>>2614247
>Go pace outside. Winona deserves a break.

>>2614247
> Go pace outside. Winona deserves a break.

>>2614247
>> Go pace outside. Winona deserves a break.

> Go pace outside. Winona deserves a break.

You decide to step outside and shut the door quietly behind you. You suppose Winona does deserve to get a little more sleep. Double shifts is nothing to shake a stick at. Just in time though, because Denise has arrived with two cups of coffee. “Good morning, Ellie!” Denise grins happily. Despite it being 3 in the morning, Denise looks like she got a full night’s rest. Whether or not she did is the big mystery, but not as big as what’s happening in the deGrasse family. You take the coffee and take a sip. “Still worked up about yesterday?”

“A little,” you say. “I’m concerned. I’m not sure if Josephina and her mother are seeing eye to eye on things.”

“Mmm.” Denise nods, solemn. “Well, regardless, I think we should give those two some time. It’s a family matter after all.”

“I know,” you say. “But what if her mom says she can’t do Tankery?”

“I could always be your driver!” Denise grins happily. You stare at her. “I mean, granted, I’m not that familiar with driving a tank. But I could do it!”

“That’s nice of you to offer.” You take another sip of coffee. “Do I have anything outstanding to do today?”

“No. Today’s lecture day for most of the Naval Studies students. Actually, the Captain told me to inform you in case she forgot to text you beforehand: she’s willing to shift around your schedule so you won’t have to do much work this week if you don’t want to.”

“Eh? Why?”

“She knows you have the tournament coming up,” she says. Denise smiles. “She wants you to do your best.” Oh. You smile a little. The Captain is quite generous you guess. Though…

> No. You have a responsibility. Go to work anyway.
> Well, you may as well take the day off.
> Other

>>2614475
>Well, you may as well take the day off.

>>2614475
>> Well, you may as well take the day off.

>>2614475
> Well, you may as well take the day off.

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>>2614475
>> Well, you may as well take the day off.

>>2614475
>>Well, you may as well take the day off.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THE PAIN OF NOT HAVING TO WORK!

> Well, you may as well take the day off.

You sigh. “I might as well take the day off then if she insists on it,” you remark. Denise nods, still holding the other cup of coffee. “Aren’t you going to drink that?”

“Oh, this one is for Winona,” she says. “I figured you were pacing in your room so she may want something to keep her awake. It’s better to be tired and awake than try and go to sleep but not be able to sleep.” That is an understandable situation. You take another sip of coffee. Still, you weren’t planning on anything to do. Obviously you can’t go bother Josephina. And it’s not like you’re going to be eating Krabby Patties either. Ugh. Why are people so bad at waking up early in the morning?

Denise continues smiling at you. “So. I hear Jock is gonna be coming this weekend.” Hm? You look to her. “Do your parents know?”

They-

… oh.

“Well. I don’t- I mean.” You sigh again. “Look, they’ll know when the time comes anyway. And besides, it’s Wednesday! What does he have to do with anything!? Don’t talk about my boyfriend! Not that he is my boyfriend! So what if we occasionally kiss each other and call each other cute and do things like that! We’re not! We’re not, honestly!”

Denise stares at you. “Wow. Elodie.” Denise places a hand on your arm. “You pure-hearted girl.”

“Shut up.” You snort. Ugh, it’s always embarrassing talking about him. “Do I have anything outstanding that needs to be done?”

“No, no.” Denise says this however, “But Oryola Kuznetsov is still here. And I hear talk LGA is going to be receiving more visitors too. Did you hear though? The NATO Tournament is going to be Oryola’s last Tankery tournament ever.”

“Is it?” You had heard but… is it really? “What about the ITL?”

“She’s not partaking, her sister will be though.” Denise says, “Regardless. Oryola’s going to be a tough fighter. How about we meet her? Griselda’s accommodating her at her place.”

> “Sure.”
> “No thanks. Maybe you and I can just hang out, Denise. Haven’t done that in a while.”
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Other

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>>2614674
>> “Sure.”
Will Elodie be able to contain herself?

>>2614674
>> “Sure.”

> “Sure.”

