inthefifties

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Delilah June Walker

June pursed her lips in frustration as he called her Delilah, as she cursed her eldest brother for putting it on her jumpsuit. Most of their regulars knew not to call her Delilah, unless they wanted something to suddenly break within their cars, but she figured that she couldn’t get mad at the man, since he didn’t know her from Adam. She put out her cigar in an ashtray that sat off to the side, opened the garage door behind the car, climbed into the driver seat, and started it up, pausing for a moment to listen to the engine purr. She smiled at herself, and pulled out of the garage. She opened her door, and before she climbed back out, she turned to the man, “Call me June; nobody calls me Delilah.” She stood, and shut the garage door. She climbed back into the car, and began to drive to their destination.

She switched gears on the stick shift, and relaxed into her seat, running her hand through her hair. “And what exactly should be my concern, Mr. Javachi?” she asked him casually, “The fact that there is a body in the trunk of Mrs. Lawson’s Ford, or the fact that I’m alone with a tall, strange, Italian man, whom I’ve never met before in my entire life?” She jumped gears as she began speeding up even further to see what the car would do. “Because both of those things seem like a usual Tuesday night for me,” she added sarcastically. She turned off the main road, and onto a back road, heading toward the quarry. She switched back gears as she slowed down to be able to drive the curvy road while they got further away from the main road; the street lights disappeared behind them.

June focused her mind on what was in front of her headlights, allowing herself to feel everything the engine was doing within the car. She had to admit that it was running perfectly, and she was rather proud of herself, although she had never doubted her ability. She allowed herself to glance from the road over to the man, and she looked away from him quickly once she realized that he made the Ford’s interior look shabby in comparison. She took a deep breath, and made a sharp turn effortlessly. She finally spoke again while she drove past the entrance of the quarry, “In my opinion, my biggest concern is if the transmission in this thing with blow once again. Mrs. Lawson has been known to ride with it just in the first gear, and she has blown two transmissions by doing so. You would think that the woman would get the point by now.” She laughed at the memory of an angry Mr. Lawson, as she helped her brother, Johnny, tow the car from the grocery store down on 4th Street. 

Robert Dean Walker

Robbie had spent his day at the shop, elbows deep in the greasy engines of various Selcouth citizens. After work, he went to the boxing practice gym,and put a couple guys on their backs for a couple rounds before no one would stand against him. “Oh come on, you pissheads!” he called out to a group of men as they stormed out in a huff, “Your wives couldn’t even be this much of a pansy!” He tore off his gloves, and tied together their strings together, slinging it over his shoulder. He went under the ropes of the mat, and jumped down to the rough hardwood floor below. He grabbed his shirt, and tossed it over the same shoulder that his gloves sat. Leaving his undershirt and suspenders uncovered, Robbie left the gym.

He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his back pocket, and lit it, taking a slow and long drag off of it. He climbed into his truck, and drove toward his house. He rolled down the window, and sat his elbow on the seal, allowing for his smoke to blow out. The streetlights flickered on as the sky fell dark, and he drove in the silence of the streets. Everyone’s hustle and bustle of the day had finished, and Robbie imagined that the suburbs of the city were filled with happy little families sitting down for dinner. He snorted at the idea, and turned onto the road his house sat, crossing the tracks. He drove down the row of railroad houses until he found his faded yellow one, and parked in the driveway. His shoulders slumped with the weight of the day as he took the stairs two at a time to get to the front door.

Like most on the street, the Walkers never had locked their door. The neighborhood was close, and it wasn’t uncommon for a neighbor to appear, asking for a potato or something simple to make a meal. Their neighbors to their right never seemed to have enough food to fill their growing brood of children, and Robbie’s eldest brother, Albert, gave them a portion of his earnings every time he was paid, just so they could put something in their children’s mouths. Robbie slung down his shirt and gloves on one of the kitchen chairs, and went to the fridge to grab whatever leftovers they had. He found a piece of lasagna that June had made, and scarfed it down cold. Samson, another one of his brothers, came walking in to the kitchen as he adjusted his shirt. “Off to the docks?” Robbie asked with a mouthful of cold lasagna.

“Yeah, its gonna be a long night. The day workers are thinkin’ about strikin’, so the night crew has to pick up their slack. Greeves is thinkin’ about firin’ all of ‘em,” Samson grumbled with a shake of his head. Robbie sighed, and wished him luck, setting his now empty plate in the sink. “If you don’t wash that, June is gonna smack ya,” Samson scolded as he left the kitchen. Robbie frowned at the dish, and grumbled to himself as he rinsed off his plate and sat it on the rack to dry. He sat down in one of the chairs, and began taking off his boots. He pulled them off, as well as his socks and stuffed them back into the boots for later. He stretched out his sore muscles, and used the table to push himself back up onto his feet. He made his way down the small hallway to his room, fell backward onto his bed, and fell asleep instantly.

As the bucket of cold water flooded his face, Robbie jumped out of bed ready for a fight. Whenever his eyes cleared, he was greeted by the angry blonde, who seemed to be steaming from the ears. “What the hell, Lil!” he roared at her, rubbing the water out of his eyes completely. He picked up a towel that was hanging on the foot of the bed, and tried to dry off his head. He growled as he realized it was no use, and he ripped off his suspenders so that he could tear off his soaked undershirt. His unconscious memory began to come back to him, and he realized what she had said whenever she had poured the water on him. “Who the hell are you talking about?” he asked her, whipping around to see her face, “There’s no one here but me. June’s at the shop, and my brothers have gone doing god knows what.”

He stared at her face for a moment, and realized what she was talking about. Word had officially gotten back to her about his night at the burlesque club. Son of a bitch, he thought to himself, sliding his hand over his face. He sat on the bed, and shook his head. “Come here,” he reached out his arm for her, and was able to get a hold of the fabric of her shirt to pull her over to him. He took the container, which he now recognized from the bathroom, and sat it on the floor next to the bed.

He pulled her onto his lap so that she would be sitting on his knee. He brushed her hair off her shoulder, and began to kiss her neck, which usually calmed her down. “What’s got you all worked up, huh?” he whispered throughout his kisses to her neck. He stopped right below her ear, and pulled back to kiss her temple, “You’ve not been listening to the rumor mill again, have you, princess?” He moved to look at her in the eyes, lifting her face by her chin, “You know they enjoy a good Walker headline.” He wasn’t going to admit guilt to anything, especially if he could get her thinking that it was just another rumor gone crazy. There had been plenty rumors about him before in the past, most of them being true, but he usually could sweet talk his way out of them.

[inthefifties]

0cean

Tony Tony was consumed in his thoughts, as usual. He didn't like the fact that he hadn't disposed of the body yet, nor did he want to get the woman involved in case the police did show up. She seemed confident that they wouldn't show up, though. But Tony wasn't going to put all of his faith in a stranger. Noticing that she had started to speak again, Tony turned around to face her and glanced at the car while she spoke. When she mentioned she could help him, he faintly raised an eyebrow and watched her move to the garage door to close it and then to his car. Then, he moved over the spot beside her and glanced inside at William's body. Apparently he owed everyone money. Tony thought. Turning his head to view the woman, he glanced down for a second before meeting her eyes. Her comment seemed odd to him. "That should be the least of your concerns, Delilah." he murmured as he moved his arms underneath William's body and lifted him out of his trunk. Then, after he dropped them in the other car, Tony placed his hand on the trunk and closed it. He had seen the stitch pattern of her name through her jumpsuit. It was backwards, of course, since she had the upper part of her suit hanging, but he could still identify the letters. Walking over the passenger seat, Tony climbed inside and closed the door behind him. Liliana At a very young age, Liliana Javachi had decided that she did not want any part in the family's business. The life of the underground never satisfied her nor did she feel the same passion for it in her heart like her siblings - who, and they made it very clear, did not agree with her decision to disconnect from the business. But, Liliana never meant to disown her family. She just wanted to do something else with her life that didn't involve so much violence and risk, but this didn't matter to the family. Once her mother, Giovanna, began to loathe Liliana for her decision her brothers began to as well. After Tony and Manuel went to war, Liliana moved to the States and decided to start a new life on her own. Her relationship with her family declined and she hadn't heard from her siblings until they returned from war. She had hoped to connect with them again, but they came back even more cold than before. Now, they rarely speak to each other unless there's an emergency. They've made their disownment very clear. So, to hell with them. Liliana blinked. Her eyes were beginning to feel dry from her staring out of the window next to her. Thankfully, no one had noticed her empty stare and lack of movement. She had to have been consumed in her thoughts for at least five minutes or so, but it was a nice break from the current stack of papers she had to review before leaving work. Clearing her throat, Liliana grabbed a sheet of paper from the top and placed it infront of herself on the desk to read. She attempted to read the first two paragraphs but only two minutes in did she find herself re-reading words and having to start the entire paragraph over. "Jesus," she murmured, pushing her chair back and standing up from the desk. Perhaps a cup of coffee would help her concentrate. As she walked in the direction of the break room, Liliana gently pulled down on her pencil skirt to straighten any wrinkles right before she entered the small room. Upon entering she spotted Alice and Jane, two of her coworkers who never seemed to be anywhere without the other. Unlike most of the females working for the bank, Alice and Jane were the only other two females who held managerial positions like Liliana. Alice and Jane managed the bank's daily operations, whereas Liliana was in charge of speaking to investors and advising them on where and how to spend their money. That was about the only thing that they had in common with her. Liliana didn't care too much for them and their child-like behavior. Gathered next to one of the islands, Alice and Jane were engaged in their usual morning gossip and hardly noticed Liliana had entered until she approached them. They quickly paused and their attention anchored on Liliana. "Goodmorning, Liliana," they greeted her. Liliana glanced at them before grabbing a mug and lifting the coffee pot from the warming plate. "Hello." she replied flatly. As she poured the coffee into her mug, she began to wonder if they were talking about her before she entered. She could practically feel their eyes on her now - searching her for clues. "So, Liliana," Alice spoke up, lightly clearing her throat before continuing. "How are you doing?" Liliana placed the pot back on the warming plate and wrapped one of her hands around her mug. "Fine." she answered, turning to leave. She had almost reached the doorway when Alice called out, "How are things with that Walker boy?" When Liliana stopped, Alice continued, "Robert, is it?" Liliana looked over her shoulder before shaking her head subtly. Turning around, she pressed her lips together in a forced smile and grasped her mug with both hands infront of her. "Robbie." Liliana corrected her, her smile weakening. "Why?" Alice glanced at Jane and Liliana swore she could see a twinkle of mischief in their eyes. They were meddling. More than likely they had overheard a rumor or were looking to start one of their own. Rumors of the underground were common in the city, so Liliana would hardly be surprised if they mentioned an absurd rumor about Robbie and one of his matches. That's what they were usually about, at least. "We were just wondering." Alice said, the corners of her lips curving into a smile. "As you know, wor-" "Spit it out." Liliana snapped, interrupting her. She didn't have time for their games. Alice's lips fell flat. "Word gets around very quickly in Selcouth." she said. Jane nodded her head in agreement. Alice usually did most of the talking out of the two of them. "But word about a committed man's sins seems to spread the fastest." Liliana had to restrain from rolling her eyes. Robbie's not exactly the model citizen but everyone knows that. Suddenly, their supervisor appeared next to Liliana in the doorway and looked at the three of them. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, an eyebrow raised. "Get back to work." he ordered before stalking off. Alice began to leave, Jan following closely, but before Alice turned to head in the direction of her desk she stopped next to Liliana briefly and whispered, "Perhaps you're not the only one keeping Robbie's bed warm at night." Liliana froze. She watched the two head back to her desks before she could feel her temperature rising. Needless to say, fifteen minutes later, with her purse and binder in hand, she signaled a taxi and headed towards the Walker house. The fact that it was late at night did not stop Liliana from walking up to their front door and storming inside. Other than the sound of her shuffling through the house and her heels hitting against the floor, Liliana didn't make any sound. Flicking one of the light switches as she passed them, she turned one of the corners and walked down one of the hallways to his room. Once she reached his room, she grabbed the knob and pushed the door open. There she saw him laying in his bed asleep. "Hmph." she muttered, turning around and walking into the bathroom. She saw a container with rolls of tissue in it and grabbed it. After dumping its contents, she placed the container under the sink and filled it with cold water. Then, she headed back into Robbie's room and dumped the water on his face. "You disgusting piece of-" she said to him while she poured. Liliana had no intentions of lowering her voice for anyone else in the house who might be sleeping. Tossing the container to the side, along with her clutch, Liliana grabbed the sheets and pulled them off of him. "Where is she?"

