"Oh?" Lilly looked surprised that a man apparently stationed in the capital had never gotten a chance to explore it. If he didn't know much about the city, maybe they could wander it together! Find some nice parks, restaurants, or a theater maybe. "Well in that case, maybe we could explore the city together?" It was quite easy to see a little sparkle of excitement in Lilly's eye, though her embarrassment quickly came back, causing her to blush and resume staring at her gloves. "I-I mean only if you want to, that is. Forgive me for being so presumptuous."

James smiled and nodded in agreement with Lily's idea, the grin only growing wider at her embarrassment. On that note, he faintly made a mental note to have a word with the new arrivals that playing matchmaker won't be tolerated, especially if they're in the middle of a deployment. "That sounds like a wonderful plan. Though I'm going to take a real shower before I do any exploring. The ones in the barracks just...don't do the trick."

---

Though Linda was not going to allow any protest, there seemed to be no need for any haste in the first place as Reinhardt accepted her company. Taking a few curious glances toward Jatmoore and Hunt, Linda barely caught any of what transpired during her movement. It was not enough to put her curiosity at ease, but at least more information was acquired.

When Reinhardt turned and said with a smile "I don't think we had the chance to introduce ourselves before, so... why don't we talk over a few drinks?" Linda unfortunately was ignorant of whether that meant liquor or lemonade, assuming it was the latter. Returning the smile, Linda replied "Sure! I'm curious about you anyway. Among...other things." Linda did not elaborate on what "other things" meant of course. She figured that Reinhardt would get the hint. After all, she was the lance corporal. When Reinhardt beckoned Linda to follow and made her comment about the all-paid pass Linda could not help but to contemplate how exactly this even came to existence in the first place. Regardless, Reinhardt was right: there was no reason to waste it. "I guess not." she said with a slight amount of thought as she followed the older silver-haired lance corporal. Something told her that this was going to be interesting. Now as to why, that was an unknown but no one has ever done anything great by sitting comfortable.

The comment about the... inadequacies of the barracks showers caused Lilly to nod with a knowing smile. "I know what you mean... The showers are indeed lacking." Hunt's previous acceptance of her proposal had put Lilly in a fantastic mood, and she stared out the window with a slight smile on her face, simply enjoying the passing scenery as they rode along. She had a feeling that this weekend would be quite nice.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Randgriz. Please gather your baggage and disembark from the rear of the carriage in an orderly manner." Evan was woken from his nap by the conductor walking down the aisle, making his announcements. Eugh... He rubbed his eyes and stretched before grabbing his pack and joining the rest of the squad on the way out of the carriage. Now he felt a bit better, at least.


It didn't take long for the squad to form up outside while Hunt checked the station's maps for directions to their hotel. As they waited, they were greeted with passing glances from the townsfolk who were, well, not unused to seeing soldiers parading around their city, but curious about what they were doing here. Occasionally, a child walking with their parents would wave at them - a gesture that Evan and Lilly happily returned. It was nice to be in a city untouched by war. Some minor curiosity aside, there was no fear in the eyes of it's inhabitants. The front line was far enough away that with the city of Vasel retaken, the risk of an Imperial breakthrough was low enough for the civilians to continue their lives with minimal interference. It seemed that those of the squad who had not visited before would get a fairly unspoiled impression of the city.

The hotel they had been directed to was not too far from the train station - only a couple blocks down the road. After Hunt pointed out the direction, Evan shielded his eyes and squinted through the bright sunlight, trying to pick it out. Sure enough, there was a fairly well kept and modest looking hotel down the street. Once they were marched to it, however, it quickly became apparent that while the stone exterior was fairly non-descriptor, the inside was down right extravagant. A glass chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the main lobby, and the white walls were adorned with various expensive looking paintings. The sight caused Evan to whistle. "Wow... Nice place." Maybe he wouldn't stay at home after all. Unlike the mechanic, however, Lilly seemed perfectly at home here, as if not noticing that their extravagant surroundings were at all unusual for a hotel.

"Ahem. May I assist you?" The uniformed woman behind the reception desk, who had previously been looking at the cluster of soldiers with disdain, addressed them. Clearly common soldiers did not match her ideas of the kind of people who should be interacting with or even staying in close proximity to her hotel's esteemed clientele.

