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A warm breeze had swept over the Whitetail Mountains, reaching the open doors and windows of the St. Francis Veteran Centre, a morning prelude to a hot day ahead.
Fortunately, though the Montana summer often reached unbearably high temperatures, today seemed to promise a tolerable heat.
Jacob looked out from the balcony of the old hospital, arms crossed as he supervised his Chosen as they wandered the courtyard doing various activities; target practice, handling the judges, training recruits, stocking up supplied and other menial tasks meant to further the Project’s numbers, resources and armoury. Not a sign of weakness spotted in sight.
The eldest Seed turned his attention from them to the distant horizon, basking in the rays of the sun, exhaling a rare, satisfied sigh. Things seemed to be going according to his brother’s plan, at least ever since Palmer abandoned their alliance, which wasn’t much of a setback, considering the Armoury was close to completion anyway.
Ready to house a thousand warriors – those Chosen who’d proven they had what it took to protect the Family, whether it was now or in the New Eden. A legacy to be proud of, he’d been told. Jacob wouldn’t go that far, at least not yet, but he couldn’t deny to himself that… the feeling was close.
There shouldn’t have been anyway for this tranquil moment to be interrupted.
“Oh Jacob~!”
The man in question inhaled deeply, before exhaling slowly, holding on to the peace as the familiar voice behind him beckoned for his attention, refraining from reaching for his holster.
“You know what month it is, Jacob?” the distinctively southern accent of the grating voice pushed itself further into the back of Jacob’s skull, like racking knuckles against the door in a unique pattern.
Reminding himself, once again, that he can’t just gun down and cull his best soldier, the only worthy option to stand by his side, for the loss ridiculously outweighed the gains, Jacob kept his arms cross as he did the bare minimum of acknowledging his close confidant with a slight turn of his head.
Despite giving no answer to his question, his Chosen Extraordinaire decided to answer it himself, likely wearing a grin that rivalled John’s as he stated, “It’s Pride Month…”
Jacob remained silent, giving no reaction towards the month’s title. Not because he was confused, or uninformed, or disdainful, or a number of things that had to do with the connotations behind the month itself, but simply because he was waiting for this specifically irksome subordinate to get to the fucking point.
“You know what that means, Jacob…” he heard the voice creep closer, followed by methodical steps.
The phrasing behind his words were not posed as a question, that much Jacob had learned by now. And true to what his right hand knew, he did know what the month meant
“It means it’s opportune time for us to pick up new recruits!” Alexander Khaos declared behind him, causing Jacob to huff.
The ginger glanced behind him to stare down the grinning light brunette. Out of all the Chosen he picked out to train, he had the misfortune for having this one being the most coherent and skilled without the extreme loyalty.
For a while, the two remained like that. The short distance between them emanated an awkwardness which seeped into the air, and Alexander’s irritating grin began to falter into a thin mouthed neutrality as he added, “Orders from the Father.”
Jacob figured that to be the case.
Soon he returned his gaze back to the morning horizon; knowing that if his brother was too busy to make appearances at such events, then it’ll be up to him and John… and likely Faith, to go in his place. Most likely to Fall’s End, if prior years were to prove.
…It would probably be a good idea to take Alexander out. Let him stretch his legs, socialize with strangers, burn through all that gremlin energy so the herald wouldn’t have to deal with it when they returned to St. Francis.
The only downside was the event would require him to be standing around to oversee the recruitment process and ensure Alexander doesn’t compromise the Project’s values and rules.
…He’ll probably take McCalkin with him too; someone will need to get work done, especially if John takes Sinclair with him.
-----
John sat on the table stand’s top as he observed the parade, his beloved jacket occupying the seat as his blue eyes cooly monitored how his brothers and sisters set out to recruit the attendants to the Project.
Plenty of people who caught his eye held varying levels of intrigue, and of sins for him to uncover. The bonus was that many of men and women he saw were pleasing to the eyes, though he’d never admit that aloud lest someone (like his brothers) mistook that as a sign of temptation.
The day had been progressing slowly, but not without its fruits.
He couldn’t help but be impressed by the efforts put into the parade; over the course of the years he’s spent in Hope County, he’s witnessed these celebrations be challenged relentlessly by campaigns organized by rather narrow-minded individuals, like a certain wannabe senate candidate. Glancing about now, he couldn’t really see any sign of such naysayers.
He also couldn’t see where Nadi skipped off to either. He assumed she was recruiting converts, but he also knew she was quite… distractable, when blending in.
Especially so, now that she would be in the heart of the temptations of consumerism; the very root of her sin, Greed, that he’s spent almost a decade unburdening her from. He wouldn’t claim taking her here to be a test though, as she already had his full confidence.
It was merely a way to reaffirm her tolerance from the materialistic woes of corporations taking advantage of the creative and honest efforts of the parade to make a buck by displaying thinly veiled support.
