sempis

Removed

Accidentally posted twice, thread is here.

Redwood Apartments, Silvervale, LA

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Interactions: Claire Dupont @berlin

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One thing that Nick noticed pretty quickly was Ellie's smile. It seemed like Ellie preferred to stray from convention, and her smile reflected that. She seemed to smile often, and it didn't seem she was doing it simply for pleasantries. Nick liked that about her. Something about that put him at ease.

Nick couldn't help a bit of a snicker when Ellie tried to guess what kind of day he had. "Although I wish it had been more like the former, it was definitely kind of like the latter." The amendment that followed her statement pulled a real laugh from him, a smile spreading on his face. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you haven't woken up in Illinois with an engagement sash. Do those things really exist?

It felt good to talk like this, to socialize. Over the past years, Nick had disconnected himself from company. He'd almost been a sort of hermit, a whirlwind trying to sort itself out. If he really tricked himself, he could say it was because he didn't have time, but Nick knew better.

Either way, he was here now, and he could at least make an effort to get to know the people he lived near. Ellie had already finished her beer, and in a subtle effort to follow her lead, he drained his. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? He grabbed himself another beer as well, taking the one from Ellie. "Yeah, I can't imagine using your teeth as your personal beer opener can be good." He laughed good-naturedly, hoping the comment came off as banter rather than criticism. Taking both of the bottles, he pulled the caps off on the edge of the railing, spilling only a little, and handing one back to Ellie. The caps he tossed into the trash by the grill, secretly thankful he didn't miss.

[Canceled]

❦ Time ❦ Evening, May 15th ❦ Location ❦ The Bar ❦ Interactions ❦ Jack Graves (NPC), Octavius Zeno (@Hoekage)

To: Tavi Zeno
Delivered: 4 hours ago
Like everything else here, the drinks at the bar are free too. Come check it out!

To: Tavi Zeno
Delivered: 2 Hours Ago
Hey. Where've you been?

Two Bloody Marys (extra bloody, how she liked it) in, Andrie's phone chimed from her bag. Based on the ring tone, she could tell it was her work phone. Never a fan of letting her work life mix with her personal life, Andrie had two phones she fielded texts from. Her work phone only had generic ring tones for her clients, whereas her personal phone had ring tones by contact, so she could tell who was messaging or calling without even looking at her phone.

She almost missed it, as she was busy flirting with the bartender, a cute human with a sheepish smile and curly brown hair. Not that she expected it to go anywhere, but she was bored, and had yet to find anyone she recognized who wasn't already preoccupied. It had been two hours since she'd texted Octavius off of her personal phone. Of course, he had yet to respond, so now she was drinking alone, like a loser. Typical Tavi. What was so important that he hadn't checked his phone all night? He hadn't even unlocked his phone screen to take a picture? If he had her notifications muted she'd personally break that pretty face of his. She contemplated sending another text, but in the end her sense of dignity won out and she took the phone off the bar and put it back in her handbag. Maybe she'd be less tempted that way. She fished around in her bag and pulled out her work phone, protected by a sleek, professional black case.

Most of the contacts in her work phone were of Zeno blood or Zeno affiliates, seeing as they were the ones who gave her her assignments. There was the occasional unaligned person, but no Artois or Tepes blood or followers. Andrie imagined that her employers wouldn't love her working with their political competition, and after all it had taken to get her where she was today, she wasn't too keen on crossing them. At any second, her legs could be swept out from under her, and she knew that. Either way, there wasn't much reason to stray from the Zeno family. She had friends there, and her employers always made sure the money made its way into her bank account.

The drink in her hand was set back on the bar with a rough clink, a little bit sloshing over the sides. Stray drops ran down the glass and soaked into the napkin she'd put the drink on. Of course on the day she was invited to an all expenses paid trip to the Vampire king's own private island she was ditched, and then had to take an assignment. This was supposed to be fun, but right now it was anything but.

