04-21-2015, 04:47 PM
Jacinda had irritated him, but she wasn't really sure why. She'd been trying to respectful, after all. Oh well. There was nothing she could do about that. The Atharim on this side were touchy. In the States, no one was her superior or gave her orders. She got reports and cases and handled what needed handling. Sometimes Atharim got together to take care of larger threats. And then that meant there would be some kind of loose organization. But those were sorted out pretty quickly. Among her fellow hunters seniority was pretty much the primary method. Bad, stupid or impulsive hunters died pretty quickly.
Here, though, it was so much more ordered. The hierarchy was so much more rigid. Part of her rejected it almost viscerally. It was so alien to her. And yet those blue eyes burned into her. So much could be accomplished when part of a team. She thought back to the many times she'd hunted with others. Some were a joy and some were a pain. More often than not, personalities clashed and it made things worse. Hell, more dangerous was the better word. People who thought they knew better than she did, despite her decades of experience. But when it worked, well, you could feel it. It was almost like the total was greater than the sum of its parts. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was something else.
And this was what The Regus wanted. A real team. Obedience. Loyalty. That's what he wanted to know. Could he get that from her. Honestly, she wasn't completely sure. It was such a departure for her. Could she do it now, at her age?
She examined herself. It came down to trust. Do you trust the people next to you. Do you respect them. Do you have their back and will they have yours? Can you count on them to make the right calls, even if you don't agree with it? That right there, that would be the hard part. To believe that they had information she didn't.
She met his gaze. This man, she could respect. He wanted a weapon in the war. He didn't strike her as one to waste men in stupid forays. He had cut to the core of the issue for her. His team was not to be casually thrown together. He was building something. She could trust him. As for the others, well, they got her trust only in as much as he trusted them.
She smiled. "Yes, I still want to join. I'm not saying it will be easy. Old habits are hard to lose. But it's worth it. I can swallow my own ego for the sake of mankind. I want to be a part of your Order, your team. This is far too important."
She hesitated. "If you'll let me."
Here, though, it was so much more ordered. The hierarchy was so much more rigid. Part of her rejected it almost viscerally. It was so alien to her. And yet those blue eyes burned into her. So much could be accomplished when part of a team. She thought back to the many times she'd hunted with others. Some were a joy and some were a pain. More often than not, personalities clashed and it made things worse. Hell, more dangerous was the better word. People who thought they knew better than she did, despite her decades of experience. But when it worked, well, you could feel it. It was almost like the total was greater than the sum of its parts. It didn't happen often, but when it did, it was something else.
And this was what The Regus wanted. A real team. Obedience. Loyalty. That's what he wanted to know. Could he get that from her. Honestly, she wasn't completely sure. It was such a departure for her. Could she do it now, at her age?
She examined herself. It came down to trust. Do you trust the people next to you. Do you respect them. Do you have their back and will they have yours? Can you count on them to make the right calls, even if you don't agree with it? That right there, that would be the hard part. To believe that they had information she didn't.
She met his gaze. This man, she could respect. He wanted a weapon in the war. He didn't strike her as one to waste men in stupid forays. He had cut to the core of the issue for her. His team was not to be casually thrown together. He was building something. She could trust him. As for the others, well, they got her trust only in as much as he trusted them.
She smiled. "Yes, I still want to join. I'm not saying it will be easy. Old habits are hard to lose. But it's worth it. I can swallow my own ego for the sake of mankind. I want to be a part of your Order, your team. This is far too important."
She hesitated. "If you'll let me."