#debukefarmhold

Jessica is riding! She's done it before, of course, but here at the farm she doesn't have ot wait till midnight

Also, she has someone to race against.

Clem calls out, "You've been in the city too long, Westward, I've got a lead on you"

"Whenever you're ready." She says to the Fyremare.

Cinder (I'll keep testing names until I either remember or just stick) says "Understood..." And cuts loose!

Firemare's are known from one movie, and not even a famous one unless you're into B fantasyy.... but the speed depicted in that movie ? clearly that stuck!

As Clem is gained on, passed, and turns into a dot!

Jessica focuses on a) Holding on and b) not restricting the chimera at the same time.

A full minute later, Clem comes up "Safe to say, ,you won" brow

"Cinder did." Jessica is recovering her breath.

"you didn't flinch, Jessica." Cinder says

"Well thanks." with a smile. "Easy walk back?"

"Surely " And Cinder does so. THe fae steed, a mustant of Clem's choosing sighs lustily at the chimera but behaves.

"Cinder, not to be personal or anything but.... have you any interested in those you've met here?"

Cinder blushes "SOmetimes I think about. Chimera are... well... fragile sometimes... motherhood might be a path to a kind eternity.. but not in front of the G-U-Y-S" The chimera looks side eye at the mustang

Clem chuckles "Never let a man get the upperhand, until your'e sure you're okay with where he might put it"

Jessica blushes a bit but also pats Cinder's neck. "You got it. Let me know when you're ready. Figured you might stay here a while."

"I think she's trying to keep me safe, Clem" Cinder says "WIth the gang war and other threats shes' NOT talking about"

Clem raises a brow

A small sigh.

Clem then says "Ahem"

"Yes?" Mildly.

"You in trouble? More so than normal? Do I need to warn the storm and guards about anything?"

She shakes her head. "No, I can't think they'll follow up here. The cartels are especially active right now and the migrant situation doesn't help. Pretty sure the folks we sent here are as clean as possible, though. I mean, there's probably -some- risk but mostly it's a danger of bullets flying in Tijuana, right now."

"Well, all right. Not that's a nice place to be in" Clem says "Now, come on... this is a chance to get to know you. You ever fish?"

"I went a few times with my dad. You?"

"Oh, been trying my hand here at the stream... chimerical fish mostly...but I think we got some jersey fish because of the footbridge connection... you know, things like spare tires and oil drums" Joking

Jessica frowns. "Is New Jersey pollution reaching here? Mom wouldn't like that; she doesn't like it being -there- either."

"I was joking... we have our own polution fights" She assures, "Once a week I heather balm the stream."

A blink. "I wonder if mom does that..."

"SHoot, I've about accepted that any awesome thing I've done that a DeBuke didn't already do before me? your mom probably did or does." Clem says with a grin "Also she loves her wood so I would expect she has. Haven't you noticed the way the rest of Jersey is urbanizing, but that area is still oddly suburban at worse? Your mother and father have worked some powerful stuff the very roots of the trees there."

She nods. "I know."

"She intimidates you." Clem says "She does to a lot of folks., Dont' think she means to. I mean, what do you say to folks like that? 'Could you be a little bit less legendary for a moment?"

"Clem has slain her thousands, But the Shacklebreaker has slain her tens of thousands" Clem paraphrases

Check yourself before ya Brekke yourself

Jessica frowns. "I wouldn't say she -intimidates- me. I mean, she doesn't set out to. But sure, I respect and admire and ... you know, I want to reflect honor on her."

"Okay, maybe intimidate is the wrong word... but she casts a mighty large shadow but for what it's worth you do reflect honor on her. She's a protector of a beautiful patch of green. You? You hold a crime torn wedge and try to give folks there hope. you're in the trenches... and even if you left it tomorrow, folks there will be better for you having been there. Hell yes you reflect honor. "

"Well, thanks, Clem." Awkwardly "You do pretty good here, you know."

"I am the chaos bringer and the the doom of the farm if you ask some of the middle age DeBukes..not that they'd say it to my face. "

A blink. "Chaos bringer? They haven't met Duff." A flicker of a scowl.

"Oh my that look, what's your tattoo artist done now?" Clem says

An annoyed look. "Nothing. Being himself."

"Yeah, try a gungho big shot from a clan of renown who can spout off a whole damn saga about going to a grocery store, behead a monster, and then whirl you off your feet. It's really hard to keep Cadman in check because he's ALMOST as good as he thinks he is... smug son of a... I Lay challenge after challenge in his way... and he comes out a winner. If this were older times hd' have carted me off to his lodge by now and everyhone thinking it was about time"

"Cadman, huh? Don't think I've heard too much about him."

"Well, first of all his name is 'Cad-Man'... the warning is on the label and I STILL open the jar" She shakes her head "He's from Thyle. Was storm there. Not sure why he's here except for me. And you know the annoying thing? That is kind of a turn on... Some guy tells me he left his island and chose HERE of all places he could go in the autumn world to win me? I SHOULD be slapping his face with a copy of the Feminine Mystique, instead my toes curl. Why is my blood can't listen to my head about the right kind of fellow?"

A sigh. "Beats me."

"Sorry, you didn't come here to hear me become a member of 'the View' for wilders." She chuckles then "So Duff and you have been dating awhile... and he's still being himself? "

"Shocker, I know. And hey, we've vented to each other before; s'what you do with friends, right?"

"Truly, but I hope I'm not a one note anyway. As it stands, I'll be leaving you soon to deal with a situation. I think today is when the corrupt police officer tries to poison our water supply under pretense of looking for drugs. THey'll have a dog. Dogs are easy though. We'll have that k9 pooch as our best friend."

"Low standards, dogs" Cinder agrees