Untitled

Minnie was quiet as she took in the information August had just given her. She remembered that night clearly. It was one of those nights that reminded her of just how deeply she cared for August. She had felt like she was holding her breath until she finally saw August walk through the door and she realized she didn't have to call in every favor possible to help find her best friend. Minnie had loved and lost a lot of people but it was becoming increasingly clear to her that she wouldn't survive losing August. "What do they have on you?" Her voice was soft, her eyes staying on the road even though she wanted to reach out and take her hand. "Kind of sucks I didn't get to swing in and be your hero though. I've always wanted to know what it was like to fight a Caravelli," she joked, trying to lighten the tightness in her chest. "So what now Nico has shit on you too and you're doing his bidding? Sorry, I'm not trying to get all aggressively mad bestie but none of this is pointing to an easy solution, is it? How much shit are we in, Aug?"

#x. nobody's soldier #x. nobody's soldier: words #august x minnie

It was something she didn't talk about, not only for the obvious safety and secrecy reasons, but because she couldn't quite figure out how to explain it without sounding like she'd completely lost it. It sounded insane, picking off a couple of members of the mob like she'd decided it out of thin air. Maybe it was a foolish thing to do at the time, but she still couldn't bring herself to regret it, even after it had been used against her by the Pantheon and currently required her to work off the debt to Nico with a couple of steep favors. Well, one--she'd managed the first of two already. For a long while she remained silent, breathing even, expression neutral and aided by the pair of sunglasses. Minnie was her best friend, and still explaining this too her seemed as difficult as chewing glass.

"I killed a couple of members of the mob five years ago. When I got back to New York after I retired. Enzo led it at the time, not Nico, but... same thing," she answered finally, voice quiet but perfectly even, as though she'd noted a herd of cows in one of the fields they'd just passed. "The Pantheon used it against me at the Kline Foundation party, and the only way to get out from under it without people getting hurt was to tell Nico." People here meaning anyone but herself--it had been an insane risk to tell Nico this alone without anyone knowing her exact location. "Not much you can do about it. Not much I can do about it."

cesar-flores

"Hang and drop." He nodded and tried to visualize it. He trusted August and he knew she had much more experience than him. It was why he usually stayed behind the computer but he was getting restless and he had wanted to feel like he was actually doing something about everything happening around them. "Fuck, fuck okay, I can do this." He took a breath and finally released his grip. His eyes closed, the fall was quick but instead of falling on his legs or his head, he landed right on his ass. "Oh my god, fuck," he groaned out as he rolled onto his trouble. "Is it possible to break your ass? I think I broke my ass." He put a hand on his ass and struggled to get to his feet but did eventually. "Fuck, please tell me your car is nearby, I don't think I can walk very far."

#x. nobody's soldier #x. nobody's soldier: words #august x cesar #this is so stupid of them i'm laughing

The second Cesar let go, August knew he was going to fuck up the landing spectacularly. Had it been any other situation she might have doubled over laughing, but instead she rushed towards him, swearing under her breath as she helped him to his feet and kept a firm hand around the inside of his upper arm lest he drop straight to the pavement again. "Fuck me, dude, that was awful," she said with a grimace. Unfortunately, breaking one's ass was entirely a possibility and one without any true recourse aside from rest. Her car wasn't far, but it was certainly further than she guessed Cesar could hobble, and the pair of them looking like this outside of a police precinct did nothing for their ability to maintain a low profile. Yes officer, he smashed his tailbone by cannonballing at the sidewalk from your second story window. Amazing. "You gotta walk like half a block. Can you do that?"

