Azur Lane: Under Development

Chapter 11: Recuperation

 When Amagi first laid her eyes on the commander, the things she noticed off the bat was his posture.

It was horrible. Every time he sat down, his neck and shoulders were constantly tilted forward like a prehistoric human. And how he had spoken didn't change that impression too much, either.

Harsh? Probably. But it was definitely not the picture she had in mind after witnessing his strategy in battle. In battle, the commander was patient and careful, yet seized an opportunity whenever it presented itself. Many of the decisions he made were some that Amagi would've made herself. She was looking forward to the day she could discuss strategy with him.

So she was understandably surprised at the dissonance between reality and her perceived expectations of the commander. Not that she said anything about it. That would have been rude.

The commander reminded Amagi of some of the destroyers. There was one time there was a line of Mutsuki-class destroyers holding hands led by Amazon, and the commander had to wait to let them pass by. The destroyers' unfocused, confused eyes almost perfectly emulated the commander's. It was striking.

But where the destroyers' confusion soon left because of other curious wonders, the commander's had stayed. On their walk, he preferred to look at his feet, as if he was worried that he'd trip over the cobblestones on the path. His words stumbled over each other, and he took awkward breathy pauses in between phrases. His eyes would always waver in between her eyes and the ground, afraid of prolonged eye contact. His walk and movement were stiff and clumsy, like his joints were that of a cheap plastic toy.

The commander reminded Amagi of a lonely child. And so she took him under her wing.

Of course the question came up: what was he doing here, holding the responsibility of the world?

It turned out that despite his many deficits in character, his naval warfare was unparalleled. In the hologram room, he sat up. His eyes shined with a focus that was clear even in the dark room. Unblinking. And she was in awe.

Then the moment passed. A flawless victory. And when the hologram table was turned off, and the lights turned back on, that uncertainty returned to his posture. His eyes narrowed again, giving that tired and confused look he almost always had.

Amagi was unsure why she had ever spilled all of her thoughts to him. It was unusual for her to do that. As a strategian, it was normal to keep thoughts to oneself. Perhaps after seeing the commander despondent after embarrassing himself, there was nothing else that she wanted but to help him out. The elder sister instinct, helping to regain that vision of clarity which he seemed to only have for the battlefield. Only after the fact did she realize it was because she wanted the same for him as Akagi. Amagi wanted both of them to rise past their shortcomings.

And somehow, he did manage. Somehow, he pulled it off and Amagi had the pleasure of witnessing a mostly-normal conversation between him and Akagi at lunch, in the canteen. This was apparently so frightening that Z23 and Javelin kept shifting gazes from their food to the commander, as if asking, "Commander, are you alright? Blink twice if Akagi's blackmailing you or holding you hostage. Please."

Or maybe it was because Amagi, Akagi, and Kaga were all seated at the poor destroyers' normal table. That could be it, as well.

Kaga was mostly silent, but in comfortable silence rather than the sullen silence that Kaga was wont to have when she was unhappy. And Akagi... was mostly her usual self.

"Come, Shikikan, allow me to feed you." Akagi brandished a spoonful of curry and held it in front of the commander's face.

The commander looked at the thing as if it was a recently-severed finger. "I'd rather feed myself," he murmured.