Oh, boy, was the first thought that came to Corporal James Hunt's mind as the receptionist stared them down with nothing but disdain on her face. Still, there was one trick the young man's mind, and it was their reputation. Even Randgriz would have received word of their swooping rescue by now. And if not, then he also had Lord Barst's name he could use. All the same, he approached the desk and started with the good noble's name anyways. "Yes, we're the group that Lord Barst made arrangement for to stay here, the Heroes of Vasel as we're being called."

"I'm beginning to get worried that this 'vacation' may be more than it seems," Eris said to herself as soon as she they reached the hotel. Those accommodations were far too glamorous to be the reward of a Squad of low-ranking militia such as they. There had to be a catch somewhere. Eris wasn't going to get paranoid over it, though. Whether there was a catch to it or not, she was part of the squad, thereby her fate was tied to theirs.

Assuming that there would be no complications for them to get to their rooms, aside from a disdainful clerk. Eris' first task upon arriving at her room was take a nice and hot bath. As expected from such a first-class hotel, everything was as luxurious as it seemed. Eris felt compelled to take a towel as a souvenir, however she couldn't simply steal it.

Perhaps, using Lord Barst's name could convince the hotel staff to give her one?Either way, as soon as was Eris was done with her bath, she came back to the lobby. The silver-haired young woman who was dressed in proper civilian clothes now, waited the rest of the squad to come back as well, wondering if Hunt would have any more orders for them before they could leave.

"Hmm, I wonder what should I buy as gift for Eins? I can't come for a surprise visit with empty hands, after all," Eris thought out loud. While she waited, Eris couldn't avoid to nervously check herself, wondering if everything was ok with her looks.

"I see... Lord Barst..." Without further comment the receptionist began flipping through her book of reservations, though Hunt could have sworn he saw her subtly roll her eyes when he mentioned being called a hero. "Hmm... Ah, here we are. You must be Mr. Hunt? The Lord booked the entire west wing's second floor for your group. Here are your keys." She handed him a ring of rather intricately carved keys to distribute to the group, each emblazoned with a black room number on the bow. Once Hunt had taken them, she gestured to the bellhops standing around the lobby. "If you need assistance with your luggage, the hotel staff will be happy to assist you." Though her tone lightened a bit when she verified that Lord Barst had paid for the group's accommodations, it was still pretty obvious she was not thrilled with their presence.

Once she had been handed her key from James, Lilly flagged down a bellhop to carry her bag and made her way to her room. Along the way, she encountered a few businessmen, minor nobles or diplomats, all staring and wondering what a militia-woman was doing in a hotel like this. For the most part, Lilly ignored their stares and kept walking, making sure to quickly close the door to her room after she arrived. In her uniform, she looked like a commoner - someone who didn't belong here. If she wanted to avoid stares like that, she would need to change into something more presentable after showering. Like James had said, the barracks showers were woefully lacking.


Thanks to having decent water pressure for once, Lilly actually managed to complete her shower in a timely manner for the first time in weeks. Finally, she felt truly clean. After drying herself, she donned a nice, blue summer dress from her luggage and tied her hair back with a matching ribbon. Turning from side to side she inspected her appearance in the mirror, making sure she looked presentable. While she considered her current clothes to be simple casual wear, they were certainly well made and quite fashionable by most metrics. In a pinch, they might almost pass for formal wear. There was just one last thing she needed to do before returning to the lobby.


In a very un-ladylike action, Lilly took a flying leap and dove onto the bed. Sinking into the feathered mattress, she let out a sigh of contentment. This was going to be so much nicer than sleeping on the barracks cots... It had looked soft when she walked in and her crash landing confirmed that assessment whole heartedly.

... Alright, well enough of that silliness. After taking a few minutes to enjoy the softness, she straightened her hair and dress before heading out the door. If she lay there too much longer, she might actually fall asleep. At least she knew this weekend would do wonders for resting up. Needless to say, with her clothes changed, she got far fewer disapproving stares from the aristocrats on her way back to the lobby.

