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[1]
[In one of the smaller lesser used workout rooms Yuuya is busy working over a heavy bag with a particular fervor.]
I try to point out the flaws in her logic to help her and she turns it back to an attack on me. Just like Yui, her little flunky Ken, and half the goddamned Japanese personnel here. Support crew talking like they think I can't understand while Yui's got me on her damned leash and not saying word one to them about it.
[He proceeds to move from the bag to free-weights.]
So what if I don't match their little happy world views and want to keep grounded in a realistic frame of mind. That's a "poisonous" attitude? I guess that's what my grandfather meant about being underhanded and untrustworthy with their attacks. So what if Volya was "saved" from his attackers and given a healthy place to finish growing up in. In the end he's going to have to stand up and fix things himself like every kid who's stuck in a poor situation. Not like he has to worry about a loveless family being the only thing outside of military service that he'd have to return to and at least he seems to remember more than one member of his family fondly. People are willing to support and help him not worry about a superior who makes inordinate demands and then quotes pretty little "proverbs" instead of actually useful advice.
[Yuuya pauses momentarily as he sets his weights down on a bench his breath ragged due to the length and intensity of his workout. He looks up into the mirror and glares as he tried ]
And worst of all is this damned appearance. I've shed tears and blood for the American forces, pushed myself to live up to their standards and expectations but to everyone else I'm Japanese. The Russians with their damned interrogators, Yui and her opinion of how disgraceful I am, Ken and his stupid "Japanese Pride" and Mizuki with her stupid maybe the Japanese person most in need of getting chewed out by you is the one waiting for you in the mirror
"I'm American god damn it! Stop holding me to the stupid standards of a country and father that I never knew you bastards!"
[With the last audible outburst Yuuya threw the weight into the mirrored wall, turned to deliver a kick to the sand bag that manages to add just enough momentum to it's swinging that knocks the stand off balance and tumbling into another rack of free weights. Turning on his heel he begins to leave, a look of frustration and anger on his face that is tinged by something else underneath.]
[2]
[Entering the workout room you see broken glass and spilled equipment. One of the Maintenance staff for the TSF teams is just beginning to clean up and you can hear him speak with a resigned sigh.]
"Damn it Yuuya, I thought you were past this type of shit. Guess someone managed to finally get to him again, haven't seen him do this since Leon started shit after his mother's death. I wish he'd at least have the decency to do these rages where it wasn't so heavy to fix things."
[3 -Locked to Mizuki]
[Mizuki is disturbed in her office by Vincent entering and closing the door behind him.]
So for someone so concerned about Volya and being a great savior you managed to turn someone who was trying to offer some reasonable advice in a rather sanctimonious way into quite the little ball of anger and self-loathing.
I know what he said wasn't the best phrased and playing devil's advocate with a human life is in poor form but really how many of his concerns were at least valid on some level. So I'm not going to be upset about you dismantling his arguments and calling him on his hypocrisy.
What I am upset about is that after our discussion where I came to you on behalf of Ken and the efforts of myself and Lt. Takamura to keep an official reprimand from falling on his record and you took that warning that his heritage is a sore point and purposely attacked it. Yes he's been an asshole and yes his fight with Ken was stupid but taking that kind of attack when you knew how it would hit him was unnecessarily cruel.
I had at some point hoped that you're history and being accepted into the Japanese culture could help him which is why I sought you out after the fight to talk. Now I'm just disappointed and more than anything would like to know why you'd have done that to him.
[In one of the smaller lesser used workout rooms Yuuya is busy working over a heavy bag with a particular fervor.]
I try to point out the flaws in her logic to help her and she turns it back to an attack on me. Just like Yui, her little flunky Ken, and half the goddamned Japanese personnel here. Support crew talking like they think I can't understand while Yui's got me on her damned leash and not saying word one to them about it.
[He proceeds to move from the bag to free-weights.]
So what if I don't match their little happy world views and want to keep grounded in a realistic frame of mind. That's a "poisonous" attitude? I guess that's what my grandfather meant about being underhanded and untrustworthy with their attacks. So what if Volya was "saved" from his attackers and given a healthy place to finish growing up in. In the end he's going to have to stand up and fix things himself like every kid who's stuck in a poor situation. Not like he has to worry about a loveless family being the only thing outside of military service that he'd have to return to and at least he seems to remember more than one member of his family fondly. People are willing to support and help him not worry about a superior who makes inordinate demands and then quotes pretty little "proverbs" instead of actually useful advice.
