Unless they are born as girls and not ships. Are they girls with gifts comparable to shipgirls? Are they shipgirls born as girls or launched as ships who become girls?
The way I figure, first-generation shipgirl kids would be regular people with the characteristics of their mother. Jersey's daughters would be blond bombshells with legs for days and a tendency towards muscle mass and exceptional hips. They'd be as strong as a human woman could ever be, but not super human like their mother, and they'd age--very gracefully, but age--unlike her.
Jersey: Fuck you, my tits are perfectly fucking adequate. Double fucking Ds would be fucking amazing if literally every fucking japboat didn't have tits out the fucking ass. Put me next to literally fucking any normal woman and my boobs are fucking magnificent.
The Island princess fell to her knees with a thunder of shattering concrete and a wail of anguished fury. Her talons clenched until rivers of icy blood oozed between their beaten iron plates. A despairing cry tore itself from her lungs, and if she had eyes she knew they'd be streaming with tears.
She was a minor princess,a nobody in the Abyssal Hierarchy. Her tiny island was important only out of an accident of geology. Her position was merely to hold what the other great queens had taken. She was small. Weak.
She had no great fleet, no army of thousands answering her every word, just her three demons. The flesh of her flesh, forged together in her loving womb, suckled and nurtured on her very breast… they were as much a part of her as her own body was.
That front part I either missed or is new. That this is an unremarkable entity in the Abyssal ranks... hoo boy. This war, and story, is gonna be a long, bloody, dragged out affair.
Missiles streamed all but exploded from the steel-hull destroyers, only to hurl themselves into the maelstrom with almost giddy eagerness. Battleships and cruisers alike turned the sky to steel, while over head Shinano's Shidens effortlessly danced around their firing solutions to smack down any jet that came staggering through the impossibly thick barrage.
Hm... on the one hand, these are Arados and 262s, aircraft that literally outran both fighters and even the best anti-aircraft gunnery systems in the world.
On the other, Missiles.
The princess had nothing left to loose. Nothing left to feel but rage and despair. They would take her island, but they'd have to drown it in their own blood.
Behind every blade of grass would be a rifle barrel.
Around every corner and behind every building would be a tank.
When the traitorous battleships shelled her, she'd retreat to her bunkers beneath the earth.
But the moment the first marine set foot on her soil, she would inflict such terrible horror upon them it would be spoken with hushed tones for the short remainder of human civilization.
That front part I either missed or is new. That this is a nobody in the Abyssal ranks... hoo boy. This war, and story, is gonna be a long, dragged out affair.
The Island Princess had three first-world-war battlecruisers and a few dozen jets under her command. What did the Northern princess have in her battlegroup?
The Island Princess had three first-world-war battlecruisers and a few dozen jets under her command. What did the Northern princess have in her battlegroup?
It's 3AM; I am really not in any shape to be doing long-term memory usage. I do apologize for what probably sounds like a weak excuse, and I shall attempt an answer in spite of it.
Wasn't that Tipritz's group?
It's 3AM; I am really not in any shape to be doing long-term memory usage. I do apologize for what probably sounds like a weak excuse, and I shall attempt an answer in spite of it.
Wasn't that Tipritz's group?
Smalltime, yes. Clearly a lesser number of ships and planes.
But the fact they're 262s... I'm clearly missing something here. Here's where I'm coming from:
The Me 262 was only regularly shot down by airplanes, P-51s and the like, when they were slowed down for a landing or takeoff.
Now, let me compare the 262 to an aircraft with comparable speed. One the US Navy had difficulty with: The Ohka.
In a report published in May of 1945, the US Navy wrote this on the Okha.
DEFENSE AGAINST BAKA
Although the Baka, rocket-powered, piloted suicide bomb, was not employed extensively against our shipping during the Okinawa operation, an increase in its use may be expected in succeeding operations.
Of 10 attacks on surface vessels in April and May, 3 resulted in hits, 1 in a damaging near miss, and 6 in nondamaging misses.
It was anticipated that the Japanese, after they were successful in producing suicide pilots in unlimited numbers, would lose no time in developing for their use a more effective weapon than the conventional aircraft. The Baka, first such weapon, presents the most difficult target our surface forces and aircraft have encountered in the war to date. It is also potentially the most dangerous antishipping weapon to be devised, being a guided missile with the best possible control--a human being.
