Realistic or Modern Smoke and Shroud [1920's English Gangs]

[Romani]

Smoke and Shroud OoC: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/smoke-and-shroud-ooc.340598/

Smoke and Shroud CS: https://www.rpnation.com/threads/smoke-and-shroud-cs.340596/

 

[Romani]

January 1st, 1919
Birmingham, England

The first New Year after the Great War, a horrendous event that has claimed the lives of thousands of our men who fought and died. Each day, our freedom is available at that cost. We must honor these men, lest we forget.

At the end of the Great War, soon to be the first World War, there was a large overhaul. Factories, trains, and cars practically covered the British Empire in smoke and ash. With these advancements came the returning war heroes, a generation who had experienced the most hellish war in history.

Many of these men went to work, albeit with scars, amputations, or other unseen damages like Shell-Shock, now known as PTSD.

Some of the men who enlisted or drafted were former criminals, and the war had done little to deter them from such a path. If anything, the changing world and rapidly advancing society made the life of a mobster or gangster all the more appealing.​

 

[Romani]

Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray merQUEUEtio idalie @Forfeit

Opener going up once my writers block goes away ​

 

[Romani]

It was late. Late enough for the night life of England to begin waking from its daytime slumber. Bars and pubs began to fill. Ladies of the night roamed, using the disguise of darkness to seek clientele.

Cops began to exchange for the dreaded night shift, and the gangsters began their work, bringing either fear or excitement depending on what it was they were doing all throughout Great Britain.

The docks remained ever busy as ships continued to come in and out. The dock workers moved shipping containers about and railway workers prepared the cargo for transportation.

A world without rest, and you are at the heart of it all.


Melanin-Gxdess Misty Gray merQUEUEtio @HumansArentReal @Forfeit​

 

[Romani]

Is this the order we are to go in, then?

No, just go whenever you can

 

[Misty Gray]

Robert Tristan Murphy
Location: The Garrison Pub​

​

Rob had been working for a few hours before deciding his shift was done and he was going to get much more out of the night at the other side of the bar. He would most likely find himself elsewhere before the night was done with. He liked the Garrison's regulars and often his family were around in the pub too, but sometimes it was more interesting being in less familiar territory. There were more women to become familiar with elsewhere, for starters.

For now, he was having a nice cold beer and was locked in a game of snooker with Charlie, one of the regulars. Charlie was a sneaky bastard and Rob knew it, so he was paying close attention to the man. As he took a drink from his bottle, Rob caught Charlie sneakily move the cue ball a little to the left. "I bloody knew it!" Rob shouted, pointing at the white ball with the index finger of the hand he was holding his snooker cue in. "You moved it with your hand. You're a cheating scumbag," he grumbled, tossing his cue down on the table so he could use his free hand to grab a red ball. Part of him was ready to throw the hard ball at Charlie's head and before his sensible side kicked in, he had the ball snatched out of his hand by one of the customers.

"It's just a game, Rob," the customer reasoned, placing the ball back on the table. "Charlie, buy Rob a drink for wasting his time."

"Shove it!" Charlie flippantly remarked as he stormed off to the men's room.

"I wasn't really going to throw the ball," Rob said, with a devious glint in his eye. He then downed the rest of his beer before rushing back to towards the bar, happily hopping up onto a bar stool before ordering some whiskey. "You lot need to watch yourselves around Charlie. He'll scam you for all you've got!" Rob loudly announced, as he removed some notes from the wallet he'd swiped from Charlie's coat and pocketed the cash for himself. He then tossed the man's wallet under one of the unoccupied tables.​

 

[Romani]

• Thomas and Benjamin

• 
  
  The two eldest Murphy brothers, known gangsters and capable ones at that, sat in the private sidebar enjoying a pint. They were discussing business and a possible move on London. The two Brummie boys were halfway through another round of drinks when they heard their younger brother's slightly muffled but clearly agitated call out from the pub.
  
  The two men almost burst into the room, still managing to retain a calm appearance. "Which of you bastards did something to my brother?", Tom demanded to know, his tone grim. Ben, having nothing to say, scanned the room with a scowl.
  
  Perhaps it was fear or perhaps it was loyalty, but a regular spoke up, careful to watch how he spoke. "It was Charlie. He cheated Rob 'ere at billiards", he explained, "Went to the pisser just then."
  
