FalloutJack

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

There were two things that stuck out in Isaac's mind at this time. The first was that he had never felt so scared of something so common and mundane as a mist, a smog, a smoke... He had never come across anything like it in his life. Hell, nobody had, if this was a new kind of weapon. The second thing he noticed was that, until that moment, he had never heard Britta panicked before. In retrospect, it made sense, though. The things she was afraid of most were losing those close to her, not her own life. Isaac had to admit a feeling like that, as well, especially since this was not the way he wanted the Charpentiers to end. After all he'd been through, Jean deserved something more akin to 'And he lived to a ripe old age, where he eventually died, surrounded by loved ones'.

Really, Isaac was just sentimental, that way. His own father said that's how he wanted to die.

Right now, dying was something that people were very much wanting to get out and away from. He and Britta, calling out to get people to evacuate the building before they died and those of their squad to have their masks on. He noticed that Victoria, their new recruit, passing that information along, and that was proper...though she seemed a bit forceful, rough around the edges. She was gonna have to get use to working with the tune of the 15th, and soon. Somewhat more hopeful was the fact that Luke announced that he was going to check on other areas and make sure everyone was pulling out of here. Guess even an asshole knows when to draw the line and do something right. Isaac soon, however, got direct attention from Jean. Because he felt he was getting muffled severely by his mask, Isaac shouted "You got it!", regardless of whether he needed to or not when he heard the orders given.

"Alright, 15th Squad! All personnel, fall in and prepare to evacuate out the back!"

He started calling names, enunciating as much as he could to be understood. He only called first names, not rank or last names. It was just what he'd gotten use to. Even Baines and Marathon were called by Freya and Thomas. He called off everybody's names, and saved Luke for last, since he knew what it was that he was up to, at the moment.

"Luke, you'd better be getting people out or heading back this way, right now!"

He went through the whole list, making sure he could actually recognize those that were here with their mask on. Isaac felt antsy, though. He wanted to be moving around, getting people moving on. This way felt weird to him, but he was basically getting the pack coordinated and preparing to lead. He didn't like this. Jean went out into the smoke, maybe to find other people who were struggling out there. He couldn't see much of anything out there. The yellow stuff kept pouring out and out, like it had a neverending supply. He hoped that everyone would make it here, safe and so-

BANG!

Isaac and perhaps everyone here turned their heads to the shot. That was upstairs! Britta turned to him, just calling his name. He could just about picture her worried face behind the mask, as she was thinking what he was: Someone was attacking their people to get the masks. It was obvious what they were for, now that this sickly yellow stuff was around. Isaac shouted "Go!", and Britta took off. Jean had ordered him here, to make sure everyone was prepared to leave, and he wouldn't like that he let her go, but dammit she was a Gunner they both knew that one of them had to go see what that shot was. The lady Gunner headed upstairs rather quickly, for someone hauling a heavier weapon and the bullets to feed it. Nevertheless, she headed for where she thought the shot was from, looking into room after room for some terrible sign of distress, blood, a body...

Oh, there were bodies, alright...but they were not what Britta had expected.

You can't see her face right now, but as soon as she saw the scene, her stern and worried look turned up a few notches as she realized they'd completely overlooked the few Imperial soldiers who'd still been here, the whole time. With the peace of the inn destroyed, they had practically no other options than to do what they came to do, but they had ultimately died trying. Given what state they might've been when this happened, they may as well have been happier dead this way, given how Catherine had died. Isaac hadn't seen, but she'd seen and she didn't want to see more of that, of any of their squad going that way, or Jean, or him.

Her sudden shock, still catching her breath from making her quick check of the rooms, finally poured into relief as she saw Michael and Lucia, both alive and well here. For the moment, she didn't care which one of them had done it or if it was both at once. She didn't care, because they were alive, and they would keep on living. The death of these two men in a place of neutrality was terrible, but it was at least cleaner than what awaited them, coming in from outside. Her machine gun thankfully didn't have to report any danger here to Isaac and the squad. Not yet. He'd be relieved at that.

"Alright, you two. Make sure your masks are on tight and get on ahead of me. We're heading out. I'll cover us in case there's any more Imperials looking to take our masks. We may have to...walk through that stuff."

Jean was out there, doing just that. She hoped he was alright...and that these things actually worked.

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

ISAAC BLACK

Britta Hagen

It was a damn good thing she was here, because in the midst of all this trauma that Jean was going through, they had almost missed the outright tragedy that was Diana's life, even before her inclusion into to the war. The most that Isaac had noticed was that 'Something's wrong with her', and that could be said for alot of them. Isaac's attention to Jean or Lucia had been largely due to the amount of active suffering that he could clearly see. He didn't know what could be distressing someone like Diana because he didn't know her that well. Truthfully, neither had Britta, but she did this thing that Isaac wasn't as good at: Asking people. When Britta DID, she got so much unpacked, right then and there, that she could scarcely believe how much of an asshole Richard Donster could be, and how blindingly-stupid Diana's sister, Astra, could be. It was even more-so when Diana told her that Astra wished that her own flesh and blood would die in the war. There really was no limit with some people, was there?

As much as I want to help Diana pull together so she can pull her own family together, some of these people could really use a punch to the face. It was like the Donsters and the Vastergoths lived in a whole 'nother world, away from common sense or the war altogether. That was the real tragedy. Something tore those people apart, and Britta had the thought in their head that it was each other. She'd never seen an actual feud between families before, so for something like that to be long-lived and generational was both foolish and unnatural. It couldn't be sustained for so long without people on both sides practically forcing it along. Kind of like this war. Well, at least they were all safe in...Castleton? That's in Isaac's territory, Edinburgh... Didn't he mention that that's where the crazy girl came from? They actually met, apparently.

I wonder if we could all meet after the war... Not Middleton. He'd only ruin such a gathering. But the rest of us, maybe...

