Crowing had barely touched his breakfast when he saw Jersey sashay in with a hungry smile on her lips, which was something he still wasn't totally used to. Jersey waking up before noon
at all was an idea so preposterous it could barely be conceived of. But doing so when she had demonstrably not gotten a single wink of sleep the entire night brought new meaning to the word 'impossible.'
As she bounced over to the serving line to fill up her tray with waffles and toast, Crowning almost choked on his oatmeal. She had the unmistakable dopey smile of a woman who'd just had sex, which somehow looked so out of place on the amazon's towering body that it added a whole new dimension to this chart of impossibility.
In fact, just witnessing this collision of impossible events was enough to send Crowning's brain crashing to a screeching halt. The next thing he new, Jersey was standing next to him with a tray so overloaded with waffles and sausage it was visibly bowing. "Mind if I join you?"
Crowning shook his head as time and space rapidly caught up to him. "Huh? Oh, yeah."
She smiled and set her immense—by human standards, it was about what he'd grown to expect from her appetite—breakfast down with a clatter of plastic on plastic.
"So…" Crowing eyed the girl up. There wasn't a shred of grogginess about her like he would've expected if the famously morning-shy boat woke up this early. "I hear you got laid."
"Oh
hell yes," said Jersey with a grin. "It was—"
Before she could continue, Musashi arrived. But instead of her usual bombastic fanfare, the massive superbattleship just shuffled through the doors in a haze. Her hair was a mess, her eyes lidded, and her gait barely more than a pained shuffle. Her lips parted in a raspy moan as she slowly made her way to the drink station, each motion seeming utterly torturous for her massive body to complete.
Jersey grinned like a six year old dropped off at a candy store with a blank check. "You up for another round, Mushi?" She cackled.
Musashi slowly—
painfully slowly—raised her middle finger at the Iowa. She filled a cup up with nothing but ice and pressed it between her legs. The mighty Yamato collapsed into a chair, her face parting in the purest bliss Crowning had ever seen in his life.
Jersey howled with laughter. "Fuck you, Mushi! I win!"
Musashi didn't bother responding, and with no reaction to her taunts, Jersey gave up and turned back to Crowning. "Anyways, uh… where was I?"
"By context," said Crowning, "You were about to describe your night. Which, by the way," he added with a smirk. "I'm content leaving as a mystery."
"Spoilsport," pouted the big Iowa. "And… actually that's not what I meant to tell you. Which is thanks… for the other day… when I offered to let you fuck me." The battleship took a massive bite out of an improbably large pile of waffles that she still managed to swallow in an improbably short amount of time.
"Jersey—"
"No, lemme finish," said the battleship. "I wasn't… uh… all there. When that happened. You coulda taken advantage of me, but you didn't. So thanks."
"Jersey," Crowning shook his head. "I wouldn't… I'd never do that to you."
"I know," said Jersey. "You're… like that, you know? You make a girl… boat… whatever, feel safe when you're around. It's nice. And… on that subject…" The Iowa flashed a smirk. "I ran into Kirishima the other day."
"Should I fear for my pelvis?" Crowning took a nonchalant sip of tea.'
"Yes," said Jersey, "But that's secondary. You know I asked her why she hasn't jumped you yet. Know what she said?"
"Can't say I do," said Crowning, aware that Jersey was telling a story now more than holding a conversation.
"She said 'I've only know him a few weeks, that's not enough to build a relationship around'." Jersey scarfed down another few syrup-drenched waffles. If she was human, her diabetes would have diabetes by now. "Smart fucking girl. I never thought of that… probably why you and I… sorta… imploded."
"Jersey, that wasn't your fault—"
"Fuck you, it was." Jersey rolled her eyes. "Anyways… Minidess has a point, can't build a real relationship off that little. But it's enough for a date."
"You think I should ask Kirishima out?" said Crowning with bemused interest.
"Yes, dammit," said Jersey, in much the same way you'd tell a toddler that the sky was in fact blue. "She's cute as
fuck and is totally into you. Also, I can tell you that underneath those robes and bindings Kongous have
wicked ass tiddy."
"I…" Crowning didn't know what to say to that.
"Look," said Jersey. "Take her to that pie place and talk about books or some nerdy-ass shit. She'll eat it up." She glanced over at where Musashi was gingerly pressing icepacks against her battered body. "Now… if you'll excuse me… I need to be a giant raging asshole to Mushi."
Crowning rolled his eyes with a grin. "Never change, Jersey."
"Yeah yeah," Jersey picked up her tray. "And ask 'shima out."
"I—"
"
Do it." Barked Jersey in a startlingly commanding officer voice. It was a sudden and prompt reminder that—immature antics aside—when a battleship spoke,
everyone listened.
