genessia | Briefing 7 | [Action/Text]

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Briefing 7 | [Action/Text]

[Private Action - "Robbed" bounty: Mid-day, November 28]

[It'd been a few weeks, and Blaze had been well aware of this guy's actions. Blaze had been approached by several business owners who had been victim of this thievery, and he'd launched an investigation to try and track the culprit's movements. The crimes seemed to be a little spaced out for a short while, which made it easier for Blaze to set up a timeline on who was a victim and where it happened. He'd assured the business owners that the one responsible would be caught, and their earnings rightfully returned to them. Blaze had almost expected a bounty hunter to swoop in and nail the guy faster than Blaze would be able to track him, but it seemed like they all were more focused on the ruins that had opened a couple weeks ago in Fayren. That wasn't a problem for him, naturally. He'd already been tracking him and studying what actions had already transpired.

Blaze kept in frequent contact with the ones affected, getting what extra information he could from them. Nothing 'super human' was involved from what he could gather, so that was a comfort, and it also meant that Blaze could handle it alone without having to trouble Dante or Thirteen to get involved too. Catching a petty thief should be easy as soon as he knew when to strike.

Sure enough, after studying his updated timeline with every crime scene and recent robberies, Blaze came to realize it. There was a pattern. The culprit chose different parts of town at different times to make it seem random and make it harder for enforcers to catch him. He compared each of the incidents to each other and pieced it together. He looked at a map of the city, resting his finger on a particular street and taking note of any businesses there.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind about it. He knew where the next strike would be.

So, Blaze had approached the owner of the shop- a small bakery. He managed to coordinate a plan with the owner, and Blaze waited in the back until the mid-day closing time. Once the shop was closed for the day, the owner lent Blaze his coat, scarf and hat and stayed behind in the shop with his earnings, while Blaze set out to pose as the man and proceeded in the direction of the bank, his head low and the combination of the rim of the hat and the scarf obscuring his face easily. He only made it a couple of blocks before he felt like he was being followed. Blaze knew his instincts were right.

He slowed his pace before stopping in the street, acting as if he were rummaging through his pockets to find something. Sure enough, his quarry was lured out, and Blaze found himself at knife point, and he slowly raised his hands.]

Hand over your money, and make it quick!

[Blaze said nothing, reaching down as if to go for his pockets to comply with the demands but he intended anything but. Blaze whirled around, startling the man as he grabbed the wrist of the knife-wielding hand and forced the arm away from him. The guy was an amateur and clearly didn't expect his targets to fight back, as Blaze was easily able to twist his arm behind his back, forcing him to drop the knife and be quickly subdued by Blaze. Forcing the man to the ground, Blaze narrowed his eyes.]

No chance, rookie. You're under arrest.

[November 29: Early morning - Attleton Guardian's Office]

[Following the successful capture of bounty target, Blaze was able to recover the money stolen and was getting it all returned to its rightful owners. It was about 3 AM when he'd finished making the arrangements, Blaze leaning back in his chair with a relieved sigh. His black labrador Kirk was sound asleep in his bed in the corner of the office, so Blaze made an effort to be a little quieter to not disturb the sleeping dog. He stood up from his chair, exhausted from the work that day as he slid a hand through his hair, turning to look towards the calendar on the wall. He'd intended to cross off the date of the previous night, but when he saw it, he froze. He could feel his heart drop when his eyes fell on the circled 29th day of November. It felt like a wound had been opened up all over again.

He slowly glanced over his shoulder, looking at a framed photo on his desk. His mind was blank as he could only stare at it, until he suddenly shook his head and set the photo face down on the desk as the memories of that day a year ago flooded into his mind. He sharply sucked in a breath through his teeth and grabbed a pen and notepad on his desk, leaving a quickly scrawled note for Dante and Thirteen to find later:

"I won't be able to come into the office today. Text me if you need anything."

He knew full well that just leaving a note and not saying a word would probably be suspicious, but it's the best he could manage before he grabbed his jacket and hurried from the office.]

