Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VI

Hachiko smiled at Aki as his younger brother wolfed down the rice and miso for breakfast. "Aki-chan?"

"What is it, Tou-san?" The young Inugami child asked as he neatly placed his bowl in the sink to be washed.

The Hanyo adjusted his glasses as he began to scrub their bowls. "I asked Akira-kun to help take you to Tokunotakai-sensei's kyudo class after school. I will be busy then, so will pick you up at eight and we can ride the train home then. I'll even stop so we can get some ice cream or a snack. So I fixed you two bentos, with the second one for dinner."

"Oh, your job, Tou-san? I wish it didn't take so much time that you could spend with me," Aki's ears and tail drooped. Hachiko knelt and scratched Aki behind his ears."

Hachiko closed his eyes and whispered. "Me too, Aki-chan, me too. But I have to do it for your sake." He hugged his brother then packed both bentos away. "The one with the blue kerchief is for lunch and the green is for dinner. Now, let's hide your ears and tail and then head to school, Ok?"

"Ok, Tou-san!"

As he packed away the other two bentos for himself, Hachiko sighed. He was not sure how he would tell the nomaj girl who was interested in him that he was part Inugami and his mother's family were mages.

How can I tell her the truth?

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

Moriko surveyed her outfit. After lengthy and agonizing consideration, she had decided to 'go casual' with blue jeans, and a black T-shirt showing three wolves howling at the moon.
Spoiler: Moriko's shirt


She gave a silent giggle at the secret message in the shirt. Not that Hachiko-kun had any idea that she and her sisters were Okami Wolf Yokai, much less Natural-Born Shipgirls.

How can I tell him the truth?

She shrugged and grabbed her purse and keys. She would figure something out, she was sure.

"Ja ne! I'll be home later tonight and be eating out so no need to cook for me, Suzume-chan!"

Her twin slyly giggled from where she was putting their bowls and plates up as Sachiko washed them, "Don't break Hachiko-kun's pelvis this early in, Moriko-chan! Let the poor boy up for oxygen before then for his sake!"

"SU-ZU-ME!!" Moriko snarled as she turned red as a tomato. "I'm not like that!!"

"Hai, but Prince Charming will be upset if you are late for your date." Suzume grinned, "Anyway, I should go soon too, Soryuu-sensei has some special training for me planned."

"OH SHIT! I'll be late!" Moriko dashed off to the sounds of her sisters' laughter

------------------------------
Spoiler: Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It...

The Day Before

"Suzume-chan. As a carrier, you must learn the arts of deception and concealment. Remaining hidden while keeping eyes on the enemy until the time comes to hit her with a surprise airstrike."

"Hai Soryuu-sensei. Just like at Midway."

"Exactly. Therefore when your sister goes on her date, you are to shadow her, relay reconnaissance data as you remain in strike range of her, but do not be sighted by her. I shall observe your observations via top cover from my Reppu and relay suggestions through Shigure, who has volunteered to act as your plane guard. Are there any questions?"

"In other words, you want me to snoop on big sister's date, get candid blackmail photos to post on SGO to satisfy the demand of the forum netizens, and if I am caught you will disavow all knowledge of this operation to embarrass Big Sis. Oh and Shigure is along to satisfy her romantic side"

"...that too."

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

Moriko glanced around as she reached the main gate, then checked her watch.

11:23

She was early, thankfully. She then leaned against the lamp pole, and folded her arms underneath her significant fuel tanks to survey the crowd.

Behind her, her twin sister ducked out of sight. The dark-haired girl beside her wearing a white shirt, black coat, and plaid skirt watched with some amusement. "I'll notify you when she maneuvers, Suzume"
Spoiler: The Lucky Escort Ship


"Thank you, Shigure."

Shigure grinned as her target locked on her fire control on a short slender young man with thick glasses dressed nicely but plainly in a slightly threadbare white button-up shirt and black pants. "She's moving now."

As Suzume nodded and stood up, the Tin Can Mafia radio channel got a transmission. "Operation Insulin Delivery sortieing in pursuit of target!"

---------------------------------
Spoiler: The First Date

"Hachiko-kun!" Moriko hurried over, an invisible tail wagging behind her as she grasped his arm. "You came!"

"Hello too, Moriko-sama." Hachiko spoke with a happy smile on his face at the shock of electricity that ran through them both. "I made handmade bentos for us both to eat for lunch."

"Oh wow, you can cook! I knew that you were providing for your little brother but..." Moriko's mental ears perked up at the news as she spoke happily.

Hachiko grimaced, "Mother... died... when I was in school so I had to learn for Aki's sake. I wound up taking HomeEc classes with the girls so I could take care of him."

Moriko froze and then hugged Hachiko to her chest at the stricken look in his eyes. With an eeep, Hachiko's face vanished into marshmallow hell.

Behind them, a red-faced future Ibuki-class CVL coughed suspiciously as several high-quality blackmail pictures of her sister cutting off her boyfriend's oxygen with her chest were taken.

Hachiko emerged from the embrace red-faced, spluttering, and with a bit of a giddy smile. Wow, maybe being short isn't so bad....

He looked up through his crooked glasses at the sad smile Moriko gave him as she spoke gently. "I'm sorry. My parents are absent too. It hurts a lot. No one should have to deal with that pain." She took a deep breath and gently straightened his crooked glasses. "I'm sure that they are proud of you. Prouder than mine are of me, I... had to do things I am not proud of to provide for my sisters."

To her surprise, Hachiko stepped in and carefully turning his face so he did not get it wedged into her bosom again, he gave her a hug. "You did what you could for them. Because you love them."

Behind them, more blackmail pictures were taken as Moriko's face flushed as she returned the hug.

"Hachiko-kun. I," The she-wolf took a deep breath and clenched a scarred and battered fist as her eyes drooped, "I fought people for money, because we needed it for my baby sister."

He reached for her hand and gently took it in his, uncurling her fist with his so he could lace her fingers in his. "You did it for Sachiko and Suzume. I can't say that is wrong, Moriko-sama. I just wish that I was strong enough to provide for Aki like you have for your sisters."

With that she steered down the street with the young man dragged along in her wake with a happy smile on both faces. "You look nice in that outfit." Very Shinji Ikari schoolboy-esque. Moriko added to herself.

Hachiko blushed and mumbled, "It's my old schoolboy uniform. It's all I had that was nice enough to look good next to you. I...don't go out much."

Moriko squeezed his hand and he looked at her, blinking through his glasses. "It suits, and I always wanted a schoolgirl romance." She giggled, "So this is a dream come true."

Then as she turned to the stores that they were passing, she got a lupine grin on her face. "Hachiko-kun?"

"Yes?" Hachiko spoke, blushing at the cute smile on her face.

Moriko pointed to a store with imported coats. "C'mon, I think you would look cute in one of those. I'll get you it, Ok? You and Aki both deserve something nice!"

"Umm, those look awefully expensi-"

"Don't worry about it! It'll be my treat, just leave it to me!"

"B-but I c-can't Moriko-sama. This... This is very generous of you, but I cannot accept. It would be wrong!"

"Don't be so shy, it's fine! I figure you don't make all that much, so I'll take care of-"

"No." Hachiko said. He did not raise his voice, he was perfectly calm and civil. But the steel in his tone, and the gleam in his eye, was more than enough that this was his final warning. And for a split second, Moriko felt like a little girl, facing the wrath of the Headman Okami in the village she grew up in.

"I apologize if I seem rude Moriko. But while it is true that I do not make much in my part time jobs, it is still mine, earned by my own work. And as much as I like you, I will not stand to be looked down on. No matter whomever it may be by. Am I understood?"

Moriko's tail and ears invisibly drooped. He was right. He refused to take unearned charity because it would demean what he did for his brother. How many times had she and Suzume been belittled by backhanded pity-charity? How many times had she sworn to herself to never be so disrespectful to anyone like that? And here she was, betraying that promise, to a boy- no, a man, that was so much like her, in soul if not truly in circumstance...

"I'm sorry. I was thoughtless. I'm... not that good at romance. I think with my fists and my heart too much and my brain not at all. I should have known that you are like me, you will only take a hand up begrudgingly and never a hand out. Because you gain worth only because it is what you fight for." Moriko spoke quietly. "Can... Can you forgive me?"

"I know, and I wouldn't mind something like that, but... not at Aki's expense or my honor." He squeezes her hand gently. "I forgive you."

With that she cast around for something to change the subject and saw a sign for a local park. "Let's head to Taura Plum Blossom Park for a picnic! We can eat those bentos you fixed for us and watch the ships in the harbor."

"Let's!" Hachiko smiled shyly and squeezed Moriko's hand as they headed for the park overlooking the harbor.

 

Spectral Waltz

Would you believe I'd planned for this to be four parts?

Well... Turns out I was wrong, and the cute gay swords are going to continue being cute and gay for at least one more snippet after this one.

At least the spar happens in this one...
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Dove and Shrine Maiden - A Union of Bread and Butter Part IV

Lunch is taken in companionable silence but as the afternoon wears on and the rain shows no signs of letting up Colombe and Tokunotakai find themselves growing restless. The shrine buildings lack somewhat for modern pastimes but while the practice yard is rained out, the dojo has room for them to spar so long as they don’t go overboard.

On a day like today ‘not going overboard’ suits Colombe just fine, but Tokunotakai surprises her by poking through the weighted wooden training weapons in the racks on the walls. “Can we not simply charm our edges blunt as usual?” Colombe asks curiously as her partner weighs a Shinai in hand and, seemingly finding it satisfactory, tosses it towards her. The Rapier manages to avoid an undignified yelp of surprise, but does not manage to keep from nearly fumbling the training weapon out of shock, drawing laughter from Tokunotakai to which she responds with an aggrieved look.

Turning away, Colombe tests the weight of the blade, finding it well-balanced for a Katana, though her familiarity with the Japanese swords is limited to fighting against them rather than wielding one herself. Looking back, she sees Tokunotakai take another similar practice blade and her brow furrows. “You want me to learn this?”

“Of course~” Toku replies cheerfully, though she can’t help but notice the tsukomogami’s cheeks are faintly pink. “I’ll not let you eh… wield me without proper instruction first after all.” Colombe’s brow furrows further. Wield her? That’s…

Oh…

“N-not for a while yet of course!” Tokunotakai quickly clarifies, but the thought is well and firmly planted. “A-and you’ll need to teach me how to fight with a rapier as well! It’s only fair after all.” The japanese sword spirit’s face has gone nuclear and Colombe is pretty sure she’s done the same, the thought is undeniably appealing yet frighteningly intense to imagine. Sparring with Lyra that once, letting the other woman wield her back then had been exhilarating on every level, yet there was something both dangerous and appealing at the thought of doing the same with Tokunotakai, of knowing that perhaps her sparring partner was feeling the same things…

But not right now, no, not right now, it would be too much, too fast, they’ve only really known each other for a year or so, but starting to learn… Would that really be too much on it’s own? Tokunotakai -she realizes- is watching her with equal parts anticipation and apprehension, face smooth, yet her eyes revealing both hopes and fears in equal measures.

It is the fear that makes the choice for her in the end, knowing that this is not simply a matter of Toku moving too far too fast, but a matter of wanting to build up to something. “Oui,” Colombe finally agrees, raising the practice weapon slowly, a sly smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “So I should call you Toku-Sensei while we’re in here?”

Toku nods, “Hai, that would be correct.” Her blush subsides as she finds her footing in the familiar pattern of instruction of a student in the dojo.

Colombe’s smile grows and becomes more smug with her next words. “Alas, I shall have to beg Toku-Sensei’s forgiveness at my unpreparedness, for I left my practice rapiers back home in the salle d’armes at the castle. My lesson for her shall have to wait until she visits.”

Toku’s blush returns briefly, then Masamune visibly steels herself as she steps to Colombe and adjusts the Muramasa’s posture, using the familiar routine of teaching a novice kendoka chudan position to center herself. “I see that I shall have to m-make arrangements to t-travel then.” Toku speaks in a hushed, gentle voice. “It is something that I have thought of often, but,” The Masamune, satisfied with Colombe’s stance, walks to face her, “I have not had the courage to place my own desires and wants above my duties here.”

The rapier’s eyes meet the katana’s, sparkling crystal blue staring into shadowed blue-green. Colombe says quietly, “Non, Toku-Sensei. Standing to your duties despite all else in the universe but your will wishing such matters to be otherwise. That is true courage. Duties and responsibilities can never be shirked, and only death removes them from us truly, but they can be adjusted to modify the load that we carry. You now have a duty to teach me, as I have a duty to learn from you. And I shall also have to pick up the duty, and joy, of passing down my knowledge to a pupil.”

The shadow in Toku’s eyes vanishes, as her eyes are filled with understanding. “Hai. The first fundamental strike is Men. We stand in chudan, and I shall demonstrate the three steps of Sankyodo Shomen uchi for you as I issue the commands for each step.”

“Sankyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!” Toku’s arms raised as she brought her shinai horizontally behind her head and took a step forward with her right foot.

“Ni!” The shinai flashed down to end with the point at her eye level in a smooth arc.

“San!” Toku smoothly stepped back into chudan as her hands lowered to her waist with her sword point at her throat level.

Toku then spoke again. “To focus her spirit and will, as she performs ‘Ni’ the kendoka shall channel her spirit into her kiai shout of ‘Men!’ as I demonstrate with Men in one step.”

“Ikkyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!” Toku’s arms raised and she stepped forward. Colombe sensed the Masamune’s fierce spirit coiling like a striking cobra as she began her strike. Then as the blade swung down, the energies of Toku’s spirit shot down the wood as Toku shouted “Men!”. Like lightning, the spiritual energies returned to Toku’s body as she smoothly stepped back into chudan.

Toku then looked into the eyes of the fascinated rapier as her hands automatically performed the motions to clean the blood off a katana before sheathing her shinai at her hip. “Are there questions? Do you need another demonstration of Men?”

Colombe spoke softly. “No, Toku-Sensei.”

Toku gave a smile that never reached her lips. “Very well then. Upon my command you shall perform Sankyodo Shomen uchi as I call the strikes. You shall continue until I give the command of ‘Yame’ at which point in time remain in chudan.”

“Understood, Toku-Sensei.” Colombe’s grip on her shinai tightened.

“Sankyodo Shomen uchi, Hajime! Ichi!”

Toku’s focus sharpened as Colombe stepped forward and her arms raised her practice blade, looking not only at Colombe’s posture and balance, but also the spirit of the Muramasa rapier as she circled her student.

“Ni!” The blade flashed down two inches too far as Colombe expelled the tension in her frame with her kiai of ‘Men!’, a trickle of her spiritual energies filling her blade as she did so.

Behind her impassive face and measuring eyes, Tokunotakai nodded in satisfaction at her evaluation. It was almost adequate, especially for a beginner’s first step along the Way of the Sword. She could forge something worthy of her steel with this student.

“San!” Colombe stepped back into chudan smoothly.

Unsurprising, Toku mused, considering how precise Colombe’s footwork and blade position was when they sparred with their steel. Some corrections for her would be needed, of course, but the bare bones of a strong foundation to build this kendoka up were available for Toku at first viewing and evaluation.

“Ichi!” Toku barked out the command to begin again as she prepared herself to issue the needed corrections and adjustments for Colombe to master Men.

=======

“Hah…” Colombe’s breath comes in ragged gasps as she finally lets the point of herself fall to one side, sweat shining on her skin as she nods sharply, holding posture as she salutes and then finally, finally letting herself relax. After nearly two hours of instruction, Tokunotakai had declared the lesson sufficient and they’d moved on to sparring. With the rain still pouring down outside they’d decided to forgo spellcasting and mixed arts for a duel of pure physical skill, blade against blade. They’d dulled their true selves with a temporary spell and flung open the doors to let the cool air in and fought to the pounding beat of the storm without.

It was dangerous, reckless even, both blades going all out -or at least as much as they could without bringing magic to bear- against each other, yet each deflection was like a caress, each clash a forceful kiss. Despite the remove at which their avatars found themselves, the lengths of their blades separating them from each other, their true selves met again and again. It was heady, exhilarating, easy to lose one’s mind in the heat of blurring steel and pounding hearts.

Until is was all over, and all that was left was the rain slackening to a gentle hiss and the harsh breathing of the two blades.

Colombe’s stomach growled plaintively, and Tokunotakai stifled a giggle as they glanced at the clock. It was past dinner now, and then after…

After…

Leaving Tokunotakai’s shrine had always been a little bittersweet, but as much as the thought of going home made her happy knowing she would see the rest of her family again, the thought of leaving here made her heart ache slightly. Not getting to see Tokunotakai for a week or more? Colombe wanted to slap herself for acting like such a maiden but as seemed more and more often the case of late, her heart hardly listened to the mind that was telling her she was far too old to be feeling this way.

The idea of a Home that did not include the Masamune blade seemed suddenly just that slight bit less inviting.

The hand on her shoulder pulled Colombe from the morose introspection and Tokunotakai, Toku-chan’s face loomed close. “What’s wrong Co-chan?”

Colombe bit the inside of her lip, took a deep breath, inhale, exhale…

“...I don’t want to leave… But… I can’t just stay here forever. Fu-... Bleh...” She reached up and palmed her face. “I should be better than this, you’d swear I never had a lover before.”

“And how long ago was that?”

It takes a moment for Colombe to think it through, how easy it can be to lose track of time when one has so much of it. For that matter Tokunotakai’s proximity does nothing to help with her clarity. “Sixty years… Mmp?” Whatever else she was about to say is cut off physically by a kiss, and subsequently forgotten as the contact holds for seconds? Minutes? Counting is a task somewhat beyond her, when all she wants to do is pull Tokunotakai closer, to feel more.

“Six. Decades.” Tokunotakai murmurs as she pulls back. “Don’t be sorry.” The second kiss comes less unexpectedly, though it is no less intoxicating. “If anything it’s… Flattering.” She smiles shyly as she pulls back. “But you and I are well acquainted with the unfortunate demands of duty.”

Colombe blinks, something about that line tugs at her memories. Lyra..? Something familiar in the more aggressive posture, though not in the nervousness still lurking in her eyes. Not nerves enough to hold her back as she kissed Colombe a third time, but nerves enough to be easily visible, nerves that were out of place in the faint tableau of distant memory. Sixty Years…

Finally, somewhere between the fourth and fifth meetings of their lips, Colombe musters the wherewithal to push back a little, not pushing entirely away, but holding her back just slightly, giving a moment of respite from the intoxicating touches. To breathe in the smell of the rain outside and close out the temptations of the Shrine Maiden looking up at her. “I shall still need to go back to Moulbaix at some point.”

“It is still raining quite heavily…” Tokunotakai counterpoints, thunder rumbling in the distance as though to punctuate her words.

“And you and I are both still hungry.”

“Wouldn’t you prefer to… T-to…” Toku’s best flirtatious smile fades as her flush goes from ‘aroused’ all the way to ‘mortified’ within a span of seconds, losing her nerve at the very tail end of the line, and Colombe knows it is a line. Finally things come together in her mind to paint a picture that makes sense of the scene before her.

Colombe’s lips twitch up in a triumphantly smug smile and she gently lays a finger on Toku’s lips to silence the Masamune’s budding panic. “I confess that Lady Chastity’s Thrilling Adventure #6 is one of my favorites in the series. I do think that Lyra was a little melodramatic when she named that story from India in 1767 ‘Lady Chastity and the Women of the Waterfall’, though. If you want, I will tell you about the real story of that trip and my experiences.”

Tokunotakai’s blush goes nuclear at that point, she’d known ever since she’d been present for Tsukiakari and Colombe’s meeting that some of the rapier’s adventures had been turned into a niche erotica series as ‘The Thrilling Adventures of Lady Chastity’, but in the time between she had quite forgotten, or perhaps she’d simply pushed those memories down and away. She’d read her illicit collection of those stories over and over again but while Colombe hadn’t exactly been absent from her fantasies, but now she was forced to connect the two directly instead of just thinking of the heroine, ‘Lady Chastity Dovesworth’, as a merely fictional character. She had placed a face and name on her actions both on the battlefield and in the bedroom. The same face and name who is causing her heart to beat uncontrollably and whose finger is a molten bar of steel against her lips.

Colombe leaned in and breathed. “After dinner, though. No need to get worked up on an empty stomach. One thing I learned from my travels is to always get a good meal when you can, since you never know when a crisis will erupt.”

Toku nods slightly hastily, biting her lip as her blush slowly fades from nuclear to merely embarrassed as they leave the dojo. “H-hai, Co-chan. Um… I am sorry, it is just…” She trails off, trying to find the words for what she is groping towards.

To be honest, she does not know herself what she is trying to say. An apology for owning the books waiting in their hidden space under her futon? Curiosity about the real stories behind the words that she has scanned over and over again? Perhaps even...a secret wish to act out the role of Lady Chastity’s many, many lovers, many of whom, she realizes with a start and a redoubling of her blush were female?

Toku’s confusion is relieved as her Co-chan, just like in their earlier duel, shows yet again her ability to penetrate the Masamune’s defenses and strike to the heart of the matter when she must. Colombe gently hugs her around the waist from behind as they reach the kitchen, “It is alright. I would not have agreed to allow Lyra to publish very thinly fictionalized stories of my exploits if I was ashamed of them, or did not enjoy them. You did enjoy that book yes?”

Toku gives a shy nod, visibly relaxing in the embrace as the embarrassment fades with this acceptance, and arousal and curiosity gain the upper hand in the blood turning her cheeks scarlet. “H-hai, I did. Do.”

“So did I, both in the doing, the retelling, and then later when I got a signed copy of the first drafts from Lyra for my library’s complete collection of her works.” Colombe shrugs. “You are not the first person to enjoy them, and you won’t be the last either. You are easily the cutest to be flustered by it however. If you want… well if you have any particular scenes from that book you want to act out after we retire to the bedroom tonight, or just if you would prefer to talk about it, I am at your service, To-chan.”

Toku finally steps out of the embrace and begins to pull ingredients from the shelves and refrigerator. “Talk, yes. I have to ask… How much of the books are true?” As she asks, her blush returns to color her cheeks. Silently, she resolves to bring out one of her favorites in her collection tonight and ‘discuss’ some of the events in it with her Co-chan.

Colombe frowns as she melts butter in the frying pan. “Good question. It depends a bit on the specific book of course. Probably about ninety percent for most, give or take. The one that is the most fictional is Sultana of the Sands, mainly because that was Delilah’s big adventure where she got the heroine’s reward. I spent the time between leaving Lyra’s embrace and returning to her nursing me back to health either celibate or in a coma with a dagger in my guts during that one.”

Toku nibbles her lip thoughtfully as she starts the rice cooker. “Dagger.. .your daughter Ehren? Also, I have not read that one, which one is it?”

Colombe places slices of fish on the frying pan. “Ehren, yes, and Number Seventeen. Came out in 1944, the actual events happened in 1941-42. Some of the details were changed because of ongoing security concerns and of course Delilah was written out for various reasons. I happen to know that Del and Zamarad got a signed first edition of that one as well.”

Toku shakes her head as she muses. “I only have up to number fourteen.” She then blushes darker scarlet as she realizes that there are more books out there that she has not read. Yet.

Glancing over at Colombe, Toku relaxes at the fond smile on her love’s face. “Not surprising. Lady Chastity and the Duchy of Doom came out in 1936 when you presumably got it. Then Lady Chastity and the Menacing Monastery came out in 1938 after the Spanish Civil War ended for me. Probably by that point, there was an embargo on them in Japan thanks to the runup to World War II. So you could not have picked up number fifteen, nor sixteen that came out right before Hitler stormed Poland. Sadly, Lyra died in 1949 before she could do more than a rough draft for number twenty-one.”

Colombe trails off, looking sad and wistful at the memory of her old flame. Toku felt her heart reach out to her friend, and now lover, and walked over to embrace her. “She sounds like an extraordinary woman.”

Colombe leans into the embrace, then reaches up to wipe tears off her cheeks. “Like you would not believe. She and Ian, her husband, saved my soul after the Congo.” She turns and gives Toku a bittersweet smile. “I trust you do not mind me always carrying a bit of a torch for them?”

Toku shakes her head, that much had been obvious for some time already. “No, Co-chan. Not really. I also had a first love, although I was too young to know it at the time, and unlike you it was never consummated. Twenty years after I manifested, Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest swordsman of Japan, visited the shrine and taught me the beginnings of the Way of the Sword that I follow to this day. I…”

Toku licks dry lips as she fills the rice bowls and then moves the food to the table, “I confess that I have often dreamed about him wielding me as we fought evils together. Even though one of my sisters was his acolyte then and follows his memory still, I wished to serve him as an apprentice, a blade in his hands, and perhaps in his bed as well. One of my regrets is that I did not go on musha shugyo, warrior’s pilgrimage, with him when he and Musashi-oneesan left to further their understanding of the Way.”

Colombe squeezes Toku’s hand as they finish setting the dinner on the table. “You honor his memory by following his teachings to this very day. Just as Lyra made your Co-chan what she is today by healing her spirit, so did Miyamoto Musashi’s teachings hone my To-chan into the wonderful person who I shall eat dinner with.”

Paths upon paths, intersecting, twining around each other, from two smiths, to dozens of swords, to a collection of unique women and a legacy of heroism.

To two blades from different lines, brought together by history.

“Neither of us would be here without our pasts.” Colombe looks up from her rice at that final pronouncement and then tilts her head ever so slightly, regarding Tokunotakai with curiosity. “So…” The Masamune continues, smiling, albeit bitterly. “I am thankful for them both… Lyra-sama, and Musashi-dono… Because together, they brought us to each other in their own ways.”

Colombe nodded, then thought for a moment. “I would say that I doubt they knew where we would end up, but if Lyra could have somehow set this up, I’m sure she would have done so.” She smiled wistfully, and Toku’s lips curled slightly as well. The rain continued to fall outside as the grey clouds faded to black with the distant sunset.

The food was simple, but Colombe wouldn’t have traded it for anything in that moment.

--------

In another place, at a similar time. A Phone rings in a darkened room.

"It's done?"

"It's done... Hachiman was more than happy to be of assistance. Apparently he's been trying to figure out how to get a signal to his devoted little bird for quite some time."

"Excellent... And they're happy?"

"No relationship is perfect, especially when it comes to those particular families, but they didn't need much help to fall for each other. I've no doubt they'll be together for a very long time."

"Good. Thanks so much for your help Takami-sama~"

"It was no trouble at all Lyra-chan~ Now about that book you promised me..."
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Produced with the permission and assistance of Yellowhammer by which I mean they actually wrote some pretty huge chunks of this one where I mostly just did editing work. Thank you again for your help!

Hopefully the next one will come to me more easily.

 

Harry Leferts

Eating her breakfast, Hermione paused a bit as she glanced at Harry suspiciously. Said boy had an odd smile on his face as he kept glancing at the doors, which made her narrow her eyes, "Harry... what did you do...?"

Brightly smiling, he turned to her, "What do you mean, Hermione? Do what?"

Slowly, Hermione brought up her finger and pointed at his face, "That smile." When it grew a touch, she jabbed her finger at him, "Yes, that smile right there! That smile always comes out when you have done something that will cause me to search for the Fountain of Aspirin."

That made Ron Pause for a moment and he gave his female friend an odd look, "Fountain of Aspirin?"

In return, the Light Cruiser gave him a look back, "Yes, the Fountain of Aspirin. You have heard of the Fountain of Youth?" Getting nods, she continued with a dry tone, "The Fountain of Aspirin is much the same but grants unlimited Aspirin."

With a shrug, Neville dug back into his breakfast, "You're probably not the first one to go searching for it then, Hermione. No doubt Admirals around the world as well as teachers here have." He paused for a moment before frowning, "Especially Madam Pomfrey."

Each of the teens there paused for a moment before wincing, as they did pity the poor nurse who had to deal with a school full of teens with reality warping powers and whom sometimes came up with ideas to use those powers for...

Shaking it off, Harry went back to smiling as he twiddled his thumb, "Just waiting for something, Hermione."

Now each of the other three, as well as the other students within earshot turned to him. With a deep breath, Hermione narrowed her eyes, "What are you waiting for, Harry...?"

Harry snickered a bit and his next words caused eyes to widen some, "I was bored and decided to spice up today. Hopefully by continuing a proud, Hogwarts tradition!"

Looks of horror were now exchanged with each other, none more so than those of Harry's friends. Hermione in particular felt a chill go up her keel as she remembered what day it was, 'Oh dear God no...'

