Azur Lane — About You, About Me, About Someone

Chapter 2: Fairytale of New York


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“Once again, Belfast…will you give me the honor of d-dancing with you?”

That would be the third time the Admiral’s grandson had asked her to dance with him. People would often say the third time’s a charm; maybe he really believed in that phrase, Belfast thought. It’s almost sad she would have to gently put the hopeful lad down again after he asked so courteously—She did, in truth, admire such tenacity, even from a hormone-driven youth such as one Sean Sullivan, who had been head-over-heels for her ever since their first meeting.

“Oh my, I am honored that you asked…again, young master. But as I already told you…despite dressing like this, I’m still a maid— “

“—and have a duty to uphold, yeah, so I heard,” the boy finished for her, having heard a similar reply from her before. Even before Belfast could say a single word, Sean knew he would be turned down again, the smile the maid had told him as much. But he found being told that directly still left a somewhat bitter taste; only Belfast’s gentle voice made it slightly easier to swallow.

“And I am certain the Admiral will not approve,” Belfast carried on despite the crestfallen look the boy had. She expected him to give up after that, but she was pretty surprised when he clenched his fists, looking more determined than ever.

“…One day…one day, she will change her mind. I’ll make sure of it.”

“You can’t.”

The fire Sean had regained fizzled out as the Admiral, who had been quietly watching the exchange, made her presence known. The sound of the old lady’s cane knocking against the floor with each step she took had him growing restless.

“…Hi, grandma,” the boy offered a stiff, halfhearted greeting—barely managing to avoid a pathetic stutter—and averted his eyes from his grandmother’s severe gaze. Even though she was not a particularly tall woman, the look managed to make him feel really tiny.

“Boy,” the Admiral began, her eyes narrowing though it did little to make her glare less intense, “stop pestering my subordinate and find kids your age to bother.”

Sean wished his grandmother would just raise her voice instead of using that icy, droning tone that reminded him of the Hudson in the dead of winter. Being yelled at was undoubtedly preferable to having to endure the spine-tingling shiver as he listened.

Worse still was Belfast’s consoling look as she silently observed, which only served to make him feel patronized instead of comforted.

“…Yes…grandma…” he finally managed, trying his best not to sound too defeated. He knew arguing with the Admiral would be a losing battle, but even he was surprised at how quickly he gave up.

“Good. Run along now.”

He didn’t need to be commanded twice, meekly turning around and walking away, both hands tucked inside the pockets of his trousers.


“Bah. Stupid Christmas eve,” Sean fumed as he wandered without aim, purposefully avoiding his older cousins before they could have the chance to tease him. At least if Belfast agreed to dance with him, the family gathering—a lavish party organized by his ridiculously wealthy great-uncle—wouldn’t be so drab; his daydreams in the days leading to it convinced him that.

You’re being unrealistic here, an unwelcome voice spoke inside his head. Life is not a fairytale like that. Why would a fantastic woman like her dance with a runt like you?

“Oh, come on now,” he griped, torn between concede and denial. “I…I just uh…need to keep trying…”

Yeah, sure.

Shut up.

So absorbed was he arguing with himself that Sean neglected to pay attention to his surroundings, though he only realized that mistake when he bumped into someone.

And to his horror, that someone happened to be the person he didn’t really want to see right now.

“…Well, well. So, it was you, young master.”

“…Hi, Edinburgh.”

Edinburgh stuffed the bite-sized cake she held between her fingers into her mouth and let out a soft moan of delight before replying with a pleased grin.

“Judging from your expression, I take it you once again failed to get my sister to dance with you, young master?”

“…Shut up; it’s none of your business.”

“Oh, it is, alright. She’s my sister. Really, young master, you should find someone your age.”

“You’re just parroting what grandma said. I don’t want to hear that.”

Edinburgh laughed softly, though Sean still managed to find it grating. While he’d admit Edinburgh was quite a looker, her personality was regrettably disagreeable. At least to him. Maybe it was because he’s her favorite teasing target; unlike Belfast, who treated almost everyone with aloof reverence, Edinburgh would act familiar with them, sometimes bordering on obnoxiousness.

