1.47 Dustin's Daughter

There is snow for Snowflake day, but it's preceded by unseasonably warm weather first.

Jet has his own transportation and license to drive now, so he comes and goes with impunity.

The proprietor of Fine Fellows Hall is a complete snob, so after three weeks trying to get a booking and finally being squeezed in, Dustin decides to play the show in some comfy clothes for his own amusement.

This actually makes his work a bit more difficult as there are less hidden theatrical compartments in his argyle sweater and sensible jeans.

He makes out well either way. The people of Starlight still love him.

More indoor hobbies.

This is the most that Dustin's ever made in a night, at the largest venue (the stadium) after spamming the death defying stunts. I don't recall if levitating produced more income as well, but when Dustin risks his life he makes bank. Too bad they can only be booked up once per week. Dustin always plays for the little guys too, so he has several sets a week, even if one set at this one venue could feed the family for three months.

(the same set of tricks at the fairgrounds bring in 18k)

The lab gets an elevator down into the lower levels, which are mostly storehouses for now. The elevator into the secret chamber goes deeper, and is accessed through a hidden door.

It all sounds very high tech and mastermind-y, but really this is the kind if thing Dustin and Meghan do there. Most of the lab is now a plasma bug irradiation center anyways as they are in highest demand.

“Don't be pissed off at me.”

Jyoti was though. After everything she had told him, he had gone on to join Everet's pathetic little club. Something about they needed Jet's 'artistic vision'. He seemed to think it would be temporary, that he would somehow be able to extrapolate himself once he got a good story and graduated. How had it become their problem, the politics of this city?

It gave her a bad feeling.

Jet's not interested in explaining his position further, so predictably, he gets in his truck and leaves.

She picks up the phone and dials. “Hi... you don't work tonight, right? Can we meet?”

“Of course. You wanna head to the gym?”

She does. That sounds awesome.

Malcolm has moments like this when he's very reliable. He shows up immediately, and can tell that something is wrong. “Hey. It's been a long week but I'm glad you called. How are you feeling?”

She frowns, not wanting the argument with her brother to mess up the rest of her night. She hates fighting with him.

“Is it something I can help with?” She sighs, and he walks quietly over and draws her into a long embrace.

“We're in public.” She murmurs after the first kiss.

“I don't care.” He says against her lips. He's been waiting all week for this.

They sit outside at the edge of a snowdrift and have a long talk about family. She's able to share her worries with him and he listens while giving her hand an idle massage with his fingertips. She's feeling a bit better already.

“Jet's going to be okay, you know.” He tells her.

“How do you figure?”

“Well he has his own way of getting into and out of trouble, always has. It sounds like your cousin could use the help, so maybe with both of them they'll be able to make a fracture in the organization somewhere. You never know about these things.”

“That sounds pretty optimistic.”

Malcolm shrugs. “I think you can trust your brother a little bit. He'll know how far he can take something like this.”

She's not sure how he knows all this, but it's a comforting thought.

“Now as for you," He looks upwards, "That's it I think, that's the star you're going to reach someday.”

Jyo has zero imagination. “By doing what, building a ladder?”

“Sure,” He grins at her. “I just think, you never know unless you try to get there.”

“I didn't think you cared to be famous, or about celebrity.”

“I don't. But as far as reaching for the impossible, you're capable of it. I just think, you can't see the path yet?”

She rolls her eyes. “I'll try not to let you down.”

He frowns, slightly, but with mirth in his green eyes. “It isn't like that. Maybe you'll have to start on a path before it becomes clear, like a bend in the road. You have to get to the bend before the rest of the road is laid out.”

She looks away. “So like, the future is a key, and it can only open one of many doors.”

He doesn't know why there's a hint of annoyance in her voice now. “No, I just said- it's like a road, how'd you get key from road?”

She smiles at him. “Nevermind. I'm being dumb.”

“You aren't. But... if you don't want to talk about this- I'm not trying to stress you out...”