Up at the staff table, various people noted the expressions at the Gryffindor Table. Snape in particular narrowed his eyes some, "What does Potter have planned now...?"

Dumbledore leaned forward some with an interested look on his face and hands in front of his face, "That, Severus, is a rather good question." A twinkle entered his eyes and he smiled, "But it should be interesting nonetheless!"

Closing her eyes, McGonagall groaned, "I am going to try and find the Fountain of Aspirin after this."

Softly chuckling, the Charms Professor patted her on the back, "I am afraid that is only a myth, Minerva. Far too many have searched for it and never found it for it to be real."

Eyebrow twitching, Minerva grumbled a bit, "Let me have some hope..."

From where he was seated, Remus raised an eyebrow in some amusement. Yes, tonight was the Full Moon, and thus he was not feeling all too well when all was said and done. Though... he did note that recently the transformations were easier, he was calmer after even with the potion, and that he was not quite as ill before and recovered quicker. Oddly strange...

Not to mention the odd dreams of a muscular, tribal looking woman with furs and a head of a wolf.

Leaning to the side, Remus considered what he had just heard from the Gryffindor Table, 'Odd...' He glanced at Snape and found that while the man was resigned, he did not quite seem angry. Which was extremely strange as Remus would have thought that the man would hate James' son possibly pulling a prank. Though, he did remember the recent talk with the man, where he admitted that he saw more of Lily in the young Potter Heir than he did James besides some looks. Something that Remus agreed with privately and helped separate James from Harry, "Severus? You... do not seem to be acting like I would have expected."

Only taking a sip of his tea, the Potions Master glanced at the other teacher, "Lupin, I assume that is because you do not know of... Mister Potter's particular form of humour." Waving a hand, he continued, "Which I will admit is rather surprising as you have been here for most of the year. And thus have seen... examples."

His eyebrows furrowing, Remus looked back at other incidents that had happened over the year. Such as the "Miss Potter Incident", which still made him cringe a bit due to how confusing it made everything. It was then that his eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "Oh... he's like Lily in that way then?"

Slowly, every one of the teachers there nodded in agreement, saying the exact same thing, "Yes."

Much to some peoples' surprise, Snape had a fond smile of remembrance, "Yes, just like Lily."

Placing his chin in his hand, the werewolf considered that before frowning, "That... is interesting. But it does make me wonder what he meant by 'Continuing a proud Hogwarts Tradition' today."

The teachers blinked at that and furrowed their eyebrows. Spout frowned a bit in confusion, "A Hogwarts Tradition? I do not know of one... unless you count Mister Potter's odd announcement regarding how Valentine's Day will not defeat us." Her lips twitched a bit while Remus snorted as the whole thing had amused him, "It is always amusing how he has changed it from year to year. And some of the Muggleborn have commented that he based it off a 'Podcast' of some sort."

A frown on her face, Minerva turned to her, "Podcast? And what is a Podcast?"

Burbage spoke up with a small smile, "A podcast is like a radio play, Minerva. But it is played on the non-magical internet." With a small chuckle, she nodded, "The one that they are talking about is Welcome to Night Vale, which is amusing."

Most of them were surprised when Snape chuckled, "Yes, it is." He then frowned, "Though Mister Potter has already done that announcement for the day..." When he trailed off though, various Professors looked at him and how he was looking horrified, "No, Potter... do not tell me..."

Eyebrow raised, Flitwick felt a itch in the back of his mind as Dumbledore leaned towards the Potion's Professor. The Headmaster was concerned with how his friend looked, "Severus? What seems to be the issue?"

Swallowing, Snape turned to him, "Albus... today is Valentine's Day. And Mister Potter leans towards Lily for humour..."

Just frowning deeper, Flitwick felt the itch in his head increase as he rolled that around in his head while others asked Snape why he was suddenly getting up as if to run. Seeing Harry's grin widen, all the pieces fell into place just in time for the doors to the Great Hall to be kicked open, "Oh no... Mister Potter did not."

Upon seeing the dwarf in a diaper and wings on his back walk in, cigar being chewed, Minerva groaned and placed her head in her hands, "He has..."

Confused and lost, Remus looked at the teachers and those students Second Year and above. All of them looked horrified to some extent or another, though a few looked gleeful, such as Tracy Davis who was rubbing her hands together while her friend, Daphne, banged her head on the table. As more dwarves came in, the werewolf felt his instincts tell him it was too late to run, but he should try. But he also noticed one other thing...

Harry looked utterly amused and manically happy.

Behind the dwarf, others like him walked into view and nodded before pulling out lyres with smirks. Looking at each of the students and teachers, and noting the First Years looking bemused or outright confused while one female ghost had a massive grin on her face, the Dwarf nodded as he strummed his lyre, glancing at their employer who nodded, 'I like this kid.'

Moments later, Hermione was attempting to choke a madly cackling Harry even as a dwarf sang a very bad Valentine to her... which she suspected was from Upholder.

Juuchi just watched in smug amusement at the chaos that was happening around them during most of the day. Students, staff, and others attempting to avoid the various flying dwarves. Or sometimes attempting to kill her Master, in often humorous manners. Though shortly after lunch, she raised an eyebrow as two tracked down her and Kagotsuruhe. One of them began singing to her, "... Oh, she cuts so nice, uh-huh! Cuts right to the matter..."

Despite it, the Muramasa was... amused by it. Somewhat mortified, yes. Embarrassed, oh most definitely.

But also amused.

Especially as, for one of the very few times in her history, she got to see Kagotsuruhe completely confused and bemused. Which made it all so worth it. Once the dwarves were done, Juuchi nodded some though she was still wondering who had sent the Valentine to her. At least partially because she wanted to know who she might well gut. Then, a smug smile crossed her face and she looked at the dwarf, "Ah, you wouldn't happen to take requests for those outside the country, would you?"

Chomping his cigar, the dwarf grinned, "We do, and are actually heading to Japan in a bit for example."

If anything, the smugness increased and Juuchi nodded, "Excellent, I have a few names then I would wish to send Valentine's to and they happen to be in Japan."

Kagotsuruhe raised a finger, "As do I, though some are in Belgium." Despite the look given to her by her sister, the Sword of Hopelessness only smiled, "That should be alright, shouldn't it?"

The dwarf shrugged and smirked, "Nah, not a problem at all..."

Hence, the different Muramasas were greeted by dwarves dressed as Cupid bursting into their residences and singing really bad Valentine's as also happened at a certain home in Belgium where a Piano played along with hers while a dagger pinched her nose... and promptly sent one to her mother. While various Potter weapon spirits merely sighed as they knew who had done it, Honjo gained an idea and sent them to her sisters while also planning retribution against a certain Muramasa. She did get them to record the reactions, of course.

And spent quite some time laughing at Fudo's as well as Toku's.

Masamune no Musashi simply laughed and took the dwarf out for drinks. She woke up later hungover with a note stating she was welcome to show up and have some dwarf drinks sometime... And a rather large bill, which made her laugh and wince.

In both cases, Kyoshu had clapped her hands in glee at both her song and Nameless' before wondering if it was a prize for finding a Mizuchi. Chisuheri, meanwhile, sent hers along to other members of the JNHRO, with Jin facepalming as her cultists joined in on the song, though they were confused. Which, of course, meant Jin sent them to her mother, who just stood there in the lobby for the MACUSA Embassy when they reached her.

Colombe, of course, sent them on to Jackie and Del, who swore revenge on their sister (though Del's mother nearly laughed herself sick when she saw the recording).

However, it did not end there as Tatsuya opened the door to his home at a knock. For several seconds, he just stared down at the dwarf smoking a cigarette and looking like that Cupid guy as even for him this was strange, though he grimaced a bit at being reminded of that one time regarding something like the real thing. Raising an eyebrow, he looked down at the being, "Can I help you...?"

Eyebrow raised, the dwarf looked at his fellow dwarf and shrugged, "We're looking for a Tonbo and a Benio? They're supposed to be here?"

Said Hanyou poked her head out from around Tatsuya and raised her hand, "That's me, Tonbo is in the Dojo."

Instinctively, Tatsuya moved out of the way of the dwarves and watched as one of them began to sing a Valentine to Benio from Harry as her cousin. Arms crossed, he could hear Tonbo's groan as she received ones from two of her sisters. Granted, when Benio left and returned before whispering in the dwarf's ear and handing him some money, the Select had to internally sigh as the Cupid-lookalike began to sing one to him from the Hanyou, who was recording it.

Less than an hour later, Reiko was twitching as a dwarf sang her a Valentine as well from Benio, while a certain Kami fell down the Shrine stairs from laughing so hard.

 

Harry Leferts

Turning off the shower, Medea took a deep breath before pushing the curtains to the side. As she stepped out, she summoned her towel to her and began to dry her hair before following with the rest of her body. As she did so, the Greek Sorceress softly sighed, 'One of the best inventions... showers and indoor plumbing. However did we make due without them?' Walking out into her bedroom, she snapped her finger and her comb floated over. Upon reaching her, it began to brush her hair as she tossed the towel into the hamper.

Much like her office, her bedroom was rather spartan without much to it. Here and there were some personal touches, such as a painting of Hercules fighting the Hydra. She remembered having it commissioned in the 1800s. Another one was several objects that some might recognize as being replicas of Ancient Greek ones here and there. But besides that, there were pictures from her current life. Ones of her and Atalanta in school, graduating from high school, the academy, and the like.

As she looked at those, a small smile flitted over her face, 'Hopefully, you're enjoying Valentine's Day just as much.'

Walking in front of her mirror, Medea looked herself over before slowly nodding. Even in this modern era, she was a beautiful woman. One whom had a number of suitors, but currently, she was waiting on one that she had chosen. Whom she had real feelings for, something that left her giddy...

And utterly terrified.

Hence, reaching her bed and looking down at the clothes there, the Sorceress bit her lip nervously. Inside her chest, Medea could feel her heart pounding as part of her wanted to run back to the bathroom, lock the door, and hide in the bathtub for however long it took. But with centuries of experience, she shoved that part of her down. Her hair done, she motioned with a finger and the brush floated back to her dresser and set itself down, "You... you can do this, Medea. You have faced monsters and gods before in fights to the death. This... this is nothing."

Taking a deep breath, she held her hand to her chest and took another. Once she felt calm enough, she began to get dressed. The final bit was a deep purple, sleeveless dress that she slipped on. After some adjustment of it, she walked over to her makeup table and got to work.

It did not take her long to be finished and thus, she was downstairs waiting by the door for Georgios to arrive. The whole time, she was fidgeting nervously with an unsure look on her face while taking deep, calming breaths. Part of her was certain that those that knew her would find the whole thing amusing, even if she did not. Glancing at the clock, she just stopped herself from chewing her lip, 'She's a minute late... does... does that mean that she is not coming... Oh... two minutes now, I, um...' Just as she was about to rush off to her bedroom, there was a gentle knock on the door and she practically threw it open to reveal the shipgirl that she was waiting for, "Georgios, you... you came!"

Lips curling a bit, the Armoured Cruiser nodded, "Of course I did, um..." Finally looking over Medea, her eyes widened and she felt her cheeks heat up, "I... wow... you look, beautiful." With a glance at herself, Georgios chuckled a bit unsure. After all, she wore a blouse and skirt, "I... feel a bit underdressed."

Deeply blushing, Medea shook her head, "No, no, I... I'm sorry." Swallowing, she looked away, "I... I am overdressed. W-well, I was unsure and, I'm sorry."

Walking in, Georgios took her hand with one of her own, "It is okay, Admiral Aetós. You look fine and very beautiful."

Her blush deepening even further, the Sorceress chewed her lip a bit, which made the taller shipgirl look at it. Said shipgirl was struck by an urge to kiss her right then and there. Before she could make the decision to do so, Medea spoke up, "Please, not here. In privacy such as this, I am not Admiral Aetós, you can call me by my name."

Moments later, Medea felt a hand clasp her chin and was gently forced to look at Georgios who was close, their bodies almost touching. The shipgirl gave her a gentle smile, "Medea." Feeling the Sorceress trembling a bit, the Armoured Cruiser moved her hand so that it cupped her cheek before leaning in. Their lips almost touching with the former Princess feeling warm breath brush against her skin, Georgios curled her lips into a smile, "Medea..."

Feeling like her heart was about to explode, Medea swallowed, "Ge-Georgios, I..."

She was silenced by the shipgirl's lips on her own. Not forceful, in fact they were barely touching. But it was still enough that she found herself unable to speak. Eventually pulling back, Georgios gave her a soft smile, "Relax, Medea."

Eyes closed as she trembled, Medea could not help herself and leaned into Georgios' embrace, "I'm sorry, you must think me a... total wreck, right now."

Gently running her fingers through her Admiral's, and now girlfriend's hair, the shipgirl shook her head, "No, I do not, Medea. Unless I miss my guess, it has been some time for you?"

A snort escaped from the smaller woman who shook her head, "That is putting it mildly to say the least. The last time I even attempted to court someone seriously was..." Pausing, she furrowed her eyebrows and winced, "Was a long time ago, back in the 1500s."

Despite knowing that the woman in her arms was ancient, Georgios was still surprised by that, "It has been that long? Truly?"

Bitterly chuckling, Medea nodded, "Indeed, it has. But that relationship failed because, well..." A grimace crossed her face, "The curse from Aphrodite was still on me, thus I was still in deep love with Jason. You can put together the rest."

Only nodding, the Armoured Cruiser simply hummed as she continued to stroke the other woman's head. Part of her was amused that it was a reversal of what normally happened, where Medea would be doing what she was to some shipgirl to calm them. Finally, Georgios smiled down at her, "But that is in the past now and no longer a problem?"

Hearing the question, Medea sighed, "Thankfully, you are right." After another moment, she pulled away, "I suppose that we should retire to the dining room then, for dinner?"

Softly smiling, Georgios made a motion with her hand, "That sounds lovely, Medea."

Gently, the Sorceress took her girlfriend's hand in her own and waited until shoes were removed before guiding her to the dining room. While she had been there many, many times before, the shipgirl let her. Reaching the dining room, Medea pulled out the chair for her date with an unsure smile, "Please, have a seat, Georgios. I'll go and get our meals and..." Suddenly, she remembered something and flushed, "O-oh, and you're looking very beautiful."

Internally, she slapped herself while Georgios only chuckled, "Thank you, and as I mentioned so are you." Reaching into a pocket of her skirt, she pulled out some flowers, "Here, I brought these."

Eyes widened slightly, Medea took them and gave them a deep sniff before snapping her fingers with a vase appearing. Another snap, and the vase had water inside of it for the flowers which she gently set into them, "Thank you."

Nodding, the shipgirl then pulled out a box, "I also brought some chocolate cake, for dessert if you want it."

A smile on her face, Medea chuckled, "That sounds wonderful, we can have it for dessert." Leaving for a few seconds, she returned with bowls and plates following which had the food on them. Already, Georgios felt herself drool a bit from the smells that reached her nose. Noticing, the Admiral's eyes widened, "I take it that you find it acceptable?"

Quickly, Georgios shook her head, "I find this more than acceptable. Just like anything that you cook, Medea."

Blushing, the Sorceress hummed, "Well, when you are around for a few thousand years, you pick up on some things. And cooking for oneself, well... it gets tiresome when you cannot cook well, so you force yourself to be able to cook decently." Uncorking a bottle, she poured some of the wine into a glass, "Now, this should go well with the food I think. I own the vineyard after all and I accept nothing but the best."

Eyebrows raising, Georgios blinked at that as while she had guessed that her Admiral had connections, she did not know that, "Vineyard? You own one?"

Not noticing, Medea chuckled, "I own several as a matter of fact, both here in Greece and elsewhere. One of which has a Villa, though I also own a number of those and..." Suddenly realizing that Georgios was looking at her stunned, she flushed and winced, "Sorry, I suppose that I am throwing that in your face, I-I don't mean to. After so long of being around, I..."

Placing a hand on Medea's, Georgios shook her head, "Relax, love." The words slipped out without her noticing, but the Sorceress had and froze as she felt her heart stop before it felt like her throat was being constricted. Not seeing that, the shipgirl smiled, "I am a bit surprised, but nothing more."

Much to her confusion, the Admiral had some tears in the corner of her eyes. But before Georgios could ask, she laughed a bit, "Understandable, I suppose." Sitting down, Medea took a deep breath, "Well, being as this is a first date, I guess that we talk and get to know each other on a more personal level?"

Only nodding, the two got down to talking and learning a bit more about one another. As they talked, Georgios was happy to see that Medea relaxed more and more. It was something that she was happy to see as a matter of fact. One of the things though that came up was somewhat surprising to her, "So you and your friend, Atlanta, are going to open some sort of youth camp once the war is done?"

With a hum as she dabbed at her lips, Medea leaned back, "Yes, Atlanta is actually rather hopeful for it and so am I. They will be summer camps for the most part open to children that would normally be unable to go to one. Especially for those who... would need to get away from things." Just shrugging, she continued while sipping her wine, "There, children will be able to enjoy the wilderness and other things. We'll have plenty of activities and those who need to get away from things, will be able to enjoy themselves."

Considering that, Georgios took a sip of her own wine, "That could get expensive and you would need to set up the properties for the camps."

Medea just waved her off, "Money is not an issue, I could spend as much as I want for centuries and not run out. As for properties... I have plenty of those. Villas here in Greece and Italy among others, a Castle in a forest near to a lake in Germany. There is no worry of having a lack of somewhere to set them up. Atlanta believes in this dream, that she can change so many childrens' lives. And I believe in her, that she can do it and more than willing to support it."

Lips curling, the shipgirl held out her glass, which Medea clinked hers against, "Then you shall, Medea. Of that, I am sure."

Taking another drink of wine, the Sorceress softly scoffed, "And before you ask, no, I am not calling them 'Camp Halfblood', so you can forget that."

Her girlfriend nearly snorted out her own wine at that.

By the time that dinner was done, as was desert, the two of them were utterly relaxed. Night had fallen and Medea guided Georgios out onto her balcony before the two sat down again. Seated next to one another, they looked out onto the darkened Aegean Sea, the waves reflecting the light of the Full Moon. Shifting a bit, Medea leaned her head against Georgios' shoulder before closing her eyes, a happy smile on her face...

Elsewhere on the base, Atalanta slumped to the side before shifting onto her back with a satisfied smile on her face as silk sheets caressed her skin. Almost purring, she stretched her arms with a groan, "Mmm, that was wonderful, Hippomenes."

A grin on his face, said man put his arms behind his head, "I agree fully, Atalanta." Reaching over, he ran her hand between his fingers, "That was wonderful, as always with you."

Her smile becoming a grin, Atalanta's eyes became hooded, much like a pleased cat. Moving onto her side, she placed a hand on her husband's chest, "Flatterer."

In reply, Hippomenes cocked an eyebrow, "Yet so very true." His eyes trailed along her form, barely hidden by the blankets. A body toned by a lot of work showing it's physical power, but one with a modest figure. The woman next to him had stolen many hearts, both in the past and in the present.

Laying next to her, the resurrected Greek had no issue with stating that his wife was a goddess in his view.

The fact that she had been interested in him even back in Ancient Greece, a young man with a body that was considered, then, to be 'Geeky' of sorts. He considered himself the luckiest man alive, both then and now. Shaking off those thoughts though, he glanced at the clock and smiled before twisting a laughing Atalanta onto her back, though the laughs soon became gasps.

After all, they still had time before she would need to sleep for her mission the next day and it was his job as her husband to make sure that she would be able to sleep...
___________________________________________________________________________

Walking along and slightly sore, though in a satisfying way, Atalanta nodded to various personnel as she passed. Upon reaching the Submarine Docks, she made her way along to her Submarine, the Meleager. After being greeted by her crew, Atalanta stepped onboard, though she paused and glanced to the side.

Mainly because, out of the corner of her eye she spotted a flicker of a humanoid form saluting her with a smile.

Lightly smiling, Atalanta gave a smile in that direction before patting the conning tower. She could almost feel it vibrate under her gentle hand, which made her smile grow a touch. For almost a minute, the Ancient Greek hero stood there and savoured the moment. Atalanta had not been kidding when she stated that she loved what she did. Because she truly, utterly did.

Every time she went out, it was a hunt of the sort that she would have been scarcely able to imagine in her youth. Against foes that would have given pause to any of those that she once journeyed with. Something that made her smirk a bit as she considered what some of those she once knew would think.

Back than, far in the past? While she had made a name for herself, she had been mocked and derided by her fellows. After all, in those days men were extremely derogative of any female, even those who were 'Proper women'. Herself though? She did not fit in any of those roles. Even now, so many thousands of years later, she could still remember the sneers and jeers she had been met with. Jason had almost not accepted her into the Argonauts if not for a few speaking up for her such as Herakles himself.

"You will find hardly a better hunter anywhere in Greece!"

All that meant was that when she encountered issues with being a woman in the military, she had actually laughed in private. It was like children attempting to bully an adult there was so little comparison between the times and attitudes. She laughed even more at the shades of her old tormentors now, for despite being a woman, she was now in charge of a men. Not as a queen, but as a military Commander.

What made her laugh was the thought that many of those she knew in Ancient Greece were likely turning in their graves at what was happening, especially her father.

Soon climbing into the Submarine, she hummed to herself. Once they knew that the threat was going to come from the sea, her and Medea had entered the Hellenic Navy. And while her friend had gone for the surface warfare, Atalanta felt the call of the Submarine. Such an idea, it was truly among the greatest forms of hunting that she knew. And while men had issues with a female Submariner, she shrugged it off as they were nothing.

Atalanta had slowly risen in the ranks until right before Blood Week, when she was an XO of a Submarine. Despite being a woman, the men under her had respected her, even more than they had the Captain himself at the time. And when the Captain had been badly injured, it fell to her to command the Submarine, and none of the crew had issue.

Eventually, she had gotten her own Submarine. One that, she suspected, Medea might have funded somehow. After all, it was a modification with UAVs which she used to hunt down Abyssals. Atalanta had even managed to lame the Malta Princess, blowing off one leg. Granted, her Submarine had to retreat due to how said Princess' escorts attempted to kill her for what she did.

But she considered it a win.

Entering the Bridge, she glanced at a piece of wood off to one side. On it were kill markers, dozens of them. Some of them were different colors to designate how many of that type of Abyssal there were. A number were from the Med, others from the Atlantic. Each of them though was a killed, a foe who would not hurt anyone else. As she continued her way, her fingers brushed over a large, carved boar tusk mounted on the wall. The carving on it showed herself and the Submarine's namesake, with the tusk seen by many as being a good luck charm by the crew, with most gently touching it when they came on board. Glancing at the XO, she took the radio from him with some thanks as he smiled and took a step back.

With a nod, she opened the intercom throughout the ship, "Attention please, this is Captain Atlanta speaking. Our mission is likely to be a short one, I hope, as we are to head out and help with the search for an SOS in the Aegean just north of Crete. While I realize that this was likely not what you might of wished for. But, there are people in trouble there. And hunters are among the best at searching for those who are lost. We will head out, and we will find these people and bring them home to safety. That is all."

Several minutes later, she felt the Submarine moving beneath her feet and smiled, a slightly enlarged canine showing.

The hunt was on...

 

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VII

Taura Plum Blossom Park, Yokosuka

Moriko and Hachiko wandered through the park hand in hand. The plum trees were showing hints of new leaf buds, even though the blossom festival would not be for several weeks yet.

Finally stopping on the hillside overlooking the naval base, the harbor, and Tokyo Bay, they paused and with unspoken agreement sat down together with their backs against a tree.

Hachiko handed Moriko a wooden bento box tied in a pink napkin. "Here you go, Moriko-sama," he said shyly as she took it. "I hope that you enjoy it."

The Natural-Born shipgirl (and disguised Okami Yokai) smiled at him and then unwrapped the napkin.She opened it and laughed at the heart holding the kanji for her name 'written' on the rice within in soy sauce. "It's so cute, I almost can't eat it, Hachiko-kun."

Her Hanyo Inugami boyfriend blushed cutely and adjusted his thick glasses after he opened his own plain hinomaru bento. "Um, I just did my best to cook something...."

Moriko reached over and patted his hand. "You did great. Let's dig in. Itadakimasu!"

With that the two teens ate in silence, observed by Suzume and Shigure, who were filming them.

Finally finishing their lunch, Hachiko leaned into Moriko slightly. The she-wolf started, then hugged the smaller boy around the shoulders.

"The sea breeze is great, isn't it?" Moriko's eyes were distant, looking at the bay where a quartet of destroyer girls were sailing out on patrol.

Hachiko nodded and then removed his glasses to clean them with a handkerchief. "It is. There's something about the sea, the smell of salt water that calls to me." He took a deep breath as he spoke quietly with a distant look in his eyes. "Both Father and Grandfather were sailors. They never came back when their ships were sunk by our enemies, but yet... this reminds me of a poem I learned in English class."
Spoiler: The Call Of The Sea

Moriko squeezed him around the shoulders as the young man slowly recited words that struck a deep, fundamental chord with her.

"I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying."

Moriko's own eyes were misty and her hug on Hachiko's shoulder tightened a bit as he finished and replaced his glasses, speaking sadly as he did. "But I cannot. Aki needs me, and I am all that he has. I promised him, promised Mother, that I would be there for him, and so I deny that part of myself."

Moriko nodded and spoke quietly herself. "Hachiko?"

"Hmm?"

"I... told you that I am a martial arts instructor for the base. Which is true... but not the whole truth." Her voice was very distant as her eyes looked at the Pacific at the edge of the distant horizon.

He blinked and looked into her shimmering gray eyes as she gave a sad smile. "I'm also a Natural-Born shipgirl, as are Sachiko and Suzume. When Sachiko is ready, when she is strong enough, all three of us will Awaken then."

Hachiko blinked twice. "Wow. Which ship?"

Moriko closed her eyes, "The Ibuki-class Heavy Cruiser Ibuki." She then barked a laugh. "Suzume-chan is the spirit of the nearly completed light carrier conversion of my hull after Midway, and Sachiko-chan is the spirit of the planned second sister ship that was scrapped very soon after construction started. We don't know what she will manifest as yet."

He reached over and hugged her around the waist. "In that case, if I promise to wait here for you on the shore, will you promise to come back to Aki and I? That way you can carry my dreams of the sea out with you."

Moriko opened her eyes and ruffled his hair. "I will, since I need someone to come home to. Someone to protect. Someone to fight for and defend."

Hachiko nodded, and tightened the hug.

 

NotHimAgain

“Happy birthday!” Nemo chirped, holding out a cake box. Takumi glanced from her up to his house, wondering quietly just how long she had been waiting there. Only a short while, he hoped—after all, she knew when his school let out. She met him out by the gates usually. On the other hand, sometimes she got a little too excited about things… And she got embarrassed when questioned about such things.

“Thanks,” he replied with a smile, pulling her into a hug. “I guess that this explains what you’ve been doing with Tachibana lately?” Wait—going further, that would explain why Tachibana had burst out laughing every time she saw him today. Oh well, that was the price to pay.

If she found out about the old “Saint Valentine” nickname that he’d had back in elementary school, then there would be problems. But no sooner.

He could feel Nemo stiffen momentarily, the way she did when she was surprised. “Eh?” she exclaimed, squeaking slightly. “W-well, I had to use her oven, but… you knew about that?”

Takumi had. Keeping secrets was not exactly Nemo’s forte, and she tended to be a bit more secretive when talking to the other girl than Sakurada. It wasn’t hard to figure out that she was up to something, even if he didn’t know what it was until now. Releasing the hug, he planted a hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair gently. “I know you,” he said simply, one corner of his mouth quirking a little higher at her annoyed expression.

“Don’t be such a dork,” she mumbled, and he couldn’t stop himself from snorting at that. “I… I wanted to give this to you down by the beach, but then I thought that sand would get on the cake or something, and I don’t have the stuff for a picnic, and Tachibana said—”

“—that spending time with you would be the best present, no matter where?” Takumi suggested. “Or something to that effect.”

“Yeah,” Nemo confirmed, flushing again.

“Well, she wasn’t wrong.”

For a moment, the two of them were silent.

Then Nemo leaned over to look around Takumi at his house. “By the way, that woman in the window… She’s related to you, right?”

What?

Takumi turned around to notice—oh, right, the drapes were open. And standing there, giving him a questioning look was… Wait a second. He’d been planning to for so long, had he really never gotten around to it?