From: Robert Price
Received: 1 minute ago
'There is a Jack Graves at your location. He needs some convincing to close a deal with one of my businesses. Show Mr. Graves some Zeno hospitality.'
Attachment: 1 Image

Andrie couldn't help but mirthlessly snicker at that. It was a cold sound, not friendly in the slightest. The bartender turned around, a question on his face, but she waved him off. Hospitality. Her cold blue grey eyes narrowed at the phone screen as if it had personally offended. Calling what they were asking of her hospitality was an almost offending attempt at subtlety or modesty. Rarely did Andrie get a request for an advisory conversation over drinks, or a round or two in the boxing ring as opposed to in bed. It wasn't that she disliked her job, Andrie had no qualms about servicing her clients. She slept around easily, knowing each and every client was screened thoroughly before sent her way. How they got them to agree to that, she wasn't sure, and she wasn't concerned. There wasn't any danger to her job, but Andrie did feel she had more to offer than convincing pillow talk. It wasn't her place to say so, though. The offers were never demands, more firm requests, which made Andrie feel a little better about things. Nevertheless, she always did as she was asked, which made her one of the Zenos' most frequent employees.

It did help that Andrie was also very good at her job. To put it simply, it was hard to want to say no to what Andrie asked, especially with a bit of convincing. The Zenos definitely took notice of this, and eventually none of them were above calling in favors from her, whether with a repeating client or with a fresh face. Andrie had a way of keeping them coming back, for seconds, thirds, and so on.

As if sensing her hesitation, Andrie's phone chimed again. The notification was from a different app, the one she managed her transactions from. $800 had been transferred directly to her bank account from a user called 'Don't Make Me Ask Again'.

To: Robert Price
Delivered: Now
Classy. I'm on it.

❦ Time ❦ May 16th, 7:00am → 9:40am ❦ Location ❦ Jack Graves' Lodging → The Grand Hall ❦ Interactions ❦ Jack Graves (NPC)

When she woke up, there was no confusion as to where she was, or what had happened last night. The 'day after confusion' was for rookies, and she was anything but. She normally didn't stay after, but she had been so exhausted, and he'd asked her to stay. It sounded like he would beg her if he had to, and Andrie really didn't want to deal with that. Besides, she was unemotional, not heartless.

Now, though, she was kind of regretting it. His arm was wrapped around her torso, and she was pulled up against his chest, her head tucked under his chin. It was surprisingly warm and comfortable. She almost wanted to stay like that a little bit longer, keep the fake feeling of intimacy and trust. But, she had little time to enjoy the moment. She needed a shower, and she wanted to be out of here before he woke up. She'd successfully convinced him to close the deal, so her job here was done. She gently disentangled himself from his limbs, rolling off the bed and grabbing the handbag and shoes she'd tucked out of the way under the bed.

A hot shower later, she pulled on last night's clothes and returned to her room. She needed to change before breakfast with the king this morning. She blow dried her hair, put on her makeup, and grabbed a blue dress she'd hung when she'd arrived. She made it to the Grand Hall just as people were beginning to sit down. She stationed herself at one of the Zeno tables near the sides of the room.

When Tavi arrived, late as Andrie expected, she made a point of not looking at him. Besides, Dmitri Tepes looked like he was getting ready to address the invitees. Maybe they'd figure out what they'd been called here for. She couldn't imagine it was just for pleasantries. With a short speech, he disappeared from the hall, tailed by one of his brothers.

As far as she was concerned, Andrie would land on her feet. She already had her own place, and as long as she could keep working for the Zenos, she had a pretty lucrative job. But, she wasn't quite sure she was the kind of person who would be the head of the a Royal House. She'd never even imagined she'd have this opportunity. Did she even want to be a Royal House ruler?

Andrie settled on figuring it out later. Part of her wanted to text Octavius about how crazy this whole idea was, but he had yet to text her back since last night. No way was she going to text him first. Was it too early to start drinking?

Now that she thought about it, though, this party would be a perfect opportunity to meet new people and potential allies. She scanned the room, trying to see if she recognized anyone besides the Zenos.

