Farmerbob1
Rest in Peace
- Location
- Atlanta-ish
Has any navy used Escher-style drawn impossibilities as ship camo?
Belated Battleships (KanColle) [REHOST]
- Thread starter theJMPer
- Start date
Harry Leferts
Suave Shadow Cabal Kaiju
He also has a full dazzle-pattern ghillie suit, for when Kongou is feeling friskier than usual. It has proven remarkably useful, especially after he reupholstered his office chair with the same pattern.
Basically this but with more stripes.
(In fact, dazzle-camo is so potent it might even be able to make Ryuujou pass for an Unryuu!)
Pictured, Goto hiding just outside the base from Kongou:
Hmmm... yep, I spot a bottle of iced tea in that vending machine. Kongou won't even risk getting close to it. Good call.
Old Iron
Admiral Unfun
- Location
- The Southwestern Deadlands of America
Through detailed observation, she has learned to guage his mood and her chance of success by noting his choice of beverage. Kongou knows he's really not in the mood when she sees him with a bottle of iced tea.Hmmm... yep, I spot a bottle of iced tea in that vending machine. Kongou won't even risk getting close to it. Good call.
Stahor
BookWorm
- Location
- Russia, Moscow
There is a problem, however. Dazzel camo spoofs visual targeting, but useless aginst radar-assisted one. And Kongou comes with TTK-Radar system.
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Old Iron
Admiral Unfun
- Location
- The Southwestern Deadlands of America
Mutsu, at this rate Richardson isn't going to get any work done at all.
esseresse
R'lyth Power Make-up
- Location
- divorceville, state of depression
- Pronouns
- They/Her
Dont worry could be worse
Just show them Equilibrium
Archduke
Don't Take Geology Puns For Granite
- Location
- Texas
Naw man, Johnston and Hoel would be in baby chest carriers, with johnston on the front, and Hoel in the back, with Dee and Heerman duct taped to Jersey's arms. Remember who we're talking about here.
- Location
- Canada
PAGDTenno
Verified Warmind. Probably on fire.
- Location
- South Carolina
Only time all 4 Iowas operated as a unit.
PAGDTenno
Verified Warmind. Probably on fire.
- Location
- South Carolina
I feel kinda bad for whoever they were up against.
Training command, funny enough. Though Big Stick and Black Dragon were both involved in the Battle of the Philippine Sea, along with both North Carolina sisters, SoDak, Indiana, and 'Bama.
- Location
- America
Interesting things from Nonco's Naval Base.
Top
It's very hard.
First Panel
Roma: Littorio, what are you doing?
Second Panel
Littorio: [right bubble] Look, Roma, this thing is so big, and so very very hard!
Littorio: [left bubble] Apparently it's a kind of food called Katsuobushi...
Fourth Pannel
Roma: [right bubble] You.....You....!!
Roma: [left bubble] YOU LEWD BATTLESHIP!!!!
Enjoy that.
Top
It's very hard.
First Panel
Roma: Littorio, what are you doing?
Second Panel
Littorio: [right bubble] Look, Roma, this thing is so big, and so very very hard!
Littorio: [left bubble] Apparently it's a kind of food called Katsuobushi...
Fourth Pannel
Roma: [right bubble] You.....You....!!
Roma: [left bubble] YOU LEWD BATTLESHIP!!!!
Enjoy that.
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Old Iron
Admiral Unfun
- Location
- The Southwestern Deadlands of America
That's really awesome. Any chance they sell prints?
That made me laugh.Interesting things from Nonco's Naval Base.
Top
It's very hard.
First Panel
Roma: Littorio, what are you doing?
Second Panel
Littorio: [right bubble] Look, Roma, this thing is so big, and so very very hard!
Littorio: [left bubble] Apparently it's a kind of food called Katsuobushi...
Fourth Pannel
Roma: [right bubble] You.....You....!!
Roma: [left bubble] YOU LEWD BATTLESHIP!!!!
Enjoy that.
Nonco's base is full of shenanigans. I recall one where Nagato nearly strangled Mutsu with one of those "Virgin-Killer Sweaters" or whatever they're called.
- Location
- Mid-Atlantic
Working as intended.
