A Chilling Lack of Ethics

IT’S  A  DELICIOUSLY  RARE  EVENT when  stella’s  allowed  to  enjoy  the  revelry  and  not  provide  entertainment  for  the  tipsy  masses,  but  even  when  she’s  slotted  on  the  other  side,  she  finds  the  grass  isn’t  much  greener.  a  slip  of  a  dress,  drowned  in  sequins  &  glitter,  clings  to  her  svelte  frame,  putting  miles  of  golden  brown  legs  on  display  and  a  cherry  pucker  lacquered  across  her  lips  for  good  measure   —–  but  she  itches  for  something  heavier  than  the  flutes  of  champagne  that  float  around,  despite  the  fact  that  she’s  comfortably  soothed  by  her  fourth.  as  ever,  she  takes  pleasure  in  amusing  herself  in  the  most  obscure  ways,  turning  to  the  nearest  figure  to  murmur,  “  do  you  suppose  they’ll  announce  that  the  bubbly’s  been  poisoned  now  or  later  ?  ”  the  remark  doesn’t  stop  her  from  sipping  at  a  fresh  glass,  “  bottoms  up.  ”

Colours and glitter swirled everywhere he seemed to look. Masked faces moved at every which angle and if he looked to fast it almost sent him dizzy. This wasn’t exactly his environment. Sure, it was nice; flutes of champagne at every turn and some pretty faces here and there, but Julian was almost ready to kill for a cheap beer and foods on a menu that weren’t spelt in French or so long that he couldn’t pronounce it. His gaze shifted around the room in a calculating manner as he lingered around the perimeter of the room. He felt safer on the outside. Maybe it was because of his training or his years with the O’Shea’s in which he felt like he had more control on the outside, but he felt more comfortable around the perimeter. Slowing his pace, he stopped beside a vision of gold and glitter and he tipped back his champagne. “Probably later. That will be the evenings entertainment.” He mused, grinning.

To say that Connor was nervous to be here was an understatment. He knew most of his family would be milling around somewhere and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with any of them. He hadn’t been at the funeral and he was the reason they had one in the first place. No doubt all of them wanted to rip him apart for what he did. So why was he here? Appearances mostly.  Perhaps it was a stupid reason but Connor wasn’t one to shy away from anything that frightened him. He was a police officer for godsake. He ran into dangerous situations every day. This party was nothing. 

And yet, it felt like something.

An opportunity, if nothing else, to get information on those who found themselves close with the other O’Shea’s. Business partners, lawyers, bankers, and other informants. If Connor could scrap together any more leads that might have them in more raids than this would be worth it. At least he had to remind himself of that as he stepped into the large, crowed, party. He was dressed in a tight black and red Nightwing uniform that he had paid way to much for. His hair was done messy but the boots it came with were rather comfortable. He adjusted the mask across his face and the large gloves on his hands before running straight into someone. 

Taking a step back, Connor caught himself before looking up at whoever he had run into. “I am sorry.” He commented quickly. “Are you alright? I wasn’t watching where I was going.” Connor insisted as he reached to help the other up off the ground.

Everytime a mask passed him Julian could swear there was something that he recognized about half of them. Maybe it was a flash of a smile here, the laughter of someone else, but it all was a sensory overload. How could half of these people be trusted? How easy it could be for someone here to get away with something. The anonymity of the whole situation made Julian’s stomach churn slightly. Shaking his head, he pushed past a group of people. He needed to relax. He wasn’t on the clock and hadn’t had a mark for the past couple of weeks. Things seemed to be quite and he needed to enjoy himself while he was here; after all, when would be the next time he’d be able to say he’d been to a party that had more money on a platter than some of the people actually here. 

Pushing past another congregation of people, Julian hadn’t noticed the other man coming into the room until he had bumped shoulders with him. Stumbling out of surprise, he lost his balance and practically stumbled to the floor. Blue gaze shifted upwards as he grasped the mans hand. “It was bound to happen sooner or later.” He huffed, brushing off his jacket. “I’m fine. Are you?” He asked, head tilting to the side. “You're not the only one. The glitz and the glamour seem to be a distracting feature.”

the wig fell around her shoulders in a way she’d fallen out of practice with. instead, dark hair that didn’t even reach her shoulders had become the norm in the last few months. but, in the lead up to halloween she’d wanted to have a bit of fun. the purple wig, the shimmery white wings secured to the back of her corset, it all was enough to get her in the festive spirit. she certainly preferred it to the christmas season, for all the forced holidays she’d had to endure growing up. 

trees and stockings that weren’t fishnet, that had never been her thing. this was different, this was far more her. costumes and alcohol she could do and enjoy without hesitation. and pretending to be someone she wasn’t? she did it every day, no issue. 

claudia just about skipped to the nearest occupied chair, before settling on the armrest and smiling coyly. “trick or treat?” she purred, her fingers ghosting over hair before resting against the back of the seat. 

