Pekoe and the Prodigy (Part 1)
It was a balmy mid-afternoon on the massive aircraft carrier that housed St. Gloriana's Girls' College, and classes had mostly finished for the day. Many students had either headed off to their homes or dorms, or were heading out with friends for a well-earned break in the town surrounding the school. Others were busy with the wide range of extracurricular activities offered by the school, something St. Gloriana's prided itself on. Students could join a staggering variety of activities, ranging from ballroom dancing all the way to literature discussion or art appreciation. If they preferred something a bit more physical, the school's lacrosse and tennis teams had been champions of Japan several times in the last decade, and excellent hockey, netball, volleyball, and squash programmes were maintained as well.
However, the sports team for which St. Gloriana was perhaps most famous for was, of course, their senshadou team. They were the pride of the school, even if they hadn't won the national championship in eleven years. Still, they had come very close multiple times, taking the runner-up position six out of those eleven years. As a result, they were still considered one of Japan's top senshadou schools. Besides, even if they weren't, senshadou would still be heavily encouraged, as it fit almost perfectly into the ethos which St. Gloriana wished to inculcate in its students. Every student of St. Gloriana's was meant to be groomed into an elegant and refined woman, and senshadou was well-known to promote exactly those values. To the school at large, members of the senshadou team, especially ones who had been accepted into the Tea Garden, were generally considered to be model St. Gloriana students.
Then again, being a model St. Gloriana student didn't preclude someone from being... unique, Orange Pekoe reflected ruefully. Darjeeling-sama in particular was getting positively eccentric these days.
Pekoe turned away from the window, stretching slightly as she looked around the meeting room she was waiting in. A long, ornate table took up most of the space in the room, but the floor-to-ceiling windows let in enough light and air that the room didn't feel cramped or stuffy at all. Oil paintings, mostly landscapes with one or two portraits, lined the walls, and a grandfather clock ticked away in a corner. Pots of steaming hot tea were already waiting on the table, with cups, milk and sugar already set out as well. She returned to the window and her thoughts, gazing out over the rest of the school.
Maybe it was just some kind of coping mechanism to deal with the stress? Dealing with an entire senshadou team must not be easy, especially one with Rosehip on it. She was a lovely girl, but just reining her in was exhausting enough. And of course, there was all of Darjeeling-sama's other responsibilities to deal with. This meeting in particular must be for something urgent, since she'd only gotten the text informing her about it about 30 minutes ago.
The doors of the room were flung open, interrupting Pekoe's musings. Hurrying in, still dressed in their senshadou uniform, were Rukuriri and Keemun, two of St. Gloriana's Matilda II commanders. They must have come straight from the practice grounds.
"Oh, Pekoe-san, it's just you," Rukuriri said, glancing about the empty room. "For a moment there, I thought we were already late."
Pekoe smiled at them. "Ah, don't worry about that, Rukuriri-sama. The meeting doesn't start for another five minutes."
As the two of them took their seats, the room began filling up. Rosehip, Vanilla, and Cranberry burst in, laughing and chattering, followed by a more sedate Nilgiri and Jasmine. As time went by, the rest of the team's tank commanders trickled into the room in ones and twos, till all the seats at the table, save three, were taken.
Finally, exactly five minutes after Rukuriri and Keemun had entered, Darjeeling calmly walked into the room, followed as ever by Assam. The low hum of conversation that had been filling the room died away, and all of the girls present turned to face the head of the table as Darjeeling took her seat there. At her right, Assam sat down, already opening her laptop, while Pekoe finally moved away from the window and took the seat to Darjeeling's left.
Clearing her throat, Darjeeling began speaking.
"Ladies, thank you all for coming. I'm glad to see you all here today." She paused to pour herself some tea before continuing.
"The reason I've asked you all to come for this meeting is to inform you that there will be a very important guest visiting us next week." As whispers and murmurs began to be heard, Darjeeling held out her hand for silence. Once everyone had fallen silent again, she continued. "The person we will have the honour of hosting for a week is none other than Shimada Alice-san, heir to the Shimada school of senshadou."
This time, Darjeeling didn't bother trying to silence the excited chattering that immediately burst out.
Outside the Tea Garden building, what appeared to be the rest of the senshadou team, still dressed in full scarlet uniform, was clustered around a notice posted outside and behaving in a rather... unladylike manner. Every single girl seemed to be extremely excited, to put it mildly, and a more biased observer might actually use words like 'chaotic' or even 'ugly' to describe scenes which seemed to be breaking out between certain individuals. Phrases like "She's so cool...but still so adorable!" and "I want her as a little sister!" or simply inarticulate squealing could be heard as well.
As she elbowed her way through the crowd, Rooibos, the driver of Rukuriri's Matilda II, glanced about for her crewmates. Where were they agai —
"Yoo-hoo! Rooibos! Over here!"
Ah, there they were. Trust Peppermint to spot her first. Say what you wanted about that girl, she had a real knack for spotting what she was looking for, especially in the chaos of the battlefield. Unfortunately, she also tended to develop a bad case of tunnel vision, especially once she got an idea into her head. Rooibos had lost count of the number of times Peppermint had tried pulling her into one or another barmy scheme, which usually ended in trouble for all involved. Her last escapade had left her on crutches for a few weeks (which she'd only been allowed off yesterday), but it hadn't seemed to have affected her mood much.
A few minutes later, and Rooibos had finally squeezed her way to Peppermint and Oolong, gunner and loader of her Matilda respectively. Both of them looked just as hyped up as the rest of the crowd.
"What's going on, you two?" Rooibos said, glancing between her crewmates. "Why does everyone look so excited, if that's even the right word? I mean, Bergamot always behaves like that, but Chamomile looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel out of sheer excitement, and so did Congou. Congou! I'd swear that girl was born with a stiff upper lip, and even she's gotten all worked up. What's the matter with everyone?"
Peppermint and Oolong traded a smirk, in that annoying we-know-something-you-don't way, before Oolong turned back to Rooibos.
"Shimada Alice is coming to St. Gloriana's."
"What?! You can't possibly mean the person I'm thinking of, right? Shimada's a pretty common name, after all..." Rooibos stared at her friends in shock, before Peppermint responded gleefully.
"Nope, I definitely mean Shimada Alice. You know, famous child prodigy, the heir to the Shimada school of senshadou, commander of the University All-Star team who we beat in the summer, that Shimada Alice!"
Peppermint's tone left no room for disbelief, but Rooibos still couldn't quite believe her ears. "You're kidding, right? Isn't she a university student? Why would she want to visit a high school?"
"Ah, but it's in an official notice! More specifically, that notice over there, which Assam-sama put up just before she went into the building for the meeting," Peppermint said, pointing to the wall. Rooibos's eyes followed Peppermint's finger automatically, but she could barely make out what was written on the notice, no thanks to all the people crowded around it.
"I can't see it, there are too many people blocking me," Rooibos said. "What does it say?"
Oolong produced her phone, tapping the screen quickly before passing it to Rooibos. "Here, I took a photo."
Rooibos began scanning the notice, even as she mumbled her thanks to Oolong. Now, what did it actually say? Something something Shimada school, something something strengthening relationships, something something Shimada Alice visit, something something host crew, wait, what was that last one?!
Her reaction must have been obvious, as Peppermint grinned.
"Yep, you read that correctly. Shimada Alice is visiting, and Darjeeling-sama is looking for the crew of a particular tank to help out with hosting her! Which is going to be us, of course!"
Rooibos stared at the phone a little longer, then handed it back to Oolong. "Does Rukuriri-sama know about this?"
Peppermint crossed her arms, looking rather peeved at the question. "Of course she does! Darjeeling-sama is briefing all tank commanders right now!"
Rooibos massaged her forehead. She could feel the first beginnings of a headache, a distressingly common occurrence when dealing with Peppermint. "Let me rephrase that, Peppermint. Does Rukuriri-sama know about your plans to volunteer to help out, and do you realise that every other member of the team appears to be having the same thoughts as you?"
Peppermint waved off Rooibos' concerns loftily. "I'm sure Rukuriri-sama will be as excited as the rest of us! Also, we're sure to be chosen. We've actually faced off against her before, after all. Don't be such a wet blanket, Rooibos!"