He scowled at the thought of some faux smiling sponsor attempting to entice Nadi’s sin and pondered on the ways he could expose their vices and humiliate them for poisoning a sweet and passionate soul like Nadi’s.
But he let in a collected inhale and a gradual exhale, calming his flaring temper. He had to remind himself that Nadi could handle herself and had come a long way from the broken shell she’d once been.
Even if she were to fall, he’d do as he always had; pick her right back up from the depths of her shame, support her towards Atonement, and try again. Nadi held much promise, and he wouldn’t give her up after the years spent recovering her spirit.
He filed away his thoughts when he spotted a familiar ginger and brunette, as well as McCalkin, making their way over to his little stand.
“Couldn’t come any later, could you, brother?” John remarked with a smile, though it held no malice towards his oldest brother.
“Made it, didn’t I?” Jacob retorted back, observing the passersby before asking, “How’s progress?”
John slid off the table, choosing to stand alongside stone-faced brother, passing by Alexander and McCalkin as the two stood by the stand, filling him in, “Slow. I’ve got my men and women out selecting worthy converts, or letting the sinners know that despite preconceived notions, Eden’s Gate is welcome to all, regardless of difference, to those willing to attend a service.”
Jacob gave a nod, “Any bites?”
John was hesitant but gave a nod, “Somewhat. Most have strayed away from the stand, but Nadi and those I’ve sent out have attained a few interested marks, or so they’ve reported. Most seem focused on the celebration though.”
John noticed Jacob gazing out to the crowds, though specifically noticing his eyes narrowed on a few Fall’s End residents on the outskirts sending not-so subtle glares towards them, the stand and the project’s cross.
“Or perhaps the doubtful have spread enough lies to dissuade potential converts,” Jacob noted, and John didn’t disagree. Word of mouth had been quite the effective method used by the sinners to persecute Eden’s Gate and hindered their ability to sway more of the populace.
“It’ll be a slow process this year,” John muttered with a huff, Jacob merely humming in agreement.
A moment of comfortable silence lingered between the two as Alexander and McCalkin sorted out strategies behind them, though Jacob eventually spoke up.
“We seem to be absent of one other person,” Jacob stated, and John glanced at him with a raised brow before shortly realizing whom he was referring to.
John withheld a groan as he claimed, “We’re doing well-off as of now. Regardless of possible interferences, the two of us, my faithful, both Nadi and Alexander should be enough to reign in more converts. We don’t need her… wherever she is at the moment.”
Who he referred to was their “sister”; Faith, or rather Rachel, or rather the third young woman brought into their family because of how “faithful” she’d been in the Project’s beliefs.
And sure, John was willing to extend credit where credit was due; while the former two predecessors had been… nothing beyond present in their short run, the current one had solved the urgent issues with earlier versions of the Bliss (despite his grievances towards her use of it, John could not deny it made for effective sedatives), which he understood gave her enough brownie points to stay a while longer.
A while longer though then became several unbearable years where he had to play platitudes with her and had to keep his criticisms of her performances and methods to himself because the Father permitted it. Couldn’t even voice his concerns when she revealed her immunity towards the effects of the Bliss.
John could never stand the falseness of her role – could not stand as his brother showered a total stranger in excessively unwarranted praise, while he’s the one out here, pushing himself to strive for the project’s betterment, and yet is chastised for the mistakes he couldn’t see he was making-
John took a breath. He was getting too worked up, which he can’t afford here. And he’ll especially not let Faith and her fake smiles (hiding that infuriating smugness!) get the better of him today.
At least Jacob didn’t appear fooled by her performances. Though John believed it was more out of apathy from sitting through two others before Rachel’s induction.
Jacob grunted, before replying, “As much as I question it, she’s been allowed to stay longer than the others ever had. She’s been useful, I’ll give her that much.”
“You only say that because her strands of Bliss helped your conditioning process and the creation of the Judges,” John pointed out, causing Jacob to shrug, “If it weren’t for her hand with the Bliss, she’d just be like her predecessors.”
“Whining about it isn’t going to help John,” Jacob chided, cocking his head over to the stand, “Now come on, we’ve got work to do.”
John merely gave a light grumble as they turned towards the stand to whatever recruitment flyers Alexander and McCalkin had compiled.
The brothers looked them over. There were two kinds, and to John, they just seemed to be a kind of unoriginal copy of the military’s propaganda, and a youth scout’s group meant to be given to parents. Jacob seemed mildly satisfied, so perhaps John just wasn’t as attuned to how his recruitments worked.
“Alright,” Jacob spoke, earning him Alexander and McCalkin’s attention, “McCalkin, you take the youth program flyers deeper into the parade, and as for you Alexander, take the regular recruitment flyers and stay within my sight.”
