Bearing gifts
darthcourt10
Well worn.
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Harry Leferts
Coming around a bend in the road, Louisiana gave a small nod at the roadblock in front of them. "Looks like we're almost there, mon chéri."
Only nodding, Harry began to dig around in his pockets. "Yeah, looks like it. Just give me a moment."
Lips twitching, the Battleship slowed the vehicle until it came to a stop just before the roadblock. "Take your time, we're in no real rush." Rolling her window down, she waited as the two soldiers in the uniform of the JGSDF walked up. Behind the roadblock, besides the sandbags that had a machine gun on them, Louisiana could also see a Type 10 Tank by the road.
More surprising was the Type 89 Medium Tank that was across the road from it.
Eyebrow raised, Louisiana tapped one finger against the steering wheel. 'It seems that Akitsu Maru is still in the area then as I doubt that she would leave it behind.' Once the lead soldier arrived at her door, the American gave him a smile before saluting. "Lieutenant."
Returning the salute, the Lieutenant nodded. "Good day, Ma'am. As this area is restricted, may I ask your business?"
In reply, Louisiana gestured at the back of the vehicle as well as Harry. "Transporting some needed materials to the village as well as some personnel for a brief visit." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out several papers as well as her ID which she handed over. "All the paperwork has been done."
The Lieutenant took the paperwork as well as the ID and compared it to Louisiana's. Moments later, hers was joined by Harry's own ID and Hoel Ni's. Slowly, he nodded as he compared the IDs and then began to look through the paperwork. "Thank you, if you'll just give us a moment to check both your cargo and with Command."
With that, he walked back to the roadblock followed by the second soldier. Louisiana meanwhile just leaned back in her seat as she looked around before her eyes spotted some white forms moving among what looked like a ruined building. Their activities could be just made out which made her raise an eyebrow. "I wonder what they're doing now?"
Looking over from where he was watching the soldiers at the roadblock talking, Harry blinked. "The roadblock?"
Just shaking her head, Louisiana gestured towards the direction she was watching. "There's some sort of building there, mon chéri. There are people in what looks like white, contamination suits there."
A frown on his face, Harry looked in the same direction and tried to see what Louisiana could. Something that he had more then a little problem with until it clicked. "I... think that was where the inn was actually."
That made the Battleship blink and look at him. "The inn, mon chéri? You mean the one that..."
When she waved her hand, Harry gave a grimace. "Yeah, it was where she was based besides the Headsman's house. And that explains a lot about the suits I guess." Seeing her confusion, he shuddered a bit. "They found bodies there, a lot of them. The less rotted ones were just desiccated, with all the insides gone and covered in webs. Dozens of them... And from what Mum told me, they think that they now have answers to a large number of missing person's reports in the area that got written off as either being lost or suicides."
Eyes widening, Hoel Ni stared at him before looking in the same direction and shivering. "That's... that's frightening."
Frowning a bit, Harry shook his head. "You also got the remains of the Gashadokuro as well which they need to identify. From what I heard, they're bringing in experts as some of the bodies found in the inn go all the way back to the 1960s."
Shiromizu let out a hiss. "Kuroshi was around for a very long time and preyed on people in the area. The village was abandoned by humans as too many were disappearing."
Grip tightening on the wheel a bit as Harry translated, Louisiana glared at the ruins of the inn. Not for the first time, she wished that she was there that night to stomp a certain spider like the bug it was. Then the American felt a hand on her own and turned to find Harry there holding it before he gave a squeeze. And like that, she felt the tension leave her as she nodded. "Thank you, mon chéri. At least she is now burning in Hell thanks to you and ma chérie as well as Miz Shiromizu."
It was then that the Lieutenant returned with their papers and IDs, which he handed back. Making a motion with his hands, the roadblock was moved aside. "Thank you for your time, Ma'am. Please stay out of the investigative areas as there could still be ordinance around. The parking is up past the next bend in the road."
With a nod, Louisiana saluted him. "Thank you, Lieutenant."
Taking a step back, he saluted her before waving her own. Sure enough, right around the bend was an area where trees had been cut down and the ground flattened out. Harry could easily see the signs that the one who had done so was a shipgirl, most likely Akitsu Maru herself. At one end of the makeshift parking lot was a truck with a large trailer attached to it. None of them commented on how it belonged to the SIT nor on how it they knew it was one of the mobile forensics labs said group had.
