#c daiyu

[salemswitchtrial]

Okay. Fair enough. I'm certainly not going to fight you on it. You seem way more passionate about the subject than I could ever hope to be.

Semantics. [User doesnt know what this word means, but it sounds clever.] I won. They conceded.

[kadavernagh]

@bountyhaunter replied to your post “You are old.”:

I didn't say you were mature, just old. [pm] Yep, I do! She's cool [del: unlike you]. She didn't suggest that though, I'm just spontaneous.

​Then I'm pleased to inform you that I'm also mature.

[pm] I agree with any compliment you confer to her. How do you know each other? Did you Before She's quite the social sphenoid, isn't she? Spontaneity gets people killed.

[endlessevenings]

Food to Meet You || Daiyu & Mahuika

TIMING: current LOCATION: a latte to love PARTIES: @bountyhaunter & @endlessevenings SUMMARY: daiyu is the unfortunate recipient of mahuika's desire to chill. the two actually get along! CONTENT: passing mention of infidelity

It was the middle of the day. A Latte to Love (which, stupid and ridiculously cheesy name, right?) was far busier than she would’ve wanted. Mahuika had half a mind to make people decide to leave, but she was trying to turn over a new leaf, or something (she wasn’t). However, her gaze zero-ed in on a woman sitting by herself. At a small table, probably chosen because she didn’t want anybody else around.

Luckily, Mahuika didn’t really choose to pay attention to things that didn’t fit with her vibe.

So once she’d gotten her extra-hot-extra-chocolate-mocha, she wandered over, dragged her fingers across the chair opposite the woman. “Can I sit?” She raised an eyebrow. “There’s nowhere else to go. Please?”

—

Her earbuds were slotted perfectly in her ears, music pumping through them as Daiyu scrolled through her phone. She was here to be productive and take stock of her financial situation, but it wasn’t working out. Not even while sitting in a coffeeshop filled with people tapping away on their little stupid laptops. No, she’d not even opened her notebook and calculator app. She was just tapping away on Reddit, arguing with a stranger about something she hadn’t been passionate about up until fifteen minutes ago. So it went.

Even her drink (a caramel frozen latte) was abandoned in favor of the fight, so when she spotted someone’s fingers on the chair across from her and saw her mouth move she was pulled from her thoughts.

Daiyu pulled out one of her airpods, caught the last of what she was saying. She pulled her legs (which she’d stretched out under the table) up and nodded. “Yeah, sure, go ahead.” She’d prefer to say no, but she was a little taken by surprise. She considered plopping the earbud back in. “They gotta add more seating spaces here, it’s always so fucking busy.”

—

“You’re the best.” Mahuika grinned before sitting down. “It’s way too busy, right? I mean I can’t speak from tons of experience, I sometimes just get coffee to go, but you’d think a place with this much success and this complete lack of space would give thought to expand, right?” She was just talking to talk at this point, but she had a good voice and her opinions were at least relatively well curated, so her talking was good, and the woman across the table from her was bound to be grateful for her company, even if her face didn’t show it quite yet.

She tapped her nails against the coffee cup. The sound was satisfying, and it gave her time to think about what to say next (not that she was really in doubt of what to say, but it was good to give that illusion, and to be prepared for if she ever was in doubt).

“You come here often?” It sounded like a line, but that wasn’t something Mahuika was interested in right now. “I’m Mahuika.” She stuck her hand across the table in at least some level of excessive enthusiasm and an attempt to hold an aura of welcoming vibes or something. “Also do you want like, a muffin or something to eat? Least I can do, since you’ve been so nice as to let me take over some of your personal space. I heard the banana-blueberry ones are to die for. Not literally, of course.” A stifled and seemingly awkward giggle escaped her lips. “I was feeling hungry, so I was gonna maybe get some sort of tempeh sandwich anyhow, and I’d be totes down to get something for you, too!”

—

Daiyu hadn’t the foggiest idea about when or how a business should expand. Her brother and sister had gotten the entrepreneurial gene, but it had fully skipped over her. She didn’t mind it much, there were other shortcomings that were worse. “Yeah, absolutely,” she said, with feigned confidence, as she’d always back up whatever she’d said even if it was completely nonsensical. “So many people, ridiculous.”