…

…

You knock on the door to Griselda’s dorm. You and Denise wait outside for a little bit, then you notice the time. 5 AM. Way before anyone would dare to-

Oryola answers the door, curled up beneath a blanket, wearing a very thick turtleneck sweater. “Ah, good morning, solnyshka! Did you come to have slumber party with us?” Oh. Apparently Oryola dares.

“No, no, I just came to see how you guys were doing,” you say. “And…” You squint. Wait. You take a sniff, then take a second look at Oryola. She blinks, looking at you.

“… Oryola, are you clean?” you ask.

Oryola blushes intensely, grinning stupidly as she rubs the back of her head. “Oh, da! Griselda was quite insistent I wash myself before we sleep. It was quite the battle unfortunately. And I believe that Griselda has not fully recovered.”

“I have, fuck off!” Griselda yells from the back. She pokes her head around the corner, yawning. “Hey, Ellie. Want some tea or something?” You shrug. “Come on in.” You and Denise step inside Griselda’s dorm. She sighs, rubbing at her eyes. “Oryola, try and stay clean for longer than an hour, please? I don’t want to have to clean up your residue out of my dorm here.”

Oryola says, “No promises.”

Griselda groans, moving to get the teabags. “How are you doing, Ellie?”

“Worried,” you say. “I hope Josephina and her Mom are getting somewhere.”

“They probably are. Moms and daughters get along well I hear,” she says. She starts heating up some water as Denise and Oryola sit down at the coffee table next to Griselda’s bed. “Tell you what, Ellie. Oryola’s been real curious about your exploits.”

“Really?” You look to her, surprised.

“Da!” Oryola rests her chin on the table, grinning. “Iris and yourself are some of Griselda’s finest assets. If I had you both, I would be shoe-in to win this tournament.”

“You flatter me.” You sit down across from her. “I hear this is your final tournament though, Oryola. Are you going to be quitting Tankery after this?”

Oryola says, “I am unsure.” She frowns a little, leaning back. “Future is… cloudy like you Americans say? I love Armourcraft so much. It teaches me many things, still does. But I know I can’t do it forever.”

“I know a few professional teams that’d love to have a girl like you though,” says Griselda.

“Mhm.” Oryola says, “One thing is for sure. I want to go home with victory.”

> “You should do what you feel like. One thing at a time after all.”
> “You really should go professional.”
> “I think stopping to take stock would be wise.”
> Other

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>>2614950
>> Other
Maybe a sports scholarship? Let her keep tanking, but still explore other options.

>>2614950
>> “You really should go professional.”

> Other

“Maybe a sports scholarship? You could go to college, still look at other opportunities but still keep tanking. You don’t have to stop just after high school you know.” Oryola nods at that, pensive.

Griselda places down cups of tea between you all. “Regardless of what she does, I think Oryola will be the one who knocks us out.”

“Oh, don’t let last year’s ITL fool you!” Oryola grins. “I could have grown impatient and impetuous as you Americans say.” Griselda smirks, taking a sip of tea. “Anyway, cheers. And here’s to your success!” She takes the tea and immediately gulps it all down, with splashes of it coming down her cheeks and onto her sweater. Right, there she is getting dirty now.

You smile. It feels like you’re swelling with pride talking to Oryola and hearing her praise you. You don’t feel you quite deserve it, but hearing her pile it on about you and the team at least makes you feel happy.

…

…

With that, you were now out of a dorm because Griselda has to go to school. You, Oryola, and Denise walk her to school and let her meet up with Yuno and Luisa. Luisa chews on her fingernails, chattering. “I hope I pass the Spanish test today! Miss Lopez said it’ll count for 10% of our final grade!”

Yuno squints. “Are you not Hispanic, Luisa-san?”

“I am! But speaking Spanish is different from writing and learning it!” She huffs, stomping her foot. “Griselda! There you are!”

Griselda walks up to Luisa. “Hola. Cómo estás, hermosa?”

Luisa glares at Griselda. “Fuck you, zorra.”

Griselda waves at you three. “Later you three.” With that, the three of them go into the campus.

Oryola immediately hugs you and Denise, grinning happily. “So, what shall we be doing today? I hear there is word of a park where we can get filthy!”

> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”
> “I need to check on Josephina. It’s important.”
> “Let’s just wait around for Griselda to come back.”
> Other

>>2615300
>> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”

>>2615300
>> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”
Josephina can call us if she needs us.

