Dirtnap
Kanmusu Affecionado
Look again, her hands are on the sword not the crossbow
Changing Destiny (Kancolle)
- Thread starter Skywalker_T-65
- Start date
- Location
- New York
And Ark Royal is here. Which comes around to...
Stop reading my mind KC artists!
(alternatively, keep reading my writing KC artists)
I gotta say though, I'm not digging the compound bow. I mean, England's whole thing was the Longbow, and you're gonna tell me their carriers have shitty, modern compound bows instead of glorious English Longbows?
- Location
- Barcelona, Catalunya, EU (for now)
And what's with the Stingrays? Why not Swordfish?
*Looks at image*
Hm. I think Kancolle did a good job with Ark Royal's character design.
Hm. I think Kancolle did a good job with Ark Royal's character design.
It's to differentiate from the longbow-using Japanese carriers. Also, the English did upgrade to composite bows when they started to outperform the traditional longbow, so it's logical to assume that, had firearms not replaced the bow, they would have progressed to the modern compound bow due to it, again, providing better performance.
And besides, given English cussedness, I wouldn't be shocked in the slightest if they developed a compound LONGBOW just out of spite (and to make sure theirs were that little bit better than the French's). That said, I suspect that Arky's bow is sized for the length of draw that someone of her fairly petite proportions could reasonably use.
Personally, I'm just hoping that, should the Yorktowns or Essexes show up, they get flight-deck variant Garands. (And the Midways can get M14s!)
Burning Baron
This position needs more entrenching.
- Location
- In here, not out there.
It's another aquatic creature, I guess.
Spectre
eternal servant to the Fire/EMS gods
- Location
- NY
could be a play on the "stringbag/ stingbag" nickname the swordfish had.
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~Celeste~
Vampire Catgirl Extraordinaire
- Pronouns
- She/They
I should probably point out that the Re 2001 OR (the carrier version) was only ordered in Decembre 1941. Even if it was ordered earlier, developing a carrier version and testing it with both catapult and wire would take a while.
Nice.And Ark Royal is here. Which comes around to...
Stop reading my mind KC artists!
(alternatively, keep reading my writing KC artists)
It is going to be interesting to see the initial ackward interactions between the ship girls and their crew.
Especially, since ship girls are the only female crew members on board.
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Chapter 38
Skywalker_T-65
Writer with too many ideas.
- Location
- United States
- Pronouns
- Plural/They/He/Her
Chapter 38
November 30, 1941
Admiral Thompson smiled as wind blew through his hair. The breeze was cool and crisp. Smells of the Pacific Ocean wafted up at him. And his feet were finally back where he belonged. On the bridge of Saratoga, waiting only for her aircrew to return before setting off for Pearl. After so long in Washington it almost felt strange to be here. Not in a bad way. But strange.
"Oh it is good to be back," Thompson sighed softly, his hand running along the railing. He was fairly certain some of the bridge crew were smiling behind his back. Probably rolling their eyes too.
He found he didn't really care.
Now, where is Sara? I expected her to be up here by now.
Turning around, Thompson examined his bridge. Everything was familiar...old machinery and old stations, manned by bright young men. Here and there he could pick out differences. New equipment added, or pieces moved around. And of course, the very fact the bridge was open now. It left a strange mix of different and familiar in his eyes.
Yet still no sign of who he had wanted to meet.
"You have the bridge, Captain." The time-traveling Admiral turned away from the windows, and headed towards the exit deeper into the island. "I'd like to look over my ship and see what else has changed."
"Of course, sir." Sara's Captain nodded, though his lips seemed to twitch up ever so slightly.
Thompson gracefully ignored that, and nodded back as he exited the bridge. He would, eventually, look over all the modifications made and see if they passed muster. But first, and foremost, he was going to the place most likely to have Sara. Namely...towards his quarters. He could always rely on finding her there, if nowhere else.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-
"Admiral!"
And, as a blue-haired missile slammed into his chest, Thompson was proven right. Luckily he had already shut the door to his quarters, so he was merely pushed back against it roughly. Trying to stay on his feet was practically impossible. Especially with the strong arms wrapped around his torso.
"Well, t--that isn't the greeting I expected." The Admiral grunted, ignoring a little jab of pain from his back.