This was going to be one of those days. Rooibos just knew it already. The building headache never lied, after all.
" ...And that concludes my briefing. Is there anything else before we adjourn?" Darjeeling said, looking out at her subordinates. "Yes, Rosehip?"
"I didn't quite get why Shimada-san wanted to visit us, Darjeeling-sama," Rosehip said, face screwed up in thought. "Could you explain that part again?"
"Well, you did hear about her visit to Ooarai Girls High, correct?" At Rosehip's nod, Darjeeling continued. "As I mentioned earlier, we received information that Shimada-san is interested in trying out the high-school life, and that her visit to Ooarai was meant to experience the school with a view to joining it full-time. It would be both a tactical and public-relations coup if we were to convince Shimada-san to join St. Gloriana's instead."
Assam chimed in at this point. "To be precise, I understand that she decided against joining Ooarai due to the fact that she wished to face Nishizumi Miho in battle, which would naturally preclude joining their senshadou team."
"Indeed, Assam," Darjeeling said. "Hence my invitation to Shimada-san to visit and spend some time in St Gloriana's. Have you all heard this saying? 'You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar'. If Shimada-san wishes to face Miho-san in battle more often, what better place to do it than in St. Gloriana's?"
"Ohhhhhh, so we're trying to get Shimada-san to come be a student here," Rosehip said, comprehension dawning on her face. She looked at Darjeeling again, forehead furrowed. "Err, that's good, but has she even said yes, Darjeeling-sama?"
Darjeeling smiled. "Indeed she has, Rosehip. As I mentioned earlier, she's agreed to come by for a few days, and I trust that everyone here will be the best hosts possible, especially if your tank crew is asked to help out further. Now, if there's nothing else, that's the end of the briefing, and thank you for coming. Assam, Pekoe, please stay for a little while longer. The rest of you may leave now."
As the other tank commanders filed out of the room, chattering quietly (or not so quietly, in some cases), Darjeeling slowly finished off her cup of tea. Once she was done, she turned to her right, where Pekoe had already started conferring with Assam, both frequently referring to the open laptop in front of them.
"Assam, Pekoe. What exactly are you two doing?"
"I do wish you'd told me about this visit earlier, Darjeeling-sama," Pekoe said, still focusing intently on the laptop's screen. "There's lots of things to get done, and I'll need to get started on the logistics of Shimada-san's visit right away. Just arranging for accommodation might be a little tricky, since we're well into the school term and there aren't any empty spaces in the dorms. We'll also need to inform the administration, as well as — "
Darjeeling cut her off at that point. "No need for all that, Pekoe."
Pekoe slowly turned to face Darjeeling, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Darjeeling-sama?"
"Yes, you heard me correctly. Assam will be handling the logistics for this visit," Darjeeling said, ignoring the groan that came from Assam at that pronouncement. "I have another task for you. I would like you to be Shimada Alice's personal guide and host while she's at St. Gloriana's. Spend time with her, take her around, introduce her to all that makes St. Gloriana's special. In short, persuade her that our school would be the perfect school for her."
Pekoe gulped. She'd never even spoken to the Shimada heir before. How on earth was she going to do that in a week? Darjeeling had that look in her eyes though. Nothing as simple as 'logic' or 'reason' would dissuade her at this point. So instead, she just nodded. At least it couldn't get much worse, right?
"Also, Pekoe? I understand Shimada-san's mother, the current head of the Shimada style, might be dropping by towards the end of the week to check on her daughter. You might want to be prepared for that as well."
Pekoe hung her head. To be fair, she had been asking for it with that last thought.
It was late afternoon, and Orange Pekoe was standing on the observation deck of St. Gloriana's school ship, gazing out at the horizon. From there, a distant speck could be seen, but one that was growing larger every minute. The ship carrying Shimada Alice would be arriving soon, and it couldn't have come a second sooner. St. Gloriana's senshadou team had been in a frenzy all day trying to get ready, and Pekoe was eager for the chaos to finally be over.
Poor Assam, on the other hand, hadn't even had the time to even think about anything beyond the present. She had set up a small workstation on the observation deck early in the morning, and a steady stream of girls had been pouring in and out all day with questions and suggestions, all of which had to be approved or vetoed by Assam, with Pekoe helping wherever possible. Darjeeling, on the other hand, had just sat there quietly with a cup of tea and a beatific smile on her face, give or take the occasional aphorism. While Assam was continuing to handle everything with her usual quiet competence, she was still looking more and more frazzled by the hour.
"D'you know what type of tea Shimada-san would like, Assam-sama?" Sencha was brandishing at least eight different tins of tea leaves in front of Assam, hopping up and down a little in her excitement. It was a wonder she hadn't dropped any of them yet. "I've got five varieties of oolong here from China, a couple of aged Japanese green teas as well as as the usual selection of black Indian teas. If she's more picky than that, I'm sure we've got a stash of the good stuff tucked away somewhere. Say the word and I'll get right on it!"
Assam gave the tea tins a weary glance. "It's fine, Sencha. Our files do say that Shimada-san has a slight preference for green over black teas, but I don't think she'll be too bothered about the type of tea offered her. Just make sure she actually wants some before dropping fifty different varieties on her."
As Sencha walked off, muttering about kids these days who didn't know how to appreciate tea, Nilgiri immediately took her place in front of Assam, slapping down a fat stack of forms in front of the blonde-haired gunner.
"Assam-sama, these forms need to be signed for urgent submission to the administration. I'm sorry I didn't get them settled before this, but I only managed to get them all in today, no thanks to all the chaos. If we don't get them settled, we won't get any funds for the next quarter!"
Assam sighed, already beginning to scan the forms with a practiced eye and scrawling her signature where necessary. Every now and then, she would hand one over to Pekoe and then Darjeeling to countersign, and before long, the stack in front of her had completely vanished. Nilgiri grabbed the signed forms with a look of relief and immediately dashed off.
As she left, Pekoe glanced around. For the first time since the morning, it looked like there wasn't anyone waiting to see them. Evidently, Assam realised the same thing, as she sagged into her chair with a sigh of relief.
"Finally! I thought they'd never stop coming. Shimada-san can't arrive soon enough, in my opinion."
She reached out for her teacup for a sip of tea, only to make a face the minute it touched her lips.
"Ugh! The beastly thing's gone and gotten cold. Of all the rotten luck!"
Darjeeling turned to her gunner with a mischievous expression on her face. "There, there, Assam. Cold tea isn't the end of the world. Have you heard this — "
Putting down the cup hard enough that a loud 'clack' was audible, Assam actually growled. "Darjeeling, I have been putting up with inane questions and solving last-minute problems for almost the entire day, without almost any help from you. If you dare continue that sentence, so help me, I will personally end you."
Darjeeling coughed a little. "On second thought, I believe you have heard it already. Never mind, then."
Pekoe hid a small smile, even as she hurried to get the teapot to refill Assam's cup. It had been kept on a little Primus stove, so its contents were still nice and hot. She had nothing but the highest respect and admiration for Darjeeling-sama, but there were times when her ... Darjeeling-ness, for lack of a better word, got a little too much. Thankfully, Assam-sama could always be relied on to make sure she didn't get too out of hand.
As she refilled a grateful Assam's cup with piping hot tea, the ship's horn finally blared out the sound they had been waiting for all day. The purgatory of preparation was over: Shimada Alice's ship had finally arrived.
By the time Darjeeling, Assam and Orange Pekoe had made their way off the observation deck and down to where visiting ships usually docked, the rest of the welcoming party had already formed up. Assam had made it very clear that only the tank commanders were allowed to be there, but even then, the gathered group was still relatively large, taking up almost half the waiting area by themselves.
As the crew of the passenger ship connected the gangway to link the two ships, the anticipation in the air was building. Surprisingly, Rukuriri was the most fidgety one among the waiting girls, though the rest of the commanders weren't much better. Only Assam and Darjeeling seemed unperturbed, even if they did seem to be sipping at their teacups a bit more often than usual.
Meanwhile, Pekoe was keeping herself calm by doing her best to recall anything she could remember about Alice from the University team match. Ironically, the fact that she couldn't remember much at all probably did more to calm her. She might be going in slightly unprepared, but that also meant that things were starting off on a blank slate. In any case, what little she did remember suggested that Shimada Alice was someone she could get along with. Pekoe could deal just fine with quiet, stoic types after all.
