under the sun

@vaquero-beco

save a horse, ride a cowboy.

103 posts

BENICIO GABRIEL ABREU LÀZARO

"black clouds are behind me, i now can see ahead / often i wonder why i try hoping for an end / sorrow weighs my shoulders down / and trouble haunts my mind / but i know the present will not last / and tomorrow will be kinder…"

Nicknames: Beco, Beni, Buck, Beninho (in order from most to least common, last one reserved for family) Pronouns: He/him Sexuality: Gay Magic status: Mundus Nationality: Brazilian-American Ethnicity: Brazilian Accent: American (slight Western, slight Brazilian influence) Height: 6'0 Build: Fit, muscular, broad Skin tone: Tan Eye color: The softest, most cowlike brown eyes you ever did see. Hair color/length/style: Dark brown, almost black, but it’s brown!! Hi-top fade, curly on top. Tattoos/piercings/daily jewelry: Tattoo of his mother's initials DG on the inside of his bicep in small, black letters. No piercings. Wears dog tags. Pets: None rn. His ex took their dog, in the "divorce." Occupation: Police Officer with Swynlake Sheriff's Department; RAS Agent 321 Relationship Status: Freshly broken up with NPC, Tyler. What would you find if you Googled them?: A few newspaper articles where he is mentioned as the arresting officer; the newspaper article about his mother's murder. What natives would know about them: Just moved to town! (January 2025) Other: N/A

biography * character sheet * instagram * inspiration *

bullseye-stoddard

Two Cowboys Walk into a Bar || Buckeye

bullseye-stoddard

Bullseye returned the smile, giving a little sigh of relief. He had not been sure that Beco would admire his job since it was so very obvious. But then again, was there really anything wrong with doing what he loved? It had been the easiest choice for him to make, but surely there was nothing wrong with a job that was not only easy but also made sure animals got their needed care. "Thanks, glad I got your approval. Guess it's true that you can take t' cowboy outta th' range, but you can't take th' range outta th' cowboy."

He was not sure what sort of reaction Beco was expecting to the announcement of his own job, but Bullseye's reaction to the other man's job was the same as the one he had received for his own. Granted there had been a time when he would have been more cautious around a law enforcement official, but that had been a hundred and fifty years ago. These days, he was completely fine with meeting one, since any officers today had been born well after Bullseye's outlaw days had ended. "Oh, that's cool. Bet it's a different sort o' caseload over here, huh? Or you still see th' same kinda stuff jus' in a different settin'?"

@vaquero-beco

"No, no--you're right. It is really different."

Honestly? While Beco found Swynlake charming--it really was like living in some sort of storybook most of the time...he also found it dreadfully boring. And, sometimes, he just saw it as a punishment. That he was here because the RAS higher ups thought he needed to learn some stupid lesson or something.

So, send him to some sleepy little town where the most intense call they got, on average, was a cat stuck in a tree.

It was driving him a little insane--but, at the moment, he was able to keep that at bay with all the interesting new people that he was meeting. At least there was that.

"I mean--big cities and small towns are different in so many ways. I don't think, in Albuquerque, that I ever went on a call where I wound up knowing someone involved. That's already happened here." He was thinking about the whole Joanna and Shang incident. Though, that certainly wasn't the only time since he'd arrived.

@bullseye-stoddard

#swynbullseye #buckeye #two cowboys walk into a bar

One Side to the Other * [The Cavalry]

trackedbymaximus

Maximus nodded. At least if they were going to keep getting saddled with brand new people to town, it was good to know they were the type of people who did their research and remembered what they'd read. It would save time in the long run.

"Some, but nothing extraordinary. Biggest problem is usually that Uncle Waldo - not my uncle, but he's known by Uncle Waldo - likes to sleep in there and he's drunk a lot of the time. But the man's harmless enough. He'll shuffle along if you need him to, so we just try to make sure he doesn't end up in too much trouble. Plus whoever is on nightshift needs to circle through regularly."

But in a strange way, major problems hadn't ever come up int he park. There were always small ones, but considering everything the town went through, it could easily be much worse.

