Week 79, While Silvia's Away: On Watch

Silvia was near-by. Her biostatus monitor was on. She was well within smeaker range. She was doing fine. Fine. So why was Hugo so nervous?

But everything was fine. He took a deep breath, hiding in the shadow near the entrance of the.. well.. burrow that the team was hiding in. There was little enough motion around; war had past here and all that was left was rubble. There wasn't much to watch. Hugo looked over and Fenris, and shaking his head, silently crept next to her. "We'd... know if she wasn't okay, right?"

She broke her gaze away from the world outside and glanced at Hugo, sighing gently to herself. Of course we would. She would say something, her Bio's would change, we would see or hear something. We would know. While her words were meant to be reassuring, the was still an element of hostility in Fenris' tone. You just need to be patient. She took a step forwards, turning back to scrutinize the terrain in front of her. I'm sure she'll be fine.

Hugo let out a sigh of relief loud enough for Fenris to hear, and nodded with his nearly-invisible head. "You're right. I mean, she's with her brother. And brothers don't hurt siblings. No matter how long it's been." He nodded again, his voice getting more confident. "..I know she has to do it alone, but..." He trailed off, moving Una from one arm to the other.

They shouldn't. Though there are always assholes out there. But if he was going to hurt her, he would have done it when there wasn't a team of highly augmented agents on his doorstep who would take revenge. Fenris didn't look at him at all. Her back was stiff, and she was no more friendly. She was just watching and waiting for the signal from Silvia. So, as I said. She'll be fine.

Hugo radiated agreement, quiet for a few long moments. Distantly, there was the scampering of feet, four of them, maybe five, of a small animal in the rubble. No threat there. Fenris was acting weird. He looked at the back of her head, or where it more or less was, and eventually asked in a slightly confused voice, "Are you, like, mad at me or something?"

"Am I..." Fenris rested her head in her hand. How?... She sighed loudly. Of course I'm mad Hugo! You just moved her into my home! With no fucking warning! How did you think I would feel? Gods! Hugo could be irritating! How did it take him this long to figure it out?

Hugo took a visible step back when Fenris angrily smeakered back, before leaning forward, his brow furrowing. "Are you STILL... Look, I didn't move anyone anywhere, Fenrir! I invited her to stay in my room for a couple weeks. And.. ..Okay, maybe I should have given you a heads up, but I didn't think you were gonna freak out!" He shook his head, staring at her hard enough that she could feel it, even as they were both mostly invisible. When he spoke again, he sounded hurt. "You were cruel to her. My friend. Our co-worker. You were so... thoughtless and mean. Why are you the one who's mad?"

I was thoughtless? Me?You brought Ai Jinn into my home! After what they did!" She was angry. Angry enough to not use her smeaker. Though she was still whispering furiously. "Did you even stop to think what it's like living in the same city as those bastards?! And then you just bring them into the one place that they weren't, and did you give a shit? Fuck no! You got what you wanted! And you're questioning why I'm mad?" She turned her back on the nuke, simmering as she stared out into the wastes, almost hoping for some Ai Jinn to kill.

"You say "Ai Jinn" like I invited an invading army into our house!" Hugo scoffed audibly, annoyed that Fenris had turned away. He was still aggressively staring, fury evident in his words.  "Come the motherfuck on. How the motherfuck did I get what I wanted? I wanted my friends to meet and have a good time. I wanted to stay at home without someone I liked sleeping on a tiny shitty couch in the Oracle HQ. I wanted to share the things I could with people I cared about. Instead one of my good friends freaks out at me because I invited one woman--who lived in the Fed her whole life--to sleep in my room for a couple days. And then this "friend" freaked out so much for no reason that I had to leave just to stop her from having a mental breakdown and stabbing someone. You're the one that threw a hissy fit and got what you wanted."

Fenris had had enough. It was like Hugo was trying not to understand. "For fucks sake Hugo!" She was whispering angrily. "You try spending a week on a fucking torture station! And see how you feel about it! I have to face that every fucking day! But of course you just assumed that everything would better, didn't you? You just brought yet another reminder into the one place I had to get away from it all. You're my friend Hugo, I expect you to at least consider how I might feel. Instead you just dump that on me with absolutely no warning whatsoever!" She sighed, turning back to her housemate. I expected better from you Hugo. I expected you to care.

Hugo took another step back, and this time he did not lean forward. His brows furrowed as he made out Fenris' shape--her back, again. He was quiet for a long time. When he spoke, his voice was slow and low. Almost gentle. "..Fenrir... I do care. I killed them all for you, for Silvia. Just because they were there. The people who hurt you are dead now. Because of me..." He trailed off, unsure of how to keep going. He reached out to touch Fenris' arm. "You never talked about the Ai Jinn, our your time out there. You don't.. talk about anything important. I didn't know you were still so.. motherfucked up about it. And.. If you can't look at a Fed-looking, Fed-sounding white woman without seeing what happened to you up there, then I don't think it's my fault." The anger was gone from Hugo now, instead replaced with something that sounded.. distant, worried, concerned.

Fenris sighed heavily,shrugging off Hugo's hand, and when she spoke she was still angry, though she had tempered a bit, and was no longer speaking out loud. What did you expect? That just because you killed the people on that station everything would be forgotten? What about the people who ordered it? What about the people who put us there? Fuck knows how many people were involved, are involved in other places just like that! You just wanted it to be fine, and assumed it was! Well it isn't. For any of us. She turned back to look out of the entrance. And... I don't have a problem with Dani, just her living at home... I just need somewhere free of them. Completely. I... Don't want to have go back to Hamburg to find it.