Finally, the gangway was fully set up, and passengers began crossing into the school ship. After about ten or so minutes without any sign of the girl they were waiting for, whispers began to go around the waiting St. Gloriana students.
Cranberry gave Keemun, who was standing next to her, a nudge in the ribs. "Hey, d'you think Shimada-san's here? Maybe she missed the boat?" she whispered.
"Don't be silly, Cranberry," Keemun replied testily. Cranberry's elbows were sharp, and she hadn't exactly used them gently. "Assam-sama called earlier to confirm. This is the correct ship."
"Well, where is she, then? Did she get cold feet at the last minute?"
"Can't be that, surely. Maybe she's just a bit de — Hey, wait, isn't that the All-Star University team uniform?"
A tall, brunette girl, dressed in the jacket and beret of the All-Star University team, was crossing the gangway and heading straight for Darjeeling.
"Isn't that one of Shimada-san's lieutenants? What was her name again? Meguko or Megune, something like that?" Keemun hadn't been directly involved in the match to save Ooarai, but like almost everyone else in St. Gloriana's senshadou team, she had tagged along to provide moral support and watched the whole thing on the giant screen with the rest of the audience. The whole match had been so absorbing that the smaller details, including the names of the opposing team, had sort of blurred together in her memory by now.
Nilgiri chimed in at that point. "It's Megumi, I believe. I can't recall her family name at the moment, but our files should have it."
Megumi was now bent over and whispering something to Darjeeling and Assam. At Darjeeling's nod, she turned around and headed straight back across the gangway. Moments later, she re-emerged, now with another two people. One looked to be another university student, a short-haired girl with glasses. The other, whom Megumi and the other university student were carefully supporting, was the VIP whom they were all waiting for: a petite girl wearing a black and white frock, Shimada Alice herself.
"Ah, Shimada-chan! Welcome to St. Gloriana's!" Rosehip, one of the few people there who apparently had actually seen Alice in person before, yelled out from where she was, before she was shushed by Assam.
Alice, who had been looking down at the gangway, turned her face up and waved hesitantly towards the general direction of the shout. She slowly took a few more steps across the bridge linking the two ships, and then a few more, supported all the way by Megumi and the other university student.
"Come on, Shimada-chan! You can do it!" That was Rosehip again, though she shut up quickly at Pekoe's glance and shake of the head.
"Rosehip! Don't be rude!" Assam hissed. "If you want to help, go and get a chair ready for Shimada-san."
Nodding happily, Rosehip quickly slipped out, returning with a chair even before Alice had fully made it across. As she finally reached the ship, Alice tottered over to the provided chair and sat down, face white. Megumi and the other girl, looking anxious, were both holding Alice's hands and speaking softly to her.
Darjeeling stepped forward. "Welcome to St. Gloriana's Girls' College, Shimada-san. I'm very glad that you made it here safely, though I'm sorry to see that the trip didn't quite agree with you. Would you like to take a rest to recover from the journey?"
Alice tried to stand up and reply, but her face paled again and she sank back down into her seat. Megumi answered in her place, letting go of Alice's hand and standing up straight.
"Our thanks for the welcome, Darjeeling-san. I think that would be a good idea, the Commander didn't have the best of times during the crossing. Rumi and I can take her to any room you've got."
"Say, Keemun, don't you think Shimada-san looks like she's going to faint?" Cranberry meant for that to be a whisper, but she happened to speak just as Megumi finished, so everyone heard her comment clearly. She immediately shrank back, no thanks to the dirty looks she received from Megumi and her colleague. Keemun just rolled her eyes, not bothering to reply to Cranberry.
"Ah, I'm sure she'll be fine! Let me help her to a bed if she wants to rest!" Rosehip moved forward, grabbing Alice's free hand before anyone could stop her.
"Rosehip, don't —-"
Alice turned an interesting shade of green, before making a sound that had Rumi and Megumi taking a hasty step back. For once in her life, Rosehip hadn't moved fast enough, and found herself covered in what appeared to have been Alice's lunch, though by now it was thoroughly unrecognisable.
Assam let out a groan, while Darjeeling, of all people, looked like she was trying to stifle a giggle at the sight of Rosehip's face. Keemun just sighed, while ignoring the whispered "Pay up!" from Rukuriri. She should never have taken that bet about Rosehip and the likelihood of her causing an incident. It looked like Shimada Alice's visit to St. Gloriana's was off to a memorable start.
"Assam-sama, how did we manage to find out Shimada-san's tea preference, favourite elementary school teacher, and have a list of her ten most wanted limited edition Bokou plushies; but not know that she suffered from motion sickness?" Orange Pekoe was not trying to be sarcastic, though it might have sounded that way. She was genuinely curious, especially since she knew that Assam prided herself on the breadth and quality of the data St. Gloriana's had amassed on almost every major personage involved in Japanese senshadou, especially at the high school and university level.
Assam winced at the question anyway. "I'm afraid we dropped the ball on that, Pekoe. I can tell you that I'm going to have words with GI:6 after this. How they managed to miss this, I don't know, but it's certainly a major oversight. Maybe I should start doing more data-gathering personally again..."
After the unfortunate incident with Alice's ex-lunch, the welcoming party had soon dispersed, most back to their homes or dorm, or in the case of Rosehip, for a bath and change of clothes. Alice had been extremely mortified, but after many assurances from Rosehip, Darjeeling and even Megumi that it wasn't her fault, she'd consented to head to the room prepared for her and was now resting quietly there. Apparently, she was already feeling much better now that she was on a ship large enough to completely negate the motion of the waves.
Meanwhile, Darjeeling had invited Rumi and Megumi to have tea with Assam, Pekoe, and herself. They'd accepted the invitation instantly. Apparently, they had been planning to stay on for a couple of days, ostensibly to help out until Alice settled in, though Pekoe couldn't help but feel that they had other reasons for hanging around. They did seem to be enjoying their time chatting with Darjeeling so far, though.
Currently, Pekoe and Assam were in the little pantry next to Darjeeling's sitting room, preparing more tea and snacks, while Darjeeling entertained the two university students in the sitting room itself. Both of them couldn't seem to get enough of St. Gloriana's biscuits, and Pekoe was preparing the second round of refills already.
"I wonder which high schools the two of them attended?" Pekoe picked up the tray holding the teapot and the milk jug, together with the sugar jar and a strainer, preparing to head back out to the sitting room.
"Ah, now that I can tell you. Megumi-san is from Saunders, while Rumi-san is a Keizoku old girl." Next to her, Assam was wheeling out a little trolley with a serving stand, which had been completely refilled with sandwiches and biscuits. She had even dug out the last remaining boxes of Jaffa cakes and chocolate fingers left in St. Gloriana's. The school ship's usual supplier had apparently been having some logistical issues, and all stocks of these particularly prized biscuits had been completely depleted for several weeks. It had been the subject of much moaning among many of the girls recently, especially those reduced to having nothing but digestives with their tea. Pekoe distinctly remembered Darjeeling putting that particular stash aside for a special occasion, so she couldn't help but wonder if Assam was just being extra hospitable to the visitors, or if she was still feeling a little irritated with Darjeeling.
"Ah, that probably explains why they're going through the biscuits and scones as if they'd never had anything like it before."
Assam let out a mild chuff of amusement. "Yes, I doubt they have afternoon tea very often over in Saunders, and the less said about Keizoku's approach to feeding their students, the better. Magpies, the lot of them. They'll 'borrow' anything not nailed down."
"I...see." There really wasn't anything else Pekoe could say to that, to be honest.
Entering the sitting room, Assam and Pekoe headed straight for Darjeeling and the two university students, who were seated round the tea table and chatting away like old friends already. As they placed the new drinks and snacks on the table, the conversation continued on around them.
"...and then I said to Azumi: 'Well, I didn't tell you about it because you were obviously too "BC-y" to come along!' Ooh, she was so mad at me! I think she didn't speak to me for over a week. Commander had to intervene to get her to accept my apology!"
Megumi was apparently relating an anecdote about life in the All-Star University team to Darjeeling, who was looking quite amused. Rumi was also snickering, obviously remembering the incident well.
