Strike Witches episode 5: Building Better Mousetraps

[Hetland 2]

Svetlana struggled to hold her tears in, not wanting to upset Maria further. She knew fully well it was not her fault she became this way, that the whole mess was an accident. Still, that did not absolve her from her actions. However, watching a tear roll down Maria's cheek onto her, Svetlana finally stopped, muttering, "alright... I'll stop..."

But the one thing she could not force herself to do was smile. She could barely turn her mouth up at all. To her, it was an unnatural sensation that came from happiness, a feeling she was forced to forfeit. Still, with her stay in the 501st, she had come to find out what happiness meant once again. The one question that dogged her, however, was whether she deserved it. Looking away again, she soon gave an onimous question.

"Say... Lucinda," she asked in worry, "may I ask you something?... When was I triggered exactly?... The last thing I recall was being in the infirmary, talking to Lieutenant Ouyang... Did he... tell you guys anything about it?... Did he hear anything?"

---

Fei was a soulless wreck, working his way through one of the strikers. It was as if he switched off all his senses just to work on the machines. His eyes heavy in concentration. It was unclear what he was feeling, if he was actually feeling anything. But one person was still burnt into his mind - the one girl he least wanted to meet.

'I wonder how long...' he thought to himself, 'before 'Sudʹya' catches up to me...'

Maria looked up at the ceiling, Kaixa's ears and tail emerging. Maria looked slightly preoccupied by something. "Mmm... Izzat so..." She gave Svetlana a puzzled look. "Gimme a sec. Kaixa's being confusing. He what?" She paused, Kaixa's ears and tail disappearing. "Ok. From what I heard, Fei was trying to do something leave somewhere maybe? You stopped him... and... He shouted at you about something. Ummm... an' you..." her english was becoming more and more muddled as she tried to retell the story back to Svetlana, She never stopped speaking of course but there were time where she had to break into Venetian to figure out what to say. "That's all I know. Would you like me to loosen your straps?"

[Wolfenium]

Svetlana struggled to hold her tears in, not wanting to upset Maria further. She knew fully well it was not her fault she became this way, that the whole mess was an accident. Still, that did not absolve her from her actions. However, watching a tear roll down Maria's cheek onto her, Svetlana finally stopped, muttering, "alright... I'll stop..."

But the one thing she could not force herself to do was smile. She could barely turn her mouth up at all. To her, it was an unnatural sensation that came from happiness, a feeling she was forced to forfeit. Still, with her stay in the 501st, she had come to find out what happiness meant once again. The one question that dogged her, however, was whether she deserved it. Looking away again, she soon gave an onimous question.

"Say... Lucinda," she asked in worry, "may I ask you something?... When was I triggered exactly?... The last thing I recall was being in the infirmary, talking to Lieutenant Ouyang... Did he... tell you guys anything about it?... Did he hear anything?"

---

Fei was a soulless wreck, working his way through one of the strikers. It was as if he switched off all his senses just to work on the machines. His eyes heavy in concentration. It was unclear what he was feeling, if he was actually feeling anything. But one person was still burnt into his mind - the one girl he least wanted to meet.

'I wonder how long...' he thought to himself, 'before 'Sudʹya' catches up to me...'

Maria looked up at the ceiling, Kaixa's ears and tail emerging. Maria looked slightly preoccupied by something. "Mmm... Izzat so..." She gave Svetlana a puzzled look. "Gimme a sec. Kaixa's being confusing. He what?" She paused, Kaixa's ears and tail disappearing. "Ok. From what I heard, Fei was trying to do something leave somewhere maybe? You stopped him... and... He shouted at you about something. Ummm... an' you..." her english was becoming more and more muddled as she tried to retell the story back to Svetlana, She never stopped speaking of course but there were time where she had to break into Venetian to figure out what to say. "That's all I know. Would you like me to loosen your straps?"

Svetlana slumped her head on her pillow in relent. Maria's vague description, however she tried to put it, did not help Svetlana discern the reason any better. Shutting her eyes, she uttered plainly, "Lieutenant Ouyang was trying to persuade me not to use lethal force against Technical Sergeant Serena, he even tried to leave the infirmary despite his injuries earlier. I'm sure you would have done the same. It's alright, I suppose I shouldn't impose on you any further."

