Fort Nelson Academy High School, 1000 hours:
The bell ringed through the hallway and of every classroom as break time has arrived. Alisia was about to walk out of the class before she stared back at Lily. "Are you coming to the Cafetaria?" Asked Alisia as she waited at the door frame, waiting for Lily.
Lily looked up from her desk at Alisia, before then she laid her head back down on her desk again, answering back in a very tired tone. "Later.."
"Oh... Well, okay then, see you later." Alisia then walked out of the class, heading towards the cafeteria all by herself. Walking through the hallway with a flat look on her face.
Alisia came out from the line after taking her food, which is fried rice, broccoli's, some slices of apples, and a small bowl of still steaming chicken soup. There also placed a tissue wrapped spork placed in the food. She walked towards the corner, passing by the occupied tables and towards an empty place, where she sat on the corner just near a wall. "Oh well.. At least I got a friend. More friends would probably give more more headaches." She sighed before unwrapping the spork from the tissue.
Then, just as Alisia was about to start eating, a black haired girl which is taller than her, with a black pupil eye, approached her. "Konnichiwa, watashi wa Miyuki desu! anata no tonari ni suwatte mo I desu ka?" she asked in a cheerful and polite tone.
Alisia was frozen by the sudden greeting, she looked up at her before giving a single nod, feeling very awkward. The girl who was Miyuki, gave a surprised look on her face. "Ehh? You understand Japanese?"
Alisia shallowed her food before then she looked up at Miyuki, "Yes, now sit down if you want, or go to the other tables. If there's any left." she broke eye contact with Miyuki, and continued eating.
Miyuki blinked, she gave an awkward smile towards Alisia before then sitting down. "O-Ok..!" She sat down and unwrapped the plastic covered spork. "Ehh, I don't expect anyone to understand Japanese here!"
Alisia stared at Miyuki, with an annoyed look on her face. "Try not talking while having food in your mouth, will you?" she protested.
Miyuki stopped and swallowed her food, "Sumimasen- Wait, you understand me, right?"
Alisia looked up at Miyuki, before then she gave another single nod and continued eating her food. Miyuki smiled in response before continuing. "Ehh, where did you learn? I heard there's no Japanese here besides me and my mother."
Alisia continued eating, ignoring Miyuki and just giving a flat face. Miyuki stared at Alisia before then she sighed and continued eating her food, "You're not the chatterbox type huh... Naruhod- I mean uhh.. Nevermind."
Lily appeared from behind, with her own food she carried with her hands on the tray, before she asked Alisia in a tired tone. "Mind if I sit here?"
Alisia looked at Lily, before giving a nod. "Ah, Lily. You look a bit lively now. Sure, why not?" she smiled at her.
As Lily took a seat, Miyuki looked at the two, still eating her food, "Ehh? You two are friends?"
Alisia went quiet and gave a flat expression once more, before then continued eating. Miyuki started asking more questions, "Since when?"
Lily replied to Miyuki's question as she was eating, "I don't know, never counted."
Miyuki nodded, she then took a closer look at Alisia, looking down the table and noticing her short stature and that her legs did not touched the ground.
"You look... Short." Miyuki muttered. Causing Alisia to respond with a sharp glare towards Miyuki's eyes, causing Miyuki to gulp, before then continuing eating her food. "I've bothered her too much.."
After a while, Alisia was walking back to the class along with Lily on her back, when all of a sudden Alisia felt like someone followed her from behind, she looked back to see Miyuki also following along, before then staring at her with a sharp look.
"Eh? Nande desu ka?" Miyuki looked at Alisia with a confused look on her face.
Alisia continued staring into Miyuki's eyes. "Why are you following me?"
"I'm not? I'm just walking back to my class." Miyuki was frozen in place, unable to move a limb, as her eyes were locked onto Alisia's sharp stare.
Alisia continued staring, and asked further. "What class?"
