FLAMES LICK THE SKIES...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
a heavy stare falls onto the younger man, wrinkled and narrowed in an instinctive defense. he prided himself on being an unmoveable object; defiant in the face of things lesser men would cower at.
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to assume he wasn't okay was tantamount to calling him weak.
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it's only well-trained decorum that keeps his head level, and venom from clouding his mind.
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"i am fine."
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it leaves no room to question. a hand flicks to the inside of his coat and their presence is lifted by the arrival of two pyroars.
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"search the home for any lingering victims."
[break][break]

shielded by their natural affinity to flames, and heat, they enter to do as he bids.


[break][break]

SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND HOENN MORE...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
his fellow red headed compatriot doesn't offer a lull in conversation, nor does gabriel press for one. with an unreadable expression, he listens, watches, and studies. his reason for coming here was more than a simple introduction. those could be done in the comfort of a chair, and air conditioning.
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"i couldn't possibly guess what the rangers would want of me, but, i will bite. yes, i can swim. though, i had little plans too, today."
[break][break]
eyes narrow in question, and small-part, challenge.


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SEEKING TO UNDERSTAND HOENN MORE...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
a man of his position rarely came down to the 'front lines' to oversee production. however, the recent move has left him both equally restless, and concerned. the desire to understand how hoenn conducted business overwhelmed his lesser wantings.
[break][break]
thus, here he was, standing on rotting planks beneath sweltering rays. just on the cusp of finishing a conversation, a voice populates behind him. a simple nod dismisses the other fellow, as the titan turns onto the stranger.
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"i'm afraid you have me a disadvantage. you are?"
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FLAMES LICK THE SKIES...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
a pleasant walk turns sour, nose turning up at the familiar smell of smoke, and ash. he stifles the urge to reach up and touch his scar, but instead, turns his attention to the dancing flames that brighten the black sky.
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and he's moving.
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there's chaos, here. no response from authorities as of yet, only the cries, screams and soot filled coughs of those that could escape. the pragmatic inside of him contemplates. risk, vs reward.
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and for the first time in years, gabriel hesitates.



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DEEP IN THOUGHT...[break]

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[break]
since he was knee height, he couldn't hide his feelings from his father. at the very least, not well. uriah wore his feelings on his cuff, clear as day.
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pen scratching is deafened by his voice.
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"again."


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LATE AT NIGHT...[break]

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[break]
gabriel nods, moving to the cold box nearby. more supplies than he knew what to do with, littered the interior. his voice echoes from within, a surprisingly personal question.
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"tell me about yourself, nina."

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or, at the very least, tell me the lies you've practiced.[break]

A BUSINESS MEETING...[break]

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[break]
he's used to people moving out of his way, and the stares of others. not because of arrogance, or pride, but fear. you didn't come to be a man his size, and height without understanding that you were going to stand out.
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the giant takes a seat a the booth, across from the equally quiet and broody man.
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"you know i hate the whole last name nonsense you and yours have adopted, theo."
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a figure approaches, and with a polite smile, gabriel orders a coffee black with extra cream and sugar on the side.
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"not a bad spot."[break][break]

DEEP IN THOUGHT...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
this interaction served as more than just an outlet for the man's anger. one day, uriah may just discover that. not today.
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wood creaks beneath his steps as he returns to his desk to continue his work. again, he doesn't look up, even to take a sip of the brown.
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"repeat back to me what is expected of you."
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DEEP IN THOUGHT...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
defiance.
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a base instinct, that. it shows itself in comfort, and confidence. he'd allow it, had the boy earned it. had his own son held a measure of his respect, perhaps, his anger would've softened.
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but it didn't.
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he stands with all the purposed, poised calm he was known for. steps break the space between them into mere inches. gabriel towers above the boy, in height and width.
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he leans in.
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"ask me that again."

DEEP IN THOUGHT...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
a heavy, tense breath, rises in the man's chest. it swells, engorging his already massive frame. when it's released, the tension in the air becomes thick, and heavy. there's a heat, even greater than the fireplace.
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gabriel could only hold himself back for so long.
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"you will be of use to them in whatever way you're asked. your antics will not stain our name in this region. you will behave."

LATE AT NIGHT...[break]

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[break]
"no."
[break][break]
it's said so simply, and in a matter-of-fact way, that most would be put-off by it. but, the behemoth isn't finished speaking, either.
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"my parents owned a small property on the outskirts of slateport. when my father's business spiked, and money came in, we moved to sinnoh and set up a home in the port-city there."
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his breathe became ever-so hitched, as he began to roll-out and flatten his dough. large hands, and an empowered upper body made it far, far easier than it normally would be.
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"my family and i moved back here recently in light of the instability. there is money to be made even at times like this."
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most would think him heartless, or cold. there was some truth to it, without a sliver of a doubt. family came first.
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always.
[break]

DEEP IN THOUGHT...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
"your word means little, if the past is anything to go by."
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he, unlike his son, didn't grow up rich. it father had earned the money while gabriel was in his youth, but he understood the fear and the pain of an empty stomach.
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"i have contacts in the league, there. i've put your name forward to be of use to them, and in-turn, use to the family."

LATE AT NIGHT...[break]

[attr="class","setting"]

[break]
"not always."
[break][break]
he takes a break from working the soft material to move towards the fridge. he retrieves a metallic bowl, covered by a thin plastic wrap on top. in seconds, he reveals, and lays out, another unworked glob of dough. between them both, gabriel places a bowl of flour.
[break][break]
"my father was a busy man. he'd spend days, weeks, even months at a time travelling, or working overtime on some project or another. but, when he was home and couldn't sleep, or was stressed, he would come in here."
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he pinches flour between his fingers, tossing it on the table, and dough respectively.
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"eventually, i caught on and offered to help him. soon enough, it became the only real time i could spend with my father."
[break][break]
he didn't understand the pressure the old man was under back then. now, carrying that mantle himself, it was all too clear.
[break][break]
gabriel looks up from beneath scarred flesh, as one of the hired help comes through the door, taking the photos from their spot. in their wake, two large, lumbering predators make their way past. the pyroar's approach the table, wet noses taking in the myriad of scents, before finding a cool place to lie on the tiles.[break][break]
lazy shits.





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