No and Yes. It is rather hard to talk about peace when the most publicly visible portion of the enemy are high tier raging assholes.
Harry And The Shipgirls: Prisoner of Shipping (A HP/KanColle Snippet Collection)
- Thread starter Harry Leferts
- Start date
- Crossover
If I recall, many of those xeno races also had history of taking human slaves.
But it's worth noting that at first, it started as they really couldn't afford to be anything else, given the kind of universe 40k is. Then the Horus Heresy happened, and the only two individuals that are aware of why the Imperium was intolerant of xenos left are Guilliman and the Emperor himself. Hence why with Guilliman back, there are at least wary deals with the Eldar.
But it's worth noting that at first, it started as they really couldn't afford to be anything else, given the kind of universe 40k is. Then the Horus Heresy happened, and the only two individuals that are aware of why the Imperium was intolerant of xenos left are Guilliman and the Emperor himself. Hence why with Guilliman back, there are at least wary deals with the Eldar.
M. H. Fuzzball
Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person
- Location
- Sector 2814
It didn't look like Jean Bart was actually trying to, but she had to do something with the onrush of spiritual power she was being flooded with. A certain Mr. Jones sticking his oar in, perhaps, since it started when she made contact with Ron?
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
Great snip, HL. I love how you did Denryuu and Ishikari here. Shoiwing their taumas and how Harry helps them with it. Obviously as an abuse survivor, HL is familiar with the signs.
Yeah, She wants to be the best for him, especially since how much she loves him, and yet she's a wreck (literally) in terms of her looks.
And harry reinforces Denryuu and heals her a little bit more. And his mouth promptly writes a checque that Lil'Potter's going to cash three years or so down the line when a certain carrier demonstrates how much he means to her..
Aww! Flustered Ishikari's adorable, and he did it deliberately, which of course heals her.
DOUBLE MARSHMALLOW HUGGLE HELL! Way to go Miitake! (And this was a great scene)
And promptly Harry cleans up the four Caldera ships. I suspect that Ume & Sakura plus maybe some other Kami are empowering him here so that his spell does so much to clean them up.
And Harry responds honestly and yeah.... That grave's deep enough, HP, stop digging!
This really means a lot to her. It's the little things that are meaningful in relationships. Like Draco giving up the Claming Draught that he brewed for his homework to Ehren when she was distressed.
Yep. this means a LOT to them. Little things with big results.
Oh yes, and the tsundere is really is happy with him too!
Hmm, interesting and I'm pretty sure that there is serious symbolism here.
HUGGLEBOTE DOWN!! I repeat: HUGGLEBOTE DOWN!!
Well good for him not pushing the issue with Mihara. That said, he definitely is boosting their confidence like an Admiral should, which is important here.
He's given her the motivation, and now she's going to show him what she's made of.
Yep. They really do want to get him aboard for a LOT of reasons, And that motivation is what they need here.
Well done, HP, well done. And the JMSDF will be very happy with the results.
Oh yes, this was MASSIVE for Denryuu! She has those self-image issue sand he's alleviating them.
Ok, this was really evil (and in character) for HP here. He's giving them part of themselves back.
Oh yeah, a proper launch and christening. And... oh man is this meaningful for them.
And Ishikari has tears in her eyes and a brilliant smile right now, no doubt....
Likewise with the others, of course.And they are finally free of their graves and the past and can make a new course for themselves... and their admiral.
Oh yeah, he hit the Dere buttons hard, and...well she's over the moon for him (and making it clear that she wants him to board her hull ASAP for a personal private tour)
The Harry has been boggled, since those kisses were a reward, yes. But also a promise.
Triple huggles!! And yeah, someone is very very dere dere right now!
And this was nice to see the relationship between the twins and Caldera ships.
She really REALLY wants to, oh yes..... For 'reasons'.
Of course Hugglebote spills the beans on her blushing sister ship's fantasies.
Yeah. 'Reasons'. Unh hunh. Sure, Ishikari. We all believe you that this has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with Admiral Potter on your bridge getting huggled and smooched by the tsundere spirit of a B-65.
Oh hell yes. Her dream's almost there. Superb wortk, HL, superb work.
Believe me, I know the feeling. I went through that a LOT with Helmar & Ehren. Superb writing, and very well done!
It was a really great snip, althugh I recommend that the meeting has 'hundreds' instead of 'thousands' since otherwise the Japanese Government would be much more likely to crush these folks.
Oh YAY! I'm really looking forward to this!
Great look at JB and how she's nervous and excited about her big day and also adjusting to the changes in her spirit (not being incomplete for starters). Good for Riche helping keep her grounded and under control here.
Yep, she's still easing into her new role. Although she won't be 'brevet' much longer~~
She's in a GOOD mood Ron, she really is. Smiling and happy? Oh yes.
Again nice scene here showing the adjustment she has to relearn with a full set of boilers and shafts.
Now, I have to say, I love the hull summoning scene started here. it made a lot of sense in universe and internally to WWW, showed her adjustment and growth that started with the rebuild, and it was a logical step for Davy, since in a certain symbolic sense, Ron is His Representative to the ship's spirit manifested here.
Yep, this is one of Ron's Champion of Davy Jones gifts manifesting here. In this case, this is eased by his intimate relationship to JB as her engineer, her captain (very shortly to be made official), her true love, and one day soon down the road, her husband. So she gains the spiritual gravitas needed to summon her hull 'back from Davey Jones Locker' as it were.
Ron picked it up since he';s seen Warspite and then Duke do this, But... yeah, he's shocked that JB is about to do it.
Cue massive boggles all over Toulon. This was a show stopper, since that is NOT a small thing, no sir.
Also this is probably something that JB can hold over Riche for a while since I'm pretty sure exactly ONE French BB can summon her hull currently, and Big Sis Pervertbote ain't her....
Now this is also going to be one of the moments Ron would use to summon his Patronus (alongside Warspite, Duke, and eventually Isabella doing this), and also a moment that JB will cherish forever.
Yep. Boggling FBB. BIG Boggle. 43,992 tons of Boggle in fact.
Also this was a great Ron moment, He's so happy for her and doesn;t care that she;s in shock or he's committing a public display of affection with a French battleship in the middle of a naval base.
Fortunately, her faerie crew is on the ball and ready to escort the VIP tour aboard.
Also this is when and where I put on Titans, which is my personal headcanon music for JB's 'theme'
Yep. This means a LOT to her., She's breaking out the French endearments. Methinks the boilers are runnign hot and purring for her. Also this was a nice scene of her giving him the status that she feels that he both deserves and has earned in her eyes, while accepting that Warspite and Duke have their own claims.
I'll note that at least some of the discussion from behind the happy couple is probably deciding which bistro with a well stocked wine cellar they will use for the 'informal debrief'. Because someone back there will need a stiff drink to process this event.
Good for Charpentier riding herd on his subordinates.
Good on Ron knowing what to do as he falls back on the RN training that he received.
Ron is also VERY excited, since while he knows her intimately inside and out, and this is his improvements to her design... yeah. She's got a lot of presence.
