Azur Lane: Under Development

Chapter 10: Redemption

"To my dearest colleague and friend,

I hope you are well. I've noticed your absence for the past week. To be quite honest, the lack of your presence here has made me feel all sorts of different feelings. Melancholy, rage, and despair. I start yammering away and only a few sentences later do I realize that I've been talking to myself. In other words, I miss you greatly. Please, I await your return eagerly."

"wtf. dont send me a love letter via text. I only got the flu. no need to go all eloisa to abelard on me like that. i had to explain to my wife that you were just a creepy, senile boss than a crazed stalker."

"You wound me with your cheeky insults! Still, it puts me at ease to know that you are okay."

"if you can call oozing out a liter of fluid out of my nose per hour okay, i guess i'm okay. do you have nothing better to do than bother someone whos trying to recover?"

"Forsooth! Once you fully recover, you're to accompany me on a confidential tour of our forces! Preferably within the week."

"theres so many things wrong with that statement but quite frankly i dont have the mental fortitude to list them all one by one and counter them with actual logic via text while my head feels like a balloon full of mucus. is there any way that I can rope myself out of this by begging?"

"I certainly hope not. You'd break my heart like that. I'll offer you a monetary incentive?"

"the things i do for money. ill let you know when im better so we can do whatever abuse of power you have planned."

"Splendid! I'll send you plane tickets straight away."

"did you forget im horribly sick? how am i supposed to get on an international flight in this condition within three days?"

"hello?"

— —

The commander found himself and Amagi at the bench they had stopped at so long ago, overlooking the ocean view. After dropping Laffey on the couch to sleep, he suggested a walk. And after wandering the premises in near complete silence, they found themselves at the place where Her expression was completely inscrutable: the usual soft smile was replaced by a neutral countenance that could've meant anything. The sun was setting again, casting its red glow across both sea and sky alike.

He could do nothing but wait for Amagi to gather her thoughts, and muse on his own.

Some thoughts came unbidden into his head. Predominantly, those which concerned his relationship with Amagi. They met under strained circumstances, united under naval tactics, and now they sought each other's company under turbulent times. He often wondered if Amagi would discover that there was little to see of him besides a sound tactical mind and a self-pitying misanthrope. He treasured having a friendship where he could run his mouth with little concern of consequences, and feared losing it. He wanted to hold up his share of the deal by giving open ears, like Amagi had so patiently did so many times before.

It took past twilight and the stars to come out before Amagi finally began to speak.

It was sudden: no breath taken and no change in posture. As if she simply opened her mouth and let her thoughts fall out into the world.

"I'm not really quite sure what to begin," she said, quietly. "This entire situation spiraled beyond my control almost immediately."

"Does it have to do with Akagi?" he asked.

"Did Kaga tell you?"

He nodded once, surprised by how quickly she figured out who.

She sighed. "I suppose she means well, but I fear that our relationship has been quite ruined past salvation."