Harry Potter & the Shipgirls

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Lonely Street 3

The sound of his phone ringing brought Dalt out of the blurry tedium that at least filled the day.

"Yes?"... "Oh hello Mitsue-san." .... "Please don't apologize, there's no need." ... "Um, no, I haven't eaten yet." .... "Do you have a place in mind? I don't eat out much." ... "Alright, I will meet you there at 7 o'clock then." After he had finished writing down the directions and put his phone away, he looked up. To a room of coworkers all studiously avoiding looking in his direction. Dalt's eyes narrowed and he asked the room in his quietest calmest Master Chief's tone.

"So who won the pool?"

"I think Ishida did."

"Yes!"

The next words from Dalt's mouth dropped the temperature in the room by several degrees, as an angry scowl grew on his face. "So my having no love life is funny how? I mean, funny like I'm one of those sad clowns or neckbeard incels? It amuses you? IT MAKES YOU LAUGH? I'M A BIG FUCKING JOKE TO YOU?"

Utter silence reigned as the shocked to slack jawed expressions looked on. Master Chief Dalton Longstreet, the calm and quiet Coastie, who had suffered all the slings and arrows his life had thrown at him with a seeming calm equanimity was grinding his teeth in barely contained anger.

Captain Yonehara, who had just stepped out of his office in the middle of it, commented in an attempt to placate Dalt; "I came up with the pool Chief Longstreet. It was originally a pool about who would land a girlfriend first, you or me."

"So why didn't it end when you and Ashigara hooked up, Sir?"

"..."

"I am disappointed, Sir. I thought you of all people would understand about things like this." Dalt visibly calmed himself. "Sir, I'm taking the rest of the week and next week off. I have the time to burn. Have a good evening." Dalt walked out of the office.

-0-

So yeah.. Dalt's epic failure of a love life has done a number on him and he's not been in a good headspace for a very long time. The next bit will be the dinner date and office coworkers forming a peanut gallery that makes things worse. But the question of the purveyor of Red Strings, Uzume is, what happens when the Red String keeps falling off one of the targets like they're coated with Teflon?

Also, I wanted to write something, and that Goodfellas quote has been wanting me to use it forever now.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie Enters The Land Of The Rising Sun

Habomai Village, Nemuro Peninsula, Hokkaido

Wei Ying gave a weary smile as she saw the breakers of the Pacific's waves crashing against the coast of Hokkaido. The last 24 hours had been quite taxing for her as she flew across Alaska, then mile upon mile upon mile of seawater, guided only by her magical compass homing in on her next navigation point.

Never again! she promised herself as she shifted to try to find a less agonizing position in the saddle.

"RRWWWFF!" Her owlbear grunted as a pair of black specks approached from the land to the west.

"Me too Whitehead, me too." she said as she focused on the flyers and with her legs and reins instructed Whitehead to stop flying and instead soar slowly.

A whispered vision enhancing spell caused her to zoom in on the flyers. A cross between crows and humans, the long beak-like noses, reddish faces, and feathered wings made their identity immediately clear.

Tengu.

Ying felt her lips twist in a scowl before she controlled herself. She shouldn't let her wartime experiences with the Japanese get to her. One thing that her life as a Mounted Magical Policewoman had taught her is that you did not have to like someone to be polite to them and work with them.

She really did not like Japan and the Japanese.

Not after seeing what they did to the Canadian prisoners taken when Hong Kong fell and to the native Chinese while working undercover for four long years. Her bad luck that she had been assigned to accompany the Canadian defenders of the Crown City as an interpreter and liaison to the local magical community shortly before the War.

After their brave but hopeless fight, she had used her native shape-shifting and illusion powers and native fluency in Cantonese to blend into the teeming masses of Chinese civilians. Once there, she established herself as an agent who tracked ship movements in and out of the harbor and relayed what intelligence that she could dig up.
Spoiler: Lady Kitsune

What she had been able to report through her hidden crystal ball back to her department was bad enough. The Imperial Japanese Army's abuses of POWs, the occupation troops' rapes of Chinese women, the kempetai rounding up Chinese to use for bayonet and saber practice to blood their trainees were far, far worse, and seeing those had made her swear that the guilty would taste her righteous vengeance behind her controlled impassive face.

All of those had made her blood boil as she saw red. She knew that she had a temper that she kept under tight control and channeled into her work. Normally.

Worst of all, her heritage from her mother had a problematic at best side that she had to control at all times. While she was willing to concede that very few creatures and spirits were purely evil - save the wendigo! - she admitted that there were certain proclivities passed down in the blood that one would find among both spirits and mortals like herself who had the blood of a spirit in her veins. One would never find an ox spirit's child as scrawny, weak, and a carnivore, for instance.

Nüwa had dispached a huli jing fox spirit once as an agent of divine vengeance upon a wicked and corrupt ruler, after all. Su Dájǐ, the most infamous of all her mother's kin, had cast a long, dark, and bloodstained shadow across three thousand years of Chinese history and folklore for those actions that she orchestrated as she corrupted and tore down the last Emperor of the Shang Dynasty in lust, cruelty, and debauchery to show that the Mandate of Heaven had passed from the unrighteous. That kind of action, rightly or wrongly, was imbued with consequences for those huli jing who came after Dájǐ such as her Amā and her.

And a police officer who had spent decades tracking and punishing criminals who preyed upon the innocent and helpless was uniquely suited to act to prey upon the unrighteous among the occupying forces and their lapdogs. Worse for all concerned, this officer knew First Nation spellcraft that the Japanese did not know of, much less how to counter, such as a spell used by wendigo to isolate their prey from calling for aid. As well, her huli jing heritage gave her the ability to shift her face and body at will and spin illusions to turn a peasant's hovel into a royal palace, or make a shape-shifted killer wearing a soldier's face appear to have a spotless uniform when she walked out of a crime scene to vanish. Her skills with blade, wand, and Five Ancestors Style of martial arts made her a deadly foe in almost any confrontation.

Being able to speak fluent or accented as she preferred Cantonese, Mandarin, and English like the native that she was along with rapidly learning to speak Japanese like a native made her near-impossible to track since she could be anyone in the city...or the police. Finally, changing her modus operandi and target list regularly made it difficult for the detectives and onomouji pursuing her to determine what her goal was past 'kill Eastern Barbarians and their lackeys'.

Knowing how criminals got caught or trapped mundanely and magically had helped her save her tails more than a few times as the kempetai, Hong Kong Police, and Kamo's men desperately tried to corner and catch the serial killer preying upon them that they had known as 'Lady Kitsune'. They had managed to death-read that a fox spirit was preying on them, but no more. Their attempts to divine the location of that fox or ward against her had borne no fruit since she was in fact the spirit of her dao instead; a tsukumogami rather than a kitsune.

Not that anyone save Amā knew about what she had done in the bars, back alleys, and brothels of the Pearl of the Orient. Even Amā did not know where all the bodies had been disposed of, much less the ghastly details of what she had been inspired to do to spread terror and fear among the Japanese occupiers.

When Hong Kong was liberated in 1945, she was finally able to return home and tearfully confess the blood on her hands to her mother before resuming her duties with the RCMMP. Ironically, one of her first postwar duties had been to provide security for some Japanese defendants at the postwar war crimes trials, since Canada was viewed as a neutral arbiter to secure them.

Amā had only looked deep into her eyes and said, "Listen and understand, my daughter. We serve the Mandate of Heaven, and while we are called upon for divine vengeance, vengeance is not all that we are called to do. Remember what Master Kǒng taught, 'The real fault is to have faults and not amend them'. Furthermore, 'Repay kindness with kindness, and evil with justice'. You now know the fault in yourself, and what evils you are capable of when unrighteousness rules."

With that memory, she shook her head slightly to focus. Woolgathering was all well and good for someone of her age, but she had a quarry to track down and step one would be to contact local magical law enforcement after making a safe landing.

She called out, using a minor spell to increase her voice as the Tengu air patrol reached hailing distance. "Royal Canadian Magical Mounted Police Chief Superintendent Wei Ying. I'm enroute to assist the Magical Diet with an investigation. I should be expected."

The two bird-men looked at each other, then the one in the lead blinked. "We haven't gotten word, of any scheduled air traffic, especially not something like THAT beast. We are going to have to demand that you land for confirmation."

His companion punctuated the statement by clearly boggling at the tired owlbear. "What in the name of the kami is THAT?"

Ying laughed tiredly. "Whitehead is a Yukon Owlbear. According to the Dené, Owl Woman wished to conceive a child to spite her husband Raven and wrapped herself in the hide of a she-bear to lay with Great Bear. When Raven found out, he used his magic to turn their sons and daughters into the Owlbears to punish his unfaithful wife."

She finished the story with a shrug and a smug smirk. "When us pale-faces ventured to the far north in Canada, we discovered and domesticated them, although they are like cats, I'm not sure who domesticated who."

The owlbear gave a growling hoot.

"Hush, you. When we land, I'll arrange you to eat enough fish or meat until you can't eat any more. I don't suppose that your community has any salmon or seals that you caught? They love salmon, and seals, really almost any fish. I personally can't stand fish and the less said about seal meat the better."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Placing a hand on the battlements of the tower that he was on, Harry looked out onto the grounds of the castle. Besides the short visits to his professors the day before, he had mostly been cooped up in the Hospital Wing of the school. Now though... he was able to get out and about. Beside him, Natsumi had a small blush on her face as she looked at the thirteen year old boy. With the Sun sinking towards the horizon already and silhouetting him as the wind gently blew his hair, the Kitsune felt her face grow hot, "Harry-Chan..."

With a blink, the wizard turned to her and gave a smile, "Natsumi-Chan. Is something the matter?

Only shaking her head, Natsumi opened her mouth to reply in the negative... but stopped at the last moment. Walking up to him, she took his hand into his, "I... did I tell you how I knew that you were in trouble, Harry-Chan? Besides it being a dream...?"

Frowning, Harry shook his head, "No, you didn't." When she didn't say anything for a few moments, he reached up and cupped her cheek, "Natsumi-Chan? What's wrong?"

Unable to look at him, she looked down, "I... in my dream, I was in that place again..." Slowly, Natsumi told him the tale of what had occurred. Throughout it, Harry did not say a single thing as he simply let her get it out. With Hoppou on the staircase, there was no way for anyone to catch them. It was a private moment between the two of them. Finally, Natsumi finished her story and closed her eyes, "... And that is about it."

Slowly, Harry gave a nod, "I see... she spoke to you then?" Not saying anything, Natsumi simply nodded. However, Harry lifted her chin and spoke softly to her, "Natsumi-Chan, please... talk with me. Look at me."

Despite not wanting to, Natsumi did as asked and her honey colored eyes met his emerald ones, "I... Harry-Chan, I..."

Expression gentle, the thirteen year old shook his head as she didn't need words to get anything across to him, "I know, Natsumi-Chan. And I don't care."

Head snapping up, Natsumi looked at him. But rather than say anything negative, she looked into his eyes for the answer. And in those depths the color of emerald, she found her answer.

That he really did not care, not at all.

Lightly laughing, though she didn't find anything funny, she tilted her head, "You don't care, do you, Harry-Chan."

Just giving her a lopsided smile, Harry shook his head, "Not at all, Natsumi-Chan." Placing his forehead against hers, he closed his eyes at the same time that she did. "I don't care in the slightest."

Feeling the tears prickle at the corners of her eyes, Natsumi gave a hum, "I guess that I should never have expected anything different from you, Harry-Chan. But..." Opening her eyes, they once more met those of the boy who was hugging her, "I'm scared... what if... what if what she told me..."

Softly curling his lips into a smile, Harry gave her a kiss on the forehead, "I don't care, Natsumi-Chan. To me, you are Ono Natsumi-Chan. My best friend and one of the strongest people that I know."

Chewing her bottom lip, the Kitsune looked up at him, "And if something happens?"

All Harry did was give a shrug, "Then? We'll meet it together. Because I will not let you face this alone, Natsumi-Chan. As you said that you will help me face Voldemort at my side? What comes, I will be at yours. Never doubt that."

With a sniffle, Natsumi gave a nod and a laugh, "Hai, I don't doubt it at all, Harry-Chan... Never doubt it at all." Shifting a bit, the two kissed for a few moments before she pulled back, eyes nearly glowing, "And I never will have to."

From where she was sitting in a window, cloaked in an illusion, Hoshi softly smiled a bit before whispering to the wind itself, "I'm glad for you, Natsumi-Chan... so glad that you found someone like Harry-San. Thank whoever bound your red string of fate." Pushing off the window, it looked for a moment like she was floating before she began to drop. Grabbing hold of one gargoyle, she used the inertia to fling herself across to another, and then slipped down a drainpipe and landed on the ground. Glancing to the side, she smiled a bit, "Haru-Chan.'

The five tail walked out from the shadows and smiled at her, "Hoshi-San." With a glance up at the tower, she could just make out her niece and Harry, "How are they?"

Glancing at the two, Hoshi chuckled, "How are they? I think... that they will be just fine, Haru-Chan." Slowly nodding, she smiled, "Just fine."

Eyebrow raised, Haru chuckled herself before sighing, "So she told him?" Getting a nod, she only smiled a bit, "And he accepted that, despite everything."

Bemused, the Kyuubi cocked an eyebrow, "Did you think any other possibility of those two?"

Unable to help herself, Haru shook her head, "No, no I did not." Expression falling, she looked at the old friend of the family, the Kitsune who in many ways was an aunt in everything but blood, "Though I am concerned."

Not saying anything, Hoshi only looked out onto the grounds, "Perhaps, but I am not so concerned myself."

A frown on her face, the other Kitsune shook her head, "I wish that I could believe that, Hoshi-San. But... considering that we are talking about Tamamo no Mae..."

Still looking out onto the grounds, Hoshi nodded, "Hai, I know. And it does worry me to some extent. But... at the same time, I am not so concerned." Turning, she looked at Haru directly, "... Haha-ue was many things. A monster among them, but I still remember that day when the Monk finished talking to her and freed her spirit from the stone she had locked it in. She appeared before both myself and Tsuki-Chan. No words passed her lips... but she just nodded and faded away. Both of us could feel it, her spirit passing on to whatever awaited it. At the time, we hated that fact, that it felt so... lightened. But now..." Tilting her head back, the Kitsune looked up at the darkening sky, "When you told us of that dream Natsumi-Chan had? I spoke with Tsuki-Chan about it, about things that I remembered."

Walking forward until she was beside the older Kitsune, Haru frowned, "Hai?"

Just taking a deep breath, Hoshi spoke, "Both of us... we remembered some times with her. On a certain day, she would seal herself away and the few times we could overhear her, she was speaking in Chinese to someone. But that someone never answered back... and for the few days after, she would seem... despondent. Her fury, her hate would return... Yet now, I recognize that she had sadness in her eyes."

Frowning, the younger Yokai furrowed her eyes, "So perhaps... it is true? But, could this be a fakeout?"

Voice quiet, Hoshi sighed, "I wish that I could say one way or the other. Haha-ue was... old. But the night that she was killed, at the very end? Both myself and Tsuki-Chan, we have continually asked ourselves the same thing over and over." Turning, she regarded Haru, "Why did she allow herself to finally die? At the very end, it seemed like something within her wished for death and stayed the rest of her hand... as if she was so very tired. Then she haunted the stone. Yet, when we saw her ghost... she was happy, and at peace. As if a long nightmare was finally at its end. That... that was the first time she ever smiled at us, sad as it was."

Her own voice quiet, Haru turned to her, "I do not mean to say otherwise, but..."

Bitterly chuckling, the older Kitsune nodded, "She could be tricking us, but, I think not. Haha-ue would not think for a second about not crushing Natsumi-Chan's spirit and taking it. No... I do not think that she is actually in Natsumi-Chan's head. What is there is an... echo. Nothing more than that, and just as powerless in the end. Perhaps it gained more from the imprint that was on the shard of the Sesshō seki. Perhaps something of her mind, but nothing more, which would explain how it could speak to her now." Eyes closed, Hoshi sighed softly, "While Haha-ue always had back up plans for her back ups... this is not like what she would consider. There was always, always more than one side to any plan she made. Such as myself and my twin..."

Reaching into her robes, she pulled out something on a gold chain. It was old, ancient really, but to one as old as Haru and as learned, it forced her to suck in breath, "That is..." Eyes widening, she looked at Hoshi, "How..."

Simply watching the object as it spun, her eyes on the three leaves, Hoshi sighed, "This... is all we have of our Chichi-ue, tossed aside by Haha-ue. She never knew that we found it in the cave where we were born. Close by, we found the bones of a dead human that we recognized smelled like us. She did not mean for us to be just mere assassins, but perhaps to also spread chaos in the Imperial Court. Not that we realized such at the time, it took us many years after her death to realize the truth." Slipping it back into her clothes, the Kyuubi patted where it laid, "Which is why I doubt that anything regarding Natsumi-Chan is something that she planned out. No... what remains is an echo of what she once was. As to why it may be there..."

For a moment, Hoshi paused as if unsure what to say. A slight smile on her face, Haru gave a nod of her own, "Blood will out."

All Hoshi did was not to that, "Hai."

Unknowing of the conversations that passed between the two older Kitsune, Natsumi only hummed as she was held close to Harry.

 

[darthcourt10]

SkyeFire Omake: She! Is! CANADIAN!

Yellowhammer said:
The real shock will be when she finds out that her paternal grandfather is a Japanese Muramasa.​

Ying was dimly aware of her newly-discovered relatives hovering uncertainly as she bit her thumb and struggled not to hyperventilate.

"I am... half Chinese... one-quarter Belgian... and... and...." She had to force the words out. "And one-quarter... Japanese."

Around her, the various Murmasas were readying themselves to duck&cover, or grab and restrain (except Kyoshu and Nameless, who were holding hairstyling tools and eyeing her hair speculatively). Ying knew she had to come to grips with this somehow. Accept... or deny... or... or--!

"It's okay." A deep breath. "This... is okay. This is fine. Because whatever else I am--" She leaped to her feat, thrusting one hand proudly towards the heavens.

"I! AM! CANADIAN!!!!"

"Did... did she just pull a Maito Gai--"
"With frozen trundra and a 'hanami' of maple leaves? Yeah."
"Oh, good, so I'm not having an aneurysm."

Ying, meanwhile, had fallen into the hands of Muramasamune Hairstyling Inc, and was looking completely blissed out (probably at least partly from the post-existential-crisis adrenaline crash).

"Wow. I never knew a 'do could be so relaxing, eh? You know what? After this, we should have a family hockey game! I can teach all of you to play, we just need a nice frozen lake somewhere, you have those in Japan, right? And maple syrup! Gonna get everyone some of the Real Stuff for Christmas, eh? I've got someone on the inside at the Canadian Strategic Maple Syrup Reserve, you'll love it...."

"Is... she gonna be okay?"
"Honestly? This is one of the better reactions to finding out that we're your family...."

 

[darthcourt10]

baofengyu

OMAKE- Outside Looking In/Sacrifice

Present-


"What is it now Graham?"

The Director of MACUSA Surveillance Wizarding Resources Department did not even bother looking up from her paperwork. Graham Sinclair shuffled nervously for a moment, the papers in his hands rustling.

"Ma'am, it is in regards to information coming out of China. Jong Yin is dead."

The pen paused only for a moment before continuing its path. "And this affects us how?"

"Well, I think we should be taking a closer look at his successor, Xiao Wei. We have nothing on this woman and from my sources say they never heard of her before his death. Jong Yin was a very respected magical in the Chinese Wizarding World, and for him to have a successor come out of nowhere whom no one had met before now-"

"We have no authority to investigate or intervene in the affairs of magicals in other countries Graham," She butted in. "How the Chinese choose to operate is up to them. We have enough problems with the Statute of Secrecy on its last legs, not to mention trying to keep the Ship-Girl and Abyssals in check."

The antics of the USS New Jersey were legendary and adding her interactions with the other magical constructs only made matters worse.

"Ma'am, there has to be something else at work here. Ever since Blood Week the Chinese have been operating in a more regulated fashion. Even our agents abroad have mentioned this shift. A powerful magical like Xiao Wei just doesn't appear out of nowhere."

"For the last time Graham, it isn't our concern. Mary is in Japan and she reports nothing out of the ordinary there, and nothing odd anywhere else. Not to mention the British obsession with 'The Boy Who Lived' as he is being considered a dual citizen of England and Japan and all the problems that he seems to attract. Those…things…that went on a rampage in England are just the beginning, and we need to make sure our own house is in order when the SoS comes crashing down. Let the Chinese handled this 'Xiao Wei'."

Tai'an-

DaJi closed her eyes and smiled. There was power in names, and even spoken in whispered tones or behind magical barriers, the spiritual weight of such an act always allowed those that could listen hear what was spoken.

She resumed brushing her hair. Things were proceeding properly, and after disposing of that flesh bag she found a willing host for a change, and took her skin. The fools in this 'Ministry' were all too eager to accept her as Jong Yin's successor, and it took little effort to bind them to her will.

And yet, there was the echo in Japan. A piece of her that remained. She could sense it moving around, but it was muted, quiet. She did not need it at this point, and was confident that when the time came she could reclaim it. The Huli Jing of the Japans were very active, especially now as the Gates of Diyu were open, and the Darkness within roaming the Seas.

"Lady Wei?"

DaJi glanced at her attendant in the mirror.

"It is nearly time for you to ascend TaiShan. The way has been prepared for you."

DaJi gloated inside. The sacrifices of the Feng and Shan would cement her control over Magical China, and through them, control over these 'ministers' who claimed the Mandate of Heaven.
Spoiler: Xiao Wei

Xiao Wei True Form

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie In Magical Tokyo

Magical Canadian Embassy, Magical Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan
Spoiler: Meeting at the Embassy

"...and after the locals confirmed that I was who I told them that I was, they fed Whitehead and I mounted back up. The flight down to Iwatesan airbase just northwest of Morioka was pretty bumpy, there was a storm blowing in. But I managed to land there and get Whitehead bedded down at the facilities there. They have a supply arrangement with some pig farms, so the 'bear can replenish the fat reserves she burned on the flight over."

Wei Ying cradled the mug of strong tea and sipped it then resumed in a tired voice. "After I cleared customs there, I took the Floo down to Tokyo, checked into the Kitsune's Den hotel in Magical Roppongi where I have reservations, and headed here to report in. What do you have for me, Inspector Markham?"

The blond-haired and blue eyed RCMMP officer handed over a file folder stamped with the crowned bison head surrounded by maple leaves and wands crest of the RCMMP. "Here's our information on the lead investigator you will be working with. Auror Captain Nitobe Inazo is a real keener. Rumor has it that the Diet really wants du Chasteler run to ground, since politics are unsettled." He spoke in the nasal accent of a native of the Maritimes. Ying's brain was mentally cataloguing him as a PEIslander from the dialect.

Ying blinked slowly. "Unsettled? Please elaborate." She looked up from where she was flipping through the files.

The other RCMMP officer grimaced. "Long story short, their government is suffering a crisis of public confidence. Scandals, a protest that got turned into a kerfuffle when they bungled it," Ying winced and shook her head, "more scandals, and it just keeps going. Several months ago they even had a domestic magical terrorist group try to assault the NoMaj US embassy if you can believe that."

Ying gave him a very flat stare. "Eh?"

"Honest to God. Luckily they didn't hurt any Yanks, but it was a damn near close run thing. Clearly the Good Lord looks after fools and idiots like these blighters who were three sheets to the wind. Shootout with Yanks? Jeezius!" Markham shook his head.

Ying shook her head and drained the mug. "Wonderful. Tell me some good news."

"Well I arranged you to meet Auror Inazo at ten AM tomorrow, so you can get a good night's sleep first." The younger Mountie's eyes glittered at the clear discomfort of his half frozen, soaked, and exhausted elder.

"Thank all the many and multifarious deities of the Celestial Bureaucracy for that. The file is unclassified and I can take it with me, yes?" Ying reached the end of the file and looked up.

"It's your copy Chief Superintendent Wei." Markham smiled. "My contact information is on the inside jacket of it, and call me if you need help with your investigation."

Ying stretched. "I will. And thank you."

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

The Kitsune's Den, Magical Tokyo
Spoiler: The Kitsune's Den

Ying nodded to the desk clerk and staggered up the flight of stairs. At the top, she turned left and opened the door to room 208 after tensing slightly.

Upon opening the door, she relaxed at the peaceful room provided, stepped inside, and locked and chained the door closed.

The room was small, with a futon, desk, closet, and attached bathroom overlooking the neon-lit street as darkness began to fall. Her battered and scuffed suitcase and garment bag that she had pulled from the saddlebags after finally, finally landing were waiting for her on the futon.

With that she glanced at her wrist sundial and mentally did some mathematics. Nodding to herself, she traced a Chinese ideograph to disarm the security spells on her suitcase, then unlocked it with a bronze key pulled from one of her belt pouches. Inside, the suitcase was clearly space-expanded with a small rack of potion vials next to her underwear and other neatly packed clothing. The other half had a sword maintenance kit, a laptop case and miniature fingerprint kit, and a pair of bulky red silk bags carefully strapped down.
Spoiler: The Dragon's Pearl

She opened the first bag and pulled out an antique bronze statue of an oriental dragon coiling around itself. Placing it on the desk, she then opened the second bag, and pulled out a cloudy milk-white crystal ball the size of her fist. She slotted the ball into the dragon's coils, and then traced a series of Chinese ideographs on the ball's surface with a fingertip.

As she finished the cloudy depths of the ball swirled and suddenly the image of a room in her home appeared in its depths. A middle aged Eurasian man turned in clear surprise and suddenly his voice sounded in her ears speaking her native Cantonese.

"Gupo! This is unexpected, what can I do for you?"

She smiled happily and spoke in Cantonese. "No need to disturb the harmony of the house. When she awakens, please notify Nainai that her First Daughter has arrived safely. The flight was long and tiring, but is now over and I shall be doing what I have been sent here to do. I shall speak to her, Gods willing, tomorrow evening. Also, please notify your Number Five Son that Gupo is quite proud of his efforts upon the ice rink, and that she greatly regrets not being present to witness his triumph herself. She eagerly awaits the chance to return home so she can have him tell her of the game personally."

Her great-great grandnephew nodded. "We are all very proud of our Little Tiger."

"As you should be. Baai Baai!" With a nod of her head, and a wave of her wrist, the image faded. Another set of characters were traced on the crystal and again it cleared to reveal a young woman with straight blond hair and hazel eyes sitting behind a desk.

"Auror Colonel de Breuil's office. Auror Trainee Jensen speaking." The young woman responded in English.

"This is Chief Superintendent Wei of the RCMMP, is Delilah available?" Ying spoke.

"I'm afraid that she is on vacation, should I forward you to Auror Major Blackthorn?" Jensen replied, bracing to attention as she did.

Ying winced mentally at the sight of the clearly so fresh that she squeaked trainee that Delilah had manning her outer desk these days."No need, I am here in a personal role as opposed to professional. I just wished to give her a courtesy heads-up that I was going to be out of the office handling a personal matter in Japan and to call my deputy at E Division if she needs to coordinate with the RCMMP." She spoke reassuringly.

Jensen blinked twice. "Colonel De Breuil is on vacation in Japan as well but I will pass the information along to her when she checks in."

Ying froze and spoke slowly as her mind whirled. "Oh, is she now? When she checks in, please pass along that I'd appreciate a call from her on my portable crystal ball, hopefully we can meet up here and do dinner or something."

"I'll make a note, Chief Superintendent, is there anything else that the MACUSA Corps of Aurors can do for you?" Jensen said after using a quill to scribble the request on a scrap of parchment.

"Just keep up the good work, Auror Jensen, you are a credit to your service. Good day." Ying ended the call and idly wondered when Delilah had taken to robbing cradles.

A further glance and a deep breath as she traced a third set of glyphs. With any luck, he would be in the office...

This time the ball cleared to show a cramped room with rain pounding the windows. Papers, parchments and scrolls were scattered everywhere and piled high on the desk. "La Sûreté Magique, Département des Archives. Inspecteur de Maintenon." came from a wizard with gray in his pencil mustache and thinning black hair who blinked watery blue eyes at her.

"Bonjour Henri. You look like death warmed over. Things are that bad in France?" Ying said sympathetically as the exhausted wizard focused on her.