McCalkin seemed relieved by her assigned post (John wondered if there was still doubt tainting her soul, like he suspected Alex still had), while Alexander pouted but ultimately wasn’t surprised. Neither was John; Alexander may be one of Jacob’s greatest soldiers, but John knew the signs of a faithless wretch. And so did Jacob.
If John was in Jacob’s shoes, he’d have fed Alexander to the Judges. Ultimately, he had no say in his eldest brother’s matters, and would merely keep an eye out on Alexander, should he attempt something… unsavoury towards his brother.
McCalkin took her fliers and strolled past the brothers, earning what John assumed was a reassuring pat from Alexander, and disappeared into the crowd ahead.
Which only left John and Jacob with Alexander.
As Alexander went to depart, he paused and stretched his lips into the friendliest smile possible (though even to John, it still seemed too forced and unnatural despite several classes trying to help the man) as he went up to meet an approaching figure.
“Hello good, sir,” Alexander greeted the stranger with excessive enthusiasm, at least in John’s opinion, “Isn’t it such a wonderous day?”
John was about to tune the men out (Alexander was Jacob’s responsibility after all) but froze upon hearing the other man’s recognizable voice and accent as he replied, “Oh, sì. I cannot disagree there, mio amico. For my first time, it has certainly been an experience.”
Jacob seemed to have recognized the man as well, much to John’s relief, and his face hardened into stoicism as he listened to Alexander’s conversation, “Great to hear it, sir. Say, would you perhaps be interested in carrying arms with us over at St. Francis? We welcome comradery and grit, guaranteeing no judgements and offering other benefits beside a sense of belonging.”
…John slowly glanced to Jacob, wondering if the ginger even tried making the effort of a script for his soldiers to practice with.
Momentarily distracted, he didn’t notice that the familiar man had peeked behind Alexander to get a good look at the brothers until Jacob uncrossed his arms and started approaching the two.
“That sounds rather interesting,” the response returned John’s attention back towards the conversation, “But I’m afraid I’m not a gun person. I’m also too frail, too old, and too weak to commit to such activities. My priorities lie elsewhere.”
Before Alexander could salvage the conversation, the man side stepped past him and met Jacob’s approach.
“Ah, Jacob… and John,” Paul greeted with less enthusiasm, head tilted as he examined both of the brothers, “I wouldn’t have expected either of you to be attending such a public event; not one like this, especially.”
John cocked a brow up, approaching to stand by his brother’s side as he levelled Paul – donned in his yellow and black three-piece attire (in spite of the hot weather), his dyed blonde hair hiding the natural light brown (though not the roots on his side), pale hazel eyes watching their movements, the brace clasped to his left leg to stabilize his balance – with a polite grin, his eyes trying to not betray how insulted he felt by the older man.
“What gave you that impression, Yellowjack?” John inquired, crossing his arms in front of the other man. Alexander hung behind Paul, observing from behind, especially with Paul’s arms clasped behind his back.
“I claim to be no expert on the ins and outs, and values and beliefs, of Eden’s Gate,” Paul stated, clicking his tongue, “But from my experience, your type aren’t as… welcoming, as you advertise.”
John and Jacob glanced towards one another, though Jacob didn’t make a reply. Probably thought it wasn’t his place to. So it left John to dispel such egregious presumptions.
“I’ll have you know, Yellowjack, that we at the Project at Eden’s Gate do not hold biases towards others personal attributes, whether it be gender, sexuality or race,” John proclaimed, gesturing towards their cross, “We do not care of your status, or your background, or your past; only that you stand by our side to cross Eden’s Gate.”
Paul regarded John curiously, letting out a quizzical hum, and asking, “But such standings have… certain conditions to be met, correct?”
John furrowed his brows, nodding. Jacob butted in before John could begin pitching again, “Effort must be met with a willingness to sacrifice.”
Alexander’s expression shifted to one of deep thought, though John didn’t pay him any further mind as he discerned Paul’s reaction.
Paul did not appear pleased by the mention of that word; his gaze steeled, quirked up lips thinning into something pursed and upturned.
John could tell he wasn’t willing to hear anything more, with his next words being, “I find the very notion of a cause’s use of sacrifice to be a cop-out method to justify the prolonging of unnecessary suffering, whether it is out of capitalizing on it, enacting martyrdom or some zealous devotion. I could never give up what I value most. Not for anything. Not after...”
Paul didn’t finish the sentence, his words trailing as his eyes wandered off to some space or another. He seemed to be reflecting on something, a behaviour John has noticed Jacob does sometimes.
“And yet, without suffering,” John added, earning Paul’s attention, “People will be burdened by the pain of sin. If they cannot accept that pain, how do they ever hope to be free? Only by experiencing it, confessing it, can they reach atonement.”
