[Rafael Durante] Both brothers listen to her speak with every fiber of their separate attentions attuned to what she says, although in vastly different forms–Santiago is taking in the rise and fall of her chest, the light in her eyes, the movement of her lips, while Rafael is making note of names, piecing them together with what other sparse information he has about the girl’s life. Santiago does not move, simply squeezes her shoulder; Rafael smokes his cigarette, scratches his clavicle, scratches the end of his nose, scratches the top of his head. Pushes his free hand finally into his back pocket.
She hasn’t found a pack yet, she admits, not one that she’s fit in with, and Rafael nods at this. Overhead the moon shines down on them in all its heavy-lidded wisdom, and while many grow agitated as their moon governs them, while many become quicker to anger… the human parallel brought to mind is that of a hyperactive child with a stimulant medication introduced to his system. Rafael is, for all his mouth and hot air, much calmer than usual.
“What would you think,” he says, smoke trapped in his lungs as he carefully chooses his next words, blown out of his resilient lungs before the next clause, “if I talk to the other guys. Jon is coming into town soon, like tomorrow or something. You ain’t met him yet but he’s a good guy, great leader, got the whole americano nativo thing working–“
“Get to the point, Rafi.”
A glower, a smirk.
Seems this has been discussed by at least the two of them.
Rafael rolls his eyes at his brother before putting that sharp gaze of his square on the younger Ragabash.
“You already banging my brother.” Groan. “What’d you think about packing up with us?”
[Danny Jones] What would you think – he says, and she almost makes a comment, but for the fact that she’s listening (..and Santi’s hand is warm…) while she scuffs her boot against the cement, and shifts her weight slightly from foot to foot. She’s watching Rafi, for all his bluster and his calmness with his moon in the sky – a moon which she shared until just a while ago, a moon she still feels something for, some kinship with, though it’s clear her destiny meant for her to be a Ragabash, one way or the other.
She listens, and then arches a brow as Santiago makes his comment. Seems she’s been the topic of some conversations, hm? She’s not sure she wants to know just what the boys were discussing about her, but her attention is back at Rafi and his comments..
Banging his brother – there’s that shameless grin again – and then..
Eyes widen a bit, and then she schools her expression carefully. Brows draw together in thought, lining her forehead. Her head tips, slightly, as her lips pull into a severe line (…to keep from grinning like a fool…) and she brings her free hand up to run through her hair again. “Well…”
Well indeed. And then she can’t hold back she SQUEELS and leaps to hug Rafeal with a happy grin. “I’d think it’d feel like coming home…”
[Rafael Durante] Just before Danny springs into action, Santiago lets his arm slink away, hand trailing down her back and across the shelf of her pelvis before watching her happily scamper across the sidewalk. Rafael throws his cigarette before catching the happy bundle of Gnawer, his thin yet surprisingly muscular arms wrapping about her while a small stream of Spanish flows out of his throat.
“¿Cristo, guey, ella actúa como esto contigo a menudo?“
Santiago just laughs.
When Danny calms a bit, or releases the hug (whichever happens first!) Rafael clears his throat and plunges his hands back into the pockets of his sweatshirt.
“Like I say, I gotta talk to the guys, but Brodie likes you already. Just gotta get you and Jon-boy to meet, yeah?”
[Danny Jones] She doesn’t even swat him for his Spanish, just says “WHAT he say THIS time?” to Santi, before reclaiming her place by his side and near bouncing with the happy happy joy joy that sparkles in her eyes, and dances across her lips (…and that warmth from trailing hand doesn’t hurt either…) as she shoves her hands in her pockets too and just.. well, grins.
“Yeah, ok. What’s he like? Jon? Ya’ll ain’t never talk bout him much, cept that he ain’t here yet. And well, ya’ll ain’t gonna make me sleep out in the woods is ya? Cuz dude, I like Santi’s bed. i mean my box.” Yeah. Shameless.
“Though I could do the woods if I gotta. For ya’ll. An ya KNOW how much that’d make me groan and shit.” But she can’t stop the grinning, neither.
[Rafael Durante] “He asked if you were this happy for me all the time.”
That just gets a devilish laugh from the older Durante brother, who uses the time his teeth are exposed to pick between the front two bottom teeth with a clipped thumbnail. Then the two lovebirds are back together, on their side of the sidewalk. Rafael leans against the building and cants his head to the side as Danny asks her questions, leaving him no chance to respond–funny, that, that someone talks so fast Rafael can’t interject–so he just works from the bottom up.
