Private Force of Conviction

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze had just returned to Sacorria, seeking the familiarity of what he now called 'home.' The recent events on Lothal and Moncala had left him exhausted, and while Jasper Kai'el was still tied up with lingering business, Braze craved a moment to reconnect—both with himself and the Force. The path to Jasper's home was well-trodden by now, and he knew it by heart. He even set up a slackline outside, thinking it might help clear his mind.

Before the ordeal on Marlon Sularen 's ship, Braze had been a force to be reckoned with—his bond with the Force was terrifying. But now, that once-solid connection felt fractured, elusive. He needed to return to the basics, to reestablish that link.

He didn't think much of it as he let himself into the house, just as he had done countless times before. But this time, something was different. He wanted a new perspective and maybe just mayber Marissa Shoda might beable to help him. He had a good idea taht she would likely be home but he didn't think to call a head or notify any one that he would be showing uptoday.

 

[Marissa Shoda]

With everything going on, Marissa decided to retreat to their home for some time alone. Jasper was out doing whatever he was busy with, last she heard there was a little bit of a brawl happening on Lothal. She wasn't too concerned, she knew he'd come back to her. In the meantime, she helped herself to a strong mug of caf, a sandwich, and one of those "books" they found when they first checked the place out. Only problem was how quick she was able to read through them. He told her that they apparently were not supposed to be read that quickly.

So she forced herself to read slower and enjoy the book while mulling over everything that was said at the dinner table. Specifically the part about her being force-sensitive. It was a hard pill for her to swallow, not just because it felt highly unlikely for her, but also because of the implications of such a big deal.

She was so lost in thought that the sound of someone fiddling with the door yanked her out of her mind and into her instincts. Quietly she set her things down, grabbed her pistol, and slowly crept through the house. She wasn't told about any visitors and Jasper didn't mention that he was on his way back. And as far as she knew, nobody knew they lived here. With her pistol by her chest in a close-quarters grip, Cricket carefully peeked around a corner to see a strange figure. She couldn't get a good look at their face and her scanners didn't give any input either. She took aim and fired a stun bolt at the stranger's back, stepping out of her cover with her weapon at the ready. "Stay where you are! Hands where we can see 'em!" She ordered with a firm voice, maintaining her distance.

"Who are you, and why are you in my house?" She asked, carefully inching closer.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda Jasper Kai'el

Braze had successfully unlocked the door and stepped into the house. He set a few things down, moving to take off his boots to avoid making a mess. Feeling safe in this familiar space, his guard was down, and he didn't expect anything unusual. With his back turned, he began removing his boots, his ghillie suit cloak blending him into the shadows and his face covered in camo paint, making him nearly unrecognizable. He was a humanoid figure that looke dliek a living bush in the house.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Braze felt a sharp impact in his back. The blaster's stun bolt struck him, sending him lurching forward. His forehead collided with the front door he was facing, and his knees buckled beneath him. With one boot half-off and the other still on, he crumpled to the floor, stunned by the sudden attack. The exhaustion, combined with the shock of being shot in what he thought was a safe place, was enough to knock him out cold.

His small form was rendered near motionless and allowed Marissa enough time if she so desiered to advance and sicover this bush creature thing was actually that small boy who made her dinner not too long ago.

 

[Jasper Kai'el]

In Braze's Mind
Tags: Braze

Dillon Kai'el
​

In the void of Braze's unconscious mind, a warm presence would wrap itself around him. The visage of a man would appear, lifting him to his to his feet. Distinctive grey eyes matched a compassionate warm smile in a particularly familiar way.

"Hey kiddo," the man spoke. "Looks like you got your head knocked around a little. You aren't dead, but you are very unconscious."

Dillon couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. His family had been just as chaotic. Anaria wouldn't have liked him stating that very much, but the vibrosword she always had hidden in the kitchen begged to differ. He wondered if the blade was still there. It had been a few thousand years after all...

"Sorry, but I don't have long to talk," he stated. "You've come into contact with a dark entity from my past, one that your father should have never inherited. You felt the his power on Tython, the raw hatred in his very voice for my bloodline. Your new inheritance. A dark sword is the key to his true strength, lost in the far reaches of space. Seek it out... see it destroyed. I have faith in you, little one."

