[center][h1][color=f7941d][b]ISAAC BLACK[/b][/color][/h1][/center]

If there were people who'd be against helping out one of their own who clearly needs that support, then they were wrong.  Isaac could understand why Michael said that, but he refused to be detered by it.  There was no denying what they clearly had to do, and no placating those who did not want that to happen.  It is...what it is.

[color=f7941d]"'The right thing to do is the right thing to do, no more, no less.'  Words from my father.  You can't let people stop you from what has to be done when you know it's right."[/color]

Michael was not confident, but it wasn't just a matter of that.  You worked your hardest to produce results, and these steps would prove effective in easing the pace of the next steps, and those that [i]follow[/i] said steps, and so on and so forth.  You start small, if you have to, and then you push on outwards.  Pretty soon, you have the respect of those who need to hear you and follow your lead.  It didn't seem like all that hard a task.  Michael was salt-of-the-earth honest, Isaac was respected and dependable, and Jean was...  Well, he seemed to have the eyes of several others upon him, two cabins down or so.  It was kind of funny.  What was he up to now?  Diana, Kalisa, Rayna, [i]and[/i] Lucia?  One could almost be jealous.  I mean, was he here now in this men's club because he needed a break?  Well, for now, Isaac was working meticulously with his own instrument.  Machine guns were a bit more complex than ordinary rifles, after all.  His attention perked up when he heard Jean musing about the state of the war and that poet.

[color=f7941d]"I have to admit, I'd been keeping a little ignorant of the war while I was on the farm.  I didn't want to become focused on it, because it wasn't for me or any of my family.  We were doing Edinburgh a much-needed service.  That was [i]our[/i] duty, and our livelyhood.  You have to focus on what's important, and food on everybody's table is ours.  That, and the wolves.  Every generation of wolf-dog has to be nurtured to accept humans as their alpha, their leader.  They have to understand that these weird hairless things are their friends, or they'll just be wilf animals to them.  I imagine some of ours and any other breeders' went to the army to help out, not just guard property or herd livestock.  Even still, I don't like what the war is doing to the land.  It'll be a long time before any of these warzones are useable again.  The bodies, the upheaval, the equipment lying around...mines..."[/color]

Especially, the mines.  You think anybody really remembers where they put those things?  Isaac was almost-certain he saw some blow up during the charge of Hill 58.  That could've been any of them hit by one of those things, crippled for life or dead altogether.  Not a pleasant thought.  Another one was about what he'd said about the wolves.  Knowing what he knew now, he wished he could guarantee that none of the ones he raised were put towards this. Rikes, Ellis, and the rest of the pack deserved better.  He [i]did[/i] like that Jean seemed to be rapidly improving.  It was a good thing, since he was having a dark thought of his own.  Jean headed off to go see Baker about...something.  That left him, Michael, and Franz alone for an indeterminate while, when...they were pleasantly surprised!

[color=f7941d]"Lucia?  Well, hey there!  You're looking better."[/color]

Indeed, she was.  She was all a'grins and clearly much more relaxed than she had been earlier.  This was unexpected, since Isaac almost thought the Asseni girl was gonna be wound-up tighter than his own watch.  Maybe she was going to pull through without Middleton turning her into an emotional wreck, after all.  In fact, she was being quite friendly.  I mean...'Mickey'?  You don't get much more familiar than [i]that[/i].  It actually made Isaac smirk and chuckle a bit, especially when as the silver-haired girl started climbing over to get an available comfee seat in the cabin.

[color=f7941d]"This is gonna turn out like one of those films they'd play in town.  The funny ones where people trip up over each other."[/color]

Indeed, such comedy films by a [i]particular[/i] actor/director had been in the biz for about half a year, so we know what we're talking about.  It seemed that Lucia was acting in defiance of the higher-ups in reference to whether everyone else should be spoken to or not.  Why would Middleton want something like [i]that[/i] to occur?  That seemed fishy.  Or better yet, because Isaac was a farmer and not a fishmonger, that seemed like a load of bullshit.  [i]Captain[/i] Middleton was playing some sort of game between them and this girl, like she was some sort of uhh...what's the word?  Experiment?  Yeah, that was it.  Even still, right now she was being really nice, even very affectionate.  It brought a warmth to the heart and a genuine smile to Isaac's face when she hugged the three of them.

[color=f7941d]"Hey, we're just as glad that you're alright, Lucia.  After all, we know our newly-christened Captain is working you hard, maybe more-so than us."[/color]

That said, there was...nah, it couldn't be.  I mean, it was good to see the silver-haired girl in better spirits.  It's just that...  Alright, he didn't want to jinx it, but was this the way you'd normally expect a girl to be after yesterday?  It made him wonder, just slightly.  Just a little nagging doubt.  What if both Lucia and Jean were sort of forcing it, for everyone's sake?  He banished the thought, for now.  Lucia seemed to be relax, and...possibly an artist.  Maybe things would be alright, for now.  Isaac hoped so, but he kinda' knew that combat was gonna take its toll on them all again, and silently renewed his pledge to look after them all, especially those that needed looking after the most.

And just when you think it's all over...Britta shows up!

[center][h1][color=red][b][i]Britta Hagen[/i][/b][/color][/h1][/center]

It'd taken some doing, particularly alot of arguing with what basically boiled down to a quartermaster for the train's supplies.  However, between dropping some logic about those that battle needing to be fed - with the 15th having been dumped onto the battleground without any rations apart from some candy from a Private who was now dead - and a bit of name-dropping about a potentially-angry Jean, Isaac, AND Middleton...she managed to not only managed to get proper ration supplies for the next mission in, but also to spare some food for everybody else.  You have to keep the pressure on with some people, and that was how Britta came to be delivering some food to the car containing Diana, Kalisa, and others first...

[color=ed1c24][b]"Here you are, everyone.  Got a little something for everyone.  Gotta spread it out a bit [i]now[/i], but I got our rations sorted out properly, at least."[/b][/color]

And then, approaching the cabin, she heard the masterfully-transformed Lucia and entered that cabin next.

[b][color=ed1c24]"Ah, I [i]thought[/i] I heard someone else here.  No Jean, though.  Well, I'll get to him later, so he doesn't starve.  Brought a few things for you all."[/color][/b]

[color=f7941d]"Oh...shit, I forgot I was getting on that.  Thank you, Britta."[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"No problem, Isaac.  I figured you'd be distracted."[/color][/b]

She meant with gun maintenance, but the way she [i]said it[/i] sounded like she was referring to Lucia's presence.  Britta even turned to her now.

[b][color=ed1c24]"Sorry we hadn't met properly before, Lucia.  I'm Britta Hagen."[/color][/b]

She reached over, past Michael, to offer Lucia her hand to shake after putting down the plate she'd been taking around.  Isaac began to laugh again as everything was basically in Michael's face once more.