"Stop sulking."
"I'm not sulking." Yukari replied sulkily.
"You're no good at brooding. Leave that to me and Miho. Mako too."
"I'm not sulking."
"Yes you are. Because I yelled at you and not like I normally do." Erika sighed. "I do a lot of yelling. That's how we did things at Kuromorimine. Bark commands. Shout 'Fire!' loud enough for the enemy to hear your voice before they hear your guns. You get used to feeling spittle landing on your neck from your commander shouting commands from the turret while you're driving at Kuromorimine." She sighed again, gazing into Yukari's thick tresses. So much hair. "You know about Maho. You probably know more about her than I do. She was my Captain, and you don't speak to the Captain unless spoken to. That's how it was. That's why I told you to shut up because I was a Kuromorimine student again when she was there and not an Oarai. I forgot…" She shook her head. "Everything. If you'd been to Kuromorimine you'd understand. You'd know why it's hard to shake off the training. The mentality."
Yukari didn't look at her but she did speak, albeit hesitantly. "When we met, I thought you were going to break my arm. I understand… You thought I was staring at…" She trailed off, fearful of that territory. "You said though that we could talk about tanks. I thought that was amazing. The most amazing thing that could have happened, having an experienced Sensha-do player to talk to… And then the President showed up and said Sensha-do was coming back. I thought it was all a dream. The best dream." Yukari's shoulders heaved. "I was wrong. The best dream was when you invited me to dinner with Ankou-san team. When we were all eating together, talking, when you told them I knew more about tanks than you or Nishizumi-dono…" She sniffed. "We won the first training match together. You invited me to the strategy meetings. We took down the Crusader together. And you told me to shut up like I was a barking dog."
Erika knew she was not the most empathetic person in the world but it was impossible for her not to realise the depth of the betrayal that Yukari felt. She had mused to herself that she had seemed like a lonely person before Sensha-do and her puppyish excitement over their every accomplishment was far more than mere enthusiasm. She had been happy. Truly happy. And she had taken that away from her and she had no idea what to say.
"I know I'm just the new girl." Nakajima spoke, startling them both. "But how about you just kiss her, tell her you're sorry and we can get back to this match."
A good commander was supposed to be hyper-aware of her surroundings and yet as she had spoken to Yukari, she had completely forgotten they were in their tank and that Nakajima was present. She didn't want to guess how their drama sounded from the outside and while Yukari's face was pink, she felt herself flush. However Nakajima was right about where to start.
"Yukari, I'm sorry." She said and then as it wasn't the worst gesture to make, kissed Yukari on the cheek. Her gunner turned from pink to red and Erika excused herself by standing to look out of cupola.
They couldn't use proper ammunition in this training session because they didn't want to risk severe damage to one of their tanks that would put them out of action for the tournament. This meant dummy ammunition and the damage sensors set to their most sensitive. It also meant that a good bump while driving would knock them out.
This contest was the same as their first ever training session, a free for all annihilation match that came down to individual team strength. It made her regret having found the means to upgrade the Panzer IV although its long barrelled gun held no advantage in the heavily wooded terrain of Oarai's training ground. She guessed there had been fewer trees in the past while now the growth gave them an advantage. They had camouflaged their green tank with what they could find and done so in stony silence which had prompted their conversation.
Now they were waiting. Nakajima was a great driver so she didn't need the practice, Yukari was a naturally talented gunner who had already proven herself and this was far from Erika's first battle. They would let things play out amongst the others and wait for an opportunity.
"What if everyone else has chosen a defensive strategy?" Yukari asked no one in particular so she could continue not speaking to Erika.
"I doubt it. Ahiru-san team won't have the patience, Kawashima wants to kick arse, Azusa knows her tank isn't made for stealth and this is Sodoko's first match."
"So the Captain and Kaba-san team then?" Nakajima asked.
"If I was in the StuG, I'd have found a nice little chokepoint to hide in and I'd be lying in wait." Just as she and Yukari had advised and they had learned from the St Gloriana match.
"And the Panzer IV?"
"Miho would be cautious." She was certain of this. "And let the others make the first move so she can exploit any openings they give her. Now shush." She needed to listen.
She remained standing for half an hour before there was finally activity. She guessed the others had all been cautious too but now they had become impatient and eager for action. Duck team appeared and Erika marvelled at the work the Automotive Club had put into the machine. On paper it was supposed to be a slow machine with all the agile grace of a combine harvester and yet they had fixed up the engine and motors to give it an impressive top speed while Shinobu was a talented driver with the strength to wrestle the controls into submission.
They were however a bunch of hotheads who drove impetuously out into the open with Noriko visible on top.
"Fire when ready." She told Yukari. "And don't hit Noriko. I like her."
The turret traversed as Yukari followed them and then she fired. The range was short and the Type 89's course steady; she could not miss. Noriko had vanished at the sound of the shot and then the dummy round clanged off the armour and the Type 89 ground to a halt as it was flagged. Noriko reappeared and began scanning the trees, trying to find her attacker and Erika ducked down to hide her distinctive hair but it seemed they had done their work well and the spunky Duck team commander was unable to locate her vanquisher.
"Ahiru-san team eliminated." Noriko reported over the radio.
"Now we just need the StuG and Sodoko, and we'll have taken down every other team." Erika mused to herself. "Good shot."
Yukari hummed, obviously not yet prepared to forgive her regardless of apologies and kisses. Erika couldn't say she was overly bothered because she knew enough now of her to know she couldn't hold a grudge for long. Not with the thrill of Sensha-do. They had each said their piece and now there was nothing left to do except allow for time. Not that time had done much to heal her other wounds.
They listened to a brief exchange of fire and she knew the sound of the 37mm of the 38(t) well. She also knew that with Momo's gunnery, their opponent would prevail.
"Is that the bunnies?" She asked.
"That's the 75mm of the M3." Yukari replied, her ear cocked to the open cupola.
They heard more gunfire and then it ceased and Anzu's voice came cheerily over the radio. "They got us!"
Good for you, bunnies, Erika thought. "Do you know what Hoshino told me?" Erika asked, knowing that she had already told them. "That girl sits in her chair eating her sweet potatoes like she's watching her favourite TV show and leaves Momo and Yuzu to do everything. Now Hoshino's their loader, she can really do nothing at all as commander."
"Why bring back Sensha-do and force us into it if she doesn't want to do it herself?" Nakajima asked and Erika could have furnished her with the answer though it would have been depressing for them to hear that the school was being shut down and their President had a plan to save it which she didn't actually believe in, leaving the Vice-President and Public Relations manager to actually implement it.
"She's a strange girl." Erika said instead. "She puts in work in some things and neglects others."
"Whatever amuses her, maybe?" Nakajima opined and then performed a drum roll on the controls out of boredom. "Are we going to sit here all day?"
"We're in a strong position and we've no reason not to let the others thin each other out."
