#she's a spoiled daughter of a cartel leader

[sclfcare]

" if you're going to lie and tell me you haven't thought about this too ─── then don't . i know you've been fantasizing about me . . . i know you want me too . "

[angelasscribbles]

Savage Love Prologue

Series: Savage Love

Fandom: The Royal Romance

Characters: Agent Riley Brooks, Liam Rys, Drake Walker

Song Inspiration for series: Savage Love by Jawsh685 and Jason Derulo

Rating: NSFW 🍋🍋🍋🍋

Warnings: Very Lemony, so many lemons

My other stuff: Master List.

Finally, a fucking break. I cashed out my tips and waved to the manager as I got the hell out of there. I’d been deep undercover in New York City for just over a year, pretending to be a waitress in a sketchy bar on the lower east side. I had worked my way up from the public area to slinging drinks in the back room where the real shit went down.

Rico Mendez was the son of the leader of one of the biggest drug cartels on the east coast. He was my target, and I was his type. Yes, my physical attributes were the exact reason I drew this particular assignment.

Rico was young, cocky, good looking and brutal. If he hadn’t been a sociopath, we could have gotten along. His smoldering good looks and rippling abs put him firmly in the category of my physical type too. Listen, I like the bad boy vibe as much as the next girl, but I draw the line at murder and human trafficking. That’s ok, I wasn’t there to marry him, I was there to take him down. And take him down I would. Just not today.

Today was Thanksgiving and even the mob took the day off to spend with family. I had no family in the states and couldn’t blow my cover by contacting them even if I had. I wasn’t surprised that Rico hadn’t invited me home with him, he had a fiancé, and I wasn’t her. I was the side chick. It didn’t matter. She was a prop, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy business associate. He probably never talked about business around her. I got what I needed from dropping off drinks and hanging around to play a little slap and tickle. I dangled the goods in front of his face but played a damn good game of hard to get. The more his desire turned into the frustration, the sloppier he got. We were very close to a bust.

But tonight, I was free and alone in New York. It was a chance to let my hair down. I grabbed a quick shower then shimmied into an emerald green dress with a short hemline and a plunging neckline. That’ll get the boys attention, I thought with satisfaction. Yeah, it had been a while. The cat and mouse game I was playing with Rico left me a little on the frustrated side and I couldn’t risk fucking anyone else in his circle. It would blow up all my hard work and I was ready to wrap this case up. But tonight, tonight Rico was otherwise occupied, and I headed for Times Square.

I slipped into the upscale club with no issues. I knew the bouncer; I’d helped his brother out of a jam the last time I’d been in New York. The music was pounding, the dance floor crowded and the drinks flowing. You’d be surprised how many people are out on Thanksgiving. All the lonely people. I ordered a drink and was making my way back across the room when some oaf ran right into me. My drink crashed to the floor and his sloshed all over me.

“Excuse me miss, I am so sorry!”

I glanced up in annoyance then my breath caught in my chest. Holy mother of God this man was gorgeous! Hello, I think I just found my extracurricular activity for the night. Thank you sweet baby Jesus!

He started trying to dab the spot dry with his napkin but quickly realized he was touching my breasts. His hand dropped and he turned about three shades of scarlet. It was adorable. He was adorable. And hot, did I mention he was smoking hot?

I gave him a sultry smile, “Well hello tall, dark and handsome. If you wanted to touch me, you could have just come up and asked.”

I didn’t think it possible a moment before, but he turned a shade darker. “I….ah….”

“Cat got your tongue?”

He recovered, still blushing, and found his voice, “I’m sorry I was so careless, can I please buy you another drink to make up for it?”

“Oh, absolutely!” I gave him my most dazzling smile. The night just got interesting.

He glanced around, then slipped an arm around my waist and guided me to a table, he motioned a waitress over and we put in our drink order. He leaned across the table, raising his voice to be heard over the music, but I still couldn’t hear him, so I slid over in my booth and motioned for him to join me on my side of the table.

A smile lit up his face as he slid into the booth next me, dropping an arm across my shoulder as he leaned down and spoke directly into my ear, “I was saying that I’d be happy to pay for your dry cleaning as well. Again, I’m so sorry, I’m not used to such large crowds.”

Hmmm. Interesting. I raised an eyebrow, “You must not be from New York.”

He chuckled at that, “No…no, not at all.”

“Not from the states at all, are you?” I asked.

He seemed surprised, “What gave it away?”

“Your accent.” I said as I picked up the drink the server just deposited in front of me. “It’s very …. European.”

I couldn’t quite place it.

He looked away then back at me, “So how about you? Are you from New York?”

Trying to change the subject. He doesn’t want to tell me where he’s from. Even more interesting. I smiled coyly, “Oh, here and there.”

He laughed at that, and I decided that I liked his laugh. It was pure, like him. He gave me sweet and innocent vibes. But not naïve. I like a good puzzle. I like sweet and innocent. I find the act of corruption fun, fulfilling. It’s a hobby.

We flirted some more. He laughed a lot. I got the feeling he’s not use to anyone saying whatever the hell pops into their head. He seemed to find it charming. Lucky me. We still hadn’t exchanged names, which suited me fine, but it was odd. Most guys by this point want my name, phone number and a promise never to look at another man again.

We danced to Don’t Stop Believing by Journey, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close, our hips pressed together as we swayed back and forth. His eyes ran down to my lips and lower then he cleared his throat and pulled me closer. I laid my head on his shoulder and he rested his on the top of mine.

He was smart, funny and did I mention hot? So, when he mentioned wanting to see the statue of liberty, I was all over it.

“No, you can’t be serious, there’s no way! It’s 1 in the morning!” He was a little drunk, but so was I, as we stumbled along the docks.

When the ferry showed up, his mouth dropped open. Adorable, I told you. The expression on his face when he turned to me took my breath away. ��How?”

“I have my ways.” I teased. I couldn’t tell him that I had connections with the Port Authority because of my ties to NYPD, homeland security and Interpol, now could I?

“No one has ever done anything like this for me before.” He looked at me like he was in love or something.

“Something told me you could use it.” I shrugged. No use getting sentimental, he’d already told me he had to fly home tomorrow (but he still hadn’t said where that was) and I was back on the clock at dawn anyway.

We saw the statue and on the way back, I decided to kiss him. On the ferry, under the moonlight, it was romantic as hell, not gonna lie. Not that I do romance. Hell no. But this wasn’t real anyway. Tomorrow I’d go back to real life. Tonight….., tonight, why the hell not? So I grabbed him by his dark, silky hair and I tugged those full, gorgeous lips down to mine and I kissed him like I meant it. I kissed him like he was everything. Because in that moment, he was.

He drew back, panting, his hands gripping my hips firmly, forehead pressed to mine as he stared into my eyes like the answers to the universe were in there or something. “I don’t even know your name.”

“I don’t know yours either.” I countered.

He looked sad when he said, “I- I can’t really tell you who I am-“

“That’s ok,” I assured him, “But I have to call you something.” I thought for a moment then said, “I know! You’re just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit. So I'll call you Detroit!”

That pulled a laugh from him and eased some of the sorrow that had fallen across his features.

“What should I call you?”

I considered that for a moment and settled on something nearby, “Brooklyn!”

He laughed, “Ok then, Brooklyn, what a lovely name.” He took my hand in his and rained kissed all over it. I mean, who does that? Again, adorable!

