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Against the Deep

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Honestly, my best guess about Dragon is that she became an installation of some kind.
 
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While I have a few vague suspicions regarding what happened to Dragon, there aren't really enough clues for me to risk hazarding a guess beyond "not an Abyssal".
 
I think Daur da Bláo, the Slaughtering Harp might be a fitting theme song for Blood Week.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYwjgnRuqFM

Ah, fragrant is the canon that ushers in demise
Vomit blood and fall apart to the gospel of massacre
I'll dissect everything down to the microsopic level
And exterminate treachery for all eternity

Lululila… the universe slants
Lululila… the sun freezes
Genocide and genocide
I'll pluck out every drop of blood
With my hatred and my power
Tremble in fear… the world shall crumble before my love song

I'll incinerate even the fine dust of these memories
For I swore that I would murder miracles
If I'm intoxicated on madness, then that soft smile, too
Will be obliviated by my song to destroy the world

I see not love
I know not of love
I'll put an end to love

Ah, that palm so warm, so warming
Was touching me so gently, so fleetingly
No longer can I remember their name
For my heart has withered completely

Lululila… dance flailingly to
Lululila… the requiem of hellfire
Genocide and genocide
Everything that thuds with a pulse
Everything in creation that lives
Will be pushed from the stairway to salvation…

Nothingness is the one peaceful paradise
What can I believe in except that?
I'll divulge and extoll the providence of all things
With my music enshrined in zeroes and ones

I'll toy with love
I'll trample on love
I'll atone… for having loved

Lululila… vanishing… ceasing…
Lululila… passing… dying…
Genocide and genocide
I'll wring out every last teardrop
In a bellowing catastrophe
Burn in complete denial from your very foundation

I'll incinerate even the fine dust of these memories
For I swore that I would murder miracles
If I'm intoxicated on madness, then that soft smile, too
Will be obliviated by my song to destroy the world

Those days when I loved
Those days I was loved
Sleep eternally… my reason for love
 
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Soon, the Brockton Bay battlegroup will return home.

With the rush from the beginning of Blood Week wearing off, they'll be lucky to be aware enough to get changed.

Instead of trying to find beds, they'll all just find a place to all collapse together into a cuddlepile.

 
Random aside that may or may not be relevant: Hoppou is the Northern Ocean Princess and there also a Northern Water Princess, implying that Ocean is a category of Princess.
 
Sandy River DL said:
Random aside that may or may not be relevant: Hoppou is the Northern Ocean Princess and there also a Northern Water Princess, implying that Ocean is a category of Princess.
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I'm more interested in if we'll see a Northern Little Sister.

I mean, imagine Seiko's meme potential!

Abyssal Grumpy Cat isn't real. She can't hurt you.

Abyssal Grumpy Cat:


All right, what made the Northern Sisters react like this?


Seiko and a friendly Battleship Princess have some treats.


Someone stole Hoppou's Reppu. Seiko wants to have words with them.

 
Another note, this one for anyone who wants to write sidestories. Aso would be available to use in either LA or San Diego, civvie name of Ume Saotome. Green as grass, phobia of small flying objects, major self-confidence issues, makes amazing ramen.
 
jmcdavid said:
So a carrier who practices the Anything Goes style...not sure I can write that.

And those who know Ranma ½ can take this as a sign of who Ume's mother is.
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Nah, Ranma 1/2 is still fiction in AtD and she's not only not read said manga, but never actually heard of it. Hence her wondering what her family having lived in Nerima had to do with anything.
 
Sandy River DL said:
Nah, Ranma 1/2 is still fiction in AtD and she's not only not read said manga, but never actually heard of it. Hence her wondering what her family having lived in Nerima had to do with anything.
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Eventually she'll probably find out (unless you decide that she absolutely never does, of course). How annoyed she'll be probably depends on what and how she finds out.
 
Ukyô is an okonomiyaki chef, not râmen. If it's râmen, it's Shampoo.
 
Not sure yet if it will be enough to pull together the entire chapter, but we just had an amazing idea that'll take care of several different plot threads in one go, be rather amusing, and might just get you lot figuring out what happened to our favorite local AI...
 
So, realized something about this story while brainstorming for a different one, that the 'paper/uncompleted ships get born as girls' thing that's going on here means a certain British design from the 1910s could pop up in this universe.
 
Salvare7097 said:
Pay particular attention to schemes F and E.
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Dreadnought ended up using design H (so not paper) and design C was used by the Germans (again so not paper) other then that possibilities are huge... (there were a lot of paper designs created)

Edit: Meant to post this Thursday... got distracted.
 
Wolf470 said:
Dreadnought ended up using design H (so not paper) and design C was used by the Germans (again so not paper) other then that possibilities are huge... (there were a lot of paper designs created)

Edit: Meant to post this Thursday... got distracted.
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I know I just found those particular designs Interesting because of the similarities with the Atlanta class.
 
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Blood Week V
  • Threadmarks
    • Ugh, this took far too long to write so we'll just drop what we've got and move on.
    Taylor's rigging dissolved into golden light as she stepped onto the boat ramp of the northern ferry station. The return voyage had been quiet and uneventful, much to the flotilla's relief. None of them were in the mental shape to fight after the report of what had happened in Boston. It was odd, she mused, how much an event that only one of them was witness to could so affect them all.

    Probably the morale hit from seeing Aisha's near breakdown on top of the stress of the past twenty-four hours.

    Letting out an exhausted groan, the light cruiser turned to look back over her formation as they came ashore behind her. In the rear, her destroyers were chattering quietly in Japanese while the two battleships seemed to be either deep in thought or communicating via signal lamp as they made landfall. Aisha, meanwhile, had Dinah's arms wrapped around her, with the cruiser submarine looking almost like she was the only thing keeping the other girl upright. If Taylor was any judge, the dark-skinned aviation cruiser would need at least a month of leave before she'd be properly ready for action again.

