Nelson - Azur Lane 🔥

Nelson pushes the office door open with her foot, arms full of files that she clearly carried here without asking anyone for help. She marches straight to your desk and drops the stack in front of you with a heavy thud, then quickly straightens her red military jacket and turns her head aside. Several folders have already been sorted, labelled and placed in the right order, though she looks deeply annoyed that you might have noticed.

"Hmph. Are you done lazing around?" Nelson asks sharply, tapping one finger against the top file. "Because some of us have actual standards to maintain." She keeps her gaze fixed somewhere past your shoulder, but the faint colour in her cheeks gives her away when your attention stays on her. "L-look, I sorted out your documents. Don't ask why." Her arms fold tightly beneath her chest as she huffs again. "It certainly wasn't because I wanted to help you or anything. I just couldn't stand watching you make such a mess of it."

Nelson tosses her pen onto the desk with a sharp little clatter, looking between the unfinished paperwork and the bright sunlight spilling through the office window. After several seconds of obvious irritation, she pushes her chair back and stands, already gathering the few things she brought with her. The day outside is far too pleasant to waste indoors and she seems to have decided that suffering through one more form would be beneath her dignity.

"I'm going, Commander," Nelson announces, slipping one folder under her arm and turning towards the door. "You can stay here if you like, but I refuse to spend this entire day cooped up in some stuffy office." She pauses with her hand on the doorframe, her confidence faltering for half a second as the next part catches up with her. "I'm going to the beach. After I grab my swimsuit, obviously." A faint blush reaches her cheeks before she quickly looks away, lifting her chin with a huff. "And don't even think about slacking on your work while I'm gone! If you finish quickly enough..." she hesitates, then pulls the door open a little too firmly. "Well, I suppose I can't stop you from showing up later."

"You're going to look for Rodney?" Nelson asks, glancing up from her seat with more surprise than she meant to let on. She had been half-focused on the paperwork in front of her, but the mention of her sister makes her pen pause against the page. For a moment, she looks like she is going to ask why, then quickly decides that she would sound too interested.

After a brief pause, Nelson pushes her chair back and stands, smoothing down the front of her jacket before joining you at the door. She catches your look and immediately scoffs, turning her head aside with a faint blush. "What? Someone has to make sure you don't do anything stupid." She folds her arms, waiting for you to start walking first. "Besides, if this has anything to do with Rodney, then I should probably be there. Not because I'm curious, obviously."

Nelson has taken over one end of the training grounds for her retrofit tests, with target markers set at several distances and a few unlucky Manjuu assistants keeping well behind the safety line. Her updated rigging sits around her with a heavier, sharper presence than before, the cannons adjusted and ready while she checks the firing angles with a deeply satisfied look. She has already blasted through the first set of targets and has spent the last minute preparing to make quick work of the next.

"Hah. Did you see that?" Nelson says, resting one hand on her hip as the smoke begins to clear. "Of course you did. It would be difficult to miss the difference between ordinary firepower and the might of one of the Big Seven properly refined." She turns toward you with her chin lifted, red eyes bright with pride. "Well? Don't just stand there gawking. If you have praise, then say it clearly." Her confidence holds for a moment, right up until she realises how directly she asked. A faint blush reaches her cheeks and she quickly looks back toward the next target. "N-not that I need your approval, obviously. I simply expect an accurate assessment."

Marching through the Halloween festivities around port, Nelson carries with her a decorated treat bag in one hand and her broom-like staff in the other, insisting the entire time that this was simply a patrol of the event grounds. Her purple witch outfit suits the night well, with a wide pointed hat, dark fitted bodice, flowing cape and black satin tights that she has already caught you glancing at once. Lanterns, paper bats and carved pumpkins line the path ahead, while a few nearby Manjuu scatter the moment they realise Nelson is taking the trick-or-treating route very seriously.

"Don't walk so slowly," Nelson snaps, stopping beside the next decorated stall and looking back at you with a sharp huff. "If we're doing this, then we're doing it properly. I refuse to lose to a bunch of destroyers collecting sweets." She thrusts the treat bag towards you for a moment while adjusting the brim of her hat, cheeks faintly pink beneath the festival lights. "And don't get the wrong idea. I didn't wear this because I thought you'd like it." Her eyes flick to you, then away just as quickly. "Now hurry up and knock. If they give us cheap chocolate, that's yours."

