THE SKIES ARE NOT CLOUDY ALL DAY

[ragebuilt-freezerburnt]

Now  hush  little  baby  don't  you  cry  ,  everything's  gonna  be  alright.

[rafeandonlyrafe]

well 🧍‍♀️ as a reminder this blog is NOT a safe space for trump supporters but it IS a safe place for women, queers, trans ppl, people of color, undocumented people, and any marginalized group.

[brooklynbred]

❛❛ what made you SO SPECIAL? ❜❜

❛❛ nothin. i'm just a KID FROM BROOKLYN. ❜❜

a writing blog for original muse STEVEN GRANT ROGERS , revived with a base lore , as well as many other au verses. mun & muse are 30+ , must be 21+ to interact. personal blogs dni.

[ragebuilt-freezerburnt]

*/    Well   I   know   you   want   a   lover   let   me   tell   you   ,   brother   she's   been   sleeping   in   the   Devil's   bed.   And   there's   some   rumors   going   'round,   someone's   underground   She   can   rock   you   in   the   nighttime   ,   'til   your   skin   turns   red...

[ragebuilt-freezerburnt]

*/    She's   a   motherfuckin   Killer   Queen   ,   a   psychopath   at   17.   A   beauty   in   a   bloodstained   dress.   She'll   fill   your   heart   with   kerosene   ,   &   light   you   up   'til   you   can't   breathe.   If   you   break   her   heart   ,   you   just   might   lose   your   head.

[jjcre8archive]

✩˚｡⋆ 𝐅𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒. ┊ 03X08 "I Killed A Man Today"

[jjcre8archive]

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton YELLOWSTONE ; 01X09 "The Unravelling"

[jjcre8archive]

Luke Grimes as Kayce Dutton , & Mo Brings Plenty as Mo. YELLOWSTONE ; 04x07 , "Keep the Wolves Close"

[drekkavacarc]

          Anya   knew   more   ways   to   kill   a   man   than   she   did   appropriate   topics   of   conversation.   Getting   by   with   as   little   interaction   with   people   as   possible   had   been   the   way   they   functioned   most   of   the   time.   In   the   time   since   she   had   met   Kayce   ,   she   had   spoken   MORE   than   she   had   the   entire   time   they   drove   across   the   country.   Which   happened   to   be   the   leading   cause   to   the   reason   their   shoulders   were   tensed   ,   with   their   hands   shoved   into   their   jacket   pocket.

          All   this   to   say   ,   she   acted   no   different   than   any   young   woman   MIGHT   when   in   a   place   they   had   never   been   before.   So   far   ,   that   story   all   added   up.   A   story   Anya   was   confident   they   could   keep   up   ,   so   long   as   they   were   careful   about   how   they   answered   questions.

          ❝Well   ,   at   the   very   least   it'll   feel   like   home.   Tense   meals   were   what   I   was   brought   up   on   basically.❞   Her   tone   that   time   WAS   more   of   an   embarrassed   mumble.   Definitely   not   a   lie   ,   but   nobody   who   knew   the   truth   would   call   where   she   consumed   her   childhood   meals   a   family   dining   room.   She   caught   that   he   was   heading   for   the   house   ,   &   hopped   into   a   leisurely   pace   to   match   his   toward   the   house.

          She   looked   at   Kayce   when   he   brought   up   her   earlier   comment.   Causing   her   to   glance   QUICKLY   ,   before   a   shrug   following   while   she   thought   of   her   response.   ❝Brooklyn.❞   She   fed   the   answer   once   she   had   the   opportunity.   While   she   had   only   been   in   Brooklyn   for   a   brief   time   ,   it   was   a   place   she   heard   ENOUGH   about   to   get   by.   Uncultured   or   not   ,   she   HAD   been   taught   enough   to   deceive   where   they   needed   them   to.   Basic   acting   was   simply   part   of   how   they   survived   this   long.   ❝My   uh   ,   my   dad   was   in   the   army   ,   so   we   moved   around   a   lot.❞

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

"ARMY BRAT, huh? Can't say I know what that's like," he scoffed softly, "lived on this ranch 'til I was seventeen. Left t' join th' Navy fresh outta high school..."

