>>1894209
>Get up and get a glass of water.
> Try and force yourself to sleep.
Geeeeez

>>1894209
>> Get up and get a glass of water.
>> Try and force yourself to sleep.

>>1894209
>Get up and get a glass of water.
>Put Cuddles back in the terrarium

>>1894409
>Pet Cuddles to combat stress

>>1894209
>> Get up and get a glass of water.

> Get up and get a glass of water.

You decide to throw the blanket off of you, then grab Cuddles in your arms. He coils up around your wrist, hissing slightly as you step out of the room. You rub your eyes a little, yawning. You need a glass of water. You already have the glass, you just need the water. You head to one of the water fountains in the hallway, then fill up with the cool water. You take a quick sip, sighing deeply.

Man. This really sucks. You-

You blink, then look down the hallway to see Stack crouching low, with gloved hands, a mask over her face, and a crowbar as well. She remains still, low to the ground. “… Stack. What are you doing?”

“It ain’t me!” she says. “I- I mean-“

“Too late. What’s with the getup?” you ask. “You’re not planning on breaking and entering, right? You know I’d have to report you to the Hall Monitors.”

“No!” Stack stands up straight then pulls her mask off. “I saw some goons looking at our tanks as I was heading home. I think they’s planning on stealing our stuff! I’m gonna go scout around and see what they’re up to. You in?”

> “Stack. They’re judges. They’re checking our tanks to see if we’re cheating.”
> “Um. I guess.”
> “Stack. Go to sleep.”
> Other
1

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>>1894457
>> “Um. I guess.”

Time for an adventure!

> “Um. I guess.”

>>1894457
>"What exactly do these goons look like?"

Important questions. My shadowrunning senses aren't fully alert, but I guess I am just nervous all around.

> “Um. I guess.”

You sigh. “Let me get dressed.” Stack pumps her fist, happy to have a sneaking companion it seems. Truth be told, it would be nice to at least see how invasive their checks on your tanks are. Hopefully not too invasive. You gently place Cuddles back in his terrarium, then grab a sweater, the Officer’s peacoat, a skirt and some tights, then head on out.

-

-

“My God!” Stack hisses. The two of you watch from a bush that Stack had hastily made in an hour out of some leaves and brush across the street. You have to crouch low to see what in the hell is going on without getting spotted. But what you see horrifies you.

Your tanks in pieces. All of them. Judges and security officers from NATO walk all over the tank hangar, examining every part and piece. Not even the Comet is spared. Poor Oliver, to be in pieces like that. All that’s left of him is his hull and his suspension. - And that’s it.-

You can see Griselda as well, looking absolutely old and tired, talking with some of the judges. “What’s Griselda doing there?” asks Stack. “What’s going on with our tanks!?”

> “It’s complicated.”
> “Uh. No idea.”
> “We should get going.”
> Other

>>1894619
> “It’s complicated.”
> “We should get going.”

I know it will only get worse if we say this, but Griselda puts me more at ease...need to keep Stack away from this.

>>1894619
>> “It’s complicated.”

> Other

"Let's go find out!"

>>1894619
>“It’s complicated.”

> “It’s complicated.”

“It’s complicated, Stack.” Stack looks at you, weirded out by your statement. “It really is. I-“

“You know about this?” she says. Um. “Ellie, if you know something, you oughta tell me.”

You twiddle your fingers, watching as Griselda points down to the Sherman, saying something firmly and sternly out of earshot. “Erm…” You puff your cheeks out, trying to find the right words. “I mean- Stack, I- I told Griselda I shouldn’t-“ Stack places a hand on your shoulder.

“Ellie. I’m your loader.” She leans close to you, a concerned expression on her face. “Now listen. It-… I guess it’s okay if you don’t want to tell me. But if you’re keeping something from me that’ll affect the tank, I can’t really condone that. What do you mean it’s complicated?”

> “They think we’re cheating.”
> “I can’t say.”
> “Er… look over there!” Run
> Other

>>1894780
>“Er… look over there!” Run

>>1894780
>> “Er… look over there!” Run
Maybe say there's a cute animal, or something.

>>1894780
> “I can’t say.”
>"I promised Griselda I wouldn't."

Running just makes it worse. I want to tell people. But I also don't want to betray Griselda's trust in us.

We are going to need to talk to Griselda about this.

>>1894780
>> “I can’t say.”
>>"I promised Griselda I wouldn't."

>>1894831
>>1894780
I'll go with this.

I mean, we're not beating Stack in a physical competition.

>>1894831

seconded

> “I can’t say.”
> Other

“I can’t say. I promised Griselda I wouldn’t, I’m sorry.”

“Griselda knows too?” Stack looks back at the hangar. “What’s going on here?” She realizes then that you just said that you couldn’t say. “… right, well. Okay, keep your secrets.” She sighs heavily, a deep frown on her face.

> - 10 MORALE TO STACK

Stack stands up, dusting herself off of leaves and little twigs. “Right, Ellie. Maybe we should get ready for work today then. It’s probably gonna be real busy.” Yeah, you agree with that on all levels. “But seriously, how are we going to get to practicing for Zhou Enlai this weekend with our tanks in pieces like this?” She motions to the hangar. “How are we even going to play Zhou Enlai when our tanks are in more bits than a turkey on Thanksgiving?!”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1894946
>> Neutral
"We'll manage, somehow."

>>1894946
> Neutral
Borrow, scrounge, hire or the most advanced VR available, we'll find a way.

>>1894946
> Neutral
>"We have Ms.McPherson and your sisters. They may have some ideas...and I will see if I can scrounge up some other leads."