"Ah, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we've brought more tea and biscuits for everyone. There are cucumber sandwiches too, if anyone wants those." And if they didn't, Pekoe certainly did. Hot cross buns were still her favourite in general, but for light snacks at teatime, nothing beat a well-made cucumber sandwich. Pekoe liked to think she made a decent one, but the ones Assam-sama made were practically divine.
"Ooh, those new cookies look great! I've never seen those before. Hey, watch it, Rumi! Leave some for the rest of us!" Megumi was looking rather indignantly at Rumi, who had helped herself to three of the Jaffa cakes already.
As the two university students bickered good-naturedly, Pekoe risked a glance at Darjeeling from behind her teacup, but she hadn't reacted in any way to the appearance of the coveted snacks beyond a raised eyebrow.
Just then, a knock sounded from the door. Pekoe half rose from her seat, but a shake of the head from Darjeeling caused her to sit back down.
"No, Pekoe, don't trouble yourself. You've just sat down, after all." Darjeeling turned to Megumi and Rumi. "My apologies, but could you excuse me for just a minute? I'll be back as soon as I see who's at the door."
Without waiting for a response, Darjeeling rose and went over to the door, opening it to reveal a pale, but smiling Alice. Next to her was Rukuriri, who was keeping a wary eye on the Shimada heir, as if she expected her to topple over at any moment.
"Well, this is a bit of a surprise. How are you feeling, Shimada-san?" Darjeeling sounded a little nonplussed at Alice's sudden appearance. What that actually meant, in Pekoe's opinion, was that Darjeeling hadn't expected it at all.
"Much better, thank you. Rukuriri-san here gave me some ginger tea, and that helped a lot. May I come in, Darjeeling-san?" Alice, on the other hand, was sounding a lot more energetic than she had been earlier. The ginger tea seemed to have been very effective.
Megumi and Rumi had half-risen from their seats, though it didn't look like they would be needed. Orange Pekoe and Assam rose as well, Pekoe to grab an extra chair and Assam to shift and make room for Alice at the table.
"Of course you may, Shimada-san. Ah, thank you for bringing her here, Rukuriri. You're welcome to join us as well if you like. No? That's fine too."
Darjeeling closed the door, then headed back to the table with Alice in tow. A cup of hot tea was already waiting for Alice, courtesy of Pekoe, with a plate of biscuits placed directly in front of her as well.
"Commander, are you really feeling better?" Rumi still looked a little concerned, and Pekoe couldn't blame her.
"I'm alright, Rumi, don't worry." Alice looked at the Jaffa cake on her plate, then picked it up and gave it a cautious nibble. Her expression immediately brightened, and she took a larger bite.
"Well, at least it looks like your appetite is back, Commander," Megumi said with a relieved smile.
Darjeeling cleared her throat a little. "That is indeed good news, Shimada-san. Incidentally, I don't think you've met my crew members before? This is Assam, the Churchill's gunner and St. Gloriana's intelligence specialist."
"Pleased to meet you, Assam-san," Alice said, nodding politely.
"The pleasure is all mine, Shimada-san. Please don't hesitate to ask if you need anything." Assam returned the nod with a small smile.
"Assam's a bit of a miracle worker, you know?" Darjeeling waved her hand airily in Assam's general direction. "When she says 'anything' she really does mean anything, so don't be shy about asking her for help." She then turned to Pekoe, who was struggling not to laugh at the glare Assam was giving Darjeeling.
"This is Orange Pekoe, Shimada-san. She's the Churchill's loader, but while you're visiting us, she'll also be your personal guide. I've asked her to help bring you around and introduce you to the school, and she's very kindly agreed to be at your complete disposal for the next week."
"Ah, then I'll be in your care, Orange Pekoe-san. Please take good care of me while I'm here." Alice bowed her head a little in greeting.
"I'll be in your care as well, Shimada-san. I'm very pleased to finally meet you as well, since I don't think we had a chance to speak during the match with Ooarai," Pekoe replied. "As Darjeeling-sama mentioned, I'll be helping to bring you around while you're here at St. Gloriana's. I'll go over the tentative plans in a bit, but for now, is there anything you need?"
Alice shook her head. "Everything's been fine so far, Orange Pekoe-san. The room is clean and comfortable, plus it's a lot larger than my dorm room at Tokyo University."
Pekoe smiled, a little relieved at Alice's reply. "That's great, Shimada-san. So, I was thinking we'd do a tour of the school, its classes and extracurricular activities the whole day tomorrow. The senshadou team starts training again the following day, so if you're interested, you're more than welcome to join us then as well. Also, Pekoe-san alone will do, there's no need to be so formal."
"In that case, there's no need to use my family name as well, Pekoe-san. I look forward to the tour." Alice smiled shyly, then sipped a little at her tea.
"Commander, would you like us to come along tomorrow?" The question came from Rumi, who apparently had a decent poker face. Megumi, on the other hand, didn't, and it was obvious that she was hoping that Alice would say yes.
"Thank you, Rumi, Megumi, but it's fine. I feel perfectly alright now, and there's no need to bother the two of you. I'm sure Azumi could use your help with the team's training while I'm away temporarily." At Alice's polite but firm dismissal, Megumi's face fell visibly, while Rumi maintained her poker face.
"Well...if you're sure, Commander. We'll make our way back to the mainland tomorrow, then," Rumi said with a smile, before lifting her teacup and drinking. Pekoe blinked a little. Was she imagining things, or had Rumi just winked at Megumi when she said that?
As time passed and neither of them behaved out of the ordinary in any way, Pekoe decided that her mind must have been playing tricks on her and forgot about it. The time passed quickly, as all present chatted and discussed senshadou matches they had been in over the years. At first, Alice was quiet, speaking little except to interject occasionally to clarify a point. Eventually, she began to warm up to the company and even contributed a few stories of her own, though she didn't go into too much detail or talk about the Shimada style much.
Eventually, Rumi yawned a little and glanced at her watch. "Goodness! It's already past dinner time. Come on, Megumi, we need to get back to our hotel."
As they were making their farewells, Megumi drew Orange Pekoe aside. "Please do take care of the Commander, Orange Pekoe-san. She may be a prodigy in many ways, but in others, she's still a middle schooler."
Pekoe nodded seriously. "Please don't worry, Megumi-san. We'll all do our best to look after her."
Megumi gave her a look she couldn't quite decipher. "Well, that's all I could ask, I suppose. Just give us a call if there's anything."
Pekoe nodded, and the two university students departed, Megumi already suggesting to Rumi that they head to this particular pub that she had spotted earlier.
"Well, that was an exciting day, if I might say so myself," Darjeeling said brightly. "Shimada-san, will you be joining us for dinner as well?"
At Alice's nod, Darjeeling's smile widened even more. "Well then, shall we? I believe they're serving roast beef tonight. I think you'll like it, Shimada-san."
The mood was cheerful as the four of them walked to dinner. Assam-sama had started telling jokes from her seemingly inexhaustible fund of them (Seriously, did she and Darjeeling-sama both order new books of jokes or sayings every month or something? They never seemed to use the same one twice) and before long, Alice was giggling uncontrollably. Things certainly seemed to be going well with the visit so far.
Despite that, Pekoe couldn't help feeling like she'd forgotten something important. Oh well, it would come back to her in time if it really was important. For now, she was hungry, and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding sounded wonderful.
The next day, Pekoe was up before the crack of dawn, even if she did have to rinse her face a few more times than usual to shake off the cobwebs. St. Gloriana's wasn't the smallest of places, and if she was going to be showing Alice around, she'd need all the time she could get. The sun had barely begun to rise when Pekoe left her dorm and began making her way over to Alice's accommodations, mentally going over her plans again as she walked.
First, they'd have a quick tour of the school today, and if there was time, the surrounding city and parts of the ship. This was the part Pekoe predicted would take the most time on foot, and so she'd requisitioned Ruhuna and the Morris LRC to help drive them around. It was too bad the Indian Pattern Carrier was out on repairs; she'd always thought the Morris had a rather uncomfortable seating arrangement, but needs must.