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Delilah June Walker

June tried to ignore the man as she proceeded to continue to work on the car in front of her. She would be stupid if she didn’t recognize the fact of who the man was, but that didn’t scare her. Her brothers had plenty of experience with the rough side of Selcouth, and she had her fair share as well. She had enough experience to recognize that familiar sound of something heavy rolling around in the trunk of a car. She had heard the movement whenever she had pushed the car into the garage, and she didn’t draw attention to it. She was loosening bolts whenever she heard his time request, and she let out a snort.

She stopped to look up at him with a raised eyebrow. “Twenty minutes? Got somewhere to be in a hurry?” She asked with another snort of a laugh. She shook her head, and continued to work on what she was doing for a second before pausing. She glanced at the clock, and then at the road outside of the shop. She realized what he was thinking, and she looked over at him, scrutinizing him for a moment. She tried to get past the fact that he was extremely handsome for someone who had a dead body in his trunk. She looked back down at what she was working on, and shook her head, “Don’t worry about the pigs. They don’t come around, unless they are after my brother’s bootleg liquor.” She went back to working, and she worked silently until she couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer, “May I ask why there is a body in your trunk, or is it one of those ‘If I tell ya, I gotta kill ya’ situations?” She didn’t look up from what she was doing as she spoke, “If you are that worried about the pigs, I may be able to help you out.”

She sat down her tools, and went over to the open garage door. She grabbed the tattered rope that hung from it, and with a heave, she pulled the garage door closed. She walked over to the trunk of the car, and opened it. She chuckled, shaking her head, “God damn, doesn’t look like Mr. Travis will be paying off his car any time soon.“ She went over to the other car parked inside of the garage that she had been working on, and she opened the trunk of it. "Will you do the honors? I don’t want to get lowlife on my hands,” she motioned for him to put the body inside of the trunk of the car, “I needed to test drive this bad boy anyway before I gave it back to its owner.”

[inthefifties]

Falls

Abel Huxley

Abel squinted at the letter on his desk, trying to figure out if he was reading it correctly. Losing a client was never a good thing unless that client happened to be Russell. It gave him an extreme amount of peace knowing he no longer had to deal with the concealed pervert. He tapped his pen on the wooden desk and leaned back in his chair. “Marie,” Abel called, looking up to the door as the girl stepped in. She was fair-skinned and ginger, just like her mother, Corinne. They had been together quite a while ago, him being only twenty. After ten years, Marie had continued to grow into a near exact copy of her mother. There were times when the mere sight of her made him hunch over with remorse but Etta had done much to improve that. It was quite the surprise for him when he realized he missed Corinne less and less the more time he spent with Etta. “Let’s have something nice for dinner tonight, hm?” He asked, arching one brow. She clasped her hands behind her.

“What would you like me to have the cooks fix, Sir?”

Abel reached up and rubbed a hand over his beard. “Lobster bisque, I think. That’s not something we’ve had in long time.” He nodded and sat forward in his chair. “That’ll do.”

With a nod, Marie bent in a curtsey and left the room. He folded the letter from Russel and slid it back in its envelope, then into a locked drawer on his desk. There was only an hour until dinner, but he didn’t have anything to do in that time. Etta would be getting ready and though he doubted she’d mind the interruption, it also meant she would be late for dinner. He pushed away from the desk and left his office.

He ended up settling on a shower, though it was his second one of the day. Wasting so much water wasn’t an idea he was keen on but rereading a book wasn’t either. The west wing of his house was silent, not even employees allowed in it. Abel showered in silence, and partial darkness. He stumbled into his bedroom to dress. It was formal, per usual. He tucked the tie under the panels of his suit jacket as he walked out of his room and towards the kitchen. Arriving just as his father was wheeled in to the seat to his right, Abel said hello to him. Of course, the old man didn’t hear him. “Same as usual?” He asked the caregiver. The man nodded and stepped back towards the wall. Abel didn’t feel comfortable with him being gone if something happened to his father. He turned towards the direction in which Etta usually entered the dining room. She was late. Even only a few minutes late was breaking the rules and she very well knew it. While the food came out, scheduled five minutes after everyone was supposed to arrive in order for customary greetings. He kept his face still as the staff hastily set the food up. They knew, as well. When Etta did skitter in, Abel was happy to see that she was at least aware of it. He watched for a moment, deciding that he would go easy on her tonight. There was still good news to be shared, after all. However, when he noticed her elbow on the table out of the corner of his eye, Abel paused with his spoon halfway to his mouth. “Marie, can you wheel my father into the next room?” He asked the redhead, eyes on Etta. Once the old man was gone, raising a slight fuss that his bisque would get cold, Abel stood. “You were late,” he said, walking to stand behind her. “But I was going to let it go once. But manners, my dear, are of upmost importance.” Abel let his hand graze the back of her shoulders lightly and then he grabbed the wrist of her arm on the table and cuffed it to the seat. “Now,” he chimed, sitting back in his seat. “I have good news but, please, tell me about your day first.”

Levi Buckler 

levi nodded his head slowly at her explanation. he was never that controlling over suki, if she could even be controlled at all, that was. he'd heard stories about siblings, though, who were together. in more ways than a duo that shared blood should be. he looked up ay aurora and frowned. no, no. she looked far to- to something. there was no way she was one of those. levi crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the wall behind the counter. "didn't realize it was up to a grown woman's brother what she did and didn't do," he said. levi shrugged. "guess things are different for a javachi, huh?" he didn't get a reply, but that probably had more to do with the man that walked in other than her lack of an idea on what to say. he felt himself sink to the background as they conversed. the man, ernesto, he thought, didnt even look at him. aurora did though as she left. levi's eyes were narrowed as hers shot away from his almost as quick as they'd found them. even as she climbed in the black car, he only stupidly mulled over the fact that she was who she really said she was. that truly and honestly was aurora javachi in the flesh. levi shook his head as the car pulled away. "that'll never happen again," he muttered. levi was about to go back to his book when the metal from her change purse caught his eye. he picked it up and opened the clasp. there was quite a hit more in it than what he'd originally expected. as footsteps pounded down the stairs, he startled and snapped the small purse closed. suki turned the corner, using the pole as leverage as she slid into the main area of the grocery store. "hey, brother. why do you have a chick purse?"

Evelyn Lange 

She rested her arms on his chest, the feeling of his arm around her back easing her tension of having to be in the lounge. It wasn’t often she was able to spend time with Manuel. Seemingly even less lately, but that was just part of it. He was a busy man, after all. Evelyn glanced again at the stains on her couch, however her eyes flicked back up when she felt his grip on her chin. “One more thing to worry about wouldn’t be such an issue, but if you insist,” she said, wishing their lips were still pressed together. The coolness in her stomach returned. Evelyn pushed away the thought of being alone again once he was gone and instead tried to focus on having him here. Removing her hands from his chest, she dropped them loosely between them. “Russell is still,” pausing, she shook her head. “Just Russell.”

Truth was, he’d been asking her to come in more and more frequently. Evelyn hadn’t told Manuel yet, the full truth of it, anyway. Most of her business hours were spent doing public shows again. The usual so-called Queen of Burlesque was pregnant- again- and unable to perform. While Evelyn had denied the request many times, she eventually agreed just so Russell would shut up about it.

