86 - Volume 10 - Chapter 4.5

Appendix

During a skirmish with the Legion the other day, Undertaker’s armor had cracked around the cockpit block. That whole part of the armor needed to be replaced altogether. Right about where his Personal Mark was. And since Personal Marks were unique, redrawing them meant one would need to use a stencil.

And so…

“…There. Done.”

Theo got to his feet and stretched, his slender limbs clad in coveralls spotted with paint. He then looked at Undertaker’s newly replaced, pearl white armor and the freshly painted Personal Mark on it.

A skeleton shouldering a shovel.

Having drawn this symbol time and again over the years, Theo knew well enough that it wouldn’t be long before this mark would be covered in scratches again. That left him a bit wistful. Much like the other Personal Marks he’d drawn, he was pretty proud of this one.

Watching him work from a distance—since Theo had shooed him away so he wouldn’t distract him—Shin walked over and peered at the machine. He was clad in the Federacy’s steel blue uniform. Having seen him in a camouflage uniform for years, Theo wasn’t used to this appearance of his yet.

“Sorry for making you handle this for me every time.”

“Mm, well, don’t worry about it. I just have to draw the Marks for the four of you—and Lena’s while I’m at it. B’sides, I like drawing.”

He then added that it wasn’t like anyone but him could draw in this group. This made Shin remember something.

“Right, you did ask me about it the first time we met. ‘What’s that drawing supposed to be?’”

Theo cracked a sardonic smile and mouthed an oh. Right, their first meeting in the Eighty-Sixth Sector. Back then, everyone would still draw their own Personal Marks.

“Daiya’s was especially bad. He tried to draw a black dog, but it looked more like a black hippo.”

He only figured out it was supposed to be a black dog because Daiya told him his Personal Name.

“And Raiden’s werewolf just barely looked like a dog-human. Kurena forgot to draw the sights on her rifle, and Anju’s was actually pretty good, if a bit childish.”

Everyone’s was bad enough to just make Theo say, Forget it, I’ll draw your Personal Marks from now on.

If they were to die, their Juggernauts would be their coffins, making their Personal Marks their grave markers. Shin promised to carry on their hearts and memories, but their bodies would still be left behind and at least deserved that kind of tribute.

Half in reminiscence, Theo curled up his lips in a bittersweet smile.

“You never got much of a chance to draw, so you never got any better from when you were younger.”

Simply staying alive was the most they could do, and there weren’t any drawing supplies to distract the children with in the internment camps.

“But your Personal Mark was one I couldn’t really wrap my head around. It was like if it was good, that was cool, but it was pretty interesting even when it sucked.”

“You can just say it, you know. That it was so average it felt boring.”

“I mean, your drawings aren’t so much average as they’re just terribly practical. It’s not even exactly realistic. It’s like, they don’t really stir any emotion… Yeah, I guess boring just about sums it up.”

Since he was talking about it right in front of Shin, Theo felt his usual sharp-tongued, scathing comments might be inappropriate. So he tried—to no avail—to come up with a softer way of putting it. Thankfully, Shin didn’t mind. After all this time, Theo’s bad mouth and hostile attitude did little to faze him. Concluding that it wouldn’t suit him to sugarcoat his words, Theo continued:

“You’re not so much good at drawing as you’re good at sketching. Like maps and schematics. It’s like you’ve never drawn before, except for when you explained the terrain during briefings.”

“Good observation.”

“What, is that really all you draw for?”

No wonder it looked so practical. Thinking about it that way, Theo wasn’t sure if the Republic hardly giving them any maps of their sectors was a good thing or a bad thing.

But now…now everything is different. The Federacy gives them everything they need to fight in battle like it’s a matter of course. Support, education, entertainment. And the rights to both be buried when they die in battle and mourn those who perished.

“…You know, Shin,” Theo said, feeling his crimson eyes settle on him.

Theo’s own gaze was fixed on the newly drawn emblem of the headless skeleton. This eerie symbol of the reaper was their salvation in the Eighty-Sixth Sector, but…

“Shouldn’t you change your Personal Mark? I mean, it might sound kinda weird, but you don’t have to carry this burden anymore.”

All the things he’d carried so far. The duty Theo and the others made him shoulder without even thinking twice. Theo felt rather mixed about it, but Shin didn’t seem to notice. He simply looked at Theo dubiously, as if unsure where the sudden question came from.

“You don’t like it?” He answered his question with a question.

“It’s not that I don’t like drawing it… I just think it might be bad luck, I guess?”

“Oh…” Shin hummed, paused for thought for a moment, and then shrugged. “Maybe it is. But I’d feel guilty calling it bad luck after I’ve used it for six years.”

“…Right.” Theo nodded with a sarcastic smile.

He still felt a little guilty and mixed about it, but if Shin was fine with it, so was he.

Shin then turned his eyes toward his Personal Mark and suddenly said, “Speaking of, about Lena’s Personal Mark…”

Theo snorted at him.

“Ah, yeah. I drew it, but I’m not accepting any constructive criticism.”