He laughed.

“I guess you could say that.” He took Nemo’s hand. “Why don’t you come in? We can have the cake… and I can introduce you to my mother.”

 

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love VIII

Moriko opened the door for Hachiko. After lunch at the park they had headed out of the park and back through the shopping district.

Moriko took note of Hachiko lingering over a display of Technic LEGO kits in the toy store. "You like those, Hachiko-kun?"

Hachiko turned away, "I was looking to see if maybe I could afford one for Aki, his birthday is coming up in two months on April 24th. He enjoys building things, and perhaps the secondhand store will have one by then."

Moriko nodded, while making a mental note to do some shopping for a certain birthday. "I see, what kind of kits does he like?"

Hachiko laughed, "This month? Aircraft carriers. He was assigned to do a school report on a warship that came back as a shipgirl and picked Soryuu. I helped get him the research books he needed from the library."

Moriko smiled, "I see. It's nice that since shipgirls came back, LEGO started doing some naval Technic kits for various historical warships. What about your birthday?"

Hachiko shrugged, "May 21st. But at most I fix myself something I like for dinner and I have some old school friends who send me presents. Usually a manga series or light novel from Ryosuke-kun; he is into those things. Akira-kun is more the athletic type, so he gets me sweatshirts for various teams. "

Moriko laughed. "May 21st is my birthday too. Not surprisng when I found out that the Ibuki was launched on May 21st 1943. Even though I was never commissioned before..."

Hachiko hugged her around the waist. "Almost like it was fated."

"Oh yes." Moriko blinked as she turned suddenly and noticed a pair of girls ducking down behind a display of athletic equipment. Suzume-chan...? It can't be, she's training with the carriers.

"So Moriko-sama, shall we head to the Karaoke club that I have the coupon for?" Hachiko asked and Moriko started.

"O-oh, yes, let's." Moriko responded absently.

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

"Close call Suzume-chan. At least you have good reflexes in turning away to break that heavy cruiser's firing solution on us."

"You said it, Shigure-chan!"

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

A Piece of Heaven Karaoke Club, Yokosuka, Japan

"Welcome to A Piece of Heaven!" The young lady in a gold and pink dress patterned after a sunrise smiled at Moriko and Hachiko as the smaller of the two dug out the manager's card and a wad of yen. "You are in luck, because we have a special today for yuri couples. You each get a raffle ticket as a cute girl and at sunset we have a drawing for various prizes!"

While Moriko snorted and strained to contain her laughter, Hachiko blushed, and tried to not grit his teeth too much by disguising it as a grin while waving the offered ticket away.

"Oh- oh no. It's not like tha-"

"C'mon babe," Moriko interrupted, grinning hungrily as she roughly put her arm around his shoulder and 'fondled' his slim-but-still-masculine chest, "it's not like your parents are here, let's enjoy ourselves!"

Hachiko warred with himself briefly, but Moriko's good humor was infectious, and the blood was pounding in his ears.

"Hai, Oujou-sama!"

The two broke down in laughter as he paid the cover fee and took the raffle tickets.

Then they both laughed again at the sight of Inazuma on the stage belting out an enthusiastic rendition of "Great Balls of Fire" to her sisters and a grinning Tenryuu.
Spoiler: Plasma-chan Brings Down The House

"We will have to come back here. So...um. Moriko-sama, want something to drink?"

"Hai, a cherry Ramune," The she-wolf's eyes sparkled as she finished, "Hachiko-chan."

His lips quirked, "Only if you find a table... Moriko-chan."

She barked out a laugh and headed to find a table.

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

"Welcome to A Piece of Heaven!" The young lady in a gold and pink dress patterned after a sunrise smiled at Suzume and Shigure as they paid the entrance fee. "You are in luck, because we have a special today for yuri couples. You each get a raffle ticket as a cute girl and at sunset we have a drawing for various prizes!"

Suzume blushed to her collarbone, frozen at the very idea of her with another woman. Shigure, ever the dutiful guardship, simply sighed and smacked her palm to her face.

"Sorry, there's been a misunderstanding. We're not an item. We're just here to spy on her sister. She's on a date."

The employee followed the destroyer's pointed finger to where Moriko and Hachiko were getting settled in their booth. She made a pleased noise and returned the raffle ticked back to where she got it and rummaged behind her podium, returning with a pair of beige cards with the club's logo on it. Save that there was a pair of ninja in hiding on it, peaking out from either side of the icon.

"In that case, would you like to join our Spies of Love Club? Each member gets drinks half-price each visit they are following one of our couples. And if that couple takes a bold step in their relationship - be it a love confession, a first kiss, or even a marriage proposal, you will get a free meal and song at the karaoke machine!"

"S-spies of L-love C-club?" Suzume croaked out, her blush growing darker at the implications. But she was drowned out by Shigure smacking a wad of bills on the podium.

"I'll take it!" she yelled, "I'll take twelve!"

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

Moriko cuddled Hachiko in the booth for two that she had managed to claim and they sang along as a series of girls and boys took the stage. Finally they looked at each other. "I'll sing if you do?"

"Hai."

Hachiko took a deep breath and walked to the stage. He punched in the song selection and then removed his glasses, staring into her eyes as he began to sing a R&B hit from memory.
Spoiler: Hachiko's Devotion

If the sky that we look upon
Should tumble and fall
Or the mountain should crumble to the sea
I won't cry, I won't cry
No, I won't shed a tear
Just as long as you stand
Stand by me

His warm alto voice sent shivers down her spine as she thought that she understood the message in his song. That he would be there for her, always, with the kind of devotion and loyalty that people associated with Man's Best Friend. The devotion and love she remembered from her parents in the Reserve.

She wiped tears of joy away from her eyes as he walked back to the table, accepting congratulations and slaps on the back, and took a deep breath as she hugged him to her chest. She growled as she smelled an Inugami on him, but another sniff caused her hackles to lower, since it was faint. Must be a dog yokai bitch hidden in the crowd that he passed through.

Hachiko blinked at the possessive growl in his girlfriends voice. "What was that about?"

"Nothing important, Hachiko-chan." Moriko smiled at him with a predatory look in her eyes. "Wait here, and don't go anywhere."

With that Moriko took the stage and grinned hungrily at Hachiko as her invisible tail wagged while the bass line started. She was sure Ashigara would not mind too much that Moriko was going to steal her theme for her pursuit of the wonderful young man she had met.
Spoiler: CA On The Prowl Song

In touch with the ground
I'm on the hunt I'm after you
Smell like I sound I'm lost in a crowd.
And I'm hungry like the wolf.
Straddle the line in discord and rhyme
I'm on the hunt I'm after you.
Mouth is alive with juices like wine
And I'm hungry like the wolf

Hachiko listened happily as his beautiful girlfriend hammed it up, her husky contralto voice growling out the lyrics almost savagely.

For an instant, she seemed to actually be a wolf stalking him. He blushed at the mental image of Moriko stalking him, cornering him, and slamming her hands on the wall to either side of his head to trap him as she leaned in with that hungry growl in her voice....

Hidden across the packed karaoke bar, Suzume facepalmed as she filmed her sister. Moriko-chan was about to release her inner wolf, she just knew it.

Hachiko applauded happily as she finished and strutted back to the table through wolf-whistles. She reached the table and looked deep into his eyes as she leaned over the table, letting her forehead rest on his. He could smell a wild, almost primal tang to her sweat that caused his heart to thud.

She whispered with a sultry growl in her voice, "I could just cuddle you to pieces," and he gulped and nodded.

Compared to his fantasies, and the romance mangas, this was so real, so alive.

He saw something, he did not know what, in her gray eyes. "Do you want me to?"

He nodded and swallowed twice, "I do." His voice came out more resolute than he could have imagined.

With that she slid into the booth and lifted him up into her lap as she leaned into the corner of the booth. His face turned scarlet as she guided him to lean back against the softest pillows he could imagine and intertwined her hands with his in their lap. He relaxed as he felt her chin rest on the top of his head and she squeezed his hands. His blush subsided as his heartbeat matched hers. Being short is really really nice, especially around Moriko... chan.

Moriko's own heart was pounding, this young man in her lap, pressed against her was so right, so real, so... perfect. Her eyes swept the room, looking for the Inugami who had made a pass at her boyfriend. Mine, bitch, find your own, she thought as her tongue lolled out of her mouth slightly. Not that you will be able to find a man a quarter as good as Hachiko...chan.

Fortunately for Moriko's peace of mind, she had no clue that Suzume caught the songs and the embrace on video.

 

Harry Leferts

Standing on the deck of the Control Room for the Meleager, Atalanta had her arms crossed as she observed the silence as her crew worked. Every once in a while one would glance at her, not in nervousness though. Each and every one of them trusted her with their lives and more. She could order them directly into the fires of Hell and they would not before setting course to torpedo the Devil.

At the same time though, they understood that she would not order them to do something that she did not think them capable of doing. That, if anything, made them all the more loyal to their Captain as they knew that their safety was paramount. Hence, her standing silently there was not a sign of something wrong, it was just her trusting them to do their jobs without her input in every single thing. But when they did need her, their Captain was there to steady them, to act as an anchor against the storms of the war.

Her eyes taking in everything, Atalanta internally nodded to herself, pleased with how things were going. The crew were doing their job with professionalism above and beyond what many expected. With a look at the tablet in her hand, she hummed some as she went over old memories of this area. It was a lot harder than most would think to find such a place as the Isle of Aeaeas out on the waves, though she had visited the legendary isle with the other Argonauts. Thousands of years though did not make it any easier to understand the position of where they were inside the steel hull.

Especially as the last time she visited, she was within the Argo, a wooden ship propelled by sail and oars.

Frowning, Atalanta narrowed her eyes some at what she could see of their position before activating a program that Medea had made specifically for her. The view on the tablet changed to that of a starfield with a flat horizon. Many would not think much of it, but show it to an astronomer, and they would note that some of the recognizable stars were out of position... Or, rather, out of position for them.

That was due to the fact that the starfield was not the modern one. Rather, the stars were in the position that they had been back in the Bronze Age when Atalanta had last been alive. With her thumb, she slowly rotated the view so that she could get a good idea of their positioning. Though she had not been a sailor, she had picked up a few things on the voyage with the rest of the Argonauts. More than that, she was a hunter and no one got good at hunting out in the wilderness without being able to tell where they were by the stars above.

While she was still deep in thought, she was not deep enough to be surprised as a finger tapped her shoulder, "Captain Kouris? I have some coffee here for you.'

Softly smiling, Atalanta turned to her XO and nodded, "Thank you, Commander Mikos." Taking a sip, she sighed a bit, "Good coffee."

Hands behind his back, Mikos nodded, "Yes, then again we have not been too long at sea either."

Both of them shared a smile at that and the Huntress had to nod in agreement. Neither of the two were any strangers to when supplies ran low during war patrols and hunting Abyssals. Thankfully, when they were out in the Atlantic they had the Germans helping keep them supplied. And that nation was always good to it's Submarine forces. For a moment though, Atalanta's mind went back to her last name she chose in this life, Kouris. She was just thankful that Medea when crafting her background allowed for her to choose her last name. No way in Hades or Tartarus was she going to go with Medea's suggestion of "Gataki".

Needless to say when she found out the meaning of that, she had chased her madly laughing friend around her villa.

Atalanta was brought back to the present though when her XO cleared his throat and glanced at her tablet, "I have to admit, Ma'am, I am still surprised that you can navigate by the stars and prefer to do so. Though it is a rather useful skill considering that one time."

Thinly smiling, the Huntress nodded as she remembered that one time. Some Abyssals had knocked out their communications which also killed the GPS. But she was able to guide them back to friendly waters using just the stars above to do so, "As I told you, Commander, I spent a lot of time out in the wilderness before GPS became a thing. Easy to get lost, but the stars... they always tell you where you are and where you can be going." Giving him a slightly fanged grin, she continued, "Besides, this keeps my skills sharp just in case."

With a simple nod of agreement as his Captain took a sip of coffee, her XO waited until she sighed, "We picked up the distress signal and already informed command of it. Orders?"

Humming, Atalanta brought up the map now that she knew where she was, which also included the search area. Eyes trailing over it, she thought back before tapping one section, "I think that I have a course suggestion."

Behind her, Commander Mikos raised an eyebrow and followed as she made her way to the helm, 'I wonder...'

Upon reaching the helm, Atalanta smiled down and tapped the young woman there, with said woman blushing, "Lieutenant Angelos? I have a new course for you."

Eyes wide, Angelos looked at the course that was being ordered and nodded. Part of her nervousness was because the Captain was a larger than life figure for many. A legend in her own right within the Hellenic Navy, almost like she was a hero from the days of the Ancient Greeks! Being a woman in a mainly male dominated career had inspired many young Greek women and Angelos had been one of those.

In fact, back in her parents' home was a picture taken during a visit that Captain Kouris had performed at her high school, with her next to said Captain.

Quickly, she input the new course and everyone could feel the Submarine shift just a touch as it changed direction. With a nod, Atalanta patted the Lieutenant's shoulder before walking back to her original position. Forty minutes passed before the Captain noticed a slight buzzing sensation in the back of her mind. One that made her eyes narrow slightly, 'Got you.' However, it was then that she noticed that various members of the crew were looking somewhat nervous. And then she could feel the Submarine change course slightly, but not much. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Angelos had input something and sighed, 'I suppose that I cannot blame her, damn this cloak and dagger business.'

Meanwhile, Angelos felt the nervousness fade slightly. It had been almost unconscious. A feeling of dread in the back of her mind that eventually forced her to take action. It was only when she realized what she had done, that she froze, 'Oh no...' A hand on her shoulder made her turn to find the Captain there. Unlike what she had expected, the older woman was not angry, perhaps a bit disappointed which was nearly as bad. But there was understanding there, "M-Ma'am?"

Gently smiling, Atalanta shook her head before speaking in nearly a whisper, "Why did you just change course, Lieutenant? I am not angry, just curious."

Swallowing, the Lieutenant took a deep breath, "I... I do not know, Ma'am. There was this feeling and, I..."

Only nodding, Atalanta sighed a bit, "Understood and trust me, I do not blame you." Ignoring the confused look she got, she made a motion back to the helm, "Put the ship on the original course, and trust me, nothing will happen that will be bad. And I will be right here."

Nervously, Angelos did as ordered and the Submarine shifted course again.

All too soon, the feeling of nervousness returned, of dread. It made them want to turn the Submarine away from the course that they were on, as if it was wrong and disobeying some sort of law. That if they continued on the path that they were going, it would cause only ruin. The feeling continued to grow and grow for all of them... except the Captain. She simply stood at the helm, an island of calm. Most of them took comfort in that fact and even as whatever it was began to yell, to scream at them to turn from their course, they continued on. Their trust in their Commanding Officer was so ironclad, they were able to force the feelings aside.

More than that though, it was also almost as if Atalanta was... radiating something. Whatever it was, it filled them with courage to continue onwards. Thus, steeled, the Submarine plunged forward towards whatever awaited them. A gasp made them turn and they could see what looked like silvery light coming up the corridors from the bow. None of them had time to do more than close their eyes and bring up their arms as their instincts screamed to run away, certain that they were about to die...

Then... it was past and they were all alive. Out of all those there, only Atalanta did not pat herself down to make sure that she was alive. Said Captain only took a sip of her coffee and hummed, "Interesting."

Slumping in her seat, Angelos stared ahead as the Submarine continued on it's course, "I... I thought that I was going to die."

Gently patting her shoulder, Atalanta shook her head, "Like I said, you were not about to."

Eyes narrowing, her XO turned his attention to her, "You knew something, Ma'am? About what just happened?"

For several seconds, Atalanta was silent. But then she nodded with a slight frown, "I did, but not directly. Mostly through... hearsay, let us just say. Reports and the like that are classified, just like this is all going to be to the highest levels for the next few years."

Needless to say, that got several wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

However, soon enough they shrugged it off and got to work. Not at all to Atalanta's surprise, she got information that the seafloor was rising beneath them and frowned, "Bring us up to the surface so that we can see exactly where we are."

When they surfaced, the Huntress went up top and stood upon the sail. Behind her, Mikos took off his cap and stared at the island before them, "That can't be... there isn't supposed to be an island here. It isn't on any maps..."

Bemused, Atalanta chuckled some, "No, I suppose not." Her expression than turned serious, "Let's get the UAVs out and have them scout out the island. I would prefer for there to be no surprises at all..." Spotting something, the Captain narrowed her eyes before bringing up some binoculars that were around her neck, "... There's what looks like a Cruiser Ship wrecked close to shore."

Surprised, Mikos brought up his own binoculars and looked in the same direction before frowning, "You're right, Ma'am. And from the looks of her, she must have been wrecked here for... years. Maybe even as far back as Blood Week judging by some of the holes in her."

Thoughtful, the Huntress nodded before sighing, "That means that the UAVs are all the more important."

With a nod, the Commander left her there still looking out onto the island, silently...
_____________________________________________________________________

A few hours later, Atalanta was looking over the video taken by the UAVs as they flew over the island. Hers was the only expression not filled with disbelief, "Seems that we can confirm that the island is not uninhabited."

Looking away from the image of what looked like a town right out of Ancient Greece, her XO snorted, "No, we cannot confirm that it is uninhabited." A frown crossed his face and he scratched his chin, "But then, we are in something right out of that American show... the Outer Limits, I think."

One of the other Officers who was a bit younger than Atalanta herself appeared to be piped up, "Or perhaps that other show, SeaQuest? Didn't they have an episode where they fought Poseidon or something?"

Internally, Atalanta scoffed at the idea of a human Submarine fighting the Lord of the Seas. But she kept quiet and only nodded some, "I don't think that we have any gods that we are going to be fighting."

Arms crossed, Mikos shook his head, "No, but that does not mean anything." Rewinding the video, he paused it and pointed at the odd humanoid creatures, "I swear, those are real life Minotaurs. And we've seen some Cyclops."

Grimacing only slightly, the Captain nodded, "And Centaurs as well. But more importantly..." She gestured at what seemed to be between the female Cyclops and Minotaur, a young man, "There are humans living here."

No one said anything before Angelos spoke up, her voice unsure, "Maybe... they're survivors from the shipwreck close to the shore? And..." With a helpless shrug, she continued, "Maybe they're like that island we visited out in the Atlantic? Saint Brendan's?"

There were various nods of agreement at that. Atalanta gave the flustered Lieutenant a smile at that, "It is quite possible that you are right." Sipping her coffee, she glanced at Mikos, "And the Cruise Ship? Have we any information regarding that?"

Slowly, he nodded with a sigh, "Her name is the Atlantis and she was believed to be lost with all hands in an attempt to make it to Santorini when Blood Week started..."

Expression saddening, Atalanta shook her head, "If they had made it there, they would all be dead." Briefly, a memory flashed across her mind of the caldera of that island, the town wrecked. and wreckage everywhere. More than that, an ROV that was sent down found the entire floor of the caldera was covered in wrecks. The Abyssals having allowed for the civilian ships and one of the Hellenic Navy Destroyers to gather there in the false shelter of the caldera... and promptly slaughtered them all. Eyes closed, she muttered a brief prayer for said lost souls before opening them, "In regards to the island, we're going to continue recon on it until the other shipgirls arrive. Once they do, we will plan accordingly as to what we will be doing..."

 

Harry Leferts

Taking a seat on Medea's desk, Georgios placed a mug of coffee down which said Admiral took gratefully. She then turned her attention to the computer screen which was showing various pictures of the island, and the inhabitants. One of those which had caused them to pause and consider things being a Re-Class with oddly colored hair and clothing that was not like any of the others of said Abyssal class that they had seen before.

Part of the shipgirl suspected though that more than some of those in intelligence were keeping far too close an eye on the Abyssal for other reasons, in particular the male ones...

Just shaking that off though, Georgios frowned as she looked at the pictures that Medea was going through, "So they survived Blood Week and what happened afterwards?"

Slowly nodding, Medea put down her mug with a smile, "Yes, and I'm glad that they survived." A grimace crossed her face briefly, "I will admit that I have been planning to go and check up on them, but everytime something came up that prevented me from doing so."

Gently, the shipgirl squeezed her girlfriend's shoulder, "And I am sure that if you could have, you would have." Turning back to the screen, she hummed, "You mentioned the name of the island, Aeaea? The home of Circe?"

Medea chuckled a bit and shook her head, "Yes, that was where my Aunt lived about, oh... three or so thousand years ago? She left though and moved to another island near Italy about twenty five hundred years ago. Was getting annoyed at being visited so often, though why she chose an island just off the coast from Italy, I do not honestly know. Really, anyone could just swim out to the place if they really tried... or walk through the marsh that connected it with the mainland."

Head tilted to the side, Georgios raised an eyebrow, "What happened to your aunt?"

Waving a hand, the Sorceress sighed, "My Aunt eventually headed off some time later and met Morgana. Do not know what those two got up to, and I do not want to know. She also helped Morgana set up an island off the coast of Italy as well." Taking a sip, she hummed a bit, "I don't know much about what my Aunt has really been up to in the last twelve or so centuries. We... had something of an argument and she got very angry with me and vice versa."

Eyebrow raised, Georgios frowned a bit, "Oh? How so?"

A grimace on her face, Medea glanced at her girlfriend, "I had a student, very promising to be honest. He soaked up the magic that I was teaching him like no one else. One day, I left for a time and my Aunt came and visited."

That caused Georgios to wince, "Ah, I can guess how that went..."

Now scowling, the Sorceress snarled, "Oh yes! My student was perfect at the time and did his duties as a host in my absence. And what did my oh so wonderful aunt do? Turned him into an Ass and let him loose on the countryside because she does not like men. By the time I found him and turned him back, he had been used by a harsh farmer for months. He... was never the same again after that and left, though he did not blame me. Granted, I went out of my way to antagonize my Aunt shortly after myself."

Somewhat concerned, the Georgios leaned down, "What did you do, Medea?"

Leaning back, Medea sighed a bit and shrugged, "I decided that I was going to piss her off in my own way. I am certain that you have heard of Scylla?"

It took a few moments, but the shipgirl remembered one mythological fact, "Wasn't she a Nymph that was transformed by..." Her eyes widened a bit, "Circe?"

Only nodding, Medea sighed, "Correct. Long story short, Glaucus loved her and went to my Aunt for a love potion. She fell in love with him instead and asked that he forget Scylla and become her lover. But... he rejected her stating he would never stop loving Scylla but still trusted her to make a love potion. You can guess what happened..." Then, the Sorceress shrugged some, "Well, I was rather pissed at my Aunt, and had more than two thousand years experience at that point. After what happened with Atalanta, I researched magical transformations especially and thus, turned Scylla back... though she could assume a form sort of like a human with an octopus bottom, granted she did not mind it for some reason. She also asked me to transform Charybdis back as well, and since that would piss off Zeus, I did though they could assume more monstrous forms after." A frown crossed her face and she shook her head, "I never expected those two to become lovers, though I suppose when all you have is each other for a over a thousand years... and they have had some children, somehow..."

Unnoticed by her, Georgios had an odd expression on her face, 'Wait, if they are both girls and Scylla sometimes gains the lower body of an octopus... nope! Nope! Images begone!'

Still thoughtful, Medea shook her head, "Anyways, the two of us started talking about... a century and a half ago or so, I think? Apparently she needed someone to cry to after she broke up with some woman named Colombe or something. Said woman was protected by one of the other Pantheons, so all she could do was drink her sorrows away and cry to someone who would listen. To say that it was... awkward for me is putting it mildly." Drinking some coffee, she rolled her eyes, "And I was basically it as Hecate was still pissed at her to no end for something or another." Taking another gulp of coffee, the woman scowled, "My whole family sucks."

Deciding not to even touch that subject, the other woman decided to clear her throat, "About Aeaea..."

Expression becoming thoughtful, Medea hummed a bit, "Right, well... the Minotaurs before you ask are descended from the original. My Aunt spirited away the children the original ones had-"

Eyes wide, Georgios held up a hand, "Wait, 'Ones'? As in more than one original Minotaur?"

Bemused, the Sorceress chuckled, "What? Did you think that considering my other Aunt lusted after said bull that she would stop with just one? Oh, no. Then again, Pasiphae was just plain odd. What with the whole having poisonous snakes, scorpions, and centipedes coming out of my Uncle's dick if he laid with any woman but her to kill them. Gods... what a freak." Shaking her head, Medea sighed, "Anyways, Circe transported them to her island and let them live there. Sometimes she transformed shipwrecked people into more to keep it going, but still. Thus, when the ICW decided to make one of their little 'Reserves' there, they decided on it due to my Aunt's protective spells and their own added on."

Rubbing the side of her head and attempting to banish the images in her mind, Georgios sighed, "Which might be problematic considering what happened when Atalanta's Submarine journeyed there."

Much to her confusion, Medea smirked, "Not as much trouble as you might think." Taking a sip of her coffee, she hummed, "I gave Atalanta a little gift to take with her. A special talisman, which now that it is inside the barriers allows for me to take control of the magic there." Waving her hand, the Sorceress caused glowing Greek letters and the like to form in the air before her, "Complete control."

Jaw dropping, Georgios looked at the letters and back to the Admiral. Finally, she was able to speak, "What does this mean for you?"

Head tilted to the side, the Sorceress shook her head, "Not too much for myself as I don't really care for control over the island itself. But here is the thing... see this?" Tapping one symbol, lines spiderwebbed out from it and connected with others, "The ICW when they laid the spells didn't keep them separate, the idiots. I do not know what they were thinking at the time, probably being lazy and cheap, but they attached them directly with the spells that Aunt Circe laid. Most likely because they felt that they were... improving the spells or some bullshit. I don't quite know how to describe it except... Circe's spells were steel mesh, they basically taped over the holes. But because I got control, if I follow this line..." Her finger traces one of the parts of the spiderweb and came to a stop, "This is the Anti-NoMaj portion of the spell, which basically makes those without magic avoid the island. If they get too close, it gives them a panicky feeling."

Leaning forward, Georgios frowned, "So you can bring it all down?"

With a chuckle, Medea nodded, "I could..." Seconds later, she became serious again, "But I'm not. Same with the spells that hide the island from sight. Because that would give up the game that someone with a lot of magical power just fucked the Statute and probably set off who knows how many alarms. No, but what I can do..." Snapping her finger with a twisting motion of her wrist created a ghostly flame that she pressed against the symbol. The flame disappeared into it and Medea twisted her hand a bit more, which made the symbol seem to decay. After a few moments, she nodded, "Is that. Basically causing accelerated decay of the spells in such a way that in a couple of months they will no longer even work and reveal the island. But it will look, well, not natural mind you, but as a long term consequence of damage to them, most likely done by Abyssals. Most likely, the spells will decay and fall either in the summer or just before next year, at which point the ICW would realize the problem and it would be too late."

For several seconds, the shipgirl was silent before she spoke, "I... see. Well, you do know more about this. That said-" She glanced at Medea, "Isn't this accelerating the collapse of the Statute?"

Grimacing, Medea shook her head, "Not as much as you might think. Remember some of the hysteria in Africa regarding witches and the like? There is some Dark Lord down there causing trouble who managed to use the war to hide his activities. He's no Grindlewald, but it is still causing the ICW to go into full crisis mode as he's trying to be a warlord. Then you have the Efreet and Djinn in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, whatever they are up to is slowly coming to a head." With a glance to the north, she shook her head, "And there's other things as well, some of the Uboats have been investigating an anomaly in the Baltic where their hydrophones have picked up crying, where Jurate is chained under the ruins of her amber palace. That is not getting into Baba Yaga moving around Russia." Sighing, she only shook her head, "This won't accelerate it much more than it has."

A frown on her face, Georgios raised a finger, "But what if the ICW tries to interfere?"

Lips curling into a smirk, the Admiral chuckled, "That is rather easy, I am going to assign a number of the older shipgirls to the island. Give it a few weeks, and none of the humans there will be able to have their memories modified, if they can still be with an Abyssal there." Getting a nod, Medea continued with a handwave, "And who will the ICW send? Greece's magical government is dead and has been since Blood Week, what is left are a bunch of smaller groups who are more concerned with actual magical crime than anything else in their particular areas and they are barely able to hold. Italy? They'll state that they got enough issues of their own. Turkey?" A snort escaped her, "Good luck, like Italy they have enough problems without needing to borrow any. Especially with their issues with how the non-magical government is going. Besides which, asking Turkish forces to deal with issues on Greek soil? That will cause the Statute to collapse right there and not in a good way. Besides which..." Medea waved a hand, "No real decision will be accomplished for at least a month on our side besides simple recon work."

