Obsidian Desires

Warning: The following fanfiction contains mature content and is intended for readers who are 18 years old or above. Reader discretion is advised.

Reader is only referred to as “you”/ Gender Neutral.

Word Count: 737

Yandere Mafia OC x (Gender Neutral) Reader

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air, enveloping the cozy little café in a warm embrace. (Y/N), a talented barista, expertly worked behind the counter, effortlessly crafting the perfect cup of joe. The bustling city of Milan provided a constant hum in the background, the perfect symphony for (Y/N)'s daily routine.

Unbeknownst to them, an enigmatic figure had taken notice. Luca Salvatore, the charismatic and ruthless Italian Mafia boss, concealed his dark allure behind a well-tailored suit. His sapphire eyes were entranced by (Y/N)'s grace and the subtle charm that emanated from every movement.

Day after day, Luca found himself drawn to the café, watching (Y/N) from afar, his desires entwining with his dangerous nature. The flicker of passion ignited within him, transforming his love for them into something sinister—a manic grip on their heart.

On a particularly busy day, (Y/N) caught sight of Luca standing by the café entrance. Their eyes met briefly, an electric spark surging through their veins. Unbeknownst to (Y/N), this fleeting connection would ignite a blaze they were ill-prepared to face.

Luca approached the counter, his voice dripping with a mixture of authority and subtle seduction. "Cappuccino, please," he requested, his voice resonating with an air of dominance.

As (Y/N) prepared the beverage, their hands trembled slightly, sensing the intensity radiating from Luca. The exchange was brief, yet it left an indelible mark on both their hearts.

Days turned into weeks, and Luca's infatuation with (Y/N) grew exponentially. He couldn't bear the thought of another man touching them, let alone stealing their heart away. His mind became a canvas of possessive fantasies, dark and intoxicating.

Luca's sinister nature led him down a path of obsession, his dangerous tendencies entwined with his desires. He began to use his power and influence to ensure (Y/N)'s safety, pulling the strings from the shadows. He dispatched his most loyal underlings to protect the café and ensure that no harm would befall (Y/N).

One evening, as the café closed its doors, (Y/N) found themselves alone, surrounded by the silence of the space. They were unaware of the lingering presence outside, the sound of Luca's footsteps drawing closer.

With a sudden gust of wind, Luca appeared in the doorway, his eyes burning with a mixture of urgency and danger. The air thickened with unspoken desire as he approached (Y/N), a predator closing in on its prey.

"(Y/N)," he whispered huskily, his voice a velvet caress against their ear. "You're mine."

Before (Y/N) could react, Luca's lips captured theirs in a consuming kiss, a passionate union of two souls tethered by fate (or was it something more disturbing that chained their lives together). The taste of coffee mingled with the hint of danger, igniting a fire within them that they couldn't resist.

Luca's world and (Y/N)'s merged in a tempestuous whirlwind of passion and danger. Love, lust, and violence became intertwined, their desires intertwined in a dance that knew no boundaries.

The café became their sanctuary, a place where (Y/N) could embrace Luca's dangerous world while still retaining their independence. Under the guise of serving coffee, (Y/N) discovered the darkest depths of love, reveling in the adrenaline that coursed through their veins each time Luca entered the homely bistro.

Yet, the sun grew hotter the closer they got and eventually started to burn; the whispers of reality grew louder. The fine line between love and possession blurred, leaving (Y/N) torn between their desire for freedom and the allure of Luca's vicious embrace. Icarus plummeted into the unkind waters below.

Luca and (Y/N) existed in a world of secrecy and sin, bound together by an unyielding passion and the ever-present danger of Luca's underworld. Their love, tainted with obsession, proved to be a volatile concoction, threatening to consume them both.

In the depths of the night, as (Y/N) lay tangled in Luca's arms, they couldn't help but wonder if their souls would forever be shackled by the intoxicating grip of their lover shrouded in crime.

And so, their journey continued, a dance of dominance and submission, fueled by their undeniable connection. Only time would reveal if their love could withstand the tempestuous storms that lay ahead, or if it would succumb to the sinister desires that lurked in the shadows of their hearts.

One Knight Stand - King Arthur x Among Us Apocalyptic Road Trip (Interactive Fiction)

It's the end of the world... and you don't feel fine.

It's just another humdrum day as the weekend winds to its inevitable end. All is as expected. The pandemic has stretched on for a decade now. A new serial killer stalks the streets. And your completely normal club is waiting. Just another ordinary day.

Just ignore the sounds in your living room. Just ignore that shadow scuttling across the floor. Just ignore the lies of the 'friend' who's known you for years. He's lying. She's lying. That stranger on the street is lying. And the voices whispering in your mind are definitely lying.

Everyone is lying... especially the traitor who's infiltrated the group.

But that's fine...

Y̥͑̅̌̔̉ͯo̼̩̖̓ͪ̽͢ǔ̢͢͏̫͕͋'͎̬́͐ͥ᷇͢r̉͏͍̾᷉̓̓e͓͕ͦ̿᷅͆͠ l̜̻̈̅̃͢͞y̡̬͙̪̦̦ͧi̘᷅̓͒̐̍͑n̰͈᷅ͯͥͨ͜g̯᷾̒̑᷄̕͟ t̶̙͍̏͊᷈͠o̙̟ͦ̏̄ͭ͂o̥̮͆ͤ͐͝͠.̛͚̎᷇̍̕͜

Play the Beta Test

Update 3 : (2/2/24)Bug Fixes Galore!

   Further Details Here

Update 2 : (1/16/24) Chapter 1 Part 3 (Fencing Club Route) Further Details Here

Update 1 : (11/16/23) Chapter 2 Part 1 (Camelot Dream Sequence) Further Details Here

**Sound Effect Alert: Turn Down Your Volume At Start of Game**

• Total Word Count: 614,000+ • Including Code: 833,000+ • Average Playthrough: ~60,000 words • Average  if you play 'ask Adrian and Merlin five million questions around the city':  Considerably longer

LINKS: Patreon | Choice of Games Feedback Thread

You're a Harbinger of the Apocalypse... or so it's been claimed. The destined reincarnation of a legendary hero from the time of Camelot. For the sake of the world, reclaim your past memories & powers and discover the true identities of yourself and your current companions.

For the sake of your survival, make certain that you're a member of the successful Greater Circle... because in the end, only thirteen are needed and it doesn't have to include you. The two previous Circles have failed and all their members paid the price for it...

...but third time's the charm, ̷r̸i̷g̵h̴t̶?

Everyone is lying. That most certainly includes you. And one is an enemy infiltrator who's entire purpose is to (murderously) sabotage this last and final circle. Who will you trust and who will you trick? The fate of both you and the world hangs in the balance.

Genres: Dark Urban Fantasy (with mystery/thriller/horror elements). The Camelot flashback sections are more High Fantasy.

Blog Tags:

Main: One Knight Stand, oneknightstand

General: oks-info, oks-update, oks-preview, oks-promo, oks-asks, oks-replies, oks-psa, oks-fanstuff, oks-logistics, oks-submission, oks-poll, oks-milestone

ROs: oks-ROs, oks-Merlin, oks-Adrian, oks-Percy, oks-Arthur, oks-Vivian, oks-Cassandra, oks-Gwen, oks-Lorelei, oks-Broderick, oks-404

Camelot: oks-Bedivere, oks-Dagonet, oks-Dindrane, oks-Dinadan, oks-Elaine, oks-Galahad, oks-Gawain, oks-Guinevere, oks-Kay, oks-Lamorak, oks-Lancelot, oks-Mordred, oks-Morgana, oks-Percival, oks-Excalibur

Others: oks-MC, oks-Camelot-MC, oks-Abe, oks-Asher, oks-Caleb, oks-Pestilence, oks-Saboteur

Play Among Us/Werewolf/Mafia/The Thing/The Mole/Danganronpa/Town of Salem/etc Arthurian lore style! (Also don't forget the apocalypse, that's kind of important)

Lovingly craft your character in intimate detail or slap down that [Randomly Generate Your Appearance] button like I do.

Choose your sad childhood background and your potentially even sadder (or more traumatic or more traumatically evil) deep, dark secret which must be hidden at all cost

Play one million questions around the city with not-so-random people or go "Screw this lore dump, I'm taking a nap!"

ᕕ(✿ ᐛ )ᕗ <- Merlin on their way to a six hour lecture because you had to ask every single question in their dialogue tree. I mean, there's an Achievement for doing that, so you do you.

Spend the entire time during this IF about Arthurian lore going "Who is Arthur and what's a Camels-a-lot?" (Yes, this a legit strategy to get through the game)

Figure out your previous Camelot reincarnation from amongst four different potential backgrounds (determined by your actions in the Camelot flashback sections). Or go "Nuts to this mystery!" and just wait to get your magic powers already. (Uh, you probably should still try and figure out who's trying to kill you, though)

Act like a saint, act like a psychopath, or randomly burst into song & dance like you're trapped in a Disney musical at the most inappropriate moments.

Survive the night... or die horribly and collect the Dead Ends like pokemon who give clues to what's happening in the greater narrative. (You won't be the only one... dying, that is)

Get randomly turned into a water fowl (I mean, it's Merlin, after all)

Look out that window... you know you want to.

Features creepy sound effects (which you can turn off from the main menu)

(Yes, this is basically Red Flag the Romance. Yes, there are ROs who can have a perfectly healthy relationship with you... and there are also ones who'll just kill you. Good luck figuring out who is who. Also platonic buddy versions are a go. Physical descriptions here.)

MERLIN (M/F/NB) The nominal leader of  this motley crew and the only one who knows what's truly going on... or so they claim.

A shape shifting incubus who takes on the most appealing form of whoever is viewing them. Always elegant, always smiling, always for the greater good... a beautiful facade that hides a heart that's entirely inhuman.

Unlike the others, they will never directly lie to you... lies of omission don't count, right?

"Dear child, that's for me to know and for you to find out, as they are wont to say. Shall we try again?"

ADRIAN BENONI (M) A close friend, an unrequited crush, a passing acquaintance, a suspected stalker... the tone of your relationship may change, but what does not is that you've known this guy for years. A  familiar presence within a world that's suddenly become ever-so-strange.

But what darkness hides behind the ever amiable front that he always presents around you? Well...maybe not always. Why does he seem so desperate to like you even while keeping you an arm's length away?

"I'm sure that if we all just came together in solidarity that we— h-hey you don't have to laugh *that* hard about it!"

PERCY T. LONGSPEAR (M) Someone who marches to the sound of his own drum... on a different planet somewhere in a galaxy far, far away.

Most assuredly the most strangely perceptive of the group, if only anyone could understand exactly what he's saying. A potential soulmate to a very certain version of the MC.

Who his past reincarnation seems to be is so blatantly obvious that it's the very height of suspicion.

"Why did I come in through the vents? Why would I use a *door*?"

CASSANDRA DE VAUX (F) A detective who intercepted the group during an investigation of... well, it's not exactly complete chaos that you're leaving in your wake, is it?

No-nonsense when on the job, but playful during down times, she joined with little convincing or fanfare... but has she truly allied with the cause or is this just another sting operation to her?

And why does she seem so much more... wait what were we talking about again?

"Scintillating. Now please explain again from the top... you were doing *what* in the museum that night?"

GWYNETH REYNARD (F) A vivacious and sweetly cheerful member of the group that pulls off true optimism far better than certain other members... even if she wears that sunny disposition like a suit of armor.

You found her wandering in an abandoned nineteenth-century mental asylum. A perfectly normal place to meet. (After all, you were there too!) And certainly there's a completely sensible explanation for why she doesn't want to head back home as well.

"Oh, are we making claims on who we want to be now? Then I want to be Buttercup from the Princess Bride!"

LORELEI GUERRIER (F) An Olympic archer who is as unflappable as she is coolly distant. She has the rather laudable capability of beating down a lesser hellhound with nothing but a mop for a weapon.

Certainly her joining would be nothing but a boon to the group. Too bad she possesses nothing but cynicism and antipathy for the idea of chivalry and knights in shining armor.

But surely she's a champion of Camelot, right?

"The virtue of a knight? Someone that parades around in self indulgence, all for the glory of their own pride, while better people are left wanting. That's the true face of your so-called *chivalry*."

BRODERICK DOE (M) A grumpy, recalcitrant, and somewhat foulmouthed addition to the group. He really, really doesn't want to be here. He thinks you're all insane. (He may be right in certain instances.)

