Danny Alejandro (finalboast) wrote in summerview, @ 2019-02-17 11:40:00 |
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Entry tags: | plot, xiaofan guerra, zdanny alejandro |
Purely Loyal
It was 2AM in New Jersey, and 7AM in London when Xiofan opened up her laptop and launched Skype. It was, obviously, as top of the line as her hotel, and Danny had a matching one that she purchased for him for these sorts of occasions. Though she was the Boss, whose schedule had a great deal more important people involved in it than Danny’s did and had far more stakes associated with her activities, she still made an effort to plan things where they wouldn’t throw his world off balance too much. Partially because people worked better when they were at their peak, but also because she was truly fond of Danny. Cared about him, even, in her own way. Distant, sure, but she showed it in small ways that had meaning — not that terrible flagrant display of insincere affection that humans had — and he was a clever man, he caught them.
This Revolution of theirs wasn’t to put her in power, although it wasn’t a bad consequence, but to put them, all of their kind into their rightful place. Her parents, his clutch and mother, dead for merely existing. For no great cause, simply for being alive. They were going to stop that. Though she had rules, she had punishments, and there was a certain amount of distance between her and the people who worked for her, she also did not prance about like some peacocking human dictator. So. This meeting was setup when she would be awake and alert, having already gone over her plans for the day and was well into her second mug of tea and when she had been told he would be home from a shift at the quaint Cajun restaurant that had opened up in Summerview. A well manicured hand tapped the screen carefully and watched the connecting icon light up and waited for him to answer. As soon as Danny got off work at Boudin, he rushed back to his tiny studio apartment on main street and pulled the curtains shut, arranged the pillows on his couch/bed, washed his face, combed back his unruly dark hair, and checked the mirror one more time. Then he sat anxiously at the fancy laptop he’d been gifted and waited for Skype to ring. Xi was calling him tonight and it was important to him. She was so busy working for their cause that this was a rare occurrence. He had noted that she’d made a point of telling him it would be a video call, which had flattered him to no end. At the last minute, Danny realized he was still wearing the same shirt he’d worn manning the bar all night and rushed back to change. As soon as he’d pulled off the dirty shirt, he heard the app start to ring. “Ah, fuck!” He grabbed the nearest shirt and dove back onto the couch, tapping the accept button before the call would time out. Danny was struggling into his shirt, which was inside-out, when the video connected, and he tugged it down over his torso just as his boss’s beautiful countenance glowed from the screen at him. “Hey, Xi.” Danny smiled, hurriedly attempting to fix his hair that had been mussed by the shirt. “Good morning.” His heart was fluttering in his chest and he attempted to calm himself down, clearing his throat softly. Her eyes caught the tale end of a tan midriff and a frantic expression as the call connected, all while she sipped at her tea serenely. Danny got himself together in short order like he usually did, just a few moments, long enough for her to wonder at how much his hair had grown — had it been that long since she had seen him? Hmm, time was a funny thing. “Good morning, Danny.” A slow, subtle smile twitched at her features, an echo of fondness if one knew what to look for just before it was hidden behind her mug. It was endearing, how he wore things on his sleeve. That was what drove her to save him that fateful day, the real and tangible fear on his face when that other Dragon had him by the throat. These days finding things so genuine was uncommon, with humans and their lies, their own kind forced into hiding and having to spend the majority of their time on two legs. “How was work?” A mundane question, perhaps, almost out of place with her elegant posture and manicured nails, but there was a method to owning everything you came into contact with — including words, wrapping them around until they suited you as much as anything. “Work? It was…” Danny had not been prepared to answer the question, not thinking Xi had any interest in the bar he worked at, so he parsed it for what she might have found interesting enough to ask. “Busy night. Lots of newcomers to the town trying out the restaurants and they hear good things about Boudin and come in packs. Lots of chatter.” And speaking of packs, Danny had a new tattoo from a werewolf on his arm