"When aren't they that bad? They are going to shutter my department temporarily and put us on fieldwork. You can blame the Bretons for that, we had a group of Ankou escape and lost some good Aurors putting them back to rest." Henri responded irritably. "Also the Diviners are mumbling something about approaching death on the wind hungering for those who escaped it before. Whatever that means, but it can't be good."

Ying nodded. "I can relate. Listen, I know that I asked you a while back to do a records dive on Colombe Du Chasteler, did you have any luck?"

Henri shrugged. "A bit. I dug out a copy of the incident in Metz in 1789 that the Committee of Magical Safety filed, along with some notes and conclusions of their investigation of her in 1806. To no one's surprise, she slipped the net."

Ying sighed. "I'll take what I can get. Can you gather it together and owl it to the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo care of Inspector Markham?"

"Tokyo? What in the Name of God are you doing there?" Henri interjected.

"Hopefully seeing justice done. Regardless, I owe you a big one for this." Ying said.

"I'll do it today when I grab lunch." Henri agreed.

"Merci beaucoup. Audieu." Ying said in her best French before ending the communication.

With that she hung the bag with her uniform up in the provided closet, and then turned back to her opened suitcase. From inside it, she pulled her sword maintenance kit and favorite whetstone. Unsheathing her true self, she began to clean and hone herself as a focus for her thoughts and racing heart as she stared at the bustling neon-lit street beyond.

Father... I'm coming for you...

 

[darthcourt10]

Savato93 Omake: Sunny isn't afraid to Rock

Random omake I thought of since I was watching a Breath of the Wild speedrun...

XXXXXXXXXX

It was something quite simple, but it had many of the Abyssals in the Fleet of Laughter dumbfounded and amazed—a mere boulder, about the size of one of the destroyers, that was for all intents and purposes, immovable.

Uncle Harry was demonstrating a new charm he'd learned for his nieces, and they somehow found themselves having the time of their lives with it. One or two at a time, the Abyssals took turns trying to move the boulder any way they could think of—pushing and shoving, kicking, body slamming, you name it—and it wouldn't budge, even when the girls started putting their horsepower into the task. It had become something of a competition, to see who could beat the charm and get the rock to move even a fraction of an inch... and so far, nobody had accomplished even that much.

"Make way, guys, I want to try!" The Abyssals pulled away from the frozen boulder, letting Regalia charge in as fast as her legs could carry her, before leaping forward with a flying drop kick. There was a sound like a gong as her hooves impacted the side of the rock with the full force of the battlecarrier she embodied... but then she dropped unceremoniously to the ground, her momentum simply gone. "Oh... oh, wow, that feels so weird..." Regalia groaned, looking incredibly stunned. "The boulder didn't go anywhere... but neither did I... b-but my legs are shaking and aching, so I still hit it... that's not how the laws of motion are supposed to work!"

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, it can feel weird, alright... but don't worry, it's really not defying Newton's laws. All the charm does is lock an object in time and space... anyone can still act on the object, it just won't take effect immediately." As she stood nearby, contemplating Harry's statement, Sunny suddenly perked up. She slowly turned to her uncle, and their gazes met.

In that moment, there was a twinkle in both their gazes... an unspoken understanding between troublemakers.

Wearing a bright, cheery smile, Sunny walked up to the boulder, waving everyone away. To everyone's confusion, all she did was give the rock a light kick on its underside with her toes—and then she hopped up and grabbed onto it with her legs and feet and cried out, "LET IT RIP, UNCLE!"

With a wide grin on his own face, Harry obliged, releasing the spell...

and instantly, the boulder shot off like a bullet, all the built-up energy from the Abyssals whaling against it released in a single violent burst that catapulted it towards the ocean horizon.

With a Battleship Demon clinging to the side of the rock for dear life, nevertheless whooping in unbridled glee.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Walking into the Hospital Wing, Harry internally sighed as Madame Pomfrey gave him a unhappy look. If it was up to her, he would not have been able to leave the Hospital Wing until she was happy that he was good. Despite how he had already been there for at least a full day. After a moment, he gave a shrug, 'Oh well, it means more time with Natsumi-Chan. And Mum is already talking about me going home in a day or two.'

A moment later though, he was interrupted by the sight of a snowy owl fluttering in. Landing on a bedpost, Hedwig had the look in her eyes of both amusement and mischievousness. Something only solidified a moment later as she spoke, "Hello, Harry-Wizard."

Giving her only a blink, Pomfrey walked back into her office. After all, it was not the oddest thing that she had seen during her Hogwarts career... or before that as a Medi-witch at Saint Mungoes. Far from it as a matter of fact...

With a look of amusement at the school nurse, the black haired boy turned back to Hedwig, "Hello, Hedwig." Feeling the amusement increase, as well as a bit of smugness, Harry internally frowned, 'What is she up to...? I know that she was unhappy with what happened, but it couldn't have something to do with that, could it?'

Just as he was about to comment, he noticed that Natsumi suddenly grabbed Hoppou from his shoulders and quickly walked backwards. Hedwig's eyes took on a gleam of unholy glee at that, "I hope that you are ready, Harry-Wizard."

Right then, Harry had an odd feeling come over him. Not unlike the feeling one has when hearing the sounds of a flash flood coming at them. Turning, he blinked some at a sound he was hearing, "Wait, is that water that I hear-"

The door slammed open to reveal Shiromizu in her human form there panting. Locking onto him, she began running and transformed into her lamia form partway there, "HARRY!"

Eyes widening, Harry brought up his hands, "Shiromizu, wait-"

Before he could finish, Shiromizu leapt forward and he went flying across the room in her hug as the breath was driven from him. With almost nonchalance, Hoshi kicked a bed so that it was where it was needed when the two landed. Poking her head out of her office, Pomfrey hummed, "Very nice distance."

And with that, she went back into her office.

Meanwhile, Shiromizu wrapped her coils around Harry, "I just heard what happened! A hundred Dementors?! Are you alright?!"

Weakly grinning, the wizard nodded as he gave a shrug, "Yes? I mean, I'm alive after all."

For several minutes, Shiromizu looked at him and checked him over best that she could. Eyes narrowing, she cocked her head to the side, "Hmm..." Then, the Mizuchi was all smiles, "Good to see..."

Lips curling up into a smile despite what his instincts were telling him, Harry shrugged, "Told you so-"

Unfortunately, he was unable to finish as the young Kami grabbed the pillow on the bed and began to whack him over the head with it, "BAKA! BAKA! I WAS WORRIED ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WHEN I HEARD ABOUT IT!" Sniffling, Shiromizu dropped the pillow and hugged him close, "I was so scared..."

Suffering from a bit of whiplash, Harry blinked twice. Part of his mind mused that if this was an anime, he would have swirly eyes. Instead though, he instinctively reached up and patted sister-figure's back, "It's okay, Shiromizu. It is okay..."

However, Shiromizu pulled back some, "No, it is not okay, Harry. Yet again, something like this happened. You shouldn't have to worry about it and yet here we are!"

With a sigh, the teenaged wizard nodded, "I know, but what can you do?" He than gave a small grin, "Though you should be proud of me." When she raised one eyebrow, Harry continued, "Because I finally managed a corporeal Patronus! And it was powerful enough to blast a hundred Dementors away from me!"

Unable to help herself, Shiromizu's lips twitched a bit, "Yes, I heard that much anyways." After a few moments, she snorted, "Apparently it is all over the magical world."

Rapidly blinking, Harry only had one response to that, "Poi?"

Hundreds of miles away in a castle that laid in Belgium, a certain Rapier was looking over the morning mail. It had been a few days since they picked it up and there was a small stack of magical newspapers. Colombe was many things, but despite what some might say, she was no fool. Hence, all the magical mail and newspapers went to an address specifically for it. Another layer to hide her. Ehren has just returned a few minutes later and was making some coffee as her mother sipped from her own mug as she looked over the newspapers.

Upon hearing a sound, the dagger turned in time to receive a face full of coffee. Somehow, Claire played a tune that carried a sensation of shock. Not realizing what just happened, Colombe just stared down at the piece of paper with a picture of Harry on it which talked about a mass Dementor attack and how he drove them off, nearly singlehandedly, killing a number in the process. The whole time, coffee dripped from her jaw.

Back at Hogwarts, Shiromizu snorted some, "Hai, it is all over the magical news." If anything, she became more amused, "It is not every day that a thirteen year old manages a corporeal Patronus and to drive off a hundred and more Dementors with it... or kills a number."

Lightly blushing, Harry waved his hands some, "B-but I didn't actually kill all of them! Juuchi and Tsukiakari and I think Kagotsuruhe-Sensei did as well."

Opening one eye, the Sword of Hopelessness hummed, "Perhaps we killed some. But not in the numbers that you did."

A smug grin on her face, Juuchi cackled, "Exactly! But then, that is to be expected of my Master."

Shiromizu blinked a few moments and frowned, "Um, Kagotsuruhe-San? Why... are you tanned?"

Glancing at the rather tanned Sword spirit, Harry blushed a bit, "Um, she was rather close to the supercharged Ofuda I was using when it went off, I think."

Eyes closed, Kagotsuruhe gave a small nod, "Yes, that does seem to have been what happened. And despite what I do, my avatar continues to be tanned." She than gave a smile that, for all it was fake, somehow caused shivers to go down peoples' backs, "Though if Akutoku calls me a Gyaru, I shall make her regret such."

Coughing, Tsukiakari glanced away, "Perhaps a change in subject?"

Smugly smiling, it was then that the other Muramasa spoke, "Ah, yes. And speaking of killing Dementors..." Teaching into a pouch, she brought something out and placed it on the table, "I have brought you this."

For several moments, Harry just looked at the crystalline skull of a dementor. In particular the lamprey-like mouth. Blinking, he turned back to Juuchi, "You... brought me something that was dead."

With a proud hum, Juuchi only gave him a smug look, "Yes. And well mutilated."

Harry closed his eyes and pinched his nose, "Perhaps I underestimated how much like a cat you were."

At that, Juuchi only became more smug. With a sigh, Hoshi rolled her eyes before shaking her head as she ignored Hoppou playing with the skull, "Perhaps, to get us into a better mood, we should distract ourselves with something else?"

Keeping her eyes from the skull which Hoppou was now tossing between her hands, Natsumi paused. Then she perked up some, "How about a story, Hoshi-San? From one of your adventures?"

With a slow blink, the Kyuubi considered it and then smiled, "A story, hmm?" Getting a nod, she chuckled, "Very well, do you have one in particular that you wish to hear?"

Shaking her head, Natsumi smiled back, "Not really."

Just humming, Hoshi considered things before pulling out a kiseru from within her clothes. With a burst of foxfire, she lit it and gave a puff, "I think that I have a story that shall interest you greatly. It is also fairly recent as well. You see, in 2006, I received word that there was a Necromancer active. Being who I am, I investigated the rumours since at the time, the Magical Diet was more focused on both the Abyssals and trying to find Yokai smugglers and Militia. And at the time, Kyoto was just having the seeds planted for what they would become..."

Everyone, not just the teens, listened in as Hoshi told her tale. Surprise followed then revelation that the Necromancer that she hunted was extremely skilled. So much so, he was able to create fleshy corpses from bare bone or even ashes. Though they always looked a few days dead and had scars or other signs of what had ended their mortal lives. An incredible feat, despite the darkness involved. Each of them had leaned forward when she reached the final conclusion, only to have what could be best described as a look of befuddled amusement on their faces at what the Necromancer had planned.

When Hoshi was finished, everyone was silent for almost a minute as they digested what happened. Slowly, Nagato raised a finger, "You... mean to tell me that this man raised what amounted to a small army of the undead... merely to have them act out the music video Thriller? I..."

Pointing at his adoptive mother, Harry nodded, "What she said, Dess."

Only shrugging, the Kyuubi chuckled, "That is what happened, yes. An odd one, he certainly was..." Cocking her head to the side, she hummed some, "Though I will admit that his student was just as odd. Though from what I heard, he headed to the United States a few years later..."

Kagotsuruhe hummed some as she thought back before making a sound of realization, "Yes, I remember hearing about that. While he escaped with his student, it befuddled the authorities for months trying to figure out the truth because they could not believe what had happened."

Shrugging, Hoshi shook her head with a snicker, "The truth, in this case, truly was stranger than fiction."

Only tilting her head to the side, Siusan gave her a curious look, "Yes, a very odd sorcerer. Though you mentioned that his student was just as odd?"

With a blink, Hoshi took another puff from her kiseru, "Yes, perhaps more odd. I spoke to him when I confronted him and his master. Apparently, he wished to save Saga Prefecture from population decrease by attracting people via an Idol group. Or that was what he claimed." Puffing again, she hummed, "Perhaps tragedy made him so odd as from my research afterwards, he had a female friend who had been killed in a truck accident on the way to an audition. I wonder what has happened to him, such an interesting lad..."

For her part, Haru gave a small shrug, "Well, no matter what, no Entertainer could possible match her..." There was a far off look on her face, "She was a true legend... The Legend."

The only response that everyone else had to that was to shake their heads slowly at that. But before they could ask who Haru was talking about, Hedwig perked up some, "Ah, right, almost forgot." She turned to Hoppou and bobbed her head some, "Admiral Goto wished for me to tell you that Tanith and the others will be coming tomorrow. They want to check up on Harry-Wizard among other things..."

Briefly, there was a surprised look on Hoppou's face before she smiled a bit, "Hoppou understands, and Hoppou should have expected this."

Soon enough, the conversation turned to what was going to happen the next day when Hoppou's daughters arrived.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Sakura

Owari-To Construction Company Headquarters

Marunouchi District, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo

Four Days before Hanami, 2013

Masamune-no-Fudo's brush raised from the sheet of rice paper finally, and gave a small sigh. She examined her strongly inked characters and a small wrinkle formed between her eyebrows. Her calligraphy was adequate - barely - but compared to her sister Tokunotakai's delicate and expressive brushwork on the letter next to her reply, her characters and brush strokes were clearly inferior.

Too bold. Too rash. Too passionate.

Not Masamune enough.

Not perfect.

Flawed.

Just like she was flawed.

She angrily shook her head, her lips curling in a scowl as she closed her eyes, and - once again - promised herself that she would do better. That she would live up to her heritage.

With that, she opened her eyes and sprinkled sand from a small bowl on her ink so it would not smear. While the ink dried, she looked at the trio of magical photographs on her desk.

The center one had been taken at Honjo's private reunion party with her sisters.

Honjo was in the center as the object of the photograph, of course, facing to the right in perfect Chudan no Kamae stance for one-sword combat. To her left, Kotegiri beamed with a serene smile as she surveyed her juniors, her eyes suspiciously shiny but otherwise the ideal image of an Imperial Princess in her scarlet kimono with the five gold chrysanthemum mon of the Imperial Household. To Honjo's right, Musashi, for once presentably clothed in a beautiful light blue kimono embroidered with falling gold and red leaves, stood with her daisho drawn in an equally perfect Tachi no Tori no Kamae defensive counter to Honjo's Chudan no Kamae offensive threat as they posed as the two samurai of legend that they were.

Only the slight flush on their faces revealed that this was after the third round of sake had been consumed.

Even the photograph, taken by Tokunotakai at everyone's urging, was perfect, despite the miko being quite drunk then. Fudo's lips curled in a grin, as she had never imagined that Toku-chan was a giggly drunk, much less knew several bawdy love songs when suitably lubricated. She also rather doubted that the crimson on Toku-chan's flushed face when Fudo drove her back to the shrine after the party broke up was solely because of the alcohol either.

But then in the corner, half-concealed behind Kotegiri, Fudo's eyes sought out herself. She was leaning forward gulping a saucer of sake, with more sake spilling out to stain her black kimono lavishly embroidered with pink and white sakura blossoms. The image of the salaryman at the office party who could not hold her liquor.

Not perfect.

Flawed.

Her eyes found the right photograph.
Spoiler: Daibutsu of Kamakura

Tokunotakai and Fudo stood there in festival kimonos under the Daibutsu of the Kotoku-in temple in Kamakura. Arm in arm, with smiles on their faces, they participated in the ceremonies commemorating the saving of the bronze statue after the Great Tsunami of 1498 that had devastated the shrine five centuries before.

Fudo's lips curled up in a gentle, happy smile, mirrored by the sisters in the photograph.

The sky was a perfect blue dotted by clouds. The buildings and trees were in peaceful, serene harmony. The serene bronze face of the Buddha promised the perfect nirvana that Fudo strove to find. Finally, the clear bond of friendship and unconditional love between the sisters was visible.

Perfect.

Like a Masamune should be.

Fudo breathed in and out slowly, controlling her emotions.

How could she possibly explain to any of her other sisters that in Toku's presence, she felt that she was a perfect Masamune, as she had been forged to be? That she had to fight to protect the innocent perfection of her sheltered sister from the harms of the world? That Fudo My'oo's intense flaming wrath that burned away the imperfections of dukkha, broke the cycle of suffering and rebirth that was samsara, and allowed the soul to enlighten to nirvana drove her to shield her sister from suffering as Fudo had suffered?

That love and passion led to suffering?

To Imperfection?

With that her eyes found the third photograph.

In black and white, a young man stood in pristine Imperial Japanese Army uniform next to her in a kimono at a festival at Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. The aristocratic hawk face of a samurai with a scar on his right cheek gazed back at her above the collar with the wreathed star above crossed wands of the Seventh (Onmyōdō) Imperial Guard regiment.

In her mind's eye she remembered, as a solitary tear escaped her self-control and trickled down her cheek to form a perfect crystal drop.

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

Tokyo

11:52 AM, September 1st, 1923

"Fufufufu! What do we have here?Don't you know that it is unsafe for someone such as you to walk the streets?" The mocking, hateful, vicious voice echoed in her ears as Fudo leapt from building to building, pushing herself to the limit.

It had been decades since she had last heard that, but the silky, aristocratic laugh and cold vicious sadism sent a chill through her steel. Only one entity could have created that voice of utter cruelty and evil.

Kyoshu.

Her hand's grip on her true self tightened as she leapt to the street, her golden eyes filled with righteous fire.

Ahead, too far ahead, inside the shimmering of a repulsion ward, two figures in robes marked with a Tokugawa mon lay thrashing on the ground with blue faces

The bitch had made them forget how to breathe.

Kyoshu stood there with her true self impaling the head of a woman in her late twenties. Eyes full of horror gazed into the Sword of Fading Memories' glowing gold eyes.

"I wonder which branch of the family you are associated with? No matter. A little tweak here...and you will do exactly as I wish. Tell your blade that Kyoshu says hello...and then cut your throa---!"

Suddenly the young boy who had been hiding behind his mother leapt out and bit Kyoshu on the arm hard. "Don't hurt my mommy!" He screamed as fury-filled eyes blazed with determination.

"Oh, maybe I should prime you too..." The Muramasa hissed as she pulled her true self from the vacant-eyed head of the woman. "I'll come back to finish the job on you after I deal with your spawn."

The young boy stepped in front of his mother to bar the way.

Kyoshu's eyes glittered cruelly. "Step aside, child!"

"No!" The young boy spoke defiantly as the Muramasa's blade twitched and opened his cheek at the corner of his mouth. He took a deep breath and moved into a rudimentary combat stance learned from watching his 'Big Sister Fudo' practicing in the dojo.

Time slowed as Kyoshu readied herself to strike. "So brave, So stupid."

"KYOSHU!!!" Fudo screamed in righteous fury. Blazing energy filled her as she blurred in the flash step faster than she had ever gone.
Spoiler: Fudo and Kyoshu

The most notorious of the Demon Blades flash stepped back from Fudo's strike, turning ghostly a split second before the strike landed

Fudo spoke through gritted teeth, her eyes locked on Kyoshu. "Gorōta-kun. I need you to do something for me. Your mother is... injured. Be a brave young warrior and guide her back home so the doctors can tend to her. No matter what she says or what happens, get her safely home to your father. Can you do that for me?"

Blood trickled from a slash across Kyoshu's cheek and stained Masamune steel

"Hai, Fudo-nee!" The young scion of the Owari Tokugawas took his mother's hand and began to guide them clear of the fight.

Glowing serpentine yellow eyes met molten furious gold as the Blade of Fudo My'oo locked her gaze with the Blade of Fading Memories. Around Fudo's white-knuckled grip on her hilt, a Buddhist spell mandala cycled. The Muramasa traced the shallow cut on her cheek with a thumb and then examined the blood staining it.

"You cut me. You actually cut me! An insect like you actually dared cut me!!" Kyoshu's aristocratic voice was filled with shocked anger.

Gold eyes narrowed and Fudo's vicious snarl showed teeth. Her voice was filled with savage glee.

"Yes Kyoshu. You can be cut. You can bleed. You can be hurt. Just like you hurt me, my sisters, and countless innocents in your evil."

Both blades blurred at each other too fast to be seen, and the shockwave of their clash snapped an iron lightpost like a twig and sent a nearby delivery wagon flying like a child's toy. Muramasa steel forged from the essence of madness met Masamune steel forged to embody righteous fury cutting through the illusion of existence.

"You can suffer the debt of your sins weighing down your karma now."

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

Izu Oshima Island, 65 miles south of Tokyo

11:58:44 Japanese Time, September 1st, 1923

To Ancient Japan, the frequent earthquakes were attributed to Namazu, a great catfish that lived in the mud beneath the islands. The kami Kashima had placed a huge stone upon the primordial beast to control it, but when Kashima's vigilance slipped, the Namazu would cause the ground to shake in its attempt to shake the stone free.

Modern science understood the phenomenon differently. Plate tectonics held that as the Philippine Sea Plate was subducted and driven beneath the Okhotsk Plate that Japan sat on, sometimes the plates would be jammed together. Pressure and strain would rise until one plate gave way with a catastrophic release of energies.

Whether it was Kashima slacking his vigilant watch, or whether the Ring of Fire's primal energies had been held too long, the result was the same.

Energies greater than that of every explosion mankind had ever managed to unleash and every nuclear weapon ever built were set loose deep within the earth.

Afterward, September First would be honored in Japan as Disaster Prevention Day. Afterward, what happened next would be only known as the Great Kanto Earthquake. The deadliest natural disaster in Japan that would kill over a hundred thousand souls.

Sixty miles north of the epicenter in Kamakura, Tokunotakai fell to her hands and knees. She was unable to stand as she watched in awe as the Great Daibutsu, one hundred twenty one tons of solid bronze, rocked on its stone plinth and shifted over two feet by the thrashing of the Namazu

Sixty-two miles north of the epicenter in Yokusuka , dockworkers screamed in terror as the incomplete battlecruiser Amagi, tens of thousands of tons of steel being converted to an aircraft carrier, rocked in her drydock cradles and her keel broke from the strain as steel cables snapped like cotton thread.

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

Fudo smirked as she ran along the roofs to pursue the fleeing Kyoshu.

She had the Demon Blade on her heels.

Her spell that she had perfected neutralized that foul creature's defenses and rendered her able to be harmed, to be unable to turn ephemeral. The high winds from the storm offshore whipped her hair around her face as she sprinted after Kyoshu, feeling surging triumph fill her.

She would destroy this foul creature. She would get Divine Justice for all Kyoshu's many many victims. She would allow the corrupted spirit to be liberated for rebirth in her next life so she could expiate her sins.

She leapt toward the roof across the street as Kyoshu sprinted along its ridge board in panicked flight.

She would prove with one killing stroke of her steel that she was just as worthy a Masamune as Honjo, Kotegiri, Suzume, Musashi, Tokunotakai, and her other sisters.

She never landed.

In the blinking of an eye, the building that she about to land on began to collapse in a shower of tile and timber as the first shockwaves of the earthquake slammed into it with incredible force. Fudo hit the remains of the roof and began to fall, screaming in terror as she began to frantically cast a protective spell. For an instant, her eyes locked with those of the horrified housewife who had been cooking lunch for her family over a charcoal brazier that was spilling hot coals across shattered timber and torn rice paper.

Fire. Uncontrolled fire, the enemy of Japanese cities.

Fudo ignored the shattered jagged debris that she was plunging toward as she aborted her shield to throw protective spells at the housewife to protect her and extinguish all flames around them in the instants she had remaining to her.

She landed head first and blackness claimed her.

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

Owari Tokugawa Estate, Tokyo

September 9th, 1923

Ash and smoke still seemed to hang in the air. The fires spawned by the earthquake were now under control but the death toll had been catastrophic. Many people had been cooking lunch, and the high winds from the typhoon offshore had helped the flames spread. Hampered with broken water mains, damaged streets and buildings, and confusion, the fire department had done the best that it could, but tens of thousands had perished and thousands were still missing.

There was even talk in the Diet that the capitol should be moved.

The taste of failure in Fudo's mouth was equally bitter. When she had awakened in the rubble, and freed the groaning housewife from the beam pinning her, saved by the spell that she had cast, Kyoshu was long gone. Instead all she could do was help fight the fires and tend to the many, many injured.

Absently, her hand touched the folded piece of paper where, scribbled in a childish hand, a message of thanks had been crudely written by a young child whose father Fudo had managed to rescue from the rubble entombing him while holding the fires at bay with her magic.

It was a bare dollop of salve upon the blazing wound on her soul.

She had been so close to proving herself.

So close!

All she had proved that she was imperfect.

Flawed.

Unworthy to be a Masamune.

No great blade of legend, no heroic figure.

Worse yet, she knew that Kyoshu was out there somewhere licking her wounds. She knew deep in her soul that she would never get a chance like this again. The Sword of Faded Memories would not let herself be so vulnerable again.

She sighed. At least all her sisters had survived what was being called the Great Earthquake. As for her family...

Her eyes raised to the Medi-wizard leaving Tokugawa Keiko's room where her young son had brought her safely home. He looked at her and sadly shook his head.

Fudo's fists clenched helplessly. It was a faint hope anyway, the power of that Demon Blade was notorious but....

Gorōta stepped out of the room, and his eyes found those of Fudo. The four year old walked over and touched her hand. "Fudo-nee. Did I do well bringing Mommy back here so Daddy could take care of her? Daddy said that he was proud of me for being a brave boy even when the ground shook and the fires started."

Fudo looked at the young boy and something inside her steel trembled. "Yes, Gorōta-kun. You did very well." Her eyes raised to where the head of the Owari Tokugawas was sitting by the bedside of a woman who no longer knew her name or who he was.

She knelt and hugged Gorōta Tokugawa and her voice cracked. His arms embraced her and she whispered with tears in her voice that a Masamune could never shed. Not even among her family of steel or service.

"You did very well, and I'm proud of my little samurai too."

You did better than a flawed blade such as I.

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

Nagoya Castle

Hanami, 1938
Spoiler: Fudo and Gorota

Steel clashed on steel in the dojo where Fudo sparred with Gorōta.

While not the heir, the second son of the Tokugawas had turned into a warrior of renown blessed with the gift of magic and trained by Tokunotakai in kendo and kenjutsu at Fudo's request. His steel flickered against her true body as she probed his defenses with sword and spell as they battled back and forth across the dojo where she had first been unsheathed and where the Tokugawa family's sons had trained to rule their fief of Owari. Finally she leapt backward and raised a hand to call a halt.

"Well done, Gorōta-kun. I can see why you placed first in your class at Mahoutokoro." The Masamune spoke with flushed cheeks - from the exertion, surely! - as she surveyed the broad-shouldered warrior overtopping her avatar by a head.

He smiled back at her, his scarred cheek causing his smile to take a roguish cast. "It was only because I had superb teachers. Tokunotakai-sensei in the Way of the Sword. Ichida-sensei for spellcraft. And you, Fudo-nee, for teaching me what it is to be Tokugawa and samurai."

Her heart thudded in her chest and her cheeks heated as she responded with her eyes downcast, "Iie, I merely did my duty to the clan when I..." She took a deep breath, feeling the ghost of her failures in the room with them, "...raised you when your mother could not."

Despite the best efforts of modern science and ancient spellcraft, Tokugawa Keiko had never regained her memories, her sense of identity. Never would she recognize her husband or sons. Death would have been far kinder for the family than the cruel ministrations of the Sword of Faded Memories.

He stepped close and placed a hand on her shoulder, the clasp of one warrior to another. "You are too hard on yourself Fudo-sensei... no. Fudo-san. We are imperfect beings in an imperfect universe and must do what we can to achieve the impossibility of perfection."

He waved his hand and the screen to the balcony slid open. They walked to it and knelt on summoned cushions overlooking the gardens below where cherry blossoms bloomed. For an endless time, Fudo lost herself in the clouds of pink-white ephemeral beauty. She always enjoyed hanami, the season of cherry blossoms, the most of all times of the year, and her own hands had planted many of the trees in now in full flower.