She continued to listen about the Vastergoth family with Diana until attentions were turn to...to... Well, will you look at that? Jean was dancing. There was hope for him yet. Where was Isaac? He'd want to see this. Ah, there... Against the wall on the other side. She'd swing over after telling Diana, "I'm gonna check on a few things now.", and heading the long way around. ISaac was smiling as he watched this sudden and unexpected spectacle.

"So, is everything alright on your end of things?"

"Yeah, things are okay. I think they may even be able to stand Luke, eventually."

"For his sake, let's hope so."

"Everything alright with Diana?"

"Maybe not now, but in future, perhaps. The Vastergoths are very supportive of the Darcsens, and people don't like that. So, Luke-"

"-naturally stuck his foot in it and reminded her of all her problems at home."

"More of that than you know. Her family isn't like yours. They're a very important and troubled people."

"Anything I can do?"

"You promised to teach her cards, didn't you?"

"That's true."

And once Jean was put in a bright-eyed mood by his dance with Reyna and he made his announcement, Isaac resolved to do just that. At the very least, he would teach and play games between the three of them. It'd make at least Diana herself feel better. So, over he went with a deck of cards in hand and the silver-gray Gunner close at hand. They'd play into the night, and then finally the company of the 15th Atlantic Rifles would turn in and get some sleep.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Now, admittedly, we have to give Jean credit here. Waking up into ANY situation in the morning without a hangover is a blessing, to be sure. As much as it was just slightly bothersome to not be able to have even a couple drinks before bed, getting up with your head intact was definitely a plus...especially when somebody is trying to kill you.

The night had been spent in their uniforms. They didn't like it, not when there was a bed that demanded their enjoyment properly, but to set a good example, the NCO and the lady Gunner had to set a good example. Well, some good examples... They were still sharing a bed, after all, and by morning, the two of them were holding each other for extra comfort, smiling at thoughts of the previous night. They woke up and gave each other a mock salute, snickering as they distangled from each other and got up to stretch. All their stuff was here, as per preparations, even ammo. It was a real pain to unload their machine guns, because THIS is where the real jamming started. Trying to pull it out would snag the belt, and then worse, some of the bullets would pop out and have to be re-belted. Isaac and Britta had to do this last night outside, in accordance with the Inn's rules, before turning in.

"Everything check out?"

"Mmm-hmmm. Gun, knife, evil-looking serrated blade - all here."

"That thing's not chewing through the holster, is it?"

"Only the bottom part. It's fine."

Some of their spare weapons were more dangerous, than others. The weird hatchet-like prybar in Isaac's belt wasn't nearly as problematic for storage. So anyway, they headed on down into the Inn common area where Jean was, already. He looked good. Well, better, at least. The Corporal was talking pleasantly with Catherine on the matter of the Inn, post-war, and neither of the Gunners wanted to interrupt. That said...something else did. They all heard a sound...one that was quite unforgetable.

The last time Isaac heard something like that, there was a boom and a shock and he couldn't hear for a while, after.

This time, it was different, though. For, as Jean and then he and Britta observed, it was a curious thing... It looked like they were launching smoking mortars, but...there was no explosion. You would definitely hear it, even from far away. Everyone who'd been in this war knew that. With all those shots, it was seeming like there was a whole lot of nothin' going on. Wait...

"Smoke? Is it smoke to get in undetected?"

"That's alot of smoke, then."

"Could be a new way to sneak in an army."

He'd been hearing some idle chatter about them testing out no ways of waging war. His Drill Sergeant said as much in training, but he also heard it on the train. Nobody he'd listened to that much had any details, just that it was something they were doing to keep in pace with the Imperials. Good thing... Those damn machine gun cars were murder. It wasn't long before one of those shells started whistling overhead, though. Isaac's newfound fear of being bombed to pieces came out, suddenly.

"Aw shit... TAKE COVER!!"

There was, of course, no boom. It hit the pavement, there was alot of glass from the impact, but if anybody had been taking Isaac's advice, you wouldn't get any glass in your eyes, face, or anything else. And it's not like the lack of previous booms didn't mean that ALL of these launches were - he assumed - smoke bombs. They could've had surprise artillery...maybe. Now, Jean and Catherine had been outside when this nearby thing came down, which Isaac felt he'd have to have a word with Jean later about, but he wasn't gonna get a chance to, not for a while. Something happened, all of a sudden... The top popped off of that canister in the road and a...a kind of yellow smoke began to hiss out of there. It was thick and spreading, almost like it was alive... Isaac stared at it, his mind not quite able to articulate that sinking feeling, that dread of what the smoke could be. It wasn't normal smoke. Stuff you confuse people with isn't yellow. It's just smoke. This, though... This wasn't smoke.

"What the hell is that?"

"I don't know... It looks sick."

It DID look sick. Isaac felt an insecure sensation inside, like watching a swarm of bees come upon you, angry about their wrecked nest. Britta was thinking of Yellow Fever, as strange as that sounded. They were both brought out of it as they heard Jean struggling with the door. Dammit, he was trapped out there! It was jammed somehow! When did THAT happen?! Isaac went for the door with his prybar and started trying to leverage it. He couldn't kick it open because it was a damn solid oak door stuck in the frame.

"Dammit...can't...move it!"

This is why a prybar should really be a long piece of steel and not a little hatchet-wedge! You'd get out of doors like this in no time! Isaac didn't see what happened next, but Britta did as Jean did. He was still trying to do more than crack the frame and/or the door when he heard the purpose of the yellow gas...

"Isaac, hurry! The smoke'll kill him! It already got Catherine!"

"Nothing doing! It needs a battering ram! Jean, just get out of there!"

"What about everyone else?!"

