Post Tenebras Veritas (Planes/Cars RP)

[ZAFTPrime]

Doc - Tag: Sheriff

The younger car just smirked at his friend's reaction. "Sorry." Doc replied sheepishly. He hadn't expected to be hugged or even smacked by the cruiser. "I didn't mean to scare you like that." He added. The midnight blue racecar looked down before he looked back up at Sheriff. "But I had a reason for not telling you I was still alive."

Doc was unsure of how Sheriff would react to his story on how he lived. "To make a long story short, I survived the attack at that conference five years ago, but I couldn't reveal I was alive on the insistence of my rescuers." He wasn't sure if his friend had even seen the FBI lettering on his sides yet.

[Dusty Crophopper]

Dusty - Tags: Horah, Otter, Shadow

"Well I think so! It sounded like it from what Otter described!" Dusty confirmed, nodding his front here. "And yes! Not sure on his model or make but... it was definitely the same car I think! Uh well... he wasn't mocking directly just... his tone of voice was... condescending. Like he knew he was better than me... and I couldn't do anything about it." Dusty explained. "He didn't really say much though... the vision faded shortly after..."

He trailed off as he noticed... Shadow wandering around near the runway. "Hey! Hey Shadow!" he called over to her. "Don't forget! I still invited you to dinner! Haven't gotten your answer!" he smiled at her here, wanting to show he hadn't simply dashed off... even though that's kind of what he'd done...

Finn - Tags: Aeris, Streak

Finn nodded. "All right well..." he pulled up a HUD to see where the restaurants were. "Let's try this place." Finn set a pin down on it and canceled the display. He then drove over to Shadow, who he saw meandering around the runway. "Ahem... Agent Carlisle." he addressed her now, still feeling bad for before. "Would you perhaps like to join my son and I at dinner?" he inquired, not realizing Dusty had literally just reminded her about his own plans with her.

Skipper - Tags: Shinn

Skipper stopped outside as he heard Shinn beside him. "Yeah something's wrong... no matter what I tell him... Rush REFUSES to let me take the blame for that incident! I was in command! I gave the order! Bottom line! I got my squadron wiped out. He needs to accept that! Sure he urged me on but... so did everyone. I chose to listen... that's on me... not him. I'm the commander... ultimate fault and blame lies with me." Skipper said, stiffening up. "You can't be a leader without taking responsibility, which I do. I acknowledge that. He just... he won't let it go... I don't WANT him to blame himself... but he does... he always does!" Skipper sighed here, shaking his front as he continued on. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother in all honesty..." he said regretfully.

[adelphi prime.]

(I think that'd be an excellent idea to timeskip... heh... just finding the right time to might be difficult.

Also, I feel like I'm not doing the best at writing currently. I appologize for that... I'm just not focused right now.)

Otter - Tags: Blade, Dusty, Horah

Otter nodded, just relived that his vision really hadn't been something unreal. "Yeah, definately. But it wasn't just the voice of that car that was sinsister. He had these eyes that were concentrated, but... distant, in a way. And did you notice how the very earth itself almost radiated emotion... like... I can't even explain it. He kept... almost ignoring humanity. Seeing... seeing Pike like that, I don't think there's such thing in wherever that place was. The car... yeah, he was disregaurding us almost like... like we weren't alive and weren't worth anything. I just... I get the feeling that when we die, we become enslaved like Pike was. But he also said something about Pike being replaced? I couldn't make heads or tails of any of it, but even so..." He was growing tired, and his mind was starting to fog in the midst of it, even if he felt compelled to tell someone what he knew (although he doubted it would be much help).

Rush - Tags: Oskar

"It's not that," Rush said dismissively. "It's something else... when Skipper was speaking just now... there was this voice. Like... like I was reading his mind... but... not. Like he was speaking to me, but... using thoughts. Oskar, he put the blame completely on me. He admitted it was I who... who killed them." It was strange now, knowing that even though it was true he blamed himself, it kept him going to know that Skipper at least took some responcibility for Glendalcanal. The most stinging of the words, however, was the simple frase "I hate you". That he neglected to mention, because those words hit him to his core. He felt betrayed, cast out, thrown away by his own commander as unworthy. It was a horrible feeling... one that rattled him.