"So we are going to sit here all day?"
Movement caught Erika's eye. "Maybe not." The B1 bis was lumbering onto the field and Duck team was waving at them from their hatches, either in greeting or warning. "How close do we need to be?" She asked Yukari.
"In the flanks, we could defeat them from here. But it's not guaranteed."
The B1 could not move fast and its diminutive driver Gotou Moyoko who had been dubbed Gomoyo to match her commander was still getting to grips with her machine and was a long way from developing the muscles for her heavy tank's controls. There was no need to stay here while facing this clumsy beast.
"Okay, Jumpsuit." She told Nakajima. "Put us behind them."
Nakajima complied, starting their engine and then the T-50 shed its camouflaging boughs and howled out of the trees. The Automotive girl had full understanding of what the light tank could and couldn't do and they were upon the French heavy tank in seconds. For no reason besides that she could, Nakajima drove at the B1 bis's flank straight on and then put them in a power slide that drifted them around the rear of the tank. Yukari fired on the fly and Erika rammed a fresh shell in place before hearing her fluffy gunner squeak in excitement which meant one shot had been enough. There was no hug this time though.
The volleyball girls were running toward the B1 and Erika mused on their having taken out Oarai's most lightly and heavily skinned tanks. There was no reason to stay in hiding now and so as Sodoko reported her defeat and Duck team boarded them, they left the two beaten tanks behind.
"I didn't like this tank at first." Erika mused. "The last time I saw Russian tanks… And then it caught fire on us. But it's a good tank. Good armour. Good firepower. Great speed." She listened to their new engine and its presently harmonious song. "We might be able to make it in this."
They rolled on and then slid into the trees once more where Erika had them switch off their engine so that she could listen. If the StuG was lying in wait for them, its engine would be off and the first they would know of it would be the roar of its 75mm gun. At least with the Panzer IV, there was more tank to spot before that happened.
"Are wolves normally this cautious?" Nakajima asked politely.
"Yes." Erika replied curtly. Wolves were pack animals. They worked together to bring down prey and lone hunters conserved as much energy as they could. They didn't run down their prey; they launched sudden savage attacks that gave their opponent no time to react. Wolves however had a keen sense of smell to track down their prey and to avoid their aggressors. All she had was her eyes and ears and the latter weren't as good as they might have been; dulled by years of gunfire.
There was a distinctive boom of a 7.5cm German gun but there was no way of knowing whether it belonged to tank, or tank destroyer. Even when Azusa reported they had been knocked out they had no way of knowing who had struck them. With their dummy ammunition, there was also no tell-tale smoke from their position. She could only follow her ears.
They pressed on and Erika wondered what Miho was thinking. It seemed unlikely she held a grudge for their first training match but she couldn't imagine her wanting to lose again. It would be bad form for the team captain to keep losing to an underling and that was what she was; an underling. They had no official Vice-Captain. They had passed responsibility for tactical decisions onto her and Miho and made Miho Captain but no one had the rank of Vice-Captain. She knew Momo wanted the rank and certainly acted the part. She also knew that everyone treated herself as Miho's second anyway, out of recognition for her experience and a healthy dose of fear.
"Where are you, Miho?" She thought aloud. "What are you doing?" These free for all matches were frustrating because they were blind. Their world was their tank and in this wooded terrain, the very limited view around it. Yukari hadn't been wrong about how it was possible for everyone to decide to take a defensive strategy. If everyone had been patient, they could have been out here all day, or as long as the training session lasted anyway. She couldn't imagine Anzu allowing herself to be stuck in a tank all day. Not when she had better things to do like lying down.
"Why are we training like this anyway?" Nakajima asked. "Shouldn't we be practicing together? As teams?"
"Yes."
The driver was taken aback by her blunt response. "So why-"
"Because there's only seven tanks and three vs four is not much better than a free for all. What we should have done was organise another friendly match before the tournament… But it's too late now. We'll have to fight against Saunders as we are." She knew she sounded harsh but there was no other way to put it.
"Can we beat Saunders?"
"Nishizumi-dono is worried." Yukari put in. "She doesn't know what we're going to face."
"Good Shermans, great Shermans or Shermans from the pit of hell." Even the ones that were merely good could chew up their line-up and spit out the rivets and bolts. "We have an advantage though."
"What's that?" Nakajima looked around up as she spoke.
Erika grinned down at her. "They have no idea who we are."
For a moment the gearhead girl didn't get it and then she understood and beamed. Yukari however still looked worried, making her wonder just what Miho had said to her when they had been on the boat back to the ship. She knew the power of Miho's distressed expression. The girl took the concept of moe and turned it up to eleven. It was why she hadn't been able to ignore Maho's instruction to take care of her; Miho brought out the instinct to protect. It seemed unlikely to be a good quality in a captain however. A leader was supposed to take care of those they commanded, not the other way around. Although, Erika's general sense told her that Miho had already amassed a good deal of respect and loyalty from the other teams during their first training session and the St Gloriana match although Miho seemed oblivious of this feeling. Maybe knowing how little faith they had all had in her as Vice-Captain at Kuromorimine was the reason why. Could it really be possible that Oarai's fate depended on the self-esteem of Nishizumi Miho?
Fortunately, she was distracted from this alarming thought by the blast of a gun and her tank being knocked out.
[][][][][][]
Hippo team were pleased to have taken out Wolf team, even if they had in turn been knocked out by Anglerfish team. While the match had been an interesting exercise in game theory, no one really felt it improved their skills over much. It was however better than simply practicing formations and gunnery on static bland targets. With the first match of the tournament looming, it was easy to see that tensions were high.
The last person she expected to come up with a plan to defuse this was Anzu. If anything she would have expected her to stoke the fires and watch everything burn but it seemed she was in one of her moods to actually be productive for a change. Or maybe she was fostering a different kind of chaos. The ship was returning to port and her plan was that the club go to the beach, together. Tank crews taking a day off to go frolic on the sand and in the surf…
Erika found herself torn. Her first instinct was scorn for such an undisciplined and frivolous action. Her second thought however was that a day on the beach sounded wonderful. Since coming to Oarai, it had been nothing but a chain of stress. One day away from that was nothing much to ask for nor something to condemn.
She was not prepared for Anzu's next declaration; that they all go shopping for swimsuits. Saori it seemed was getting her wish.
[][][][][][]
Perhaps she was beginning to acclimate, or she was being assimilated… Either way, she realised it had been awhile since she had thought of Oarai's denizens being eccentric. The Sensha-do Club being unleashed upon the swimsuit store however brought that thought soaring to the forefront of her mind. Most alarming however was the person who seemed to know the most about the store was not Saori but was in fact Yukari.