[Day - Nova City Sky Gardens]

[Blaze had been wandering most of the day, and eventually he'd wound up in Nova City. He'd read about the Sky Gardens at the Schnee Company, and maybe spending the day there would give him a much needed distraction. Sure, maybe something more actively entertaining would have worked more, like one of the arcades, but the Sky Gardens gave him more of an opportunity to clear his head. And maybe get some thinking in. He knew whatever he did, the day would be hard to get through, with thoughts of his fallen companion swirling through his mind.

So, he was more focused on making a day out of exploring the three biomes. He had his headphones on his head, silently mouthing the words to the song he had on repeat the entire day. He wouldn't actively approach anyone and was more absent mindedly taking in his surroundings, even if he knew that reaching out to someone was probably the better idea. Which he would do, eventually, but only with a single text.]

What do you do if you have trouble getting your mind off of something that happened a year ago?

[Maybe it technically wasn't a year ago given the different flows of time between his home and Genessia's, but it was close enough.]

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Let it pass. Presumably one's thought all they can about it, and hopefully you live a thoughtful enough life to let the present crowd out the past.

[Blaze's rather hurried note in the office this morning certainly did raise some questions. Nevertheless, Thirteen decided to respect that Blaze might've needed some time. He'd been busy in tailing the thief that was plaguing the area, so he figured something else might've come up... or he simply needed some rest.

And he wasn't about to argue that Blaze could always use some rest. Always dutiful, it was true, but he was a workaholic. If it meant he didn't burn out, then Thirteen was fine with it. By now, he was comfortable enough to fill in for him in holding down the fort at the office.

Though at the end of the day, Thirteen checked his phone for messages. The only notable one was Blaze's rather cryptic question, but it said enough. The scrawled note he'd left behind suddenly began to make a lot more sense.]

Do you need to talk about it, Blaze? I'll be all ears when you get back if you need it.

[Blaze had expected a message to come from one of his deputies at some point, but he wasn't exactly ready for it either way. He stared at the message, his mind clouding with how he could answer. Should he take Thirteen up on that offer? Should he just leave it go and let Thirteen focus on his own matters? While his mind was preoccupied, his hands just seemed to send a quick message without thinking about it.]

Yes.

[Blaze hadn't even fully realized he'd sent it right away until he'd stared at it for a solid minute. He quickly shook his head before adding another, so it at least seemed less awkward.]

But only if you're not busy.

[Nope. Still awkward. But either way, it was the best he could muster up immediately.]

[Blaze stared at the message, not feeling completely satisfied with that answer... though, honestly, it could be right and would have to be something he has to leave to time. Not that he's thrilled with that.]

I guess. It's not like I can change what happened.

[Despite how much he'd desperately want to.]

[Initially surprised by the blunt answer, he began typing back. But the second message came in before he finished his reply. That was more of the Blaze he expected to hear, always trying to put others before himself.

Wordlessly, he deleted his first draft, then wrote a new one.]

Never too busy to help. Name a place and time, I'll be there.

[That message had almost managed to put the fainest of smiles on Blaze's face. Almost, but not quite. He didn't want to disturb Thirteen with this, but at the same time, Thirteen might be the best one to understand his feelings. He looked around him, realizing that staying in Nova City for this imminent conversation probably wasn't the best of ideas. But at the same time, he doesn't really want to be confined to his office or apartment.]

I don't know where. I'm at the Sky Gardens right now.

[Which now that he's thinking on it more, it almost seemed ironic to choose to dwell in a place located in the sky.]

Whatever we decide, would you bring that photo from my desk?

[The photo that he never had face down before, but he couldn't exactly bear to look at it earlier.]

Keep myself busy.

[The photo from his desk? That seemed like a strange request, but before he even replied, he got up to fetch it. He found it odd that the picture was tipped over on its face... and quickly figured it had something to do with his mood. He picked up the picture and gave it a look over.

It almost looked like a family photo. Really, it kind of was, when you were a fighter pilot. The pilots were all Osean, but the dynamic in the picture brought a smile on his face. Poor Blaze had been blocked in the picture by one of the pilots, one who looked like a real joker. The woman in the picture and the poor kid in the headlock definitely looked like they fit right in together.