@vaquero-beco

Beco also knew about Uncle Waldo--but he hadn't been in the official police manual. That had been a RAS note. So, he had to pretend he'd never heard of the affectionate town drunk.

It was nice that everyone seemed to get along with him. That he wasn't too much of a nuisance and that the police had a gentle way of dealing with him.

In Albuquerque, it was similar. Their hands were more tied. And there were way more homeless. Beco always tried to offer them a hand--a ride somewhere, the information of a shelter, a warm meal. Most of them told him to fuck off. Only a hand full actually accepted his help. He felt guilty about it...but it was nice to not have to worry about that kind of thing.

Well, he assumed so?

"And the--bookshoppe? It's haunted?" He nodded across the street as they passed the park. "Ever have any problems with that?"

@trackedbymaximus

#swynmaximus #the cavalry #one side to the other

a-man-named-shang

Let's go on a road trip | Bang [Valentine's Day Thread]

Trusted his taste?

That made Beco just want to pick something absolutely disgusting. Just because he thought that might be funny. He wouldn't do that to Shang...though his eyes did linger over the spotted dick...

The perfect Valentine's Day meal!

"Let's do--a basket of fish and chips--" solid and easy "--and a hamburger." That felt pretty mild. Unless Shang was a vegetarian...in which case #whoops. In his defense: not a lot of veggie options at a random pub on a side street in the British countryside.

@a-man-named-shang

a-man-named-shang

Fish and chips and a hamburger were solid. Easy to eat. Beco had made a good call there. Though Shang wasn't especially picky. The only british food he might not volunteer to eat would be the black pudding or something like that.

"Great choices babe," Shang replied with a grin. "I'll add nachos to the list for the appetizer. And a light beer." One drink would be fine for him to still drive. Especially if he ate plenty and drank it slow.

"You want something to drink?" He asked Beco, because he hadn't thought of drinks until that moment.

@vaquero-beco

Shang seemed chill with the meat options so--that was probably a good sign. Or the other man was a really good actor. Not like Beco would know! Considering they'd basically just met.

Though, even if it was stupid, he couldn't help the little thrill he got at being called "babe." He had missed that more than he thought that he might. Maybe that made him pathetic but...whatever. No one else had to know. And--so what if he was lonely?

"Sure, I'll take a beer too," Beco said with a nod. He didn't feel the need to get pissed or anything, but what was a stop at a pub without a beer to top it off?

"C'mon, let's go find a booth." Once they'd moved off, Beco leaned in towards Shang. "You think we have to sit on the same side to really sell it to them?"

@a-man-named-shang

#swynshang #bang #let's go on a road trip #tbt to when i worked at a restaurant #and used to judge the ppl that sat on the same side of the booth lmao

NAME: Ser Benicio Lázaro

HOMETOWN: The Nowhere Desert OCCUPATION: Knight

YOUR WISH: To avenge his mother WHAT YOU GAVE UP: The search for his father YOUR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE: Forgetting who he is; he basically has slowly been turning into a robot that just follows orders.

LOYALIST/REBEL/OTHER: Loyalist

BIOGRAPHY: Life had started out harshly for Benicio in the desert. But it started that way for everyone born in arid Nowhere. In that unforgiving climate, family is everything. You trust and rely on your familial groups to take care of everyone.

Which was why it was particularly shameful for Benicio's father to have up and left them one day. Benicio carried that shame with him all the way out of the desert and to the city, where his father had probably come when he left. He wanted to hunt him down.

His mother came with him and, one night, while he was following a lead on his father's whereabouts that lead to nothing--his mother was killed.

His search for his father abandoned, Benicio wanted, now, to avenge his mother. So that was what he wished for. He was able to find the thugs that killed her and killed them. He thought he would find peace and, in a way, he has. As he take every order directed his way without thought. His blind loyalty has been rewarded over the years, but Benicio barely even notices.

@vaquero-beco

#swynapowawbio #inspiration

M*A*S*H * [Becollette]

collette-richards

Collette tilted her head with a soft, knowing smile, her fingers tapping lightly against the rim of her glass.