rachelxhan

"What?!" She laughed at August's big grin, knowing exactly what. The issue was that she didn't know how much she was ready to share. Rachel knew that there was a possibility that tomorrow Cesar could tell her that maybe it wasn't the best of ideas that they spent time together. It would suck and she wouldn't want that, but also she wouldn't want someone who didn't want her. He had become over time a more and more important person in her life. She understood there were things he needed to figure out still.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh alongside August before letting out a small sigh. She was glad that her euphemism had landed. "I am sure we weren't the only ones. But I definitely had a great time. I also maybe did imbibe a little too much that night too and had a similar thought." Unfortunately her stamina in her twenties did not transfer to her forties when it came to drinking. The question made her ponder a little, since it was again a lot of action and the words were focused on matching the actions. The private investigator gave a small shrug, "I mean I don't think things were never not good at least between us. I know things were not great for him though since the fire and I know he needed to do some things for himself." Rachel didn't want to speak on Cesar's behalf, because even though she recognized a lot of his tendencies ultimately she didn't have a claim on him and his thoughts and feelings. "I like him. And we had a very nice night. And he makes me happy. Can't really ask for much more at the moment."

#x. nobody's soldier #x. nobody's soldier: words #august x rachel

"It's really hard for you to play dumb with me when you're actually one of the smartest people I know," August joked with a laugh. All this struck her as relatively new, both with Rachel's mild shyness over the subject and the apparent care the two had taken to not splash any growing relationship publicly. August herself didn't do relationships, but given her proclivity for privacy in her personal life, she could certainly understand the desire. She didn't like strangers in her house or in her business, and she couldn't imagine feeling any differently if it came to someone she cared for in that way.

The White Party was a blur at this point, with pinpoints of peace scattered throughout, notably half the evening spent with Minnie and a little break from the noise and activity with Amara. Anxiety had her out of her mind, and speedrunning herself to blackout-drunk had only slightly taken the edge off, which led to her being attached to Minnie for as long as the other woman had allowed it, which had been most of the latter part of the night and through the fireworks. At least for some people, the evening had been far more enjoyable. August had no intention of any sort of repeat--invites to 4th of July parties would be declined in the future, her reputation as Contingency leader be damned. "Yeah, that's all that matters," August agreed with a fond smile, "If you're having a good time and you're happy, that's all you need. I won't pry too much, I promise. I'm happy for you, though."

crownvd

CLOSED FOR: troy & breslin (@noxmourners)

LOCATION: troy and esra's penthouse

The bottle of wine sat on the table, surrounded by a charcuterie board and other dishes he had brought out that Sunday evening. It seemed as if their lives had turned into all work, a given since the moment the Pantheon had showed up. Stakes kept getting higher, with multiple people from his family now becoming targets of the anonymous hacker or whatever they were. First Troy, then Esra and Charlie on the same night, all of these after Breslin's secret came out. Without sharing much with anyone, Troy had been keeping an eye on eye it, tried to figure out who and what was the reason for targeting them. Too many people around him. That night though, he'd invited Breslin and her wife over in a more social aspect. He and Esra officially shared a home together - a step that he never even expected to take with anyone after the loss of his wife six years ago. And aside from Charlie, no one understood what that meant to him like Breslin did. He placed his glass of wine down on the table and grabbed a cigarette, lighting it as he offered the pack to his friend. "Hard not to talk about work when so much is happening, right?"

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x troy

Despite be cool running through her head as an endless monologue, Breslin had scarce stopped smiling the second she and Amara arrived at Troy and Esra's shared penthouse. It was a big step, particularly for someone like Troy, who had spent the past several years trying to keep his head above water where his grief was concerned. This looked an awful lot like healing, and seeing him happy again was nothing short of miraculous. The unfortunate state of the city meant they rarely talked about anything except work or other adjacent stressors, and so a night involving a bottle of wine and a low key dinner was just what the four of them needed. Leaned comfortably with her elbow propped on the table, Breslin watched Amara and Esra idly, the wine having made her comfortably warm and relaxed as the evening progressed. When Troy spoke at her side, she straightened and arched her eyebrows, content expression blooming to an outright grin.

"Maybe for you," she replied as she took a pull from her own glass and placed it on the table. "The penthouse is nice."

aslandurmaz

Months prior to the Demirci family emerging within the headlines of the city, Saadet’s arrival had previously carved its position within Aslan's field of awareness. One that became a permanent blip upon his radar and never quite diminished. Her movements to and from the Turkish Consulate had grown familiar enough for him to recognize - for anyone carrying ties to the Demircis remained firmly within the patterns he personally monitored, regardless of how many years had passed since relevancy struck. Which prompted his suspicions of her station within the city to obtain clarification once the Pier 47 deal had come to surface above ground.