“We was just staying in the woods while we figure out the city. Righ’ now we was thinking about Bronzeville, pinche agujero del infierno–“
“Fucking hell hole,” Santiago translates.
“–but tha’s something we gotta figure out as a pack, yeah? So, no, you go right ahead and keep on chingando in Mama Isabel’s house, ain’t nobody sleeping in the woods anymore.”
He can be just as shameless. Or uncouth. One or the other.
“If you ever hear ‘ching’ or ‘chinga’, he’s talking about fucking. Like, sex, not like ‘fucking hell hole.’ That kind of ‘fucking’ is ‘pinche.'”
Street Spanish 101.
[Danny Jones] this happy all the time? She grins and arches a brow. “Though ya ain’t want details like that Rafi? Last time I tried to tell ya how…. happy he made me, ya got all LALALALAL I CANT HEAR YOU on me…”
She tips her head and listens, dark eyes flicking toward Santiago with his translation, then back to Rafael with a.. well, it’s redundant, but it’s true. With a happy grin. “Cool. So chingando is fucking, and pinche is fuckin cussin… gotcha.”
She chuckles again and nods as she shifts position to lean back against Santiago comfortably. “Tween ya’ll an’ Chris, I should pick up the Spanish quick enough – least quick enough to use cusswords. Cuz that’s the most important part anyway, right? Bronzeville is a shithole – ain’t no one out there takin care of it much anymore. The Green’s gettin fuckin crowded almost – s’like everyone wants to be here for some reason. Don’t get it myself, cept it’s where the best food joints is.”
[Rafael Durante] “Mira, is fucking cheap, too. Mama can’t afford no fancy place when she washing other people’s toilets and shit.”
“Yeah… I mean, I finally found a job, but the two of us can’t afford to live any further north than this, not unless we move out by the airport.”
“An’ who the hell wanna live by a fucking aeropuerto, huh? Not me.” Rafael indicates that they start walking with a swift inclination of his head, and Santiago follows suit by wrapping his arm about his girl’s shoulders once again, pulling her in close. “Anyway, Brodie think we could clean the place up a little bit, so we see what Jon thinks. Anyway, Jon’s kin’a quiet, but he’s smarter’n me and Brodie put together…”
“That isn’t saying much.”
“Eh, jodete y aprieta el culo!“
“English, Rafi.”
“Not in front of your novia, dick shit.”
[Danny Jones] “Novia?” she asks, as she falls into step with the boys, and nods, with a lil grin. “I ain’t much help money wise, but I gots loads of friends what might help out if we need it too. Helps being all friendly n shit, ya dig?” She looks up at Santi, hooking an arm around his waist, a thumb in his belt loop to let her palm rest light against his hip. “Whatcha workin at?”
What, ya’ll think they spend all theys time together TALKIN? Then with a chuckle as she scratches blunt nails against the back of her neck. “kinda quiet? how’s he ever get a word in edgewise with you n’ Brodie?” There’s that grin again. “S’he one o’ours, or one o’brodies?”
[Rafael Durante] “I’m driving for Yellow Cabs, now.”
That Danny has to ask this makes Rafael start laughing, although much more surreptiously than usual, attempting to hide it by clenching his jaws and looking down at the pavement as they stroll along. All it does is sneak out his nose instead, and then they are back on the topic of Jon, this enigma she has heard of but not yet met.
“Neither. He’s Uktena. If you ran into him on the street you’d fucking know it… wouldn’ stand out too bad back home with all them fuckers wearing them long-ass coats and the tall-ass boots and shit, but up here…”
A whistle. Santiago chuckles at this.
“He look like the Shawnee version of the Marlboro chavo strolling down the street up here, mang. I don’ feel too bad about him being quiet, he know how to insult a man pretty good when he wants to.”
[Danny Jones] Her gaze narrows as neither of them see fit to translate the Novia and she chalks that one up to something she’ll have to ask Chris when she sees her next, and then it hits her why Rafi is snickering and she swipes at him with a grin and a muttered “shuddap” even while she starts laughing as well. She mutters under her breath “I knew he applied, just ain’t know he got the job yet.”