Peak. Ron. Her spirit is beautiful and her hull is magnificent. And he says that to her, which gets her all KINDS of doki-doki for him. Those six boilers are running hot for you, my boy.
(He's also looking at the main battery and not JB, and she knows that he's admiring some of her best features)
((Also he's living dangerously with that compliment, for if he wasn't a minor and she wasn't 'on the clock' for her sea trials (of sorts), well he is her love and she IS Richelieu's sister and has some definite ideas about expressing her affection toward her beloved ina very direct manner. For starters, I expect the next massage he gives her will go a good bit further than the last one and give him a nice view of her lines.))
Yeah, she wants him BAD. REAL BAD. Still business before having her captain explore the more striking features of her design.
That makes perfect sense, and this very much is something that she's goign to eat up like a chocolate lunch. Since she gets a chance to show why she's the best battleship ever launched (as she sees it) to an audience for her sea trials.
Right there you can hear the fondly loving tone in her voice. And the confidence she has in Ron.
Pro forma final exam of course. That said, this also lets Ron strut his stuff, talk sweet nothings to her as he shows her design features and improvements off, and lets him get a feel for her hull's lines.
Ron picks up on this and makes a minor move on her, which she enjoys.
Nice improvement to her medium AA there. Abnd yes, this is Ron in his element, which also cools him and down and allows for the tugs to get organized and guide her out of the harbor.
Well to be fair, some of them were NOT expecting the battleship. And the magic. But yes, good on Ron picking up the categories.
Yeah, of course these will get tested out soon~~
Its time for JB to strut her stuff. And oh boy is she ready and eager to show off for her navy and her love!
**snickers** Yeah, I think that her boilers are running quite hot, and that has more to do with her emotions than the needs of her propulsion plant.
Yeah, this was a great little sweet scene showing how compatible they are. Message received and understood. And she;s very VERY happy with you.
Yeah, Charpentier cna read the romance flags here and that she needs to spend time with Ron. Good man to run interference so she can do what she needs to do.
Odds are at least one betting pool is about to be paid out.
Yep, saw that coming. Ron just got his tonsils cleaned. BIGTIME. Her faerie crew are being scarce (and paying out some wagers) since they know the first man to interrupt THIS CONVERSATION with her love will get keelhauled.
Yep. She makes it official and binds him to her. And Ron knows how much of a big step this is for their relationship both personally and professionally.
Good to see Ron read the mood and what she wants and desires from him to make a move and initiate the next makeout session. That's a big step for his selfconfidence and maturity levels. He's in charge here, but only goes so far, even though she's going to fantasize about this moment for the rest of he rlife. She has no doubts that the future with her captain is inevitable and looks quite bright indeed.
And yes, he's very self controlled, although she plans to take a few more steps with you soon, you doomed young man.
(also Riche is SO prying this out of JB at the earliest possible moment).
Oh yeah, he's gone from desiring to make he rbody his, to make her hull and firepower his. Which again is a ncie side of Ron to see since she is raw power as the Queen of the Seas that she was constructed to be. And she's now going to put that at his command (albeit adviced by older and wiser heads such as Charpentier, JB, and her Faerie command staff).
Heh, taking Ron into account since he;'s going to be MN-associated now regardless of what anyone but Ron and JB think.
And she's back to professional mode after letting her emotions loose. Good on her there.
I just bet they got a crowd, you don't see this every day. And now she's on the sea, complete, and ready to show the world what she's made of. And this is the moment that she has dreamed of ever since manifesting....
Yep, this is her realm and she's the Queen of all she surveys. And damn, but she knows it!
Good question, good answer here.
Oh yeah, he knows what she LIKES! She's never been able to do this before with two shafts down and half her boilers offline. Now she's going to show the Med who the best, baddest, and fastest battleship is!
Ron, of course, is totally into the moment and that elan that he's showing is what she's eating up with a spoon.
I LOVE IT!!
Seriously, amazing work. I gave the more detailed feedback, already, but some overall notes. I have been waiting for this for months (ever since we batted around ideas regarding JB/Ron) and it didn't just 'not dissapoint' but Exceeds Expectations. Superb work and I cannot wait to see where this goes next!
Have to second this, honestly!
Amused Bystander
Herald of 'She who Umu's' Be Brave!
- Location
- Philippines
Not as beautiful as Tony when they finally meet.
Dont sell yourself short Ehren,im sure youre a decent enough musician in your own right.
You know it never cease to amaze me how we humans can construct stuff like this.
Thats our Claire!
Notre Dame certainly deserves the best here.
Kek! Getting Claire away from that console will be next to impossible once she starts playing.
Morgana and Ogier i take it?
Nice shirts they picked up.
You guys took a wrong turn at Albaquerque didnt you?
Variants of their actual names, easy to remember.
Ehren is going to boggle so hard when she learns who they are.
Claires having her fun!
A Father Michel boggle!
More boggles!
Claire is in her zone! Weaving her musical magic.
Claires playing has touched his soul!
I bet that organ must be feeling quite honored with all this.
Kek! I put Colombes smug at a full 10 Juuchis.
Notre Dame is immensely pleased here.
And so is the good Cardinal.
Claire is truly a blessing upon the world.
Aha! heres Tony!
Its well written but well i would prefer these assholes to simply die.
- Pronouns
- he
Quality can take time.
Good as always. Makes me wish I was anywhere near as good. Perhaps in the future.
Have Ron and Massachusetts ever met?
The problem with them is that the members of the tribe still are legal law-abiding citizens of Japan, while the oni, for all matters and purposes, don't legally exist. And Johnathan is also a magical priest, so he doesn't either. So... someone killing them might draw unwelcome attention from the law. Imagine them getting killed and one of them in the force fudging things enough so that the oni look to be the guilty party, instead of people defending themselves.
I did steal and butcher a catchphrase of the Imperium...
Thank you.
Yeah, editing that. They also like to gather in places not easily seen, like the ruined village. Any idea for a name for the tribe?
We will see in the future.
I also want to point they are the starter villains for Hide, Yoshi, Johnathan and the community.
Have a picture I stumbled over:
ijnfleetadmiral
CinC Rengo Kanmusutai
- Location
- Admiral's Bridge, HIJMS Kongo
Here's another drawing of her.The thing is... that it is based on an actual design by Hiraga for a Kongou replacement:
Tzoli, who does various drawings based on various ships that were not built, did up one:
So yeah... a bit strange, but the design is basically a modification on the original Nagato design, hence how it works.
Every time I read about it, I thank God I'll never be a father myself.
Hmm... Stack's good, but the mast looks less IJN and more USN. Too clean.
Same. Wife is afraid of pregnancy. She has a family history of difficult pregnancies on both sides. Since my country is a dumpsterfire, I have no objections to that.
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
A.N. -- A day in the life of the Du Chastelers. Prior snip here. Again, much gratitude for @LordSunhawk co-writing this with me.
Induite Vos Arma Dei (IV)
Castle Moulbaix, Belgium
Wednesday, November 26th, 2014
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. 11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. 12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. 13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. 14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. Proverbs 28:1014 (KJV)
Father Jacques raised an eyebrow at the flour trail leading through the doors of the chapel.