More then one of those in the parking lot looked towards them, but widened their eyes a few seconds later as Shiromizu transformed into her hybrid form. Stretching some, the Mizuchi sighed. "That feels much better after the long ride we had."
Amused, Harry gave her a snort as he moved to the back of the vehicle. "Like you noticed most of it." His expression then softened some. "Did you have a good sleep though?"
Gently smiling, Shiromizu nodded. "I did, thank you for letting me sleep." Stretching again, she watched as Harry, Louisiana, and Hoel began to pull out bundles. Taking one, the Mizuchi chuckled. "Let's go and find Onee-Sama then..."
While walking, Harry glanced at the side of the destroyed inn which was downhill now and tilted his head some at it. "Shiromizu?" At her hum, he continued. "Um, what exactly are you going to do with the inn once they're done?"
Now looking herself, she frowned some and shook her head. "Well... I talked with Onee-Sama about it and we'll make a monument to all those Kuroshi killed there. As for the inn itself? We're going to bury the ruins once they're done under stones from across the mountain. No one is ever going to disturb it again."
That only got her a nod from Harry and soon they reached the road leading up to the village. Before, the road had been overgrown and somewhat hard to see besides the trees on either side. Now though, someone had cleared the road and lined it with crushed stone making it easier to travel up. More then once, they were passed in the other direction by various people in ATVs which Harry watched in interest.
Eventually though, they did reach the village in time to see one of the Imori charge off on top of his rat mount. Something that made Louisiana's eyebrows shoot up along with Hoel Ni's. At seeing that, Harry snickered some which made them turn to him. "Sorry, your expressions just now were somewhat hilarious."
After giving it some thought, the Battleship let out a laugh. "Oui, I suppose that it was rather hilarious. But that was not something that I expected to see."
For her part, Shiromizu gave a shrug. "Well, from what Onee-Sama told me, the Imori here have breed their mounts for a few centuries. They're docile and make for good ways for them to get around the mountain quickly. Something that helped while Kuroshi was around."
Now thoughtful, Hoel Ni tilted her head to the side. 'I wonder if they would work for our fairies...'
Before such thoughts could get much further though, Misa appeared and soon gathered Shiromizu into a hug. "It's good to see you safe and sound again." Then she grabbed Harry into a hug which found him blushing a bit from where his head was shoved. "And it is good to see you as well, Lord Harry. Welcome back to both of you."
Pulling away she turned to find an amused Louisiana and Hoel Ni watching. Notcing her curiosity, the American bowed some as Shinano had taught her then held out a hand. "I am USS Louisiana, BB-71. I am very pleased to meet you, Madame. And beside me is my escort for the day, USS Hoel, DD-768. We mostly call her Hoel Ni though."
A smile on her face, Misa shook the offered hand before also shaking Hoel Ni's. "Allow me to welcome both of you to our humble village." Seeing the bundles underneath theirs as well as Harry's and Shiromizu's arms, she blinked. "And what are these now?"
Unable to help himself, Harry grinned while not noticing a number of the local Yokai gathering around them as they entered the village. "Wizarding tents that I bought. They're not much mind you, but each one is about equal in space inside as a hut. I thought that they would be great for shelter until your homes were rebuilt."
Eyes wide, Misa stared at him for several moments before looking at the tents and doing some quick calculations. If anything, her eyes widened even further. "Those would be enough for all the villagers and then some... I..." Bowing, she smiled at him. "I thank you, Lord Harry for your gift to us." At his confused look, the Unagi Hime bit back a laugh. 'I think that I am starting to see why Imouto cares for you. You have a big heart and I hope that the Kami smile down on you.'
It was then that Harry noticed the Yokai around them who all had smiles on their faces before they gently took the various tents from them. Handing hers off to two of the bakezōri that called the village home, Shiromizu held a giggle behind one sleeve at Harry's expression as he got thanked over and over again. With a glance at Louisiana, her eyes narrowed and a sparkle of amusement entered them. "Harry?" Getting his attention, she continued. "As I remembered, you had some places around here that you wished to look at. Such as the old castle... if you wish, you could go and do so with Louisiana-San here while I speak with Onee-Sama."
Looking between her and the Battleship who now seemed interested, Harry thought it over. "You sure? I mean, we can wait..."
However, Shiromizu just placed a hand on his shoulders. "It's going to be boring talking with Onee-Sama for you, Harry. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves while I find out what is needed, okay?" When he nodded and took Louisiana's hand to walk off, she grinned widely. 'Success.' Still grinning, she turned towards Misa and began their discussion...