Paul seemed to ponder his words with more consideration that John was surprised the older man would be willing to give but shortly shook his head when coming up with an answer. Instead of voicing his discrepancy, he merely said, “Agree to disagree, John.”
With that discussion out of the way, and with Paul still present, glancing at the crowd nearby, John inquired, “And what brings you here, Yellowjack? In your own words, I wouldn’t have expected someone like you to attend such an event.”
It was a white lie. John could absolutely see and expected a man like Paul; stylish, flamboyant, always ogling Jacob, to attend an event like this, which made it more surprising that John’s never seen him around over the years.
Shockingly, Paul didn’t point out John’s little fib, instead answering with earnest honesty, “I usually don’t, admittedly. Maybe twice before I’ve attended, but it’s not something I’ve been inclined to do annually. As much as the sight brings me a bit of… joy, I suppose. Where I’m from, if we ever pulled something off like this, well, the punishment would be severe. I guess you could say I’m still stuck back there…”
Paul fell silent. John hadn’t expected an answer like that, though he made sure to file it away for later. The more they learned about Paul, the better they could approach the more interesting person whom he shields.
“I thought you said this was your first time attending, Mr Yellowjack?” Alexander pointed out with a drawl, and John found himself almost glad the Chosen had caught that detail.
Paul lost his solemn expression and gave Alexander a wide and endearing grin, “Well, it’s my first time attending this event, this month, this year.”
John and Jacob glanced to one another, unimpressed by the deceitful omission.
“So what’s brought you here then?” Alexander pushed, arms crossed as he gestured towards the crowd, “Something catch your eye? Or… someone?”
As Alexander wagged his eyes at the older man coquettishly, much to John’s chagrin and, from how he narrowed his eyes at his soldier, Jacob’s irritation. Paul waves him off though, deflecting Alexander’s overt display as he shook his head, “Oh no, I’m just here with my figlia and her partner.”
That caught the brothers’ attention.
“P-pardon?” John sputtered out, with Jacob straightening at attention. John cleared his throat, hoping to push down any stammering as he asked, “Did you just say, “partner”?”
From the time he’s known the deputy, and the background checks he’s tried to dig up about her and her father, the topic of sexual or romantic partnerships never came up. She didn’t seem to be the kind of person to have time to hold down a relationship.
At least, John had hoped for that to be the case. He’d been aware that she was key to his salvation – to the family’s salvation – and he’d been coming up with ways to convince her to join the project and out of the Sheriff’s department. The key route John had aimed for was to gain her trust and start a friendship.
But he was also prepared to capture her heart if the opportunity presented itself. He wasn’t so keen on that plan, and neither had his brothers either, but he knew when it came to the Collapse, all advantages had to be up for consideration. He had thought the only obstacle to these plans had been the deputy’s stubbornness and Paul’s rotten influence.
This threw a wrench into such plans.
Paul merely nodded in answer, though a tug of his lips indicated he was withholding one of his devious smirks, “Oh, yes. It’s a rather recent affair. A couple months they’ve been at it now.”
John was sure to keep himself from expressively seething in front of Paul, from showing how displeased he was with this unexpected news. Although, John did feel an odd relief of weight which seemingly lift from his shoulders, in spite of how annoyed he was by such a drawback.
The odd relief only turned to a light ease when Paul pointed towards the stands near the centrepiece of the parade. And it grew when John managed to spot a familiar short blonde talking with someone as they browsed the stands.
The sight of the short pixie cut which belonged to Nadi had relaxed John, glad to see she was doing fine, despite the low stakes of this entire outing.
His mood soured when he noticed the last person he’d want in his line of sight.
Of course she’d be here, John internally groaned, eyes narrowed on the familiar white dress of his “sister”, and his jaw tightened upon realizing she was the one Nadi was speaking with.
It discomforted John with how close Faith was to Nadi without him being at least an arm’s length away from his most faithful lieutenant. He didn’t like that Faith was allowed to speak with Nadi at all.
Nadi turned towards their direction, and she waved at him with bubbly joy, earning Faith’s attention towards where the brothers and Paul were. John reeled back the scowl he wanted to throw at Faith’s back but replaced it with a sincere grin as he returned a wave back, focused on his trusted companion.
Both women began to separate from the crowd and made their way towards the brothers.
Nadi received quite a warm welcome from most of the men, including Alexander, though Faith only received a sincere one from Paul.
“Bonjour John!” Nadi greeted ecstatically, before turning to the rest of the men present and giving a toned-down greeting in respect, “Bonjour messieurs!”
While Alexander and Paul gave Nadi an explicit acknowledgement with smiles and greetings in return, Jacob gave the bare minimum of an acknowledging nod to her. John came closer to the blonde, latching on to the side of her shoulder as he kept himself between her and Faith with an enthusiastic grin of his own.
