Futuristic sweet like honey (private)

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. outfit. ​

Anna was already bored. Well, maybe bored wasn’t the right word as much as “already starting to feel the drain of her powers.” But there was definitely a good dash of boredom in there as well. She hated her family’s parties. It wasn’t like they even really needed her there. But not having their youngest daughter there would have made the family look bad, and so she had to be there. They had to show a united front, her father said. Missing family members just wouldn’t do. Even if the missing family member was the youngest daughter who was constantly overlooked at meetings, and whose presence probably wouldn’t even be missed from the meeting.

Still, if she had to be present, she didn’t have to be sober. Her family wasn’t one to be bad hosts, and so there was plentiful alcohol and food available to everyone who happened to wander into the house. Anna knew that she couldn’t wander too far or for too long in case someone missed her, but she could disappear for long enough to retrieve another drink and stuff her face with a canape or two.

As much as she hated parties, she hated the thought of this one even more. They wanted to marry off one of her brothers. A strategic political alliance, they called it. Anna already knew what was going to happen. She and the other woman would be flung together at just about every single event, so the men could talk business and the women could talk about shoes and cosmetic procedures. Even if she knew nothing about this potential fiancee, she already had a picture of her built up in her head. Blonde, pretty, barely even two brain cells to rub together, somebody innocent and not a threat at all. A playing piece in whatever game her family was playing. And Anna had sympathy for the poor woman, she really did. Somebody else who’s life was entirely out of her control. But that didn’t mean Anna had to like her immediately.

She shoved her hands into the pockets of her dress as she scanned the room. The dress was a present from her mother; a peace offering and an instruction all at once. Anna knew it was expensive. It felt expensive and it looked expensive. Perhaps worst of all, it was comfortable. Even if it wasn’t exactly Anna’s preferred style, she couldn’t claim to be uncomfortable in it. And it had pockets. But that didn’t change the fact that her mother handing her the dress had been an order, one Anna hadn’t had the energy to fight. An order to look pretty and fit the family’s image. Every time Anna caught sight of herself in the mirror, she felt like she was looking at a younger version of her mother.

She knew that the only thing preventing her from being the subject of an arranged political marriage such as this one or her mother’s was her sexuality. Her family weren’t exactly great, but they also weren’t going to force her to marry a man. If she’d been older or more important, maybe they may have considered it, but it was the one point that Anna had dug her heels in about, and the one thing they’d listened to. If Anna married anyone, it would be a woman. And it turned out there weren’t all that many queer women available for arranged marriages.

As she drained another glass and handed it off to a passing waiter, she could see her father giving her an all too familiar look. It was time for her to meet the poor woman who was to marry into her family. She sighed and made her way over to the rest of her family, to see what horrors awaited her.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

A death march. That’s what it was. Antontia’s father told her that this party meant nothing. That it was just a meeting between the two families to see how well they mingled. That nothing had been decided yet. That she didn’t need to worry about it. But Toni knew the truth. A death march. A march headfirst into the end of her life as she knew it. The death bells started tolling the second her father found himself a young, eager bride who wanted children. Sure enough, she was pregnant within the year, and it was a boy. A boy, the true heir to the De Santis family, as far as tradition was concerned. Toni couldn’t care less about tradition, but her father did. Or at least, he did when it suited him. He disregarded tradition when his only heir was a woman, but now that he can conform, it appeared as if that was the route he was taking. Of course, he kept his final decision close to his chest. He would not reveal it any time soon, and that left Toni in the middle, anxious and irritated about the possible sudden direction change of her life.

To accompany this somber meeting, Toni wanted to wear black. However, as soon as she stepped out in that stark black dress, her father sent her back into her room to change. So she settled on something that was a mixture of black and white. It perfectly symbolized her feelings: a combination of death and marriage. She spent the entire car ride over sitting in pure silence. The world rushed past her window like it always did, but Toni hardly saw it. The lights all blurred together. The vibration and hum of the car’s engine faded into one singular note that rang in her ears. Originally she had hoped to come up with some sort of plan. Perhaps she could act nasty and the Vargas’ will reject her. Perhaps she could fade to the sidelines and slip away at some point. But her mind betrayed her; instead it was unable to focus on much of anything.

The car slowed to a stop, and Toni had to blink into awareness. She stepped out onto the asphalt once the car door had been opened for her. It took a few seconds, but eventually that perfectly normal, seemingly natural smile creased her lips. There was no devilish plan that she could come up with, no plan she would be willing to carry out. So she was going to be the good little girl she was raised to be. She saw pictures of the Vargus boys before. None of them were exceptionally bad looking, or at least, that was what she tried to convince herself. In truth, Toni felt no attraction to any of them. She’d never felt attraction to a man before, despite all the attempts to try and pretend this wasn’t true. The most she could hope was that her future husband would be an understanding and busy man that wouldn’t push past the boundaries of being a dutiful wife. Perhaps that is how one of the Vargus boys would be. She needed to try and figure that out tonight.

Toni entered the party behind her father. He immediately moved to start taking the room by storm, greeting semi-familiar faces, and introducing them to his daughter and wife. First, the heads of the household, Mr. and Mrs. Vargus. They appeared friendly, but everyone did. That’s what they wanted. Their boys were similar. Well dressed, respectful, all with their own minor personality quirks and differences. She hadn’t interacted with them enough to make any judgment on them, but her brain was already trying to convince her that any of them would be fine. They would all make good husbands. Well, good enough husbands. And then Mr. Vargus said he wanted to introduce his daughter.

The surprise was evident on Toni’s face, but she pushed past it as quickly as it appeared. She had no clue the Vargus’ had a daughter. Their entire family was polite and social, surely she would be as well. Toni’s eyes scanned the room for an approaching woman, and when she spotted the person making her way towards them, all of the color drained from Toni’s face. How…? How could this be? She blinked, even brought her hand to her face to rub her eyes. Nope, she was still approaching. Sure enough, it was her, a woman Toni saw late into the night not too long ago. She hadn’t even asked her name; it was almost like a silent agreement between the two that they’d have their fun and then go their separate ways, even once they’d found each other a handful of times after that. And here she was, the apparent daughter of the Vargus family. And, gods, was she beautiful. That beauty is what drew Toni in initially, and that hadn’t changed. In fact, she looked even more beautiful right then in that dress that showed off her slender waist.

Toni’s eyes flicked up and down her form before settling on her face and casting her a smile, a smile that had suddenly become much more forced than before. “Hello,” She greeted, holding out her hand to her. “I am Antonia De Santis, but please, call me Toni. It's a pleasure to meet you.” There was something in Toni’s eyes, an almost pleading that begged this woman to go along with her. She could try and explain everything later, but right then, they had to get through this interaction with her family being none the wiser.

 

[partially-stars]

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

The thing Beau liked most about parties was the amount of free food available. He was frequently sent to spy at parties, and he never complained. He’d barely been at this one half an hour and he’d already tried one of every canape going and had a mental list of which ones he was going to stash in his pockets to bring home with him. Food was food, but free food was best of all. And of course, there was plenty to drink as well, but drinks were harder to smuggle away. And, well, he did need to keep a clear head to do his job.

