What's going on everybody! Sorry about the extremely delayed update to this story. I've been REALLY busy lately. Recently was able to visit my hometown and family after 2-and-a-half years, so that was priority number one for me. Also been fighting some inner demons of mine, but that's not important. What IS important is that I finally quit messing around with the first chapter and ACTUALLY finished it! Wooooo! I'm excited about that, as well as pleased that I wrote it to my extremely high standards for myself even as a novice author. I did my best to give y'all, well, my best xD. I truly hope you enjoy the completed first chapter, and please, PLEASE, leave me a review about how I can improve my writing, or even leave me a review or PM me about any ideas you may have about the story! Thank y'all so much!
ErnstLindemann – Thank you, I'm trying my best to work in some personal touches that most authors tend to not include, music is one of them. "Wolf Totem" is one of my favorite songs by The HU!
JarvisMcChet – Thank you! Like I said at first, I tried to publish something extremely difficult for me to even write at the beginning. This is something that I'm actually motivated to write, and the best part is that its fun! And thank you for the complement about the music!
DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own Azur Lane whatsoever. I only own the OCs that are included in this story, as well as the story itself (minus Texas). I DID base the description of Texas off of a very detailed piece of Azur Lane fanart from Google. If that is you, please PM me so I can give you proper credit!
Game Night! Battleships vs. Carriers!
Chapter One: Let The Games Begin!
I groaned loudly and stretched in my chair, my back and joints popping audibly as they are rest back into their proper places after sitting so long. I looked up at the clock on the wall and sighed in relief at the fact that its 1700, quitting time. I heard three raps on my door over my personal music playlist that played inside my office, so I lowered the volume of the music to allow a conversation to take place without having to scream in each other's ear in order to be heard.
"Enter!" I called out to the person beyond the door, allowing them entry.
A woman with hair as white as freshly fallen snow and irises the color of the purest amethyst opened the large, stained oak door and stepped inside. Clad in a rather risqué maid outfit, I immediately knew who she was. I stood up from my chair and walked to the front of my desk and bowed at the waist to her in good fun.
"Belfast, how may I serve you?"
Her porcelain visage morphed into that of a pout. "Master, do you realize it is MY duty to serve YOU?"
I straightened my posture and gave a her a shit-eating grin before replying, "I know, I know. It's just fun to beat you to the punch."
She huffed at me, crossing her arms under her large bust for a moment before rolling her eyes at me. She couldn't keep being fake mad at me for stealing her thunder for long though, as her pout melted away and smiled back at me. She strode over to the side of my desk and focused her eyes on me. "It's the end of the workday Master. I came in to check on you to make sure you would keep your word that you'd join all of us at tonight's game night."
"Yeah, yeah, I remembered. Almost lost track of time, but good thing I glanced up at the clock when I did," I rested on the top of my desk, making sure I didn't accidentally plop my rear on a stack on important paperwork. "You're going too, right?"
"Yes, my shift ends just before dinner sir… What is this music are you listening to Master?"
"Oh, this is Lindsey Stirling. The song is called "Artemis", and so is the album it comes from."
She closed her eyes and focused all of her attention to capture every note, pitch, and tone of the music. A few moments later her eyes opened once more. "I find it to be uplifting and majestic. A wonderful blend of classic and new age music. Who knew you had such a good music palette?"
I smiled at her compliment, ignoring the fact that she subtly insulted my tastes. "Thank you, I think."
"Of course, Master," Belfast responded, then she switched gears to the next topic on her list. "Well, let's get you ready for tonight, Master. What would you like to eat for dinner?"
"I'll just go eat with the rest Bel, I hate being cooped up and isolated from the crew. You know what the galley is serving?" I stood up once more and stretched my limbs, more audible pops and cracks emanated from my body as a result. I was only in my early 30's, but my time as an enlisted mechanic prior to being commissioned as an officer sure did a number on my body. Not that regretted it, not at all. It was an experience that I wouldn't have traded for anything. I loved to work on things with my own two hands; to delve inside the inner workings of machinery, figure out what makes them tick, and bring them back to life. Still do. There were two reasons why I decided to become an officer. Well, three technically.