PAGING ARISU SHIMADA

>>1894946
>> Neutral

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>1894987

seconded

"Arisu-senpai! Help!"

> Neutral

“I don’t know. We’ll just have to manage, somehow,” you say. Stack doesn’t seem to like that answer judging by her expression, but she doesn’t seem to have anything to oppose it right now. She nods, stepping past you. Not even a good morning or a goodbye or anything. You’ll leave her be for now. It’s time to get to work. It’s…

5AM.

Today is going to suck.

-

-

You lean back in your chair, idly. Sure, there’s not a whole lot of work to be done, but… you’re just plain and flat out tired. Lack of sleep will do that. Denise comes over with a mug of hot coffee. “Feeling tired?” You shrug, taking it and having yourself a nice sip of fresh coffee. Aahh…

Tessa looks over at you, leaning back in her seat. “Me and Athena saw the damage in the hangar.” You freeze.

Athena tilts her head, curiously. “Did they catch Griselda cheating or something?”

> “Guys, we’re at work. No talkie about the tankie.”
> “She wasn’t cheating.”
> “It’s complicated.”
> Other

>>1895139
>> “She wasn’t cheating.”
> Other
"But the Judge want to make sure. And please don't tell anyone."

>>1895139
>> “Guys, we’re at work. No talkie about the tankie.”

>>1895139
> “Guys, we’re at work. No talkie about the tankie.”
> “She wasn’t cheating.”

>>1895139
>> “She wasn’t cheating.”

> “Guys, we’re at work. No talkie about the tankie.”
> “She wasn’t cheating.”

You sigh. “Guys, we’re at work. Let’s not talk about the tanks right now.”

“Are you sure?” asks Tessa. “I mean, it’s-“

“Positive. And besides, she wasn’t cheating.” Sure, it doesn’t look good on Griselda’s record but… you can’t just-

Hilda says, “I’m sure if Griselda really wanted to cheat, she would’ve chosen a much more subtle method than outright modifying her tanks.” You look at her. Uh. She shrugs, neutral expression on her face. “I’d have just bribed the other team to take the fall instead.”

“Well, I guess we know who’s going to be cheating when we go bowling on Friday,” says Denise with a very strong pout on her face. Hilda rolls her eyes at that. “Bowling’s not the entrance exams, Hilda. There are rules.”

Athena sighs, rolling her eyes as she goes back to her reports. You receive a call just then on your work phone. You pick it up. “Elodie.”

“Ellie. It’s Captain Spruance.” Oh? You sit up straight, stiffly. “How are things on your end today? Are they busy?”

“N- no, not really! I mean, everyone is at their posts and stations, there’s no lazying about right now, Captain!”

“Very good!” Captain Spruance sounds impressed, yes, yes… “I’ll let Lyra know about that. For now though, I need everyone tip top shape for the rest of the week. I know you guys got your Tankery stuff but we can’t exactly afford mistakes this week. Can I count on you to keep things running smoothly, Elodie?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1895338
> Polite
Inb4 Schteel is hinting that Zhou Enlai gave a tip to NATO about Oleg's history, and they paid off a judge to sabotage LGA.

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>>1895338
>Polite

>>1895338
>Polite
>>1895347
Not really their style. I could believe the first part because it's somewhat reasonable in and of itself but I don't think they would do the latter.

>>1895338
> Polite

>>1895347
Oh I think you are close. But not completely correct. I think its more a subtle attempt to wreck our morale, stress out the team, and prevent valuable training time.

If it was anything more malicious, then we have underestimated how much Mei hates Elodie and Arisu.

>>1895338
>> Polite

> Polite

“Of course you can, Captain. I’m quite confident, and I hope I don’t let you down in any way this week.”

“Perfect!” Ever the jumping bean the Captain. “I’ll be in touch.” With that, she hangs up. Well, that’s simply wonderful. A bit of added pressure too. Not only do you have to worry about the tanks being disassembled for examination, now you have to be thorough with work. Well, at least today doesn’t seem too busy.

…

At least today doesn’t seem too busy.

…

Okay. You didn’t jinx it. You lean back, sighing heavily.

> Try and get some work done.
> Talk with someone (Who?)
> Relax for a bit, you’re too tired for this.
> Other

>>1895452
> Try and get some work done.
I trust our friends to help us out the moment we hit walls.

>>1895452
>> Try and get some work done.

>>1895452
>Try and get some work done.

>>1895452
>Other
Light the beacons of mild concern

>>1895452
>> Try and get some work done.
>Try not to worry...worry about the state of your poor tank a lot.

> Try and get some work done.

You sigh, deciding that for now, getting some work done is better than idleness. You turn to your computer and start going through reports. The day will go by relatively quickly as long as you’re working.

…

…

> JOB COMPLETE

> +5 CP

…

…

As you head on out of the office with your retinue, you worry extensively about poor Oliver. That tank just being disassembled like that. It’s criminal that’s what it is! And who knows… maybe this is some ploy to sabotage LGA or something. Surely no one could have the audacity to-

Mei.

Can it be?

Who else could it be?

Hm.

Denise leans over. “You look deep in thought, Elodie. What’s up?”

> Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Go hang out with somebody (Who?)
> Other

>>1895623
>Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.

>>1895623
> Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.
Then we should see about talking with either McPherson or the Stacks. Maybe even work on a subquest since fretting will get us nowhere.

>>1895623
>> Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.

>>1895623
> Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.

> Head to the Tank Hangar. Check on your poor boy.

You start at a run, surprising everyone.