He shook his head fondly, noting that the hue and cry was starting to die down from where Misaki Fujii and Chihiro Arakaki had just tried to 'help' Ehren while she was baking cakes for her cousin Kenshou and for the household.
He smiled faintly, folding his hands inside his cassock, then idly paced towards the sacristy, totally not following the flour trail at all. After all, what flour trail, certainly the youngsters wouldn't violate the sanctity of the chapel and sacristy with their mischief, non?
He managed to keep his face perfectly serene, while wanting to smirk, as he entered the sacristy and busied himself with checking over the sacramental vessels, humming Frère Jacques while he worked.
A strong and confident set of steps sounded from the chapel outside. He immediately identified the familiar footsteps of Colombe. Clearly the authorities were diligently searching for wrongdoers.
"Father, by chance have you seen the Imps?" Colombe asked as she scanned the deserted chapel. "I have some badly dirtied cake pans for them to scrub. Especially the ones covered with flour from the mess they made in the kitchen."
The old priest smiled fondly, pointedly glancing down at the flour trail with a faint twinkle in his eye. "I have seen neither hair nor hide of them, my dear lady." he said placidly. "Although I am quite certain that they meant no harm with whatever small mischief they may have gotten up to. With flour you say? Were they perhaps attempting to bake?"
Colombe barked a laugh and leaned against a pew, her lips tugging in a smile. "One might say that. Attempting is the word that I would use. Ehren was preparing an apple cake for her cousin Kenshou, and they snuck in to 'help' her taste test the batter while her back was turned. The large bag of flour was spilled… onto Beethoven, as it turned out, who was trying to butter Ehren up for a taste of the milk." The smile widened. "He got butter all right! An entire stick's worth on the floor when the chaos truly started."
"Ach so." the elderly priest replied in a voice patterned on Ehren's, his own lips twitching into a grin for a moment. "I remember when I attempted to help my mother with baking a time or two. Did you know that a cloud of flour can be rather explosive?" he sighed. "My mother was most unamused, and I daresay that my backside made a rather intimate acquaintance with a wooden spoon after that little adventure."
"Fortunately, no permanent damage was done. And yes, I actually did know that powdered flour is explosive. I used that to explode a grain silo in Leopoldville during 1895 to get away from an assassination squad sent by Hippolyte to kill me. Ehren did mention one of the long wooden spoons with evil intentions present toward the backsides of malefactors, yes. Although I informed her that she would have 'volunteers' scrubbing the cake pans clean until they sparkle once her cake rises. 'Let the punishment fit the crime' was my judgement as Marchioness." Colombe shook her head, carefully observing the sacristy out of the corner of her eye. "I am an indifferent baker, truth be told. Any recipe past the most simple and I get lost in the details -- generally with disastrous results -- just as with my potion crafting. Ehren has the diligence her poor mother lacks to be a mistress of the kitchens."
"Indeed, a wise and enlightened response, after all, the quality of mercy is not strained for the repentant at heart." he said with a grin, washing his hands and wandering over towards the closet where his vestments were hung… and where the flour trail terminated. "And no doubt penitent volunteers would be awarded with forgiveness… and mayhaps a taste of cake as well, no?" The good father deliberately leaned on the wall next to the door with his foot positioned just so to keep it from opening more than it was. "Although it is to be hoped that they would yield themselves to the Marchioness' mercy on their own volition, after all, true mercy comes to those who confess their wrongdoings willingly, yes?"
Colombe raised an eyebrow at the slightly ajar closet door, her eyes flicking down to the flour trail and then back up to the Father. Her lips quirked briefly while she casually leaned against the door frame to the chapel and nodded to him. "Well said, Father. I prefer Shakespeare personally. 'The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:' That said, any such confession should perhaps be done soon, for I fear once that cinnamon apple cake is cooled from the oven, it will be boxed away and sent to Hogwarts and away from penitent stomachs…." She trailed off with clear anticipation. "Especially since those are the last of the Autumn crop of apples from my orchard; so fresh, sweet and tender! I can't wait for my lion's share of the other cake!"
Colombe's lip quirks intensified as her sharp ears picked up whispered words of Japanese back and forth from the closet, although her face remained quite solemn and judicially stern should anyone see her face.
The elderly priest managed to keep a suitably grave expression on his face, even as he felt pressure on his foot as the imps tried to open the door. "Dear me, My Lady, I fear that there may be gremlins in the Sacristy."
"Mon Dieu! Gremlins!! After my apple cake?! We'll have to eat it now and leave the soiled pans for the latecomers!"
Clearly the stage had lost a great actress in the Marchioness of Moulbaix and Chasteler when she took up her career as 'professional troublemaker'.
"I do believe we must summon Cortana to properly deal with such an infestation." he said wisely, as the pressure increased on his foot. "And, of course, reward her with a fresh slice of the apple cake for her service."
"Of course! Such is a suitable reward after she gives me service in such a matter as cleaning cake pans or dealing with gremlin infestations in the sacristy!"
The 'gremlins' at this point chorused out from the closet. "We're really sorry Colombe-sama!" "Really REALLY sorry!" "We won't do it again!"
Colombe restrained her triumphant smirk with a singular effort of will.
The good Father smiled a bit and removed his foot just as the next push occurred on the door, leading to a flour-spattered tanuki and jorogumo spilling out of the closet. "Oh dear me, I do believe that we have our gremlins." he said with a gentle expression of surprise. "And goodness me, will you look at the flour that they've tracked in! This will not do at all." he shook his head in sadness. "I do believe that the very well behaved children of the Castle have been abducted and replaced by gremlins, My Lady. We should ensure the safety of all, and especially the apple cake now that I think of it, before greater mischief should occur."
Colombe nodded, then glanced at Father Jacques. "Run some water for them, please. They'll need it in a moment." Her voice acquired an air of aristocratic command as the Imps picked themselves off the floor.
The old priest smiled and did so, making use of the basin in the sacristy. "By your command, my lady."
Colombe then waved her hand in a S shape. "Scourgify!" A wave of magic cleaned up the flour on the floor, the vestments, and the Imps, leaving them with matching disgusted faces at the taste of soap as a byproduct of the cleaning spell. "Go ahead and rinse your mouths out and then spit it in the sink, children, that will clear the taste. It's a byproduct of the Scouring Charm being cast on a person."
"I am eternally grateful that my mother did not know that charm." the priest said with a faint smile.
"You and me both, Father. You and me both." Colombe said with a shake of her head as the Imps washed the taste out of their mouths. "They should be glad that I don't know quite where Papa put away the switches he used to tan my breeches upon occasion for things that were… sometimes my fault."
Colombe then knelt and gently head patted the Imps. "I'll make sure that some cake is saved for these gremlins after they clean the pans." She stood, "I'll handle the chapel too for you father."
"No need, I am no stranger to mop and bucket, my dear lady, and the labor is good for the soul. I wouldn't object if some assistants were to appear with small brushes to get into the places a mop cannot go, of course." he smiled and ruffled the imp's hair. "I do hope that the promise of saving some of Ehren's wonderful apfelkuchen is extended to a hard working priest watering and tending the garden of the Lord."