And ever since she learned about his affections for her younger sister, Edinburgh had been all about riling him up every chance she got.

“Well, she’s right, isn’t she? My sister is, well, too high up for you. Or anyone, for that matter.”

“… I’ll show you one day that you’re wrong.”

“Suuure, you will.”

As she said that, Edinburgh grabbed another cake from the nearby table after a careful look at her surroundings showed Belfast wasn’t around. She wolfed it down as Sean looked on—a rather malicious part of him wished Edinburgh would gain weight from all the sweets she had eaten.

Without even bothering to clear the crumbs off her cheeks, Edinburgh turned to the boy once again with a different kind of smile on her face. Sean was unsure if he needed to be wary or not—despite his mind saying otherwise, he couldn’t sense any sort of ill intent from her at that moment.

“Well, if you would follow me, there’s someone I would like you to meet, young master.”

“Who…?”

“You’ll see if you come with me.”

Looking around as he mulled over the invitation, Sean caught a glimpse of one of his older cousins kissing his girlfriend. Between that and the fact that his father was about to take the stage with his NYPD folks to perform their usual off-key rendition of Galway Bay, he thought that deigning himself to play along with Edinburgh couldn’t possibly result in something worse.

He truly hope so.


The longer he went with her, the more Sean was convinced Edinburgh had no idea where she was going. It was either that, or she was just making fun of him.

In any case, he’s getting annoyed—really annoyed.

“So, where is this person you mentioned, Edinburgh?”

“Waiiit just a little bit more. I told her not to wander around too far…Ah! There she is!” Edinburgh noticed someone who appeared to be a young girl and gestured for Sean to follow as she approached her.

When they finally met, he was left utterly flabbergasted.

The girl’s look and mannerisms—all of them reminded him of Belfast.

But while she had the same gravitas, it was tempered with childish innocence—when they approached her, she was looking around with wide-eyed curiosity, though when she noticed Edinburgh, she quickly schooled her expression into something more serious, if not detached.

“Ah…sister Edinburgh, forgive me, I ended up wandering around…”

“No, no problem at all. I have someone I would like you to meet. I believe you have heard of young master Sullivan?”

Seemingly just realizing there was someone with Edinburgh, the girl quickly curtsied—or tried to; she ended up slipping on her skirt and would have fallen forward if Sean didn’t recover from his stupor quickly enough to catch her. Edinburgh squealed and cheered at the sight, but he was too occupied to notice or care.

“…I… I am ever so sorry,” the girl apologized with a slight blush as she removed herself from him, though her expression remained unchanging. Apparently, she decided one attempt at curtsy was enough, opting to bow instead as she introduced herself.

“My name is Bel. It is a pleasure to meet you, young master.”

“Huh….?” was the most eloquent response Sean could formulate. The girl’s resemblance to Belfast was too uncanny, but Edinburgh was her only sister as far as he knew.

And besides, the longer he looked at the girl, who looked back with the same expression Belfast would usually have, the more he was unable to see her as anyone other than Belfast—but if she was younger by ten years or so, or about his age—no matter how impossible that may be.

While Sean struggled with the unthinkable, Edinburgh decided to step in and help in her own way.

“You see, Bel here is…how should I say it…well…kind of a newcomer, so to speak...Something like that,” Edinburgh leaned into the boy’s ear and whispered.

“Oh,” Sean replied dumbly, still not entirely understanding it. Then again, he wasn’t sure he wanted to know anyway.

“In any case!” Edinburgh suddenly shot up, surprising the other two, “Young master needs company. And Bel probably would benefit from interacting with someone her age. Her mental age. You know what I mean. So why don’t you two have fun together?”

“…That would be a fine idea, sister,” Bel replied with a slight nod, though Sean had a different idea.

“…Wait a minute…Why do you think that’s a good idea? And who says I’m lonely…?!”

“I only said you need company, though. And besides, Bel is okay with that,” Edinburgh replied nonchalantly. She found the whole thing rather fun.