“Who were those men with you tonight?” She asked, tilting her head. Evelyn had seen the blonde a few times before, but never the conservative one. He looked at her the way most did on the street, either because they had caught their husbands watching her or were jealous they couldn’t see her themselves. Subtly disgusted, just glad they weren’t in her shoes.

[inthefifties]

0cean

Aurora I raised both of my eyebrows when I heard his response. "Because," I started to reply, but the fact that he may have lived here long enough to be accustomed to this neighborhood stopped me. Pressing my lips together, I folded my arms across my chest and my eyes followed him from the counter and over to the freezer's. After hearing his question, I relaxed my lips and shook my head calmly. "Not since 1942." I casually said to him, placing my clutch onto the counter for a second before turning on the balls of my feet to look at a few snacks on display next to me. Peering closer at one of the bags, I added, "My brother doesn't like for me to go outside." Just as I finished my sentence a man ran past the store, glancing over his shoulder once before disappearing down the street. I guess the saying 'speak of the devil' is more true than I thought. I fixed my posture and turned my head to view the street, and as I did so a black car pulled up to the side of the store and a crowd of men in suits climbed out of the car behind each other. My heart jumped and I could barely move as I waited for Manuel to come inside of the store, but instead one of the more high-ranking guards, Ernesto, entered. I exhaled quietly without showing any alarm on my facial expression and watched as two guards stood posted outside and the rest stood before me. "Aurora." Ernesto said to me, although I can tell that he's struggling to keep his tone light as an effort to not trigger my heart condition. His eyes jumped over to Levi and I cleared my throat, interlocking my hands behind my back. I looked up at Ernesto, interlocking my fingers behind my back and softening my voice. "I just wanted to get out of the house." I said to him, lowering my eyes and slumping my shoulders. "You understand don't you Ernesto?" Ernesto's eyes softened and he walked over towards me, placing his arm around me. "Yeah, princess, I do, but the boss isn't going to like that you sneaked out." He rubbed my shoulder gently with his thumb and started to lead me out of the store. I glanced over my shoulder towards Levi, but I could only see his eyes over Ernesto's arm. I looked away from him and kept my eyes low even as I climbed into the car. My facial expression remained the same, but there was a glint of sadness in my eye. Tony I glanced at the cigar in her hand before turning to face the car along with her, "There's nothing customary in Selcouth, lady." I replied, standing next to her and folding my arms across my chest while she inspected the car. At least when she mentioned the problem with the car it was something that I'm familiar with. That doesn't mean I know how to fix it, though. I balled my hand into a fist and held it over my mouth as I coughed before following the woman towards the garage. Walking over to the side of the car, I placed my hands on the groove where the hood fits into and observed her work. "Hm." Leaning back, I moved my hands into my pant pockets and stood in the direction of the street. The shop is miles away from the family's usual place to dump bodies, but going back home with a body in the trunk is not an option. Although there hasn't been much police activity in Selcouth, other than the usual, many of our allies have mentioned to us that they have had soldiers snooping around in their towns. Some say that it has to do with Hitler's commotion going on overseas, but who knows when they'll reach Selcouth. I cracked my knuckles in my pockets and turned my head slightly over my shoulder, "Think you can finish it in twenty minutes?" I asked her. Everyone knows that a police car does its rounds around this time of night, and there's no doubt in my mind that if they see a Javachi at a shop this late they wouldn't hestitate to stop. Manuel Such a tease, as always. Despite her efforts, I still have an image of Lily and the kids engraved into my mind. Not to mention the things I would have to tend to after Evelyn and I's time together. This is usually how many of my days go, though, so I'm fairly used to it. Still, it would be nice to be able to sleep when I feel drained and not have to hurry our time to avoid raising suspicions. Though, when the lights dimmed and Evelyn began her dance, I decided to try and relax and leaned back further into the couch, stretching my legs out some. Burlesque dancing is truly only a taboo because of the people in the justice system that believe they're too honorable for it. There's nothing dishonorable or unethical about it, though. If some of them would stick their heads out of each other's asses then they could come and find that there's beauty in the dancing. I'm not sure I can say that about all of the dancers, but the way Evelyn flows with the music during her dances never ceases to captivate me. "Mm," My eyes gazed down her body as she turned around and began walking back over to me. "Fine." I answered her, raising my eyes to meet hers. I wrapped one arm around her back loosely to support her and lifted my other hand to hold her chin inbetween my thumb and index finger. "Nothing you need to be worrying about." I said softly, leaning in towards her and kissing her for the first time since I arrived. In a way, everytime that I kiss or hold Evelyn I take in the moment and the way she feels in my arms until I'm able to see her again. But even so, I control my desires. I had to learn from making that mistake previously with my first affair. Dismissing my thoughts and pulling away from the kiss, I lowered my hand from her chin and wrapped my hand around her thigh. "And you?" I asked her. "Russell still treating you well?"

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Delilah June Walker

June was halfway through her cigar whenever she noticed a vehicle creeping along the road toward the shop. It got a couple lights away before she realized that it was being pushed by a large man. She could have stopped her break, and went to grab their tow truck, but what was the fun in that, especially when you get a show such as the one she was getting at the moment. When he stopped the car in the lot, June placed her cigar between her lips and folded her arms. She raised an eyebrow whenever he spoke to her, and she scoffed out a laugh, grabbing the cigar out of her mouth to speak, “Ya know, a please is a bit customary in this part of the world, big boy.”

She hopped up from her crate that she was sitting on, and put her cigar back into her mouth so that she could open the hood and look at the engine. “Keys, please,” she stated, making sure to put emphasis on her please, and outstretched her hand toward the man. Once she had gotten them, she circled around the car and climbed in so that she could try to start it. Whenever it made an awful noise instead, June cursed underneath her breath. She tried it again, and shook her head, climbing back out of the car. “Its the starter,” she told him matter-of-factly, and went to open the main garage door, “I gotta change it out.” She started looking through their parts to make sure they had one, and glanced back at the car. She scratched her head, placing a hand on her hip.

She glanced back at the box, and dug through it until she found the right one. “Here we are,” she muttered to herself as she made her way back to his vehicle, after grabbing a couple tools. She began taking out the old part, but decided that she was going to need the car in the garage so that she could see better. She went, put the car into neutral so that it would roll easier, and began pushing into the bay. Once it was there, she put on the emergency break and continued with what she was doing.

Etta Karlyn Brack

Etta ran her hairbrush through her hair, stopping only to reach over and turn the radio up on her vanity. She hummed to herself as she began to style her hair. She kept it loose, but secured it in place with pins. Once her hair was done, she began her makeup that she kept natural, due to Abel’s preference. She stood from her vanity chair, and adjusted her thigh high stockings. She crossed her bedroom toward her closet, and began going through her dresses to decide what to wear for dinner. Abel had strict rules for the house, and everyone living within it, especially for Etta.

Finding the perfect dress, she grabbed it off the hanger and stepped into it. She slid it up her slender form, and zipped up the back. Lifting the bottom so that she didn’t step onto it, she slipped her feet into a pair of her favorite heels. Glancing over at the clock on her bedside table for the first time, Etta let out a stream of German curses. She was late for dinner, and she knew that Abel wouldn’t be pleased by her tardiness. However, knowing that she was late already, she took the time to place pearl earrings into her ears before walking out her bedroom door. She made her way through the home until she reached the dining room, and moved quickly, but silently to her chair.

She sat down gracefully, and crossed her ankles. She placed her napkin into her lap, and smoothed it out over her dress. She blew a rebellious hair out of her eyes, and glanced across the table at Abel’s father. The old man might be blind and going deaf, but Etta found him to be a nuisance. As someone brought her bowl of lobster bisque to her and filled up her glass, she placed her elbow on the table for split moment to reach for her wine glass. She kept it there as she sipped on it, and placed the glass back down, running her index finger along the rim. She hummed out a breath, and stared down at her bisque before picking up her spoon, with her other hand, to inspect it for spots. 

[inthefifties]

Fallz

Levi Buckler

Levi moved to turn towards her completely. He picked up Oliver Twist in his hands and slid it under the counter onto a small hidden shelf. His father would take it if he knew he read during business hours, most likely while saying something about how Levi could be doing something else more productive. Like stocking pineapple cans was going to better him as a human. No one in their family was as invested in the inherited grocery store as their father. It would most likely go to Melody, the only one of them capable of running a store. Levi just had no interest and no one in their right mind would trust Suki with something like that. 

He chewed on the inside of his cheek as she stuttered over his name. Fake, he figured, if she had that much trouble spitting it out. Whatever, it wasn’t his business anyway. A young girl out this late was probably working down at Russell’s and didn’t want her real identity getting out. Levi could respect it. Odd that she would choose the name Javachi though, considering anyone with eyes and ears in Selcouth knew who they were. Hidden in plain sight, he supposed. “Why would I be scared?”  Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. “And, no, not technically. My dad and sisters are asleep upstairs.” He stepped around the counter and rearranged the bottles after Aurora had gotten one. “You must not get out much,” he said to her, shutting the freezer and turning around. 

Evelyn Lange 

The corner of her mouth quirked up at Manuel’s usual request. Evelyn lifted her head and ran her hands up his thighs, coming dangerously close but not quite touching the key. “As you wish,” she murmured, using him to push herself up. Usually she wore the heels when she danced but Evelyn had become accustomed to not wearing shoes around him. The shoes were part of the whole part for her and she didn’t feel the need to play a role around him anymore. Her robe swished against the ground as she walked towards the chain that hung from the ceiling. Giving it a light tug, the brightest lights of the room flickered out and they were left in a warm, red glow. Evelyn united the strap around her waist once again but set the robe on the couch next to Manuel instead of letting it fall to the floor. She made sure to place it in a spot where there was no blood. There would be a time later she would pester him to get her a new couch. For now, Evelyn was spent on soaking up all the time she had with him. 

