Shattered

Chapter 20

Lloyd tried not to make assumptions about people.

It was a stupid thing to do, really. To make assumptions about who a person was or what they were like based on surface level knowledge or a gut feeling, it didn't make any sense and it could be more harmful then good. Even if those assumptions ended up being correct, it was difficult to know the why.

Why did this father decide to rob a bank?

because his family was starving to death and no one was helping them.

Why did this woman commit suicide?

because she was being harassed and being subjected to hate crimes for being transgender.

Why did this teenage boy kill his stepfather?

because he was beating on him and his mom for months and was afraid he was going to kill her.

Something that he surprisingly learned from Darkleys and not from his time with the ninja, was that most people, including the government and police system never bothered with the why.

They never bothered with the why because it wasn't deemed as important.

They never bothered with the why because, in most cases, the why would point out the flaws their system created that make those things happen.

So Lloyd tried not to make assumptions about people, not without knowing enough about them to make some sort of educated guess in his mind, not without knowing the why behind the person.

But sometimes Lloyd failed to not making those assumptions.

And it bit him in the ass almost every time.

For example, right now, how the assumptions he made about Ronin seemed to be twisting slightly just from seeing his (albeit temporary) living space.

He expected the cabin to be something out of a horror movie.

Covered in dirt and dust, the wooden boards creaking and threatening to break because of the mold and decay under their feet, Ronin's bags against the back door or window ready to be grabbed within a moments notice in case of a needed escape, multiple guns and knifes and other assortments of weapons along the counters and tables, probably multiple glasses and bottles of liquor to go along with the guns.

He expected things like that.

Mostly because that's what he would've done, what he had done in the past when he didn't have a home and was mostly just trying to get by.

Lloyd didn't expect it to be clean.

Clean, covered with candles which seem to be the main things lighting up the cabin, well the candles and a fireplace, there was also stuff on the counters. But it wasn't...it was like how their cabin looked when they were staying there. It wasn't dirty, it was lived in.

God, Lloyd wouldn't be surprised if he looked in the dresser and saw folded clothes in there.

This wasn't a place where Ronin was staying, this was where he lived.

"I didn't take you for the type of person to stay in one place." Skylor said, ever the mind-reader, as they both sat down at the table, trying to avoid the dismantled rifle on top of it.

At least he was right about the guns.

"Well I'm not, so you're right about that." Ronin turned on his heel, pressing his back against the counter and crossing his arms, waiting for the coffee to brew.

"But you live here. At least sometimes you do. Also can I finish cleaning your gun?" He asked, already grabbing the rag and putting cleaner onto it before Ronin could answer.