[hider=Destroyer Yukikaze][center][h1][color=6cd173]Yukikaze - Kagerõ-class Destroyer[/color][/h1]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/iuYlRt5.jpg[/img]
[url=https://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php?mode=medium&illust_id=66385580](source)[/url]

[b]Mental Model[/b]
Yukikaze has a pretty short mental model, standing at only 1m52. Her attire consists of mostly warm, fuzzy clothing and long skirts with leggings so that most of her body is covered. Her long, olive green hair comes down to below her waist, but is cut in the front as to not have bangs falling in front of her eyes. She often has a dazed look on her face as if she isn't aware of what's going on around her and doesn't have many expressive movements.

[b]Personality[/b]
Yukikaze has trouble expressing herself. Having only recently developed a sense of emotions, she hasn't yet had the time to figure them out yet, and as such comes off more deadpan and expressionless than she might otherwise intend to. She's very shy, timid and wary of those around her, at least when Shinano isn't around. The mental model has trouble with humor and isn't yet accustomed to human culture. This is also why she's more distrustful of them; having only recently joined forces with the Phantom Fleet, Yukikaze has trouble accepting those that she perceived as former enemies. In some regards, they still are enemies to her. She's very hostile around humans without another ship girl nearby to keep her in check.

[b]Backstory[/b]
Yukikaze started out as a pretty nondescript ship, serving as a standard destroyer in Yamato's fleet. She didn't get particularly many missions, but still went frequently enough to not be a burden. She didn't possess a mental model during her time in Yamato's fleet due to her core not supporting it, so Yukikaze was pretty standard fare until 2044. That year, she was transferred to Shinano's division due to a lack of destroyer-type ships present at the time.

Yukikaze's main objective was to guard Shinano whenever the latter went out on a mission, shielding the large carrier by fending of smaller ships and submarines that dared to get close to them. Unlike Shinano who preferred toying with opposing ships, Yukikaze didn't have the luxury of prolonged engagements due to her assigned mission. She was swift and ruthless in dispatching off enemy ships, a job that didn't go unnoticed by Shinano. Once the carrier was properly aware of just how many ships Yukikaze was able to sink on a frequent basis, she began to think on how to best use Yukikaze's abilities. Around the middle of 2046, the destroyer started getting dispatched in small fleet sizes on stealth missions. The goal was to sneak up on battleships and carriers, grab the attention of and take out their escorts, then flee the area. These tactics allowed the full fleet to engage moments after, making quick work of any opposition.

Yukikaze kept being sent with fewer and fewer numbers, even to the point where she sometimes had to go at it alone. Shinano recognized this battle prowess and gave Yukikaze the ability to create a mental model during the end of the last third of 2047, hoping it would increase the destroyer's effectiveness on the battlefield. This is around the time Yukikaze, unaware to herself, started building up a faint sense of admiration towards Shinano. When the latter then disappeared shortly after the last major battle in 2049, Yukikaze began to feel a sense of emptiness inside of herself. She didn't understand the feeling at the time, but was re-assigned to Yamato's fleet after Shinano's disappearance.

Over time, Yukikaze's empty feeling would continue to fester and grow. Serving under Yamato just wasn't the same as it was under Shinano, especially not when the reason she could even feel the way she did was because of Shinano's permission to have her Mental Model. Yamato dispatched Yukikaze on another solo stealth mission, the orders having to take out a nearby, small, unidentified fleet. Yukikaze assumed it was humans at first, but she was shocked to discover a fleet of ship girls instead. Yukikaze hesitated, but the ships didn't open fire on her. Instead they turned around and fled at the sight. Curiosity got the better of the destroyer, and instead of reporting back to Yamato, Yukikaze opted to follow the ships.

She was shocked to discover Shinano. For her first time, a sensory overload of emotions engulfed her. Anger, sadness, shock, disbelief- it all mixed into one. Seeing her former subordinate, Shinano established contact with Yukikaze, who didn't have the heart to be hostile to her former commander. After seeing the mental model so uncharacteristically distraught, Shinano boarded Yukikaze's vessel to talk to her directly.

That time, Yukikaze cried in Shinano's chest. All her emotions from before turned to being overjoyed at seeing Shinano again. Yukikaze realised she'd missed her, that that was the empty feeling in her chest from the time she served back in Yamato's fleet. Yukikaze joined with the Phantom Fleet soon after, her loyalty to Shinano overriding that of her loyalty to the Fleet of Fog and the Admirality Code.

She hasn't had time to adjust to all the [i]humans[/i] yet, though.

[b]Extra[/b]
[url=https://myanimelist.net/people/52/Emiri_Katou]Seiyuu[/url]
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