Which made Saadet's proclivity leaning towards the archives nearly predictable. Of every corner belonging to Manhattan, it was perhaps the one place Aslan would expect her to seek out first. So much so that he'd nearly laughed at the consideration of telling his intelligence division to stop wasting their time searching further into her altogether. A decade had passed since their paths had properly crossed, yet some instincts proved remarkably unwilling to evolve. A leopard couldn't change its spots - not then, and certainly not now.

His approach towards the woman that once occupied residency within his life came silently. One that remained wordless when he positioned himself a few feet behind her as an onlooker to the awkward exchange taking place. A fleeting interaction, however, as he finally closed another step forward with a slight inclination of his head directed at the individual who'd mirrored her steps. A physical translation of get lost that sent them turning around in the direction they'd arrived from to leave only the two people required for this conversation. "Found what you're looking for?"

#x. aster adder #x. aster adder: words #saadet x aslan

A decade since the last time they properly spent time together, and still she recognized his gait even before she turned to spot the man himself as he approached and stationed himself at her back, his mere presence enough of a looming shadow to send unwelcome third party scattering. She turned to face him, eyebrows lifted and expression expectant, now waiting for an explanation. When she didn't get one, she laughed softly and shook her head, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

"You certainly did," she countered without any real answer. Saadet wasn't hiding--she didn't hide--and in her opinion, it was only a matter of time before he picked up her schedule and intentionally crossed it somewhere. The only surprise was that he'd waited this long. They both knew why the Demirci family came north, that there would be a reckoning for him and his Cavalry whether he liked it or not. Saadet was merely the harbinger, her arrival the only true warning he'd ever receive before all of this ended. "So now that you've found me, what do you want? Surely not a book recommendation," she quipped as she stepped around them. To an onlooker she simply intended to get around him and on with her business, but the movement allowed her to slowly draw him to somewhere more secluded among the stacks of books. An inopportune location for this sort of meeting, but she sincerely doubted anything more formal or planned would ever happen.

" i believe new yorkers believe they're the best in the world , " he said absentmindedly , throughly aware that the pair were indeed surrounded by new yorkers. he has yet to run into someone who he found appealing , well someone who he wasn't interested in sleeping though even that was very few. saadet had known a side to him that many others didn't necessarily know existed. he had always been reserved , quiet and overall stoic however , after such a long time there had to have been someone to break the man at least slightly. he pulled out a little sachet and placed it on the table , " if you make a face or react poorly you will never find out what is in here. "he warned before sliding over the small sachet which held a mini snowglobe of the statue of liberty. ellis island had been overrated.

@noxmourners ( saadet )

#x. aster adder #x. aster adder: words #saadet x mattia

"You are incredibly correct," she agreed with a nod, watching as people walked by from behind a pair of dark sunglasses. She would also say most people believed their hometown was the best, and that they were also the best by association, but this wasn't much the place or person to argue such a thing. The pair sat in comfortable silence--as they often did and had since their childhood. Perhaps of anyone outside her family, she trusted Mattia the most, and sometimes even preferred his company to that of her siblings. At the proffered little bag, Saadet's eyes raised over the sungalsses and she moved them to perch them on her head, trying her hardest not to look too excited about whatever nonsense he'd collected for her this time. It was a running joke by now--he visited a tourist trap, bought a little knick-knack, and then gave it to her. She pretended to be offended by a cheap little trinket every time, but they both knew she kept every single one on a shelf in her room. "Ooh, what did you get me this time?"

