"So. Shiplets, Chicago?" The light cruiser adopts an almost grandmotherly knowing look.

"I-no, we're both-what?!" I can *feel* my face heating up. Goddammit.

"Well when two ships love each other very much-" I throw a wet towel at her.

Smack!

"Shut the fuck up, you lewd woman." I submerge a little into the water until only my chin sits above it, giving the toweled light cruiser a glare.

"Heh heh heh~!" The cruiser reclined in the bath, a shiteating grin on her face, and I consider putting a 5in HE round into her chest for just a second.

Her belt armor should take it, and we're in the repair bays anyhow...

... Seriously though...

What am I going to do? Hell, where the fuck is this all even going?

Only God knows I guess. Just hope command's got a good plan and...

I sit a little lower into the water, letting my head and body lay back on the pool surface.

"...damn fine girl though," I murmur.

...

'Wait, I said that out loud.'

...oh I can FEEL Tenryuu grinning at me please no-

===

Fleet Of Wrecks | Port Of Call 2.0

===

"...uhh, you sure?" The harbormaster looks at me skeptically.

I give him my best pleading look, and he glances away, grimacing. "Ugh, fine Akashi. Stop that, it's creepy..."

"Ow, my feelings."

He sighs, producing a clipboard and pen. "Just sign this... I'll warn you, it'll be your head if this goes south."

I shake my head as I scribble it down. and give him a tired, thankful look. "If I was sure about this I'd not have arranged for the armed guard..."

"...the what now?" He gives me a Look.

I point the eraser at him. "Ambush of cruisers. If it goes south that thing's going to be shredded."

"...uhuh. Well, try not to have a subcapital gunfight in my harbour."

"No promises."

"You are very lucky I trust you this much, you know? Also, when is she arriving, again?"

"A few days."

===

I come into what should be missile range for this place, an AWACS plane quietly shadowing me

Quietly, but not quiet enough at any rate.

No missile launches, or torpedo screamers, nothing. Just a busy harbour.

"Attention Midway Naval Center Harbour Control, this is the Graznian Naval Vessel Rampart, hullcode DDG-144, name is spelled as follows. Romeo, Alpha..."

And so it went.

It takes the better part of two hours, but eventually, I come into the 'Kanmusu' bay and find a... Greeting, party?

There's one woman standing in front of several others, while two soldiers with rifles guard the doors.

Also, five or six cruisers trying to be stealthy, but I can see them pretty much instantly.

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Someone's whispers catch my radio. "...destroyer my ass. That's a cruiser!"

"Shush. Don't make her mad. Hey, wait, you see that gash in her side?"

Ah, right, didn't tonnages go up for various classes after the wars? I'm around 10,250 tons loaded and 180 meters long, so... Hmm.

'Damnit, I really liked having an internet connection. Still, If I remember right, I'm a good bit heavier and longer than a lot of cruisers were back then?'

"GNV Rampart, reporting in, as ordered." I give a tired salute, hopefully suppressing the wince at its sloppiness.

"Welcome to Midway Naval Center, Rampart." The Eastern woman holds out a hand and gives me a friendly look.

...that voice... "Akashi, I presume?"

"Hmm. A good guess." Her eyebrows briefly twitch upwards, before settling.

I shake her hand, even as I spy several of her gun turrets quietly tracking, dormant for now. "Thank you for having me."

Akashi looks contemplative for a moment, before turning around.

"Come with me, please." With that, she begins walking off.

...y'know, I don't need to turn around to know that there's several stares on my back. I-I'm not scared of attention but it does put a little hurry into my step.

I... Oh. I can't catch up... "Hey, wait a sec!"

"Hmm?" She turns around, looking surprised.

"I'm still below half my maximum speed... Battle damage." I give her an apologetic look and she takes a second look at me, softening a little.

"...alright then. Here, I'll give you a tow." Gently, she puts my arm over her shoulder.

"Thanks. Sorry about this..." In response, a bittersweet smile flashes across her face. Why?

"It's fine. I'll take you to the repair bay, you'll be good as new. Better than new, even. You might have to wait for a bit though, I think Tenryuu and Chicago are still in there."

"... don't you mean yard?"

===

"...eh?" O-oh. Uhm.

I'd opened a locker room door and I... Don't what I expected to be entirely honest. I guess I thought it'd be empty?

It's rows of light blue lockers in a tile room with some dome lights and mirrors, currently also containing one eyepatched woman minus most of her clothes.

'Alright, settle down Rampart. You've seen this before, hell you are one now. How's a naked boat going to make you blush?'

'But... but...!'