Hilda says, “I guess it must be boys.” HILDA. PLEASE.

-

-

Oh GOD. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE!? It’s even worse than it was in the night! Poor Oliver is almost nothing but suspension now! Several judges are squeezing through what remains of his hull, checking over wiring, gun sights, it’s all been stripped away, barren! Your heart skips a bit just looking at your poor boy. Your tanks! All of them!

Your retinue stands behind you as this happens. Denise walks up next to you. “Elodie, are you okay?”

“Oliver!” You run up to your tank, surprising several of the Judges with your presence. “My- my tank! What have they done!”

Judge West steps up, a clipboard in hand. “We’ve taken out the electronics, stripped the turret, stripped all guns, had the suspension removed, removed the engine, removed the transmission, chipped the anti-flame paint coating, removed the protective gel layer, removed-“

“My tank!” You grab your hair, tearing at it, looking at the sight.

Judge West frowns deeply. “I’m so sorry, Miss Zumwalt. But this is what we must do in order to prevent cheating. I’m sure you understand.”

> “MY TANK!”
> “I do.”
> “AAAAAHHHH!”
> Other

>>1895811
> “MY TANK!”
> “AAAAAHHHH!”
>after excessive calming down
> "I do."

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>>1895811
>> “MY TANK!”

>>1895811
>> “MY TANK!”
> “AAAAAHHHH!”

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26 KB JPG

>>1895811
> “MY TANK!”

>>1895811
>>1895823
This

> “MY TANK!”

“My tank!” You throw your arms to it, your mouth agape. “What have you done?”

Judge West blinks. “I just said-“

“My poor tank! How- how long did- how long is it going to take to fix this again?”

Judge West says, “Well, honestly, we haven’t found any hard evidence yet. But it could take another day or two before we can decide on whether your tanks are clean or not. However, actually reassembling the tanks could take time. We’d have to reassemble them by hand. And if we’re rushed, could take a day.”

“Will they be ready in time for Zhou Enlai?” Judge West looks away. They’re not going to be ready. Motherfucker.

“Ellie.” Griselda walks up to you, hands in her pockets. “What are you doing here? Why-“ She looks at Tessa and Athena. She points at them. “You two. Mouths-“ She zips her lip. “SHUT.” They nod quickly. Griselda looks back at you. “You- you haven’t told anybody else, have you?”

> “Stack knows.”
> “No. Of course not.”
> “Well, I mean we can’t exactly hide this stuff!”
> Other

>>1895942
> “No. Of course not.”
> "However, Stack saw what was happening this morning. She may not know yet, but she's not stupid."
> "We can't exactly hide this stuff forever, Griselda. They're going to find out soon."

>>1895942

> “No. Of course not.”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6UwdzU5NMA

>>1895942
>> “No. Of course not.”

>>1895942
This >>1895988

> “No. Of course not.”

“No, of course not,” you say.

“Stack knows doesn’t she?” Eh? Griselda tilts her head. “I saw you two last night spying on the place.”

“Wh- what!? How?” you ask.

“I dunno, the fact that a poorly disguised bush just happened to pop up across the street late at night and the two of you were talking at normal volume?” she states bluntly. Oh. “Stack has no idea how to do stealthy things.”

You sigh. “Well, whatever.” You motion for your retinue to give you some space. They decide to go and wait outside for you. “Look. Griselda, we really should let the crew in on this. It’d be incredibly hurtful for them to know we kept this from them.” Griselda looks down, crossing her arms and kicking at the ground. “Not just that, but think about it. I know we’re first in the division now. We’re basically guaranteed a spot in the postseason. But think of the damage this could do to our team. How can anyone trust us if-“

“We haven’t cheated,” says Griselda. “For all I know, Mei did this to sabotage us so she could skip having to face us.”

“You don’t think she did, did she?”

Griselda grits her teeth. “Considering her mercenary behavior, it’s not outside the realm of imagination.”

> “She couldn’t have.”
> “Maybe you’re right.”
> “We need evidence of that first.”
> Other

>>1896208
> “We need evidence of that first.”
> "Look, its awfully suspicious I know but, it is a little hard to fully believe. She can't have that much of a grudge against us...right?"

Not LGA but...

>>1896208
>> “We need evidence of that first.

>>1896208
>> “We need evidence of that first.”
>> Other
"...in case our tanks won't make it in time, do you think we can borrow some tanks from other schools?"

>>1896208
> “She wouldn’t have.”

I don't feel it's in her personality to resort to such measures.

> Other
We need some backup plans. If the tanks aren't ready in time then we need options.

>>1896208

>>1896255
^this

>>1896208
>> “We need evidence of that first.”

> “We need evidence of that first.”

“We need evidence of that first, Griselda. As much as it does seem like Mei to do something like this, you can’t just accuse them until you know the crime.” Griselda frowns, sighing very heavily. She knows it too. “Don’t go running around accusing people of stuff they might not have even done. We’re better than that.”

Griselda grumbles. “Ugh. You’re right.” She slaps your arm. “I guess I shouldn’t. Thanks. But listen, either way, we need to figure out what to do. We might even need to borrow tanks from other schools if necessary.”

“Can that be done?” you ask.

“The price of having to rent out tanks, combined with the fact that we’d have to explain why we’re renting them out?” Griselda throws her arms up, turning around and slouching forward. “Nobody would ever believe us. Let alone trust us after the investigation. This kind of stuff can ruin us even though we’re innocent, Elodie! How can other teams look at us and think at us other than ‘yeah, that’s the team that was investigated for cheating’!”