Spying at parties mostly involved him weaving his way around the room, joining groups and pretending to listen to the conversation while really listening to people’s thoughts for interesting tidbits. When he inevitably got bored, he’d slip away and find somebody else who looked interesting. So far, the biggest piece of information he’d gotten was that apparently this was some political alliance rather than just a nice friendly party. He’d been given that information a while ago; it was one of the reasons he was here. The DiSantis clan wanted to know if the Vargas’ were up to anything nefarious.

Beyond the information he was supposed to be looking for, he was also learning plenty to keep himself entertained. Affairs, floundering finances, criminal investigations… oh, the things he could do with this information. Really, they all had no idea that he was far more interested in the stories behind it all rather than using the information for his own gain. Every time he was at an event like this, though, he kept waiting for someone to spot him and recognise him, actually recognise him as someone from their past. They never did. His past remained as much a mystery these days as it did the day he’d woken up in the forest.

In order to distract himself from that, he positioned himself near the Vargases. The father was thinking about the deal - something about a marriage? One of the boys was also thinking about it, but in considerably more nervous terms. Not good nerves, either. Bad nerves, the type that consumed his thoughts to the point where they were uncomfortable for Beau to listen to. He moved on to the others. One was glad he wasn’t the one getting married, but still wished he wasn’t at the party. Understandable, perhaps. And the other’s thoughts were boring, much like the father’s. The mother was looking for her daughter, hoping she wasn’t causing mischief.

Then the DiSantis entered, and all of their thoughts changed to focus on that. Beau snagged another handful of canapes from a passing tray in preparation for needing to focus a little more on the Vargases and their thoughts. He was expecting more boring business thoughts, if he was being honest; it seemed like both parties wanted this deal as much as the others. And then the Vargas daughter approached the group, and Beau detected a flicker of panic coming from both her and Toni. Somebody else might felt they were invading their privacy; but Beau wanted to know what was going on, and he was going to find out. He dove into the Vargas girl’s thoughts; and smirked to himself behind his glass as he realised that he had struck gold. Oh, this was going to be interesting.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit.​

Despite what some might think, Chas was not a fan of parties, especially parties like these. Such social settings were entirely unnecessary. Spending hours making small talk about meaningless topics with boring, bland people was Chas’ personal hell. He had no reason to attend them; as far as he was concerned, he was exactly where he wanted to be in the world. There was no need for him to create more allies or meet new people. He'd much rather spend his afternoon huddled over one of his many tomes or teaching one of his many children. Instead, he was dressed to the nines, per usual, with a maroon colored suit fitting perfectly to his tempered body.

A glass of wine rolled between his fingers, and he sat in the corner, skulking to himself. Chas took the occasional sip, and he enjoyed the fragrant, bitter, and slightly earthy tones from the crimson liquid. It wasn’t a shock he was alone. Nobody dared approach him, with those piercing eyes and deep scowl on his face. Approach him, the Good Doctor, when he was so clearly irritated? Nobody would dare. That would prove to be unproductive to his goal for the night. The only reason he dragged himself to that dreadful party was to search for clues, hints, anything that might steer him in the right direction. When the body of one of his younglings was discovered, Chas was out for blood. Getting it would be easy, of course, but who deserved to bleed? That would be harder to find, especially given the fact that they didn’t find much that was helpful at the scene of the crime. And sitting to himself wasn’t going to gain him much information.

Eventually, Chas got to his feet. His wine glass was empty; the perfect excuse to start mingling. And, gods, did he hate it. Most people tried to subtly shrink away from him, a reaction he usually enjoyed, but today, he wanted them to speak. This event was hosted by two of the most notable crime families in the entire city. Surely somebody there was involved. Even if they weren’t part of the families, someone trying to pick a fight with them would take this perfect opportunity to snoop on their targets. And the only way for Chas to find out was to actually speak to people. Once his glass was filled, he did his best to move around the room. He conversed with a few contacts, but despite his efforts, they proved to be fruitless. A part of him considered willing people to speak, in whatever way he might need. He had the means right at his fingertips. Chas spotted a well dressed young man, standing not far from Matteo De Santis; he seemed important. It wouldn’t be too difficult to try and shuffle him away from the crowd. That steely gaze was about to lock onto his target before it flitted away, settling on someone else instead.

There he was, the perfect solution to all of Chas’s problems. There was no need for him to interrogate anyone when he had a telepath aiding him. Even if he hadn’t even approached the man, Chas was confident he would be offered assistance. With a pleased smile on his face, Chas approached behind Beau, only stopping once he was close enough to lean over him and speak, “Hello, pretty boy. Fancy seeing you here.” There was a bemusement in his voice coupled with his usual flat sincerity; he was not exaggerating, nor was he lying. It was evident Chas meant every word he said. “I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of fun snippets tonight. Care to share?” Chas’s eyes flicked up, spotting exactly what Beau was watching unfold. “That already looks like a mess.”

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

Anna could feel waves of anxiety coming from the direction of the two families. Perhaps that wasn’t surprising, given everything that was at stake for them all. She knew Artie was nervous about the whole thing; she didn’t have to be an empath to know that. He knew where he stood in the family; and knew that if he wanted to make them happy, then this is what he had to do. And unlike Anna, making his family happy seemed to be all Artie cared about. But this anxiety didn’t feel like Artie’s. His was there, sure, but it wasn’t the dominant one. It wasn’t Damian’s, and it sure as hell wasn’t Samuel’s. God knows he barely seemed to have any emotions for her to feel. No, this was new and unfamiliar to Anna.

She realised she’d been dwelling on the emotions instead of paying attention to the family, and fixed a polite smile on her face as she reached them. The smile froze rather than dropped as she took in the people in front of her. Rather, the woman in front of her. She wasn’t some blonde nothing. She was a spitfire that Anna had gone home with a handful of times. There had always seemed to have been an unspoken mutual agreement that they didn’t talk about themselves or their family. They hadn’t even given their names. Time seemed to freeze around them as Anna put pieces together. Why hadn’t their families thrown her and Anna together? Did they deem Artie a better match? Perhaps; a calmer personality was likely to present less of a risk. But Anna knew one thing; she wasn’t going to say anything until she knew more. Until she had more answers.

She took the other woman’s hand, keeping her smile in place and meeting her eyes. "Likewise, Toni. I’m Anna, only my mother gets to call me Annabella,” she said, her smile widening a little. She kept the gaze for half a second longer than she should have gone, hoping that Toni (god, what a fitting name) would know that she would keep their secret. She shoved her hands back into her pockets, ignoring her mother’s side-eye. She had to remind herself not to stare. Toni looked so wonderful; her dress a work of art, fitting her body so perfectly. Had her mother made her wear that dress too? Or had Toni gotten to choose?

“Fantastic, now that the introductions are made, I think it’s time for us to talk business. Shall we, Mr. Di Santis?” Anna’s father said. The grown-ups turned and walked away, giving Anna time to turn and shoot Artie a look. He frowned, and Anna shrugged. He nodded back. They’d gotten very good at silently communicating in a way their parents or brothers couldn’t understand. He’d give them five minutes to talk and cover if necessary. Anna turned back to Toni.

“I adore your dress, please, tell me where you got it!” Anna gushed, linking her arm in Toni’s and beginning to walk towards the drinks table in the hope that Toni would get the message and follow her to a less crowded area.