The quiet voices from the visitors to the Tokugawa family's ancestral castle provided a suitable counterpoint to their meditations. Fudo felt her spirit soar free in the beauty of impermanence.

Gorōta finally stirred. "I got a letter this morning."

Fudo nodded. "Not another attempt for your father to arrange a marriage?" Fortunately for the Owaris, Ichiro the heir had a happy marriage with twin sons and a newly pregnant wife. Gorōta's quiet but determined refusal to participate in matchmaking was the quiet despair of Lord Owari.

"No. Your friends have persuaded the Magical Diet to support Minister Kamo's proposal to rearm and establish units of the Gifted. One of which will become part of the Imperial Guards Brigade to serve Emperor Showa." His voice was filled with a certain satisfaction.

Fudo looked over at Gorōta and began to smile happily at the joy in his face. "I have been selected to go to the Imperial Japanese Army Academy for officer training to serve in the 7th Magical Regiment of the Imperial Guards upon graduation."

Fudo's face lit up with her smile at the honor being given Gorōta-kun. A small, secret part of her rejoiced that he would be stationed near her in Tokyo instead of helping subdue bandits and warlords in China.

"Fudo-nee?" His voice returned her to herself and she turned to face him.

"Yes, Gorōta-kun?" She desperately hoped that he would take any redness on her cheeks for exertion or surprise.

"I spoke to Professor Ichida about how you drove off Kyoshu. He was unable to help me with the quest to negate her powers to heal Mother, but... He said that he and some of his associates in the Magical Special Research Branch may be able to refine the spell that you used to contain her powers. Would you be willing to meet with them?" His voice was controlled with the pain that Kyoshu had inflicted upon him.

Upon her family.

"Of course I will be happy to do what I can to cage that fiend." Fudo responded, her face flushing in anger at the memories of that tainted sword's foul deeds.

Unheeded by samurai or spirit, below them the first cherry blossom fell from the branch to land on the grass.

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

Chidorigafuchi Moat, Imperial Palace, Tokyo

Hanami, 1941

Fudo leaned against Gorōta as he rowed their small boat slowly along what had been the outer fortification of the Imperial Palace. Now it was a public park and place of wonder as the sakura trees planted on either side blossomed in pure pink and white loveliness. Fudo sighed at the beauty of it all, it was like they were traveling among clouds.

Her cheeks reddened as she felt his gentle strength support her, and her heart thudded as he stopped rowing to let the boat drift.

"Fudo-san?" He spoke quietly.

"Yes, Gorōta-kun?" she answered equally quietly.

"I..." He paused, then took a deep breath, "I received word from the War Ministry. One of my fellow officers let me know that there will be a fresh commitment of troops to deal with China. My unit of the Guards will be among them."

Fudo's eyes widened and her self-control wavered. "Then take me with you!" she exclaimed. "You have the skill, the honor, that one such as I seeks. Please wield me as your ancestors did in honorable battle when I was young and not yet awakened!"

He looked into her eyes for long moments, then shook his head. "I wish with all my heart to, for you are perfection itself. But... when I think of it, my heart whispers... not yet. Not until we win the war shall I be worthy of embracing your Masamune steel."

She looked into his eyes, into his heart as she tested his steely resolve with her own. Finally her eyes shone with unshed tears and she nodded solemnly as her head lowered. "Shikata ga nai, Gorōta-kun. It is your decision and though my wishes are otherwise, it is my place to accept them."

"Indeed. Also... " He looked bashful, "Since I go to war, you should know, if I do not return. The reason that I have never wed, and have thwarted all of father's attempts to find me a bride is because my heart, my spirit is already claimed."

He placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head to face his as he leaned in. "When I return in triumph, when I prove myself on the field of arms, I shall petition the Head of the Clan to make you my beloved wife, Masamune-no-Fudo."

Tears of joy trickled down her face as their lips met for the first time and they embraced.

A wind from the West, from America, suddenly blew in their hair. Above them the branches full of cherry blossoms heaved wildly like terrified men. Above them, the sakura blossoms began to fall, landing on the surface of the water and sinking out of sight to vanish one by one.

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

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, Kamakura

May, 1942

Hanami had come late this year, but it mattered little to the jubilant crowds thronging the shrine for the festival.

The news of great victories against the Chinese, and the western colonialist powers had bolstered hearts even though rationing was a ever-present irritation. Those left behind redoubled their efforts to support the Empire's fighting forces, to support the soldier, sailor and airman in their own way.

Such as Fudo did with her efforts to encourage support for the war, to collect scrap, cloth and rags to be used by the military. To walk or ride a bicycle rather than drive to save precious fuel for the war machine. To encourage each other to fight the dangers of defeatism and slacking.

But all that was not part of her duties today. She was present to witness the centuries-old traditional yabusame competition where mounted kyudo practitioners fired three arrows at targets along a course at full gallop to honor the Protector of Warriors.

Fudo enjoyed all the martial arts, and according to the invitation that she had received, her sister Tokunotakai would be participating.

She was certain that even someone as diligent and determined as she was in supporting Japan's destiny would be allowed a day to watch her baby sister demonstrate her mastery of Takeda-school mounted archery.

The breath caught in her throat as Tokunotakai began her run. The horse thundered at full gallop, as Toku floated above it serenely. Her sister moved with calm, unhurried, perfect grace and form as she loosed her arrows into the dead center of all three targets before gently guiding her steed to a stop tho the applause of the crowd.

Fudo frowned minutely at the look in Toku's eyes. Serene determination had filled them as she prayed to the Protector of Warriors with her archery and horsemanship skills. A further cheer sounded as the judges conferred and then called Tokunotakai forward to accept the pure white silk headscarf showing that she was the archer who demonstrated the most worthiness in the eyes of Hachiman.

As Toku knelt to have it placed upon her head, a loudspeaker crackled to life from the sound truck parked at the outskirts of the festival.

"Glorious news! The brave aviators of the Navy have sunk two of the American's aircraft carrier warships, a cruiser, and two destroyers in battle in the Southern Pacific!"

"BANZAI! BANZAI!! BANZAI!!!" Fudo cheered along with the crowd and threw her hands up to praise Emperor Showa. Suddenly a arm grasped her around the shoulders and a familiar voice spoke in her ear, turning her legs to jelly.

"I thought that the day could not become any more perfect, but I was wrong, Fudo-chan."

She turned, her heart in her eyes to see Gorōta smiling at her. A few scars lined his face, and a darkness haunted his eyes.

None of that mattered,

"Gorōta-kun!" Fudo sobbed and flew into his embrace. "You returned to me!"

He smiled and waved over one of his subordinates with a magical camera. The two turned to face the lens as it popped, printing out a pair of photographs of a young man and his family's tanto embracing under the ancient gingko tree.

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

Owari Tokugawa Estate, Tokyo

Hanami, 1943
Spoiler: Masamune and Samurai

Fudo smiled at Gorōta in the dimness of her bedchambers. He smiled back as outside a crier reminded citizens to turn lamps off so not to waste fuel and obey blackout regulations.

"My conquering hero..." she whispered as she kissed him. "you have claimed my heart, my spirit...and now my body. Just as Musashi-chan has her Beloved Master, so too are you mine now."

He hugged her to him, the shadow still remaining in his eyes. "And yet the war remains unwon. I cannot truly be with you yet."

She shook her head, her bedsheets sliding across her bare skin. 'Surely all it requires is a few more victories?"

He sighed, "I can only pray it is so. Yet we win victory after victory against the Chinese and Americans, and yet they fight the harder. Not just on the battlefield, they fight us in the cities we have taken. Captain Okita, one of my classmates at Mahoutokoro, was killed by the Chinese the kempetai call Lady Kitsune last month. Three of my nonmagical officer friends were sent to Hunger Island where we fought the Americans and shall never return. Rumors that the Navy is not doing as well as we may think. I hear this, and remember that one warrior can only fight against many for a short time."

She stared at him in shock. "Surely, you do not think that we can lose? We are the Chosen of the Gods!"

He looked at her sorrowfully, and shook his head. "Promise me that no matter what happens to me in this war that is consuming us all that you shall remember me fondly."

She looked at him and swallowed. "I shall. But you are not being sent back out to battle in China again so soon after returning to me, are you?"

He sighed. "No we have a short period of time while I replace my unit's losses with new meat from the accelerated training program. Farmboys who barely know which end of a wand to hold. But then... I shall do my duty with honor."

She grasped his hand in both of hers, feeling the scars and calluses of battle. "Then take me with you! Once more I plead!"

He lowered his head and squeezed hers. "No. What I face, what I am forced to do out there... You are the one piece of my life that remains unstained. The one perfect thing that I have known."

In the garden outside, one of the few remaining blossoms on the cherry tree fell to the ground coated with ephemeral pink petals.

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

Yokosuka

Hanami, 1944

Fudo embraced Gorōta at the pierside as his men and yokai boarded the cargo ship.

"Where now to, my love?" She spoke with a catch in her voice, the hoarseness of tears contained, the false brave front that she had to project.

He looked grim. "Saipan in the inner defense perimeter. Our last redoubt to protect the home islands. Protect you."

She looked a question into his eyes.

He shook his head. "If you rally support here to give us what we need, and if the Navy can bring forth the Decisive Battle, and if we fight like the heroes of old...then. Perhaps. Surely our fighting spirit is greater than theirs."

She nodded in quiet acceptance of what was said...and unsaid. "One last time. Wield me in battle like you have in the practice halls." Her voice broke. "Please?"

His shoulders slumped. "No. I carry you with me from happier times together." He touched the pocket of his uniform where a well loved and creased magical photograph of them at the festival two short years ago resided. "That will sustain my spirit, and I would not risk she who I fight to protect."

The ship's whistle sounded. "Colonel Tokugawa! We are ready to cast off!"

They parted and he bowed to her. Slowly, hurting inside where she would never show it, she returned the bow deeply, just as deeply as she once did to his legendary ancestor Tokugawa Ieyasu.

It was the only gift that she could give someone worthy of her steel now.

"Sayonara."

Above them, the last cherry blossom of hanami fell from the branch.

----------------------------------
Spoiler: The Last Banzai Charge

Saipan

1150 PM, 6 July, 1944

Gorōta looked at the remnants of his command. Human and yokai were mixed together, all filthy, hungry, thirsty, wounded, exhausted.

Men on crutches, men with bloodstained bandages, men armed with nothing but bamboo spears and bare hands. Barely a hundred assembled in this jungle hollow.

Barely a hundred left of the nine hundred in his regiment who had survived the voyage through submarine infested waters to Saipan. Nine hundred soldiers under his command twenty-one days ago when the US Marines stormed ashore. Twenty-one bloodstained, savage days and nights outnumbered three to one. Pounded day and night by the might of the US Navy. Planes overhead constantly destroying everything that they saw. Caves, bunkers and trenches falling one after another to shellfire, to flamethrower tanks, to hand to hand combat as for every American they killed two more would take his place.

No food, no ammunition, no water, no medical supplies any longer.

No relief.

No hope.

No honorable way out save death.

All that man, wizard, and yokai could do they had done. His heart broke with pride for the men who had followed him into Hell over and over again.

He looked at his sergeant major, who had been with him since the start, so many years ago in China.

Where he had first seen the ugliness and viciousness of war. Seen what he must shield Fudo-chan from.

First held the hand of one of his men as they screamed for their mother before death.

So many deaths ago.

So many regrets ago.

But he could not regret one thing, he thought as he touched the photograph where it lay over his heart. Fudo-chan should never be here, should never be forced to face what awaited him. Even now, knowing that all hope was lost, save that of a honorable death, he could not help but think of her with a smile.

"You burned the regimental colors." He said quietly.

The gunso nodded, tears streaming down his stolid face. "The Americans won't get them, sir!"

He took a deep breath and readied his wand in one hand. His other clutched the sword he had selected from the family arsenal when he took the oath to serve the Emperor and the Magical Diet.

Fine steel, good steel, but not Masamune steel. Never Masamune steel to be spoiled and defiled by an invader capturing that what was most precious to him.

At least these American Marines and magicals were worthy foes, he could admit to himself. Toku-sensei was right when she said that some were as worthy as any samurai of his lineage.

He could only hope that a worthy one took the life that he was about to sacrifice for his nation. For his Emperor. For his men. For her. For his honor that he shared with her.

With that he turned to look each of his men in the eye and spoke with the calm confidence of one who was about to embrace his death as once he had embraced the perfection of Masamune steel under the cherry blossoms.

"Five Minutes. Remember, the rest of you slugs. Follow me and try to keep up! We overrun the Yankees dug in down in the valley and watch them break and run!"

To his left, a red flare popped and a surf roar of noise surrounded him.

Fudō daisukidesu.

With that he sprang to his feet and charged at the barbed wire, the dug in machine guns, the waiting blasting spells, the mortars, the battleships and carriers offshore, and the might of the most powerful nation on earth.

"BANZAI! BANZAI! BANZ----"

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

Aoyama Cemetary, Tokyo

5th April, Two days before Hanami, 2013

Overhead, the cherry trees budded with the promise of spring after a long winter. The parties to admire them had yet to come, for the first blossoms had not yet sprung forth.

A lone female figure spoke to the night-watchman before entering. Pale reflections of the streetlights drew sparks of gold from her shadowed eyes, cream highlights from her white mourning kimono, and reflected from her short dark hair.

She walked through the silent cemetery with the step of one who had done this self-appointed task many, many times. Finally she stopped at a humble, anonymous grave, one of thousands here.

Below the inscribed triple hollyhock of the Tokugawa Clan, was a simple inscription.

Tokugawa Gorōta.

5 April 1919-7 July 1944

without regret
they fall and scatter…
cherry blossoms

Masamune-no-Fudo placed a stick of incense in the provided holder and lit it.

For long moments she stood there silently under the cherry trees with her head bowed. She had often raged, cried, pleaded, on her visits to him before but now she merely waited in stillness.

She listened to the wind in the new leaves and thought of how terrible the pain of separation was.

How terrible the things unsaid, the actions undone.

How the regrets were the greatest suffering of the Wheel of Existence.

And yet, were the good moments not ample recompense for what she experienced once a year on his birthday?

Perhaps.

Above her, the first cherry blossom of spring began to bloom.

 

[darthcourt10]

It_agn02

The administrative office was quiet. Too quiet. The only sounds that could be heard were the footsteps of a light cruiser and an aircraft carrier that marched toward the admiral's office on the third floor. The ship girls and personnel that roamed the halls simply watched in morbid curiosity as Aso was escorted to face an admiral's mast.

Aso glanced left and right toward the sparse spectators and wilted under their gazes. The shame welled up in her chest to the point it was suffocating. While Agano and Akitsu Maru had not bound her hands in chains this morning, the news had already spread the moment the izakaya patrons decided to investigate the ruckus the night before. After they spotted her being led away by the MPs, it was a miracle she even got to sleep in her dorm at all.

The carrier shrank instinctively as Agano opened the door to the office.

Setting her pen aside, Admiral Shimada gestured for the two ship girls to enter. As soon as the door locked behind them, the commanding officer placed her hands on her desk.

"Did you sleep well, Aso?" she asked.

"U-Um…yes, Admiral," the carrier nervously responded as she shifted uncomfortably.

Shimada took a deep breath and picked up one of the reports from the previous night. "Now then, I'm sure you more than realize the current situation you're in, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"All right then. Before we actually get started, I believe there is something you want to tell me, correct?"

The carrier just stared at her feet. She opened her mouth for just a moment. After a bit of hesitation, it all came spilling out.

All her concerns, all her thoughts. Her time in captivity. Her true feelings about the Americans and former enemies. The lies she told herself for months on end. The words flowed as freely as her tears. Then, she gave her admiral everything she knew about the yokai village. Despite how much it tore her apart, she confessed everything. It felt like she stabbed them in the back just by letting her superior officer know. The moment she felt she was done, the carrier shrank in shame in her seat.

"There we go, that's not so bad now, is it?" Shimada asked. "Now then, can you tell me where it is?"

Aso was taken aback at this. She looked up toward her admiral, her eyes pleading for mercy. She told her everything, but where it was exactly is supposed to be a secret! She promised everyone there that nobody would know.

Seeing the aversion on the carrier's face, the admiral sighed. "Right. I suppose that's expected. Moving on. Now, would that village be okay without you going there for some time?"

Aso looked at her admiral and turned her head down. It was spring. If she was right, they should be planting certain vegetables right now and have much to eat for the summer, then harvest in the fall.

"I-I believe so," Aso painfully admitted. "I…I gave them a lot of seeds to plant yesterday."

Shimada smiled. "That's good to hear. Chin up. You did a good job helping them back on their feet. I'm proud of you."

Tears on her cheeks, the carrier looked up.

"But you did sneak onto the base and assaulted Brooklyn and a few ship girls. I've no choice but to give you a punishment."

She bowed her head in shame again.

Flipping through some papers, Shimada came to a stop at a certain sheet. "Come to think of it, you never left Kure, have you?"

"I-I was born and raised here," Aso replied. "I've honestly never spent a night in other naval bases."

"In that case, I believe I may be partially to blame for you acting up like this. Outside of the occasional American patrol or when Nagato's son comes to visit, you've never had any interaction with anyone outside of Japan. And...honestly, I was afraid of you causing one dumpster fire or another because of how you acted. Because of that, I kept you holed up here instead of letting you spread your wings. For that, I apologize." The admiral bowed, catching the carrier by surprise. "If I had let you work out your frustrations sooner, we could have avoided all of this."

In response, the carrier shifted nervously. Before she could open her mouth, the admiral pushed the sheet of paper towards her. The word "Reassignment" was displayed prominently on the header.

"That settles it then. Aso, you are to be temporarily reassigned to Pearl Harbor effective immediately."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

A black, government car came to a stop outside a chain link fence. Once the checks were done, the gate opened and the car went in until it parked. As a suited man got out, he was met by two other men who simply waited. Smiling slightly, he gave returned a small salute to the RN Lieutenant that was there before holding out his hand, "Lieutenant MacNeil." After shaking the Officer's hand, he held his out again to shake the civilian's hand who was in construction gear, "Foreman Jones. A good evening to your both."

Lightly chuckling, Jones gave a shake of the head, "And a good evening to you, Minister." Greeting the rest of the Minister of Transport's group, he made a motion with his hand, "If you'll follow me, we'll get you into the safety gear so that you can properly inspect the site."

Spotting the unsure glance, the Minister smiled thinly, "They have all been cleared as for the background to certain aspects of the project, Foreman. Though they were somewhat surprised at what they learned."

Just nodding, the Foreman tipped his helmet, "Of course, Sir. But I had to make sure because of the danger to my crew, you understand."

Rather than be annoyed, the Minister chuckled and gave a nod of his own. It was the work of a few minutes to put on the safety gear and they began to walk to a vehicle. As they did so, one of the younger Bureaucrats glanced at their destination in time to see a dump trunk come into view. The back of which was piled with stone, "Hmm, so it is two tunnels then?"

With a twitch of his lips in amusement, Jones hummed, "Yes. One tunnel will be a four lane motor lane and the other will be for trains going back and forth with two tracks." Glancing at the Minister, he tilted his head some, "It was the best way of balancing things, it was thought."

Also smiling, the Minister chuckled, "I remember that meeting." Eyebrow raised as they reached a small, open air vehicle, he got inside. Once they were secured, the Foreman started the vehicle and began to drive to the mouth of the tunnel, "From my understanding, the project is on schedule?"

Grinning, Jones chuckled, "Both on time and under budget as a matter of fact."

His own lips curling upwards into a smile, the Minister of Transport lightly laughed, "Yes, a fact that the Treasury is quite happy about, I will tell you."

That got chuckles from everyone there who understood the issues with budgets.

Still driving, Jones continued, "And due to that, we are still on track for the final breakthrough to be sometime this summer, possibly even the end of July, though Mid-August is looking more likely. Once that is done, we only need to finish the tunnels and they'll be ready."

Eyebrows raised, one of the other officials glanced around as they entered the mouth of the tunnel, "August? So soon? That would make it..." Doing some mental math, she gave a nod, "Roughly about four years, give or take a few months."

Jones nodded at that, "You are correct, Ma'am, the main part of the project will be done in about four years. The rest will take another year, but it will be done soon enough. We could have done it faster, mind you. But we did not want to attract attention and also safety was paramount. Especially as this is, pardon the pun, new ground that we are breaking here."

Chuckles escaped from various officials at that as they continued down the tunnel. Another bureaucrat raised their hand as the chuckles died down, "While we do have some of the information regarding the project in question, perhaps a bit more background is needed?"

When Jones turned to him, Lieutenant MacNeil nodded and cleared his throat, "Very well." Having gotten their attention, he continued, "As you all know, the Abyssals attacked in 2005 and the first shipgirls appeared not too long afterwards. A fact for which we are all quite thankful, I would think..." Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, the Naval Officer continued, "Now, besides the normal bases, it was determined that Scapa Flow, if reactivated, would be extremely well suited to support operations on the North Sea and North Atlantic. And with the attacks on the Orkney Islands meant that rebuilding the base was... not quite the issue one would think. However, an issue soon became apparent..."

Slowly nodding, the Minister of Transport frowned, "Supplying the base."

Tilting his head, MacNeil grimaced, "Yes, that was a major issue. We needed to do so either by sea, which meant escorting them the short distance, or by air. Both of which were at danger of being cut off by the Abyssals. Thankfully, at around the same time, the idea of a tunnel had been floated between the islands and the mainland. With the war, the idea of better supplying the base pushed the idea forward. Another part of the idea being that after the war, they can be used to boost the economy of the islands anyways. Which is part of the reason that the EU also placed some money towards its construction beside the fact that their own shipgirls use the base at Scapa Flow. The final decision was made in 2006 to begin prep work, such as surveying as much as possible the area between the two places and also determining where the tunnel route would be. In 2010, ground was broke on both the mainland and in Orkney. Since then, the two sides have slowly been making their way towards the center as we work..."

For the next couple of minutes, the Lieutenant spoke and explained the background. That was, until the bureaucrat who had asked the question raised their hand again, "Ah, yes, the tunnelling badgers. They have been useful in a number of projects and the public believes that they are being used here."

Unable to help himself, Jones spoke up, "I will admit, we do make use of the tunnelling badgers a few days each month. And they do work hard, bless their hearts. But they have been mostly busy elsewhere such as the tunnel between Northern Ireland and Scotland. The true workers are those from Project Integration... which you'll see in just a moment."

Right then, they came into view of the end of the tunnel and more than one of the officials gasped. Where the tunnel ended was a rock wall which had various cracks and gashes in it which was lit by large searchlights. Before it stood a group of people who wore robes under their safety vests. Even as they watched, one of them made a motion with their hand and a chunk of the wall that had to be a ton or two was gouged from the wall and hit the ground with a boom.

Before most of them could process it, another one pointed their hand at the large boulder and it broke into smaller pieces that a third one somehow levitated into a dump truck as the first tore another chunk from the rock wall. And they were not the only one as at least three other groups could be seen doing the same. The group just sat there watching for several seconds before one of the officials shook her head, "If I was not seeing it for myself, I would not be able to believe it."

Chin in his hand, the Minister turned to the Foreman, "And they're all werewolves? Truly?"

Jones only nodded at that, "Aye, they're all werewolves. But don't let their condition fool you, harder working people I have ever seen in my life. Sure, they need a few days off a month due to a furry issue, but other than that?" He gave a shrug, "I would have them on my crew any day. Besides which that right there? Safer by far than blasting our way through the rock."

Still stroking his chin, the Minister continued to watch, "How fast are they moving?"

Not saying anything for a few moments, the Foreman thought it over. Finally, Jones gave a nod, "At top speed? We did a test and they can get up to a hundred meters a day with both tunnels combined. But we were unsure about the safety, so we cut it back to half that."

All that did was make the various officials nod in agreement. Best not to be rushing after all.

Scratching his chin, Jones gestured back at the werewolves, "Besides which, they're not just digging." As they observed, some of those working waved their wands at the wall and the rough stone smoothed over, "They use something called 'Transfiguration'. Makes the walls look like the tunnel was dug out by a boring machine, all smooth. Which makes it easier once the tunnel is fully dug to finish it up."

One of the bureaucrats gave a frown as an unpleasant thought occurred to them, "And they are well paid?"

Chuckling, Jones gave a shrug, "We pay them slightly more than the rest, not that my boys mind all too much after all. And compared to what they could have gotten before?" A scowl crossed his face, "Did you know that one of them told me two years ago that for the first time, he was able to treat his son, a young lad of six, to a proper Christmas? Because he finally had money for that? Bloody criminal it is! All because he got bit by some bastard years back, he was unable to find work, no other reason! And he is finally making money! More than one of the fellows wanted to punch something."

Simply glancing at him, the Minister smiled a bit, "Well, once the Statute falls, it should not matter. We've already begun discussing laws that should remove any possible discrimination against them. Though... are they happy?"

Only rolling his eyes, Jones smiled, "You would not believe how happy they are right now. Steady, well paying work for them? They're extremely happy and willing to put it in."

Lips curling into a smile, the Minister chuckled, "Now that is what I like to hear." Getting out of the vehicle, he took a moment to straighten his clothes, "Now, we came here for a meet and greet as well as an inspection. So we should go ahead and do it..."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie Meets The Tokyo Aurors

The Kitsune's Den, Magical Tokyo

The bathroom door opened and Wei Ying stepped out in a cloud of steam clad in a towel around her torso and a towel turban.

She sighed happily and stretched, her muscles moving under the skin. "Hot showers are truly magical." She muttered as she gestured with her wand and the futon rolled itself up.

She then traced characters in the air as she slowly turned, reinforcing the privacy wards that she had put up upon checking into her hotel room last night. A smug smile creased her face as she finished and picked up her sheathed dao true body in both hands.

Her eyes glittered as she concentrated then exhaled upon the hilt. A silver mist curled from her mouth as her Qi breath blew across her hilt to form a ghostly doppelganger of herself, clad in the towels that she was wearing. The false-Ying walked to the desk, solidifying as she did and began to read the file folder as her own true avatar became hazy and indistinct, two ghostly fox tails forming behind her and slowly waving.

There, that should divert any peeping toms, or anyone spying upon this 'policeman on vacation'.

Now to see what I can learn.
Spoiler: Ying's Magic

She knelt in the center of the room next to a small red silk bag, and unsheathed herself. Tracing an octagon around her, a set of eight patterns of solid and broken lines flared to life in silver light following the tip of her blade as she slowly turned in place. Finally having made a full circle, she placed her hand over the brass pommel with the silk tassel on her hilt and concentrated. When her hand came away, in place of the illusion was the reality of a glowing and pulsing iridescent sphere the size of her fist.

Her Spirit Pearl, the source of much of her magic and part of her very soul.

With that she placed her naked blade in front of her point outward and blade up and picked up the silk bag. Carefully she opened it to reveal a tortoise shell and three bronze Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coins from the Tang Dynasty. She reverently placed the shell down in front of her like a bowl and cupped the coins in her hands.

Her eyes closed as her breathing regularized, and her pearl flickered in time with her heartbeat and breathing as they synchronized slowly. As she regulated them, she schooled her Qi breath, Jing essence, and Shen spirit to be one in harmony. Gradually she placed herself into balance and then spoke in a whisper.

"How should I go about finding my father for today?"

The trio of coins in her hands glowed in time with her pulsing energies, and she suddenly shook them and cast them into the tortoiseshell.

Two fell with the crescent moons of tails and one with the coin inscription of heads.

A solid horizontal line formed in the air in front of her above the pearl on her hilt.

Unchanging Yang.

She scooped her coins up, shook them and cast them again. Once again two tails and a head.

A second solid line formed above the first.

Unchanging Yang.

Another cast and the same result. The third solid line formed, and the first Trigram began to pulse black.

Triple Yang.

Qián. The Trigram of Heaven, representing the Father.

Another cast. This time the coins shifted, with two heads and one tail. The line that formed above Qián was broken in the center, appearing as two shorter lines with a gap between it.

Unchanging Yin.

A fifth cast. This time two tails and a head.

Unchanging Yang.

Finally the coins were scooped and cast the last time.

This time all three landed as heads, and the final solid line formed with a circle in the center.

Changing Yang.