Imagine Oryola pushing us on the swings...

>>2615300
>> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”

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>>2615300
>> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”

> “We can go to the park. But no filth.”

…

…

Oryola proceeded to get filthy by rolling around in the sandbox where the kids play. Much as you tried to get her to stop, she was just having so much fun playing around with the toddlers and tykes that you simply couldn’t bear to be a buzzkill. So you elected to sit on a bench and watch with Denise. “Makes you want to be a big sister sometimes, hm?” says Denise.

“I’m fine being an only child,” you say. “Sometimes I feel like a mom the way I take care of the girls though.”

“I think you’d be a great mom, Ellie,” Denise says. You roll your eyes. Hmph, being a mom? Raising a kid with Jock or something? As if.

Wait. Why did you think of raising a kid with Jock? Ew.

Oryola throws off her sweater, revealing her thick muscular arms. “Okay, kiddies! Get ready!” Two kids to each arm hang on. She stands up, lifting them both off the ground. “Ha! Ha!” The kids laugh and cheer Oryola’s Herculean strength. She doesn’t even seem to be breaking a sweat. She turns and gasps. “A swingset!” She points to it, throwing the kids around on her arm like coathangers on a pole. “Elodie! Let me push you! I used to push my sister on swingset all the time!”

> “Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”
> “Eh, why not?”
> “… Denise, you go first.”
> Other

>>2615587
>> “Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”
Engage snark

>>2615587
>“Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”

>>2615587
>> “Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”

> “Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”

You smirk. “Yeah, I’d prefer not to be shot down by a missile defense system today, Oryola.”

“Ha!” Oryola points to you. “American joke! No, you will not be shot down by missile defense, more like you will sail into ocean.” She picks one of the kids hanging onto her arm by the leg and hangs her upside down. The two of them laugh as Oryola says, “Solnyshka, want to go on swing?”

“Yeah, yeah, let’s go!” The little girl immediately gets dropped, then hurries on over to the swingset. She takes a seat and Oryola moves behind. Oh boy. This is gonna get somebody hurt. You walk on over.

“Now, Oryola, be gentle-“ Oryola rears up, her arms up and ready. “Oryola, wait wait wait!”

She then gently pushes the girl forward. The girl laughs, swinging her little legs as Oryola starts pushing her out forward on the swing. “Higher, higher!” Oryola grabs the seat at the apex of its return, then pushes her forward, letting the girl go to a reasonable height.

Huh.

Okay, you’re kind of jealous now actually. You look over to see Denise playing with some of the girls now too. Heh.

…

Ugh, you feel like a buzzkill now.

“Do not worry, you are entertaining, I am sure,” says Arisu. Oh thank YOU WHAT THE FUCK. You yelp, looking at her. She licks at some ice cream in a cone, staring up at you. Oh, it’s just Arisu. Wow. “I hear you are going to be facing Camp Gagetown first.” You nod, rubbing at your neck. “Meryl Hoffmeister is a formidable foe. Nervous?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2615845
>> Boast

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>>2615845
>> Neutral
We take her seriously, but we are confidant in our team.

>>2615845
>> Polite

>>2615845
> Polite

>>2615845
>Polite

>>2615845
>> Neutral

Oh hai Sensei.

> Polite

“As nervous as I can be,” you say. “I have to admire Meryl’s skill and ability after all.” And you quietly both mourn and are glad of the fact that this is also her last year tanking in the high school level too. You don’t know if she’ll continue past that, but you’re definitely sure that recruiters from the Canadian Army are gonna be groveling at her feet to get her to enlist. “Thanks for checking in though, Arisu. Things have been pretty hectic.”

“I’ve heard,” she says. “Apparently one of your crewmembers is a helicopter pilot?”

“Long story,” you say. “I just want to relax a little before we go deal with that particular thing, alright?”

“Understood,” she says. “If you ever need my support, you can call me though.”

You nod. Wait. “You never gave me your number though-“ She points to your phone. Eh? You take a look at your contacts.

Arisu Shimada. Right there.

… You don’t recall putting that there.

“I have yours as well, along with your boyfriend’s.”

