Traditional Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fanwork using characters from Kantai Collection...
Waves Of Change [Kantai Collection]
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Chapter 1
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Traditional Disclaimer: This is a non-profit fanwork using characters from Kantai Collection, developed by Kadokawa Games and published by DMM.com, with whom I am not affiliated, and whom have not endorsed (and are likely oblivious to the existence of) this story in any way, shape, or form. Please support the official release.
Secondary Disclaimer: For the purposes of the story, I am taking strong liberties with the canon and mechanics of Kantai Collection. Hopefully you will enjoy this, regardless!
Also: Music links at appropriate times in the story is A Thing I like to do a lot. They're certainly optional, but listening along while reading should hopefully enhance the experience a bit.
Chapter 1: Summoning
(Or 'Submarines Wanted, Others May Apply')
Akashi swept her gaze across the group of girls and young women that had, a mere moment before, not even been present. One Battleship, one Seaplane Tender, two Heavy Cruisers, one Light Cruiser, four Destroyers, and one Submarine. She had to resist a sigh at that last one; the scouts of the shipgirl fleets were still few in number, and the Admiral had been pressuring her to summon as many as she could. Results… hadn't fared well. She knew she, Ooyodo, and Mamiya, the first shipgirls to have been summoned, had been directly asked for, yet since then the process had become frustratingly random. If the original Head Researcher still lived...
But that was a concern for another time; at the moment, the important thing was that there were ten new shipgirls sitting in the middle of the shrine, looking confused and perhaps a little bit frightened. "Welcome!" She started, pushing aside her own worries to let her natural cheer ease theirs. "I know you must be confused right now, but be patient with us, alright? All will be explained soon enough!"
The group glanced about; at the shrine, at each other, at the navy personnel standing at attention, or at Akashi herself, but after a few moments, she was met with a round of hesitant nods. At that, she smiled. "Now, I would like you to introduce yourselves one-by-one. Once you've done so, please follow these kind gentlemen, and they'll lead you to where you need to go. Is that alright?"
After another long moment, the Battleship stood up on shaky legs, nearly pitching forward. Akashi was there to catch her, and helped support her until she could find a more stable stance. This wasn't uncommon, either, most shipgirls spending their first few days stumbling about like sailors until they could get used to their human form. "Thank you," the battleship offered, before releasing her grip and snapping a salute. "Fusou-Class Super-Dreadnaught, Fusou! Please take care of me and..." She glanced about, as though looking for someone, then shrugged with a slight frown. "Well, please take care of me."
Akashi gently led her over to one of the waiting officers, who helped support the still-unsteady shipgirl as he guided her towards the exit. Another officer, off to the side, was writing down Fusou's name on a clipboard. Once everyone was introduced, their past as warships would be thoroughly researched and the information compiled into the beginning of a new file for the records.
Next up was the submarine, wearing a faint grin and a slightly (with an emphasis on slightly) more modest outfit than most of her type. "I'm I-401, from the special submarine series." She stood up, stretching out her bare legs with a catlike grace… before promptly tripping on the edge of the platform and doing a solid impression of a pancake on the shrine's floor. "A ship really sinks when they're sunk, huh…?"
"You don't need to be so dramatic," Akashi chided, trying and failing to suppress a giggle. "Here, let me help you up."
Slowly, the list came together; Fusou, I-401, Akitsushima, Asakaze, Aoba, Kumano, Umikaze, Kiso, and Nagatsuki gave quick introductions, spent some time stumbling about despite Akashi's attempted assistance, and were led out. One destroyer remained, sitting at the back of the platform and staring at her knees blankly. Somehow, Akashi doubted she'd noticed a single thing going on since her arrival, which was rather worrisome. Adopting a quieter tone, she slowly approached the girl. "It's okay. You're back now, you're safe. Your time is not done yet, little destroyer. You may rise again."
At this, the other girl finally stirred, looking up at the repair ship as the light of awareness came into her eyes. "I… Thank you." She said, before looking around. "Um… my name is Fubuki. It's… it's nice to meet you!" Her uncertain expression finally morphed into a beaming, downright adorable smile, and Akashi thought she heard one of the officers clutch at their heart with a sharp gasp of pain.
"And I'm Akashi. Here, let me help you." She led the shorter girl to the exit, the remaining naval personnel falling into step behind them as they left the holy site. A few shrine maidens rushed past, one with a disapproving glare while others gave the party looks of admiration, but Akashi's focus was on helping Fubuki down the stairs. A left, a right, through the Torii gate, and to the pair of military transports waiting on the side of the road. The other newcomers had already been situated, so once Fubuki had been helped up into the back of the second vehicle and sat down between Akitsushima and Arashi, they were off.
Sitting on the driver's side seat of the leading truck, Akashi pulled her personal tablet (an incredibly helpful tool, she'd found, even if it lacked the satisfying weight or raw reliability of the mechanical creations she was more familiar with) and opened up a video conference. Slowly, four other faces cropped up on the screen; the admirals of the Navy's Kanmusu Division. This was one of the few times even she got to have a direct line to all of them at once.
Vice-Admiral Minami, in charge of the Sasebo Naval district, was a prim woman with short black hair and a stern demeanor. "Yes?" She all but demanded, before recognizing Akashi; her fierce scowl retreating into a mere grimace of annoyance.
Vice-Admiral Higashi, who ran the Yokosuka District, was much friendlier-looking yet still reserved, and sported a generic brown hairstyle. "Ah, the new batch of summons?" He steepled his fingers and waited quietly, but he looked excited.
Vice-Admiral Nishi was downright relaxed, leaning back with her arms behind her head and the cheerful sight of Maizuru District visible out the window. Her long blonde braid was slung over one shoulder, and her cap tilted at an angle that was probably supposed to look jaunty - but instead just looked ready to fall off at any moment. Her smile widened as she realized the purpose of the call. "I can't wait to meet the new kids!"
And Admiral Kita, who was in charge of the Kanmusu Division as a whole, appeared last, his greying hair, goatee, and the tired circles under his eyes combining to give off an almost frightening countenance. The moment he connected, he stared Akashi right in the eyes. "How many Submarines are there?"
The repair ship, despite herself, gave a nervous grin and tried to ignore the sudden beads of sweat on her brow. "Well, sir, we got... one. Uh, I-401, to be exact."
Nishi and Higashi both let out little 'aww's of disappointment, while Minami gave an irritated huff. Kita sighed, his exhaustion becoming downright palpable, but he quickly straightened up again. "It's not your fault; I understand the process of choosing who arrives is beyond your control. Even one will help lighten the load, especially if she's of the I-400 class. Her planes will be a strong asset to a more effective reconnaissance. Once she's been through training, she is to be sent to Yokosuka, and Iku will be transferred to Sasebo."
Higashi let out a little sigh of relief, while Minami's eyes widened. "You can't possibly mean…"
Kita fixed her with a glare through the screen. "You've been hounding me for a stronger Sub complement for months. Despite her... eccentricities, Iku is the best we've got right now. I'm confident you'll be better able to reign her in, anyway, so this is to everyone's advantage." Without missing a beat, he shifted gears. "Akashi. Who else has arrived?"
"One Seaplane Tender, One Battleship, Two Heavy Cruisers, One Light Cruiser, and Four Destroyers." She rattled off, glancing at the clipboard containing the list. "Their names are…"
"Don't bother just yet; just send us the full reports once you have them compiled." Kita interrupted, his tone taking on an unusually apologetic tinge. "I have a meeting with the Diet representative very shortly, and they're… well, they're not acting any different than usual." At this, everyone gave sympathetic nods, even Minami. Even in the face of a war for the ocean itself, bureaucracy remained stubbornly unchanged. "Is there anything particularly noteworthy you need to share before I go, Akashi?"
