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[Strider03]

Shef's expression tightened into a scowl. She knew things, certainly. Enough to confirm that she wasn't faking it. But who the fuck did she think she was, waltzing into his home, for the sole purpose of deriding his choices.

"You're wrong." He growled.

"Wrong about my life back there. Maybe my career choice wasn't admirable, maybe my rationale wasn't perfect. But I enjoyed it. It had meaning to me, you should damn well know that, and I enjoyed it. I had goals and purpose, even if it was just in beating each of the small challenges that we came up against." Until he came to the challenge that he couldn't beat.

"Don't know if I can go back, or whether I'd want to. But so what? Maybe I won't be happy, or have some grand fulfilling purpose." Not many people did really. Finding meaning wasn't a luxury most got, and Shef was content to find enjoyment in the moment. Questions about what he'd end up having done with his life were useless, there were never answers.

"Why the hell do you care? Why step in now? My life's been going like this for some time, and I've. . . been getting along. So what is it, why step in? You want to give me purpose, go dedicate my life to God or something, and proselytize the unbeliever?" She wasn't here for that, he knew, but he didn't care.

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Had. Past tense. 'Getting along' was hitting the mark closer as of late I'd wager. And for the record, I'd like to think we both know by now there is no bearded old man in the sky with plans for you."

She smiles politely and continues.

"I'm here now because your life is approaching a crossroads, and before you ask, I don't know all the details either. Purpose is not on my agenda, such lofty things have only the substance we ascribe them, no, I deal with something more tangible - happiness. And if that happiness comes from doing a certain heiress or a ghost, well, I wouldn't be complaining."

[Strider03]

At the angel's God comment, Shef waved it off, conceding the point.

She hadn't answered the most important question that Shef had asked, but that was irrelevant in the face of the implications that followed. Without a thought, his hand twitched up to where his pistol would normally sit in his jacket, had he been wearing it. Following this motion, he raised the same hand into some gesture between an unfinished act of putting his face in his hands and an open armed querying motion.

"What. . .are you fucking insane?" He said forcefully, though in hushed tones. His face was tinged red, a combination of anger, indignation, and embarrassment. "You know about them, their histories, and you've apparently been watching me. So you should damn well know that I met Hanako less than a week ago for maybe an hour, and I met Evi fucking yesterday, and that was also for only an hour! I barely know either of them, for god's sake!"

"And if you think that doesn't matter, then fuck off. A one night stand or something isn't happiness, it's just pleasure, and there's pretty fucking big difference between those." He was fuming. He was fuming. Where the hell did she get the idea that she could just waltz in here and say that? It was beyond presumptuous, and kind of offensive. He'd done something nice for two people who needed it, nothing more or less. Perhaps he'd had personal motivations, but they were minor, not of the insulting type that Leone indicated. The fucking gall. Perhaps he needed to just stop doing nice things for people; they seemed unanimously misinterpreted. Maybe that wasn't entirely true, but Shef wasn't thinking to clearly or hard on the subject right now.

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Relax, an example is only an example. Though I suppose I know now you're not much for hedonism. Tell me then, what would make you happy?"

[Twinwolf]

Yuki
You also received that text from Winter. Also your mother continues to be catatonic and everything continues to be pure suffering. Also the guy sent to look after her is currently addressing you, a boy looking around the age of twelve yet clad in a tailored suit and carrying the air of someone much older, a boy for which that quote about the abyss gazing back seems perfectly fitting given the madness and malevolence that flickers at the very edges of his eyes complementing the intensity of his cold gaze.
"Your flesh puppet is broken."

To the first text (regarding her pay), she responded that she'd be happy to talk with them the next day. At the moment, she was home. "Uh-huh. Gave her food and water and stuff?" she said, as if absolutely nothing was wrong.

[Strider03]

"Pick better examples." He said with venom.

Shef's glowering expression persisted after she finished speaking. "No, why don't you tell me. How did you not know that? If you've been watching for so long? Is it like watching my life on television? You should have still known. You new on the job, only get the cliffnotes, or what?"

[Empiricist]

Yuki
"Yes. Is that all?"

Shef
"What am I? A pervert? I get your information in a dossier."

[Strider03]

"Haven't given much evidence to the contrary."

Shef sighed, clasping his hands in a supplicating manner. "Look. Why don't you give me a bit better clarification on what you actually do, how this whole guardian angel business works, et cetera. You some kinda case worker, what do they pay you? You've got your wings. Conscripted? Volunteer? Why'd you choose me, or was it assigned. When you started, the works. Then when I'm satisfied, I'll answer your damn questions." The man's anger was diminishing, slightly.

He had only a few options: controlled discussion, more hot tempered discussion, and requesting that the woman leave. The second would get him nowhere and might be disruptive to neighbors. The third option, well, Shef admitted his read on Leone was incomplete, and his read was that she'd leave if asked firmly. However, there was that small chance that she wouldn't, and he didn't know if he could make her, and if he couldn't, trying would likely make things worse all around.

[Empiricist]

Shef
"They pay me nothing outside of operational expenses, the job's its own reward, travel the word, meet people, kill people. Picked you since you sounded like fun. And before you ask, you're a case because we've a vested interest keeping you here. ...And a vested interest in getting the Brise de Mer off your tail."

[Strider03]

"Fine, sounds like a nice deal. Give you the benefit of the doubt, for now. But what does the organization or whatever want out of it? Not gonna commit to anything until I know what's expected of me, whether this is gonna incur some debts down the line." It was interesting, to say the least, possibly useful. And at the very least, even if Shef couldn't find any use for this help, it was an opportunity for info. They had a mutual enemy, possibly. Even if he never intended to cross paths with the Brise de Mer again, it didn't hurt to have the intel. And there was of course the case of bullets that the angel had teased. Shef couldn't deny that his curiosity about those motivated further interest in the discussion.

"I 'sounded fun'. I-You want to tell me what that means? Or. . .nevermind." The question would come up again soon, and there'd be little continuing to avoid it, if he wanted the conversation to go on. "What would make me happy? I don't have a goddamn clue. I enjoy my work, for the most part, same reasons I enjoyed the trade. It's stimulating. Sometimes it goes. . .off the rails for lack of a better term, but there's good parts too. I liked the building, the designing part back there. Haven't done enough here, just. . .haven't asked about the resources, and getting more in depth into the awakened weapons would take some significant research, I expect. Procrastinating maybe, who knows. You happy now?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
"Quite. As for us, we want to be a part of your story. Maybe you'll go on to do something great, maybe you go back to the way you are. It's a gamble like any good investment, and the wager is my time. Don't you worry, I'm not much of a preacher when it comes down to it."

[Strider03]

"That-that doesn't clarify anything?

[Empiricist]

Shef
"We give you supplies and hopefully you do something helpful. Don't plan on forcing the issue though."

[Strider03]

"Fine." He couldn't tell if she was being purposely obtuse or what, but fine. He could ask Rosario and the AI about this later, see if they new anything, ask more questions to Leone at a later time.

"Fine. I accept, or whatever, conditional on the info I have. You bring up some requirement later, I'd prefer the option to back out. So. . .now what?"

[Empiricist]

Shef
She opens up the briefcase again, pulling out a pillow and blanket. "Do whatever, I need some sleep."