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TEXT CHAT

Lodestar: Got news. You won’t believe me if I tell you, but you need to know I wouldn’t mess around with this.

Maverick: Stop burying the lede.

Alessa: Is Kati in danger?

Lodestar: Not anymore.

Maverick: Mission accomplished?

Alessa: Thank God.

Lodestar: Did you notice her nightmares, Alessa?

Maverick: No missing them.

Alessa: Yes. Every night, sometimes two, three times.

Maverick: My poor Old Lady. It’s a wonder she hasn’t gone insane. What with me and Kati. I’m sorry, Alessa. I wish things were easier for you.

Alessa: Maverick, things are what they are and I’m blessed to have you both in my life.

Lodestar: Less of the pity party, Maverick. She loves you. You’re lucky. Just treat her like the queen she is (or else).

Maverick: I feel the threat over in Jersey.

Lodestar: So you should.

Maverick: And I will. Hopefully, I already do?

Alessa: He does. He’s helping me go to school, Star.

Lodestar: Which school?

Maverick: Like, getting her GED, you know? So she can go to college.

Alessa: I want to be a nurse.

Lodestar: You do?

Maverick: Yeah, I told her she kinda is already. :/

Alessa: Shut up. I know it’s been a bad couple of days, Maverick, but we’re in this together. Forever.

Maverick: Forever, baby girl.

Alessa: :*

Lodestar: So, to cut up the mushy stuff, and it’s not because I’m allergic to mush or anything, but Katina’s family isn’t exactly ‘ideal.’

Maverick: In what way?

Alessa: On her father’s side? My mother was a farmer’s daughter.

Maverick: She is related to you, isn’t she?

Lodestar: Fuck off.

Maverick: :P

Alessa: This isn’t the time for joking, Maverick.

Lodestar: She’s not my cousin. But we found out who her father is. His name was Bogdan Belyaev. Have you heard of him, Alessa?

Alessa: Belyaev was her father? That’s impossible.

Lodestar: It isn’t, sweetheart.

Alessa: He can’t be.

Lodestar: He is.

Alessa: I don’t understand.

Maverick: Who the hell is Bogdan Belyaev?

Alessa: He’s the man who you go to in Ukraine to get help to come to the US.

Maverick: You went to him?

Alessa: Not him personally. He has a, I suppose you’d call it a network? They have small offices in big cities, even. It’s all legitimate. Until you get involved and realize what it is.

Lodestar: He’s her father, Alessa.

Alessa: They say he’s a Romanov.

Maverick: Highly unlikely. No matter what Disney says on the matter. O.o

Lodestar: Conor’s sure he’s a front. So, hell, maybe he IS a Romanov.

Lodestar: And if you’re not holding her hand, Maverick, I’ll shoot you myself.

Maverick: She’s sitting on my knee.

Alessa: I’m okay, Star. Really. I have to be.

Alessa: My sister’s father is the man who sold me into slavery.

Alessa: It’s not Kati’s fault. It doesn’t change how much I love her.

Lodestar: I know. I wish I had better news.

Alessa: What is a front? Like a door?

Lodestar: No, it’s a name someone uses to hide their real identity.

Alessa: Like Maverick?

Lodestar: Sort of.

Alessa: You think he operated under Belyaev but his name was different?

Lodestar: No, Conor does.

Lodestar: I don’t care lol. We have bigger fish to fry right now.

Maverick: Who killed him?

Lodestar: Remember I told you about Jorgmundgander?

Maverick: I do. They handled him?

Lodestar: Yeah. It was a power grab by the highest of the high in the Sparrows.

Maverick: You sure you dealt with them? You don’t need help?

Lodestar: Lol. I didn’t need help. I was working with Troy and Dead To Me.

Maverick: TROY? She’s still alive? Fuck me. I didn’t think she’d make it when she was so fucking paranoid.

Lodestar: Still alive and kicking. Rocking an eye patch.

Maverick: Bet it suits her.

Lodestar: It does actually lol. She’s as terrifying as ever.

Maverick: I’ll bet. How’s Cin?

Lodestar: Horny.

Maverick: ** Snorts.**

Lodestar: You doing okay, Alessa?

Alessa: I’m fine, Star. I’m home. Some things have to happen for us to find our way. I know I’m where I’m supposed to be.

Lodestar: You’re a lot more accepting than I am.

Maverick: She is.