The sound of the other’s nails on the coffee cup went right against the beat of her music and she wasn’t sure whether she should take the other out or put them both in again. She should just go back to getting take out in her car. But then there were her finances …

She pulled out her airpod, as it seemed the other was in a chatty mood. Daiyu took the extended hand, shook it. “Daiyu.” Mahuika seemed nice, if not a little eager and it wasn’t like she hated people — it was just that she wasn’t particularly good at talking to them without starting something. But luckily the other spoke her love language. Food. “Oh, I won’t refuse a free muffin,” she said shamelessly. “I’ll take that one, yeah. Sounds healthy. Got a bunch of fruit and stuff.” She sunk back in her chair a little, put her phone down. “It really is the least you could do.”

—

“It really is!” Not that Mahuika had half an idea about how to run a business, nor did she have any intention of ever running one, but it felt good to say things with confidence. It could make them true, and even if they weren’t, she sounded competent and that was good enough for her. Or at least good enough of a start. Not good enough in the long run, but being at the start didn’t necessitate being in the long run, so she was chill with that.

“Awesome, swell, cool.” She wanted to slap herself across the face for how she sounded. “The sugar must already be getting to me, I’ll go and get your muffin and my sandwich all lickety split. Be right back!” She set the business card of some lady who’d been staying at Bearcliff and who had told Mahuika to contact her if she ever wanted to talk about other jobs (bleh, gag – the lady was in HR or something too, which double yikes), but it would do well to make sure that nobody messed with her mocha. Not that she thought Daiyu would, but other people? You could never be too sure.

In almost no time, she had made her way back over, muffin on a plate in one hand, sandwich in the other. “God, I was totally starving. Famished, you know?” She took a big bite of her sandwich, marveling at how good it actually was before she focused back on the other woman. “So what do you do for work? I work at the Bearcliff Motel. Not like, way exciting or whatever, but it does the job, and sometimes I get tips, so that’s… chill.” Mahuika shook her head. “Plus, it gives me time to read and learn on my own clock.”

—

Daiyu was never sure if she hated or loved busy places. She liked the sounds of other people, but sometimes it all seemed to drill into her head aggressively, leaving her defenseless against all the stimuli. Right now, as the other passed through positive words as if searching for the right one, she found herself amused. Sometimes humans could be so endearing, right? It made her feel like watching a toddler jump in puddles, drenching the clothes of them and their parent alike as they both laughed. Observing the pretty simplicity of life without partaking. 

“See you soon,” she said, curling her lips into a grin as she fiddled with her airpod case, clicking it open and shut, open and shut. The conversations of others droned in her ears and she tried to block it out as she waited, not wanting to know about Lucy’s ex or Jonathan’s new job. This was part of why it so often felt like she was more observer than partaker — her heightened senses weren’t made for hanging in bars, but rather for tracking in the woods. Still, she grinned as the other sat down again. “Awesome. And yeah, I get you, I feel like there’s a void in my stomach that’s never filled.”

Daiyu picked at her muffin, taking a piece off and stuffing it in her mouth. Mahuika asked her about her job and she wanted to slam her head on the table. “Oh, cool, what do you do? Clean rooms and shit or deal with the people at the front desk?” She couldn’t imagine a worse job at the moment. “What’re you learning about?” This also seemed like a horrible thing. To read during work. Double punishment. “I’m a food critic,” she said, taking a demonstrative bite. It wasn’t a lie. She was very critical about food. She just wasn’t paid for it. “Not working now, though! But this muffin def gets a good rating from me regardless. Anyway, work’s work. Work sucks. What do you do beside work?”

—

She had to be doing something right, considering the other woman was smiling. So, score one for her, Mahuika supposed. Not that she was keeping score of how successful she was at life (except that she totally was), but there was often something satisfying about being able to get people to act just as she wanted them without whipping out her magic. It meant she had power all her own, just like her parents had said. Though thinking about her parents nearly immediately soured her mood, and so she pushed those thoughts away. She could stew in her thoughts later, back in her apartment, when she was alone, but right now that would totally destroy the vibe. 