“About the future?”

He nods, regarding her carefully. He's shared a lot with her about what he wants in the future, and she hasn't told him much of anything. “Jyo, when you get to the future, remember this request, from someone who cares a lot about you now, in the present. Plan for a future with both of us in it?”

She giggles, feeling silly and childish for overthinking it all, but finds herself nodding. “I'll do my best.”

“I will also.” He promises. It's a loose promise but his eyes manage to make it very meaningful for some reason.

They sit outside long enough for Malcolm's hair to develop ice crystals from the frosty air.

Jet's writing a new book, which is a series of exposés on famous people in Starlight Shores. He is crafting the individual articles to stand alone so they can be sold to magazines and bloggers. While this idea is smart from a marketing standpoint, Dustin's not sure how he feels about being included. There are many more famous people than him with much more checkered pasts, and his non-stage life is something most people would consider pretty boring.

Jet reasons that a fluffy story about an honest guy like his dad who crawled his way up from nothing, will stand out well when worked in with all the others. There are plenty of stories in which actual dark secrets can be revealed about famous and recently influential locals, and he can't write a book that only pisses people off. There has to be some sensation, some glamour, some reaching for the Simnation dream.

This is an important gateway project to expose some of the criminal undercurrents that now operate in the city with complete autonomy. There are people who will be called out, and put on notice. If Jet leaves his dad out it  may look like he's got something to hide. He doesn't bother to say much of this to his dad.

“If it means that much to you, then go ahead and write about me. But be sure to leave your mom out of this one, okay? I trust you, son.”

Jet nods. “I won't let you down.”

He's not all too worried about the future. He's doing the right thing, for better or worse. Also this could become a major turning point in his career, opening up another genre of writing for his fans (few that they are at the moment).

Jyo uses the winter break to do some things that just make her happy. New hair, trying to think about what she says before she says it, beating up on a gym bag whenever words fail her. She's doing well from the unsure girl who lived out most of her teen years, she thinks.

Challenging her dad for match finally.

“You're on.” Dustin is excited. His son has absolutely no interest in anything that involves physical movement, unless it gets him into trouble in some way. Jyoti, on the other hand, is careful in how she learns physical activity and obtains a higher proficiency over time as a result. He has a feeling she's going to be able to surprise him.

She does. She gets one win in out of three, but he was thinking she'd not get in any.

He spends the rest of the night obsessing over the opening that she found and was able to exploit.

That weekend the Holiday arrives. Several kids in Jyo's class will be graduating with her very soon, so there's a buzz in the air of excitement. A last party before real life hits everyone in the face.

I'm not sure why Darla is wearing her nightgown.

As is typical of a party at the Sparrows', the guests are 90% invited and 5% other, with a 5% margin of error.

Kevin Shift, for some reason, is the target of mockery and harassment from the moment he walks in the door.

Wylie Luck, the nextdoor neighbor, is here again, presumably to hit on Meghan a bunch. That's what he did last time.

Dannigan insults the host of the party as soon as he gets in. “There're not enough CHAIRS, Drea! I'm not sitting on the dead meteorologist's LAP, I am more important than this!” Diva that he is, nobody bothers to tell him he's not that special. He would never believe them, for one.

“Calm down, dude.” Malcolm says under his breath. Normally polite, he can't keep the look of disapproval off of his face. Isn't Kevin's dad supposed to be a friend of the family?

Kevin is giving Jyo a toothache right now. It's a sweet thought, to try and give her something to help her sleep, a gift for the holiday. But it's too weird and he should know by now that she just doesn't do weird. Chamomile tea, soap, or whatever, sure. But an incense to burn near her closet to infuse her clothes with it, and dried flowers to place under her windowsill at night just seems like a bit too much. She's been sleeping better lately, she tells him, so she doesn't need it. It's funny too, she would have jumped at any weird thing to be able to sleep better a few months ago. Where the hell has Kevin been lately? If he were around, he would have known that.