Carried to launching position under the belly of a Betty or other twin-engined plane, the Baka has a range of approximately two mdes per 1,000 feet altitude of release. Fifty-five miles is the
--22--
maximum horizontal range when released at an altitude of 27,100 feet. The Japanese consider 23,000 feet to be the ideal release altitude, according to a POW. The Baka primarily is a glider, as its rockets are good for only 3 miles.
Assuming a rocket thrust of 800-kg. and a minimum glide angle of 5° 35', the Baka has a maximum impact speed of 525 m.p.h. in a horizontal approach and 618 m.p.h. in a glide angle of 45°. The speed increases 25 m.p.h. for each 5° increase in glide angle.
VF vs. Baka.--The function of fighters as a defense against the Baka is that of destroying the parent planq or causing it to jettison the weapon out of range of the nearest surface, forces. Fighters of Task Force 58 destroyed 32 Baka-carrying Bettys on 21 March.
Because the rockets powering the Baka have a combined burning time of 24 seconds it is likely that the suicide pilot will glide as far as possible before igniting a rocket. During the gliding period the, Baka will be within fighter speeds and therefore vulnerable to VF attack. If attacked at extreme range, the Baka may be forced either to exhaust its rockets before reaching its target or to so decrease its power that its impact speed will be greatly reduced.
It should be pointed out, however, that the parent plane will attempt to approach as close as possible to the ships before releasing the Baka. For this reason, friendly fighter pilots should give first priority to twin-engined planes, most of which will be actual or potential parent planes.
AA. vs. Baka.--From the point of view of antiaircraft, the Baka is a difficult problem because:
1. It is considerably faster than the best conventional Japanese plane.
2. It is subject to marked accelerations as its rockets are activated.
3. It is half the size of a conventional fighter.
4. It has no engine, propeller or gas tanks, all vulnerable parts of a standard aircraft.
The speed of the Baka sharply decreases the firing time of AA. batteries. At a gliding speed of 300 m.p.h. and rocket speed of 550 m.p.h., an approaching Baka would be within firing range of various weapons for periods as follows:
5"/38--53 seconds (10,000 yards in).
40-mm.--13 seconds (3,500 yards in).
20-mm.--5.5 seconds (1,500 yards in).
With these limitations on firing time, the need for maximum fire-power is accentuated. Present position opening-fire ranges might well be extended to compensate for the high approach speed of the target.
During its approach, the Baka is subject to three periods of acceleration--one when each rocket is activated. These changes in speed will complicate the fire control problem, as lead angles are computed on a basis of constant speed.
It is estimated that during the 24 seconds burning time of its rocket the Baka, released from a parent plane at 250 knots and. reaching a gliding speed of 300 knots before igniting its rockets in sequence, will accelerate as follows:
Period
Average
speed
Yards
covered
m.p.h.
First rocket
350
1,368
Second rocket
450
1,760
Third rocket
5.50
2,152
Thus the Baka will have covered the last 3 miles of its attack course in 24 seconds, at an average acceleration of 12.5 m.p.h. for each second of flight. The impact speed under circumstances prevailing in the foregoing table, is 600 m.p.h.
Deflection shots at a crossing Baka will be difficult because of the large lead angles required. Although the Baka is unable to maneuver radically its speed is so great that a slight change in course will create errors as large as if a slower target were maneuvering radically.
Despite its small size and the fact that the wings and tail are of plywood, the Baka will trigger a VT-fuzed projectile at radii of from 30 to 45 feet. Because of its high speed, however, approximately four times as many bursts as against a conventional aircraft may be required to register a kill.