"Has to be a back way out! We have to-"

Just then, the windows were busted all the way by...what the hell?! No wait, that was Jean, shouting at them and pointing to his mask. Sounded like he wanted them to put them on. The masks? Isaac's eyes shot open for a moment, remembering those creepy miner masks they said would protect them in tunnels in sewers. Good god... That's not what they were for! They knew this would happen! Isaac took the weird thing out from under his webbing, as did Britta. They put the things on, pretty much as Jean did. You could just about hear the muffled cursing from Isaac before he started shouting as loud as he could.

"Everybody out! The back way, ANY way! Just get away from the smoke!"

He didn't even know if he could be understood in this thing. He couldn't think straight, right now. It was stuffy in this thing, he was freaking out just about everyone he came across who hadn't seen or heard of these masks, and it looked like the army was surrounding him and the squad in a cloud bank of poison... He and Britta were both practically forcing people to find a safe way out, making sure everyone who had a mask was wearing one.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

RIKES

He was en route to delivery point, as he was told. Another delivery to the others, and then back to the building, once his morning exercise was done. Had to stay strong, move around often. Needed to, so that when the loud whiny shots came and the enemy appeared, he was ready for them. Almost never that hard in the mornings, though. People are so sleepy and lazy, they don't have the energy of his own kind. Hadn't heard from one of them in a long time.

Wait...

There was a sound from far off, ringing in the air.

He tried to answer it... Nothing.

It didn't sound like another wolf, but it might've been. What if it were injured? There were...actually a number of them around. Were there a number of packs roaming through? He had to see. It could be important. He trailed the source of those sounds, along with strange heavy thuds in the ground he'd never heard or felt before. This could be dangerous. He-

New sound...

He'd never heard whatever that hissing was, because snakes do not...

What was that?

No, no no no no! Wrong! This is wrong! That fog is wrong! No no no! Get away from it! Away, away, away!

And he bolted as fast as he could, sensing there was something unnatural and terrifying in the air. There was only death, that way. Of that, he was certain. He men in the building could shout if they wanted, but he was not going into that!

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

Isaac was off checking stuff elsewhere, so let's focus on Britta, for now.

As stated before, there had always been something about the look in Diana's eyes that concerned the silver-gray Gunner, from a furrowed brow to a deep feeling of worry, dependent on the time of day or how she acting was at the time. The thing of it was that Diana seemed a rather sensitive sort for battle. Okay, who among them was really ready for this? The few that seemed that they were naturally-born for combat were equally scared by its dangers in some way or another. Isaac himself had said he was damn good at this, but he hated it thoroughly, and of course Britta had made her decision to go into battle willingly. Diana seemed like someone put-upon and cracking around the edges, sort of like with the pressures that Jean had to absorb, or like Lucia, but without specifically command or Middleton to reinforce that feeling. It just seemed like a genuine 'I wasn't meant for this sort of life'...at least until now, when Diana was breaking down over something that was definitely more than Luke shouting at her or the war in general This was why she asked Diana, point-blank, what was wrong.

What she found out answered a number of questions regarding Diana, in general, as well as the personal.

To begin with, her family were all sympathizers of the Darcsens, and therefore would pick up any sort of verbal abuse from others for having done such. People would likely drag the Vastergoth name through the mud for doing that if they hated Darcsens enough. This explained both the pride in her family name and even why - on top of the Corporal just having that effect on ladies as he did - Diana seemed fairly attracted to Jean, or even possibly obsessed. He had charm and her family was especially friendly towards them. Even still, her actual distress was in beign reminded of that Richard Donster. He joined while Diana was forced by conscription, and given his hatred of Darcsens in a sharper way than Luke, it sounded like they were big family rivals...but he seemed different when she saw him later.

Strange... Perhaps the harshness of the war got to him or he actually felt bad that someone of a big family name was being put through this. That first battle was a make-or-break for us all. Hell, I feel like Michael was probably alot more cheerful before it all started. At least, I hope so.

From there, she began to start talking of personal family business, indicating that things at home could be pleasant...right up until one of her siblings spoiled it for everyone else, up to and including an apparent intention to marry Richard. Definitely a family feud there, and perhaps a third reason as to why Richard would have to somewhat 'make polite' with Diana...being forced to think of her as a relative, no matter how much he probably didn't like it. Big family business wasn't something that Britta really had experience with. Isaac had a bigger family, and he was only somewhat different from her in lifestyle. 'Just a simple farmer, me', was his tag-line. Diana didn't belong here anymore than he did, and it was tearing at her almost as much as her family problems.

And then, there was the question of greed... That seemed to be a strong motivator in the family issue, as well. Michael worked on answering that one. Honestly, Britta just felt that greed was largely a dark temptation of the world held onto by those who just want too much, to the point where they deny it of others in an unhealthy and obsessive way, but Michael had a take on it that was surprisingly deep. She let him champion this end of things, and then the Gunner would do as Gunners did: Give plenty of support. As he said, sometimes it was all about finding something that is treasured dearly, and just wanting it more to oneself. That wasn't wrong, per se, but it could seem overtly selfish in the eyes of others. The only thing Britta objected to was that hope and prayer alone was all you needed. That was nice, but...let's be honest...it was what you did when you couldn't think of anything else, when all other ideas failed and you needed a miracle. Maybe Diana was at the end of a long chain, unable to grab a link higher, maybe not. What she wanted, at this point, was to make Diana feel like all hope was not lost because she might accomplish something if she set her mind to it.

"It sounds like what you want most is for your family to feel more like family and less of a competition, where your own family members would do anything to get some sort of an edge on you. If you really disapprove of Astra's actions, more than a mere sibling rivalry would incur, you should talk her out of it before she makes the mistake of forever associating your family with one that is so-greatly opposed to your personal values. And I mean that in more than just saving the family name, but because Richard sounds so hateful that he might end up harming your sister somehow just to get at the rest of you. He sounds petty enough."

She came closer to Diana, to make sure she had proper eye contact for this, because this was what was most important.

