The lounge was on full swing on Saturday nights. There hadn’t been a slow Saturday in what felt like years. But they were days he liked to participate on the party. Sitting in his corner of the area, bringing over old friends and new to share a new wine he was testing out. Picking their fingers over the freshly caught fish that came in in the morning (ones he assured them they wouldn’t find anywhere else). Or just wandering, gazing at how wonderful it was to see his own image be a setting for so many chapters in different lives.
He caught wind of someone, a particularly interesting someone, and he decided the evening was going to change pace just the slightest. He makes his move around the tables and the standing bodies to approach the bar, where she stands. “Would you like a drink more interesting than that one?” He says, nodding to her glass. No doubt Kellan could get her a better fix.
HERE SHE WAS, GETTING SIDETRACKED BY THE BAR AGAIN. ❝ Merci beaucoup , ❞ Anaïs bid towards the bartender. Not everybody could pull off her go-to drink: a filthy Grey Goose martini. It wasn’t everyone’s speed but she hadn’t looked back since she had tried one at a mere thirteen years old. She stood there lonesome at the moment, reveling in the alone time. The day had been long and she had committed to making it longer the second she had met her friends for dinner. She gazed around the lounge, observing the whizz of people for the night. Her berry lips caught another sip from her glass, craving the effects of relaxation that came with the liquor. The sudden musky scent wrapping around her as he approached, leading her eyes towards his presence.
❝ More interesting than this? ❞ she couldn’t imagine. ❝ What’s more interesting than getting a little dirty? ❞ Anaïs inquired, bringing the briney liquid to her lips again. ❝ Let me guess –– a godforsaken mint julep or some sort. ❞
“Oh hey!” It takes a second to register, but once the face matches the voice and the name he perks up. Kai nods, giving a sympathetic look to Anaïs and the boy. “Ahh, that’s not fun is it, buddy? I’m sorry.” He looks at the child, quietly crying as he tucks himself further into his mother. “Well we’re gonna get you fixed right up, okay? Can I take a look your arm, is that cool?” He asks, taking a seat on the stool and rolling over.
The arm was definitely broken. Neither him or Anaïs needed a degree to tell them that, hell, they didn’t even need an XRay but that was just procedure. Still, he kept the smile on, not wanting the kid to start panicking or pick up on the energy and start crying more. Nothing jutting out thank god but it was at an angle that was very much unnatural. “I’m gonna have you start by wiggling your fingers if you can, okay? And I’m gonna move your arm just a bit, nice and slow, let me know if anything hurts.”
DANTE WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER, but who would be when your arm was facing a new humanly way? She felt bad for her son, knowing the agony he was going through but it was a way of life. She had to show her strength at the moment for the sake of him. She could just tell from Kai’s body language that Dante would end up in a cast; something she selfishly didn’t want to deal with. ❝ Dante, wiggle your fingers, ❞ she encouraged behind Kai. Her arms were crossed over her chest, intensely watching the little boy struggle to follow directions.
She approached closer, looking at Kai with worried eyes. At least it was summer time, which wasn’t ideal but at least, it wasn’t during the school year which was much better. Dante shuffled uncomfortably in front of them and he let out a defeated sigh. Anaïs’ shoulders dropped, swallowing the pit in her throat. ❝ Well... what do you think, Kai? Is Dante going to be able to do swim lessons this summer? ❞ she asked, hoping for the best.
Grace was tucked away, sleep and in her room down the hall as Esme poured two glasses of wine in the low-lit kitchen. She leaned against the island, looking at Anais who was seated right beside her. It was such a blessing, having new friends at a time like this. After having such a small circle for so long, one where every person seemed to be vetted by her husband, this was a breath of fresh air.
“You know, I love our nights drinking wine and sharing our woes, but I think maybe you and I should take a night out at some point.” She grins, wiggling her eyebrows at the suggestion. It’s like she’s in her twenties again— she’s re-finding her youth.
ESME MADE ANAÏS FEEL NORMAL AFTER EVERYTHING SHE HAD BEEN THROUGH. Being a mob-wife was something her own mother experienced, Anaïs’ falling to the same destiny. Now, she was amongst the small crowd of ex-mob wives; something she was grateful for on most days. Her new life was filled with her own happiness and choices, including Esme.
She tapped on her screen as she finished her day, swiping her work e-mail away for the day. Anaïs picked up wine glass by the stem, giving her a nod. ❝ Santé! ❞ she said between them, clinking Esme’s glass. She took a swig before she really responded to Esme, letting out a breath of relief. ❝ Last time I invited you for a night out, it was a no-go. Don’t tease me with a good time, ❞ she said to her. ❝ You know, I’m always up for a drink... or whatever else the kids are doing these days, ❞ she said, bouncing a shrug off her shoulders. ❝ When’s the last time you really let loose, Esme? ❞ Anaïs inquired, wiggling her eyebrows back.
