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 Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:59 am
Wash's normally pleasant face was marred by a frown, mouth set in a grim line. He stirred his coffee with a spoon idly- it'd long since grown cold, but the movement kept his hands busy. He wanted to forget the conversation with Rep - wanted to pretend it didn't happen; but no. It was important that he see this through, that he do everything in his power to ensure that... That what? He wasn't sure. He didn't really know if talking to Jordan would make any difference at all. He tried to imagine it - a relationship with the volatile sun, who had so brazenly threatened another hunter; and he just couldn't wrap his mind around it. He had gotten too far into his head space, with his insidious suggestions and vile implications. It was difficult to be objective when this man had threatened something the moon hunter held in such high esteem.
She was precious, to him; more so than he perhaps was ready to acknowledge.
And so he sat at a table in the cafeteria, just before lunch, waiting and watching for yet another sun; but this one of lighter hair and, he prayed, more sound of mind.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:05 am
Jordan was not at his best in the morning. Coffee was always a necessity to clear the haze and get his brain started. So when he entered the cafeteria, he made a beeline for the coffee machines without noticing much else around him.
He still wasn't sure if he regretted donating his good coffee to the Thanksgiving party. On one hand, it had been what he had to share and people had enjoyed it; on the other ... who knew when portals would be up again? The cafeteria coffee currently filling his mug was of dubious, sludgelike quality. Still, it was coffee, and not totally undrinkable.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:11 am
Wash hesitated, watching the other hunter approach the coffee machine. The last time he'd seen him, besides Thanksgiving... Well. Was it that recovery mission? He couldn't remember. The last year had been a blur of battles fought; battles won, battles lost. It seemed like the only thing that mattered was staying alive.
Staying whole.
He waited for the sun to finish pouring his coffee before waving from his table. "'Ey. Jordan. You gotta minute?" He felt strangely on edge. This was going to be a very awkward, very personal conversation; not something he usually engaged in with relative strangers. He wasn't even quite sure how to begin.
One step at a time.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:13 am
Jordan blinked at Wash and headed over to join the Moon hunter at his table, sipping at his coffee. "Sure," he said, and claimed a chair. "What's up? Gotta warn you, if it involves thinking, you better let me get some caffeine down first."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:19 am
He let out a short chuckle, and it had a nervous tinge to it. Wash cleared his throat. "Oh, yeah man, 'course."
He fiddled with his own cup, stirring it up again before taking a sip. He grimaced. Cold.
"Haven't seen you in a while," he remarked, trying for small talk and allowing the other man a reprieve. No need to just blurt it out; he could be polite. He felt like it was burning a hole through his brain, though. Help me. Don't let this happen to her. "I guess I don't get out much, ha. Used to let Jerry drag me 'round, but..." He trailed off.
Yeah, that wasn't exactly the best subject either.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:31 am
"Yeah, it's been a while," Jordan agreed. He gave Wash a sideways look, the realization that the other man seemed oddly uncomfortable percolating slowly through his brain. Maybe he'd better finish his coffee. "Yeah, uh. Jerry seems to be getting better, a little," he offered. Was that what this was about?
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:39 am
"Yeah, we... We talked. I owed him that much, at least." And more. Wash felt a twinge of guilt, but pushed it aside. "I'm glad t' hear he's doing okay."
He paused, setting his cup down and wrapping his hands around it.
"So... Sorry for botherin' you with this, but. Well, you know him better 'n I do." He sighed, gathering his thoughts. "It's about Rep... an'... An' Sasha." He bit his lip. He wondered how it would feel, to hear this kind of thing from a... from someone who barely knew him.
"I'm worried."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:57 am
Oh, s**t. Jordan's expression fell into a careful, neutral stillness. He drained his coffee cup and put it down, wrapping his hands around the still-warm porcelain. Rep and Sasha. That was what this was about - and Wash was together with Sasha now. What had happened? What had Sasha told Wash, and what had Rep done?
"They've got some kind of feud going on," he said cautiously. "One that's ended up in the infirmary for one or the other more than once. I haven't witnessed any of the fights myself, yet." He could feel the edge of a headache coming on. "Has something happened?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:14 am
"Yeah, I knew about the fighting but not..." he stopped, gathering his thoughts.
"Yes, 'an no, I guess." Wash let his breath out, a weary-sounding exhalation. "They're both okay, well as I can tell. But I ran into Rep in the library, an' well." He fidgeted with his cup, stirring it idly again.
"He said some things. Disturbin' things. Suggested this might be more than... well. Physical. Or at least, not that kinna physical. Somethin' a little more, er, intimate." He raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. God. God. This was just... would he even believe him? But Sasha hadn't denied any of it, and she had every reason to lie.
