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You put two of the pierogis into your mouth at once. They were immediately sweet, starchy, gooey, but in a way that wasn’t…like the other thing. A more familiar and nostalgic sort of food. Pierogi were Ellowian like you were, depending on who you asked, but even if your blood was that, you’d never felt any familial relation to that land. Your mother had been from there and the john who knocked her up could have been from anywhere. Yet people seemed more comfortable calling you Ellowian rather than the truer descriptors. Those you were friendly with, at least.
“Anywaysh.” You swallowed. “Was thinkin’ of goin’ back by the Academy. Showin’ him what I’m up to. There’s plenty t’ show off.”
“Your scores?” Van Halm asked.
“Nah. The tanks.” Your scores weren’t a fair comparison. Yes, they were around the top or at it all around, but you also already <span class="mu-i">knew</span> the material for a while, and were around four years older than other students, or more. Even so, if it weren’t for that Silver Shield then you’d probably be messed with a lot more out of jealousy by the younger men, whose honor couldn’t be assuaged with anything that spoke to their heads instead of their balls.
“Your head always goes straight to those,” Karel tutted, “There are other things in life that don’t smell of steel, powder and gasoline, you know.”
“That’s why they’re the best, though,” you objected sullenly. “No bullshit to ‘em.”
Karel gave you a sly sideways glance. “I think many a cadet forced to learn the maintenance of them would beg to differ on that.”
“Nah,” you scowled, “That’s like whinin’ about havin’ to get up to walk, or that you need to stretch to flex. For what you give ‘em, tanks give it all back and more.” Pure strength, to any who dared to master them, no matter how small and scrawny their body was. Enough steel to overcome any beast, yet yielding to grip with proper will to it.
“Men must be envious of the forgiveness you grant machines,” Van Halm smiled slightly like he thought he said something funny.
“No tank ever fed me fish sperm,” you said sorely as you speared more pierogis.
“Tell me when you find a tank that buys you free food,” Karel waved a finger, “Not too much, now. I won’t have your man accusing me of trying to shape his lady to tastes I lack.”
Psh. He only said that to be miserly, surely…
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By Karel’s recommendation, you kept your eating light. It was the same sort of thing your younger sister Alina would have said, but she had more fat on her than you anyways- just that she had it in the right places.
