Beauty before the storm

*The Void*

"Hooaamm..."

There's a yawn from a little girl that took a seat on a chair with a snake on top of her head. The snake that stand on her ombre hair curiously touched each part of her hair since its composed of three different color while the girl who yawned did nothing to stop the snake.

The two are Hylia and Yjor that have now enjoying their leisure time on the royal sofa created by Cera. She took this place to rest since most of her energy has been depleted after defeating the World Eater.

"Zzzz...Zzzzz..."

There's also Laffey that took a nap near her face since her hair gave a calming aura to others who touched it, this made Laffey could find it easier to fall asleep. Laffey rested her shoulder to Hylia's while enjoying the calming aura emitted from her.

Hylia who got stuck between them couldn't reject it since she wouldn't dare to be disrespectful either. She didn't try to be arrogant according to what she learned from Hestia familia, but since she got her catchphrase, the other who heard that assumed if there's something wrong with her.

Cera explained to them so they could understand that, then introduced herself along with Hylia and Fuwa who tagged along into the Void. Since Cera has more that she need to complain at Sakura Zeimachi, she told Hylia to rest somewhere with Yjor leading her to the royal sofa.

The other three girls also have different reaction to Cera's arrival.

Z23 put her hand on her chin as if she's a detective that have found a mystery. Ayanami was trying to find out where the train or the divine key had disappeared after entering the Void. Laffey got entranced by Hylia's hair and took a nap beside her, and Javelin is...

"Hmm~ It's sooo soft~~ I want to take it home~"

Javelin said as she hugged Fuwa in her furrball form. She appeared to be very happy while hugging that mascot, but Fuwa is not the same as her. Fuwa escaped from her clutch and approached Hylia who almost dozed off if only Yjor didn't hold her head by using her long body.

Hylia's height is around 4'8(147cm) so maybe she's a little tall from Laffey and the same height as Javelin.

"Ah...Thank you Yor, with this girl beside me I also got sleepy..."

"All this girl did was sleeping in the first place, if you need some time to sleep why don't you tell her to move so you can gain more space?"

Hearing this on point remark from Yjor, Hylia remembered when she needed to slept on the broken and cold couch in the church or Hestia familia's base before they moved out to their new home. She giggled when remembering Bell Cranel's face after he got surprised of their new home.

"Ahaha it's fine Yor...Sleeping with other like this always keep me calm."

"...Is that so."

Yjor had a complicated emotion at the time she heard Hylia's answer. However the snake didn't let it shows and released her long body from Hylia's head.

The smile from this girl was almost the same with his old smile during the old time where he continued to fight for whatever he held onto, this makes the snake's mood plummet if she is going to be another suffering soul.

'Will you...Be another one like him?'

There's a turmoil took place in her heart if what she's guessing will be true. However, the snake put off all that complicated ideas away and continued to touch each part of Hylia's hair by using her tail.

"Fuwa~"

Fuwa arrived on Hylia's lap while shouting another language that only Hylia could understand. Fuwa received another head brush from Hylia's hand, and although this made the furrball happy, the snake didn't like if there's other competitor that dared enough to steal her throne.

"Hey Junior, let me teach you our hierarchy."

"F-Fuwa?!"

Yjor bit Fuwa's furrball body and dragged her to the other side of the Void. The snake wanted to teach Fuwa some rules if she'll be a neighbor in this Void by using some Sparta method.

"Ahh! Wait Yjor-san!"

"I suggest you to stop desu, Javelin."

"Why Ayanami-chan?! Yjor-san will eat Fuwa-chan if we let it be!"

"Don't worry, Yjor-san will not done it."

"How you can be sure of that Ayanami-chan?"

"Fuwa is not a mouse after all!"

"That's not the problem here!"

While Javelin and Ayanami bickering of the reason why Yjor dragged Fuwa away, Z23 approached Hylia that got flabbergasted of what Fuwa had told her while being dragged by Yjor.