Wander🌙

@queennugget

Hey, I'm still interested in joining if you'll still have me! I wanted to make sure I have time to take on another roleplay, hence the bit of wait before confirming joining.

Redwood Apartments, Silvervale, LA

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Interactions: Claire Dupont @berlin and Xavius Woodson@QueenNugget

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Nick had stationed himself at the grill, focusing on getting it set up. Watching all the people filter in with some sort of alcohol or party food in their hand made him wish he had something to offer. Nick's fridge, however, was purposefully barren of alcohol. He simply didn't have any use for it. He'd have to earn his keep by cooking for everyone, and he was completely confident in his ability to put out good food. The man could cook like no one's business.

The sound of another person's voice addressing him made him jump a little. Being around all these strangers was making Nick more than a little nervous, to say the least. Nevertheless, he forced an easy and amicable smile on his face. "Nikola Blackwell, but while we're all on nick name basis, Nick, please." He stuck his hand out for the others to shake.

"You're not alone in that boat, Xavi. All I've got to offer is my barbecue skills, which, not to pat myself on the back, are far from lacking. As far as my day goes, it was... definitely eventful. Not sure it's something I'd want to repeat."

Already, Nick was wondering if he was being too friendly. Did they think him odd? Was it obvious he didn't feel as confident as his voice sounded? Xavi, however, snapped him from his thoughts before he started to spiral into overthinking. "To a better night, yes?"

He grabbed a lone beer hanging by the grill and knocked the cap off on corner of a railing. Nick had the uncanny ability to open a bottle on nearly anything around him. He raised the bottle to Xavi and Ellie, the smile coming easier this time. "To a better night." He confirmed.

Wander🌙

hey, this looks really good! I'll see if I can get a character sheet up. I'm already in a couple of role-plays, so I don't want to join anything I can't keep up with.

Wander🌙

This looks interesting!

[Canceled]

Andromeda Voronin

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The Sleeper ❦ Andrie

(Nadia Rydliova, c49797)

25 (6/17/1963) ❦Female ❦ Bisexual ❦ Single ❦ The Dirty Worker

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❦ p h i l o s o p h y ❦

"I'm going to make you an offer you can't refuse"

❦ o c c u p a t i o n ❦

Whatever The Mob requires of her. She’ll do most anything asked of her, as long as it pays well. From tasks that range from diplomatic conflict settlements to showing House and Zenos and affiliates a good time. She does the mundane and the disrespectable jobs that the higher ups won’t carry out themselves. Most of the jobs she takes are temporary to medium-long term, and at the moment she does not have any permanent assignments. Frequent tasks include, but are not limited to:
❧ Liaison
❧ Bodyguard
❧ Personal Assistant
❧ Intelligence Gathering
❧ Blackmailer
❧ Escort
❧ Illegal Items Trafficking

❦ a f f i l i a t i o n ❦

Andrie is the dirty side guaranteed to accompany wealth and power. Andrie and the House of Zeno have an agreement among each other. She does what they ask, and they pay her handsomely. However, that’s not the whole of their relationship. Andrie is close with many powerful Zenos and followers, and considered by some almost as close as family. Most of her closest friends are in the House of Zeno, people who managed to turn an assigned one-night stand or a temporary partnership into a loyal friendship.

❦ s k i l l . s e t ❦

Nasty Nasty Nasty
Andrie does what it takes to get the job done, whether it means taking someone out, or just giving them a good convincing.

I Know A Guy…
If Andrie can’t do it herself, she’ll knows someone who can. Because of the nature of her job, Andrie can find someone for just about anything you need. From the legal to illegal, pure to impure, Andrie has connections inside of NYC and out.

Smarter Than Your Average Fifth-Grader
Andrie is very intelligent, and has helped the Zeno Family formulate many plans and has advised them for many years.