  Without further words, Tom and Ben strode into the bathroom with a purpose, storming the stalls and grabbing ahold of the man. He yelled and attempted to fight back as they laid into him, quickly drawing blood, but stopped short of permanently injuring him. "No one fucks with the Blinders, mate", Benji said before throwing the man against a wall and leaving him with a black eye, fat lip, and covered in bruises and small cuts.
  
  The Murphy's walked out of the room, Tom fixing his suit with care and Ben feeling his lip for blood. "Let this be a lesson to everyone to you, you bunch of fuckers", Tom announced, "We do not tolerate cheating, and especially the cheating a Blinder. If you get caught, and you will, you'll suffer worse than poor Charlie in there."​

Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Robert Tristan Murphy



Rob looked over his shoulder as his brothers entered the main bar demanding who had wronged him. He couldn't help but smirk at their reaction. He didn't need them to fight this battle for him, but he appreciated it nonetheless and was quite amused to see them march away to get Charlie. "Looks like Charlie's in for it now," Rob remarked to the barman, before knocking back his whiskey. He didn't feel bad for the guy as he had been a cheating bastard and hadn't even apologised for it.

When Tom and Ben returned from giving Charlie a beating, Rob got down from his stool and turned to face them. He folded his arms as Tom gave everyone a warning against cheating - especially doing so against a Blinder. He managed to keep a serious face during his brother's threat and when he was finished, Rob approached the other two Murphys.

"Well, that was nice of you both," he told them. He then pointed into the private sidebar. "Come on then, Tommy and Benji. What have you been plotting in there?" he curiously asked. "Is it something I can help with?" he offered. He was getting bored of his usual ventures, and bored Rob did reckless things.
​

Romani

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Frances Carlisle LaVexen

The day was going on for far too long. Frances wished time would just hurry up and pass her by so she would be able to start another day, hopefully better than this one. It started off fine; breakfast on the veranda, reading a book and listening to bird tweet by. Until the banging on her door startled her and she spilled tea on her lap. She cursed out loud and looked over the railing to see who it was and yelled what. It was one of her ex-lover and she rolled her eyes. Same old story, he wanted her back, sorry for not being the man he needed her to be blah blah blah. She heard it too many times and just leaned over the railing, telling him he would never satisfy her and a bunch of other hurtful things and sent him on his way. It seemed to work and she got back to her day. She still wouldn't be able to rest and have a good day.

Once she got to the club to see if her shipments had made it in, she was both disappointed and pissed. Again, it wasn't there and she was sure it would show up much later. It was time to give those Murphy boys a piece of her mind. She figured they would be out somewhere, maybe the pub where everyone hung out during the day and she made her way there, steaming. In her head, a thousand different scenarios played but she decided she would try to play it cool first. To her luck, and small surprise, she saw three out of four of them grouped up together. They were talking and it looked serious so she decided to wait and let them finish up. She wasn't going to be rude, no matter how pissed off she was. However, she did let her presence be known to the patrons as she sashayed over to a table off in the corner; better to see the place. Over the years she had grown paranoid. For now, she would pretend to be engulfed in the paper.


(I'll post for Aunt Murph. later)​

 

[idalie]

SCARLETT A. FLYNN
[Pub]

Mortimer would've probably killed her if he saw her now. Sitting at the bar - out of territory - with a cigarette hanging from her painted lips. Low back dress, that caused the curve of her spine to seemingly accentuate, alongside the sparrow-like shoulderblades. Loosely clutching her drink of whisky - always on the rocks for her tastes. Not a woman's drink some would say, nonetheless, you didn't argue with the sister of Mr Flynn. She drew her empty fingers over the top of the wooden bar counter, inhaling slowly as she picked up the scents of female perfume and the thick, underlying acknowledgement of alcohol, tainting everything with that slight bitterness.

Her head lolled to rest upon her shoulder, staring across behind the bartenders. Before long, there was an argument from the snooker table, and an emergence of the Murphy brothers. "Men." She uttered, rolling her eyes upward towards the heavens as she continued to sip at the amber liquid, burning its way down her throat with delectable flames. Warming her chest, it was a drink that made you feel invincible; she realised, that perhaps it was why they fed men whisky before war. Mortimer had told her the stories of it all, the trenches, the planes, the dead. No doubt he was disturbed, but those memories were forgotten to him. After all, when she saw him in the hospital, he was a shaking mess of nerves and broken bones. Eyes like saucers, jumping everytime the door was shut too hard.

And now - now her brother was a distant authoritarian figure, who had devoted himself to work and the mob. Losing himself in fucking and drinking, yet doing his best to refrain her from following in suit. All of this led to an unsteady relationship between them. She was the mere little sister. He was an underboss, who decided her antics were getting old.