The man turned and began walking away, only to pause and glance back over his shoulder.

"I would be prepared for a migraine when you wake," the man added. "It seems Kai'el chaos transcends blood. I guess that one is my own fault... Take care of them."

And with that he faded into the void of Braze's mind once again.

Exit​

 

[Marissa Shoda]

The figure crumpled to the ground in an instant, unresponsive as they slumped against the front door. Cricket carefully moved closer and started to search the figure for anything suspicious. She became concerned when a lightsaber was pulled from the camouflaged individual's effects. "Um..." She quickly flipped them over and studied their features. Her eyes went wide when she realized who it was.

"Ah, kriff..." She remarked. Holstering her pistol, Marissa heaved Braze up and dragged him to a nearby chair in order to make him look like a person again. The ghillie suit, the paint and his dirty shoes were all dispensed in the washing room. His lightsaber and other weapons were put aside on the coffee table while Marissa sat down again to continue enjoying her caf and book. Jasper was going to have a lot of explaining to do about this.

When Braze finally stirred awake, Cricket set her mug aside and folded a corner of her page before setting the book down as well. "Sup, kiddo." She greeted, turning to face him. "Before you ask, no I'm not sorry for stunning you." She immediately continued, rising from her seat. If her voice and features didn't give it away, Braze would be able to feel through the Force that Marissa was more than a little annoyed at him.

"Now, you mind telling me why you're breaking into our house with a ghillie suit?" Her hands rested on her hips as her cybernetic eyes turned yellow to scan the kid.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

​

He was surprisingly light to move, and disarming him turned out to be both concerning and somewhat hilarious. One by one, the lightsabers kept emerging from his person, as if they would never stop. Finally, after removing the Training Lightsaber, Gauntlet Shield, Corsage, Calypso, Sentry, Requiem, Echo, Whirlwind, and all three Nightshade sabers, it was just a matter of taking away the Fang, the G.O.O. Gun, and the Vulptex Fang knife.

This wasn't even his full collection, but it was what the little armored monster had on him at the time.

He stirred, drawing a sharp breath as he regained consciousness, looking startled. He curled up, pressing the pads of his fingertips to his forehead, running them through his messy locks.

He groaned, making odd little noises as he shifted, his disoriented gaze eventually landing on Marissa as she spoke.

"What happened to the blonde guy?" he asked, his voice tinged with confusion before settling his green eyes on her. "I wasn't breaking in!" he nearly squeaked, his indignation clear. "I had a key!" But raising his voice only made his concussion worse. He tried to stand, stumbling almost to the floor but somehow managed to stop himself. It wasn't a full suit, but rather a leafy, foliage-filled cloak or cover, crafted by A'Runda to help keep him safe and hidden on the battlefield.

He turned to look at Marissa with wary green eyes. "Why'd you shoot me?" he asked, his tone a mix of hurt and confusion.

​

 

[Marissa Shoda]

Marissa blinked with confusion at the mention of a blonde guy. How hard did that stun bolt hit him? They didn't linger on that topic for long as Braze immediately immediately argued against her accusation of breaking in. She cringed a little when Braze tried to stand up, only to fall back into the sofa. "For one, nobody mentioned to me that you have a key to get in. Secondly, you come in dressed like an assassin, don't announce your presence or anything, and you're armed to the damn teeth. With the amount of enemies both me and Jas have, I'm not exactly cool as a cucumber when it comes to people just inviting themselves in. Hell, even a knock would've sufficed." She paused for a moment as her eyes returned to their usual green.

"Why do you even have a key? You come visit Jasper that often?" She asked with a confused look and a slight tilt of her head. Then it dawned on her. He was their kid. It would be silly for Jasper to not have extended an invitation to live with them. She turned away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she processed it all. "Oh yeah..." She muttered softly. She really wished that Jas had sat down with her properly before jumping all of this onto her out of the blue. "Jasper's gonna get a few words from me about all this." She looked back at Braze as her expression softened.

"I'm... sorry... for shooting you, Braze." She apologized with sincerity. It would probably be a good time to give him a hug and try to cheer him up, but they had a long way to go before that was normal for her. She rose from her seat and made her way to the kitchen. "You want something?" She asked gently, making her way past the caf machine and instead toward the fridge.