Location: Minnie's Brooklyn Apartment Starter for @noxmourners

"So how do you say, do you want a drink in turkish?" Minnie pressed a kiss in between Saadet's shoulder blades, her fingers dragging down the woman's back. "Feels like one of the most important phrases to know but I'll take any other lessons." A kiss to Saadet's shoulder and she was rolling out of bed. She pulled on her boxers and the black tanktop she had barely had on for a few minutes before Saadet was at her door. Since the Hamptons, Minerva felt it was best to stay in the city for the second half of the summer as much as she could. Keep a close eye on things as her crew followed up leads and she tried to put the pieces together. One way or another someone was coming for them, all of them but the MC specifically and she'd be damned if she failed to protect them again. But these were thoughts she pushed away as she made her way into the kitchen to make herself a few drinks and roll up a joint. "Were you in the Hamptons last weekend? I'm pretty sure I would remember seeing you but I was pretty faded by the time the fireworks started." That and she had been pretty focused on August. "The place is pretty nice if you haven't been."

#x. aster adder #x. aster adder: words #saadet x minnie

Comfortably warm and tired, Saadet barely registered the question outside the haze of an impending nap, only to be brought to the forefront by a pair of kisses and the soft trace of fingertips down her spine. She watched silently for a moment as Minnie dressed, eyes half closed and head on her arms before she answered, the Turkish phrase spoken softly.

"İçecek bir şey ister misin?" With a deep inhale and a long, feline stretch, she followed suit and got out of bed, pulling on the leggings and loose shirt as she followed Minnie into the kitchen. She slid into a chair and set about tying her hair back, then leaned forward to place her elbows on the table and chin in her hands. She hadn't meant for things to get quite this far--what had been flirting to chase away a bit of the tedium that came with waiting became something of a regular meeting, and Saadet was, for the most part, able to temporarily divorce herself from thoughts of how sleeping with the leader of the MC might complicate things. "Ah, no," she answered after a moment, smiling briefly as she spoke. "Busy that evening," she continued, straightening to wave her hand dismissively. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if their family would be welcome at such a gathering, and they'd done so well keeping themselves uninvolved thus far. "It was fun though, I take it?"

" i think she'd like that , she doesn't really have family , which kind of sucks but i think you'd get along. and knowing amara she might want to add her onto the fifty billion people you guys call family. " him and his sister included of course , though he couldn't think of anyone better who deserved to be surrounded by people than breslin and amara. despite breslin being his boss , he never really thought of her that way. yes , he still respected her and did everything a chief of staff needed to do but there was still an air of homeliness he couldn't avoid. maybe that's why he'd stuck around for that long , he did also kind of enjoy bossing people around. " maybe or maybe not , i could never read her. i can read a lot of people but i could never read her. kind of freaky if you ask me. "

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x francis

The quip about her and her wife's penchant for adopting strays earned him an eyeroll and a playful shove with her hand on the side of his head, but zero argument--she knew who they were. Both of them were no strangers to late night phone calls that ended in a trip across town or an impromptu bed made on the couch in their living room, and it was also how they ended up with three cats and a handful of strays who frequently came around looking for something to eat. "Well, let me know when works for you and we'll figure it out. Do you have a date or a place set? Or is that all kind of up in the air yet?"

On the subject of his mother, Breslin tipped her head back and forth thoughtfully, not necessarily trying to play devil's advocate but hoping to shed a little light on his sometimes very private mother. "I don't know. I still think it's a mom-thing. My dad and I had nothing when we were young and-- well, he was nothing like your mom, as you know-- but he tried so hard to make sure I didn't feel it, not emotionally anyway. I knew we didn't have much, but he kept me out of as much stress as possible where that was concerned. Maybe she's protecting you from something."

aylademirci

Location: Central Park & open @pantheonhqstarters

There was a heat wave in New York and somehow that just felt right, as if the Demircis had brought a little bit of Miami up north along with them. As accustomed as she was to rising temperatures, even she had to admit it was a bit much, but she refused to stay shut up inside when there was so much ground to cover. Ayla was making it her mission to become as familiar with her new city as possible; knowledge was power, and her family needed all the power they could get as they took on the various factions surrounding them. Still, it was too nice of a day to spend all of her time working.