The music from the central club drifted into their room. Evelyn waited for a moment until she could recognize the tune before she wrapped her fingers around the metal pole in the center of her room. She rolled her head to the side and began. It wasn’t the most bizarre routine, it was actually rather simple. Most of the new girls learned it first. There was a subtly to it that was famous and all the work was in the hips. Evelyn closed her eyes as she moved, just letting the music guide her body into the correct patterns. As the song ended, Evelyn opened her eyes. Just as she had suspected, she was facing away from the client. Somehow, even though they weren’t supposed to, she always ended up turned against whoever she was entertaining. She released her grip on the pole and faced him again. “How’ve you been, my love? You look stressed.” Evelyn slunk back towards him and sat gently on his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

Thomas Moore

"Of course not,” he said, frowning slightly. Thomas wasn’t sure what Honey had gone through to make her so nervous of something, but he got more than a feeling she wasn’t willing to talk about it. He couldn’t blame her either. There were some things in everyone’s life they kept locked up so tight not even God knew what was going on. Thomas returned her hug, squeezing much ligther than she did. He constantly felt like he was going to break her. 

Thomas watched her dump the buckets in. As he was about to step forward to help, she seemed to be finished already. “I trust your opinion,” he said with a smile. He tucked his hands back in the pocket of his jeans and glanced towards the newest addition once more. The male still made him uneasy and Thomas looked back to Honey quickly. “I have the schedule for the show in my tent, so whenever you’re ready to come get that, you may.”

Leon Berlanti 

Leon chuckled at Molly’s reaction, even though he kept his eyes from her until her coat was on. For so long she’d been like a little sister to him and there was no way he felt comfortable seeing her like that. Her entire career made him uneasey, actually. He’d tried to persuade her many times to come work for him insteadd but something about it wasn’t an honest living. Perhaps because there wasn’t actually any work for her and it would just be generous giving. Leon supposed he understood it, though. 

“I came here to check on you,” he said, leaning against the wall. “And you should damn well know I don’t need a burlesque lounge to get girls, kid.” Leon cocked an eyebrow upwards. “Speaking of kids, though, how’s Suzi doing? I know school’s kind of tough.” 

Suki Buckler 

So, please look forward to that!

[inthefifties]

0cean

Manuel Our eyes never broke away as she closed the curtain behind her. When she started to discard her robe, my gaze lowered from her eyes and watched how even her body movements were alluring. The way that she walked towards me like a predator creeping towrds their prey only intrigued me more. My eyes slowly moved back to hers when she mentioned being able to keep a secret and a small smirk appeared. "Is that so?" I lowly commented as she crouched down infront of me. Although their line of work is not necessarily respected, there is always a demand for Burlesque dancers because lust is one of the hardest emotions to control and these girls here know how to take advantage of it. My own lust for this dancer was growing, but I kept my facial expression blank and my heart rate calm. Our eyes locked once again, I leaned towards her and for a second I felt the desire clouding my judgement the closer I moved towards her. "Dance for me." I said to her simply, my voice low and smooth. Tony Exiting the lounge and heading back up the stairs, I scanned the surrounding buildings for any stragglers but I know that the only people outside during these hours are the ones that probably have skeletons in their closet as well. Adjusting William's body over my shoulder, I turned the corner after reaching the top of the stairs and headed back to the car. The dim street light a few feet away from the car was my only source of light as I lifted the trunk and placed William's body inside. Then, I headed to the driver's seat and climbed inside. Clearing my throat, I stuck the key into the ignition and stopped when the car made a buzzing sound. Turning it back to its regular position, I then turned it forward once more and jiggled the key but the sound continued. "Jesus." I groaned out of frustration, opening up the car door again and walking around to the front of the car. Lifting up the hood, I peered at the engine but there isn't much I can do with the faint glow from the street lamp. I let the hood down gently and looked up and down the street. I remember seeing an auto shop down the road, but I'm not sure how Manuel would feel about taking the car to a shop with a body in the back. I guess as long as they don't look in there then everything will be fine. Taking off my jacket and tossing it into the front seat of the car, I walked around to the back of the car and gripped the rim of the trunk. Then, my body at a slight angle, I began pushing the car towards the shop. Nearly half an hour later, I gave the car one final push as I moved it into the lot outside of the shop. I wiped the sweat that trickled down my face with my shirt as I spotted a girl sitting outside of the shop. "Hey," I called out before walking over towards her. I glanced at her suit before stopping infront of her. "I need you to check her out." I said to her, nodding in the direction of the car. Aurora I noticed a change in his voice. Maybe I offended him with the tone of my question? "I didn't," I started, letting out a brief sigh. "Well, I am surprised to find someone fond of reading down here but you do not strike me as someone illiterate, Mr. Levi." I glanced down at the change on the counter and picked up the three coins. I opened up my coin purse and placed them inside before stuffing the purse back into my bag. I looked back up towards him just as he asked for my name and I pushed my shoulders back a little. "Aurora Bea-" Manual has always told me to sound confident when saying my name. 'You're a Javachi.' he would say, although he doesn't have the God-awful middle name Beatrice. Starting over, I glanced away from the boy and looked outside the window. "Aurora Javachi." I finished. Moving my arms behind me and interlocking my fingers, I stepped towards the window and peered outside. "Are you the only one here?" I asked him, suddenly aware that it's near midnight and I haven't seen anyone else appear in the store. I walked back to the counter and peered at him. "Are you not afraid?" I asked him.

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Delilah June Walker

One of things that June enjoyed most was how she was able to go in later to the auto shop, and work late into the night by herself. She could get head first into someone’s engine without all the usual prying eyes of her brothers, making sure she knew what she was doing. June had taken apart and put back together more engines that she could count since she was tall enough to look inside the hood of a car. Her family business was one of the most successful shops in town, and it was because the Walkers knew what the hell they were doing and they wouldn’t upcharge you for their mistakes.

After a couple hours of working with the general public, she was able to lock their doors and begin her real work. She unzipped the top of her grease suit, and let it hang as she worked on the cars in one of her brothers’ old undershirts. Her hands and arms were already covered in oil from several issues she had dealt with that day, and she could have sworn it was in her hair too, even though it was tied up out of her way. June wiped her hands with a rag before opening the hood of a Ford that was having trouble with keeping oil. She turned up the radio, and set to work. She found the problem quickly, and fixed it with no troubles. She decided to take a small break before moving onto the next car, and she stuck a thick cigar in between her lips, lighting it with a flick of her lighter. If her eldest brother was here to see her, he would have jumped all over her but June didn’t care at this point, knowing he would be at Sally Mae’s house for the rest of the night. She sat down on a crate and relaxed her back against the wall, enjoying her smoke break.

Honeydew Rose Louis

Her head whipped around to stare at Thomas’ hold on Her wrists, and a small hiss escaped Her throat. Marie cut it off by taking back over, and she moved her arms to where she could grip onto his hands. “You promise you won’t let anyone get me?” she whispered as she looked up at him. The beginning of her life was not a pleasant one, and Honeydew tried to keep it as much as a secret as she could. The only one of her alters whom spoke of that time was Marie, and that was because she didn’t know any better. 

Marie paused for a moment, taking in Thomas’ facial expression, and she let go of his hands to wrap her thin arms around his neck. She hugged onto him tightly, and buried her face into his neck. “Thank you,” Marie told him softly before pulling back to squeeze his hands and she turned back toward her lions. “They will be ready for the show,” Honey spoke as she picked up a bucket, filled with water, and sloshed it into a large water trough for them. She did the same with two more buckets of water, and then turned back to him with her blank facial expression, a slight twinkle of something in her eyes. 

Molly Vixen Perry

Molly set up her room for her show, and slipped out of her overcoat, tossing it on a wooden chair that she used in her routine sometimes. She hadn’t told Russell to start sending clients back to her, so she was doing some pre-stretching to make sure that she was able to do the things she was planning. When she heard her curtain open, she spun around to tell Russell to screw off, but she came face to face with Leon. 

“Leon! Get out!” She pointed toward the direction he had came, and quickly rushed over to her overcoat to pull it over her shoulders, tying it off. “I am supposed to be working soon, and I don’t need you in here, scaring off paying customers!” She folded her arms across her chest, and glowered at him. “Did you just come to pick on me or are you here for something else? Because, I am sure one of these ladies will be happy to take your money from you.” She huffed as she sat down in her wooden chair, and crossed her legs in front of her. 

[inthefifties]

Fallz

Evelyn Lange

Evelyn When she was warned by the other man, she didn't entirely process what he had said. Evelyn turned towards him as the gun went off. She jumped but more from the noise than what she actually saw. Watching as the man bled out on her couch, she felt her stomach tighten. As the other man carried him out of the room, her eyes followed him. She expected the other one to leave as well but realized he wasn't moving. Not missing the way his eyes traveled down her body, she felt tired all of a sudden. Of course, just another needy man. It wasn't as though she expected anything else anymore, however. Evelyn pulled her hands through her hair when he turned from her and took a low breath. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at the couch, which he seemed to be inspecting as well. There was a good chance she could just persuade Russell to get her a new couch rather than spending the time to clean it. The wallpaper would have to be changed too, which would be a day-long job at least. Evelyn needed to do it as soon as possible so she wasn't loosing too much money. Her eyes flicked to him when she realized what he was getting at. She lifted her chin. Evelyn cocked her head to the side with a small smile and shook her head. "Questioning my abilities?" She murmured, stepping back to the curtain. Without looking behind her, she fastened the curtain to the wall so it couldn't be pulled open from the outside. "Well, for one, I am much more enjoyable to be around than screaming children and nagging wives," Evelyn said, loosening the tie around her robe. It fell open to reveal the white lace under it but she didn't pull it off her shoulders all the way. "Next, I give men what they want without asking all the pesky questions." She kicked off the heels she wore and pushed them to the side, then Evelyn gathered her hair and pushed it all behind her shoulders. "Last, I know how to keep secrets." Finally, Evelyn let the robe fall to the ground. It wasn't really her at the moment, but one had to have a certain sense of detachment when doing work like hers anyway. She was used to it by now and as she walked towards him, Evelyn felt no shame. Stopping just in front of him, she squatted down and rested her forearms on top of his thighs. From her judgement, this was a man who enjoyed feeling in control. "What can I do for you, Manuel?" She placed her chin on her folded hands and looked up at him.

