Back in da you

Nando hated talks of the heebie-jeebie sort. He was as Nawlins as jazz yet he really didn’t like the witchiness all about them. He’d gotten used to it as one did such things but he preferred things as normal as possible. Of course what was normal in the end. He smiled rapped on the table to distract where this was headed and light-fingered the flask away from Del. Baby D was distracting enough especially as there was a power to her words that spoke of more truth than he was willing to accept.

Despite his wish to avoid where things were headed he brought up Nan as that was who’d managed to save each of them in turn. " As Nan used ta say we each are Kings and Queens in our season."

He tried to catch himself but it came flying out of his mouth. It was interesting as much as he fought himself he always went back to the witchiness of his world. Nan had a way and coming up he thought it was just the way things were. But he’d snuck up to Baton to see the kids and he knew that was not the case.

“What I think she meant is each one of us could do whatever we wanted. The future was ours provided we knew when the season was ours. I dis,” He said waving his hand up and down at Baby D. “Might be your season. Or maybe dis is your time and place.”

Del cocked a look at Nando that would melt steel. Nando knew that no such thing could or would ever be true. He knew what had happened to both the twins Beau and even himself not to mention how much was boiling in his blood. Nando even if he didn’t want to know Del did came from the longest unbroken line of witch families in New Orleans. It made him and the twins cousins somewhere down the line as well as it made him if he bothered to embrace such things the rightful heir to the local coven or whatever they were called. Del could accept his friends fear but not his denial. It mad ehim want to press Baby D as she was and had never been scared of anything. But in some strange twist of fate he was willing just for tonight to not poke at it.



Nando was a walking contradiction and it always made Del angry. Usually about this point they would have had it out about something and parted ways. But Del would let that lie for now. "Mm-Hmm…" He muttered snatching the flask back knocking a slug back and handing it back before Nando had a chance to take too much offense.



He nodded to Baby D hoping she’d take the hint that maybe they would talk once Nando passed out. Not much had changed really he was always the first one sleep. Even if he was one of the lightest sleepers he was always the first one down when their nights stretched too long. " I bet it did, a lot of the local politicians tried using it as a reason to push the bill granting the responsibility in dealing with the preternatural to federal forces. They had been trying to go that route before and this they thought was their chance. Latching on and making a bad thing worse. They blamed me and my boys using the funerals as a soapbox. Idiots all a dem."



He sighed at the sheer unbridled idiocy they could get up to. Shaking his head as he popped in a bite of the warm French bread that the server dropped at their table. They knew what to bring everyone so neither Nando or him ordered anything as part of the charm of Beautimous was they knew what to bring to sat one right for what was ahead. No regular ever questioned it really and only a few ever really did actually order. It was funny he hadn’t been in the mood for a Maison or a boudin yet here they were and he dug in the French bread being of course the perfect pairing. He looked over at Nado’s plate and there it was the Turtle soup he had mentioned last time they’d really hung out along with a half bowl of dirty rice spiced enough he could smell it from where he was.



He had to admit it was hard staying any bit angry with such good eats. “ but enough about down here we live and breath that foolishness whats the sunshine and fun of the west coast like?” It was code for how’d you get those scars provided it wasn’t anything too bad.

Nando started to complain but decided against it. Del would be Del and hell they were all hotheaded. Tonight was a celebration so he wouldn’t fall into the usual merry-go-round. He caught the look between them and noticed the change of subject. They were trying so would he. He wasn’t comfortable with the way of things in Nawlins and yet knew he wouldn’t be comfortable with things being any other sort of way either.

Taking a look around them and watching the other diners eating their fill he tucked back into his turtle soup before going on. " Now dat dere can’t be true. Ole gates do a decent job of things but only cause he let whats gone happen happen and then step in. Most a them so busy in er’bodies business dey should be charged with sexual harassment. I read about how San Diego done had two major splosions and Miami was all out war in the streets."

