>>2556159
>> “Sure.”
Time for tanks.

>>2556159
>> “Sure.”

>>2556159
Sure

>>2556159
>“Sure.”

> “Sure.”

“Sure thing.” You fold your arms, sighing. “I just hope it’s good news.”

“I assure you, it will be.”

…

…

You and Iris stand in the airport waiting around. The airport was less busy than the major ones at places like DC or in New York, owing to the fact that it’s past the beginning of the school year. The airport generally serves mostly as a cargo stopoff rather than a purely dedicated passenger pick up and drop off. There were still facilities though for people looking to travel. Like a coffee shop where you and Iris pick up something to drink.

You take a sip of your coffee, bouncing on your heels. Best case scenario, Griselda got a girlfriend or a boyfriend or something. Nothing to worry about. Just her own personal stuff that’s actually improving. That actually makes you wonder how JJ is doing. You quickly take out your phone and text him.

> EZ: Morning

You shove your phone back in your pocket, pressing your lips together.

“Nervous?” asks Iris.

“A little,” you say. “If Griselda walks out of that gate and sees us and is not smiling, I guess I’ll just die.”

“Please don’t, we need every girl we can get,” she says sharply. You grunt, smirking a little. “Just be calm. If anything, perhaps she’s come back with a new tank or something.”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2556344
>Boast

>>2556344
>> Boast

>>2556344
>Neutral

>>2556344
>Neutral

>>2556344
> Boast

> Boast

“Maybe she’ll come with the Army of the Dead,” you say. “Sweep the tournament for us and proclaim herself Queen of Gondor.” Iris chuckles lightly. “We’ll see.”

You don’t have much more waiting to do now, because here comes Griselda. She carries a dufflebag under her arm while focusing on her phone. You wave to her. “Griselda!” you call out. She looks up and very worryingly doesn’t smile. Oh boy. She steps up to you two, looking rather exhausted. You smile, well try to anyway, and say, “How was your trip?”

She shrugs. “Exhausting. Mentally taxing. You know, usual stuff. I got a lot to fill you girls in on.” She starts walking, and the two of you start to follow her. Her school uniform doesn’t seem to be cleaned up either. Her shirt’s not tucked in. Her skirt is askew. Seems she’s been through a lot. She holds up a finger. “First thing’s first. Since we’re first in our division, we’re skipping a whole match. That means no wild card team. Once we beat the divisional series, we go straight to league championship, then to world championship. That’s three matches to go through. Single elimination. No bullshit.”

Iris asks, “Who is our opponent going to be?”

“Good question,” you say. “I’ll tell you that in just a second because we have bigger issues right now.” Oh great. “The Commissioner’s going to announce something you guys aren’t going to like.”

“What’s that?” you ask.

She sighs, rubbing her nose. “You’ve all heard the news, she’s considering the Cold War tanks for inclusion?” Oh no. She’s not seriously thinking of adding them in now is she? “Good news and bad news. Good news is, she’s still considering.”

“Bad news?” you ask.

“Mei has lobbied that they be added.” Mei. God fucking damn it. Why!? “Part of the talks I was part of was trying to argue against it. We didn’t get much of anywhere thankfully, I think I stalled it to at least next year. We should be fine but…” Griselda groans, rubbing her eyes. “Auugh…”

> “What else is there?”
> “Want to get breakfast?”
> “Well, it was good to see you. I got places to be.”
> Other

>>2556640
> “What else is there?”
> “Want to get breakfast?”
Talk it out over food

>>2556640
>> “Want to get breakfast?”
FOOD

File: 1508683880691.jpg (37 KB, 480x477)

37 KB JPG

>>2556640
>> “What else is there?”
>> “Want to get breakfast?”


>Cold War Tanks
What a terrifying proposition to behold.

> “What else is there?”
> “Want to get breakfast?”

…

…

You find a Denny’s to grab a meal at then Griselda lays it all out. “Here’s the seeding for the postseason.” She hands you and Iris two papers to look at. On it is the seeding information for both of the leagues within NATO.

