Frustration, Consternation, and Unexpected PLANNING for Reunions from Afar...

With Firestorm. . .

. . .

The fiery shipgirl just happened to not be in the best of moods right now. She felt it had been wonderful to have full access to all she'd learned and experienced before being sunk. But it would have been better if returned memories and "personal skills" for herself and her sister would have passed down to our ship crew fairies!

That had not happened, however. So of course that meant for her crew? Something along the lines of "drilling them into the ground". Meaning Firestorm and Hypocenter prior learned knowledge from their first . . .life?. .was going to be applied to the now rather nervous crew fairies. Oh no, there was going to be not much slack indeed when retraining them; the state they were in right now was deplorable and they better not complain about the "Port/Starboard" rotations being used to get them back up to snuff!

That was annoying enough, but what was "was"!

The sisters thanked the Deep (and wished the Abyss to get f*cked!) that at least some of Doctor Takahashi's remaining experiments at least had covered something to have gotten some of her crew fairies some training time in before meeting her mother. That was until the very last test, which had been rather upsetting. It could not have been helped. It was a fact that they knew at some level they would have to face sooner or later. But it had not made it very palpable to be faced with it so soon. That just fed into something of a heated conversation between the secretary shipgirl who'd been so helpful earlier.

In their defense, the two former Abyssals had been taking cues from Dr. Takahashi for expectations when Saratoga would have been available for speaking with her daughters. From what the man had told them about either the military jet plane being able to make the trip from Japan to America in three mere hours. That and even if it had taken longer, there was such a thing as RADIO. Surely, they could have just slapped the coms together from shore to some kind of satellite to ship to the jet plane? Turned on the built-in encryption key that the doctor had been sure the jet was equipped with, and the sisters could have chatter away with their mother whilst she was still in flight!! He'd done well by them and had done his part in passing along their occasional requests to contact their mother (if possible at the time). That and he had been and continued to have been a very GOOD guide to this weird world of humans they'd been thrown into here! Oh! And they had been patient, but as time went along their fraying patience had been showing. It felt like they were being stonewalled for some reason!

Oh, and there was their chance encounter that the sisters had with the destroyer shipgirl who had blasted and sunk poor Hypocenter back at the Bikini Atoll. No, while startling enough for Nagato in meeting Hypocenter it hadn't lead to violence. Yamato had stepped into makes SURE of this. Being that she'd been "read in" after everything was said and done had helped. As surprised as Nagato, she'd come to TRUST the former Abyssals. They were friends. Besides, unless seriously altered into an Abyssal Summoning Pool--which would have been very obvious to inspection--then there was NO way in H*ll that an Abyssal could have come through their Kanmusu Summoning Pool!

....

Yeah, basically what the Abyss did with Firestorm and Hypocenter with them have been marked? Basically, the Kanmusu-ization they'd experienced had been made permanent, instead of merely temporary (doomed to fade with the next Summons from an Abyssal Pool). Got it? Fantastic.

....

What was upsetting to both sisters was that Nagato had--however horrified over having found out that the "drone" fodder Abyssals she'd proudly slain in order save Saratoga from the Abyss's clutches were NOT drones--revealed that none of the Crossroad Fleet had survived the battle. Not even the submarines!!

The sisters had hoped for at least that much. That some of their sisters in arms had survived, even IF they'd . . .

Well, it left a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. At least the sisters had let Nagato know they had understood and had forgiven her. Instead, they damned the Abyss for this damn war and all the tragedy it had caused (and was still causing).

Bottom line, all that said and done had still left the sisters in something of a pissy mood. And the Doctor felt they were justified in having been pissy. Thus, he had been rather pissy in sending along with their requests through him!

In defense of the good of Dr. Takahashi? Well, he was an expert on a lot of things. Knew a lot of things, but was hardly an expert in military aircraft. In other words when he'd Googled trip times for the sisters about how long a jet fighter would have taken from here to America he'd not . . .done a good enough phrasing of the question and leave at that. Basically, he'd been in a hurry but since the carriers had been asking so nicely he'd at least done that! It had been . . .just not good enough. If he'd not been in one of his manic phases--he'd shamefully admitted to the girls after having to pause to take his medication for his condition when they'd asked innocently--perhaps this would not have happened.

No! Dr. Takahashi was not INSANE, but he did have a mental condition. One that was being regulated . . . with prescription meds. Something not to be ashamed of but was something of a social stigma in the Japan of this world, alas.

Such as life and it was not fair. But fair or not this whole affair had also been a bit rough on Houshou--being the gatekeeper she was the secretary for the Admiral--so she was kind of stressed at this situation as well. Namely, she was stressed at the *sshole (though she' was too polite to call Dr. Takahashi that) who kept calling her and having made demands. And none too polite demands recently!!

