Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Legs slowly kicking at the water as she propelled herself along, Iku hummed as she reached the Uraga Channel at the mouth of Tokyo Bay. Above her, the waves sparkled under the warm, late July Sun, casting dappled sunlight over everything below as she swam. The smile on her face was only partially because of that. Honestly, she never got tired of seeing the beauty and peace under the waves.

That said? Another part of it was due to the fact that she was done one of her short patrols and thus had a few days off for leave. Days which also included Harry's birthday.

As per usual, the thought of the black haired teenage wizard caused her to feel a warmth from her engines and she kicked a bit harder, though she didn't go much faster than her usual cruising speed. Part of the Subgirl mused on that feeling inside her. After spending time in the cold, dark depths of the ocean, knowing that Harry was waiting for her was a wonderful thing. It made so much of a difference knowing he would be there when she returned home. Of knowing that she had someone waiting.

Just the same, however? Most of the current smile on her face was due to the thought of once more spending another birthday of Harry's with him and their friends. It was something that she cherished after all.

Part of her was thinking about what would happen, of course.

Like the year before, it had been decided to have a beach party on Sarushima for his birthday. And, much to her relief, the weather seemed to be holding out for such. Her and the other Submarines were actually going to be making the cake this year for his birthday, and hoped that he enjoyed it. They had been taking lessons from Barb after talking with her in regards to baking and cake making.

Granted, that involved some trading done between them, but none of the Submarines minded too much. And the cost was fresh fruit gathered by them and made into preserves. Once more, not that big of a cost and they had learned how to do so from Harry years ago.

Though all of them were somewhat weirded out by the large amount of toilet paper that the American Subgirl also wanted as payment.

But, in the end, it all worked out. Each and every one of the Submarines were considered to be "Adequate" to Barb's standards of baking. Which, of course, put them rather high up considering the skill of the American. And they were all looking forward to Harry's expression when they presented the fruits of their efforts, though RO was going to be making more German bread among other things as well.

Her lips curling into a smile, Iku licked them a bit even as she ignored the saltiness of the water with normal experience. With all that they had gathered, it was going to be a real blast. Especially when one considered some of their other plans for said day as well. A quick check with her amused quartermaster for what seemed like the fifth time (it was, in fact, far more than that) told her that the ingredients that she had gathered were still good inside the magical ice boxes within her hull.

And that was something else that she was thankful to Harry for. One of the gifts he had given to all the Submarines were expanded trunks and ice chests which ran on magic. And since the inside of each chest was equal to a small refridgerated room, it meant a lot. Not just for bringing food from different ports back home, but also because all the Submarines usually fished at night as they waited for their diesels to charge up, especially when they were a day or so outside of Yokosuka. Then, the fish would be placed in the ice boxes to keep until they got hiome.

It made it all the easier and cheaper to keep themselves and others fed that way.

Just ignoring her crew's mutters about shark steaks, Iku blinked as she became aware of a distant clamor and slowly ascended until she breached the surface and looked around. Glancing at the sky, she could see that it was late in the afternoon. A hum escaped her as she looked further north and could just make out the work being done where the old No.3 Taisho fort had been in the bay. She had never seen it personally, except for the ruins that barely stuck above the water. It had been one of the victims of the Great Kanto Earthquake, having sunk beneath the waves and leaving a scheol in it's place.

Before Blood Week, there had been talk of removing the whole thing with some work being done. However, the Abyssals had attacked and any work had been put off indefinitely. Construction then took place on Forts No.1 and No.2 with modern guns placed there as well as anti-ship missiles to fortify Tokyo Bay as well as coastal artillery. Then, the decision had been made to rebuild Fort No.3 with modern materials. Most of the old ruins had been removed and currently, the reinforced concrete now rose above the waves even as work continued.

Eyeing it for a few minutes as she continued her way towards the naval base, Iku only nodded to herself as already, she could see where the positions where the railguns would be installed. Much bigger and more powerful versions of what the Fubuki had, they could badly hurt or even kill Battleship Princesses. And they were capable in anti-air as the hypersonic projectiles could be broken up after firing creating a shotgun-like blast. From what she had heard, it could even be used as an ABM system covering much of the Tokyo Area as the slugs could reach and hit orbit. Even lasers were being emplaced with power supplied via undersea cable under the bay's floor.

Soft smile on her face, the Subgirl dove under the waves, heading towards the bottom.

Not long after, Iku found herself swimming into the Submarine Pens and reaching the metal ladder that extended down to the bottom before swimming upwards. Once she breached the surface, she climbed the ladder upwards until her wet feet touched the smooth concrete there. Softly sighing, the Subgirl stretched as she heard a few satisfying pops escape from her joints. With that done, Iku made her way over to the small shower at one end of the dock area and turned it on.

Humming softly, the blue haired girl scrubbed herself over with her bare hands and ruffled her hair to get the saltwater off before turning off the water. Stepping out of the basin, Iku wrung her hair of as much water as she could before heading to the entrance to the living quarters. As she walked into said quarters though, she paused as she noted Hachi practically bouncing in place.

For a brief moment, Iku watched in amusement before noting that the other Subgirls were there.

Placing her hands on her hips, the Subgirl cleared her throat, "What has you all excited now, Hachi-Chan?"

Upon hearing her voice, Hachi came to a stop before turning and running at her. Enveloping her friend, the blonde haired Submarine grinned, "I got great news for you, Iku-Chan!"

Lips curling into a smile, Iku hugged her friend rather enjoying the closeness, "Great news, hmm? What sort of news?"

Bringing over some snacks, Taigei gave the two Submarines an amused look as she set them down, "She wouldn't tell us until you arrived, Iku-Chan. Though we suspect it has to do with the date that she was on with Harry-Chan." Reaching into her apron, she pulled out a towel that she tossed to the blue haired Subgirl, "Here you go, dry off a bit."

Just catching the towel, Iku took a step back as she began to do just that. Granted, her gaze kept going back to Hachi as was bouncing around with a gleeful look on her face. Part of the reason for her gaze was the fact when hugging her, the blonde Submarine's white shirt had gotten damp on the front.

Which... the Subgirl didn't mind in the slightest.

Shaking off the thoughts about one of her best friend in question for later, Iku draped the towel over her shoulders and gave her a curious look, "So, what happened, Hachi-Chan?"

Hachi took a deep breath before letting it out, "Well, like Taigei-Nee-Chan said, I was on a date with Harry-Chan. We went to Kyoto to pick up Kenshō -Chan from Umitsubame-San's... Oh! Remind me to show you the video I took, it's adorable and Harry-Chan really shows that he will make a good Otou-San for any children that are lucky enough to have him as theirs."

Intrigued, the blue haired Subgirl nodded, though RO gave a light snort at that as she crossed her arms with a smile, "As if we did not know that before, Hachi-Chan. Harry-Chan will make for a very good Vati, ja." A light blush sprang up on her cheeks as well as the others' at her next words, "Hopefully our own."

Chewing her lip, the blonde Subgirl gave a hum even as her cheeks burned, "H-hai, I hope so too. Though seeing it..." As she trailed off, the others nodded before she shook her head, "A-anyways, I found out something from Harry-Chan that means that we will have to change some things regarding the plan."

That got her blinks from everyone as they looked at her first and then at each other in utter confusion. Clearing her throat, Ryuuhou frowned a little, "Change some things about the plan, Hachi-Chan?"

With a happy smile, Hachi gave a nod as she wagged a finger at the Light Carrier, "Hai! Some great things actually happened with Ume-San and Sakura-San." Suddenly, she hummed a little, "Which reminds me, we shall need to set up a meeting with them. I think that they could be very helpful."

Now all of the others there were confused, but also intrigued. Slowly, Shioi raised her hand, "Uh, Hachi-Chan? What happened? And why does it have you all excited?"

Blushing as she realized that she had not explained anything, Hachi scratched her cheek, "Um, right, sorry. I'm just excited for what this means..." With a deep breath, she let it out as she walked over to a footstool and sat down on it, "Well.. as you all know, Harry-Chan went to Gion Matsuri with Sakura-San and Ume-San as well as staying at their home in Kyoto for three days. According to Harry-Chan, their Otouto told him that the bathroom that was in the corridor he was staying in was a mixed one as it could also be used by the Twins. So, that night, he went to take a bath and they walked in on him."

Eyebrows raising, Imuya frowned, "That... sounds like something from an anime. You know, where the girl clobbers the guy she walked in on about being a pervert, even though it was all her fault to start with?"

Grimace on her face, Maruyu scowled, "I hate that trope, it is so stupid! If I walked in on a guy, I wouldn't blame him for it or call him a pervert, Mogu Mogu!"

That only got her nods from the others before RO leaned forward, "I take it that is not what happened with Harry-Chan, hopefully?"

Needless to say, the last bit carried a little hint of a threat in it's tone. However, they all relaxed as Hachi shook her head, "Nein, that is not what happened." Raising her finger, she shook her head, "Now, like the gentleman that he is, Harry-Chan quickly got up and told them he was sorry and would leave... but Ume-San and Sakura-San told him it was fine and he didn't have to as it was a mixed bath. Then, once they had prepared for their bath and such, they asked him if Harry-Chan wouldn't mind if they did his back and hair, with him doing the same to them."

More than one set of eyes widened at that and Iku stared. Chewing her lip, she blinked some, "Well, I take it that Harry-Chan did so? And that they washed his back and hair?" At Hachi's nod, she leaned back, "Wow..."

Adjusting her glasses some, Hachi smiled, "Once they were all washed, they then got into the bath together and soaked as they were cuddled up to him. And they did the same thing each of the three days with the second having Natsumi-San join them to do the same thing!"

Frown on her face, Maruyu thought over what she just heard even as the others whispered to each other excitedly, "Skinship." Everyone quietened and looked at the former IJA Submarine as she nodded before she looked at Hachi, "That's what it was, skinship. Intimate without being... you know."

Bright smile on her face, the glasses wearing Submarine nodded, "Hai, it was. And it's done good for Harry-Chan! He... he initiated a kiss with me." Cheeks hot and steam coming from her ears, Hachi held her hands clasped before her mouth, grin visible behind them, "He kissed me, placed his hands on my hips... and even deepened the kiss!"

Jaws dropped at that and Imuya swallowed, "Y-you mean it, Hachi-Chan? Harry-Chan, um..." Deeply blushing, she was unable to look at the others, "Made out with you?"

Chewing her lips a little, Hachi shook her head, "I-I can't say that it was making out exactly. B-but he held me close with hands on my hips, though more towards the back. And the kiss was deeper than others we've shared." Poking her fingers together, she looked down, "S-so kind of?" The Subgirl smiled wider and let out a small squee even as she ducked her head, "I-it was really nice."

Each of the others became thoughtful at that before Iku got up and sat down with Hachi and hugged her, "That's great news, Hachi-Chan!" Giving her a kiss on the corner of the mouth, she turned to the others, "Isn't it?"

As they nodded, the blonde Submarine nodded and returned the short kiss on the corners of Iku's lips with a happy smile, "Well... that's not all that happened." At their looks of interest, she continued, "Harry-Chan had a... relevation of sorts after the first time..."

The others listened intently, eyes widening and smiles broadening as Hachi explained about it and what she had told Harry. For a minute or two, there was utter silence before it was broken with happy squeals and the like. It went without saying that they all agreed to speak with Sakura and Ume to bring them into The Plan. And possibly bring in Natsumi as well, since she was involved already.

Later that night, Iku had her arms behind her head as she looked at the ceiling above. Around her, she could feel most of the other Submarines slumbering with happy smiles as they dreamed. Which was not to say that she did not have a happy smile herself, because she did, in fact, have one. Glancing to the side, she hummed a bit, "Hachi-Chan? Are you awake?"

Humming, said Submarine looked over her shoulder a bit, "Hmm? Something wrong, Iku-Chan?"

With a brief glance at the others, Iku shook her head, "Not really, but... do you think that Harry-Chan will kiss me? Like he did with you? Not to mention doing, you know..."

Moments later, Hachi twisted around until she was facing Iku with a smile on her face. Reaching up, she cupped the other Submarine's cheek, "Hai, I'm sure that Harry-Chan will kiss you like he did myself. I even told him that you would not mind that."

Petal shaped pupil glowing slightly, her friend hummed happily as she scooted over so that the two were pressed up against one another as she pulled Hachi close, "Thank you."

Softly smiling, Hachi nodded a little, "You're welcome, Iku-Chan."

Briefly, she paused before moving forward and, for a second or two, Iku could feel a featherlight touch of the other Submarine's lips on her own before her friend pulled back. Lips curling into a happy grin, she leaned forward and returned it before pulling back slightly, foreheads touching, "We're going to get it in this life, our happy ending."

Just nodding slightly, Hachi gave a sigh, "Hai, and with someone that we love and who loves and cares for us." Her eyes meeting Iku, she was not surprised that the other girl's eyes were moist, because she knew that her own were. Suddenly, she gave a giggle as a thought occurred to her, "Hey, Iku-Chan?" Getting a hum, Hachi continued, "When Harry-Chan told me what he did, I was tempted to try skinship for myself, but... it would have been rude as we were at Umitsubame-San's home."

That got her a soft giggle from the other Submarine, "Hai, that's true." Both of them giggled for a few more seconds before Iku's hands shifted them close again and she laid her head in the crook of Hachi's neck, "I'm glad with how things are working out. With Harry-Chan, who we love and care for, and does the same with us. And..." Her eyes met Hachi's, "And how I am with my best friends in the world."

Once more, she gave the blonde a light kiss, which was returned before Hachi whispered, "Hai... same here, Iku-Chan. Same here."

With that, the two closed their eyes and cuddled up to each other, happy smiles on their faces and pleasant dreams awaiting them that mostly involved a older version of the boy they cared for, as well as smaller versions of themselves with features from him.

 

[darthcourt10]

Sidestory - Snippet 250: Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Well all this discussion over the DelKids and the muse tapped me on the shoulder.

A Summer Job (I)

Approaching Mineral Peak, Montana, 7,451 feet elevation.

July 8th, 2033
Spoiler: First Jump

The United States Forest Service C-23 Sherpa airplane shook and shuddered in the wind gusts as it approached the light brown-white cloud bank dead ahead. To the casual observer, it looked like a bank of cumulus clouds, the familiar puffy shapes known the world over, albeit more brown than white. Some were even now beginning to form the towering anvil-shaped formations of the cumulonimbus clouds associated with thunderstorms and tornadoes.

An innocent and normal scene to the casual observer.

Nothing could be further than the truth.

To a meteorologist, these were pyrocumulus, formed by a source of intense heat on the ground causing hot air to rise and condense, forming a cloud in a self-sustaining loop as fresh air was sucked into the heat source .

Heat like that of the massive forest fire underneath it throwing up the smoke that gave the clouds their distinct brown color.

Heat that was feeding the cloud that would generate fresh lightning strikes to spark smaller fires to increase the blaze ripping through the bone-dry timber of the Selway-Bitterroot National Wilderness thanks to a wet autumn that had created large amounts of undergrowth and then a dry winter and spring to kill the undergrowth paired with hot summer temperatures and high winds.

A fire that now threatened the city of Missoula, Montana, the second largest community in the state.

A fire that had just flanked the containment lines once more with a wind shift and was racing down this valley now, driven by the strong winds in an uncontrollable river of flame.

A fire that this group of smoke jumpers would be parachuting in front of to fight in the trackless wilderness to buy time for a permanent firebreak to be built behind them further downstream.

Aboard the plane, four redheaded young women, dressed in Nomex fire-resistant suits and helmets with parachute packs, sat in a row.

The one on the far left gulped as the plane jostled through the turbulent air then gave her twin sister next to her a glare filled with considerable heat. She snapped out a gnarled redwood wand from a wrist holster on her gear and scribed a glyph in the air as she incanted a privacy spell, causing a matching glyph to flash on the helmets of her three sisters. "{It would be fun you said. A good way to make money as a summer job you said. Dammit, Lou! This is the last time I listen to your bright ideas!}" she sarcastically said in Arabic as the plane shook again and she surveyed the woodlands below for a landing zone.

Her sister leaned back casually and laced her hands behind her neck as she responded in an apparently bored voice. "{Hey, if Mom and Aunt Colombe can jump in over Normandy, we can jump in to fight a fire! Nobody's shooting at us after all, unlike the Krauts in 1944 during D-Day. Pity, we could shoot back then. Relax, Emma, it's not like we can burn and we've got Jenny and Sally with us.}" Her sharp eyes put the lie to those words as she looked over the wooded ridges and cliffs with the cold green stare of a gunfighter.

Beside Lou, the third redheaded girl with the name tape 'Virginia Aisha' on her helmet and gear gave a needle pointed grin and spoke in a controlled voice. "{You worry too much Emma. All things are done according to the Will of God, and He has called us to fight this fire to save the town. Insha'Allah.}" She took a deep breath then spoke quietly with an undertone of banked eagerness. "{I cannot wait to test myself against the beast of flame ahead, though.}"

Next to her twin, Salome Alia de Breuil-Alnaar swallowed nervously and worked a string of coral tasbih prayer beads through her fingers as she prayed with her eyes closed. "{O God! Grant me good in this world, and good in the next life!}" With that she opened her eyes and nodded with a determined expression on her pale face. "{I am ready, my sisters.}"
Spoiler: Smoke Jumping

"Hook up and get in the door!" The spotter sounded off and the two members ahead of the sisters moved to hook up their static lines and moved to the open door.

Emily Periezade de Breuil-Alnaar swallowed and did her own gear check, then automatically swiveled to help her minutes-younger twin Louise Jezebel and then their younger sisters Virginia and Salome with their checks. Proper Planning prevents Piss-Poor Performance, Ja? Gaah, Cousin Ehren is rubbing off on me again, she told herself with a mental tip of the hat to her favorite cousin and babysitter as she heard a very cool and precise voice from her memory.

As she watched her team leader headed out first along with another experienced smoke jumper.

My Turn.

She scooted closer and then took a deep breath. Suddenly she felt Lou's hand grab hers and squeeze reassuringly. She gave her sister a smug grin and nod that she didn't feel in the slightest. She breathed in and out as she centered herself.

This wasn't training any more.

This was real.

"Hook up!"

She complied, linking the static line to her drogue chute.

Suddenly all the stories about the courage needed to do your duty in the face of adversity were real in a way that Mom's memories in a Pensieve or Ammah's flame figures in the fireplace had never been to the younger her.

"Sit in the door!"

She slid forward and grasped the bars, her legs dangling into space three thousand feet over the wooded wilderness as she listened to the final safety briefing.

"Any questions?"

She spoke with a confidence she didn't feel. "None, sir."

With that the spotter patted her on the shoulder.

"Jump."

Emily launched herself out into space and the terrifying experience of free falling...

One Mississippi...

She had flown, of course, and was a star chaser on Thunderbird's Quidditch team but this was different...

Two Mississippi...

Her hand clenched on the handle of her chute as she counted down the seconds so she wouldn't tangle with Lou falling behind her...

Three Mississippi...

Her grin split her face as the green forest approached with every beat of her wildly thudding heart...

Four Mississippi...

Lou was right, this was a lot of fun. It still wouldn't stop her strangling her idiot sister when they hiked out to civilization after the fire was contained.

FIVE MISSISSIPPI!

With that her arm moved and her chute deployed with a yank. She grabbed the risers and began to glide toward the two red, white and blue chutes already on the ground in a clearing. She sensed Lou above and behind her like a reassuring coolly warm presence in her hind-brain and more faintly the flaming eager passion of her jinn sisters above waiting their turn to jump.

She then pulled one riser to go into a tight altitude-losing spiral as she had been trained to increase the spacing between her and Lou. She then released it, and prepared for landing, aiming for the clearing and watching for logs.

THUMP

The shock of landing was unexpected but welcome and she popped the quick-release for the chute in trained reflex.

"Emily Clear!" she shouted as she stood and double-timed clear to the timberline to join her team of smoke jumpers. As she did, she twisted her wrist and her wand shot into her hand. As always, the feel of it was reassuring with the care of Maddy's craftsmanship and the hair that Ammah had given to be used as the core, along with the steel hand-grip from Mom.

Lou followed her a scant minute later as above two more chutes blossomed from the plane. "Orders, sir?" Emily asked as she surveyed the pine trees, brush, and leaves covering the ridge below them.

The team leader rubbed the graying stubble on his chin. "Start here, work a fifty-yard firebreak to the stream, then up the far side of the valley as a base of operations and fall-back. Wind's picking up, so we need to hurry. We'll get to work with Pulaskis and chainsaws to expand and clear it once the equipment drops. I'll have your sisters work the other ridge down."

Lou and Emma nodded as one and then glanced at each other in a moment of silent communion. Emma raised her redwood wand, as Lou's red oak sparkled in the sunlight alongside her.

"Diffindo!" "Depulso!" The twin witches spoke as one.

Lou's wand emitted a line of razor sharp force cutting through trees and shrubs a yard above the ground as she swept it left and right like a scythe while channeling the Severing Charm. Scarcely had the trees begun to topple when Emily's Banishing Spell threw them violently away to expand the firebreak with precise blasts of banishment that used them as projectiles to rip through uncleared timber to expand the area.

Behind their older twins, Virginia and Salome sprinted to the team leader after landing.

He pointed to the far ridge as he gave directions and the twin Ifrit nodded in unison as they pulled out their mesquite wands. Then with a crack Salome and Virginia Apparated themselves across the valley.

Seconds later, suddenly flames spouted from the far ridge as they began to burn their half of the firebreak with a tightly controlled fifty yard wide inferno of white-hot flame that rapidly reduced the potential fuel there to charred ash with no real combustion potential.

Louise commented in a voice showing the first sign of strain as she chopped through a stand of thirty-meter tall mature white spruce. "I see Sally and Jenny are getting a nice meal..."

Emily finished for her as she tossed the meter-thick trees and stumps away like twigs, "... out of this deal. Unlike us who have to shoot our supper if we don't want trail rations. Fire's getting closer."

"That's what it does and why they pay us the big bucks." Lou snarked as they reached the stream at the base of the valley and turned. Both twins gave an awed whistle in stereo at the sight ahead. A pair of mule deer cowered in the knee deep water silhouetted by the hellish vision past them.
Spoiler: Fire In The Wilderness

"That's something..." "...you don't see every day." they spoke in chorus in slightly shaken voices.

Emily looked up slope to the rest of her team that were beginning to using Pulaski axe-mattocks and fire rakes to rip out the remaining brush and stumps to create a barrier of bare earth that the fire could not easily cross. She caught the team leader's eyes and made the "Job finished, now what?" hand signal to him.

He pointed ahead and to the right and made a chopping motion. Emily nodded and made the sign for 'order acknowledged'.

"C'mon, Lou, no rest for the wicked. Time to work our way upslope and finish the job our sisters started on that half of the firebreak." Emily said with a smug grin. "If the deer are still there when we get this fire line in place and it stands up to the fire when it reaches it..."

Louise touched the hand grip of her Desert Eagle true body in a shoulder holster under her flameproof suit and finished with a matching smirk. "...fresh venison for dinner!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Frown on his face, one of the JS Fubuki's engineering crew watched as a friend placed a hand against a group of cables, "Got a better idea where it is, Hidaeki-Kun?"

Moments later, Hidaeki's finger's sparked a little before he nodded, "Hai, got a good idea." After a short hum, he nodded, "Okay, the short is just down this way." He pointed a little down the hall before chuckling and giving the wall a little pat, "Just give us five and we'll have it tracked down and fixed, Fubuki-Chan."

Under his hand, he could feel a happy sort of hum before he continued to walk in search of the short that was causing trouble with some sub-systems. As he stated, it took only five minutes to track it down fully and get to work fixing the problem. Crouching next to Hidaeki with a flashlight, the other man grimaced at the look of the wires, "Looks like damage from a power surge. Damn... we're going to have to replace these wires."

With a nod, Hidaeki frowned as he rubbed his chin before writing something down in a clipboard, "Thankfully, it is not as bad as it could be. And that's what these sea trials are for, aren't they? Especially with the experimental systems." Reaching out, he gave the wall next to him a small pat, "Though with how Fubuki-Chan is like her Kaa-San and doing her best, her Imouto's won't have nearly as many issues."

Lips quirking a little, the other man chuckled, "True enough." Smile falling away, a frown appeared on his face, "Though it will be a few days and... Not to mention having to switch off power this entire section."

Just shrugging, Hidaeki pulled at the repair bag beside him and opened it, "We can easily fix some of the issues here." Grasping at the radio, he turned it on, "Hidaeki and Kei to Engineering, we found the short in section..." Rattling off the location, the man nodded, "I am going to put in a splice that should hold long enough for us to reach Yokosuka."

Briefly, the radio crackled a little before there was a chuckle, "{Understood, Hidaeki-Kun. We'll observe from here.}"

Simply smiling, he smiled before he rolled up his sleeves before going to cut the wire as ears popped out of his hair. Almost immediately, electricity ran over his body in bright sparks. Observing this, Kei raised an eyebrow, "Doesn't that hurt?"

Grin on his face as he continued to work, Hidaeki shook his head, "Not really, more of a pleasant tingle." Looking at him, he snorted, "Try flying in a thunderstorm some time with lightning bolts all around you. What a rush!" The Raiju nodded towards the wires he was working on, "This? Barely compares."

Only shrugging as he held the flashlight, Kei rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Well, not all of us can literally handle live wires like you can."

A smirk on his face, the Yokai snickered, "No, no you can't." Noticing something, he frowned, "Hmm, looks like I need to do a bit of soldering..."

Letting go of the wires, he waited a few seconds before reaching into his bag. Grabbing the soldering wires, he once more grasped the live wires with one hand and his tail before going to work. Granted, Kei only shook his head as he watched his fellow Petty Officer, Second Class flick his finger with nearly white bolts of electricity flying between the finger tips and using that to solder, "You know, I heard something interesting in the grapevine. About ships and Yokai."

Interested, his friend glanced at him before going back to work, "Oh? What sort of things?"

Kei gave a small shrug, "Well... you know how shipgirls pick up skills and stuff from their crews, right? Like, if some of them knew how to play an instrument, so does the shipgirl?"

With a slight nod, Hidaeki raised an eyebrow, "I did know that to be honest, and rather cool when one thinks about it. But... what does that have to do with all this?"

Leaning away at a particularly bright spark, the other Petty Officer looked around before lowering his voice, "Well, apparently that extends to the abilities of Yokai. Fubuki, the shipgirl? Apparently had a crossdressing Yuki Onna on her back in the 30s. And because of that, she was able to use the powers over ice and snow that a Yuki Onna could."

That caused Hidaeki to blink and stop what he was doing, "Huh... and with her spiritual strength... damn, that would be powerful." Rubbing his chin and ignoring the sparks that flew, he frowned in thought, "There's like... four of us Raiju onboard right now."

Eyebrows shooting up, Kei stared, "Four Raiju? Seriously?"

Shrugging slightly, the Yokai nodded, "Hai, after all Fubuki-Chan here is a prototype. They decided to place the best of the best onboard. And since us Raiju are the best at electricals... well, four of us are among the teams to help out with that."

For almost a minute, Kei considered that before blinking, "Huh. Wonder what that will mean for our Fubuki-Chan when she becomes a shipgirl?"

Grin on his face and eyes glowing, Hidaeki chuckled, "She's going to be powerful-"

Both of them paused as the nearby intercom crackled before suddening "Only My Railgun" played over it.

They blinked at that and shared a look before chuckling and shaking their heads in amusement towards their ship as they went back to work. Though Hidaeki started asking Kei when he was finally going to ask his sister to marry him. Meanwhile, up near her mast, the spirit of the JS Fubuki hummed the song that was on her intercom before spreading her fingers, bolts of electricity shooting between them and lighting up the night as she grinned.

____________________________________________________________________

Smile on his face as he biked along the roads of the base, Harry listened to the music in the earbud that was in one ear. As he coasted along the waterfront, he looked out towards Tokyo Bay before blinking as he spotted a surfaced Submarine making it's way towards the American side of the base. Even from where he was, it took him just a few moments to recognize it as an Ohio class.

Quickly glancing around, the wizard looked back at the Submarine with his eyes aglow. There, standing on the bow he could see the spirit of the ship in what looked like a black wetsuit with her hands on her hips. Looking around, the spirit spotted him and gave him a wave, with him waving back before he continued on his way. With a shake of his head, he smiled a little.

Mainly because, due to the resemblence, he knew that the Submarine in question was the Louisiana, likely coming in to get supplies or something before heading back into the deep waters of the Pacific. Though this did mean that when she returned tomorrow, Louisiana was likely to head over to say hello to her "Daughter". Something that caused Harry to smile, especially as said spirit did resemble the Battleship in a number of ways.

He did wonder about the glowing green eyes, however.

As usual, he shrugged off said thought and continued on his way to his destination. It did not take him very long to reach the place, which was a small, bare lot. The grass had been removed and there was just gravel and dirt there currently. But there were a few other things such as a small parking lot as well as bike rack. There was even a sidewalk freshly done.

Pulling up the bike rack, Harry ignored how some people were watching him before looking over the area. It was one of the few parts of the base that had not been fully rebuilt since Blood Week and the months after had devestated the area. Something which made it perfect for what was going to happen. With a nod, he began walking towards the crowd even as Niiyodo walked up with a smile, "Harry-Chan."

Unable to help himself, Harry gave her a grin and saluted which she returned, "Niiyodo-Chan." Moments later, he gave her a quick hug, "So how have you been today?"

The Light Cruiser returned the embrace before pulling back a little, "It's been fine, Harry-Chan. Almost everything that needed to be done was done yesterday."

Lightly blushing, Harry looked away, "Um, sorry about that, Niiyodo-Chan. I would have been home sooner, but, well..." He waved a hand around, "With what happened?"

However, he was relieved when Niiyodo shook her head and gave him a smile, "That was understandable, Harry-Chan. Besides, even if you managed to get here when you wanted, it would have been cancelled just the same out of concern for what was going on." It went without saying, Harry nodded at that and she continued, "Besides, nothing ever goes exactly to plan, so it was not unexpected there might be delays."

Only nodding to that, the nearly fourteen year old looked around at those gathered there. A number of technicians could be seen and there were cameras of various sorts as well as microphones pointed towards the lot. Harry even noted what looked like seismometers stationed around the lot. A breeze made him look up to see a helicopter with some sort of instrument dangling from a wire.

Seeing where he was looking, Niiyodo nodded, "That's a magnetometer and gravity sensor. Everyone wants to see what happens when you activate the building and we want as much data as possible." Looking over at him, she smiled, "It will help out a lot."

Just nodding, Harry had a smile on his face as he looked around at the small crowd, "Makes sense to be perfectly honest. And I don't mind if it helps out."

With a hum, the shipgirl took him over to the crowd and introduced various people that were there. Some of them caused him to raise eyebrows, like the Professors of Engineering, Civic Engineering, and Architecture from Tokyo University along with some of their top students. Said people being somewhat skeptical about what they were about to see, but interested. There were also representatives from the government that were there to observe alongside members of the JGSDF Engineering groups. Most surprising was a group of Americans from the United States Army Corps of Engineers who were also interested.

As well, Harry spotted Ellen Baker and her family close by watching. Her son stood next to a Kyuubi no Kitsune that had to be Sora, his girlfriend, as well as a younger girl who looked similar to Ellen, though with Japanese looks to her as well. There was also two other Kitsune who were talking with Ellen and her husband as well as a younger, male Kitsune who was surrounded by the Midget Submarines who had become known as "Baker's Dozen" for various reasons. The teenage wizard's lips twitched a bit as he noted some of the Midget Submarines wore clothes not far off from the teacher's usual clothing.

Shaking his head, he took a deep breath before looking at Niiyodo, "So, time to do this?"

The Light Cruiser gave him a smile back as well as a nod, "Hai, whenever you want."

In return, Harry nodded before reaching into his backpack and removing a small cube. Around the bottom seemed to be stone and above that was wood seemingly made of sticks. Bouncing it a bit in his palm, he walked in front of the group before holding it up, "Good morning everyone. Today, we're going to be using one of the 'Instant Buildings' that we bought." Holding up the cube, he nodded towards it, "This is the 'seed' of it, I suppose that one could say."

One of the Americans, a Captain, raised his hand and pointed at the cube, "You mean that little thing there can unfold into a full sized building? One the size of a small convience store?"

With a nod, Harry glanced at the cube with a small smile, "Hai, that's right. There's also ones about a foot in length and the like which can unfold into something the size of a barn. Of course, they're made of wood and such, not really made to last all that long. But they're also enchanted with spells to keep insects from chewing the wood as well as fungus, so they can last for a couple of decades."

No one said anything for a few moments as they digested that until the US Army Captain shook his head, "That is just such bullshit." A grin then appeared on his face, "Can't wait to see if we cannot use them for ourselves. Would have made things so much easier in the fucking sandbox."

That got him nods from his fellows in the US Army around him as well as mutters from his fellow Military Engineers.

Somewhat amused by that, Harry placed the cube down on a table to allow for people to measure it. He watched as they used a table measurer to determine the size of the cube as well as apparent volume of it. They also weighed it on a scale and took notes as well before handing it back to Harry. Said teen walked out to the center of the lot and looked back, "Ready?" Getting various nods and thumbs up, he returned them before digging a small hole which he placed the cube into. Then, after tapping each exposed side with mutters, he backed up, "And here... we... go."

More than one set of eyes widened as the cube trembled and rocked from side to side before stilling. Then, with a thump, the sides fell open before it continued to unfold into a stone floor. A floor that before their eyes began to sink down with stone walls around it before it became impossible to see as a wall of logs rose up, blocking sight, though there were windows. Once they got a good height, they stopped and a roof unfolded from inside to cover up the top. Finally, shingles slid down the roof from the top and covered the rest, eaves flippiping into place from under the overhang.

The final bit was a porch which slid out complete with a welcome mat in front of the door.

Absolutely nothing was said for several moments as everyone looked out, with only Harry not staring in disbelief at what happened. Finally, the US Army Captain from before took off his cap, scratched his head, and then gestured with said cap towards the building that now occupied what had been an empty lot, "Okay, I take it back, that is beyond bullshit."

Beside him, one of the US Army Lieutenants grinned and cackled as he rubbed his hands together, "I cannot wait until we get to use this shit outselves. I got so many fucking ideas!"

One of the JGSDF Engineers had a similar grin on his face, "Fully agreed."

Meanwhile, the people from Tokyo University just stared before giving each other shocked looks. But soon, their expressions became ones of interest and they began to examine the outside of the building, taking pictures and measurements. One even took a few scrapings of the wood and the stone below.

Harry just walked over to where the Bakers were and smiled before bowing a little, "Baker-Sensei."

Smile on her face, the American woman chuckled a little, "Good morning, Harry. I would ask how you are doing, but..." That got her a nod before she turned and gestured at the others, "Let me introduce you to my family."

After she did so, Harry bowed and shook hands with them before turning towards Eric, "From what I heard, you're going to have a job here?"

Rubbing the back of his neck with his only hand, Eric gave a nod, "Yeah, that's right." He then gave a small shrug, "I've always been good with math, and you don't need two hands to work a cash register. And nothing is too big, so..." The older teen gave a chuckle, "It gives me something of a job."

When he glanced towards Sora, the younger teen gave a nod. He had a very good idea why he wanted a paying job after all, "Huh... well I'll probably see you pretty often then."

That got him a small laugh from Eric, though the older male shook his head, "Maybe, but from what I heard they're going to try and get one of the smaller Food Ships to help give me a hand if they get summoned, or one of the smaller Civilian Vessels."

Once more, that got him a nod and they continued to chat until it was time to go inside. As they entered the building, everyone looked around curiously and with interest. Beneath their feet for at least five feet in any direction from the door was flagstone, which made one of the engineering students nod, "This will work great when it snows to keep it from getting everywhere."

Another nodded in agreement before walking over to a cast iron stove that was there. Opening it, she frowned in thought before turning to Harry, "I take it that this will warm the entire building?" When Harry nodded, she became thoughtful, "Don't know how safe that would be for an earthquake..." Crouching down, she examined the base and tugged at the legs, "Though it seems pretty anchored into the floor here."

Joining her, Genji, Sora's father, nodded as he pointed, "Actually, there's a sticking charm to not just the legs, but the bolts themselves. It would take over a decade before they begin to fail, if that." He gave a shrug when the young woman looked at him, "It's standard now, just in case."

Even as she nodded, Harry gestured to the grate, "Also? The grate can only be opened by someone actually grasping the handle and doing so. Otherwise..." At the looks, he smirked a bit and asked for some rope which was provided. Tying it to the handle he held it out, "Go ahead and give it a try."

With raised eyebrows, the students took the rope and pulled as they could. However, nothing they did moved the iron stove or the grate in the slightest even though they turned the handle. Even the soldiers joined in and pulled as well, but nothing happened. Finally, they let go of the rope and the female student shook her head, "Okay, that is just amazing."

Humming in thought, one of the Professors nodded, "Indeed it is, and rather interesting for what it means when combining... magic with structural engineering." A frown appeared on his face, "And it is still strange to consider that such a thing is real."

One of the US Army Engineers opened the door into the bathroom and blinked with a small frown on his face. Walking in, he poked his head out a few moments later as everyone heard a flush, "Okay, we actually got water back here... somehow."

Looking at Harry, one of the JGSDF members snorted, "Magical bullshit."

Meanwhile, Eric was walking around and looking at things in interest before turning towards Niiyodo, "How is this going to be set up?"

Adjusting her glasses, Niiyodo looked at the clipboard, "Well, we have do have a plan as to what one should do. Among them is putting in some electrical work to run various things such as a coffee machine and the like as well as lights. The easiest bit will be to set up the shelving units as we have those ready to be installed, same with the checkout counter. Then will come the magical ice boxes that will be at the back as well for frozen goods and the like."

Various people there crossed their arms and nodded while others muttered to themselves. After all, this was not just making a small store to buy goods at, but also a way to test out various things about magic. While he answered various questions, Harry mostly listened as they planned out how it would look. There was an area in the back that would be used for storage with the basement doubling for such as well. Meanwhile, the room upstairs would be a combination breakroom as well as a place to put the servers for the security cameras as well in a separate room there.

Eventually, however, Harry said goodbye to the group there and headed off, though not before giving a happy Niiyodo a hug and a "Good Luck" which pleased the shipgirl to no end.

 

[darthcourt10]

K9Thefirst1

In which the pieces slide into place.

So. Been a long, long while since I posted the last bit of Porta's plot. My gosh, it was a thread ago! As a reminder, on New Year's Eve, Porta sent out The Order to her Manchurian Candidates among her neighbors to cause chaos. They succeeded. Now the surrounding fleets are killing each other, weakening themselves for when Porta is ready to make the killing stroke. But at the moment, she and her fleet are attending a tourney!



------


Gathering The Elites

Janurary 3rd, 2014, Antillia

The island of Antillia had been settled by Visigoths fleeing from the Jihad rolling over Iberia in the Medieval Era. In the centuries Man occupied the Bastion of Iberian Christendom in the Atlantic, they established seven grand cities, and dozens of villages and hamlets dotted the fields and rolling hills between them. Wizards, Witches, and Knights of the island's Holy Orders trained relentlessly, waiting for the day when either the Arab Menace would darken the shores of their last refuge, or when word arrived that Christ's People had driven the invader from Iberia, and called for their return for a glorious crusade to do unto the Muslim what the Muslim had done unto them.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, strange ships from Europe arrived, with glad tidings: Their ancestral home was liberated, and it was time to return. Some did. Others marveled at lands untouched further to the west and joined the Conquistadors in the New World. Within a century the island was all but abandoned. What little pockets of civilization remaining limped along for centuries, losing as many of their youths to emigration to Europe or the Americas as were born each year. Until the 1700s, when The Plague finally arrived, four-hundred years after The Black Death ravaged Europe. Those few who survived read it as a sign from God that the island had served its purpose, and so it was abandoned, the last of the Antillians making sail for Spain in 1743.

For a quarter millennium, the island lay desolate. The fields laying fallow, the sheep and cow herds left to go feral, the various dogs left behind to interbreed into a new sort of wolf, and the native magics of the place and his former residents instilling them with new and strange natures. The villages and hamlets were consumed by nature, and the cities endured as a quiet testament to the people that built them, battlements and sentry statues monolithic sentinels standing against an Islamic Jihad that never came.

And then, while exploring the new world she found herself in, a Princess of the Abyss stumbled upon the island on accident. She marveled at the ruins, pondered the resources of the land, and promised herself that it would all be hers, a vow she doubled down on when her sisters found her, and she learned of their self-destructive aims. And decades later, when those same sisters mounted their long-lusted after assault, the Princess made preparations to retreat to the seabed near the island when – not if – the Humans turned the tide on her sisters.

