>>1788959
> “We’ll see what happens.”
> “I guess I might pay my parents a visit.”
> “One day out with my crew wouldn’t be too bad.”
Weeeeeeeee'reeeeeeee baaaaaaaaack!

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>>1788964

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>>1788959
>> “I guess I might pay my parents a visit.”

>>1788959
>> “We’ll see what happens.”
>> “I guess I might pay my parents a visit.”

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>>1788959
> “One day out with my crew wouldn’t be too bad.”

> “We’ll see what happens.”

You shrug. “We’ll see what happens. Wouldn’t mind a bit of both. But I really just want a day to relax myself I guess.” And a good relaxing day would be picking up some comic books and-

“ELLIE!” Serafina and the Poles immediately slide on over to you. “We need your help, desperately!”

“What’s wrong?” You stand up, and see now that they’re kneeling. Uh. You’re not Amenhotep, what is this? “You can stop kneeling. Just tell me what’s wrong.”

Serafina says, “We were so caught up in the Tankery matches this summer we forgot to buy our textbooks!” Oh. Well, that’s understandable. “Do you know if the bookstores are still open?”

“They should be, they close at midnight,” you say. “If you want I can-“ You squint, then find Serina and the Motorcycle club embarrassedly standing behind them. “… Serina?”

“Same problem,” says Serina.

“...” You raise your hand, yelling out to everyone. “Who here forgot to buy their textbooks?” Almost everybody raises their hands. Everybody except the Junior Historians.

“Ha, amateurs!” yells Patton.

You glance at Winona, Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina. Winona smiles nervously. “Hehehe… I mean, we are Naval Studies students, I figured eh… that textbooks aren’t really going to be a thing since we’re working most of the time. But then I got my class schedules…”

Stack huffs. “Books are for nerds.” You look to Ingrid.

“I have nothing to do,” says Ingrid. “I actually have my textbooks.”

“Same,” says Josephina. “I actually bought them before the summer. I thought everyone did that.” You did that yourself so good on them at least.

> “Fine. Let’s ALL go to the bookstore.”
> “Nuh uh, I’m not spending my day off helping you all get your books.”
> “Other

>>1789069
> “Fine. Let’s ALL go to the bookstore.”
Crew bonding. And besides, it might be wise given how chaotic the weekend was.

>>1789069
>> “Fine. Let’s ALL go to the bookstore.”

>>1789069
> “Fine. Let’s ALL go to the bookstore.”

> “Fine. Let’s ALL go to the bookstore.”

You roll your eyes. “Okay. Fine, let’s compile a general list of what we all need, then we’ll go to the bookstore, okay?” If you’re going to buy books for a team of this size, this has to be done in an orderly fashion. After all, even though it’s the last day there’s no way that everyone was stupid enough to buy their books at the last seconds.

Right?

-

-

The bookstore was a madhouse.

People were scrambling over each other trying to get textbooks, supplies, everything. “Where’s that First Edition!? I could’ve sworn it was right over there!” Or “Hey, hey, I need a Telecommunications Basics book now!” or “My professor is going to kill me if I don’t pick up a textbook on Surgery 101!” The LGA Bookstore on campus wasn’t even that big, but it was struggling to fit hundreds of panicking students trying to buy their books last minute.

You shouldn’t be surprised at this point.

Stack struggles to lift her arms above the crowd of girls taller than her. “Out of my way, y’all! I’m tryin’ to get my damn books!” A sudden shift suddenly crushes Stack into a group of girls. “AAAHH! HELP, HELP!” Josephina walks on over like a giant among ogres, then grabs her and places Stack on her shoulders. “Oh, Josie! Thanks!”

“No worries, cheri,” says Josephina. She smiles happily as Stack rides on her shoulders.

You sigh, rubbing your face. Wow.

> Go to the front counter, the girls look overworked.
> Help your girls get in and get out quick. You know the organizational system better than anyone else.
> Just sit at the door and wait for this to be over.
> Other

>>1789214
>> Go to the front counter, the girls look overworked.

>>1789214
>Help your girls get in and get out quick. You know the organizational system better than anyone else.
Delegate collecting books. After that, ice cream.

>>1789214
> Help your girls get in and get out quick. You know the organizational system better than anyone else
Years of training for this day.

> Help your girls get in and get out quick. You know the organizational system better than anyone else.

You spent a year studying the organizational system of LGA, down to the Dewey Decimal System and the modifications LGA makes for organizational simplicity (which in your opinion actually makes it much more complicated). You know how to do this. “Alright, everyone, everyone!” you yell. You stand up on a chair, the madhouse quickly goes silent as everyone stares at you. “…” Okay, this was a mistake. “Right, um. Listen, I’ll help everyone get in and out quickly. Only my Tankery girls though.”

“Wooo!” Hadley throws her arms in the air. “Go, Ellie!” You rub your face again, embarrassed. Ugh, this is going to be a long morning.

-

-

What was supposed to be you helping just the team broke out into everyone else demanding and requesting help from you. You took your Officer’s Pad and hurried to find everything for everybody. You directed students to the rental desks to help relieve pressure from the front counter, you physically showed several dozen girls where their books were, and much more.

But in the end, the bookstore was now emptying out. And thank goodness.

Winona happily comes over with her stack of textbooks. “Wow! Ellie! Everyone has their textbooks now!”

One of the front counter girls, a Naval Studies student just like you, yells, “That was just the morning rush!”

Another says, “Don’t fucking jinx it, lady!”

“I haven’t seen last minute book rushes like that since the year after Gertrude won the ITL World Series!” yells the first one.