First, the pay, especially for "mustangs", or prior enlisted officers. I was only a lieutenant before my sudden promotion to commander, yet I was making more than a master chief did with twenty years of service. Secondly, to slow down the wear and tear on my body. Working from damn near 0500 to 2000, six days a week for ten years takes a toll. I'd still get my hands dirty, but only as a hobby or a quick buck on the side. Figured I'd use my talents to work on my own projects and not the Navy's. Finally, it was the chance to work at the coveted Azur Lane base in the Pacific. It turned out that I have been blessed with the gift of leadership as well as mechanical proficiency. The top brass gave me a quick promotion to the rank of commander as both a reward and requirement to fill the billet as CO of Azur Lane, and then they shipped me off to the tiny island base, quick, fast, and in a hurry. At the time of this story, I only assumed command for about a month. I learned very quickly to just roll with the punches that both the kansen and high command threw at me, or in other words, "stay flexible", as the Navy always liked to say. Not to say that it's all work and no play, no no. Azur Lane was, and still is, an island paradise with multiple ways to let off some steam. Every week, the MWR hosted a new event or activity that always attracted a good number of participants. I tried to make it to all the events I could in order to connect with the girls more and to have fun in the process. Didn't want to make the impression that I was dull and boring, you know?
Belfast fell into step behind me as I made my way out of the office, listing off the options offered for that night's meal. "Tonight, for dinner the galley will be serving sirloin and king crab, master. The side dishes include green beans, rice, peas, grilled squash, and potato wedges."
As we walked down the main corridor to the entrance of the Azur Lane HQ, we passed by Sirius and Dido, who're completing their daily chores, dusting the furnishings in the hallway. Sheffield stood on the opposite side of the passageway, supervising them and making sure they do a satisfactory job, as well as making certain they don't accidentally topple and break anything. Sheffield looked in my direction and bowed slightly in greeting, acknowledging my presence silently. "So, surf and turf," I confirm aloud to Bel before turning my attention to the three Royal Maids in front of me. "Sheffield, Dido, Sirius, how are you today?"
"Good afternoon Master Shaw, I am well," Sheffield responded formally. Dido and Sirius stopped what they were doing and hurriedly bow to me, flustered that they were caught unawares. "G-Good afternoon Master! I am well. I apologize on myself and Sirius's behalf. We didn't notice your arrival until you spoke!" Dido spoke.
In her hurry to respond, she accidentally bumped her hip into the side of the table that held a fancy lamp, a small potted plant, and a picture frame containing a photo of the local scenery. Both Dido and Sirius gasped in horror as the lamp threatened to topple over, but I quickly steadied it with my right hand before it dived to the deck.
"Don't worry Dido, I'm sure you and Sirius were both focused on your tasks," I smiled at them warmly, taking my hand off the small light fixture and returning it to my side once more. I turned towards Sirius and asked her again politely. "Sirius, how are you today?"
"I am fine, Master. Thank you for asking!" Sirius bowed again; this time much lower to compensate for not responding the first time. Her assets jiggled subtly inside her royal maid uniform, and my eyes were drawn to the movement almost immediately before I steered them back to her face. Didn't want to be caught ogling my subordinates, that was just a sexual harassment case waiting to happen.
"At ease you two, I'm not THAT scary, am I?" I chuckled lightly as I rub the back of my neck, trying to ease their tensions.
Sheffield spoke up immediately, stating, "Master, please do not be so lenient towards them. They are required to show the proper respect towards you as our master and our commanding officer. It is uncouth of them if they do not show the required discipline the Royal Maid Corp demands."
"While I understand that Sheffield, I also don't want to come off as a pompous asshole who has a stick up his ass. I want to have a simple, fun conversation with everyone, including the Maids, when I can. It helps with morale," I rebuked. "I'm not asking you to go against the doctrine the Royal Maid Corp has set, I'm just saying to loosen up a little. I can handle a little banter. That sound reasonable to y'all?" I addressed all of them, including the head maid herself, Belfast, as my Texan accent came out of hiding and entered my way of speaking just a tad.
Belfast smiled slightly and nods in agreement. "I find that is an acceptable compromise Master."
Sirius nodded as well. "Yes Master, Dido and I will work on that at once."