“Ah, Nadi. I’m glad to see you’ve been enjoying yourself,” he told her, subtly guiding her away from his “sister”, asking, “How went the recruitments? Nobody gave you any trouble, did they?”
Nadi puffed out her cheeks and blew out an exaggerated huff as she rolled her eyes, “If someone was bold enough to try anything, I’d kicked them out onto the curve, John.”
Her expression shifted to something prouder, her brown eyes twinkling as she told him, “But if you must know, I’ve gotten quite a number of converts interested in attending your sermons.”
An appraising smile replaced the faux grin he hid his worries behind, “Fantastic as always, my dear.”
Nadi shared returned a smile back before she bashfully looked away from him, “Aw, don’t tease me now, John. Faith helped some too.”
John was about to openly disregard whatever contribution Nadi believes Faith had which somehow overshadowed her own, however, Faith beat him to it.
“You were doing quite well before I arrived, Nadi,” Faith stated, a smile plastered on her face like a sticky note, “I’m certain you would have continued to do well even without my presence.”
John gave a slight glance to the younger woman, blue eyes narrowed even as Nadi stammered out gratitude towards his “sister”.
Looking her over as he tried to figure out what game she seemed to be playing, he noticed an impossibility that made him blink not once, not twice, but three to five times.
Am I high… or is she actually wearing shoes?
More accurately, Faith seemed to be wearing sandals. For once in the entire time he’s known her, he was bearing witness to Faith utilizing footwear.
“Oh!” John’s baffled attention returned to Nadi as she remembered something, digging into one of her fanny packs to bring out what seemed to be two handsewn bracelets. Nadi extended her clutched hand out to John as she quickly explained, “I almost forgot. A mutual friend helped with these.”
Inspecting the bracelets – which seemed to be a menagerie of string sewn tightly together into a bracelet – in Nadi’s hand, John noticed how identical they looked; both sewn in a similar style, and both the colours of a deep blue, purple and pink, most noticeable in the coiled horizontal segment.
He feels like he knows these colours…
“…What are these, Nadi?”
Nadi hesitated before she explained, “Their bracelets that act as good luck charms! I thought they looked neat.”
John hummed, still looking at the two accessories, “And why do you have two?”
“Well, I thought you’d like one too,” Nadi elaborates, almost receding her hand as she murmurs, “If you don’t want yours I’ll keep it…”
“No, no, my dear,” John intercepted, his heart seeming to stutter as his fingers brushed against Nadi’s while taking one of the offered bracelets, “I’m flattered. T-that’s quite thoughtful of you.”
John felt heat rise to his face as he held onto the accessory, blaming the mild heat of the sun. He gave Nadi a small smile, though he was unsure whether it was habit or not.
Nadi seemed satisfied.
Then John remembered her words.
“What did you mean by “mutual friend”?” John finally asked once it came back to him.
As if summoned, a familiar figure strolled up and casually snuck an arm around Faith’s waist, laying a head on her shoulder from behind as she announced her presence to the group.
“Hola mi querida,” Silva Omar, the deputy at the centre of the Father’s vision, told the shorter woman, her face comfortably close to Faith’s own as she greeted everyone else, “Hola to all of you too.”
The sudden appearance of the dark-haired woman, in a casual fit rather than her uniform, surprised the likes of Jacob and Alexander, and even John himself, though Nadi and Paul seemed to be the only ones unsurprised by the deputy’s presence, nor at all shocked by how eagerly Faith presses herself into the deputy’s arm.
John also noticed that the deputy wore a similar bracelet to what Nadi had around her wrist and one which John still had in his hand. Though instead of the sewn string holding the same blue, purple and pink colours as both himself and Nadi did, the colours on Silva’s retained a dark orange, lighter orange, white, a lightish pink and lastly a dark rose.
“Hi flor de loto,” Faith responded – when did she start learning Spanish?! – to Silva, bringing her fingers up to caress – and when did Silva allow anyone outside her father (especially Faith of all people) to be as intimately physical as that?! – along the deputy’s jaw, much to the puzzlement of their audience.
John observed as Silva seemed to readily accept Faith’s light touches with a small smile that almost looked dopey, which he found out of place on the deputy. He’s never seen her so relaxed, nor so keen on engaging in such an open display of affection…
When had THAT begun?
“Well, I should head off,” Paul stated aloud, checking his wrist for a non-existent watch, turning to both Silva and Faith, neither of whom hadn’t separated from the other much to John’s growing confusion, telling them, “I’ll leave you lovely donne to yourselves.”
Faith merely smiled politely in reply, though Silva straightened a bit as she asked, “Are you sure you want to leave, padre? There’s still plenty to do before this festival ends…”
Paul waved a hand as he shook his head gently, telling his daughter, “Oh, I’m certain, piccolo boa. ‘Sides, I don’t want to be impeding on your outing any further than I have. Not to mention…”
Paul patted his left leg, gesturing to the brace around it, “…I’ve exerted my muscles for the day. I’ll see you both back at the house.”