[Yuuya pauses momentarily as he sets his weights down on a bench his breath ragged due to the length and intensity of his workout. He looks up into the mirror and glares as he tried ]
And worst of all is this damned appearance. I've shed tears and blood for the American forces, pushed myself to live up to their standards and expectations but to everyone else I'm Japanese. The Russians with their damned interrogators, Yui and her opinion of how disgraceful I am, Ken and his stupid "Japanese Pride" and Mizuki with her stupid maybe the Japanese person most in need of getting chewed out by you is the one waiting for you in the mirror
"I'm American god damn it! Stop holding me to the stupid standards of a country and father that I never knew you bastards!"
[With the last audible outburst Yuuya threw the weight into the mirrored wall, turned to deliver a kick to the sand bag that manages to add just enough momentum to it's swinging that knocks the stand off balance and tumbling into another rack of free weights. Turning on his heel he begins to leave, a look of frustration and anger on his face that is tinged by something else underneath.]
[2]
[Entering the workout room you see broken glass and spilled equipment. One of the Maintenance staff for the TSF teams is just beginning to clean up and you can hear him speak with a resigned sigh.]
"Damn it Yuuya, I thought you were past this type of shit. Guess someone managed to finally get to him again, haven't seen him do this since Leon started shit after his mother's death. I wish he'd at least have the decency to do these rages where it wasn't so heavy to fix things."
[3 -Locked to Mizuki]
[Mizuki is disturbed in her office by Vincent entering and closing the door behind him.]
So for someone so concerned about Volya and being a great savior you managed to turn someone who was trying to offer some reasonable advice in a rather sanctimonious way into quite the little ball of anger and self-loathing.
I know what he said wasn't the best phrased and playing devil's advocate with a human life is in poor form but really how many of his concerns were at least valid on some level. So I'm not going to be upset about you dismantling his arguments and calling him on his hypocrisy.
What I am upset about is that after our discussion where I came to you on behalf of Ken and the efforts of myself and Lt. Takamura to keep an official reprimand from falling on his record and you took that warning that his heritage is a sore point and purposely attacked it. Yes he's been an asshole and yes his fight with Ken was stupid but taking that kind of attack when you knew how it would hit him was unnecessarily cruel.
I had at some point hoped that you're history and being accepted into the Japanese culture could help him which is why I sought you out after the fight to talk. Now I'm just disappointed and more than anything would like to know why you'd have done that to him.
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1
U...um...
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[Yuuya turns to the young woman but seems to freeze as if something had hit him. A complicated look crosses his face and he begins to reign in his temper and now speaking in an angry but much closer to normal tone he continues.]
"Sorry for yelling at you, I hoped to work off some anger and frustration but I must have been more upset than I thought if I didn't notice you there. You aren't hurt are you?"
[Yuuya begins a cursory inspection of the young woman as he waits for a reply.]
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I understand that you wished to get rid of your discontent...but...
[And she hesitates before she continues. When she does, you can almost see her shrink in size. She's already shorter and nowhere as well-built as you are, too, so that's something.]
Is there...any way I can convince you to at least put some of the weights back in place...?
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Well Yui hates me enough already I can at least do a partial cleanup and be a few minutes late. I think this girl would cry if I just left without cleaning up. It'll also probably make Yui less inclined to lecture me on it.
"Looks like the sandbag is torn and with it's stand and the mirror to repair we'll probably need facilities in here so I'll give them a call once I've cleaned up and gotten out of the briefing I have in about half an hour."
[As Yuuya goes about resetting one of the weight racks he pauses for a second to speak before continuing.]
"What brought you in here anyways, you sure don't seem like the kind to work in a weight room like this compared to the larger room with cardio machines closer to the dorms."
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...Calisthenics...with the weights...
I...cannot explain exactly...but this room being one of the lesser used ones makes it more suitable to what I regularly practice.
Ah...but please allow me to assist you.
[She's also much too nice to just watch, and so she approaches; absentmindedly going for a few of the heavier 50kg, or about 88 pound weights that was toppled over...and lifting them daintily with her fingers.
The more surprising part is that she's doing this with the ease of a regular lady picking up a handkerchief, which makes absolutely no sense with her physique.]
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Well I just have to say whatever basic training these other groups are doing apparently works WAY better than what the military does. That's a pretty impressive trick to have Seta.
I don't think I introduced myself though, my name's Yuuya Bridges. If you're ever inclined to teach how you do that then I'd appreciate a lesson.
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Her eyes dart back to the weights, where she notices the numbers printed onto them. Her expression is not too different from someone who has just seen a ghost...]
I...well...that is...
I do not mean to raise suspicion...but can you forget what you just saw, Yuuya?
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I wouldn't worry about it too much though as there's enough weird in this outfit that nobody is going to seriously judge you for it.
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But, thank you...
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You done wrecking everything?