"Sorry!" Sara pulled back, staring up at him with wide green eyes. "I didn't mean to hit you like that. I just...it's been so long and I--"
Thompson couldn't help the smile on his face, as he pulled his carrier's arms off his torso. "It's fine, Sara. Just a little warning next time."
His words didn't stop the bright flush crossing her face, but Saratoga nodded anyway. The carrier stepped back a little bit, allowing her Admiral to fully enter his room. Here, more than anywhere else, nothing had changed. Everything was exactly as he had left it. Everything--
But for the carrier next to him.
"You changed your dress, Sara?" Thompson raised a curious eyebrow, looking his oldest friend up and down.
"I did," she confirmed, doing a little twirl in place to demonstrate. The smile on her face was blinding. "Do you like it?"
Well...
Smile widening, Admiral Thompson nodded as he moved to sit down on his bed. "I do. Didn't know you could change your clothing like that, though. The remodel?"
"Hm."
With a little hum of her own, Sara plopped down next to her Admiral. Her hands smoothed out her new, much longer, white dress. A dress that hugged her curves, while covering much more than her old skirt had done. Other than the pockets and the black line down the center, it was completely featureless though. Save for the red necktie that Sara's hands fidgeted with, that she seemed to have kept from her old uniform.
If it weren't for that and her hair, Thompson would almost believe she was a different person entirely.
"New dress aside," the Admiral didn't make a single noise of protest when his carrier leaned against his side. "How have things been going for you?"
Sara just smiled up at him, gently setting her head on his shoulder. "Not much. There really wasn't anything to do, if I'm being quite honest. Even Ari and Utah left before I did." A soft sigh escaped pretty lips, as long blue hair shifted on the Admiral's shoulder. "Honestly, I just wanted to be done with it."
"Got bored, did we?" Thompson couldn't help the snort. He tried, but he couldn't.
Imagining Sara sitting on her bridge, bored out of her mind? It didn't fit the calm and collected woman he knew. Then again--
"Careful, sir."
--neither did the single green eye, looking up at him past a lock of black hair. The eye narrowed in clear warning that he watch what he said. Or else he would regret it.
And all it did was make his snort transfer into full-scale laughter. Laughter that, despite the sour look on her face, was soon joined by giggles from the carrier. Both Admiral and ship shared in a moment of unrestrained happiness at being together again. It had been entirely too long. Stress from dealing with politics for Thompson. And boredom from being left alone for Sara.
Was it really any surprise both of them longed for simpler times?
"I needed that," Thompson leaned back with a relaxed sigh, smiling as the woman at his side followed the movement. "I really did. You always did know exactly what to say, Sara."
The carrier rolled her eyes, "Well of course." Her voice was filled with an airy haughtiness, as she pulled away just enough to stare down her Admiral. "After all, I know you better than anyone."
Thompson didn't deny the point, merely pulling Saratoga back down beside him. Other than a surprised noise of protest, the woman didn't try to resist his gesture. She seemed to be quite content, merely sitting next to him. With her body pressed into his side.
"What about you, Admiral?" Sara's voice was soft, when she asked that question.
"Well..." with a shrug of his shoulders, the Admiral smiled over at Sara's curious expression. "I met my family. That was...an adventure."
Sara tilted her head curiously, "What do you mean?"
"You know my family," Thompson rolled his eyes at the memories. His gra---his mother was doting and everything one could expect from a housewife in the '40s. His father...well, his father was different. "Granddad is still trying to push me into getting married. I think Grandma wants me to do the same thing, but she isn't as vocal about it. You'd think they're worried I'm celibate or something."
"Are you?"
That innocent question had Thompson chuckle softly, "Hardly. I had all the adventures one can imagine when I was younger. I just haven't had any interest in women right now. Didn't I tell you that months ago?"
There was no immediate answer. Sara's grip on his arm tightened a little, and the carrier leaned more into his side. Her body pressed against his, and it was all Thompson could do to look down on her. At bright green eyes- always a little brighter than his own -staring back at him.
Is--is she...?
"You did," Saratoga finally replied. Her lips worked slowly over those words, as she ducked her head away. Hiding those pretty green eyes. "I just--its silly, really. Whenever you talk about that, I wonder what you really feel about. I'm a warship, I shouldn't even be thinking about that. But I can't stop myself."
Her arms tightened on the Admiral's, pulling him close to her. His arm settled between her breasts--over her slowly beating heart. Thompson could feel it, through the thin fabric of their uniforms. A rhythmic thump-thump in tune with the turbo-electric system beneath their feet. She was a warship. She was human. And right now, she was clutching him tightly, what little of her face he could see flushed bright pink.