Adjusting her strapped hand, Svetlana declined nicely, "I'd prefer if you keep me like this, at least until we get clearance to have me released. i can't say whether I've recovered fully just yet. I might go into another rampage at any moment." It was an exaggerated point of caution, a minute possibility of insanity. But after she assaulted Maria back in Narbonne, Svetlana did not dare take any chance. Until the proper medical personnel could clear her, she felt it was best she be kept strapped to the bed. Uncomfortable as it was, she did not want to endanger anyone on the ship again.

[Hetland 2]

Svetlana slumped her head on her pillow in relent. Maria's vague description, however she tried to put it, did not help Svetlana discern the reason any better. Shutting her eyes, she uttered plainly, "Lieutenant Ouyang was trying to persuade me not to use lethal force against Technical Sergeant Serena, he even tried to leave the infirmary despite his injuries earlier. I'm sure you would have done the same. It's alright, I suppose I shouldn't impose on you any further."

Adjusting her strapped hand, Svetlana declined nicely, "I'd prefer if you keep me like this, at least until we get clearance to have me released. i can't say whether I've recovered fully just yet. I might go into another rampage at any moment." It was an exaggerated point of caution, a minute possibility of insanity. But after she assaulted Maria back in Narbonne, Svetlana did not dare take any chance. Until the proper medical personnel could clear her, she felt it was best she be kept strapped to the bed. Uncomfortable as it was, she did not want to endanger anyone on the ship again.

Maria smiled at her, "You aren't imposing on me. I enjoy your company. As I said before, you're a sweet girl and a good witch. Now... between you and me, ... Lucinda isn't actually my real last name... well It might be. But... I was raised in an orphanage." She touched the deep scar that ran across her nose. "... When I was found by the orphanage, the Priest there only bothered giving me a first name, often saying 'you'll get your family name when you're adopted.' Eleven years passed. No one came for me. Every day I'd do my chores at the crack of dawn and then run outside to play, and run around the town, pick pocketing tourists, whatever I could do to get something to eat. And every day I'd come back, and would be hit or berated for not doing a proper job with the chores. So... I made a deal with myself. When I got out of the orphanage, I'd work my butt off, until I could get a nice house and I would adopt a child, I'm too frail to give birth, ya know?" She chuckled, "Sorry got off on a tangent there. But Lucinda is a variation of Lucine, who was the Venetian goddess of Child-birth. I've always wanted to be a mother... so I took that as my family name. I know you probably think its silly of me but if I can save one child from going through what I did... I think it'd be worth it." She laughed again, her usual crazy laugh, "Look at me, rambling on like an old housewife. I'll go get you some water." And with that she hopped off the bench and trotted out to get Svetlana a cup of water.

[Wolfenium]

Svetlana slumped her head on her pillow in relent. Maria's vague description, however she tried to put it, did not help Svetlana discern the reason any better. Shutting her eyes, she uttered plainly, "Lieutenant Ouyang was trying to persuade me not to use lethal force against Technical Sergeant Serena, he even tried to leave the infirmary despite his injuries earlier. I'm sure you would have done the same. It's alright, I suppose I shouldn't impose on you any further."

Adjusting her strapped hand, Svetlana declined nicely, "I'd prefer if you keep me like this, at least until we get clearance to have me released. i can't say whether I've recovered fully just yet. I might go into another rampage at any moment." It was an exaggerated point of caution, a minute possibility of insanity. But after she assaulted Maria back in Narbonne, Svetlana did not dare take any chance. Until the proper medical personnel could clear her, she felt it was best she be kept strapped to the bed. Uncomfortable as it was, she did not want to endanger anyone on the ship again.

Maria smiled at her, "You aren't imposing on me. I enjoy your company. As I said before, you're a sweet girl and a good witch. Now... between you and me, ... Lucinda isn't actually my real last name... well It might be. But... I was raised in an orphanage." She touched the deep scar that ran across her nose. "... When I was found by the orphanage, the Priest there only bothered giving me a first name, often saying 'you'll get your family name when you're adopted.' Eleven years passed. No one came for me. Every day I'd do my chores at the crack of dawn and then run outside to play, and run around the town, pick pocketing tourists, whatever I could do to get something to eat. And every day I'd come back, and would be hit or berated for not doing a proper job with the chores. So... I made a deal with myself. When I got out of the orphanage, I'd work my butt off, until I could get a nice house and I would adopt a child, I'm too frail to give birth, ya know?" She chuckled, "Sorry got off on a tangent there. But Lucinda is a variation of Lucine, who was the Venetian goddess of Child-birth. I've always wanted to be a mother... so I took that as my family name. I know you probably think its silly of me but if I can save one child from going through what I did... I think it'd be worth it." She laughed again, her usual crazy laugh, "Look at me, rambling on like an old housewife. I'll go get you some water." And with that she hopped off the bench and trotted out to get Svetlana a cup of water.

