<Nocturnal Harmonia>

[Apollymi]

By the time of Nikki's return, Hop and Auric were already back on the plane. The same could be said of Melty and Iris who'd boarded with bags and gone back to the room chosen by Iris to have a conversation quietly during what they assumed would be a brief layover. Ronnie was technically still hanging around with Leon and Donnie. Kim on the other hand was in the plane already sitting at a flat surface, 3 deep on blunt rolls for the duration of the evening. By the time Donnie boarded and was asking about drinking, "I'll take a little something, but gimme a minute I'm almost done~" Kim said as her fingers were up in the air, a steady roll, and her nails were clicking together as a practiced tongue traveled the length of flavored paper. Meanwhile, Nikki was shaking her head at Crow. "You don't have to live life like you're still locked-up mate. I have more cake," Nikki said. It was crazy that he'd stolen someone else's cake but that was about what she expected of Crow. Ronnie was leaning over the bar, "Whiskey back there, I want something a little sweet," she asked willing to take a few sips of her own and relax for the duration of this flight.

And while that party set up, a different kind of conversation was underway at the radio station. Whether Drake knew it or not, his placement at the station was very important. A process server now had his location and was moving around with a signed court order on his way to deliver it. At the same time, Drake was keeping it light, taking a few playful jabs, that had his security behind him trying not to say anything, 'Bruh, they eating him alive right now…' he thought as he heard Uncle Shane comment on the drink of choice. "Breakfast, forreal? Naw, it ain't like that. I'm here now, right? I can be about a little yak a little early~" Drake commented like it was easy. But the face he made on that first sip, it was obvious he didn't choose this drink all the time. As for the understanding of the way he'd wrecked his brand new sports car, Drake scoffed. "I mean that's what it seemed like. They called it an act of god or sumthing. Claiming they wouldn't cover it unless it was on the Hunter's Insurance. Mine lapsed a while back though… so I only got it covered based on the warranty. Shit crazy, And my manager, well former manager used to handle all that stuff but he quit on me recently so… I'm still sorting through it," Drake admitted. "No worries though. I can do this dolo if I gotta been by myself," he claimed like it was a flex, like everyone didn't know exactly why he didn't currently have a manager. Tima would be smiling about the whole thing, sipping her own yak and going over some information on a tablet. "Hunter's Insurance would cover that type of thing. But if yours has lapsed, doesn't that mean you didn't answer the summons? You know they'll come looking for you over that. Being a hunter is a social obligation… you gotta answer to the Association," Tima mentioned with her eyes cutting to Shane while Drake looked stunned. "I mean, I be out the country a lot… so stuff just happen. But I don't be ducking nothing. Come on now… I'm ready if they call while I'm stateside, ya' know~" Drake gave a classic answer but his track record said something very different. Ah, but the light conversation wouldn't last either…. As Drake apparently walked right into a burn from Tima, he'd also be opening up the door to a question of his potential legal troubles. Tima would be starting in on that one with a normal kind of speech, "I mean, ya'll stay claiming women crazy when accountability is the discussion. Maybe stand business and women won't seem crazy to you…" Tima offered initially. "You right, Tima… gotta keep it cool with the ladies, I ain't even trippin'," Drake claimed like he was fine with being the butt end of a joke or two. "Naw, you really mean that? Didn't you just post a sex tape of your ex… no permission, tags and all. Ain't even take it down… Revenge Porn a crime, ain't it?" Tima pointed out. "Ah, come on. It isn't like that… and we getting back together… every couple has bumps and stuff. It ain't nothing to get over like that. And that can't get you on something you ain't know…" Drake tried for neutrality but his security guard just rubbed his face. 'He admitting to crimes on a recorded show! The fuck man!' and there was no real way to warn him of the mistake.