Considering that, Georgios nodded with a hum before turning her attention to the map, "Do you think that there are any other islands that could be magical and discovered soon?"

Head tilted to the side, Medea considered that, "There are a few, I suppose. Most of them are just old ruins generally. If there was one though that I would consider? It would be the Shapeless Isle with the gorgons and the like on it."

Eyes wide, the shipgirl stared at the Admiral for a few moments, "The gorgons? As in Medusa and the like? They're... real?"

Chuckling, Medea opened her hands in a gesture as if presenting herself, "I'm real, aren't I? And yes, they are real though the island is also home to the Drakaina. Because of course since both are reptilian humanoids, and females, it makes perfect sense to stick them together. Granted, since then the two species have... interbred enough through sons from one another that you can have issues distinguishing between them. But that could be more an issue for later, I think considering things."

Somewhat bemused, Georgios shook her head before looking back at the monitor with the pictures of Minotaurs on it, "Though I wonder... do you think that have they figured out that someone found them?"

Now also looking, Medea frowned, "Most likely, yes. Cyclops have very good eyesight after all, and would be able to soon tell that the drones and shipgirl aircraft are not birds. But... that is out of our hands for now. All we can do is wait for orders..."

 

Lord Khuzdul

As the Greek submarine pushed through the wards, two shapes were watching her, some distance away. At first glance, they appeared to be U-boats, with the characteristic wetsuit of the German ships. However, their suits were of a clearly older design, and when one looked closely, it was obvious that these girls were much smaller. And the Turkish flag patch on their shoulders was distinctive.

"That's the Greek submarine with the scary captain, isn't it?" said Birinci Inönü.

"Yup. Not sure what she is doing though. There is nothing there. And her route seems she really doesn't want to go that way," replied her sister, Ikinci Inönü.

"Should we follow?"

"I don't know. It feels like that is the sort of thing that would make Sakarya mad."

"But she told us to find the source of the transmission, and it was coming from that direction? Why would she be mad if we accomplish the mission?"

"Well, Greeks do get uncomfortable when we are around?"

"Hey, I even got Averof to sneak me candy. I think we can overcome that bit."

Ikinci Inönü shrugged, still unsure. "Well, we can't exactly ask anyone now, can't we? We are submarines, we are supposed to be independent."

Two little boats moved to tail their much larger distant cousin.

---

No need to make it canon, I just thought it would be a nice place to start introducing some of the Turkish girls I will be using later. These are Birinci Inönü and Ikinci Inönü, two Type UB III coastal submarines of the Turkish Navy, first submarines of the Republic, built by the Dutch. They are tiny, because they are 500-ton coastal boats, and their weapons grade cute is more dangerous than their WW1 vintage torpedoes.

Sakarya mentioned before is an Italian Argonauta class submarine, and the cat-herder of the Turkish submarines (she is the oldest that can be trusted with the responsibility. Inönü sisters are too small, and Dumlupınar is a derp).

 

Yellowhammer

Consecration I

Tsurugaoka Hachimangū, Kamakura

Eishō 8, 7th Day of the 7th Month (June 7th 1511)
Spoiler: The Decision

A hot wind blew the songs of the farmers in the rice paddies to the shrine of the Protector of Warriors. It flapped in the banners of three proud and great clans.

To the west, the four black diamond mon of the Takeda Clan fluttered from their black and white banners. The wind carried the nickering of their peerless cavalry's horses as a procession made its way from their camp to Hachimangū.

To the east, light blue and white banners flapped in the wind. Emblazoned with the three dragonscale mon of the Hōjō Clan, a matching procession left their camp to head to the shrine.

Finally to the north, the dark blue banners of the Uesugi Clan showed their mon of two flying sparrows in bamboo as a third procession left their camp to head to the shrine.

All three processions came to the first Torii gate, where they dismounted. Glares were exchanged and hands found the hilts of weapons as the three daimyos, each with a double handful of retainers, walked along the consecrated path to the stone staircase. The priests and monks watched as radiating hostility, the three delegations climbed the centuries-old staircase, and approached the main shrine.

Awaiting them, a phalanx of monks and priests bowed to each in turn. Once the last servant was seated and tea was served, the chief priest nodded to his assistants. The shrine bell was rung twice by a team of monks, the sound of the bell causing doves to fly from the roofs. All present bowed to the door to the Honden sanctuary as Hachiman manifested invisibly.

He surveyed the assembled priests, monks, and samurai with an unreadable face.

"Bring forth the offerings!' The High Priest commanded, as three samurai, clad in Takeda black, Hōjō light blue, and Uesugi dark blue came forth and bowed, as each presented a sword for His invisible inspection on the provided sword racks.

All was still as Hachiman looked at the three blades offered as the monks and priests examined them.
Spoiler: The Swords

Looking at the first rack, He carefully examined the katana presented. His brow wrinkled slightly as she saw the humble, almost ostentatiously austere, fittings with a simple square iron tsuba guard etched with His dove. Nodding, He watched a senior monk draw the sword and a stifled expression of awe rose through the crowd as the perfection of Masamune steel was revealed to all present. Moving through a fast kata, the monk paused, as one by one seven kanji, the Seven Virtues of Bushido, shone forth.

He nodded to Himself, this was the weapon of a humble and loyal samurai, perfectly forged to serve its lord and master as a servant should. He sensed her spirit's willingness to serve Him in any way required unhesitatingly in accordance with Bushido.

As He turned to the second sword's presentation, the Takeda daimyo shot a triumphant smile at his rivals. Clearly his offering of the Masamune he had commissioned from one of the Master's apprentices in the school that the Master had founded would be viewed as superior and the Protector of Warrors would bless his cause.

The second sword glittered with gold as the monk picked it up. His eyes narrowed slightly as Hachiman surveyed the decorative ornamentation, and a minute wrinkle creased His brow as the sword was drawn. Gold inlay was patterned in the steel with a prayer of praise to Hachiman. Another stir ran through the crowd at the sight, with hushed whispers for the beauty of the weapon.

Beautiful, but the weapon of a courtier and not a warrior. Unsuitable.

With that he watched the monk perform the kata again, and then replace the sword.

The Hōjō daimyo smiled triumphantly at the pleased comments from the assembled dignitaries.

Beside him, his Takeda rival's smile became more smug.

Sweat patterned the brow of the Uesugi daimyo as the priests reached the third stand.

Unlike the other two katanas, the third was a mighty no-dachi greatsword. Gold flashed from the menuki of two doves on her hilt as Hachiman minutely inspected her, his face thoughtful. As before, the monk unsheathed her, and eyes widened at the curve of equally perfect Muramasa steel exposed. The dignitaries laughed at the ostentatious blade's clear 'compensation' as her decorations, her massive size, and her Muramasa steel suggested a blatant attempt to sway the judges.

Hachiman's eyes narrowed at the spirit he sensed within as he thought silently as His priests and monks laughed.

Strong and resolute she was, but also eager for battle in ways the Masamune was not... and yet... something could be made of her. She had a use in His plans. But not in this place, not yet.

Finishing the kata, the monk replaced the third sword and the High Priest stepped forth. He bowed to the three daimyo and then spoke in a clear voice.

"Hear our words. Masamune-no-Tokunotakai is pleasing to Lord Hachiman's sight and shall remain here as His Blade to serve the temple."

The dove engraving on Tokunotakai's tsuba blazed with bright white light as Hachiman consecrated her. The Takeda daimyo's face curled in a triumphant smile as he bowed his head to the ground.

"The Hōjō Yoshihiro blade is likewise accepted by the Hachimangū as worthy of enshrinement."

Hachiman shook His head. The sword was beautiful, and well crafted, but not that of a soldier. A showpiece, on the other hand....

A hush ran through the crowd as the golden prayer on the blade stayed inert. The Hōjō daimyo blanched slightly.

Finally the priest looked at the no-dachi. "This... monstrosity... is not suitable for enshrinement here. Let it be taken back by the Uesugi!"

Hachiman invisibly nodded to himself. This fitted His plans for an agent outside the walls of His Temple, and He dimly sensed that this blade would have an important part to play in future events. She would be the fulcrum on which much depended.

Hachiman reached out to invisibly touch the nodachi blade and whispered. "I have plans for you, My Daughter. Have faith." As the blade was wrapped back up in the dark blue silk, the dove menuki flashed white in turn, although none saw it.

The Uesugi daimyo bit his lip at the apparent rejection. He glared at his advisors as the other two delegations left the shrine. "Get that blade out of my sight."

 

Yellowhammer

Consecration II

Brussels, Belgium, June 13th, 1707
Spoiler: Dove's Birth

"Now push!" The midwife grasped Julie d'Aubigny's hand as the woman screamed in pain and her swollen belly rippled with the effort.

The door opened and a young man entered, doffing his hat and shaking out the rain from his cloak. "Julie, I came as quickly as I could..."

Tear-filled hazel eyes turned to him as the legendary and scandalous Frenchwoman looked at one of her lovers. Julie gasped out his name and then screamed as a fresh contraction rippled through her. "Jean-François!"

He hastened to her side. As he knelt to take her free hand, a faintly glowing white dove landed on the windowsill to survey the scene.

"I see the head, one more push Julie!"

The pregnant woman bit through her lip and grunted with the effort. Hands callused by twenty years of dueling across France and the Low Countries clenched on Jean-François' riding gloves as she choked out a scream of agony.

The thin cry of the newborn rewarded her efforts as a small infant girl slid down to the waiting mattress. A fresh gusher of blood followed and the midwife frantically hastened to try to stem the bleeding. As the infant girl was placed on her mother's breast, a ripple of energy filled the room, and motes of light formed a gold and patterned steel fencing rapier leaning against the bed.

Julie's sweat-soaked and pale face focused on her child, and then her eyes lifted to the dove witnessing the birth. "c-colombe..." she whispered as her face acquired a deathly pallor.

Jean-François' face turned ashen and he grasped her hand hard. "Don't go, your child needs you, Julie!" He whispered as the midwife shook her head at the failure to stem the flow of lifeblood from the dying woman.

Julie's eyes found his with an unspoken plea in them, and he nodded, swallowing hard. "I promise I shall, Julie."

Julie's eyes unfocused and she whispered her final words through bloody lips as her strength left her. "Merci... She has... Nori... s... eyes..."

Jean-François sobbed over her corpse. The cry of the infant roused him and he looked at the midwife, then pulled several gold francs from his purse. "Go, hire a wet nurse for the child."

As the servant closed the door behind him, the Squib nobleman closed his eyes and pinched his nose. He then looked at the faintly glowing sword and the infant. Sighing he gestured with a hand and blinked silver-glowing eyes as the sword, the infant, and a brooch on her table all glowed silver. "The only spell I mastered at Beauxbatons, and it gives me more questions than answers."

With that he heard a coo behind him and half turned to see the dove witnessing him. He stared at the bird, fingering his belt at the sight of the glowing aura around the dove. "I do not know who you are a messenger of, but I swear on my honor and my soul that I shall raise this girl as a du Chasteler."

The dove surveyed him gravely, then nodded once in acceptance. As it did so, an engraving of a dove flared to life on the cross-guard of the rapier.

Jean-François looked at the blade then back to the dove. "So that's it then. I do not know what I shall tell Marie, apart from my mistress died in childbed and left me a bastard daughter to raise when we reach my holdings tomorrow."

He sat down next to the bed with the dead woman, and gently cradled the infant. "I suppose I shall have you baptized as Colombe du Chasteler if you live the requisite week for the priests to perform the rite."

Colombe's crystal blue eyes found the dove witnessing her birth, and she reached out an infant hand toward the bird as it took flight.

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

Presently the dove landed on a cherrywood perch far indeed from Brussels. The Protector of Warriors looked up from his writing desk and lowered his ink brush as the dove cooed.

"So Norimune refused to return at the news?"

A bob of the head and another coo.

Hachiman pinched his nose. "That headstrong Blade of mine! Well you can lead a horse, or in her case a stubborn mule to water, but cannot make her drink. At least Colombe has a honorable man to raise her."

Another head bob.

"It is not much, but it is something. Norimune will not like the consequences of her choice, though. It will be decades at least before she meets her firstborn."

The dove fluttered its wings and Hachiman nodded in response.

"Still, this complicates things, since I will have to find out a way to contact Colombe once she grows up. Well done, My Messenger. Watch over Colombe for now and notify me if she is threatened by other pantheons. Gaijin-born or not, she is one of My Kami, just as her sire is, and I do not wish for her to be harmed. One day the Europeans will contact the Land of the Gods, and when that happens, I shall need subordinates with a foot in both worlds to manage affairs."

Then dove bowed its head and took flight.

 

Harry Leferts

All was quiet in the Norwegian forest, just the sound of snow and the cracking of wood in the dark, late February pre-dawn hours. The Sun would not rise, for some time yet due to the time of year. In fact, the Sun would barely rise over the horizon. And so, it was almost peaceful...

Until, that is, there was a fireball between the trees that dissipated to reveal an old man in garish robes, a one armed and eyed woman in Naval dress, another somewhat young though also worn woman, and a large, red bird in the old man’s shoulder.

Looking around, Victory frowned before pulling out a pocket watch and frowning at the time, “Blast it, Bumblebee. How long are we to wait? Because right now it is cold enough to freeze the Devil’s own knickers.”

Head tilted to the side, Dumbledore hummed a bit, “The Devil’s knickers? Does he wear them?”

Scoffing, the shipgirl gave him a look, “Yes, and he looks smashing in them. Brings out the goat legs, don’t you know. It is the lace, I think.” Victory then narrowed her gaze, “And you did not answer the question.”

Chuckling, the wizard checked his own pocket watch and nodded, “It will not be too long now, Vicky. Should be no more than five minutes and then we can get your creaky old bones somewhere warm.”

Only glaring, a growl escaped from Victory, “Creaky old bones my arse, Bumblebee. Not all of us have magic to warm us after all!” Moments later, her friend waved his wand and she felt warmth cover her which made her snort, “Better.”

Somewhat bemused, the until now silent shipgirl spoke up, “Is this how it usually goes for you, Victory? Headmaster Dumbledore?”

Turning to her, Dumbledore smiled and nodded, “It is, Miss Haarfagre. Us old people need to amuse ourselves somehow.”

Just snorting a bit in amusement as Victory demanded to know who he was calling old, the Coastal Defence Ship, Harald Haarfagre shook her head at their antics. Ignoring them for the moment, she glanced around and tried to figure out exactly where in Norway they were. Before she could get too far into her thoughts, she heard the sound of bells and turned as a sleigh right out of a storybook pulled up. ‘Hmm...’ Her eyebrows twitched a bit as a man with holly green robes came out and a large, white beard that went down to his waist and was tucked into his belt. Glancing at the sleigh, she noted that yes, it was pulled by reindeer, ‘Note to self, do not let Troll know about this.’

Shaking Dumbledore’s hand, the old wizard was all smiles, “Albus, it is good to see you my friend. It has been far too long.”

Dumbledore chuckled as he returned the greeting and nodded, “And you, Eirik! It has been far, far too long. But alas, the war. You know how it is.”

With a sigh, Eirik nodded, “The war, yes. Always a terrible thing and I hoped to live out my life without seeing my homeland embroiled in another conflict the likes of which we are.” Seeking to look far older, pain in his eyes, the old wizard grimaced, “The war with Grindlewald was enough for me.”

Perking up some, Haarfagre now turned an interested gaze on the old man, “You fought in the war?”

Slowly, Eirik made a sound of confirmation, “I did. Was in the local resistance against Grindlewald as a matter of fact and remained here throughout the war fighting.” With a nod in Dumbledore’s direction, he smiled, “This old bat used Fawkes to transport us supplies. Needless to say, he’s been a true friend over the years.”

Rather than say anything, the Headmaster simply bowed his head some. Turning towards Haarfagre himself, he gestured at the other man, “May introduce you both to Eirik Bjornson, Minister of Magic of Norway.”

Just raising his finger, Eirik chuckled, “Minister of the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Magic.”

Eyebrow raised as she held out a hand, which was taken by a firm grip, the Norwegian shipgirl hummed, “Royal Norwegian Ministry of Magic?”

Briefly, a saddened look crossed Eirik’s face before he nodded, “Despite the separation, we always kept to our roots. We are loyal to our country and crown before we are to the ICW.” Glancing at Dumbledore, he smirked a bit, “Despite what some would rather.” Ignoring the snort, the old wizard continued, “And, I hope, that this will be the first steps towards that being in more than name only.”

Haarfagre gave a chuckle and nodded, "One can only hope."

With a smile of his own, the Minister gestured to the open door of the sled, "Well, we must be off. It is an hour away after all before we can reach our destination even with magic."

Interested, Haarfagre stepped inside only to blink and not from the warmth that surrounded her. The reason being that the interior of the sled was much larger than the inside with plush, leather seating and a carpeted floor. Glancing at her feet, she noted that the snow and slush vanished automatically as did any dirt. With a slight nod, she hummed as she got out of the way for the others, 'Interesting.'

Once they were all inside, the sled began to move through the trees at a high speed. With a wave of his wand, Eirik opened a cabinet and smiled, "May I get you any drinks?" After getting various responses, he poured out the chosen drinks and sat back with a sigh, "I must thank you all for coming. And I... recognize that the cloak and dagger portion of this may be much, but there would be those watching that I would rather not alert to what is going on."

Frowning, Haarfagre narrowed her eye some, "In your own government?"

Simply waving a hand though, the Norwegian Minister of Magic sighed, "There might be a few. But my main worry is any ambassadors or members of the ICW that could be around. Some of them report back on things of interest, which this would be." Lips curling, he chuckled, "Well, except as far as they know, I am using my influence for an early morning sleighride through the countryside. Normal, for someone higher up to take a break as such."

The Norwegian shipgirl only nodded, "I see..." Shaking it off, Haarfagre sipped her drink and felt the burning sensation of the alcohol go down her throat, "It is a good thing then that this is such. Though I will admit that I am not quite sure what I am doing here."

Blinking, Eirik stared at her before fixing an amused Dumbledore with a look, "You have not told her?"

Albus put a surprised look on his face before shaking his head sadly, "I am afraid not, my friend. Must be my age, I think, it makes one forget things."

Pinching his nose, Eirik turned back to Haarfagre and was silent for a few moments to gather his thoughts. Finally, he began to speak, "As I am sure that you understand, the magical world was just as affected in some ways by the various wars as the non-magical world. Like the NoMajs, we saw the coming storm in the 1930s as Grindlewald began his rise. I remember it well, especially in regards to students from Drumstrang, though I never went there." At the look, he shrugged, "I am what the English call a 'Muggleborn', thus I was not allowed to go to Drumstrang. Instead, I had to make due with one of the smaller schools here in Norway."

Her eyes narrowing, Haarfagre frowned, 'An issue that should be rectified...'

Not having noticed her reaction, the Minister continued, "Like our NoMaj counterparts, we began preparations. Our population though is smaller than the other nations outside of Scandinavia, thus we had to leverage what we had. We were not alone in this as both the Ministries in Denmark and Sweden also prepared. One thing that we did was pool our resources and build a small navy."

Sucking in a breath, Haarfagre realized what he meant, "But they did not return when the King called upon them."

Only shaking his head, Eirik frowned, "No, they did not." Looking the shipgirl in the eye, he let out a breath, "Because they had already returned at the start of Blood Week, though mostly in the more northern areas of Norway. We did not have much, mind you. Very few as a matter of fact. They've fought like wolves to keep the Abyssals busy up here. In that, they were helped by our other military forces." At the blink from her, he gave a very thin smile, "We were... prepared, during the Cold War just in case with enchanted aircraft from the Second World War that we scavenged. I was Minister during the late eighties and nineties when the Soviet Union fell and bought some Jets with some gold just in case. We used them as well, though we've started to run out of ammunition for them." Spreading his hands, the Minister sighed, "Most of those in the Magical Military are magical beings who volunteered."

Just leaning forward, Haarfagre considered this, "I see." A group of folders was handed to her and she began to look through them, "Are these them?"

Humming, the Minister nodded, "They are, all of them answered the call of the lone Natural Born, as I believe that they are called, who asked for help." With one finger, he tapped one folder, "In this life, she is known as Karina Rebekkadottir... in her previous one, she was the Coastal Defense Ship, KNM Valkyrien, of the Viking Class that was built between us, Sweden, and Denmark. One deserving of the name."

With a glance at him, Haarfagre opened the folder and her eyes grew wide. There was a picture of a ship twice her size and a number of guns. Reading through it, she flipped the page and paled as she saw the same ship, likely just before her sinking. Being it was a magical photograph, grainy as it was, the picture moved like a modern gif on a computer. From bow to stern, the ship was covered in hellish flame that took the form of various beasts as it tried to kill her. But even as armour melted like wax, the guns kept firing. Leaning in, Haarfagre could see movement but not much else. Feeling more than slightly sickened, she quickly flipped the picture and took a deep breath before looking at Eirik, "What happened to her?"

For several moments, no one spoke. But it was Dumbledore who answered her, "When the King and his family as well as the non-magical government fled to England, the Valkyrien and her escorts shadowed them to make sure that they would make it. However, somehow, Grindlewald found out and sent forces to capture, or sink, the ships involved. Among his forces were no less than four controlled Lindorn. But the Valkyrien and her escorts managed to stop the Lindorn and sink most of the ships with the escorts sinking in the process. Damaged, the Valkyrien continued to fight in order to distract them... enraged, the wizard in command of Grindlewald's forces there ordered her sunk. They used Fiend Fyre upon her, but despite that, she kept fighting until the bitter end when the flames finally burned through her turrets into the powder room."

Voice soft, Eirik spoke with a near whisper, "There should be a note from a journal recovered from one of those involved in her sinking."

Quickly looking through it, Haarfagre found the bit and read it aloud, "Even with her alight from bow to stern with hellish Fiend Fyre, even with her turrets melting, still she kept firing everything she had at us. Some of those onboard coming out to fire rifles and spells at us, even as they were turned to ash seconds later by the magical flames. Magnificent is the word I could call them, misplaced as their loyalty was against their fellow superior beings. Truly, she lived up to her namesake, the Valkyrie..." No one said anything for almost a minute before Haarfagre closed her eye with a solemn nod, "Yes, she was."

The rest of the ride was spent with the Minister answering various questions for the shipgirl, with Dumbledore adding what little he knew. Finally though, the sled came to a stop and they exited it. One of the first things that the Coastal Defense Vessel did was widen her eyes a bit at the large man who stood nearly fifteen feet tall. Not helping was how he had what had to be a field artillery piece on his back and had thick, steel plates as armour. Spotting them, the man saluted, which they returned, "Minister, Miss Haafagre, welcome to Hulderheim."

Eyes widening slightly, the Norwegian shipgirl stared as she spotted a number of beautiful women watching them. One thing that caught her eye though was that many of them had cow tails with the odd one with a fox tail. Then she gave them a nod before turning towards Eirik, "I hope that you do not keep them here because of what they are."

However, he shook his head, "No, we do not. The Hulder and others live in villages like this in the wilderness because it is easier. They also make charcoal which they sell through various companies to other magical nations, though that has become slightly harder." Pointing at a nearby mountain, the Minister continued, "We actually do help them with their various businesses, such as bergså that mine and the like."

Only humming, but not commenting further, Haafagre gave a small nod to the giant man who she suspected was a frost giant, and followed the Minister with Albus and Victory behind her. They came to a small building near the docks where a young man stood nervously. Seeing them, he saluted, "G-good day, Minister, Miss Haafagre. It is an honour."

Chuckling, Eirik shook his head and waved a hand, "Karl, please, do not be so nervous." Turning to the Norwegian shipgirl, there was a twinkle of amusement, "Karl here is my grandson and helps out with the shipgirls. He is the closest thing we have to a commander. Read all sorts of books on naval warfare so that he could help out."

Heavily blushing, the young man shook his head, "I... I just wanted to do my part and help out."

Lightly laughing, Haafagre clapped him on the shoulder, "Then that is all that one could ask! And it is good that you have done so." For a moment, she seemed to examine him before nodding, "Now where are the others?"

Glancing at his grandfather, the young man took a deep breath, "They are inside, though... Karina might be an issue." Sighing, he shook his head, "She believes that, perhaps, she would not be accepted by the others or by the King because of what she is."

In reply to that, Haafagre narrowed her eyes, "Then she is wrong in every way. Now, have her brought out-"

A squawk made her look up as a young woman in a dress similar to that worn by rural woman was pushed out the door. Behind her, there were various snickers and she turned to them, only for the door to close, "Let me in!"

From inside, various young voices shouted back, "No! Because you are being silly about this, Big Sister! They will like you!"

While the shipgirl, who Haafagre recognized as Valkryien from the ghostly hull, banged on the door, she realized one fact. One which suddenly caused everything to make sense...

Mainly, a cow's tail that was poking out from her skirt.

Just looking at the Minister, he nodded and confirmed it, "She is Hulder, and thinks that because of that she would not be accepted." Grimacing, he shook his head, "I suspect it was due to how she had certain neighbours before moving here lived in a village. Some... do not trust, Hulder due to their reputation."

Scoffing, the Coastal Defence Vessel shook her head and walked up to where Valkrien was still banging on the door before clearing her throat, "Valkryien?"

Very slowly, the Hulder shipgirl turned, "Y-yes?"

Lips curling, Haafagre's arms shot out and pulled her into a hug, "Thank you, for what you have done and have continued to do. You have done well for King and Country." With a chuckle, she continued, "And trust me when I say the King would have no trouble with what you are and would not care."

Bringing her own arms up, Valkryien hugged her silently.

Moments later, she froze as Haafagre spoke, "Which means, of course, we will be presenting you to him at the earliest convivence!"

After all, Troll was not just the only such shipgirl in Norway...

 

NotHimAgain

Flash Back: My Car
The good thing was that Jeffrey was reasonably sure he could kill the girl his sister was hanging around—one of the Japanese kids—fairly quickly when worst came to worst. The bad thing was that he wasn’t so certain of anyone else—especially the Scottish girl, who was disguising at least dirty looks behind a cocky grin. True, he was frequently on the back foot, trying to guess what to do against a stronger opponent, but the rule generally went that Sam stayed home, out of danger. This time around, she could so easily become a hostage.

“… No, to be honest I don’t think I’ve read that one either,” the girl talking with Sam said awkwardly.

“Aw, come on!” the younger girl whined. “You’re from Japan, so why don’t you read manga?”

The sword girl leaned over the back of the car seat, smiling serenely. “That,” she said knowledgeably, “is because American young adult novels.” Sam wrinkled her nose in disgust. And there it was—getting too attached to people who could just as easily become enemies at the drop of a hat whether they wanted to or not. When things went wrong, she would—

“She’s okay with them,” the bucket girl in the back seat said, leaning forward herself. “Don’t worry—Reiko’s pure, and Tonbo gets cranky about hurting innocents.” Jeffrey wasn’t sure whether or not he could believe her—no matter how jokingly, she had still been threatening his sister, and he’d seen jokes turn deadly before—but the Japanese boy turned in the front seat and gave him a curt nod. For some reason, the girls all seemed to defer to him—except the Scot, of course. If he seemed certain Sam would be safe, she probably would be.

Sam had complained in the past about him assuming the worst of new people, so he was learning to extend tentative trust. Little by little, but still.

“… trust me, kid,” the sword girl (probably Tonbo, judging by everyone’s actions back in the field) said, folding her arms, “if you’d read Vampire Knight, you’d be wanting to read Twilight for something less painful.”

“I like Vampire Knight,” the other girl, Reiko, muttered under her breath. Tonbo reached forward and patted her on the head.

“And we love you anyway, you damn heathen,” she said congenially. Reiko swatted at her, and she retreated with a snicker.

“YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS!”

The car swerved, the Scottish girl cackling in response to the Japanese boy’s outburst.

“What happened?” the girl behind Jeffrey chirped up again. “Traffic jam? Statute fell? Marriage interview?”

“Sorry, Mommy, but Daddy’s not in the mood,” the boy grumbled, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Everyone stay ready, we’re gonna have a fight on our hands sooner or later.”

“No, seriously, what happened? I missed it.”