“I’ll require to drop a visit over to the compound, but I’ll come by later tonight,” Faith informed the faux blonde, much to Jacob and John’s puzzlement. Or at least John’s. Though, his bafflement on the casualness between Faith and both the father and daughter did make way to another thought.
Wait…
“That’s fine by me. Enjoy your date, ragazze,” Paul said as he turned his back away from the group, barely giving a glance and wave goodbye to the brothers as he stated, “So long, fellas. Spero sinceramente che i vostri crani vengano schiacciati come acini d'uva.”
Even while his brother and their lieutenants acknowledged Paul’s goodbye with a reply of some kind, John couldn’t focus on Paul’s leave. His eyes had widened as he processed Paul’s words to the two women and what he mentioned earlier.
No, he thought as his gaze settled on both Silva and Faith still as uncomfortably close as ever, It can’t be possible…
The horrid realization settled on his chest as he started to consider the possibility that mysterious “partner” Paul had mentioned was no stranger to them at all…
Unfortunately, someone noticed his silent distress.
“You alright there, John?” Silva had asked without a tinge of worry in her tone, head tilted to the side as it almost leaned against Faith’s own, “You seem a little off.”
John swiftly recovered himself, putting on the friendliest grin he could muster as he replied, “Just spaced out a little. How about you, deputy? Are you feeling alright?”
If what he’s seeing is true, which he kind of hoped it wasn’t, then there were two possibilities: either Faith had seduced the Deputy (which… how?), or blissed both her and Paul (seems the most likely). Or perhaps a combination of the two (not impossible).
Silva raised a dark brow at John, her grey eyes – colour still dull as ever, no trace of a green tint in them – regarding him before she answered, “Si, I’m fine. I’d go as far to say I’m feeling quite great right now.”
John caught how she and Faith shared a glance with the other, Silva’s oddly tranquil while Faith’s seemed giddy. Like something out of some high school romance series, where the main couple had yet to reveal their relationship to their friends and think their doing a great job at hiding it despite being obvious.
Of course, that made John even more suspicious; he’d never take Silva as the type to engage in such dramatics. He knew her to be a very blunt and upfront individual. This was quite uncharacteristic behaviour to him.
Jacob also seemed suspicious of the two, observing their interactions, though John could only hope it was because his eldest brother noticed a trick of Faith’s that he himself couldn’t see just yet.
“Out of uniform, deputy?” Jacob decided to point out, which did earn John’s attention, though only briefly when came Silva’s response.
“It’s my day off. Decided to make the most of it,” Silva told them, her gaze returning to Faith when she finished, earning a giggle from the shorter woman.
John couldn’t discern what trick Faith managed to pull to… have her be delighted in her presence. Could it be a new strain of Bliss? A viable possibility, though John couldn’t see any of the tics that gave away someone affected under the substance.
He began to wonder if Faith had just conducted a more passive strain when Jacob decided to ask, “Mind elaborating?”
Silva turned her gaze to Jacob, head tilting as if in confusion, but the gesture did not match her dry tone nor the small smirk as she replied, “I don’t think there’s anything to elaborate on here, Jacob.”
Faith seemed to stifle a giggle as Jacob merely rolled his eyes at Silva’s lack of cooperation in their exchange, so John decided to step in.
“Well there is one thing I believe you can elaborate on,” John caught Silva and Faith’s attention, as well as his brother and their respective lieutenants, but the pair were more important. He had to know. He needed confirmation; something he hoped wouldn’t be true.
With all eyes on him, John stated, “A particularly chatty bird told us you’ve recently engaged yourself into a relationship of some kind. A romantic one from how he described it. Anything to say about that?”
The reaction John thought he’d receive from Silva upon mentioning that detail – ranging from denial to hesitance – became non-existent when Silva immediately nodded her head as she responded, “Si, I am. Why do you ask?”
John was a little offput by her flippant attitude – Faith what have you done this woman?! – but pushed further on, “Call it intrigue, my dear. I hadn’t pegged you as someone to enter one with how busy you are. Would you be obliged to tell us about it?”
At the precipice of truth now, John could only repeat the following words: Please Lord, not her. Please Lord, not her. Please Lord, not her. Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease-
Silva shared glance with Faith, who slipped her own hand around Silva’s waist as they pressed lightly together, and with light smiles exchanged between the pair, Silva answered while cocking her head to Faith, “Ask her. She always tells it best.”
…Shit.
Faith seemed to speak, but John couldn’t hear anything. Anyone who was observing him from his outside would only see a mask of contemplation, or even calm.
