Worthless Game That Only Has Losers (Part 3)

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Entering Wufei's Colony

Wang Mei-Lin. It was hard to place her. She was certainly no Nataku. She didn't ring out or yell with admonitions of her feelings or try to fight against him. She wasn't overwhelming. She was simply there. As he stepped off the shuttle with her, she remained obedient as they walked to his place.

"Are we there yet?"

A slight tease? "It's a small colony. It doesn't take long to move around."

"You can see there are maybe 50 residents," she said again. "I never was one for the small village stereotypical life. Such a burden."

"You aren't the only one who's burdened," Wufei reminded her.

"I am leaving my colony for a place that is more of a relic than a home."

Uh? "My home is not a relic!" He warned her. He had yelled at her, yet she didn't respond. Much.

"Whatever you say."

Uh. "You are one of those passive aggressive women," Wufei said, casting judgment on her. "If you have something to say, then say it."

"Were you not listening?" She said. "I told you that your colony is a relic. It's not passive aggressive. It's called stating the obvious while staying at a polite decibel of speech."

Wufei stared at her. He tried to stare down at her, to make her take him seriously. "I didn't need to go and grab you. I could have left well enough alone. Don't give me a hard time."

"You're contradicting yourself," she said back to him. "You do not like passive aggressiveness, yet you are now telling me not to give you a hard time? I have been forcibly taken from my colony for the good of it. To pretend that is fine and to not give you a hard time would be passive aggressive. Chang Wufei. Where do I stay?"

"With me," Wufei said. Unfortunately.

"Not advisable," she warned him. "Staying together without some semblance of marriage would only make this situation look worse."

"You are carrying my child, woman! You can't look any worse." She had a strange look on her face for a second. "What were you thinking just now?"

"How many other women in history have probably heard that line," she said. "It's quite a rare line to use for anyone, except for intolerably terrible women who gift themselves the wrong way. Therefore, please refrain from saying that in public again."

What? "What are you saying?"

"You're an idiot, don't speak of the mother of your child with those words in public, the public will get the wrong impression. Is that clearer for you?" She looked ahead. "I would walk off faster to wherever my destination lies, but I don't know where you live yet."

Oh no. She wasn't passive aggressive, she was one of those annoying ones who spoke their mind first before thinking about what they say. Revenge of the Lost just had to screw him in the worst way. "I don't think we are going to get along that well, if you don't compromise some."

"Meaning?"

"Think before you talk and show some respect!" Wufei yelled toward her. "Honestly. Why couldn't they have given me a quiet one?"

"Hilarious," she answered. "That's what I was thinking."

"A quiet one that accepts the role she plays and stops talking back!" He yelled once again.

"I dislike yelling. The more someone yells, the more restless I become," she admitted. "Watch your tempo and I'll be better. Not perfect, I'm not this sweet girl model that will let you trample her. Do you have any food? I still haven't eaten today."

"Food?"

"Yes, mother of your unborn child, forced into this odd situation, has not had any food since her attempted wedding this morning." She watched as someone crossed her path, leering at her. They knew she didn't belong and she was not quiet about it. "It's a crooked plan by a group using advanced technology, I'm not a whore. Mind your own business."

"They were minding their own business and don't say that!" Wufei warned her. "Don't draw attention to yourself."

"I haven't," she insisted. "You are the one still yelling."

Ah! Honestly. Why? Why couldn't it have been someone he at least knew? Why couldn't it have been someone quieter? Reserved. A decent woman. No, no it just had to be a random stranger from an almost enemy colony that had to be chosen! Giving her another place to live wouldn't be easy. There were empty areas, but then he would have to explain what she was doing there in more detail. He didn't need anyone interfering in his life than they already had. Then again? If he did get her a place of her own, then the child could be raised by her. He would be a short distance away. He could choose himself how he would conduct himself as a father as time went on. Not much to do in the beginning anyhow. "We will see how you act, Wang Mei-Lin. If you are good, then maybe I will find a place for you."

She gave a slight nod, but not a committed nod. He continued toward his home with her. Duo had sent him something in a message, but he hadn't checked on it yet. With him, there was no telling what news there would be. If it were terribly important, he would call later.

---

Food, food, food. The woman wanted food. Wufei checked through his cupboards. Then, as if she couldn't be more irritating?

"Gluten-free food only."

Wufei threw a glance her way.

"What is that look?" she complained, yet still in such a low tone. "Meat. Vegetable. The most basic of food that isn't bread. It's not hard."

Wufei could do basic. He went to his fridge. Meat. Vegetable. Simple eating. "Cook what you want. I have something to do." He needed to check out that message Duo left.

"Do you want me to cook you something, or are you a little less useless than Zhang Li?" She asked. He didn't answer her as he left. He went out the door to start looking into Duo's files when he noticed residents staring at him. He'd already explained, but not everyone was catching up to it yet. He left off the RTL, and simply tried to-

"That girl is a Zhang," one of them interrupted his thoughts. "They shouldn't be here. You want to get all frolicky, do it off the colony."

Like this man was going to tell him where he was allowed to live? "I already cleared it with the leaders." The leaders being those who first came there and cared enough about their culture to try and preserve its line.

"What are you doing with her?" another one asked. "I mean, if you want to date away from our culture. Marry even, fine, but from the Zhang colony?"

Wufei ignored that question. He already answered one of them. His life wasn't their business. He was busy looking through what Duo sent him when-

He threw a single glance at the upstart who ruined his phone. "Kid." A ten maybe twelve-year-old just threw a single whack at his phone. He hadn't wanted to injure it, but now his phone was on the ground. Destroyed. "Where is your mother?" It was a phrase that worked for the weakest of children, to send a tremble through their bones. Yes, it went running behind a woman.

"You should keep a slutty Zhang off of our only home, or get out," she told him directly. More approached from behind.

Wufei left the phone on the ground. "This is my home, and I won't be bullied off of it. I asked for permission. I was granted permission. That is that."

"You didn't ask us!" The boy said from behind his mother, but stayed hidden behind her.

"Face your opponent when you have something to say," Wufei demanded of the boy. "Hiding behind your mother only shows your cowardice even more."

"Don't call my son a coward," the woman yelled back at him. "You are the one who are going against it! You should have got permission from everyone, not just the few that were here first. The rest of us say no!"

One woman. No fighting skill. They were really causing this kind of scene about it? "Ridiculous. She doesn't even fight. I can't believe you are showing such colors to the only Zhang colonist who ever visited." If lies got the job done, so be it. "We are trying to show peaceful colors, so that more will not want to cause a fight with us. With these numbers, until more (or if more) can be found, we have no chance of winning. It would be a slaughter."

"A peace representative?" The woman now looked as sheepishly as she had been and more of the crowd was starting to disperse. "I didn't know that."

"It's foolish to consort with the enemy!" The boy said behind her, but his mother picked him up and hushed him up.