Better than Booty Boot Camp
Despite the submission and control her job requires, Andrie is far from harmless. She is advanced in hand-to-hand and weapons usage, and can handle herself in the shady parts of the city. Don’t let her small size fool you, she’s unexpectedly strong and can pack quite a punch.

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❦ p e r s o n a l i t y ❦

Calculating Andrie’s life isn’t cushioned by the comforts of money in the bank and people under her thumb. Her name was made solely by herself, and could be destroyed with one wrong move. Therefore, she’s very cautious of the people around her. She’s incredibly intelligent and clever, but doesn’t like to let on to it. Most of the time, jobs don’t require her for her brain, and she’s well aware.
Secretive Andrie operates on impersonality. While quick to acquaint herself with people and do favors for others (for money or for an I-Owe-You), she’s very opposed to letting on too much about herself. After all, her story isn’t much of a happy or glorious one, and no one likes a pity party. Her close friends are few in number, but solid in loyalty.
Efficient Andrie isn’t one to beat around the bush or waste time on small talk and pleasantries if not completely necessary. She’s blunt, and likes to get straight to the point. One of her biggest assets to her job is her ability to sever an emotional connection from a moment, person, or action. Her hands get dirty and bloody, and it isn’t until after the fact Andrie feels any sort of regret or fear.
Persuasive Andrie is a master of communication, whether it be diplomatic, threatening, or comforting. She throws herself into situations without fear, her way with words very effective in defusing any danger she puts herself in. And, when all else fails, Andrie isn’t above using a bit more of a primal method. While she likes to use her words, she’s a force to be reckoned with in the bedroom or on the safe side of a gun or knife.
Ambitious Even though she’s accomplished a lot despite her circumstances, Andrie still wants more. She’s never satisfied, always trying to improve and advance. She’s driven and dedicated, and is willing to do what it takes to get what she wants.
Intense Even when Andrie isn’t breaking your box spring, waving a gun in your face, or arranging an agreement, her presence can leave you feeling out of breath. She’s unpredictable and spontaneous.
Multifaceted Andrie’s life depends a lot on her work, and therefore her personality has evolved to suit it. However, she’s not just cold and ruthless, especially when she’s not on a job. She is quick to meet up with a friend for a night on the town, or to crack a witty comment. She’s supportive to those she cares about, and is loyal to the bone. After all, Andrie may be a lethal manipulative hustler, but she’s human too. 25%, to be exact.

❦ f e a r s ❦

Andrie is very fearful of feeling out of control. She’ll do nearly anything to avoid a situation in which she is out of control.

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❦ h i s t o r y ❦

Andrie’s past isn’t really something she likes to get into. It isn’t glorious, or happy, or even stable, like many others could claim. Part of the reason Andrie never settled for a calm life, or never inherited power was due to her past.

Her mother moved to America when she was in her late twenties, a halfblood escaping an abusive relationship with a pureblood. She had figured once she got to America she could turn her life around, but leaving her problems behind only brought new ones. She struggled to keep herself afloat, constantly poor and begging.

Andrie’s mother turned to prostitution for money, sleeping with anyone who paid the right price. That’s when Andrie came into the picture, a result of a careless night with a Zeno and a forgotten day after pill. Andrie’s mother was devastated by the news. Barely able to support herself, she was never able to imagine being able to raise a child, much less a child of The Mob. In an agreement between the House of Zeno and Andrie’s mother, the illegitimate child was to be kept hush hush. Crazy how money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy just about anything else.

Andrie grew up with a lack of abuse, but also a lack of love. Andrie grew up in years of neglect, learning to take care of herself. She learned not to ask questions she didn’t want the answer to. She put together she was to stay quiet when her mother’s door was locked after the first couple of incidents.

When her mother disappeared when she was fourteen, but Andrie didn’t feel anything, a fact that used to horrify her. As she grew older, she simply deduced her mother had been exactly that only in name. There was never any support from her, or any signs of affection, therefore Andrie never connected with her. Andrie took to the streets, pickpocketing and stealing to stay alive. She ran up a record for herself, which later prevented her from getting any well-paying jobs.