Thomas Moore

He had expected things to be okay, but soon Honey seemed to flip again. His eyes narrowed as she began to speak faster and he had trouble understanding exactly what she was saying. Thomas didn’t know what white coats were or why they would be coming for her. He reached out to grab her other shoulder, in the end deciding not to. “What? Honey- no, what are you talking about?” With a small shake of his head, he let his hand fall back to his side. “I’m not going to let anyone get you.” 

Stepping back towards her, he grabbed her arms just above the elbows. Thomas didn’t grip her tightly. He still wasn’t sure exactly what was going on wiht her but he knew making her feel trapped probably wasn’t a good idea. As her expression hardned into one that hadn’t ever been directed at him, Thomas slowly dropped his hands down to her wrists. “Honey?”                                        

Leon Berlanti 

“You said it was here, right?” Leon asked, bending to shove a cardboard box aside. He peered into the small space behind it but there was nothing there. What he was looking for would have been easy to spot, so he stood back up and turned. His guitarist took another slow drag off his cigar and cocked an eyebrow. “It isn’t there,” he explained at Jace’s look. The blonde boy bounced his cigar between his teeth for a moment before pushing himself off the wall and walking towards Leon. Stepping aside, he let him look for himself.

“Well, shit,” he muttered. Jace rubbed the back of his neck and then shrugged. “I don’t know, man.”

Leon pinched the bridge of his nose, but smiled. “Whatever, we don’t really have to have the second mic.” He pulled his hand away from his face and kicked the box back with his foot. It wasn’t like he had time to look for a mic at the moment anyway. There wasn’t really even time to argue with Jace about it. Leon plucked his jacket from a hook on the wall and pulled it over his shoulders. Buttoning the two flaps closed, he started towards the door. “I need to go check on something.” With a tight smile, he walked out of the backstage for the show and headed towards one place he’d been frequenting a lot lately. Of course he didn’t actually use the services offered at the burlesque lounge, but Leon was somewhat of a regular anyway. He kept his head down as he walked through the streets and even inside the loungue. Russell didn’t even pause as he gestured towards at room. Nodding, Leon stepped into the small hall and pushed back the curtain. “Hey, little girl,” he said, the old nickname rolling off his tongue like she was still thirteen. 

Levi Buckler 

Levi rolled his eyes and took the bill. He slipped it into the register and placed three quarters back on the counter for her to grab. They didn’t usually get complaints on their prices so he wondered exactly where she was from. Her attitude sure seemed like she was from somewhere that catered to her tastes consistantly, yet some of her behaviors were very odd. “I’m sorry, madame, but that’s our price.” Levi shrugged his shoulders and pushed the drawer closed with a bang. Picking up the book he was reading again, he turned to rest his hip against the counter and leaned against it. It took him a moment to realize she was actually still standing there and he looked up at her through his eyelashes. She had a look on her face that seemed confused and Levi wondered if she was still puzzled about the water. Sighing, he put the book back down and crossed his arms as he looked at her. 

“Yes, I read.” Levi said, cocking an eyebrow. “And my name is Levi.” Chewing on the side of his lip, he thought over whether he should ask her name. Who knew what she’d say. Hell, maybe she was a princess and her body guards were outside his store at the very moment. Levi rubbed a hand over his face. He was delirious, that was all. “What is yours?” He asked finally, looking back up at her. 

[inthefifties]

0cean

Manuel Turning around to face the woman after she said my name, I pushed my hands into my pockets and looked at her. Meanwhile, Finn gave the woman a chance to look away before he pulled the trigger and William's cries were silenced. Eyeing Finn as he stopped by the dancer and then exited the room, my eyes turned back to her and I shrugged my shoulders half-heartedly. "Too late." I said to her, and then turned my head towards Tony. "Get him out of here." Tony leaned off of the wall and walked over to William's body. Lifting him up and throwing him over his shoulder, Tony glanced at the dancer before heading out of the room as well. A sense of lust washed over me as my eyes gazed down her body and took in the sight of the bodysuit underneath her robe. Clearing my throat, "Hm," I turned away from her and glanced over the blood now staining the couch and the walls. "Interesting." I murmured to her as I peered closer at the blood on the couch. Most of the blood sprayed onto the wall, so cleaning the couch shouldn't be a hassle. "Mr. Travis, a man in debt, chose to spend his money on you." I turned to face her and lifted one of my shoulders. "Why?" An image of Lily flashed into my mind but faded just as quickly once I saw the dancer's stony blue eyes staring back at me. Glancing down at the cushion before sitting down, I loosened one of the buttons on my suit and sat down. "What makes you worth a dead man's last dime?" I asked her, resting my arm on the armrest of the couch. Aurora For my first interaction with someone other than my family - it wasn't going so well. My eyes flickered over to the register as it produced unfamilar sounds and then they moved back to him. Burrowing my eyebrows slightly, I opened my bag and pulled out my clutch. Inside I only had two dollars. "Here." I muttered, placing a dollar down on the counter. "Although, that's a," I pressed my tongue against the back of my teeth as I searched through my mind for the slang people in downtown use. "That's a ratty price for this drink, sir." I folded my arms across my chest and pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. Glancing out the windows of the shop, I mulled over the thought of going home. There's no doubt in my mind that if I return now, then I'll never get this chance again. Not to mention if I went back home hysterical about the man that followed me. Yes, it was frightening, but it was also exciting. I mean, I haven't felt adrenaline rushing through my body since I was a child. I simply cannot go home now. Turning to face the boy again, I glanced down at the book on the table and subtly raised an eyebrow. "You read Oliver Twist?" Looking back up at him, I stared at him for a second before asking, "What is your name?"

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Atticus Finn Merno III

Finn moved to place both of his hands into his lap as he listened to William stutter out his answers for Manuel. He closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was getting more and more aggravated by him. “If you were really worried about your children, you should have been with them tonight,” he stated before his eyes connected to the girl who was stepped in between William and Manuel. His jaw locked as he listened to her speak, and he contained a frustrated groan. He shook his head and muttered “Oh, forget this.” He pulled his gun out of his inside jacket pocket, and held it against William’s head, “I’d look away and cover your ears, miss.”

He pulled the trigger, and stood up from where he was sitting. William Travis’s body slummed over to the side, and his blood splatter had covered the wallpaper. He felt kind of bad about it, but he couldn’t have handled William much longer. He adjusted his jacket, and buttoned one of the buttons that had come undone. He placed his gun back, and pulled his money click out of his back pocket. He grabbed several large bills, and held it out to the girl, “For the damages.” Once she took it, he nodded toward Manuel and Tony, “You know where to find me, boys.” He walked out of the private room, and left the burlesque building.

Honeydew Rose Louis

Marie rubbed the spot between the young lion’s eyes, and turned back to Thomas. She blinked at his words, and tilted her head to the side slightly, “They can’t? They always have. Is there something wrong with me? What’s going to happen?” Her voice picked up speed as she spoke, “Are the white coats coming for me? Are they gonna make do bad things to me? You wouldn’t let them do that to me, would you Papa?” She gripped onto the hand that he placed on her shoulder, and she put all her strength into holding onto his index finger.

“I don’t want them to come after me. They mess with your brain. Theystickthingsinyourtemplesandhookyouuptotheshockymachine,” her words began to slur together until her eyes drooped closed. Marie receded back to her corner of Honeydew’s brain, and their protector opened Her eyes. She let go of Thomas’s hand, and stepped away from his touch. She avoided eye contact with him, and glanced over at the lions. They all watched Her carefully, and she shook Her head at all of them. Their tails flickered but they all stayed put. She finally turned Her attention back to Thomas, and Her eyes hardened in Her blank facial expression.

Molly Vixen Perry

Molly had woken up next to Suzi that morning, and climbed out of bed to get ready for her day. Once she was ready, she woke Suzi up and made her a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She made sure her backpack was packed for school, and she walked her to school. She would have thought after eight years that people would stop staring, but nothing had changed. It was uncommon for a unmarried woman to have a child at sixteen, and it caused the people to talk. Molly living so near to the tracks made people talk as well, but that was due to the racial problems of the time.

After she dropped her off, she went to the grocery store to pick up a few things that they needed. She took the bags home, and put the groceries away. She called the lady who watched Suzi while she was working, and made sure that she was available that evening. Everyone called her Momma E, and she took care of the kids of all the housemaids while they worked. Momma E agreed to watch Suzi, and she hung up the phone. Whenever it got time, she walked to the school to pick up Suzi, and walked her to Momma E’s. She dropped her off, and went back to her house. She began getting ready for work, and then headed off toward the bus stop so that she could go to work.

The bus stop was a couple blocks away from the burlesque lounge, but she didn’t mind the walk. It was starting to get dark out so all the judgemental suburban house wives wouldn’t be out to gossip about her. She slipped through the hidden entrance, and was greeted by Russell, who explained that there were important guests there. She waved him off, not caring who he was worried about, and went to her private room to begin working for her usual customers.

[inthefifties]

Fallz

Evelyn

Evelyn never got surprises at work. They knew not to interrupt private rooms, even though just a curtain separated them from the main floor. As she heard who she assumed was Russell clear his throat, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Mr. Scott, I am busy,” she said, turning with a scowl on her face. It immediately dropped at the man’s words, however, and her mouth parted slightly. The sliver of a breath passed between her teeth as three men found their way inside her private room. She felt her heart quicken and wondered if, for the night, Russell had promised her to them. With an apology on the tip of her tongue, Evelyn was only relieved of her suspicions when their attention was focused on the man entirely. She picked her robe off the floor and pulled it around her shoulders, though the entirely sheer fabric did little to hide the lace bodysuit underneath. When the men didn’t excuse her, Evelyn only stepped out from between them and Mr. Travis. She stayed close to the wall, however, in case she needed to slip out.