The Princess – who would in time re-christen herself Porta Abysseum Atlantia – made great strides in preparing for her betrayal of her sister's kin during her exile. She built up her forces, perfected and secured her fuel reserves, and took advantage of an unexpected boon in the form of one of her dead sisters' subjects to train some of her fleet in hand-to-hand combat, covering that one gap in their combat prowess.

And such skills lead to something that the island would weep in joy to see if he was able. For the first time in five-hundred years, banners fluttered in the wind (baring the icon of a crustacean merged with an insect, either black on a white field, or white on black, as opposed to the Cross of old, or the Ichthus of even more ancient days), a multitude surrounded a paddock either on foot or sitting in stands, all of them watching as warriors – wielding axes, or swords, or hammers or maces – in pairs or in groups threw each other onto the earth in simulated combat. For the first time in centuries, Antillia was witness to a grand tournament.


In the stands, on a mock throne made from the island's own wood, Princess Porta looked on with a smile. All around, her subjects were reveling in the entertainment. Just as Canut had promised, the MacHamish clan provided plenty of meat dishes from the local livestock they had worked at re-domesticating. The animals provided a grand selection of meats for everyone to sample and enjoy, and nearby living specimens were on display. Among them were the Antillian Cow, the last living descendants of the last pure strain of the Auroch that the Visigoths took with them in their flight, then altered by the magiks of their descendants the Antillians to be stronger in the bulls, and more productive in the cows, and their meat more flavorful in both.

Also on display were the Antillian Sheep – a blend of the breeds of Ancient Iberia, such as the ancestors of the modern Merino, and the only living relatives of the rare Xalda, interbred first by shepherds and then natural selection into a wholly unique breed, the mightiest rams standing tall enough to look one of the destroyers square in the eye, and the ewes with wool soft like cotton.

And to the side of the animals were displayed a breeding pair and litter of Antillian Wolves – the surviving descendants of the various breeds the human settlers brought with them, and left behind, interbreeding by Nature's Wisdom into something new. Illya MacHamish had taken a liking to the animals, and while her sisters focused on taming the land for wine and beer, redomesticating the livestock, or learning the arts, she took to capturing the curs and taming them for shepherding, livestock guarding, and eventually pet husbandry.

Porta considered the pups, and thought back to one of the reports she had received about the efforts. Should the destroyer prove successful, the Abyssal Princess would be sure to adopt one, perhaps gift one or two to one interested dignitary or another, maybe even to one of the prestigious breeding clubs of the civilized world. All in the name of promoting Abyssinian Culture.

At the sounds of delight coming from the seat to her left, Porta turned to see Angband, chewing on a piece of steak with visible girlish delight. Liner Demon stood by stoically as always, but the Princess could sense more than a little pride at the Princess' daughter enjoying the meal she made. And it was good, to be expected of Ocean Liner Demon – first class dining was the hallmark of her breed of merchant shipping.

Porta carved off and enjoyed a piece of her own meal – the roasted breast of an Antillian Sea Duck smothered in a mushroom gravy made from its own fat. This course having followed a swordfish and crab cake fish course in a mint sauce, and that in turn had followed a delightful cheese and fruit plate. Truly, Demon had outdone herself. And looking around, everyone else seemed to be enjoying the far simpler but still delicious food on offer. Drumsticks, ribs, fried doughs, hardly the full menu on offer from a proper festival, but it was early days yet.

'And when the time comes,' the Princess thought, 'there will be concrete examples to use when I tell them we are fighting to spread our superior culture to the Abyss.'

On the field, Canut was surprisingly competent as the Mistress of Ceremonies for this tourney, Porta smiled to herself at the mental image of the Battleship Demon dressed in the uniform of a professional wrestling referee with the way she introduced the combatants and the events. At the moment the mock-battle was Six on Six, and the glorified brawl was eaten up by the crowd like candy by a child. The collective groan as a Ru-Class was downed by a hearty whack to the nose by the flat of an ax-head was felt more than heard.

"What do you think of the festivities, daughter?"

Angband looked to her mother with an expression of surprise at being asked for her thoughts. Still, the teen demi-Abyssal put down her utensils and gave the matter serious thought.

"Well Mother, the fights are very exciting, a lot more than I thought they would be."

"Oh?" Porta asked, mildly surprised at that, "because it is all familiar to you?"

The Ag-class carrier shook her head.

"No, because everyone is using blunted weapons and are pulling their swings. It's basically a more public sparing session. But with everyone watching it's a lot more exciting!"

The Elder Princess smiled warmly and nodded.

"This is true, a change in venue can do a lot to change what is familiar. And the rest?"

"Oh the food is wonderful! I had no idea we had access to such delicious things!"

"That is partly the intent and partly a consequence of situations, daughter. But… Things are changing…"

Angband had been about to put another bite of her food in her mouth, but paused at the cryptic tone in her mother's voice.

"How so mother?"

Porta held her daughter's gaze for a few moments… Then smiled and turned back to the field, where the mock-battle was just finishing up, the victor's raising their hands and weapons high, soaking in the cheers of the crowd.

------

In the crowd, a Ri-class jumped up and down at the sight of her sistership down in the ring, standing victorious with the rest of her division.

"Rit? Rit there you are!"

The cruiser turned, surprised at the sound of a voice she hadn't heard in over a year. Behind her was a Tsu-class, who looked utterly, totally lost at what was going on. The Ri-class squealed with delight and pulled the other cruiser into a tight embrace.

"Tsuron! You're awake! I thought the Princess would have you in mothballs for another eight months!"

The Tsu-class scratched the back of her head, confusion firmly etched onto her face.

"Y-yeah, me to. But according to my crew she's been activating us for days. So, what in the Abyss is going on? I got to the palace and no one's anywhere, and suddenly we have an island and we're chucking metal sticks at each other?"

Rit laughed as she pulled the Tsu-class along to the front of the crowd to get a better view of the events.

"Yeah, you've been in mothballs for nearly two years. Shit has gone down my friend. Allow me to introduce you to Canut, Her Majesties Master-At-Arms and court smith!"

"Cunt master arms smithsonian what now?"

------

"So, this Princess of yours is a big deal Neeros?"

The Ne-class' grin turned shark-like at the question. She held her head high and barked a laugh.

"Oh yeah Nuru, big deal."

The Nu-class cocked her eyebrow at that and hummed in skepticism.

"Uh-huh… And why haven't I heard about her?"

Neero's glared at her underling from the corner of her eye. Nuru never explicitly defied her authority, but she could be damn close sometimes. Then there was the fact that Neeros often wondered the same thing: Why would an Elder Princess – the most powerful of all Abyssals – choose to hide away like an eel when she could be out trashing hulls and fighting? But that could wait.

"She's a scheming kind. She's probably been planning a big stab in the back or something. But whatever it is, she's got something big planned. Or it should be. She is an Elder Princess after all"

Nuru pinched her face in a mix of disgust and distrust. "Right. Then what's 'er name? 'Cause last I heard, all the Elders were dead."

"She's the Ancient Atlantic Gateway Princess."

The name, much to Neeros' agitation, produced not the awe and quivers of fear she had hoped, but rather scoffs of scorn and mockery. The Ne-Class was about to knock some heads together when one of her cruisers, Rita, gave out an alert.

"Unknown submarines, three points of the starboard bow! 1500 yards and closing fast!"

Without a word, Neeros' little fleet went to battle alert. The three destroyers immediately went to flank speed and turned toward the wolfpack's recorded position, their crews getting their depth charges and Puffer Fish launchers ready, while Neeros and her four light and heavy cruisers turned into follow them, presenting as narrow a profile as possible while also putting distance between each other. Guns were loaded with high explosive in the off chance they had a clean shot at whoever was bold enough to come out them.

Then a radio mast attached to a periscope popped up, and Neeros heard a voice she hadn't heard in nearly a decade.

[Neeros, I see you brought friends.]

Neeros gave a laugh and a smile at the voice.

"Kallah you sneaky bitch! We was just about to kill you!"

The Ka-class didn't say a word as she and the two-dozen subs she had with her surfaced. But the expression on her face reminded Neeros exactly why she couldn't stand the smug tin can.

"Of course you were."

[Oh give it a rest you two. First time we see each other in years and you lot are stirring shit right off the bat?]

The two groups turned in the direction the transmission came from to see a certain So-Class sailing for them on the surface. Neeros squinted her eyes, but smiled when she recognized her. Sorain stopped her engines and drifted into the growing fleet.

"So, is this it? Her Highness sent ten of us out."

"Hi."

With a start everyone jumped and screamed, their guns all turning to the Abyssal that had appeared out of nowhere – a Ta-Class battleship with a vacant smile and eyes that, to adopt the cliché, looked like the windows of a house that had a notorious multiple murder-suicide happen in the basement and then abandoned for a good thirty years before being bought by some idiotic upper-middle class family.

"TARTARUS! Damn, don't do that!" Sorain cried, clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her generators.

"Where did you come from!" Rita demanded, even as the Ri-class stood hunched over, sucking in deep breaths.

For a long, awkward pause, the battleship just stared blankly ahead.

"I killed them." Was all she said, an empty smile on her lips.

"…Who?" Neeros asked, against her better judgement.

"…I killed them."

The silenced stretched for what felt like hours to the two dozen Abyssals waited for an answer. Finally, Kallah coughed and gave a nervous laugh.

"Well… I suppose we should get going. Her Highness is no doubt expecting us."

As one, the gathered fleet hastily agreed and followed their respective leaders' lead towards the Grand Meteor Seamount… Being sure to give Tartarus a wide berth.

------

Antillia, the Tournament Field

In the hastily constructed arena, two figures stood, eyeing each other. Waiting for the other to show some sign of weakness, and planning their strategy for attack. One was an abomination. A living monument to Man's Sin, and the instrument of Revenge for unnumbered Murders. The other was a hulking brute of a beast. Three tons in mass, standing seven feet at the hunched shoulder, armed with razor sharp hooves, and a pair of long, spear-deadly horns, all clad in a coat of black and navy fur. An Antillian Bull, a powerful beast forged over generations from the Aurochs the Visigoths had brought with them mixed with magic. The monster's blood red eyes glared at his opponent. In all his years leading, protecting, and defending his right to rule and father his herd, never before had he faced such a predator. Clad in armor, and despite holding a totally open stance, exuded a threatening aura.

At the side of the arena, beside the Princess, Canut stood tall, bellowing so that all could hear her announce the next event.

"Ladies… BEHOLD! Before you, stands Her Highness' Champion, the Ocean Liner Demon! And her opponent, the Aged Elder of the herd of bovine domesticated by one of our own! Victor of a thousand Challenges to his rule, this King shall now fight in Combat against the Demon, with Victory going to naught but the survivor! Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves!"

At that, the crowd cheered, desperate for the Bloodsport, chanting the terms of this unique take of the old tradition of the Spanish Bullfight.

"Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves! Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves! Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves! Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves! Two Champions Enter! One Victor Leaves!"

On and on it went, soon enough Canut got into the mood of the atmosphere, and started pounding the deck of the platform with her staff. Over and over, the thump growing louder with the calls. The bull shook his head, the noise starting to get to him, fraying his already on-edge nerves. He snorted, twin jets of hot air disturbing the dust of the arena. The Demon, meanwhile, stood still as a statue, apathetic to what was surrounding her.

Finally, the beast had enough, and charged at the Abyssal at full speed, bringing all six-thousand pounds of mass to bare at near-street speeds.

The monster barreled at the Demon, looking to all around that this would be her end. At long last, some in the audience thought, the Princess' pet monster would die, long avenging some loved one or friend whose hubris has resulted in the Demon having justification to kill her. The ground rumbled. Porta took a drink from her goblet. The crowd cheered. Some in celebration of the moment, at the promise of blood. Some cheered on the Demon herself, for among Abyssals, Strength and capacity for violence were not in-and-of themselves an evil.

CRUNCH!

With the snap of bone, the crack of displaced air, and with the thud of a mass of muscle that outweighed many utility vehicles crashing – and sliding on – bare earth, it was over. And the crowd's cheers died.

The Demon stood, her clenched fist still in the last position she had it in: across her body, up and out, where it had smitten the bull square in the jaw.

As for the monster, it lay on its belly on the arena floor: It's hulking mass twitching, a small dark pool of urine expanding from his belly while bowel contents oozed from its hind quarters as the muscles holding the foulness at bay relaxed.

His head lay slumped at the fore end. Sitting at an unnatural angle. Its neck broken.

Spoiler


For a solid minute, the crowd was silent. Only the wind and a distant crow had the audacity – or bravery – to disturb the shock in every witness' sight. On the one hand, none of them should have been surprise. After all, as the dark embodiments of ships, even a PT Imp in theory had the strength to one shot the animal, and the might of the Ocean Liner Demon was well known, even if only by reputation, rumor, and folk lore. But at the same time, few had born witness to the rare moments the Demon had been permitted to show her full strength, fewer still had survived the decades since she was welcomed into the fold by the Princess. The sight before them struck all present dumb with awe at show of strength. For while a PT Imp had the strength the kill the beast with one strike, she would not do so without signs of strain or pain in the hand that smote it. And yet, Ocean Liner Demon stood as still as any statue, as if she hadn't just killed a monster over sixty times her apparent weight. The quiet of the crowd was more than enough to show that everyone knew once more the Power of the Demon their Princess held the leash to.

"BOOO! Cop out! COP OUT!"

…Well, almost everyone.

"Cop out! COP OUT! That fight was platinum shit! BOOO! BOOO!"

While the heckler went about declaring her displeasure at getting blueballed of her fight, those around her looked between the Abyssal and the Demon with growing concern, and soon started to edge away from her. Efforts that became more hurried when the Demon looked at the heckler in question, and then into a rush of restrained panic when the Demon gripped the head of the bull, almost as broad as her torso, by the base of his horns. Put her boot beside it. Ripped it clean from his shoulders, and threw it with the ease of a professional sportsman would a ball. Naturally, the crowd screamed as the massive head smashed into the stands with the force rivaling most naval artillery and demolishing the entire section, sending anyone unfortunate enough to still be in the vicinity of the impact – such as the heckler – careening to the ground.

"I'm okay…"

From her perch, Porta narrowed her eyes in thought.

'I think I recognize that voice… Wasn't that the annoying twit that won some wager about Canut's mission…?'

That train of thought was derailed at someone tapping her shoulder. The Princess turned to face her subject that came to her.

"Your Highness," she whispered into her ear, "a number of Abyssals have come to the border under a flag of truce. They are lead by four individuals claiming to be from the Twenty."

Without any hesitation the Princess rose and began to hurriedly walk to the sea.

"Angband," she spoke with a voice that brooked no argument, "you and Canut are to see to any injured and repair the damage. And tell Demon to come to the War Room immediately. Important persons are here."

The Ag-class carrier demi-Abyssal, looked between Canut, the partially demolished stands, and her retreating mother for a few moments in confusion, but soon enough went about her assigned task.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And here's the other half of the DelKid introduction piece.

A Summer Job (II)

Mineral Peak, Montana, 7,451 feet elevation

July 8th, 2033

"It is known that wildfires behave unpredictably - this is fundamental - but it is my experience that humans in the presence of wildfire are also likely to behave in aberrant and unpredictable ways." -- Michael Leunig
Spoiler: A Summer Job

Virginia Aisha de Breuil-Alnaar laughed happily with the sound of roaring flame as she scythed her fiery essence through a stand of lodgepole pine. She consumed logs, low brush and leaf litter in her flames as she carefully controlled the heat to burn away the fuel that would enable the approaching firestorm to speed down the valley.

The sensations of burning timber, the feel of resin boiling away in her flames from the pine cones so they would distribute their seeds into the now fertile ash covered ground, and the smell of smoke caused her to lick her lips as her flames, her very essence, consumed all these delicious fuels.

She sensed her sister Salome Alia on the downwind side of her, working in unison.

They were two flames lit from one spark greater than either could be on her own.

For where Aisha was mercurial, capricious, flighty, bold, Alia was calm, centered, anchored. The steady flame of bravery that produced endurance and steadfastness as opposed to Aisha's guttering leaping courage to take great risks.

With that she shifted a portion of her consciousness to draw strength from Alia as her sister set a tangle of downed and dry pine logs killed by beetles ablaze in a funeral pyre, feeding on the succulent aged wood and savory smoke.

Then her eyes turned to the advancing wave of fire. It was closing in, and the first embers, forerunners of the oncoming hellish inferno, were carried past her as she watched.

Then she sensed rather than saw a familiar pair of presences approach through the blowing black smoke as trees that were yet unburned exploded away under a magical bombardment.

Louise and Emily appeared like yellow ghosts from the smoke. Alia and Aisha manifested from their fires to meet their sisters as more smoke filled the air.
Spoiler: Wildfire

Above the roar of the flames Emily yelled "It's almost here!! We need to fall back to the safe zone the others have constructed! Set a backfire and go!!"

Aisha nodded and turned to face the thin strip of trees highlighted by the sea of flames beyond.

It was the most beautiful, and most fearful sight she could possibly dream of.

Aisha licked her lips in wonder awe, and terror as she stood frozen.

"{Aisha.}" Alia's voice cut through her reverie like a knife and she came back to herself. "{We need to go to save the others.}"

Behind the Jinn twins, their tsukumogami sisters each grasped a shoulder and linked their hands as the four de Breuils stared unafraid into the Hell on Earth that was a major wildfire.

Aisha nodded and grasped her twin's hand, interlinking their fires and drawing on each other's essences in an act of supreme trust and intimacy.

The two Ifrit spoke as one flaming voice.

"Asheal!"

Their free hands slashed across their bodies as one.

A sheet of flame jetted from their bladed hands like a scythe through grain.

It slammed into the brush and timber, which exploded like a blast furnace racing toward the oncoming flame front.

The heat was incredible, slamming into the four sisters like a hammer as embers and smoke surrounded them from all sides.

Then the Tsukumogami Apparated their sisters to the firebreak on the other side of the creek.

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


Alia gave a satisfied smile as she reformed after the transport, automatically checking on her sisters in the cleared earth of the firebreak.

Lou asked with a small note of panic in her voice. "Where's everyone?"

In response Alia closed her eyes to reach out her essence through the smoke and flame filled air.

Smaller fires spread by blowing embers and the sheer heat of the approaching fire were surrounding them.

The Ifrit tapped into as many as she could, using them as eyes to sense what was around them on this slope.

She sensed her sister meanwhile controlling and snuffing as many as possible to prevent them being overwhelmed.

Suddenly Alia 'saw' a group of yellow-clad humans further up-slope in a circular area that had been cleared of all burnables.

Her arm elevated and pointed. "There! Thirty meters uphill!"

Aisha immediately locked in and took control of a burning sapling. "I see them, Alia."

Alia nodded and spoke in her calm, controlled voice as the world began to burn around her. "Take Emily. I shall take Lou."

With that she grabbed her sister Louise's hand and concentrated on the sight that she was observing.

She felt her magic prepare to warp space between here and there.

With a bang of displaced air Alia and Lou reformed at the edge of the clear zone.

Lou gave her a grateful smile before pulling out her wand and frantically blasting patches of burning timber away with banishing spells as she retreated to where the team was in the center on bare torn up dirt.

Alia meanwhile gritted her teeth and strained, wrestling with the hellish blaze, guiding it around rather than over the frail humans facing the wrath of an unbound Nature.

Aisha and Emily appeared on the far side and joined the desperate last ditch effort to establish a safety zone as flames surged around them.

As Emily and Lou hurriedly cast spells the team leader yelled at them through the thick black smoke and flying embers. "Get in the shelters!"

The roar of a nearby pine tree going up like a torch punctuated the order.

Emily and Lou both pulled their aluminum foil, silica, and fiberglass last-ditch fire shelters out of their equipment bags.

Working with frantic haste, they unfolded them and then slid inside as the temperature around them skyrocketed.

Meanwhile Alia and Aisha linked their essences once more as the world burned around them.

The fire surrounding them was like a hydra that hungered for the 'fuel' gasping for breathable air inside their shelters with its thousand flaming heads.

Alia screamed with the sound of molten metal as she and her sister, acting as one, somehow sent a fresh wave of heat and embers, blown by the hurricane-force winds of the firestorm away from the frail humans they were guarding.

Instead, the lash of the wildfire turned a nearby gully filled with brush into a river of flame.

"{How does Ammah...}" Alia gasped out as the pressure on the jinn twins built as they stood side by side in the heart of the firestorm.

"{...do this so easily?}" Aisha finished for her as a fresh tendril of flame was turned aside by them before it could kill those sheltering around them.

"{I wish that she was here!}" both twins spoke as one as the pressure built and built around them... and then lessened at last as the fire ran its course, weakened, delayed and frustrated by the improvised barrier. While it was proceeding past them, it was slowed and delayed by their heroic efforts..

One by one the smoke jumpers emerged from their shelters into a smouldering and blasted landscape.

The two Jinn were staggering and gasping in exhaustion as their teammates supported them.

Emma and Lou guided their sisters to sit on a nearby charred log and then gave their 'sisters by the other mother' a weary but proud smile.

That smile was matched by matching weary but happy grins on the faces of the jinn as they realized that they and their team had survived Nature at her most hellish.

Emma extended her hand and a moment later the others clasped it in a four-way embrace.

"I'm glad that you were here for me today..."

The words rang out from four hoarse and parched throats through the smoke-filled air.

Alia spoke in unison with her kin, feeling the bond of those who had stood shoulder by shoulder to stare Death in the face settle upon them all as they finished in one voice.

"...my sister."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Coming to a stop outside the base gym, Koga leaned back a bit in the car that he had borrowed from Kiba. For a few moments, he just breathed before running his hand through his hair a little bit. Unlike usual, he decided on going with more "Modern" clothing for his date with Sachiko. After all, with the shitshow that was going on with Tokyo, it was unlikely that many from there would connect Kogamaru, who wore usually traditional clothing, with a young man in a normal shirt and pair of jeans.

That said, his mind was not on his clothing at that moment, but rather the young wolfess that he was there to pick up for their date.

For almost a year, the two had been secretly dating one another. Part of Koga still could not help but sheepishly grin at the events surrounding their first meeting. He had hit himself time and again about forgetting to ask the number of the cute girl he had just met and leant his favorite leather jacket to. Not to mention the teasing that he endured from Jin and the others over it when they found out. At the time, he had put his face in his hands at the fact that he actually found a girl he liked, and then screwed everything up.

Or, at least, he had thought at the time...

******************************************************************

It had been about a five days since Fleet Week at Yokosuka and Koga was somewhat annoyed at the fact he was still getting the hell teased out of him from the others. Yes, he had met a young, pretty girl. And, yes, he had felt a connection there... Then, he had screwed it all up by forgetting to get her phone number. Jin still had that grin on her face every damn time she saw him with a snide comment.

Part of him was despairing as he knew that none of the others would drop it for at least another week or two. And, very likely, would keep bringing it up every once in a while afterwards with some frequency. Not even his cousin was immune to that apparently. Internally grumbling, he barely heard the knock on the door.

About to get up, he paused as Iwate-Ken no Shika waved him off, the old Tengu mixed martial artist giving him a smile, "I'll get it, Koga-Kun. Need to get up and move around a little anyways after telling Asuka-Chan all about the good old days." That got a snort from the Okami and he sat back down to go over a few notes he had made. His ears did perk up a little when Shika opened the door and made a sound of surprise, "Moriko-Kun? Sachiko-Chan? What are the two of you doing here?"

Moments later, there was a deep, rumbling laugh that Koga identified as being from a female, if deeper than normal. "Eh? Shika-San? What the hell are you doing here?"

There was a snort from the Tengu and the wolf could just imagine him shaking his head, "I'm part of the JNHRO. Been some time since we last saw each other, wasn't sure if you were alive or not."

An unsure chuckle came from the female, who had to be Moriko, "Ah, well, we survived Blood Week by the skin of our teeth. Even if I had to beat a Light Cruiser to death during it."

Hearing that, Koga paused because for most Yokai, that would have been impossible, 'The hell? Is she an Oni?' He took a brief sniff and blinked again, 'Wolf? Well, two... though one of them does seem familiar...'

More snorts came from Shika and the Okami could imagine him leaning against the doorframe, "If it came from anyone else but you, I would call bullshit. But you? Especially if they threatened your Imouto? I could see it." There was a brief pause, "Speaking of... you still haven't explained what you're both doing here.... wait a second, Sachiko-Chan? What's that in your arms?"

Seconds later, Koga froze as he heard the other girl speak up and realized why the scent he smelt was familiar. In fact, he was already moving before she finished, "A-ah, um... well, its a leather jacket that was given t-to me and I needed to return..."

Coming around the corner, the male Okami came to a stop at seeing the same girl from Fleet Week there, "It is you..."

Upon seeing him, Sachiko's face lit up in a blush, "U-um..."

Behind her, there was a woman that Koga just noticed looking at him with a knowing smirk. Granted, his eyes widened a touch at seeing someone who looked like they could break him and knowing that they were a wolf. Grin on her face, Moriko chuckled, "Well, Sachiko-Chan, looks like you already got your chance to meet Kogamaru-San~"

Deeply blushing, Sachiko whined a bit which got another laugh from her sister, "Moriko-Nee!"

*******************************************************

Smile tugging at his lips, Koga gave a chuckle at the memory. Neither had been quite sure what to say to each other until, remembering their previous conversation, the male Okami had brought it up. After that, they met up a few times at local cafés and the like for sort of dates as they began to sound each other out. Turned out that both of them had a lot in common and after the first bit of awkwardness, they hit it off pretty well.

Ryougamaru had met her shortly after they began to go steady and, as it turned out, approved of her. His cousin's only issue, raised privately, was how their grandmother might react. After all, Sachiko wasn't the healthiest nor was she nobility. Both of which could be problems considering things. That said, he did brainstorm some ideas with Koga as to how they might handle it and make it work...

As it turned out, thanks to Asuka dropping the solution in their laps, they didn't have to.

Having had a date, the two continued chatting as they came to the Zuchi house. And since they had some time before Moriko came to pick up her sister, they had time. Moriko had just arrived when Asuka came home from seeing some of the others and the little Tengu had gasped in excitement before asking all sorts of questions and comments. Such as how cool it was that the two female Okami were shipgirls and wondering if that was why they were there, because it would be awesome for them to join the JNHRO.

Needless to say, that had brought everyone up short and it was a confused and lost Kiba who asked her what she meant. At which Asuka had blinked and mentioned that during Fleet Week, she found out that the two were Natural Born shipgirls. It was a somewhat unsure Sachiko who confirmed that, yes, they were shipgirls though not yet awakened with Moriko stating that until her sister was fully healthy, they would not go through it.

At that point, the conversation shifted to the fact that there were actual Yokai shipgirls, which the JNHRO had not known at that point, and what it meant. Privately, Koga had taken the sisters aside with Ryuogamaru and asked what they meant when they said that they would awaken Sachiko once she was healthy. From what they knew, she had always been a bit sickly. Hearing what was going on, Koga had been angry for his girlfriend about how something from long before she had been born had affected her so.

Yet, at the same time? It gave him and Ryougamaru an out. With Sachiko's permission, they presented the wolfess to their grandmother and told the unsure older wolf the truth about her being a shipgirl and why she was sickly. As well as how she was improving bit by bit, something that became obvious over the months as she moved from needing a wheelchair full time to making her way around with a walker. From their own beliefs, Sachiko would likely be able to walk around with a cane sometime that year, and probably be able to go around without help not long after. Maybe a year and a half before she could be awoken.

Granted, Koga was still not sure what sort of ship she would become.

Just the same, however, their grandmother and Clan Elders accepted the match. Not only did she have the proper spirit, since she was able to meet the older wolves' gazes without flinching and thus had the right "Steel", but she was a shipgirl. A Kami, which more than made up for not having a noble title.

Stretching for a bit, Koga could not help but smile a little. Mainly because he had finally found someone who he could see spending the rest of his life with. And she was someone that he knew that he already loved as well. With a sigh, he got out of the car and closed the door before walking towards the gym where Sachiko was. Apparently, she was undergoing physio to help her build up and become healthier.

Though Koga was still confused about why Suzume, Moriko's twin sister, had such a huge grin when telling him where to pick up her little sister.

With an internal shrug, the head of the Hokubu walked inside the gym and could feel the cool, airconditioned air. He had to wrinkle his nose a little at the smell of sweat and the like, however. Though Koga had to admit, it was a lot less smelly than most gyms and seemed a lot cleaner as well. Looking around, he frowned as he could not see Sachiko anywhere.

Right about when he was about to give up and head to the desk to ask in case he was in the wrong place, he felt a tap and turned at a voice, "You're looking sort of lost. Need any help?"

Opening his mouth, Koga paused as he saw who was there. Mainly, what looked like a sixteen year old girl in gym shorts and a sports bra. What made him boggle, however, was the fact that said girl had a six pack on full display, '... Come the fuck on, that just is not fair...' Shaking it off, he gave her a chuckle, "Uh, right... I'm looking for Ibuki Sachiko-San? I'm Hokubu Kogamaru."

At hearing that, the girl's eyes lit up, "Oooh! You're Sachiko-Chan's boyfriend, huh? She's talked about you." Crossing her arms, she considered the man before her, "Hmm, well, Moriko-Chan is right, she has good taste... " A grin appeared on her face, "Though maybe I should say you do! Haha!"

Not quite sure what to say to that, Koga scratched his neck, "Heh, I'm not quite sure which of us has the better taste... um..."

Holding out her hand, the girl continued to grin, "I'm Amagiri, the fifth ship of the Ayanami Class. Also, the one who helped a President become great!"

More than a little lost, Koga shook her hand, "Uh, great to meet you, Amagiri-San." He then tilted his head a little, "So you know Moriko-San and Sachiko-Chan?"

That got another laugh from Amagiri, "Hai, Moriko-Chan is one of my gym buddies after all. She does spotting and the like for me..." Snapping her fingers, the Destroyer nodded, "Right, you're looking for Sachiko-Chan, right? I can take you right to her."

Relieved at that, the Okami nodded a little, "Thank you, Amagiri-San, I appreciate this."

Waving him off, Amagiri chuckled, "Don't worry about it, though really I should thank you." At his curious look, she gave him a smirk as she lead him through the gym, "Because of you, Sachiko-Chan has really been working at her physio. Gave her a goal besides just her Nee-Sans. That is something that is needed when working like that."

Light flush to his cheeks, Koga smiled a bit, "Well, I'm glad then." Less than a minute later, a smell hit his nose and he blinked, 'Wait, is that chlorine?'

He followed the Destroyer through a pair of doors and paused as he found himself by a pool. Moriko was there chatting with a young man in a tracksuit. But that was not what caught his attention.

No, what caught his attention was the sight of Sachiko in the water doing some exercises in a one piece that hugged her body.

Feeling a jab to the ribs, he looked to find Amagiri giving him a saucy wink before the shipgirl spoke up, "Hey, Sachiko-Chan! You got a visitor!"

Slowly, Sachiko turned and pulled the goggles from her eyes before blushing, "K-Koga-Kun? W-what are you doing here?"

Blush on his own face, Koga coughed and looked away, though he kept glancing back, "Uh, I came to pick you up for our date. I-I mean, I came to your apartment, but Suzume-San said that you were here for Physio and, well... I thought, you know..."

A laugh made him turn to the tracksuit wearing young man who smiled, "Ha! Well, that's good to hear since your session is over for the day, Sachiko-San. Time to hit the showers and then you can go."

Glancing at Koga, Sachiko nodded some, "Thank you, Sensei... um, Nee-San? Can you bring over my walker?"

Lips curling into a grin, Moriko gave a deep, amused chuckle, "Can do, Sachiko-Chan." Bringing over the walker, she placed it near one of the stairs out of the pool, "Here you go."

Simply nodding, the still somewhat sickly wolfess took a deep breath before swimming over to the handrails and grasped them. With another deep breath, she stood up and used them to support herself as she made her way out of the pool, water dripping from her. Off to the side, Koga was unable to stop himself from gulping as his eyes could not look away from his girlfriend. Due to how her swimsuit hugged her form, he could definitely see that she had put on some weight. And that said weight had gone to all the right places as well.

With a look towards Moriko, he felt his cheeks heat up a little bit more, 'She might not be anywhere as muscular as her Nee-San, but... no one can deny that they're related, I suppose.'

Unknown to him, Sachiko had felt his eyes on her and kept glancing at him as well. Internally, despite her blush, she was actually pretty happy with how he was looking at her, though also embarrassed with how he had caught her in a swimsuit. It gave her a boost to her self-esteem and self-image that apparently he was unable to look away entirely from her, as much of a gentleman as he was.

Pausing as she grasped her walker, the wolfess considered things before wheeling over to him. She could see the question on his face, but gave him a kiss on the cheek before smiling, "I'll be a few minutes, Koga-Kun. Sorry about the wait."

Now with her right there, Koga swallowed a bit as he looked down, "I-uh... that's fine. I don't mind waiting a little."

That got him a happy smile from his girlfriend and a nod before Moriko walked with her into the showers. A few minutes later, Koga was walking back through the gym when he noticed Jersey and Musashi there posing to one another. Something that made him blink before he shrugged and turned back to Sachiko as neither Battleship interested him that much. Though for some reason, his girlfriend seemed very happy at that moment.

Hearing someone call her name, Sachiko turned back to find Jersey and Musashi walking over and she bowed best that she could, "Good afternoon, Musashi-San, Jersey-San. Enjoying the gym?"

Grin on her face, the American laughed a bit, "Hell yeah! Why wouldn't I enjoy working on, and showing off this bod?" She went into a pose, curling both arms, "One hundred percent American, baby!"

Softly snorting, Musashi shifted a bit herself into a pose, "Hmm, a shame."

Head whipping around, Jersey frowned, "The hell you say?"

Just chuckling, the Yamato turned towards Sachiko and gave her a smile, "Coming from Physio, Sachiko-San?"

The grin reappearing, Jersey gave her a nod as she looked the sickly wolfess over, "Definitely improving there, Kiddo. Damn, wish more of us had your spirit and good to see it." Blush on her cheeks at the compliments, Sachiko nodded. Turning towards the tracksuit wearing man, the American Battleship raised an eyebrow, "You're her therapist?"

Lightly laughing, the man rubbed the back of his head, "More personal trainer, actually. Still! She has guts to go the distance!"

Moriko clapped him on the back, which barely moved him, "Machio-Kun and I go way back. Heck, I used to be gym buddies with him way back in the day before he moved to the United States for training. I'm just thankful that he's taking time from his own gym to help out here."

With another laugh, Machio shook his head, "How could I not? She is willing to go as far as she can to improve her health. Besides, I remember her as well... besides... sides..." Suddenly, he went into a pose and flexed, bursting his clothes to reveal himself looking like a body builder wearing a speedo, "SIDE CHEST!"

Even as both Moriko and Sachiko just smiled at him and shook their heads in amusement, the others had their own reactions. Koga boggled a bit at what just happened while Amagiri gave a hum of interest. Musashi, meanwhile, adjusted her glasses thoughtfully with a slight frown as she looked him up and down, "This Musashi is impressed."

Jersey, meanwhile, had a crack appear in her glasses, "What. The. Fuck."

Needless to say, that made Sachiko giggle even more as Machio went into another pose.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Pulling up to Mamiya's after dropping off Sachiko's swimsuit as well as Moriko's gymware, Koga got out of the car and nodded towards Hachiko who was waiting. Like him, the Hanyou was dressed casually. Making his way around the car, the Okami opened the door and helped Sachiko out even as Moriko brought the wheelchair around. Lightly blushing as she settled into her chair, the wolfess gave a bashful smile to her boyfriend, "Thank you, Koga-Kun."

His own lips curling into a smile, Koga gave her a chuckle which made her smile broaden, "You're very welcome, Sachiko-Chan."

The Okami then took the handles of the wheelchair and began to push her along. Both of them stopped and watched however as Moriko hurried towards Hachiko before embracing him, the poor male's head getting enveloped in her bust, "Hachiko-Chan..."

Pulling him out briefly, she hungerily kissed him which knocked his already askew glasses more so. Not that Hachiko seemed to be complaining all too much considering he was whole heartedly returning said kiss. Pulling back, the Hanyou smiled at his girlfriend as he fixed his glasses, "Moriko-Chan." Turning, he gave a small bow towards the other couple, "Koga-San, Sachiko-Chan, a good evening to you both."

Lightly chuckling, Koga returned said bow before holding out a hand, which Hachiko shook, "Good to see you as well."

Even as he nodded and smiled back, there was a part of Hachiko that still could not believe that he was friends with the Head of the Hokubu Clan. It still seemed impossible to him after all. And yet, there it was. When he had first met Koga, he had been stunned to find out that the little sister to his girlfriend was dating someone so highly ranked. At the time, he had been unsure how to react, after all their social levels were very different.

Yet, he soon found himself forging an unlikely friendship with the Okami that was only partially due to how both of them were dating sister Yokai. Unlike how one would have expected, Koga turned out to be very down to earth as a person and was easy enough to relate to on various levels. He was a very personable Yokai, after all, despite his social status. And the two males very rapidly found quite a bit in common as well. Though a part of him wondered what his grandfather and aunt might think if they knew who could become his brother in law of sorts.

Unknown to Hachiko, as far as Koga was concerned, the young man was someone he had the highest respect for. With both parents dead, Hachiko had stepped up to care for his younger brother. More than that, no matter what it costed him personally, he had done his best to provide for said sibling. Wearing second hand clothing and stretching it as far as it could go. Even sewing his own clothes because it would save that little bit more money that could go to Aki, to make it so that his brother could have a happy childhood.

It was not just the loyalty that the young man showed towards his brother, though that was a lot of it. Being an Okami, providing for the pack was always something worthy of respect. There was also the will and intelligence that was there as well. Will in that Koga knew just how hard it would be to take care of a younger family member. To not break down from the stress and the like of acting like a parent when so young. The fact that Hachiko stood unbowed by the weights on his shoulders would always get a nod from Koga.

Then there was the intelligence that Hachiko showed. To be able to juggle all the family finances and make ends meet. More than that, being able to still work out enough to have time for his little brother for things as simple as helping him with homework or playing with him. It took a lot more than what some people might think in order to make it all work.

Needless to say, it went without saying that the Okami had no issue with calling the young man someone he was proud to call a friend.

Shortly after, the group entered Mamiya and sat themselves down at one of the tables there, with Koga removing a chair so that Sachiko could roll up her wheelchair. The two wolves shared a chaste kiss with one another before settling down and looking at the menu. Glancing from the menu to her boyfriend, Sachiko blushed a little, "Um, sorry that it's not, well..."

Lips twitching a bit, the male Okami chuckled, "Fancy?" He gave a small shrug at her nod, "Don't worry about it, Sachiko-Chan. If you have been to one such place, you have been to them all. Besides... I like places like this." Koga gave her a smile before leaning towards her and speaking in a stage whisper that made her giggle, "Back home in Yamainutaira, I'm more likely to be found in the Golden Ofuda sports bar than any fancy resturant."

Hands in front of her face, Sachiko's eyes sparkled a bit in glee, "True..." Pulling her hands away, she sighed a little, "It is just that sometimes I wonder."

Gently taking her hands in his, Koga hummed before kissing her knuckles, "You don't need to, because it is you I fell in love with."

A soft sigh escaped from Hachiko as he shook his head, "How can I compete with that?"

Moments later, he heard a growl from his girlfriend before she kissed him hard. Pulling back, Moriko made a show of licking her lips, "Very easily, Hachiko-Chan."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Hachiko nodded before kissing her again, "Understood." Turning back to the menu, he hummed as he looked over the foods. Some were familiar, others however, were not. Blinking, the Hanyou furrowed his eyebrows as he pointed at one of the dishes, "British style Hunter's Chicken."

Upon hearing that, Koga looked himself and raised an eyebrow, "Huh... says here that it is a chicken fillet wrapped in bacon with barbecue sauce on it with grated cheese melted over it." Thoughtful, he gave a hum, "That... doesn't sound too bad really."

Still looking over the menu, the other male nodded. After a few seconds, he glanced at Moriko, "Moriko-Chan? I noticed that there's a lot of rabbit on here."

Looking up from her own menu, Moriko blinked before nodding, "Oh yeah, there is quite a few rabbit dishes." She then shrugged slightly in thought, "From what I heard, it has to do with the convoys back and forth from Australia."

Interested upon hearing that, Koga looked over at her, "The convoys? What about them?"

