Zoe flinched as the medic shone a light into her eyes. After looking her over and concluding there was no permanent damage to her ears, the medic allowed her to sit up.
"You're good to go Captain, your balance should fully restore itself by tomorrow, take the day off to get some rest." She told her. Zoe sighed, annoyed that her work would be on hold for a whole day, but she didn't protest.
"Thanks doc." Zoe unenthusiastically replied. She carefully stood up and left the hospital room, sighing as she thought back to the demonstration of the Wisdom link. She felt a little regret over how crazy she acted, she still wasn't keen to work with kansen, but she decided to at least attempt to apologise to the Commander the next time she saw her, if only to make future interactions smoother and easier.
As she exited the hospital, Zoe gasped as she saw Musashi standing outside. She was smiling warmly and seemed to be in a good mood as she brushed her tails, but Zoe wasn't going to risk getting into a confrontation with her after the demonstration. She pretended to not see her as she walked out the door, however the kitsune noticed her speed walking past, and called out to her.
"Hey there honey, you feeling better now?" Musashi walked alongside a now irritated Zoe, who tensed up as the fox woman stepped beside her. "I deeply apologise for your injury, do you require assistance?" She tried to put her hand on her shoulder, but Zoe quickly brushed her off.
"No thanks, I need to find your Commander and request a transfer." Zoe venomously stated. Musashi's smile faded into a frown at the young woman's hostility, but decided to keep carefully probing her.
"That seems a little excessive, may I ask why you want it?" The kitsune asked. Zoe didn't bother to face her, still trying to walk away.
"I'm not using that damn Link device, I don't need a boat-bitch to babysit me fighting the Sirens." She replied, a harsh edge still clearly audible in her voice. Musashi stopped moving for a moment, surprised by Zoe's words, but it quickly gave way to annoyance.
"There's no need to insult kansen like that." The kitsune retorted, before Zoe could keep walking, Musashi forcibly turned her around. "Captain I-" Musashi was interrupted by Zoe suddenly slapping her hand away, hard enough to make the fox woman flinch sideways. She looked back at Zoe in shock, to see the younger woman wagging her finger at her, a dark look in her eyes.
"Don't. Fucking. Touch me." She warned ominously, her voice was low, but shaking with barely contained anger. "I already told you, I'm NOT using the Wisdom link; Now you and your friends... leave me the hell alone... stay out of my way... and everything will go just fine...understand miss nine tails?" Zoe asked, her voice quaking with fury as she finished speaking. Musashi's eyes glowed as her own temper started to flare, but thankfully she knew how to restrain herself, and took a deep breath.
"Know this Captain Tell: We kansen do not respond favourably to threats like that, if you intend on raising your hand to me again, or to any other ship-girl, we WILL defend ourselves accordingly." The kitsune admonished, her tails tensing up as the stand off between them intensified. The air grew heavy with tension between the two women as they both glared at each other.
"Maybe stop trying to invade my personal space, and I won't need to 'raise my hand' as you put it. I have a right to not be harassed, and I know most of you 'boats' are far too pervy to keep your hands to yourselves." Zoe countered. Musashi chuckled at that statement, defusing Zoe's anger for a moment as it gave way to confusion.
"You seem very guarded for someone so capable in combat, I was recently informed you took down a Tester model Siren single handed, that is quite the achievement, especially for a human with no kansen back up." Musashi pointed out. Zoe's eyes narrowed at the mention of that event, one of them even twitched as she panted in anger.
"No it isn't." She blankly replied, making Musashi raise an eyebrow at her.
"Excuse me?"
"No...it isn't... a fucking achievement..." Zoe repeated, her fists were shaking, clenching so hard that her nails started to draw blood. "Killing someone is not an achievement, winning a fight is not an achievement, being a good soldier...is NOT AN ACHIEVEMENT!" She suddenly shouted, making Musashi take a few steps back to give the angry woman space.
"Captain please calm down, I didn't mean-" Musashi didn't get to finish as Zoe kept ranting, going red in the face as she started to foam at the mouth from how furious she was getting.
"People keep saying I have a talent for fighting, that I should be proud of how well I've done for myself in the Navy, its never about me, its only about my feats in my career, hell my own fucking father doesn't care about me as a person, he's never cared about what I wanted, just about me being the perfect little soldier for this stupid war!" Zoe panted as she ran out of breath to keep shouting, leaving a stunned Musashi in her wake. The pony-tailed woman looked offside for a moment before sighing.
"Why am I even telling you this? Its not like you kansen can understand that, you don't know any other life besides warfare...you'll never understand what its like to have your life stolen from you." Zoe finished before turning around to leave, Musashi glanced a single tear rolling down her cheek as she walked off. The kitsune's glare softened as she thought about their conversation, while it had been very heated, it did give the fox a little more insight into Zoe as a person.
"It seems we have a wounded soul within our midst, and a very volatile one at that. I do hope she can be reached before something terrible happens to her." Musashi thought, concern plastering her face. She shook her head sadly before walking the other direction.
