Tony Faust

Tony didn’t mind guns, the violence, and craziness the Faust family had to offer. He respected the different job roles people affiliated with the family had. Even if people would like to think that Tony was only interested in plants and healing, really, he loved guns. He loved the idea of them. Every once in a while when he’d have some free time he would venture off towards the gun store and look through the inventory. 

He noticed Delphine and gave her a friendly wink when he saw her. Tony didn’t mind her rambunctious personality and once the individual had left, his gaze went from the customer to hers. “Brilliant strategy. I admire that.” He  approached the counter and leaned forward.  “Hello, Delphine.  Long time  no see.”  

Since Tony had visited  New Orleans and had recently returned to Chicago he was making his rounds to visit the people he knew.  

the bar was chaotic and loud, full of bodies grinding against one another and laughing, the smell of stale alcohol and sweat permeating every room. every detail was a bittersweet reminder of delphine’s childhood. she didn’t need the added bite of a tarot session because, as much as del denied believing in any of that anymore, it still carried a heavy weight.

another tip of her beer and delphine rolled her eyes. “yeah, yeah. i got it. you and your little deck of cards are real impressive.” she smirked, waving her bottle in tony’s direction. “i’d be more impressed if you could tell me the winning lotto numbers with those little shits.”

Tony held back a laugh when she talked about the  lotto. He was used to others either dismissing tarot cards or questioning it. He didn’t mind the skepticism, in fact, he welcomed it with open arms. He loved that people at least wanted to learn about it instead of just calling it shit. 

“Unfortunately tarot cards are not mind readers. Trust me, even I would be impressed, if I  learned how to rig the system. Imagine the clients I’d get.”  He teased. “Of course , right now, I’m not getting any clients since tarot reading and dabbling with psychics aren’t  really my forte. I work with plants and healing the body with what nature has to offer.” 

If she wanted to learn more she’d ask.  Tony enjoyed leaving people in suspense. He  didn’t like being a blabber-mouth. It was something he needed to learn to  control, especially when talking about apothecary.

“I will tell you this. If you give me your name your future will look bright for tonight. Forming friendships is powerful within itself.”  

“You really believe in all that?” she asked, biting her lip apprehensively.

Tony wasn’t a cocky man that was entirely into himself. He knew he wasn’t incredibly horrible to  look at but he also was pretty humble about his appearance. He was used to women trying to flirt with him and he always appreciated it. It spoke volumes when a woman had the courage to openly flirt instead of him having to do it. He loved confident, strong women with outgoing personalities. 

“Drink with an incredibly attractive woman while offering my services to give a free tarot reading? You’re making the decision quite easy.” He mused, running the tip of his fingers around the rim of the glass. He stared at her intently with a gleam in his eyes. “I do. I believe in it  almost as much as people believe crystals have energy and once you replenish them during a full moon you can acquire even more energy. What a sad world if we can’t believe in other things versus the typical norm. I like being different.”

Open: @crimsonstarters

“Swear to God, I got into tarot reading few years back and just got back into it. If you want I can give you a brief summary on where your future will lead.” Tony slurred, giving a radiant smile at the person next to him.

The night was filled with laughter, joyous music, and drunk patrons coming in-and-out of the bar. He loved seeing his family sharing fond memories instead of learning about the cruel ones Chicago had to offer. He wanted this night to be memorable and to be something he could one day tell his loved ones. He swiftly took the bottle of Heineken and drank out of it. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and cleared his throat.

“What I love about tarot reading is that it’s pure story telling. I have helped authors decide how they should finish their chapter or how the characters can grow. It’s remarkable what the cards can tell. Do you understand what I’m saying?” 

Tony reached for his alcohol and averted his body around to listen to the man that had said something. He gazed over at the Washington and curved a devious smile at his question. It was a rather curious game to get involved in with someone from the Washington family. He decided to play into it and crossed his leg over the other.

“Amuse me. Dare.” He responded.