Just motioning a hand around, the muscled wolfess frowned, "Well, a lot of shipgirls now got those refrigerated trunks with expanded insides, right? Bought them and such... anyways, the shipgirls who head down to Australia often come back with a ton of rabbit meat. Apparently the Australian government would pay them to kill and take as many rabbits as they want. So... the shipgirls do and bring it back with them when they return to Japan. Mamiya-San is one of those who makes use of them since there's so much."

Eyebrow raised, Hachiko made a sound of interest, "Huh... guess I'll have the rice bowl with breaded rabbit meat."

Brightly smiling, Sachiko gave a nod, "I'll have the oyakodon with fried chicken myself." She hummed a bit, "I've had it before and it was good."

Lightly chuckling, Moriko shook her head, "Well, I'm thinking hamburg steak for myself." With a hum, she licked her lips, "Especially with some beer..."

Not long after, their meals were delivered to their table. Thanking their server, Koga could only internally shake his head as Hinata made her way back to where her sister ship was waiting. Part of him still had trouble believing that there was a Jorogumo shipgirl considering everything. Though he was a little bit amused that said shipgirl was a Food Ship unlike what some would expect when thinking about the subject in question. Unlike some, however, Koga wasn't too concerned as he knew some Jorogumo and understood more than most that they had changed.

That said? He did wonder how the revelation that there was a Jorogumo shipgirl would affect not just the wider Yokai community, but the Jorogumo as a whole in particular. Especially considering what sort of shipgirl she was. He would be lying if he did not find it somewhat interesting to think about. And it went without saying that he would be watching in interest regarding what would happen.

Soon enough, however, his interest focused mainly on his date as well as the others sharing the story. The stories of Aki hanging out at the local mechanic's had Koga tell some of his own past. One example being when Kiba taught him how to take apart an old engine and restore it. His father's reaction to seeing his son literally covered in grease and a grin got laughs from the others. Then there was the tale of Jin attempting to teach him how to drive a motorbike as well that got more than a few chuckles.

All the while, both males paid attention to their date. Such as Koga cutting a piece off his hunter's chicken and holding it out for Sachiko to take. Something mirrored as Moriko did the same for Hachiko. Slowly, but surely, the food vanished and was soon gone. The food sharing didn't stop with the main meals, however. Because each couple had one of the large parfaits to share between the two of them.

Blush staining her cheeks, Sachiko held out a spoonful of the dessert with a bashful smile, "Here you go, Koga-Kun."

Lips curled into a smile, Koga leaned forward and took a bite with a hum, "Mmm, that's good." Taking a spoonful himself, he held it out to her, "And now it is your turn, Sachiko-Chan."

Meanwhile, across the table, Moriko held out a spoonful herself, "Try this, Hachiko-Chan~"

With a chuckle, the Hanyou leaned forward, only for her to pull back at the last moment and take a bite herself. Something that made Hachiko shake his head in amusement... which lasted until she leaned forward and kissed him deeply. As she pulled back, he realized that she left a piece of fruit in his mouth which he chewed even as he felt like his cheeks were on fire.

The wink he got from her didn't help matters any in that direction.

However, that was not to say that Hachiko did not get his girlfriend back for her stunt. At one point, he noticed that she had a little bit of cream running down her chin and smiled, "Here, let me, Moriko-Chan." Reaching over, he used his spoon to scrape up said bit of cream and them popped it in his mouth, "Mmm..."

Now, it was Moriko's turn to blush before her eyes became hooded and she pulled her boyfriend into a kiss with a growl, "Hachiko-Chan~"

Across the table, Koga and Sachiko shared a smile and a look of amusement. The Hokubu only snickered while his own girlfriend giggled... That was, before he reached over and gently wiped at her own chin with a napkin. Then it was her sister's turn to snicker.

Eventually, however, even the dessert vanished. With a soft sigh, Moriko leaned back in her chair with a small smile of satisfaction, "Now that was good."

Leaning against Koga, Sachiko hummed a bit as he placed his arm over her shoulder, "Hai, it was good. But then, Mamiya's is usually good as well." Closing her eyes, she gave a sigh of enjoyment, "Though that could be the company."

That just made her boyfriend chuckle before he leaned in towards her, "I could say much the same."

When she opened her eyes, Koga kissed her brow some which made her give another sigh of happiness.

Stretching a bit, Hachiko only nodded a bit as he considered the meal. But as everyone already said his thoughts, he didn't see the need to himself. Instead, he gave a soft sigh as he looked at the others, "Well, we still got some time before we need to go our separate ways... Any ideas?"

Moriko scratched her chin in thought before her expression lit up, "How about some karaoke? The usual place and all that."

Slight smile on his face, the Hokubu nodded, "I could go for that, especially to hear Sachiko-Chan's voice singing again."

Blushing lightly, said wolfess gave him a weak punch to the arm, which only made him grin. Lightly laughing at their antics, Hachiko agreed and soon the group left Mamiya's and headed out to karaoke. And when they returned home, each of them had a happy smile on their face at the enjoyable evening that they had.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Another glimpse into the future. Thanks mossback81 for the inspiration!

Only My Buttervioline (I)

Archaeological Museum of Piraeus, Piraeus, Athens, Greece

23 May 2036

"You know, it's not a bad likeness, honestly." A dark haired and gray eyed woman in a T-shirt showing an olive branch, owl and the Ancient Greek letters for Athens remarked reminiscently in Greek as she looked at the two thousand five hundred year old bronze statue of the Piraeus Athena in the crowded museum. "Cephisodotos was quite skilled as a sculptor."
Spoiler: Athena's Shirt...


Next to her a blond haired and bronze skinned muscular young man nodded in agreement as he stood next to his pale-skinned and midnight-haired twin sister. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts and examined the statue closely before speaking. "One of his better sculptures, certainly. It deserves to be honored here in your city of all possible places. I wonder if you had anything to do with it and the others not being shipped out of Greece by Sulla when Piraeus was sacked after Delos fell to the Romans?" He gave Athena a very penetrating glance from behind his Ray-Ban sunglasses before taking them off to tuck into the front of his Sun-themed T-shirt.
Spoiler: ...Apollo's Shirt...


Athena paused briefly to let a group of tourists go by, all clad in the T-shirts commemorating the opening of the Summer Olympics in Athens tomorrow. Then she spoke in a smugly satisfied voice. "Yes, I did. I called in a favor with Uncle to create a minor earthquake to spook the Romans when the building that these statues were stored in for shipment collapsed on them. With me computing the collapse to make it precise enough to make these statues vanish in the rubble without seriously damaging them." She gave a satisfied grin as the twin brother and sister nodded in approval of her plan. "Then when the time was right, well, a little paperwork was filed to have a new water line run and these four masterpiece bronze statues of us were rediscovered to be honored."

They walked along to the two Piraeus Artemis statues in the gallery and Athena spoke quietly and sadly. "I'm sorry that I could not save Euphranor's matching statues of your mother Leto and your brother Apollo in this set, Artemis. They were truly beautiful. At least we were able to save the Archaic Apollo as part of the shipment that would otherwise have been lost forever."

The midnight haired woman in a black T-shirt showing a deer in front of the full moon sighed and nodded. Her sharp and fierce facial features were a near match of this statue of the Huntress that had stood in her temple in Delos during the Classical Age of Greece. "Tragic..." She murmured in a whisper then gave a small smile. "Appreciated, Athena."
Spoiler: ...And Artemis' Shirt


Apollo spoke up in turn as his laconic twin finished saying her piece. "As my sister said, we appreciate your efforts to save the past to build upon. And those who are inspired by what they see here act to bring us to life once more as what we should be and are."

Athena smiled in return as they walked out of the museum. "Thank you. So, what did you wish to see now in my city?"

Apollo opened his mouth to speak, but then visibly paused as the sound of a violin being played reached their ears. His mouth closed with a snap and then he headed in that direction with some haste and a broad grin. Artemis sighed and commented laconically as she watched her brother. "Eros. Again."

Athena nodded and followed. "It has all the signs of a crush. I just hope that it is not too messy when it crashes and burns. For a first."

"Agreed." Artemis said calmly as she walked alongside Athena as they followed after her love-struck brother.

The two goddesses found Apollo staring in silent rapture at a young musician who was playing her violin at the pier where JS Fubuki was docked in a combination goodwill visit and additional security from Abyssal raids. Athena mentally sighed at her smitten half-brother's expression and commented to herself, he really has it bad this time.

Although, Athena thought with a mental smirk, this is the kind of girl he absolutely would fall and fall hard for. In addition to being quite physically attractive, she had a bow case on the ground next to her along with her violin case. While slender and athletic, her curves concealed inside her Belgian Archery Team T-Shirt left no doubt that she was fully a woman. Her slightly messy light brunette hair was trying to escape her ponytail as she played her heart out with her eyes closed behind her glasses.
Spoiler: Therese's Tees

Athena sighed in delight at the passion and energy in the violinist's flashing bow and flying fingers as she finished a solo rendition of Vivaldi's Allegro from Spring. As the musician opened her mahogany-brown eyes, a shout from the sailors lining the ship's rail reached her. "Play Only My Railgun next!"

The girl gave a smug grin, took off her glasses, and then tossed them to Apollo as she shook her head to let several loose locks frame her face.
Spoiler: Only My Buttervioline

Her bow touched her strings and she took flight in a shower of passionate perfect violin notes. Electricity seemed to spark from her flashing bow and dancing fingers to enthrall the crowd as she played her heart out to her hushed audience.

Athena felt tears fill her eyes as the soft and sweet notes played for her and her half-siblings reminded her of joy-filled moments, and then the more staccato, fiery chords in the song made her think of battle, conflict, and the desire to excel. To blaze her own path in the world, to take life by the throat and make her mark as she stepped out of the titanic shadows of her parents.

She wept from the joy of the moment as the song continued, dragging them along with the musician as the young woman soared on wings of musical bliss with her violin. Next to her Artemis gave a matching watery joy-filled smile. Apollo was still poleaxed and silent as tears of joy and happiness trickled down from his bright blue eyes.

As the musician began her final chords, Athena narrowed her eyes as she scanned the girl's aura. Surprisingly (or perhaps not), she was Unchosen by any deities. Currently.

As Athena probed more closely, a set of very familiar sun-golden letters faintly emerged on the aura surrounding her masterwork violin.

ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ
APOLLON

Athena stifled a chuckle as the pieces came together for her. She had seen and heard this musician's parents playing before after all. Athena glanced at Artemis, and caught the smirk that showed that she, too, had figured out who this was.

A beeping from the girl's phone sounded as she finished and lowered her violin. She glanced at the text message and paled. "Oh no!! I'll be late to check in at the Village unless I hurry!" With that she grabbed her violin and bow cases and then Apparated out with a crack.

That seemed to break a spell as Apollo, still holding the musician's glasses, unfroze. "Wait! Don't... go..." He said, then his expression slumped. "She's gone...."

Athena patted him on the back as he clutched the glasses. "Not for long. I have a good idea of where we can find her."

"Where?!" Apollo demanded. "Tell Me Athena!"

Artemis answered as she gave him an inscrutable, knowing smile. "Opening Ceremonies."

"Tomorrow then?" He snapped out, with his face alight.

Athena nodded in agreement. "In the stadium that was used to host the Panathenaic Games in my honor during the last Age of Heroes and has been rebuilt for the modern era to serve as a monument to the Olympics... and Olympians."

She smirked as she continued. "After all, we do gain power from worship even indirectly and unknowingly. As for the Games this year, I have acquired tickets for the archery contest this year. After all, Atalanta's daughter shall be competing in archery for the first time and Artemis is quite interested in how her protege shall perform."

Artemis gave a small smile and nodded to Athena. "Thank you."

Apollo looked at the smirking Goddess of wisdom. "Another of your plans then."

"Naturally." Athena smugged harder.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Eyes closed, Harry slowly breathed in and then out. In, and out. The wizard didn't move from his meditative position. Well, that was until a tap on his shoulder brought him out of it and he opened one eye with a smile at seeing the curious face looking back at him, "Hai? What is it, Kenshō-Chan?"

Head tilted to the side, the Kogatana blinked. After a moment, she faded from view and faded back into view on the opposite side from where she had been, "Just wondering what you were doing, Master. You seemed very into it."

Lips curling a little, Harry patted her head, "Just meditating some to strengthen my mind, that's all."

Curious, Kenshō placed a finger on her chin, "Strengthening your mind?"

That got her a fond chuckle as he nodded, "Hai, one of the things that I have been doing is studying how to become an animagus, like my Father was and Godfather is. A sort of way to honour them." That got him nod from the little blade spirit, so Harry continued, "Well, unlike them, I'm getting some help from Professor McGonagall back at Hogwarts, not nearly crazy enough to try and pull it off on my own." The teen shrugged a little at that, "Anyways, one of the things that you need to do is mental exercises to condtion and strengthen your mind for when you transform for at least the first few times."

Yet again, Kenshō blinked and furrowed her eyebrows, "For the first few times?"

With a nod, Harry patted the Muramasa on the head, "Hai. Because one of the issues of the transformation is that sometimes the instincts and mind of the new form can overwhelm the human one and take control if they are not prepared. For example, you could transform into a tiger and suddenly attack someone nearby because your human mind gets submerged under that of the predator's mind and instincts as it sees something that could be prey. Or you could, uh..." He suddenly blushed a bit as he remembered one of the lectures from McGonagall, "End up doing other things."

Confused and more than a little lost, but interested, the blade spirit leaned in, "Really? Like what other things?"

If anything, Harry's blush deepened and he looked away with a cough, "Uh, you're not old enough to know and you'll be able to find out when you're older." Internally, he cringed, 'Such as that was how some of the animal blooded people on Saint Brendan's had their ancestors come into being...'

Pout on her face, she crossed her arms, "Mou... but I want to know!" At the raised eyebrow, she sighed as she realized he would not tell her. Instead, Kenshō turned her attention back to what she had been told, "So you were strengthening your mind to that, Master?"

Waggling his hand in the air, the teenage wizard shrugged, "Kind of. It is a little bit difficult to explain, but... most of it has to do with making sure that when I transform, I remember who I am and what I really am. What I am at my core, basically. According to Professor McGonagall, that is what is important so that you don't lose who you are in the rush of the new mind and be overwhelmed. It's one of the more dangerous parts of the transformation." Frowning, he leaned forward, "According to her, there's been animagi who attempted the transformation and disappeared as their minds were submerged into their animal ones and ran off, usally believed to have died in the process. Like someone transforming into a rabbit, hopping off into a field, and promptly getting eaten by an owl or a fox."

Once more, Kenshō tilted her head a little as she thought, "Hmm..." Eyes widening, she smiled and thrust her hand into the air, "Well, I'll be right there and protect you, Master!"

Gently, Harry smiled as he patted her head, "I know you will."

Closing her eyes, the Kogatana happily smiled as she enjoyed the headpats, 'Mou... best part of having a Master!' When she opened her eyes, Kenshō looked over at him, "Master? What animal are you going to be?"

Arms crossed as he thought, Harry hummed, "Honestly? I don't know what animal I'll be when I transform." At the curious look, he shrugged a little, "You don't know what you'll be until you actually transform into the animal in question. But... from what I read, the general thing is that it depends on your personality and mindset as well." Motioning with a hand, the wizard frowned a little in thought, "My Dad for example? Stags represent nobility, which he had from all accounts once he grew out of his younger teens and showed. They're also considered protectors of the forest and of all the animals within. Because the stag will protect the herd, the does and fawns, from predators and those that would wish them harm."

Her eyes wide, Kenshō had a smile on her face, "Wow..." Blinking, she turned back to Harry, "Um, what about Sirius-San? Doesn't he become a dog?"

Lips curling into a smile, the nearly fourteen year old chuckled, "Hai, in fact he resembles the Grim." Motioning with one hand, he made a thoughtful sound, "Dogs are considered playful and friendly to those they like. They also are highly loyal and will often protect those they guard onto death. Him resembling a grim could be a comment on the Black family being considered related to death and darkness. Buuuut... what some people forget is certain traditions of grims." Seeing her lean in, Harry chuckled, "A lot of people nowadays see Grims and similar spectral hounds as being dark, as evil, because of stories. That they harm people and predict death... but!" He wagged a finger, "In many places in Britain, black dogs are seen as the ultimate protectors against evil, even supernatural evil. Heck, in certain towns mothers allowed their children to play unsupervised because they believed that the local ghost dog would watch over them and protect them."

Not saying anything, Kenshō considered what she had just heard for a few seconds before suddenly smiling, "Ooooh!" Waving her hands around, she gave a giggle, "I bet you become something cool, Master! Like a lion with a big fluffy mane!"

Eyebrow raised, Harry had the funny mental image of him as a lion with Hoppou snuggling into the mane alongside Kenshō, their heads poking out of the fluff, "I see..."

Pausing, the Kogatana hummed, "Oooo! Or maybe a unicorn!"

A light chuckle escaped from Harry and he ruffled her hair again, "That would be nice, but... magical creatures are something pretty much impossible. Despite what some modern wizard fiction tries to claim, one can't become a dragon."

Upon hearing that, Kenshō pouted, "You would have been amazing as a unicorn. Because then you could give rides!" She did blink as Harry coughed a bit, but shrugged it off, "Does that mean that you can't become a shipgirl?"

That made the wizard blink, "Shipgirl?"

Just nodding rapidly as she spread her arms wide, Kenshō looked at him, "Hai! Like, you could become a shipgirl and blast bad guys and stuff! Boom! Boom!"

Blinking, Harry shook his head a little, "I... doubt that it is possible." A frown appeared on his face, "I mean, there was supposedly a centaur animagus, and there's been mention of mermaid ones in some old books which is sort of odd considering the usual rule against magical creatures and animagi. But a shipgirl one? I... don't think that is possible."

Somewhat disappointed, the Muramasa shrugged it off and continued to imagine all the cool animals that Harry could transform into, much to said wizard's amusement.

Eventually, however, Harry got up and placed Kitsune-Bokken into a duffle bag as well as a thermos and a box. Waving goodbye, he smiled as he watched Kenshō hop onto the couch next to Juuchi and turn the television to the local American channel to watch 'Blue's Clues'. Despite the older Muramasa's mutters, Harry could tell that she didn't actually mind it too much even as she waved goodbye to him. Not helping was how he noticed Juuchi place an arm over Kenshō's shoulders.

It did not take Harry long in his velomobile to reach the park for kenjutsu practice. Upon arriving at the clearing where he practiced alongside Okita and such, he did raise an eyebrow at the new teen who was chatting with the other "Three Kendo Goddesses of Yokosuka Junior High". Granted, he still thought that the nickname Nobu came up with was a bit Chunni, but unlike most he could see the humour in it.

Looking away from the conversation, Nobu grinned and waved, "Harry-Kun! Hello my friend, my friend hello!"

His lips twitching, the teenage wizard waved back even as he set his duffle bag down, "Hey there, Nobu-Chan." Smile on his face, he nodded towards his other two friends, "Okita-Chan, Uesugi-Chan, hopefully you have had a good day thus far?"

A chuckle escaping her as she adjusted her glasses, Uesugi nodded, "We have, actually. Quite a good day." Seeing Harry glancing curiously at the final girl, her smile widened a touch, "Allow me to introduce Kokonoe Yae-San, a good friend and rival of ours in Kendo. Yae-San? This is Potter Harry-Kun, who we were talking to you about."

Crossing her arms, Nobu grumbled, "I was going to introduce her! I had an entire introduction planned and everything."

Expression carefully blank, Okita looked at her friend, "And that is why Uesugi-Chan is the one to do so."

Simply ignoring the bickering between the two, as amusing as it was, Harry bowed towards Yae, "Good afternoon, Kokonoe-San."

Bowing back to him, Yae had a smile on her face, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Potter-San, gozaru." As she stood back up, she glanced at the others with an unsure look, "Uesugi-Kun and the others have told me about you."

The wizard was surprised at that before giving a chuckle, "Hopefully good things."

Just snorting, Nobu walked over and threw an arm over his shoulder with her usual grin on her face, "Of course! What else would we say?"

Only shaking her head at the actions of her formal rival warlord, Uesugi turned to Harry, "She knows about magic, Harry-Kun, as well as who we were." At his expression of surprise, she gave a small shrug, "She is Tokunotakai-Sensei's student, and knows her secret as well."

After giving it a moment of thought, Harry gave a nod, "Ah, that makes sense then." Looking towards Yae, he gave her an interested look, "So you know that I'm a wizard then?"

With a small hum, she gave a nod, "I do." Yae had an interested look as she gazed back at him, "Never thought that I would meet a wizard though, gozaru."

In reply, Harry gave a small shrug, "Well, I'm a pretty normal guy except for that-" Hearing a snort, he frowned at Nobu, "What's so funny?"

Snickers escaped from the reincarnated warlord as she looked away, "Nothing... normal... pfft."

Rolling his eyes, Harry shoved her arm off his shoulder, though there was no real heat there. Okita had a smile on her face as she clapped her hand, "Right! Time for Kenjutsu practice."

Voice dry, the teenage boy looked at her, his next words getting a giggle from the pale haired reincarnation, "In other words, time to get my arse kicked while calling it learning."

Grin widening, Nobu gave him a chuckle, "Indeed! And it is my turn to be your sparring partner!"

For a few moments, Harry looked at her before sighing and hanging his head, "So basically I am going to get my arse kicked while you cackle the whole time."

Needless to say, that made the three incarnations grin and snicker, though Yae seemed confused. Catching how Harry was smiling slightly, however, she realized that it was at least partially a joke. Smile on her own face, Toku's student sat back and watched as Harry and Nobu went through a warm up complete with stretches. When he brought out his bokken, however, Yae blinked and furrowed her eyebrows, "Why do you have a Kitsune charm hanging from it? That... is not allowed in competition."

Looking at the charm, which swung in the air, Harry gave a small shrug, "Nobu-Chan suggested it. Since I'm not looking to be competing, I didn't see an issue with it."

Only nodding, the teenage girl looked at the bokken and frowned as she examined it. The wooden sword was well carved, she had to admit, though she didn't recognize the wood. It did resemble oak though, which was slightly odd. But there was... something about it. Something that twinged at the edges of her senses, like a taste of blood. Even as she looked at it, she swore, for a brief moment, that the eyes in the Kitsune charm flashed a malevolent, blood red at her.

Then she shook her head of what had to be her imagination.

Instead, Yae decided to satisfy her curiosity a little and cocked her head to the side, "So why do you wish to learn the Way of the Sword, Potter-San?"

Glancing at her as he finished his warmup and began to put on his gear, Harry hummed, "I got a number of reasons to be honest. One is that the sword Juuchi Yosamu as well as the sword Tsukiakari no Suzu are among my family blades. The second, by the way, was used at the Battle of Shiroyama."

Scowl on her face, Okita growled a little, "Unfortunately, she was used by someone with no respect for the blade, even though she served him well."

More than a little lost, the lone non-reincarnated Kendoka frowned, "What do you mean by that, Okita-San? No respect?"

A sigh came from Harry and he shook his head as she looked back at him, "Tsukiakari is a Kyu gunto and was used by a member of the army during the battle. Even saved the man when the Samurai charged into the lines at the end, deflecting their swords. But... he felt that a Kyu gunto was worthless and so grabbed one of the swords of the dead, basically tossing her aside despite what she did."

Hands clenched, Yae took a hissing breath as just the thought ignited anger in her, "They did what?"

Grimace on his face, the wizard nodded, "Unfortunate, but... hai, they got rid of her because they believed that the sword they took from the dead was much better. Thankfully, my great-great-grandfather, Potter Ian, bought her. He enchanted her with spell after spell and she served him for the rest of his life, including during the Great War... uh, I mean, World War I." Harry then shrugged a little, "She then went on to serve my own Otou-San during some... civil issues in the magical world."

When Yae looked at her, Uesugi adjusted her glasses with a sigh, "British understatement. Apparently the magical side of Britain was in a civil war against a man named Voldemort who was... well, some sort of magical neo-nazi, I think one could call it."

Slowly, Harry nodded with a sigh, "That's... the other part of it..."

Yae listened as Harry explained about what had happened with this Voldemort person, which sent a shiver down her back. The fact that there was someone so evil, and someone just her age had already fought him twice and survived... as well as how he was preparing to face him. It was like something from a shonen manga, or one of the really old stories about heroes of legend. Part of her wondered if her Sensei, if Masamune-no-Tokunotakai, knew about it.

At the same time, she actually understood a bit more about the respect that her fellow Kendoka seemed to hold for him. They had mentioned that something had happened and they fought beside him. And there was the small argument between Nobu and Uesugi about whom he would have been snatched up by as a retainer if he had been around in their first lives, which had been surprising.

But looking him in the eye, she could see the steel there, the unyielding strength of will that he had.

Right then, she found herself respecting him and smiling about it. As he finished both his explanation and putting on his gear, she nodded, "I understand now, gozaru."

That got a blink from the British born boy, but not getting an answer he shrugged it off and turned towards Nobu as Okita acted as a referee of sorts before their practice match began. And, much to Yae's amusement, his earlier prediction of getting his ass kicked while Nobu laughed came true. Despite that, he kept getting back to his feet to continue the practice, no matter the bruises he got. If anything, seeing that, made her respect for him grow, because he was willing to take the pain to improve.

Granted, that said, she had to wince more than once while watching the impromptu "Lesson" from the former Uniter of Japan. Sitting next to her and giving comments every once in a while, Uesugi glanced at her fellow Kendoka before lowering her voice, "You're wondering about this."

With a glance at her, and a wince as Nobu landed a blow that sent Harry to the ground groaning, Yae gave a small nod, "Hai." Pausing, she frowned a little, "Is this how you were taught?"

Humming, Uesugi considered the question before giving a slight nod, "To some extent, I suppose. During mine and Nobu-Chan's first lives, one of the ways one grew in the War was to have fights with others who practiced The Way. Not really spars or matches, but full contact as is happening here. But back then, it was far more dangerous and often one gambled their lives and health in order to improve. However, it was a quicker way to gain experience." After a slight pause, she continued, "Each of us three practice our own forms alongside more modern ones. It gives Harry experience in fighting people of different styles. In turn, it also helps us along the Way by helping him in his own journey."

Just blinking, Toku's student was silent as she thought over what she had been told. One of the things that her Sensei had done had been to speak of how such things were done in the past. But hearing and seeing it were entirely different things. After a minute or two, she simply nodded and joined Uesugi and giving Harry bits of advice regarding his stances.

After the "Spar" (if one could call the slight beating Harry took as being such) was done, Yae watched as Harry took off most of his protective gear and got into a stance as he began to perform kata. Though she raised her eyebrow as Nobu demanded fifty downward slashes with the tip stopping at exactly the same spot each time, and when the teenage boy failed, she would give him a whack to the leg and tell him to start again. It raised even further when she was told that Nobu was taking it easy on him, which made her shiver a little.

Getting up, the kendoka walked over to the teenage wizard before motioning to his feet, "Your stance is a little too wide, I think. And your feet are slightly wrong in how they are set."

Not saying anything, Harry did as Yae mentioned and adjusted even as he nodded while sweat streamed down his face and he continued his kata. Unnoticed by either of the two, the other three Kendoka smiled and nodded some in approval.

Once he was done with that and performing the cooldown, Yae had a frown on her face before turning to Harry, "Um, Potter-San? Who is your sensei? Because I don't recognize the style."

With a glance towards her, Harry smiled slightly, "Her name is Maeda Hoshi and she's a Kyuubi. As for a style... her and her Nee-San, Tsuki, never really bothered to give it one."

It went without saying that Yae's eyes widened at that in surprise and more than a little shock, 'A kyuubi has taught him!?'

Finishing up the cooldown, the nearly fourteen year old teenage boy walked over to his duffle bag, "And now for the payment for helping me."

Much to Yae's amusement, Okita rubbed her palms together with a grin, "Hai, time for some tasty treats! What have you got for us now, Harry-Kun?"

Amused, Harry glanced at her before bringing out a box. For a moment though, he paused and seemed to consider them, "Okita-Chan? Nobu-Chan? Uesugi-Chan? You three are coming to my birthday party in a few days, right?"

Hands on her hips, Nobu laughed, "Hai, we are." Then she widened her grin, "Can't wait to be able to go to the beach for it. Got a new two piece and everything."

Simply giving her a look, Uesugi turned to Harry in interest, "Why? Has something come up, Harry-Kun?"

In reply, Harry shook his head, "Nothing bad actually, but Natsumi-Chan reminded me about what... happened during our last trip." At their nods, he continued, "Well, we had been planning on going to Britain through magical means and I wanted to know if you wanted to come? We're going to be picking blackcurrants, redcurrants, and cherries from my property back in Britain and making preserves with them for a week. Any you pick, you get to keep, of course."

Each of the three perked up at that before Okita licked her lips, "Fruit preserves? I remember the ones that Asuka-San and them sold... they were so good!"

On the glasses wearing member of the trio of reincarnated warriors was a thoughtful look. Then Uesugi gave a small nod, "I... have never heard of the first two items you mentioned. But I would not say no to fruit preserves." She then smiled and glanced towards Yae, "Though perhaps there is one more here that could go?"

That made Harry blink before he flushed and bowed to Yae who took a step back, "My apologies, Kokonoe-San, that was highly rude of me."

Flustered, Yae motioned with her hands some, "No, no, you didn't expect me to be here. There's no reason to be sorry, Potter-San, gozaru!"

Straightening, the wizard frowned, "Still..." Furrowing his eyebrows, he gave a nod, "If you want, I don't see an issue with you coming. We wouldn't spend all the time picking of course, so there would be time to go sightseeing as well if you want. Not to mention, my manor has a pool and the like."

Eyes lighting up, Nobu laughed as she jumped, "Can't be helped! We are definitely going!'

With a sigh, Okita facepalmed before whacking her friend in the back of the head, "Calm down."

All the former warlord did was look at her, "Like you're much better." Frown on her face, Nobu looked at Okita, "Though we should be worried about you not bringing much back due to it all disappearing."

Closing her eyes, Okita smiled and turned before her hand lashed out, grabbing Nobu's head. Moments later, she opened her eyes and was staring at her friend from inches away, "What was that, Nobu-Chan? Are you calling me a glutton?"

Just humming, Nobu winced a bit, but then shrugged, "If the geta fit-ow! Ow! STOP CRUSHING MY SKULL!"

Turning away from the scene of violence, Yae cleared her throat, "I, um... would need to talk with my parents, Potter-San. A-after all, I've never been that far from home and... do we have adults? Because that might make them more likely, gozaru."

Only nodding even as screams erupted from nearby, Harry smiled, "Hai, my Mum, Nagato, will be one. We also have Taigei-Chan, Ryuuhou-Chan, Ooi-Nee, Kitakami-Nee coming as well as Jin-San." Pulling out his phone, he gave a nod, "If you want, I could give you my number so that they could speak to Mum?" Both of them exchanged numbers at that and Harry looked over towards Okita who currently had Nobu in a chokehold, "So... who wants treats?"

At that, Okita dropped the insensate Nobu and smiled as she walked over, "Me!"

Lips twitching into a smile, which grew a touch as Nobu held up a hand with one finger raised, the wizard nodded as he opened the box, "Good, because Uesugi-Chan did bring up how none of you know about blackcurrants... so I brought some blackcurrant crumble tarts!"

Taking one as he handed it to her, the pale haired reincarnate looked at the small, handheld pie before taking a bite. Moments later, Okita had her eyes closed in happiness as she chewed, "Mmm..."

Uesugi shook her head in amusement at the actions of her hand before taking her own bite and hummed, 'Sweet, but with some tartness. Interesting...'

For the next hour or so, the group just enjoyed the treats as they chatted with Harry and Yae getting to know one another more.

 

[darthcourt10]

Maes

Barricade said:Of course, then there's 'Poultry', the name Zui's Smol answers to.
Kinda surprised she doesn't go by 'Nugget'.


Yellowhammer said:subgirl*** (...) (swimming).
Just a bit of cracky material inspired by this...
*-*-*-*-*

A shriek over the airwaves

<GOYA! Oh Kamis someone help Goya! She's capsized!!>

<WHAT? NO I'M NOT!>

<BULLSHIT YOU'RE NOT! YOU'RE FLOATING FIN-SIDE DOWN!!>

<M'PRACTICING MY BACKSTROKE!>

<. . .>

<. . . your back...what? What the fuck is wrong with you?!? Why would you do that?!>

<Some steel-hull sub-skipper bet me a million yen we couldn't do it?>

<That's just... HOW?>

<Running on the batteries! Don't want to even risk trying to start my diesels upside down, not that it'd help much with the snorkel plugged. Crew had to strap themselves down or up? or upside-down I guess? and they're hating every second of it, and you don't want to know how my galley's doing, but hey, a million yen's a million yen...>

<This is insane. You're insane.>

<Says the one who won't be a million yen richer in a few days>

<. . . how long are you going to->

<'nother half hour, maybe? Still trying to get the rhythm down but my bilges are starting to object to the whole 'existing' thing. Still, if you think that's bad, you should've seen how one of Hoppou's kids reacted.>

<Oh shit, yeah they're still used to thinking more 'ship' aren't they.>

<Yup. I think I broke her brain. Most fun I've had in days!>

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- More Greco-Belgian WAFF incoming!

Only My Buttervioline (II)

Olympic Village, Athens, Greece

23 May 2036
Spoiler: Athens

"I'm such a idiot!" Therese du Chasteler-Potter moaned as she flopped on her bed in the athletes' housing. Her roommate paused in stretching to look at the teenage violin as she moped.

Martje Van Der Voorde gave her slightly younger friend a fond smile and spoke gently to her. "So what did you do this time, Therese?"

"I went down to the port to work off some nerves by serenading the tourists and some crew from the warships keeping the Abyssals from attacking." Therese muttered as she sat upright and blushed. "Papa is right, doing the whole street performer thing like how he met Mother is a real trip. So I really got into playing myself and giving people happy emotions like Mother does to brighten their day."

"There was a really cute guy there listening to me, and I kinda..." She trailed off as the blush deepened.

"Unh-hunh, go on~." the blond Flemish heptathlete said in her Dutch-accented French as she began another set of stretches, shaking her head at yet another romantic misadventure from her friend.

"I... kinda... tossed my glasses to him..." Therese admitted in a small voice, her face scarlet.

"Only you, Therese. I swear, I'll have to put a leash on you one of these days!" Martje said with a giggle as she raised the violin another point on her unofficial 'Dork Scale' for romance. "So, let me guess, he's married already. Did you at least look for a ring?"

"Ididn'tbecausemyphonewentoffandIhadtoApparatebackhereandcheckinsoIforgottogetmyglassesbackorhisnumber!" Therese blurted out in an embarrassed rush with her face as red as her Aunt Zamarad's hair. She then facepalmed and moaned. "I'm such an idiot~~!!"

"No arguments here, Therese. You did pack your spare glasses, yes?" Martje said after a few suspicious coughs and some work to keep a straight face.

"Yeah... I did..."

"Grab 'em and your locket and let's have a jog before getting a bite to eat you silly viool."

Panathinaïkó Stádio, Athens, Greece

24 May 2036

Athena smiled in joy as, once more disguised as a mortal, she walked up the steps of this classical stadium that was also called Kallimarmo, "Beautiful Marble". It had first been founded and consecrated as a racecourse as part of the Panathenaic Games to honor her (and the other Olympians) in the sixth Century during the first days of Athens, her beloved city named for her that had nurtured and incubated many of the seeds that would reach full flowering in Western Civilization.

Here, Cleisthenes had instituted the first concept of democracy in 508 BC.

Here, the philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle had taught their students laying the foundations for the great Roman and European thinkers to build upon.

Here, Herodotus, the 'Father of History', Thucydides, and Xenophon had written the books that made history an actual science and devotion.

Here, the great playwrights Aeschylus, Aristophanes, Euripides, and Sophocles had developed the very concept of Comedy, Tragedy, and explored the conflict of man against man, and man against self.

Here, Themistocles had walked after his masterstroke of the battle of Salamis when the might of the Persian Empire was broken in one of the most decisive naval battles in history to insure Greece would develop as a free collection of city-states.

Here, the statesman Pericles had helped nurture the Golden age of Classical Athens as he headed the Delian League to protect against the Persians and financed the building of the marble buildings of the Acropolis.

This stadium had seen the feet of these great men and more. Rebuilt in 330 BC in limestone and then in 144 AD in marble, it had seen much both of the heights of human culture as well as the decline and disrepair as the tides of time and ruin had washed against it as the course of fate had moved the center of power and civilization elsewhere, to Rome, Byzantium, Baghdad, Beijing, Paris, London, America.

And yet, the seeds first planted here had flowered once more long after those men who had developed them were long gone into the dust.

This stadium had been rebuilt in marble once more to host the first modern Olympiad in 1896, an event created by visionaries who looked back to the golden age of Greece and took from it inspiration and guidance to create a better, brighter future.

Then the XXVIII Olympiad had come to Athens in 2004, forging another link between past and present as, just like their forefathers, athletes had competed for the crown of laurel that was the ancient symbol of Apollo to show excellence and glory pleasing to their peers, their nations and the Gods.

And now the XXXVI Olympiad was about to open once more where heroes and giants of human culture had trod.
Spoiler: The Opening Of The Olympics

As Athena, Apollo, and Artemis watched in appreciation, a lone relay runner began to approach with a torch carrying a flame lit at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece, where the ancient Olympic games had been held. A torch that had been carried around the world, through Europe and Asia, to Australia, Africa, the Americas and back to Greece. A symbol of the common heritage born here that had spread throughout human consciousness, gaining from other traditions, from those of Japan, China, India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and yet all returning to one of the birthplaces of human culture.

Athena grinned as the crowd roared as the flag of Greece entered the stadium alone carried by a single athlete. Traditionally, Greece always entered at the head of the Parade of Nations to show their importance to the Olympics, but as the host nation, would enter last. Instead after the Greek flag, the rest of the athletes came. Saint Lucia. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. San Marino. Angola. Azerbaijan. Egypt. Ethiopia. Haiti.

Athena silently waited as the Parade of Nations continued. Then as the Belgian team entered in red coats over black, white, red and gold dresses, Athena smirked as Apollo suddenly stared in delight at the sight of the mystery violinist waving to the crowd with her free hand as she held a Belgian flag.
Spoiler: Therese's Outfit

"It's her!" he said, grinning broadly and happily. "She's one of the athletes!" He waved enthusiastically at her as she paraded past them.

Artemis smirked and nudged her brother. "Archer. Therese du Chasteler." The Goddess of the Hunt spoke calmly.

"I have tickets to her event, Brother." Athena added as she mentally wondered how much of a favor Apollo would owe her after this week ended.

Then the Sun God stiffened like he had been shot as the Belgians took their place after their lap around the stadium.
---------------------

Therese swallowed nervously, gave a shy smile to the crowd, and waved as more athletes entered the stadium.

Then her eyes met those of her bronzed mystery man as she locked gazes with him, flanked by two beautiful dark-haired women. Oh God, OhGodohGodhe'ssodreamy...

She felt her heartstrings make the most wonderful music in her soul as she fell into those gold-flecked blue eyes, as blue as a cloudless sky.

"Therese?"

He was suntanned that warm bronze a shade lighter than her spruce-colored hair. Oh God, that light jacket showed off his muscles to perfection. She felt her avatar's knees grow weak at the sunny smile he was giving her as she smiled back shyly.

"Therese!?"

Someone waved a hand in front of her face. She didn't care, she could feel him warming her like a perfect sunlit day with a passion that made her want to serenade him forever with the music catching fire in her soul.

"Earth to Therese?! Oh God, she's totally out of it!"

His smile widened and she smiled back with stars in her eyes and a growing blush on her cheeks.

He looked like a classical statue brought to life.

She had to get his number... somehow... to try to serenade him. Maybe she could even ask his name?
---------------------

Athena and Artemis looked back and forth between Apollo and the girl he had locked eyes with.

"Apollo?"

No answer.

He was absently humming a melody that they remembered him composing to woo Daphne before she got turned into a laurel tree. This was... very very bad.

"Apollo?! Olympus to Apollo!!"

Athena looked at Artemis, then both goddesses scanned the area for Aphrodite or Eros starting mischief. After a long pause they looked at each other again and spoke, since Apollo was clearly out to lunch.

"Right, how do we get him to meet her again so he can start to get this out of his system? Preferably without blowing the Divine Accords to atoms?" Athena sighed.