—|—|—
Meanwhile in the gulf, large cruiser Alaska had changed back into her duty uniform. And yes, she did mean
she had changed. She'd hoped to convince Cameron to help peel her out of her fancy dinner-dress blues, but all the cajoling in the world apparently wasn't enough to get the idea that Alaska wanted her boyfriend to unwrap his Christmas present through said boyfriend's impossible thick skull.
Even when she spelled out her desires in such simple terms that he couldn't possibly miss her meaning, he still turned her down. Not because he didn't
want to mind you, he made it very clear that a naked Alaska would make him quite happy, but because he wanted to marry her first.
Alaska had mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, she was as much a young woman as she was an even younger large cruiser. She had womanly needs and desired, and she wanted so very much to spend some intimate time with the love of her life. But on the other hand… Alaska had to admit… if Cameron
had taken her up on her offer, he wouldn't be the man she fell in love with.
"I love you." Alaska glanced across the truck's cabin and smiled at her boyfriend. Her thigh brushed against his as the heavily-laden quad-axle truck swayed around a curve. She didn't fight the motion and let her head loll against Cameron's shoulder.
"I love you too, 'laska." Cameron smiled and put his arm around his boat-girlfriend's slim shoulder, holding her delightfully cool body against his. "Any particular reason?"
Alaska shrugged and closed her eyes. "I just do."
Cameron chuckled and ran his hand up and down her side. Alaska was very slender, even through the fabric of her parka he could pick out the muscles in her side and the delicate morsels of baby fat that gave her that flat-chested but delightfully womanly figure.
She was the most beautiful girl in the world, which was almost totally irrelevant. She was kind and gentle and sweet as the driven snow, when she smiled it was all he could see. That she was pretty was just the cherry on top.
"You know," Alaska didn't open her eyes as she snuggled up tighter. "You looked really nice."
"Huh?" Cameron glanced over at his girlfriend and got a nose full of her snowy white hair for his troubles. "Pah," he spat out a mouthful of her glittering mane and hugged her tighter.
"The other night," said Alaska. "When we talked to Jane. You looked really nice. I should've told you."
"You had enough on your mind," said Cameron. The Skype conversation had only lasted a few hours—most of which was spent with him behind the camera managing Alaska's slides—but it was enough. He could see why Alaska—why
all the kanmusume—respected Jane Richardson the way they did. "We were talking to Jane after all."
"I know," Alaska half-pouted. "But still… you looked nice and I should've told you." She smiled lazily and nuzzled his neck with her cool nose. "Mmm… you should dress up for me more."
"Maybe I'll take you out for dinner," said Cameron. Normally, he'd be worried about the inevitably lengthy bill his girlfriend's gluttonous appetite would ring up. But Alaska had made a bit of a name for herself on the Gulf Coast, and more than a few restaurants had offered to comp a meal if she wanted to visit.
"Mmm…" Alaska purred contentedly. "I'd like that."
Cameron smiled and kissed the large cruiser on the crown of her snowy head. "Me too, 'laska."
The truck ground to a halt, but neither one moved for a moment. Cameron really couldn't, not with Alaska pinning his arm in place with her body, and Alaska was clearly too comfortable to disturb. But eventually the large cruiser smiled and peeled herself off him with a yawn. "We there?" she asked.
"Yeah," Cameron unbuckled and slid down the bench to the door. "You have the plans, right?"
Alaska nodded and patted a pouch on her gunbelt. "I do," she said without a hint of accusation.
The two hopped out of the big truck and—after Alaska thanked their Marine driver with a hug—stepped into Cameron's Mom's Bridal boutique. It was, in Alaska's opinion, the most gorgeously pretty place in the whole world. There were dresses and dresses and dresses, almost all of them in the exact same shimmering snow-white color as her own hair. She had to force herself not to touch everything she passed, it was all so pretty!
"Look!" Alaska tugged at her boyfriend's sleeve. "Look!" She could just see a dress being worked on in the back. It was obviously not finished, but that didn't matter. It was gorgeous all the same, slim and fitted with a flared-out waist and a skirt that looked like a waterfall of churning sea spray. There were even little tufts of what Alaska was
certain was wolf's fur accenting around the collar.
"Oh no," Cameron buried his head in his hand.
"Don't you think it's pretty?" said Alaska.
Cameron muttered something noncommittal into his hands.
"Well it is," said Alaska.
Before the two could continue their conversation further, Cameron's mom came trotting out from behind a row of veils on display. She looked absolutely gorgeous, as per usual, and also in severe need of a large-cruiser-sized hug.
"Hey Cameron, 'laska, nice to—oh." Christy Young smiled as the much taller large cruiser threw her arms around her for a hug. "Nice to see you too, 'laska."
"Thanks, Christy." Alaska squeezed once, then let go. Cristy wasn't
quite as huggable as Sara, but she was close.