Jeffrey leaned back in his seat. “Our driver made some comment about how she was certain nothing would attack us at the ‘Secret Safe House.’ Your friend doesn’t seem too impressed.”

“You can’t be serious,” the girl repeated dully, glancing over at Sam. “She couldn’t possibly—” she groaned, audibly slapping her forehead. “Actually, it’s pretty sad, but I can see her doing that. Just from today alone. Reiko!” The girl in question balked slightly. “You’ve got kid duty until whatever stupid happens gets stupider. Understand?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“Great!”

Jeffrey wasn’t certain what she was talking about until they arrived at a small suburban apartment building and the Scottish girl unlocked the door, and gestured them in.

“Oh hey!” The dark-skinned woman on the couch stood up, turning to face the people in the doorway. “I didn’t think you would actually come here… saves me the time searching for clues, though.” She raised a half-empty bottle of Coca-Cola. “I don’t suppose you have some actual booze stocked around here somewhere?”

The Scot grinned almost viciously, and Jeffrey realized with a sinking feeling that this was almost exactly what she had been hoping for.
-----

It's weird how clinical writing this one was--just reel off some things that I wanted to happen, spend a little bit of time in Jeffrey DuBois's head, move on to the next snippet. Which, if writing goes the way I'm hoping/planning, will probably be a few shades sillier than my more recent stuff in this story line. I've got the rest of the arc planned for how I want it to run--writing it in the time I have should go easier (and a little quicker) now.

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

Yellowhammer

Consecration III

13 June 1902

"You are well off your game. I actually got a touch in on you." The speaker carefully cleaned off his fencing rapier and then placed it in the rack for its use, which curiously enough, existed in the traditional dojo that they had been sparring in for the last two hours, since well before dawn.

His companion nodded as she turned away from him to look at the rising sun outside. The woman, dressed in the tight breeches, shirt, and boots of a 17th century fencer, racked her own rapier and trembled slightly as she finished. "I know, it is just..."

He walked to embrace her gently. "That she will be facing one of her greatest tests as the sun rises over Africa. Have faith, Julie. Our little dove is ready to spread her wings."

Julie d'Aubigny turned in his embrace, pulling at the French braid she had her hair in to let it cascade down her back like a waterfall of molten gold. Hazel eyes shimmered as she rested her head against Jean-François du Chasteler's chest. "I wish that I had your faith, Jean. Thank you and yours again for being there for her when I could not. Her own mother..."

He silenced her with a kiss to her forehead. "And I could not be there for her after my death in turn. Never there to tell her how proud I am of the woman that she has become. She might not be my child in blood, but in every other way that matters..."

"You gave her what she so desperately needed. A family that loved her. The example of how to live her life with honor. The foundation that she has built herself upon. Jean... Colombe is Nori's child with me, but if things had been different...." Julie trailed off hesitantly.

He placed a finger on her lips to silence her. "I know. But it is better this way. I loved all the children of my loins greatly, but like the father of the Prodigal Son, I loved the one of my choosing most of all, perhaps. And your love for Norimune was greater than your love for me." His tone was sadly proud and carried the weight of many, many discussions upon this topic.

She nodded in acceptance as the rice-paper screens opened and an attendant beckoned. "And it still is. What has happened to Nori..."

He sighed as they began to walk down the corridor of the Japanese castle that they were in. "Has been harsh, yes. Just as what is happening to Colombe is equally harsh. My own grandchild!"

His fist clenched as he continued. "But she redeemed our family honor in the end even though it nearly broke her in the doing. I am not sure that I could have done what was right as she did then. She gets that unwillingness to compromise her ideals, unwillingness to give up the fight from you and Norimune. And the saying is true. The hottest furnace..."

Julie finished the saying with a sadly proud smile on her face as she thought about her love and her daughter. "...is needed to refine the finest steel."

"True. Muramasa steel."

Presently they came to an audience chamber where Hachiman stood by a floor to ceiling mirror. Julie curtsied, and Jean bowed, receiving an acknowledging nod of the Protector of Warriors' head in response, along with a gesture to make themselves comfortable.
Spoiler: Cruicible Of a Chosen

As they seated themselves, the mirror hazed and then cleared, showing a bird's eye view of a place of power deep inside the Congo. Julie clutched Jean's hand as she watched the familiar sight of her weary and travel-stained daughter step between two of the cyclopean stone monoliths to confront the would-be Dark Lord waiting for her.

The Dark Lord whose unwilling slave had furthered the corruption of Colombe's great-nephew and nearly destroyed the du Chasteler family in the doing.

The Dark Lord whose aura, unseen to the rapier who had just drawn herself to challenge him, was marked with the sign of a Chosen of Nkongolo, the deity of evil in this region of the Congo.

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

Hours later, Julie had not moved from where she was seated. Her hand clenched an equally intent Jean hard enough to cut off his nonexistent circulation as their daughter fought for her life.

Colombe was fighting spectacularly, brilliantly, clashing with the axe spirit Kasuyu in a whirlwind of steel as she magically dueled the Chosen of Nkongolo with spell after spell.

Julie's hand clenched tighter as her tiring daughter's parry was a half-second too late and the axe carved a bloody chunk of meat from the outside of her right thigh. Colombe kicked off with her good left leg, 'crossing the box' in a risky maneuver as she blurred past Kasuyu, her free hand hammering his kidney with a vicious punch. As the axe staggered, Colombe's lips moved in an incantation as the bulk of her enemy's avatar broke the line of sight of the Chosen for a critical second.

A scarlet aura flamed around her rapier as she grasped it in two hands and swung her true self with all her force at Kasuyu. The axe staggered as Muramasa steel, reinforced with a custom cutting charm patterned off the masterwork which was forged into her aunt Juuchi Yosamu by Muramasa himself slammed into the enchanted sky-iron of his true self.

Snarling with effort, Colombe pushed him back off balance as his blade notched and blood began to pour from a slash that opened across his chest and then snapped out another enchantment. Lightning crackled around her right foot and she screamed in pain as she kicked him with all her strength.

A flash filled the mirror, and when it lifted, the axe was twenty yards away from the now unconscious avatar. Colombe's lips curled in a smug smirk as she turned...

"Look out!" Julie screamed as the Chosen threw a venomous green bolt of Dark Magic at her unsuspecting daughter.

Colombe, as if hearing her mother's voice, turned just in time. Time seemed to slow as her eyes widened and she batted the killing bolt away from her face with her open left hand. Instantly the hand withered to uselessness and the viridian energies began to eat their way up her arm, leaving scarred and mutilated dead flesh and bone in their wake.
Spoiler: Swearing Of A Chosen

Julie's tears began to fall as her daughter collapsed to the blood-stained dirt of the arena of combat, whimpering in excruciating agony.

Suddenly a young woman's voice sounded in the the observers' ears as Colombe's lips moved. "Someone... anyone... it can't end like this. I need to win, I need to restore our honor... I need to find my father.... "

Hachiman leaned forward, his eyes intent on the gravely wounded rapier as the energies reached her elbow. "Colombe d'Aubigny-Muramasa du Chasteler, I can help you if you willingly swear yourself to Me. Do you swear to fight Evil wherever you find it in this world?"

"I... I do." The dove engraving on Colombe's true body flickered to life with a pure white light as her avatar whispered the words.

"Do you swear to act with honor in your conduct in word and deed, being an example of how a Warrior should act?"

"Oui.. I do..." The light built and began to pulse in time with her heartbeat as the Chosen reached the axe and knelt to pick it up.

"Do you swear to protect the innocent and those needing your help as you encounter them in your travels?"

(3:40 on the piece when the synthesizer kicks in)

The green light of the Killing Curse approached her shoulder as Colombe's hand clenched on the hilt of her now rainbow-glowing rapier. "I... swear...."

"Then Arise, My Blade, and smite your foe down on this day, as you shall smite those who threaten those innocents who need the aid of the Protector of Warriors!"

With that Colombe threw her true self toward the Chosen with the last of her strength.

His eyes widened at the sight of the rainbow-glowing spear of light coming toward him, tipped by Muramasa steel. A gesture formed a shield of black energies that the rapier ripped through like it was paper to impale his heart.

As the corpse of the Chosen crumpled, the energies eating Colombe's avatar flickered out, and the damage from the curse faded in a white glow as she relaxed in the embrace of healing sleep.

Unconsciously Colombe's lips moved in her slumber. "Mama... Papa... Did I do good?" The voice was that of a little girl asking her parents for reassurance.

Julie's tears flowed as she whispered back to her child. "Non, Colombe, you did not do merely good, but great."

Beside her, Jean-François du Chasteler nodded in turn as he wiped tears from his eyes. "I just wish that we could tell you how proud we are of you."

Hachiman looked at them with compassion in His eyes as the scene in the scrying mirror faded. "One day you shall. One day you shall."

 

RCNAnon

Ron, Duke and Warspite 13

There was a moment of pause as the surprise and sudden movement ceased and both sides of the confrontation looked each other over.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?” Duke’s voice rang out, loud and demanding.

“I am Victoria Passel and I greatly apologize for startling the Young Sir and My Ladies. I mean no harm at all and beg leave to explain myself.” The voice was immensely contrite and sounded completely sincere.

Ron couldn’t see what was going but there was another moment of pause and he could imagine looks were being passed back and forth between various people. He couldn’t see anything at the moment, though if he opened his eyes he’d be treated to a rather nice view of white on white. Which was exactly why he kept his eyes closed.

“Summer, please let Ron go I don’t think there’s any danger.” Warspite said.

Ron felt the arms holding him closely let go and he pulled away, only opening his eyes once he was sure he was relatively safe. When he did open them he saw Summer standing over him, still hunched somewhat as she looked down towards him.

“I’m ok Summer. Thank you.” He gave her a smile.

Summer’s face flushed in the mild red that it could do and she nodded.

Ron then finally turned around to see what was happening. Warspite and Duke still had their rigs out but they were not as on edge as they had been. Instead they were looking at the maid, who was bent over at the waist with her skirts held up slightly and her head down. He could see that her clothing was well made if seemingly made plain on purpose, the dress being a flat black color covered with a bright white apron. A head of medium length dirty blond hair fell down over her neck and face.

Ron looked to Warspite as she turned to look at him. She seemed to be asking what he thought about all of this and he gave a shrug.

“I think it would be best if you stood up and explained yourself Miss Passel.” Duke’s voice wasn’t nearly as harsh as it had been, though there was still a small edge to it. She gave a small glance back towards Ron and he gave her a short smile before she turned back around.

The blonde maid in front of them stood up, her head lifting and seemingly seeking him out for a moment. Ron’s eyes met hers for a moment and there seemed to be something she was looking for that she found and a brief look of pleasure crossed her face before she went back to being contrite.

Now that she was fully upright it was easy to see that Victoria, whoever she was, seemed to be a bit older. She wasn’t elderly, in fact if Ron had to compare her face to anyone he would have compared it to Dreadnought’s. A well aged forty something that had been quite pretty in the past, developed into beautiful as she aged and still retained a beauty that would continue well into old age. If such a thing were to happen, as Ron suddenly got an inkling of what might be going on when his mind processed what looking like Dreadnought probably meant. In other matters she looked much less like anyone there, with a middling height that was more than his or his mothers and less than Duke or Warspite’s battleship given size. She was also relatively slender but not excessively so, with only a moderate bosom and flair to her hips.

“Yes.” The blonde bowed her head as she started speaking. “As I said my name is Victoria Passel. I am… the awoken spirit of the house and its grounds.”

She notably paused there, looking up to see the groups reaction.

“I see this does not shock you very much.” She seemed almost disappointed at that.

“I’m HMS Warspite.” Warspite grinned as she dismissed her rig. “Pennant 03.”

“I’m HMS Duke of York, Pennant 17.” Duke similarly dismissed her rig, though Ron could see she was still on guard.

“HMS Dreadnought.” Dreadnought kept her introduction short, though courteous.

“My friend had a tea set from his mum that woke up like you.” Ron said with a grin. “She’s married a battleship.”

“One of my other sons has an Ancient Egyptian Sunship following him around that thinks he’s a reincarnated Pharaoh.” Molly seemed like this was just another day in her life.

Summer didn’t say anything, though the mere fact that she was nine feet tall, fully white in skin tone instead of merely pale and had glowing blue eyes said enough on its own.

“I see my owners are as well traveled and experienced as one could expect.” Victoria seemed to smile slightly and then bowed once more. “I thank you for your acceptance.”

“You said you’re the spirit of the house.” Asked Duke. “So why are you dressed as a maid?”

“A maid and a home are the same no? The master takes care of them and in turn gets taken care of. It is the way things go.” Victoria seemed to think that was quite obvious. “Young Master Weasley and his mother have already demonstrated their willingness to clean me and you have all been discussing renovations to the buildings and grounds.” She tilted her head slightly. “For that you have my thanks. As well as my service if you would have it. My last master was… erratic and would not have accepted my offer so I did not extend it.”

Ron, Duke and Warspite looked between each other and nodded.

“I don’t see why not.” Ron said. “Is there uh… anything you would like or need? I’m not sure what a House Spirit like you might desire as payment.”

“No Young Master.” Victoria seemed quite sincere. “All I would ask is that you not leave me empty as I have been for so long. It gets… quite lonely.” She paused and then smiled. “Though you have already discussed having guests over for rest and relaxation. I would be quite thrilled to serve any and all who came.”

“I think we can manage that.” Warspite said. “A small stipend as well I think.”

“Yes. It would not feel right if you were not compensated in some way.” Duke nodded in agreement.

“You are very kind.” Victoria bowed again.

For a moment there was a pause and then Ron cleared his throat.

“While we’re here, is there anything we should be aware of for the renovations?”

Victoria seemed to light up at that and nodded. “I could very easily provide you with a list if you like.”

“I think that would be good.” Ron said.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Molly cut in, “What exactly can you do as a… House Spirit?”

“In short the house and the grounds are an extension of myself.” Victoria said. “Though I am generally “aware” of things, unless I listen or try to see on purpose I will not notice details. Privacy is important after all.” She paused and then bowed down again. “I apologize for my earlier peeping, I wanted to know what sort of masters I would have.”

“I think we can all forgive that given the circumstances.” Warspite said.

Ron nodded. “Yeah, I don’t think anyone is worried about that.”

Victoria nodded and inclined her head again. “Thank you.”

“We’d planned on hiring a few more staff, will that be necessary for you?” Victoria turned to look at Duke as she spoke.

“I suppose in the strictest sense it is not necessary but it would be a relief for me to not have to do everything myself.” Victoria seemed willing enough to do that if asked but her reservations were clear.

“I think we should still get a few more people to help out.” Ron said, drawing a small curve of the lip from Victoria.

“With how many people might visit? I agree.” Warspite said, with Duke nodding along in agreement.

“I look forward to it.” Victoria seemed quite happy with what was going on.

“Well...” Ron looked back and forth as silence once more descended. “I think we were mostly done with our check of the grounds. I think we should be back soon to help start with the renovations so if you could get that list...”

Ron froze as Victoria pulled a not, inconsiderable sized folio from… somewhere and offered it to him.

“A list of everything you may want to look at for renovation Young Master.” Victoria again bowed slightly as he took it. “From the most pressing to quite minor.”

“Thanks.” Ron was a bit shocked at the promptness but then again a spirit probably had nothing better to do than catalog everything that might be needed to fix itself.

“Is there anything else I can assist with?” Victoria asked.

“No… I think that’s it for now.” Ron forced himself to focus and then nodded.

“Then I will look forward to seeing you all again very soon.” Victoria bowed once more and then suddenly disappeared as if she’d never been there. Only the folio in his hand kept Ron from questioning if he’d just hallucinated everything.

Back at the road and waiting for their ride to come back, Ron looked between Duke and Warspite, with Summer close behind him as she usually was.

“That was unexpected.” He looked down at the folio again. “Really unexpected.”

“I think it will all work out quite nicely.” Warspite said as she let one of her hands rest on Ron’s shoulder.

“Oh I think it will too.” Ron said with a nod. “It just seems like life keeps getting crazier. A house spirit is something I’d expect from Harry.”

“I think that you have quite enough adventure on your own Ron. Without comparing yourself to your friend.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Ron said, finally grinning again as the truck came into view. “Hopefully not too much though.”

“Hopefully.” Warspite looked to Duke, sharing a knowing look. “Hopefully.”
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: Another post by me, hoping to move things along.

And yeah, Ron still needs to remember Murphy but Warspite and Duke are there to look out for him.

 

Yellowhammer

Consecration (Epilogue)

1962, Ian's Pub

Lyra Potter grinned at the sight of a trio of Kitsune maidens leaving the back room of her husband's pub. Although, judging from the perked up ears, wagging fox tails and vulpine smiles, these attendants of Inari were maidens no longer.

Her perverted grin redoubled at the sight of her beloved husband giving her a wink as he ostentatiously reached for a Pepper-up potion to 'rehydrate himself'. The bell rang and automatically he turned his head to the new arrival and froze.

Lyra glanced over curiously, raising an eyebrow at his reaction and her jaw dropped herself.
Spoiler: Julie d'Aubigny's Theme

A beautiful young-seeming female spirit walking through the door of what she privately called Ian-kun's Love Shack was rather the norm.

Said beautiful woman wearing the badge of a servant of Hachiman was also not very unusual.

The beautiful woman entering while wearing knee-high leather boots, skintight breeches, a ruffled silk shirt, leather kidskin gloves, and with a rapier at her waist was very unusual.

Especially with her being an obvious blonde European woman surveying the inside with one hand on the hilt of her sword like she owned the place and could kick the ass of everyone present. Lyra's eyes teared up in the memory of the lover who had stood alongside her and Ian for the last half-century of her mortal life.

Colombe....

The woman strutted over to Ian and spoke to him briefly. He grinned and pointed to Lyra, and the woman made her way to the table that Lyra had commandeered for a 'working lunch' to try to find inspiration for her next story.

As the woman approached, Lyra's eyes narrowed. She wasn't Colombe, not quite. Her eyes were a warm hazel instead of crystal blue, her face a little less angular, and the sword at her side was a slightly different pattern. But the strut and challenging attitude, that was pure Colombe at her most sensual and caused her hormones to dance.

The woman grabbed a chair from the table with one gloved hand, and spun it around to sit reversed on it. "Lyra Potter, oui?" Her contralto voice was a husky purr.

Lyra nodded and extended her hand. "I am she, and you are, Miss?"

The woman stripped off her glove and shook it with a hand with swordsman's calluses on it, "Julie d'Aubigny at your service. I apologize for the delay. I was tied down with the aftermath of the Pacific War when you passed over to here, and then when things had started to settle down in Japan, Lord Hachiman needed someone to establish points of contact with his counterparts in other pantheons, specifically the Norse and Celts. So I got tagged for that since they would see me as a bard or skald as well as a warrior and only now returned."

Lyra blinked twice. "THE Julie d'Aubigny? Colombe's mother? What are you doing here?"

Julie grinned, "The one and only! As for that, I suppose I qualified as the lover of one kami in Norimune-no-Muramasa and the mother of a second in Colombe." She shrugged expressively. "Reading between the lines of what Lord Hachiman has told me over the centuries, I think that I'm here as part of a deal with someone in Europe to prepare for when Norimune or my daughter finally visit here. As an afterlife goes, it is far from the worst and He believes in rewarding faithful service. I'm sure that you can relate."

Lyra nodded and then idly sipped her butterbeer. "The same as Ian asking for me, I suppose."

Julie nodded to the mentioned man as he laid a platter of Arashi cheeses and a loaf of bread and butter down in front of Julie. "Merci!"

She bowed her head briefly over the meal before continuing. "That said, I promised myself that if and when you passed over to here, I would thank you for what you did for my daughter. I am indebted to you."

Lyra idly twined a strand of her dark hair around a finger. "It was the least that I could do for that poor girl. She was quite a broken bird when I met her in 1899."

Julie sighed, "Indeed. I have been following her actions off and on as my duties and scrying allow." Julie's eyes shadowed as she continued, "The situation with Hippolyte, it nearly shattered her. If you had not met her... well, she would have gone to a very dark place indeed. Darker than she actually went during the Great War and the Congo. If there is anything I can do for you in return...."

Lyra laughed, "Not unless you have any good erotic stories to tell me. I'm trying to find inspiration for my newest book, and it is a little lacking right now." Lyra then paused and got a perverted smile, "Colombe was always good for those when I needed a new script for 'Lady Chastity Dovesworth' to have another erotic adventure."

Julie grinned and leaned over the table, "Lady Chastity Dovesworth, hmm? I shall have to track down a collection from the bookstore here to find out what kind of scrapes my little girl has gotten into over the years. As for erotic stories, oh, I have quite a few that I shall share. Want to hear about the time I broke my lover out of the convent that her family locked her up in?"

Lyra's eyes twinkled as she flipped to a fresh page in her notebook and nodded with a perverted smile from ear to ear. "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship...."

 

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love IX

A Piece of Heaven Karaoke Club, Yokosuka, Japan

Moriko giggled as she fed a piece of mebachi sashimi to the boy in her lap with her chopsticks. In turn, he picked a slice of raw fish up with his chopsticks and lifted it over his head for her to snap up.

They smiled as Verniy took the stage to provide some music for the shared 'sashimi platter for two' dinner that they were enjoying. The Russian destroyer smiled at her sisters and mother as she made her song selection and then took the microphone as an accordion played.
Spoiler: Hibiki Sings For DesDiv6 And Harry

"Rastsvietali yabloni i grushi,
Paplyli tumany nad riekoy;
Vyhodila na bierieg Katyusha,
Na viesokiy bierieg, na krutoy."

While neither spoke Russian, the emotions of love for a young man far away from the singer were evident in the white-haired destroyer's voice.

Hchiko looked at the platter. "Last one, do you want it, Moriko-chan?"

The Okami Natural-Born shipgirl nodded. "Hai. I'm a growing girl."

Hachiko laughed and picked up the last slice of tuna for her.

"Oh, look, another shipgirl is taking the stage, who is she?"

Moriko swallowed and answered. "I have seen her around, one of the submarines. Hm, which one is the blond one with the glasses?"

On the stage, the girl tapped out a song selection and began to sing in German after giving Verniy a brief smile as she passed the destroyer.
Spoiler: Hachi Sings About Harry

"Bei der Kaserne, vor dem gro(ss)en Tor
steht 'ne Laterne und steht sie nach davor
da wollen wir uns wiedersehen
bei der Laterne wollen wir stehen
wie einst Lili Marlene"

"I don't know, but she's clearly singing something meaningful to her."

Hachiko leaned back into Moriko's chest a little more as they listened to the melancholy love song.

The subgirl finished her song to applause from the crowd and headed back to her table where several of her fellow submarines hugged her as she arrived there.

"Hm, I wonder who is going to sing next?" Moriko mused idly, taking Hachiko's hands in hers.

The next person to take the microphone was the manager of the karaoke bar. "Good evening, everyone! Are you doing well?"

A collection of cheers and affirmations answered Uzume's words and the smile she gave lit up the room a little and lightened hearts. "Good! It's time for our nightly raffle drawing!"

Hachiko and Moriko dug in their pockets for their tickets as the manager's assistant wheeled out a metal drum with a hand crank. The mechanism was spun and then the manager plunged her hand into the drum. "And our winner for tonight is number 22706!"

Moriko blinked at her ticket.

22706

"Yatta! We won, Hachiko-chan!" She hugged him to her and then they untangled themselves to make their way to the stage.

In a shadowed booth Suzume grinned. "Way to go, Moriko-chan!" Beside her Shigure smiled happily as she sipped her soda and contemplated a return trip where she escorted a capital ship or two for a night out.

Moriko presented the ticket to the manager, who compared them and then announced. "We have a winner! The lucky couple gets a return visit coupon, two draws from our Pit of Plushies, and a free duet song tonight!"

More cheers as the assistants wheeled out a large container that came up to Moriko's waist and Hachiko's chest. The top was covered with a black plastic lid that concealed the plushies inside.

The Okami looked at the Inugami Hanyo and smirked. "One draw each Hachiko-chan?"

He nodded. "Hai, Moriko-chan!"

With that he stuck his arm into the container and rooted around. It seemed like a furry tail leapt into his reaching hand, and he grabbed it to pull the plushy out.
Spoiler: Hachiko's Plushy Moriko....


Moriko barked out a laugh at the stuffed plushy wolf that was revealed. Behind her, DesDiv 6 did a collective squee of joy over how kawaii the plushy was. Tenryuu just hoped no one was looking her way at this time. Suzume dissolved in a gigglefit as her phone shook while she filmed.

Hachiko grinned and held it out triumphantly. "I guess it's your turn, Moriko-chan."

Moriko nodded and stuck her arm in with broad smile. As she rooted around, she felt a plushy move into her grasp. Pulling it out, she howled her laughter with tears in her eyes.
Spoiler: ...And Moriko's Plushy Hachiko!


She had wondered after meeting Hachiko if he had been named for the legendary faithful Akita Inu of Shibuya. And now she had an Akita Inu plushy in her hand! It must be fate.

DesDiv 6 sent out a SOS for an emergency insulin delivery to their table, judging by the squeeing from their location. The submarine table was also 'taiha' critical damage status from the kawaii feels barrage.

Hachiko looked at his watch. "We have time for one song and then I'll have to pick up Aki, Moriko-chan."

She nodded and looked at the selection. "Well let's make it a good one, Hachiko-chan."

With that she punched in her choice as he adjusted the microphone stands for their duet.
Spoiler: Last Song Of The First Date

Hachiko sang the opening verse in his warm alto as he leaned against Moriko and swayed.

"And I'd give up forever to touch you
'Cause I know that you feel me somehow
You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be
And I don't wanna go home right now"

Moriko's husky contralto growled out the next lyrics as her free hand found his and their fingers interlocked.

"And all I can taste is this moment
And all I can breathe is your life
When sooner or later it's over
I just don't wanna miss you tonight"

Behind them, Uzume had a happy smile as She watched the red cord of Fated Love linking their pinkies strengthen and glow with an inner light for those with eyes to see.

Her contralto and his alto joined in perfect harmony as they sang together. In the booth, Suzume quietly sang along with an overjoyed smile at the scene that she was witnessing.

"And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive"

All too soon, the song approached its end and the two hands squeezed each other hard as they tried to stretch this magical moment out into eternity in truth as well as in their memories.

"And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am."

Hachiko and Moriko turned as one and stared into each other's eyes as the song began to slowly fade. The final refrain was sung in perfect unison to the only person that they could see through their tears of joy.

"I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am
I just want you to know who I am"

 

Harry Leferts

Walking into the theatre-like auditorium, Akimi frowned as she glanced around in thought, “This the place, Miu-Chan?”

Beside her, the purple haired woman nodded, “Hai, this is the place. Normally it is a Noh theatre, but... it happens to be on neutral territory between Tokyo and Kyoto.” With a hum, Miu glanced around in thought, “Anywhere in particular that you want to seat?”

Simply frowning, Akimi considered her friend’s question as she glanced around. Part of her ignored the various looks she was getting from some Onmyouji now entering as well. At least one of whom she recognized as a friend of her father’s. There was a part of her that wanted to be seated at the back and out of sight, but...

Another part was telling her to sit somewhere else.

Seeing another venomous look given to her by one of her father’s friends, she stiffened her back and made her decision, “I think that we should sit down front, near the stage.”

Just turning away from where she was glaring at one of the friends of Akimi’s father, Miu nodded, “That sounds good to me, Akimi-Chan. Let’s go before someone grabs those spots.” Soon enough, the two were seated before the stage, “There we go, some of the best seats in the house, Akimi-Chan.”

Only humming, the other female Onmyouji took a look around. To her amusement, her father’s friends sat all the way at the back glaring at her, which caused her to shoot them a smile back. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her blink and turn back before she hissed at Miu, “Miu-Chan! What are you doing?!”

With a blink, Miu looked at her before going back to adjusting her clothes, “What? I’m just trying to make this top more comfortable. Gods, why did I have to inherit my Okaa-San’s bust? Makes everything so much harder...”

Blushing, Akimi fought the urge to pinch her nose, “Please, don’t do that in public, Miu-Chan. You know how people give you looks.”

The other hanyou just gave her a raised eyebrow, “Yes? And?” Her gaze went a bit lower and smirked, “Besides which, you of all people know my pain, though not as much.”

If anything, that made Akimi blush harder and pull her top tighter, “Miu-Chan!” Getting snickers, she sighed and rolled her eyes, “What is the English term? Incorrigible?”