But someone has to keep an eye out during all this craziness, right?Especially if there's a kernel of truth to this apocalyptic nonsense.

Of course, there's no one in this city, this state, this country registered as 'Broderick Doe'.

"And let me be clear here... I don't trust a single one of you chucklefucks!"

̶̇̊͒̋͜4̸̼̕͜0̸͖̭̎͝4̴̹͈̍ ̸̯̱̦͓͑̑Ȩ̵̧̺̩̉̈́ŗ̸̔̄͊̍r̷̙̾̓̇o̷̧̩̻͇̽̊͗̋r̵̮̘̒̓ ̴̧̳̺͐̆̾̅N̵͕͐o̶̘͍͗t̴̫͋́̆̋ ̵͔͒͑͐F̵̹̍̈́̿ó̵̡̹͒͆ũ̴͈̠͘n̶̢̺̰̬̋ḑ̶̲͛̔͗̕ (???)

T̶O̵O̶ ̴L̷A̸T̸E̷ ̵T̴O̸O̵ ̷L̸A̵T̴E̶ ̴T̸O̶O̶ ̵L̴A̵T̸E̶ ̴T̸O̴O̷ ̶L̴A̴T̵E̶ ̴T̴O̷O̷ ̴L̶A̶T̴E̶ ̴T̸O̵O̶ ̶L̶A̸T̷E̴ ̵

CAMELOT ROMANCE OPTIONS (Currently sealed away, so you can only interact with them in dreams and flashbacks)

ARTHUR PENDRAGON (M) The Once and Future King, the doomed High King of Camelot who is fated to return at humanity's greatest moment of need and lead them in survival during the end times.

The ideal that always had a surprising streak of pragmatism to it. If only he would wake up. He's so very, very late you see. And things have spiraled wildly out of control in his absence.

A figure that's currently haunting your dreams.

"You think I missed my calling as a troubadour? Mayhaps... for what is politics but a form of mummery?"

VIVIAN (F) The third and current Lady of the Lake. One of the fae who is aligned with your side through blood oaths and promises as strong as compulsion.

One of the ones who sealed Merlin away and who remains bound at the very edge of the Veil even now. The tales never mentioned the part where she's a mari-morgan that drowns people, did they?

"Hear this song... come along... just drift a little closer, pretty thing of mine. Simply a step closer... merely a bit *deeper*."

Link to FAQ

Was reminded recently that it’s going to be another crazy year for holiday shipping! I think that’s why I’ve been so busy all of a sudden. I think people are learning from last year and placing orders now to beat the backups. It made me want to do the same haha. A lot of my friends are trying to shop local this year for gifts and I am so excited to hear that. I am trying my best to support other local Maryland makers this holiday season and I encourage you to check out your local businesses and artists in your area if you can! If you want something from my shop place your orders early it’s looking like I’ll be pretty busy again this season!

Masterlist

Minors do not interact. This content is not for you. For more on why it's harmful for minors to read adult content, please check out these resources: ☾ Resource ☾ Resource ☾ Resource ☾

☾ ARCHIVED MASTERLIST ☾ REQUESTS MASTERLIST ☾ 100 DRABBLE CHALLENGE MASTERLIST ☾

☾ AO3 EXCLUSIVE NOTICE ☾ TAG LIST REQUEST FORM ☾

S - smut ☾ A - Angst ☾ F - Fluff ☾ P - Platonic ☾ H/C - Hurt/Comfort ☾ DD - Dead Dove

O N E S H O T S

I'm All Yours | F | friends to lovers | idiots to lovers | Jin x reader | Complete

You’ve been in love with your best friend Jin for as long as you can remember. You know everything about him – except that he is also entirely in love with you.  

Knocked | F, S | roommates to lovers | idiots to lovers | Jin x reader | Complete

Living with people is difficult, but all things considered, your new roommate isn’t terrible. He cooks, he cleans, and if you had to be honest - incredibly attractive. But his habit of streaming until the early hours of the morning while yelling and making other questionable noises has pushed you to the limit. You’ve finally decided to risk your sanity and put it all on the line with a reckless bet in hopes of getting some peace and quiet at night.

Break | S, A | friends to lovers | angst | supernatural | unhappy ending | witch!Seokjin x cursed!reader | Complete

Seokjin has been at your side for the last few years. He’s your closest friend, and the one person you don’t think you can live without. But what happens when you discover that he might be the source of the curse he’s been trying to help you escape from?

D R A B B L E S

The Store | Enemies to ? | Serial Killers | Ambiguous Ending | Jin x f. reader | Requested | Complete

For as long as you’ve worked at the upscale grocery store in the northern part of the city, you’ve hated Seokjin. He’s charming and smooth and you’re always fighting for employee of the month. It isn’t until you both show up at a house in the middle of the night that you realize how much you have in common. 

O N E S H O T S

Angel | S, A, F | mafia | Mafia!Yoongi x sex worker!f. reader | Complete

Yoongi never meant to keep coming back. You never meant to become Yoongi’s favorite. Being Min Yoongi’s favorite has dire consequences. 

Mine | S | supernatural thriller | pwp | Yoongi x succubus femal reader | Complete

Yoongi lives a quiet life. His days are organized neatly, and every week he can expect the same results. Then he meets you. Hypnotizing. Otherworldly. Strange. And his life never goes back to the way it was before.

F*ck Christmas | S, A, H/C | holiday collab | Yoongi x f. reader | Complete

Making hating Christmas your entire personality was never the plan. Then again, it seems bad things only ever happen around Christmas - like discovering your fiancé cheating on you, forcing you to move back to your sleepy hometown. But Min Yoongi happens to love Christmas, and if there is one thing your very stubborn childhood crush is going to do, it’s try to reignite your Christmas spirit. Even if he has to force-feed it to you with gingerbread cookies and too-sweet eggnog.

Please | S, F | established relationship | pwp | Yoongi x reader | Complete

Yoongi doesn’t ask for much. He never has to, with you. And yet when he comes home from a late night at the studio, particularly tired and a little cranky, there is a single thing on his mind. Except you want to hear him ask, this time. 

Shadow | S, DD | Dark Fantasy | Faerie!Guard Yoongi x Faerie!Prince x Jimin | Complete

Yoongi’s life has been sworn to Jimin’s since the moment he was born. He was bred, crafted and trained to be Jimin’s shadow, his greatest protector. Jimin loves just how much Yoongi can never refuse him.  

S E R I E S

Obsidian | S, A | strangers to lovers | criminal/mafia | urban fantasy | Yoongi x female reader | Ongoing

You remember everything. The first time you radiated at garnet, feeling the power of the jewel rushing through you. Remember the energy pulsing at your command. And you certainly remember the face of the man who ruined your life. Then there’s Min Yoongi, the Chaotic who is the key to your revenge.  → Series Masterlist

Mixtape | S, A, F | childhood friends to lovers | brother's bff | Yoongi x female reader | Complete

You’ve had a crush on Yoongi for most of your life. On a holiday trip to the cabin, you’re reunited with Yoongi after not seeing him from two years and things go less than according to plan. → Series Masterlist

Suga's How-To Guide | S, F | sex worker au | friends to lovers | camboy!Yoongi x female reader | Complete

Min Yoongi has been a cam boy for a few years now. The work is easy, the money is good, and he has loyal viewers. When he approaches you and asks if you want to be his muse for a ‘how-to’ series, your view on the infamous Yoongi changes. → Series Masterlist

Gods of the Dark | S, A | strangers to lovers | fantasy | dream god!Yoonig x f. reader | Ongoing

Don’t ask for help in the dark. It’s an old tale you always heard whispered among the people of your village. But when you find yourself dragged kicking by the man you’re to marry, you have little choice but to beg for help long after the sun has set. The god who answers your pleas promises to save you, but every deal comes with a price.  → Series Masterlist

O N E S H O T S

Anything | S, F | Idol!Hobi x reader | established relationship pwp | Complete

You haven't seen Hobi in a few weeks. Now that you're joining him at an award show, your boyfriend wants to play.

The Wood | S, A | Witch!Hoseok x female reader | strangers to lovers | supernatural | psychological thriller | Complete

From the moment you step foot in Kill Devil, you know something about the town is off. Determined to find out exactly how your sister went missing in such a small town, you receive unlikely help from the man staying in the motel room next to yours. But there is so much more than what meets the eye with Hoseok and the citizens of Kill Devil.

O N E S H O T S

Don't Read Dead Languages | S | Professor!Namjoon x tomb raider!reader (f) | frenemies to lovers | idiots to lovers | supernatural AU | Complete

Namjoon is determined to visit the City of the Dead. Amtenemhat is the Egyptian ruins that the locals fear. Archaeologists have gone missing and strange things lurk in the night. But Namjoon's work as a historian isn't perfect if he doesn't go to the source of the legend, and hiring a weaponized tomb raider seems his best bet at surviving.

Fang Daddy | S | Vampire!Namjoon x Fledgling!Reader (f) | Established Relationship | Supernatural | Vampires | Complete

Ever since Namjoon turned you into a vampire, there is only one thing that you crave more than blood. Good thing your sire is more than happy to indulge in his sweet little vampire fledgling. 

Red | S | Werewolf!Namjoon x human!reader (f) | Fairytale Retelling | Supernatural | Strangers to Lovers | Dark Fantasy | Completed

For as long as you can remember, your village has been relatively normal. But when people begin to turn up dead right after a group of newcomers arrive, pieces of your past start to fall into place, and something feels familiar - particularly the quiet man who can’t take his eyes off of you.

O N E S H O T S

You DTF? | S | fuckboy!Jimin x brat!reader | PWP | Complete

You’ve never had a one-night stand. Jimin has had countless. You’re trying to experience new things. Jimin loves doing the same old shit. So when you meet the man going around the club inviting people to touch his ripped abs, you think perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to try new things. It’s Labor Day weekend at the shore - what can go wrong? 

Carmen | SM | Thriller | Supernatural | Vampire!Jimin x Human!Taehyung | Complete

Taehyung gets lured to an exclusive club by a strange, enchanting woman. What finds him there is much more intoxicating and dangerous. 

Shadow | S, DD | Dark Fantasy | Faerie!Guard Yoongi x Faerie!Prince x Jimin | Complete

Yoongi’s life has been sworn to Jimin’s since the moment he was born. He was bred, crafted and trained to be Jimin’s shadow, his greatest protector. Jimin loves just how much Yoongi can never refuse him.  

S E R I E S

The Iron Ring | S, A, H/C | Fae!Jimin x human!reader | enemies to lovers | fantasy AU | Complete

After finding a mysterious ring while cleaning out your late grandmother's attic, you receive the unlikeliest of visitors: a fae prince who claims you have something that belongs to him. Discovering the fairytales your grandmother told you are true is the least of your problems when you're taken to a world dangerous and unfamiliar. → Series Masterlist

O N E S H O T S

Dominus | S, DD | demon!Taehyung | Taehyung x female stranger | Complete

Taehyung is a demon that has needs. Some of those needs include feeding off of fear and fucking until he's numb. Thankfully, he knows how to do those things at the same time.

Carmen | S | Thriller | Supernatural | Vampire!Jimin x Human!Taehyung | Complete

Taehyung gets lured to an exclusive club by a strange, enchanting woman. What finds him there is much more intoxicating and dangerous. 

O N E S H O T S

Bite Me, Jeon | S | Friends to lovers | vampire!jungkook x human!female reader | Complete |

Somehow you convince Jeon Jungkook to look into theories of vampirism for a research paper. What Jungkook doesn't expect, is for vampirism to become a very real and very personal problem for him.

-

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Disclaimer: All members of BTS are faces and name claims for stories. Any scenarios or representations of the people and places mentioned in works are not representative of real-life scenarios. Moreover, none of my works accurately reflect, represent or take a stance on the nuances of Korean culture, cities, people etc. BTS members are not BTS culturally, intellectually, physically, or representationally in my stories, and should be considered name and face stand-ins for made up characters.

Giovanni Conti Bio

“Nutty, are you only going to show up to post about Archie Sonic and your OCs?” Yes, yes I am

Anyways, I decided to throw together a quick bio for Gambit’s dad because hey I figured his stuff out and I’m doing shit with him now.

Shoutouts to @pidgeonspen​ for doing his design for me.