Alessa: I learned that wishing for things that are outside of my control is futile. But I know that you are different, Star.

Alessa: I know that very little is outside of your control and I think that makes it easier on me.

Lodestar: Because you know I’m handling it?

Alessa: Tak.

Lodestar: You got that right, sweetheart. I’m handling it. Hell, the leaders are handled. As for the rest, they’re going to get theirs from Interpol itself. We found how they communicate and now that we’re in, there’s no escaping us.

Maverick: *whistles* Interpol? You brought in the big dogs?

Lodestar: My grandfather, Anton Kuznetsov, did.

Alessa: Your grandfather is a Kuznetsov?!

Lodestar: You’ve heard of him?

Alessa: In our part of the world, we have sayings about the Kuznetsovs.

Maverick: What kind of sayings?

Alessa: It says a lot about why you are who you are now that I think about it.

Maverick: Hit us with the sayings, Alessa! I’m curious.

Alessa: The translations aren’t easy.

Alessa: In Ukraine, they say that the Kuznetsovs are spiders. They have webs in every corner of your house.

Maverick: Lol, definitely fitting for you, Star. You little spider, you.

Lodestar: Charming.

Maverick: ;)

Alessa: In Russia, it is more sinister. Less about spiders and more about saying their name out loud and it coming at a risk.

Maverick: Sort of like Candyman, Bloody Mary, or Beetlejuice, I guess.

Lodestar: I can believe that. I’d never heard of them though. I spoke with Russians about them too.

Alessa: They would not say anything. It is too ingrained in them to stay quiet.

Lodestar: Huh. I was working with Maxim Lyanov while I was over there. He never said dick about the name BUT afterward, when I got into shit, he tried to get me out of Anton’s clutches. I guess I owe him more than I already thought I did lol.

Alessa: He tried to take you? Physically? Or did I misunderstand?

Lodestar: It was a misunderstanding all round so I’m not surprised that it makes no sense. Anton, kind of, imprisoned me.

Maverick: What?!

Lodestar: I was trying to kill him at the time.

Maverick: Ah. Burying the lede again. The only way to stop you is to lock you up. And I say that knowing your past. :/

Lodestar: Mhm.

Maverick: So, Maxim tried to help rescue you from Kuznetsov’s clutches?

Lodestar: Yeah.

Maverick: Alessa just gasped like she’d seen the boogeyman lol. So I’m going to assume that was a baller move from Lyanov.

Alessa: It was!

Maverick: Wait, is that why the Bratva in New York is now called ‘The Forgotten Boys?’

Lodestar: Yeah. Conor said Moscow cut ties with Lyanov, but the men on the street over here backed him so they created this new faction.

Maverick: Interesting.

Alessa: He must be a good man, or a crazy one, to take on Kuznetsov.

Maverick: Or both.

Lodestar: Both, I’m thinking.

Maverick: So, Alessa and Kati are safe?

Lodestar: They are.

Alessa: Thank you, Star. For everything.

Maverick: Yeah, thank you. I’m fucking sorry about letting you down with Kati, Star. Especially when I knew what you were doing.

Lodestar: I’d say don’t worry about it, but if it happens again, you know you need to.

Maverick: It won’t happen again. That’s a fucking promise.

Alessa: Star, you will have to come to a house party we’re having soon. Bring Conor?

Lodestar: You sure?

Maverick: I need to apologize to him anyway.

Alessa: Yes, you do.

Lodestar: When is it?

Maverick: We got a few coming up.

Lodestar: I’m heading to the UK for a funeral but once I’m back, I’ll come. Thanks for thinking of me.

Alessa: You are a Sinner lol. I didn’t think of you. I just know you’re busy.

Lodestar: I’m not a Sinner.

Maverick: You are. Maybe our first girl too.

Alessa: Don’t tell Giulia that.

Lodestar: LOL. Or if you do, tell her when I’m there?

Maverick: Hahaha.

Maverick: Who died?

Lodestar: You don’t know her. Just her handle. Ovianar.

Maverick: Shame. She was a hot-shit cracker.

Alessa: Like a Saltine?

Lodestar: No. Crackers crack code lol.

Alessa: Oh! Oops.

Lodestar: Let me know when the dates of the house parties are and we’ll head over.

Maverick: Take care at the funeral.

Alessa: Much love to you for your loss. 3

Lodestar: Thanks, guys.