Inside, though, he was holding back all temptation to express his irritation, his disdain, towards Rachel. Because of course she’d try something. OF COURSE, she’d try to one-up him in someone way to get their brother’s approval.
He’d thought Silva to be as alert as her father always seemed to be… though John couldn’t find fault in her for not suspecting anything about that imposter of a sister. Rachel always had a way with her words, and performed her role frustratingly well – it’s why she lasted longer than her predecessors ever did – to the point the Father doesn’t bat an eye of concern whenever she requests converts or materials.
So, John accepted that even Silva could fall for whatever honey trap Rachel presented herself as. But he couldn’t see Paul falling for it, and there would be no way he wouldn’t be weary of whatever nefarious scheme she’s concocted.
Which means she’s developed some strain of Bliss to keep one or both father and daughter complacent to whatever illusions she’s feeding them.
John couldn’t possibly see how she could have gotten his brother’s approval for this.
“Has the Father approved of this?” he heard Jacob inquire, forcing John out of stewing inside his head.
Rachel merely giggled in reply, unfortunately informing both brothers, “Of course! Our brother is quite aware of our partnership and had given his blessing in advance.”
“En cualquier caso, la aprobación no habría cambiado mucho,” Silva grumbled into Rachel’s light brown hair, which the shorter woman seemed to pick up on.
…Perhaps I should take up some Spanish again, John pondered to himself, adding, And Italian too, if only to understand how insulted I should feel by Paul’s words.
Disregarding the thought for the time being, though he wouldn’t admit it until it was just him and Nadi alone, John felt a lividness and a hint of confusion. The Father gave his blessing? If that was the case than that meant his brother saw it necessary to employ all measures to bring their deputy closer to their convert.
So why hadn’t he supported my proposal all those months ago?
He looked to Rachel, then to Silva. He wondered for a moment. Had the Father suspected them to be incompatible?
He decided to get to the bottom of it.
“So, Deputy, we’ve heard Faith’s side of the story, but how about yours? What had you so captivated by our dear… sister?” he asked, watching every twitch of muscle on her face. He caught a glimpse of Rachel narrowing her eyes at him but swiftly returned to a pleasant mask.
Just as before, Silva didn’t hesitate to answer, “Well, after meeting at the barbeque, I kept crossing paths with her on my daily outings. We struck up conversation and got in the habit of planning an outing once or twice a week together. Usually it’d take a lot longer for me to fall for a señora, but we found we had some things in common, and I can’t help but admit I wasn’t a little captivated by what those beautiful green eyes were hiding.”
A slight blush rested on Rachel’s face, though John was convinced she somehow learned to blush on command rather than it be something genuine. Though Silva’s mention of señoras, which John was positively certain translated to “ladies” or “women” in English, did clue him in as to why his older brother would have rejected his proposition; he likely recognized Silva’s preferences, which might explain why he approved of Rachel’s pursuit.
Though it relieved John he wouldn’t have to force himself in pretending to pursue the deputy’s heart, for the sake of his family’s salvation of course, it did peeve him that Rachel was ingraining herself further into the Father’s good graces.
Silva was undeterred as she continued, “I found her cleverness the most attractive aspect. And her passion for her projects had me charmed. So I popped the question and found my feelings were mutually shared by her.”
…John realized that perhaps he should have at least tried listening to Rachel’s story beforehand so he could compare it with Silva’s perspective and file away any contradictions. He’d have to ask Nadi to repeat Rachel’s words back to him. He wouldn’t waste time asking Jacob, considering his eldest brother liked to keep his cards close.
Nadi did seem to be unaware of the wider implications of what Rachel’s hold over the deputy meant, as she responded with, “Well congratulations to you both. I sure wish you luck in your new endeavour!”
Both Silva and Rachel gave their thanks to Nadi, and John couldn’t help but be a little envious by both women’s ability to take on their barrage of questions without hesitation and without faltering in upholding whatever deception Rachel weaved up.
It’s like they’re untouchable against whatever personal questions we could come up with, John noted.
Almost on cue, Alexander seemed to decide he didn’t want to end a conversation that he wasn’t apart of with a level of grace and normality, “So when’s the wedding-?”
The question wasn’t even finished when Silva and Rachel looked to each other with a varying degree of panic written across their faces, with Silva cringing, like she’d heard the same question beforehand.
…Well, by now it’s to be expected the only exception would be Alexander’s innate ability to ruin the mood. I don’t think the world was prepared for Alexander either.
While Rachel stammered, Silva swiftly checked her bracelet and stated, “Oh, would you look at the time, we better head on to more of the festival’s activities before it closes. We’re on a date, after all.”
Both John and Jacob watched as the apparent couple made their escape, disappearing into the crowds of the parade, Alexander seemingly satisfied by yet again ending the conversation with an awkward air.
