Son of a Ship.
AN: I know starting a new story is stupid, but I need something to get me into writing again.
AN2 IMPORTANT: Harry will be getting 5 girls because of reasons, two of them HAVE BEEN CHOSEN, but I will be taking suggestions on the other 3, rules for choices will be in EN1.
AN3: Fair warning: I will be taking ideas and twisting them from both anime and IOS game.
Azure Lane observation: is it me, or does it seem like they aren't seriously trying to kill each other? You can count on one hand the number of people that have been permanently killed (not mentioned as survived later like Bismark) on one hand with fingers left over.
Side note: I'm saying that the planes are drones.
Side note 2: I'm making the girls have 3 stages, human with rigging hidden, normal, and able to manifest the ship as the full ship, this last stage is mainly used for repairs and long-distance travel.
Chapter one: Adoption.
In a world where magic users are hidden, there was a boy, he was emotionally abused and neglected.
He had been placed with that family, his biological relatives, supposedly for his protection, using wards based on blood, family, and protection.
The problem with the situation was the fear and hatred that the family held towards the target of the protection, and since two of them were of the blood of the target, and the third was married to one, and father of the other, meant it couldn't act, stressed the ward.
So the ward over the five years they had been present had become very stressed, stressed to the point that they were ready to snap at any time, with little provocation, and then it happened, a thief and murderer, one that had hit a few places before this.
Three died, and then, the wards snapped, and in the last gasp of the wards snapping while trying to fulfill its purpose, and catapulted The boy away randomly.
Unfortunately, combining the wards snapping like a twig, with three sacrifices, meant that not only was the boy sent away in an undirected manner but was sent away from the dimension.
Another side effect was that the neighborhood was turned into a giant crater.
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A hundred miles from Long Island an aircraft carrier with the words USS Enterprise on the side sailed with a woman on the prow.
The woman was tall with a good figure and long white hair. She was wearing a white uniform top, black tie, a gold-lined black mid-thigh length skirt, thigh-high stockings, and comfortable shoes. She wore long floor-length open coat with her ship designation on the bottom in white.
She was returning home after a minor mission, and beyond some minor chunk's off her ship's armor, she was currently riding on her ship for a bit of comfort when she heard a massive explosion, with a bright light, shifting her ship into her rigging she sped towards the explosion.
The sound and light looked nothing like any weapon she had ever seen.
As she approached the location, she started seeing a lot of really odd debris. It looked like a house had exploded on the sea.
Sailing through the junk she wondered what had happened to put a house a hundred miles out to sea only to explode. Then her eagle's eyes caught something. Something that had her zooming over to it after it snagged her attention, her white hair flying in the breeze.
A child, on a floating door. The child, a boy, who looked like he was between five and six was to her absolute shock, alive, and unharmed, even though it looked like he was at, or near the epicenter of the explosion. (EN2)
Taking the child into her arms she headed back to base, she felt the boy snuggled into her arms and mumble, "Mamma."
Shaking her head at the misunderstanding she knew the boy would know different once he awoke.
Unfortunately, she didn't know the entirety of the situation. The human mind can be a fragile thing, with the trauma of the murders he had witnessed, the magical backlash of the wards, and him seeing the platinum hair of his savior, and the protective feeling of him in her arms, rather scrambled his mind.
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Rushing to the NY City base, she barely took the time to dismiss her rigging before rushing to the infirmary.
A quick explanation later, had the doctor on staff, for the few non-ship humans on base, examining the boy.
Enterprise decided to start her after-action report from the mission she had been returning from when she found the boy while waiting for the report from the doctor. The boy had oddly enough awoken shortly after the doctor started examining him, and the man was questioning him. One of the questions made the boy point to her. She was startled by the mild-mannered doctor storming out in a tightly controlled fit of rage, leaving behind a cringing young boy.
Setting down her paperwork Enterprise followed after giving a strained smile, which was the best she could manage at the time, and opened the door to the side room just after the doctor entered. She was met by a blistering tirade that she had absolutely no idea that the man even knew those words, of course, she and most of the navy stationed at the various navel basses were treated by a completely different profession, and mechanics for their ships.
"What's the problem? I know I don't have much contact with you, but I know you don't normally lose your temper like this?" the Grey Ghost asked calmly.
"The situation is... complicated, and you will have to make a decision yourself."
"Huh?"
"The boy you found has been the victim of long-term abuse and neglect, and his mind seems to have cracked from whatever just happened and latched onto you as his mother."
"But... I'm..." Enterprise started confused.
"I know your not, the boy on the other hand, well, he's convinced you are, which poses a problem," the doctor said.
The aircraft carrier frowned. She got the implications of what the doctor was saying, the boy was almost broken, if she refuses the position the boy would break, as he would see it as being abandoned by his mother.
With a sigh, she moved to look at the window and said, "I don't know whether I can be a mother to him, I am a ship, a weapon made to fight sirens and to protect humanity, but... get me the adoption paperwork doctor. I'll try my best."
The doctor smiled, and muttered as she left the room, accidentally just loud enough for the ship in the room to hear, "Belfast was right, great warrior, soft heart."
Enterprise blushed, she knew what her friend thought of her, but to hear it spoken by another was rather embarrassing.
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A week later the commander, was looking at a form in pure incomprehension. Enterprise, one of the most militaristic minded ships outside the Iron Blood, just submitted a form to adopt a child, one that according to the medical documents submitted with the paperwork had been heavily abused and neglected, and has no record of even existing until he was found.
And had already had him transferred to her current posting the cooperative anti siren forward base... that the factions STILL haven't agreed on a name even decades after it was founded.
The boy had even been moved to the sole base that is shared by every faction, and the one that he and Enterprise are permanently stationed at barring specific missions.