Serafina happily comes up to you. “Thanks, Ellie! You really helped us out! How did you manage to do all of that though? There’s no way anybody can remember where every book is!”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1789360
> Polite
Well, you say that...

>>1789360
>> Polite

>>1789360
>> Polite

> Polite

“Well, I mean…” You shrug. “I just study. I just have pretty good memory I guess.”

Serafina gasps, as do the other Poles. “Woooow. You need to teach us your ways, Ellie!”

Winona immediately nudges up against you. “You can have her when I’m done with her.” Ugh, Winona, please. “And right now, I want to reward my little Zumzum with some ice cream and treats.” You roll your eyes. “Come oooonnnn…” Winona pleads with you, pouting. “You’re a good girl, Ellie. Good girls get treats!”

“I didn’t do this for treats,” you say. “I’m not a pet.”

Winona frowns, looking down. “But I want to spoil you like one…” Mmm, Winona, please.

> “Fine, we can go for treats I guess.”
> “I’d actually rather go visit my parents.”
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Other

>>1789435
>> “Fine, we can go for treats I guess.”

>>1789435
> “Fine, we can go for treats I guess.”

Then its parents and subquests...maybe....

>>1789435
>"Aren't you supposed to be MY pet?"

>>1789435
> “Fine, we can go for treats I guess.”
Accept your place

> “Fine, we can go for treats I guess.”

“Fine.” You sigh, folding your arms. “We can go get some lunch and some treats.” Winona grins brilliantly.

“Excellent!” She happily bounces in place. “Come on then! Oleg’s ice cream stand is still up!” She points to Serafina and crew. “You guys are invited too!” They gasp happily, and immediately run after Winona when she leaves.

Typical.

-

-

You suckle on a creamsicle, sitting at a bench by the curb. Ingrid, Stack, Josephina, and Winona have joined you for this. Winona happily licks her vanilla ice cream cone, looking to you. “Ellie. You seem down. What’s up?”

You shrug. “I feel like the summer blasted by too quickly.” Maybe you should’ve spent it more with your crew. “Like I didn’t get to do everything I wanted to do with all of you.”

Stack says, “Hey, it was an amazing summer!”

“Yeah.” Ingrid frowns a little. “Don’t beat yourself up. There’s always next summer.”

Hm. True. Most of the team has gathered at Oleg’s Ice Cream van near the pool to get some frozen treats and desserts. That old Russian guy is just yucking it up it seems. Still though. It’s still sad to think that summer vacation is well… done. Three months just tore past. Gone in the wind.

Winona tilts her head towards you. “… are you still sad?”

> “No.”
> “A little.”
> Remain silent
> Other

>>1789572
>“A little.”
We did kind of flail around a lot, didn't we?

>>1789572
>> “A little.”

>>1789572
> “A little.”

We did work a lot, and while something blossomed between us and Jock, and we had a great time with Tankery. But we definitely could have done so much more with our friends.

Perhaps we need to scrapbook our events. Surely there are pictures of our escapades to help our Fall blues...

>>1789572
> “A little.”
Ay, LGA's back, finally!

> “A little.”

You mope. “A little,” you mutter.

Winona wraps her arm around you, pulling you close. “Awww, Ellie’s sad!” Ugh. You are –not- sad. You’re just regretful. Sure, there are three more summers to enjoy with your friends but… come on! You’re not sad… “Tell you what.” Winona stands up, pointing to you. “I’ll be right back!” She quickly runs off down the street.

Stack leans over. “Where the hell is she going?”

Ingrid shrugs. “Who knows.” She pats your head the same though, almost knocking your hat off. “Still, cheer up, Ellie. You’re stronger than this.”

“Yeah, yeah.” You sigh deeply, then bite down on your creamsicle. Ugh, it’s dripping onto your shirt. You hear a shutter click. You look around, and quickly find everyone looking away. “… okay, who took that picture?” Everyone guiltily holds their phones up, showing a very suggestive picture of you with creamsicle dripping down onto your chest, the frozen treat still in your mouth. “… Delete those.”

“Fiiiine.” Everyone deletes their pictures.

> Hang out with the crew a bit.
> Talk with a crew (Which?)
> Go somewhere else (Where?)
> Visit the parents
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Other

>>1789662
>> Hang out with the crew a bit.

>>1789662
>> Hang out with the crew a bit.

>>1789662
>Hang out with the crew a bit.

While we still can!

>>1789662
>> Hang out with the crew a bit.

> Hang out with the crew a bit.

Stack smiles, sitting on top of the bench and happily patting her feet on the seat. “You know what guys.” She gently taps Ingrid’s shoulder with her foot. “I think Katie Casey over here has built herself up a little. Hasn’t she?”

Ingrid leans away, pouting. “Eh… not really.”

“Come on, show us your arms!” Josephina happily scoots over. Ingrid sighs, giving her ice cream over to Josephina. Ingrid rolls up her sleeves, then shows her now surprisingly muscular yet lithe arms. “Oooh, nice!”

Stack snorts happily, patting Ingrid’s bicep. “That’s three months of hard labor! She’ll be a bulky gal just like myself!”

“Eugh…” Ingrid grabs her ice cream again. “I don’t want to be muscular though. Boys don’t like muscular girls.”

A loud gasp comes from Stack, who rears back as if she had just been shot. “What in tarnation are you talking about!? Guys love muscle-y gals! Besides, I never figured you to be concerned about appearances, Ingrid.” Ingrid folds her arms, blushing. “Come on! Guys love all kinds of girls! Just look at Ellie!”

“Excuse me?” You look to Stack, confused.

Stack says, “Ellie, you are an absolute 10.”

“She is,” says Ingrid.

“Oui.” Josephina nods. Ugh. “Still… to think that you have a boyfriend now though.”