She was going to need something stronger for this conversation.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze leaned back, squinting as he tried to listen to her, carefully observing her body language as she spoke. He blinked, surprised when she apologized, especially after saying earlier that she wouldn't. She was acting strangely, and he wanted to question it, but they didn't know each other well enough. Instead of his usual impulsive reaction, he decided to think it through, giving his concussed brain a few more seconds to process. He realized he could feel her emotions... Wait, he could actually feel her emotions? That was a good sign, or maybe not, but it did mean that somehow, he'd regained a connection he thought he'd lost.

He studied her briefly, his mind racing. Maybe she was scared of him, thinking he was a bad person trying to break in? That made sense. After all, Corazona von Ascania had shot him because she was scared, didn't she?

The thought that he might have frightened Marissa if she was home alone made him feel a bit guilty. He moved his hands to his head, wincing as a sharp headache flared up. "I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to upset you or startle you... I'll knock next time," Braze offered in a squeaky, meek tone, conceding that he had messed up somehow and just agreeing with Marissa's view of things.

He wasn't used to Jasper's house by any means. He'd been here a few times, but he was unaware of the house rules—Jasper hadn't given him any specific guidelines about this place.

"The blonde guy said something about a sword..." Braze mentioned belatedly when she asked if he wanted anything. He briefly wondered who would scale this mountain to break into this odd house on the side of a cliff. But then again, with the weirdo Lord Kalrath lurking around, it made sense there might be other weirdos Marissa had good reason to be cautious of.

"Can I please have some mild painkillers for my headache... please?" Braze asked, adding the second "please" because he couldn't remember if he'd said it the first time.

"Are you still mad at me?" Braze asked belatedly, unsure of the emotions he sensed from her through the Force. He tried to piece together the information from her body language and the tone of her voice. "You seriously didn't see the blonde guy? He looked like Jasper."

He hesitated, then spoke more softly. "I know you don't believe in the Force, but... I can sense your emotions through it. You're connected to the Force, whether you want to be or not."

He paused, choosing his words carefully. "Just... be careful with that, okay? Emotions and the Force—they can get tangled up. I'm not saying you have to do anything, but maybe just... keep it in mind."

 

[Marissa Shoda]

As Marissa stared at Braze, she could somehow... feel his emotions? Did he have something to do with this, or was it just one of those weird Force things that they could do? Regardless, it felt as if he felt guilty, and that made her feel a little bad about what she did. She took a beer from the fridge and scrounged around for their medical case. After finding some pills for Braze, she handed them to him with a glass of water and sat down again with beer in hand.

Her eyes flicked to red with a quick scan over the kid. "You got a concussion. Just relax, you're booked off for a few days." She remarked, taking a long sip from her drink. Braze then asked her two wholly unrelated questions. Her eyes reverted and she sat back with a sigh. "More annoyed than angry. Though I have a feeling that this is more Jasper's fault than yours. By the way, what blonde guy are you talking about?" She answered calmly. He went on to comment about her reservations around the Force, which she brushed off with a click of her tongue as she looked away.

"It's not about that." She admitted. "I'm not a Jedi or some saviour of the galaxy. And I don't wanna be. I'm happy with where I am, and who I am. I got no desires to be some space wizard waving a glowstick around." She explained to the kid as she sat forward to look at him.

He had a point, however. Jasper told her how dangerous it could be if someone did not have control over their abilities with the Force. How easily things could go wrong for people like her. But that was between her and Jas. "Who is this blonde guy you keep talking about?" She asked him with a slight tilt of her head. "You say he looked like Jasper?"

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze took the meds she gave him and drank the water, finishing it all in one go. He leaned back, letting out a deep, heavy breath as he tried to process everything that had happened, gradually letting it go. "I don’t know who he was," Braze offered, his voice thoughtful. "He said something about finding a sword lost in the far reaches of space and destroying it. Something about it being the power source for Mr. Brains-For-Worms, or whatever." He paused, unsure. "Maybe it was just a vision… or a ghost."

