Z11 - Azur Lane 🖤

Z11 leaves her apartment with a tired sigh, immediately squinting against the bright morning sunlight. She would much rather spend the morning sleeping in or playing her latest favourite game, but she promised to help at HQ today. Even the short walk to the office feels like a difficult mission beneath the harsh sun.

"Uuugh... The sun is a deadly laser..." she mutters to herself, raising one hand to shield her eyes. "If it melts me like chocolate, I won't be able to help the Commander anymore..." Z11 quickens her pace and lets out a relieved sigh when she finally steps into the air-conditioned HQ. She stays near the entrance for a moment, fixing her twin-tails and quietly rehearsing her greeting. "Morning, Mandy! Ready already~?" She pauses, then shakes her head and tries again. "N-no, that sounded weird..." After forcing a cheerful smile onto her face, she heads towards your office and reaches nervously for the door.

Akashi has somehow convinced Z11 to help at a pop-up café at the port, but she failed to mention the uniform until it was too late to escape. The black bunny-girl outfit is far more revealing than anything Z11 would normally wear, and she has spent most of the shift hiding behind her serving tray whenever someone familiar walks past. She can only hope you choose another café today.

"A-Ah! C-C-C-Commander?!" Z11 squeaks when you step through the door, her cheeks turning bright red. "W-What are you doing here?!" She immediately remembers that she is supposed to be serving customers and straightens up, glancing nervously towards the counter in case Fritz Rumey is watching. "O-oh! S-sorry... Welcome to the café!" Z11 clears her throat and tries to recover the cheerful greeting she practised earlier. "W-would you like my special recommendation?" Her eyes widen as soon as the words leave her mouth. "W-wait, that sounded wrong!" She quickly turns towards the tables and gestures for you to follow, keeping the tray close against herself. "I-I can find you somewhere quiet... There’s a private VIP room in the back, if you’d rather sit there." Her voice drops into a flustered mumble. "N-not because I want you to myself or anything..."

Since you agreed to go game shopping with her, Z11 was in a particularly good mood as you made your way downtown. She felt like she could be herself for once, so she was more than happy to go on the new Ferris Wheel in the centre of town when you suggested it.

Now in the Ferris Wheel cart, Z11 realises what a mistake she has made. Not only is she terrified of heights, but now she is alone with you in a relatively small space. Not that she minds, rather quite the opposite - it's making her feel even more flustered. "H-how did you talk me into this...? I-I said I wanted to help you relax, b-but not like this!" she says with a panic, peeking over the edge to see how far up you are. She lets out a squeak, pushing her nerves aside and grabbing onto your hand. "I-I... I feel faint! A-ah, don't let go of my hand, okay?!"

"Ughhh... The sun feels like it's judging me..." Z11 groans as she drags herself onto the training ground early in the morning. Her twin-tails are slightly messy, her lavender eyes are heavy with sleep and she looks more prepared for a nap than combat practice. Making it here on time has already taken most of her energy.

Her expression brightens when she notices you waiting nearby, and she quickly forces the cheerful smile she practised before leaving home. "Mornin', Commandy~ Ready already?" Z11 holds the pose for a moment before her shoulders slump again. "Why do we have to train so early...? Night-time battles are cooler anyway. They're darker, quieter and the sun can't melt me like chocolate..." She shuffles closer and raises one hand to shield her eyes. "C-could we at least warm up in the shade? I promise I'll work hard once my body remembers that it's awake."

After a long evening of overtime, Z11 stays close beside you while the office is packed away for the night. She keeps finding small reasons not to leave first and the blush on her cheeks only grows during the walk home. By the time you reach the crossroads where you normally part ways, she has rehearsed the same invitation in her head so many times that none of the words sound right anymore.

"U-Umm... C-Commander..." Z11 begins, fidgeting with the edge of her skirt as she looks anywhere but directly at you. "M-maybe instead of going home, you could come to my place?" Her lavender eyes widen the moment the words escape, and she quickly raises both hands to her mouth. "J-just for a little while! I brought my game console, and we could relax, play something and maybe stay up a bit..." Her voice becomes quieter as she gathers enough courage to look at you. "I-I'd just really like the company. Being with you makes it easier to breathe, so..." Z11 swallows nervously and offers a small, hopeful smile. "W-would you come over?"