When the ferry docked, I grabbed his hand and said, “Come on Detroit.”

“Where are we going?” He laughed as he followed me.

“Oh, I’m not sure.” I stopped walking and he stumbled into me, “Where’s your hotel?”

“Oh, I- I wasn’t expecting- I mean, you don’t have to-“ I shut him up with a kiss.

“Oh, believe me, I want to! Now shut up and take me to your room!”

We made our way back to his hotel, stumbling, laughing and all over each other. We found ourselves alone in the elevator, so I shoved him back against the wall and pressed myself against him. He moaned in response, his arms going around me, hands digging into my ass. I ground myself into him, feeling his length hard against me. I threw my head back and guided his head down to bury in my cleavage. His hands slid back up my body to grasp my back as he pulled me in tighter, nuzzling between my breasts.

Ding! The elevator door slid open and we pulled apart, breathless, me adjusting my dress back into place. The hemline had ridden up and the neckline was askew. He reached his hand between his legs to adjust things then murmured a hurried “excuse us” as he slipped an arm around me and pulled me past a group of giggling college kids.

We were all over each other again before we made it to his room. He fumbled for the key card while trying to keep his lips on mine the entire time. Finally, the door opened and we tripped through it. He kicked it shut behind him as he struggled out of his shirt, lips still locked on mine.

I stifled a giggle at his desperation and pulled back a little to whisper, “Slow down Detroit, we have all night, I’m not going anywhere.”

He let go of me as he lifted one leg off the ground, barley maintaining his balance while pulling at his shoe, “How do I know this isn’t all a dream and if I blink, I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone?”

I giggled again. Oh, this one was fun. I swayed my hips and started doing a little strip tease. He froze, leg in the air, one shoe off, one shoe on, mouth hanging open as I peeled the dress off my body.

“Shit!” He lost his balance and hit the floor.

“Are you ok?” I asked in alarm.

“Fine! I’m fine!” He grumbled as he climbed back to his feet, “Nothing hurt but my pride.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.” I said, spinning to give him a full view of the lacy bra and panty set I was wearing.

“You should.” He said, eyes wide. “I think I’m going to sit down, just to be safe.”

He plunked himself into a chair and finished removing his shoes and socks then he stood and made his over to me.

When he made a move to embrace me, I danced out of his reach, just for fun. “If you want me, come and get me!”

“What?” He asked as laughter erupted out of him.

I gave him my most seductive smirk then took off across the room. He barely hesitated before he dashed after me. I ran toward the bed and leapt onto it, intending to shoot off the other side but he launched himself after me and tackled me to the mattress. I shrieked with laughter as he pulled my body toward him and flipped me over.

Staring up into his eyes I purred, “Well you caught me, what are you going to do about it, huh?”

He paused for a bare moment to stare down into my eyes then he lowered his head and his lips trailed everywhere. I was splayed out on the bed under him, arms stretched up by my head. He pinned my arms to the bed as his mouth made its way along my neck, across a shoulder and down to slide across my harden nipple through the lacy fabric of my bra. I arched up into him.

He had to let go of my arms to remove my bra. I used the opportunity to unbutton his pants. I sat up a little so the bra would slide off easier then I shoved at his pants and underwear. He released me to step off the bed and let them fall to the floor, then he kicked them casually aside and pushed his fingers under the waistband of my panties, now the only article of clothes left between us. I eased my hips up a little so he could rip them off me. His impatience was palpable. I liked it, I felt a warm gush of wetness at my center. I grabbed his hand and guided it between my legs, “See what you’ve done, you naughty boy?”

His head fell back and a guttural moan issued from the back of his throat, “Fuck me!” He hissed.

“Oh, I intend to.” I quipped as I wrapped both legs around his waist and used them to pull him back toward me.

He collapsed forward, catching himself with his arms so that his full weight didn’t fall on me at once. So thoughtful.

He stared down at me and I looked up at him, I ran my tongue across my lips invitingly. I felt him shudder under my touch as I ran my hands along the muscles of his back. I gave another tug with my legs and whispered in his ear, “Now fuck me like you mean it.”

“Oh my god!” He groaned. Maybe he wasn’t used to woman talking dirty to him, but he seemed to like it so I decided he needed a little more.

I ran my hand through his hair, then I tightened my grip around a good handful of it so I could pull his head down to mine. I brought my mouth to his ear and let out a trickle of breath, just to tease him a little. He shivered. Making sure my voice was breathy so he continued to get the full effect of my warm exhales tickling his ear, I whispered, “Come on baby, I want to feel you inside me right now. I want that hard cock of yours sliding in and out of me, I want to feel you cum inside of me. Fuck me, now!”

“Stop,” he whimpered, “or I’m going to cum before I even make it that far."

But I’m nothing if not relentless, “Then you better hurry.” I lifted my hips up and he slid inside of me.

His thrusts quickly became frantic, “Oh fuuuuuck, you feel so fucking good!”

“Mmmm.” It was the best response I could give in the moment. He smelled amazing and as he picked up speed, and began to perspire, his scent intensified, it was almost enough to send me over the edge all by itself. No one has the right to smell that good.

I thrust up into him, my fingers digging into his ass to propel him on. I could feel every nerve ending in my body at that moment. I rubbed myself against him as he buried himself in me over and over again until my vision blurred and the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had crashed over me causing me to cry out then I bit down on his shoulder, hard.

I felt him pulsing inside me as he collapsed on top of me. He rolled off of me but then pulled me back to him to shower kisses along my neck and across my shoulders.

“That was amazing, you’re amazing! Thank you for the most amazing night of my life!” He grinned at me like he had just won the lottery or something.

I giggled. That was just the post orgasmic bliss talking. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.” I told him.

His gaze grew serious, and he whispered, “I should tell you who I really am-“

“No.” I put my finger across his lips, “This is enough. We both have obligations to return to tomorrow, just let tonight be what it is, a perfect interlude.”

Several emotions slid through his eyes, but his only response was to whisper, “Spend the night? Sleep with me?”

I mean, why not? I was never going to see him again anyway.

[imagineredwood]

If Miguel’s dating somebody who’s father is a cartel leader what do you see her occupation being??? Like a re-educated spoiled girl or something?

It depends on her involvement to be honest. Some parents who are in organized crime want their kids to do something or all and have their hands clean, not get caught up in the business while others expect them to join in and carry on the organization. As far as cartels for Latin America, though it isnt unheard of, its definitely more common that fathers will pass the reigns down to a son before they’re daughter. Some men will put their right hand in charge before their daughter. It isnt always like that but it is a lot of the time. So it really does depend on their family dynamic. The father could’ve used the money and resources to put her through school or to learn a trade so that she could be an independent self sustained woman or he could’ve just given her whatever she wanted and let her be spoiled. When we take into account Emily, its clear that Miguel isnt opposed to getting with a girl who is spoiled and doesn’t have an actual understanding of organized crime so its a fair shot that he could get with another girl like that. Ultimately though I think Miguel is starting to realize that while he may love Emily, her as an individual isnt beneficial to his life. Even the most disassociated and spoiled girl would have more understanding than Emily because of who her father was. Doesn’t mean that she’ll be smart or a good addition, but she will at least not be so ignorant and naive. But she could be anything. She could be a teacher, an accountant, a model, a doctor, a baker i mean there isnt one set occupation that I think is more likely for her to have. It would depend on her, her father and how they run their organization.