“Look.” You step up next to her. “We just need to deal with it as it comes. If we need to rent some tanks, let’s rent some tanks.”

Griselda sighs. “… I’ll make some calls.” She starts heading for her office. “And you, Elodie. I expect you to be ready for anything.”

“What do you mean?” you ask.

“They might want to interview you!” she says.

Oh.

Okay, that’s…

Um. No, you got nothing to hide, hehe…

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>>1896478
I'm done for tonight. We'll pick tomorrow same time as usual. Hope you all enjoyed.


Follow at: https://twitter.com/GermanSchteel
Ask at: http://germanschteel.tumblr.com/
Book Tumbles: http://germanschteelbookblog.tumblr.com/

See you next time.

Also I have a Discord now so yeah: https://discord.gg/9e9yvfv

>>1896493
Thanks for running mate.

>>1896493
See you next time!

>>1896493
See you tomorrow. Interviews will totally be easy...

They actually want to interview you.

You sit outside Griselda’s office. You had Denise fetch your dress uniform to dress you up in so that you’d look presentable. You sit stiffly, calmly. Right. You do not know anything about cheating. You didn’t know anything about Oleg’s past.

Well… actually, technically you did. Miss McPherson did mention Oleg being the man who modified their tanks. And Commission Durocher did meet Oleg as well. And-… Oohhh! YOU ACTUALLY DO KNOW ABOUT THE CHEATING! But you didn’t cheat! No one did! Nobody! Not nobody! AAAAHHHH!

Tessa tilts her head as she sits next to you. “Judging by your expression, you seem nervous.”

You glance at her. “I thought you were blind.”

“I am, but I’m not stupid,” she says. She takes your hand, smiling at you. “Have courage, Ellie. You’ll be fine.”

> Panic
> Panic
> Panic

>>1898593
> Panic
> Panic
> Panic

So many good choices I can't pick just one.

>>1898593

>> Panic
>> Panic
>> Panic
>Start hyperventilating "Is it just me or is it getting a bit hot and hard to breathe in here?"

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>>1898593
>Super PANIC
>deploy flares
>try spinning

> Panic

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sure I’ll be fine, hehe!” You tap your feet against the ground, shaking in your seat. Athena, Denise, and Hilda watch as you panic internally. “Um. Is it just me or is it getting extremely hot in here!? And does anyone else feel like their throats are also suddenly drying out from dehydration!? Hehehe! Ahaha…”

Tessa pats your hand, nodding to you. “You’ll be fine. Just answer the questions honestly.”

The door opens into Griselda’s office. Griselda steps out, then looks to you. “Alright, Ellie, you-“ She squints, stopped by the sight of you. “Did you put on your dress uniform?” You nod. “… why?”

“No reason,” you say. You stand up, smiling at her. Ehehe… Okay. You can do this. You’ve gone through worse. You’ve gone through the entrance exam, you’ve endured girls teasing and bullying you for your chest, and guys fawning and drooling over everything else as well. You can certainly do a simple interview. “Right. I’ll see you outside?” Griselda stares at you in confusion before stepping aside. You step into her office.

Seated behind Griselda’s desk are Judge Joyce and Judge West. Judge Joyce smiles at you, beckoning you to take a seat. “Elodie. You look sharp. Got an event going on?”

“Oh, no, no,” you say. “I just wanted to feel… formal today.” You sit down properly, like a lady, as Iris demonstrated.

“Right, we’re just going to ask some questions, Elodie. We know this is your first year in NATO or… doing Tankery ever. So don’t feel like you’re being grilled,” says Judge Joyce. Judge West types up something on her laptop in the meantime. “Now, let’s be direct though, Ellie. Has Oleg’s past ever been known to you in any way shape or form?”

Uh…

> “… no?”
> “Yes.”
> “I’m sorry, I’m sweating like the dickens, can I get some water?”
> Other

>>1898772
>> "What do you mean?"
>> “I’m sorry, I’m sweating like the dickens, can I get some water?”

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>>1898772
> “I’m sorry, I’m sweating like the dickens, can I get some water?”

> “Yes.”
And I made it clear to him he doesn't do any of that stuff to our tanks EVER!

>>1898772
>>1898809
Yep. Now is not the time to be funny. Honesty.

>>1898772
>>1898809
This

> “Yes.”
> “I’m sorry, I’m sweating like the dickens, can I get some water?”

You tug on your collar, smiling as best as you can. “I’m sorry, I’m sweating like the dickens. Do you have water?” Judge West nods, motioning to a tall glass of water on the desk. Oh, that’s for you! You take it and immediately take a very deep gulp of it. Aaahh… “Right. Um. Yes, I did know about Oleg’s past to some extent.” They look to you, curious. “But I was assured that those days were behind him.”

“I see.” Judge Joyce nods, writing that down. “And did you figure Oleg would be illegally modifying these tanks without your knowledge?”

“Definitely not,” you say. “It’s not in his character. And if he were to illegally modify something without my knowledge, he’d be out on his butt.”

Judge West looks through her laptop. “According to this, Oleg was doing work in the Skycraft scene before Griselda hired him out to be the main mechanic for the team. I assume that you were part of the decision to hire him.” You nod. “Right…”

Judge Joyce says, “And so far, we haven’t found any illegal modifications nor anything resembling that in our investigation.” Good, good. You take a deep breath, relaxing a little.

“So we’re clear then?” you ask.

“Not yet,” says Judge West. “Miss McPherson, your training coach is known to us as well.” Ah shit. “Her cheating scandal back in the ITL’s older days is quite suspect as well. It’s not well-known to many but decent research into it reveals much.”