Then she arches a brow at Rafi – course, the only two Ukkie she’s really had any real dealings with were either insane, or a quick fly by, so she can’t really judge nuthin but that.. “He sounds interesting… Can’t wait to meet’im – most folks ain’t too sure bout me at the beginning, but I figure if you n Brodie got under him he’s can’t POSSIBLY be shocked by lil ole me…”
She shrugs slightly, and grins. “Sides – ain’t like I ain’t stand out myself what with the hair an’ all. Ya know I ain’t had to re-dye it ONCE since ya found me in that there flowerbed? I thinks it’s all permanent now. I’m saving a bundle on dye!”
[Rafael Durante] “¿Es la verdad?” Rafael replies, reaching over and taking a chunk of hair between his first two fingers, the way he holds his cigarettes. Whatever he sees there beneath the light-polluted sky and the sickly yellow street lamps satisfies his curiosity, and he releases the weak grip on her follicles. “Tha’s fucked up, ese, look.”
“Yeah, I know, Rafi, I’ve seen it.”
“Yeah, but look at it.“
Santiago rolls his eyes and does as his brother’s requested, only to look back over and intone, “I know, Rafi.”
“Least she don’ smell like fucking flores any more. That was some fucked up shit, mang.”
“You better get that out of your system before Mama wakes up. I thought she was going to kick your ass when you said ‘Fuck’ in front of Carolina tonight.”
“She had headphones on!”
[Danny Jones] Blink – she doesn’t ask this time though, a little too busy with her hair being all stared at and stuff, even if her grin for Santi is a touch wicked and she manages to not say something about the curtain not matching the drapes at all – but just barely…
“Amen – that flower shit was bout to drive me nuts. Fuck – smellin good ain’t a bad thing, but like fuckin flowers? Sure, I like pretty colors, who ain’t – but that was just a little but much…”
Her eyes widen as she stares at Rafi “Shame on you! Oh! that reminds me! I found somethin for Carolina earlier – gots it all cleaned up good as new too!” She shifts her grip on her pack to slide it round front, digs in a side pocket that ain’t as shallow as it looks like, and then pulls something out. An almost new, all cleaned up an’ brushed out purple My Lil Pony with a pink mane an tail an’ a flower stencil on one back hip. “She got one like this yet?”
[Rafael Durante] Rafi stares at the small plastic toy for a second too long, that second all the time the other two need to read the abject confusion in his gaze, the way he can’t quite comprehend what the hell it is he’s looking at.
“¿Qué es?“
“Are you serious? She has a whole herd of those, Rafi.”
“Chingáme… and she needs more?”
Santiago takes a steady breath, then reaches over and accepts the small gift on behalf of the girl’s father.
“Rafael won’t admit it, but he plays Barbie with her.”
“I’ll admit it. Barbie’s caliente. Ken’s a fucking maricón, though. I don’t think I like her playing with Ken.”
There’s a pause, and then Rafael remembers what it is one is supposed to say when someone has done something nice for someone else.
“Tha’s very nice of you, Rainbow Brite. Carolina gonna like it. Maybe she show you the other dos mil caballitos she has hiding upstairs.”
[Danny Jones] She blinks, and watches and listens as the brother’s banter, and then just laughs. “ya ain’t never got enough Lil Ponys! There was another one too but it wasn’t in good shape an’ I couldn’t get it all cleaned up. Found it at Sally’s – Salvation Army – while I was pickin up a new t-shirt since I got one all mucked up the other day an’ couldn’t possibly manage to make it better again. Anyway, hope she likes it an’ I ain’t askeered to play ponies with her!”
Grinned at Rafael, an’ there’s that word again.. she tips her head, an’ tries to figure it out based on both times it was used, once as an insult toward Santi, and then again about Ken… many things could be said about Ken, but only one seems to fit both contexts. So then… tentatively… “Maricon….” a pause… and then… “…gay?”
And then “Ain’t no biggy.” but she’s pleased an’ hopes carolina is happy with it.
[Rafael Durante] A broad grin comes across Santiago’s face. It is not a product of what she says, exactly, but more of her saying it correctly, and managing to put together what it could mean based on the two times Rafael has let it slip tonight alone. Although that is the nicest way of translating what Rafael continually spouts out, it is certainly not retaining its true linguistic impact in English.
“You better start watching what you say around her, Rafi, she’s starting to catch onto you.”
“¡Coño!“
“That means–“
“You don’ gotta tell her everything I say, you know.”
“And you can start saying what you want to say in English. You know.”
“Oh, vete al carajo.“
“‘Go to hell.'”
At this point Rafael just reaches into his sweatshirt pocket and produces his smokes.