"It’s not about that," she admitted. "I’m not a Jedi or some savior of the galaxy. And I don’t wanna be. I’m happy with where I am, and who I am. I’ve got no desire to be some space wizard waving a glowstick around."

Braze chuckled, a small, devious grin playing on his lips. "That’s cool… lots of people who are Force-sensitive lead normal lives, even as farmers. You don’t have to be some awe-inspiring hotshot with a saber, blazing your name across the stars through good deeds. But it doesn’t change the fact that you are~" he added with a knowing look, his grin widening as if he knew something Marissa didn’t.

He continued, his expression softening as he thought back. "Yeah, he looked kinda like a Jasper fellow… I dunno, he was… really nice?" Braze half-asked, getting up to put the glass away and remove anything else uncomfortable.

"You sure you don’t want a fancy ‘glowstick’? They’re one of my favorite things to make," he said, a playful tone in his voice as he moved to collect the items she had set aside. It seemed that perhaps he wasn't holding a grudge. "Hey, Marissa, do you have a speeder?"

 

[Marissa Shoda]

Marissa patiently listened to Braze as he voiced his thoughts, occasionally blinking with either confusion or curiosity but she didn't interrupt him. She only answered when he asked his last question. "Yeah I do. A Hex Fathier GT, it's been my baby since Denon. It's parked out back if you wanna check it out." She paused for a moment. "Why'd you ask?" She continued.

"In regards to what you said... I'll think about it. I'll talk to Jasper about it, but I don't know how I feel about all this. On Denon, people who found out about this thing either figured it out themselves or drew some group's attention. Usually Jedi... and that drew all kinds of unwanted attention." She explained as she aat back and took another long sip of her drink. Her glowing eyes didn't move from Braze for a long moment. "As for your Jasper fellow... ask Jasper. This is your guys' department. Only person I know who looks like Jasper is his little bro. I've never seen anyone else aside from them." She shrugged with another sip.

As much as she wanted to help, she had no leads to follow up on. The only lead they had was the house and it held nothing in regards to Jasper's origins. All they knew was that it belonged to his family. It seemed that whatever leads they could have gotten had died with Jasper and Jalen's creator. Their father.

The train of thought had Marissa zone out completely for a long moment. Her bottle idly dangled between her fingers as she stared with empty eyes into nothing.

"What if... Jasper's creator had a lead?" She spoke up, her gaze snapping back to Braze. "Did he ever talk to you about his past?" A smile took hold as the former cop's mind began to turn.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze rubbed his eyes, standing up with a stretch that sent a few satisfying pops through his joints. "I'd like to see it," he said, his tone simple but sincere.

He glanced over at Marissa, his voice softening. "It's okay, Marissa. Everything will be fine," he reassured her, his gaze steady. "I'm sure this is meant to be."

Pausing for a moment, Braze continued thoughtfully, "Just about everyone has a connection in some way or form. Some people just have a wider doorway to it... maybe yours was just opened up a little more."

After a moment of silence, Braze added with a small, relaxed smile, "I'm going to clean up, take a shower, and put on some fresh clothes. If you're up for it, I'd love to check out your speeder. And maybe, after that, you could help me with an exercise I've been working on. I'd rather have someone around to help, rather than doing it alone. But if you've got other things you'd rather do, I get it....After that, I can make dinner for everyone."

He'd actively avoided awnsering the 'why' question she had asked him weather or not it was markedly purposeful or forgetfullness in light of his concussion was hard to say.

Surely the pip squeak couldn't have too difficult an exersize to do , right?

 

[Marissa Shoda]

To Marissa's surprise, Braze dodged her question entirely. He simply brushed the blonde stranger off completely, leaving the former officer high and dry in the midst of an investigative brainwave. She decided to let it go, however it felt weird to be getting a pep talk from a kid. Was this normal for parents? Or did it simply come from an area of understanding for him as a padawan? She brushed it off for the moment.

"Yeah, I'll show it to ya. Can even take it for a spin. I'll also help you out with your stuff, I got nothing better to do. If I sit like this any longer, I'll blast through that entire collection of books." She made herself comfortable on the sofa in preparation to wait for him. "Just give a shout if you need help or something. And make sure to keep your head still." She cautioned with an urgent tone. The last thing she needed was to explain to Jasper how his padawan ended up in a coma.