Tony was used to receiving these sorts of texts and leaving his comfort zone to do something else. It was part of the family business. He was used to leaving to spend all hours of the night doing what it was they wanted and going back to his “normal” routine. He had wanted to research more about working with sage and concocting new recipes. He didn’t really have this desire to go out for a bar crawl, but after he had received that text, he decided to put his work on hold. While he was out, he noticed immediately a woman who had commented on Rousseau’s atmosphere. 

He gave her a soft smile and admired the scenery. “Indeed it is. Quite extraordinary.” He turned to look at her and extended his hand. “Tony and you are?”

“TONY!” Julia’s little body heaved onto her cousin, more than happy that he had come back into the Faust manor. She knew he was living it up in New Orleans and quite honestly, it was nice to have him here, to be back now after all that had happened with the chaos at the theatre. Julia had spent the night coughing, her lungs still aching, but seeing Tony did brighten up her spirits. She hugged tightly at her older cousin, not wanting to let go of him for dear life, the comfort he brought to her something she had been desperately needing as of late. After the hotel horror she had been through that left her without her organs, and then almost burning to death in the theater, Julia needed to see a familiar, comforting face. 

“We’re not good with fire, you should know that. I’m happy you’re here though, so happy. Don’t go away on vacation ever again, do you hear me? Stay here.” 

Tony was unprepared for the hug but greatly accepted it. Trying to balance the sage between his fingers, while holding onto his dear cousin, was a struggle. He hugged her tightly and watched as the sage did its work burning wonderfully throughout the  room. 

“Well now, this is a joyous greeting.” He laughed, letting go of Julia, and continuing roaming around to sage the place. “You want me to never have alone  time? Julia, even you should know, a little me time is necessary. I will always return and here I am.”  He placed the sage on a glass plate on the coffee table to let it burn. “You know I’ve always lived for the drama and gossip. You get to fill me in on everything I’ve missed, because from what I ‘ve seen on the news, it’s not pretty.” 

He looked at his cousin and examined her intently. He was hoping not to find a single scratch on her body. The thought of her inhaling all of that smoke or getting trampled over from the crowd brought him to frustration. He hated seeing any of his family members getting hurt. 

“ JESUS— ” he jumps approximately three feet and almost sloshes the milk and cereal swirling in his bowl onto the tile floor. that would have been bad; teddy just got these slippers for christmas. “ i thought you were effie or something, then i just hear this gravelly man voice. you could have coughed or made any indication you were there. christ, dude. ” despite the adrenaline keeping his heart hammering in his chest—that happens when you spend the second half of your life in the mafia—he carefully spoons another bite of cap’n crunch into his mouth. “ y’know, i can’t even fault you for that. selena gomez over miley cyrus any day. ” he’s already turning down the offer before his lips so much as part around the crunchberries. “ i have a sleep aid, actually. it’s a fun cocktail of nyquil, horse tranquilizer and anti-histamines. knocks me out for days. ”

Tony smirked, eyeing Teddy like a snake a bout to strike for his prey. It was always a pleasure seeing him roaming around the manor. Teddy was second in command, someone who earned his position, by providing eight long years of his life to this family. That type of loyalty was rarely seen by some people. Tony had been away on vacation and seeing Teddy as one of the first people he’d seen while being back was music to his ears.

“I don’t bite, much, Teddy. Don’t get all tense. I merely just arrived. Wanted to make myself comfortable in my own home.” He listened to him talk about Miley and Selena, which only prompted him to laugh and nod his head in agreement. “You speak the truth.” 

Tony watched as Teddy began swallowing down the bowl of cereal. His eyes looked slightly above the edge to see he had chosen Captain Crunch. He wasn’t going to comment over how disgusting his choice of breakfast was.  He had a feeling Teddy already knew he wasn’t one to make good choices. 

“NyQuill and some...horse...tranquilizer..No, that simply won’t do. Don’t you fret, Teddy. I’ll make you something nice and you’ll be sleeping the right way. I won’t take no for an answer.” He smiled “No wonder you woke up at this hour. Will you be going out at all or are you planning on wasting the rest of the day indoors?” He asked.