"Of course. I'll see if Curtana wants to volunteer and Ehren has survived washing Beethoven if assistants don't otherwise materialize in response to your prayers. I can confirm that your prayers for apple cake will be answered if I have anything to say about it." Colombe replied with a fond smile.
Suddenly a musical squee of joy echoed through Moulbaix, causing priest, rapier, and gremlins alike to look that way.
"What's gotten into Claire?" Colombe asked the room.
Father Jacques smiled beatifically. "I believe that my efforts on her behalf to secure permission to play the organ at Notre-Dame de Paris when we journey there this weekend may have borne fruit."
"Bless you Father!" Colombe replied.
Induite Vos Arma Dei (IV)
Castle Moulbaix, Belgium
Wednesday, November 26th, 2014
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession. 11 The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out. 12 When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden. 13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. 14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief. Proverbs 28:1014 (KJV)
Father Jacques raised an eyebrow at the flour trail leading through the doors of the chapel.
He shook his head fondly, noting that the hue and cry was starting to die down from where Misaki Fujii and Chihiro Arakaki had just tried to 'help' Ehren while she was baking cakes for her cousin Kenshou and for the household.
He smiled faintly, folding his hands inside his cassock, then idly paced towards the sacristy, totally not following the flour trail at all. After all, what flour trail, certainly the youngsters wouldn't violate the sanctity of the chapel and sacristy with their mischief, non?
He managed to keep his face perfectly serene, while wanting to smirk, as he entered the sacristy and busied himself with checking over the sacramental vessels, humming Frère Jacques while he worked.
A strong and confident set of steps sounded from the chapel outside. He immediately identified the familiar footsteps of Colombe. Clearly the authorities were diligently searching for wrongdoers.
"Father, by chance have you seen the Imps?" Colombe asked as she scanned the deserted chapel. "I have some badly dirtied cake pans for them to scrub. Especially the ones covered with flour from the mess they made in the kitchen."
The old priest smiled fondly, pointedly glancing down at the flour trail with a faint twinkle in his eye. "I have seen neither hair nor hide of them, my dear lady." he said placidly. "Although I am quite certain that they meant no harm with whatever small mischief they may have gotten up to. With flour you say? Were they perhaps attempting to bake?"
Colombe barked a laugh and leaned against a pew, her lips tugging in a smile. "One might say that. Attempting is the word that I would use. Ehren was preparing an apple cake for her cousin Kenshou, and they snuck in to 'help' her taste test the batter while her back was turned. The large bag of flour was spilled… onto Beethoven, as it turned out, who was trying to butter Ehren up for a taste of the milk." The smile widened. "He got butter all right! An entire stick's worth on the floor when the chaos truly started."
"Ach so." the elderly priest replied in a voice patterned on Ehren's, his own lips twitching into a grin for a moment. "I remember when I attempted to help my mother with baking a time or two. Did you know that a cloud of flour can be rather explosive?" he sighed. "My mother was most unamused, and I daresay that my backside made a rather intimate acquaintance with a wooden spoon after that little adventure."
"Fortunately, no permanent damage was done. And yes, I actually did know that powdered flour is explosive. I used that to explode a grain silo in Leopoldville during 1895 to get away from an assassination squad sent by Hippolyte to kill me. Ehren did mention one of the long wooden spoons with evil intentions present toward the backsides of malefactors, yes. Although I informed her that she would have 'volunteers' scrubbing the cake pans clean until they sparkle once her cake rises. 'Let the punishment fit the crime' was my judgement as Marchioness." Colombe shook her head, carefully observing the sacristy out of the corner of her eye. "I am an indifferent baker, truth be told. Any recipe past the most simple and I get lost in the details -- generally with disastrous results -- just as with my potion crafting. Ehren has the diligence her poor mother lacks to be a mistress of the kitchens."
"Indeed, a wise and enlightened response, after all, the quality of mercy is not strained for the repentant at heart." he said with a grin, washing his hands and wandering over towards the closet where his vestments were hung… and where the flour trail terminated. "And no doubt penitent volunteers would be awarded with forgiveness… and mayhaps a taste of cake as well, no?" The good father deliberately leaned on the wall next to the door with his foot positioned just so to keep it from opening more than it was. "Although it is to be hoped that they would yield themselves to the Marchioness' mercy on their own volition, after all, true mercy comes to those who confess their wrongdoings willingly, yes?"
Colombe raised an eyebrow at the slightly ajar closet door, her eyes flicking down to the flour trail and then back up to the Father. Her lips quirked briefly while she casually leaned against the door frame to the chapel and nodded to him. "Well said, Father. I prefer Shakespeare personally. 'The quality of mercy is not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:' That said, any such confession should perhaps be done soon, for I fear once that cinnamon apple cake is cooled from the oven, it will be boxed away and sent to Hogwarts and away from penitent stomachs…." She trailed off with clear anticipation. "Especially since those are the last of the Autumn crop of apples from my orchard; so fresh, sweet and tender! I can't wait for my lion's share of the other cake!"
Colombe's lip quirks intensified as her sharp ears picked up whispered words of Japanese back and forth from the closet, although her face remained quite solemn and judicially stern should anyone see her face.
The elderly priest managed to keep a suitably grave expression on his face, even as he felt pressure on his foot as the imps tried to open the door. "Dear me, My Lady, I fear that there may be gremlins in the Sacristy."
"Mon Dieu! Gremlins!! After my apple cake?! We'll have to eat it now and leave the soiled pans for the latecomers!"
Clearly the stage had lost a great actress in the Marchioness of Moulbaix and Chasteler when she took up her career as 'professional troublemaker'.
"I do believe we must summon Cortana to properly deal with such an infestation." he said wisely, as the pressure increased on his foot. "And, of course, reward her with a fresh slice of the apple cake for her service."
"Of course! Such is a suitable reward after she gives me service in such a matter as cleaning cake pans or dealing with gremlin infestations in the sacristy!"
The 'gremlins' at this point chorused out from the closet. "We're really sorry Colombe-sama!" "Really REALLY sorry!" "We won't do it again!"
Colombe restrained her triumphant smirk with a singular effort of will.
The good Father smiled a bit and removed his foot just as the next push occurred on the door, leading to a flour-spattered tanuki and jorogumo spilling out of the closet. "Oh dear me, I do believe that we have our gremlins." he said with a gentle expression of surprise. "And goodness me, will you look at the flour that they've tracked in! This will not do at all." he shook his head in sadness. "I do believe that the very well behaved children of the Castle have been abducted and replaced by gremlins, My Lady. We should ensure the safety of all, and especially the apple cake now that I think of it, before greater mischief should occur."
Colombe nodded, then glanced at Father Jacques. "Run some water for them, please. They'll need it in a moment." Her voice acquired an air of aristocratic command as the Imps picked themselves off the floor.
The old priest smiled and did so, making use of the basin in the sacristy. "By your command, my lady."