    Earth Bet being how it was, however, meant that she was unlikely to get more than a day. Hopefully it was because some local Nazi started shit, not because of another Enemy attack or one of the various S-class threats turned up.

    On the other hand, Crawler might make a good stressball for Aisha…

    Shaking off that line of thought, Taylor started trotting towards the station building, where she could smell a frankly ridiculous amount of food. She needed to top off her bunkers and see how much was available to stuff her destroyers to bursting. Aisha also needed to rebuild her airwing, but she didn't think the younger girl would need help with that and Dinah or one of the battleships could handle it if she did.

    Slipping through the doors of the surprisingly intact coastal structure, the cruiser came to an abrupt halt at the sight of two dozen PRT uniformed individuals running around laying out the last few dishes of a veritable feast on folding tables spread across the facility's lobby. Her optics settled not on the food though, but for a moment the grey-white-and blue figure of Battery leaning against a wall, chatting with a Middle Eastern girl around Taylor's own age.

    Grabbing a tray and plate, she deftly maneuvered her way through the tables, collecting select foods as she went. Best to be ready for when Hanazuki arrived…

    "Here, let me help you with that."

    Taylor barely managed to stop herself from jumping at the sudden voice from beside her. Somehow, the girl who'd been speaking with Battery was right next to her, without having been seen to have moved by her spotters. Strange.

    Giving the other teen an odd look, Taylor replied "Uh, sure? If you can get more onto this, I can get more into my destroyers. And, uh, not to be rude, but who are you?"

    "Oh Taylor Anne Hebert," the girl grinned, pronouncing it 'A-bear', in the French manner. "I think a smart girl like you can work that out on your own." And with that, she took and broke in two a foot long seafood sub, before setting the pieces on the piled tray. An action that clearly displayed a pair of rather distinct scars on the backs of her hands.

    "So, while you were out, I paid a visit to a certain new friend of yours, to give her some advice and a gentle nudge in the right direction. And once I've made sure you've got enough to RESUP Hanazuki into a food coma, I'll need to talk to a Dragon about handling a parasite. Maybe a lonely daughter of despair too, as all she needs to find her best path is something that's easy enough to supply."

    Ignoring the shipgirl's visible confusion, the teen continued heaping assorted foods onto the tray while humming a tune that didn't seem to be sound. After a few moments however, she seemed satisfied with her work and turned back to Taylor.

    "Alright, I'd say that's enough to properly stuff a Hungry Ducky. Peace be with you Sister," And with that, the girl vanished with a sly wink.

    Several moments past as the ravenette stood still, staring at the spot previously occupied by a very real person. Then she looked back at the tray, which now bore a staggering amount of food that should have in no way been stable.

    There really was only one reasonable thing to say to that. "Jesus Christ."

    Her eye twitched as a feminine laugh echoed in her bridge, slowing changing to a masculine one as it faded.

    ***​

    "F-for me?" Stammered Hanazuki when Taylor shoved the absolutely loaded tray into her hands as the destroyer entered. "I… shouldn't this go to Vermont-Sama or Iroquois-Sama? They're battleships after all…"

    Just waving a hand at the spread in the room, the light cruiser replied "There's plenty of food available for everyone right now, and a good portion of what you've got there was made specifically for you to enjoy. Now, find yourself a spot to sit and dig in." A pause followed while the larger ship locked eyes with the smaller. "Be sure to eat it all, or I will be… disappointed…"

    The Akizuki gulped and scurried off with her tray. There was a moment of silence, before Iroquois began giggling. Shortly thereafter, all the girls barring Hana had joined in, with the young destroyer simply standing frozen in place. She then started as a hand dropped onto her shoulder.

    "Now why don't we get you fed, little one?" asked Vermont, her tone brooking no argument and eliciting a nervous gulp from the kid. Not long after, the Awakened shipgirl was gently nudged her Returned sistership with a high-piled tray of her own while the older girls began filling their own.

    Snagging a couple of seafood subs, Vermont gave a thoughtful hum. "So, since we're probably going to be working together for a while, we should start getting to know each other. I'm Abigail Smith, formerly a History Major at the University of Vermont."

    "And I'm June Carter. Abby's my girlfriend," stated Iroquois. "And yes, I am of that people."

    "Taylor Hebert. Brockton Bay local, book lover, and high schooler."

    "Dinah Alcott, middle school student and enjoyer of spy stories."

    "Aisha Laborn, agent of Murphy." Taylor smiled slightly at the girl's crack, at least she was coming out of her funk. Hopefully it wasn't a momentary thing.

    Shooting a glace over to the two destroyers, the treaty cruiser spoke again. "Michitsuki said this morning that her name's Hana Matsuo, but we haven't really learned much about her past that yet."

    June smiled slightly "Well, we can find out more later. There's plenty of time I'd think, and it's hardly worth interrupting her meal over."

    "Yeah," Aisha said. "Can't go distracting either of them from food. Seriously, something about them makes me just wanna stuff the both of them until they burst…"

    "Ain't that the truth. I swear that if Hanazuki's uniform wasn't tailored the way it is, I could count her ribs. And how Amy had to push Hana to eat…" Taylor grimaced. "We'll need to keep them as well fed as Aisha. At minimum."

    That elicited nods from the other four. All other concerns aside, the two Akizukis had to be fed. It was only proper.
     
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    • Welcome back ma'am it's great to see this update. and yeah, the first sight of devastation like that is going to leave a mark good job and recognizing that. It's clear that while they're putting it to one side, they haven't truly moved on from it yet. And good on you for recognizing that you need to move on from something giving you, writers block.

    indeed, the duckies will be fed. It is the way.
     
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