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[/html]Hybrid didn't know what to say to that. He couldn't complain about how Gabriel had led Inferni because Gabriel had allowed him to do as he pleased, even when Hybrid knew it might jeopardize... something. He didn't even know. As far as repercussions went, Bris had come after him for murdering Kol, but he'd toyed with Bris well enough to know she would not bother him again. So why should he complain? Certainly, there were many hybrids in the pack, but Hybrid knew he'd experimented a bit in his day. There had been Pilot, locked in the shed for two months and then the falling-out with that male Ryan had been seeing. Valkyrie's new father, most likely. But Gabriel hadn't really said anything about it. He couldn't remember, in fact, if there had been any consequences for that. He supposed that if he couldn't remember a reprimand, it probably didn't happen (since he would remember that, wouldn't he?) He didn't fucking know.
He didn't know what to say to any of it. Knowing that Gabriel's own daughter slandered him made Hybrid uncomfortable. He didn't know if he agreed or not and he didn't know if he even needed to make a decision. What did it matter if he formed an opinion on her comments? He doubted she'd care either way, so he just shrugged in reply. Finally, after staring straight ahead for so long, he craned his head up to look at her much taller form. She fiddled with her hair as she completed her thoughts and Hybrid wondered if she had more to say.
He was right. Whatever it was that was bothering her enough to say those words against her father wasn't done yet. He didn't know if he wanted to hear this, and for a moment, he turned away as she began to speak, but found himself glancing up at her after a moment. He was surprised by her diffidence. He had expected more anger, but it seemed as though she'd cooled it and retreated. Weak. He sneered and shook his head. If there was anything about her he disliked, perhaps it was her tendency to restrain her emotions when she should not. He loathed hysterics, but he also acknowledged that his every movement was fueled - to some extent - by anger and his acceptance of it. She fought too much against herself. He didn't like it. And then she would brush off her previous words by faked apathy. He knew she cared. He just wondered why she didn't want him to know that. During their last meeting, she had questioned him and then feigned disinterest. It appalled him to see this kind of behaviour. It was not sly and it was not to either of their best interest, so why did she do it?
Of course, once he was done mulling this over, he realized she had said much more than he'd anticipated. She didn't want to be like him. That brought a smile to his face a she realized they had similarities, but not likenesses, which she could not deny. Children were the product of their parents, so why not be like them? Hybrid had chosen a life to contradict who his father was after Faolin murdered him and Hybrid had grown up not knowing Asphyxia's name.
Or, had he? He didn't know. Segodi had been his father until he'd sought out his real one -- and answers to his questions. So if she didn't want to be like her father, then perhaps Talitha really was like Hybrid. Perhaps she could carry on her legacy when Hybrid died. Perhaps she could be the next warrior. Perhaps she would fail him, like so many had already.
"By trying to be different, you become the same," he began slowly. He wasn't used to these long, drawn-out thoughts. "My life is simple, but you complicate yours," he stated. He didn't know how he felt about that. "Gabriel played his part and I served him. We're not meant to live forever. His part is over." He sniffed and then frowned. "Now your... brother... leads." He did not like Ezekiel, so what did that make him? If the children were destined to redundancy, following the paths of their fathers, what did that make Ezekiel? What would happen to his understanding with Gabriel when the former Aquila inevitably died or departed?
His life was too full of questions and not enough answers. He could blame Talitha for this, since that would be easy, but he knew that he played a role in this, too.