Chapter 1: Two of Clubs
With a cheerful hum, Nelson flicked on her electric kettle. Continuing to hum the tune to Heart of Oak, she opened her cupboard and grabbed her favourite mug, one she had custom made with a Matilda II colour palette. It was sandy coloured with a red trim around the lip and base, and a yellow handle, with an 'N' for 'Nelson' printed on the front in black Stencil font.
When at home, Nelson preferred to use mugs over the tea cup and saucer combination, which everyone else said was counter-intuitive. Yes, it was true the cups and saucers were more delicate, but she took those into the tank for appearance's sake. With St. Gloriana spreading the belief that all of the British drank tea out of cups all the time, she thought it'd be funny to play along.
Plus, you could fit more tea in a mug.
Nelson was a student at Roulette Academy, a Las Vegas themed schoolship. Like a lot of schools, it had a Tankery club, of which nelson was a member. She was the loader of the M6 heavy tank.
Of the five members of the M6, Nelson was the shortest, with green eyes and shoulder-length straight brown hair that was sometimes compared to that of Miho Nishizumi's. But the most notable feature of Nelson's was her smile. She was often told she had a lovely smile that radiated happiness and could melt the heart of any man she wanted. Too bad she swung the other way.
She hadn't realised that she'd broke into a whistle to hear herself over the boiling kettle. She turned it off and continued to make her fifth cup of tea of the day.
And then the doorbell to her flat went off.
"One o'clock, right on time!" she noted.
Stirring the cup of tea as she moved, Nelson went to answer the door. And on the other side, Friedrich, Yekaterina, De Brack and Custer were there, just as expected.
"Hello, ladies!" she said. "Wow, it's weird not seeing you in a uniform."
"That's what I said when we arrived," said Friedrich.
Friedrich was the commander of the M6, and the overall commander of the entire Tankery club. She had long, thick blonde hair and a pair of beautiful crystal blue eyes. Despite her German descent, she liked to wear a French cavalry officer pelisse over her clothes, including her school uniform. The school faculty allowed it so long as she wore it unbuttoned.
"Not you, Friedrich," said Nelson, "When I look at you all I see a pelisse."
"Does that mean you imagine me without any clothes underneath?" Friedrich joked.
"Always," Nelson giggled. "Anyway, please come in."
Nelson gestured into her flat, not at the expense of taking a sip of her tea, of course.
"I think this is the first time I've ever been in your apartment," said Custer.
"Flat, Custer, it's a flat," said Nelson.
"Where I come from, we call 'em apartments."
"And in my house, you will call it a flat," Nelson gae a sweet smile. There wasn't any hidden maliciousness behind it, the two had a pseudo in-joke arguing over the correct terms for things because of their origins. First it was boot or trunk, then petrol or gas, then lift or elevator, and now...
"Okay, sure, but I still say it's an apartment."
Custer was the radio operator of the team. Despite her shyness, she didn't mind sticking out by wearing a cowboy hat everywhere she went, mostly because amongst her friends she would look weird for not wearing some form of conspicuous clothing. Nelson was the only one that didn't wear anything out of the ordinary, even though she had a British naval officer's cap in her room on display.
Custer had pale, almost milky, blue eyes and very long brown hair that she didn't bother combing much, she claimed it complimented the cowboy hat look. She was also rarely ever seen without her trumpet. Today was no exception.
"Make yourselves at home," Nelson offered, "Can I get anyone a cup of tea?"
It was a futile offer, evident by the fact she got 'no's in response. Most of them were coffee drinkers, but Nelson insisted on asking anyway. "Remember your Ps and Qs" as her father said.
Nelson's flat had a living room - or "lounge" as Custer insisted - with a sofa - couch - that could fit three small schoolgirls on it easily, and two armchairs, all around a glass coffee table.
"So, what are doing?" asked Yekaterina, sitting in one of the armchairs.
Nelson set her mug down on the coffee table, near the corner facing the other armchair as the others had taken the sofa.
"We're playing Risk!" Nelson answered, and then went to get the box.
"Oh, sweet!" said Friedrich and De Brack in unison.
"Hey, Yekatrina," said Custer, using the nickname she gave her, "You want to team up against these two?" she gestured a thumb to Friedrich and De Brack sitting next to her.
"That seems a little unfair," she answered in her soft voice.
"Not against these two, it's not!"
"I'll think about it," her face was completely unfaltered. She meant it a joke, but it genuinely sounded like she was going to consider a comradeship.
Yekaterina was the team's gunner, and was of Russian descent. She wore an ushanka hat with a shiny black clubs emblem pinned on the front, clubs being their tank's team. She had long, silky black hair that just reached beyond her shoulders, and a pair of frosty blue eyes. She was also the tallest in the team.
