A/N
I would appreciate all forms of comments, reviews, criticism, so that I can continue to improve my writing in the future. Thanks in advance to those who give their opinion on this.
Here's a little romantic piece with Isara Gunther in the leading role. Kreis maybe a little harder to notice for those who watch the anime, although he had some important roles in the game. Hope you all enjoy!
Mechanical Affection
A sleepless night brought Lieutenant Alicia Melchiott to wander about the camp, hoping to be soothed by the cold autumn wind brushing across her face. In the middle of night where all the shouting and marching had grown quiet, only the heavy sounds from the tank depot seemed to shatter the complete silence of the night.
Curious, her feet brought along the well-trodden dirt road toward the clanging of metal parts and whirring of steel gears. Its source was no other than the young mechanic sitting atop of the Edelweiss, engrossed in the middle of repair work.
"Hi, Isara, Can't sleep?"
"Oh, Alicia-san, not quite, but it's just that there still a lot of things to do. Edelweiss took quite a beating during that last skirmish, you see…" The young mechanic smiled back. Even the horror of war and lack of sleep had failed to diminish her sunny disposition. "There's still quite some work needed to be done before we can take her to the next battlefield."
"Hmm, you still should get be getting to bed though. Why don't you just leave it to tomorrow?"
"There's just a little more to do, and well…" Isara fidgeted. "Brother is trying his hardest to pull our squad together. At least, I should be doing the same with what I can."
Isara continued to scramble around in dim light only to realize that she was a few supplies short of a finishing touch.
"Here, let me help." Approaching the Edelweiss, Alicia gave the younger girl a supporting hand to lower herself down. She would have gone to fetch the tool herself, but, without the expertise of a mechanic, it would be impossible to distinguish one twisting metal frame from the other. "There we go."
"Oh, thank you." Flashing Alicia a full smile, Isara gratefully accepted her hand. "What about you, Alicia-san? Shouldn't you be going to bed as well?"
"Well, I'll feel bad if I leave you to work alone…"
As soon as they started toward the storage, the flow of their conversation was interrupted. A faint creak of grated metal doors being pushed open a little wider to let in an unlikely duo for visit during this time of the night.
"Largo-san, you're too loud!" Clearly not intending to have their topic overheard, Kreis attempted futilely to silence his boisterous companion. As a member of the militia R&D team, he hadn't quite opportunities to be handle some its more eccentric members and, sadly, was still lacking somewhat in the area.
"Ehh, that's fine, there isn't going to be anyone here at this time."
"But, still!"
"Trust the ol' Largo. There ain't no one here."
"…Well, I suppose so. It's true that people here often forget and leave the lights on."
Sadly, that was where they both were wrong.
As if mocking their mistake, the shadowy figures of the two girls turned toward them in curiosity, hidden by the rows after rows of tool barrels. Words of greeting temporarily suspended on the tip of their tongue as they continued to eavesdrop in silence.
Neither Kreis nor Largo was one to lightly indulge in secrecy. When they decided to do so, it was apparent that something was up.
"That's what you get for dunking your head twelve hours straight to fiddle inside a tank." Unbeknownst to the girl's presence, Largo resumed his interrupted conversation.
"Most of the time it isn't really that bad…Most"
"Bah, enough of your mechanic whining and back to what we were talking. You said you are interested, yeah?"
"More on the fascinated side…I would say. It just seems like a waste for her to be cooped up in here all the time."
"The one that is here all the time? Oh…" A knowing smile formed on Largo's face. There wasn't really too many suspects to begin with. "…Isn't she a little, you know, plain?"
"Actually, I think that's her real beauty. I mean she might not jump out to grab your eyes at the first sight. I mean I did overlook her initially, but the longer I look the more captivated I became." Closing his eyes for a moment, Kreis uttered out weakly. "She's…perfect from every angle."
The conversation left the two girls frozen at the spot.
"Isara…isn't he talking about you? Kreis has a crush on you." Eyes sparkling with interest, the young scout peered over her cover to ascertain her target.
"O-Of course not. I wasn't…" The person in question, however, didn't seem to be sharing her enthusiasm. "…I mean I can't recall anything I did that might make him..."
Nevertheless, she was keeping her ears quite open for their next few words.
"Of course not, this kind of things come naturally…Ahh, I still just can't believe it." Alicia mumbled, still with a dreamy glint in her eyes.
"Damned, I feel like crud for saying this, but don't ya think one of the imperials are more well-endowed. You know with all those huge up there and all those firm down there." Largo added, all the while making hand gestures as emphasis to which Kreis could only respond with a wry laugh.
