And when looking for a mold to fit into, they chose the nearest ship," she explained.

"And that means?" Tirpitz wanted to know.

"They patterned themselves on you," Vindictive explained.

Wanko nodded. "Look at ... these plans," she stated, showing off the blueprints. "Do they ... look familiar?" she wanted to know.

Tirpitz looked over the plans. 4 dual gun turrets, single large funnel, larger superstructure. When she looked up, Revina beamed at her. "Congratulations! It's five mini-mes!" she said exuberantly. "Though, wouldn't that be five mini-yous as they're patterned on you, not me?" she wondered, leading the other three inhabitants of the room to ponder if that was actually the case.

"Okay," she said cautiously. "What does follow from that, though?" she wanted to know.

Wanko rubbed her chin. "Sooner ... or later ... they are ... going to ... undergo ... an extensive ... rebuild," she explained. "I have ... left instructions ... to the ... repair ships ... as to what ... needs ... to be done," she added. "It will ... take days ... for the rebuild ... to be ... complete," she finished.

"If I understood everything right, this doesn't just mean getting more guns and such, their rebuild will basically see them grow out of their shell and taking a more humanoid form. That's also the reason the rebuild will take so long, their humanoid forms are currently forming, but them being fully operational will be a lot of work. We're quite sure that they will have rigging, and going by how much their forms patterned themselves after you, we put good odds on their riggings being similar to your own," Vindictive explained.

Tirpitz considered that, before paling. While there would be undoubtedly differences, the five little ones would most likely look very close to her. "Great. The 'Tirpitz is a destroyer. Her main armament are her torpedoes.' jokes are never going to end," she groused.

Revina patted her on the back. "Now, now, don't feel bad," she said consolingly. "No one could claim you're a destroyer," she added. "You're quite obviously a destroyer leader!" she finished.

Tirpitz glared at the rambunctious Re-class.

Wanko on the other hand brought her hand down on Revina's head. "I disapprove," she stated slowly.

Revina pouted.

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93

Here we go, this was quite a handful to finish. No joke, I actually made myself cry once or twice while writing this. I hope you guys like it.

Reconciliation

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The only sound to be heard in the bedchamber was the clacking of hooves as Regalia paced back and forth, deep in thought.

Technically speaking, this was her room. A quaint little chamber nested in a corner of the palace, furnished similarly to her mother's room. She actually didn't spend much time here; she spent most of her days mingling with her fleet or tending her fields, and she slept with the destroyers most of the time. But the room was still here for her to escape to, whether it was because she wanted to be alone, she wanted to simply relax, or so she could think. Currently, she arguably fell under all three categories.

Regalia considered her fleet. In a sense, they were her entire world; the list of every person she'd ever known in her short life began and ended with the inhabitants of this island. She'd never particularly minded that; they were her fleet, her family, and the occasions where nobody was free to just hang out with her were few and far between. But she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't occasionally imagine what people who lived beyond the island were like. And now, a group of Abyssals, friendly Abyssals, were coming to the island.

She should have been thrilled. This was an opportunity to bond with her extended family, learn a little about the outside world. But then she looked in the mirror, saw the deformed girl—the defunct battlecarrier—staring back at her, and her fear took over.

Her mother had spoken of her estranged relatives in the past. They were a far cry from the ragtag group of scouts and survivors that was her mother's fleet—no, they were a true task force, a battle-tested fleet that had been sailing together long before their Princess's death set them adrift. Not content to isolate themselves on an island, the fleet instead roamed the seas, hunting sea creatures for food and cutting down whatever Abyssals crossed their path. While supposedly just as kind as their sedentary sisters, their way of life meant that they were a group that would not, could not, suffer weakness or waste.

And what was she, but a prime example of both? A ruined warship, unfit for the very role she was designed to serve; the result of a failed attempt by her Princess to bolster a fleet that, by and large, just spent its days loitering on an island in the middle of the ocean.