Colombe then waved her hand in a S shape. "Scourgify!" A wave of magic cleaned up the flour on the floor, the vestments, and the Imps, leaving them with matching disgusted faces at the taste of soap as a byproduct of the cleaning spell. "Go ahead and rinse your mouths out and then spit it in the sink, children, that will clear the taste. It's a byproduct of the Scouring Charm being cast on a person."
"I am eternally grateful that my mother did not know that charm." the priest said with a faint smile.
"You and me both, Father. You and me both." Colombe said with a shake of her head as the Imps washed the taste out of their mouths. "They should be glad that I don't know quite where Papa put away the switches he used to tan my breeches upon occasion for things that were… sometimes my fault."
Colombe then knelt and gently head patted the Imps. "I'll make sure that some cake is saved for these gremlins after they clean the pans." She stood, "I'll handle the chapel too for you father."
"No need, I am no stranger to mop and bucket, my dear lady, and the labor is good for the soul. I wouldn't object if some assistants were to appear with small brushes to get into the places a mop cannot go, of course." he smiled and ruffled the imp's hair. "I do hope that the promise of saving some of Ehren's wonderful apfelkuchen is extended to a hard working priest watering and tending the garden of the Lord."
"Of course. I'll see if Curtana wants to volunteer and Ehren has survived washing Beethoven if assistants don't otherwise materialize in response to your prayers. I can confirm that your prayers for apple cake will be answered if I have anything to say about it." Colombe replied with a fond smile.
Suddenly a musical squee of joy echoed through Moulbaix, causing priest, rapier, and gremlins alike to look that way.
"What's gotten into Claire?" Colombe asked the room.
Father Jacques smiled beatifically. "I believe that my efforts on her behalf to secure permission to play the organ at Notre-Dame de Paris when we journey there this weekend may have borne fruit."
"Bless you Father!" Colombe replied.
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Nice bit of slice of life.
Little shits are good at egging each other on, it seems. Both feline and yokai variety.
Jadesteele
Out of my Mind - Back in 5 Minutes
- Location
- half-way between 'Crazy' And 'Eccentric'
I think the most accurate words here are.... Not Yet, But Soon.
In the words of a great writer, "Never underestimate the Stupidity of Stupid People in Large groups"
I thought his name was Ron, not Jean-Luke...
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
Not as beautiful as Tony when they finally meet.
Well no. But Claire enjoys a well-crafted pipe organ (and the Church is beautiful too!)
She is pretty good thanks to Claire's tutoring of her and some talent. It's just that she's grading herself against a legendary musician on a scale and also her passions don't exactly fall in this area. Ehren's good, but she doesn't drink, eat, sleep and breathe MUSIC the way Claire and Tony do (or Ron does for engineering say).
Oh yes, the more so since both of which were done by hand and eye in large part (the church and organ both; the organ dates from 1868, although it has been rebuilt and refurbished several times since then). But yes, that's the kind of photo that just shows the sheer scale and complexity of the organ.
Thats our Claire!
If you can't tell, Claire is really really excited and beside herself. So she's gushing more than normal. Father Michel is blushing a bit since this pretty girl is as excited as his sister's kids on their birthdays and it's contagious.
Ehren, meanwhile, is not even trying to stifle the fond smirk at her sister's antics.
It's a magnificent organ. This is a bit of a 'is she good enough to play organ in ND?' audition as well for Claire (which she passes with flying colors on her first piece). Brother Michel is a pretty good organist himself, which is why he is escorting her.
She eventually shuts it down. AFTER making Notre-Dame a very happy church full of music. And pouting a little when she's told that her family is waiting for her.
Got it in one.
Thank you, and a hint to what was going on.
You guys took a wrong turn at Albaquerque didnt you?
Yeah, about that. What happened was after we last saw them in Africa, they needed to get to Europe and try to track down their 'stolen items' (Curtana and the scrolls). So they ported to Aachen as an area Ogier knew well enough to transport in and wound up in the basement of the Kaiserdom cathedral there (which had a magically screened area for such arrivals as part of the basic structure) which dates to Charlemagne.
So far, so good, but they still couldn't pinpoint exactly where Curtana was thanks to Colombe's wards on Moulbaix that kept the ICW out of her home. So they did some researching of the changes to the world and magic... and then suddenly Morgana got a hard target lock when Curtana and company headed to Paris.
So she decided to port them there and retrieve the sword.
So they Appartated to Saint Etienne... which hasnt existed since 1163 as is. Fortunately for them, the access room in Saint Etienne was intact. UNFORTUNATELY for them, it was buried as now part of the foundations of Notre-Dame de Paris. So while Morgana got them out of being stuck in a forgotten bricked in room, they wound up in the Cathedral's crypts (in very close proximity to Curtana, but with no fucking clue which end was up).
So they got to wander around in a building they have never been in and that is fairly architecturally complex to boot. Including one or two magically screened passages, stairs, and the like that someone put in during the 1100-1200s that aren't on some of the blueprints.
So they got thoroughly lost and finally got out of the maze of passages onto the organ loft in front of Ehren. Morgana, who is used to being more in control of the situation normally, is pretty grumpy.
Not... quite. For Ogier, since he found out that his real name isn't commonly used, elected to take the alias as one of his fellow Paladins (Oliver) who bit it alongside Roland at Roncevaux since that's a more common name and he can pass for British.
Also he has some suspicions about Ehren being the same girl that they saw in Scotty's memories. Although she's not a vampire and doesn't quite have the tits that Scotty thought she did*, which is throwing Ogier's target ID. (Morgana isn't nearly as suspicious since she can tell that Ehren's no vampire but a spirit instead)
*Wishful thinking from an unreliable narrator here. Scotty had pegged Ehren as about a cup size and a half higher than reality mentally once he got her undressed (as if!).
Ehren also has faint bells ringing here since she saw these two before (in 1942 right when she got stuck in Mutti). That said, that is a seriously a traumatic memory, she was distracted at the time and barely aware, and the lack of medieval clothing is throwing her too.
Claire is very much having fun and let her Muramasa heritage shine through by letting Fr. Michel know that yes, that's Bach's handwriting on the manuscript score that he composed for a patron of his (every music school's library and museum in existence would give a lot to have those pages laying out BWV 565 since the earliest one we have is a generation later written down by a pupil of a pupil who heard it).
Big one too. He didn't expect this, although the Toccata and Fugue is a pretty common organ piece for a warmup.
A trio of boggles. That exclamation was from all three of them (Morgan and Ogier were hearing this for the first time and it's a hell of an introduction to pipe organ music, Ehren... well she knows the piece but first time Claire has played it for her)
Claire's really in her happy place making a cathedral SING and everyone hapopy with her music.
Well yes, he's experiencing the transcendent awe of the Divine here.
The organ is a very very happy organ. While Claire's up there in her mastery of it, I'll note that this is the highest prestige pipe organ in France to play (and one of the most noted int he world), so Claire has some really stiff competition for 'best organist to play him'. Still, she's staking her claim.
Absolutely. Colombe knows who's responsible for this moment of bliss and is beside herself with smug. Not that it's hard to figure out since Claire had been babbling constantly about this organ since before they left Moulbaix.