[ZAFTPrime]

Shinn - Tag: Skipper

Shinn frowned. "I see. Well, he was the one who suggested it. Sure, you were the commander, but it was him who suggested it. Now, I'm not saying it wasn't all his fault. He has every right to believe that it was his fault for it happening, but you also played a part and ordered the attack. Personally, and I know I may be wrong to say this, but I think you both share the blame. You for ordering it, and Rush for suggesting it. I understand your willingness to acknowledge what you did, and that makes a good leader. But all the same, it may be that Rush has fallen in too deep to consider you were also at fault. He hasn't spoken to you in years I think, and he hasn't had anyone to talk to about this. He may have convinced himself of this so much, he can't have his mind changed. I could be thoroughly wrong though as well." Shinn replied. "I don't mean to be so blunt, but that's my thoughts on this."

He then sighed. "I think I know what he is going through, but my situation was far different. I was just a recent recruit to the Jolly Wrenches when this happened. It was a routine flight patrol when a squad mate of mine and I came across an enemy holdout in the Mid-East. Our commander was out ahead of us, and told us to remain behind him. My friend and I were eager young planes that day, and we insisted upon attacking the base. It was a stupid thing to do in all honesty. Anyway, we insisted on attacking, and our commander said no. Still, we persisted and when my friend and I flew down over the enemy base, we attacked. Our commander was pissed as h***, but our orders at the time were to take out any enemy installations we found. He decided to attack as well, but that was when things changed." Shinn shivered at the next part. "We fell under heavy fire. My friend was shot down within ten minutes of the fighting starting, and then...I just lost it." He looked back at Skipper. "I'm part MIG, and as such, I am prone to what is called Battle Rage. I lost all sight of the conflict, enemies, and allies. All I wanted was to shoot down the ones who shot down my friend. There were ten enemies that day. I wound up taking down nine of them in one battle. The commander was also shot down trying to save me from an enemy I missed. He lived, but I refused to go into actual frontline combat again as a result. Even today, I feel it was partially my fault for getting my friend killed. The commander said it was his orders to attack that led to my friend's death, but it wasn't his fault alone. I was also to blame, as was my friend. There was no one person to blame that day. I knew this from the beginning, but unlike Rush, I don't blame myself entirely."

[Dusty Crophopper]

((I think soon... once we're all in bed. XD))

Oskar - Tags: Rush

What? No, no, no!" Oskar insisted, eyes going wide at this as they were left alone. "That cannot possibly be true! He would NEVER lay the blame squarely on you! I mean you said... you said it was like you were reading his thoughts? Are you positive of what you heard? Herr Rush I just can't believe that the Skipper would inwardly blame you like that!" he insisted. "It has been a strange, strange day... maybe the fatigue and stress is getting to you, ja? I mean maybe you were just confused and imagined it? I cannot believe he would do that! He strikes me as someone who's willing to take all responsibility. That's what he said after all!" The Heinecar was starting to get to the small plane, who had a low tolerance for it thanks to his small size. "I was listening!" he stated, his body swaying a bit. "Oooh... I suppose I only drank because it sometimes helps me sleep. Speaking of which... maybe we should... I dunno... call it a night? Herr Rush... you must not give up hope on this! It couldn't have been... what you thought. I will try speaking with him tomorrow to find this out for myself." He rolled away from the table now, and started heading for the exit.

"Before we part ways though... I just want to say... it was very nice to meet you... and I am not... going to give up on you... OK? You deserve someone in your corner... and if that means..." He paused here. "If that means believing you heard his thoughts or voice then... I suppose... it's worth looking into. But try and have faith in him, OK? And above all... have faith in yourself. You HAVE to forgive yourself Herr Rush... it was not... not entirely your fault. And even if... part of it was... I know it's a hard thing to live with... but none of those that died... would want you destroying yourself over it... holding it over yourself. What good does it ultimately do you to remind yourself of your shortcomings?" he asked gently. "You must also remind yourself of your strengths... and you have strengths, Herr Rush. You do... I can see them in you. There are things I admire about you... but please... please try... OK?" he asked hopefully, looking up at the plane now with an encouraging smile.