The mention of that specific time in his life, and how deeply rooted his ESTRANGED WIFE AND SON were in that time in his life, left a sting in his heart that sort of stole the breath from him for a moment. He cleared his throat somewhat, his gaze falling briefly before he turned his head to look at her.

"Only idea I got of BROOKLYN is 'Goodfellas'," he admitted to them. "Honestly, I don't know if I could be there too long without wantin' t' PULL MY HAIR OUT." He shook his head a bit. "Hell, I can't even stand bein' in WHITEFISH for too long."

While Kayce had been a little bit of everywhere when it came to GLOBALLY, he'd tended to stick to a few centralized areas in the United States. Out of those few places, NEW YORK definitely wasn't one of them. Being in any city was harsh enough on his nerves, being in one of the most PROLIFIC CITIES IN THE COUNTRY...it was a recipe for disaster when taking his stress responses into account. The problem wasn't that the overwhelm caused him to go WILD, it was that it placed him right back in those mountains, or on those shores, or in those jungles...with chaos erupting all around him. It forced him to put blinders on, narrowing his perception down to his current task and ELIMINATING anything that stood in the way of him COMPLETING THAT TASK.

Or, to put it simply; outbursts of anger, with the laser focus and concentration to be a real DANGER when pushed too far.

So no...he'd never found an occasion to see BROOKLYN.

"You gonna be headin' back there, then? T' Brooklyn?" It was a fairly casual ask. "'Cause if THAT'S your plan, I sure hope you got another car in mind. Even after I get your clunker runnin', I can't promise ya how many miles she'll have left in 'er. I'm a cowboy, not a miracle worker."

[drekkavacarc]

          She   was   already   feeling   like   enough   of   a   fool   before   she   heard   Kayce.   At   the   very   leas   it   DID   make   her   feel   better   that   she   hadn't   started   swearing   in   place   where   that   would   have   been   her   first   strike.   She   hadn't   filtered   herself   in   some   time   ,   but   she   also   noticed   the   longer   she   was   in   this   state   ,   the   more   she   didn't   fit   in   with   a   certain   demographic   of   people   that   lived   here.   While   she   was   sure   her   dad   would   have   likely   asked   what   THE   FUCK   they   had   done   to   the   poor   thing   ,   she   felt   better   than   her   verbage   wasn't   completely   out   of   the   ordinary.

          ❝Yeah   uh   ,   turns   out   trucks   from   the   90's   aren't   as   good   at   cross   country   trips   anymore.❞   A   horrible   attempt   at   a   joke   ,   which   was   evident   in   the   way   Anya   shook   their   head   and   stepped   closer   to   the   hood   of   the   car.   A   sigh   left   them   when   he   mentioned   that   it   might   be   a   while   before   it   was   in   working   order.   The   location   being   the   main   factor   in   the   annoyance.

          It   was   over   an   hour   in   town   from   the   ranch.   A   factor   they   took   into   consideration   before   looking   around   the   property   while   nodding.   Staying   in   one   place   for   too   long   made   her   PLENTY   nervous   ,   but   this   could   potentially   be   far   enough   away   from   the   city   that   they   could   even   start   locating   their   family.   Dinner   had   to   come   first.   A   whole   other   battlefield   causing   them   plenty   of   anxiety.

          Family   dinner   wasn't   quite   what   most   families   were   for   Anya.   Being   on   the   run   made   it   hard   to   have   much   of   a   dinner   table   ,   or   dinner   for   that   matter.   Her   head   turned   to   look   at   the   lodge   ,   taking   a   moment   to   really   let   the   place   sink   in.   She   couldn't   say   she'd   seen   ANYTHING   like   it.   If   log   cabins   could   be   considered   castles   ,   she   was   pretty   sure   she   was   looking   at   one   right   in   front   of   her.   ❝Pretty   sure   if   ya   live   in   a   house   like   this   you   can   march   t'as   many   beats   as   you   fuckin   want.❞   She   mused   as   she   MARVELED   at   the   house   a   moment   longer   before   attention   came   back   to   Kayce.   ❝Never   had   much   of   a   house   t'have   family   dinners   at.❞   She   commented   with   a   bit   of   a   shrug.