in the shape of a colorful calavera, and he almost pointed it out to Xi to show it off but decided against it. She was quick enough that she’d probably already noticed it. Still, Danny made an effort to make it visible, stretching his back and propping his arms on his head. It was only a couple hours before his shift at his second job, and as a nocturnal by nature kind of dragon, he wasn’t tired and usually didn’t sleep until the afternoon. Even then, only for a few hours. “You look good, Xi.” Danny grinned impishly. Yes, that was what she was looking for indeed. There was a reason she had approved of him taking both jobs even if it potentially left him with less time to carry out any needed tasks. The only Inn the town had and a new restaurant were going to be hotspots for interesting people, and even employees who were bitter at the world and only comfortable talking around one another. “Anyone or anything useful?” His answer earned a raised eyebrow, and a note of approval in her voice. Xi did notice. Of course she did. As well as the fact that he couldn’t stop moving, unlike her, whose every movement had a purpose. Her head inclined in thanks, jeweled earrings glittering in the early morning sunlight with the motion, “As do you. Was there an occasion for your new adornment?” He wanted to ask, and so she would, a bit of a reward for keeping an eye on things so well. So far. “Yeah, actually.” Danny preened, unable to resist. He had some good news for Xi and for someone as infatuated with her as he was, it was always a pleasure to be the bearer of good tidings. “Several. For one, I met the other dragon here – Roman. He doesn’t think too highly of madam sheriff and he’s kinda taken a liking to me, if you could call it that.” And Danny did call it that. It wasn’t every day another dragon texted you just to check in and chat. “Then there’s a new werewolf at the inn. Name’s Elliot and she is a firecracker. Pretty sure her dad or whoever came with her could just point and she’d sic any target, she’s that thirsty for it.” And boy did she have a mouth on her. Danny had to smile at that thought. “Her dad’s name is Ethan. Ethan Garland.” Danny was going to stick with the father idea, since she listened to him like she would her daddy – however one might take that. “They’re both staying at the inn.” When Xi showed an interest in his tattoo, he beamed a smile and tried to play it off like he wasn’t flattered that she’d asked. “Oh, this? Just a way to commemorate a new town. I like to get something every time I move. Plus, it got me a good convo with the tattoo artist. This guy Samuel. He stinks like a werewolf, but he’s easy on the eyes. Not sure where he stands on the whole human thing, yet.” It was so easy to make Danny happy. Although she supposed standing between him and another Dragon until they backed down had earned her enough adoration that she didn’t need to do much after. And how long would that last, she wondered? “Hmm. I know of him. One of the Bridge guards, yes? You’ll be able to use that protectiveness of the town to our advantage, won’t you?” Good. More of their kind would be better, although from what she remembered from her research on Summerview, Roman was older than her and may not like taking direction from someone so different. Hmm. They would see. If nothing else, perhaps she could turn him and Jayati against each other full force. “Ethan. That name sounds familiar. These two sound like they could be useful. I want you to find out their motivation. Is it Profit? Fun? If they come as a pair you only need to hook one.” Someone with the discipline and the control to keep a blood hungry Wolf on leash was someone she wanted on her side, and a Wolf like that would be the proverbial cherry as well. “Good job Danny. I made a good decision sending you in there.” The praise, if it could be called that, was calm but genuine, the corner of a precisely lined lip rising to smile at him just so. Her head tilted, eyes narrowing as she took in the artwork now that he was outright displaying it instead of moving. “It is well done. But whatever shall you do when you run out of canvas? You’re still fairly young.” As far as Dragons go, at least. She carefully set her mug of tea down and leaned forward towards him, “Now, Danny, tell me about my sister.” Danny was thrilled and more than a little flattered that Xi would put him on a task involving another dragon. He’d be sure not to fuck it up. He never wanted to let Xi down. Roman would be his new project and Danny was looking forward to it. He nodded his head earnestly at the order to find Ethan’s motivation as well. He’d made a deal not to ask Elliot any personal questions, but he didn’t agree to anything involving not asking about Ethan’s personal business. Danny was lightheaded at the