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Beau jumped out of his skin as somebody leaned over him slightly and spoke. But he knew that voice; smooth and eloquent as always. “Jesus Christ, Chas, I was listening to some good gossip and you just frightened the shit out of me,” he said. Beau had never been that well spoken and being around somebody as smooth as Chas was never going to change that. The odd thing was, he knew he didn’t need to. Well, Chas had him thinking that he didn’t need to. He never seemed to judge Beau, but there was something a little too… honest about him. People weren’t that honest. People lied and deceived and used double meanings. Some were just better at covering it than others, especially if they knew they were talking to a telepath. Like Chas did. But hey, Chas hadn’t changed for the Di Santis clan, so he sure as hell wasn’t going to change for The Good Doctor either.

He smirked, digging one of the mini pastries that he liked out of his pocket as Chas asked about gossip. Oh, did he have gossip. He’d heard (and seen) plenty from the girls to know what was going on. “Mmmm, nothing along the lines of what you’re looking for, I’m afraid,” he said with fake sincerity, even managing something close to a straight face for a second. “But… I have a particularly tasty bit of information. But it has to stay between us, you understand? If you like this pretty face so much, you better make sure it doesn’t get…” He drew his hand across his neck and pulled a corpse face to demonstrate. "Got it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I know of a particularly interesting affair. And what’s more?” Beau said, leaning in. “It’s between a Vargas and a DiSantis,” he said, glancing at the two girls. The Vargas one was apparently trying to drag Toni away to talk. He glanced back at Chas with a raised eyebrow. “And it’s not the arranged marriage.”

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

Annabella. It was such a pretty name. A pretty name that fit a pretty girl exceptionally well. And Toni knew just how pretty Annabella was, especially out of her dress, and especially out of the oppressive grip of their families. It made sense, really, why Anna was just as nonforthcoming as Ana about the details of her life. Toni didn’t know much about her, but she knew quite a lot about the expectations of families like theirs. She couldn’t help but wonder if Anna was in a situation just like her: did her family know of her sexuality? Regardless, she spotted the recognition in Anna’s eyes, and she could only pray that Anna would go along with pretending to not know each other.

Her prayers were answered. Toni kept her smile as natural as possible, but the fear and anxiety was coming off of her waves. It was bad enough that she was there against her will, being shopped around like a prized cow. Now she was faced with someone who knew one of her deepest secrets. “That’s such a beautiful name,” Toni complimented her, and she had to fight to keep her voice from wavering.

Thankfully, their parents were nonethewiser, but those words did not soothe her. In fact, the anxiety spiked. Her nerves were so intense Toni felt sick to her stomach. Her father seemingly spotted the terror hidden deep in her eyes, and he smiled just before stepping away. “We are just talking, Antonia. And we will talk later. Try to enjoy yourself.”

Toni’s eyes lingered on him as he disappeared, but she was suddenly whisked away with linked arms. After a few rousing blinks, Toni’s eyes drifted to Anna’s face. Anna was speaking to her, but about something trivial, and in a tone that implored Toni to play along. Toni still hadn’t entirely recovered, so her words came out rather slow and almost stilted, but still earnest enough that any onlookers had no reason to not believe her. “Oh. Thank you. I got it from an adorable little place uptown, it’s called The Closet. I’ve been shopping there for… a few years, I believe.” In the context of their conversation, the metaphor was heavy and easy to decipher, but without context, they were just chatting about a small boutique. “Have you ever been?” Toni’s attention remained on Anna’s face, but only in between glances around them. She hoped Anna would lead them somewhere they could talk more freely, but she would be able to adapt regardless.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit.​

There was a brightness glowing in Chas’s eyes; a mirth that bubbled over as he watched Beau’s surprised expression. Chas was properly smitten with the man in a number of ways, but given Chas’s history and role in the world, most would see that intensity in his gaze and shrink away, assuming predation. But not Beau. Despite his lack of trust in those around him and the walls he built to protect himself, Chas did not care, because Beau was fun and cute and he enjoyed their conversations. It wasn’t often someone met a full blown psychic, and one this adorable? Chas was properly bemused even at their first meeting. And now, he was thankful for such an ally.

However, Beau's initial explanation that he had very little helpful information to give brought a frown to Chas’s face. Surely, someone here had to know something, but if Beau hadn’t heard anything, then there must not be anything worth hearing. Before he could make some sort of irritated comment, Beau explained that there was something indeed worth hearing; it just didn’t pertain to Chas’s current personal quest. His expression remained steady, calm, even as Beau prefaced the reveal with the possible danger of sharing it. “You don’t have to worry about that with me; you should know that by now, beautiful.” Chas cared not for keeping secrets, sure, especially pointless ones that do nothing more than placate others, but he was not stupid enough to go blabbing them and naming his sources. He understood the danger of having information, but for himself, feeling danger was a rare occurrence.

Chas leaned in and followed Beau’s eyes yet again, and his suspicions had been confirmed: the two girls had a closer relationship than they were letting on. Chas nearly snorted, a pleased smirk curling his lips upward. “I have heard far more surprising things in my life. Antonia may think she’s reticent, but my little birds see the places she frequents.” Chas pressed his lips to his glass again and took another sip. “But with a Vargus? That is more of a surprise,” He hummed with amusement. “I wonder how long that will last.”

That piercing gaze returned to Beau once his interest in the two girls waned. “It is a shame you haven’t heard anything else though. It's the whole reason I showed up tonight. Perhaps if I stick with you for the remainder of the evening, I’ll learn more than trying to squeeze information out of anyone I corner.”

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

Even further away from prying eyes and ears, it seemed that Toni was still terrified. God, Anna wished there was a way they could talk more freely, where they wouldn’t have to watch their words so much. But if both of them disappeared at once, somebody would be sure to notice, and that would only make things worse for them. So they’d have to do what they could and figure things out later.

When Toni spoke, her words were slow and measured. It took Anna a moment to fully grasp Toni’s meaning. There were a few moments as she wracked her brain to try and remember if that was somewhere that her mother had dragged her over the years. And then things fell into place once again and Anna nodded understandingly. So that was why they’d picked Artie as the sibling. She smirked to herself a little.

“Ah, I am… familiar with it. Although I haven’t been there for years,” she mused. “My family knows I have… different tastes. As long as I behave myself at these events they don’t mind… what I wear,” she said. Speaking in code was exhausting. But part of their arrangement had been that they didn’t give phone numbers, they didn’t have any way of contacting each other. If they stumbled across each other again, fantastic. But Anna couldn’t just hope they ran into each other at a bar again so they could talk a little more freely.

“Have you ever been for tea at the Starlight Hotel? I believe it’s near that little boutique.” She asked. It was a spot in town near some of the bars they frequented, she was sure that Toni would have known where it was. “If you haven’t, we should go for tea there sometime soon. Get to know each other better.” She said, her smile genuine as she silently prayed that Toni would grasp her meaning. “They offer tea late into the evening.” They were the type of hotel that very much didn’t offer afternoon tea; but the bar was badly lit and the patrons weren’t the type to gossip, or at least, not to gossip in circles where either of their families would hear.

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Beau wasn’t used to sincere compliments. He heard them plenty; people trying to tempt him to see if they could get anything out of him. But their intentions were always clear, he could hear them louder than the words they said to him. He could smile politely, sometimes play the game with them, and then slip away. But Chas was different. Because Chas seemed like he meant them. And that was… well, if he was being honest, terrifying. Because people just weren’t that sincere. Even if people meant them, they only meant them for as long as it would take to get him into bed. When it became clear that wasn’t his speed or his style, they lost interest. But that wasn’t the case with Chas. And so Beau had to presume that he was playing a game of another sort. He had to guess that, because the alternative was far too overwhelming and intimidating to even contemplate.