Possibly a first for squad four, Evan was actually the first person back in the lobby. This was partially a combination of him traveling light, but mostly due to his advanced age completely erasing any cares ghe had about what other people thought of his appearance. Dressed in wrinkled slacks and a faded shirt, he stuck out like a sore thumb while he waited for the rest of the squad to meet, wondering if Hunt was going to give them any orders. With any luck, they would just get set loose to do what they wished without any more military formalities.

Ignoring the receptionists disdain for the most part, James accepted the keys and then turned to get them handed out to everyone, making sure that there would be as few shenanigans of any kind as possible, which meant he placed his room promptly at the far end of the hall with Carn's and Bons' while the ladies were all closer to the stairs down to the first floor. With that handled, he rallied everyone up the stairs of the west wing, informed them there'd be one last formation in the lobby before the time was theirs, and made sure they were getting ready for their down time before going to his own room. Before getting undressed for a shower, he got out his civilian clothes, which consisted of jeans, a light blue t-shirt, and a light brown leather jacket. The look was completed by a pair of black steel-toed boots and his holster and sidearm along with his combat knife that was hidden in a boot.

Laying it all out on the bed, the Corporal waisted no time after that getting into the shower, sighing in content as decent warm water with real water pressure hit his back. Oh this is going to be great.

---

Fifteen minutes later, the man that the squad knew as their Corporal came out of his room looking an entirely different man with his hair brushed in a way that let it spike some along with his jacket and jeans. As he walked down the hall to the main lobby, he ignored the haughty looks of indignity that many of the nobles and various other wealthy tenants of the hotel gave him, because they didn't bother him.

Their opinion of him meant very little to the aspiring Sniper, and as such they held no power over him. It was the opinion of a certain girl, however, that did matter and her response to how he was dressed would either bolster his confidence with the opposite sex, specifically her, or destroy it completely, and he would rather not have it destroyed. But neither would he pretend to be someone he simply wasn't and so his current attire. Arriving, he noticed that Carn was actually early for a change, which pleased him greatly, as it meant he wouldn't have to put their APC driver on KP back at base. As he strode in, he spotted a spot to sit and read while he waited for the rest of the squad, and so he did, seeing what the tabloids were saying about the fight against the Empire.

---

"Very well, then" Eris said to Linda. A moment later she exited their current car, leading the way of their little two-girl trip.

A little while later, after they reached their destination, Eris sat at one of the bar stools. She stared at Linda silently for a few moments, while the bartender mixed her drink, a simple gin and tonic. Once it was ready, Eris had a taste of it before deciding to break the silence. "That's really a first-class drink, I don't think I had anything this good in a long time," she said.

Eris took another sip of her drink, waiting for Linda's reply.

When Linda was following Reinhardt to the refreshments, she was not expecting the refreshments to be alcohol. Despite this sudden revelation, she sat down on a seat next to Reinhardt though her ignorance of the different types of drinks showed when the bartender asked her what she wanted. After politely asking to have more time, Linda noticed Reinhardt staring at her.

Turning her head slightly toward Reinhardt, she began to fidget nervously as the silver-haired woman stared, putting her left hand on her right arm's tricep and her right hand on her left arm's elbow, gently rubbing those spots. After a few seconds passed, Reinhardt broke the ice, to which Linda released a small sigh of relief as she released her arms and putting her hands on her legs and replied "Uh, to be honest I wouldn't know. This is my first time having anything besides the occasional moonshine from home."

"I see. I'm sorry, I should have asked if you felt comfortable. I'm sure that they have drinks to suit every taste, you don't have to have alcohol if you don't feel like it," Eris said apologetically. It wasn't her intention to have Linda feel awkward, but it seems like she misjudged the other girl's intention.

Linda waved her hand, looking at Reinhardt's eyes. "Oh no it's fine! I would like to be out of my comfort zone anyway. It's just..." Linda trailed off, stopped herself and thought for a moment. In the end, she decided to be honest. She spoke softly as she said "It was just the way you were staring at me..."