Winking, Miu grinned some, “And don’t you forget it, Akimi-Chan.” As her friend sighed and shook her head, Miu became thoughtful, “So, you excited for this? Shipgirl magic is odd and I will admit that I wonder if we’ll find out something about it. Or if being a shipgirl affects onmyoudo.”

A frown on her face, Akimi shook her head, “I can’t imagine that it would cause too much issue in regards to what magic can be cast. But it will be fascinating to hear what Junyou-San and Hiyou-San have to say about the matter in any case."

Just nodding in agreement, the other woman smiled at her, "That is a very good point. From what I've seen, they use Onmyoudo in their actions as shipgirls. Their planes seem to come from Shikigami, which is frankly fascinating to me. It is something that I have never heard about or seen before, so I am very interested in finding out more about the hows and whys of what they do in that case."

Making a sound of agreement, Akimi crossed her arms, "I won't deny being interested in that either, Miu-Chan."

Blinking, Miu rubbed her chin some, "You know, after the presentations, there is a dinner as well. Where we can all meet them and speak personally to them." At that, Akimi perked up which made her smile, "I think that we can do that."

Lightly blushing as she looked away, the Hanyou coughed, "Well, we can at least get a free meal out of it."

Chuckling, her friend shook her head. But then, Miu lowered her voice some, "I am just glad to see that you are enjoying yourself, Akimi-Chan. It is good to see, especially after so long."

With a sigh, Akimi smiled a bit back, "Well, with your help things have gotten a bit easier, so I am happy there. But... this is a break. From everything that has been going on."

Not saying a word, Miu nodded in agreement before they turned their gazes out onto the stage.

It was only fifteen minutes that Junyou and Hiyou appeared to applause. Both shipgirls smiled and bowed to the crowd, "Thank you for having us."

Eyes scanning over the gathered Onmyouji, Junyou though paused and blinked as she came to one section. To those watching, she seemed somewhat surprised for a brief moment before she covered it up, which made some wonder. Moments later, Hiyou's eyes widened and she glanced at her sister silently before shaking her head and bowing to the crowd again, "Now then, let us begin our presentation..."

To even most magicals, the presentation would have confused them. But to Onmyouji? It was fascinating as the two Light Carriers went over various aspects of Onmyouji magic and how it interacted with their current existence. Including how it worked in regards to their planes, though most there understood that they were not telling them everything.

And that was fine, as no one expected them to give up anything secret that could be used against them.

However, all that said, what they did tell of was full of information. Both shipgirls even created diagrams using magic and the like to explain. Questions were asked and answered to either agreement, interest, or disbelief. But a lot of pieces began to fall into place for those there from both sides. Alongside the questions, many of those were taking notes on what was being presented that they could reference later. There was a lot of new information regarding magical theory there and most realized that it could give them a number of breakthroughs regarding various issues.

Once the presentation as well as the questions and answers period was over with, which was a few hours later, everyone was hungry and broke for dinner nearby. Something that everyone was thankful for due to hunger. Munching some food, Akimi turned to her friend with a smile on her face, "What did you think of the presentation?"

Miu swallowed the food that she had in her mouth before answering, "Hmm... I found it actually interesting." Finger tapping her cheek, she gave a small nod, "It gives me some ideas in regards to Shikigami as a matter of fact."

Frowning thoughtfully, her friend hummed, "That is true, it opens some new avenues regarding them."

Before they could continue their talk, a throat being cleared made them turn and their eyes widened at seeing Junyou there with a smile on her face, "Good evening, I could not help but overhear what you were talking about. So you found the presentation a great help?"

Quickly, Miu and Akimi bowed and nodded before the crane blooded of the two spoke up, "Hai, Junyou-Sama. It was informative and actually very helpful."

Rubbing her chin, the shipgirl nodded with a smile, "That is good to hear and I am glad." Looking towards Akimi, she hummed, "You are... Aranami Akimi-San, are you not?"

Confused about that, Akimi frowned, "Hai? I am she."

Slowly nodding, Junyou's smile widened as she brought out a bottle of sake and took a drink from it, "That's good, from what I heard, you are a tutor, correct? Especially in the Onmyoudo arts?"

Just blinking, the nearly forty year old woman nodded, "As a matter of fact, I am, Junyou-Sama. It is something that I will admit to being some good at, or at least that is what I have been told by the parents of those children that I have been teaching." She smiled a little bit, "It is also something that I am quite proud of."

The Light Carrier chuckled a bit at that, "Good to hear, perhaps you might be up for a meeting later? I have a student of sorts who is studying Onmyoudo. Unfortunately, as a shipgirl, I am not always around. And it would do me good to know that he has a sensei who can teach when I cannot and help him in his studies."

Eyes widening, Akimi was about to answer when a voice cut in, "Ah, Junyou-Sama? That perhaps is not a wise choice." The source of the voice was one of her father's friends who glanced at her with a false smile, "You see, my friend who is her estranged Otou-San, well... She is a war crimes apologist of the worst sort in that her Ojii-San was a war criminal and she, well... she is fond of him."

Junyou cocked an eyebrow at this, "A war crimes apologist, hmm?" Taking a sip of her drink, she glanced at Akimi who was glaring at the male and about to say something. Before she could, however, the shipgirl spoke up, "Was this before or after your friend decided to drive his wife, her Okaa-San, into despair and suicide? And after she let him know when he missed her funeral? Because, I believe, he was attempting to court the daughter of his then superior when she informed him of it? Almost right after her graduation as a matter of fact... it saw him having issues, from what I heard."

Utter, complete and utter silence fell across the room as those close by and had been pretending not to be listening in now stared. Face pale, the man took a step back and swallowed even as the whispers began, "I... that is my friend-"

Head tilted to the side, Junyou hummed, "Am I wrong about that? How he apparently went out for drinks with the daughter of his boss after his wife's death? Not even a week after? This is who I am to believe?"

More whispers could be heard as various people gave glances at the group. Back straightening, Akimi took a deep breath at the feeling which welled up in her before speaking, "I have never, despite what the man calling himself my Otou-San has claimed, ever once stated that my Ojii-San was anything but utterly in the wrong for what he did. Can I honour him as being my Ojii-San, my ancestor? I can do so without making allowances for what he did and stating that he did a horrible thing as well as admitting such. Can I understand and sympathize to some extent that his reasoning was because his daughter was murdered by American Aurors with them not even being investigated due to her not being human? While also stating that he should have made better decisions? That what he did in retaliation when given the chance was horrific? I would like to think that I can do that." Chest heaving, she continued, "My Otou-San, I believe, still honours his Otou-San. Someone who, from what I remember, was imprisoned after the war for several years due to being mid level in the Kamo Government. I accept what my Ojii-San did and that it was wrong. But he is my Ojii-San and thus observances must be met, if nothing else."

Voice soft as the group of Akimi's father's friends walked off with various expressions, Junyou nodded, "Well said."

With a deep breath, the Hanyou sighed, "Maybe."

Lips twitching, Junyou took a sip of her sake, "Well, just the same..." With a motion of her hand, she held out a card, "Perhaps, in a weeks time you would not mind meeting with me privately? So that we can continue our discussion..." Humming, she nodded towards Miu, "And bring your friend along as I believe she can provide for the conversation as well.

Both somewhat stunned Onmyouji bowed and stood up as Junyou walked off. After a few moments, Miu shook her head and looked at the card which also had an address and date on it, "Did that just happen?" Getting a nod, she continued, "And are you going to go?"

Examining the card, Akimi nodded before placing it into a hidden pocket, "I think that I will, as a matter of fact." Softly smiling, she hummed, "I have the feeling that it might change some things."

Only snorting, Miu shook her head, "Well, if you are going, than I will be there with you. For support if nothing else... Let's head over to the bar, because I feel like a drink after that."

All Akimi did was nod in agreement and they walked off.

 

Harry Leferts

Shaking off some of the wet snow, Akimi glanced around the small café not far off from the base itself in Yokosuka. Beside her, Miu also looked around and turned to her friend, "Is this the place?"

Not saying anything, her friend pulled out the card before reading it, "Hai, this is the place." Looking around, she frowned a little, "Not exactly the sort of place that I was expecting to meet Junyou..."

Both of them jumped as said Carrier suddenly spoke up behind them, "Well, I considered a bar, but Hiyou shot that down." When they twisted around, they were met with the sight of Junyou with a smirk on her face, "Good to see that you are here."

Glancing at each other, they just nodded before Akimi bowed some, "Thank you for inviting us, though..."

Rather than say anything, Junyou raised a hand, "Let's go inside, outside in early March weather is not the place to be discussing things after all." A smile still on her face, she gestured them inside, "Come on then, there's some booths in the back where we can talk."

Once more, the two Onmyouji glanced at each other before following the Light Carrier through the café. Soon enough, they were in the back and both of them sat on the opposite side of Junyou. Rather than be insulted, the shipgirl only nodded before making a few symbols in the air using her finger. Akimi could recognize privacy charms and the like being set up, including one that would blur their lips. It would also allow for them to see and hear outside the field, while allowing people to walk over and talk with them. Nodding, she made a hum, "Impressive."

Chuckling, Junyou nodded her head, "Thank you. Most people just think that because I drink a lot, that I am not all that good." A gleam entered her eye, "Something that they are quite wrong about, I assure you."

Simply making a sound of agreement, the Kitsune Hanyou chuckled, "I can see." Expression becoming serious, she narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, "May I assume that we are here to continue our talk?"

Junyou motioned at the waitress who began to walk over, "We are, but first let's place our orders so that we don't need to worry about them. And wait for them to be delivered so that we will not be disturbed while we talk."

After cups of coffee and some pastries were placed, Akimi took a deep breath before sipping her coffee with a hum, "While I normally drink tea, this is good coffee."

Bemused, the Carrier hummed as she sipped her own, "Hai, I enjoy the coffee here. Especially after a binge of drinking." Softly, she snickered a bit, "Hiyou complains about that for some odd reason that is currently beyond my ability to remember."

Not saying anything about that, the two shook their heads in amusement. Reaching into her purse, Akimi brought out a piece of paper that she pushed over to Junyou who took it in interest. Seeing the shipgirl glance at her, she nodded at the paper, "Those are my usual rates as we were talking about my skills as a tutor, Junyou-Sama. As such, I felt that you might well wish to see them."

Opening the paper, Junyou scanned it and nodded, "This is very well done, and the cost is actually quite affordable." Gaze going along the words, she frowned, "And you added your accreditation as well, which is quite impeccable."

Lightly blushing, Akimi smiled and bowed slightly, "I thank you for the compliment, though I would need to know more about the student in question before I can tell how much I can do for him."

Just continuing to read, Junyou made a sound of agreement. Finally, she folded up the paper and glanced at Akimi. Getting a nod, she slid it into her shirt, and thus into her hull for later. Leaning back, Junyou took a donut and bit into it, "As to the student? He is someone rather famous in the magical world as I assume that you know of Potter Harry, correct?"

Eyes widening, it was Miu who spoke up, "Potter Harry? As in the Boy-Who-Lived? That one?"

Gesturing with her partially eaten donut, the shipgirl nodded in amusement, "One and the very same as a matter of fact." Taking another bite, she chewed for a few moments before continuing, "Granted, he does not like the whole 'Boy-Who-Lived' stuff, not that I can really blame him all that much considering the background."

That only got her sounds of agreement and grimaces from the other two. After a few moments, Akimi frowned, "I think that the big thing is that Potter-San has been learning Onmyoudo in the first place. Not something that I would have expected."

Just spreading her hands, Junyou smiled, "Hai, but it is as it is. Harry-Chan, as I and some others call him, has been learning under myself, Ryuujou, and Hiyou for several years now. In fact, since he was around nine." She then pursed her lips some, "Though, as you can expect, it is somewhat patchwork. As one of his sensei though, I feel it necessary considering some possible events to help him get as complete an education as possible as he is also going to Hogwarts. His birth parents wished for him to go there after all."

Both of the other women nodded, though Miu gave voice to their thoughts, "And a parent's wishes in this case are especially important." Suddenly realizing something, she frowned and glanced at her friend, "I... do wish to know why I am here though? When it comes to Akimi-Chan, she is the one who would be teaching and such. Yet, you asked for me as well."

For several moments, Junyou was silent and just considered them. Taking a sip, she nodded slightly, "You are right that there is more to this than just choosing tutors. What is more than that though involves both of you."

Eyebrow raising in askance, Akimi frowned, "And that would be?"

Setting her coffee down, the Light Carrier seemed to examine her for several moments. However, before they could ask, she began to speak, "It is a very good reason as a matter of fact. I assume that you know quite a bit about shipgirls? In particular Natural Borns?"

It took only moments to connect the dots and Miu sucked in a breath, "You believe that we're Natural Borns..."

Only shaking her head, Junyou frowned, "No, I do not believe that you are Natural Borns. Rather, I know that the two of you are Natural Borns." Seeing them about to say something, she held up a hand, "Have you ever wondered how we can tell who is an unawoken shipgirl and who is not?"

Blinking, Akimi took a drink of her coffee and nodded, "I will admit that I did wonder about that. And thinking upon it, it is rather odd that you can find a shipgirl who is a human. It is also something that you did not mention at the presentation."

A frown on her face, Junyou nodded, "No, we did not and with a very good reason. In particular, what some there might think." With a slow nod, she took another drink of coffee, "Us shipgirls are spiritual beings at our most basic. While we are physical and can interact with the physical world, that does not mean that we cannot interact with the spiritual. Our sight, for instance, sees beyond the physical and into the spiritual at all times. That means, of course, we can see things not visible to those on the physical without a lot of work, except in our case it is that way all the time."

Suddenly, Akimi winced as she realized what she was hinting at, "You could easily see through Yokai disguises. Because they are magical or spiritual in nature." When she got a nod, she shook her head, "No, it is best that information does not get spread around. There are those who would try and use such a thing for their own purposes."

Grimacing, the shipgirl shook her head, "They would try and fail. But that leads to how we can tell if someone is a Natural Born." Using her hand, she gestured at the two, "One of the things that we can see is a... representation, if you will, of the shipgirl's original hull. It is not much mind you, even to our senses. It is more like a ghostly form overlaying them. It is that which we can see, and even identify them to an extent. We can also see the same for other shipgirls as well, awoken or summoned."

With a deep breath, Akimi swallowed, "I see... and you can see such around us?" Getting a nod, she continued, "Can you tell which sort of ships?"

Yet again, Junyou nodded, "Hai, I can tell which ships they are. In your case, Konohana-San, I can see a Carrier." A small chuckle escaped from her, "In fact, I can identify it as it looks like a slightly bigger version of Honshou-San's own hull. Not a whole lot bigger, but still noticeable."

Already knowing which ship that was, if only because being friends with Akimi meant knowing some about old magical warships, the crane Hanyou only frowned, "I see, that is... interesting."

To their confusion, Junyou seemed to be struggling with something. Finally, she sighed and turned to Akimi, "In your case... I can see the hull of a Battleship, a very small one."

For several moments, no one moved or said anything. Swallowing, and speaking in a small voice, Akimi looked at Junyou, "A... small Battleship, you say? Is it..." When the shipgirl nodded, she seemed to slump a bit, "Ah... I see..." No one spoke for several minutes as they digested that. Eventually, Akimi gave a sigh and shook her head, "Oddly, I feel like I should have expected this. The call of the sea, how I found myself more than once at the shore. It all makes some sense."

Hands folded in front of her Junyou gave her a sympathetic look, "If you have any issues, know that myself and the other shipgirls would answer. As well..." She slid a paper across to them, "At the moment, we are not worried about numbers. Especially in regards to shipgirls from the magical side of things as there has been some worries about the reactions. Thus, we have considered it best not to openly advertise such matters. If either of you wish to be awoken, it would not be openly publicized, I am afraid. But you would receive the pay any other shipgirl would receive. More than that, we would also allow for you to sortie from certain places, if only for practice and to gain experience."

Taking the paper, Akimi nodded, "Thank you... may... may we think this over for a time?"

Just smiling, the Light Carrier chuckled, "Like I said, we are not worried about that, so take your time. In fact, I have been told to inform you to take as much time as you may need for as long as you need. It is, ultimately, both of your decisions as to if you are awoken as a shipgirl."

With a glance to her friend, Miu nodded, "Thank you."

Soon, the conversation turned back to tutoring and the like for the next hour, though Akimi was distracted throughout it.

Finally though, they left the café and headed back to Akimi's home. Entering it, Miu turned to her silent, thoughtful friend, "Akimi-Chan? What do you think of this?"

Chewing her lip, the other woman shook her head, "I don't know, Miu-Chan. But it is something that I am going to need to think hard and long about before I come to a decision."

Gently, Miu placed her hand on her friend's shoulder and nodded, "Take as much time as you need. Just remember though, I am here and I have your back."

Softly smiling, Akimi nodded back while patting said hand, "Hai, I do know. And I appreciate it..."

 

Savato93

Carrie and Sherri had to admit—their new island home was quite pretty. Their old home, for all that they loved it, was a bit drab. Here, the shores were uncluttered, free of piers or boats... the waters were populated by majestic (but derpy) sea cows… tall, full trees dotting the landscape… and the forest that crept all the way up the heels of the dormant volcano.

The one downside had to be the lack of internet access.

Sherri paused and reached for her thigh, thinking she’d just felt her phone vibrate—before remembering that her phone was with Mom, left behind along with the rest of hers and Carrie’s electronic devices. Everything here, from the iceboxes and cooking ranges, to even the plumbing, all worked on magic. That was all well and good… really, it was awesome... but there wasn’t a wall socket to be found on the whole island, which made their devices almost useless. Not that they minded too much; they were connecting to all their other sisters, out here.

Shaking her head, the Ri-class turned her attention back to the task at hand. She watched as a handful of Abyssals used parts of their rigging as makeshift chisels, methodically carving into a trailer-sized boulder, breaking it down into blocks that were much easier to handle (although still pretty big). According to Ruadri, these blocks would be used to build a wall… or more accurately, a walled-in area, that they could then develop into a pen for the pigs they were capturing. It wasn’t intended to be a long-term solution—eventually, she said, the blocks would be phased out in favor of proper chain-link fencing—but for now, as long as the pigs were still feral to some degree, a solid barrier was vital to prevent them from escaping.

Sherri was more than happy to help out her sisters in further developing their home off the grid… but she had to admit, it was kinda straining her arms, carrying the huge rocks around. She wondered if her twin was faring any better, out helping clear a path to the newly-uncovered hot spring...

XXXXX

Carrie’s gaze slowly shifted between the splintered hunk of wood in her hand, and the shattered remains of the ax head embedded several inches deep into the tree in front of her.

Perhaps she should have gauged her strength before she began?

XXXXX

...oh well, she’d probably hear about it later.

Bending down, Sherri worked her hands underneath the block at her feet and hefted it up. With the stone in hand, she turned and ambled over to the nearby… sea-turtle-centaur, Marble. “Do you know how much more you can carry in there?” She asked.

The Oku-class bent over and took the block from Sherri, before twisting and stowing it away in her hold. “Um… they don’t take up too much space… but they are heavy,” Marble muttered to herself, counting her inventory. After a few seconds, she turned back to face the Ri-class. “I think... I can take another dozen, before it gets too heavy for me to move.”

As Sherri stood back, flapping her hands to relieve the burning of her muscles, one of the others suddenly spoke up. “Hey, has anyone seen Rizzo around?”

Around her, several of her elder sisters started looking around. “I think she slept in again…” someone eventually said.

There was a sigh. “Could someone go get her, please? She signed on to help us carve blocks, and she’s got to hold to her commitment!”

Well, this seemed like a good opportunity to take a break from the heavy lifting. Sherri raised her hand. “I’ll go. Which cabin?”

“Should be the second row from the left, third in line… and thanks, Sherri.” The Ri-class smiled and nodded, before turning and beginning to make for the cabins. Unlike in Unalaska, where she and Carrie were mistaken for one another on several occasions, now thanks to IFFs it was all but impossible for there to be a mix-up between the two. It was a small detail, but one she and her twin nonetheless enjoyed.

At a relaxed jog, it only took Sherri around ten minutes to head past the farmland, cross the old town square and reach the residential area on the other side. Stepping up to one of the three cabins reserved for the fleet’s Ri-classes, sure enough, she felt her older sister’s IFF within. But when she made her way up to the second floor, she didn’t see anyone in any of the beds. Nobody was downstairs either. So where…?

Wait a minute. The sheets on that one cot looked a lot bumpier than the others. Sherri stopped beside the cot and prodded it with a finger… and jerked back when she realized whatever laid underneath was soft and squishy. “Mmn… give me back my top…” the lumpy mass mumbled. With an explosive sigh, Sherri grabbed the mattress and heaved, sending the bundled-up Abyssal on top of it tumbling off.

“Ack!” The bundle of sheets squirmed on the floor, until a heart-shaped face with short-cropped hair poked out. “Hey, what gives…?” Rizzo groaned. “I was in literally the best position~”

Sherri pulled the bedsheets off her older sibling, and arched an eyebrow at the tangled mess of limbs underneath. She had to applaud the cruiser’s flexibility—not just anyone could get a leg behind their head, let alone in their sleep. “Really? You look like a freaking pretzel.”

“What, have you never found an awkward pose to lie in that felt amazing?”

“...fair point.” She bent over and helped her fellow Ri-class to her feet. “Sorry to throw you out of bed, big sis, but you slept in! Everyone’s wondering where you are at the quarry!”

Rizzo perked up. “Oh… crap! I completely forgot!” With a shake of her shoulders, her rigging partially materialized. She rushed to the stairs. “I’m going to head over right away—I’ll see you there. Thanks for the warning!”

Thus, Sherri was left alone in the cabin. “Alright, that’s taken care of,” she said to herself. “Now to head back, or…?” She paused, wondering if she could grab a drink before returning to the quarry. Shrugging, she stopped to tidy up Rizzo’s bed, before going back downstairs for a cup of water. She couldn’t help but tilt her head in befuddlement at the faucet as she filled her glass, wondering just where the water was coming from, and if the magic controlling it also made it drinkable. More questions she could ask her wizard uncle when she and Carrie finally got to meet him, she supposed…

As she was bringing the glass to her lips, Sherri paused—a couple of IFFs had come into range, one of them unlike any of the others she’d felt from her family. Was she a new type of ship? Curious, Sherri quickly downed her glass and made her way out of the cabin, wanting to learn who this newcomer was.

XXXXX

Millie quietly followed after her mother, taking in her surroundings with awe.

Now that she was out of the palace, everything was so much more bright and colorful—lush green trees, the distant blue ocean, puffy white clouds in the sky. She could make out numerous cabins laid out in rows just up ahead, with barns for the destroyers to either side. It was all arranged around a wide circular area filled with benches and lunch tables, for everyone in the fleet to sit together for meals, with more than enough empty space left over for children to play.

She could definitely get used to living here.

“That’s the residential area,” her mother explained. “This is where we all actually live—the palace is utilized primarily as a base of operations, and only a few Abyssals in the Fleet live in it.” She smiled. “As you can see, plenty of open space. And if we ever need more, well, there’s an entire island for us to expand.”

“Wow…” Millie gasped. She glanced off in the direction of the shore. “uh, by the way… what was that big boat I saw when we were coming out of the palace? It looked terrible, even all the way from the entrance.”

“I was wondering whether you’d noticed that,” Nuri chuckled. “Long story short, some of my sisters claimed an abandoned leisure boat for themselves, and now we’re restoring it. It’s going to be your testing grounds for the next week or so.”

Millie looked to her in confusion. “Huh?”

“Before we can start training you to be able to take care of all the different types of Abyssals, I want to make sure that all your equipment works properly, and that you understand how to use all of it. Since we’re busy reconstructing that ship anyways, I thought it would be a good way to test your capabilities. Does that make sense?”

The Mi-class nodded. “Yeah. Sounds fun, actually.”

Nuri smiled and patted her daughter’s shoulder. “Glad to hear it.” The pair looked back to the cabins ahead—just in time to spot another girl approaching them. “Oh, there’s Sherri! She’s one of Mother’s youngest children.”

As the Ri-class got closer and Millie got a good look at her, she tilted her head, baffled. Somehow—she assumed it was due to being a repair ship—she had a basic idea of what Ri-class were supposed to look like: slim but muscular, white skin and short hair, their arms encased in black gauntlets, and wearing a simple bikini. And yet, even though her hull was that of a Ri-class, she barely looked like one on the outside; her skin was flushed with color, her arms were bare, her shoulder-length hair was done up in a ponytail, and she wore a dusty beige shirt and rugged jeans.

“She… she looks so strange…” Millie said.

“Hey, big sis!” Sherri called out, waving to them. “Is this a new Abyssal? Why is she dressed like a nurse…?”

Sherri’s questions were abruptly cut short when her foot caught on a stray root sticking out of the ground, causing her to stumble and fall forward. Almost unconsciously, Millie found herself lunging forward, clearing the remaining distance between the two. Both her hands and her tails were outstretched, trying to halt the Ri-class’s descent…

But as Sherri fell into Millie’s arms… as their skin made contact… there was a sudden flash of information in Millie’s mind.

...

Sherri clung to the new Ayssal’s arms, a bit shaken up, as she tried to find her footing again. “S-sorry…” she gasped. “I don’t know what I just tripped on… but I think I’m okay.” Slowly getting her feet back underneath her, the Ri-class eventually stood up and released her grip on the other Abyssal. “Are you alright?”

The Abyssal nurse stared at her with a shocked expression.

“What happened to you…?” She whispered.

XXXXXXXXXX

For those curious, this is just a quick sketch of Avrora. At least, how I currently imagine it.
Spoiler: Warning: big pic
https://forums.spacebattles.com/attachments/d9e69cac-2640-48d3-855c-d81a81fee75d-jpeg.41044/


The central black-and-Grey area is the original town square, which is currently abandoned. The new town clearly dwarfs it in size, and is more organized around a circular area. Directly to the north is the palace, and to the west of that is Regalia’s farmland, with Sherri’s group working in a rocky area just north of the farm. Carrie’s group is trailblazing, making a path from the new town directly to the hot spring near the foot of the volcano.

 

RCNAnon

Ron, Duke and Warspite 14

Ron groaned as he pulled out yet another seemingly useful piece of magical reagent, only for it to clearly have been infected by the item sitting next to it. Summer looked down from where she was reaching the top shelves for him and gave him a curious stare.

“Just another thing we’re going to have to throw out.” He held up what looked to have been a piece of a meteorite that had somehow fused with a piece of wood he couldn’t identify.

Summer nodded somewhat sadly and then showed him what appeared to an impressionist sculpture made out of melted taffy. He had no idea what it had been originally and shook his head.

“Here, I’ll go put it in the pile.”

Summer nodded and handed it to him before going back to clearing the top shelves.

Ron sighed as he carried the objects out to The Pile as he thought of it. Originally a storehouse full of magical reagents and old equipment had seemed like a great boon to him. Surely there would be unique items and hard to find ingredients that he could use!

There weren’t.

Instead it seemed like it was more a storehouse for old junk. Whoever had created the shelves had probably meant for them to be used as proper storage but between some of the dust and the age of the items it appeared that the had lain there for more than simply ten years. Some of them were WWI vintage! Even the magical items had mostly bled their essences together, ran out of power or simply rotted away.

It had taken him and Summer working off and on as much as they could for two weeks to get to the point they were at, which was the storage almost completely cleared out and the few items they could salvage stored up front where they could both reach it. They’d maybe saved one piece out of twenty and most of that was simple things like ore or a few magically preserved metals.

Tossing the two pieces into The Pile, which was actually a dumpster provided for the purpose by the Royal Engineers, Ron gave another sigh. Despite having the place nearly cleared out, he’d not managed any time on Duke's problems like he had hoped and likely wouldn’t before he left for school. Yet there was good news.

Looking up Ron grinned as he saw all the activity going on around his house. There were a number of experts in old fashioned buildings doing minor repairs to the main house. There were apparently laws about such things in the muggle world and after they’d brought down the muggle repelling charms and began fixing things, Dreadnought had called a few people she knew and got the best.