“She hasn’t taught us to cheat or be dishonest,” you state firmly.

Judge Joyce says, “It’s not exactly the most trustworthy team though, Elodie. You have Oleg who has been known to illegally modify tanks, and Miss McPherson who is also a known cheater in the Tankery field as well.”

> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”
> “I had nothing to do with them coming aboard.”
> “Even if they were teaching us to cheat, we’d never. We’re better than that.”
> Other

>>1898990
> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”
Wanted to add the even if they were bit, but that kinda marks down their character a bit. They have more than paid their dues and are well aware of their mistakes. They are better people now.

>>1898990
>> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”
> "If anything, they taught us what happens to those that do cheat. The punishment that they went through became a good motivator for us to stay on the straight and narrow.

It also taught us that everyone deserves a second chance."

>>1898990
> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”

>>1898990
This Anon >>1899023 know's what's what. Supporting

>>1898990
>> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”
> "If anything, they taught us what happens to those that do cheat. The punishment that they went through became a good motivator for us to stay on the straight and narrow."

I like this vote.

> “It’s not in the nature. Not anymore.”
> Other

“It’s not in their nature, not anymore. And if anything, they taught us what happens to those that do cheat. The punishment they went through became a good motivator for us to stay on the straight and narrow. And trust me, I’d never want to emulate what they did, nobody would. Not if it meant ruining Tankery for yourself forever.”

The two of them glance at each other, then Judge Joyce nods. “Thank you, Elodie.” She stands up. “That’s all the questions.” Oh. That was pretty short then. “We’ll go through the rest of the commanders and ask. I know you all want to keep this on the down-low but for the most part, we did have to be thorough.” She walks on over to the door as you stand up. “I hope you can understand.”

“Well, before I go. How soon can the tanks be finished? We have a match coming up,” you say.

Judge West says, “Unfortunately, this accusation came at a poor time. And we are obligated to investigate as soon as we hear it. Which means-“

“It could take a while,” says Judge Joyce. “You may even miss the match.” What? “We’ll do this as quickly as possible but actually reassembling the tanks will be difficult, especially with as little manpower as we have. And unfortunately, we cannot allow you to rebuild the tanks yourselves if you are so accused of such a thing.”

“That’s insane!” you say. “You-“ You stop yourself. No. Don’t cause a scene. “Well, thank you anyway.” Judge Joyce nods.

“I sincerely regret this,” says Judge Joyce. “But those are the rules.” She opens the door for you. You step on it, sighing deeply. You find your retinue waiting for you, but not Griselda.

“What happened in there?” asks Athena.

> “Nothing.”
> “We are so boned.”
> “I don’t want to talk about it.”
> Other

>>1899172
> “Nothing.”
> “We are so boned.”
Because both statements are technically correct.

We might want to start putting out requests for help to friendly schools.

>>1899172

We need to hurry and file a request for a delay of the next match with the tournament sponsors. They can't just tear apart our tanks and force us to lose by default!

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>>1899172
This Anon >>1899187 is correct. Support for our boning

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>>1899203
Also supporting this!

> “Nothing.”
> “We are so boned.”

Your retinue stares at you when you say that. You say, “Look. It’s really quite simple. We could miss the match. We could get disqualified if we’re found guilty.”

“Is it really that big a deal if you miss one match?” asks Hilda. Eh? You look to her, confused. “You’re already clinching the division championship, you have the best record amongst most of the other teams. Is missing one match really going to make or break you?”

“It could,” you say. “Not just that, it’s the match with Mei Xiang. We –can’t- miss that match. If we could just ask for a delay or something…” You snap your fingers. “Denise, go to the tournament officials, see if we can figure out how to delay the match.”

Denise salutes. “Got it!” She speeds off.

“Right, the rest of you, you’re dismissed.”

“Are you sure?” asks Athena. “You don’t seem-“

“I’m fine. Now go relax, I can handle this.” You sigh heavily as they reluctantly leave you. Even the Devil’s advocate Hilda puts a reassuring hand on your shoulder before leaving. Right then. You fold your arms, looking down at the ground and gently kicking at it.

What now?

> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Hang out with someone (Who?)
> Go somewhere (Where?)
> Call someone (Who?)
> Stay here.
> Other

>>1899329
>Stay here.

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>>1899329
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
For Love of the Game

Perhaps Ingrid has some insight on how to recover from this blow to our morale.

>>1899329
>>1899382

Subquest time!

>>1899382
It was either that or Ms.Mcpherson stuff.

Or Arisu...

>>1899401
We should avoid Ms.McPherson during the investigation, it would look bad.

And meeting with Arisu during this will make it harder for us to help her mend fences with Mei, even if Mei isn't behind this. To many plausable rumours.

>>1899329
>>1899401
I'll support helping reconcile Arisu and Mei but that's going to be one weird conversation.

>>1899329
for now this:
>>1899382

>>1899412
Fair point to both. McPherson will probably be better handled later. We can just ask the Stacks for help.

Arisu is a tougher one. But again, I guess I was just thinking about some unique training techniques to help our team during the delay.

I am fine with some good hardy tomboy training.

>>1899527
Damn. I didn't even consider the extra training time we could have with this delay.

> Embark on a Subquest (For Love of the Game)

-

-

Ingrid answers the door at the hotel that her mom is staying at. “Oh, hey Ellie. What’s up?”

“Not much, a lot on my mind. But I just want to see how you’re doing,” you say. Ingrid quirks her brow, a little concern, a little curiosity across her face. “Doing alright?”