--23--
The Baka's aerodynamic characteristics, which will operate in favor of the ships, include:
1. Heavy wing loading (70.6 pounds per square foot) should cause relatively minor damage to be fatal.
2. Stiffness of controls at high speed, making accurate aiming of the weapon difficult.
Tactics involve a low level final approach, in which the loss of altitude as a result of AA. damage will prove fatal immediately. Assessment.--Following is an assessment of the new suicide weapon:
1. Simple and economical construction should permit mass production. Rate of production is estimated at 200 monthly.
2. A limiting factor is the number of aircraft required for launching.
3. Lacking launching aircraft it is likely that the weapon will be modified for use from land or ship-based launchers.
4. Baka is so constructed that it appears possible for various types of wings to be attached to the basic fuselage. This presents the possibilities of weapons with long gliding range and greater maneuverability, but lower speed, and of gliders for training use.
5. A jet unit similar to the "V-l robomb" launched from land or ship deck ramps is a possibility.
6. Use of the Baka in night attacks is possible with flares being dropped to silhouette targets and the Baka making a torpedo type run.
7. Current experiments indicate that radar ranging on Baka will be approximately 30 percent of that on a fighter aircraft.
Now obviously, the 262 doesn't share the Ohka's issue with high-speed maneuvering. But the fact remains that intense firepower was needed against a single aircraft, to the point where only large-caliber artillery is effective. 20mm is largely ineffective, 40mm was dodgy, and only opening up at longer, and less accurate, ranges made five-inch barrages more likley to be effective. Now, we had 'dozens' of Me 262s get effortlessly shot down by an Iowa, three Fletchers, Arizona, Shinano's slower prop fighters, and if I'm reading that right, a Flight IIA Arleigh-Burke.
Even if the fighter-bombers all approached from the front, which they really shouldn't be, the fact is that entire force's firepower, save the Burke, is massively divided among potential targets. Based on that information, a more likley scenario would seem to be:
Shinano's fighters only shooting down 262s when one tries to turn-fight a mob. They don't really shoot down any of Shinny's planes.
Everyone's five-inch guns open up first at max range. Some planes go down.
The Burke starts throwing missiles. around. They reap a bloody toll, but there's still a good number coming.
40mms start opening up. A few more die, but still mainly from missiles and five-inch fire. The Burke is probably opening up with its CIWS.
20mms briefly fire, basically feel-good stuff in the face of 'oh shit'.
Bombs get dropped, they miss because of the high speed and whatever evasive maneuvers the pilots took through the flak.
The 262s zoom away, still taking casualties all the way back out.
At the end, there's only a small number of 262s left, and the attack still hasn't been stopped.
I do buy the Abyssal pilots being shaken and missing from the seemingly intense fire, they're smalltime enough that more veteran pilots wouldn't be assigned.
But there's something fairly signifigant am I missing here. @theJMPer, you know your historical weapon systems, you know your history, and you know the world you've built. So I am inclined to think you've made an accurate picture, and I'm in the wrong here. But I can't figure out why. Did I miss a detail you gave back when the 262/Arado's performance was discussed? Something within the Armored Fury update itself? Am I misreading my data on the WWII US Navy's effectiveness in shooting an enemy going over five hundred miles an hour?
*coughing blood i faint after reading the paragraph, to much words, looks like a blurry white, was cramped in my head* *writes Always Late's name with my blood with my dying breath* Yeah, reading that with a busted eyesight and not wearing glasses is a nightmare. XD
Asked @Old Iron what Pennsy looks like, i think i got it!
@theJMPer just a note, it's Aegis, the shield of the gods. AEGIS is a backcronym that has entered the world through fanonical influence. (I blame the AEGIS organisation from Gatekeepers, in which it stood for Advance Earth Guard Interceptor Squadron.)
Also yes, suck it, Island Princess. Your jets are no match for an Aegis destroyer.
Smalltime, yes. Clearly a lesser number of ships and planes.
But the fact they're 262s... I'm clearly missing something here. Here's where I'm coming from:
The Me 262 was only regularly shot down by airplanes, P-51s and the like, when they were slowed down for a landing or takeoff.
Now, let me compare the 262 to an aircraft with comparable speed. One the US Navy had difficulty with: The Ohka.
In a report published in May of 1945, the US Navy wrote this on the Okha.
DEFENSE AGAINST BAKA
Although the Baka, rocket-powered, piloted suicide bomb, was not employed extensively against our shipping during the Okinawa operation, an increase in its use may be expected in succeeding operations.