> WILD CARD – WESTERN LEAGUE
> J. WALTER CHRISTIE POLYTECHNICAL INSTITUTE VS GEORGE WASHINGTON MILITARY ACADEMY

> WILD CARD – EASTERN LEAGUE
> ST. GLORIANA WOMEN’S ACADEMY VS. KUROMORIMINE GIRLS COLLEGE

> WESTERN LEAGUE DIVISIONAL 1
> LAFAYETTE GIRLS ACADEMY VS CAMP GAGETOWN

> WESTERN LEAGUE DIVISIONAL 2
> ROBERT A. HEINLEIN MILITARY ACADEMY VS WILD CARD WINNER

> EASTERN LEAGUE DIVISIONAL 1
> KURSK GIRLS BOARDING SCHOOL VS ZHOU ENLAI SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS

> EASTERN LEAGUE DIVSIONAL 2
> JOAN D’ORLEANS WOMENS ACADEMY VERSUS WILD CARD WINNER

“So our first matchup is against Camp Gagetown then?” you ask.

Griselda nods. “We’ll have a couple of extra days when the postseason starts this weekend. Wild Card games on the weekend, rest of the games the rest of the week.” She leans back, crossing her legs. She hasn’t even touched her food. “I am actually really nervous. Meryl’s a comeback kid. And even though the rest of her team isn’t up to scratch, she can likely solo us if need be.”

Iris says, “We beat her the first time, no?”

“She LET us beat her the first time,” Griselda says sharply. “She matched us tank for tank. Now that it’s serious and that a championship is on the line, she’ll give it her all. Those Deadshot skills of hers are going to ruin us if we’re not careful. I’ve seen her ricochet shells off of turrets into tanks that were two-hundred meters away. I don’t know if you guys have been paying attention, but Meryl’s a genuine ace that could do everything if she didn’t have her team.”

You pat your hands on the table, getting her attention. “That’s where we get her then. If she’s gone, her team is gonna be easy to clean up.”

“Won’t be easy,” says Griselda. She looks to you, curious. “What, you think you have a plan or something?”

> “Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”
> “I say we just throw everything at her at once.”
> “Can’t we just avoid her?”
> Other

>>2556924
>> “Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

Honestly we just need to be even better in our tanks for the most part.

>>2556924
>“Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”
How do I get inside the little girl's mind as well as you do, Schteel?

>>2556924
>> “Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

Also, late to party. But Cold War tank? What next, 1980s MBT?

>>2556948
By watching far too many cute girls doing cute things anime.

>>2556956
Then what?

>>2556953
M1 Abrams, M1 Abrams everywhere.

>>2556978
You become a little girl.

>>2556985
Are you the little girl now?

>>2556988
Only when there's a full moon out.

>>2556982
Just like in Warthunder!

In flipside, if we can field cold war tank, we can field Charioteer, Strv 74 and maybe upgrade the Pershing to Patton.
...and maybe we can also update the Sherman into one of cold-war modification.
The downside is we still need to add some proper cold war tank like Chief or Centy. Maybe we can strike a deal with HCLI....

>>2557006
>Just like in Warthunder
Ew, I hope Wargaming buys Major League Tankery.

File: Spoiler Image (72 KB, 900x900)

72 KB JPG

>>2556924
> “Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”


>>2556988
Yes, Schteel is a little 'girl'.1`

>>2557023
Russian Bias, Russian Bias everywhere.

>>2557032
It was used to be better with Wargaming giving us French Bias (AMX 49) and Freedom Bias (T110E5). Now they returned with Russian Bias....Seems old habit die hard.

>>2557032
I'd rather fight a Bobject than play War Thunder.

> “Not yet. But we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.”

“Not yet. We’ll cross that bridge when it comes,” you say. You start cutting up some toast to eat, thinking on it. It’s a simple thing really. Meryl’s good, her team’s not. She accounts for the vast majority of their kills. Any loss on their part is usually because of the team, not because of her. If you remove her from the equation, eliminating Gagetown from contention is easy. Though you still see a bit of caution on Griselda’s face. “Something the matter?”

She sighs. “If we win, we’ll have to contend with either JWC or Robert Heinlein. Both will have learned from us beating them before.” Oh, of course. “Once we get past them. World championship.”