Later, in the Commander's office...
Musashi explained to the Commander everything Zoe had said, the officer sighed as she leaned on her hands, trying to think of a solution.
"So it seems her issues run deeper than I thought, but I still want her in the Wisdom link program, she's too good of a sailer to give up on, and from what you told me I think she's suffering from some past trauma." The Commander stated. "I doubt simple therapy alone will work for her, so we're going to need some creative thinking."
"You're correct, but if we force her to link to a kansen, she'll likely be hostile to them." Musashi pointed out. The Commander thought for a moment about how to remedy that.
"Her main issue with kansen is the high libido some of you have right? Do you think simply pairing her with someone with less of a libido will help?" She asked. Musashi frowned as she tried to think of good advice.
"I don't know, she seems adverse to ANY form of physical contact, sexual or otherwise, I think we need someone who isn't a sex pest she will feel threatened by, would be willing to defend themself if she got violent again, and could possible help her with her problems." Musashi pointed out.
The two of them thought for a moment, wondering who could possibly be Zoe's kansen partner in the Wisdom link program. Candidates they came up with were passed over for different reasons: Atago? Too touchy. Prinz Eugen? Too horny. Illustrious? Not assertive enough. Eventually Musashi had an idea.
"My sister Shinano, she could work." She suggested. The Commander snapped her fingers as she agreed.
"Perfect, she's plenty powerful enough to stand her ground, but at the same time she's kind enough to get through to Captain Tell, help with her issues, and most importantly she's NOT a sex pest." The Commander joked.
"I'll inform her of your decision, thank you for your time Commander." Musashi bowed before leaving the office.
Later on
Zoe walked to the Commander's office, responding to a request for the Commander to meet her. As she walked around a corner, she was surprised to see a tall silver kitsune standing outside the room. Her deep blue eyes half-lidded with weariness, and her movements seemed generally lethargic. The sleepy fox woman slowly turned her head to Zoe, and smiled down at her cutely.
"Mmm...Greetings Captain~" She spoke in a quiet, breathy voice. "This one is honoured to be your Wisdom link partner, I do hope we can get along~" Zoe's usual disdain for kansen, deflated somewhat upon hearing Shinano speak. Her calming, almost hypnotizing voice quietened the constant emotional storm in her mind. Zoe shook her head a little, feeling like a small weight had been lifted off her shoulders, like her negativity was slowly fading. She spoke up as she stood across from her in the hallway.
"Um...me too, good to meet you uh...what was your name?" Zoe asked meekly, her normally irate tone mysteriously absent from her voice.
"I am called Shinano, my sister Musashi has told me about your struggles, and this one would like to know more about you, is that OK?" The kitsune asked softly. Zoe shifted uncomfortably on her feet, wondering why she felt so different around this fox woman. Musashi didn't have this effect on her.
"Um...I guess? Call me Zoe..." The captain replied, still unable to shake off the strange feeling, but since she didn't feel bad for now, she wasn't going to complain, in fact she felt slightly happier to not be angry at the world for once.
"Mmh...pleasure to meet you Zoe, The Commander will be briefing us soon." Shinano told her, purring quietly. As if on cue, the Commander emerged from the door to her office holding a stack of papers.
"Alright you two, come on in." She ordered before holding the door open for them both. As the two of them walked in, the Commander placed the stack on her desk, before indicating for the two to sit down. "Captain Tell, I understand you're apprehensive about the Wisdom link, however its potential to literally double Azur lane's combat power is simply too important to ignore, you're a great sailer and I'd hate to waste your talents." The Commander explained.
Zoe looked down at the desk, then up at Shinano, who gave her another small, sleepy smile. Something about this gentle fox woman seemed to keep her from acting out, so instead of launching herself into another argument, she remembered her plan to apologise to the Commander for her previous actions. The captain took a deep breath, and looked back at the woman across the desk from her.
"Ma'am, I'd like to apologise for my actions at your demonstration the other day; it was uncalled for and I don't want it to colour our working relationship going forward." Zoe replied. The Commander smiled warmly at her reply.
"Its alright Captain, I won't pretend to know your entire history so I'm not going to hold it against you." The Commander stated. "Can I count on you to join the project?" Zoe sighed and nodded. Shinano yawned quietly as they spoke, she lay down on Zoe's lap, almost instantly falling asleep. The captain gasped as as the fox woman rested her head on her lap, vibrating softly as she purred.
"Wha- what are you doing?!" Zoe yelled, now stuck under Shinano's body, her eyes widening as her fluffy tails wrapped around the two of them. The Commander chuckled watching Zoe's predicament.
"Its alright she won't hurt you, just give her a few minutes to rest and she'll eventually get up." The Commander advised. "She must like you if she's willing to nap on you however." She added with a knowing smirk. Zoe blushed, Shinano just kept softly purring as she cuddled the captain in her sleep.
