Azur Lane: A Royal Pain

Under The Cloak Of Darkness

Fortunately it did not take long for Jack to find Hood as she was in the same gazebo as the last time they met, and Hood notices her commander's exasperated expression.

"Did something happen?" Hood asks.

"Wales happened." Jack replies as he takes a spot across from Hood and she pours him a cup of tea.

"She sure is a mischievous one." Hood says, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle a laugh before she slides a small plate of crumpets between them. "Do be careful though, somehow the ones meant for me got mixed in, but it should be easy to tell them apart."

"I can already see the difference at least." Jack chuckles as the two simply relax, and Jack leans back, closing his eyes for a few minutes. "Is Georgie doing alright?"

"I checked up on her not too long ago, she's doing better, somewhat." Hood replies. "It's good that you check up on her like that."

"I'm more than just a commander." Jack chuckles, eyes still closed as he sips his tea. A minute in Jack's eyes open and then he realizes that his ankle is caught on something, and whatever's holding on is holding tight. This also prevents him from looking down to see what his ankle is snagged on, and he brushes it off for a moment until he realizes that the snag is moving and it feels... Soft. "Hmm?" He mumbles to himself before he looks at Hood, who's simply looking off to the side. Not wanting to look like he's affected he does the same and blindly grabs a crumpet, biting into it without a second thought.

*GONK!*

"Ow!" Jack shouts as the crumpet falls out of his hands and he holds his mouth in pain. Hood quickly jolts to face him and he can move his ankle again as she looks with shock.

"Are you okay?" Hood asks. "That sounded like it hurt!"

"Yeah... Nothing that won't kill me..." Jack replies as Hood takes the ship crumpet he accidentally bit into.

"Geez, you made quite the marks on this, are you sure you didn't chip a tooth? Move your hands and let me see." Hood says as she gently moves Jack's hands and checks his teeth. "Well, at least you didn't chip anything." She says as she returns to her spot and proceeds to bite into that same crumpet. Not unlike back at the tavern there is a very audible crunching noise as Hood bites into it, and inside is a beige filling, presumably to mimic the inside of a real crumpet.

"Wait... I bit into that remember?" Jack says, but by then Hood has already eaten the whole thing nonchalantly.

"I know that." Hood says, letting out a cute and refined laugh.

"I'm gonna take my leave." Jack says, but Hood quickly stops him.

"Are you still all tense? Still thinking back to that day?" Hood asks, looking genuinely worried. "You haven't relaxed ever since getting shot by that Siren- surely you couldn't just stick around a little more to relax?" She says, pouring him another cup of tea. "I insist."

"Oh alright." Jack replies as he relaxes once more. He leans back like last time, but once again he feels something snagging his ankle. This time he has a somewhat better look down and he realizes what has been snagging him this whole time- Hood has taken advantage of the strange extensions on her boots to snag his ankle, and once he looks back up, she's looking away innocently. "I know what you're doing."

"Yes?" Hood asks, trying to keep an innocent look but Jack can see right through it.

"Please let go." Jack says.

"Oh alright." Hood giggles as she lets go and Jack quickly sips the last of his tea before walking off.

"First Wales, now Eugen and now Hood?" Jack says in his head. "Well that's just great."