"This shop's unique selling point is stocking everything that could be worn as a swimsuit!" She gushed with the same enthusiasm as she would outlining the difference in German and Soviet gun calibres. "Reproductions based on frescoes from Pompeii depicting the oldest known two-piece swimsuits. Swimsuits of the Victorian Era! The iconic striped bathing suits! You can find swimsuits from all eras and cultures, including those worn by film stars, fashion models and pin-ups!"
Erika stared at her until she felt her eyes might boil. "How the hell do you know so much about swimsuits?"
"I read about them." Yukari replied.
"You read about them." Erika nodded dumbly. "…Why?"
"Bikini Atoll."
"…What?"
"I was reading about the atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll and then I read about bikinis and then…" Yukari squirmed. "You know, you go down a rabbit hole…"
"And how did you know about this place?"
Yukari squirmed in a way she had when she had first met the girl and she didn't reply. It suddenly occurred to Erika that the only side she really knew of Yukari was the one obsessed with tanks and Sensha-do and having a mess and medical kit in her schoolbag, but there was no reason at all why Yukari might not also like clothes. And that maybe to her, a shopping trip with the girls was as magical as having a meal with them. Fortunately for both of them, Saori provided a distraction by squeeing over some flowery prints before then announcing her belief that panzer designs would be the most popular at Oarai this year. Which Hana misheard as panther and assumed leopard print; provoking a flash of annoyance from Saori who perhaps was still bothered by the German word for tank being similar to the Japanese term for panties. She seemed to flinch a little every time someone said panzer anyway.
Saori and Yukari threw themselves into modelling tank themed swimsuits with considerable glee and Erika had thought that the two were often at odds considering Yukari's passion for tanks and all things military while Saori's was boys and romance but now they had found an overlap of interests. Their excitement did not however extend to Mako whose insistence that her school swimsuit was fine went entirely ignored as they proceeded to dress her up in a number of colourful outfits that while tank related were too bright and cheerful for Mako. If enthusiasm was infectious then clearly Mako was fully vaccinated.
She hadn't checked in with Hana lately but her family issues either didn't weigh on her or if they did, she had decided to enjoy this day and forget about them. She had worried about Yukari exploding with excitement but Saori's enthusiasm threatened to be a supernova. It didn't help that Hana was naturally glamorous, even when she wasn't swishing her hair, and Erika was pretty sure that only dogs could hear Saori's squees of delight.
Saori was not alone however. The rest of the club were just as enthusiastic. The history girls naturally were going back into the past, the volleyball team were embracing their sport, albeit in some strange ways, the Automotive Club had found racing themed swimsuits and the bunnies were… Having fun.
"Is Yuuki wearing a gas mask?" Erika asked Miho.
"I think so." Miho was hesitant; not believing her eyes either.
"And is Saki wearing a squid?"
"Akebi-san is wearing a volleyball net."
"Are you in my nightmare?" Erika asked. "Or am I in yours?"
"I don't know." Miho answered, raising her hands defensively the way she did when she was anxious. It didn't help that Yukari chose this moment to run past wearing a full diver's suit, complete with flippers and breathing gear.
"Everyone's having fun though." Just as the President had wished. They were all having fun and even if they were trying out tank and military themed swimsuits, the tournament was no longer hanging over them. At least not right now.
Miho's hands dropped as she acknowledged this truth. "Hai!"
Things only grew wilder as the sheer amount of choice led everyone to try everything while Erika and Miho found themselves watching with increasing levels of incredulity. Mako looked utterly exhausted while Hana, Saori and Yukari had truly bottomless reserves of energy and enthusiasm.
"You should be ashamed of yourselves!" Momo's strident voice cut through all the chaos. "You all lack discipline!"
"Well, you would know about discipline…" Erika mused aloud. "Are you planning to moonlight as a dominatrix dressed like that?"
Her words made Yuzu giggle, and Anzu choke on her sweet potato chip. Momo choked on something else.
"Relax, Momo." Anzu recovered herself. "Everybody's here to enjoy themselves." She addressed the entire store. "Girls! Are you having fun?!"
The response was a resounding yes.
"Let me hear you!"
They cheered maybe five times before the store manager decided that good business didn't make up for the disruption and politely but firmly asked them to make their purchases and go.
The highlight of the day however was Yukari declaring she had bought a suit for Miho, using her knowledge of her measurements; a gift from the team to their Captain. Even though Yukari had revealed this knowledge before, it didn't stop it from being any less mortifying for Miho, even when Erika inquired how far this knowledge went and she effortlessly rattled off all of their measurements. Accurately judging by the further blushes by the others. Saori actually seemed pleased with the recognition. For her part, she thought Yukari was actually more exact than she thought herself to be. All in all, it was a pleasant day.
[][][][][][]
It was a Sensha-do club activity so they had to bring a tank along and it had to be the Panzer IV. Nothing declared a patch of beach was yours like a twenty-five ton tank. Even one tricked out with a sun lounger and sunshade. The sunshade looked odd but still more dignified than the mop that had been there when they had first found it abandoned in the hanger.
Erika was in the sea for a good twenty minutes before she remembered that the last time she had been in the water, it had been in the icy river of the finals and Miho had been too cold and exhausted to squeal as she did now as she was chased through the shallows by Duck team. She was almost saved when the Anglerfish team members Hana, Saori and Suzuki tackled Akebi, Shinobu and Taeko. But that still left Noriko who drove Miho down into the surf. Erika tread water as she watched the confused melee of Anglerfish and Ducks and while the Panzer IV was far superior to the Type 89, the volleyball girls were strong and toned and their victory over the Anglerfish girls was all but assured though Suzuki put up a valiant struggle with her mechanic's muscles.
She swam back to shore, narrowly avoiding being struck by the racing Automotive Club members Hoshino, Nakajima and Tsuchiya who turned out to be as quick in the water as they were behind the wheel. Yukari and Hippo team were making sandcastles or to be more accurate, Saemonza was making castles while Caesar was constructing the Coliseum and Forum, Oryou was crafting the Imperial Palace and Yukari and Erwin were bringing the Afrika Korps back with painstaking detail. She had seen sandpanzers before but never with a fleet of support trucks.
She found a sun lounger far from the Student Council and settled down, the sun already beginning to dry her. She watched Duck team come ashore and inevitably set up a net for a volleyball game. Ankou team remained in the water, except for Mako who was nowhere to be seen. She was most likely curled up asleep somewhere. She had grunted at compliments over her blue and white striped one piece with the stripes being the only difference from school issued swimsuits. Sodoko's yet unnamed team were wearing them, having declined the invitation to go shopping and no one wanting to try and persuade them. If Momo had thought they were undisciplined, Sodoko would most likely have had a complete meltdown. She and her cohorts looked entirely out of place on the beach, like they might melt like ice cream. And if Mako's muttered comments about Sodoko being a witch were true; they wouldn't fare much better in the ocean.