“And…Uh…is that true…?” Sean turned to the younger girl.

“I have no objections, young master,” she replied with an undercurrent of persistence beneath her understated manner of speaking.

And while it was fleeting, she was smiling as she did.

While Sean had wanted to disagree, a glimpse of that smile compelled him to do the opposite.


“Young master, care for this chocolate sponge cake? It’s topped with strawberries. Just as you like it.”

Sean received the plate without a word, while Bel left to get drinks, or so she said. The fact that a person he had just met knew all about the things he liked made him wonder—a lot.

“Eh, maybe Belfast or Edinburgh told her,” he shrugged and bit into the sumptuous cake. Peculiar or not, he found no reason to complain about it; after all, he felt oddly content, as things turned out to be better than he had expected.

True, when some of his cousins saw him with Bel, they started teasing him, but before he could retort, Bel simply pulled him away, leaving them speechless. She apologized profusely afterward, only stopping when he told her it was okay and that he was grateful.

“Here’s a drink, young master. Your favorite flavor, pineapple,” Bel returned with a glass of punch.

“Thanks…Er, are you not going to eat something…?”

For a moment, Bel seemed to be at a loss.

“…Is it appropriate…?” she finally said.

“Who cares? Why don’t you try this? I’m not that hungry,” he offered her the plate with the half-eaten cake. She reluctantly accepted but ended up only staring at it as though she was uncertain about what to do.

“…Uh, perhaps you need a new fork…? Since, you know…”

“No, this is fine.”

While she did say that, it took a long time for her to finally take a bite of the dessert.

Sean, who waited for her reaction with much anticipation, initially felt a little let down when the only response she’d shown was a brief “ah.”

But that feeling disappeared the moment he saw the color creeping up her cheeks and how her lips—whether she realized it or not—turned upwards again.

At this point, he realized that to a certain degree Bel was dissimilar to Belfast after all. It was a strangely relieving feeling, even if short-lived, as the girl’s expression returned to her usual reserved one.

“Ahh, sorry, young master, I got carried away,” Bel murmured an apology as she returned the plate.

“Uhh, don’t be, though? If you enjoy it, you can have more,” Sean tried to refuse, but Bel persisted. He relented and took the plate back.

If before he only had an inkling, by now he was already convinced the girl was indeed a stubborn one.

“Okay, guess you aren’t hungry either. Which is sad because, like I said, this cake is good…”

“It is indeed, but you’re right. What I had was enough, young master.”

As the thought of wasting food did not sit well with him, Sean decided to finish the cake, though he certainly had a hard time enjoying it.

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“It seems a dance is starting soon, young master,” Bel remarked as she saw the musicians getting ready and the couples gathering.

“Ugh, don’t remind me,” Sean responded as he recalled how he got rejected earlier; it still stung even though he had already accepted his chances were practically nonexistent, now that he thought about it.

While he initially vowed to leave them alone, his curiosity won out in the end, however, and he ended up taking a once-over at the crowd. Most he recognized, including his parents and even his grandmother, who was paired with his great uncle. She didn’t look happy at all, though.

“Oh, do forgive me, young master…” Sean heard Bel apologizing for the umpteenth time, and he turned around to face her.

“Well, it’s not a big deal. But if you’re sorry…”

“Yes…?”

“How about trying not to be so formal with me? Just call me Sean or something. Speak like someone your age. Please.”

He had wanted to say that for some time now because the way she’s acting like Belfast was starting to feel really jarring, and he wasn’t sure he could stand it the whole night.

However, that was only one of the reasons and hardly the most important one.

“But…”

“Come on. I know that’s not…Uh, the real you. I mean, you don’t have to try and act like Belfast all the time. Being more honest won’t hurt you,” Sean countered. He would admit that bit about the real her might sound a touch too hackneyed, but he believed that trying to emulate the Head Maid is most likely weighing the girl down a lot.

“Be more honest...” Bel repeated. Sean didn’t know if his mind was playing tricks, but Bel seemed to stare at him a little too intently, and he could not make heads or tails of that reaction.