...Truthfully, it reminded him a little of his own team. And it brought a bit of a melancholic nostalgia to the ace. He pushed it aside, remembering his phone and having to respond.]

Yeah, I'll bring it. If you don't want to stay at the Sky Gardens, there's a couple of decent bars in Attleton or Genessia that are fairly quiet.

[Normally, Blaze wasn't really one to drink. When he did, it was usually just to be social, but he certainly didn't put them away like many other pilots did. He let the thought simmer in his mind for a bit. No matter where they were, he knew what his emotions were going to be like by the end of it, so might as well go somewhere where people are less likely to bat an eye about it.]

That'd be fine. Maybe I could actually go for a drink today.

I can leave now. Where would be more convenient?

[He's not really sure if it's really a matter of convenience in this case. It may be more that he figures Thirteen knows more about bars than he does.]

[He stopped to think for a bit. If Blaze was in Nova City, he'd have a long way to get back here. It was probably better to meet him halfway... and it'd be out of their work jurisdiction, so there would be fewer prying ears locally.]

There's a small place in Genessia proper that will probably be best. I'll attach the address, and meet you there.

[And with that, he followed up with the location of a small bar. It might be a bit of a dive compared to some of the bigger, more famous bars in town, but that meant it'd be more private, if nothing else.]

Everything okay? I got your note, but I was kinda hoping to crack open a bottle of scotch. Today's that day you've got circled right?

Roger. I'll see you there.

[After sending the message, Blaze would only gaze at his phone for a while before finally putting it in his pocket. Taking one last look at the aquatic flora, Blaze made his way from the Sky Gardens back down to Nova City streets.

It'd still be a short while, but eventually Blaze would pull up near the bar on his bike which was emblazoned with the Wardog squadron emblem on the front. He only sat there for a few moments before taking off his helmet and getting off the bike. He glanced around first, checking if Thirteen was outside before he'd go in.]

Edited (what do you mean 'catching a typo hours later') 2016-11-30 12:02 (UTC)

[That was a logical answer, but unfortunately something like that wasn't able to keep Blaze's mind occupied. Maybe he was a little too focused on some things.]

The only trouble is finding something that requires all my focus to do.

[Blaze couldn't help but feel like maybe Dante had the wrong idea about why the date was circled, which did honestly make Blaze feel a little guitly if that were the case.]

If you want to, don't wait on me. I can't focus enough to get any work done today.

Yeah. That is the problem.

[Keeping busy had never kept Sanzo's mind away from terrible things either. It's just what he tried.]

Theres alcohol or meditation.

[Outside, he's nowhere to be found; perhaps he wanted to make sure they got a good table. Or maybe he wanted to get inside out of the chilly November air. Either way, when Blaze walked in, it wouldn't take long for him to see his fellow pilot in one of the booths in the corner of the bar. Someplace relatively isolated. He figured Blaze would prefer that, after all. Thirteen had placed the photo on the table, and it looked like he had something else in the booth with him... possibly the guitar he had purchased awhile back.

If Blaze didn't see him at first, he'd raise his arm and wave to get his attention.]

[Once he was inside, his eyes fell on Thirteen relatively quickly, and was thankful for the corner booth. It seemed Thirteen read his mind on that front. He approached the booth and took a seat across from him, and one look at Blaze would indicate that he looked emotionally exhausted. He may not have been crying - yet, anyway - but his mind was so preoccupied that it was draining him.

He stared at the table for a few seconds before looking up at Thirteen, and he looked particularly apologetic.]

I'm sorry to call you away like this.

[Blaze's poor state of mind was pretty obvious on his face the moment he sat down. He honestly looked much worse than he did when he was sick a few weeks ago. There he didn't look despondent, just physically broken down. This? This was much worse.

The pilot gave Blaze a small, reassuring smile. There wasn't joy in it, but rather, a sort of understanding that showed that he had some respect for whatever might be on his mind.]

Nothing to apologize for, Blaze. I offered. So don't let that bother you. It's not weakness to need someone to listen now and then.

[Thirteen may have offered, but it still didn't make Blaze fell much better. He was used to being the one others turned to, so he wanted to be reliable on that front. He couldn't really do that when he was the one that apparently needed help.

