Innocent Innuendo

Oscar and Emile Bielert were on their way to their squad commander's office when the sound of a woman sounding impressed stopped them dead in their tracks. They leaned against the door and attempted to listen to what was going on inside.

"W-Welkin, it's... it's so big!"

"That was Alicia's voice!" the two couldn't help but blush profoundly.

"Y-Yeah, I've been thinking for a while, if I should show it to you because I imagined that you'd say just that." Their commander, Welkin, sounded embarrassed.

"Well of course, I mean... that's just unnaturally huge."

Upon hearing this, Emile was this much closer to nose-bleeding.

"Yeah, I'm surprised by just how fast it's grown over the months."

"Welkin... can I, touch it?"

GRRAAAAAHHHH!

It was too much, the naive 15 year old collapsed from sheer surprise. Oscar lay on the floor, drowned in his own blood (that incidentally came from his nose). His brother quickly fell beside him and tried his best to return his brother to consciousness.

"Brother! Brother! NOOO-"

Despite the drama going on outside, Alicia remained transfixed by the new species of giant millipede that was caged in front of her.

"You really found this around the base? Scary~"

EdelVyse

"So, boss, what do you think?"

"Hm... I... I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to say here." Welkin said, scratching the back of his head. "Zaka, what's your take on this?"

The eye-patched Darcsen lowers his head and rubs his temples before answering.

"I'm going to go into my Shamrock now and drive into things. I'll ask the Engineers about the upgrades to your tank when I see them, Welkin." with a wave of his hands, and with a smile on his lips, Zaka leaves the hangar.

Welkin now has no choice but to return his attention to one of his eager soldiers.

Vyse Inglebard.

For some reason, the foreign shock trooper approached Welkin this morning with a request to change classes. Welkin has never encountered a request like this in his short time in the military, mainly because of just how odd the request is.

"Vyse, remind me again why you want to change classes?" at first, Welkin thought that this might have something to do with the horrors that Shocktroopers face in battles, serving as the front-liners in warfare.

Vyse paces around while wagging his finger. "A change of perspective, boss, a change of perspective. Being a shock trooper is fun and all, but I want to see something new and exciting!"

Welkin nodded in understanding, glancing once at his father's tank. "So... do you want to try driving the Edelweiss?"

Vyse could not control his smile, his grin was ear to ear and his blood began pumping. Yes, his blood has apparently begun pumping from the mere thought of driving currently most powerful tank.

"Wa-really? You're trusting me with your tank, Welkin?"

The young lieutenant felt a prick of hesitation, but he chose to ignore it after seeing Vyse's smi-

"Wait, you're really trusting him with the Edelweiss!"

Welkin nearly jumped at the sound of her voice. Looking to his right, he sees the short figure of Alicia staring up at him with an evident frown.

"When did you get there?"

"I was here all along." she shrugs. "You just didn't notice me because of how serious you looked."

Welkin tilts his head, wondering what she meant. Alicia glances at Vyse before pulling down Welkin and whispering something into his ear.

"Just tell him to stick with his class for now, having him change classes so randomly is a hassle we can't manage in a time of war like this."

Welkin furrows his brows as he tries to understand the implications of directly telling Vyse his thoughts. Eventually, he gives in, realizing that Vyse is an adult and that he should be able to handle rejection. He stands straight, distancing himself from Alicia and fixing his collar.

"Vyse, I'm sorry to say but..."

Vyse's stare, his puppy-dog stare is impossible to miss. Welkin, eventually, unable to restrain himself from referencing a certain winged pig as he stares into Vyse's vision, becomes unable to speak the proper words.

"...I'll give you a chance. But just one chance at this."

Alicia and Welkin both noticed the smile growing larger and larger on the foreign boy's cheeks. Welkin feels guilty, but he knows that he can't take back his words now. Alicia feels... disappointed and worried to say the least. She'll make sure to scold Welkin for this later.

One week after this event, Europa bear witness to the horrors of a power more terrifying than the Valkyrur.

Well, there we go.