But soon enough, Firestorm had gotten impatient with a Houshou over yet another delay contacting their mother. So, she had held onto her temper with both hands and TRIED so HARD to not yell at the aircraft carrier shipgirl who'd helped them in so many ways and had been so kind.

When the misunderstanding over how long a jet fighter would have taken from Japan came up, both sisters and Dr. Takahashi had properly apologized but had not given ground either.

"But is there some reason we can't just contact my mother in flight by radio?!" Firestorm finally asked, while having tried hard not to just start stomping around like a two-year-old throwing a temper tantrum.

Given consideration to her actual chronological age, that would have been . . . . kinda acceptable. Still...

"I am sure the Admiral had good reason not to arrange such a thing," the secretary shipgirl replied in a motherly tone, having held Firestorms hand to have calmed the former Abyssal. "Being not in the know as to why dear Saratoga is en route to America by a fighter jet, I would hazard still a guess that is due to technical issues. Or some kind of security concerns even IF such were possible. So, until the Admiral . . ."

"Just stop already!" nearly shouted Dr. Takahashi, finally have been done with the whole thing, which had shocked the matronly shipgirl in his rudeness in the process by not quiet have had yelled. He wanted to yell, but still was the matter of 'good security'; which didn't happen to have happened by the act of having broadcasted all far and wide with shouts! That and not having been aware of certain unfortunate facts in the matter here. "Just because our 'redeemed' Common Abyssals here do not have the star power of the former Abyssal Crane Princess or their mother who had been the Jellyfish Princess doesn't mean they should be ignored, my dear! Gods! I'd think that if nothing else it would be a VERY good idea to at least pass along words to Saratoga to brace her! Not saying I fear she'll go back Abyssal at the mere sight of . . ."

"Wait, you two were actually Abyssals who came through our Summoning Pool?" Houshou sputtered. Hypocenter had requested that those two battleships had escorted them everywhere until the Admiral had met and soon authorized them general access to all base facilities unescorted.

There had been that base-wide security sweep... which had not been part of the regularly upcoming scheduled security drills after all!

She then blinked upon having noticed the cautious air and stressed silence in the room. Oh and the fact that she unconsciously had to have summoned her rigging was not helping at all in the tenseness here!

In utter mortification--so unseemly!--the mother of all aircraft carrier de-summoned her rigging but Hypocenter stepped up and had put a hand on her and the doctor's shoulders.

"Let's just step back everyone and calm down please," the calmer of the two sisters present sighed. "I see that Certain things got mislaid ."

A suggestion was made and gladly accepted.

Firestorm and Hypocenter bowed and apologized as how they had seen in. . .somewhat similar (albeit more violence-prone) cases which concerned Abyssals of Japanese origin. Still, it was clear Both sisters were willing to be folded into the ranks this was not going to last much longer at this rate. But they were sorry for having stressed Houshou with increasingly angry demands, passed along by a human doctor (eccentric or not) who was also getting angered. Angered at the apparent snubbing going on by the powers that be!

Dr. Takahashi bowed and apologized for his part in things. Yet in his defense, he had always been the odd one out and knew what it was like to be marginalized. To be the nail that stood up was the one that gets hammered down, and the former Abyssals had wanted to speak with their mother ahead of whatever scheduled time these . . .heathens had set up? Well, it stank of old times when he'd gotten "hammered down". Enough said? Yeah, man's got a LARGE chip on his shoulder. He had been wrong, he'd really been but . . .then what in the name of the gods and goddesses he didn't really believe in here was the right-hand man (or rather shipgirl) of the Admiral had not been in the loop in this matter?! She was in a position that demanded "need to know" for the situation and . . .somebody dropped the ball or something.

But as turns out . . .the Admiral had overlooked the fact he'd not informed Houshou of Firestorm and Hypocenter. He'd informed her of Dr. Takahashi being a "specialist" who'd been called in to take care of the two new shipgirls, but not the doctor's specialty. And . . .that was that.

And Houshou was so VERY looking forward to having a discussion with the Admiral over that. Nothing vulgar. Nothing loud and heated, but the motherly and kind shipgirl was going to let the admiral know of her feelings of frustration being left out of the loop in her own manner. When the time was right for it, Trust me.

Ah, and as for poor Houshou she apologized and bowed (as what custom called for here). Honestly, given everything Dr. Takahashi had been incredibly rude (but for good reason in retrospect). The poor dear secretary had been patient with the others here, but firm in the idea that the Admiral had NOT needed his elbow constantly jostled by the new shipgirls. Surely what the Admiral was taking care of with Saratoga's was of higher priority, considering the level of concern the Admiral had been displaying. Considering the level of security that the teleconference (which she had witnessed on the video display before leaving), that business with the family getting Saratoga flown back so quickly to the US was a much higher priority! And being that it had all started with a phonecall by said trouble-causing "family member" (aka Trinitite), Houshou was rather annoyed with our wayward Wo.