It took her a moment to catch on to their conversation. Evelyn couldn’t say she was surprised that Mr. Travis was involved in something like that. She did feel for his children, though. Frowning, she crossed her arms over her chest. His eyes found her and it almost looked like he was pleading for her to do something. Only, Evelyn had no clue what she could do. She wasn’t as knowledgeable about Selcouth’s infamous men as some, but the Javachis were a relatively common name. If Mr. Travis had gotten himself into something that deep, she doubted there was a single thing she could do. Her first thought was that they were there to warn him, maybe beat him, but she realized very quickly they were there to kill.

Evelyn did not want blood on the pristine white inside of her room. “Gentlemen, please,” she interrupted, stepping forward again. Her heels clinked against the concrete as she moved to stand between them and Mr. Travis again. The man looked at her, his face lit with hope. Evelyn ignored him and turned to the one she assumed to be in charge, considering he had done most of the talking. “Manuel, is it? Isn’t there somewhere else you can do this?” She asked. “Or perhaps another time? You are not the only ones who haven’t been paid.” Evelyn had untied the mask from around her face and held it in her hands before she started to speak. Unless she was actually working, she felt idiotic wearing it. That, and whatever material it was made out of itched. Able to see more clearly without the shadow of it hanging over her eyes, she took a moment to look over the two men she could still see. Evelyn did not care much to see the other man, especially since he already seemed to not be very fond of her. It must have been her job, she reasoned, because she knew she had never seen him anywhere else before.

Thomas

Thomas removed his hands from his pockets to keep the white material of his shirt from blowing around in the wind. He nodded as Honey gestured towards the lions, still surprised she was quite so comfortable around them. “Only to see how the newest one was doing,” he answered. If she was so content, then Thomas doubted he needed to be worried about the show tonight. Generally, he liked to keep new animals in training for at least a month or two before having them around so many people. This lion had only been a part of their act for three weeks and, in that time, they’d only had one other show. He trusted Honey’s security though and was prepared to okay him for the show, but then the young lion seemed to change his mind about behaving.

“Watch yourself,” Thomas retorted, smoothing down his shirt. He was still shaky in his hands, fear still icy in his blood. “I know you’ve always handled them well, but please do be careful. Not everything can be so obedient to you, love.” With a small smile, he walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder. Thomas knew that Honey had been a part of the circus for longer than he took over, which only meant she had to have started very young. He felt almost like he had to care for her. The other people of the show talked about her oddly behind her back, even the ones that had been there the longest and whom he’d always seen as respectable. It was no way to treat anyone, much less a young girl.

Levi

Levi had ended up getting one of the tasteless gumballs, just needing something to chew so he wouldn’t light another cigarette. He wasn’t too keen on the idea of getting lung cancer by the time he was thirty, so Levi usually kept his smoking to a three-per-day limit. Sometimes he went over, but that was only when he was particularly stressed for whatever reason. Tonight he was just bored which he knew was no excuse to smoke. Levi flipped the page in his book and popped the gum in his mouth. He was resting on the counter more heavily now and he felt his eyelids start to droop.

He was rescued from an impromptu nap when the bell above the door dinged. Looking up, he was surprised to see someone so young. Well, as young as he was and sober, anyway. She wasn’t someone he had ever seen around Selcouth, so he figured she must have been new. That, or just passing through. Levi raised one eyebrow when she answered her own question and went back to his book. He stood up, but kept his eye on his book until she was ready to check out. However, when he saw her stuff the bottle in her bag through is peripheral vision, Levi let out a laugh. Her statement afterwards only made him chuckle more. Setting the book down on his table, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her. She seemed entirely serious. And the way she said it, so full of pride it nearly choked him. Levi rubbed a hand across his face.

“Okay first of all, you kind of have to pay for the water.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Dumb law, I know. Second, I have no clue who you are or where you live, so I can’t help you with that.” Punching in the price of water on the register beside him, Levi popped his gum again in his mouth. By now, it tasted like rubber. “And the water is twenty-five cents.”

[inthefifties]

0cean

Manuel, featuring Lily and Tony Scratching the arch of my eyebrow, I raised the papers closer towards me as an effort to try and focus. The walls are no protection against a baby's cry. "So you-" I began but stopped when I could barely hear myself over the crying. Clenching my jaw, I placed the papers down onto the desk and rested my hands on the armrests of my chair. I looked up from the papers and over towards Tony. He was sitting slouched in the chair across from me with his hands folded in his laps. For a moment the crying seemed to cease, so I took this chance to ask him about one of our clients. "Is he there now?" I asked him, raising one of my hands and resting my index finger above my upper lip and my thumb underneath my jaw. "Yep." he told me, shifting to fix his posture in the seat. "Alright, let's-" The deafening cry of the baby began once again. Muttering a few swear's under my breath, I stood up from my desk and circled around my desk and out from my office into the hallway. "Lily!" I shouted over the crying as I headed in the direction of the noise. Eventually, I found my wife in one of the living rooms. I pushed my suit jacket back and placed one of my hands on my hips while using my other hand to gesture towards the baby. "We can hardly hear ourselves talk, Lily." I said to her. She lifted the baby from off of her chest and cradled him. "He won't stop crying." Lily glanced down at him and continued to steadily rock him in her arms. "Come, give him to me." I said, walking over towards her and lifting the baby from her arms. Supporting his body with one arm, I slowly began to rock him and rubbed his cheek gently. "Shh, il mio amore - my love." I whispered to him. He looked up at me in the midst of his crying and after a few moments of being rocked he began to simmer down. As his eyelids fluttered and then closed, I slowly handed him back to Lily. "He's just sleepy." I told her, placing my hand on her waist as leaned in to kiss her forehead. "He just wanted to see his father." she retorted, watching me. "Mm," I kept my eyes on her and then leaned down and kissed the baby gently on his forehead. "His father is a very busy man." I replied in a whisper so I won't wake him. Turning around to face Tony, I gestured towards the front door and headed out the door past him. Tony nodded his head towards Lily as his way of saying 'goodbye' and then turned to follow me outside. "Roman sure has a set of lungs, ay?" he commented as we stepped outside and put on our hats. I scoffed lightly and shook my head, climbing into the backseat of the car. "Eppure lei vuole avere di più. - Yet she wants to have more." After we arrived at the meeting place, both of us greeted Finn and headed into the lounge. One side of Tony's lips curved into a smile as he looked around the place, "We're dealing with a sleazy man, Finn." he replied to Finn's comment earlier. I eased one of my hands into my pocket and glanced around. Sure enough, every man and woman in their right mind had caught a glimpse of us. They made sure not to look too long. Our presence seemed to freeze them in their place. When Finn opened one the curtains to one of the private rooms and we found our client sitting down infront of one of the girls, I glanced back towards the main area before walking inside of the room. I pushed the curtain back as I walked through, and then dropped it once all of us were inside. Tony found a spot on the wall and leaned against, crossing his arms across his chest. William moved his hands into his lap and fidgeted with his fingers. I looked at the girl and did a once-over of her before I stepped forward and stood infront of William. "William Travis." I finally said after a few moments of silence. I looked down and watched him as he kept his eyes on his hand. Rubbing the tip of my nose, I turned my body and looked around the room but didn't move from my spot. "This is a nice room, Travis." I nodded my head, looking at each of the decorations on the wall. "Very nice." I commented lowly before lifting one of my shoulders, "Very expensive, too." My gaze snapped back to him and I faced him once again. "See, when I was told that you were, I thought to myself," I burrowed my eyebrows, shaking my head once. "No. He can't be. He still owes me this moonth's payment." William's eyes shot up and looked at me. "I-I'll get the money, Manuel, I swear on me mom's grave!" I stared at him. "Travi-" I began. "I'll w-work more hours at the factory," he interrupted. "Travis-" I began. "I-I'll e-even get the young one's to get a job if I have to. Or if you need m-me to do a job for yo-" he interrupted yet again, but this time I interrupted his rambling and raised my voice, "William!" He stopped and looked at me, his eyes wide. "What did I say, William?" I asked him. He glanced at the ground and shook his head, "W-What do you mean?" he replied. "What did I say when you asked for my services?" I stepped forward. He sat there pondering over it before he looked back up at me. "I told you to never let me have to visit you." I leaned down towards him, "But yet here I am." William's eyes widened and he looked at Finn, Tony, and even the girl before returning back to me. "Just one more chance, Mr. Javachi, please. The little one's ain't got a mother at home now. They got no one to watch him 'cept for me mother." I straightened myself. "No." I said, and nodded towards Finn. "He'll take good care of their father, though." Aurora Tonight is definitely the perfect time to sneak out. Manuel and Tony have business at the office and Roman has been crying ever since last night, so I'm sure Lily is exhausted. The guards have already done their evening rounds, so with my family occupied I'm sure I'll be able to get out of the house with ease. How I'm going to do that exactly I'm still not sure, but if all else fails I can always use the front door. The sound of the front door closing echoed throughout the house. Lifting my head up from my pillow, I tossed the covers off of me and climbed out of bed. Earlier, after my tutoring, I prepared for tonight by pulling on my evening clothes and by placing my bag underneath my bed. There's not much inside of the bag, though, except for my coin purse and a piece of bubblegum. Dismissing my thoughts after the sound of foosteps going farther away, I quietly walked towards my door and opened it slowly. Peeking my head out, I glanced down the stairs and saw Lily entering the nursery with the baby. A couple of seconds later she reappeared and then headed into their bedroom, closing the door behind her. I watched her door for a few minutes before I closed my door as well. Now, it's time. After grabbing my coat from the closet and my bag from underneath my bed, I didn't waste any time getting out of my room and down the stairs. With my shoes in hand, I cautiously walked towards the door and began to turn the knob slowly. I don't know why, but I stopped. "No, no." I whispered to myself, taking my hand off of the knob. What am I doing? I've never even been outside by myself, so what if I get lost? Not to mention what would happen if Manuel finds out I left the house. He'll surely have a fit. Sighing, my eyes gazed on the doorknob. "I really want to go, though." I should go. But what if Manuel finds out? So what if he finds out? I'm a woman now, and I need to start making my own decisions. But, I don't even know what's out there. You'll never know if you stay in here forever. Chewing on my bottom lip, I inhaled deeply and opened the door. The crisp evening air surprised me and a sort of refreshed feeling washed over me. The sun had already went down, but the streets were still visible due to the faint glow of the street lamps. I quietly shut the door behind me and then began making my way to the edge of the property. "Alright," Once I made it past the gates, I glanced up and down the road. After Manuel and Tony came back home from the war, Tony suffered for a while from PTSD. So, Manuel made sure that our home was far away enough from the rest of Selcouth until Tony was able to recover. Still, I never realized just how far we actually are. Dropping my shoes down onto the ground, I slipped my feet into them and adjusted the straps around my ankles to tighten them. Then, with hand looped around the strap of my bag, I began making my way towards downtown. This is not the same downtown that I remember. I glanced up at one of the street signs. "Illinois avenue?" I murmured, looking around. My eyes stopped on a man standing underneath one of the street lamps. He stood there, watching me. I could feel my heart rate increasing. Turning around, I swallowed and began walking again. I glanced over my shoulder and saw the guy starting to walk in my direction. My eyes widened and I turned around again. I began to walk faster and, for a moment, pushed my condition to the back of my thoughts. I glanced over my shoulder once more and now saw that the man had crossed the street and was moving in closer to me. I gripped my bag and began walking faster. I noticed a light coming from one of the buildings. As I got closer I noticed that it was a small grocery store. I'm not sure why it would be open this late, but at this point I'm not going to question it. Deciding not to glance over my shoulder, I rushed up to the grocery store and opened the door. I quickly closed the door behind me and peered out of the window. The man stopped and stood there for a second. I could feel the beating of my heart in my ears. Eventually, the man turned and headed back in the direction that he came from. Exhaling slowly, I stepped away from the window. After I managed to collect myself, I noticed one of the muscles in my arm starting to cramp. It hasn't happened in a while, but even after all this time I remember that it's one of the symptoms of my condition. I'm not surprised, though, since I had to run away from that guy. My body is unable to sweat so at least it still lets me know when I need to cool down. "Excuse me?" I realized that a boy was sitting at the counter. "Where are your drinks?" I asked him, glancing around the store as well. I spotted one of the freezers, "Nevermind." and then I walked over and grabbed a water from inside. I twisted the cap and took a sip from it. Walking over to the boy, I cleared my throat and placed the water inside of my bag for now. Folding my hands infront of me, I cleared my throat once more to get his attention from his book. "Tell me how to get home."