Well yes. Notre Dame is immensely pleased and looks forward to this young lady sharing her blessing of melody with her and her flock in the future.
He's no musician, but knows the touch of genius and greatness when he can hear it. Claire's audition to play in his cathedral was passed with flying colors and her name will be further spread amongst the episcopate. (In other words, if Claire's known to be coming to someone's town, she can expect to get invitations to play for Divine Services from the local bishop down the road).
She really really is, and this is her spreading the joy of music to all in earshot.
Yep, and a near-miss on their romance that he and his wife will laugh about much later when they put the pieces together.
He'd headed to Paris to do some research and stretch his legs for a bit, and after he gets done here will return to the German Potter Estate. He was just barely in earshot of Claire playing (although he had no clue where the music was coming from and could barely make it out above the sounds of Paris) and he was impressed by the Mystery Organist's skills and talent.
Trite as the saying is, practice really does make perfect. The key is just to keep writing and look to improve as best you can each time. You're doing very well, honestly.
You're welcome!
Hmm.... No real clue for a name, I'd almost suggest making something up in English like 'thunderborn' or 'sons of lightning' and then running it through a translation program.
Very nice! I'll have to share it with Wickedest Card, who created CDP and whose character this is.
Yeah. Well the feline little shit was working over Ehren to get some of the milk and the like being used by her to bake. Then the Yokai little shits happened, matters escalated, and the feline little shit got his milk -- after the bath.
Feline little shit is not a terribly happy camper at the moment. Neither is Ehren, but she was persuaded to 'go and get cleaned up and take the cat with you, we'll finish up here' by Colombe, Miho, and Kasuyu who headed to the sound of the ruckus.
"Mou, the Mizuchi changed the link to part one."
Good snippet. Colombe and Father Jacques playing Good Cop Bad Cop was hilarious.
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
"I would have gotten away with it too if it wasn't for those meddling kids and their pet Mizuchi!"
(Fixed)
Thank you, thank you, Sunhawk told me that we needed to do something with the Imps, and... yeah. It helps that Colombe is a mother and knows how to play Bad Cop when needed.
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- Location
- USA
Thanks! I'm not always the best when it comes to reading how other people feel about my stuff, especially since it's so often low key interpersonal actions, so I love hearing that.
rdm is correct in this case. She was going to do her sea trials in shipgirl size but something gave her a bit of a boost this time around...
Thank you, thank you. Jean Bart is still adjusting to her new reality and will be for some time so she'll be a little out of whack. One thing she is getting a better understanding for is just how Richie is so high energy all the time.
Yup. There's a major confluence of things happening here which allow JB to summon her hull. She's mellowed out, contrary to appearances, Ron is settling in to his role as champion and Mister Jones... well he's got his own plans.
Yeah, exactly. JB is about ten to twenty years early for the necessary spiritual weight otherwise, as she and Richie only went away in the sixties and JB just never had a large crew to give her the oomph otherwise.
Yup some big boggles all around. Especially since Toulon is normally pretty quiet compared to some other shipgirl ports.
JB will certainly hold it over Richie as long as she can!
Yeah, Ron's got plenty of memories for a patronus this time around and his summon... well gotta make some changes.
Yup, big boggles because JB certainly didn't do that on purpose.
Yeah, it's only a hug but he's much better at mild PDA and showing affection in general. It helps that Jean Bart has gone full dere from her previously tsun/kuu behavior.
Yeah, JB is most definitely running hot right now. Hot and at 165-170k shp instead of her rate 155. Even so she's close enough now with Duke and Warspite she's perfectly fine with sharing so Ron gets all due respect.
Yup, a briefing on possible "magic" is one thing. Seeing a full sized Richelieu class rise out of the water next to you is entirely different.
Charpentier is a good officer all the way down, so he knows if a shipgirl says that person boards first, that person boards first.
Yes, Ron at heart is and will always partially be a boy who loves cool mechanical things because they're big, complex and do amazing things. That is part of one of his loves is just a cherry on top.
Yeah, Ron's kinda dense but by this point he's very much picked up that JB is fine with compliments to her girl self but she really loves when he talks about her hull. It helps he finds both very interesting. He loves all of her and yes, she's doki doki to the max.
Yeah... I've got some stuff planned in the next few snips which will show how she feels about him. You're not wrong though!
Yup. Sea trials are kinda silly for Shipgirls but they are necessary so this makes it easier on both.
Yeah, this is mostly "How much can you talk
The small of her back is going to be one of those places for a long time, since JB and Ron both know what can happen is he got serious.
Yup, very happy with the sweet nothings and Ron knows her to the point a smile is enough.
He didn't get where he was by being blind. Plus it gives him time to sort out his men. He's been paying attention as well.
Yeah, barring abyssal attack nobody was going to bother them. Not with how JB is feeling. She definitely needed at least a little Ron time and he's now getting a better feel of what having a French girlfriend actually means.
Very, very big step for JB personally since she's not always open with people but Ron's earned that trust and does know what it means.
Ron has gotten very good at reading her by this point so he can tell when she's open to things. Right then she was very open so he showed her the affection she needed and yes, very much took the lead which she will remember.
Richie will very much be picking JBs brain once she's done with her own refit
They are both so very looking forward to this. JB to show off and to get a feel for what she can really do, Ron because we'll... he's got a real live battleship that's been ordered to essentially go play! Everybody wins! (Even Charpentier, much as he won't show it.)
Yeah, the people in the know are already making notes on how well Ron works with both sides.
Yep. This is perfect for her, especially because of the crowd and Ron in her bridge.
Oh yes she does. She's going to let everyone know it.
Yup! They know each other, they know what each of them like and it's time to show the world what JB can do.
Thanks man! Seriously, appreciate the comments and it always helps me out words to the thoughts running through my head. Very happy to hear it's up to standard and more.
I'd agree if I didn't spend most of the time bashing my head against the wall and then crank out 2k words over a few hours. The muse is fickle.
Just keep writing man, you've got the talent. Almost no writer thinks they're good.
No, if only because there's been little reason for Ron and her to meet. Certainly not against it happening though!
Let me just say I've been loving this whole arc! Claire, Ehren, the imps and everyone has been great. A little SOL between all the excitement is just what the Father ordered.
Hey, nobody said you can't use a good line! Especially when it's a naval classic.I thought his name was Ron, not Jean-Luke...
Wolf470
USS Exeter (Millenium Falcon class scout)
- Location
- East o' the Sun, West o' the Moon
Quite honestly one of the funniest chapters I've read... The good Father and Colombe were having a blast and recalling some of their own mischief from the good old days as kids... most probably the Scourgify coupled with cleaning the pans will be the extent of the punishment.
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
QFT.
Us authors really enjoy feedback. Tell us what you like, tell us why you dislike parts, and what we could perhaps do better and we're happy folks.
Yep. Fortunately she's got some things to focus her energies on such as Ron being along for her 'sea trials' to show off her refit.
Yeah, and Ron's job is to help further Mr. Jones' plans. Clearly part of which is getting him to sail around on a battleship.