@femmeft > harlem prep elementary school parking lot / 4:00pm
“ i don’t know why you are looking at me like that , anaïs.” stating with a deadpanned expression , hands going into his dark denim pockets. never in the world would he expect to see dante … in a physical altercation this early. the kid was only eight , a third grader. dante left with a broken arm , a clean break and a couple of bruises. the other kid? a couple of broken ribs and an equal amount of bruises. “ i’ve never seen him get violent , let alone put hands on another.” a calloused hand going through his mound of curls , coming down to hold the bridge of his nose.
was he to blame? he’d hope not. the life that domenico was in wasn’t full of rainbows and fucking sunshine , it was dark. but he shielded his son from that as much as he could , creating a barrier ; not even mentioning work when his son was around. as much as he could shield him from his own life , the rest of it was still out there. video-games , social media , other kids … heck , even walking down the street you could see a fist fight. “ at least we can say he uh … can fend for himself. ” glancing in his exes direction , hands fishing for his pack of cigarettes.
TO SAY ANAÏS WAS ENRAGED WAS AN UNDERSTATEMENT, she was fuming. The smile that once spread across her cherry-red lips was now gone. The mother-of-one struggling to come to terms with the meeting she had sat through, itching to unleash her true thoughts. She stared at Dom as he followed out beside her, harsh words bubbling inside of Anaïs. If there was one person who felt the wrath of Anaïs, it would always be Dom, even a decade after their divorce. ❝ You don’t know why I’m looking at you this way? , ❞ she spoke, disturbance amongst her character at the moment. ❝ This is not okay. ❞
Anaïs was agitated, crossing her arms over her chest while she shook her head, rolling her eyes at him and let out a breath of disappointed amusement. ❝ Sérieusement, Domenico? Arrêt. ❞ she candidly spoke in her native tongue. ❝ Dante beat another kid to a pulp and you celebrate that achievement? ❞ she questioned, eyes squinted up at him. Her expression softened, clicking her tongue at his observance, ❝ Since he can fend for himself– next time, you can pick him up from the principal’s office , ❞ poking his chest to emphasize her point, only to trail her finger down his torso and pull the box of cigarettes he was reaching for out from his pocket. Anaïs held the box up in between them and slapped it on his chest with a frown, ❝ Please, remind me why you choose to willingly inch towards your death everyday, ❞ she said, judging his smoking habit. She ripped off her blazer in a fury, looking up at the sky as let out a long sigh. Her eyes found his again, annoyance amongst her features again, ❝ I need to speak with Dante. There’s more here than you think. ❞
open to: all !!
location: New York Presbyterian Hospital, evening/late night/early morning take ur pick
Typically lucky enough to be vetted into the dayshift, his rotation call for night shift killed him every time. Falling back into the routine was second nature, it was reminding his body he had to stay awake that was the hard part. So he takes a second before he enters the patient room, sucking in a deep breath to put on his work voice and the perfect gentle smile before squirting some hand sanitizer into his palm and entering the room.
“Hey there, friend, my name’s Kai I’m gonna be helping take care of you tonight.” He greets, setting down the vile of lidocaine on the mayo stand and rubbing the sanitizer between his palms and his hands. “Looks like you’ve got quite the injury, is it okay if I take a look at it?” He nods to the bloodied gauze covering the area before going for some gloves.
BEING A BOY MOM INCLUDED: many visits to the emergency room, having to wash dirt stains out of clothes three times and buying an unhealthy amount of cheese for their weekly groceries. Today included the latter: the ER. The hardest part about motherhood for Anaïs was the pain that ensued in many forms, beginning with her son’s rough housing ending badly once again. The other painful part was getting used to doing motherhood alone.
She sat there with Dante cradled to her, rubbing his back. The little boy had taken a tumble at recess, ultimately leading to his arm looking funny. As she heard the familiar voice appear through the door, she let out a breath of relief at the sight of Kai. ❝ Hi, Kai!, ❞ she said, gently nudging Dante to greet him; whines following the little boy’s soft hello. She placed Dante on the seat, backing up for Kai to inspect. ❝ He fell during recess, ❞ she explained. ❝ He hasn’t stopped crying since then, ❞ Anaïs informed him. ❝ I think it’s ... ❞ she mouthed the following letters: b-r-o-k-e-n, to avoid any hysteria from her son.
damn ! is that ANAÏS ARQUETTE ? last i heard they were making a name for themselves as a MEDICINAL CHEMIST for ROYALTY PHARMA, PLC. i heard that the THIRTY-NINE year old is a bit MOODY but can also be CHARMING . sometimes you can hear them humming LUCKY by BRITNEY SPEARS , though people mostly associate them with DELICATE YET BARELY LEGIBLE HANDWRITING, YVES SAINT LAURENT ‘LIBRE’ EAU DE PARFUM, A SPOT OF WARM SUNLIGHT .