[inthefifties]

Ginger

Honeydew Rose Louis

Honey sat with her compartment door open, and her feet dangled from the compartment as the train made its way across the countryside. The rushing wind made her hair whip across her face, and she breathed in the country air. She glanced back over her shoulder toward her lovely lion friends, and noted that they too were enjoying the wind in their hair. Whenever they pulled into their stopping spot, Honey stood to stretch her legs. She awaited until they got the go ahead before the men came by to set up the planks to get the lions out of the compartment. The men took one look at her, and disappeared once they had to it set up. She blinked, and turned away from them.

She walked toward her precious lions, and opened their cage doors. She didn’t like the idea of having them kept in cages, but with the new lion, she had to make sure that they got to know one another. She tsked at them, giving them the signal to come out and they followed her with no troubles across the field. They had a small tent set up for her there, and she was able to feed and water them. In her peaceful quiet of her part of the field, Honey could hear the grass rustling. The young cat had heard it too, and she glanced over to see what had made the noise.

A small rabbit was curiously coming to see the newest additions to its home. She bent down, and picked up the wild animal with ease. She stroked its soft fur, and whispered sweet coos toward it. The lions ears’ perked up at the sound of approaching boots on the grass. Honey glanced down at the bunny once more before looking up at whomever was arriving. Whenever she saw that it was Thomas, Honey placed the rabbit onto the ground so it could scurry off toward its home. She smiled at his words, and motioned toward the unchained, large cats nearby her, as if to answer his question.

Marie practically purred at the sight of her “Papa,” the nickname she had given Thomas, inside of Honey’s head. She closed her eyes for a split second to allow her to come out and speak to him. Marie opened her eyes and almost smiled, but her stony expression remained on her face. “And what about the lions were you needing to ask me about?” Marie asked, smoothing out her dress. She twisted slightly for it to swing around in the breeze, and looked up at him. The young lion stood up in her peripheral vision, and Marie’s face whipped toward it. It made its way toward them. Its back muscles rippled as it prepared itself to pounce. 

She sprung immediately into action, holding up a single hand. She moved toward it, and placed the hand on its nose. The lion stopped in its tracks, and its tail flickered with confliction. She shook her head at it, and stared deep into its eyes. Soon, it sat its bottom half on the ground and licked its lips as if it hadn’t had the thought at all. She bowed her head slightly toward it, and turned back to Thomas to see his horrified facial expression, “Watch yourself, Papa, or your face will get stuck like that.” She blinked slowly once more, and looked up at him through her eyelashes.

Atticus Finn Merno II

Finn stood in his home, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt. He checked the time on his watch, and slipped his jacket on over his shoulders. He double checked his hair in his bathroom mirror, and then heading out the door. He climbed into his Rolls Royce, and began the drive to meet up with his clients for that evening. The notorious Javachi brothers called for his aid earlier that morning, and Finn gladly accepted. It was always an interesting day whenever he joined them in one of their jobs.  He had known the two of them since World War II, and he had a sort of loyalty toward them both. He parked his car a bit away from where they were doing, and he waited to see the Javachi car pull up.

He got out of his car, and smirked at the two of them. “It just had to be at a place like this, didn’t it?” he asked them gruffly with a chuckle. They made their way into the lounge from the secret entrance, and the tips of Finn’s ears turned red as he caught his first glimpse of the women working there. He stopped one of them, and ordered a scotch. She clearly knew, or had been warned, that the three of them had been coming because she went quickly to get him his beverage. Once she got back, he tipped her graciously and downed the scotch.

They made their way back to the private rooms, and Finn opened the curtain to one of the rooms. It was empty so he moved further down. He opened the curtain of that one just as the brunette dropped her robe. He saw the man they were looking for sitting, watching the show. He cleared his throat to get her and her customer’s attention. He had made it in time to hear her asking the man how she could serve him, and Finn answered for him, “You can start by putting back on your robe.”

He moved into the room further, and slipped in beside the man. He placed his arm on the back of the couch, and waved at the man, who swallowed hard. “Shall I explain why we are here, Mr. Travis?” he asked him, motioning to the Javachi brothers. The man stammered as he tried to answer, and Finn had to refrain from getting frustrated by it. “Ya see, William,” he began, pulling on his jacket sleeve to put it where it needed to be, “Things are never good whenever I’m involved.” His eyes flickered slightly toward the brothers and then to the woman. Her attire was making him uncomfortable, so he looked back at the man.

[inthefifties]

Fallz

evelyn lange

Evelyn pulled her gloves off at the door. She felt the air change around her as she slipped into the hidden door. It was an immediate drop down a set of stone stairs from street level. Unless one knew what was there, it almost looked like a black hole. Her eyes took a moment to adjust and then she saw the pulsing red light at the bottom. Evelyn glanced behind her for a moment and made sure no one had followed her into the ally. She slipped through the blackness and felt her way easily down the steps. It was a journey she made nightly, which meant she had no problems as she pushed aside the curtain that hid the lounge. It was like an entirely different world from the one above her. Girls wondered around, clad in only bare lingered, and carrying trays of glinting champagne classes. The men they entertained wore expensive suits and never seemed to look at the girl’s faces. Evelyn was glad she wasn’t a public service. It was cheap money, which meant cheap men. She walked through the room and ignored the grabs at her legs. Nodding at several of the newer girls, who seemed like they hadn’t yet gotten used to it, she drew her mask down over her face and adjusted the brunette wig over her shoulders. Evelyn had been running a war special for the past couple of weeks. It was her reward to the hard-working vets of their city and even though she was working at discounted rates, she almost swore she made money than usual. Every night she was double booked, sometimes even working well into the morning hours. It was hard explaining to the parent’s she babysat for why she was late, especially when the tell-tale traces of red lipstick still stained her mouth and her fishnet stockings peeked from below her petticoat. They were far too busy to think too much into it, thankfully, and she had yet to get in trouble.

Her boss caught her before she was able to slip into her private room. One wouldn’t think it of a pimp, but Russell was rather mild. He never made passes at the women he hired (first, anyway) and was sure to keep a strict eye on abuse. If his girls were bruised or cut, it made men less hesitant to see them. He wasn’t quite so overserving over the older, more experienced girls, however. They were most often the ones using makeup to cover the splotches of blue and black the high-paying clients could afford to make. Russell was never so quick to tell them to leave, and what a surprise that was. Evelyn looked at him through her mask. She was taller than him, which she always thought made him slightly uncomfortable. It wasn’t as though Evelyn was exactly a giant, Russell was just very, very short. “Miss. Lange,” he murmured, looking over her shoulder nervously. Evelyn kept herself from following his gaze and stayed silent until he continued. “I have word we are to receive very special guests tonight and, should they requests your services, I do hope you would wrap up quickly.” His beady eyes flicked back to her. Russell ran a hand over his balding head. Evelyn wondered who had him so worked up, but she didn’t really care to know.

“Do remember I am not a seller of sex,” she said. “Nor will I change my rules for an extra dollar.” Unlike the public girls, Evelyn could demand her own working conditions. Russell wouldn’t risk the decrease in traffic from losing a girl like her. She wasn’t all that picky, really, Evelyn just refused to have intercourse with any of her clients. Any other imaginable deed was on the table, though, and sometimes the suggestion was all a man needed to be satisfied. At Russell’s confirmation, Evelyn continued towards her room. She knew the man would already be there. William Travis was a regular, sadly. He was a nasty, brutish man who often pushed his luck too far. Evelyn knew he was tied to the crime chapter of their city and she could only imagine him as a dumb hit man. Honestly, he probably wasn’t capable of making big decisions.