"Uhh... 10-A?" Miyuki answered with a shaky voice. Alisia blinked, before then she continued to walk back to the class. Leaving Miyuki with a confused look on her face.
"Huh... What's wrong with her?" Miyuki looked at Lily for answers.
Lily looked at Miyuki, "Hmm? I don't know.."
"What? But aren't you like.. her friend?"
"Not in the mood to remember those kinds of things." Lily yawned as she continued walking to the class, with Miyuki still frozen in confusion but then decided to just return back to class. While her mind was trying to ignore what just happened.
After a while later as school was about to come to an end and the bells was about to ring, the PA system came to life and started broadcasting, "Attention all students, all students are to head to the auditory room for an announcement from the student council and the headmaster after the bell rings." the PA repeated the message 3 times before then it went off. Everyone in the class was confused, some were furious even due to being exhausted from listening through the previous lessons. Meanwhile, Alisia was curious of what would be announced.
"Ugh, why? I'm tired already." One student scoffed in a tired and furious tone."
Quiet down. Alright students, don't forget to go to the audio system, and don't run away! Or else there'll be consequences." Said the teacher in a stern and feminine voice.
"I wonder what the announcement is all about..." Said Miyuki in a curious tone, she then looked towards Alisia, looking at her with a questioning look.
Alisia looked at Miyuki with a confused look on her face, before then she glared at her. "What? Why are you asking me? Do I know you or something?"
"Uhh... Nothing..." Miyuki looked away, and blushed in embarassment.
Then the bell rang, as said before by the announcer, the students began to walk towards the audiotary.
"I hate this.." said Lily in a tired voice.
"Same.. But I wonder what they'll announce." Alisia was still curious about what would be announced.
"Probably some useless boring exam or something..." Said one random student.
Alisia continued to walk, still with that curious look on her face, as if she was yet tired from the previous activity, along with Lily and Miyuki following behind.
The students arrived at the audiotary room, sitting down on the seats inside. Meanwhile Alisia headed towards the corner of the audiotory and sat down, but then Lily and Miyuki appeared and sat beside her. She wasn't mad with Lily following her, but Miyuki following her bothered her.
Alisia sighed. "Why are you following me...?" she stared at Miyuki with an annoyed look.
"Eh? I don't know, you're the only one I know in this school besides, Uh..."
Miyuki then looked at Lily and asked, "What is your name again?"
Lily looked at Miyuki and answered with a soft voice. "Lily, Lily Carter."
"Ah! Yes, Lily... How about you?" Miyuki turned to Alisia to ask for her name.
Alisia hesitated a bit, looking forward and keeping a straight face. But with Miyuki looking at her and not stopping, she replied back to Miyuki's question. "Alisia... Now please be quiet."
Then, an old man entered, who seemed to be the headmaster of the academy. He walked up to the podium and began to speak in front of the students. "Good day students, sorry for interrupting your leave but uh.. To fasten this all up, we will just play this video right here. Operator?"
Then the lights went out, the headmaster stepped down from the podium and the screen rolled down, then an old vintage black and white film started to be played. The scene started first with the Canadian red ensign, waving and the song, The Maple Leaf Forever, played, and later the scene changed to a calm setting of the Canadian Rockies. The narrator on the film begins to deliver its message in a masculine and calm tone. "Canada, a beautiful place among the Empire, and the first and prideful subject of His Majesty. But maybe some of us are bored and eager for an adventure outside of our boring cold green and rocky homeland."
The scene changed to a sudden chaotic battle, where tanks like the Tetrarch's, Panzer I and II's, with Tankette's and other types of tanks fighting in many landscapes, with the music intensified, before then later changed to the aftermath of a battle where many tanks were seen with white flags popping out, and a large text zoomed out and popped into the screen; 'TANKERY'
"Presenting to you, tankery, a new sport from a far away country, Germany." The scene changed to young students in training, in the fields and classes, while showing flags of where the scenes came from that is Third French Republic, the United Kingdom, Polish Third Republic, the Empire of Japan, the Soviet Union and the German Third Reich. "Challenging, and a tough sport. Meant for men who want to go on an adventure outside the dominion."