"You tell me, Wisdom." Artemis snarked.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Biking along through Yokosuka, Harry had one earbud in his ears as he listened to music on his way towards Natsumi's. As he came into view of the harbour, however, he brought his bike to a stop to look out onto the ocean. Because out on the harbour sat the massive form of the USS Ranger as it made it's way to the American side of the base. However, that was not what Harry was paying attention to, though he could see the steel hulled ships of the incoming convoy heading towards Yokohama further up the bay.

What caught the teen's attention was the large ship that was just behind the Ranger.

Eyebrows raised, Harry muttered an Celtic spell designed to be wandless and which allowed for him to use one of Hedwig's senses as if they were his own without affecting her. Almost immediately, he felt a slight ache behind his eyes, but his vision sharpened and, if one was to look at his eyes, they turned amber. Focusing on the ship, despite the distance, he was able to read the name USS Juan de Fuca, CGN-49.

Blinking, he leaned against his handlebars and let his gaze roam over the newest Cruiser of the United States Navy. Thoughtful, Harry hummed a little, "Huh.. didn't know that her shakedown was done and she was being sent out on convoy runs."

Due to the spell, Harry was able to see the individual features of the crew that were out and about as they prepared to head into dock. Cancelling the spell, he could feel the ache from it disappear as he considered the ship itself from the distance. Part of him was still amused with how some of the sailors had stated that it was like a Wasp class had a one night stand with an Arleigh Burke.

Named after one of the most hard fought battles of Blood Week by the USN and RCN, the Battle of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the first of her Class was something of a beast designed to fight Abyssals due to coming in at almost 25,000 tons. Two nuclear reactors, similar to the ones used by CVNs, provided power for her various systems. From what he had heard, the radar was powerful enough to burn through Abyssal "Stealth" from the sheer power it put out, something that Harry had no doubt of.

Especially after hearing the rumor of someone literally cooking a steak by placing it in front of said radar during a test.

Of course, the big thing was the anti-air due to how the Abyssals used massed air attacks not seen since the Second World War. Something that everyone was still designing around and against. Hence the four five inch guns, each of which were ECT, and the 200 VLS cells as well as the CIWS. Though from the scuttlebutt, she was to be equipped with lasers. As he watched, two of the Eagle Eyes that said ship was equipped with took off from the hanger, heading for the American part of the base where the UAVs would be serviced.

Just watching for a few moments, Harry gave a nod before continuing his way towards Natsumi's. Part of him was happy, however, by the fact that this meant that Shinano, Louisiana, and their group was back in Yokosuka. Also, he knew that the Yokai children who Fubuki had guardianship over would also be happy for said Destroyer and her group to have come home safe and sound.

It did not take him very long to get to where Natsumi lived, thankfully. Putting his bike into the usual spot, he walked up to the door and knocked. Only minutes later, it was opened by a smiling Natsumi who greeted him with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, "Good afternoon, Harry-Chan."

Returning the gestures, Harry chuckled, "Thanks, Natsumi-Chan. Hopefully it has been a good day for you as well."

Grin slightly teasing, she gave a hum, "Well, it was, but it is going much better now that you're here for the next lesson." Natsumi gave a small sigh as she hung her head, "Who knew that Kitsune-tsuki was so hard."

With a small shrug as he came inside and left his shoes in the small cubby set aside, Harry gave her a smile, "I don't know, frankly I think that it is a good thing that it is hard quite honestly. I mean... imagine if it was easy to pull."

Frowning as she considered that, Natsumi slowly nodded, "You're right, it wouldn't be a good thing." Then she grimaced a little, "Still, it would be nice for at least us."

Only giving her a smile, the wizard shook his head, "Well, we're still making good headway." He then grinned as he knew what response his next words would get as Natsumi's ears and tails came out once the door closed, "But you might like the fact that I brought some peanut butter bread, baked just this morning~"

He was not disappointed as Natsumi's ears perked up and her tails stopped moving for a few seconds. When she turned, she could see him holding up the plastic bag containing said treat, "... Are you sure that you are not a Tenshi?"

That got a laugh from him before shaking his head, "Pretty sure that is not how it goes, Natsumi-Chan. Because I thought that I would be the one saying that to you."

Needless to say, that caused a small blush to bloom on the Kitsune's face before she looked away, "Don't say such things."

If anything, that caused Harry to grin before he looked around. After a few seconds, he turned back to Natsumi, "Hey, Natsumi-Chan?"

Blush under control, Natsumi turned to him, "Hai, Harry-Chan? What is it-" Just as she fully turned to him, Harry made his move. Next thing that the Kitsune knew, his lips were on hers. Eyes closing, Natsumi hummed before pulling back, "Ah... that's what you wanted."

Lips curled into a grin, the nearly fourteen year old shrugged as his hands were on her waist, "Hai." Glancing at her hair, he gave a hum, "Though if you want to be tsun.. maybe we should put your hair into twin tails?"

Eyebrow raised, Natsumi gave him a snort, "Just for that, I want another kiss.'

Grin on his face, Harry was just about to do so when they jumped across as someone else spoke up, "Mikon~ So this is what is taking you so long, Master?"

It went without saying that both teens jumped apart with their faces feeling like they were burning to see Taiyang there with a grin on her face. Ignoring the snickers in the back of her mind, Natsumi sighed, 'Dammit! I wanted another kiss!'

Said snickers became outright laughter at that thought, which only made her cheeks redden all the more.

Meanwhile, Harry was glancing at Natsumi before turning his attention to the foxy being in front of him. Being a teenage boy, he did notice that her blue tank top strained a little as well as how tight the jeans she wore were. However, he just shoved said thoughts away after realizing that and took in the pink hair as well as the two bronze colored eyes watching him in what seemed amusement, "... Taiyang, I take it?"

At that, he noted her eyes lit up in interest. Unknown to him, it was not just because he guessed her name. Taiyang had noted where his eyes had gone, but the fact that he swiftly dismissed that both impressed and made her want to pout. Wanting to test it, she internally smirked. The Dao then placed her hands behind her back and hopped over a bit as she made her way over, "That's right! I am the ever foxy dao, Taiyang~ Mikon!"

Chuckling, Harry gave her a bow with a smile on his face, "Hello, Taiyang, I am Potter Harry."

Of course, the fact that Harry didn't even give her a once over despite her movements only made her grin inside, 'How very interesting...' As he turned to an annoyed Natsumi and began asked her something, Taiyang examined him a bit more closely. Gaze running over him, she noted that he was rather fit, which was good in her book. At the same time, she looked a bit more deeply as her eyes glowed a very slight amount and she raised an eyebrow, 'Powerful, very powerful. Yet... he has not fully grown into what he shall be. How very interesting...' Her lips curled a little into a smirk, 'You have chosen very well, Master.' Taiyang perked up some as she noticed Harry giving Natsumi a look over as said female Kitsune stretched a bit, 'Oh yes, very well indeed~'

Inside her head, Natsumi smirked a little as she noted Harry looking at her, 'Take that, you top heavy blade, he only looks at me.' Hearing a choking sound in the depths of her mind, she simply ignored it, "So, excited for your birthday tomorrow, Harry-Chan?"

Putting his hands behind his head, the teenage wizard nodded with a smile of his own, "Hai, I really am." For a brief moment, he paused before placing an arm around her waist and seconds later Natsumi wrapped her tails around him, "How about you?"

Amused, Natsumi hummed a little, "Same, especially as we're having it out on Sarushima again. We'll be able to walk and play without worrying about hiding what we are." A sigh escaped from her, "Which I am thankful for... and cannot wait for the Statute to come down entirely."

Frown on his face, Harry pressed his lips together, "In some ways, I'm the same. But... it will not be a good thing everywhere."

Simply nodding in agreement, the Kitsune began to walk beside him, "Yeah, in this case every bit of Sun has a dark cloud as well." Both of them lapsed into silence before she shook her head, "Anyways, I'm still looking forward to your birthday."

Deciding to follow the change of subject, Harry chuckled, "Well, I get to see you in a bathing suit, so that's one thing..." Realizing what he said, he went a little red, "Um... that didn't quite come out right."

Cheeks red, Natsumi raised her eyebrow at him, "Really?"

Just coughing, the nearly fourteen year old scratched his cheek, "Heh..." Internally, he nodded a little, 'Gryffindors charge forward.' Turning back to Natsumi, Harry smiled, "Kind of, since seeing you in one is always a treat."

It went without saying that if she was not red before, Natsumi most certainly was at this point. Looking away, she glanced at him, "Well... I suppose it is much the same for me."

For several seconds, both teens were silent as they considered what the other would look like in swimwear. Much to the amusement of Taiyang, they went a bit redder and couldn't exactly look at each other. Especially amusing was how they would glance at each other and go a bit redder.

Deciding it would be best for him to change the subject, Harry cleared his throat, "Um, well... right! It is not just at my birthday party you don't need to disguise yourself at. Remember the trip we're going on after? Back to Britain?"

Relieved at the change of subject, Natsumi gave a nod, "Of course, we're going to pick fruits and berries while there before making them into preserves." Licking her lips, she hummed, "Which will be really great to have for the next few months."

Lips curling into a smile, the teenage boy nodded, "Hai, that is true." Then, he shrugged a little, "Though we might have someone extra besides Nobu-Chan and the others."

Interested, Natsumi raised an eyebrow, "Really?" After a brief explanation of Yae, she slowly nodded, "Makes sense and I don't see an issue. And I doubt that the others will either as she is a friend of Nobu-Chan's." Suddenly, the Kitsune snapped her fingers, "I just remembered something."

Curious, Harry cocked his head to the side, "Poi?"

Her lips twitching briefly, the fourteen year old Yokai gestured to Taiyang, "Taiyang was exploring the area around here and found an old tunnel that had been magically sealed with the end of the war with a bunch of stuff, including a time turner!"

Eyes wide, Harry looked towards the blade in question, "Really? A time turner?"

Brightly smiling, Taiyang gave a giggle, "Hai~" She then shrugged a little, "I didn't know what I was sensing when going past the area, so I took a look! And found a neat little treasure!" Inside her head, she hummed, 'Not that they need to know that it was not there I found it... or that I have a second.'

Unknowing of her new sword's thoughts, Natsumi turned back to Harry, "Anyways, Obaa-San and Ojii-San have had it examined to make sure that it's safe and it was confirmed that it's fine to use. We contacted some people and no one seems to know where it came from, so now it's ours." She then gave a shrug, "So we can use it on the trip to get more fruit and also do some sightseeing."

Only nodding as he considered that, the wizard hummed, "Sounds good to me actually." Then he tilted his head to the side, "Huh... I wonder if that is why there's been a lot of work in the past few days to open up all the old tunnels and such that I noticed."

That only got him a shrug from the Kitsune.

Soon enough, however, they found themselves in seiza on the tatami mats of the tea room the house had as Hoshi, Haru, and Taiyang observed them. Both teens had their eyes closed with Natsumi's hands resting palm down on Harry's, with his palms facing up. Neither teen moved much as they concentrated on performing Kitsune-Tsuki. They could feel a tingle where their hands touched, as if there was something drifting back and forth.

But, unfortunately, beyond that neither had all that much luck and they opened their eyes some with frowns on their faces. Looking at their hands, Natsumi furrowed her eyebrows, "What are we doing wrong? We've been at this for nearly six months..."

Frowning herself, Hoshi leaned forward, "There is a connection that forms there, but... it doesn't go that far."

However, any further musing was prevented as they were distracted by the sounds of a rice cracker being bitten. Nearly as one, everyone turned to Taiyang who blinked as she held part of said cracker, "Hmm?"

Just pinching her nose, Hoshi sighed, "Do you have anything to say?"

Not saying anything, Taiyang ate the other part of the rice cracker and hummed as she sipped some tea. Finally, she set it aside and seemed to float across the floor, still in seiza as she examined the two teens, particularly where they were joined, "You're both too strong."

Of all the answers that they could have expected, that was the exact last one. Blinking, Haru turned to her in complete befuddlement, "Too strong?"

Making a snapping motion with one finger, Taiyang nodded, "Hai, too strong mentally." At the looks of confusion, she shook her head, "There are two methods where one performs Kitsune-Tsuki. The most common is where the Kitsune is possessing the person without their permission. For this, the person being possessed must be weaker mentally than the Kitsune performing the possession, or else it fails. Usually, if they do not start out weak minded, a Kitsune will make them emotionally weak. Stress, such as small pranks and such that slowly wear away at the person. Fear, anxiety, grief... all emotions that leave one open to possession if taken too far." Humming, the blade spirit tilted her head, "For example, in the modern day a teenage girl highly worried about exams and such could be a prime target for such."

Slowly blinking, Hoshi gave her an odd look, "That... was awfully specific."

All the Dao did was shrug, "I've been watching television and such things as anime to understand the modern world!" Ignoring how each of them stared at her for that, Taiyang turned back, "But what you are aiming for is a symbiotic, willing possession. This is entirely different as there is more back and forth. You, Master, have the advantage here."

Confused, Natsumi furrowed her eyebrows, "I... do? Really?"

Lightly chuckling, Taiyang nodded, "Hai, you do. Have you not been trained as a Miko, Master" At her slow nod, the blade continued, "Then you know of Kamigakari? Possession of the Miko by the Kami themselves?"

It took a moment, but the two tailed Kitsune frowned in thought, "I know the mechanics of it, and Oba-Chan gave me some training in it. But... is it similar to that?"

Humming, Taiyang gave her a smile, "Very similar, but in reverse in some ways." She made a motion with one hand, "After all, there were many fox cults back in China that Master would use, some of which worshipped her as a goddess. And some of those came to Japan as well many centuries ago. Sometimes, if she had need, Master would possess one of them, thus I can say it is very similar."

Unnoticed by either teen, the two adult Kitsune were somewhat... put off by the mention of the fox cults, especially in regards to ones that had worshipped Tamamo, or Daji as she had been known. It was somewhat worse for Hoshi as she had a group of Abyssals that worshipped her for killing other Abyssals. Shaking that off, the Kyuubi took a deep breath before looking at her, "And you would know this... how?"

Amused, Taiyang looked at her, "Because some of them are from where the Kitsune-mochi families came from. The families who were to Kitsune what the human families of Inugami were." Frowning, she tapped her chin in thought, "Though I wonder if any of them became full Kitsune as the Inugami had become full Yokai."

Blinking, Haru shook her head a little, "Not really, but I think that was a goal of some of them."

Just humming again, the Dao turned back to Natsumi, "Thus, Master, that is likely the way for you to go, to reverse what you know of how to perform Kamigahari to open oneself. Once you have done it enough, it will come easily." Frowning, she looked at Harry, "Though I am unsure how to have it done for you, Harry-Kun."

Thoughtful for a moment, Harry remembered the conversation he had with Kenshō the previous day, "I... think that I have an idea." He then turned to Natsumi and held out her hand, "Want to try?"

Eyebrow raised, Natsumi nodded and placed her palms on Harry before they both closed their eyes. Slowly, they breathed in and out as they synchronized their breathing. Once more, they could feel something going back and forth between them. For Natsumi, she fell back on the training she had and opened herself to the spiritual and felt a tingle that slowly spread from the tips of her ears to the tip of her tails.

Meanwhile, Harry fell back on his exercises to become an animagi. But rather than focus on staying himself, he reversed it. Instead, he focused on becoming the other and embracing it. Something that was difficult because it went against the training to become an Animagi. But he felt himself become more open to Natsumi.

Unseen by the two teens, the Kitsune there had their eyebrows nearly meet their hairlines in surprise as a soft glow spread over the two from where their hands were touching.

Breathing in and out, the teens could almost feel the heartbeat of the other. A heartbeat that, slowly, became more and more in sync with theirs until they could not tell one from the other. Eyes still closed, the two leaned towards one another and their foreheads touched for a moment as they breathed in, and then out.

Then, suddenly, Harry found himself falling forward and he just barely caught himself from hitting the floor face first. Blinking a bit, he looked around, "Natsumi-Chan?"

A second later, he was shocked when his mouth moved and he could hear something feminine about the tone, as if there was just the hint of his best friend's voice, "Harry-Chan? W-wait, did we do it?"

Eyes wide, Harry felt a grin spread across his face that was only partially his, "I think that we did."

While surprised that they finally had their breakthrough, Hoshi still smiled in amusement, "You do know that you can talk to one another with your thoughts, correct?"

Lightly blushing, the teenage wizard sheepishly chuckled, 'Can you hear me now, Natsumi-Chan?'

From within his own mind, he heard Natsumi answer back, 'Hai, I can hear you, Harry-Chan. Perfectly.' As their body sat back, one of his arms raised though not of his own volition and the hand became a fist, 'Huh... feels different.'

Seemingly from nowhere, a grinning Taiyang appeared in front of Harry and glomped him, subjecting both teens to instant marshmellow hell as their shared body was nearly knocked onto their back, "I'm so proud of you, Mikon!"

Briefly, after a few seconds, Harry felt Natsumi become confused, 'Harry-Chan? What's that odd feel... oh. So that's what it feels like from this end.'

It took only moments for the teenage boy to realize what she meant and he became as flustered as she felt and cursed his own body even as Taiyang continued to subject them both to her glomp as she went on about how proud she was of them.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And you can blame the Muse, the thread discussion about animagi and Rudyard Kipling for this one. Thanks Gear-2557!

A ButterAnimagus

Hogwarts (Roughly Late Third Year for Ehren/Sixth Year for Harry)
Spoiler: The Result Of Hard Work And Dedication

"Are you ready, Ehren?"

The question hung in the air of the Transfiguration classroom.

The blond teenage witch in an immaculate Hufflepuff uniform nodded sharply to Professor McGonagall and became even more erect and proud in her position of attention as she stood in front of the class.

"Jawohl, Professor!" Ehren snapped out as she gripped her ebony wand a little tighter as her chin raised in confident pride.

"Very good, proceed then." Minerva McGonagall leaned forward with interest and watched the spell energies. A small proud smile flickered around her lips as she carefully observed the witch whom she had helped to develop her significant talent for Transfiguration.

Ehren felt an internal smile trying to break out as she fought to control her breathing and still her racing heart. She hesitated, then released the smile as she let the signs of her eagerness and happiness become visible.

After all, this was the culmination of so much hard work and dedicated study by her to achieve the goal she was finally on the cusp of.

Years of study ever since Professor McGonagall had demonstrated the Animagus transformation to her and the rest of the enthralled First Years in Transfiguration class to make her set the personal goal to cast the Animagus spell one day. Honing her mind and her will to keep her humanity intact during the transformation. Honing her magical talents for Charms and Transfiguration to a razor edge as sharp as her steel body. Using the Time-Turner that she had 'acquired' from Sieglinde Malefe during the dumpster fire that was her first meeting with her oldest sister Estelle to gain the additional study and practice time needed to develop and perfect her mastery of one of the most difficult and dangerous fields of magic.

With that her eyes flicked over to her friends and loved ones standing vigil to witness this moment.

Her fellow friends from Hufflepuff and the other Third Years watching eagerly as she stood before them.

Estelle leaned against a desk with her arms crossed and a predator's focus on her youngest sister in her sapphire blue eyes.

Professor Sprout had a confident look on her face as she sat primly to watch her prize student's big moment.

Ying gave her a reassuring smile as for once the Chinese Dao's normal inscrutable face was absent.

Aunt Del and Aunt Zamarad sat with proud smiles as they watched in turn.

Mutti stood with her hand in Toku's as her parents watched with suspiciously shiny eyes in their proud faces.

Cousin Draco was giving one of those 'I know you have it in you' smirks that caused her steel to feel like it was melting. He was flanked by Niobe, who was giving her a broad smile under the aristocratic facade from their shared heritage. Next to Niobe, Johnston was bouncing eagerly on her toes, while on the other side Cleopatra radiated support and confidence in her.

Last, but certainly not least, Claire was watching her sister intently with her fingers twitching unconsciously. Ehren could read her Big Piano Sister like a book after they had grown up together, so Ehren knew that Claire was wishing with all her heart to be at the keyboard of her true piano body to play something suitable for this moment. Probably The Carnival of the Animals, knowing the way Claire thought.

Ehren placed all those images aside. and touched her wand to her heart as she prepared to make the plunge. She grasped hold of her magic as she focused her Will to control the building spell energies. Her lips opened and she began to incant the spell that she was ready to master.

"Amato..."

For a moment she felt every pulse of blood in her veins, every puff of breath in her body, every microscopic imprint in her steel where she had been forged by the smiths of Solingen.

"...Animo..."

Her magical energies surged with a pain so intense that it was pleasure, or perhaps the other way around as she began to reshape herself.

"...Animato..."

The feeling of transformation built like it was a mighty wave off a storm-tossed ocean approaching the steel rock that was Ehren. The room around her blurred and spun as she held onto control of her very being as the wave hit her.

"...Animagus!"

The room stopped spinning with a SNAP as it came back into focus.
Spoiler: Ehren's Animagus Form

Ehren suddenly realized that her point of view was very low to the ground. "{This is very odd!}" she remarked absently to herself, only to hear a series of chatters. She gave a happy, smugly triumphant grin...or at least tried to.
Spoiler: Ehren Talking

The colors were off slightly, but her senses of hearing and smell... Ehren had never realized how many smells there were in the world. She sneezed, shook her head, and then began to catalogue them as she looked around.

Ehren blinked in puzzlement at the 'oh how cute' looks that she was getting. She absently scratched under her chin with a hind leg and fluffed out her tail a bit as she surveyed the room.

"How adorable!" Claire exclaimed with a mischievous look in her eyes.

That was all the warning Ehren got before Claire leapt toward her. Mid-leap, the Shamaness shifted into her form of a large female black and white cave wolf the size of a Great Dane. Ehren froze automatically at the sight of the massive predator heading her way before tensing to spring and dash under a desk.

Too late.

The superior experience Claire had controlling and directing the instincts of her transformation was critical as Ehren stayed exposed in the open for far too long.

"{Don't you dare do this... CLAIRE!!}" Ehren's chatters got more indignant and louder as Claire grasped her by the scruff of the neck in her jaws with a sudden gentle bite. The classroom broke up in laughter at the scene and several people pulled out phones to record it for posterity.

The steel-gray mongoose, with a black dagger pattern on the fur of her fluffed out tail, chattered and growled indignantly at this treatment by her big sister. Ehren flailed around and squirmed bonelessly with all four paws grasping vainly at air when Claire lifted her off the ground like a puppy.

Draco laughed hard enough to cause abdominal pain at the sight of his cousins' antics.

His camera phone shook uncontrollably as he took photographs of Ehren's grumpy and pouting mongoose face alongside the rest of her family and friends.

Ehren gave the room a very dirty look before visibly sulking while crossing her front paws. "{This isn't funny, Claire! You better put me down now! Put me down right now, or I'll bite your toes the next time I sneak into your bed, Big Piano Sister!! Don't think that I won't do it to you!!}" Ehren chattered dire threats of sibling retribution to the massive wolf holding her, who just gave a smug lupine smirk in response.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- More Olympian Humour incoming!

Only My Buttervioline (III)

Panathinaïkó Stádio, Athens, Greece

24 May 2036

As the Japanese Olympic team entered the stadium, Athena leaned over to speak to Artemis. "Keep an eye on your brother, please?" Athena said, nodding at the love-struck Apollo who was still staring at that Belgian athlete.

Artemis nodded sharply. "I shall."

With that taken care of, Athena headed to the aisle and then up toward the concession levels with a steady stride. As she reached them, she walked to an out-of-the-way corner and spoke to the air after casting a privacy ward.

"We need to speak now. Don't make me have to track you down, Cytherean." Athena's voice had a definite undertone of command in it.
Spoiler: A Chat With The Cytherean

A stunning woman who was a twin of Marilyn Monroe in her prime strutted down the corridor to join her after making a purchase of a chili dog and four sodas. She was wearing a pink 'I Love Paris' baseball cap on her hair along with a painted on black miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and stiletto heels accentuating the very tight T-shirt that clung to her perfect breasts.

"No need to get huffy about it, Pallas. What do you want?" She purred before nibbling the end of her hot dog sensually.
Spoiler: Aphrodite's Shirt

Athena stared into the 'innocent' baby blue eyes and sighed. "Apollo is now love-struck for one of the Belgian athletes. Badly. Did you or your son...?"

Aphrodite chuckled throatily and shook her head, "Actually not, and I'll swear on the Styx on that point if you need me to, Pallas. That one was Phoebus' doing beginning to end."

Athena pinched her nose and sighed. "I'm sorry for misjudging you, Aphrodite. Can you explain, please? You know I don't deal well at all with these kind of squishy emotion-based illogical actions."

Aphrodite took another suggestive nibble of her hot dog. "Simplicity enough, Pallas. You remember when Apollo met the girl's mother, that wonderful pianist Claire du Chasteler, yes?"

Athena rubbed her chin as she thought back and then spoke slowly, "Yes, he fell for her briefly then, although nothing came of that that I know of."

"Tout au contraire, Pallas!" Aphrodite smirked at Athena's unamused flat stare.

The Goddess of Love then continued as her voice grew less sensual and more analytic. "Apollo granted a boon to Claire for her children to inherit rather than try to get in between her legs. Smart of him, since any attempt to rape her would have ended extremely poorly and her heart was destined to her current husband. However, that boon was freely offered and freely given as he thought about his abysmal track record with romance while giving a boon of his power as a selfless gift to someone he respected but would not touch. At most he perhaps had the vague idea of the mother being unavailable, but if she had a daughter...."

Athena frowned as she followed the chain of logic to the end, "Hence Therese?" She said in a voice filled with growing dread.

"Hence Therese. Inheritor of the lion's share of his boon of music, and the equal of her mother on her chosen instrument as you have seen. Along with an inheritance of the additional boon of archery. That led her to the Olympics where she is right now forging a bond of destined love with Apollo and him with her. It's going to either end in some prime tragedy or some prime romance; either way the love songs that will come out of this one will be epic." Aphrodite finished, then swallowed the rest of her hot dog. "Anything else for me, Pallas? I really want to get back to my seat with some popcorn before the Greek team enters so I can enjoy the other half of this little romantic comedy that's brewing."

Athena stared at the grinning Goddess of Love like she had grown a beard. "Other... half?" the Goddess of Wisdom said blankly.

"Yep." Aphrodite giggled. "Artemis' girlfriend is going to be part and parcel of that when she walks in with the Greek team. Mind if I kibitz the archery medal round with you?" She rubbed her hands together and cackled. "It's gonna be gooood...."

Athena paled. "Oh Tartarus, you don't mean?" She muttered in dawning horror.

Aphrodite stretched like a smugly satisfied cat as she nodded with a smirk. Aphrodite then took Athena's elbow and began to guide the stunned goddess back toward the seats while throwing in a hip sway that was causing heart attacks and traffic accidents in her wake.

"Oh yes. Antigone Koustris and Therese du Chasteler are headed for a collision course in the knockout rounds someplace." Aphrodite spoke with wicked relish as she guided Athena toward a beautiful Japanese deity dressed in Team Japan merchandise with a large white doG next to her with sunglasses and a Japanese flag. "Since both those girls have the gift of archery from the deity that is mutually smitten with them, well can you say sibling rivalry for bragging rights when they get into their competition? You know how those two are about showing up their twin as an archer, of course. You did get them to swear on the Styx not to burn down Athens or send a plague if they throw a tantrum when their girl loses, right?"

Athena shook her head, moaned, and facepalmed as she followed automatically. "Oh, that's not good. Well I'm sure the stadium's insured for Acts Of Us events, right?" Aphrodite said sympathetically as she steered Athena to the seats.

Athena automatically took a seat next to the doG, who began to nuzzle her reassuringly.

Aphrodite smirked and leaned over to the Japanese contingent. "Yo Uzume, Sunny, did I miss anything good? Sorry to skate out on you suddenly like that, but I had to drag my stick-in-the-mud virgin grandniece here to some truths. This is her town after all so she's interested in what's about to go down."

"WAN!"

"Nope, that Belgian Potter Butterviolin is still making gooey gaga eyes at the boy she's red threaded to. Guess she likes the 'beardless and muscular with a nice tan and an ass you can bounce yen coins off' look in her boys. Everything is going according to the CHART'S calculations. By the way did you get my Coke, Aph-chan?" Uzume said as she checked the True Love app on her smarthphone.

"Got your Coke fix right here, Uzu-chan." Aphrodite passed over a cup of soda to Uzume then a second to Amaterasu.

Athena moaned louder and began a forbidden romance between her face and her hands.

 

[darthcourt10]

mikelima777

March 22, 2014

11:23:16 AM

CFB Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada

"Six-One-Seven, you are cleared to land Runway 16."

"Cleared to land runway 16, Challenger Six-One-Seven"

The modified Challenger Business jet flared before touching down at one of Canada's air bases in the Maritimes. The two turbofans deploying their thrust reversers as the plane slowed down to taxiing speeds. After the aircraft exited onto the taxiway, Tsuki watched as a CU-169 Global Hawk drone accelerated down the runway before taking off, to be followed by a CP-140 Aurora aircraft.

While CFB Shearwater had been reduced to helicopter operations in the late 90s and early 2000s, Blood Week had forced the Canadian Government to reactivate the base for fixed-wing operations, to help watch the skies in this part of Canada. More recently, aircraft based at Shearwater joined the massive brawl that ensued off the coast of Nova Scotia as Abyssals attempted to disrupt the festivities and summoning during Natal Day when Halifax herself became the first "installation" actively summoned by a human nation. Citizens in the Halifax Regional Municipality were aware something was happening, as the air patrols had visibly increased, multiple vessels at CFB Halifax was preparing to sortie on short notice.

Tsuki was briefed during the lengthy flight from Vancouver International Airport to CFB Halifax, with a brief stop at CFB Trenton to refuel. There were reports of a possible lead on the frigate HMCS Halifax (FFH 330), reported as missing and presumed lost during Blood Week. The evidence was indicating they may have been stranded on an island that Tsuki was somewhat aware of. As a consultant to the RCMMP, she had gone to the Maritimes on a few occasions to help in their investigations or other projects and had heard of Jacquet island through listening in on conversations in the magical side of Canada. Though it was actually known in the no-maj world, until recently, it was simply dismissed as a phantom island, a work of fiction or mistaken identity.

After the Challenger jet parked and the airstair deployed, Tsuki and a few other passengers were led to a convoy of vehicles and were soon on their way to HMC Dockyard Halifax.

***

1:47 PM

MARLANT Headquarters, HMC Dockyard Halifax, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

In the room, Tsuki quietly observed the others waiting with her, with a pair of RCMMP Aurors guarding the room against external interference. There were a trio of women who were nervously chatting amongst themselves, their hair and facial features hinting that they were close relatives. There were others present as well, some better at hiding their magical nature than others.

Finally, the door opened and the conversations died down as a female Royal Canadian Navy Rear-Admiral stepped in, alongside two young women who were clearly shipgirls, as well as a military intelligence officer and a man with a briefcase embossed with the insignia of the Canadian Ministry of Magic.

"Good Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Rear-Admiral Diana Lombard, commander of the Canadian Special Naval Personnel Force. I apologize for the short notice and for asking each of you to take time out of your lives to come to Halifax. But this is an urgent matter, of high importance for Canada's national interests. I'm afraid we will need to dispense with pleasantries and get to the heart of the matter. I will ask everyone to please take a seat. Ottawa, if you may?"

"Yes, ma'am."

The shipgirl nodded and helped an AV technician set up a computer projector, while everyone sat around a large conference table. The lights were dimmed down as the picture of a modern warship and a map of the waters off Nova Scotia were projected.

"Thanks to new information that we have received, we now believe that one of the ships we presumed to have lost on Blood Week may have escaped sinking along with survivors on Jacquet Island. During the chaos of Blood Week, we had lost contact with HMCS Halifax, and a search of her last know position only turned up some minor debris. At that point, we had considered the ship sunk in action.

A few days ago, during the sea trials of a brand new ship, we picked up this transmission."

Tsuki and the others heard the recording, and despite the interference, the message was rather clear. Tsuki stiffened, as she quietly used her senses to "see" the others in the room. Figuring out who some of the others present were, she started to piece together why they were assembled here.

"We know that this Jacquet Island must have magical means to conceal itself. As it were," looking at the Aurors in the room, ignoring the mutters in the room, "Protocol Orenda is in effect." The Aurors nodded and cast interwoven privacy charms and other measures to prevent any unauthorized access to the room. "We believe that help from the magical world will be key to hopefully bring our ship home. We are aware of magic, as well as the fact that not everyone here is fully human. Indeed, we believe some of you may have had a history with Jacquet Island. But rest assured, that status and your past association with Jacquet Island will have no bearing on your status as refugees, immigrants, permanent residents, or citizens of Canada. We just ask for your assistance in helping us find HMCS Halifax, and if possible, to bring our crew home."

Tsuki made eye contact with the Aurors as well as Rear-Admiral Lombard, before sighing. She felt as her illusions melted, and a couple of the others in the rooms moved their seats back as nine tails appeared behind her, and a pair of fox ears popped out from her hair. She stood up with confidence.

"Very well, Rear Admiral. I, Tsuki-no-Maeda, will offer any assistance as necessary. If I must, I'llI will break down the barriers to that island."

One of three women also stood up. Her sister was a bit surprised.

"Muriel?"

"This country gave me and my sisters a new life and freedom to be ourselves. The very least I can do is help bring those men and women home."

Others also stood up and committed to helping the efforts.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

It took a few minutes once they were released from marshmellow hell before the teens were able to get their shared embarrassment before they were able to do much at all. They did suspect that Taiyang knew exactly what she had done from her smile, but she said nothing. His thoughts turning inward, Harry shifted a little, 'Natsumi-Chan? I just want to say that I am-'

A mental sigh could be heard from the Kitsune before she began to 'Speak' back, 'Harry-Chan, stop right there. I've told you before, you have nothing to be sorry for as you could not help what happened. Also, it is perfectly natural, so there is also that. There's no reason to apologize to me.'

Briefly, Harry could feel a flash of graitude to Natsumi for being understanding, 'Thanks, though...' Getting a hum from her, he took a deep breath and looked himself over the best that he could, 'I... guess that we should start doing something?

Getting the mental image of Natsumi nodding, he heard her voice answer him back, 'Hai, that would likely be for the best, Harry-Chan. If we're going to do this, then we need to practice doing things like this...' For a few moments she went silent before speaking up, 'Um, how do you want to do this?'

Head tilting to the side, the wizard considered things, 'I guess we just practice you moving parts of my body and then the whole thing? Maybe?'

For a few moments there was silent before he got a mental nod from Natsumi, 'I... suppose? Just... give me a few moments.'

Relaxing, Harry waited as he simply allowed her to do whatever she wanted with their shared body. At first, it was just small things such as moving his eyes in one direction and then another as well as wrinkling his nose. It was an odd feeling to feel his face shift from one expression to another without him doing so. Feeling his fingers twitch, he looked down at the hand in question. As he watched, one finger curled and then uncurled. This was followed by the whole hand becoming a fist.

Once that was done, the same process happened with his other hand before his toes began to curl and uncurl followed by his feet moving.

Watching as his wrist rotated followed by his arm lifting, Harry had a bemused smile on his face, 'This feels so damn odd, Natsumi-Chan.'

A chuckle answered him from the Kitsune, though her voice held some amazement, 'It feels odd for me as well, Harry-Chan.' One leg lifted entirely off the ground before making some kicking actions, 'But also kind of cool.'

That got a laugh from Harry, though Hoshi spoke up at that moment, "Well, I take it that the two of you are enjoying yourselves? Hmm?"

Lightly blushing, their shared body looked up to find that the two older Kitsune were watching in some amusement, which made their blushes deepen. Deciding to let Natsumi speak, Harry felt his mouth move as the voice came out was his with a tinge of Natsumi's in it, "Hai, Hoshi-San. I... this is so odd, but also amazing!"

Humming, Hoshi gave a small nod with a smile, "I would imagine so." Tilting her head to the side, she considered things, "I take it that you are testing out how to move in your shared body?"

Yet again, that odd voice came out of their mouths, "We are, I mean... I don't want us to fall flat on our face."

Eyebrow raised, Haru gave them a look, "And you, Harry-San? Your thoughts?"

Taking back some control, Harry shrugged some before speaking in his voice, "I don't really mind it. Like Natsumi-Chan said, it feels odd, but also sort of cool. And, well..." Bringing up one hand, he chuckled some as he scratched his cheek, "I don't want to fall flat on my face..." Suddenly trailing off, the wizard frowned before looking at his hand, "That's... odd."

Frown on her face, Hoshi furrowed her eyebrows, "What is?"

His own eyebrows furrowed, the teenage boy shook their head, "My nails, they seem like they're longer than they should be and sharper."

Inside his head, he could almost feel Natsumi give a mental blink, 'Huh... they do?' At Harry's mental nod, she frowned, 'Could it be a side effect?'

After asking them, the two Kitsune slowly nodded, while Taiyang smiled, "Indeed it could be, Harry-San, Master. Because the two of you are sharing a body there would be changes depending on how deep you go." Suddenly, she was in front of them, and had an odd, knowing look in her eye, "Hmm... how interesting~ Mikon!"

Confused, both teens blinked their shared eyebrows before speaking as one, "What's so interesting?"

Not answering them directly, Taiyang sat back, "I think, perhaps, you should practice walking now, Master, Potter-San. You do need to be able to after all."

Still confused, Harry nodded their head and slowly shifted as he got their feet under them. Then, he stood up before giving control back to Natsumi. Moments later, the nearly fourteen year old took it back after a shaky step when they would have fallen forwards. The movement between whom was in control being so smooth that neither really thought about it, 'Uh, Natsumi-Chan? You okay?

There was a sense of embarrassment from Natsumi as she gave a mental nod, 'Sorry about that, Harry-Chan. For some reason my balance felt off...'

Right then, a chuckle came from the depths of their shared mindspace along with a voice that both recognized, 'And as well it should, Child.'

Both their mental eyes widened a bit, 'Tamamo!'

Humming, the ancient fox spirit gave the impression of nodding, 'Indeed, it is I. Now, as to your little issue, it is simple. While I never really possessed a male body myself, one must remember the differences between a male and female body. In particular, us females have a different center of balance than a male due to... two certain things among others. Thus, after getting used to such as you have grown, their absence had thrown off your own sense of balance.'

Frown on his face, Harry gave a slow nod, 'Huh, like when I used Polyjuice to transform into Isokaze-Chan as well as Kongou-Oba.'

Not a moment later, the memory came up alongside how he had felt when doing so as it had affected his balance and they could feel Tamamo seemingly thrown for a loop at Harry having become female for a time, 'I... yes, like that.' There was a pause before she gave a mental shake, 'Yes, it is like that as your balance was off due to the shifted center of gravity. As a piece of advice, allow Harry to walk around and pay attention to how he moves to get a feel for such when it is your turn.'

Simply nodding, Harry passed on what they were going to be doing to the three adults. He didn't mention Tamamo being involved, of course. Somehow, the teenage wizard knew that they would likely not react well to that bit of information at all, a fact that Natsumi concurred with.

And speaking of said Kitsune, as he got up, Harry could feel Natsumi in the back of his mind as he began to walk around. As he did so, he could also feel her paying extremely close attention to how he moved around. How his balance was affected by what he was doing, how his legs moved, and the like. Each aspect she paid close attention to. Then, slowly, he relinquished control over their currently shared body to her.

It was not long after when the teenage Kitsune was walking around with Harry in the backseat as it were as if she had always been on control of his body. Coming to a stop, Natsumi held up an hand and clenched her fist, "Huh..."

Within their mind, she could feel Harry cock his head to the side, 'Something wrong, Natsumi-Chan?'

However, she just shook her head, 'No, not wrong exactly, but...' Briefly, Natsuki paused before nodding and continuing, 'It's just weird, you feel a lot stronger than me.'

From where she had been silently observing, Tamamo spoke up, 'Of course, Natsumi. A male would be physically stronger than a female. Does not make them better, except in that one field, but it is true that physically, Harry would be stronger than you. Hence the difference.'

Only nodding, the younger fox spirit said nothing in reply, but then Harry spoke up, 'Tamamo, can I ask you something?'

Voice warm, the ancient fox gave a nod, 'Of course, Harry. Go ahead and ask, I shall answer to the best of my ability.'

Even though he was slightly confused about the tone she spoke in, Harry mentally cleared his throat, 'Its about Kitsune-Tsuki as a whole actually and I was thinking about when Natsumi-Chan was learning how to walk in, well, my body.' Getting the mental equivalent of a nod to continue, he did, 'One of the things that Hoshi-Sensei and Haru-Sensei mentioned was that while in the state of Kitsune-Tsuki, I could use Natsumi-Chan's abilities as a Kitsune. And that even after, I could know how to see through Kitsune illusions like Natsumi-Chan as it would get passed on... So, I was wondering what she gets from this? Can she learn Western magic? After all she can learn Onmyoudo.'