[Bloodedge]

Leon silently confirmed his desire for a drink, and would be the first Donnie poured something for. "You cool wit' cognac bruh?" Donnie asked. Leon, while answering, still seemed a little more excited than he needed to be. "Fine by me, bruv. I'm sippin' cognac with King Flippin' Don!" he said, that last bit going out to the group as a whole. Donnie poured a second and third to leave behind ─ one for Kim, and one for himself. For Ronnie, he opened a separate bottle to pour a glass of whiskey. "Aight, that it? Nini, you in?" he asked, completely ignoring the fact that he'd yet to address Nikki as such outside of his own head. At the same time, Crow was shoveling cake into his mouth, not caring one bit if Nikki had several entire cakes to spare. "It's a matter of principle, alright? That bastard down there? He don't deserve a slice of cake. Even if he had it, he's probably too dumb to know which end to point the fork. It'd be a bloody waste to let him shove it up his backdoor."

While Drake was foolishly acting as if his reaction to dark liquor was a matter of time... he also proved an inability to drink it ─ an inability that had nothing to do with time or placement. Shane could see it, and he imagined Tima didn't miss it either. Whatever the case, Shane was casually sipping from his own glass to hear what Drake would say about his insurance claim. "Act of God? That sound like some sci-fi shit. God got gravity pockets and shit out here, we in the apocalypse ain't it?" Shane replied in a joking tone that had become quite the trademark for him. Strangely though, Drake was an A-rank Hunter... who wasn't currently covered by his insurance. How could he let something like that go? "Damn! You gotta get right, young fella. Even I keep my shit goin'. In this economy? You gotta have a deep bag to just let that go." Shane paused for another sip. He remained mostly silent, even throughout Tima's response about accountability. What he couldn't stay silent about, was Tima bringing up Drake's latest... conundrum in the form of a sex tape. Most interesting was Drake claiming they couldn't get someone on what they didn't know. "... Nah, they can get you on that. If we talkin' bout the law, you ain't lookin' half black. You lookin' like a jigaboo to them young fella."

[Apollymi]

Drinks were being sorted by the time Nikki boarded to hang out with everyone else. She heard her own older cousin being way too pleased about drinking cognac with King Don. Still she couldn't really blame him, it was a surreal experience for her too, and it would only become more so as time went on. At the same time, Kim was asked if she wanted something, "Yeah, hit me with a little som' light~" Kim added. As she rolled the fourth blunt fully intending to be done with it afterwards. Meanwhile Nikki was soon asked if she wanted something with the use of a nickname variation she'd never heard before. "Nini…" she said turning over that particular name for a minute. "Bruv, King Don gave me a nickname… don't half-love that!~" Nikki said the cheeks on her face stretching into the cheesiest grin she'd ever managed it was as if nothing at all was wrong in her life. "Oh right, yeah, I'll take one too…" Nikki managed practically glowing with an intensity. Ronnie always one to see the truth had to stifle a laugh, "Bruv made her year with that one… I'm surprised we haven't all been kicked off the plane~" Ronnie said jokingly. Kim finished the blunt she was rolling and looked up. She understood something in a moment like this, watching both sides of it up close, and it seemed to her that Donnie had found someone very interesting in Miss Nikoleta Corbyn. At the same time, Nikki laughed as Crow ranted about undeserving service workers and food not even reaching the proper hole. "Bruv, you're too much. Take it easy on 'em, eh? Just a little bit~" she offered him almost playfully. She could surely use her name to fix most things, but it'd be easier for everyone if they didn't make a huge deal every time they needed something.

