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Alecs took a seat next to Aster and took a drink from her flask, the alcohol leaving a warm feeling in his throat and chest. Alecs coughed slightly to clear his throat,
"Thank you, ma'am. I was just taking a walk and admiring nature. I have always enjoyed being outside and among the trees."
Alecs looked at Aster and noticed that something seemed off. She seemed disgruntled in some way, which was a stark contrast to her cool and collected demeanor earlier that day. Alecs sat there looking into the fire with a puzzled look on his face before finally asking,
"Is there something wrong, Corporal Cahune? Anything that I might be of assistance with?"

Alecs smiled at her,
"I wouldn't say I'm a nature lover, but where I come from, that is all we have, so it is just kind of soothing to be out in the world, it is like being home again."
Alecs then began to stare back into the fire, taken aback by the Corporal's question. What did she mean was something bothering him? He hoped that he had not shown some sign of disgruntlement, because that was certainly not what he felt. Who knows, maybe he did indeed feel that way, and she was able to see into his subconscious, almost like her hidden eye held secret powers. of some sort.
"As far as today is concerned, I do not feel that you are any of those things mentioned. In fact, I though it was both funny and cute the way you acted, but it was also admirable. Believe it or not, I look up to you. I want to be there standing next to you as one of the brass, as one of your equals."

"I would never look up to someone that strikes fear into his own child like that."
Alecs then thought for a moment..
"Well, you would be the first person I have ever told that to.. Being from Dauper and spending most if not all of my time in the forests, a man doesn't tend to talk to too many women."
As Alecs said that last part, he lightly chuckled and rubber the back of his head. What did she mean why would he look up to her? She was in a fairly high ranking position, and from the scar on her face, he could tell she had overcome adversity. That was plenty reason to admire her.
Alecs sat there, listening, beginning to feel sorrow. He had not known Aster's husband, but just the fact that she was sad made Alecs mourn for her loss. After all, Alecs also knew what it was like to lose someone that he cared about.
"I am very sorry, ma'am.. It sounds like you have lived a rough life. That is even more reason to admire you, because even now, you stand a bit taller than even I. Please do not think of your scar as a disfigurement. Wear it as a badge; a sign that you have been to Hell and still walked back on your own two feet.
Alecs then began to feel slightly sad, and he looked deeply into the fire, hoping maybe its coals would lend to him the knowledge of what to say. Alecs had never been good at talking about death.
"I am incredibly sorry to hear about your husband.. I have never met him, but I am sure he was a great guy. I'm going to remember him everyday that I train. When I finally get to meet a titan, I will destroy it in your husband's honor."

Alecs thought that she must be getting drunk, to even think that a woman would line up for him, let alone, many women. Who knows though. Aster truly was someone to admire. In just this one sitting she had made Alecs feel even better about his decision to join the military.
"You have nightmares? I will do whatever I can to defeat your nightmares, ma'am. I can't disappoint you."
Alecs then looked up at Aster and smiled.
He knew fraternizing with a commanding officer, and a female officer at that, could be easily punished, but there was something about Aster that drew him in and made him happy.

"I am sorry, that is how I was raised, to show respect with words like sir and ma'am."
Alecs felt dumb now for saying ma'am so much, he hadn't even noticed he was doing it. He felt it strange that she wanted to know about him. No one had ever really cared to ask such a thing.
"Well, I joined because my father and brothers all joined, and I felt that I could do more to protect Dauper if I was on the front lines, than I could if I was still in the woods with my rifle. My father is dead, and I haven't seen my brothers in many years. I hope that I can someday see James and Henry again, though. That is only half of what lead me here. The other half is my desire to be a leader. I want to be someone that people admire and aspire to be like."
As Alecs finished talking, he began to look up at the stars. It was amazing to think that in an area like this, much more densely populated than where he was from, he could still see the stars just the same.

Alecs noticed Aster looking at him, and he felt very calm about it. Had someone else beein staring at him in that way, he might have felt uneasy to some extend, but not with Aster. He felt comfort by hearing how she spoke to him, it was very enlightening.
"Do you really think I'm charming?"
Alecs looked at Aster with an almost childlike smirk, the kind of smirk someone gets when they get a compliment from a teacher.
"I do hope that people do, or will admire me someday. I hope that I can inspire the other cadets to do the best they can with what tools they have. My father was that kind of man, he always inspired greatness in others. I want to be like that."