"First of all," she said, voice warm and a little conspiratorial, "you’re absolutely right to take your time. Trust me, sweetheart—sometimes the best thing you can do after a long relationship is not rush into trying to recreate what you lost. You’re not patching up a house—you’re building a brand new one. New walls, new doors, new keys. Fresh paint, fresh air.”

She shrugged, breezy but sincere. “Some things are meant to stay in the past. Doesn’t mean they didn’t matter, it just means you don’t owe your future to your history.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, cheeks flushing slightly as he circled back to Mal. Of course he would catch that.

“Oh, that,” she said, waving a hand like she could bat the butterflies back down. “We’ve just…gone on a date. Well, and bumped into each other a few times at events.” She gave a soft, almost bashful little laugh. “You know when you get those stupid butterflies and you tell yourself not to fall for it, but then you’re not even chasing anymore—you’re just floating?”

Collette took another sip of her drink to cool herself down and leaned in with a little smirk.

“Let’s just say...it’s early. But it’s been a very promising start."

@vaquero-beco

Collette had a lovely, poetic way of speaking that appealed to Beco. He had always been someone who responded to that kind of cadence. It was soothing to him. It made life feel a little more--magical--than it otherwise might be. And, sometimes, Beco just felt like he needed that.

It was also nice to hear about her date. And her butterflies.

Beco was jealous, but not in a way that soured inside of him. He was glad that Collette was smiling and blushing.

"Hey, well, that's a good thing! A promising start is better than a terrible one, eh?" Beco joked with a little chuckle. "Mal seems like a good person. I don't know her well, but I've worked with her on a call or two."

The Swynlake First Responder team had to work closely, considering how small the town and the surrounding towns were.

"I, uh, saw that this town is doing some sort of prom thing? Are you gonna ask her?"

@collette-richards

#swyncollette #becollette #m a s h

a-man-named-shang

Let's go on a road trip | Bang [Valentine's Day Thread]

a-man-named-shang

It figured that someone would assume they were together on Valentine's Day. Shang didn't mind it now that Beco clearly was going for it too. Why not? He could enjoy a nice date of sorts with a handsome man on a road trip.

"That sounds amazing babe," Shang agreed. He didn't want to ask about allergies or spice preferences there in front of the bartender since they were supposedly a couple. He figured if Beco picked out the entrees it'd be pretty okay.

He leaned closer to Beco, draping an arm over his shoulders. "You pick the entrees. I trust your taste. I can pick a couple appetizers."

@vaquero-beco

Trusted his taste?

That made Beco just want to pick something absolutely disgusting. Just because he thought that might be funny. He wouldn't do that to Shang...though his eyes did linger over the spotted dick...

The perfect Valentine's Day meal!

"Let's do--a basket of fish and chips--" solid and easy "--and a hamburger." That felt pretty mild. Unless Shang was a vegetarian...in which case #whoops. In his defense: not a lot of veggie options at a random pub on a side street in the British countryside.

@a-man-named-shang

#swynshang #bang #let's go on a road trip

Ice to Meet You || Open

Beco shouldn't say yes.

He was on shift, after all. Assigned to the area around the park. But...well, it was a small, sleepy town. What were the chances of something going wrong in the time it took him to take a quick lunch break with a handsome man?

(For the record: this thread started when Beco had first gotten to town...events since have changed his opinion on this.)

"I mean--I am never gonna say no to some free food," Beco said with a smile, ducking his head slightly to try and shake off the blush. It only worked somewhat. He knew that helping Kronk up from falling over did not really warrant a free meal but...well, he wanted it anyway.

@kronk-cooks

Kronk grinned even more as Benicio agreed to his invitation. He clapped his hands together in excitement. He spoke rapidly in his native tongue, still so happy to find someone like Benicio in Swynlake off of just a chance meeting, "Great, I am very excited to offer it to you. Anything you'd like, on me."

He began to start walking towards the diner and kept looking over at the other man, "So, what brings you to Swynlake all this way? The job or something? I mean, I am no stranger to settling in a place you didn't foresee happening." Truthfully, the location had not been his idea but once he was pitched on it, he had fallen in love with the little diner.