[shannie-writes]

So here I finally am and watch me be greedy! By popular demand let’s have some mafia, high school and noir detective! Bless you and your au heart. We need to make more, my friend!

Thank you so much for sending these in, Tash! (and obliging me with the Mafia AU hhhh). I will be posting the Mafia AU first!

——

AU: Mafia

Pairing(s): Jonah/Lancelot, Sirius/MC/Ray, Seth/MC2/Luka

Setting: Fictional Mid-1900s

The Basics: The Disciple Group is an underhanded drug cartel, slowly taking over the city through a drug they call “magic crystals.” They have made an agreement with Kingsley Casino to be one of their handlers, dealing the crystals out for exchange of safety from their group.

Kingsley Casino is also home to the Kingsley Group, a mafia that has been around dealing with politicians and other high-society for decades. Their uniforms are white suits with red silk lining.

The other side of town is territory for the Blackwell Group, a mafia that is trying to destroy the Disciple Group for the damage made by the crystals. They create deals with businessmen and smaller parties, as they are relatively new to the scene, despite the size of territory they run.Their uniforms are black pinstripe suits.

Lancelot: The owner to Kingsley Casino and the head of Kingsley Group. Runs the backside of things and communicates with the head of Disciple Group, overseeing the packages of crystals that arrive to be distributed among his territory.

Jonah: Oversees the front of Kingsley Casino for Lancelot. He knows about the mafia, but not about the connection with Disciple Group and the selling of crystals.

Edgar: The main crystal dealer for the Kingsley Group. He is out on the streets at night and strategically chooses where and with whom he sells to. Has his fingers in many pies, as he also is the one who goes off to punish those who rebel against the agreed upon contracts with Kingsley Group.

Kyle: Is working closely with Lancelot to try to find a cure for the crystal’s effect in secret. He may act aloof and carefree, but he knows just how delicate his research is, as it could have terrible consequences if Disciple Group were to find out what they were doing.

Zero: A bouncer for Kingsley casino. He had been forced into the Disciple Group before he escaped, finding rescue under Kingsley Group in exchange for any information he had. Covers up the tattoo on his wrist, the proof of his history with Disciple Group.

Ray: Head of Blackwell Group. A leader who isn’t afraid to do what has to be done to get the information he needs. Has an animosity towards Disciple Group that not many know the reasons behind. Works his stress off on/with Sirius in his bedroom.

Sirius: The Blackwell Group ghost. Second-in-command and gathers intel for Ray, though most of the other mafia members don’t realize his significance in the group. Is the treasurer and communicates directly with Nancy. Has suspicions about Seth, but keeps them to himself until Seth gives reason to be looked into.

Luka: A member of Blackwell Group. Wields a studded metal bat he made himself. Has snakebite piercings. Falls in love with the sweet dry cleaning lady. Is working with Sirius to attempt to create a cure for the brain-addling effects of the crystals.

Seth: Blackwell Group member. Was sent by Disciple Group to investigate Blackwell Group to gather information. Only Sirius has suspicions about him. Finds out the dry cleaner may know more than she lets on and accidentally falls in love with her while attempting to pull info from her.

Fenrir: Blackwell Group member. Master gunman. Goes by the dry cleaners less often than everyone else because he hates getting chewed out by Oliver for all the holes in his suits and from Sirius for how much it costs them.

Harr: An underground contact of Sirius’ and often goes out to get info where Sirius cannot. Fights an old addition to the crystals and can be found being taken care of by Sirius if he slips up and partakes.

Loki: Nobody is really sure where Loki’s loyalty lies. He moves between Blackwell and Kingsley territories and can be found after spats between the two picking the pockets of the unconscious mafia members left on the streets.

Oliver: Gay. Works under Nancy at the dry cleaners. Roommates with Blanc. Helps repair suits for Blackwell mafia members when they come in with holes and tears.

Blanc: Bisexual. Roommates with Oliver. Works a normal day job and has no clue about the mafia ongoings.

MC(Alice): Daughter to a well-protected family in Blackwell territory. Her parents had a security issue and sent her to live under the care of Ray while they investigate the reasons behind the attack.

MC2(Nancy): Owner of a dry cleaners in Blackwell territory. Coworkers with Oliver. Blackwell mafia members go to her dry cleaners exclusively and she has made agreements with Ray in trade for her silence and protection.

Snippet:

Seth sat on the edge of the bed, looking down at Nancy and Luka, who were tucked into the sheets, arms draped around each other. He wasn’t sure how long he had been staring at them, only that his eyes were starting to ache, nearly as much as his heart.

It was ridiculous, he told himself. It was only a mission. Get into Blackwell Group, get them to trust him, bring those who had information into Disciple Group. She was the one he had been tasked to bring in next. It wasn’t the first time he had to use his body for a mission. But none of his targets before had been like Nancy.

She was fierce, feisty, beautiful, loved with all of her heart. He didn’t know what to do with himself around her. She was the first to break through his walls without him allowing it. It was too emotional, learning about her and how to get close to her, using all of his knowledge of her to get into her bed. For the mission.

He hadn’t meant to allow Luka to get to her too, but really, how could he say no to her? It didn’t take a smart man to realize the way that she looked at Luka was more than as a friend. It would take a dead man to not read it on Luka’s face whenever he was in her presence. He cared about Luka too, after all. They had protected each other’s life out in the streets and there was no one else he would trust more to take care of her.

Seth wished he could be the pillar of dependability she thought he was. He would protect her life if it ever was in danger, but he knew the control that Amon had over him was undeniable and her life was at risk, regardless of what he did.

Nancy shifted in her sleep, distracting Seth from his dark thoughts. He traced the features of her face with his gaze, trying to memorize it. He loved her. He had for some time now. He knew it would be his ruin, but he still continued to fall for her with each smile she gave him. Each whispered affection in his ears as they coupled. Each time she examined his suits for cuts that he wouldn’t dare tell her the cause of because he knew it worried her.

His love was poison, spoiled in the sun. Could he really call this love when all he could think about was how he had played her to earn it? He knew it would be better to leave her here, to leave her with Luka, one he knew had pure intentions for her, whose love for her was true.

“Seth?”

Seth jumped, bringing his eyes up to meet Nancy’s. She looked concerned. It only made his guilt sink deeper. Did she know he doubted himself, his feelings for her?

“Yes, pudding?”

The silly nickname brought a smile to her lips, sending Seth’s heartbeat racing. He really hated it, knowing full well that he was making it harder on himself when he said such things.

“Aren’t you cold? Come in bed with me.” She turned away from Luka and opened the blankets on her other side.

Seth took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t resist her invitation. He stood from the foot of the bed and carefully slipped inside the blankets that she offered him. He didn’t realize that he had been so cold, the ice setting into his soul, until she moved her arms around his torso, wrapping a leg over his hip. She was warm, so warm that he felt about to cry, like she would melt this ice that pierced his heart.

“Seth,” she whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his neck. He felt heat bloom from her touch. “I love you.”

With a breaking heart, he lifted a hand to raise her head, pressing a series of kisses to her lips until she gave a satisfied sigh. She settled in to him, falling asleep in his arms this time.

Maybe someday he would say it back. But for now, this was all he could do to stay afloat.