At the same time, Drake was on the radio talking with members of the press and digging himself into several holes without realizing it. Tima hadn't missed the fact that the man wasn't capable of properly enjoying dark liquor. Nor had she missed that slight tightness when she'd called him on that weak flirt. Still, he rolled with the current conversation, "Bruh, it really might be the apocalypse out there. I didn't hit nothing. They got the whole thing on camera. They were talking about some real sci-fi shit. And like I'm all good, we Hunters now and shit so ain't nothing too crazy, but like I don't think I'm prepared for random magical effects on the streets. That won't covered on the driving test, feel me?" Drake managed seeming to have an answer for that which was most calm. "This is what I meant with accountability. You saying all that, but you only have to answer a call once every three times… you telling me you was out the country 3 times in a row when something happened in ya' area? That's crazy… you on tour or something?" Tima wondered almost casually. "Well ya' know how it is. I be making moves. Sometimes I'm in London, spent a bit in Germany. Did a little bit in Canada… also be going back and forth to Boston to visit the fam and all. I don't be sitting still, the paper don't," Drake tried out his excuse, but it sat a bit hollow. He did do all of those things, but the idea of him being missing 3 calls in a row and thus having his Hunter Insurance lapse was crazy. "I'm working on it though. Tryna be around for a lil bit now. I'll get everything back straight. Pick up another new thing to ride around in. I got some solid connects at home so I can find the type of thing I'm looking for~" Drake said as if he was doing something perfectly reasonable. As for the bits about jail and his supposed blackness being part of how he'd get caught up Casper Drake just shook his head, "Nah, it don't hit like that. We way past that sort of thing… I don't live with the slave mentality or nothing like that. I don't get affected by stuff like that…" Drake mentioned like it made sense while sipping that cognac. "You say that now, keep that energy, when it finally hit ya'," Tima pointed out. "Come on, don't do me like that… wish a brotha' well, Tima~" Drake managed still with the slightly flirty tone. "I mean, you got at least one. Seems like you're dressed better than whatever that was at Fashion Week… so good job, bruh~" Tima said with sincerity as she pushed her glasses up on her nose. She was willing to take the long turn to picking apart Drake and see what kind of normal questions Uncle Shane had to work with before she potentially ruined anything.

[Bloodedge]

Upon being called Nini, Nikki had a reaction Donnie didn't expect. The way she toyed with the name, however, let him realize something that presented as a question initially. "What, I ain't call you that already? It's been in my head for hellas. Nini, Vivi, Riri... like a whole catchy lil' thing for the girls," he explained. Just then, Leon seemed to perk up a bit. "Hell nah. Pause already," Donnie said to silence any curiosities the other male had. He definitely wasn't going to call a grown man Leelee or something crazy like that. Moving on, one additional cognac glass was poured before everything was passed around. At the same time, Crow was helping himself to another bottle to take into the cockpit. "Yeah, I reckon I could go a bit easier on some folk. I'll just be takin' this to the old cockpit and uh... reflecting on my view of the world and whatnot~" the pilot chattered.

As for Drake, there were perhaps too many things to dismantle, even beyond his more-than-questionable decisions. Even his knowledge was to be questioned. Tima continued the topic of Drake's lacking insurance, pointing out the fact that he only had to answer once in every three calls. In his defense, Casper Drake noted the amount of time he spent abroad... but he wasn't the only Hunter in the room. The man called Uncle Shane kept up his own license, and could do so even with that sort of travel schedule. "... Drake, young fella... you know you can just tell the Association when you ain't gonna be around. You know that, right? Like, as a Hunter... who work for the Association... you know that," he mentioned. "Like, they give you half a year, man. I don't know if that excuse gon' work out for you big dog," he added immediately afterwards. As for the 'slave mentality' Drake spoke of, Shane's brow quirked about as quickly as his glass lowered. This generation was either becoming a massive problem for themselves and the culture, or Shane was becoming too old, too fast. "Don't get affected? Young'un, you ain't been affected. They gon' show you. They wait around for mixed young niggas like you to act the wrong way. I'm tellin' you, one good time... and you gon' see what a touch of the tar brush do for ya'."

[Apollymi]

Nikki toyed around with that new name of hers, much to Donnie's general surprise. He apparently didn't know he'd not called her that aloud before that very moment. "Nah, mate. Didn't call me that… I'd remember. It's burned in now~" Nikki said about that nickname of hers. "Ronnie were you sayin' something?" Nikki asked of Veronica, who learned in the same moment that she was… Vivi, of this trio of Corbyn/Postwick women. She actually quite enjoyed that, took her whiskey and held up the glass. "I retract my previous statement. Nik's right, King Don gave me a nickname~" she said seeming less absolutely smitten but no less pleased. Leon looked over with hopeful expression and was shot down among calls of it being suspicious. And Kim looked up and shook her head. "Come on, Big Dawg, don't look like that~" she said, finding it funny and once again remembering what Ronnie said outside and chortling because of it. "Wait, I just thought about something, did Lil' Bit call you Dandeleon at the shop?" Kim had heard some names. She had quite a few in her own family worthy of note, but a grown man being named after flowers might have been out of pocket. Something equally out of hand was the still drinking pilot of their aircraft, wandering off with both a plate of cake and a fresh bottle, while claiming he'd be 'reflecting' on his actions. "Aye mate. Behave yourself, yeah?" Nikki offered as he wandered off content, to bask in her new nickname and the fun of the moment.