praise and he was glad his apartment was dimly lit or she’d be better able to see the deep flush that came over him. “Yeah, it’s no problem. After about 80 years, they fade off, I’ve found. Skin sheds and all that.” Danny shrugged. He had plenty more canvas to go and plenty more decades too, if he was lucky. And he planned on being “very” lucky. Once he and the Malcontents took over, he’d live a long fulfilling life putting humans under his heel. When Xi asked about Jayati, Danny’s lip pulled back and he showed his teeth in an instinctive response. His first meeting with his boss’s sister had not gone well. He’d been observing from a distance ever since. “I met up with her at a coffee shop one morning. Casually mentioned wives dying while someone was out killing humans. She didn’t take it well. Fucking almost killed me, I think. Only reason she let me live is that it was in the middle of fucking town and people would see.” He shivered at the memory of being pinned against the wall by the older dragon. “There were some hooligans terrorizing the town a while back, I guess. Your sister claimed they were just regular criminals, not part of the political unrest, she called it. She said they got banned from Summerview and all other sanctuary cities. Kinda too bad. I would’ve liked to meet them.” Xi understood the appeal of tattoos, she really did, especially the traditional kind that hailed from the land where she was hatched, though she couldn’t particularly see herself getting one. Perhaps once they won then she would, though it would be more magical than mundane. At least, for the most part, Danny’s weren’t inane. Even some of Jayat’s were appealing, even if they represented another divider between them. “That’s not the angle I would have taken, but it did the job.” Why use a lie when the truth was far more cutting? That was Xi’s general policy, even if the truth was worded….Very carefully. But all the same, “It’s good to know that wound is still festering. It shows she’s still vulnerable, I forsee her making a good target for Lily, especially since you put her on edge, when she comes to town. Give her a berth, let her think you’re scared.” Though Lily could probably subdue her with enough time, she probably wouldn’t need as much time with Jayati as she had some others. A slow, pleased smile stretched across her features before it was hidden behind her tea mug again, “They weren’t mine,” A careful, quiet sip, “But I may have nudged.” Keep the town on edge, push them in a dozen small ways. Xi played the long game, plans and claws in a dozen pies, even the small moves made a difference. Ther was a list, just out of view, of topics she needed to cover with Danny, though she was fairly sure she wouldn’t need to review it. But it was early in the morning, in her defense, “And did my little Magpie agree to be on call for us? I hope so as I already have a job for her, and I'd like you to give it in person. Assess her reaction. ” The sort of thing she would normally do, were she not so busy. She might have done it over video chat, except the job was so crucial her plans and would be an interesting test for both Danny's assessment skills and ability to follow orders. He might want to take this on himself, but if it suited him then she would have assigned it to him in the first place. “She did,” Danny nodded, and a slow smile spread on his lips. Briar had agreed with just a little bit of convincing needed. He’d spare Xi the exact details of that one, not only because he was sure she could guess, but it felt to him like he’d cheated on Xi a little bit. In his mind she was perfection and even Chrys knew he was in love with their boss, though he’d never come out and said it. Having fun with someone else was just that: having fun. There couldn’t be an emotional attachment because his feelings were wrapped up around Xi. “Anything you want, Xi. What’s the job?” he leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, steepled fingers pressing against his lips. One of her hands reached out for her phone, a few quick presses and an email was sent off to him, a zip file attached the a dozen pages of a PDF. Those would be more useful to Briar than him, but she wanted them to go through Danny. It was an important one, not something she would just trust to be delivered over email and phone to the final person. Especially someone who was only loyal to her from job to job, whereas Danny was loyal to his bones. It was one of the few things she actually trusted in. Some people she might have been wary of letting them settle down in that quiet, cushy town, but not Danny. He would still come if she called. Literally, in this case. “There is a Pharmaceutical CEO running some private, small team experiments on,” Xi paused as she looked back at the screen, “Parts