Scarlett twisted on her chair, legs crossing over one another as she peered behind her. Partially leaning back into the bar to observe the goings on. Unfavourable characters, hiding in dark booths, whilst there was laughter - air thick with nicotine. She wrapped her slender fingers around the base of her cig, pulling it away from her lazy smile as wisps of tobacco smoke drifted up, forming a veil over her features and well-rounded cheekbones.

Flynn couldn't help breaking rules, it was in the family blood. That too, only enhanced by being in presence of racketeers. Why did she try to give her brother heart attacks? Well, it had something to do with laughing at the look on his face when she mentioned it.

@OpenToInteraction

(Mortimer to be posted later c: )​

 

[Misty Gray]

Lucas James Richards
Location: Club Lape


Lucas had started his evening having dinner in a restaurant with his sons, Eddie and Samuel. Since splitting up with their mother, Francesca, he had made a point of keeping in touch with his kids. Sometimes they would stay over at Lucas' house and other times they would just catch up over dinner. Samuel was always an easy one to deal with, never really causing any problems for Lucas. In contrast, Eddie and Lucas grated on each other and were often at each others' throats. A mixture of adopting his father's harsh personality and listening to Francesca's constant bitter rants about Lucas, Eddie had grown more disrespectful towards his father. When the father and son got into a disagreement, it rarely ended well. On this occasion, Eddie had walked out during the meal before their words turned into an argument, or worse. Lucas and Samuel had then continued their meal in a more civil fashion. Eddie was really started to piss Lucas off.

After dropping Samuel back at Francesca's, Lucas decided to head over to Lape for a few drinks and to see if any of his associates had made it there yet. He liked the club as it was neutral, vibrant and the women were classier than some of the other establishments he frequented. The dancers were always a nice touch to the place too, especially for a man who had a preference towards an attractive younger woman. Although he hadn't said it to her in so many words, he was always respectful of what Frances had done with the place. This respect was why he avoided causing any trouble in the club, no matter how difficult it was to resist, at times.​

 

[NanLia]

​

Kaven had insisted that he and Jaelle break from their typical evening at home with the family and have dinner out alone. They'd spent the day at Mass, or at least Jaelle had; Kaven having arrived for a portion of it before leaving once more. Despite promising for years he would quit working on the Lords day continued on, ever faithful to right some wrong within their large and extended family. As much as Jaelle would have loved to spend the night alone in her husbands arms she would never leave Emilia to fend for herself among the cousins, aunt and uncles that would have filled their home. Noisy and boisterous as they were, a far cry from Jaelle and Emilia's home after their mother passed years ago, they were always welcomed within the family home. All lived around the city spread out vastly, but the Lee's house was never empty.

Jaelle had made a point of leaving Emilia a note with the café name and time of reservation, where her sister had been for the day she wasn't truly certain. She had seen Emilia at morning mass, but like most she had gone off to do as she would. Jaelle sat across the small table form Kaven, lit cigarette in hand as she regarded her husbands odd expression. "What could you possibly be thinking?"

Kaven chuckled taking a long drink of his whiskey before answering. "That it might be time we find your sister a husband," He never took his eyes from Jaelle and was rewarded with a perplexed expression. "So maybe some of these nights we can be out alone. " He waggled an eyebrow at Jaelle suggestively. Jaelle simply rolled her eyes, "Mmhm, I can't fathom what you think it would accomplish, considering we eat breakfast alone and luncheon alone, besides which," Jaelle took a draw from her cigarette and exhaled before continuing. "We would have to find one hell of a man to take on Emilia; she has the fire in her and she'll burn through any of those paper men you put in front of her."

Misty Gray

 

[idalie]

MORTIMER C. FLYNN
[Club Lape]

Mortimer was undoubtedly the most persuasive, charming man you could have the honour to meet. Able to scam a beggar out of his last penny, with one of those debonair smiles and prince charming promises. It was more often than not, you'd find Flynn being ranted at by some sort of showgirl for making oaths he shouldn't have - even then, he'd apologise and remake them all for a later date, leaving the vicious cycle to continue. Always a "tomorrow" kind of fella.