A group of laughing children came running across the grass and Ayla jumped out of the way just in time to avoid being run over. She had to smile as she watched them pass, trying to remember what it had been like to be that young and carefree. Not that she had ever really been carefree. She continued walking until she found a shady spot underneath a tree, then laid a blanket out on the ground. She had just sat down when she sensed somebody approaching. "Great minds, huh?" She popped her sunglasses up onto the top of her head and looked up to catch their eye. "Don't tell me I've stolen your spot."

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x ayla

Breslin paused in her route at the sound of a voice, knees bent and spine rounded as she leaned forward and walked as quietly as possible. This combined with the sunglasses and shorts with her hair pulled into a messy bun meant she looked decidedly unmayoral, which may have contributed to the lack of recognition. Now, however, she was caught red-handed trying to chase down a lone kitten, unable to abide the thought of it alone or the chiding she'd receive from her wife if she told her about it and hadn't at least tried to snag it.

"Oh, no, uh-- cat," she said quietly, motioning to the bushes a few paces beyond the tree where the woman had settled on a blanket. "I am unfortunately a bleeding heart," she continued with a grin that twitched at the corners of her lips. She'd never been good at sitting still, even whenever she had a gap of time that allowed for it. No, instead of idling on a park bench for a minute of peace, she instead was chasing a wily little kitten through a less-manicured grouping of shrubbery. Utterly undignified and unfortunately deeply typical.

" you are lucky i've calmed down --- or else that offer would be taken up at 3 am. " though the mayorial mansion was a bit out of the way from anywhere convenient. he liked what they did with the place , yorkville was a bit --- well posh even for his liking but it was tradition. he followed the woman to the couch as he settled , beer in hand nodding thanks as he took a sip. he looked at the label then back at breslin before showing a bit of approval. " i know , trust me. i've heard it all. " language was not colorful as the governor had been but breslin had enough on her plate than to hear about what she should be doing. " they're from miami which -- only means disaster. " santiago never hid his dislike of the city or the state of florida. " the deal went by quick , but from what i was able to see it went through the proper channels. though i've heard whispers that the pier workers can't too happy with new management. "

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x santiago

Breslin hummed a laugh at his words, fully prepared to be his 3am call even he simply joked about it this time. That's who she'd been her entire life--the person on the other end of the line when someone needed help, whether it was a lift home or something more serious. Santiago wound his way into her affections with an ease that spoke of a good heart despite sometimes questionable choices and an even more questionable family history. The pair of them now bore the brunt of the displeasure from politicians in higher offices where their current actions were concerned, but her point stood--if they could do it better, they were more than welcome to try. None had taken her up on it.

Curious, the mayor tipped her head to the side and listened, fingers idly turning the bottle in her hand. He knew considerably more than she did about the Demirci family currently buying up property in New York with alarming speed and zero fanfare. She didn't much have a horse in this race aside from the knowledge necessary to care for the city as a whole, but it would make sense that a lot of people were uncomfortable with the new surprise arrival. "Politicians at all? Or mostly just business people? Admittedly I've never heard of them, but I haven't had much a reason to deal with Miami-based businesses."

aqxatofana

At arms length, was how Luca preferred people. It was easier. Not out of self pity or self sabotage - it just wasn't all that easy to hold a conversation with people once they discovered how deep the stain of red on his hands went. Making people, places and information disappear into the abyss was the only constant he knew, and beyond that years of prison and fighting rings hadn't done him any favors. But in truth, he had too many secrets. Too many things he held close to his chest. When he'd met Breslin, letting her know him had been one of the toughest things he'd had to swallow - but whatever part of him that had needed her at the time, he was grateful for now. "Mine too," he huffs, leaning back as hands slid deeply into his jacket pockets. "Don't be," it's rich — considering how recent events had played out. Though his hands had healed, he still felt the occasional pull of tightly scarred skin across his palms. "There'll be too much press, too many outside eyes on the place." The reveal of the latest luxury hotel wouldnt be tarnished by the pantheon, he felt sure of it. Somehow. "But, while we're on the topic... I need a favor"

#x. white knight: words #x. white knight #breslin x luca

Gaining Luca's trust had been a fight and a half, but worth it in the end. Despite the gruff exterior and deeply-seated desire to keep everyone away, she saw incredible loyalty and dedication to whatever task he was given. Their paths were wildly different, but in that drive they were the same. His apparent nonchalance about the idea of a large gathering surprised her somewhat, but she said nothing in response, simply watched and waited. She might argue that everything that happened involving this organization went off under intense scrutiny and and audience, and still they felt truly no closer to the end than when all of it began. A luxury hotel opening seemed like the perfect place to pick off a few high-profile targets, though to what end she couldn't guess.