Oh that's easy to spoof. You just rig a corner reflector up out of three pictures of Admiral Tojo placed at right angles to each other. Japanese shipgirl admiral-dar will get such an intense return off that that no merely mortal admiral even shows up.
Sakuya's Butler
A refined Butler to a knife wielding Mistress.
- Location
- ↓, ↘, → + Punch
For the record, there are two people in Ghille Suits in that image.Oh, what is that called?
*Searches internet*
Ghillie Suits! That's what they are wearing.
Like this guy:
Now we need a shipgirl to appear who wears one.
At least it is not as bad as some of the dazzle paint schemes that were produced.
And 27 ninjas.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
The second is hidden better than the first- good job.
Grounders10
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada, Mars
Logically none of those bushes are actually a plant, all of them are really men in ghille suits. Its the only sensible explanation.
Archduke
Don't Take Geology Puns For Granite
- Location
- Texas
The best one is the cameraman. He's so confident in his disguise that he's just taking pictures.
Burning Baron
This position needs more entrenching.
- Location
- In here, not out there.
7734
Trust and verify.
- Location
- Philmont
Tomorrow, I'll post some stuff by a channel I have that has 3d reconstructions of older complex guns that get parts removed mid sequence so you can see how they work. Of interest here would probably be the Nordenfelt QF gun, Hotchkiss 37mm Rotary Cannon, and the sheer WTF that is the Maxim Gun.
Omake: A Certain Lady
Old Iron
Admiral Unfun
- Location
- The Southwestern Deadlands of America
* * * * *
"Please, allow me."
Mutsu giggled as her admiral made a bit of a show of pulling out her chair for her.
"Why, thank you."
She took the offered seat with a bit more tease in her motion than normal, allowing John to catch a generous flash of leg as she did so. The long, wine hued dress wasn't adorned with fancy patterns or extraneous baubles to draw attention. However the slit that ran up the side all the way to her hip made absolutely certain to keep the eye captive. To say nothing of how the dark red material hugged at her curves.
It was perhaps the most dangerous article of clothing she owned that wasn't some form of undergarment. An article she had been saving for just the right occasion. And an unexpected, but hardly unwelcome dinner date with her admiral seemed more than appropriate.
She smiled coyly when he coughed into his fist and futilely tried to make it seem as if he hadn't been staring.
John might have 'been there and done that' as he had so stated whenever some of her teasing backfired quite spectacularly, or when asked why he didn't seem fazed by one taunt or another. But she could still get plenty wonderful reactions out of him. Even through tactics that he claimed to be immune to.
Mutsu let the playful look on her face fade into a more relaxed expression as John took his seat opposite her own.
"It's not a fancy restaurant, but I did what I could." Admitted the dark haired man with a slightly crooked grin.
"I think it's wonderful." Mutsu smiled and took stock of their surroundings once more.
He'd gotten out his best dishes and silverware. The napkins and tablecloth were of a set she'd only seen him take care of, never used. And in the center of the table stood a single candle. It was only strong enough to cast a warm glow around them, not nearly enough to illuminate their surroundings. Perhaps that was his intention, to hide away the rest of the room and cast their setting into something a little more mysterious.
That would be just like him. Always a bit of a showman. Whether it be grandiose or subtle, she knew he liked to make things a bit more interesting if he could.
But there was something in his body language. Something that told her he was on edge. Coiled like a spring. Or a dam, ready to burst. A tenseness in his actions that hinted greatly to her that there was something heavy weighing on his mind.
And it couldn't just be the battles unfolding in the south.
The slight creak of the table brought her out of her musings.
"Well, maybe the table needs a little work."
He chuckled and shrugged.
"I'm surprised it's lasted this long." Richardson tapped the surface. "Breakfast alone would break a lesser table. And that was before we added another battleship and a submarine to the guest list."
"My my. Are you insinuating something, John?" Mutsu teased back with a playfully dark tinge to her voice. Did he really want to play that game? She wouldn't mind if he did, but he'd have to be ready to pay the price.
"I might be. The question is what you think I'm insinuating. Want to take a gamble?" His eyes seemed to dance in the dark.
"Hmhmhm~ What do I win if I guess right?" Mutsu leaned forward even as she felt her heartbeat begin to race, resting her chin on the back of her hand with a half lidded gaze to accompany the pose. She wasn't about to let him off so easily. If he was going to dangle such obvious bait, then he had better be prepared to follow through with it. Of course that also played to the risk of not being able to handle the sprung trap.