With that, the second Trigram shifted to Royal Blue as Ying's eyes opened.

Xùn. The Trigram of Wind, representing the First Daughter.

With that Ying's eyes opened and she surveyed the result of her fortune telling.

She mused, "The Ninth Hexagram, Hsiao Ch'u." Her voice changed to a singsong quality as she quoted from her memorization of the Book of Changes.

"Winds of change high in the Heavens:
Air currents carry the weather.
Dense clouds blow in from the West, but still no rain.
The Superior Person fine tunes the image he presents to the world."

Her eyes narrowed and she touched the topmost pulsing solid line with one finger. "But Yang is changing to Yin here, and if it does so.... The Fifth Hexagram, Xū. The Hexagram of Arrival. So patience leads to Great Success."

With that observation she cupped the pearl on her sword hilt with both palms and breathed upon it as her fox tails faded. When her hands lifted, the brass pommel and silk tassel were back. She smiled smugly as she sheathed herself and began to get ready for her meeting with the Magical Diet's detectives.

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

Magical Diet Building, Magical Chiyoda, Tokyo

9:45 AM
Spoiler: The Mountie

Ying stepped out of the Floo portal in full RCMMP dress uniform. The brown campaign hat on her head, high collared scarlet Red Serge tunic with Sam Browne belt, midnight blue trousers with yellow leg stripe, and polished brown riding boots were instantly recognizable as those of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Mounties. The only additions to the classic RCMP uniform were a black wool cloak, and instead of a pistol at her hip she had her dao and wand.

She marched to one of the clerks on duty in the reception desk and presented her credentials. "Chief Superintendent Wei of the RCMMP to meet Auror Captain Nitobe Inazo." she spoke with a Canadian English accent deliberately added to her Japanese.

After all, it was always good to be underestimated. The truth about why she had gained her language skills in Japanese would be... problematic... at best.

The clerk glanced through the passport and orders from the ICW and pointed. "Room Eight." He responded absently.

Ying smiled and bowed politely. "Thank you." With that she headed in the direction provided.

Behind her her sharp ears picked up the clerk's voice as he spoke to his partner.

"Inazo-san must have a taste for cosplaying Chankoro whores."

The scowl at the sheer unprofessional conduct and gall of the staff never reached her impassive face.

After all, it was better than she expected from the nation who had brutally abused citizens of her nation of citizenship and nation of ethnicity.

Once inside Room Eight, she headed for the minibar with the coffee pot, tea, and pastries to grab fuel for the meeting with the habit borne of more police meetings than she cared to think about. At least the tea was good, which was a nice change from the gunpowder black devil's brew that the RCMMP lived on, at least the officers like her who planned to be reborn as a tea plant as opposed to a coffee bean.

As she finished the anpan roll with red-bean jelly, a trio of Japanese Aurors entered. Automatically she sized them up and mentally shook her head.

The one in the lead looked barely old enough to shave, and the captain's badge seemed to be out of place. He was speaking to an elderly man with more white than gray in his hair who was walking with a limp, and another middle aged woman with an eye patch rounded out the trio.

She plastered her best smile on her face and bowed, speaking in her 'slow and accented' Japanese. "Konnichi wa. I am Chief Superintendent Wei of the RCMMP, the lead profiler (and only profiler she sarcastically added mentally to herself behind the friendly foreigner facade) and ICW specialist for Colombe du Chasteler. I hope to be of service in bringing her to justice."

The Elder, who was apparently old enough to have chased Lady Kitsune around Hong Kong back in the War, gave her a flat stare and a sneer. Junior rubbed his hands together with an unhealthy amount of zeal in his face as he spoke about how they expected to run her father to ground any moment now (hah as if!). Eyepatch looked terminally bored with this, and Ying could hardly disagree with her. This conclusion was underlined as the Elder began to correct Junior as Elder extolled the importance of tracking down and destroying the man-eating spider-women that Colombe had broken out.

Now how to arrange to get a look at their files so I can formulate my own conclusions? While the jails are filled with stupid criminals, Colombe is not going to be arrested by them unless she really slips up. Parading naked through the lobby leading a brass band might get her caught by them. Might.

 

[darthcourt10]

Year Three - Prisoner of Shipping Part 4a

START

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Slowly waking up, Gale blinked some as she stared up at the ceiling of her room, wondering what had caused her to wake. One part of her muttered about it reminding her of what happened a few months before. Ignoring that, the Warrant Officer furrowed her eyebrows in thought.

However, it did not take her very long to figure it out either as she could feel the weight of her wife, Washington, on one side of her. The Battleship's head on top of Gale's shoulders as she softly breathed in and out in her sleep. What did make her realize what had woken her was the fact that while the bed on the opposite side of her from Wash was still warm, there was no womanly body that was there. The sheets were still there, but they were slightly ruffled. More than that, she could hear soft noises coming from the baby monitor as well as humming.

With a sigh, Gale gently moved Wash to the side and slid out of bed. Throwing on a robe, one of the gifts she got from Kirishima the previous Christmas, she padded through the apartment that they had moved into a few months back. Coming to a stop near the open door, she leaned against it as she looked inside and a small smile grew on her lips. Because there was a still somewhat sleepy Kirishima with one of Gale's children, Georgie along with Georgina, Wash's Carrier daughter.

Both infants were softly suckling at the bottles that Kirishima held in one hand each, the infants held in her arms as she swayed slowly from side to side. Arms that Gale knew were strong and also gentle with the infants. Lips curling into a smile, the Warrant Officer moved into the room making sure to make just enough noise that the Battleship knew that she was there. Sure enough, the Kongou turned to her and lightly blushed in surprise, "Gale-Chan, I'm sorry, I did not mean for you to wake up."

Chuckling, Gale placed her finger on Kirishima's lips, "That's fine, Kiri." If anything, that got a deeper blush from Kirishima, "And I appreciate it, but remember, we're a family."

Voice soft as she watched Gale gently stroke the heads of the infants, the Kongou hummed, "Hai, a family..."

Gale glanced at her before placing her robe on a rocking chair off to one side. Then, she undid the buttons on her shirt before reaching into the crib to pull out the other two, Lil' Wash and Cassie, or Cascadia (who Wash had given birth to and turned out to be a Battleship that used one of the discarded designs for the North Carolina Class). Briefly, Gale's mind went back to the discussion about the possible names for said child. Lincoln and Liberty were pretty much tossed to the side as soon as it was brought up to her.

No way was she going to have a daughter called 'Liberty', not with the nicknames some might come up with. Instead, they settled on Cassie, with her name being "Cascadia" as that was a proposed State. Much more normal after all and would get their daughter less looks when she got old enough.

She was then brought out of her thoughts as, almost as soon as she brought them to chest level, they began to nurse which made the lone human of the two adults wince, "Oy, be more gentle, you two. Wash might have tits of steel, but I don't."

Much to her amusement, she could see Kirishima glance at her now and again. The Battleship did not state, but did sneak looks now and again. Something that did quite a bit for Gale's ego considering how beautiful shipgirls were. Turning her attention back to the infants in her own arms, Kirishima softly hummed, "They're beautiful, Gale-Chan. And they have some of your looks..."

Quietly scoffing, the human glanced at the darkened mirror and shook her head, "Not that, that might be a good thing-"

However, she was silenced by a glare from Kirishima. Moments later though, it softened on her face and the shipgirl shook her head, "Trust me, Gale-Chan. They are very lucky to have some of your appearance in them. Very lucky." Letting out a breath, she continued, "You are a very beautiful woman, after all."

It may have been a trick of the light, but Gale swore that Kirishima had a light dusting of red across her cheeks. After a few moments, she moved over and gave the Kongou a kiss on the cheek, "Thanks. I appreciate it." That time, she was positive that Kirishima was blushing and it made her smile. Glancing at the clock, she took a deep breath, "Anyways... you're still leaving tomorrow, right?"

Kirishima looked down at the infants in her arms and hummed some, "Hai, I am, Gale-Chan. Haruna-Nee-Chan is close to giving birth and all of us want to be there for her when it happens." Her smile softened some, "I... am about to become an Oba-San, a aunt. So are the others and we're happy for Haruna-Nee-Chan."

Looking her in the eye, the Warrant Officer raised an eyebrow, "You're somewhat jealous, aren't you? You want to have a child of your own."

About to say something, Kirishima instead paused before turning to Gale and softly whispering, "I would like to have some children of my own someday in the future, Gale-Chan. At least two, I think, but..." Mouth pressed together, she sighed, "Who knows..."

Still looking her in the eye, Gale could see some sadness there and her mind went back to a visit that she had with her mother some time ago...

____________________________________________________________

Gratefully taking the coffee, Gale took a sip and sighed to herself, "Thanks, Ma. I really appreciate this."

Eyebrow raised, her mother chuckled some, "Don't mention it, Sarah. I know just how hard it must have been to give up coffee while you were pregnant. But it speaks well that even a caffeine fiend such as yourself was both able and willing to do so." Pulling out her phone, she smiled at the background which was of herself with her granddaughters, all four of them. After all, Wash has given birth only two days after Gale had, "And I am thankful for that. Never thought that you would give me such beautiful granddaughters."

Chuckling, Gale shook her head, "Same here, Ma. Same here."

Only turning her attention back to her daughter, the middle aged woman hummed some before frowning, "Now then, what seems to be troubling you?" At the look from Gale, she snorted some, "I know you, Sarah. You needed to talk about something privately without Wash and that nice Kirishima possibly listening in." Laying a hand on the younger woman's shoulder, she continued, "What seems to be the issue? Is it something with Wash?"

Not saying anything, Gale only took another sip of her coffee before shaking her head, "Nothing with Wash, or at least directly." Softly smiling, she chuckled, "Both of us are still happy and in love with each other, which is what is important. Though we don't get nearly enough sleep, but thanks to Kiri helping us..."

Humming as her hands clasped her own cup of coffee, her mother gave her a look, "Not directly?"

Just shaking her head, Gale sighed a bit and looked up at the sky above them, "No, not directly." Chewing her lip for a few moments, she glanced at her mother, "Ma, how much do you know about Kirishima?"

This time, it was her mother's turn not to say anything until she took a sip of her coffee, "Not nearly as much as I would like to know about the godmother for my grandchildren."

Motioning with a hand, Gale shook her head, "Trust me, Ma. If someone threatened those kids? Kiri would absolutely murder whoever attempted to harm them. Lord forbid something ever happen to me or Wash, but with the war..." Getting a nod, she continued, "There's a short list of those that I would be able to rest easy knowing that they were taking care of Lil' Wash, Cassie, Georgie, and Georgina. You're one of them, Ma, and Kiri is the other. And, well..."

Lightly laughing as she brushed some fingers through her greying hair, the older woman smirked, "I'm getting old, Sarah, and not any younger. Taking care of them when they're older for a few hours, or maybe a day or two? Sure. But I don't think that I could handle the youthful energy that they likely inherited from you. A right little hellion you were growing up after all."

A light blush on her face, Gale grumbled a bit, "I was not that bad..."

Very slowly, one eyebrow raised on her mother's face before she cleared her throat, "Using the abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the town back when we lived in Nevada as a paintball range as well as hide and seek. Or how about those times with the ATVs and dirtbikes out in the desert? Or the time you went exploring in the old mines... Shall I go on?"

By this point, the light blush had become a heavy one and Gale coughed and looked away, "Uh, no, you don't."

On her mother's face was a triumphant smirk before the older woman took another sip of coffee, "So, yes, it does my old heart good to know that someone else would be able to help in such a case, Lord forbid and knock on wood."

To emphasize, she rapped the wood of the porch's banister with her knuckles.

Wanting, badly, to change the subject from various things she had did as a youngster, Gale coughed, "Anyways... Kiri is pretty damn good, Ma. She is a very good woman, but..."

Simply humming, her mother gave her a knowing look, "Does this have anything to do with those times she's given you or Wash a look of wanting? Of love? Perhaps how she looks sad afterwards?"

Just wincing, the younger woman gave the older one a look, "You knew this whole time, Ma? Really?"

In reply, her mother gave her own of her own looks, "Yes, it was there plain as day. That woman seems to be in love with both you and Wash, Sarah. The specifics escape me though..."

For several moments, Sarah just stared at her, gobsmacked. Eventually though, she sighed and ran her hand through her hair, "She... does." Looking out onto the backyard, she let out another sigh, "Ma, Kiri, well, she's loved Wash for years. Even before Wash and I got together, she loved her. Yet, when Wash asked her to help get her together with me, well... Kiri simply helped. No sabotage or anything, she honestly helped her best that she could to get us together."

Thumb running along the rim of her mug, the other woman was silent for a few moments. Then, taking a sip, she sighed a bit, "She honestly helped get you together even when she loved Wash? I will admit, Sarah, I am impressed with the strength of will she showed to do that. Because doing that? It had to hurt, had to hurt badly. But she still did it."

Gale gave a slow nod at that, "Yeah, to be honest I already made the decision that if something was to happen to me? Well, I would not mind if sometime afterwards Kiri and Wash got together. Because I know that Kiri would take damn good fucking care of her."

Head tilted to the side, her mother gave her a raised eyebrow, "You mean that."

What her mother had said, it was not a question, just a simple statement to Gale. Taking a sip, she looked at the clouds passing overhead, "Ma? I'm human and Wash is a shipgirl. And from all accounts... Wash could be around when I am nothing more than dust, my gravestone long since worn away. And she would likely look as youthful and beautiful as she does now. I'm not going to be around forever, Ma. But... knowing that Kiri will be there to support Wash? It makes things... easier, in a way. Because I know that she would take care of her and do right by her. Hell, Kiri likely would not even attempt to make a move, it would all be up to Wash for that. She... she is a good woman, Ma. One of the best that I have ever known."

Gently, the middle aged woman placed an arm around her daughter's shoulder as she considered what she had just been told. No one liked to be reminded of their mortality, no one. But... her daughter had not just come to accept that fact, but also that her wife would likely be around long after she was forgotten except by Wash's fellow shipgirls. That she would leave the love of her life, and her mother was sure that was who Wash truly was to her, behind, alone for who knows how many centuries before they might meet again. At least with her, she knew that Sarah would likely outlive her, possibly by a large margin. But...

But not as large as she had just been told, and she also knew that she would see her daughter on the other side.

Her daughter had, however, accepted that the situation was different with her wife. That it would be a very long time indeed before they might meet again. And that her wife would remarry. Thoughts that had to have been hard to have, yet she came to both understand and accept such.

Never, was Gale's mother more proud of her daughter than she had felt in that moment.

After almost a minute, her mother took a deep breath, "I see... and frankly, I agree with you, Sarah. Kirishima seems to be a very good woman."

Chuckling, Sarah shook her head, "You have no idea, Ma. But yeah..." Taking a sip of her coffee, she continued, "Kiri... for some reason has also fallen for me, Ma. Not sure how or why, but she has. And looking back, it has been for some time."

Just nodding, the older woman smiled a bit, "I see."

However, Gale shook her head, "No, Ma, she... she really loves me. As much as she loves Wash, and as much as I love Wash and..."

Now understanding the issue, her mother cocked an eyebrow, "You love her too."

Opening her mouth, it looked like the Warrant Officer was about to say something when she stopped and her shoulders slumped, "Yeah... I think that I do, Ma. Kiri, she is an easy woman to love. Kind, strong, beautiful on the inside and outside..." Pausing, Gale let out a breath, "A few months back, Kiri? She summoned her hull and brought me aboard."

Somewhat surprised, her mother blinked, "She summoned her hull? As in the steel..." Getting a nod, the older woman frowned, "I remember reading about it, but still."

On Gale's face was a soft smile, "Same, but, it was incredible, Ma. Walking those metal decks and knowing that she did it specifically for me. Even brought me to the bridge and stood there. Being there and watching the ocean through the windows... it was amazing, but not as much as what happened next."

Raising an eyebrow, the middle aged woman hummed, "Oh? And what happened next?"

Sarah took a deep breath before letting it out, a small smile on her face, "Kiri brought out her crew manifest and opened it. All the names of her crew were in there, Ma. Each and everyone of them. Poor Kiri looked like a wreck, blushing and stuttering a bit, but she asked for me to sign it."

Confused, her mother furrowed her eyebrows, "Does... does that mean something for a shipgirl, Sarah? Something important?"

With a deep breath, Gale nodded, "Yeah, it does, Ma. You know that Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Part of the ship, part of the crew?" Getting a nod, she continued, "Signing a shipgirl's crew manifest is... important. It means that the shipgirl wishes for you to stay with them, even beyond death. If you die, you become a fairy on them, able to visit them for all eternity. Kiri... she didn't want the possibility of me ever leaving her permanently, though she also said that I could transfer from her hull to Wash's if something happened to me. Because it would be some time before Wash can manifest her own hull to take me aboard. I could tell that hurt her to say though..."

Puffing out her cheeks, her mother gave an explosive sigh, "Landsakes, that girl has it bad. Though, Sarah?" She gave her daughter a look, "You better not hurt Kirishima like that, or else, dead or not, I will give you a good ol' paddling!"

Unable to help herself, Gale laughed, "And I would help you." Rubbing the back of her neck, she shook her head, "I hugged Kiri and told her that it would be my honour. But that she would need to put down my rank... she put down 'Admiral'. And that told me everything that I needed to know."

Lips twitching in amusement, the woman next to her nodded at her daughter, "Yes, yes it did." Taking a sip of her coffee, her mother also looked up at the sky, "So... what is your question, Sarah?"

Not saying anything, the younger woman looked down into her coffee, now lukewarm. Finally she let out a sigh, "I... what should I do, Ma? I love Wash with all my heart, I know this. But... Kiri somehow took a piece of it. And I know that Kiri loves us both and Wash seems to maybe love her as well."

Gently, her mother placed her hand on Gale's back and rubbed it through her shirt, "Sarah, honey? That is not your real question, because you already know the answer in your heart. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and love? It is one of the most powerful things in the whole of existence. Love, actual love, is never wrong. Sometimes it can confuse us, frighten us even, but it is never wrong. Loving someone is never, ever wrong in any way, just how we can choose to show that. Do you remember when you came out to me? That you didn't like boys, but girls? Remember what I said then?"

Tears prickling at the corners of her eyes, Gale nodded, "I remember, Ma. You simply hugged me tight and told me that... there was nothing wrong with it. That if I liked girls, than that was all there was to it..." A laugh escaped her after a moment, "Well, and then you started grilling me on which of my female schoolmates I found cute. Or if there was any women around town I had an eye on... God, that was so embarrassing, especially when we watched movies at home and you would give me a knowing smirk if you caught me staring at the female movie stars."

Smirking now as she did then, Gale's mother let out a laugh of her own, "Well, I know my daughter, Sarah. And now that I knew it was not the men in the movies that you were looking at, well..."

A blush on her face, Sarah ignored the snickers from her mother, though a smile still appeared on her face. However, it soon disappeared at another memory, "I... also remember your reaction when Uncle Jack and the others found out, when they... well..."

Her mother's expression softened, "Sarah, look at me." When her daughter did so, the older woman cupped her cheeks and placed her forehead against her child's, "I will say now as I did then, I have never been so ashamed of my kin. They had no right, no right for what they said. Love is to be cherished and is beautiful in the eyes of the Lord, any form of it, despite what Jack said. He may be a Minister, but he knows shit and bull cock with his reaction proving so. So what if you do not love men? A woman loving a woman is not wrong, or else it would not exist." Right then, she gained a vicious smirk, "Like I told him, if he ever laid an hand on you again, I was going to tie him via his dick and balls to a horse and slap the animal on the ass to get it moving... and I did not mean him."

Unable to help herself, Gale gave a laugh, "I remember his reaction..."

Both women shared a smile and a short laugh at that. Once they were calmer, Gale's mother shook her head, "Gale, I have never had an issue with how you feel, not once. You are my daughter, my child. For nine months I carried you in my womb and you are beautiful and so is the fact that you found someone to love. A love that has given me four beautiful grandchildren. So in regards to your question, Sarah..." Reaching up, she took a deep breath as she hugged her daughter tightly, cheek against hers, "Any love you have is beautiful, and there is nothing wrong with it. I have always accepted you, and always will, no matter what others will think."

Softly sniffling, Sarah hugged her back as tightly, "Thank you, Ma... thank you..."

With a smile on her face, her mother shook her head before kissing her cheek, "You never need to thank me for that, Sarah, never."

All the younger woman did was hug her slightly tighter.
___________________________________________________

Noticing that Gale was still giving her an odd look, one that made her boilers flutter for some reason and for her cheeks to warm, Kirishima cleared her throat, "Um, Gale-Chan?"

Briefly, that look stayed on the human's face before is melted away, "Yes, Kiri? Something wrong?"

More than a little thankful that she was no longer being given such a look, though also somewhat disappointed for some reason that escaped her, Kirishima gestured at the infants in her arms, "I think that they are done..."

Looking down at the daughters she was nursing, Gale nodded, "Yeah, I am pretty sure that both these two are done. Drained me dry, I think." As Kirishima gave a nod back and placed Georgina as well as Giorgie into the crib, she continued, "Pretty thankful that while they eat a lot for babies, they don't have the same hunger as a shipgirl would."

Slightly confused, the Kongou adjusted her glasses, "What do you mean, Gale-Chan?"

Eyebrow raised, Gale set her two daughters, now drifting off back to sleep, into the crib. Straightening, she gestured at herself and her still open shirt, "What do you think?"

To her great amusement, Kirishima's face went bright red and she looked away with some steam leaking from her ears, "I-I... I think that I know where you might be coming from, Gale-Chan. Yes, that could be... problematic."

Only shaking her head, the Warrant Officer gently patted the Battleship on the shoulder, "Anyways, we should be heading to bed. You need some rest after all..."

Thankful for the way out, as well as how Gale had rebuttoned her shirt up, Kirishima only smiled though there was a hint of sadness there, "Hai."

Slipping an arm around the slim waist of the other woman, who jumped a bit, Sarah chuckled, "You don't sound too excited."

With a deep breath, Kirishima turned her to her, "I would be lying if I was to say that I was not going to be missing you and Wash-Chan as well as my godchildren, Gale-Chan. But... I'll come back."

Just nodding, Gale gave her a look, "I know, Kirishima... I know."

Reaching the bed, the human woman was the first to slip back under the covers with Kirishima following. Though Gale noted that the Battleship made sure that the baby monitor was close to her with one of her fairies beside it. Another thing that she noted was that the covers on Wash's side were somewhat out of place, which made her smile as she knew what had happened.

While her wife was very sneaky, Gale was still able to tell where she was and the shipgirl had been watching her and Kirishima as they fed the babies with fondness, especially after the talks that they had been having...

Later that day, as the morning became afternoon, Gale watched as Kirishima walked out of their shared bedroom with a small smile, "All packed then, Kiri?"

Smile still on her face, Kirishima nodded as she turned towards her, "Hai, Gale-Chan. All my clothes and such that I need are in my holds." Adjusting her glasses, she looked around, "I... hopefully will not be long."

From where she stood, Wash shook her head, "Kirishima, take your time and help Haruna. The first few months will be a bit difficult after all." Giving a look at the babbling Georgina who was looking up at them, she chuckled, "We know that pretty well."

Also looking at the infant, the Kongou laughed, "Hai, we do."

Placing her mug to the side, Gale straightened a bit, "Well, I think that there are four little ones who need to say goodbye to their aunt and godmother."

Lips twitching into a smile, Kirishima hummed, "Indeed." Walking over the playpen, she leaned down into it, though she had to dodge Cassie attempting to grasp her glasses, "Goodbye, Cassie-Chan, Chibi-Wash-Chan, Georgie-Chan, Georgina-Chan, Kirishima-Oba-Chan needs to go and look after Haruna-Nee-Chan and will be away for a bit." Gently, she kissed each one on their heads, "And I'll be back before you know it, just be good for your Kaa-San and Okaa-San, okay?"

Each of them babbled a bit back to her which made her smile.

Straightening, she turned to the other two women in the apartment, hugging Wash first. The American hugged her back, "Have a good trip, Kirishima."

When she pulled back, Kirishima nodded, "Hai, I will, Wash-Chan." Turning, she noticed that Gale was giving her an odd sort of smile before the human woman shared a look with Washington. Internally, she furrowed her eyebrows as the American Battleship nodded back, 'What is going on?'

However, that was put into the back of her mind as Gale walked over and gave her a tight hug, though part of the shipgirl's thoughts noted that motherhood had been very good to her friend, "We'll see you when you get back, Kiri. And we'll hold down the fort here while you take care of your sister, so don't worry. Just come back safe."

Feeling the heat in her cheeks, the Japanese Battleship felt her boilers flutter, "Of course, you can count on me."

All of a sudden, that odd smile was back on Sarah's face, "I know that I can... Also, Kiri?"

Confused, Kirishima frowned and cocked an eyebrow, "Gale-Chan? Is something-"

Before she could finish her question, she was cut off as Gale threw her arms around the Kongou's neck and kissed her. Kirishima's eyes shot wide open at the feeling of two warm, soft objects pressed against her own lips. That was, until her eyes fluttered close and she brought her own hands up. It was not a passionate kiss, but a gentle one.

Feeling Gale pull away, Kirishima opened her eyes and stared down at the other woman, "I..."

Softly smiling, the Warrant Officer gave a nod, "Hopefully, that tells you something." A smirk crossed her lips for a moment, "Especially as sometimes you might miss something. Oh, and call me Sarah."

Unable to help herself, Kirishima leaned in, "Hai..." Pausing, she chewed her lip and glanced at Wash who was smiling brightly, "I..."

Rolling her eyes, Gale sighed, "Fucking kiss me again already."

Kirishima did not need to be told twice, nor when Wash gave her one as well as it was a very happy Japanese Fast Battleship who looked back before she left, "I'll see you soon, Wash-Chan... Sarah-Chan."

And then getting waves and another goodbye, she left, her boilers hotter than they had ever been, while she felt so light she could swear that she might float off.

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Pasting it here from old thread.
Oh and Kaiju? No Dumpster of Fire?

Lonely Street 4

Dalt

Dalton Longstreet knew he had overdressed for just dinner. Then again, his wardrobe was rather limited since he either worked or had casual clothes for around the house. So having to rely on his single Sunday best outfit that he only wore for interviews, funerals, and confession was no surprise. Miss Mitsue was dressed for a simple dinner out. The color palette of her outfit, mostly a mix of greys. He had met her at one of the nearby rail stations and from there they had walked to the restaurant.

It clearly catered to a clientele that valued privacy. The interior was almost hushed, as most of the customer seating were nearly enclosed booths. Only the occasional clink of silverware and dishes jostling as a busboy cleared vacant tables seemed to be the main background noise. He waited for Mitsue to be seated first, then sat across from her. If anything the booth seemed to claim more ambient sound. It was pretty impressive acoustics and made for conversations to be easily heard but only to the occupants of the booth.

After looking at the menu for awhile a waiter came over and took their orders. Dalt leaned back and mused, "I wonder if someone else's cooking will actually have flavor. No matter how I season and spice my own, I've hadn't been able to really taste anything other than bland for years now."

"Does the base have a cafeteria that you could eat at instead?"

"I tried a few times. It didn't make a difference. It has been.. easier to cook and eat alone."

They kept up the small talk until the food arrived. Mitsue offered up several humorous anecdotes of the antics of her employees. Dalt had responded with some of the peccadillos he had seen some younger officers get up to. But as they continued to talk, Dalt began to feel a familiar pattern to the flow of conversation. Mitsue seemed the most interested whenever ship-girls were the subject. Oh it was subtle. But I've been questioned like this before, when my younger brother's wife would send another PI to try and find out where he had run off to that time. Might as well confirm it then.

"Miss Mitsue, if you're investigating someone on base, just ask me directly for what you want to know. If I know who you're interested in, and if it will not compromise any security concerns, I will attempt to give you honest answers."

Kiho

"What makes you think that Longstreet-san?" Kiho demurred, trying to regain her mental balance. How could he tell so easily? Why didn't I start with the personal questions and leave work for later? What is that expression he has?

"I've been interviewed by private investigators before. Background checks for my job. Or the ones sent to track my younger brother down to pay for the marriages that he managed to destroy. It's happened enough that I can tell when someone is trying to steer a conversation to a particular topic."

Kiho mentally bit back the irritation at her bad luck. But she knew that doubling down on an attempted deception would backfire badly. She sighed. "Yes. Yes Longstreet-san, I am a Private Investigator. I'm looking into the background of one Ibuki Moriko. Her boyfriend's family wishes to ensure that she is a suitable choice for him."

