Irene von Wittelsbach
I was a tanker, and to say that I wasn't somewhat impressed would be a lie. I had seen the Selkie as sort of an island Switzerland with an oddly Celtic-ish culture, but they were capable of not just maintaining but also developing and mass-producing armored vehicles. AFVs were an absolute bitch to maintain, but the fact that the Selkie had them...
I had clearly underestimated them.
"They have more." Marie spoke up, as she gazed at the AFV. "This is part of their MFC. It's like our combat groups, or an American Marine Expeditionary Unit. But bigger."
"So it's more like an American Brigade?" I asked.
"Sort of. Two regiments, one of mechanized infantry and the other also mechanized infantry, but with tanks. Sort of. Plus Air Defense, special operations troops, and logistical and aviation units. Think that's all."
"They any good, you think?" I asked. Allies or not, Prussia-Poland had a reputation to maintain.
"Good enough, if you ask me, for what they do. Peacekeeping and creaming technologically-inferior troops into mush."
"Bet the Cuirassiers could still cream 'em." I opined. Good as they were, we were better, right?
"Of course they would." Marie snorted. "You're part of an armored regiment. Turning conventional enemies into mush is their entire purpose. You're comparing apples to oranges. A better comparison would be the Carpathian Rifle Brigade, and I'm betting on the Selkie, all else equal."
"Alright, but which unit am I in?"
"And? You're like a horse bragging about having a bigger dick than a human."
My eyes widened slightly, but not out of offence.
Just two years earlier, Marie making that comparison, and so casually as well, would have been out of the question. I didn't even know she was even capable of cursing until one year and six months ago.
I shook my head. People change, Irene. I chided myself. ...Hopefully, it's for the better.
"Oi. Irene. You alright?"
I snapped out of my internal monologue to see Marie standing there, concerned.
"Yeah." I replied, unconvincingly.
She bit her lower lip. "You sure? Are you tired? Come, I'll buy you some coffee."
"No, no, it's fine." I insisted. "I was just...thinking of something."
Well, at least some things haven't changed. I thought, before I noticed Marie's mouth turn up into a roguish smirk.
"Oh? Something, or someone?"
...or maybe not.
I rolled my eyes. "If I had that someone in my life, they'd be here, not you."
Marie paused for a second. "...yeah." she said at last. "I guess."
I glanced at her. "Oi, you know me." I replied, before trying to lighten the mood with a joke. "I'd drive him or her insane before we'd go anywhere, no?"
Marie nodded, but the frown didn't leave her face.
I decided to leave her be for now, and continued watching the men and women of the 18th.