Since Being X stuck me in this body, I'd made a realization. I was sharing this brain with someone else. If I relaxed, and gave slack to my strings, Tanya would move of her own accord.
Sharing a consciousness wasn't comfortable, but it was efficient. While I "slept", Tanya would take over and continue whichever task we were working on. She, however, needed real sleep. When her mind faded then, I couldn't see her thoughts, nor her dreams.
Tanya seemed to inherit an industrious determination from me. What she lacked, or rather annoyingly possessed, was an extreme sense of sentiment.
While I could tug on the strings of her body, she could snip them any time she wanted. She rarely did, deferring to me and my experience. However, it seems today she did not want to tie herself again.
Just because it is a holiday does not mean you can compromise an existing, professional relationship! I yelled at her. In the confines of our mind, she simply shook her head.
I watched in horror as she approached the oak door, a glistening golden nameplate reading "Brigadier General Rerugen."
Tanya knocked on the door.
A faint "Come in," passed through the elaborate woodwork.
Stepping into the room, Rerugen looked at us, a serious expression on his face.
Jesus Christ almighty, I thought I'd have a break from her!
Tanya von Degurechaff never took leave. Nor did she take breaks. One after another, she was either planning or conducting some sort of horrific action which technically got the job done, but with many, many lives to pay for it. Mostly on the enemy side.
When he got the request on leave for her, he'd checked with the telegram operator himself. He said it was a direct message. The notice asked for leave for 1 day, and for her to be back in Berun for it. On February 14th.
Did that maniac actually find herself a boyfriend or something? He'd thought.
But now, said maniac was sitting in a chair in front of him, fidgeting. What was making his jaw want to drop straight to the floorboards was the slight blush on her cheeks.
Since when did Tanya von Degurechaff blush?!
"I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I have a few things to say to you."
Dear God almighty, have mercy on this innocent soul.
The one thing I could do when Tanya refused my control was try to convince her. She couldn't plug her ears like a rowdy teenager when we share a brain.
If you're in here, you can't backtrack, but do NOT compromise this relationship. Just a few words of thankfulness and we need to be working again! This is a waste of our resources!
Once again, she shook her head. You're the one speaking about rewarding good behaviors in subordinates. Why can't I do the same for our superiors?
She then presented me with the worst case scenario, and a "gift" for our superior.
In her hands, a box of chocolates.
Rerugen wished that he was a mage. Not for the combat, the ability to shrug off direct gunfire, or to cause destruction. No, he wanted the reflex enhancement spells mages had soley to give him more time to process this moment.
Tanya von Degurechaff was presenting him chocolates. On Valentine's day.
Tanya von Degurechaff. The mage who earned the name Devil of the Rhine.
Tanya von Degurechaff. The warmonger who predicted, and then ruthlessly executed this war.
She was sitting in a chair, nervously fidgeting, a hard blush on her face, innocently presenting him with chocolates on the day of love.
He realized then, that god had truly forsaken him.
He took the chocolates, still overwhelmed with shock. The box was pink, a yellow bow encasing it's contents. A little label told him while the contents were certainly not the most expensive candy he'd seen, they were not a casual purchase for an officer.
"Thank… you?"
It seemed Tanya had become too nervous to continue once Rerugen took the chocolate from her hands. She gave me back control. I snapped us up to attention in the seat, well aware of our warm cheeks.
"I- I wanted to reward you with s-something for protecting me." Tanya's nervousness leaked into her voice. I turned my head to the side, cursing this body.
I need to avoid any indication that I have romantic feelings for Rerugen. Damn Being X is making me a spiritual homosexual.
Tanya herself seemed to have recovered. She seemed to be reassured that a man like Rerugen would never mistake this for being a romantic gesture.
The situation seemed only to be deteriorating in Rerugen's favor. Tanya von Degurechaff had a crush on him.
She had her head turned away, her blush advancing faster than Imperial armor, and her voice shaky.
He needed to fix this, and fast.
"While I appreciate the gift, I am your superior. It is my responsibility to protect you."
There. She should pick up on that. If she can figure out how to conquer a minor european power, she can figure out she can't date her boss.
Thank god, he didn't get the wrong idea. There is no value for having a superior this good. Not only did he realise my platonic intentions, he finds himself too humble to accept a gift for trying to keep me out of the line of fire.
What could've been a disastrous encounter has been a shining success!
"Thank you, sir. Most others wouldn't be so thoughtful. Now, I must excuse myself for now. Goodbye, General."
With that, I exited the office with a gleaming smile.
Oh god, she does like me.
Rerugen immediately stood up to pace as the blonde haired girl left his office. She had to have picked up on the hints, right?
Unless…
A thought struck Rerugen so hard, he stumbled back to his chair, shaken.
That little seductress, she knows. And she's playing to win.
A/N: I know Tanya is quite OOC, the salaryman side of her. Dipping my toes into the fandom with this seems like a good start, so we'll see where I go from here.
Cheers, and stay inside folks!