Of 10 attacks on surface vessels in April and May, 3 resulted in hits, 1 in a damaging near miss, and 6 in nondamaging misses.
It was anticipated that the Japanese, after they were successful in producing suicide pilots in unlimited numbers, would lose no time in developing for their use a more effective weapon than the conventional aircraft. The Baka, first such weapon, presents the most difficult target our surface forces and aircraft have encountered in the war to date. It is also potentially the most dangerous antishipping weapon to be devised, being a guided missile with the best possible control--a human being.
Carried to launching position under the belly of a Betty or other twin-engined plane, the Baka has a range of approximately two mdes per 1,000 feet altitude of release. Fifty-five miles is the
--22--
maximum horizontal range when released at an altitude of 27,100 feet. The Japanese consider 23,000 feet to be the ideal release altitude, according to a POW. The Baka primarily is a glider, as its rockets are good for only 3 miles.
Assuming a rocket thrust of 800-kg. and a minimum glide angle of 5° 35', the Baka has a maximum impact speed of 525 m.p.h. in a horizontal approach and 618 m.p.h. in a glide angle of 45°. The speed increases 25 m.p.h. for each 5° increase in glide angle.
VF vs. Baka.--The function of fighters as a defense against the Baka is that of destroying the parent planq or causing it to jettison the weapon out of range of the nearest surface, forces. Fighters of Task Force 58 destroyed 32 Baka-carrying Bettys on 21 March.
Because the rockets powering the Baka have a combined burning time of 24 seconds it is likely that the suicide pilot will glide as far as possible before igniting a rocket. During the gliding period the, Baka will be within fighter speeds and therefore vulnerable to VF attack. If attacked at extreme range, the Baka may be forced either to exhaust its rockets before reaching its target or to so decrease its power that its impact speed will be greatly reduced.
It should be pointed out, however, that the parent plane will attempt to approach as close as possible to the ships before releasing the Baka. For this reason, friendly fighter pilots should give first priority to twin-engined planes, most of which will be actual or potential parent planes.
AA. vs. Baka.--From the point of view of antiaircraft, the Baka is a difficult problem because:
1. It is considerably faster than the best conventional Japanese plane.
2. It is subject to marked accelerations as its rockets are activated.
3. It is half the size of a conventional fighter.
4. It has no engine, propeller or gas tanks, all vulnerable parts of a standard aircraft.
The speed of the Baka sharply decreases the firing time of AA. batteries. At a gliding speed of 300 m.p.h. and rocket speed of 550 m.p.h., an approaching Baka would be within firing range of various weapons for periods as follows:
5"/38--53 seconds (10,000 yards in).
40-mm.--13 seconds (3,500 yards in).
20-mm.--5.5 seconds (1,500 yards in).
With these limitations on firing time, the need for maximum fire-power is accentuated. Present position opening-fire ranges might well be extended to compensate for the high approach speed of the target.
During its approach, the Baka is subject to three periods of acceleration--one when each rocket is activated. These changes in speed will complicate the fire control problem, as lead angles are computed on a basis of constant speed.
It is estimated that during the 24 seconds burning time of its rocket the Baka, released from a parent plane at 250 knots and. reaching a gliding speed of 300 knots before igniting its rockets in sequence, will accelerate as follows:
Period
Average
speed
Yards
covered
m.p.h.
First rocket
350
1,368
Second rocket
450
1,760
Third rocket
5.50
2,152
Thus the Baka will have covered the last 3 miles of its attack course in 24 seconds, at an average acceleration of 12.5 m.p.h. for each second of flight. The impact speed under circumstances prevailing in the foregoing table, is 600 m.p.h.
Deflection shots at a crossing Baka will be difficult because of the large lead angles required. Although the Baka is unable to maneuver radically its speed is so great that a slight change in course will create errors as large as if a slower target were maneuvering radically.
Despite its small size and the fact that the wings and tail are of plywood, the Baka will trigger a VT-fuzed projectile at radii of from 30 to 45 feet. Because of its high speed, however, approximately four times as many bursts as against a conventional aircraft may be required to register a kill.