Hugo frowned at Fenris, slowly taking his hand back and putting it in his pocket. He sighed and looked around. His voice was still hurt, defensive. "Well, I didn't want to upset you. I never wanted to. I thought it as fine because... well, you act like it was fine. You.. I never knew you were so.. upset. You never said and I... I don't know. Didn't know. But... I would never bring anyone who would hurt you. The other people who were involved.. I can kill them too. We all can. But you can't blame Dani for it. She.. she's nice. She wouldn't hurt you. Most of the Ai Jinn wouldn't." Hugo opened his mouth, but then closed it. He had no more to say. Well, nothing helpful. He took a step forward, and began to start climbing out of their hole. He was fairly invisible, and obviously no longer felt welcome. It was just as easy to watch from outside.

Fenris didn't really pay any heed to the fact that Hugo, was leaving. She wasn't finished yet. Wouldn't they? You must have talked to Han! You must know about all that "There is only Ai Jinn" bullshit! You don't think they would hurt us if someone told them to? Did you read the news? We are Terrorists to them! She let out yet another, more frustrated sigh, as she had to repeat herself. And as I just said, I don't blame Dani. But I barely know the woman! You can't expect me to just trust someone instantly! Especially if they're Ai Jinn! She made a small frustrated noise in the back of her throat. You just need to think more Hugo!

Hugo frowned, hiding behind a rock. He wasn't sure what to say, but he felt.. upset. People told him he thought to much, and now.. "They aren't all like that! Out here? Like this? Yes. They would kill us. But.. When you see them, when you're in.. a bar. When you're just having fun or, or when they are in your home... They don't kill you. They are people. They buy you drinks. They talk to you. I have Ai Jinn friends." He sounded hurt still, and confused, too.

And if someone told them to take out the terrorists who de-orbited a space station? You think they would hesitate? People will turn on you for far less. It was her turn to sound hurt, and more than a little cynical. Even your friends... She was definitely bitter at someone for that, but even so, she sounded more hurt than angry at the moment.

"I... don't think they would. And.. someone who left, someone who was part of Oracle, they.. they definitely wouldn't." Hugo sounded hurt now, with.. not much else to say. He rested his shoulders and back against the stone, sighing quietly.

Fenris sighed. Again. She was getting a little tired of Hugo insisting that everyone in Oracle must be a saint. He was being too naive. Really? Do you know what the CEO looks for when he hires people? 'Cause I sure as hell don't! Fuck know's who it is he hires! But you expect me to just accept someone, an ex-Ai Jinn, just because she's Oracle? You are asking a hell of a lot Hugo! Too much.

Hugo didn't really have much to say; he felt strangely upset and furiously.. calm at the same time by Fenris' words. He was silent for a several long moments, and he scanned the horizon while he tried to put his thoughts into words. After a pause long enough that Fenris couldn't be sure if her housemate wasn't going to answer, Hugo mumbled, "But, you already accept her. You trust your life to her during missions. In combat. Just today, you did that."

The angry woman suppressed a snort of laughter. Cause that was a choice I had! But anyway, just because I expect her to be good enough to not get me killed, doesn't mean much. You must have worked with some complete strangers in your time. Did you trust them implicitly as soon as you met? Normal people don't Hugo. You can't trust someone you don't know. And even then... She cut herself off before she went somewhere she did not want to go right now.

"[u]I had to fight with people I didn't know. But I also trusted them with my life. I didn't worry about them when I.. I worried about someone in front of me. I didn't know them, but we were in.. We were part of the same group. Same goals. And... And that counts, right? Because if you don't know me, after all this... bullshit..." He trailed off, his obvious conclusions left unsaid. He looked around, down, shaking his head.

Fenris stiffened at Hugo's dismissal of the situation as "bullshit". What the fuck Hugo? Of course I know you! But I can't say the same for all of Oracle. There are some that I've barely met. Dani among them. And I sure as hell don't know what their goals are. I doubt anyone in Oracle shares the same goals. The point is Hugo, she is a complete stranger. A complete stranger you decided to move into my home without having the common fucking decency to even let me know! She sounded almost wounded.You just disregarded any thoughts or feelings I might have had, and just carried on regardless! It was obvious that this was the real reason why Fenris was pissed off, at least to her. She hadn't expected him to be so... thoughtless.

Again, there was a long pause on Hugo's end. He was thinking hard, hard enough for Fenris to almost hear. He almost started speaking a few times, before he stopped. "I.. I didn't want to hurt you. Ever. Cuz I met Dani and thought you and her would get along fine. You're both so.. angry and funny and like the same things. And.. But.. I.. I didn't... I.. It's, it's my home too. And I just wanted to, to help a friend. For two weeks. Less. I.. I didn't know it would hurt you." He felt like he was repeating the same stuff, but didn't know what else to say.

You could have just said something! Anything! If you'd just... She couldn't find the right words, and tailed off in frustration. She was just trying to make him understand what it was he had done. I don't care about you wanting to help Dani! I care about my friends acknowledging my feelings! Hell! My fucking existence! I want to have a say in what goes on in my home! You... You didn't do that Hugo. You never gave me that chance. Until it was too late.

Hugo was quiet for a while, before he half-stammered, "I.. I didn't.. I.. I.. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just, I.. ..so sorry." He sounded shocked and sorry, sincerely, underneath a crippling inability to know what to say. He said nothing else.