“With who though?” asks Iris.

“Probably Kursk,” says Griselda. “Mei’s good, but she’s not like Oryola.” You nod, damn straight. You take a bite of toast, smirking. She looks to you. “Sorry, Ellie. You’re not getting a chance at a rematch with Mei this year.”

“Don’t be so sure, maybe we’ll do something after the tournament,” you say.

Iris says, “You two seem quite sure that Kursk will take it.” Maybe we are jinxing it a little. But Oryola is one of the finest girls in all of Tankery backed by a team built up from the ground. She didn’t buy her team like Mei did and she doesn’t resort to condescension or name-calling. She’s a good girl. Despite her filthy tendencies.

Griselda says, “Regardless. I’ve been away for a while. We can talk Tankery some other time. I don’t want to think about it too hard now. It’s waaaay too early in the morning.” You check your watch. It’s 10:07. She leans back, then smiles at you. “So, Ellie. How’s Jeep Jockey?”

> “He hasn’t texted back actually.”
> “Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”
> “He’s fine, thanks.”
> Other

>>2557124
>“Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”
I hope we don't replace him with COTS Chad.

>>2557124
> Other
"You and Jack keeping in touch?"

>>2557049
>> “Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”
>> “...He hasn’t texted back actually.”

and please add
>>2557171
too.

>>2557124
>> “Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”

>>2557124
>“Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”

> “Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock?”

“Is everyone going to get on my case about Jock? Ugh.” You snort, then quickly check your phone. He hasn’t texted back. He’s not cheating on you is he?

You quickly text him again.

> EZ: Up to anything?

Griselda says, “Elodie, look. I know it might seem annoying that everyone’s asking about Jock, but you’re on an all-girls school. See, there are literally no guys our age on this ship. That’s by design. So like the minute somebody says they have a boyfriend or something, that’s gonna draw some attention.”

Iris says, “Doesn’t Ramirez have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, but he’s like… thirty or something,” says Griselda. “Anyway, sorry to bother you.”

“Nah, it’s okay,” you say. “What about you and Jack, you been keeping in touch?”

“Oh yeah, sure,” says Griselda. “Jack actually gave me a few pointers on how to get some spare parts for cheap for some of our engines. He actually asked me to his Homecoming dance too.” She shrugs. “Might go, might not. Still waiting to see.”

“Why do we not have a Homecoming?” asks Iris.

“Because Academyships are weird,” Griselda states. “I dunno.” She points to you. “Ellie. Jock might ask you too to Homecoming. Don’t steal the show with your killer moves of yours. Goin’ all Footloose and shit you know?” You roll your eyes. She checks her watch. “Jeez, I got an appointment to make guys, sorry.” She stands up. “We’ll talk a bit more later, okay?”

“You haven’t even touched your breakfast,” you say.

Griselda hesitates, then says, “I’ll have them box it.” She pats her stomach. “I eat on the move.” She quickly grabs her plate and goes to the front counter.

Iris looks to you. “Has he texted you back?” You check your phone. Mmm. No.

> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Head to the Tank Hangar and get ready for some practice.
> Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.
> Other

>>2557400
>> Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.
He's probably still asleep.

>>2557400
>Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.

>>2557400
> Head to the Tank Hangar and get ready for some practice.
We must get gooder than good with Tonking!

>>2557400
>Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.

>>2557400
> Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.

> Hang out with Iris a little, been a while since you’ve done that.

…

…

You and Iris decide to take a walk around the park a little bit. There you see Serafina and the girls out on a boat fishing in the lake. Not with rods but with spears tied to their boat. Must be something they adopted from Dutch and her girls. “I’ve been thinking, Elodie.” Iris takes a sip of tea, sighing. “We’re close to the end, aren’t we?”

“We are,” you say. “It’s taking us forever to get there though.”

“Agreed,” she says. “A lady does not let time be her master however. I just wanted to say it’s been quite fun doing Tankery with all of you.” She sighs again, her smile dropping a little. “You’re continuing with Tankery after this tournament, yes?”

“Yeah.” Oh. Wait a minute. “Are you?”