So she refused the gift. 'You don't understand,' he had said in his sage and careless way, 'I'm going to protect you from this.'

He won't explain further but she gets the feeling that he's talking about Loki, that he somehow knows that something was going on. But it's been handled, she doesn't need his help now. She has a good feeling that Loki is going to behave. Not that Malcolm needs to know she's talked to him once or twice since. They aren't romantic, so it doesn't matter.

The room that usually feels huge becomes a tiny and cramped compartment with sixteen people in it, trying to get around the present pile.

Darla feels cagey, uncomfortable. They never come around for no reason. Nightwalkers aren't impulsive, like the fae, who enjoy a good party. Intent was never far removed from a public appearance. Although, was this public? The many mental talents of a vampire were largely useless on the fae, who operated under entirely different circumstance and sets of rules (magical or otherwise), and that meant that Lyra could be masking her presence here easily enough to all the humans, but not have the same ability applying to the Swift family. Did the vampire think that she was blending in?

That's exactly what the vampire believed. Here Lyra sat, proxy for another, after a promise to look into the situation at the Sparrow residence. The faeries were inconsequential, and could be swatted away at any moment like the winged pests that they were. What interested Lyra, was whether the person in question would make a good future addition, and have allegiance to their ranks.

Having made her judgment early on, and not wanting to stay for an insufferable human gathering (which really would be improper as she had not been officially invited), she rises slowly and heads for the door, the fae whispering about her all the while.

“Kevin, who do you think they're targeting?”

Kevin shakes his head, having a pretty good idea and wishing that he were wrong. It might not be Jyoti though, they first appeared around Jet's birthday, although that was likely a hybrid, not the one who was here now. What should he tell his friend? She doesn't listen to a thing he tells her normally. If her family was being targeted by a coven, it would be better for them not to be in town, at all. If she were smart, she would have accepted his gift.

So he tries again. “Jyoti Sparrow?” He asks in a loud voice.

She looks over warily. What the heck is it now?

“If you say this vow, then so shall I.

'Of Tir Na NOg we vow and vie

Of all that's not say foul and fie

Upon these bitter, lonely lands

Offer on the fates our hands.'

Say this if you ever feel unsafe here. Will you promise me this?”

She rolls her eyes. “Really Kevin I have idea what that even means.”

“Just promise it.”

She sighs. “I'll think about it.”

'What the eff was that?' Jet mouths to his sister.

She shrugs again. Faeries.

Jet walks over with a yawn, having stayed up late last night. “It's rude to talk about private things at a party. You should just go talk to Jyo on the side if you've got an issue with something.”

Kevin turns and responds, loud enough for the vampire to hear his voice. “Your sister, Jyoti Sparrow, is under my protection.”

Jet grins. “Okay man, whatever you say. I hope you know she's actually dating someone now though.”

“That has nothing to do with it.” The fae responds tersely. Non-magicals.

Maria is tired of the fae's antics too.

Several guests swivel their heads. How is Jyoti going to respond to her obnoxious friend?

Did the faerie just hit on her daughter? WTF is going on at this party?

Dustin is not mature enough to keep his chortling to himself. “Jyoti, Kevin's in l-lllovve with you after all! It's a Christmas miracle.”

Darla looked at her father, curious. How was he going to get out of that?

Dannigan observes his son's antics soberly, observationally. Kevin wasn't going to be allowed to seriously date a human, which is why he had been instructed to stay away from Dustin's daughter in the first place. Despite their name, the Sparrows couldn't fly and would add nothing to the Swift family bloodlines. Not that Kevin couldn't afford to play around for a bit, given his much longer lifespan, but the boy had to understand the weight of his eventual expectations. He seemed to be finding the notion of 'love matches' endearing among the humans of late, but that was likely because of the way that despite the good match that had been made for his parents, Iris had still left he and their children behind, unable to truly commit. Kevin wouldn't admit that he had been traumatized as a result of his mother's flightiness (pardoning all puns), and was too young to really see the benefits that joining the families was going to provide in the long run. Kevin's own robust fae magic was proof that the match had been successful, even if short lived.