"Uh…" She thought back. Aside from I-401, none of the group had particularly stuck out to her; most quirks in personality took a day or two to make themselves known. Still… "One of the Destroyers was Fubuki. The Fubuki name ship, that is, not just of the class. She… felt different. I don't know how to describe it. It took her a longer time to become aware of her surroundings, and she just… felt different." She was repeating herself, but she truly couldn't describe the… vibe, for lack of a better word, around the young destroyer. There was something off about her, and she couldn't tell whether it was for good or for ill. "I'll keep a close watch on her, try to figure out what the deal is."
"Good, do so." Kita nodded once. "If there's nothing else… Admiral Kita, signing off."
His video feed disappeared from the call, and Higashi and Akashi's postures both relaxed. "Only ten this time?" He asked, "This was a smaller amount than usual." It was true; most summoned groups had averaged between twelve to sixteen shipgirls per, with one notable exception. "Hopefully this is simply an anomaly, and not a sign of decreasing rate."
"Well, we'll see next month." Nishi suggested. "It wouldn't hurt to consider tightening our belts a bit if that is the case, but it's too early to be jumping to the worst possible conclusions just yet."
Akashi nodded in agreement. "I concur. We'll have to see how the next summoning goes, but it could easily have been a fluke. Let's just focus on doing our best with what we've got!" She smiled at this, and the Vice-Admirals all nodded. "I don't have anything else of note to report for now, so I'll leave you to your work. Repair Ship Akashi, signing off!"
As the tablet screen turned black, she looked up to see they were already pulling into their destination. Alright, it was showtime.
The moment the transports pulled in to a stop, Akashi hopped out and jogged around to the back, opening the rear doors to let the new girls make their unsteady exits. Given that the gravel was rather less forgiving than the shrine floor from earlier, she made sure to pre-emptively offer support before anyone got any funny ideas about trying to climb down on their own just yet.
The newcomers stepped out into a rather secluded gravel road, surrounded on nearly every side by thick forest; only the muffled roar of the highway could dispel the illusion of solitude. Opposite the trucks stood a long, rectangular apartment-looking building that seemed like it would be more at home in a residential area than the middle of a forest. And to the left, the road sloped downward, leading to a narrow yet long pier that jutted out into a vast lake just barely visible through the trees. If Akashi cared to run down there and look at the far shore, she'd see the very shrine they'd just come from. All told, it was a nice place, and served its purpose well.
"Alright, follow me." She led everyone around the side of the building and to the front entrance. Immediately inside was a wide common room with windows on both sides; the ones to the right looking out at the road, while the leftward ones showed off a small pool and a firing range. The room itself was strewn with several couches and seats, with a small kitchen area behind a bar counter in one corner. Opposite the front doors, a wide hallway led further back into the place. The air was a bit dusty, but there was a comfortable atmosphere. "Now, go ahead and take a seat, and we can start answering your questions."
It took a bit of shuffling, but finally the shipgirls found themselves arranged on the furniture. "Now, I tried giving big speeches before, and those never quite worked out, so this time I'm going to try something else," Akashi began. "You probably have a better idea of which questions you want answered first than I do, so I'll leave it up to you to ask, and I can try to fill in the rest later. So go ahead and ask what's on your mind."
Someone raised a hand. "Uh… what happened to us? Why are we… like this?" They gestured clumsily to indicate their new, human forms.
"Well, you see…" Akashi said, beginning with a delicate tone, "You sunk. But we brought you back, summoned your spirits. And that's why you're in a human form now." She'd done this several times by now, but it still felt like there was no easy way to break the news.
They blinked, processing the information with a variety of reactions. Finally, someone else raised her hand. "So… are we not really ships anymore? And who are you? Why were we… 'summoned'?"
Akashi grinned. "Well, to your first question… yes, and no. You are essentially human now, in all the ways that matter, buuut…" She signaled, and two of the navymen went into the kitchen area, bringing back a large metal device carried between them, that had been hidden out of sight. They brought it around behind Akashi, and she backed up into it. Connections were made, and the rigging came to life, the miniature crane swinging back and forth as equally small cannons repositioned themselves to be aiming away from the assembled group. And as this occurred, a change within her also took place, her bearing becoming slightly more confident, slightly… more. The newcomers all gasped in sudden recognition, someone even muttering her name. "...But we are still ships, as well, just packaged a bit differently."
Her grin faded a touch. "As for why we were summoned… the oceans have been taken over, and only we can fight to take them back where modern technology fails. I won't leave you in the dark about what's out there, but for now that's all you need to know. You'll be seeing too much of the enemy soon enough."
"Where are we now?"
"This is boot camp, essentially. You'll be spending the next two weeks here, being taught how to get along in your new human forms, getting up-to-date with what's happened since the war, and relearning how to sail and shoot. As I said, different packaging means things are going to work a bit differently than you're used to, but it's not hard to pick back up, so I'm sure you'll do fine!"
Fubuki, who had been quiet up until now, lifted her hand somewhat hesitantly. "Um, will you be teaching us?" Despite herself, Akashi couldn't help but feel endeared to the destroyer.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to be here all the time. Asahi has been taking her sweet time getting summoned, so I'm the fleet's only repair ship at the moment, meaning I have to be in five places at once most of the time. I'll be here when I can, but there are other ships and some human personnel who'll be helping you the rest of the time." Fubuki's already-apprehensive expression grew even more concerned, so she amended herself. "I'll still be here a lot, and the other teachers are all pretty nice and helpful. You'll be fine."
I-401 raised her hand next. "So we'll be here for two weeks… what happens after that?"
"Well, you'll be assigned to one of the naval districts; Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Maizuru, depending on where you're needed most." Or how much Minami annoys Kita, she thought, but kept that to herself.
"What about Kure?" Someone else asked. Ooh, there was an interesting one.
"Partially bombed, partially demilitarized, partially a museum now." Akashi responded breezily, only to be met by a wall of flabbergasted faces. "Trust me; a lot has happened since we were sunk. Like I said, we'll be filling you all in in due time."
Finally, Asakaze raised a hand, the other held to her growling belly. "Uh, why am I making this sound? I'm not doing it on purpose, I promise!"
Akashi chuckled good-naturedly. "That is just hunger. This is probably as good a time as any to reintroduce you all to eating… or resupplying." At that, blank expressions became eager, and the repair ship set about directing the navy officers to assemble plates piled high with rice and sandwiches.
Once everyone was settled down and happily eating, Akashi retired to an armchair in the corner, where she could begin writing up her post-summoning report to Admiral Kita, and still keep an eye on the newcomers without interfering too much with their interactions. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out quite as well as normally, as Fubuki quickly noticed her absence and followed her with a cautious manner. Akashi gave her a warm smile, setting her tablet to the side to give the destroyer her undivided attention. "Yes, what is it?"
"Uh… Akashi-Senpai? You said something took over the oceans?" Oh. Oh, boy. This was not going to be a fun conversation. "Can I ask… what it is?"
The repair ship fixed Fubuki with a Serious Look. "I don't want to discourage curiosity, but this is one case where I want to be sure… Do you really want to know so early? You will find out soon enough, but I don't want to darken your first day back with this. You should celebrate, eat, enjoy living again and get used to living this way, before you have to worry about what you're up against."
Fubuki gave a sheepish grin in return. "I… understand that, but not knowing is making me even more worried. I'd rather know now than have to wonder about it too much."
Well. Akashi bit her lip, mentally weighing those words. She didn't want to scare her on the first day, but she did have a point. Finally, she decided "Fine. But promise me this… you won't bring it up to the others until we tell them as well, and that you'll try not to worry too much after you know." She picked up her tablet, making a few swipes to pull open the pictures folder, scrolling to the correct photograph. Opening it up and gazing at the image, even the still visage sent a shiver down her spine. Reluctantly, she turned the screen around to Fubuki. "This is an Abyssal…"
***
Elsewhere...
Normally, prodding at a shark with the tip of one's fishing rod would be a rather less than advisable course of action. However, most sharks would still be alive in this hypothetical scenario, something that couldn't be said of the one lying before the fisherman at the moment. Furthermore, while a fair amount of sharks died of being beached like this one was, very few of those had been seen actively attempting to throw themselves onto land like this one had.
