May it never be said that the Commander was socially awkward.
He wasn't inept when it came to relating to others; he generally knew how to carry himself, how to talk, how to interact with strangers, how to interact with people from and in various social contexts, and even why he should act those ways.
Suck up to superiors without looking like a suck-up. Be as tolerable and likeable as he can to others because it never hurt to have people backing him, no matter what he really felt about them. Make friends with the soldiers he was fighting with because any minute might be his last.
Do all of this because connections mattered in this world. They were a sort of power, similar to how the saying, "Knowledge is power" went. To be connected with powerful people was to have some of their power.
Perhaps if there were any social norm he wasn't quite acquainted with, it would be interactions regarding family, because his only family left was in a coma from an illness...
Just as knowledge was some sort of power, relationships were another sort of power. A good relationship benefitted both parties, and he did everything he could to make sure that was how his relationships turned out.
He who was well-connected controlled his fate. That was great, and that was definitely what he wanted.
The point was that he knew what to do and what to say, and how to say it in order to make himself get along well with others; especially in the workplace. That was also a big reason why he was this high up in the ranks despite being relatively young, only in his twenties.
On the other hand, there were some people who could easily end you and make it look like an accident if you happened to displease them.
Therefore he had to suck up everything he felt and felt like saying that they wouldn't like, and instead say and do things that he knew would please them.
"Sir, yes sir." Salute.
Perhaps that was a part of the reason why Azur Lane threw him off so much initially.
First, there was no real merit in building any relationships with them past the bare minimum. None at all. Zilch. Nada. As long as they found him pleasant the higher-ups would have nothing to complain or be displeased about, and he would be safe; home free.
Second, they had never threatened him. Any mistake on his part was never severely punished. Whenever he thought they would do something to get back at him, they never did. They always said it was okay. No snapping, no rants, and even no jokes if they could smear his reputation.
Like that time he thought Javelin was being serious when she said that Laffey wasn't getting enough sleep. He overreacted, but besides some giggling, they never did anything to destroy his reputation. Nobody had been laughing behind his back, which probably meant that nobody had spread any rumors about him, which was extremely common in other settings.
Granted, he was their boss, in a way. But it never really felt that way to him. He had been given subordinates before, but there was something in the way these people carried themselves around him that said something more of amiability and trust than the obligation to obey superiors that permeated just about everywhere else.
Besides, in just about any other place the very fact that he was their boss might've further motivated them to gossip behind his back.
But this was Azur Lane. It wasn't like any other setting.
In that same vein of thought, not only was there neither conflict between fellows nor malicious spreading of rumors; there wasn't even any tension. He couldn't feel it in the air. Nobody had a problem with one another and everybody got along well.
That applied to pretty much everyone but Zuikaku and Enterprise, who kept challenging each other, and perhaps more relationships that worked like that which he hadn't yet noticed, but even that particular dynamic felt honorable and fair, built of the desire to build and not to break.
Azur Lane was a sort of dream paradise where everyone got along. The closest thing it resembled in his mind was maybe that one family in that one movie where the protagonist had 50 kids or so. Or was it 50? He couldn't really remember.
The one who was foreign - who was infringing on that dream paradise was none other than him, by order of the brass.
So perhaps it was completely inevitable that it would take a bit of time for him to adapt to his new environment; to learn the new patterns, social cues and customs here in their little culture.
But it was also completely inevitable that he, who had flourished in his interpersonal relationships for most of his life, would find ways to adapt.
As of today, he felt that his adaptation was just about finished.
His secretary, Atago, had opted to take a break from her duties the other day, but that didn't deter him.
He remembered when she told him to take it easy - to not be so serious and tense all the time. In a word, to not be uptight.
Shikikan knew well what an uptight boss looked like. He looked grumpy, tense, as if he was not having a good time. He looked like a taut rubber band that was ready to snap and fire anyone at a moment's notice.
Another ship, Prinz Eugen - no, a friend, suggested that he should take the initiative more often.
When he took the initiative things tended to go well.
But there were also many times when he took the initiative that resulted in him losing something, like when he took the initiative to express concern over a joke.
Still, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
And he could see why these people wanted someone to take initiative in their lives. Maybe it was becoming monotonous. Same people, same routine, same place every day for years and years.
The Commander could act as a sort of spark to burn away that monotony and light up their worlds, if one would put it that way.