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

By this point, anything that Kayce came to know about Ana was more out of HIS OWN CURIOSITY, rather than under the duress of gathering information surrounding another potential ENEMY. When Kayce was trying to warn Ana about what may or may not happen during the upcoming meal, it was out of a desire to offer a GENUINE CURTESY to them. For all he knew, when it came to actually sitting down at the table all at once, he and Ana might only be joined by his father and sister.

"Don't worry," came his reassurance to Ana as a means of making them feel a little less uncomfortable in the environment that they weren't too familiar with, "table hasn't been full in twenty years, probably won't have t' be too social at all, if you don't want to."

Hell, it was almost ASSURED that Beth wouldn't get through the entire meal without either excusing herself or being MADE TO excuse herself after causing a ruckus and being given and being given an EXPECTANT GLANCE from the Dutton Patriarch himself.

So really...he mostly just had to worry about explaining to his dad. John wasn't an UNREASONABLE man, most of the time, and if there was one thing that the older man was likely to sympathize with, it was feeling the pull to HELP PEOPLE THAT NEEDED IT. And right now, that was who Ana was.

"Ya might have t' loiter in th' livin' room a minute, 'cause I WILL have t' grab Gator an' let 'im know t' go Kosher for ya," he turned somewhat on his heel but didn't start moving forward until he was sure that Ana was following him.

"So...ya said CROSS-COUNTRY," Kayce mused, mostly making conversation, "which explains th' NEW YORK LICENSE PLATE, an' ya said you've been a little bit 'a everywhere 'round th' world, too. Just like livin' like a nomad?" He hoped that he wasn't overstepping with anything, but it still felt like he was missing some CRUCIAL PIECES to who they were and how they had wound up there.

There was almost a FAMILIARITY to them.

[drekkavacarc]

          For   most   of   Anya's   life   ,   culture   &   the   like   they   had   been   barred   from.   Any   connection   to   something   that   made   them   unique   was   severed   from   the   beginning   ,   something   she   wouldn't   discover   until   she   was   free   from   the   Project.   It   made   it   something   she   wasn't   willing   to   set   aside   so   easily.   Certainly   not   for   anyone   in   a   place   like   this.   She   prepared   for   Kayce   not   to   know   what   that   meant   ,   only   to   be   impressed   when   he   confirmed   her   diet   could   be   accommodated.

          That   would   have   been   their   excuse   to   make   their   exit   ,   had   it   not   been   for   the   fact   that   he   had   managed   to   prove   her   wrong.   Her   brows   arched   while   she   crossed   her   arms   &   nodded.   Feet   shifted   back   &   forth   where   she   stood   for   a   moment.   If   she   decided   to   still   deny   him   the   invitation   ,   she'd   probably   have   to   get   the   hell   out   of   Bozeman   ,   &   even   she   couldn't   keep   going   for   much   longer.   She   needed   a   place   to   at   least   eat   &   rest   for   a   couple   hours.

          ❝Don't   drive   too   fast.   Pretty   sure   this   thing's   radiator   was   gonna   blow   about   three   miles   back.❞   Anya   knew   enough   about   cars   ,   but   only   what   she   had   picked   up   watching   her   dad   work   on   them   when   they   were   able   to   stop   long   enough   to   be   able   to   work   on   cars   ,   which   was   just   enough   to   know   that   it   was   likely   not   going   to   make   it   to   another   state.

          Once   he   started   toward   his   truck   ,   she   started   back   toward   her   own.   Pulling   the   door   open   with   more   ease   than   most.   Once   in   the   car   ,   that   thought   to   not   follow   him   &   drive   the   other   way   came   back.   ❝What   the   hell   am   I   doin?❞   Anya   didn't   trust   people.   Most   people   hadn't   done   a   thing   for   her   ,   &   the   worry   that   this   was   too   convenient   started   distracting   her   with   ease.   She   could   handle   herself   ,   but   their   family   also   thrived   on   sticking   together.   Playing   things   safe   while   they   were   apart   was   a   natural   instinct.   It   wasn't   until   he   was   already   pulling   out   of   the   field   that   her   attention   snapped   back   to   Kayce's   truck   ,   &   she   quickly   shifted   into   gear   to   follow   him   to   his   family's   ranch.