Still. Regardless of what sort of trap might or might not exist behind John's words, she'd still have fun with it in the end. Even if it managed to reduce her to a stammering and blushing wreck. Or if it sent her spiraling into the sort of hysterical laughter that led to being dragged from the room because she couldn't stand anymore. It was their fun.
Before Richardson could formulate a reply, a figure approached the table.
"Oh my." Mutsu couldn't hide the amazement in her voice as the candlelight illuminated a sharply dressed Hiei. It was rare to see Hiei dressed up. Even more rare was when she decided to pull out all the stops when doing so.
Hiei bowed formally, not making any sort of playful or extravagant motion.
"Sir. Madam. Thank you for choosing to dine at our establishment tonight." Hiei righted herself and spoke in a smooth, highly professional manner. Her gaze held the sort of warm politeness someone might expect from a waiter at a high-class restaurant. One who took the time to do their best for the customer. "My name is Hiei and I will be your server this evening. In addition, I will also be your chef."
Richardson smiled at Mutsu before turning his attention to Hiei.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mutsu saw the ghost of amusement flash across his stern visage. So even whatever was weighing on him tonight couldn't quite stave off the entertainment Hiei was providing with her act. That was a relief.
"A chef and a waiter. You must be busy tonight." Richardson's quip drew a giggle from Mutsu and a look of confidence from Hiei.
"I assure both of you that I shall put every bit of my spirit into making sure the evening goes perfectly for you." A grin far more familiar to Mutsu spread across Hiei's lips before she continued. "And I have some assistance."
"Then, Miss Hiei," spoke Mutsu through her stifled giggles, "What is on the menu tonight?"
"My talented assistants and I have crafted a wonderful pizza for you. An inch deep and stuffed with three different meats, red onions, bell peppers, and four kinds of cheese." Hiei accentuated her description with a proud expression. "With a thick crust and homemade sauce, I am confident this is the best pie our home has to offer."
It took Mutsu a great amount of willpower to not drool at the description.
And from the looks of it, her admiral was suffering a similar problem.
"That sounds delicious." Thankfully her stomach decided to not voice its agreement. She smiled with amusement. "Hopefully it will last long enough for us to savor it."
"I assure you, there's more than enough for you to enjoy."
"Enough for a hungry battleship and an admiral?"
"Without question." Hiei nodded resolutely before grinning. "This would keep an Iowa up and running for days."
Mutsu was not sure what to make of the twinkle in Hiei's bright, blue eyes. A trick of the lighting maybe?
"I have it out for you in a few minutes." She waved her hand before vanishing into the shadows. "In the meantime, please enjoy a bottle of our finest wine."
Neither had to wait more than a minute for the delivery of said beverage. And it wasn't long after a miniature version of Mutsu, dressed in a maid outfit of all things, had served them each a glass and taken her leave that both admiral and shipgirl were laughing and making merry. Their jovial banter was interrupted only when Hiei made a reappearance carrying the promised pie. But the break was short lived as they began to dig in with gusto.
"She wasn't joking when she said this was the best in the house," joked Richardson after he liberated a second slice from the sizable plate. Thick ropes of cheese had attempted to bind his food, but they were no match for a hungry admiral.
"Mmhmm!" Mutsu made a sound of agreement as her mouth was far too occupied to speak properly. It was incredibly delicious. And it made conversation difficult. It was rather hard to joke with your date when your mouth was filled with piping hot dinner. Rude, too.
Swallowing the tasty bite, Mutsu wiped her lips clean with a napkin and looked up at Richardson.
She was rather glad she'd finished her bite before doing so. John had managed to find himself locked in battle with his slice and yet more of the cheesy trappings. Only this time the potential victim was his suit. A blush colored her cheeks rapidly as she loosed a snort of laughter at the scene.
One became two and two became three as Richardson's plight grew ever more silly with each passing moment.
With a broad smile on her face, Mutsu reached over and lifted away a dollop of sauce laden cheese that had been moments away from making a mess on Richardson's clothes. Without thinking, she popped the morsel into her mouth.
That was when she froze and her boilers began to scream.