Still, when Chas was pleased with the gossip that Beau offered, Beau found himself smiling a little wider than he would have liked. The alcohol in the drink was clearly going to his head. “My guess is that their duties to their families and the awkwardness of an arranged marriage will kill the whole thing but who knows?” He said with a shrug. He turned away from them, back to look properly at Chas. Their gossip was getting boring now. But he picked the worst time to fully meet Chas’ eyes as that piercing gaze landed on him. He shrugged again, choosing to look at the floor instead. If Chas was playing a game with him, Beau knew that he would prefer not to know about it. He didn’t like the thought of being used; but so few people even pretended to try and like him. They found him too odd and erratic. Meanwhile, Chas had literally just seen Beau pull a canape out of his pocket and hadn’t batted an eyelid. If they were playing a game, Beau was willing to play along for a while longer if it made him feel a part of something.

“Shall we take a turn around the room, Mr. Dolorem?” Beau asked. “We can see if I stumble across anything relevant, and if we don’t, well, we can at least position ourselves nearest the best gossip.”

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

The tension never faded. Toni did her best to conceal it, but it was an order too tall for her to complete. She oscillated between squeezing Anna’s arm, nearly clutching her before letting go. She had no clue who was listening, what ears were tuned into their conversations, whether or not they understood her little code words. She wasn’t exactly being subtle. Anna caught on quick, and her words piqued Toni’s curiosity. Anna’s family… they knew? And they didn’t mind? A look of confusion crossed her eyes. How was that possible? Was that possible… for her? Would things be different if her father knew? Maybe in the past, maybe when he had no choice but her. With someone else he could fall back on, with a son on the way now… No. Toni couldn’t risk that. She had to keep all of her cards close to her chest. That’s how it had to be.

However, Anna, she had a plan, one that did little to put Toni at ease, but it was something. And that’s all she needed: something. Something to do, something to think about, some plan to execute. So, she nodded. “I’ve never been,” Toni replied quickly, but she continued, “But it sounds like a delight, as does your company. I believe some time together is in order. We really must get to know one another; I have a sneaking suspicion that our families will become inseparable soon.” As much as she fought to keep her tone flat, it revealed the truth, the fear. Not an emotion that she dwelled on often.

“When would you like to meet up?” Toni asked, and she fought the urge to suggest going there now. In all honesty, she would say yes to it in a heartbeat, but she couldn’t suggest that. It would be uncouth for someone like her. She didn’t want to suggest anything; giving up control was also not something she did often. Tonight was a night of uncommon occurrences.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit.​

Dark brown eyes stared through thick eyelashes, flitting between the people in the room and the pretty number in front of him. It was distracting, having Beau in front of him when Chas was supposed to be busy, when he was supposed to be working. He watched him, intently, as intent and intense as he always was. It was intimidating to most, really, well, intimidating to everyone, but Chas knew that full well. He didn’t care. And as far as he was concerned, if someone else cared, that was their problem. His interest waned on Toni and the Vargus’ girl’s star crossed romance. “Toni is as tenacious as her father,” His voice was emotionless, matter-of-fact, and bored, just like he was already. “She gets what she wants, not by the hand of someone else, but her own. Unless she’s going against her father’s wishes. So, we shall have to see what fate has in store for those two lovebirds, but I believe it will be a fate they craft themselves.”

Chas hummed in response to Beau's proposition. His loomed irritation and boredom faded. He was never bored with Beau. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea,” Chas finished by holding out his crooked arm, offering it to Beau. “We should also stop at the nearest refill station.” Chas held his glass out; it was more than half empty. He pressed the ridge to his lips, tossed his head back, and emptied it. “Shall we?”

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

Anna gave a small but satisfied smile as Toni caught her meaning. She’d learned all too well from her family how to communicate without saying outright what she meant. That feeling of satisfaction soon faded, however, at Toni’s response. To give Toni credit, her mask had fared up remarkably well until that point. But her voice wavered, ever so slightly, giving away her anxiety, and Anna’s heart ached at that. Anna could only imagine how she felt, being forced into something like this. She would have expected Toni to be more resistant to the idea, given her previous impression of Toni; but family was messy and complicated. Anna knew that much.

There was a moment where Anna thought about suggesting they meet later that evening; she wanted answers, but most of all she wanted to see the Toni she’d met first, to be reassured that she was still there. But that wouldn’t work. Toni’s family would probably be watching her closely that night, and Anna wasn’t sure she’d be able to escape hers. She thought for a second.

“How about tomorrow evening?” She asked cheerily. “That way you’ll have a chance to tell your family you’re going out for tea so they won’t worry if they miss you. We also may be able to learn some juicy details from our families that we’ll be able to share with each other tomorrow then,” she said with a wry smile. Meaning that they’d have a better idea of what they were facing then.

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Beau nodded in agreement as Chas suggested stopping to refill their glasses along the way. He could also snag more canapes that way. The way in which Chas drained his glass held Beau’s attention for a second longer than it should have. God, the man really was beautiful. But Beau shook the thought out of his head. Beautiful was dangerous. Beautiful was deadly. Beau really could only throw Chas as far as he could throw him (which wasn’t very far) until he got a better idea of Chas’ true intentions. He fixed his eyes on the nearest bar, heading in that direction and trusting Chas would follow.

True to Beau’s expectations and hopes, there was also a tray of canapes by the tray of drinks. Beau took a glass and a handful of the tastiest canapes, stashing the latter in his pockets as he surveyed the room for anyone interesting or sketchy. When first impressions didn’t offer much in terms of prospective targets, he resorted to scanning the minds of the people nearby. Much like the last time he’d searched, there hadn’t been anything particularly relevant. At least, not at first. A man a few feet away from them had a glancing thought; one with potential, at least. Beau raised his glass to cover his lips.

“The man in the blue suit at my two o’clock. Talking to the woman who looked like she just robbed a jewellery store. I… I think he might know something, but he’s not actively thinking about it. If you talk to him… bring up something that makes him think about the whole situation I might be able to learn a little more for you,” he said quietly, glancing at Chas.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

A brief sense of disappointment flashed in Toni’s eyes. It's true; she did wish Anna had said they could meet up tonight. It would have been a nice distraction for all of this. God knows she was going to spend all hours of the night staring up at her ceiling, thinking, dreading, anyways. Every decision she’d made in life. Every thought. Every dream. And how they culminated in this, in her worst nightmare. But alas, she could not get everything she wanted in life. If she did, she would be paired up with… with someone else, not a Vargus boy. She’d only spoken to them in passing, but they weren’t the most dreadful candidates. One of them seemed sweet, the other reminded her of her father. Now that would be her worst nightmare.