Coming around a bend in the road, Louisiana gave a small nod at the roadblock in front of them. "Looks like we're almost there, mon chéri."
Only nodding, Harry began to dig around in his pockets. "Yeah, looks like it. Just give me a moment."
Lips twitching, the Battleship slowed the vehicle until it came to a stop just before the roadblock. "Take your time, we're in no real rush." Rolling her window down, she waited as the two soldiers in the uniform of the JGSDF walked up. Behind the roadblock, besides the sandbags that had a machine gun on them, Louisiana could also see a Type 10 Tank by the road.
More surprising was the Type 89 Medium Tank that was across the road from it.
Eyebrow raised, Louisiana tapped one finger against the steering wheel. 'It seems that Akitsu Maru is still in the area then as I doubt that she would leave it behind.' Once the lead soldier arrived at her door, the American gave him a smile before saluting. "Lieutenant."
Returning the salute, the Lieutenant nodded. "Good day, Ma'am. As this area is restricted, may I ask your business?"
In reply, Louisiana gestured at the back of the vehicle as well as Harry. "Transporting some needed materials to the village as well as some personnel for a brief visit." Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out several papers as well as her ID which she handed over. "All the paperwork has been done."
The Lieutenant took the paperwork as well as the ID and compared it to Louisiana's. Moments later, hers was joined by Harry's own ID and Hoel Ni's. Slowly, he nodded as he compared the IDs and then began to look through the paperwork. "Thank you, if you'll just give us a moment to check both your cargo and with Command."
With that, he walked back to the roadblock followed by the second soldier. Louisiana meanwhile just leaned back in her seat as she looked around before her eyes spotted some white forms moving among what looked like a ruined building. Their activities could be just made out which made her raise an eyebrow. "I wonder what they're doing now?"
Looking over from where he was watching the soldiers at the roadblock talking, Harry blinked. "The roadblock?"
Just shaking her head, Louisiana gestured towards the direction she was watching. "There's some sort of building there, mon chéri. There are people in what looks like white, contamination suits there."
A frown on his face, Harry looked in the same direction and tried to see what Louisiana could. Something that he had more then a little problem with until it clicked. "I... think that was where the inn was actually."
That made the Battleship blink and look at him. "The inn, mon chéri? You mean the one that..."
When she waved her hand, Harry gave a grimace. "Yeah, it was where she was based besides the Headsman's house. And that explains a lot about the suits I guess." Seeing her confusion, he shuddered a bit. "They found bodies there, a lot of them. The less rotted ones were just desiccated, with all the insides gone and covered in webs. Dozens of them... And from what Mum told me, they think that they now have answers to a large number of missing person's reports in the area that got written off as either being lost or suicides."
Eyes widening, Hoel Ni stared at him before looking in the same direction and shivering. "That's... that's frightening."
Frowning a bit, Harry shook his head. "You also got the remains of the Gashadokuro as well which they need to identify. From what I heard, they're bringing in experts as some of the bodies found in the inn go all the way back to the 1960s."
Shiromizu let out a hiss. "Kuroshi was around for a very long time and preyed on people in the area. The village was abandoned by humans as too many were disappearing."
Grip tightening on the wheel a bit as Harry translated, Louisiana glared at the ruins of the inn. Not for the first time, she wished that she was there that night to stomp a certain spider like the bug it was. Then the American felt a hand on her own and turned to find Harry there holding it before he gave a squeeze. And like that, she felt the tension leave her as she nodded. "Thank you, mon chéri. At least she is now burning in Hell thanks to you and ma chérie as well as Miz Shiromizu."
It was then that the Lieutenant returned with their papers and IDs, which he handed back. Making a motion with his hands, the roadblock was moved aside. "Thank you for your time, Ma'am. Please stay out of the investigative areas as there could still be ordinance around. The parking is up past the next bend in the road."
With a nod, Louisiana saluted him. "Thank you, Lieutenant."
Taking a step back, he saluted her before waving her own. Sure enough, right around the bend was an area where trees had been cut down and the ground flattened out. Harry could easily see the signs that the one who had done so was a shipgirl, most likely Akitsu Maru herself. At one end of the makeshift parking lot was a truck with a large trailer attached to it. None of them commented on how it belonged to the SIT nor on how it they knew it was one of the mobile forensics labs said group had.
More then one of those in the parking lot looked towards them, but widened their eyes a few seconds later as Shiromizu transformed into her hybrid form. Stretching some, the Mizuchi sighed. "That feels much better after the long ride we had."