A long ribbon of cheese drew a line from her lips to a supporting finger to the troublesome slice held by John. She blinked while following the line further to his mouth.
Try as it might, the logical part of her mind could find no means to silence or even calm the more emotional side. Trying to draw parallels to a famous movie scene did not help in the slightest. The only things really registering to her were the facts that she was finally having a fun, romantic dinner date with John and that their lips were currently connected via a hot piece of pizza.
She wasn't sure if she looked like a cherry or a ghost in the candlelight, but she was fairly certain she'd lost the ability of higher thinking.
Maybe.
Certainly her gaze hadn't left John's for some time.
Both swallowed their respective mouthfuls as the binding cheese broke and dripped down, falling on the plate and remaining pie.
Richardson set down what remained of his slice and methodically wiped his hands and mouth with his napkin.
Mutsu felt herself mirroring his movements, albeit in a more mechanical manner. An anxiousness grew in her chest. Something that built even more rapidly when she took notice of his returning tension from earlier. Whatever had bound him up earlier had returned in full force.
Neither said a word for a few moments.
Moments that felt like minutes and hours and even days to the second Nagato.
Mutsu could not even draw on her usual battery of humor or sultry teasing. Her mind was awhirl in nothingness and all manner guesses. But at the same time, she was fine with that.
No thinking.
No lines.
Just...
Just her and John.
A warm smile finally made its way past her stupor.
And she could tell that despite the tension, John was happy as well.
It was the little things. Bits she'd found out over time or catching something someone had said. She knew she couldn't claim to know him as well as Hiei did. But that didn't matter.
What mattered what how well she knew him. How well she knew John Alfred Richardson. The man. The father. The admiral. The pain in the stern who tried too hard. The fool who tried to give things the worst names imaginable.
She leaned forward and rested her chin in the palms of her hands.
This was the idiotic man who had taken her heart.
And for once, she didn't feel her boilers threaten to burst. Just a steady hum. The feeling of having finally realized something she hadn't really been able to admit to herself. Something she'd known for a long time. Felt for a long time. But now had finally accepted.
"Mutsu, I-"
Mutsu smiled and brought Richardson's words to a halt.
"Yes, John?" She spoke her words with a sort of contentment. It was like everything she was feeling was being mixed into her words. It didn't make sense. Even for her. But she didn't quite care. Did love have to make sense?
Before Richardson could open his mouth again, a harsh tone blared out.
Without even seeming to think, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his smartphone in a manner not dissimilar to drawing a holstered gun.
Mutsu's expression immediately turned into one of distinct professionalism. That tone was the emergency line. Something well reserved for when someone needed John as of yesterday because the base was exploding.
But that didn't stop the despairing cry in the back of her mind.
What shattered the image of an impending attack or other, similarly dreadful incident was when she witnessed John's face screw up into an expression of the deepest irritation and fury she had ever seen.
"I am going to demote that woman to a seaman recruit and have her hull shipped to Russia."
Mutsu stood from her seat and walked over to look over Richardson's shoulder.
What she saw made her blush all the way down to the tips of her toes.
"My my, New Jersey's certainly being... direct."
"That's one way to put it." Richardson put a palm to his forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Fuck."
As if his words were the trigger, yet more messages poured out onto the phone's display.
"That seems to be what she's demanding to know." She tried to play it off with a nervous laugh, but the language and the descriptions New Jersey was using were well above what she was capable of imagining. "Oh my. Oh my my... I don't think that's even physically possible."
"Godammit..." Richardson let the phone slip from his fingers and fall to the table with a clatter.
"John?" Mutsu questioned with concern.
"Okay. Fine. No more tiptoeing the line."
Mutsu blinked in confusion and then started as Richardson stood from his seat.
She gasped when he placed both hands upon her shoulders in a firm grip. It was not tight, not in the slightest. Yet just strong enough to tell her he was dead serious and wanted her full attention. Attention she would have given to him regardless. But she had a feeling he needed to do it this way.
"Mutsu," began Richardson. "Mutsu. Second of the Nagato-class battleships. My XO and lieutenant commander for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force."
She remained silent, beckoning him to continue with a look. This was no small thing he was trying to do. And her heart raced as she imagined what it could be.
"I love you."
And her world erupted.