But the phenomenon was not unheard of, and in recent months, it was an omen. The fisherman turned his eyes toward the horizon, and felt a cold wind blow his way.
"Oshiro, I want you to go into the town, and tell everyone to begin evacuating. I'll get the other guys out on the water; for the next hour, we're going to have the haul of our lives. Two hours after that, we need to be as far away from here as possible."
His friend gave him a questioning glance, but after a nod towards the gathering clouds on the horizon, he connected the dots with wide eyes. "I'll let them know."
---
Out across the water, a black mist billowed forward, swallowing the waves with a steady relentlessness. And under those waves, the fish fled before its approach. They swam as hard and fast as they could, no matter the exhaustion, driven by a terror their tiny minds couldn't even begin to comprehend. A pod of dolphins, once frolicking happily in the water, now gradually separated as they focused only on escaping the oncoming horror.
As the dark cloud drew nearer to the tiny island that was its destination, it began to slow down - but its cargo did not, and gradually, figures began to emerge from the fog. First, a quartet of sleek-yet-craggy beasts that sliced through the water like some mockery of a shark, each looking ahead with a singular cyclopic eye. Then a set of towers, each bearing an alarming number of cannons, with a twisted excuse for a human torso peeking out of a cavity on the bottom.
This was only the vanguard. More and more of them materialized from the inky cloud, out onto the sparkling waves, yet their mere presence seemed to drain all the warmth and peace from the scene. The sunlight grew dim as the first overhanging curtains began to scud across the sky, the wind becoming brisk and chilly.
And then came more. Skating across the surface of the water were more humanoid forms; pale women wearing sleeveless high-collar tops and their legs encased in heavy black armor. However, the most immediately noticeable aspect of their appearances were their two-headed tails of muscle and tubing, both points ending in a row of cannons.
And in the very center of the formation, a tall woman standing with one foot forward, riding effortlessly along the ocean's surface. Her long hair was a bone-bleached shade of white tipped in sooty grey, and her red eyes burned with nothing less than pure malice. She wore a a jagged crest upon her brow and a curious black strapless dress, the skirt long in the back and short in front, while a large portion of the body's front was cut away to reveal her flat, milky pale stomach. Around her waist rested a metallic ring, from which hung a number of large black spheres, resembling traditional globe bombs more than anything. Finally, an armature of steel and flesh sprouting from her back led to a rather bulky box; on the bottom was a feeding belt with several alarmingly large cartridges waiting to be loaded, and from the front, a rather long cannon barrel extended forward.
As soon as the tail end of the formation emerged from the fog bank, she raised one gloved arm in signal. Her cannon moved, rising from its resting position to loom over one shoulder. A cylinder was pulled upwards into the cannon, while the barrel's angle was adjusted as she calculated trajectories and their remaining distance with a watchful gaze. The barrel twisted forward, extending further and further until it was nearly twice as long as she was tall.
BOOM
The cannon fired once, a single thundering challenge roared to the heavens themselves. The shell screamed in a long arc, upwards into the clouds before dropping upon the tiny village.
It didn't matter if it hit. (Though with her targeting, it undoubtedly did.) It didn't matter if the inhabitants were already long-gone, (They were) or how much damage the attack even dealt. (A lot.) It was a warning, an announcement to the world at large, an expression of rage that merely heralded the wrath to come.
The Abyssals were here.
Secondary Disclaimer: For the purposes of the story, I am taking strong liberties with the canon and mechanics of Kantai Collection. Hopefully you will enjoy this, regardless!
Also: Music links at appropriate times in the story is A Thing I like to do a lot. They're certainly optional, but listening along while reading should hopefully enhance the experience a bit.
Chapter 1: Summoning
(Or 'Submarines Wanted, Others May Apply')
Akashi swept her gaze across the group of girls and young women that had, a mere moment before, not even been present. One Battleship, one Seaplane Tender, two Heavy Cruisers, one Light Cruiser, four Destroyers, and one Submarine. She had to resist a sigh at that last one; the scouts of the shipgirl fleets were still few in number, and the Admiral had been pressuring her to summon as many as she could. Results… hadn't fared well. She knew she, Ooyodo, and Mamiya, the first shipgirls to have been summoned, had been directly asked for, yet since then the process had become frustratingly random. If the original Head Researcher still lived...
But that was a concern for another time; at the moment, the important thing was that there were ten new shipgirls sitting in the middle of the shrine, looking confused and perhaps a little bit frightened. "Welcome!" She started, pushing aside her own worries to let her natural cheer ease theirs. "I know you must be confused right now, but be patient with us, alright? All will be explained soon enough!"
The group glanced about; at the shrine, at each other, at the navy personnel standing at attention, or at Akashi herself, but after a few moments, she was met with a round of hesitant nods. At that, she smiled. "Now, I would like you to introduce yourselves one-by-one. Once you've done so, please follow these kind gentlemen, and they'll lead you to where you need to go. Is that alright?"
After another long moment, the Battleship stood up on shaky legs, nearly pitching forward. Akashi was there to catch her, and helped support her until she could find a more stable stance. This wasn't uncommon, either, most shipgirls spending their first few days stumbling about like sailors until they could get used to their human form. "Thank you," the battleship offered, before releasing her grip and snapping a salute. "Fusou-Class Super-Dreadnaught, Fusou! Please take care of me and..." She glanced about, as though looking for someone, then shrugged with a slight frown. "Well, please take care of me."
Akashi gently led her over to one of the waiting officers, who helped support the still-unsteady shipgirl as he guided her towards the exit. Another officer, off to the side, was writing down Fusou's name on a clipboard. Once everyone was introduced, their past as warships would be thoroughly researched and the information compiled into the beginning of a new file for the records.
Next up was the submarine, wearing a faint grin and a slightly (with an emphasis on slightly) more modest outfit than most of her type. "I'm I-401, from the special submarine series." She stood up, stretching out her bare legs with a catlike grace… before promptly tripping on the edge of the platform and doing a solid impression of a pancake on the shrine's floor. "A ship really sinks when they're sunk, huh…?"
"You don't need to be so dramatic," Akashi chided, trying and failing to suppress a giggle. "Here, let me help you up."
Slowly, the list came together; Fusou, I-401, Akitsushima, Asakaze, Aoba, Kumano, Umikaze, Kiso, and Nagatsuki gave quick introductions, spent some time stumbling about despite Akashi's attempted assistance, and were led out. One destroyer remained, sitting at the back of the platform and staring at her knees blankly. Somehow, Akashi doubted she'd noticed a single thing going on since her arrival, which was rather worrisome. Adopting a quieter tone, she slowly approached the girl. "It's okay. You're back now, you're safe. Your time is not done yet, little destroyer. You may rise again."
At this, the other girl finally stirred, looking up at the repair ship as the light of awareness came into her eyes. "I… Thank you." She said, before looking around. "Um… my name is Fubuki. It's… it's nice to meet you!" Her uncertain expression finally morphed into a beaming, downright adorable smile, and Akashi thought she heard one of the officers clutch at their heart with a sharp gasp of pain.
"And I'm Akashi. Here, let me help you." She led the shorter girl to the exit, the remaining naval personnel falling into step behind them as they left the holy site. A few shrine maidens rushed past, one with a disapproving glare while others gave the party looks of admiration, but Akashi's focus was on helping Fubuki down the stairs. A left, a right, through the Torii gate, and to the pair of military transports waiting on the side of the road. The other newcomers had already been situated, so once Fubuki had been helped up into the back of the second vehicle and sat down between Akitsushima and Arashi, they were off.
Sitting on the driver's side seat of the leading truck, Akashi pulled her personal tablet (an incredibly helpful tool, she'd found, even if it lacked the satisfying weight or raw reliability of the mechanical creations she was more familiar with) and opened up a video conference. Slowly, four other faces cropped up on the screen; the admirals of the Navy's Kanmusu Division. This was one of the few times even she got to have a direct line to all of them at once.