"W-We will keep that in mind Master," Dido chipped in, unsure whether to bow to me once more, shown by her performing said action and then hesitating halfway. Her embarrassed blush almost lit up the room.
"Sheffield?" I verbally prod her, looking for an answer.
"I will do as you say, Master," Sheffield dipped her head towards me.
"I'll take what I can get," I grinned at that, humor resonating in my words.
"Well ladies, I best be going. Hope to see y'all at game night! And make sure to get something to eat!" I ended the conversation with that, donned my cover, and stepped outside into the late afternoon light with Belfast in tow. The humidity and tropical heat greeted me immediately, enveloping me like a heavy blanket.
"Belfast, let's go get some grub."
"As you wish, my Master."
I arrived at the liberty center on base and stepped into the main foyer. Clad in a freshly laundered and pressed dark grey button up collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up to my forearms, dark blue jeans held up by a leather belt with a polished gold and silver plated belt buckle in the image of a longhorn bull, dark brown square-toed cowboy boots, a silver cross necklace hanging from my neck, and my black felt cowboy hat on my head, I looked like what anyone would expect a Texan would dress like, minus a big iron strapped to a leg.
When I arrived, it was about 1800, and it was already bustling with activity. All sorts of kansen were seated on plush couches around multitudes of tables with their friends and colleagues in the main lounge area. The whole building, inside and out, was in tip-top condition and decked out with anything you would ever want in order to relax. Wanna play the latest FPS game? There was a Game Room with multiple next-gen consoles and PCs. Hell, there's even space designated for users to play in VR! Wanna sit in a comfy chair and read the next installment of your favorite novel in peace and quiet? There was a complete library filled to the brim with all the books in all of the genres you can think of in both paper and digital form. Wanna watch the latest rom com in 3D? Well, look no further than the mini theater in the back! It even had beds inside the theater, as well as a fully stocked snack bar! The only thing missing inside this heavenly construct is a REAL bar, but that wasn't really the point of the place.
As I transitioned from the foyer to the lounge area with all the couches and tables, my path was cut off by a line of Sakura destroyer kansen, consisting of Mutsuki, Kisaragi, Mikazuki, and Uzuki, making a beeline from the snack bar to the ball-pit room, all hyped up on sugar and sweets with no immediate supervision whatsoever. Mutsuki stopped and waved at me excitedly before being plowed over by the rest of others that were following her, all toppling over each other in a big messy dogpile. I laughed briefly at their antics and helped them up after making sure they were okay and not bruised up or anything. I would have been concerned that they were unsupervised, but since they were indoors, around so many others, and weren't doing anything particularly hazardous while transiting to the ball-pit room (which did have a "lifeguard" on watch just in case a poor destroyer somehow couldn't maneuver through a two-foot-deep pit filled with child-friendly plastic balls), I wasn't worried about them.
After that wholesome ordeal, I grabbed a bottle of soda from the nearest vending machine and settled into one of the couches, taking a sip from it while I got comfortable. Just moments later, a mature, feminine voice called out to me from behind.
"My my, don't you look dashing tonight."
Before I could turn around and see who that was, my curiosity was sated when the owner of said voice stepped into view and sat on the couch next to me, crossing her leg over the other as she settled in.
"Thank you, Freya. You look even more stunning than the last time I saw you," I greeted her with a polite smile and a small nod of my head in her direction.
Freya, or Frederich der Grobe, was a new addition to Azur Lane. She was a design of the H-class battleships created by the Ironblood that was meant to surpass the mighty Bismarck and her sister, Tirpitz, before kansen were discovered and World War Two ended. She boasted fearsome firepower which commanded respect from both her allies and enemies. A sense of elegance and motherly maturity washed over you whenever you conversed with her in conversation, which offset her appearance. In between her straight, raven hair that reached down to the small of her back, crimson horns made of battleship-grade steel poked through the top of her crown. Add in her piercing yellow eyes, her impressive rigging, and her foreboding ship form, and you'd think that she was some sort of mechanized demoness of the sea. That night she was dressed in a form fitting black dress that ended just at mid-thigh with red, silver, and gold accents and black leggings that drew attention to her long, shapely legs and prodigious, perky, and full chest.