“Tomorrow evening sounds lovely,” Toni replied, polite, distant. Her mask was crumbling, that is, if it wasn’t dust already, but she was desperately grabbing at the pieces. “I doubt that they’ll even notice I’m gone.” There was a twinge of bitterness in that one, but her eyes remained distant, almost lost, as if she was searching for something to look at. “I would love to hear those juicy details, especially about your brot-” Toni’s word was cut off; she practically choked on the final syllable. An intense wave of nausea overcame her; when did the room start spinning? She leaned on Anna a bit more. She hated this feeling, this weakness. Six months ago, she was commanding dozens of men, learning routes, planning meetings, and now she was being reduced to a broodmare. This wasn’t supposed to be her life. She felt pathetic. “I’m sorry, I’m just… really tired. Is it alright if we sit down somewhere? And, god, I’m parched too…” It was a fight to keep her voice steady through all of that, the fear, the queasiness, and the anger.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit.​

Chas was plenty happy to follow Beau around for just about anything, but he was going to aid him in his quest too? His lucky day. Those intense eyes bored holes in Beau’s back; he practically stalked behind the shorter man. It was as if the crowd parted around them at the sight of that looming shadow. When they arrived at their temporary destination, Beau took his drink and his little snacks, and Chas grabbed for a glass of his own.

And then, Beau said something that truly made Chas’s day better. A pleased smile crossed his lips, something nearly wicked to most. “Understood,” He replied, short, concise. He swirled the wine in his glass, watched it twist into a little whirl at the center, transfixed. When Chas started walking towards the man and his colorful companion, his eyes remained locked to that little wine whirlpool. Without looking up, he could sense the two people glance at him as he approached. Their conversation stopped, not out of courtesy, no, from something else. Who wouldn’t recoil away in fear, at the sight of him, the man who could tear people apart with a single touch? They had the courage to not do it outwardly, at least. Chas was on the verge of commending their efforts. It amused him, it always did; the fear, the outward step away. They think if they stay out of arm’s reach, they are safe. A foolish thought.

“Good evening,” Chas greeted with that same, twisted smile. It was almost charming. It would be charming, attractive, if not for the previous years of blood and murder at his hands. “I don’t think I’ve ever met you two before, and I make a habit of knowing everyone I can,” He started. The air around him was palpable, thick, positively oppressive. He commanded, demanded submission, without even needing to speak, and he was sure to get it. “It's a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, are you in the same business as I am? I’m always in search of allies, or… sniffing out and possible enemies.” Right then, that was the exact moment his eyes lifted from his glass. Chas stared at the man; he wasn’t that much taller than him, but as far as Chas was concerned, he was a skyscraper to that man’s two-story townhome. If Chas was good at anything, it was frightening people, drawing out their truest emotions. And if this man felt fear, felt guilt, for killing one of Chas’s boys, that surely that would be enough for Beau. “So tell me, and I implore you to ponder before replying: friend… or foe.”

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

Toni had wanted to meet later that evening too. Anna could read it in her reaction, and for a moment, she reconsidered her options and her plans to see if there was any way they could make it work. But she was pretty sure that their precious alone time was dwindling. Anna probably could have slipped away easily enough; her family’s attention would have been on Artie, not her. A simple line about being tired and going to bed would be enough for them to write her off for a while. She presumed that Anna wouldn’t be so lucky; that she would be the focus of their attention as the one to be married.

The reminder of the reason they were all there brought Anna back down to Earth as a crash. Was she being foolish? She was. She had to stop this before it all ran away from her; they needed to talk honestly and frankly, away from their families, clear the air, and then prepare for a life as sisters-in-law and pray nobody else ever found out about their history. She would feel sorry for Toni being forced into a marriage she didn’t want, but she couldn’t afford to have anything more than sympathy for her.

Toni’s comment about her family barely even missing her made Anna frown a little. But before she could dwell on it anymore, a wave of sickness seemed to overcome Toni. She looked faint, as though she was about to pass out. She asked to sit down and for a drink, her weight heavy on Anna’s arm. Anna all but pulled her over to a nearby chair and helped her sit as gently as she could. It was a quiet corner, out of sight and mind of the main party, exactly what Toni needed right then. “I’ll get you something to drink,” Anna said gently, squeezing Toni’s shoulder before venturing back into the crowd. She could see Damian standing to the side, scanning the room. Presuming that he was looking for her, she picked up her pace and ducked her head slightly to avoid being spotted. Once she found a drinks table, she snagged a glass of water and made a beeline back to Toni. “I figured alcohol probably wasn’t the best idea for you right now,” she said. “Even if it’s what you’d probably prefer right now,” she added, dropping her voice as she pressed the glass of water into Toni’s hands. “Drink.”

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Beau watched as Chas approached the two people he’d pointed out. The crowd parted around him, wary eyes watching him the whole time, like sheep watching a wolf pace outside their pen. There was something hypnotic about being an observer to that; neither a sheep nor the wolf. Beau wondered what it would be like to wield that type of power. It wasn’t that he felt he lacked the potential; he knew the scope of his own powers all too well, and knew that people could fear him the way they feared The Good Doctor. No, it was that Beau felt he lacked the core for it. He was curious to know what it felt like; but in his heart, knew that the thought of being feared was not a comfortable one for him. Maybe it was because he’d been afraid for so long and the thought of being responsible for that level of fear went against all of that.

The minute Chas began to speak, Beau slipped a little closer to their targets. Outwardly, the man was just about maintaining his composure. Internally, he was panicking. At first, it felt unpromising; it was just panic at the thought of being cornered by Chas. Although entertaining, it wasn’t useful. Still, panic was one of those emotions where it became easier to poke even further, and so poke Beau did. The man said something about his actual business; something involving jewellery, which explained his companion’s appearance an d the abundance of fine jewels she wore. But what stuck out to Beau was the repeated thoughts of money. Not in a way of “oh i’m so rich” but rather what he did with the money. He was involved. Not directly, but in some manner.

Beau stayed behind the man, far enough away that he could still catch Chas’ eye over the man’s shoulder. He nodded, mouthed “money” and rubbed two fingers together in the hope that Chas would catch on in his meaning. The man’s thoughts were still too vague and too panicked for Beau to be able to catch up on any of the fine details, like who exactly he’d paid the money to or what it had been for. It was a shady dealing, that much Beau could tell, but whether or not it was directly related to the murder wasn’t clear. The man was still trying to outwardly dodge Chas' question about whether or not he was an ally, though, and Beau was pretty sure that was indication enough.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

It was a cascade of emotions, a typhoon, a whirlwind that threatened to suck her under the surface. She couldn’t breathe like she had been. All sound faded away, muffled and distant. So many thoughts raced by, blips that shouted in her ears before dissolving into nothing and being consumed by something else just as loud. How could this happen? All of my life, and it culminates in this? What the hell am I doing? Toni hadn’t realized she was moving with Anna. She was leaning on the taller woman almost entirely. Weakness. This is weakness. I’ve got to leave. I can’t. I have to stay. I don’t want this. What do I do? Anna’s direction was remarkably gentle and kind, even as she helped Toni sit down. Her seated position, however, did little to stop the room from spinning. Water, Anna said she was going to get me water. A light sheen of sweat had formed over her brow, and her skin was pale, paler than usual. Toni could only nod and wait. She rested her elbow on the arm of the chair and leaned her forehead into her palm. What an embarrassment. A De Santis falling apart at a party. In front of everyone.

Anna was gone only for a few seconds, but it still felt far too fast. Toni had no time to collect herself. Her hand shook once she took the glass, and she cursed herself for it. She was embarrassed, utterly ashamed. She was terrified. And she was angry. To be reduced to a trembling, demure prize for some man to be won, because of the importance of her name, the importance of her family. She held value as a pawn, not as Antonia. She felt so much, it was like there was no room for anything else in her body. Even as she sipped at the water, Toni felt like she had to choke it down.