She checked her lipstick in the mirror before sliding through the curtains of her room. Evelyn unclasped the sheer robe around her shoulders and let it fall to the floor with a soft whistle from the fabric. “Mr. Travis,” she purred. “How may I please you tonight?”

thomas moore

He pushed the document across his table. With the approved signature, Thomas had directed his circus towards Selcouth a fortnight ago. Upon their arrival, he wasted no time in meeting with the mayor. If something had changed, he had to move on to the next town immediately. Money wasted on travel to a bust show never made him happy, nor did his employees who awaited their check with each departure. Their animals would also need rest and if they were suddenly canceled, he didn’t want to tease them by stopping the trains. Thomas rubbed a hand over his beard and looked out the window of his tent. Around him, his men were setting up the attractions. When he took over the circus, he had made sure the building and taking down of the circus would take no more than a day. It was all hands on deck, even his own. Thomas had spent the morning helping his hands care for the animals and was now sitting down to iron out the finer details for the first show. He was mostly finished now, only a small thing to discuss in regards to the lions. They had a relatively new addition to their act and he wanted to make sure training was going accordingly. 

Thomas scooted back his chair and brushed the dust from his pants. He wished he had chosen a less dirt-filled spot for his own space, but figured he would be able to handle it for a while anyway. Besides, he still slept in the train compartments and those were on tracks. Thomas stepped through the flap on the tent and squinted his eyes against the sun. Selcouth was much brighter than his last North-Western stop, which made him wish he had purchased a pair of glasses. It was overall a pleasant town, however. Quaint enough to be explored but big enough to constantly amaze. He also had heard rumors of Selcouth’s underground, which he knew well enough to stay away from. 

The lion’s quarters weren’t far from the tracks, which meant a longer walk for him. They generally kept the more dangerous animals far from the people as possible. Even though he hadn’t a single issue with one since he took over the circus, Thomas wasn’t idiotic enough to take the responsibility of a wild animal’s behavior. He rested his hands in his pockets as he walked. The crew was bustling around him and only a few were able to stop and speak with him, but Thomas gladly welcomed their conversation. He made it a habit to know each and every one of his hands. As he crested the hill that allowed him to look down on the lion’s cages, Thomas waited until he could see their tamer. She was a slight blonde thing that he actually didn’t know entirely well. It wasn’t for lack of trying, he just never seemed to get anywhere with her. Thomas would see her one day and she would be quiet, the other bubbly almost like a child, and then completely unexplainable the next. He wondered if she was crazy, but didn’t really appreciate slapping labels. Thomas walked down the hill and towards her.

“Miss. Louis,” he said tentatively, peering down at her. “I’ve come to ask you about the lions. 

levi buckler

Placing his cigarette between his teeth, Levi twisted his key in the lock of the grocery store. His father had left him opening for the night shift, which he wasn’t entirely opposed to. It was always more interesting than the mother-infested day times. That, and he was free to do what he pleased. Customers at night were nearly always drunk or young and neither group cared that their cashier was smoking or drinking out of his own flask. Most of the time, however, he didn’t even have many people in. 

Levi stubbed his cigarette out on the concrete before stepping into the store. He would have to wait until he could turn off the smoke detector. It rarely worked but when it did, Levi knew he was in trouble when his father burst through the doors in his underwear and a coat. The alarms went straight to their home above the store instead of to the fire station. He supposed it was because his father had done the exact same thing as a teen, but wouldn’t exactly rub that in the man’s face while he was getting yelled at. There were some things even Levi wouldn’t attempt on his old man. 

With a sigh, he flicked on the dim lights and unscrewed the smoke detector from the wall. Levi pushed a hand through his hair as he walked through the store and checked to see if anything needed to be stocked. The candy dispensers at the front were almost empty, so Levi unlocked the top of their containers. He headed to the back, lighting another cigarette on his way, and grabbed a bag of gumballs from the top shelf. Levi personaly didn’t like them, finding the gum to be entirely flavorless after five seconds. Still, small children tugged on their parent’s coattails for them relentlessly. He tore the bag open and let the gumballs clink into the glass container. Once it was full, he locked the lid back on it and headed around to the other side of the counter. He had a book stashed back there that he read when it was painfully slow, but it was the fourth time he’d gone cover to cover. Still, Levi picked it up and thumbed through the pages until he found the spot he left off at. He leaned his elbows against the countertop and held the book in one hand, using his other to tap the ashes of his cigarette onto the ground. 

[inthefifties]

0cean

Manuel Luciano Javachi

Twenty-three years old - “They’ve lost their marbles” is a term people use to describe someone who is unstable, crazy even. But Manuel’s marbles are, so to speak, loaded into a gun like Russian roulette. One day you may feel your heart pumping loudly in your ears, but you’ll be safe. However, the next day will creep up on you and your luck will run out.

People assume that the war changed Manuel and in a way it did. Before WWII, Manuel resided in Florence, Italy with his mother and father and lived the life of a normal Italian boy. Or at least as normal as a child can be in a family secretly involved in the drug trade. Instead of learning about literature or science, Manuel was sitting in on meetings and observing the customs of the underground world. The third generation of the Javachi family, Manuel was taught at a young age how to be the man he is today. He was taught verbally sometimes, and other times physically. Since the justice system kept a watchful eye on the underground world, there was no room for mistakes. With every mistake, Manuel had to learn, and every time he had to learn to never make that error again from his mother and father, Manuel lost a marble. 

Thus, Manuel is nothing short of a perfectionist. He needs for everything to go the way he sees it in his head or else it’s not right. If an action or a bust isn’t thought out carefully, then Manuel will choose another approach. He’s a very analytical person and his demeanor can prove to be intimidating without him saying much. That’s how it is with Manuel, though. He expects for people to meet his expectations without him mentioning anything to him, for if he does then you don’t know what to expect from him.

Lily Annamarie Capone-Javachi

Twenty-three years old - Lily was born in New York and is the daughter of the infamous Al Capone. Her childhood was unconventional, to say the least, but she never let her father’s lifestyle distinguish her own personality. Lily doesn’t have a selfish bone in her body and her level of compassion for others would usually be seen as a weakness, but she doesn’t let her kindness overshadow her rationality. She tries her best to make sure that her family can still experience the joy’s of life that doesn’t involve guns or violence, but she’s not against holding someone at gunpoint if they threaten the people she loves.

Tony Angelo Javachi

Twenty-four years old - Loyalty. Tony considers loyalty to be one of the most valuable things that can someone can give you. The brother of Manuel, ever since they were children, Tony and Manuel have been inseparable. Ever since their promise to each other to always stay together, wherever Tony goes, Manuel goes, and vice versa. When the military needed soldiers for WWII, and Manuel told Tony that he wanted to go, Tony signed up both of their names. As a child, Tony was taught by their father to “never create any form of a bond with someone because the only person that you can trust is yourself”. So, he adopted this and never lowered his guard for anyone. He’s always seen the world as a place where you have to continue to survive by any means necessary, with no regards to the lives of other people outside of his family. He’s very blunt when it comes to giving people his honest judgment of them, or when he expresses his thoughts about something. 

Aurora Beatrice Javachi

Twenty-years old - Aurora has never communicated with anyone other than her family or has been outside of the house since she was born. Crippled with a condition where her body can’t regulate its average temperature, Aurora is unable to leave the house, for her family fears too much exertion will cause for her to overheat too quickly. So, Aurora’s days are planned out for her and that’s just how its always been. Of course, she is aware of the business her family is in but she never sees any of it. She spends every second of the day inside of the house but yet she still doesn’t know what goes on inside of the Javachi estate. 

Very well-mannered and poise, Aurora is the princess of the family. The family watches their tone around her because they see her as “fragile”, so she’s learned to use that to her advantage. She’s a mischevious little one and over the years she’s mastered the art of pranks and misdoings.  

Sonny Ambrosio Javachi 

Twenty-one years old - Sonny has never shown much emotion even when she was younger. While the rest of her siblings traveled to the States to get away from their home, Sonny remained at the Javachi home in Italy underneath Mother Javachi’s wing. Regardless of Sonny being her granddaughter, Mother Javachi did not show any mercy while training Sonny. Since birth Sonny has always been quiet, but as her grandmother trained her Sonny silence changed from innocence to a more ominous feel. Which is expected when your grandmother has you training days on end and even harsher consequences if you do not meet her standards. Sonny has plenty of scars of times during her training where she learned the consequences of making a mistake. Like the scar that runs across her back that she earned herself after making the mistake of underestimating the number of weapons, her grandma had concealed. 

No one really knows what’s going on inside of her head. Other than being a Javachi, Sonny is infamous for the way that she handles her victims. Whether she’s killing for the family or for her own pleasure, Sonny seems to always know the best way to target someone. Most victims see a glimpse of her and then realize that they’re next on her list. Everything that she does is fluid and thought out because even years later after she has left the care of her grandmother, the fear of making a mistake is still stitched into her mind. 

Vincent “Vinny” Javachi 

Twenty-one years old - “Oh you got something to say?” Vincent Javachi is a loud and naive young boy that is about as reckless as they come. If someone says that he can’t do something Vinny would work to prove them wrong no matter what. The second youngest out of the siblings, Vincent has always had to try harder than his other siblings because he lacks what they were born with: intellectual and physical strength. Vinny is smart, don’t get me wrong, but 99% of the time he’s way in over his head. He has a small frame but that doesn’t stop him from picking a fight with the biggest guy.

In fact, the bigger the better. There has been plenty of times where Vinny has gone home with a busted lip or a black eye but his response is always “Ha, you should’ve seen the other guy.” He never exaggerates the build of his opponents, however, because most of the time they really are guys with tattoos all over their faces nad muscles bigger than Binny’s head. But oh, don’t let Vinny hear someone bad-mouthing the family.