--23--
The Baka's aerodynamic characteristics, which will operate in favor of the ships, include:
1. Heavy wing loading (70.6 pounds per square foot) should cause relatively minor damage to be fatal.
2. Stiffness of controls at high speed, making accurate aiming of the weapon difficult.
Tactics involve a low level final approach, in which the loss of altitude as a result of AA. damage will prove fatal immediately. Assessment.--Following is an assessment of the new suicide weapon:
1. Simple and economical construction should permit mass production. Rate of production is estimated at 200 monthly.
2. A limiting factor is the number of aircraft required for launching.
3. Lacking launching aircraft it is likely that the weapon will be modified for use from land or ship-based launchers.
4. Baka is so constructed that it appears possible for various types of wings to be attached to the basic fuselage. This presents the possibilities of weapons with long gliding range and greater maneuverability, but lower speed, and of gliders for training use.
5. A jet unit similar to the "V-l robomb" launched from land or ship deck ramps is a possibility.
6. Use of the Baka in night attacks is possible with flares being dropped to silhouette targets and the Baka making a torpedo type run.
7. Current experiments indicate that radar ranging on Baka will be approximately 30 percent of that on a fighter aircraft.
Now obviously, the 262 doesn't share the Ohka's issue with high-speed maneuvering. But the fact remains that intense firepower was needed against a single aircraft, to the point where only large-caliber artillery is effective. 20mm is largely ineffective, 40mm was dodgy, and only opening up at longer, and less accurate, ranges made five-inch barrages more likley to be effective. Now, we had 'dozens' of Me 262s get effortlessly shot down by an Iowa, three Fletchers, Arizona, Shinano's slower prop fighters, and if I'm reading that right, a Flight IIA Arleigh-Burke.
Even if the fighter-bombers all approached from the front, which they really shouldn't be, the fact is that entire force's firepower, save the Burke, is massively divided among potential targets. Based on that information, a more likley scenario would seem to be:
Shinano's fighters only shooting down 262s when one tries to turn-fight a mob. They don't really shoot down any of Shinny's planes.
Everyone's five-inch guns open up first at max range. Some planes go down.
The Burke starts throwing missiles. around. They reap a bloody toll, but there's still a good number coming.
40mms start opening up. A few more die, but still mainly from missiles and five-inch fire. The Burke is probably opening up with its CIWS.
20mms briefly fire, basically feel-good stuff in the face of 'oh shit'.
Bombs get dropped, they miss because of the high speed and whatever evasive maneuvers the pilots took through the flak.
The 262s zoom away, still taking casualties all the way back out.
At the end, there's only a small number of 262s left, and the attack still hasn't been stopped.
I do buy the Abyssal pilots being shaken and missing from the seemingly intense fire, they're smalltime enough that more veteran pilots wouldn't be assigned.
But there's something fairly signifigant am I missing here. @theJMPer, you know your historical weapon systems, you know your history, and you know the world you've built. So I am inclined to think you've made an accurate picture, and I'm in the wrong here. But I can't figure out why. Did I miss a detail you gave back when the 262/Arado's performance was discussed? Something within the Armored Fury update itself? Am I misreading my data on the WWII US Navy's effectiveness in shooting an enemy going over five hundred miles an hour?
AL: Each Aegis unit can handle something like 25 targets and there are three of the things and not that many jets. More likely Jersey and co were pulling clean up duty after the missiles.
@Always Late bear in mind that even with the leveling effect in play, the Abyssals are going up against ships which, for the last 25 years, have been the undisputed best DDGs in the world when it comes to AAW.
Maybe Burkes don't do very well against battleships. But against aircraft, these ships are nightmares.
You have semiactive homing SM-2s for long range combat, which require you to paint the target with an illuminator (and Aegis was designed to rapidly cycle illuminators to guide multiple SM-2s). You habe the equally long range SM-6s, which are active radar homing and rely on their own seekers for terminal engagement. You have your short range ESSM - where short range means something like 25 nautical miles - oh and ESSM is quadpacked, so one cell has 4 birds in it - and at the very last ditch you have RAM, which might only have maybe 8km range, but is still adequete to defend against air dropped bombs and torpedoes...
Point is, yes, in a universe where the magic plays by rules to hring WW2 ships to the forefront, a Burke is at a disadvantage...