With time, a few sips, a few deep breaths, Toni started to see. Color, sound, smell, it returned. She blinked and peered up at Anna. That weight, it was crushing, and it only got heavier when she looked at Anna, her gentle expression laced with concern. Anna was meant to be her sister-in-law. Just imagining that… Toni thought she was going to be sick. Trying to imagine her life, imagine being married to a Vargus, to a man, rather than… What if she had just told her father how she felt? Would he suggest someone else? But how could she? She already held no cards. She had nothing else she could offer. How could she go making demands? How could she tell him she wants a marriage that wouldn’t produce an heir? Would the Vargus family even accept that? Would anyone accept that?

Toni’s eyes darted back to the floor. “Thank you,” She mumbled under her breath. Like a cornered animal, she glanced around the room, searching for an out, any exit. She couldn’t take this anymore. She wasn’t acting like herself; she couldn’t act like herself. And it was utterly embarrassing. Toni spotted someone familiar, a flash of color. It was the last person in the world she wanted to see, the reason she was in this mess: her step-mother, Stefania. But she was someone else. Someone who’s feeling she understood wholeheartedly, even if they were negative.

Suddenly, Toni rose to her feet. “I’m sorry,” She apologized just as suddenly. “I… Tomorrow. We’ll talk more tomorrow. I… hope you have a good rest of your night.” Toni pushed the glass back into Anna’s hands. Her fingertips brushed against Anna’s, the lightest of touches, but Toni’s stomach churned. It was too much. She had to leave. She needed time to think, to break this down, to form a plan, anything. Not this. Not now. “Until tomorrow.” With that, she turned. She didn’t feel steady on her feet, not in the slightest, but she grit her teeth and bared through it. Tunnel vision kept her focused on her goal: reaching her step mother. It didn’t take long, especially since she ignored everyone she passed. Once she was there, Stefania greeted her, but it all turned into autopilot. She commented on Toni’s paleness, and Toni complained about an upset stomach from her lunch. A good enough excuse; she was given the promise that once her father re-emerged, he’d call her a car to go home. Home. Where she could put herself back together.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit.​

If not for the fact that this man might be holding some kind of information, Chas would be dozing off by that point. These pleasantries, short conversation, blah blah blah. Irritation was bubbling up in his eyes. These people were so boring. They could be murderers, but they were boring murderers. His gaze was turning colder and harsher by the second. This predator was stalking his prey, but he was growing tired of the game. If Beau didn’t find something soon, he would need to do this his way. In a room like this, full of God knows how many magic bearers, it would be foolish. But he didn’t need a loaded gun to coax someone to walk out with him. All he needed was his hands.

Chas spotted something out of the corner of his vision: Beau, subtly trying to catch his attention. It took a few seconds for him to interpret Beau’s charades, but it clicked eventually. He returned his attention to the stranger again, and he noticed how the man noticeably tensed once he was under Chas’s watchful eye again. “Jewels.” The single declarative syllable came out so low that it nearly vibrated in the tense air. “So cold and rigid. That must be a lucrative business. Is that what you have? Money?” He asked, and his devilish, handsome smile returned. Perhaps this would be amusing after all.

With a pleased him, Chas leaned in a touch more. The two of them had to fight from recoiling away. “Is that all you have to offer? Money?” His question exuded that irritation. It was evident his impatience was compounding. “Tell me, do I look like someone who needs money?” Wrinkles formed on his nose as he curled his lip. “So then tell me, boy, what do you have to offer? Or are you useless like the rest of them? What can you do, what do you do, with that money?” Chas nearly growled the last few words.

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

Anna tended to avoid people experiencing strong emotions. It was a struggle of being an empath; she couldn’t keep a calm and rational head when she was that close to somebody, and so she had to remove herself to be able to be helpful or even functional. But she couldn’t exactly just leave Toni like that, in such distress. So when she returned with the water, it felt like she had stepped into a storm. It took everything she had to not get caught up in the emotions, to not let herself drown in them. The fear wasn’t hers. She had nothing to fear. She wasn’t a playing card here. She wasn’t even in the game.

She wanted to stop Toni from leaving, or at least give her more of a chance to compose herself before re-entering the crowd. But Anna didn’t get a chance to. She got the impression that she wasn’t the right person to do it anyway. The storm of swirling emotions disappeared with Toni, but the relative calm that settled into Anna felt oddly hollow. This whole situation had become far more complicated. Should she warn her family? Should she warn Artie? Artie didn’t exactly want this either, but he deserved to know the truth of what he was walking into. But that would mean outing Toni to Artie. And Anna loved Artie dearly, but she didn’t know how he’d react to that. Would he resist too much and end up exposing Anna to their family, and by extension the Di Santis clan? Or would he just go along with it anyway? Neither seemed like a particularly desirable fate.

As though she’d summoned him up with thought, Artie appeared from the crowd, looking around them. “Did you scare poor Miss Di Santis off?” He asked apparently teasingly, but she could feel worry seeping from him even from where she stood. Anna sighed and shook her head.
“We were discussing plans to go for tea together, when she suddenly became unwell and said she had to leave. I’d imagine she’s still here somewhere, but I’d leave her be,” she said, managing to keep her voice level. But level wasn’t enough to fool Artie. He squinted at her, trying to read her.
“Are you okay?” He asked. Anna shrugged again.
“She was very upset at the prospect of having to leave, I guess it rubbed off on me a little bit,” she admitted. Lying to her own siblings shouldn’t have been as easy as it was, but Artie nodded, apparently satisfied.
“She’s pretty, isn’t she?” He said. Anna became incredibly glad that he wasn’t a telepath, that he couldn’t hear her thinking about exactly how pretty Anna was, in and out of her clothes.
“Yeah, she is. She seems nice. We’re supposed to be going for tea tomorrow if she recovers. I’ll tell you more about her once I get to know her better,” she said with a smile.

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Watching Chas in action really was something. Beau preferred subtlety; let people talk until they’d given everything away without realising they’d let even a crumb slip. Of course, that was easier to do as a mind reader. Just lay a trail of crumbs and follow the path of their own making. And then they’d walk away and go “gosh, what a pleasant young man!” or “did you know who that man was, darling?” and think no more about him.

But Chas. Chas was making sure that they would never be able to forget this experience. If they didn’t have any connection to the murder, then Chas was making sure they never would. He wasn’t following a path, he was smashing through their walls with a sledgehammer. And it was effective. Beau had to admit that much. The man was thinking about all of his shady dealings; some that Beau would be able to feed back to the Di Santis so they’d at least think he was worth the effort of keeping him around. But a word kept coming up. No, not a word. A name, a name that came with images of a gloved hand, a glinting ring, a wad of cash, promises of power. Oracle.

Beau waited through a few more seconds of stuttering and stumbling in the hope that the man might give away something that he knew, but Oracle seemed to be a dead end in the man’s thoughts. He didn’t know who this Oracle was, didn’t even really know what they did, but he knew that they were powerful, that they had promised this man power in return for money, and that they were involved in the anti-power movement. It was enough to go on, a thread that might lead somewhere.

The man was so pale that he looked like he was about to pass out, sweat beading on his brow, and panic racing through his thoughts. Neither of them were going to get anything useful now, but Chas’ attention was too focused on him for Beau to be able to communicate easily with him. But Beau didn’t want to drag Chas away; his anonymity was an important tool, the only one he had, and being seen with the Good Doctor could lose him some of his anonymity. And if he wasn’t invisible, he wasn’t useful anymore. If he wasn’t useful, he was disposable. So he had to try and catch Chas’ attention without catching anyone else’s. But he’d picked enough pockets in his time to have an idea.