“I do not-“ You stop yourself. “Jeep Jockey and I are not in a relationship that one would consider boyfriend-girlfriend. I just happen to take pity on him because he’s such a pathetic whiner…” One who can pick you up and carry you around like a princess. “Anyway, enough of this boy talk! I’m not interested in boys!”

Ingrid smirks. “Oh? Planning on cuckolding with Winona then?”

“YOU-“ The girls all laugh at your expense.

> Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!
> Eh. Let them have their fun.
> “Guys, come on! What did I do to deserve this?! I don’t like being bullied!”
> Other

>>1789722
>Tell one of the girls you think she's cute.

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>>1789722
>> Eh. Let them have their fun.

>>1789722
> Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!

>>1789722
> Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!

Turn about is fair play.

Also stop lying to yourself Ellie. Embrace the Jockey!

>>1789722
>>1789727
> Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!

>>1789722
>Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!

Return fire!

> Tease them too! You’ve never teased anybody in your life but you can do it!

“W-… Well.” You pout furiously. How do you do this. Aim for something that they can’t deny. Aha! You point to Stack. “You’re cute too, Stack!” Stack looks at you as if you just grew a third tit. “Yeah! You- you’re super cute! Like, boys would probably want to pick you up and carry you around!”

Stack waves it off, snorting. “Ha! As if!”

Ingrid grins. “No, no. Ellie’s right, you’re lovably small, Stack.”

“Stop it!” Stack smiles nervously, a very intense blush growing on her face.

You poke Stack’s thigh. “You’re pretty thick too.”

“That’s muscle!” She flinches back, pouting at you. “Stop it! I don’t like being bullied like this!” She folds her arms, grumbling. You giggle with Ingrid and Josephina. Yes! So this is what being a bully feels like! Feels nice!

“And you, Ingrid!” You point to Ingrid, calling her out. “Y-… You’re a nerd!”

“Wow.” Ingrid mocks sadness. “Really, I didn’t know that, Ellie.” You smirk, happily patting your knee in celebration. Josephina waits for her turn.

… eh, you can’t tease Josephina, even jokingly. She’s too nice for that. You sigh. “Any of you know where Winona is?”

“She said she’d be back,” says Josephina. “But, do you guys want to go to the park and relax a little? We can bring the tank too!”

> Sure, why not.
> Head to your parent’s house first.
> Embark on a Subquest (Which?)
> Other

>>1789840
> Sure, why not.
She's probably off doing something lewd with a girl.

>>1789840
> Head to your parent’s house first.

>>1789840
>> Head to your parent’s house first.

> Head to your parent’s house first.

“Actually, guys.” You stand up off the bench. “There’s one place I need to go. It’s a little overdue I think.” They look to you, curious as to where you want to go. “And I think I deserve to give them a visit.” They understand now.

-

-

Your Mom opens the door to investigate the rumbling outside, then finds Oliver the newly christened Comet tank along with the four of you. “Oh my!” Mom grins a little, looking at you all. “So you finally come to visit your dear old Mom!” You hop off and run into her arms. She hugs you tight. “Ooohhh, my little baby girl!” She looks to your tank. “Is that my early Christmas gift?”

“Ha. No.” You let go, smirking at her. “You remember my crew, right?”

“Of course I do!” says Mom as the crew walks up to greet her. “Stack, Josie, and Ingrid. Where’s your gunner?”

“Off to do something,” says Stack. “I think she’ll be back later.”

“Well tell you guys what. I’ll fire up some lunch for you all, come on in!” Mom leads you all into the house to find that everything has been moved in now.

And it was still rather empty as hell. You didn’t own a lot of possessions back in Trenton but goodness. The couch and the coffee table barely took up one corner. The TV almost disappeared into the wall too with how small it was. And the dining table was just some cheap IKEA thing that barely sat the three of you back home. Dad is at the kitchen counter reading the morning newspaper when he sees all of you. “Ellie!” He grins, coming over to hug you. He lifts you up in the air for joy then spins you around. Dad, please. “Haha! How have you been!? You forget we live here now?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1789991
>Polite

>>1789991
> Polite
Oh Mom and Dad, you have been missed!

>>1789991
>> Polite

> Polite

You hold onto Dad’s shoulders as he holds you up. “No, no, of course not!” you quickly explain. “It’s just- I’ve been so busy lately and I’ve-“

“I’m joking!” He puts you down, grinning. “My God! And you brought your friends too! It’s nice to see you all again!” He waves to everybody happily. “Tell you what, Ellie. I am just enjoying every part of this house! Every part of it! We have so much space now, it’s almost like I’m being swallowed alive!”

Mom walks by, holding a pan for cooking. “We’ve done our best to christen every part of it.” What is she- She winks at you. Oh. OH. EW. MOM. STOP. PLEASE. “Still, let me get some pasta going and I’ll have you all fed in no time! Any of you girls want to help me?”

Stack raises her hand. “I can help!”

“Come on then,” says Mom. “Get the water boiling for me.” Stack takes up a co-pilot seat in the kitchen as you, Ingrid, and Josephina sit down on the couch. Dad grabs a chair and sits down beside you all, smiling.

“So, how’s it feel?” asks Dad. “You’re all champions now, right?”

“Tournament’s not over, Dad.” You fold your arms, smiling politely. “We still have our match with Zhou Enlai.”

“And then you’ll be champs.”

“Postseason,” says Ingrid. “Playoffs to do, we’ll have to face whoever the EL champ is before we’re actually world champs.”

“Should be nice then,” says Dad. “Gotta say, your Mom has been talking a mile a minute about it. Truth be told, all the Tankery stuff kind of goes out one ear and out the other. But as far as I know…” He points his finger to you. “You, Ellie. It’s a toss up between who you might face if you make it that far. Zhou Enlai or Kursk.”