...until it is an antiaircraft fight. Because that is the fight the Burke will dominate. Because Island Princess came to play on the Burkes' home turf.
*coughing blood i faint after reading the paragraph, to much words, looks like a blurry white, was cramped in my head* *writes Always Late's name with my blood with my dying breath* Yeah, reading that with a busted eyesight and not wearing glasses is a nightmare. XD
OK, so there's a bit of an unreliable narrator going on there. Ari's obviously focusing on her fellow Kanmusu, and gets comfort from the AA defense she's familiar with, but it's the Burke's missiles that're doing the majority of the work.
And I guess USS McCampbell had partners but I just missed them.
OK, so there's a bit of an unreliable narrator going on there. Ari's obviously focusing on her fellow Kanmusu, and gets comfort from the AA defense she's familiar with, but it's the Burke's missiles that're doing the majority of the work.
And I guess USS McCampbell had partners but I just missed them.
Ari is very much an unreliable narrator. She's gripped by terror, terrified she's going to die the way she died again, she has no understanding or appreciation of what DDGs can do (note that when McCampbell opens up, Ari is seized by terror because she thinks the DDG just had a mag detonation), unlike Jersey who was around in the Cold War, where Ticonderogas were built to escort carriers and BB SAGs, built to fight off Soviet bomber and missile swarms - and mind you, these are the twin arm launcher Ticos, not the VLS Ticos or the VLS Burkes, who can dump their magazines faster than the twin-arm cans ever could.* *
Yes, the Me232s, being top-tier aircraft for their era, are made competitive with top-tier aircraft of this era, thanks to the leveling effect. And the leveling effect works on Burkes vs BBs in ASuW, but here's the thing: when it comes to AAW, the Burkes were built to utterly kill the top-tier aircraft and missiles of their era.
In the Fletchers' day, they were tripwires for the Big Blue Blanket; they were pickets to soak up incoming air attack, to provide advance warning, to try and blunt an air attack on the carriers long enough for the carrier fighters to beat off the air attack.
Ever since USS Ticonderoga commissioned in 1983, ever since USS Arleigh Burke commissioned in 1991, Aegis ships have not been tripwires for the defense, they are the defense. They are the ships that defend the carrier from attack, so that the carrier's aircraft can focus on the attack.
tl;dr Aegis DDG means AA cut in everyday.
Speaking of AA cut in, another fun fact: American Burkes assigned to the BMD mission, due to the focus on pointing the radar up at the sky tracking for ICBMs, replace one of the 20mm Phalanx CIWS with a SeaRAM launcher, so as to have a credible self defense capability independent of Aegis. The Japanese meanwhile pair an Akizuki DD with a Kongo DDG to act as short range bodyguard, with the Akizuki loaded with quadpack ESSM.
You are now seeing a Ducky 2010 performing AA cut in to defend DDG Kongo-sama. Meanwhile the American DDG has a SeaRAM renshouho-chan.
*Y'know what's the rate of fire on the Mk 41 VLS? One missile per second. So it would take a Burke 96 seconds to empty its cells... except that it can simultaneously fire missiles out the forward and aft VLS simultaneously. (So basically in 32 seconds it can throw 64 missiles into the air, since it's 32 cells fore, 64 cells aft.)
Edit: Uh, yeah. I'm kinda passionate about DDGs. <.<
There were times when large cruiser Alaska wished her breasts were just a little more filled out. Not because she was insecure or anything, though. The large cruiser was honestly quite contented with her distinctly svelte silhouette. It made her stand out next to the other cruisers—and even the Kagerou triplets—she served with, and she had a much easier time finding clothing that fit.
Alaska knew that because Atago had shown her all the websites while trying to coax Alaska into buying something 'sexy' for her beach 'date' with Cameron. The large cruiser hadn't so much refused as she'd sputtered with an increasingly red face at the increasingly minimal amount of fabric she was supposed to wear until Atago gave up. But that was beside the point, which was that Alaska was perfectly happy with her current figure.
She didn't want bigger breasts for her.