They were left in a small silence as the brothers stewed over the revelations of that day, though John’s attention was brought back onto Jacob when his eldest brother broke the silence. One would expect Jacob to say something deductive or even a helpful directive in this horrifying epiphany that their “sister” had gotten one step further into solidifying her place by their brother’s side… and yet…
“Is Faith wearing sandals?” he finally questions, much to John’s disbelief and Nadi’s amusement.
Alexander spoke next, much to John’s disappointment, “You know, I’m glad you pointed that out. Because I was fully convinced I’d somehow been hallucinating from Bliss for a moment.”
-------
Night came for the Yellowjack-Omar household, the festival long since ended. Though that didn’t mean Silva’s day had ended just yet.
She was preparing a fine dinner in the kitchen for herself and one other. She was filling wine glasses when she heard Paul opening the front door. She guessed from the greeting being exchanged that her expectant guest had arrived.
“Benvenuto, Faith!” she heard her padre’s voice exclaim with much enthusiasm. It relieved Silva to know that in spite of Faith’s ties with Eden’s Gate, it was apparent he didn’t disapprove of her choice in partner.
“Hello Paul-! Uhm,” Silva heard her amor’s voice pause, before asking, “Is that a shovel?”
“Oh sì. I’m going out for a graveyard shift, you see,” Paul explained, and though she couldn’t see him, Silva could visualize he had twirled his shovel to rest over his shoulder, “Going to fill some holes tonight.”
“…but don’t you work as a beekeeper?”
“Sì, I do.”
An awkward pause settled between the two, though even her padre’s words brough Silva to a stop in preparing the dish for tonight.
“…Okay,” came Faith’s reply, and Silva heard shuffling as her amor entered the house, “You have fun with that.”
“Not as much fun as you ragazze will be having, I’m sure,” Paul responded casually, the weight of his steps on the wooden floor going fainter as he crossed the front door.
“Try not to get rowdy, Silva,” Paul called out from the front before the sound of the door shut closed, indicating his leave.
Silva rolled her eyes at his closing words as she went and stirred the pot some more, smiling as she heard Faith’s approaching footsteps.
Sure enough, Faith’s hands wrapped around Silva’s midriff, the shorter woman’s forehead just able to rest against the back of the deputy’s neck.
“You alright, amor?” Silva asked, knowing that today had been… a risk.
“Yeah,” Faith replied, exhaling as she added, “Cat’s now out of the bag, is all.”
Silva hummed in response, moving her free hand down to lay atop the ones clasped over her stomach.
“Are there any problems I should come to expect?” Silva inquired. She was not foolish to believe that her life would remain stagnant in the comfortability she’d come to expect merely because she was dating Faith.
Faith gave her answer, “Well no… although expect invitations to sermons and family dinners. My brothers will likely insist you come live closer to the Project’s properties. I’d also expect John to start an investigation to make sure I haven’t blissed you. Knowing Jacob, he’d believe you’re taking advantage of our relationship for nefarious intentions.”
Silva paused in her stirring, asking, “Correct me if I’m wrong, but would he be the kind of older brother to believe one such nefarious intention be corrupting his little sister’s “purity” as I’ve read from my novelas?”
Faith snorted, shaking her head, “To John, maybe. But I’m not a concern to Jacob.”
Silva nodded, mixing the mince of the meatballs with the red of the tomato sauce. The aromatic smell was stronger now, the albondigas almost ready.
“That looks fantastic,” Faith murmured, glimpsing over her shoulder to catch a sight of the dish, “You never fail to impress me with your culinary skills.”
Silva chuckled, “You know what they say: “A way through a person’s heart is through their stomach”. It’s how Paul won over Obadiah.”
Faith hummed, a smile on her lips as she said, “Maybe you can teach me to cook these dishes…”
Silva pretended to ponder the though as she playfully responded, “Well, I could do that. But then you’d have no need for me and my “impressive culinary skills” as you call it.”
Faith playfully pouted as she stated, “Your cooking isn’t all I love about you.”
Silva paused stirring her spatula as she curiously asked, “Oh? What other qualities attract your interest in me?”
Faith was swift in claiming, “You make for a great quarrel.”
Silva snorted as she huffed, continuing to tend to their dinner, “Do I now?”
Faith only nodded against her back, continuing, “But I think your stubbornness in holding onto your principles deserves an honourable mention. As well as how well you spoil me.”
Silva preferred the term “ensuring you’re loved and appreciated”, but she let it slide for now.
“There’s so more about you I could go on about,” Faith tells her, playfulness transferring into something more serious, “It’s like I can’t get you out of my mind.”
Silva took a moment to glance at Faith’s close form, feeling the truth of her words through the possessive grasp of her arms. She was certain Faith’s words rang true, and her feelings even more so.
“Nor can I,” she warmly admits to her amor, tending to the sizzling of the meat.