Several moments went by where Tamamo was silent and even Natsumi was listening intently. Finally, the ancient vixen spoke up with a hint of warmth and pride in her voice, 'As a matter of fact, you are quite correct, Harry. The process, when done in this way, is beneficial to both parties. As you mentioned, you will be able to see through illusions as a Kitsune can, and perhaps a permanent boost to some senses as you could learn how to enhance them as a Kitsune does. I would not be too surprised if, in time, you are not able to create your own minor illusions and control something like Kitsune-Bi, though that would require a much closer possession than what you currently have.' Giving them both a moment to mull that over, she continued, 'In regards to Natsumi learning Western magic? The answer is, yes, she can do so over time. The more that you practice such magic within Kitsune-Tsuki, the more she will learn. It is one of the benefits for the Kitsune who performs it as they can more easily learn mystic arts if the one they possess knows them and practiced them. Such a fact allows for them to to gain in mystical knowledge faster than usual. A... cheat, if you will.'

Neither teen said anything digested that bit of knowledge. After a few moments, Harry gave a mental nod, 'Then we're going to have to practice, Natsumi-Chan. That way you can learn as much as you can.'

If it was possible to blush when one was a spirit, Natsumi was certainly doing so at that moment. Just the same, she had a soft smile on her face, 'Thank you, Harry-Chan.'

Back in the world outside their mind, Taiyang sprang up and walked over to them, "Now that you can walk as him, Master, I think that we should show you something." At the curious look that was obviously part Natsumi and part Harry, she pulled out her blade and, after a moment, it transformed into mirror that she held up, "Take a look~ Mikon!"

Confused, the teens leaned forward in their shared body and frowned. It took a few moments, but their eyes widened as they realized that Harry's body had undergone a few changes due to the possession. The first thing that they noticed was about his emerald green eyes. Now, they had slight flecks of honey-gold colour, like Natsumi's own. And it was not just the colour that had changed either, as his pupil was now fox-like.

Examining their shared face, they noted other differences from Harry's own.

One example was his black hair now had lighter brown at the tips, almost like highlights. Said hair was also longer as it reached almost to his shoulders. It was examining his hair that they realized something and Harry moved the hair by one ear to reveal it changed some as well. While not noticeable unless one was looking for it, his ear was just slightly elongated with a more pointed tip. Mentally asking her, Harry watched as it Waggles slightly, "Huh... that's cool."

Moments later, his nose also wiggled before a girlish giggle escaped from his mouth along with the slightly tonally different voice that was Natsumi's, "You're telling me, Harry-Chan. Hmm..."

Reaching up, their finger pulled back their lip to reveal that his canines had grown as well, now looking like little fangs. Touching them with his tongue, Harry flinched a bit, 'Those are sharp!'

Unknown to them, as they continued to examine the slight changes, deep in the mindscape, Tamamo was looking out the doors of the mansion that represented Natsumi, having come from her mirror. Looking up at the sky, she hummed a little at the sight that met her eyes. Because, high above in the starry night, the Sun could be seen, though it did not turn night into day.

More interesting to her, was that the Sun and Moon were beside each other, the Moon eclipsing a small portion, a half of a quarter, of the Sun.

Sly smirk on her face, she gave a hum as she hid her thoughts from the teens, 'Well now, things are going even better than I had hoped for my plan...'

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire

0t4n1z3r2019 said:Cool. A 200 VLS CAG? Missiles for days, man!
(CG or CGN -- CAG is a CV's air-group commander)

Itano Circus, man! Especially when you consider that (assuming things haven't changed) ESSMs are packed four to a cell in Mk41 and Mk57 VLSs (bigger missiles are packed solo, though).

So, assuming a 50% AAW loadout, and splitting 100 VLS cells evenly between Standards (for long-range work) and ESSMs (for medium range), that would be 50 Standards and 200 ESSMs. While still leaving 100 TASMs and/or Harpoons for ASuW work.

......d.......d.....c........d...........d........
And now, while I'm here, another installment of Optionally Canonical Theatre!

Claire stared sleeplessly at the ceiling over her bed and fretted. She'd spent the afternoon fussing over Ehren, starting from the moment Mother and the rescue party had come back through the door, kidnapped dagger in tow. She had been ably assisted by Misaki and Chihiro, with Miss Miho seemingly in a dozen places at once in the background, attending to everyone's needs. But Ehren had, understandably, begged off to bed rather early, and Claire had followed suit not long after, anticipating (in more than once sense) Clingy Sister Cuddles before long. But even now, hours later, Ehren's side of her bed remained stubbornly empty.

In her strings, she felt more than heard the "gonging" of the castle clock, marking off another hour.

Well! If her little episode with Wolf Mother while Ehren had been... away... had taught her anything, it was that there was a time to grab the initiative by the horns and ride it into the ground until it cried uncle!

Grandly indifferent to her mangling of metaphors, Claire firmly fixed what Aunt Jackie called her "War Kitten" expression in place, and hopped out of bed. She wanted Ehren-cuddles, and Ehren needed Claire-cuddles (no matter how much she might pretend otherwise), and there would be cuddles, gosh-darn it, or there would be pure and utter heck to pay!

She slipped out the door as silently as excellent maintenance and some mild sound-muffling charms could manage, and tiptoe-stormed down the short distance to Ehren's room, gathering up her determination with every step. If Ehren was being silly-stubborn again, then Claire would just have to use her best Big Eyes and Trembling Lips and claim that she couldn't sleep without her teddy-Ehren (which had the additional benefit of being true).

While Claire might not really understand why Ehren would avoid what she so obviously needed, let it never be said that she hadn't grasped her sister's patterns well enough to recognize them, and how to throw her little sister's pride a bone, no matter how silly it was.

Her plan hit its first speed bump, almost literally, in the shape of a slender blonde slipping out her own bedroom door just in time to nearly be run over by a charging piano. The sisters collided with a mutual "eep!" and ended up avoiding the floor only by dint of clinging to each other.

"Ahem! Ah... are you having trouble sleeping, Claire?" Ehren inquired formally, defiantly ignoring the pink rising in her cheeks.

Claire, for her part, looked at the floor and pushed her index fingers together like a character from one of the Japanese comic books that the Imps liked to read.

"...me, too," Ehren admitted shamefacedly after a moment. "We could--"

That was as far as she got before being piano-bulldozed (there was really no other way to describe it) back through her bedroom door, across the floor, onto her bed, and into a blanket-roll that should have been too tight to be comfortable.

Head tucked under Claire's chin, she felt more than heard her older sister gust a sigh. "Now I think I can sleep. Thank you, Ehren."

Cheeks heating to the point she was sure Claire could feel the burn through her music-scored pajamas, Ehren burrowed into her sister's collarbone and wrestled down her pride long enough to whisper "Danke schoen, große Schwester."

And for the rest of the night, if Ehren dreamed, it was only of soaring Wagnerian tragedies that, somehow, always transitioned into sad-but-hopeful arias before the end, and shadows that fled from a chorus of loving voices and a bright, rising sun.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Harry Leferts said:I mean, they are sisters, so...
And very loving sisters. Ever since Ehren manifested, they have trolled each other back and forth.

In fact I should show Ehren's revenge for the Wolf and Mongoose incident....

A Mongoose's Revenge!

Castle Moulbaix

Late In Ehren's Third Year/Harry's Sixth Year (2018)
Spoiler: A Spot Of Sibling Revenge

The castle was silent and deserted in the stillness of the night.

A door opened and a blond haired girl in a "A Taste For Snakes" mongoose T-shirt (a trolling birthday gift from Claire) and panties poked her head out and swept the dark corridor with her gaze.

Steel blue eyes narrowed in a smug smile as Ehren silently stepped into the corridor, followed by a second avatar carrying a pair of hilt pins and wearing a "Cute. Funny. Psycho." T-shirt and pajama shorts.
Spoiler: Ehren's Shirt

The girls nodded to each other and crept down the corridor like twin blond ghosts, avoiding the creaky boards in the floor by dint of long experience and habit.

They reached a door carved from African Cherry and paused. It had a piano with CLAIRE in the center carved into the rich dark hardwood. The Psycho avatar cast a Silencing Spell with her wand.

Carefully the Mongoose avatar eased the door open silently and peeked her head inside.

Claire was fast asleep in a tangle of blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals.

Mongoose turned to Psycho who nodded and cast a spell to deepen Claire's slumber in a whisper.

Matching smug smiles lit up their faces as Claire mumbled something about "Chopin, stop putting strawberry ice cream in Mozart's wig" before rolling over and snoring.

Psycho waved her wand, and the lid of the grand piano next to the bed lifted silently.

A shadow scurried across the floor and up the legs of the piano like a ghost.

The lid closed and Psycho closed the door before sneaking back to her bedroom.

The Next Morning

As was the norm for the du Chasteler family, Claire woke up early. Barefoot and yawning she padded downstairs to fix breakfast.

After her Semmeln rolls with butter and apricot jam, boiled eggs, orange juice, and Schinkenspeck smoked bacon rashers, Claire smiled as she sipped her second cup of Kaisermelange(Emperor Blend) coffee. Today was going to be a beautiful day.

She graced a happy smile to Mother and Toku as they made an appearance, drawn by the smell of food. Claire then gave another happy smile to a yawning and staggering Prussian Zombie in search of the Black Bean of Life. The smile grew more trollish as she watched the half-awake Ehren punch in commands on the massive stainless steel espresso machine that her sister relied on for her morning caffeine fix.

With a crack her true body appeared, producing a bleary look her way from Ehren as she waited for the machine to produce sufficient Kaffee for higher brain functions.

Claire sat down and began to play Jaws to troll her sister. She didn't see her sister's smugly sly smirk.
Spoiler: Troll Job! (BE SURE TO PLAY THIS!)

Then she stared at her true self in shock.

Her true self that had just produced that... that... that...

She tapped keys and then suddenly flung her lid open to see what was wrong.

She was out of tune somehow!!

Inside her soundbox, a very familiar mongoose gave her a smug smile from where it had been napping on her strings. It then chattered a clear demand to close the lid so she could resume her nap.

Claire glared at the mongoose, not noticing that the Ehren by the espresso machine was filming her with her iPhone.

"You...!" Claire ground out as her face flushed in embarrassment when the rest of her family began to laugh at the scene. "EHREN!!! I'll get you!!"
Spoiler: Gotcha, Big Piano Sister!

Mongoose-Ehren tapped several strings with her paws, playing the first notes of the theme for Catch Me If You Can, then leapt out of the way of a grab by Claire to land on the counter. One paw raised and gave a 'bring it' gesture to the fuming piano's avatar.

As the rest of the du Chastelers watched through their giggles and howls of laughter, the mongoose then shot out of the kitchen and down the hall like greased lightning with Claire in hot pursuit.

"EHREN!! THIS ISN'T FUNNY!!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Barricade

Idea:
Oh, and the link at the bottom? Yes, the singer is exactly who you think she is, if you know the song.

-=-

March 20th, 2042

A widely looked forward to wedding has just finished. Performed in the traditional sense, privately within a mountain shrine. Normally limited to an extremely few individuals, this ceremony however was performed before quite a few more guests than normal. These, the most honored of guests, had arrived from all across Japan, with special unique honors given of course to the fact that Amaterasu-ōmikami, Ryūjin-kami, and their Imperial Majesties, the Emperor and the Empress were all present, seated at the bride's own table, alongside an unagi-hime in a flowing kimono and her wife, who was in JGSDF dress whites. The groom's table, included of course his parents, sister-mothers, and siblings, all of whom looked to the bride as a beloved adopted aunt. No less than the retired Chief of Shipgirl Operations of the JMSDF, and his overly exuberant wife also shared cushions at the groom's table, in place of one of the groom's grandparents, sitting alongside his maternal grand-aunt, grand-uncle, and the stoic beauty that was his grandmother in her finest dress uniform. Politely, no one mentioned her almost ruining the groom's outfit earlier after a near loss of self-control at seeing her grandson dressed as he was. Additionally two more Rear Admirals, one from the United States, the other from Britain, alongside a Colonel in the Royal Marines, were present as both family and friends to the parents and newlyweds. Curiously, another, much more humble family - although their aged but distinguished and respected patriarch was widely known across the world - was seated at the bride's table, somewhat overwhelmed to be invited with such august company. Only slightly lower in standing was a table set for several allied Abyssal dignitaries, one of whom had snuck away to sit with her brother, and a heavily scarred young woman in a dark plum colored kimono with riverine accents who was alternating between scowling at having been poured into it no matter the occasion, and beaming with pride at her finest student's happiest day.

As the newlyweds eventually made their way down the steps of the shrine, having requested that their guests be allowed to be seated first, as they wished to make a speech, two musical groups took to the temporary stage in the wide boulevard of the village at the base of the shrine, accompanied by over a dozen distant cousins of both bride and groom, including one fresh from her 'extended vacation' in Greece. No names were given as to the second, smaller group, as it was known among the villagers that the bride had taken pains to make their presence a secret - and no one present would dare deny her the enjoyment of whatever plans she had laid.

Having only hours ago walked up this path as bridge and groom, now together as husband and wife, the couple stepped up to the stage, turned, and bowed once more to their family, guests, and the less than subtle presence of international media quite literally hovering around the reception with camera drones and brooms alike in the background. Clearing her throat, and brushing lightly over it with her painted nails, which glowed softly, the bride's voice rang out without need nor want of a mic. Soft as fresh snow, playful as a waterfall, and as silky smooth as a pool of deep water on a windless day, it immediately swept up everyone present.

"We thank you all for coming here today, and for those watching whom were unable to enjoy this in person. We welcome you all once again to our town, and invite any of you to stay and tour it's surroundings. After all, it is said that this small paradise in the east was created by and is watched over by a dragon. A land out of time with the world, where one can step back into past whilst still in the present, or take a step below and race ahead to see a glimpse of the future. Yet these lands were originally meant as a cage for the beings that were known only in fantasy. Myths. Legends."

At the high table, the elderly man went ramrod straight on his cushion, the small sampler of ale from the town's micro-brewery nearly slipping from his fingers.

"This mountain, which I have called home since my birth, was a scene of terrible tragedy and horror. But all whom you see here have climbed above that past. Look around you, at this once lost, unnamed mountain, now thriving with life and the laughter of both yokai and human. How beneath our very feet, in caverns that were old when Kyoto was new, kappa, oni, kasha, and others have built a thriving industrial complex in spaces that were once filled with squalor. Now filled with businesses and homes, where not a day goes by that one does not hear the laughter of children running through the underground parks."

Throwing her hood back to reveal her pearlescent horns, Shiromizu-no-kami, Mistress of Shiromizu-gawa, paused briefly and turned to whisper into her husband's ear and give it a small kiss, before making a small gesture towards the musicians, who readied themselves for a still as yet unseen sign.

"After many years of discussion, those who have chosen to live have, have at long last selected an anthem for our mountain and town. A decision they decided upon on their own, but one which I wholeheartedly agree with, for it is one of my personal favorite pieces, along with my family as well. As such, my family and several dear friends of mine wish to play it for us all, here at our wedding reception. It is one I think many present or watching, might have heard of before."

Her kimono slipped from her shoulders to puddle to the ground below, as her husband looked fondly but proudly on and upwards, the guests and viewers had to lift their eyes to the sky in awe, as a shining white and blue dragon, hundreds of meters long, burst into the sky with a joyous roar, her laughter easily heard by everyone present, as one guest looked to the heavens with tears streaming down his cheeks. His dream at long last, fulfilled.

"Come, and enjoy this day with us, here in a land the gods love."

And with that, the sole singer's voice echoed across the mountain with a lyric both ancient and new.

"Iro wa nioedo...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Still looking at their shared reflection in the mirror, Harry and Natsumi tilted their head first one way than another. Inside their mind, Natsumi gave a small hum, 'You know, Harry-Chan, those highlights don't look too bad on you.' The wizard could almost see her pointing at the reflection, 'It sort of becomes a dark chocolate colour where it blends into your own hair.

With a slight mental nod, he hummed, 'It really doesn't look that bad. And I sort of like how my eyes look here too. The green and gold do go pretty well together.'

That only got him the impression of a mental blush from Natsumi as they continued to examine their facial features. Reaching up with control one of their hands, the Kitsune fingered one of the messy bangs, 'Huh... still, a bit odd to see... mind if I?' Getting a mental nod, she turned towards the Kitsune and spoke in that odd mixture of Harry's and hers voices, "Oba-Chan, Hoshi-San, Taiyang... you mentioned that there's deeper levels. How much would Harry-Chan's body change if we go deeper? And why does it do that? And will it go back to normal after?"

An amused look on her face as she shifted position, Hoshi gave a nod, "All very good questions, Natsumi-Chan. I'll answer the second first." When the teens' shared body nodded, she continued, "One should understand a simple fact with regards to magic and appearances. Most often, when in regards to magic, the material can be a reflection of the spiritual and vice versa. It is why many practitioners of the Dark Arts find their appearances changing subtly over time. While they might not become 'Ugly', often there is a cruel look about them. Those who dive deeply in such things may find their looks becoming more and more inhuman."

Eyebrows furrowing, Harry suddenly nodded their shared body, "Like with Voldemort."

Humming, the Kyuubi gave a nod, "Hai, such as in his case as he has gone to extreme lengths in dark magic for power." She pointingly ignored Taiyang's giggle of amusement, "Jin-San would be another as many of the scars she has on her current form came from wounds of her previous' self, carried over spiritually when she was awakened to her new state forcibly."

Frown on their face, Natsumi glanced back at the mirror and their reflection, "What about us then?"

Moments later, Harry had their shared body give a nod, "I looked up Kitsune-Tsuki and there wasn't much there about appearances changing. Sure, sometimes they would act off and such, but nothing like this."

There was an amused look on Taiyang's face as she raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure, Harry-San? That there was no changes?" At his blink, she smiled a little, "Do not the old stories describe the woman as having gained 'Fox-faces'? How their nails grew?"

Now it was time for the eyes of the teenage wizard to widen, "They didn't say that they gained them, but... said that they had them. Was that a sign?"

Bouncing a bit on the balls of her feet, the blade spirit leaned forward, "That's right." Standing straight, she made a motion with one hand, "Usually, it does not go much further than that. After all, there are two souls, and the human one will push back, even subconsciously, against the Kitsune. And because the human soul is more in tune with the body, as it is theirs, the form would not change much. Hence very minor changes in appearance."

For a few moments, neither teen said anything, but then, Natsumi spoke up, "Like with Tamamo." At the interested looks from the two adult Kitsune as Taiyang nodded, she continued, "She was nearly killed before coming to Japan, but survived by possessing an unborn child that, well, was pretty much dead and whose soul had passed on. Then, over the years, said new body became a Kitsune."

Slowly, Taiyang nodded as she gave a smile, "Indeed, Master, that is how she managed it. As there was no other soul in the body, and Master's was so strong, the body reshaped itself to better fit the soul in it. Hence, going from human to Kitsune."

Harry's voice then came through, "So... if, say, a ghost possessed a body that had been given the Dementor's Kiss and had the soul sucked out, then the body would change to look like the ghost had in life?"

Tilting her head to the side, the Dao raised an eyebrow, but nodded, "That is what would happen in such a case, though it would go slower than with Master in some ways, as their soul would be weaker, but quicker in others as they would have a human soul to begin with." With a blink, she frowned, "That was oddly specific...?"

The shared teen's body gave a shrug at that before Harry spoke, "Considering how the British Ministry seems more than willing to use the Kiss? Just wondering if it could happen. Especially with Death Eaters and such."

Considering that, the two Kitsune and one blade spirit nodded as it did make sense. It was then that Natsumi spoke with the body's posture changing slightly as she placed their hand on their hip, "You still have not answered how Harry-Chan's body changed, or how much it could change besides the rest."

Only nodding as her lips twitched, Haru chuckled, "That is true enough, Natsumi-Chan. We were slowly getting to that, however." At the nod, she continued, "What you need to remember is that in most cases of Kitsune-Tsuki, the human and Kitsune are both struggling for dominance. Hence, there is little change in looks. But what you and Harry are doing is not fighting for dominance, which is obvious to anyone."

Body posture shifting back to his usual one with a frown, Harry spoke up, "It is?"

Highly amused, the five tailed Kitsune gestured to him, "The two of you change who is in charge at the drop of a hat without concern or hesitation. Hence the changes already apparent. As your souls sync up more and more, the features of your shared body will shift as more of Natsumi-Chan's become apparent, coming together."

Right then, Taiyang raised a hand, "So the question of if it would blend is yes!" Everyone gave her a look at that before she shrugged, "The Internet is fascinating! Mikon!"

No one said anything for a few moments. Then, slowly, Natsumi turned her head towards her sighing Aunt, "That scares me more than it should."

All Hoshi did was sigh and hang her head, "You and me both, Natsumi-Chan."

Turning back to the mirror, Harry frowned a little as he reached up and played with one of his brown bangs, "So, the closer Natsumi-Chan and I come to being fully in sync, the more my features will look like a blend of my normal ones and Natsumi-Chan's?" As they nodded, a thought occurred to him and he blushed, "Um... that doesn't mean that, er... we would become something part female and part male, right?"

Inside his head, he could feel Natsumi's mental blush, 'B-both?!'

Moments later, thankfully for them both, Hoshi shook her head with a hearty laugh, "No, considering that the base body is male, I very much doubt that it would be anything but." She then gave a slight shrug, "That said? Chances are that at that point? Someone seeing you for the first time might well wonder if you were female or male due to your looks." The Kyuubi then smiled and gave a shrug, "Though, to be honest, at such a depth? You would also have fox ears and tails like a Kitsune I would think, and functionally be both human and Kitsune at the same fine."

Rather thoughtful, Harry nodded their shared head, "Huh..."

It was then that Haru took over, "And before you ask, once you and Natsumi-Chan separate, you would find your appearance going back to normal." A grin appeared on her face at the sigh of relief from the teen in front of her, "So neither of you really need to worry overmuch about it."

Just thinking things over, the teens turned their shared body towards the mirror, still floating there and tilted their head as Harry spoke, "So... I guess now that we have managed it, the only thing left is to, well, get closer?"

Biting a rice cracker, Taiyang gave them a smile, "That's the way." Eating the rest, she continued, "You should practice as much as possible though whenever you can. Get a feel for one another and spend time like this."

That made the teens blink before Natsumi spoke through their mouth, "Well, we weren't going to just do this and not practice. And we are going to be testing it out... though how much time should we spend like this?"

Leaning forward, Hoshi had a thoughtful look on her face before humming, "For today, I would say spend the rest of the day like this. Just to get a feel for it. Later, I would say that you should at some point spend more than a day in Kitsune-Tsuki, even sleeping while performing it. The more time you spend together, the more in sync you'll be at the end."

Quiet, the two teens rolled the idea around in their head. And, after a minute, gave a nod with Natsumi answering for them both, "I don't think that either of us have a problem with that." Internally, she focused her thoughts, 'Harry-Chan? That alright for you?'

She got back the impression of a blink, 'Hmm? Oh, right.'

With that, he took over to give a similar answer. As they sat down for some tea, Natsumi had a frown on her face as she controlled their body, 'Harry-Chan? Is something wrong? I mean, you're not saying much...'

Once more, she had the impression of a blink before Harry answered her, 'Nothing bad, Natsumi-Chan. Just... thinking.' Feeling her curiosity, he gave a chuckle, 'Well, it is more about our shared senses.'

More than curious how, the Kitsune mentally cocked her head to the side, 'Our shared senses? What about them?'

It was then that one of their hands came up and scratched at their chin as Harry thought, 'Well... It is just that I always thought that Kitsune senses were stronger than a human. I mean, we couldn't test our eyesight really since it's not dark out. But... hearing? Scent? It doesn't seem that much beyond human right now.'

Silent, Natsumi didn't say anything though Harry noticed that he could sense her emotions through the link that the possession had created. Finally, she spoke up in their shared mind, 'Huh, I had not really noticed. But if you want...' She then continued, 'Maybe if we open ourselves to each other more, you might gain heightened senses?'

Considering that, he sent a mental nod back, 'Maybe? But are you okay with that? Going further already?'

Much to his bemusement, he could literally feel her give him a look that told her what she thought of what he said. Then, Natsumi spoke up, 'Harry-Chan, I am more than alright with it. I trust you completely and utterly.' Her tone then softened, 'I want to share as much with you as possible. And this? Sharing senses? I want to show you what it is like for me, because I think that you would enjoy it.'

Feeling his throat constrict, Harry just nodded, 'Thank you.'

Just having the impression of her giving him a nod back, he concentrated. As before, he opened himself to her and could feel her doing much the same. There was something... breathtaking... in the amount of trust that she was currently showing him. Unlike before, he could feel something going on. On the back of his neck there was an odd tickling and he swore that, somehow, his hair itched. At the same time, he could feel his ears shift around a little.

After the odd sensations disappeared, Harry turned their body to look at the mirror and found their eyes widening. His facial features had shifted just slightly, with the bare hints of Japanese looks. That said, there was more than just that.

When he looked at their eyes, the golden specks had increased in both number and size, though around their edges they looked greenish-gold. The change in hair colour had also changed in that the highlights were now far more noticeable and more of their hair had changed from black to a dark, chocolate brown while nearly reaching their shoulders. As well, their ears had grown a bit in size and the tips were definitely pointed now. Quickly pulling back their lips, the canines had grown a touch as well, 'Okay, that is pretty neat.'

He could feel the mental nod in the back of their mind from Natsumi, 'It really is, Harry-Chan.' Then, her voice took on a tone of amusement, 'Now, notice anything else~'

Pausing, Harry was about to say no, when he breathed in through their nose and paused. Doing so again, he looked around in surprise before blinking as he realized that his sense of smell had increased. While definitely nowhere near that of an animal's, it was well up there as he could smell all sorts of things. And at the same time, he realized that his hearing had also increased in sensitivity. Internally blinking, he "Turned" towards Natsumi, 'Natsumi-Chan? Is this...?'

Chuckling, the Kitsune gave the impression of shaking her head, 'Well, it is quite a way from that. But... it is probably the best that it works like this since I can teach you about the various scents and sounds without being overwhelmed by them as you would be if we had gone to my level...'

Unknown to them, in the mental mansion she now resided in, Tamamo was looking up towards the frozen eclipse in the sky. As she had expected, as the two had opened their connection further, the Sun and Moon has slid further into one another. Now, both had a quarter in the eclipse. Part of her was curious as to what would happen as things continued before shaking it off.

Lightly chuckling, the ancient Kitsune stride down the corridors and the walls went from the normal shoji, to stone and the doors from sliding panels to wood. Down and down she seemed to go until, finally, she reached a trap door. Looking at it, she smirked before reaching down and opening it.

Not bothered by the feelings, she walked down the trapdoor with a hum until she reached a wretched thing.

Head cocked to the side, she raised an eyebrow as she looked at what looked like a deformed, skinless baby before crouching down to look at it even as it looked at her in hate, "Well, well... so this is the infamous Lord Voldemort, hmm?" She raised an eyebrow before snorting and placing a foot on the creature and pressing down, "The one who dared to harm my Harry, and try to kill him."

Grinning at the whines she got, she chuckled darkly before pulling her foot back. Then, her hand lashed out and grabbed it by the head, slowly raising it to eye level as it thrashed as her claws dug in. At the same time, thousands of miles away in Britain, Voldemort himself was in bed and silently screaming in pain.

Examining it, Tamamo thrust one hand forward, finger digging into the forehead of the Horcrux. She could not do much, of course. After all, it could harm Harry if she went too far. But, she got a bit of information and nodded before pausing with a smirk as she realized something.

Sometime later, she left, but not before leaving behind a fox composed of shadow in the trap door. A little... gift if the creature was so unwise as to attempt to use the connection to try and possess her Harry. In one hand, however, there was a crystal orb with a snake. Looking down at it, she tossed it into the air and caught it with a giggle, "Such an interesting and useful ability. Yes, this will serve Natsumi well in the future... Especially if that Mizuchi reacts as I believe she will."

_____________________________________________________________________



Walking into Natsumi's bedroom, Haru smiled a little at the sight of Harry with his wand out. Her eyes widened a little as he motioned with the wand to cast a spell, but it was "Natsumi's" voice that came out, "Wingardium Leviosa"

A moment later, the black furred fox plushy that the teen was looking at slowly rose into the air shakingly. Staring at it for a few moments, Haru blinked before turning back to the teen, "Natsumi-Chan? Is that really you casting that spell?"

Just blinking as they allowed the plush to slowly drift down until it was back on the desk, the teen nodded and turned, "Hai, Oba-Chan." Rotating their shoulder a little, they gave a nod, "Harry-Chan's been casting First Year spells so that I could learn them." Frown on their face, Natsumi frowned, "It's... a lot harder than you would think. But Harry-Chan thinks that it is because of it being his wand, thus it is not quite sure whether to obey me or not."

Only nodding, Haru walked in and sat down beside her, "I see..." Frown on her face, she furrowed her eyebrows, "You do realize that ICW laws forbid non-humans such as Yokai from having wands, correct? We can do Onmyoudo, but nothing else."

That got her a smirk as Harry took control, "No... ICW rules forbid the selling of wands to non-humans. And right now, I am using the wand, it is just... I'm not in control of my body."

Slowly blinking, the older Kitsune gave a barking laugh, "Okay, I will give you props for that." Her expression fell some, "Unfortunately, even if Natsumi-Chan learned wand magic, she would not have a wand."

If she expected anything, it was not for Harry to wave her off, "Not really an issue, Haru-San. After all, technically you can cast magic though other items such as swords and such. Besides which, us Potters have a number of legacy wands stored away and like I told her, if she wants, when we go to get some fruit, we could see if any work for her." They then gave a shrug, "If nothing else, it would allow her to practice and learn until she can use other items... and I have a few other ideas."

Needless to say, that intrigued Haru and she leaned forward, "Oh? What sort of ideas?"

Lopsided smile as he cast a non-verbal Lumos and knowing that Natsumi was paying attention to the spell, the teenage boy shrugged their shoulders, "Wands are generally wood and some sort of magical core, right?" At Haru's nod, he continued, "Well, you can create wand-like objects. One of my earlier ancestors got captured by the Spanish Inquisition and managed to escape despite them snapping his wand. He crafted one in his cell from straw, some of his hair, and coating it in his blood. Only lasted a few spells before self-destructing, but... it worked."

Frown on her face, the Kitsune shook her head, "That... does not sound like a healthy way to create a wand, Harry-Kun. Rather dark is how I would put it."

In reply, Harry nodded their head, "Agreed, but that incident caused my family to look at other things as well. They figured that one could make something like a wand out of electrum and so have it work. Doesn't work half as good as an actual wand, but... you can still cast easier with it than other things. Figure that if I made one, then Natsumi-Chan could use it."

Considering that, Haru looked at him closely before shaking her head in some amusement, 'Oh yes, Natsumi-Chan hit the jackpot here.' Then, she changed the subject and hummed, "And has Natsumi-Chan taught you anything in return?"

Eyes twinkling, Harry set aside his wand and held their hand open, palm facing upwards. Suddenly, a small, blue flame appeared in the middle of their palm. It wasn't that big, about the size of a tea light candle, but it was obviously Kitsune-Bi. Sheepishly smiling, Harry shrugged a little, "It's not that big, but..."

For several moments, the older of the two stared at it before shaking her head, "Be that as it may, it is still a good accomplishment just the same." Once more smiling, Haru patted his head before standing, "I'll leave you to your practice, though in an hour you'll have to end the Kitsune-Tsuki..."

That got her a nod and she left. Sure enough, an hour later the two teens separated from one another with Harry's features going back to normal. Both had grins on their faces, however.

When he finally left, Harry glanced at Haru's house in the deepening twilight before turning to Natsumi, "This... has been an incredible day, Natsumi-Chan. We finally did it!"

Happily nodding, Natsumi smiled before giving him a hug, "Hai, we did... and I feel so close to you now." Returning the hug, the nearly fourteen year old smiled as well before pulling back. Much to Natsumi's surprise, he held out his wand to her. Gently, she took it into her hand before looking at it. With a deep breath, the Kitsune made a motion with it, "Lumos!" There was a brief moment, but then the tip lit up and she stared at the light, "... Thank you."

Lightly smiling as he watched her end the spell and hand back his wand, the teenage wizard nodded, "You're welcome." Moments later, however, he found Natsumi placing her arms around his neck before kissing him. Almost subconsciously, his hands went to her waist, something which she seemed to enjoy from the happy hum such an action got. When they pulled apart, Harry sighed a little, "I think that I just discovered a downside to the Kitsune-Tsuki."

Curious, Natsumi cocked her head to the side, "Oh? What sort of downside?"

Lips curling into a smile, Harry pulled her tighter against him, "When we're doing it, I can't kiss you..."

Her eyes sparkling, the Kitsune leaned into him and proceeded to show him how happy those words made her.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- And the Other Shoe drops.

Only My Buttervioline (IV)

Panathinaïkó Stádio, Athens, Greece

24 May 2036

Athena said her hasty farewells to Aphrodite, Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto, and Amaterasu (or as she preferred to be called when incognito as a large white doG, 'Sunny') and began to hurry back to where she had left Apollo and Artemis. As much as she hated to leave the Goddess of Love and her Japanese friend unsupervised, she had a much more urgent errand to deal with. Artemis was -- according to Aphrodite -- romantically interested in the daughter of Atalanta, which spelled trouble if Athena was not there to prevent the Huntress from doing something ill-advised in the presence of her brother.
Spoiler: Antigone Enters

"Χιλή! Chile!"

After all, this kind of obsession made people do stupid things, just look at Phoebas Apollo staring at that Belgian violin spirit like she was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen. Athena had few illusions that the twin children of Leto were more than capable of starting a nasty family squabble with one ill-considered word.

The crowd began to roar as the penultimate team entered the stadium.

"Χονγκ Κονγκ, Κίνα! Hong Kong, China!"

Athena reached the section that she had left Apollo and Artemis in before heading off to confront Aphrodite. To her distinct lack of surprise, Apollo was still mooning over the Belgian girl.

Then the roar of the crowd hammered her ears as the Greek flag was carried again into the stadium at the head of the host nation's athletes and the crowd around her went mad.

"Ελλάς! Greece!"

As Athena stared, Artemis waved both hands and gave a loud cheer, then gave a loopy goofy grin matching that of her twin brother at someone who she was looking at like a hawk. Athena, dreading what she would see, turned to survey the Greek athletes and sighed as her migraine returned with a vengeance.

A tawny-haired young woman with mysterious depths in her liquid eyes, silver 'Arrow of Artemis' earrings, and the silent stealthy movement of a born huntress smiled happily at Artemis and waved back.
Spoiler: Antigone Koustris, Natural-Born Shipgirl Of HN Meleager

Antigone Koustris, daughter of the legendary Admiral Lana Koustris, the Huntress of the Mediterranean, who was also the unawakened shipgirl of her mother's submarine HN Meleager, locked eyes with Artemis. Antigone spoke words heard by the deities attending the Games, in a voice full of devotion and faith to her divine patroness. "I dedicate my skill and success in these Olympic Games to you, Artemis Aristo!"

Meanwhile, halfway around the stadium, Therese du Chasteler with her cheeks afire with love for the young man in the crowd who was holding her glasses, swallowed and whispered reverently to the disguised Apollo, "I... just want to say that I'm going to make you proud when I compete in archery. Everything that I do in my events, I do for you, even if I don't know your name yet. Because I know you're the right person for me."

Martje Van Der Voorde tapped Therese hard on her shoulder to break her out of her reverie. "Focus you silly viool! We are supposed to swear to compete fairly and honorably now, and then they're going to light the flame to open the Games!"

Therese blushed as she finally returned to herself. Then her head raised and her jaw set as she thought to herself. Of course! What would the man of her dreams think of her if she was so weak to not do her best just like Mother and Father and Aunt Ehren, and Grandmothers Colombe and Toku all did?

Athena paled as she realized what had just happened and sat down heavily in a vacant seat as the head of the International Olympic Committe and the President of Greece began to address the crowd and the Athletes before the Olympic Flame was lit.

A large white doG nudged her elbow, then held a bag of buttered popcorn under Athena's nose.

"Wan?"
---------------------------

Finally the opening ceremony was over and the athletes dispersed. Of course, for some of them, the trouble had only just begun....
Spoiler: A Du Chasteler Family Reunion

Spiros & Vasilias Greek Restaurant, Athens

"Mother, Father! You came!" Therese said as she entered the five-star Greek restaurant where her parents had made reservations. She smiled happily and dashed over to embrace her mother then father, and then her minutes-younger twin Jacques as they sat in the waiting area. "You all came!"

Claire gave a joy-filled smile to her oldest daughter. The Piano responded gently and happily after giving her eldest child another hug, "Yes we all came to see you. Ehren, Mother, Stepmother, Estelle, and Ying are all coming too along with some of your cousins. We got tickets to watch you compete. Admiral Aetios was kind enough to put us up at her house for the Games and we plan to host a party for you there after your event ends to celebrate your triumph."

Therese blinked in surprise and spoke in a shocked voice. "Mother! You didn't need to do all that! I hope to do my best, but I'm only 27th in the world in Archery."

Tony placed a hand on Therese's shoulder and squeezed reassuring. "Therese. You're a du Chasteler from Claire's side. That means you don't know how to do anything other than your best from her. You're a Potter from my side and we stop at nothing to achieve a goal that matches our heart's desire. For me when I was your age, it was to be the best violinist that I could be, travel the world to learn and experience music, and perhaps find and win the heart of someone worthy of my skill. Which turned out to be my beloved peacock here."

He gave Claire a love filled smile, which the magnificently dressed piano returned in equal measure. "Oh you just want our next child to have a little Greek in them you wonderful Bohemian." Claire murmured with a smouldering look full of barely-leashed desire promising a wild musical interlude once they got to their rooms.

"Mother! Father! You're embarrassing me! Can't you just get a recording studio?!" Therese blurted out as her cheeks flamed scarlet.

Jacques snarked, "You don't know what they have been like all this week. Sooo... who were you looking at in the crowd?"

Therese blushed shyly and stars filled her eyes. "Oh just the most dreamy guy in existence..." She murmured, then froze at the looks her family were giving her.

"Is he a good violinist?" Jacques asked with a smirk, "I'd hate to have my big sister played by some hack."

"What's his name?" Claire probed. "When can we meet him?"

Tony muttered, "Do I need to give him a shovel speech?"

Therese moaned and gave a double facepalm. "I'm doomed..."

*-*-*
Therese du Chasteler-Potter

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Quietly, and with easy strides, Harder made her way down the hallway until she reached her destination. And, just as silently, she opened the door and slipped inside the room before smiling at the sight that met her. Because there was Naka in her usual civilian clothing that she wore when in "Management mode" of a black, pencil skirt and sleeveless blouse as she leaned forward, quietly talking with a technician that was there working on the recording equipment among others. The technician nodded some to whatever the Light Cruiser said and smiled a bit.

For a few moments, as Naka straightened, Harder just looked over her friend standing there as the Natural Born crossed her arms over her torso and tapped a finger to some beat on one bicep. Eyes trailing over her friend's form, the Submarine had to nod to herself some as, in her opinion, Naka cut a pretty amazing figure there. Her clothes had been tailored specifically for her and it showed as they hugged her form enough to accentuate her looks without being too tight. The lack of sleeves for her blouse actually showed off the toned arms she had.

Of course, that was when the Submarine's eyes went to the skirt and below, in particular the pantyhose that hugged her legs and showed that they were just as toned as her arms.

Not that Harder was too surprised at the Light Cruiser being having muscles, or at least enough to help her figure. She had seen the exercises, choreography, and dancing that Naka had put herself through. Heck, Harder had even joined in for some of the practices and found herself at the end sweaty and exhausted, while the Natural Born was barely winded. Something that had surprised the Submarine as back when she was a steel hulled ship, most singers barely moved on stage when performing, and it certainly did not look quite that exhausting. The fact that Naka could continue through an entire routine and not look completely and utterly beat was nothing short of amazing to Harder.

Granted, that thought brought up memories for Harder from when she watched such practices, with Naka telling her that she always did even better with her watching. Memories of the Light Cruiser having a bright grin on her face and a flush to her cheeks as she finished up a routine. Of how Naka's chest rose and fell with each of her deep breaths as well as how there was a light sheen of sweat over what was not covered by a tank top and shorts that caused her to glisten under the light and highlighted her toned musculature. Muscles that Harder knew were toned as any swimmer's, but covered with just enough body fat to soften the look and feel of them, giving the Natural Born a "Fit" look. And even how her clothes clung to her a bit tighter, damp as they were with sweat.