> Kursk seems much more well-managed. We might face them.
> Zhou Enlai has the advantage in skill and money, they’ll be obvious opponents.
> “Too close to call.”
> Other

>>1790124
> “Too close to call.”
It really is. Even if I know that Zhou Enlai is the likely outcome because Mei is the Anti-Ellie...

>>1790124
>> “Too close to call.”

>>1790124
> “Too close to call.”

>>1790124
>> “Too close to call.”

> “Too close to call.”

“It’s too close to call,” you say. “I can imagine both sides winning.”

Ingrid smirks a bit, leaning on the couch’s armrest. “Ellie’s just being neutral on the subject. It’s probably going to be Kursk.”

Dad grunts, smirking coyly. “Ellie did beg us to buy that poster of Oryola Kuznetsov a year ago-“

“Dad, please,” you hiss quietly. Dad chortles loudly, trying to stop his laughter. “Yeah, I mean- I- I look up to Oryola. She’s quite a tanker. But, she’s on her last year ever as a tanker. I can’t imagine she has many more tricks up her sleeve. Especially compared to Mei and the new generation of Tankery.”

Dad says, “There’s all this new talk now of using statistics, trying to sort of… beat the traditional models of Tankery. It used to be that Tankery teams would be composed by nationality, saves money and logistical troubles. Now though, with what Mei is doing and what Sherbrooke is doing, you buy tanks that are cheap but are effective in what they do regardless of theme. But with Mei and Zhou Enlai, the tanks are both expensive and extremely effective. They’re like the New York Yankees.”

“Ugh.” Ingrid rolls her eyes. “Don’t remind me.”

“You got something against the Yankees young lady?” Dad squints his eyes at Ingrid.

Ingrid snorts. “Maybe.”

Dad looks to you and points at Ingrid. “She-“

“She loves baseball.”

“Ah.” Dad nods. “Good girl.” Ingrid smiles a bit at that.

> + 20 MORALE TO INGRID

Dad stands up. “Ellie, I gotta show you the backyard. You girls sit tight, alright?” Hm, Dad must want to talk to you. He leads you out into the backyard where the small little plot of land now has some freshly cut grass and some plots for growing anything they like. “Your Mom wants to start growing some flowers. We never had the chance to do any of that some years ago.” He folds his arms. “Gotta say, Ellie.” He places his hand on your shoulder, looking down on you. “I’m proud of you.”

You look down. “Oh, Dad. Stop, I-“

“No. Really.” He smiles, then motions to all the land he has in his small backyard. “Never thought I’d even get to have a backyard. Thought we’d live out our lives in that little cramped space of ours. I feel spoiled now. I can’t believe my own daughter is spoiling me.”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1790358
>> Polite

>>1790358
> Polite
After the job they did, its deserved.

>>1790358
>> Polite

> Polite

You roll your eyes, then gently hug your Dad. “It’s not spoiling if you deserve it. You guys raised me right.” Dad sighs deeply, rubbing your head and patting it gently. “And I’ll raise my kids right too, just like you did with me.”

Dad blinks, then looks down at you. “… so where’s that Jeep Jockey lad?”

“Dad, please.”

“Okay, okay. I get it.” He smirks. “Just make sure you don’t repeat our mistake, alright?” You blush heavily. Dad. PLEASE. “Hehe.” He looks back into the house, and sees that everyone is now sitting at the dining table. Mom is serving up a heaping helping of pasta with meatballs. Stack is already taking the biggest share. “Ellie. I just want you to promise me one thing. Okay?”

You look to him, confused. “What’s that?”

He kneels down, then takes your hand. “Ellie, I know you’ve done so much to get on this Academyship. Not just for yourself but for your family too. Please, promise me this. That no matter where you go, and what you do. You stay the way you are.” He smiles, gently tapping your heart. “A good girl.”

> “I promise.”
> “… Dad, are you dying or something?”
> “Dad, please.”
> Other

>>1790628
> “Dad, please.”

>>1790628
>> “Dad, please.”

>>1790628
>> “… Dad, are you dying or something?”

>>1790628
>> “I promise.”

>>1790628
>“… Dad, are you dying or something?”

> “Dad, please.”

You smirk. “Dad, please.” Dad looks up a bit, concerned. “I’m not going to change. I’ll still be your little girl. I’ll just be bigger.” You motion to everyone inside, who are now looking outside to see what’s going on. “And please, you’re embarrassing me.”

“Ha. Yeah.” Dad stands up, grinning sheepishly. “I guess I should have faith in you.” He pats your head again. “Still. I can’t wait to see you graduate, Ellie. Make some friends, get yourself a husband.” You giggle a little. “Or a wife, I don’t mind. Truly.”

“Dad. Please!” You mockingly push him. He laughs, pushing you back. “Don’t say that! Winona might get ideas.”

“Ha!” Dad opens the door, looking down at you. “This is the thing with Winona. She can’t get you pregnant.” You blush deep red immediately. Stack spews pasta from her mouth, laughing out loud. Ingrid and Josephina cover their mouths, cringing heavily and trying not to laugh. Mom plants her head into her hands.

“DAAAD!” You stomp your foot, frowning at him.

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>>1790907
I'm gonna pause the thread and pick up tomorrow. This is a new way of running LGA2, one day over a whole weekend. Hope we can get used to it. And I hope you all enjoyed regardless.

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

See you next time.

>>1790919
Thanks for running!

>>1790919
Thanks for running boss, catchya for tomorrow's session.

