From Within [Olesya/Open]

[Your Mom~]

Olesya stopped walking when he pulled the dog tags out, reaching out to touch the bullet curiously. She was probably invading his personal space, but she found it interesting. Had the bullet been stopped by his helmet? Certainly bone couldn't do that...she pondered this notion as she dropped her hand, looking over to his arm when he pointed it out. White lines dotted his skin like lightning, it was a miracle his arm hadn't been turned to shreds with shrapnel like that.

"Looks like we have a lot to talk about. Here's the station."

She nodded at the building coming up on their left. She turned back around and kept walking, flashing her armband to the guard outside before pushing the door open with one hand and pulling the punk through behind her with the other. Hauling him inside, she threw him into a wooden chair by the wall. The force knocked the chair back on its two feet, hitting the wall before settling back on all four. She pointed warningly at the kid with the hand she threw him with, a wordless order to stay put.

She approached the officer behind the counter.

"Two delinquents found prowling the beach, attacked a civilian. No IDs."

"Thank you, Voice. We'll take it from here."

Olesya nodded, sending a final glare at the conscious boy before looking to Vincent and nodding at the door.

"Do you drink coffee?"

[choongsung]

OOC: sorry about these next couple posts, I kinda dont want to use the work compy so im stuck with using my phone plus... My posts got swallowed 3 times already..

Vincent nodded as Olesya expressed interest towards the distorted bullet and his scars. They were a personal part of his life but at this time, other things were more important right now. Vincent felt that Olesya knew a lot more about what was going on than he would ever find out on his own.

When the small group approached the penetentiary, Vincent looked up to admire the structure. While it was nothing spectacular, the young man was pleasantly surprised to see that people still remembered how to build such things. Or at least reinforce what was already there. As Olesya unceremoniously dumped her prisoner in the pen, Vincent walked in after the terrified kid. By this point, the unconscious kid was now spewing up a bit of blood and vomit so Vincent just lay the second aggressor on the floor laying on his side. That way, the kid would not choke on his own vomit.

Vincent then walked out of the enclosure and approached a guard, "This one may have a slight concussion in case you were wondering.."

From watching Olesya interact with both the prisoners and the guards of the facility, he noted that she had great command presence. Something that was often lacking out in the civilian world. But then he remembered, Right, she is a paramilitary super-soldier..

Olesya's offer of coffee brought a smile to Vincent's face. "Of course, it should help turn some gears. Thank you." These days, things luke coffee was luxury. Especially to military folk. Vincent never drank coffee because he did not want to become dependant on the caffeine, but he grew to appreciate it during the long hours on deployment.

"You're quite the leader, Olesya" said Vincent as he stretched. While the kid he was carrying was fairly light, even the smallest of weights can get heavy very quickly.

[Your Mom~]

"What's that saying...some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them? I'm the latter."

She shrugged as she directed him toward the cafe. Olesya had never wanted such responsibility, even back in her high school days. It just seemed to find her, and she had no choice but to step up and accept it. Even now, she could have just foregone any alliances and just wandered the post-apocalyptic ruin of the world without a care in the world, but here she was serving as a decorated officer in the Dragon army, as a pseudo-mother to an orphan.

"I just take what life hands me, I guess. I don't look to be venerated for it."

The Peace Cafe came into sight, the building parted to reveal a small building that had once been a very nice bistro. The windows had long since broken, and were replaced with swirly recycled glass that cast colored wavy shapes on the ground outside. The door had also been recycled from somewhere, heavy wood with wrought iron fixtures. Olesya pulled the door open and gestured inside.

"After you."

Inside Vincent would find a very artistically crafted establishment that sported a wide array of mismatching chairs and tables and accessories that still somehow managed to give it an aesthetic appeal. It was almost empty, except for a couple of people talking in a nook and a man at the register paying for his nightly java from a younger looking female with pigtails piled high on her head.

[choongsung]

At the cliche saying, Vincent chuckled. While it was said multiple times, often misquoted and misused, it was very much true. That was just life's way of slapping you in the face and telling you "Shit happens, deal with what you've got."

"Looks like you and me both" replied Vincent. During one of his deployments, Vincent had lost his squad leader to an accident and he had acted as the replacement since then.

The young man did respect Olesya though for the way she carried herself. She was an aggressive leader, cold and calculating, much like some of the officers he had served under. Basically, she got things done and made her intent known. All without malicious intent. For the most part. Vincent believed that such qualities were lacking in the world outside of the military which frankly irritated him slightly. Most people abused their power one way or another.

And then came the cafe. Vincent had to stop for a second. The engineers did the best they could in order to bring the run down shop back to life. While crude, the young man found the place to be quite charming. It reminded him of the cafes he used to visit in Los Angeles with his family and friends before the bombings.

He nodded as Olesya opened the door. Upon seeing the interior of the cafe, Vincent felt a smile creeping up on his face. He tried his best not to show too much excitement. The mismatched chairs and tableware brought back some pleasant memories. Perhaps he had been away from the urban areas too long.

"Nice place you've got here."