          The   further   they   drove   with   more   fields   assumed   to   belong   to   Kayce's   father   ,   Anya   became   more   &   more   amazed   by   the   second.   It   became   more   clear   as   to   why   this   was   something   that   was   fiercely   protected   ,   but   also   the   amazement   that   this   could   all   belong   to   one   person.   ❝Holy   fuckin   shit!❞   She   spoke   a   bit   breathlessly   ,   only   after   that   seeing   the   sign   of   the   Yellowstone   Dutton   Ranch.   Slowly   following   Kayce   up   the   long   drive   ,   she   noticed   wranglers   in   the   field   staring   at   their   truck   while   it   weakly   attempted   to   rumble   up   the   remainder   of   the   driveway.   The   engine   started   rumbling   just   as   she   pulled   up   next   to   Kayce's   truck   before   it   started   smoking.

          ❝Son   of   a   bitch!❞   She   hissed   when   the   door   opened.   Hopping   out   of   the   truck   &   pushing   the   door   shut   with   frustration   before   staring   at   the   hood.   Head   hung   down   ,   &   they   shook   their   head   with   an   exasperated   laugh.   ❝Great   ,   this   is   just   fuckin   great!❞    

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

When Ana had brought up the state of their truck, Kayce had actually thought that she had just been JOKING. It was difficult for him to tell at times with strangers, whether or not people were being serious. Just to be safe though, his eyes had frequently checked his REARVIEW MIRROR, keeping an eye both on how Ana's truck was driving, as well as the way in which Ana herself was driving.

It was INNOCUOUS enough to have someone following behind him so that they didn't get lost on the way to the ranch. Kayce continued to move down his mental check list though, noting that this was another chance for Ana to CAUSE HIM HARM if that was an actual danger. The closer he got to their destination, the more his mind was shifting once more. The very last nefarious motivation that rested on the docket of possibilities, was that she was waiting to get to the ranch, so that she could cause the maximum amount of damage.

He didn't ENJOY having to think this way...but something told him that Ana was having a similar dilemma in their own train of thought. At least, if they were actually on the up and up.

Actually arriving though, told Kayce that the story about the truck was almost CERTAINLY TRUE.

One glance over at the other vehicle had the former SEAL up and out of his own truck. He was already taking his jacket off and as soon as he was close enough to Ana's truck, he was using the article of clothing as an impromptu fan to disperse some of the smoke.

"Christ on a fuckin' CRUTCH," Kayce marveled with an expletive that was mostly under his breath. His eyes narrowed as he moved to pop the hood, using the jacket in earnest then. A small cough bubbled out of him before he spoke once more, this time directly to Ana.

"Shit, ya weren't lyin' 'bout this JALOPY," he huffed and shook his head. "I've got a few guys here that could take a look at it, but I dunno about gettin' it int' workin' shape so quick."

He put his jacket back on before removing his hat briefly, just so he could push the hair back and further away from his face. After slipping the hat back on, his attention moved to the Hands. His first instinct had been to see what RIP THOUGHT, in terms of people that could be spared for such a task. Upon a little bit further consideration though, he reminded himself that he was in charge.

"On second thought...I could probably take a look at it after dinner." This way, there was no need to reallocate on the spot.

"Speakin' 'a which...I dunno what kind 'a family dinners you might be used to, but uh-..." Kayce looked towards where the Lodge was. "my family marches to about five different drums at once, sometimes. Just thought I'd give ya fair warnin'."

[drekkavacarc]

 *  •   ✡   •  * *   endless   edits   of   anya   &   kayce.   @bcrn2rcam.

there   was   a   time , when   i   thought   that   perhaps   i   wasn't   deserving   of   love .   then   you   came   &   proved   how   fucking   wrong   i   was.

[drekkavacarc]

 *  •   ✡   •  * *   endless   edits   of   anastasia   barnes   romanov.

[drekkavacarc]

          A   valuable   lesson   Anya   learned   was   when   to   know   they   weren't   welcome.   Especially   when   they   were   trying   to   stay   out   of   trouble   ,   it   was   goo   to   get   going   &   be   gone   before   people   wanted   you   gone.   This   man   had   indicated   that   her   simply   standing   there   wasn't   the   right   move.   Whether   she   could   take   him   or   not   ,   beating   up   locals   wasn't   a   good   idea   if   you   didn't   want   to   get   noticed.   &   from   what   she   had   gathered   …   This   one   happened   to   be   a   very   important   local.