Hylia nodded as she understood the words from her 'soon' fallen comrade and clasped her hands with a blessing for Fuwa the furrball.

"Latom."

"Zzz...Hnnn? It's time for lunch?"

"Not yet Laffey, sorry about her Hylia."

Because Hylia clasped her hands, Laffey got awaken from her nap and rubbed her eyes. In the middle of her half-awake state, she also muttered some words that made Z23 poked her cheek to woke her up and not bothering Hylia again.

But Hylia shook her head while denying her apology because Laffey also reminded her of Bell Cranel starting with their white hair and red eyes.

Hylia let Laffey come closer so she could touch her hair directly by using her own hands, Laffey who didn't refuse accepted the offer and then a few second later after she touched Hylia's hair, she nosedived on Hylia's lap.

"Laffey?! W-What's going on?! Umm, Hylia is there something wrong when she touched your hair?"

Z23 becoming anxious since she also didn't want to be suspicious of her, but when Z23 heard Laffey's answer, she'll be extra mad at her.

"Hum? Lafy, is there something wrong?"

"Ufhhmn hmnnfh."

"Something soft?"

Because Laffey spoke while burying her face in Hylia's lap Z23 couldn't hear well what she was talking about, meanwhile Hylia could understand it a bit because she brought the right side of her ear towards Laffey. After that, Laffey herself started to raise her face full of drowsiness.

"The moment I touched Hylia's hair, all over my body becoming soft and rendered me from moving. This lap pillow is not bad either, extra soft. Phumfhh~"

Laffey proudly announced with her thumb ups to support her argument. Her twin tail sway as she rose her head. As if she has done her dialogue, Laffey sank her face on her new pillow...again.

Z23 sighed and put her palm on her face. She deeply apologized to Hylia that didn't mind about it meanwhile Javelin and Ayanami walks to their side after concluding their argument of what species Fuwa is.

"Hello, you're Hylia-chan right. My name is Javelin nice too meet you."

"Mine is Ayanami, nice too meet you Hylia."

"Nice too meet you too, Jaberin, Ayaya. Cera called me Lia to made it easier so maybe all of you can do it too."

"Then...Nice too meet you Lia-chan. I hope we're going to be a good friends."

"Me too desu, but I think Ayaya is somehow wrong."

The five girls introduced each other based on pleasantries and some curiosity of Hylia that came with Cera. Javelin and Ayanami also greeted her and got their own nickname, while Javelin didn't mind it much since she got used to it, Ayanami thought if there's something wrong with that nick name.

"Laffey is Laffey, glad to meet you Lia."

"Un! You're welcome to sleep again Lafy."

The sleepy girl said as she rested her head on Hylia's shoulder because of how comfy it was for her. Z23 give up to stop Laffey from sleeping on Hylia's body again and continued their introduction.

"Well I think I'm the last one, my name is Z23. I'm a ship girl the same with others right here. Although my name doesn't sounds like a proper name, so please call me Nimi like how they called."

Z23 properly introduced her identity with a proper smile and an aura of a chairman excluded from her which made Hylia awed at her charm. Z23 reach out her hand for a hand shake to her and Hylia innocently grabs her hand.

There's not much that shows this side to her in Orario, so to have a look at Z23's chairman aura in close distance gave her new stimulus for her growth.

"Nice to meet you Nimi, it's my pleasure to have a fated meeting with someone like you."

Since Hylia also wanted to shows her pro side to Z23, she also do the same whenever there's a fan that called her in Orario, which is 'an idol professional greetings to someone that she barely knows'.

The procedure is to tilted your head and shows your cute side to the opponent, accompanied with some service smile to made the other side happy.

"...Lia...Are you an idol?"

Laffey that noticed her unnatural speech and movement spoke to her. Hylia herself didn't tried to hide it, so if there's someone that know those movement then it's natural for them to think of Hylia as akin of idol or popularity seeker. Moreover there's also idol culture in Laffey's world.

"Yes? How did you know Lafy?"