“Same. I’m just always so hungry.” Which was half true, but it was the right thing to say, and Mahuika could always eat. Something something filling a void that she couldn’t fill otherwise. Which couldn’t be true, right? She was plenty full of everything. (Including, perhaps, herself, but that wasn’t a rabbit hole she was going to follow anytime soon!)

“I do both actually. Front desk and also clean rooms. It’s … well, it’s boring, but it’s something, and not that I’m one to follow gossip or rumors, but I do get to know a whole lot of things just because of where I work, which is kinda rad.” Mahuika grinned. “I’m reading about Physics. It’s my favorite subject, but I figure I might go and try one of those Emily Henry novels sometime. See what all the hype on TikTok is about.” What did she do besides work? “Oh! I like going clubbing sometimes. Also for hikes, because, like, nature, you know? I only moved here back in like July,” (never mind that she’d lived outside the town most of her life), “so even though it’s been a while, I guess I’m still looking for what the cool stuff to do is. What do you do?”

—

The muffin was really good and Daiyu bit off another bite, this one larger. She chewed as she talked, “Sometimes I do get stuffed, of course, when I get a full meal but even then I always know I’m just gonna get hungry again. Not the worst, though, considering there’s so much banger food out there.” She chased her muffin with a sip of coffee.

“Yeah, well it sure is something. What kinda things do you hear? Get a lot of criminal activity? Affairs?” She’d slept in her fair share of motels over the years and seen some funny stuff — things that could be disturbing to others, too. “Oh, cool. I don’t really read a lot, to be honest, don’t have the attention span for it.” And she was bad at reading, but that was an easy to omit fact. “Physics is like … about gravity and shit, right? Well I know about that.” She grinned, a little dopey. “Hikes are great, I love those too. Just get out in nature, stretch your legs and all. Perfect. Clubs are …” She grimaced. “Loud. But you do you.” Daiyu pulled her notebook to her, deposited it in her bag. “I’ve only been here a few months myself, first time in town. Figuring stuff out as well. But yeah, I like to hike. Watch movies. I like my dog.”

—

“There really is. People limit themselves way too much with what foods they eat, but it’s a relief to see that you aren’t one of those people.” Was it possible that she was actually just getting along with someone, even without trying too hard. There was a sort of magic in food (though not actual magic, and the people who claimed as such were idiots) and maybe that was bringing the two of them together in conversation. Mahuika took another bite of her sandwich and quickly chased it with her drink.

“Yes – to both of those, actually. But sometimes also people who’re like, running away. Which I get, if you have a shit situation at home, running away can be the best option.” Or even if your life seemed picture perfect but your family were a bunch of lame cowards, but Mahuika wasn’t exactly about to say that. Not to mention she hadn’t really run away. Not far, at least. If her family wanted to, they could find her. But she didn’t want them to, and so far her wish had come true. “So valid, not everyone can have the attention span for it, but I guess I just was bored a lot as a kid and books were always there, so…” she trailed off, lost in thought for a brief moment before she shook her head and returned to the conversation at hand. “It is about gravity and shit. I just think it’s a fascinating science, and I like finding answers and making stuff make sense,” (which was true, at least in a way) “nature is the best. Also something you can always count on. I mean, weather and shit can be unpredictable, but I’m betting you get what I’m saying. Clubs are loud.” Which was part of why she liked them. That and drunk people usually didn’t question what they were doing. “Movies are good. I have a cat and a rat. I like them. They’re good company.”

—

“Yeah, like I get having comfort foods, but you’ve gotta try new stuff and be experimental. Life’s bland without good food!” She plopped another bite of the muffin into her mouth. Daiyu wasn’t the best at non-confrontational conversations, as she hadn’t had many of those in her life, but there were a few safe topics. Food, dogs and shitty movies. The weather, maybe, at times. “How’s the sandwich?”