Longstreet-san picked at his meal in silent thought for a moment. "I apologize Mitsue-san. I do not have contact with Ibuki-san in my duties, nor do I know of her socially. I'm afraid that I have been a waste of your time and a bit of a dead end. Please allow me to at least pick up my half of the bill."

Longstreet pulled out a number of bills and laid them on the table. Oh kami! He thinks I just wanted to get information from him. No. No. This can't be going this way..

"Longstreet-san, you aren't a waste of time.."

"I don't have what you need Mitsue-san," He stopped for a second and in a whisper that Kiho heard thanks to audio enhancements on her earrings, "I've never been needed really." He coughed a little, then gave a slight smile. "And thank you for the dinner invitation. I actually did taste my food for the first time in years."

Kiho sat in the booth after Dalt had left. How could he be so perceptive and yet so blind? What did I do wrong?

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

In a certain Karaoke bar

Uzume stewed in her office. This had never happened before. Red strings of fate did not just slip off like that. She scowled. "Alright then. Challenge accepted. No Teflon coating applied by Kami-Knows-Who is going to stop me, even if I have to invoke that."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N. Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice Castle of Dumpster Fires....

Meeting the Munchkins

Castle Moulbaix

Tokunotakai smiled at Colombe and hugged her love. "You do not wish me to go to Brussels with you?"

Colombe shook her head, "Non, To-chan. Not this time, since I do not yet know how intensive the manhunt is for us after what happened in Japan with the Aurors. While I know how to pass unseen and unsuspected in Brussels and Antwerp, you have neither the language skills yet nor the coloration to blend in."

Toku nodded. "I cannot argue with that, since you would be similarly out of place in Kamakura or Tokyo. Just be safe and return to me soon."

Colombe kissed her. "I promise. Besides that way I can wear my own clothes without them being pilfered."

Toku laughed and blushed slightly. Part of the planned shopping trip was to get undergarments and other clothing for her, which had caused the Masamune to blush scarlet as she told her three sizes to Colombe.

It is funny that embarrassed me, since she has seen me in my underclothing and even less repeatedly over the last few weeks since we admitted our love for each other. But it is different when I told her what my sizes are.

Colombe walked out the front door of the castle with a spring in her step to the somewhat battered Volkswagen Golf that was semi-affectionately nicknamed the Reparo-Wagen by the du Chastelers.

Toku with that thought closed the door and thought briefly. Clearly since Colombe was not dominating her life, she needed something to do. The library was quite attractive, but she felt a bit cooped up and int he need of some exercise.

With that in mind, she headed upstairs to the sword rack containing her true self. Colombe had mentioned that the downstairs ballroom was the preferred place to spar, but the day was sufficiently beautiful that Toku was contemplating seeing the grounds.

As she headed down the back stairs, a hum of conversation filled the air and she stuck her head into the kitchen. Kasuyu was there talking to the elder of the two Jorogumo. Toku gave a small smile at seeing the spider-woman moving under her own power now after the horrible torture that the Reserve guards had subjected her to. Her tanuki and Jorogumo 'children' were there as well, apparently happily involved in 'taste testing' the excess batter for some chocolate chip waffles, if Toku's nose was any indication.

"Have you seen Claire or Ehren?" Toku asked.

"Claire said that she wished to play outside, and I am sure that Ehren will be there too. If you are heading there can you deliver some waffles to her?" the axe tsukumogami rumbled as he removed a batch of waffles from the iron out of the oven.

Toku smiled serenely at the remarkably poorly hidden disappointment from the children as the steaming hot waffles were placed in an enchanted basket for delivery. "Only if the next batch go to two growing young Yokai and their big sister, Kasuyu-san."

The axe laughed and poured the batter for the next batch. "Only if these greedy youngsters leave any ingredients to be used!"

Toku laughed as she headed out the front door and began to circle the castle.
Spoiler: Toku and her Stepdaughters

A sudden shower of beautiful piano notes through the mid-morning air caused Toku's heart to beat a little faster and her steps to quicken. She walked around the corner tower and there near the grassy edge of the pond behind the castle, flanked by flowerbeds on either side filled with purple Panji and Sumire - No, they were Pansies and Violets in English! - rested a familiar rich brown piano. Two familiar girls were sitting facing away from her, looking over the pond as they played.

Claire was on the right, dressed in a dark pink dress with her short black hair waving back and forth as she played her true body, swaying with the emotions. To the left, Ehren was in a jet black uniform with silver trim, her pale gold hair falling down her back with her back ramrod straight as she concentrated on the sheet of music in front of her as if her very life depended on it.

Toku's eyes teared up at the beauty of this unfamiliar piece of music, and she made a series of hand passes to conceal her presence and muffle her sounds before walking closer, not wishing to interfere.

Finally stopping four meters away, she stood in silence, watching the sisters play. Ehren bit her lip as her fingers hesitated on a passage, only to get an encouraging smile from her sister, who was playing with her eyes closed. The tension in Ehren's frame relaxed minutely as she began the next measure, nervously biting her lip.

Toku's eyes widened as she realized that the piano was gently guiding and encouraging the dagger through the piece. Her lips curled in a proud, serene smile as the piece finally reached the conclusion.

As Ehren breathed out deeply with the tension leaving her frame, Toku spoke from behind her. "Thank you so very much, that made me experience mono no aware."

She was not expecting the reaction to her words. Ehren whirled with mixed embarrassment and horror deep in her eyes before her emotions were submerged behind that cool mask that she habitually wore. Claire looked at her curiously and smiled shyly.

Toku cast about for a topic to break the awkwardness and hefted the basket she held in two hands. "Kasuyu rescued a batch of chocolate-chip waffles from the Fujii children and wished for me to share them with you."

Claire's smile grew happier and she trilled a series of happy notes with one hand. Ehren nodded once sharply, her straight frame vibrating with tension. Behind her serene smile, Toku's own thoughts whirled as she wondered what was going on with Colombe's youngest and where she had misstepped.

Toku's hands moved on autopilot as she lay out the sheet on the grass like she would for a hanami flower-viewing group of herself and her fellow priests and miko. She thought about what little she knew of Ehren and why the girl was so guarded around her.

Daughter of Colombe and a SS officer...what were the SS? That had meaning to Colombe since her voice caught on that word, and she called them monsters, but... Silently she mentally cursed once again at her decision to not be more aware of the events outside the shrine during the 1930s as her country slid into the abyss of the Pacific War. Another glance at the uniform Ehren was wearing, and half-remembered memories of a newsreel that played on the screen during a rally that Fudo had led in Kamakura. Something about... Austria?

No. With a flash of memory, Toku suddenly remembered the image of a room where the Japanese ambassador signed the treaty of alliance with Germany and Italy. Men standing at the door in the same uniform that Ehren had on. What had Fudo called them?

"The Elite of our German Allies, dedicated to their cause of living space just as our samurai are dedicated to Bushido as we gather the Eight Corners of the World under one Roof."

Oh.

Clearly Ehren was ashamed at what her father's country did in the war. Just as Toku was equally ashamed at what the Army and Navy, including a few - mercifully few! - of her pupils had done in the Pacific War.

Best not to prod at her wounds. Not yet. Not this early when she was a stranger.

With that thought, she turned to Claire. "I really enjoyed that piece of music, can you tell me about it?"

The Piano grinned happily as she swallowed a bite of her waffle. "Oh, that is the Forest Idylls from Siegfried. It was originally written as a composition for Wagner's wife as a birthday present." Claire flushed, looking dewy-eyed for a moment.

"I see. Can you tell me more about this Wagner then? I do not know much about Western music, my experience has been in our native musical traditions. I play the shakuhachi bamboo flute at some festivals to honor the Kami." She spared a sidelong glance for the coolly observing Ehren, her face defensive and intent upon Toku.

Claire became more animated. "Wagner was a German composer who was born in 1813, and revolutionized opera. He was the first to bring the visual effects, the singing and the music together into a unified whole, with the use of specific musical passages for each character that would blend into a greater whole, what we call leitmotif. Ehren loves Wagner."

"I see, that sounds fascinating, and reminds me of when I help tell the story of the Kami in sacred dance and music at the festivals of Hachiman." Toku mused, extending subtle bait to see if Ehren would take it.

The dagger spoke coolly, her eyes measuring the Masamune, "Wagner told the story of the myths of Germany in his operas, such as the Ring Cycle. They inspire with their passion, their energy, their tragedy as man and god struggle against the bonds of fate."

Toku nodded and took a bite of her waffle. "I see. Perhaps after lunch, you would be so kind to tell me what the music is doing and what it represents as you and Claire play?"

Ehren nodded slowly as they finished the meal. "Acceptable, although I fear Claire shall have to play. I am not that proficient at piano yet to play music of such complexity and beauty properly."

Claire smiled happily and looked at Ehren. Some form of unspoken communication passed between the sisters as Claire sat on her bench and cracked her knuckles. Her fingers danced across the keys as she called forth a watery, ephemeral melody from her true body the Piano caught up in the music.

Ehren looked at the water of the lake as it gently rippled. "This is the beginning of Das Rheingold, the first of the Ring Operas. Deep within the primordial waters of the Rhine River, the three Rheintochter, the Rhine Maidens, guard magic gold that when forged into a ring would have power enough to rule the world. Yet the gold can only be forged into that ring by one who forsakes love utterly..."

Toku listened in awe as Ehren continued to weave the words of the story that Claire told with her playing. The music and words transported her into the story of greed and power, love forsaken and hopeless love fulfilled, heroism in vain, and yet heroism shining bright, swords broken and reforged anew, and the inevitable Twilight of the Gods, all bound within the magic and music of the Ring of the Niebelungs.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A.N.-The Most tooth-rotting OTP couple from Puppy Love and Pack Dynamics are back in the new thread

Courtship Display I

Yokosuka Public Library.

Hachiko Miyata's eyes widened as he saw his aunt Naomi, dressed down in a blouse and skirt rather than her normal robes and with her hair up in a bun at the help desk.

"Please, I will help this lady, Matsudare-san." He spoke softly.

His supervisor looked over. "Ah, she was asking after you Miyata-san. One of your relatives then? She mentioned some family business."

"Indeed, she is my aunt Miyata Naomi-san." he replied as Naomi nodded.

With that he led her to a small reading room with a microfilm reader. "Aunt Naomi, what is wrong? Is it Grandfather?" His voice trailed off hesitantly at the mention of the patriarch of the family, swallowing the familiar lump of well-hidden pain that his irregular birth to a witch from the Miyata family of Magical Civil Service employees and a Inugami ship's engineer had generated a rift inside the family.

She pulled out a Ofuda and concentrated, then released it, leaving it to float in the air as the sounds from outside became muffled.

"No, Father is still in good health. This is a bit more relevant to you and your younger brother." Naomi took a deep breath. "As you know, father is aware of your feelings toward Ibuki Moriko-san."

Unconsciously he stiffened as he rememebered the feel of the strong, powerful, and bold girl with shockingly vulnerable depths who had won his heart and nodded. Naomi continued, "He has hired an investigator to check into her suitability for matrimony. He received the initial report about her day before yesterday. I do not suppose that you could be persuaded to pursue her younger sister Suzume?"

His jaw and fists clenched and he shook his head sharply, defiantly no.

Suzume was a nice girl, and more conventionally pretty than the battered Moriko, who showed her struggles to support her younger sisters as the only survivors of their family after Blood Week. But she was not Moriko, and did not burn in his very spirit like Moriko-chan did.

Naomi smiled, "I told him that you wouldn't, but he asked me to ask you anyway." Hachiko let out the breath he did not realize that he was holding in a long sigh.

"In that case, he wants you to restrain yourself slightly until the investigation is finished. Keep going on dates with her, spend time with her, but wait for your grandfather to be won over before expanding the family." Hachiko smiled happily at the news.

He could be patient, he could work hard for her. Just like he worked himself to the bone to support his elementary-school brother Aki.

"Also, you should know, that once Father has fully considered and approved of Ibuki-san, after judging your relationship suitable the family will pay for the wedding and engagement. As well, and do NOT let your Grandfather know..." Naomi pulled a bulging envelope full of yen from her purse followed by a magically inscribed silk coin bag. "I added some additional nomaj monies along with coupons for some magical entertainments and a modest store of Ryo from my pocket to this month's rent money. I expect to receive a photograph of my nephew and Ibuki Moriko enjoying themselves in return next month. The initial report suggested that the Ibuki family may be magically aware like we are, and if you find that is the case, well I am led to believe that even with the unsettled politics and the war, quality magical entertainment can still be found. Perhaps an onsen or beach trip?"

Hachiko's smile lit up his face as his cheeks flushed and a trickle of blood fell from his nose..

He would not have to choose between Aki, saving for a ring for Moriko-chan, and eating any more. His path to his dreams was ahead with hard work, patience, and dedication.

Toa Crafts World, Yokosuka
Spoiler: Birthday Scarf for a Wolf

Hachiko Miyata adjusted his glasses as he looked at a book of knitting patterns. The young man frowned slightly. After depositing the money at the bank following his work shift at the library and attached cafe, he had taken five thousand yen from the total and headed to the craft store.

Thanks to his saving for the ring, he had enough to get Moriko-chan a present for her birthday.

Of course the problem was what to get her.

He had thought it over during the rest of his work and decided to knit her a present. He enjoyed knitting, since it relaxed his mind as his hands worked with the needles. While his short, slender body, thick glasses, and shoulder length hair made him look like a girl, an impression highlighted by his gentle tenor voice, he found that around Moriko he did not care that others saw him as feminine.

He placed the book back and headed around the corner to the yarn shelf.

"Oh! Excuse me!" He exclaimed as he nearly hit a young lady in a wheelchair then his eyes widened as he recognized Moriko-chan's younger sister Sachiko being pushed around by Moriko's younger twin Suzume. "Sumimasen, Ibuki-kun." he responded, bowing in apology.

Sachiko smiled. "No harm done. Suzume-chan hit the brakes in time. What are you doing here, Miyata-kun?"

He leaned in. "Can you keep a secret?"

The Ibuki sisters nodded with a disturbing lupine gleam in their eyes.

"I'm going to knit a gift for Moriko-chan's birthday, but I'm trying to decide what. Can you help?"

The Natural-Born disguised Okami Yokai who was the spirit of the CVL Ibuki (and twin sister to the Natural born spirit of the CA Ibuki) looked at her baby sister who was the spirit of the second planned Ibuki-class before its cancellation. A moment of sisterly communion united in the unholy combination of matchmaking and trolling was shared and the two nodded as one.

"Oh she would love a wolf scarf. She has always loved wolves." Sachiko said.

Suzume smirked. "Especially one with a dark black-gray pelt like the color of her hair and a white muzzle, paws, and tail tip. Oh and grab some gray or yellow buttons for her eyes."

And we will bring the cameras to record her reaction when she finds out that the scarf mirrors her true form....

Suzume then focused on Hachiko and spoke. "Miyata-kun, do you think that your little brother would like it if I made a puzzle box for his birthday? He seems to enjoy them as much as I do."

Hachiko nodded. "Oh yes, he likes building things and figuring things out. Either that or a model kit or something like the Shipgirl Lego kits that came out so you could build an aircraft carrier or cruiser based on a shipgirl's old hull. He was excited about those."

Sachiko noticed Suzume bite her lip and her eyes sparkled with unholy glee as she hid her smile.

After all she could troll her big sister and get in good with her future brother in law with one carrier kit of a member of the Kido Butai. No, that would be too much for a young child for now, but she could find a smaller kit more suitable for his age...

 

[darthcourt10]

NotHimAgain

K9Thefirst1 said:
Actually, Nameless is NotHimAgain's creation. Sadly he seems to be dragging his heels on actually finishing her part of the arc. The story seems to have stalled at the various Selects meeting up and chatting after the Scottish one went berserk. At least that's what seems to be the meat of the snippets after Tatsuya and the gang apparated to the UK, chasing after Mister Magical Unit-731 with a horde of breadknives in tow.​

Well, I have had a job as of late. Seems to make writing a little more frustratingly difficult to do, except when I'm riding some kind of YEET.

And when I decide to power the sensation of my brain shutting down, begging for food, sleep, rest as I do. Granted, that doesn't always come out as good.

But I always post it anyways! Hah!
Flash Back: Screw it, no more songs

Kneeling by the small box, McKay 'hmmed' thoughtfully. "'Ow'd ye knoo she'd drop it like she did?" she asked. Across from her, Reiko frowned uncomfortably. Everything that she'd seen of the Scottish girl gave the impression of a disturbingly enthusiastic killer—but then again, knowing things about her calligraphy set probably wouldn't cause anything amiss and direct that only half-sane attention away after her curiosity was filled. Right?

"It's… made with special materials," she explained hesitantly, "so it's not very friendly to anyone who isn't me."

McKay paused, digesting this. Then she reached out and grabbed the set. As it burst into merry red flames, she scoffed in disappointment and tossed it away.

"Hey! Don't do that, I need those!" Honestly, what was that girl's problem? Did she want to fight Reiko's calligraphy set, too? How was that even—

—wait. No. It wasn't normal. No one here was normal at all, and Reiko had completely lost her delinquent cred by hanging out with them.

"Reiko," Tatsuya said, and she perked up, turning to face him as she regathered her scattered items. "How fast can we move?"

"Umm, let's see…" Mentally, Reiko counted the ofuda she would need to prepare, how big an area she might need to cover with the spell at once, how much energy it would take to actually work… "I don't need very long to prepare what we need, but the set up on site will probably take a few minutes. But before all that, I've also got to set up the tracking spell, so… Give me five for the moment?"

Tatsuya frowned in thought so briefly and minutely that Reiko almost missed it. "Do it," he said, pulling his phone out. He walked a short distance away from the group, milling around as they were in the small, abandoned garage, and put it up to his ear, speaking in hushed tones.

"What's he doing now?" Reiko mused to herself as she tapped the end of her brush against her chin.

"Probably something clever," Tonbo replied, squatting down beside her right as she began draw a line. Reiko squeaked and the line went wide, scrawling off of the ofuda and across the floor. "Oops. Okay, that one was on me."

Reiko grunted brusquely in response. "You seem to be doing better."

"You have to think happy thoughts to get to Neverland."

"Don't you take anything seriously?"

"When I do, I end up miserable sooner or later."
-----

"… got it," Miyuki announced over the phone. "Is that everything that you need?"

"More or less," Tatsuya tapped a finger to his chin and nodded in affirmation. "Yeah, that should be it. I don't know or trust the right people here to pull this off, so this one is up to you."

"You know it might not get through."

"I'm prepared for the possibility." Which meant that "Plan C" was to run like hell and pray for the best. Fortunately, that tended to be what he and Benio ended up doing. By now, he was pretty good at it if he did say so himself.

Miyuki was silent for a moment. "I hope you know what you're doing." Her voice was hesitant, concerned.

"So do I."

And with that he ended the call, sliding the phone back into his pocket.

"Haneda, wasn't it?"

He turned, looking over his shoulder at the taller, black man. "And you were DuBois," he pointed out. "You need anything other than checking to make sure we've got each other's names down?"

"There was just something that I wanted to ask you."

"No time like the present."

"You wouldn't happen to come from a line of monster hunters, would you?"

It took a moment for Tatsuya to register this properly. Even knowing the reality of his situation, it still didn't feel completely real sometimes. "I don't see how that's important," he replied evenly.

DuBois didn't slow down. "I'm asking because I do," he explained. "I've met several others who do as well." He glanced over at McKay, who was now pacing back and forth through the room in animal disquiet. "I think it's a pretty fair bet that she's the same, too."

"Important why?" Tatsuya demanded. If this turned out to be some kind of weird there-can-be-only-one situation again, he was going to scream.

"I wouldn't advise you to be playing around with all these girls in this case," DuBois said, simply and casually.

"Huh?"

"The girls that you're travelling with," DuBois expanded. "They're all attracted to you on some level, and so I'm telling you not to pursue a romantic relationship with any of them."

Tatsuya snorted. Benio and Reiko, he was fully aware were attracted to him. Tonbo? That was significantly less likely—he doubted she was any more ready to start a relationship that he was. Battling a never-ending stream of evils and monsters was not conducive towards developing a romance with another—something that, if DuBois were anything like him, he would know. And besides that…

"And what gives you the right to decide that on my behalf?" he asked sarcastically. He glanced up, around, found Benio fiddling with a cabinet in some corner, and began to walk.

Right as he passed DuBois, he spoke up.

"They say that you shouldn't visit the sins of the father upon the son," the man said, voice quiet enough that Tatsuya had to stop and wait in order to listen. "In most cases, that's true. But people like you and me are different.

"When we have children," DuBois turned to face him, "Our sins are passed on to them. I have done horrible things—in the name of peace and sanity and life, yes, but reprehensibly horrible. And I will not force those sins on any one who may follow me. And you—" Tatsuya could feel his eyes burning into the side of his face, "—you should know better than to do that as well."

Well.

Whatever that was, it sounded serious. The sort of serious that called for more professional help than Tatsuya was of the opinion that he needed. There was probably something to be said, something to reassure DuBois or convince him that he wasn't the monster that he seemed to think he was. Unfortunately, Tatsuya didn't know what it was. And besides that…

"Really? Now?" he asked, almost snappishly. "Whatever it is that you went through, that you did, means that you can tell me how to live my life while I'm working on how to get out of this mess alive?" He turned to face DuBois again. "I understand that whatever you went through must have been hard, but… but don't just decide that you know all about me and how I should act. And maybe next time, wait until all our lives aren't on the line, okay?"

… he wasn't feeling especially charitable at the moment.

"Now do whatever it is you have to to get ready. We're leaving in a few."
-----

And next time, I should be covering The Plan right up to the point where The Plan goes off the rails. Finally!

Well what do you think, sirs?

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie on The Hunt

Din Tai Fung Restaurant, Magical Tokyo
Spoiler: Tea and Questions

Wei Ying leaned back in the private room that she had reserved and sipped green tea as she surveyed her xiaolongbao steamed buns filled with soup and minced pork and crab meat.

Yám chà, literally 'drinking tea', was one of the foundational social events of the day for a proper Chinese such as she was.

With that, she looked over at the Auror who had accepted her invitation once the meeting broke up. She had indicated that she would take a working lunch to read the case files on Colombe du Chasteler's latest crime.

"I confess curiosity on one or two points," she began mildly, before refilling her guest's teacup, "While I have no doubt that du Chasteler killed your fellow Aurors, would it not be normal policy for one of those in the field who had run into her with a jorogumo family to have attempted to put down these dangerous beasts. After all they were tracking a breakout...."

The middle aged Auror, Emiko Morimoto, nodded and spoke in a rough rasp. "It would be. However, as much as I wish not to speak ill of the dead, Asai-san was not the most diligent individual for following the rules. He asked to transfer to the Reserves as a guard since he was not cut out for the strain of law enforcement work. Since he was the ranking member... well before du Chasteler-san split him in two, his subordinates would have followed his commands, but he gave none. No coordination."

Ying nodded after taking a steamed bun and chewing slowly. "I see. I am not unfamiliar with the problem of subordinates who just do not have the right level of initiative for fieldwork." She took a sip of tea, using the brief pause to frame her probe. "I hope he was not like Corporal MacInnes, we had to place him on the duty of getting childhood pets out of trees because he was so soft-hearted and soft-headed." Granted, she was editing out that Ian MacInnes was also brave like a hundred tigers, she could remember him tackling a shifted loup-garou half again his size in Quebec City to the ground and slapping the magically reinforced silver-plated cuffs on it as part of the bust of a Québec Libre cell that she had infiltrated before they could carry out their magical terrorism.

Emiko barked a laugh and sipped her tea. "Hah! Asai-san was if anything too zealous. His reputation for extracting confessions was well known in the force, even if several got overturned on trial and appeals."

Ying nodded sympathetically, "Ahh. That does tend to create problems when the officer responsible makes an understandable mistake. It does reflect poorly in their files when I have to chair a promotion board." She leaned back in her chair, taking the opportunity to rub her Spirit Pearl on her hilt with her thumb to modify the allure aura that she was projecting.

No need to make her suspicious by thinking about how she was revealing dirty little secrets to a stranger from a different nation.

She sipped her tea, and began to tell the story of a suitably edited case of hers. "That reminds me of the time we had a murder among the wardens of our main Sasquach reserve." Which was caused by criminals trying to sell illegal firewhisky to the Sasquach in 1911. "I had just made Inspector, so was dispatched with Sergeant Wawetseka to investigate...."

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

The Kitsune's Den, Magical Tokyo

Ying closed and locked the hotel room door behind her. She then checked the security wards, and nodded, noticing that the maid had come and gone but her suitcase was undisturbed.

Considering the illusions showing that it was full of toiletries and clothing, that was not surprising.

Plus the security spells and curses designed to make any would-be thief regret his life decisions.

She then smirked smugly and reinforced the privacy wards once more.

With that in mind, she placed the suitcase on the desk and pulled out her laptop. After plugging it in, she pulled up a folder marked "Jiàn gǎn zhījī" and clicked on the map icon.

A world map formed and a half-dozen points blinked. Ying frowned at the familiar puzzle.

"Metz 1789. Killed an Auror and incited a riot while breaking the Statute. Why?"

Her finger traced to India. "India 1821. Kidnapped a princess, released unharmed later with no ransom paid or demanded. Plus violations of the Statute of Secrecy."

Another trace of the finger. "China 1855. Met Amah, saved her from Taipings, got her to safety. Amah said that Colombe was looking for her father, a fellow sword spirit. So far, we have a definite pattern of movement here."

The finger moved to Africa. "Congo, 1895. Killed five wizards, another riot incited. Then vanished utterly"

The finger moved to Belgium, "Suspected in the death of Hippolyte du Chasteler in 1899, who was stabbed through the throat. The last member of the du Chasteler family. Connection with her name? The Congo was Belgian property then."

To England now. "Fought a duel the same year with Corvus Lestrange. Accused him of being in bed with du Chasteler. Connection... unclear. Personal feud?"

The finger moved to the Balkans: "Gets falsely accused of starting World War I. What was she doing in Sarajevo?"

To America. "Resurfaced Louisville 1927, another riot, another set of nonmagical bigots roughed up and killed. Delilah confirmed this was definitely her, then MACUSA pulled the plug. Why?"
Spoiler: Mountie on the Trail

"What's the connection?" Ying drummed her fingers on the desk. "There's a pattern here, I just know it."

"Right, next is Tehran in 1979." Ying tapped her finger against her lips. "She hijacks a plane, starts shit with those damn mullahs, easy enough to do. And flies out some businessmen." The finger drumming slowed. "That's like China... another get people out of trouble. And... what was the identity of the execs?"

Two more clicks pulled up a scan of notes in her handwriting. "Jardine Matheson. Connections?"

"Then Rwanda in 1994. Right next to the Congo." The finger traced to Japan. "and it looks like she rescued some dangerous Yaojing here...just like Mother would have been seen in China."

Ying leaned back and steepled her fingers. "She was rich enough to get passage for mother, so will be smuggling the jorogumo out. Wait."

Ying suddenly dug through her robes and pulled out the crystal ball. She hastily activated it. and stared into the hazy depths with intensity.

The ball cleared to reveal her mother's face. "Ying, are you well?"

The younger huli jing smiled, "I am, Amah. I must ask you a question."

Wei Yuying looked her oldest child in the eyes and nodded. "What is it?"

"When you and father fled China, you said that she bought passage on a ship for you and provided funds in the New World while staying in the Middle Kingdom on her own business. Do you recall the details of the ship and the funds?" Ying spoke with a smug grin on her face.

She was onto Colombe's trail, she just knew it.

Yuying tapped a finger against her lips. "The funds were a half-share of a cargo of tea that had been accumulated in Kowloon. The ship was owned by a English company...Jardine?"

Ying' smug smirk widened as she sensed yang energies influencing her turning to yin. "I see, and Father was well acquainted with the owner of the ship?"

"Shi. She was, and the man did not cheat me despite being not one of our kin. He paid me every tael of money that I was owed." Yuying looked sharply at Ying. "You have the scent of your quarry then?"

"Perhaps. She is crafty like you would expect a fox who has run so long and so well from the hunters." Ying grinned toothily as she typed and lines flew from France to India to China to Japan. "But every fox makes one mistake in the end. One last question, Amah. She was seeking someone in China when you met her, correct?"