This was bliss. For the first time in a long, long time she didn't have to worry about anything. This was what Anzu, the little red twin-tailed horror, had wanted and Erika could do nothing but admit she had succeeded. Hoshino had informed her many times that in their 38(t) Anzu's main, or essentially only, contribution was sarcasm. But at least in this endeavour she had shown leadership.
Erika closed her eyes, listening to the slap of hands on the volleyball, the squeals and whoops from those in the water. It was a far, far cry from yesterday's practice match.
"Itsumi-senpai."
She cracked open her left eye. The girl had a mop of hair at the best of times but a dip in the sea had given Karina a very Yukarian appearance. "Don't call me that."
"… Itsumi?"
"Senpai." It was annoying that even with their current drama, Yukari still referred to her as 'dono'. She was done with deference.
"Um…" Karina meanwhile had a lifetime of manners to obey.
"What is it, Karina?" She felt ridiculously comfortable and closed her eye. She opened it again after listening to the First Year squirm and um and er for what felt like nearly a minute. "If you're worried I might bite you, I'm too settled for that." As to be expected, this was not the reassurance Karina wanted to hear. "What's the problem?"
Karina drew patterns in the sand before attempting to speak again. "Thank you." She finally managed to utter.
"For what?"
The First Year stared at her for a moment and then squeaked. "For everything!"
"I only patted you on the back."
"You've been kind to us since our first lesson. Even though you were the one that attacked us." She seemed to suggest that instead of advising Azusa about the circumstances of their defeat, they had expected her to gloat. She couldn't say that they were wrong to have made this assumption; at Kuromorimine gloating was expected. It was seen as the way to encourage each other; to be the one doing the gloating rather than being on the receiving end. Everyone aspired to be that bad winner…
"At Kuromorimine, Third Years practice their gunnery on First Year crews. We had to be mobile targets for them. Sometimes they'd deliberately single out one tank to experience a salvo from the entire team." Her right hand started shaking in memory and she steadied it with the other. "They say the carbon coating is impenetrable but when you're in a Panzer II or 38(t), it definitely doesn't feel like it. And then there's being fired on with high explosive shells…" She shook her head. "I didn't like being a First Year in Sensha-do."
"I wanted to do Sensha-do from the start but my friends…" Karina stared sadly at the sand. "They weren't interested. Not until they saw the Student Council's presentation." Erika smiled at the thought that their ridiculous advert had actually succeeded in swaying students to the class. It also intrigued her that Karina had already had an interest in Sensha-do. "We don't know what we were expecting but not…" Karina struggled to find the words to properly articulate the less than triumphant resurrection of Oarai's Sensha-do club. It still surprised Erika that no one had walked out upon discovering they had to find their tanks by combing the school grounds and surrounding area. "It's been difficult." She concluded meekly.
"It's been interesting." Erika said politely. "Captain Chōno was an eccentric instructor." To put it mildly. "And the Student Council are insane." She saw no reason to sugar-coat that part. "We've had to take care of ourselves and that's not easy because we're not the most…" She wasn't sure how to describe the club's various eccentricities and her and Miho's personal issues. "We're doing okay though."
"Are we?"
Her imploring tone was a little too much to hear when they were on a beach wearing swimsuits. It was too reverent. Better suited for a temple or dojo. But Karina had started this conversation despite her clear and obvious anxiety so they had to have it. "Think about everything we've had to do. We had to find our tanks in ponds, caves and bushes, we had to restore them from the ground up and we had to have our first match when everyone didn't have a clue what they were doing. But we came from there to being this close to defeating St Gloriana. That's nothing short of a miracle." Whether or not she thought the Student Council was crazy, that accomplishment couldn't be taken away from them. "Saunders students get shiny new tanks with professional maintenance crews." So did Kuromorimine when they weren't doing their own maintenance to better understand their vehicles. "We have to know every inch of our tanks because if they don't take care of them, they won't be able to take care of us." She cringed. "Oh wow, I sound like a bad guru… Look, Karina… We're all trying to find our own Sensha-do and none of us have the answers. But you can't give up. I did. Miho did… Now here we are." She looked over at the Panzer IV in its beach kiosk set up. "Far, far away from our past… Does any of anything I'm babbling help?"
Karina looked confused but earnest. "We've got to keep going even when it's hard."
She had to fight her first instinct which was to say that it was always hard. "Keep moving forward." Instead she quoted a Kuromorimine tenet. "Some tanks didn't have a reverse gear." More tank wisdom. "We're all in this together." And some Disney movie wisdom. "We're a team." And what she had learned for herself since returning to Sensha-do.
Karina nodded a few times and Erika became a statue as the First Year impulsively glomped her. Her only consolation was that Karina was just as embarrassed and took off back to the rest of the bunnies in a cloud of sand with her face flaming.
"Why do people keep hugging me?" Erika asked the universe.
"Are you talking to yourself, blondie?"
The voice was male and she turned to see three boys openly ogling her. Considering how often their respective ships were at sea, it must have been rare for the Oarai boys to see girls their age. And now there was a beach full of them and not wearing much. But that was no excuse for them to stare at her like a piece of meat. She smiled at them. Then she sat up and turned and continued to smile at them and they recoiled at her scar. They recoiled and fled.
Erika lay back down. She kept getting hugs and being accused of being a softie but at least there were some people who still feared her.
[][][][][][]
The Student Council wanted one last practice match before Saunders and at Anzu's insistence and despite Erika repeating to her what she had to her crew, they formed teams. There was no way to balance the teams or to arrange them in such a way to simulate the coming tournament match so they were simply picked from a hat. The result was decidedly unfair; Anglerfish, Duck and Wolf versus Rabbit, Hippo, Turtle and Sodoko's team who had on a whim of Miho's been dubbed Mallard team, despite Erika pointing out the redundancy when they already had a Duck team. However, there was no denying that the B1 bis did indeed resemble a duck just as much as the Type 89. Erika honestly thought that if she and Miho were going to be on the same side, then they should have been arrayed against all the others. As it was Duck team despite their weak firepower and armour were superior to Mallard and Turtle team in terms of skill and cohesion.
The match would be later. The Student Council had arranged for them to train on the East Fuji Training Grounds and that meant camping. Anzu had made the questionable decision of letting Yukari be in charge of supplying tents and she had provided authentic German army zeltbahns which meant a lot of effort to construct although the bunnies seemed to love it, even if they had to roll a sleeping Mako and Saki off of one set. Miho mercifully had brought at least one proper tent as had Mallard team. Sodoko glowered at the odd little camo pyramids being built but she had no idea how to react to the camp constructed by the history girls that once again made Erika question her sanity. The four of them had dressed for their respective historical periods while everyone else had decided to run about in their swimsuits or summer dresses. She chose the latter.