The next day, they'd check out a couple of classes throughout the day. Darjeeling had suggested earlier that Alice sit in during Darjeeling's own classes, since Alice was already studying at a university level and putting her in a lower grade might bore her a little. If she found it not to her liking, she could move to the first or second year classes instead. Assam had looked a tad nervous at Darjeeling's suggestion, but hadn't said anything. Well, if Assam hadn't objected, Pekoe certainly wouldn't. Still, it was probably best if she sat in with them as well, just in case.
Finally, she'd bring Alice around the different clubs and societies in St. Gloriana's, but that shouldn't take too long. Alice had requested to join the senshadou team's training sessions as well, and Darjeeling was more than happy to allow her to. Other than that, Alice would be free to do what she wished for the next couple of days, but she'd promised to let Pekoe know her plans beforehand so that things could be arranged. An idea occurred to Pekoe. Should she introduce Alice to the rest of the senshadou team earlier as well? Pekoe thought it over for a moment, before deciding it was probably a good idea. That way, they could actually run proper training sessions with Alice instead of having half the team distracted with their guest. Better to let them get it out of their system early.
Pekoe double-checked her phone for the room number as she reached the dorm block where Alice would be staying for the rest of the week. Once she found the correct room, she rapped firmly on the door. A soft "Coming" answered her knock, and Pekoe settled down to wait, enjoying the fresh morning air and the sounds of the school coming to life with the new day. It only took a few minutes before the door swung open, revealing Alice standing in the doorway, already dressed in St. Gloriana's school uniform.
Pekoe smiled at the Shimada heir. "Good morning, Shimada-sa... Alice-san. I must say, the uniform suits you very well. How are you feeling today?"
Alice returned Pekoe's smile with a small one of her own. "Ah, thank you, Pekoe-san. It's quite comfortable, and the sweater really does keep you warm." She stepped out, closing the door carefully behind her. "I'm feeling much better today, so please don't worry. Shall we be off?"
"Yes, let's. I do apologise for getting you up as early as this, but there's quite a lot of things to do today."
Alice shook her head. "No, it's nothing. I usually wake up around this time when there's training going on."
Huh. Well, she was the heir of a major senshadou school and a prodigy to boot. It was probably to be expected that she'd have quite a structured timetable.
"Well, if you say so, but it's not very common over here. Most classes start around nine in the morning, after all, so students here don't usually wake up this early. In fact, I think most only get up around 7 a.m, and I'm pretty sure Rosehip doesn't wake up till it's nearly eight, otherwise she wouldn't always be bursting into...ah, I'm sorry, I've started rambling." Pekoe's cheeks had gone tomato-red. What must Alice think of her, babbling away like an idiot?
A small giggle from Alice put her worries to rest. "Don't worry about it, Pekoe-san. Thank you for waking up early to bring me around, in that case."
Pekoe let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding. "Ah, it's no trouble at all, Alice-san. Shall we head off, then? I think I hear Ruhuna outside already. Let's not keep her waiting as well."
"This is my favourite spot to gaze out over the ocean and the rest of the ship, Alice-san. Isn't the view wonderful?" Orange Pekoe beamed at Alice, who was gazing out at the rest of St. Gloriana's, stretching out below her. Off to the side, tucked away behind a few bushes, Ruhuna was snatching a nap inside the LRC. All of them were currently at the top of the tallest hill on the schoolship, which was almost high enough to be called a small mountain. A single narrow road ran up to the summit, though it was rarely used. Most of the hill was thickly wooded, but the trees thinned out nearer the top, providing fantastic views of the rest of the ship and the ocean all around. A small gazebo had been built there as well, providing both shelter and a place for weary hikers to rest their legs. The only place higher was the actual observation deck of the ship, and the surroundings there were obviously not as pleasant as they were here, where they were surrounded by nature (well, as close as you could get on a schoolship) instead of bare metal.
Alice nodded, though she didn't seem as enthusiastic as she had been earlier. Maybe it was just tiredness? It had been quite a busy morning, after all, with Pekoe bringing Alice around both St. Gloriana's proper as well as the surrounding town. While St. Gloriana's wasn't a popular tourist destination in itself like Anzio or some other school ships, it still possessed its own charms, with many places and landmarks both treasured by the students and remembered fondly by the alumni, and Pekoe was happy to show off the school she considered a second home.
For example, one of Pekoe's favourite places in the school was the saltwater swimming pool, cunningly built into the side of a cliff, with fresh sea water constantly being pumped in over boulders to mimic the effect of waves crashing on a rocky shore. She'd spent many happy hours in it, both by herself and in the company of her friends. St. Gloriana had other, more conventional swimming pools as well, but the saltwater pool was both huge and immensely popular with the students, providing all the thrill and atmosphere of swimming in the ocean without the dangers. Even the public could use it for a small fee. The two of them had arrived early enough that the sleepy student lifeguards were just coming on duty, and there were currently only a couple of people doing morning laps in the pool. Alice had seemed fascinated by the concept, and she was obviously a little reluctant to leave when Pekoe decided they had to move on.
Any lingering desire to stay by the pool immediately vanished when Pekoe brought Alice to their next stop, St. Gloriana's Grand Gardens. She had ooh-ed and ahh-ed like any other girl her age at her first sight of the splendour of the gardens in the morning sun, and her eyes had grown as wide as saucers when Pekoe informed her that 457 different varieties of roses alone were grown in the gardens, as well as countless other flowers and trees. This early in the day, the leaves were still wet with morning dew, but the air was already filled with a delightful fragrance that was never the same twice, as different flowers bloomed and closed with the seasons. As they wandered the gardens, Pekoe provided commentary here and there on the highlights of the gardens, with the help of a member of the Gardening Club whom they had run into along the way.
One of those highlights was the great oak tree growing at the exact centre of the gardens, surrounded by a thickly blooming bed of rose of sharon, St. Gloriana's school flower. The oak was a scion of the century-old oak growing in St. Gloriana's home port of Yokohama, which in turn was grown from an acorn brought over the sea from Britain by the first English traders to arrive in Japan at the end of the Shogunate, and that acorn had come from the Great Oak of Sherwood, which had been thriving in the heart of Sherwood Forest since the days of Robin Hood.
Next were the patterned flowerbeds and the hedge sculptures, all crafted with painstaking effort into wondrous shapes and designs over weeks of work. Pekoe's personal favourite was the flowerbed depicting St. Gloriana's last National Senshadou championship-winning match, though Darjeeling had always thought it was a bit tacky. Alice appeared more drawn to the life-size hedge sculptures of tanks and other AFVs, lingering the longest over the faithful life-size reproduction of a Centurion tank. They passed by the legendary hedge maze as well, which famously had never been solved in less than 2 hours. The Gardening Club made sure that that record was maintained, remodelling it every term to an even more fiendish level of difficulty. Unfortunately, they didn't have time to linger and see the rest of the garden, since the sun was rising higher with every passing moment and they'd barely finished half of what Pekoe had planned to show Alice.
Their next stop had been the main school buildings, though Pekoe didn't plan to spend much time showing them to Alice, since she'd be spending most of her remaining time in St. Gloriana's around there. Nevertheless, she made sure to make a stop at the ivy-covered Great Hall, where the entire school would congregate once a week. Its roof was studded with spires and towers, but the greatest of those was the magnificent clock tower at the Great Hall's north end (built to the exact specifications of the Elizabeth Tower in London), whose chimes could be heard clearly from halfway across the ship. After that, they made their way to the classrooms, passing by the senshadou practice grounds, as well as the hangars and workshops, all of which Pekoe pointed out to Alice, though they didn't bother stopping. The rolling hills surrounding the hangars provided an excellent training area as well, though the Equestrian Club appeared to be having a late morning ride there today. Pekoe made sure to wave hello as they drove past. It never hurt to have good relationships with the other clubs. Besides, she had several friends in the club, and Darjeeling-sama went out for rides with them every so often.
After checking out some classrooms (including Pekoe's own, since she knew exactly when it would be unused), the library (which held at least half a million volumes, to say nothing of their computer resources), and the school museum (holding historical artifacts dating back to the school ship's founding), they made a short stop for lunch. The cafeteria had been packed, and it had taken a while to get a table. It was probably the fault of the excellent fish and chips being served today, and Pekoe was glad to see that Alice's appetite seemed fully recovered. Their next destination was the town surrounding St. Gloriana's proper, where Pekoe was kept busy pointing out things like the location of the shopping district, any good cafes and restaurants, and generally making sure that Alice knew where to get anything that she might need. Finally, as the sun began to dip lower in the sky, they'd made their way to the hill to get some peace and quiet.