"I'm not going to dance around it any more. I'm not going to draw lines or hold back." Richardson released Mutsu and stood at attention, drawing himself up into the best image of himself he possibly could be. "You have been a trusted friend. A loyal confidant. A dedicated subordinate. You have been a mother to Jane and cared for her as if she were your own. You give me the worst headaches sometimes and there are days your teasing, taunting, and downright seductive nature drives me up the wall. But I love you for it. For all that and more. I feel like there is a balance in my world when you're around. No one else brings that to me and my life. No one else is as wonderful, beautiful, irritating, caring, kind, and Mutsu-like as you are."
Mutsu could only stare in shock.
"For all that and so much more, I love you, Mutsu."
Was this a dream?
Was this really happening?
"That was part of why I set this whole thing up."
"E-Eh?"
"I wanted to work up the courage to tell you that." He sighed irritably. "Christ. I feel like I'm back in high school..."
Mutsu giggled as she all too easily imagined John in his younger years. Less worn, but doing just what he had done. Well, maybe a bit more awkwardly.
"And the other part?"
"I did honestly want to have a nice dinner date with you."
Mutsu clasped her hands behind her back as she regarded him with a playful gaze. It wasn't more than a few moments before she smiled joyfully. This wasn't a dream. This was real. The man she had fallen for so strongly had just confessed to her. A fantasy had just become a reality.
"You don't know how happy that makes me, John." She had been granted a second life as a warship who was also a woman. She had been granted a happiness in the family that was the Richardsons, her sister, her friends, and so many more. Could she really be this selfish? Could she really accept all this joy in her life?
Was there anything holding her back?
At all?
Where was the other shoe?
Was there a catch of some sort?
"You... You're an ass of the highest caliber. A fool and a jerk." She giggled once more at the irritated look he sent her. "But there are more than enough pros to outweigh the cons."
"You're not going to give me a straight answer are you?"
"Not. At. All~"
"Dammit, Mutsu." Yet he said it with a smile.
Mutsu took a step forward, looking Richardson in the eyes all the while reaching out to embrace him. Her heart skipped a beat as he took her in his arms and held her as though she might vanish. This was... this was a bliss she did not want to give up.
A bliss interrupted by a radio channel coming in to her communications room.
It took great effort to not frown at the latest pause in what was becoming one of the most wonderful night of her new life.
It was a telegram.
Sent from Hiei.
"Kongou's... giving up dibs?" she spoke, barely above a whisper. "And..."
"Mutsu?"
Mutsu paused before she made her decision. The was the path she wanted. The course she would chart. And she would see it all the way through to the end. She looked John in the eyes and spoke with the clearest, most commanding and most loving tone she could muster.
"John."
Her eyes were alight with emotion and a realised desire in the candlelight.
"Love me."
He smiled and leaned in.
"As you command."
* * * * *
EDIT: Grammar.
"Please, allow me."
Mutsu giggled as her admiral made a bit of a show of pulling out her chair for her.
"Why, thank you."
She took the offered seat with a bit more tease in her motion than normal, allowing John to catch a generous flash of leg as she did so. The long, wine hued dress wasn't adorned with fancy patterns or extraneous baubles to draw attention. However the slit that ran up the side all the way to her hip made absolutely certain to keep the eye captive. To say nothing of how the dark red material hugged at her curves.
It was perhaps the most dangerous article of clothing she owned that wasn't some form of undergarment. An article she had been saving for just the right occasion. And an unexpected, but hardly unwelcome dinner date with her admiral seemed more than appropriate.
She smiled coyly when he coughed into his fist and futilely tried to make it seem as if he hadn't been staring.
John might have 'been there and done that' as he had so stated whenever some of her teasing backfired quite spectacularly, or when asked why he didn't seem fazed by one taunt or another. But she could still get plenty wonderful reactions out of him. Even through tactics that he claimed to be immune to.
Mutsu let the playful look on her face fade into a more relaxed expression as John took his seat opposite her own.
"It's not a fancy restaurant, but I did what I could." Admitted the dark haired man with a slightly crooked grin.
"I think it's wonderful." Mutsu smiled and took stock of their surroundings once more.