Vice-Admiral Minami, in charge of the Sasebo Naval district, was a prim woman with short black hair and a stern demeanor. "Yes?" She all but demanded, before recognizing Akashi; her fierce scowl retreating into a mere grimace of annoyance.
Vice-Admiral Higashi, who ran the Yokosuka District, was much friendlier-looking yet still reserved, and sported a generic brown hairstyle. "Ah, the new batch of summons?" He steepled his fingers and waited quietly, but he looked excited.
Vice-Admiral Nishi was downright relaxed, leaning back with her arms behind her head and the cheerful sight of Maizuru District visible out the window. Her long blonde braid was slung over one shoulder, and her cap tilted at an angle that was probably supposed to look jaunty - but instead just looked ready to fall off at any moment. Her smile widened as she realized the purpose of the call. "I can't wait to meet the new kids!"
And Admiral Kita, who was in charge of the Kanmusu Division as a whole, appeared last, his greying hair, goatee, and the tired circles under his eyes combining to give off an almost frightening countenance. The moment he connected, he stared Akashi right in the eyes. "How many Submarines are there?"
The repair ship, despite herself, gave a nervous grin and tried to ignore the sudden beads of sweat on her brow. "Well, sir, we got... one. Uh, I-401, to be exact."
Nishi and Higashi both let out little 'aww's of disappointment, while Minami gave an irritated huff. Kita sighed, his exhaustion becoming downright palpable, but he quickly straightened up again. "It's not your fault; I understand the process of choosing who arrives is beyond your control. Even one will help lighten the load, especially if she's of the I-400 class. Her planes will be a strong asset to a more effective reconnaissance. Once she's been through training, she is to be sent to Yokosuka, and Iku will be transferred to Sasebo."
Higashi let out a little sigh of relief, while Minami's eyes widened. "You can't possibly mean…"
Kita fixed her with a glare through the screen. "You've been hounding me for a stronger Sub complement for months. Despite her... eccentricities, Iku is the best we've got right now. I'm confident you'll be better able to reign her in, anyway, so this is to everyone's advantage." Without missing a beat, he shifted gears. "Akashi. Who else has arrived?"
"One Seaplane Tender, One Battleship, Two Heavy Cruisers, One Light Cruiser, and Four Destroyers." She rattled off, glancing at the clipboard containing the list. "Their names are…"
"Don't bother just yet; just send us the full reports once you have them compiled." Kita interrupted, his tone taking on an unusually apologetic tinge. "I have a meeting with the Diet representative very shortly, and they're… well, they're not acting any different than usual." At this, everyone gave sympathetic nods, even Minami. Even in the face of a war for the ocean itself, bureaucracy remained stubbornly unchanged. "Is there anything particularly noteworthy you need to share before I go, Akashi?"
"Uh…" She thought back. Aside from I-401, none of the group had particularly stuck out to her; most quirks in personality took a day or two to make themselves known. Still… "One of the Destroyers was Fubuki. The Fubuki name ship, that is, not just of the class. She… felt different. I don't know how to describe it. It took her a longer time to become aware of her surroundings, and she just… felt different." She was repeating herself, but she truly couldn't describe the… vibe, for lack of a better word, around the young destroyer. There was something off about her, and she couldn't tell whether it was for good or for ill. "I'll keep a close watch on her, try to figure out what the deal is."
"Good, do so." Kita nodded once. "If there's nothing else… Admiral Kita, signing off."
His video feed disappeared from the call, and Higashi and Akashi's postures both relaxed. "Only ten this time?" He asked, "This was a smaller amount than usual." It was true; most summoned groups had averaged between twelve to sixteen shipgirls per, with one notable exception. "Hopefully this is simply an anomaly, and not a sign of decreasing rate."
"Well, we'll see next month." Nishi suggested. "It wouldn't hurt to consider tightening our belts a bit if that is the case, but it's too early to be jumping to the worst possible conclusions just yet."
Akashi nodded in agreement. "I concur. We'll have to see how the next summoning goes, but it could easily have been a fluke. Let's just focus on doing our best with what we've got!" She smiled at this, and the Vice-Admirals all nodded. "I don't have anything else of note to report for now, so I'll leave you to your work. Repair Ship Akashi, signing off!"
As the tablet screen turned black, she looked up to see they were already pulling into their destination. Alright, it was showtime.
The moment the transports pulled in to a stop, Akashi hopped out and jogged around to the back, opening the rear doors to let the new girls make their unsteady exits. Given that the gravel was rather less forgiving than the shrine floor from earlier, she made sure to pre-emptively offer support before anyone got any funny ideas about trying to climb down on their own just yet.
The newcomers stepped out into a rather secluded gravel road, surrounded on nearly every side by thick forest; only the muffled roar of the highway could dispel the illusion of solitude. Opposite the trucks stood a long, rectangular apartment-looking building that seemed like it would be more at home in a residential area than the middle of a forest. And to the left, the road sloped downward, leading to a narrow yet long pier that jutted out into a vast lake just barely visible through the trees. If Akashi cared to run down there and look at the far shore, she'd see the very shrine they'd just come from. All told, it was a nice place, and served its purpose well.
"Alright, follow me." She led everyone around the side of the building and to the front entrance. Immediately inside was a wide common room with windows on both sides; the ones to the right looking out at the road, while the leftward ones showed off a small pool and a firing range. The room itself was strewn with several couches and seats, with a small kitchen area behind a bar counter in one corner. Opposite the front doors, a wide hallway led further back into the place. The air was a bit dusty, but there was a comfortable atmosphere. "Now, go ahead and take a seat, and we can start answering your questions."
It took a bit of shuffling, but finally the shipgirls found themselves arranged on the furniture. "Now, I tried giving big speeches before, and those never quite worked out, so this time I'm going to try something else," Akashi began. "You probably have a better idea of which questions you want answered first than I do, so I'll leave it up to you to ask, and I can try to fill in the rest later. So go ahead and ask what's on your mind."
Someone raised a hand. "Uh… what happened to us? Why are we… like this?" They gestured clumsily to indicate their new, human forms.
"Well, you see…" Akashi said, beginning with a delicate tone, "You sunk. But we brought you back, summoned your spirits. And that's why you're in a human form now." She'd done this several times by now, but it still felt like there was no easy way to break the news.
They blinked, processing the information with a variety of reactions. Finally, someone else raised her hand. "So… are we not really ships anymore? And who are you? Why were we… 'summoned'?"
Akashi grinned. "Well, to your first question… yes, and no. You are essentially human now, in all the ways that matter, buuut…" She signaled, and two of the navymen went into the kitchen area, bringing back a large metal device carried between them, that had been hidden out of sight. They brought it around behind Akashi, and she backed up into it. Connections were made, and the rigging came to life, the miniature crane swinging back and forth as equally small cannons repositioned themselves to be aiming away from the assembled group. And as this occurred, a change within her also took place, her bearing becoming slightly more confident, slightly… more. The newcomers all gasped in sudden recognition, someone even muttering her name. "...But we are still ships, as well, just packaged a bit differently."
Her grin faded a touch. "As for why we were summoned… the oceans have been taken over, and only we can fight to take them back where modern technology fails. I won't leave you in the dark about what's out there, but for now that's all you need to know. You'll be seeing too much of the enemy soon enough."
"Where are we now?"
"This is boot camp, essentially. You'll be spending the next two weeks here, being taught how to get along in your new human forms, getting up-to-date with what's happened since the war, and relearning how to sail and shoot. As I said, different packaging means things are going to work a bit differently than you're used to, but it's not hard to pick back up, so I'm sure you'll do fine!"
Fubuki, who had been quiet up until now, lifted her hand somewhat hesitantly. "Um, will you be teaching us?" Despite herself, Akashi couldn't help but feel endeared to the destroyer.