'Oh for the love of- stop staring! Come on, are you some virgin 18 year old sailor on their first time seeing a pinup or something!?'

"...? Yoo-hoo, you there? Something happen?" A hand waves in front of my face and I jump-fuck this floor is slippery-

"Holy-WOAH!" THUDTHUMP!

"Ow..." Oh that fucking hurts... What hit me...?

I... I guess I slipped? No, I overbalanced and... fell over. Kicked something too... But what the hell hit my forehead?

I open my eyes to the ceiling , suppressing a curse as reports of a broken hull patch come in, but otherwise little damage.

'Great first impression, just bravo, well done. Did you really have to stare?' Seer have mercy...

"Well aren't you forward? Damn, you Americans don't play around do ya?" What?

I glance down, and find a one eyed woman with weird ear things lying on top of me, rubbing at her head, but still grinning.

Noticing my gaze, she gives a wave. "Eyy. So, my place or yours?"

'Oh this just ain't fair...!' I try to repress the flush, hastily scrambling to get back up and on my feet.

Whoever this is stands up, brushing herself off. "So, I was thinking, right? We should at least know each other's names, buy each other a few drinks..."

I put my hands up in front of my chest. "I-I'm just here for the repair bay, I'm sorry about all... That."

She grins at me again. "No reason why we can't do both at once."

'No, stoppit, don't look at her, just find an empty locker.'

Sitting down in front of it, I glance down at my side and give it a hard look.

Right... This is going to hurt isn't it? Hopefully not too much has been caught in the wound...

I unbuckle the armor and then start working on my uniform's coat, bracing as I tug the parts over my left side away.

'It stings a little, but that's not as bad as I was expecting! Nice.'

Now for my undershirt... "Hey. Really. What's your name? If you're uncomfortable with that bit and hate me now, I can fuck off, but us cruisers really do gotta stick together nowadays."

Eh? I turn, and find the woman, now dressed in a shirt and pants leaning against the locker block. Her... Ear... Horn? Head thingies have turned back a bit.

'It's kinda like looking at a scolded dog...'

Her eyes flicker down to my side, and she gives me an inquisitive look.

"...oh. That. I woke up like this." At that she raises an eyebrow.

"Seriously? The hell happened?" The... Cruiser? sits down on the bench.

"I don't know. It's no missile or shell hit, maybe a railgun, but... The angle's strange. Too flat." I test it, and a hiss jumps from my mouth as something tears.

"Hshgh!"

Hands take my shoulder and arm. "Shit, hang on, don't. Listen, you can keep your shirt on in the bay, nobody's gonna stop you. It'll be easier afterwards, trust me."

"...what?"

"It's weird spiritual glowy water shit, it'll heal the damage and kick out the stuff like your shirt, means you can do any remaining DC easier." I give her a Look. Excuse my Tarin, but what the fuck?

"...'dunno how it works, go ask Akashi if ya really wanna know." She shrugs.

"...Maybe, yeah. I... What's your name, actually?"

She grins. "Tenryuu, one of only two in the world! Light cruiser, and destroyer leader!"

"Huh. Rampart. Guided missile destroyer, I guess I'll be seeing you more.... Often?" Her face falls.

"... something wrong?"

Her head tilts and she crosses her arms, looking at me like I've sprouted a mast or something. "...no way. You're taller than I am! Hell you're bigger than me in every way! No way you're a destroyer!"

"Tonnage went up, I don't know what to tell you. For the record, you're not the first. Some people at the dock thought I was a cruiser or the like too." I shrug.

"...well now that bit I did feels weird. I mean, destroyers are... Well, they're like kids, more or less. I took care of em, lead em around, stuff like that. But..."

She gestures to her side, then to me, and back out again, before a pained look crosses her face and she goes quiet for a while.

Then she blinks, and snaps back around.

"...hang on. Guided missile?"

"...yes? I... Get the impression I'm kind of unique?"

Suddenly, Tenryuu's eyes turn intense! "Have you gotten any hits with them?!"

"Y-yes, why-" I yelp as the cruiser grabs me by the shoulders, her eyes ablaze as she grins at me!

"Nobody's ever gotten a missile hit on Abyssals before! Ever! The missile boats' RADARs just can't see em through whatever they use to jam em with!"

'So that's why Akashi told me to break off...'

"...oh. I-Wow."

'That's... Kinda heavy!'

Tenryuu claps her hands and stands up suddenly. "Alright, I'm gonna get outta here. You get in that repair bay, I wanna see your rigging soon."

Pulling on her shoes, she dashed out.

To the empty room, I think out loud. "...isn't that a BDSM thing?"

===

END PORT OF CALL 2.0