Ashigara was walking towards the park on the 16th of May, where she suspected the Admiral would be in order to work outside while eating, since she always identified herself as an outdoors person.
She found Admiral Haru sitting on a bench which was shielded from the summer sun thanks to a nearby tree, and since she disliked working inside office spaces for extended periods of time, she sometimes brought her laptop outside so as not to doze off at her desk, with signs of a finished lunchbox being placed beside her to be thrown away later.
Ashigara came to a dead stop beside her and helped herself to a seat beside her commanding officer-slash-lover in order to provide her with some company, feeling rather concerned as she watched her lover work on something.
"What're you working on, Admiral?"
Admiral Haru's eyebrow quirked up as she gave Ashigara an aside glance and answered bluntly.
"Oh, you know. Looking into Abyssal plans which would likely engulf the world in a sea of fire and a hail of steel and cause the end of the world as we know it, and it's up to me, a lesbian Admiral, to think up of ways to save us all without leaving behind an uninhabitable shit-hole for whoever's left. No pressure."
Ashigara blinked as she attempted to comprehend Admiral Haru's words while wearing a deadpan face, before bursting out into laughter as she howled and clutched at her stomach, Admiral Haru smirking as she knew how to get Ashigara into a good mood while the Myoukou-Class heavy cruiser shook the bench with her weight and strength.
She eventually stopped trembling from the laughter as she wiped a tear away from her right eye with her gloved hand, taking deep breaths before lightly patting her Admiral on the back and admitting.
"Alright, you really got me good there. I already know what's going on, but to hear you describe things like that, it just…"
Before devolving into a giggling fit, and Admiral Haru followed suit as she broke out into a wry smile, finally getting down to business as she coyly slipped an arm around Ashigara's waist while they both looked down at the laptop, which displayed several alternate strategies to face the Abyssals, Ashigara asking her seriously this time.
"What's this? The plans for the Battle of Twelve Navies, hmm? Are you considering other possible strategies? And these Strike Groups, I know that we have the 1st at the vanguard, but the others? Just asking."
Admiral Haru nodded as she leaned in to whisper the answer into her lover's ear.
"Kamogawa, Isumi and the Kujukuri Naval Base will make up the 13th Strike Group, while Shizuoka and Shimoda Naval Base will make up the 11th."
Admiral Haru cuddled her love r-slash-close-confidante as she continued her explanation on how she wanted to be prepared for any situation which could arise and keep her strategy flexible enough to adapt to how the Abyssals would engage them.
"I'm considering alternatives to the tactics used in the first three stages of the battle, since I don't want our girls to be decimated in the initial stage of the battle when they meet the Abyssal vanguard. I'm considering an alternative plan where we have the 13th and 11th Strike Group participate in a three-pronged attack along with the 1st Strike Group in order to engage the Abyssals before we retreat like a receding wave, and we'll continue onto stage two and three in order to turn the tide of battle. Another possible strategy requires our North-Eastern and Western allies to utilize an aggressive and risky approach, where the 1st Strike Group will be the only one to engage the Abyssal vanguard as per usual in the first stage, and the North-Eastern and Western Strike Groups will flank and box the Abyssals in as they chase a retreating 1st Strike Group in the second stage of the battle."
Ashigara lifted an eyebrow as she observed the slideshow which changed from stage to stage of the alternative battle plan and how they differed from the original, remarking on how well they might pan out in real life.
"Well, how do you think these will eventually work out in real life? Personally, I prefer the former over the latter, since the 11th and 13th Strike Group don't have the same numbers as we, the main bulk of the armada, do. To get them to attempt to bottleneck the Abyssals might not be the best idea when they might be overrun by the Abyssal horde. The former could theoretically be carried out in practice, since it would increase the number of ship girls in the initial engagement phase and improve their odds, and to split up and retreat might cause them to split up their forces in the second phase of battle."
Admiral Haru nodded, agreeing with her experienced heavy cruiser's viewpoint as she thought about the pros and cons of both alternatives.
"Well, great minds think alike, I suppose. I also think that the latter seems too demanding of the other Strike Groups, since they hail from other regions and won't like it if they sustain more casualties than usual when resisting the wave of advancing Abyssals in the second stage of the battle. The former strategy is a viable alternative to our plan, since getting the 11th and 13th Strike Groups to reinforce the 1st Strike Group would improve their odds of survival due to greater numbers.
It also occurred to me that the Abyssals might split up their forces to chase the 1st, 11th and 13th on three fronts, although the bulk of the armada will still be headed towards us. Still…"
Admiral Haru looked down at the laptop and commented on how she wasn't an oracle and could only hypothesize how the Abyssals would attack them, and prepare accordingly.