of Supernaturals. Some of us have suspected for some time, but I just received confirmation. I need her to, I believe the term in those circles is sweep and burn.” Clean it out, burn the place and the people behind her when she was done. “Fuck me…” Danny breathed out in disgust as he opened the attachment and scanned it while listening to Xi. His fingers flexed with anger. “Got it, boss. Any chance I can tag along and help with the burning people part?” He quirked an eyebrow at her image on the screen, clearly hungry and eager to get some action of the violent sort, particularly when it was trash humans. Her eyes tracked the tension in his face and the flexing of his fingers almost out of her visual range, “No, I need it done in a specific way.” A sip of her tea, one hand gently moving the chain of the tea ball over rim of the mug idly, “Precision and detachment.” Xi raised an eyebrow at him, in something that was almost in a challenge, as if she was waiting for him to object and argue with her on it. Though the fact that she didn’t think she was wasn’t wanting him for this job, and clearly wasn’t up for debating it, didn’t mean she was writing him off or wanting him to feel that way. Her lips quirked up in a half smile, subdued but genuine, “I appreciate you for your quick tongue and your passion, Danny. Which will be needed as well, for the coming days. She will be handing off her prizes to an Enchanter I’ve had my eyes on in Summerview, I need you to secure her agreement before this job is done. And help ensure none of the police forces in town catch on.” Danny’s lips formed a pouting frown that he always made when he wasn’t going to get his way. He could use precision and detachment! He could be aloof as a fucking goose if she needed him to be! Of course, if Danny were being honest, he’d admit to himself that he was usually more driven by anger than anyone with precision or detachment would ever have. Instead of arguing with Xi, however, ever the obedient sycophant, he bowed his head in an almost obsequiously way, if it weren’t for the tension and disappointment he felt. And it really helped that she followed the refusal up with more praise and another task for him to complete. I need you were some of Danny’s favorite words to hear Xi say to him. “Easy. Consider it done.” He was back to smirking with confidence. Good. Her opinion and orders had clearly soaked in, and she had the feeling he understood even if he didn’t agree and she would take that. Time would tell if his self-control would hold, but he had always listened to her before. This particular situation had the risk of being rather personal, hell, it was for her as well. Hence the reason she had found the ideal time to strike and was paying for one of her favorite — but more capricious — but it took a great deal for her to break from the puppet master role. Xi was more of a gloves dirty but hands clean sort. “I’ve spoken to Oksana before, she shouldn’t need too much convincing. Though she does have very high standards for a mortal.” Xi’s voice somehow held notes of both disapproval and respect all at once for this attitude, “Perhaps you should look into any Gargoyles in town as well, they have been one of the most targeted among us. I believe there may also be a Vampire previous ly involved in our sorts of machinations?” Xi hadn’t met him when she stopped into town, but he raised some interesting flags when she pulled files on the residents in town before hand. The mug was empty, and Xi set it down safely away from her laptop, “Oksana’s experiments will be crucial. Between you, Mircea, and Lily, I expect any possible interferences to be stopped before there are any delays.” It wasn’t a question or even a demand, but a standard she had already set, as if he had already agreed — though he had, in a way. That was the way proper leaders handled things in Xi’s mind, not through fear or intimidation to their employees, but proper motivation, the sort of slow sinking in that left them eyeball deep before they really realized it. “Gargoyles?” Danny absently brought his hand to his chest where Jayati had promised that particular species could punch a hole if they got mad enough. He swallowed hard and nodded. He’d agree to anything Xi asked of him, of course. He trusted her more than he trusted himself and knew she wouldn’t give him a task that was too far outside of his skillset. He was only bitter when there was a particularly fun sounding job and he didn’t get it. Like killing humans. His favorite pastime. “Alright. Gargoyles and vampires. Will do.” And he’d keep an eye out for the vampire she’d heard to be already engaged. “This fucking town is a joke. We won’t let you down.” Which was perhaps more bravado than he had any right to show, but he felt confident in their plan. |