He'd gotten out his best dishes and silverware. The napkins and tablecloth were of a set she'd only seen him take care of, never used. And in the center of the table stood a single candle. It was only strong enough to cast a warm glow around them, not nearly enough to illuminate their surroundings. Perhaps that was his intention, to hide away the rest of the room and cast their setting into something a little more mysterious.
That would be just like him. Always a bit of a showman. Whether it be grandiose or subtle, she knew he liked to make things a bit more interesting if he could.
But there was something in his body language. Something that told her he was on edge. Coiled like a spring. Or a dam, ready to burst. A tenseness in his actions that hinted greatly to her that there was something heavy weighing on his mind.
And it couldn't just be the battles unfolding in the south.
The slight creak of the table brought her out of her musings.
"Well, maybe the table needs a little work."
He chuckled and shrugged.
"I'm surprised it's lasted this long." Richardson tapped the surface. "Breakfast alone would break a lesser table. And that was before we added another battleship and a submarine to the guest list."
"My my. Are you insinuating something, John?" Mutsu teased back with a playfully dark tinge to her voice. Did he really want to play that game? She wouldn't mind if he did, but he'd have to be ready to pay the price.
"I might be. The question is what you think I'm insinuating. Want to take a gamble?" His eyes seemed to dance in the dark.
"Hmhmhm~ What do I win if I guess right?" Mutsu leaned forward even as she felt her heartbeat begin to race, resting her chin on the back of her hand with a half lidded gaze to accompany the pose. She wasn't about to let him off so easily. If he was going to dangle such obvious bait, then he had better be prepared to follow through with it. Of course that also played to the risk of not being able to handle the sprung trap.
Still. Regardless of what sort of trap might or might not exist behind John's words, she'd still have fun with it in the end. Even if it managed to reduce her to a stammering and blushing wreck. Or if it sent her spiraling into the sort of hysterical laughter that led to being dragged from the room because she couldn't stand anymore. It was their fun.
Before Richardson could formulate a reply, a figure approached the table.
"Oh my." Mutsu couldn't hide the amazement in her voice as the candlelight illuminated a sharply dressed Hiei. It was rare to see Hiei dressed up. Even more rare was when she decided to pull out all the stops when doing so.
Hiei bowed formally, not making any sort of playful or extravagant motion.
"Sir. Madam. Thank you for choosing to dine at our establishment tonight." Hiei righted herself and spoke in a smooth, highly professional manner. Her gaze held the sort of warm politeness someone might expect from a waiter at a high-class restaurant. One who took the time to do their best for the customer. "My name is Hiei and I will be your server this evening. In addition, I will also be your chef."
Richardson smiled at Mutsu before turning his attention to Hiei.
Out of the corner of her eye, Mutsu saw the ghost of amusement flash across his stern visage. So even whatever was weighing on him tonight couldn't quite stave off the entertainment Hiei was providing with her act. That was a relief.
"A chef and a waiter. You must be busy tonight." Richardson's quip drew a giggle from Mutsu and a look of confidence from Hiei.
"I assure both of you that I shall put every bit of my spirit into making sure the evening goes perfectly for you." A grin far more familiar to Mutsu spread across Hiei's lips before she continued. "And I have some assistance."
"Then, Miss Hiei," spoke Mutsu through her stifled giggles, "What is on the menu tonight?"
"My talented assistants and I have crafted a wonderful pizza for you. An inch deep and stuffed with three different meats, red onions, bell peppers, and four kinds of cheese." Hiei accentuated her description with a proud expression. "With a thick crust and homemade sauce, I am confident this is the best pie our home has to offer."
It took Mutsu a great amount of willpower to not drool at the description.
And from the looks of it, her admiral was suffering a similar problem.
"That sounds delicious." Thankfully her stomach decided to not voice its agreement. She smiled with amusement. "Hopefully it will last long enough for us to savor it."
"I assure you, there's more than enough for you to enjoy."
"Enough for a hungry battleship and an admiral?"
"Without question." Hiei nodded resolutely before grinning. "This would keep an Iowa up and running for days."
Mutsu was not sure what to make of the twinkle in Hiei's bright, blue eyes. A trick of the lighting maybe?
"I have it out for you in a few minutes." She waved her hand before vanishing into the shadows. "In the meantime, please enjoy a bottle of our finest wine."