Ruadri had been the first, and easily the most severe reaction to her, but she was not the last. Her fleet had been less than thrilled by what her mother had invested in her creation, but they were nonetheless eager to meet their niece, the first capital ship of a new generation. To be met with her…? Her mother made it clear from day one that Regalia was off-limits, that she was not to blame for her own disfigurement. But that did not stop her fellow Abyssals from looking on her with discomfort, disappointment, disdain. She would never have to fear attack from them, but their glares, their unspoken criticisms pierced just as deeply, burned just as hotly as any shell or bomb ever could.

Regalia was torn from her thoughts by the door creaking open. She turned to see her mother standing in the doorway. "H-hey, Mom…" Regalia greeted her weakly.

"I was… warned by Ruadri that… you seemed distressed." The Princess stepped further into the room. "Is something wrong?"

Regalia briefly considered answering that nothing was wrong, that she simply felt unwell, but she couldn't bring herself to lie to her mother. She nodded. "…I'm scared."

"Of my sisters?" the Princess asked. Regalia nodded again. With a soft sigh, the Princess took a seat at the edge of the bed, patting the mattress next to her in invitation. Regalia opened her mouth to protest, but looking to her mother's concerned expression, her resolve broke. Quietly, she took her spot on the bed next to her mother. "Why?" the Princess asked.

Regalia was hesitant to respond. "…It's just… I've known so few people in my life. And for every one of them, I've had to fight from the very beginning to win their friendship, their kindness and trust. Not even wholly because of my defect—I just wasn't what they were hoping for. They wanted a big, strong, brave battleship that, if they were forced to fight, they could trust to lead them into battle and out the other side intact. Instead, they got a screwed-up Re-class that fell on the wrong end of the personality bell-curve.

"But these new Abyssals… they're actual soldiers. Constantly out on the seas. Trained to fight, and kill, trained with the expectation to pull their own weight. What will they see when they look at me? A broken battleship, incapable of defending herself, let alone others? A waste of time and materials, only kept around out of pity?"

Regalia hugged herself tightly. "You made your fleet promise not to lash out at me, to accept that I wasn't the one to blame for what I was. And they listened, because you're their Princess. But the others won't just bow down to you. If they decide they don't like me, what's going to stop them coming after me? Would you and the fleet be willing to fight your own sisters… just to defend me?"

The Princess shook her head. "I will not… claim to know… the minds of my sisters… or how they will… perceive you. But… you have nothing… to fear from them. They are above… petty violence."

"Yeah? They don't need to be violent to still hurt me." Regalia looked to her mother with a pained expression. "Mom, you were born normal. You grew up with a big, happy family that didn't need to be convinced to put up with you. But me? For those first few weeks, you were the ONLY one who could look at me, talk to me, speak about me without some sort of bitterness. You have no idea what it feels like to have literally everyone you've ever known look down on you."

The Re-class leaned into her mother's side, sniffling. "It hurts. It makes you feel small, useless. It's a pain too deep to repair. And it never went away. You were the only thing that brought me any sort of comfort, any relief. It's why I always asked to come to bed with you; it was the only way I could sleep at night… And even then, the pain would still be there when I woke up.

"I thought it would never end, that this was all I could expect in life… but then there was a light. For the first time, one of my aunts looked at me and smiled, ACTUALLY SMILED, and asked me how I was doing. It was practically the happiest day of my life—to see that someone could finally look at me and see a comrade instead of a mistake or a failure or a freak. It started hurting a little less after that. It got better as the rest of the fleet warmed up to me, started being nice to me as well. I could finally go through a day without asking myself if anyone would notice if I vanished for a few hours. I could finally be happy along with my fleet, my family."

Regalia shuddered, her voice getting weaker, shakier. "But… but the pain is still there. I c-can feel it. Waiting for the next per… person to c-come along and… a-and…" The Princess wrapped her arms around her daughter as she broke down in tears. "I-I… I don't w-want it to hurt again… I don't wanna b-be hated anymore… Please, make th-them go away, m-mommy, I don't want them to h-hate me!"

The Princess sat in silence for the next few minutes, gently stroking her daughter's hair as she coughed and cried into her chest, ignoring the bloody tears being rubbed off on her body. Thinking of what her daughter had said to her. She waited for the crying to subside into sniffling, and the sniffling into whimpers, before speaking. "Do you feel… better, now?"