Nelson came back with the Risk box and set it down on the table.
"Hey, how about we start with our territories that we're from?" asked Custer.
"Yeah, how about we don't?" said De Brack, "Because then Nelson, Friedrich and I will have one territory, you'll have four and Yekaterina will have half of Asia."
"It was worth a shot," Custer chuckled.
Despite shooting down that suggestion, as each player took it in turn to place a unit down on the map the girls still picked their respective country, with Custer picking Eastern United States and Yekaterina picking Ural.
After an hour of playing, Custer had already taken control of North America. Nelson's forces had been split between Oceania and western Europe, with her cannons sitting in Iceland and shooting any American that dared try crossing the sea.
Friedrich had ruling over Africa and was one move away from taking South America away from Custer and one lone De Brak soldier in Argentina, who seemed to be the luckiest bastard on Earth, having fended off ten of Custer's soldiers and preventing her from gaining conquest over the entire western hemisphere.
Yekaterina had been pushed into eastern Asia, from Siam all the way to Kamchatka, but had plenty of forces to bulk up her territories to defend against the sweep across Asia being led by De Brak.
But now it was De Brak's turn.
"Watch out, ladies," she said, "The cavalry's coming!" and she then placed three face up cards on the table. All of them matched, and what's more, India and Afghanistan were two of the three cards, territories which she controlled.
"So on top of the 3 you already get, that's..." Nelson quickly did the maths in her head as she fished out some plastic pieces from the box beside her, "Another sixteen."
Yekaterina grimaced.
"Damn," said Friedrich, "I wish you the best, Yekaterina."
As Nelson handed the pieces to De Brak over the table, the latter began counting them in her hand before looking up in disgust.
"Nelson!" she cried, holding up a cannon.
"Oh yeah, sorry," Nelson took the cannon back and traded it for two cavalry.
De Brak then distributed a few of the soldiers in southern Europe just in case Nelson or Friedrich got any funny ideas (which she wouldn't be surprised if they did), and then bulked up her units in India.
"Custer, darling," she said, "If you would do the honours."
Custer's face lit up, and she grabbed the trumpet she had placed on the floor beside her and then, treating it like a bugle, blew a cavalry charge tune.
De Brak was the driver of the group for the M6. She was second only to Friedrich in terms of strategy prowess, making her the sub-commander and Friedrich's advisor during war meetings. Like the rest of the girls in this circle of friends, she wasn't fully Japanese, as she hailed from the land of France. She was probably the most patriotic of the five, and loved all things French. Completing the "sore thumb" aesthetic, she wore a red Czapka with gold trimmings. She had shoulder length gold hair that matched her cap, and a pair of deep blue eyes.
"Well, while this is happening, I'm going to make a cup of tea," said Nelson.
"Yeah, this is going to take a while," said Yekaterina, leaning forwards in her chair, pre-emptively grabbing the dice.
While De Brak's army of cavalry and men far outnumbered one of Yekaterina's territories, it was going to come down to the luck of the dice if she could sweep claim the rest of Asia before her forces were whittled down too much. She could end up with just one lone soldier trying to take on all the forces of of Kamchatka.
Nelson smiled as she made her tea, finding the mixed cries of triumph and dismay that erupted every few seconds as dice were rolled very amusing.
"Anyone for a cup of-?"
"Merde!"
"Never mind."
When Nelson came back, the board had changed somewhat.
"Oh, dear, are you out?"
"Yeah, I'm out," said Yekaterina, though she didn't seem annoyed or phased by it. Actually, Nelson was pretty sure she hadn't heard her raise her voice at all during that last battle. Yekaterina was often like that, taking everything as it came and not seeming affected by anything.
"You know what this means now, don't you?" said Friedrich to De Brak.
De Brak sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I'm now going to get attacked from all sides."
And sure enough, by De Brak's next turn everyone had managed to gain a foothold in Asia, with Custer taking Kamchatka, Nelson taking Siam from Oceania and Friedrich sneaking into the Middle East.
The game continued, with Yekaterina giving some strategy advice to Nelson and Custer.
"Not feeling generous towards either of us, are you Yekaterina?" Friedrich chuckled, wrapping an arm around De Brak.
"I just think that the others could do with some extra help to at least be on your level, Commander," Yekaterina answered honestly.
Friedrich laughed. "Don't call me commander here, Yekaterina, we're meant to be relaxing, forgetting about Tankery."
"Sorry," she said, and left it at that, turning her gaze back to the board.
"I hope everyone's having fun," said Nelson.
"Oh yeah!" Custer nodded, "This was a good idea, Nelson."
"Yes," said Yekaterina, "We were a little overworked from Tankery."
"I just thought that we never really do anything together outside of the tank," said Nelson, "Plus, Friedrich needed to stop pouring over all that paperwork."