He was going to take the advice that they had given him and use it to hit the sweet spot, so to speak, for how he should deal with these shipgirls, one by one, because there was always a different attitude to take depending on who you were talking to. Likes and dislikes, peeves, quirks; all of them would be taken into account as he came to know each and every one of these. Painstaking and long as it might be, it was definitely possible, and he had all the time in the world.
"Hey, Cleveland."
It was afternoon. The sun was shining in the sky, clouds were crawling up above, though slowly, and the sea, right next to the plaza they were loitering at, curled all the same.
The blonde-haired, girl turned her head to him, causing her twintails to sway in the sunlight.
"Ah! Shikikan! Do you want a seat?" She scooched over on the bench, tapping the seat beside her.
He smiled. "Thanks. Don't mind if I do," he said as he took her up on that and sat down beside her.
She smiled back at him. "What brings you here? I don't think we've ever spoken in private before… I mean, in one-by-one…"
Haha. That was an awkward way to word it.
But it didn't do to make fun of people whom he had just met so he refrained.
Instead of laughing he smiled and said, "Well, there's a first time for everything. How have you been? Do you usually sit alone here?"
"Well, I've been just fine recently, I guess. And no, I don't usually sit alone here. I've just been thinking recently," she said.
"Hm? About what, if I may ask?"
The "if I may ask" clause was important to let her know that she didn't have to answer if she didn't want to. In terms of benefit, it made him seem less overbearing.
"Well, I've just been thinking that a lot of the others call me Clevebro or Anicleve…" She trailed off.
"Do you hate it?" Expressing condemnation or justification for that would have an unpredictable effect as long as he didn't know how the person in question felt about it.
"I don't know how to feel about it… I am a girl, after all…" Cleveland looked down, light red dusting her cheeks.
That sounds pretty embarrassing to say, yeah.
It was something similar to "Kya", or "I can't get married anymore!"
Now, people tended to lose sight of obvious things when they had a problem. It was time to point that out and get some gratitude for it.
"Well," he started, catching her attention. "If people call you that, that doesn't mean that they're doubting your femininity, I'm sure. You look plenty feminine to me," he said.
That right there might've been toeing the line between conversation and flirting, but he swallowed that and pressed on.
A compliment was important, after all, in getting people to listen to you. It made them more receptive to what you were saying because what you were saying was making them feel good.
"It's just that they find you… reliable," he supposed.
"Reliable?" Cleveland's eyes seemed to sparkle.
"Yeah, reliable. And strong, maybe."
"Strong!?" She was openly grinning now.
"Yeah, like a big brother. So don't let it get to you, okay, Clevebro?"
She nodded vigorously. "I see! I get what you mean, Commander! I'll accept this title with open arms!"
I don't know about calling it a title…
But if she was happy about it then that was probably the end of that.
He smiled.
In one fell swoop he was able to confront her, have her open up to him, give her effective advice, and make her feel indebted to him. That chat only took about 5 minutes.
Shikikan stood up from the bench and stretched his arms up, giving off an image of a relaxed and wise Commander.
"Great. Well, I think I really should get going now. See you around, Cleveland."
"See you, Shikikan!"
"Hey, Nevada!"
"Hey, Shikikan!"
He sent the woman a simple nod and a smile as he passed by.
She returned it.
That was enough. He had already taken the initiative to greet her passing by, and it paid off.
He knew that it would work on her because she had always been the type to greet him as he passed by, even from the first day.
The sheer amount of "Hey, Shikikan!" that he had to endure - no, that he had received in his stay here was more than enough to boggle the mind.
It seemed that just by doing very simple things like these every day, he could build a greater sense of camaraderie.
Perhaps he should start greeting people as they passed him by.
"Ah. Your name was Belfast, right?"
Also around afternoon, while the sun was still at the peak of its heat, there were a few shipgirls in the courtyard.
Some of them were taking naps in the shade, some were reading books, and some were on their phones.
The reason why there weren't so many of them around was probably because the dormitory was a cooler, darker, cleaner, more private, and all-around more suitable place for those activities.
But then again, if one considered how much more suitable the dormitory was for these things, it also became a wonder why there were this many here, though their numbers weren't very high if you didn't think of that first.
Maybe it was because people didn't like staying in the same building all day and night.