“He is-“ You stop yourself. Wait. Why does she even need Jock’s number!? “Okay. Thank you, Arisu. I admit, I may need your guidance. What happens in the postseason could mean a lot to me. Not to mention to the rest of this team, to Griselda as well. If we can win it all… that’d be top, you know?”

Arisu nods, continuing to lick at her ice cream. She then snaps her fingers and starts walking. “Walk with me.” Eh? Um. Alright.

Guess you’ll take a walk then.

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>>2616095
That's it for tonight. We'll be back for more tomorrow hopefully. See y'all 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.

>>2616100
Will we ever get a headpat from Arisu for being such a wonderful student?

>>2616100
Thanks for running Schteel, catch you next time.

>>2616193
no

>>2616220
Damn you to heck Schteel. Damn Yooooooooooooou!

>>2616193
>>2616255
We're kind of way taller than her.

>>2616289
>implying she won't find a way
>implying she won't be on top of our tank while we're still in the commander's cupola after the final match in this quest when she ninja headpats us
Don't let your memes be just dreams.

You and Arisu take a walk around the park. It’s around mid-day by now. Part of you was getting jealous at Arisu’s ice cream as well. You wanted some of that. But you weren’t going to say it. She had something important to say to you first. “I have been talking with Mei as of late.”

“Really?” You blink. Have they really been talking? Like, actual progress towards mending relationship talking? “What did she say?”

“I didn’t say she was talking to me,” she says. Oh. “I gave my congratulations for her earning a spot in the playoffs. She refused to return the message.” Assumedly, she’s still bitter about what happened. “I hope the idea of her making it this far so soon hasn’t gone to her head. I know she has skill and she is a formidable leader. But her pride blinds her.”

“Clearly, given that she can’t seem to give any kind of compliment that doesn’t sound backhanded,” you say.

Arisu says, “I look forward to seeing you too in the playoffs. While Meryl Hoffmeister is a worthy adversary, I do have to note that her team is a weakness. Had she gone to say Sherbrooke or even came down to play for an American team, she would have a championship well in hand.”

“Well. Maybe for Meryl, it’s more important that she represents her school than herself,” you say. Arisu nods, agreeing. “Besides, I can’t imagine Meryl on Mei’s team. She’d be unstoppable then.”

“Had Mei came in a few years before, she could’ve put together a team consisting of herself, all of her mercenary girls now, Oryola Kuznetsov, Gertrude Pool, Ace Levy, Meryl Hoffmeister, and many more. The fact that she’s dominated her division speaks volumes about how well her system works.” Arisu frowns deeply. “It’s concerning to say the least. When she first suggested the idea of assembling a team this way to my mother, my mother dismissed it. What good is skill after all if there’s no familiarity between teammates?”

“Well, Mei isn’t just putting together skilled players. She’s putting a team together.” Begrudgingly, you have to admit that what she’s doing is working. You fold your arms, sighing.

“I apologize. I do not mean to make this about Mei. I want to still give you my formal congratulations on getting this far. I know I have said that before. But to see you get this far under my guidance and with a team that both loves and respects you is admirable.” She smiles. “I’m proud of you.”

Aw shucks.

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2618111
>Boast

Time for BLUSHING

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>>2618111
>> Boast

> Boast

You bow to her. To hear her praise you like that is both embarrassing but also exhilarating. You can just feel the blush creeping up on you just thinking about it. “Thank you. I will make sure I don’t let you down, I promise.”

Arisu says, “The only way you will let me down is if you give up. Give it your best shot. And if you fail, simply try again.” Of course. “In the meantime, I will try to keep contacting Mei. If you two face each other in the playoffs however, it will be a splendid match I am sure.”

“Of course,” you say.

“Hey, Ellie!” You look over to see Denise walking up to you with some ice cream. “I got you a creamsicle!” Oh, neat! Just what the doctor ordered. You take it and pull it out of the wrapper. “It’s a bit of a hot day today so I figured I might as well. Were you just taking a walk?”

“Yeah,” you say. “With-“ You turn and see… nobody. She’s gone. Ugh, typical. “… myself.”

Denise smiles. “That’s okay. Sometimes I take walks alone too. Helps you to reflect.”

“Where’s Oryola?” you ask. Your question is immediately answered by Oryola running past and diving into the lake fully clothed.

Well, you tried. Sorry, Griselda.