"Sara."
His voice was barely above a whisper itself. Thompson reached his free hand down, gently pulling her face up. His fingers cupped her chin, green staring into green. His gaze took in every inch of her flushed face. From her pursed lips, right up to her slim nose.
"You keep asking that question," he continued, voice softening further. A small smile cracking his lips. "And every time, it comes back to this. Doesn't it?"
She hesitantly returned the smile, "It does, doesn't it? I'm sorry sir, it's...not proper of me. I shouldn't be thinking this way, certainly not as a warship! It's not proper at all, and Lex would never stop talking about it and Little E will tease me so much while Utah keeps telling me she saw it a--"
"Stop already, I can barely understand you." Thompson couldn't stop a chuckle, at the distinctly strange sight of Saratoga being a motor mouth. She was normally more composed than this.
It was clearly really bothering her, having to say this. At a time like this.
"I...you're right." Sara clearly agreed. She sucked in a steadying breath, and shook her head a little to get strands of blue-black hair out of her face. Her hands refused to let go of his arm. "I'm a warship, and my first goal has always been keeping you and my crew alive. To serve the nation. Feelings like this are--well, I've never felt like this before. Not until I met you."
'None of us have ever felt like this before, sir. People like joking about Kongou and the others, but we try to...compensate for never talking with anyone before. These feelings are always so strange to us. Half of us don't even know what we're doing!
It's something I've always liked about you. You don't try to take advantage of it. I can't tell you the number of times someone has tried to take advantage of the destroyer's innocence or tried to push one of the larger girls to do something. A lot of times, the girls don't know what is going on--they always play on that. Planning ahead of time.
You...well, you always treated us with respect Admiral. Even if I can tell you're as lost as I am half the time.'
Thompson shook his head, pushing the memory back. The Sara in front of him was not the same woman he had met, years ago. And yet she was so similar. And just like then, he had to say something.
"I've tried to keep myself from looking at you, or anyone else, like that." The time-traveling Admiral sighed. His body leaned back against the bulkhead of his quarters, as his free hand gently rubbed Sara's hair. "It was frowned upon, back where I came from. Forming relationships with anyone under your command. You girls especially so. Some people treated you as equipment, some as guardian angels...it was all so complicated. Throwing romance in on that was just asking for trouble."
Sara's face fell, "And that hasn't changed. I understand that, Admiral. Especially now. I'm still a warship, not a woman. You can't see me as anything more than--"
"I tried to keep myself from doing that."
Those words cut the carrier off, and brought her wide eyes back up to her Admiral. Thompson returned the expression, his free hand now idly scratching his chin. A little bit of stubble covered it, giving him an air of youth that hid the lines developing from the stress he was under. But even now, his smile was the same as ever.
Soft and caring. What had made Sara- and, a traitorous part of her whispered, Ari -end up in this position in the first place. She just hadn't been willing to admit it, even to herself.
"You need to understand, Sara," Thompson continued with his voice clearly conflicted. "It is hard to break old habits. You still being a part of this ship has nothing to do with it." His smile widened slightly, as the Admiral patted her head like he would a bulkhead. "If you, or anyone else, being a ship was enough to cause a problem, it would have caused that when I first met you. Its easy to see past that, if you're willing to try."
"Admiral...are you...?" Sara didn't dare to hope, even as she squeezed a little tighter against the arm she had never released.
Thompson continued to smile, but shook his head. "Sara. Regardless of what either of us feel, we can't do anything right now. Whenever this gets out- and it will get out, mark my words -how do you think the public would react to 'Admiral is in a relationship with his warship'? Even now, I can just see the headlines."
And there was the problem, wasn't it? No one really knew how the public was going to react to the news of the ship girls to begin with. Tossing in something like that, on top of everything else...no, Sara couldn't well blame her Admiral for what he was saying. It wouldn't stop her from holding on tight and refusing to let go. But she could understand.
It didn't make it any easier though. It never had.
"That said," the Admiral leaned down, smirking at the way Sara's face turned a yet-brighter shade of pink with his breath whispering over her nose. "I'm sure we can work something out. Once I've got everything sorted out." Without another word, his lips brushed against the carrier's nose. Nothing more than a short tap.