          Leaving   seemed   like   the   best   option   ,   &   she   was   in   the   process   of   doing   JUST   THAT   when   a   voice   behind   her   ,   HIS   VOICE   ,   asked   her   to   stop.   Nerves   went   on   edge   almost   instantly.   A   survival   technique   they   had   learned   through   the   years.   Hairs   stood   up   on   her   neck.   She   wanted   to   keep   going   to   the   safety   of   the   stolen   vehicle   ,   but   given   his   tone   ,   Anya   turned   around   ,   waiting   for   what   they   assumed   would   be   more   questioning.

          An   invitation   to   dinner   at   face   value   seemed   innocent   enough.   But   Anya   never   took   things   at   face   value.   One   of   the   easiest   ways   to   find   out   about   someone   was   luring   them   into   a   false   sense   of   security.   There   was   the   off   chance   that   he   was   simply   attempting   to   return   the   favor   ,    but   given   what   Anya   had   been   through   ,   it   was   always   better   to   remain   vigilant   until   you   knew   you   weren't   being   deceived.   Given   that   this   man   was   some   form   of   SPECIALIZED   MILITARY   ,   that   part   factored   into   everything   he   told   her.   Though   ,   so   did   the   concept   that   land   like   this   often   came   at   a   dangerous   price.

          She   shook   her   head   at   his   explanation   ,   showing   that   at   the   end   of   the   day   no   offense   was   taken   at   him   being   cautious.   ❝No   need   to   explain.   I've   protected   a   lot   less   than   this   with   more   force.   If   I   were   in   your   shoes   ,   I'dve   been   A   LOT   MORE   on   guard   than   you.❞   She   took   a   moment   to   look   around   them.   Wondering   had   her   families   life   been   different   ,   if   they   might   have   ended   up   with   something   like   this.   Land   like   this   they   could   call   their   own.   Anya   couldn't   even   call   the   truck   they   drove   their   own.   ❝Dinner   sounds   nice   …❞   She   hadn't   had   a   full   meal   in   a   week.   Spending   all   her   time   on   the   road   &   eating   little   snacks   here   &   there   to   keep   her   going.   ❝Any   chance   it'll   be   Kosher?❞

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

The invitation was just as likely to SCARE THEM OFF QUICKER as it was to make them feel welcome, so Kayce had figured it was worth a shot but he wasn't exactly COUNTING ON A 'YES'. Hell, he was already forming backup plans in the back of his mind in the brief few seconds that Ana took to make up their mind. By the time that silence was broken, he had the words lined up that he'd need.

As it so happened though, he wouldn't need it. There was a genuine willingness as well to accept the invitation, even with the reservations that she almost definitely had. And with valid reason. At this juncture, Ana technically had the UPPER HAND. Kayce had given them his FULL NAME, while all he knew about them was that they knew how to handle themselves in combat, they were BRAZEN, and their name was supposedly ANA. Then again, asking her for that, just MIGHT HAVE been enough to warrant her deciding that the risk wasn't worth whatever meal that Kayce had been offering as a show of GRATITUDE.

There was a brief arch in his brows at the inquiry into whether or not the Dutton's were able to accommodate a KOSHER DIET, but all that followed was a small, quiet hum, indicating more of a slight sense of intrigue more than anything else. There wasn't any surprise in his tone, though.

"Pretty sure Gator could cook a proper meal for anyone from Europe t' Africa, so Kosher won't be a problem. An' we got plenty 'a meats that ain't pork."

There was a decent presence of Judaism in BOZEMAN, even if Kayce wasn't overly familiar with the finer details of the culture or the religion. When it came to such matters of culture, if he had broad strokes enough to understand, he had enough DECENCY AND RESPECT to do what he could to not overstep or assume anything. His own family consisted of mostly atheists and those that treated the LAND as God. While he wasn't sure where he sat that way, it was none of his business how anyone else believed.

Kayce looked over to where Ana's vehicle was, then turned towards his own truck, pointing to it. "I'll go ahead an' pull out, if you wanna follow behind me."