@vaquero-beco

Beco was getting that question a lot.

Why had he come here?

It was harder to answer than he wished it was. The RAS had made sure he had an airtight cover, of course, but all these people were so sweet. So genuine in their asking. It made Beco want to tell them the truth. Something about this small town wiggling insistently under his skin. He had never been asked so many times.

And, maybe, part of it was the fact he'd never told Tyler.

It had led to them breaking up.

He knew why the RAS had to operate in secret, but sometimes, he wondered...

Well, there was no point going down that route.

"Yeah, I needed the change of scenery after a bad break up, if I'm perfectly honest. And I--had nothing else tying me to New Mexico, not really. Or Brazil. So...here I am.

What about you?"

@kronk-cooks

#swynkronk #bronco #ice to meet you

M*A*S*H * [Becollette]

collette-richards

Collette gasped—gasped—like he’d just offered to buy her a pony.

“Wait, are you serious? You’d arrest my boyfriends?” she leaned in, grin devilish. “God, Beco, that’s the best sibling perk I’ve ever heard. I’m putting that on a t-shirt. ‘My brother’s a cop, and he will ruin your night.’”

She sipped from her drink with mock innocence, eyes glinting. “I mean, let’s not get carried away—I’m perfectly capable of scaring men off all on my own. But it’s always good to have backup. Just, y’know, maybe leave Mal free of bars and cuffs, please. At least for now. She’s being very well-behaved.”

A beat passed, her teasing settling into something warmer.

“You really would be a good brother,” she said, softer. “Like, a real one. You’ve got this energy. Solid. Protective. But not in a possessive, I-have-anger-issues-and-a-boat kind of way.” A pause. “...Do you have a boat?”

Then, casual but laced with curiosity, she glanced over at him again. “What about you, though? Anyone I need to start plotting cake tastings and centerpieces for? Or is your love life tragically empty like mine was before I ran into an emotionally intelligent fire fighter with arms for days?”

Her voice dipped into a little sing-song hum at the end, clearly pleased with herself—but her eyes stayed gentle, inviting but never intrusive. She wasn’t trying to dig. Just… interested. Friends were allowed to be interested.

@vaquero-beco

Mal? As in McHale--the firefighter? Interesting. Beco didn't know either of them very well, so he had no idea what that comment meant. But he filed it away anyhow.

He laughed at the boat comment, shaking his head as he took a bite of a spinach puff. Beco wished he had a boat. He did so love the water. It reminded him of his mother.

Oh--so, it was the firefighter.

"Nah," Beco said with a little shrug. "I only just moved here two months ago. Haven't met a lot of people. And...I just got out of a long term relationship so...probably shouldn't jump into anything." He was still nursing that wound, after all.

"Which...I guess is kind of counter-intuitive to going to speed dating." They'd met that way themselves, so he figured he should probably address before she pointed that out. "I met a few people. Who knows if anything will happen with any of them...would just be nice to make friends, I suppose."

He took a sip of his drink, then raised his eyebrows.

"What's this about Mal, the firefighter, with arms for days?"

@collette-richards

#swyncollette #becollette #m a s h

a-man-named-shang

Let's go on a road trip | Bang [Valentine's Day Thread]

a-man-named-shang

"Yellowstone. Now that's on my list of places I would like to see someday. I've heard it's one of the most beautiful places in America." Shang had only ever been to the major cities to support the company. He had never really gotten to explore the national parks of the land. "Sounds amazing."

Shang smiled at Beco and mumbled a thank you as he stepped into the pub. He glanced around for a moment. The irritating part of british pubs were that they were all different in terms of how one was served. It took him a minute, but then he did see people going up to the bar and ordering and walking off with numbers.

"Yeah... it's always different too. But looks like this one we order up there. Order whatever you want too." Shang was happy to pay for them both. It was nice to take this trip with good company. As he approached, the bartender there greeted him and glanced at the two of them and added, "for couples we have a few great deals if you'd like to check them out."