A small blush glowed on Svetlana's face as she glanced away. Mincing on her words, she whispered, "mhmm... that... sounds like a nice dream you have. At least you're here now with us now.

I never knew who my father was. My mother never told me in detail. All she said was that he died shortly before I was born, when she was pregnant with me. My mother was a witch serving in Yekaterinburg, only eighteen years old. I've never really seen the world outside a base camp or on a mission...

'Remitonov' isn't even a real surname, you see. My mother was an orphan too, so she never really had one to begin with. It was only after she named me 'Svetlana' that she chose a surname to match it. She said I reminded her of someone she knew; white hair, red eyes... though... she never lived long enough to tell me accurately-"

However, staring up at the ceiling above, she could not help but feel weird. She had never spoke about her mother in detail before, nor had she mentioned anything else about her past. What bothered her was how fondly she felt recalling the details. She did not realize it, but a gentle smile was forming on her mouth when she spoke of her mother. It was perhaps the only moment of happiness in her otherwise bleak life.

"Umm... I'm sorry," she apologized in embarrassment, "I must be boring you... Please, continue..."

[Hetland 2]

A small blush glowed on Svetlana's face as she glanced away. Mincing on her words, she whispered, "mhmm... that... sounds like a nice dream you have. At least you're here now with us now.

I never knew who my father was. My mother never told me in detail. All she said was that he died shortly before I was born, when she was pregnant with me. My mother was a witch serving in Yekaterinburg, only eighteen years old. I've never really seen the world outside a base camp or on a mission...

'Remitonov' isn't even a real surname, you see. My mother was an orphan too, so she never really had one to begin with. It was only after she named me 'Svetlana' that she chose a surname to match it. She said I reminded her of someone she knew; white hair, red eyes... though... she never lived long enough to tell me accurately-"

However, staring up at the ceiling above, she could not help but feel weird. She had never spoke about her mother in detail before, nor had she mentioned anything else about her past. What bothered her was how fondly she felt recalling the details. She did not realize it, but a gentle smile was forming on her mouth when she spoke of her mother. It was perhaps the only moment of happiness in her otherwise bleak life.

"Umm... I'm sorry," she apologized in embarrassment, "I must be boring you... Please, continue..."

Mara cackled, "I got you to smile." Maria grinned widely, "You and I... we aren't so different huh. Neither of us knew our fathers, we were both raise by the military, we both lived hard lives. And we both fight so people can live better lives." Maria's face started turning red, "Um... Svetlana... ummm... well... Can you keep a secret for me? I... I think I'm... well... kinda falling in love with someone in the squadron." She covered her cheeks, "I just realized it... a little before... that Sasha... wouldn't have wanted me to mope around... It took me so many years to figure that out... I guess I really am dumb huh..." She made an unusual squealing noise. "Ahhh! Look what you've made me say!" She playfully slugged Svetlana's shoulder. Her was face crimson.

[Wolfenium]

Mara cackled, "I got you to smile." Maria grinned widely, "You and I... we aren't so different huh. Neither of us knew our fathers, we were both raise by the military, we both lived hard lives. And we both fight so people can live better lives."

Sveta blinked at the incessant laughter. She found it hard to get used to Maria's unusual laughter, even now. But hearing her words, she could not help but agree."

"Yes..." she replied, "I guess we are quite alike..."

Maria's face started turning red, "Um... Svetlana... ummm... well... Can you keep a secret for me? I... I think I'm... well... kinda falling in love with someone in the squadron." She covered her cheeks, "I just realized it... a little before... that Sasha... wouldn't have wanted me to mope around... It took me so many years to figure that out... I guess I really am dumb huh..." She made an unusual squealing noise. "Ahhh! Look what you've made me say!" She playfully slugged Svetlana's shoulder. Her was face crimson.

Svetlana was taken aback by Maria's punch, confused at her flustered behaviour. Blinking again, she responded, "I suppose I can keep it a secret... It's not wrong to fall in love, I guess... Though the military usually discourages romantic relationships between personnel, I can't really stop you if you feel strongly about him, can I?..."

Despite knowing that such private matters were not for her to probe, Svetlana was already trying to discern the possibilities. Given the lack of named male personnel they knew, it seemed like a fair guess. Unfortunately for the young witch, that theory would only work assuming that Maria's love interest was male...