Work Text:
On a warm, sunny day at Azur Lane HQ, Amagi walked down the seafront under her bright red parasol. She'd ditched her normal, curve-hugging, yet restrictive, dark coloured kimono; she was instead wearing a much more revealing summer version, more like a cross between a kimono and a bikini. It covered her modesty and chest with a loin-cloth and bra respectively, with transparent fabrics draping from detached sleeves and from the bra itself.
Amagi sighed happily as she descended the steps to the beach. After her conversion to a carrier cured her hull defect, she felt much more energetic than she used to. Without the coughing fits or constant aching that plagued her body before, Amagi suddenly had bouts of energy with no where to go. Fortunately she had always wanted to do more outdoor activities, and with no pain to stop her, she practically bounded down the steps, tails swaying happily behind her.
As Amagi stepped onto the beach, she beamed happily as she watched the other kansen play around. Destroyers were making sand-castles, a few kansen were swimming in the sea, and she chuckled quietly seeing Hammann buried in the sand by Mutsuki destroyers, clearly annoyed, yet she wasn't full blown angry about it since they're just kids. So she just lay there with her head sticking out the sand, pouting with adorable, puffed out cheeks.
“Ouch!”
Amagi gasped hearing a voice cry out. She looked around, and caught sight of a group of girls huddled around someone who had fallen. The fox hurried over, peeking over someone's shoulder to see what happened. It was San Diego, during a volley ball game, she had fallen and hurt her ankle.
“Oh my, is everything OK?” Amagi asked, several woman who crowded around turned to face her. One of which was St Louis, wearing a white bikini, with a swim dress.
“Looks like she caught her ankle in the sand, I kept telling her to be careful with her stances.” The bluenette explained, tutting with exasperation. San Diego just whined as tears poured out her eyes.
“It hurts!” She groaned, holding her twisted ankle like an overdramatic toddler. Honolulu, clad in a little black bikini, rolled her eyes while putting her hands on her hips.
“We WARNED you to pay attention to you where you were stepping, sand is uneven, not flat like those stages you're constantly dancing on!” Honolulu chided her. Helena, wearing a daring blue and white bikini herself, sighed in annoyance with her impatient sisters.
“Guys come on, this isn't helping, can we at least get her some ice-packs or something?” The younger bluenette suggested.
“Keep her leg elevated.” Amagi stated firmly, making everyone look at her as she knelt down next to San Diego, she gently grabbed the back red-headed idol's injured leg, and raised it slightly. “This should keep the swelling down until we find something better, there's an emergency first aid kit back up the walkway, can one of you go grab it?” She then asked.
“Got it!” Helena then took off to grab the med-kit, leaving her older sisters with Amagi.
“What do you us to do?” St Louis asked Amagi, kneeling down on the other side of San Diego.
“You two grab her shoulders and gently pull her over to that beach towel, lets get her out the sun.” Amagi ordered, nodding to a red towel. She picked up the parasol that she had discarded when she first arrived, and planted it in the sand next to the towel, the two cruiser sisters did as Amagi said, carrying the injured idol girl into the shade, while Amagi herself kept San Diego's leg elevated. “Is there anything around here we can use to keep her foot elevated?”
“Uh...we have a couple lounge chairs, will they work?” Honolulu suggested.
“Perfect, set them up.” Amagi ordered, the tsundere cruiser nodded, before grabbing the lounge chairs from another spot, and erecting both of them under the parasol, St Louis and Amagi then lifted San Diego into one of the chairs, while carefully placing her wounded ankle on the other, by the time they were done, Helena returned with the first aid kit.
“Got the med-kit.” She announced, before handing it to Amagi.
“Thank you, now hold still honey, this might sting a little...” Amagi then placed cooling packs from the first aid kit against the injured girl's leg, San Diego winced a little, but Amagi didn't stop, she then picked out some bandages from the pack, before pausing for a moment as she looked up at the cruiser girls. “Wait a minute... you, whats your name?” Amagi then asked, pointing to the older bluenette.
“St Louis...why?” She replied. Amagi stopped with the bandages for a moment, before looking at the cruiser with a stunned expression
“St Louis? You're St Louis? The girl Akagi is constantly talking about?” The fox woman asked in surprise. St Louis's eyes widened slightly, realising who exactly she was talking to.
“No way... you're not some random Sakura Empire battleship! You're Amagi!” She exclaimed in amazement.
“Amagi? Uh...you've lost me sis... whos that?” Honolulu commented while scratching her head, before St Louis gestured to the fox woman frantically.
“Lulu, she's Akagi's older sister! The girl they saved from that weird Naraka place! Akagi told me all about it!” St Louis explained, before giving a fan-girl squeal. She reached over San Diego's leg, and took Amagi's hand, shaking it vigorously, confusing the poor fox woman as this energetic cruiser greeted her. “You have no idea what an honour it to finally meet you.”
“Ah, of course.” Amagi warmly replied.
“Guys! Idol with a busted leg here!?” San Diego yelled, making both of them flinch.
“Whoops, sorry Sandy!” St Louis apologised with a nervous chuckle.
“Alright, St Louis you hold the cooling packs in place as I wrap the bandage around her.” Amagi commanded. The bluenette nodded, holding the packs gently against Sandy's ankle while Amagi rolled the bandage around them, eventually the first aid was complete. “How does that feel Ms San Diego?”
“It still aches a bit, but it does feel better than before, how long do I need this on for?” The red-headed girl asked.
