let me entertain you (del,open)

He would have spotted her from a mile away and very nearly did. He could remember it like yesterday he was nearly sixteen lying to say he was four years older running with the Baudry Des Lozieres boys. Guy and Ren were the definition of trouble makers; but they had good hearts so all things being equal it was better in their good graces than anywhere else in the world. So a san almost sixteen year old and this rag-topped nine year old who was just as full of cuss and fire pops up. It taken forever to get her home and then he nearly had his head caved in by her old man it was laughable now but then it was deadly serious.



Wrapping his arms around her he picked her up laughing saying, “Well Baby D all grown up and looking as soft and fine as frog hair.” He checked his strength to keep from squishing her too much but it was a good bit of that old feeling to see her here. Funny and coincidence never crossing his mind. Here he was scouring the quarter and places beyond hoping against hope Ren had not got himself into too much trouble and up pops Baby D who last he heard was somewhere out west Las Vegas, Los Angeles, or somewhere.



“Girl you are a sight for sore eyes,” He said sitting her on her feet having caused enough of a minor ruckus. He spotted a few of the door men who didn’t know him making their way over. He ignored them and focused on her keeping the walking walls of flesh in his peripheral.
 

Her laugh had his smile dialed all the way to ninety which was as high as he dared go as the last time he shared a smile with a woman she stalked him for a week. And no matter what his jacket said he didn’t shoot anyone ever without a damn good reason. Sadly, it was really hard to justify shooting a woman because she was annoying. "I can and it’s good to see you done grew into your ears." He joked dodging the right cross he knew she’d toss his way for the insinuation even as a child she was more fiery woman than most madams and had better hands than most boxers.



Hands raised yielding he dropped them to hug her again this time with a certain nostalgia that showed both his loneliness and his earnest joy in seeing her. Ignoring her would be protectors he went on as if she’d paused the world as she spoke with them.



"Funny you should ask I’m trying to scrounge up Ren. His boys say he disappeared something quick. I’m just hoping he ain’t been sainted by accident; You know how him and Guy were when they boudin bout something."



He caught himself a little too late but seeing Baby D here brought back all the Yat he kept hidden when he spoke.

He tried not to say just how much he watched over the city so he focused on one problem at a time. "Sadly no chance of that; The crew he’s with now wouldn’t let him disappear without a fight." Shaking his head. “Your ole man alive he a real de’pouille. Not in your house no’more. He done moved over to the flop in iber as big as a clowzet still angry an mean as a polecat his cross his still getting him in trouble but nothing serious. Yet. No real reason to go bag dere unles ya want?”



Damn her he chuckled she was back less than a ticks age and he was back in full patois. Shaking his head he smiled having dropped enough bombshells on her for now. Hugging her again. “I gots to get and hop to finding him. You know the trouble he git up to its even worse now.” Retrieving a card from his holder he handed one to her. Pausing as he handed to her. He took out his pen and jotted down the burner he had active now.



He’d started the hobby after having met the Master of the City. It was just something not quite right and he’d been handling business separate from his actual line. It was just a precaution but until he had a partner as loyal as Moni and her Gregory he would have to watch his own back.
 

Nando waited until Del skidaddled on his way before going to catch up with Baby D. He wasn't avoiding him per se he just wasn't going out of his way to give him the time of day. He loved the man but he made things harder than they needed to be and ever since Ren had been doing him favors all hell had been breaking loose on the streets. It was everything he could do to keep the peace these days not that Ren or Del cared he was working as hard as a beaver in in drought to keep the waters from flooding.

Boys would always be boys and men such as he had to always pull the weight. Just like when Baby D's old man had to have his accident it was Nando who'd had to do the dirty work and keep it a secret. Then again that was what friends were for everybody played their part. His had always been to do what no one else would and keep it to himself. Of course thats why he unlike everyone else had never left had always been here even through the worst of it. He'd even seen to it that the right guards were bribed to keep Del from catching a sainting when he was locked up. It'd helped but not enough way he heard it it might have been better if he'd let them do his friend in. but that was then this was now.

Siding alongside her as she spoke with the the manager he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It was brazen it was definitely going to get him hit but she was worth it he supposed. She'd grown up tall and round and all woman. It was wired seeing her as she was and trying to not remember the little boney kneed girl that was all hair piss and vinegar with a smile that wouldn't melt butter.