"Eugh, don't remind me," said Friedrich, "I'm still not done with that."
"What is all of that?" asked Custer, "I never see you not looking at something with the Tankery Federation stamp on it."
"Most of it is to do with the transferral of the new Valiant, I'm trying to get it modded, which isn't allowed, but I'm trying to argue that this is an outstanding circumstance."
"Zip it!" said De Brak, "No more Tankery! Forget Tankery! Eyes on the prize!"
"Oh yeah," Friedrich realised she was going back into Commander mode. "No more Tankery. World domination. Much more important. Maybe I'll be the first German to do it right."
"Friedrich!" De Brak hissed, trying to look shocked but couldn't help but laugh.
Custer had also burst out laughing, with Nelson choking on her tea. Even Yekaterina had cracked a grin.
The game continued for another hour and a half, eventually coming to a back and forth clash between Friedrich and De Brak.
De Brak has chased Nelson into Australia and eliminated her there, while Friedrich finished her off in Europe, pushing De Brak out and claiming the continent for herself. She had also finished claiming South America, eradicating Custer's forces and that one soldier of De Brak's whose luck had finally run out.
De Brak had managed to take back cling onto control of Asia. With this deadly force on her doorstep, Custer had been forced to spread her armies quite thin, allowing Friedrich to move in and take control of the southern half of America, while De Brak met her halfway, eliminating Custer in the process.
Now there were two front lines. Ukraine, Southern Europe and Egypt defending against the Asian forces; and the second between the US and Canada.
In a bold move, Friedrich let De Brak push her back to Central America. De Brak took the bait, which now meant Friedrich only needed to put troops on one territory against De Brak's forces, while De Brak had to defend Western and Eastern United States.
De Brak also noticed that Friedrich wasn't bulking up her forces in Ukraine as much as she thought she should. What a fool! Ukraine was the hardest territory to keep control of!
De Brak attacked Ukraine from Ural, Afghanistan and the Middle East, quickly claiming it and shattering Friedrich's control over Europe.
"That was a very poor move, dear Friedrich," said De Brak. "Could this be the beginning of the end to your empire?"
Friedrich glanced over at her, and looked into her eyes, without saying a word, a small smile across her lips.
De Brak became unsettled.
"Don't make that face! That's the face you make when you have a plan!"
Friedrich kept the stare going, causing De Brak to wriggle under her gaze. De Brak started sweating.
"What are you doing?!""
Friedrich then very slowly, relishing in the moment, placed down three cards.
"Oh, damn!" said Nelson, "That's..." she whispered a few numbers, counting to her herself, "35 troops!"
De Brak squealed.
Friedrich placed her units down on the map, still without saying a word and her shit-eating smile plastered on her face. She placed some in Central America, she placed some in Egypt, and she also placed some...
"Oh, you forgot to defend Greenland."
...in Iceland.
"Noooooo!"
"Custer," Friedrich leaned over to the girl, "I think some music would be appropriate."
Custer leapt at the chance.
And with Ride of the Valkyries playing in one ear, and De Brak's exaggerated sobs in the other, Friedrich ploughed through Greenland and Canada, then this force and the one in Central America pincer attacked De Brak's army. They then proceeded to claim all of North America.
On the other side of the world, her army in Egypt cut straight through the western Asian forces, having been weakened from attacking Ukraine. With the combined strength of this army and her one in Southern Europe, Friedrich took back Europe, having destroyed De Brak's control over Asia in the process.
"I concede," De Brak whined.
"Aw, really?" Friedrich asked.
"Yeah, I don't have any cards, I'll get barely any soldiers next turn, and then on yours you'll just finish me off," she then dropped the act and gave a beaming smile, offering her hand to Friedrich, "Well done, Commander, that was a good game."
Friedrich returned the hand shake in kind.
"Well, that was fun!" said Custer.
"Yeah, thanks again for inviting us, Nelson," said Friedrich.
"No worries, Friedrich," Nelson gestured with her fresh cup of tea.
"I need to be somewhere," Yekaterina said quietly, almost unheard, "Dance practice."
"Oh yeah," said Custer, checking her watch, "Jazz club starts soon."
"And I need to finish my paperwork," said Friedrich.
"I'll show you all out, then," said Nelson, getting up from her seat.
The girls left with good spirits and happy goodbyes. Nelson closed the door with a beaming smile. She was quite chuffed the afternoon went well. It was nice to do things with her friends outside of Tankery.
A/N: A few people have asked about the origin of the names. I didn't do a good job of explaining that these are actually nicknames that the girls have given themselves. The character sheet I was working with doesn't mention their real names, so I sort of accidentally started to think of these nicknames as their real ones. Silly me.