Everyone knew the reason why Flynn no longer had fingerprints, or why the bottom of his palms was scarred permanently after his war hero antics. And most of all, people knew not to mess with a man that survived staring death in the eyes. Yet this aspect of him was hard to pinpoint on a day to day basis, with his stiff upper lip resolve and humorous, wily ways. Till the moment you found yourself alone in his office, whilst Mortimer lifted his favourite weapon of choice - a crowbar. The lucky ones only had an arm broken; perhaps a few ribs if he was feeling particularly vicious. The unlucky never made it back, or worse, they were beaten senseless into insanity. You didn't talk shit, about Flynn. You didn't cross Flynn, and most of all, you didn't dare make a sideways glance at his sister - God forbid.

The most jarring masks of all, belonged to this - handsome comedian. You'd never suspect him of being capable to such extremes, and there he was.

Club Lape, was a favourite hunting ground for Mort. The girls were pretty, music was always playing, and the drinks weren't half bad either. Neutral ground, leaving him able to saunter about as much as he liked, without the overbearing presence of either opponents. In some way, you could say it was worse. Nonetheless, Flynn was a half glass full type of opinion. With a woman on his lap and a bourbon in hand, he looked up to find Lucas. Waving his hand at the fellow underboss as he momentarily whispered into the dancers ear something inaudible, only for her to get up with a kiss on the cheek and sashay away. Mortimer's gaze admiring of her posterior and hips swinging.

"Lucas, glad to see you could join us. How did dinner with the boys go this week?"

Misty Gray​

 

[Misty Gray]

Emilia Lee


After spending some time at Mass, Emilia had been eager to go off and do her own thing for the day. She'd been to a few shops where she'd managed to set her eyes on the most beautiful diamond earrings and decided they would be hers by next week. Conning people and picking their pockets was always fun in itself, but when she set an end goal it made it all that more exciting. Before long, she'd caught the eye of a gentleman who was clearly doing well for himself. A few words were exchanged and Emilia was soon being whisked away to some hotel lounge for afternoon drinks. Her mind had been so focused on the best way to squeeze some cash out of this man that she hadn't paid enough attention to which hotel bar they were ordering drinks from. Two glasses of champagne in and she saw the intimidating figure of a man all too familiar and realised she was in one of Lucas Richards' hotels. The sight of her father's killer left a sour taste in the mouth that even the expensive champagne couldn't wash away. Emilia had lost any desire to swindle her date and all she wanted to do was get out of the place before Lucas spotted her. Giving some half-concocted tale about a business meeting, she quickly excused herself from the date and rushed out of the building, waving down a taxi driver to take her home.

When Emilia returned home, she relented and spent a little time with her relatives so she wouldn't seem rude, before eventually sneaking off to her room. When she found the note Jaelle had left her, a smile crossed her face and she didn't waste any time in getting dressed up to go out for dinner. She arrived fashionably late to the reservation so allowed the waiter to show her to the table. Although the dress she was wearing might not seem so, it was much tamer than usual.

"Elle and Kaven," she happily greeted them as the waiter dutifully seated her at the table. "What have you two been up to on this fine evening? I hope I'm not interrupting a private conversation," she curiously spoke, briefly glancing around the cafe to see if she recognised anyone. She would hide it well, but she was still on edge from seeing Lucas earlier and the potential of seeing her ex, William. She focused back on her family and warmly smiled. "Aren't you a sweet-looking pair," she playfully commented.​

NanLia

**********************************************************

Lucas Richards

Lucas had spent some time standing at the bar. He couldn't order a drink from a pretty barmaid without spending some time flirting with the lady. Nothing would come of it, but he still enjoyed watching a woman's face as she took in the compliments. He also took pleasure in digging beneath the surface of what a person presented and picking out what made them tick or what made them insecure. A lot of useful knowledge about a person could be gained through a little small talk. It was how he managed to undermine so many men on a business level.

Finally stepping away from the bar to find a place to be seated, he noticed his colleague, Mortimer. Or was he a friend? He supposed both labels applied as Mortimer was one of the few men Lucas could tolerate on a personal level. As he approached the table, he watched the dancer leave, also making no secret that he was admiring the woman's body. He took a seat opposite the man and smirked.

"Good evening, Mortimer. I hope I'm not interrupting anything too important," he said, glancing to the dancer once more. Preferring to separate business and private life, there were only a chosen few people who Lucas permitted to ask about his family, and luckily Mortimer was one of them. "Dinner went as expected," he said, between lighting up a cigar. "Eddie was being a cocky little shit, as usual. No doubt his mother has been in his ear again. Thankfully he sulked off so Samuel and I could have a decent catch-up. That kid's got his head screwed on." He flicked some ash into the glass ashtray before looking back to Mortimer. "How are things going for you? What's that sister of yours up to tonight?"
​

idalie

 

[idalie]

MORTIMER C. FLYNN​

[Club Lape]​

He shook his head, motioning toward the blonde bombshell of a dancer he let leave his lap. "Nancy was just off to get ready for her next performance. Damn fine performance it is too." Mort grinned. Alas, assigned his concentration on Lucas.