BASICS.
FULL NAME: Anaïs Loren Arquette
AGE: 39 years old (August 12th)
PARENTS: Antoine Arquette + Josephine West
ORIENTATION: Bisexual
RELATIONSHIP STATUS: It’s complicated
CHILDREN: 1 boy, Dante
OCCUPATION: Medicinal Chemist @ Royalty Pharma
HOMETOWN: Paris, France
LIVES IN: New York City, New York
BIOGRAPHY. – infertility struggles tw, death tw
UN. Before Anaïs, the story began on a misty May morning in Versailles, France. Josephine West, an American ballerina, was overseas studying at The Paris Opera Ballet School. Her goal was to climb up the ranks and make her own name as a Danseur Étoile– until she met French diplomat, Antoine Arquette. He was known for his persuasive yet challenging personality amongst colleagues, and, Josie as well after their first date. She had been fiercely independent coming from humble beginnings in the Jersey Shore of New Jersey but her future husband was from a completely different world where butlers and drivers existed on call which Josie found hard getting used to. Josie stunned herself once she achieved the highest ranking after only 4 years at The Paris Opera Ballet School. She was even more surprised when Antoine proposed the day after she received her lifetime recognition.
DEUX. Antoine Arquette waited a decade for his wife, Josie, to be ready to build their family. They both were career-driven until Antoine began showing his impatience for Josie. Her independence was a bigger problem than expected, eventually persuading her to give up her career and stay at home. Weeks became months and after 3 years fertility struggles, the pair welcomed their 3 children at once via surrogacies. The Arquette family became a family of 5 over night, something Antoine was pleased with, where as Josie struggled with adapting.
TROIS. Anaïs was the youngest child out of the 3 siblings, getting the short end of the stick. Josie retreated emotionally from her children, wrestling with the concept of her new life. She was on her best behavior at the costs of her husband’s anger and judgment. Their agreement was crystal clear and the reaping of his luxury was something she committed to when she signed the prenuptial agreement to their marriage. Anaïs found it hard to connect to her mother during her childhood, even distancing herself from her siblings. The Arquette children were raised on performance, compliance and tension. All of the material items equated to nothing when it came to emotional fulfillment. The youngest Arquette had her life planned out before she was born which meant she was to live up to her mother and father’s reputations, at her parents demands.
QUATRE. When Anaïs was eighteen years old she withdrew from The Paris Opera Ballet School due to an ankle injury, halting her ballet career. During her recovery, Antoine Arquette was murdered during a business deal gone wrong with the Italian mafia. Suddenly, the Arquette’s golden reputation was smeared with the truth of what Antoine was conspiring in. Josie was left a widow, ultimately making the choice to move her family to her home country, The United States of America. Anaïs had mixed emotions but she knew this was a fresh start to her life.
CINQ. Soon after the Arquette’s arrived, Anaïs used her new found freedom to her advantage. While her every move was watched in France, America was a whole new ball park. She chose to attend college– despite her mother’s pleas to try to get back into the competitive world of ballet, begging her to strive for The Juilliard School. Anaïs received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, continuing onto receiving a Ph. D. from Columbia University. She began as a research assistant at Columbia, growing her way up through corporate science roles. She is currently Senior Medicinal Chemist at Royalty Pharma, PLC.
EXTRA, EXTRA:
Anaïs was married to Domenico Carrizo, they have one child: Dante.
Anaïs has never gone back to France since her father’s death, still unwilling to decades later.
Anaïs bears no ill-will towards any mafia organizations believing everyone makes their own choices in their own right, despite what happened to her father.
Anaïs remains in contact with her family, especially now as Josie’s health deters.
Anaïs smokes, drinks, and participates in illegal business dealings, as long as you get her good side.
WANTED CONNECTIONS:
Best–friend: They could’ve met as children, her family traveled a lot between her fathers career and her balle or they could’ve met once she arrived in the States. This person would know Anaïs’ true emotions and judgments, would have to have thick skin and be able to deal with this menace. Anaïs is a good friend, she just has a mouth on her. She’ll spoil them rotten!
Rivals: She’s the most competitive person on this planet. She could find a competition in any arena of the world from ballet (previously), fitness class, work, academics, you name it.
Baby-sitter for her son: She shares custody with Dom but she’s a MILF and likes to have fun and relax. It’s a small gig but they’d come around often enough to know Anaïs’ preferences and schedule regarding her child.
Drug-dealer: She’s Walter White but better… you already know. Not many get full access but those who have been in the NYC area or if you play your cards right, she can help you get your hands on *substances.