When she was old enough, she built up a list of clients for herself. On night, she slept with a cousin of a pureblood Zeno, and the rest was history. He took a liking to her, and offered her a job as his personal assistant and secretary. She took the job, and thus began her climb up the ranks of the Zeno family. She proved herself useful in many situations, and eventually she became the person the Zenos went to when they needed something done.

Valerian Tepes

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❖ Val ❖

(Xavier Serrano, #99C1C3)

25 (8/31/1798)❖ Male ❖ Heterosexual ❖ Single ❖ Tepes Prince

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❖ p h i l o s o p h y ❖

"There are no heroes."

❖ o c c u p a t i o n ❖

Valerian is the chairman of The Palace Hotels and Resorts international hotel chain, as well as owns several luxury apartment buildings in New York.

❖ a f f i l i a t i o n ❖

Formerly rebellious and rejecting of his father’s traditional ways, Valerian has settled into his role as the Tepes heir.

❖ s k i l l . s e t ❖

Mr. Moneybags
Being the chairman of a successful, high class, international hotel chain is profitable to say the least. While his money doesn’t rival his father, or other more distinguished Tepes family or followers, he’s comfortable.

Guitar Hero
Decades of playing the guitar have made him pretty sharp at guitar. It’s one of his favorite past times.

If You Were Passionate About Running A Business...
Valerian prides himself in his hotel having no involvement or influence from his parents. He built it from the ground up on his own funds and merit.

In it For the Long Run
Valerian doesn’t tire of things when they lose his novelty. The same goes for people. Those who are close to him can take it as fact that he’ll stick with them through thick and thin.

'Tis Only A Flesh Wound
Maybe it's the pureness of his blood, but Valerian's healing factor and stamina are definitely supernatural.

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❖ p e r s o n a l i t y ❖

Diplomatic Power and wealth can come relatively easy. The real trouble is in keeping it. Valerian learned the hard way bossing people around doesn’t put them on your good side, no matter who your father is. Valerian has a much better hold on his tongue than he did a couple of decades ago.
Protective Almost to the point of possessiveness, whether it be over people or objects. The people Valerian cares about are always taken care of at the end of the day. Those in his inner circle are commonly the only receivers of his affections, even if it’s normally in the form of gifts instead of verbal expression.
Cynical Valerian naturally distrusts others. He’s dropped the childish naivety after years in the ruthless business of money.
Escapist Despite his climb up the social ladder, Valerian’s life leaves a lot to be desired. He has a tendency to be a little absent-minded or distractable.
Brittle Valerian has a very tough, uncaring persona, which rarely betrays his inner persona. Inwardly, he’s unstable and sensitive. Offhand jabs have a tendency of getting under his skin, but he rarely shows it.
Independent Valerian is no stranger to standing on his own two feet.
Assertive One of Valerian’s best leaderly qualities is his assertiveness. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind or let you know what he wants.

❖ f e a r s ❖

One of Valerian’s greatest fears is his fear of failure. His success is all he holds dear in his life, and failing or falling short would devastate him.
Valerian does not handle heights well at all.
While not necessarily strong enough to be counted as a phobia, Valerian is incredibly cautious about intimacy and attachment to other people.

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❖ h i s t o r y ❖

Valerian wasn’t always the dream heir that he is now. When he was only a couple decades old, he spent his days skipping classes his father arranged for him, and the nights he spent sneaking out to nearby cities. There was something that fascinated him about getting lost in crowds and letting his decisions be guided by spontaneity.

It was on one of those nights that he met Aria, some time in the mid 20th century. From the moment he met her, he realized he’d never met anyone like her before, and never would again. He’d never be able to put it into words, but she rolled into his life like a hurricane. She was wild and uncontrollable, sweeping Valerian in and never giving him enough time to catch his breath. Inevitably, the damage she would leave behind would be irreversible. They had met at a music festival, in a guitar vendor’s tent. He’d ducked in to avoid journalists who had recognized him, and had mobbed him. She had been playing a song on one of the tester guitars while waiting for customers, singing a song Valerian later learned was by Elvis.

