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The soldiers of Yellow Comet fit in quite well in the joint barracks of the Allied Nations, and once they’ve been given their rooms and moved their things in, they spend the rest of their time fraternising with old friends and new allies.
Vanessa is just exiting her room when she sees Alfonse walking past. He gives her a wave.
“Hello!”
“Oh, hey, you’re… oh, god, sorry, I forget your name.” Vanessa says, faltering. Alfonse chuckles.
“I’m Alfonse. You must be Vanessa, the ACO.”
“That’s me! I’m… something of a leader-type. Being ACO is much harder than it looks, though…” Vanessa murmurs. “But I’ve worked hard for this recognition!”
Alfonse is reminded of Landon, and gives Vanessa a soft smile.
“So I see. I can understand that feeling. I want to stand out too, and be recognised. I suppose, in a way, I’ve achieved that now. I don’t need much else but to be one of them.” he replies. “Me, working alongside Dave! I still can’t believe it sometimes.”
“Oh, really? You guys have been partners for as long as I’ve known you. Was it not always that way?” Vanessa asks.
Alfonse shakes his head, leaning against the wall as other soldiers come bustling past, taking their luggage to their rooms.
“Not always. When I first joined the army, Dave and Michael, and the other soldiers like Barold and Steve… they’d been serving for far longer than me. They knew what they were doing, and they went about it like it was easy. It… took a long time for it to be easy to me.”
“Heh. Kinda reminds me of Rose.” Vanessa mutters. “We were like that - when I first met her, I was just a common soldier, and she was everything I wanted to be. A talented and skilful ACO, a child genius.”
“Yeah, Rose is really something else.” Alfonse replies, thinking back to the times he saw her fight in their first campaign. “So, now you’re an ACO, and now I’m an equal to Dave and the others. I guess we caught up?”
“It seems that way! Though that’s where we end, unfortunately.” Vanessa says.
Alfonse looks up, raising an eyebrow. “What?”
“Well, you said it yourself - you don’t want to improve beyond where you are. But I can’t rest on my laurels. I’m going to go further. I’ll become a CO, and protect my country, and I won’t stop until I’m at the very top!”
“I… see.” Alfonse replies, unsure what to add.
“Are you truly satisfied where you are, Alfonse?”
“I haven’t ever thought about it.” Alfonse replies. “I was just determined to be as good as everyone else. I hadn’t even considered trying to be better than them.”
“Perhaps you should. You’re a skilled soldier.” Vanessa replies. “Anyway, I’ll see you later.”
Vanessa walks away, leaving Alfonse to sit and wrestle with the question she’s left him with.
*
In the break room, Ludmilla is relaxing with a coffee when she hears someone come in and say “Hey there, sweet stuff.”
She looks up at the ruffled blonde hair and slick smile of Lysander.
“Coming right in with the godawful pet names, I see.”
Lysander deflates. “Look, I’ll cut to the chase - you entertain the men of this army, right?”
Ludmilla raises an eyebrow and gives a cheeky smile. “I’ve been known to. What’s it to you?”
“I’m… well,” Lysander says, sighing. “My mother’s in the army too, and as you can imagine, I’ve not managed to have any kind of relationship with her hanging around all the time. Any chance you’d be up for something tonight? Please, god, I need this.”
“Aw, the mummy’s boy has been struggling to get his leg over, huh? Oh, what the hell, I’m in the mood. Sure thing. Lysander, right?”
“Uh, yeah. Ludmilla?”
“Correct.” Ludmilla replies. She points a finger gun at Lysander. “I’ll see you later.”
*
Dymek is weightlifting in the barracks’ gym when he senses movement to his left.
“Dymek, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, sure is. Can’t see you standing over there. Who’re you?” Dymek says, straining against his weights. A brown-haired, coat-wearing figure moves over and raises an eyebrow.
“Name’s Dimitri, of Blue Moon. Don’t you need a spotter when you’re benching?”
“You wanna do it, then?” Dymek asks. Dimitri nods.
“I’ve heard bits about you.” he says as he moves his hands in to help Dymek with the weights. “Rowdy is the word I hear most often, y’know.”
“Hah! That’s about right, yeah. But you’ve met the rest of Yellow Comet, right? Bunch of tea-drinking gung-ho rule-followers. Anyone’d be considered rowdy next to them!” Dymek replies, heaving the weights upwards.
“That’s it, couple more reps, come on.” Dimitri says encouragingly. “I suppose that makes sense.”
“Kyril, I love the guy, but he’s a wet blanket. Well, that’s a bit harsh. But he’s way too nice! I have to fight his battles for him. He won’t even tell a waiter that they got his order wrong!”
Dimitri chuckles. “Hah! I see. He seems like a good kid, though.”
“Oh, yeah, I’d follow him anywhere. I’m hopin’ that he becomes a leader in future. Probably deserves the position more than Kanbei, anyway!” Dymek replies. “I respect people who challenge authority. It’s why I (usually) do what Vanessa says - she knows what she wants, and goes after it with 110%!”
Dymek finishes with the weights, putting them back on the rack and sitting up. He nods at Dimitri.
“I respect you for the same reasons. Everyone knows your name, Meteor.”
Dimitri nods, nonplussed. “Well, thanks. I look forward to workin’ with you sometime, then.”
“Just don’t expect me to listen to you all the time, alright?!” Dymek replies.
“Oh, I won’t.” Dimitri replies, as he turns to head towards the treadmill. As he walks away, he gestures back to Dymek. “Let me know anytime you need a spotter, though.”
“Oh, alright, I suppose.” sighs Dymek, grinning to himself.