“Bel…?”

“Okay. I suppose I could try to,” Bel said, followed by a firm nod and a beaming smile. Sean noticed the relief in her words and how easily she spoke them, almost as if a huge burden had been lifted off her.


“Hey, wanna dance?”

He did not expect the words to roll out his lips that effortlessly.

Just before, Bel had been watching the dancing pairs, her eyes shining with an enigmatic gleam as they followed every movement.

For a good long while, her only reaction was a stunned silence while Sean contended with the myriad of thoughts—most of them unpleasant—occurring inside his mind all at once.

Did I just say that? I didn’t even realize I was saying that. We’ve only known each other for like, a few hours, for crying out loud. She would be creeped out for sure.

All those thoughts were pushed aside the moment Sean found Bel smiling at him and extending her hand as if inviting him to take the lead.

She did not need to say a word for him to understand, and with that understanding, he took the waiting hand.


The dance between the two youths was replete with awkwardness—whether it was near stumbles or missteps on the other’s foot, both had done it. While Bel proved to be a clumsy dancer, Sean knew he wasn’t any better himself, considering how many times he’d lost focus; it’s gotten to the point he sincerely believed only dumb luck prevented both of them from crashing or falling spectacularly at that point.

Not helping matters was how others looked at them as the only non-adults on the dance floor. Some were only mildly amused, and he’s okay with that. However, a few were clearly trying hard not to laugh—but at least, Sean assured himself, they were not his obnoxious cousins.

At some point, he came across his parents; much to his embarrassment, his mother began to squeal openly like a teenage schoolgirl. That was nothing compared to his father, with all that kissing noises he made.

Shooting them a dirty look, Sean led Bel away, only to meet his grandmother after that. The Admiral briefly looked at them and smirked before moving away. Even after she was long gone, he could still feel the shudders from how out of place the smirk was on the old lady.

“Your family is interesting, you know that?” Bel said as they continued dancing, apparently finding the whole thing amusing instead of embarrassing. Now that they had been accustomed to each other’s movements, they were significantly less prone to mishaps.

“I guess so. Well, so are your sisters. Yes, even Edinburgh,” Sean replied with a hint of sneer at the mention of that frequent tormentor of his. Obnoxious or not, even he had to admit she could make things merry.

“My sisters are great people. And sister Edinburgh is an exceptional maid, all things considered,” Bel replied; there was a disapproving edge in the way she spoke.

“Yeah, I would say so, especially if she’d stop teasing me for once.”

“And sister Belfast… She’s so perfect,” ignoring that last bit, Bel continued, her tone shifting to somewhat dreamy. Seeing the adoring look in her eyes, Sean could tell why.

“…I guess you want to be like her?”

Bel’s expression changed again, this time to wistful, before answering,

“…I wish.”

“I think,” Sean began, swallowing to prepare himself to say what he knew would sound really lame coming from him.

“I think you’re fine the way you are now, Bel; I think it’s refreshing,” he said, barely managing to suppress the urge to gag afterward. He wasn’t surprised to see Bel looking confused, either.

“But sister Belfast is the one that you—” she muttered, stopping before she finished.

“Did you say something?” Sean inquired, raising his voice to counter the music as it grew louder.

“…Nothing. Thank you, Sean,” she replied softly; he realized that was the first time she called him by name. He found himself liking it more than he’d care to admit—the fact that her admittedly cute blush just had to appear again helped, too.

“Well, uh, you’re welcome.”


The dance ended with only about fifteen minutes left until midnight. The dancers dispersed, some into the tables, while some who still had the energy opted to stand.

“God, it’s tiring, but I hope you had fun,” from his seat, Sean spoke between yawns, which he didn’t bother to cover; he was tired and feeling like putting troublesome things like common courtesy on the back burner. Bel herself—remarkably, he would say—didn’t look as winded, but she too took a seat anyway.

“I had fun,” she said, glancing at a clock. “When the clock strikes twelve, it will be over, isn’t it?”

“…Well, the party would, at least,” Sean replied. Is…she worried?