Still, he manages to crack a slight smile, if only to silently thank Thirteen for taking the time away so he could talk to him. That smile instantly faded though when he looked at the photo of his squadron, Blaze feeling his heart drop again.]

It still feels weird. Being grounded and without a squadron for so long.

[Ah, the usual alcohol answer. Unfortunately, that was one thing Blaze tended to avoid. Then again, maybe one or two today wouldn't hurt.]

I try to keep my alcohol intake at a minimum. But I haven't tried meditation before.

[The pilot nodded, quietly.]

That's something I understand. I've only been here a few weeks, and that's set in. You've been here much longer. I imagine it's only gotten worse.

[But that's probably not what this was about, was it?]

You'd think nearly a year's time would be enough for it to have passed entirely. Even then, that's not counting the few months I was here before that.

[But that really wasn't what was on his mind. If anything, it was probably him just trying to make it a distraction.]

Until you arrived, I always thought that I'd be the only one from home to end up here.

[To that thought, he also nodded.]

When I got here, and learned what kind of place this was, I figured for sure I'd be the only person from our world here. Considering it seems like this place pulls from an infinite space, the odds of anyone from our world showing up seems very small.

I was quite surprised when you answered. And I'm glad you did.

[But even then, the look on Thirteen's face suggested that he knew this wasn't what Blaze wanted to talk about. But he wouldn't press until he was sure Blaze was ready to talk.]

Well, it's not every day that you get to meet one of your idols.

[He had a strained smile again saying that, but he then fell silent. It took him a bit of staring at the photo again before he let out a heavy sigh, looking down at the table.]

As much as I'd like to see my wingmen again, I'm... not entirely sure how I could handle one of them.

You flatter me.

[He appreciates it, but at the same time, he's only ever seen himself as a pilot who did his job and looked after his own.

Still, once Blaze makes that statement, Thirteen's face hardened a bit. He had a feeling that something bad happened... and it wasn't as simple as a falling out or a disagreement. But there was only one explanation for why Blaze was so out of sorts.]

...Something happened to them.

[Blaze chose not to say anything, not wanting to acknowledge or deny it. He knew that Thirteen had pieced together what happened, nothing needed to be said.

He reached over and pulled the photo closer to himself, staring at it as he tried to think of what to actually say.]

Our team was nothing but a bunch of rookies, but we eventually became Osea's front line squadron once Yuktobania decided to declare war on us and our captain went missing.

[He seemed to pause. He never really mentioned the Circum-Pacific War to anyone here, except the passing comments when he spoke to Troy and Airy. He never went into detail, because he never really felt reason to. The only knowledge he really shared was that he was a pilot and that he'd taken part in a war. Maybe it was because he knew some of the details of the conflict Thirteen was part of during the Second Usean Continental War, but Blaze at least felt somewhat at ease explaing the details to him. Or at least, more at ease than he would be with anyone else.

He held the photo out to Thirteen, moving his thumb to the respective person when he said their callsigns.]

It was me, Chopper, Archer and Edge. A journalist on the base at the time covered us, and we got nationwide renown as the 'Four Wings of Sand Island' as result. It only escalated when we sunk two of Yuktobania's Scinfaxi class submarines.

[It was clear that Blaze didn't enjoy that renown with the tone he said it in as he sat the photo on the table between them. He glanced off to the side while his arm rested on the table. He didn't want to go right into the detail of 'that day' just yet, a dry scoff escaping his throat.]

It's almost funny. Three of us barely had any flight time under our belts, and Archer hadn't even finished replacement pilot training when he joined us in an emergency sortie. Yet we became Osea's poster pilots.

You four really rose to the occasion, then. Seems like a handful of pilots always do in their nation's hour of need.

[Cipher, Phoenix, Mobius One, and now Blaze... quite a history of fighter pilots managing to become heroes to their nations. True even of the mercenaries Cipher and Phoenix.

Blaze not enjoying the renown didn't surprise him. Though many pilots loved being recognized for their achievements, many soldiers preferred not to be celebrated for doing their job.]

Sounds like your captain did an excellent job of training you. That, and maybe the four of you just had a gift for flying. Or both.