True, true. As a side note, Mika when she Awakened did a bit of a minor variant on 'summon your hull' by extending and manifesting her spiritual hull enough to use it to block the shots that otherwise would have sunk the trawler that she was just on (albeit taking a lot of abuse int he process, but she's designed to slug it out and take a beating). That was WBCW (with Davey's permission) letting her flex spiritually to do that. Normally Mika won't be able to summon her hull until much later on whens he can manifest enough Legend to do so (although St. Kitts helped a lot int hat regard since it put her on the map).
As for JB, she's about to start establishing her Legend (and that of her CO Capitaine Weasley) right here and now....
Yep, this really was a show-stopper and JB will no doubt preen a little if and when she finds out that a few photos of her at anchor and heading out of port may have gone viral....
Of course. It's plentiful ammo for giving her beloved big sister shit!
Hmm, not a fan of the Jack Russel terrier too? Well I look forward to when you get to that point, certainly Ron has plenty of positive memories to fuel it now.
True, true. That said, she's certainly happy with the results! (I figure she is Riche's sister enough, and French enough, to be eating the attention up with a spoon when she stops half of the town to boggle at her elegant looks at anchor and under way).
True, and she has plenty of reasons to be quite dere for him. I wouldn;t say that this is the happiest moment of her life (her wedding day to Ron and the birth of her children with him will be well up there too), but it's in the running, certainly.
True, true, which is showing how she fits in so well with the Fleet even though this is her 'big day' in a very real sense.
Yeah. Especially for the knowledgeable sorts who are realizing that she's not just stock but better than the original design.
True, and he also has gotten a pretty good idea about what JB sees in this young man.
That came across very very well here, You can tell that he's a little boy in Santa's Toy Workshop here and that one of his loves is showing her hull off for him is just the cherry and sprinkles on the hot fudge sundae of his life as you said.
Oh yes, she loves for him to talk dirty engineering to her while gushing over her formidable capabilities and design. And he does love her all, ship and girl here.
Looking forward to it. (Also poor JB probably is getting a few 'helpful unsolicited suggestions' from her silly pervert of a big sister to help 'demonstrate her appreciation' toward M. Weasley. I'm sure at least some of the earlier sibling gossip-fest from Riche was prodding JB into expounding on the some of the good qualities of M. Weasley. At length and in extensive detail.)
True, but in her case it is a bit of a 'test the refit' moment, so she needs to do it.
Oh yes! She knows what she likes, he knows what she likes, and he is willing to provide exactly the kind of thing that she likes while showing how much he admires what he likes about her (which she likes!). Hopefully she swung by her galley to grab a really big spoon to eat this up with....
True, and it's also where M. Weasely's magic fingers are divine at working out that knot her class sometines gets in their keels around Frame 59 (IIRC). So a known weak point of hers that he can take advantage of to show affection.
Oh yes, he could tell that she was eating it up and is very very happy, which makes him happy.
Oh yes, he's probably impressed by what he's seeing here. He also looks to be the kind of man who will go very far in the flag ranks with this kind of insight and professionalism.
Oh yes. Ron's now aware that he's in for quite a fun ride with her. Especially when he pushes her buttons by complimenting her spirit and her hull and building her up as a result.
Yeah, this was huge for her. No doubt this will be spilled early and in loving detail once Riche corners JB to wring the report out of her.
Oh yes, it was the perfect time to make his intentions and desires for her crystal clear (good job on training this gentleman-to-be up on how to pick his shots, Warspite, Duke, and Victoria!). Which again builds her up, since she's aware that when the time comes to progress further in their adult relationship, well he's going to do exactly what she desires for him to do with her.
Yeah, Riche fully intends to wring all the gossip that she can out of her kid sister's big day with her boyfriend. In large part because JB will want to spill how happy she is.
Yeah, as I said, he's a little boy in Santa's Workshop right now. As is she, since she has dreamed about being sent out to rule the waves since the day she manifested. And now her dreams are coming true.
Yeah, Ron is definitely goting to have a glowing report circulating around Paris and Toulon with their observations of him.
Yeah, so much elan for her. She knows that she's the center of attention as a symbol of France, and French pride and loves the hell out of it, especially with her captain on her bridge commanding her for her maiden cruise.
Oh yes, she's finally complete and able to do what she was meant to do.
Yeah, it is subtle, but she really did want to stretch her legs and see her speed, so yes, pliene vitesse is the order of the day for her now.
It really is, and yes, this was great stuff. I know the feeling, I always think mine need a litle more polish here and there when I go back and reread them.
Believe me, I know. It happens for me. Sometimes it all comes at once and other times it's like sucking a bowling ball through a straw.
QFT again. I feel that way about a good chunk of my stuff.
Thank you, and yes, Sunhawk argued me into this snip and I'm glad that he did.
Quite honestly one of the funniest chapters I've read... The good Father and Colombe were having a blast and recalling some of their own mischief from the good old days as kids... most probably the Scourgify coupled with cleaning the pans will be the extent of the punishment.
Yes, the Scourgify plus helping clean up the messes they made is the limit of it all. And they do get some cinnamon apple cake!
Wishful thinking on multiple grounds, actually:
- Overestimating Ehren's bust size
- Vastly overestimating the chance Wolff would let him anywhere near Ehren
- Vastly overestimating the chances Ehren would be interested in him.
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
Well yes on all three counts.
It says a lot that it would have been more merciful for him if Ehren had drawn steel and gutted him like a fish as opposed to what her Vati would have done to him if he had found out (as one might guess, the man was a serious Papa Wolf when it came to his blushing innocent virginal Aryan Tochter*). Also, Ehren already has her eye on a boy TYVM and Scotty isn't him (granted, she wasn't goign to tell Vati or anyone else present that she was kinda-sorta-interested in Draco).
*Two out of four isn't bad for Vatipire. Ehren's a virgin and 100% Aryan on the avatar. Blushing is a maybe depending on circumstances and she's no innocent when it cones to knowledge (as one might expect from Colombe's daughteru).
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beorn91
Ours mal léché
- Location
- France
One would think that after being involved with the Kignts of the Round Table and Charlemagne's Paladins, Morgana would be used to not be in control.
In those cases, she hasn't often had a need or desire to be in control, so she could just kick back and watch the fun. When she did want to be in control, she almost always was.
- Pronouns
- he
...Okay. That was funny. And adorable.
That's why I'm here. That, and wanting to share my ideas with others.
Why thunder or lightning? They have an obsession with the purity of human blood, or does thunder and lightning have some accusation with purity I'm not aware of.
Well... Now I'm a little motivated!
In AL Mass is very happy about Jean Bart being complete, mainly because she didn't like fighting someone who couldn't fight back properly. So, here, it makes sense that she wants to meet the one who helped JB with her incomplete state. What I really don't get is the ship between Mass and JB...
I'm back from the gym and had an idea for the next part of Hide and Yoshi. Is this what they call 'feeling the Burn'?
With a smile, Yoshi exited the church. The trees surrounding the church had been cut down and over 30 tents had been erected. The ringing of Tatara's anvil could be heard loud and clear over the busily working oni.