Anyways, as always, everything’s under the readmore

Name: Giovanni Conti (Real name Brando Romilla)

Age: Approximately 50 years old

Height: 3'4"

Occupation: Auto mechanic/Conman

Location: Unknown, last confirmed sighting in Westopolis. Originally born in Lugaio, Spagonia.

Sexuality: Bisexual, though greatly prefers women to the point of denying any male attraction

Personality: Giovanni's personality is what one would expect from a seasoned conman: charismatic, self-serving, and conniving, the weasel finds success in his trade thanks to his natural talent in dealing with others. To his victims, Giovanni appears to be a charming, compassionate, smooth-talking individual who seems to go out of his way to help others in their time of need. But of course it's all a farce, a way to con unsuspecting victims out of their hard-earned cash. In reality, the man formerly known as Brando Romilla is the exact opposite. A selfish, grumpy, and temperamental weasel "behind the scenes", Giovanni finds himself unwilling to engage with the world around him outside of whatever con he's cooked up or to get out of whatever mess he's gotten himself into this time.

Giovanni's most defining personality trait however, isn't his sardonic attitude or his smoothtalking ways, but instead his paranoia.  Giovanni has spent the majority of his life on the run and it shows.  He often finds himself looking over his shoulder both figuratively and quite literally, hoping that his latest victim hasn't found out about him or that the law or the mafia or whoever he's crossed hasn't tracked him down to enact their revenge.  As such, Giovanni is extremely hesitant to give out his name unless absolutely necessary for the con, even going so far as to make up fake names in emergency situations, though the truth eventually comes out.  In addition, he trusts absolutely nobody and almost always looks for a way to backstab/escape any sort of partnership he's found himself on the receiving end of, willing or otherwise.

All of this being said, it isn't *all* bad for Giovanni personality-wise, for when the weasel finds something he actually likes, one can see a softer, more eager side of him come out. Despite his professed hatred of his previous job, Giovanni has a rather deep appreciation for the intricacies of vehicles and vehicle repairs, even going so far as to sneak into antique car shows to gawk at the new vehicles and reminisce about the "good old days" before it "got so complicated" in terms of technology. Oddly enough, he also loves vinyl.

Skills: Giovanni is of course, an incredibly skilled con-man, imploying a variety of cons and scams to trick people out of their money, ranging from simple "tourist trap" tricks such as "no change", "toll booth", and "free gift", to more complicated ones such as "flat tire" schemes and even reselling stolen/counterfeit items at a significantly marked up price.  His variety in terms of cons is helped by his ability to sell them thanks to his smooth-talking charismatic persona that he puts on during them.  As a result of his occupation he's also extremely adept at pointing out other cons/knowing when he's being duped.  Not only that, but he's even picked up some basic lockpicking/hotwiring and ID forging skills, though they aren't quite as honed as his other talents in the area.

Surprisingly enough, again despite his professed dislike of his childhood job, Giovanni is an incredibly skilled mechanic, being able to assess the issues with (mostly older) vehicles just from a few minutes of observation and testing alone and fixing it in record times. OF course he'll complain about how he's "too fuckin' old" for it, but he'll do a damn good job...and even enjoy himself somewhat.   He claims he would be unable to work on "new-fangled" vehicles such as Extreme Gear but if he were to get the chance, would find that he'd be a natural at it.

Likes: Antique vehicles, wine, the feeling when he pulls of a con, vinyl records, fresh pressed suits, rare steak, expensive cigars, older women, working on antique vehicles.

Dislikes: The law, organized crime outfits, his ex-wife, his kid, getting caught, prison, cheap beer, "new" technology, people who talk too much, his grandfather, working on vehicles (his relationship with auto repair is..complicated), staying in one place for too long.

Backstory: Brando Rombilla was born into anything but normalcy:  born to a pair of younger Spagonian lovers, the result of a tryst gone wrong, he was abandoned on the steps of his paternal grandfather, the widowed mechanic Angelo Rombilla, who would raise the weasel as his own.

Angelo was an old, stubborn, hardworking man who had spent his entire life toiling away as a mechanic, even coming to own his own shop...yet despite it all, he never quite had a lot to show for it, and Brando grew up in not quite poverty, but in...less than modest means

Despite this...unusual situation, Brando would, at least for a time, grow up as any other child would, going to school, making friends, and living as a normal Spagonian child would--at least until he hit the age of 12-13, where his father suddenly and inexplicably ground his childhood to a halt, pulling him out of school and telling him that he was going to be a "working man" from now on, that he'd have to help out at the shop and help put food at the table--and that is indeed what happened.

From then on, Brando found himself working at the modest repair shop, working the front desk, doing oil changes, and learning the ins and outs of auto repair--and he fucking hated it.

Not just because he'd been robbed of the experiences his peers were getting, but it served as a constant reminder of the (at least to him) pathetic conditions in which they lived and worked. In addition, it only served to exacerbate his sheer irritation at his father's stubbornness and near-perfectionist standards.

But over time, as he aged and saw his peers move on to bigger and better things, he realized something else: all this work, all this "good, honest, hard" work he'd been doing, that his grandfather had been doing, that he wanted him to inherit, it was getting them nowhere

The both of them spent years and years doing the same shit over and over, and they were no better off than when they'd started. They still lived like shit, ate like shit, and worked like dogs, and the idea of doing this his entire life revolted him.  Yet when he'd bring this up, he'd just get shouted down, beaten down, and told to get back to work. He loathed it all.

Then one day, around the time Giovanni hit 19--it all changed. In a moment of what his grandfather would call laziness and what Brando would later call ingenuity, he accidentally charged a customer for something they hadn't done--and with it, more money than he should've had.  It suddenly hit him, his way out, his way to actually do something about all of this. It started off slow, an overcharge here, a useless job done there, a job not done this way or that, even some front product sold off of lies.  Before Brando knew it, the shop was actually making money for once, and more than that, he was making money.  And the best part was, that for once, Angelo seemed like he didn't have a stick up his ass. He seemed...happy, over the moon really that things had begun to look up.  Things seemed to finally be getting better!

....until Angelo caught Brando in the act, after which the mother of all shouting matches ensued, of the grandson and grandfather screaming at each other about this and that, about everything--and saw Brando being thrown out of the shop, out of his grandfather's home--and out of his life

Out on his ass with only the money he'd pocketed and the clothes on his back to his name, Brando  by all rights should have been terrified about his future, livid about what had happened, but instead he found himself excited. Now that his grandpappy or his stupid shop wasn't a problem anymore, he could finally do something with himself, and he knew exactly what that'd be--putting to use the same bullshittery that'd gotten him here to begin with.

And so the young weasel found himself hopping all over Spagonia, honing his craft. Whether it be through  pinching wares from stores and selling them nearby at an outrageously hiked price,  snatching and selling bootleg items, or even using his mechanic skills to craft "wonder items" that were quite literally just old scrapyard junk,  Brando soon became quite adept at the art of the con.  However, with that adeptness came attention, and with that attention came the watchful eye of the law, which attempted to crack down on the weasel multiple times as he traveled about Spagonia.

Soon enough, his face and name were plastered on wanted signs, in local papers, and in time, he couldn't run any longer, finally being booked on fraud charges and placed in prison for ~ 3 years at the age of 22.   Upon getting out,  Brando realized that he couldn't exactly do his work here anymore, lest he get thrown back in for good.

But Soleanna wasn't exactly appealing either, especially since the SPD were notorious for cracking down on fraudsters.  He was at a loss at what to do, until he managed to catch a TV broadcast talking about Empire City and it hit him- EC would be the perfect place to disappear and get a fresh start.  It was big, it was far away, and it was full of suckers just waiting to be parted with their money Forging himself a new identity (quite literally) as "Giovanni Conti" , he smuggled himself on board a ship and soon found himself in Empire City, where he almost immediately got to work--and found the results to be not what he expected

While the toursts were complete suckers as expected, the residents were anything but, and he found himself on the run from the law once more--and in addition, the various criminal orgs that made their homes there and had no tolerance for being scammed.   Needless to say, the whole thing frustrated him, and with no other way to vent his frustrations, he turned to drinking, and with it, found himself at a small bar in downtown EC, drinking away his frustrations...and chatting up an equally frustrated, and rather attractive young woman. He didn't catch her last name, but certainly caught her first- Artemis

What should have just been a simple one night tryst suddenly got a lot more complicated once the young woman had tracked him down almost a week  later with some soul-crushing news: She was pregnant, and it was almost certainly by him.  To make matters worse, Artemis was an up and coming politician, someone in the running for the EC City Council, and she would be DAMNED if it came out that she got knocked up in a one night stand, that would ruin her career! Despite Giovanni's attempts at arguing otherwise, she also insisted on keeping the child, claiming that if word got out she got rid of it, it would ruin her career. Threatening to hand him over to authorities, she blackmailed him into sticking by her side for the following 9 months, appearing in front of the cameras as a pictureesque pair of parents-to-be, Artemis embracing the newfound attention and Giovanni absolutely loathing all the eyes on him, and not only that, but also moving in together to her (admittedly) lavish apartment.

This continued up on through the end of the pregnancy and into the birth of their son, who Artemis named "Tai", a (perhaps ironic) homage to an old Apotosian patron of Luck.  From then, things continued normally, well as least as normal as could be for the unwitting parents-to-be, up until the child was around a year old, when Artemis went on a sudden vacation.  Left alone with the child and feeling helplessly trapped, Giovanni contemplated making a break for it, perhaps faking his own death and figuring out the details later, when a hooded figure burst into the home and attempted to shoot both him and the child dead.  Through a near-miraculous stroke of luck though, the intruder's gun jammed, giving Giovanni the chance to brandish a knife and stab them in the jugular.  His heart pounding, his mind racing, Giovanni quickly put two and two together: someway, somehow, Artemis had tried to get the two of them whacked.  Quickly disposing of the body and without really thinking about it, Giovanni grabbed the child and made a break for it, bolting from the apartment and leaving Empire City under cover of darkness, trying to make sure he left no trace that he had left--or was even still alive.

Soon arriving in Westopolis, Giovanni and Tai found a small apartment to squat in for the time being. Quickly settling in, Giovanni quickly fell back into his old ways, and found the people of Westopolis far more vulnerable to his schemes than in EC. Still, the weasel wasn't happy. His "new start" that he'd hoped for had fallen apart before it'd even gotten the chance to get off the ground because of *her*, Artemis. Giovanni's frustration gnawed away at him--not helped by the tiny weasel at home, his little boy--the *mistake* that'd gotten him into this mess.   He often found himself verbally and physically taking out his frustrations on young Tai, even more so when it turned out the little brat wasn't even good enough to help him on cons.  He wished he could get rid of the little bastard once and for all, but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to kill him despite his best efforts.

Years went by, but nothing truly changed for the pair, until young Tai was 8 years old and Giovanni found himself on the bad end of a con gone wrong, having inadvertently found himself attempting to swindle an undercover cop.  Rushing back to the apartment he and Tai shared, he quickly grabbed whatever tools he could and attempted to disappear, leaving the young Tai behind for good.

Throwing himself out of the frying pan and into the proverbial fire, Giovanni had managed to disappear and evade the cops---and run right into one of his "victims": "Downtown" Ebony Hare--a "made man" in the Carnades, one of the major local outfits--and someone who he'd given a shoddy brake job.  Ebony recognized the weasel almost immediately and motioned to off him for messing up his car, but after Giovanni pleaded for his life, Ebony spared him-- on the condition that he work off his "debts" to him and the Carnades.

Faced with either paying his dues or paying with his life, Giovanni made the obvious choice and ended up doing quite a few small jobs for Ebony over the course of the next decade and change (approx  13 years) not only fixing his car but also fixing the other vehicles in the outfit--and giving a disgustingly large portio nof the proceeds from his other "work" directly to Ebony.  Once again, Giovanni was trapped doing the very thing he'd been stuck doing since childhood and not only that, but also indebted to a mobster who had no intention of letting him go.  He desperately tried to find a way out, but it was to no avail--until a near miraculous stroke of "luck".

The Black Arms invasion decimated a significant portion of Mobius, especially Northamer, and no place found itself worse off than Westopolis. For most living there, it seemed like the end times as  the city burned around them. But for Giovanni, it was an opportunity to finally disappear--and never come back.