Coming out of it, the Submarine blinked as some of her engineers were muttering at the pressure in her lines climbing too high. Which was something that made her shake her head a little in confusion about it as it didn't make much sense. Then again... it was rather common when thinking about Naka at times. Ignoring the mutters of her crew, she shrugged it off as not something really all that important.

Besides, she had more important things.

Smile on her face, Harder walked forward until she was right behind Naka before moving the last few inches and wrapping her arms around the normally orange wearing shipgirl's waist, "Hey there, Naka."

For her part, Naka didn't really jump much at the appearence of the Submarine. Instead, she looked over her shoulder and smiled a bit before placing her hands over Harder's, "Hey there yourself, Harder-Chan."

Placing her chin on her friend's shoulder, the American hummed a bit, "Hard at work, I see."

With a slight shrug, Naka shook her head, "Well, you know how it is. Being an Idol and manager is a full time job and a hard one."

Just snorting a little, Harder shook her head as she tightened the embrace a little, "True, but you know what, Traffic Cone? Ain't no one better at it than you are and you're great at it."

Much to her amusement, the Light Cruiser had a light blush on her cheeks at that. But then Naka chuckled some and kissed her cheek, which made Harder hum, "Thank you, I'm glad that you're one of the ones that believe in me." Harder hummed a bit as she returned the kiss to the cheek before placing her chin back in the crook of Naka's neck, something that made the Idol hum back before she turned her head to look at Harder, "So, when did you get back?"

A warm chuckle escaped from Harder as she smiled some, "Got back about o'six hundred this morning. Managed to catch me a Nu-Class as well as six Destroyers, a Light Cruiser, and even a Ta this Cruise."

Eyebrow raised, Naka smirked a bit, "Not that unexpected considering that it's you, Harder-Chan. I would be shocked if you ever had half as much during a cruise."

That time, it was the Submarine's turn to have a light blush on her cheeks, "Hah, thanks Naka."

Rolling her eyes, Naka shook her head a bit, "What? It's just the truth when it is about you. We both know that much after all."

Soft smile on her face, Harder smirked a bit, "Still, it's good to know that you think so." Then the American gave a small shrug, "Anyways, have a few days of shore leave and figured that I would drop in on you. Checked with Yokosuka and got told that you headed up to your studio, so here I am."

Lips twitching, the Japanese shipgirl gave her a look, "So you're going to spend your shore leave with me?"

At that, Harder shrugged a little, "Why not? I enjoy spending my shore leave with you, Traffic Cone. Ain't nothing better to do with it after all."

Hands sliding across Harder's and gently pressing down on top of them, Naka leaned back, "Well, I enjoy it as well."

Neither shipgirl noticed how the others there either gave them exasparated glances or rolled their eyes at their actions though there were a number of smiles there as well.

Unknowing of the looks that they were getting, Harder raised her eyebrow as she looked into the sound booth. It always surprised her how recording rooms often looked now in the modern era. One or two of her crew had been in one and they had usually been great open rooms with windows and the like. And often had couches and chairs in them as well.

Meanwhile, the sound booth in Naka's little studio was completely different. Most of them were a good size, of course. But the walls were black or dark grey with square panelling that had lines of ridges or small pyramid-shapes. All made out of some sort of foam. Harder had been confused when she first saw them and Naka explained that the foam was sound absorbing and that the shapes helped with acoustics which made the sound clearer when recording.

As a Submarine, that made a lot of sense as they often had to listen for sonar and the like when Destroyers and other sonar equipped ships were hunting them. That meant that the best Submarines had an eye for how sound acted underwater. Water temperature as well as layers, depths, even underwater geography all played a part. Something that any Submarine understood and understood well if they were to survive for any length of time.

Heck, once Harder had been in one of the booths playing a guitar and listening. Said American was impressed with how the acoustics had worked and told Naka so. Though she still felt her engines warm at how Naka had complimented her on how well she played, and did so whenever she did so for the Japanese Idol. Heck, sometimes the two sat in their quarters with Harder playing and Naka singing some sort of song, both of them smiling and laughing as they enjoyed it.

Right now, however, she had raised her eyebrow due to what she was seeing in said recording booth.

Mainly because behind the microphone singing was a woman who, from the waist down, was a massive spider. Said woman held earphones to one ear as she sang, while to one side, a skeletal woman was playing on a violin and an woman with butterfly wings and four arms was on a keyboard while beside her a horned woman was on a drum. The final woman was one who was nearly as tall as the spider woman was and using a double bass in the same way that many would use a violin.

Eyebrow raised as she watched the female Yokai play, Harder blinked, "Huh... so the singer is one of those, uh, Jorogummy things? Though I only recognize the oni and the, uh, bone-oni..."

Snorting a bit, Naka waved her off, "Jorogumo is the spider one and Hone-Onna is the skeletal with a Hennya on the taiko. The others are a Ga-Onna from Ginzan on the keyboard, and she's incredible at it and a Hachishakusama, a mother who died after losing their children and came back as a giant, ghostly female Yokai." At the look from Harder, she shrugged, "I helped her track down her children and get custody from her ex-husband. Let's just say that I was not impressed with him and how he was treating said kids from everything the private investigator I hired dug up. And it was easy to get her custody afterwards."

Only nodding, the Subgirl hummed a bit, "Not surprised that you managed it, Naka. Fuck, you always go the extra mile." Tilting her head a little as she listened to the song, she furrowed her eyebrows, "Though not exactly the type of music that I thought you would enjoy."

There was a slight smirk on Naka's face, "I do enjoy other forms of music other than J-pop, Harder-Chan." She rubbed a thumb over Harder's knuckles while humming, "But I decided to expand my label to a bit more than just normal Idol music." Nodding towards the Jorogumo, a smile was on the Japanese shipgirl's face, "I have to admit, Akine-Chan there has the perfect voice for symphonic metal. And Kyashi-Chan, the Hachishakusama, is excellent at writing the songs. She takes the inspiration from the old legends and such of Japan, especially from the Yokai point of view."

Harder closed her eyes and listened to the song before nodding, "Huh, pretty damn good really if not really my cup of tea." Opening her eyes, she looked towards Naka, "What are they singing about?"

A smile on her lips, the Light Cruiser chuckled some, "Right now? The song that they're singing is about the legendary Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his encounters with a female Jorogumo who lusted after him. But because she was a traditional Jorogumo, that also meant wanting to kill him. There's a few others that they've made around said hero and his encounters with spider Yokai, hence why they're terming the album 'Along came a spider'."

Upon hearing the name, Harder snickered a little before shaking her head. A frown appeared on her face though and she grimaced, "Considering the Statute..."

Glancing at her, Naka sighed a little, "I know, it is a bit problematic to be honest. But... it doesn't have much life left, probably not much more than a year." Clenching her fist, she took a deep breath, "Which is why I am preparing right now for everything. I already got a number of Yokai musicians under my label and when the Statute falls? I'm striking while the iron is white hot and doing mass releases of their music. Change the shock from fright into a pleasant one. Make the fear that some might feel into something else, such as acceptence and even interest in them." Motioning around, the Cruiser lowered her voice, "I already have a number of music videos filmed, and we'll start filming theirs in the mountains next week."

Just tightening the hug, the American leaned in and her breath tickled Naka's ear, making the Japanese shipgirl's breath hitch a little, "If there was anyone who could pull it off, Naka? It would be you."

Cheeks warming, Naka turned and looked Harder in the eye for a few moments. Her expression softened when she saw the pure belief that was there and kissed her friend on the cheek before pulling back with a thankful smile, "Thank you, Harder-Chan. If you believe it, than it must be true."

Pulling away one hand to scratch at her cheek, Harder grinned, "Damn straight, besides... it's the truth." Then she shrugged and put her hand back where it was, with Naka placing hers over it, "So, I take it that you got a number of different Yokai now as Idols and stuff?"

Her lips twitching, the Light Cruiser hummed, "A number is right, Harder-Chan. Besides Akine-Chan, I got another Jorogumo, who's just barely out of her teens, that's great at J-pop. She's going to be an amazing Idol to say the least, especially as she's cute as a button and got the right attitude." She grimaced a moment later, "Just a shame that no one else would take her on because she was a Jorogumo. Fucking bakas."

That got a snort from Harder, "Well, their loss and your gain, because you do know talent when you see it."

Nearly bloodthirsty grin on her face, Naka nodded, "Damn right." Then, she gave a shrug, "Got some other bands, such as a group of Inaba Idols as well as a group of Nekomata. Both of those will be unbelievably popular once they make their appearance. Also, got another group of Hone-Onna, though they're more a metal group. Planning to have them show up at RIP-Fest 2015 in Saga next year."

Frowning, the Subgirl furrowed her eyebrows, "Weren't you talking about that earlier? Something about a new Idol group that showed up there?"

With a shrug, Naka frowned herself, "Hai, they showed up there and have done a few other gigs including a chicken commercial." At the odd look from Harder, she snorted, "Don't knock it until you try it. After all, an independant Idol group does need a way to fund themselves and commercials for local food places are an easy one. Though..." Her frown deepened a bit in thought, "Three of them I swear I know, but... one is from the damn Showa, which should be impossible as she's long dead, but..."

Only shrugging, Harder shook her head, "Maybe Yokai? Could be fans of them?"

Still frowning, the Idol hummed, "Maybe? I wouldn't be too surprised if some Yokai decide to make their human forms resemble famous people. And few would remember someone from that far back... still. I'm keeping my eye on them until I'm sure." Then, she grinned, "And if they are Yokai? Whether they were the people in question or just resembling them? I could always see if they will join my label..."

Light laughing, Harder grinned, "Just like you." Then, she hummed a bit and placed her chin back on Naka's shoulder, "So... what do you want for dinner? Because I'll be cooking?"

Just licking her lips, Naka grinned back at her, "Now I am really looking forward to it, because that will be a real treat..."

Hours later, after dinner and evening had fallen found the Subgirl out on the porch of Naka's private quarters sitting on a chair at the table there looking at the stars twinkling in the night sky. She turned as the light to said quarters turned off and Naka came walking out with a bottle and two glasses, "Got something good?"

Smug smirk on her face, Naka placed the glasses down which contained the ice for their drinks, though Harder laughed at what she saw, "I take it that you like my new ice molds?"

With her shoulders still shaking in laughter, Harder looked at the glasses, which had ice in the shape of torpedos, "Fucking hell, Naka! Where the shit did you get those from?"

If anything, her smirk got more smug, "Made the molds for them using a three dimensional printer. Only had to program it with the proper design and it took a bit of work." Sitting down, Naka hummed, "Going to sell them at Fleet Week."

Expression becoming serious, Harder held up a hand, "I'll take at least... five, they would make for great gifts."

Both shipgirls shared a serious look for several seconds before they burst into laughter and shook their heads. Naka then raised the bottle with a grin, "As for drinks... how does twenty five year old single malt from Yamazaki sound?"

Her eyes widening, Harder grinned back, "That sounds great, Naka." Holding out her glass, she watched as her friend poured the drink into it. Once it was to the proper level, she waited for Naka to fill her own before holding up her glass, which she noted was chilled itself, "To spending shore leave with the best."

Raising her own glass, Naka clinked it against Harder's, "To spending time with the best." Taking a sip, she sighed a little as she felt the slight burn go down her throat, "Ah..."

Only happily humming, the American nodded as she set down her glass, "I have to say one thing, you guys make some great fucking whiskey. Some of the best damn shit I've had outside of stuff from Kentucky, and the girls back home love it when I sneak some back."

Lips curling, Naka gave a shrug, "We do and the same with beer. And I don't blame them for enjoying it when you bring it back."

That got a snort from the Submarine as they both sat back and simply enjoyed the company as they sat under the stars. Between the two of them as they chatted there was quite a bit of laughter and grins as they passed the next hour or two with drinks in hand. Just two people enjoying the presence of the other in the cool, evening air. And after, they went inside and, after getting into bed, cuddled up to each other as they fell asleep with smiles on their faces.

Morning eventually came with the Sun rising and illuminating the room. Opening her eyes, Harder found Naka already awake and simply watching her with a gentle, caring expression on her face, something that caused her engines to warm somewhat, "Morning, Naka."

Chocolate brown eyes warmly watching the Subgirl, Naka chuckled, "And a good morning to you as well, Harder-Chan. Have a good sleep, I hope?"

Snorting, Harder gave her a look as she turned over to face her, "Of course I did, how could I not? After all, I always have a good sleep with you, Traffic Cone." A grin crossed her face and she chuckled, "Hopefully you had just as good a sleep."

Gaze warm, the Cruiser nodded some even as she brought up a finger and gently traced circles on Harder's bicep, "I did, as a matter of fact. You're pretty nice to cuddle up to after all."

With a shrug, Harder gave her just as warm a gaze even as she placed her arms around Naka's waist and pulled her close, "Not like you're not as nice to cuddle either, so don't sell yourself short, Naka."

From where it had been tracing a circle on Harder's upper arm, Naka gently brushed her hand down the Submarine's body until it came to her waist, provoking a shiver from the American, "I won't."

Both of them laid there for a time, simply enjoying the other's presence before Harder finally got up. Her head propped up by hand, Naka watched as the Submarine sat up, sheets falling away to reveal her in tank top and panties. Getting out of bed, Harder shucked off her shirt and tossed it into the bin to be clean before stretching, not really caring that Naka was watching her. Opening her dresser and pulling out a bra to put on, the Subgirl looked over her shoulder, "So, what do you want for breakfast, Naka? Anything in particular?"

Getting out of bed herself, Naka walked over and placed her arms around Harder's waist with one hand on the American's stomach, "Mmm, don't really care since whatever you cook is always good." Kissing her friend on the cheek, she chuckled, "Surprise me."

A grin on her face, the Submarine returned the kiss to Naka's own cheek and nodded as she pulled out some jeans which Naka had told her really showed off her legs, "Got it, one Harder Surprise coming up. You just make the coffee."

That got her a nod and the two soon got dressed before heading towards the kitchen in Naka's quarters.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Sun streamed in through past the curtains and into the room illuminating it in a soft amount of light. Chest rising and falling gently, Fubuki slept with a small smile on her face. A smile that grew as her eyes fluttered open and she looked around. As per usual, Kana's body was under hers with the Battleship deep in her own slumber. And on either side of her was Yuudachi and Mutsuki, with Kisaragi behind her sister and spooning said Destroyer.

That, however, was not what was making the "Mother of the Modern Destroyer" smile.

As a matter of fact, what was making Fubuki smile was the fact that she and the other shipgirls were not alone in the bed. In fact, each of the children that they had taken guardianship were also cuddled up to them under the cool sheets. Kasumi, for example, was currently curled up between Fubuki's and Yuudachi's legs, while Fu-Chan was laying on top of Fubuki herself. Slowly, and careful not to wake anyone, Fubuki reached up and gently patted Fu-Chan between the ears which got her a soft mumble as said ears twitched.

But besides that, everyone continued to sleep on. Yes, the presence of the children in the bed meant that there had been no "Fun" the night before. After all, one could claim many things about Fubuki, but "Irresponsible" was not one of them. Hence, the most that happened was kisses and cuddles that got exchanged and that was about it on the part of the shipgirls. Though, considering things, Fubuki suspected some fun might happen in the shower later.

However, that would be later, and right now? As of this second in time there was nowhere else that she wanted to be. There was a part of Fubuki that wished that this moment could continue on forever. No war to fight in or to threaten their lives. Just her and her family laying in bed on a lazy and sunny summer's day. And that was how she saw them, each of them. To her, they were her family, pure and simple.

Yes, she knew that she would never replace the parents of the orphans, and frankly she would feel like slugging someone who claimed such. But, inwardly at least, she had come to see them as her children, each and everyone of them. There was a part of Fubuki, deep down, that was rather amused that despite her claims otherwise... she was a parent now. Each child she would treat as her own and if anyone threatened them? She would utterly destroy them and have no mercy.

Laying there, Fubuki thought back to when she had that realization. Something that happened as a whole during the last legs of the convoy when she had heard, through the wizarding wireless in her radio room, the broadcast of what turned out to be the Tokyo Magical Diet's death rattle. And she was not alone in her reactions to that bit of information as the other Japanese shipgirls, who had all gotten their own Wizarding Wireless sets, all had similar reactions. Then came in the reports of the wireless of various bits of fighting that occurred. Nothing serious, thankfully, but there was still reports of Aurors from the now defunct Tokyo Diet as well as other wizards from there attacking people or groups. Hearing that, right then, Fubuki had nearly frozen.

Never before had she ever wanted to abandon her duty, to race ahead of the convoy and leave it without her.

To rush back to Yokosuka at full speed just to make sure that none of the children that she had taken under her wing were harmed and that each were safe. It had taken every bit of her self-control not to do exactly that. Yet, she had not felt ashamed that she thought that, that she was seriously considering abandoning the convoy. Still, it had taken a few moments, but she stiffened her resolve as she had to be there for Mutsuki and the others. They looked like they wanted to break with the escort around the convoy as well. Instead, she stayed and became their rock.

At the same time, however? Fubuki promised the worst retribution to anyone involved if any of the children under her protection had been harmed. If any were, she would not care if Amaterasu-no-Oomikami appeared before her and told her to stay her hand, she would ignore it and kill each of those involved. In brutal fashion at that. Much to her grim amusement, her crew were somewhat disturbed by her imagining one such case if any of her children were harmed.

Due, mostly, to the idea of taking one of her oxygen torpedoes, activating the engine, and slowly shoving it the rear end first into the mouth of a wizard or witch who harmed the children.

However, much to her relief as well as that of her crew, none of them were harmed and the fighting died out fairly quickly. Much more quickly than she would have thought and even the news of one of those who had been leading the aggressive faction literally losing his head only made her nod. Seeing them standing there at the ramp cheering and waving to their guardians, including her, had made all tension leave her. Rushing up the ramp and dismissing her rigging, the first thing she did was gather them into hugs and tell them that she was glad to see that they were alright.

It had been amusing to note that Daichi and Yoshi were both embarrassed by this, but she did not care. And it did not escape her notice that both boys, while somewhat flustered, enjoyed the affection from her and the others. Standing up, and picking Fu-Chan as well as Natsuki in her arms, Fubuki had let out a relieved sigh. And as she looked at the others, she came to a realization in that moment.

Somehow... she, Fubuki, nameship of her class... had become a parent.

For some odd reason, that did not bother her too much. Quite the opposite as a matter of fact, it made her smile and tear up a little. And the maternal warmth in her chest only made her boilers ache, but in a good way. At the same time, she also swore that if she was going to be a parent, then she would be the best one that she could be, or at least hope to be such.

Once they had given their report to the Admiral with her fairies watching over the kids, Fubuki had taken Yuudachi aside to talk with them. With a blush on her cheeks, she told them what she had realized. Just as she finished, the others had shared a look and shaken their heads before their next words made her blink...

***************************************************************

Eyebrow raised, Yuudachi gave her a look of amusement and snorted, "We knew that already, Poi."

Blinking, Fubuki looked at each of the others to find that they were nodding as well, which made her stare, "Wait, wait... you knew? Already?"

Softly smiling, Kana hummed as she held her hands in front of her, "Hai, Fubuki-Senpai, we knew that you saw them as your children." Shifting a bit with a blush on her cheeks, her smile grew warmer, "It... was good to see."

Running her hand through her hair, the first Modern Destroyer could only shake her head, "I'm not quite sure what to say." Pausing for a moment, she frowned in thought, "But... why didn't you say anything?"

Just walking up to her, Mutsuki had cupped her cheek and smiled, "Because it was something that you needed to figure out yourself, Fubuki-Chan. If we had told you, would you have believed it?" At the headshake from Fubuki, she smiled, "Exactly." Moments later, her fellow Destroyer kissed her, with both of them leaning into the kiss for a few seconds. Pulling back, Mutsuki hummed happily, "And it was amazing to see you act like a parent."

Grin on her face, Yuudachi practically skipped over and threw her arms around her fellow Destroyer's neck, "It really was, Poi. And funny too, since you didn't realize it!" Giggling, she grinned a bit before kissing Fubuki, and doing so hard with at least one wandering hand. When she pulled back, both of them had somewhat swollen lips, though the "Nightmare of Solomon" had an even bigger grin as she waggled her eyebrows, "And seeing you act like a parent is, like, super hot, Poi. Whether it is you acting like a Kaa-San or an Otou-San, both good. Gets my boilers all hot and running."

Arms crossed, Kisaragi nodded a little even as she watched Fubuki flush at what Yuudachi had just admitted to, "She has a point you know, it is pretty hot. Seriously, I had to hold myself back from jumping you."

Placing her face in her hands, Fubuki only groaned, "Not you too..." Then, pulling her hand back, she looked in the direction of where the children were, "Still... I only hope not to mess this up."

Gently, the only Battleship in their group smiled and placed her hand on the Destroyer's shoulder, "I wouldn't worry much, Senpai. You do a great job already and before you realized it. So I can't see you not doing so now."

Only sighing, Fubuki turned and gave her Battleship a kiss, "Thank you..."

***************************************************************************

In the present, the Destroyer felt her lips twitch a bit as Fu-Chan's ears flicked a bit. After all, it was an adorable sight to her. As well, it was one that she felt like she could never get tired of.

Of course, that brought her mind back to the night before...

************************************************************

Yawning a little, the Kitsune rubbed her eyes some, which made Fubuki smile down at her, "A little tired, Fu-Chan?"

Lightly blushing, Fu-Chan looked away and would not meet her eyes, "Hai, Fubuki-San, I, um..." Scuffing her shoe into the ground, she looked up at the young woman who had rescued her from the man that was a tormentor, "I couldn't sleep well last night."

Frowning, the Destroyer crouched down a little to meet her eyes, "You couldn't sleep well?" At the shake of the head, Fubuki's voice became gentle, "Why? Were you scared?"

Once more, Fu-Chan looked away, "Um, no... I wasn't scared. B-but I was really excited. Because today you were going to come home at least. A-and that you were okay."

Much to her surprise, Fubuki gently kissed the top of her head and pulled back with a smile, "I see, though I am sorry that because of me, you didn't get much sleep."

Yawning some, Daichi stretched and gave a shrug, "Well, we were all excited. Besides, we made sure that the house is super clean and everything."

Rapidly nodding, Ayame nodded as she took Mutsuki's hand, "Hai! Daichi-Nii-Chan helped out lots! And so did Yoshi-Nii-Chan! Both of them got up high and moved heavy stuff so that we could make it all squeaky clean!"

Both boys blushed at that and the smiles that they got, blushes that increased as Yuudachi gave both their heads a ruffle, "Good job, Poi. We're proud of you."

That got nods as the two nearly teenage males looked away with the Sarugami shrugging, "Yeah, well... it's sort of our job being the strongest. And it wasn't that big of a deal."

Amused, Fubuki was about to comment on that when she noticed that Fu-Chan gave another yawn. Softly smiling, she picked up the Kitsune and then her close with the Kitsune's head laying against her chest, "There we go, don't want you tripping."

Happily humming, the young Yokai nodded before snuggling into the Destroyer's chest, "Mmm... Fubuki-San? Is it alright if I..."

Gently, Fubuki placed a kiss on her forehead, "Hai, go ahead and get some sleep, I'll carry you home."

Somewhat to her amusement, it was not just Fu-Chan that decided that they needed a nap as Akane and Ayame also decided to take a nap in Mutsuki's arms while Kasumi was on top of Yuudachi's shoulders. Kana, meanwhile, simply carried Yomi with the squirrel Yokai pillowed against her chest. The others simply took hands and the like or walked beside them as they headed home.

When they got home, however, Fubuki and the others got to cooking dinner with some elk steaks that they brought from Canada. Though they did note, when opening the fridge, that there was a chocolate cake. Surprised, Fubuki and the others turned to the children and found them shuffling. Natsuki cleared her throat and blushed some, "Um... we knew that you were coming home. So we asked if Takao-Nee-San could help us bake you a cake. We hope that we did a good job..."

Looking at the cake, Fubuki and the others noted that on top of the chocolate icing, which was uneven, was white icing spelling out 'Welcome home'. A soft smile came to their faces and they thanked the children. When they had some, they found that it had been slightly burned at the bottom. And, sure enough, the icing was uneven.

It was also the best chocolate cake that they had ever had in their opinion as well.

*********************************************************

Closing her eyes, Fubuki just smiled happily as she laid back, completely content and happy with her family, both girlfriends and her children, around her.

 

[darthcourt10]

Shinr

Been working on this on and off since HarryL canonized - What Tamamo was up to between her second time in China and arriving in Japan. The exact set-up is probably canonically unlikely at this point, and the main reason for it got ditched in the end (more of that at the A/N)

----

Rome

The city that all roads lead to.

The city that birthed one of the most powerful and influential empires in history.

The city that hosts the home of the largest religion in the world.

The city that Natsumi and her family decided to go to for a vacation during her school break.

And right now, after touring many attractions and sampling the Italian cuisine, Natsumi was leisurely walking among the ruins of the Roman Forum.

"You know, if anyone told me during the time I visited this place that it would cast a long shadow on the whole world for two millennia to come, I would've laughed at them and then killed them slowly for stating something so foolish, for it was that destitute." A passenger in her mind stated. "And yet here we are, with at least half of the world at bare minimum making a show of pretending to pay respect to this grave while spewing pig Latin."

"Oh, right, Taiyang mentioned that you came here, somehow." Natsumi sighted, said Dao strapped to her waist, invisible to most.

"A waste of few decades of my life." Tamamo sighted in return.

"Oh my master, if this foxy Dao could, she would gladly go back in time and wipe the wannabe hegemons from history so that there would not even be a whisper to tempt you with, ~Mikon." Taiyang declared.

"Please, even if it is no longer possible, do not even joke about altering ancient history just because of a grudge." Natsumi deadpanned before shifting her attention to the Echo "How and Why did you even travel here, anyway?"

"Your faithful servant is also curious, my Master, as you only told this in broad strokes before, ~Mikon." The foxy dao Inquired.

"…All right." Tamamo no Mae sighted "Listen well, because it is unlikely I will repeat this story ever again."

The Ancient fox collected herself, and then began.

"It all started partly out of practical considerations. In the north, Emperor Taiwu of Wei began his unification efforts with much success, while in the south, Emperor Wu of Liu Song forged a united and powerful kingdom." Tamamo stated "Between those two, the Middle Kingdom was at its most stable since the end of the Three Kingdoms, and with that stability the conditions that I thrived in, the safety net for my life that I got used to, naturally disappeared."

"So the Authorities got their act together, forcing you to lay low?" Natsumi concluded.

"Essentially? Yes. "Tamamo answered "But to be honest, there were also some personal reasons."

"Such as?"

"I needed a break."

Natsumi stopped near the Comitium, the original assembly area of the Romans, disbelief clearly on her face.

"You… needed a break?" Natsumi asked with some skepticism.

"I got tired of China and the constant chaos it was in. Oh shush you, I can already tell what you are thinking: 'But Ero-Kitsune, didn't you want for China to be in eternal discord?'" Tamamo said in imitation of younger kitsune's voice, to said kitsune's embarrassment "It was nearly three centuries of on and off turbulence, Natsumi. The Three Kingdoms, The Disorder of the Eight Kings, The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Five Barbarians, and everything else within and in-between, almost all of it by their own hand. Sometimes, there is such a thing as getting too much of what you wished for."

"…But why Rome, though?" Natsumi asked, while she walked and looked around the Comitium.

"First, I already had my share of the neighboring kingdoms and empires, and they in turn would greatly prefer to stick my head on the spear if they found me having fun in their backyard."

"Of course they would." Natsumi deadpanned.

"Eh, that is tame compared to what the Cultivators wanted to do with us, mikon." Taiyang commented.

"Quite so. As for the second reason, I overheard Imperial officials talking of the land to the far west, ruled by a vast Empire they referred to as Daqin." the Echo continued "They, along with the accounts of Persian and Indian scholars, and even the word of the few visiting Roman dignitaries, painted that Empire as a rare peer to the Middle Kingdom. Bold claim, yet It piqued my curiosity, stirring me from ennui to start my Journey to the West."

"And then you met Son Goku on the way." Natsumi sarcastically suggested.

"…Thank the Ancestors that I did not." The echo said in shudder "That one time back during the Shang Dynasty was enough for several, very, very long lifetimes."

Natsumi was incredulous "...You met the Monkey Ki-"

"ANYWAY!" Tamamo interrupted "I did not tarry in India, and quickly arrived at the lands of the Persians, then ruled by the house of Sasan. The sights were quite something to behold, but I didn't stay long."

"Ah, I remember you mentioning something about the Djinn being particularly hardheaded during that time, something about the Shaitans getting uppity, ~Mikon." Taiyang commented.

"Yes, they were trying to undo the work of the late Bahram V, and I wanted to avoid getting caught in the crossfire." Tamamo confirmed "So I made haste, crossing the Bosporus and arrived at Constantinople, my first true sight of the so-called peer."

"The City of World's Desire." Natsumi said.

"Well, it certainty tried to live up to that moniker." the Echo said with some amusement "Traders from all corners of the west and some even from east, peddling their just as varied wares, grandiose temples dedicated to both old Hellenic faith and the then young Christianity, the Byzantine power and wealth of the Emperor, all protected by impressive double Theodosian walls, and even more thoroughly surrounded by positively labyrinthine web of favors, alliances, grudges, powerplays and conspiracies within an immensely factionalized court."

"Sounds like your kind of place." Natsumi commented.

"Reminded me of home, really." The Echo replied." And I thought that, If this is merely a frontier province capital, how much more impressive the Rome itself will be, but two things curbed my enthusiasm a bit."

"And those were?" Natsumi asked.

"I found out that they have split the Empire into two halves two centuries ago, so what I thought to be a province capital is actually a Capital of the whole Eastern portion of the former Empire, explaining its affluence in a less inspiring manner." Tamamo no Mae explained "And that the Emperor was paying tribute to the barbarians to leave his realm alone. Or it at least he was supposed to, because when I arrived the city was besieged by a vast horde of barbarians who demanded what was promised to them."

"Like a Yazuka protection racket gone wrong."

"Indeed. To their credit, the Romans of Constantinople defended their city well, thanks to skillful utilization of their thick walls." Tamamo said "But it seemed that the romans offended someone high up, for an Earthquake opened the path through both layers of the walls, and the Emperor was tripping over himself trying to collect enough gold to bribe the barbarians not to exploit the fresh new opening."

"A single breach was enough to make them scurry like panicked mice?" Taiyang commented "No wonder you found them wanting, mikon."

"There was more to that, admittingly, but we will come to that later." The echo stated. "I booked a ship to transport me to the Western Empire, the former center of the whole Rome, and even before I crossed the border I noticed how worse it was the further west I go, from the usual distance from organized authority to the northern barbarians getting bolder and bolder, many places I passed were little more than struggling hamlets built around older Hellenic ruins. And It only gotten worse as I entered the western Empire proper."

"I can imagine." Natsumi said, looking at the ruins around her.

"In the cities and countryside of the Italian peninsula, the roads were more often left un-maintained, the bridges crumbled or destroyed, the famed aqueducts have either collapsed or were streaming refuse, venerable buildings were increasingly replaced with those of more primitive make as the knowledge to build and repair the older and more complicated structures was increasingly forgotten." Tamamo explained " What few prosperous cities that still existed were protected by the poorly-equipped Legions who were almost de-facto mercenaries by that point, paid by increasingly in name only subjects of Rome. And then I reached the fabled city itself."

"And you found it wanting," Natsumi stated.

"Worse than wanting." The echo said with disdain "An obviously once great city, now even more obviously not even a shadow of its former glory, desperately propped up by its rulers to be something it no longer was, to hide ugly cracks and hideous flaws as everything that was wrong outside Rome was by magnitudes worse inside, just with the crumbling marble impressions of dung polished to a mirror sheen.

But worst of all were the people! It was as if an entire society was composed of old Chinese Eunuchs at their worst, all pride and vanity and ego with no shred of skill and diligence, only that they still retained their ability to rut and breed. They acted like they were still masters of the world despite evidence to the contrary, indulging in debauchery in their homes, in their temples and even on the streets and expecting for all of it to be paid for by the subjects they no longer controlled! They were less of proud inheritors of a mighty empire and more of arrogant squatting children riding on the name of their forefathers while simultaneously exalting themselves above them!"

Tamamo no Mae ended her tirade to collect her mental breath.

"Years of travel, wasted, just to get that dump." The Echo sighted. "I had to make my displeasure known."

"I wish that I was crafted earlier, Master, so that I could've assisted you in punishing these ungrateful scum for wasting your time ~Mikon." Taiyang mused.

"I assume that you 'complained' by messing with the local Emperor?" Natsumi asked.

"Ah no, they were already used to Emperors getting quickly deposed for any reason and just as quickly replaced, sometimes several times in a single year, so me contributing there would not really hurt them much." The older Kitsune explained "So instead of rousing internal troubles, I invited an external threat."

"The Barbarians." Natsumi said "But weren't they already doing that, burning and pillaging across what was left of the Empire?"

"Oh sure, no doubt in time the steppe riders would've ground the pathetic city to dust within several decades. But that is assuming that during those years nothing will distract the tribes from doings so, like fighting each other, or the Eastern Romans ascending and absorbing the West and rebuilding it, or a second coming of Caesar or Augustus miraculously reviving the rotting Empire." Tamamo objected. "No, I wanted the city burned, razed and salted within the decade, I just needed a bait big enough to attract a large enough brute with a huge enough army behind him."

"But what would within that worthless city even be worthy enough to spur the rough riders even more so?" Taiyang asked.

"Not what, my dear little blade, but who." The ancient kitsune cooed. "With the city experiencing disorderly times, it was pathetically easy to infiltrate the Domitian Palace and possess the Emperor's sister, using her worries over the unwanted marriage to one of her brother's senator allies."

"Wait, how did you did that and managed to get away with it?" Natsumi asked "Surely, with very little knowledge of the land, of its magical tradition and no support to aid you, you would've been discovered."

"Oh, nobody noticed me because there was no one to notice." Tamamo answered "The magicals and magical creatures of Italia saw the writing on wall a long time ago, and over the centuries they have fled the sinking ship either by distancing themselves from the mundane side or had jumped ship, sometimes literally, to their Eastern cousins. If anyone noticed, they did not care enough to report.."

"Oh by the…" Natsumi stopped herself "There was no one at all?"

"There were the Latin gods and their servants." Tamamo admitted. "But they were more concerned with trying to get the Christians back on the lion menu instead of worrying about little ol'me."

"Ha! No need to deceive the enemy when the enemy ignores you like an idiot ~mikon!" Taiyang proudly stated.

"So." Natsumi sighted. "About that princess, or whatever the Romans called them back then."

"Using what little authority she had, I sent a letter with her royal ring to the barbarian king I mentioned earlier who bested the Eastern Romans, begging him to save 'myself' from a loveless bondage." Tamamo said while mockingly mimicking a damsel in distress. "Also vaguely promising my hand and by extension the whole of Western Rome in return."

"~Ah, nothing like dangling a female-shaped carrot in front of horny man to make him do what we want, ~Mikon." Taiyang commented.

"But didn't you want Rome destroyed, not conquered?" Natsumi asked "Besides, he would've been just another Barbarian among many others and he didn't actually conquered the Byzantines, he just scarred them enough to pay him off."

"That would've been a good point." Tamamo admitted "But there was something about him that made it very obvious to the learned that he was destined to leave a mark on history. Even you might've heard of him, this Attila of the Huns."

"…Oh."

"Oh, Indeed. But just in case I subtly worked to undermine the Roman response to the Hunnic aggression, sabotaging supplies and equipment, convincing the right people in right places that the danger was overblown, the usual." Tamamo explained. "The only reason it got off the ground was due to the efforts of one Flavius Aetius, the Rome's Magister Militum of quite considerable skill and talent. This man was quite familiar with the ways of the horse riders from his days as a hostage ambassador to various barbarian tribes, including the Huns, and it is from this 'post' that he came to personally know Attila, and the true extent of the danger he represented."

"What do you know, there was someone actually smart among the Romans." Taiayng commented.

"Which is why I discretely shadowed him in case I needed to 'nudge' things, as he led the legions and his barbarian allies to the Catalunian Plains, where he forced a battle with Attila and his army." Tamamo stated "It wasn't a large battle when compared to what I saw back in China, but the sheer brutality matched, maybe even exceed, the worst of the Three Kingdoms. They weren't exaggerating about the bodies and spirits rising up again and again trying to kill each other long after the battle ended, for the spiritual wound inflicted on the material world by that battle was truly strong enough to enable it."

"…Who won?" Natsumi asked.

"The Romans, technically, for they stopped Attila's attempt at establishing Hunnic Gaul." Tamamo answered. "But they sacrificed too much in doing so. Elite Legions and their gear that took many years to train and forge now lied dead and broken on those plains, among the allied barbarian dead were the lynchpyns of pro-Roman factions, and without those the tenuous Roman-Barbarian alliances disintegrated. And if the barbarians worked and acted in any way similar to those back in China, Attila would only need to wait a year to two to recover and restart the invasion."

"A Pyrrhic victory." Natsumi commented.

"Certainly, and no matter how extremely skillful Flavius was, he couldn't conjure well-trained and well-equipped legionaries out of thin air, not without magical and divine help and certainly not enough to stand in the Barbarian King's way towards Rome and, heh, me." Tamamo said in amusement. "So I took it easy and waited for the 'good' news, while I, well, did as the Romans did in Rome."

Natsumi was confused for a moment at the last part, before she blushed in realization.

"H-Hentai!"

"Mou, Master, you're too easy, ~Mikon." Taiyang pouted.

"N-not as easy as the Ero-Kitsune here!" Natsumi retorted.

"Your comebacks need some work too, Natsumi-chan~." Said Ero-Kitsune stated.

Natsumi just simmered in annoyance.

"As I indulged in what was probably the only good thing the City had to offer, I soon heard that the Huns had invaded Italia." Tamamo stated "Despite Flavius' valiant efforts he failed to stop Attila at Aquileia, with the city itself pillaged and burned so much that no trace of it was left afterwards."

"A Taste for what to expect for the Romans ~mikon." Taiyang commented.

"And then the day arrived, when the Huns were in sight of Rome. I ascended the Rome's tallest tower, observing the approaching Horde. They were tired, they were hungry, their supplies lines were overstretched, and they were vulnerable to disease, so one would rationally conclude, when considering Rome's own pitiful state of defense, that they would be willing to settle for a hefty tribute without a fight." The Echo recounted "But no, Attila's authority and charisma pushed them far beyond their limits, and the complete erasure of Aquileia had whetted their bloodlust, ready to take and scour everything before them."

Natsumi recalled a few dreams of a much older Harry, commanding a fleet of outnumbered, desperate but unbowed Shipgirls against an entire Ocean-worth of Abyssals, and winning despite all odds. She blushed at the imagery, futilely hoping that the Dao and Echo would not notice, or more realistically at least smugly not comment.

"The Romans knew they were done for, knew that what little might and even less magic in their possession will be not enough to avert the inevitable, knew that the fate of the city will be even worse than that of salted Carthage." Tamamo recounted with some glee. "But some still held hope, however faint it was, for the Pope requested a parlay, and the King of Huns humored him, meeting on No Man's Land, and this is where things started to go off my script."

"The Pope convincing Attila to call off the invasion." Natsumi said, remembering some of the tourist pamphlets describing the city's history "But the way you say it, no bribe would've worked, what did he told Attila to make him pull back?"

The Echo was silent for a while.

"That is the thing. Despite my mastery of countless methods of surveillance, I couldn't hear what they said nor discern their lips and body language, as if there was a wool on my senses." Tamamo answered with some trepidation "Whatever the Pope said, he persuaded the Hun to back off, empty-handed at that, but I wasn't too worried, for I thought that there was no way he could order his blood-thirsty, glory-seeking, gold-greedy and flesh-desiring army to just pack up and leave with a price of Rome dangling right under their noses, that they were more likely to kill him and continue the siege.

But somehow, beyond any reasonable explanation, despite their overt displeasure and rage at being denied their chance for glory and loot, his followers obeyed. Grumbling with gritted teeth, but obeying nevertheless." Tamamo recalled with disbelief "Angry and incredulous, I was about to jump off the tower and over the walls to interfere, to ensure that the massacre will occur as I planned one way or another, with or without Attila, when…"

"…When what, Master?" The unusually tactful Dao asked, when the silence stretched.

"…When I felt a hand on my shoulder. While I was on tallest tower in Rome. Surprised, I looked back." The Echo shivered "And I saw… It."

