At a gazebo in the garden of the Azur Lane base, Belchan is practicing her Maid skills, with her sister.

  Belchan puts some leaves in a pot. "Take a warm pot and put the tea leaves in. Then add the boiling water."

  "It's hot, so be careful." Belfast calls out.

  Belchan nods. "Okay!"

  Belchan, slightly nervous, picks up a kettle with boiling water in it, and pours it into the tea pot. Then she sets down the kettle.

  "Belchan..." Belfast calls out, and said girl looks up to her.

  Belchan then realizes. "Oh, right!" She sets the lid on the tea pot. "I need to put the lid on and let it steep for a while."

  Belfast smiles and puts a hand on her chin. "That's right. The delectable aroma of bck tea takes time to extract. Let's get the sweets ready while we wait."

  "Hai!"

  "Hello!" Z23 and Javelin approach.

  "Hello, Belfast-san! Belchan."

  "I hope you are both well." Belfast does a slight bow.

  "I hope you are doing wonderfully!" Belchan does a slight bow.

  Javelin notices the tea set up behind Belchan. "Is this a tea practice?"

  "Yes! I still haven't gotten the hang of it, though."

  Javelin leans down to Belchan. "You'll be fine. I do it all the time, too."

  "You're good at making tea?" Belchan questions.

  "Just grab a teabag, get some hot water in there, and you're good to go!"

  Z23 deadpans. "Don't teach her wrong."

  "I know, let's ask Javelin-san and Niimi-san to act as our guests." Belfast suggests.

  Belchan nods and starts to pour some tea, through a strainer. "Use a strainer to make sure no tea leaves go in."

  "Wow, you're so good at that, Belchan!" Javelin smiles.

  Belchan sets a cup in front of Javelin. "Thank you for waiting." Then sets one in front of Z23.

  Z23 picks up her cup and takes a sip. "It smells so good and it's delicious! You'll be an excellent maid at this rate!"

  Belchan smiles brightly. "Thank you so much!"

  "Belchan, this cake is super delicious!" Javelin says mid bite. Then she swallows her food. "Where did you get it? I want to go buy some, too." She eats the rest of her cake in one bite.

  Belchan just smiles.

  "I wonder what other kinds they have." Javelin questions.

  "Javelin, mind your manners." Z23 compins.

  Belfast smiles down at Belchan. Belchan gnces back at her older sister.

  "Your tea making is getting better and better." Belfast says and her sister turns to her. "Well done."

  Belfast rubs Belchan on the head. Belchan giggles and smiles.

  Belfast then goes over to Z23 and Javelin. "Niimi-san, you did a good job, but Javelin-san, you need to get into your role as the guest more."

  Javelin freezes up and goes stoic. "I got schooled, too!" She gives Belfast a nervous smile. "I'm sorry!"

  "But you know, our job is also affected by our master's mood, so this is good practice."

  Javelin rubs her head as she nervously ughs.

  'I see.' Belchan says in thought. 'We have to be mindful of our master's mood, too.' She takes a couple steps forward, her hands held together. "Belfast-neesama, I'd like more practice!"

  "I don't think that's really possible." Belfast states.

  "Sniff, sniff..." Laffey says behind a pilr.

  "What's that sniffing?" Javelin turns towards Laffey.

  Ayanami, Laffey and Echo approach the group.

  "We came because I smelled something good." Laffey informs. "What are you up to?"

  "We were being practice guests for Belchan." Javelin informs.

  "Can I ask you three for help?" Belchan asks as she approaches the three newcomers.

  "Laffey and Ayanami might just be your toughest customers yet." Z23 informs. "Maybe just stick to Echo."

  "Even I can't really recommend those two." Javelin says.

  "It's fine." Belchans says with determination. "I'm the leader of Team Destroyers and the head of the maid team! I can do this!"

  "I see." Belfast starts. "I have some errands I need to take care of now. Belchan, you will be fine on your own, yes?"

  Belchan nods with a smile. "I will be!"

  Echo raises a hand. "I don't need to be served."

  .

  .

  The group stands outside Laffey's room.

  "Let's start with me." Laffey opens the door to her room.

  Belchan gasps as she sees a very messy room.

  A wardrobe of messy clothes and a couple boxes of drinks lie around.

  "W-Wow, this is... quite the room!" Belchan states.

  "How can it be this messy?" Echo whispers in question.

  "Please clean it." Laffey asks Belchan.

  "You should do your cleaning yourself." Z23 says to Laffey.

  "Whenever I try to do it myself, somehow the day is over, and it never gets done."