The subject of people allegedly having families they wanted to run away from was something Daiyu really didn’t feel like addressing. Wasn’t that how she ended up in motels? Why she was in this town? Putting miles and miles between herself and her family in an attempt of separation. Not that she was running away, though — a deep buried part of her was afraid of what would happen should she try to sever ties definitively. Her father’s hands were like claws holding onto all that was his already.

“That’s not really fun gossip, though. Guess that’s nice that you offer a place, though. Should give discounts.” She stuffed her mouth again so that she didn’t have to say anything more (not that eating was a deterrent from talking usually). “Ah, shit yeah, I get that. I mean, I did ‘read’ as a kid.” Daiyu used physical air quotes. “As in, I liked to look at the pictures in the books we had.” But she’d always taken to the violence best, not the study. In a way it made her a good hunter. “Oh, valid. I just don’t try to question things I don’t get, you know? It works.” She sat back a little, splitting her muffin into little bitesize pieces. “Yeah, it’s always there. Nature, I mean. Consistent like that. No opening hours or whatever.” She let out a laugh. “A cat and a rat? And the cat doesn’t eat the rat, like Tom and Jerry? I mean, that’s a mouse, but still. That’s awesome. What’re they called?”

—

“I agree. Life’ll be all boring if you don’t try new stuff!” She nodded. “The sandwich is great. It’s perfectly flavored and the bread isn’t even like, stale or dry or whatever? Which is amazing.” So maybe Mahuika was, once again, falling back in her habits of being too cheery, but at least this time she was far more tempered with it all, and the woman didn’t seem to mind, and so she kept going.

“Oh yeah, that’s not fun gossip.” Mahuika made a face. She might’ve not always been even close to the nicest of people, but even she knew that taking joy in someone else’s bad situation (when you didn’t cause it, that was) was a bit over-the-top movie-villain cruel. So she didn’t take joy. Not usually. Rarely. And if she did, she didn’t do so outwardly. Because that was lame and also could just get her into trouble and she very much didn’t want to get into trouble. “Pictures are like, super cool, so I get that. Plus, there’s that saying that a picture’s worth some huge number of words, so you’re just like, way more efficient or like more advanced than the rest of us, maybe?”

“Yes, a cat and a rat, and no, they don’t.” The rat was her familiar, so maybe the cat just got that? Not that Mahuika was going to explain that to the stranger. “They’re called Cat and Rat. Except Cat’s the rat and Rat’s the cat. I just wanted to be quirky or whatever when I named them, I guess?” She shrugged. “What’s your dog's name? We should also totally chill again when we’re not getting crowded out by college students, yeah?”

—

She took a mental note that the sandwiches at a Latte to Love were good rather than asking for a bite, which she was admittedly very tempted to do. “Absolutely. Hate dry bread, though, yikes. So good to know the sandwiches here slap.” Daiyu was glad with her muffin, though, as it had a nice kind of stickiness and was hitting a sweet spot – literally.

“I’ll want to know all about the hot goss, though,” she said, “Maybe not here.” She was still bothered by Jonathan going on about his job. She longed for her airpods. She clicked the case open and shut again. She nodded fervently, “Abso-fucking-lutely. I’m pretty much just a genius because I just look at pictures and don’t read books, you’re absolutely right.” It was a fun line of thinking, anyway.

Daiyu thought a cat and a rat being called Rat and Cat respectively was the height of comedy and so she laughed. “That’s fucking amazing. I love that. You weren’t being quirky, you were being hilarious. And the way they’re friends, that’s amazing too.” She pulled up her phone, showed her background. “This is Nugget. He’s the best. Clever as hell, and fast as a whip.” She stuck the last bit of her muffin into her mouth. Jonathan was still buzzing in her ear. A head ache was setting on. She didn’t want to grow agitated when things were going pretty well, so she said, “Find me online, yeah? I need to get to a work thing but we should keep this ball rolling.” She grabbed the wrapper and balled it up. “Gonna tell them allll about this muffin. Tasted great! Appreciate ya.” She gave a salute, grabbed her coffee and bag and got up. “Great meeting you.” She did mean it. Sometimes it was nice to not sit alone.