"Well, Largo-san, I don't think that is a something really you're supposed to say."
"Yeah, the girl will be pissed if she hears this." Largo quickly followed up his rather inappropriate comment with a quick scratch of head to show some embarrassment. "Bah, I guess I really shouldn't say that seeing how many times that she saved our behinds"
"…You got that right…" Alicia mumbled. Her fist shaking slightly as she imagine what it would be like to have it slammed into his solar plexus.
"Wait, Alicia-san, calm down. They're going to notice us." Attempting to appease her agitated companion, Isara gave a hushed whisper. While part of her was guilty from eavesdropping, the other eager to get to the bottom of this unfolding revelation.
"Now then, what about ya?"
"Me?" Confusion gripped Kreis followed by a sense of dread regarding the direction that their conversation was heading.
"Ya, you. Don't you like'em big. The larger, the better. Just imagine, the same ol' girl with something of that size jutting out. That's like meeting the girl you like back in school after she grow a huge pair of knockers."
It was Isara's turn to flush crimson. Her sheltered life back in Bruhl and Darcsen background didn't offer much opportunity for courtship, much less for vulgar prep talk. The effect on Kreis seemed more profound, however.
"Gah…" Kreis temporary froze as his mind wander to a rather dangerous zone. His jaw dropped in shock at the level temptation it posed. "No! No! She is fine the way she is. Something like that wouldn't fit with her."
"So ya don't think it just about the sizes?"
"Umm…" Thinking deeply, Kreis tried to select his next few words with care. "Well, I think the firmness, the compactness, and the balance are also a big factors…I mean without the balance it would just look weird on her."
"Heh, and here I thought its every man's romance to go for the biggest one available."
"Urgh, can't they just pick a more appropriate place to focus on." With an exasperated looks, Alicia mumbled under her breath. "..But Kreis sure is pickier about woman than I've thought…and Largo is just…Largo, I guess."
"Biggest…" Isara mumbled weakly. Sure, she still had a few more years to grow, but it was disheartening nonetheless to see how much of a head start everyone else had.
"Anyway, listen to old Largo's advice, kid. If you're man, once you set your mind on something. You ain't gonna give up until things go your way."
"Easy for you to say. There are probably millions of regulation to stop what I think of doing." Kreis complained bitterly. "Captain Varrot will have me court-martialed the first thing tomorrow."
"…Her, huh?" An uneasy look came over Largo's grizzled face. With her in charge, court-martialing was a real possibility he couldn't deny.
"Yes, even then it's not something we should talk of lightly during a war."
"But, hey, the war won't last forever. She'll get home, discharged and all." Placing a rough on the youth shoulders, Largo gave him a wide goofy grin. "She'll be ripe for the picking. That's when you'll be getting the chance to be getting to see her in nook and cranny, both inside and outside. Then you'll think back and thank old Largo."
"I-Inside her…?!
"Inside…?!"
Two words of protest were simultaneously voiced, although one was quickly muffled with Alicia's right hand.
Needless to say, both girls were stuck with a massive stroke of embarrassment. Isara in particularly was even more so. The heat that gathered on her cheeks was so intense that it made her fall for an absurd notion that her face might be glowing in the dark.
"No, I'm not so bold to suggest anything like that! I mean I'm fine with looking from a distance!"
"Tch, you're aiming too low. You're sure you don't want to?"
"I-I…"
"Even if the girl herself would let you have your way? Still saying no?"
"No, I…" Kreis paused as his resistance finally broken down. A look of embarrassment overcame his face as he conceded. "Yeah, I want to, but we are-"
"Yeah, yeah, in the middle of a darn war. Still, it's something to look forward to. A soldier can't fight on for nothing."
"I just hope all of us are going to survive till that day…I'll ask Isara then."
"Why, the wait? Tch, just-"
"No, that's alright for me. It's something to motivate to survive the war, but, please, don't let anyone…" The sight of the two unintended eavesdroppers behind the oil barrels left Kreis' jaw was hanging open dumbly for the countless time that night. "…know…"
A small misstep shattered that fragile balance of secrecy they were maintaining until that moment. The air became fully charged with tension as the two youngsters in question came across the other face to face.
"Did…you…hear? I'm sorry I wasn't trying to-"
"I-I did."
Alas, that was all they seemed to manage without any extra help.
"Man up. She's all yours now." With a forward push by Largo, Kreis stumbled forward.