"It?" Natsume asked.

"Black robes darker than the night, dark wings blacker than the void, long, thin hands bordering on skeletal, one of them holding…" Tamamo paused to collect herself. "…Holding an ordinary farmer's two-handed scythe, and yet, the sheer, primal weight of that tool's existence was only suppressed by that of its' wielder."

Stunned Silence was her audience's reaction.

"But the worst thing was it's face, or rather the vast emptiness in the hood where it was supposed to be." Tamamo remembered with a shudder. "As I stared at the all-consuming nothingness, it simply, smoothly, slowly shook it's head, took it's hand off my shoulder, and left. By the time I recovered from shock, it was too late to influence the events, and Rome survived, however briefly.

Furious at the heavens for denying my wish yet again, I lashed out." The Echo continued "As much as I wanted to murder the Pope, I dared not incur the wrath of that being. But I figured that Attila was fair game, and I killed him in his own tent when he sampled a latest addition to his harem, and letting the pretender fools tear apart his fledgling empire.

The opportunistic Vandals will pillage the weakened Rome two years later, but their sack did not hold a candle to what Attila could've done." The Echo said with some disappointment "And it was at this point that I decided that I had enough of the west, and started my journey back east."

Tamamo no Mae finished her tale, and took a breather before mentally turning to the younger kitsune.

"And that is that." The Echo concluded.

No one said anything for a moment, before Natsumi sighed.

"Besides apparently meeting with the Reaper there at the end, I think you over-reacted to Rome being underwhelming, you old fox." Natsumi simply stated.

"What, never had a travel regret?" The echo asked back.

"There is a difference between trying to shutdown some rundown, two-bit tourist trap and trying to erase a whole civilization!" The young fox shouted.

"There is!?" Taiyang exclaimed in what Natsumi sincerely hoped was mock astonishment.

And so the vacation continued.

----

A/N: I also planned on another part where the fox trio to discover a Temporal Echo on the roof of Curia Julia/Senate Building, a barely perceivable mirage-like haze which Tamamo explains is an imprint of a significant historical event, and in China during the Age of Gods/Heroes the sages studied similar echos in effort to both study the past and to understand Time itself, and speculates that the Time Turner or its predecessor was a result of studying one. After a bit of convincing Natsumi that no, it is only possible to view the past as a sort of spectre with this, not change nor interact with it, they dived in, finding themselves spectators of the burning and bloody Rome right in the middle of Civil War between Marius and Sulla in their struggle to "save" the Republic as they see it, with the rivers and aqueducts running red with blood and bodies, legionnaires and auxiliaries duking it out, citizens and the plebeians tearing at each other, Cerberi wrangling Giant Wolves, Pegasus riders air jousting with Harpies, Giants battling animated Marble Colossi, Deities openly supporting sides and many more, with the fight of two leading men despite their age dwarfing everyone and everything else just by their presence. Ends with the foxy trio returning to present and Tamamo lamenting in a very, very Dripping-Heart-Eyes Yandere mode about why she did not go to Rome five centuries early.

But I ran out of steam and the idea felt tacked on compared to the rest of the snip.

 

[darthcourt10]

Informational - Shinr: What Tamamo was up to between her second time in China and arriving in Japan

So I was looking up on Tamamo no Mae on Yokai.com, and it was mentioned there that after destroying the Shang dynasty she fled to India where she caused troubles to a local dynasty, before she was forced to flee back to China to screw with the Zhou dynasty, and then nothing was heard of her from 700 BCE until 700 AD, when she discretly traveled to Japan and stayed silent for another 300 years until the whole business with Emperor Konoe.

The obvious answer to what she was doing during that whole millennia is screwing over all the Dynasties after Zhou, but I can imagine that sometime during that period she had to flee out of China again and Tamamo decided that she might as well take a temporary break on causing chaos in China and go have fun abroad, beyond India this time, to the far away Empire called Rome that some scholars were gossiping about.

She was less than impressed with 400s Rome, and with the soon-to-be Dark Ages Europe in general. So in revenge for wasting her time traveling there she possessed a roman lady named Justa Grata Honoria, sister to the Roman Emperor and about to be wed to one his senator flunkies, and have sent a letter to Attila, king of the Huns, to rescue and marry her and to become Emperor of all Romans.

And everybody in the Western Roman Empire will have a really, really bad day every day for the next 3 years.

Until one day, just outside the gates of Rome and in figurative arms-reach of Tamamo!Honoria, Attila was somehow convinced by Pope Leo to turn back. Enraged, Tamamo would then possess Attila's newest addition to his harem and killed him on the wedding night, dealing a blow to the Huns from which they will never recover. Having enough of these backwards western lands, Tamamo departs for China, leaving Europe a darker place in her wake.

*Post partially inspired by Age of Empires 2 nostalgia, and the Attila campaign story:

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Unfortunately, no matter what Fubuki might have wished, her little peaceful moment in time came to an end. Eyes opening as she felt movement beside her, Fubuki turned to find the warm, cinnamon coloured eyes of Mutsuki looking back at her. Said Destroyer had a soft, loving smile on her face, "Good morning, Fubuki-Chan."

Just smiling back, Fubuki nodded, "And a good morning to you as well, Mutsuki-Chan."

Shifting slowly enough not to wake the others, she leaned over and gave her fellow shipgirl a soft kiss that was returned. As the Destroyer pulled back, Mutsuki gave a hum, "A very good morning, it seems, Fubuki-Chan." Tilting her head a little, she raised an eyebrow, "So what were you thinking of?"

Glancing at her, Fubuki lightly chuckled, "How long were you awake?"

Lips curling, Mutsuki gave a slight giggle, "Long enough to see you with that happy smile on your face. It really made you look cute."

Cheeks burning a little, the other girl let out a sight, "As to your question..." Fubuki smiled slightly more softly, "Just... a few things." At the raised eyebrow that answer got, she gave the barest shrug possible, "Mainly about how happy I am at this moment in time. With you, Yuudachi-Chan, Kisaragi-Chan, and Kana-Chan... and the children."

That made Mutsuki turn her attention to said children, in particular the two Neko cuddled into her, "It is a wonderful feeling, isn't it, Fubuki-Chan?" Humming, she reached up and gently stroked the hair of the two Nekomata sleeping in her embrace, "Do you think that this is how Nagato-San feels with Harry-Chan?"

For a few moments, Fubuki considered that before nodding, "I'm sure that is how she feels." Fond smile on her hips as she stroked Fu-Chan's head, she hummed, "It's hard to imagine how we lived before them."

Gently stroking Akane's hair, the other Destroyer nodded, "Same here, Fubuki-Chan. I don't want to go back to that, ever." A slight smirk came to her face, however, "Though you make for a good Kaa-San, Fubuki-Chan." Then, Mutsuki pouted a little, "I'm sort of jealous..."

Rolling her eyes, Fubuki gave her a quick nuzzle on the nose before smiling, "You're a great Kaa-San, as well, Mutsuki-Chan. You're just the stern one with Yuudachi-Chan as the fun one for example."

That made Mutsuki with a little and she gave her head a small shake, "I wish that Yuudachi-Chan wouldn't go ahead and spoil them sometimes... I swear, if I did not love her."

Unable to help herself, the "First Modern Destroyer" smiled, "Mainly because they deserve that."

Sighing, Mutsuki gave a small nod, "I suppose that's true." Looking at each of the children, she smiled, "But worth it... especially to come home to." Watching the cat ears on the Neko twitch, her smile grew, "Coming home to see them waiting, and seeing their excitement and love? I could see it all the time and never get tired of it." Blinking away some tears, the Destroyer smiled, "It... it's a wonderful feeling and I cannot get enough of it."

Expression soft, Fubuki reached over and cupped her girlfriend's cheek, thumb rubbing just beneath her eye, "Hai, it really is, Mutsuki-Chan."

Closing her eyes some, the other Destroyer nodded before reaching up with her hand and placing it over Fubuki's, "Mmm." Opening her eyes, she gave a soft sigh as she looked at the gathered children, "They really did miss us... though I am glad that Kashima-San and the others kept an eye on them."

Lightly humming as she stroked Fu-Chan's hair, Fubuki could only nod, "Hai, almost as much as we missed them, I think." Glancing at the other shipgirl, she lowered her voice, "Has your crew had any luck with..."

With a glance towards her, Mutsuki smiled down at the two Nekomata, "Hai, they think that they have found at least Akane-Chan's and Ayame-Chan's parents, or have a good lead on them. Once confirmed, they're going to bring them on board and I'll ask them to join my crew, so that they would be there for their children." Fingers lightly stroking the two Nekomata, she hummed, "I wonder though... considering Ashigara-San, do you think that we might gain some Yokai features?"

Silently considering that, the other Destroyer shook her head, "It is possible, I guess. She does have ears and a tail..." Frowning, Fubuki hummed, "And I do have Yuki-Onna powers, so..." A grin appeared on her face, "Though you and Kisaragi-Chan as catgirls could be fun~"

Blushing at that, Mutsuki looked away before giving her a shy smile, "Same with you having a fox tail and ears or Yuudachi-Chan with dog ears and tail..."

At that, the two of them giggled a little.

It was not long afterwards that Fubuki felt a stirring on her chest and turned her head to find that Fu-Chan was waking up. For a few moments, the still partially asleep Kitsune rubbed at her eyes before blinking, "Fubuki-K... Fubuki-San? Is it morning?"

Lips curled into a soft smile, Fubuki nodded, "Hai, it is and a good morning to you." Pausing, the Destroyer felt a shot of fear run down her keel. A fear that seemed so much greater than any battle she had faced before. Taking a deep breath, however, Fubuki gathered her courage, "Fu-Chan? What were you about to call me?"

The Kitsune looked away with a blush on her face, "Um..."

Voice becoming gentle, Fubuki sighed a bit, "Were you about to call me 'Kaa-San', Fu-Chan?"

Unsure, Fu-Chan have a tiny, unsure nod, "H-hai... I was. Um... I'm sorry..."

Placing her hand on the younger girl's back, the Destroyer gave her a smile, "Fu-Chan? You have nothing to be sorry about." Once more pausing for a moment, Fubuki's courage, which had seen her through battles that should have been far beyond her, nearly failed her before she managed to speak the next words from her mouth, "Would you like to?"

Rapidly blinking, Fu-Chan stared at her, "Y-you mean... I... you could be..."

Very slowly, Fubuki nodded with her voice soft, "I can never replace your parents, Fu-Chan, yours or the others. And none of us want to either, though we will still do our best to give you the best lives that we can. But..." Mouth dry, she swallowed, "But if you want to, I... don't mind you calling me Okaa-San, Kaa-San, or Kaa-Chan. Not in the slightest, but only if that is what you want to do, okay? That is up to you."

Tearing up, the young Kitsune felt like her heart would jump from her chest as she heard those words. Enough, that she didn't notice the others waking up. First, Fu-Chan found herself nodding, "I... I would like that... Kaa-San?" At Fubuki's gentle smile and nod, she sobbed as she launched herself forward, arms going around the shipgirl's neck as she buried her face into the crook of said neck, "Kaa-San!"

Feeling the tears soaking her shirt, Fubuki smiled as she held the young Yokai close, "Hai..." Tears prickling at her own eyes, she continued, "Hai, Musume."

She then felt movement and looked up to find Natsuki looking at her with tears in her own eyes as the Nekomata held her hands to her mouth. Silently, Fubuki opens her other arm and the feline Yokai practically jumped into it, "Fubuki-Kaa-San!"

Meanwhile, beside Fubuki, Akane and Ayame watched with wide eyes before they turned unsure gazes to Mutsuki and Kisaragi. Said Destroyers only nodded and then found their arms full of young Neko as they cried, "Mutsuki-Kaa-Chan! Kisaragi-Kaa-Chan!"

On the opposite side of Fubuki, Yuudachi was holding Kasumi close, said Inugami sniffling, "Does this mean that you're my Kaa-San too?" At the nod from the Destroyer, Kasumi gave her a tight hug; burying her face in Yuudachi's chest, "Yuudachi-Kaa-Chan..."

Holding her close, the blonde Destroyer kissed her on the head, "Kasumi-Musume..."

It did not escape Fubuki's notice that the other children were also teary eyed, with Yoshi and Daichi currently hugging a similarly wet eyed Kana.

Needless to say, it did not take long before each of the shipgirls had their arms full of youngster calling them "Kaa-San/Kaa-Chan". And, perhaps not strangely, none of them minded that much. Eventually, Fu-Chan pulled her head away from where her face had been buried in the crook of Fubuki's neck and wiped at her eyes, "Does this mean that you're going to adopt us, Fubuki-Kaa-San?"

For a few moments, Fubuki didn't say anything. Then, slowly, she gained a bright smile of joy on her face, "Only if you want it, then I'll do it." At the happy gasps, she once more wrapped as many of the children as she could in her arms, "Heh... never expected this."

A hand on her shoulder made her turn to find Kana giving her a smile. The look in her eyes saying that she believed that Fubuki would do her very best at her new title, which made the Destroyer smile all the more in regards to it and she gently kiss her. Something that got giggles from the younger kids as they watched two of their "Moms" kiss.

Once her fellow Destroyer pulled back, Yuudachi pulled her in for a hug and kiss on the cheek. The blonde haired shipgirl then looked around, "Well, what are we waiting for!? Time for breakfast!" Grin on her face, she continued, "We got something to celebrate, Poi! So we're making pancakes!"

Happy gasps met that and the youngest of the two squirrel Yokai bounced a bit on her older sister's lap, "Pancakes! Um..." Tapping her chin, she frowned, "Um... what kind of pancakes."

With the younger twin Nekos in her own lap, Kisaragi smiled, "Well, what kind do you want? And if you want, we brought a big jar of Nutella that you can put on it."

Practically vibrating, Yomi looked up at her sister, "Did you hear that, Onee-Chan! Kisaragi-Kaa-Chan said that we can have Nutella!"

Lips twitching, the older squirrel Yokai nodded even as she licked her lips, "Hai, I heard."

Meanwhile, Atsuko shared a look with her twin sister, Akari, before turning back to the shipgirls there, "Could we have chocolate chip pancakes, Fubuki-Okaa-San? We haven't had that for a while..."

Chuckling, Fubuki smiled back at them, "That's not a problem, we brought a lot of chocolate back with us. Only question is if you want chocolate chips, or for us to take a bar and cut it into small chunks."

Both young Oni locked their lips before Akari answered for them both, "Chocolate chunk, please!"

All the shipgirls had a laugh at that before they stood up with Fubuki easily holding Natsuki and Fu-Chan in her arms.

Just a short time later found the group in the kitchen making pancakes. Leaning against the counter, Fubuki simply watched them. Atsuko and Akari were at one large mixing bowl as Mutsuki watched over them making pancake mix, helping out as needed. At the stove, meanwhile, Yuudachi was teaching both Daichi and Yoshi how to cook said pancakes, the two Yokai listening intently. Hearing a clatter, the shipgirl looked to see Fu-Chan juicing an orange, the Kitsune having her tongue stuck out the side as she pushed the orange half down the juicer with Natsuki cheering her on.

Barely holding back a giggle, Fubuki shook her head before taking a short video, 'Adorable...' There was a part of her considering posting it on the secure section of Shipgirls Online to see the reactions, 'Hmm... wonder if Nagato would blow her boilers or try to one up me...?'

It was not long after that found the various children at the table watching as Yuudachi pulled out a ceramic jug that she placed on here, "Here we go, Poi! Authentic maple syrup right from Canada!"

Eyes wide, Natsuki leaned in, "Is this really maple syrup from Canada, Yuudachi-Kaa-San? Really?!"

Arms crossed, the blonde Destroyer nodded, "Hai! It is."

Somewhat amused, Kana nodded as she sat down with her own small tower of pancakes, "We actually went and bought quite a bit during our leave by crossing the border into Canada itself. Just to make sure."

Hand beside her mouth, Kisaragi smiled, "We know some Canadian shipgirls after all. And Haida-San is one and pointed us at the good stuff. Like they put into the strategic maple syrup reserve."

That got her odd looks at the last bit as none of the kids were sure if they were being had on or not. But on the end, it was maple syrup and the kids happily had some on their pancakes. Gently wiping Ayame's face as she ate one pancake, Mutsuki sighed in bemusement, "The syrup is supposed to go into your mouth, Ayame-Chan, not on your face."

Blinking after sneezing, Ayame smiled, "I know!"

Of course, that was when she went back to eating just as messily to a sigh from the Destroyer even as she turned to clean Akane's hands, which were also covered in syrup much to the amusement of Kisaragi, "I'm going to need more clothes..."

Piece of pancake in her mouth, Fubuki happily hummed as she chewed as Fu-Chan sat in her lap eating her own pancake. Taking a sip of orange juice, the Destroyer looked down at the Kitsune with a smile, "Good job on the juice, Fu-Chan. It's just right."

That got her a happy smile from the young Yokai. Giggles made Fubuki turn before sighing at the sight of Kasumi trying not to laugh as Yuudachi was trying to chew a whole pancake she somehow shoved into her mouth. Finally swallowing, the Shiratsuyu managed it and threw her hands into the air, "Poi! I'm the champion!"

Also throwing her hands into the air, tail wagging behind her, Kasumi nodded, "The champion, Poi!"

Moments later, Yuudachi jumped a bit and flushed as she rubbed her behind where a the retreating hand of Fubuki had pinched it, "Poi..."

Smirk on her face, the "Mother of the Modern Destroyer" gave her a raised eyebrow, "Don't be acting up, Yuudachi-Chan and being a bad role model." Ignoring the laughter from the children, she speared another piece of pancake before putting it in her mouth. Humming from light, fluffiness as well as the sweetness of both the syrup and chocolate, the Destroyer smiled before chewing and swallowing, "Besides, we have to finish up putting what needs to go into the freezers downstairs into them. And then we got to get ready for the party later."

Eyes wide, Yoshi grinned, "Oh yeah! Harry-San's birthday is today!"

That was met with excited chatter for a few minutes before Fubuki nodded, "Hai, it's on Sarushima again since we can have a beach party there and you don't need to hide. Besides... Daichi-Kun will especially want to be there~"

Hearing the teasing tone to her voice as well as the grin of amusement on her face, the bear Yokai blinked, "I do? I mean, Harry-San is nice and stuff, but..."

If anything, Fubuki seemed to become even more amused, "Of course! After all..." She leaned towards him, her grin growing impossibly wide, "Takao-San will be there... in a bathing suit you know~"

Just a few seconds passed before Daichi understood what was just said and flushed deeply. He then placed his face in his hands as his "Sisters" around him giggled and tittered in amusement, while his mothers grinned as well. Seeing Yoshi snicker, he groaned, 'Just wait until it is your turn, Yoshi... then I am so getting you back.'

Meanwhile, Fubuki just took another bite of her pancake with a smirk.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- Well, I have a small mini-arc that is good to go but won't impact anyone else's plotlines, so here's The Morning After Vatipire. For reference, here's the snip directly before this one: Harry And The Shipgirls: Goblet of Feels (A HP/Kancolle Snippet Collection)

A Reward For Heroism (I)

Malfoy Manor

August 16th, 2014

"Honor is the reward of virtue." -- Marcus Tullius Cicero
Spoiler: A Trip To Moulbaix

Draco Malfoy straightened his Hugo Boss two-piece suit as he walked across the entrance hall of his ancestral home to join his sister Nimue, parents, and tutor Flynn. He nodded to the others, and then sighed minutely as Narcissa, who was dressed in the dark blue Eskandar cashmere dress that he had bought her at Harrod's, adjusted his lapels for him. "Mother!" he muttered, blushing at being treated like a little boy.

"Now now, son," Narcissa chided him as she stepped back and nodded, "you need to present the proper appearance to the Cousins du Chasteler." Over her shoulder, Lucius caught his son's eye and mouthed 'just indulge her, Draco' silently.

"Yes, Mother." Draco said sullenly. He then smirked slightly, looking forward to seeing Niobe, Aunt Colombe, Cousin Claire, and Cousin Ehren again. The smirk grew as Narcissa stepped back and nodded at the sight he presented.

Then his face darkened as he remembered the vision of the danger Ehren had been rescued from. Danger that he feared had been driven back, yes, but not destroyed.

Lucius tapped his cane against the serpentine marble flagstones to direct attention to him. "Time to go, everyone!" He declared in a powerful voice.

The Malfoy patriarch then nodded respectfully to Flynn, who began to incant and gesture as he cast one of the spells developed by the Order of Hermes.

Their Portal spell was a variation of the research that led to Portkeys, but instead of a brief pulse that took someone from where they were to the new location in a matter of instants, it instead created an image of the new location so real that you stepped through it to appear there.

It did have its weaknesses, such as needing to know the area that you were arriving at intimately, along with taking time to construct and substantial energies to maintain. But it did have one advantage for a group of often-persecuted Hermetic magicians who had been hiding from the ICW and the Ministries of Magic for centuries in a shadow war. It couldn't be tracked, blocked, or detected easily, unlike the Floo, Portkeys, and Apparition.

This was a definite advantage when your cousins wished to speak to you in privacy about matters of grave interest according to Colombe's phone call after arriving home.

As Draco watched with keen attention to how the spell was being constructed, Flynn spoke a word of command in Latin, raising an arch of shimmering greenish-golden energies the size of a door. The center hazed, blurred, and then suddenly snapped into focus. Instead of the wall containing the portraits of his ancestors, he could see a white gravel driveway through an apple orchard on the other side.

"Go, now." Flynn said in a strained voice. Lucius stepped through and appeared on the driveway on the other side. Draco followed his father and then shivered as he walked through the arch...

Castle Moulbaix, Belgium

...only to feel a mental wrench as his foot came down on gravel instead of flagstones. He stepped out of the gate to where his father waited so Nimue could follow him, then the luggage that the House-Elves had packed for him and Nimue's stay overnight was floated through.

Draco looked around and gave a small whistle. To either side, towering European Oaks gave shade for the driveway, past them, was a well-organized and laid out apple orchard. Then his eyes reached the castle at the end of the driveway. His lips curled in a small smirk as he thought to himself, well Cousin Ehren did mention growing up in a castle, after all.

He chuckled as he walked alongside his family up the driveway. As they passed the carriage house that had been turned into a garage the double doors opened and sunlight touched the blond hair of Aunt Colombe as she stepped outside. The rapier was dressed in an navy blue satin Victorian walking dress from the 1880s with gold highlights on the ruffles and flourishes, and wore a straw hat decorated with a navy blue silk ribbon and violets.

The Rapier curtsied. "Welcome to Moulbaix, Lord Malfoy, Lady Malfoy, Draco, Nimue." She gave a smug smile as she continued in that warm soprano voice. "I fear that the effects of Ehren's rescue have caused some disruption in the serving staff since Kasuyu had to restock groceries unexpectedly and Miho is supervising the Imps making your rooms presentable. So I find myself answering my own door."

Narcissa laughed, "So this gives you the excuse to wear that dress? It's quite nice. Where did you get it?"
Spoiler: Colombe's Dress

Colombe touched the silk and grinned. "Oh, this old thing? Misses' Polionaise of Paris, 1884, in fact. At least I enchanted it to not need a bustle to hang properly, those things were annoying. Just don't even get me started on corsets and hoop skirts."

Narcissa smiled and responded as Colombe guided them up the steps to her front door. "I can only imagine. Still fashion has its rewards, don't you agree, Lucius?"

Lucius nodded to his wife, "Most certainly, dear! I do confess curiosity in your mention of something important that you needed to discuss face to face with us, Cousin."

Colombe grimaced. "Several things actually that I found out when I rescued Ehren. But that can wait for a discussion in my study, I fear. Niobe's there to show you what we need to deal with."

Draco stepped inside and gave an impressed whistle at the antique grandeur of the entrance hall. Overhead, carved oak beams sprouted from stone pillars rooted in the black and white marble checkerboard of the floor, while a white marble staircase split to rise to ornately carved balconies left and right. Hanging at the split in the stairs, a larger than life portrait of a blond man dressed in 16th Century outfit leaning on a rapier dominated the room. The sound of a piano's playing echoing from somewhere within provided a perfect counterpoint to the Old World grandeur of his cousin's ancestral home.

Colombe spoke with deep emotion into the hall as she took off her hat reverently. "My Papa. Jean-Francois du Chasteler, the first son of Jean-Paul Malfoy."

Lucius rubbed his chin and then looked curiously at Colombe. "You don't have the painting of him enchanted?" He asked curiously

Colombe shook her head. "Non, both for secrecy among the Muggles and other reasons, the bulk of the paintings here have not been enchanted yet." She glanced at Draco and Nimue than then gave them a smug smile. "Ehren and Claire are playing piano in the downstairs ballroom; just take either of the doors directly ahead flanking the staircase. If in doubt, just follow the music."

Draco aand Nimue bowed to Colombe. "Yes, Aunt Colombe." Colombe in turn curtsied to them.

"Once Niobe's part in matters is done, I shall send her down to join you while us old folks talk. Lucius, Narcissa, shall we make a selection from the liquors available in my study before we get down to business?" Colombe finished with a small smug smile.

Draco watched his parents nod and head upstairs followed by their luggage. He then grinned in anticipation at his twin and walked rapidly toward the ballroom. He didn't see Nimue gave a fondly evil smile and a head shake as she followed in his wake.
Spoiler: Ehren Hatt' Einen Kameraden

(unfortunately there are no good piano versions of this one)

Draco opened the door to the ballroom and stood enthralled on the threshold. On the far side of the large ballroom, sunlight illuminated Claire sitting quietly and listening intently to the music. But his eyes were drawn to a magnificent and ornately decorated grand piano, which was ablaze from sunlight on the rich chocolate-colored mahogany wood and gilt highlighting the lion's paws and du Chasteler arms. He realized with a shock that this must be Claire's true body.

Ehren, dressed in a modestly cut jet black dress that accentuated her slim figure and with a bandage on her neck, was sitting at her sister's keyboard playing a slow, melancholy tune from memory with her eyes closed. The sunlight lit her golden hair up and highlighted a solitary sparkling tear leaking from her eyes to trickle down her cheek.

Ehren came to the end of the piece and bowed her head.

Claire gave him a shy smile, then spoke in her gentle musical voice. "Ehren, we have visitors."

Ehren's eyes popped open suddenly and her head snapped around. For a second, he saw... something... deep inside her steel-blue eyes before she gave him a smile as it vanished under her cool mask. "Cousin Draco! Cousin Nimue, Guten Tag! Welcome to Moulbaix!" She said in a cool and controlled voice as she wiped her cheeks with a tissue to remove the tear track.

"Hello, Ehren, Claire. It's good to see you again." Draco responded happily, walking across the ballroom toward his cousins.

Nimue met Claire's eyes as she walked behind him and gave a fond smile and shrug. Claire nodded minutely and then cocked her head at the piano.

Ehren stood and walked over to them briskly, then hugged Draco and Nimue, "It's... good... to see you both." Ehren said in that oddly controlled voice to him. "Thank you for sending Niobe as part of the rescue team. Her help was invaluable."

Draco breathed out a sigh of relief and spoke to Ehren while Nimue walked over to join Claire at the piano. "I'm just glad that you're all right. I had a dream, a vision of you in danger and it terrified me. Then we got your message about Moulbaix under attack. What happened then? What happened to your neck?"
Spoiler: ButterKlavier And Evil Little Sister Chip In!

She gently took his elbow and steered him out of earshot as Nimue and Claire began to play a soft piano duet. "It was my Vati." She said quietly and hesitantly, not looking at him and with subtle strain in her voice.

Draco blinked. "Your father? You mean the officer who owned your dagger body?"

She nodded shakily and swallowed. She took a deep breath, her eyes suspiciously shiny as she looked away from him through the woods and lake outside the windows to images that only she could see. Finally she spoke, her voice filled with iron control barely hiding the pain underneath the cool tones. "J-ja. He and Mutti were romantically involved in 1941 and...."

She broke off suddenly and looked down at her hands which slowly closed into fists and then opened as she stood there rigidly before continuing in that heartbreaking tone. "Their loyalties drove them apart. They loved each other very much but...." She trailed off once more.

As Draco watched in silence, Ehren breathed in and out as her fists clenched. Finally she resumed with guilt, grief, and sadness filling each precise syllable. "They fought in 1942 and nearly killed each other. We all thought Vati was dead then, but he... wasn't. He had become a vampire and hid in Africa. He... wanted me back to be his Tochter. To purify my blood and make me one of his Neue Herrenvolk." Her posture was stiff and stoic, and her eyes glimmered with the tears that she was suppressing and would never let fall.

Draco's mind whirled, then he looked at the bandage on the side of her neck. The pieces came together and he spoke half to himself in shock. "That's what happened! He tried to turn you into a vampire with a bite to the neck. We studied Vampire lore a little in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Ehren nodded with a sudden fragile movement, like a bird with a broken wing, still not looking at him. "Ja. It didn't take since I'm not human although he thought that I was a child of his body with Mutti." She gave a very wan smile for an instant and then continued in that strained voice. "I... used an illusion to fool him, make him think that he had Embraced me. That I was his body, mind and soul as I held out while I hoped for rescue or a chance to escape."

Draco shuddered in horror at the implications. Then acting almost without thought, he embraced her, ignoring her flinch as he gently hugged her to him. He whispered savagely with heat and passion in his voice. "I'll kill him myself!"

Ehren spoke in a small, broken voice into his shoulder. "Vati and Mutti fought in front of my eyes. Mutti... triumphed." Her arms reached around his chest and then clenched, squeezing the air from him in her desperate hug as her shoulders shook with her herculean effort to keep the tears filling her voice from falling from her eyes. "Mutti... saved me."

Her eyes closed and she whispered words filled with heartbreak before releasing him and stepping back to stand as strong and proud as her Kruppstahl dagger body.

"Vati... fell."

 

[darthcourt10]

Kab2

I'll continue Sofia's adventures for a while, previous snip is [sofia] being tracked
----------------------------------------------------------
A Short Interlude


Back in the island where Sofia had her base, a certain sword's spirit was training her swordmanship with her true body, something that helped her to focus.

Dark armor over a dark dress swinging a dark sword, with her pale blond hair fluttering with the wind.

Said hair tied in a ponytail with a gift from her master, one of her master's laces, naturally that meant that her master only had a ponytail in her right side instead of two, but she said that she didn't mind, as long as Jen used the gift she gave to her; the sword spirit smiled as she focused on the training, if swinging a sword in four basic movements was considered training.
Spoiler: Training

Front swing, lateral swing, upwards swing, downwards swing; she didn't remember how to properly battle with a sword, but somehow the basics came naturally to her, maybe it was because she was a spirit and know how to handle her instinctively, or maybe it is connected to one of the only two things she actually remembers.

Front, side, up, down.

One was she clashing with another sword, one glittering so brightly that it looked like it was made from gold, not like her that seemed as dark as a room without windows, but strangely in that clash moved something inside her, in that mere moment her unformed spirit looked inside the other sword and touched the warmth radiating from from her, and because of that she knew.

She(she never had a name until her first and actual Master named her Jen) was a copy of that golden sword, forged to defeat her, only a tool for her wielder to win over that golden sword and her Master.

But she doesn't know if her wielder succeeded or not, or if she was defeated or won over her original.

'No, no' thought Jen. 'Even if I was designed as a mere copy I am myself, she was the model nothing more and nothing less'

Front, side, up, down.

The other thing she remembers before she awoken in the submerged tomb was blurry, a person visiting the tomb before it sank. She don't remember the details, nor if it was a man or a woman, the only clear memory is a sweet fragrance, like it came from a flower field.

But now she was free from that prison, she now had a Master that was like her, and knew that the time will come when they would go into a journey, and that she would try to reach her goal, find the golden sword and defeat her.

Not for revenge if she was defeated in the past, nor for destroy and supplant her, but to prove that she is different from her, to be herself not a copy, and maybe find some answers about her past.

'Why should I fight?'

Suddenly a question that haunted Jen since she awoke crossed her mind. A lot of time alone in that tomb with only time in her hands, she slept most of the time until she was discovered, but those two memories and that question were always present, and now more than ever, as her master was much stronger than her, so why bother?

It would be easy to let herself down and let her master fight, it would be so easy...

But something nagged her, something was telling her to not let it go, to improve, to fight.

'Why should I fight?'

To be better than she is now, to beat the golden sword alone may be an answer; she knew that wasn't right but she couldn't place why, maybe if she recovered her memory...

"Gaahhh, my thoughts are running in circles again!" yelled Jen frustrated, that made her anger control her and do some moves without thinking.

When the fury was placated and she regained some control of herself, she tried to remember what moves she did.

'I almost touched something there' thought Jen 'Maybe the anger makes me easier to channel some forgotten memories?'

Maybe if she let the anger control her she could remember something but it was very dangerous, she can't distinguish allies and enemies in that state, it was like she was only a killing machine.

But more important she loathed not being in control of herself.

"Jennifer" said a voice Jen knew well "I've returned from the tomb"

Pushing aside her thoughts, Jen said "Welcome home Master, did something happened? It is a bit early for you to come back."

Smiling, the red headed submarine nodded "Yes, something good, let me explain it while we eat."

"I agree, I could eat a barrel worth of food right now" to this her stomach replied, it took this instant to make a sound of agreement, but those who heard it could say that it sounded like a lion.

"Don't worry, I'll lift the food limit for today's lunch so you can eat all you want." Sofia said, offering a hand to Jen.

"It is good news indeed, to be able to eat a decent share." said Jen, gloating.

"Is the food the only thing you think? There are other things aside than food." said Sofia shaking her head, thinking about the big chunk of canned food that will dissapear in the near future.

***************

"So in short" said Jen afer devouring the insides of a meat can "There are others like you that allied themselves with humanity"

"That's right" said Sofia as she placed the now empty can with the others in a room, where a lot of other empty cans were. Sofia knew that she could use the metal as another source of material if the need arises.

"Hmm" Jen began to ponder the facts that her Master just told her, putting her armor-clad hand under her chin, slowly rubbing her cheek with a finger. "And what do you want to do now?"

Exhaling a sigh, Sofia slumped her shoulders. "I really don't know; for a part I'm glad that the shipgirls consider those of us that doesn't want to kill humans possible allies, and with them we can research who forged you and learn of yours past, but for another..." she left that sentence in the air, not wanting to ever think of the possibility, because it scares her so much.

"You are afraid to encounter her" finishes Jen, already guessed what her master fears "But honestly I think---" but before Jen expresses her thoughts, Sofia suddenly turned her head to her left "What's wrong Master? You seem more pale than usual"

"They are here" said Sofia, trembling with fear "My fleet has found me"

"Come out Sofia" said a familiar voice for her "We know that you are alone with that little human, maybe if you cooperate we won't harm her... much"
--------------------------------
Comments and opinions are welcomed, thanks for reading.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. -- I may as well get all this out today, so.....

A Reward For Heroism (II)

Castle Moulbaix, Belgium

August 16th, 2014

"All the gold which is under or upon the earth is not enough to give in exchange for virtue." -- Plato
Spoiler: A Butterrapier's Family Dealings

Colombe du Chasteler walked into her study with the Malfoys in tow and sighed at the redheaded woman sitting beside Niobe. "Del, this is awkward." She muttered, glaring at her youngest sister.

Delilah looked back at Colombe with somewhat wild eyes and then spoke in a slightly panicked voice. "I know I sprang this on you, but I needed to check on Ehren after Dad told me that you got her back. Also, I need to ask you about how to be a mother, Sis!" Colombe pinched her nose at the stream of words.

Delilah broke off at the sight of the Malfoys entering the study behind Colombe and paled. "Oh fuck me!!" She blurted out with dawning horror in her voice.

Colombe muttered snarkily under her breath as she gave Delilah a dirty look, "That's how you got into this mess with Zamarad, Del." Then she spoke in a louder voice as she waved a hand to magically animate two chairs across the room for the Malfoys. "Nothing for it but to advance. Lucius, Narcissa, meet my scapegrace younger half-sister Delilah de Breuil. Del, meet my cousins Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy."

Lucius gave Delilah a flat stare. He raised an eyebrow as he spoke in a dry as dust voice. "We met two years ago, in fact at the Ministry. Aren't you dead according to Cousin du Chasteler's words and my own sources of information?"

Delilah sighed and rubbed her temples before meeting Lucius's stare. "To quote Mark Twain, reports of my death were greatly exaggerated." A small smug smile flickered around her lips. "It's a bit of a ploy to get me out of the line of fire for MACUSA for various reasons until the Statute collapses and the No-Maj take over things back home. Mother has determined that I need to stay deceased and keep a low profile until the Statute falls, and I won't be back on field ops until I give birth anyway." One of her hands unconsciously cupped her stomach as she finished.

Narcissa smiled happily and interjected, "Congratulations, Delilah. First child?" She gave her husband a 'we will talk about this later' look that caused him to nod and subside.

Delilah nodded to Narcissa, who sat in a chair next to her. "Well I can provide some advice about child-rearing and pregnancy." Narcissa said, to Delilah, who gave her a grateful smile.

Meanwhile Colombe opened her brandy cabinet. She then smirked and pulled out a dust-covered antique bottle glimmering with charmwork from deep within the cabinet. "Well this news of Del's future motherhood calls for something special, everyone. I do believe it is time to toast the health of the mother-to-be and her firstborn child with my last bottle of 1748 Janneu Armagnac aged in barrels made from the oaks of the Forêt de Tronçais. "(Troncais Forest)

Lucius gasped in shock and got an uncontrollable happy smile at Colombe's words. "Papa left me this bottle as part of my inheritance, he loved this vintner and I confess partiality myself." Colombe finished as she carefully placed the antique brandy on her desk, poured it into a crystal decanter and then began to pull out the matching snifters for her guests.
Spoiler: Colombe's Brandy Decanter Set

She glanced at the rapt Lucius Malfoy. "I trust that you do not mind waiting momentarily before I handle the business that called you here?"

Lucius shook his head, his gaze fixed on the priceless bottle of brandy. "Not in the least."


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


Lucius took a deep breath of the subtle aroma of the vintage Armagnac in the crystal snifter that he held and smiled in pure joy. "Exquisite, Cousin du Chasteler." He sipped and swished the brandy around in his mouth to savor the taste of the master distilled brandy from grapes grown before the Great French Wine Blight of the 19th Century. "Simply exquisite." His voice was that of a man experiencing religious ecstasy.

"Bon." Colombe poured her own brandy last after serving her guests, then looked to the shipgirl, revolver, wizard, and witch in the privacy-warded study with her. "To the business though. To fill you in on recent events, Lucius, Narcissa; the individual who kidnapped Ehren was an old flame of mine from the First Wizarding War. SS-Obersturmführer Helmar von und zu Wolff who was the closest thing to a father that Ehren knew."

Delilah leaned forward, her green eyes as cold as her voice. "Tell me that you finished the job on him, Sis." Colombe nodded at her sister's statement as she held the snifter in her hand to warm the brandy.

Colombe finally spoke in a hoarse voice. "He is no more, yes, and I saw him die at my blade and magic." The rapier looked distant and closed her eyes briefly. Delilah walked over and squeezed her sister's free hand. Colombe opened her eyes and gave Delilah a thankful smile.

"Good, Sis." Delilah said gently before walking back to her seat. She took a sip of her brandy after casting a spell on it to prevent the now-denatured alcohol from injuring her unborn child and continued. "I know that wasn't easy for you, but I'm glad that he's no longer a threat to you and yours."

"Just so." Colombe agreed and leaned forward to direct attention to her. "However, according to Ehren along with what I and Niobe saw, Helmar was planning some larger scheme with allies elsewhere. Specifically, he had somehow acquired a large sum of bullion that he was smelting with Deutsche Reichsbank plates that we retrieved. Niobe?" She gave the shipgirl a nod.

The shipgirl reached into her hold and pulled out a one kilogram gold bar marked with the eagle and swastika of the Third Reich. A stir ran through the room as she handed it to Lucius to examine. "We recovered seventy-six metric tons of gold, and fifteen metric tons of platinum. Also a pallet of nonmagical twenty dollar bills along with crates of Dragots and Galleons." Niobe's voice was clinical and controlled.

Lucius swore under his breath and his hand shook badly as he carefully placed the snifter of brandy on the table by his chair before taking the gold bar to examine. "According to Colombe, some of the magical coins and all the dollar bills were minted well after the Second World War." Niobe finished in her German-accented English. Colombe nodded in confirmation.

Lucius' eyes widened as he ran a thumb across the swastika stamped on the gold bar before speaking in a thoughtful voice. "That's unexpected. And troubling. The magical gold markets have been in flux of late, perhaps this has something to do with it?" He handed it to Delilah whose leaf-green eyes were cold and calculating.