"I know from those movement and incantations. Lexington and sometimes Saratoga do the same."

"Ahh Saratoga-chan and Lexington-san huh...It's true because they're idol in our port. Graf Zeppelin-san and maybe...Ark Royal? They used words like destiny or something whenever the time is right."

Hearing her respond, Z23 connected Laffey's knowledge with her experience in the port or Azur Lane academy. She nodded her head and crossed her hands beneath her chest which made them jiggled a bit.

"...But...They never did concert again these days."

Javelin that chimed in worsened the atmosphere after those days that has been etched into their memories. Once, both Saratoga and Lexington were a pair of sister idol in the port however they stopped their activity since then.

'Ah how stupid you're Javelin!'

Javelin then realized her mistake divert the topic of their conversation to the other thing.

"T-Then how about we invite Lia-chan along together and then we'll do a live concert later!"

Javelin proposed to arrange an idol concert since there's Hylia, Lexington and Saratoga that could lead them for another concert. This plan caught her friends' attention as she continued her arrangement.

"Since Commander had shown his face to us and then the port has been rebuilt again, I think we can celebrate this as a grand welcoming to all of that!"

Javelin clutched both of her hands on her chest to show how expectant she's right now just like a little girl awaiting for her birthday. Her spirit took the good of her, but it's not a bad thing at all since her friends also welcomed her plan to put in motion.

"Commander welcoming party is indeed a great plan, we could also put an after party for those who're fond to drinking."

Z23 also spouted her idea but she also thought if it's not right to do an idol concert just like that. Not all of ship girls took a liking at this culture, and if it's turned into the worse case then maybe they'll got another invasion from resident's at the city, that's what Z23 thought because she barely knows of what Sakura Zeimachi's did.

'I wonder...What'll Akagi and other thought about this.'

Ayanami that barely joined their conversation remembered about another ship girl that keep her faith for her old Commander in the port. Ayanami almost fell into her dark past if only there's no two girls watching over her, she soon noticed if Laffey and Hylia were looking toward her.

The two girls were showing different reminder for Ayanami. Laffey was shaking her head to signal her if it's going to be okay, while Hylia created an aurora from her hair to calm their soul.

"Whoaa...Lia-chan, you're so pretty...Haahhh I feel like being purified."

"Javelin come back! Oh no! Laffey!"

Z23 got panicked when she saw her friend Laffey almost ascended from so much calming beside her head. Z23 shakes Laffey right from her shoulder to get her back to the reality and stopping her from really ascended. Z23 also needed to protect herself from the effects of the aurora while trying to wake Laffey, even if it was useless, at least she tried.

"Eh? Nimi? Lafy? Jaberin?...Ayaya?"

"I'm fine desu...I think."

The three destroyers fell because receiving the output from Hylia's aurora. As for Ayanami, she somehow could handle it as long she switched into her retrofit form. Perhaps there's a connection of Hylia's aurora with its function as soul calmer and the ship girls origin from the wisdom cube.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I never thought it'll work so well."

The aurora starting to diminish until it disappeared completely. Following the disappearance of her aurora, the three ship girls that got weakened by soul calmer effect slowly regain their sanity again.

"..."

Ayanami still on guard in case there's two phase of this boss before her, she's quite a video game maniac so she trust her instinct as a gamer. If its starts with weakening debuff, then she'll be facing a very tricky opponent since she brought no healing or purifying items.

'What was that? I feel like...Something...'

"I'm sorry Ayaya! I didn't mean to but..."

Hylia got panicked when Ayanami used her sword to hide her front. She know someone who used the same type of weapon as her back then when she adventuring in the labyrinth, and if she point her sword like that, then she'll need to suppress Ayanami if the situation turns ugly.

"...It's fine desu, Lia. It's not like I hate it either but when your head shining like that...It gave me very cozy feelings, just like in my home."

"Then...How is your home? Is it still the same now?"