“ nothing honestly that exciting or worth sharing.” cleo’s shoulders shrug ever so slightly, but the smile soon turns to a grin. “ i might be, that sounds pretty interesting to me. the non believers that bad ? “

He offered her a charismatic smile. “I can’t devalue the good people of Chicago like that. It’s understandable. People are apprehensive to believe in something they feel  was once taboo. These days I mostly get shocked expressions when I tell someone I mix herbs  and partake in small rituals. Their next assumption is I massacre animals as a sacrifice.”  

It already amused Tony when he’d talk about witch craft or just becoming one  with nature. The people that were interested were people that already had tried studying nature or were on their way to find some spiritual awakening. He  wasn’t religious to the point where he’d study how to practice  Wiccan. He had a respect towards the community. His religion was called Animism, everything around him had a soul. Plants, objects, creatures etc. were all part of this magnificent universe. 

“Come on, I know there has to be something worth telling. I’ve been gone for some time. I need some juicy gossip.”

“Hmm?” she threw him a look as they walked, before flashing him a smile in return. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine. I figured I owed you - y’know, for that total mishap back there. I completely overestimated my ability to focus today. I’m honestly so sorry. I’ve cooked gourmet meals in this house for years, and I haven’t once had such a terrible time of it.” She couldn’t even begin to explain why she felt so…distracted that afternoon, but she chalked it up to a lack of sleep.

Vidia just shrugged and accepted his suggestion of somewhere else they could eat. She really wasn’t a picky eater and with her afternoon free for once, with Angelica being at her mother’s and having no business meetings to attend, she had plenty of time to kill. “It’s totally up to you - if you still want your curry, then let’s go and get some curry. I’m sure there’s a five-star Indian restaurant close by somewhere.”

“Well, if it’s enhanced cerebral functioning you’re looking for I can recommend Gota Kola. It’s a plant used in remedies to help with mental clarity. I can create something personal for you. All you’ll need to do is either drink it as a tea, or, I can create some natural oils for you.  Few drops under the tongue, all you need.” He mused talking about his favorite subject. 

Realizing he probably was going overboard he casually went back to talking about food. He cleared his throat and whipped out his phone to try to look for a local Indian restaurant they could go to. Tony never was ashamed talking about his craft. He knew it was just something you either loved or hated. It was best to leave them in suspense.

“Curry, curry, where to find the best curry.” He said under his breath while searching. “Ah, well, here’s a good one. Let’s pick here. We can eat and talk about everything and everyone. You need to fill me in on all I’ve missed.” He winked.

Location: Faust Manor

Catastrophe had struck the poor Faust family and everyone had been on edge. Tony, thankfully, wasn’t anywhere near the fire that had fallen upon the  grand theater. He had taken a trip out for a week to visit New Orleans for vacation and some work. He always loved galavanting around the mesmerizing  districts and exploring the lavish voodoo shops. Tony appreciated the smaller apothecaries and loved getting deals on herbs for the shop. When he came home, he came back to a  different manor. 

The atmosphere was tarnished. He hastily went into his room and grabbed  some sage from New Orleans. He lit  the sage around the main room and headed towards the kitchen. While he was doing this he heard a sound approaching.

“Yes, I have returned from my rather haste vacation to New Orleans, and yes I did miss you. Now, do know, that I plan on cleansing every bit of this house. If someone in the home is tempted to leave from the smell, well, it just means the sage did the job and the negative energy has left.” Tony  said while  heading back to the living room.

At his tone, Vidia’s amusement of having just destroyed their food slowly died down, but she was in too good of a mood still to allow his surly attitude ruin it. Instead of commenting on it, she just flashed him a grin and nodded, glad at least that he had agree to come along to Chinatown with her. “Alright, cool…and obviously, it’s on me - for cremating our would-be lunch,” she told him, as she made quick work on cleaning up the mess she’d made. It took no time at all, and the two were soon out the door and in her car, heading downtown. “We don’t have to get Chinese if you don’t want to - I’m really not all that picky. I’m just hungry, I can eat pretty much anything.”

Tony continue down the path with her. He reached out to place his hand on her shoulder. “Are you feeling okay?” He smiled. “You want to buy me lunch? How could I pass on that opportunity?” 