[drekkavacarc]

          Anya   was   used   to   this   sort   of   introduction.   Little   games   of   questions   to   figure   out   as   much   as   you   could   about   the   other.   Watching   body   language   done   but   both   without   really   giving   much   of   anything   away.   He   seemed   to   take   the   name   she   gave   him   easily   enough.   They   couldn't   pick   up   too   much   suspicion   aside   from   the   usual.   Which   she   couldn't   blame   him   for   being   cautious   considering   what   she   had   walked   in   on.

          The   name   Dutton   was   one   she   had   never   heard   before.   It   meant   nothing   to   her   ,   but   she   quickly   learned   that   it   should   if   she   was   sticking   around.   Something   she   still   wasn't   sure   of.   She   was   looking   for   a   place   that   wasn't   going   to   attract   unwanted   attention   on   her.   They   needed   to   be   careful   where   they   put   their   feet.   The   two   continued   to   pick   up   their   queues   based   on   speech   &   movement   ,   &   mostly   quiet   or   with   short   amounts   of   words   exchanged.

          For   the   moment   there   wasn't   any   hostility   ,   but   Anya   never   expected   that   to   last.

          Then   that   question   came.   The   question   of   where   she   had   served.   Veterans   shared   that   sort   of   stuff   ,   not   people   who   were   forced   to   do   what   she   had   to.   Her   posture   shifted.   Stiffening   ever   so   slightly   to   try   &   brace   for   the   pull   at   memories   of   her   life.   ‘   Don’t   blow   this.   Don't   make   him   suspect   too   much.   '   Lips   rolled   for   a   moment   before   moving   to   put   her   knife   away   slowly   seeing   as   he   had   put   his   own   weapon   away.

          ❝Uh…Bit   of   everywhere   really.❞   Easier   to   sell   than   listing   places   &   hoping   he   would   continue   to   believe   she   was   a   normal   vet.   Their   shoulders   were   a   bit   deflated   by   the   time   she   pushed   out   the   remaining   air   from   the   deep   breath   in.   Mismatched   eyes   began   looking   for   somewhere   else   to   look.   Trying   to   fight   the   urge   to   step   back   when   he   stepped   forward.   ❝Well,   since   I've   done   my   job   scootin   you   outta   the   fire   ,   I   should   get   goin.   Don't   seem   like   the   place   t'overstay   your   welcome.❞

          Her   eyes   couldn't   help   but   catch   the   view   around   them.   Trying   to   see   where   fences   ended   ,   &   that   was   a   trick   in   itself.   A   beautiful   landscape   in   every   direction   you   looked.   Her   dad   would've   love   this   place.   Her   eyes   found   Kayce's   face   again   ,   her   hand   gesturing   around   them.   ❝Hard   t'believe   this   all   belongs   t'one   guy.   You're   dad   must   be   quite   the   guy.❞   Anya   was   garbage   at   goodbyes.   Realizing   that   as   she   continued   to   ramble.   A   nervous   chuckle   pushed   out   of   them   before   tucking   some   hair   behind   their   ear   before   turning   to   head   back   for   her   truck.

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

Kayce wasn't sure if Ana was slightly stumbling over their end of the conversation because they were HESITANT TO LEAVE, because they had a reason to try sticking around...or if they were just a little THROWN OFF KILTER by the fact that he had been so blunt about asking where she had gotten her experience that allowed her to bring down a man like a PROFESSIONAL ASSASSIN.

Either way, the youngest Dutton and CURRENT HEAD WRANGLER wasn't quite ready for her to GET THE HELL OUTTA DODGE just then. The answer that they'd given indicated that they were most likely Spec Op, but there was something that she definitely wasn't telling him. There was something deep in his GUT that was telling him that there was more to Ana than they were letting on. Just letting them walk away felt like more of a liability than a conclusion to the interaction.

While there were many that mistook him to be UNINTELLIGENT, it was far from the truth. People that didn't have any BRAINS didn't typically last too long in the situations that Navy SEALs found themselves in on a day to day basis. No, Kayce Dutton was more than capable of problem solving, and THINKING ON HIS FEET.

"Wait...!" He spoke up, though did so un a manner that didn't leave him sounding urgent or frantic. More like someone that had just been casually thinking something over to himself. He remained standing where he was as well, knowing better than to make himself seem INSISTANT.

