[past] Where the wild and weird roam

Danny chuckled, shaking his head as he took the glass Maika poured him. Fair enough, love. One on the house, the rest on me. You’ve got a solid point—don’t want Cooper breathing down your neck ‘cause I took liberties with his stock. He raised the glass in a playful salute, his grin laced with genuine warmth. To keeping it fair, eh? And to you, for holding your ground with that knobhead.

He sipped the drink, slower this time, his sharp gaze wandering back to where Bastien’s men had sat. You’re right about his little pack of hyenas. Blokes like him don’t travel alone, and they sure as hell don’t do their own dirty work. But don’t let that fool you—they’ll fold if you hit ‘em hard enough. The trick is knowing where to aim.

Danny leaned closer, resting one elbow on the bar as he studied Maika. Arissa, eh? Sounds like you’ve got a good head on your shoulders, putting her first. Can’t say I’m the fatherly type myself—god help the poor kid if I ever was—but I respect it. World’s full of bastards like Bastien. Can’t let ‘em ruin what matters.

He paused, his grin softening into something almost thoughtful before the mischievous glint returned to his eyes. Favorite spot, though? Careful, love. A bloke could get used to hearing that kind of thing. You keep talking like that, and Cooper’ll be threatening me with more than thin ice. He laughed, the sound rich and unguarded, as he polished off the rest of his drink and set the glass down with a decisive clink.

Alright, Maika. You’ve sold me on paying my way. Next round’s properly on me, no arguments. And while we’re at it, how ‘bout you tell ol’ Danny a bit more about this “past” of yours? Sounds like a story worth hearing over a drink—or six. His tone was teasing, but there was a keen curiosity behind it, the kind of interest that came from years of navigating dark corners and dangerous company.

Don’t worry, love. Whatever it is, it can’t be worse than the shite I’ve gotten up to. Let’s call it... a fair trade. Stories for stories, yeah?

@Maika Arainai