I have been fine, all things considered. It has been rather interesting down here as of late, but few are aware of the fact that things could be much worse.
[And she's weathered THOSE storms. This is nothing.]
Not at all. We are the generation that faced another full-scale war with the Exarchs, one of the Gentry, and the Destroyer of Worlds before the Darkest Vigil happened.
[A light shrug.]
Whatever does not work out immediately always works out eventually.
A few months ago, Ma'am, I admit I would have been guilty of that.
[ It's pretty much all he's ever known. Deep inside all the "Fight the Good Fight", which was true as well, there was always "The Fight's all I've known. I was built for war." ]
But really I'm just sad that if things had turned out different, I may have met all of you sooner.
[ He really means that. His love and appreciation for the presence of every one he's met in the few months since he joined the Pax Deorum Conspiraces. And how they've changed him. ]
Joining the fight: Not for the fight. But to lift what little weight I could have and maybe have helped save some one or two lives. [ And gotten to know you all before all the shit you had to go through ]
[ He smiles ] Yeah, no point on dwelling on what-ifs. [ Books on the Chaos Theory and time-travel come to mind. A slight change anywhere, can change everything ] Just keep walking forward, right?
I'll keep that in mind, Ma'am. [ Brig nods, taking in her words. He takes a sip of his sake. ] I mean, there's no point walking off a cliff. But it's always good to keep walking home.
I plan to make a lot of time for J and K when I get back. It's been close to a month since I was home. The break I had with them before we flew over here was too short.
They're doing great. Falner's been good to them. J's licensed with Netsach now and K's doing great at Balamb. [ There's light behind his eyes as he speaks of his family ]
J's a Hunter now and following more in my footsteps than her mom did and K... [ A beat ] finding the best way to bring her up is always on my mind.
[ His expression is thoughtful. She's an alchemist. 4-years-old, yes, but she is as much an alchemist as she is a little girl. Denying that would be pretty much like Elsa in that old movie Frozen. ]
I... actually don't know, Ma'am. J and I have never really talked about him. [ Brig had never met the man. He came and went with M. Then there was J and Brig always felt himself her long-distance father figure. Abandonment issues seemed innate in Prometheans. He was just lucky he never felt it.
It dawns on him that, with the resources the conspiracies he was in now, it may be easy to track him. And that J, strong front as she is, would probably never initiate the conversation with Brig. He feels the pang of failure cut at him. It shows on his face. ]
[Or it does so much to Jessica Leitman that she prefers not to speak of it. She has not had the opportunity to observe that one closely, nor has she bothered listening to any whispers in the woman's direction. As such, she is as much in the dark as Brigade is.]
[ He thinks of J. And how she's built her world around little K, and supporting him ]
I'll try to slide it in some time, Ma'am, and see if it doesn't. [ There's a soft smile and a look in his eyes full of gratitude. He's always just seen her so strong, that he's forgotten she was a child too, before. His second little princess. ]
[ It's gotten a bit late. And Brig's still scared of how the last time ended. It shows in his shoulders. He finishes his cup. There's a minute quiver as he does. ]
Thank you for tonight, Ma'am. I've missed this. [ Said in that awkward manner of people running away from a social setting, though unconsciously hoping they'll be invited to stay ] I think I've taken enough of your time.
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[Kanna is still one of the best Whisperers they have, and she was always willing to train new batches.]
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[ He means it.
He pauses and takes a sip of his sake. And takes a puff of his cigarette ]
How have you been? [ He smiles at her ] It's been a while.
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[And she's weathered THOSE storms. This is nothing.]
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I hope they haven't been too interesting [ With a dash of how Hikaru says it ] or too difficult to manage.
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[A light shrug.]
Whatever does not work out immediately always works out eventually.
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[ A sip of his sake ] I'm glad and sad at the same time that I missed out on those.
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It is nothing to be sad about, in my opinion. It is dangerous for one to start enjoying the romance of the battlefield.
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[ It's pretty much all he's ever known. Deep inside all the "Fight the Good Fight", which was true as well, there was always "The Fight's all I've known. I was built for war." ]
But really I'm just sad that if things had turned out different, I may have met all of you sooner.
[ He really means that. His love and appreciation for the presence of every one he's met in the few months since he joined the Pax Deorum Conspiraces. And how they've changed him. ]
Joining the fight: Not for the fight. But to lift what little weight I could have and maybe have helped save some one or two lives. [ And gotten to know you all before all the shit you had to go through ]
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Well, what is past is past. What matters now is that you are here with us, and perhaps it was meant to be that way.
[Who knows? If he had been around sooner, would he really have been able to help?]
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[It's an art that not many have come even close to perfecting, or even getting good at.]
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[Turning up to you with a smile at that point.]
But you have one, yes?
[One that he was starting to acknowledge properly, as a man ought to.]
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I plan to make a lot of time for J and K when I get back. It's been close to a month since I was home. The break I had with them before we flew over here was too short.
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Speaking of.]
And how are Jessica-san and Kitty-chan doing?
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J's a Hunter now and following more in my footsteps than her mom did and K... [ A beat ] finding the best way to bring her up is always on my mind.
[ His expression is thoughtful. She's an alchemist. 4-years-old, yes, but she is as much an alchemist as she is a little girl. Denying that would be pretty much like Elsa in that old movie Frozen. ]
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[She's heard the stories in the wind, and An'yu has kept her appraised of the situation.]
I hope that this is not an impertinent question, but... where is Jessica's father?
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It dawns on him that, with the resources the conspiracies he was in now, it may be easy to track him. And that J, strong front as she is, would probably never initiate the conversation with Brig. He feels the pang of failure cut at him. It shows on his face. ]
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[Or it does so much to Jessica Leitman that she prefers not to speak of it. She has not had the opportunity to observe that one closely, nor has she bothered listening to any whispers in the woman's direction. As such, she is as much in the dark as Brigade is.]
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I'll try to slide it in some time, Ma'am, and see if it doesn't. [ There's a soft smile and a look in his eyes full of gratitude. He's always just seen her so strong, that he's forgotten she was a child too, before. His second little princess. ]
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Do not forget, of course, that you can ask for assistance from the conspiracies you belong to.
[The Vigil has the resources for many things. Its Keepers merely had to ask.]
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[She's always liked Sawyer.]
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Thank you for tonight, Ma'am. I've missed this. [ Said in that awkward manner of people running away from a social setting, though unconsciously hoping they'll be invited to stay ] I think I've taken enough of your time.
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[Smiling, serene as ever.]
Thank you as well. It would be good for us to drink again in the near future.
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