She must have caught him staring, because she’d put her guitar down and asked him if he needed anything. Somehow, they had gotten talking, and she figured out she was a Tepes prince. She didn’t hound him for a photograph or draw attention to him. Instead, she took off her heart shaped sunglasses and her scarf and put them on him. She pulled his hoodie up and grabbed him by the sleeve, calling to someone in the back that she was leaving. That night remains one of Valerian’s fondest memories. She’d introduced him to funnel cake and cotton candy, and they’d shared lemonade as set after set played onstage.

After that night, Valerian snuck out to meet Aria nearly every night. They took turns sharing part of each other’s lives, Valerian taking her on boat rides and to fancy restaurants, Aria showing him how to play the guitar. She gave him his first guitar, an acoustic guitar she’d painted black with red and white roses. Eventually, they started a small band, playing more for the fun of it than for any sort of career or profit. They became well known at local cafes and bars, and other hangout spots.

Valerian and Aria couldn’t hide their relationship forever, and when his parents found out they were furious. They couldn’t fathom a prince with a common human girl, and they demanded he separate from her immediately. Valerian wouldn’t hear any of it, and refused to honor his parents’ wishes. His mother warned him she would get tired of him, that humans didn’t have as much time on their hands as vampires did. She promised him that eventually, Aria would realize how short her life was, and would leave Valerian for something new and exciting. Regardless, Valerian and Aria kept seeing each other. For a while, their relationship was stable.

Six years after Valerian had met Aria, he had planned on marrying her. He had told his parents, hoping that they’d finally give the couple their blessing. Of course, they refused. Valerian had fought with his parents, and eventually decided he’d elope if he had to. For Aria, he was ready to throw away all of his riches and power.

The night he told his parents was the night before he wanted to propose. He’d planned to propose to her at the same festival where they had met, over lemonade and funnel cake. He’d picked out a ring since his parents refused to give him one of the family heirlooms. For all he was concerned, he’d make new traditions if he had to.

What he wasn’t expecting was for Aria to show up on his doorstep in the rain, soaked from head to toe. She begged him to let her in, and of course he did. He wasn’t prepared for what she had to tell him. Something about how “things had gotten out of hand” and she “wasn’t thinking right.” Unbeknownst to him and Aria, his own mother had sent someone to seduce and turn her. As she lost her humanity and began to change, she realized something had gone terribly wrong. Her body was rejecting the change, and the pain and thirst she felt were unbearable. With no one else to turn to, she had come for help from Valerian.

Valerian wasn’t heartless- heartbroken, yes- but not heartless. He didn’t know how to help Aria, so he asked his father for help. Of course his father knew how to help, but he offered aid at a price. If he found someone to help Aria survive her change and adjust to her new life, Valerian was not to see her anymore, and was to adhere himself to his princely duties. Stupidly, Valerian agreed.

Aria’s condition was rapidly declining, she’d apparently attacked one of the guards at the door. The last Valerian saw of her was her terrified expression, her body immobilized by chains. Valerian promised her she would be ok. Money was of no shortage in the Tepes family, and treatments that would be unthinkable for the masses were at Dmitri’s disposal.

Most people would be devastated by a loss like this, and Valerian was no different. Within the past couple of decades he's isolated himself from everyone that isn't his family or business partners and assets. He's also picked up a bit of a blood dependence. However, Valerian's business and name thrived. The chain of hotels he’d started and only half committed to flew up around the world and gained popularity rapidly. He threw away most of the things he’d kept from Aria, but couldn’t bring himself to toss the heart shaped sunglasses and the rose painted guitar. He started meeting with other leaders and powerful officials, acquainting himself with them and building a name for himself.

[Canceled]

The discord link is saying the server is unavailable. Can you refresh the link?

[Canceled]

Room for one more?