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

It been taxing overwhelming and a testament to the Kiss that they’d been able to pull together the strengths and totality of the city. The will of the people at large bent to partying as if tomorrow not only would never come, but didn’t exist in the first place. The city rolled like no one’s business. For the first time in over a hundred years Fat Tuesday was at such a fevered pitch that nearly every local was turning tips. Their goal merely to survive it long enough for the next few weeks to be over with. The glad handing was however at an all time high. The Tourist trade having swollen to almost five times its normal average.

There were all manner of persons arriving on a daily basis. So much so that each of the nearly forty-thousand rooms and over three hundred hotels were booked. Each vacancy that arose netting the hotel or the Air bnb owner four to ten times what the room was worth. The public drinking which had been part of the fabric of the city was at such a high that police would not intervene nor even attempt to unless a person was showing clear signs of blackout drunkenness or stopped moving. The Stret parades were so over booked that anywhere near the CBD or the Quarter it was blocked to anything that moved faster than a walking pace.

Documentarians were already on the scene recording for posterity the largest party ever hosted in a metropolitan city on American soil. As such Gates was at the Court pacing finalizing the nights plans. The Parade that would end the festivities and the Night parade that would end in the appointing of finally someone that would take stewardship of Christians after trial by combat for the courts pleasures. The largest party indeed…

D had this been the past would have took him for looking her over for a snack or sex but she now knew better Lord had taught her well. She nodded her thanks and walked in hips swaying naturally, she smirked" I see you don't memba me tho I memba you nice to see you again Jeadon"

Waiting to see if he would pick up on the fact that they had already met before tho she didn't think she looked that different in a year or so time. Last time she had seen the big man had been just outside the door of her brother's place when he was picking up Pepper from her..evening with Del. Putting down the much cleaner now bottle of expensive drink she had brought as the gift on the table and turning back to him unhurried and unworried. She knew3 why she was there and would behave as long as they did. She was a guest yes but she was also a nola girl born and bred.

She flicked her gaze over his shirtless state head tilting but more just curious having still not gotten totally used to the shifter penchant for nudity. Sometimes she had a hard time letting go of the human side of her brain. Tho it helped her control as the beast was prone to bouts of bad decision and wrong instinct for certain situations. Like half-naked men with wet chests in towels.

Aminta hated when she had to get going especially as tis was one of the few meetings she wouldn’t be late for. Most lions that came down had the unprecedent timing of popping up when she was busy. This time she’d cleared her calendar mostly. There were a few things more she’d planned on doing to properly renovate Terrance’s former offices. She’d eve managed to find therapists of a similar field to take rotational shifts. The office was smaller as she also had some work done. It was more intimate and she also had a bank of servers built into the spaces between the walls turning the place into a mine of sorts she could use the computing power to do all sorts of things and as it was both physical and cloud based it was in effect a private NORAD in the wars waged electronically.



And no one knew it was there.



She had plans yes but nothing that could ever fall back on the pride and yet stood a chance of bolstering the Pride in ways that were exponentially helpful. She’d already begun creating identities for her Pep and Jae. Identities that would be all but legitimate. She’d managed to create a whole high school experience for Pep far removed from her time here in New Orleans. Jae was harder hi criminal record while small still had weight. She worked at creating doubt and soon would visit his former home in Camden and arrange the disappearance of the hard copies. Slowly she was working through the Pride here creating other lives for them that would be indistinguishable from the truth of their existences.



Dragging herself from her thoughts and downstairs behind Pep dressed in her pajama pants which were in fact joggers that hugged her curves small though they were and a wife beater that did little to hide the fact that Pep did some amazing things to her. Her hair a wild main of bed head she stood leaning against the banister. Deceptively awake but so many truthful ways wishing for a lounge or group soak in their master bath.



Waving a greeting she said, “You look better as a lioness.” Jokingly but so much more truth. The dangerous feral nature in her aura had been balanced with a quiet regalness. A savage queen in the making. So much similar to Peps both barrel of both guns blazing devil be damned nature. She was beginning to think it the Nola way of surviving the past.
 

Watching Jae chuckle and slip from the room she closed a casual brush against Pep a smile sitting happily on her face as Dawn settled. “I’m sure our Pepper will appreciate the help. I make everything too Greek and Jaedon makes everything too Italian by way of the hood. Some real local style might be what the doctor ordered.”

Pep never needed the help but always appreciated it. Even when Aminta. Made the mistake of trying to bake the hush puppies. They weren’t bad they were just more biscuits than hush puppies. Or as Pepper informed her would not make them puppies hush for long.

D listened to them interact and laughed, it was familiar with the cadence and manner of being with each other. Nowhere else was like the big easy and you felt it with every fibre. Time almost moved different down here. " I can do both but if we doing a boil den puppies is better with it"

Then the sobering up and question she had expected sooner or later, She shrugged then looked to them both the story so well rehearsed and so frequently told it was now the truth to anyone who could tell the difference." I went back home to LA and hid out for a bit the Chinese were still looking for me, got low on cash went to work one night at a local upper-end bar. Turns out the local lions own it. Pride didn't know they had a rogue round and I didn't think to be concerned. He snagged me on the way back to my car and cut me up something feirce. Local rex realized something was up and saved me. Took me back to their compound gave me some of his blood and helped me heal but you know by then..well"

She shrugged and didn't finish it was clear what she meant" Rogue was killed in the interaction by some of the other pride members while Lord whisked me away. I woke up infected and healing ..fevered. They took me in and helped me learn bout being what we are and here I am. I just needed time to figure out how to tell Del. Didnt want to drop this on him over the line Im no coward"

Listening she raised a brow, bad luck that to have a rogue come in and behave badly that fast. Maybe he had been stalking the bar for a bit and she just got picked. Either way now was now and that was then. She nodded as AMinita got up and went " K' chere amor. Make sure to let da lil ones go we just want grandaddy ones"

Smirking then looking to D" So that was rough and agree with Nita I'm powerful sorry that as how you came to be but its what you do with it now and I see you doing on mostly if I'm reading you right?"

Standing she went to head into the kitchen to start prep waving D along with her as Jeadon came back dressed with his tag along to drop him off" Bye boys have a good day at work and see you when you come back Jeadon Nita went to check de traps for crawdad"

Once they were in she went and got the step stool to take down the boil pots. short was rough some times but she was used to it.

He took the at heir word. they were safe and while there was a hidden spark to Dawn he trusted them and so left no argument or lingering the drive would be a pain enough. Returning shortly on he snuck a grazing kiss leaving. And took the hint that Aminta might need something. the traps were down a spell and as quick as Aminta flew over the ground he didn't bother to pretend he took off once the door closed behind him. A quick, "head to the car tossed over his shoulder." Slowing as he didn't for a second believe what he caught sight of. Aminta hopping from tree to tree like she was some monkey or very light leopard.

She always mentioned her gymnastic ability in passing. But if this was a sign of her skill he was duly impressed especially as he was sure no one save maybe Pep had a chance to witness her in action. Calling out once she reached the ground, "Hey! Ami!" Closing the distance he continued, "Pep thought you might need something..." He said smiling doing his best Magic Mike impression of innuendo. Slow purposeful strides a waggling to his brow to tease.