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Re: 1
"Yes it was quite therapeutic. I'm ready for the next volley of personal attacks by people from your country. I believe I've already been called a "Ignorant Poisonous Xenophobic Disgrace of a worthless pilot" just in case you don't care to add any redundant criticisms. If you need time to think just let me know and I can come back since you must be upset not to have something to add to the list yourself after our disagreement earlier."
[He pauses for a moment.]
"Oh but if you're going to throw a sucker punch like Ken did could I ask you to aim a vital point in the lower body for it? My neck and ribs finally stopped hurting and I'd like for them to stay that way for a least a little while."
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[Asagi was actually tempted to get physical for a moment, but that last comment stops him.]
Just because you're angry doesn't mean you can break stuff that's not yours!
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For now just leave me be and get back to whatever else you were up to. Kind of hypocritical to tell someone not to watch you and then butt into their business.
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So I trust that you'll be on your way and I on my own and should we sortie together on a mission we treat it with appropriate professionalism.
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[As future events are bound to show, Asagi turned out to be bad at precognition.]
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[Setsuko looks around the partially broken gym.]
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It's not all as bad as this seems really, there is some proof he picked up at least a little bit.
[He begins to reset the weight rack and sort the weights back onto it.]
Yuuya is a hot-head and he demands more of himself than others do. Since he's come here he's been struggling and Lt. Takamura seems to be so similar to him that he's missed it and her dismissal has only made things go worse. Add in whatever mess happened before this, and I do intend to find out what happened, and you get where it boils over.
[Looking at the rack to make sure it's sorted properly he turns back to Setsuko and takes a seat and motions for her to do the same.]
Now it's not healthy or a good habit but you shouldn't worry too much about it. I've only ever seen Yuuya get into a fistfight with 3 people now that he and Ken had one and even then I'm not sure Yuuya would have taken that to blows if Ken hadn't. He hates threatening people who don't fight back because if he does he sees his grandfather in himself and he hates that.
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Actually... I understand him. He must feel really alone, even now, doesn't he?
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It's sad when the person closest to family that he has left in this world is reduced to saying things like that. His mother passed about a year ago and he was a goddamned pariah at her funeral. The goddamn preacher couldn't get a word in with him to express his condolences because his family kept everyone corralled away from him. He came back an absolute wreck. He'd left home about 2 and a half years before that and hadn't been back to see her once before she died and he lost an anchor that he just assumed would be there and just couldn't forgive himself. He dove into piloting and reached the top of his field becoming a test pilot.
Now he gets assigned here where that's stripped out from underneath him by an entirely new style of unit and a rough start with Ken on his first day here has just snowballed as he bounces off of one person after another just getting more and more upset.
It's really painful to watch and to be honest this makes me a bit relieved. I'd rather him tear up something like this which can be cleaned and replaced than to see him manifest that anger with his own self-hatred.
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From his perspective, it looks like the whole world's been against him for his whole life.
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ARE YOU QUITE FINISHED, BRIDGES?
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Get out of my way Major, I have a briefing to attend and while your rank may have the clout to pull me aside in your organization it has no relevance to mine.
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YOU SAY ALL THAT AS IF YOU EXPECT ME TO GIVE A SHIT. THIS IS NOT A KINDERGARTEN, BRIDGES.
[Kagura extends a hand, where there is... a broom and its accompanying dustpan]
YOU ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL YOU CLEAN THAT UP. YOU ARE A SOLDIER, BRIDGES, AND SO YOU ARE EXPECTED TO CLEAN UP YOUR OWN MESSES. THE BILL FOR THE UPWARDS OF FOUR THOUSAND US DOLLARS OF EQUIPMENT YOU JUST DAMAGED WILL BE BILLED TO YOUR UNIT. FROM THERE IT'S YOUR TEAM LEADER'S PROBLEM.
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Alright you win, nothing more stupid than getting into a staring contest with a walking brick wall. You know it's funny just how much everything from Japan seems to come back to bite me in the ass in the long run. Tell me do you have meetings or is it just something about me that instinctively sets you off? Oh wait stupid question a computer doesn't HAVE instincts so it has to be the meetings.
[After about 10 minutes Yuuya's got most of the biggest parts of the mess cleaned and the major things left are replacing the heavy bag and mirror.]
There you are Major, clean as I can manage and look the only thing really damaged was the mirror and maybe a few small dents in the floor. Care to adjust that estimate of yours or were you just counting the mirror and adding your "screw Yuuya" surcharge?
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[She takes the broom and dustpan and steps aside, as she said, though. You can say many things about Kagura, but she's an AI of her word]
NO, I DON'T. UNLIKE YOU, I TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITIES SERIOUSLY. THAT IS WHY, FOR EXAMPLE, I KNOW HOW MUCH THE INSTALLATION OF A FULL WALL GYM MIRROR ACTUALLY COSTS, AND YOU DON'T, DESPITE THE FACT I AM NEVER GOING TO USE IT AND YOU ARE.