Alice was still quietly gazing out at the city spread out across the deck of the ship below them. The day was clear and bright, and the school could clearly be seen, as well as the city beyond it and even the glimmering ocean, past the bow of the ship. Nonetheless, Orange Pekoe was getting the impression that Alice wasn't really focusing on the view. What was actually on her mind was a mystery to Pekoe, especially since Alice had been relatively reserved all day. Oh, she'd been friendly and polite, and seemed to be genuinely impressed and interested at most of the sights Pekoe had shown her, but she'd generally stayed quiet and reserved, with only the occasional question or comment at what they were seeing at the time. Still, it could have been a lot worse. Imagine if she'd been some stuck-up brat.
A soft yawn from Alice snapped Pekoe out of her musings. "Alice-san? Would you prefer to stay a little longer, or would you like to head back and rest? I've pretty much shown you everything I was planning to, after all, and you look a bit tired."
Alice turned towards Pekoe, cheeks slightly pink. "Yes, I think that might be a good idea, Pekoe-san."
As the both of them started to head back to the LRC, a thought occurred to Pekoe. "If you don't mind me asking, Alice-san, why'd you choose to visit St. Gloriana's?" Realising a little too late that Alice might take that the wrong way, she quickly backpedalled a little. "N-not that we're unhappy to host you, of course! It's just that I was a little curious."
To Pekoe's eyes, Alice's blush looked like it was growing deeper, though that might just have been her imagination. "Umm, I heard a lot about it from some of the members of the University All-Star team who were alumni of St. Gloriana's. It sounded like a good school, so I was interested in finding out more." Alice paused there, then mumbled something more which Pekoe couldn't quite make out. The only word she managed to catch was 'Mother'.
What did Alice's mother have to do with her coming to St. Gloriana's, and was she in favour of it or not? Pekoe was about to ask Alice to repeat herself when Alice's head snapped around.
"Alice-san? What is it?"
"I think I hear something. It sounded almost like voices. Familiar voices, too..."
Pekoe glanced about. It didn't seem like there was anyone around, and she hadn't heard anyone come up the road behind them.
"Are you sure, Alice-san?"
"Yes," Alice said with a firm nod. She pointed to where the woods began to thicken, where multiple young bushy trees and the occasional taller one came together. "It was coming from that direction."
Pekoe looked in the direction Alice was pointing at. She didn't see anything, and she hadn't heard anything, but still, Alice had no reason to lie. She cupped her hands to her mouth.
"Whoever you are, we know you're there! You have 10 seconds to come out and persuade me you don't mean any harm before I call the ship's police!"
"Alice-san, please get ready to call the police," Pekoe whispered before beginning the countdown in a louder voice. "Ten! Nine! Eight! Sev-"
"Wait, wait!" That voice had come from the bushes directly in front of them, but before Pekoe could react, another voice called from the trees.
"We're coming, we're comi — woah!"
With a crack, the tree branch snapped, depositing a screaming Rumi and Megumi with a crash into the bushes from where the first voice had come from.
Pekoe and Alice hurried over, only to see a familiar-looking trio trapped under the two university students.
"Rumi! Megumi! What do you think you're doing!?"
The two university students quailed under Alice's glare.
"Now, now, Captain, I assure you it's not what it looks like..."
"Oh, really?" Alice's voice was arctic.
As the other three St. Gloriana students brushed themselves off, groaning all the way, Pekoe gave them her best disappointed look as well.
"Peppermint, Oolong. I thought I warned you before about eavesdropping. And you, Rooibos! I thought you had more sense than this!"
Rooibos hung her head, while Peppermint and Oolong looked mulish. Pekoe simply sighed, looking back and forth between the motley collection of would-be spies.
"You know, if any of you wanted to come along, you could have just said so."
The expression on their faces was a memory that Pekoe would savour for a long time to come.
It had been a long, hot school day in St. Gloriana's, and Orange Pekoe was very glad that it was finally coming to an end. With the schoolship currently in Okinawan waters, the weather had been positively tropical over the last few days. Pekoe wasn't a huge fan of the cold, but she did feel that it was a tad unnatural to have the temperature hover around 30 degrees Celsius at this time of the year. Autumn was supposed to be a time of changing leaves and crisp weather, not warm cloudless days with the air completely still. At least this state of affairs wouldn't last much longer. Pekoe understood the ship would be heading back north soon, and she was looking forward to the temperature dropping to more comfortable levels.
All that was still in the future, though. Right now, she was stuck at the back of Darjeeling's classroom with Alice, listening to the third-year English teacher drone on about gerunds and how to use them properly. Grammar was never particularly gripping, even at the best of times, and a warm, stuffy classroom at the end of the school day was not one of those times. Most of the class was fidgeting, doodling, or just-flat out ignoring the teacher in favour of listening intently for the bell that would signal the end of class. Pekoe didn't blame them. A few exceptions, more diligent or more able to tolerate boredom than the rest, were scribbling down notes. Both Assam and Darjeeling were in this latter group, Pekoe noted. She let out a small sigh. They really should have left before this lesson started, but Alice had insisted on staying for the "full experience", in her own words.
A quick glance to the left revealed that Alice was looking just as bored as the rest of the class. Still, she was arguably in a better mood compared to yesterday. The encounter with Rumi and Megumi had left Alice in a foul temper, and she'd been studiously ignoring both of them since, even after countless apologies. Pekoe vaguely felt like she should do something, but she didn't know how to get them to make up, or even if she should interfere in the first place. She'd tried asking Alice if she wanted to talk about it, and gotten a frosty "No" in response. After that, Pekoe had let the matter drop.
Besides, she had her own problems from yesterday to deal with. Orange Pekoe wasn't quite sure what to do with those three... well, 'idiots' was probably too strong a word. After all, their hearts were usually in the right place. Still, there was a reason Peppermint and her friends were tied with Rosehip as the team members who had given Assam the most headaches this year. Pekoe had made sure to let them know how disappointed she was in them before packing them off, but she would need to speak to Darjeeling and Assam to see if anything else should be done. A stern talking-to regarding proper behaviour towards guests, as well as tank-cleaning duty for the rest of the semester, and the lesson might actually stick this time.
Of course, it had been the fault of that whole ridiculous 'host crew' idea in the first place. When asked just why they'd been sneaking around in bushes, Peppermint had claimed that they "just wanted to learn more about Shimada-san before the host crew selection", but also "didn't want to be a bother". However, when Pekoe invited her to explain just how playing ninja would help with the selection, she'd hemmed and hawed a bit before finally admitting she hadn't quite worked that part out yet.
In Orange Pekoe's opinion, Darjeeling and Assam needed to announce the chosen tank crew quickly, before any more members of the team got it into their heads to try something. She'd have to bring it up to them after the class. Rewarding bad behaviour was a terrible idea, so Peppermint and the rest of Rukuriri's crew was right out. Maybe Rosehip, if she could keep herself under control long enough? Theoretically possible, but Pekoe wouldn't be holding her breath. In her opinion, Keemun or Vanilla would probably be the best choices. Keemun was steady enough, even if her crew was a little eccentric, and Vanilla was the most sober Crusader commander in the team (though still a hellion by the standards of the Matilda crews).
Mind made up, Pekoe turned her attention back to the teacher, only for the bell to chime at that moment. The class suddenly stirred back into wakefulness, as students began throwing books and stationery into their bags. Chairs scraped across the floor, and at the monitor's call, the students rose and bowed, Pekoe and Alice among them. The sound of chatter started to fill the room, even before the teacher had finished heading out the door. As their classmates began to leave, laughing and waving goodbye to friends, Darjeeling and Assam both walked over to the desk that Pekoe was temporarily occupying.
"I must say, it feels a little strange to see you here, Pekoe," Darjeeling said. "Strange, but not unwelcome." She turned to Alice, who was working the stiffness out of her limbs with a practiced ease. "It's good to see you as well, Shimada-san. I do hope the class wasn't too soporific?"
Alice shrugged. "I'm used to it. Lots of university lectures were boring too."