"…a little," Regalia mumbled into her chest.

The pair continued to sit quietly for a time; the Princess simply holding her daughter, as she fought not to break down again. Finally, the Princess spoke. "You're right. I do not know… the pain of being shunned. I doubt… I ever will. But you know…" She looked down at her daughter. "I have felt… a pain so much worse: losing my family. Yes, I was normal… and my sisters were always… kind to me. But that made their deaths… hurt even more. Each and every one of them. Hundreds of times over. And Mother…"

The Princess sighed. "We all live… with some sort of pain. Be it physical… or heart-felt. But you cannot… let it dominate you. If we had succumbed… to our grief… in the wake of Mother's loss… let ourselves be consumed by anger… we would be little better than her murderers." She shook her head. "We all carry… Mother's love in our hearts. We do not hate… only the unloved hate."

"…But…" Regalia protested weakly. "But the others…"

"They do NOT hate you," the Princess insisted. "They have never… hated you. If anything… they cared for you… even more deeply. You were young… frail… not right. They wanted so badly… to help you live… a happy, normal life. Their bitterness, their negativity… came from realizing… how powerless they were… in the face of your defect. They were not disappointed in you… they were disappointed in themselves. Once they came to terms… with their helplessness… they settled for being… the best family they could be for you. Do you understand?"

Regalia went still in her arms. She took a deep breath, exhaling shakily. Finally, she nodded. "Okay, mom."

Satisfied, the Princess herself took a deep breath, letting her stress dissipate. "Why didn't you… tell me about this… if it caused you… so much anguish?"

"…what could you have done about it?" Regalia looked up to her mother with bloodshot eyes. "It's not like you could just… order everyone to cheer up and be nice to me."

"…No. I could not." The Princess admitted. "But… I could have been there… to comfort you. To hold you… as I do now. To remind you that… you are not completely alone." She squeezed her daughter a little tighter, and felt her spirits lift as a pair of arms wrapped around her in turn. "To have not… seen your pain myself… is my failure."

"Well… you do have a whole fleet to look after," Regalia noted quietly. "I can't exactly monopolize you, can I?"

The Princess chuckled. "No, I suppose not."

The two remained in their mutual embrace for a short while longer before separating. Regalia looked up to her mother, her grief not entirely gone, but significantly lessened. "Do you really think your sisters will be willing to give me a chance?"

The Princess shrugged. "There is only… one way to know… for sure, isn't there…?" She turned towards the door.

Regalia followed her mother's gaze—and froze. Because standing in the doorway was the biggest battleship she had ever seen.

Although the Princess surpassed her in raw spiritual might, the newcomer was half again her length and nearly triple her displacement. Her entire hull bristled with anti-air emplacements and secondary batteries, and while her four triple-gun turrets sat motionless in their mountings, at ease in the hospitable environment, their sheer size made them no less impressive.

The battleship was just as imposing on the physical spectrum. Standing taller than anyone else in the room, a single black-tipped horn jutted from her left temple, disrupting the symmetry of an otherwise flawless face, divided by two intersecting locks of silky black hair. A monstrous spiked collar extended from her chin to her breastbone, enveloping her neck and shoulders. She wore a strapless ebony dress that parted in blood-red frills over her right hip, beneath which a set of black stockings rose to her mid-thighs, adorned at the ankles with enormous spiked cuffs.

But her most striking feature was her eyes. They were more akin to orbs of fire; a pair of solid blood-red eyes that glowed with a mysterious power, power so intense that it bled from her sockets in smoky crimson wisps. Truly, the eyes of a Demon.

And yet, despite that extraordinary power, the only thing Regalia could see in those eyes as they gazed upon her was sadness.

And then she spoke. "So…" the Demon began, her voice deep and sultry, but with a somber note to it. "This is Regalia."

The Princess nodded. She looked to her daughter. "Regalia. This is… the Battleship Water Demon. My sister." She looked back to the Demon. "I take it… you heard much of that?"