Everything we know, we owe to Captain Bartlett. He really drilled his lessons into us. They were hard to forget.

[Blaze certainly wouldn't rank himself with the likes of pilots like Mobius One and Cipher, especially since they virtually handed their wars solo. Everything Blaze accomplished was with the aid of his wingmen, and he'll always give them every ounce of credit they deserved for it.]

Not that our fame lasted. I doubt we're remembered fondly by our country at this point.

[His gaze lowered, his bangs partially obscuring the solemn look in his eyes.]

As if the war itself wasn't enough, our lives became a whole new hell starting today one year ago.

[He was sure that the time of their home and Genessia's didn't sync up perfectly, but it was easier to say that. He knew Thirteen would understand it regardless.]

Talk to me dude. What's up, and is there anything I can do o help?

[The booze was an all purpose thing. Ready for celebrations and consolations all at once.]

A very good teacher, then. Indispensable. But even still, a good teacher can only do so much. Applying the lessons are up to the students. And it sounds like your team took to it well.

[Still, his face darkened when the story changed. How could a famous squadron of aces possibly fall to the point of being ill-remembered? He can only imagine that Belkan squadrons that supported nuking their own could possibly gain that sort of infamous reputation after being so famous.]

What happened, Blaze?

[Blaze only stared at the table, trying to keep control of his emotions while he tried to find the words to continue.]

We were called away from the front lines of Yuktobania, ordered to do a fly by for a speech that the Vice President was giving in November City.

[It sounded like there was a bit of venom with those words. Even without the events that occurred after, the fact his squadron was being used as a show piece for pro-war propaganda made his blood boil.]

We were armed in case of emergency. Even though we were far enough in the mainland, Yuktobanian fighters still managed to get past defenses and attacked us.

[He sharply took a breath, and no matter how much he was trying to hold it back, his eyes were starting to tear up.]

Chopper took a hit during the dogfight. Edge told him bail out and let his Tomcat crash in the stadium field, but he refused. Civilians were still being evacuated from it. He stayed in the fight until systems malfunctioned... including the ejection system.

[His voice began to waver the longer he talked, and really, it was easy to piece together what happened just from what he said already. And with the pent up emotions from the day, tears finally began to fall to the table.]

If I'd- if I'd just been more observant at the time, I could have told him to land his Tomcat in the river. I should have given him an alternative route to bail out.

[He may have faced those very same frustrations back when he'd met his Shadow, but even if he'd accepted those emotions, it still hurt like hell. He could have saved his wingman with even the slighest bit of better perception.]

[He always appreciated having the offers of support, but Blaze couldn't help but feel a little off even considering the idea of accepting it. He was always put in the leader position- it was him that should be ready to help others, not the other way around.]

I wouldn't want to bother you with old war wounds.

But at this point, I don't think I'd say no to a drink today.

[And when Blaze was willing to drink outside of a social gathering, it was unusual. But that 'old' wound still felt fresh, even a year later.]

[Dante wasn't going to push, but at the same time wanted to be very clear about where he stood.]

You're talking to a guy who's idea of a good first date is taking a sword through the chest, getting electrocuted, and having a motorcycle thrown at him. Old war wounds are kind of my thing.

I'll bring it over after I close up the office then.

[That one sure made Blaze pause. He's not sure if he should laugh or not that Dante considered that a "first date" of all things.]

I'd hate to see what you would consider a "bad" date then.

I'll... see how I am then, if I can talk about it. Thanks, Dante. Where would you want to meet?

Well there was one time I caught a chick that was falling off a tower by the ankle and she shot me in the forehead.

[Dante's 'love life' is a thing of nightmares.]

I'm game for whatever is most convenient for you.

[Those pauses between messages were definitely because Blaze was staring at his device in a bit of disbelief. He has several questions.]

Remind me to keep my distance when you've got a date.

[That seems like the safest route.]

I'm not sure. One place is about as convenient as the other.

[So long as he doesn't suggest a strip club, he's golden.]

How bout my shop? It's low key enough and nobody really bothers it.

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Briefing 7 | [Action/Text]

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