Skipper - Tags: Shinn

Skipper frowned here, and began listening to the story from his fellow Wrench. He didn't know this guy, but didn't know many of the new guys for that matter. "But no!" he insisted. "No! I gave the command! I don't care how many of my squadron urged me on! I had full responsibility for ALL of them! It was my call to ultimately make, not theirs! I'm not gonna let him blame himself for that! He can't! He didn't make the call, I did! And... your situation was different. You deliberately disobeyed a direct order from your superior, forcing him to attack in order to save you. That was willful disobedience!" He snapped. "If you ask me... you shouldn't even BE in the military!" he growled, turning and heading off.

"You can't follow orders, you shouldn't be fighting! You're d*** right you should blame yourself for that! He had to give the orders cause you forced his wing! Why I'd not tolerate that kind of crap in my unit! You can't follow orders you'd be dismissed!" He was starting to let his rage boil to the surface now, angry at everything that had happened today... the death of innocents... his home being attacked... Rush not forgiving himself... and now this... but he realized perhaps he was being a bit too harsh here, and halted, causing his front to rock forward a bit.

"Look I... I didn't mean to... you know snap... we've all had a rough day... I just... ugh. Sorry." he mumbled, looking off to the side here and narrowing his eyes. What was this world coming to? The Wrenches didn't sound like the proud unit they'd used to be... but even then...

Dusty and Blade - Tags: Otter, Horah

"Yeah!" Dusty agreed. "It was like that! His eyes yes... they were... different. Unlike any eyes I'd ever seen before."

Blade gulped here, thinking on one thing only... if Pike was there... was Nick too? Enslaved? Unable to move on? "Wait..." he said aloud now. "If Pike was... there... then... then what about Nick?" he asked, worry rising in his voice. "What if Nick's there too?" his voice was low... barely above a whisper. "No... no he can't be... how long has this... cycle been going on?" he mused aloud now. "And what the h*** does getting replaced mean?" he demanded of no one in particular. "Oh crap... what if... what if Nick's there... and he blames me? What if... what if he blames ME for his death?" Blade said, eyes wide here as he began to back away a little.

[adelphi prime.]

Rush - Tags: Oskar

Rush felt less horrible when he realized what he'd heard -or thought he'd heard- could have been his own mind wandering. He smiled back weakly towards, Oskar, exiting with him. He wanted first thing to fetch Streak, or at least make sure he was okay, before he made his way to his hangar. "I'll try," he said softly as he turned away from Oskar. He doubted that he'd ever fully quit putting the responsibility of the deaths of his squadron onto himself, but still he'd try. "G'night," he called back once more before making his way through town, hoping to run into the dragon he called a companion.

Otter - Tags: Blade, Dusty

"Hey, HEY!" Otter ordered in an almost commanding voice, "What did you just tell me about Pike? If they're out there, suffering, we're in the same boat, aren't we? After all, I'm not entirely sure it was even Pike who was speaking for himself. There was something terribly wrong there, and I don't know what... but I don't think that Pike was really... himself. And if they're truely out there, suspended in whatever teetering edge of life and death than we'll get them out of there. It's the least we can do, is to let them rest in peace. Correct?" He paused for a moment, searching for any sound that might portray Blade's reaction. "We're gonna take ths one step at a time, Blade. We don't know what we're up against or even what Dusty and I saw was entirely real." His voice grew exceptionally gentle. "We're gonna work through this together, okay? Figure out what's going on." He had his own doubts about Pike, and about the very words he was preaching, but he hid his doubts well, and he hoped they did not surface in his expressions.

[ShadowWolfCelica]

Shadow Tags: Dusty, Finn, Aeris

Shadow looked over in the direction Dusty had called to her from, giving him a smile at his invite once again. She nodded her front to him, about to reply that she'd take him up on his offer, when Finn drove up, catching her slightly by surprise. She reversed a little away from him initially, still slightly cautious from his earlier protection of Miles, to which she still felt rather defensive about. He must have known how she felt about him, especially with her own families involvement. She gave him a look up and down, one of her eyes closing slightly as she regarded his question. "I actually.... have other plans" She replied, looking over at Dusty here, who had gone back to talking with the others.