Someone who wasn't having fun basking in anything was… Casper Drake. Uncle Shane wasn't taking any of his nonsense. Fatima wasn't yet awakened and wasn't worried about being so… but Shane knew that side of things better than she did, and apparently there was quite the hole in Drake's story. "You know what Unc, my bab. I ain't know you were gettin' versed in accountability out here~" Tima said flashing the man a smirk over her glass. Drake was left to scramble for a second and then did what he'd always do, "Ah, come on ya'll. Let a brotha' live. I had people for that… my old manager never mentioned nothin' like that. And I don't be reading all that paperwork… I let them handle it and that part on me but, I ain't know about that," Drake offered. His security guard was once again, struggling to hold his face without a shift. He'd been present several times when Drake was told about the calls he'd needed to answer and how doing gates even low ranked ones occasionally would look good for his public image. He knew Drake turned down that sort of thing and didn't like going in Gates if he didn't have to… 'Damn, maybe I should quit before he think of some shit to blame on me too,' the guard thought. Ah but that wasn't all. Drake had been living in the 'pretty privilege' side of colorism for his entire life. He'd never felt the wrath of authority based solely upon what he looked like. And Uncle Shane had some fresh words for him. "Unc, you sounding like the aunties on my mom side. It's really not that deep. I keep outta trouble, so I ain't worried about it… besides all this kinda heavy. I thought we was talkin' about the light stuff. Well, something lighter than this yak at least~" Drake tried his hand at a topic switch and it looked for a brief moment like Tima was coming to rescue him, but any bridge she laid out, was made of matches. "Alright, bet bet… we can chat about something else… seen a lot of you lately. Saw you out at Fashion Week, what inspired that look. We know it won't a Blue Lotus original," Tima posited almost playfully. "Naw, that was all me. I was putting some stuff together, standing out all on my own. Feel me? I was trying to catch the eye of a couple of designers, as you can see… found one. Check the fit!~" he claimed. Pointing out his off the rack, Giovanna gear as if it was custom made for him. "Like like?~" He asked like he was seeking approval.

[Bloodedge]

"Oh damn, I thought I did. I be forgettin' shit," Donnie added in regards to how he addressed Nikki mentally, now verbally. A quick explanation added a similar nickname to Ronnie, and gave her a certain understanding of Nikki's reaction. "Aight, I guess y'all cool with them," he gathered. As for Leon, he was mid-sip when Kim brought back a singular mention of his proper given name ─ something he would have rather avoided. He took a moment to gulp down cognac, barely avoiding a choke as he leaned forward in his seat. "Oy! The hell'd that come back for?" he asked. Instead of Leon, Hop would be providing an answer... alongside another to get ahead of someone else in the group. "Mum had issues. Dandeleon... Hopscotch... and then just Iris."