Shang opened his mouth and then shut it, debating on just telling her that wasn't what they were and then glanced at Beco. He was never opposed to a discount if it didn't make his companion uncomfortable.

@vaquero-beco

Beco was surprised that Shang offered to let him order whatever. But, considering the nice car he was driving and the designer clothes (yes, Beco noticed. He was a cop. He also liked clothes.)...Beco wasn't gonna say no. If a hot guy wanted to buy him lunch on Valentine's Day, he wasn't gonna say no.

It was like being in a novel. Maybe Collette had been right.

The added piece of the bartender assuming they were a couple? It really was just like a Hallmark movie.

Beco caught Shang's eye and a little smile lit in his eyes. He gave the smallest shrug and stepped up to the counter.

"Oh, really? Like what?"

"Well, we have a two-for-one. If you order two different entrees to share, then you get it half off! We've also got some shareable appetizers that are also half price!"

Beco looked at Shang. "What do you think, babe?"

@a-man-named-shang

#swynshang #bang #let's go on a road trip

One Side to the Other * [The Cavalry]

trackedbymaximus

"Not much. If you haven't already set up your appointment to tour the fire station, we'll do that soon. SPD and SFD work closely together, especially when different town disasters happen, so it's good to meet everyone so you can all recognize each other on sight."

With how small both teams were, it wasn't hard to meet everyone in one or two trips to the Fire Department. But it made it a lot easier when disasters came to know who could be relied on to have the skills that would be useful in the situation. Not that he had any immediate concerns. But you never plan for the immediate. It was always better to plan for the worst case so you were ready when it came.

"Town Hall is one of the designated safe zones, and the sorcerers have done something to make it less impacted by magic. The full details are in your briefing, but the important fact is to remember to get people to town Hall if there's any kind of emergency."

@vaquero-beco

"Yup, Town Hall. The hospital, the primary school, Ruff to Fluff, and, uhhh--" Beco squinted. "Oh, right! The Court of Miracles."

That had all been listed in the manuals. How the hell they'd managed to get a dragon to fortify Town Hall was beyond him. To be honest, he didn't even know that dragons still existed. He had thought they were all extinct. Though, there were rumors of some that still managed to exist in the Andes and South American rainforests.

Unless they meant Dragons...but Beco was pretty sure National Dragons couldn't do that?

Who knew, though! Not him.

"Do we ever have any trouble with the park?" Beco asked as they crossed the street towards it. Parks were notorious for being problems. At least in Albuquerque.

@trackedbymaximus

#swynmaximus #the cavalry #one side to the other #we've alomst made it all teh way lol

a-man-named-shang

Let's go on a road trip | Bang [Valentine's Day Thread]

a-man-named-shang

It might be, but Shang didn't want to bring the guy down entirely with his depressing family history. That wasn't exactly pleasant. And he'd already brought this guy on a road trip for a charity thing. Which, while a good gesture wasn't exactly a fun activity either.

"Yeah but I want to. It's really the least I can do." He started exiting the motorway, figuring they would be able to find something good in the area. There were a few different places that popped up, but Shang opted for one that looked charming and unique. It wasn't one of those chains.

Shang liked to support the individual businesses like that. He pulled the car into a space and parked. "This place looks great, don't you think?" He got out of the driver's seat and stretched his arms over his head. "Did you do that a lot in the states? I've heard people drive a lot over there."

@vaquero-beco

"Oh definitely," Beco said, scrambling out of the car after Shang.

He watched Shang stretching without meaning to, including his eyes darting to the little slip of skin that showed as he leaned back. Beco blushed a little and cleared his throat.

"My boyfriend and I road tripped to Yellowstone last summer," Beco said before realizing and having to embarrassingly correct himself. "Ex. My ex-boyfriend. Anyway--the driving was just as fun as the actual trip itself."

He held the door open for Shang to enter through first. It was a cute little pub. Dinky, but a proper British pub. Beco hadn't been in many yet, despite hearing they were literally all over. The floor was a little sticky and there was the smell of beer in the air. There were a few paper hearts strung up on the some of the walls.