"If it hurts this much, then protect your family, Diana, and get them to see you as the caring person you are so that they won't be so spiteful."

She didn't know if that would really work, but it was a start, and from there...that's where you apply the hope.

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

Of course, the main reason Isaac started running at the mouth and shouting was COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE! He just wasn't prepared for the sudden surge of activity in his brain, overloading his impulses and deadening the headache in his brain. With that said, let's go over to our scorecard now to see how everyone was reacting to the super-caffienated card game invitation.

Diana was interested, but didn't know how to play and was basically pleading for Isaac and everybody else not to be so loud.

Jean was not interested, and as far as Isaac could tell, he was also miffed about something...which was not unusual. Poor guy.

Luke was also not interested and grumbling about wanting to get back on duty, but that may've been more about having made Diana cry.

Michael...hadn't been in the room, but he'd heard Isaac and walked into the room to register his lack of interest.

Victoria wasn't even paying attention, and seemed way more intent on having words - and possibly fists - with Luke.

Boy, morale here is shit, isn't it? He couldn't even teach Diana right now, since she was in a really bad mood. Isaac did, however, say to her "Alright, I won't shout anymore. Sorry about that. It just sort of came out.", and that ended the idea of them all having a friendly card game together, trying to bind them together in some cohesive manner. They just didn't have the emotional glue to keep that all together. Well, you couldn't blame him for trying, anyway. He wondered, though... Where was Lucia in all this? She would've been all over this idea, and probably hook in at least Michael. So, that much was a bust, but...there was one other thing, a loose end, if you will.

"So... No more drinking, then?"

"Looks like."

"What do we do about that bottle of Scotch in our room?"

There was still roughly half a bottle of that stuff in their possession.

"I guess we'd better save if for a rainy day."

"Will Jean be alright with that?"

"He won't ask me to toss it out when I'm just holding onto it. He knows I wouldn't abuse the stuff."

He was just getting into the spirit of it, after all. Jean's main problem with the drinking problem was entirely to do with the drinking contest - or contests - that occurred yesterday. That kind of thing made him and Britta seem almost responsible. Well, almost... Drunken behavior had led to the two of them becoming involved, suddenly, when the closest thing they had was him making a promise not to leave her behind if there was trouble. It just sort of happened, and while Isaac had no regrets and Britta felt it was even worth doing, he still had to wonder if those were true feelings or just the habitual practices of someone under the influence. They'd bonded, but they were going to have to bond further than that to make it seem like it was completely of their own volition.

Still, Isaac was heading off to store the bottle of scotch in with their things so Jean couldn't, say, confiscate it. And he was gonna make sure the other Oceanics and anyone else who hadn't heard Jean's proviso of not imbibing anymore was aware of the fact. It was their commander's order, after all, and he was going to make sure it was followed. Because...Jean was right. Getting plastered on the first day was one thing, but keeping it up to the point where it'd interfere with their mission was a bad idea. So, with Isaac off doing that, Britta decided to hang around and make sure that Diana was going to be okay. Victoria was already after Luke, so she just decided to take a seat near Diana and Michael.

...when Diana began to seriously break up, suddenly, she could tell that something big was wrong. Luke was offensive, but you had to remember that there were things up with that girl long before he showed up. Like with Franz, Britta could tell that something deeper and darker lay with in.

"Diana? What is it? What's really wrong?"

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

Armin?

Her eyes lit up at the mention of the blonde cadet's name. He was always trying to be the voice of reason among the trio she ran with. It...didn't always work, even when Kate herself pitched in, but she could appreciate him using his brain when his body could do comparatively little. Kate usually helped Eren and Mikasa get him out of any jam involving bullies. He hated his weakness, but she respected his mind, so it made him feel a little better, in the long run. It was a surprise to hear that Sara was related to him and possibly Commander Levi. If that were true, the combined abilities would make a truly-impressive person. You could even apply such thoughts to Kate herself. She had certainly gained from her...both of her parents.

Kate's train of thought worked against her, for a moment, as she kept being brought back to the same pointed issue, the problem that followed her and that she could not escape: If Sara was so good at what she did from two bloodlines that might encompass physical ability and considerable thought-process, then it would be fair to say that she easily inherited similarly...and that her stamina, her speed, and her aggression were something she did not take after her mother. She had been hit, but only one act in her life showed true attention to these categories over her brains. One moment where she was cool and calculating in her action, whereas Kate experienced deep anger. She hated it, but it was another aspect that came tumbling out when Grisha Jaeger became her doctor.

Right now, the Brunette took a seat, as well, eyes cast down. She muttered something like "We're all a sum of our parts...", not looking altogether pleased by that thought. It both disturbed her and made sense, at the same time. Kate tucked in her knees and gripped them now, exhaling deeply through her nose.

"Those three...Eren, Armin, Mikasa... They've been my world, ever since Mr. Jaeger tried to pull me out of a...well, he called it a fugue state. It didn't fully work, but I responded, so he asked them to help me out, to bring me out in full. I don't know if they succeeded, or if...I rebuilt myself from what I saw in them. Some things came out that I didn't want...but I had to live with them...especially since it's what I use to kill the Titans. I'm a little worried now that I am exactly what I was meant to be now...and that I won't like it if I let myself think about it."

There was...a thing that she was protecting herself from thinking too hard about, by throwing her mind into every other thing, but with her being as inquisitive as all that, it seemed inevitable that she would be brought back to the same thoughts, the same things she wanted to distance herself from. The wet crunch, the splash, the red...the lack of regret... It was too much for a child's eyes, and even an adult mind didn't want to be a part of that. Her friends, though? Her fellow survivors of Shigenshina? They knew everything, and they did her the favor of not bringing it up. Kate was now letting somebody else be in the know, as much as she could force it out at a time, for the first time in her life. Other times, she'd just lock up, but now...half of her wanted to shut up and the other half wanted to get it out.