Beau made his way towards Chas as though walking towards somebody else in the crowd. At the last minute, Beau’s shoulder brushed Chas’. “Oh, excuse me,” he said, briefly resting a hand on Chas’ shoulder and doing his best to catch his eye. And with that, he disappeared back into the crowd. He circled back around to the refreshment table, snatching up another handful of pastries and stuffing them into his pockets. They had a lead, the first they’d had. It was a start.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

As much as Toni was nearly begging to be away from that party, once she was on her own, she couldn’t decide what was worse. She hurried to her room as fast as humanly possible and locked her door behind her. This was meant to be her safe space. The one part of her life she could control. And yet, in that dark room, all she felt was a crushing weight. It was on her chest, bearing down on her. She gasped for air, but she couldn’t fill her lungs. All that escaped were violent, strangled sounds; they filled the previously calm surroundings. Eventually, she fell to her knees because the room was spinning so much. All she could think was, how could this happen? How could this happen? How could this happen? All the work in her life, all the effort she’d put into this family. All the friends she left behind to focus on her future life. All the years wasted, her adolescence wasted, only to be reduced to this. A fucking pawn.

Toni wasn’t sure exactly when she crawled into bed. She didn’t even bother taking her dress off. She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep either. All she remembered was waking up to the sunbeams streaming through her pulled back curtains. She wasn’t sure when she showered. She wasn’t sure when she changed. It was as if her consciousness didn’t activate until she reached her door. She didn’t want to face her family, but she knew better. Her father would be at her door within minutes of her missing breakfast. Dressed in a crimson blouse and a black skirt, Toni descended the winding spiral stairs to the dining room.

There her father sat, and all Toni could see was an executioner. Her step-mother was beside him, and her own place directly across. The walk over was silent, but she could feel all eyes on her, including the servant standing by the entrance. “Good morning, Antonia,” Stefania greeted the ghostly-pale woman as she sat in her chair.

Before Toni could reply, her father spoke, “Feeling better?” Of course Stefania told him she left the party early.

“A little,” Toni lied, never once lifting her eyes from her full plate. It had her favorites, a pepper and cheese omelet, crispy bacon, and fresh fruit, all complimented by a latte made disgustingly sweet. Bribes, all of it, that was all she saw, but her appetite was nonexistent.

“I had a long chat with the Vargus’s,” Matteo started, and Toni’s already tense frame grew somehow more rigid. “And then with their sons. Arthur seems like a fine boy, kind and patient,” He explained, something akin to a sales pitch. Toni grit her teeth. “But I’m just talking to them right now, Antonia. Just talking,” He finished before stuffing some egg in his mouth. Of course, no deals could be made yet. The true heir, Stefania’s son, had to be born first. They had to ensure he was healthy and strong before shipping off the plan b.

All Toni could muster was a nod. She dissected the omlet on her plate, picking and stabbing at its corpse, but never once made a move to put any of it in her mouth.

The hours that followed were grueling. Toni half wished she’d asked to visit Anna in the morning just so it would come sooner. The moment the sun started to set, Toni slipped out of the house, a well-practiced routine she’d long since mastered.

The Starlight Hotel wasn’t far from one of Toni’s usual bars, so she knew exactly where she was headed. As soon as she stepped inside, she understood why Anna picked the location. The lighting inside was warm but low, and the quiet murmur of voices was uniform in volume, making it nigh impossible to pick out one individual stream of words. Toni requested a booth along the wall, tucked a few feet from the entrance. Once a waiter visited her little bubble of safety, she ordered a chamomile tea with some honey. She half considered ordering food, given she hardly ate any of her meal from this morning, but her clenching stomach convinced her otherwise. So there she sat, eyes locked to the door, waiting for Anna to arrive.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit. ​

Nothing could break that line of focus, hard as diamonds. The tension was palpable, and all surrounding people shrunk away from the raging inferno that was Chas. The poor man in front of him had lost all color in his face, leaning away as Chas leaned in, but his feet remained rooted to the floor. He knew running wasn’t an option, so he had to stand there and wait to see what fate befell him.

And then it was over. Someone bumped into Chas’s shoulder, and eyes filled with fury landed on the one responsible. And then, then the fire in his eyes flickered and waned, shrinking in real time, but following the interrupting stranger until he disappeared into the crowd again. Chas whipped back around and snarled, “Useless, just like everyone else. If you ever cross me, I’ll leave you as a pile of viscera for the rats.” With that, he stormed off, in the opposite direction of Beau. They could reconvene later.

Oracle. That was all they’d heard, one word, one name. Oracle. All knowing, all seeing, predictor of the future. That’s what the name meant, but was that what this person was capable of? Chas has no clue. In all of his time on the streets, he’d only heard rumors of such a person, never anything concrete, and never an in person meeting. That was strange for Chas; he was well acquainted with nearly all that ran the streets, friends and foes. But a name was enough. A name was knowledge. It was a crumb for him to feed his little birds, enough to let them free to flit the city in search of more and more crumbs until they formed a neat little trail. It didn’t take long for someone to return with exactly what they needed: a meeting downtown between the supposed Oracle and what seemed to be a supplier. That was all, but it was enough, a location and a time.

Chas agreed to meet Beau roughly a block from the location. The goal was to blend in, casual, until they trekked the final stretch towards the warehouse. There wasn’t much one could do to blend in while darting through empty alleyways or lots. Five minutes before the meeting was to start, the warehouse was in sight. The approach was all that was left. “You’ll need to guide me,” Chas spoke to Beau quietly but not a whisper; whispering was too suspicious. “I’m not sure how close you need to get, but however close it is, we shouldn’t move a step closer from there.” Chas had no clue what they were walking into, no clue who, or what, would be there to greet them.

 

[partially-stars]

anna vargas. #f49f8a outfit. ​

The whole evening had been a success, it seemed. The Di Santis clan approved of Artie, and the Vargas clan approved of the Di Santis. No steps were being taken yet; but if they had their way, a wedding would be happening within the year. This was all that Anna got from the breakfast table. The smug satisfaction rolled off her father in waves the whole time.

Excluded from the family business and without her day job to keep her occupied, Anna usually would have been bored. But instead, she found herself thinking. Plotting. Trying to figure out what the hell to do. Should she warn Artie or not? What was she going to say to Toni when they met later that evening? How the hell were they going to get through this? Just sit across from each other forever more pretending like they didn’t know each other better than they should do? Play the game? Anna couldn’t see any other way out; but the fact remained that she knew Toni was panicked about the whole thing, and that she didn’t want to marry any man.