"Oh, by the Valkyria, did I stare so intensely? I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention at all," Eris said, turning her gaze aside. She didn't meant to make Linda self-conscious, yet it she did it. "The truth is that I was curious about the way almost jumped out of your seat to come here with me. I may be wrong, but you looked quite excited. Naturally, this picked up my curiosity—"

"Now that I remember," Eris said a second after abruptly ending her previous sentence, "We still haven't introduced ourselves. Where did my education go?" Eris half joked, half chastised herself for not following proper etiquette.

"I'm Eris Reinhardt, but you can call me Eris if you'd like. I have been a teacher for the past two or three years, so don't hesitate to ask me anything that you feel like. I can't say that I'll know all the answers, but I'll do my best," Eris said, smiling, before extending her hand to Linda.

Linda listened to Reinhardt right as she stopped herself, then realized that she herself got so distracted from her original goal that she never put any thought of what she was going to say. Well, she can figure that out later, as Reinhardt, or rather Eris now that she knew her name, was right. Slightly giggling at the silver-haired woman chastising herself about her education, Linda replied softly but not too soft as she did not want to give away the first impression that she was shy.

"I'm Linda Vogel, but you can call me Linda. I am a farmer's daughter..." Linda sighed at the mention of being on a farm. "You said you were a teacher?" Now it was Linda's turn to stare as she looked at Eris from head to toe in thought, contemplating the fact that she was talking to a teacher, or at least a former one. "I have to admit you look way too too young to be a teacher! Most of the teachers I know are either old men or women." Linda was not going to admit she was a bit jealous of her figure. That would only end horribly in every scenario she imagined.

"But since you offered...." Linda paused to slow herself down so as to not speak too fast or incoherently, with a slight smile forming. "Maybe you could start with educating me in what the best drink here is, teacher?"

---

By the time they got off the train, Linda felt the effects of the drinks she had with Eris. With her lower tolerance of alcohol, this came to no surprise to the young woman. She was not flat out drunk, but she was buzzed though on the lower end of the spectrum. She decided to not drink anymore 10 minutes before they arrived at Randgriz for good reason. Why do I have to drink anything that tastes good? Summed her thoughts up as she recalled the trip down to Randgriz. It was a habit, and something she never got out of. Apparently, this habit also extended to alcoholic drinks. No matter, she knew that within a short period of time she will be back to normal.

Thus when she entered the lobby in the hotel she at first failed to notice the company that was present inside the hotel. Even if she did notice them, she paid them little mind as she went with the squad. What she did notice was how extravagant the inside was. She never seen anything like it, and especially not at her parent's farm! Regardless, despite her state she did notice that the receptionist was clearly not the happiest woman alive serving a bunch of "lowly" militiamen. Linda did not really care until she was told where her room was and given her key.

Upon reaching her room, which took a bit more time she would have otherwise taken, Linda first collapsed right on the bed. It was so soft, she was jealous of everyone who could stay here with no catch involved! However, Regina knew that eventually she will have to get down to the lobby to meet Hunt and the squad again, and so decided that the first thing to do was to clean up. After getting a shower, which was a really good experience considering where she was from, and put on a different set of clothes. This set consisted of a simple white blouse, gray long skirt and her shoes. It was not by any means the best outfit, but with what she had it might as well be the best at her disposal. Linda, this time, did not keep her hair tied allowing it to flow freely but neatly combed it to at least look presentable. Linda also made sure that her combat knife would be strapped under her blouse, not immediately visible, and had what small amount of money she had. It was not much money, but it could get a few nice things.

By the time she was done grooming and cleaning up, she felt the effects of the alcohol lessened. Checking the time, she would arrive at the nick of time but she would definitely make it. Quickly, she went downstairs to join the rest of the squad though now she noted the reactions of those around her and the wealth they displayed. Many of them looked at her as if she was extremely out of place, but Linda did not care about them. No, they were not her nor were they in her position. She had no doubt that many of them were born into this kind of life. One of these days I am going to be like them, only I would have earned it! she thought to herself as she entered the lobby, finding Hunt, Evan Carn, Eris, and Jatmoore already there. She had to admit: Hunt did look sharp and Eris looked great. Compared to her own plain drab that she had, she felt out of place especially with how extravagant the hotel was. Linda made a note to go clothes shopping sometime soon. It was the city; she could find something extremely good unlike in the country!