[honeylikewords]

Santi, kids, go.

for a second when i read this i didn’t remember the context of my own post and had a legitimate heart attack thinking ‘oh god is someone asking me something gross???’ and my heart rate jumped and my vision went blurry but then i remembered my post and also that i have one hell of an anxiety disorder so ghdkghdgk ANYWAY

WHO’S READY FOR SOME GOOD OL’ FASHIONED “K GOES ON A RANT ABOUT A MOVIE” LONG-FORM POSTING? BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN HERE!

So, to make this legible, I’m going to, from here on out, use proper punctuation, capitalization, spelling, et cetera. I also should clarify that this post is largely only going to make sense if you’ve already seen Triple Frontier (now on Netflix!), so I suggest you go see that before you read this, if you’re interested in fully understanding what I’m talking about. I’ll include screenshots from the film for image reference, too, with specific points I’m talking about, but the weight of these scenes will work better if you’ve seen it actually in action. Oh, and this contains definite spoilers for the film, so if you wanted to watch it un-spoiled, better skip this post or watch the movie first and come back later.

Anyway, with all that preliminary stuff outta the way, let’s do a Classic K-Grade Deep Dive(TM).

This is Santiago “Pope” Garcia. He’s the protagonist of the J.C. Chandor Netflix film, Triple Frontier. Santiago is an ex-Army soldier working in Colombia as part of a task force within the local government to find (and kill) the head of the largest drug cartel in the area, Gabriel Martin Lorea. His story and personality are the center of the film; he’s the first character we really meet in a longer, more personal sense, the first personality we get to know, the first empathy point and anchor for the audience. All the lives of other characters in the film are viewed through his lens, and he is the real heart and soul of the film.

As such, it’s an interesting note to see how often Santiago (whose name I’ll shorten here to Santi) is paired, on-screen and thematically, with children in the film. For example, within the first few minutes of the movie and his own introduction to the audience, he’s shown fist-bumping local children as he walks with armed officers to a selected point to begin a raid on a drug operation.

(This one’s a little hard to see, sorry!)

That decision is just so fascinating to me, especially when you think about the fact that every action shown on screen is an intentional choice. This is an intentional display: they, the filmmakers, want us to see Santi interacting with children. They want us to know he’s friendly with them, kind to them, empathetic to them. This empathy with and love for children that Santi has is frequently contrasted against his fellow teammates throughout the rest of the film, and is therefore, in my opinion, a clear directorial and acted choice to show us Santi’s true stances and heart, the core of his character: a loving, good man who cares for others, and very specifically for children and those he believes most need his protection and help.

Of course, this shows up later in the film in many different ways-- from Santi protecting Yovanna, his informant within Lorea’s group, and her brother, to Santi’s desire to free Colombia from corruption and help its people rise to greater, healthier heights-- but it remains the same idea: Santiago cares about people, and specifically those he feels need a little extra protection.

But what we’re specifically talking about here is how Santi is repeatedly shown interacting with or framed against children. So, on with the list of examples.

The next instance of Santi with children is when we see Santi interacting with Tom (”Redfly”)’s daughter, Tess. Tess greets him familiarly and by his first name, meaning that she not only knows him, but knows him well. Santi is shown smiling wide, his voice warm and loud as he greets her.

Immediately after this comment about Tess, we get a tracking shot of a young child at a sports meet (which appears to be baseball). The shot is framed to match Santi’s gazing out the window, meaning Santi is the one seeing this child.

I argue that the framing of this is nostalgic or longing, probably because I think part of Santi’s arc is about his longing to leave his life behind and move on to something better. I think, for Santi, part of that is family. Family is a major thematic element of the film, and I like to imagine that this scene and its framing is meant to put us in the mind of Santi as he wonders about what it would be like to be a father with a child at one of these sports events, what it would be like to have something normal like Tom has. Santi wants a family, and all the family he has in his life anymore are the men who comprised his team, before, which is why he reunites them for the action of the film. He wants a family. I sincerely believe that. He just doesn’t know how to find one that’s anything next to normal, yet.

At any rate, the next example follows shortly after the previous one, as Tom begins talking about the details of the case Santi is offering him. Santi turns over his shoulder to check the backseat where Tess is sitting, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of her overhearing something like this. I don’t think he’s worried about the potential security risk so much as he’s worried about the idea of a child hearing her father talk about something violent and scary. 

Here’s the over the shoulder glance; I mean, that just reads “concerned father” to me, you know?

Anyway, the next scene immediately follows, with Santi talking candidly with Tess in the car while Tom is in the gas station. Tess asks him about if he’s trying to get Tom to work again, and Santi tries, at first, to be playful, hoping to relax her, but when she seems serious, he gets serious and kindly concerned, too.

He asks if she thinks her mom would still let Tom go, clearly trying to engage her and target what she’s concerned about. Hell, he’s even being empathetic to the idea that even though Tom and his wife are divorced, his ex-wife may still have a stake in and concern about Tom’s welfare. Santi clearly cares about Tom’s home life, and about the wellbeing of this child.

It’s interesting, too, because Santi appears to have more dialogue and time together with Tess than even her father does, in terms of on-screen time. Again, the film is showing us Santi and children for a reason: he listens, he cares, he sees them.

This one’s blurry but I just thought I’d include the fact that Santi specifically says goodbye to Tess when he could easily have ignored her and just hopped out. He’s a sweetie.

The next scene doesn’t happen for a while, but when the team crashes their helicopter into the fields of a remote village, Santi is instantly hesitant to draw his weapon on the crowd that gathers around them. He does not fire, even when the situation grows more tense; his other teammates are the ones to open fire. In the crowd we can see a young, teenaged boy (who later returns to get revenge on Tom, who initiated the firing on the crowd), and a very young girl, who manages to survive. 

Santi is the one shown speaking to the village leader. Santi is the one who takes the initiative to go to that man and give him several million dollars in damages and express his sorrow for this loss. He specifically asks that the money be given to the families of those who were killed. Specifically. Again, Santi is not only shown to be empathetic to the lives of others, but specifically to the children, too. 

Interestingly, in the scene where the camera sits in the viewpoint of Tom as he walks to where Santi is (as Santi is talking with and giving the money to the leader of the village), it is specified in the audio description that a baby is crying.

Again, a framing of Santiago and children. It’s a little loose, but I feel like there’s intentionality in that; there had to be a decision to lay that audio in, a decision to incorporate the sounds of an anxious child with Santi’s attempts to fix the problem.

Later, when this teenaged boy from the village tracks the team to get revenge on Tom, who opened fire, it’s noted that Santi is not the one being shot at. Tom is.  Again, this reinforces to the audience that Santi is not only not the villain, but someone who even children who don’t know him will respect and understand will not hurt them. 

After Tom is killed by this same boy, Santi goes through an intense bout of rage as Benny reports that Lorea’s men have gathered a child army to try and capture the team. For a moment, Santi snaps and yells that they’ll “go through them”, suggesting that they kill whoever stands in their way to bring Tom’s body home, but he quickly shuts himself down and turns away, immediately becoming apologetic and rescinding his comment, knowing full well that he didn’t mean it. It later becomes clear that he was entirely sincere in this apology, because when they encounter the child soldiers, Santi refuses to do them any harm, and, in fact, helps the first one they meet, and refuses to allow his teammates to shoot them or hurt them.