[Your Mom~]

"It was a community effort, actually. Once we settled here and the civilian population began growing, it was obvious that we needed to create civilian places of interest in addition to our militaristic ones."

Olesya walked up to the counter, ordering a cup of coffee before turning to Vincent.

"Menu's a bit limited, but whatever you want is on me."

She'd wait for Vincent to order before digging a couple coins from her pocket and giving them to the barista. She'd push buttons on the old-school register that gave a loud 'ping!' as the drawer opened, putting the coins inside and closing the drawer before going to make the drinks.

"Were you in the armed services when the bombs fell?"

Olesya asked her new acquaintance as they waited for their high octane beverages.

[choongsung]

That made sense. A paramilitary organization takes root and people flock to it for protection. A beacon of hope per say, for those who could not protect themselves. It was a wonder that none of stronger, already established gangs took advantage of the power vacuum once the government was practically nonexistent. They were more likely gone as well. Too close to the urban centers.

Vincent looked at the menu that Olesya pointed out. Limited, but simple enough to make a quick decision. He had ordered regular coffee as well. The young man started looking around as Olesya began tinkering with the old fashioned cash register. Though he dealt was a mechanic and dealt with machinery and locomotives, the Vincent appreciated the work and effort put into the cafe to make it seem more hospitable. Then his new found acquaintance's question brought him back to reality.

"Yes" replied Vincent. "I was with the First Marine Division. Not sure anymore if it even exists anymore" Mood darkened slightly. It was always a painful memory to talk about. He could compartmentalize it all he wanted, but it would eat away at him. It was always better to tell people here and there.

[Your Mom~]

"So is it true that the government completely collapsed?"

She asked, taking the cups of coffee that the barrista brought out and handing one to Vincent. She walked over to a round yellow table, pulling out the green chair with a paisley seat and sat down. She wrapped her hands around the mug and blew across the surface of the mug to cool it down.

"You know how in all those movies where everything goes to shit, people talk about how the government is going to save us? I hear talk like that, mostly concentrated from when the bombs first fell, but now...only a couple people still bring it up. Everyone else thinks they've given up on us, if there's any of 'them' left that is."

Les wouldn't be surprised if Barker had concentrated a lot of his fire power on the major cities of the world. Long Beach had gotten hit pretty hard, but she heard that Sacramento was leveled. She couldn't even imagine what DC looked like.

[choongsung]

"I really would not be surprised if the government did collapse." replied Vincent. He received the cup from Olesya and followed her to a nearby table. While bringing up the coffee to his face in order to gauge the temperature of the drink, Vincent found himself a rattan framed chair with a poofy red cushion.

"Well, there's no real way to figure out what happened. There's something in the air, messing with all the electronics. Until that clears out... the government has no way of controlling anything" said Vincent. He took a slight sip of his coffee. Strong. The young man burnt the tip of his tongue. But it was satisfying. Vincent continued. "The only guys who might have gotten through the bombings unscathed are probably the Navy. The ones out on the Aircraft carriers and submarines. But even so, they can't do much if their electronics are fried. In addition, they'd have to make landfall in order to find food."

Vincent thought about it. A majority of military bases were also destroyed. They left an enormous footprint on the landscape. It was practically its own city. The government centers were also destroyed. The only surviving politicians were probably on vacation. Even so, they had no real power. "I do have faith though. The country did not just abandon us." Even though he made a strong claim, Vincent himself was not sure what the nation was doing. All he had was hope.

"Do you dislike the government?" By this point, Vincent was able to sip his coffee slowly.

[Your Mom~]

"It's collapsed, there's no doubt about that."

She stirred her coffe, taking another sip before looking back up at him.

"It's been two years, I haven't seen a single iota of aid from DC. The question remains if the governemtn is completely decimated beyond repair. My guess is also yes, at least at this point."

She shrugged, chewing on her bottom lip as she ran figures through her head. It wasn't something she often thought about...the bigger picture. It was always here and now and Dragons and David and Maddie...it didn't often occur to her that there was anyone left to save them.

"It's almost better now that the factions are small. Our country was big, and we didn't have the respresentation we needed to function healthily. Here in Dragon Territory there is a board that meets once a month to address the citizens concerns and suggestions to better benefit us all as a whole. It's refreshing."

[choongsung]

ooc: Once again, apologies for taking so long.

"Already two years huh.." Vincent took a small sip of his coffee and thought about the course of events that had brought him all the way here. These thoughts brought him to notice several things Olesya mention. Is the government really nonexistent? Has everything really just fallen apart in several moments? As much as it pained him to admit it, he knew deep down that everything Olesya was saying was most likely the truth. The country was large, and if anything were to be going on it would take them years to even establish communication with this side of the continent. They were either waiting for the electromagnetic disturbances to subside or sending messengers all over, attempting to regain control. At this point, that was practically impossible.

"What you say is not wrong. Different factions such as yours most likely have much more control than the government would have even if they did try something." Vincent paused to think for a moment. The people with the most power, were often those held to a high degree of respect. Especially today, where high fighting abilities are held to a high value. "Are the board members like you? You know, the protectors?" Vincent continued to sip his coffee as he waited for Olesya's response.