"…I heard enough." The Demon walked forward, coming to a stop in front of the pair sitting on the bed—specifically, Regalia. To the Re-class's surprise, the towering woman kneeled down, lowering herself to eye-level with her. "Hey, kid. Sounds like you've got some baggage." Noting the juvenile retreating under her mother's arm, the Demon smiled gently. "It's okay, I won't bite. Honest."

Regalia stared at the newcomer in a mix of confusion and anxiousness. "…Really?"

The Demon nodded. "Yeah. I don't have the teeth for it anyways…" her smile grew into a crooked grin. "…not like you."

An awkward silence hung in the air following the newcomer's quip—before being broken by the soft chuckle of a Re-class battleship. Regalia grinned weakly, baring her shark-like teeth. "Yeah, I guess my teeth are kinda impressive."

"No kidding. You've got a pretty sharp smile for a kid your age."

Regalia giggled, her grin spreading. "Don't be such… a kiss-ass," The Princess protested with a deadpan expression.

The Demon shrugged. "Hey, better me than her; she'd probably tear a chunk out of my ass if she tried."

And thus, the dam broke. With a snort, Regalia collapsed in a fit of laughter, falling back on the bed and clutching her sides. "There we go!" The demon exclaimed proudly as the laughing continued. "There's a happy girl!"

"…You're an idiot." The Princess noted dryly, smirking as she looked between the jokester Demon and her daughter, who finally seemed to be in a good mood.

"And my fleet loves me for it." The Demon countered as she stood up and stepped back, hands on her hips. "When you spend as much time on the sea as we do, somebody needs to be willing to play the fool for the sake of everybody's sanity."

On the bed, Regalia's laughing eventually subsided. She rolled over and sat up, wiping tears from her eyes. "R-really?" She asked, wheezing.

"Yep. You'd be surprised just how easy it is to get bored at sea." The Demon cocked her head, smile fading. "…Your mom's right, you know."

"About what…?" Regalia asked, pausing as the Princess reached into her cargo hold, producing a rag and a canteen of water, and started wiping the bloody smears off her daughter's face. The Re-class, to her credit, did not shy away from it.

"A lot." The Demon folded her arms. "Even if you're defective, you're still family. We can't afford to throw away what little family we have left in this world; we've lost too much as it is."

Regalia's gaze fell to her lap. "Yeah… I guess that's true."

"I can't honestly say that I would have made the same choices as your mother, given the circumstances. But, in the end, they were her choices to make, not mine. If she chose to give you a shot at living a peaceful and happy life, who am I to argue?" The Demon cocked her head. "Also… if you can look past the hump, you're still quite pretty."

"Huh? Oh…" Regalia blushed lightly. "Thanks, I guess… Miss, uh…"

"Call me Sunny."

"Uh, okay… Aunt Sunny… thank you," Regalia looked up to the Demon, expression hopeful. "Does this mean you're okay with me?"

The Demon nodded. "Yes. You have my word that neither me nor my fleet will hold your defect against you." She swung her arms open in invitation. "Bring it in?"

Unsure, Regalia looked to her mother, who had just finished cleaning herself off. She nodded towards Sunny as she stood up and stepped aside. "Go on. It will be… alright."

Satisfied with her mother's blessing, Regalia rose from the bed. She nervously took a couple steps forward before Sunny closed the rest of the distance and wrapped her in a hug. "You're a sweet girl, Regalia," she said gently. "You may be flawed on the outside, but your heart is just as beautiful as it should be. You just need to find a way to make everyone notice that part of you, and I'm sure you'll be okay." Releasing Regalia, she smirked. "Also, you're nowhere near as high-strung as Revina, which is a plus in my book."

"Revina?"

Sunny waved her hand dismissively. "Another Re-class I knew back when I was a regular battleship. I'll tell you about her sometime. Right now, though…" She looked to the Princess, who stood in the doorway expectantly. "I'm sure my girls are eager to meet their new niece. Let's not keep them waiting any longer, eh?"

Regalia gazed at the floor briefly, before looking up to Sunny with a smile and nodding. "Yeah. That… sounds nice."

Regalia tentatively took Sunny's outstretched hand, and together they walked out of the room. Tanith stayed behind long enough to close the door behind them, before joining her sister and her daughter as they made their way towards the village—and the family waiting for them.