"Go for it, Isara. I'm rooting for you." Likewise, Isara was urged on by Alicia to stand her ground and receive the words that would come next.
"Well, I'm sorry. This is little difficult to ask, but please…" After a few deep breaths, the first to finish gathering his courage was Kreis, who began shakily and ended in loud bellow.
"PLEASE LET ME EXAMINE THE EDELWEISS!"
Huffing heavily after spluttering out his request, Kreis retreated a few steps to wait for the reply, but, apparently, there seemed to be one who wasn't pleased with the current development.
"Wait, what? The Edelweiss?" Alicia exclaimed with apparent looks of disappointment.
"Well, you know I'm fascinated with machines. Sorry, it's just a weird dream of mine. I shouldn't be hoping to inspect Theimer's greatest creation."
"Wait a second, you guys were talking about that tank all along?!" Unable to contain her surprise, Alicia blurted out.
"Yes." Largo replied with deadpan expression.
"Then what's with all the 'her' and 'she' you guys just…"
"Oi, we can't be treating Edelweiss like a thing or an 'it,' can we? The fine girl like her deserves to be call a part of the squad."
"The up there and down there? The bigger the better?"
"Guns and tires, obviously. You know, the bigger the gun, the more satisfying it is. Why the hell else would I be carrying a lance?"
"Still, why a girl?"
"Edelweiss's ain't a man's name. Jann aside, what guy would be happy with the name Edelweiss."
"…Point taken."
Ignoring the banter of their companion, the two youths was lost in the world of their own hesitation and hopefulness, waiting for the other to be the first to make a move.
"Of course, I don't mind. You're welcome come watch when I'm repairing Edelweiss and you're very welcome to examine her." With her composure partially recollected, Isara managed an uneasy smile along with her reply. "Also, I would be glad to…"
"…To?" Kreis inquired. His heart pounding in anticipation.
"…let you have a test drive with Edelweiss…After the war is over then you're welcome to come and join us in Bruhl."
Kreis was speechless. A few seconds continue to tick past without any further development.
"Oi, say something. You're still here?" Unable to stand the silence, Largo began urging his companion, although it might have been unnecessary as another torrent of words soon came overflowing.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, again! Again, thank you!"
"It's not really anything major, so you really have to…"
"Of course, it's a major thing. I mean this is the finest work of Theimer himself. No engineer in their right mind wouldn't be excited. Again, thank you. Thank you. Thank you."
"Alright, that's enough. I'll be taking taking him to bed. Seems like he stop making sense."
All giddy with excitement, Kreis gave another quick bow of gratitude as he was dragged away. A faint 'I told you so' could be heard as they turned the corner followed by Largo's roaring hearty laugh. The two girls didn't seem to be sharing this enthusiasm, however.
"…So it's all just a big misunderstanding." Heaving a heavy sigh, Alicia slumped down. The escaping air of excitement from earlier left her deflated. "I'm sorry, Isara, for getting your hopes up like that."
"It's quite fine, Alicia-san. I mean I also was…" With her composure lost temporarily, the last part of her voice was lost to mumbling
"Hm?
"It's nothing." Isara quickly regained her composure and, sure enough, a smile was back on her face. "Oh, you can head on to bed first. I'll be cleaning up for a short while…"
"I'll help."
"It's quite alright and I just want to be alone for a moment…"
"Alright, if you say so." Giving the mechanic a cheerful wave goodbye, the young sergeant soon disappear from the corner of the building. "Good night, Isara. Sweet dreams."
"Good night."
A small hue of red tinted her cheeks as Isara recalled all the tiny fragments of imagination she had. It might have something to do with Alicia's suggestion out of the blue, but it was unprecedented nonetheless to think that she would've allowed her imagination to run so wildly. Yet, here she stood dreamily like a love-struck maiden.
She, too, looked forward to this small reward at the end of the war, perhaps even more so than him. Part of it was the mechanic's pride to show off her finest work to her peer. The rest, she was certain that they would all be figured out by the time the war would be over and he would come to Bruhl for a visit.
Isara looked back at the unfinished repair job she had left of the Edelweiss and decided to retire for the night after cleaning up some of the more obvious mess. There would still be time until the next deployment. Now, she would rather be off to bed filled with this warm and dreamy feeling in her heart. Indeed, it was unlike her to be indulging in this moment of false passion, but if anyone was there when she closed off the depot for the night, they would have sworn that her usual smile was a tad wider than usual, stretching from cheek to cheek.
"…The pleasure's all mine…"