Alisia blinked, and talked to herself, "Sounds deadly.. How did this get passed the ministry?"
Then, the scene changed to a dark screen, "But of course, many of us think that this sport is deadly and dangerous, and may have thought that this is just another waste of human lives for a pointless thing for aristocrats, and as the Great War ended just 2 decades ago, its no wonder why." the image of a wide open muddy field full of white crosses came into scene, before then the scene changed to the picture of Fritz Haber. "But there is a new technology, where these armored vehicles, or what we call tanks, are covered in a new special type of carbon protection, discovered by a German scientist that decided to redeem itself; Fritz Haber. Thanks to him now the sport is completely harmless, aside from accidents of course."
Alisia blinked, "Nevermind." she muttered, taking back her words.
Scene after scene changed to youths from what seemed to be from Britain, South Africa, and Malaya, training and studying in each respective classes, switching to scenes of them practicing in the fields. "Join up on the new sport together, and get new experience from across the world." The film ended with the the instrument song of 'God save the King', before then the lights went on again and the screen was lifted back, and a female student that seemed to be the student council's president stepped onto the podium, and began to speak.
"Now, due to the nature of this sport and the club will mostly go overseas for matches and would most likely take quite a time to finish, students are expected to be out for a few days or weeks. Benefits for joining the club include all travel will be at the schools' expense, including several insurances. Other benefits such as extra points and possible scholarships to Commonwealth or Commonwealth sponsored schools in non-commonwealth nations like in countries such as Hongkong, Japan, and South Korea, along with possibility of entering non-Commonwealth universities in America like the Boston Tankery University, the best university in North America currently. Along with some student exchanges on affiliated schools."
The student's jaw dropped after hearing the statement, unable to believe such benefits coming from joining the club, going into prestigious and even foreign schools. Alisia was also shocked, but again she was not that interested into joining exhausting activities. The students meanwhile began to talk with one another about the words the student's president just said.
"Heee, never would've thought Canada would play Sensha-do!" Miyuki clapped both her hands together, with a look of excitement on her face.
Lily looked at Miyuki, curious. "Zenza.. Doo?"
Miyuki shook her head. "Iiie! Sen-sha-do. Wakarimasu ka?" she asked.
Lily gave a confused look at Miyuki, not understanding a single word. "Huh?"
Alisia looked at Lily, "She said its Sensha-do, or art of.. tank? She also asked if you understand. Miyuki, Lily doesn't understand Japanese, try speaking in English, will you?"
Alisia was interrupted as the student's president clapped her hands to gain everyone's attention. "Order in the room, please! Now, if you have no experience in this sport, no problem! The club welcomes everyone, no one in Canada for the past 3 decades has ever played this sport, unless you're from the outside and have participated once, well.. Your participation will be appreciated. This sport welcomes all students, if you're interested, write in your student's ID to the school's email."
Alisia was walking back home with Lily, with Miyuki following behind, Miyuki then catched up beside Alisia and attempted to start a conversation. "Hyaaa, Alisia-san-"
Alisia interrupted Miyuki before she could even speak further. "English please." Alisia asked in a weak and tired tone, yet still trying to sound polite.
"But you know Japanese! Right?" Miyuki asked in an energetic tone.
"Some bits of it, the last time I spoke with it was 5 years ago when I was 10 or 11." Alisia continued looking forward at the road.
"Heee.. I see. But, where did you learn it from?" Miyuki asked again, still walking beside her and keeping up the pace and looking at Alisia's tired face.
Alisia went quiet for a short moment before then she answered back, still giving that flat look. "I lived in Japan for a few years."
"Ehh, why did you leave?" Miyuki asked further, now more curious.
