Participants:
| Scene Title | Catching Up With Emojis |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Huruma's learned to use them and Lucille is happy to have her aunt back. |
| Date | February 20, 2018 |
The Bunker has always had a certain amount of traffic; the garage is typically occupied by some bikes, cars, the Hounds’ roving tank. The jet has its own little space, thankfully. Air traffic is a little more sparse, but Rochester sees enough of it in the tiny port. A flight in from Spain was the last, a private charter dropping off and picking up as it hops from place to place.
As it so happens, Huruma had a seat there.
Her bags are few, and even after a lift back to the Wolfhound Bunker, she wishes she’d just left everything behind. It wouldn’t have been the first time, but baggage checks are a hell and a half. Toting a case behind her, the wheels bump over gravel as she keys herself in the front door without fanfare. Her frame is wrapped in a long coat against what she feels is the cold, sunglasses on her face pried off as she comes traipsing into the bunker.
Really, it’s as if she’d never even left.
Coming out from the door leading into the Training Center, Lucille Ryans is slinging a towel around her neck blue eyes closed as she takes deep breaths. She's found there often and it would seem she had just finished running a few gymnastics exercises dressed in a full body leotard. She's basking in the feeling being active gives her, she's content. Peaceful, it's miles away from the girl that Huruma fought beside in the war. That coal fire of rage that she used to fuel her during the days of the Institute and Civil war quelled by the constant meditation and training she put herself through.
The younger woman hears the click of heels and peeks an eye open, who could that be..? A flicker and then bloom of happiness washes over her before her smile reaches her lips, “Aunt Huruma.” She’s warm to the older woman, a mentor and one of her father’s best friend. The perfect partner and now someone that Lucille leans on for support.
That point is literal as she nears proximity and after a noticeable moment of hesitation to make sure her skin is all covered, she almost always checks on reflex. She reaches out with a gloved hand to grasp her shoulder, Luce doesn't dare to hug the tall woman. Her face is not covered. “I missed you.” The corners of her eyes wrinkle as blue eyes stare into Huruma’s pale ones.
Huruma takes a few moments to absorb the presence of others, noting Hana in an upstairs space, others milling in quarters, Lucille finishing a workout. It’s a reserved sort of study, and as Lucille spies her, the tall woman is clicking her luggage to a stop and leaning it against a wall. When she looks up again, it is with a widening smile, toothy as Lucille comes up to her. Luce may not be sure about the embracing, but Huruma knows how to manage it; an arm that slings safely around the young woman’s shoulders at the touch, tugging torso against ribcage in a reasonable facsimile. She has had practice, alright?
“I’ve missed you too. E-mail never seems to do enough.” Voice low, her laugh drawls in her chest and throat, a hand coming up to brush at Lucille’s other shoulder, a reassuring gesture.
She doesn't stiffen at the embrace if anything it touches her even more. Most people are too afraid to try really but Huruma knows her and it's just like always she can trust her even with this. Her eyes close with relief at the sign of affection, this is something she misses. A pang of regret that it's not something she can always have, it was something she took for granted. Lucille’s troubled musings only last the briefest of seconds because Aunt Huruma is in town and she always makes things better, or more exciting if you ask Luce.
“It really doesn't.” She turns to grab at Huruma’s bag she respects her elders and as a mentor coming in from a long trip, Lucille pulls the suitcase forward. “I haven't come down totally from the work out, so lemme pull this for some more exercise.” There's a grin at the silly statement, of course the bag isn't that heavy and Huruma can totally handle it herself but Luce likes to help. She's Huruma’s shadow after all.
“How was it? Did you see Dajan? Riya?” This level of enthusiasm is rare these days but one on one with Huruma, Lucille is scarred but there is still a piece of that girl she first met, excitable prone to swearing, “I heard shit is wild over there.”
Huruma still has a bunk here, being Wendigo; she resigns herself to letting Lucille take the case, idly wondering if she’s after what’s potentially inside.
Spoiler: It’s not her son.