The repairs were going well, with the main house and the gatehouse getting the most attention at the moment. The lab building would be next, after he cleaned everything out and the Orangearium would be last, given the need for properly fitted glass and the fact it needed many of the old trees inside cut down and removed piece by piece.
Victoria was happy as a clam and was assisting where she was able, mostly by providing tea and biscuits. The story that they told everyone not in the know about magic was that she’d been hired on early and was simply eager to get started. It worked well enough, especially when the builders got refreshments during their breaks.

What really made Ron smile was the other activity. In preparation for their specific type of guests, the Royal Navy had authorized the building of a repair bath. It was of mostly standard design, large enough to hold numerous girls at the same time and having both a large main pool and smaller tubs for those who wanted to relax in private. There were plans to add a walkway from the back of the house to the front of the spa but with all the other construction it would go in close to last.

At that moment there were a number of Royal Engineers finishing up the main pool, which was open until the interior set properly and they could be sure it didn’t leak. That was supposed to be today and Ron saw them bringing in a rather large hose to begin filling it. Nearby a small communications post was going up, which would allow the Royal Navy to contact anyone staying at the mansion without delay. All in all there was quite the hustle and bustle

Ron looked up as Summer came over with more items to dump in the pile, what looked to be an old Narwhal horn merged with a gearbox and something that was so old and rusted he couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be that was sporting the upper half of a propeller blade.

“No good huh?”

Summer shook her head no.

“No. N-not even good f-for scrap.”

Ron shrugged. At this point he was used to it and if Summer said it wasn’t even good for scrap, he believed her. She’d pointed out a number of things that he would have simply tossed that she felt she could use and had pulled a couple items out that he’d thought were magically useless but were actually just covered up by others.

It seemed that both of them had decided to take a break at the moment, as they watched the Royal Engineers continue their work, a few antenna’s going up as the repair pool began to fill towards the top.

“D-do you… do you really have… to go?” Summer spoke from out of the blue, causing Ron to look up at her. She looked quite sad and though she had asked him before, there were only a few days until he went off to school.

Smiling gently at her Ron reached up and took her hand.

“Yeah, I do.” He kept his voice as light as he could, even though he would miss her, as well as everyone else. “School is up north and I can’t take you with me.”

Summer nodded sadly at that.

“I’ll write you though, with the owl box. You can write me too. Duke and Warspite said they’d bring you up with them when I have the Hogsmeade weekends.”

“O-ok...” Summer was still unhappy about it but at least she wasn’t crying.

“And you’ll have a nice room here, with Victoria to talk to. You’re friends right?”

Summer nodded again, this time with a bit more enthusiasm. Victoria had taken to Summer like she had to everyone else, as over a decade of isolation had left her with more than a bit to catch up on. Which meant that she had no existing prejudices to get over in regards to Abyssals. Summer had eagerly welcomed a new friend and Ron had bee quite pleased that Summer would always have someone around if she needed them.

“I’ll miss you.” Summer spoke quietly, though only a little sadly.

“I’ll miss you too Summer. I’ll try to come back as much as I can ok?” Ron looked back up to her as the construction sounds around them began to swell.

Summer nodded, then very obviously froze as she looked up.

Following her gaze, Ron froze as well and his eyes went wide.

Something was happening with the repair bath pool as the Royal Engineers nearby finished filling it. The surface had taken on a light glow, which was visibly brightening by the second. The sounds of construction continued to rise, the saws seeming louder, the hammering more firm and the crackle of a nearby welder seeming to go on for much longer than it should.

A glance to the side saw Summer’s eyes flaring a little brighter, along with a similar glow coming from The Pile.

A scream of metal as a beam was cut echoed through the air. The Pile began to disappear, flowing towards the repair pool.

The pool grew lighter and Ron saw the Royal Engineers staring as well but none of them seemed to stop working. It was like the motions were part of a trance.

Ron could recognize a summoning when he saw it and closed his eyes for a moment as he felt something fumbling at him in the back of his mind. Whatever it was caught and Ron felt Summer’s hand stiffen in his and then his eyes popped open.

The summoning pool began to bubble and froth mightily, even as he could still hear the sounds of construction. It wasn’t until there was one final “scccrrriiiinnnggggg!!!” of a saw cutting off that the summoned ship girl burst from the water.

The girl, whoever she was, was massive. She was easily taller than Duke or Warspite but she didn’t seem to be as tall as Summer. At least not quite. She was similarly curved as well, though most of it was covered up in an oil stained workers coverall that was unzipped down to her stomach. Her hair was a dirty blonde that looked to have been bleached white by the sun, her richly tanned features matching the sun drenched look. A wrench hung in one hand, with a large sledge-hammer in the other.

There was a moment of silence and then the woman spoke, looking directly at Ron.

“Wo bin ich?” Her voice was deep for a woman, a true contralto and Ron somehow got the image of a hearty smile and beer from it despite never having actually had a beer.

“I’m sorry?” He spoke instinctively, thinking he’d misunderstood her.

“Ah, English.” The woman spoke English with a distinctly German accent, which clued Ron in that he’d not misunderstood her and she’d been speaking a different language. “I asked where we are.”

“Southern England.” Ron proceeded to try and catch up with what was happening. Clearly they’d done a summoning but a German? “May I ask who you are?”

“Ach, excuse me. Admiralty Floating Dock Number 8, reporting for service.” The woman raised her wrench to her forehead in a mild salute.

“Ron Weasley. I work for the Royal Navy sometimes.” He paused and pointed to Summer. “This is Summer. She’s a friend.”

“It is good to meet the both of you. Could I ask for a tow?” The woman gestured down to the water. “No engine.”

It was only the work of a minute to get an appropriate tow rope from the Royal Engineers watching everything, one of whom was on their radio back to base. Summer hauled AFD 8 back to shore with ease, the woman coming up to her chin when she was finally on land.

“Thank all of you.” The woman had put away her tools somewhere and gave both Summer, Ron and several of the engineers a rather large hug, regardless of how tall they were.

Grinning slightly at the face some of the men made, Ron nodded to her. “You’re welcome. Are you hungry? I think we’ve got something...”

“We have sandwiches Young Master and I can try to make something more substantial for her if she wishes.”

Ron jumped as Victoria’s voice came from right behind him and he turned to look at her.

“I told you not to do that.” He’d already discovered that Victoria seemed to find it humorous to surprise people with her presence. Mostly him.

“Apologies Young Master. I did not mean to do so.” A bow and the same tone she almost always used, as if she really had done it on accident.

“Well, anyway. I think...” He turned to look at their new summon. “I’m sure you’re hungry but Admiralty Floating Dock Number 8 is a bit of a mouthful.”

“Hmm. You may call me Angelica. Angie if you want.” The woman nodded, her face seemingly constantly plastered with a smile.

“Then Victoria, I’m sure Angie is hungry so if you could get those sandwiches.”

Victoria bowed and gestured back towards the house. “If you’ll follow me then Ms. Angelica.”

“Ja! Thank you Victoria. And call me Angie!”

Ron watched as the massive woman followed the new maid into the house and the engineers began to get back to work. Then he shook his head. As if he didn’t already have enough to deal with before he went to school!

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

Toulon, France. A week later.

Jean-Bart sat on her bed, drying her long brown hair fresh from the repair baths. A week long cruise across various ports in the Mediterranean had been a nice distraction from her normal daily drudgery. Even if sailing alongside merchants was rather boring, it was better than sitting on the shore. She’d even fired her guns for once!

Granted the abyssals had immediately run away at the presence of a battleship midst what they’d thought would be easy prey but it was better than what she usually got. Unfortunately she wasn’t allowed to pursue and the local Italian forces had been vectored in to deal with them.

Twas a strange world when you could call on those you’d been designed to defeat for assistance.

Finished with her grooming and freshly dressed, Jean-Bart once again logged on to SGO. With a weeks news to catch up on certainly there would be something…

“Again!” She couldn’t help but exclaim to herself as she caught sight of the redheaded English boy in a highlighted article. This time a floating dry dock! There was even a picture of him between the Germanic looking woman and the Abyssal, where he looked absolutely tiny in comparison. She read the article several times to make sure she had everything straight and in the end there was only one thing that mattered.

He was clearly the best chance she had at fighting in this decade.

She dug through her desk and pulled out her cellphone, dialing her most frequent number. She only had to wait a few rings before it picked up.

“Hello Sister?” She hoped to make this short but she doubted it would be. “Yes it’s me. Yes I’m fine, I only fired my guns once. No I did not meet a nice Italian boy. What? No, I didn’t meet a nice Italian girl either!” It was clear Richelieu intended to keep asking about her, nonexistent, love life so she interrupted. “No no, I need your help. What? NO! No I mean...” She coughed, clearing her voice as Richelieu quieted, seeming to understand her seriousness. “I need you to ask Admiral Chirac to introduce me to the British Admiral of Warspite and Duke of York.” There was a pause where Jean-Bart expected a comment about the man but it did not come. “I… their Ronald has proven himself a naval engineer of high caliber and… Yes. I think he might be able to help.”

“MON PETIT! TRES BIEN!”

Richelieu’s voice was loud enough that Jean-Bart had to pull the phone away from her ear.

“I… non sister. It is not so great yet but hopefully it will be yes. Mhmm. Yes, thank Admiral Chirac for me as well. Oui, I love you too.”

Jean-Bart sighed and collapsed back on her bed, thoughts swirling in her head as her sister was likely running to her Admiral and lover with her request. There was much to do yet and she did not know what the English boy would need to do if she was to be repaired but it was the first hope she’d had in a long time.

It was perhaps not the beginning of the end, to steal a quote from an Englishman even she admired, but it was the end of the beginning.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
AN: I apologize to anyone who uses the languages I hopefully didn't butcher but probably did with Google Translate.

Questions, comments etc. welcome as always.

 

Yellowhammer

Puppy Love X

"Thank you and come again!"

Hachiko and Moriko stepped out of A Piece of Heaven karaoke bar onto the darkening streets of Yokosuka as night began to fall.

He hefted the wolf plushy that he had won and looked up at the taller form of his girlfriend -his girlfriend!- as she rested one scarred fist on her hip and squeezed the dog plushy that she had won.

"So, um.." He adjusted his glasses and smiled happily, seeing her give a matching smile. "That was a lot of fun, let's do it again sometime."
Spoiler: Date In The Rain

"Agreed." She gave a happy smile, her battered face coming alight with joy. "I'd like that a lo---"

A roll of thunder cut her off and she looked up. "Shimatta! We better take cover!" With that she grabbed his hand and dragged him into a nearby convenience store as it began to rain.

"Right where is... Ok, there!" As rain fell outside, she grabbed a pair of 500 yen clear plastic umbrellas and took them to the clerk. Hachiko watched as she paid for them and then got a smirk on her face. "I'll walk you to the train station then so you can pick up Aki-kun, Hachiko-chan."

He nodded. "Sounds good. Why the second umbrella?"

She grinned and guided him close to her so they could share the first umbrella as she hooked the handle of the second umbrella over her free arm. "Well I don't want my boyfriend to catch a cold in this rainshower when he picks up his little brother."

He nodded, 'That makes sense and Moriko-chan... thank you. I would hate to have my plushy get damaged by the rain. Hm..." He made a thoughtful noise and squeezed her hand. "Can you make a left at the next turn?"

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

Behind the couple, Suzume and Shigure shared the bamboo and rice-paper umbrella that the destroyer had pulled from her hold when the rain started. "Shigure-san, where are they going? This isn't the way to the train station or the base."

The destroyer shrugged, "I don't know Suzume-san. I must say that this is almost a storybook romantic setting with the couple sharing an umbrella."

Suzume nodded her head. "And Big Sister Moriko is a romantic at heart under all the toughness. I just hope that it did not go to her head...but I'm sure that it did not."

The couple that they were spying on laughed and walked down the street. Then they turned into the driveway for Yokohama Momijizaka Apartments. Suzume and Shigure stopped dead and looked at each other.

"Um, it's a little soon for that, right, Suzume-san? I mean it's just a first date, right?" Shigure spoke hesitantly with a blush on her cheeks.

Suzume's own face turned scarlet, "Don't be silly, Shigure-san, Moriko-chan is not one of that kind of girls, so I'm sure that it is not what it seems... right??" Suzume's voice trailed off at the end.

They watched Hachiko unlock the gate to the apartment complex with his key and bow Moriko through like a samurai to his daimyo. The click of the gate behind them was like the peal of doom (for Moriko Ibuki's virginity) in the eyes of the furiously blushing spies.

"SHIT!! IT IS WHAT IT SEEMS! WE HAVE TO STOP HER BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!!"

--------------------------------
Spoiler: Hachiko's Apartment


"Thank you for walking me home so that I could put the plushy away, Moriko-chan, and thank you for the umbrella so Aki doesn't catch cold when I walk him home from his kyudo instruction."

"It was my pleasure. I'll see you day after tomorrow when I visit the library, Hachiko-chan?"

Any answer Hachiko planned to give to Moriko was drowned out as the security gate was rammed by the spirit of the second Shiratsuyu-class destroyer charging it at flank.

"Moriko-chan! Don't do it!!" Suzume burst through the remains of the gate hot on the heels of Shigure's takedown of the security gate (which was not rated to handle a 1635 ton displacement destroyer hitting it at 34 knots).

Suzume then skidded to a halt, and her blush went from embarrassed scarlet to mortified nuclear at the sight she saw. Her sister was leaning against the low balcony wall, well away from the door which Hachiko had just closed after putting his plushy away. In fact, her sister was clearly about to leave after bidding her boyfriend good night as they went their separate ways.

One eyebrow twitched over a scarred face as Moriko locked her fire control on her identical twin and growled out an angry challenge.

"SU-ZU-ME?!?"

"um, oops?" Suzume whined as her invisible ears and tail dropped in submission and lights came on all over the apartment complex.

Hachiko stared with a befuddled bluescreen look at his girlfriend's twin sister. I thought that she was younger than Sachiko!

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

SGO General Forums/Ship Happens

Post #14013 by LongSufferingSecretary (Moderator) (JMSDF) (Secretary Boat) (大淀)

Re: "Cute Couple? Discuss!"

After getting off the phone with the Yokosuka Police Department to bail out your spies, plus having to budget for damage to the security gate at Hachiko's apartment complex, I merely have this to say about anyone else planning 'extracurricular intelligence operations' against Moriko and Hachiko.
Spoiler: The 'Yodo Is Unhappy

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

"...and that's why I ran late picking up Aki. I had to explain to Mrs. Hasegawa that it wasn't a burglary but my girlfriend's twin sister and her shipgirl friend overreacting. She's sweet but a bit hard of hearing and it takes her a while to understand things. I'm sorry about the trouble."

Hachiko bowed to Tokunotakai, who was desperately stifling a gigglefit with a happy smile on her face. "Apology accepted. Ah... You said that your girlfriend filmed the mess with the landlady and the police on her phone, right?"

"Hai, Tokunotakai-sensei." Aki, meanwhile, was doubled over laughing with his ears and tail fully out at the funny story Tou-san was telling Toku-sensei.

"Can you do me a favor, and have her send me a copy of the photographs and videos? I have a... friend... who enjoys that kind of dumpster fire and I just picked up a new cell phone this morning. I will write down my number."

"I will ask her to when I see her Saturday, Toku-sensei."

Tokunotakai bowed back. "Saturday will be fine, Hachiko-kun."

Hachiko turned to the laughing Aki and scratched the Inugami boy behind the ears. "We need to go, Aki. Put your ears and tail away and I'll get you ice cream on the way home."

"YAY! Ice Cream!!"
Spoiler: Aki Miyata

 

MagisterAurelius

Ship of Fools Part 10.5 ie Continuing from the previous:

Draco yawned and attempted to bring his arms up in a stretch, only to find himself with his arms immobile and unable to do much more than arch his back slightly. He felt two bodies to either side of him and the weight of a third on top of him. As he continued to wake up and his blurry vision cleared from sleep, he realized he must be in the middle of what he had heard was a cuddlepile.

His head seemed to be cushioned by a soft yet firm pillow. Gazing upward, he saw Washington's sleeping face and now realized that she had fallen asleep sitting up with Draco's head on her thigh. Turning his head to the left found him looking at the top of Cleopatra's blonde head where she lay between him and the back of the couch in the Common Room. Cleo had clasped her arms around his and holding it close to her. His visual search to the right found the silver haired cruiser Niobe embracing him tightly like a body pillow, her legs wrapping around his right leg. He raised his head slightly and saw the weight on top of him was Johnston.

A small smile graced Draco's face as he watched his girlfriend sleep. When he noticed her begin to stir and yawn, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes to feign sleep. I wonder if she'll wake me up or go back to sleep? Then he felt strands of her hair tickling his nose and her breath in his ear whispering.

“Draco... Draco... are you awake?”

He then heard her giggle softly. “I wonder if this will wake up my sleeping prince?” He then felt her lips meet his. As she softly kissed first his upper lip and then the lower, in Draco's mind, the cloven footed miniDraco broke into a leer.

“All this chaste kiss stuff, if she wants you to wake up, make her work for it boyo....HEY!”

The inner vision of miniDraco suddenly hugging himself in shock faded and Draco's eyes shot wide-open as Johnston's tongue invaded his mouth. Once again, Draco found his body incapable of movement and his thoughts going incoherent as Johnston touched his palate, gums and tongue with hers. After a seeming eternity to Draco, she pulled away, opened her eyes and smiled down at him with a string of saliva connecting the corner of her mouth to his hanging between them.

But before either could speak, Cleopatra interjected with a sly expression. “Her tongue's like an electric eel, and she likes the taste of Draco's tonsils. But! What does our studio audience think?”

Draco sat up like a shot and finally noticed that there was indeed an audience gathered in the Slytherin Common Room. A crowd of both boys and girls were staring on with various expressions on the girls' faces. The boys seemed to have a commonality of rage. Their faces and the strangling motions most of the older boys were making with their hands sort of gave it away. Even normally emotionless Blaise Zabini had a rictus of anger. But to Draco, the female Slytherins' reactions were worse.

An intense smugness smirked and danced in the eyes of Daphne Greengrass. Tracey Davis's expression radiated a careful contemplative calculation that Draco could see by the slow deliberate pace of her morning teethbrushing. Purchasing the silence of these two was going to be expensive, he realized. More disturbing were the various coos and titters of embarrassed gossip, or worst of all, Millicent Bulstrode's embarrassed blushing, which along with her pressing the index fingers of the hands together, made her look positively girly. Parkinson was the anomaly of the females. She stared at Draco with a look of sheer shocked betrayal.

This is going to require.. what the hell do I do now anyway? This has had to of happened to Potter, how would he deal with it? Yeah. Shrug it off like nothing. All right then. Let's do this.

Draco swung his legs over the sofa and stood up despite the sleepy protestations of Niobe. “Good morning Johnston, Cleo, Niobe, Washington. We need to get up now for breakfast so we can make the carriages to the village in time.” With that, Draco helped each girl off the couch and then made his way to the men's bathroom as the ship-girls went for the women's bath.

-0-

Draco sighed as he stood at a urinal, emptying his bladder as the pack of Slytherin boys glared daggers at him. At this point he was starting to get pissed off at the jealousy, and his inner mini-Draco kept suggesting curses, jinxes, hexes and even to try getting Force Lightning to work. No, he would do what the Evil Overlord list suggested for such situations.

“So being used as a pillow by ship-girls, is justification for you all to what exactly? Hate me? Revenge yourselves upon me for a perceived slight? Well, here's some unvarnished truth for you all: I never sought out any of those girls. Ship-girls are a vortex that catches you, not the other way round.” He finished with his ablutions and moved to his room to change. As the crowd followed, individuals split off, whether convicted by reason or shame Draco neither knew nor cared.

He continued to the few remaining holdouts as he finished tying the emerald necktie to go with his black button-up shirt. “Dating a ship-girl is perilous business, last night alone I nearly suffered a concussion. They will drag you into doing things you never thought you would do, and you will enjoy it. If any of you think that you have what it takes to do that? Well, if you hang out where ship-girls do, maybe eventually one of them might just decide you are her next hobby.”

He then turned to leave to the Common Room and smirked with the smuggest Malfoy smirk he could. “Otherwise, think of it this way. Now you do not have to be concerned with my stealing your girlfriends here at school.” And with that Draco brushed past them and joined the girls in the Great Hall for breakfast.

-0-

Breakfast had gone swiftly and without incident. Washington had begged off going to Hogsmeade, saying that she was stay behind to squelch any rumors started due to the cuddlepile and prevent any panic attacks of the teachers. She did however give Draco a wink and told him to have fun. With that, Draco turned to other three girls and smiled. “Ready to go ladies?”

“You bet sweetie!” Johnston's smile was incandescent and she twirled in her shoulderless violet blouse and long white skirt.

“Ready when you are Muffin!” Cleopatra batted her violet eyes at him while she wrapped a scarf around her neck and let it drape over the Sabaton tee shirt she had gotten at the concert.

“Light cruiser Niobe, ready to sortie mein kapitan~.” Draco did a double take at the silver haired cruiser's teutonic lilt and her half lidded eyes looking into his. “Oh, was I wrong to assume that we were on a date together then~?”

Draco began to stammer. “Wut?! I...How.. By Merlin, how did I go from one to three? What the hell happened last night?”

The German ship-girl hooked her thumbs behind her back and rocked on her heels while she glanced at Draco soulfully. “Well, sleeping together is a bonding experience es ist nicht? And you remembered my name in the morning, another good sign.”

Draco gulped air like a fish out of water and grew progressively pale. After a pause, all three girls began giggling madly and each of them then kissed Draco on the cheek. Niobe then embraced him from behind and squeezed. “Ja, you were right Cleo, he is an innocent little muffin. Und Johnston was right in that he is cuddly as fuck.”

At this point Draco could only weakly protest, “We really should be going.” Somehow, despite three ship-girls all hanging off him, he and they managed to get to the carriages to Hogsmeade. What Draco and the girls failed to see as they left, was a bushy-haired figure shaking with rage watching them leave the Great Hall.


Whew. And there is still a bit more.... aaaaaa.

 

Year Three - Prisoner of Shipping Part 3b

START

 

Harry Leferts

Softly humming as she sat on the bed, Haruna gently rubbed her rounded abdomen. Where just a few months before there had been the barest signs of a swell, now it was quite obvious that she was pregnant and well along. Eyes softening, the Battleship smiled a bit, “Haruna cannot wait to meet you, Little One. And neither can Haruna’s Nee-Sans as well as Rose-Chan.”

Moments later, a smaller hand placed itself on top of the shipgirl’s own as Rose’s voice spoke up, “She is right, Little One, I look forward to each day as I know it is one day closer to meeting you.” Turning her head, she gave Haruna a gentle kiss that, as always, sent the Battleship’s boilers fluttering, “Good morning, Haruna”

Brightly smiling, the Kongou leaned her forward against her wife’s, “And another good morning to you as well, Rose-Chan.” Nuzzling the smaller woman, she sighed a bit, “Just a few more months, Rose-Chan. Then we can meet our child.”

With a quite nod, Rose hummed as she began to gently rub the soft skin of her wife's stomach, getting a shiver in response, “Yes, they’ll be due in May according to the doctors.” Beneath her palm, the skin was not just soft, but also warm, “Just two more months.”

Only nodding, Haruna smiled, “Yes, just two or so more months and Haruna will meet the child she made with Rose-Chan.”

The Tsukumogami suddenly gasped in surprise as she felt something, “Haruna! They... they kicked!” Gaze softening, she swallowed, “They just kicked.”

About to nod, Haruna noticed something and frowned in concern, “Rose-Chan? Are you alright? You look like you’re crying...”

Quickly, Rose reached up with one finger and wiped the tears away. Swallowing, she turned to Haruna and gave her one of the most beautiful smiles that the shipgirl had ever seen , “Ah, I am sorry about that Haruna. It is just...” Gazing down on the swell that hid their infant from the world, she sighed, “I suppose that makes it all so very real. And I just feel so happy.” With a deep breath, Rose turned to her wife, “You must think me so very silly to cry over that.”

For a few moments, the Battleship didn’t do anything. But then, she tilted Rose’s head back and looked her in the eyes, both hers and her wife’s filled with love, “Haruna could never think that Rose-Chan is silly for that. Because Haruna wants to cry in happiness as well.”

Gently, the two of them kissed for a few moments before pulling apart, breathless. Leaning into Haruna, Rose sighed a little bit, “I’m just ever so happy, Haruna. Never did I think that I would know the joy of having a child as my Mistresses and Masters did. And yet, that is what is happening before my eyes.” Eyes glancing at the matching rings on hers and Haruna’s fingers, she hummed, “But then, I did not think that I would know the joy of being in love and having someone love me back. To be married to them.”

Softly nuzzling Rose, Haruna sighed herself, “Nor did Haruna. And Haruna is happy to be proven wrong.” A giggle escaped her as the child kicked again, “Though Haruna thinks that the Little One is also happy about that.”

Giggling herself, the tea set nodded, “Indeed.” Her expression than became thoughtful, “Haruna? Since you are getting close to your due date, does that mean that you will be taken off active duty until the Little One is Born?”

Haruna tilted her head to the side checking her logs before humming, "Yes, Haruna is going to be taken off of active duty come April, Rose-Chan." Lips curling into a soft smile, she nuzzled the smaller woman, "Hopefully, Rose-Chan is not going to mind Haruna being around more often."

Unable to help herself, Rose gave a chuckle before nuzzling her wife back, "No, I do not think that I will mind at all, Haruna. Not in the slightest." Moving a bit, she nibbled Haruna's ear which made the Battleship turn bright red with some steam coming out, "Especially with your... greater appetite, Love."

Looking at the tea set, who smirked knowingly, the Kongou chewed her lip some, 'Haruna... is definitely looking forward to maternity leave...' A moment later, Haruna gave a giggle, "Well, the next one will be Rose-Chan's, I suppose."

Eyes lighting up, Rose gave a smile, "That will not be a problem, Haruna." Briefly though, she had a shiver go down her spine and looked around with a confused expression, 'I wonder whatever that was?' Shaking it off though, the Tsukumogami got up and helped Haruna to her feet, "But, as much as I would like to stay here like this, Haruna, we must get breakfast. After all, we have work to do, unfortunately."

With a sigh, Haruna nodded, "Hai, Haruna knows this, Rose-Chan." Then, her expression brightened a little bit, "But Haruna is also happy because she will be home early as all Haruna needs to do is escort Honshu around the harbour as her first patrol."

Her eyebrows raising a bit, the tea set thought back to the young girl in question and hummed as the two got dressed, with her helping Haruna some due to her pregnancy, "Is that right, Haruna?" Getting a nod, Rose smiled a bit, "I see, that is a good thing to know then. After all, she has been hard at work getting things done."

Now dressed, Haruna gave a giggle, "Hai, she has been hard at work learning everything that she needs to in order to be a shipgirl." Walking out into the main area of the apartment, the shipgirl continued, "Though she had to use the Heavy Cruiser area for working on her accuracy due to her guns. Her gun size is too big for the Destroyer Range."

Simply nodding as she got to work frowned, "Yes, I did hear that." With a practiced ease, she began to make breakfast for both her and her wife, "Though I suppose that it is also a good thing, as I also heard that the Admiral is most happy with her being around. Because she was built specifically to patrol near the coasts, which frees up Heavy Cruiser shipgirls for other duties, from what I have heard."

That got her a nod and all too soon, the two of them left the apartment and walked hand in hand to where Haruna would be launching. Neither talked much, but simply savoured the time that they had with each other, though every once in a while either Haruna's or Rose's hand would drift to the Battleship's stomach. Small, soft smiles shared whenever they felt the baby move.

It still did not take them very long to reach the launch ramp though both of them paused at the sight that met them. Mainly that of Sayaka fussing a bit over her sister, which made the two adult women tilt their heads some. Out of the corner of her mouth, Rose softly whispered to her wife, "Haruna? Is today not a school day?"

With a hum, Haruna nodded, "Hai, Rose-Chan, today is a school day."

All Rose did was nod in reply to that.

Meanwhile, Sayaka was still fussing over her sister and checking everything, "Are you sure that you have everything, Momo? I mean..."

Sighing, the young shipgirl glanced to where Yamapi was attempting to eat a muffin, "Hai, I am sure, Onee-Chan."

Briefly, Sayaka chewed her lip before taking a deep breath, "Okay, let's just go over it again just to be sure." Ignoring the amused roll of eyes from her sister, she began, "Okay, do you have your lunch?"