"Yes, her father had abandoned her and she wished to punish him... or perhaps her... for this shocking lack of filial piety. She did not know his name, but he was one of her kind." Yuying spoke slowly, remembering pillow talk during a night camped out while on the run.

"Good. That is most helpful Amah. Thank you and Baai Baai." Ying smiled.

She began to type into the laptop refining her search parameters. "Right. Check Jardine for ties to her. Check the back issues of the Magical Papers for events involving sword spirits starting in 1855 and again in 2013 while I am here."

The crystal ball chimed and flashed. Ying waved her hand over it and a familiar chestnut haired young-seeming woman formed in it's depths. "Nihao Delilah! You are well?"

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Both Harry and Natsumi had their eyes closed as the Sun slowly rose above the horizon. In a meditative state, the two held the others hands. Harry had his palm facing upwards with his fingers clasped in Natsumi's, while the Kitsune's palms faced downwards. Despite the odd twitch from one or the other, they did not move at all, simply breathing in and out slowly.

From where she sat, Hoshi watched as the breaths the two took synchronized. From where she was beside the older Kitsune, Haru raised an eyebrow, "Is this really how one performs Kitsune Tsuki? Because the stories do state that one could easily perform it by force."

Glancing at her, the Kyuuubi shook her head, "And that is exactly why I have started them on this method. It is one that is not forceful, which is more suited to what they wish to perform." Bringing out her Kiseru, she placed the end between her lips, "Despite the rivalry between Kitsune and Inugami, there were clans who used Kitsune instead of Inu spirits like other families did. Most of those have since been subsumed into the Kitsune race as a whole due to them often marrying their partners."

Lips curled a bit into a soft smile, Haru nodded, "Hai, that is true." Watching the two teens, she shook her head, "It is like one of those old romance tales come to life before me as those stories that you talk about often were."

With a hum, Hoshi blew out some smoke, "Indeed. Which is why, for what they want, that method is the best. Though I will note that it was not always a romance. Such as Awa no Takaru, who had a female Kitsune who adopted him as her son when she found him as a child left in the woods to die."

Arms crossed, the five tailed Kitsune nodded, "I remember that tale, her name was Fujiko. She raised him best that she could, for she was barren. Yet, she loved him as much as any Okaa-San might her son. Together, the two fought foes with her performing Kitsune-Tsuki to combine their skills... Until one day he died of old age in her arms, with Awa no Fujiko weeping at the loss of the only child she knew..."

Her lips twitching, Hoshi tilted her head, "Yes, that was until, moved by the love they shared as Okaa-San and child, that the Kami acted. And granted her wish when Inari-Sama appeared before her and gave her a task, one that she completed and upon completion, it allowed for her to be reunited with Takaru, by him being born to her as her child."

Softly chuckling, Haru raised one eyebrow at her family's old friend, "Though in this case? I do not think that there are any motherly feelings there."

That got her a snicker from the older Kitsune, "No, neither do I." Taking another puff of her Kisaru, Hoshi hummed, "Still, I do not see the issue in this as both sides are well aware and accept it. And it will bring them closer, which can only be a good thing."

At that, Haru simply nodded some as her own eyes glowed softly as her vision shifted over more to the spiritual realm. While she was unable to go as deep as a shipgirl, she could still see certain things. And right now? She could see a mist surrounding the two teens with tendrils extending out and touching ones from the other person.

It was their hands though that caught the most of her attention though. Because there, the two auras were mixing. Unlike usual in such cases though, there was nothing violent, and neither pushed back against the other. Much to her confusion, the two met and mixed slightly as if they knew each other. Something that should be impossible... which was when her mind went back to a dream that Natsumi had told her about, which made her shake her head, 'No, that was just a dream. One filtered through... who knows how many mental filters in order to make her able to make sense of it, that is all. Nothing else...'

Yet, she still felt a shiver down her spine though she shoved it to the side.

Meanwhile, Hoshi was also observing it as she softly puffed. Eyes narrowed, she hummed some as she remembered something in regards to the process, 'I wonder... if anything will come up, as one can receive visions regarding things related to one another...'

Unknown to her, that was exactly what was happening.

Harry blinked and looked himself over in utter confusion before furrowing his eyebrows, "Um, what?"

A voice made him look up and he boggled a bit at seeing Natsumi in a fine outfit straight from the Heien Era, "Harry-Chan? Uh, what? Why are you dressed like a Samurai?"

Only shrugging, the teenaged boy shook his head, "Your guess is as good as my own, Natsumi-Chan." Briefly, there was a flicker and Natsumi swore that he wore clothes from a far older era, somehow knowing that they were Chinese. Then, she shook her head and they were gone, "Though I wonder where we are?"

Now looking around herself, Natsumi sucked in a breath, "Harry-Chan? I know where we are... we're... in that place."

It took only a few seconds for the penny to drop in Harry's head and he quickly moved to her side. Grimacing, he gave a small nod, "I see. Could you..."

Natsumi took a deep breath and centered herself, "Hai, follow me."

With practiced ease, the Kitsune lead the wizard through the corridors, though the two briefly stopped to look out onto the garden. But besides that stop, they did not stop until they reached the room that the Mirror was in. Slowing, Natsumi came a stop in front of it, the form of Tamamo within the mirror visible. The feel of Harry coming to a stop beside her making her relax, "It is okay, Natsumi-Chan. I am right here, and together there is nothing that can stop us."

Relaxing, Natsumi nodded, though she did note one thing. For a split moment, Tamamo was looking at Harry with a look that was both shock, and some sort of deep longing. And then it was gone and the older Kitsune was once more back, "Good, you are safe. I am... relieved about such."

Eyebrow raised, Harry frowned, "You were worried about me?"

All the reflection of Tamamo did was nod, "I was, which is why I am thankful that you are safe and sound." While neither teen understood exactly why she held that as something important, they ignored it as she continued, "And I had to make sure, which is why I brought you here."

Just as Natsumi was about to say something, she paused as the thirteen year old wizard glanced at her. Turning back to Tamamo, Harry frowned deeply as he thought, "You're not really, Tamamo no Mae, are you...?"

Lips with the slightest bit of an amused curl, Tamamo chuckled, "I am Tamamo no Mae... though, perhaps calling me a Testament could also be factual as well." Spreading her arms, she laughed a bit, "I am both her, and yet I am not. A remnant, or an echo of whom I once was? I am a Shadow in a world of Light."

Eyes narrowing some, Harry took a step forward, "Are you a threat to Natsumi-Chan?"

If anything, that seemed to only to amuse the infamous Yokai all the more. Yet, in her eyes there was pain mixed with happiness and longing, "I could never be a threat to her... or you. But if you mean in regards to me using her to come back? Do not worry, Harry-Kun. If I wished to come back, I could have long before now. Such as during that large war a few decades back." Both teens stiffened at that, which she noticed and smirked maliciously, "Some of those fools somehow got a hold of my pelt, which I lost when I turned to stone. They believed with it, they could bring me back and use the powers that they had been experimenting with from the one named Kyoshu to control me in order to destroy their enemies."

Only licking his lips, Harry gave a shrug, "That... would have ended badly for them, I would think."

All that did was make Tamamo cackle some as her eyes glowed malevolently, "Oh yes, it certainly would have." Her expression shifted though to something more... longing, "But I did not, and would be glad as I have almost everything that I could want."

While that confused the two teens, they decided to put that in the back of their mind for now. Mainly because she was actually talking to them, which meant that Natsumi decided on the next question, "How are you even here?"

Slowly, Tamamo shook her head, "That is not the question that you should ask, but I shall answer with a question of my own..." Amused, she spread her arms as much as she could in the frame of the mirror, "Considering that I was known for plots and schemes, do you not think that I, of all people, would be able to create plans and backups for those plans in case of my death? In most other circumstances, I would not have ever spoken to you. Been able to speak to you." Her eyes narrowed slightly, "Yet, now I do to prevent a repeat of a tragedy."

Both Natsumi and Harry shared a look before the black haired wizard noticed that their surroundings were fading. Quickly, he turned back to Tamamo, "Is that all? Why you wanted us here?"

Pausing, the older Yokai had a thoughtful look on her face before smiling, "Perhaps... though if you wish to better protect Harry-Kun, there is a place that you can go to. Ask my Daughter for my Blade. It shall answer to you and Harry-Kun, alone, and can be of use to you if you so wish..."

With that, the room fully faded away and they found themselves staring at each other in the Hogwarts Hospital Wing. Eyebrow raised, Hoshi frowned slightly, "Did something happen while you were meditating?"

The two teens shared a look before Natsumi cleared her throat, "Well..."

A few hours later, and after a very through interrogation from Hoshi, found Harry as well as Natsumi and Hoppou walking down a hallway. An amused quirk to her lips, Natsumi gave Harry a raised eyebrow, "Really, Harry-Chan? Sneaking out of the Hospital Wing?"

Giving her a look, Harry snorted some, "And? I can't stay in there too long, Natsumi-Chan. Besides which? You would be in as much trouble as I would be in." He then gave a look to Hoppou, "And so would you, Little Sister."

Just skipping, Hoppou shook her head, "Hoppou needs to take care of Big Brother. So Hoppou followed Big Brother."

Raising her finger, the Kitsune nodded, "Exactly! I noticed you sneaking out and followed."

Eyes rolling, Harry shook his head and sighed, "Because of course." Nearly at the Great Hall, he did not notice Hoppou perk up and glance in another direction, "Anyways, let's just go and get something to eat- Hoppou? What are you doing?"

The Abyssal simply giggled and ran off before entering the Great Hall. Scratching his head, Harry shared a look with Natsumi who shrugged. Now that Hoppou was gone though, the Kitsune squeezed Harry's hand, "Harry-Chan? About what happened..."

Simply shaking his head, the teenaged wizard gave her hand a squeeze back, "Don't worry about it, Natsumi-Chan. I want to continue with this, it felt... nice."

Lightly blushing, Natsumi nodded before kissing his cheek, "Hai, it felt nice to me as well."

Just as they reached the door though, Natsumi paused. Something that caught Harry's attention, "Natsumi-Chan? What's wrong?" Not saying anything, the Kitsune moved aside and let go of Harry's hand. Inside the Great Hall, everyone was staring at the open door in confusion, and at Harry in particular, "Natsumi-Chan-"

Right then, Harry could hear the sound of hooves and feet against the stone floors and turned in time to see a white haired form rushing at him at high speed. A form that he recognized as Regalia, "UNCLE HARRY!"

Bringing his hands up, Harry was too late as the Re-Class slammed into him in a tackle hug, both of them going airborne. Not helped a moment later as Sunny also slammed into them in midair followed by Patty. Somehow, they coordinated themselves so that they flipped in and the Abyssal's hit the wall at the far end of the Great Hall feet first. For a few moments, they stayed like that before bouncing off and landing on their feet, Harry between them mumbling.

The various students watched for a few moments before going back to what they were eating. Though some, such as Tracy, the Gryffindor Chasers, and Luna, shot numbers into the air. All the while Hoppou sat at the Teacher's table giggling and kicking her feet out.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie Meets The In-Laws (Unknowingly) I

Kitsune's Den, Magical Tokyo
Spoiler: Ying and Delilah

Wei Ying nodded to the familiar green eyed heart-shaped face in her crystal ball. "Nihao Delilah! You are well?" Her voice had a fair amount of warmth, because as often she and her old school rival got along like two strange cats, she was a good person and good policeman.

Her own face shifted to the classic 'I know more than you' Inscrutable Oriental mask that she knew after over a century of interaction drove Delilah mad behind that Damned To The Hell Where Sinners Are Punished With Paolao smug smirk the cheeky little bitch was giving her. Again.

Not that Ying expected anything different in their century and a half game of one-upsmanship. By now all the ground rules and scorecard were long memorized.

"I am, Ying. Your mother and you are well?" Delilah responded warmly. Leaf-green eyes twinkled warmly as Delilah tucked a chestnut-colored lock of hair behind her ear.

"Oh quite well. Number Five Grandnephew's youth hockey team just won the national junior championships." Ying spoke with pride in her voice. "I trust that your Venerated Mother is in good health and good spirits too?"

Delilah's smug smirk widened. "Good for him and when you call home pass along my best wishes. Mère is quite well, thank you for asking. Jensen relayed along that you were in Japan too and wanted to meet up when I called in to hear about the backlog piling up in my inbox."

Ying nodded gracefully, "That is correct, yes. For once we are both not tied down dealing with a crisis, and I thought that we could meet and do dinner while I am in Tokyo.It has been a long time since we have had a chance to touch base"

Delilah paused and nibbled her lip, clearly thinking. "I... can do that. In fact, are you free tonight?"

Ying nodded. "I am. Is Eight PM acceptable to you?"

"Acceptable. Steaks then and bring an appetite." Delilah's eyes twinkled as she staked her position on the matter firmly.

"No. Peking Duck and bring your own appetite. I am reading reviews of restaurants now." Ying parried calmly in her own conversational gambit.

"Standard way to decide then?" Delilah's innocent voice grew a very well hidden edge and Ying's eyes narrowed.

She wouldn't. No. She absolutely would set up that challenge to sucker me in if she knew she had an edge. Just like I would in her place. Sneaky, sneaky gwáilóu keeps me on my toes and I love her for it...

"Agreed. Standard decision tiebreaker." Ying spoke slowly as her eyes narrowed and she began to cast a spell to get the information she needed. However, she feared that it was far too late.

Delilah De Breuil (Ilvermorny 1872, Thunderbird) spoke triumphantly as her smug smirk grew ear to ear. "Well the House Cup standings are currently updated and Thunderbird has 383 points..."

Wei Ying (Ilvermorny 1872, Horned Serpent) sighed as she looked at a ghostly crackling electric blue hourglass next to one half-filled with green serpentine ichor, "...and I just pulled them up magically. 379 for Horned Serpent. Steaks then. Tell me the restaurant has a wet bar you smug huáng liǎn puó."

"I'll make sure of that Ying. I need a stiff one myself after dealing with some family stupidity. See you at eight. Azabu Tansumachi Tenryoan in Roppongi." Delilah, to her credit did not rub in the point she had just scored in the master tally both kept track of.

After all, she had no need to.

"Baai Baai, Deliah." Ying ended the call and muttered to herself. "Some days she really gets under my skin. Still good friends and good rivals are the spice of life."

With that she turned to her hang-up bag and began to decide between the three cheongsam dresses packed there.

A farm in Uenohara-shi, Yamanashi Prefecture, 74 miles west of Tokyo

"I don't know what it is that she does that rubs me the wrong way, but I swear that she's as much a pain as my sisters sometimes." Delilah mused as she pocketed her crystal ball.

"Whoizzit?" The voice from behind Delilah caused her to spin, one hand flashing to the butt of her pistol.

"DAMMIT JACKIE! Don't do that sneaking up on me shit or one day I will blow a hole in you!" Delilah glared at her older half-sister. "Just one of my old classmates from Ilvermorny named Wei Ying. Went into the Canadian Aurors on graduation and we have been pissing each other off and fighting evil ever sense."

"She's cute if you like the China Doll type. Nice tits in that red monkey suit wrapper. Betcha ten Galleons that she's a screamer, Del." The not-at-all-reformed pirate and rogue leaned against the formerly-locked door that she had picked to snoop on her sister. Jacklyn Fox(-Muramasa) smiled smugly and examined her nails.

Delilah's death glare aimed at Jacklyn intensified. "She. Is. A. Cop. Do you understand what that means you fluffbrained fool? Get handsy with her and she will have you locked up in handcuffs before you can say 'Muramasa'. Anyway, I'm happy with Zamarad, this is just a friendly meeting. Catch up on gossip, shoot the shit."

'Sounds like fun, Del. Mebbe I should come along." Jackie mused as she took a pull off a hip flask. "Drink?" Jacklyn offered the flask toward Delilah, who shook her head sharply.

"Don't. You. Dare. Jackie. This isn't Lesbos and we are still wanted for that mess in Tokyo when we trashed Aunt Akutoku's car. Now do you have anything for me? I do need to run this purse full of her wish list items to Toku over in Moulbaix sometime this week, you know." Delilah hefted the item in question.

"Naah, just was checking in on ya. Planned to take the train and have some fun in Tokyo tonight." Jacklyn waved and then sprinted outside, pursued by an angry bellow of frustration.

"JACKIE!!!"

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Courtship Display II

Yokosuka Naval Base
Spoiler: Moriko's First Kiss

Ibuki Moriko smiled as she toweled off after her dip in the repair baths. While not Awakened...not yet, the mineral-laden waters did invigorate her. Especially after some of her future sister-in-arms shipgirls came in from a mission or patrol, there was a camaraderie to the chatter in the baths as they talked about their experiences and generally socialized.

Which was part of the reason that she had gone to the baths today while Suzume-chan and Sachiko-chan went out shopping.

She had hoped that perhaps one of the other ships would have advice for her with the issue that she was wrestling with. Namely, at some point she would need to reveal to Hachiko-chan that she and her sisters were not humans, but instead Okami wolf yokai who had escaped from their Reserve on Hokkaido and lived for decades in the seedy gray economy where a willing attitude and a strong back counted for much more than papers or certifications.

Unfortunately, she had not reckoned that someone (she suspected meddling little sisters who would become Ibuki-Class shipgirls alongside her) had posted photographs of her first kiss to Shipgirls Online. Specifically to the thread her wonderful meddling trolls of sisters had set up as an 'all things Moriko Ibuki's romance'. Which judging from the comments in the bath, and congratulations she had gotten by a series of blushing and smiling shipgirls coming up to her, had gained at least seventy pages since hanami.

Also, judging by a few subtle questions, there might be a betting pool started about names of her firstborn. Certainly several girls mentioned that they could potentially assist with babysitting if she, Suzume and Sachiko were all on deployment. Her cheeks flamed at the thought of Hachiko and her embracing, as a third life kicked and turned in her womb.

No. Not yet. Not until marriage, and also before she had children, she needed to get information about shipgirl biology and reproduction from some of the girls who had experienced it.

Her cheeks heated and she gently touched her lip with a scarred finger in memory. Remembering that moment of perfect rightness, of parts of her very being that she never knew were incomplete before she met Hachiko-chan sliding into perfect harmony with equally needy and incomplete parts of him....

She couldn't even be very angry that Suzume was sharing the best moments of her life online, because if others got a hundredth of the pleasure and bliss that she and Hachiko had then..

She shivered in delight and once again frantically tried to shell her hormones into submission. Unfortunately the mutineers had stormed her boiler rooms - no her heart - and were sending demands to her bridge that revolved around making Hachiko hers.

With that she looked at the red-faced girl in the mirror with the bent nose from when the Oni had backhanded her in her championship MMA match, a shaggy gray-black mane of untamed hair, gray eyes, and cheeks the color of her future anti-fouling paint.

Her lips curled in the happy smile of a overjoyed timber wolf.

Boy, you have it bad, girl...

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

Mitsue Detective Agency
Spoiler: Kiho and Dalt

Kiho Mitsue stormed through the door to her office with a angry scowl on her face. The ex-Auror turned Private Investigator slammed the door behind her and collapsed into her desk chair, breathing heavily as she ran her fingers through her hair.

Her date with Dalton Longstreet - or Dalt as he preferred to be called - had been perfect and she knew that he was a good man and a good match for her. She did not care that he did not have any information on Miss Ibuki Moriko.

She just cared for him, until he totally misread her and got upset. Yes, she had come in with a mixture of curiosity about him and professional interest in the Ibukis, she admitted which threw a log onto the raging inferno of her fury. But after the second story of his, it was clear that little would be gained about her target from him. But that did not matter because she was growing more and more at ease, more and more comfortable, and more and more interested in him for himself and his good qualities that he was downplaying in his stories.

Until she leaned too far forward while he told about how Kongou had launched herself through the window trying to glomp her Admiral (instead hitting Ooyodo and taking the Secretary Ship on a brief flight to the grass outside the office).

Dammit, it was a good story too and he thought that she was on the clock when she wasn't! Not really!

Stupid, imperceptive, clueless, bull headed, noble, stubborn, paranoid...

That... That... THAT!!! MAN!!!

Right, he needed someone to 'need him' and he claimed to have bad luck. She'd show him need and his 'bad luck' better get out of her way. Or. Else. And even if it was that five-tail Kitsune screwing with them, she would regret toying with the object of Kiho Mitsue's affections.

She grabbed the old rotary desk phone and dialed it ferociously. As Dalt picked up the phone, Kiho took a deep breath and spoke with passion in her raised voice, not caring who was on the other end nearby that could hear it.

"Dalton Longstreet. I enjoyed that date in your company and I want another. I don't care that you don't know anything about what we talked about, this isn't professional but personal. Not any more, not that it ever was in the first place. I'm going to be at the main gate tomorrow at Six PM dressed up and you better be there to have a good time with this lady, understand me buster? Oh and this time I will goddamn give you my phone number!"

The phone slammed into the cradle hard enough to crack the bakelite base.

She breathed heavily and harshly in and out, the glanced at the clock.

After having her date - day!! - get screwed up, she better burn off some energy with something productive. With that she twirled her wand to transfigure her nice dress and heels for her date into a robe and flats. She grabbed a pinch of Floo powder and two grocery bags and sprinkled it in the fireplace.

"Tatakai No Ie." The flames flared up green and she stepped inside.

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

Tatakai No Ie Underground Casino
Spoiler: The Kappa

She stepped out of the flames in a small room walled in stone with water streaks down the side. By the stone door was a stone desk with a red-skinned kappa with some tattoos on its arms sitting at it reading. The Yokai looked up at her arrival and held out a webbed hand.

"Entrance Fee," it croaked.

Kiho handed over a paper grocery bag in response. The kappa opened it up and sniffed inside, licking its frog like lips. "Fresh Cucumbers, six. We only charge five."

Kiho nodded. "I know, and it was four last year. The extra one is for your oyabun as a sign of my respect."

In exchange the kappa gave her an inscribed seashell."What are you here for?"

Kiho smiled. "Merely I wish to speak to Otamajakushi-san in private."

The kappa rang a bell and a second one entered to man the desk. "Follow."

Kiho walked with the Yokai through the teeming passages from the casino buried underwater until the kappa came to a wooden door and opened it.

Behind the desk was a more elderly Kappa with more elaborate arm and facial tatoos. Kiho entered and bowed deeply. "Otamajakushi-san"

The Kappa matched the bow, water rocking in the hollow in its head. "Mitsue-san. What brings you here?"

"I was hired to identify this girl." Kiho handed over the photograph of Moriko Ibuki. "I was led to believe that she may be a fighter on one of the circuits. I also wish to give you recompense for your time." The second bag full of cucumbers followed the photograph.

The Kappa snorted. "Indeed she was! That is the Ibuki Oroshi of the Mixed Yokai Martial Arts circuit in the 1990s until Blood Week! We wondered what came of her, since when the circuit was reestablished in 2007 and 2008, she did not appear to take her place in the ring to defend her title then. We thought that she was among the many fighters who fell or retired in that dark time."

Kiho's eyes widened and she pulled out a quill to scribble notes. "So she is a Yokai... what species?"

"She was a great Okami she-wolf. I had the honor of watching her fight several times, including when she took her weight class' championship in 2005. Such power, such ferocity, and such determination!" He cocked his head at Mitsue. "If you need proof, I shall copy some records of her fights to a crystal for you... after I enjoy some of the delicious goodness of your cucumbers...."

 

[darthcourt10]

MagisterAurelius

Lonely Street 4 or 4.5
After Dinner:

Dalt had returned to the base. To him, it was just another example of seeming hope being snatched away. He walked to the Officer's Club, since Japan allowed the enlisted non-com officers, in contrast to US military policy. He walked to the bar and ordered a single malt scotch. Then his phone rang. As he picked up he realized that it was Mitsue-san, if not by the sound of her voice but the volume. While the club was fairly full, it was during a general lull of conversation, so Mitsue's voice echoed and was heard by all.

"Dalton Longstreet. I enjoyed that date in your company and I want another. I don't care that you don't know anything about what we talked about, this isn't professional but personal. Not any more, not that it ever was in the first place. I'm going to be at the main gate tomorrow at Six PM dressed up and you better be there to have a good time with this lady, understand me buster? Oh and this time I will goddamn give you my phone number!"

Dalt just sat there, staring at the phone. His drink untouched. Slowly he reached out for the scotch, took a sip, and put it back down. This repeated over the next two hours with Dalt remaining silent. Finally, he softly aired his wonder, "S-She means it."

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie Meets The In-Laws (Unknowingly) II

????????????
Spoiler: The Shadow of the Past

The village drowsed peacefully in the early afternoon.

Neatly arranged fields surrounded it where dairy cattle grazed. Past the boundaries of field and pasture, green-black fir trees stood in ordered, straight rows leading up to the hill dominating the ridgeline north of town. From that hill, lower ridges and gullies fell down in gentle slopes to the invisible river in its ravine to the east that it had patiently carved through the limestone of the plateau where it flowed. Another, slightly higher hill stood to the west of the nearer hill, also wooded. Between them, a country road ran through the gully separating the hills, vanishing into the woods to the north.

Suddenly the cattle lowed and began to clump together nervously as a spring thunderstorm approached from the northeast. Thunder sounded and rain and hail began to lash the fields and forests.

Above, invisible among the trees on the hill, a statue stood in a clearing near the summit.

Carved in the shape of a ghastly human skeleton wrapped in his burial shroud and clutching a furled flag, he bore silent witness to more great and terrible deeds in days past.

There, even the birdsongs of the woods were absent.

There, the only sound was the stillness of the grave.

There, the shadows of the surrounding trees were deepest and darkest, hinting at things best left undisturbed in their slumber.

Even worn by the passage of decades, the skeleton had a certain grim splendor as he stood there, looking out over the forest and the village as he had done for years upon years.

A bolt of lightning split the skies and impacted the statue. As the electricity hammered into stained stone, a series of normally invisible magical glyphs buried within it crafted from goblin-iron flared to life.

One of them failed with a pop as the energies of the bolt were too great for an artifact too long neglected, too long forgotten.

But some things should never be forgotten.

Some things never should be neglected by the foolish children of wiser parents.

Deep within the hollow eye sockets of the skull, a faint phosphorescent light began to flicker.

Unnoticed by all, the silence of the woods was no longer the silence of the grave, but had faint murmurs at the very edge of hearing and the shadows underneath the fir trees began to move, like ghosts on the march....

Castle Moulbaix

Colombe du Chasteler froze mid-fold of the bed linens after bringing up the load of laundry. She stood stock-still, barely breathing, as she trembled slightly; her crystal blue eyes wide and unseeing.

Tokunotakai put down a pillowcase and embraced the Muramasa rapier's avatar.

"Co-chan, what's wrong?" The Masamune whispered with clear concern in her eyes.

Colombe blinked and focused on Toku. She crushed the Masamune katana to her chest with a desperate hug. "I don't know, To-chan. I don't know what just happened."

Colombe swallowed the icy lump in her throat and repeated in a whisper. "I feel like I should know, but I don't want to know... and it scares me, To-chan."

"It scares me..."

Azabu Tansumachi Tenryoan, Roppongi Grand Plaza Second Floor, Tokyo

Wei Ying shrugged off her coat and handed it to the attendant. She raised a mental eyebrow at the amputated ring finger and pinkie as he handed her the check slip.

She had heard that the Yakuza were deeply involved in the entertainment industry in Japan. With a mental sniff, she filed that away in her 'apparently true' folder and touched the sash at the waist of her black qipao dress with crimson plum blossom embroidery.
Spoiler: Ying Dressing Up For A Night Out


Of course, anyone able to see truly would have noticed that the sash was really her swordbelt. An even more astute observer who examined the belt closely might have noticed that the thread holding the tooled leather pieces together was not thread at all but hair. Braided blonde hair, her hair. Hair that was the anchor that she was using to layer the illusion of it along with her wand and dao as merely a patterned silk sash.

Illusion was an art among her mother's kind after all. And it was an art that she enjoyed practicing.

"Miss Ying Wei, I should have reservations to meet Miss Delilah de Breuil." she spoke in slightly Chinese accented English to the Maitre'd, who if she was back home she might think had a Sasquatch or two in the family tree considering the size.

As the server led her to the table reserved in the bar, she swept the room automatically. Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Delilah was not waiting for her.

Well, someone had to be first to arrive.