She wanted them because… well, because resting your head against Atago's cleavage was like taking a nap in a giant pile of fluffy kittens who'd been basking in the sun all afternoon. It was warm and soft and the gentle rhythm of Atago's heartbeats combined with the steady swell of her breathing was a better lullaby than anything short of Texas' singing.
It was Alaska's opinion that everyone should snuggle her best friend's bosom at least once in their lives. Or at least have a busty friend to take naps on. That was why Alaska wished her upperworks were a bit more built up, she'd like to be that friend for her friends.
Hamakaze and her sisters worked so hard… the deserved someplace softer than her lap and tummy to curl up on for their midday nap. Nachi too. She knew the old cruiser had a prickly exterior, and usually kept to herself. But… well, Alaska just couldn't believe that she wouldn't like a little nap every once in a while.
And then…
Then there was Cameron.
Alaska wasn't sure if it was ever going to happen, but… but every time she thought of her boyfriend's messy hair resting against the soft cushions of a bosom she didn't actually have she smiled. She hadn't done much with him, beyond a little bit of cuddling on the truck after their date, but…
But every time he touched her a shiver shot down her spine, and a dopey smile she couldn't hide for the life of her bubbled up onto her face.
She liked Cameron, and she would like to cuddle him sometime. And, even though she knew this was years in the future and probably never going to happen, she sometimes caught herself daydreaming about her wedding.
Atago would be her maid of honor, of course. Even if Alaska could think of someone, her best friend had already claimed dibs for Alaska's eventual wedding. Atago seemed very certain that Alaska would eventually a husband, which confused the large cruiser to no end.
The Kagerous had all offered to be her bridesmaids too, and Alaska'd even gotten an e-mail from Eldridge—a destroyer escort based on the East Coast—asking if the spot of flower girl was already taken. Alaska wasn't quite sure how ships so far away knew so much about her idle daydreams, but she was pretty sure it was Atago's fault.
Not that she minded. After all, it got Akron to volunteer as DJ for the reception. Alaska thought that was a splendid fit. The cheery airship had the best taste in music.
And…
Alaska felt silly for even thinking about it…
But…
Well…
A small, tiny, almost non-existent part of her would sometimes daydream about living with Cameron. And… having… getting…
Alaska wanted kids, dangit!
It made her blush every time she thought about it, but the large cruiser really, really wanted babies. She'd love them and play hot-wheels with them, and… And honestly, that was the extent of her plans.
Alaska would not be a very good mother.
But… maybe she could be a good friend.
Which brought her back to her original topic.
No, not her breasts. The topic she'd started pondering her breasts in a frantic effort to distract herself from.
The cell phone resting in her hand. The phone into which she'd dialed the number of her boyfriend. The man she loved and wanted to—as unrealistic as it might be—spend the next portion of her life with. She'd got her swimsuit all picked out, it was supposed to be nice and sunny at the beach… she just had to push that button and ask him.
Just… had to push it.
The button.
Push it.
But Alaska couldn't silence the little voice in the back of her head that worried he'd say no. She'd never asked anyone out before, and… And the large cruiser was painfully aware that she wasn't anyone's first choice. She couldn't gunfight as well as a real battleship could, and anything else she could do a Baltimore or Des Moines could do cheaper. It was one of the reasons she and her sisters had such a short life.
Even the navy in all its wisdom couldn't find something useful for her to do.
What if—
"'Laska?"
"AH!" Alaska shrieked as her best friend's sing-song voice shattered her already frayed nerves. She jumped off the floor in fright, only to slam down hard on her sneakers and fall squarely onto her stern. "'Tago! Don't DO THAT!"
Atago just giggled, and bounced through the half-open door into Alaska's room and flung herself on the large cruiser's messy bed. "Did you call him yet?"
"Um…" Alaska glanced at her phone. Her shock-induced twitches must've hit the button for her. "A-apparently?"
"'Laska?" Cameron's voice crackled through the phone's speaker so quietly the large cruiser could barely hear it. But barely wasn't the same as didn't, and Alaska still heard enough of his kind southern accent to send a giddy shiver up her spine and a blushing smile across her lips.
Unfortunately, that also delayed her reactions long enough for her best friend to swoop in and steal the phone right out of her hands.
"Panpakapan!" Atago giggled and put him on speaker. "'Laska's office speaking, how may I help you?"