> Pull Oryola out of the pool, that’s enough fun for today.
> Go find Josephina, see how she’s doing.
> Go visit the Hangar, check on the tanks.
> Other

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>>2618292
>> Pull Oryola out of the pool, that’s enough fun for today.

>>2618292
>Pull Oryola out of the pool, that’s enough fun for today.

> Pull Oryola out of the pool, that’s enough fun for today.

You hurry over and pull Oryola out of the lake. “Oryola, Oryola, enough of that!”

“Aw, but I wanted to go swimming!” she shouts.

“In full clothes!?” you ask.

“If you can’t swim in full uniform, you’re not going to survive if the ship sinks!” You’re pretty sure that if the Academyship sinks, it’ll hit the sand before it actually goes under. Still, she doesn’t put up much of a fight. But she is now soaking wet. Ugh. How does someone have so little care for their appearance? You thought you had no interest in maintaining your looks but now look at Oryola here. It’s a wonder how she manages to stay clean for longer than a few seconds.

Regardless, she’s now out of the water and she’s shaking herself dry like a dog. You and Denise flinch away from the splash zone. “Hmph! Nothing like a good dip in water!” she proclaims.

Denise still tries to maintain a positive attitude regardless. “Oryola, maybe we should get you some new clothes. Seeing as how-“

“No worries, I brought new ones,” she says. She quickly produces a bag of new clothes. She dumps them onto the ground, revealing they’re all splashed in mud, dust, and dirt. That… how does Oryola not have tuberculosis? As she picks them up she looks to you. “Solnyshka, you scared of rolling around in mud?”

“I’d prefer not to ruin my clothes every time I go outside,” you say. “I gotta wonder why you end up so dirty almost every time I see you.”

Oryola responds by saying, “Nothing like a healthy layer of Earth.” Ooookay? “Tell you what though, solnyshka. If you like, we can go to your hangar and run around in tanks for little bit. I know you are wanting to keep sharp for playoffs, da?”

> “No, no. A day without tanks is fine.”
> “Sure. If you have anything to teach me, that’d be great.”
> Other

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>>2618485
>> “Sure. If you have anything to teach me, that’d be great.”
Never turn down good advice.

>>2618516
I may have missed a episode but was Cuddles always that big ?

> “Sure. If you have anything to teach me, that’d be great.”

…

…

You decide to take the Comet tank out for a spin. Oryola, being Oryola, proves herself an excellent driver while you and Denise ride in the turret. And weirdly enough, Oryola gets a smooth ride out of the tank too. She’s got a gift for this thing that’s for sure. You still hold on however as you keep your eyes forward on the track.

“Oryola, can I ask you a question?”

“What is that, solnyshka?”

“How do you get to be so patient?” you ask. “Waiting so long for your killshots and everything like that? Most people can’t wait that long but you do.”

“Buddhism, I do something like that,” she says. “But as for the waiting. It’s different.” She stops the tank slowly, then pops out of her hatch. You pop out of yours and move down to face her. She looks up at you. “The waiting as your songs go is indeed hardest part. But that does not mean that it is unnecessary. I remember in Middle School I used to drive in little T-70 tank against cousin. Cousin like big IS-2 tank. Vroom, vroom, boom, boom! Always beating me. Always boasting. Always bragging!” Oryola mimes out the explosions for emphasis. “Hated it. So one day, I took little T-70, I wait. And I wait. And I wait.”

“How long?”

“Two weeks,” she says.

“Two weeks!?” You blink.

“Da. I hide in forest near home. Get to be so long that police came looking for me. They never find me,” she says. “I dug T-70 partially into ditch, covered with leaves. Then I wait. Turned little T-70 into fort. Ate, slept, drank, the like. Was fun!”

“But you waited two weeks,” you say. “Did you-“

“Da. I took out track and buried shot into turret ring. Jammed it. Got the little white flag to pop after twenty or thirty shots into engine block. Cousin came crying running out of turret, she was so concerned. All I remember though was that I won. Felt good.” She folds her arms, her smile fading a little. “Didn’t feel like it was worth that wait though.” There’s a pregnant silence between the two of you, but then she coughs and clears the air. “Listen, solnyshka. Patience and experience are the two greatest tools of any commander. You can do anything if you have both. What tank you drive, irrelevant. What matters is spirit. You understand?”