[chasseurdeloup]

@bountyhaunter replied to your post “[pm] Sooooo there's like gonna be an increase of...”:

[pm] Mine's GREAT, he's the best. I'm also great. Boycotting the sandcastle contest which you should too. How about you? Noticed any surpluses as of late?

​[pm] Good to hear. I didn't even know there was a sandcastle contest. There a reason you're boycotting?

Surpluses of what? Cicadas? Eggs? Watermelon? What kind of surplus are you talking ab--

Oh.

Of monsters? I guess maybe a little. I haven't been out hunting as much. Something happen?

[contemporarybardess]

Nah, I WISH this was a seagull. Then I could just hand it a fry and it would shut up. No, this is something big. And I mean really, really big. And loud. I'm surprised you haven't heard it too.

They call these birds 'seagulls'. Maybe there's one stuck in your ceiling.

Here's my fave type of earplugs tho: [user inserts link].

[bluehalla]

CHARACTER AESTHETICS - HAOYU 🐅💥🥊

attollo by @attollogame

haoyu zhang; 26, he/him, chinese-canadian, ex-military, estranged yet protective of sister daiyu, lived in a terrible little apartment with a terrible little car, picked up shifts at loong wah restaurant in st. john’s, very much over attollo's bullshit <3 

appearance; 5’5, buff, heavily tattooed (prominent tiger on back, script along ribs, roses along left arm, other small pieces intermingled), buzzcut growing out, ears pierced but no jewellery worn, zero effort wardrobe, function over flair, ragged fingernails, permanent dark circles, rbf

personality; good heart, bad temper, anger issues, relapsed smoker, stoic, blunt, strong-willed, terrible liar, ruthless, determined, focused, intimidation ruined by height, destroys punching bags for fun, lingering ptsd, chronic rooftop seeker, decent cook, always tired, previously troubled teen, issues with authority and government from military past, not easily flustered but once it happens he crumbles

relationships; clicks with pariah but that might just be because of the motorcycle, chill and somewhat distrustful of vasilisia, doesn’t care about operator (literally probably just forgot about him), currently wants to return the favour and go after dreamwalker, intimidated by sysba but tries to cover it by being an asshole (it doesn't work), wary of suha but wants to trust her, won over gasper despite forcibly stifling the urge to knock his teeth out, reluctant besties with deadlock, banters and butts heads with helios, freaked out by prince but also like... das fishey, broke voltaic’s nose, immediately hated markos

ro; perhaps a fluid nb!/m!sysba or dreamwalker or poly but all with the specific progression of purely physical > it's complicated > physical and emotional. he flirted with sysba to get their guard down but it was so bad and cringe he doesn't know what he's doing i'm endeared i want to study him under a microscope. dude is so duty oriented tho idk. could be painful hehe.

[lichtundschattens]

to: @ofsvnshine's zhou daiyu

There had been whispers... murmurs of a skirmish that had unfolded not long ago. The memory of it still burned in Noctis's mind, the moment when Aranya had delivered the news. Both of them had been consumed by rage. A small ember had ignited within him, growing ever brighter the more he dwelled on it. Silver hues traced over the bruises that tinted Daiyu's perfect skin, the fire within him flaring ever so brightly. The thought of someone else daring to harm his lover sent a surge of fury through him. He tightened his jaw, letting out a heavy sigh, thick with frustration.

"So it’s true," he murmured at last, his voice strained and nearly breathless. His hand moved forward, his slender fingers grazing a bruise with the gentlest touch, as if fearing to cause him more pain. He could feel it—the way his anger threatened to overtake his reason, his logic slipping away in the face of his emotions.

"If you aren't going to do something about this, then I will. This cannot go without consequences, Daiyu."

[felixsinclair]

who: @daiyus​

where: the gym

when: 6 July 2044

Most early mornings found Felix off for a run within the walls of Idaho Falls, but recently it had come to his attention that there was a gym in the very building he lived in. He hadn't been to a gym in a long while; it wasn't like there were many cared for to a state of safe use on the road, so the fact that there was one was an intriguing bit of information that Felix couldn't help but investigate. He stepped out of a stairwell to the floor the gym was supposedly held, and distantly he could hear a soft rhythmic clink of metal.