“Depends on how bad the sprain is, keep it on for a couple days just to be safe, after that try to gently move it around to stop it going stiff.” Amagi explained. “If it doesn't improve after 48 hours, then you'll need to see a repair ship.”
“How do you know so much about this anyway? You're not a repair ship.” Honolulu pointed out. Amagi stood up, brushing sand off her knees from kneeling in it.
“When you've been sick most of your life, you pick up on medical terms and practices whether you want to or not.” The fox woman replied solemnly, before clearing her throat and smiling. “But thankfully that aspect of my life is over, and I can enjoy myself properly again.” She beamed happily, tilting her head cutely as she held her hands together. St Louis smiled with her, before placing a hand on her cheek as she admired the mature kitsune, she then gasped softly.
“Oh my, where are my manners? Let me introduce ourselves properly.” St Louis then gestured to herself. “I already said my name: St Louis, but you can just call me Lou~” She then motioned over to her sisters. “Honolulu and Helena, my adorable sisters~” Both ladies blushed and looked away awkwardly at being placed on the spot, Helena just smiled nervously, while Honolulu frowned a little. “They're both a little shy, don't take it personally.”
“No offence taken; I know what its like having younger sisters, heheh.” Amagi replied, before bowing slightly. “But yes, I am IJN Amagi, ex-battlecruiser of Sakura Empire, now a carrier, so you're St Louis, Akagi's newest adopted sister?” Amagi asked with a small chuckle.
“Wait WHAT?” Honolulu exclaimed, her eyes going wide in shock, as did Helena's. St Louis awkwardly chuckled, rubbing the back of her head as a sweat drop appeared.
“Well...something like that...I hadn't exactly gotten around to telling you two...sorry.” She responded sheepishly.
“Adopted sister? Since when? How?” Helena frantically asked.
“The 'Kitsune Greeting'.” Amagi stated proudly. “Something we kitsune kansen only do for those we accept as close family, Akagi and Kaga did it for St Louis a few nights ago.”
“Sounds kinda pervy.” San Diego commented cheekily, Amagi frowned, before one of her tails whipped Sandy on the back of her head, earning a small yelp from her. “Ow! What gives?!”
“I assure you it is not 'pervy' Ms San Diego.” Amagi chastised in an offended tone. “Its an intimate, but PLATONIC embrace, using all nine tails to cuddle someone. Its a deeply loving, spiritual ritual reserved only for those a kitsune holds in high regard.”
“Awwww... thats sounds adorable~” Helena cooed, her eyes sparkling at Amagi's description, Honolulu blushed slightly, but smiled.
“So uh...yeah... Akagi and Kaga did that for me at the party...now you know.” St Louis stated with another awkward laugh. “Honestly I WAS going to tell you two, it just never came up, sorry girls.”
“Well... we forgive you Lou, it does seem like a very personal thing.” Helena replied with a smile, Honolulu didn't say anything, until Helena lightly elbowed her side, frowning up at her.
“Ouch, uh...yeah... we forgive you.” The red-headed tsundere muttered, rubbing where Helena hit her. Amagi then clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention.
“So, since you seem to be down a player, may I play some volley ball with you?” Amagi asked, changing the tone to something lighter. San Diego groaned, folding her arms on the lounge chair with puffed out cheeks, she pulled out her phone to call one of her sisters to pick her up.
“Oh? You want to play?” St Louis asked with a chuckle.
“Oh yes, who do you think taught all the Sakura Empire girls how to play volleyball?” Amagi asked smugly, an uncharacteristically cocky smirk on her face. St Louis blinked, before smirking back.
“Alright, get on the court~” The bluenette replied, as she stepped on one side of the net. Amagi did the same on her side, before doing some stretches to warm up. “Uh, just thought I'd ask, how long has it been since you've done anything like this?” St Louis pointed out. Amagi blinked, before putting her hand to her chin in thought.
“Hmmm...its been a LONG time actually, my old illness kept me from doing many exercises...” Amagi sighed quietly, before immediately perking up. “But enough about my past, I'm back and healthier than ever, so don't you dare go easy on me!” Amagi then took a stance, ready to play. St Louis nodded, and then gestured for Honolulu to throw her the ball.
“Lets get you warmed up with a solo game first.” St Louis stated, catching the ball from her sister. She then threw the ball into the air and began the game.
As they started playing, St Louis realised that Amagi's energy and stamina were virtually infinite. All that caged energy that had been building for years under the illness she used to have, finally had an outlet. That coupled with Amagi's mental proficiency in tactics, mathematics and geometry knowledge, made her a force to be reckoned with on the volleyball court, and St Louis just couldn't keep up.
Point after point Amagi scored, until with one powerful downward spike, she scored her final shot, St Louis completely missed her block, falling onto her bottom as she leaned back in the attempt to stop the ball. Fortunately she wasn't hurt, and both her and Amagi chuckled a little at her little tumble. Amagi helped the bluenette to her feet.
“I told you NOT to go easy on me~” Amagi teased with a wink. St Louis raised her eyebrow at the taunt, but just chuckled.
“To be honest, I don't do this as often as my friends, maybe someone like Baltimore or New Jersey would be more your caliber.” St Louis suggested with a smile.
“Oh? I suppose I should challenge them at some point, but for now, anyone want ice cream?” Amagi offered, clapping her hands together. “Because I'd LOVE something sweet right now~”