"Look atcha all fine and womanly if I didn't know ya I'd take a bite..."

“Ooh you still gots a fire in you Baby D,” Fernando said as she eyed him looking for weaknesses. She was all set to strike and make him down toes up. He smirked and rubbed his chin chuckling out loud. “Girl you know what you got going guess you don’t need my compliments none. Seems you all but caught up on the news down these parts. How you been?” He said ignoring the first brush of hurt feelings. He was never all that outwardly friendly with too many folks but she was one of the few who rated on that list.

Spreading his arms wide he did a two-step twirl showing off his finery, “As for me I done gone and growed up a little bit even gots me an office with a staff so to speak. But back to important matters really tell me how’ve you been. Still working out with the boys?” He wanted to hug her but he was never one to overstep his bounds. He liked her outside Ren, Del, Guy, Remy, Ozee, and Marchiand he didn’t have anyone close to family. Unlike the twins and Remy hell even like Baby D he really didn’t have anyone. They were his family in any real way. And yet he protected them every way he could without ever taking credit or asking for anything but their actual earnest… He couldn’t even finish his thought instead he raised two fingers at the bartender taking the two drinks slid his way. Handing one to her he smiled.

“Come on I have a booth in the back room away from everything out here you can see the whole place.”

While he walked he now knew why Del was trying to meet him on the low. Ren went and got hiss self in a mess. So of course it was down to him to find him or the people who’d sainted him. Either way it would be something he should be able to handle from his phone.

Sliding into the booth he lounged crossing one leg over the other. Lowering his head so he could watch the bar area, door and D all at once. It was a move he’d used often far too often he was beginning to think of maybe cutting his time here some. Smiling as she showed her tats as well as his appreciation of it. “Well Chile, look at you done gone and got your tiger stripes." Chuckling he was tempted to show his own but that require work to get out of his shirt jacket vest and tie. Thinking better of it he smiled.

“Should be a slow night tell me what gets yo self back here. Done say the money as I’m sure with the crowed you run wit you make more than you kin spend legally. Who you runnin from or runnin to?” Most would have made small talk or beat around the bush. That wasn’t his style he either talked or listened. He had asked pointed questions to either listen or talk. He wasn’t prying to simply do so he was asking so he would know whether he would be helping or simply playing catch up. He had a a feeling that whatever had Del up in arms would be dangerous he had no problem with that and already had an idea where he should start.

He smirked slipping his phone from his pocket a she spoke. He swiped in a code and fired off a text without looking at the screen. Muscle memory was no lie he spent a good portion of his day on his phone so he was able to text most times without looking all the while remaining error free. " Yeah I spose it is as good a time as any ta get on back and let ya Yat out. Guess they done celebrate the way we do in these parts."

He nodded in complete understanding as she mentioned staying beneath the radar. It was why he and Del never contacted each other directly just popping up and being seen floating in and around each other. Way he heard tell Del was in enough hotwater to boil the whole You. Wouldn’t do him no good associating with someone who while not dirty had a shade filled past. Legally speaking Fernando ran a consultancy. Though that was just to earn enough of a legal living to hide what he really did. He consulted alright and even operated when he had to but he was the source one went io if one needed to know anything involving the dirt of the city. The dark underside he provided a concierge service to the criminals of the city from true out and out black hats to those white collared risk takers. " Speaking of money y’all wanna make a bit of pocket money while ya down here. I have an associate needs some doing and y’all cousins the Sons of Silence is de people that needs seeing to. "

He ignored Mardi gras as it was not that great for his businesses. It always added several layers of risk a seven the laziest Yat copper was on their P’s and Q’s during Mardi. Not to mention the witches and fae all got liquored up and did things they wouldn’t any other time of the year. He’d been sensitive ehis whole life nothing as grandiose as real visons more chills and hotspots when things were not on the up and up. During major hullabaloo’s he would often get a headache or other physical ailments. He always played them off a something he ate but he felt more than he let on and had an inkling as to why usually. Right now his stomach was cold and hard and he hadn’t a clue he hoped it didn’t mean whathe thought it meant. Ren was either dead or associating with the dead. His text hadn’t gotten a reply which had him thinking the former and fearing the latter.