“Sure,” you say.

“And what I mean by spirit, I do not mean crash into enemy yelling at top of lungs, no. Spirit comes from here.” She taps her heart. “And as long as you have that. Tank will never die. Understand?”

> “Yeah, I think I do.”
> “No. Teach me.”
> Other

>>2618685
> “Yeah, I think I do.”

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>>2618485
>Oryola responds by saying, “Nothing like a healthy layer of Earth.

>>2618685
>“Yeah, I think I do.”

>>2618685
>> “Yeah, I think I do.”

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>>2618685
>> “Yeah, I think I do.”
Assuming this to mean that we actually do understand.

> “Yeah, I think I do.”

You nod, smiling at her. “Yeah. I think I do.” You understand that as long you display that spirit for all to see, others will want to follow your example.

She grins back, flashing her dirty teeth at you. “Lovely to hear that!”

> UNYIELDING SPIRIT UNLOCKED
> The spirit of Senshadou is exuding from your presence on the battlefield. Teammates will not flee from superior foes and will gain increased accuracy and morale when you are near.

> What’s more, when fighting an enemy ACE or a LEGENDARY TANK one on one, CP costs will be redacted. All TACTICAL MANEUVERS and LOYALTY ABILITIES are free. However, utilizing a free TACTICAL MANEUVER will immediately clue your opponent to your state of being. They will fight much harder and will be much more difficult to kill.

…

…

You, Denise, and Oryola walk to the end of the hangar towards the street. “Ah, what a lovely day!” proclaims Oryola. She rolls up her sleeve, checking her watch. “Unfortunately, I must be leaving. KGB has work to do before our first playoff match. I hope you understand.”

“No, no, it’s alright. Do you want Denise to drive you to the airport?” you ask.

“If you would please,” says Oryola. Denise nods, offering to walk Oryola to her Kettenkrad.

“Good luck by the way,” you say. “I hope you win.”

Oryola grins, looking at you. “If I win, you lose.” She stops, looking at you. “Are you sure about that?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>2619046
>> What’s more, when fighting an enemy ACE or a LEGENDARY TANK one on one, CP costs will be redacted. All TACTICAL MANEUVERS and LOYALTY ABILITIES are free. However, utilizing a free TACTICAL MANEUVER will immediately clue your opponent to your state of being. They will fight much harder and will be much more difficult to kill.

I am going to have fun with this.

>>2619046
> Polite

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>>2619046
>> Boast
Are you?

>>2619046
>> Polite

> Polite

“I’m sure.” You smile happily. She shakes your hand, tight and firm. With that, she hops onto Denise’s Kettenkrad. She salutes you one last time before she’s driven away. You fold your arms, sighing happily. To think, a year ago you never once considered that you’d get to talk to her. Or that you’d be considered her equal. How things change so quickly.

You check the time. Oh man, where did the day go? You shake your head. Maybe it’s time to turn in. You’ll have to check on Josephina tomorrow. If she’s not talking to you now, tonight is definitely not going to be a good time. Ugh, can’t believe you forgot about her. May as well head back to the dorm.

You receive a phone call however. Oh, it’s Jeep Jockey! You pick it up. “Jock?”

“Hey, Ellie. How are you doing?”

“Oh, just fine,” you say as you walk down the street. “What do you need?”

“Um. Nothing. Just wanted to call see how you were.”

“Oh, you could’ve just texted me.”

“Yeah. I-… I could’ve.”

“So. Why didn’t you?”

“I wanted to call,” he says simply. Um. Okaaaay? “Um, listen, Ellie. Uh, so I got something to give you to you once I come over there. Okay?”

“Is it flowers?”

“Noitsnotflowers,” he says quickly and sharply. “I mean. It-… Okay, it’s flowers.” You roll your eyes. “You’re not like allergic or anything, right?”

“No.” You sigh. Ugh. Of all the things, why him? “What kind of flowers are you getting?”

“Okay, that’s- that’s a surprise. Alright?”

“It’s not roses, is it?”

“Nope!” You quickly hear the shuffling of something on his end. “It’s uh… a- a robust flower. Something that you’ll like I’m sure. Really, honest. You’ll love it. And um… yeah.”