The first child soldier they meet is a young boy, and whereas his teammates draw guns on the young boy, Santi is quick to yell at everyone to calm down and holsters his own weapon, putting his hands out in a show of defense.

He speaks to the boy in Spanish, showing that he is colloquial and personable with the boy. He’s trying to relate to him, calm him. 

When Fish suggests he’s going to shoot, Santi raises his voice in a clear, anxious yell to tell him not to. He’s trying, desperately, to protect this boy.

The boy then calls for backup, and the team ties him up to steal his car. However, Santi lags behind to give the boy a stack of hundred dollar bills:

And advice:

And then cuts his ties loose and lets him go. He is STILL trying to protect this boy! Even after, when Fish yells at Santi for giving the kid money and berates him for not killing the boy, Santi yells back that they are not to kill anyone. 

Next, the backup that the boy called for arrives, and, lo and behold, it’s also all teens and children. Santi is perched in the back of the truck with a perfect vantage point to shoot and kill all of them in the car that has chased them, but he pauses, clearly unwilling, and then, instead, fires warning shots at their engine, incapacitating the car but not hurting a single soul inside.

There are several back and forth shots between Santi’s face and the teens (too many for me to cap, frankly), and these serve to once again reinforce to us, the audience, just how deep Santi’s empathy runs.

More cars follow, and Fish yells at Santi to “shoot the driver”:

But Santi won’t do it. Again, he only damages the cars, shooting out their tires. Again and again, throughout the scene, Fish yells at Santi to kill these kids, even as Santi blows out tires and new cars show up.

But he won’t.

Once again, Santi aims for the tires. And he succeeds in only damaging the car, not the passengers.

Finally, as the film closes, Santi’s parting words with the last teammate he says goodbye to, William, are about Tom’s family, and specifically his daughters.

Again, he’s worried about the children. He always is. Santi’s concern for children is such a major part of his character presence, it’s almost impossible to miss!

So.

Why would I make this excruciatingly long post that required me to minute-by-minute revisit the movie and look for individual frames to show Santi interacting with or thinking about kids? Well, here are some reasons.

1. It’s always important to recognize recurrent themes, images, motifs, et cetera in films, and especially how they tie with characters. These choices are often intentional and left there by the artists making the film so that audiences, whether cognizant or subconsciously, can pick up on this information and see how it reflects on the character. Here, we learn that Santi is good with, friendly to, empathetic with, and protective of children. That shows us a good, heroic man, and someone the audience is meant to support, even when the chips are down. From an analytical standpoint, it’s good to be aware of this so you can better dissect and understand what a story is trying to tell you.

2. You all know I’m a softie who cares a lot about kids and I want the male characters I love or form affinities with to have similar attributes. This is a nice, big reference post for me to validate my stance on believing that Santi not only loves kids, but would be great working with them and being a father in his own right. Because I’m a sap.

3. I think it’s important to find examples of compassionate, caring male characters, especially men of color. I’ve seen a lot of disparaging comments made about Santi in the Triple Frontier tag, usually in order to bolster the image of his white teammates. And I wanted this to be a kind of definitive masterpost, if only for myself, about the fact that Santi is not only a good man, but oftentimes the better man out of all of them. So could y’all stop being racist against the POC characters in this film, please, could y’all sTOP-

4. Narratively, it gives us a better insight into what this movie is actually about. Because, quite frankly? It’s not a heist movie. I don’t think it was ever intended to be. A heist movie is something like Ocean’s Eleven, where the heist itself is almost a character. In this, the heist is background noise to the story that’s really being told; this movie is a story about people, and specifically one man, looking to make their lives better, and a story about families, bonds, personal connections. Now, I agree, the movie had some issues, absolutely, but I think that looking at this story as being Santi’s search for connections, for a family, really sheds light on how a lot of this movie works, and why it is the way that it is. By looking at his relationship with children and his personal arc with that, we’re informed about what he values, and the importance that he places on other lives. The movie turns from a “kickass action heist” into a more contemplative, thoughtful film about the cost of violence and selfishness, the loss we experience when we think only of ourselves, the real value of life and connection and love, in all its many forms. Familial, protective bonds are at the forefront of the piece, and recognizing that makes this movie make a whole lot more sense.

5. Men who are good with kids are hot. Which is also the point I made in 2., but it’s my post and I get to say what I want, goddamnit!

Anyway. I could go on for hours about ways we could interpret this or how it’s a valuable asset of the film, but I want to leave it up to every person to make their own decisions about it. I just wanted to be the one to point it out, since I think it’s a heavily glossed-over part of the story, and a very ignored part of Santi’s character and his story arc.

Also, let Santi be a dad 2kforever. Just sayin’.

That about concludes this post! If anyone wants to hear more about it or probe on the topic some more, I have lots more thoughts and opinions to share. Even if the movie is a little, shall we say, rocky in places, Santi and his story still hold a huge place in my heart, and I think a lot of this movie is actually really well done. J.C. Chandor really let Oscar shine, and I’m very moved by the work he, specifically, did in the film. Yay, Santi!

[newstfionline]

An Assassin’s Tool Kit: When Guns Are Not Enough

By Yonette Joseph and Richard Pérez-Peña, NY Times, March 17, 2018

In the ruthless worlds of espionage, global politics and the criminal underground, there are many grim ways to die:

Tea laced with polonium. A face full of the nerve agent VX. A gentleman’s umbrella that shoots ricin pellets.

Sometimes the assassination attempts leave a mystery in their wake, as in the case of the Russian double agent Sergei V. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, who were poisoned by a type of military-grade nerve agent called Novichok in Salisbury, England, this month.

The episode set off a diplomatic row between Britain and Russia, and is one in a long line of dastardly plots that have captured the public’s imagination. Here is a selection, and the deadly implements deployed.

Ice Ax to the Head. Leon Trotsky, a Russian revolutionary who created the Soviet Red Army, saw himself as Lenin’s heir, but when Lenin died, he was outflanked by Stalin in the power struggle that followed.

Trotsky fled into exile and ended up in a leafy suburb of Mexico City in 1940, where an agent of Stalin paid him a visit. The assassin, Ramón Mercader, got into Trotsky’s study with a shortened mountaineering pick hidden under his clothes. When Trotsky turned his back, he buried it in Trotsky’s cranium. The Russian died the next day, Aug. 21.

Killer Clowns. Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix, a Mexican drug kingpin and former leader of the Tijuana Cartel, was celebrating at a birthday party when he was felled by armed men dressed as clowns.

The drug lord had hobnobbed with celebrities and sports stars, and his family, known as the Arellano Félix clan, was said to have inspired the film “Traffic.”

At the birthday party at a rented beach house in Los Cabos, Mexico, in 2013, assassins with red noses and bright orange wigs mingled among 100 guests. Footage of the scene captures Mr. Arellano Félix’s last moments. As two bands played and a man sang, the clowns began shooting.

“He was hit by two bullets, one in the chest and one in the head,” Isai Arias, a Baja California state government official, said at the time. Mr. Arellano Félix died at 63. The clowns escaped.

Spiked Toothpaste. Patrice Lumumba, the first legally elected prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was a champion of African unity and of self-determination for his own country, which had been colonized by Belgium.

