Conveniently, Missouri is just putting the last holes in the heavy cruiser, who sinks.

[Seas appear to be clear.]

[Nothing on sonar.]

[Skies are clear as well.]

[Well done, girls. Let's go home. Admiral will want quite the report about this fight.]

[Repair baths are warmed up and waiting for y'all. You can give your reports after a soak.]

And with that, the shipgirls all sail back into the channel, heading for a port north of the big city.

Oh! The fighting's over!

Okay, she'll just follow the... ship girls...? To wherever they're going. 

Tenta-chan lets the heavy cruiser sink, and rejoins her owner, swarming up from the seas to wrap around her neck again like a scarf.

<You did such a good job, Maxine!>

Maxine lays a hand on Tenta-chan's squishy bulk, blushes,  and smiles. Tenta-chan's actually really cute. 

<Aww, thanks.>

As Missouri leads the way back to the base, Morrison zips up alongside Maxine. She's a petite girl, with short black hair that fades naturally to red at the tips, and a red scarf around her neck.

"How'd you manage all that? You were like pow! And wham! And the were like crunch! And then they sank! It was so cool!"

"I honestly have no idea. I just kind of did my best! I've never, um, been a ship before. Or a girl. Or a... ship girl?" She ducks her head and blushes a little. A cute girl is talking to her!!!!!

She runs a hand through her hair. Okay, okay, be cool. "I just think that if you have, um, the power to help, you kind of have to, you know? We - I mean, me and tentacle-chan -" she pats the beastie around her neck. "- could help, so we tried our best. I don't have guns like you do, so it was down to fists and feet."

"Wait, you've never been a ship before? Is that why I don't recognize your name? I mean I don't remember everyone there are just so many but you're really cool so you seem memorable enough that I should remember you! Wait you don't have any guns? None? Are you a civilian ship? But you shrugged off that explosion and I know I saw some shells deflect off your hull so you have to be armored which means you probably aren't a civvie ship so you're military but you said you've never been a ship before! I'm so confused! This is so cool!"

She grins wide. "I'm sure our Admiral will figure you out. She always knows what questions to ask."

"I'm used to being human. And a boy. And then, uh, a magical talking diary gave me powers, and as part of that I changed a lot! I'm honestly still not used to this all. I take it this is the United States? Is there a Canada in this world? I guess I'm technically a HMS if I'm a boat here, but I was kind of confused when I talked on the radio originally. What were those monsters you were fighting?"

Tenta-chan squeezes her reassuringly.

Morrison's speaking style continues to be as rapid-fire as her guns. "Oh wow are you a trans girl? I know a few trans girls on base including our Admiral it's so cool that you can just change and be you properly like that that's awesome and magical talking diaries are even cooler! And yeah Canada still exists but they don't have a lot of shipgirls yet. The monsters are Abyssals they're awful and mean."

She takes a breath. "You should probably get our Admiral to tell you the story. She explains it better. Or maybe we can do storytime while we're in the repair baths. Are you coming to the repair baths with us, Maxine? You should you should!"

"Yeah, I guess so? Glad to hear there's still a Canada. And yeah, sure, if you'll have me!" 

She frowns. "You know, probably there'll be some fuss about immigration or something, I'm Canadian and I don't think my old ID is going to work..."

She appears a purse, fishes through it, and comes up with her wallet, black leather with the zipper starting to come off. She unzips it and flips through - only to be confronted with a complete absence of ID, cash, or cards. 

Right. The contents of her wallet don't have sentimental value. Great. 

"Uh... It appears I don't in fact have anything in my wallet."

She telepaths bewilderment to Tenta-chan. She was really expecting to find something in there!

Tenta-can squeezes softly. <Don't worry, it'll all get sorted out! Trust the process!>

<Okay.> 

She looks sheepishly at Morrison. "Do you suppose your admiral could help me with that?"

"Oh definitely. Shipgirls don't appear with human IDs or bank accounts either, so we're used to that by this point. Your case is maybe weirder than that, but I know she can handle it. She's got a lot of friends all across the Navy, and in other branches too, so she'll get it sorted out."

"That's a real relief to hear. I should be able to get settled okay, then." Trust the process... 

She rubs the back of her head. "So where are we, anyway?"

"Puget Sound, approaching Possession Sound and Naval Station Everett, north of Seattle."

"I've heard of Seattle before! Never been, though."

She shifts back and forth from side to side, testing out her jet skates a little more. This is actually kind of fun! 

"Oh, by the way, I don't think I've introduced my pet, Tenta-chan. Tenta-chan, say hi?"

Tenta-chan awkwardly raises a tentacle in a little wave. <Um, hi!>

"Oh wow are you psychic that's so cool! How's this work how's this work...?" <Hi?>

<Um, hi.> Tenta-chan kind of wriggles in place. <Sorry, I'm kind of shy around strangers.>

She curls up small and gives Maxine a little psychic nudge. <Um, help please?> she sends privately. 

"I think Tenta-chan would prefer if I do the talking," Maxine says. "I can really feel the anxiety radiating off her. It's kind of cute, honestly."

Reminds her more than a little of herself, honestly...