It was still enough to send a rush of energy through Sara and cause a hiccup in her engineering spaces.
"Not least, being figuring out what I'm going to do about Ari. I'm not blind to how she feels."
The lingering feeling of his lips on her nose was enough to keep a smile on Sara's face, despite the topic. "Ari...I don't think she ever gave up on you. She was still talking about how she wanted to show you her remodel, the last time I saw her. I don't think I've ever seen her that excited, if I'm being completely honest."
Thompson sighed, "That's about what I expected. That isn't going to be a fun conversation."
Lack of fun or not, that conversation was well in the future. For the moment, both carrier and Admiral were content to lay next to each other. Thompson feeling the beating of Sara's heart against his arm. And Sara feeling the warmth of his arm against her body. After months apart, months spent reflecting on what they meant to each other, it was sweet, sweet release to pent-up feelings. Even if it couldn't go any further than this. Not now.
"Anyway," Thompson turned his head a little, content expression never once leaving his face. "Do you want to hear about the time I met Churchill?"
"You met Churchill?!" Sara's voice was filled with shock. Her wide green gaze looking up at her Admiral. "Why did--you were going to tell me this, weren't you?"
The Admiral laughed a little, "Before everything else, yeah. Anyway, it was with the President on Augusta and we were..."
Whatever else Thompson was going to say was lost to time. Without even waiting to knock on his door, Sara's wireless operator chose that exact moment to burst into the room. The man was panting as if he had sprinted over the entirety of her hull, wide-eyed and flushed-faced. However, the most noticeable thing was his eyes. Eyes wide with fear and panic, as he held out shaking hands holding a message.
"A--Admiral, you need to see this." The young man struggled to get his breathing under control, as Thompson shared a look with Sara and climbed off his bed. The rating didn't notice the look, unable to see Sara. "This is confirmed. Not a hoax."
Those words...those words were enough to make Thompson's own face pale. He was out of bed quicker than he ever had been before, pulling the message from shaking hands.
"Air raid Pearl Harbor. This is not drill."
Thus, do we begin a new war.
Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto stood silently on the flag-bridge of Nagato. The flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy was not participating in the attack, of course. She lay at dock in Hashirajima, thousands of miles from the Kido Butai. This was a battle for the carriers and the pilots, not for the Admirals and battleships. Yet, as he shut his eyes and spoke a silent prayer, Yamamoto wondered if he should have been there as well.
He held supreme confidence in those he had given command of this operation. Despite the preparations the Americans had been undertaking to reinforce Pearl Harbor, he felt that it was still likely they would be unable to prepare for the attack.
Yet, he still felt- on some deep, fundamental level -that he should have been aboard Akagi or one of the other great carriers. This operation was his. The outcome was his. Whatever, and however, the Americans reacted was his to own. This was indisputable.
"Message received, Admiral." The voice at his ear was soft and respectful. As befitted a sailor of Japan.
"Understood," Yamamoto opened his eyes, looking at the man who had given him the report. "It will soon be time for the fleet to sortie. Send the message to the other vessels."
"Hai!"
Yamamoto inclined his head, before returning his gaze to the anchorage. Nagato's sister Mutsu was visible nearby, with the older Fusou in the distance with her own sisters and half-sisters. In the day these ships had been built, it would have been an impressive gathering of force. Even now, it was more powerful than any squadron in the Sea of Japan.
All of it would be so much scrap, if the attack failed.
Six months. We have merely six months, if the attack succeeds, before the Americans will have restored their fleet to fighting standard.
"Will this be remembered as a glorious day for Japan, or the day our country walked to our graves." Yamamoto's voice was far too silent for any of Nagato's crew to hear. Even had they heard, none would have questioned their Admiral. Such was his fame and the loyalty of those who served beneath him.
It would be false to say that Isoroku Yamamoto was weak-willed or defeatist. What he was, was a man who had been to America and had seen American industry. A man who understood that, should a negotiated peace be impossible, Japan could not win. A war of attrition did not favor the Empire.
"We do as we must." The Admiral twitched his neck. The closest he would allow to shaking his head in the presence of his men. "Japan must expand to survive."
He knew, better than most, how stretched Japanese resources were. If the war in China were to continue, the Dutch colonies were necessary. Yamamoto believed that an attack so close to the Philippines would not be ignored by the Americans. If war were to be fought, the only way to have hope of victory would be destroying the American fleet before it could react.
