Editing City Series:Volume5a Chapter4 (section)

===Beretta’s Letter: To Mallette, My Neighbor who is Probably Asleep Even Now at Midday===

Hi, Mallette. I’m currently taking the Lourd de Marionnette lecture for my second morning class, but I’m so damn bored. The art class before this was interesting, though.

And what’s this? Ever since Professor Becarre was arrested, there’s always an ''Allemande'' soldier sitting in a corner of the classroom. Is that to keep an eye on things? I don’t like that at all. 
Especially today’s strict-looking old man whose insignia suggests is an Écrivain. The practice today will apparently be a quick mock battle against that old man.

I guess this means the Germans are gradually tightening their grip. And we only just learned in political science class that control of the media and education is a step toward dictatorship.

Anyway, I’m writing this letter during class, so I’ll drop it in your room’s ''boîte aux lettres''. I’m sure you’ll be asleep until the afternoon anyway.

You might miss out on a lot if you sleep in today. It was pretty noisy outside this morning. While you were sleeping, the Paris Resistance covered the streets with posters to inform everyone that the German military is retreating.

That means the people of Paris will have Ajouter-ed that information. I wonder what everyone else will do.

But, well, the patrols from tonight on are probably going to be a real pain.

You’ll get arrested too if you’re out wandering at night. I know I don’t have to remind you, but you’re half Jewish. And you don’t want them using that as an excuse to harass you, right? That was why the soldiers were hassling you when we first met.

Not that complaining in a letter is going to change anything.

So I’m stuck here in this Lourd de Marionnette lecture and then I have to go through with the practice afterwards, but why are we even doing this? If only the Germans would accuse this class of training the resistance and cancel the rest of the classes just for me. Oh, well.

Besides, the Germans have put power restrictions on every Appareil in France, so there aren’t any in Paris that can fight properly. Without proper power and weapons, an Appareil is the same as a car.

I wonder what they’ll do about the Lourd de Marionnette battle during the school festival. Only a beginner would enjoy Recréa-ing into an underpowered Lourd de Marionnette. A veteran wouldn’t be able to stand it. Even if you can only use it for a short time, I just want to use a Full Drive Start and-…well, you wouldn’t know what any of this means.

Ever since the Germans were stationed here, the Lourd de Marionnette battle at the year-end festival and school festival has had a German Lourd de Écrivain take part as a special guest. A student doesn’t stand a chance against a soldier, but they make it even more unfair because their Appareil isn’t power restricted. The librarian lady at the library I often visit says it’s meant as a show of force.

But at last year’s year-end festival, I kicked the German Lourd de Marionnette’s ass and won, so some people are apparently hoping I’ll do it again this year. A representative of the economics department said I’m their #1 recommendation. I Ajouter-ed a bulletin board earlier and that’s what it said. I’ll probably never hear the end of it from Phillip if I accept.

Anyway, summer break is coming up soon, so classes and life are both getting pretty busy. While everyone at the ''appartement'' is heading back home like you are, I think I’ll enjoy a carefree ''vacance'' in Paris.

Oh, the practice is about to begin. Like usual, of the three Lourd de Marionnettes in the storage rooms, the instructor gets one and we do some quick mock battles with the male and female one left over. The guys always get so excited. They’re so childish.

Wait, what? The professor is saying I’m supposed to Recréa, too.

His line was pretty amazing:

“Beretta already has a no-limits Lourd de Marionnette license and was given the honor of being selected as the economics representative for the school festival’s Lourd de Marionnette battle, but she is still diligently attending the lesson today. The rest of you could learn a thing or two from… (Bleh, the old man’s talking too fast to write down the rest.)”

But I’m sorry, professor, I wasn’t being remotely diligent. I’ve been sitting here writing this letter.

By the way, the guys’ excitement cooled in a hurry when they heard I would be Recréa-ing. And not because they were moved by my “diligent example” or because of the qualifications the professor listed off. No, I’m sure it’s because I’m the one that won at last year’s year-end festival.

Oh, and most of the girls in the class are fad-followers who only came over to see me after they heard the rumors.

I can’t believe this. If only transfer students weren’t required to take this class.

“We have a special class just for transfer students. Simply attending university will earn you a Lourd de Marionnette license.”

I get that it’s one of their selling points for transfer students, but it’s pretty pointless for me since I already have a no-limits license.

Also, I haven’t been too crazy about piloting Lourd de Marionnettes lately. It probably seems weird to see a Lourd de Marionnette lover like me writing that, but, well, it’s like your period. Women just have those moods sometimes.

Why is it, Mallette? It’s like my personality changes a little when I’m piloting one.

And my opponent this time is the German Lourd de Écrivain sitting so arrogantly in the corner there.

I’m a little worried. Okay, I’ll seal this up before Recréa-ing. Bye.