“You want to come over?” Santiago asks Danny while his brother is pulling out a cheap cigarette and pushing it between his lips. “Watch some TV or something? If we’re being boring Rafi might actually go to bed instead of staying up all night doing Gaia knows what.”
“Hmmph.”
[Danny Jones] She just laughs as the brother’s are at it again, even while she beams a little with pride at having figured it out. She ain’t got no formal schooling, but she ain’t stupid neither. Jus’ sometimes takes her a bit. She sticks her tongue out at Rafi with a chuckle and then her attention is taken by Santiago and his offer.
She grins and arches a brow. “Ya know what happened LAST time we tried to watch tv… notta lotta tv and a whole lotta somethin…” the smile warms, and she nods then, with a grin. “Sure, I’ll come long as ya Mama ain’t mind, course.” then her eyes widen. “Was she make for dinner?”
Of course it always comes back to sex food….
[Rafael Durante] “And a whole lotta somethin…”
“La la la la la la la!” sings Rafael, plucking the now lit cigarette out of his mouth just for the occasion, holding it between the fingers that had messed with Danny’s hair while he plasters his girlish hands over his ears in a move he has picked up from his daughter. All he would need to do is add an ‘I’m not liiistening!’ and it would be exactly that. But he doesn’t. He just drops his hands when he realizes there is no more shrapnel to be dodged.
“She made chiles rellenos and rice and beans… chiles rellenos are green peppers stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and battered and fried. You’ll like them.”
The house is upon them now, and Rafael almost audibly sighs with relief. He seems ready to book inside, but then he remembers Mama Isabel’s rule and simply mounts the steps and tosses himself into the cheap porch swing that the boys had set up earlier in the week. His feet don’t even touch the boards when he’s seated, and he sways back and forth due to the displaced momentum of his 120 pounds flopping against the seat more so than anything else.
“Hey, I talk to the guys when Jon gets up,” Rafael says, voice much lower than it had been earlier, as the two begin to head inside. “You wake up Carolina and I’ll fuckin’ kick you both in the kidneys.”
[Danny Jones] She busts out laughing as Rafi does his ‘i can’t hear you’ move, and then she’s holding her belly and moaning in delight with the scrumptious feast of chile rellenos and rice and beans… “Aw man – sounds fantastic… I swear, I’d hang around even if ya ain’t ask me too jus’ so ya Mama could feed me…” Ya know what they say bout Dogs and Gnawers… feed em ones an’ ya never get rid of them…
She grins at Rafi and as she passes the swing she leans in and kisses his cheek. “Thanks Rafi. You’re the best.” And as a parting shot as she follows Santi inside… “an’ we won’t. Contrary to popular belief, I can be quiet when the situation calls for it… even when really. really. really happy with a whole lotta somethin somethin….”
Yup – there’s a little dodge move in case anything comes a swinging her way….
[Rafael Durante] Now completely inable of properly voicing his discuss and pure unadulterated DO NOT WANT, Rafael simply scrunches up his face and makes as if he is going to pitch his cigarette at the retreating form of the only Garou in recent memory who he has had any semblance of a height advantage over. Santiago holds open the door for her, and as he steps in behind her, he waves good night to his brother and closes the screen door, leaving the main door open to blow a breeze through a house through a house cooled by fans and shed clothes.
While Danny gets her fill of dinner–and there is plenty to be had, Mama Isabel has been cooking greater portions now that there is another Gnawer to be fed (and a bonita at that)–the pair sit on the well-worn couch and flip through the few channels to be had on the antiquated television. At some point Rafael squeaks in off the porch and tiptoes upstairs, undoubtedly to wash his face and brush his teeth and climb in bed with the sleeping form of his daughter, the only connection he has left between himself and his departed mate, the only thing he truly fights for anymore. He curls around her and for the first time in weeks he falls into slumber almost immediately.
His brother, however, has someone else to attend to now, someone who is awake and alive and now refreshed with the fill of food in her belly. Television is had until far too late, until far too little entertainment can be gleaned from it, and then the two retire to the bedroom at the end of the hallway, where they move with the utmost care and awareness of the force of their motions. By now Danny knows every squeaky floorboard, how to open doors without alerting the rest of the household; by now she keeps a toothbrush in the medicine cabinet. When they fall into bed it is without words that have so plagued them all night. There is no need for translation. There is a familiarity, a comfort that takes the place of need, and at the end of it all, there is sleep.
It’s almost as if she is home.
[Danny Jones] ((CAUGHT! *Gasp!*))