“Of course. Spent more than a year there, collectively. Surprised me. Did some other travelling…” Huruma answers, walking alongside Lucille as they go off to locate the mostly unused quarter. “It is definitely wild over there. But in the best ways. I am happy for them, and they are well. Dajan keeps busy, as you can imagine.”
-
“You must be proud.” If she had a kid like Dajan she would be. “Did you bring,” there’s a sly grin as they do their walk towards Huruma’s quarters, “Presents.” There’s a youthful excitement buzzing from the young woman. Huruma’s home fascinated her.
“I'd love for them to visit.”
Luce clearly wants it to be Dajan or Riya in the suitcase. She really would, having Huruma’s kids here in the States to hang with feels cosmic and destined given the relationship her father has with the woman. “Could you imagine? All of us?”
“I am.” Huruma looks down as the question finally comes, her head giving a shake and a laugh. Aw, Lucille.
“Of course I did. Though only for people I know wouldn’t feel awkward over it… like they needed to repay me. Gifts are gifts, but I’ve noticed that some of you tend to want to repay them.” Huruma mulls over her reasoning a little further, but it’s solid enough. “So I did get you something. Next time you can just ask.” She moves ahead a bit as they travel, unlocking the door to the quarters and shooing Luce in.
“I would love for them to visit too. And yes, I can, and part of me feels nervous.” The tall woman laughs, tossing her head just a bit. “I think your father and I would probably hide after half an hour or so.”
There's a light bit of laughter that escapes the younger woman, flutters of joy flicker at the edge of her mood. Huruma has boosted her spirits, she needed to be around the other woman’s presence. The prospect of a gift is a fun one. Lucille is shoo’d inside and she sits the suitcase up straight by the door and turns to peer around, she hadn't been in here since the last time that Huruma was at the Bunker.
“Oh come on, you two could handle all.. five of us. Oh wait.. is it seven?//” she jokes but sometimes she does get confused. Remembering everyone's birthday besides dad’s and Delia's was a chore and a half.
Speaking of, “Have you talked to Dad?”
“If we count your cousins, I believe it would be up to eleven between us…” Lucille, Delia, Benji, Ingrid, Pippa, Bradley, Graeme, Keira, Dajan, Juwariya, and Badrani. “Descendants, anyway. Thirteen if you include both Cash and Kasha.” Honorary sprouts of hers. Fair? That Huruma just rattles this off goes to show that it is not the first time she has counted. “Hn. Doesn't Graeme have children, now?” Uh oh, more she missed. Don't remind her about Kincaid.
That's fifteen.
Huruma shakes her head as if to clear it, brow tightening when she nudges the matter aside. As for the Bunker, it wasn't ever really a place that found much of her style. Still plainer than not. A tad dusty.
“Not yet. I wanted to surprise him.” Huruma remarks on the last question, leaning down to produce a paper bag for Lucille. “Riya makes these, she wanted me to bring you one.”
Inside is a wooden bracelet inlaid with resin, a shock of amber color down the ring of mahogany, reminiscent of Lu’s more wild eyes.
They both try to count how many family members they have going, “Wow, we have such a large family,” of course they've both known this for a long time now but. “Graeme does, one right? I haven't seen Keira in forever.” Her wayward cousin causes Lucille to grimace, she had dropped out of that life of crime a very long time ago. She still knew the streets and that was useful for Wolfhound but she didn't live on the streets anymore, didn't run in the alleys like she use too.
“Oh wow this is,” Lucille pulls the bracelet out and she slides it on her wrist easily. She already +knows she’ll never take it off, just like with her silver locket with the picture of she and Delia as kids. “I'll never take it off, I must thank her,”
Luce is eager to have Huruma’s children here. It feels like a missing piece.
Huruma watches Lucille open the gift from over her shoulder as she moves to the sheetless bed and sets her other bag atop it. The immediate slip of the bracelet onto her wrist has Huruma beaming a little more, smile brilliant like a flicker of light. “Her email is still the same~.” The tall woman adds, tugging out a few things to put into the nightstand drawers. “I know she’d love to keep up the writing.” Riya is not the best typist in the world, but she manages well enough to write sweet little letters and send pictures of her art to others.