A fast scan of the wine list produced a vulpine smile that curled her lips. "Gekkaikan Sake Plum wine please, and bring the bottle." With that she leaned back and began to examine the menu.

A commotion at the entrance caused her to glance over.
Spoiler: Fudo Enters

A young Japanese woman in a tailored business suit with an impressive furious scowl and a collection of very recent facial bruises hidden behind hastily applied makeup and dark glasses was escorted past her by two bowing staffers who were clearly terrified of her. Ying's eyebrows raised, and she pulled out a small cosmetic mirror to 'do her lipstick' while using it to follow the VIP to her seat at the bar.

Her eyes then narrowed when the young woman took the offered seat with a pained hiss. Her coat shifted, revealing the characteristic bulge of a bladed weapon in a shoulder harness.

The Mountie leaned back in her chair and reviewed the way that Miss Bruises moved across the floor.

Clearly she was a top-tier martial artist. Someone to keep an eye on.

With that Ying placed her cosmetic case down to reflect the woman behind her and then rubbed her Spirit Pearl on her hilt, sharpening her hearing.

"Genshu sake. Strongest you carry, in the bottle. And a bag of ice." A voice filled with wrath behind her.

"At once, Masamune-sama! Your usual dinner as well?" Clearly the server, and from the tone of voice he was about to piss himself.

"Hai." The snarl of someone looking to spread her Bad Day around.

All her senses were screaming trouble now, and hoped Delilah would hurry up and show....

"Your wine, honored customer!" The waiter came by with her wine bottle and uncorked it. Ying nodded and absently thanked him as she continued to magically snoop on Masamune-sama's angry mutters behind her.

"Goddamn Honjo's 'out of the office' and Kote says 'not to worry'. Not to worry when Toku-chan is missing and who knows what is happening to her! And then goddamn Musashi had to show back up in my life and rub in my face what a flawed weakling I am." A hiss of pain. "Goddamnit Musashi! Did you have to hit so hard?"

Ying smiled in relief as she saw a familiar chestnut-haired woman in her normal skirt-suit, charcoal gray this time, appear at the entrance to hand her coat over.

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Stepping out of the Vanishing Cabinet, Harry gave a sigh of relief. A somewhat amused look on her face, Natsumi giggled a bit and raised an eyebrow at him, "Happy to be back in Yokosuka, Harry-Chan?"

Just looking at her, Harry nodded, "Hai, I am." Rubbing his face, he softly groaned, "Am I ever considering what is going on back at Hogwarts. Ugh, so many people trying to talk with me and ask me questions..."

Another giggle escaped from the Kitsune and she shook her head, "Well, what did you expect, Harry-Chan? You not only drove away over a hundred Dementors, but also killed who knows how many of them." She gave a small shrug, "That sort of thing would grab attention from people after all, and considering how people looked at you before..."

Exasperated, Harry gave her a look, "Hai, but still. They were treating me like... like..." Waving an arm, he grimaced, "Like some sort of living legend."

Behind him, Haru gave him a smirk, "Well, in Britain, Harry-San, you are such. And this? This is only going to increase it." At the groan from him, the five tail internally snickered, 'So amusing...'

Harry just hung his head at that, "Don't remind me..."

Doing the paperwork for herself and Hoppou, Nagato handed the pen to Harry, "It is something to remember, Harry. Though I do agree..." Ruffling his hair, the Battleship smiled, "Perhaps it would be good to be away for a time in order for it to settle down some..." Internally though, she shook her head, 'Though I very much doubt that it will...'

Almost as if he heard her thoughts, the thirteen year old shook his head, "I doubt it..."

That only got him a combination of smiles, smirks, giggles, and snickers.

Once the pen came to her, Siusan hummed some, "I do agree that it is likely for the best that you be away for a time, Harry-Child."

Being handed the pen, Haruka gave a small nod before smiling at her girlfriend, "Hai, it is for the best. Though..." Pausing, she had a smile, "It was nice to be back in Britain once more. Or at least, for the first time in this life."

Head tilted to the side, the Irish fox chuckled some, "Perhaps... one day in the future if you so wish, we could visit Ireland? And..."

Softly smiling, Haruka nodded before reaching over and taking Siusan's hand in hers, "And visit where I once lived? Yes... I think that I would like that, Siusan." She leaned over and kissed the shorter fox on the cheek, "I think that I would like that a lot." All Siusan did was blush at that, though her smile grew as she nodded, Haruka internally giggling, 'Adorable...'

It was not long after that they left where the Vanishing Cabinet was and walked out into the corridors. Nearly at an intersection though, Nagato paused before pulling out a chair that had wheels and placing it right behind her adoptive son. Confused, Harry looked up at her, "Mum? What's going on-"

The sound of running feet made him pause and turn in time to see Hachi whip around a corner. Upon seeing him, the blonde Submarine sped up, "HARRY-CHAN!"

Already bringing his hands up, Harry began to try and stop her, "Hachi-Chan, wait-"

Unfortunately, he was too late as the shipgirl leapt into the air, twisting around before slamming into him in a flying tackle which ended up with his face buried in her chest... and flying backwards into the chair. For her part, Nagato watched as said chair rocketed down the hallway to another intersection, where Iku came out of nowhere and jumped him as well, sending it shooting down another corridor. Humming, the Battleship smiled a bit, "Hmm... I think that it will be a while before we see Harry again."

Only a minute later, they came to a stop as the chair, now with Imuya, RO, and Shioi on it rocketed past, Maruyu throwing a box off her and jumping it and sending said chair in a new direction.

Her tone dry, Hoshi looked at the amused shipgirl, "Perhaps not that long..."

Nagato only snickered at that.

An hour later, once they pried Harry away from the Submarines, found a rather large group in one of the smaller auditoriums. It was not just the group who had gone to Hogwarts as well as the Submarine, but also others. From where he was giving an verbal report on what happened, Harry could see Yonehara, who had his arms crossed with a scowl at what happened, as well as a frowning Ashigara. Yuudachi was also there with her eyes narrowed and nearly glowing while some of Fubuki's, Mutsuki's, and Kisaragi's fairies were on her shoulder, no doubt feeding back what they were seeing and hearing to their respective shipgirls.

Besides the Submarines, Taigei and her twin were there was well as Shinano, Louisiana, their Destroyer group, the Duckies, DesDiv6, Niiyodo and Ooyodo, Yamato and Enterprise as well as a horrified Kawa. Harder and Naka were also there, the Submarine just holding the Light Cruiser gently. And Regina and Wanko was there as well, the two Abyssals looking torn between worried and wanting to kill something. As he finished, part of Harry noted that Regina was holding Shinano's hand. Though he did not know if it was either Shinano trying to keep the Re-Class from doing something, or Regina comforting her friend.

Finishing, Harry cleared his throat as the replay of the memories finished on the screen behind him, "And... that is what basically happened."

Just rubbing the side of his head, Goto took a deep breath as he tried to ward off the headache he knew was already forming, "Let me get this straight... the Dementors attacked you because they were trying to lawyer a treaty. A treaty that claimed that Black-San was not able to be freed because anyone placed in the Maximum Security Wing belonged to them. But, thankfully, you were able to drive them off..."

Slowly, Harry gave a nod, "Hai."

Right then, someone cleared their throat and stood up. Everyone in the auditorium turned to the person, now revealed to be Catherine who had a severe look on her face, "I am sorry to state that it gets worse."

Frowning, and sharing a look with Nagato, the Japanese Admiral turned back to the sword, "I am going to regret asking this, but how...?"

With a small curtsy, Catherine gave him a slight smile, "I am the Sword of St. Catherine, the blade of Jeanne d'Arc." As he nodded at her and bowed slightly, she continued with her smile becoming a grimace, "Unfortunately, when I fought those abominations, I was not just fighting them. But rather... something dark, and evil was controlling them, directing them. What that was, I do not know, though I suspect that it was Azkaban itself. Such dark places can... gain a consciousness that hungers. I have encountered such before."

Eyes narrowing, Goto frowned, "I see, is there a way to defeat such things?"

Once more, Catherine grimaced as she looked off in the distance, "There are... ways, yes. But usually they revolve around either starving such a place after putting it asleep or sealing it, or purifying them. Nothing else will work as normal violence only feeds such. Though..." Glancing at the shipgirls, and Harry, she smiled softly, "You have come up with a way to do so."

Still frowning, the Admiral nodded, "I see." Rubbing his face, Goto sighed, "If possible, could you write up information so that we better know what we might be dealing with? Not just with Azkaban, but other possible places?"

All Catherine did was bow slightly, "Yes, I can do that if you wish, though it will take a few days to get it all written up." That only got a nod from not just Goto, but various shipgirls as well as Yonehara. Sitting down, she smiled a bit, 'Good that they are taking such seriously.'

Her arms crossed, Enterprise glanced at Yamato before speaking in a soft whisper, that nonetheless carried steel, "Princess, I know that you are likely to be involved when taking down this fucker. Well, I'm going to be right there with you when it happens."

Yamato gave a nod and a slight chuckle, though it carried a note of bloodthirstiness, "Indeed, Enterprise-San. And I look forward to smashing such a monster with my guns and your bombs."

The smirk that appeared on the American Carrier's face was anything but humorous, "Agreed."

Glancing at Regina, Shinano chewed her lip at how the Abyssal's eyes glowed in anger. Suddenly, an idea came to her mind and she raised her hand, "Um, Harry-Chan? Could you, maybe, demonstrate the Patronus since you're able to use it?"

Just blinking some in surprise, Harry cocked his head before slowly nodding with a smile, "Sure, Shinano-Chan. Give me a second..." Closing his eyes, Harry breathed in and then out as happy memories like those before drifted through his mind. He brought his wand up as he opened his eyes and smiled a bit more, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

As with the Dementors, there was a pulse of white light that washed over the room. The Abyssals there, Wanko, Regina, Hoppou, and the Fleet of Laughter were not harmed by it. Rather the opposite, as they felt the warm energy almost embrace them protectively. A stream of glowing mist shot from Harry's wand and solidified into a large, glowing stag that walked along the aisle. Hands shooting to her mouth, Inazuma looked at it in awe, "Hwawawa! That is so beautiful, Nanodesu!"

Beside her, Akatsuki only nodded, her own eyes wide, "Hai, it is so elephant..."

While the shipgirls, Abyssals, and Yokai were expected to be able to see it, some of those there who shouldn't could see it as well. Eyebrow raised, Yonehara gave a low whistle, "Okay, that is impressive."

Expression one of surprise, Haru turned to him, "You can see it, Yonehara-San?"

Confused, he gave her a nod, "Hai? Why? Something wrong with that?"

Beside him, Goto also nodded as well, "And he is not the only one as I can as well."

A frown on her face, Haru considered that for a few moments, "Normally, a non-magical can't actually see a Patronus, much like they cannot see a Dementor. But... perhaps like the memory charm resistance, exposure to shipgirls allows for it? Interesting..."

The two human Officers only shared a look and shrugged some.

Meanwhile, Akizuki raised her hand up to the glowing stag and paused for a moment before bringing her hand down onto it's body. For most, their hands would have passed right through the Patronus. But due to being mostly spiritual herself, the Destroyer's hand was able to touch it as if it was real. Beneath her hand was warm, soft fur and her eyes lit up, "Amazing..."

Soon enough, the Patronus was surrounded Shinano and the others, who also petted it. Despite being a construct made of magic, it seemed to somehow enjoy the attention. Hand stroking along its back, Regina had tears in her eyes, 'I... can sense Harry... and how he feels about us. He used that to...'

Prongs turned and looked her in the eye with his own illuminated ones before licking her face gently, and making her giggle. It was not just Regina who realized the source for the Patronus and as Prongs faded away, a number had blushing faces. Giving the flushed Verniy a look, Tenryuu turned back to Harry with a smirk, "Not bad, Kiddo. Though, wasn't your Otou-San able to become a stag?"

Only nodding with his hands in his pockets, Harry smiled, "He was, as a matter of fact." Looking to where the Patronus had been, he chuckled sadly, "It's weird, you know? But... also kind of cool."

Head tilted to the side, Niiyodo adjusted her glasses some, "What do you mean, Harry-Chan?"

Looking at her, Harry smiled before lifting a hand and looking at it, "When my biological Mum died, she left behind a protection against people like Voldemort. And... Mum?" He looked at Nagato, "She protects me with her steel and power."

For her part, Nagato smiled as well and flexed her arms some, "One should not underestimate the power of the Big Seven."

Just nodding, the thirteen year old turned to where Prongs had been, "And now my Dad. In a way, he now protects me as well against monsters in the darkness. All three of my parents do."

Getting up on stage, Verniy walked over and gave him a hug, "Da, they all do."

A soft smile on her face, Teruzuki turned to her sisters, "Harry-Chan is right when you think about it. That... that is wonderful."

Beside her, Hatsuzuki smiled and gave a hum as she nodded in agreement. Meanwhile, Verniy glanced to her mother, who chuckled and made a motion with her hand, "Go ahead, Hibiki-Chan. And Kiddo?" When Harry blinked and looked at her, Tenryuu continued with a thumbs up, "It's great that you're safe and sound. But don't worry us or else I will start to get some grey hairs."

Harry just grinned at that, "I'll try not to, Tenryuu-Oba."

Light laughter met that as well as Louisiana stating that no matter what he tries, he's likely to get into trouble again. Not long after, the group all left with Harry leaving with his 'Fleet' towards the Submarine Pens for a cuddlepile. Nagato as she walked back home with Hoppou and Blackie Smokie, looked up at the sky with a small smile, 'I'll do my best, Lily, James. Trust me on that...'

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Quietly chatting with Jersey, Crowning paused as they entered his office to find Gale there staring at the timeline set up. The Warrant Officer did not seem to be paying them too much attention, far too busy looking at the timeline with a large folder beside her. All Gale did besides stare at the timeline was sip her coffee with a frown on her face. Sharing a look with Crowning, Jersey cleared her throat, "Uh, Gale? The fuck are you doing here?"

Still staring at the timeline, Gale shrugged some, "Work."

Once more glancing at each other, the other two shrugged before Crowning shook his head and turned back to Gale, "I thought that you might. But I was wondering more along the lines of why? After all, you have been given maternity leave for a while yet."

Taking another sip of her coffee, the Warrant Officer pushed off the desk and looked at them, "Yes, I have. But... I had to come in and confirm some things." She grimaced a bit, "Really disturbing shit if I am right."

Eyebrow cocked behind her sunglasses, Jersey gave her a look, "Sure, a-huh. Really disturbing." She made a motion with her hands, "Shouldn't you be helping Wash with the Rugrats? Especially since Kiri has gone home or something?"

With a glance at her, Gale shook her head, "Wash has some of the Destroyers with her helping. As to going home..." She made a motion at what was on the wall. "Not until I get to the bottom of this... unless I already have."

Now intrigued, Crowning walked over to where Gale was and examined the timeline himself. After a few moments, he noticed that the bit regarding the loss of the USS Scorpion had been modified. In fact, three more Submarines had been added. At seeing that, he turned to Gale, "Go on..."

Leaning forward, the Warrant Officer glanced at him, "Okay, Jersey? You were reactivated in the late 60s, right?"

Confused, Jersey nodded, "Yeah? What about it?" She gave a small frown, "Not for very long, mind you. And most of the time I spent in Vietnam blowing shit up. So?"

Finger on the point in the timeline, Gale had a blank expression on her face, "What can you tell me about the Scorpion and it's loss?"

Going back over her memories, Jersey didn't have much before snapping her fingers as she remembered one conversation among the Admiral on her and such, "I remember a few things. One of which was the Admiral discussing it with some of the other higher ups. They figured that the Soviets had sunk her and just were keeping quiet about it. Was even told to keep an eye out for any further provocations just in case."

Never having heard about this, Crowning's eyebrows shot up, "They thought that it was the Soviets that sunk her?"

Just snorting, the Battleship walked over and looked at the map, "Well, yeah? One of our Submarines following Soviet ships and suddenly it sinks for no apparent reason at all? Why wouldn't we think that it was the Soviets?" Scratching her chin, she continued to think, "There was a bit of a rise in tensions at the time."

Rather than say anything about that, but looking like it was the confirmation of something, Gale pointed at something else, "Two months earlier, in March of 1968, the Soviets lost a Nuclear Submarine, K-129 north of Hawaii. They blamed the Americans for the loss claiming that a USN Submarine had collided with theirs. In fact, they stated that it was the USS Swordfish, SSN-579. Because the Swordfish had arrived in Yokosuka about a week later needing repairs for a bent periscope due to having been damaged by sea ice in the Sea of Japan."

Glancing between the two, Jersey leaned forward, "Okay... kind of makes sense. Though I believe our guys over the Soviets. I remember another of their Subs sinking and them blaming us, but it was because they fucked up with a missile or something. So they claim that it was us? Big whoop."

However, Gale shook her head, "Yes, but here is the interesting thing... 1968 was a bad year. Between January of that year and May, four Submarines sank mysteriously and for no apparent reason at all."

A frown on her face, the shipgirl blinked, "Wait, what? Four fucking Submarines in five months? That doesn't make any sense whatsoever... unless Abyssals?"

Slowly, Gale nodded, "Abyssals." Walking to a map, she pulled out four pins and pressed one of them into place, "The Israeli Submarine, the INS Dakar was sunk between Cyprus and Crete on January 25, 1968. There was no distress signals sent out from the Submarine. The last message they got was that it encountered a storm and was proceeding under the surface to avoid the worst aspects of the weather. It just... disappeared until it was found in 1999, though a distress buoy from the Submarine was found floating about a year later."

Frown on his face as he rubbed the stubble on his chin, Crowning hummed, "Go on..."

Taking another pin, Gale pressed it into the map near Toulon, France, "Two days later, the French experimental Submarine, the Minerve also sunk. This time, it was on the way to the Submarine's homeport of Toulon and had disappeared just as it was close to said port. And once more, the Submarine reported that they were proceeding at snorkel depth due to a storm overhead."

Hands clenching, Jersey snarled, "Fuck! Abyssal Princesses create fucking storms."

Not saying anything, the Warrant Officer took another pin and placed it north of Hawaii, "And now we get to K-129, which was lost on the 8th of March. Once more, no warning or anything, it simply sunk. Looking over what I can get access to, fucking Spooks, SOSUS recorded an event in the same general area of a Submarine imploding at crush depth. Thing is, K-129 had nuclear missiles onboard her. The CIA found her and such while attempting to salvage her, but... they won't release anything."

Eyes narrowed, Crowning leaned forward, "And now we come to the Scorpion, which was lost about two months later on May 22. So Abyssals might have been involved which... makes sense. Though why?"

Grimacing, Gale ran a hand through her hair, "I was wondering the same, until it came to me. If I am correct... we narrowly missed something worse than the current war. Especially with how intelligent it makes them look."

That made Jersey straighten, "Say fucking what now? Worse than the current war?" At her nod, the shipgirl narrowed her eyes, "Explain."

Gale's response was just three words, three little words that sent a shiver down both Jersey's and Crowning's backs, "World War Three."

For several moments, the two just stared at the utterly serious Warrant Officer and then back at the timeline and map. Finally, Jersey took a deep breath and pinched her nose, "World War fucking Three? How the fuck..."

Her eyebrow raised, Gale jerked her thumb at the map, "You said it yourself, Jersey, Tensions had a small spike in the background when the Scorpion was sunk by possible enemy action. I would not be surprised if the same could not be said for K-129 and the Minerve. Each of the three were nuclear powers suddenly having one of their Submarines sunk at the height of the Cold War."

Not saying anything, the former English Professor frowned as he considered what he had just been told. Finally, he shook his head, "Sorry, Gale, but there is an issue with your theory." At her nod, Crowning continued, "The Dakar did not belong to a nuclear power."

Lips pressed thinly, Gale shook her head, "Yes... and no." Seeing their confusion, she grimaced, "The Dakar before it was sold to the Israelis was originally the British Submarine, HMS Totem, and the British were a nuclear power."

Jersey only had one answer to that as she clenched her teeth, "And so the Abyssals might have mistaken her for a Royal Navy Submarine and sunk her... Motherfuckers..."

Still grimacing, the Warrant Officer nodded, "Think about the reactions for a moment behind closed doors of the United States, the Soviet Union, France, and Britain. All of them nuclear powers having lost Submarines. There were also a few cases, at the same time, of Submarines being damaged such as the Swordfish for odd reasons."

That made the Battleship suck her teeth, "Almost as if someone came up with an excuse for damages, or ones that could not be easily repaired. Excuses done by people that did not know any better... fuck! If the wizards and such were involved because they suspected magical involvement... they might have saved everyone."

Nodding, Gale looked back at the map, "Imagine for a moment if they were more successful at sinking a few more Submarines, or if the Dakar had really been a Royal Navy Submarine. All of a sudden, NATO is staring down the Soviet Union and they're staring us down as well with raised tensions. A few more ships on both sides, also similarly lost to apparent enemy action..."

For his part, Crowning gave a nod, "I can see how that could work. All it would need is a spark, a single one especially if tensions rose to higher levels like during the Cuban Missile Crisis. They wouldn't need to do anything as we would cripple ourselves."

A bang made them turn to see Jersey snarling, "THOSE FUCKERS! WE WOULD HAVE BEEN DANCING TO THEIR FUCKING TUNE!"

Sighing, Gale could only shake her head, "We would have, which would have allowed for them to mop up what was left far more easily. The question though... is what changed."

Eyes narrowing, the former professor let out a sigh, "I think that I know." When they turned to him, Crowning was looking at the map, "If they thought that the Dakar was a Royal Navy Submarine, they were likely confused when it did not get a real reaction from Britain. Which might have made them stop their plan for a few months... And from the reports I got, Porta, Ancient Atlantic Gateway, was 'born' the next year. If they thought that they needed to understand first whether she would be for or against their plans..."

Her eyes closed, Gale nodded, "They would have stopped their plans for a time to figure it out, or to force her. By which point, the Cold War was slowly winding down except for the 1980s, when it got kicked into high gear a bit. At which point, the string of disappearances began... only for the Soviet Union to collapse in the 90s."

Only staring at the timeline, Jersey scowled as she ran a hand through her hair, "Fucking Christ. If they had kept it up, or if they had been just a bit more luckier..." Turning, she gave Gale a look, "How the fuck did you figure this out?"

Much to her confusion, as well as Crowning's, Gale turned sheepish, "Well... I was bored and surfing YouTube when I came across a video about the Submarines going missing. They made a mention of one conspiracy theory that the USN and Soviets covered up the reasons behind the disappearances of the Scorpion and K-129 to prevent a nuclear war. It sort of hit me then since both Crowning and myself figured that the Scorpion might have been sunk by the Abyssals.'

The only thing that Jersey could do was snort before turning back to the map and timeline.

With a chill going down her keel at what could have been...

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Courtship Display III

Tatakai No Ie Underground Casino
Spoiler: Dealing With The Kappas

"Thank you very much, Otamajakushi-san." Kiho Mitsue bowed to the kappa under-boss who had just given her several enchanted crystals containing his records of Ibuki Moriko's fights.

The kappa returned the bow and croaked. "I am glad to be able to assist you and to receive the news that the Ibuki Oroshi lives Mitsue-san. If she fights again, notify me so that I can enjoy her once more. In gratitude I insist that you play a round of mahjong on the house." He pulled out an inkstone and began to write on a slip of paper.

Kiho smiled, "I shall, Otamajakushi-san. If my employers decide that she is suitable to marry into their family, I shall notify you so that you can perhaps attend the wedding?"

The kappa handed the slip over. "If such is available for us, yes. I made much Ryo on bets on Ibuki Oroshi. Much Ryo and much cucumbers."

As Kiho walked to the cashier's cage to turn in the note for some chips, a man in his late teens glared at her from where he was betting on a Mixed Yokai Martial Arts fight that was visible through the windows into an arena.

Curse that detective who had imprisoned his father for doing nothing wrong with those animal brats! Perhaps he should see about hiring some friends with family funds to send a message to Mitsue Kiho. After he watched these animals tear into each other for his pleasure.

With that Imada Hayato turned his attentions to the scantily clad kitsune 'hostesses' he had ordered for tonight as the announcement for the match started. Meanwhile Mitsue headed to a mahjong table and took the tiles with the ease of long practice.

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

Hachiko's Apartment
Spoiler: Doggos In Love

Hachiko smiled at Aki as his little brother worked on his math homework assiduously with his tongue hanging out of his mouth in a doglike grin. Which was not surprising as he was in private and could let out his dark red-furred triangular ears and happily wagging bushy tail of his true heritage as an Inugami Yokai.

"All done, Tou-san!" Aki declared happily and Hachiko took the offered papers.

"Hmm, hmm.... Well done, Aki!" he said with a happy smile. "Let me get you a sweet pickle as a reward for getting all the problems right this time."

When he came back with the offered treat, Aki had pulled out one of his Technic sets and was concentrating on fitting two gears together. "Here you go, Aki, what are you building?"

"An airplane, Tou-san!" Aki replied.

Hachiko smiled as he picked up his knitting needles and began to work on the scarf. "Well, pilots need to do well in school, you know. But I am sure that you can make your dream a reality."

With that he glanced at the clock and put the phone next to him. Today was Moriko's turn to call him, and he needed to think how to explain that his mother was a witch, and his father a Yokai.

Hm, perhaps something subtle? A museum exhibit about magic and folklore? He could use the library computers to research that, perhaps recommend a book of folk tales when Moriko-chan saw him next at his job at the library?

Ibuki House, Kanmasu Housing Area, Yokosuka Naval Base

"Suzume, how do I tell Hachiko-chan?" Moriko whined as her gray and white wolf tail drooped in distress.

"About what, Moriko-chan? How my big sister is bridge over stern for him? Wait, why did I say THAT? Never mind." The minutes-younger twin glanced up from where she was using her tablet to check and price children's build-able models of aircraft carriers online. "Or maybe how my big sister snuggles the plushy that she named Hachiko at every opportunity?" She continued teasingly as the verbal airstrike she launched hit home.

"SU-ZU-ME! This is serious!" Moriko growled, her wolf ears perking up. "I love him and he loves me, but he thinks I'm a normal human natural born shipgirl, not a she-wolf Okami who wants to snuggle him to pieces and run through the woods with him, and when I summon my hull take him on a tour..."

Suzume's expression was one part a flat 'is there a point to this stream of consciousness?' stare, one part a 'down girl!' expressive head-shake and one part a 'this is waaay too much information you big romantic goof!' embarrassed blush.

"Moriko-chan. Base to Moriko-chan." Suzume said after a glance at the clock.

"...and maybe a cruise around the harbor under the stars with me and him since he loves the sea...." Unfortunately the future Ibuki-class cruiser was lost at sea.

"Moriko-chan!" Suzume raised her voice and gave her sister a flat stare.

"...I could cook him a nice romantic dinner, I mean he likes Hambagu, right, everyone likes meat..." Nope, still adrift and delirious.

"MORIKO-CHAN!!" The future Ibuki-class carrier sent steam to her foghorns as she shouted in her babbling sister's ear.

".... What? Suzume-chan, you didn't need to shout!" Moriko blinked and focused on her twin as Suzume closed her eyes and pinched her nose.

"It is nearly seven o'clock. You are supposed to call Miyata-kun at seven. As for the Yokai issue, why not take him to the museum on base. It has an exhibit of scrolls and paintings with Yokai on them. I'm sure one has Okami such as us. Ease him into the deep end." Suzume sighed as she explained her plan patiently.

"Thanks Suzume-chan! You're a genius!" Moriko grabbed her sister in an exuberantly happy embrace.

"Urk! RIBS! RIBS!! Don't break me before I pick Sachiko-chan up from the pool where she is doing her aquatic therapy." Suzume howled as she tried to pry herself loose.

"I'm sorry, Suzume-chan." Moriko released the death grip on her sister.

"You have got that right..." Suzume muttered under her breath.

"What's that?" Moriko inquired as she grabbed her phone.

"Nothing, nothing! Ja ne, Moriko-chan!" Suzume took the chance to bolt for the front door at flank.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

Courtship Display IV

Miyata Residence, Tokyo
Spoiler: Miyata Spiders At Work

Shigeru Miyata stared for long moments at the frozen image of Moriko Ibuki, with bestial Okami facial features visible through the blood streaming from her just-broken nose.