Neither had to wait more than a minute for the delivery of said beverage. And it wasn't long after a miniature version of Mutsu, dressed in a maid outfit of all things, had served them each a glass and taken her leave that both admiral and shipgirl were laughing and making merry. Their jovial banter was interrupted only when Hiei made a reappearance carrying the promised pie. But the break was short lived as they began to dig in with gusto.
"She wasn't joking when she said this was the best in the house," joked Richardson after he liberated a second slice from the sizable plate. Thick ropes of cheese had attempted to bind his food, but they were no match for a hungry admiral.
"Mmhmm!" Mutsu made a sound of agreement as her mouth was far too occupied to speak properly. It was incredibly delicious. And it made conversation difficult. It was rather hard to joke with your date when your mouth was filled with piping hot dinner. Rude, too.
Swallowing the tasty bite, Mutsu wiped her lips clean with a napkin and looked up at Richardson.
She was rather glad she'd finished her bite before doing so. John had managed to find himself locked in battle with his slice and yet more of the cheesy trappings. Only this time the potential victim was his suit. A blush colored her cheeks rapidly as she loosed a snort of laughter at the scene.
One became two and two became three as Richardson's plight grew ever more silly with each passing moment.
With a broad smile on her face, Mutsu reached over and lifted away a dollop of sauce laden cheese that had been moments away from making a mess on Richardson's clothes. Without thinking, she popped the morsel into her mouth.
That was when she froze and her boilers began to scream.
A long ribbon of cheese drew a line from her lips to a supporting finger to the troublesome slice held by John. She blinked while following the line further to his mouth.
Try as it might, the logical part of her mind could find no means to silence or even calm the more emotional side. Trying to draw parallels to a famous movie scene did not help in the slightest. The only things really registering to her were the facts that she was finally having a fun, romantic dinner date with John and that their lips were currently connected via a hot piece of pizza.
She wasn't sure if she looked like a cherry or a ghost in the candlelight, but she was fairly certain she'd lost the ability of higher thinking.
Maybe.
Certainly her gaze hadn't left John's for some time.
Both swallowed their respective mouthfuls as the binding cheese broke and dripped down, falling on the plate and remaining pie.
Richardson set down what remained of his slice and methodically wiped his hands and mouth with his napkin.
Mutsu felt herself mirroring his movements, albeit in a more mechanical manner. An anxiousness grew in her chest. Something that built even more rapidly when she took notice of his returning tension from earlier. Whatever had bound him up earlier had returned in full force.
Neither said a word for a few moments.
Moments that felt like minutes and hours and even days to the second Nagato.
Mutsu could not even draw on her usual battery of humor or sultry teasing. Her mind was awhirl in nothingness and all manner guesses. But at the same time, she was fine with that.
No thinking.
No lines.
Just...
Just her and John.
A warm smile finally made its way past her stupor.
And she could tell that despite the tension, John was happy as well.
It was the little things. Bits she'd found out over time or catching something someone had said. She knew she couldn't claim to know him as well as Hiei did. But that didn't matter.
What mattered what how well she knew him. How well she knew John Alfred Richardson. The man. The father. The admiral. The pain in the stern who tried too hard. The fool who tried to give things the worst names imaginable.
She leaned forward and rested her chin in the palms of her hands.
This was the idiotic man who had taken her heart.
And for once, she didn't feel her boilers threaten to burst. Just a steady hum. The feeling of having finally realized something she hadn't really been able to admit to herself. Something she'd known for a long time. Felt for a long time. But now had finally accepted.
"Mutsu, I-"
Mutsu smiled and brought Richardson's words to a halt.
"Yes, John?" She spoke her words with a sort of contentment. It was like everything she was feeling was being mixed into her words. It didn't make sense. Even for her. But she didn't quite care. Did love have to make sense?
Before Richardson could open his mouth again, a harsh tone blared out.
Without even seeming to think, he reached into his pocket and withdrew his smartphone in a manner not dissimilar to drawing a holstered gun.
Mutsu's expression immediately turned into one of distinct professionalism. That tone was the emergency line. Something well reserved for when someone needed John as of yesterday because the base was exploding.
But that didn't stop the despairing cry in the back of her mind.
What shattered the image of an impending attack or other, similarly dreadful incident was when she witnessed John's face screw up into an expression of the deepest irritation and fury she had ever seen.