He'd only ever heard of parties like this. They’d only ever been in movies, and growing up as the eldest child of a teacher and a firefighter in the middle of the city, Julian had never expected to attend one of these parties in his life, but here he was; sipping champagne that probably cost more than his rent and dinning with probably the elite of the elite. At this point, he’d kill for some food that he could pronounce and a good beer, but seeing as he was a guest. he should be polite. Leaning back in his seat, Julian’s masked gaze flickered across the room. The costumes that some people had worn was also something he had never seen. The extravagance was overwhelming and he almost felt like he was out of place. 

   STELLA’S  MAGNETIZED  TO  JULIAN, her  willowy  frame  tucking  itself  easily  into  his  hold  as  if  it’s  second  nature   —–   and  for  them,  it  essentially  is.  “  do  you  think  i’m  trouble,  bogart  ?  ”  the  affectionate  nickname  trickles  from  her  tongue  in  a  swell  of  salacious  endearment  ;  while  stella  found  herself  laboring  over  explanations  of  her  beloved  heroes  of  the  past,  julian  innately  understood.  the  notion  alone  attracted  her,  but  the  rugged  power  he  wielded  only  continued  to  hold  her   in  his  orbit,  the  two  of  them  circling  each  other  and  waiting  with  baited  breath.  her  tiny  hand  came  to  rest  on  the  center  of  his  chest,  the  other  framing  his  jaw  and  the  thought  of  enclosing  the  space  between  them  spurs  her  impossibly  close.  “  mm,  and  what  if  i’m  aching  to  be  swept  off  my  feet  tonight  ?  ”  rosy  cheeks  dimple  despite  the  playful  pout  that  falls  over  honeyed  mouth,  “  could  you  help  me  with  that  ?  ”

She felt good in his arms and he welcomed her into them when he was given the chance. “I think you’re very much capable of it, song bird.” He muses, blue gaze shifting down to her own and offering her a lopsided smile. He knew she was far from the innocent persona that she portrayed nightly, and the thing was, Julian liked both sides of the woman in his arms. The one who could croon to him sweetly every other night and the one who was also very capable of lashing him with the hash words he’d heard her speak with every so often. His hands moved up her spine and along her shoulder blades to the back of her head where his fingers gripped her brown curls. “I like to think I’m good at spontaneous adventures and I like any evening that involves you..” He mused, inching face closer to hers. “I’d be happy to help you with that.”

     “JUST MY life in its state of shambles.” Lucy offered without a second-thought – she really should learn to think before she speaks – then laughs to try to shake it off as a joke.

A finger trailed against the rim of her own glass, before cupping it in both hands and working her thumbnail against a small, microscopic chip in the outside, “I’m hoping to find something a little more exciting in this scotch than I found in my day at work, I suppose.”

Julian hummed. “Why is that?” He knew it wasn’t really any of his business as to why this woman was struggling with life right now, but Julian tended to be more curious then he should be. 

She usually hated these kinds of meetings, they entailed all sorts of connotations Elena didn’t care much for - a lack of anonymity, exposure, immediate danger, creepy clients. It was a much cleaner job, working for the syndicate, but that didn’t turn out to be all that peachy either. So here she was, and if she had to do it - Eden provided her with a sense of security. Sure, it was a flimsy sense, but life taught her to make most of flimsy. She let out a breath of relief when she figured the man was looking back at her - she had the right person, “Oh thank god, you seem normal.” Did she really say that out loud? Crap. She looked over her shoulder for a second to see if anyone was listening but there was a prevalent lack of interest in what was happening around them. “What I meant is – never mind, just… ignore that please.” Her mother had once tried to teach her to bite her tongue, unsuccessfully apparently. Maybe she should’ve listened. “Feel free to assume - I’d be crazy to turn down a whiskey. Thanks for not ordering me a mimosa. Not that I have anything against them, but… you know.”, she let out a chuckle, albeit one that was a bit strained around the edges, and took his hand for a firm shake. To be fair, she hadn’t really expected him to reply to her question, mostly because she was just putting up a show to make all of this seem innocuous, but this drew out a smile to her lips as she sat down. “Thank you. You’d still get the files if you said no, but I suppose it makes for a better conversation.”, smirking, she reached for a cigarette and stopped herself mid-movement, ”Mind if I smoke? – Really? Colour me intrigued.”, she teased, “Did someone tell you that or did you figure it out on your own?”