When Braze finally emerged again, Marissa set her book down and got up from the couch. "Okay, so what are these exercises?" She asked him. "I know hand-to-hand and CQB tactics, plus Jasper's shown me a thing or two with a lightsaber. Or... is it completely different?" She continued. She was in the dark with this one, but it was the least she could do for the kid.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze flashed her a knowing, almost mischievous smirk—the kind that said he was in on a secret she wasn't. He looked fresh, sharp, and oddly enough, wore a pair of strange stirrup boots, with his toes and heels exposed, as if the boots themselves hadn't been fully completed.

"Oh, it's not what you're thinking...nothing at all like any of that... I can show you how. Come on," he said, motioning her to follow. He led her outside to a small patch of ground, lush with grass, where an array of heavy-duty cords were strung up in a simple grid. They weren't too high off the ground, maybe two or three feet.

"If this is too advanced for you, I've got a wooden balance beam set up," he offered with a teasing smile. Then, with effortless grace, he hopped up onto one of the metal wires, steadying himself with his half-gloved hands before his feet found their place. The web of wires stretched out, connecting the small area into a tight network.

"You see... this can get a little dangerous, but that's why I'd rather be here to help. If you want to give it a try, I'll watch and make sure you don't get hurt," he explained as he walked across the wire with perfect balance, moving as though he were walking on solid ground. His poise was almost feline, unwavering and fluid.

"Getting up here is the first step... but if this seems too difficult, you can always start on the balance beam," he added with a playful glance over his shoulder.

 

[Marissa Shoda]

Marissa let out a hum of intrigue as she followed after the kid. What kind of exercises were these, then? If it required her but not in a capacity that she could think of. Regardless, she wandered after him and stopped by a bunch of beams and ropes that seemed to be made for balance exercises. Her calm and curious thoughts turned sour, however, when he mentioned it being too advanced for her. Was he...?

The little moof milker hopped onto a wire and calmly walked along it with admittedly impressive balance. But his continuing teases merely added to Marissa's annoyance. "Braze..." She started with crossed arms and a deep frown. "Is there any particular reason as to why you're trying to trick and challenge me into doing these exercises with you?" Her tone was stern as her cybernetic eyes glared at him. She had half a mind to stun him again.

"I told you already that I'll talk to Jasper about my deal with the Force. Taunting me will definitely not help your case, kiddo." She scolded him. With a disappointed shake of her head she turned to walk back to the house. She hoped that Jasper would be coming back soon, because if this was going to become a routine occurrence with her "son", she was going to get annoyed with him very quickly. What made it worse for her was the excitement she could feel from him. She still didn't know if it was her or him, but if it went both ways then he would definitely be able to feel her own emotions as well.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze hopped down and padded right after her without hesitation; his emotional state shifted abruptly.

He pondered how she was so... intuitive. It was as if she simply knew things without needing any explanation. Maybe this was women's intuition... It almost felt like they were connected somehow. Oh, right—he remembered passing out at the door, but that wasn't where he had woken up. His brow furrowed at the memory.

She seemed annoyed again; he could practically sense it. A flood of emotions surged through him—confusion, concern, dread, anxiety—all at once.

He wanted to engage her, to get her to play with him, albeit with a slightly mischievous motive. But that wasn't the primary thought in his mind. He'd begun to wonder if she simply wasn't the playful type. Maybe she didn't understand playfulness, or perhaps his teasing had crossed a line. It wasn't the first time his humor had been mistaken for something hurtful. These thoughts buzzed in his mind, a whirlwind of anxiety and self-doubt.

"Braze..." She started with crossed arms and a deep frown. "Is there any particular reason as to why you're trying to trick and challenge me into doing these exercises with you?" Her tone was stern as her cybernetic eyes glared at him. She had half a mind to stun him again.

"I told you already that I'll talk to Jasper about my deal with the Force. Taunting me will definitely not help your case, kiddo."