"I--do we find a booth or go up to the bar and order? I can never tell."

@a-man-named-shang

#swynshang #bang #let's go on a road trip #the psychological games that british pubs play #re: trying to order food #im still scarred

bullseye-stoddard

Two Cowboys Walk into a Bar || Buckeye

bullseye-stoddard

"You're welcome." Bullseye gave a nod and took a sip of his whiskey, then gave a soft chuckle as the conversation turned towards his work. Not that he did not want to talk about it. He loved talking about the stables. He just felt it would be extremely on the nose to another cowboy. "'S it gonna be too obvious if I admit that I work wit' horses? It's jus' th' thing 'm most comfortable wit' doin'. When I came over here, I didn't think I'd be able t' find a job like that, so I was real glad t' find out that there were stables in town."

He was extremely glad that the stables were there. Obviously he fell back on being there more than he probably should have, but Bullseye knew he would never have been able to work in a store or a restaurant. That would have been too much of a shock to the system. He was trying to ease back into being in the world, and working at the stables gave him some familiarity at least. "How 'bout you? What d'you do for work?"

@vaquero-beco

Beco smiled. "No, I think that's cool as hell."

And it was! Beco had loved horses since he was a kid. He wasn't a true cowboy. He'd never been out on a drive or anything like that, but he had learned to ride when he moved to New Mexico. Had even participated in a few rodeos in his teenage years. It fell off once his mom had died, but he'd loved every second.

Now here was the place where the conversation usually took a turn. Not that Beco blamed anyone. Especially in America. He knew the kind of reputation that cops had.

"I'm a police officer," Beco said. "Just transferred to Swynlake from New Mexico."

@bullseye-stoddard

#swynbullseye #buckeye #two cowboys walk into a bar

M*A*S*H * [Becollette]

collette-richards

She swirled the straw in her drink, gaze dipping for a moment. “Yeah—Annette and Danielle. Triplets, believe it or not. I don’t talk about it a ton, but… it’s always been the three of us. Our mom passed when we were born, but our dad remarried soon after, and our stepmum? She’s wonderful. Raised us like we were her own.”

Her smile was soft but genuine as she glanced back at him. “Annette followed in our dad’s footsteps—lawyer in New York, type A to her bones, probably color-codes her cereal. She means well, but she could micromanage a rock.”

“And Danielle… well, she disappeared into the wind sometime last spring. Last I heard she was in California, living her best bohemian life. You’d like her. She makes her own perfume and believes Mercury’s always in retrograde.”

She gave a small shrug, something breezy and practiced. “We’re all so different, but there’s love there. Just… in very sibling ways.” Now was not the time to even bring up Scott and all of that drama.

Then, nudging his foot under the table with a smirk: “So no siblings, huh? That explains the only-child charisma. Don’t worry, I can be the honorary sister you never asked for. Comes with unsolicited advice, a wardrobe full of sequins, and an endless supply of dramatic exits.”

@vaquero-beco

Beco's eyebrows twitched a little, but he didn't let anything else betray the surprise at hearing about her mom. How horrible. He couldn't imagine. Of course, Beco had grown up without a dad, but that was because he'd walked out on Beco's mom. Not because he'd died. Maybe Beco could respect him if he'd died.

Which was a horrible thing to think. And would just end with Beco having two dead parents.

Though, this line of thinking led him to realize, probably for the first time ever, that--maybe he wasn't an only child. Maybe somewhere, he had a half-sibling. Or two. Or more.

What a weird thought.

"Hey, that sounds good to me. Never had a sister before," Beco said, mentally shaking away that lurking melancholy. "Does this mean I gotta arrest any boys you try to date here in town? Because I can."

He smiled. "Your sisters sound great, though, both of them. I'm sure it is nice to strike out on your own a bit."

@collette-richards

#swyncollette #becollette #m a s h

Where the Redfern Grows * [Holleco]

miss-holleyshiftwell

Holley did get the reference. And she laughed a little, even as she shook her head.