“I am glad that she has someone else to reach out to. I have a hard time deciphering the, ah, internet slang.” Admitting it is one thing, and admitting it to Lucille is even more of a thing. Huruma knows how to abuse emojis (and does, much to Ben’s dismay), but the slang is a little out of her reach given how fast it grows.
There's a light chuckle that escapes Lucille. “The slang can be hard to pick up. I do need to write her. Lucille made a note to send her pen pal another email, she enjoyed Riya’s online presence it cheered her up when she was down. Her art was beautiful. Emoji abuse is something that Lucille loves that happens between her father and Huruma, she had been trying to teach her father the implications of certain emojis if used. The lessons weren't going that well.
Lucille wished that Ingrid could teach him, she was the baby damn near anyway.
“I need to go see him,” it'd been a few weeks, “And Delia. I've tried to make more of an effort of being around.”
An eggplant goes in the garden! What’s so weird about that?
“I want to see your sister too. Maybe we can both visit.” Huruma sighs outwardly and sits down on the edge of the bare bed, fingers moving over the bumps of thread and one brow lifting to Lucille. “I know I can just ask him when I see him, but he likes to play things so close to the chest…” Even if she’s his shadow, Huruma still has to make sure that he tells her things. “Do you think he’s doing alright? You don’t have to go into detail, just… I know how the first ‘retirement’ was.”
She clearly wants to go in with a little more when she finally does see him again. And these questions are better in person than in letters.
“I would love that we should before she's telling people I've forgotten her again.” Trying to make light of a touchy subject she grins a brief grin though there's guilt mixed in with that. Lucille frown briefly.
“You mean dad isn't being forthcoming with his life?” Lucille raises an eyebrow in mock shock and rolls her eyes about her father, he had changed in some ways and stayed the same in others. “I.. he's trying to garden,” the younger woman leans against the wall, arms folded her new gift sitting on her wrist well.
“I'm really not sure how long that's gonna stick.”
Huruma does her level best to not address the sisters’ contentions for them, but she gives Lucille an understanding look for her mention of Delia’s feelings. The rolling of eyes has her laughing, the sound low and warm; she crosses her legs at the knee, head tipping to listen.
“I know he likes it, but you're not wrong.” Huruma hums, lips pursing a moment after. “I suppose this means I will have to ply him.” A small snort punctuates her words, lips crooking. “But I do not mind.”
The younger woman joins Huruma with a snort and shakes her head. “I swear to God if he jumps through a window, de-aged to twenty-nine and runs up to us saying, “Let’s move.” She mocks her father's tone pretty accurately (He's her hero after all) “So help me…” Lucille shakes her head, “Please do! He.. er… listens to you!”
Did Dad really listen to anyone? It usually felt like people required things of her father and it fell in line with his morals.. and his agenda. Of protecting his family.
“I mean who am I kidding? As soon as Pippa is able to date he’ll be crashing through windows. She's the baby, I have a feeling,” Thanks Pippa you can have Dad frowning at your choices in men, you go girl.
Huruma laughs, tossing her head back a little and lifting back onto her feet, hands moving to Lucille’s shoulders and giving her an affectionate squeeze. She knows just how to manage the girl’s lingering ability, and it shows in how she finds a spot to touch, to hug. Good girl.
“Then we’ll have to make sure he doesn’t want to crash through windows over her. Let’s help give her a little independence by distracting your old man, hm?” Huruma seems amused by the thought, but she clearly doesn’t want him hawking over poor Pippa, either. “Retirement means he shouldn’t have to worry about things like that. She’s got a long while to go, yet “
“I'm game. Anything for the baby sis.” She snickers at the thought. Their family was so large and weird, it was just right for Lucille. She accepts the hug with a sigh of relief and closes her eyes leaning into it. She missed her there. It was so good to have her back.
“I agree, he should really be just sipping that Brandy I got him last year and staring into the fire. Reading a book, the peaceful life.” She might want the same thing for Huruma but she realized that Huruma was extremely unique with the combination of her ability, military prowess and heritage. She worried more for her father who was aging still and had lost a hand.
