[D3 LM, Mobile HQ Meeting Room] Terms and Conditions

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"It was..." Klaus pauses. "A departure, to be sure. But it had already been a radical change. I had my whole life planned, you see: continue aboard general staff. Resign myself to a life in the beauracracy. Serve enough to be, at the very least, knighted, and hopefully issued a some holding for my services. The hard break came from finding myself on an honorable discharge pension and finding myself footloose and fancy free. Having some form of order, or structure was almost a relief, as alien as it was. Is."

[GM Yuusha]

"But... you adapted?" Lia queries, hoping for a more concrete answer.

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"The same skills apply. Just in... different parlance."

[GM Yuusha]

Lia begins to look a little frustrated. "But are you enjoying it? Or... do you miss noble life?"

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"I am a noble" Klaus replies a touch defensively. He opens his mouth then shuts it, grinding his teeth. "I don't miss the lifestyle. But I do have regrets. I do this because it's my only chance left to win title of my own. And I am willing to take my chances to do so. But if I don't, and if this is my lot..."

He pauses. "I can think of worse company"

[GM Yuusha]

"Sure, but you're not in a court or ruling anything." Lia had pointed out. She didn't have a clue why Klaus looked a bit annoyed. He was a mercenary now. It wasn't your typical noble lifestyle. It was more the life of a fallen noble or someone who had discarded their title. She was proved right as he explained...

"Ah." She smiles coyly. "Now I understand you better. This is all a stepping stone. One you don't necessarily find unpleasant, but not one you're especially tied to."

With the plates on her tray full she takes the lead in finding them a table to sit. She picks a spot off to the side of the room where there wasn't anyone already eating.

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"That was the plan." Klaus sighs. "But it's long odds. And it requires some very visible successes for the Lyran court to be noticed. Thus..." He makes a general motion. "To make a reputation, to attract a patron."

[GM Yuusha]

"Pfft, you don't mean my father? Sure he has connections that are influential, but it's my mother that holds the title in the family." Lia says, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. "She is back home governing our territory. My father is the second son of another noble. That's why he's supporting the AFFC. The really important one in my family is my grandfather. He controls a lot of land." She smiles teasingly at Klaus. "He's a Graf on an industrial world~"

She let that hang in the air as she picked at her food.

"Now you owe me some information one day, Klaus von Zinzer."

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"Well I suppose that makes you the one I should be impressing" Klaus replies lightly, a curl appearing around his lips. "And I believe that information exchange would be a worthy bargain"

His face becomes serious again. "I did not mean your father to be a patron. But his good word means attention placed closer to those who might. A victory with the Obsidian Angels forces intact and strategic objective achieved, but an unhappy liason damages that aim. And thus, I've designated myself the "customer service representative"

[GM Yuusha]

"So does that mean I can ask you for room service?" She giggles at the tease. "I'll come complain to you if I find anything amiss around here."

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"You can certainly ask." Klaus' tone remains dry. "I cannot promise you will enjoy what I bring. We are not going to have any luxury food until we earn some R&R when this is over"

"But yes, if you run into issues, or someone on the Angels gives you a hard time let me know"

[GM Yuusha]

"Will do and it's fine. Luxury food is usually overrated anyway. Nobody really likes caviar. I'd sneak out to hit up fast food places." Lia shares with glee. She pats her burger bun. "See?" With a wink his way she lifts it to take a big bite.

[Klaus von Zinzer]

Klaus blinks for a moment.

"You are" he pauses. "Very unlike your father and I don't believe that's a bad thing."
Klaus tucks into his own burger.

"Lyran nobility has been, in my experience, what some would call "pretentious sons of bitches". I know I can be." Klaus offers a self effacing smile. "Some of that was beaten out of me because, like I assume your father was told too, that I needed to plan to work for a living. Moreso now that I actually am working for a living. But it's still there. I don't see a trace of it in you"

He chews in silence for a moment. "Nobles would mock your for it. But if you were lead normal people? They'll love you for it. "

[GM Yuusha]

"Thanks!" Lia seemed pleased by Klaus' assertion.

"Nobles can mock away. That's all most of them can do. Only a few actually have any real power. I have a younger brother who is more into it all. My mother already favours him. I find it all... stifling? Yeah. Boring and stifling." She goes on to explain in between mouthfuls. The way she dabbed her lips was still very noble-like however.

"I do enjoy the pocket money. Actually... what's the reason you don't want to do this longer? It seems pretty safe here." She gestured around them.

[Klaus von Zinzer]

Klaus finds himself staring. "I honestly don't know what it's like to not care like that."

He clears his throat. "Honestly, it's about the legacy. I will never inherit land or title, barring a cataclysmic run of death in the family. So, if I were to marry, my children would not have the same" he pauses "Upbringing that I was afforded. And they would not keep my name. Not unless I somehow win title for myself. Which was my plan, before the injury"

[GM Yuusha]

"Hmm. You say that like a title will guarantee a legacy. To me, some of the most famous names in the Sphere are mercenaries and mechwarriors. Solaris champions. Mercenary company leaders. Aside from the Great Houses, they're the ones with a legacy. How many people have heard of my family or know about the first Guttenburg compared to that?" Lia speaks confidently on the topic. It was something she'd thought a great deal about.

She lifts a hand to hold a finger aloft. "Besides, what's the point of legacy if you can't enjoy life. Nobles have to worry so much about decorum, protocol and reputation. Hardly any can just go out and enjoy themselves without a care. I'll tell you who can - retired Solaris champions. That's true power and success. Become free to do whatever you want without a care for how anyone else sees it." She taps her cup on the table before having a sip.

"Aren't you quite high ranking in the Angels? Couldn't you afford private schooling or whatever for any children you have?" She shrugs casually. "I don't see what you're worried about. You strategic types tend to overthink everything."

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"I-" Klaus catches himself. "I do overthink things."

He sits, chewing for a moment.

"My rank isn't that high, and the Angels are not that secure...yet. But you have a point there. I've been playing the rules of a game where I don't have a seat at the table."

"But in a way...it's me. It's my family, my blood, and a pride that I hold to it. And I want to live up to it, as unlikely as that seems right now. But perhaps it's not the worst thing to try to find it my own way."

[GM Yuusha]

Now she scoffs. "Now you're starting to sound a bit like my father." She sets her burger down and stretches. She looked much happier here than in the meeting room.

"Is there anything you want to talk about then, after that show of getting me away from him?"

[Klaus von Zinzer]

"As I said, he and I are of similar background. Precisely, I wanted to know what kind of stick was up his ass and how close it is to the one in my own"

Klaus grabs some more food. "But you are rather intriguing. Do you want to try out the life of a mercenary, if you find it so appealing?"

[GM Yuusha]

Lia bursts into laughter. She covers her mouth with one hand, still giggling, with her other hand on the table to steady herself.

As Klaus continues she calms down. "I don't know enough about it." Lia responds. "It's a thought, but my father would hate it."