And maybe it was because Belfast here seemed to be giving this place a chance to compete in terms of cleanliness.
He had seen her name before as he was taking the semi-automatic roll call, and she must've easily known him from his introduction.
Belfast gave a curtsy. "It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Belfast, the second ship of Edinburgh class, although it seems that you had known that already." She tilted her head. "You must be… the new Commander? What would you like me to call you?"
Or not.
"Shikikan."
"Shikikan? What an odd name. It sounds exactly like Commander. But no matter." She smiled and bowed. "Please do not hesitate to call me if there is any way this maid can be of service to you, Master Shikikan."
Firstly, maybe she was the type of person to call everyone master.
Secondly, there were a lot of other things to unpack there, but Shikikan chose to focus on what was important; she didn't know his name. No, that wasn't it - she was making herself available for service. If she was already putting herself beneath him, then she surely must be open for conversation between equals.
He nodded in acknowledgement of her words. "What are you doing here? Cleaning?"
She nodded in turn. "Yes. I did not have anything in particular to do at the moment, so I decided to help clean up this place. As you can see, many girls are sitting on the floor, and it would not do for them to get dirty just because this place was poorly maintained."
Public service, no matter when or how he looked at it, was always an honorable thing.
He let her know as much. "I commend you," he said, matching his speech pattern with hers, "that is quite an honorable endeavour."
"I aim to please," she smiled and curtsied.
Well, it didn't seem that there was anything apparent to talk about, and this one seemed to be the relatively strict type despite serving others, so he made himself scarce and decided to go.
"Very well, then. I must be attending to my duties. Until next time, Belfast," he waved as he walked away.
"Very well. Until next time, Master Shikikan."
The waves tumbled, the sun dimly shone, and the valley was as green as ever.
This area, filled with valleys and a certain garden, was a favorite spot of the shipgirls to train at due to its peacefulness, scenery, and isolation.
It was very obvious that one could truly get into tune with oneself and focus on applying the body to the arts.
That seemed to be what Zuikaku was doing here. Her planes could be seen from all the way in the base, and Shikikan thought to visit whoever had been firing them.
Those planes whirred and roared, and the bullets they fired were like bombs in the impact they made on the water as they flew by.
As always, it was an impressive display of firepower.
"Hello, Zuikaku."
The crane, drenched in sweat, turned her head from the sea to where he was.
"Ah, Shikikan. I didn't see you there. Do you need anything?" She tilted her head quizzically, as if to accentuate her question.
The truth of the matter was that although they trained regularly, shipgirls didn't regularly train this hard.
The planes, as they shot each bullet, seemed to be whirring with immense energy uncharacteristic of the peaceful circumstances that the Azur Lane was in.
It was as if she were venting her frustrations out on something.
But if he were to say something like that right off the bat, she was liable to get suspicious and close herself off from him.
It was best to start with a more broad question to ease her into it.
"How are you?"
Zuikaku only tilted her head further in confusion. "Hm…" Her brows were furrowed. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
The fact that she was keeping it from him up until now was a cause for concern.
She felt like hiding it or he was wrong, and boasting aside, Shikikan didn't put much stock in the latter.
Of course, if she felt like hiding it, then there was nothing he could really do to force her to spit it out.
But just a little bit more poking wouldn't hurt. Though he would have to be gentle to make sure she didn't bite back.
"Well, it's just that," he scratched his head.
I'm just about as confused as you are, the gesture said.
"I've been noticing a lot of noise from here, even more so than usual."
Zuikaku opened her mouth to apologize, but Shikikan wasn't done talking.
"And that's not all. The noise seemed like it was… frustrated, if that makes sense? Like there was something wrong," he said.
It was very difficult to fault someone who was so confused with intentions as good as his.
Zuikaku sighed and scratched her head. Perhaps, on some level, both of them thought of it as communication; a code that said that they were on the same wavelength.
"Of course, if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I was just feeling concerned. I don't want those under my care to suffer unnecessarily. Is there anything wrong?"
Another sigh came from the brown-haired ship. "Was it that obvious?"
A dry laugh came from the Commander, and she echoed it.
"Well… why don't we take a seat?"
They followed her suggestion.
And so there they were, seated side-by-side on a green valley, overlooking the great ocean stretching all around Azur Lane. It was dyed in orange and yellow as the sun had started to set in the horizon.