He touched the crystal on his desk with his wand and the fight resumed as she came off the blood-spattered mat to body-check the Oni who had just broken her nose and knocked her sprawling. Wards flared to life as they slammed into the octagonal cage and began to grapple against the cage's walls before the she-wolf got one clawed hand on the Oni's arm and began to apply leverage.

Neither he nor his daughter Naomi said a word as the Okami wrestled an Oni a third again her size into submission through skill, power, and most of all absolute raw determination and fighting spirit. Finally, in a Full Nelson with his face being pressed into the mat by the great dark gray and white wolf, the Oni tapped out as the crowd in the background celebrated.

The image faded and then Shigeru slowly turned to look at Naomi as the witch pulled a bottle of fire-whisky and two glasses from the liquor cabinet in Shigeru's study.

Shigeru said in a hoarse voice, clearly controlling his emotions, "You said that there are more records of this?"

Naomi filled the glasses and handed one to her father. "Hai. There is another one marked 'championship award ceremony' that shows her younger sisters as she is awarded the belt, and two others marked 'earlier fights'. I have not seen them yet, since when I saw that, I thought it best to immediately bring it to your attention, Father."

Shigeru nodded absently, his eyes distant. Finally he spoke. "And Hachiko is utterly set on Moriko Ibuki then?"

Naomi grimaced and sipped her drink. "He is. I introduced the possibility of his pursuing Suzume, the middle daughter. He was quite adamant that it would be Moriko or nothing."

Shigeru sighed and threw back his shot of alcohol before staring into the empty shot glass. "I see. My first reaction is to order him to break off the relationship and cut all contact with her, but..."

Naomi sighed, "...But he loves her and she loves him. Despite that."

Shigeru grimaced sourly and nodded. "Yes. While she could do great, perhaps mortal political damage to our family as it stands when it is found out that my grandson would marry a Yokai pit-fighter..."

Naomi finished the thought, "...when Kyoto takes over, their policies as stated being more Yokai-friendly and the collapse of the Statute of Secrecy generating chaos among the ranks of the traditionalists would easily cover minor scandals among a family of civil servants. We have survived as much before when matters were more... settled."

Neither one mentioned the unseen ghost of Yura Miyata, Hachiko's mother and her suicide after Blood Week. Neither one needed to.

"A further and greater concern, Daughter. Hachiko is not the most robust of the family and she could snap his spine like a rotten twig if enraged. He is no Oni." Shigeru spoke, as he gestured with his wand to slide the bottle of alcohol over for a refill.

Naomi shook her head and refilled her glass. "Oh no, although he has strength of will aplenty. Strength of body though.... No, not nearly like her. That said...." She smiled.

Shigeru looked at Naomi, "What is it, Daughter?"

Naomi smirked smugly. "Hachiko and Ibuki-san have a favorite karaoke bar where they go. I gave them a little extra Yen, and placed a magical tracer on the money in the belief that Hachiko would take her there. So I followed in disguise and watched them interact. It is a nice bar, I might take my husband there for his birthday."

Shigeru gave her a flat stare. "And?"

Naomi's smug smirk grew smugger. "Apart from Mitsue-san if anything underestimating how teeth-rottingly cute they are together? I watched her body language. She is in a word protective toward him. Somewhat possessive, but she was making it clear that she would protect him against anyone. I would not wish to be a schoolgirl or Christmas Cake attempting to make time with him now."

Shigeru rubbed his chin. "I see. So you do not think that she is a threat?"

"No, not as it stands. He is not the type to start a serious fight with her, and she is almost deferential to him. At the time, I was confused but she is an Okami, and wolves have very strong bonds among their pack and family elements. Which also holds true for Okami Yokai... and Inugami. Also as a member of the JMSDF, she will be taught discipline, especially if the as-yet unconfirmed rumor she told Hachiko is true and she is a shipgirl." Naomi shrugged.

Shigeru nodded slowly, his eyes hooded as he thought.

"My advice is what I told Hachiko. Take it slow, play for time, and gather more data. Find out about her family and her past. And also the shipgirl angle." Naomi stated firmly, "Haste gains us little and loses much since we have time to make the correct decision with all the data in hand."

Shigeru scowled. "I do not like it, but you are right. We need more information to make the correct decision for the family, and we know that we do not know some key pieces. The 'Ibuki Oroshi' would be registered and so we can find the records on her now. That covers the personal concerns for us."

"Indeed, which leaves the larger dragon in the chamber," Naomi sighed, "if one Yokai can be a Natural-Born, then others can possibly be. Which will set the Snitch among the Diet in earnest once the implications are known. Also she may not be the only one, in fact I strongly suspect that she is not."

Shigeru stared at Naomi. "What do you mean!?"

"The Ryukaku Reserve." Naomi spoke slowly, "I was part of the first group of wizards to check on them two years after Blood Week when we reestablished control. Instead of the butchery we expected or worse, an Abyssal base on the Unplottable Island they are on, there was damage from attacks but no great destruction. I always wondered how they survived and fought off Abyssals when much stronger communities died."

Naomi grimaced, "Of course, aid from outside was impossible since the nomajs did not know about the Reserve and could not approach it without tripping the wards, the known shipgirls were elsewhere and accounted for, and us magicals had our hands full. But if one or more of the Yokai girls in the Reserve were Natural-Borns...."

Shigeru paled, "...just like among the nomajs when the Abyssals attacked and some of them Awakened and saved their community!"

Naomi threw back the whisky, "Exactly. I can't prove it, and I don't know how, or even if I want to prove it. Much less know why she has not escaped from the Reserve if this is correct, but that does make the matter of formulating policy and especially policy that will help the situation and not hinder it rather important, no?"

Shigeru nodded absently."I will have some quiet conversations and call in some favors. That way, if this is the case and when those in positions of authority find out about it..."

Naomi smirked and finished, "...the Civil Service will have demonstrated its value and competence with the list of recommendations and draft laws to address this point just waiting for signatures and seals. I shall impress on Mitsue-san that we wish to know if Ibuki-san is a Natural-Born..."

Shigeru nodded, "...and I shall call my stored favors at JMSDF HQ to have Moriko Ibuki's name compared to the list of Natural-borns who are Unawakened. The matter is important enough to require such to be done."

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

Yokosuka Naval Base, Repair Baths.
Spoiler: Not So Skilled Scheming

Suzume glanced over from the pool where she and Sachiko were soaking after her little sister's latest aquatherapy session.

"Hey Akashi-san?" she called over to the pink-haired shipgirl soaking in the next pool.

"What is it, Suzume-san?" came the cheerful reply. "Need something fixed up?"

"Noooo. I was wondering if you had any ideas for something to get a person interested in puzzles and engineering for his birthday? About an elementary school age so less books and more kits he can use to assemble things" Suzume tried to school her voice to innocence and casual interest.

Considering the knowing gleam in Sachiko's eyes along with her smirk promising much Sisterly Blackmail in the future, Suzume's grades for intrigue at this school she was trying to pass were quite poor.

"Hmmm...." The repair ship pondered, "K'Nex is probably the best thing for general kits. You can build anything from a Babbage computer to a car transmission with them. Want a list of some starter sets?"

"YES!" Suzume hastily coughed and looked over at her sister who was giving her an alarming toothy lupine smile. "I mean, if you don't mind Akashi-san, I will see what works for him."

"I'll email you once I get back to the office." Akashi promised.

Suzume looked at her sister and spoke in an undertone. "How much will it cost me to keep this quiet from Aki-kun, Hachiko-kun, Moriko-chan, and the rest of the base and SGO, my favorite and wonderful and merciful little sister Sachiko-chan?"

Sachiko's grin broadened, "Well I could use more quilting supplies and there's a new ice cream place that I have heard good things about, Suzume-chan...."

 

[darthcourt10]

Harry Leferts

Waking up, the first thing that Harry felt was warmth that pressed in against him. Upon opening his eyes, he smiled a bit at the sight of the cuddlepile that he was currently in. The group had gone to the Submarine Pens the night before and all of them cuddled together. Harry could understand their reasoning in regards to it and figured that his mother could as well. Especially with what could have happened.

Yes, he had come close to death before this point. But in such a case, there was the fact that he would have returned as a fairy going by what had happened with Verniy and his mother that one time. A Dementor on the other hand? His soul would have been trapped within it, and so he would be unable to form a fairy.

He... would simply be gone.

It was something that still sent shivers down his back whenever he thought about it in the slightest. Deciding that he needed to distract himself, Harry examined the cuddlepile that he was in. Beneath him, Shinano softly sighed in her sleep with each breath, the thirteen year old's head pillowed on her chest. And on one side of her was Louisiana and on the other Regina. The three of them formed a sort of framework of sorts.

And within that framework were the others. Harry could see Natsumi in her fox form sleeping on top of him as was Iku and Hachi. Though his lower body also had RO and Maruyu on top of it, with Verniy cuddled close to his head. Slowly, he took note of where the others were and closed his eyes with a small smile.

No matter what, cuddlepiles always made him feel better for some odd reason. They left him feeling safe, warm... as well as loved and cared for. In his mind, truly, a cuddlepile was one of the greatest things that ever existed. For some time, Harry simply laid there enjoying the feel of the cuddlepile. Eventually though, he needed to get out for natural reasons and, with all the experience he had, easily slipped out without waking anything.

Harry did smile though as a still asleep Louisiana pulled the transformed Natsumi into her bosom with a mumble. Shaking his head, he walked away towards the Kitchen and quietly set things up. A few minutes later, the thirteen year old was softly humming as he began to cook breakfast for everyone, or rather get started on it, 'Wonder when Taigei-Chan and Ryuuhou-Chan will get up...?'

Unknown to him, a shadow crept up behind him silently. Said person only made themselves known once Harry was away from the stove or anything that could hurt him, with his first sign being two arms wrapping around him, blue hair letting him know the identity of his attacker, "Good morning, Harry-Chan."

Smiling a bit, Harry looked up at Iku and chuckled quietly, "Good morning, Iku-Chan." For a moment, he paused before tilting his head to kiss her on the cheek, something that made her blush, "When did you get up?"

The Submarine internally shook her head before returning the kiss to the cheek, "About three minutes ago. I noticed that you weren't there and could smell something cooking, so it was not too hard to guess what was going on." Sighing, she leaned into him with her chin on the top of his head, "Which means that we're going to have a good breakfast."

Just chuckling, Harry grinned up at her before he went back to cooking, "Don't worry, Iku-Chan. When I become your Admiral? I'll make sure that you always have a good meal waiting for you when you come back from patrol or battle."

A small blush appeared on Iku's face at that as well as a smile, "Mmm, that sounds good..."

Her thoughts turned to such a thing in the future...

An older looking Iku sighed as she entered the entranceway of a home, taking off her shoes, "I'm home."

Right then, her nose tickled at the scent of cooked food that wafted from the kitchen. Walking towards it, Iku could hear a deep chuckle that she knew came from Harry, moments before he called out, "Good to hear, Iku-Chan. And welcome home."

Eyes sparkling, Iku hummed some, "Thank you, Harry-Chan, good to be home."

Just as she entered the kitchen, the twenty something year old Harry turned to her, "Well, what do you want first? Dinner? A bath?" Iku froze as she realized that he was wearing an apron, and not much else, "Or, perhaps..." The young man raised one eyebrow with a smirk, "Me?"

Back in reality, Iku's face was completely and utterly red and smoke drifted from her ears at that day dream. That was followed a few moments as she raised a hand and slapped herself. Hard, "GAH!"

Confused and somewhat worried, Harry looked up at her, "Iku-Chan? Are... you okay?"

Unable to look him in the eyes, the Submarine turned her head and nodded, "H-hai, I am, Harry-Chan." At his raised eyebrow, she gave him a weak grin and chuckle, "D-don't worry about it."

Eyebrow still raised, Harry blinked slowly, "Okay..." Turning back to the cooking, he shook his head, 'Wonder what that was all about?'

Meanwhile, Iku gave herself another slap to the face before internally groaning, 'I hate human puberty and hormones... and how long it lasts for us shipgirls. Truly, it is hell.'

Her blush returned as Harry grasped her hands and placed them around his middle again, though she didn't complain. Just grumble at her snickering crew even as she leaned against him again. After all, it was comfy...

It was not long after that the others began to make their way out of the sleeping area and to where the kitchen/dining room was. Harry was joining in the cooking by Ryuuhou and Taigei, both of whom gave him a smile and thanked him before helping. Shinano also helped by making some pancakes as well. Iku switched out with Hachi once the blonde haired Submarine walked in, not that Harry minded all too much. Soon enough, the four cooks had done enough for everyone and they all sat down at the table.

Said table was a bit too small, and it was a little cramped. And yet... something about it made not just Harry smile, but also the others. There was a closeness regarding it that they all seemed to enjoy. Passing some toast and honey to Maruyu, Harry blinked at a question from Imuya, "Hmm? What am I going to be doing?"

Chewing the food in her mouth, the red haired Subgirl nodded, "Hai, after all you are a few days early, not that any of us mind too much."

That got her a smile from Harry before he became thoughtful and considered the question. In the meantime, he took a bite of breakfast. Finally though, the thirteen year old shrugged and shook his head, "I got a few ideas. Tsukiakari wants me to meet the other blades and such from the Potter armoury. They want to meet me in person as well."

Various nods met him at that before Regina tilted her head to the side, "Um... can I come?" At the looks, she shrunk a little, "I want to make sure that you'll be okay..."

Softly smiling, Harry reached over the table and patted one of her hands, "Sure thing, Regina. I don't mind at all having you come along."

Beside the now happy Re-Class, Shinano smiled and gave a nod of her own.

Head tilted to the side, the lone Kitsune hummed a bit, "Maybe you can come over to the Shrine afterwards, Harry-Chan." Seeing the confusion, Natsumi shook her head, "Oba-Chan has been meaning to tell you that the museum is all done and set up. So it's ready to be opened this Saturday officially, but wants to take you through it personally when you have the chance."

Finger tapping the side of his cheek, Harry gave a nod, "I don't see an issue. Though... do you know who is going to be in charge for the museum?"

Now grinning, Natsumi's tails wagged a bit, "As a matter of fact, we do have the perfect person. Took a bit of a fight though to get her to agree." After a moment, she continued, "Hoshi-San doesn't have a job after all, and it does keep her close."

Eyes wide, Hachi boggled at her, "How did you manage that now? From what I have heard, Hoshi-San is very much not one to do something like that."

Innocent expression on her face, the thirteen, nearly fourteen, year old Kitsune hummed, "Oh, she got asked by someone that she could not say no to."

Snickers met her at that and the conversation continued over various things regarding what would happen. Hanami for example was coming up that weekend, not to mention that Harry was supposed to spend a few days way down south with Regina in Wanko's territory. Thankfully, he had made magical sunblock before everything had happened. There were a few other things as well that might come up.

At one point, Harry perked up a bit, "Wait, what was that, Niiyodo-Chan?"

Wiping her mouth clean of some crumbs, the Light Cruiser blinked, "Hmm?" Then, realizing what he meant, she smiled, "Oh! I got word from Tanaka-San. Apparently those orphans that you made the offer to have made an appointment to go and see Kushiro to see what sort of job that they could do. So he's pretty happy and so are the others, I think." Shaking her head, she giggled a bit, "Atago is apparently over the Moon with the idea of new Imoutos for her. Not to mention the others as well...'

That only got her shakes of the head from the others in amusement. All of them were familiar with the joyful Heavy Cruiser after all. Soon enough though, the breakfast was done. But when Harry got up to help wash the dishes, he was pushed back by Shioi who shook her head before wagging a finger at him, grin on her face, "Not this time, Harry-Chan. You helped cook, which means that those of us who didn't can clean up."

Only sighing, Harry threw his hands up into the air theatrically with a playful huff, "Fine, I guess so."

Moments later, he blinked as Shioi gave him a kiss and walked off, "Exactly."

Needless to say, it did not take long for the clean up to be done with the amount of people there. And after seeing off the last ones, the Submarines returned back to their common room to find both Hachi and Iku nearly squealing. The blonde haired Subgirl grinning widely, "SUCCESS!"

Beside her, Iku nodded excitedly, "Did you all see what happened this morning? It was perfect! No one made any comments and it all happened naturally!"

Softly chuckling, Taigei took a sip of her morning tea with a smile, "It certainly seemed to go well when all is said and done, Hachi-Chan, Iku-Chan." Then she hummed a bit and motioned at them with a finger, "But it working out naturally like that once does not mean anything."

Arms crossed, Imuya sat down on the couch, "And? We're working at this problem bit by bit. But this morning just showed that it could work with all of us."

Maruyu looked from one to the other before smiling herself, "Hai, but we should do this sort of thing more often. All of us together and working together, like we were already in a household."

That only got her nods from the others, with RO raising a mug of coffee in her direction, "Ja, what Maruyu-Chan said. We need to ease them all into it without them suspecting a thing." A gleam entered her eyes as she took a sip of her drink, "Of course, being Submarines, we can be very sneaky, Ja? And by the time they realize what is happening, if they do, it will be too late."

Bright grins and nods met her at that before the conversation turned to furthering their plans...

While the Submarines were discussing their own plans, Harry and the others were heading to their homes for a change of clothes. Glancing over her shoulders at where Harry was talking with the Duckies, Shinano turned to Regina with a slight flush on her cheeks as she lowered her voice to a near whisper, "What did you think, Regina-Chan? Was this morning what you thought it would be?"

Glancing at Harry, the Abyssal nodded as a similar blush to that of her friend appeared on her own cheeks, "It was, Shinano. I mean, it was very nice just like you told me it would be and I hoped." A soft smile played across her lips, "All of us just eating and laughing together with a meal under one roof. I, um..." Blush on her cheeks deepening a touch, she pulled up her scarf a little to cover more of her face, "Um, we're going to be doing this more often, right?"

Shinano gave a sharp nod at that, though she still spoke in whispers, "Hai! We should do this more often, Regina-Chan. So that we can get everyone more used to it. Then, one day, we can all be together."

To that, Regina gave a small hum of her own, "I hope so, because I would like that. Especially with you there as well." Briefly, a thoughtful frown came over her face, "Um, what about Hamakaze and the others?"

Blinking, the Yamato looked at her escorts, who were a bit ahead, "Um, I'm not really sure that they would be interested in that. I do know that they like Harry-Chan, but I don't know if it is in that way... but..." Considering it, Shinano shrugged and smiled, "If they do, I would be happy to have them. But if they want to be Oba-Sans to our children, that is fine as well, because I know that they would be good and take care of them."

At that, the blush returned to Regina's cheeks though her hand came to rest on her pale skinned, but muscled, stomach. While there was nothing there, the Re-Class imagined what could be, which made her smile. Especially at the image of her with a child as well as that of her friend with one...

Said children having messy hair and green eyes.

Gently smiling at Regina, Shinano patted her shoulder before leaning in, "But we need to be secretive about it. At least until the others fall into our trap as befitting Carriers."

That got her a nod from the Abyssal as she clenched her fist, "Yes... they will not know what happened, but we'll all be happy."

Up ahead, Isokaze looked over her shoulder at Shinano who had a happy, and confidant look on her face as she spoke with Regina. Unfortunately, she was unable to hear what was being said, and so turned to her sisters, "So, this morning went exactly how we expected it?"

A slight smile on her face, Hamakaze nodded, "It did, so we can call it a success." Eyes looking first at Regina and Shinano who were whispering between one another like school girls despite their apparent ages, to Verniy who was beside Harry holding his hand with Natsumi on the other side. And then to Louisiana who was bringing up the rear with the Duckies, "Yes, this was a success."

Clenching her fist, Yukikaze nodded, "Great! That means our plan to make sure that Shinano-Sama gets her happy ending is well on track!"

Urakaze crossed her arms a bit and frowned, "I don't like going behind her back like this... but..." She gave a nod, "It is for her own good since Shinano-Sama is so shy. And she does like Regina-San and Lousiana-San as well.

The white haired Destroyer of their group nodded, "Hai. And Verniy-Chan as well as Akizuki-Chan, Teruzuki-Chan, and Hatsuzuki-Chan will also do good. After all, a good fleet needs screening Destroyers... But we need to ease them into this." A slight smirk played at Hamakaze's lips, "We're Destroyers though, and escorting them into such a thing is something that we are good at."

Her fellow Destroyers all nodded at that.

At the back, Louisiana smiled down at the Duckies who were excitedly telling her how much fun they had that morning and how much they liked it. Especially the good food and the company that came with it. Something that made the Battleship smile all the more as her gaze turned to where Natsumi was. Her plan to slowly wear down her loves was proceeding like she wanted. And hopefully, it would continue in that direction.

Louisiana glanced at Shinano and nodded as well. She knew how her friend loved the same boy that had stolen not just their hearts, but that of others. And thus, this morning played exactly into her planning. Like any battle, the battle of the heart was one that a Battleship was suited for! She then looked at the Duckies and chuckled to their confusion, which she waved off. After all, as a Battleship, her duties also included protecting her escorts, and she was looking forward to the future...

In the main administration building, at the same time, Ooyodo leaned back on her chair as she nodded at what the cameras were showing her. There was her beloved little sister who had come into being in this life, practically skipping as she was beside the green eyed teen that the Secretary Ship had known for many years. Within her mind, she could picture the future, Harry in an Admiral's uniform while Niiyodo served beside him as his Secretary Ship, and extremely happy. And, as something more as well.

While, she knew, most humans would have an issue with what she was planning, shipgirls and Abyssals were not the same at all. And to her, Niiyodo's happiness was paramount, thus the plan she had hatched to make sure that her sister would get that happiness. And really, it was not that bad of a situation. Each of her fellow shipgirls and the lone Abyssal and Kitsune were very competent as well at what they would do. Niiyodo would, in her mind, do just fine in such a situation. Granted, there was a need for secrecy as well until they were well and truly trapped... but that was one of the things Cruisers did, trap the enemy.

Taking another sip of her coffee, Ooyodo smiled. At the same time as she watched the monitor, she used the multitasking skills she had learned and refined over many years to begin typing a letter to Supprin, and also Wanko. After all, they were involved in the plan as well and would need to be informed so that they could continue their plan...

And, in another realm, Susanoo looked into an room and paused for a moment. Walking up beside him, his brother, Tsukiyomi, frowned, "What are you doing spying on our sister?"

Just frowning, the storm god gestured into the room, "Because, for some odd reason, she is sitting alone in that room at a desk with a single column of light beaming down on her. Oh, and she has sunglasses on with her paws in front of her face with that grin of hers on her face."

Now looking in himself, Tsukiyomi frowned, "What is she covered in... wait, is that red string? Why would she be covered in red string?"

All his brother did was shrug in complete and utter befuddlement.

 

[darthcourt10]

Yellowhammer

A Butterknife Mountie Meets The In-Laws (Unknowingly) III

Azabu Tansumachi Tenryoan, Roppongi Grand Plaza Second Floor, Tokyo
Spoiler: A Nice Quiet Dinner

Wei Ying chewed the Kobe beef tenderloin that she had ordered and spoke contemplatively. "This is almost as good as Alberta or Wyoming beef." She felt her aura of allure seeping out to the room as part of her good mood. Not that it mattered since Delilah was a good and trusted friend. It had been quite a while since they had been friends, looking back on it, she thought, since it started during that operation against the Triads in San Francisco in 1882.

Across from her, Delilah de Breuil sipped her wine. "The wine goes well with it. Mind you, I prefer a good sour mash from Kentucky or Tennessee with my steaks, but this is a nice change of pace." She then glanced at her cellphone, which was placed next to Ying's makeup compact. It is nice to spend time with one of the few people from Ilvermorny who remembered the good old days when we were getting on each other's nerves. Who knew Winona and Emily and mourned them alongside me when they gave their last full measure of devotion. Someone that I might be able to trust with a few of my secrets, but not yet, not until the Statute of Secrecy falls and I can start to come out of the shadows where I worked for too long.

"True. Expecting a call?" Ying said as she glanced at Delilah. the MACUSA Auror was in a fairly open mood, which was a rarity. Why...? Ah. "Delilah."

The revolver focused on her and spoke sharply. "What?" I can't read her normally, which drives me nuts, but she is showing concern and empathy.

Ying extended her wineglass. "To absent friends, especially those from Ilvermorny. May they live on our hearts." She spoke very gently. Winona was killed in the Great Sasquatch rebellion in April and Delilah's mentor Emily Dickinson died in mid-May. This time of year is always hard on her. Even if you are a pain in my ass, you smug annoying Yank, I'd miss you Delilah de Breuil.

Delilah blinked tears from her eyes as she touched her glass to Ying's. "Absent friends. The true heroes only live in our hearts." Her voice was hoarse. Emily, Winona, I wish that you could see this day. I just hope one day I'm worthy to stand beside you in the ranks of those who helped advance Freedom. And as for Ying, you are another. As much as you can be a pain in my ass you annoying inscrutable Canuck, I'd miss you Wei Ying.

With that they downed the wine in memory of those who had not lived to see this day.

--------------------------------
Spoiler: An After Dinner Chat

Ying leaned back, and slowly surveyed the steakhouse as she waited for their dessert. The decor was clearly Japanese, with a bar behind her with a teppan-yaki flat heated plate fed by a roaring charcoal fire in a fireplace. Which was in use as a sweating master chef was cooking shrimp and steak to the scowling yakuza behind her who was muttering into her second bottle of sake. Rice paper walls backlit by lamps and potted plants completed the decor.

"Nice restaurant too. It was off the beaten path, how did you find out about it? I rather doubt Google or Yelp for this one, especially with the subtle spells for prosperity and good business worked into the wall screens. Nice to see that it caters to magicals as well as nomaj."

Delilah smirked smugly and took the last bite of her own steak. "Same way you found out about that place in San Francisco back in 1969, you inscrutable bitch." The redhead leveled her fork at the Chinese-Canadian blonde. "I had it recommended by family."

Ying blinked. "Wait. Your mother doesn't travel much if at all, unsurprising since she is so venerable. And you are an only child and she is an only child."

The smug smirk widened as the revolver spirit leaned back. "True, but I got in contact with my father's family recently. Aunt Kago recommended this place."

Ying's impressive facade cracked in a smile. "That is wonderful news. Pass along to her my gratitude when you see your Gūjè Kago next. Family is important," The dao's voice warmed to the lesson that had been ground into her steel bones since before birth, "the most important thing in the world."

Delilah laughed and poured more wine, "Now you sound like my eldest half-sister. Even if she is a blithering idiot who can't be let out anywhere without adult supervision and a leash, she absolutely holds family sacred."

Ying snorted, "She should be so lucky to be Chinese with such understanding of filial piety. I would like to meet her sometime."

Delilah tensed up slightly. Oh Fuck, Colombe's still wanted by the ICW. "Unfortunately she's in Europe. Business interests and taking care of her two children. She is a bit of a recluse" She better lay very low while I formulate an excuse to keep Ying away from her.

Ying nodded, "Ahh, suitable and honorable for her. She sounds like a model citizen."

Delilah began to laugh. "You have no idea. None whatsoever."

Ying blinked. "One hopes that your other half-sibling is cut from similar cloth."

The laughter redoubled and Delilah had tears run down her face."Oh Jacklyn is... Jackie. She's the black sheep of the family. She was listening in on our call earlier and said that you had nice tits and that she wouldn't mind hitting on you. I told her that you were a policeman and she said that would make it more fun."

Ying blinked and blushed as she spoke slowly, "Oh. well, um. Maybe? Maybe she's my type? I could do worse than give in to Mother and finally perform my duty to the family. Once I take care of the matter I am on."

Delilah looked at Ying and doubled over laughing. "E-excuse me...." She got up clutching her sides and headed for the bathroom, still laughing helplessly.

Yign glanced at the emptied wine bottle. "What's so funny, I didn't think that it was this strong?"

"...that damn gaijin rapier kidnapped Toku-chan, probably doing unspeakable things to her along with the jorogumo..." The drunken mutter from behind her caused a bolt of electricity to shoot down the Dao's spine and her gray eyes widened.

Ying spun around in her chair so fast that it crashed to the floor.

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Spoiler: Butterknifus Interruptus

"You know what to do. Our target is somewhere inside. The oyabun wants her head delivered to him no matter what."

"What are the medallions for?"

"They are linked portkeys. Snap the cord and it summons the rest of us to you. If she is troublesome use it. Understood?"

Two dozen tattooed Oni, Okami, Kappa, and humans nodded as they hefted weapons and wands.

"Good. Now split up, you know your assignments."