"I hope you have fun though" She stated here, clearly giving him the cold shoulder, and skirting more to the side, looking to Aeris here, only seeing a spitting image of Finn. "It would be rude of me to intrude onto his bonding time with you" She said here, trying to make it sound a bit better.

[Dusty Crophopper]

Finn - Tags: Shadow, Aeris

"Uhhh... other... plans?" Finn reversed here, surprised by this as he gave her a skeptical look... and then she basically brushed him off with a cold door. "Intrude? You wouldn't be intruding!" He insisted now, but could see she had already made up her mind. Was she still bitter at him over the Axlerod thing? She had to let that go! If she couldn't act professionally about this... then he'd be forced to reconsider her position on this mission.

"All right... suit yourself." he scowled, driving away from her now as he returned to his son. "Let's go..." he sighed, shaking his front a little.

Oskar - Tags: Rush

"Goodnight... Herr Rush... sleep well..." Oskar told him gently, rolling off now to head to the motel and see if he could get a room for the night. Tomorrow... he'd find the Corsair... and see if he was feeling any better. That moon burned brightly over them... giving him an unsettling feeling in his tank as he continued rolling through the now quieting streets of Propwash Junction...

Blade and Dusty - Tags: Otter, Horah, Shadow

Blade began regulating his breathing, trying to stop his hyperventilating. "Yeah... yeah... you're right..." he acknowledged. "If... if they ARE trapped down there... we gotta free them. We can't just leave them... stranded... trapped... enslaved..." Blade whispered that last word hoarsely. "I just... I dunno... I pictured Nick... how you described Pike and I... I just... I lost it..." he said, trailing off here. Dusty frowned sadly, and slumped a little. "Just thinking of Nick... trapped... enslaved... forced to do things against his will... his... his energy... his life... snuffed out of him... that... to me that's the worst crime ANYONE could do to him..." Blade spoke mournfully.

"Blade... Otter's right..." Dusty said softly. "I... I gotta go. I just wanted to confirm... that what I saw... was what Otter saw." He turned, and began rolling over towards Shadow now, remaining silent on the short trip. "Hey!" he called to her. "Ready? We don't have like... gourmet but you know... we got... good enough food here." he chuckled.

[ShadowWolfCelica]

Shadow Tags: Finn, Dusty

Shadow watched Finn leave with a baited expression, knowing he was probably not happy with her attitude. It was here that she looked away, scowling almost herself. Things hadn't been this bad between them... well, ever. She knew it was because if the way she reacted, but she didn't want to take it back, she still felt the same. Upon seeing Dusty, she lit up some more. "Oh, that doesn't worry me. I don't tend to eat gourmet as it is anyway. I just... eat whatever's nice!" She smiled here, before looking at him, having to push herself up a little as she fell by his side. "So.... got any place in particular you wanna show me? I'm sure wherever we go we'll hopefully have a little fun, especially after today!"

[Alfor]

Sheriff | Tags: Doc Hudson

Sheriff listened to Doc, the other having his full attention and curiousity. He knew he would have to view this at a professional, and logical, level. "Makes sense for them to do that. Especially if the attackers figured out you were still alive and tried to kill you for being a witness... or held one of us hostage." The old cop was, of course, aggravated that the FBI didn't bother to tell them that their friend was alive and was working undercover, but he could never wrap his mind around how the FBI behaved in the first place. They were unpredictable sometimes. "I'm just happy to see you're alive and well," he said with a goofy grin.

Aeris McMissile | Tags: Finn, sorta Shadow

The smaller Martin had observed the exchange while hiding a worried expression. Shadow had seemed very friendly earlier, but he noticed that since she found out he was Finn's son, she seemed rather... cold towards both of them. Even if it was unintentional towards himself. Still, he didn't understand why she was suddenly distant from his father now. 'Did finding out my existence ruin their friendship...?' Aeris pondered over the question. Finn must not have spoken to her about him, considering that he thought Aeris was dead and saw no point in bringing up painful memories. He sighed, feeling guilty and thinking that the rift between Shadow and Finn was purely his fault.

Aeris nodded as Finn spoke to him, staying silent as he followed him.