Eventually, the time came for her to leave. Her family paid no mind to her comings and goings, and that was no different tonight. She left the house and headed for the hotel. It was nice enough that it wouldn’t be unbecoming for her to be seen here, but it was still unlikely enough for anyone she knew to also be there. She scanned the room as she entered, spotting Toni almost right away and heading for her. She slid into the booth across from her, managing something of a smile as she did so. “You look nice.” The compliment slipped from her mouth even without her even really meaning to, but she meant it. Before she could say anything else though, a waiter reappeared. “Earl grey with no milk, one sugar, and a wedge of lemon, please. And the french toast as well, with the chocolate dipping sauce. Thank you,” she said. “How are you feeling now?” She asked as she turned back to Toni, her voice gentle.

beau atkins. 4d694e. outfit​

Being on the streets was the best place for information. Everywhere Beau went, he was listening for that one word. Oracle. He heard scraps; nothing concrete, but still, enough that Beau filed all of the scraps away in case they fitted together one day. He was impressed when Chas reached out to him to say he had information on a meeting. Beau was going to go and listen to see if there was anything useful; but only as long as Chas came along too. For protection, of course. Beau had been perceived as a mere telepath for too long now to risk blowing it all on a stealth mission he probably wasn’t even supposed to be on. If things went south, Chas could deal with it all, and nobody would be any the wiser.

Beau was a pro at blending into the shadows at this point, but it was slightly harder to do that when accompanied by Chas. That didn’t matter, though. Beau had his cover story all made up and ready to go. They were lost, that was all, it happened so easily in the city these days. They were looking for a good bar, did anyone have any recommendations? He wasn’t so sure Chas would give him a chance to talk his way out if they needed to, pretty sure that Chas would just try resorting to force, but still, it didn’t do them any harm to be prepared.

Beau nodded at Chas’ instructions. He focused in on the warehouse and kept walking forward until he could hear the thoughts of those inside clearly enough. They were deeper into the warehouse than they’d first anticipated, which meant they had to be closer to the building than they would have liked, but Beau at least had a clear reading on their thoughts.

“It’s a supplier. But just weapons, nothing terribly revealing. On either side. Both mostly just thinking about money, trying to get a better deal,” Beau murmured to Chas. “I can try and delve deeper but not for long, I want to leave myself with enough energy to run if we need to. You’ll need to cover me,” he added. He didn’t like doing this; it left him too vulnerable. But, well, he was pretty sure he was too useful to Chas for Chas to leave him for dead, so he decided to trust him for now. He closed his eyes and honed in on the buyer’s thoughts, poking around in search for something useful.

 

[AbsoluteWhisper]

antonia de santis. #8E0606. outfit.​

Her tea arrived, nice and hot, perfectly steeped, with a small bowl of honey. She spooned some in, stirred amber liquid around, and then took a sip. Her hands shook while she did it; a combination of nerves and a lack of calories for the day. The warm porcelain heated her frigid fingers, the tea did the same for her throat. Helped calm it, given how strained and tight it was. Anxiety ate at her muscles, and micro-sips were her only defense in staving true terror off. Despair and self-hatred gnawed at her. How pathetic she felt. The Antonia De Santis, reduced to trembling hands and swirling nervousness. She was meant to be the perfect, strong leader, stalwart, cold, intelligent, unwavering. The exact opposite of how she was now.

During one of her steady sips, Toni lowered her cup only to be met with her, the woman of the hour. Anna appeared before her very eyes, making the shorter woman nearly jump out of her skin. When she placed the teacup down, it clattered against the adjoining ceramic. Flat palms smoothed over the tablecloth, and Toni forced out a weak smile. “You do too,” She managed to reply, though her voice was quiet, and her eyes dim. Anna wore mostly black, but she was beautiful. The low lighting reminded Toni of the night they met. Anna glowed, warming that stiff bar with even stiffer drinks.

Her gaze was stuck on her cup, even as the waiter reapproached. French toast with chocolate dipping sauce… that sounded equal parts wonderful and nauseating. Her stomach clenched, gurgled, protesting that it was empty. A single hand pat over it, as if rubbing it to appease it.

Feeling better? Toni would have laughed if she was in the mood. If anything, the stewing emotions had only rotted further with time, and the lack of food meant she felt light and woozy. “Not quite,” She replied simply at first. Paused, lips pursed, a part of her fearing revealing the truth. Being seen as weak as a result. “I haven’t… eaten much. Yesterday or today. My stomach… it won’t settle,” Toni admitted with a defeated sigh. Quaking fingers threaded through the handle of her cup, spinning it idly. Staring at it, as if it held the answers to all her questions.

There were so many things she had to ask. Anna was the real holder of all the answers, but Toni feared cracks. A spiderweb of them, splintering and spreading until it consumed all of her and she fell apart. It started with her voice. She had to keep it steady. A zero on the Richter scale. Nothing less than perfection. “My father… He likes Arthur. Says he’s kind. And patient. What I need, apparently. Does… does Arthur know? About… me?” About us? Does he know that Toni has no interest in men at all? She would do everything she could to stop this marriage, but she didn’t want Arthur walking into a landmine like that, being stuck in a loveless, affectionless marriage. There would be no resolving that, Toni’s lack of attraction to him. No amount of marriage counseling would change that. “I don’t want this, if that isn’t obvious,” She said with a huff, a sprinkle of that fire and brimstone reappearing. “I would just hate to do that to hi-” There it was, a crack, a choke. The fire and brimstone faded. A full body tremble as her psyche threw spackling on it, feverishly smearing it around. She swallowed, hard, eyes lowering to the table. “Sorry,” She squeaked out and then gnawed on her cheek.

chas dolorem. #622cbf. outfit. ​

Their approach was casual, two men wandering innocently, at least to most bystanders. Chas didn’t like it, how close they had to be, but Beau was getting information. The information was non-specific, but it was information. It was more information than Chas found in the past few weeks, even if he huffed and grumbled quiet complaints. Although he appeared the same outwardly, calm, cool, collected, Chas was glancing around. Attentive eyes spotted all signs of movement around them, especially as they stepped closer and closer to the warehouse. Chas didn’t like it. They were more in the open, much easier to see from all angles.

“Fine,” He relented with a sigh, guiding Beau against the closest wall facing the street. At least against the building, they would be slightly harder to spot. “I’ll keep you covered.” Chas watched as Beau closed his eyes, and, he presumed, focused harder on reading the thoughts of everyone within.

Seconds ticked by. Seconds turned into minutes. Chas swept the area, always observing. He could feel bodies moving around them, sense their living mass shift around. Time scraped by, and Chas grew more uneasy with it. He didn’t like that feeling. Chas Delorom did not waver. He did not care. He wasn’t supposed to care, and he didn’t. Not about Beau, no, certainly not. That couldn’t be it. He cared about his boys, and finding out who killed one of his own. That was all.

Suddenly, the hair on his neck stood on end. Eyes narrowed, swept around, until he spotted a figure. He observed Chas and Beau, even met Chas’s eyes. Then, he turned, heading towards more men, and Chas didn’t like that. “Beau,” He growled. He peered down at Beau, who seemed utterly lost in concentration. “Beau!” He repeated, sharper, even grabbed the man by the shoulder. Nothing.

Another glance, and the man reappeared, with more behind him. “Of course,” Beau grumbled. A part of him wanted to run, leave Beau to fend for himself. But then he wouldn’t get the information he needed, and God knows what would happen to Beau. With a frustrated sigh, Chas bent over, wrapped his arms around Beau’s thighs, and tossed him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Wake up!” He snarled and swiftly jogged to the sidewalk, the smaller man hardly a hindrance to him. Chas did his best to fade into the sparse crowd in case they were followed, but how could he? He was tall, and he had someone slung over his shoulder. “Nothing is more suspicious than someone carrying a limp man down the street!” He could only hope the distance from the targets would help snap the psychic from his trance.