"Unfortunately, I won't be able to be here all the time. Asahi has been taking her sweet time getting summoned, so I'm the fleet's only repair ship at the moment, meaning I have to be in five places at once most of the time. I'll be here when I can, but there are other ships and some human personnel who'll be helping you the rest of the time." Fubuki's already-apprehensive expression grew even more concerned, so she amended herself. "I'll still be here a lot, and the other teachers are all pretty nice and helpful. You'll be fine."
I-401 raised her hand next. "So we'll be here for two weeks… what happens after that?"
"Well, you'll be assigned to one of the naval districts; Yokosuka, Sasebo, and Maizuru, depending on where you're needed most." Or how much Minami annoys Kita, she thought, but kept that to herself.
"What about Kure?" Someone else asked. Ooh, there was an interesting one.
"Partially bombed, partially demilitarized, partially a museum now." Akashi responded breezily, only to be met by a wall of flabbergasted faces. "Trust me; a lot has happened since we were sunk. Like I said, we'll be filling you all in in due time."
Finally, Asakaze raised a hand, the other held to her growling belly. "Uh, why am I making this sound? I'm not doing it on purpose, I promise!"
Akashi chuckled good-naturedly. "That is just hunger. This is probably as good a time as any to reintroduce you all to eating… or resupplying." At that, blank expressions became eager, and the repair ship set about directing the navy officers to assemble plates piled high with rice and sandwiches.
Once everyone was settled down and happily eating, Akashi retired to an armchair in the corner, where she could begin writing up her post-summoning report to Admiral Kita, and still keep an eye on the newcomers without interfering too much with their interactions. Unfortunately, that plan didn't work out quite as well as normally, as Fubuki quickly noticed her absence and followed her with a cautious manner. Akashi gave her a warm smile, setting her tablet to the side to give the destroyer her undivided attention. "Yes, what is it?"
"Uh… Akashi-Senpai? You said something took over the oceans?" Oh. Oh, boy. This was not going to be a fun conversation. "Can I ask… what it is?"
The repair ship fixed Fubuki with a Serious Look. "I don't want to discourage curiosity, but this is one case where I want to be sure… Do you really want to know so early? You will find out soon enough, but I don't want to darken your first day back with this. You should celebrate, eat, enjoy living again and get used to living this way, before you have to worry about what you're up against."
Fubuki gave a sheepish grin in return. "I… understand that, but not knowing is making me even more worried. I'd rather know now than have to wonder about it too much."
Well. Akashi bit her lip, mentally weighing those words. She didn't want to scare her on the first day, but she did have a point. Finally, she decided "Fine. But promise me this… you won't bring it up to the others until we tell them as well, and that you'll try not to worry too much after you know." She picked up her tablet, making a few swipes to pull open the pictures folder, scrolling to the correct photograph. Opening it up and gazing at the image, even the still visage sent a shiver down her spine. Reluctantly, she turned the screen around to Fubuki. "This is an Abyssal…"
***
Elsewhere...
Normally, prodding at a shark with the tip of one's fishing rod would be a rather less than advisable course of action. However, most sharks would still be alive in this hypothetical scenario, something that couldn't be said of the one lying before the fisherman at the moment. Furthermore, while a fair amount of sharks died of being beached like this one was, very few of those had been seen actively attempting to throw themselves onto land like this one had.
But the phenomenon was not unheard of, and in recent months, it was an omen. The fisherman turned his eyes toward the horizon, and felt a cold wind blow his way.
"Oshiro, I want you to go into the town, and tell everyone to begin evacuating. I'll get the other guys out on the water; for the next hour, we're going to have the haul of our lives. Two hours after that, we need to be as far away from here as possible."
His friend gave him a questioning glance, but after a nod towards the gathering clouds on the horizon, he connected the dots with wide eyes. "I'll let them know."
---
Out across the water, a black mist billowed forward, swallowing the waves with a steady relentlessness. And under those waves, the fish fled before its approach. They swam as hard and fast as they could, no matter the exhaustion, driven by a terror their tiny minds couldn't even begin to comprehend. A pod of dolphins, once frolicking happily in the water, now gradually separated as they focused only on escaping the oncoming horror.
As the dark cloud drew nearer to the tiny island that was its destination, it began to slow down - but its cargo did not, and gradually, figures began to emerge from the fog. First, a quartet of sleek-yet-craggy beasts that sliced through the water like some mockery of a shark, each looking ahead with a singular cyclopic eye. Then a set of towers, each bearing an alarming number of cannons, with a twisted excuse for a human torso peeking out of a cavity on the bottom.
This was only the vanguard. More and more of them materialized from the inky cloud, out onto the sparkling waves, yet their mere presence seemed to drain all the warmth and peace from the scene. The sunlight grew dim as the first overhanging curtains began to scud across the sky, the wind becoming brisk and chilly.
And then came more. Skating across the surface of the water were more humanoid forms; pale women wearing sleeveless high-collar tops and their legs encased in heavy black armor. However, the most immediately noticeable aspect of their appearances were their two-headed tails of muscle and tubing, both points ending in a row of cannons.
And in the very center of the formation, a tall woman standing with one foot forward, riding effortlessly along the ocean's surface. Her long hair was a bone-bleached shade of white tipped in sooty grey, and her red eyes burned with nothing less than pure malice. She wore a a jagged crest upon her brow and a curious black strapless dress, the skirt long in the back and short in front, while a large portion of the body's front was cut away to reveal her flat, milky pale stomach. Around her waist rested a metallic ring, from which hung a number of large black spheres, resembling traditional globe bombs more than anything. Finally, an armature of steel and flesh sprouting from her back led to a rather bulky box; on the bottom was a feeding belt with several alarmingly large cartridges waiting to be loaded, and from the front, a rather long cannon barrel extended forward.
As soon as the tail end of the formation emerged from the fog bank, she raised one gloved arm in signal. Her cannon moved, rising from its resting position to loom over one shoulder. A cylinder was pulled upwards into the cannon, while the barrel's angle was adjusted as she calculated trajectories and their remaining distance with a watchful gaze. The barrel twisted forward, extending further and further until it was nearly twice as long as she was tall.
BOOM
The cannon fired once, a single thundering challenge roared to the heavens themselves. The shell screamed in a long arc, upwards into the clouds before dropping upon the tiny village.
It didn't matter if it hit. (Though with her targeting, it undoubtedly did.) It didn't matter if the inhabitants were already long-gone, (They were) or how much damage the attack even dealt. (A lot.) It was a warning, an announcement to the world at large, an expression of rage that merely heralded the wrath to come.
The Abyssals were here.
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Table Of Contents
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Contents:
Banner:
Chapter 9:
Chapter 10:
Chapter 11:
Chapter 12:
Chapter 13:
Chapter 14:
Chapter 15:
Chapter 9:
Chapter 10:
Chapter 11:
Chapter 12:
Chapter 13:
Chapter 14:
Chapter 15:
Banner:
Chapter 16:
Chapter 17:
Chapter 18:
Chapter 19:
Chapter 20:
Chapter 21:
Chapter 16:
Chapter 17:
Chapter 18:
Chapter 19:
Chapter 20:
Chapter 21:
Banner:
Chapter 22:
Chapter 23:
Chapter 24:
Chapter 25:
Chapter 26:
Chapter 27:
Chapter 22:
Chapter 23:
Chapter 24:
Chapter 25:
Chapter 26:
Chapter 27:
Banner:
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29:
Chapter 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Chapter 33:
Chapter 34:
Chapter 28:
Chapter 29:
Chapter 30:
Chapter 31:
Chapter 32:
Chapter 33:
Chapter 34:
Banner:
Chapter 35:
Chapter 36:
Chapter 37:
Chapter 38:
Chapter 39:
Chapter 40:
Chapter 41:
Chapter 35:
Chapter 36:
Chapter 37:
Chapter 38:
Chapter 39:
Chapter 40:
Chapter 41:
Banner:
Chapter 42:
Chapter 43:
Chapter 44:
Chapter 45:
Chapter 46:
Chapter 47:
Epilogue:
Chapter 42:
Chapter 43:
Chapter 44:
Chapter 45:
Chapter 46:
Chapter 47:
Epilogue:
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Genolution
Hello there
- Location
- [DATA EXPUNGED]
Looking forward to this! The OP was a pretty good take on the "early days of shipgirls" theme.