[Your Mom~]

Board members? Oh...the Core. Olesya hadn't heard such a bureaucratic term in years, so it took her a moment to translate it is her head. The corners of her mouth twitched upward in the shadow of a smile, and she nodded, taking another sip of her drink.

"It's heirarchy. At the very top are the Elder Dragons, the officers with elemental names. The next tier is the highly appointed officers. Generals, Second-In-Commands, Field Marshalls, Voices. I am the Voice of the Storm Dragon, David Blaze. I act on his behalf when he is indisposed or elsewhere. From there, the heirarchy follows a militaristic pattern. Colonels, Lieutenants, Captains, Sergeants, Corporals, and Privates."

She took another sip of her coffee, wrapping her hands around the ceramic mug. It was beginning to cool off.

"The lowest ranking soldiers are generally new recruits or men and women who have come of age. We don't allow anyone to fight unless they are at least sixteen. We don't want children on our battlefields. I would personally prefer to keep it at eighteen, but we need the numbers."

She frowned at this.

"But yes, on average, everyone who is a Dragon has a high sense of honor and loyalty. Anyone who wants a position of power must prove his or herself through an indictment, and all soldiers must pledge fealty to the brotherhood as a whole. You fight with your brothers and you die with them if you must. That alone is the highest honor."

[choongsung]

A smile flickered across Vincent's face as he listened to Olesya talk about the Dragons and the way they operated. It was an efficient but crude system. Very similar to the way the ancients lived, fought, and conquered. What caused the young man to smile though, was the way she described their warrior ethos. There were those at the top, revered and respected. But then there were those at the bottom, the young initiates who do a lot of the fighting, yet they are cared for. Like the young Marines that ended up coming into his squad. Sure, they pulled pranks on each other, caused trouble, and even fought amongst each other. But all of that went out the window in combat. It was us, against them. The enemy.

"You Dragons are very similar to where I came from." said Vincent. "You have a warrior ethos, and a sense of pride that comes with it. We were like that too. One big fraternity. A band of brothers. To be fighting side by side with the same guy what went through the same crap that you did. The greatest feeling in the world." the young man sighed and stretched his stiff back before taking another sip of the coffee. "I'm assuming that's what attracts newcomers to your ranks. Who wouldn't want to join your family after losing so much from these past few years."

[Your Mom~]

When the convenience of the 21st century fell away all at once, the survivors couldn't help but revert to more basic means of civilization. There were no factories, no UPS, no internet, no take out. People had to start growing and hunting and providing for themselves. In a way it was like a blessing in disguise, because the civilians had learned (or re-learned) how to communicate and depend on each other instead of just passing by while tapping at their cell phones or tablets or other devices.

"Yes, without a collective sense of pride, there is no loyalty. There's an initiation into the armed forces here, being 'bled in,' if you're familiar with the term. Obviously more barbaric than signing up for the National Guard, but times have changed, like you said."

She looked at him curiously for a moment, pressing her lips together and tilting her head a fraction. She took another sip of her drink as she rolled the question around in her head.

"Where are you staying? Is it as safe?"

If he was here, then the likelihood of him having pledged loyalty to another faction was unlikely. He could be with the Crows, the Dragons had a sort of respected alliance with them, but Les had a sneaking suspicion that the young man in front of her hadn't settled with a faction yet, if at all.

[choongsung]

Vincent nodded as Olesya explained why the Dragons did what they did. Being "bled in" to an organization of any kind was a big deal, especially for the younger ones. It was very similar to the organizations that Vincent was involved in. Each military unit has its own way of indoctrinating its members and putting them through a rite of passage Everything would culminate in some sort of final test or a crucible,and by then loyalty just comes naturally.

And then Olesya asked the question. Where was he staying. That was a very good question actually. The young man took a long sip of the remainder of his coffee to collect his thoughts. "Not anywhere in particular." he replied. "I've been wandering from place to place mostly. Taking shelter in whatever I can find. As for my safety, things seem very quiet around here. Those two kids earlier were the only conflict I really had since I arrived in your territory."

Vincent looked up at Olesya and wondered if he should tell his new acquaintance why he was actually in the area. After all, Mitsuki was the one who pointed him in this direction, and was even nice enough to give him a lift. He figured, why not.

"I still haven't found my brother and sisters. According to the map, they are supposed to be living inside Dragon territory."

[Your Mom~]

"In that case, I can direct you to our bookkeeping office. They keep track of the consensus of citizens and visitors here. They should be able to track down your family."

Of course they would subject him to an interview and bring the family to him, not visa versa to protect them in case he was a spy. Dragon Territory was all about protecting its citizens and unless/until Vincent was a citizen of Dragon Territory, he woud be treated with a certain level of scrutiny.

"If you don't have a permenant residence and wish to stay here with your family, I'd strongly suggest applying for citizenship. Then if you wanted to sign up for the guard, you're more than welcome to. But that's up to you."