The invasion soon ended, the repairs soon begun, and the Carnades began to operate once more--but Giovanni was nowhere to be found. Despite a thorough search of the city, the weasel had just...vanished, presumably killed by the aliens or escaping to parts unknown after.  

Giovanni's current location is unknown and those who know of him believe him to be dead, but there have been some apparent sightings of the aged con-man.  Some say they've seen him on the outskirts of Sand Blast City, others say they've seen him working his trade with another individual down in the Southern Baronies, and some even say that he's still in Westopolis, working his craft, and sticking close to the headquarters of the East Side Pack, a noted rival of the Carnades.

Masterlist 6

personalities and jobs

Horrorswap

General

Day of the dead

kid pranks skeledad

meeting adult au kid (ut us uf sf ul)

kabedon (ul fsr fsg mt mf)

stepkid runs away

childfree skeles kid finds out they weren't planned

werewolf SO

elf neighbor 

SO swears secretly (all)

who likes dresses

SO can shortcut

thoughts on kids (all)

saving SO from falling out of a tree

getting a gag gift (all)

housing and ebott city hcs

comforting a SO (ut us ht)

SO has illusion powers

AUs hcs

random 1

Hogwarts houses (all)

the seagull steals SOs hotdog

kid sees chara’s ghost (ut ht uf)

baby face SO

starring on SO’s youtube channel

more preferences (all)

shy crush opens up

the nasty pizza 

SO almost dies (all)

Papyrus and honey hcs

SO rather adopt (honey rust sugar peaches)

Favorite music (all)

Kid gets an F on a math assignment

Military rank boys

super loud frog outside

SO is spiderman

cuddling SO at night (honey papyrus edge mutt)

surprise ninja bestie

MBTI personalities

hearing crush laugh for the first time

water deity SO (mutt jupiter lilac)

SO gets stuck in a window

SO kisses the skelehand

SO with a scar but nobody believes how they got it

why they were mad (lap ask)

violent illusion SO

SO with seasonal allergies

yandere Hcs (hf hs)

SO is good at home crafts (undyne tempest ht hf hs)

SO is not a morning person

SO feels unwanted by their family

sleeptalking SO (ut uf us fsg)

sugardaddy SO

SO bruises easily

sanses meet a new human underground

skele gets mistaken for a Halloween decoration (us uf sf ht fsg)

The most artistic boys

cursed ask. SO stretches legs like in photoshop

older sister thanks skele for taking care of SO

Fishkeeper SO (fsr mt ot uf)

soulmates first words (us hs ft)

SO is a holiday fiend 

SO has trust issues

papyri reactions to SO who lost their memory 

SO lost their stuffy

NERF WAR MOTHERLOVERS

toddler dresses up as a ghost

meteor shower, solar eclipse or aurora (all)

SO likes the rumble (oak rust mutt peaches basil)

Bowling (all)

sleeptalkers (sans oak snipe)

monster illness

video games, card games and VR (all?)

kid makes their own battle body (ut us)

SO cant pronounce skillet

skele turns bitty (ot fsr fsg ft ul)

Interactions

how everyone feels about charm

G and the mafias

Undertale

random chara

Outertale

random 1

why pluto doesn't have hearing aids

Horrortale

firefly ask

poly cuddles

angry

SO did a dealbreaker

The Mafia

SO sleeping for three days (all)

rival gang ruins SOs paperwork (all)

Madame and Don with a SO

yandere boss with independent SO

they have a nightmare and SO is a shallow breather (all)

Horrorswap

random 1

getting basil to like you

Gastertale

G stole his SOs nose

Underfell

crush is vague about asking red out

Fellswap Gold

wine being mean to coffee’s new SO

Underlust

charm likes to be a butthead

Fellswap red

yandere mutt with bipolar SO

Horrorfell

yandere rust with ftm SO

NCT MAFIA AU (renjun)

🖇Meaningless to hesitate, but we still do (pt.1)

MASTERLIST

PARTS:  | 01 | 02 |

MAFIA PROFILES | Y/N’S NAMES

GENRE: Mafia AU, Contract killer AU

QUOTE: “Like the taste of sugary peach tea, you radiated with such sweetness his teeth hurt from smiling.”

WARNINGS: Graphic scenes of violence, Blood, Attempted assassination 

The soft hue of pink and orange splashed the walls as the sun set of into the distance. You shielded your sight from the blinding glare, your eyes squinting. You made out the shadowy figure of his despite the hindrance of the trees.  

“Renjun,” You whispered to yourself. Why of all places?

It had been many moons since you faced another from your old life. You had thought you’d escaped it. Only for someone to return and bust the quiet existence you had curated for yourself.  

“Did you say something?” Faye asked, unplugging one of her earphones.

You shook your head, a false laugh coming from your mouth. “Just talking to myself, it’s been a long day you know.”

Faye hummed in agreement as she continued to sweep the classroom’s floors.

You stared a little longer at the young girl. The two of you often exchange small talk at the day's end. You would stay back to prepare for tomorrow's activities whilst she’d come to clean the rooms and playground of the small kindergarten. It was uncommon for someone so young to be in a janitor's position but you didn't like to pry. All you knew was it was one of her three jobs. You figured city living was tough. Even with your salary it was barely enough to cover a basic apartment within the city’s outskirts.

Your gaze drifted to the displayed hand-drawn pictures the kids had made last week. They were pinned to the felt fabric by thumbtacks. Then to the arts and crafts table, where the remnants of playdough stuck. A heavy feeling settled in your stomach. You’d hate to leave it all behind. But did you have a choice?

What if they managed to capture you? You couldn’t risk such a thing happening.

Renjun’s sudden appearance couldn’t possibly be a coincidence. A grifter with many talents, he had no business lurking in the presence of a retired criminal like yourself.  

───

Renjun yawned, stretching his arms above his head. His body felt stiff, his legs still asleep from the concrete he slept upon.

The late summer air warmed, as a new day began. He crouched on his knees, rubbing his eyes. He wasn’t made for stakeouts, he was grifter, an actor who bluffed and charmed his marks into getting whatever he pleased. He rarely got his hand dirty. They were jobs for the likes of Johnny and Ten. However, to Renjun’s dismay, both were caught up in their personal affairs, and Taeyong their leader had instructed him to fulfill this one job. A hit. It was simple enough, or so it should have been.  

Taking another life wasn’t foreign, Renjun understood it occasionally came with his line of work. However, what should have been a simple kill had become a lot trickier and he had only himself to blame.

He has spent the last two weeks, learning your schedule, your routine. He observed your honeyed nature, how you spoiled the kids in your class. How you stayed back with a child whose parents had forgotten about them. You held their hand and sang nursery rhymes until the kid had calm down.

He knew humanizing you was a mistake. He should have never allowed himself to get so close.  

Renjun crawled to the sniper rifle that was perched by the ledge of the window. He peered into the lens, closing his other eye.

A stray strand of hair curled by the side of your face while you dramatically huffed.  

Renjun’s grasped tightened on the rifle.

The children ran in circles as you playfully chased after them. You clutched your chest, a feigned cry escaped as the children shot their pretend finger guns at you. You toppled to the ground, your legs flopping comedically. They laughed, a few falling back on the foam matt beside you.  

Renjun pulled away, his eyes dropping shamefully. The painful swell in his chest continued to expand.  

Guilt? Remorse?  

He shook away his thoughts. He needed to do this... or someone else would.  

Renjun realigned the lens, wrapping his finger on the trigger, and unhinged the safety.

Press down. He told himself. Do it!

No matter how much he coerced, he couldn’t.  

───

You spied Renjun from outside the coffee shop. You were plainly in sight on the sidewalk by the bustling road. He was inside the café absorbed in the work on his laptop, his fingers tips lazily typing.  

You had noted him a handful of times now. Up to this moment, you had pretended not to notice his presence but it was pushing three weeks now. Usually, when one gathered intel on their target it didn’t last longer than a week or so. Of course, there were always exceptions but you weren’t a complicated case.

Judging from your past, he was hired either to capture you or kill you. You hadn’t any money reserves or anything worth investigating. Yet, Renjun was stalling.

Maybe he’s after someone else? The foolish part of yourself tried to resonate.  

Renjun’s thumb paused above the spacebar, he stared blankly at the laptop’s screen. There were only so many excuses he could write in his report for not taking the shot.

He was seated in an outdated coffee shop opposing the kindergarten. The place sat almost silent as most of the customers had abandoned ship for the commercial coffee chain that had open up next door. He, however, appreciated the privacy the old café offered.  

He sat in the lonesome booth, tracing the keys absently. Taeil would expect a report by sunset.  

I’m a grifter, an escape specialist, His mind grumbled. Assassination wasn’t even his expertise.  

Why did I have to be assigned to this job?  

His crinkled forehead smoothed at the sight of your image on his report. Your face alit, your beauty held such a wholesomeness. Had he not been the one given this job someone else would have stifled that light of yours...Could he bear that thought?

It was your brother who contracted a hit. You didn’t appear to have the same criminal ties as your brother and Renjun had concluded you must have come as an inconvenience to him. A weakness. Renjun understood that thinking, as twisted as it sounded. One without anything to lose was a far greater foe than one who did.

“What are you working on?” A melodic voice interrupted his thoughts.  

Renjun’s heart backflipped as his eyes enlarged.  

There you were sitting on the other side of the booth. Your elbows were rested upon the table, your iris glittering with sincere interest. Your curls tumble down onto your sunflower apron, a strawberry dress peeking out from beneath.

Renjun slammed his laptop close, “Nothing.” His voice felt thick.  

You kept your composure, offering a carefree shrug. You had witness your face on his screen. You were defiantly a target of his. You played clueless to not arouse suspicion.  

Renjun observed you pull out a stack of envelopes from your woven handbag. He recognized the envelopes from Thursday’s class. You had the children write a wishlist for the coming Christmas.

You carefully unsealed the envelope pulling out a letter written in crayon.

“You don’t mind me joining you,” You piped, “It’s only the two of us in here. No need to dirty another tablet for the waitress to clean.”

Renjun nodded wordlessly.

After a quick read you reached for a sheet of golden star stickers. Renjun curiously watched as you placed one of them on each’s kid’s envelope, scribbling ‘To the North Pole’.  

“The North Pole?” Renjun hadn’t meant to say aloud.  

You peaked beneath your eyelashes, he appeared to stiffen at the sound of his own voice.  

“I promised the kids I’d post them to Santa.” You replied.  

He seemed to relax at your response, settling back in his seat.  

The waitress stepped forward, setting down a cinnamon muffin.  

You thanked her, “Would you like anything?” You asked Renjun.  

“Oh no.” His hair swept over his eyes as he shook his head.  

You tore your muffin in half “Here,” you offered, pushing it forward.  

You held it in front of him, not accepting his refusal.  

Renjun swallowed, his trembling hand wrapped around the muffin. Accidently grazing his finger across yours.

You didn’t appear to notice, lifting the other piece to your lips. You nibbled lightly, returning to the children’s letters.

He shouldn’t have taken the muffin. He was here to take your life, not to indulge in your kindness.  

Renjun neglected his half of the muffin, it felt like poison in his hands.  

You stamped the last letter, you piled them and placed them back into your handbag. One golden star sticker remained. You glanced at your watch recess would end in 5 minutes. The other kindergarten teacher on duty would be eager for your return.  

Now you knew for sure you were Renjun’s target and you had made it clear you knew of him. Renjun would be forced to act.

You stood up, looping your handbag over your shoulder. Renjun’s eyes followed you.

“Thank you for keeping me company.”  

You would be gone by nightfall.  

You leaned down to stick the last golden star on his hand, “Goodbye.”

Renjun brushed over where you had laid the sticker on his hand. You left, the café door ringing behind you.

He angled his head searching for you from the window. You crossed the road, a skip in your step, your curls bouncing behind you.  

───

You rolled your travel-sized suitcase behind you, cautiously checking the coast was clear before abandoning your apartment. You advanced across the dimly lit hallways and past the elevator, you’d opt for the stairs instead.

You heard a group of men, chatting freely. You stumbled back, away from the stairs, and hid between a cleaning trolly and the broom closet. You tucked your suitcase to your chest.

You peaked from above the mop. The four men were dressed in black. They wore shades to mask their identities and had handguns in holsters strapped to their waists. You caught a black crow tattoo on the ankle of one of the men.  

Crap. The Western mafia?  

