"You know there used to be a place that my parents would take us sometimes when we were kids. It was an old park a few streets away from ours. It wasn't really special in any way except that it was in an area where a lot of people from different countries lived. Japanese, Chinese, American, African, French... there were so many different people there, and their kids all played there. It was like this; everyone dressed completely different. But that's what made it nice. It's like this place. Different, but that was makes it nice." It was a rare moment of deep nostalgia for Kaz, something that his squad rarely ever saw, even if he knew some of them very well. But it was a wonderful memory that he held onto, drawing it up whenever he felt lost or homesick.<br/><br/>Kaz took another drink, signaling for one more. The effects were starting to take hold of him in a more noticeable way, though he wasn't quite as drunk as Shira at that point. "Do i miss it? Certain parts, sure. I miss the feeling of a warm breeze, and the smell of the ocean. Believe it or not, I miss the areas where people sold food from carts on the sides of streets, and listening to peddlers vying for people's attention. I miss the things that made Earth home. But I was always supposed to be a pilot. I knew it since I was little." He smiled fondly, thinking back on his first days. First day at the Academy, first day as a real pilot. First day at his new post. Another large gulp followed.<br/><br/>The term 'bad omen' got him thinking. Maybe it was time to drop the bombshell on her, not to throw it in her face or garner any sort of respect or praise, but to prove that just because bad things happened under his watch didn't mean that he was somehow mysteriously responsible, even if only vaguely. He took another long draw from his glass, the liquid no longer burning or souring his expression. "Bad omen, hmm? Maybe it's more that I just happen to be in the right place for something exciting to happen. I remember this one time... a couple of years ago, maybe." Another sip.<br/><br/>"There was this freak explosion. No one saw it coming. Big explosion, and as we all know, fire and space end lives really fast. I wasn't under orders, but I went over to help however I could. At first they just had me trying to keep the peace, make sure people didn't get hurt as they evacuated the area, but soon enough I convinced them to let me help with rescue and recovery. Being an engineer you probably know that there isn't much of a recovery when something in that department explodes, but..." Another long sip. "There was a girl. Burned really bad. Head and facial trauma, and that wasn't even the half of it. She was prone under a ceiling beam. Anyone would have passed her right up for dead, but I thought I heard her make a sound. Decided to check, and sure enough, she was alive."<br/><br/>The way Kaz looked at her spoke the words he didn't speak directly, that he knew who she was, and he knew she knew what he was talking about. "They told us to evac so they could seal it off, but I wasn't going to leave her behind, even if there was only a small chance she'd live. I grabbed her up, figuring if I did any damage it was still better than being vented out to space, and found some others who were on their way out. We got her out of that hell, and I hear she not only survived, but she's still kicking ass in her department. Making waves and such." Kaz basically shot the last of his drink, but turned his glass upside down to show he was finished. "Maybe the universe puts me exactly where I need to be exactly when I need to be there."