"I am going to demote that woman to a seaman recruit and have her hull shipped to Russia."
Mutsu stood from her seat and walked over to look over Richardson's shoulder.
What she saw made her blush all the way down to the tips of her toes.
"My my, New Jersey's certainly being... direct."
"That's one way to put it." Richardson put a palm to his forehead and sighed in exasperation. "Fuck."
As if his words were the trigger, yet more messages poured out onto the phone's display.
"That seems to be what she's demanding to know." She tried to play it off with a nervous laugh, but the language and the descriptions New Jersey was using were well above what she was capable of imagining. "Oh my. Oh my my... I don't think that's even physically possible."
"Godammit..." Richardson let the phone slip from his fingers and fall to the table with a clatter.
"John?" Mutsu questioned with concern.
"Okay. Fine. No more tiptoeing the line."
Mutsu blinked in confusion and then started as Richardson stood from his seat.
She gasped when he placed both hands upon her shoulders in a firm grip. It was not tight, not in the slightest. Yet just strong enough to tell her he was dead serious and wanted her full attention. Attention she would have given to him regardless. But she had a feeling he needed to do it this way.
"Mutsu," began Richardson. "Mutsu. Second of the Nagato-class battleships. My XO and lieutenant commander for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force."
She remained silent, beckoning him to continue with a look. This was no small thing he was trying to do. And her heart raced as she imagined what it could be.
"I love you."
And her world erupted.
"I'm not going to dance around it any more. I'm not going to draw lines or hold back." Richardson released Mutsu and stood at attention, drawing himself up into the best image of himself he possibly could be. "You have been a trusted friend. A loyal confidant. A dedicated subordinate. You have been a mother to Jane and cared for her as if she were your own. You give me the worst headaches sometimes and there are days your teasing, taunting, and downright seductive nature drives me up the wall. But I love you for it. For all that and more. I feel like there is a balance in my world when you're around. No one else brings that to me and my life. No one else is as wonderful, beautiful, irritating, caring, kind, and Mutsu-like as you are."
Mutsu could only stare in shock.
"For all that and so much more, I love you, Mutsu."
Was this a dream?
Was this really happening?
"That was part of why I set this whole thing up."
"E-Eh?"
"I wanted to work up the courage to tell you that." He sighed irritably. "Christ. I feel like I'm back in high school..."
Mutsu giggled as she all too easily imagined John in his younger years. Less worn, but doing just what he had done. Well, maybe a bit more awkwardly.
"And the other part?"
"I did honestly want to have a nice dinner date with you."
Mutsu clasped her hands behind her back as she regarded him with a playful gaze. It wasn't more than a few moments before she smiled joyfully. This wasn't a dream. This was real. The man she had fallen for so strongly had just confessed to her. A fantasy had just become a reality.
"You don't know how happy that makes me, John." She had been granted a second life as a warship who was also a woman. She had been granted a happiness in the family that was the Richardsons, her sister, her friends, and so many more. Could she really be this selfish? Could she really accept all this joy in her life?
Was there anything holding her back?
At all?
Where was the other shoe?
Was there a catch of some sort?
"You... You're an ass of the highest caliber. A fool and a jerk." She giggled once more at the irritated look he sent her. "But there are more than enough pros to outweigh the cons."
"You're not going to give me a straight answer are you?"
"Not. At. All~"
"Dammit, Mutsu." Yet he said it with a smile.
Mutsu took a step forward, looking Richardson in the eyes all the while reaching out to embrace him. Her heart skipped a beat as he took her in his arms and held her as though she might vanish. This was... this was a bliss she did not want to give up.
A bliss interrupted by a radio channel coming in to her communications room.
It took great effort to not frown at the latest pause in what was becoming one of the most wonderful night of her new life.
It was a telegram.
Sent from Hiei.
"Kongou's... giving up dibs?" she spoke, barely above a whisper. "And..."
"Mutsu?"
Mutsu paused before she made her decision. The was the path she wanted. The course she would chart. And she would see it all the way through to the end. She looked John in the eyes and spoke with the clearest, most commanding and most loving tone she could muster.
"John."
Her eyes were alight with emotion and a realised desire in the candlelight.
"Love me."
He smiled and leaned in.
"As you command."
* * * * *
EDIT: Grammar.
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