By the time most of the others arrived back at the lobby, Eris was already wondering if she had perhaps been too hasty. The first one that she noticed was Evan, standing a little distance away from her. "Did I miss him, somehow? Either way, I think that a little chat won't harm," Eris thought as she turned on her heels and scuttled closer to Evan.

"Hi there, Evan, right? May I... stand around here?" Eris asked with a bit of an insecure voice. She didn't knew Evan's personality, so she didn't risk bothering him too much. Hopefully that would be enough to break the ice.

Before she noticed it, Eris was fidgeting nervously with her hair as she waited for a reply.

"Hahaha don't look so nervous girly, I don't bite. Stand where ever you want." Evan couldn't help but laugh at how nervous the girl was. Sure, he towered over almost everyone in the squad, but he wasn't that intimidating looking, was he? Wait, this girl was one of the new recruits, wasn't she? That would explain why she didn't feel comfortable around him and also why he could not for the life of him, remember her name. "Yeah, it's Evan. ... Though I have no idea who you are. You're new to the squad, right? Whats your name?" Once told, Evan crossed his arms and nodded with satisfaction. "Aaahh, right. I think I remember you from when the FNGs got introduced."

The conversation died off a little bit while Evan waited for her to say more, but eventually he broke the silence himself. "Alright, so... what's up? Most people don't hang around the old man for entertainment. Got something on your mind?"

James couldn't help but laugh at what Carn says as he flips to the next page of his reading material. "Unless you are the entertainment, old man."

"Right, right, I guess that I'm nervous for no reason, after all. I thought that drinking would help it, but looks like alcohol can only do so much unless you are willing to get drunk," Eris replied to Evan. Once he asked her about her name, she finally stopped fidgeting with her hair and said, "It's Eris. I'm please to you."

Eris waited a moment until Evan finally asked her about her intentions, while trying to not mind Hunt's tease. "Well, to say the truth, I don't want anything. I just thought that talking to someone would help dispel my nervousness," Eris admitted. She had little to talk about other than the weather, or questions about the rest of the Squad, for obvious reasons, Eris chose the later topic. "The truth is that I've been thinking of something from as early as this morning, after I talked with Veronica and Lily. However, I couldn't form an opinion about whether I should talk about it to Hunt without asking you first given that you are our our driver."

Eris looked around before turning to ask Evan in a lower voice, to make sure that no one who wasn't part of the squad could listen to her question. "Do you know how to pilot a tank? More specifically, say... if we could commandeer an Imperial tank, do you think that you would be able to pilot it? I mean, I have training as a tank commander, but I don't know if I should propose the idea of trying to capture an enemy vehicle to Hunt without being sure that there's someone in the squad who can help me man it. What do you say?"

James listens to Reinhardt speak with Carn, he can't help but shake his head. Finishing his paragraph, he stands and joins the pair, his hands in his pockets. "Look, Reinhardt, I can appreciate the idea and where you're going with it, but we're a pathfinding squad, not to mention we've seen more transfers than any other unit in the militia, and that's just outs and ins. Even with you and Carn, assuming the old man got training with a tank, in the bloody thing, no one else here has the training. Hell, I'm regular military and I don't have any extensive training with that. And don't ask about why I'm here if I'm regular military, it's something I'd rather not talk about."

"Well then what an excellent choice that would be. I'll have you kiddos know I could have been a movie star back in the day!" Evan chuckled as he responded to Hunt's ribbing. When Eris asked about him being trained to drive a tank, he grinned as he remembered a fond memory. "Yes I am. The vehicle course covered all of that and tanks are awesome to drive."

When she asked about him piloting a comandeered imperial tank, though, his grin shifted to a curious expression as he began to ponder that thought. "Hmmm... I mean, I could. Transmissions vary from tank to tank, but the driving controls are usually pretty standard aside from the gearbox. I might need a few hours of practice to get good with it, but I could. I don't think it would work out well though." Evan was about to list off the limitations of driving a comandered tank but was interupted by Hunt, who highlighted the biggest issue of all: crew. "Bingo." He snapped a finger and pointed a 'finger gun' at the corporal. "Give the lad a cigar, the biggest issue is we'd need a crew for it. If we captured a heavy tank or one of those two-turreted monstrosities the imperials started producing before the war, we'd need the entire squad to man it just to get it moving." Evan began counting off on his fingers as he mentally went over each crew roll in the different kinds of tanks he was trained with. "A medium tank requires 4 other crew members besides the driver and even a light tank requires at 3 people to be combat effective. Two can do it in a pinch, but then the gunner has to also load and the driver has to operate the radio. Either way, I don't think it would work well unless we got a bunch more transferes with vehicle training."