Thus, his grand operation.
I can only hope this is enough. If this fails, if the Americans continue to fight despite their losses, we shall not win. We would need to dictate terms from the White House. An impossibility.
Isoroku Yamamoto continued to look out at his fleet, unaware of the silent red eyes watching him from the back of Nagato's bridge.
Well, this one went a totally different direction than I expected.
Initially, I was planning on a short little bit of our Admiral and his favorite carrier reconnecting. Just a little talk between the two, then a flashback to the Atlantic Conference to introduce Churchill. Then things started...snowballing. Apparently it's been too long since I've written shippy cutes, because that came out of nowhere. I like to think it worked, though.
Either way, Atlantic Conference will now be in a later flashback. Because it's time for Pearl...
And for the Japanese perspective.
Also, student teaching begins tomorrow with an entire day (no, literally, 8am or so until 8pm or so) of meetings at the school-leading-into-an-open-house with parents. Fun times.
No idea how this will impact my writing, until I figure out how much free time I'll have left between student teaching and the nine hours of actual uni work I still have to do.
Burning Baron
This position needs more entrenching.
- Location
- In here, not out there.
And so, it begins, like it was meant to from the start.
You can do it. You put up with us, after all.
Grounders10
Nine-Tailed Kitsune
- Location
- British Columbia, Canada, Mars
... that's a few days early, right?
- Location
- State of Denial
*Bangs cooking pans together*
ITS HAPPENING!!!
ITS HAPPENING!!!
We Just Write
Blatantly Plural
- Location
- New England
- Pronouns
- Plural
look on the bright side; Sara is well out of harm's way.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Whelp time to see if Thompson's actions will change history.
So the question now is if this is the 'original' spirit or if some IJN shipspirits went back in time as well.
Nagato: You have no idea how right you are Admiral.
- Location
- North Carolina
Oh shit!
Sandy River DL
(Verified Destroyer Leader)
- Location
- Lake Michigan
- Pronouns
- Her/She
Just over a week early, actually. How that affects things, we will have to wait on.
If so, she would be one of the most interesting to see. And no, that is not just because she's my botefu.
So, just 7 days remain until the OTL attack happens. I hope Thompson is enjoying his last relatively peaceful hours.
Is this a continuity error? Sara's hair is described as blue up above.
Not fun indeed. I really hope Thompson's encounters with Roosevelt et al have leveled up his conversational skills to the point needed. A woman's heart and feelings, shipgirl or no, are complicated matters.
*record skritch*
A full week early?! Well, shit. Well played, Yamamoto. Well-played.
So, this implies Yamamoto can't notice ship spirits? Huh. I think that will change in the future.
Great chapter, Sky. Especially with that curveball at the end. The next chapter or two is not likely to be a fun time for our cast though. Ouch.
Or in a shocking twist, the battle ends up being a curbstomp for the Japanese and the war ends right then and there. All of our Shipgirls survive (except the Japs) and live happily ever after!
...Okay. Maybe I am being a little too optimistic. My big bet is that Utah goes performing a heroic sacrifice. After that one nightmare, there is no way she will have any of the younger ships go down if she can help it.
I call 50/50 on Arizona.
Enterprise should be fine since she is likely out of Pearl Harbor.
...Okay. Maybe I am being a little too optimistic. My big bet is that Utah goes performing a heroic sacrifice. After that one nightmare, there is no way she will have any of the younger ships go down if she can help it.
I call 50/50 on Arizona.
Enterprise should be fine since she is likely out of Pearl Harbor.
- Location
- United States
Oh boy. Things are about to get incredibly sad when ships start to sink. Everyone brace your hearts now.
- Location
- North Carolina
Enterprise should be at Wake Island around this time. Dropping off VMF-214.
- Location
- United States
Wouldn't that be a nice way to tidy up this soon to be love triangle? Ari takes a few torps and rolls over making her salvageable. Then Thompson can be with Saratoga and no one can get in the way.
Burning Baron
This position needs more entrenching.
- Location
- In here, not out there.
But Wake was attacked too. By Nells, from Kwajalein. Historically, anyway.
jwolfe_beta
Semi Genre-Savvy Overlord
- Location
- Canada
Well she would definitely have vivid memories of how the war went.
Namely everything ending in fire, ash, destruction and finally surrender by the Japanese.
- Location
- North Carolina
That didn't happen historically until December 8th.