Mom and Dad enthrall Ingrid, Stack, and Josephina with stories of your youth. Mostly to embarrass you it seems. All you can do is nod and confirm the things that happened it seems. Stack giggles loudly while she eats while Ingrid and Josephina listen attentively, smiles on their faces. “And you should’ve seen Ellie on her first day of school! She was so eager and so adorable! Hehe! I can still see her wearing that little dress of hers-“ She gasps in surprise, slamming the table. “I think I still have it.”

“Mom. Please.” You smile at her. “If you show them that dress, I think I’d have to kill you.”

“Matricide, really?” Mom pouts at you. “Oh, Ellie. You’re so vicious now.”

Ingrid snickers. “You should see Ellie when she’s commanding the troops. She’s a whole different person.”

“I’ll bet!” Dad leans back in his seat, grinning. “Our little Elodie always knew when to take things seriously! Like the sixth grade play-“

“Let’s not mention the play, please!” Okay, ANYTHING but that. PLEASE. Your parents knowingly look at each other. GODDAMN IT, PLEASE.

“What are they talking about?” asks Ingrid. “Were you shepherd or something?”

Stack glances at your chest. “Probably a cow.” HEY. YOU SAW THAT.

> Explain the play under promise of secrecy.
> NO. NOBODY WILL FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED AT THE SIXTH GRADE PLAY.
> Other

>>1792914
> Explain the play under promise of secrecy.

It is going to happen either way...

>>1792914
>Explain the play under promise of secrecy.

>>1792914
>> Explain the play under promise of secrecy.

>>1792914
> Explain the play under promise of secrecy.

Better that they find out straight from the source rather than gossip.

> Explain the play under promise of secrecy.

You point to the three of them. “If you guys swear to tell no one, I will tell you.” They raise their hands up. “Swear it.”

“We swear!” the three of them say. Your parents giggle as they observe quietly.

“Right.” You sigh, rubbing your nose a little. “Okay. Here’s what happened. Our sixth grade play was a… it was a production of It’s a Wonderful Life.”

“How do you make that a play?” asks Stack.

“Don’t ask. Anyway. It was pretty basic stuff. Though I was the only one taking it seriously.” You roll your eyes, poking at your cleaned up plate of food. “I actually memorized my lines, I had Mom help me with my costume in her spare time, all that stuff. Everyone else was just there for the easy A. So on the day of the play… things went awry from the moment it started.”

“How so?” asks Ingrid.

“The set caught fire.” Their eyes bug out. “Someone was smoking backstage and it lit one of the stage backdrops on fire. The teacher had to beat it out before it set off the fire alarms. Then half the cast didn’t show up as well because the play was after school. I was originally meant to play Mister Potter-“

Stack stops you. “You were the cranky old guy in a wheelchair?”

“We were short of guys. I was supposed to play Mister Potter, but Jimmy Stewart’s wife didn’t show up so I had to play her. And unfortunately… I-… Jimmy Stewart was played by a girl too and there was a-…” You twiddle your fingers, blushing intensely. Ooohhh… “There was a kissing scene.”

“You two didn’t actually kiss!?” Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina lean in.

“Well. I thought we were. So, I was running it all through my head. And I- I was a pretty shy kid too, I never had my first kiss, much less with a girl, and the other girl looked REALLY eager to kiss me. So when the kissing scene came up I-… I kind of…”

Mom snickers. “She fainted.”

“You fainted!?” they yell.

“… yessum.” AAAUUUGGH

Dad laughs loudly, slapping his knee. “We were going to rush Ellie to the hospital! Hahaha!”

“We thought she had passed out!” Mom holds her gut, heaving with laughter. “But all she did was faint from embarrassment!” The girls all start snickering quietly, trying to keep the absolute humiliation down. But nope. It’s too late. You’ve told them everything.

> “ALRIGHT, QUIET! IT’S DONE!”
> “… I don’t like telling this story.”
> “Mom. Dad. Please.”
> Other

>>1793057
> “ALRIGHT, QUIET! IT’S DONE!”
> “… I don’t like telling this story.”
Ruthless...

>>1793057
>> “ALRIGHT, QUIET! IT’S DONE!”
>> “… I don’t like telling this story.”

>>1793057
> “Mom. Dad. Please.”

>>1793057
>> “… I don’t like telling this story.”

> “ALRIGHT, QUIET! IT’S DONE!”
> “… I don’t like telling this story.”

“Alright, quiet, please!” You fold your arms, moping. “It’s all done. I don’t like telling this story.”

“Aw, sorry, Ellie.” Dad gently rocks your head side to side, smiling. “But hey, it’s better they hear it from you than from us, right?” That-… That’s a good point. Your Mom and Dad probably would’ve told them that the reason you fainted wasn’t because of stage fright or fear of kissing a girl, no. They would’ve said that you actually kissed the girl and that was what made you faint.

That’s not what happened obviously, but your Mom and Dad love to embarrass you.

Anyway though, the laughter dies down finally. Just in time for your phone to ring. Oh, how about that? Something to get you out of this mess. And it’s Captain Spruance! Oh dear! “Let me take this really quickly.” You stand up and hurry out into the backyard. “Captain!”

“Commander! Good to hear from you! Enjoying your labor day?”

“Yeah, yeah, um… just spending some time with my family,” you say honestly.

“That’s good to hear! Listen, I’ll be brief. Tomorrow’s our orientation for new sailors coming in for the Fall Semester. I want you to give the welcoming speech to them. I hope this isn’t too short notice.”

…

She wants you to give a speech to thousands of girls.

“Ellie? Ellie? You okay?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1793168
>> Polite

>>1793168
>> Polite

>>1793168
>Polite

File: Panic.jpg (6 KB, 200x291)

6 KB JPG

>>1793168
> Polite

>>1793168
> Polite
She's got this.