"I can't say for certain how the battle will play out, but I want to prepare for everything and make sure that we're not caught off guard. What I can do for you all is to think up how the Abyssals would attack us, and I have to try and counter-attack them with tactics of our own."
Ashigara nodded as she pointed out the shape of the battlefield and how the Abyssals could potentially encircle their main armada by sailing around Oshima Island, and how they might have to play a game of merry-go-round on the battlefield if that happened.
"If the Abyssals sailed in a clockwise direction around Oshima Island in order to attempt to hit us from behind, I think we need to play their game by sailing South, evading them and sailing out into the Pacific. It's us which they want, and we'll sail over the naval mines in order to bait them over to us, and during the second and third stage, they will be stuck in between us in the South and the jet fighters and artillery to the North."
Admiral Haru nodded approvingly, noting it down as her fingers clacked on the keyboard while she commended Ashigara for thinking up of another plan in response to the possible moves and tactics which the Abyssals could utilize to better position themselves.
"Hmm, it's a radical move, but I don't want to discount any possibilities, since they may blindside us if they do the last thing we expect them to do. Well played, Ashigara."
Ashigara nodded, leaning on her Admiral's shoulder as she commented.
"Well, just doing my part to help out. You need help with anything else?"
Admiral Haru nodded, opening up another computer window as she looked at the intelligence which the Combined Fleet had gathered from Aogashima Island, speaking with Ashigara in a hushed tone.
"Our Infiltration and 1st Fleet have been on Aogashima Island, and what they found disturbs me greatly. Look at these."
She spun the laptop a little in order to allow Ashigara a better view of the screen, and Ashigara's eyebrows creased upon reading more about the Abyssal activity on Aogashima Island.
Reviewing the information which the Combined Fleet had obtained by visiting Aogashima Island, she pored through the notes which her ship girls had typed on their laptops in their attempts to deduce what the Abyssals were up to.
And finally, Ashigara looked up and met Admiral Haru's gaze, now feeling extremely concerned about its relation to Apocalypse as she asked.
"It's that bad, huh?"
Admiral Haru nodded as she turned the laptop back to herself, her eyebrows creasing in frustration as she looked at the computer screen as though staring harder at the screen would somehow help her divine all the answers, remarking gruffly.
"Yes. I know that all this is pointing to some sort of conclusion, and I have the puzzle pieces at hand. It's just that I don't know how to put them together just yet, and it's driving me crazy."
Ashigara shrugged, understanding her need to relieve her Admiral's stress as her girlfriend while she thought of something to say off the top of her head in order to distract Admiral Haru, commenting offhandedly about Admiral Haru's last words.
"Well, I'm thinking that if you were a guy, I could've used the line 'I'd drive you crazy with my skill with your gear stick', but eh…"
Admiral Haru's face flushed in response to that sex joke, and as they both looked each other in the eye, Ashigara's face became a luminescent red as she covered her face and turned away hastily, mumbling silently to herself.
"Oh. My. Fucking. Goooooddddd… Did I really go through with saying that?
I simply wanted to make you feel better, and… Not like that!"
Raising her voice before Admiral Haru could use her unintentional double entendre against her, Ashigara turned back to find that her Admiral was barely restraining her enthusiastic giggle, pouting as she shoved her face in front of Admiral Haru's face and ordered through clenched teeth.
"You. Didn't. Hear. Anything."
Turning away as Admiral broke out into a hearty laugh and threatened to tear up, Ashigara wondered if she was to ever free herself from her curse to forever encounter these humiliating sexual situations, which were entirely a result of her own (unintentional) doing.
But Admiral Haru had to go on about the sexual joke which she had accidentally blurted out, questioning just what ride they were supposed to emulate.
"Well, it would certainly be one hell of a ride, but what would it be like? Neither of us is a guy, so it certainly wouldn't be a drop tower ride, but then… Perhaps a pirate ship ride, which oscillates back and forth…?"
Ashigara's hand slowly slid over her face as she facepalmed herself, something which she did quite often whenever Admiral Haru let her thoughts wander (sometimes on live TV) while a direct circuit went from her mind to her mouth, such as right now.
She turned back to face her Admiral, feeling rather incensed both at her Admiral for teasing her so much, and herself for being unable to participate in these "mature" talks with Admiral Haru without becoming a blushing wreck, especially since she had already slept with Haru several times in the past.
"You…"
She inhaled sharply in order to gather her thoughts before reiterating herself.
"I thought I told you to forget it."