There wasn’t anything wrong with Chinese food, it’s just that, Tony had developed quite a palette for certain meals. Foods that were overly garnished with spices or herbs bothered him. Eating Chinese was just a hit-or-miss for him. Some were okay, some were just dreadful and poorly cooked. He wouldn’t say he was an elitist with his cuisine. He just knew what he liked.

IT HADN’T TAKEN much convincing for carmen to agree to accompany her colleagues to eden for a celebratory toast. but, by god, did she loathe the lightweights. the majority of her group had stumbled home hours ago, leaving the brunette to her own devices for the remainder of the night. bloody amateurs, she thought as her lithe frame slid onto the first vacant stool she spied. a delicate hand rose then, motioning toward the bartender—beckoning them forward for her request. seconds later, a grey goose and cranberry is placed before her and, instinctively, her fingers slide around the glass to lift it; ruby-red liquid lapping at its sides. the condensation is cold and wet against her palm and the vodka scrapes the back of her throat, but she swallows down the burn—welcomes it with open arms. it isn’t until a shadowy figure passes in her peripheral that carmen’s gaze drifts, falling onto the face of the other. “ if you can’t be happy, at least you can be drunk, ” she quips and motions with her glass. then, she takes a second sip—the sting much less severe than before. “ what’s your story, anyway? ” she asks, placing her drink atop the bar and turning to face her current companion. “ your friends leave you high and dry, too? ”   /   ( @crimsonstarters​ )

There wasn’t anything wrong with sex work, in fact, Tony had a rather interesting relationship going to Eden. It was a way to unwind, help support the beautiful women who worked here, and make for some compelling conversation. He didn’t mind coming into the establishment alone, since he frequently came here, he could easily talk to others. He found himself deep in conversation with the bartender who happened to go to his shop the other day. Tony had managed to sell her some sage to light around her house to create a relaxing atmosphere, because lately, she had been stressed out. 

“Did the sage work wonders for you? I even try to do it around my home occasionally.” He smiled, grabbing his drink of rum and coke. He took a sip after their conversation had finished and turned to look at the woman who had addressed him. “My story?” He leaned closer towards her so he could talk to her efficiently over the music. “I”m pretty much a witch doctor. If you ever need something to relax you come by the shop, LA BUENA BRUJA. I’ll whip something up.” He winked, taking another drink of his alcohol. 

He side eyed the woman and wondered why he hadn’t seen her here before. He laughed at her statement and leaned close to her once again. “My friends wouldn’t dare to leave me high and dry. I came on my own accord. Your friends do that to you? You might want to create new friends. Let me buy you a drink. We can be friends.” 

“ what’s new with you ? “ cleo leans back in her chair, smile written warmly against her lips. dimples on fully display. “ anything interesting to share with little ‘ol me ? “

“What’s new with me? What’s new with you?” He mused, sitting back in his seat until he could feel his weight balance the chair on two legs. He tipped it for a few seconds before pulling himself back. He folded his hands over the table and smiled. “I’m not entirely sure you’re interested in hearing me go on and on about the shop I work at, orders to fill, and--ah, yes, the non-believers.” 

Tony Faust

hometown: Chicago 

age: 35

affiliation: Faust

faceclaim: Joseph Morgan 

religion: Animism

favorite color: green 

sexuality: heterosexual 

degree: Masters in pharmaceuticals, minor botany and plant science 

“So, I’ve just burned the shit out of our lunch…I sincerely hope you like crispy fried chicken tikka masala.”

“But um…in all honestly - I kinda wanted dim sum, anyways. So I’m gonna go and get a shit load of it from my favorite place in Chinatown…Did you wanna come along?”

Tony wasn’t particularly fond over people burning his food. He found it to be rather insulting. He thought it was careless to even leave something on the stove for long periods of time. A wicked curve etched onto his face, slight annoyance plastered as well. 

“I don’t, not too fond of it.” He replied in a snarky demeanor. “Chinese doesn’t sound, well,  fuck it, I am quite starved at this point. Why not?” He  walked alongside her. “Enjoying your day? Anything new?”