He hadn’t said his piece and was holding off on what he’d heard about the area around Baton rouge with all the disappearances and such. That he would save until they were alone. They both knew he worried over his kids and their no good mother. " Tongs or Triads by the way? Either would be bad but one at least has a real way to make them pay for the effort. "

Yes, he had to admit that he was concocting a way to make them pay for hurting his friend. He wouldn’t let on but in the end yeah he was planning a trip and maybe some mischief.

Del sat down his fork mid scoop of roumalade. He pushed his plate away and dabbed his mouth. He was full yes but could have gone right on eating. Triads were bad news especiallya s he knew for a fact one of the triads were the suppliers in part of the chain distributing DarkHorse/Vitamin V. He looked ta her for the first time with cop eyes. He tried not to but it was so currnet and high risk of a thing that it and Beua were the first things on his mind.



Before he knew it even as much as he tried to contain it flew form his lips. Not in the tumble most would expect but in a low dangerous issuance closer to the quiet of the grave than the rambunctiousness of a carnival. "Red or blue fourteen k or big circle? Who did you get involved with?"



He was already devising who he could reach out to and when he could leave. Beau could wait if he was even still alive no one had heard from hsince the new Year. He unlike Moni was persona non grata with the vampires so he couldn’t even ask without starting more shit than he could wade through. So that left this. The drugs were being moved and while he had done a good and decent job of making it far too costly to get caught dealing it within the city limits there was always someone dumb enough to die trying to make a come up.



“Come on D don’t hold out now which Triad ?”
 

Nando rested his hand on Del’s forearm cautionoing him. Baby D was fam andthat look was one Nando had seen in his friend’s eye enough to know he was gonna do something as foolish as try to take on the triads. Local boys were enough of a problem but the way he’d heard the coast was fresh off the boat back of beyond crazy. Something about culture shock causing all sorts of trouble for them mentally. AS far as he knew no one but him knew that Beau was actually out that way. From D’s conversation he was pretty sure he was keeping a low key lifestyle after his run in with the Master of the City here.

“Enough of work talk I think we best ante up so we can get back to the get back and party til the sun come up. How long you back for anyways D? We don’t want yore time spent looking back or doing nothing but enjoyin being here.”

He knew even if they accepted his offer on the surface Del was as good as on a plane. He was never one to take any harm to his firned laying down. Neither was Nando but he was at least smart about it. Del wold fly into a hurricane if the eye of the storm so much as said his mama in non-joking way. By was hot headed and all too reckless. If he was being honest all of them had a fault with their tempers aside from maybe Ozee and look how far that had gotten him.

Del backed down closing his eyes to force that part of himself that had become his life away. Those cop eyes were selfsame ones that had ushered in so many of his bad decisions that had made his young life so eventful. HE breathed deeply initially forcing a smile that became real. Nando D they were family and while he would never harm them well at least not D, Nando and he had gone a few rounds and with their tempers would go a few more eventually but they were family they were inside the circle of trust. He smiled honestly as it was almost time to pay the bill. He had just the ticket. He fished in his pocket until he found it. It was a St. Michaels pendant the selfsame one that they had been given to each of them when D had shipped off to the coast with her family. Nan had a set made and made sure each of them had one. He’d kept his even as the chain had been broken several times. He kept it in his pocket its familiar weight worn by his fingerprints and warm from being always with him.



He held it up so they both could see it before putting it in the offering bowl on the table. He never questioned how it always ended up back in his pocket as he’d paid more than one meal here with it. It was valuable yes but the silver of its making was far less expensive than the emotions and feelings that had been poured into it over the years.



"D for the record I’m sorry. I just hate anything happening to my friends especially as I know I can stop them from happening or at the very least avenge them. And yeah I know you are a big girl but my job dis job as both your friend and a copper means doing right by you. Those fuckers haven’t and dat makes me angry not at you but at all a dem and the boats they sailed in on.” It was an apology and yet also a declaration f war. He wasn’t sure how but he would make them all pay and dread doing wrong. It might have been Nando’s hooch talking but he was definitely heading out to the coast and definitely starting trouble though to his way of thinking he would be ending it.