"A favor?" she repeated, tilting her head to the side, curious. "How can I help?"

" they're five dollars ? " he questioned. " oh breslin , are times that tough ? " he teased , though he immediately gave into the hug. it was nice , though breslin had known him though his difficult era when he refused to make contact with those who he thought were innocent --- that was a long time ago. at the mention of seventeen his expression faltered , the age still bringing in bad memories , memories that shouldn't even exist. " god , don't even remind me --- you've known me through all of it. " and he was grateful to have her.

" a day after the fires , i know it sounds wrong but it was genuine plus i had gotten the ring like a month after we started dating. i guess i just knew , " he was sure breslin understood what it felt. " yeah you can tell amara , i'm kind of waiting for her threats to come in , " the pair having seen him grow up and know he was a bit of a whore before romy. " nan , couple of friends -- mom doesn't know yet , i'm kind of hesitating telling her. "

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x francis

A fond smile lit Breslin's entire face as she listened, withdrawing from the hug to be able to look at him properly. God, she knew that feeling. She remembered vividly telling herself to pump the brakes with Amara, so sure the way she was struck by her was entirely one-sided. That didn't last long, but hearing someone else describe it sounded comfortably familiar. Sometimes, you just knew.

"I'm calling her the second we go back inside, so brace yourself," she teased. "You'll have to bring her for dinner sometime, I'd love to meet her. I promise not to be overbearing." Breslin reveled in the knowledge that she was one of the first to know, that he'd considered her close enough to tell her something so personal and important to him. "Why are you hesitating? I think she'd be happy. Worried--she's your mother, it's her job--but hopefully happy."

amararoyce

"Why is it upstairs? Were you hanging somethin' without me?" It dawns on her that she doesn't actually know if they are allowed to desecrate the beloved mayoral home with their personal, eclectic decor, but then again who was going to tell Breslin no? Certainly not Amara. Twisting the bat between her hands, familiarizing them with the weight, she ascends the stairs in lockstep with her better half. "Yeah, well, I stopped trusting Zak Bagans' advice after he tripped over the chair in that one episode." She'd laughed herself stupid over it at the time, but the point remained. "Anyway, maybe the ghosts just hate Led Zep." She gestures off-handedly to their matching, albeit faded, band t-shirts. "Suddenly regretting every single one of those, by the way. If it gives you any sense of vindication. We can be action movie people now."

#x. white knight #x. white knight: words #breslin x amara #they're so stupid i love them ur honor

"Maybe," Breslin replied, glancing back at her wife with a cheeky grin. Flashlight on, she flipped the switch at the base of the staircase to illuminate their way upwards, making the flashlight itself seem redundant other than as a projectile. "Oh, we're watching Finding Nemo after this," she said as she moved slowly up the stairs, listening for any repeat of the noise as she and Amara traded shitty, anxiety-fueled jokes. For all she knew, the ghost did have bad taste, which frankly would be par for the course given the historical occupants of the mansion. Before she could open her mouth again, the faint sound of movement upstairs caught her attention and she stiffened, her spine gone rigid as her shoulders raised, ears ringing as her heart skipped a beat. "Okay, definitely a noise that time," she murmured as the pair of them crept to the top of the staircase.