  Javelin puts a hand on her chin. "Time flies for me, too, when I'm thinking about what I want in my bento, but I wouldn't say it's days."

  Z23 leans down to Belchan. "Should we help you?"

  "No, I can handle this much." Belchan informs.

  Everyone leaves the room and Belchan closes the door, as she stays inside.

  Belchan looks around, before closing her eyes. "In times like these..."

  Belfast words echo in her head. "The principle of being a Royal Maid. Everything we do is for our master. Keeping the master in mind while you work is of utmost importance."

  Belchan opens her eyes. "And right now, my master if Laffey-san!"

  .

  .

  Belchan opens the door.

  "Are you done?" Javelin asks.

  "Yes!" Belchan smiles as she motions to move inside. "Please come in."

  Laffey's room is all sparkly clean.

  Z23, Javelin and Echo gasps in astonishment.

  "Amazing." Laffey says.

  "It's really clean." Ayanami observes.

  Echo smiles and nods. "Just like. Belchan. The best in our group."

  Belchan then motions to the bed. "Laffey-san, please come this way." Laffey walks over to her. "Since you are the master, I made adjustments to the scents and humidity around your bed-" She hands Laffey a pillow. "-to ensure you have the best sleep."

  Laffey ys down on her bed and instantly falls asleep.

  "She looks like she's really enjoying her nap." Z23 observes.

  "I want a nap." Echo compins.

  Javelin smiles. "Belchan, you're amazing!"

  Belchan bows to Javelin. "Thank you so much!"

  "Now it's my turn." Ayanami states.

  The group leaves the room, letting Laffey sleep, and they head down the halls.

  "What are you going to ask for, Ayanami?" Z23 asks.

  They reach Ayanami's room and she opens the door. Revealing a dark room.

  Belchan walks inside. "Do you want me to clean here, too?"

  Belchan turns on the light, and sees that Ayanami's room is already tidy and clean.

  "It's already so clean..." Echo states.

  "That's not it." Ayanami cims. "I don't want her to clean."

  "Then what?" Z23 questions.

  Ayanami holds up a controller. "This."

  "Isn't that a game?" Javelin asks.

  Ayanami holds out a second controller. "That's right."

  "You're seriously going to ask a maid to py games with you?" Z23 asks.

  "That's kinda weird." Echo states.

  "A maid needs to be ready to fulfill her master's request, no matter what." Ayanami states, Belchan lets out a small gasp. "As I'm her master right now, we're going to py games together. This is also a serious part of a maid's job!"

  "You just want someone to py with you." Z23 states.

  Ayanami holds out the controller to Belchan.

  "You don't have to if you don't wanna." Javelin points out.

  "No, I'm one of the Royal Maids, and I must fulfill my master's wishes!" Belchan grabs the controller. "I watched Echo py a game once, it can't be that hard. But..." She stares at the controller. "I've never done anything like this before."

  Ayanami kneels down to Belchan. "Then your job is to learn how, and then py games with me."

  Belchan smiles and nods. "Alright! Thank you."

  Ayanami and Belchan sit in front of the TV, with Ayanami teaching Belchan how to py. "First, you use this button to move."

  "This button..." Belchan hits a button. "-to move..." She then smiles and turns to Ayanami. "I moved! I really moved!"

  Ayanami smiles. "You did!"

  "This is so wholesome, my heart's gonna explode." Echo mutters.

  "She really just wanted someone to py with her." Z23 states.

  Javelin smiles. "Looks like it."

  "Wow, this is amazing!" Belchan excims as she games. "I've never knew games were this fun!"

  .

  .

  .

  The setting sun shines into the Ayanami's room, where everyone is sleeping. A soft breeze blows and it wakes up Z23.

  Z23 sits up on the bed, which wakes up Javelin. Echo continues to snore beside the two.

  "Looks like we feel asleep." Z23 says to Javelin.

  Javelin sits up and stretches as she lets out a yawn. Z23 then lets out a yawn.

  Javelin then notices Belfast is in the room. "Oh, Belfast-san?!"

  Belfast then looks down to belchan, sleeping with her head on her sister's knees. "I can't believe she fell asleep with her master." She rubs a thumb over the scar on Belchan's left eyebrow.

  Javelin starts to panic. "This is only because Ayanami-chan absolutely insisted, and..."

  "Don't worry." Belfast smiles. "While she did fall asleep with you, it looks like she was able to properly fulfill her master's wishes." She pats Belchan's head. "You passed today."

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  12-28-2023

  1557 words