“I’ve considered it,” she says. “Griselda and I are close. Tankery is very fun too. But I don’t have the same drive for it like Griselda does. It makes me feel a little ashamed if I may be candid. I feel I could do more.”

“We’re giving it our best out there. Don’t be so sure,” you say. Iris nods slowly at that, looking out towards the water thoughtfully. “I’d like for you to keep doing Tankery anyway. You’re a great girl to have around.”

“Correction, I’m not a great girl. I’m just a proper lady doing as she should,” she says. “We are part of a team, and a lady does what she can for it.”

“You know, Iris, you ever feel like just…” It’s tough to explain this but you might as well go on. You’re curious. “Not acting like a lady all the time?”

“What, like a tomboy?” she says. “Heavens no. That would be unsightly.”

> “Eh, you’re right. I like you better this way.”
> “Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose.”
> Other

>>2557654
>> Other
"So you never switch this off? That must get exhausting."

>>2557654
>> “Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose.”

>>2557654
>“Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose.”

>>2557654
>“Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose

How does a lady let loose without becoming a loose lady?

>>2557654
> “Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose.”

> “Come on. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose.”

“Sounds exhausting not being able to just…” You snap your finger. “Turn it off. There’s got to be some way you can just let loose. What about painting, you do that right?” She nods. “Yeah. How about dancing?”

Iris says, “I can dance.”

You smile. “Oh?” She can dance?

“Yes, I take ballet actually,” says Iris. “A lady knows footwork.” Oh.

Well, you can still salvage it. “Well, why don’t you show me?” You turn to her, stepping back a bit. Iris looks to you with a hint of curiosity but also a bit of silent contempt. “Come on. Nothing wrong with a little dancing in the park. Want me to put on some music for you?”

Iris looks to you, then rolls her eyes. “I suppose I can humor you. No music. Let me just warm up a little.” She takes her shoes off, then daintily steps onto the sidewalk where there’s less mud and grit to get on her stockings. She stands on her tiptoes and lets her knees bend, holding her hands at her lap. “Simple plie.”

You stare. You’ve never taken ballet nor do you care to. But it’s interesting at least to watch Iris as she flexes her legs, keeping her arms and body balanced as she stands on her toes. As she works though, she notices you just standing there. “What am I, a circus attraction? Are you just going to stand there?”

“Oh, you want me to join in too.” You step up next to her. “Okay, uh… show me.” You step out of your shoes and stand next to her. Maybe a bit of ballet won’t hurt.

“By the way, this is going to completely destroy your legs so I hope you’re ready,” she says quickly.

… what.

File: __darjeeling_and_shimada_(...).jpg (2.17 MB, 5728x4056)

2.17 MB JPG

That's it for tonight. We'll be back tomorrow for more. So hope you enjoyed. See you then.

Follow at: https://twitter.com/GermanSchteel
And if you ever feel like shooting the shit with me, you can hit me up in my discord: https://discord.gg/9e9yvfv

See you next time.

>>2557993
Thanks for running Schteel, catch you tomorrow.

>>2557993
Thanks for the fun, boss.

See you tomorrow

You rest yourself on a bench, clutching your legs. Feels like you got jackhammered in the knees and thighs. Iris was not joking. How do ballet dancers do all that stuff? Iris meanwhile stands next to you as if that was routine. “Are you well?” she asks.

“Eh, could be better,” you mutter. You check your phone. Huh, still no text from JJ. Interesting. You decide to text Winona instead.

> EZ: Hey Winona
> WinWin: Hi! Trying on new undies, wanna see?
> EZ: bye

You roll your eyes. Winona texted you faster than JJ has. She at least texted you. You grimace, thinking on it. Are you in the wrong timezone or something?

Iris sits down next to you. “I will say, Elodie. I’m happy you care about my personal well-being.” Oh? “I assume you must think I’m stuffy or uptight.”

“No, no, I mean… I consider myself a little uptight,” you say. “You’re like-… Age of Innocence uptight.”

She snorts, smirking. “I suppose.” She takes a sip of tea. You both look out to see Serafina hoisting up a fish that she just speared. The Poles all cheer and shout in Polish in celebration.