But Western governments, which had big stakes in his nation, wanted his head. (The United States, which was believed to have used uranium from Congolese mines for the Hiroshima atomic bomb, feared the charismatic Congolese politician would become an African Fidel Castro.)

The C.I.A. considered poisoning his toothpaste. “I was totally taken aback,” Larry Devlin, a former C.I.A. officer, recalled in The New York Times in 2008 about being handed the toxic toothpaste in 1960 to carry out the assassination. He stalled, believing that the killing would have had “disastrous” global effects, he said.

Mr. Lumumba was deposed in 1960. He fled but was captured, tortured and killed by Congolese fighters on Jan. 17, 1961. His murder is considered one of the most important assassinations of the 20th century; it took place seven months after Congo won independence.

Nerve Agent in the Ear, and Face. Most do not see the attacks coming.

Kim Jong-nam, the estranged half brother of North Korea’s leader, perished after getting the nerve agent VX in his face at a Malaysian airport in February 2017, when he was set upon by two women who later said they had been recruited for what they were told was a prank.

The Hamas leader Khaled Meshal was targeted in September 1997 by Mossad agents who sprayed poison on his skin. The plot failed after Israel handed over the antidote.

Two men waited until he was about to enter his office in Amman before one walked up and tried to spray a lethal nerve toxin on his neck, but missed and got him in his ear. He later said that a shivering sensation raced down his spine “like an electric shock.”

At the hospital, the Hamas leader was given two days to live. A furious King Hussein of Jordan demanded that Israel provide the antidote, saying the Mossad agents could otherwise face execution. In an extraordinary move, Israel had an agent hand it over, saving Mr. Meshal’s life.

A Camera Bomb. Gen. Ahmed Shah Massoud, an Afghan warlord, was assassinated in 2001 by two men posing as journalists. They entered his headquarters in the Panjshir Valley in northern Afghanistan, where General Massoud sat on a couch. The “reporter” detonated a bomb strapped to his waist. The “cameraman” set off a bomb hidden in the camera and ran from the room, jumping into the River Oxus, but the general ‘s bodyguards pulled him out and killed him.

A Deadly Umbrella. The dissident writer Georgi Markov defected from his communist homeland of Bulgaria in 1969 to start a new life in London, where he became a reporter for the BBC.

Waiting to catch a bus to work on Waterloo Bridge on Sept. 7, 1978, he felt a sharp pain on the back of his right thigh but continued on to work. He developed a fever, was admitted to a hospital in South London and died four days later.

An inquiry revealed someone had used a specially adapted umbrella to inject a pellet containing the poison ricin into his leg. The culprit was later identified as a Bulgarian spy, Francesco Gullino, a.k.a. Agent Piccadilly.

The Men Who Would Not Die. Two figures stand out in assassination lore: Fidel Castro, the Cuban strongman, and Rasputin, the wild-eyed, deeply reviled monk who influenced Russia’s last czar.

The attempts on Castro’s life included:

• A contaminated skin-diving suit: According to a summary of the C.I.A.’s assassination plots, an American lawyer, James B. Donovan, was to give Castro a contaminated skin-diving suit while the two negotiated for the release of the Bay of Pigs prisoners.

“The C.I.A. plan was to dust the inside of the suit with a fungus producing Madura foot, a disabling and chronic skin disease, and also contaminating the suit with tuberculosis bacilli in the breathing apparatus,” the document states.

The lawyer chose instead to give Castro a clean skin-diving suit “as a gesture of friendship,” and the modified one never left the laboratory.

• A booby-trapped seashell: C.I.A. experts were asked to consider packing a seashell with explosives, so that it could be left in one of Castro’s favored diving haunts, rigged to kill him if he picked it up.

“It was determined that there was no shell in the Caribbean area large enough to hold a sufficient amount of explosive which was spectacular enough to attract the attention of Castro,” the documents say.

• Fatal cigars: The plan was to put a botulinum toxin into a box of his favorite cigars. The cigars were delivered in 1961--but never reached Castro.

• Botulism, again: Marita Lorenz told Vanity Fair in 1993 that as Castro’s lover in 1959, she was recruited to assassinate him by dropping two botulism-toxin pills into his drink. She had reservations, and then found out that by putting the pills in a cold-cream jar, she had spoiled them. She said the wily Castro had her all shook up, anyway:

“He leaned over, pulled out his .45, and handed it to me. He didn’t even flinch. And he said, ‘You can’t kill me. Nobody can kill me.’ And he kind of smiled and chewed on his cigar … I felt deflated. He was so sure of me. He just grabbed me. We made love.”

Rasputin, who had gained enormous influence in the court of Nicholas II with his claims to healing powers, survived several assassination attempts before an elaborate conspiracy unfolded in December 1916 to kill him once and for all.

Prince Felix Yusupov invited him to Yusupov Palace in St. Petersburg, where he was fed cake laced with potassium cyanide and copious amounts of cyanide-spiked Madeira--but did not die.

He was shot, but ran. He was shot again and again. Some reports say the conspirators even stabbed him. Finally, he was thrown into a car and driven to Petrovski Island, where he was dropped into the Neva River and drowned.

[jedimasteramell]

Cast of the De’Nolo Legacy

A complete (but not comprehensively detailed) list of all my SWTOR OCs. The majority of them (sans most of my IA’s) are on Ebon Hawk, or Beregen Colony and they’re all free for friendships and most are free for ships! 

The descriptions are very basic personality traits, and are the same regardless of what canon they’re in. 

Sith:

Zhaire Ot-El

Human (Sith Ancestry), 26 at 10ATC

Heir of an ancient Sith bloodline, she is proud, authoritative, very patriotic, a fierce warrior, and with tremendous respect for anyone who owns their convictions. Both a front-line fighter and a diplomat.

Zhehu Ot-El (née Sidre)

Human (Sith Ancestry), 50 at 10ATC

Zhaire and Lixell’s mother. Traditional, proud, a long time player in the game of Sith politics and upper class Imperial society. Serves in administrative capacities in the Sphere of Defense.

Sinar Ot-El

Human (Sith Ancestry), Deceased

Zhehu’s late husband, Zhaire and Lixell’s father.

Veska Kel

Human, 22 at 10ATC

Daughter of a servant who served a cult, inquisitive, eager to learn, neutral in the force, fascinated by ancient force-history and archaeology. Serves in tandem with the Imperial Reclamation Service.

Xyshanni

Rattataki, 19 at 10ATC

A force-sensitive slave that would do anything for more power. Cold, cruel, self serving, manipulative.

Dzashan Kranos

Sith Pureblood, 21 at 10 ATC

Comes from a family of force-blinds. Composed, secretive, fascinated by early Sith culture and history. A ritualbreaker for the Sphere of Mysteries.

Jedi:

Lixell De’Nolo

Human (Sith Ancestry), 22 at 10 ATC

Born Sith but raised her whole life as a Jedi, exuberant, compassionate, friendly, and dedicated, would be a model Jedi if only she didn’t love her friends so much.

Jacoac Lenn

Human, 20 at 10 ATC

Blind, taciturn with strangers, joking with friends, given to bouts of frustration, force-empath, struggles with his resentment over his blindness, hates being pitied for it.

Atreli Uu’tana

Togruta, 17 at 10 ATC

Former apprentice to a Sith Lord, fled out of fear and hopes the Jedi will be better for her, shy, hardworking, scared of her own emotional outbursts.