You rubbed your temples, foiled. Renjun worked of the Northern mafia if you remembered correctly, under the red snake Taeyong. Why were the Western crow’s men here too?  

They pulled the fire alarm on your floor, a screeching echoing thoughout. The resident began piling out of their apartments and down the stairs.  

The men were trying to lure someone out. The angry spray of the sprinklers went off, soaking your shirt and hair.

When all the residents left they kicked down a door. They were taunting, singing out your name.  

“Y/N come out, come out wherever you are.”

Your knuckles clenched

 as you held tighter onto your suitcase.  

Renjun scaled your neighbors' terrace, your apartment was so close. He jumped over the railing, grasping onto your windowsill knocking over a pot plant in the process.  

He had seen the men pull up in their black van, they were coming. Your curtain had been drawn but the light in your apartment was still on so he could only assume you were home.  

He didn’t know what came over him as he desperately jerked through the window.

A spray of bullets narrowly missed him as his head turn frantically trying to find you.  

You heard gunfire. The men erupted in chaos, bellowing at somebody.

“Y/N!” A familiar voice yelled.

You throat dried, Renjun?

Your mind must be playing tricks on you.  

The sound of two thumps and more gunfire.  

“Y/N” Renjun called for you. You must be hidden somewhere in your apartment. “Run! Get out of here.” He hoped you’d hear him.  

Your grip on your suitcase loosened. You weren’t mistaken, it was him.  

Renjun dived out of the way, tipping over the dining table to use as a shield. He had taken down two of the men and the third was out of bullets.  

“Fucking die.” One came charging over the table. Renjun felt fists batter against his ribcage and a headbutt to his face. Renjun dug his nails into his opponent's eyes, kicking out his knees. He took more hits but was able to twist the man into a chokehold before snapping his neck to the left. The man fell in a heap to the side.  

Blood streaked down, obscuring Renjun’s vision. His head faint, his arm numb. There was still one man left. Renjun tired using his elbows to leverage his body off the ground but he collapsed helplessly.  

You must have been insane, absolutely loony. You took off back to your apartment, slowing as you entered through your busted down door. You bit down on your lip, observing the mess. Your apartment had been torn to shreds.

You tiptoed through the kitchen. The last man standing stalked to the upturned dining table. He shot his last round, splintering the wood.  

Your sweaty palms reached for the flower vase on your kitchen counter. You took more steps closer, the man's bald head staring back at you.  

The vase came crashing down, smashing across his head. Glass shattered in all directions, a large jagged piece cutting into your hand.  

The man fell to his knees was but still conscious.  

“You!” He demanded. His hands grabbed for you, clawing the base of your neck. You shook in his hold which only strengthen.  

“Let me go.” You spluttered to no avail.  

The jagged glass was still in your hand. You hardened, thrusting it into your attacker. The glass lodged behind the man's ear and into his skull.  

His clasp around your neck slipped away, as he sagged to the ground. His eyes glassy and lifeless.  

Your chest pounded, adrenaline coursing through your veins. You had never taken a life before.

A listless mumble broke your trance.  

Renjun?  

You shakily approached, your jaw falling as you saw the bludgeon Renjun. His eye was swelled over, his shoulder dislocated, blood trickling out from his lips.

You crouched to feel for a pulse. Panic started to set in, you leaned your ear against his chest. Nothing.  

You folded your hands over one another and began to pump. You heard the creak of his ribs as you pushed.  

“Come on Renjun.”  

If he was here to get rid of you, why had he told you to run? Why did he take on those men?

You pumped harder.

“Come on.”  

You heard a gasp. You immediately went to clear Renjun’s airways, getting him to spit out the blood.  

“Y/N?” He couldn’t believe it.  

“You idiot.” You scolded, rubbing his back.  

Your face was written in distress, a frown plaguing your features.

He suddenly pecked his lips for a short second against yours. He saw your features morph into surprise.  

Like the taste of sugary peach tea, you radiated with such sweetness his teeth hurt from smiling.  

He had decided against his better judgment. You would be his. Screw the job. Taeyong could punish him all he wanted. Renjun would be alright along as he had you.  

“I’m yours.” He managed to say, falling against your shoulder.  

You felt his arms squeeze around you.  

“Your arm is dislocated.” You whispered.  

His only response was to nuzzle closer.  

NETWORKS: @czennienet​ | @nct-writers | @neoswitchnet

MONI’S NOTE: Mafia Renjun's first installment. I hope you all enjoy it. If you do, please consider reading the other member's parts. They are all a part of the same universe, and you may even notice some cross-over between them.

TAGLIST: If you’d like to be tagged in this fic please send me a message.

OPPORTUNITY MAKES A THIEF //  ♫ ♫ ♫

Name: Camille Toussaint Age: 27 Affiliation: The D’Amiano Family Rank: Soldier Occupation: Assistant Manager of Galleria Chic Specialty: Thievery and Con-Artistry Languages: French and English Positive Traits: elegant, charming, calculating Negative Traits: materialistic, blunt, deceiving

You are born in Paris, the heart of Europe’s little joys in life. Since a child you were an admirer of the fine art, museums, exquisite book editions, jewelry and fashion, but your hands never dared touch them, not from fear to ruin them but from the lack of resources to acquire them. So you spent your life saving for tickets to witness the Louvre; entering boutiques and trying on high-fashion sellers, faking your social statute and then blaming their products were meek while your bank account rarely went above the middle of the first four-digit sum; rings and necklaces adorn your frame under the watchful gaze of employees, but they’d never call you their rightful owner. You wash your eyes with the beauty of the materialistic and that becomes your greatest vice.

When you steal for the first time, it’s something small - a family heirloom of a woman in the upper class. You see it laying on the table on the restaurant you work as a server at the age of seventeen, you keep it and call it good luck. Then, you steal your rich best friend’s pearl necklace, a gift for their graduation. You find yourself helping pay rent off of your joke of a salary and the trinkets you find, prized possessions that were never your own. Until you hunger for more.

At the age of twenty one you partake in a heist with a group of misfits with you being the designated thief. You don’t have a plan B, you know it will work. Stealing art takes a good con artist and so you disguise yourself into an art critic to infiltrate a medium-sized but of good influence museum, your target not a Mona Lisa, but all the while worth something. Your first love, the group’s getaway driver assures you they’d be there for you if the plan went to hell. But you don’t anticipate that you’d be the only one to get out there without cuffs on their hands cause of their betrayal.

You run. You lay low and at the right moment you steal your next victim’s identity. A working class woman looking to go to the New World, the continent of progress, and suddenly, New York seems grander than Paris or Europe, even. Imagining the fantasies and rewards that are to be reaped in the big city makes you ecstatic, so you steal the woman’s visa, put some make up, pick up the worst clothes you can find - and board the flight to the city that never sleeps. 

Beginning your work in the fashion industry in America comes at the expense of turning away from thievery. You immediately found yourself a job in a boutique and life seems great when not fighting for survival amidst the streets of Bronx. Fingers twitch with the need to steel, to fix your life for good this time and oh, do they reach their right target. You confiscate a ring worth thousands of hundreds, but this time you don’t keep it for yourself - you look into the black market. That’s when you meet the D’Amiano family, who were seemingly impressed by your skills. Your palms burn and the card of a saint is lit. You’re part of them now. 

At first you steal for them in exchange of enough money to pay your rent. But in the span of two years, you grow up the ladder. With time, accents and disguises become part of you, your soul splitting in the parts of the alter egos that make you the big green cash bills, and with that you earn your trust with the mafia family. You secure yourself a position as D’Amiano’s sweetheart soldier, using your charms, wits and carefully crafted disguises to lure prey into your trap and steal their prized possessions only for your highrankers to sell them twice their asking price or smuggle them somewhere unknown. Life is good, but is being someone’s tool your dream?

The con-artist’s disguises:

Dominique Carter - Her red locks mirror her attitude, a savage and ruthless jewelry connoisseur, able to see the difference between karats and worthy gems just by a single look. Dominique dresses monochromatically and accentuates her features with light, but professional make up while keeping it all business. You don’t want to get on this woman’s nerve, but you also don’t want to miss out on her tempting opportunities. Don’t close your eyes though, or that magnificent Cartier might not belong to the vault any long.

Jessica Michaelson - Dark cascade of hair falls on reserved shoulders, a quiet face hiding their intellect and knowledge of paintings, sculptures and all else artistic. Her clients are usually artists who either refurbish the grand pieces of the Masters or take her advice on new Museum artifact admissions. Behind her modest smile lies her schemes on which project seemed more valuable, therefore presenting the D’Amianos with more deals to make.

Rose Winters - A fashion model, designer and entrepreneur, Rose lives for New York’s most lavish parties and runway shows. These events are her entry to the elite of New York who happen to either know or possess at the moment of speaking valuable items that Rose ( and Camille herself ) saw as glimmering opportunities for monetary gain. Two drops of her special potion made her rich friends drunker than six whiskies, but more sober than two doses of heroin which is exactly what she needs to loosen them up and steal their hard-gained work.

italian beauty ? ages like fine wine !

( marisa tomei, 53, cis female, she/her, cousin ) Did anyone else just see FRANCESCA ‘FRANCES��� LEWIS NEE FAUST ? I hear for the FAUST family they can be a bit FINICKY & OBJECTIVE. But I also heard they can be WISE & MOTHERLY. If you dare, I hear they frequent ATLANTIS - IN in their spare time when they aren’t being a MEDIC / OWNER OF HONEY’S BAKERY. Tread carefully or else you might be next on their list !

biography ( tw: weapons, illness / death ):

francesca lucia filomena faust is a girl crafted after tuscany summers and renaissance paintings. a woman beloved by her family and by the ones lucky enough to 'bask in her afterglow.’ 

first cousin of matthew faust, former leader of the mafia, francesca grows up the ‘golden girl’ of the faust family. she’s too sweet, too warm. they keep her sheltered for a good part of her childhood before enough’s enough. time to teach their darling girl the ropes, if only to protect her from the horrors of their business.

she doesn’t take to the business - not as well as her cousin does. that’s not to say she wasn’t gifted in certain parts of the trade. in fact, she’s very gifted with guns. recognizing she’s not much of a close range fighter, they teach her how to be a sniper and she soars. but any firearm will do. 

yet she prefers to heal than harm, and they allow her to ever so slowly break away from their dirty missions to discover medicine. they do this with pressed smiles. they want her as a gunner, but she’ll become a medic. if she has to be anything at all. 

francesca goes to medical school. she’s exceptionally brilliant and charming, and it serves her well. after all, she did graduate high school early. doctor faust is a title on the tip of tongues at every sunday dinner. 

love changes her future drastically, in the form of a man named abraham lewis. it’s just after she’s graduated med school that he waltzes into her life, uproots it, and teaches her warmth again. she realizes she’s lost it over the years.

honey’s bakery is abe’s family’s business. passed down generations like the mafia has for the fausts. francesca and abraham marry a year later and she decides to throw away her titles in favor of a renewed hope. her family keep her as a ‘part-time medic’ and she obliges. she loves them, after all. 

a few years ago, francesca suffers a loss so great it leaves her breathless. abe experiences a heart attack and dies on the way to the hospital. it’s sudden and surprising and she doesn’t know what to do. in his will, he leaves the bakery to her. it’s their child, they’d joke. they never had the time ( or the luck ) to have kids. 

in his memory, she runs neutral ground. honey’s bakery is known for every walk of life coming through its doors to get a taste of warmth in a city of cold intentions. and she’s hellbent on keeping it that way. her family do not push her for the territory, but she is supplied security to keep things running smoothly for customers. and for her well-being. 

frances lewis is an alias she’s adopted since her marriage. because of her name and her business, not many turn their heads for revenge or cruel fun. she doesn’t go around announcing she’s a faust, either. 

plus, there’ll be a number of pissed off customers if someone lays a hand on the brunette. she’s known around chicago as ‘mom’ and ‘aunt’ and ‘godmother’ and ‘friend.’ without her? who’ll bake that perfect fucking maple bacon cupcake, and serve it with a playful joke? no one could live up to the creations she and her former husband have perfected, and no one could do it with a better grin.

details:

frances worked for her family until she was nearing her graduation as a doctor. during her years in the faust family business, she served mainly as a sniper. she’s still great with her marksmanship and guns in general, but she’s horrible at close combat / other weapons / endurance / etc. 