> Polite

“I’m just peachy,” you state quickly. “I’m looking forward to welcoming all the girls.”

“Excellent! Again, sorry for dropping this down on short notice but we are hauling anchor and leaving port tomorrow. So try and get a speech together beforehand, okay?”

“Got it, thank you, Captain!” Ahahaha ahahaha She hangs up.

…

You’re going to die.

Stack looks at you from inside, then opens the door. “Ellie. You okay?” She walks up to you, poking you on the arm. “You’ve gone stiff as wood in a dry heat. What happened to you.”

> “I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH!”
> “STACK, I NEED CHARISMA! GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA!”
> No. Don’t panic. Just calmly tell Stack that you’re PANICKING
> Other

>>1793305
> “STACK, I NEED CHARISMA! GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA!”

>>1793305
>> “I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH!”
>> “STACK, I NEED CHARISMA! GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA!”

>>1793305
> “I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH!”

Looking like doing sidequests may be tough today.

>>1793305
> “I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH!”
> “STACK, I NEED CHARISMA! GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA!”

> “I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH!”
> “STACK, I NEED CHARISMA! GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA!”

“I NEED TO ASSEMBLE A SPEECH, STACK! SO PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR CHARISMA, I NEED CHARISMA!” You shake her back and forth, panic setting in immediately.

Stack stares at you. “Uh. I’m not as charismatic as you think.” You stop shaking her. Okay, that was bad of you. “I mean, I am the best.” She flexes her arms, giving you a sly grin. “But only physically.”

“AAAHH!” You lift Stack up suddenly, making her yelp in surprise. “This isn’t going to work! I- I have to give a speech to all the freshmen tomorrow! It’s going to be a disaster! I have no idea how to conduct myself! What to do! How to act! It’ll be like trying to talk to children!” You quickly enter your house to the surprise of everyone. “Mom, Dad! Sorry, I’m kind of panicking right now!”

Mom smiles then stands up. “I’ll make you some lemonade, honey.”

You look to Ingrid and Josephina. “I have to give a speech tomorrow!”

“So?” Ingrid glares at you a little.

“SO!?” You carry Stack around like a plank of wood as you storm over to the couch. “It’s a speech to all the incoming freshmen! This is going to make or break my reputation here on LGA! I could be humiliated! I- I could-“ You gasp. “WHAT IF THEY FIND OUT I KISSED A BOY!?”

Stack looks at you as you carry her underarm. “That actually might be an issue.”

Ingrid looks back at you with a “are you serious” look. “Elodie. You’re the most confident girl I know that can actually back up your boasts.” Oh? “You’re not going to let a bunch of freshmen intimidate you, are you?”

> AAAHHHHH
> PANIC
> She’s right. It’s time for a practice session.
> Other

>>1793432
>> AAAHHHHH

>>1793432
> She’s right. It’s time for a practice session.

>>1793432
>> AAAHHHHH

> AAAHHHHH

“Okay, look, I’m not panicking. But I’m panicking. Yeah, they might just be freshmen but… but-“

Ingrid stands up, walking on over to you. “But nothing.” She jabs you in the chest. “You’re our commander! And piffle if you think you’re going to be intimidated giving a speech. You’ve performed on TV in Tankery! How’s this any different?” She’s-… right. Damn! Hm. Still, the thought of it. So many eyes on you… “Feel better?”

Mom hands you a glass of lemonade to calm your thoughts. You take a very quick sip. “… a little bit,” you mutter.

“Good,” says Stack. “Then can you put me down? I don’t like being treated like a plank.”

Josephina walks on over to you as well. “If you want. We can help you practice for this, Elodie.”

“Yeah,” says Ingrid. “You can at least get a basic idea of what you want to do with your speech.”

> “No. I know exactly what I’ll say.”
> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”
> Other

>>1793567
>> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”

>>1793567
>> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”

>>1793567
> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”

>>1793567
>> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”

Is the SU-100 done yet?

>>1793611
Yes.

>>1793616
Finally now we need a crew and to find more tanks.

> “Sure, why not? Just don’t be too critical.”

-

-

You pace around the room. “… and finally, let me just say ‘welcome’. Welcome all of you to Lafayette Girls Academy. We may not be the richest or the most luxurious school. But what we are is the most spirited one Everyone here has a determination to succeed that I see almost nowhere else. And I hope that by the end of September, I will see each and every one of your faces again, knowing that none of you dropped out because it was too hard. All of you are some of the best the US has to offer. Show them that you are. Dismissed!” You salute, smiling down to a listening Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina. Mom and Dad chat idly at the dining table.

Stack raises her hand. “That was kind of lame.” Eh? “I’m just… not feeling it.”

“Yeah,” says Ingrid. “You need a bit more energy to your speech. You’re pacing around but you don’t look at us, you don’t give us eye contact, you’re just kind of going through the motions.” That is true. Hm.

Josephina says, “Perhaps you could benefit from some mental exercises. Try to imagine us in our underwear.”

You stare at Josephina. “Josie, I’ve seen you –naked-, I don’t need to imagine you in your underwear.”

“Well, what we’re saying is that you’re just a little stiff. Try and think of something calming,” says Stack. “We don’t doubt you can run rings around that there memorization but ya know, I reckon you can have some energy if you think about something that calms you.”

Calming eh? What calms you?

…

Not Jeep Jockey.

> Your parents.
> The tank.
> Working.
> Other

File: __sand_cat_and_tsuchinoko(...).png (677 KB, 1175x1435)

677 KB PNG

>>1793714
>Working.