Meskar Tavi

Echani, 40 at 10ATC

Jedi Weapon Master, Padawan trainer on Coruscant and then Tython. Spirited, engaging, dedicated to learning and recording the various sword fighting techniques and saber forms of the current and past eras.

Luka Sene:

Sibhe Tasla

Miraluka, 23 at 10 ATC

An educator, healer, patient, stalwart, kind. Her pursuit is in understanding the movement and utilization of the force between different cultures. Trained to follow her mother’s footsteps as an ambassador.

Nahdala Tasla

Miraluka, 49 at 10 ATC

Sibhe’s mother. High ranking Luka Sene, Miraluka Ambassador to the Jedi, serene, wise, a mediator. Temporary master to Jac.

SIS:

Cael Sorrin

Human (Cybernetically Modified) 27 at 10ATC

Keen, expert actor, trained to be a spy in the Sith since he was 10. Jedi-trained. Collected, secretly-passionate, believes the ends can justify the means, willing to throw himself on his own saber for his beliefs.

Ezra Kane

Mixed (Human-Morellian) 24 at 10 ATC

Hacker, data analyst, works for SIS instead of going to prison, easily bored, little sense of personal direction, wants to be a hero as much as he wants to not care.

Chel Voxla

Kiffar, 30 at 10ATC

Formerly CorSec Detective, highly detail oriented, approachable, easy-going, recruited for her psychometry talents, acts as a tracker, knows she does important work but misses being police.

Willu Sen

Human, 58 at 10ATC

Founding 6th Line Jedi, and early SIS agent. Severe, imposing, cold. A true Jedi in the sense of a total lack of attachments and the cool sense of justice. Is willing to do anything to bring down the Empire. Plays Cael’s father when undercover.  

Imperial Agents:

Eins

Human, 19 at 10ATC

Top graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT. Isolated, quiet, easily forgettable face. One of the Empire’s top assassins.

Zwei

Human, 22 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Regulator One, highly patriotic, workaholic, gentlemanly.

Kolme

Human, 21 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Watcher, manic, weighs logic far over emotions, poor sleeper.

Chatvarah

Human, 20 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Cipher, polite, formal, vain.

Hamza

Human, 21 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Cipher, charismatic, sexual, aloof, solitary.

Senio

Human, 20 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, idealist, kind-hearted, defector to the Republic, has the hardest time among the graduates adhering to Imperial doctrine, would rather take the ‘right’ path than the ‘easy’ path.

Septeri

Human, 20 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Fixer, enjoys puzzles, patient, team player, awkward when not focused on a work project.

Vosem

Human, 19 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Cipher, cruel, meticulous, perfectionist, narcissistic.

Nio

Human, 21 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Informer, humorous, sly, flirtatious while in character, reserved and shy outside of it.

Decim

Human, 22 at 10ATC

Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, Informer, excitable, playful, partier, mechanically inclined, vigorous patriot.

Elva

Human, 20 at 10ATC Graduate of the Imperial project PATRIOT, seemingly scattered, airheaded, and gossipy, but actually incredibly perceptive and manipulative.

Sait’hahn’berudo (Thahn)

Chiss, 27 at 10ATC

Hidden force sensitive, naturally suspicious, only serves the Empire because of his family’s wishes, hates pain.

Republic Military:

Daya Vex (née Kos)

Zabrak, 26 at 10 ATC

Bright, positive, romantic, grew up poor and parent-less and ran with the Justicars before joining the Republic military, loves her family beyond all reason, has taken up painting as shes left front-line fighting for motherhood.

Edris Kohluni

Mirialan, 28 at 10ATC

Former Republic Expeditionary Forces, a series of bad calls left his team dead on Taris. Thrillseeker, self-absorbed, wants to regain his honor.

Smugglers, Mercenaries, and Freelancers:

Kalesa’yor

Twi’lek, 34 at 10ATC

Was a slave to the Hutt Cartel, flirty, compassionate, incredibly caring, desperate to find her family one day, won her ship by charming a pirate captain out of it.

Dinek’yor

Twi’lek, 26 at 10ATC

Selfish survivor, nervous, a con artist, vaguely force-sensitive, does whatever he can to survive, wants a deep meaningful relationship but has a hard time connecting with people.

Teeubo’yor

Twi’lek, 22 at 10ATC

Sassy, spirited, full of a lot of anger and passion. Wants to reunite with her family and make a name for twi’leks everywhere. An adventurer at heart.

Jyotii Norak

Cathar, 18 at 10ATC

Fierce, loves to fight, vicious sense of humor. Pirate princess, only child, loves firefights and raids, and kicking Imperial ass.

Keevu Norak

Cathar, 44 at 10ATC

Jyotii’s mother, the war-leader of the all-Cathar pirate band.

Khorr Norak

Cathar, 40 at 10ATC

Jyotii’s father, the strategist and accountant of the all-Cathar pirate band.

Brerj’erra’nitudo (Jerran)

Chiss, 25 at 10ATC

Brawler, spends all his money on food, dreams of retiring to Hoth and wrestling Wampas, daft af to flirting, can make friends with anyone

Civillians and Others:

Raoden Calix

Mixed (Human-Zeltron), 26 at 10ATC

Formerly a jedi, did poorly during training and became a negotiator for the Republic, few know of his mixed heritage which gives him an advantage. Intellectual, playful, mysterious, adores competition.

Adri Tesko

Mirialan, 25 at 10ATC

Thrillseeker, immature, sexual, is a mother but her daughter is raised by her cousin, secret low self-esteem.

Tegal Kohluni

Mirialan, 21 at 10ATC

Confused, unaware rich boy, just wants to party and be something other than a senator’s son. Naive, ready to try lots of things, poor judge of character, kinda whiney.

Bren Caedo

Human, 24 at 10ATC

Untested, eager, patriotic. An agent of Overwatch investigating the state of the core galaxy for Zakuul, surprisingly honest, easy to make blush.

Farah’era’nianu (Hera)

Chiss, 26 at 10ATC

Agent for the Chiss Expansionary Defense Force, vain, very concerned with her personal appearance, shopaholic, makeup aficionado, loves to be spoiled, excited by violence.

Pol’dereth, Zabrak, 25 at 10ATC Nyiol Djari, Rattataki, 22 at 10ATC Carak, Trandoshan, 29 at 10ATC K1-LR, Droid ??? at 10ATC Halee Roosh, Roidian 24 at 10ATC

The Merc Band that is also a Rock Band. (They do parties, please specify which need in message)

[ildannatorp-blog]

“no object is so beautiful that under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.” 

N A M E -  Catarina Aureum 

A G E - 25

C A R E E R - Model/Socialite

A F F I L I A T I O N - The damned

- TEN YEARS FROM NOW, MAKE SURE YOU CAN SAY THAT YOU CHOSE YOUR LIFE, YOU DIDN’T SETTLE FOR IT. -

If there was one thing the leader of the Santiago cartel loved more than his empire, it was his family. Raised on the simple principle that family was above all else, it was no surprise that Carlos Santiago’s family was his beating heart. A fierce leader, and not a power to messed with lightly, it didn’t surprise many when the Santiagos decided to expand and grow their business. Doing deals with the damned would have its consequences, as Carlos would soon learn.

