(D3, EA, Base Camp) Watching the Wapath (Open)

[Mary Macharu]

Having seen to her mech and her lance's needs, Mary took the opportunity to take a walk around the camp perimeter. She watched sorties going out and coming back, hoping that while they may come back worse for wear, they would come back. But outside of the general noises of camp, it was quiet, and a nice way to have some introspection.

[GM Yuusha]

Someone else with a similar idea and a big fuzzy coat catches sight of Mary walking. She pauses for a moment before changing direction to walk her way. Mary's afternoon might not be quite as quiet as she hoped.

"Hey, do you know what time it is?" She asks when she was closer. Her trudging across the snow would have been very audible. She had big boots on.

[Mary Macharu]

Someone else with a similar idea and a big fuzzy coat catches sight of Mary walking. She pauses for a moment before changing direction to walk her way. Mary's afternoon might not be quite as quiet as she hoped.

"Hey, do you know what time it is?" She asks when she was closer. Her trudging across the snow would have been very audible. She had big boots on.

Her reverie broken, Mary turned to face the girl with the big...boots, her bionic eye focusing just slightly faster than her natural one.

"ah, it's 1213, i believe" she replied, considering the girl. She was...the daughter of the liaison. She didn't seem to have any official duties, perhaps her father was grooming her to follow in his footsteps? But why did she need to know the time?

"....was there somewhere you needed to be?" she asked. Mary didn't mind helping if needed.

[GM Yuusha]

"Twelve thirteen, okay." She nods twice in quick succession. She had time.

"Yes, but not just yet. It's a meeting at one. Hey, you're one of the mechwarriors, aren't you? I'm Lia. Lia Guttenburg. I'm sort of with the AFFC. How's it going out there?" Lia asks with genuine curiosity.

[Mary Macharu]

"Twelve thirteen, okay." She nods twice in quick succession. She had time.

"Yes, but not just yet. It's a meeting at one. Hey, you're one of the mechwarriors, aren't you? I'm Lia. Lia Guttenburg. I'm sort of with the AFFC. How's it going out there?" Lia asks with genuine curiosity.

Mary nodded.

"sgt. mary macharu of the third scout lance." she affirmed, identifying herself. "it's early to tell. my squad's mission was a success. all four enemy tank's destroyed and three of the crew's captured. we took some damage but nothing that can't be repaired with what we have here. if we're fortunate, the other missions will go as well or better."

[GM Yuusha]

Lia lets out an impressed noise as she looks over the shorter woman. She had some guts. Shame about the burn scar.

"I'm sure it will. They're only a Militia force after all while you're all experienced. That said, you're all very brave for going out to fight. Can I ask - is that how you got your scar... Sergeant Macharu?" She wasn't sure how to address Mary, so she went for what seemed formal.

[Mary Macharu]

Lia lets out an impressed noise as she looks over the shorter woman. She had some guts. Shame about the burn scar.

"I'm sure it will. They're only a Militia force after all while you're all experienced. That said, you're all very brave for going out to fight. Can I ask - is that how you got your scar... Sergeant Macharu?" She wasn't sure how to address Mary, so she went for what seemed formal.

Somewhat stiffly, Mary nodded.

"it is." she confirmed. "the intel was bad, we got surprised. people died. i almost did."

Mary looked past the fence, remembereing the alarms, the fire, the pain....it all seemed so fresh when she thought of it still, though the physical scars had settled.

[GM Yuusha]

"You made it out though and you're still piloting mechs. What's that like?" Lia asks, all curious. She noticed Mary's discomfort, but felt it surely would be short lived.

[Mary Macharu]

"You made it out though and you're still piloting mechs. What's that like?" Lia asks, all curious. She noticed Mary's discomfort, but felt it surely would be short lived.

Mary was definitely not the person they sent to recruit new mechwarriors...at least not any more.

"it's all i have left." she said softly. "if i could not do that, i would be begging on a street corner somewhere alone. piloting gives my life purpose and meaning. my life matters because i can do this. my actions have an effect on the world within my mech."

Was it a good effect on the world? Mary brought death and destruction because that's what she was paid to do. It was a purpose, if not a noble one.

[GM Yuusha]

"Uh, yes, okay. I understand that. I meant what is it like to pilot one? Putting the helmet on and controlling such a large machine. Fighting in battle. Is that exciting? Scary? Both?" Lia enquires, taking a step closer to Mary as excitement got the better of her.

[Mary Macharu]

"Uh, yes, okay. I understand that. I meant what is it like to pilot one? Putting the helmet on and controlling such a large machine. Fighting in battle. Is that exciting? Scary? Both?" Lia enquires, taking a step closer to Mary as excitement got the better of her.

She was so green. Mary wondered if she was ever so green. She could see Lia at a fancy party, talking about all the glorious victories to be won like in the stories.

"there's nothing to be scared of anymore, i'm already living on borrowed time. it's...hard to describe. you feel powerful and protected, a tank striding among mere mortals...and yet that comes with all the burdens and dangers. you're a threat and a target, a weapon pointed by others at those you don't know."

She let out a breath, cold in the air.

"are you training as a pilot?" she asked.

[GM Yuusha]

"Borrowed time...?"

She shuts up to listen to Mary sharing her experience of piloting a battlemech. She lets out an acknowledging and thoughtful noise as she ponders the new information.