It was impossible to decide which was more fun; a day at the beach or a day by the river. Even coming mere days apart, they all still had much to let go of. More even considering tomorrow would be another practice match and many of them were facing the two veterans. And then after that, Saunders. She pushed that out of her mind and enjoyed a water fight with the history girls, joined Miho, Hana and Yukari in being thrashed in a volleyball game by Duck team and watched Rabbit team attempting to spear fish until Momo, still in her dominatrix swimsuit, told them to knock it off because food had been provided; they didn't need to hunt their own. It seemed for a moment that Momo might be added to the menu but then team Rabbit stood down.
Erika had enjoyed food made by Anzio, BC Freedom and Waffle Academy and none of their preparation compared to the spectacle put forth by Oarai Girls. Yukari, after showing off her collection of military rations, insisted on preparing the rice herself over a campfire while everyone else worked on the barbecue. The last thing anyone expected was for Anzu to take charge, and then reveal herself as some kind of master ninja chef. In retrospect, the fact that she was always eating should have been a clue that she would know how to cook but no one was prepared for her talent or the flair with which she worked.
They ate and the food was so good that no one spoke at all during the meal because they were too busy savouring it. After that the cliques separated. Erika sat by the river, enjoying the cold water on her feet. It was strange not to be at sea, unable to smell the ever present salt in the air and instead trees and loam. Here though the stars were just as vivid.
Another pair of feet descended into the water besides her.
"Tell Miho I'm fine."
Saori was delighted with this. "She was worried about you."
"I'm supposed to be the one worrying about her."
"We take care of each other."
"I know. It's weird." She said, making Saori frown. "We were taught to take care of ourselves. To be the best. To prove to everyone else we were the best. That means never giving anyone else a hand, in case they try to pull you down."
"That's…" Saori looked for something polite to say.
"Horrible. I know." She grinned and splashed her feet. "Now here we are." She looked up at the sky. "This is much better."
Saori lit up. "You really think so?"
"We didn't have days like this at Kuromorimine."
Saori nodded a few times. "I saw you with some boys the other day at the beach." She sounded both concerned and envious.
"Yeah… That was fun."
"Fun?!"
"They were coming to letch. They liked a girl with light hair in a black two-piece. They didn't like a girl with light hair in a black two-piece with this." She tapped her scar.
The expressions that crossed Saori's face were fleeting, with envy that Erika had received notice and anger at what had occurred, but the one that stuck was concern. "Is that why they ran away?"
"It seemed to bother them."
"Does that bother you?"
Erika laughed and she was pleased because it meant Hana hadn't shared her story with the others, even Saori. "If a boy cannot handle my scar, he won't be able to handle the rest of me." This was the polite rendition of what she had screamed at her mother. "I thought it was funny with a whole beach full of girls, they came after me. That's boys though; not the most observant creatures."
The self-proclaimed expert on boys and relationships wasn't sure whether to agree or disagree. She chose a safer topic to pursue. "We have our practice match tomorrow. It doesn't seem fair."
"Having Miho and I on the same team?" She asked and Saori nodded. "It's good actually. Imagine if Miho lost and I won. That would make it twice I've beaten her since coming to this school. People might think the Council made the wrong choice making her Captain. That wouldn't be good for the team's confidence a week before we face Saunders. But if she wins three against four, they'll think she can win seven against ten."
"Can we?"
"We'll see." She said and that was all she would say on the subject of Miho. "My team's a little shaky at the moment."
"You can be very scary when you snap at people." Saori spoke with the suggestion she was afraid of being on the receiving end herself. "Yukarin will come around. She likes Sensha-do too much to hold a grudge."
"I know but… It's grim I crushed her spirit. Fluffy's more enthusiastic about this than I've ever been about anything." She frowned. "Except winning. But that's not something I miss."
"You were competitive?"
"I was Kuromorimine." And that was all there was to say about that too. "We should get some sleep. It's going to be an interesting match tomorrow."
[][][][][][]
The T-50 was specifically a light infantry tank. The Type 89 was a medium tank, despite being one ton lighter than the T-50. On paper, they had over twice the speed of the Japanese tank yet the Automotive Club had worked some kind of magic on the machine and it was only a little slower than them now, except without being temperamental. The T-50 however was far better armoured and armed. The Type 89's gun was made for firing high explosive shells against infantry, not for taking on other tanks while the T-50's gun, she knew from Yukari, had been the USSR's standard anti-tank gun before the war. It had the shortest barrel of the series before they had upgraded to a 57mm.
Miho's Panzer IV actually had ten millimetres less of armour than the T-50 but its gun was drastically more powerful. They would have to score a direct hit to defeat the Panzer IV while any kind of hit would from the 75mm gun would devastate them. This was significant because the StuG had the same gun and it was out there somewhere.
The battlefield was new to both sides but they had an advantage with their two fast tanks to scout. The other side had the 38(t) but with no real commander, it was unlikely they could be used as effective scouts.
She had Yukari's binoculars and scanned the horizon; the distant treeline. It was still. Quiet. The M3's colour helped it to blend into the background but its tall and distinctive profile was easy to see. It wanted to be seen.
"Okami-san team reporting. Usagi-san team spotted in-" She glanced at the map. "D2. Treeline. Acting as bait." She scanned the trees again and couldn't see another tank but that didn't mean one wasn't there. The StuG was easy to conceal. "No other tanks in sight."
"Understood, Okami-san." Miho replied.
Erika calculated the distance and a frontal hit was unlikely to land a win, even with their overly sensitive damage sensors. This was no way to train but if they did it properly and crippled a tank before the first match, no one would be able to forgive themselves. She ducked back into the turret.
"Trying to lure the wolf out with the rabbit." Nakajima grinned.
"And unable to see the hippo or the turtle." Erika replied. "Or the big fat mallard." She looked through the cupola's observation slit. "If Caesar and Erwin are in charge down there, they'll want to lure us into their gun. If Momo's taken charge, she'll focus all her effort on Miho. And us."
"She doesn't like you." Nakajima giggled. "Because you keep pressing her buttons."
"You have to press them when they're so big and flashing for attention." Erika replied and then worried it sounded like she was referring to something else. She glanced at Yukari whose attention hadn't let her sights. "What do you think?"
"We can see one tank. That leaves three tanks that might be trying to flank us."
"Perhaps." It was possible the bunnies had been left as a decoy and the rest were attempting to circle around but she felt sure that they would be on the defensive rather than offensive. They would expect her to be aggressive.
"So are we just going to sit and wait?" Nakajima asked. It made sense that she had trouble sitting still but it wasn't helpful for her to keep asking.
"That's up to the Captain."
They did sit and wait and Erika guessed it was a ploy to test Rabbit team, to see if their nerves would hold. If they charged or retreated to cover, they would force a new plan.
"I always thought Sensha-do was more active than this." Nakajima mused.
"That's because usually you see the highlight reels and the school finals are twenty versus twenty so battles usually have phases. Professional tournaments have finals with fifty against fifty! Sometimes more."
"The largest contest on Japanese soil featured five hundred tanks." Yukari rattled off. "It was a special event to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the sport."