Shingeki no Kyojin: Cleansing Amongst Man { Jack & Angel }

As soon as she'd asked it, Katherine wondered if that was really the best question to ask. If her basis for asking at all had been because of her look, then it'd be reasonable to say that plenty of people had before, and that perhaps she might get tired of it. Nevertheless, that was what had come out of her mouth and she would have to live with the results. It was, therefore, very fortunate to find Sara willing to speak on that matter, but the answer confused her. Her mother had mentioned underground areas before. She helped with the piping for heat and ventilation, making sure that it was livable or that you could at least work down there. Doing what? She hadn't said. No, she never really cared much beyond the utility purpose of it all.

Maybe I was always like her, and that I'm not even suffering from personal issues anymore. Maybe I'm already cured, and this is just what it's like for me.

Well, if it was, it could've done better. The only things that her mother seemed to love was her work, her daughter, and- No, two things. Just two things. She could never have... Kate shook her head, quietly. You could mistake it for not liking what she might've heard about the underground aaround Wall Sina, but the truth is that she never knew anything about it. She heard more about the terrible treatment of refugees from Maria. Kate was a part of that for a while, 'till she was allowed to train and was discovered by her Aunt. Still, the shaking of the head was in reference to the other thing. The unmentionable thing. The unwanted thing.

"I can understand wanting to blot that out. There is alot that..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"...you and your perfect job and your your easy life! Well, what about ME?!"

"Jonathan, stop that IMMEDIATELY!!"

"Or what, you frail little-"

There was naught but a choking sound and ALOT of red...

"I warned you..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate winced, visibly, pulling her thoughts as far away from that as possible.

"But I understand, I do. There's so much that's happened. Still, it's good that you got out. I didn't know that conditions were so bad down there."

She shook her head.

"I wondered because you seemed unique and special, so I thought perhaps your family might've been rare like Mikasa's had been."

That was her explanation for it, that Sara had been like her longtime friend who was originally of an eastern-type family that married into the Ackermans. This...was actually a curious thought. Mikasa and Levi were potentially blood relatives on the Ackerman side. Had to wonder, then... Did that girl get all her skills from the Ackermans, or because she was herself? How much did that really matter? Both were impressive fighters. Perhaps it was something, perhaps it was nothing. Either case, it was clear that whatever Sara's own background, she had come into her own place in life rather well.

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

So...Last Night...

It wasn't hard to see where this squad had its problems. It had its share of people with personal problems, and even the two Gunners - who might've had some of the easier tasks, overall - were starting to feel like there was a darkness growing within them, but there was more to it than that. How much? Maybe alot. For starters, everyone could see that Luke Godfrey was a problem. His attitude sucked and he hated Darcsens for reasons that...probably didn't exist. Isaac wasn't exactly a betting man, but he had a feeling that Darcsen hate was overrated and pointless. There was no reason for it, and therefore no reason for him to hate on Ines and Jean. Even still, the squad didn't fully mesh, and they knew it. They were uhh...what was the term? Ah yes, a ragtag bunch of misfit soldiers caught in the middle of a full-scale war. They just slammed them all together and said 'Go fight'. Seriously, Middleton's command really was that bad! In fact, it was worse, since Lucia was ordered to also kill anybody that came back.

So, the squad sort of came together under fire because it was necessary, but they needed something more. First of all, they had to get Luke to come to terms with his surroundings and stop badmouthing anyone he felt like. Otherwise, Isaac was gonna have to get creative with him. Might have to get creative with ALOT of them. And if he did that, they might be crying his name in fury for a while. No, he wasn't gonna pull a Middleton, but like the way he surprised Lucia with her unwarranted letter-reading, they might find themselves in...surprising circumstances. He must've been smiling as he thought of that, because Britta tossed a peanut shell at him.

"Were you daydreaming?"

"I think my dad would call it plotting."

"You talk about your dad alot. What about your mother? Or the rest of your family?"

"She'd call it scheming."

"Alright, what's on your mind, then?"

"I'm just thinking of stuff I could do to make things interesting, but...for now, I had a different thought, something for tomorrow."

During the actions around the bar, Isaac headed on over to one of the barmaids and asked for something. He palmed it, and headed back over to the table that he and Britta had been sitting at, revealing it to be a deck of playing cards.

"Something to keep people amused as we go?"

"Not gonna recommend it for when we're on the go, but it'll do for times like this. I've had an idea..."

They decided to turn in for the night and talk it over before going to sleep. Britta smiled at the notion and thought it might work on some of them. Some of them. Either way, it might help, so they were gonna go for it...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The Next Day...

It was a good thing they discussed it last night, because the hangover decided to have a word with him in the morning. Actually, it was more-or-less shouting at him, and he didn't want to get out of bed. He heard Britta feeling just about the same way, next to him.

"Urgh...this is a first..."

"Alot of those, last night..."

"They were alot nicer...back then."

"How's yours feeling...?"

"Like I'm being kicked in the head. You?"

"Feels like my heartbeat, up there."

"How badly...do we want to get out of this bed?"

"I think 'slowly' is the word you're looking for."

"Yeah...that makes sense."

They took their time, getting up and getting any sort of move-on in the making. Their trek to the bar for breakfast was slow and steady, limiting the amount of blood rushed their their heads, and thus reducing the potential for pain. Isaac imagined this was worse for the drinking contestants by a heavy degree. Britta ordered some basic breakfast food, and coffee, and then said Isaac was having the same as her. When the barmaid asked if he wanted coffee, Isaac said no, but Britta said yes.

"What the hell? I hate coffee."

"For the moment, you want coffee."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do, trust me. It's no guarantee, but it just might make you feel better."

So, Isaac relented and let them serve him some damn coffee. The two of them ate at the bar and stayed quiet, for now. Britta drank coffee with her meal. Isaac ate his meal, and then decided to glug his cuppa down, so he didn't have to put up with the taste...which he definitely did not like! He made a noise, declaring it so, and then his eyes bulged out.