"He'll come around when he's older. Gotta let him live his life, whether or not that mother of his gets involved." Mortimer replied, continuing to free his pipe from a suit pocket and a pack of tobacco alongside it. As he began to fill the clay bowl, Flynn glanced up at his associate. "Me? You know how it is. Nothing more than work and women." He chuckled, a hearty sound from deep within his chest. Alas, he arched his brow - striking a match to light up the pipe, before taking a few puffs. Smoke curling up his lips. "I don't know where to start with her, she's been a pain in the backside ever since I ditched her on the Mahoney job. Knowing her, she's probably off somewhere she shouldn't be. With someone - she shouldn't be." He rolled his eyes. "I tried to get her married, but by God, I swear a man who manages to tame that bloody girl, will have my respect."

He rested the pipe in his hand, taking a gulp of bourbon. "She's getting older, I keep telling her no man wants a spinster. Half true, as you and I know, but I remember a time where she actually got flustered knowing that she might not have a white wedding. As of now, I think she's just making the most of being able to drink rookies under the table. I don't know if that's something to be proud of." He waved his hand. "I'm sure she'll find someone other than her bloody cat. At this point I'm considering arranging something just to get her out of my hair. " The underboss grumbled.
​

Misty Gray

 

[NanLia]

​

Emilia's wayward glances were not lost on Jaelle, but she certainly would not comment on them; the girl made her own enemies not matter what the Lee's did to protect her. She smiled at the compliment, and started to reply that her sister had not interrupted anything of importance when Kaven spoke first.

"We were talking about you, actually, Em." he stated, with the waiter now taking the menus; Kaven having ordered their meal ahead of time, he turned his attention to his sister-in-law, "We were just saying how it was about time we found you a husband." He remarked with a sincere smile, oblivious to the annoyed glare of his wife. "Elle and I know this very fine fellow, goes by the name James, Jimmy even. Nice man, good money; he works for the bank, you know." He took a sip from the tumbler in front of him before nodding to Elle, as though to continue.

She took a moment, watching Kaven in disbelief before turning to her sister. "He does make good money, that bit is true, but the man has a hole in his pocket. We know him because he best on our horses at the races; bets ever cent he has to his name and then some. Owes the Lee's quite a bit of coin, from what I've seen."

"Elle!" Kaven chastised her, setting his glass down. "That's enough, Jimmy is a fine man, would do him well to have a wife like Em here, maybe it'll teach him to shape up?"

Jaelle rolled her eyes before settling on her husband. "Fine isn't good enough for Em; perfection or nothing!" She smirked, she knew her sister well enough that she would never settle on someone as simple as a banker and certainly not one indebted to the Lee's. She took out another cigarette from her case and offered it to Emilia, "Tell me what you did all day, save me from the boring life of a wife." She begged playfully, to which Kaven sighed and shook his head.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

When Kaven mentioned he and Jaelle had been talking about her, Emilia raised a curious eyebrow which urged him to elaborate. Her curious smile dropped to a something of a mocking smirk as Kaven mentioned finding her a husband. She let her sister and brother-in-law continue to speak about the matter and this man named James. It was partly out of interest and partly because she was trying to think of how to respond to such a wild idea.

"My father is dead, Kaven, so you'll not pull those tricks in his place; trying to have me married off. Besides, anyone would think you two wanted me out of your hair," she remarked, with a wink. "I'm sure James is a lovely man who would adore a submissive housewife to have his dinner waiting on the table for him after work and to take care of his sniffling brats whilst he's out drinking with his friends. I've dated a lawyer and something tells me a banker wouldn't be much different," she noted. A man who loses his money betting sounded like the kind of fool she had no trouble conning. "If I have to kick him into shape, who will keep me under control?" she sarcastically asked, with a grin. As much as she was joking about the suggestion, she really hoped this wasn't something the two were seriously considering. "Elle is right. If I'm to be tied down, the man would have to be all kinds of special and full of adventure. Good luck finding him!"