"Hi, mom," said Cameron. His cheeks were glowing red for some reason Alaska couldn't discern.
"You seen my new piece?" Christy glanced at Cameron's blush and smirked.
"Yes… mother…" Cameron's blush intensified.
Alaska, meanwhile, quietly raised her hand and waited to be called on.
"Yes, sorry," Christy smiled and pushed Alaska's hand down with hers. "You came here for a reason."
Alaska nodded.
"You know, we don't normally do this sort of thing," said Christy, leading the two into the workshop in the back. "But for you two, I'll make an exception." She settled down at her workbench and leafed through a sketchbook to find her design. "Here."
The dress was gorgeous. A deep, rich red and trimmed with pure white fur, it was cut very short. A delicious band of creamy skin was left open above a pair of thigh-high stockings, teasing at the wonderland waiting beneath that fur-lined miniskirt. A short cape in the same rich red draped over the shoulders, ending just above the elbow and cinched high around the neck. Of course, an adorable little red scarf pulled the whole thing together.
"Oh," Alaska smiled, "It's gorgeous."
"You outdid yourself, mom," said Cameron, shooting nervous glances at the partially finished fur-trimmed wedding gown for some reason.
"I know it's going to a good cause," said Christy. "You got her sizes?"
Alaska nodded and fished a few pages full of measurements hand-copied from
Janes' Fighting Kanmusu (2015-2016) in Alaska's own neat but childish writing. Plus a few
extrameasurements she'd cleaned through seemingly innocent cuddle sessions. "Right here."
Christy set a pair of reading glasses on her slim nose and scanned over the paper. Almost immediately her jaw dropped. "Good lord…
that's her bust?"
Alaska nodded. "She's very stacked."
"You… can say that again," said Christy. She whistled in shock. "Girl must be happy to have a keel made out of steel."
Alaska shrugged. "I just know they're super comfy."
"Think you can do it mom?" asked Cameron.
"For what 'laska and 'tago are paying me?" Christy chuckled. "I'll have it done, don't you worry."
Alaska smiled, and quietly checked off another box on her notebook. The very small, very hidden notebook that only a precious few privy to certain operations knew about.
—|—|—
Support Carrier Shinano had been up for a while. Well, that wasn't really true. She'd been
awake for a while, but she hadn't been able to find the energy to actually get
up until just now. Her bed might've been too small for her comically large body to actually fit without spilling over, but it was still soft and warm and covered with what felt like several towns' worth of fluffy blankets.
To make things better, Jersey had been sure to toss all those blankets in the drier so they came out fresh and warm
just before the big battleship tucked Shinano in for the night. She was so warm and comfortable and content, and she only got happier when her escort for the night arrived. The Taffies were needed on the line, but as a fallback Jersey had apparently taken up a collection around the base.
There were hundreds of parents living in and around Everett. Most of them had children who'd grown beyond needing the comfort of a familiar stuffed friend to lull them to sleep, but some kept the plush animals around for some reason or another. From those few, a crack team of battle-tested plushies had been assembled. Veterans who'd cut their soft, downy teeth watching over the rest of boys and girls all over the city now joined together to protect Shinano's rest.
It was the most comfortable thing the support carrier had ever felt in her shockingly brief existence, and she just hadn't wanted it to end. But eventually, her immense hunger got the better of her, and Shinano pulled herself from the warm embrace of her covers.
She yawned, stretching her powerful arms and working the kinks out of her shoulders. A moment later she started getting into her uniform. It only took her three tries to get her sarashi bound properly this time, and her heavy canvas hakama went on right the very first try!
Shinano smiled to herself as she settled her heavy forged-iron breastplate in place and cinched down the thick leather straps holding it in place. With her bindings and armor on, her figure was at least reasonably close to looking like a carrier should. And… and her sister was here too. Shinano was pretty sure most people would be looking at Musashi's chest, not her own, so that was something.
Shinano was just about to do her hair—or more accurately, to
try and do her hair. She still hadn't mastered braiding, maybe Jersey would help?—when she heard a knock at her door.
"Um," Shinano blushed, still not used to being treated so kindly. "C-come in?"
The door swung open, and three very small warships stepped in.
"Hi," said the one dressed in a comically oversized Marine-issue coat. "I'm Sammy B."
"I'm England," said the one with a pair of enormous sonar headphones hooked around her little neck.
"And… I'm Walker," said the smallest and quietest one of the group who had a big book tucked under her little arm.
"We'll be your breakfast escort for today," said Sammy B with a smile.
"Could you come this way, ma'am?" Asked England, offering her tiny little hand to Shinano. The support carrier took it in her heavy leather gauntlet-clad paw and allowed herself to be towed off to the mess hall. Today, she decided, was going to be a good day.