Uncle Shane had a bit of experience in accountability, by Tima's assertion. "Yeah, you know, I be takin' some classes here and there~" he joked. Drake, on the other hand, was trying to dig himself out of a hole... by shoveling the ground beneath himself. Having 'people' for the sort of thing they spoke of was strange to Shane, who may not have had the career success of Casper Drake ─ but he did have experience in the same field. "You got your people handlin' Hunter business? My brotha, the Association ain't gon' care about none of that. You got to handle your own; that Hunter bag too nice to let somebody else take care of it. Get you one of them Association representatives to keep contact wit'; they ain't too bad," he advised. Maybe Shane did sound a bit like the women related to Drake's mother. In his opinion, that made them some very sensible women. "... So you gon' get me they numbers or nah?" he asked amid some exaggerated gum chewing, keeping that same joking tone and continuing with a loud laugh. Tima decided she'd humor Drake ever so slightly, just to reveal the next dagger. Drake's plea for a lighter topic had her bringing up Fashion Week once more ─ and that terrible ensemble Drake wore to go along with it. "Damn sure won't Lotus," Shane added after the woman's mention of that fishnet nightmare. One or two points would be given to Drake presently, though. In reference to his current outfit, Shane did have a look over the man. "I ain't gon' lie young'in, you do got that shit on!" he said with a bit of hype and animation. "Ay! Ay, it ain't that custom-lookin' joint you had in that clip, but you got that shit on! Keep that!"

[Apollymi]

Donnie hadn't managed to call either of the Corbyn sisters by the nickname he had inside his head. It was a part of his ADHD and his generally easily distracted mind. Still, both Nikki and Ronnie didn't seem to mind, "Don't worry about it, mate. Love the name… and I am prone to not saying stuff aloud if I get caught up in stuff, not quite so often but, I get it~" Nikki offered. Ronnie nodded her head in agreement about Nikki, as it was quite easy to walk in on her in the middle of her doing something creative, and have no words actually reach the part of her brain that knew how to react to them. "She is problematic like that, I like mine too~ It's always interesting to hear one I've never heard before~" Ronnie said with a little upturn of her lips. Just the same Kim was coming back around to a thought process she'd abandoned. "Look, I heard it, but I got caught up on smoke breaks and hair. I got back to it, 'cause of the nickname thing, when I was thinking you got plenty even though a couple of them didn't make sense to me… so yeah," Kim said fully explaining her logic and why she'd not managed to say anything before. Oh well, neurodivergence was something that bonded friends in Donnie's world. Hers was simply a more manageable form of a similar problem. Meanwhile, it was Hop who spoke about their names. Apparently the young men in the Postwick family ended up with strange childhood related names and Iris just got to be Iris. Kim blinked at that news, her eyes darting back and forth between Leon and Hop. "Now, I'm not judging… I got a little cousin, and her name is Imunique Jenkins. So I get it, but ya'lls mom did ya'll kinda dirty. I figured he was called Hop, 'cause he was a hooper or somethin'," Kim stated. "And I figured Big Dawg over here, just ended up with one of them story type nicknames from his younger sister, that's wild," Kim mentioned but there was nothing negative about how she spoke about it. She was simply genuinely surprised. "Yeah, aunty was a bit of a nutter. But maybe she just didn't want to think of Q names or summit. It's been my assumption for years," Ronnie pointed out without thinking too much about it, as she lounged in a chair with a drink in hand.

At the same time, the drinks were helping and hurting. Drake would be receiving something of an appreciable lesson from Uncle Shane, who actually came with some reasonable advice. All the while, Tima was giving props where they were due, and the active banter kept things light. "Aight, aight I see ya~" Tima said to Uncle Shane's acknowledgement of learning about accountability. Meanwhile, Drake was told about how to properly connect with the Hunters Association and told of a representative who could keep track of those kinds of things for him, instead of him relying on management for it. "See, I ain't know nothing like that. Write that down, bruh~" Drake said to the security guard, who immediately wrote it up, and sent it as a text to Drake's phone so he could absolve himself of it. All while Drake learned his lesson and repeated the same mistake in real-time. In this case, Tima's brows rose as she turned to look at Shane and she blinked twice wondering if he caught that same energy. No matter, her podcast later was gonna have so much to say. For now though, Drake was talking about his new fit, and alluding to something special. Regardless the joking pivot about the aunties was something that Drake would accidentally answer honestly as well, "Man, not gonna lie. You don't want me introducing you to my aunties… they might tear you up if I'm the one that sent ya'~" Drake said trying to play off the fact that he wasn't allowed on that side of the family. No matter… there were better things to discuss, for instance, Drake's attire at fashion week which wasn't made by his former girlfriend. "Naw, it won't hers. She offered but I was like nah. I take it ya'll weren't feeling it either. That's cool, acquired tastes and all that~" Drake said managing to not diminish Nikki but still being a bit odd about the clothing. Regardless, there was the excitement of his Giovanna branded gear. "I know I know… I love all this. My custom joint was crazy but that night at the club got outta hand. Like a busted bottle or something ended up spilled all over me. I ain't even get to wear it more than once. But check. I probably got some more comin' You know on the hush… I put a little something together, to celebrate it. Dropped it this morning… ya'll catch it?~" Drake was willing to talk himself up and hype up his new stuff without a question. "Naw, bruh, ain't catch nothing like that. Unc, right though, you got it on, no cap. But no Blue at the Blue fashion week a bit disrespectful though… not to take away from the look. But that kinda thing not helping the story that ya'll gone get back together…" Tima pointed out. Casually, bringing up Drake's own words again and waiting for the spin. "Naw, she a good girl. She just a little mad, probs about all that… but we'll get through it. Nothin' to a bad night or whatever~" Drake tried to play it cool, all the while his security guy was looking at anyone but the people on the other side of the table.