The rest of the information, complete with the mental issues, made him reach for his headache medicine.
He really didn't want to do this, but...
He reached for his pen and hesitated, then he made a decision. Quite frankly he thought this would be a disaster in the making, but there was no alternative for the boy, but he still hesitated.
He just felt that this would be a mistake for the boy.
He hoped the woman/ship won't screw this up if he agreed to it, or inflict her militaristic views on the boy too badly. Looking at his secretary for the day, Warspite he sighed and said, "Get me Enterprise please."
As he watched the petite warship leave he pulled out some more paperwork.
"Yes sir," the blonde ship replied.
A short time later the possibly soon-to-be newly minted mother walked in.
"You called for me sir?" the woman asked.
"Yes, I read your request," the commander said calmly. "and I'm worried, about how you would handle being his parent."
Enterprise opened her mouth but was interrupted, "Tell me, where would he live, your room is barely big enough for your minimalist needs, what about him? Will you be able to give him the comfort he will need? I know you're not heartless, but you tend to be... distant."
"I... I... I don't know, but... I feel I must at least try," the woman said while looking at the commander with eyes full of determination.
"Belfast is still acting as your maid correct?" the man asked calmly, not intimidated by the intense look in her eyes.
"Yes, why?" the aircraft carrier replied confused.
"Send her here, please."
"Sir my..."
"Send her in."
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Over an hour later, the busty maid left the office, and said, "Enterprise, the Commander is waiting for you."
As she entered she saw the man in what many people would call the Gendo Ikari pose.
"Enterprise," he started. "I have decided that if you agree to a few conditions, I will sign this, and you will be his mother."
"Conditions?"
"You will need to move into one of the family quarters on base, along with Belfast. I know you will try your best, but she has a far less... militaristic mindset than you are, and can provide a counterpoint for you. You will also have to take a week off, unless some emergency happens of course, to both bond with him, and to obtain the necessary supplies, such as clothing and toys for him. Fortuitously Akashi carries a small supply of boy's clothing for the children of the families that live here. Lastly, I must have a list of at least six people that you trust to take care of the boy when you are on assignment." on the inside the man was smirking, such a list would be very easy for the woman, but he wanted to see who she would pick.
Easy as in most of the Azur Lane could be trusted with the boy's safety, hell, even most of the Crimson Axis could be trusted.
"Yes Sir, I'll have the list on your desk by noon tomorrow," the woman replied, and turned on her heel and left the room.
Counting slowly back from five the man leaned back and smirked after signing the necessary paperwork.
As he hit zero a knock on the door sounded, and when he granted permission to enter, a slightly sheepish aircraft carrier walked in.
The man lobbed a key at her with a smile, and said, "Family barracks, suite one-oh-eight."
"Thank you, sir, I'll bring my... son, there as soon as I move my things in."
As the woman left he felt a shiver across his spine, almost as if he had signed someone's death warrant, but at the same time, he felt it was so much not his problem, that he couldn't bring himself to care... it was odd.
Shaking his head he left his office for the day.
It took only one trip for Enterprise to move everything she owned to her new quarters, after a trip to Akashi's store to obtain a suitcase. This was because her possessions amounted to a half dozen sets of clothes, most of which were her standard battle attire, and a decent amount of rations, that she mainly used now when she was busy with her own paperwork since Belfast tends to drag her to the cafeteria by her tie when she attempts to skip "proper meals".
Shaking her head at her new room, she wondered what she was going to do with all the room, as it was more than three times her previous room.
"This is rather... empty," said a voice from her open door.
"You know I don't own much Belfast," Enterprise stated blandly as she turned to her door.
At the door was another woman wearing a maid outfit. She was relatively tall with white hair, and a rather large bust.
"I know. I'm proud of you my friend," the maid said.
"Proud?" the carrier asked confused.
"You didn't hesitate for more than an instant before adopting the boy. You have come a long way from the woman so battle-focused that you would go into battle with so much damage it's a shock that you didn't sink as soon as you hit the water."
Enterprise turned away and blushed before replying, "It was the right thing to do." after she felt the heat leave her face she turned to her longtime friend, "Shall we go pick up my son?"
The other woman nodded and left with her friend. She knew that this would be good for the often overly serious woman.
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End chapter, cause this feels like a good place to end it.
EN: rules for ship-girl suggestions.
Note:I'm assuming that most are 'of age' and just look young unless they look way way too young.
1. nobody of overly high rank. Examples Bismark, Akage, Kaga, Prinz Eugen, etc, etc. If they have been shown to be in charge of major operations exclude them.
2. no subs, they just won't work for what I have planned.
3. Harry's fleet will be of the same composition as the game, 3 main, 3 vanguard.
4: one from each main faction.
5: no USS Hornet cause she's his mother's sister
Current, already decided. Vanguard: HMS Vampire (Destroyer)
Main: Harry (Aviation Battleship) and Harry's sister ship as a replacement for an already decided girl who can't join the fleet herself (Aviation Battleship) (here's a question, should it be a remodeled "Sunk" ship-girl? Or original?)
Tentative ideas, just someones I'm throwing out.
Vanguard:
Eagle Union: Hammann (Destroyer), Cleveland (Light Cruiser), or Helena (Light Cruiser).
Sakura Empire: Hatsuharu (Destroyer), Ayanami (Destroyer), Ibuki (Heavy Cruiser).
Iron Blood: Admiral Graff Spee (Heavy Cruiser), Admiral Hipper (Heavy Cruiser)
Main Fleet ideas.
USS Saratoga (Aircraft Carrier), KMS Odin (Battlecruiser) IJN Kii (battleship)