"And we have seven." Erika shook her head.
"Do you think we'll find more?" Nakajima pressed.
"I hope so. Even if we only find three more, we'll have at least one platoon."
"We want a tank for our team." She said, meaning the Automotive Club. "We just hope it's the 'right' one."
"I still don't know what that means."
"Something like this. Strong but fast. And that we can work on."
"You really want something broken down like this thing?"
"It was fun restoring all the tanks, except having to do it with a time limit. And you get a better feel for a machine if you've put a lot of yourself into it."
"This tank's tried to burn us. More than once."
"Not since we replaced the engine though."
"True." Breakdowns were still a problem but she no longer worried about being immolated.
"Okami-san team." Saori's voice came over the radio. "Proceed north through E3 and flank D2, over."
"Understood, Ankou-san." Erika replied. "We're being aggressive then."
Nakajima started the engine and swung them around and almost immediately, the distant treeline belched smoke; a double report that betrayed the B1 bis. The two shells were fired at too long a range and at a moving target; they soared behind them as another gun bellowed. The Panzer IV's 75. Erika smirked as Hana's shot connected on the heavy tank. Miho had guessed they had been spotted observing the M3, not taking the bait, and so in turn she had used them as bait. Erika guessed she had known at least one of the opposing team would lack the discipline not to fire. Who would have guessed it would be the girls responsible for school discipline? Her smirk became a grin as she imagined Mako's glee.
"Kamo team, eliminated." She could hear Sodoko's annoyance. That was two matches in a row they had been the first to fall.
"Do we carry on?" Nakajima asked.
"We haven't been told otherwise. Proceed, Jumpsuit."
"Sure thing, Cappy."
At Kuromorimine, this would never have been acceptable and it made her smile. She liked Nakajima's irreverence. While all of Oarai was relentlessly cheerful, the Automotive Club took it to another level and she was pretty sure that if they were in a horrific wreck and their car had to be cut apart around them, they would be cracking jokes with the firefighters. She just hoped when the time came, they would take the competition seriously and they wouldn't crash out because they were joking around.
She kept watch from the cupola, grateful for the view after having her vision limited while in the driver's seat. She watched the flanks, knowing Yukari and Nakajima had their eyes forward. She didn't consider the 38(t) a threat, not with Momo in the gunner's chair but instead the StuG which already had a taste for their flesh and also Azusa and the other First Years who had something to prove as she knew from Karina.
They reached the point where they had to turn into the woods where the M3 and B1 bis had lurked and even though she knew the Panzer IV was covering them, there was still the feeling they would suddenly find themselves outnumbered three to one. Four to one considering Rabbit team's two guns.
"Halt." She commanded. "Engine off." She needed to use her ears. She didn't need to listen carefully, she could hear the three engines together and they were moving off. "Of course they are." They were doing just what they had, circling around the open space using the trees for cover. "Ankou-san, enemy advancing on your left flank. We'll pursue." She called down into the tank. "After them. Full speed."
The sudden acceleration threw her back and she wondered if Nakajima was actually trying for track spin. Given that she had demonstrated the T-50 was more than capable of drifting, it seemed likely. They took off and she clung to cupola, confident that Nakajima wouldn't actually drive them into a tree but still wary of how they almost trimmed the bark of several trees they passed. She kept low in the cupola to avoid being decapitated by branches. The 'song' of the engine as her driver called it was harmonious today although she knew it didn't take much to make it hit a wrong note and blow out their ear drums; if that wasn't torturing the metaphor too much.
Four guns fired, followed by a fifth and the story it told was the 38(t), the StuG, the Type 89 and the M3's 37mm firing, followed by its 75. There was another 75mm blast, the Panzer IV. No one reported an elimination however. The 37mms fired again, almost simultaneously and then the 57. She guessed by the engine noises they were now pursuing Duck Team while Anglerfish team was covering them.
She had guessed right. The three tanks were chasing the Type 89 like something straight from an action movie and none seemed to realise if they stopped they would steady their guns and be able to shoot accurately. Just as they had to take out the Crusader. On the other hand, if they stopped they would be meat for the Panzer IV. Hana fired again, narrowly missing the StuG thanks to its low profile and Erika was struck by the lack of noise. The dummy ammunition was much quieter and struck with far less force. She hoped when they went back to the real thing, it didn't come as too much of a shock.
"I don't think they've seen us." Yukari reported.
"No. Not yet."
"How close do you want me to get?" Nakajima asked.
"If we're firing on the move, as close as possible." Erika braced herself in the cupola and then felt the acceleration as Nakajima chose to follow her words to the letter. Perhaps as they had lost their last match to the StuG, she chose it as their target and almost slammed them into it before Yukari had the chance to fire. The gunner blasted their first shot into the vertical plate of its dorsum and it dropped the tank destroyer as effectively as a karate chop to the back of a rabbit's neck. Appropriately, Nakajima then steered them for Rabbit team but Hana got there first and Erika appreciated her growing skill at hitting moving targets.
Duck team spun around and suddenly Turtle team was surrounded. Erika thought she heard Momo's frustrated yell before the three tanks fired simultaneously and 45, 57 and 75mm shells crashed home.
"Round one to us then." Erika mused aloud. "This is going to be a long day."
[][][][][][]
The path to the Student Council room was well-trodden now but it had to be that way because it simply wouldn't be appropriate for her to storm Anzu's home the way she had Yuzu's. Whatever else she may have been, she was still the school President and regardless of Erika's personal feelings about adhering to social mores, she did have to treat her with some respect in public.
Momo however… And Yuzu, not so much.
"Get out."
Momo was outraged, Yuzu was not afraid of her and Anzu found her amusing. "Relax, Kawashima." She said breezily. "If she's going to kill me, she wouldn't care about witnesses. Go, go. Let us talk."
The two of them left, Yuzu politely and Momo fuming and Erika knew they were going to lurk by the door even if they were too polite to listen in.
"I'm starting to look forward to these visits, Itsumi." The little redhead declared. "You storming in and swearing at me really breaks up my days."
"I just want to talk."
"No shouting? How disappointing."
"I wanted to understand something-"
Anzu cut in. "We're all looking for understanding, Itsumi."
"Can you be serious?"
"I can try." Anzu shrugged and then laughed as Erika scowled at her. She sat forward in her chair, resting her chin on her hand. "What's on your mind?"
"You go to all that effort to recruit people to Sensha-do. You bully me and Miho into it. You get a JDF captain to tutor us and you arrange for us to have a match against St Gloriana. You get me a brand new engine for my problem child machine. You do all that for the team and yet apparently all you do is sit in your tank and let the others do all the work."
"Is that what your spy told you?"
"Yes." She wasn't going to skirt around the fact Hoshino was letting her know every detail within the 38(t). "It's like you think there's no point to any of this even though you've done so much to set it up, and then you go and arrange our day at the beach and the camping weekend and our time at the training ground! So the only thing I can think of is that you're actually bipolar."