Greed is a powerful tool, and it was greed that pushed Carlos and his allies to step on the Aureum turf. It was just business, Carlos would tell himself. And he wasn’t a man who feared much at all, except for his beating heart; his beautiful wife and their gem of a daughter. It was good, and it was great; the Aureums stumbled, and the cartel kicked them at their lowest. But he hadn’t realized who he was dealing with when the news of his allies burning had reached his ears Alastor’s punishment was threefold; in return for the pain and misery Santiago had caused the mob, he would be given back in blood. The Santiago cartel collapsed, people Carlos has trusted were either dead or switching sides and Carlos broke down to his knees. 

An end to the madness came only after a promise was made; your family for your empire. And Carlos and his wife had to watch as the men took their mija away from her cradle, placing her in the pristine hands of Alastor Aureum. The cartel promised blood was going to be spilled if they hurt a single hair on his daughter’s head, but Alastor, to his credit, didn’t care for those threats. He was not going to hurt an innocent child who made the mistake of being born a Santiago. He was exacting revenge, by playing God, and he had decided that she was now to be an Aureum and a part of their family. They called her Catarina, as a way to taunt the family they took her from and gave her a place on the outline that was the Aureums. 

And so Catarina would grow up an Aureum, side by side Alastor and Alathea’s children. They would tell her they rescued her from a fire that ravaged her home, that Alastor was her savior and this was her new beginning. And the little girl would never believe other than that. In Catarina, the Aureum patriarch saw something though; a fire that would consume anyone trying to quell it. And under the influence of wealth and power, Catarina allowed herself to become spoiled. Her family nurtured the parts of her that didn’t quite belong in there, and they let her selfishness bleed into her vanity. She took to it quite well; Catarina quickly learned to master her beauty, and she used it to control the people in her life. She knew she was beautiful, and if her smile didn’t get the job done, then she knew to be loud and impulsive and get what she wants anyway. She has always known she was the best, the one destined for the prettiest things and the one whose future was shining brighter than anyone’s else’s. But vanity had its downfall, and the pressures of being all too perfect meant that even when Catarina was told she was the best, she felt like she was the worst. But she swallows that bitter pill and lifts her chin and the world is alright again. 

Now, on the rise to the top of the modeling food chain, Catarina uses her wiles and her vices to get to where she wants to be. Wanting something is different from having it, and she has seen it happen to her too many times to count. She’s difficult to work with, because of her attitude and her perfectionism, which is just discontent disguised under criticism. She tends to stay out of her siblings’ ways; Lucca and Violetta lead their own lives, and Cat feels like she would never win this war that she rages for her father’s heart. Even now, she holds her edges and knows that the only person she will trust is herself. With her twisted views of love, she’s not afraid to compete for someone’s affections, even though she wouldn’t know what to do with it once she receives it. 

- CONNECTIONS -

Alastor Aureum -

 They have a twisted familial dynamic; Catarina worships the path her father walks on, and in return he gives her whatever she asks for. She has never questioned his motives, and she has never given him a reason to be upset with her. But after her mother’s death, he seems to be pulling away and this puts  fear into her heart that something terrible this way comes.

Torsten Jackson -

 Raised on being the object of everyone’s affections, the fact that Torsten hasn’t fallen at her feet bothers Catarina. She doesn’t like it, and she plans on worming his way into her heart, regardless of whether she might want him or not. 

Robin Underwood - 

Catarina is not quite sure why Robin looks at her the way she does; unknown to her, Robin knows who Catarina truly is. And it’s only a matter of time before Cat starts asking some questions. 

Catarina Aureum (Summer Bishil) is played by TBD (-)

[angelasscribbles]

WIP Wednesday 12.1.21

Need opinions please.

I have an idea for a new series, kind of an AU. Would you read this? Would you want to be tagged in it?

Series premise: Agent Riley Brooks is undercover on assignment in New York when she has a one-night stand with a handsome, mysterious stranger. Both of them hiding their true identities, names are not exchanged. After one scorching night, they part ways, both returning to the duties they have pledged their lives to. Fast forward several months later and Agent Brooks is assigned a new case: investigate and infiltrate any via imperi influences in the small, Mediterranean country of Cordonia. Her cover? Posing as a suitor competing for the hand of the crown prince. Her way in? Civilian contractor and cyber security expert Maxwell Beaumont.

Snippet from Chapter 1:

Finally, a fucking break. I cashed out my tips and waved to the manager as I got the hell out of there. I’d been deep undercover in New York City for just over a year, pretending to be a waitress in a sketchy bar on the lower east side. I had worked my way up from the public area to slinging drinks in the back room where the real shit went down.

Rico Mendez was the son of the leader of one of the biggest drug cartels on the east coast. He was my target, and I was his type. Yes, my physical attributes were the exact reason I drew this particular assignment.

Rico was young, cocky, good looking and brutal. If he hadn’t been a sociopath, we could have gotten along. His smoldering good looks and rippling abs put him firmly in the category of my physical type too. Listen, I like the bad boy vibe as much as the next girl, but I draw the line at murder and human trafficking. That’s ok, I wasn’t there to marry him, I was there to take him down. And take him down I would. Just not today.

Today was Thanksgiving and even the mob took the day off to spend with family. I had no family in the states and couldn’t blow my cover by contacting them even if I had. I wasn’t surprised that Rico hadn’t invited me home with him, he had a fiancé, and I wasn’t her. I was the side chick. It didn’t matter. She was a prop, the spoiled daughter of a wealthy business associate. He probably never talked about business around her. I got what I needed from dropping off drinks and hanging around to play a little slap and tickle. I dangled the goods in front of his face but played a damn good game of hard to get. The more his desire turned into the frustration, the sloppier he got. We were very close to a bust.

But tonight, I was free and alone in New York. It was a chance to let my hair down. I grabbed a quick shower then shimmied into an emerald green dress with a short hemline and a plunging neckline. That’ll get the boys attention, I thought in satisfaction. Yeah, it had been a while. The cat and mouse game I was playing with Rico left me a little on the frustrated side and I couldn’t risk fucking anyone else in his circle. It would blow up all my hard work and I was ready to wrap this case up. But tonight, tonight Rico was otherwise occupied, and I was headed for Times Square.

I slipped into the upscale club with no issues. I knew the bouncer; I’d helped his brother out of a jam the last time I’d been in New York. The music was pounding, the dance floor crowed and the drinks flowing. You’d be surprised how many people are out on Thanksgiving. All the lonely people. I ordered a drink and was making my way back across the room when some oaf ran right into me. My drink crashed to the floor and his sloshed all over me.

“Excuse me miss, I am so sorry!”

I glanced up in annoyance then my breath caught in my chest. Holy mother of God this man was gorgeous! Hello, I think I just found my extracurricular activity for the night. Thank you sweet baby jesus!

He started trying to dab the spot dry with his napkin but quickly realized he was touching my breasts. His hand dropped and he turned about three shades of scarlet. It was adorable. He was adorable. And hot, did I mention he was smoking hot?

I gave him a sultry smile, “Well hello tall, dark and handsome. If you wanted to touch me, you could have just come up and asked.”

I didn’t think it possible a moment before, but he turned a shade darker. “I….ah….”

“Cat got your tongue?”

He recovered, still blushing, and found his voice, “I’m sorry I was so careless, can I please buy you another drink to make up for it?”

“Oh, absolutely!” I gave him my most dazzling smile. The night just got interesting.