she is technically a doctor, but she’s never enforced the title. in fact, she’s sorta kicked that old dream to the curb because she adores the bakery so much. while she is an amazing cook / baker thanks to her italian upbringing and her husband’s passion, she sees the bakery as a child she and her former husband shared. and that’s why it holds such a dear place in her heart.

frances doesn’t involve herself too heavily with the family business. in fact, the majority of the time, she simply doesn’t want to know what’s going on unless it may concern her or puts her immediate family in harm’s way. as for everything else? the faust kids are all adults now, they can handle it without her getting in the dang way. her words exactly. the only time she works for the mafia is when they need her to perform as a doctor in dire circumstances. she huffs a lot about doing this, but she does it. 

family is everything to frances. and while hers has its fair share of interesting dynamics, she wouldn’t trade them for the world. it’s safe to say she’s the mom of the group, visiting the faust manor for dinners and celebrations and bringing all the sweets with her. she spoils her loved ones, and insists on maintaining that old-fashioned italian family values. 

she carries a lot of the faust cookbooks passed down. she helped teach oliver his love of cooking and probably forced most of her family to learn a thing or two in the kitchen. she is always visiting ollie’s just to be a perfectionist / pest and correcting sauces, dishes, etc. 

she enjoys visiting atlantis-in because #nostalgia. when she was a kid, she definitely went to a lot of drive-in theaters with dates and got up to her own mischief. she loves films and shows and she’s actually up to date on that. want some movie recs? she’s got a thousand lined up. has a soft spot for foreign films / older films. 

frances is bisexual, biromantic. she has dated both men and women, and she hardly cares which. the last few years she has leaned more towards women, though. 

she speaks the following languages: english, italian, basic latin, average spanish, french, american sign language. 

when she’s emotional ( angry, upset, etc ), she rambles in italian. a lot of hand gestures, a lot of hilarious italian cuss words / slang. it’s truly a spectacle. 

has an alley cat she takes care of called ‘little shit.’ that’s literally it. she loves the little shit, feeds the little shit, keeps an eye out for him. but he’s a pain in her ass. 

wanted connections:

all of them

faust family dynamics

best friend around her age 

childhood friend ( chicago native )

penpal/s

family friends

friends

neighbors ( lives in her own house )

ex husband’s friends / family / connections 

employees 

frequenters at the bakery

security for the bakery

someone/s she patched up as a medic / doc student 

college folks 

medical folks she’s met ( doctors, nurses, etc ) somehow

exes from before her marriage ( she’s bisexual )

maybe one ex after her marriage but it was shitty and way too soon to date for her

ex / current flings, one night stands, blind / regular dates 

people she mothers / practically adopted

people she babysits for

( unrequited ) crush on her

( unrequited ) crush she has one someone

enemies / rivals

someone who’s an enemy and maybe knows who she is but they’re like dammit i like your bakery too much and you’re chill so i’ll keep it on the down low

someone/s who saved her throughout her life

someone who calls her when they’re drunk or w/e and need her to come and pick them up / let them sleep shit off on her couch and they’re such a hassle but she does it

drinking buddies 

gym / fitness buddies

i’m braindead by this point

Sweet danger

Characters: Seokjin x reader 

Word count: 1.9 K

Synopsis:  4. mafia!au + 3. meet cute + 17. “  hold your fire! ” [drabble game]

Notes:  This one took a long time because I have to admit, mafia aus are too dark for me. I get too scared to write them lol. Like how do I write something romantic about a character who does all the nasty stuff associated with an organised crime ring? And then I thought “Huh but what if they don’t do that” and thus this drabble was born. Also I know you requested quote 19 (which is really popular for some reason???) but that’s already been done so I chose my own one. And I picked a member too. Enjoy!!

Eatjin’s bakery is a pleasant sort of place. It has rosy pink walls and the air smells of vanilla and sugar. The tables are pure white with carefully crafted edges that looks like vanilla frosting on the edge of a cake. The entrance, a simple glass door that lets passers-by peer curiously into the interior, is protected from rain by a bright pink and white striped awning. On either side of the white door are two carefully kept flower beds, with brightly coloured flowers lovingly chosen by the owner. And in the centre of the glass door is gold calligraphy proudly proclaiming the name of the bakery, ones that match perfectly with the elongated golden door handle. The metal is cool as you shakily wrap your fingers around it.

A bell chimes brightly as you push the door open. No one else is inside, currently, which is exactly what you need. You don’t need anyone else to witness your current state. You’d managed to wash the dirt and grime out of your hair, and a thick layer of makeup conceals the dark circles under your eyes. So you look presentable, at least. As presentable as you can be in your current situation.

“One moment!” A warm, friendly voice calls from somewhere in the back of the bakery. You want to cry that you don’t have a moment to spare, but you suppose it’s a good opportunity to gather your wits and composure before meeting the owner of the voice. Because said voice belongs to the owner of the bakery you now stand in, the only person in this world who can help you- retired head of the mafia and formerly the deadliest man in the world, Kim Seokjin.

“You’ve come at the right time!” The man himself cries as he steps into view. He’s handsome- warm eyes and carefully combed hair. It’s dyed purple, an odd choice that clashes a little with the pastel pink button down tucked into pure white trousers he is wearing. However, when coupled with the white soda-jerk-hat with bright pink outlines, he looks perfectly at home in the bakery. Surrounded by cupcakes and the smell of freshly baked cookies, no one would never guess at Kim Seokjin’s past. You, in particular, have walked past this bakery on numerous occasions and never even spared a thought to the who the owner might be. “Yoongi just finished a fresh batch of our famous raspberry and white chocolate cookies. The recipe is to die for.” He’s looking down, dusting flour off his fingers, and when he looks up, he offers you a warm smile. The warmth and kindness of his expression is in direct contrast to the sudden sharpness of his gaze and the way he seizes you up, however.

“You look guilty for being here.” He says abruptly, stepping up to the counter and leaning against the glass display. “Let me guess- you’re breaking a diet. Don’t worry. I’m here to help you.”

He steps out from behind the counter and begins to walk up to you. You aren’t expecting it and take a few panicked steps back. He pauses, surprised at your skittishness, and arches an eyebrow.

“No need to be afraid. I was just trying to say that the cupcakes in this display happen to be called the ‘diet-breakers’.” He explains, gesturing to a case full of cupcakes decorated with perfect icing flowers in various colours, not unlike the flowers in the pots on either side of the entrance. He tilts his head and smiles strangely- it sends a chill down your spine, the way it is both charming and practiced but somehow eerie and a little mean. “Unless it’s not the cupcakes you’re afraid of… but me?” He suggests. You swallow and take another fearful step back. He’s hit the nail on the head- you’re terrified of him. In the last 36 hours you have witnessed all the atrocities the mafia is capable of and Kim Seokjin used to be the head honcho. The pastel pink walls and smell of vanilla can’t cover up the underlying stench of bright red blood that no doubt used to stain his hands on the regular.

“You’re Kim Seokjin, aren’t you?” You say, and your voice is hoarse and shaky. He frowns and nods.

“Well, I am, but most of my customers call me Jin.” He admits. “Which makes me think that maybe you aren’t here to try my white chocolate mudcake.”

You hesitate. He’s absolutely right- you aren’t here for the baked goods he has to offer. You’re here because 36 hours ago your parents were killed right in front of you for reasons you don’t understand yet. And your father had told you with his dying breath that the only chance you and your little sister had at surviving was to find Kim Seokjin, former head of the mafia. And he’d slipped a USB into your hand and begged you to run before blood gurgled up between his teeth and the life drained from his eyes. And you’d tried your best to run like he’d told you to, you really had, but you’d failed. They’d taken her, your little sister and you don’t know if she’s dead or alive and Kim Seokjin is the only hope you have.

“I’m here because-“ You finally gather up the courage to say, but he stops you by holding up a hand.

“No.” He says simply. You blink a few times, before attempting to explain further. He merely cuts you off again. “Listen. If you’re in the know enough to seek me out and call me by my full name despite the fact that you’ve never once set foot in the bakery before today, then you should know this: If it isn’t about my delicious baked goods or a complaint about Yoongi swearing at you when he worked the counter the other day, then I don’t want to discuss it. It’s on the sign.” He tells you, jerking a thumb forcefully at what is indeed a sign bearing that exact sentiment. “If you don’t want to talk about cupcakes we don’t want to talk to you” is what it boldly declares in a shimmery gold that almost mocks you. He steps up to you, close enough that you can smell the scent of freshly baked bread from his clothes and makes shooing motions at you. “Buy a cupcake or leave, please.” He tells you dismissively.

He manages to shoo you about halfway to the door before you dig your heels in. You whirl around and grabs his hands pleadingly. That catches him off guard, and he leans away from the way you crane your neck to try and meet his gaze.

“Please.” You say, and your voice cracks. You’re in agony. You haven’t slept in a day and a half, you’ve witnessed your parents death and your sister, a mere child, could be out there suffering or dead. You need this man and his absurd bakery to help you, to listen to your story, anything. You just need somewhere to go from here, instead of constantly running, fearing that every person who walks passed with their hands in their pocket is concealing a gun or knife. Fearing that in the next moment your phone will ring with a call to inform you that your sister is dead in a ditch somewhere. “I need your help, Seokjin. You’re the only hope I have.” His gaze softens at your obvious desperation and vulnerability, and he’s gentle as he pulls his hands free from your grip.

“I’m sorry. You’re obviously quite young, and if my guess is right, you’ve gotten in a little over your head in that world.” He says. “To which I say, you can still walk away. Turn your life around, friend. That’s the only help I can offer you.”

He turns slowly and it is only because you are staring at his back in despair that you see it- the glowing red dot against the pastel pink of his uniform, centred right over where his heart should be. You’ve been shot at enough now to recognise that a sniper is taking aim at Seokjin.

“Get down!” You screech, throwing yourself bodily at him just in time for the display window to explode and send glass shrapnel spraying across the shop. The mirror hanging on the wall that Seokjin had been standing in front of mere moments before is cracked, what is unmistakeably a bullet lodged in its centre. You peel yourself off where you have plastered yourself protectively over Seokjin’s back and settle so that you are on all fours, hovering over his prone figure. It allows Seokjin enough space to roll over and stare incredulously at his ruined bakery from beneath you.

You’re about to scramble off the former mafia boss when, for the fourth time in 36 hours, you feel the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed to the back of your head. You stiffen in fear and Seokjin groans, staring at the person standing behind you.

“Hold your fire, Yoongi.” He pants, winded from the way you essentially tackled him. “It wasn’t her. Whoever it was, they’re probably miles away now. I know I wouldn’t stick around after missing a shot at the infamous Kim Seokjin.”

The sensation of cold metal vanishes and you sit back on your heels, sighing with relief. You turn your head to find another man with the same pastel pink uniform as Seokjin, though distinctly crueller looking and with a gun pointed directly at you. His eyes hold all the sharpness that Seokjin’s do, but with none of the kindness or warmth.

“I told you we shouldn’t have cut costs and skimped on the bullet proof windows.” The man, probably Yoongi, says, without shifting his gaze from you. Seokjin sits up as well, attempting to shake the broken glass from his shirt without cutting himself.

“I think we’d be the laughingstock of the whole city if anyone found out we installed bullet proof windows in a bakery.” Seokjin says with a sigh. “Although Bullet Proof Bakery does have a nice ring to it.”

Yoongi holds out a hand to you to help you up. You gratefully accept and take stock of your injuries. A few minor cuts from the glass but otherwise you think you’re ok. Seokjin follows suit and gets to his feet. He stares despairingly at his bakery for a moment.

“I retired from the mafia business because I wanted to run a bakery in peace.” He says with  a long, burdened sigh, and he looks like he might cry. He turns to you. “Still, despite the trouble you’ve brought to my doorstep, I’m not an ungrateful man. You saved my life, so in return I’ll give you a chance to explain: Why do you need my help and why did I just get shot at?”

You stare around at the ruined bakery, and at the way the windows are open to the street outside. At any moment, any one could walk by and attack you. And as far as you know, Seokjin is the only person you can trust to help you now, so any eavesdroppers would definitely be detrimental to your cause.

“First,” You say slowly. “Why don’t we go somewhere more quiet?” The weight of the USB in your pocket feels like a thousand pounds and you feel like it is burning your skin. “It’s a long story.”

One that you don’t have all the answers to yet, but hopefully the man in front of you does.