'Jesus, she's the word "MILF" given form…' I remember thinking to myself as I just barely caught my eyes from wandering over her entire frame and kept a pleasant smile on my face.
"Oh, aren't you just the smooth talker," she returned the smile, her yellow irises never blinking nor breaking eye contact with my pair of steely grey. "It's a real shame that other commanders don't have a sense for fashion. I really do enjoy the modern cowboy look; it fits you quite nicely."
"Who's the smooth talker now? You're buttering me up like a warm biscuit," I chuckled. "Thank you for your kind words. How you been?"
As we were chatting about how we were doing, a few of the others came to join us at the table. Javelin, Laffey, and Z-23 were the first to join us as Javelin towed an ever-lethargic Laffey along behind her with Z-23 bringing up the rear. I immediately took Laffey's bottle of booze from her, a half empty bottle of spiced rum this time, corked it, and set it in between my legs.
Laffey pouted at me fiercely. "Commander, please let Laffey have her bottle back."
I shook my head in response. "Laffey, you know that this building has a no-alcohol policy. I will return it once you leave, sound fair?"
"Laffey begrudgingly accepts…" she relented, yet her pout remained.
"Does anyone know when the game is supposed to start?" Z-23 questioned aloud, sitting down on one of the couches surrounding the table.
"I think it starts at 1900. Does anyone know what tonight's game is supposed to be?" Javelin piped up with an answer and another question.
"Rumor has it that it's an online multiplayer game called 'World of Warships'," a sultry voice rang out behind me with a hint of a Hispanic accent clinging to each word.
Turning around, I caught sight of basically the entire Eagle Union's battleship roster, ranging from South Carolina, the first of the Union's dreadnoughts, to the experimental designs of Georgia and even the mighty Montana. Special mentions include the SoDak sisters, the New York class, the New Mexico's, Colorado and her siblings, North Carolina and Washington, and the Iowa's. An extremely impressive and equally terrifying sight, seeing them all in one spot.
Freya tittered quietly to herself as I said, "We're gonna need a bigger couch…" under my breath.
After a moment of scrounging around, we found enough spare seating for everyone to sit down together. Unfortunately, not everyone could sit in the same group as I was in, so the SoDak siblings, the Iowa's, and Colorado and her sisters chose a spot just next to us that was still within earshot in order to continue talking with the rest of the party if they so choose.
"So, 'World of Warships' huh? Very fitting game if I do say so myself," I commented, sipping on my soda after I spoke.
"How's this gonna work? This is a computer game, right? Do we even have that many computer stations for everyone to play at once?" Javelin questioned, concerned about how the game night will be organized.
"Most likely going to be staged up tournament style in teams of six or seven," the owner of the voice that previously proposed the most likely candidate for the game spoke.
"How are you so sure, Texas?" Z-23, or Nimi to her close friends, probed the confident yet experienced southern outlaw vaquera.
"Let's just say I did my homework señorita," Texas replied before sipping on what has got to be the unofficial official drink of her namesake, a bottle of Dr. Pepper.
USS Texas, originally commissioned in 1914, was a recent addition to the Azur Lane coalition. One of the most experienced warships still afloat, she served in the Great War as well as taking part in critical operations during World War II, including Operation Overlord. Texas as a kansen was what you'd imagined if you personified the entire Eagle Union state and turned it into a beautiful woman. Flawless caramel skin, eyes which resembled rich, melted chocolate, miles of leg, very generous "assets", a mix of Hispanic and Southern accent (what I personally like to call "Tex-Mex"), and a luscious black mane tied up in a loose bun. Her choice of apparel was unique, yet it all but screamed "HEY, I'M A TEXAN!" to those who caught sight of her. She sported white and black riding chaps in a crisscross pattern with her hull number on the upper portion, black-and-brass-colored heels, 19th century-derived corset which was modified to heavily accentuate her impressive bosom, and large flowy arm coverings that resemble the arms from a 19th century dress with black gloves attached. Atop her hair sits a wide brimmed black and brass colored hat, and to top it all off, a black waist holster with her namesake in large bold brass letters with a star taking the place of the "a" and "s" at the end, securing a pearl handled six-shooter on her left hip. Not immediately attached to her person, she owned a 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun that she could summon or disperse at will.