"Now, I don't rightly know how all this came about, but..." Tasted her lips, her lifeblood. "They got it out for each other, bad. In a way I hadn't really suspected. I know he talks a lotta, well, a lotta s**t. God knows we all exaggerate from time to time, an' I don't think he particularly cares for anyone close to Sasha. Least, not me, anyway." He shook his head. He had made that much clear. "I asked 'er about it though, and she didn't deny it."
He looked genuinely disturbed now. He had to just get it over with. Rip it off, like a bandaid "Said he'd tasted 'er blood. 'Er...Lips." He shifted uncomfortably. "Said he wanted to tear her apart, emotionally and physically." Honest to God, just remembering the conversation had his hand convulse around the cup. His lip curled in disgust.
"I'm sorry fer comin' to you like this, but I didn't know what else to do."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:26 am
Jordan's eyes widened slightly as Wash explained, and his hands tightened around the mug. He listened silently, letting Wash finish, and turned over what he'd heard in his head. Rep had been evasive about the subject, and Jordan had let him slide out of answering, gut feeling suggesting that he didn't want to know.
"He talks a lot of s**t, yeah," he agreed, picking his words carefully. "I'd assumed that was what was going on. That it was - a rivalry, I guess." What he knew of Wash suggested that Wash was a good man. Honest. Did he have reason to lie? Sasha might. Jordan wasn't sure if he believed that she'd deliberately mislead Wash. He didn't know her, and he hadn't really tried.
He'd been distancing and isolating himself since the Sahara, he realized. Cocooning himself in a small and comfortable worldview and ignoring what was outside.
He couldn't afford to think about that now. He needed to have this conversation, even if he felt like the ground under him was crumbling. Pay attention to what's in front of you, he told himself, shoving back a rising edge of panic.
He didn't think Wash had reason to lie to him, and the man looked genuinely upset and disturbed. So, assumption: Wash was telling the truth as he knew it, and there was a problem that badly needed addressing. Tasted her lips. The porcelain of the mug in Jordan's hands creaked faintly; he didn't notice.
"I didn't know any of the details," he admitted, and looked down into the empty mug, the corners of his eyes going tight with unhappiness. "Guess I should thank you for letting me know there's. A problem."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:38 am
"I just... Whatever's goin', it ain't healthy. A rivalry is all fine an' good but..." But he'd marked her face. That just seemed so...personal. Wash took a deep breath. "There's more. He called her a...a whore. I mean, jus' name callin', right? But he kept sayin' he coulda. Coulda had her." He shook his head, again. "More 'n once. Said he... That part o' her belonged to 'im." The words tasted bitter in his mouth, and he studied the table's surface rather than meet the other hunter's eyes. It was painful, reliving this conversation in his head.
"I thought he was jus' bluffin, but then the blood, and that scar on her mouth -" He clasped his hands together, white knuckled. "Sasha tol' me that she's not like, that. She's in control."
He paused for a long time, before murmuring quietly, "I want to believe it, but I just ain't sure anymore."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:50 am
The corners of Jordan's mouth pulled down, and a flash of anger flickered in his eyes. Another soft creak, and then, with a loud CRACK, the mug in Jordan's hands shattered. He jumped. Then he set the handle down on the table and began gathering the pieces, his motions tight and controlled.
"I think he and I need to talk," he said, evenly and quietly.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:13 am
Wash's eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't say anything. He grabbed a chunk of napkins from the table's dispenser and started helping clean up.
"Look, man..." He tried to think of something, anything to say. "I dunno about Rep but...Sasha's. Been through some things, lately. She's." He sighed. "She's tryin' to find herself, I guess. I just thought you should know. Before somethin' happens." He rolled his shoulders, sitting back in his chair with a napkin full of broken porcelain. "Truth be told, he'd half implied that... you knew. I was beginnin' to think I was the only one out o' the loop."
It was actually somewhat of a relief, to know that Jordan hadn't known and didn't condone their behavior. He wasn't so alone, after all.
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:21 am
"Thanks," Jordan murmured, nodding towards the napkins. He was quiet for a long moment, then he sighed. "Rep's got a lot of issues. From what I can gather about how he grew up, he's had a hard, shitty life; there's reasons he acts the way he does. That doesn't excuse it," he added, his voice going hard. "He loses control sometimes. I'd hoped ..." He trailed off and shook his head, lips pressing into a thin line.
"I knew something was up, but I didn't know what. I guess maybe I got the feeling that I didn't want to know. I should've pushed. I'm sorry, dude."
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Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:28 am
"No, no, man, it's not." It's not you. "I guess they both... Have some things, they need t' work out."
"Seperately," he added. "It ain't your fault. I jus'... You care about 'im. I can't say I feel the same, but I don't expect you like Sasha much either, ha," he stated, chuckling weakly. "This place, we're all trapped in this little box and we ain't given much room to avoid one another. Things happen." He rubbed his temple.
"I jus' want her to be safe."
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