"Oh. Hey, 'Tago." Cameron chuckled through the phone. If Alaska hadn't already been sitting with her legs splayed all over her carpeted floor, she knew her knees would've given way. "what's up?"
"Oh, nothing," Atago ruffled Alaska's snowy hair with a smile. "Alaska's trying to ask you out."
"Oh is she now?"
"Tagooooooo," Alaska moaned.
"Mmmhm!" said Atago. "But she's really bad at talking to boys."
""Tagooooooo!"
"Let me guess," Cameron's laugh sounded like how Texas' honey-drizzled cornbread tasted, only somewhat less destructive to Alaska's waistline. "Now she's pouting that you won't give her her phone back."
"Ta—" Alaska blushed, and buried her nose in the furry collar of her parka. "Not pouting."
"She says she's not pouting," said Atago.
"Uh huh. Put me on with her."
Atago beamed, and squished the phone against Alaska's snowy cheek. "Say hi."
"Uh…" Alaska coughed. "Hi, Cameron."
"Hey, 'laska," said Cameron. "How's my very favorite snowball doing?"
"I'm doing fine," Alaska chose to ignore her hours-long moment of indecision. "I, um… are you free this weekend?"
"Yeah, actually. I, uh…" Cameron coughed. "We're— my family and a few of the neighbors are having a barbecue if… if you want to come. 'Tago can come too if she wants."
"Oh…" Alaska thought for a second. She really did want to go to the beach, and… maybe having people around would keep Atago from trying to play matchmaker. "I.. I'd like that."
"Awesome!" Cameron let out a breath of relief that crackled through the phone. "Is 'tago coming? "
"Um," Alaska held her phone against her chest. "Tago!"
"Stop pouting!"
"I'm not pouting!" pouted Alaska. "Cameron wants to know if you're coming to the barbecue this weekend."
"Barbecue?"
"Mmm," Alaska nodded. "On the beach."
"On the beach you say?"
"Mmhm."
Atago bounced to her feet, her upperworks lagging behind just enough to set them jiggling like jello cups only less tasty. "I'll need a bathing suit!"
Alaska held her phone to her ear. "She says she'll need a bathing suit."
"Oh Lord."
"I know…" Alaska winced as her best friend tore over to her closet and started tearing ever skimpier bits of swimwear out of drawers. "I think this was a bad decision."
"Probably," admitted Cameron. "You, uh… should bring a swimsuit too."
"Oh," Alaska smirked at the cute little black and blue number hanging up over her collection of hotwheels and legos, "I have one."
"Well…" Cameron coughed. "Uh. I'll look forward to seeing you in it."
"Kay." Alaska had figured out travel allowances to get her and 'tago down to the beach—two cruisers are heavy—and hung up before she realized just what he'd said to her.
It's always mildly awkward at best when someone ends up bringing whoever they're dating to meet their family. It's even more so when they pack a bunch of large-caliber guns and (usually) have larger-than-life personalities. God help whoever lands Hiei or Kirishima.
She wanted them because… well, because resting your head against Atago's cleavage was like taking a nap in a giant pile of fluffy kittens who'd been basking in the sun all afternoon. It was warm and soft and the gentle rhythm of Atago's heartbeats combined with the steady swell of her breathing was a better lullaby than anything short of Texas' singing.
It was Alaska's opinion that everyone should snuggle her best friend's bosom at least once in their lives. Or at least have a busty friend to take naps on. That was why Alaska wished her upperworks were a bit more built up, she'd like to be that friend for her friends.
"Kay." Alaska had figured out travel allowances to get her and 'tago down to the beach—two cruisers are heavy—and hung up before she realized just what he'd said to her.
Okay, someone like Texas or a little more old fashioned American shipgirl needs to tell Alaska just what a big deal this is. Cameron just invited her to meet his family. That used to mean ring-a-dingy was being contemplated by the male part of the relationship back in the day.....
Okay, someone like Texas or a little more old fashioned American shipgirl needs to tell Alaska just what a big deal this is. Cameron just invited her to meet his family. That used to mean ring-a-dingy was being contemplated by the male part of the relationship back in the day.....