"Oh no..."

"Too much, too quickly?"

"Yeah..."

It was about this time that Isaac became aware of the argument between Diana and Luke, and then heard Jean giving the Darcsen-hating private a dressing-down, from immediate superior to iinsubbordinate soldier. No better time was there to put his plan into action than now. At least he could use this ridiculous amount of caffiene he just downed to his advantage. Isaac stood up and headed on over towards the argument in question.

"Alright, alright... That's enough out of that. Jean's right, and you two should be more behaved. You're squadmates, and you're stuck with each other, no matter the nationality or temperment. We don't do summary executions. We're not frigging Middleton, got it?"

He glared them all over...then smiled.

"Now...I've been thinking about all our problems, and it seems like we've got what they told me in basic was a morale problem. Something my family would do to pass the time and certainly to get people comfortable talking is a game of cards. Could be any number of games, but I'm thinking everyone here knows Poker fairly-well, right? We should get a get a game going, and take all challengers, so long as they're willing to talk about themselves, open up a little. I think we're all a little bottled up around here, and the only way it's been coming out is in drips and drabs, or explosions. That needs to change."

He turned and shouted at the bar.

"SO! WHO'S GAME FOR A GAME OF CARDS, THEN?!"

Goddammit, Isaac! Indoor voice, next time!

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

It wasn't long, standing out there, before someone noticed him. Diana had, as stated before, been amidst some heavy drinking for a rather unusual drinking contest with consequences. She greeted him and wanted to know which one he though was gonna win.

"I'm doing alright, and I dunno who's gonna win. Never was that good at gambling, anyway."

Never actually tried, really. Any game of chance he ever played was more of a game of skill. Back in basic, he got this alot. 'Hey, Isaac. I bet you can't do this.' That kinda' thing. He either could or he couldn't, and he had a pretty good idea if it was possible or not. Sometimes, they'd try to goad him into doing something he was pretty sure was stupid and impossible to pull off, and he'd tell them that he wasn't gonna do every damn thing under the sun. He'd surprised a few people, some of the time, which is why that happened, but that didn't make him some kind of live performer for their amusement. Everybody's got a limit and he didn't need an injury. You see, that fucker that got him into this mess must've had a habit of pulling unwilling soldiers, because there was a rule: People who get themselves injured suddenly or play at being crazy were gonna be arrested and put in the stockades with meager rations. And if you were found deliberately trying to avoid combat, there was a good chance you were going to get court-martialed to death. So, he wasn't about to do himself a damage. He had to live to death first, or someone else do him an injury, or win.

That was neither there nor here, in the inn and tavern. This was a place of merriment, and he was settling down into it as he watched things progress. For now, HE was the people-watcher, while Britta did her thing. Yeah...he wasn't sure if it was love either, but they were at least friends who were willing to go that far. Isaac kind of wondered if that was happening to anyone else around here. Well, anyone from their team. He wouldn't mind even if people extended the ultimate olive branch here and a Federation soldier decided to have at it with an Imperial one. In the Gunner's eyes, that might be the sanest thing ever done in the middle of a war. He could imagine it, people advocating for peace in times of conflict, saying 'Make Love, Not War'. Who knows? Maybe it'll catch on, somewhere.

Still, he was introduced to a Victoria White, the unfamiliar soldier that he'd seen around before. Isaac just gave her a "Hey there." in response to that. She was busy, of course. Victoria was in the middle of this drinking contest, and she had a helluva few words to say on the matter, because it looked like she was wearing down the competition. Luke was down first, and then Diana, which is surprising when you think about it. Mind you, she might've come late, because those two looked like they were at it before she even walked in. Can't be too sure, though. The clock on the wall said that hours had passed, but Isaac wasn't even sure when they really got started in earnest. They were doing something now in earnest, or at least in drunken-ness. Diana and Luke had lost, so...they hadda' kiss, apparently. And uhh...well...they really went into it. Isaac felt parts of him heating up as this went on. Considering the situation with Britta still being fresh in his mind, you can understand him staring and thinking...

Damn, is this what it looks like from the outside?

Because that's what it seemed like, fresh thoughts of how it was in bed with Britta cutting across his mind. He started looking over the place to find the silver-haired Gunner. She'd been conversing with those at the bar while food was being prepared. Looks like she'd managed something that looked like brunch, breakfast and lunch food combined. Isaac didn't care. It was food, it was wholesome, and it would feel good to have some instead of the crap they were feeding them as rations. The surveying farmer's eyes roamed the tavern area again - kind of avoiding the bit with Luke and Diana for a moment - and then...Jean! He'd suddenly come in, rather quietly, getting his attention by his shoulder and asking for him to follow him for a moment to talk. Isaac looked over towards Britta, who...aww, dammit, Jean...food was ready. She was getting it now. There was a moment of apprehension where the NCO's face clearly said 'But...but food', though that came to a halt when he really saw the look on Jean's face. No, this really couldn't wait.

"Alright, lead the way."

Once they were away from everybody else, Jean was immediately apologetic.

Come on, Jean. My stomach isn't THAT important.

Really, it bothered him more that he led in with 'You are my NCO' and not 'You are my friend'. Wasn't he listening before, when he said he had at least one friend? He wasn't gonna say that right now. He's in a bad way, still. He was clearly in a terrible state, what with the hallucinations and all. Yeah, Jean really shouldn't drink. It'd turn on him. In his current state, he'd be letting loose all kinds of bad from within, a depression to end all depressions. And Isaac knew that had to be the case when he heard what happened next. The Gunner's eyes widened as Jean confirmed a worry that the Corporal had given him earlier, when they were all in that house and he showed him the picture of his sister. He tried to kill himself. He saw nothing left in his life and wanted to end it all. As soon as he paused, Isaac let him have it. No, not a punch or even verbal abuse, but by god, you know he was gonna interject now.