"...Parents." Alisia answered in an annoyed tone, her face expression turning grim.
"Oh..." Miyuki nodded, she wanted to ask further but looking at Alisia's expression, she decided to just skip to the point. "So I'm guessing you used to have friends there, maybe that'd explain this behaviour." Then when they were at the intersection, Miyuki walked towards the other direction, before waving at both Alisia and Miyuki "Jaane! Mataashita."
Lily was once more confused with what Miyuki just said, "What did she just say now?"
Alisia sighed, and continued walking, leaving Lily behind. "Bye, see you tomorrow."
Lily still gave that confused look on her face, and asked once more, "Huh? Is that an answer or a farewell?"
"Both." Alisia's voice began to decrease in volume as she's distances away from Lily.
Alisia opened the door of her house after she unlocked it with a key, entering it before then taking off her shoes and grabbed it with one of her hands, putting it on a shoe rack. She then first walked towards the bathroom to grab a broom and a dust collector with a long stick, and began cleaning off some dusts on the corner, which went on for half an hour, which soon after she returned back to the bathroom and placed the tools back, before she took her clothes off and placed it on the basket, and went on to take a short shower. After taking a short shower, she then wrapped herself in a long towel and walked towards the dirty clothes and pulled out the previously washed clothes she cleaned in the morning and placed them down a new basket just below the washing machine, before inserting the dirty clothes inside and poured down cleaning solutions and turning the machine on.
She placed the basket on top a sink, taking the clothes one by one, spraying the clothes with some liquids before ironing them warm and smooth before placing them on a new basket before then folding the clothes neat on the basket. The process repeated for another half an hour until all clothes are ironed. She placed the empty basket back to its place before grabbing the basket with the recently ironed clothes and walked back towards her room. She opened the wardrobe and began placing the new clothes inside, her hands moving the clothes with care and precision, making sure every clothes fits inside.
After a few minutes and clothed with some new fresh green clothes from the wardrobe, she went towards the computer desk placed just near the door, booting it up and later checking on things from her school, she then went to her computer desk in her room just beside the door and sat down, pulling out the keyboard desk where there was placed a case. She pulled and opened it, to reveal a pair of anti-radiation glasses. She wore it before looking back at the already booted up computer in front of her, windows 10. She went on to open Firefox, browsing into Quora just as she usually does. Looking at notifications and new interesting information coming in, though on some occassion, some memes popping out.
While looking through the posts people made, she remembered while watching some silly anime during a beach episode, which in the end caused her father to drag her to the church to be 'educated'. Such unpleasant memories it was, being educated by the priest about the dangers of porn and porn addiction, while it was just another harmless episode of Doraemon, with Tsuneo was having a silly birthday wish.
Another thought entered her mind, she was thinking whether to join the club or not, wanting to stay isolated and maintain a status quo, but in the other hand she also wanted to make her mother less worried about her lack of friends. Maybe joining tankery can get both of her parent's attention back, getting somewhat a bit known. She had read before tankery even some small schools get some publicity, some asian teams from even the high school level being known. Losing or winning wouldn't really matter since her parents would at least notice her a bit.
Alisia decided to open up gmail, and wrote down the school's email which she remembered from during the opening conference last week in Friday, and typed messages of her information using the school given email accounts, before then she clicked send. "Ahh, done."
Alisia's mind went blank, before then she decided to start researching about the sport starting from Quora, where she found a post from a user regarding tankery history. Canada being once a very dominant Commonwealth country with a very dominant tankery team, dominating from 1956 to 1963, going down and up again in 1976. Just as she was about to reach the section in the 80's, she stared at the clock, showing the time is 20:59 AM.
She then decided to turn off the computer, before turning off the lights and laying down on the bed, covering herself entirely with a blanket. "I wonder if I can get a normal life..." She released a heavy yawn and her eyes began fluttering. Tired, she hugged onto a pillow, and fell asleep.