Delilah frowned and tapped the gold bar with a fingernail before speaking very slowly. "Perhaps. There's other places this could have come from, though. I know for a fact that not all the Nazi gold was recovered, although as far as we know Wolff must have been lying low since we almost killed him in 1942, while the major efforts to hide the looted Nazi treasure started happening in 1944 when the war visibly turned against Germany and Grindelwald." She visibly thought as she hefted the gold in her hand. "Although...." She trailed off and then grinned smugly.

Delilah handed the brick to Narcissa finally. She then tented her fingers as she leaned back and spoke in that slow, thoughtful voice. "The No-Maj lost a bullion shipment several months ago in Africa. While they are thinking Abyssal Cultists based out of the Indian Ocean from what I heard, this may be part of it, since the re-smelting is suggestive of an attempt to muddy the waters. Or perhaps it might have been something else, unmelted wedding rings from the death camps such as Auschwitz, perhaps. The only way to find out now would be analysis of the metal content which can be done by a no-maj national mint." The others looked at her as her vicious, smug smile grew.

Lucius leaned forward. "I know a person who has contacts with the Royal Mint. I can have him set up a discreet meeting to offload the bullion from Niobe along with a copy of her report of its provenance and discovery. Best to let the muggle law enforcement handle that investigation since they're capable of it according to Delilah." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Which leaves the actual usable money, of course."

Colombe sipped her brandy and then spoke as the bar was handed to Lucius who pocketed it. "Just so. Since Wolff no longer has any need of his ill-gotten gains, we just need to deal with this windfall since we have no clue where it came from. I propose a four way split of the usable funds between the du Chastelers for one share, Tokunotakai and Norimune for the second, the Malfoys and Niobe for the third, and the De Breuils for the last. That covers both those of us who liberated it and your ties to handle this kind of money discreetly without legal issues." Colombe looked around the room as everyone nodded in agreement.

"Del, your mother has the contacts within MACUSA to handle the crates of Dragots discreetly and funnel the profits from that back to us." Delilah nodded to her sister with a smug smirk. "Lucius, I assume that the Malfoys know someone who can handle approximately thirty-nine thousand Galleons in exchange for your 25% share of the windfall for the House of Malfoy?" Colombe locked eyes with Lucius Malfoy as the question hung in the air.

Lucius grinned toothily. "Oh most definitely, Cousin." Narcissa nodded.

"Bon." Colombe said after another sip of brandy. "That just leaves the dollar bills to be dealt with." She smirked as she finished. "After all, I'm sure that Niobe will want a proper wedding in a few years." The shipgirl blushed and nodded happily.

Lucius chuckled. "Oh I can handle that, Cousin." Narcissa leaned in to whisper something to Niobe that caused the German girl's blush to deepen and her to give an enthusiastic nod.

Colombe nodded. "We can have you unload the Dragots in Del's basement, Niobe. Then you just return with Draco to get the ball rolling in England for the rest of it all and turn in your reports to the German Navy with copies for the British and Americans then."

Niobe snapped to attention. "I can do that, Colombe." She said firmly.

"Good, good," Colombe said with a grin then sobered and continued, "that brings me to the final point. Ehren was present for a crystal ball conversation between Helmar and someone named 'Sieglinde', who is a fellow Nazi magical who knew Helmar before the war. According to Ehren, she was apparently late thirties to early forties, blond haired, blue eyed. She was helping him move funds and other things around via an owl box that unfortunately got destroyed in the fighting. Specifically, mokéle-mbêmbe blood, moly, and runespoor eggs were mentioned along with spellbooks." Colombe's voice was flat. Delilah scowled murderously while the Malfoys looked thoughtful.

Narcissa spoke decisively. "That specific blood and runespoor eggs are two of the ingredients of a necromantic potion -- The Draught Of Endless Years -- to retard the effects of age, Cousin. The potion itself is supposedly quite addictive, so it is proscribed for that reason. Therefore the Draught is very rare and expensive as a result. Although it is rumored to be popular in certain circles that we have ears in." Narcissa smiled triumphantly and preened at the attention she got. "I did get an O on my Potions NEWT, after all." Lucius clinked snifters with her in triumph.

Delilah rubbed her chin as she visibly thought "Wait, Sis. You said that Ehren said her name was Sieglinde? Female, blond hair, was around during the Big One?"

Colombe nodded and refilled the snifters with the last of the bottle of liquor. "Oui, Del. Ehren said that she will be happy to show the memory of that conversation to us when we start digging."

Delilah spoke slowly with considerable heat, "That may be a lead on one of the members of the Thule-Gesellschaft that we never were able to bring to justice after the war." At the glances directed her way, she elaborated. "During the Second World War, I was seconded to Europe. When Germany fell, I was briefly one of the team leaders sorting through the Ahnenerbe-SS and Thule-Gesellschaft archives that we captured. I remember reading about a Sieglinde Böhmer who was a researcher for Grindelwald as part of the team doing work on Grendels that vanished. I'll want to talk to Ehren and see her memories of that call to compare with my own, especially if she saw any handwriting samples."

Lucius spoke up. "I'll keep my ears open in case I hear of someone matching that name. It would look very bad for the Wizarding World to be harboring a known war criminal when the Statute falls." Everyone present shuddered at the thought.

Colombe sipped her Armagnac. "Thank you again for warning us, Lucius. Your warning, Flynn's spellcraft to get us to Moulbaix in time to save Kasuyu, and Niobe's help were all invaluable." Niobe blushed scarlet.

Lucius smiled paternally at Niobe. "Draco was instrumental in that. Speaking of that, we have been keeping you from him, so please track him down dear. Draco expressed concern about you and Cousin Ehren both and would want to have you meet him in the ballroom." Niobe grinned happily and placed her empty snifter down as she stood.

Colombe smiled after Niobe departed at flank speed. "She really does love your son, Lucius. He's a lucky young man. Which reminds me, I'd like to extend an invitation to your family to visit us for Christmas. This year is my turn to host so you can meet my sister Jackie and Del's parents Jezebel and Norimune, along with my oldest daughter Wei Ying and her mother Wei Yuying." Colombe said as she looked at the Malfoys while Delilah nodded her assent.

Lucius looked at Narcissa, who gave a nod. "I certainly accept on behalf of my family." He paused and glanced at Delilah. "Ahh, there is a matter I wish to discuss in some privacy person to person."

He looked at Delilah, who stood up. "I'll head downstairs and chaperone the girls for you, Sis. When you get done, shoot me a Patronus since I need to talk to you in private too about a few things I have going on." Colombe stood in turn and hugged Delilah, who then departed.

Lucius waited for Delilah to leave and close the door behind her, then scribed an additional privacy ward before speaking seriously. "It's about Draco. He has some serious interest in your daughter Ehren which appears to be mutual. While my son is still working through his thoughts and feelings, he may very well pursue Ehren as a wife alongside the other shipgirls in the future once he comes to a decision -- if she and you are willing." Narcissa smiled happily at the thought, and wiped some tears from her eyes with a conjured handkerchief.

Colombe frowned at the statement and looked into her brandy snifter for long moments. Finally Colombe spoke in a quiet voice filled with emotion. "I have noticed his interest with Ehren as well. While they are both still young, there is a definite spark there both ways."

She paused, took a small sip of brandy, and then continued. "My Papa gave me and my sisters the choice of vetoing the husbands that he arranged for us when I was your son's age. While your son is maturing into a fine gentleman from all that I have seen and heard, I shall be giving Ehren the same choice that I was given in matters of romance. So ultimately Ehren shall have the final decision about his suit." The Malfoys nodded in understanding at Colombe's heartfelt words.

Colombe took another swallow of brandy and then resumed as emotions warred across her face. "Also as you know, Ehren is terribly traumatized by her past. Finding out what the Nazis that forged her truly were nearly destroyed her. I do not speak metaphorically, I caught her taking a grinder to her body and she spent days recovering from her injuries even with magic." Both the Malfoys blanched at Colombe's pain-filled words while the rapier's tears fell.

"Also I am not blameless in the matter of her traumas. I handled her initial manifestation poorly, to my discredit and only recently have I somewhat mended that rupture with Ehren. As for the matter of Helmar Wolff, I bungled that too. If I had spoken to her of what happened before between him and me, perhaps matters would have taken a different path."

Colombe wept and swallowed half of her remaining brandy before continuing as she looked at the floor. "I don't know what will come of her experiences in his captivity, save that she is sorely wounded in spirit once again. It cannot be easy for a child to see her parents fight, much less to the death." Colombe said in a voice filled with regret before looking up. "I hope that she does find happiness, and speaking personally, she could do far, far worse than Draco in my personal opinion as her mother. But she may be so wounded that any romance is doomed through no fault of you or your son."

Lucius nodded in understanding as he took his wife's hand. "I understand, and this is still very early, for Draco is young and still maturing from a boy into a man with all that implies. But if he does elect to pursue Ehren once he makes up his mind as a young man?" His eyes bored into Colombe as he asked the question with his own worries for his son visible.

Colombe gave a small smug smile, "If the son of Lord Malfoy elects to court my Heir in the proper manner, I shall support Draco's suit as best I may. You have my word on that point. I do want the best for my little girl and I hope that Draco can provide the healing and love that I have been unable to give her to mend Ehren's shattered heart. If he does win her heart and her hand and heal her, I shall be honored to have your son as my son-in-law, Lucius." Colombe spoke from the heart as she met Lucius's gaze. Lucius and Narcissa gave matching smiles of relief and joy as all three stood.

Their smiles widened as Colombe stepped to them to clink brandy snifters with Lucius and Narcissa in a toast to seal the agreement. "Ehren trusts Draco implicitly, which is no small thing indeed. She may trust him more than myself, perhaps. Certainly he does not have the mistakes and failures that I have made with Ehren blackening the ledger. If he does not make her happy and whole, I have trouble imagining anyone who can." Colombe said contemplatively as she looked at the sparkling crystal and amber liquor in her snifter.

Narcissa sipped her brandy and then patted Colombe on the shoulder. "Don't sell your efforts short, Cousin. Ehren is a truly remarkable young woman that we both would be honored to have as a daughter-in-law. While you have made mistakes as a parent, so have we. And I think our children will turn out well in the end despite, or perhaps because of our mistakes." Lucius nodded in agreement as he took his wife's hand.

Colombe gave a grateful smile as she savored the last of her Papa's Armagnac. "Merci, Narcissa, Lucius."

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

The Mandate Pt 9
"Know that much may happen here, but above all, do not forget this—you may trust in me. We cradle each other's lives, and what threatens one of us, threatens us both. And if you find you cannot trust me, trust in your training. Trust in yourself. Never doubt what you have done. All your decisions have brought you to this point. And now, perhaps, they shall see what you have become."


PLAN Naval Base, Zhan Jiang

Admiral Li sweated as the chanting reached a crescendo. The improvised summoning chamber was dark, lit with damaged and flickering electrical lights, surrounding a hastily dug pit filled with brackish water. The locals avoided the base, many of the peasants claiming bad 'Feng Shui' or other superstitious nonsense. The base was hastily rebuilt after the events of Blood Week, and the locals claimed many innocents were massacred here by the Abyssals. He did not care when he ordered the base restored, the land bulldozed and refilled. His few remaining assets were either salvaged or hastily repaired after those dark days. Materials that were required for the summoning were added to the fetid water as the spell reached it the apex. Oil. Gunpowder. Steel. Offerings to the spirits to answer their call.

And yet two other offerings were made as well, unbeknownst to the few remaining PLAN officers.

Blood.

And hate.

Blood dripped into the pool from injured hands that dug it, filled it, sacrificed to it.

Hate from the tone and atmosphere of the summoning.

Li raised his voice, entreating the fallen to return once again, spurred by rumors of a destroyer in the west returning many times from battle. Summoned again and again.

But this was not what answered.

The water boiled.

The lights flickered and shorted out.

A hand breached the pool.

A white hand.

A banshee's scream deafened those present and the water exploded.

Red eyes full of hate.

Muffled screams echoed from the improvised summoning chamber as the few remaining soldiers fled before what was within burst out, carving a bloody trail that led to the docks.

Full of rage.

Full of hate.

Desiring nothing less than the deaths of ALL that wronged her.

But she needed to shed her birthing caul, and her eyes picked out the lone island to the south.

It would do for now.



Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, Shenyang

"Generals," an aide rushed up to the two Generals. "There has been an incident in Hong Kong."

The two Generals turned from the flight line where they were discussing the procurement of J-8s and J-11s. The aide handed over the printouts and the two read grimly.

"It's started," Chi huffed.

"We need more information," Zu replied.

"Indeed," Chi agreed. "What do you command?"

Zu felt the weight of the sword and all that it represented, not only physically but mentally as well.

"We go to Beijing."

The rest of Zu's party stood by his aircraft as it was readied and the two Generals approached. Chi stepped to the side and spoke to one of his aides, who bobbed his head several times before running to Chi's staff car. He returned moments later with a pair of cases and followed the group onto the plane as it prepared for takeoff. Zu glanced once at the young woman from the tomb as she sat quietly in the back, then turned to sit in his chair.

"General Zu, we are getting reports of a major storm in Beijing's airspace," the pilot reported.

"Contact Beijing Shahezhen and get a status update," Zu replied.

"Yes sir."

Chi's aide picked up a secure phone. "Sir, I cannot get through to Central Command. All communications are offline."

Xue's phone buzzed. She absently picked it up as Zu and Chi looked at each other with a worried expression on their faces.

What she saw on her phone caused her to drop it.

"What?" Zu turned to her as Xue forced her way to the main computer monitor. She brought a video feed up for everyone to see.

"This is no time for a wux-" Zu trailed off. He watched a fox demon with nine tails grab a falling sign and fling it towards a man in a straw hat.

"This is streaming live," Xue whispered, her eyes fixed on the unmistakable form of Su Daji.


Hidden Ministry Safehouse, Beijing

Ying stared at the teacup.

No more than an arm's length away sat perhaps the most feared female in Chinese History, who did not even bother hiding who she was anymore, sipping her own tea. The room was very traditional in layout and appearance, with simple wood paneling along the walls and simple chairs with a small table between them in which the two sat. Apart from the tea pot and two cups lay the reports of the surviving Hidden Ministry staff had quickly compiled on the state of the city and affects of the attack by Xiao's minions. The initial attack hit both the Hidden Ministry and the Great Hall of the People, which nearly decapitated the leadership of China. They were still searching for survivors.

"Your tea is getting cold," Daji observed.

Ying blinked. An ancient being who could conceivably be the most powerful magical alive and the first thing out of her mouth was not wisdom, or an explanation, but concern over tea.

A dozen emotions fought within her. And yet, she was a guest.

Hospitality. An ancient law and custom that had roots in many cultures, many traditions. It was to be respected and feared.

The tea was excellent.

Daji's actions were both confusing and familiar, but in also spoke volumes to Ying. Daji accepted the role of the Host, with all that it entailed.

"You planned this," Ying stated. "Everything that has happened."

"Not so much planned dear child," Daji sipped her tea. "I believe the saying goes, 'no plan survives contact with the enemy'. I manipulate. I watch the people, the environment, the hidden. There are a thousand things happening all around us at all times, and in time, you will be able to see those signs and be able to use them to your advantage."

"Manipulate."

"Yes. I manipulate as easily as a fish swims, or as the birds fly."

"You could have beaten those three at any time."

"Yes," Another sip. "I am old enough and powerful enough to face down gods and immortals, I could have laid waste to those fools and the entire city in our battle, but I did not. I controlled the battle until you arrived."

"You used me."

"Of course I did child," Daji smiled. "I wanted to take your measure Wei Ying. I wanted to see if the chosen of Guan Yu could hold up against Xiao's minions. I wanted to see your spirit, because what happens next will not be as easy or simple."

"I don't trust you."

"As you will," Daji fluffed a tail. "There is a rather interesting story coming out of Nanjing."

Ying braced herself. Daji had not lied about anything, but she wielded the truth like a razor-edged sword.

"Xiao Chaogui held a rally where he revealed his Treasure to his followers. He also claimed to have the Writing Set as well."

Ying hid her shock as best she could. There was no way that the Writing Set was in China, and it was very safe, and very far away. However, there was truth behind her words.

"You think he had something that was…associated with the Writing Set?" Ying's investigating skills pinged.

"Witnesses spoke of a brush." Daji fluffed another tail. "A rather fine brush."

Her mind raced.

Daji had just provided the clues, and Ying watched the fox spirit intently.

Daji watched the sword spirit intently as the younger one thought over the clues provided.

Ying slowly puzzled the clues out internally. Her mother was always meticulous in her grooming. All foxes were as shown by Daji's attention to her tails. Her mother Mei Yuying....

Ying remembered her mother's tale of how Yuying had fled China with her father Colombe's help one step ahead of the Taipingists. The loss of her mother's family in the Rebellion. Her Mother's Family!

The Mei Family.

Guardians of the Writing Set for generations.

No.

There was a sympathetic look in Daji's eyes.

"When one is deathless nothing else matters but one's own desires. Of no flesh, all appetite. No custom, no honor, no respect, nothing is beyond his desires." Daji crossed the space between them and knelt down before Ying.

"When Xiao Chaogui returned in failure to restart with the Taipingists, China was set on a course towards Civil War. This war will be like nothing fought in the past, and this war will be fought with both mundane and magical means. Whomever wins in this will control China, but before it is over we may all be swimming in blood."

"Then why am I here? You seem to have all the answers and everything well in hand," Ying frowned. "Am I nothing more than a convenient pawn?"

"You have never been a pawn Wei Ying," Daji replied. "Your presence is not just to judge the fitness of the candidate to take the throne."

Daji returned to her seat and looked over the rim of her teacup.

"You are here to judge me as well." The words hung in the air like an executioner's blade.



En Route to Beijing

"How widespread is this?" Zu frowned.

"It's all over the internal networks," His aide reported. "The internal firewalls and security routers in Beijing are not responding."

"Any news worldwide?" Chi opened one of his cases to pull out a set of folders.

"Most of the international news companies are focused on Hong Kong," the aide replied, checking his computer. "The damage to the external firewalls is minimal, and the battle in Beijing is getting out sporadically. Only a few sites have the video, and it seems someone is attempting to kill the video every time it pops up."

"I would say the ICW is putting their hand in," Xue replied. "But I would suspect that the various world governments and militaries will be examining both videos extensively."

"And the storm over Beijing?"

"It seems to be breaking up sir."

"Something else that will probably make everyone more aware," Xue spoke. "An unnatural typhoon level storm forming over Beijing and not moving?"

Zu grunted. "Any word from Central Command?"

"No sir. I have managed to contact the airbase and they are on full alert and awaiting our arrival."

Zu leaned back. Things were accelerating, almost exponentially. Without Central Command responding and issuing orders, the various Theater Commanders will be attempting to leverage their own forces to their benefit. It was something that was all to familiar in China's history. Another civil war was on the horizon, if not already begun.

"Here are the command protocols in the event of loss of contact with Central Command," Chi handed the folders to Zu. "As senior most General Officer I transfer overall command to you."

Zu looked at the older man before accepting the folders.

"I accept command," He replied formally. He did have copies of the Command Protocols in his HQ safe and wondered a bit as to why Chi carried the documents with him wherever he traveled. In retrospect it was a rather smart thing to do.

Two of the screens of the airborne command center showed two different scenes. One showed a feed from BBC World News, primarily the video feed from Hong Kong. The other was taken from Baidu showing the battle in Beijing. The fighting was pretty much over in both places, and while he did not like or respect Admiral Li, he did give the man praise for holding his ground and rebuilding the shattered PLAN by salvaging everything he could. The four shipgirls that were summoned back were fanatically loyal to the Party, and honestly he had never heard of them participating in any of the International Operations that sometimes took place in the South China Sea or the neighboring Philippine Sea. Even the Allied strike against the Paracel Islands drew no help from PLAN.

"You realize we are going to meet one of the most infamous people in China's history?" Xue remarked. "Are you sure that Beijing's military command can be trusted?"

"I don't think that is going to be an issue," Zu replied, holding up a hand to forestall discussion. "And I understand that this is new territory for some of us, but we cannot worry about what may or may not happen. Once we get to Beijing we can get some accurate information as to what is happening on the ground."

He looked at the group, then picked up his secure phone.

"But that does not mean we do not take the appropriate precautions."



Hidden Ministry Safehouse, Beijing

"Ma'am, General Zu's aircraft is approaching Beijing Shahezhen Airbase," A young woman leaned over by the fox demon's chair.

Daji set her teacup down. "Very good." Then to Ying. "We should meet the General at Tiananmen Square so he may observe the battlefield for himself."

"No disguise?" Ying was startled.

"No. I am not going to hide anymore. By now the video of our battle has spread across the Middle Kingdom, if not the world thanks to the attack. With most of China's Aurors dead in the Storm's attack, and the magical defenses of the city disabled, the people who are enlightened will notice immediately, and the ones who are sensitive will begin to see."

"The ICW will attempt to quell this."

"The Floo Network is disabled, and the Barrier's full defenses have been activated with the death of the President. The ICW will try to intervene, but if they are smart, they will focus on containing any videos that might leak out of the country."

"You expect the videos to spread."

"Yes," Daji stood. "The good General will be confused as to your presence here but say nothing for now. Once we are alone be honest with him."



The two left the safehouse and entered an awaiting car. It would not be a long drive to the square, but it gave the two a chance to observe the efforts of the emergency services crews work on searching for survivors and clearing debris.

"It is amazing that there were not more civilians harmed," Ying commented. "I take it the spells emplaced around the city were responsible?"

"Correct," Daji adjusted her seating. The back of the car was a bit cramped, and almost comical due to the fluffiness of Daji's tails. "A storm of that power would have leveled the Forbidden City were the ancient magical defenses not in place, However the additional wards around the city helped bleed off that energy."

Ying sneezed as one of Daji's tails brushed her nose.

She glared at the ancient being.

Daji laughed. "I apologize. Did your mother ever tease you with her tails?"

"Maybe when I was a child," Ying frowned. Daji's actions confused her. She almost expected an unearthly, regal, and imperial attitude from the Fox. The fact that she was a true nine-tail further made her actions out of character.

Who was Su Daji? Who was she really? Was this an effect of such a long lifespan?



Both the Military and the Police were out in force as well, keeping the curious away as the car pulled in front of Tiananmen Square. Daji stepped out, unafraid as she allowed everyone to see her as she truly was. Ying followed her, albeit nervously. She kept her true self in her hand as she stepped out and looked around.

Yes, there were a lot of people there at the square, many of whom were focused on the cleanup, but many others were staring. They had no idea what was going on, but instinctively they knew. Even with the Party's control for the past sixty plus years, the ancient ways and legends of China were never truly forgotten. Some dismissed Daji as an actress, a stunt meant to distract and misdirect. Others held prayer beads and bowed their heads as she passed. Those that did were the elderly, the ones who lived through the civil war and subsequent pogroms. Those that remembered. A quick survey of the area using her magically enhanced senses revealed that a forgotten shrine at the Forbidden City was seeing a renewed interest and use. A Fox Shrine.

Ying watched Daji as she observed the repairs being made to the Forbidden City. Her attention was drawn the PLA trucks that were pulling up. Soldiers began to disembark from the trucks and took up position around the square. Ying cocked her head as she heard other vehicles approaching once the square was secure. Heavy vehicles.

"It appears General Zu is about to arrive," Daji commented.

A pair of Type 86 IFVs appeared along with a pair of Type 96 MBTs. In the midst of it all was a CSK-131 armored personnel carrier. It came to a stop as a pair of soldiers approached and stood guard, one of them finally opening the doors.

The first one to step out was a woman, but everything about her screamed that she was not what she appeared. The weight of her spiritual power was like standing in the desert sun. Ying's eyes darted to the next to emerge. An older general who had seen much but carried the weight with a stoic grace. Another general, this one with an ancient sword in his hand. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the sword.

She stared at it, then the man wielding it.

Daji coughed lightly, but loud enough to get Ying to pay attention.

Daji bowed her head slightly, her hands crossing in front of each other, palms towards her.

Ying brough her hand up, still wrapped around her sheath, and covered her fist in greeting.

The general stood for a moment before turning and extending his hand to the young woman who stepped out.

There was much untapped potential in her.



Zu stared at Daji, as did everyone else in his party. He had not expected her to be so brazen to be in her true form in public, but this was no normal day. The young woman behind him was an unknown, but there was something about her, something that reminded him of his encounter with the Jianghu Masters. He nodded once.

"You are Su Daji," He spoke.

The fox spirit raised her head and lowered her arms to fold them into her robes.

"I am, General Zu Li Shang," She replied, turning her head. "I have prepared a room for you General and your party. If you would care to follow me I would be happy to escort you there."

"Very well," He replied.

He followed the pair as they walked into the Forbidden City, through the Gate of Supreme Harmony, to the left through the Tower of Enhanced Righteousness, and finally through a pair of open doors into the Hall of Military Might. They were shown into a prepared meeting room with a desk and chair on a dais and Daji bowed formally. On each side in front of the desk were chairs for everyone.

"The chair is yours General," She spoke. "I have prepared a complete listing and report of all current activities of the surviving Party Ministers and Officers of the Military as well as all agents and assets remaining to the Hidden Ministry. This includes the actions that transpired this morning in Hong Kong."

Zu stared at the chair and desk for the longest time before stepping forward. True, he chose this path, but the actions that led to this moment were not of his choosing. It was yet another step forward for his claim to the throne, and there was no turning back.

He sat down and started reading.

It was a butcher's bill.

Zu tossed the papers down on the desk in disgust, a part of him horrified at what had transpired, but another part understood it all too well. Even Chi did not appear to be comfortable over the battle in Hong Kong, but it was something he had experience with from years past.

"How did this happen?"

He turned on the two women sitting in the office, one of them very not human, and the other one a in a modest Hanfu and armed with a Dao.

"The…esteemed…Admiral Li saw himself as a claimant that would restore the Party to rule of China, and had received information from the Minister of Culture here in Beijing who possibly received information from Xiao Chaogui, the leader of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and holder of the First Treasure. You have claimed the Second Treasure in play to show your candidacy. I hold the Third Treasure as Arbiter. Ying here embodies the Hidden Fourth Treasure. Now Lady Green Snake on Taiwan possesses the Fifth."

"And that does not explain what happened in Hong Kong, or what happened here in Beijing for that matter."

"The Imperial Fleet in Hong Kong were under orders to make sure that the Republicans get the Coins from Hong Kong Island. If Abyssals showed up they would have engaged them as easily as they had the PLAN. The fact that Li moved all his assets to Hong Kong indicated that the good Minister was making his play. The attack here in Beijing was to force me into the open and to chastise Minister Cai for his bringing Admiral Li into contention."

"And why bring the rebels into this?" Chi asked.

Daji raised an eyebrow. "Apart from the fact that Taiwan has one of the largest shipgirl fleets in Asia outside of the Americans and Japanese? Blood Week demonstrated that we shall need this naval strength to cover our coasts until the Abyssals are defeated and perhaps afterward so we match Japan, England, and America. And you are far too canny to keep buying into the Taiwanese being rebels Chi. The PLAN shipgirls never ventured far from the coast and the only operation they participated in was in the Senkaku/Daioyu Islands assault, and that was a…less than stellar debut of the reborn PLAN. Not to mention they were more concerned with maintaining the internal order of the Party than acting in the interests of others. The Imperial spirits that responded did so as they knew the Mandate was in transition. If it is called for they will lay down their lives for the Mandate."

"Hmpf," Chi snorted. The Senkaku/Daioyu Operation was a joint mission between Japan, Taiwan, and China to eliminate the threat of an Abyssal Princess who had fortified the islands and was turning it into a major base when the Japanese and Taiwanese Shipgirls launched their assault. Then the PLAN shipgirls showed up near the end of the battle, then demanded the islands be turned over to China. That Kongou did not add four more DDs to her tally surprised the old General.

"China must be unified," Daji replied. "All of it."

"And right now we are at the start of another Civil War," Zu shook his head.

"You knew this was going to happen," Daji stated. "Beijing's theater is fractured, but they are under your control. The Eastern theater is contested, and the South is firmly in Xiao's camp."

"I would have preferred a path that did not involve killing my way to the top."

"China does not need a deathless immortal sorcerer as Emperor," Daji sighed. "To this day I don't know if Qin Shi Huang was a fool or a genius for cursing him in such a fashion. A magical cannot sit on the throne. Too many times in the past have such people ruled, and on the rare occasion it worked well, but humans fear what they do not understand. And what humans fear, they destroy."

She closed her eyes.

"The road to the Throne has always been paved in blood, and I have witnessed the rise and fall of countless Dynasties. This will be no different. Do not let those outside of China dictate your path or your choices." Daji finally said in the quiet voice of a teacher to her pupils.

"You could take the throne just as easily as I can," Zu admitted.

"Yes, I could," Daji admitted, opening her fox-pupiled eyes. "But none would recognize the Middle Kingdom or respect us."

For a brief moment, all saw the weight of history that she bore.

"My name is one drenched in blood, some in truth, some in lies. I have been known by many names throughout history. I have traveled the world and walked with murderers and holy men. I have fragmented my soul to achieve my goals and have paid the price for a thousand years. For good or ill a human must be the Emperor, with all that it entails."

"And what do you have to do with this?" Zu turned to Ying.

"Nothing," Ying replied. "I am here on behalf of myself, and no other."

"And your role in this?"

Ying drew her true body and placed her Dao upon her palms for examination. The characters written during her consecration by her mother and Guānyǔ with the Writing Set blazed on her steel, on her very soul.

"I am a sworn servant of Guānyǔ, and the firstborn child of the Guardian of the Writing Set. It will be through me that the claimant I support shall gain access to my family's Treasure to petition for the Mandate of Heaven." Ying spoke formally and precisely. As she did, Mei Ying felt the long unbroken line of the Mei Family speak through her as they had done so many times to so many Emperors as long as there had been a China.

Chi leaned forward. "An Oath-sworn. I have heard of them, particularly amongst the Jianghu, but never met one."

"Speaking of the Masters," Daji tapped her arm rest. "They will need to do their part when the time comes. There are a few of the Southern Clans that have thrown in with the Taipingists, particularly the Elementalists and the most fanatical Taoists."

"There is one thing you mentioned," Chi took a deep breath. "Lady Green Snake. I take it part of that legend is true?"

"All legends have a kernel of truth General Chi," Daji replied. "Lady Green Snake controls Taiwan's magical community and can influence their government. However, her true goals have always been to be reunited with her sister."

"And you know where she is," Ying sighed. "I think you do this on purpose."

"Lady White Snake resides in the North, amongst the Jianghu of Harbin. Out of respect for her privacy I have not looked into her reasoning for remaining among the Northern Clans."

Zu did not have to be a sorcerer to tell Ying wasn't convinced in the least.

"And what does the Hidden Ministry have to do in all of this?"

"The Hidden Ministry, as you have read, was formed from the remains of the Court of Enlightened Mandarins at the end of the Qing Dynasty at the behest of Sun Yat-sen after the Xinhai Revolution. It has remained intact since that period, with Mao only making changes to the organization to fully hide China's magical past and unwittingly copied the magical government of the United States in its strict separation of the magical and mundane worlds. For the most part this was rather successful in that too many forgot the old ways and the old tales. This was also the time when Mao feared that both the exiled Republicans and the Japanese would take advantage of China's weaknesses and he ordered the creation of the Barrier."

"The Barrier?"

"The barrier was put in place on the orders of Mao," Daji pointed to the map. "The borders, as you can see, were mainly placed along the eastern borders facing Japan and Taiwan as they feared an invasion from Japan, Taiwan, or the United States. The Western, Northern, and Southern borders had similar barriers in place, but were not reinforced as much as the east. Tibet was newly conquered at the time but it was not included in the barrier as Tibet's magicals were still fighting a shadow war with the peasant sorcerers under the command of Mao.

"That, however, was only part of what the Maoists did." Daji explained. "Mao ordered them to find a way to…ensure the loyalty of the people to the Party. The barrier keeps the people contained, while another set of spells would be used to erase dissension amongst the people."

"I had heard…rumors of this," Chi spoke. "The time after the Civil War was both a joyous and terrifying time. Mao had won, but there were many enemies that remained, and the Soviets were of little help."

"I am curious as to how you know so much of the Party's secrets Madam Daji," Zu replied.

"I can read," Daji leveled Zu with a look. "Especially what is not written. Despite the Maoist's paranoia, the Hidden Ministry kept extremely accurate records of what they had been commanded to do. The Great Leap Forward and Cultural Revolution were attempts to enact and anchor their spells of obedience. They were in many ways, attempting a mass Imperius Curse."

Ying's breath caught in her throat. Such an act would have turned the entire ICW against China.

"There's more to this, is there not?" Zu rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"The spell was designed to affect all Chinese, no matter where they were in the world," Daji folded her hands into her robe. "It was quite ambitious, and something that even the greatest sorcerers of the Ancient World would never have attempted but the Maoists were true believers in their narrow vision of the future. Where wisdom balked, fanaticism found a path forward to attempt such an enchantment. As usual, the ones in charge overpromised, and underdelivered when Mao attempted to activate the spell in 1976. Those responsible however…"

"The Gang of Four," Chi grunted. "That was the true reason, was it not?"

Daji nodded. "Indeed."

"Is this spell still in place?" Zu asked.

"Parts of it," Daji's tails fluttered. "Now imagine that spell under the control of an undead sorcerer, and I am not talking about that nose-less incompetent in the West." Daji snorted. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named indeed!"

"Who?"

"A sorcerer of the West, very similar to our dear friend Xiao Chaogui, but with less ambition and power."

"Explain," Zu leaned forward, his hands folded in front of his face.

"The other claimant for the throne is a Fleshless Sorcerer who was cursed by the first Qin Emperor. His name has been lost to history, but his current disguise is that of Xiao Chaogui, leader of the resurgent Taiping Heavenly Kingdom. He is served by many followers among the most fanatical Taoists and Jianghu that reside in the Southern Kingdom. However, his most powerful servants are known as the Three Storms, the Elementalists of great power that Ying and I fought as you saw. By now he has suborned the entirety of the Southern Military Command and will seek to add the Eastern Military Command to his sphere of influence."

Daji tapped her fingernail against the wood.

"What happens next is up to you General. I am but the arbiter of the Mandate."



Temple of Heaven, Nanjing

Bones rattled.

Xiao Chaogui leaned forward on his throne, his eyes emitting an unholy light as some of his most disposable followers watched.

And died.

All around him was failure.

The fool Cai failed.

The idiot Li met his end on a fool's quest.

And his storms.

HIS storms.

Their failure was most taxing, but it revealed that the Writing Set was in play as well.

His mouth opened to draw in the souls that lingered, the light bathing the chamber in a gentle glow that belied its sinister purpose. He was taking more and more souls lately, as the power of the Treasure he possessed waned as the other Treasures exerted their own power and influence.

But yet he was not without power and resources of his own.

With the newly gained souls he stepped to the ritual altar that was assembled facing the northwest. He picked up a simple piece of terracotta. The first stage of the ritual was the gathering of the souls. Next he raised a pair of fingers to his lips and began uttering his spell. It was a complete inversion of all Taoist and Buddhist thought and prayers, a summoning using the blackest of magic.

The piece of terracotta steamed.

Far to the west-northwest in Xi'an, the earth trembled.

He released the terracotta and it floated in the air, a foul, pungent odor permeated the air as the fragment began turning black. Ichor dripped and hissed as it hit the floor.

He turned to another altar and picked up the piece of bone. Again he raised his fingers to his lips and uttered the spell. Across the various mountain ranges the earth trembled. The bone vibrated, as if fighting him. An unholy word passed his lips.

And in the distance he could hear the Dragons raging.

The third altar had little but a fragment of cloth and scroll. With the fragment he executed the last spell. The spirits trapped in the Barrier were many, but they were only a fragment of what existed in the shadows of the Middle Kingdom.

He called them forth to roam the earth once again.

Exhausted both mentally and magically, he retired to collapse on his throne. Things were accelerating, perhaps more than he had planned for, but it was nothing he could not adapt to. He could feel the Celestial Court watching. But he knew they would not violate the strictures that kept the peace among the Celestial Realms. The other deities would not allow it.

Things that remained hidden began to emerge from the darkness, and he felt that a trip to the underworld will need to be done to take the Blood of the Earth for further rituals and bindings. It would not take long for the peasants to see what was coming, and the chosen of the Fox will see that he was not to be taken lightly.

This war will be one not seen since the time of the Qin. But while martial valor will play out, spiritual valor will have its place as well on the field. There will be no neutral sides in this. He knew that he needed to even the odds, even if it drew the ire of the ones above. If this puppet of the fox based his strength in the spirit-blind mundanes then he would have to raise even greater magical power to counteract that force.

Xiao rested for a moment to regain his spiritual strength. Summoning and binding was always a drain on his magical reserves, even using foci and talismans. He had one last thing to do before taking his Storms to task.

"My lord, the Generals are awaiting you," one of the peasants spoke timidly from the doorway.

"Thank you my child," he feigned gratitude. Give them crumbs and they will follow you around like a lost dog.

He rose and gathered his power once again. The Generals from the Southern Command and parts of the Eastern Command stood waiting nervously, muttering to each other as he grandly swept into the room.

"Ah, I am pleased to see you all my friends. I hope these unsettling times are not discouraging you all from acting in the manner that benefits our great nation."

"The witch in Beijing has gone too far in helping the traitors in Taipei," their leader spat.

"Indeed!" Xiao clasped his hands together. "Now my friends, did you bring me what I asked?"

They looked to each other.

"We have," the leader spoke. "This will ensure the loyalty of our troops?"

"Of course!" He boomed. He accepted the bundle from the leader and peeked inside.

It was full of human hair.

Not exactly the best of foci to use for a spell, but it was from fresh. He held the pouch up and uttered his spell as the Generals looked on. He suddenly pointed the group.

"TINGCÓNG!"

They stiffened as the obedience spell crushed their wills. First the commanders, then the troops. He drew a weave of power, pulling the millions of hairs out of the pouch and setting them into the air in a ritualistic pattern. The pattern complete, he set his will against it, muttering the spells that crushed wills and instilled complete obedience. He was not a fool, and knew this spell was only a fragment of what it could truly be. The Maoists were onto something. Something unique.

Something he could exploit.

Yet he had to take care, for such a spell was very taxing, even with the Seal, and could easily kill the caster just to power it or leave their golden core shattered. Such was the fate of many of the Maoists when they tried it the first time and failed miserably.

"Your orders," He commanded the enthralled officers. "Find the Fox Cults and Shrines. Destroy them."



USN-JMSDF Joint Kanmusu Base, Sasebo

Cmdr. New Jersey leaned against the wall of the Operations Center as she watched the Drone feeds with one eye while the various talking heads were flapping their gums on another feed. The initial shock of battle had worn off, with the news crew evacuating the area as thick columns of black smoke rose from the battlefield. True she never liked the Commies, but she respected their sacrifice during Blood Week. The actual reports of the returned PLAN shipgirls operations were surprisingly sparse, with only one operation in the South China sea which ended in a win for the Allies, but proved that there were indeed strained relations with Taiwan and Japan as the instant the Abyssals were sunk the three sides entered into an extended shouting match of insults, demands, and recrimination. There was no love lost between the three sides, and the PLAN shipgirls rarely ventured beyond their territorial waters afterward.

"Admiral, we have a report coming in from Goya just east of Hainan Island. She spotted an Abyssal…coming out of Zhan Jiang."

"Just one?" Richardson frowned.

"Yes sir. She has a floatplane in the air and spotted the smoke."

"Does she have a visual?"

"The Abyssal is a light cruiser, Arethusa class, making a beeline for Hainan Island."

"A light cruiser?" Jersey blinked. "The commies had a light cruiser?"

One of the intel officers flipped through a book. "Yes ma'am. Started out as the HMS Aurora, pennant number 12. Entered service with the ROCN in 1948, crew defected to the PRC in 1949 and sunk in harbor by the Nationalists."

"Goya reports she's giving sounds like a Demon or Princess," one of the techs reported.

"Is there anyone on Hainan?"

"Unknown sir," The intel officer replied. "The PRC has been very tight lipped about their population numbers and locations since the war began."

"If she gets dug in we could have another Paracel situation on our hands," Jersey commented.

"Pass the intel to our ROCN liaison. Hainan is in their back yard," Richardson took a mug of coffee from a yeoman. "And let Goto know as well."




A/N- Thanks to Yellowhammer and Harry Leferts for corrections and suggestions