Knowing something is getting done.

>>1793714
>> Working.

>>1793714
> The tank.
Working is also obvious, buuuuuuuut

>>1793714
>Jeep Jockey's body

File: lewd.png (1.16 MB, 876x658)

1.16 MB PNG

>>1793776

>>1793714
>> Working.

>>1793714
>> Working.

>>1793776
>>1793796
Working on Jeep Jockey's body/

>>1793776
>>1793816
Working on Jeep Jockey's Jeep's Body.

> Working.

You decide to focus on working. Yes, working… the days of studying in your little room, some days only by candlelight or street light because your parents couldn’t afford the electric bill. Other days doing oddjobs for people like shoveling snow, mowing their grass, raking their yard, delivering their mail, the works… And now, directing people around on LGA, coordinating their work with yours, showing leadership. It feels you with a weird sense of pride. A self-made sort of pride you suppose.

You decide to give the speech again.

-

-

“… thank you!” You bow to them. They clap politely, happily. “How was that?”

“Lovely!” says Ingrid. “Much more energetic!”

“Thank you!” You clasp your hands together, blushing slightly. “Mom, Dad!” You turn around to them. “How was-“

Dad is busy walking his fingers up Mom’s arm, while Mom simply looks at him lustfully in the eye. “… just you wait, I don’t think the upstairs bathroom has been-“ They look to you. MOM. DAD. PLEASE. They immediately separate and grin. “Lovely, Elodie!”

“Yeah!” Mom gives a thumbs up.

Ugh. You hope when you get married your husband or wife won’t be so –horny-.

Stack checks her watch. “It’s actually getting pretty late, Ellie.”

“Oh yeah, where’s Winona?” Ingrid looks around. “Didn’t she say she’d be back?” Hm. Where did she go?

> Go find where Winona went.
> “Mom, Dad, can we stay the night?”
> Other

>>1793927
> Go find where Winona went.

>>1793927
>> Go find where Winona went.

>>1793927
> Go find where Winona went.

>>1793927
> Go find where Winona went.

>>1793927
> Go find where Winona went.
>Phone Winona

Phoning will probably work.

>>1793927
>Go find where Winona went.

>Ugh. You hope when you get married your husband or wife won’t be so –horny-.
>Implying Elodie won't be the sexually aggressive one

> Go find where Winona went.

“Bye, Mom, bye Dad!” You hug them both really quickly before you guys head off. “I’ll be sure to visit you guys soon!”

“We’ll be waiting!” says Mom as they wave you away. Right, you and the girls gather up on the sidewalk. You decide to phone up Winona. Come on, come on…

“Helloooooo!” It’s Winona!

“Hey, Winona! It’s Elo-“

“Ha! Got you! It’s actually my answering machine! Leave a message at the beep! Beeep!” The tone goes off. You sigh, hanging up.

“No dice,” you say.

“Did she say where she said she’d be going?” asks Stack.

Josephina says, “Perhaps she went back to your dorm room below decks.” Oh, right. That’s one possibility. “We do have to sleep in our own quarters now, oui?” Right, right. Hm.

“Maybe she went back to the hangar,” says Stack. “Check in our tanks.”

Ingrid says, “Eh. Could be any of those.” Really? “What? It could. Unless you want me to spend an hour plotting out where she could’ve gone through mathematical calculation instead?” Eh… She snaps her fingers. “You did bring up something about missing out on summer, right? Maybe she’s working on a surprise for you.”

“A surprise for me?” you say. Hm. Strange. What could it be? “… it’s not her bursting out of a cake, is it?”

“No, but now you have a good idea for Jeep Jockey’s birthday,” Stack says with a very sly smirk. You roll your eyes.

> Go check your dorm room.
> Go check the hangar.
> Wait around and wait for Winona to call you.
> Other

>>1794134
> Go check the hangar.

>>1794134
>Go check your dorm room.

Eliminate the obvious

>>1794134
>Go check the hangar.

>>1794134
>> Go check your dorm room.

>>1794134
>Go check the hangar.

> Go check the hangar.

-

-

You, Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina step into the now mostly empty hangar. All of your tanks were lined up along the walls, under tarp. They were being readied to be moved outside it seems. Griselda stood around the hangar, clipboard in hand, checking things off. Maybe she’s seen her. “Griselda.” She looks over at you, yawning a little. “Have you seen Winona anywhere?”

She shrugs. “Nah, not recently. Why, did you lose her?”

“Maybe.”

Griselda folds her arms, thinking on it. “I think I might’ve seen her taking a few pictures here and there.” Pictures? “She also asked me for some as well if I had any over the past couple of months. Maybe she’s putting together some kind of scrapbook or highlight reel.”

“Oh.” You place your hands in your pockets. “Well. How about that.” Hopefully you didn’t just ruin her surprise. Oh dear. You bite your lip a little. “Well, thanks, Griselda.” You look around. “You know… this place looks a lot emptier without everyone in it.”

“Yeah. It does.” Griselda sighs, frowning a little. “But, we gotta move on. School starts tomorrow.” She looks to you. “Think you can still make time for Tankery?”

> Boast
> Neutral
> Polite

>>1794310
>> Polite

>>1794310
> Polite

Awwwww shit. I didn't want to spoil things...should have gone to the dorm room.

>>1794310
> Polite
Of course.

>>1794310
>> Polite

> Polite

“Of course I can,” you say. “And thank you for letting me know about Winona’s plans I guess.”

Griselda shakes her head lightly. “It’s fine. Sorry for spoiling you I guess but hey, listen.” She looks to you, holding up a finger. “She’s a good girl. Try and act surprised, okay? She deserves that much.” True, true. She smiles a little. “I expect you to be in for practice tomorrow, alright?”