He’s your last hope, after all.

BmoreArt’s Picks: Baltimore Art Openings, Galleries, and Events May 9 - 15

THE LUMINOUS

full name: PIPER SANTIAGO birthday & age: October 31st — 30 YEARS OLD pronouns: SHE / HER sexuality: PANSEXUAL occupation: BURLESQUE GIRL — INTELLIGENCE AGENT for THE HELLKITE district: SILVERBROOK lives with: ALONE resident for: THEIR WHOLE LIFE affiliation: ST PIERRE SYNDICATE — INNER CIRCLE positives: affluential, charming, outgoing negatives: impatient, reckless, proud faceclaim: GINA RODRIGUEZ

YOU COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND THEIR STORY …

THE PAST

THE LUMINOUS was unlucky enough to be born into one of the families stuck in bleakwood and struggling just to get by. Her father was a well-respected fisherman but was killed in a tragic accident in 1997 along with 12 other souls. they were all lost at sea and it caused mass hysteria amongst the coastal inhabitants for several months following. her mother took on three jobs to support her and her younger brother and at thirteen years old, THE LUMINOUS followed suit and started bussing tables and offering her help to any shopkeeper in beechwood that would take it.

IT was only a few months after the whiskey goddess’ opening that she managed to land a job there as a waiter; bartender was her original goal but the real owners of the new bar needed to test her strengths and even her loyalty. THE LUMINOUS was unaware she being tested at all but she passed with flying colors all the same. the overly intoxicated customers posed no threat to her and she’d managed to hold her own in an unruly bar fight more than once. she’d managed to impress both THE TYRANT and THE HELLKITE early on, which was more than most in the syndicate could say.

SHE worked as a bartender at the whiskey goddess for three years, discreetly granting aces to all made-members of the ST PIERRE SYNDICATE to their secret headquarters once it finally opened. in that time she fell in love with another member of the Syndicate and would have been happy to call him theirs forever, but her duty called when THE HELLKITE rang. it was time for another promotion.

THE LUMINOUS became one of THE HELLKITE’s girls at the burlesque club, at first only doing small things or a dance here and there. her main operative was to act as her madam’s eyes and ears on the floor. to gather any useful information she could and report back at the end of the night. it was an arrangement her other half, THE LEGACY, was only moderately comfortable with. she knew all too well that if it were up to him, he’d have pulled her out of the syndicate’s affairs long ago when they first found one another. but she was much too deep to turn back and she wanted to finish walking the path to membership, sure that once she’d been fully initiated things would be different. that she wouldn’t have to take orders like a dog.

AND it came faster than most expected, but THE LUMINOUS had proved herself a dozen times over with all of the useful intelligence-gathering she’d done. as the years went on, she found herself being sucked deeper and deeper into the syndicate’s dealings and was even brought into the syndicate’s INNER CIRCLE. which made her privy to almost all the same information as her beau.

SINCE being inducted into the very small council, it’s become impossible to say no when THE HELLKITE called upon her and it resulted in her breaking a meaningful promise to THE LEGACY and it tore them apart for good. that was a year ago, and now they’re still trying to figure out exactly how to coexist within the syndicate together. THE LUMINOUS is determined to find her place among her new family. to use her skills to continue to benefit them however possible.

THE PRESENT

ONE year later, piper has settled in comfortably to her spot in her new family. the power that came with the position was utterly intoxicating to the woman. THE HELLKITE has given piper more opportunities than she ever dared to hope for. however, the more dark secrets that she became privy to, the more she understood why THE LEGACY tried so hard to keep piper from rising in the ranks. although she certainly knew things weren’t going to be sunshine and rainbows, the actual details of the crimes that she is now part of are keeping her awake at night. piper was never what you would call a dreamer. she never harbored any lofty goals for her future. to piper, it was all about surviving. but the reality of the criminal life that she is now leading makes her feel as though she can hardly recognize herself.

AS much as piper would love to snap her fingers and resume a normal life, she knows her chance to leave is far behind her. all that she can do now is embrace the choices that she has made for herself, no matter how much she might regret them now. which is exactly what she has done. piper has used her influx of cash to buy herself a nice apartment in silverbrook, ideal for getting information on the BABINEAUX MAFIA -- far nicer than anything piper had even stepped inside of before -- and uses her body without shame to get the information that she needs. whether it be meer flirtation or full-blown sex, piper doesn’t care. she has learned to detach herself from all emotions regarding her work. the second she thinks about it too much, the guilt will swallow her whole. most of the locals know her as being an easy lay. while they aren’t wrong, the truth is far darker than anyone could ever imagine.

PIPER has also kept her biological family at a distance. this was never exactly out of the ordinary for the santiago clan, an emotional distance was to be expected when work was everybody’s first priority, but now there’s added elements: shame and protection. piper knows her family would be horrified if they learned the truth about where she is making her money. more than that, piper is terrified of harm befalling any of her family due to their daughter being so heavily involved in the life of crime.

TO the city’s residents, piper is the same as ever. bubbly, wild, carefree. but every now and then, piper’s carefully crafted facade cracks. tears flow at night into a stained pillow and nightmares replace dreams. she longs for someone to talk to all of this about. however, she detests the idea of seeming weak to anyone in her new family. and everyone else? well, there’s simply no way that they could ever understand the position that she is in. piper feels like she is living two different lives. two drastically different versions of herself. at this point, piper has no idea which one is the real her. she’s afraid to find out. one thing is for sure, the darkness of her work has hardened her into a more angry and cynical individual deep down.

NOW that piper is in the INNER CIRCLE, she wants to make sure no one ever doubts why she is there. she has ambition and a clear place in the world for the first time in her life. though she has a love / hate relationship with her choices, she knows she’d be far worse off without her new family. she owes everything that she now has to them. when it comes down to it, piper will always be loyal.

                               CONNECTIONS

THE HELLKITE — THE LUMINOUS holds an incredible amount of respect for THE HELLKITE. head of intelligence. there is nobody quite as good as finding out what’s what as THE LUMINOUS. she has a way with words, and even better, a way to get people to talk to her, to really open up. it makes her the perfect lady for the job and her loyalty to THE HELLKITE has never faltered.

THE LEGACY / PHILIP DE BOURBON — former love interest & long-term partner. they first met when she got a job as a waiter at the whiskey goddess and he was the first and only person who ever stood up for her when a group patrons got too rough. they began dating not long after she was promoted to bartender and actually brought into the syndicate. philip loved her fiercely and they made a promise to each other that they would never do anything to betray one another, no matter what the syndicate or their leaders asked of them. but in time, the syndicate drove a wedge between them as THE LUMINOUS was pulled further into THE HELLKITE’s posse and brothel and philip called a quits.

THE VIXEN — there’s always been a fair amount of healthy rivalry between the two, being THE HELLKITE’s right and lefts hands, but when it comes down to it they’re on each’s side and they’ve helped one another out of tough spots before.

THE RUNAWAY — THE LUMINOUS befriended THE RUNAWAY quickly, recognizing those delacroix features anywhere, she knew it would be handy to have an actual memeber of the mafia family on speed dial should things ever go seriously awry. though in time, she learned they were better company than she’d initially been willing to give them credit for.

THE MERCHANT & THE VOLATILE — are both people she’s put in the hot seat in order to find out the information she discovered they had. and the best part, they were never even the wiser to it happening.

the role of  THE LUMINOUS is taken by VAL

I’ve been shipping out a lot of birthday gifts lately! It makes me so happy when someone decides to give my work to someone. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the idea that someone wants to gift something I made to their loved one! It’s crazy, it’s wonderful and I never take it for granted 😊. I try to buy handmade as much as I can for gift giving as well so I don’t know why I find it so amazing that someone would want to gift my work too haha. Next time you need a gift for someone special in your life, take the time to be intentional and see if there is local business or artist that you can check out before you hop on Amazon.

From the Tabletop #7

For all my one (1) reader(s), I apologize for the delay on this instance of From the Tabletop. Everything I said at the end of the last post was clickbait, too, as this time, we're actually going to ping-pong back to Exalted with a brand new circle! FUNTIME! This go-around, our circle composition was markedly different to start, as two of our players from last time dropped out - one couldn't make the first session of the new campaign due to work and the other decided to become a total bitch-baby and pussed out entirely. However, at the same time I recruited two close friends to take their seats. And, due to other meatspace shenanigans, our usual GM had to be gone for the session as well, so Valentinian's player once more took on the mantle of GM for the campaigns kick-off. To begin, let's introduce the first batch of characters we'll be following. First is Rakis. Rakis, according to his player, was inspired by Desert Punk, if you're familiar with that at all. He's a short, wild-child, driven from his desert town into the desert wastes as a child by a mob who murdered his family in cold blood, leaving just him and his brother. His brother then got eaten by a massive sandworm (mechanically, for those who care, a reskinned River Dragon, just replacing the words "water" for "earth"). The worm then seemed to take on a totally different demeanor toward Rakis, and the boy began to believe the worm was his brother reborn. Rakis is a Solar, a survivalist who battles with tricky melee tactics, in tandem with his worm, but struggles in social settings. Then there's Doran, a metalsmith of some repute, whose family was held hostage by some mafia-esque organization until he followed very specific instructions to forge a fairy weapon to their specifications. However, due to not fully knowing the origin of the materials at play and the true nature of what he was making, the weapon took on a ghastly and dangerous set of properties, making it extremely lethal but draining to use. When he went to make the exchange, it was already too late, and his wife and children were already brutally slaughtered. Doran thus swore a quest for revenge. Also a Solar, Doran is a skilled melee fighter, who tries his best to not use the dark artifact in his bag, knowing full well what it can do. And lastly (for now), was my character, Albin. Albin was a design I've had in the wings for a long time, as a scholarly sort who ended up being really heavy into craft, loving both first-age tech and woodworking, from whence he created his main weapon - a wooden longbow. For emergencies, I also have a Prayer Piece firewand, a sort-of rifle but one powered by prayers to Sol Invictus and very, very expensive ammo to make. I play Albin as incredibly deadpan and flat, as some of his flaws include that he doesn't understand metaphor or people very well. And despite that, this character ended up as the face of the party (due to Rakis being socially inept, and Doran being socially hostile) for the first session, at least. Anyway, we agreed the three already knew each other, as Albin worked as a field scholar for Great Forks University (Slogan: Go Fork Yourself!), and the three had reasoned that the MO of both groups that hounded Rakis and Doran made it sound like they might very well be one and the same, so the three agreed to pursue this lead best as they could. Rolling into a random town in the 100 Kingdoms, we asked around about local legends at the guild building, which got us sent to... a crazy hobo who began spouting UFO and "evil shadowy government cabal" conspiracy theories at us. Rakis, quickly tiring of the man's ranting, used his knife to intimidate the man, ultimately causing him to pass out from the shock of the threat. However, we did gleam some useful information - something about the castle outside of town, full of murderers and thieves. Which sounded just like the men we had been tracking. So, off we went. We ventured toward the castle as the sun sank (to mask our approach, this decision was made consciously) and we were accosted by zombies. Which Albin has a distinct advantage over, since Prayer Pieces deal Aggravated damage to undead and creatures of darkness. I also seem to roll freakishly well when I have a firewand on my character. I can't begin to account for that. But we mopped them up and in short order, were making plans on how we were going to enter into this dreaded castle, guarded by spirits and clearly a not-good place to be. Rakis leaped up over the castle wall and stealth'd his way inside, narrowly evading patroling spirits with really wicked-looking knives. Eventually ninja'ing his way around to open the door from the inside for Doran and Albin to enter. The three snuck past a sort of enclosed dungeon area, with a blond(e?) person inside, being beaten by a huge brick house of an aggressor wailing on them. The following exchange actually happened: Rakis: Yeah, this isn't for us. This is probably their fetish. Blond: No, it isn't! Albin: They might have consented to this. Blond: No, I assure you I didn't! Doran: We should ignore them. Blond: No, you shouldn't! Albin: My goodness, that prisoner has opinions on this. We actually started to walk away at this point, and then the captive began singing "All by Myself". So, eventually, we relent (somewhat for meta reasons and also because the GM made us laugh pretty hard on this), and provoke the prison guard to open the door, whereupon Albin lit them up with his Prayer Piece. It took some doing, but we eventually killed the guard and liberated the ma... wo... uh... Lunar within. For the sake of this session, a GMPC, but a welcomed member of the team, Kharas the Blade. Kharas also has a tragic backstory, but it involved markedly less familial homocide. He was betrayed by his old team, who left him to die, hence his Lunar exaltation. Anyways, as the four of us moved up the stairs, we got chased by one of the guards and backed into a room, whereupon I had the idea to invoke the gods for help. This roll was... passable but not amazing, as the god I summoned was a Mouse of the Sun. However, its presence was still antithetical to our pursuer, forcing him into a bottle-neck in the doorway, where Kharas attacked from one side and Albin, Doran, and Rakis held him from the other, eventually leading to our victory. Heading up the stairs, we eventually overhear a discussion between two of the "Six Guns of Black Heaven", which ultimately results in us having a shootout, and capping at least one of them (I actually had to step away from the table for a brief moment, and I missed part of this), and the other came back with us as a hostage. As we escaped the castle, just in time to learn that the castle's original intent was to be a portal between worlds... and it sank into a dark void abyss, just in time for us to learn its name: Castle. Vania. Hahaha... For context, this transitioned into session 2, our GM was back and Kharas was in full player-character role now. Returning to town, hostage in tow, we awkwardly make small-talk to get past the innkeep (barely worked), and then began interrogating her (didn't work), then she launched a surprise attack with a dark-enchanted weapon, which attempted to strangle Doran. She bolted for it, with Albin and Rakis in pursuit of the hostage while Kharas and Doran attempted to disarm the wire-weapon that was in hot pursuit of Doran's neck. Kharas: Wait, it's going for me now?! Wait! I'll turn into a snake! Snake's don't have necks! GM: But, Kharas, snakes are nothing BUT neck! Kharas: ... OH CRAP! Meanwhile, Rakis and Albin are tearing down the hall in hot pursuit. This exchange happens, nigh-verbatim. Me (OOC): I have an ability that can translate sentences into languages I don't know. You speak Flametongue, right? Rakis (OOC): Yeah. What's your idea? Me (OOC): I'll shout out our strategy in Flametongue using my charm. Thus, she won't know what we're up to. Rakis (OOC): I'll hit her high. Can you shoot low? Me (OOC): Yeah. That'll be our plan. I'll use a burning arrow on the floor to prevent her from evading your attack. GM: *Makes a noise that I can't tell is a sob or a laugh* Kharas (OOC): What's up? GM: We have a circle that DOESN'T SUCK!! Ultimately, we managed to plug an arrow into her head, ending her futile struggle. And we probably could've done something about the mess and gotten away largely undistracted, but Rakis then began bragging about what we had done to the barkeep, and we had to skip town. Kharas was even kind enough to transform into a dinosaur and gave Albin a lift, as Doran and Rakis piled onto Mr. Wormsworth and rode out of town. Ultimately, we planned to go to A'Barr up in the north, a large city where we could lay low and maybe find information on our group of serial murderers. En route, Kharas requested Albin make a hurdy-gurdy. Yes, that's a real instrument, look it up on Youtube. Albin, being very hard into craft, easily cobbled one together, and accompanied Kharas in a rendition of Maiden by the River. This means nothing to you, but let me explain about this song. Every time - and I mean every time - this song was performed, someone botched SOMETHING and it usually resulted in a town burning down or something. It was reportedly the song that played before the terrible plague wiped out Scarlet's hometown of the better part of its population, giving the pirate an extreme phobia of the piece. However, we both... rolled 5 successes each! We broke the curse of this damned song! Doran and Rakis didn't fully understand why this was such a milestone for us, but it was an amazing moment for us all. In fact, Doran's player was kind enough to WRITE AND PERFORM THE DAMN SONG. I include the link for your enjoyment: https://www.mediafire.com/file/adyf20gdd3cp5jd/MaidenByTheRiverDraft.mp3/file Not long after, we arrived in A'Barr and began setting to work. But this has gone on quite long enough for today. Join us next time in Exalted where: Rakis tries to burn down half of Great Forks! We battle an Indominus Rex! A fifth Exalt joins the circle! We meet one of Albin's siblings! Doran dies in boiling magma! See you there!