It made him feel tiny and insignificant. Like all he could ever amount to was a drop in the ocean.
Perhaps the person next to him felt the same.
"It's just… I have these times when I feel frustrated because I can never seem to catch up to Enterprise, no matter how hard I try. It's vexing. Like I can never be as strong as the Grey Ghost."
She was looking down, as if to look down on herself.
"And I have the gall to call myself her rival. Maybe I'm just being a bother." A self-deprecating laugh came.
She heaved a long, heavy sigh.
Then she apologized for no apparent reason. "Sorry."
Saying sorry when there was nothing she had messed up in just now was definitely a bad sign.
It meant that she felt that she constantly had to apologize for reasons that were beyond her control.
Shikikan was surprised that something so negative could stew up in this community. Low self-esteem and self-deprecation were on the rise around the world, and it looked like these sorts of troubles existed even here.
Of course, it went without saying that there wasn't really an easy fix. No matter what he said, Zuikaku herself would have to work through these feelings, and how fast she did depended on herself.
But if there was a best way to work through those feelings, it would probably be…
"You're overthinking it." Shikikan patted Zuikaku's back.
"Hm?" She turned to him and let him know that she wasn't quite sure what he meant.
"Nobody else thinks that," he continued. "Enterprise especially. She's the one who keeps accepting all your challenges. So don't beat yourself up over it."
He exhaled. "You shouldn't be taking small things so seriously."
An image of a certain wolf-eared secretary entered his mind without him realizing it.
"And I'm honestly not sure if you'll ever be able to catch up to Enterprise, what, with how hard she trains," he continued.
Indeed, Enterprise was the type of person to schedule training at 5am.
"But you'll probably get there," he concluded. "Just keep training."
That was his cue to stand up and stretch before the atmosphere had the chance to become awkward.
"You'll never know until you try, so just keep trying, I guess."
True to his image, he gave advice that was a little bit clumsy, a little bit unsure, but would probably work.
Zuikaku allowed herself to smile. The waves continued to crash against the shore.
"Yeah. Thanks, Commander. I will."
Her talk with Prinz Eugen had taught her a bunch of valuable things, but now what she had to concern herself with was what to do next.
She had scheduled a talk with Enterprise soon; specifically by dinner time.
Until then, there was someone she wanted to meet for additional advice.
There were two reasons why she had decided on this:
First, this person was rumored to be greatly intelligent, capable of solving almost any, if not every problem known to mankind. There wasn't really a doubt in her mind about her feelings, but there was definitely fear lurking around the corner, as it did to every man in every unknown place.
The bright side of that was that she had read somewhere that human beings feared the unknown, so the fact that she feared it this much probably made her more human.
Anyway, this person should be able to give her great advice on how to overcome her fear.
Secondly, it was still 6pm and so she had a decent chunk of free time; an hour, to kill.
So she planned to visit them now and go to have dinner with Enterprise directly after.
Since she was planning to hit the town after she put on clothes for the occasion; a casual woolen sweater and black skirt.
The moon shone above her, the ocean moved around her, and the chill winter season wind blew through her.
The place she was visiting was where the legendary person was said to spend most of her free time at. Her time aside from sleeping, that is, because she would sleep in the dorms just like everybody.
It was one of the spaces erected in the Azur Lane; a garden.
But the garden was not big enough to fit in the small island that served as the actual naval base.
Because it was relatively big, it was instead located in one of the valleys at the other side of the Azur Lane opposite the city, where people would usually come and train.
Perhaps this garden in and of itself was one of the reasons people came here to train.
It was large, maintained by robots that were requested by this person's faction.
She had the power to do that because she was the most influential in their faction.
Where other factions would mostly be standing side-by-side together, her faction all stood under her guidance and leadership.
The garden was filled with all sorts of vegetables, tomatoes, fragrant flowers and things that blossomed.
At the center of it was an open structure, with nothing but a roof and some pillars to hold it up. One could step in from any angle, though a path ran through it that made a certain angle more obvious to enter from.
The roof was colored white blue while the pillars and supports were colored white.
The whole place exuded luxury fitting for royalty.
Fitting for a queen.
Of course, since it stood a fair distance away from the base, this person and her entourage often left at around 8pm, having had their fill, and returned to the base to sleep for the night.
Atago could relate to that. Nothing beat home.