“Yeah.” Ingrid folds her arms, smiling at you. “Come on in.” She motions you to follow her into the hotel, which you do. The two of you walk along the hallways back to her room, presumably. “I’ve actually been doing a lot more talking with my Mom you know.”

“Have you?” you say.

“Yeah. Not too much. Just shit about the weather, stuff like that,” she says. “Sometimes about baseball. Nothing really too deep.”

“Well that’s good, that’s progress.”

Ingrid shrugs. “I guess.” She looks to you. “Do you ever have this kind of problem with your parents, Ellie?”

> “Nah. They loved me, I loved them.”
> “Every family has its bumps in the road.”
> Other

>>1899567
>> “Nah. They loved me, I loved them.”

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>>1899567
> Other

We're on the other end of the spectrum. We talk too much, and as a result we know way too much about each others...habits (shudder at the thought what our parents brag about doing when we aren't around)

>>1899583
I like this.

>>1899567
This >>1899583

> Other

“It’s kind of the opposite with us,” you say. “We talk just a little bit too much. And as a result, we might now way too much about each other’s… habits.” You twiddle your thumb, thinking on the things that your parents do when you’re not around, the things like “christening” every new room in their new house. Uuugh…

Ingrid smirks. “Eh. I’m sure they shudder too when they think of Jeep Jockey.” SHE WHAT. She snorts. “Come on, Ellie. Everyone can see a mile away you two are intimate. Question is…” She leans in, giving you a very coy smirk. “How much.”

You push her away. “NOT AT ALL,” you state firmly. “Please, I would never debase myself with such… lewd things!” You fold your arms, glaring at her. “N- now talk about you and your mom!”

“Right, right.” Ingrid snaps her fingers. “I got it though. I’ll play some catch with my Mom!”

“Oh?” You smile. “Has she ever played catch with you?”

“Well-… no,” says Ingrid. “I mean, you saw me earlier, I’m not exactly Clayton Kershaw out there so it’s like erm… I dunno.”

> “You shouldn’t force her to do something she can’t do.”
> “Try it anyway, see if it’ll stick.”
> “Maybe try and ease her into it.”
> Other

>>1899680
> “Try it anyway, see if it’ll stick.”

Its a good way to talk about little things. Light things to fill the silence.

>>1899680
> “Try it anyway, see if it’ll stick.”
> “Maybe try and ease her into it.”
Baby steps!

>>1899680
>Maybe try and ease her into it.”

>>1899680
>> “Maybe try and ease her into it.”

>>1899680
>> “Try it anyway, see if it’ll stick.”
>> “Maybe try and ease her into it.”
>"Besides, I'm tanksexual. I have eyes only for our..." *hug the Ingrid. You so need the hugs right now.*

> “Try it anyway, see if it’ll stick.”
> “Maybe try and ease her into it.”

“You should try it. But maybe try and ease her into it, you know? She might not be too particular about doing it.”

Ingrid nods. “Don’t worry, unlike you, I can be subtle.”

“… what’s that supposed to mean?”

Before you can get an answer, Ingrid opens the door to her Mom’s room. There you find Ingrid’s Mom typing away at her computer, glancing over spreadsheets here and there on her desk as well, doing what seems to be regular work stuff. “Hey, Mom! You busy?”

Miss Berra looks back, quirking her brow. She squints at you, before looking at Ingrid. “… maybe? What do you want?”

Ingrid steps up to Miss Berra, reaching into her satchel. “Oh, you know. I thought we could maybe have a game of catch, unwind a little.”

Miss Berra sees Ingrid pull out a pair of baseball gloves, to which Miss Berra says, “Uh, I dunno. I’m not exactly keen on that right now, Ingrid. Maybe another time.”

“You sure?” Ingrid looks back at you. You nod. Come on, make it work. “I mean, it’d be really cool. You and me like baseball and all. And I bet you have a wicked curve and everything don’t you. You’re the one that taught me it.” Miss Berra rolls her eyes, leaning back in her seat. “It’ll only be a half hour of your day, come on.”

…

“Half an hour,” says Miss Berra. Ingrid pumps her fist. Score!

-

-

“Alright, Mom!” The three of you are behind the hotel in its little garden. Ingrid throws the ball repeatedly into her own glove, bracing herself. Miss Berra meanwhile simply stands on the other end of the garden. “Here I go!” Ingrid readies herself, then throws. Miss Berra catches it nicely. “Ha, nice catch!”

Miss Berra nods, wiggling the ball in her hands. “Alright.” She hesitates a bit, standing there.

“Come on, Mom!” Ingrid smiles widely, holding her glove up. “Let’s see it!”

Miss Berra stands there, looking around.

…

Ingrid lowers her glove a little, confused. “Mom?”

“Eh…” Miss Berra looks away, rubbing the back of her neck. “Hold on, let me get a little closer.” Miss Berra walks on in from twenty feet to nearly ten feet. “Okay. Here I go!” She then gently lobs it to a very confused Ingrid.

…

Ingrid tilts her head. “Well, ain’t this confusing.”

> “Let her ease into it.”
> “Like mother, like daughter.”
> “You can do better than that, Miss Berra!”
> Other

>>1899992
> “Let her ease into it.”
> “Like mother, like daughter.”

>>1899992
>> “Like mother, like daughter.”

>>1899992
>> “Like mother, like daughter.”

>>1899992
>“Like mother, like daughter.”

>>1899992
> “Let her ease into it.”

Quietly snicker at “Like mother, like daughter.”