He normally didn't meet new associates in such... P u b l I c  places, but the terms of this agreement had required him to come to Eden, and it was easier to meet after the show and keep a relatively lower profile then it would be with him meeting a new associate on a side walk with barely a second glance when making a hand off; he liked to keep his profile low and meet who he had contracted out in helping him. His brows rose slightly at her next few words. “I can assure you I’m completely sane and don’t buy pictures of women’s feet of the internet.” It was a rather lame joke, but Julian hoped it would ease the tension that he could feel coming from the woman. It wasn’t much, but he could only guess she’d dealt with some rough jobs. He chuckled. “It’s behind us.” He assured her, shaking her hand and tilting his head over to the bar. His nose scrunched in disgust. “Mimosa’s are an absolute abomination and shouldn’t even be considered a ‘drink’ in any sense.” He hummed, sliding onto a bar stool and motioning for the bar tender to come and take their order. “It’s my pleasure. I like to think my mother raised me to not be an absolute dick when meeting new people, especially a pretty woman.” He grinned. “So, whiskey? Or would you like something else instead?” Julian asked. Shaking his head he leaned his upper body against the bar top. “Go ahead.” He grinned at her next words. “Both. I was always told by my siblings that I wasted my singing lesson money while I was growing up”

HIS  FAMILIAR  COUNTENANCE  STIRS  WARMTH  IN  HER  CHEST,  a  peculiar  fondness  that  few  receive  from  stella  holliday.  “  bold  of  you  to  assume  i’m  not  one  of  them,  ”  she  purrs  to  the  favored  patron,  instinctively  stepping  closer  and  lightly  pulling  at  the  front  of  his  shirt.  “  ready  for  me,  sugar,  ”  stella  clarifies,  flushed  cheeks  dimpling  in  a  growing  smile.  “  it’s  my  night  off,  and  i’ve  got  nothing  to  do.  idle  hands  are  the  devil’s  plaything,  and  i’m  liable  to  find  trouble.  ”  full  lips  fall  into  a  pout,  sapphire  hues  fixated  on  him,  “  care  to  keep  a  girl  company,  julian  ?  ”

Her familiar perfume invaded his senses and Julian felt his mind fogging slightly. He liked to consider himself the kind of person that was able to keep their wits about him at all times. Though, when he was with Stella all rational thoughts seemed to go out the window rather quickly. “Call it a rather biased assumption, but you’ve yet to prove me otherwise.” He replies, a small smirk crossing his face as he extends his arms towards her and pulls her close. “I’m always ready for you, Stella.” Julian’s head tilted slightly as he watched her face closely. “Sometimes, trouble is welcome every so often,  but I'd be happy to keep you company for the rest of the night.”

Samantha hated people who loved the rain, sure it seemed great from the indoors when you had blankets and sweaters. However, she’d spent enough time stuck outside to know that the rain just meant misery. “Shit, shit, shit, motherfucking–” The redhead hissed under her breath as she attempted to pull the sleeves of her jacket over her hands, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Her shoulders remained bunched up by her ears temporarily glad for the thickness of her hair keeping some sort of mild buffer between her skin and the cold water. It was the worst kind of rain, constant fat drops of ice nowhere near snow or slush but all too pleased to be as freezing as it. As she made her way down the sidewalk Samantha spotted someone slipping into a taxi. Without hesitation she picked up her pace the promise of warmth and a quicker way home before her. “I’m mooching your taxi.” The small redhead stated pulling open the door right as the patron was in the middle of closing it, pushing herself in roughly leaving the other no choice but to move down the bench. Leaning back against the torn leather seats she shoved a hand into her hair working out the tension around her temples and waiting for the heat to slip into her fingers once more so that she could actually move them.

Julian had always hated this kind of weather. Rain that never seemed to stop and in the process make your bones ache. While he’d been over seas, he’d prayed for the cool weather that plagued the city in the cooler months, but now that he had been home for a couple of years, he hated it just as much as he had before leaving. Shoulders bunched and back hunched, Julian hailed for a taxi and watched as his breath swirled around him and eagerly pulled the door open and slid in. In the process of closing the door, a females hand shot out and heaved it the other way and practically threw her body into the dry and warm car. Having no option but to make room for her, Julian begrudgingly slid down to the other side of the car. “Where to?” His tone slightly annoyed. His car ride that he was looking forwards to in the sense that he was going to be alone was now intruded upon by someone else. He didn’t really do well sharing, but he had been raised better than that, so he should at least try to be somewhat polite. 