As the rest of the squad showed up, James sighed. "Overall, it's just not something that we can likely pull off. In any case, Squad Four, form up!" Once everyone was front and center, the Corporal stood at the front, looking at everyone. "Alright, so I only have a couple more things for you. One, don't raise hell if you can help it please. We're here on leave and I'm pretty sure hell raising will keep us from ever being allowed back in the city again. Second, try to be back by no later than 2300.I can't force you and I won't blame you for taking advantage of the free time we've been given, but sleep is still good for you." With one final look over everyone, James nods to himself and waves the squad off. "Alright, dismissed until the end of leave. Enjoy yourselves."

Natascha stretched once she got off the train with her luggage. Command didn't exactly book the fastest train for her transit from Anthold to Randgriz, a few hours transit at least, she wasn't keeping track of time only knowing it was taking damn near forever to get here. And she didn't see any reason to move about the train to get food or drink. From her knowledge, the city would have all of that plus her new squad. Which from rumors within her, now old, squad was a bit famous. Some of the others in the old squad even congratulating her on going into a famous squad. Called the Heroes of Vasel or something.

While moving through the city she took in the sights of the city, this being her first time in any city in more than 20 years. Everything looked different now that she was much older. "Odd" she involuntarily spoke her mind while walking, "Everything feels smaller." she continued. Though she chalked up the smaller feeling city to her taller height.

After some time, she found herself standing in from the hotel she was told her new squad was at. Though she questioned the validity of that report before she even left the station. Shrugging, she entered and saw a small group of people all paying attention to one man. But with everyone in casual dress it was hard to tell if it was a group of rich friends paying a visit to Rangriz, or her new squad. Still, she approached the man who had been addressing the rest. There was only one way to find out which one was true. "Excuse me sir, but would you happen to be Corporal Hunt?" Natascha could swear she was hearing some sort of annoyed voice coming from the reception desk, but couldn't quite make much sense of it.

She was still wearing her lancer attire, as she didn't have the time to change into something more civilian before going to the city.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I wasn't aware of that," Eris was quick to apologize once James came out and addressed the flaws on her plan. "I heard from Lily that you have an imperial vehicle, so I thought that it was worth it to mention my idea. Let's keep it on hold for now, if we come across the chance, I'll bring it up again," she said to Evan and James, right before the corporal rounded them up for a final set of instructions.

Once they were dismissed, Eris was quick to turn around and look for the rest of the squad. "Is there anyone who wants company for the day? I plan to visit my sister later, but I don't have anything to do until she's supposed to be free. If anyone wants an escort, I would be glad to show you around," Eris said.

---

Linda listened to the conversation that Eris had with Evan with interest. Capturing an Imperial tank? That would certainly be a feat that would get them, and by extension herself, some glory! She needed that if she ever wanted to go far in life. Still, Linda knew she had to be smart about it. No need to get herself killed winning the glory, and with her luck she will almost always be in a bad situation out in the field.

When Hunt dismissed them, Linda heard Eris's question and thought about it for a second. Linda did not want to be clingy to the school teacher but on the other hand she wanted to get some more clothing and other accessories. If Eris had a friend here in Randgriz, then that meant that she knew the city presuming she wasn't a country bumpkin like Linda herself! Having made her decision, Linda turned toward Eris. "Sure, I will take you up on that offer. But...." Linda looked around quickly, spotting Evan and directed a thumb toward his direction. "I would like to get a few things so..." Turning toward Evan, Linda gently smiled as she asked "Will you help me with my shopping and keep nice ladies like us company?" Linda noted a lancer lady come in, but since they were dismissed she did not in particular care at this time.