12-20-2013, 01:19 AM
Once upon a time Hood hadn't the patience for Jaxen's style of showboating. If they had first met under different circumstances, the weaselly little bastard would already be dead. Some small part of him considered those the good old days. Things had been so much more cut and dry. Black and white even. America's interests first, the ends justified the means, everyone not sporting the red-white-and-blue were either the enemy, or a means to an end.
After Oman, that had changed. Politics didn't matter to him anymore. He still had no real qualms with taking lives of course, but there usually had to be a reason to it, other then just not liking a fellow. It wasn't so much that he was trying to be a better person, or that he had to be concerned about consequences, really. But personal slights against himself just didn't seem as important anymore.
And besides, he didn't want to burn any bridges for Spectra of course. He was confident enough that he didn't see much need to show up Jaxen, and he could not know what angles Spectra was working. The woman had always been one to spin webs, after all. At the end of the day, he and Zoolander had only offered her a hand up, she was the one that had climbed to the clouds, so to speak. As annoying as Jaxen was, he still seemed to be a well connected fellow, just the sort that Spectra liked to have in her webs.
Of course, if he didn't miss his guess, Spectra might well have some competition in that respect. Jaxen's date was more then just simple arm candy. And judging by the look the woman shared with Spectra, the two were sizing each other up for quite the show. Not the sort that he had any desire to see, especially since he was quite confident that Jaxen and himself would be their weapons of choice. But whatever battle of wills was brewing seemed to vanish when Jaxen opened his big mouth.
The man just didn't know when to shut up, did he? Some folks didn't need to know just how unpleasant the world around them really was. Things like Rougarou, plucking folks off the streets, torturing and raping and eating their victims. That was something some folks just didn't need to know about. So hopefully the idiot had a good story that didn't involve man-eating monsters. Of course, Jaxen's arrogance might have shriveled up had he known just how dark the world really was.
Hood offered Oriena a commiserating roll of his eyes before the two took their leave. The woman seemed intelligent, she surely had a good idea of how little forethought Jaxen seemed capable of. Trouble seemed to follow the fool everywhere he went, and mostly brought on by his own actions. Hopefully his date for the evening wouldn't be burned for it.
With Jaxen and Oriena's departure, Hood and Spectra were finally left alone. The brief commotion and tell-tale silence in the main room hadn't gone unnoticed. Nor had Jaxen's curious reaction to whatever seemed to be going on over there. Whatever it had been, it seemed to blow over in short order, and the sounds of talking and entertainment could once more be heard. Someone of import perhaps? Or some social snaffu? Or, considering which direction Yuri had skulked off in, both?
He looked to Spectra, and shrugged slightly. They both seemed entirely too popular at this party for his liking; in her case, it was to be expected. He much preferred being anonymous at these sorts of things. He wasn't here to rub elbows and grease palms. He had exactly one reason to be here, and she was on his arm. "So, shall we try this again?"
After Oman, that had changed. Politics didn't matter to him anymore. He still had no real qualms with taking lives of course, but there usually had to be a reason to it, other then just not liking a fellow. It wasn't so much that he was trying to be a better person, or that he had to be concerned about consequences, really. But personal slights against himself just didn't seem as important anymore.
And besides, he didn't want to burn any bridges for Spectra of course. He was confident enough that he didn't see much need to show up Jaxen, and he could not know what angles Spectra was working. The woman had always been one to spin webs, after all. At the end of the day, he and Zoolander had only offered her a hand up, she was the one that had climbed to the clouds, so to speak. As annoying as Jaxen was, he still seemed to be a well connected fellow, just the sort that Spectra liked to have in her webs.
Of course, if he didn't miss his guess, Spectra might well have some competition in that respect. Jaxen's date was more then just simple arm candy. And judging by the look the woman shared with Spectra, the two were sizing each other up for quite the show. Not the sort that he had any desire to see, especially since he was quite confident that Jaxen and himself would be their weapons of choice. But whatever battle of wills was brewing seemed to vanish when Jaxen opened his big mouth.
The man just didn't know when to shut up, did he? Some folks didn't need to know just how unpleasant the world around them really was. Things like Rougarou, plucking folks off the streets, torturing and raping and eating their victims. That was something some folks just didn't need to know about. So hopefully the idiot had a good story that didn't involve man-eating monsters. Of course, Jaxen's arrogance might have shriveled up had he known just how dark the world really was.
Hood offered Oriena a commiserating roll of his eyes before the two took their leave. The woman seemed intelligent, she surely had a good idea of how little forethought Jaxen seemed capable of. Trouble seemed to follow the fool everywhere he went, and mostly brought on by his own actions. Hopefully his date for the evening wouldn't be burned for it.
With Jaxen and Oriena's departure, Hood and Spectra were finally left alone. The brief commotion and tell-tale silence in the main room hadn't gone unnoticed. Nor had Jaxen's curious reaction to whatever seemed to be going on over there. Whatever it had been, it seemed to blow over in short order, and the sounds of talking and entertainment could once more be heard. Someone of import perhaps? Or some social snaffu? Or, considering which direction Yuri had skulked off in, both?
He looked to Spectra, and shrugged slightly. They both seemed entirely too popular at this party for his liking; in her case, it was to be expected. He much preferred being anonymous at these sorts of things. He wasn't here to rub elbows and grease palms. He had exactly one reason to be here, and she was on his arm. "So, shall we try this again?"