- Location
- england
this is getting interesting
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Here's a totally legit preview of future chapters:
Maybe if I spent more time actually writing the chapter than on this nonsense, It'd be here faster... (It is coming along, though; hoping to update in a week or so at most.)
Akashi: "You're a shipgirl, Fubuki."
Fubuki: "Yeah, I knew that already."
Fubuki: "Yeah, I knew that already."
Akashi: "Now you shall all be sorted into your respective Naval Districts. Place this conning tower on your head."
Sorting Conning Tower: "Hmm, you have much potential..."
Fubuki: "Not Sasebo, not Sasebo, not Sasebo..."
Sorting Conning Tower: "But why? There isn't even a negative reputation associated with it like Slytherin."
Fubuki: "I heard the admiral lady there is a fun-hating killjoy. Please, not Sasebo, not Sasebo..."
Sorting Conning Tower: "Good point."
Sorting Conning Tower: "Hmm, you have much potential..."
Fubuki: "Not Sasebo, not Sasebo, not Sasebo..."
Sorting Conning Tower: "But why? There isn't even a negative reputation associated with it like Slytherin."
Fubuki: "I heard the admiral lady there is a fun-hating killjoy. Please, not Sasebo, not Sasebo..."
Sorting Conning Tower: "Good point."
Tenryuu: "Zombie goasts leave this place"
Abyssals: "but this is our house"
Tenryuu: *blows up island*
Abyssals: "but this is our house"
Tenryuu: *blows up island*
Tenryuu: "I must kill fast and cannons too slow!"
Tenryuu: *pulls out sword*
Tenryuu: *pulls out sword*
Akagi: "Fubuki, I'm pregnant! And you're the father!"
Fubuki: "What? That doesn't seem physically possible! We're BOATS!"
Yamato: "Fubuki, I'm pregnant! And you're the father!"
Fubuki: "..."
Akashi: "Fubuki, I'm pregnant! And you're the father!"
Fubuki: "Wait, isn't our relationship more of a cool aunt/inspired niece?"
Akashi: "Yeah, I just said that to fuck with you."
Fubuki: "What? That doesn't seem physically possible! We're BOATS!"
Yamato: "Fubuki, I'm pregnant! And you're the father!"
Fubuki: "..."
Akashi: "Fubuki, I'm pregnant! And you're the father!"
Fubuki: "Wait, isn't our relationship more of a cool aunt/inspired niece?"
Akashi: "Yeah, I just said that to fuck with you."
Tenryuu: "LEEEEROY JENKIIIINS!!!"
Tenryuu: "I BURN!!!"
Tenryuu: "DON'T LOSE YOUR WAY!!!"
Tenryuu: "RULES! OF! NATURE!!!"
Tatsuta: "I have... many regrets."
Tenryuu: "I BURN!!!"
Tenryuu: "DON'T LOSE YOUR WAY!!!"
Tenryuu: "RULES! OF! NATURE!!!"
Tatsuta: "I have... many regrets."
Maybe if I spent more time actually writing the chapter than on this nonsense, It'd be here faster... (It is coming along, though; hoping to update in a week or so at most.)
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CrabMonarchy
Allegedly Dutch
- Location
- the Netherlands, apparently
The ship is named Tatsuta, FYI. Google says that Tatsuya is some random dude from Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, whatever that's supposed to be.
- Location
- Lost?
Full speed ahead. No regrets.
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ah, whoops! Thanks for the heads-up. XD
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
The bad news: Computer is still having trouble, so 'a week or so at most' was a bit optimistic.
The good news: I have been writing everything on Google Docs, so I can still access it.
The bad news: It's going slowly since I can only access it from work or the library, and work is pretty obviously not the time or place to make much headway.
The good news: I've been working out a loose outline of the overall story on pen and paper, and yesterday managed to flesh out a bunch of ideas, particularly Mutsuki's role and the story's structure, along with a bunch of small bits and details that will affect the first two arcs.
We're getting there.
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Research Log Entry 0.1:
The first round of interviews with Secondary Subject 1 (SS1, or AKSH) has concluded; to understand the remainder of events regarding the initial studied time period, contact with and interviewing of the Primary Subject (PS1, or FBKI) will be required. The research team is en route to the Main Site to achieve this end, with a planned detour to finish rectifying the technical difficulties that beset us upon the beginning of the research project.
Additionally, the interview with SS1 has helped the research team structure our planned efforts into seven distinct phases, not counting the initial, short phase that is currently underway. Each phase will focus on a particular elapsed period of time during the researched events, ensuring total understanding of that period and the timeline before moving on, to avoid the kind of discrepancies found in the Public Record. (PR, or PubAcc)
-The research assistant would also like to remind the head researcher that contact with PS1 will likely mean also meeting with Primary Subject 3. (PS3, or POI) The head researcher is advised to curb their natural bias towards PS3, for fear of skewing the research team's efforts as badly as the Public Account (PubAcc, or PR) has been by bias towards PS1.
--The head researcher would like to inquire as to what bias the research assistant refers, and insists there is no cause for worry.
---The research assistant cites the head researcher's habit of referring to PS3 as "best poi" in less official discussions.
----The head researcher admits that the research assistant raises a strong point, and promises to keep a close eye on the potential of such bias influencing the research effort. However, the head researcher also adds that these digressions are to be struck from the finalized project account.
-----The research assistant makes no promises.
(Too meta?)
The first round of interviews with Secondary Subject 1 (SS1, or AKSH) has concluded; to understand the remainder of events regarding the initial studied time period, contact with and interviewing of the Primary Subject (PS1, or FBKI) will be required. The research team is en route to the Main Site to achieve this end, with a planned detour to finish rectifying the technical difficulties that beset us upon the beginning of the research project.
Additionally, the interview with SS1 has helped the research team structure our planned efforts into seven distinct phases, not counting the initial, short phase that is currently underway. Each phase will focus on a particular elapsed period of time during the researched events, ensuring total understanding of that period and the timeline before moving on, to avoid the kind of discrepancies found in the Public Record. (PR, or PubAcc)
-The research assistant would also like to remind the head researcher that contact with PS1 will likely mean also meeting with Primary Subject 3. (PS3, or POI) The head researcher is advised to curb their natural bias towards PS3, for fear of skewing the research team's efforts as badly as the Public Account (PubAcc, or PR) has been by bias towards PS1.
--The head researcher would like to inquire as to what bias the research assistant refers, and insists there is no cause for worry.
---The research assistant cites the head researcher's habit of referring to PS3 as "best poi" in less official discussions.
----The head researcher admits that the research assistant raises a strong point, and promises to keep a close eye on the potential of such bias influencing the research effort. However, the head researcher also adds that these digressions are to be struck from the finalized project account.
-----The research assistant makes no promises.
(Too meta?)
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Chapter 2 Part 1
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
A/N: Figured since this is taking so long, I'd put up what I have now, then edit it later to add the rest and maybe smooth out some of the issues with this part; I'm not completely happy with it. Plus, the Gilligan cut is too good a place to end on for the time being...
Chapter 2: Boot Camp
(Or 'Fubuki vs. Physical Education')
By the time news of the attack reached Akashi, evening had already fallen and the newly summoned ships were all in their rooms, either sleeping or preparing to sleep. The repair ship was in her corner of the common room, typing up the last report and looking out at the darkening purple dusk, when a call came through on her tablet. Accepting it, she watched Admiral Kita and Vice-Admiral Higashi pop up on-screen, Ooyodo and Nagato behind them. "I'm almost done with those reports, just hold on another ten minutes!" She started, then saw their expressions. Higashi and Ooyodo looked utterly grave; while that was the default for Kita, the circles under his eyes were deeper than usual; and Nagato's tight-lipped sternness had become downright frigid. "Oh, no. What happened?"