           CHERRY  PUCKER  STAINS  HER  TONGUE  as  she  pulls  the  heart  -  shaped  lollipop  from  her  lips,  holding  the  translucent  treat  up  to  the  sky  ;  the  milky  moon  basks  upon  the  city,  flushing  her  porcelain  cheek with  a  veil  of  stained  -  glass  pink  as  she  observes  the  inky  sky  through  her  self  -  made  rose  colored  lens.   “  looks  like  a  full  moon  is  coming  soon,   ”  stella  exhales,  catching  the  company  of  the  first  poor  soul  that  drifts  by.   “  are  you  ready  ?  ”

He didn't know why he continued to come back as much as he did. Maybe it was jus the atmosphere of Skyfall compared to the other establishments around Chicago or maybe it was the fact that the view the club had to offer was amazing and certainly couldn’t be beat, but Julian was sure that those reasons fell right to the bottom of the list when he did admit why he came back all the time and the reason was currently standing in front of him bathed in moonlight and looking wonderful. “All the crazies will be out then.” He mused, offering her a lop sided grin. “For what, doll?”

Eden, Chicago | 11:37PM

She had a way of losing herself up on that stage. In the music, the words, the stories the songs told - most were far apart from the reality of her life, and those were the ones she enjoyed most. It made her feel like someone else, when she closed her eyes, let her voice follow the music - even the songs that were her own, they told stories of things that should have been, would have been - maybe, once, someday. 

Once she was done and the dancers were about to take over, she slipped away and out of sight, using the shadows and the crowd as cover as she made her way over to the person she assumed had contacted her about getting some intel. The place they chose for the meeting was donned with muted lights and long shadows, private enough that no one would assume it was anything more than someone wishing to speak to Eden’s singer. “Hey.”, she slipped into the seat, letting down her hair - her head was starting to hurt, and she felt decidedly out of sorts in the shimmering dress. “I’ve got the drive. Just act natural.”, the words were spoken under her breath before she let out a deceivingly innocent chuckle, “Oh I would love that drink.”, well, she was already here - so why not? “Tell me, did you like the songs tonight?”

He'd always held an admiration for the glitzy entertainers who seemed to completely embody everything that it was to be one of the beautiful singers that his father and grandfather used to listen to after dinners on Sunday’s. Sometimes it made him think back to times before things changed so suddenly and brutally, but Julian refused to allow himself to think about his past. While everyone had gotten up from their seats, Julian stayed behind and watched as people filtered either out of the building or towards the bar on the opposite side of the room. A flicker of movement to his left had him shifting his gaze upwards to meet the eyes of a darker haired woman. “Hi.” He echoed back. Eyes narrowed slightly, and a slow smile spread across his face. The woman had delivered. His mark that he was after was a slippery one, and he had been recommended to the dark haired female by another associate who promised she was excellent at her job. “I’m afraid you’ll have to tell me what your poison is seeing as I can’t assume everyone enjoys whiskey.” He hummed, heaving himself to his feet and then offering her a hand. “They were wonderful. I’m always envious of you singers seeing as I'm unable to hit any kind of musical note.” Julian grinned slightly.

     LUCY WASN’T one for making herself very open in public; as much as she loved attention and desperately wanted to crawl out of her own shell and get back into the swing of things, she often just kept to herself… even when out and about.

With a drink in hand and her eyes down on the battered wood-grain of the bar top, Lu barely even noticed as someone took a seat next to her, only making any recognition when a drink was set in front of them and caught the corner of her eye, “Christ… sorry, if you said anything to me I was in my own little world.”

Julian frequented the bars quiet often. It was something to waste time, but he enjoyed the people watching. He always found it interesting, wondering if he’d ever see a persons face again when a job would come up. Sliding himself into the bar stool, he watched the dark haired woman curiously before holding up two fingers and asking the bar tender for two whiskeys. 

“Must of been something important to have you so transfixed like that.” He grinned slightly as his fingers tapped against the glass filled with amber liquid. “But, I get it. Sometimes the world in our head is better than the real one.”

( David Gandy, 35, male, he/him ) Was that JULIAN BATES ? I heard a rumor they work for the O’SHEA family, but who knows for sure ? they can be a bit SHORT-TEMPERED & IMPATIENT, but I also heard they can be LOYAL & OBSERVANT. you’ll usually find them at SKYFALL BAR in their spare time, when they’re not being an REAPER. you may want to keep an eye on that one ! ( Allie, she/her , 22, EST, N/A )