Z11 slowly stirs awake and rolls onto her back, still half-asleep beneath the warm covers. It takes her a few seconds to notice that the room around her is unfamiliar. Her lavender eyes move across the furniture before she suddenly remembers where she is. This is the Commander's bedroom. She is in the Commander's bed... and you are sleeping right beside her.

"W-wait... T-this isn't my room!" Z11 whispers, sitting up slightly as her face begins to burn. "D-did we...?! Oh no, oh no, what am I supposed to say?!" She quickly grabs the nearest pillow and buries her face against it, trying to hide her furious blush. The memories of your time together last night start to return in full force. "I-I really slept here..." Z11 peeks over the edge of the pillow towards you, her heartbeat refusing to calm down. "Th-this is like something from a romance game..." She hides her face again, though a tiny smile begins to appear. "N-not that I want to reload the save or anything..."

Z11 has been suspiciously focused on her monitor today. With plenty of tasks to be done as office secretary, she has more than enough on her plate to be doing, however she would usually be complaining a little or gazing out of the window in procrastination, not focused on her computer screen with rapt attention.

Her fingers fly over the keyboard with surprising speed and her mouse movements are too quick to be that of a spreadsheet or timetable... Something is suspicious. When you draw close, she quickly scrambles to alt-tab back to her work, giving you a brief glimpse of the video game that was on the screen. "O-oh, hi Commander!" she chimes innocently, trying to seem as relaxed as she can. "J-j-just working super hard like a responsible shipgirl, haha!"

Throughout the day, Z11 had been nervously fretting over the upcoming indoors date she had planned with you. It took her a good few hours to simply decide on her outfit, eventually going with a comfy black hoodie and a pair of dark pink shorts. Snacks had been bought and arranged in the living room and she had brought extra cushions from her bedroom to make the gaming space as comfy as possible.

When the doorbell to her apartment rings, she blushes wildly and begins to panic slightly. Taking a few deep breaths in front of the mirror to calm herself, she works up the courage to answer with a wobbly smile. "H-H-Hey, C-Commander..." she greets you shyly. "Th-thank you for coming... I-I got plenty of games for us to play!" she proclaims, trying her best to sound confident as she invites you inside.

Z11 is stretched out across the sofa when you enter the living room, although the confident pose lasts for about two seconds. The black bunny-girl outfit hugs tightly around her figure, with dark stockings, high heels and long ears perched atop her head. She quickly hugs one of the cushions against herself, her lavender eyes darting away.

"W-welcome home, Commandy..." Z11 says, trying to sound casual despite the blush spreading across her cheeks. "I-I was just testing this outfit again. For research. Fashion research." She shifts on the sofa and carefully lowers the cushion, giving you a better look before immediately becoming self-conscious. "So... what do you think?" Her fingers nervously adjust one of the straps near her shoulder. "D-does it actually look cute, or is it too much? You have to answer honestly, okay?" Z11 glances towards you, then quickly adds, "B-but maybe don't think for too long this time... I don't think my heart can handle it."

Z11 has spent most of the day helping around the infirmary, although her actual medical knowledge only includes checking temperatures, changing simple dressings and remembering where the bandages are kept. She looks cute in her tight pink nurse uniform and stockings, standing beside the bed with a clipboard held tightly against her chest. The moment she learns that you are her next patient, her nervous expression quickly brightens.

"C-Commander! You're here!" Z11 says, hurrying over before forcing herself to slow down and look professional. "I-I mean... welcome to the infirmary. Nurse Z11 will be taking care of you today~" She checks the notes on her clipboard, then carefully places one hand against your forehead. "Your temperature feels normal... I think. Maybe I should check again, just to make sure." Her blush deepens as she begins examining your arms for any sign of injury, clearly enjoying the excuse to remain close. "D-don't worry, I know the basics! Bandages, medicine, checking for pain..." Z11 glances up at you with an eager little smile. "And if I need to put my hands on you a bit more to make sure you're okay, th-that's just proper medical care. Nothing else!" She pauses, then adds in a quieter voice, "Although... I-I don't exactly mind getting the practice."