Her rigging was as equally as impressive as her appearance. Sporting four of her six turrets which housed two-14"/45 caliber main battery guns, her impressive array of 40mm Bofors anti-air weaponry, and her two fire control towers, she was a true sight sight to behold. While it's true that in theory she would be out-gunned against her successors (the Pennsylvania-class and onwards) in terms of shell throw weight, her experience in gunnery is only surpassed by Warspite, sister and right hand woman of the lead ship of their class, Queen Elizabeth.
Personality wise, she was larger than life. Ever heard of the saying, "Everything is bigger in Texas"? Apply that to everything about her. Texas was extremely kind to others and caring, yet she was no pushover. She practically oozed confidence. She was definitely much more attractive than all of the supermodels in the world, and she knew it too. And she also knew her performance in battle was top notch. Her friends and allies admired and respected her, while the mere mention of her name made her enemies quiver in fear.
"If I may have your attention, please!"
Everyone stopped chatting and turned their attention to a petite greenette standing atop the small stage in the corner of the large room. Her face held a stern expression, and in her hands held a telescoping pointer like that of a teacher or instructor. She waited for all the chatter to quiet down before continuing.
"Thank you, and good evening, everyone. My name is Langley, and I am the hostess of tonight's game night. A special thanks to our MWR chapter for continuing to hold and organize these events on a weekly basis. Everyone please give our MWR team a round of applause!"
Everyone who was attending began to politely clap on the orders of the teeny carrier, with a few being very extremely enthusiastic and a few clapping like the simple action itself was killing them. After a few moments the clapping died down enough for Langley to continue.
"Tonight's entertainment will consist of a popular computer-based, online multiplayer video game that focuses on an arcade form of mid twentieth century naval combat. The video game in question is titled 'World of Warships'."
"My information was correct, it seems," Texas commented quietly amongst her group with a small smirk.
"The event organizers have orchestrated a tournament within the game. Groups of seven will be made into teams, and those teams will play against the others in a randomized deathmatch tournament roster." Langley paused to catch her breath for a moment, as well as to gauge the crowd for any inattentiveness, before she continued on, "In-game maps will be randomized during play, so that no team will have an advantage over the other with knowing map layouts."
"Players can use any tier of ship they choose, but team lineups are restricted to one aircraft carrier at most, two to three battleships depending on if your team has elected to use an aircraft carrier or not, and up to seven cruisers and destroyers. Remember, each ship has their advantages and limitations, just like in real life, but the game has also added in extra measures to each ship for the sake of game balance. There will be a one-hour testing period for all players who wish to compete so that you may get accustomed to how the game works once everyone has picked a team to be a part of." Langley took in one last breath before casting her gaze upon the crowd. "Are there any immediate questions?"
Nobody spoke up for the first few moments, then Javelin stood up and questioned loudly for everybody to hear. "What's the winning prize?"
Langley focused her gaze upon the upbeat destroyer, her expression never changing from one of a stern schoolteacher.
"Third place prize is a $50 gift card or a free 24-hour liberty chit, one-time use only. Second place is either a hundred-dollar gift card or two of those liberty chits to use at your discretion, and the event's winning team gets…"
Everybody in the expansive lounge area leaned towards the teeny carrier, eager to hear what the first-place prize would be.
"…a seven-day trip to a hot spring resort in northern Japan, all expenses paid!"
The entire room erupted into eager chit-chat and cheers after hearing that. It was almost like they were all Christians and heard that the second coming of Jesus Christ has been announced to the world.
"An entire WEEK at an authentic Japanese hot spring resort?! We've GOT to win this!" Javelin exclaimed, bouncing on the couch with barely contained excitement. To be honest, I also thought that the prize was too good to pass up. The others around me also expressed their interests in winning this tournament, albeit vocally or by their body language or facial expressions.
"Silence! SILENCE! Now, you will be given 15 minutes to gather into teams of seven, and if worst comes to worst, a team of six. Everyone ready?"
Everybody cheered, eager to start this tournament now that the stakes have been raised higher than they ever thought it would go.
The teeniest of smiles appeared upon Langley's lips, as she was secretly excited for them all.
"Let the games… BEGIN!"