“I mean if he really wanted to stretch his legs he could take up a position like Avi. He's not always in the thick of shit.” But that's not what she wants she wants simple days for her dad. He earned it. Pippa deserved to have him around. “Pippa deserves to actually have him around though, not always away on //business/ trips.” Air quotes.
“I do not see your vision lasting for long.” Huruma’s reply is filtered through a small chuckle. “As much as it’s appropriate.” Somehow his legs would get restless, and then the rest of him. Books probably would not last him.
“Tch, if your father tried to do as Avi these days, I think I would lock him up myself.” There’s a scoff in her voice as she moves to her luggage and pulls some lesser items out, tucking them away where they belong. It’s not a lot, as she is quite used to moving around; the most of anything seems to be clothes, in fact. She’s not exactly easy to shop for. “Avi has a predisposition towards dealing with other people’s problems and not making it entirely personal.” Ben, though? To her, Ben gets invested. More than Epstein, anyway. She’s known her fair share of the type.
“She does.” Agreement comes with a slim smile past shoulder, eyes narrowing. “At least now there’s no chance I’ll be the one keeping him from his family.”
Luce grins over at Huruma with a snort, “Yea probably not.” Dad would get restless, he always does. As does Lucille. It was the main reason she had kept on the move for some long as she traveled, for modeling, while on the run. She had somehow found enough peace to stay still. Maybe this is what it was like for her dad and Huruma back in the day, the job was their peace. She understood that now. Sweeping a strand of hair out of her blue eyes as they crinkle on the edges from a squint. “We’re watching him,” he wags a finger in front of her face with a grin.
She is happy to hear Huruma say that about her father. Good, BFF Huruma ain’t taking no shit. Sit down Ben. At the description of Avi she smiles faintly. “Dad has a huge heart, way big.” His children inherited that sometimes it was a burden or got in the way. Or like with her father (and her) got them into a bunch of trouble.
“Oh yea I’m sure she’s gonna get spoiled by him. It’s like I don’t know, shit. A new beginning? A fresh start? No blood to be washed away from the streets in front of her,” Because they are hunting the wolves for the kids like Pippa. Stop the monsters from going ‘Boo’ at night.
“I can tell that her mother is trying to give her as much of a normal life as she can. So you would be right. Phillipa has something that children haven’t had in a little while.” Huruma waves her hand in a somewhat dismissive gesture, landing it back on her hip. “I missed her birthday so I hope to see her soon too— I mean, if you are going to mention spoiling.” She flashes a small grin and slides the suitcase under the bed.
Huruma just loves that squirt, alright? Can you blame her?
“But, in any case, I can’t stop your father from putting his boots back on— but you know if he does I’ll be watching him too.” Despite the thought of him wanting to do it, at least Huruma offers this to Lucille. There’s no second-guessing when it comes to wondering if Dad has backup. “It will work itself out, whatever he does.” Because at the same time, he’s not a kid. He’s a grown man that can make his own dumb decisions. Huruma moves for the door, beckoning Lucille with a hand to come with.
“I haven’t eaten since before my flight… you can catch me up on the others?”
The auburn haired woman laughs as she thinks about how spoiled Pippa will end up between them all and how much love she’s gonna have too. There will never be shortage. There’s a light grin, “Let’s go see her together, she’s just too cute.” She has to see her, she doesn’t hold her sister but she loves her and she bends down close to make kissy noises at the little ball of cute.
The feeling is mutual, Pippa has stolen the hearts of everyone around her.
“I’m grateful to have you there, he needs you.” And she means it she can’t count how many times her dad would have been screwed if the older woman hadn’t been there and vice versa. She loves their partnership. She use to wish it would become romantic but she’s since given up on the two older folk getting it together and making it happen captain. Having Huruma in the role that she is now, a mentor, a Aunt is just perfect in Lucille’s eyes.
Standing she nods as she starts to exit the door in the search of food, “Don’t tell Berlin but I kept a cupcake or two after she passed out drunk. Let’s eat them~”
For now the Hounds can eat stolen cupcakes and catch up, they’ve got time.