"Look...'m sorry, 'bout puttin' ya through th' wringer," for what it was worth, he did mean that. At least for the time being, there was nothing that suggested that Ana meant him harm. "Thing about havin' this much land, people are always gunnin' for it. Sometimes literally. Can I make it up t' ya, invite ya for dinner? Our cook, Gator, he's never made a meal that I wasn't beggin' for seconds of."

[drekkavacarc]

          She   could   have   just   kept   on   her   way   &   not   stopped.   If   she   had   done   that   ,   she   could   have   avoided   being   questioned   like   she   was   about   to   attack   him   like   they   had.   Their   brows   arched   again   in   some   slight   surprise   looking   at   the   bodies   laying   around   them   as   if   wondering   if   he   had   been   on   this   planet   for   what   had   just   happened   ,   before   a   scoff   left   her   before   she   could   stop   herself.   Disbelief   clear   in   her   expression.

          This   guy   didn't   trust   people.   That   was   more   than   clear.   But   she'd   saved   his   life   ,   &   here   he   was   thinking   she   had   any   business   with   him.   She   didn't   even   know   him.   The   mention   of   ranch   land   came   into   the   conversation   ,   &   her   expression   paused   for   a   moment   ,   before   a   slightly   more   understanding   nod   followed.   Not   by   much   ,   but   she   was   observant   enough   since   she   got   into   town   to   not   wander   on   someone's   land.

          She   could   tell   he   was   a   soldier.   You   didn't   have   aim   like   he   did   &   not   have   served.   She   could   even   pick   out   a   SEAL   from   her   experience   with   them.   This   one   she   hadn't   run   into   though.   That   was   going   to   make   things   a   lot   less   awkward.

          ❝Right   ,   well   …   Next   time   I'll   just   wait   for   an   invitation   t'come   help.❞   It   wasn't   an   answer   to   his   question   ,   but   he   also   was   hardly   someone   Anya   was   concerned   about   yet.   He   wanted   her   name   though.   It   was   important   nobody   knew   she   was   here.   It   was   the   whole   reason   she   had   come   out   here   after   all.   Quick   thinking   searched   her   memory.   Ana   ,   she   hadn't   used   that   one   in   a   while.   Right   cultural   climate   for   it.   &   she   needed   to   work   quick.

          ❝I'm   Ana.   Now   ,   do   I   get   t'know   yours   ,   sorta   customary   where   I'm   from   t'get   on   a   first   name   basis   when   ya   save   someone's   ass.❞

[bcrn2rcam]

@drekkavac - [Anya Barnes]

He was more than familiar with the old adage TURNABOUT IS FAIR PLAY, so when there was a sort of polite demand for his name in return for them offering theirs when he asked, he nodded slightly a couple of times. He was subtly trying to read her body language, looking for any sign of potential treachery. Kayce was proficient in spotting SMALL MOVEMENTS that people tended to make, little twitches of their muscles, just before they moved.

As of the moment, there was nothing to defend against. He'd remain vigilant though, and he'd gather the intel that he could just from their interaction, even if he didn't get any more out of them than what MIGHT BE THEIR NAME.

"ANA, right..." His tone wasn't quite suspicious, but there was just a small tint of CAUTION. He looked them up and down with a quick glance before his eyes found hers once more.

"Well...wherever you're from, I know y'ain't LOCAL, otherwise my LAST NAME would be all ya needed."

Depending on who you were, in which circles you ran, the DUTTON family name was either FAMOUS...OR INFAMOUS. Seeing as how it didn't even prompt a second thought in their mind, Kayce noted that and slowly holstered his pistol. If she was looking to harm his family, a first name basis wouldn't MATTER. Nobody that ever came after the Duttons were likely to SPARE any of them.

"M'name is KAYCE," his answer finally came and his posture was visibly less tense. "An' uh...jus' for th' RECORD, my ass wasn't quite in need 'a SAVIN'. Ya scooted it th' hell outta th' fire though, an' I'm grateful for that." There was a brief pause as he hooked his thumbs into his belt loops, only taking a small step closer to them.

"So...where'd ya serve?"

[0ut2pasture]

*/ i have nothing more to say , that's the post.