Amused, Harry gave her a snort as he moved to the back of the vehicle. "Like you noticed most of it." His expression then softened some. "Did you have a good sleep though?"
Gently smiling, Shiromizu nodded. "I did, thank you for letting me sleep." Stretching again, she watched as Harry, Louisiana, and Hoel began to pull out bundles. Taking one, the Mizuchi chuckled. "Let's go and find Onee-Sama then..."
While walking, Harry glanced at the side of the destroyed inn which was downhill now and tilted his head some at it. "Shiromizu?" At her hum, he continued. "Um, what exactly are you going to do with the inn once they're done?"
Now looking herself, she frowned some and shook her head. "Well... I talked with Onee-Sama about it and we'll make a monument to all those Kuroshi killed there. As for the inn itself? We're going to bury the ruins once they're done under stones from across the mountain. No one is ever going to disturb it again."
That only got her a nod from Harry and soon they reached the road leading up to the village. Before, the road had been overgrown and somewhat hard to see besides the trees on either side. Now though, someone had cleared the road and lined it with crushed stone making it easier to travel up. More then once, they were passed in the other direction by various people in ATVs which Harry watched in interest.
Eventually though, they did reach the village in time to see one of the Imori charge off on top of his rat mount. Something that made Louisiana's eyebrows shoot up along with Hoel Ni's. At seeing that, Harry snickered some which made them turn to him. "Sorry, your expressions just now were somewhat hilarious."
After giving it some thought, the Battleship let out a laugh. "Oui, I suppose that it was rather hilarious. But that was not something that I expected to see."
For her part, Shiromizu gave a shrug. "Well, from what Onee-Sama told me, the Imori here have breed their mounts for a few centuries. They're docile and make for good ways for them to get around the mountain quickly. Something that helped while Kuroshi was around."
Now thoughtful, Hoel Ni tilted her head to the side. 'I wonder if they would work for our fairies...'
Before such thoughts could get much further though, Misa appeared and soon gathered Shiromizu into a hug. "It's good to see you safe and sound again." Then she grabbed Harry into a hug which found him blushing a bit from where his head was shoved. "And it is good to see you as well, Lord Harry. Welcome back to both of you."
Pulling away she turned to find an amused Louisiana and Hoel Ni watching. Notcing her curiosity, the American bowed some as Shinano had taught her then held out a hand. "I am USS Louisiana, BB-71. I am very pleased to meet you, Madame. And beside me is my escort for the day, USS Hoel, DD-768. We mostly call her Hoel Ni though."
A smile on her face, Misa shook the offered hand before also shaking Hoel Ni's. "Allow me to welcome both of you to our humble village." Seeing the bundles underneath theirs as well as Harry's and Shiromizu's arms, she blinked. "And what are these now?"
Unable to help himself, Harry grinned while not noticing a number of the local Yokai gathering around them as they entered the village. "Wizarding tents that I bought. They're not much mind you, but each one is about equal in space inside as a hut. I thought that they would be great for shelter until your homes were rebuilt."
Eyes wide, Misa stared at him for several moments before looking at the tents and doing some quick calculations. If anything, her eyes widened even further. "Those would be enough for all the villagers and then some... I..." Bowing, she smiled at him. "I thank you, Lord Harry for your gift to us." At his confused look, the Unagi Hime bit back a laugh. 'I think that I am starting to see why Imouto cares for you. You have a big heart and I hope that the Kami smile down on you.'
It was then that Harry noticed the Yokai around them who all had smiles on their faces before they gently took the various tents from them. Handing hers off to two of the bakezōri that called the village home, Shiromizu held a giggle behind one sleeve at Harry's expression as he got thanked over and over again. With a glance at Louisiana, her eyes narrowed and a sparkle of amusement entered them. "Harry?" Getting his attention, she continued. "As I remembered, you had some places around here that you wished to look at. Such as the old castle... if you wish, you could go and do so with Louisiana-San here while I speak with Onee-Sama."
Looking between her and the Battleship who now seemed interested, Harry thought it over. "You sure? I mean, we can wait..."
However, Shiromizu just placed a hand on his shoulders. "It's going to be boring talking with Onee-Sama for you, Harry. Go ahead and enjoy yourselves while I find out what is needed, okay?" When he nodded and took Louisiana's hand to walk off, she grinned widely. 'Success.' Still grinning, she turned towards Misa and began their discussion...