Emilia took the cigarette from Jaelle and lit it up, taking a few drags before answering her sister's question. "I did some window shopping and found the most beautiful earrings that will soon be mine. Then I bumped into a kind gentleman who treated me to a couple of drinks and a nice conversation. He meant well, but he was so bland - most likely similar to your friend James," she remarked. There was no point mentioning that she was only with the man with the intent of stealing his wallet and she certainly shouldn't mention how close she was to a confrontation with Lucas. "I went home for a time too, but everyone was still there. Why is our family so loud?!" she asked.
​

NanLia

********************************************

"Of course. Nancy and the other girls are all fine dancers," Lucas noted. "Remember, if you plan on seeing more of Nancy after the performances, make sure she leaves happy in the morning. You wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of Frances by upsetting one of her girls," he warned, but grinned to show he was only half serious. The club owner was feisty one, but he wasn't intimidated by her and he doubted Mortimer was either. Still, it was more worthwhile to be on the good side of the lovely Frances.

"Work and women? What more do we need, really?" he rhetorically asked. "So why did your attempts at having Scarlett married fail? There must be plenty of men available who can control even someone as strong-willed as your sister. Maybe it's time to stop asking her and start telling her. As you said, nobody wants a spinster and she could end up living with cats for the rest of her life. Perhaps you need to be firmer and more forceful now so she can thank you in the long run." He took a sip of his whiskey and when he moved the glass away from his mouth, his expression had turned more serious. "I'd hate for some harm to come to her if she keeps freely spending time in questionable places and with the wrong people." Lucas shook his head. "No, I think you'd be wise to take matters into your own hands whilst you still can. Hell, if Eddie was older, maturer and more tolerable I'd suggest him."
​

idalie

 

[idalie]

MORTIMER C. FLYNN​

[Club Lape]​

"I need someone who can stand their own against a woman who could break their legs, Lucas." Mortimer gave a dry chuckle, let sighed to himself. "I can't tell her to do what she doesn't want, otherwise the stupid girl will go marry some gambling degenerate to prove me wrong. She's got our mother's spiteful streak, and being forgiven is possibly the second hardest thing for me to do, other than repent inside a church." Flynn turned to gaze at his hands, slumping into his seat. "She needs someone who can guide her in the right direction. See if they can dampen the flames of a draconic woman. I know I've spoilt her - let the damn woman get away with things she shouldn't have, but I feel I can't bring myself to simply throw her at a man and hope she takes to him."

Mortimer glanced toward his colleague. "I can't even think of a man I know, who could survive even a day if she got into a bad mood. Nothing can make her smile, it's enough to make you pull your hair out over. And she still hasn't grown out of Christmas, at twenty-bloody-seven. Still makes a big deal out of it. I almost want to hang myself with the decorations." As he listed all the difficulties of Scarlett, Mortimer pinched the bridge of his nose. "Perhaps you could talk to her? I'm sure she respects your authority over mine. You've got your own kids after all, isn't it the same thing?" Flynn waved his hand extravagantly.
​

Misty Gray

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

A few drinks later, Frances realized that she had other things to do besides wait for her liquor. She would just have to give the boys a piece of her mind later. For now, she called up her back up. "Ralphie, darling. I need a favor." She said into the pay phone, right outside the pub. Minutes later she hung it up and growled, hailing down a taxi. That favor was going to cost her, a lot more than what she was willing to pay. When a taxi finally picker her up, she bit her finger; something she did when she was distressed. A terrible habit she had been meaning to break, along with the smoking. She was just happy that they had arrived back at her club where there was a pack waiting for her in her office. Only problem was that she wouldn't be able to get to it any time soon since she had to entertain people.

Smoothing out her black lace dress and fluffing up her faux fur mink, she walked through the front door of her club and smiled. She could see the regulars who attended and spoke to them before moving on to the newbies. It was her goal to always try and network with any and everyone. You could never have too many connections. It took her awhile before noticing a few of her favorite people, men really. She quietly made her way over to the table where Mortimer and Lucas were sitting, catching the 'Christmas' portion of their conversation. "Who doesn't love Christmas time? Don't tell me you're a grouch now." She asked dragging her hand softly across his shoulders before making her way around in front of them. "I do hope you two are having fun?"
​

idalie Misty Gray

​

 

[Misty Gray]

Lucas displayed the faintest of smiles as Mortimer described the kind of man who Scarlett needed. "There must be someone we know of who can give your sister a challenge. We will have to keep our eyes open for that man," he noted. When he heard the suggestion that he himself spoke with Flynn's sister, Lucas wasn't caught off-guard but he did take a moment to decide if it was something he wished to commit himself to. "Of course I can speak to her," he gave in. "I'm sure even a lady who still gets excited over Christmas is more mature than Eddie," he noted. Lucas had his mind brought back to the Christmas he'd just had - the first one since the divorce. He'd loved every minute of it with his mother's side of the family and his sons. It was great not having Francesca there making her own big deal about cooking the perfect Christmas dinner and spewing some crap about the table layout. It had all been a tedious routine of the woman trying to impress everyone and come across as better than her female friends. What a fickle and hollow woman she had turned out to be.