The three ship girls were still in the middle of straightening their thought and couldn't heard their conversation that well. Even though Ayanami knew if Hylia meant no harm, she couldn't bring herself to tell Hylia everything about how her opinions are.

"My home..."

Ayanami's outfit also changed to how she was before in normal form, her sword sheathed behind her back and its become her old sailor uniform. The feasty haired girl still waiting expectantly for Ayanami's answer, and this add another pressure for the demon destroyer.

"I think it's best to ask Commander than me, after all, he knew more about what's going on in the port."

"Commander? Ah you mean Zei! Okay wait over here! I'll go and ask him!"

"I-I don't mean right now!"

Hylia impatiently got up from her chair and let Laffey rest her face on the sofa instead of on her lap. Since the bunny destroyer got moved from her comfy sleeping position, Laffey woke up in order to find her dreamy pillow.

However, Laffey grabbed Z23's thigh that covered in spat instead. Z23 also instantly awakened from her drowsy mind with that touch.

"La-Laffey?! Where are you touching?!"

"...Hmm...Not this one, it's too thick."

"Excuse me?!"

Meanwhile leaving Javelin whose eyes were still spinning, Hylia walked to reach the other two on the other side of the Void. The two were talking about something with their serious face. From their conversation that can't be heard alone, Hylia noticed if they're in a heated debate of something.

"Humm are they talking about something important? They're very serious right now..."

Behind her back is Ayanami that got worried if Hylia disturbed the Commander discussion with the other person. She is very good at respecting other people's privacy, this made her to be a somehow reserved girl with stranger.

"Maybe...Let's ask him later."

"Nn, it's been a long time since they met each other after all."

"Oh I see desu. That's why they're very serious right now, maybe there's something going on when they got separate with each other."

"Hum~ Maybe~"

Hylia and Ayanami walked back while sometime glancing their eyes since they're very curious of what the two at the other side of the Void are talking about. It's clearly not Yjor and Fuwa, but its Sakura Zeimachi and Cera who are still in the middle of their conversation.

While the two girls walked away, Sakura Zeimachi and Cera's chatter grew even more heated.

"Where's my angler fish?! Don't tell me you forgot about it!"

"Now girl! Let me tell you what is the thing you forgot! Where's my Fuhua-san painting?!"

"Painting is not that important! More importantly, the FISH!"

"There's no fish for you to pleasure with! Go catch it yourself!"

"What did you just say?! And do you know why I don't want to bring your fUhUa-Swan painting huh?!"

"Oh come on! I'm all ear!"

"Who need to paint TWO flat object at the same time?!"

"Oh now you're doing it."

"Yes I'm! And you know what more flat than your fUhUa-Swan painting?! It's your taste! Sheesh even mountain dew are better than you!"

"Oh the girl who slurped the green tea are now talking about mountain dew huh? What's next? I hope you also realized one important fact."

"Oh you know something new? I hope."

"Nah it's an old news."

"Ohhhh! Very great! Let me hear that lame news!"

"I hope you realized if you're not that better than B-cup."

"..."

"*Sigh* Now you can heard it again B-cup, it's almost this close for you to be an A-cup. Fhew your breast is very big ain' it?"

"...hUh?"

"Hmm? Well maybe...Even that new girl is bigger than you. Dang...You're the smallest in here, Ck Ck Ck. Should I buy you a pad to pad your plat chest B-Cup?"

Let's skip about what's going to happen and head straight to the ending of this chapter.

While Z23, Laffey, Hylia, Ayanami and Javelin were in the middle of chattering to each other about girls talk and girls topic, Cera suddenly approached them with a near death-state Sakura Zeimachi behind her back.

The man was dragged with one hand all the way to the girls among the many feathers floating in the Void.

"Who's ready for holiday?!"

And like that, the ship girls and trio main characters will take their part into the other scenario. Although Cera was the one who had planned all of this in motion, she thought it would be a good idea to take them on vacation sooner than they had previously promised.

'It's umm you know...Test drive, yes a test drive!'