But as expected, her Admiral had something to say as a witty retort to her request, tilting her head and placing her index finger on her left cheek as she pointed out a loophole in Ashigara's words.
"Well, you said forget about it, but there was nothing about not talking about it. And by the way, what should your ride be called? I mean, you're no longer called 'Lone Wolf', but 'Hungry Wolf' might be a bit too mainstream, despite being true…"
The Myoukou-Class cruiser's eye twitched twice as she had an inkling of where this conversation was headed towards, and she wanted to do everything in her power to change their course before hitting the conversational iceberg which she dreaded with all her heart, leaning in as she remarked darkly.
"Don't do it. No more bullying."
And Admiral Haru, blushing and breaking out into a shit-eating grin, leaned in intimately and whispered conspiratorially into her ear.
"How does 'Howling Wolf' sound, eh?"
Ashigara's right eye twitched uncontrollably in anger, breaking out into a small temper tantrum as she was reminded of something which she desperately wanted to travel back in time in order to erase from history, shrieking as she waved her fists around like a child.
"NOOOOOO! Don't remind me of that!
Anything but that!"
Admiral Haru broke out into a fit of laughter, teasing her about the embarrassingly well-known incident between them which the Myoukou-Class heavy cruiser was occasionally reminded of by someone in order to induce either a rage-induced tantrum or a mental Blue Screen Of Death, Admiral Haru speaking after calming down and bringing her ragged breathing under control.
"That'd be one hell of a theme park ride, you know? To ride this great and magnificent beast across the seven seas. Or on land, would that mean taking a joyride on this beast cross the seven continent—"
Ashigara took several deep breaths in order to calm herself down before she attempted to punch her Admiral in the face, her bosom heaving as she felt the temperature of her sweaty, blushing face cool down a little after she reminded herself that she was doing this to get the Admiral to lighten up.
And as she heard her heartbeat slow down somewhat, she felt that her Admiral had become a little too silent for her liking.
Turning around in order to observe her Admiral, Ashigara was somewhat unsettled by how Admiral Haru had a "eureka" moment, although she knew that her Admiral's epiphanies were nothing positive since they were about the Abyssals' plans.
Her expression was a mix of excitement, concern and fear as she was excited about having an epiphany, yet looked absolutely horrified about what it would entail, looking away at nothing in particular as her hands froze in their last known position.
And while Ashigara was concerned about her lover, it was hard for her to find the right words to reassure her since she was the boisterous sister who preferred to be on the battlefield while engaging the enemy, and aside from giving people hugs, these situations often left her stumped.
But Admiral Haru solved that quandary for her as she stood up, now looking as if she was working out what to do in her mind before finally shifting her gaze downwards to look Ashigara dead in the eye, leaning down to clasp Ashigara's face as she cooed.
"That's it. Ashigara, you're a genius.
I think I have an idea of what the Abyssals are up to, thanks to you."
Ashigara shook her head, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion as she looked up at her Admiral's relieved smile and remarked with nary an idea of what went on in her Admiral's head other than her ship girls, sex, and sex with her ship girls.
"Um OK? I mean, you're the one who made the connection, so you're technically the genius, but… OK?"
Admiral Haru cocked her head whilst raising an eyebrow in order to concede the point, leaning in closer as she softly spoke her next words.
"Well, I suppose I am. I know I'll be paying for my misbehavior tonight, and I'll be eagerly waiting for your punishments.
But first, let me leave you with this parting gift…"
Before leaning in, closing her eyes and giving her a passionate kiss, Ashigara being caught slightly off-guard before being reminded of Admiral Haru's impressive oral skills, amongst many others which were only known by her circle of lovers…
Ashigara's face erupted in another furious blush as Admiral Haru drew back, their sensual lips parting as she lifted her eyelids in order to lay eyes upon her Admiral, who gave her a genuine smile which was now relieved of another burden, something which meant that she was doing something right,even if it was to unintentionally provide inspiration for her.
Packing up as she closed her laptop and tossed her disposable lunchbox into the bin, Admiral Haru clamped her laptop underneath her left arm as she gave Ashigara another quick peck on the right cheek, looking at her with tender eyes before wordlessly turning away to perform her duties.
She left behind a silent Ashigara alone with her thoughts, looking at nothing in particular as she brushed her lips with her gloved fingers while rewinding and replaying the entire conversation in her mind as she attempted to make sense of everything, from the myriad of emotions which she experienced in such a short length of time to how Admiral Haru was able to achieve an epiphany in their time together.
And the only word she could come up with in her loved-addled mind was a simple,
"What?"