"Well, I know just the thing to perk you up. Shall we head down to the tank hangar?" Darjeeling said with a small smile. "I know practice is only starting in another hour, but it has been a while since I last inspected all the tanks. You did request to have a look at them as well, I believe, and now would be the perfect time for that. I know Pekoe was going to take you to visit the other clubs, but I think that this would be more to your liking."
Alice nodded, pushing the chair back as she stood. "I think it's a good idea, Darjeeling-san. Please lead the way." Pekoe got up to follow, feeling somewhat nonplussed by the change in plans. Still, Darjeeling probably knew what she was doing.
As the four of them left the classroom block, Darjeeling turned to Alice, a twinkle in her eye.
"So do you find St. Gloriana's so far, Shimada-san? I do hope nothing unpleasant has popped up while you have been here."
Orange Pekoe winced. Darjeeling was perfectly aware of the nonsense that had happened yesterday — Pekoe had briefed her about it, after all. Why was she poking at Alice now? She opened her mouth to try and change the topic, but shut it again at Assam's minute shake of the head.
Alice frowned a little, clearly uncomfortable with the line of questioning. "Well, I suppose it's been alright so far. The school is certainly very pretty."
"I'm glad to hear that, Shimada-san," Darjeeling said. "I do hope you'll continue to find St. Gloriana's to your liking. I, for one, think you would do very well here should you choose to stay."
Alice didn't reply further, but Pekoe thought she didn't look too pleased. Assam took the opportunity to step in, gracefully leading the conversation away to safer topics. Soon, Alice seemed to have forgotten all about Darjeeling's remarks as she commiserated with Assam about the weather. A casual remark by Darjeeling then ended up developing into a extremely spirited debate on whether a Tortoise could indeed win a one-on-one duel with a Maus. Pekoe trailed quietly behind the others, internally cringing whenever yet another aphorism made its appearance in the conversation. She wondered if it was already too late to drag Alice away and not bring her back till Darjeeling had gone elsewhere.
Finally, the little group, sans Assam, arrived at the tank hangars. Assam had peeled off earlier to the Tea Garden building to settle some urgent business, offering to take everyone else's school bags with her as well. As they entered the main hangar quietly, Pekoe took a moment to glance around. It was still mostly deserted, but a few early birds were already there. She could see Nilgiri, dutiful as always, going through the pre-startup checklist for her Matilda, while Vanilla was doing the same for her Crusader. Even Rosehip was there (much to Pekoe's surprise), idly chatting with Hibiscus while they cleaned their Crusader's tracks.
"Well, here we are, Shimada-san. It might not be much, compared to the resources of the University All-Star Team, but we make do," Darjeeling said, a little lilt in her voice. "Might I direct your attention to our Matildas? They might not be as speedy as their opponents, but there's no better tank to receive an enemy's charge and then throw it right back at them."
As Darjeeling continued waxing lyrical on the advantages of infantry tanks to a politely listening Alice, Pekoe let her mind wander a little, even as she trailed after the two of them. She'd heard the entire spiel many times before, after all. Maybe after Alice's visit was over, she could take some time off and make a quick visit home? She hadn't seen her family in quite some time, and while St. Gloriana's was a home away from home, she did miss her old neighbourhood. It had been way too long since she last paid a visit to Chuukagai and that stall with the best gyoza she had ever tasted. Yes, she really should see if she could manage to squeeze in a visit home...
"Shimada-chan, no, Alice-chan! It's nice to finally meet you properly!"
Pekoe jumped a little as Rosehip's voice jolted her out of her reverie. Blinking, she looked ahead to see Darjeeling and Alice standing next to Rosehip's tank. Rosehip and Hibiscus had stopped their cleaning to greet their visitors, with Rosehip showing a typical amount of enthusiasm.
Alice's answer was too soft for Pekoe to catch, even as she hurried over to where the Shimada heiress was standing. Rosehip's reaction, however, was loud and clear.
"Hahaha! Alice-chan, I didn't know you had such a great sense of humour! We're going to get along just great!" She then proceeded to sling an arm around Alice's shoulders, all while keeping up a monologue about how she, Rosehip-neesan, would make sure Alice would have the best time possible in St. Gloriana's and how she'd show Alice how to be a proper elegant lady.
Judging by her expression, Alice didn't share Rosehip's optimism. Darjeeling, on the other hand, appeared to be attempting to stifle her laughter, though she didn't seem to be trying very hard.
"Darjeeling-sama!" Pekoe kept her voice as low as she could, but she could definitely hear some of her pent-up frustration bleeding into it. "Do something!"
Darjeeling's chuckles died down slowly, even as Rosehip continued to proclaim her grand plans. Coughing once or twice, she stepped over to Rosehip and gently tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh, and tea parties! I'm great at those, you know! It's all about the timing, you know, and the — huh? What is it, Darjeeling-sama?"
Still smiling broadly (in anyone else, it would have been a grin, but Darjeeling of St. Gloriana's did not do anything so vulgar as grin), Darjeeling carefully moved Rosehip's arm off Alice's shoulder.
"I do believe that it's nearly time for practice, Rosehip. Perhaps you might want to finish your preparations? Unfortunately, this means that we will have to temporarily come between you and Shimada-san, at least until practice is over.
Rosehip nodded happily. "Ah, of course, Darjeeling-sama! So sorry, Alice-chan, but I promise I'll come find you again once we're done with practice! You can trust Rosehip-neesan!"
As Rosehip hopped back onto her Crusader, Pekoe grabbed Alice's hand and steered her away from Rosehip as fast as she reasonably could. Darjeeling followed, still chuckling occasionally.
"I apologise on Rosehip-san's behalf, Alice-san. She means well, she really does...it's just that she tends to get over-enthusiastic at times," Pekoe said.
Alice looked somewhat lost, like she was having trouble processing what had just happened. Pekoe didn't blame her. Most people behaved like that after their first full dose of Rosehip.
"It wasn't actually that objectionable, Pekoe-san," murmured Alice finally, so softly that Pekoe nearly missed it at first.
"Huh?" was the only thing Pekoe managed to say, before the hangar doors swung open and Assam strode in.
"Ah, there you all are. Darjeeling, we should be starting practice soon. The rest of the team is already arriving."
"Of course, Assam," Darjeeling said. "Shimada-san, would you prefer to join our drills today, perhaps in one of the Matildas or the Crusaders, or would you prefer to watch from the sidelines with me? It's mostly formation and gunnery practice today, so nothing earth-shattering, I'm afraid."
Alice thought for a short while, head bent in thought, then glanced up sharply. "I think I'd prefer to watch first, at least until I see your tanks in action. I know their capabilities already, of course, but there are always differences from theory. I'd like to join in tomorrow, though."
"Capital, capital," Darjeeling said. "We'll have a tank and a temporary crew for you by tomorrow as well, so that all works out well." She turned to Assam. "Well, Assam? Let's get started. No time like the present, as the saying goes."
Assam gave a crisp nod, then whirled on her heels to face the rest of the hangar, which had been filling up as the rest of the team trickled in. "Alright, everyone! Assemble on Practice Ground 2 with your tanks in ten minutes. We're doing formation firing drills today, since it's been quite a while since we last trained on that. Rosehip, stop giggling! I had better see your tank be top in gunnery scores today, or you'll be staying behind for extra practice! Right, girls, let's go!"
As she walked along the street with Alice, Orange Pekoe let out a quiet sigh of relief. The day's training had finally come to an end, and though it had only lasted about two hours, it felt more like a lifetime. Somehow, the rest of the team had gotten it into their heads that Darjeeling-sama was going to choose a crew to host Alice based on their performance during the training, leading to a sudden outbreak of competitiveness. Things had gotten more heated than Pekoe had ever seen before, especially after Keemun's tank suddenly swerved to dodge a shell crater and collided with Rukuriri's tank in the middle of mobile gunnery drill, causing a six-tank pileup. Rukuriri had been convinced that Keemun had done it on purpose to make her look bad, and nearly blew a fuse there and then. If it wasn't for Assam-sama stepping in immediately, the whole situation would probably have escalated even further. It had been so embarrassing, especially with Alice there watching the entire time. She must think they were no better than BC Freedom or something!