"Jean, I know your humanity will never break. I don't see you as someone degenerating in character. It's your spirit that's had me worried, and I'm sorry to hear that I was right about that. Consider that empty gun the message that you're not suppose to die here, breaking yourself in half, mind or body. You're not coping because you have no outlet for frustration. You don't want to bother anyone, so you don't vent that much. I'm pissed. I've just been putting that aside for the moment because I can relax and feel human again. We all are. It's probably why everybody's so into it. You don't seem to be trying that hard, though. I know it's a temporary reprieve from danger and loss, but take it. You need it. Olivia would want you to live and try to find some happiness in your life. Try and find some joy while you're here. Raise a glass to your sister, remember the good times, but please let her go in peace and live your life, Jean."

It was after this that he continued on and stated that if anything should happen to him, he was counting on Isaac to take up the slack and that he finally said that he was a friend and sounding like he was taking Isaac's advice. He also informed them that they would be here another two days and to make it last. The Gunner nodded at this, and then saluted him.

"I understand, Jean. Just be sure to take my and your own advice."

After that, they parted ways and he was going towards Diana. Well, Isaac was a'gonna avoid that business for now and get down to a table nearby Britta, who was already eating. Sadly, he wasn't in the same good mood that he'd been in earlier You don't hear all that and let it slide off. Some of that bad has to be absorbed, taken in, processed, and dealt with. He started attacking his food with a fork, that look in his eye back into place. He'd eventually settle, but Britta noted the serious expression on his face after he'd been talking to Jean and kind of put it together.

"That bad?"

"Worse. I may end up in charge."

"Well, Jean could use a brea-"

"Permanently."

That cut her to the quick with sudden understanding, just staring for a moment, just imagining... It made Britta lower her head to her meal, not exactly keen on eating it right now. Her eyes raised back to Isaac.

"We shouldn't tell the others, not yet. Maybe not at all, unless it become necessary. Maybe not everybody looks up to him - Not Luke, that's for sure - but he was still put in charge. He's the center, and he's good at it, no matter what anyone thinks. We should do something, though."

"I've done it, or I hope so. I told him to use this place to make peace with himself, and try to move on. I hope he can do it, because otherwise there'll be NO Charpentiers left in the world, and personal experience tells me that that'd be a terrible loss."

"I feel like I wanna set up one of the girls he likes to help him out there, but I dunno if that's appropriate. You and I...we found a moment, and it worked. I think we're not the only ones. There's alot of stress being relieved here. I hope Jean finds some way to get through what he's got."

"It's alot to work through. Frankly, I'd swear out a testimony to get him out of the war if I thought it'd work. He needs to pick up his shattered life. I'd fight Middleton over that one, for sure."

"I believe you there, absolutely."

She smiled at Isaac as she called him back to reality with a reference to the earlier promise. Isaac Black will see it through. That's what she believed. Maybe Jean believed that too. Maybe that would send him out of his terrible depression. Maybe... In time, they would see.

NCQuest - A Mecha RP: The Defense of Darwin (BeeNCQuest)

Terra Laedo

Hisako L. Kobayashi

The plan had been set. With the three of them ordered to attack the Red-Star ship directly for a disable-and-rescue mission, and that it actually seemed possible to do so, the choice was clear. They needed to be absolutely certain that their NCs were up to the task. Suiting up now - Hisako was no longer in the Red-Star uniform she had come in - they headed for the hangar and Terra immediately ordered that Id, Grand Sword Star, and Sahaquiel be fitted and calibrated for heavy signal jamming and emergency wire communications if any of them were lacking. While there was no guarantee that this would block out Osamu, it was what they needed to prevent anyone from doing anything with those tanks, even cause their own radar and such to foul up if at a high enough concentration. Terra explained while this was being done, in case there was any misunderstanding.

"Enemy sensors must be completely jammed for this to work. If the tanks have on-board systems programmed to react to specific scenarios, such as specific counter-measures, evasions, or just the auto-destruct, their guidance must be confused enough through the jamming to not have the input required to react. That is the only way in which Hisako can safely operate. If we cannot maintain a heavy jamming field to allow Grand Sword Star to cut through the necessary connections, we can't do anything to the tanks at all."

"It should only take one to do it, but I'm guessing we're all doing this, just in case."

"Correct. Anything can happen on the battlefield, so we may as well prepare for it. Naturally, our own communications will also be out of commission, and probably our own sensors, to a degree. Anything besides visual scanners may not operate properly, and we'll have to speak with wire-transmission, as needed. When they realize we're not there to simply destroy the tanks and leave, they will send someone to stop us."

Terra now turned to the Denver-Vegas pilot, specifically.

"Kxeyun, I know it's going to be a bit more difficult for Sahaquiel to get to the enemy ship. Just do the best you can and meet us there."

The time or preparation was soon over and the time of launching was at hand. Commander Narra was having them all synchronize their NC launches with the time of the kinetic barrier dropping, so that they would be in the area of it shutting down when they headed out at full speed. This meant that different mechs at different speeds would be launching later or earlier than Terra herself, depending on how fast they were normally. Terra could have punched it with her Overclock Engine, but there was no need to do that. Soon...it was time.

"Id Neural Combatant systems all green, preparing to launch."

AND GO!! The former Red-Star experimental mech launched from the base at high-speed, right along with the others. Her machine was built for speed, so it actually proceeded after Hisako and Kxeyun would have launched, all of them closing in on the barrier at the same time before it suddenly vanished, allowing them to pass through. There was a moment of exposure, and then someone called "Incoming!" over comms, but Terra did not stop. Their orders were to proceed directly for the Red-Star hovership, and to that end...the moment had been prepared for. A vessel had been tasked towards momentarily shielding them and Haven from enemy bombardments. A good plan. Terra broadcasted now on a secure Haven-only channel.