"A few hours ago, a small fleet headed by an Abyssal Princess attacked Aogashima and took over the surrounding sea. There was a town there, but thankfully the inhabitants all evacuated before the Abyssals arrived. A patrol group led by Ashigara intercepted and escorted them to safety on another island nearby, but took some serious damage in the process."
Akashi nodded. "So you need a house call?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Higashi responded anyway. "Affirmative. Nachi is in no condition to move, and the rest are only marginally better. There's already a transport on the way for you; should be there within the next twenty minutes."
"Understood." Akashi nodded soberly. "Another Princess..." Though most of the Abyssal ranks were more-or-less uniform in appearance and strength, a few had been encountered that not only stood out as unique among the enemies, but often took leading positions and boasted far more lethal weaponry and abilities, and thusly had been dubbed Princesses. Though only three had been encountered previously, they were enough to hammer in that the appearance of one always went hand in hand with bad times.
"What worries me," Nagato spoke up, "Is that it's uncomfortably close to our forward base, and our special asset."
"An asset that we may never use?" Akashi glared through the screen, hackles rising at the secretary ship's attitude.
"An asset I hope we never need to use," was Nagato's cool response, her gaze pixelated but no less harsh for it.
Ooyodo facepalmed and Kita gave an unamused huff at the oft-repeated argument, but Higashi was the first to interject. "The proximity is certainly alarming, but if they knew, wouldn't they have attacked the base head-on? From what we've seen before, the Abyssals don't favor indirect tactics, so I can only assume they've begun advancing their front again."
"Which is alarming in its own right," Kita agreed, "Given they've been purely defensive for the past ten months." Indeed, after the initial surge in which most of the Pacific had become shrouded in black, just after the first battle with the mint-fresh Shipgirl fleets, they had suddenly stopped their advance and focused on holding the rather large portion of ocean under their control. While the Kanmusu division had successfully taken some of it back, it was still a mere chink in the iceberg, so if the Abyssals were back on the offensive… Akashi shivered.
"Anyway," Higashi said, "The idea is to put a stop to this before they can send reinforcements and really get their foot in the door; we plan to take back the island and hopefully kill the Princess as soon as possible."
Nagato huffed. "This time, we will not underestimate her."
"And you're going to need me to be the doctor in the field?" Akashi guessed. "Well, I can't say I'll mind being back out on the sea."
"The new recruits will be fine." Higashi offered with a sympathetic grin. Damn him and his understanding ways. "Again, the key here is speed, so if all goes well you'll be back in less than a week to properly establish your universal aunt-hood."
"You do realize that having said that aloud has pretty much guaranteed this will end in disaster?" Akashi fixed the screen with a mock-glare. "But yeah, I hope it works out." Outside, gravel crunched and popped as a truck rolled up, and Akashi quickly grabbed her things and shrugged on her rigging like a coat. "The truck's here, so if that's all, I'll be finishing up those reports on the way."
"Please do so." Kita concluded. "We'll talk more once you're here." The screen went black, and with a shrug and a quick glance around the room, Akashi made her exit.
---
Unnoticed by the repair ship, a curious set of eyes watched her departure. "Where is Akashi-senpai going at this hour?" Fubuki wondered aloud with a frown. Unbidden, the frightening picture she'd been shown earlier came to mind, and she shivered. "I hope she'll be okay…"
The truck made an awkward U-turn and disappeared back up the road, leaving only the settling gravel and chirping of crickets behind. Fubuki left the window open, enjoying the sensation of the cooling night breeze on her skin, (Skin! Still a novelty, among other things) but turned toward the opposite wall, where a full-length mirror hung next to the door.
She was fairly small; short and skinny with limbs like twigs, yet still rather gangly in her proportions. Her brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, leaving a messy set of bangs and long sidelocks to frame her face, which itself was right on the border between childlike roundness and a more adult appearance. She wore a sailor uniform with blue hems and tie, and a medium-shortish blue ruffled skirt. Her eyes were a bright green, shining with curiosity and eagerness. Even though her memories of her past life were vague and indistinct, she honestly felt she preferred this new form, this human body. She felt ready to do anything, eager to fight and laugh and love… and live.
She knew, in the deepest part of herself, that this could only be a good thing. "Fubuki will do her best!" She proudly declared, saluting her own reflection with a goofy grin.
***
Ten Days Later...
Fubuki slowly trudged into her room, half-heartedly closing the door behind her before slumping against the wall. Standing was too much for her tired and wobbly legs, and so she slid down and curled up until her face was resting comfortably in her knees. "Where did I go wrong?"
Chapter 2: Boot Camp
(Or 'Fubuki vs. Physical Education')
By the time news of the attack reached Akashi, evening had already fallen and the newly summoned ships were all in their rooms, either sleeping or preparing to sleep. The repair ship was in her corner of the common room, typing up the last report and looking out at the darkening purple dusk, when a call came through on her tablet. Accepting it, she watched Admiral Kita and Vice-Admiral Higashi pop up on-screen, Ooyodo and Nagato behind them. "I'm almost done with those reports, just hold on another ten minutes!" She started, then saw their expressions. Higashi and Ooyodo looked utterly grave; while that was the default for Kita, the circles under his eyes were deeper than usual; and Nagato's tight-lipped sternness had become downright frigid. "Oh, no. What happened?"
"A few hours ago, a small fleet headed by an Abyssal Princess attacked Aogashima and took over the surrounding sea. There was a town there, but thankfully the inhabitants all evacuated before the Abyssals arrived. A patrol group led by Ashigara intercepted and escorted them to safety on another island nearby, but took some serious damage in the process."
Akashi nodded. "So you need a house call?"
It was a rhetorical question, but Higashi responded anyway. "Affirmative. Nachi is in no condition to move, and the rest are only marginally better. There's already a transport on the way for you; should be there within the next twenty minutes."
"Understood." Akashi nodded soberly. "Another Princess..." Though most of the Abyssal ranks were more-or-less uniform in appearance and strength, a few had been encountered that not only stood out as unique among the enemies, but often took leading positions and boasted far more lethal weaponry and abilities, and thusly had been dubbed Princesses. Though only three had been encountered previously, they were enough to hammer in that the appearance of one always went hand in hand with bad times.
"What worries me," Nagato spoke up, "Is that it's uncomfortably close to our forward base, and our special asset."
"An asset that we may never use?" Akashi glared through the screen, hackles rising at the secretary ship's attitude.
"An asset I hope we never need to use," was Nagato's cool response, her gaze pixelated but no less harsh for it.
Ooyodo facepalmed and Kita gave an unamused huff at the oft-repeated argument, but Higashi was the first to interject. "The proximity is certainly alarming, but if they knew, wouldn't they have attacked the base head-on? From what we've seen before, the Abyssals don't favor indirect tactics, so I can only assume they've begun advancing their front again."
"Which is alarming in its own right," Kita agreed, "Given they've been purely defensive for the past ten months." Indeed, after the initial surge in which most of the Pacific had become shrouded in black, just after the first battle with the mint-fresh Shipgirl fleets, they had suddenly stopped their advance and focused on holding the rather large portion of ocean under their control. While the Kanmusu division had successfully taken some of it back, it was still a mere chink in the iceberg, so if the Abyssals were back on the offensive… Akashi shivered.
"Anyway," Higashi said, "The idea is to put a stop to this before they can send reinforcements and really get their foot in the door; we plan to take back the island and hopefully kill the Princess as soon as possible."
Nagato huffed. "This time, we will not underestimate her."
"And you're going to need me to be the doctor in the field?" Akashi guessed. "Well, I can't say I'll mind being back out on the sea."