Nodding, Momo reached into her pocket and pulled out a rather large bento, "Hai! Right here, just like the other times." With a smile at her sister, she gave a giggle, "Thanks for making it for me, Onee-Chan."

A blush on her face, the older of the two sisters only nodded, "W-well, I thought that you needed a lunch just in case you get hungry out there. And... and speaking of, do you have your snacks as well? And bottles of juice?" One by one, Momo confirmed that she had the items in question with the sort of exasperated amusement that only a little sister could pull off. Finally, Sayaka looked at her little sister's uniform with a frown. It was not much different from her old school uniform, except it was the one for warmer months... and it was still march, "Are you sure that you don't want a coat? I don't want you to get chilly or anything and catch a cold."

Only shaking her head, Momo shook her head, "Nope! I have a scarf!" Frowning at it, she tilted her head some, "I am not sure how it works, but it does. Just like Kashima-Sensai said it does." Brightly smiling, the young shipgirl looked up at her sister, "I'm nice and warm!"

Despite her confusion over the matter, Sayaka just nodded as she furrowed her eyebrows, "Um, okay? If you say so..."

Just as she was about to say something, Haruna walked over and cleared her throat, "Is everyone ready to go out on our patrol? We must be leaving soon."

Throwing her hand into the air, Momo nodded, "Hai, Haruna-San! We're ready!" Quickly turning, she gave a hug to Sayaka, "I'll see you when I get back, Onee-Chan! So don't worry."

With tears in her eyes, the older girl hugged her little sister as tightly as she could. Being as Momo was a shipgirl, it didn't hurt her at all, but the thought was there. Ever since her sister had come back, Sayaka had barely left her out of her sight. Anything that the younger girl needed, her older sister got. Due to Momo being stuck on base until her spiritual power settled, Sayaka almost never went home, coming to the base right after school. And often, Momo would wake up with her older sister hugging her tightly in her sleep, as if afraid that she was going to vanish.

But knowing what she did, the young shipgirl both understood and did not mind.

Finally, Sayaka pulled away and wiped at her eyes, "H-hai, because you're more powerful than your Onee-Chan now..."

Giving her another hug, Momo's next words caused Sayaka to outright cry, "No, because Onee-Chan is the strongest girl I know! But now it is my turn to protect you, Onee-Chan, and I'll be the best at it."

Unable to say anything, the older girl only nodded and let go of her sister. She watched as Momo headed down the ramp and waited for the others to launch before looking over her shoulder. Understanding what she wanted, Sayaka waved, "G-good luck, Momo! I'm proud of you!"

The smile she gave, to Sayaka, practically lit up the somewhat grey March morning, "Hai!" With a deep breath, Momo took a step forward onto the water as her rigging manifested around her, "Coastal Defence Vessel, Honshu deploying!"

Sayaka sucked in a breath, as per usual, she could see the rigging that belonged to her sister's ship portion. It seemed so much bigger compared to the little girl than the others, giant turrets capable of blasting and sinking ships much bigger than her. But... it was still Momo. As her sister headed out with the others, Sayaka waved at her, 'SEE YOU TONIGHT, MOMO! OKAA-SAN IS MAKING DINNER! AND... AND I'LL BE WAITING!"

With a sharp nod, Momo waved back and Sayaka stood there on the shore. Walking up, Rose placed a hand on her shoulder, "Miss Momo is in good hands, Miss Sayaka. Haruna would not let anything happen to her and neither would any of the others." When Sayaka nodded, the tea set gave a nod, "Now how about we head for a spot of tea." Seeing the young girl about to say something, Rose continued, "And I shall see about giving you my binoculars. They are powerful enough that you shall be quite able to watch over her on her patrols from where we shall be."

All Sayaka did was nod and gather up Yamapi before allowing for Rose to guide her along...

 

Yellowhammer

(A.N. Sorry this one took longer than planned to drop)

This builds on the events of Harry And The Shipgirls: Prisoner of Shipping (A HP/KanColle Snippet Collection) | Page 780
An Egyptian SunshipGirl at Hogwarts 3

An Egyptian Sunshipgirl at Christmas

The Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, Devon, England

Christmas, Harry's 3rd Year in Hogwarts
Spoiler: Christmas With The Weasleys

"Thank you very much for your gift!" Amisi spoke with a happy smile on her face as she stowed the instructional book that Fred and George had given her 'to assist with her English studies with Percy' away in her hold. She glanced over at her Pharaoh, whose face was as red as his hair as he sipped a steaming cup of hot cocoa.
Spoiler: Gred And Forge Get Percy And Amisi Good


With that she reached inside herself and pulled out a pair of copper amulets inscribed with the Knot of Isis and crafted with prayers to protect and increase wisdom. "Here are your gifts, Brothers of my Pharaoh."

Fred and George took the amulets in turn. "Thank you Amisi."

The sunshipgirl mentally surveyed the shrinking pile of presents in her hold and then selected the game board that she had picked out for Ron (on her Pharaoh's advice). She smiled and handed the young man sitting between Duke and Warspite the special three-player chess set that she had found for him.
Spoiler: Ron's Chess Set


Smiling at the expressions of happy delight and interest from the young man and his ship-spirit companions, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Here you go dear." Molly said as she handed a wrapped present to Amisi.

The sunshipgirl carefully undid the paper wrapping - no destruction of such valuable papyrus for her! - and then blinked salt-water tears of joy from her eyes at the sight of the hand-knitted sweater presented. "{May the Great Pesedjet bless you with abundance!}" she said as she slipped back into Egyptian at the sight of the dark burgundy wool sweater with a gold Ankh knitted in it.
Spoiler: Amisi's Sweater


Pulling it on, she made her way to where her Pharoah stood with His two other Great Wives at the foot of the stairs. "My Pharaoh, Merry Christmas."

His smile caused her drummer to miss a beat for her oarsmen. "Merry Christmas Amisi."

She bit her lip as she looked at the Sea Demon fiddling with her metal gauntlets, and Ooyodo adjusting her glasses idly as she sipped a steaming cup. Then Amisi's jaw firmed and she pulled three carved sandalwood boxes from her hold. "I... made presents for you all."

Ooyodo's eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she finished her drink and pulled out three boxes a cubit-length on a side from her own hull. "So did I."

Supprin gave a shy smile and pulled three bags out of her storehouse into her massive gloves. "I made my own preparations."

Percy waved his wand and three small boxes filled his palm. "It seems that preparedness is the order of the day then." His lips curled in a happy smile as he cast a privacy ward around them. The noise from the rest of the family faded to a background hum.

"It is time."

Amisi handed the sandalwood box with hbny-wood inlay to Supprin in exchange for a bag tied with a bright yellow ribbon. She then handed the cherrywood-inlaid box to Ooyodo in exchange for the matching box with her name written on it in kanji. Finally, her cheeks blushed as she handed the third one... the one carved with cedarwood to her Pharaoh and in turn getting his small box.

Percy spoke, "I'll open mine first." He opened the box that a blushing Ooyodo had given him and his lips parted at the sight of the blue and white porcelain tea caddy inside. The hull of a World War II warship glided through the waves on its side in blue patterns on the creamy white bone china. "it's beautiful..." he whispered.
Spoiler: Tea Caddy


He carefully closed the box. "I'll enchant it with spells against damage."

He then turned to the bag that Supprin had given him. The Abyssal spoke softly, "Ooyodo and I agreed to make our presents a joint effort. You will need something to put in the caddy to serve its purpose so...." Percy nodded and opened the bag to reveal a supply of Supprin's specially grown magical coffee beans. "Practical and heartfelt. I am impressed, Supprin."

The Abyssal Princess bit her lip shyly and blushed. "Thank you, Percy."

At last he turned to Amisi's present. The sunshipgirl's drummer's instrument thudded as he opened the box, and revealed the ushabti-figurine carved from her heartwood for him. He looked into her eyes with a questioning glance. "It is a magical servant to assist you in the filing of the reports on papyrus, fixing of beverages to refresh the scribe at his desk, and to do whatever else is needful."

He looked back at it to see it open its eyes and salute him with the stubby hand that did not hold the stylus. "Thank you very much, Amisi."
Spoiler: Percy's Present

She smiled happily at his words of acceptance and love. His next words of firm command sent a shiver down her keel. "And I order you three to open my present to you next."

She opened the box and cried tears of joy at the glimmering enchanted ring her Pharaoh was giving her. Hieroglyphs proclaiming his intention to one day make her his Great Wife were engraved in the gold... in her log... in her very heartwood.
Spoiler: Amisi's Ring Fit For A Great Wife


Her lookouts alerted her to the condition of the other two Great Wives. Supprin was blushing scarlet as she touched a duplicate of the One Ring, engraved with an identical promise from Percy in Quenya, which was part of near invisible dragonhide elbow-length gloves that glimmered with charms of shielding, of protection, and of defense for her vulnerable hands.
Spoiler: Supprin's One Ring To Rule Her Heart


Amisi then looked over at Ooyodo, who was biting her lip and trembling at the sight of the cadmium-gold dark green ring with a glowing emerald cut in an odd hieroglyph that Amisi did not know.
Spoiler: Ooyodo's Ring (No Paperwork Shall Escape Her Sight)


As glances of agreement to a joint course of action were shared among the three spirits who would one day be the wives of Percy Weasley, the object of their smouldering love-filled gazes hastily reinforced the privacy wards before the first kiss landed on his lips.

 

Tackweld

Alert! Alert! New Chapter Inbound! Alert!

Ok, now that that is out of the way.
After far too long, The next installment in the saga of CDV Cowes attempts at summoning Shipgirls has arrived!

ORP Orzel: You are too silly for your own good. *bonks Tackweld over the head with a fish*

Ow...…..
----------------------------------------------
Part 8 A Joyful Surprise

The next day, Eustace found a packet by his overcoat. it was marked 'Poster Samples' in Francis' messy, slanted handwriting. Eustace grabbed the packet without a thought and went to meet Cpl. Jones at the end of the street.

Francis grinned broadly as he heard the latch fall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
When Jones and Eustace arrived at the church hall, most of the rest of the platoon was already there, the notable exception was that Cpt. Ewart was still absent.

Eustace did not pin the packet to the Announcement board, out of fear of damaging the samples.

Mrs. Pertwee was present and passing out lunches that the Church Ladies Guild had made for the platoon. Pvt. Franklin had seemingly come into a quantity of good perry and was giving each member of the platoon a small sample bottle. Eustace suspected it was an attempt to drum up some shady venture, but held his tongue.

By the time Ewart showed up, about five minuets later, the more shady portions of the impromptu "PX" had been cleaned up, as if they never occurred. Ewart checked the announcement board and nodded. It appeared that the mousetraps in the shelters were racking up quite an impressive kill count.

Ewart strode to the front of the hall and brought the meeting to order. He then read down the list of pressing matters.

"Has anyone made contact with the Navy?"

That enquiry was met with silence.

"Stobart, Have you found a suitable vehicle to haul the iron and fuel that we will need for the summoning?"

"Yes, Sah, we could use my Sentinel. She aint good for daily use, takes too long to steam, but for heavy haul she is grand." Replied Pvt. Doug Stobart.

"Ball, Any word from your Grandson on the poster?"

"Yes, sir" replied Eustace. "He has sent samples."

The packet was passed up the room.

Ewart undid the string and withdrew a small stack of samples, but a smaller, folded piece of paper fluttered its way to the tile.

"Ey! Cap! Don't let it get away!" shouted Franklin.

A mad scramble was made to catch the errant note, and Jones ended up with it. With a tangled heap of groaning platoonmates behind him, he presented the note, with a flourish.

"Captain, here is the important communication from an unknown party, Sir!"

Ewart opened the note and read it, once. And again for he did not believe it.

Ewart passed it back to Jones. "Read it aloud, Jones, I think everyone should hear this."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Denholm Stone Ewart,
I have heard of your difficulties in contacting a representative of the Navy. I do some contract work for them and one of my contacts agreed to work with you on the issue of getting your summoning attempts approved.

My contact and close friend, HMS Warspite, looks forward to speaking with you at your earliest convivence. Her contact number is listed at the bottom of this letter, for your convenience.

I wish you well on your future endeavors,
R. Weasley
Civilian Contractor to Her Majesty's Royal Navy
~Letter transcribed by F. Ball~
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What Do you think,
As always, feedback is appreciated.

TW

 

Yellowhammer

Butterknives Under Starlight

A farm in Uenohara-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, 74 miles west of Tokyo

After The Hunt For Norimune.
Spoiler: A Midnight Conversation

"Can't sleep either?"

The owner of the farm turned at the semi-familiar female voice, to see a dark shape sitting on the stone terrace wall for her vegetable garden.

"Delilah. What the fuck are you doing here?"

The revolver spirit shrugged. "Looking at the stars. Thinking. Reflecting on my path to this point. Remembering long-dead friends. How's the arm?"

Norimune leaned against the wall. "Been hurt worse. Surprised you didn't pile in to assist her."

Delilah barked a laugh, "Two reasons why I didn't. First off that whole 'avenge the family honor' kick is Colombe's hangup, not mine. I have my own issues, but that isn't one of them. What had happened between you and her was fucked up, but enough blame to go around for everyone with bonus extras. And between you and me Sis... Colombe didn't chase you over half the globe just for that throw-down. When we found out what happened to you after World War Two, Sis was all kinds of torn up by it. She was kicking herself hard over not being there for you. Even though it all worked out in the end, she still feels like utter crap over failing you then, as she sees it. Failing family in her eyes is a sin worse than eating babies raw."

Norimune stared at her youngest daughter. "No fucking way."

"Way." Delilah shrugged and pulled out a silver hip flask. "Want a drink?"

"Sure." Norimune took a swallow of the bourbon, then passed it back. "So what's the other reason?"

Delilah turned to look at her father and gave her a considering stare. "Short and dirty reason? I'm a stone-cold killer with trust issues. Sis, Jackie, they can get into fights to have fun, to prove a point, or increase their skills. They can turn it down, not go flat out to win or die. Not me, not really. I can back it off a bit, shoot to cripple or maim rather than shoot to kill, but I have to clamp down hard to prevent going straight up to maximum lethality."

Delilah took a shot of bourbon and then continued. "I suspect it is because of what I am. You can do a sword duel to first blood or whatever. Pistol duels tend to end with one or both people getting maimed or carried away feet first. Add in that I'm really constitutionally incapable of doing less than my best for things that I believe in and there you have it."

"That's fucked up." Norimune quietly observed.

"Tell me about it. Add in that I spent the past... oh century and a half or so concealing my true nature while working inside the belly of the beast of MACUSA and the ICW as a student at Ilvermorny - eleventh in my class incidentally - and then as an Auror."

Delilah gave a very dark laugh chased down with another shot of alcohol and then handed the flask over to Norimune as she continued. "Considering that for most of that time I was a walking, talking death sentence for myself and Mother by just existing, never mind if the wrong people got a whiff of my nature, loyalties, or actions. Yeah. I had trust issues piled on top of my nature thanks to that high wire act with no net over the pool of Death Potion. I could count the number of people who knew who and what I truly am before I arrived in Japan on two hands. Living and dead."

Norimune stared and took another slug of liquor. "So why the fuck are you telling me this then?"

Delilah shrugged. "I'm not totally sure myself. I want to see you and Mother at least talk and maybe resolve some of what happened before. I want to see Colombe and Jacklyn happy and both of them want a relationship with you in their own ways. I wouldn't mind a relationship with you either, and..."

Another shrug, "For better or worse you are my father, so you deserve to know the truth about me, I guess. Call it a little bit of cosmic justice for all the shit that happened to you up to this point. I believe in truth and justice among other things, after all. Make of that what you will."

"Mmmmm." The Unrepetant Blade made a thoughtful sound as she took yet another slug of the bourbon. "Have to think on that."

Delilah nodded, "Take your time. Not like we are going to die of old age here. Oh, that reminds me, I ordered a pair of Vanishing Cabinets before coming here. I'd like your permission to install one here to link to my house."

Norimune gave Delilah a look, "What's a Vanishing Cabinet?"

"Oh yeah, you probably don't know. Invention from that mess with Voldermort in Europe fifteen years or so ago now. They are a refinement of the Owl Box. Wardrobe-sized, step into one, close the door, and come out in the other one. Think The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe if you ever read C.S. Lewis. I have a set in my family home's basement that Sis uses to go back and forth from Belgium to the USA to avoid the issues she has with all her ICW arrest warrants. That way she can magically visit me and Jackie without pinging their radar."

"So totally untraceable by the ICW?" Norimune thought out loud.

"Yes. Unless you get spotted after arrival of course. They are still pretty rare and they aren't cheap, but I have the money and connections to get a pair of them 'off the books' as it were. I figured that I can use it to visit you, well and the rest of the family can too." Delilah leaned back and looked at the night sky.

"I'll have to think on that too." Norimune said quietly.

"We have time. The Cabinet won't arrive for another three days. I'm shipping it in nomaj to keep Tokyo blind to my intentions and already have a storage container rented to hold it if needed. Thanks for putting us up at your farm while the heat dies down in Tokyo." Delilah responded equally quietly, still staring at the twinkling stars.

"This reminds me of... God, was it that long already? 1942 in North Africa when I really got to know Colombe. Grindlewald's folks were up to some serious shit in Algeria; details are still classified so I can't tell you more. Sis got appointed to be my native guide since she spent two solid decades of her life running around Africa before World War I and the first night after heading into country we camped out and just talked under the stars. God that was a gorgeous night." Delilah's voice was hushed, and Norimune could see the glitter of tears on her cheeks in the starlight.

Norimune hmmmed thoughtfully, looking at the night sky herself as silence descended on her farm.

After a long pause, the silence was broken by a quiet, tentative question - a hesitant hand outstretched from a person who life had kicked one too many times before. "So... that was when you met Colombe. Africa, right?"

A wry chuckle as that hand was taken in an equally hesitant grip as the question was answered. "I fucking wish. No. Louisville, Kentucky in 1927, not that I had a clue that Sis even existed then. I was on vacation for the first time since 1914, relaxing at Mother's house when Sis decided that it would be a good idea to pick a fight with the local Ku Klux Klan chapter there rather than get lynched...."

 

Harry Leferts

Squeaking, the rat made its way through brush and over light snow on the ground. Every so often, it stopped to sniff around to catch the scent of possible predators. But each time, it didn't catch a whiff of danger. Coming up to some rocks on a small hillside, it was about to crawl into them when a tanned hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed it. Two dark eyes quickly examined it, in particular the front paws before the owner dropped it.

Quickly, the frightened rat fled into the surrounding brush as the feminine form stood there in her dark cloak looking around before she seemed to melt into the night once more.

A few hundred meters away, Peter whimpered a bit at what he had seen before he transformed into a rat and scurried away as fast as he could in the opposite direction. Inside his head, he was crying out at the world wondering what he had done to deserve this. But nothing answered him at all.

Peter wondered where everything had gone so wrong! After he had framed Sirius, he had laid low for a few weeks before heading to the sister of the Prewitt Brothers, Molly Weasley. He remembered how shortly before their deaths, not really all his fault though he had told the Death Eaters, who were the real ones who killed them, they had told him that their sister's husband was in the Ministry. That meant that if he hung out by their home, he would find out various bits of gossip. Not helping was how Molly was still friends with some of the Order, and he could listen in there. With that, he could find out more about what happened to the Dark Lord, or at least understand if anyone caught onto him.

Eventually, one of their children, Percy, found him sniffing around their garden for food and caught him. At the time, Peter had nearly panicked and transformed to kill the child right then to escape. But, he was too frightened of the fact that Molly was only a few feet away. Instead, he stayed as a rat and, to his relief, became a pet. Food and warmth as well as an easy life awaited.

Granted, he had something of a fright during Blood Week, but was thankfully at Hogwarts which was far from the ocean.

Years later, he was passed down to the youngest, Ron. And when he came to Hogwarts, he laid his eyes on James' and Lily's boy, Harry. Looking at him brought a twinge of regret, but he shoved it down. He had no real choice but to do what he did after all, otherwise he would have died torturously. In his mind, Lily and James would have understood. Granted, there was that bit where his Master had infiltrated the school. And the next year with the Basilisk.

One of the things though that he did not like was how the past few years had brought him into contact with shipgirls and Abyssals. They scared him to no end after all, and they were so protective of James' son! And of his 'Owner' to some extent. There was even one that came to live with the Weasleys named 'Amisi'. Not to mention that one, Summer, who Ron hung around with.

Then, the worst news reached him... Sirius Black had escaped from prison! From Azkaban as a matter of fact. His poor heart had nearly given out from that. Especially when he heard that Sirius might well show up at Hogwarts to kill Harry... or him, if his former friend knew that he was there.

Worse, that awful cat was always after him. Sure, that strange snake that transformed was bad in that she knew something was wrong about him, and same with that owl of Potter's. More than once, he wondered exactly how much they knew, and it had frightened him so.

As the months went on, Peter planned his escape just in case he needed to. He had it all planned out as a matter of fact. It was brilliant in its simplicity, all he would do was cut himself on Ron's bed, bleed some, and then run off. The boy would blame his friend's cat for it and he would be able to escape! And no one would be the wiser about it!
Unfortunately, he never got the chance.

Somehow, they had found him out and he had to run. Thankfully, that cat actually helped by getting in the way of Snape and McGonagall. But then, things went bad to worse as he was chased around the castle. No matter where he went, they were after him! And he was unable to get someone to make them stop... before he got caught by Remus.

Even now, he nearly pissed himself at the look in his old, former friend's eyes.

Of course, that was when Harry had saved him. He thought, at first, he was blessed with it... until Harry spoke. Even now, when he tried to sleep, he could see those eyes. Green eyes like the Killing Curse, Lily's eyes, looking at him accusingly. And Peter would also hear Harry's voice, his promise, his threat... Other times, the face and voice would be Lily's, though she snarled at him and described what she would do to him. It was horrible and he always woke up trembling, wondering why he had to suffer. Life was awful now...

And it had not stopped there as he was put into a cell in the Ministry of Magic after they had interrogated him time and again. He could still remember that night he escaped, when MacNair and Yaxley had broken into his cell for their own 'Interrogation'. Every once in a while he could twitched still and felt phantom pains. Why... why him...

Thankfully, it was not a far journey for him to enter the sewers where he hid. Plenty of rats down there, though he had to keep an eye out. There were... things down there in the labyrinth that was underground London. In places where man had not been for decades, horrible things. Especially if one traveled close to the old magical dump where expired potions, reagents, and the like had been dumped for decades and centuries before the Vanishing Charm was created, with the dump being eventually buried and covered over by the city.

Peter had hid down there for weeks, perhaps months. It was so easy to lose track of time in such places where you could not see the Sun. However, eventually, he left the sewers behind, hopping on trucks and the like to travel around the country. He was going to lay low at one of the old shelters Lily had created for some time. Maybe for a few months and then leave to find his Master, whom he had heard was in Romania somewhere. The Dark Lord would protect him after all, he could be useful and help, and so be protected...

Except... when he had arrived at the first such shelter, he barely escaped with his life.

He had been about to enter the clearing when he had felt his instincts screaming at him. And just in time as a spear nearly killed him which he had barely dodged! Using it was a small slip of a girl, except she had horns and a tail that whipped back and forth. Then she had given him a grin that made his blood run cold and he pissed himself, which made her laugh about having the Traitor (though he didn't consider himself a traitor! He had no choice in the matter!) and she had proceeded to try and kill him.

Much to his relief, he was able to transform and escape from her. But that was not the only such place. Each of the others he had gone to had someone there waiting for him, even some of the depots that only Lily and James had known about (he had followed them and noted were said depots were, just in case). One blonde woman in what looked like Roman armour had nearly cleaved him in half while proclaiming something about her prey-tor, or something. Another blonde woman he had not even tried to get close to due to an odd feeling of a truly massive amount of guilt. He had wanted to rush up to her and spew out all his sins.

That had scared him enough to take off and run in the opposite direction rather than face her.

Yet, there was more and this was the final one he knew about. And there was no more that he could go to in order to wait and hide until he could escape. Transforming back, he began to sob. Why... why him? Why did his life become so terrible... none of it was his fault! He had no choice and now it seemed like the universe had turned against him.

When he calmed down some, he began to think. He would need to find his Master, maybe help the Dark Lord regain his lost strength. Yes, that would likely help. Even if the Statute fell, which the Weasleys were certain of though he himself would not believe it, the Dark Lord was powerful enough that he would be able to stand and be protected.

But first... he needed to get to his Lord. Which was harder than one would think as he there were only a few ways to get across the Channel. He could ride on a ferry or a boat... but that would be dangerous even with the Channel secured. There was also the Chunnel, of course, but that carried it's own risks. Or an muggle aircraft...

Eventually, he came to a decision and one that he did not want to make at all. Because he knew just how bad it could turn out. However, he felt that he had no choice in the matter at all. Thus, he turned southwards and transformed back into a rat. It took him a few days, but he arrived at his destination, a small house.

Part of him had hoped that, perhaps, the Abyssals had destroyed it but it seemed that there was no such luck.

Stealthily, he made his way across the grounds, keeping an eye out as he travelled. Hearing a crack, he turned only to be struck by a spell that transformed him back into a human before a second one knocked him out.

Hours later, it felt like, he awoke only to find himself secured to a metal table as a man not much older than him was looking him over as if he was nothing more than a curious insect, "B-Brandon, my friend and ally..."

Just humming, the man smiled, "Ah, Peter! I was wondering if you would be coming by! We have so much to catch up on, you and I."

With a nod, Peter nodded, "R-right." Smiling unsurely, he motioned with one arm, "C-could you free me?"

Laughing coldly, Brandon shook his head, "Oh no, Peter. Can't do that, you understand. Now, I have a few questions for you." He brought up his wand and made a motion, the arms of Peter's robes splitting apart to reveal his skin which made him whimper before doing the same with the other arm, "Now, now... I promise that nothing will permanent, my dear friend."

A whimper escaped from Peter, "W-what do you want to know...?"

Head tilted to the side, the other man hummed, "Firstly, why did you come here?" Swallowing, Peter shuddered a bit before he screeched as Brandon moved his wand, a small sliver of flesh coming off his arm, like the skin being peeled from a potato, "I am waiting, Peter."

Jerking around a bit, the Animagus cried a bit before screaming again as the other man made a motion and salt poured over the wound. Once he was able to breath, he shouted, "I NEED YOUR HELP!"

Brightly smiling, Brandon chuckled, "Now, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Amused at the whimpers, he tilted his head, "Though you must be rather desperate to come to me for help, Peter. Somewhat stupid, though I am certain that you had your reasons."

Peter gulped some at the look in his eyes, "I-I-I... I knew that you would not turn me over to the others! B-because-"

He was unable to get much further as the other wizard's eyes narrowed and he made a motion with his wand. Something like a jumper cable shot out and clamped itself on Peter's leg before he began spasm with pain, "Please, do finish your sentence."

The cable fell away and Peter spasmed a bit more before it settled down. Every bit that he has gone through reminded him of why he avoided the man. Not the least was because he was vicious and cruel to an extent that Bellatrix was impressed. He also did quite a bit of research for the Death Eaters and in his pain, Peter thought back to why he would not work with the others after the Dark Lord's disappearance, because they would likely kill him like they would Peter, though for another reason...

Mainly because Brandon was a Muggleborn, one of the very few who managed to join the Death Eaters.

Breathing hard, the rat animagus remembered back to how his Lord had declared that Brandon was a Pureblood stolen from what was likely his true home. Left, with overly religious Muggles who berated him as being the Devil's child due to his powers. Oh, the Dark Lord had laughed about how they were so foolish as to try and get him exorcised, which obviously did not work.

And when Brandon went to Hogwarts, they disowned him and wanted nothing to do with him...

It was the first time that Peter had been on one of the Death Eater's little torture sessions and the man across from him had taken joy and pleasure in making sure that his parents had suffered before death. The Dark Lord had been pleased with how well he had taken to it after all. So very many ways to cause pain and agony...

The former Marauder still shuddered at the memory.

Seeing the wand come up, Peter shouted, "I KNOW WHERE THE DARK LORD IS!"

Brandon blinked at that and smiled, and it was not a nice smile, "Well now, that is good news. Once you tell me, we can go and find him to bring him back..." Once Peter told him, the other wizard's eyes lit up, "Europe? Well now, I will be able to contact some friends I've made over the years. They will be happy to help, I think. After all... it is for the Greater Good, that our Lord rises once more..."

All Peter could do was whimper.