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[sub][color=Silver][i]Garnian Salient: Post-Empire Trench Capture, August 25th - [b]Awaiting Reassignment[/b][/i][/color][/sub]
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[color=Silver]	Jean finally realised that she began to stir in her slumber, awakening to see him oddly analysing her from a close proximity. It wasn't creepy in any ways, just a Lance Corporal standing and inspecting his troops, potentially; right? The fellow Darcsen snapped herself to attention. He could tell her descent clearly from the shade of her hair, one that anyone in Europa could realise. It was a strange gloss, at least in what Kalisa's looked like, as she introduced herself. There was something sweet about her almost shining example amongst the murkiness of the mud and soil. Jean couldn't help but find himself smiling uncontrollably at her, with some admiration and almost appreciation for what stood before him. However, for a second, her sweet and formal introduction almost made him feel somewhat important, which was a feature he was still yet to get used to. Initially, he simply led out his hand and held it against his slightly muddy face, which had dried up since in the hour they'd been stationed in the previous graveyard. Jean found some comfort in the beauties around him, almost making it seem life-like and detached from the previous horrors still etched into his head. Nevertheless, he still finally got around to speaking, laughing slightly.[/color]

[color=Aqua][b]"I...I appreciate the formalities, Kalisa. Uhm...if you wouldn't mind me addressing you by name, it's just easier for my memory. And, well if we are going by formalities, shouldn't you be remembering that you don't salute an NCO?"[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Jean quickly decided to poke a small amount of fun at her, not aiming to damage her reputation or integrity of course. It was the first joke Jean had made in a small while, almost bringing and revealing that lost life from before.[/color] [color=Aqua][b]"Oh...and...well please don't stand for me, I just...Well there clearly are more capable people you should be respecting that aren't be, right?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	She suddenly noticed something he had tucked beneath his collar. It was indeed the small Autumn shemagh bearing the Darcsen pattern. The pattern was a sign of peace and camaraderie in their community, but recent years had diminished such valued purposes and sentiments into a symbol of prejudice and hatred. Jean was equally surprised at her keen eye, despite the fact he hadn't really tried very hard to hide it. The Lance Corporal was something of a strange case. Most Darcsens still lived in fear, hiding what they could and when they could. Despite actively hiding from abuse, Jean never hid his true colours or identity and found it to be his strongest quality. Kalisa, the Darcsen mistress before him, had a fount of respect and intrigue, adding relief to her system when she found out he too shared her heritage. It actually warmed Jean's heart a small fraction, making him feel more at home with this figure of modern perfection.

	Jean drew his knife, almost spontaneously, and brought it up to his scarf. Whilst unveiling a small part of it from beneath his overshirt, he began to gently tear a small fraction off of his dressing. It was only a small patch of what the scarf actually was, perhaps around 5 by 5 centimetres in size, but it still retained the pattern clear enough to be identified. He walked forward, albeit a little nervously around the fellow Darcsen, and placed it in her pocket located on the frontal webbing. He slightly smiled to himself as he did so, looking down to her as if they'd been friends for years. It was one of the strange bonds of Darcsens, being able to read one another's personalities and share mental struggles, even by first glance.[/color]

[color=Aqua][b]"Well, I do appreciate another Darcsen being present. It helps me become at-ease with myself, especially in this terrible world of conflict, ones that are really shaking me up. Here...We are in the same Platoon, it seems, so maybe take this as a token gift from me. And besides, I prefer the name Kalisa to Private, anyway."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]Once more, he smiled and brightened up, though only a little. It was hard to differentiate his emotions and colours from within the muddy confines of Hill 58's peak, but he still attempted to his very best ability. She mentioned his helmet shot that appeared when charging up the hill and his face slightly dimmed, remembering the shock he felt when it first collided close to his scalp and skull. Jean removed his helmet and held it in front of him, scanning the marks where the bullet had skimmed earlier. It was surreal to imagine such a narrow gap between life and death was encountered within his first battle. Honestly, it was a terrifying reminder of what was to come, if he were to make it any further than that day.[/color] [color=Aqua][b]"It's...I don't think it's done any damage other than...shock. I still am shocked. I'm still alive, and this piece of iron and steel was what kept me from biting the bullet. It's...you shouldn't think about it too much, causes too much worry."[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]	Suddenly, from his flank once more, the second angel Diana returned, somewhat staring at him in a different way to how he stared at Kalisa. She seemed to be nosy, having interjected herself in a comedic way into the conversation. Part of her openly questioned why he was staring at Kalisa, which instantly brought an array of awkwardness onto his shoulders. His face brightened up into a somewhat reddish bliss, making him look between Kalisa and Diana with strange hesitation. Whatever she was getting at, it somewhat took him off guard, making him almost panic on the spot.[/color]

[color=Aqua][b]"I...uhh...Wait I was...staring? I...uhm...well you see...I just...was inspecting the t-troops, you know...Morale...nothing to do with Kalisa...Uhh...Private Larsen, and her being...uhm..."[/b][/color] [color=Silver]He started to drift off, shedding his own argument into nothing but byproducts and dust. Almost immediately, Kalisa suddenly jumped onto the train of teasing and questioning, raising her own satirical concerns on his relationship with her and Diana. Jean immediately felt himself fluster and stammer, his hand trembling in awkwardness. He almost dropped his knife, but a small part of control allowed him to sheathe it once more into his webbing.[/color] [color=Aqua][b]"A-Admirer? Oh well...I think we might b-be jumping the gun a bit, Kalisa. I...I certainly wouldn't put it that way as, well, that way. Why...are you jealous of that fact?"[/b][/color]

[color=Silver]He did it.

What an idiot.

	Jean suddenly slapped himself in the face, realising that he indirectly returned that same giddy fun back towards Kalisa and Diana. He felt himself tense up from nerves as he simply swivelled around on his heels, facing away from them as to let out a grand sigh. Was he really this inept as to facing these two darlings, so far? However, Jean could take one positive from the mockery and friendliness, and that was it took his mind completely off of the previous slaughter and the potential hellfire that was yet to come within the hour or two.[/color]

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