Anzu gazed steadily at her and the intensity of that gaze was surprising. Anzu was eight inches shorter than her and Erika reckoned she could probably lift her one handed, but she really was unafraid of her; scar and all. "Sit down." She said.
Erika complied and Anzu kept her chin on her palm and drummed her fingers on her cheekbone. "Did you like your school?"
"No. I respected it."
"I love Oarai; the school and the town. I'm from Mito. Do you know what Mito is famous for?"
"Kairaku-en. One of the Great Gardens."
"It's 'A garden to enjoy with people.'" She said in the manner of someone who heard this many times in her life. Doubtless she had visited many times as a child. "And that's what you do, you go there in March to enjoy the beautiful plum blossoms with your friends. Do you know what Oarai is famous for?"
Erika shrugged.
"Monkfish. Also called sea-devils. Oarai also has an aquarium. Full of sharks. People do like to see them but people don't boast about their devil fish and their shark tanks. Not like their gardens." Erika assumed a point was coming. "If Kuromorimine shut down, everyone would miss their tanks and their stylish red and black uniforms. If Oarai shut down, no one would notice we were gone. It'd be like we never existed." She spoke this last sentence with sudden raw emotion and Erika found herself squirming.
"I do miss the uniform." She admitted.
"I wanted everyone to have a good time so if everything falls apart next week, at least they'll remember Oarai Girls. At least someone will."
"You think we're finished."
"You didn't sound confident during our last meeting." Anzu reminded her reproachfully. "You called me a lunatic."
"You are a lunatic. Only a lunatic could come up with this scheme." She said and then sighed. "I'm sorry."
"I think we're fighting the inevitable." Anzu declared heavily. "We're taught all about our aging society. Another generation and a third of the country will be over sixty-five!" She shook her head. "So there's fewer students, the schools are emptying and maybe it does make sense to close down all these derelict ships and bring us all together." This simple reality made her shake. "But this is our school!" She snapped. "We love it here! Leaky roofs and everything! We can't just give up!" For a moment she looked capable of physically fighting the ministry of education all by herself but then she slumped again. "But we've got a bunch of junkers to fight with and two shell-shocked veterans to lead us. We've got the two of you. Saunders has entire teams just like you. And more teams than us." She pressed her face into both of her hands. "And only four people know what's really at stake."
"Maybe we should tell them."
"Ahiru-san team could take the truth. Caesar, Erwin, Saemonza and Oryou too. But the little ones? Sodoko? Nishizumi? It would break them."
Erika had to admit the accuracy of this assessment. Miho was not in the right place to hear her new comfy, happy world was heading over a waterfall and the bunnies were only just beginning to find their feet. Sodoko and her team meanwhile had suffered nothing but defeat in all their training sessions and that had to be getting to them, even if they wouldn't let it show. "Yuzu was right. You really don't want to believe there's a chance."
"Which is crueller? Letting them live ignorant of what's going to happen? Or giving them the knowledge there's a tiny, billions-to-one, hope we might prevail… Only to have that smashed by Saunders guns. Even if we somehow beat Saunders, then we risk being smashed by Pravda or St Gloriana and if against all the odds we prevail-"
"We face Kuromorimine in the finals." Erika had no doubt her old school would get there. Hungering to reclaim their position as undisputed champions, the black-uniformed girls had a powerful cause to rally around this year. The stigma, the stain of their last defeat had to be expunged.
Anzu took her face out of her hands and opened a drawer of her desk and pulled out a fresh packet of dried sweet potato chips. She opened it and then offered it to Erika who decided what the hell. As the two of them chewed, she felt like it was a child-friendly version of the scene where two bitter old folks drowned their sorrows with strong liquor. Later perhaps.
"We can't succeed if we don't even try though." She said.
"What's your next line?" Anzu asked. "The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Not when people don't know they're taking a journey."
"Isn't that life though?" Erika asked. "We're all on a journey and ours has brought us this. Miho's took her into, out of and back into Sensha-do. Reizei was taking a nap in a field and now she drives a tank. The Automotive Club were happy tinkering around with engines for fun and then you recruited them to be your tank mechanics. They didn't know they would end up operating the tanks they were fixing up. None of us knows what's really going on."
"I thought we were supposed to forge our own path." Anzu mused, popping her lips.
"You can only forge what the world lets you."
"Don't mention lemons." Anzu said with a touch of her usual cheekiness.
"I hate lemonade. And that expression. You can't just choose to be happy."
"So why are you here then if you think I can't change? Does it just make you feel better to upset Momo?"
"A bit, yeah." There was no denying that. "I just wanted to understand you. You are our leader after all."
"I'm your leader, am I? I thought you were a rogue element who just happened to be here."
"You mean I'm harder to manipulate than the others?"
"A bit, yeah." Anzu said. "I can promise the others silly things and make them do even sillier things because they don't realise they can say no."
"Wait…" Erika was alarmed. "We didn't have to do that dance?!"
"Nope!" Anzu giggled. "Admit it, you had fun."
"You're insane."
The President shrugged and presumably she had been called worse. "You don't think that's more than a little hypocritical?"
"Since I came to this school, I've learned that 'crazy' and 'insane' are relative terms."
"How boring Kuromorimine must have been then."
"It was nothing like this. And like I said, I miss the uniform."
"Don't worry about that. Tomorrow we all get fitted and before the match, we'll have uniforms to wear."
"You got us uniforms?" She couldn't believe it. "Where did you get the money?"
"Uniforms are nothing compared to the cost of a tank." Anzu pouted. "And I think everyone could do with a little more pride in our side."
"They don't have any problems with pride. They love their tanks. They love how things played out against St Gloriana. They don't know any better."
"So are they going to crash when they see what Saunders has to offer?"
"No. They're all happy because they don't know the stakes."
"So it's a good thing we're lying to them."
"I didn't say that." Erika sighed.
"Relax, Itsumi." Anzu grinned. "How's Nishizumi?"
"You gave her a few days to be a happy normal schoolgirl. She couldn't be better."
"And you?"
"I enjoyed the break."
"I thought you looked more relaxed. And less psychotic."
"Thank you." She wondered how exactly Anzu had become President. Her best guess was that no one else had been interested in the job. "Do you think you could be a little less lackadaisical about participating?"
"Maybe. If you tell me what that means."
"It means put some effort in."
Anzu's good humour evaporated. "No promises."
"I'll take it."
Later, much later, she thought about Anzu, and Momo. She already knew about Yuzu's feelings but now she had a clearer picture of the President. She didn't think she was actually bipolar but she could understand why it seemed that way. Anzu had a better understanding of the big picture than anyone else so the crushing weight of it would dampen her spirits and resolve from time to time. Where Anzu was indolent from the pressure, Momo was fanatical. She understood fanaticism. She had been there. If she was honest with herself, the reason she disliked the school's Public Relations manager was because she reminded her a great deal of herself. She didn't want to be that person anymore even though she felt the stirrings in every contest; the desire to win above all else. And with the stakes, they really did need to win at any cost.