> Embark on a Subquest (which?)
> Keep hanging out with Iris.
> “Iris, how come Jock hasn’t texted me yet?”
> Other

File: I'm a Taaaank.gif (1.76 MB, 296x142)

1.76 MB GIF

>>2560540
> Keep hanging out with Iris.

If she's still not sure about contributing enough to the team, remind her that she is a rock of stability in a sea of chaos. We need that on the team.

>>2560540
>Keep hanging out with Iris.

200 years ago you'd wait 6 months for him to return your letter, Elodie.

>>2560540
> Keep hanging out with Iris.

> Keep hanging out with Iris.

…

…

The two of you find a hot dog stand serving up some grub, so you pick out two hot dogs and a soda for yourself to have a quick lunch. “So uh…” You still clutch at your thigh a little, grimacing with every step you take. “Where did you learn that ballet stuff anyway?”

“Oh, I took it when I was seven,” she says. “See, ballet helps strengthen your footwork, your core, your legs, everything. Even professional American football players take ballet.” Really? That doesn’t strike you as their style. Then again, it’d be sort of like boys doing Tankery you suppose. “It’s all about balance.” She inhales, motioning the hand holding her tea up to her face. “Breathing. Calmness. Steadiness. Tankery isn’t much different from that.”

“Oh, yeah, I just figured you were just gifted,” you say.

“Oh, there’s no such thing as being just gifted. I have to thank the girls for that too,” she says. “I am merely a supervisor. Why, I do less work than they do, my presence is superfluous.”

“Don’t say that. A good commander can bring out the best in people,” you say. “If anything, you’re that rock we need in this sea of chaos. I mean, I have to deal with my own stuff, Griselda has her personal issues. You don’t really have anything to be sad about or anything.”

Iris says, “Sure I do.” Oh? “Yesterday I spilled my morning Assam, it was tragic.” Oh.

“Well, hey. There is no such thing as a superfluous crewmember in a tank,” you say. “Everything helps. Even an extra set of eyes can do wonders for a tank crew.” Iris nods, understanding. “So is ballet like your secondary thing?”

She shrugs. “Merely a hobby among many. I also birdwatch as well.”

“You birdwatch on an Academyship?”

“I didn’t say I had a very active birdwatching career,” she says quickly. That’s true. The only birds here on LGA to be seen are just pigeons, seagulls, and that’s about it. “Though I am interested in falconry. My uncle happens to own a Harris hawk.” Falconry? Now that’s something you can get behind. “His name is Dumbo.”

“Oh, Dumbo is a weird name for a hawk.”

“No, my uncle is named Dumbo.” Eh? “The hawk is named Gordon.” Uh. Okay. “I actually apprenticed for a year at his farm learning how to get a hawk to follow my commands.”

“How did it turn out?” you ask.

She looks away, uncharacteristically hesitant.

> “Come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
> “Was it at least fun?”
> “I don’t like that look, is this something personal?”
> Other

>>2560634
>“Come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”
> “Was it at least fun?”

>>2560634
>“Was it at least fun?”

Somebody's pet hamster had a bad end, didn't it?

>>2560634

> “Come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

> “Come on. It wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“Come on, it wasn’t that bad, was it?”

Iris shakes her head. “No, no, it wasn’t bad. But, see, my uncle Dumbo had me practice with a Red-tailed Hawk. And my uncle told me to let the Hawk loose after a rabbit. So I let the Hawk loose.”

“And?”

“…” Iris looks away again, sheepishly scratching at her arm. “We never saw that hawk again.” Oooohhh. “It just flew away. Along with the money that my uncle used to purchase said hawk. He likes to laugh about it. But I still feel pretty bad about losing that hawk. Everytime Uncle Dumbo calls me, he asks me if I’ve seen the hawk.” She frowns deeply, clearly not enjoying that memory. “I always tell him no.”

You snicker a little. Oh, Iris. Even you have your moments. “Well, you’re honest, you haven’t seen the hawk.”

Iris nods. “Sometimes I wonder if one day that hawk will come back as a harbinger of my impending doom.” She shudders. “Makes me shudder thinking about it.” Now that’s just thinking too hard about it. You hear a ping from your phone. Oh, a text message. You quickly pull your phone out.