"The new recruits will be fine." Higashi offered with a sympathetic grin. Damn him and his understanding ways. "Again, the key here is speed, so if all goes well you'll be back in less than a week to properly establish your universal aunt-hood."
"You do realize that having said that aloud has pretty much guaranteed this will end in disaster?" Akashi fixed the screen with a mock-glare. "But yeah, I hope it works out." Outside, gravel crunched and popped as a truck rolled up, and Akashi quickly grabbed her things and shrugged on her rigging like a coat. "The truck's here, so if that's all, I'll be finishing up those reports on the way."
"Please do so." Kita concluded. "We'll talk more once you're here." The screen went black, and with a shrug and a quick glance around the room, Akashi made her exit.
---
Unnoticed by the repair ship, a curious set of eyes watched her departure. "Where is Akashi-senpai going at this hour?" Fubuki wondered aloud with a frown. Unbidden, the frightening picture she'd been shown earlier came to mind, and she shivered. "I hope she'll be okay…"
The truck made an awkward U-turn and disappeared back up the road, leaving only the settling gravel and chirping of crickets behind. Fubuki left the window open, enjoying the sensation of the cooling night breeze on her skin, (Skin! Still a novelty, among other things) but turned toward the opposite wall, where a full-length mirror hung next to the door.
She was fairly small; short and skinny with limbs like twigs, yet still rather gangly in her proportions. Her brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail, leaving a messy set of bangs and long sidelocks to frame her face, which itself was right on the border between childlike roundness and a more adult appearance. She wore a sailor uniform with blue hems and tie, and a medium-shortish blue ruffled skirt. Her eyes were a bright green, shining with curiosity and eagerness. Even though her memories of her past life were vague and indistinct, she honestly felt she preferred this new form, this human body. She felt ready to do anything, eager to fight and laugh and love… and live.
She knew, in the deepest part of herself, that this could only be a good thing. "Fubuki will do her best!" She proudly declared, saluting her own reflection with a goofy grin.
***
Ten Days Later...
Fubuki slowly trudged into her room, half-heartedly closing the door behind her before slumping against the wall. Standing was too much for her tired and wobbly legs, and so she slid down and curled up until her face was resting comfortably in her knees. "Where did I go wrong?"
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ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
More totally legit teaser:
(Progress is being made; my tentative ETA for the remainder of chapter 2 is sometime Wednesday or Thursday)
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat...
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat.
All work and no play makes Mutsuki a dull boat...
(Progress is being made; my tentative ETA for the remainder of chapter 2 is sometime Wednesday or Thursday)
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ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Well, now it's Friday, and still no update. Why?
Well, I actually made a metric crapton of progress yesterday. However, the chapter has ended up being longer than I anticipated, as I added in several scenes as I was writing the thing to make it all flow better. (The side-effect of trying to condense a week and a half down into a single installment, I suppose - there's a lot that needs to be left out, but it seems my original outline glossed over too much.) Going to try to shoot for this weekend, but it may yet be a while.
Well, I actually made a metric crapton of progress yesterday. However, the chapter has ended up being longer than I anticipated, as I added in several scenes as I was writing the thing to make it all flow better. (The side-effect of trying to condense a week and a half down into a single installment, I suppose - there's a lot that needs to be left out, but it seems my original outline glossed over too much.) Going to try to shoot for this weekend, but it may yet be a while.
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Because it's finals week? That was my first guess.
Chriswriter90: Professional Smart Ass!
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I've also assembled a list of exactly who is at the naval base Fubuki is going to, the order they were summoned, (which does have some influence on interactions and such) and how the fleets are organized, but I'm wondering if I should post it now or save it for later.
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Old Map
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
So earlier today, I found out that the naval base in the anime (Which I had been planning to use as-is in the story) is based off of Kure. As the above snippet shows, that's a biiiit of a problem. Either I had to retcon, or I had to do some quick-and-lazy research to find out what the actual Yokosuka looked like, more-or-less.
What did people do before Google Maps?
This may be subject to some further revision and addition of notes as other locations come to mind, but this is the general jist of it.
Also, note that the viewpoint is upside-down, looking southward from the north.
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ARBITRACOM
Sic transit gloria mundi
So earlier today, I found out that the naval base in the anime (Which I had been planning to use as-is in the story) is based off of Kure. As the above snippet shows, that's a biiiit of a problem. Either I had to retcon, or I had to do some quick-and-lazy research to find out what the actual Yokosuka looked like, more-or-less.
What did people do before Google Maps?
This may be subject to some further revision and addition of notes as other locations come to mind, but this is the general jist of it.
Also, note that the viewpoint is upside-down, looking south from the north.
I like. As a comparison, and I hope it will be useful for you, this is the production panel of the Anime base's layout.
(I can't find any larger version, sorry.)
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ah, thank you!
Also wanted to note that progress on Chapter 2 is presently sitting at about 55% (The section already up comprises about 25% of the current outline.) Hoping to finish it up (or at the very least, reach 75%) on my next night off of work. This is a bit of a doozy.
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Chikuma, why you so scary?
On the upside, next Wednesday will be wide open, so I'm planning to use that to hopefully finish the chapter, or at the very least come very close.
(Over half of the posts on this thread are from me. Hope I'm not being overbearing or something. ^_^; )
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If you can answer this question and 'Chikuma, why do you love your sister?' I might actually keep her.
It's pretty clear from her wedding line "Admiral, calling me out to this place... I... my heart is set on my oneesan... Eh? It's about formations? Oh my... Even me..." that her love for Tone is more than sisterly, but I see no clues as to what she actually likes about her.
It's your thread, you're actively writing, and you don't have a large fanbase yet; this is normal, so don't worry about it.
Just glancing at the org table you posted, that's a lot of airpower. I see 6 CV, 2 CVL, 2 AV (or CVS depending on the notation), and 4 CAV.
obssesednuker
Commander of 10 Million Men
- Location
- In the Kremlin, activating Perimtr.
I'm just keeping an eye on it, waiting in the wings, ready with the shipping charts...
- Location
- Barcelona, Catalunya, EU (for now)
First, sister ships in KC seem to have a disproportionate amount of incestuous feelings, in some cases unrequited, and in others fully shared. This is less so for DDs, but from CLs and up, the sky is the limit. It's also usually an extreme case of hero worship of the younger sisters towards their elder.
I don't find Chikuma particularly scary. Her pic looks like a level-headed girl, along the lines of Jintsuu. Until you get her and Tone to their Kai2. Then you realize why they are called the Commando sisters.
ColdGoldLazarus
Contrary Quester, Spreadsheet Queen, Pink Flamingo
- Location
- Challenger Deep
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Probably Tone's bombastic nature? I'm not sure myself. XD
Alright. Thanks!
Yeah, that base tends to get all the good ships, to the annoyance of certain other vice-admirals...
Oh, you'll have a field day, then. The shipping won't be a hugely central thing, but it will most certainly be there.
I can see that, but something about the lighting along with her smile just creeps me out, in that art.
That's definitely one of the more... interesting outfits. XDUntil you get her and Tone to their Kai2. Then you realize why they are called the Commando sisters.
- Location
- Barcelona, Catalunya, EU (for now)
We're about to get to page 2.
If that was the case, she would not grab her lower clothing so fiercely in her damaged art:
Her attitude clearly shows she does have something to hide that could be exposed otherwise.
Also, why the artist had to loli-ize her?? This doesn't happen with Chikuma...
I understand that lolis sell more, but really... It might also be my own bias. I like women, not girls. The summer CG of my waifu, Fusou, really incensed me for that reason.
I was checking their CG gallery for... uhhh.. reasons, And some spoilsport made this fanart to show that the Tone sisters are not going commando:
Her attitude clearly shows she does have something to hide that could be exposed otherwise.
Also, why the artist had to loli-ize her?? This doesn't happen with Chikuma...
I understand that lolis sell more, but really... It might also be my own bias. I like women, not girls. The summer CG of my waifu, Fusou, really incensed me for that reason.