Felix poked his head into the room, and was surprised to find not only a familiar face, but that Daiyu was doing bench, alone. He frowned and walked further into the room, making a point to make a little noise as he did so so he wouldn't startle her.

"You know I'm pretty sure you're supposed to have a spot when you're doing this kind of stuff," Felix said amicably, hoping she'd take the silent offer for what it was.

[aranea-princeps]

And if I said this is Mizuki + Kiyomi vs. Suma...

[closingwaters]

Aha! So you are a liar. You are a deceiver. You know nothing!

Rocks have more passion in one mineral than you do in one wasted breath.

I will no longer listen to your foul words.

Yes. Because rocks don't talk and are lifeless.

Yeah blue flavoring tastes like blue. Just like strawberry flavoring tastes like strawberry. This is not that hard.

[kadavernagh]

@bountyhaunter replied to your post “[pm] Thank you for signing my cast. [...] You are...”:

[pm] It's itchy and stinky, but at least now it's decorated with people's names, weird drawings and a strange amount of curse words. Should be a week or two more. [........] I brawled. You should see the other girl. [del: She's dead!] You are. It's cool though. Emilio's judgment is nothing to go off. He is a notorious liar.

​[pm] You have collected some names in a sense. What was that drawing I saw on it? It looked like a dead possum (not one merely pretending to be dead). The artist is impressive.

Brawled. I see. Any assault charges That is nothing to be proud of. Do you conduct yourself better around Jade? Perhaps do more wholesome activities. Like looking for the bones of rodents in bird nests.

Emilio is an extortionist, not a liar; they're different.

[chasseurdeloup]

@bountyhaunter replied to your post “Stop telling people you ate the cookies. I ate...”:

So people just talk shit about you, hey? Must be something you did. PSA, though: It's not this guy. I took the cookies and ate them all. [pm] If I knew what you were, I'd assume you were a werewolf or bugbear you know. Considering the being naked in the zoo thing. So now I wonder WHY you were naked to begin with ........

​They sure fucking seem to. Even though I didn't do anything to earn this shit.

[pm] Putain de merde. I was never naked at the zoo. I don't know how the fuck that rumor started but it never happened. I got hit by some ballybog toxin when I was there and I tried to fight the fucking mascot thinking it was a bies but that's the most embarrassing thing I did there. My clothes stayed on the whole goddamn time. Not that it matters to anyone in this town what the truth is.

[fearhims3lf]

Or bash it hard enough. You have a bat or crowbar that needs to be broken in? I have 2 I've been dying to take on a test drive.

Anything can be broken if you punch hard enough.

[butchgeorgefayne]

Naja’s team is CAND! (Candy)

C - Candy Wick (romanneo daughter, sugarplum fairy from the nutcracker ballet)

A - Adrian Cotta-Arc (jaunes nephew, prince arjuna from the mahabharata)

N - Naja Sustrai (emercury, snake from Antony & Cleopatra)

D - Daiyu Ren (renora’s eldest daughter, Daiyu from dream of the red chamber)

[atonalginger]

I'm Your Huckleberry, Update #4

Howdy, howdy, howdy and happy Shattered Space day! I hope everyone is having a fun day!

Chapters 9 and 10 are now live on ao3. The Birthday is almost here and everyone is busy getting the finishing touches on Ashta Creek and their costumes. Costumes I happen to have concepts for:

Keen eyes will pick out costumes based off of RDR2, Deadwood, and other modern western movies and shows. Unfortunately I don't have concept art for Manny's costume, that one slipped my mind at the time that I did most of these back in the spring/early summer.

To read the latest chapters (9 & 10) you can click HERE!

To start from the very beginning you can click here.

And as always, a snippet under a read more:

“Well howdy, Mayor Delgado,” Jacob Coe said with the tip of his adventure’s hat. 

The old man looked different with his more casual getup, a green and blue flannel shirt tucked into some weathered blue jeans with a bolo tie around his neck. Del was still surprised Bella invited him, even with their occasional dealings. He knew the tension between the old man and Sam as well as his over-protectiveness over his granddaughter. But he was assured the old Coe would behave. 