He had heard from the oni just how terrible the situation in the reservations was, how the guards made it obvious that they hated being there, hated those they were supposed to watch, and wished for nothing else but for them all to disappear. How the often lacked enough food for everyone and how often plagues decimated the population.
Now, under the attentive eye of the priest who lived in the church and happily handed out everything the refugees needed... they could build a home.
The hanyou hummed. Johnathan was still a mystery to him. Where did he draw those supplies from? What was the secret of his inhuman might? Who, exactly, were those comrades he spoke so fondly of?
... And most importantly... why did he forbid him and his sister from returning to the church's living quarters until called?
He shrugged. He would learn in the future. Of that... he was certain.
With purposeful strides, he walked in the direction of Tatara's tent. The red-skinned horned blacksmith was performing his work on the small field smithy the priest had provided. The iron he hammered was from the generous colossus' stockpile as well.
...It was almost as if he had expected to run into people trying to find a place to call home.
"Yoshi! Great to see you!" the blacksmith called out as soon as he saw the one-horned man. He looked around. Several spearheads, right next to finished hoes.
"You as well, Tatara." The hanyou noticed the full blood stare at something over his shoulder: The hilt of his odachi. A smile. "Would you like a look?" he asked.
"I can?! Yes, Please!" he shouted, before catching himself. "Ah sorry. Swords are... well they are something of a passion of mine. I always wanted to create something worthy of a lord and my father wanted to teach me... but he died before he could." A sigh, followed by an enraged scowl. "The plague was easily preventable, but the watchdogs refused to hand out medicine. Too much of a hassle." after a moment, he added. "I still miss him..."
A sympathetic smile. "I miss mine as well." Unsheathing the blade, he handed it to the smith.
With wide eyes, he studied it. "I know I'm just a novice, but I can tell this is a good sword. Look at the Hamon! The flex! The balance is excellent... the weight... was it forged for you?" Yoshi shook his head. "No," he answered. "It was made for my father. it passed on to me when he remained behind to allow me and Hide to flee." The two looked into each other's eyes. For a moment, a sense of brotherhood. Then, the blade was returned.
"If you want to watch others spar, the battle pit's supposed to be full. You wouldn't believe just how much a full belly helps with the training. Though, could use a bit of liquor, if you ask me."
With a laugh, the hanyou left the blacksmith.
A large number of the oni had gathered around the pit, and two, the blue-skinned woman he wounded back then and his sister, were wrestling.
The crowd cheered for both of them. It was obvious that the pure-blooded one was stronger than Hide, but she lacked training, probably another side effect of living in the reservation: More than once did Hide turn the strength of her foe around.
With a mighty thud, Hide's foe found herself on the ground. Both cheers and leers rang out and bottles of sake exchanged hands. His sister helped the blue oni back on her feet, and they shook hands, both of them smiling.
"So... how was it?" he asked his sister. The smile brightened. "Ayami has quite a bit of talent. Once she got a bit of training, she'll probably beat me." Even if the two of them were only partly oni... they still enjoyed a good and proper fight against someone equal.
"There you are!" Johnathan's voice startled them, as well as everyone around them. How could someone this strong and big be this stealthy? An uncharacteristic cackle from the priest. "My squire taught me a thing or two. Everything is prepared. The ritual can begin."
"A ritual. For what?"
A smirk. "To find your lord."
---
A large map of Japan on the table, surrounded by a circle of salt and another of writing neither of them recognized. Finally, hanging from the ceiling on a thin strand of white thread was a purple... spinning top?... made from a purple crystalline mineral that shone with an inner light, almost as if it contained fireflies.
"What are we supposed to do? How is this..." Hide pointed at the strange scene before her. "supposed to help us with finding lord Nobunaga?"
Johnathan smiled gently. "It's simple. A spell like you described should permeate your being on a fundamental level. So... with a small sacrifice of life force, this..." he gently tapped the top on the string. "should be able to pinpoint the position of the ones you two are drawn to."
"...Are you sure?" Yoshi asked with doubt in his voice.
A nod from the priest. "I might possess little talent in magic, but I'm quite skilled in replicating things I have seen more gifted magicals do. So..." he pulled out a thin knife. "Who is willing to pay the blood price?"
The twins looked at each other. A nod, and the sister stepped forth. She pulled the blade across her palm and a thin line of deep red blood bloomed forth. She smeared the top with her blood, pulled it back... and let go.
Swinging back and forth, drawing great circles... until it came to rest in unmarked green.
"So... if I didn't disappoint Kate and Sharan... this should be the stronger pull. The one you found but who didn't remember. Hideyoshi." A nod from the twins. The priest poured a small pile of salt on that spot.
"The next go should be the weaker pull. Yoshi?" The brother stepped forth. Like his sister, blood flowed from his palm and fed the shaped crystal.
Again, it spun and spun and spun... until it came to rest on the southern edge of Honshu.
Johnathan's face turned grim.
"Yokosuka... I thought something along those lines." he sighed.
"Is there something wrong with this... Yokosuka?" Hide asked.
"Kanmusu. Many, many kanmusu. Do you know tsukumogami? Kind of like that but different. They are... born of the best qualities of a soldier. Courage. Honor. Diligence. Even compassion. All in the form of a beautiful young woman, embodying the soul of a ship. They ignore most from of magical disguises, possess impossibly sharp spiritual senses, and... well... as strong and skilled as you are, if you drive a shipgirl to consider you a threat, not to herself, but to others, she will tear you apart."
They realized just what he feared. What if Lord Nobunaga didn't remember either? What if he called for help with one of those... kanmusu were present?
...
But still, their oath demanded them to search for the Great Unifier's reincarnation.
A smile appeared on Johnathan's face.
"Still going to try it?"
A nod.
"Well then... I'll plan a route for you. That should cut down on travel time."
A/N:
So...
Maybe the next part will be a meeting between Nobu and the twins.
Maybe it will just be sneaking into one of the most heavily defended places in Japan.
Sounds like fun, right?
Tell me what you think.
See you tomorrow, I'm aching all over.
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Well, I'm going to start playing the Metal Gear Solid music next time we see them. Hopefully the Xenocidal F**KS don't show up and ruin everything.
If you want them to, let them. They would make for some good skeet shooting and the fish would like the free food (now if only they were at the countryside so that the farmers could enjoy some free fertilizer*).
*Apologies, but please remember how much I HATE people like The Xenocidal F**KS? They're up there with the NAZIS to me. So I kind of like to imagine them having their life subscription prematurely ended/their souls mailed to the afterlife/their name put on headlines or Twitter bios.
*Apologies, but please remember how much I HATE people like The Xenocidal F**KS? They're up there with the NAZIS to me. So I kind of like to imagine them having their life subscription prematurely ended/their souls mailed to the afterlife/their name put on headlines or Twitter bios.
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- Location
- Deep in the Badlands of Equestria
Oh yes. If they're lucky, they'll run into the reincarnates while they're off-base. Let's just hope that in the time they're off searching their little community doesn't suffer a raid.
- Location
- Mountains of Appalachia
Oh, I misunderstood. I thought you were asking about the Oni tribe, who trace their descent from the Japanese thunder and lightning storm deities.