“So. You wanted to surprise me with flowers but you’re calling to tell me that you’re bringing flowers.” You pinch your nose, sighing as you stand at a street corner. “Jock, why did you really call me?”

“I-… I just like hearing your voice, that’s all.”

> “Okay. I’m hanging up.”
> “I mean. We can talk about other things I guess.”
> “That is creepy as fuck.”
> Other

>>2619366
>“I mean. We can talk about other things I guess.”

Be nice to the poor boy. Everything else is bitch territory.

>>2619366
>> “Okay. I’m hanging up.”

>>2619366
> “Okay. I’m hanging up.”

>>2619366
>> “I mean. We can talk about other things I guess.”

>>2619366
>> “I mean. We can talk about other things I guess.”

> “I mean. We can talk about other things I guess.”

He just likes hearing the sound of your voice? Ugh, that’s so creepy! That’s like, platinum creep. That’s like Scooby-Doo bullshit he’s pulling right here! It’s not making your face red! It is, but that- it’s not! Augh! You press your hand against your face. Why does he insist on saying such things!? “I want to hang up right now. So much.”

“I’m so sorry. That was creepy.”

“It was,” you say. “But… I mean.” You press your lips together. Mmm… “I guess we can talk about other things you know. We don’t have to force conversation.”

…

“Oh, now we’re all silent now,” you say.

“Sorry, I just- how’s Tankery doing? I know you’re in the playoffs. Have you guys been practicing?”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve been practicing. It’s nothing out of the ordinary.” You don’t want to bring up Josephina. That’s between you, the team, and her. “What about you, is your Skycraft team doing well?”

“Yeah, we’re gearing up for the tournament coming up. All the guys are really excited. I’m actually really excited too but I’m nervous. I don’t want to be one of those chumps that gets tossed around in the first round while scoring no hits or kills or anything.”

“You’ll be fine,” you say. “You’ve got a good plane. I think.”

“I do. A Buffalo’s great little plane. I just don’t want to be like… you know, one of those guys.”

“No, I know what you’re saying,” you say. “You won’t. And even if you do. It’s still your first time out. You’re not hurting anybody. You’re still learning. You’ve got plenty of time to get better. And besides, I’m not gonna like dump you or anything just because you’re bad at Skycraft.”

“Really?”

“I mean… I spent so much effort getting you back into it.”

“Ugh, please don’t.”

“I’m joking.” You smile, leaning on the light post by the corner. “You gotta take me flying sometime you know.”

“Maybe. Probably be a better gift than flowers anyway.”

“Nah, I think just you showing up would suffice for me but… nah.”

Strange. Feels like all the stress you were building up the past couple of days is just washing away now.

Feels nice.

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>>2619718
I'm done for this weekend. Sorry for how slow things were. But hopefully next time we can get into a better groove. Hope you all enjoyed regardless.

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.

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>>2619723
Good stuff boss, looking forward to net time.
Got to ask though, why are half the options being a bitch to JJ

>>2619749
Because Elodie is in deep denial about the fact that she really likes JJ but at the same time JJ doesn't really meet any of her incredibly lofty standards of having a boyfriend which include:

> Having a steady job and yearly income of at least 30k a year
> Having a relatively healthy lifestyle which means longer lifespan
> Having at least a Confidential security clearance or aiming to get one
> A four year degree from a relatively decent university. Community college to 4 year program counts.
> Being able to pick her up.

JJ can only really pick her up. And that's enough for her.

>>2619790
>yearly income of at least 30k a year
Isn't she already making more than that on the school's salary program?

>>2619808
Definitely more than I make a year.

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>>2619790
Figured it was something like that. First time I heard about the security clearance thing, seems a bit odd.

>>2619723
Thanks for running Schteel, catch you next week. I wouldn't describe the Buffalo as 'great' though, considering its competition, it's more that he's doing well in a obsolescent/obsolete machine.

>>2619824
Having any kind of security clearance at all is super important if you want steady work in the government, most of it involves work with information that can't be disseminated to the public. Plus, it looks good on a resume.

And knowing top secret things is sexy.

>>2619820
Just saying, 30k is "Barely survive even splitting rent" level.

At least Elodie has gotten herself too busy to pick up any expensive habits.