[Bloodedge]

And so, there was an official trio of nicknames applied amongst Nikki, Ronnie and Iris. Donnie definitely wasn't going to give such names to Leon or Hop, or any man outside of his own family for that matter... but it seemed naming had been overdone for them anyway, as Kim was finding out some moments later. As for her bringing the matter back up, Kim blamed the earlier distraction of hairdos and smoke breaks. Hearing that, Leon finally realized something. "Hey, wait... we didn't smoke nuffin'," he said in grand realization. Moving on to the Postwick male naming pattern, there was never any saving Leon or Hop. Neither of them even had a negative word or joke about the cousin Kim spoke of... but there was one, who'd been mostly silent for quite some time, who spoke. "I'm Unique?" questioned Prince Auric. Meanwhile, Hop was speaking on the assumption Kim made about his name. "A hooper, like basketball? I'm no good at that; I can barely do football. The only guy I know good at basketball is Ryan," he claimed. "Yeah, he's proper good," Leon agreed. In that moment, Donnie was flopping into a chair, scoffing lightly. "Psh. Cookies," he boasted in a way that may not have made much sense to the British folk. "We got cookies?" Leon asked, proving that exact point.

Much to Drake's credit in the moment, he had his security guard write down the advice Shane delivered. Shane nodded, smiling and still chewing up a storm. "Yeah, there you go! See that's what I like. E'rybody wanna say the young fellas don't listen no more, but you can still talk sense to 'em! So what you gon' do is, check wit' them, see if they can't work out a plan for you. Ay, matter of fact, Tima! Won't it Donnie that said he had that check-in thing goin' on?" the elder male asked. Whatever the truth behind that matter was, his interest in Drake's aunts was rather quickly squashed... for reasons Shane could easily understand. "Come on man, what is it? Can't get me a good word in 'cause you ain't invited to the cookout? Thought I was gon' get me some ribs or som'n'." Alas, ribs would be the least of all concerns at present. Drake had a fine suit on his person, and an even better one that had been sullied a bit. "Damn! What's that, another act of God? I think God might be tryna get rid of ya' young'un," Shane joked. Drake really had been through a series of unfortunate events. Apparently though, he had the time to release a new track celebrating a collaboration with Giovanna. Tima mentioned hearing nothing about it, and Shane immediately pointed at her. "Yeah I ain't hear that either. Prolly 'cause we had another big dog in here for the early show. The girl Val Vixen was in here ─ what was she talkin' 'bout? That French shit, some kinda play or somethin'. Iono, I told her she too fine for a old nigga like me to listen when she talkin'. Ay, we just nod and smile, ain't it Drake?" he asked, laughing again while reaching over to nudge the rapper. With that, he moved right along to the next topic. "But yeah, Tima ain't lyin'. I don't know how that'll work out with y'all relationship, but uhh... I'm hearin' she keep showin' up with the man, the myth, the legend. I ain't ever heard of a girl comin' back after that; that's all I'm sayin'."