“…In any case, I’m glad my sisters took me here,” Bel continued, eyes still locked on the clock. “It’s brief, but I’m…glad.”

“I had fun too, even though the party did not go exactly as I planned,” Sean commented; Bel was about to answer when both of them saw Edinburgh approaching.

“Oh, there you are, young master, Bel,” Edinburgh said after allowing herself to catch a breath. She had been in a hurry, apparently.

“What’s the rush, Edinburgh?” 

 “Oh, nothing much. Belfast is looking for Bel,” Edinburgh turned to the younger girl. “She’s with the young master’s parents and the Admiral.”

“In that case, I will go to them,” Bel hopped down from her chair. Seeing that, Sean proceeded to do the same, but before he could do anything else, Edinburgh held up a hand before him.

“Actually, I want to speak with the young master a bit. Can you go ahead, Bel…?”

“…If you say so,” Bel complied right away, though her voice was wavering. Within moments she had disappeared into the crowd.

“…What do you want to talk about, Edinburgh? If you just want to tease me, I’m outta here.”

Edinburgh was unperturbed as she took a seat on the chair previously occupied by Bel, wearing the kindest expression Sean had ever seen on her. That only alleviated his suspicion a little, but he returned to his seat anyway.

“It was fun, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, I have to admit. I found her…a bit odd in the beginning. Too stiff. Too formal. I told her to be honest to herself, by the way. When she did, she’s…well, just like an ordinary girl.”

“My, young master. That was a surprisingly mature thing, coming from you. Anyway, did she…say anything?”

“Nothing much, really.”

“Oh, I see,” Edinburgh said, in a way hinting she understood.

“What…?”

“It seems there are things she thinks she’s not ready to reveal yet. But to your credit, you did manage to get her to open up a little. Thank you for that.”

“Edinburgh, you aren’t helping,” Sean protested; Edinburgh chuckled and got off her chair.

“And you might know this already, but she’s stubborn. Good luck, young master. And by the way, it’s almost midnight, so we better get back to your parents.”

“Fine. One thing, though; clear those crumbs off your cheeks if you don’t want grandma to chew you out.”

“Eep!”


When he finally reached the table with his family, Sean discovered that Bel was there too, being fawned upon by his mother while the Admiral looked on, looking increasingly irritated. His father, ever the easy-going one, only smiled.

“Now, now, mistress Marion, you are smothering the poor girl,” Belfast gently reminded the woman, having caught on Bel’s silent plea for help.

“Sorry, little one. It’s just that… she’s so cute, isn’t she, Sean?” letting Bel go, the woman turned to her recently arrived son, who, needless to say, was caught off-guard.

“Huh…? Mom! Can you not!”

“Aww, both of you are blushing!”

“Enough, Marion,” rebuked the Admiral. Sean saw his mother pouting at that—although only momentarily— before joining her husband.

“Now, everyone, it seems the Christmas countdown is starting,” Belfast stepped forward just as a chorus of people counting backward started filling the entire room.

There was a non-stop, loud exchange of Christmas greetings when it reached zero.

“Merry Christmas, Sean,” Bel offered after the boy had just finished giving his own greetings to his family and the two maids.

“Beat me to it,” he laughed. “Merry Christmas, Bel.”


“Well, it’s time for us to get back. Thank you for keeping Bel company, young master,” Belfast said, while Edinburgh went ahead to help the Admiral with her things.

“… It’s nothing. She’s fun to be around.”

“Then we shall take our leave. Take care, young master, until we shall meet again,” Belfast bowed and gestured for Bel to follow. For a moment, she seemed reluctant.

“…Hey, Bel,” he called, and Bel, who was about to start walking away, paused.

“Yes…?”

“You are living with Belfast and Edinburgh at the base now, right?”

“Yes…”

“Oh, okay. Then I guess…if you want, that is, we could meet again. I visit the base quite often, you see.”

“…Really?”

“What can I say? I like ships. In any case, this won’t be our last meeting. So yeah. See you?”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Smiling, she curtsied—a perfect, princess-like one.

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