Lucas then heard the familiar voice of a woman of far greater substance and significance. He looked up to Frances as she stepped into view and he gave her a smile before taking a drag of his cigar. He grinned at her remark about Mortimer being a grouch and would leave his friend to defend himself on that accusation. "We always have fun here, Frances," he assured her. "I hope you're enjoying yourself too. I've told you before - if you're not having fun, you come and tell us. I'll make sure whoever is to blame is dealt with," he said, his smile fading.
​

idalie Melanin-Gxdess

 

[NanLia]

​

Kaven's eyebrows raised as his sister-in-law started to tell him off, he raised a hand to interrupt -or so he thought, but Jaelle was taking and giving it a gentle squeeze. He may not be her father but he was still very much the Head of their house, the least she could do was pretend he had some authority over her! He gave an annoyed grunt, turning to give Jaelle a looked to say she should be backing him up, but she simply patted his hand and continued listening to her sister go on about her day.

Clearly this was not the evening this war would be won, conceding to delay the battle to another, possibly less public, evening he turned to his paper as the two women continued on chatting.

​

Jaelle smiled as he sister recounted her day, partially envious of Emilia's freedom but mostly proud of it. Jaelle certainly was not left wanting, she was more than content with her chosen life and wouldn't make any changes, but she was certainly happy to hear her sister remaining to independent. She knew she would catch an earful from Kaven later in bed, likely some sorry story about backing up her husband, but she knew her sister far too well; Emilia was not going to marry any simple man, he would need to be extraordinary to even so much as catch her eye.

"I'm excited to see those earrings, when you finally get them." She said, stubbing out her cigarette in the crystal ashtray at their table. She was no fool she knew Emilia wouldn't spend a cent of her own money on something like that; there would be men a plenty that would fund her love of jewelry. She gave a slight sigh, but perked up with a devious smile. "What do you say we go to Lape after dinner? Spend the night out, just the two of us?" She ignored the glare from Kaven over the top of his paper; she'd make it up to him later.
Misty Gray

 

[Misty Gray]

Emilia could tell Kaven wasn't happy with her response, but she wasn't about to apologise for any of it. Her father tried to control her too and that's what drove a wedge between them. Sure, the Head of the house wanted to assert his authority, and her response threatened to undermine that. She liked Kaven, but she wasn't about to roll over and let him control her now. She liked to test people and she was curious as to how far she could stretch his patience. Like Kaven, she decided challenging him would be best done somewhere less public.

"I'll be sure to show you the earrings when I have them," Emilia replied to Jaelle, with smirk. When she saw her sister's devious smile, she knew something exciting was about to be suggested and she sat forward ready to hear what it was. When Lape was mentioned, Emilia's eyes practically lit up and she too adopted a devious smile. "Elle, I would love a night out. You know how much I enjoy Lape!" she excitedly replied. She noticed Kaven's glare, which in turn caused her grin to drop. "That is, of course, if the boss permits us to..." she remarked, aiming her comment at Kaven. Sometimes, Emilia couldn't help herself. Even when everything in her mind was telling her to keep a comment to herself, the need to provoke always came along out of nowhere and kicked diplomacy out of the way.
​

NanLia

 

[idalie]

MORTIMER C. FLYNN
[Club Lape]

Relief flooded his features, thanking Lucas with an evident expression of gratitude. "I owe you a favour for dealing with the she-devil." He smiled, however, was interrupted with a light caress over his shoulders. Glancing back, to see the familiar features of Frances. "Ah, my darling Miss LaVexen. I'm afraid the festivities were never my particular highlight of the year. Not in a family as dysfunctional as my own." He remarked, always with that permanent addition of a twinkle in his eye and a pearly white grin. "I suppose you could say, I am a rather Scrooge character come Christmas. But who knows, perhaps someone might change that?" Mortimer suggestively winked, accompanied by a rich chuckle.
​

"Having fun? Well, I do suppose I should compliment the lady of the establishment and say your club is the most fun I have nowadays. Makes me sound terribly old." He leant forwards, nicotine tainted smoke rising above his features in an odd, ethereal veil of tobacco. "Yet whilst I'm at it, you're looking exquisite tonight. As you do every night." Flynn, kept his flirtatious smirk, something that defined his character as a whole. If it wore heels and stockings, Mort was already halfway to chasing it across oceans.