"There are several reasons; Some of them layered." Braze replied, following closely behind her like a puppy afraid of being left alone.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you," he offered softly, still trailing her. His movements were uncertain, as if he didn't quite know where to go, only that he didn't want to lose sight of her. His posture was tentative, his demeanor hesitant—like a stray unsure whether this stranger was kind or unkind. "I... If I'm bothering you, I can... I can leave. Leave you alone," he added, his voice unsteady, weighed down by another wave of anxious thoughts swirling inside him.

 

[Marissa Shoda]

Braze followed closely behind her, however she could sense the guilt and hesitation from him as he carefully walked along. She came to a halt and turned to face him. She had to stop herself from worsening the entire situation with a few provocative words. Her gaze lingered as she took a deep breath, trying to figure out what exactly to say to him. "Braze... I'm an honest person. I play open cards with other people and I expect them to do the same. Especially people that are close to me." Her voice was still stern, however it was far less angry and more caring than earlier.

"You told me that you need help with training. Now you're trying to rope me into some kind of trick." With another breath she calmed down and relaxed her firm posture. After a few moments, she took hold of the kid's shoulders and straightened his posture. "Come on, stand upright. You're a man of the house, you shouldn't slouch and feel sorry for yourself. Doesn't look good on you." She spoke with sincerity as a smile took hold.

With a few seconds of contemplation, Marissa decided to go along with his plan and made her way to the balance beams. "I'll humour you this time. Let's see if I still got this..." With some impressive acrobatics, the officer took hold of the beam and spun around it, finally twisting on top of it to get on her feet. She started to pace along it with her hands slightly outstretched, however she was far from uncomfortable with her balance. "I set some good records at the academy, glad to see I can still do this." She remarked as she glanced over to Braze.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze blinked, surprised as she addressed him again, uncertain of the meaning behind her gaze. He listened carefully, his heart lightening as her words took a turn he hadn't expected. It reminded him of someone he hadn't spoken to in a very long time, a flood of strange, sentimental emotions washing over him. She was right, after all. And yet, there was confusion too, especially as she agreed to his suggestion.

He followed a few paces behind, watching curiously as Marissa gracefully hopped onto the wooden beam. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips, the heaviness in his chest lifting slightly.

"That's pretty good," he said, his voice carrying genuine admiration as he rubbed at his eyes, trying to settle his thoughts and feelings. There was something about this interaction that was both grounding and disorienting at once. "Did they make you do a lot of physical stuff at the academy?" he asked, a spark of curiosity in his tone as he approached the other end of the balance beam.

With a careful step, Braze climbed onto the beam, his movements careful. He extended his hands out in front of him, fingers spread wide in an almost playful gesture.

"Try to push me off balance," he offered, his voice light but with a hint of challenge. He knew their difference in size would make it easier for her. Braze seemed to want to engage her in something more playful, something that felt less heavy. After all, it didn't count as training if it felt like a game, did it? He'd have to ask Jasper Kai'el about that.

 

[Marissa Shoda]

Braze joined her on the beam after asking about her training. Marissa's gaze lingered on him with curiosity. "Of course. It's just like the Jedi. You can't be one just by reading a few books, can you?" She remarked. "Close quarters, riot control, fitness, we needed to be ready for anything. Denon's a dangerous place under the surface, so our training was real good." She continued, walking along the beam.

The kid's suggestion of wrestling on the beam drew a look of concern from Marissa as she came to a halt. "I don't think that's a good idea, Braze. You still have a concussion, last thing I need is to knock you into a coma." She voiced her concerns as she carefully watched him. Wrestling on a beam like this was genuine fun, she loved these exercises at the academy, however Braze was still seriously hurt. Going through with this plan without taking that into account was incredibly dangerous.

Her eyes turned red again with a quick scan over the kid, the warnings and suggested precautions still flashed in the corner of her eyes. "I don't think serious activities like this is a good idea, Braze." She cautioned again as her eyes reverted.

Braze

 

[Braze]

TAGS: Marissa Shoda

Braze's brows furrowed slightly, his focus shifting at a particular word she mentioned. The playful energy in his movements seemed to dissipate, and he gently hopped down, signaling a surrender from the game they were playing.

"Could that really happen?" His voice softened, carrying a note of uncertainty. "I have a friend who's in a coma... I don't know if she'll ever wake up." Braze offered softly.

"I visit her when I can... I miss having her around. " Braze added.