The art of in and out (Pride/Del/open)

D had forgotten her self and snapped out of it to see she was being watched" sorry I have a bit of a thing with fire, bit of a pyro I guess. My bartender name is the famous flame goddess, I've travelled places as a featured tender and flame was my thing"

Realizing she needed to be careful about that one, giving a self-deprecating smile. Licking her lip she pulled her hair up to a ponytail since it was sticking to her neck. Trying to mostly stay out of the way as the crawfish went in and then the seasonings. Holding her self she walked away from the flame and settled on the porch." So hows things been since the thing at the docks?"

In her more wanton days Aminta had witnessed the lady in action. She’d all but squared away her lives in Boston and LA calling only Nawlins home now. But there was a night that stood out years ago now. At the Mister February’s club in LA watching Dawn perform had almost had her forget about her hook up of the night.

She was of mind to see that her skill was more than simple practice. That had to be even more dangerous these days as while they healed from everything fast. Fire was almost as bad as vampire teeth and other lycanthrope attacks. She would not wish that bane on anyone.

Though she was a fine one to talk she rabbles in more than her fair share of hellraising.

Chuckling as Pep summed things up neatly yet flossing over how bad it was. “Yeah that’s some way to put it.” Their own troubles hadn’t really ended until Samuel and the agreements there. And even with the relative peace and their backing from Childers they’d just recently had to put down one of their former own. Never a good thing. And the few rogues who refused to bend knee or skedaddle meant they’d no real end of some amount of blood shed.

Jaedon had been driving just long enough to never get lost. He’d also managed to find the roundabouts that all but guaranteed he’d nearly always be on time if not early. As such Taylors trip even with the increased tourists clogging up the major thoroughfares and being a nuisance and embarrassment of riches only managed to add an additional fifteen minutes. His short cut through Marrero across fifth saved enough time that he’d expect to be back at the house before one and a half hours would have passed.

Sadly, his plans changed. Taylor spotted the coalition before Jaedon actually did as they were shielding something fierce. Even shielding they were stronger than Taylor which had his hairs on end. Jaedon spared a few minutes circling the block. His own shields in place clamped down tighter than a bank vault. That was not a good sign. They’d actually marked the light poles declaring it as theirs. Them being able to sneak in amidst the tourist while others had been flagged by the Pride and Chidera meant they had some heft to them. Shit he muttered under his breath. Despite telling Taylor everything was good he wasn’t sure.

The moment he dropped Taylor he called Pep. They needed to catch up and get ahead of whatever this crew was aiming at. They’d already been here too long. A meeting at the very least was in order.

Aminta stepped closer to Pep it was an unconscious action. She was unintentionally slightly shielding Pep. When she caught herself chuckled softly. "Short but some major magic there." It was a show for sure that level of control and ability she was sure made her very potent person to have around. She wondered could she control larger volumes of flames. The potential for not only showmanship but perhaps some more nefarious odds and ends.



Catching Jaedon’s ringtone her ears perked up. She sighed when Pep mentioned more rogues in the area. They’d been on a few rogue hunts yet this seemed more than a few to be runoff. Jae was strong enough that he could usually do so on his own. But they’d not heard from Chidera. When they’d missed one or two Chidera pointed them in the right direction. It was important that they handled things more directly so word would spread that the Pride was sufficiently strong enough to be seen as a threat free of the Kisses involvement.



As her mind worked at who they could mobilize quickly. Aloud she said “Gamóto skatá, again. This is becoming a regularity.”

The drive was eventful mentally as he felt he should stay and scare up some information. Well more information than he could piece together. They’d been around long enough no one seemed to be keeping their distance. There were at least five of them. They were strong enough to have stayed off everyone’s radar. Or they had help. Either way it added up to some badness in his book. He’d been that dude swoop in take what they could build a base takeover and when the powers that be stepped in the Kiss or whoever was strong enough to make it a fight hey moved on inflicting as much hurt as possible. It brought up bad but strangely pleasurable memories. He wasn’t that dude any more. His son Immanuel, his Pride, Ami and Pep. Family all he’d never really had due to his running the streets being a very violent no good hustler.