"Squad, prepare to jam frequencies upon confirmation of the targets. Haven combatants, be advised: My team will be out of radio contact for the duration of rescue. There is no other way to do it."

With that, Id was making its way towards the ship, presumably Grand Sword Star and Sahaquiel, as well. If for some reason Kxeyun couldn't make it, Terra wouldn't hold it against her. Right now, she wasn't holding anything against anyone, except maybe herself.

Mother, father... I'm sorry that I couldn't do anything for you before. I'm sorry that my plans could not include you. I'm jjust grateful for the chance to remove you from this mess.

All scanners were activated for now to locate these apparent super-tanks that Red-Star had deployed...

~ Valkyria Chronicles - Changing of the Guard ~

Isaac was good, Isaac was fine, Isaac was aaalright...

Some of you might be saying 'Yeah, we'd expect Isaac to go drinking because he seems the type, but WHY did he, though? And why did Britta?', and these might be fair questions to ask, but the answers are very simple. The first is that the two of them are farmers, and even with a drinking law in place, farmers tend to figure 'Ah, one or two isn't bad', and they're usually right. Occasionally, they're not, and Isaac's father mostly did that to him at an early age as a sort of joke than anything else. Even still, the two of them would not be unfamiliar with alcohol, just not given reason to indulge on a regular basis. That said, the second reason is that the White Heart just isn't picky about selling to teenagers. If Lucia can get a drink, anyone can get a drink. Finally, there was the most obvious reason: The war. It was hell, it was fury, and it was terrifying. Britta had nightmares and the sheer death toll Isaac was inflicting was starting to bother him. Neither of them were as bad as Jean was, and a familiar face in the act of unwinding is always welcome. So, Isaac would take a beer, loosen up, and start talking up a storm. Britta took the post of the observing social-drinker. And then, there was the scotch. That was just out of an appreciation for different tastes. It wasn't the sole-contributor to the things that happened later. It was just a polite nudge.

Their talk had been an opening to one another, settling what hadn't been in the field, addressing what didn't want to be said out loud. It was liberating, it was hopeful, and it was something to be thankful for. His promise reverberated in her mind as they'd kissed and even hung in there as they followed through. Britta hadn't made plans in that direction, Isaac hadn't done anything more than endearing conversation prior to that moment. It just seemed that they had bonded well, that they had things in common, and that Britta knew that Isaac's word was iron-clad. Neither one of them would have anything against it, and with that promise in their hearts and a polite nudge from the Scotch, they decided to say yes. It was a strange thing, being drunk in the arms of someone you love. Whether it just happened or that it had been mounting beforehand, the effect is the same. The world is all wobbly and you feel like you're holdiing onto one another for some kind of stability, even as you go at it. We're not gonna go into details, but let's just say that it wasn't just a drunken euphoria that followed.

Time passed, and...Isaac honestly wasn't sure when or how they got under the sheets. He wasn't even sure if he was properly awake, or if Britta was, either. He also wasn't sure if he ever looked at her the way he was now, with so much affection, or if he'd been just too caught up in Jean stealing up the attention of all the girls, somehow. What Britta Hagen was...was caring, reliable, and quickly becoming one of his main confidents, since they were working together. Her willingness to bring to head the thing that worried her most not only took courage, but indicated real trust in him to say thus and ask for his help. She didn't want to worry the squad. She wanted him to do it, to help her without risking them all, because while she wanted rescue...she also had no desire to endanger everyone else's lives. Britta needed someone who would be willing to go, and no more, and that was him. And with him promising to run into the field of fire for her, it just seemed natural for them to push the relationship they had further. He moved his hand to push a few errant silver hairs on her face aside and she unexpectedly grabbed his hand.

"Agh!"

"You're up, I see."

Britta's eyes opened as a warm smile filled her expression.

"So were you, it seems. How long?"

"Not sure. It was hard to tell for a while that I was, so I just lay here, listening to the sounds of a good time, outside. At least, I hope it's a good time."

"Want me to find out?"

"Reconnaissance? All alone? Isaac, you shouldn't."

They weren't exactly as inebriated as before, but the two of them started to laugh, anyway.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"I suggest a two-pronged maneuver where you scout the perimeter and I get us something to eat. They'll never stop us, there."

"You did well in basic training, didn't you?"

"Well enough. Go on. I'll be right behind you."

Since getting upright was less of a problem now, finding and getting back on his clothes wasn't much of a difficulty either, thankfully. Isaac casually eyed the unfinished bottle of Scotch and decided to give it a miss. Food was more important now, also satisfying his curiosity. He heard Britta getting up as well, then stopped as she just said "Isaac.", and turned around.

"I don't know if this was love or just a good time, but...I won't regret it."

"Neither will I."

With that, he left the room and...what the hell was going on out here? Isaac arrived in the White Heart bar proper in time to hear the stakes for a no-holds-barred-with-lots-of-consequences drinking contest! Now, it's a fair statement that our Lance-Corporal has never really been to a bar. He was just sort of a decent guy who'd managed to mesh well with the territory. Thus, he was also not really ever a host to the events, such as a drinking contest...and certainly not one that was seemingly organized by Diana, which Luke was whole-heartedly diving into. Let's see... He noticed that the two Oceanics - Freya and Marathon - talking with each other. That made sense. There was a new girl in the bar that he hadn't seen before, but then a neutral place such as this could bring in just about anybody. Looked at least Federation, though, so there was that. The main focus was on the drinking contest, so Isaac moved in to see if Luke was gonna get smashed-drunk or smashed-defeated. Either way, it was worth a watch. Good god, if any Darcsens were playing... Well, the result of Diana winning would certainly be interesting. Speaking of Darcsens, where was Jean? He should either be a part of this or unwinding, somehow.