Location: Somewhere in Massachusetts Starter for @noxmourners

Minnie was undoubtedly on edge. But she had promised August she would take her away for the weekend and she knew she needed it herself. Whether it was the questions Minerva had about August and Nico or all the new information she was learning about the Demicri's, Minnie was in search of a beautiful body of water, a fat joint and the company of her best friend. Which is exactly why she and August had just pulled into a gas station in Northampton, Massachusetts, only a few hours from the house they had rented on the Cape. Minnie liked to stop in this college town for their breakfast spots and she was in desperate need of some fuel. It helped that some of he favorite dispensaries were along the way, and she liked to pop in to say hi to some friends she had met in the field. She slid back into the truck once the gas tank was full, letting out a soft sigh before starting the car again. "You good? Full? That breakfast was so fucking good I kind of wish I could go back in time to have it again." She reached for her iced coffee in the cup holder and took a few sips before putting the car in drive. "So how long are we gonna go before you tell me about this Nico shit?"

#x. nobody's soldier #x. nobody's soldier: words #august x minnie

The days following the 4th of July party were something of a nightmare, though August liked to think she masked it well outside barely sleeping. By the time their weekend away rolled around, she could feel herself evening out again, but the exhaustion still made her uncharacteristically quiet on the drive and through breakfast. It was a nice drive, dotted with people and places her friend knew, and despite her somber demeanor, August enjoyed herself. While they stopped for fuel, she stared out the window, eyes unfocused and thoughts minimal until Minnie dropped into the drivers seat again and started the truck.

"Mm? Yeah, it was good," she answered, gaze following the movement of Minnie's hand on her iced coffee from behind a pair of sunglasses. As the truck rolled back onto the highway and Minnie broached the subject of the tension both of them held, August grumbled unintelligibly and sighed. "I'm the most stubborn bitch you've ever met, I can hold out forever," she mumbled, but there was no true fight in her words. She'd never intended to keep it from her friend, especially not when some of the information she'd uncovered potentially involved her. It just needed the right timing, and the past month had none of that for either of them. "The Pantheon has shit on me that involves the mob and they used it," she said at length, unsure quite how to start but figured this was the most important piece of information to understand everything that followed. "I had to meet with Nico a few weeks ago. The night I told you to come find me if I didn't get back to you by whatever time."

cesar-flores

"What am I, Spider-Man?" He glanced down and let out a laugh. "August, thank god, a real adult. Okay." He felt embarrassed. August was probably one of the few people who's opinion he gave a shit about and was a big reason he had stuck around for the Contingency as long as he did. "I thought about it but at that point I was too far in. This was really an impulse. I had two iced coffees this morning and that was a bad decision." Cesar took in a breath, trying to slowly lower himself but he was finding that his core strength was not as solid as he thought. "Should I try to land on my feet or give my body more of a fling?"

#x. nobody's soldier #x. nobody's soldier: words #august x cesar

August made a strangled, high-pitched noise as she watched Cesar try to situate himself to drop to the ground safely, softly enough to be out of earshot of the other. She did things like this frequently, but she worked hard to make sure she had the strength in every part of her body to do it safely and quietly. There was a non-zero chance this would result in an ER visit or a phone call to Ginny and several weeks of Cesar out of commission even with the best instruction August could manage. "Straight down, as even as you can," she replied, "swinging when you haven't learned to roll off your feet to bail could make it so much worse. No wobbling, no extra movement, just hang and drop." Her eyebrows lifted and she inclined her chin, watching with great trepidation as she hoped he could do exactly that. "Come on, before someone sees you and we have to explain some shit."

Minnie smiled when she asked and brought her hand to her lips. "Of course. I'm not leaving your side. I'll literally punch out the people lighting the fireworks if I have to." She laughed at this mostly because of the visual it gave her. "Can't believe they got us out here in all white. I almost didn't come but I figure I should make nice with everyone. Shake hands and kiss cheeks and whatever. Amara said if I give them two hours it's probably enough. But we'll see. I feel like I spend half of my time trying not to accidentally say some shit to Breslin about the MC." She rolled her eyes but was smiling. If anything, Minnie loved that she had a little circle of lesbian friends, even if she had to pretend like she and Amara totally hadn't met because of their roles in the MC. Minnie stretched out her legs and lay back a bit, taking in the salt air and sound of the waves. "Do you want to take a weekend trip with me this summer? We can go wherever you want."