She didn't have to pass through the bridge to reach this place; she just propelled herself through the water, being a ship and all that.
She arrived at 6:01pm. Hovering robots were trimming the plants, while the one she was looking for, the queen, and her entourage, sat on luxurious chairs under the aforementioned royal roof, crossing their legs and sipping tea.
She was Queen Elizabeth herself; majesty of the Royal Navy, accompanied by Hood, Prince of Wales, Belfast, and Illustrious.
As a maid, Belfast was left standing. Though she probably didn't mind. Any one of them could keep standing for days, and she seemed to be enjoying herself all the same.
Their majesty shone through the night and seemed to illuminate it despite the darkness. But that may have just been the lamps that were placed around the place.
Nevertheless, she needed her.
It was a good thing that they were fellow shipgirls in the end, because if not she might have been a lot more intimidated to approach them, just as how she's intimidated to approach the Commander that she hasn't seen in a few days.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I guess…
Well, no time like the present.
"Good evening!"
The entourage, elegantly sat with their eyes closed and tea in their mouths, opened their eyes and turned to her.
A chorus of "Good evening" rang out, with colorful tones and voices yet identically elegant..
Belfast put her tea on down on a table(a table because there were multiple tables for multiple royal personnel) and curtsied towards her.
Atago had been curtsied towards a few times over the years, but she would probably never get used to it. She bowed down her head in a gesture that she hoped would convey equal respect.
"Is there anything you need of us?" Belfast said, speaking for all of them as they sipped their tea in harmony.
Atago felt a bit humbled to be in there presence though she really shouldn't be.
"I would like some advice," she said.
The thing she loved about the Royal Navy was that they looked very important but didn't hesitate to help their comrades. They could even be called some of the more helpful people on the base, though she wasn't sure exactly how much that said when a good chunk was dedicated to going out and playing in the arcade everyday.
"My queen," Hood signalled.
"Yes. I heard it loud and clear."
Queen Elizabeth, leader of the Royal Navy, rumored to have wisdom to surpass all ages and solve everything, spoke. Her very presence seemed to weigh on everyone, as if they all had to resist the urge to kneel before her majesty.
"Please, tell me what seems to be the matter."
Little did anyone know what was going on in her mind.
"Here we go again," lamented the queen.
"Well…" Atago scratched her head and felt her ears twitch in response. "It's just… how do I act around the guy I like?"
"Hm? Atago liking someone? That is a first. In fact, this is the first time someone I know has liked someone that way in my life. Though I have no experience…"
"It's simple," the queen chided. Everyone had their eyes on her, for she was about to impart royal wisdom. "Isn't it fine if you just jump him?"
"The answer I found by browsing Yahoo to the question, what should I get an 18 year old girl for her birthday, should suffice."
Reactions were varied. Hood muttered, "Write that down, write that down!" to Belfast, who had hastily taken out a notepad and started to jot on it. The others seemed content to enjoy the moment with graceful smiles on their face.
Atago, though, reddened like one of the tomatoes seen around the garden. "I-I- can I do that? Is it really fine!?"
"Alright, here we go. Chest out, stand tall."
Queen Elizabeth puffed her small chest out and stood up. Her short stature ironically seemed to tower over everyone else by sheer force of royal presence.
As expected, this was what true power looked like.
"My dearie Atago," she pointed at her, pronouncing every syllable slowly but powerfully. "Nothing will happen unless you make it happen."
"It's a good thing I read a lot of shounen battle manga. Hood should also be going along well in her education with regards to that."
Atago, having received the queen's verdict, could not but bow her head, say her thanks, and leave.
"Ah. She's leaving already. Safe!" With no more words of advice to give out, Queen Elizabeth donned her elegant smile, sat down again, and sipped her tea, as her subjects praised her.
Atago carried herself as if the words she had heard hung on her neck like iron balls.
Had she been feeling any more out of it she might have even trampled the vegetables in shock.
What does it even mean to jump him!? Oh my… That's probably impossible for me!
Atago shook her head and straightened her shoulders.
She had to remind herself that she had another meeting for dinner after this.
I need to see what Enterprise thinks. Surely it won't be anything more drastic than this, right?
It was either that or the one who was being too drastic was her in her timidity.
Either way, it seemed that Atago still had a little bit to learn before she could return to work.