>>1899992
>> “Let her ease into it.”
>> “Like mother, like daughter.”

> “Like mother, like daughter.”

You snicker a little. “Like mother, like daughter. Just go along with it, Ingrid.”

Miss Berra looks to you, frowning. “You just gonna stand there?”

“Oh, no, no.” You shake your head. “I’m not exactly a catch person.” Besides, you did a lot of cooler stuff as a kid with Dad. “Go on, you two.” You sit down on a bench nearby and watch them. Ingrid holds the ball up, showing it to Miss Berra, then quickly lobs it to her. Miss Berra catches it, but it pops out of the glove and she spends a few seconds juggling it before finally letting it drop at her feet. Miss Berra swipes it up.

“No shame, Mom!” Ingrid smiles happily. Miss Berra sighs, then tosses it again to her. The two start this back and forth process, slowly expanding their reach out as they step back. Miss Berra clearly isn’t used to throwing, and Ingrid was never going to be a star baseball player. But the two quietly seem to be having fun. No comments, no remarks on good catches besides the odd “nice” or “good job”. Just… wordless fun.

Progress you suppose.

You receive a call just then from Denise. You pick it up. “Denise. What’s the word?”

“Bad news, Ellie,” says Denise. Oh? “I submitted the request for the delay of game on your behalf.”

“And?”

“Rejected.” Rejected? Why? “NATO acknowledges we have an excuse but-… they feel if we have any chance of getting the tanks running before the match, we ought to take it.” Ugh! Damn it. “I’m sorry. I really am.”

“It’s fine,” you say. “Thanks for calling.”

“Yeah. I’ll try and make another request, ask around. See what I can see.” Right. “See you later.”

“See you.” Hm… You hang up, leaning back in your seat. The two keep throwing catch around but… now you feel a little idle.

Hm.

> Make some dinner for them.
> Grab a glove and join in.
> “I’ll leave you guys to it, I got stuff to do.”
> Other

>>1900091
> Make some dinner for them.

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>>1900091
>Make some dinner for them.

be super helpful

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>>1900091
>> Make some dinner for them.

>>1900091
>Grab a glove and join in.

> Make some dinner for them.

-

-

The two of them are surprised as you lay down two plates of chicken fettuccini alfredo pasta in front of them at the dining table. “Wow, Ellie!” Ingrid looks to you, drool already forming at the corner of her mouth. “Did you make this?” You nod, taking your own plate as well. “Man! Got ourselves a daughter of Marco-Pierre White over here don’t we?”

Miss Berra smiles a little, a bit sweaty from all the running around she had to do because of all the balls she dropped. That’s a start though. She leans back in her seat, looking to you. “I imagine any guy would love a girl that cooks. Nowadays, girls are too selfish, they want guys that can cook and what not.”

Ingrid coughs, nudging her head towards you. Miss Berra looks over, then her eyes widen. Eh? The two giggle a little at your expense. “What’s so funny?”

Miss Berra leans forward. “So. Is he handsome?” she asks.

“Wh- what!?” You glare at her. “What are you-“

Ingrid slurps some pasta, smirking. “Come on, Ellie. Don’t be shy. Nothing wrong with discussing your boyfriend.”

…

The one thing they had to connect on and it has to do with bullying you. UGH.

…

You don’t even have pictures of him. Fuck.

> “Well he’s not bad.”
> “Nope. Nope. Shut up.”
> “Well, what about you, Miss Berra? I heard you’re married to a concessions guy!”
> Other

>>1900224
> “Well he’s not bad.”
>Proceed to accidentally gush all about him after listing some flaws...

>>1900224
> Other

Blush with the force of 1000 suns and hoover up our food.

>>1900224
>“Well he’s not bad.”

>>1900224
This works >>1900238

>>1900224
> “Well he’s not bad.”
>> "I do like how big, firm and strong our tank is."

>>1900224
So much this. >>1900238

>>1900199
>cement rendering
wat

>>1900224
>“Nope. Nope. Shut up.”

>>1900269
>wat

3d printing in cement?

> “Well he’s not bad.”
> Other

“Well… I mean.” You string up some pasta in your fork, fidgeting a little. “He’s not bad. I mean, he’s a dork. He’s pathetic. I had to help build his confidence up from almost nothing. And somehow he has the strength to pick me up, he’s got the talent to paint me on the side of his plane, he- he didn’t need me for all that! He held his own on his first flight too! And… and I think that- well, he’s a dumbass! A dumbass that needs me to do everything for him! I’m barely his girlfriend, more like someone who has to mind him and keep him from hurting himself. It’s not like him being able to pick me up does anything to redeem that or that he’s so… nice about everything and-“

The two of them stare at you. Uh. Miss Berra looks to Ingrid. “What’s with the lift and carry thing?”

“She’s really into that,” says Ingrid. The color of your face is indescribable.

Miss Berra looks to you. “Word of advice, Elodie. Sure, he might seem like a dork now, and yeah, the two of you might get along a little awkwardly. But don’t dismiss it. Embrace that. That’s young love, learning not just each other but yourselves too.” Huh. Really? Miss Berra smiles. “It’s actually really cute, two high schoolers getting together like that.”

Ingrid rolls her eyes. “Ugh. You’re so mushy mushy, Mom.”

“It’s how I met your Father,” says Miss Berra. “We were classmates in college. Your Father was actually more of a dork than you realized. First date we ever had, he wouldn’t shut up about the ‘86 Mets.”

“… that does sound like Dad,” says Ingrid, admitting that point.