“Alright.” You nod to her. “And hey… good luck with your studies.”

“Thanks.” She winks at you. “Now go on, get.”

You walk back to Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina. You say, “Winona’s probably planning a surprise, you guys are right. She might be back at the dorm intending to surprise me then.”

“Well, let’s go then!” says Stack. “We’re wasting time!” The four of you hurry off.

-

-

It’s been ages since you’ve returned to the old dorm. Ooohh… how’s it going to look now? You knock on the door. “Winona?” Stack, Ingrid, and Josephina stand behind you, listening in.

“Come in!” yells Winona.

You open the door, and find the dorm freshly cleaned. Cuddles himself was now in a new terrarium, flicking his tongue out like a lazy git. In the center of the room was a coffee table with a large cake on it and a book next to it. “Welcome to our new home, same as the old one!” Winona claps her hands rapidly, before motion you to sit down at the bed. “Sit down, sit down!” You and the others sit down, smiling at her. “I got us some sweet vanilla and strawberry cake to celebrate the occasion! And…” She holds up a scrapbook. “This! I made a scrapbook of all of the best moments from the summer!”

Oh. Gee. You weren’t expecting this. You open it up, and find printed photos of you and the gang in your tanks or fooling around outside of practice and work. A few moments you recognize. It’s great.

“That’s not the best part though, Ellie!” says Winona. “But… what do you think?”

> “Sorry, Winona. I was spoiled a little by this earlier.”
> “It’s great! I love it.”
> “Er… what do you think, girls?”
> Other

>>1794505
> “It’s great! I love it.”

>>1794505
> “It’s great! I love it.”
Winona is best girl.

>>1794505
> “It’s great! I love it.”

Oooh what is the best part? I am intrigued!

>>1794505
>> “It’s great! I love it.”

> “It’s great! I love it.”

You smile at her, as do the other girls. “It’s great, I love it.”

Stack points to the cake. “Can we have cake now?”

“Not yet, not yet!” Winona waves her off, making Stack pout angrily. “There’s one last surprise I have left in store for you all! It’s not even in this room! I kept it in the room next door.” She leans over. “Had to pay a pretty penny to store it in there.” Winona hurries over to the TV in the room, then points down to your SNES, one of your prized possessions, thankfully still here and undamaged. It appears the janitors kept good care of it. “Remember this, Ellie? How we couldn’t play because the TV was too new?”

“Oh, yeah.” You nod. Truth be told, you almost completely forgot about that thing. It was something for you to play with because you were lonely. Now that you have friends it feels almost extraneous so- Winona immediately leaves the room.

“Where’s she going?” asks Ingrid.

Winona returns a minute later, carrying a huge box in her arms. “Stack! STACK! STACK! HELP!” Stack immediately stands up and helps her carry the box down towards the SNES. She sets it down gently. “Aaaahhh…” Winona quickly rubs her hands on her hips then rubs them together. “Ellie! Prepare yourself!” She immediately unfolds the box to reveal…

An old TV.

…

“Eh?” You tilt your head.

Winona stands up. “I saw how hurt you were when we couldn’t get your SNES running. So… I set aside some funds, and today I called in a favor or two, asked Kathy something as well.” She leans in close and whispers in your ear. “I now have to walk Kathy’s dogs every week for the next two months.”

“Wh-…” You blink. “What is it?”

“It’s a TV that you can play your SNES on,” Winona says. She taps it. “What do you think?”

…

> “I love it.”
> “I don’t need it. But thank you.”
> Hug her.
> Other

>>1794621
>> “I love it.”

>>1794621
> “I love it.”

>>1794621
>> Hug her.

>>1794621
>Hug her.

>>1794621
>> Hug her.
Time for some Cathode Ray Tube goodness.

>>1794621
> “I love it.”
>Hug her.
I restate my previous claim.

> Hug her.

You immediately throw yourself into a hug with Winona, holding her tightly. “Oooh, Ellie!” Winona stands there in shock. “I uh… I guess you love it then?”

“I do.” You smile happily, continuing to hold her. “You didn’t have to do this, I didn’t ask, I- I-“

Winona gently presses her finger on your lips, silencing you. “I did it because I wanted to, Ellie.” Oh. You blush a little at that. She just wanted to make you happy. “I like seeing you happy, Ellie. It suits you.” She happily pats your back.

“Well… thank you.” You let go of her, sheepishly rubbing the back of your neck. “S-… So can we get it working then?”

Ingrid and Stack slide on over. “Sure!” says Stack. “If you can get me a slice of cake.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Winona takes out a knife, smiling at you. What did you do to deserve a friend like Winona? “Come on, Ellie. Let’s have a little fun before we gotta go to school tomorrow.” Right, right. “What games do we have on your SNES?”

“Well, let me see.” You hurry over to the pack next to the SNES and start searching. You’re sure to have some in here! Winona and Josephina start cutting the cake while Stack and Ingrid start plugging the TV in. You take a deep breath. Don’t cry. Ooohh… don’t cry. You take another breath out. Don’t ruin the moment. The girls want to have fun, not feels.

You grin, picking up a game. Time to play the night away!

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946 KB JPG

>>1794726
That's it for this week's LGA2. After a month long hiatus, we're finally back and with a new style of running and pacing. Hopefully it doesn't get too choppy. 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.

>>1794621
> Hug her.

>>1794731
Thanks for running, boss. I like the new format, gives a better feel for Ellie's life.

Sorry I missed most of it live, Stupid work.

>>1794731
Great thread GS. Feels good to be back. I hope with the expanded threads we can chip away at some sidequests while whipping the team into shape.