Chapter Text
“Emma, dear,” Elizabeth hummed softly, “Do try to make some friends this year.”
Orange Pekoe stopped pouring the tea, and glared at Darjeeling. She only called her ‘Emma’ if she needed her to do a particularly nasty favor. She only ‘suggested’ she make friends once, when she had her eye on Eloise joining mid-way through last season.
“Who would you like me to solicit to the team this time?” She responded, snarky.
“Oh, Pekoe,” Darjeeling said, in a faux tone of shock. “Don’t be so rash. I have no intentions of dragging any more fair maidens into the team.”
“Uh-huh…” Pekoe muttered, nonplussed.
“On that note, have you seen the state of that new girl from Kuromorimine?”
Of course she would…
“The new transfer, Nishizumi?” She asked, as if she never heard of the name.
“That’s the one,” Darjeeling answered, taking a sip of tea and sighing, contently. “She’s caused all sorts of ruckus for the teachers I hear, and it’s barely been a week since the school year began.”
“Hmm, what a shame,” Pekoe said, deadpanned, as Darjeeling stood up and faced the window. “Naturally, I assume, they’re thinking of reprimanding her harshly, and likely whoever had endorsed her acceptance to the school.”
“That is also true,” Darjeeling said, undeterred and smiling. “It would be very detrimental to the standings of this school and its people if such a person was to continue to attend and represent us.”
“Then expel her,” Pekoe suggested, nonchalantly. “Surely, if enough students and administrators are complaining, there should be sufficient cases to throw her out.”
“There is, and they are planning to do so,” Darjeeling said. Pekoe hoped it would end there, but that was dashed when Darjeeling turned back to face her, a coy smile spread across her face.
“But that sounds so sad, no?” Darjeeling wondered aloud. “A poor, little girl, living all by herself in a new school, and being expelled after such a short time attending. A misguided soul, lost, alone, fearful of the radically new environment here that she is in.”
She turned around, and gestured around the room, “Oh, wouldn’t it be so if someone was to befriend her, and try to help her set back on the path of righteousness. To help her and shape her-”
“Save me the speech,” Pekoe sighed. Rather than listening to the remainder of Darjeeling’s spiel, she simply finished her cup of tea, and hustled out of the office, ready to begin the day’s training.
Darjeeling didn’t say anything else as Pekoe walked out, closing the door behind her. Sipping on her teacup, she turned back to the window, facing the entire school campus. At the far end, slightly off-center, was the General Student housing. If she could try, she would be able to pretend to see the girl staring back at her from her own balcony, and overlooking the Sensha-Do district of campus.
She sighed, and drew the blinds close.
> General Studies Area <
She liked to keep a schedule.
0500, wake up.
Spend 45 minutes preparing for school.
0545, out the door for a hour-long run.
There’s more to it. Unfortunately, some people are very disruptful.
“Hey-y-y, darling,” a voice crooned. She stopped jogging and pivoted around to see three girls beckoning her over from a back alley. In jumpsuits and oil marks, they were easily distinguishable to be part of the Naval Studies Department of the Ark Royal .
“Yes.” She responded, slightly irritated.
“Where’re you going in a rush?” The youngest girl, shorter than her partners, asked slyly. She looked like she couldn’t be older then a Middle Schooler, yet she carried herself like a senior and the girls behind her seemed to defer to her authority. “Off to beat up some more poor ladies out back?”
‘ That was one time ’, Miho groaned internally. Instead of giving them an answer, she decided to continue on with her jog.
Before she continued, though, she heard a *snap* and another group of girls came around the corner, blocking the street off. Some of them carried rusty steel pipes, others began wrapping their fingers in boxing wraps.
“Oh, don’t leave just yet,” the girl said, starting to walk up towards her. “We want to get to know you very well .”
“If you’re looking for a friend, try Johannesburg,” Miho said bluntly. “I hear there’s plenty of men that’ll be interested in a girl your size.”
“Why you…” the smaller girl growled, “I’ll kick your ass-“
“That’s enough, Ivy,” a voice, stern and authoritative, came out from behind them.
Within a second, ‘Ivy’ spun around, and dropped to her knees. The rest of the girls bowed in the direction of the alleyway sans Miho, who just raised an eyebrow.
Out of the alleyway came a short brunette, only slightly taller than Ivy was, carrying a small handbag on her side. She took her steps gracefully but purposefully, making sure to avoid any dirty water puddles or bits of trash that were left on the ground. She carried a sense of elegance and regency that was uniquely befitting to one group aboard this vessel, her membership of it evident by the velvet red outfit that she wore with pride.
The tankery outfit for St. Gloriana.
The star and crown emblem on her lapel denoted who she was as well.
“Lady Pekoe,” Ivy stated, bowing down.
“Ivy,” she said, calmly. “What business do you have with this student?”
“I have identified her as the one who instigated the fight yesterday, my lady,” Ivy stated. “I simply wished to… repay the favor .”
“Be that as it may, your powers do not extend to physical altercations with the students, if I remember,” Pekoe reprimanded her, which only earned a sense of dismay from Ivy. Pekoe hefted her handbag on her shoulder, and passed by her. “I will take her with me.”
“As you wish, Lady Pekoe,” Ivy granted, stepping to the side to allow Pekoe to walk forward.
“Lady Nishizumi, if you will,” Pekoe asked, taking off one of her thick, black tanker gloves and offering her hand to Miho.
“Who says I’m going to go with you?” Miho scoffed, as she pivoted on the balls of her feet and began to continue on her jog.
With a snap from Pekoe, though, the rest of the girls that came to fight her blocked off the road, preventing her from going forward. Miho tried to sidestep them, only for the group to follow her and block her advance. She tried to force her way through, but she was outnumbered and was rebuffed.
“I have to go to school,” Miho told Pekoe, glancing over her shoulder.
“I called you out for today,” Pekoe replied sweetly, “Official Sensha-Do duties. This will count to your required service hours.”
Miho just groaned, but decided to follow Pekoe the opposite way.