That morning, Doctor Schugel wasn't very pleased to see me. His eyes were even more bloodshot than usual and they were lined in thick, dark circles.
"I don't want your help. You'll only slow me down." He pointed toward the door.
"O-oh, okay. Where would you rather I-"
"I don't care. Just leave me be."
"Yes, sir." I nearly ran from the lab.
I didn't generally eat breakfast, but it was almost nine AM as I left the main research building and decided I'd treat myself to something from the only small cafe this base had to offer.
I froze as soon as I walked in. This base truly was small, because there she was, sitting at a stool in front of the counter. She was sipping a cup of coffee, and nothing else.
I knew what I had to do. Well, it was more what I wanted to do. Also, it would've been odd if I didn't even say hi.
"Hello!" I greeted, taking the seat next to her. "It's funny running into you here."
She turned and offered me a polite smile. Just a natural formality, I figured. "I come here fairly often, actually. The coffee is good. I recommend it."
"Okay, I'll get a cup then." Some silence. I tapped two fingers on the table. "Could I treat you to something? They pay me for my internship. And without you piloting the project, I wouldn't really have an internship here at all."
She shook her head politely. "That's not necessarily true."
I put my hands in my lap and looked down. My cheeks were definitely heating up, and I was so focused on getting them to stop that I didn't see her turn toward me.
"What put you in the position to be Schugel's intern?" the lieutenant asked curiously.
"Well, the truth is, I never really cared much for engineering." I looked back up at her. Her beautiful eyes - all of their attention was on me. "My true passion is biology, but that's of no use during war. I mean, biological weapons are illegal…and I have to be useful to the empire if I want to make money to send back home."
The lieutenant raised an eyebrow at that, immediately seeming to understand the situation I was in. She asked just to clarify, though. "Are these tough times for you?"
"My village was on the border, and it was captured. My family and I escaped just in time, but not with much. And now we don't have a very permanent place of residence, either." I didn't have a clue why I'd just spilt my story to her. "But, that's where my job comes in!" I gave her a determined smile, hoping to ease the somberness.
Surprisingly, the lieutenant scoffed a bit, taking another sip of her coffee. "And to think you offered to spend some money on me."
"Like I said, without you, Schugel wouldn't be developing his Type 95, and he wouldn't need me at all. So, I should be offering you my gratitude."
"That's kind, but I haven't done anything."
Some more silence.
She spoke again. "Don't worry, Lillia. I understand the path of getting employment at a young age and forging a future on your own. We have similar stories."
I smiled again, deciding to change the subject. "So, you're a soldier, right? ...Have you ever been in a shoot-out before?"
She set her cup down on its saucer. "Yes. A while ago, I was in the north on sentry duty. It was only supposed to be part of my training, but then I was ambushed by an enemy mage company. I had to take them all out on my own."
My eyes widened in shock. "Really?!" That, for some reason, became the first moment that I noticed her badge. Tucked under her arm slightly, it still glinted in the morning light. "So that's how you got that badge, then?"
The lieutenant looked down and moved her arm to see it. That's when I could fully recognize what it was. Holy shit.
"A…Silver Wings Assault Badge. Th-that's the highest military honor, right?!"
"Well, yes."
"Will you tell me the full story? How many did you have to kill to make that achievement?"
Lieutenant Degurechaff picked her coffee back up and took another sip. "Seven men. I had no idea I had it in me, but the mind does amazing things when faced with a life-or-death situation. I'll tell you though, I ended up hospitalized for over a month, because…"
This is one of the best memories I have: the morning I spent with Tanya Degurechaff in the cafe, listening to her unbelievable stories. Of course, I believed it all. She had the merits to prove it.
I'm sure my face was a dark shade of crimson the entire time.
-XXX-
The following day, I babbled enthusiastically to Doctor Schugel about my time at the cafe as we walked out to the testing grounds. He wasn't really listening, just reminding me every now and again to be careful with the box as he glanced over his shoulder at me. Eventually, he cut me off, but the words that followed surprised me.
"So I was right then, heh heh. You two have become friends."
We were just about to step outside into the breezy morning air, and I froze in my tracks for a moment. "You think this makes us friends?"
He shrugged as I ran around him and held open the door. "I don't know. I don't actually care. Let's get to work."
Lieutenant Degurechaff was waiting for us with half a grin. My optimism said it was because I was here, but my realism was suggesting that she just meant to be polite.
"Good morning, Doctor Schugel." She turned to me. "And good morning, Lillia."
I gave her a sincere smile. "Morning!" Quickly, I uncased the Elinium Type 95 and and held it out. The lieutenant stepped toward me and pushed some stray locks of blond hair out of the way before unzipping her jacket for me. I carefully linked it to her necklace, as per the routine. This time, though, the wind seemed to blow at just the right second - just the right direction too. Those stray locks of blond blew toward me and grazed the edges of my cheeks. I could just barely smell the scent of her hair.
I pretended to have some difficulty with the chain and gave a warm smile of apology. When I finally "fixed it", I made the grand mistake of glancing up at her, still so close to her face.
Lieutenant Degurechaff was smirking at me. Had she been aware of my lie? What a terrible slip-up! My whole face burned as I stepped back. Schugel didn't seem to notice anything, because he just stood behind me, tapping his foot impatiently for us to be done with the simple action. How had it suddenly splayed out before me into such a complicated scene? She was still smirking - mischievously, even - as if she'd just figured out my guiltiest secret and was deciding whether or not to tell me she knew about it.
Nothing was said, though. The testing started soon after.
Unfortunately, the Elinium Type 95 still didn't work. It self-destructed during testing and the lieutenant came parachuting to the ground, furious.
"DAMMIT, Schugel! Without that safety mechanism, I would've surely been blown to pieces!"
"Now, lieutenant, let's be serious. It should work!" He was angry too, clutching his clipboard so tightly that his knuckles were white. "You're clearly not concentrating hard enough."
Lieutenant Degurechaff pulled it off of her neck, breaking her chain necklace in the process, and threw the red jewel onto the concrete. It hit with a nasty crack. Schugel took in a breath to scream, but the lieutenant had already turned her back on him and was stomping away.
I stood there in shock for a moment, unsure what to do. The doctor seemed to be in the same state, until he turned to me. "If you're really friends with her, you should be able to talk some sense into that damned stubborn soldier."
"Are you sure it's my place to-"
"GO!"
I didn't want to become the new subject of his wrath, so I sprinted after Lieutenant Degurechaff.