At least things had been sorted out quickly by Assam-sama. She'd calmed everyone down, and training had gotten more or less back on track after that. It was Pekoe's firm opinion that the senshadou team only ran as smoothly as it did thanks to Assam-sama's efforts. It was all well and good to look to Darjeeling-sama for overall leadership, but without Assam-sama handling the more mundane but necessary matters, the team would probably fall apart in half a day.
Anyway, Pekoe had decided to take Alice to her favourite ice-cream parlour after the day's practice. It was a bit of an indulgence, especially since that particular shop's offerings didn't come cheap, but Pekoe felt that some ice-cream was the least she deserved after the last few hours. The last few days too, for that matter. Alice had seemed happy to agree, and so the two of them had set off immediately once the team had been dismissed. The walk hadn't taken very long, and before they knew it, they'd arrived at the ice-cream shop.
Pekoe pushed the door open gently, and stepped inside as the chimes of the entrance bell sounded. A cuckoo clock hung high up on the wall ticked away cheerfully, and the warm wooden panelling and the spotless tablecloths gave the shop a cozy feel that Pekoe always found soothing. The eyes of the middle-aged man behind the counter lit up in recognition, and he called out cheerily.
"Ah, Pekoe-san! I haven't seen you around for a while. What will you be having today? Your usual?"
Pekoe returned the smile. "Yes please, Yamada-san. Alice-san, what would you like?"
Alice looked down from where she had been studying the menu board printed above the counter. "I'll have a banana split, please."
"Coming right up! Please wait patiently!"
As the man busied himself with preparing their orders, Pekoe and Alice took a seat at one of the small tables inside the shop. Glancing around, Pekoe realised that the shop was almost empty. The only other persons in the shop were an old lady and her grandchild, and they were about to leave.
The shopkeeper bustled over, carrying a tray with their ice-cream orders, as well as two glasses of water. "Here you go! Enjoy!"
"Thank you, Yamada-san. Quiet day today?"
"I suppose? It was a lot busier earlier after the lunch rush, but you seem to have come at a slack time." The shopkeeper gave her a conspiratorial wink. "Which is why I had time to make sure your usual had extra blueberries and almonds today!"
"Yamada-san, you shouldn't have!"
"Nonsense! If an old man wants to make sure one of his best customers is well taken care of, please indulge him in his fancies! I also made sure your friend's banana split had extra walnuts and plenty of whipped cream!"
Pekoe blushed a little, but simply nodded in thanks. As the shopkeeper headed off, Alice turned to Pekoe, eyebrow raised.
"I did say this was one of my favourite places to eat, Alice-san," Pekoe said, somewhat embarrassed. "I've come here often enough that Yamada-san knows my usual order, and we chat every so often. He says I remind him a little of his daughter, back when she was my age. Well, shall we?"
Alice dipped her head in acknowledgement, then began digging into her banana split with gusto. Pekoe smiled, then picked up her own spoon and followed suit.
A short but satisfying time later, Pekoe was quietly savouring the last few bites of her knickerbocker glory, eyes closed in bliss, even as Alice finished off her own banana split. As the cold sweetness dissolved on her tongue, she could feel her stress start to melt away as well. Apparently, ice-cream really did make everything better. And here she thought that Darjeeling-sama had made that saying up.
" — ekoe-san? Pekoe-san?" Alice's voice shook Pekoe out of her thoughts, and she opened her eyes and turned to Alice with an apologetic smile.
"I'm so sorry, I didn't catch that. Could you please repeat whatever you were saying, Alice-san?"
"If you don't mind me asking, what made you decide to attend St. Gloriana's, Pekoe-san?" Alice was diligently licking at whatever little remained of the ice-cream on her spoon, and Pekoe couldn't help thinking that she'd have loved to have a little sister even half as cute as Alice was. She mulled over the question for a little while.
"Mmm. I suppose I took it partly for granted that I'd attend St. Gloriana's? After all, I grew up in Yokohama, which is St. Gloriana's home port, and my mother attended St. Gloriana's herself, as did many of my neighbours and their children. Besides, I enjoyed senshadou in elementary school, and I knew St. Gloriana's had a good program, so I was happy to come here. That said, getting used to how things were done here was a little challenging at the start. If it wasn't for seniors like Darjeeling-sama and Assam-sama, I think I'd have had more trouble. I learnt a lot from them at the start, and I'm still learning even now."
"So it was sort of expected of you to attend, huh?" Alice had a pensive look on her face, and she almost seemed like she was talking to herself.
"Well, you could say that, but I'm sure my parents would have allowed me to go elsewhere if I had wanted. I must admit that I've always liked Anzio's school uniform, but the school itself is a little too...unique for me."
Alice nodded. "You mentioned that you learnt a lot of things from your seniors when you first came, Pekoe-san. Would you mind telling me more about that?"
"Well, let's see..." Pekoe paused for a little while, trying to put her thoughts into words. "Well, I've learnt tons about senshadou, of course, but also about other things, like how to keep calm and carry on no matter the circumstances. When I first joined the team, it was hard to keep my composure in the middle of a match, but both Darjeeling-sama and Assam-sama never seem to panic or get flustered, especially Darjeeling-sama. She keeps her composure even when things seemed hopeless, and she always seems to know just what to do every time, even if she's not always as clear as she could be. I've done my best to learn that skill, though I think I still have a long way to go."
Pekoe gave Alice a rueful smile. "Darjeeling-sama's abilities are pretty unbelievable, to be honest. She seems to excel in nearly everything she puts her mind to, not just senshadou. She's among the top students in the school, she's an excellent rider, and she's even a pretty decent painter!"
Alice's eyes widened. "She does sound pretty impressive, Pekoe-san. I knew about her senshadou skills, of course, but I didn't know she excelled in so many other things as well."
Pekoe made a show of glancing about to check for eavesdroppers, then leaned forward conspiratorially. " I did say nearly everything. To tell you the truth, Darjeeling-sama can't cook to save her life. She thinks she can, but most of us just humour her, and then try to escape whenever she insists on cooking." Pekoe shuddered a little. "Especially when she decides to whip up what she calls 'British soul food'. I still remember the incident with the beef tea and the stargazy pie."
Alice giggled a little. "That sounds like an interesting story. I thought you would be complaining about her quoting stuff all the time. I know I would if I were in your shoes."
"Oh, I've gotten more or less used to those. It's just how Darjeeling-sama is. She does tend to get a little too obtuse at times, if you catch my meaning. Fortunately, Assam-sama usually gets her back on track whenever that happens."
Pekoe took a sip of water from her glass, then turned her gaze back on Alice.
"What about you, Alice-san? What's life like as the leader of the University All-Stars team?"
"Well, senshadou is pretty cool, and I have lots of fun with it. However..." Alice's face fell slightly. "It can be a little stifling at times, though. Azumi, Rumi, and Megumi all mean well, and I know they really care for me, but dealing with them can sometimes get quite tiring. Even Mother can be that way sometimes."
Alice looked down for a few moments, then continued. "Still, I'm glad that I was the leader of the All-Stars team. Otherwise, I wouldn't have met Miho-san and become friends with her."
Pekoe nodded, a smile on her face. "Miho-san is certainly quite the amazing person. She's not at all what I expected she'd be like when I first met her. I did hear you were planning to transfer to Ooarai. I'm a little surprised that you didn't stay there, actually."
Alice flushed a little. "Ooarai was nice, but if I had stayed there, I couldn't have fought Miho-san again, after all."
"Well, that won't be a problem with St. Gloriana's," Pekoe said cheerily. "There'll be lots of opportunities for matches against Ooarai."
Alice bit her lip. She seemed undecided about what to say next. Finally, her expression firmed up, and then she lifted her head to look straight into Pekoe's eyes.
"I don't think I want to stay on in St. Gloriana's permanently, Pekoe-san."
A/N:
Cliffhanger~ Yeah, it's a bit of a tease, but I'm hoping to release the next part soon, and I felt like I've been working way too long on this part anyway, so I thought I'd put it out there and see what people thought of it.
Also, I've always thought of Assam as the person in charge of internal discipline in St. Gloriana's team, judging by how she's always the one telling off Rosehip. She's already head of GI:6, handling GI:5 as well shouldn't be a problem for her.