"But... I just met her...why is she doing this?" Zoe asked, gently shifting to make herself more comfortable. Squeaking as Shinano snuggled up closer with her, her tails gently brushing along her body.
"A lot of the kitsune kansen are very tactile with their affection, Shinano especially likes to do this to people she likes, just keep calm, and we can keep up with our meeting, Shinano already knows most of this anyway." The Commander stated. Zoe didn't particularly care much for the fox woman now sleeping in her lap, but she didn't try to push her off or wake her up, figuring it wouldn't be worth upsetting her. The Commander then placed a document on the table.
"Now let me explain how the Wisdom link works, its not just something that allows you to control a ship-girl's hull, its an intimate connection between you and a kansen's mind, you'll be aware of each other's thoughts and feelings." She explained. "While connected, you'll also share the kansen's physical strength, the weaponry of her hull, and any other abilities that particular kansen will have; for example, since you'll be linked to Shinano, you'll gain her immunity to fire and pyromancy etc."
Zoe's eyes lit up at the amount of power that the Wisdom link would offer, but at the same time she cringed at the idea of sharing her thoughts and emotions with Shinano, what else would they end up sharing? "That doesn't sound safe, how much has this thing been tested?" Zoe pointed out. The Commander shrugged nonchalantly.
"Admittedly not much, me and Musashi had only just ironed out the kinks on the prototype device you saw at the demonstration, fortunately we haven't seen any abnormalities so far, so full scale versions of the Wisdom link device will be tested on you, and a few other test subjects...me included." The Commander replied.
"Wait...you'll be out there with us?" Zoe asked.
"Well yeah...who else is going to train you to work with kansen?" The Commander asked her jokingly. Chuckling a little before continuing. "But before any of that, you and Shinano will be assigned to each other on base, I suggest you get to know each other well, because any secrets you hide won't be easy to keep in the Wisdom link." She added ominously.
Zoe frowned at that, wanting to feel angry at being forced to live and work so close with a kansen. But Shinano's sleep purring and slowly swishing fluffy tails deflated her anger, almost like she could still sense her emotions despite being asleep. Realising she'd need to wake her up in order to leave, Zoe started to poke and prod at Shinano's side, hoping to wake her up. Thankfully Shinano does start to stir, softly moaning as she woke up.
"Mmmm...oh...thanks for letting me do this, I just...needed to rest~" Shinano purred, slowly getting to her feet. Zoe shivered as Shinano got off her, the body warmth leaving her as they parted, making her shiver a little.
"Yeah uh...happy to help...heheh." Zoe replied awkwardly. Shinano smiled, helping Zoe stand up.
"Shinano, you'll take good care of Captain Tell for the duration of the project won't you?" The Commander asked. The kitsune nodded, putting her hands and bowing towards the Commander just like Musashi does. She looked towards Zoe for a moment and smiled warmly.
"Of course Commander, no harm will come to miss Tell under my care." Shinano declared, Zoe noted a hint of determination behind her tone, it didn't have Shinano's usual reluctance to speak, she was trying to be clear with her voice. It seems she took her safety very seriously. However the captain felt a little disrespected that Shinano saw her as someone who needed protecting. She was one of the navy's toughest non-kansen fighters after all.
"Well...thank you." Zoe replied half heartedly. "May I leave now Commander?" The Azur lane leader sighed, but relented.
"Yes, you're both dismissed." She announced, feeling dejected at Zoe's non-committal answer to her. The captain stood up and left the room, with Shinano following her, her tails and ears drooping sadly.
"Captain? I apologise if I make you feel uncomfortable, I do not wish to upset you." Shinano told her quietly. Zoe wanted to lash out, her jaw and fists clenched as her anger built up, but she couldn't get upset at the adorable kitsune, instead she just sighed before replying.
"No...its not you Shinano, I just...I just don't like having my independence challenged; It brings up bad memories." Zoe replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she walked. Shinano perked up a little at hearing she wasn't to blame, but her sadness had morphed into concern for the captain.
"This one may not understand your burdens right now, but I understand pain and loss myself, my original self could not be completed in time to affect the outcome of the Second World War, and I couldn't save my sisters from Eagle Union's wrath back then." Shinano told her solemnly. However a small smile made its way to her face as she continued. "But Azur lane has given this one another chance, to help those in need. My power as a kitsune allows me to heal emotional wounds."
Shinano noticed Zoe's widening eyes at that statement. The kitsune placed a hand on the captain's shoulder, kneeling down to her level. "You may not want my help now Zoe, but should you change your mind, I will be waiting for you, tails and arms open~" She purred, letting her majestic tails gently brush over Zoe's skin. The captain blushed at their contact, still perplexed at how Shinano was able to keep her so calm through this. After a minute of silence, she cleared her throat and pushed the kitsune's hand off her.
"We...we need to head to our quarters." Zoe stammered, speed walking away. Shinano let her go, gently smiling as she followed the captain, knowing she was already making slow, but steady progress towards breaking down Zoe's hard, angry exterior, to the vulnerable scared woman underneath.