And so were the former Abyssals, not that they had known Trinitite was still in the picture (and a cause of all this ruckus).

....

What? Did you expect that Houshou should have known that Trinitite was the Abyssal daughter of Saratoga (from her time as the Jellyfish Princess)? Saratoga never told her about the naming convention of her Abyssal fleet. Of her now having known Firestorm and Hypocenter were former (and safely allied with humanity) Abyssal, they never mentioned ANY names of their now-defunct fleet mates. This and the fact that the name Trinitite--named after the fused sands created by atomic explosions--had not rung any kind of association with atomic bombs or anything atomic related, like what the names like Firestorm and Hypocenter for the secretary shipgirl!

Pfft, and before you ask Houshou was NOT a rumor monger and respected Saratoga's privacy and feelings. Sharing Trinitite's name and details about that call would fall into violating those things of Saratoga, and our poor fast destroyer shipgirl had done enough of that earlier today, thank you!

And oh boy, if only she'd done that Houshou could have avoided a coming shock for Saratoga and the others here! It's like a train wreck, you know.

But one thing that Houshou could do? Reassure worried newcomers about the good character of soon-to-be combat allies.

"No! No, poor Zuikaku is nothing like her old Abyssal self!" Houshou reassures the worried former Wo-class shipgirls. "She might be brash and hot-tempered at times, but I count her as a fine friend and ally! So . . . don't worry about her tossing any depth charges at those who annoy her."

"Abyssal Princesses actually DO that?" Dr. Takahashi blinks, rather shocked at how bloody badly some of the Princesses out there would treat their own fleet despite himself. He'd thought that such rumors going through the Abyssal research community being just garbage and nonsense. Monsters towards humanity were one thing, but to do it to what he realized was the Abyssals Princesses' own children?

Maybe . . .no, definitely he would be well advised to listen to the others in the field he'd dismissed as short sighted idiots. While he'd been dismissed by them, maybe it had been more than a bit foolish to dismiss their theories and expertise? Could be lethal if his next phase of tests should be approved.

Yes, caution!

"Yes . . .and seeing how callously other Princesses treat their own children made us love our Princess all the more," Hypocenter said softly, smiling fondly remembering especially when mother had treated them to ice cream after things like flubbed deck landings and such.

Good times.

"True," Firestorm--not a fan of the Crane Princess and had been glad up until now with the thought of her being permanently sunk--still managed to smile before frowning and turning to Houshou. "And all that aside I will not . . .distrust Zuikaku for now. But if she should raise one depth charge my way I will not be held responsible for how I react. Fair warning!"

Dire warnings aside it was a small relief to finally know why various random things had been causing them to repeatedly find themselves going to Battle stations. They weren't losing their minds, there really was a (former) Princess somewhere around here. That was why she and Hypocenter kept on getting the oddest feeling of recognition (and wariness) in seeing Musashi earlier today (and Zuihou with her wearing her hakama).

Ah, as things turned out the Admiral finally chose to interrupt things here by intercom. So how Houshou would have responded is lost to history. Anyway, he asked for Houshou to contact both Dr. Takahashi and the former Abyssal shipgirls. The officer wished both for the doctor to bring the admiral up to date on what his findings were on the shipgirls and for further clarifications on "something possibly radical which would IMMENSELY help the Americans with their Summoning Shipgirl." That needed clarification to put it MILDLY. Oh, and he wished to speak with Firestorm and Hypocenter over contacting Saratoga when she landed in America.

"We want to do the last in such a way that will not cause a needless . . .stress to Saratoga to where she 'relapses'. Her 'family' problem back in the US has put her on the spot enough as it is, and let us not add to it accidentally!" the Admiral ended, a sigh having been evident over the intercom.

"Well, it is a fine thing that we are here to do just that!!" Dr. Takahashi clapped his hands as if delighted at the turn of events rather than the admiral only NOW only have gotten around to this business. Takahashi had been ready for quite a while now and the shipgirls had very MUCH wanted to at least do such things like speaking with Saratoga...

"Oh Deep," grumbled Firestorm meanwhile, having remembered that Saratoga had fallen into the Abyss' hands when in despair and grief. If that damn 'family member' who was causing troubles. . . "I'll be damned if I let the Abyss get its slimy hands on my mother as Jellyfish again!"

"As it stands with that I don't know if I want to either hug this other sister for making it possible to be back at Mother's side," Hypocenter added, her head having been shaken in consternation all the while. Takahashi had said going theory why their Summoning had happened. "That or strangle her for having caused Mother so much grief and caused her to be taken from us in a jet fighter plane!"

" . . .I see that they already are here," the Admiral observed flatly.

1. "The Admiral will see you now," Houshou smiled slightly, before then having gestured to the officer's door behind her.

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