NOW SCRAM.
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[He pauses his walk has he pulls aside her.]
I want to go on the record for one thing. I take my job seriously just like you and as soon as I get in that cockpit it's not about like or dislike I weigh the mission and get things done. The only thing I have left in my life to really give a damn about or take pride in is my performance in that cockpit so the next time you belittle that part of me, I start looking into how big they make magnets Major.
[He continues to exit and turns towards the dorms and his room.]
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AND IF YOU WANT ME STOP BELITTLING YOU, THEN STOP ACTING LIKE A QUEEN AND START ACTING LIKE A PROFESSIONAL. YOU DON'T LIKE THE PEOPLE YOU'RE WORKING WITH, THEN WELCOME TO FUCKING LIFE, PILOT. IF I HAD MY DRUTHERS I WOULD PUT A BULLET INTO SAOTOME AND HIS TEAM OF PSYCHOTIC NUTJOBS, BUT I HAVE MY ORDERS, AND SO DO YOU. SEETHE SILENTLY LIKE EVERYONE ELSE AND STOP BREAKING EVERYBODY'S SHIT TO CALL MOMMY'S ATTENTION.
[Kagura is, well, completely unmoved by the threats as Yuuya stops near her. She has no trouble letting Yuuya past, and just goes back into the gym to replace the dented weights with some more from the storage as he leaves, not bothering to look at him. Other people may have wanted to deliver some final advice, something to make Yuuya reconsider - but Kagura does not bother. Yuuya is so very not her problem and she's very happy for it.]
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It's difficult to draw the attention of someone who passed away after I abandoned them Major.
[Yuuya proceeds to walk away with a pace so regulated that it seems almost unnatural.]
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[She just closes her eyes and sighs.]
I say one thing about his mixed heritage and he goes nuclear...
He's so eager to dissect and warp everything and everyone into the worst interpretations possible. That attitude of his is not going to do anyone here any good, Vincent, and it could very easily get in the way of people doing their jobs. And yeah, I know Yuuya getting all self-destructive isn't any bette... but he really does need to start to take a good long look at himself.
If anyone else here were to be acting the way he was, he'd be screaming bloody murder.
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He's been told his whole life that Japanese are only good to drag down those around them and attack in underhanded ways. His mother died at 40 from an illness when he hadn't seen her in over 2 years since leaving home and the captain of his squad died in an accident that he indirectly caused. He left Groom Lake in an attempt to "protect" the other two members of his flight from himself and the last words Leon said to him were that he was a filthy coward.
I know you didn't know that and his attitude towards things is negative even if he is worrying about others but that's just how he's seen and still sees himself in some ways. What he needs now is people showing him the good in himself and encouraging him to look at things in a more positive light. His worry is good and at the core he's a good guy even if it's buried under everything else.
As for the last, if he was I'd be up his ass but as he's on the warpath again after talking to you I'm here now. I know you probably didn't think he'd go this far off the handle but as I said before, he hates himself for being what he is and takes everything personally which drives him further into a corner he's backed himself into. I'll apologize again for the interruption and thank you for listening to reply, do you have anything else to say or shall we consider the issue at hand tabled for the moment?
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[Seriously, how is Yuuya cleared for being a test pilot with all this emotional baggage of his? Mizuki sighs again, mulling things over for a moment before shrugging.]
If... he contacts me again or we cross paths or something like that I'll try to do what I can. But I won't promise anything. Even if I say all the right things and do all the right things if he just throws it all in my face, that's not my fault. Yuuya needs to understand his attitude just encourages conflict with others and it's going to drive away people who very well might want to help him.
But...
In the wake of what I said and what it might cause, I will try to do what I can for him.
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This is the US playing politics with him as a tool but I think that in the end it's going to blow up in their face when Yuuya finally get's fully back on track here.
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"Jesus! Did you just try to wrestle a bear in here, Bridges?"
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[The words sound reasonable enough but the tone in which they're delivered and the last outburst seem to indicate something more.]
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Yancy hastily amends the location he had in mind in light of Yuuya's temper.
"–ice cream...store?" He says.
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"What? Seriously you're going to go with Ice Cream store there? I thought the tradition was to make it a bar of some sorts to drink away your troubles but you correct from that despite it being as plain as day what your intention was?"
"Look I appreciate the offer but I'm really not in the mood and I've got a briefing to attend so it'd have to be a rain check either way. I can appreciate the worry but maybe work on your pitch a bit more there? I'm not gonna go off the deep end and start killing people, someone just hit a nerve that's still raw and I'm pissed as hell about it so I'd be poor company for you and it'd be a poor payback for the last solid you and your brother gave me."
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