Nonetheless, his wolfish ways were momentarily disrupted by a sudden thought. "Frances, sweetheart, on another note have you seen Scarlett anywhere? I haven't so much had a glance since this morning. Still sulking no doubt." His hand, ran through his greased hair, pushing the curls falling unto his forehead, back into his locks. Embers glowing in the bowl of his pipe every so often with draws for another hit. "- On another note, don't worry. I'm not sure I'd like to know if any answer comes of it. I think I've done enough complaining."​

Misty Gray Melanin-Gxdess

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

As she sat down, she signaled one of her waitresses to bring her a drink, a martini. When Lucas told her she could come to them whenever she wasn't having fun, she gave him a smile. The two of them were like brothers to her; incredibly attractive brothers who she would like to invite to bed. Thank god they weren't. "I know you boys will take extra good care of me." She replied as the waitress place her cup down in front of her. She decided not to mention the late shipment of liquor from the Murphy boys, choosing to handle that on her own. Her attention turned to Mortimer, who was obviously flirting with her. Sipping her drink, she glanced at him. "How many times do I have to tell you, Mr. Flynn, flirting with me will get your heart broken. Although, I may have to take your offer to change your grouchy ways towards Christmastime."

Frances always found it fun to flirt with Mortimer Flynn. He always made so interesting and it was so much better than what she normally had to but up with. Occasionally she would do so with Lucas, but down deep inside, she felt bad considering he was married. But then again, their marriage wasn't a happy one. She was going to ask about her, but the whole point of Lape was to escape your troubles and bringing up Francesca wasn't something she was going to do. Instead, she answered Mortimer's question about his sister. "If it was an consolation, I hadn't seen her today. I've been tending to annoyances all day." She said with a roll of her eyes and a sip from her drink. She had lied, of course she had caught a glimpse of Scarlett, but she wasn't going to tell on the poor girl.
​

idalie Misty Gray

 

[merQUEUEtio]

Liev Irving Frydenberg
LOCATION:
Pub

Liev dropped the violin case that he had clutched tightly to all day and watched as it plummeted. The case hit the broken pavement with a loud THUD but no one around seemed to notice. That was the way it was around here, or so he had noticed. Police didn't care if a woman was being murdered right in front of them... Well, as long as they were paid off. He kneeled down, and touched the outer cover of the case with a calloused hand. With one tender movement, he undid the clasps on the case and lifted the velvet lined lid. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when he saw its contents were still intact, there in place of the usual flashy weapon, was a bottle of schnapps Liev closed the case and continued walking down a street that contained a strange assortment of people. Some of the younger ones stared and whispered amongst one another, those who had seen more years knew better than to do either of those things. He didn't care however, he simply needed a place to drink.

Liev weaved in and out of the nearby streets, but confused himself after every turn. He was expected at club Lape by some of his "friends" at Temple. Truth be told he only spoke to them because they spoke Yiddish, his first language next to Polish. It helped him keep his humanity in such a polluted town like Birmingham. He wished more than anything to walk the streets of Warsaw again, but there was nothing left for him there. Liev shook his head, as if to physically shake away the thought of Warsaw from his mind, and continued his stroll.

Liev had completely given up on finding this so called, "Club Lape" When he found himself at the doors of The Garrison Pub. Quickly, he rushed inside as if it were a second home and found a seat at the bar. Of course he knew who ran the pitiful excuse for a pub, but that didn't stop him.Liev was determined to have his Schnapps with or without his Yiddish speaking friends. After he had seated himself, with one swift movement, he swung the case on the table and removed the bottle from its resting place. Before he uncorked the bottle, Liev looked beside him to notice a peculiar yet familiar young woman sitting beside him. He watched as she dropped herself in a puff of smoke that came from a pull of her cigarette. Her face shone perfectly considering the little amount of light that the pub provided. Within seconds he found himself staring at her beauty, she pinned her hair the same way Liesel had done hers. She had paid such attention to the direction each curl was pinned, just like the girl sitting just a few feet beside him.
"You look familiar, Have we met before?"
He asked in a thick polish accent, he swore they had at least introduced themselves to each other.​

idalie

(I'll post August later : p )

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