Dannigan would let this all go, for today however, being that the vampires in town were becoming more and more of a threat. It was brave of Kevin to call them out in this way, claiming the Sparrows under his protection, but it went against their very nature to have some long stand off. If anything Dannigan would have preferred to maintain distance from the situation, it's not as if the Sparrows were high on the list of things to protect. Kevin was probably doing this to make sure that the Swifts were in some way committed to the protection of Dustin's family, or at least his daughter's safety (as she seemed to be the one running around tainted with vampiric incantations of late). Dannigan sighed. He didn't have any ideas about directly fighting the vampires off of anyone, and Dustin, fair friend that he was, had never known that the friendship their families shared could result in binding contracts. Humans didn't keep their word, so Dannigan was not going to be giving his away any time soon.

Not that he wanted to allow the vampires to treat this town as their own personal playground. It was Dannigan's escape from the fae, after all. His own rebellion against the responsibilities of his name, or a short term vacation from them. This irony is not lost on him.

Malcolm silently watches the exchange. Jyoti looks annoyed.

He makes his way across the crowded room to find her somewhat hiding behind a potted plant.

“Everything alright?”

“This party was supposed to be fun.” She grumbles. “Our last holiday before graduation.”

“Yeah but it wouldn't be a party at your place without some kind of drama, would it? Is Kevin okay?”

“Aside from being insufferable lately?”

He nods.

“I don't know what he was talking about. He's been scarce this year in the first place, now he wants to go all fae magic on me.”

“What about you? Have you been... sleeping well?”

“Yeah, no weirdness.”

“That's good.”

There's plenty of weirdness right in front of them, after all.

“Party was great, Mister Sparrow.” Kevin calls as he leaves. “Even if Jyo's human boyfriend is useless.”

Dustin frowns.

Malcolm would like the faerie to come and say that again, to his face.

Jyo didn't hear it though. Someone got her a cute potted plant! Too bad it's fake, but at least then she'll never forget to water it.

She's tuning Kevin out right now regardless.

“Good job Jyo.” Meghan tells her daughter. “Friend or not, you never make a promise to a fairy. I don't know what kind of test that was, but I think it's safe to say you passed it.”

Jyo was going to head up for bed as soon as this party was over. How stupid it all was. Malcolm kind of appreciates her mom right now though.

The night ends on a light note as the family stays up to dance a bit when the people finally filter out into the cold night, gifts in hand.

Best part, Dustin didn't have to make anything for once.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I would also like to know wtf the was going at that party.

Kevin is clumsy (and grows up inappropriate), so I channeled that into a bit of socially awkward at this party. The Swift family does have a backstory now, that I thought up whenever it looked like Kevin and Jyoti could become an item. I also scrapped a long ass scene between Dustin and Dannigan at one point that would have set up for the fact that Kevin and Darla will be expected to enter into arranged marriages with other fae. Fae supposedly mate for life, but Dannigan and Iris both have commitment issues and didn't want to be near their families when they were married, making it a condition of the marriage that as long as they fulfilled business and private expectations, they could live away from their heritage lands, so they live in a gray area. Other than for magical reasons among affluent families, I don't imagine that there are many arranged marriages among the fae. Now that they've produced two full blood fae children, their families are appeased momentarily.

The Swift family is named for their speed and adventurous spirit, having a very successful collection business as a result. They can find anything. The family that Iris comes from creates tinctures imbued with aura enhancements for stronger potions. These are not large businesses by human standards, as fae still are very much motivated by momentary impulse. This will probably not come up in the main story. I don't know that arranged marriages would be considered typical for the fae.

Large venue crowds are crea py

Let's just ignore that all of Everet's tattoos are gone. I had gameplay issues a lot and was taking CC out to test periodically. Not sure if he ever got them back, but I liked that one so I may go find it again at some point.