It’s Jock! Yes, he sent you a text message. “Finally!” you shout. Iris flinches, surprised. Oh. You said that aloud. Oh boy. She smirks, chuckling lightly. You check the text.

> JJ: hi

… is that it?

You look at Iris. “Hm?” She tilts her head, still smirking.

> “Nothing.”
> “You think I could get into falconry?”
> “One sec.” Text Jock back.
> Other

>>2560803
> Other
Are all boys this bad at texting?
[show Iris the conversation]

>>2560803
Support >>2560821

>>2560803
>>2560821
This

> Other

“Are all boys this bad at texting?” you ask. You show the conversation to Iris. She looks in, giving it some scrutiny. “I text him this morning. I texted him again later on when he didn’t text back. But now he texts me and all he says is ‘hi’. Like, did he just ignore the other two times I texted him?”

“Were you worried that he wasn’t going to text you back?” Oh. Well. You look away. Ugh, that’s embarrassing. “I assume you were considering your reaction.” She shrugs, then says, “Personally I ascribe to the theory that he saw your text but couldn’t formulate a response without seeming like an idiot. He seems like that type of person.” Oh? As if.

“Well, he texted back, that’s what matters.” You huff, then you formulate your own response.

> EZ: Took you long enough
> JJ: sorry I saw your text this morning and I couldn’t figure out what to say

You blink, then look to Iris. Iris simply stares at you. Even though she has no smile on her face and is only sipping her tea, you can tell she’s being smug.

> EZ: just say hi next time
> JJ: I just said hi now
> EZ: don’t be a smartass
> JJ: Sorry. Anyway, got permission from my parents to come over to the ship for the weekend
> EZ: Eh?
> JJ: I figured you’d have the weekend off since you’re not in the Wild Card matches, maybe we could do something together

Oh. Uh. Huh. You feel some blood rush to your face.

> EZ: What kind of stuff
> JJ: What kind of stuff were you thinking
> EZ: What kind of stuff were you thinking
> JJ: I just sent you that text
> JJ: Were you thinking of something else?

You blink. Uh. You show the message to Iris again. Iris looks at it.

“Hm.” She takes a sip of tea, then looks to you. “He seems to have misunderstood you.”

“What do you mean?”

Iris says, “Well, initially, I imagine that he would come over to have some fun. Platonic fun.” You nod. “Like go to the movies, watch the matches, hang around the Academyship, and more pleasant boyfriend-girlfriend antics.” She points to your phone. “You asking what kind of stuff implies that you thought it’d be sexual.”

…

“Oh shit.”

> JJ: You there?
> EZ: Yeah I am
> JJ: Do you want me coming over that weekend? It’s fine if you’re busy, I can go some other time.

> EZ: Please do.
> EZ: No, it’s fine.
> EZ: Give me some time to think on it.
> Other

>>2560980
> Other
>EZ: Come over, I just wondered if you had anything particular in mind.

Will EZ be E-Z?

>>2560980
>>2560997
Maybe give him a little something. Not anything sluty though

>>2560980
>EZ: Please do.

> EZ: Please do.
> Other

> EZ: Yeah, please do. I was just wondering if you had anything particular in mind.
> JJ: We can do whatever you like. I’m not picky.

You grumble a little. Dang it. You were hoping he’d make the plans. Then again, he’s coming to your home so maybe it’s on you.

> EZ: Okay, see you then.
> JJ: See you soon, text me later

You sigh, groaning a little. Iris tilts her head again. “You seem stressed.”

“I get the feeling that Jock wants a little…” You run your hand up and down your body. “You know. This.” Iris nods, listening. “I don’t know how to approach that. We’ve kissed, don’t get me wrong but like it’s like… uh.” You press your lips together, rubbing your head. “Ugh. You know what I’m saying, right?”

“You’re afraid of sexual intimacy.” Well. That’s one way of putting it.

But yeah. She’s right. You nod slowly. “I mean. I don’t want to repeat my parent’s mistake.”

“Is it really a mistake if it ended up with you?” she asks.