“I see you wanted in on the fun,” Delgado tapped the silver tips of the bolo tie and smiled, “not many of the parents did.”

“Oh you know how it goes,” Jacob smiled, “they think because they’ve grown up they can’t have fun.”

“Speaking from experience?” Sam came to stand beside them. his attention was on his white cotton gloves, tugging at the edge to smooth out a wrinkle.

“Maybe I am,” Jacob conceded, “surprised Jamie was able to get you into a proper suit.”

“Sophie wanted city slickers visiting the frontier,” Sam shrugged, “who better to fit the bill than the Coes?”

“Except for Cora,” Jacob noted.

“Sophie wasn’t going to force anyone into a dress,” Delgado said as he looked down the path to where Cora was leading the gaggle of little kids toward the firing range as she gave them the grand tour of the town with Daiyu and Jazz alongside, “and while it might have given a certain flair to the trick shot routine she came up with, a dress would likely just get in the way.”

“So is the story that the Coes sent their daughter to Ashta Creek to work?” Jacob asked.

“I believe the story Cora came up with was that she was sent to live with her aunt and get the General Store up and running, which the Coe family finances,” Sam offered a tired grin, “and during her free time she practices out a the range with Calamity Jazz.”

“Calamity Jazz?” Jacob raised an eyebrow.

“My top engineer,” Delgado pointed to Jazz with all her dusty leathers and her dented top hat with the long white tail feather stuck in the ribbon, “when everyone was listening to Doc and Cora’s crash course on old Earth wild west history she became enamored with Calamity Jane.”

“I see,” Jacob said as he looked around the property, “you’ve got solid protections in place.”

“We invited some two dozen kids and their parents into ashta country, of course we have protections in place,” Delgado sounded borderline offended as he met eyes with Shinya leaned against a hitching post next to the saloon. Shinya tipped his hat and gave his duster’s inner pocket a loving pat before wheeling around and slipping back inside. Delgado turned to Jacob, “plus I wouldn’t want any of Bella and Sophie’s chickens getting nabbed.”

“Yes, those would be tasty little treats for the locals,” Jacob said sympathetically, “not to dwell too hard on the matter but how bad is the ashta situation out here?”

“Right now not so bad; it’s too fucking hot,” Delgado watched as parents milled about,  talking to the costumed crew and socializing, “in a few months we’ll have to put the reinforced run back up around the coop. Last autumn, when we first moved in, we had days where we all just stayed inside and watched the ashta roam the property. Zhenya and I are pretty sure there’s a den on the other side of the ridge. And the Mossgnath cross the creek to the west to graze with the ranch smack dab in the middle.”

“And to think your grandfather lived out here alone,” Jacob sounded impressed, “the ranch is older than the manor, correct?”

“Si,” Delgado smiled and waved at Sophie as she skipped past with some of the girls toward the General Store with Manny leading the way, “not by much, but it is. Like most of the founding families, the Delgados staked a claim out in the frontier and worked the land while the walls were built.”

“I still remember how mad your father was over Raphael’s decision to leave the ranch to you,” Jacob shook his head, “not because he wanted it, mind you. Pretty sure he was going to knock the old house down to make space for a warehouse or some nonsense. But instead it sat empty, waiting for you.”

“Probably why Abuelo did it,” Delgado said quietly, “Bastian had already ruined enough.”

Jacob took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow before smoothing back his hair, “no, Raphael did it because he loved you, Gabriel. You were his whole world. Hell, right there at the end, when he’d moved back to the city for treatment, Raphael talked about you all the time. I remember he and Bastian got into it after one of your more spectacular heists made the news. Raphael seemed to relish in throwing your successes in his son’s face. ‘He’s done more with our family name than you ever did,’ Sat outside the manor taunting Bastian for a while before his nurse walked him back to his apartment.”

Delgado laughed to shake the shock off his face, “that so?”

[kadavernagh]

You are old.

That's very kind of you. It's always a welcome change when someone recognizes maturity.

[pm] ...Did Jade suggest you say that? Do you know Jade?