“I think reporter will be easier to buy,” she said. “Especially if the officers know their mid-2000s police procedurals.” Of which Holley had watched many with the Sisters at Saint Agatha’s School for Accomplished Young Women (What? Just because they were nuns didn’t mean they didn’t like American television). “I’m sure between the two of us, we can come up with a compelling cover story…”

***

Sure enough, it was relatively easy to request access to the crime scene. Having a police officer in RAS employment was proving handy. The local force didn’t even really question Holley, whose story actually wasn’t that she was investigating the crime but simply writing a profile on the brave American police officer new to the Swynlake force.

Holley had her camera around her neck, a notepad in hand, and a watch full of RAS proprietary software that could give them way more analysis of the crime scene.

They entered and upon seeing the writing in blood, Holley felt a chill down her spine. She followed Beco’s lead, since he had more experience actually looking at scenes like this in person and not through a computer screen.

@vaquero-beco

Beco was not looking forward to going to the crime scene. It would be kind of weird if he was. Though, there were certainly police officers who felt that way. He just wasn't one of them.

It was never easy. Even if there was a little part of Beco who thought this motherfucker had probably deserved what was coming to him.

#swynholley #holleco #where the redfern grows #tw gore #tw blood #tw description of a crime scene

a-man-named-shang

Let's go on a road trip | Bang [Valentine's Day Thread]

a-man-named-shang

"Yeah..." Shang shrugged his shoulders. He didn't think it would ever really get better considering how his father had died. But he hoped that it wouldn't be as sharp and painful each time. He supposed it was an unlikely one, but he wanted it to be possible.

"Well we'll see if I get there. Everything my dad was wrapped up in makes it feel impossible to fully get that closure." Would he and the cops even be able to bring down the triad? A lot of governments had fought major gangs like this before and failed.

But that was too gloomy honestly. Beco was trying to lighten the mood and Shang thought maybe he could work on that too. "Right. Well good company on a road trip is a big win. You know... how would you feel about stopping somewhere for something to eat or a drink real quick before we keep going. I feel like I've hit you with gloomy. I can buy you a coffee or a soda or whatever you want."

@vaquero-beco

"It's fine," Beco said, laughing lightly and shaking his head.

He hadn't noticed, really, how gloomy and overcast the conversation had gotten until Shang said something. His mother used to say that he was born sad. It wasn't anything derogatory and he'd never taken it that way. He was just fine being melancholic.

Missing his mother made him feel close to her.

But he also knew that wasn't how most people liked to go about their lives. His cheeks heated somewhat, and he was a little embarrassed. Not that much. It was easily shaken off.

'You don't gotta do that. I was definitely feeding into it, but I am happy to stop and get some lunch. That's one of the best parts of a road trip, isn't it? Stopping at some random diner."

@a-man-named-shang

#swynshang #bang #let's go on a road trip

Ice to Meet You || Open

Kronk caught onto the blush, a small little inward smirk to himself at the effect had had on Benicio. His ears had missed a familiar rhythm and cadence with the words that accompanied their conversation in their native tongue. It was a warm familiar feeling, he often got that way when the Madrigals were around as well.

His eyebrows raised, his pulse quickening with excitement as Chippamunka's was mentioned. Favorite place in town. That was probably more flattering than any compliment he could have gotten on his appearance.

"Well, you know, it is your very lucky day because you are looking at the very brains, palate and muscle behind Chippamunka's." Kronk said warmly, clasping Benicio's arm in his mitt, "Come, the least I can do for the rescue is offer something on the house if you're not too busy."

@vaquero-beco

Beco shouldn't say yes.

He was on shift, after all. Assigned to the area around the park. But...well, it was a small, sleepy town. What were the chances of something going wrong in the time it took him to take a quick lunch break with a handsome man?

(For the record: this thread started when Beco had first gotten to town...events since have changed his opinion on this.)

"I mean--I am never gonna say no to some free food," Beco said with a smile, ducking his head slightly to try and shake off the blush. It only worked somewhat. He knew that helping Kronk up from falling over did not really warrant a free meal but...well, he wanted it anyway.

@kronk-cooks

#swynkronk #bronco #ice to meet you

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