All the fast money money he’d earned spent faster. All the bodies and beatings he’d let in his wake. And here he was living as peacefully as he was allowed. Lost in thought for the most part he’d missed the tail. Cursing under his breath very loudly he sat up straight and focused forward and back. Hitting the blue tooth as they were far enough back to not catch his conversation over the engines passing.

Not waiting for Pep to answer he rattled off, “I may have accidentally stirred the hornets nest some. They’re on me. Three in a jacked up pick-up. You want more guests or you want me to drop them off a bridge?”

Aminta spared no time in gathering her arms. While yes her best weapon was mental, she was not a slouch with her shotgun either. Taking up a position to Peps right she leaned her shotgun near the pillar where she stood. From the driveway it was invisible but easily reached. The Pride spread out withyin the tree line even shielded by their own strengths and the palpable pull of the Venatorious made it clear here there were monsters. Here was Pride and while not particularly threatening there was a weight that settled over the land.

She hoped these neerdo wells were not foolish enough to underestimate the strength herein. She however knew invariably they would. If they were the typical coalition of rancorous males sniffing around for what they could take.

Most people learned about tails and follows form movies or TV shows. He’d learned from first hand knowledge f both the follow and the lead positions. Hard won knowledge on how to rope some one in and prevent or intercept. As such having picked up the tail he immediately started thinking of choke points. He avoided them all leading them on a merry very indirect way to the Pride house. It was done to give Pep and Ami time to get a welcoming party together. For while he always saw the bad in others he hoped against hope he was wrong. He didn’t see how he could be but he hoped all the same.

Finally making it to the Pride home he pulled in bypassing his usual park nearer the end of the drive and instead swung round the interior circular track placing his car just off center of the main porch. Pep and Mai and Dawn were all there. He knew that if Pep had her shotty in the open that Ami was packing as well. Her trusty thirty-eight somewhere at hand and that damned doorbuster probably just out of sight behind one of the pillars. He left the car running as he stepped out. Closing the door and leaning against it with a nod to Pep and quick wink to Ami. It was all too cool for what he was feeling which if he was honest was the love child between rage and excitement. He didn’t want this to go badly but was excited by the potential to let lose.

As they foolishly or bravely depending on where the story would end came down the drive he was very much surprised. It was clearly a trap the pulsing weight of pride was all over the place. He’d felt it the first time he came. And it had only grown in the time he’d been here. The ups the downs the bonding strengthening what was already held in spades. And yet the three came heedlessly on as if they were going Sunday after church greeting.

As the truck grew close enough he could feel the roiling leonine energy they held. As well as the electric undercurrent as their auras flared. It was interesting they were announcing themselves as they should have when they first arrived. Yet there was also something subtly cool about them. His hairs didn’t stand but he squinted mark them down to memory. He hoped one of the others gathered had time to fire off a pic of the three in the cab of the truck.

As they came to a rolling stop he grinned evilly. Oh yeah he’d have to let lose with these. The two males that stepped off looked round as if they could actually see the others of the Pride hidden in the tree line. The taller male Caucasian sandy brown hair and a beard that would be at home in the old west had eyes as dark and dirty as Missippi at low tide. The other male Asian with a wiry build looking to all the world like a monk by way of a wu-tang video. Shaved head and face tattoo. He was sure that those grillz he wore were silver. The woman however was something else entirely. She dressed like a cross fit enthusiast and as dark as Chidera her hair in a braided mohawk and a clearly evil glint to her eyes. Her skin marked with tattoos that blended with the claw marks across her skin. The only unmarked portion of her body being her face. Which as she drew closer he saw was in fact marked. Raking but lasting blows from claws across her chin left cheek and throat.

Rolling his shoulders loosening up unconsciously it was clear who’d have to be put down first and hard. She was clearly the fighter and clearly fought lycanthropes. They formed up into a triangle the woman taking point. Their hands held way from their body showing they didn’t have any firearms. Which meant nothing in his book anyone could put on a show lean one way and circle back the other. He used his key fob and popped his trunk. They didn’t flinch. Not a good sign in his book. He knew he’d be cursing himself later for not just shooting them now and being done.