Which was how they had ended up here to begin with…
[][][][][][]
Erika didn't think much about Yukari's absence in class. There were a myriad of reasons why she might not be there, from a doctor's appointment to having to help out at home. But she did know that there was no force on the Earth that could keep her from a Sensha-do class. If Yukari had her arms and legs broken, she would crawl like a worm to get to her tank. While Anglerfish team didn't think she was quite that dedicated, they did agree that her absence all day was odd and her not answering texts or calls ominous. Miho didn't like it at all and insisted they check in on her.
The words 'Akiyama Barber Shop' was proof to Erika that the universe had a wry sense of humour. To give a girl that thick, messy hair and have her parents be barbers was a proper joke. And then they saw her parents. Her father's hair was distinctly frizzy while her mother's was the familiar curly mop. The detail she noticed however was the photo of a tank over the door to the back. A T-50. No wonder she had embraced their tank when they had found it. One just like it had been part of her whole life.
"Please excuse us." Miho took the lead while lurked at the back, hiding her face behind Saori's hair. "Um, is Yukari-san here?"
Yukari's father looked vaguely surprised. "Who are you?"
"We're her friends." Saori declared.
"… Friends?" The man repeated softly. "Friends?!" He yelped, making all of them, even herself and Miho who were hardened to the sound of cannons firing, jump out of their skin. He jumped up as well and then seemed to try to take flight; flapping his arms in a mad manner.
"Darling." Yukari's mother stood gracefully. "Calm down." She raised one arm while her husband continued to flap his like a headless chicken.
"But they're Yukari's friends!" Now he wrung his hands at her.
"I heard." She said calmly and then turned and bowed her head to them. "Thank you for being her friends, girls." She made this expression of gratitude with grace and dignity. Yukari's father meanwhile got down on his knees and kissed the floor.
"Thank you for taking care of her!" He cried, teetering on the brink of pure hysteria. Now Erika understood where Yukari got her social skills from.
Yukari's mother decided to ignore her husband. "Yukari hasn't come home yet. You can wait for her if you wish."
Erika had imagined Yukari's living space and her imagination had been lacking. She had more equipment than their hanger. She had uniform jackets hanging from the walls and shells, hopefully dummies, as ornaments. There was a collection of jerry cans, signed Sensha-do posters, radio sets, tool boxes and ammunition containers. It meant the corps of tank models on the shelves and tables almost went unnoticed.
She inspected a replica Teller mine as Yukari's mother brought them a tray of snacks and fended off her husband who offered them haircuts.
"Please forgive him. It's the first time Yukari has had friends come over." She spoke to the four of them at the centre table. "She was always obsessed with tanks and she never managed to find like-minded people. She was very happy after they brought back Sensha-do and she was able to make friends through the club. We've heard all about you." She said and her green eyes met Erika's and she felt herself tremble. "Okay, relax and wait!" She cheerfully left them.
"Her parents are nice people." Hana declared.
"Her dad's a little…" Erika couldn't think of a way to describe him that wasn't mean or too much of an understatement. "She looks like her mum." She wondered if Miho saw the resemblance between Mother Akiyama and Koume. She didn't think so considering how happy she looked. Not so long ago, this room would have freaked Miho right out but now she appeared to think it was fun.
They all jumped as the window seemed to open itself and it was a relief as Yukari's hair appeared, until she climbed up to reveal she was dressed in Sunkus uniform.
"Hey, what are you doing?" She asked, eyes wide.
"Are you serious?" Erika replied. "What are you wearing? What are you doing? Where have you been?!" She clapped a hand to her mouth. It was as if her mother was speaking through her.
"We were worried because we couldn't get in touch with you." Hana explained with her usual grace.
"Oh… I had my phone turned off." Yukari explained lamely, still processing that they were all in her room.
"Why are you climbing through windows?" Saori demanded. "Why aren't you coming through the front door?"
"I thought my dad might be worried if he saw me like this."
Erika thought 'worry' would be putting it mildly. "And why are you like this? Did you get a job?"
"Not exactly." She replied and there was none of her subdued tones of the past few weeks. "It's good you're all here. There's something I'd like to show you!" She whipped out a flash drive and held it like she was presenting the American nuclear launch codes. Erika felt a chill of foreboding.
(11,200)
Author's Notes: Some important conversations in this one. I didn't want Yukari to instantly forgive Erika for snapping at her because I know personally how much it hurts as a teenager to feel like someone you trust has turned on you. As an adult you can brush off those moments of anger but as a teen, it strikes you a different way. I enjoyed writing their heart to heart, and Nakajima's interjection. Wolf team's dynamics have changed but it's obvious that Erika and Yukari remain close.
I've included the events of two OVAs. Personally, I enjoy both of them for their silliness and not for their fanservice, although every time I watch them I notice more and more male gaze in them. I actually think Survival War has more than Water War. The excuse plot of Anzu coming up with the beach day to improve the club's closeness I actually think makes sense. They are a club, a team and it makes sense for them to have social events. Going shopping too obviously is something they can do together. I've no idea where I came up with the justification for Yukari being an expert on swimwear (In reality I think it was just an excuse to draw Yukari in more swimsuits) but somehow Bikini Atoll jumped into my head while I was trying to sleep and I jotted it down on the pad by my bed. A tangible connection to Yukari's love of all things military. But like Erika I think Yukari's allowed to express joy at wanting to go shopping with her friends. It's already canon she buys military boots and clothes so why not something conventional?
Boys make a surprise appearance in the GuP world. And promptly flee at the sight of Erika. I did consider making more of a drama out of it, but it seemed silly if they were all in swimwear. I also thought it was a good way to highlight the genuine shallow thinking she would have to endure and how she doesn't care, as said in her conversation with Saori.
No, I don't think Anzu is bipolar. I'm bipolar. But people often freely apply that label to people who have two contrasting sides so Erika doing it is just common speech. But I did want to try and justify why Anzu would make so much effort to save the school and yet still lounge in her tank and leave Momo and Yuzu to do everything, and ultimately leave the fate of Oarai to Miho. As is pointed out in the Schoolship War OVA, Anzu has a huge amount of responsibility and in anything close to approaching realism (Yes, I know…) that's got to be a lot of pressure. You can forgive her for not being optimistic about her own plan.
Still writing Spring and Autumn if anyone's wondering. The last chapter however is kicking my arse. This chapter got stuck as well as I rewrote the Karina talk a few times. Saori has the role of team mom in the show and I'm trying to make Erika something of a badass big sister but I don't want her dispensing wisdom to the First Years like Mr Miyagi. She's better with actions than words.
Short interlude before the Saunders match. Just a brief change of viewpoint.