The question warrants a "uh..." and then a slow shake of her head. "Not really. I'm interested, but... actually, what mech do you pilot?"

[Mary Macharu]

"Borrowed time...?"

She shuts up to listen to Mary sharing her experience of piloting a battlemech. She lets out an acknowledging and thoughtful noise as she ponders the new information.

The question warrants a "uh..." and then a slow shake of her head. "Not really. I'm interested, but... actually, what mech do you pilot?"

Mary was curious what the girl's interest was. Was she just a fan of mechs?

"it's a grf-1n" she says. "do you know much about them?"

[GM Yuusha]

"G-R-F-1-N?" She repeats it slower. "No, not really." Lia shakes her head. "That's the code name, right? Like AS7-D?"

[Mary Macharu]

Mary blinked a bit in confusion. Or winked quickly? The bionic eye was not the best at emoting.

"ah no, not quite a code name....a model number. like any kind of part or machine or vehicle. though i guess i can see why you'd think that, grf-1n is a very convenient model number for branding."

She looked up at the intense girl.

"um...can i ask what it is that interests you in them then?" she asked, not sure why the girl was so intent on learning more about the griffin. She wasn't hostile about it, just confused.

[GM Yuusha]

"OOH. I see. It's the model number." She tried to commit that to memory.

"Sure!" Lia is bubbly as she goes into it. "First, they're the major deciders of conflicts. They decide who wins or loses a war. So, they're very important. Two, there's a mystique about them, right? Lots of amazing stories. Three, it has to be exciting being in one. Controlling it. Making it run and jump about. Four, without them we'd still be nuking each other from orbit as a norm. Smaller conflicts means less civilian casualties. Mechs save lives. Five, you don't have to take shit from anyone." She crossed her arms and smirks. "Some idiot insults you and you return back in a mech, hah! They'll be begging you to forgive them."

[Mary Macharu]

"OOH. I see. It's the model number." She tried to commit that to memory.

"Sure!" Lia is bubbly as she goes into it. "First, they're the major deciders of conflicts. They decide who wins or loses a war. So, they're very important. Two, there's a mystique about them, right? Lots of amazing stories. Three, it has to be exciting being in one. Controlling it. Making it run and jump about. Four, without them we'd still be nuking each other from orbit as a norm. Smaller conflicts means less civilian casualties. Mechs save lives. Five, you don't have to take shit from anyone." She crossed her arms and smirks. "Some idiot insults you and you return back in a mech, hah! They'll be begging you to forgive them."

Mary shivered a bit at the....eerie reflections the girl provided her. Before she was Mary Macharu, this was indeed the kind of spiel she could've rattled off on her father's behalf. But such pep was burned out of along with her eye and so much skin.

"ah, well, all very valid points...except maybe that last one. a mech isn't a gun you stuff in your jacket to make you look tough. while i do own mine, without the support of the angels i'd quickly run out of fuel and ammo, not to mention the repairs and the difficulty of travelling between engagements alone. coming back in a mech to deal with some rowdies is more fantasy often than not. as a member of the angels, i don't really get to choose who i'm fighting."

[GM Yuusha]

"I suppose, although you could leave if you really disagreed." Lia points out. "However, you're right, that is just a fantasy. It's a good one though, right?" Lia was all smiles now. She does change topic as she remembers something she wanted to ask. "Erm, so, one last question. Sorry for taking you away from your walk. I really did just want to ask the time at first. Anyway~ last question I promise. Are you enjoying life as a mercenary?"

[Mary Macharu]

"I suppose, although you could leave if you really disagreed." Lia points out. "However, you're right, that is just a fantasy. It's a good one though, right?" Lia was all smiles now. She does change topic as she remembers something she wanted to ask. "Erm, so, one last question. Sorry for taking you away from your walk. I really did just want to ask the time at first. Anyway~ last question I promise. Are you enjoying life as a mercenary?"

Mary was taken slightly off-guard by the sudden verbal barrage.

"ah, no really, you're company has been most welcome. i'm glad you took the time to ask the time of someone like me." she offered sincerely. While she no longer held the kind of fire that the girl did, and it did sadden her a bit to be reminded of it...it was still nice to know it was still in the world.

The last question puzzled her though.

"i don't know if 'enjoy' is the right word for it. the people i fight against...they have done me no wrong. i have agreed to fight whomever the angels are hired to. yes, those people try to kill me and i kill them to survive...but they would not have tried to kill me if i hadn't been there in a mech. i can't enjoy the kind of pain, suffering, and death i bring not just to them but their loved ones."

She shook her head.

"however, the angels are my family. they're...all i have left. without them, i would be alone and i don't think i could bear that. so perhaps not 'enjoy' but i am 'thankful." she said, proud of serving with the Angels.


Mary didn't enjoy killing people for money but she'd definitely leave behind a path of death behind her as she followed the Angels.

[GM Yuusha]

"Someone like you...?" Lia had queried quietly, but the conversation had moved on. She listens carefully to the mechwarrior's answer. Lia got the impression Mary was quite the serious person. Philosophical. Deep. A lot of Mary's thinking she could only understand on a surface level.

"Thankful? Okay." She mulled it over. Her face said she was a bit unsatisfied by the answer, but she didn't put it into words.