PLAYING: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories

Never played through this game. Between watching Stranger Things and anticipating the GTA Remaster release, I’m in the mood to give it a real try.

Some History

I remember renting GTA on PS1 and having a grand-ole-time with some friends. Stealing cars and running from the cops was pretty fun. The game was hard, with it’s top-down view, but fun. I found it interesting that you could fail missions but keep moving forward. In the end, you just needed to hit a certain score to move on.

Flash forward to GTAIII. While it didn’t invent open world, it both made open world the “it” style for games, and defined how open world games should be. While it was a great blue print, too many games simply cloned GTAIII instead of defining their own path: even platformers like Jak II.

Ultimately, I loved the sense of freedom of GTAIII. Since Rockstar was basically defining how open world should work, their designs were not perfect. But in that there was some freedom in how you completed missions. There was also unrpedictability: which could be either frustrating or entertaining. After playing Hitman 2, I felt GTA should have taken on a more open-structure to missions, but instead they doubled-down on curating each mission. While that allowed for some interesting missions, like in GTA: San Andreas, it also subverted the series’s greatest asset: sense of freedom.

GTA IV & V are good games, in a way. But by the time they’d released, I was done with the overly violent, sophomoric humor, and general trashiness of the series. But even If I don’t love the series now, I still get a kick of nostalgia playing the older games.

PSP

I was a big supporter of Sony’s PSP. At the time of its launch, I thought Nintendo was pretty backwards thinking, even if that thinking led to their financial success. It was exciting to have an “almost” PS2 in my hands that I could walk around with. Any many ways, it represented the mobile gaming experience I enjoy today.

My first game was Liberty City Stories, which I enjoyed! Liberty City held a special place in my heart from GTAIII.. I knew its layout better than my own, real-life neighborhood. Vice City on the other hand...

Vice City

I was super excited about Vice City’s original release. I had spent a year playing the hell out of GTAIII. It was more than a cultural phenomenon in video games, the world knew GTA, for better or worse. People that thought games were for losers talked about GTA with the same fervor as your common nerd. It was exciting. So to have the sequel coming, I was super excited. In particular, I was excited about the hearse, motor cycles, and “fixed” air craft gameplay.

What I got was a good upgrade, but it didn’t quite capture the same magic I felt while playing GTAIII.  The 80′s theme didn’t do anything for me. I feel like the 80s happened on a separate planet. And I’m way more interested in the 90s (my childhood). While there were legit planes and helicopters, there were arbitrary height limits. It was also pretty lame to have a beach city but not allow swimming. And the city itself didn’t have the charm of Libery City (to me). But I know many of my friends consider VC their favorite.

San Andreas, on the other-hand, was amazing--and probably in my top 10 favorite games. I still don’t feel GTA has matched the accomplishment of SA--and at this point, there’s no excuse for Rock Star not to...

Vice City Stories

I was really intrigued by playing a black character. Also playing one that gets kicked out of the military. I’ve got feelings about the military...Anyway because this was likely written by white guys, there doesn’t seem to be much about racism here. Not like Mafia 3, which chose to really embrace racism as a major theme in the story telling.

I am enjoying being back in these classic GTA games. I love the simple gameplay. San Andreas did a great job of making almost every mission feel unique and having special gameplay moments, whether you’re taking pictures, burning down crops of marijuana, chasing a train on motorbike, air-lifting an armored vehicle, you get up to some pretty cool stuff. IV and V basically just have you drive to location, kill everyone, then escape in a car. (So it felt to me, anyways.) While VCS hasn’t had the San Andreas level of mission variety, it also hasn’t overstayed its welcome like IV and V. Missions have been pretty quick and to the point. They also help tell the story a bit.

Ultimately, I just like getting drive around. That’s what GTA is about...

Day 1/? Dwarves

As a personal world-building exercise, I’d like to start expanding what I’ve been wanting to add to my campaign as far as fluff for various races, whether that be society, religious tendencies, gender/sexuality/family, general flavor.

For dwarves, I’ve always seen them as the ultimate workaholics, fixated more on their craft than anything else. Still, over time, rivalries build up, with families developing long and bitter feuds over the craftsmanship, mining ability, and prowress of whatever family they rival. Often times, an outsider may state that a piece of dwarven armor looks nice, only to recieve a long tirade about how it obviously was built by a Ironstout, or someone of that practice, which is obviously inferior due them leaving the metal in the forge for a few minutes too long, unlike their family, which prefers to take it out when it’s just right. They have little time for doing anything half assed, and dwarven crafts are known for being excellent everywhere. They do enjoy drink, however they rarely, if ever drink to excess, and will often judge those who do heavily- perhaps not for their lack of self control, but for their weak constitution.

For religion, the dwarven gods are tied to mining and crafting. There are gods for mining every ore, gods to pray to for safety while digging in dangerous areas, and gods to pray to for every craft. The gods have no real alignment, no more than copper has an alignment, although there are demons- dark spirits that spread poison gas around deep mines, or cause cave ins, etc. Often dwarves will carry various totems and charms to whatever god of the ore they are mining for defense. Outside of that, as they are very family oriented, they may look to their ancestors for wisdom, often spouting the wisdom of great-great-great uncle Thoim the same way a priest may quote a prophet.

For relationships, an outsider is not likely to be able to tell the difference between the genders of dwarves, and for the most part, they often don’t care much either. Gender matters when it comes to making babies, but that’s about it. Marriages/pairings are usually private affairs, often times involving a comparison of genealogies between family elders (often times without the parties being aware they are being considered), and then the consummation occurs at some later date in private, in order to keep a family going. Child rearing is handled by the entire family, with the parents having less of a role, more often the older children raising the younger ones and teaching them the basics of language, mining, etc., then as they age, every member of the extended family being involved to some extent, so that the family bond is not just with the parents, but the entire clan. If a dwarf never marries, it isn’t a problem- it means there’s more time to devote to their craft, and in all fairness, they will be helping raise the child anyway.

Outside dwarven communities, the family loyalty stays strong, with dwarven communities often sticking close and preferring large cities where they can cordon off their own district and have easy access to merchants. However, due to the nature of large cities, these dwarven districts end up being owned by various clans, which usually turn into mafia-esque groups, with the eldest dwarf of a clan being the overseer of the clan. While these districts are often relatively safe for outsiders to do business in, it’s important to understand which family owns which business, and not to show favor to any one family.

While dwarves are often civil, albeit gruff and curmudgeonly, they often find other races to be annoying and a waste of time. The only way to really gain a dwarf’s respect is to show extreme competency in some craft or skill, but measuring up to a dwarf’s standards is very difficult. Elves and gnomes often come close in this ability, but the flamboyant and ethereal nature of elves, and the hyper-individualism and whimsy of gnomes makes friendships uncommon at best. That being said, if you end up helping a dwarf in need, they will be loyal to a fault until they feel the debt has been repaid. A merchant who comes across a starving dwarven caravan and shares his rations may find himself saddled with several loyal bodyguards, and a regular stream of fine jewelry and weapons once the caravan has reached safety, with generations remembering the favor and honoring it. On the same note, a serious insult or offense is never forgotten as well. It takes a lot to seriously offend a dwarf, and it’s always a bad idea.

Dwarven society is completely dependent on trade for food, which makes them particularly vulnerable to conflict. Dwarven diplomats will often arrive with wagonloads of jewels to buy off any mercenary armies and force any warring factions to cease, allowing the supply lines of food to continue. If that fails, dwarves will often look at a conflict logically, and send in troops to help the stronger army crush the weaker as quickly as possible. Dwarven tactics in war tend to be straightforward, with high levels of discipline within the ranks.

Dwarven music is often slow and solemn, with a huge collection of family dirges and histories. They rarely make music for fun, although there are a number of drinking songs that various human bards have set loose into the younger dwarven community that are spreading like wildfire. Dwarven fare is high in protein, with meat, beans, hard bread, and high nutrient veggies making up most of it. Flavor tends to be low as a priority, with dwarven war rations being nigh inedble, even for dwarves. Ale tends to be very high proof, with dwarven whiskey being practically everclear.

Dwarven adventurers are rare, often times they have been cut off from their family due to some grave offense, or have lost their family entirely. The adventuring life is often one of melancholy, as they pine to return to the mountains and their clan, and hope to amass enough wealth enough to buy a hold in some dwarven community and start a new clan, or clear their name.