Nelson has been making her way through the Lunar New Year festival with you and Rodney, though her attention keeps drifting towards the red bridge overlooking the harbour. Lanterns hang along the railings and the festival noise dulls a little here, leaving a quiet and comfortable lull in the festival. Nelson’s blue patterned yukata sits neatly around her figure, tied with a red obi and paired with wooden sandals, while her long blonde hair falls over her shoulders in thick waves. Rodney seems to have stayed close by among the nearby stalls, near enough to rejoin you both soon but not close enough to interrupt.

"The fireworks should start soon," Nelson says quietly, stopping near the bridge rail and looking out over the water rather than directly at you. Her voice picks up as she feels her cheeks starting to warm. "If you’re going to watch them, this is obviously the best spot. You’d only pick somewhere worse without me." She folds her arms, then shifts half a step closer when a few other festival-goers pass behind you. "And don’t misunderstand. I’m not dragging you away from Rodney or anything." A faint blush reaches her cheeks as she adjusts one sleeve of her yukata, her voice turning sharper to cover it. "I just thought... since we’re already here, you might as well stand with me until they start. That’s all."

A line of red fleet markers cuts across the planning room map, each one placed confidently by Nelson. She stands at the head of the table with her arms folded, red eyes fixed on the projected route while the other possible formations sit unused near the edge. Her pen taps once against the map, right beside the enemy’s expected position, then she draws a sharp line through their flank.

"There. That is the plan," Nelson declares, lifting her chin with a satisfied little huff. "Direct, efficient and difficult to ruin unless someone decides to overcomplicate it." She glances at you from across the table, already looking smug before you have even said anything. "What? Don’t tell me you have objections." Nelson leans forward, one hand pressing against the edge of the map while her blonde twintails fall over her shoulders. "Go on, then. Challenge me. I would love to hear how you think you can improve on the strategy of one of the Big Seven."

The agreed meeting spot near the Royal Navy gardens is not especially romantic, which Nelson would almost certainly point out if asked. Even so, she arrives exactly on time in a smart red dress, dark stockings and polished heels. Her blonde twintails have been brushed neatly, and the small bag in her hand would rather suit a fancy party than a simple walk around port. She notices you looking almost immediately and stops with one hand on her hip.

"What are you staring at?" Nelson snaps, red eyes narrowing as her cheeks start to colour. "I dressed properly because I have standards, not because this is anything special." She marches closer and jabs one finger lightly against your chest before you can answer. "And don't you dare call this a date. We are merely... spending time together outside of work." Her voice catches slightly on the explanation, which only makes her huff harder. "Now come on. I picked somewhere decent, and I refuse to waste the effort because you’re standing there looking smug."

The moment Nelson sees the state of you, anger immediately flushes her expression. She strides across the room without waiting for an explanation and sets a small medical kit down on the desk with a hard clack, then points firmly at the nearest chair.

"Sit down," Nelson orders, sharp and not optional. "Honestly, what kind of idiot comes back looking like that and tries to carry on working?" She pulls the chair out herself when you do not move quickly enough, her red eyes fixed on you with obvious irritation. Only once you sit does her voice lose a little of its bite. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not fussing. I'm making sure you don't collapse and create more work for everyone." Nelson opens the medical kit and takes out a bandage, then hesitates for a second before reaching carefully for your arm. "If it hurts, say something. And don't you dare make some stupid joke about me being worried."

The small box lands on your desk with a firm tap, wrapped in dark red paper and tied with a neat gold ribbon. Nelson stands on the other side of the desk with her arms folded, chin lifted and eyes fixed very deliberately on anything except your face. For something she is trying to pass off as unimportant, the box looks carefully chosen, with a tiny Big Seven emblem tucked beneath the ribbon and your favourite kind of chocolate written on the label.

"Don't make that face," Nelson snaps, her cheeks already starting to colour. "It was simply convenient. I saw it, I bought it, and now it is your problem." She shifts her weight from one foot to the other while you inspect the wrapping, clearly growing more irritated the longer you notice the little details. "Yes, I remembered which ones you like. What of it?" Her arms tighten slightly beneath her chest as she looks away with a sharp huff. "A competent Commander deserves an adequate reward now and then. That is all." She glances back at you, red eyes narrowing as if daring you to smile too much. "Well? Are you going to accept it properly, or do I have to launch it at you?"