“It’s a mistake because before I got to this school, we were living in a crappy little apartment in a crappy neighborhood in a crappy city.” You fold your arms, sighing. “Not to mention that I’m the reason that my Mom couldn’t continue with Tankery. She had to stop to take care of me. I mean- I know… condoms exist and-“

“Why would you need condoms?” asks Iris. Eh? Is she suggesting that- that you-… “Don’t you think you’re advancing this relationship too quickly?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ve only started dating a few weeks ago, yes?” she says. “No need to rush straight into sex. I’m sure even he has reservations about it. I’m not saying abstinence, I’m more advising that you stop thinking so hard about it.” Iris places a comforting hand on your shoulder and immediately it’s as if she was shouldering some of this weight you had on your heart too. “Elodie, a lady in a relationship worries only about spending the most time with her partner and making the most out of that time. Sex doesn’t need to be the exclusive way of showing your love.”

That hits you square on. Man. You nod at that, processing it slowly.

Iris smiles. “Understand?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2561189
> Polite
Yes, thank you Iris.

[acquire condoms anyway because clearly we take after our parents]

>>2561189
> Boast

>>2561189
>Boast

> Boast

“Yeah.” You smile happily. “Yeah, I get it. Thanks.” You pump your fist, steeling yourself. “When Jock comes, I’ll give him a good welcome. And he’ll have the time of his life too. You’ll see!” You motion to her. “And most importantly, if it does come to it I’ll-“

A fish slaps you in the face. AGH WHAT THE FUCK

“Sorry!” Serafina and the Poles all hold their fishes which flap around and flop about on their boat as they row up to the shore. “Sorry! I threw it away because it kept slapping me! My bad!” You pick up the still flopping fish. “We didn’t bring a cooler with us so we have to keep them on the boat by hand and they’re all still alive.”

Iris says, “Did you not consider killing them humanely.”

“They’re fish, not crabs. We don’t know how,” says Serafina. Fishing without knowing how to kill the fish. That’s typical Serafina. “You want to eat some?”

You frown. “Why would I want to…” You look at the fish. Oh. You squeeze it a little. Feels like a lot of meat. Hm. Uh. Serafina and the Poles grin. “I mean. It’s not sanitary but…” Fish. Fish! Seafood!

Fuck it.

…

…

Serafina munches on her fish at the picnic table in the park. You and Iris sit around each other while the other Poles play a bit of pick up basketball at the court next to the park. Serafina asks you, “Can I ask you a question, Elodie?”

“Sure. What is it?” You chow down on your second plate of fish, attentive. Serafina knows how to cook a mean filet. Such crisp skin, and such tender juicy meat too.

Serafina says, “Griselda sent the rest of us commanders a text that we’d be facing Camp Gagetown in the postseason first.” You nod. “I gotta say, I’m really nervous.”

Iris blinks, surprised. “You, nervous?”

“I mean, I know, headstrong, kind of dumb, that’s me.” She knocks herself on the head mockingly. “But… I don’t want to make a fool of myself out there. I’ve already done that before. Probably multiple times. I’m not as good as either of you. And let’s face it, I don’t think I’ll ever be as good as either of you.” You frown. Putting herself down like that? Not on your watch. “It’s a big stage we’re going on I guess. I was kind of hoping I could hide behind you three. I don’t want to make a big mistake and be laughed at the rest of my school life.”

> “We’ll cover for you, don’t worry.”
> “Everyone has to pull together, even you.”
> “Trust us, you’ll do something that’ll save us.”
> Other

>>2561534
>“Trust us, you’ll do something that’ll save us.”

>>2561534
> “Trust us, you’ll do something that’ll save us.”

>>2561534
>> “Everyone has to pull together, even you.”

>>2561534
>“Everyone has to pull together, even you.”

Hiding and rushing in are equally bad in different ways.

We should set up some sort of training programs for the teams to help them with their unique flaws.

> “Everyone has to pull together, even you.”
> “Trust us, you’ll do something that’ll save us.”