“And it sounds like you too, Ingrid,” says Miss Berra. “The two of you are way more alike than you think.” She points to herself. “Me though, you and I are like day and night unfortunately.” Ingrid looks down at her plate. “Oh well.” She picks her plate up. “I got some work to catch up to, but this is a really good plate of food, Elodie. So thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah,” you say.

Ingrid nods to you. “Finish your plate and I’ll walk you home, alright?” The two of you start eating together in the kitchen while Mom goes back to work on her computer. Ingrid seems a little disappointed though.

> “Hey. Progress.”
> “Would it make you feel better if I said he’s a good kisser?”
> “I can walk myself home. Go and eat with her.”
> Other

>>1900321
> “Hey. Progress.”
> “Would it make you feel better if I said he’s a good kisser?”

>>1900321
>> “Would it make you feel better if I said he’s a good kisser?”
Elewdie emerges!

>>1900321
>> “Hey. Progress.”
"She said she likes how much of a dork you father is and she likes that about you too."

>>1900321
>“Hey. Progress.”

Little steps.

>>1900321
>“Hey. Progress.”

> “Hey. Progress.”

“Hey, it’s progress,” you say. Ingrid nods, looking over at her mother for a second before going back to eat quietly. The two of you chit-chat about the tournament so far, how it’s going ,how you’ll beat Mei Xiang. But for the most part, you do have to leave out that the tanks are being dismantled and checked for illegal mods.

Hard to keep conversation about tanks without involving that.

-

-

The two of you walk down the street to the nearest transit hub. Ingrid smiles at you. “Thanks for coming by again, Ellie. I hope I’m not making you feel like Doctor Phil or anything.”

“It’s fine. I think everyone should have good relations with their parents,” you say. “They brought us into this world after all. And they work hard to make us who we are.”

“Yeah, well, tell that to kids in foster homes,” Ingrid states. True, true. “Still. It’s nice, it was really nice getting to play catch with her. It’s… it’s really been a while since I’ve done anything with her so that was really nice. It felt great.” You smile. Ingrid smiles at you. “Thanks, Ellie.”

> + 30 MORALE TO INGRID

“Yeah, don’t worry about it,” you say.

Ingrid smiles, quickly pulling up her phone. “Tell you what, I’ll give you a little reward.”

“Is it baseball related?” you ask, smirking.

“A little.” She sends you some texts. Eh? You pull up your phone and look.

…

“Yeah, I was watching the boys play baseball earlier in the summer. They always had Jeep Jockey bat third or fourth. He’s actually a really good hitter. Fields like a dream too.” Pictures of him mid-swing, his muscles flexing, mid-throw from third base too, and him running. His sleeves rolled up too, some genuine and happy smiles on his face. And his stupid little jeep cap off too, letting loose his hair. Ooh…

“Ellie?” Ingrid looks over. “You okay?”

> “Tell no one else of this.”
> “I need to get home right now.”
> “Thanks. It’s not like I needed this, but thanks.”
> Other

>>1900446
>“Tell no one else of this.”
> “I need to get home right now.”

>>1900446
>“Tell no one else of this.”
>“I need to get home right now.”

NO ONE MUST EVER KNOW.

>>1900446
>> “Thanks. It’s not like I needed this, but thanks.”
"Next time, send more pics of our sexy tank instead."

>>1900446
> “Tell no one else of this.”
> “I need to get home right now.”

Would hope to deal with some more tankery issues buuuuuut.

>>1900446
>Tell no one else of this.”

NO ONE MUST KNOW OF MY UNHALLOWED LUST FOR A FLYBOY!

>>1900446
>> “Tell no one else of this.”
>> “I need to get home right now.”

> “Tell no one else of this.”
> “I need to get home right now.”

“Tell no one else of this,” you say firmly. “I really need to get home, right now.” Ingrid holds her hand over her mouth, giggling. “Don’t giggle! It’s not because I want to do lewd things or anything- I- I just want to save these pictures somewhere! NOT THAT I WANT THESE- Ah, you- AH!” You stomp your foot, blushing intensely all the while. “Forget it! I’m going!” You hurry along by yourself.

“See you, Ellie!” says Ingrid. Ugh, whatever. You place your phone in your hand. How are you going to get these processed, you’ll never know but- “Ellie. One more thing.”

“What?” You turn around, and find Ingrid standing there. She still smiles happily at you.

“Thanks,” she says quietly.

…

You nod slowly. “You’re welcome.” You don’t know if that’s thanks for helping her with her Mom, thanks for letting her on the team and better herself, or thanks for… well everything. Whatever it was, it was a pretty genuine and heartfelt thank you. Almost made you forget the photos she gave you. With that, Ingrid waves goodbye and leaves you.

You look back at your phone, still looking at these photos of Jeep Jockey. Hm…

Well, maybe you’ll get the chance to thank Ingrid another time.

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>>1900519
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl-ZqQ_InX8

That's it for this weekend's LGA2. Probably won't run this next weekend so glad we got this going through. Hope you all enjoyed regardless. Probably won't run too much this week either since I got family coming up this weekend but we'll see.

Follow at: https://twitter.com/GermanSchteel
Ask at: http://germanschteel.tumblr.com/
Book Tumbles: http://germanschteelbookblog.tumblr.com/

See you next time.

Also I have a Discord now so yeah: https://discord.gg/9e9yvfv

> It’s not because I want to do lewd things or anything

So LEWD!

>>1900528
Thanks for running boss.

>>1900528
Thanks for running!

>>1900528
thanks for the fun, boss.

>>1900528
Great show boss!