“Trust us, you’ll do something that’ll save this team in the tourney, I’m sure. But in the meantime everyone has to pull together so that we can win.” Serafina listens quietly, looking to you. “I know you’ve made mistakes, everyone does. I know I do sometimes. But the worst thing we can do is let those mistakes define what we do next. Learn from them. Don’t run from them. Okay?”

Serafina nods. “Okay.” She looks to Iris, and Iris nods with approval. “Alright. I think I can do that.” She grins, drumming her hands on the table. “I gotta say, Ellie. I’m really at ease with you in charge. You too Iris. Griselda too. You three could take us anywhere.”

“Not everywhere,” you say. “We’re not going to carry you.”

“Of course, of course.” She keeps on grinning. “Still though. The way things are, I think we’re going to have a lot of fun regardless. I’d hate to lose after coming so far.” That gives you pause. You have come pretty far. It wouldn’t be the end of the world. You’ve probably gone over this dozens of times. But coming this far and losing? You can’t imagine how the team would feel. It’d probably break their hearts.

Iris says, “I have confidence, Serafina. Show some of yours too.” Serafina grunts, then thumps her chest, steeling herself.

…

…

Where’d the day go? The sun was already setting by the time you finished your food. You walk with Iris back to your dorm, Serafina elected to go back to hers and gave her goodbyes already. “It’ll be a longer walk back to your place too, Iris.”

“It’s fine,” says Iris. She smiles, her hands folded behind her back as you two walk. “I enjoy your company, Elodie. No reason I can’t walk you back.” Of course.

The two of you come to an intersection and wait for the go. Iris looks ahead, then you notice something. Something feels a little off about her. Intuition is saying that she seems worried. “Feeling nervous about the postseason?”

She looks to you, then says, “A lady is not nervous about anything. I have my reservations but I will not share them. It’s not in me to make other people worry about my own problems.” Oh?

“You’re scared we’ll lose,” you say.

…

“Yes,” she says.

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2561775
> Polite

>>2561775
> Polite

Win or lose, we as a team have done better than anyone thought we could. You're famous for your kills, the team respects you as a commander and a lady.

Winning will be nice, though.

>>2561775
> Polite

>>2557031
Elodie has a small elongayed protrusion at her crotch, is this intentional ?

>>2562009
Anon, that's not Elodie.

That's our glorious QM!

> Polite

“If we lose.” You place a hand on Iris’ shoulder. “We’ll lose together. We’re a team. We’ve done better than anyone else could have under these circumstances.” You smile, sighing happily. “I think we all deserve to give ourselves a pat on the back. You especially, you’re the ace here. Everyone respects you. Both as a commander and as a lady.”

Iris snorts. “No need to be so sentimental.” You roll your eyes. “But alas, you’re right. I suppose my fears may be misplaced. If we do lose, it’ll give us drive to do better next year.”

“Exactly.” You motion Iris onward once the light goes your way. “Come on. Let’s go.”

Iris nods, following along with you. “Right with you.”

You and Iris continue walking quietly along the streets. Aside from that conversation there’s not much else to say. Everything you’ve been building up to is about to happen. It feels like it’s taking forever for it happen though. But you’ll welcome it when it does arrive.

When you reach an entrance down into the lower decks, Iris decides to give her goodbyes. “See you tomorrow at practice then?”

“I will,” you say. “We got people to impress tomorrow you know. So try and put on your game face.” She stares at you, neutral. “Come on. You know what I’m talking about.”

She sighs, rolling her eyes. “Good night, Elodie.”

You smirk. “Good night, Iris.” With that, she nods her head to you and turns, waving goodbye.

What a nice lady.

File: 1464527014977.gif (1.83 MB, 760x456)

1.83 MB GIF

>>2562084
We are done for tonight. Unfortunately, we won't be returning next weekend as I'll probably be out of town. Hopefully though you all enjoyed regardless and will continue to do so.

Follow at: https://twitter.com/GermanSchteel
And if you ever feel like shooting the shit with me, you can hit me up in my discord: https://discord.gg/9e9yvfv

See you next time.

>>2562090
Thanks for the fun, boss. Its so nice to catch it live.

>>2562090
Looking forward to next time boss

>>2562090
Thanks for running Schteel, catch you next time.